Thinking back to Xin's growth, Minato couldn't help but feel conflicted. No matter how hard he worked, was he really closing the gap between them? Xin's growth rate was simply monstrous.
People called Minato and Nawaki geniuses, but compared to Xin, Minato felt like nothing. Still, he had made significant progress with the Flying Thunder God technique. When they returned to the village, he was certain Xin would be impressed.
"Nawaki, we're running low on sealing scrolls. Bring a couple over," one of their teammates called out.
"On it!"
Nawaki ended his conversation with Minato and ran over with two scrolls. As he approached, he noticed something off - two paper bombs were stuck underneath the corpse his teammate was handling. Because of the angle, his teammate hadn't noticed the danger.
"Watch out!" Nawaki shouted, throwing himself forward without thinking, shoving his teammate out of the way.
"Boom!"
An explosion ripped through the air as the paper bombs detonated. Nawaki was thrown several meters and hit the ground hard, losing consciousness.
The sudden explosion left everyone momentarily stunned. After a few seconds, Minato dropped what he was holding and rushed to Nawaki's side, picking him up and sprinting toward the camp as fast as he could.
Meanwhile, Xin had finally decided it was time to start taking on more serious missions again. After months of completing routine assignments, his three students were growing restless.
Xin had promised them that once he returned from the Hidden Cloud Village, he would take them out to experience the world. But two months had passed, and it was time to make good on that promise.
Both Aida Sui and Uchiha Ryoji were starting to get impatient, and even Hyuga Suzune was showing signs of frustration.
Did they really think they were ready to leave the village and take on dangerous missions? Clearly, they hadn't experienced the harsh reality of life yet.
After submitting his latest mission report, Xin spoke to the mission department staff. "Keep an eye out for any missions in the direction of the Land of Rain or the Land of Iron. I need to take my students out to see the world."
"I'll keep that in mind, sir. If something suitable comes up, I'll send word immediately," the staff member replied.
"Thank you," Xin said, accepting the mission rewards and heading home for a much- needed bath.
"Huh?"