Chapter 9: The Unexpected Mission! Hanako's Speculation!

Obito suddenly felt something was off.

He realized that he seemed to be isolated.

Even though they were members of the same team, why were the other three standing together, leaving him behind?

Did he do something wrong?

As Jūzō Biwa finished setting her pose on the training ground, she turned her head and immediately noticed Obito standing out from the crowd.

"Huh? Do you think you're special?"

Staring at Obito seriously, Jūzō Biwa approached step by step.

"Jūzō Biwa-senpai, it's not like that! It's them, they're the ones who broke formation!" Obito hurriedly explained.

He didn't realize that his explanation would offend Hanako and the others.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Jūzō Biwa looked at the other three and asked.

Hanako shook his head.

Kakashi shook his head as well.

Even Rin shook her head.

Thanks to Hanako's reminder, Rin firmly stood on the side of justice.

Next, Jūzō Biwa took out a notebook and deducted one point from Obito's name.

"It's not me, really, it's not me!" Obito panicked.

He was genuinely panicked.

He felt abandoned by his teammates for no reason, feeling more wronged than Kakashi's father.

"Building good relationships with teammates is the first lesson of ninja teamwork."

Jūzō Biwa said seriously.

Afterward, her tone changed.

"Next, I will temporarily lead Team 9! And you will face a hellish mission."

"Each of you starts with 10 points, and once you lose them all, you will be expelled from the ranks of ninjas!"

On the field.

After hearing the rules from Jūzō Biwa, Obito's heart skipped a beat.

If he understood correctly, he had just been deducted one point?

In contrast, Kakashi remained expressionless.

Deduction? That doesn't exist.

Rin felt a bit nervous and silently cheered herself on.

Only Hanako...

Upon hearing this rule, he was ecstatic.

Being expelled from the ranks of ninjas once points were deducted? Such a great opportunity!

"Don't fight me for it, the zero points are mine."

Thinking this, Hanako stepped forward.

"Jūzō Biwa-senpai, it wasn't Obito who broke formation, it was the three of us."

"Huh?" Obito was momentarily stunned, feeling a surge of warmth in his heart.

Truly a good friend of his, standing up for him in a critical moment.

"Oh, so that's how it is."

Jūzō Biwa smiled and added one point to Hanako's name with a pen.

Hanako: "???" Obito was dumbfounded. "Why did he get a point added?" Kakashi pondered, "Because he was willing to take responsibility for the mistake, so he gained a point?" Rin couldn't believe it. "You can gain points like that?" Even Hanako didn't expect this.

You can gain points like this?

What are the rules for adding points?

Next, the hellish mission mentioned by Jūzō Biwa began.

After learning about the mission details, Team 9 fell silent.

A C-rank mission.

That was the mission Jūzō Biwa helped Team 9 acquire.

The points of each person would increase or decrease based on their contributions to this mission.

"In this mission, Kakashi will serve as the temporary team leader!"

"All commands during the mission will be determined by Kakashi."

Looking at everyone, Jūzō Biwa appointed the temporary team leader for Team 9.

However...

Right after she finished speaking, Obito spoke up.

"Jūzō Biwa-senpai! The captain of our team should be Hanako!" Obito confidently declared.

"Huh?" Jūzō Biwa furrowed her brows.

"Previously, Sensei Minato said that the one who made the greatest contribution in the D-rank mission would become the captain!"

Indeed, these were the words spoken by Minato Namikaze, and all members of Team 9 were witnesses.

"I see."

Nodding, Jūzō Biwa took out her notebook again.

Then, Obito's points were deducted by one again.

To be honest, Hanako wanted to speak up as well.

But after thinking about it, he resisted.

What if he jumped forward and became the temporary team leader? Wouldn't he just be sabotaging himself?

At the entrance of Konoha Village.

Team 9, fully equipped with ninja tools, gathered.

At this moment, a cart stopped at the entrance, and a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl was sitting on it.

She was the target they would escort for this mission.

Meinari, the owner of Joyful Bathhouse.

Originally the daughter of the owner of the largest bathhouse in the Land of Hot Springs, she came to Konoha a year ago to open a branch. The reason she hired ninja for this mission was to ensure her safety during the journey back to the Land of Hot Springs.

After all, she was quite valuable.

After understanding the mission details, Team 9 prepared to set off.

"I still..."

"Thought Jūzō Biwa-senpai would join us too, but it seems she's not going?" Obito complained to Hanako as they set off.

"If Jūzō Biwa-senpai isn't participating in the mission, why is she wearing a combat outfit?" Rin also found it puzzling.

Hanako didn't pay any attention to their questions.

His gaze occasionally swept over Meinari sitting on the cart, lost in thought.

Before long, Kakashi approached.

"Any discoveries?"

Kakashi had some understanding of Hanako's observational skills.

So he directly asked Hanako.

"Three points of suspicion."

Hanako whispered.

"First, since we set off until now, Meinari has been silent and appears burdened."

"Second, considering her high value, why did she only hire a single cart without even a canopy?"

"Lastly, we need to be cautious once we enter the Land of Hot Springs."

After hearing Hanako's words, Kakashi pondered.

"How do you determine that the Land of Hot Springs is unsafe?"

Kakashi noticed the first two points as well, but the third point!

The Land of Hot Springs is unsafe?

How did Hanako come to this conclusion?

Faced with Kakashi's confusion, Hanako didn't explain.

Because he based his analysis on the overarching plot of the original work.

In his judgment, the Third Great Ninja War was approaching.

As a neutral country, the Land of Hot Springs was caught between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.

What did this mean?

It meant that the current Land of Hot Springs was likely infiltrated by Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Clouds.

He couldn't explain this to Kakashi.

"Let Rin communicate with her and gather some information."

Hanako changed the topic and made a suggestion.

In the capital city of the Land of Hot Springs.

The leader of the rebellion, Kawashiro, sat in the central seat.

At his feet lay the body of the daimyo.

Standing beside Kawashiro were two highly skilled users of Lightning Style ninjutsu.

The Land of Hot Springs was going through a major change!