novelraw Page 73
Page 73
Kakashi taught him not only a few new ninjutsu, but more importantly, the strategic thinking and flexible application of combat techniques.
His enormous chakra reserves, far exceeding those of ordinary people, and his unrestrained combat wisdom, after receiving proper guidance and systematic refinement, began to unleash astonishing potential.
He learned how to allocate chakra more effectively, how to cleverly combine shadow clones with taijutsu and ninjutsu, and his mastery of the Rasengan became increasingly proficient. Although he was still far from perfecting it, its power was already considerable.
Sakura is also gritting her teeth and trying her best to catch up with her two companions.
Despite everything in reality being moving in a positive direction and Team 7's strength steadily improving, Kakashi's unease grew day by day.
He astutely noticed that since Itachi Uchiha easily defeated Orochimaru in Sasuke's dream a few days ago, neither Itachi Uchiha nor Minato-sensei had shown any follow-up investigation or due vigilance towards Orochimaru in Sasuke's dreams these past few days.
As if Orochimaru's threat had been completely eliminated, the entire dream world was calm and peaceful, almost unnaturally so.
I have a feeling that some bigger, more secretive conspiracy is brewing in the shadows.
During this period, the bridge construction project in the Land of Waves did not proceed as smoothly as expected.
The unscrupulous merchant Kado, driven by profit, was not willing to give up so easily. He sent several waves of warriors to harass and sabotage the bridge in an attempt to stop its construction.
However, the strength of these rabble was worlds apart from that of Zabuza and Haku, and they were utterly vulnerable.
Kakashi was too lazy to even take action himself. He was happy to leave these sparring partners who offered themselves up to him to the three little ones who desperately needed to accumulate practical experience.
Thanks to Tocado, the three little ones' practical experience and teamwork skills have been greatly improved in battle after battle.
From initially being somewhat chaotic and working independently, they quickly became able to cooperate seamlessly and have a clear division of labor within just a few days.
Chapter 79 No matter how much trouble the small countries cause, it's all just child's play in the eyes of the five great powers.
Five days passed in the blink of an eye amidst intense special training and occasional small-scale battles.
With the Chunin Exams fast approaching, there haven't been any particularly noteworthy events or storylines in my dream world these past few days that could trigger intense emotional fluctuations.
Shi Yu looked at the data on her system panel and felt somewhat helpless.
[Current sentiment score balance: 330931 points!]
[Current Dream Fulfillment Level: 4 (385431/400000)]
For five whole days, due to the lack of sufficiently intense emotional outbursts, the growth of emotional value has become unusually slow, and it is still more than 10,000 points away from the next system upgrade.
But that's alright, the real show will start when the Chunin Exams officially begin.
At that time, the emotional value will definitely flow like a flood that has been released.
……
Five days later.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of countless artisans and people of the Land of Waves, and with the full protection of Class 7, the cross-sea bridge, carrying the hopes and future of the entire nation, was finally completed.
When the last bridge section was joined together, marking the official opening of the bridge, thunderous cheers resounded along the coastline of the Land of Waves.
Countless people from the Land of Waves spontaneously surged onto the bridge.
The escort mission of the Seventh Squad has now come to an end.
As agreed, it was time for them to return to Konoha Village.
Mr. Tazuna originally intended to take his grandson, Inari, with him to Konoha Village.
On one hand, he wanted to personally express his sincerest gratitude to the Hokage of Konoha for the selfless assistance provided by the Konoha ninja to the Land of Waves.
On the other hand, he also hoped to take this opportunity to gain more support and protection from Konoha Village.
After all, the Land of Waves now borders the Land of Fire directly through this bridge, and its future economic development and national security will be closely related to Konoha Village.
His experiences over the past few days have made him realize that no matter how much trouble Gato causes in the Land of Waves, it is nothing compared to a truly great power.
Only with the continued support of Konoha Village can the Land of Waves truly usher in lasting peace and prosperity.
However, Kakashi was eager to return home at that moment.
His doubts about Orochimaru, his worries about the safety of Konoha, and the lingering eeriness in his dreams all sounded like alarm bells.
This made Kakashi wary.
He politely declined Tazuna's request to accompany him, stating that he would certainly convey the friendship of the people of the Land of Waves to the Third Hokage without alteration.
Then, with the three members of Team 7, amidst the grateful gazes of the people of the Land of Waves lining the streets, they embarked on their journey back to Konoha.
Another non-stop, rapid march ensued.
Kakashi pushed his speed to the limit, and Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura gritted their teeth and kept up, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
When the Seventh Team returned to Konoha Village, dusty and weary from their journey, it was already sunset and evening.
The fiery red sunset dyed half the sky crimson.
As soon as he stepped through the village gate, which symbolized home and belonging, Kakashi hurriedly said goodbye to the three little ones, citing urgent business. He didn't even have time to say a few words to them before his figure flashed like a ghost and disappeared at the end of the street.
"Phew... I'm so tired, I'm exhausted..."
As Naruto watched Kakashi's disappearing figure, he finally collapsed onto a stone bench by the gate of Konoha Village, panting heavily.
