Emik01
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Chapter 370: Self-Sufficiency Brings Rewards
🕑 Added 2024-11-18 11:00:05 +0000 UTCSometimes, people just have to do things they don't really want to.
"Alright then," Takuya said with a resigned smile, "Once Kakashi graduates, let him come over to me. As long as you don’t mind if I end up steering him the wrong way."
Taking on Kakashi wasn’t the issue; the problem was that opening this door now meant it would be very hard to refuse others in the future. More people would be watching him closely, especially since Tsunade was now in power.
After all, everyone in Konoha knew that Takuya and Tsunade were practically inseparable.
"Since I chose you, that means I trust you," said Sakumo Hatake with a smile. "Kakashi will grow better under your guidance. I know my skills are decent, but when it comes to teaching, especially my own kid, I’m not so good."
"... Seriously?" Takuya sighed internally. Sakumo considered his skills only "decent"? If that was the case, then who else in Konoha could claim they were truly skilled?
"All the troops are ready. Gear and supplies are set. Shall we move out now?" asked Sarutobi Shiji, stepping forward and looking towards Sakumo Hatake.
The Third Hokage had put in a lot of effort to mobilize a good number of the Sarutobi Clan’s ninja for this mission, even avoiding giving prominent positions or privileges to the Sarutobi elite. This move was meant to show that this war effort wasn’t about favoring his own clan.
"I'm just the leading Jonin here," Sakumo said, stepping back a few paces. He had no intention of holding a high-ranking position anymore. He just wanted to be a simple Jonin, leading his team, protecting Konoha. He was tired of everything else.
"Uh..."
Sarutobi Shiji turned to Nara Shikashige, who smiled mysteriously. "I’m only handling logistics and camp duties," he said before stepping back as well.
"..." Were they all conspiring against him?
Seeing the two heavyweights step back, Takuya instinctively tried to retreat as well, but as he did, Shikashige declared, "Takuya, Lady Tsunade said everything here is your responsibility. She said you could handle it."
Damn it!!
With his face twitching, Takuya reluctantly said, "Alright, let's move out."
"Understood."
Sarutobi Shiji gave Takuya an odd look before turning to make the arrangements.
"Don’t feel too much pressure," Sakumo said, patting Takuya on the shoulder. "If Tsunade trusts you, it means you have the ability. Sometimes hiding your strength isn’t a good idea. Go for it."
"But I really don't know how!" Takuya protested. He knew his strengths and weaknesses well—he wasn’t cut out for leading large military forces, coordinating thousands of troops, or strategizing for large battles. Asking him to do that was like setting him up to fail.
He had no intention of pretending to be something he wasn't, potentially messing things up like Danzo and causing even more trouble for everyone involved.
"I’ll handle the rest. The actual battle—that’s for you young ones," Nara Shikashige said, smiling warmly but delivering the harshest blow. Takuya was left speechless.
If only he could drag Jiraiya back here!
What a situation...
Forget it, Takuya thought. If worst comes to worst, I’ll just go in head-on. He refused to believe that, with his strength, he couldn’t bulldoze through until the enemy's higher-ups decided to step in.
As for strategy?
Sorry, not my thing.
Commanding troops?
Again, not my strong suit. My only method is charging straight ahead.
Being ninja, the army moved fast. Their supplies were mostly stored in sealing scrolls, making travel light and quick. Still, even at this pace, it would take at least two days to reach the border, as the troops needed rest to remain battle-ready upon arrival.
At noon, they paused to rest. Despite only numbering a thousand, these Jonin represented a significant force within the shinobi world. Some took out their food pills to replenish energy and began resting. Sakumo and Shikashige, however, took out simple rations, since they hadn’t exerted much chakra or stamina.
However, just as they were about to eat, they noticed Takuya had taken out a sealing scroll, and they watched, puzzled. As he brought out ingredients and got ready to cook, the two looked at each other, then silently put away their dry rations.
"Mmm—smells amazing!" Sakumo couldn't help but praise after taking a bite of Takuya’s roasted meat.
Nara Shikashige gave a thumbs up, not even bothering to speak as he quickly ate. They knew that having special privileges could sometimes cause tension, but Takuya seemed unconcerned.
Takuya saw no issue here. Sure, having an extra treat wasn't ideal, but he wasn’t having anyone serve him. He was simply taking care of himself.
I brought the meat, I’m cooking it myself, and I’m not wasting any rest time. What’s the problem?
"I just enjoy this," Takuya said with a grin, making a joke. "In life, only good food and lovely ladies are worth not missing out on. Everything else can wait."
"Pfft!" Shikashige almost choked, while Sakumo's eyes widened. He suddenly remembered Takuya’s ambiguous relationships with Mikoto Uchiha, Kushina Uzumaki, and even Tsunade. The first two were pretty much public knowledge, and even Tsunade—
Damn, this kid has some skills.
"Ahem, sir, isn’t this a bit... inappropriate?" Sarutobi Shiji said, clearly awkward. Many shinobi were eyeing the scene. Who would want dry rations or food pills when there was freshly cooked meat?
You’re in trouble now, Shiji thought as he approached Takuya, while Sakumo and Shikashige chuckled. They were curious to see how Takuya would handle this.
Special privileges could be risky, even if the meat did smell amazing.
"Inappropriate? What’s inappropriate about it?" Takuya said, glancing around and raising his voice. "Does the roasted meat smell good?"
"... Yes, sir, very good!" came the unanimous response.
"Well then, remember how good it smells," Takuya said, taking another big bite of meat. "Next time, bring your own ingredients and make it yourself."
"Uh..."
Everyone was stunned for a moment but then started laughing.
"Sir, this isn’t the time for jokes!" Shiji protested, exasperated. Can’t you be serious? We’re heading to war, not on a picnic.
"I'm not joking," Takuya said, his face serious. "First off, I haven’t wasted any time. Secondly, I just want to eat something decent, and I never asked the village for special treatment. The meat is mine, the seasoning is mine, and I’m the one cooking it.
"I’m not using the village’s money, I’m not wasting anyone else’s time, and I’m not asking for special treatment. Everything here is me, taking care of myself. What's wrong with that?"
Shiji sighed in frustration and looked to Shikashige for support, but before Shikashige could speak, Takuya continued:
"If you want something special, you have to put in the effort. But it can only be done during rest time, without compromising your duties or safety. Right now, you’ll just have to sit there and watch me eat."
"Hahaha..."
Takuya’s bluntness had everyone laughing again.
Shikashige simply gave Shiji a helpless look, leaving Shiji feeling somewhat defeated. Having such a reckless guy in charge didn’t seem like the best idea. He just hoped Takuya wouldn’t cause any major issues.
