Three days later. The Capital.
Several carriages slowly rolled onto the grand avenue leading into the heart of the Capital. They were flanked by a squad of shinobi, alongside a young boy dressed in a black t-shirt and white shorts.
From a vantage point in the distance, eyes watched their arrival.
"Is that the Jinchūriki you spoke of?"
"Yes, Sanjo-sama."
Kazuma nodded, his expression confident as he outlined his scheme. "Once we bring him under our control, we can use him as a weapon—a bargaining chip. We will force Konoha to make concessions, allowing us to slowly chip away at their authority."
Seated in the position of honor, Sanjo's brow remained furrowed with concern. "Sarutobi Hiruzen is reasonable enough to negotiate with, but Danzō is a different breed entirely."
"Danzō is a vicious dog, true. But even the most vicious dog must obey the Hokage," Kazuma analyzed calmly. "Furthermore, Danzō has recently lost the Hokage's trust. And even if he does decide to strike..." He paused, a cold smirk touching his lips. "I have a way to deal with him."
Sanjo looked surprised. "You can handle him?"
"I've secured outside assistance," Kazuma replied. "Their identity cannot see the light of day, but then again, neither can Danzō's actions against us."
The official nodded with satisfaction. "Then I am relieved. Rest assured, once this is done, your rewards will be substantial."
"I do this only to realize the vision of returning true power to His Excellency, the Daimyō," Kazuma answered dutifully.
Sanjo frowned slightly at the fervor but didn't argue, simply nodding gently. "Indeed. We all strive to restore authority to where it belongs."
He looked back at Kazuma, his gaze heavy with expectation. "I leave them to you."
On the Main Avenue.
Naruto looked around wildly, his blue eyes wide with curiosity at every new sight.
"So this is the Capital?"
"It is. You've never been here before, right?" Masahiko asked with a warm smile.
Naruto nodded vigorously. "I've never left the village before! This is my first time. Wow, look at that house! It's huge! It's so... majestic!"
"That is the residence for receiving state guests," Kurenai Yūhi explained in a low voice, walking beside them. "Barring any surprises, that is where we will be staying tonight."
Masahiko nodded in understanding. Then, glancing sideways, he lowered his voice so only she could hear. "Kurenai, do you sense anything off?"
As a Tokubetsu Jōnin specializing in Genjutsu, Kurenai's spiritual energy and sensory abilities were exceptional. She was also the primary liaison for this mission, partly due to her connection with Asuma, who was stationed here. This was precisely why the Third Hokage had assigned her to the public escort team.
Kurenai gave a barely perceptible nod. "I do. I can't pinpoint the exact location, but it feels like the Guardian Ninja. I'm not sure which faction they belong to yet."
"No wonder. I've had a bad feeling since we arrived," Masahiko said, his expression turning serious. He leaned in closer, whispering, "My skills have improved, sure, but I haven't been on active duty much lately. I'm going to need you to cover me if things go south."
"This mission belongs to both of us. Helping you is helping myself," Kurenai replied, a teasing smile gracing her lips. "I didn't think you got nervous."
"Who wouldn't be? I'm just good at hiding it usually," Masahiko said with a helpless shrug.
Kurenai pursed her lips, suppressing a laugh. "Don't worry. Asuma is meeting us for the handover. There won't be any problems."
"Right."
Masahiko nodded, feigning an attempt to compose himself. However, through his probing, he realized something interesting—Kurenai likely had no idea about his other layer of mission objectives.
He stuck close to Naruto, his eyes scanning the surroundings while maintaining his facade. The atmosphere was definitely wrong.
"Careful!" Kurenai suddenly hissed, her face grim.
In the next second, several figures burst out from the alleyways on both sides. They were masked and dressed in warrior garb—Ronin, by the looks of it—but their movement was erratic and eerie.
Kurenai reacted instantly. She flickered out of sight using the Body Flicker Technique, reappearing on the driver's platform of the lead carriage. As she landed in front of the Daimyō's wife's carriage, her hand seals were already complete.
Genjutsu activated.
The attackers charging out of the crowd suddenly froze in place, their eyes glazing over.
Almost simultaneously, a blur of motion swept through the perimeter. A dark shadow darted around the frozen figures.
