"Anko, Itachi, from here on, you two will be in charge of guarding Tanzai-san's warehouse."
The two gave a crisp acknowledgment. Roshi then turned his calm gaze toward Jirocho. "I understand your concern. If what you've told me is accurate, then your situation, Wasabi-san, may not remain safe for long."
Indeed, for Jirocho to openly seek out Konoha shinobi was a move that would not go unnoticed—and likely be seen as a threat.
Roshi had half-expected Jirocho to invite him back to his residence immediately. Instead, after a brief hesitation, Jirocho bowed slightly. "My affairs are stable for now, but there are matters I must arrange. If you don't mind, Roshi-kun, please wait here. Once I've settled things, I will personally return to offer a proper apology."
"Then I won't keep you, Wasabi-san. Go on."
With another polite apology, Jirocho withdrew. Roshi watched him depart with a handful of guards, his expression faintly thoughtful.
"That guy," Anko muttered, arms folded. "He's the one asking for help, yet when you offer protection, Roshi, he backs away." She'd clearly caught on to Roshi's intent, but Jirocho's refusal made it obvious he was holding something back.
"Perhaps he already has protectors in the shadows," Roshi replied evenly. "If so, he'll need to make arrangements before showing his hand."
Anko let out a weary sigh. "This mission is a mess. As expected of a Special Jonin, though—your mind's sharp, Roshi. You don't let it get under your skin." With that, she dropped onto the bed, sprawled like someone finally letting her exhaustion show.
Itachi's eyes shifted sideways, catching every word without comment.
Anko grumbled on, "Still… since Hokage-sama already accepted the Wasabi family's request, why keep everything so vague? If we'd known the real situation from the start, we could've dealt with those thugs at the gate."
Finally, Itachi broke his silence. His tone was quiet but firm. "As shinobi, we cannot openly move against official figures, Anko-senpai."
"Hmph, so they say. But then why bother with the merchant's commission at all? By now, that part of the mission should be considered finished, right? If we can't handle this in the open, why not deal with it at night? They're just ordinary people anyway."
Itachi's gaze flickered. "The Village gave us more than one objective. Either those bandits are tied to rogue shinobi, or there are shinobi among them." He recalled his first mission with Roshi, when a supposed bandit gang of a dozen turned out to be led by a rogue ninja. "That's why Captain didn't act rashly."
"But—"
"Water?" Roshi interrupted, pouring himself a glass.
Anko perked up. "I'll take some too." She slid into the chair opposite him.
Roshi passed her a cup and spoke, his tone as measured as ever. "As Itachi said, for the Chayama Gang to be accepted into local power, there must be someone backing them. As for Hokage-sama not spelling it out…" His eyes narrowed slightly. "It's not unprecedented."
He thought back to the Wave Country mission. Tazuna couldn't afford to commission shinobi for a direct fight against rogue ninja, so he cleverly issued a C-rank escort request. Yet the reality was far beyond what he'd paid for.
For a civilian, the deception was one thing. But as shinobi—especially at Jonin level—you quickly learned how much the Village itself chose to overlook. Konoha's review process wasn't so simple that a client could lie and get away with it. The Hidden Mist's Demon Brothers, then Zabuza himself… Kakashi must have seen through the inconsistencies.
And yet, he continued the mission. Perhaps because villages did take care of lower-level rogues when convenient. But against a former Mist swordsman of Zabuza's level—especially while leading three genin—it was a gamble with layers of intention behind it.
The most likely scenario was that Konoha, still reeling from the shock of the Uchiha clan massacre, had been searching for new mission sources and, at the same time, testing the waters in the Wave Country. Feigning ignorance of Tazuna's true intentions fit the village's strategy perfectly.
In truth, during the Wave Country incident, both Tazuna and Konoha had been seeking each other out. That was the most reasonable explanation.
This escort mission, however, was a different matter entirely. Tanzai had simply posted what he believed to be a top-tier C-rank commission. Konoha, spotting the opportunity—and finding the payment acceptable—reclassified it as B-rank, dispatching Team 5 to handle Deai Port's situation.
The Black Snake Group's involvement was still uncertain, so the two additional tasks were listed as optional.
Only the B-rank escort portion was mandatory.
As for why the details hadn't been laid out explicitly…
Perhaps the one being tested is me. Roshi had already formed a rough idea.
His current approach was a far cry from the "old" Roshi. From the very first mission he had chosen after recovering, to his detached attitude toward this second assignment, nothing resembled the boy who once sought to prove that the Senju's glory still burned brightly.
Even in his past life, when a model employee suddenly stopped striving, their boss would inevitably come down in person, concerned something had gone wrong.
So this was that kind of mission.
A mission with little real difficulty—where the degree of success depended entirely on Roshi's own initiative.
He could simply finish the bare minimum escort work. The Village would not blame him for ignoring Wasabi Jirocho, since Jirocho had no official token proving Konoha's acceptance of his plea.
On paper, this B-rank would look like nothing more than a reward for a war hero—an insignificant line on his record. Afterwards, the Village would likely conclude that Roshi, nearly killed in the war, had lost his edge, and his career path would be adjusted accordingly.
That was probably the outcome most aligned with Grandma Momoka's expectations.
And truthfully, it suited Roshi's own self-image as well—just an ordinary, unlucky yet fortunate man, with no particular brilliance or talent.
But reality didn't permit such complacency. The Uchiha clan's downfall, for instance, was not only a wound to the village's strength—it threatened the stability of the environment Roshi lived in. To shield himself from the ripples of such events, he could not afford to remain too low in the Village's hierarchy.
"Ninja Villages interfering in another country's affairs is never something they'll admit openly," Roshi explained to Anko. "That's why they sent a Jonin team instead of a lower rank. We're given discretion to act as the situation demands."
"Heh, then I'll just leave it all to Special Jonin-sama," Anko chuckled, stretching. "A simple kunoichi like me is only good for following orders."
Her lazy, almost mocking tone earned her a sidelong glance from Roshi. If only it were really that simple—for him to just lift a finger and be done with it.
Meanwhile, as Jirocho concluded his visit, the current captain of Deai Port's guards reported the city gate incident to a tall man. He wore a brown kimono beneath a white haori, a samurai blade resting at his side.
"Jubei-sama, how should we deal with those ninja? About the city gate tax…"
Jubei's eyes narrowed, sharp and sinister. "Watch them. Do not provoke Konoha shinobi. Forget the city gate tax for now—we'll revisit it after they're gone." His gaze darkened. "Control your men. Understand?"
The captain paled, dropping to one knee at once. "Y-Yes, sir."
At the same time, in the Wasabi household, Jirocho was in quiet discussion with another figure.
"Oh… Special Jonin Roshi, was it?"
"It makes no difference," the other replied. "If he's curious, let him come."
"Then I'll extend another invitation. My earlier refusal must have raised doubts in him—perhaps even suspicion about my trustworthiness," Jirocho said with a polite smile, rising to his feet.
The figure chuckled. "No matter. Once he meets me, he'll understand."
"Of course," Jirocho replied smoothly.
--------------------------------
AN: Check out my P@treon For +40 extra chapters.
Thank You For your Support!!
[email protected]/noviceauthor777