Hokage Office
The morning sunlight streamed through the lattice window, casting neat spots of light onto the desk piled high with scrolls.
The faint, elegant scent of sandalwood mingled with the tobacco smell from the Sandaime's pipe.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat upright in the main seat, his expression solemn.
The atmosphere in the office was heavy. Team Kakashi's four members, Inoichi, and Ibiki stood on opposite sides, awaiting instructions.
Kakashi stood in a seemingly relaxed posture, but his single eye keenly observed the Sandaime's expression.
Inoichi and Ibiki stood like two silent boulders, their gazes lowered.
Naruto and the other two waited for the Sandaime to speak.
The Sandaime slowly exhaled a smoke ring; the white mist spiraled in the light beam.
"A secret message has arrived from Sengoku Village."
His voice was steady, yet it instantly caused everyone's nerves to tighten.
"They are willing to exchange Karin for the captured Konoha Jonin, Riiichi."
"Lord Sandaime!"
Kakashi suddenly showed a flash of emotion.
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused his pipe, his aged gaze fixed deeply on Kakashi: "What is it, Kakashi?"
Kakashi hesitated, forcibly suppressed his surging emotions, and swallowed.
He lowered his gaze again, his voice regaining its calm: "...Nothing."
He quickly changed the subject, directing his gaze toward Team 7 beside him, then sweeping over Inoichi and Ibiki.
"It seems Lord Sandaime summoned Naruto and the other two simultaneously because you intend for me to lead the team to execute this hostage exchange mission?"
"Mhm."
The Sandaime slowly nodded, confirming Kakashi's guess.
"Inoichi and Ibiki both still have matters to handle, and among the three of you, only you have a squad, so naturally, it is most appropriate for you to go."
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The road through the forest wound forward. Team 7 and Karin were heading toward the border.
Kakashi walked at the very front, seemingly lazy, but the eye beneath his forehead protector constantly monitored the surrounding environment.
Karin followed one step diagonally behind him, her steps light and her demeanor relaxed, as if she were merely taking a trip.
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke followed behind them.
The serious atmosphere at the start of the mission was quickly diluted by the inherent nature of the young people.
Unable to contain her surging curiosity, Sakura leaned toward Naruto and lowered her voice. Her emerald eyes, however, were wide and round, twinkling with the light of gossip: "Naruto, don't you think the way that older sister named Karin looks at Kakashi-sensei is a little strange?"
"Yeah."
Naruto nodded.
"She even stayed at Kakashi's house last night."
Last night, Kakashi asked Inoichi if Karin should be escorted back to prison. Inoichi directly told Kakashi that since he had accepted the mission to monitor Karin, he had to be responsible until the end.
He simply had Kakashi take Karin home.
Sakura gasped. The look she gave Kakashi's retreating figure instantly became extremely complicated, mixing shock, realization, and a hint of mischief.
"No wonder Kakashi-sensei suddenly got agitated earlier!"
Sasuke, who had been silently listening in, couldn't help but let out a soft "hmph" at this moment, interjecting: "Kakashi shouldn't be the type to be easily fooled, right!"
"Ino said they accidentally kissed yesterday."
Naruto's next sentence made Sasuke feel like he had spoken too soon.
Almost instinctively, Sasuke and Sakura quickly moved to Naruto's sides, sandwiching him between them.
Sakura eagerly pressed: "They kissed? Is that true? Was it outside the barbecue restaurant?"
Even the usually aloof Sasuke couldn't help but turn his head slightly. Two words were clearly written in his dark eyes:
"Elaborate."
The three small heads huddled together, forming a tiny center of gossip, completely unaware that Kakashi's ear subtly twitched up ahead.
"Hey, you three, we are on a mission."
Kakashi looked back at his three students.
Karin, whose hands were bound, chuckled softly.
"It's nothing, really. Kids are always curious."
She spoke with great poise, as if she were not the subject of the gossip.
Kakashi shifted his gaze from his students to Karin and retorted testily:
"You're certainly generous."
With that, he ignored the troublesome group, turned, and continued forward. His pace seemed slightly faster than before, his retreating figure radiating the frustration of "out of sight, out of mind."
Karin watched his discomfited expression, and the smile on her lips deepened.
The agreed exchange location was on a wooden bridge situated at the boundary between two dense forests.
Beneath the bridge, the deep, rushing river water emitted a dull roar.
Upon reaching the bridgehead, the faint smile Karin had worn throughout the journey instantly vanished.
An elder from Sengoku Village, leading a bound Konoha Ninja, shouted in a hoarse, commanding tone: "Only one of you may step onto the bridge for the exchange! The rest of you, retreat to the edge of the bridge! Do not approach even half a step!"
Kakashi's eyes were calm as water. He slightly turned his head and whispered to Team 7 behind him: "Stand by, maintain vigilance."
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura immediately tensed up, spread out, and vigilantly watched the opposite bank of the bridge and the surrounding dense forest.
Kakashi took a deep breath, holding the rope binding Karin's hands, and stepped onto the wooden bridge.
Both parties simultaneously walked to about two-thirds of the way across the stone bridge. They were still a short distance from the center, but close enough to clearly see each other's faces and expressions.
Kakashi's gaze briefly met Karin's. There was no emotion in Karin's eyes, only a deep, pond-like stillness.
Kakashi, in turn, nodded slightly toward the elder.
A barely perceptible, sinister gleam flashed in the elder's cloudy eyes, and he also nodded.
Almost simultaneously, the two released their grips.
The personnel exchange was completed quickly.
"Wait, you can't leave."
Kakashi watched Karin's retreating figure, pulled back his forehead protector, and revealed his Sharingan.
Suddenly, sizzling sounds came from beneath the wooden bridge—Explosion Tags had been planted there long ago!
Boom!
Following a deafening explosion.
The wooden bridge instantly shattered into pieces.
Karin, having broken free from the ropes, instantly changed clothes and sped away across the river surface.
After tossing Riiichi to Naruto and the other two, Kakashi quickly gave chase.
Naruto drew his eighty days calamity cutter, infused it with Lightning-nature Chakra, rushed to the opposite bank, and instantly finished off the three Ninjas from Sengoku Village.
"Naruto, Sakura, let's go help Kakashi."
After checking that Riiichi's injuries wouldn't impede movement, Sasuke decisively chose to go find Kakashi.
"Mhm."
Naruto nodded.
"I'll go first. You two take care of Riichi-senpai."
With those words, Naruto charged out.
Eight Gates, open!
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Kakashi chased Karin to the edge of a cliff.
"You intentionally allowed yourself to be captured before entering Konoha, didn't you?"
Kakashi watched Karin, his hands in his pockets.
"When Choji crashed into us earlier, my Sharingan saw the hand seal you made with your right eye—that technique allows you to see information inside someone's mind."
"You used that technique to perform a counter-search and extract Konoha's information while Ibiki was questioning you and Inoichi-senpai was searching your memories, right!"