"Remember, as a ninja, the mission always comes first! We must..."
On the road, Asuma, feeling that the mission was easy, took the opportunity to lecture Team 10 on the essentials of being a ninja. Hinata and Naruto listened attentively, while Tazuna, preoccupied with his worries, seemed somewhat distracted.
"If we're on a battlefield, we must always remain concealed and eliminate any traces we leave behind. This is extremely effective whether you are pursuing an enemy or retreating," Asuma explained earnestly.
This was the first time they were applying the knowledge they had only seen in textbooks at the academy in a practical situation. Everyone except Kusuo was quite engaged. Naruto even asked a few questions from time to time—some were insightful, while others were quite foolish.
For example...
"Sensei, Sensei, why aren't we taking the main road? Why are we taking these small paths? Isn't it more dangerous on the back roads?"
Seeing Naruto's curious eyes, Asuma said in a deep voice, "That's a good question. The issue of whether to take main roads or back roads on escort missions has always been a point of debate among the great villages. But the common practice is to take the small paths. Because if you take the official roads, you will indeed pass through many large cities and towns. Although you haven't encountered it yet, you must believe that the world of a ninja is filled with cruelty and darkness. Some runaway ninja and missing-nin are extremely ruthless in both their hearts and their methods. A moment of carelessness could lead to innocent civilians being harmed..."
Listening to Asuma's righteous explanation, Naruto suddenly fell silent. The cheerful, chattering boy who had been so lively a moment ago now looked downcast.
Kusuo saw this and was a little puzzled.
"Kusuo... do you think all the ninjas in the world are divided into good people and bad people?"
Hearing Naruto's out-of-the-blue question, Kusuo frowned and shook his head. In the world of a ninja, aside from those who were truly psychopathic, it was difficult to distinguish right from wrong. Whether it was Danzo or the Third Hokage, whether they acted for power or personal desire, they ultimately died for the village. In the distant future, wasn't it the same for Obito and Madara? Everyone was just following their own ninja way.
In the end, it all came down to strength. In a world where might is respected, whoever has the biggest fist holds the truth.
But could Naruto truly understand all of this?
Naruto then asked, as if to himself, "Kusuo, ever since I was little, they all said I was the child of the fox demon. They would curse at me and refuse to play with me, even throw stones at me."
"But I can feel that many of the uncles and aunts in the village are kind people. And there are people like Old Man Teuchi who like me."
"So, one day, I hope to gain everyone's acknowledgment! I want to become someone the whole village loves! I want to become a Hokage the whole village respects!" Naruto suddenly cheered up. "Kusuo... you've always been so outstanding. Even Sasuke is no match for you. The teachers praise you every day, and the elders can't stop complimenting you whenever your name comes up. You probably don't understand what I'm talking about, do you?" Naruto's mood suddenly deflated again.
Hearing these words, which seemed to come straight from Naruto's heart, Kusuo was taken aback. He stood frozen on the spot for a long time. Then, he reached out and ruffled Naruto's yellow hair, smiling gently.
"I believe in you, Naruto. I believe you're not a fox demon. You're the son of a hero."
Seeing this rare smile from Kusuo, Naruto was stunned as well.
Then, he burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! I'm the man who's going to become Hokage in the future! You better watch out! One day, I'll definitely surpass you and become the strongest man in Team 10!"
Seeing Naruto's mood restored to his usual boisterous self, Kusuo smiled lightly, then bonked him on the head with his sword's scabbard.
"Ouch! That hurts! Just you wait, Kusuo!" Naruto clutched his head and charged forward, flailing his arms, but he could never catch even a strand of Kusuo's hair.
...
They traveled for the better part of the day. The sun was now high in the sky. The winding path was uneven, covered in dirt and small stones. There were only a few small puddles that no one paid any mind to.
Asuma glanced at them twice, his eyes moving slightly.
Kusuo walked over to Hinata's side, took her soft hand, and whispered in her ear, "Get closer to sensei, quickly." Hinata didn't know why, but because it was Kusuo who said it, she did as she was told.
Naruto walked at the very front, hands behind his head, humming a tune as he looked up at the sky, showing no sign of his earlier emotional turmoil.
A gentle breeze blew past.
Splash—
The sound of water was sudden, but it didn't draw any extra attention.
Suddenly, two glints of cold light appeared. Two ninja wearing black masks and holding swords silently emerged from the puddle. A savage grin was on their faces. They took aim at Tazuna and the others walking ahead. A cruel look flashed in their eyes.
"Hehe, die—!"
Before the word "die" could even leave their mouths, SCHLICK! SCHLICK!
Fast. Extremely fast. A flash of a sword, faster than the naked eye could follow, sliced through both their bodies. They had only half-completed the motion of swinging their own swords, their eyes wide with disbelief. Their lower bodies were already completely severed from their upper halves.
In an instant, blood sprayed everywhere, splattering the ground.
Kusuo's sword hung low, red blood dripping from its tip onto the earth.
"Ah!" Tazuna's old eyes were bloodshot with terror, his trembling body stiff with fear.
Asuma was the first to rush forward to check the scene, drawing his own specialized kunai and remaining vigilant of the surroundings.
"No need, Sensei. There's no one else," Kusuo said faintly, wiping his blade.
"You knew they were there all along?" Asuma's eyes were not calm.
Hinata also rushed over at this point, anxiously checking Kusuo to see if he was injured. Naruto's mouth hung open, his finger pointing at the two corpses on the ground, unable to speak.
In response to Asuma's question, Kusuo calmly replied, "On such a sunny day, with the ground so dry, how could there possibly be a puddle for no reason?"
In truth, that was only part of the reason. With his role-play percentage unlocked to a high degree, Kusuo's observation of the human body surpassed that of ordinary people. Therefore, as long as any creature of flesh and blood was nearby, they could not escape his perception. This was also the reason he had so easily discovered the Root ninja sent by Danzo before.
Unaware of all this, Asuma could only sigh in his heart.
Such strong judgment! To deduce the coming danger from such a small detail... That kind of meticulous logic and reasoning in a twelve-year-old boy was simply terrifying. This kid is not only powerful, but his mind is also tough. And he's a smooth operator, just like his old man was back in the day, getting a girlfriend at such a young age! The more he looked at Kusuo, the more he admired him.
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