The next day, their plans to train together went down the drain. She was called to the Hokage's office first thing in the morning.
"Ah, Seina. Right on time."
"Tsunade-sama," she greeted. In less than a second, she analysed the man standing in front of the Hokage's office. Blond, about 30 years old.
"I've assigned you a new mission. This gentleman is Fuuta Kobayashi, a merchant from the Land of Waterfalls. Fuuta-san has heard rumours that someone is planning to kidnap him for ransom. Your mission is to accompany him, posing as his daughter, and protect him until he returns to his country," informed the Hokage. "Fuuta-san needs to make several stops along the way, so you'll serve as his secret bodyguard. He'll explain the route details to you. You can use the auxiliary meeting room."
"Please follow me, Fuuta-san," Seina said, nodding her head.
They went into the auxiliary room adjacent to the Hokage's office to talk. Normally, she would've been given the details with the Hokage present, but being her apprentice had its perks—and its drawbacks.
"So? What can you tell me about the route?"
Fuuta Kobayashi was an attractive and intelligent man. Despite her youthful appearance, he didn't underestimate her experience; instead, he had observed her silently while Tsunade-sama spoke about the mission. He had looked at her with curiosity, slyly, but her instincts told her he meant no harm. Kobayashi explained the three stops he needed to make: one to the north of the Land of Fire, another in the Land of Iron, and the final stop within the territory of the Land of Waterfalls. Fortunately, the path was a straight shot north and then west toward his hometown. Still, she expected to spend several days, if not weeks, away from home.
She would have to travel at a civilian's pace, without the luxury of using her tent. Ugh. The mere thought of it annoyed her. Not to mention, this was her first solo mission. Protecting a civilian who was being targeted for kidnapping. Perfect. Luckily, the stops he had planned were just business meetings that, according to the client, would only last a few hours. Meetings trivial enough that his daughter could attend without raising suspicion. After all, children often inherited their family businesses.
"Do you have everything ready to leave?" she asked.
"Yes, everything is packed at my inn. I just need to grab the things I brought with me."
She accompanied him to the inn, walking by his side in silence, mentally bidding farewell to Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi-sensei until further notice.
"Do you need to pick up anything?" Kobayashi asked suddenly.
"No need. I'm always prepared for anything."
Her pouch was packed to the brim, after all. She used a scroll to seal her client's belongings. Then she took advantage of the inn's bathroom to change out of her tokubetsu jonin uniform into more civilian clothing.
She essentially transformed her uniform into less military-style pants, her sweater remained intact while her vest became a black jacket. She even adjusted her boots so they wouldn't appear ninja-made. Her pouch turned into a feminine crossbody leather bag, while she tucked her kunai holster into her jacket's new, bottomless pocket. Finally, she used a spell to make her ninja headband disappear and altered her face a bit to look like someone else: her golden blonde hair became a coppery blonde, matching the client's, and her eyes turned a deeper shade of blue.
When she came out of the bathroom, Kobayashi blinked a few times, realizing she now truly resembled his daughter, with the same hair colour and slightly rounder features like his.
"From now on, don't call me by my name, if possible. Call me... Yuri."
"Understood. I'm in your hands," he said, referring to the mission.
She nodded. They set out that very morning. It was still a few hours before noon, so she wanted to leave as soon as possible. She checked in at the ninja desk, discreetly passing a scroll and her ID to the chunin. They started walking in silence, listening to the conversations of others coming and going from Konoha. The further they got from the village, the more desolate the road became, leading them to the city of Fuji, north of the Land of Fire.
Seina had her spy spell and the revelio spell activated to see auras. Luckily, the client didn't seem inclined to talk, so she focused on keeping watch along the road. They walked all day, stopping to eat one of their bentos in a forest area. Then they continued walking a bit more. They slept in a small village with only one inn. Kobayashi fell asleep instantly while she set up all kinds of protections before even thinking about closing an eye. She woke up hours later, at dawn, while the client was still sleeping. She waited a couple of hours for him to wake up, studying the textbooks she always carried with her.
"Good morning, Seina-san," he greeted her as soon as he saw her fully awake, dressed, and studying. "I see you never stop."
"I have a lot to do," she replied, snapping the book shut and putting it away. "You can use the bathroom if you like; I'll keep watch outside."
Minutes later, they had breakfast at a nearby street stall. She wore the same clothes, cleaned with a spell but transformed into something slightly different. Still, no one looked at them twice. They set out for the north. Seina would've liked to say the next day was different, but it wasn't. They spent the entire morning walking in silence. Perhaps because it was clear the client appreciated not having to make small talk to fill the void. However, as they neared their destination, Seina had to ask about the meeting.
