Konoha's Mission Master

"Thank you, Master."

Itachi Uchiha smiled shyly.

A faint aroma of food wafted through the air.

A dozen minutes later, Yakumo withdrew his hands and saw Nohara Rin carrying dinner toward the wooden table on the platform.

"Itachi, please stay for dinner."

“Okay.” Itachi Uchiha nodded vigorously.

With a flash of light and shadow, Obito Uchiha appeared in Ryuchi Cave, clearly there for dinner as well, and immediately began to help Rin Nohara set out the bowls and chopsticks with some eagerness.

"Dinner's ready, guys!!"

Obito Uchiha shouted at the top of his lungs.

Yukotsu Chiyuki and Mori Masako stood up, ending their practice of Sage Mode, and Kakashi also put away his White Fang.

Everyone took their seats, sitting in groups according to their relationships. For example, Obito sat close to Rin Nohara. Yakumo and Masako Mori sat side by side, while Chiyuki Yuuki took the initiative to move closer to Itachi Uchiha.

Kakashi was all alone.

The meal was plentiful, mostly consisting of meat. Because of their all-day training, the group needed to eat more meat to replenish the energy they had consumed.

Everyone picked up their chopsticks and began to enjoy the meal.

Yakumo thought for a moment and then spoke.

"By the way... this place will be our secret base in the future."

It's best not to let others know about the existence of this base, since it can serve as a refuge in case of an attack.

At the same time, this base has a defense system in place; anyone not on the safety list will be attacked by the surrounding wood-style creations.

Everyone took turns promising not to reveal the existence of this secret base to outsiders, especially Obito, who swore that even if he died, he would never tell anyone about the base's existence.

"If forced by outsiders, we only need to hide the part about the defense system. If the enemy enters this space, they will naturally be attacked. Unless the enemy's strength is comparable to mine, they will have no chance of survival."

Everyone nodded, memorizing the special methods for eliminating the enemy.

"Also... I will be leaving Konoha for the next two years, and Mori Masako and Yuuki Chiyuki will be going with me," Yakumo continued.

Obito Uchiha was very surprised.

"No way, two years is that long?"

The sudden mention of leaving for about two years by a frequent companion shattered the cheerful atmosphere, leaving Obito's face filled with reluctance.

“Since we have a base, we should be able to… meet here, right?” Nohara Rin asked Yakumo.

Most of the people present had a hint of reluctance in their eyes, except for Itachi Uchiha, who was too young to understand the meaning of parting.

"In the next two years... we probably won't be able to meet, as the places we go will block the teleportation ability of the key," Yakumo continued.

Will this trip be dangerous?

Obito Uchiha asked, but when he looked at the table full of delicious food, he found it hard to feel any appetite. He simply couldn't suppress his reluctance.

In the past, Yakumo would sometimes disappear, but never for more than six months. Today, he suddenly announced that he was leaving for two years...

"There is definitely some danger, but... I have made a thorough plan, and I think I should be able to get out unscathed."

"Sigh." Obito Uchiha could only sigh.

"Yakumo, I wish you a safe journey."

Kakashi offered his blessings, his eyes also showing reluctance.

"Let's eat, let's eat. It's not like we're not coming back!"

Masako Mori started to lighten the mood by picking up a large piece of beef.

“That’s right, let’s eat.” Yougu Qianxue chimed in.

"Yes, everyone, let's eat first."

Everyone started eating, and the atmosphere became somewhat somber, no longer as cheerful as before, especially Obito's expression, which almost lost control.

After the meal, Yakumo escorted Itachi Uchiha home.

The two walked along the road in the Uchiha clan's territory. The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers, and cherry blossoms were quietly blooming on both sides of the road.

"Master, please be careful," Itachi Uchiha said earnestly.

"Don't worry, your master is someone who has weathered many storms."

"I will practice my swordsmanship diligently for the next two years and wait patiently for my master's return!" Itachi Uchiha promised.

As Yakumo gazed at the cherry blossom grove, he suddenly thought of Uchiha Sasuke, who was about to be born, and a mischievous smile crept across his face.

"I remember, your younger brother is about to be born, isn't he?"

"Yes, yes, I will practice my sword skills diligently and protect my younger brother!"

When Sasuke Uchiha was mentioned, Itachi's expression suddenly became very excited, as if he had encountered the most beloved thing in his life and couldn't wait to share it with others.

"I can tell that you seem to really like your younger brother."

“That’s right. When I felt Sasuke, I suddenly felt my life become more vibrant, and even practicing swordsmanship... became incredibly meaningful.” Itachi Uchiha raised his head and answered Yakumo.

