"Ten, nine, eight."
At six in the morning, Takemi silently counted down.
"Three, two, one!"
As soon as the countdown finished, he immediately grabbed the alarm clock and pressed it down before it could ring.
If he wasn't still restricted by missions, he really wanted to smash this alarm clock that had been bothering him for several years.
After quickly getting dressed, he looked at himself in the mirror and nodded with satisfaction.
Appearance is an important power. Whether he can experience the depths and flavors of beautiful female ninjas in the future depends on it.
After getting everything ready, Takemi finally left. Although Kakashi had said arriving early was basically useless, he knew where to find him.
"Huh, Naruto?"
Shortly after he left, he happened to see Naruto climbing out of a window.
"Why are you up so early?"
"Hmph, I need to work hard!" Naruto let out a light snort, then clenched his fists.
"I must graduate successfully and finally become Hokage ah ah ah ah—"
Before he could finish speaking, Naruto suddenly slipped. Under Takemi's stunned gaze, he plummeted headfirst from the second-floor window.
"Ow ow..."
Seeing that Naruto was still able to yell, Takemi couldn't help but sigh. Although the life of a ninja is fragile, it depends on the person.
Some are finished with one kunai stab, some have their hearts gouged out, while others just can't be killed no matter how much they are hit.
"I think you should just enjoy the process."
Takemi shrugged, turned around, and left, not forgetting to add a reminder.
"Also, after I leave, remember to help water the plants on the balcony. Don't let them die."
"You bastard, I will definitely become Hokage!"
Naruto was naturally unconvinced and yelled loudly behind Takemi, but he didn't know that a hint of regret also appeared on Takemi's face.
"What a shame, no mission..."
Takemi felt that to get Indra and Asura's Chakra, he would still have to rely on the system. But he didn't mind, after all, there was still a lot of time.
.....
"Kakashi-sensei, good morning!"
Konoha Cemetery, in front of Obito and Rin's memorial stone.
Takemi greeted Kakashi with a smile, but Kakashi's expression was somewhat surprised.
"How did you know I was here? Never mind, Guy must have told you again."
"..."
Takemi shrugged and smiled without speaking.
He found that after getting along well with Guy, he could save himself a lot of explanations, as Kakashi would figure it out on his own.
He asked, "Kakashi-sensei, what should we do next?"
Kakashi answered, "I've already prepared for you."
Kakashi rubbed his brow. He took out a few scrolls from his ninja pouch, shook them, and then spoke, "There are five C-rank missions and one B-rank mission. They are all along the way, so we'll handle them all at once."
"Although I think you'd be fine with B-rank or even higher-rank missions, you lack experience, so we'll take it slow."
"Also, I will conduct necessary training for you along the way, so be mentally prepared."
In fact, Kakashi had debated whether to take on more B-rank missions, as missions of this level weren't difficult for him.
But this was his first time as a Jonin instructor, and he still had some of his Anbu mindset. He wanted to properly train Takemi, not be a babysitter for him.
And Takemi was someone Guy approved of. Besides, he also approved of him personally. Furthermore, no matter how strong Takemi was, he was still a Genin who had just left the academy, so he decided to be cautious.
"No problem!"
Takemi wasn't picky.
"By the way, what's our route?"
"..."
When asked about this, even Kakashi paused for a moment before speaking slowly, "Towards the Land of Waves, but don't mess around!"
"Oh."
Takemi nodded, but couldn't help but grumble inwardly, 'Are they just going to pass up such a huge sum of money?'
However, if there were no surprises, Naruto and the crew should encounter it in three years. He could think about it then.
"In that case, let's depart."
Kakashi didn't waste any words. After taking another look at Obito and Rin's gravestones, he turned and left with Takemi.
Their departure from the village was smooth. They simply filled out a form, and with Kakashi's reputation, everything was taken care of.
In this era, the pillars of Konoha were all from Kakashi's generation.
Sometimes Takemi thought, 'If only I were the same age as Kakashi. If so, even if I couldn't outshine my peers, I would have made a name for myself by now.'
Of course, the premise was not dying on the battlefield and not being abducted by Danzo.
"The Ninja World's environment is much better now, at least not like back then when there was war everywhere."
Kakashi didn't know what Takemi was thinking. He spoke casually as they walked outside.
"However, one thing in the Ninja World has never changed: danger is everywhere. The competition between great nations has never ended. It has just changed form."
"At the same time, there are various mercenary organizations, rogue ninjas, and so on in the Ninja World. These guys are all very dangerous."
"Yes, I know, Kakashi-sensei." Takemi nodded.
He actually knew about these things to some extent.
For example, the Akatsuki, where Kakashi's old friend Obito is, can also be considered a new mercenary organization.
Thinking of Obito, he suddenly tilted his head and asked, "Kakashi-sensei, were those two your teammates?"
"...Yes."
Kakashi was silent for a moment, and then nodded.
"Didn't Guy tell you?"
"Guy-sensei didn't say much. He just told me that Kakashi-sensei's name as the Copy Ninja came from them." Takemi blinked and replied softly.
"He also emphasized that they were respected heroes of Konoha, just like Kakashi-sensei."
"I'm not a hero. They are. I'm just enjoying the fruits of the victory they brought."
Kakashi shook his head, sighed softly, then changed the subject, "I heard you have a pretty good relationship withNaruto?"
"Yes, we're neighbors." Takemi nodded.
He wouldn't lie about something like this. Rubbing the back of his head, he said sheepishly, "There are some negative voices in the village, so I was scared too."
"But after interacting with him for a while, I found that although he's silly, he's a very good person."
"Besides, he gets a lot of subsidies, so..."
"Are you eyeing his subsidies?"
Kakashi looked at Takemi, feeling both annoyed and amused, but finally shook his head and said very seriously, "Never mind, that kid wouldn't care anyway."
"His situation is a bit special. As for those voices... you don't need to pay too much attention to them."
"Just remember that he's not a bad person. I believe he definitely cherishes you as a friend."
"Friends are very important to anyone, especially to us ninjas."
"I understand, Kakashi-sensei." Takemi nodded seriously.
Regardless of the reason, Naruto was a good friend. There was no doubt about that.
"Hmm?"
However, Takemi soon frowned, because his system reacted.
[Obtained Kakashi's Exclusive Side Mission]
[This Is My Beloved Friend, My Brother]
[Help Kakashi find his friend Uchiha Obito]
Exclusive side missions do not affect normal side missions
[Accept?]
"..."
Takemi was dumbfounded looking at this mission, while Kakashi's visible eye narrowed into a crescent shape.
"Just know that. But for now, let's focus on the present. The days ahead won't be easy..."