"The meeting you're attending, will I have to interact in any way?"
"I don't think so. I'm a very private person, so I imagine if anyone asks you anything, it'll be something personal rather than related to the meeting."
"I see. Anyone would wonder where your new daughter came from."
"No one knows about my life outside Takigakure, so I don't think they'll find it strange to learn I have a daughter I've never mentioned," he shrugged.
"And regarding those rumors... Who gave you that information?" she finally asked. Perhaps she should've asked earlier, but it wasn't really relevant to the mission. She was going to protect him regardless.
"A friend of mine from Takigakure. He said he overheard it here, in the Land of Fire, from a man named Zangei. He told me it was a conversation between this man and another guy in a bar."
"And how important are you that they'd try to kidnap you and ask for a ransom?" she asked, now fully curious.
"How much do you know about the Land of Waterfalls?" the client asked with a sigh.
"Let's say not much, and tell me everything."
"The Land of Waterfalls has a special spring, capable of producing a magical water we call the Hero Water. Whoever drinks it is capable of great feats for as long as the water's effect lasts, though it costs them a few years of their life. This special water only emerges from the spring once every 100 years, and the volume it produces is limited. The person in charge of protecting the spring is the leader of Takigakure. Right now, the leader is Hisen, a decent and honourable man. The problem is that it's a highly coveted resource, and Hisen has some detractors for having limited its use. Seeing that some people wanted to take the water, he secretly tasked me with hiding it."
"You think someone wants to get their hands on the water," she stated. Kobayashi nodded. "Then why do you think they want to kidnap you and demand ransom if what they're after is the water?"
"I think they plan to force me to give them the water and blackmail Hisen by holding it, and on top of that, ask for money to recover it."
"That's absurd. Why would Hisen pay them if they already have what they want? Unless they believe Hisen would act desperately and foolishly pay your ransom despite knowing they wouldn't return the water."
"That's the only thing I can think of."
"What were your friend's exact words when he warned you about all this?" she pressed.
"That my head would be exchanged for 100,000 ryo."
Seina didn't understand anything. The story had something that didn't add up. She understood the interest in kidnapping Kobayashi since he was supposedly the only one who knew where the water was, but… how did the money factor in? Kobayashi was just a simple merchant. What was so special about him? Moreover, her client's theory about extorting money from Hisen, the leader, didn't make much sense either. The kidnappers would just keep both the money and the water. She didn't think Hisen was foolish enough to agree to pay. At that point, he'd accept Kobayashi's death and the loss of the water or send a ninja to recover both.
They set off again. Now that she knew all of this, her boredom vanished. Her old instincts told her something more was going on, and she intended to get to the bottom of it, if possible. They stopped to eat in the city of Fuji. It was a small city but full of life. It didn't surprise her that this was the first meeting point for Kobayashi. They ate at a restaurant and rented a room in a somewhat luxurious inn in the city centre, at her client's request. She didn't care either way. After all, he was paying.
She changed into something more traditional as she was supposed to be Fuuta Kobayashi's heir.
"It's here," he said, entering a sort of conference hall. "It starts in 10 minutes."
She nodded. She prepared herself for long hours of business talk, bland smiles, and boring conversations as she posed as a 12-year-old civilian girl. Everything started as she imagined. There were greetings, trivial comments, smiles directed at her, even a pat on the shoulder or two. She had to restrain herself from sticking a kunai into the groin of more than one disgusting old man. She sat next to her supposed father, observing everyone with eagle eyes.
No one paid her any attention for nearly three hours, so she maintained her faint smile, nodding occasionally. They left after several bows and signed agreements. Her client seemed satisfied, so she said nothing as they walked back toward the inn.
"…-get. She looks like his daughter."
"That's even better for us. We'll grab them both. That way, Kobayashi will have more reasons not to resist."
"And then what? We can't let them go! Are you seriously going to kill a small child, Motoi?"
"Do you have scruples now? Murasame says the other guy is willing to pay a lot of money if we get what he wants."
"... Fine, but you deal with the kid."
"Gather the others. We'll ambush them when they leave the village. Keep an eye on them in the meantime. If they leave the hotel, I want to know."
She kept walking slowly, hoping to hear more, but it was in vain. The conversation between those guys had ended, but she felt one of them watching her. She used the shop windows to look behind her. She spotted him standing on a corner, leaning against a wall, pretending to read a newspaper while eating anko. Occasionally, he discreetly observed them, but he was no match for a ninja like her. Judging by his appearance, he was either a bandit or a trained civilian. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy to find him among the crowd.
