Konoha Drunkard

Minato was shocked!

Kushina, who had just stepped out of the living room, was also shocked!

Is this their son? Their son can actually say such philosophical things. He's really grown up and has such a level of awareness!

.......

The next day, the Kakashi team happily arrived at the Hokage's office. After the previous night, Minato and Kushina realized that while their son might be a little slow-witted, he had grown up and had his own thoughts. As parents, they couldn't just keep him confined; it was time to let him spread his wings and fly.

So early this morning, Minato summoned Team 7 to the Hokage's office. They were escorting an old drunkard home. This old man's identity was unusual, and his purpose in coming to Konoha was also unusual. This old man was a famous bridge architect in the Land of Waves. That wasn't the important thing; the important thing was that this old man was Shanks' drinking buddy. Besides drinking with Shanks, he mainly came to Konoha to give out a mission. The Land of Waves was about to complete a bridge, but because the bridge was blocking a super conglomerate from making a fortune, the owner of this super conglomerate hired a group of ninjas to cause trouble in the Land of Waves. Since the Land of Waves didn't have a ninja village, they were suffering terribly from these ninjas. This old man, because he often boasted that he was Shanks' drinking buddy in Konoha, was recommended to come to Konoha to ask Shanks for help.

Shanks was also in a dilemma. He had been retired for many years, and he couldn't just come out of retirement whenever a drinking buddy invited him. Once it started, it would never end. Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, was very valuable. He couldn't just ask him to come out of retirement with a single word. So Shanks handed the old man over to Minato.

Minato originally intended for Shisui to handle the matter, since Shisui's father-in-law was also in the Land of Waves. Shisui had been quite busy these past few years with his duties as the village's security chief, so giving him a break would be a good idea. However, his son's words last night gave him an idea: young eagles always have a day to spread their wings and soar; giving them some experience is good. As for Shisui, he'd let him go on a trip. If there was anything he couldn't stand, he wouldn't suggest Shisui help with... After all, he was his own son, and the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki; he couldn't let anything happen to him.

So Minato casually handed this task over to them, and also had Shisui secretly follow them. Since Itachi's younger brother was also in Team 7, Shisui would naturally pay even closer attention.

"Hokage... Lord Hokage, you sent this shorty to protect me? I'm a friend of Shanks, couldn't you send someone more reliable?"

In the Hokage's office, the drunken old man pointed at the savior Minato and said.

Who is he calling a dwarf?

The savior pointed at the drunken old man and asked the second male lead in his trousers and the girl with the broad forehead.

"..."

The second male lead, who was wearing shorts, and the girl with the broad forehead didn't speak. They simply stepped forward silently and stood in a row with the savior. It was obvious who was the short one.

"Hey! You old geezer, don't think I won't hit you just because you're my great-uncle's friend. I'm the future Hokage, how dare you call me a shorty! You have to pull strings to even issue a mission, I hate people like you with connections the most!"

The savior exploded in anger: So what if I'm a little malnourished? Do you think I wanted this? It's all because that stinky, unresponsive fox inside me stole all my nutrients.

“Naruto, you can’t talk to your employer like that. Sorry, old man, the kid has a bit of a temper.”

Seeing his son angrily confronting the old man, Minato felt a sense of satisfaction. Even the most good-tempered person wouldn't tolerate being called a dwarf by his son in front of him. However, to maintain Konoha's image of friendliness, Minato still said with a slight apology.

633. Bai, who relies on his talent

"...Don't worry, judging from your description, we won't encounter any powerful ninjas on the road. Besides, we have a Jonin like me here."

Kadian rolled his dead fish eyes at the drunken old man and said, "You old geezer, are you still drunk? Can't you see me, a grown man, standing right here?"

"......So! So there's another Jonin with us. I'm relieved. Thank you for your help along the way. We'll be setting off at noon. Do you have any questions about that?"

"you......"

After the old drunkard finished speaking, the savior wanted to continue to argue with him, but before he could speak, Kasper covered his mouth and dragged him away. It's okay to argue with him occasionally, after all, he's the employer and they'll be traveling together!

"...Go back and prepare your things. Meet at the village entrance at noon."

Arriving at the Hokage's building, Kakashi disappeared after speaking. He wasn't alone anymore. Although he and the girl with the colored contact lenses had been married for many years and their relationship was still more than friends but less than husband and wife, he should at least inform her before going on a long trip; that was basic respect.

............

"Hey? Brother Bai! Where are you all headed?"

The savior, carrying a huge bag four or five times his own size, struggled to the village entrance, where he happened to run into Bai and his friends.

There's a saying in Konoha: Haku is never short of girls. Wherever Haku is, you'll always see at least one or two girls surrounding him. Just like now, his friend at the village entrance is also a girl, which makes the savior quite envious. What's even more enviable is that Haku graduated two years earlier than him and is already a Chunin. He could have relied on his looks, but he chose to rely on his talent. It's truly enviable and makes people jealous.

