Chapter 25 (Patreon)

Mihawk remained in meditation until dawn.

As he listened to the Breath of All Things around him, he slowly absorbed the experience he had gained inside the spiritual world.

The range of his perception continued to expand.

More and more presences entered his awareness, and each one became clearer than before.

By reliving Hawkeye’s battles against powerful opponents, Mihawk gained more than sword techniques alone. He understood how Hawkeye moved during combat, how he judged the flow of a fight, and how he remained calm even after victory.

That experience continued to strengthen Mihawk’s mind and will.

When he heard movement inside the room and sensed Hinata’s breathing change, Mihawk ended his sword meditation.

He jumped down from the roof and returned through the window.

Hinata was already fully dressed.

The moment she saw him, her face turned red again. She quickly lowered her head, unable to look directly at him.

“Go wash up and eat something,” Mihawk said.

He placed a hand on her head and lightly ruffled her hair.

“Once Kurenai-sensei finishes speaking with the client, we’ll return to the village.”

“Mm.”

Hinata answered quietly and headed toward the bathroom.

Mihawk followed a moment later with his own washing supplies.

Neither of them mentioned what had happened the night before.

Mihawk stayed silent because he knew what would happen if he brought it up. Hinata would become so embarrassed that she might faint again.

Hinata was simply too ashamed to say anything.

Whenever she was around Mihawk, she had always been gentle and trusting.

Even when he teased her or suddenly got too close, she rarely complained.

That was one of the reasons he cared about her so much.

He liked seeing her flustered, but he had no intention of taking advantage of her, especially when she was unconscious.

After washing, the two ate some dried rations in the room and filled their stomachs.

They then left the room together and entered the living area.

Tazuna and his family were not home.

Mihawk also could not sense Kurenai or Shino anywhere inside the house.

With nothing else to do, he and Hinata went outside for a short walk.

By the time they returned, Kurenai and Shino were already waiting in the living room.

When Kurenai saw them enter, she spoke immediately.

“Go pack your things. We’re returning to the village.”

“Yes.”

Hinata answered quickly before heading back to the room.

A short while later, she returned carrying a backpack and Mihawk’s sword.

Mihawk took the sword from her, and the four members of Team 8 began their journey home.

Tazuna did not return to see them off.

When Team 8 arrived at the dock, a boatman was already waiting for them.

They boarded the sailboat and left the Land of Waves by following the waterway back toward the mainland.

After another full day of travel, Team 8 finally arrived at Konoha’s main gate.

As soon as they returned, Kurenai took the team to the Hokage’s office and reported everything that had happened during the mission to the Third Hokage.

After hearing the full report, Hiruzen Sarutobi officially changed Team 8’s first C-rank mission into a B-rank mission.

In terms of danger, the mission had come close to A-rank.

However, A-rank missions usually involved matters connected to entire villages or nations. They could include taking part in conflicts between countries, guarding important political figures, or fighting organized shinobi forces.

Tazuna was not considered an important political figure.

Still, the mission had involved Momochi Zabuza, the missing-nin known as the Demon of the Hidden Mist.

Because of that, the Third Hokage decided that B-rank was the proper classification.

Although Team 8 had completed the first B-rank mission of their careers, they only received C-rank payment.

Tazuna had no way to pay them anything more.

Gatō was dead, but that did not mean every problem in the Land of Waves had disappeared.

With him gone, other greedy merchants and nobles would soon turn their attention toward everything he had left behind.

The bridge was still unfinished, and the Land of Waves had not yet escaped poverty.

There was simply no extra money available for a larger reward.

Mihawk did not care whether the payment was high or low.

Had money been his goal, he would not have left Gatō’s fortune untouched.

Having a great deal of money without the strength to protect it was not always a good thing.

Gatō had been one of the richest men in the world, yet the only fighters he could safely hire were rōnin, criminals, and missing-nin.

Even Zabuza, an elite jōnin-level shinobi, had nearly killed him in the original future after Gatō insulted him.

Hiring someone at Kage level would have been even more dangerous.

The moment Gatō tried to hire a shinobi that powerful might also have been the moment his fortune stopped belonging to him.

Someone like Kakuzu, for example, would have had no reason to leave all that money in Gatō’s hands.

Mihawk’s will was already strong enough that money alone could not influence him.

Hinata and Shino also came from major clans.

For them, the experience gained from a dangerous mission mattered far more than the payment.

After receiving their shares of the reward, Team 8 disbanded for the day outside the Hokage Building.

Mihawk and Hinata walked side by side through the village streets.

Neither of them spoke.

“Hinata.”

When they reached the entrance of Mihawk’s house and were about to separate, Mihawk suddenly called her name.

“…Hm?”

Hinata had been walking with her head lowered.

Hearing him, she instinctively looked up.

The familiar red eyes in front of her suddenly moved closer.

A gentle warmth touched her lips.

Unlike the night before, the kiss was brief and light.

It ended almost as soon as it began.

Before Hinata could react, Mihawk had already stepped through the doorway.

The door closed behind him.

“Mi-Mihawk-kun…”

Hinata stared blankly at the closed door.

Her face turned bright red, and the sudden rush of heat left her unable to form another word.

Her pale lavender eyes began to lose focus.

For a moment, it looked as though she might faint again.

Then she remembered that she was standing in the middle of the street.

Mihawk was already inside, and someone could pass by at any moment.

The thought that people might have seen the kiss made her feel as though everyone in the village was watching her.

Hinata forced herself to stay conscious.

She quickly lowered her head and hurried away from Mihawk’s house.

Her face remained red throughout the walk home.

Even so, a shy smile slowly appeared on her lips.

No one else knew just how happy she was.