blogombal Chapter 164 Kakashi's Protection Has Finally Arrived
Chapter 164 Kakashi's Protection Has Finally Arrived
"Hey~ You're not hurt, are you? Coward." Just as Naruto was gritting his teeth in resentment at Kakashi's disdain, Sasuke's casual remark delivered a devastating blow!
"This is terrible! How could it have turned out like this..."
"I've been training very hard, and I'm not inferior to Sasuke at all. Why, why am I so scared that I can't move when we all have the same experience, and I'm just a burden?"
"Even Sakura has decided this time... to swear by the pain in her left hand that she will remember this lesson."
"I will absolutely not lose to that Sasuke guy!"
Under everyone's astonished gaze, Naruto pulled out a kunai, piercing his left hand as blood streamed down his face, and resolutely shouted.
"You talk so arrogantly, then don't let your legs go weak next time! Sakura, help that idiot bandage his wounds, or he'll bleed to death before he even sees the enemy." Sasuke said calmly with his hands in his pockets, making Naruto's face turn a pitiful shade of liver as he ran to Sakura.
"No! I don't want to die like this! Sakura, please help me..."
"Idiot, who told you to show off like that just now? Now you're panicking? You're just causing me trouble."
Looking at the lively duo Sakura and Naruto, and then at Sasuke who was concerned about his companion, Kakashi's lips curled up slightly, and his gaze shifted to Tazuna with hostility.
"Speaking of which, shouldn't you give us an explanation, Mr. Tazuna? Those Mist Ninja are all here for you. This is at least a Rank B mission!"
"Ah? This, this..." Feeling guilty, Tazna panicked and blushed, not knowing how to speak.
“We ninjas have the right to refuse missions if we lie about the mission level, tsk tsk tsk! You old drunkard, you might really be kicking your own ass this time!” Just as Tazuna gritted his teeth and was about to use moral blackmail, Ishikawa’s voice suddenly rang out, choking him with words.
With a whoosh, the Ishikawa squad arrived almost simultaneously.
"Ishikawa? What are you doing here??" Kakashi asked with a glint of suspicion in his eyes as he saw the Ishikawa team for the first time.
I saw them just returned to the village. Are they on another mission so soon?
"Senior Brother Ishikawa..." Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura also turned around and called out happily, because the three of them had a great deal of respect for this senior brother because of their previous tree-climbing and water-walking training.
"I need to discuss a mission with you beforehand, but something unexpected happened right after you left!" Ishikawa nodded to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura in greeting, then came to Kakashi's side and smiled helplessly.
"Come with me." Kakashi nodded calmly and led Ishikawa to a nearby tree.
Away from the crowd, Ishikawa didn't hide anything and quietly explained his mission, saying that Kakashi should wait for the signal in the Land of Waves to help keep things under control.
Anyway, the Third Hokage said he could ask Kakashi for help, so he wasn't afraid of being held accountable for leaks later!
"Is that so? It seems this escort mission has no choice but to continue." Kakashi murmured softly, stroking his chin, then looked at Ishikawa with worry in his eyes, "Perhaps, I should take this mission!"
"You continue this escort mission with Naruto and the others. With your abilities, you can handle even if something unexpected happens and you encounter a Jonin."
Under Ishikawa's strange gaze, Kakashi paused and made a suggestion that surprised and touched him.
Immediately, Ishikawa was both touched and eager to act.
If he were leading the new Team 7, after defeating Zabuza, he would still have time to protect Tazuna while he built the bridge, which would obviously give him a lot more time and wouldn't delay his journey to the Third Shinobi World War.
"Forget it, even if it were Kakashi-sensei, you'd be punished by the village for changing missions privately. We're capable of completing the mission; contacting you now is just an extra layer of insurance." After thinking it over, Ishikawa still rejected this seemingly good suggestion.
Kakashi treats him with such sincerity, how could his disciple possibly cause Kakashi any trouble?
In particular, the Karin incident made Kakashi a target of Danzo. If Danzo found out that Kakashi had secretly changed missions at this time, wouldn't that be like handing a knife to the enemy?
Furthermore, compared to the troublesome main characters, Ishikawa still believes that Karin and the others will help cover for him and prevent any unforeseen complications while he is away.
"Alright, I understand!" Seeing that Ishikawa was determined, Kakashi stopped trying to persuade him and nodded in agreement.
He was well aware of the Ishikawa squad's strength. As long as they weren't being hunted down by Kirigakure, their intelligence gathering and safety shouldn't be a problem.
Kakashi then led Ishikawa directly to Tazuna, who was pale with fright. "The mission can continue, but the reward must be paid according to the actual situation. You lied about the mission level, probably because you're having some financial difficulties. If you agree, I'll explain to the Hokage that you can pay the reward in installments. The mission level will be tentatively set as B-rank."
"I agree, I agree." Terrified, Tazna nodded frantically, having no time to haggle.
If the bridge is successfully completed, continuing to pay the fee will be a bit of a burden, but not a major problem. If it is not completed, then naturally there will be no need to continue paying the fee.
For now, let's agree to save our lives first, and then we'll see what happens next!
"Very good, then Team 7's mission continues." Under Naruto and Sasuke's surprised gazes, Kakashi calmly announced, nodding to Ishikawa at the same time.
"Well then, we'll say goodbye here." Ishikawa was in a hurry and didn't want to continue their leisurely journey, so he took his leave directly.
Before Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura could react, Ishikawa led Karin and the other two to continue their journey to the Land of Fire's docks, where they would have plenty of time to rest on the ship.
"Huh? They're leaving already? By the way, what mission are they on? Why are they in such a hurry?" Naruto snapped out of his daze with a gossipy look on his face, while Sasuke next to him also listened intently.
"Well, it's a mission that's even more dangerous than ours," Kakashi said ambiguously, then walked away quickly without saying anything more.
These words immediately caused Sasuke and the others to widen their eyes, and their initial excitement about the mission being upgraded to Rank B gradually cooled...
So, Ishikawa and his team's mission is an A-rank mission?
Following Kakashi in a daze and feeling lost, the group finally left the country on the second day, boarded a ship, and set sail into the Land of Waves.
Looking at the island nation that seemed like a paradise, Naruto, being an optimist, quickly recovered and rushed to the front to show off his skills.
"Enemy attack!!" Naruto, who was walking ahead, suddenly threw out a kunai and shouted a warning as they passed through a grove of trees.
Instantly, everyone, including Kakashi, turned their heads in alarm.
"Naruto, what are you doing?"
"Don't try to show off, you stupid brat..."
But after discovering it was just a rabbit, Sakura and Tazuna glared at each other and shouted angrily.
However, just as the two were angrily rebuking Naruto, Kakashi's gaze suddenly changed, and he turned to look into the depths of the bushes.
"Come out, I've found you!"