"You're late."
Yohei glared at an incredibly smug Ren as he dropped down from the tree in front of the Academy, where the rest of Team Five was already waiting for him.
"Oh, give me a break," he replied without any real heat. "Mugetsu decided I'd make a perfect pillow today, and it took a lot of work to convince her to let me go."
Hayama chuckled. "Maybe she could feel what was going to happen today."
"What's happening today?" Yohei asked, surprised.
Hayama only grinned and shook his head, turning toward the Academy doors and waving them along as he walked inside.
The genin exchanged looks, eyes widening and smiles slowly spreading as the same thought passed through all of their minds.
They hurried after Hayama through the building, anticipation boiling in their guts with every step as they approached the administrative wing – and then the Mission Assignment Desk.
Their suspicions were all but confirmed when, instead of walking toward the Yamanaka clerk they usually received their missions from, Hayama led them straight to the Hokage's office. Hiruzen looked up from the paperwork on his desk, a proud smile already on his face.
"Hokage-sama," Hayama greeted, the genin mirroring him immediately.
"Team Hayama," Hiruzen replied with a warm chuckle. He took a few moments to look each of them in the eyes, wearing that expression that never failed to make Yohei feel even more like a child showing their grandfather a drawing. The old man took a deep drag from his pipe, exhaling the smoke from the corner of his smile before speaking.
"If one were to see a ninja village as a body, it would be an easy assumption to make that the shinobi are its blood. In that sense, it would not be wrong to say that missions are the food that sustains the body – allowing it to function, grow, and strengthen. Konoha receives all kinds of missions, from simple babysitting tasks to assassination requests. These missions are carefully evaluated, then sorted into categories from A to D based on the skill level they require. We then distribute them to those with the appropriate ability to handle them."
He took another drag from his pipe, then pointed it at one of them.
"Kouen Ren."
Then another.
"Mikazuki Souma."
And finally-
"Kuroyama Yohei."
Hiruzen fixed them with a serious look. "For the past months, the three of you have conducted yourselves as exemplary shinobi. You have completed all assigned missions without fault, received praise from your clients, and earned a notable number of repeat commissions. Not only that-" His eyes flicked toward Hayama, a smile tugging at his lips, "-your sensei has reported that you have all grown tremendously, both as individuals and as a team. As such, he has made it clear that he believes the three of you are ready to take another step in your careers. Given his own outstanding record as both a ninja and an instructor, I am more than inclined to trust his judgment."
It was hard for Yohei to maintain his composure.
Which was strange, considering he was essentially being told he was about to move from basic chores to missions where his life would actually be on the line – even if the risk was minimal – for only marginally better pay.
Even if he only ever received the minimum reward for completing a D-rank mission – five thousand ryō – that still meant thirty thousand ryō in six days, which was the minimum payout for a C-rank. And considering that even a low-paying C-rank could easily take over a week, as long as the danger involved was low, then from a purely risk-to-reward standpoint… they might not really be worth it.
That, of course, was ignoring one very important factor.
The Chaos Scroll.
'Because higher ranks mean more danger, and more danger means more chances to get rewards,' Yohei thought with a grin. 'And more rewards mean a bigger chance of being able to kick that bastard Obito in the nuts – and turn Zetsu into a bonsai.'
While he was lost in his musings, the Hokage passed a piece of paper to one of his assistants. The man left the room and returned moments later, a boy in tow.
He looked to be around their age, and almost as tall as Souma. His skin had a pale cast to it, the kind that spoke more of hunger or illness than natural complexion. His hair was shaggy and dirty blond, framing a somewhat frail-looking face marked by small cuts and bruises – injuries Yohei could also see scattered across the exposed parts of his body.
It was his eyes, however, that drew Yohei's attention most.
A solid, unsettling yellow, filled with a pitiful, fragile hope as they looked at them.
"This young man is Shizuka Hibiki," Hiruzen declared. "He has come to us with a request to save his village from a band of outlaws who have taken it over, turning the villagers into captives." The Hokage looked at them evenly. "Team Hayama, do you accept this mission?"
Hayama turned his gaze to them, his expression neutral, clearly leaving the decision in their hands.