They planned to kidnap them and, once they got what they wanted, kill them. It seemed Kobayashi wasn't too far off with his suspicions. He owed his life to his friend—and to her once she saved it. They entered the hotel and had dinner. A couple of hours later, when they went to their room, she sat him down on the sofa.
"Do the names Motoi or Murasame ring a bell?" she asked bluntly.
"No. Why?"
"No reason."
He hadn't even had to think about it, so it was clear he wasn't lying. The question was, should she tell her client what she had overheard, potentially stressing him out, or stay silent and act without his knowledge? Truthfully, she preferred to say nothing. For starters, they seemed like bandits she could easily take out. Not to mention, she didn't know how the client would react if he knew he was in danger. He might get nervous and interfere with her mission, as had happened before. So, she kept quiet about what she'd heard and cast a spell on Kobayashi to make him sleep deeply. She laid him in bed, surrounded by several hidden clones, as well as a couple of summons that would alert her if he woke up or was attacked.
Once she no longer had to worry about her client, she transformed her kimono with a wave of her hand and donned black clothing, keeping her ninja headband hidden.
"Let's see where you are…" she muttered to herself as she went to the bathroom and opened the window that faced the hotel interior.
She let one of her bats fly while she sat on the edge of the bathtub. It didn't take long to find him, as he was watching both the hotel door and the upper floor where they were staying. Whether he had deduced it on his own or overheard something, he seemed to know Kobayashi was there. Maybe it was the floor reserved for the wealthy? Luckily for her, her target was hiding in a darker alley, behind a tree. She watched him for minutes, but he was alone. She used hiraishin to appear behind him.
He didn't even notice that she was now watching from atop a wall, perched horizontally between two windows. She saw him occasionally glance in both directions, making sure he wasn't drawing attention, before focusing again on the hotel.
"Stupefy," she silently intoned, knocking him out instantly.
She hauled him up to the rooftop of the same building, keeping an eye out for any more visitors, and enchanted the terrace with a few spells to keep them hidden. She took everything he had, petrified him, tied him up, and then revived him. The man didn't even have time to blink before Seina was already in his mind.
"We've got work, guys," Motoi said, appearing through the hideout door. "Someone wants a man named Kobayashi from Takigakure alive. A high-ranking merchant. According to the information we've got, this guy will make a stop in Fuji before heading to the Land of Iron, so we need to nab him before he crosses the border."
"Don't you think Konoha will intervene since we're on their turf?"
"That's the funny part: Kobayashi doesn't know we're after him, so he won't ask Konoha for reinforcements."
"For our sake, I hope that's true," another man replied, sharpening some knives. "How much money are we talking?"
"20,000 ryos."
"That's not much," an old man with a blind eye spat. "We'd have to split the loot between five."
"Then don't join, Hayame. We'll split it between the four of us."
"When's he supposed to arrive in Fuji? Who are we delivering him to, and where?"
"Leave the delivery to me. Kobayashi will stop in Fuji on February 12th for his meeting. We'll start watching a day earlier, just in case."
Seina dug deeper into his mind, seeing the last conversation between Motoi, the leader, and Gensaburo, her new prisoner. She observed her client, accompanied by her, through Gensaburo's eyes. She knew Motoi expected him to send a message with a trained pigeon if Kobayashi changed his plans, so she was going to take advantage of that. First, she'd get the pigeon that Gensaburo had hidden, then force him to write a letter. When the bandit troupe appeared, she'd finish them off, but not before finding out what else Motoi knew about the whole situation.
She vanished into some alleys. She retrieved the pigeon box from Gensaburo's hideout and returned to the rooftop she had used as her interrogation room in the middle of the night.
"Imperio. Write a note to Motoi saying that Kobayashi and his daughter will depart at dawn tomorrow. You overheard one of the two hired civilians who will accompany them to the border with the Land of Iron."
She watched as he wrote the note without any resistance, his eyes completely clouded by the curse. She let him send the pigeon.
"Avada kedavra."
She made the body disappear into nothingness and returned to the hotel room. She didn't even need to enter the main bedroom to know her client was still sleeping. He wouldn't wake up for another eight hours. More than enough time to eliminate the other bandits without him noticing. She slept in the secondary room, in a western-style bed like the one she had at home.
When she woke up, the faint rays of the sun were starting to filter through the window. Nothing had changed during the night, so she checked all her weapons before sneaking out of the hotel. She arrived at the rooftop she had used, invisible, and summoned three more clones. One was transformed into Kobayashi while the other two became a couple of tall, strong men with slightly bored expressions. They left the city at dawn, just as Gensaburo had promised Motoi.
