Chapter | XXIII |

"These guys will be your new teammates, Naruto!"

The blonde was barely able to keep his eyes open. Naruto didn't expect that reading books could make one mentally exhausted that quickly. He was forced to realize that the Chakra pool and mental health weren't exactly that connected.

Despite the sleepiness, he forced himself to inspect the two individuals standing before him.

One was a boy with black hair, his eyes brown and cat-like. His features were sharp. What made Naruto lose interest in him was his friendly and energized aura. Shaking his head, he gestured to Kakashi to introduce his new 'teammate'.

"Meet Asashi, he will be our team's healer"

"Nice to meet ya!"

Naruto raised a brow. Was that it? Nothing else? Holding the urge to roll his eyes at his Sensei, he rubbed his temples and glanced at the other one. This one... Well, from the long hair and olive-smooth skin, he presumed it was a girl.

Kakashi smiled before introducing the fellow.

"Meet our long-range expert, Rumi Kozue. She will be a great asset during missions"

Another brief introduction Naruto didn't mind, he was really not in the mood to learn their history. However, despite his sleepy mood, his interest was piqued by the girl's face... or rather, the mask that covered her facial features.

'It's really similar to the ones I saw inside that bald man's house'

Even her eyes were hidden beneath a veil of darkness, making her seem distant and cold. On her back was a bow made of pitch-black material, Naruto did not know if it was wood or something else, but that was a matter for later.

And the most surprising was the fact that she did not carry any arrows with her.

'Strange'

The blonde pondered, gazing at her bow with curiosity. That was when he received a slap to the back of his head.

Naruto grunted, rubbing his head.

"Introduce yourself already"

"Oh... Hey there, I'm Naruto"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"What?"

Kakashi heaved a sigh before leading them toward the mission hall. Kakashi went off toward the receptionist without a word, leaving the trio alone. An awkward silence loomed over the atmosphere, Naruto was not exactly sure how to act in the situation he was in.

"I've heard that you were a rather mischievous fellow, Naruto"

Asashi said giving a side-long glance toward Naruto, the blonde raised a brow at his statement. Sure, he was pretty famous for his hyperactivity, but he did not expect it to be that famous, maybe the guy was a victim of one of his pranks.

Naruto left the question hanging, he didn't like his past self, he loathed it.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

Ignoring Asashi, Naruto leaned against the wall behind them. No sooner, he was approached by the masked girl. She too leaned beside him, Naruto closed his eyes as he was bombarded with questions after questions from Asashi.

Finally, Kakashi return after getting the mission for them. He was reading the contents inside the scroll, arriving before them, he closed the scroll and kept it inside.

"Our first mission will be C-Rank"

Naruto gazed into Kakashi's eyes, asking if it was just a joke. Kakashi nodded in full seriousness, making Naruto relax. He was worried it was just another joke.

"I'll explain in detail after we depart, let's go... Toward the northern plains"

"That far?"

Letting out a little gasp, Asashi straightened, his eyes shone with a bit of worry. Kakashi's eyes went cold at the remark.

"I expect pin-drop silence until I finish... Do I make myself clear?"

As the aura around him changed, the chatter-filled hall went silent. Naruto even felt the room drop temperature, his words carried a hint of coldness that sent shivers present in the hall, including Naruto.

'D-Damn'

He was surprised, his evaluation of Kakashi leaped a few just from the words he spoke. He already had a good image of his Sensei, but it seemed that he was underestimating him and by a lot.

"Y-Yes"

Stuttering, Asashi gulped and took a back. Nodding in satisfaction, Kakashi glanced at the other two, seeing that the two of them were on their toes, the Jōnin made his way out, and so did the rest.

Kakashi ordered them to pack the necessary items for their journey, Naruto and the rest did as told and arrived at the front gate. The blonde carried the biggest backpack he could find at his apartment — Which was rather small — and stood near the towering gates. The other two arrived soon. Asashi carried a bigger one than his, and Rumi the same size as his.

Unlike the rest of the time, Kakashi arrived shortly after. Naruto speculated that the laziness he showed before was just a part of his plan.

Beaming at them, Kakashi set out.

"Let's go my fellow students! Pray that we don't die~"