Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 155 The Land of Mist

While Kinrin Namikaze was indeed on a world tour, Naruto Uzumaki hadn't undertaken an overseas mission for some time. During a short break after yet another mission, Naruto sensed the approaching lecherous sage who had been away from Konoha for over half a year, and instinctively felt that his next mission was probably about to begin.

That very evening, an urgent report from the Land of Mist arrived. It came from the Hui-controlled area on the southern coast of the Land of Mist, stating that five ships had gone missing in the past month. Initially, they suspected pirates. Hui's local resources were limited, but they managed to assemble a protective force and sail with the ships. However, due to the sheer number of ships and the vast area they were covering, they encountered a dense fog about a hundred kilometers from shore. By the time the fog cleared, the fleet had suffered casualties. The Senju members of the fleet reported that they vaguely sensed a colossal creature with chakra in the sea, but no one had witnessed what it was. Hui was quite confident in fighting humans, but facing an unknown creature, they decided to request assistance from headquarters.

The mission was deliberately shown to him, implying that he was the best candidate, given his perceptive precision, which even Tobirama admired. The colossal creature appearing with the mist…this description sounds so familiar…could it be…that place?

Having figured out the cause and effect, Naruto decisively replied to the official document: This item may be closely related to Kumogakure. In accordance with local custom, first send a mission application to Kumogakure, and be sure to describe the situation encountered.

It's not that Naruto didn't want to go and see, but this matter is indeed difficult for them to handle at this stage. What if he went and caused trouble right on their doorstep? That moving island is the most treasured secret of Kumogakure. If an outsider goes up there, they will definitely investigate to the end. It's better to just ask their own people to handle it.

Just two days after the official document was approved, Naruto received a summons from the Hokage, saying he was being assigned an overseas mission. The country issuing the mission was the Land of Iron, but upon closer inspection of the mission description, it was clear that this was the same country. Moreover, the Land of Iron's mission was dispatched by the state, so their statistics were more complete; their losses had reached double digits, including a ship carrying envoys preparing to be stationed in the Land of Hot Springs. Losing envoys en route is already a diplomatic incident, let alone one from a collateral branch of the Land of Iron's nobility. Therefore, realizing they couldn't handle it, the Land of Iron promptly sent a mission to the neighboring Land of Fire.

"So, I'm leading Team Guy this time? Where's Guy-sensei?" Naruto wasn't surprised by the group assignment. He's been taking turns leading his own classmates, and the reason he was assigned Team Guy this time was because there's a Byakugan user in the class who's good at scouting.

“He’s on another mission and doesn’t have time to take care of the kids.” Tsunade threw the appointment letter at Naruto’s face without even looking up, still struggling with a pile of documents on the table. “Your team has an extra member this time. Those old guys still don’t trust you to go out.”

"Jiraiya-sensei? I'm sure you're the captain, right?"

"Yes, yes. Get lost after you're done, can't you see I'm busy?"

Naruto closed the door with satisfaction, leaving Tsunade, who was scratching her head, in the office.

"I never expected Naruto to be leading the team, what an extreme display of youth!" Li Yi was as energetic as ever, and his white teeth seemed even brighter than a year ago.

Li's teammates stood three meters away from him, one with his hands in his pockets and the other with his hands in his pockets, looking at the sky and the ground, just not wanting to show that they recognized him.

"Long time no see, Naruto-kun." Neji's eyes were lifeless, as if he had been tormented by his teammates many times. Tenten beside him was even more straightforward, simply waving her hand with a smile.

"Long time no see." The mischievous Naruto approached them with a smile, then suddenly split into three, squeezing the trio together from different directions.

"Oh~ Is this a friendly hug? That's absolutely amazing!" Lee was the most enthusiastic one among them, managing to turn his aloof teammate into a state of blushing and vulnerability. It was only because Naruto was prepared that he slipped away quickly and escaped unscathed.

The four of them playfully reunited, quickly shedding their initial awkwardness. They began seriously analyzing intelligence, organizing supplies, and exchanging information about their abilities. When it came time to agree on a departure time, Neji finally remembered something and asked, "The mission log says five people, but where's the last one? Why isn't he recorded?"

"Because that higher-up has no say in this matter; he only came along voluntarily to put their minds at ease. Don't worry, you will definitely see him tomorrow."

Since Naruto had already said so, they didn't ask any more questions and went home to prepare. As for Naruto? He teleported to the vicinity of a hot spring and, without even looking, imitated a woman's scream at maximum volume.

"There's a pervert!!!"

"Damn it!" The white-haired pervert scrambled away and hid in the nearest cover, skillfully evading the pursuit.

According to the "Konoha Public Security Management Regulations", anyone who peeps into another person's privacy will be detained for three days and fined between three and five thousand ryo.

The sudden sound beside him nearly startled Jiraiya out of his hiding place. He turned around and met the gaze of a slightly taller, blond-haired brat. His most prized disciple was sitting with his arms crossed, watching him with a smile. The whole situation had become clear the moment the little guy appeared. He couldn't resist throwing a punch at the brat's head, but stopped abruptly just before it hit, turning it into a rub, managing to turn the boisterous blond hair into a bird's nest.

"You little rascal, you're always playing tricks on me. If I hadn't come back, let's see if you'd still be able to leave the house."

He's incredibly capable; he just doesn't want those people to know.

"Spying is never a good habit, I'm doing this so I don't have to bail people out of the police station later." Naruto didn't flinch at all, letting Jiraiya do whatever he wanted. Not only was Jiraiya observing him, but he was also secretly observing. The perverted sage never shortchanged himself and was also very good at taking care of children. From his appearance and senses, he was still as healthy as ever.

"It's not that exaggerated..." Jiraiya muttered, changing his rubbing from his hair to his face, then suddenly looked down and asked, "Why do you look a little pale? You seem to have lost weight? Have you been eating poorly?"

Naruto maintained his impeccable smile and said, "No way! It's probably because I've been traveling quite far on missions lately."

Jiraiya let go of his anger and reluctantly believed his words. As always, they went to the market together, bought groceries, and then went home to cook. Tsunade also showed up around mealtime, simply out for some fresh air after being overwhelmed with paperwork, and also to freeload a meal. However, this time Naruto resolutely refused to offer any drinks, because their journey the next day couldn't be delayed; even the Hokage had to compromise with reality.