Chapter 43: The Ninja Journey Begins with Apple Picking - The White Eyed Princess of Konoha

Chapter 43: The Ninja Journey Begins with Apple Picking The next morning, Hinata didn’t bother taking any ninja tools with her. Instead, she packed a small backpack with essentials like a water bottle, a tea set, and some pastries, and happily skipped out the door. The main income for a ninja comes from completing missions. Ninja missions range from looking after children to assassinating important figures and are classified into S, A, B, C, and D levels. Generally, Genin are only allowed to take on C and D level missions. As an inexperienced ninja, Hinata could only take on D-level missions, which included tasks like babysitting, delivering messages, shopping, and even farm work. Hinata was mentally prepared for this and even looked forward to it. Also, Naruto, just you wait! When she arrived at the mission assignment location, Naruto and Sasuke were already there. Hinata had anticipated that Kakashi might be late, but surprisingly, he arrived right on time. However, being right on time is just as annoying as being late! The first mission for Team Seven was... apple picking. Kakashi led the trio to an apple orchard, settled himself under an apple tree, and lazily said with a glance at the three, “Today’s mission is to help with apple picking. Divide up the areas among yourselves, and good luck!” Naruto and Sasuke were visibly discontented—this wasn’t the kind of task they envisioned for a ninja! But they couldn’t argue against it. After a few changes in expression, they reluctantly began the work. Hinata called out to Naruto with a smile, “Naruto, do you want to know why I’m so strong?” Naruto eagerly nodded, and even Sasuke, who was about to start working, paused to listen. Hinata smiled sweetly and tempted, “Naruto, if you help me finish my part too, I’ll teach you a training method that will significantly boost your strength. What do you think? It’s a good deal, isn’t it?” Naruto was thrilled. “Really?!” Hinata nodded earnestly, reassuring him, “When have I ever lied to you?” Looking at the large orchard, Naruto scratched his head, baffled, “But this place is so big! I don’t know when I’ll finish.” Hinata, with a touch of exasperation, stated, “Don’t you know the Shadow Clone technique? You can use your clones to help with the work!” Naruto’s eyes lit up with realization and he exclaimed, “Right! I can’t believe I didn’t think of that!” Encouraging him, Hinata said, “Remember, using Shadow Clones makes work quick. Naruto, keep it up!” Though Kakashi was ostensibly their Sensei, for him, Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke were more akin to subordinates than students. His primary task was to guide them through basic missions. In a typical situation, the relationship between a Jonin and Genin is that of a captain and subordinates. However, if the Jonin is invested, they might teach the Genin a few techniques, establishing a true mentor-student bond. Kakashi, however, didn’t intend to mentor them in training just yet. The ninja world was at peace, and for the new graduates like Hinata, it was better to hone their character than jump straight to mastering strong techniques. Hinata wasn’t naïve enough to just complete tasks. With her current abilities, she could easily guide Naruto, teaching him things like tree climbing and water walking. Of course, teaching Naruto was just a side benefit; her real goal was to exact some playful revenge. Hinata found a stream to fill her water bottle, gathered dry twigs for a fire, and then sat beneath a tree next to Kakashi. She asked, “Kakashi-sensei, would you like some tea? If you do, could you use your Fireball Technique to help start a fire?” Kakashi: “…” Hinata tempted further, “I also brought some pastries! Sipping tea and eating pastries while reading—that’s true enjoyment!” Without hesitation, Kakashi used his Fireball Technique to light the fire. While boiling water for tea, Hinata watched from a distance as dozens of Naruto clones were busy picking apples, and couldn’t help but reflect: “Life can feel as lonely as snow.” Hinata knew that once the shadow clones were dispelled, their fatigue would flood back to Naruto. Having so many clones work would leave him utterly exhausted. She had already planned it out. Today, she intended to sit beneath the tree, calmly drinking tea while watching Naruto work himself to exhaustion. Serves him right for leading the rookie astray! Once the water boiled, Hinata prepared a pot of tea and offered it to Kakashi. Although Kakashi was also on Hinata’s not-so-favorable list, he was still her direct supervisor; it wouldn’t be wise to sabotage him just yet. And as for Hyuuga Tokuma and Hyuuga Hiashi. You all better wait. Just wait until I’m in charge... “Kakashi-sensei, please enjoy the tea!” Hinata poured Kakashi a cup of tea and handed him some pastries. Last night, before falling asleep, Hinata had thought it through—offending Kakashi wasn’t wise at this moment. With him overseeing her, it was better to stay on good terms for now. Reflecting on her actions from yesterday, she realized they might have been a bit reckless. If Kakashi held grudges... The strong man knows when to bend and when to stand tall—what’s the harm in making tea for the Sensei? Unaware of Hinata’s cunning nature, Kakashi comfortably enjoyed tea and pastries, feeling that having a female subordinate nearby was quite pleasant. Sitting beside him, Hinata felt a twinge of boredom after a short while. “Kakashi-sensei, how many books did you bring? Could I borrow one to read?” Kakashi looked awkward, scratching his head. “This book isn’t suitable for children!” Hinata took a deep breath, feigning surprise, “Could it be... Kakashi-sensei, you’re reading something... not appropriate for kids!” “Ah, the weather is great today!” Kakashi deflected, then sheepishly added, “It’s a love story—not really suitable for kids. Even though there are some action scenes, they’re minimal.” “Well, alright then!” Hinata had suspected that Kakashi wouldn’t lend her his book. Helplessly, she sighed, "I suppose I’ll have to bring my own book tomorrow!" With reading out of the question, she decided to watch Naruto exhaust himself instead. Naruto, still unable to control his Shadow Clones perfectly, had them lasting barely a minute each. Endlessly cloning and picking apples, he was already gasping for breath, exhausted beyond words. How delightful! In less than half an hour, Hinata realized that Naruto had finished his assigned work and was now handling hers. As for Sasuke? Sasuke had already given up trying to maintain his cool demeanor. He was as filthy and worn out as anyone else. *Munch Munch!* A pastry went down, and Hinata licked her lips, savoring the taste.