Konoha Hokage Headquarters.
Outside the building, a well-decorated carriage capable of holding six adults was pulled by two strong horses.
"What! Genin! And only four genin?!"
"I gave you eighty thousand ryo! Eighty thousand! And you send me only four genin?!" A slightly chubby middle-aged man slammed his hand on the desk of the mission office head. Nara Yosuke raised his hands helplessly.
"Mr. Mizutani, this matter was personally assigned by the Hokage. You can rest assured and trust in this team's capabilities."
"Nonsense! Any fool knows a team should have at least one Chunin leading it. How could you send only four genin?"
Nara Yosuke's eyes narrowed. "Mr. Mizutani, you seem to know a lot about ninjas."
If his memory was correct, Mizutani Shoto had only been to the Land of Fire twice, and this was the first time he had come to Konoha to assign a C-rank mission. He shouldn't…
"Of course! Do you think I do business in the Land of Fire blindly?!"
"Apologies, apologies. But rest assured, the team led by Genin Hakusei is more than capable. His abilities are already at Chunin level. He only needs to overcome certain regrets in order to officially qualify for promotion."
"Regrets?" Mizutani's expression soured.
"This is classified, but you can trust Hakusei Genin. He completes every mission he takes, one hundred percent. You can fully rely on him!"
At that, Mizutani finally calmed down, exhaling sharply.
"Huh… could he be a genius ninja with… quirks?"
"Something like that," Nara Yosuke muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead. He thought, if he had told Mizutani that Hakusei aimed to perform jutsu perfectly during the Chunin exam, he would have exploded.
"Anyway, if there's nothing else, then we're settled?"
"Yes. Since it's the Hokage's arrangement, there must be a reason. I'm entrusting my safety entirely to your Konoha ninjas," Mizutani said, folding his arms.
"The meeting time is set for 12 noon today. Please go to the west gate of the village then."
After Yosuke spoke, Mizutani nodded and left. Hakusei, who had been disguised as a Chunin using Transformation Jutsu to inspect the mission board, deactivated his disguise.
"How's that? The client side is handled."
"You know I don't like taking village missions. My abilities aren't enough."
"That's beside the point. You've accepted the mission, so you have to do it." Nara Yosuke smiled. His eyes lingered on the public mission board, slightly dim. "Come back alive, Genin Hakusei."
"Don't jinx me," Hakusei muttered.
"You just said something I can't understand again."
At the west gate of the village, both doors were wide open. During wartime, the village was almost at the highest alert. Passersby had to go through multiple inspections, let alone anyone leaving the village.
After receiving the C-rank mission from the client, Hakusei and his team did brief introductions.
"My name is Akin. I am Lord Mizutani's bodyguard and also the coachman."
"My name is Gin…"
The two black-haired youths, appearing like wandering swordsmen with knives at their waists, were twin brothers, both serving as Mizutani's bodyguards and occasional coachmen.
"Alright, I have a rough understanding. No problems, let's go." Hakusei nodded, having assessed the three. He then led the carriage to complete the departure procedures.
Once all formalities were completed, the carriage officially set off.
The hot June air carried a refreshing breeze, stirring the green trees along the avenue, breaking the monotony with lively movement.
Inside the carriage, Mizutani Shoto asked why the team had two girls and one young man. Hakusei explained that Mait Dae's situation was similar each had areas where they were not yet ready to advance.
Mizutani's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise.
"A young girl from the Uchiha clan… You're not bothered that your teacher is a Genin?" Mizutani asked. Rumors said the Uchiha were cold and reserved, yet this adorable girl, Mikoto Uchiha, willingly followed a genin as her mentor. That was unexpected.
"Teacher Hakusei is strong," Mikoto said. "Genin or Chunin is just a rank. It doesn't mean Chunin is automatically stronger."
"Exactly," Nono Yu added. "Teacher Hakusei is really strong!"
"Don't underestimate him. He may be a genin, but his power is more than enough," Mait Dae confirmed.
Mizutani glanced at the black-haired youth beside him, astonished by the magnetic personality that commanded such respect from three genin.
Ahead, Akin drove the carriage while Gin kept watch, knife in hand. The road grew bumpier as the carriage continued.
To reach the Land of Hot Springs, they had to pass through the territory of the Land of Iron and board a ship at Ironridge Fortress.
Ironridge Fortress was a region surrounded by mountains near the coast. Its economic development was modest, evident from the clothing of the passersby.
Within the fortress city, a small tavern near the center glowed with bright, gaudy lights, indicating it was not an ordinary establishment.
Inside one room, three dark-skinned men sang and drank while graceful women danced for them.
After a while, the lead ninja of the hidden cloud village, wearing a snug vest unique to their clan, gestured for the dancers to leave.
Once the room cleared, he wrapped an arm around the dark-skinned youth beside him, holding a cup of wine. "Ha! Vii, see? I told you there's a decent tavern in the Land of Iron."
The youth, Vii, nodded and downed his drink. "Refreshing!"
He slammed the cup on the table, a hint of disappointment on his face. "Too bad we Cloud Village ninjas didn't get to participate in the Second Great War."
"The neighboring villages Konoha, Iwa, and that small country are probably fighting fiercely right now. Lucky us, haha!"
"Enough. We should be grateful to avoid war for now. And don't get too loud. If word spreads, it won't be good." A blond man in blue-and-white vest spoke.
Clearly, all three were Chunin or Jonin. The vests were only worn by qualified Chunin, acting as protective gear.
"Heh. We're here on a mission, but the target hasn't appeared yet. Relaxing won't hurt. Besides, a team of just four genin what's there to fear?" The bald man led the group, drinking coolly.
"Exactly, Ritsu."
"Don't need your commentary, Captain Aye," the blond replied.