The moment Mikami Yuu saw Obito's getup, he was startled so badly he almost thought he had transmigrated again.
But he quickly reacted. "Not cool. It's ugly."
Rin also nodded and said seriously, "Yes. Obito, you look strange wearing that mask, and it's a little creepy… It doesn't really suit you. You should pick another one."
"Really? I thought this mask looked pretty good…"
Obito let out a slightly disappointed "oh," but he didn't argue with Rin. Instead, he picked up a snarling wolf-face mask from beside him and put it on.
"What about this one? A werewolf! Woof, woof! Doesn't it look fierce?"
"Mm! This one feels much better!" Rin affirmed with a smile, revealing two cute little dimples.
"Hehe, boss, I'll buy this one!"
Having received Rin's approval, Obito was overjoyed. He paid for the wolf mask without hesitation, holding it happily in his hand and playing with it.
On this side,
Mikami Yuu also stopped in front of a small shop selling stone carvings and looked inside.
According to the shop owner, these stone carvings were a local specialty of the Oborozuki Castle region. They were made from high-quality stone gathered from nearby mountains and carved by experienced craftsmen into various animals, trees, and cloud-pattern motifs. The color was warm, the texture translucent, and they were very suitable as souvenirs. Even the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had seen them and praised them.
Yuu planned to buy some and give them to his parents, Tsunade, Might Duy, and other people he was relatively close to once he returned to the village.
It wasn't for farming money, of course. Mainly, it was to maintain connections and raise affection.
Naturally, if the other party was pleased and gave him some money in return, Yuu wouldn't refuse…
Thinking about it, they had already been away from the village for quite some time. He wondered how Mikami Tajima was progressing with the Konoha Raw Cola plan.
So,
Yuu picked out a few small and delicate stone carvings, then ordered a custom carving from the shop owner. Yes, this one was for Tsunade. The carving symbolized attracting wealth and treasure while letting nothing out, which should suit Tsunade's wishes very well.
Though for her, that symbolism was basically like winking at a blind person…
Seeing Yuu's actions, Rin thought for a moment and bought a few pieces too. She also bought some local snacks, planning to share them with Minato, Kakashi, and the others later.
Missions during wartime were different from the commissions they took inside the village during peace. They were assigned directly by the village. However, Konoha regularly paid allowances to ninja stationed at the front, so Yuu and the others weren't exactly short on cash. As long as they didn't buy anything too expensive, they had enough to spend.
On the way, they saw a newspaper stand.
At that moment,
Obito seemed to remember something. He suddenly looked around in every direction, confirmed there was no one nearby, then quickly leaned in between Yuu and Rin and said mysteriously, "Hey, Yuu, Rin, I've got something to tell you! It's about Kakashi!"
"Hm?"
"Do you remember that book Lord Jiraiya gave him? I think it was called Icha Icha Every Day…"
"It's Icha Icha Paradise."
Yuu corrected him.
Every Day? Really? Anyone who didn't know better would think it was some explicit fic between the Konoha Twelve.
"Right, right, that one!"
Obito whispered, "Yesterday, when Kakashi wasn't around, I secretly took a peek at that book. I only saw a few lines, but… I feel like that book isn't very proper. It was actually writing about… uh, that kind of thing. You know what I mean?"
"That kind of thing?"
Rin looked a little confused.
Obito stammered, "You know… between men and women. The kind of thing kids shouldn't read…"
"Huh?!"
Rin covered her mouth in surprise, two red clouds instantly blooming across her fair cheeks. "No way, right? Lord Jiraiya is one of the famous Sannin. How could he write… that sort of book? Maybe you saw it wrong, Obito? Or maybe it was just one small part?"
"I definitely didn't see it wrong! I put in eye drops every day, so my eyesight is great!"
Obito swore solemnly, "But I really only saw that little bit, so I don't know what the rest says… But those few lines were really… ahem. The wording, and that tone, I'm too embarrassed to even say it!"
After a pause, Obito looked at Yuu. "Yuu, why don't we work together? You lure Kakashi away, and I'll take the book and check it properly."
"…No need."
A smile tugged at the corner of Yuu's mouth. "There's no need to make such a huge fuss over something like this. Kakashi is already at the age where he should be having some adolescent troubles. Besides, if you really want to read Icha Icha Paradise, you can just go buy a copy from a bookstore later."
"Huh? Adolescent troubles?"
Obito froze and didn't understand right away.
Rin, however, seemed to grasp it. Her face flushed red, and she gave Yuu a slightly reproachful glare. "Yuu-kun! What… what are you and Obito talking about?!"
"Haha."
Yuu smiled and didn't continue the topic further.
Speaking of which…
He had never actually read Icha Icha Paradise either. He had only seen a few passages from the original story. Once this mission period was over, he could consider getting a copy and seeing what Jiraiya's masterpiece was really like.
By evening,
the three of them returned to the outpost carrying bags of things.
Kakashi was still sitting under a tree, maintaining his reading posture. But when Yuu and the others came in, he quickly and naturally closed the Icha Icha Paradise in his hands, tucked it deep into his tool pouch, then raised his eyelids and glanced at them.
"You're back?"
"Yeah. It's pretty lively outside."
Yuu answered casually. His gaze paused for a moment on Kakashi's tool pouch, and the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened slightly.
That night's dinner was prepared and delivered by Inuzuka Tsume's squad.
It was somewhat like a boxed meal. It wasn't especially luxurious, but it tasted much better than military rations.
After dinner,
each member of the squad began their own training.
Kakashi was researching Lightning Release, preparing to put the final touches on his new technique, Chidori. He had originally planned to test it during the previous watchtower raid, but Yuu had taken all the kills, leaving him no chance to try it out. So he could only keep waiting…
Obito and Rin were practicing Shadow Clone.
Mikami Yuu, meanwhile, tried using Needle Jizō.
Several days had already passed since he had obtained the Needle Jizō scroll from Minato. By normal logic, after several days of studying and practice, it was reasonable for him to be able to use it now.
So,
Yuu recalled the contents of the scroll, switched Transformation Technique into the Needle Jizō (Transformation Technique) state, then tried to mobilize chakra, letting it flow through a series of meridian routes in his body before finally gathering it at the roots of the hair on his head.
~~~
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