"998! 999! 1,000!"
Might Guy exerted a sudden burst of strength, catapulting himself into the air and completing a clumsy yet powerful flip before landing steadily.
He flashed a row of gleaming white teeth and gave a thumbs-up to the silver-haired youth standing before him, who had his hands in his pockets and an expression of utter weariness.
"Yo! Kakashi! This is youth!"
Guy's voice was as loud as a bell, causing the passing villagers to turn their heads. "Now that I've finished my warm-up of a thousand push-ups, it's time for our showdown! Come on, youth is burning!"
Kakashi slouched his single visible dead-fish eye and turned a page of 'Icha Icha Paradise' in his hand, his tone flat. "Guy, I'm still on vacation."
"Excuses! Those are all excuses to escape your youth!"
Guy burst into tears instantly, clutching his fists and roaring at the setting sun. "Kakashi, you've changed! Ever since you joined the Anbu, has your hot blood been sealed away by that mask? Where is the eternal rival who was once my equal?"
Kakashi sighed and closed the book.
Since his teacher became the Hokage, much of the gloom in his heart had dissipated, but facing a creature like Guy who seemed to never tire still left him feeling a sense of physiological exhaustion. Even his recent breakdown after being confronted by the mysterious masked man seemed trivial in comparison.
Just as Guy was about to rush forward and forcibly initiate a "showdown of youth," an afterimage flashed past the nearby tree branches.
"Ribbit."
Accompanied by a croak, an Anbu member with a toad sitting on his head appeared in a Body Flicker.
Guy's movements came to a screeching halt.
Although he was thick-headed, he understood what the appearance of an Anbu meant.
"Mr. Gamakon?"
Kakashi looked at the purple toad with some surprise. "Why are you here? What about Sensei and Jiraiya-sama...?"
"Don't even talk about it."
Gamakon waved a paw, looking thoroughly annoyed. "Minato is currently nothing but a stamp-pressing machine. I can't do anything there except smell ink. As for that old pervert Jiraiya..."
Gamakon rolled his eyes, thinking of the scene he saw when passing the izakaya earlier. "He was shamelessly pestering Tsunade for a palm reading, only to be punched into a wall by her. He's still there, peeling himself off the bricks. I couldn't stand the stale stench of romance, so I came out for some fresh air."
Kakashi's mouth twitched.
In all of Konoha, only this Sage Sovereign dared to poke fun at the Sannin and the Hokage like this.
The Anbu stepped forward and bowed slightly to Kakashi and Guy. "Captain Kakashi, Jonin Guy. The Hokage has ordered both of you to assist Shikaku Nara-sama. Proceed to the village entrance to receive the 'reparation materials' sent by the Hidden Cloud Village."
"Reparations?"
Guy froze for a moment and scratched his head. "Why is the Hidden Cloud giving us reparations? Aren't they always incredibly arrogant?"
"You just finished your mission and returned to the village, so you wouldn't know."
Gamakon leaped from the bulletin board, drawing an arc in the air before landing precisely on Kakashi's silver, broom-like hair.
He found a comfortable position to lie down, looking like a purple hat.
"The Hidden Cloud tried to make a move on our village's Bloodline Limits, but we outmaneuvered them instead."
"They have no choice but to swallow this bitter pill in silence."
Gamakon patted Kakashi's forehead protector. "Let's go, Kakashi. Take me to see the expressions on those Hidden Cloud guys. I'm sure it'll be spectacular."
Kakashi helplessly rubbed his brow, but in the end, he didn't refuse.
"Guy, let's go," Kakashi called out.
Guy stared at the Gamakon on top of Kakashi's head, his brow furrowed as he rubbed his chin in deep thought.
"What is it?" Kakashi asked.
"Kakashi..."
Guy pointed at Gamakon with a serious face. "Even though this toad gentleman looks quite strong, having him lie on your head... is really ugly! It completely ruins your cool image as my eternal rival! This does not fit the aesthetics of youth!"
The air froze for a second.
Kakashi's dead-fish eyes widened significantly.
Ugly?
This guy actually called him ugly?
Before Kakashi could even retort, Gamakon, perched on his head, was the first to bristle.
"Ugly?"
Gamakon's horizontal pupils narrowed slightly, his voice turning dangerous. "You bowl-cut, thick-eyebrowed brat, you actually dare to question my looks? I am Mount Myoboku's number one handsome toad, the dream frog of ten thousand lady toads!"
"But it's really out of place!" Guy continued to speak with suicidal honesty.
"Smack!"
A crisp, explosive sound echoed.
No one saw Gamakon move.
A tongue snapped out like a whip, accurately lashing Guy across the forehead.
