Chapter 267. Racing and Exams
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Honestly, introductions weren't really necessary.
Everyone knew each other well. After all, they were quite familiar with one another.
But—
"I'm Uchiha Itachi. I like quietly basking in the sun, dango, and milk tea. My specialty is Taijutsu!"
"…"
Taijutsu?
Hyuga Hanabi was a bit surprised as she looked at Itachi, who seemed noticeably more muscular than she remembered.
[Shouldn't it be Genjutsu or Fire Release?]
But after thinking it over, she didn't dwell on it.
After all, records showed—
Uchiha Itachi became physically weak due to his later bloodline illness and mental stress.
Perhaps, when he was younger, Itachi had been full of energy and skilled in Taijutsu. It was only after falling ill and bearing too many burdens that he became the person people remembered.
Besides, even in the original timeline, while Itachi's Taijutsu was slightly weaker than his Genjutsu and Fire Release, it was still exceptional—far beyond that of an average Jonin.
Even though, for various reasons, the genius Uchiha Itachi had ended up as a problem child in this world, repeating every year of the Ninja Academy instead of graduating early, Hanabi's investigation still showed that his grades were excellent.
A true prodigy, no doubt!
Hanabi nodded, glanced briefly at Itachi's eyes, then dismissed the thought. With her hands on her hips, she straightened up slightly and smiled at them.
"Alright… we'll skip the usual 'bell-stealing' test. It's time to start missions. I hope we all work well together from now on!"
At that moment—
Becoming a team leader again felt oddly satisfying.
Indeed…
Being a ninja really did suit her best.
She sighed inwardly. I wonder how Sumire and Suzumeno are doing? Then, with a small wave of her hand, she smiled again.
"Let's move out!"
…
"Why are all the missions either food delivery or dressing up as mascots at the shopping mall?"
"This is a collaborative commission from Yuto Group," Minato chuckled apologetically. "Over the past few years, D-rank mission requests in the village have dropped significantly. Most of the usual pet-finding and trash-picking tasks have already been taken."
"…This really doesn't feel like a ninja village anymore."
Still, after witnessing the later era, Hanabi had gotten used to it.
After all—
In the future, even rookie missions became so scarce that freshly graduated Genin had to start taking on field assignments right away.
With a sigh, she turned to the group. "Which one do you guys want to take?"
After a brief silence—
"Anything's fine," Honoka nodded. "They're all missions from Uncle Yuto anyway."
She still remembered Yuto's advice.
If you can't make it as a ninja, come home and inherit the family business.
Since it was all in the family, any mission would do.
However—
Unexpectedly—
Itachi, who was always calm and indifferent, suddenly raised his hand. "In that case, let's take the food delivery mission."
"Food delivery?" Hanabi raised an eyebrow. "That's much more exhausting than playing a mall mascot. You'll have to run around constantly."
But seeing that no one objected, she accepted the mission.
"Alright then. You're now temporary delivery workers." Minato pulled four temporary delivery badges from a drawer. "You don't have to wear the green delivery vests, but you must wear these and take the job seriously."
He then pointed to a QR code on the table.
"Scan this with your phone and download the [Konoha] App. It's software jointly developed by Konoha and Yuto Group. You'll use this to complete your missions. In the future, you won't have to come all the way to the Hokage Building to pick up missions—you can just browse and accept them directly through the app. Each mission has a detailed description in the app."
He paused briefly.
"Of course, classified or sensitive missions will still require in-person briefings."
"…Is the way to accept missions this advanced now?"
Hanabi was too stunned to even complain. After casually downloading the app, she led her team out.
In her original world…
They didn't even have such a convenient way to accept missions!
Soon, they arrived at the destination listed in the app.
After accepting the order and picking up the delivery, Hyuga Hanabi turned to the three Genin with a serious expression.
"Alright… this is our first mission. Remember—once we accept a commission, as ninja, we must complete it seriously no matter what."
With that—
The three of them nodded earnestly. "Understood!"
"The delivery starts now. Memorize the addresses."
A moment later—
Under Hanabi's direction, the three memorized their respective delivery locations.
"Alright… time to start the delivery!"
"Yes, Hanabi-sensei!" x3
Then—
Just as they turned to leave—
Suddenly.
A deep voice rang out—
"Gate of Life… Open!"
Whoosh!
A flash of green light streaked past them in an instant.
"???"
Hanabi stood there in stunned silence, her foot frozen mid-step, staring blankly at the rapidly disappearing green blur in the distance.
She fell completely silent.
[Uchiha Itachi…]
Do you know the Eight Gates?!
…
Time passed in a flash.
A month went by just like that.
However—
Unexpectedly—
Although Danzo had been extremely high-profile in the first few days after his return, the rest of the month had been eerily peaceful.
Meanwhile, even though Sarutobi Hiruzen had finished paying off his debts, he still hadn't quit his delivery job. Though he wasn't as diligent as before—working from dawn till dusk—he still took occasional delivery orders from time to time.
Relaxed and free.
Could it be…
That after returning this time, Danzo really had no intention of going back into business and was just planning to enjoy retirement?
Yuto found it odd, but he didn't pay much attention to it.
After all—
No matter what Danzo did, it wouldn't affect his business.
Right now, he was more focused on the intelligence report in his hands.
A moment later—
He looked up, surprised.
"So… Kumogakure is hosting a ninja racing tournament?"
"Yes!" Suzune nodded. "It seems to be a promotional event for their new movie, [Fast & Furious]. I heard the investment for this film was quite large—they crashed multiple luxury cars just for the production—so they're hoping to get sponsorship and recognition from Yuto Motors."
"…"
That movie title… sounds familiar!
Yuto didn't even know where to start with his reaction. But what really caught him off guard was that Kumogakure—a ninja village—had come up with the idea of hosting a race.
Aren't they ninjas?
Shouldn't commercial events be left to ordinary businessmen like him?
But then again, considering the terrain of the Land of Lightning… it actually was a perfect place for a racing event~
Yuto glanced at the document in his hand, thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright! But tell them—Yuto Group requires management and planning rights. Of course, we're also willing to sponsor the event."
This—
It could be pretty fun.
You know, both Kakashi and Hyuga Hanabi love racing in the village.
Just recently, Honoka had gone on a mission outside the village with Hanabi. When she came back… her face was pale. She even secretly came to talk to him, asking him not to lend his cars to Hanabi anymore. She felt that, as a rookie ninja, she should be running on foot during missions—for the sake of proper training!
As for Kakashi…
Well, his newcomer killer reputation spoke for itself. No need to explain—just search online, and you'd understand.
Honestly—
Yuto was already considering making Kakashi the spokesperson for a sports car advertisement!
By now—
It was getting late.
Hanabi and the others had returned.
"I'm back!"
Honoka and Hanabi stepped inside as Suzune began preparing dinner.
However—
Yuto looked at Hanabi, surprised. Unlike usual, she didn't lazily collapse onto the sofa the moment she walked in. Instead, she stood in front of him, looking dead serious.
"Weird. What happened? Did you crash the car?"
Was she this serious because she couldn't afford the damages?
Or… did she hit someone?
"…No!" Hanabi rolled her eyes in frustration. Her carefully prepared mindset instantly crumbled.
She took a deep breath, then spoke seriously.
"The Chunin Exams are coming up soon. I want Honoka and the others to participate. What do you think?"
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