At this moment, while Takumi and Yugito were having breakfast.
Naruto had already gotten up early for training.
However, he encountered a situation during his training.
"Hey! Are you guys okay?"
He found three figures drifting down the river.
He immediately pulled them out and patted their cheeks vigorously.
Aside from spitting out some water, they showed no other reaction.
"This is troublesome, but I can't just leave them here."
Naruto scratched his head, looking at the three unconscious people, then looked down at himself treading water. An idea suddenly struck him. "Got it!"
Like Naruto, many people enjoy early morning exercise.
Lee was one of them.
And he was even earlier than Naruto, wearing extremely heavy weights on his limbs.
Only he could bear such a level of weights.
Without the proper methods, others who tried the same training would only end up hurt, with no increase in strength.
This was a training method for those with exceptionally strong physiques.
Now.
He was practicing Taijutsu by the river.
But just then, he saw Naruto training to tread water while carrying three people on his back.
He was stunned for a moment, then his expression tightened. "Not nearly enough! I can still do more!"
He roared and continued his training.
Naruto gritted his teeth and persisted. The heavy weights on him prevented him from paying attention to what Lee was shouting.
He had to focus on controlling his Chakra, otherwise he would fall into the river.
Then the training would be a failure.
Hokage's Office.
Shinobi constantly returned to hand in missions and left after accepting new ones.
As soon as Anko left, Guy rushed in excitedly.
"Mission complete!"
He hurried in. "Those lawless pirates have tasted my fists full of love. If they can reform because of this, then the hot tears I shed for them will have been worth it!"
Hiruzen smoked his pipe silently, then sighed deeply.
"Having energy is a good thing, but next time you come in, remember to knock, understand?"
'Good thing I noticed early, otherwise, my peeping at the women's bathhouse would have been exposed!'
Hiruzen's expression was somewhat displeased.
But he knew Guy was a single-minded person.
Even if he told him now, Guy would agree verbally but continue acting on his own next time.
"I'm very sorry, Hokage-sama!"
Guy immediately stood straight with a serious expression and bowed at a ninety-degree angle.
His attitude was respectful enough.
But Hiruzen found it increasingly headache-inducing.
He knew Guy's strength well.
Compared to his own aging self, Guy and Kakashi were both pillars of Konoha.
In fact, at their limits, they might even surpass him.
But his lack of steady composure made it hard for Hiruzen to entrust important matters to him.
"Perfect timing, your team is free now."
Hiruzen knocked his pipe and picked up a mission scroll. "The village was already busy enough, and now Naruto has added to it... not exactly trouble."
"But it is indeed a bothersome matter."
"A mission?"
Guy never refused missions, and being able to take his students along made him even more serious. "Let me see, this mission..."
"Wait."
Hiruzen suddenly seemed to remember something. "Right, you can't go on this mission. There's an S-Rank mission specifically requesting you."
Guy's face immediately fell.
He really wanted to go on a mission with his students, so he could teach them along the way.
But recently, due to Orochimaru's attack on Konoha, there was a shortage of manpower.
So Hiruzen had to make the best use of everyone available.
Dong dong.
Hiruzen tapped his pipe on the desk, and an Anbu immediately appeared.
"Go fetch Hyuga Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee."
Hiruzen ordered. The Anbu nodded and vanished instantly.
"I guarantee it!"
Guy suddenly thrust his face close to Hiruzen's. "As long as my adorable students handle it, no matter the mission, they can complete it perfectly!"
Hiruzen hadn't felt particularly worried before.
But hearing Guy say that, he suddenly felt a bit uneasy.
Neji and Tenten were fine.
But considering Lee's personality, almost inherited directly from Guy, he might cause some commotion.
"Get Naruto too."
Hiruzen quickly issued another order to the Anbu in the shadows.
"Huh? Why won't you let my students handle the mission alone? They're so adorable!"
Guy was very dissatisfied and, ignoring that he was speaking to the Hokage, directly shouted his protest.
Spittle sprayed all over Hiruzen's face.
"Because I don't feel secure."
Hiruzen said bluntly.
Guy's face twitched, suddenly unsure how to respond to Hiruzen's blunt answer.
Wasn't this clearly distrust in his teaching?
Being told so directly was too disheartening.
Soon,
The three members of Guy's team and Naruto were summoned.
"What do you want me for, Grandpa Hokage?"
Naruto said with his hands behind his head. "My training for today isn't finished yet. If I keep slacking off, Sasuke will leave me far behind."
"Hehehe, carrying out missions is also a very important part of a Shinobi's training."
Hiruzen chuckled. "This mission you're to undertake is in the Land of Rivers. The clients are the three you brought in this morning."
"They're from a mine in the Land of Rivers. Life was peaceful, but recently a gang calling themselves the Kurosuki Family have taken over."
"Villagers are being cruelly killed from time to time. They risked their lives to come here and beg for help."
After speaking, he paused to take a puff of his pipe.
"Such a cruel thing!"
Lee, bursting with a sense of justice, exclaimed loudly.
But the others' expressions remained calm.
For them, dealing with just a gang of thugs meant this mission had no difficulty at all.
Thugs without Chakra faced a huge gap in strength compared to Shinobi, even Genin who only knew the Three Basic Techniques.
And things like this happened all over the Shinobi World.
Otherwise, where would all the missions for each village come from?
Of course, from this chaotic world.
So even Naruto didn't have much reaction to this mission.
"Neji, this mission is under your command."
Hiruzen said. "You will be the team leader."
"Wait!"
A voice came from outside the door. Everyone quickly looked, and it was Takumi, with Yugito chained behind him.
"Oh? Takumi-kun, what brings you here? It's not time for you to go on a mission yet."
Seeing Takumi, Hiruzen immediately showed a kind smile.
Different from his previous chuckling demeanor, this smile was much brighter.
"I think the plan needs a slight change."
Takumi said. "Even within the patrol range, if we actually engage Kumogakure's Shinobi in battle, it could easily endanger Konoha."
"Instead, I could take her to a more open area. I believe Kumogakure won't be able to resist the temptation."
"Besides, their mission isn't simple."
As he spoke, he glanced at the mission scroll on the desk.
With this team composition, if Takumi wasn't mistaken, this was definitely that mission.
The user of the Lightning Blades: Kiba, Kurosuki Raiga, was certainly formidable. Neji and the others might not necessarily be his match.
And he was also somewhat concerned about that kid named Ranmaru.
Another one similar to Haku.
A mischievous thought suddenly crossed Takumi's mind.
"Oh?"
Hiruzen looked at the mission scroll, examining it carefully.
He hadn't noticed anything different about this mission.
"May I ask who the leader of that Kurosuki Family is?"
Takumi asked directly.
"He's called Kurosuki Raiga."
Hiruzen said, looking at the information on the mission scroll.
"..."
Guy, standing nearby, pinched his chin in thought. "That name sounds familiar..."
"It's exactly what you're thinking, Guy-senpai."
Takumi confirmed directly. "He's one of the former Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, the user of the Lightning Blades: Kiba."
"I see."
Hiruzen nodded in understanding. "If it's one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, your current strength might be somewhat insufficient."
"So I plan to tag along. With me there, even if all seven were present, I could handle the situation."
Takumi said confidently.
Sometimes, humility is good, appropriately lowering others' guard.
But being too humble can arouse suspicion.
Showing some confidence appropriately can also inspire trust.