If the savior knew that Hiruzen Sarutobi had suggested to Minato more than once that Haku be promoted to Special Jonin and then recruited into the Anbu, Minato wouldn't have been as greedy as Hiruzen. Besides, it wasn't wartime, and promoting a 14-year-old Special Jonin was extremely difficult. Itachi Uchiha was able to become a Jonin at twelve because he and Garp had accumulated enough merit. Haku, relatively speaking, was unlucky; none of his peers could keep up with his pace, and he always had to accommodate them. So, after two years, it was only after Minato couldn't resist Hiruzen's nagging that Haku was promoted to Chunin. Otherwise, Haku would already be a Special Jonin in the Anbu. The Anbu's entry requirements are very high now; you need at least a Special Jonin to join. So even if Haku's strength is there, if his rank isn't high enough, he won't be promoted.

As for why Hiruzen Sarutobi cares so much about Haku, it's obviously because of Haku's Ice Release Kekkei Genkai. There are only two of them left in the ninja world. However, Haku's mother, Kaori, doesn't have much hope. She refused to remarry even when Shanks asked her, so it's even more difficult now. Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi has placed the heavy responsibility of continuing the village's Ice Release lineage on Haku. This is his only remaining talent, so of course he must protect him. With his old subordinate, Sakumo Hatake, protecting him in the Anbu, what place could be safer than that...?

"Huh? Naruto, what's going on? Where are you going with such a big bag?"

Bai looked at the person carrying a bag several times larger than himself and asked in return.

"Our class is going to the Land of Waves, and my mom asked me to take the trip."

The savior put down the large bag and said breathlessly.

"Haha, Lady Kushina really cares about you. Well then, you'd better keep it up."

A bead of cold sweat trickled down the back of his head as he chuckled. He recalled that his mother had been similar when he first left the village, but thankfully she wasn't as domineering.

"By the way, Brother Bai, are you also leaving the village?"

The savior pointed at Bai and the two girls beside him and said.

“We’re here to pick up our classmates. They’re coming back today and decided to have a get-together. Are those two your companions? They’ve been waiting for a long time. You can go ahead first.”

Bai pointed to the second male lead in his trousers under a big tree on the other side of the village entrance and said to the girl with the broad forehead.

"Then I'll go ahead first, and I'll come find you when I get back to the village."

Upon seeing the girl with the broad forehead, the savior, carrying a large bag and looking like a laborer, walked towards her without looking back.

.......

"Naruto, why are you carrying such a big bag? We're on a mission, not on vacation. By the way, who was that girl you were talking to? She's so pretty!"

The key point for the girl with the broad forehead is the last sentence: when did such a beautiful girl appear in the village? She looks only a year or two older than them, and she didn't even know. She cautiously glanced at the second male lead in his pants, feeling a strong sense of crisis.

"Hey!... You bastard Sasuke! These are things my mom asked me to bring to you. Come and get them yourself. Who's her real son anyway?"

The moment the girl with the broad forehead asked, the savior immediately became annoyed. He opened his large bag, revealing two more large bags inside. He tossed one large bag to the second male lead, who was leaning against a tree in his pants, while the smaller bag was his own. It was a story full of bitterness. The savior looked at the second male lead, who was glaring indignantly at him. That bastard had actually made him carry that bag the whole way.

"........."

The second male lead, who was dressed in trousers, took the big bag and waited patiently. In his eyes, he was just an idiot savior.

"Hey! Naruto, you still haven't told me who that girl is."

The girl with the wide forehead pressed for an answer.

"What girl? I was just talking to Brother Bai, there was no girl there."

Naruto looked around with a puzzled expression.

"Brother Bai...? You said the person you were talking to just now was a man?"

The girl with the broad forehead felt as if she had been hit with a critical strike. How could someone so beautiful be a boy? He's too devilish!

"Don't you know Brother Bai? He's very famous in the village!"

Naruto asked in surprise the whole way. Haku was only two years older than them, and he hadn't even graduated when they were in school. With Haku's looks, he would have a bunch of girls following him everywhere, much more exaggerated than Sasuke, that bastard. How could Sakura not recognize him?!

"Huh? Is he famous?"

The girl with the wide forehead was also dumbfounded.

"Of course! Brother Bai has been a genius since he was a child, and he's also very handsome. I heard that people call him the Flower of Konoha!"

The savior stared wide-eyed, looking at the broad-browed girl as if she were a mind reader. Although the village was large, Brother Bai's good looks were renowned, and this was the first time he had ever met a girl who was also Brother Bai.

"boom!"

"Idiot, what kind of look is that? Is it strange that you don't recognize him? There are so many people in the village, I don't believe everyone knows him."

The girl with the wide-band haircut enraged the savior's gaze, and she delivered a powerful punch that knocked him to the ground.

634. Second Male Lead vs. Flower of Konoha

"Speaking of which, there are quite a few people who don't know Haku. Haku is currently the only Ice Release user in the ninja world. He graduated at the age of twelve and became a Chunin at the age of fourteen. It is said that he could have been promoted to Special Jonin, but the Hokage refused because he was too young."