The three genin exchanged a look.
But really, there wasn't much to consider.
For Souma, it was a chance to challenge himself.
For Ren, an opportunity to advance.
And for Yohei, a straightforward mission with no moral quandaries – one that would let him do good and grow stronger.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
-~=~-
A few minutes later, Yohei found himself back at home, having rushed inside to pack his things. Now he stood still, staring at his Fūma Shuriken with pursed lips and narrowed eyes.
"To bring, or not to bring. That is the question," he said dramatically. "Let's see… on the negatives: my aim is shit, and I have no idea how to use it in melee. On the positives: it's a big fucking blade, and Ren will be annoyed as hell to see me carrying it when he's our 'ranged specialist'."
He considered it for all of a second before dropping it onto his backpack alongside the rest of his supplies, a grin spreading across his face.
After affixing his kanabō to the side, he swung the pack onto his back and tested the weight and balance, shifting slightly as he gauged it. It wasn't overly encumbering his mobility.
Nodding, satisfied, he pulled his Trinket of Chi from his pocket and slipped it over his neck. Stepping closer to the mirror, he checked his reflection, fingers idly tracing the inscribed heaven character carved into the wooden beads.
"I still have no idea where you got those from," Nanami said from where she reclined against the doorframe, watching him with fondness and quiet amusement.
As it had happened more than once before, excuses immediately sprang to Yohei's mind. He bought it from a passing merchant. He got it from a roaming monk. It was a gift from a girl. He found it in the forest.
And like always, the lie got stuck in his throat.
Instead, he gave her a teasing smile and a wink, pressing one finger to his lips. "That's a secret."
Nanami snorted, her eyes squinting with mirth as she pushed off the doorframe and started toward him.
"And since when do you keep secrets from me?" she asked slyly, fingers brushing over the adornment. She lifted it for inspection, then let it fall back against his chest, stepping away to look him over critically.
What he was wearing now was one of the fruits of his labor over the past month – a good portion of his mission pay spent on assembling a partially armored ensemble. It consisted of a blue karuta sashinuki–style kote, blue lacquered chakra-steel han kote forearm guards, along with matching blue lacquered chakra-steel suneate and haidate.
Beneath the armor, he wore a black shitagi whose inner lining was fitted with smoke bomb tags, and a black hakama, both secured with a white himo. Under that lay a layer of under-armor woven from the hair spikes produced by the Needle Jizō jutsu – its effectiveness already proven – and beneath that, yet another layer of protection in the form of a full-body ninja mesh undercloth.
He had even finally managed to get chakra-steel–toed boots made.
It wasn't the complete set of armor he ultimately wanted, but it was good enough for now.
Before he could answer her question, she changed the subject. "It looks good on you."
"I look good in everything," he replied cheekily.
"Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves," she said with a grin. Then she brought her hands up to her mouth, a mischievous shine in her eyes. "Maybe if you used the Transformation Jutsu to look like me again?"
Yohei's snort was answer enough, making her pout.
"Mou, what does that even mean!?" she exclaimed, earning a smirk in return – one that made her huff and glare at him.
"It means I have to go. My team's waiting for me," he said, glancing at the clock on the wall.
Before he could even turn back to her, he found himself wrapped tightly in his mother's arms.
Despite his words, he made no move to pull away, simply returning the embrace.
"…Weren't you supposed to be at the hospital?" he asked. "I left a letter on the table and all."
She chuckled softly in his ear. "I know, I saw it on the way up. Don't worry, I'll only open it once you leave. And, well… I may have bribed someone to let me know when you got your first C-rank. I just thought it would take a bit longer."
Yohei let out a dramatic gasp. "Corruption! In the upper echelons of the village!"
"It was the Hokage," she said dryly.
Yohei gasped again – twice in quick succession. "Even our leader has fallen!"
Nanami giggled at his ridiculousness. Then her laughter faded, and her grip tightened.
"Can you promise me something, Yo-kun?" she asked quietly.
Yohei hummed for her to continue.
"If you ever have to choose between completing a mission and your life," she said, voice soft but firm, "choose your life."
Yohei nodded. That was easy enough.
She wasn't done, though.
