Chapter 142 Three

"Hey, they're just a bunch of super brats. And you over there, the short and dumb-looking one... Are you really a Ninja?"

At the mission reception area, an old, unruly man holding a bottle of sake started speaking unsatisfactorily right off the bat. He was Tazuna, the client for Team 7's current escort mission, and their guide for the Land of Wave arc.

"Oh, he actually said one of us is short and dumb. Who could it be!" Naruto was still very happy to finally receive the C-Rank mission. At this time, he actively cooperated with Tazuna's performances and turned around to look for who he's referring to while gloating.

In the hall, Logan nodded towards Hiruzen. The other party held a pipe in his mouth, shook a pile of documents he was working on as a greeting, and then gave a 'How's the teaching assistant doing?' look. Logan smiled confidently, signaling that everything was fine.

Sasuke and Sakura stood upright, then glanced slightly downward at Naruto in the middle. Height wasn't something they could control... Though they restrained themselves from laughing at the comedic situation, their sidelong glances naturally got misinterpreted.

"I'm going to kill you!" Even Naruto, dense as he was, understood the sad reality. He shouted, dropped the mission request, and tried to rush at the elderly man he'd just met, only to be stopped by Kakashi's quick reflexes.

"Hey, that's the person we're supposed to protect, Naruto. Don't be rash..."

The hall became an amusing scene once more, with Iruka, who had come to submit documents from the Academy, stepping in awkwardly to mediate and explain the professionalism of Konoha's Ninjas to Tazuna. Hiruzen couldn't help but laugh at the scene, giving Logan another look to interpret on his own, to which Logan responded by turning his head and rubbing his forehead.

'Well, I am still young, so that's okay.'

Generally speaking, first impressions are important, but the initial meeting between the client and the Ninjas ended on an unfriendly and unpleasant note. After Tazuna and Team 7 established various details, they were ready to depart at noon today.

On a sunny day at Konoha's gate, Logan followed the group. Under the towering wooden gate, the two guard Chunin stood guard conscientiously.

"Oh, it's Kakashi."

"Are you heading out to lead a team on a mission?"

"Yes."

The grand road leading out extended, with branches and intersections crisscrossing, until they broke into nature with forests and rivers, "I say..."

The sunlight hid behind large white clouds, but the weather remained fine. Logan thought to himself, 'It's been sunny lately.'

"Is your team made up of five people?" Tazuna observed Kakashi and Logan, who both wore Jonin vests, for a while, and then directed the question towards the slightly older-looking Kakashi.

"Ah, yes, the nature of our team is somewhat special. Well, the other one is also a Jonin. You have profited a lot by getting two Jonin for the price of one..."

Kakashi chatted casually with the guide, Tazuna. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura walked ahead, occasionally bickering amongst themselves. As they left the village gates, it was evident they were in high spirits. For them, being Ninjas and leaving the village for a mission was a significant moment. Though Konoha was quite large, seeing the outside world and its vast landscapes lifted their spirits even more.

"Two Jonin, huh? That's really great..." Tazuna sighed.

However, this was not a leisurely outing but a challenging mission under the skin of C-Rank mission.

Tatsuna's slightly odd tone and his silence when 'we won't encounter hostile Ninjas on C-Rank missions' was mentioned did not go unnoticed by Logan and Kakashi. They exchanged a knowing glance, realizing something was off.

Logan, viewing the journey from a foresighted perspective, saw this as a precious experience for Team 7. For him, it was more mundane and awkward. Kakashi would handle it well, Naruto and Sasuke would grow, but was he just to play a minor role in this early stage of the 'low-level' original storyline.

What followed were the menacing first boss, Momochi Zabuza who wielded a big sword and spoke harshly, and Haku, a kind-hearted person with a suspicious gender. To be honest, the current combat power of Team 7 seemed a bit over the top. And might become even more so as the story progressed...

Walking east, the wind blew away many random thoughts, the white clouds dispersed, and by the time Logan and his team had walked half an afternoon's journey, with Konoha out of sight, the sun shone down once more.

Logan shook his head, dismissing unnecessary thoughts as they entered a forested area. They entered a mountain forest. Since the route they chose was the exact route taken by the merchant caravans and farmers, the path wasn't rough or steep.

'Isn't it almost time?' Logan thought to himself. When they are about to leave the mountain forest, a puddle appeared on the dirt road ahead, 'Ah, it should be that one.'

Naruto, after walking all day, had lost his initial excitement from the village gate and now just wanted to reach their destination quickly. Without Naruto's lively chatter, the atmosphere was a notch quieter. As they neared the puddle, Logan was a bit troubled.

'These are the so-called Demon Brothers, right? Are you a little overconfident? Leaving aside the fact that the puddle's presence on a sunny day was a dead giveaway, Jonin can naturally feel the faint Chakra presence when we get close to you. Your concealment skills were good, but in front of two Konoha's Jonin, it wasn't enough at all.'

Logan coughed lightly to signal to Kakashi.

Kakashi, though usually appearing laid-back, hadn't lost his sharp instincts from his ANBU's days. He subtly glanced at the seemingly immersed puddle, then turned to look at Logan.

Logan raised an eyebrow, and the two began exchanging looks.

'Leader, what's the plan?'

Unexpectedly, Kakashi's eyes only deepened for a moment, and then he turned away as if nothing had happened. Logan frowned and thought for a while, 'Geez, it seemed like he meant 'you know what to do'.'

According to Logan's 'you know what to do' approach, he would simply zap the ground with a Chidori to end it quickly.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura walked past the puddle without noticing anything amiss. As for the ordinary person among them, Tazuna, he deliberately avoided it and walked past it. Finally, Kakashi also walked past... With a sigh, Logan had no choice but to keep silent. With a stiff expression, he passed by as if he hadn't noticed.

'Maybe Kakashi has been lazy and peaceful for a long time, and is no longer as cold as when he was ANBU. He wants to find out who these Ninjas are targeting or to train his students. Ultimately, it wasn't a bad move.'

A few seconds after the group of people passed by, three figures emerged from the puddle, their wet chains clanking ominously. In a flash, three Chunin-level Kirigakure's Ninjas sprinted towards them, chains clattering menacingly. Before the three Konoha's Genin could react, Kakashi was already bound tightly by the chains.

"The first one!" The Kirigakure's Ninja declared their self-perceived cool line.

Logan only looked on indifferently, 'Just two minor characters, but trying to act cool.'

'Wait a minute...' Logan was shocked, 'Why are there three of them?'

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