The second male lead, whose eyes were fixed on the white-clothed man chatting and laughing with a girl in the distance, said...

This is a genius, just like the man he wanted to kill, both having been known as geniuses since childhood. So the second male lead noticed Haku a long time ago. After all, to kill that man, one would have to reach his level, and right now, the only person in the village who could be a benchmark was Haku. If he couldn't even surpass Haku, thinking about killing someone even more talented than Haku was just a pipe dream. That man was the only disciple of Konoha's Shanks. Just that title alone could scare many people to death. Konoha's Shanks had been in the ninja world for so many years, what geniuses hadn't he seen? He didn't even take the Fourth Hokage as a disciple, but he took that man. You can imagine how powerful that man's talent was. If he couldn't even surpass Haku's Ice Release, then there was no point in talking about revenge.

Thinking of all this, the second male lead, trousers, straightened up and walked towards Bai with a fighting spirit soaring.

"Hey! Sasuke, where are you going?"

Seeing the second male lead's murderous look, the savior quickly asked, "Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Did you forget to take your medicine today?"

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke, and I formally challenge you!"

Ignoring the savior shouting behind him, the second male lead in the pants came up to Bai and the two girls and said to Bai with a serious expression.

"ha?......"

Bai stared blankly at the serious-looking second male lead. He had no idea what was going on. He was having a nice chat with his friends when Naruto's companion suddenly came over to challenge him. And... they were all ninjas, not samurai who just slashed swords at each other. This was a bit too formal.

"Haha, Brother Bai, Sasuke forgot to take his medicine today, sorry about that."

Seeing the bewildered Bai, the savior quickly ran over, pulling the second male lead aside as he spoke. Although he really wanted to see the second male lead get a beating from Bai, now wasn't the time. Besides, they were comrades now, and it wouldn't be right for him to just watch Bai beat up his own comrade. In his mind, Sasuke, while somewhat sharp, was still far inferior to Bai.

"Let go. I genuinely want to challenge you. I want to know where I stand."

The second male lead shoved the savior aside and stared at Bai seriously as he spoke again.

"This...you're about to leave the village, isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Bai said with difficulty that he was not a violent person to begin with, and besides, the other party was his little brother Naruto's comrade. They had no grudge against each other, so he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"This brat is too arrogant. Bai, teach him a lesson and show him what a genius is."

"Yeah, Bai, teach him a lesson!"

At this point, the two gatekeepers started jeering. They'd been guarding the gate day and night, almost losing the meaning of life, and now they were finally having some fun. Someone dared to challenge the Flower of Konoha? Were they kidding? Did this kid not know the consequences of challenging the Flower of Konoha? Putting aside the fact that Haku was a genius, just based on that face alone, no matter the outcome, this challenger would be bombarded with spittle from all the village girls. Losing might lessen the spittle, but if he lost, he might never be allowed to leave the house again.

It's possible for rotten eggs to be thrown at your doorstep; the girls in the village are capable of doing that to protect their crushes.

"Well... how about we find a private place? This isn't a place for fighting."

It was hard to refuse such enthusiasm, even the girl next to Bai seemed eager to try. Bai could only suggest that losing in front of so many people would be too much of a blow to Naruto, his comrade. Naruto had no grudge against Sasuke Uchiha, and it would be bad to hurt his young heart like that, especially since he was a peace-loving person.

After thinking for a while, since the other party had agreed and even given him a way out that he might not need, the second male lead nodded and followed Bai into a grove of trees.

"Should we go and take a look?"

The girl with the broad forehead said worriedly. Although she always thought the second male lead was the strongest, she had just heard him introduce Haku, a handsome boy who could be promoted to Special Jonin. Moreover, he was only two years older than them. Perhaps he would be able to in the future. She had confidence in Sasuke, but Sasuke had just graduated from school. How could he possibly be a match for a Special Jonin?

"No, Brother Bai doesn't want others to see this because he doesn't want it to hurt Sasuke. If we go, it will have the opposite effect, since even that old geezer acknowledges Brother Bai's strength."

The savior spoke seriously for once, saying, "How could that bastard Sasuke possibly beat Haku? He's loved going to find Haku since he was a kid, and he fought with the second male lead for several years. He knows their strength very well. Although he himself is a bit weak, as the son of the Hokage, he still has some insight."

He estimated that the second male lead might not last more than a few rounds against Bai, since Bai's strength was indeed too great. He could even perform a fancy hand seal with one hand, while he had only learned to use one hand and couldn't even form a single seal.

As the savior had predicted, after Bai and the second male lead in pants arrived at a small grove near the village entrance, Bai gestured for the second male lead to enter.

The second male lead didn't say a word and rushed forward with a simple kick. Although Bai specializes in ninjutsu and is only so-so in taijutsu, he is still far superior to the second male lead who just graduated and hasn't unlocked his power yet. Bai grabbed the second male lead's shin as he kicked and pulled him down, using a technique that seemed to deflect a thousand pounds with four ounces of force. Then he struck the second male lead in the chest with a palm strike, knocking him back.