"And if you have to choose between someone's life and yours," she continued quietly, "choose yours."
Yohei stilled.
"…I promise I'll take care, Mom," he said instead.
She let out a small, distressed sound, then sighed deeply.
"Are you deaf? That's not what I asked, you know?"
Yohei chuckled softly. "I know."
-~=~-
Knock, knock, knock.
"Ah, please come in!" Hibiki called from the other side of the hotel door.
Hayama turned the knob and stepped inside, his genin following closely behind him.
As he entered, Yohei followed the instructions that had been drilled into his head by Hayama and did his best to pay attention to every detail of the new space – cataloguing, measuring, observing. He looked for clues about the individual they were meeting, about his habits, his priorities, and his circumstances.
The room was simple – what the local equivalent of Yohei's other life would have called spartan. A single futon lay spread across the floor, where the boy they had come to meet was sitting. Beside it rested a low chabudai, topped with a small assortment of books on a wide variety of subjects. The back wall was dominated by a large window that overlooked the street below; beneath it sat a small tube television and a compact refrigerator.
It was also small enough that, once all of Team Five had filed in and awkwardly taken seats, there was barely any space left at all.
"I'm sorry that I can't give you a better show of hospitality, Shinobi-dono," Hibiki said regretfully, bowing deeply. He straightened almost immediately, eyes going wide with alarm. "N-not that I'm ungrateful! Lord Hokage was supremely generous in offering me a place to stay despite my lack of funds!"
Hayama simply nodded, calm and unbothered. "It's no problem, Shizuka-san. Please don't worry about such things."
The boy nodded shakily, swallowing hard. "T-then… what c-can I help you with, Shinobi-dono?"
Hayama took out the Mission Scroll he had received from the Hokage and spread it open on the floor between them. The text outlined the mission's details, alongside a map marking their destination – Nagori Village, located at the southernmost edge of the Land of Fire, near the border with the Land of Tea.
"While the information provided on the scroll is sufficient for this mission," Hayama said evenly, "I believe that a ninja should always endeavor to acquire as much data as possible before engaging in any operation." He gestured to the three genin at his side. "It is a habit I intend to instill in my students."
He turned back to the boy. "So, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, Shizuka-san, would you mind answering a few questions?"
Shizuka nodded frantically, eyes wide. "Y-yes! Of course!"
"Thank you," Hayama said with a slight nod. "To begin – can you tell me how this started? When did the occupation begin?"
The boy frowned, lips pressing together as he looked down at his lap. "To be honest, Shinobi-dono… I don't even remember a time when the village wasn't under their control."
Yohei blinked, stunned.
'Wait, does that mean…?'
"And how old are you, Shizuka-san?" Hayama asked calmly.
"Ah – I'm twelve," he replied, scratching the back of his head. "As far as I know, the Kōsei Band – that's what they call themselves – took control around ten years ago."
Hayama hummed, pinching his chin thoughtfully. "Do you know how they did that?"
Shizuka nodded hesitantly. "From what the adults told me – and the other kids – they didn't just attack the village. At the start, they pretended to be a group of mercenaries, looking for work."
Hayama nodded in understanding and turned to Yohei and the other two. "The Land of Tea doesn't have a Shinobi Village, so it mainly employs shinobi from neighboring countries when the need arises. That also means mercenaries have an easier time finding work there than they would in the Land of Fire, for example, where they would be competing directly with ninja."
Once the genin showed that they understood, Hayama gestured for the boy to continue.
"Ah – yes! Well… I don't know how long it took, but for some time they really acted like mercenaries," Shizuka said. "They took on jobs nearby and mostly set up camp close to the village – until they started to integrate with us. They took up the job of keeping watch, acted as guards when someone needed to go to the city, and even repaired and strengthened the wall around the village." His lips twisted with bitter sarcasm. "But it was all part of their plan. The wall we thought was for our protection ended up becoming our prison. Instead of watching for danger, they were watching us – to make sure we didn't escape."
"And no one noticed?" Ren asked, one eyebrow raised.
Shizuka shook his head somberly. "Once they figured out who had connections outside Nagori, they either had those people killed or took them as slaves too. They erased the roads and kept travelers away, all to make the world forget we existed."
