Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 125 Mission Completed

As evening fell, a bonfire was lit in the center of the village, and the wooden tables were laden with meat and wine that were not usually available. The food was served in waves, and people came and went around the tables, each with a happy smile on their face.

Naruto loved the sight, but he only stood on the periphery, tapping his feet to the unique country tune. If he were only thirteen, he would probably have squeezed into the center of the singing and dancing, making everyone laugh with his poorly coordinated moves. But he was already fifty-three, and the reserve of middle age and the constraints of his long-standing high position had robbed him of much of his vitality. Even when Sakura tried to pull him in, he politely declined.

"Naruto." Sasuke suddenly called his name. This cool guy, who had always been aloof since childhood, naturally didn't join the revelry and instead stayed close behind him. It was a rather strange feeling, after all, he had chased Sasuke for most of his life, and even after they reconciled, he still couldn't catch him before he disappeared again.

"what's up?"

Naruto turned around, and a small cloth bag was right in front of him, while Sasuke was looking at the sky and the ground, ignoring him.

They had weathered the toughest times together, sharing countless lonely nights in each other's arms. They probably knew each other better than they knew themselves. So, it was easy for Naruto to conclude that Sasuke was shy, especially since he had just recently shared a huge birthday cake with the children and rushed back without stopping.

Every year on his birthday, Sasuke would secretly put gifts in his house, waiting for him to find them. The first gift he received was a large bookshelf, the most eye-catching item. After that, there were everything from ninja tools to daily necessities. Instead of using his super-sensory "X-ray vision" to see through the bag, he took it and returned a bright smile.

"Thank you, Sasuke!"

"Ah! Sasuke, how could you spoil the surprise beforehand!" Sakura burst out from the middle, fists clenched. If it weren't for Sasuke's handsome face, she would have given the guy who ruined the surprise a couple of punches.

"That's perfect!" Shanming smiled optimistically, cleared his throat, and said, "Everyone, get ready, one, two, three, sing!"

A birthday song, thickly accented and unevenly sung, began to play. Naruto even heard Sasuke quietly joining in, though at a volume only he could hear. Naruto didn't find it jarring; instead, he laughed until tears streamed down his face, continuing until the impeccably dressed old man, Harada, emerged carrying a bowl of noodles. The way Harada approached reminded him of the many Fire Seed Project executors who had come to him and then left. They were solemn and dignified, as if they had received a sacred mission more than life itself.

But that seriousness transformed into the care of an elder for a junior when he was in front of him. For the first time, Harada smiled with a face full of wrinkles and said kindly, "Thank you, Naruto Uzumaki. May the gods bless you with a long and healthy life."

Happy birthday, Naruto!

The birthday party co-organized with the Harvest Festival was a great success, and everyone had a great time. Everyone except Shin, who wanted Class 7 to have a good reunion and for his younger brother to have fun, so he stood guard for one night shift and one day shift. The early autumn wind was already chilly, and perhaps due to the long hours on duty, Shin developed a low-grade fever and a slight cough. He didn't pay much attention to his illness, but his unusual complexion alerted Sakura, who immediately made him undergo a full medical checkup. What she found was shocking. Shin not only had a cold, but also early symptoms of tuberculosis, and was immediately advised to return to the village for a comprehensive physical examination.

A letter may not count, but Sakura can tell the person who does. After listening, Matsuri said that as soon as they got back to the village, she would make her brother go for a checkup without wasting a second. She even gave Sakura a deep bow to express her gratitude, which almost scared Sakura away.

Naruto's team's first mission has been successfully completed.

The group arrived empty-handed and nearly crammed into the village by enthusiastic villagers on their return. Naruto had to politely decline their offers, taking only a few local naan breads as provisions for the journey. They first escorted Sasuke to the border of the Land of Rice Fields before turning back towards Konoha. Throughout the entire trip, Naruto seemed to have forgotten that he had two teammates whose primary mission was to monitor him, and he didn't utter a single word about what could and couldn't be reported during this unusual mission.

Just as they were about to reach the gates of Konoha, Shin finally couldn't help but call for a halt to the group.

"Captain Naruto." Shin called him "Captain" from the bottom of his heart. Compared to himself, who only knew how to fight, Naruto's decision was far more appropriate than theirs. "I need to report something to you."

The group stopped on the spot because Xin had already knelt down, adopting the standard subordinate reporting posture.

"If you have something to say, stand up and talk it out." Naruto walked over and tried to pull Shin, but he couldn't budge him.

"As a team member, I shouldn't have concealed my secret mission when joining the group. My secret mission was that if Uchiha Sasuke appeared during the mission, I needed to kill him by any means necessary."

“But you didn’t carry out the mission, which means you already have your own ideas, which is good.” Naruto used considerable force to pull the letter up from the ground the second time. He patted the letter on the shoulder and smiled, showing no intention of blaming him.

Having gone through this mission, it was clear to everyone that Sasuke Uchiha wasn't kidnapped at all; he was a genuine defector. Naruto was the only one who saw Sasuke off, yet he insisted on the kidnapping, essentially making him an accomplice to the defection. But Sasuke was willing to abandon the mission for them, even helping them trick their client, completely disregarding the consequences of mission failure. Naruto, at Harada's request, accomplished far more than the mission was supposed to, perfectly eliminating fifteen troublesome ninjas and fending off the exploitation of a small nation. He walked through the fields, asking many unnecessary questions, offering many unnecessary favors, genuinely caring about the villagers' lives. And this care was reciprocated upon his departure.

The ninjas being lined up to see them off... that was a scene Shin, who lived in the shadow of Root, could never even imagine.

Ninjas are tools for carrying out missions; they must abandon their emotions to survive.

This was a belief that Lord Danzo had instilled in him since childhood. But Naruto smiled and said they could have their own thoughts and decide whether a mission should be carried out. At that moment, Shin finally felt that he was a person, not just a tool for killing. He was far more mature than Matsuri, gleaning their destinies from the subtle clues he observed in his interactions with his seniors. If the fate of an impoverished village could be broken, could he, along with his younger brother, escape the destiny where one of them had to die?

“…Lord Naruto, I have a request.” Shin’s heart was pounding, for this was the first time he had felt such a stark betrayal. “We brothers were actually sent by Lord Danzo to spy on you. If you can show us trust during this mission, he should allow us to continue our surveillance mission.”

The wide-eyed Ji had already confirmed the truth of the statement, but he didn't say anything inappropriate at the moment. Instead, he stared blankly at his brother.

"We can help you fabricate surveillance footage to conceal Sasuke's appearance and your instigation of Harada-san's rebellion. I only hope you can give us a chance to stay by your side, even if it's just for the festival. Please!"