Chapter | XX |

The trio's fell face as soon as the words parted Kakashi's lips. Kakashi couldn't help but laugh at their faces.

"pfftttt! Did you really think I would give some inexperienced brats a C Rank mission at the start? Heh, keep dreaming"

Naruto let out a disappointed sigh, he had expected too much. The same could be same for the others as they sighed as well. Giving an eye smile, Kakashi gestured them to follow.

Grunting, they obeyed. On the way, Kakashi explained the content of the mission, making them look at him in disbelief.

"Kakashi Sensei, you want us to... Deliver goods?"

Sakura asked, both stupefied and shocked to the core. She trained and studied all the time in the academy to become... Delivery men? Was he serious?

"Yep! Now go, shoo shoo!"

He pushed the trio toward a house. Grunting, Naruto wanted to glare at the man, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"What the hell?!"

Sakura stomped her feet, cursing left and right. Naruto too, he simply couldn't understand how this would even make him strong, how was delivering a bunch of goods affect his powers?!

Sasuke turned his back on them, and walked away.

"Sasuke? Where are you going!?"

Sakura yelled, strolling toward him. He sent a cold stare toward them, and harrumphed.

"I have better things to do than fool around"

He scoffed and took off. Sakura lingered for a moment looking at Naruto, then ran behind Sasuke. Sighing, Naruto stared at the enormous building and took a step forward.

As he entered through the red gates, his gaze drifted left and right, taking glances at the garden of flowers. There were many kinds. Blue, yellow, green, purple, and much more, they were all...

"Beautiful... Aren't they?"

Turning his head toward the source, his gaze landed on a middle-aged man. His hair had grey strokes, indicating his aging. His skin was tanned, and there was not a spec of hair on his body. His eyebrows and lashes weren't an exception.

The blonde and the hairless middle-aged man stared at each other.

"Yes"

Naruto replied. He wasn't lying, the flowers were really beautiful, nothing like Naruto had ever seen. The old man's lips curled up, a warm smile morphing on his face.

"Were they your friends who left?"

'Friends, huh?'

He left the question hanging, not bothering to answer. The man noticed his behavior and shook his head. He turned around and marched forward, understanding his intention, Naruto followed behind.

The man slid open the front door. Leaving his sandals behind, Naruto went inside along with him. Sweat ran down his forehead as he took his first step inside, it was hot inside... Very hot.

Sparks of flame brushed past his skin as a burning furnace shimmered. Naruto understood why the man didn't have a single hair on his body. It was burnt by these flames!

His gaze was directed to the Oni Masks hanging on the wall. Some black, some red, others white, and several others like his garden's flowers. But they held something similar and vastly different from the beautiful garden. They were designed to be terrifying. And they were indeed so.

Naruto suddenly got a desire of wearing one, but soon dismissed the idea. Afterall, it would hinder his sight and that would result in his... Let's just say it would be bad.

His eyes landed back on the man, he was opening and inspecting several boxes. Saying "Not this" every time he shook his head. After a minute of searching, the man finally shouted "This!".

Gazing away from the masks, which were rather fonding to him, he waited for the man. The hairless guy stood up, carrying a wooden box. Nearing Naruto, he passed the box onto him.

'oh'

He was taken aback by the weight. It was heavy, he doubted a normal person could carry it.

"Deliver this to the..."

The man grabbed a scroll and read through its content.

"...Hatake Clan?"

Naruto's interest was piqued, and a possibility rose in his mind, if this was going how he expected to be... Things could change.

Naruto took the goods and left the building, taking one last glance at the masks.

He slowly made his way to the Hatake district, damaging the goods inside was not his priority. After 10 minutes of walking, he finally reached near a river bank.

Naruto squinted his eyes seeing a single solitary house in the distance.

"Not much of a clan from what I see"

Muttering, he made his way through. Reaching the doorstep, he knocked on the door. "Come in". The familiar sound of Kakashi replied. Sliding the wooden door open, Naruto entered.

In the hallway was Kakashi, leaning on his sofa. An orange book in the name of "Make Out Paradise" is held in his hand. He slowly raised his head and smiled.

"You pass"