Dazna originally had no hope at all.
He had even prepared himself mentally to be killed before ever returning to the Land of Waves.
Although he would be deeply worried about his daughter and his young grandson.
But long ago, when Dazna made up his mind to build this bridge in order to resist Gatō and lead the people of the Land of Waves onto a path of prosperity, he had already accepted the corresponding resolve. And now, after hearing Kurenai's answer, Dazna felt as though he had ascended directly from hell to heaven. Dazna understood very clearly that as long as the Konoha ninja standing before him were willing to protect him, the bridge would definitely be completed smoothly. When that time came, the Land of Waves would surely be able to break free from Gatō's control and step onto the road toward revival and prosperity.
Dazna felt genuine hope welling up in his heart.
Kurenai, standing before him, naturally had no idea what Dazna was thinking at this moment.
Although she did not harbor any good feelings toward this slovenly old man, since she had already agreed to continue the mission, Kurenai would still ensure Dazna's safety until the bridge was successfully completed.
"Alright, in that case, we'll move out again…"
Kurenai nodded lightly and was about to lead the team forward toward the Land of Waves once more. Suddenly, the jōnin woman seemed to sense something. Her entire body tensed subconsciously, and her head snapped sharply toward a position on the left. In that instant, the depths of her normally gentle eyes flashed with a sharp and icy light. Her right hand flipped over, and a sharp kunai instantly appeared in her palm.
"Who's there!?"
Kurenai shouted coldly.
This sudden reaction immediately caused the three genin of Team Eight to tense up as well.
Almost instinctively, they moved at top speed to form a protective formation around Dazna, their eyes fixed firmly in the direction Kurenai was staring at.
"Could it be that the gloomy bandaged man—Momochi Zabuza—has come back!?"
Kiba couldn't help thinking nervously.
As the person being protected, Dazna was even more anxious.
Among everyone present, only Kakashi still maintained his lazy demeanor.
It should be said that the familiar chakra signatures appearing nearby had been sensed by Kakashi a little earlier than Kurenai.
He had originally planned to point it out.
But he hadn't expected Kurenai to directly enter a combat-ready state.
This caused a faintly amused look to appear in Kakashi's visible eye. He gently waved his hand toward Kurenai and the others, signaling that there was no need to be on alert, and then slowly looked toward a shaded area of the forest not far away and called out calmly.
"Come out already, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura."
These straightforward words rang out clearly.
"Heh… Kakashi-sensei…"
Then, under Kurenai's confusion, Kiba's surprise, Dazna's curiosity, and Hinata's slightly flustered expression, the three members of Team Seven emerged from the forest, led by Naruto. Facing Kakashi, Kurenai, and Team Eight, Naruto wore an embarrassed look and scratched the back of his head, as if trying to use that motion to ease the awkwardness.
Immediately afterward, Sasuke and Sakura stepped out as well. Sasuke still appeared calm and composed, but when his gaze shifted toward Kakashi, a faintly complicated expression flickered deep in his eyes. Sakura, on the other hand, looked somewhat uneasy, with a trace of confusion on her face.
This was partly due to the lingering influence of what had happened the previous day.
And also because it was clear that Kakashi had already given them instructions to return to the village first.
Yet they had still chosen to follow along, which naturally left them feeling a bit uneasy. (Strictly speaking, genin are supposed to obey jōnin orders. Naruto and the others' behavior would normally be considered a violation of regulations by village standards. However, they knew Kakashi's personality well, and the Land of Waves mission itself was one of Naruto's key goals at this stage, so this small issue was directly glossed over.)
"Huh? Naruto? So it's you!"
When they recognized Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, the three members of Team Eight immediately showed happy expressions. The most excited among them, Kiba, waved enthusiastically at Naruto. In the original circumstances, Naruto had always gotten along well with classmates from the major ninja clans. In this case, because of Naruto's relatively gentle personality and outstanding performance, he had maintained good relationships with almost everyone of his generation. Moreover, this was their first meeting during a mission after graduation. Especially after Team Eight had just gone through a life-and-death situation, seeing familiar peers—even Sasuke, who was usually as cold as ice—brought a sense of relief and happiness to Kiba and the others.
"A-ah… it's Naruto-kun…"
The moment she saw Naruto, Hinata's face instantly turned red. Her fingers twisted together unconsciously, and she looked completely at a loss.
"Yo! Kiba, Shino, Hinata! Long time no see! This really is the first time we've met since graduation."
Naruto smiled brightly as he walked over, naturally raising his hand in greeting toward Team Eight. His gaze swept over the three of them as if unintentionally, but it lingered for just a fraction of a second longer on Hinata. That fleeting softness in his eyes was immediately caught by Hinata's keen awareness, causing the young lady of the Hyūga clan to blush even more deeply. Long ago, Hinata had already faintly sensed that Naruto seemed to understand her feelings. And once she reached that conclusion, every time she faced Naruto, her shyness only grew stronger.
This time was no exception. Almost the moment their eyes met, Hinata froze slightly in place. Her left hand unconsciously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the faint dimples at the corner of her mouth barely visible as she lowered her head, not daring to maintain eye contact with Naruto.
This small, unspoken exchange went unnoticed by nearly everyone present.
Only Kakashi, as a seasoned jōnin, and Kurenai, as an observant female ninja, picked up on it. Kurenai's gaze drifted slightly, and a faintly amused yet subtly worried look appeared in her eyes.
Sasuke remained the same as always. His expression didn't change, and he merely gave a slight nod, his cool demeanor perfectly matching his usual style.
Sakura, however, clearly hadn't fully recovered from the events of the previous night. Although she greeted everyone with a smile, her obvious distraction left Kiba and Shino feeling somewhat puzzled.
Dazna, standing off to the side, watched the Konoha ninja greet the newcomers. When he noticed the forehead protector on Naruto's head, the tension he'd been holding onto finally dissipated completely. Of course, what Dazna didn't notice—
Was that the moment Naruto laid eyes on him, although nothing showed on his face, a quiet sense of joy surged within Naruto's heart.
"Just as I thought…"
Naruto muttered inwardly.
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