A day had passed quickly, and Takeshi was finishing getting ready in his room before joining the others.
"Once I'm strong enough, I think I'll go ahead and retire..." he muttered to himself in the mirror, eyeing the dark circles under his eyes.
Since coming home the other day, he hadn't been idle. He'd gone through several meditation sessions to help his body recover fully.
Thanks to the Supreme Avatar's body, he possessed all four chakra natures. Of course, advancing all of them at once was impossible for now. So, he chose to focus on the one his original body had the strongest affinity with—fire.
But even then, there was still a major issue. Mastering even one chakra nature could take a lifetime.
To solve that, he turned to his greatest asset—the System. Takeshi used his merit points to purchase a new skill: the Shadow Clone Jutsu, that iconic technique created by the Second Hokage.
He wanted to use its property of passing on the knowledge the clones gained, but once again, a lack of chakra hindered his progress.
He could summon ten clones for now—a far cry from the thousand he'd need. Still, the technique's versatility would help in… less honorable tasks.
Knock knock knock
Just as he was about to head out, someone knocked on the door.
"Morning, Takeshi."
A sweet scent greeted him as he opened it. It was Mei, already geared up for the mission.
"Mei… I see you're pretty motivated," Takeshi said as he stepped out, shutting the door behind him. The kunoichi only smiled.
The sun's rays bathed the already-bustling streets of Konoha. Vendors had begun opening their shops, filling the village with a blend of spicy and fruity aromas.
The two shinobi strolled at a relaxed pace. They had a few minutes before their scheduled departure. Strangely, the atmosphere between them was calm… a little too calm. No flirtation, no wandering hands. Takeshi gave her a sideways glance.
"You're awfully quiet. Everything okay?" His voice was rough, but held a hint of warmth. He wasn't Naruto, but he knew how to talk to people—even a yandere like Mei.
She smiled, a small, genuine one, not her usual crazy grin. "I was just… thinking about you, back at the hospital." Her turquoise-green eyes met his, holding a rare flicker of sincerity. "You looked awful, Takeshi-kun." She glanced away, fingers fidgeting with a strand of her hair. "But you're here, so I won't complain."
"Is she actually serious?" Takeshi wondered. At first, he'd thought she was just some nympho obsessed with getting in his pants. But as time passed, he started to think he might be missing something.
He stepped in front of her, looked her in the eyes, and took her hands. "Sorry for making you worry. But come on, it takes more than a sword and chains to take me down."
He leaned in and left a kiss on her forehead before pulling her into a hug. A flush bloomed on Mei's surprised face before she melted into the embrace.
"I don't know if those guys hit your head hard enough to make you this romantic, but I like this version of you," she whispered.
"Ungrateful," he teased.
Just like that, their usual banter returned.
"So young and already so in love…"
Several passersby watched the pair of lovebirds as they left the busy streets of Konoha behind.
They arrived at the courtyard near the main gates, where Kakashi's team was waiting. Naruto Uzumaki was there—taller, wilder hair, and his usual grin that screamed, "I'm gonna wreck everything!"
A wave of nostalgia hit Takeshi. He remembered the first time he read this manga, trying to escape his own reality. And now, here he was, face-to-face with the very protagonist he'd followed through every chapter.
Naruto was flipping a kunai from hand to hand, talking a mile a minute. Beside him, Sakura Haruno, short pink hair and a scowl, looked ready to shut him up.
Kakashi Hatake, mask in place and smut novel in hand, barely glanced up as they arrived.
"The legendary team," Takeshi thought. "And I'm supposed to tag along."
"Takeshi!" Naruto stopped mid-sentence and sprinted over like an overexcited puppy.
"Yo, dude, you survived those mercs, huh? I heard you almost bit it!" He smacked Takeshi's shoulder, making him wince—not from pain, but because Naruto was loud enough to wake the dead.
"I'm here, aren't I?" Takeshi replied with a smirk.
"No wonder most girls refused to date him," Takeshi mused.
His eyes slid toward Sakura, who was observing them, arms crossed, her expression neutral but curious.
[Conquest] —
Sakura Haruno
Difficulty: Medium
Reward: 300 points
Not bad, Takeshi thought. She was worth more than Natsumi or Mei—obviously, since she was an important character.
Sakura stepped closer, expression shifting between curiosity and caution.
"Sarutobi, right? You sure you're fit for duty? Tsunade-sensei said you were half-dead yesterday."
Her tone was direct, professional. No wonder she and Mei were cousins.
"Yeah…" he said, shrugging.
Takeshi, having read the manga, could already guess the kind of guy that might catch Sakura's attention. And he wasn't wrong—Sakura raised an eyebrow at the blunt answer, but before she could say more, Mei slid between them like a snake.
"Oh, Sakura-chan! You have no idea how much I missed you…"
She grabbed her cousin's arm, grinning too widely. The two girls moved off to talk in private, and Takeshi took the opportunity to greet Kakashi—the famous copy ninja.
After a few minutes, Kakashi closed his book, putting an end to the chit-chat.
"That's enough introductions." His eye swept over the group. "We're heading to Suna. Takeshi, Mei—you're taking the rear. Stay sharp."