It didn't take more than 20 minutes of walking before she sensed the others' presence. She deliberately took a dirt road to lead them into the forest. Once she had them where she wanted, the other four appeared, including the half-blind old man from Gensaburo's memories.
"Well then, Kobayashi. You're going to come with us without resisting, or you and your daughter might end up… hurt."
Seina couldn't suppress a snort of laughter, which drew the attention of the bandits. She jumped up, accompanied by her clones. The bandits didn't even have time to blink before they found themselves unconscious. She killed them all, except Motoi. After taking their money, she disposed of the bodies and weapons before reviving him.
"Hello."
"W-what happened!? Who the hell are you!?"
"That's irrelevant," she replied, grabbing him by the hair to pull him upright and delving into his mind.
She replayed the memories from the leader's perspective, going deeper until she found what she wanted. Murasame was a rogue ninja from Amegakure. He had offered Motoi money to capture their client before they left the borders of the Land of Fire. Likely because he preferred not to set his criminal foot in Konoha's territory. Things were getting more interesting. What were so many different people plotting? Why had Kobayashi been told his head was supposedly worth 100,000 ryos, while these people wanted him alive? Something wasn't adding up. Bandits from the Land of Fire, rogue ninjas from Amegakure, rebels from Takigakure… This mission made less and less sense as the time went by.
"Avada kedavra."
She left, making the last body disappear. Using the hiraishin, she returned to the hotel room and revived the client with an ennervate. She let him get up alone, making all her clones vanish, and allowed him to freshen up in the private bathroom. Minutes later, he came out, seeing her seated on the sofa as if nothing had happened.
"Ah, Seina-san. You're already awake?" he asked with little surprise. "We can order breakfast to the room if you like."
She nodded. The fewer people around, the easier it would be to protect him. They ate breakfast in silence before packing up the few things they had in the hotel room. Somewhat bored, Seina retraced her steps from earlier that morning, but this time, there were no bandits lying in wait. Still, Motoi had provided relevant information, such as that others wanted to kidnap Kobayashi alive. Ninjas who would be waiting for them to leave the Land of Fire. She would need to double security as they neared the border of the Land of Iron.
Looking through the eyes of her summons, several dozen meters ahead of them, she confirmed they were alone. Fortunately, the day passed quickly. Motoi had arranged to meet Murasame at the Amegakure border, but they were heading in the opposite direction, so she knew they were relatively far from danger. By nightfall, they crossed into the Land of Iron, seeking the nearest town or village.
"The meeting is scheduled in two days, so I'm a day ahead," the client informed her. "We can stay an extra day in the city of Yoshiba before heading to Takigakure."
"That sounds fine."
Once they entered the inn and settled in, Kobayashi gestured for her to sit. With some curiosity, Seina complied.
"Why did you ask me about someone named Motoi and Murasame?"
Seina stared into his eyes. Was he hiding something? She had a strange feeling her client knew more than he was letting on.
"Why do you want to know?"
"I just found it curious. I don't know you that well, but I think you wouldn't ask unless it was important."
"Do you know them?"
"No. I've been thinking about them, but I'm sure I don't," the client firmly denied.
"Motoi was a bandit who tried to kidnap you outside Fuji. Apparently, he was hired by a rogue ninja from Amegakure named Murasame," she explained concisely.
"Was?" Fuuta Kobayashi asked, looking slightly pale.
"Was. I eliminated him and his band of bandits this morning. I also interrogated him. He gave me this name. He said you were wanted alive for 20,000 ryo."
"I knew something felt off..." the client muttered to himself. "Thank you for protecting me, Seina-san."
"It's my mission. But still, it seems Murasame isn't acting alone. Something about this doesn't sit right."
She saw a muscle twitch ever so slightly in his face, and his shoulders tensed. She knew definitively that he was hiding something.
"What aren't you telling me?"
"Why do you think I'm not telling you everything?"
Seina stared at him in frustration before finally sighing. He seemed to be debating whether to tell her something secret or say nothing at all.
"If you have important information, you should tell me. Bandits have already tried to kill you, and Amegakure ninjas want you too. For your own sake, I'd start talking."
"Hisen didn't give me the water," he said after a few minutes of tense silence. "He has it hidden. He suspects someone in Takigakure, so he made it seem like I had the water to lure them out and catch them in the act."
"So, you're bait," she finally understood.
"I'm afraid so."
Hisen, the leader of Takigakure, must have known exactly who the traitor was. Otherwise, why put on this entire show? He needed proof to accuse one of his ninjas or allies. By doing this, he killed two birds with one stone: Kobayashi was being protected by Konoha, while he investigated the moles in his organization. Honest, decent, but cunning, it seemed. However, it was also clear that the traitor was smart too. Instead of going after Kobayashi directly, they sent rogue ninjas to do the dirty work. This way, despite being a traitor, they avoided getting caught with blood on their hands, just like Hisen was doing. A complete circus, indeed.