"On this street... some trees are straight and tall, while others are short and bushy. Do you know why these two completely different results occur?" Yakumo asked, pointing to the trees on both sides.

“I know that. Some trees have been pruned, while others are left to grow freely,” Itachi Uchiha replied immediately.

"In fact, the same is true for a person's growth. If you love your younger brother deeply, you should pay more attention to disciplining him, rather than letting him grow up and pick up all sorts of bad habits."

"Bad habits?"

For example... stubbornness.

Uchiha Itachi asked, puzzled, "Master, what does 'stubborn' mean?"

"Sparring with taijutsu masters in battle, fighting against ninjutsu masters with ninjutsu, using the three-tomoe Sharingan to clash with the Mangekyou Sharingan in genjutsu, engaging in close combat with sword masters, and sparring with the Raikage using lightning release..."

"Master, what you're saying sounds like...foolish?"

"Of course, it can also be arrogance, stubbornness, or indifference."

“I understand. I will wholeheartedly honor Sasuke and teach him humility and politeness, passion and kindness, and how to fight others.”

"That's right, besides spoiling your younger brother, you also need to teach him."

"Only in this way can one truly shoulder the responsibility of being an older brother."

"I understand!"

Itachi Uchiha immediately replied, a sacred mission suddenly arising in his heart, and several plans for training Sasuke surfaced in his mind.

"Keep it up! I believe you can train Sasuke to be a great man!"

Yakumo ruffled Itachi Uchiha's hair, his words full of sincerity.

"Uh-huh!"

Uchiha Itachi skipped and hopped home, looking like a lively and carefree rabbit from a distance.

"Has he found his mission?"

Yakumo said with a smile.

"Don't blame me, Erzhuzi or Tietouwa. I've disliked you for a long time, it can even be traced back to junior high school."

Yakumo turned around, humming a little tune, and leaped into the air to go home.

That night, before going to sleep, Yakumo created two more healing orbs, placed them in a storage scroll, and then lay down on the bed to fall asleep.

The next day, Yakumo was somewhat surprised, as he couldn't detect Mori Masako's presence within his perception range. In other words... the person staying at the nightclub had changed!

Yakumo felt slightly annoyed; it was a case of fortunes changing, and he experienced the helplessness of being alone in an empty room.

After a quick dressing and washing up, Yakumo went to the kitchen and ate the breakfast prepared by his shadow clone. If Masako Mori wasn't there... he had no reason to cook for his main body himself.

During the meal, Yakumo received the reward for his daily mission.

Sorrowful bones and a thousand snowflakes, YYDS!

After dinner, Yakumo returned to his bedroom and used all his life energy to create two healing orbs. As his crafting proficiency increased, the energy loss during the crafting process was reduced.

Yakumo estimated that he should be able to create eight orbs of light per day.

These are eight... chances that could change the course of the battle!

Yakumo now has four units in stock.

Yakumo flew out of the window and went to the Hokage's office, where he handed four healing orbs to Hatake Sakumo and instructed him on how to use them.

This can be considered as providing Sakumo Hatake with four trump cards for a desperate counterattack, especially when the enemy is of similar strength to him, it may even directly rewrite the ending.

Yakumo's actions naturally earned him another round of thanks from Hatake Sakumo, and he took the opportunity to reveal his plan to leave Konoha within ten days.

Upon hearing this, Hatake Sakumo reminded Yakumo to be careful, but offered no other instructions.

After bowing to Sakumo Hatake, Yakumo turned and left.

Actually, Yakumo and the others could leave now and head to the One Piece world, but their monthly mission for July is not yet complete.

All we can do is wait patiently...

During this time, Yakumo had begun collecting supplies, including a large amount of fresh water, various easy-to-store ingredients, and steaks that had already been grilled.

Of course, there are also various seasonings and charcoal for grilling.

That noon... After experimentation, Yakumo confirmed the effect of the Healing Orb, which was equivalent to a powerful palm technique lasting thirty seconds. Because it was taken orally, the treatment process worked from the inside out, making it more effective for internal injuries.

After leaving the Hokage's office, Yakumo channeled chakra into the silver key, and a dozen seconds later... he felt a teleportation sensation.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already in Ryuchi Cave.

Masako Mori is practicing Sage Mode on the platform, which is also the area with the most concentrated natural energy in the entire Ryuchi Cave.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Yakumo asked.

"I ate the breakfast Lin made."

“Okay.” Yakumo nodded and walked towards the wooden house.

"Is someone angry because I didn't come home last night...?"