At the gates of Konohagakure, Aburame Shibi's squad had finished assembling. Once the guards verified their information and registered their departure, the team was granted passage.
As Shibi led Hyuga Satoru and the others down the forest path beyond the village, the gate guards watched them leave, before relaxing into idle chatter.
"That kid's the Hyuga clan's prodigy, right?"
"Heading out on a mission already?"
Sixteen-year-old Kamizuki Izumo, at that gossipy age, nudged his friend Hagane Kotetsu, who had been handling the team's registration.
"Yeah. His name's Hyuga Satoru."
Kotetsu glanced down at the entry log, sharing what he knew without hesitation.
"First mission, and it's already B-rank. That's the Hyuga Clan for you."
"B-rank?" Izumo's eyes widened.
He himself had only recently been promoted to chunin. Since graduating from the Academy, his missions had been mostly D or E-rank errands, and only after more than a year of experience had he begun to touch C-rank assignments.
For someone Satoru's age to start straight from a B-rank mission—it was honestly astonishing.
Kotetsu, however, merely nodded, not nearly as shocked. He'd always viewed the great clans like Hyuga through a filter of awe; to him, this was only natural.
"Let's just hope they all make it back safely," Izumo murmured, offering a silent prayer for his fellow villagers.
Beyond the village, the squad increased their pace.
Silhouettes flashed between the trees—Might Guy took point, Satoru ran at the center of formation, while Aburame Shibi and Uchiha Shisui guarded the flanks.
For now, they had hidden away their Konoha forehead protectors. Their plan was to enter Jialan City (Garan City), meet with the informant who had reported the rogue ninja, and carry out an assassination under the guise of ordinary travelers.
Under such circumstances, concealing their identities was essential.
Fortunately, for this team, blending in was easy—after all, both Satoru and Shisui were still young. Unless someone knew in advance that they were shinobi, few would ever suspect two children of being trained killers.
At their current pace, they would reach their destination within a day.
Along the way, they didn't simply rush forward. Shibi, acting as captain, used the opportunity to lecture Satoru on the basic fundamentals of being a ninja—things like tracking, trail recognition, trap detection, and trap-setting.
As the heir of the Hyuga Main Family, Satoru's training had been extremely strict, but also highly specialized. Because of the Byakugan, his family had never felt the need to teach him skills such as reading tracks or laying traps. For the first time, he was receiving hands-on instruction in the craft of a true shinobi.
Clearly, Shibi's role in this mission wasn't limited to suppressing bandits. He had also been entrusted with a second task—serving as Satoru's mentor.
Though the lessons were directed at Satoru, they benefited the entire squad.
Might Guy, for example, had relied on raw taijutsu and sheer determination to become a jonin. His physical ability was unmatched, but his tracking and trap skills left much to be desired.
Shisui, on the other hand, had a natural aptitude for these disciplines. As he listened in, he even supplemented Shibi's explanations, pointing out subtle details others might have missed.
This well-rounded young man continued to impress Shibi with each passing hour. In terms of raw shinobi capability, Shisui might already have surpassed his teacher.
The group traveled steadily, not letting the lessons slow their pace.
By the time the outer walls of Jialan City came into view, the sun was setting. The sky blazed crimson, and the gilded pagodas within the city glimmered under the light of dusk.
The Land of Fire was a nation of faith.
Many of its people were devout Buddhists, and the greatest temple in the country—the Fire Temple—was even responsible for conducting the ceremonies of the Daimyo's court.
Jialan City, however, was something even more unique: a city of Buddhas.
Temples and pagodas filled its streets; monks and believers lived side by side with merchants and travelers. It was one of the Land of Fire's most prosperous centers of faith.
The more chaotic the times, the stronger the pull of religion.
For the common folk suffering through war and displacement, belief offered a haven from despair. And this city, under the shelter of its countless temples, had become a refuge for many who had fled the ravages of war.
The squad paused briefly at the city gates, then entered.
Everywhere they walked, the air was thick with the scent of incense—so pervasive it seemed to soak into every wall and stone. The endless chanting of sutras blended with the bustle of life.
Barefoot monks moved slowly along the streets, reciting blessings for the faithful who offered alms.
Such scenes repeated at every corner.
The tranquility of it all nearly made Satoru forget that he lived in a world torn by war. For a fleeting moment, it felt like he had stepped into an entirely different realm.
If not for Guy and Shisui walking beside him, he might've wondered whether this was still the same world at all.
"In a place like this… would there really be bandits hiding nearby?"
Guy scratched his head, his expression genuinely puzzled.
"Let's find somewhere to stay first," Shibi said quietly.
"We'll meet the informant at dawn tomorrow, and then—"
He suddenly stopped speaking. His keen senses had detected someone approaching.
A moment later, three monks appeared, walking slowly toward them. Before they had even drawn near, the eldest of the three bowed deeply, then greeted them with a warm smile.
"Travelers from afar, I presume?" the middle-aged monk asked.
"Have you found a place to stay? Our temple has vacant rooms. If you don't mind humble lodgings, you are most welcome to rest there."
At first, the team thought the monks had come to beg for alms, but to their surprise, it was the opposite—they were offering accommodation.
"How much for the lodging?" Shibi asked, deciding to play along with local custom.
"There is no fee," the monk replied with a gentle smile. "If you could help us with some simple cleaning, that would be enough."
His humility and kindness caught the squad off guard.
Just then, two ragged children came barreling out of a nearby alley, colliding straight into the monks. The middle-aged monk was knocked off his feet, his alms bowl clattering to the ground.
The two kids snatched it up instantly and sprinted away, vanishing into a side street before anyone could react.
By the time the younger monks helped their master back up, the thieves were long gone.
"Master, are you all right? I'll chase them down and get it back!" one of the younger monks said angrily.
But the elder merely raised a hand to stop him.
"Let it go…"
"Let it go."
He repeated it twice, clearly unwilling to pursue the matter further—even though that alms bowl was quite literally his livelihood.
Both Shibi and Guy exchanged a glance, feeling an unexpected sense of respect for the serene monk before them.
Meanwhile, Satoru quietly activated his Byakugan, his gaze following the fleeing children through several winding alleys. He watched as they knocked on a door in a hidden corner.
A burly man opened it, ushered them inside, and took the stolen bowl—handing over a few paper bills in exchange.
So the monk's alms bowl… could be sold for money?
Satoru's eyes narrowed slightly.
Something about this "City of Buddhas"… didn't seem as pure as it appeared.
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