Inside the carriage, the Daimyō's wife finally cried out in panic, "What is happening?!"
"It is nothing, Madam. Just some blind, foolish Ronin. They have already been apprehended," Kurenai reported smoothly through the curtain. "We apologize deeply for disturbing your rest."
The Daimyō's wife lifted the bamboo blind. She saw Masahiko standing outside, holding a single long rope that now bound several unconscious swordsmen together like a string of fish. Her expression was displeased.
"Good that you caught them. Interrogate them thoroughly. I want to know why there are still lawless Ronin roaming the Capital."
"Yes, Madam. Please rest assured," Kurenai bowed her head.
She hopped down from the carriage and offered another apologetic bow as the procession slowly resumed its march.
Naruto, still shaken, stared blankly at Masahiko.
"Sensei..."
"Don't worry," Masahiko said gently, patting the boy's messy blond hair. "That was just my Shadow Clone doing the work. I'll always protect you."
Naruto blinked, the realization hitting him late. He looked up, confused. "But isn't this the Capital? Why would bad stuff happen here?"
"Even the Capital isn't all sunshine and rainbows, Naruto," Masahiko whispered with a knowing smile.
Naruto nodded slowly, though he still looked puzzled. From his expression, it seemed the glamorous allure of the big city had faded just a little.
The convoy moved deeper into the district.
Once they safely escorted the VIPs into the Daimyō's mansion and watched the gates close, Kurenai finally let out a long sigh of relief.
She turned to Masahiko, leaning in to whisper, "I absolutely hate these kinds of missions."
"I thought you handled it beautifully," Masahiko chuckled. "Besides, don't these VIP escort missions pay extra?"
Kurenai rolled her eyes. "The money is good, but the trouble and the endless rules? Not worth it. It's boring, and the extra ryo isn't enough to cover the mental damage."
She glanced at Naruto and sighed again. The kid was blissfully heartless, completely unaware he was the actual target of all this danger.
Lowering her voice further, Kurenai reported, "My Genjutsu didn't pull much out of them. They claimed someone paid them to rush the carriage, and they accepted in a daze."
She paused, analyzing the data. "I handed them over to the Town Magistrate's office. I suspect they were manipulated… likely through subtle genjutsu suggestion."
Genjutsu wasn't just for disrupting chakra to create hallucinations; high-level applications included subtle hypnotic suggestion. Against a powerful ninja, it was useless, but against common thugs, it worked every time.
As the two chatted, Naruto suddenly tugged at their sleeves.
"Sensei... Auntie Kurenai..."
"Who are you calling Auntie?" Kurenai snapped, her eyebrow twitching. "How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Big Sister Kurenai, or Kurenai-sensei!"
Naruto shrank back, intimidated, before whispering, "Kurenai-sensei... there's a weird bearded uncle over there who keeps staring at us."
Kurenai followed Naruto's gaze. At a street corner not far away, a man with a beard stood watching them.
Recognition lit up her face, and she waved with a smile.
The man seemed to snap out of a daze and waved back. He made a move to walk toward them, but a shout from the alley behind him stopped him short. He gave an apologetic gesture and retreated into the shadows.
"Was that Asuma-senpai?" Masahiko asked, feigning shock.
Kurenai nodded, laughing. "Doesn't look like the image you had in your head, does he?"
"Yeah, no kidding. I remember him being quite clean-cut and handsome. Why did he start growing a beard?" Masahiko replied with exaggerated surprise.
Kurenai giggled. "I'll introduce you tonight. You can ask him yourself."
"Forget it, forget it. Senior looks like someone you don't want to mess with. I wouldn't dare," Masahiko said, shaking his head rapidly.
Clear, bright laughter rang out.
Kurenai laughed for a good while before remembering she was standing in front of the Daimyō's mansion. She quickly composed herself, regaining her dignified posture.
Suppressing her smile, she chided, "You should respect your seniors. You're getting far too comfortable; you have no respect for me as a senior anymore."
"I was wrong, Kurenai-senpai!"
"No, I'm just kidding."
From inside the nearby alley, hidden in the shadows, Asuma watched the scene unfold. He watched them laughing together, looking radiant and happy.
His mood was... complicated.