[POV: Sarutobi Hiruzen]
Morning sunlight streamed through the windows of the Hokage Tower, glinting off the polished desk where a rotund man in embroidered robes sat fanning himself. Rings sparkled on every finger, the scent of sandalwood and rich perfume flooding the air.
"So these are your prized students, Hokage-sama?" the man said, his voice oily but pleasant. "Are the rumours of you spending almost every day with them true?"
The man was Yorozu Genba, the Silk Baron of Tanzaku Quarters. A merchant whose wealth and ego could rival nobility. His silks clothed nobles, his caravans ran through Fire Country's veins. One thing of note was his position as the mayor of Tanzaku Quarters, known for its gambling dens and casinos.
'It's the reason I chose him as their first mission, after all,' I thought to myself, seeing his records.
I forced a chuckle as if to humour him. "They are indeed capable. I value them greatly. While I'm not sure where you've heard about that, I can't deny I spend most of my time with them."
Genba laughed heartily. "Ah, dedication! A trait I admire in a leader. Especially one who takes such personal care of his pupils!"
Behind the man, Tsunade shifted uncomfortably. She, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru stood at attention, their new gear gleaming faintly in the light. Tsunade's reinforced gloves flexed quietly as she crossed her arms. Orochimaru's blade and tools were perfectly aligned. Jiraiya's red armour plates caught the attention of the merchant.
"Hey, what's your name, kid? That's some cool armour," Genba asked Jiraiya, to which I narrowed my eyes.
"Thank you, sir. I got this armour because it's what Lord Third used to wear," he answered simply, which satisfied the merchant's curiosity. "I'll personally ensure your safety, so you can count on me."
Seeing this, an impressed look adorned his face.
The merchant seemed quite stoked to have my students accompany him to show off to his competitors. After out bidding them of course. He mainly cares about the fact that he'd hired my students, rather than his safety.
'I still can't understand rich merchants and their flaunting of wealth,' I thought, shaking my head.
Whatever makes the money go into the villages pockets I suppose.
...
_____
[POV: Jiraiya]
When the meeting ended and the client finally left to be escorted in half an hour, we made our way outside without Sensei. Only to be greeted by a man wearing the typical ANBU outfit. But instead of a mask, it was a plain face with brown hair and black eyes.
He had a scroll in his hands and was looking at us with a smile.
"Good," he said when we approached. "You handled yourselves well in there."
"Is that you, Sensei?" Tsunade asked, eyes narrowing.
"Mm." Hiruzen smirked. "The real Hokage can't be seen casually leaving the village just for a C-rank mission now."
He unrolled the scroll and handed it to me. The paper bore neat inked lines — mission type, payment, and client name.
---
Mission: C-rank Escort
Client: Yorozu Genba, Silk Baron of Tanzaku Quarters
Destination: The Land of Fire
Reward: 450,000 ryō
---
"Half the missions this week were low-paying domestic errands," Hiruzen said, tone turning dry. "This one stood out not just for the money, but for the potential trouble."
My brows furrowed at his words. "Trouble?"Did that mean he was intentionally trying to keep us on edge?
"My sources say a few broke samurai have been lingering around Tanzaku lately. Lost their fortunes in Genba's dens. Desperate men, angry men. A prime opportunity for you three to practice real escort tactics."
Orochimaru nodded once, thoughtful. "So we're bait, in a sense."
Hiruzen's smile widened. "They're causing a disturbance and picked up a tiny bounty by Genba. If you guys are lucky, on top of the generous payment, you'll get some extra."
"Money!" Tsunade and I shouted as we high-fived each other. Orochimaru, to the side, just had a small grin as he started counting.
"I could afford a ninjutsu with that..." he whispered.
Hiruzen, who saw us, just pinched the bridge of his nose exasperatedly.
We might disagree with each other, but money really solved most problems at times. Especially when it came to a better lifestyle. Plus, high-end food and potential equipment never hurt anybody if I could afford them.
This was like half a year's worth of pay just for a week of escorting someone.This was the life!
Sensei gave the scroll to Orochimaru. "Ten percent of the pay goes to the village. The rest to you three."
Tsunade glanced over, not with her usual retort but an approving smile. "That's good. It means you have more money to spend when you treat me to food."
Her words confused me as my head whipped around."Wait, what?" I said, not remembering anything of the sort.
"You promised to pay for our meal when you ditched us!" she said, her temper starting to flare.
'Damn is this when I ditched to go to Mt Myokobu…'
"How about this. I'll pay for both Orochimaru's and your meals, but separately. Because I'm not paying for two people at the same time. If I'm paying, it's just me and another." My words seemed to satisfy her.
Hiruzen, who was to my right, elbowed my arm for some reason.
'Damn, beating me wasn't enough? What is this, bullying?'
"Sure, but because of you forgetting, you must treat me to five meals! No, ten! My birthday is coming up," she said, making my head cock back in disgust.
The greed is oozing out, girl. Relax…
"Fine, but just because you're cute," I muttered. In reality, I was more happy than not. Creating a better relationship with Tsunade and Orochimaru was never a bad thing. Especially since they would have my back in the Second Shinobi War.