"Why?" Yohei asked, his expression unsettled.
The situation gnawed at him – being trapped, chained, with no hope of escape, knowing no help was coming. Powerless. Forced to accept someone else's will. It was his worst nightmare.
"I don't know," the boy said with a hiss of frustration, though the anger wasn't directed at Yohei. Tears pooled in his eyes as he stared down at his hands, fists clenched tightly against his legs. "There's nothing special about Nagori. Nothing. We were just farmers."
"And now?" Hayama asked. "What does the Kōsei Band have you doing?"
Shizuka let out a bitter, barking laugh. "That's the worst part – we don't do anything special for them. We're not making weapons, or drugs, or – or anything like that!" His voice cracked. "We just… clean their homes – our homes – care for the animals, raise the crops, harvest them. We cook their food. We sew their clothes. It's like…" Tears spilled freely down his face. "It's like they just wanted servants. To live like nobles. And decided enslaving us was cheaper than paying."
Silence settled over the room as the members of Team Five processed what they had just heard. Ren frowned deeply, while Souma looked like he was barely restraining himself from charging out the door to deal with the problem immediately.
Yohei wasn't aware of either of their reactions. He was too busy forcing himself to calm down so he didn't crack a tooth from how tightly he was clenching his jaw.
Hayama, however, remained composed. "And how did you manage to escape, Shizuka-san?"
For the first time since Hayama had begun asking his questions, the boy hesitated.
He opened his mouth, took a breath – then stopped, choking on the words. He tried again, and again, until at last he managed to speak, his voice trembling.
"The Kōsei Band… they're cruel," he said heavily. "Their leader, Ketsubaku, he set down some rules. The members of the Band aren't allowed to kill us or hurt us so badly that we can't work – but aside from that, they can do… whatever they want." His voice wavered. "And we can't resist. We're things, not people. And things don't get to choose what their owners do to them. If they try…"
He shut his eyes, drawing in a series of heavy breaths.
"We learn early not to try," he said simply, before his face twisted in disgust. "But there's one way to escape it. To stop being a slave, 'all' you have to do is become a member of the Kōsei. For the women, that means marrying one of them. And for the men, that means joining the Band."
"And that's what you did," Hayama said.
The boy nodded, but the look he gave them was frantic, desperate.
"Yes – but you have to understand, I didn't do it because I wanted to!" he cried. "I'd rather die than – than join them!" He spat the words, as if the very idea were poison. "I'm an orphan. They killed my parents. The other slaves are my only family – I'd never betray them!" His voice grew rough, pleading. "But they took her! They took – they took Hina! Ketsubaku did! And I – I'm not strong enough to save her. I can't kill him, I can't!" He broke down, sobbing openly.
"So you pretended to join, stole their money, and ran here to Konoha so we could take them out," Hayama surmised.
Shizuka nodded, pain etched across his face. "Y-yes… but they found out. The only reason I escaped was because I threw myself into the river."
Yohei's gaze flicked to the injuries covering the boy's body, understanding dawning as he connected the dots.
"But I don't know if they believe I'm dead," Shizuka continued through a sob. "I don't know what they'll do to the others to punish them for what I did, so please – " He dropped forward into a deep dogeza, forehead pressed to the floor. "Before anything happens, please save them."
-~=~-
After the tearful plea from their client, Hayama spent several more minutes asking questions – about the number of criminals in the Kōsei Band, their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as details about the village itself: its layout, the surrounding geography, how many slaves were held within its walls, and anything else that might prove useful for infiltration and movement.
When he was finally satisfied, they made their way to the South Gate and set off toward their destination.
That had been several hours ago.
By now, Yohei could honestly say he had no idea how far they'd traveled, where the hell they were, or how close they were to the village. The journey had passed in near silence, each member of the team using the time to digest the story they'd been told that morning.
"Let's stop here," Hayama announced, bringing the three of them to a halt.
"Here" turned out to be a small clearing near a river. Up ahead, from high in the trees, Yohei could see the forest they had been traveling through fade into plains and rolling hills. He guessed their sensei wanted them to make camp somewhere they wouldn't be so exposed.
