Team Kakashi-2

As Kakashi stood in the mission center, his usual calm and collected demeanor was heightened by an unapproachable aura that seemed to emanate from him. His eyes scanned through the mission board, his expression unreadable. His mask covered most of his face, adding to the mystery and detachment surrounding him.

Satoru watched Kakashi calmly, taking note of the renowned shinobi's unapproachable aura in the mission center. "Well, here is our third team member," he thought to himself. Bob, who was standing beside him, seemed to sense his gaze and quickly spoke up.

Bob replied, "Not him, let's wait some more."

Satoru raised an eyebrow and inquired, "Why not?"

Bob hesitated for a moment as if searching for the right words.

Bob said, "Well, um... he's bad news."

Satoru rolled his eyes and ignored Bob's cautionary words, striding confidently in the direction of Kakashi. Bob, on the other hand, started sweating profusely, beads of perspiration forming on his forehead, neck, and even his knees.

Bob muttered to himself, "Oh man, this is not good. This is not good at all."

As Satoru approached Kakashi, Bob's anxiety skyrocketed. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve, trying to keep his cool.

Bob whispered to himself, "I should have brought a towel or something."

Bob's resentment towards Kakashi stemmed from the stories he had heard from his fellow shinobi. According to these accounts, Kakashi was notorious for prioritizing missions over the well-being of his team. These tales painted Kakashi as a cold and distant shinobi who showed little concern for his teammates.

Satoru stood beside Kakashi, feeling a bit nervous. He mustered up the courage to invite the famous shinobi to join their mission. "Hey, wanna join us? We're short one member for a D-rank mission,"

Kakashi's sharp gaze fixed on Satoru, and he replied, "You're... Satoru from the academy, right?" Satoru simply nodded, relieved that Kakashi remembered his name.

Kakashi scanned the mission board, quickly perusing the list of D-rank missions. He noted that there was only one option available, so he didn't bother asking Satoru which mission he was referring to. Kakashi took his time, reading through the details of the mission, his expression unreadable as he considered the task at hand.

Kakashi turned to Satoru as he inquired, "So, who's the third member?" Satoru pointed towards Bob, who was visibly sweating and looking somewhat uneasy. Kakashi's gaze fell upon Bob, who awkwardly waved his hand in greeting.

Kakashi didn't have high expectations from either Satoru or Bob, but he still agreed to the mission. He figured that he was capable enough to handle it solo if needed. The three of them were assigned the D-rank mission and made their way to the entrance of Konoha.

Kakashi gathered his team together and briefed them about their mission. "Our target is the ninja panda bear," he said. "It was once a summoning beast of a shinobi from the Homura clan, but ever since he died, the panda has been roaming the outskirts of the Death Forest and harming passing merchants on their way to Konoha."

Satoru nodded, absorbing the information. "Do we have any leads on its location?" he asked.

Kakashi shook his head and said while pointing to a map "No, but we have reason to believe it's in this vicinity. We'll have to split up and search the area."

Kakashi took note of the fact that most of the panda bear attacks had occurred in a specific area. He suggested to the team that they should search that area first, hoping to gather some clues and insights about the situation.

The team nodded in agreement and dispersed. Satoru and Bob searched the east side of the area while Kakashi searched the west. It was several hours before Satoru and Bob found the panda bear. They spotted it in a clearing, drinking....booze.

Satoru fired the smoke signal in the air to inform Kakashi.

The panda bear saw the smoke, but he didn't care. His eyes were red, and he looked drunk, holding a bottle of booze in his hand.

The panda bear donned a coat similar to the frogs of Mount Myoboku, indicating that he was a ninja pet and can talk!

Panda Bear inquired, "Hey, you guys! What are you doing here? Can't you see I'm grieving?"

Bob, who was poised to attack, halted and inquired, "Grieving? Why? What happened?"

Satoru chimed in, "Is it because your summoner died, and that's why you're so sad?"

Bear burst into laughter, "HAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!", taking a moment to catch his breath before continuing, "I'm glad the bastard died. He was always bossing me around. I tell ya!"

Satoru was taken aback by Panda Bear's response and couldn't help but think that it's a good thing pets in his previous life couldn't talk.

Bob said "Oh, I see. That's...um...interesting."

Satoru then asked "But if you're glad he's gone, why are you sad right now?"

