Chapter 86: A Clapping Game — A Family of Three
When Teams 8 and 10 returned toward Konoha, they encountered a rescue squad sent by the village.
The surprising part was that the team was Team 7 led by Kakashi Hatake.
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The mission at Tenchi Bridge had never occurred, so a new Team 7 had never officially formed.
There was no Yamato among them.
However, Sai was present, filling the position of the third member.
The moment they met on the road, Naruto Uzumaki rushed forward.
"Hey! Why didn't you call me before leaving? That's not fair!"
His complaint was directed straight at Ryuzen and Shikamaru Nara.
Team 10 couldn't help smiling.
Shikamaru scratched his head lazily.
"You were off training somewhere. How were we supposed to find you?"
Naruto snorted.
"Yeah right. Like I'd believe that!"
Even so, seeing that everyone had returned safely made him relax.
Kakashi, however, noticed something different.
His gaze moved from Team 8—who were completely clean and unharmed—to Team 10, whose clothes were stained with blood.
Then he asked quietly,
"You… succeeded?"
The three members of Team 10 exchanged glances.
Then they grinned.
"Yeah."
"We did."
Kakashi's expression shifted slightly.
He knew exactly how dangerous the Akatsuki were.
Every member was an S-rank missing-nin capable of destroying an entire country.
Even facing one alone could be fatal.
Yet these genin had defeated two of them.
His eyes slowly moved toward Ryuzen and Shikamaru.
One possessed terrifying intelligence.
The other overwhelming strength.
The combination was almost perfect.
Returning to the Village
After a short conversation, the three teams returned to Konoha together.
The next afternoon, Teams 8 and 10 reported directly to the Tsunade.
Inside the Hokage's office, they received a stern scolding.
Leaving the village without permission was a serious violation.
But when Tsunade confirmed that all six of them had returned alive, the anger in her eyes softened.
After reprimanding them for a while, she finally waved her hand.
"Go home and rest."
There was no punishment.
The six shinobi left the Hokage building together before splitting up.
A Quiet Walk
Ryuzen and Hinata Hyuga walked toward the market as usual.
While walking, Hinata suddenly spoke softly.
"Ryuzen-kun… do you think Shino and I are a burden?"
Ryuzen stopped.
"Why would you say that?"
Hinata leaned lightly against his shoulder, her expression troubled.
"Every time we fight, it feels like we can't do much."
"You're always the one protecting us."
She lowered her eyes.
"If we face stronger enemies in the future… what if we slow you down?"
Before the mission in the Land of Rivers, Hinata had never thought this way.
But she had now witnessed the terrifying abilities of the Akatsuki.
Enemies like them would almost certainly appear again.
Ryuzen smiled faintly.
He placed a hand on her head.
"Don't worry."
"If anyone wants to hurt you, they'll have to step over my corpse first."
His voice remained calm but firm.
"And whoever becomes our enemy…"
"I won't give them even one extra second to breathe."
Hinata knew he was comforting her.
She nodded quietly, but deep inside she made a decision.
She would train even harder from now on.
Home
After buying groceries, the two returned home.
The moment they opened the door—
A familiar figure rushed toward them.
Hanabi.
The warmth of home instantly washed away the fatigue of the past two days.
Just like usual, the house soon filled with a peaceful atmosphere.
Hinata went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Meanwhile, Ryuzen sat on the sofa while Hanabi excitedly talked beside him.
She was curious about the mission and kept asking questions.
Ryuzen answered honestly.
After not seeing him for two days, Hanabi seemed unusually energetic.
At one point she grabbed his hands.
"Let's play!"
"What?"
"A clapping game!"
Before Ryuzen could respond, Hanabi had already started.
She clapped his hands in a quick rhythm while laughing happily.
Their playful noise drifted into the kitchen.
Hinata glanced toward the living room.
Seeing the two of them laughing together like children, she couldn't help smiling.
Her face filled with quiet happiness.
After finishing the last dish, she called out from the kitchen.
"Dinner is ready!"
Hanabi jumped off the sofa immediately.
She grabbed Ryuzen's arm and dragged him toward the dining table.
The three of them gathered together for dinner.
For a brief moment—
The harsh world of shinobi seemed very far away.
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