As they dropped down from the branches, Yohei took a moment to study his teammates.
Souma still looked wired, like he was permanently perched on a hair trigger. Ren, on the other hand, didn't seem nearly as affected – but something about him caught Yohei's attention.
He was only lightly flushed, his breathing a bit deeper than normal, yet otherwise completely composed. If nothing else, that was proof of how effective Hayama-sensei's training had been. Back during the Genin Exams, Ren would've been drenched in sweat by now, pale and begging for death after running at this pace for so long.
The boy must have sensed his stare, because his head swiveled toward Yohei and he shot him a glare.
Yohei chuckled. "Good work, Wimpy."
Ren scoffed, rolled his eyes, and flipped him off – but Yohei still caught the faint smile he tried to hide as he turned away.
Yohei shared a look with Souma, who seemed to relax a little after watching the exchange. The two of them traded a brief grin.
"Alright, kids, let's settle here. I'll set up camp," Hayama said. "Souma, can you start cutting up the ingredients for the soup?"
The white-haired boy nodded. "Sure."
"Wonderful. Yohei, Ren, you two check the perimeter and bring back some wood for the fire, please."
"Got it."
"Yes, Sensei."
Hayama nodded, satisfied, and turned to his task.
As the two of them walked away from camp to do their part, Ren nudged Yohei with his elbow.
"You know," he said, "I'm pretty sure we could've gotten here faster if you'd had Mugetsu pulling us in a carriage."
Yohei snorted, a smile tugging at his lips as his eyes scanned the woods. "Okay, first of all, Mu-chan is not a horse-"
"Are you really going to say that with a straight face after spending hours practicing how to ride her in a fight?" Ren cut in incredulously.
"Shut up," Yohei barked out a laugh, shoving the shorter boy. "That's epic. Pulling a carriage is just degrading – she's not a beast of burden."
"Oh, for fuck's sake," Ren muttered, exasperated.
Yohei ignored him.
"And second of all, even if I were willing to let her go through such humiliation – which I'm not – I don't have a carriage, nor a harness that would even fit her."
Ren scoffed. "Well, here's my idea. You use the Transformation Jutsu to turn into the carriage and the harness. Then I get to travel without getting tired, and I don't have to look at your ugly face the whole way."
"…Can you even use the Transformation Jutsu to become multiple things?" Yohei asked suddenly.
They shared a look.
"I mean," Ren said slowly, "technically we're already multiple things fitted together, so I don't see why not?"
Yohei hummed. "I know for a fact you can turn into a foldable Fūma Shuriken – and those are basically four blades mounted on a frame. So yeah, that checks out… at least to some extent."
"Speaking of Fūma Shuriken-"
"No."
"Oh, come on!" Ren whined. "You don't even know how to use the thing! Your aim is horrible!"
"I can still use it to cut people up," Yohei replied smugly.
"That's not what it was made for! You'd be better off buying a sword!"
"Yeah, but that's Souma's thing. I don't want to mess that up for him," Yohei said idly, picking up a dry branch from the ground and eyeing it critically.
"And thrown weapons are my thing," Ren pointed out dryly.
"…Right, they are," Yohei said slowly, his eyes widening as if struck by sudden realization.
Ren stared at him. "…You still won't give it to me, will you?"
"No," Yohei said simply, hiding his smirk as the shorter boy let out a scream of bloody murder.
-~=~-
A few minutes later, once they were done with their perimeter sweep, Yohei and Ren returned to camp with plenty of kindling under their arms.
Yohei dropped his bundle in the center of the clearing and took a seat on one of the four wooden stumps arranged around it. As he settled in, Souma nudged him with an elbow, a knife still in hand as he chopped vegetables.
"Yeah?" Yohei said, turning to see Souma offering him a-
'A carrot slice?'
Souma's expression was earnest enough that Yohei shrugged and figured, why not? He took it, popped it into his mouth, and bit down-
'Huh. That's… actually good. Salty. Crunchy.'
"What did you season these with?" Yohei asked, accepting another slice and biting into it.
Instead of answering, Souma pointed toward a small flask sitting nearby. It was filled with what looked like a mix of seasonings – mostly crystalline, like salt – but in colors that ranged from pink to yellow to even blue.