Bear said " She .... She left me. I tell ya!"

Bob asked, "Who is she?"

Bear was drunk so he told his story," Ever since that bastard die, I started enjoying my life roaming in the forest of death, or wherever I want to. I tell ya!"

He took another swig from his bottle of booze and began his tale with a slurred voice, "It was love at first sight, I tell ya! I was roaming around, minding my own business, when I laid eyes on her, the most beautiful female panda bear I had ever seen!"

Bob and Satoru exchanged curious glances, intrigued by Bear's drunken ramblings.

Bear continued with a dreamy expression, "She had this gorgeous black and white fur, and those big, innocent eyes... I was smitten, I tell ya! I stumbled over to her, trying to impress her with my best ninja moves, but, well, I was a bit too tipsy." He hiccuped, taking another swig from the bottle.

"But, she didn't seem impressed."

Bear said, taking another swig from his bottle of booze, "So, I started giving her the best food I could find in the forest. And for the first time, she seemed impressed and actually hugged me!

So, I even knocked over a merchant's cart and stole some of the finest bamboo shoots to offer as a gift. I tell ya!"

Bob stifled a laugh, while Satoru tried to keep a straight face. Satoru thought that most of the attacks on merchants were that of food merchants. So, that's what happened.

Bear's expression turned even more forlorn as he continued, "And to make matters worse, after rejecting me, she even took all the bamboo shoots I offered her and started a family with another panda! I tell ya! Can you believe it?"

Bob and Satoru exchanged sympathetic glances, trying to hold back their laughter this time.

Bear sighed, taking another swig from the bottle, "So, here I am, drowning my sorrows and mourning my unrequited love, while she is enjoying the life I thought we would have together! I tell ya!"

Bob couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into laughter, but Satoru still tried to hold it in.

Satoru said with a chuckle, "You did a good job confessing your love, Bear. You're cool, and she was just a thot!"

Bear's eyes narrowed with anger, and he let out a guttural roar as he lunged at Satoru with lightning speed, his sharp claws extended to attack. Satoru barely had time to react as Bear's claws sliced through the air, connecting with his side and sending him flying, crashing into a tree.

Bear was fuming, his voice booming, "HOW DARE YOU! YOU DON'T KNOW HER. SHE IS PERFECT. I TELL YA!"

Bear, after attacking Satoru, turned his attention towards Bob with a menacing growl. Bob quickly activated his Sharingan, barely dodging Bear's incoming attack with his reflexes, narrowly avoiding the sharp claws. The two engaged in a fast-paced battle, with Bob using his Sharingan to predict and evade Bear's ferocious assaults.

Satoru clenched his teeth as he felt the searing pain in his left arm, a result of Bear's powerful blow. He knew it was the most brutal hit he had taken since arriving in this world. He realized that he couldn't risk using his wind release: rotating shuriken jutsu, as it might fatally injure Bear. Glancing over at Bob, he saw his friend engaged in a similar predicament, trying to avoid using ninjutsu to prevent accidentally harming Bear. They both understood the delicate balance of the situation, trying to subdue Bear without causing any harm.

"I have to remove them," Satoru muttered to himself, his mind racing. He glanced down at the sealed weights on his arms and legs, weighing 500kg. With a determined look, he started removing them one by one. As the last weight fell off, he felt a surge of relief and newfound lightness, as if he was as light as a feather.

Bob and the Ninja Panda Bear were locked in a stalemate. Bob's Sharingan kept the bear's attacks at bay, while the bear's ninja skills prevented Bob from getting close enough to subdue it. Just as the intense battle seemed to have no end in sight, Satoru arrived on the scene.

Satoru calmly said to Bob," Bob. Don't intervene. Let me handle the bear. Just make sure it doesn't escape."

Bob simply nodded.

Satoru moved with astonishing speed, his lithe figure darting around the bear in circles. He leaped effortlessly from tree branch to tree branch, using the dense forest as his playground. His movements were almost blur-like.

Bob watched in awe as Satoru moved with incredible speed and agility, even faster than Bob's Sharingan could keep up with. The bear was a formidable opponent with insane physical attributes and ninja skills but still was no match for Satoru's speed. Satoru weaved through the trees, ducking and dodging the bear's swipes and strikes, his movements fluid and precise.

"WHY ARE YOU RUNNING? FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN, I TELL YA!" roared the bear in frustration, its voice echoing through the forest.

