Travis, Naruto, and Sakura stood together, waiting for their temporary team leader. With Kakashi out of commission due to his Mangekyo Sharingan strain from the battle with Deidara, they needed a repcement for the upcoming mission.

  As they waited, the three engaged in a lighthearted conversation, joking about Naruto's ramen obsession and Travis' unshakable calmness. Sakura teased Naruto about his dream of becoming Hokage, while Travis casually pyed along, adding fuel to Naruto's fiery determination.

  Before they knew it, they were ughing uncontrolbly—until a figure suddenly nded right in front of them.

  The man stood tall with an authoritative presence, his wooden armor-like vest marking him as an elite shinobi. His expression was neutral, yet there was something calm and collected about him.

  "It's nice to meet you all," he said in a steady voice. "My name is Yamato. No need to introduce yourselves—I already know who you are. From now on, I will be taking Kakashi's pce until he recovers."

  Before anyone could respond, Naruto pointed at Sai, who stood a short distance away, hands in his pockets.

  "Yeah, then why is this guy here?" Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes.

  Sai remained expressionless, his bnk stare meeting Naruto's gre. "Apologies for earlier. I simply wanted to gauge the abilities of my new teammate." He tilted his head slightly before adding, "I needed to see how much I'd have to babysit the little prick with no balls."

  Naruto's face turned red with rage.

  "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" he shouted, stepping forward.

  Sakura quickly intervened. "Hey! He's our teammate now! Cool down!"

  However, the moment Sai threw in a casual insult about her looks, Sakura's demeanor shifted.

  Her fists clenched, her body trembled, and in a split second, she lunged at him.

  "WHY YOU—!!"

  Before her punch could connect, Yamato swiftly pced a hand on her shoulder. A sudden wave of pressure made her freeze in pce.

  "Enough," Yamato said, his voice calm but firm. "This isn't how a team functions."

  Travis stood on the side, watching the scene unfold with mild amusement. He had already seen this interaction in the anime, but witnessing it in person was still hirious.

  Once things settled, Yamato cleared his throat and continued.

  "Now that things are calmer, let's get to the point." His sharp gaze moved over the four of them. "From this moment on, the five of us are a team. However, there's no time to sit around and get used to each other. We have an important mission ahead."

  Yamato folded his arms. "Since we have a new member, let's go ahead with formal introductions."

  Naruto stepped forward first. "Uzumaki Naruto!"

  Sakura followed. "Haruno Sakura."

  Travis nodded. "Travis."

  Sai gave a fake smile. "My name is Sai."

  Yamato nodded. "Now that we're somewhat familiar with each other, let's get to the mission details." His expression grew more serious.

  "From here, the five of us will proceed to the Tenchi Bridge. There, we will intercept the spy that the Akatsuki has pnted within Orochimaru's organization and bring them back. This is an opportunity to gather valuable intel on Orochimaru… and Uchiha Sasuke."

  Naruto clenched his fists at the mention of Sasuke's name, his determination fring up.

  Yamato continued, "If we succeed, this could lead to formuting a strategy to eliminate Orochimaru and retrieve Sasuke. Stay focused."

  He turned toward the group. "We meet at the front gate in one hour. Make sure you have all your equipment ready. Once we gather, we depart immediately."

  An hour ter, everyone stood at the vilge gate, fully equipped and ready. The atmosphere was tense, but there was also a feeling of anticipation.

  Travis adjusted the straps on his gear, gncing at the others. ' This is the start of something big.'

  Naruto cracked his knuckles. "Alright! Time to go!"

  Sakura nodded with determination. "Let's do this."

  Sai remained neutral, his expression unreadable as usual.

  Travis yawned in disinterest. ' I'm tired already ' he thought.

  Yamato gave them all a final look before speaking.

  "Alright. Move out."

  With that, the new Team Kakashi set off toward the Tenchi Bridge, unaware of what dangers awaited them.

  With their mission officially underway, Team Kakashi set off toward the Tenchi Bridge. However, tensions remained high between Naruto, Sakura, and Sai. Naruto was still fuming from Sai's earlier insult, and Sakura wasn't far behind.

  The two exchanged harsh words, their bickering echoing through the forest path.

  "You seriously have no emotions, huh?" Naruto snapped.

  "I simply speak the truth," Sai replied with a fake smile. "You get upset so easily. Maybe it's because you're compensating for something… like your tiny—"

  "YOU WANNA DIE?!" Naruto roared, lunging at Sai.

  Sakura cracked her knuckles, fully prepared to punch Sai into next week.

  Before things could escate further, Yamato raised his hand. A sudden burst of chakra filled the air as the ground beneath them shifted.

  BAM!

  A wooden cage formed around Naruto and Sakura, trapping them inside.

  "Now," Yamato said in an eerily calm tone. "As I warned before, if you two keep fighting, I will discipline you."

  Naruto grabbed the bars and shook them violently. "Oi! Let us out, you damn tree hugger!"

  "Yeah, Yamato-sensei, this isn't fair!" Sakura protested.

  Yamato gave them a soul-piercing gre, his face darkening. "It's either this… or something worse."

  The two immediately went silent.

  Sai, watching from the side, covered his mouth to suppress a chuckle. Meanwhile, Travis simply walked past them, shaking his head.

  'This team is really something else,' he thought.

  After hours of travel, the group decided to stop at a small hot springs resort to recover. Since they needed to stay in top condition for the mission, Yamato allowed them a short break.

