Chapter 18: Lodging by the Yellow River at Dusk
Haruko carried his luggage, dressed in brand-new camouflage, and walked along the Village's main road toward the assembly point.
The streets in the early morning were empty and quiet, when a familiar and teasing female voice came from behind.
"Yo, kid, you're looking quite sharp. Are you going to some masquerade ball?" Anko Mitarashi leaned against the roadside, seemingly waiting for him specifically.
"Can't help it, being this handsome, I have to keep a low profile to avoid making the enemy jealous on the battlefield."
Amused by him, Anko stepped forward and unceremoniously pinched his head, which was wrapped in a bandana, sizing him up from head to toe.
"Tch, the kid's already learned to be vain."
A fragrant breeze brushed against his face; Haruko didn't dodge, letting her carry out her little antics.
"Here, this is a farewell gift from your big sister."
A flash of guilt crossed Anko's eyes as she stuffed a Ninja tool pouch into Haruko's arms—it was none other than a " Deluxe Ninja Tool Set ".
Anko leaned in close to Haruko's ear and lowered her voice: "Once you get there, keep your wits about you. Don't always act like you don't care about anything. The border... hasn't been very peaceful lately."
"This..." Haruko looked at Anko, his expression somewhat complicated.
Anko patted his shoulder and said in a light tone: "Alright, hurry up and report in, don't miss the assembly time. When you get back, sister will treat you to a big feast!"
Haruko watched Anko leave, then put away the Ninja tools and headed to the assembly point.
The leading Jonin, Shirakumo Hayama, a serious-faced middle-aged Ninja, stood with his arms crossed, his sharp gaze scanning everyone.
The other two Chunin were Haruko's old acquaintances—Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, the legendary duo who guarded the Konoha gates year-round.
Besides them, there were several Genin dressed in standard Ninja gear; they looked like experienced veterans, their eyes carrying a hint of numbness.
The appearance of the final teammate came as a bit of a surprise to Haruko.
"Inuzuka Hana?"
A young girl with a high ponytail and the unique face paint of the Inuzuka clan walked over, leading her three Ninja Hound Gray Maru Brothers.
Inuzuka Hana also saw Haruko, or rather, she saw the guy wearing camouflage and goggles.
She froze for a moment, then her nose twitched slightly as if she were identifying a scent.
"Haruko? You're going too? Why are you dressed like that?" she asked in surprise.
"Sigh, it's a long story." Haruko shrugged.
Once everyone had arrived, Shirakumo Hayama counted the personnel and supplies, then ordered the departure.
This mission was to escort a shipment of supplies to the Third Outpost on the eastern border. Upon arrival, their squad would be directly integrated into the outpost until a rotation replacement arrived a month later.
As they walked, Haruko inconspicuously observed his teammates.
Izumo and Kotetsu, the old partners, were perfectly in sync and looked relaxed. The four older Genin seemed somewhat numb, clearly accustomed to such missions.
Only Inuzuka Hana, though trying her best to remain calm, betrayed her inner nervousness by the way she occasionally stroked her Ninja Hounds.
It made sense; for a rookie who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy not long ago, being sent directly to the tense atmosphere of the border was indeed a lot of pressure, but that was the lot of the Inuzuka clan.
In contrast, Haruko seemed excessively relaxed.
He even had the leisure to plan in his head how to find excuses to slack off once they reached the outpost.
His demeanor made the surrounding teammates look at him sideways—was this guy truly confident, or just plain simple-minded?
...
After the team had traveled for half a day, Shirakumo Hayama announced a break on the spot.
Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane were sitting on a rock drinking water when Haruko approached them.
"Seniors, is there anything special I should watch out for on this border mission?" Haruko asked casually.
Izumo wiped his mouth: "The border, huh? It's just patrols and vigilance every day. Occasionally you run into a few petty thieves or wild beasts. But the Land of Water has been a bit restless lately, so the higher-ups sent reinforcements."
Kotetsu took over: "As for what to watch out for, just don't be careless. Also... don't stray too far from the patrol route, and don't get isolated."
Haruko nodded, then suddenly thought of something and smiled at Izumo: "Senior, I recently used your Mizuame-no-Hara as a reference to create a new Ninjutsu."
"Oh? What Ninjutsu?" Izumo was curious.
"Water Release: Hair Gel Hand."
A clump of viscous water instantly condensed on Haruko's palm, which he then quickly wiped across Kotetsu's spiky hair, smoothing down the middle section.
"Hey! Why are you testing it on me!"
"Well, I'm wearing a bandana," Haruko explained while dealing with Kotetsu. "I based this move on the properties of Mizuame-no-Hara. See, it can be molded and maintains stickiness; it's quite convenient for styling hair or fixing things in place."
Izumo looked at Kotetsu's new hairstyle, his expression somewhat blank.
"Pfft... this is the improved Ninjutsu you mentioned? Using it for hairstyles?"
"Hey, Izumo! You laughed just now, didn't you!"
"Yeah, it's very practical! When you wake up in the morning, you don't have to spend time getting ready; one Hair Gel Hand and you can have whatever hairstyle you want!" Haruko said with a serious face.
Izumo's lip twitched a few times, but he couldn't help his curiosity: "Let me try too."
He mimicked Haruko, condensing starch syrup in his hand and then swiping it toward Kotetsu's head...
"Ow, damn it!" Kotetsu let out a cry of pain.
A large amount of starch syrup gushed from Izumo's hand, instantly turning Kotetsu's hair into a blob of mush that was firmly stuck to his head.
"YOU! TWO!" Kotetsu's face had turned the color of pig liver. "Haruko! Get my hair back to normal!"
"Ahem, Senior Izumo, you might have used a bit too much Chakra; the essence of this thing is in the control," Haruko explained while cleaning it up with Water Release.
The farce made everyone burst into laughter. Even the usually serious Shirakumo Hayama curled the corners of his mouth.
At the same time, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes—was Haruko's Chakra control already superior to that of a veteran Chunin like Izumo?
At dusk, when the team set up camp to rest, Haruko once again demonstrated his lifestyle Ninjutsu.
"Earth Release: Earth House."
With a rumbling from the ground, a simple earth house rose up, just large enough to accommodate the squad members.
"Earth Release: Rock Furniture."
Simple tables and chairs appeared, and he even had the leisure to make a stone pot.
"Fire Release: Intense Fire Stir-fry."
The dried meat they carried and wild vegetables from the roadside went into the pot as Haruko pulled out bottles of seasoning and oil.
The series of actions was smooth and flowing, leaving the surrounding teammates dumbfounded.
They had seen Ninjutsu used for combat and travel, but they had truly never seen anyone play with Ninjutsu in such a fancy way, using it all for eating, drinking, and entertainment.
"Ahem," the leading Shirakumo Hayama couldn't quite keep his composure either; he walked over to Haruko and asked curiously, "Haruko-kun, your control over Chakra seems exceptionally refined."
"It's alright, just practice makes perfect," Haruko said modestly.
Before long, everyone was served two dishes and a soup.
"To think we could eat this luxuriously on a mission..."
"That earth house is way better than a tent, and it just popped out with a 'duang'."
"Haruko-kun is truly a must-have for traveling."
A relaxed atmosphere spread, and the fatigue from the journey seemed to dissipate significantly.
After a night of rest, the team continued forward.
A few days later, they finally arrived at the Land of Fire's Border Outpost.