"What are those?" Yohei asked, curious.
Souma smiled and put a finger to his lips. "It's a secret."
Yohei blinked, looking back at the flask.
'That's not meth… is it?' he wondered, accepting yet another carrot slice. He sighed as he looked at it, then tossed it into his mouth. 'Sage, I really hope this isn't meth.'
"Alright, kids," Hayama said, taking a seat as he finished lighting the kindling. "Let's talk strategy."
"Before that, Sensei, I think I've got something to add," Yohei said, raising a hand.
Hayama nodded for him to continue.
Yohei took a moment to organize his thoughts, a faint frown creasing his brow. "I got a weird feeling earlier today, when we were talking with Shizuka."
"Weird how?" Hayama asked, not dismissing him despite the vagueness.
Yohei pursed his lips. "When he was begging us for help… it didn't feel genuine. Not completely, at least."
He would know. Back home, he had a whole ass manual that basically taught someone how to beg. He hadn't read it in depth or ever really used it, but apparently the knowledge had stuck.
"You think he was lying?" Hayama asked.
Yohei immediately shook his head. "No. If that were the case, I would've spoken up before we set out. That's what's weird – I didn't get the impression he was lying about the situation at all."
Hayama hummed softly, staring into the fire for a few moments before lifting his gaze back to them. "Anyone else have anything to report?"
Ren raised his hand. "More like a question, really. This whole situation feels weird to me. I get that bandits and outlaws are an actual problem, but don't they usually try to set themselves up either somewhere as hidden as possible or in big cities, where they can go unnoticed? Why would a group take the risk of taking over an entire village and enslaving its people for… nothing, really? I mean, I'd kind of get it if they were going to sell them on the black market, or do the usual kill-and-pillage thing, but playing at being conquerors?"
Hayama let out a snort and sighed. "I get your confusion, but you have to remember that humans, as a species, don't really operate on logic most of the time. You're right – criminals usually don't do something like this. But it's also not rare for a particularly successful or particularly stupid one to decide they want their own fiefdom."
"What is rare, however, is for it to last this long," Hayama continued, shaking his head. "Usually they can only keep something like this going for a few months before it blows up in their faces, or someone finds out and ninja – or samurai – get sent to clean up the mess. But a whole decade?" He clicked his tongue. "There's something weird about this. And it's part of our mission to investigate it."
"You think this might be the work of enemy ninja?" Yohei asked.
Hayama shook his head. "No. Or at least, I don't think so – otherwise I wouldn't have accepted the mission. It just doesn't fit the profile of a ninja to do something like this. There's nothing to gain from it."
No one seemed to have anything to add after that.
…Well, Souma added the vegetables to the pot, but that was another matter entirely.
Hayama let out a huff. "Alright. With that settled, I want to hear your opinions. What should we prioritize on this mission?"
"The civilians."
"The civilians."
"The civilians."
Hayama chuckled at their unified answer, nodding. "Yes – the civilians. Good to see you've been absorbing my lessons. Unless you are explicitly told otherwise, the lives of civilians are always the priority in missions like these. We can always take our time hunting down the criminals after making sure the civilians are safe. We cannot, however, bring civilians back to life if they die while we're distracted."
He looked around the circle. "Since that's the case, how do you think we should go about it?"
Ren was the first to speak. "They're all inside an enclosed space – the village – and probably under surveillance. So we can't just try to escort them to a safe location before dealing with the slavers."
"Exactly," Hayama said, pointing at him. "And we also can't risk them realizing something's wrong if we try to silently kill them one by one. So what should we do, then?"
"Take the leader," Souma said simply, stirring the soup.
Yohei nodded. "Kidnap the leader, take his place, and gather every single one of those pieces of trash into one location – so we can round them up while keeping the innocents out of harm's way."
"If that's the strategy my genin want to use, who am I to argue?" Hayama said with an amused smile, earning a few chuckles. Then his expression sharpened with a teasing edge. "But if that's the case, we should use the Mirage Strategy."
Yohei let out a loud groan at the exact same moment Ren started laughing victoriously, while Souma went completely still.
He really fucking hated the Mirage Strategy.