The bear roared and charged at Satoru, but he was always a step ahead, dodging and countering with quick jabs and kicks. Satoru's strikes were powerful, landing with precision on the bear's vulnerable spots, but the bear was resilient, fighting back with all its might. The battle between Satoru and the bear was like a wild brawl, with leaves and debris flying in all directions, and the sound of their grunts and roars filling the air.

Satoru's speed and strength were evident as he outmaneuvered the bear, landing blows that gradually weakened the bear. But the bear was relentless, refusing to back down. Satoru knew that he needed to end the fight quickly to prevent any further danger. He focused his chakra, and with a burst of energy, he closed in on the bear.

In a swift and calculated move, Satoru leaped onto the bear's back, wrapping his arms around its neck in a tight chokehold. The bear thrashed and roared, trying to break free, but Satoru held on with all his might. He used every ounce of his strength, channeling his chakra to tighten the hold.

"I will not--" the bear began to say, but its voice trailed off as it suddenly stumbled and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Satoru kept his grip firm, his eyes fixed on his opponent. He could feel his own heart pounding, the adrenaline rushing through his veins.

"Finally defeated, let's tie him up," said Satoru, his voice filled with a mix of relief and exhaustion. Bob nodded in agreement, but his joy was short-lived as he noticed something troubling. Satoru's left arm was drenched in blood, a fact that Satoru himself seemed unaware of due to the adrenaline rush from the intense battle with the bear. The wound from the bear's claw had left a deep gash on Satoru's arm, and blood was dripping steadily from it.

"Satoru, your arm! It's bleeding heavily," Bob exclaimed, concern etched on his face.

Satoru glanced down at his arm, finally noticing the blood-soaked sleeve. He clenched his jaw, realizing the severity of the wound, but his determination remained unwavering.

"Yeah, let's tie him up first, and then we'll go to Konoha Hospital," Satoru said, his voice steady despite the pain. He knew they couldn't afford to let the bear escape, even with his injury. They quickly worked together to secure the panda bear to a nearby tree, making sure it wouldn't be able to break free.

As they finished tying up the bear, Kakashi arrived on the scene, drawn by the smoke signal.

Kakashi scanned the surrounding area, his sharp eyes catching sight of the captured panda bear. However, his expression turned solemn as he observed the state of the bear. It was clear to him that the mission had not been executed according to the high standards he expected.

"The mission clearly stated that the best outcome would be to capture it unharmed," Kakashi stated his tone firm but tinged with disappointment. He had expected better from his team.

Bob spoke up, trying to explain. "Yes, but the panda bear was incredibly strong and put up a tough fight. We did our best to minimize harm while capturing it," he said, his voice filled with sincerity.

"Why did you fight it in the first place? Just use Genjutsu to capture it unharmed. It's not that hard," Kakashi said in a disapproving tone.

Satoru silently agreed with Kakashi's statement, but he knew that both he and Bob lacked the necessary skills to execute such a tactic. He believed that Kakashi had impossibly high standards and tended to look down on anyone who couldn't meet them.

Kakashi continued, "Anyway, what's done is done. Let's call someone from the Homura clan to clean up, and you can stay here to write the report."

Bob said while pointing to Satoru's left sleeve, " But we have to Konoha Hospital first Satoru has been injured."

Kakashi looked at the blood dripping from his hand and said nonchalantly "He can go on his own."

Bob had reached his limit with Kakashi's attitude, which he had disliked from the very beginning. He couldn't hold back any longer and confronted Kakashi, "What is wrong with you? I guess the rumors are true. You would really leave your teammate to die just to complete your mission, wouldn't you?" Bob's words struck a chord in Kakashi's heart, and visible anger crossed his face. He remembered his father Sakumo's tragic story, who had committed suicide because he saved a teammate instead of completing his mission. Kakashi had sworn never to make the same mistake on the day his father died.

Satoru, sensing the tension between his teammates, quickly intervened. He put a hand on Bob's shoulder and said, "Ahem, let's go, Bob." Then he turned to Kakashi and said, "Right now, we're both exhausted and won't be much help anyway. But if you need our assistance, just send a clone to Konoha's Hospital."

Kakashi remained quiet, but inwardly he didn't want their help anymore.

With that, the mission was officially completed, and Satoru's D-rank mission count increased from 69 to 70.