Chapter 15 — A Windfall
"Lord Hokage, you requested me?"
Minato Namikaze stepped in from outside.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, standing by the window, overlooking the village, puffing on his pipe, nodded. "We just received news. The strength information on the rogue ninja from the Land of Earth who infiltrated the Devil Forest was incorrect."
Minato's eyes widened. "Wasn't this intelligence provided by Iwa Village? How could it…"
He didn't finish speaking before his expression changed.
Since the intel came from Iwa, it meant it had been deliberately falsified—clearly with ill intent.
"Regarding this matter, Gekkō Hayate reported it yesterday, but it hadn't been verified. Yet today, more detailed intelligence has arrived."
"According to the Chunin who brought back the report, your student, Rin Nohara, is currently in danger. You must head to the Devil Forest immediately. Hopefully, it's not too late."
Minato's face darkened as he spun to rush out.
At the same time, another person burst in from outside.
"Lord Hokage, Rin Nohara and Obuya have returned from the Devil Forest."
"What!!"
Both voices spoke in unison.
Minato froze in his tracks, and Hiruzen sharply turned around.
"They… both returned?"
Hiruzen asked in disbelief.
"Indeed. Not only that, they captured the Iwa Village rogue ninja, Tōki, alive. He may be hiding some conspiracy, and they want to hand him directly to the Hokage."
"Captured alive?"
The Hokage and Minato exchanged glances.
"Tōki… according to the intelligence just brought back, his strength rivals a Jonin. Those two kids… actually captured a Jonin alive? Could this new intel be wrong again?"
Hiruzen muttered to himself.
"Bring them in."
The Hokage's guards followed orders and soon led Obuya and Rin to the entrance. In addition, Obuya carried a "body" whose head had been separated.
As Obuya and Rin moved to bow, the Hokage raised his hand to stop them.
"So this is the Tōki you captured alive?"
Rin, excited to see the Third Hokage, eagerly recounted how she had intercepted Tōki's messenger bird sending signals to Iwa Village.
Hiruzen's brow furrowed as he listened; he, too, sensed that something unusual was afoot.
Obuya removed the stone from Tōki's mouth.
"If you think you'll get anything from me, forget it. I won't speak, I don't know anything…"
Hiruzen chuckled. "Every prisoner says the same thing. Take him down. The interrogation division will know what to do."
"Wait a moment!" Obuya suddenly interjected.
"Before you take him away, I need to reattach his head. He only survives because he is inside my barrier. Outside it, he will die."
Hiruzen nodded knowingly and stepped to Tōki's body, performing a sealing jutsu.
With the seal in place, even if the head was reattached, Tōki could no longer access his chakra.
Obuya reattached the head.
The Hokage's guards escorted Tōki away. The rogue ninja seemed to have accepted reality, offering no resistance—not even the ability to commit suicide remained.
"So this is the rogue ninja who, according to our lower-ranking intel, is supposedly a Jonin?"
The Hokage's gaze lingered on Obuya after observing the two.
Obuya answered, "Whether he's technically a Jonin, we're not sure. But his strength was undeniable. Without trickery, neither of us could have matched him."
Minato smiled. "From the sound of it, your victory over him must have quite a story behind it."
Rin, unable to contain herself, eagerly narrated the entire battle against Tōki, detailing every bloody clash.
She was a natural storyteller, and her vivid account made Obuya seem like a brilliant, resourceful ninja, blending courage and intellect perfectly.
Obuya felt a bit embarrassed, but he couldn't ruin her narrative, so he simply fidgeted nervously.
"Good, very good!"
Hiruzen laughed heartily.
"There are many powerful ninjas, but few know how to use intellect rather than brute strength. Obuya, you've already shown one of the most essential qualities of a ninja."
Obuya smiled awkwardly. "Lord Hokage, you flatter me. Defeating Tōki was largely thanks to Rin's help."
"That is the second valuable quality of a ninja: cooperation. A ninja who cannot work with teammates is not a competent ninja."
Obuya hesitated, wanting to say something.
"Child, speak freely if you have something to say."
The Hokage noticed his change in expression.
"Lord Hokage, this mission… is it considered complete? And what about the reward—the thousand ryō…"
Hiruzen laughed heartily.
Obuya sighed, resigned. He had been struggling for a long time. A thousand ryō was no small sum, so naturally, he had to ask.
"Due to the intelligence error, this mission should be classified as an A-rank mission. The minimum reward is sixty thousand ryō. I will notify the guards, and you may collect your reward shortly."
Obuya and Rin exchanged glances, both shocked.
They had expected only a thousand ryō, but the actual reward—sixty times more—was an unexpected windfall, leaving them momentarily stunned.
After the two left, Hiruzen looked at Minato. "This Obuya… aside from his Kekkei Genkai, even his character is worth nurturing. Adding him to the class should be no problem, right?"
"Do you mean, Lord Hokage, that I should take him as a disciple?" Minato asked.
"It's not strictly necessary. But while you're teaching the other three, you can include him as well. I am curious what kind of achievements Obuya will have in the future."
Minato nodded. "I understand, Lord Hokage. I know what to do."
…
After leaving, Obuya and Rin went directly to the guards' department.
After explaining their purpose, they were able to smoothly collect the sixty thousand ryō.
In the ninja world, one ryō is roughly equivalent to a unit of currency in Obuya's past life. One hundred-ryō notes, thick stacks, six hundred in total.
Obuya casually handed ninety percent to Rin without counting precisely.
"Ah! Why are you giving me so much?" Rin exclaimed, attempting to refuse.
Obuya blocked her hand, smiling. "This isn't a gift. You'll need to complete a challenging task I assign."
"A task?" Rin blinked in surprise.
"Exactly. Your task is to treat me to a meal. But not just any meal this time… a seafood feast!!"
The seafood feast was held at one of Konoha's high-end restaurants. The atmosphere, the environment, and the food were all exceptional. For ordinary ninjas, such a place was usually reserved for important moments, like a first date.