Sitting by the lake, Hikari watched a few brats struggling against the relentless cascade of the waterfall, repeatedly falling yet stubbornly pressing toward its center. He lay back leisurely, a blade of grass between his teeth, savoring a life that couldn't get any more comfortable.
"Ahh... This is the life!"
"If only a cute girl would come and give me a shoulder massage..."
*Whoosh!*
In a flash of the Body Flicker Technique, a person appeared beside Hikari.
"No cute girl, but I can give you a shoulder rub. What do you say?" said a young man with silver hair and a black mask.
Hikari shot him a look of disgust, pointing at the lake. "If you keep talking like that, you creepy guy, I'll toss you in there!"
"Alright, alright, I'll stop!"
Kakashi quickly changed the subject. "The Hokage has ordered you to return to the Hokage's Office immediately."
"In this weather? What does she want me for?" Hikari pointed at the blazing sun overhead, puzzled.
Kakashi's exposed dead-fish eye twitched with mild confusion. "Since when did Tsunade-sama need to schedule her summons around the weather?"
"Well... never mind, no point explaining it to you."
Hikari couldn't very well say that Tsunade was calling him for some 'sparring practice'. That sort of private matter was definitely not for public discussion.
"So, any idea what this is about?" he asked again.
Kakashi reverted to his deadpan expression. "Who knows? Must be urgent if Tsunade-sama is calling for you."
Yeah, right. Hikari didn't buy that for a second.
It was one thing for the Hokage to have secret matters. But Tsunade being so discreet that even the four advisors wouldn't know? Impossible. Kakashi probably knew but couldn't say anything due to shinobi confidentiality rules.
Whatever. Too lazy to press him further, Hikari stood up.
"Shikamaru, you'll take over managing these guys' training from now on. You're the squad leader of all six. Got it?"
Shikamaru, who was halfway up a slippery rock under the waterfall, turned back. "I'm the squad leader? Then what about Ino?"
"Ino's still the team captain of your original group. It's not a conflict, okay?" Hikari said, ignoring Shikamaru's exasperated face. He shot Kakashi a look, and the next moment they vanished with a Body Flicker.
"So... he ditched us again?" Shikamaru sighed.
Naruto only grinned, hands behind his head, utterly unbothered. "You make it sound so bad. It's just that he's not supervising us. I'm already used to it!"
Shikamaru frowned. "The thing is, before you guys showed up, Hikari-senpai was a total slacker. Now he's always running off somewhere."
"So you're blaming us now?"
"Exactly," Shikamaru nodded, a sly smirk tugging at his lips. "Glad you're catching on, Naruto. Congrats."
"Buzz off!" Naruto shot back, "I can tell you're saying I'm dumb. I'll take you on!"
"Tsk." Shikamaru crossed his arms. "As your newly appointed squad leader, I suggest you rethink that. Got it?"
"Yeah, yeah... Got it." Naruto's defiance fizzled.
---
Hokage's Office
Hikari slipped in through the window. The room was empty except for Tsunade, lounging leisurely. Kakashi, who'd followed him, was nowhere to be seen.
"Tsunade-sama, don't you think it's... kind of inappropriate to call me at this hour?" Hikari glanced around. It was broad daylight, the sun shining through the wide-open windows—it felt strangely exciting.
"What's inappropriate...?" Tsunade began, but then realized what he meant. Her eyes immediately narrowed.
"I called you here for business!" She said sternly.
"Mhmm, I'm listening." Hikari scanned the room, already plotting how to secure a more private space for peace of mind.
Seeing him obviously lost in who-knows-what kind of thoughts, Tsunade really wanted to slap him twice and remind him that she was a proper woman, not someone he should associate with his filthy imagination.
"Terumi Mei's squad has already left," Tsunade finally said.
Hikari nodded absentmindedly.
"And according to intercepted intelligence... the Three-Tails may be showing signs of revival."
[The Three-Tails' revival? So what? Not a big deal...]
[Having a 'battle' in a place like this for the first time... what would he need—hold on, the Three-Tails is reviving?]
Hikari's mind snapped out of its lustful haze. He met Tsunade's serious gaze. "You're sure it's the Three-Tails?"
Tsunade tossed him a folder. "This is intel from the ANBU. It seems Orochimaru's mysterious experiments may have prematurely triggered the Three-Tails' chakra, giving signs of reawakening."
[Orochimaru, huh? Well, if it's him, anything's possible.]
Hikari rubbed his temples. If he remembered correctly, the Three-Tails was supposed to revive only after the start of the Shippuden era—when the younger generation had matured into dependable shinobi, the true Konoha 12. Right now, they were still a bunch of inexperienced kids.
"What a pain... Where exactly is this happening?"
"Along the coast near the Land of Hot Water. Terumi Mei has already returned to make preparations. Based on our analysis, she likely intends to capture the Three-Tails herself."
[Capture it? Don't kid me.]
[Once the Three-Tails appears, the Akatsuki will move. And with Naruto still immature, there's no way to stop it.]
At that thought, countless possibilities flashed through Hikari's mind.
The Three-Tails itself wasn't the real issue. The problem was Akatsuki—and behind them, Obito and the Ten-Tails.
Once the Three-Tails resurfaced, the Akatsuki would inevitably launch their tailed beast capture plan.
Right now, they had only lost Kakuzu. The rest were still monstrously powerful. Compared to the divided Great Nations, Akatsuki could easily overwhelm any of them.
"Immediately issue an S-rank mission. Recall Jiraiya to protect Naruto. I'll go handle this with Kakashi and Gai."
"Wait a second. It's just the Three-Tails, right? Why not let the Mist handle it?" Tsunade was honestly baffled. She didn't understand why this mysterious 'Akatsuki' made Hikari so tense.
"No," Hikari interrupted firmly. "The Three-Tails can't be revived yet. The consequences are too great. Ordinary shinobi can't be involved in this. Jiraiya may be unreliable, but he's the best person to protect Naruto. If things go south, have him take Naruto to Mount Myoboku. They must hold out until I return."
'Are you the Hokage, or am I?!'
Tsunade looked at him resentfully. She could hear parts of his thoughts—only fragments—but that somehow made it worse, leaving her feeling oddly frustrated.
"Fine. I'll summon Jiraiya. But under what pretext? He's one of the Legendary Sannin like me. He doesn't always follow my orders."
"Tell him you're getting married. Invite him to the wedding."
"You bastard!"
As Tsunade's angry shout echoed through the Hokage's Office, Kamizuki Hikari was already flying out the window.
-----
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