Tsunade, who heard my words, had an adorable smile on her face. She felt victorious as she posed with hands on her hips, as if she'd won a prize.The temptation to squeeze her face like I used to do with my niece back on Earth was apparent but my face's structure was more important.
It's like investing in Bitcoin.
She was the future number one medical ninja. If I were ever injured, she'd at least prioritise me to some extent.
"How many meals do I get, Jiraiya?" a voice interrupted me out of my musings. It was Orochimaru, with a shine in his eyes. Ironically, Orochimaru too was adorable as a child, so I could see why Hiruzen was so fond of them.
Putting a hand over his shoulder, I laughed."Eleven meals."
That made Tsunade look at me with a dangerous glare.
"Let's head off now. The Silk Baron will be at the northern gate," Sensei said finally, interrupting our chatter. "I'll be accompanying you with this look."
And with that, he formed a seal and vanished into smoke, leaving only the faint scent of tobacco behind.
The northern gate buzzed with morning activity. Merchants yelled over one another, guards checked manifests, and the air smelled of dust and freshly baked bread. Our client, the Silk Baron himself, stood in the middle of it all like a peacock among pigeons.
'His robes are quite literally shimmering gold and violet', I thought, amused.
"Ah! My brave escorts!" Genba called out as he spotted us, spreading his arms as if greeting old friends. "Let's make this journey pleasant and profitable, shall we?"
I forced a grin. "As long as no one's dumb enough to mess with you, sir."
His laugh at my words seemed jolly. My eyes already wandered to the glittering lacquered crates being loaded. Beside me, Orochimaru adjusted his pack.
Hiruzen, still in disguise as the plain-faced ANBU, strode beside the lead cart. "Remember," he said quietly, "this is not a sightseeing trip. Keep your eyes open and scanning. If anything feels off, don't hesitate."
We all nodded as the trip got underway.
Watching the distant gates of Konoha fade, my eyes set back on the road with a serious look.
The first few hours went smoothly. The road wound through gentle forest hills, sunlight flickering through the canopy above. Birds chirped, wheels creaked, and the baron's attendants gossiped about gambling halls and business rivals.
It wasn't too interesting.Outside of shinobi matters, nothing really was.
By midday, the caravan stopped for rest near a stream. The baron's servants unpacked a fancy folding table and cushions, while we sat on rocks with rice balls and tea.
Tsunade nudged me lightly. "You're quieter than usual."
"Just thinking," I said. "Feels weird doing a real escort. We've done training, D-rank missions, but this… it's different. Being outside of Konoha."
Her expression softened, a small, rare smile tugging at her lips. "I understand. It's my first time outside of Konoha as well."
'Well I'll be. When she's not insulting me, she's sorta bearable,' I joked to myself.
I chuckled faintly. "Guess I better not screw it up then."
This scouting thing was honestly annoying. When I make my team, I'm willing to kidnap a Hyūga or a natural sensor if possible. Thinking of this reminded me of Sensei beating the breaks off me during training.
'Does he know I want to make my own squad?' I thought.
While I wasn't exactly trying to hide it, it meant Hiruzen was watching over my talk with Hiruko which wasn't ideal. I'd rather keep my talk-no-jutsu moments to myself, but if it gave me brownie points, then why not?
Maybe using my reputation as Hiruzen's student, I wouldn't have to look too hard for a sensor.Or maybe just asking him normally would work too.
It was just a thought, but knowing my team's future accomplishments, I couldn't help thinking ahead. Anyone in my future squad would be under the Hokage's banner. Something I could take advantage of.
Whoosh!
Before my thoughts could wander more, the sound of an arrow cut through the air.
With my reaction time improved due to it being apart of my Taijutsu training, it wasn't too hard to react.
The first arrow came from the trees, heading straight for one of the civilians near the supply caravans. Seeing this, my body immediately activated [Body Enhancement], and I dashed forward getting in front of the man and blocking the arrow with my armour.
CLANG!
"Ambush!" I shouted.
The forest erupted. From both sides of the road, men in dull armour burst out. Fifteen, maybe more with their faces half-hidden under cracked kabuto helmets. They looked like samurai, not trained shinobi.
Nonetheless, they were dangerous and shouldn't be underestimated.
'Fuck, Orochimaru is by himself on the other side,' I thought, remembering that Hiruzen wouldn't help us unless the merchant himself was in danger.
"Tsunade, go help Orochimaru now!" I shouted.
"What about you!?" she screamed back.
"I have my toad summon, GO!" This time my words worked as she started to run, taking me at my word.
"You better be alright," she said, her voice lowering as she sprinted to the other side of the caravans.
Biting my left thumb, I drew blood, smearing it across my right palm and forming a few hand seals.
Poof!
Half my chakra vanished in an instant.
The moment the technique finished, I was suddenly boosted upward as my feet landed on an unfamiliar surface. A toad five times my size stood beneath me, wearing a navy jacket, a large tanto strapped to his side, and a pipe in his mouth.
He'd grown in size again.
"Are they bothering you, Jiraiya? Don't worry, they'll be taking a hike soon," the gruff voice of Gamabunta rumbled.