"Yes! Sarutobi Asuma (Yūhi Kurenai), accepting the mission assist request."
As soon as they heard Kakashi's words, Asuma and Kurenai both straightened up and gave serious responses. Clearly, as fellow jōnin of the same generation, their bond ran deep.
"Whoa now, don't be so tense. This mission's not dangerous—everything's happening inside the village."
Seeing his friends accept the task, Kakashi relaxed a little and spoke plainly. "Asuma, if I remember right, you studied photography and photo development for a while, yeah?"
"Huh? That's out of the blue… but yeah, I did. I even thought about being a photographer once. Why? This mission's about that?"
Scratching his head, Asuma was visibly confused. He could pick up on the subtext in Kakashi's tone, which only made the whole thing more suspicious.
"Photography and development… That's more of a D-rank mission, isn't it?"
Kurenai frowned, puzzled. A D-rank task like this wouldn't normally require two elite jōnin—let alone a trio. But judging from Kakashi's tone and demeanor, it really was just a harmless D-rank.
"Well, you'll see. Let's walk and talk."
Glancing at the wall clock inside the dango shop, Kakashi judged that based on Hinata's walking pace, she'd arrive on this street within 20 minutes. They had to move quickly.
As Asuma and Kurenai had now officially accepted his assist request, Kakashi briefed them on the mission details. After listening, both jōnin exchanged a glance—faces growing serious.
"I see. This little project involves just about every heir of the village's major clans. No wonder the Hokage issued a mission."
Kurenai nodded gravely. She could easily see the weight of this situation. Hyuga, Uchiha, Ino-Shika-Chō, Aburame—and the jinchūriki son of the Fourth Hokage. That kind of lineup would make any leader pay attention.
"Exactly. And although they really do seem to be making a genuine drama, we've still got to observe them up close for a while."
Kakashi looked around. They were at the end of the street—a less crowded area.
"Earth Style: Dual Pillar House Jutsu!"
With a series of hand signs, he slapped the ground. Chakra-infused soil churned and rose, forming a small storefront indistinguishable from any other on the street. A practical adaptation of Earth Prison Jutsu, it was ideal for temporary setups.
"Nice jutsu, Kakashi. I'll bring my old development equipment and we'll have ourselves a proper photo shop."
Admiring the new building, Asuma turned to Kurenai. "Kurenai, I'll leave getting the girl to come to our shop to you. Be careful—she's got the Byakugan. Illusions might not work."
"Don't worry. Genjutsu doesn't only attack the eyes."
Their seamless teamwork made lengthy explanations unnecessary. The plan was simple: Kakashi builds the shop. Asuma plays the shop owner and developer. Kurenai uses subtle genjutsu to 'guide' Hinata in. From there, they play it by ear.
"One last thing—we can't use the Transformation Jutsu. She might see through it with the Byakugan. So we'll have to disguise ourselves without ninjutsu."
Kakashi glanced back with a teasing eye. "I'll be the shop assistant. Asuma's the owner and developer. Sound good?"
"Sure, works for me. But what about me?" Kurenai asked, raising a brow.
"You," Kakashi said with a smirk, "will be the shop owner's wife. See you inside—I'll go scout her route."
"Hey! Quit teasing her like that, Kakashi!"
Asuma chuckled, but clearly didn't mind. Kurenai rolled her eyes and headed into the shop first. Asuma followed, pleased with the unspoken help. They had work to do—fast.
—
Being an amateur, Hinata hadn't yet learned how to develop film herself. And the tech level in this world wasn't exactly cutting-edge—instant cameras didn't exist yet. She had to go to a shop and get the film processed.
Such a hassle. Maybe she needed to recruit someone who could do development…
Thinking that, she wandered down the familiar street where she usually got her photos done. There were three shops here—and to protect her footage, she rotated between them to avoid anyone noticing a pattern.
But today… something felt off.
"Closed?"
Frowning at the shuttered storefront, Hinata felt her gut twist. This wasn't right. And sure enough, the other two shops were also closed—with apologies pasted on the doors.
That's not normal.
Her eyes narrowed.
Even though she'd only been in this world for under three months, she wasn't your average eleven-year-old. She had decades of modern world experience behind her.
This was too convenient. And with the cultural festival coming soon, photo shops should be swamped with business, not closed.
Three in one block, all shut at once? No way that's a coincidence.
She chuckled coldly. Someone behind the scenes was finally making a move.
There were only two possible motives:
First: They wanted to halt her film development—maybe to pressure her into dropping the project without confronting her directly.
Second: They were trying to herd her into a specific location—an easily monitored trap.
And given her drama had Naruto and Sasuke as leads, it wasn't surprising if some higher-up thought it was inappropriate. If they wanted to suppress her quietly, all shops would be closed.
But if they just wanted surveillance, there'd be one shop left open—a fake front run by ninja.
No need to even activate the Byakugan. She simply walked.
Sure enough, at the end of the street—there it was. A sparkling-new photo shop she'd never seen before.
Yup. Option two.
Hinata's smile curved into a sly arc. Game on.
The shop's glass door opened. A silver-haired clerk greeted her with a beaming smile.
"Welcome, young lady! Looking to get some photos developed?"
"Ah, yes~" she replied sweetly, her tone laced with amused sarcasm.
"I've got lots of photos today."
—
"Ohh~ these are some interesting photos."
Examining the film, Asuma—now in shopkeeper disguise—nodded in approval. Then he looked up at Hinata, who sat calmly in the customer chair.
"Of course we can develop them, but… mind if I say a few things first?"
"Go ahead."
Smiling, Hinata watched the three before her. A kindly middle-aged owner, a helpful wife, and a cheerful shop clerk.
But she knew better.
The faint scent of cigarettes, the unmistakable beard—even with a changed hairstyle and outfit, she knew exactly who the 'owner' was.
Sarutobi Asuma. The Hokage's son. What a catch.
And the 'wife'? Trying to look unassuming with her hair tied back, but the natural allure couldn't be hidden. The only kunoichi known for staying by Asuma's side?
Yūhi Kurenai. Her future jōnin instructor.
So that means the illusion of the closed shops earlier… probably her work. While the Byakugan could see through chakra-based illusions, that required visual-type genjutsu and a user not far superior in strength. In this case? Hinata had been outclassed.
And the white-haired "clerk"? Masked face, bandaged eye—how could anyone mistake that silhouette?
Kakashi Hatake. The Copy Ninja. He may not be in uniform, but that outfit fooled no one who'd seen his posters.
"Looks like you're not a professional photographer," Asuma continued, still in character. "The photos are lovely, but there are some flaws. See here—this window's at an odd angle. The composition's slightly off…"