"Ow!"
Guy let out a miserable shriek, his eyes instantly turning into swirls as stars circled his head.
"Huh? Why are there three of you, Kakashi?"
"That's a lesson."
Gamakon slowly retracted his tongue and didn't forget to wipe it on Kakashi's hair. "Remember this, thick-brows. Next time you dare to nitpick my style, I'll strip off that green spandex of yours and use it as a rag."
Kakashi felt the wiping sensation on his head, and his mouth twitched again.
'That's my hair, not a napkin...'
"So... so strong! This is youth!"
Guy, truly the spokesperson for youth, recovered before long.
With a large red bump on his forehead, his eyes burned with a fierce fire. "As expected of the summoning beast capable of taming Kakashi! This power! This speed! Is this the agony of youth?!"
"..." Gamakon rolled his eyes speechlessly. "Kakashi, is this guy's head filled with nothing but muscle?"
"Probably," Kakashi sighed.
"By the way."
As Kakashi walked toward the village entrance, he asked hesitantly, "Mr. Gamakon, how should I address you in a formal setting? Gama-kon? Or...?"
After all, it was a diplomatic occasion; calling him by his name seemed a bit disrespectful, but calling him 'Sage Toad' might make Jiraiya jealous.
"A name is just a label."
Gamakon gave a nonchalant yawn. "In this shinobi world, those who can make people remember their names are either ridiculously strong or died a heroic death. To those Hidden Cloud people, it doesn't matter who I am; what matters is who I represent."
"Just call me the Sage Sovereign."
Gamakon spoke plainly. "Getting these Hidden Cloud people, who have been living quite comfortably, to accept this name won't be easy. If I add any more titles, I'm afraid their brain capacity won't be enough."
Kakashi nodded, though he only half-understood.
While they spoke, the group had arrived at the main gate of Konoha.
At this time, a long line of horse-drawn carriages was already parked outside the gate.
These carriages were not Konoha's standard design but were built from frost-resistant ironwood unique to the Land of Lightning. Their wheels were wide and axles thick, clearly designed for long-distance travel and heavy loads.
Every carriage was piled high with massive wooden crates, each bearing the seals of the Hidden Cloud Village.
And at the very front of the convoy, stood a Cloud ninja with a blonde buzzcut and dark skin.
He was burly, carrying a broad-bladed sword on his back and chewing on a senbon, his face full of displeasure and arrogance.
He was a Jonin of the Hidden Cloud and the captain responsible for escorting the reparations.
Opposite him, Shikaku Nara was leaning lazily against a gate pillar, holding a long checklist and reading it half-heartedly.
"Senior Shikaku."
Kakashi walked forward and gave a slight nod.
"Oh, Kakashi, you're here."
Shikaku lifted his eyelids and glanced at Kakashi. His gaze lingered on Gamakon for a moment, and he flashed a knowing smile. "Good timing. This job is a pain; things will be easier now that you're here."
"Is this Konoha's attitude?"
The Cloud captain looked up, his sharp gaze shooting toward the toad on Kakashi's head.
"A bunch of runts and a toad?"
The Cloud captain spat out his senbon and cold-snorted. "Is Konoha out of people? You're actually letting an animal inspect the goods?"
The atmosphere instantly dropped to the freezing point.
Kakashi's gaze turned cold, and his hand instinctively reached for his ninja tool pouch.
Even Guy, who had just followed them, put away his playful grin and stood in front of Kakashi, his presence as steady as a mountain.
"Animal?"
Gamakon didn't get angry; instead, he laughed.
The laughter sounded particularly piercing at the quiet village entrance.
"It seems that brute of a Raikage didn't just fail to teach you how to fight; he didn't even teach you how to speak."
Gamakon leaped down from Kakashi's head, turning into a purple afterimage and instantly appearing on the crate in front of the Cloud captain.
He sat there, his line of sight level with the Cloud captain's.
"Listen here, dark-skin kid."
Gamakon pointed a claw at the Cloud captain's nose. "The place you're standing right now is Konoha. These things you've brought are your 'blood money'."
"Since you're here to pay a fine, bend your back for me."
"You!"
The Cloud captain was furious, the broad-bladed sword on his back hummed as chakra poured into it. "You're looking for death!"
"Stop!"
Shikaku's voice rang out at the right moment.
He put away his lazy demeanor, his eyes turning sharp. "Cloud Captain, if you want to make a move here, I don't mind seeing the reparations doubled. You wouldn't want your Raikage to know that because of your actions, the price went up, would you?"
Those words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing the Cloud captain's rage.
He remembered the Raikage's furious yet helpless expression before he left, and he thought of the delegation still sitting in the Konoha prison.