  The guys sat together in the steaming water, letting their muscles rex. On the other side of the partition, Sakura enjoyed her own space, soaking in the warmth.

  "Nothing feels better than being naked together," Yamato suddenly said, his deep voice echoing through the mist. "It truly builds companionship, don't you agree?"

  Naruto felt an ominous chill run down his spine.

  "Y-Yeah… of course," he stammered, forcing an awkward smile. ' His eyes… they're terrifying! He really is ruling by fear!'

  Just then, Travis entered the bath. The moment he stepped in, all eyes were on him.

  His sheer size made every guy in the bath feel insignificant. His broad shoulders, toned muscles, and imposing physique completely overshadowed them. Even Yamato, who had a solid build himself, felt the difference.

  Naruto blinked. "Damn, bro. What do you eat?"

  Travis ignored the stares and settled into the water with a rexed sigh. 'Yeah, this sps.'

  " Food" he replied.

  After a moment of silence, Yamato spoke. "Hey, Travis… that blue ability of yours. What exactly is it?"

  Travis cracked one eye open. "Huh? Oh, you mean Blut Vene?"

  Naruto tilted his head. "Blut what now?"

  "It's called Blut Vene." Travis sat up, the water rippling around him. "It lets me do a lot of things—barriers, melee energy beams, enhanced durability… stuff like that."

  "That sounds awesome!" Naruto grinned. "Can I learn it too?"

  Travis chuckled. "Nah. It's a bloodline ability, like the Uchiha's Sharingan. It runs in my family."

  Naruto defted instantly. "Dang it! I really wanted to learn it."

  Yamato and Sai, however, took mental notes.

  ' So he has a Kekkei Genkai…' Yamato thought. 'That expins his unique abilities. But I've never heard of a bloodline limit that allows resurrection and barrier creation. It must be one of a kind.'

  Sai remained expressionless but noted everything for future reports.

  Meanwhile, Naruto leaned back, exhaling in disappointment. "Man, why do all the cool techniques have to be bloodline-reted? First the Sharingan, now this…"

  ' You literally have the strongest Tailed beast inside you. ' Travis thought.

  Travis smirked. "Life isn't fair, bud."

  The group continued to rex, knowing that soon, their mission would truly begin.

  After their bath, everyone retired to their rooms for the night, but Travis found himself restless. Stepping outside, he gazed up at the night sky, his mind wandering aimlessly. The cool night air brushed against his skin, carrying with it the faint sounds of the resort—a gentle breeze rustling the trees, distant ughter from other guests, and the faint croaking of frogs near the pond.

  As he stood there, Sakura approached, her footsteps soft against the stone pathway. She hesitated for a moment before sitting down beside him.

  Travis smirked, breaking the silence. "If I hadn't known better, I'd say you were in love with me."

  Sakura's eyes widened. "What? I was just going for a stroll, you know! It's just a coincidence!" she hurriedly expined, crossing her arms.

  Travis chuckled. "That's why I said if I hadn't known better." He turned to her, his expression calm. "If you don't mind my company, I wouldn't mind joining you on that stroll."

  Sakura huffed, though a small smile pyed on her lips. "If you want, sure."

  The two walked side by side through the resort, enjoying the quiet. The peaceful ambiance was occasionally interrupted by the murmurs of other guests—and, at one point, the unmistakable sound of a couple mid-intimacy in one of the private rooms. Sakura's face turned beet red, and Travis just smirked, pretending not to hear.

  Eventually, they arrived at a small pond with koi fish gliding beneath the surface. The moon's reflection shimmered on the water, casting a silver glow over the tranquil scene.

  "This is pretty cool," Travis said, watching the fish move in hypnotic patterns.

  "Yeah," Sakura agreed. "I like how the moon reflects off the water. It's really beautiful."

  Travis gnced at her, noticing the way the moonlight softened her features. "So, Sakura… tell me about yourself. I haven't really gotten to understand your origins."

  Sakura exhaled, thinking for a moment. "Well, I was just a normal girl. Unlike the others, I don't come from some great cn or have a bloodline ability. Just an ordinary girl who wanted a dream bigger than what was pnned for her."

  Travis nodded. "I'm sure your parents had a lot to say about that."

  She sighed. "They did. For a long time, actually. Honestly, they still have things to say, but they've eased up a bit since I started training under Lady Tsunade."

  Travis looked ahead, his expression thoughtful. "Makes sense. They don't want you to fail as a ninja… or worse, to die. They grew up in an era where the Leaf was constantly at war. They probably lost a lot of friends, so it's natural for them to be protective."

  Sakura's face softened. "Yeah… I understand that. I just wish they'd trust me. I mean, I've trained so hard to get where I am. I'm a completely different person than I was two years ago. You get me?"

  Travis smirked. "To a certain extent. But no matter how much time passes, no matter how much stronger you get, to them, you'll always be their little daughter."

  Sakura blinked, staring at him. 'How does he know all this? Aren't we the same age?' she wondered.

  "You always know what to say," she said, a little surprised. "I might just make you my therapist."

  "Yeah, nah," Travis replied ftly.

  Sakura ughed as they turned back toward the resort. The atmosphere between them felt lighter, more comfortable.

  Suddenly, a rustling noise came from the bushes nearby. Instinctively, Sakura stepped closer to Travis, her body brushing against his. Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around her waist in a protective gesture, his posture immediately shifting to one of alertness.

  Sakura's face heated up at the sudden contact, but she didn't pull away.

  'He really is a gentleman,' she thought as they continued down the path, Travis still keeping her close.

  TO BE CONTINUED