Shikamaru slowed his pace, pausing on a tree branch to look uncertainly around.
Even though the person could have left in another direction, Shikamaru had a feeling.
That person had completely left this place, maybe even left Konoha.
This feeling, without any proof, made him uneasy.
He usually made judgments based on facts, but now his intuition was buzzing.
This was strange.
"Damn it!"
Shikamaru finally stopped by a branch and punched the tree trunk hard.
What was going on? They had seen the person who took Hidan's head, but those people had escaped right under their noses.
Those people didn't seem to be from the Akatsuki organization, but they were deliberately hiding their identities.
That's why they wore masks on their faces and covered their hair with Kabuto hats.
While he couldn't identify those people, the young man who was keeping watch was definitely a ninja.
He wasn't wearing a headband, so it was impossible to tell which village he was from.
Shikamaru only saw a glimpse of his silver hair, but so what if he had silver hair?
There were plenty of people with silver hair in this area.
The person whose Kabuto hat was knocked off didn't use any of his real power. He was just stalling for time.
He skillfully dodged attacks and even knocked away two kunai.
But that only showed he was a strong jonin, nothing particularly special.
"Was there anything else, anything more obvious?"
Shikamaru frowned thoughtfully as he headed back to Konoha.
The two adults were wearing masks, but the little kid being carried didn't need one.
So, the only thing to go on was the kid's face. He'd have to investigate in Konoha.
If that red-haired kid was with them, he should have been wearing a mask too.
After thinking for a while, Shikamaru decided not to make any unnecessary moves and go back to take a look first.
Hozuki Mangetsu was strange, and the person carrying Hidan's head was suspicious too.
Really suspicious.
That person was saying something overly familiar, and what bothered Shikamaru most was that the voice sounded so familiar.
If he wasn't mistaken, he should know that person, but he couldn't figure out who it was.
This feeling of almost recognizing the culprit, but still being shrouded in mist, was driving Shikamaru crazy.
He should report to the Hokage first. This situation was beyond what he could handle alone.
The deer weren't hurt. Those little puppets were just meant to block their vision, nothing lethal.
As those people left, the puppet figures disappeared completely.
When Shikamaru reported the situation to Tsunade, Kakashi happened to be returning from the door with a mission report.
Naruto and the others were resting in the hospital because of the fight with Kakuzu.
Kakashi, whose chakra reserves were almost nonexistent, had also been lying down for almost half a month.
Luckily, it wasn't so serious that he couldn't move. Kakashi still had to take care of the written reports.
He dragged his feet and wrote them just before the deadline to hand them in.
On the way, Kakashi met Naruto, who had already recovered. Naruto cheerfully ran up to him, asking if his injuries were better.
Kakashi thought to himself that young people were great; they could run around so energetically so quickly.
"Yeah, almost. I'm going to hand in the last mission report."
"Shikamaru should have already reported everything."
Kakashi scratched his head thoughtfully, the white paper in his hand rustling.
Shikamaru fought Hidan alone, so he had to write the mission report about Hidan.
Besides, Shikamaru was the smart type, so writing mission reports wasn't difficult for him.
Kakashi thought, unconsciously looking at the energetic Naruto next to him.
If Naruto were to write a report...
Not only would his handwriting be impossible to read, but he probably couldn't even come up with a single word in an hour.
After all, Naruto was someone who grew through constant practice and experience.
Most people grew by combining theory and practice, so they could at least write a little.
Kakashi sighed deeply. It seemed that paperwork would still mainly rely on him in the future.
"Um... Since Kakashi-sensei has recovered, can we take on a new mission?"
Naruto chattered next to Kakashi. Kakashi sighed silently, his dead fish eyes looking out.
Don't torture him anymore. Not everyone had their kind of boundless energy.
Kakashi could only feel endless fatigue. He wanted to lie down and go back to the hospital for a few more days.
It wasn't a good day to leave the hospital. Meeting Naruto was like going out of the city and being sent right back home.
Kakashi hesitated, looking at Naruto. He wanted to refuse.
But when he saw those bright blue, expectant eyes, Kakashi swallowed the words back.
Kakashi shook his head helplessly and said.
"Okay, okay..."
"Let me hand in the report first, and I'll ask Tsunade-sama for you.
"If she gives you a mission, don't complain. Do your best."
After Kakashi gave his warning, he walked into the Hokage's building while Naruto agreed enthusiastically.
But when he opened the door, Shikamaru was sprawled on the Hokage's desk, saying something excitedly.
When Kakashi opened the door, the voices inside suddenly quieted down, and two pairs of eyes looked at him.
Kakashi was stunned by the two people looking at him. He held the report in one hand and scratched his cheek blankly with the other.
"Did I interrupt something? I saw the door was open, so I just came in..."
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Was it a secret mission?
He should have knocked. He'd probably get scolded later.
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