Chapter 149: Visiting the Outpost
When his students were all asleep, Renjiro decided to visit his old friend to catch up.
He and Akimichi Seiichi talked for a long time, reminiscing about old memories and sharing recent events.
After their chat, Renjiro wrote a report and attached it to a messenger hawk. The hawk flew toward Konoha.
After a long sleep, the three woke up. After washing up, they met Renjiro, who was having breakfast with Seiichi.
Akimichi Seiichi looked at them and said, "Come, eat with us."
After learning a lot about them from Renjiro, Seiichi's impression of them had improved significantly.
The three didn't stand on ceremony and joined them directly.
However, upon seeing the food on the table, the three had the same thought: "How can this be called breakfast! The entire table is filled with grilled meat."
Kaito grabbed a piece of meat and ate it. His expression immediately changed. "Damn! This is incredible!"
He ignored everyone else and started eating rapidly!
Hodaka and Mieko looked at Kaito and also took a bite. Then they too began eating quickly, though still mindful of their manners.
Seeing them all eat so fast, Seiichi chuckled. "No need to rush, the food isn't going anywhere."
The three all nodded. Seeing them nod obediently, Seiichi smiled. However, his smile soon faded.
The three kids ignored his advice and continued eating at the same speed. Renjiro chuckled at Seiichi's reaction.
Meanwhile, Kaito thought, "An Akimichi telling us the food isn't going anywhere... as if anyone would believe that."
After finishing their meal, Kaito asked, "Sensei, what are we doing today?"
Renjiro said, "Take a rest. You can also tour the patrol outpost, and if you're bored, go on a patrol. It'll be helpful if you're assigned to patrol duty in the future. However, don't waste chakra. We depart tomorrow morning."
Kaito replied, "Understood, Sensei."
He thought, "I never really thought about the ninja who go out on patrol. I wonder how many ninja are deployed this way."
After a moment of thought, he concluded, "Considering the large number of bandits in this country, probably not that many. This job seems boring, but it might be a good way to explore the country."
Seiichi called for Inuzuka Hoka, who arrived quickly. He said, "Since you all fought together yesterday, I'll leave them in your care. Hoka, show them around the outpost and how the patrol teams operate."
Hoka replied, "Yes, Seiichi-san."
He looked at the three and said, "Follow me."
Kaito, Mieko, and Hodaka followed him.
While Hoka was showing them around, Hiruzen read the report sent by Renjiro.
After analyzing it, a look of concern appeared on his face.
"The civil war within the Hidden Mist is affecting other countries. There may be more incidents like this in the future. I should deploy some ANBU squads along the coastline."
He looked at the ANBU ninja concealed in his office.
Realizing the Hokage needed him, the ANBU ninja appeared before Hiruzen. Hiruzen ordered, "Summon the ANBU tracking unit."
The ANBU ninja nodded and disappeared.
Hoka led the three on a tour of the patrol outpost. He said, "This is the command outpost on Konoha's eastern border, so it's very large and well-maintained. There are many smaller outposts throughout the country, but they only have basic facilities."
Kaito thought, "No wonder. This outpost is really big. I thought it would be a single building at most."
Hoka showed them the important locations in the outpost and introduced them to some of his friends.
Finally, they climbed a watchtower.
Upon reaching the top of the tower, the three admired the surrounding scenery.
The buildings within the outpost were symmetrically arranged, and it was surrounded by lush green forests. Adding to the beauty, the sun was just beginning to rise, and its rays pierced through the treetops.
Kaito, Mieko, and Hodaka all felt an immense sense of peace at this sight. Kaito thought, "How magnificent! Perhaps, after everything settles down, I should travel around this world. I want to see what exists beyond the hidden villages."
Seeing the three kids immersed in the scenery, Hoka smiled and said nothing.
After some time, they stopped admiring the view. Mieko said, "I never thought we'd see such a beautiful view at a patrol outpost."
Hodaka added, "Yeah, it feels wonderful."
Kaito nodded.
Hoka chuckled. "Scenery like this is the main reason most people here accept patrol missions. Beautiful views, a peaceful life, and relaxed responsibilities are all advantages of this job. Situations like yesterday are rare in peacetime. Usually, we just conduct routine patrols and don't find any disturbances."
Kaito looked at Hoka, wondering, "Then how did so many ninja enter the Land of Fire during past incidents? Was it because the patrol team did a poor job, or were some of them bribed? Hmm, there's another possibility—that Konoha deliberately let them in, so they could be eliminated without even a chance to escape."
Hodaka asked Hoka, "Can you take us on a patrol?"
Hodaka wanted to learn more, as many of his predecessors and Hyuga clan elders often performed patrol missions.
Hoka nodded. "Alright, let's go."
He jumped down from the watchtower. Hodaka, Mieko, and Kaito followed him.
They left the outpost and entered the forest, running at a moderate speed through the branches.
Hoka said, "I'm just taking you on a random patrol route. Usually, all patrol teams have fixed routes they must cover every day. And several squads patrol randomly, just in case someone learns our patrol routes and uses them to avoid us."
Hodaka said, "That's very smart. It'll make hiding extremely difficult!"
Hoka nodded and added, "Additionally, each patrol team has a ninja from the Inuzuka Clan, Hyuga Clan, or Aburame Clan, so our patrol range is much larger, and any intruders who want to avoid us must consider all these factors."
The three nodded. They understood the specialties of each clan. Hoka led them on a two-hour patrol.
Kaito and Hodaka used their abilities to help Hoka with the patrol mission. But they didn't find anything unusual. Then they returned to the outpost.
Having nothing else to do, they spent the rest of their time meditating and training. During lunch and dinner, they socialized with the other people at the outpost.
In the evening, an ANBU squad entered the outpost! They walked into the main building.
Renjiro and Seiichi were playing shogi. Both turned their heads at the same time and saw four ANBU ninja.
The captain of the four had silver hair and wore a fox mask. Both immediately recognized who the ANBU captain was.
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