"Kakashi-sensei, he's always in such a hurry, what is he going to do... really..."
Sasuke didn't speak. He silently walked to the side, found a relatively clean rock to sit on, closed his eyes, and began to regulate his breathing and chakra, which were slightly disordered due to running at high speed for a long time.
Sakura also found a place to sit down, took out her water bottle from her ninja tool bag, and sipped the water.
Naruto felt sticky all over, and could easily rub himself into a small ball of mud, which was very uncomfortable. So he stood up, stretched, and suggested, "Hey Sasuke, Sakura, we've been traveling for so long, we're practically stinking. How about we go take a bath together? It'll definitely relax us!"
Upon hearing this, Sasuke slowly opened his eyes, a hint of interest flashing in his dark pupils.
He thought for a moment and nodded: "Alright. Anyway, there's nothing special going on later, and it's too early to go back to sleep now. I'll go for a soak in the hot spring, which will help soothe my tired body."
Sakura shook her head, a hint of apology on her face, and politely declined, saying, "I won't go. I've been away from home for five days, and I'm starting to miss it. You guys go ahead and have fun."
And so, the three little ones parted ways at the village entrance.
Sakura left alone.
Naruto and Sasuke walked side by side toward the "Konoha Hot Spring".
On their way to the bathhouse, Naruto and Sasuke keenly noticed that the atmosphere on the street had changed significantly since they left.
There were noticeably more pedestrians, and among them were many unfamiliar faces wearing headbands from other villages' ninjas. They walked in groups of three or five, some hurrying along, others strolling leisurely, speaking in various accents, coming and going on the bustling streets of Konoha.
The air was filled with a noisy atmosphere unlike any other day.
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing understanding, excitement, and eagerness in each other's eyes.
Chunin Exams...
It seems like it's really about to begin!
However, nothing can stop them from taking a nice hot bath right now.
……
In the leaf-infused broth.
Steam rose, water murmured, and the air was filled with a unique, refreshing scent of sulfur and herbs.
At this time of day, the bathhouse wasn't very crowded; the few customers were mostly ninjas returning from missions.
Naruto and Sasuke quickly paid at the front desk, each receiving a towel and locker key. They then eagerly removed their dusty clothes and stepped into the steaming men's bath.
"Wow—this feels so good!"
As soon as Naruto stepped into the warm, slippery pool, he felt so comfortable that his bones seemed to melt. He couldn't help but let out a long, satisfied sigh, feeling all the fatigue and soreness of the past few days vanish in the rising heat.
He submerged his entire body in the water, with only his golden head showing, his face full of contentment and enjoyment, even humming softly in comfort.
Although Sasuke didn't react as dramatically as Naruto, a rare look of comfort appeared on his face when the warm spring water enveloped his slightly tired body.
He found a corner by the pool wall, slowly sat down, relaxed his body against the smooth stone wall, closed his eyes, and silently enjoyed this rare moment of tranquility and relaxation.
The muscle soreness gradually subsided as I soaked in the hot water, and my mind also relaxed.
Suddenly, Sasuke's brow twitched almost imperceptibly, and his relaxed expression instantly turned wary.
what?
what's the situation?
What the hell is this guy doing?
Beside the thick wooden partition separating the men's and women's baths, a furtive figure crouched in the corner, his gaze darting towards the next room with a mixture of lewdness and curiosity.
The man's head was pressed tightly against the wooden wall, seemingly trying to adjust the angle, his buttocks swaying back and forth, clearly trying to peek through the crack in the wall at the women's bath next door.
These days, I've experienced what I dreamed of as an "internship" at the police department.
Sasuke has already learned some detective techniques.
The "prisoner" was an exceptionally tall and robust man with long, flowing white hair that reached his waist and was as bushy as a lion's mane, casually draped over his shoulders. He wore a headband with a large "oil" character written on it.
At this moment, his movements were sleazy, yet his face wore an expression of intense concentration, almost as serious as if he were conducting "academic research"...
This is the men's bath, and that's next door...
Even a fool could tell, it's just a women's bath!
Sasuke's face instantly darkened.
In broad daylight, under the clear sky, someone actually dared to do such a filthy and despicable thing in the public hot spring of Konoha Village!
This is utterly morally corrupt and unforgivable!
He raised his hand and nudged Naruto, who was humming comfortably next to him, with his elbow.
"Huh? What's wrong, Sasuke? I said..." Naruto was a little annoyed by this sudden turn of events. He opened his bright blue eyes groggily and looked at Sasuke with a puzzled expression.
Sasuke, his handsome face cold, gestured with his chin toward the furtive figure in the corner, indicating to Naruto to see for himself.
Naruto looked in the direction Sasuke indicated, and was stunned for a moment, not understanding what Sasuke meant.
But when he saw the white-haired man's lewd actions and his obviously peeping posture, he instantly realized what was going on and flew into a rage, his face turning bright red!
"Wow! Someone's peeping in broad daylight—! You lecherous old man, I'll teach you a lesson!"
Naruto pointed at the figure and shouted.
However, in the next instant, the white-haired figure vanished like a ghost!