The Cloud captain took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the humiliation in his heart.
"Inventory the goods!"
He spat out those words through clenched teeth.
Although the Cloud ninjas were full of resentment, they still opened the wooden crates reluctantly.
Shimmering gold dust, precious Chakra Metal, rare medicinal herbs...
These were all specialties of the Land of Lightning and the accumulated savings of the Hidden Cloud over many years.
Now, they were being handed over to Konoha on a silver platter.
Guy couldn't help but click his tongue as he looked at the goods. "That's so much money! How many missions would it take to earn all this back?"
"This is the price of war,"
Kakashi said softly. "Or rather, the price of provocation."
Gamakon hopped onto a crate filled with Chakra Metal, picking through them like an inspector.
"The purity of this one is no good; too many impurities."
"Are these herbs damp? Why do they smell like mold?"
"Tsk tsk, is the Cloud Village so broke that they use such inferior goods to make up the numbers?"
With every sentence Gamakon spoke, the Cloud captain's face darkened another shade.
But he didn't dare to explode.
Because he could feel that, besides the Konoha ninjas in front of him, there were at least a dozen powerful presences in the shadows locking onto this location.
The "Yellow Flash," though he hadn't shown his face, had made his stance clear, as his disciple was right here.
Finally, the inventory was complete.
"The count is correct."
Shikaku closed the list with a satisfied smile. "Thank you for your hard work, everyone. Next is the final transfer."
Shikaku clapped his hands.
Four Anbu emerged from the shadows, carrying four pitch-black coffins.
The Cloud captain's pupils constricted violently.
That was...
"These are the members of our Anbu's fourth squad that your village 'rescued' at the border."
Shikaku pointed at the four coffins, his tone sorrowful, but his eyes were cold as ice. "Although they unfortunately 'succumbed to their injuries,' Konoha is still very grateful to the Cloud for returning their remains. We will remember this kindness."
The Cloud captain swallowed hard as he looked at the four coffins.
He knew exactly what was inside.
They were four death row inmates pulled from the Cloud's high-security prison, their faces disfigured and dressed in Konoha Anbu uniforms.
This was the greatest humiliation the Raikage had ever suffered in his life.
Total gaslighting.
This was the method of Minato Namikaze.
Even though the Cloud hadn't captured anyone, Konoha insisted they had, forcing the Cloud to manufacture four fake corpses to return. This served to solidify the Cloud's crime of "attacking Konoha Anbu" and provided a justification for demanding exorbitant reparations.
To avoid starting a war, the Cloud had no choice but to hold their noses and accept it.
"You're welcome."
The Cloud captain used almost all his strength to squeeze those words out. "Since the transfer is complete, we won't disturb you further. Farewell!"
He didn't want to stay in this place for a single moment longer.
"Take care, we won't see you out."
Gamakon waved a paw. "Come back and play next time! Konoha's gates are always open; as long as you bring enough money, you're always welcome."
The Cloud captain stumbled and nearly fell.
He glared viciously at Gamakon before leading his subordinates away in a sorry state.
Watching the Cloud convoy's departing back, Guy was a bit lost.
"Kakashi, why was that Cloud guy's face so terrible? And those four coffins... I feel like something is weird."
Kakashi looked at the four coffins with a complex expression.
Although he didn't know the specific details, he could guess that this was certainly not a glorious affair.
"Guy."
Kakashi said softly. "There are some things you don't need to understand too clearly. You just need to know that the village won, and that's enough."
"Oh!"
Guy nodded, half-understanding, and then became excited again. "Since the mission is done, can we continue our duel? Kakashi! Come on! Let's burn our youth!"
"..."
Just as Kakashi was about to refuse, the weight on his head suddenly vanished.
Gamakon jumped down and landed on Shikaku's shoulder.
"Alright, stop picking on the honest guy."
Gamakon looked at Shikaku. "Since the goods have been received, get them into storage quickly. Minato is probably waiting for this batch of materials to fill the Anbu's deficit."
"What a drag..."
Shikaku sighed and directed the Anbu to start moving the crates. "I was hoping to go home early to be with my wife."
"Be satisfied."
Gamakon grinned. "At least you don't have to face the Raikage's wrath like that Cloud captain. That guy will probably have a layer of skin flayed off when he gets back."
"True."
Shikaku smiled and looked into the distance with a deep gaze.
After this incident, the Hidden Cloud's vitality was severely damaged; they wouldn't dare bare their teeth at Konoha for at least five years.
Meanwhile, Konoha, under the leadership of the Fourth Hokage, would utilize this batch of resources and this period of peace to rapidly recover its strength and reach even greater heights.
""