"The only thing we know for sure is that they'll try again soon. By now, the Amegakure ninjas must know the bandits they hired have failed. If they're remotely intelligent, they'll suspect you're not alone. So, starting tomorrow, I'll put you under a genjutsu while we travel to Yoshiba. With a bit of luck, we'll go unnoticed."
They went to sleep after having dinner in their room. Now that she knew all this, she was certain they would try to kidnap him again. They would probably suspect her, the daughter who appeared out of nowhere in the Land of Fire. If it were up to her, she would have flown off with the client, but she knew she had to be more discreet with the abilities she showed foreigners and the criminals after them. The best option would be to use her magic to make them undetectable. As long as they didn't actively draw attention, they could easily pass unnoticed. Still, if things went south, she would use her powers to flee with the client and avoid a confrontation.
The next day, she woke up at dawn, as usual, noticing that Kobayashi was still asleep. She took a quick shower and dressed in civilian clothes. She also ordered breakfast to the room, pretending to be Kobayashi. Just as her clone, disguised with a henge, received the various dishes, the client appeared, freshly dressed.
"I'd like to leave as soon as possible, if you don't mind," she said. "It will take us a day to reach Yoshiba, and I'd prefer to arrive before nightfall."
"Of course."
They ate in silence, left the inn, and headed north once again. Seina stopped after a few minutes to check that they were alone.
"I'm going to put us under the genjutsu. From now on, try to make as little noise as possible. If you need to communicate with me, touch my arm."
"Understood."
Seina cast all the necessary spells, summoned her creatures, and activated the modified revelio she used to see auras. With all that and her spy spells, she would be able to see anyone coming from afar. They didn't encounter anyone for hours, but they did see people in the distance traveling along the roads. Some alone, others in groups, even a few samurai. They stopped for lunch in a small village and then resumed their journey under more spells. They even arrived ahead of schedule.
"Ah, Yoshiba. Have you ever been here before?"
"No, but it's interesting," she replied. She had already planted another of her sealed stones outside the city, just in case.
"Land of samurai and iron mines, or so they say. The people here are pretty neutral in most situations you might encounter. A good reason to do business with them," he confessed.
Seina nodded without much enthusiasm. She wasn't interested in doing business with anyone for now, but she would keep it in mind. They stayed at another luxurious hotel, although this one was in a traditional Japanese style.
"How long will you be staying?" the receptionist asked.
"Two nights."
Seina looked around with feigned childlike curiosity. No one was watching them, nor did she sense any chakra, but when she turned to look at the receptionist again, she saw through the large decorative mirror on the wall that one of the guests who had been sitting in the hotel lobby had disappeared. She had only turned away for a second, and they seemed to have vanished. She blinked, avoiding narrowing her eyes in confusion. She continued glancing around, as if bored, but nothing else seemed odd.
Once they were able to go to their room, Seina took the client's hand with a fake smile. Kobayashi looked slightly confused but seemed to understand that something was wrong, as he simply returned the smile. Meanwhile, Seina sharpened all her senses but didn't perceive any malevolent presence. She firmly closed the door behind them. Then, she began to protect the room with her magic, preferring not to raise any chakra barriers to avoid drawing attention.
"What's going on?"
"I'm not sure yet, but I think we have company. And this time, it's a ninja," she admitted. There was no point in denying it. "Don't open the door unless I'm with you, understood? And the windows too."
They dined in the room again, despite the buffet available in the hotel restaurant. A little later, with nothing else to do, Kobayashi went for a long bath while Seina summoned several of her creatures. It didn't take long before she realized they were being watched by the same man. He didn't look the same, but the black cloak with a tear at the bottom and a mud stain on the right wrist was unmistakable. If it weren't for her insects passing unnoticed in the night, capable of detecting auras like she could, she wouldn't have seen him. He was hiding in the ventilation shaft on the roof of the casino opposite the hotel, peering through the grates while concealing his presence.
Damn. She'd been right to think he had vanished so suddenly. He was definitely a ninja. She left one of her summons with him while she worked on a plan. This one wasn't going to be as easy to capture as Gensaburo. She hesitated about whether to attack him at night. She knew he was a ninja, not a mere bandit, so she had no idea what his abilities were. To make matters worse, she had no reinforcements. Did she want to risk getting injured and endangering the client? No. It would be better to avoid direct confrontation as long as possible. She would stick to Kobayashi like glue for the two days they stayed in the city. After that, she would figure something out…