Figured I should do this one earlier so I don't forget it.
Summary Time: Chapter 4. Border Festival.
Cover page is Mirai looking at some masks.
So, the chapter starts off with Mirai in a tree looking at Kakashi and Guy eating through a spy-glass. She is still mulling over the this might just be a vacation instead of an important mission. Eventually, Kakashi invites her to join them. Oh if people don't remember Kakashi doesn't like Tempura so he lets Guy eat his portion. Kakashi says that she reminds him of her father when he was young, as he was also awkward. He gives her an overview of Asuma. When he was young he had the same weight as Konohamaru so he was an awkward young man that felt he had expectations to live up to, then he left the village joined the Fire Lord's bodyguards, and then when he return he was much more relaxed and assure of himself. This leads to him telling her that she should act more natural instead of stressing out by putting high standards on herself. Also, while they are treating this as a vacation, this is actually an inspection mission, and he wants her to calm down because she looks/behaves like a shinobi. She asks if their misses during that throwing game was to make them look like tourist; it was not. But, he compliments her that they were able to relax because she has been so diligent.
Turns out she misheard how long the mission was. She thought it was only 2 days, its 20.
Back on the road to the Land of Steam. Both Kakashi and Guy notice she is tired and lecture of the importance of mental fortitude and physical stamina. There is a festival of Cats and Dogs going on in the border town...a literal border town as the there is a line to denote the border of the land of fire and steam going through the village. Normally, because of the two lands good relationship the village is quite peaceful except for this festival where people will wear dog and cat mask to represent the lands and quarrel...no wait...Sorry, its to represent the two hot springs inns in the village. Its some argument about old legends on how these hot springs were found either because of a dog or a cat....The kitten. Turns out that Kiba with an old Akamaru...can't wait for people to complain about him being old & sickly again... as well as a young pup and his cat girlfriend Tamaki -the Uchiha clan vassal girl from the hunt for Itachi arc- are in the village as well. They are arguing about which of the two hot springs to go to. They rope in the group to decide on which hot springs to go to. Kakashi for dogs, and Guy for cats. Leaving Mirai as the deciding vote. They put pressure on her. Kiba because he was her mother's student, and Tamaki reminding her threating-ly of all the times she let her pet & play with her pussies.
This is interrupted by some event of the festival happening. Then the chapter ends.
7/10. I know this isn't suppose to be action packed but I would like the story to move along. It did feel very Naruto-ish in its art style, and writing. The Dog and Cat festival does sound like it could be some random festival a small village could have, but fills more like something from a filler arc. There isn't any structural problems with the story nor the manga so far, besides the first chapter not needing to exist, and hopefully the doubting Mirai phase is over... and hopefully soon her over reacting.
Edited by Bail o' Lies, 12 December 2022 - 11:53 AM.
