Naruto: With Favorabiltity System

Chapter 345: Why Are You Back?

"Ah, right, right, I'll work hard," Sasori said, sensing he might sound dismissive to Haneda, and then added, "For freedom."

In truth, Sasori wasn't even sure if freedom was what he wanted.

To be honest, staying on the moon wasn't all that bad. Aside from working for the tyrannical capitalist Haneda, most of his time was spent doing what he enjoyed—making puppets.

That's right, Haneda hadn't imposed strict requirements on what kinds of puppets Sasori had to create.

In fact, Sasori was given immense creative freedom in his craft.

Moreover, to maximize efficiency, Haneda had even returned Sasori's Third Kazekage Puppet to him. It could utilize Magnet Release for mining while Sasori crafted puppets simultaneously.

After all, Deidara only knew how to blow things up.

Haneda didn't care if Sasori's words were heartfelt. He nodded slightly, reiterated Sasori's daily tasks to motivate him, and then left.

…

On the moon, there was no distinction between night and day—just a view of the starry sky and the "sea" of craters.

Returning to Konoha, Haneda was greeted by familiar daylight. To be precise, it was 2:30 in the afternoon.

Glancing at his watch, Haneda estimated that Naruto and the others hadn't been dismissed from school yet, so he abandoned the idea of heading straight home.

After spending a few days on the moon, Haneda felt like wandering a bit.

Strolling aimlessly, he eventually arrived at Kakashi's house.

Peeking in through the window, he saw no one. Haneda guessed Kakashi was out practicing with his sword.

If Kakashi wasn't at home at this time, he could only be training. As for working? That was impossible.

Haneda himself rarely visited the office; why would Kakashi?

Using Flying Thunder God, Haneda transported himself to the Third Training Ground. No one was there. He frowned slightly.

He then teleported to the Hatake Clan's training grounds. Again, no one. Haneda found it strange.

He walked to the Memorial Stone, buying a bouquet of flowers on the way, but still found no one.

"Strange. Could someone have invited Kakashi out to eat? A female colleague? Maybe Guy?"

Haneda decided to activate his Kagura's Mind Eye, scanning Konoha. His expression turned odd.

Kakashi was actually in the Hokage's office.

How had Shikaku managed to convince Kakashi to work with him?

Haneda hesitated for a few seconds before gritting his teeth and teleporting to the Hokage Building.

At this moment, in the Hokage's office, only Shikaku and Kakashi were present.

Asuma was absent, as usual, working on spreading propaganda for Haneda outside the village.

Tsunade was pretending to work at the hospital, conveniently delegating all paperwork to Shizune.

And as for Jiraiya… well, the less said about him, the better.

Thud.

The sound of Haneda's arrival immediately drew the attention of Kakashi and Shikaku.

Shikaku was already used to certain individuals appearing out of nowhere. Eliminating Kakashi as a possibility, he didn't even have to think to know it was their dear Hokage.

Kakashi, on the other hand, was so familiar with Haneda's presence that he could recognize him from the faintest trace in the air.

"Haneda, why are you back?"

Kakashi's expression turned tense, thinking about the possibility of the Tenseigan fusion failing.

"Is everything alright over there? If not, we can figure out another solution—I'll help you."

Haneda smiled. According to his original plan, he might have spent several years on the moon.

But through relentless effort and exceptional brilliance, he had achieved his goal in just two and a half days of testing.

"I succeeded."

Those four words instantly transformed Kakashi's tension into excitement, and Haneda couldn't help but share in the joy.

Kakashi was privy to most of Haneda's plans, including those involving the Tenseigan and the Rinnegan.

Suppressing his excitement, Kakashi asked, "It couldn't have gone that smoothly, right? How much more time do you need? Can you finish before the eight-year mark?"

"Yes, it'll only take two and a half years," Haneda said with a smile.

Hearing the precise answer, Kakashi became elated. He stood up and bumped fists with Haneda.

After the gesture, Haneda's smile deepened.

If his own success brought him one measure of happiness, sharing it with a friend brought double.

Haneda loved this feeling.

The two chatted in hushed tones about topics Shikaku couldn't follow, making him feel like an outsider in his own office.

He coughed a few times and said solemnly, "Lord Hokage, Elder Kakashi is still working. What do you think?"

The moment he spoke, the dynamic shifted completely.

Now it seemed like Haneda was the outsider.

"Is that so? Then I won't disturb you. Carry on~"

As quickly as he came, Haneda left, disappearing in a flash of Flying Thunder God.

Shikaku's smile froze. He had hoped to subtly prod their dear Hokage into returning to work, like Kakashi, and seeing the light.

But…

The Hokage remained as impervious as ever, resistant to all persuasion!

"What's wrong, Shikaku?" Kakashi asked, noticing Shikaku's distraction and smiling faintly.

"Nothing. Just remembered my wife told me to come home early tonight," Shikaku replied casually.

Still basking in the joy of Haneda's success with the Tenseigan, Kakashi didn't notice Shikaku's mood shift.

He nodded, sat back down, and continued working—but though his eyes stayed on the paperwork, his thoughts were entirely with Haneda.

…

After leaving the office, Haneda made another trip to the Memorial Stone.

He stood by Obito and Sakumo's names until after 3 PM, then teleported to the Ninja Academy gates.

As usual, he sat on the swing under the tree, waiting for the students. The moment the bell rang, a flood of children poured out of the school.

Among them was the new "king of the kids," Naruto. His entourage was enormous.

In addition to Sasuke, Toneri, and Gaara, who were heading home with him, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, and others were also part of the group.

Haneda's eyes quickly landed on Shikamaru, who stood beside Naruto.

With his hands behind his head and a lazy yawn, Shikamaru looked utterly carefree.

Haneda frowned slightly, silently calculating the graduation timeline for this new generation. His brows furrowed further.

If not for Shikamaru's youth and inexperience, Haneda would have dragged him into the office to keep Shikaku company and contribute to Konoha's prosperity…

"Haneda-uncle?!"

Not far away, Sasuke's sharp instincts caught someone observing them. He scanned the area and spotted Haneda, blurting out in surprise.

Hearing Haneda's name, Naruto followed Sasuke's gaze. His reaction was a mix of joy and indignation.

"Haneda-uncle, why are you back?"

Judging by his tone, it sounded like he wasn't entirely thrilled about Haneda's return. Haneda's mouth twitched.

The only reason he returned early was to look after Naruto.

The Fourth Hokage's trust was something he still held dear.

Unless absolutely necessary, Haneda didn't want to stay away from Konoha for long.

"Why can't I come back?" Haneda asked in return.

"You, I…" Naruto looked at Haneda, then at Sasuke, and finally gritted his teeth.

"Never mind. Go hang out with Uncle Kakashi instead!"

Haneda shot Sasuke a questioning look. Sasuke explained, "Haneda-uncle, while you were gone, I was the one teaching Naruto how to train."

He paused, then added with a touch of pride, "After all, I'm the only one qualified to teach him."

***

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