Chapter 42
Life Back in the Village
Life after returning to the village was peaceful—or rather, after experiencing life-and-death battles firsthand, Hyuga Chinano and the others began to see the world differently.
"Ahhh, why are all the missions I've been getting lately so damn boring!" Aburame Hatsuizumi groaned, bending over dramatically. Due to her previous use of silk-producing insects, her hair had grown past her waist. Now, she tied it into a single ponytail at the end with a rubber band.
Zixu had his hands behind his head, equally bored. At this point, their missions felt more like community service than actual shinobi work.
"Seriously, I'm getting tired of rescuing kittens, finding lost wallets, and all that other nonsense," Hatsuizumi grumbled, shaking her head like a rattle. Her ponytail swayed wildly, almost like an actual tail.
"My suggestion? Instead of complaining, you should be training and learning new ninjutsu," Hyuga Chinano remarked, holding a whimpering little red panda in her arms. Its fur was visibly thinning, a sign that it wasn't in the best condition.
This time, they were on a mission without their usual leader. Their Jonin instructor had been busy handling other affairs and didn't have time to watch over them every day.
"Yeah, I think so too..." Zixu agreed with Chinano's suggestion. Unfortunately, neither Chinano nor Hatsuizumi could withstand his rigorous training methods, and without a suitable sparring partner, there weren't many opportunities to improve his taijutsu.
At that moment, Zixu's gaze landed on a young man in a bright green jumpsuit. His thick eyebrows were about as wide as two index fingers, and his round eyes were filled with energy. The guy was casually walking towards them—on his hands.
Zixu narrowed his eyes. "What the hell kinda weirdo is this?" he muttered.
The thick-browed boy flipped onto his feet with a smooth somersault, then dusted off his hands. His teeth gleamed in the sunlight as he gave Zixu a dazzling, youthful smile.