Chapter 93: Escorting the Caravan
Hodaka, Kaito, and Mieko waited outside the Hokage Building, while Renjiro went inside to request more missions.
Mieko complained, "Why are there so many bandits in our country? And why aren't they any stronger?"
Hodaka sighed and said, "Yes, eighteen bandit bases, and not a single bandit stronger than genin level."
Kaito added, "I think our missions are deliberately chosen so we don't encounter any formidable enemies."
Mieko commented, "That's even more disappointing!"
Kaito sighed, nodded, and said, "Yeah, but I heard that many C-rank missions run into unexpected trouble and can be upgraded directly to B-rank, or even A-rank missions. I thought this was common, but now it seems I was wrong."
Hodaka replied, "That situation isn't common. But when it does happen, it often leads to serious injury or death. That's why you hear about them so often—they're memorable incidents."
Kaito said, "Oh, that makes sense. I hadn't thought of it that way."
Mieko interrupted, "You're getting off topic. Think about how we can get better missions! Should I go yell at the mission coordinator again? Last time he gave us a C-rank mission after that. So maybe this time he might give us a B-rank mission."
Kaito looked at her and asked in a bored tone, "Last time I threatened him that you would burn down his office. I don't think he'd be impressed by threats involving bandits."
This made her face flush slightly with embarrassment.
They were about to chat more when Renjiro emerged from the building. He announced, "Today, we're not doing any bandit extermination missions."
Hearing this, the squad members were delighted. Mieko eagerly asked with anticipation, "Sensei, can we do a B-rank mission now?"
Renjiro was amused by her question. He shook his head and replied, "No, we will be escorting a group of merchants to Degarashi Port in the Land of Tea."
Her hopes were instantly dashed.
Hearing this, the three genin stared at Renjiro with clear disappointment.
Kaito asked, "Sensei, what are we protecting them from?"
Renjiro smiled and replied, "Protecting them from bandits, of course."
He enjoyed the rebellious expressions on his students' faces for a few seconds, then said, "This will be a long journey. It will take us about two weeks to reach our destination, and about three days to return. So pack your things—we'll depart at noon."
The genin agreed dejectedly and then left. As she was leaving, Mieko asked Kaito, "Kaito, do you think it would be effective to threaten the mission coordinator with the merchants' safety?"
The squad hadn't gone far. Renjiro, overhearing this, immediately felt a headache coming on. He raised his voice slightly so his students could hear, "If you do that, I'll just take you on more bandit extermination missions for the next three months..."
They didn't want to hear their sensei's threats anymore, so they just laughed and used Body Flicker to escape.
Renjiro watched his students' antics, sighed, and muttered, "It seems I'm getting old and not suited for dealing with these troublesome kids anymore."
Konoha Main Gate:
At noon, Team Renjiro gathered at the gate.
As usual, Kaito was the last to arrive.
Renjiro, Hodaka, and Mieko were already standing there, along with eight merchants and two wagons loaded with goods.
The reins of the two wagons were tied to two oxen respectively.
Kaito walked toward Hodaka and Mieko, who were standing behind Renjiro, as Renjiro was conversing with the most elegantly dressed merchant.
Upon seeing Kaito, Renjiro said, "Toshio-san, this is Kaito, the last member of our squad."
Kaito looked at the man and said, "Hello."
The merchant smiled, gave a slight bow to Kaito, and said, "I am Iha Toshio, a merchant from the Land of Tea. Kaito-kun, please take care of us on this journey."
Kaito nodded, thinking, "This guy is quite polite! Did he greet all three of us like this? But honestly, although he seems calm on the surface, he's actually quite nervous."
Kaito looked at Renjiro, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Is the content of this mission more complex than he said? Now that I think about it, why did he suddenly take on such a long mission? Earlier, he seemed very focused on making the area around the Land of Fire free of bandits."
Renjiro noticed Kaito staring at him and thought, "Has his sensory perception become so sharp that he can even detect emotional states? I know he can detect lies through chakra fluctuations, but has his perception improved to this extent? Few people besides the Yamanaka Clan can sense emotional distress, and most of them are experienced, veteran shinobi."
Not wanting Kaito to discover anything concerning, Renjiro said, "There are many bandit bases along the path we're taking. We've already eliminated most of the bandit bases between Konoha and the Land of Rivers, and toward the Land of Rain."
"Through this mission, we will eliminate the bandits on the route from Konoha to the Land of Tea. So stay vigilant, as there are at least seventeen known bandit bases on our path."
The genin nodded at these words. Mieko and Hodaka sighed inwardly. Kaito, however, wondered, "Is he only worried about the bandits? Or is there something else? Hmm, never mind, I'll find out soon enough. But I should remain vigilant."
Afterward, Renjiro conducted an inventory check, while Iha Toshio verified that all goods were properly packed.
Fifteen minutes later, Team Renjiro set off with the merchants from the Land of Tea.
Two wagons, eight merchants, and four shinobi traveled steadily away from Konoha.
They continued until evening without rest, then set up camp.
They encountered no bandits along the way, as all bandits in this area had been eliminated by three of the four shinobi not long ago.
During dinner, Hodaka sighed and said, "They're moving so slowly."
Kaito agreed, "Yeah. For the past four months, we've either been training or exterminating bandits. So we've almost always moved at maximum speed."
Mieko also joined the conversation, saying, "At least these wagons are faster than the last escort mission. The one to the Land of Rivers had twelve wagons! And the wheels kept breaking!"
Hodaka laughed and said, "Yeah, I remember how frustrated you were during that mission."
Kaito added, "I suspect the main reason sensei stood next to the wagons the whole time was because he was worried you'd burn them down in frustration."
Hodaka also laughed, while Renjiro ignored their jokes. Mieko just snorted, disregarding them.
After dinner, Renjiro said, "We'll start moving at four in the morning tomorrow. Tomorrow's pace will be faster than today's. Tonight, everyone will take turns on watch. Kaito, you go first. Wake Hodaka up after two hours. After Hodaka is Mieko, and finally me."
The genin nodded. Renjiro chatted with Iha Toshio for a while longer.
Soon, Hodaka, Mieko, Renjiro, and the merchants were asleep, while Kaito kept watch over the camp.
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