ebonymovies Chapter 64 The Show Is About to Begin
Chapter 64 The Show Is About to Begin
When Naruto arrived at the meeting point at the village entrance, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura were already waiting there.
It's rare for Kakashi to arrive on time today; it seems he's quite punctual when it comes to formal engagements.
"Good morning, Naruto!" Sakura waved and greeted him.
Sasuke leaned against a tree with his arms crossed, giving Naruto a dismissive glance: "Hmph, you're late."
"I'm sorry, something came up and I was held up." Naruto scratched his head and stuck out his tongue sheepishly.
Kakashi checked the time: "Thankfully, you didn't keep us waiting too long."
As soon as he finished speaking, a drunken old man staggered toward the group.
His face was flushed, and he reeked of alcohol. He was so drunk that he could barely walk, and he was still holding a bottle of wine in his hand.
Upon seeing the three students from Class 7 in the distance, he was first taken aback, then frowned in displeasure.
"Hey, what brings you but a few brats?" the old man burped, his voice booming. "I paid a hefty sum to have Konoha handle this for me, and you send these greenhorn brats to fool me?"
As he spoke, his blurry eyes swept over the three members of Team 7 one by one, finally settling on Naruto, the shortest of them all.
"That shortest blond kid, he looks kind of stupid, can he even be considered a ninja?" The old man pointed at Naruto, muttering with a look of disgust.
Upon hearing this, Naruto flew into a rage. Looking around, he realized that he was indeed the shortest person in the group.
"Damn it! That stinking, drunken old man—"
Naruto was furious and wanted to rush up and teach this arrogant guy a lesson.
However, Kakashi reacted quickly, grabbing Naruto by the back of his collar and pulling him back: "Calm down! That's our client, what do you think you're doing?"
Even though Naruto was being held in mid-air, he still glared angrily at the old man: "Damn it... how dare you look down on me!"
He thought bitterly, "In the dream, I was the one who was the highest!"
The old man, completely oblivious to his own limitations, continued muttering incessantly, "Hmph, is Konoha now lacking in talent? Sending a child on a mission... Honestly, I think this trip is fraught with peril."
Kakashi awkwardly put Naruto down, cleared his throat, and said, "Mr. Tazuna, please introduce yourself."
Upon hearing this, the drunken old man finally stopped and cleared his throat.
"Ahem! I am the world-renowned bridge architect—Tazuna." He pulled out a letter of commission and waved it in front of them, saying arrogantly, "Until I return to the Land of Waves and complete the bridge, you brats are responsible for ensuring my absolute safety, you hear me?"
"Hmph!" Naruto snorted arrogantly, wiping his nose with his small hand and raising his chin. "Old drunkard, don't underestimate me! I've mastered a very powerful ninjutsu, not some ordinary genin! This mere C-rank mission is a piece of cake for us!"
Sasuke scoffed dismissively upon hearing this, but a hint of confidence flashed in his dark eyes.
He gained just as much from his dream as Naruto, so he was naturally confident in facing the challenges ahead.
Seeing that the two kids were more arrogant than the other, Tazna somehow felt a little more at ease.
However, he still didn't hold back, pursing his lips and muttering, "Hmph, confidence is a good thing, I hope you won't hold me back."
After a brief handover, Team 7 officially embarked on their journey to escort Tazuna to the Land of Waves.
As Naruto stepped out of Konoha's tall, vermilion gates, he felt a surge of emotion in his chest.
He subconsciously glanced back at the gate behind him, which was engraved with the emblem of Konoha Village, feeling both a little nervous and endlessly expectant.
A new journey begins!
Naruto clenched his fists and mentally encouraged himself.
For Naruto, who grew up in the village, this was the first time he had stepped out of Konoha and into the outside world.
He was very excited throughout the journey.
At midday, under the blazing sun, the group found a shady spot to rest briefly.
Naruto had left in such a hurry that morning that he was starving and wolfed down two rice balls.
Sasuke and Sakura also replenished their rations and water.
Tazuna chewed a few bites of dry bread and then started drinking alcohol again, making Naruto frown.
After a short rest, the group set off again.
Naruto continued to look around, filled with curiosity about every new and interesting sight.
Looking out, one sees lush fields on both sides of the wide road, rolling green hills in the distance, and white clouds drifting leisurely across the azure sky.
The fresh air, carrying the scents of earth and grass, made Naruto, who was traveling far from home for the first time, feel refreshed and invigorated.
At the same time, he remained highly vigilant, occasionally pretending to be mature as he checked the surrounding bushes and grass, afraid of missing any trace of the enemy.
Walking in the group, he would sometimes push aside the bushes by the roadside to look around, and sometimes jump onto a rock to gaze into the distance, just like a curious little fox.
"Hey kid, look how excited you are! Never seen anything like this before, have you?" Tazna teased, shaking his gourd.
Naruto snorted, not annoyed at all: "Hmph, what do you know, you drunkard?"
Seeing this, Kakashi squinted and smiled, "Naruto, watch your step."
"Huh?!" Naruto was startled by the words and quickly looked down to see where he was going, which amused Sasuke, who shook his head and hummed softly. Sakura also covered her mouth and chuckled.
Seeing his student's tense appearance, Kakashi couldn't help but shake his head helplessly: "Relax, Naruto. We're still within the Land of Fire, so there shouldn't be any enemies. But it's good to stay vigilant, so keep it up."
"Yes!" Naruto straightened his back and patted his chest to assure him.
As the sun gradually set in the west, the first day's itinerary went very smoothly.
The group traveled safely within the Land of Fire, encountering no enemies with malicious intentions.
As dusk fell and darkness descended, the group, feeling somewhat weary, finally stopped.
Kakashi looked around and chose a clearing in the woods near a water source as his campsite.
After a brief division of labor, the group began to set up camp.
The night was deep, and the twinkling stars shone brightly on the clearing in the woods.
The campfire crackled and burned, dispelling the surrounding chill and illuminating several slightly tired faces.
A gentle night breeze rustled through the trees, carrying the occasional chirping of insects.
Tazna leaned against his luggage and gulped down a few more mouthfuls of wine. By then, his face was flushed and he had fallen asleep, snoring loudly.
Seeing this, Kakashi shook his head helplessly, leaned against the tree trunk, and squinted, seemingly lost in thought.
In fact, with Kakashi's alertness, he can sense the movement around him even with his eyes closed.
Sasuke and Sakura, separated by the fire, each organized their backpacks and soon lay down to rest.