Konoha: Who Says the Shinobi World Can't Play Hunter?

Chapter 47: Tactical System 2

Deep thought can be exhausting. For an old man like Gousuke, who had already seen much in life, there was little reason to burden himself further. After contemplating for a while and failing to reach a conclusion, he decisively gave up. His role in Team Six was limited to being Kazama's grandfather—at most, he was a caring elder to the other two. This kind of brain-heavy discussion? Best left to the younger generation.

Instead, he got up and started preparing a fire to cook—that was something he was good at.

When people get too absorbed in their thoughts, they often lose track of their surroundings. For Hayate, today's discussion had been a massive revelation. He hadn't thought this deeply about something in years, and now that he was, he was completely immersed. The last time he had thought this seriously was probably during his Jōnin exams.

But thinking deeply didn't always mean finding answers. Most conclusions are drawn from a foundation of known facts and experiences. The less you know and the more complex the situation, the harder it becomes to make sound judgments.

Hayate's meticulous and responsible nature made it impossible for him to treat something as critical as his students' futures lightly. The more he thought, the more tangled his ideas became—until eventually, he realized he had gotten nowhere.

Then, Kazama placed a bowl of steaming fish soup in front of him. His eyes bloodshot, his forehead tensed with stress, Hayate reached out and grabbed Kazama's wrist as if clutching onto a lifeline.

"Tell me what I should do! I can't even picture what Ichirō and Nobuko will look like in the future—I can't even predict what they'll be like tomorrow. They're my students. I should have thought about this a long time ago!"

Kazama sighed. Hayate was overthinking it to an unhealthy degree.

"Sensei, I can help guide you, but first, you need to actually be our teacher. If you break down over this, Team Six might end up disbanding."

"Hah! Who could possibly bring me down? If anyone tries to disband my Team Six, I'll cut them down myself!" Hayate scoffed and then grabbed the bowl of soup, tilting his head back to take a big gulp. He let out a satisfied sigh.

Kazama stared at him, dumbfounded.

That's it? Just like that, you're fine?

Weren't people supposed to struggle with these things? Wasn't he supposed to be stuck in a spiral of self-doubt and overanalysis? Yet here he was, brushing it off like it was nothing.

Wait…

A realization struck Kazama—was this bastard playing me the whole time?!

Did he just put on an act to trick me into offering solutions?!

Kazama's face darkened. He had already planned on explaining everything, but being manipulated into it left a bitter taste in his mouth. He glared at Hayate with clear irritation, his expression somewhere between an eye roll and a grimace.

Gousuke, seeing this, quickly pulled Kazama aside. No matter what, Hayate was still his trusted comrade—Kazama shouldn't be treating him like this.

Kazama grumbled as he explained the situation to his grandfather.

The old man simply laughed.

"Weren't you going to share your ideas anyway? Hayate just played a little trick on you—it's not like you lost anything. If anything, this puts him in your debt. He owes you now. Do you know how valuable a Jōnin's goodwill is? The fact that he even pulled this on you means he values what you have to say. A small price to pay for something that will benefit your entire team, don't you think?"

Gousuke's words hit Kazama like a hammer.

He was right. Kazama had spent years navigating Konoha's political and social structures—why was he suddenly being petty about something like this? This wasn't just about Hayate or him; this was about Ichirō and Nobuko's futures.

Kazama let out a long breath, bowed slightly to Gousuke in thanks, and returned to the group with a fresh perspective.

—

Food was a universal solution to problems, and as expected, Gousuke's cooking worked wonders. After a hearty meal, the tense atmosphere had lightened considerably.

Hayate sat up straight, his expression serious once more. "Alright. Let's go back to our discussion. You said you know how to do this. Can you explain in detail?"

Kazama nodded.

"Of course. This idea isn't just something I randomly came up with. It's based on my own personal experiences. Living with Grandpa on the outskirts of the forest, away from other people, gave me a lot of time to think and experiment."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"For example, when I was younger, I wanted to hunt, just like my grandfather. He often had to leave for missions, and even though he always left enough money for food, I wanted the freedom to get my own. But I was small and weak—how could I possibly take down prey?"

"The answer was simple: weapons. I needed something that let me attack from a distance, something that wouldn't require me to physically overpower my target. So, I turned to bows and crossbows. At first, I even added a pulley system to make reloading easier."

Kazama pulled out a small crossbow he had once gifted to Yatarō as proof.

"With my crossbow, I made my first successful hunt. That victory gave me confidence. As I grew older, I switched from crossbows to bows, since bows allowed for faster shooting. I kept refining my technique."

"The Academy, frankly, wasn't enjoyable for me. Too much pointless rivalry, too much aggression. I preferred the quiet of the forest. Then, one day, I saved Dokugan from a pack of wolves using my bow. I realized something important—by keeping my distance, I could kill from safety. The wolves could never reach me, but I could keep firing at them endlessly."

Kazama's voice grew firmer.

"That's when I found my path—the path of the bow. Unlike ninjutsu, it doesn't require complex chakra control or long hand seals. It doesn't drain my energy the way large-scale jutsu do. Just nock an arrow, aim, and release. The range is just as good as most ninjutsu, and the lethality? A well-placed arrow and a well-placed jutsu both kill just the same."

"After that, everything I learned revolved around supporting my archery. I mastered Earth Release and Water Release—not for direct combat, but for controlling terrain, deceiving enemies, and escaping when necessary. I developed sensory techniques to detect enemies before they found me, allowing me to maintain distance. I made contracts with summons to serve as distractions or additional support. Even my sword training is just a backup, in case someone gets too close."

Kazama looked Hayate dead in the eye.

"My vision for myself is simple: I want to be a long-range assassin. I want to detect my enemies before they detect me. I want to strike from distances they can't reach. I want to kill them before they even realize I'm there."

Silence followed.

Hayate had already suspected as much based on Kazama's combat style, but hearing it put into words was another thing entirely.

He had to admit—it was a viable path. If Kazama kept improving his archery and refining his assassination techniques, he could become an incredibly dangerous shinobi.

A true ghost on the battlefield.

Hayate took a deep breath. "Alright. That's your framework. Now, let's build one for Ichirō and Nobuko."

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