The three newly promoted Genin stood together near the gates of Konoha Village, chatting while they waited for their teacher to arrive.
Tsunade leaned slightly forward, her bright eyes full of curiosity as she watched the steady stream of people entering and leaving the village.
"Where do you think our mission will take us?" she asked eagerly. "I've grown up this big and I've never even left Konoha before."
Her tone carried both excitement and wonder.
From where they stood, the large gates of Konoha opened toward the main road, where all kinds of travelers passed through every day. For Tsunade, who had spent most of her life inside the village, the sight was fascinating.
Ninjas returning from completed missions walked through the gates with tired expressions. Others were preparing to leave for their own assignments. Merchants from distant towns guided their wagons through the checkpoint, while travelers and civilians arrived hoping to settle in the prosperous village hidden within the forest.
The area bustled with activity.
Tsunade's clear eyes reflected the lively scene before her. Everything seemed new and exciting.
Orochimaru stood quietly beside her, his expression calm and thoughtful. After a moment, he spoke.
"Teacher Sarutobi said our assignment is a C-rank mission," he said. "If we follow the usual patterns, C-rank missions generally involve gathering intelligence or escorting someone."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The probability of encountering enemy ninjas during such missions is low. Most of the time, these assignments are carried out within the Land of Fire itself."
Uchiha Su listened quietly to Orochimaru's analysis.
After a moment, he spoke.
"I think it's probably an escort mission to the capital of the Land of Fire."
Both Tsunade and Orochimaru turned toward him at the same time.
"How did you figure that out?" Tsunade asked curiously.
Uchiha Su gestured toward the merchants passing through the gate.
"Look at the merchants arriving in Konoha," he explained. "If traders from smaller towns come here, they usually sell their goods directly in the village. After that, they leave immediately."
He crossed his arms while continuing his explanation.
"But merchants from the capital behave differently. Besides selling their goods in Konoha, they often buy things here to take back and sell in the capital."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking carefully about Uchiha Su's reasoning.
Uchiha Su continued speaking calmly.
"Items related to ninjas are extremely popular among the nobles and wealthy families living in the capital of the Land of Fire."
He shrugged slightly.
"So if a merchant came all the way from the capital, it would make sense for them to purchase ninja-related goods here before returning home."
Tsunade nodded slowly as she listened.
However, Orochimaru still looked thoughtful.
"If merchants from smaller towns also came here and sold their goods," Orochimaru said, "wouldn't it make sense for them to buy things in Konoha and sell them during their journey back?"
"That way they could earn even more money."
His reasoning was sharp, especially for someone his age.
Uchiha Su smiled faintly.
"The outside world isn't peaceful right now," he said softly.
"Small merchants usually can't afford to hire Konoha ninjas as escorts. Even if they could, the cost would be extremely high."
He pointed toward the forest road outside the gate.
"If the escort mission involves traveling outside the Land of Fire, the rank of the mission would increase to at least B-rank."
"And the payment required for a B-rank mission could easily exceed the value of the merchant's entire shipment of goods."
In other words, hiring ninjas would cost more money than the merchant could earn.
Tsunade tilted her head.
"How do you know all this?"
Orochimaru also looked at Uchiha Su with curiosity.
Uchiha Su answered calmly.
"The Uchiha Clan has members who work as merchants."
Both of them blinked in surprise.
"Did you forget?" he continued. "The Uchiha Clan has a close relationship with certain summoning animals."
"The Nekomata Clan that lives in the Empty District?" Orochimaru asked thoughtfully.
In Konoha Village, there was a place known as the Empty District. It was an unusual area where very few ordinary civilians lived. Instead, the district was known as a gathering place for strange traders, collectors, and wandering merchants.
Many unusual goods could be found there.
Uchiha Su nodded.
"The Uchiha Clan controls a large estate," he explained. "Some clan members naturally go out and conduct business."
"Otherwise, maintaining such a large household would become extremely expensive."
He shrugged slightly.
"That's how I learned about these things."
At that moment, a familiar voice suddenly spoke behind them.
"Su's guess is correct."
The three Genin turned around.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was walking toward them with long strides.
Behind him stood a slightly chubby middle-aged man. The man looked clean and well-dressed, with the appearance of a successful merchant.
Hiruzen gestured toward him.
"This gentleman is our employer for the mission."
The merchant smiled warmly at the young ninjas.
"I look forward to working with you during this journey," he said politely.
Even though the three Genin were very young and still looked like children, the merchant showed no sign of disrespect.
In the shinobi world, age meant very little.
Once someone became a ninja, it meant they possessed the ability to kill.
That alone commanded respect.
Hiruzen continued speaking.
"In addition to our protection, the employer has also hired his own guards."
"We will mainly serve as backup protection in case any unexpected situations occur."
The group then began walking out of the village.
Not long after leaving the gates, they arrived at a caravan waiting beside the main road.
The merchant caravan consisted of more than a dozen wagons loaded with goods.
Beside each wagon stood several tall guards carrying swords.
Uchiha Su observed them carefully.
They looked somewhat like samurai.
However, compared to the famous samurai of the Land of Iron, their presence felt much weaker.
Most of them were probably ordinary fighters who had learned basic swordsmanship and combat skills.
Still, they were far stronger than ordinary civilians.
Soon the caravan began moving along the official road leading toward the capital.
The journey progressed smoothly.
For two days, the group traveled without encountering any serious problems.
To Uchiha Su's slight surprise, they did not run into any reckless bandits attempting to attack the caravan.
In truth, the merchant had hired Konoha ninjas mainly as insurance.
Their presence alone was often enough to discourage troublemakers.
By the afternoon of the second day, the caravan finally reached its destination.
The Capital of the Land of Fire.
Compared to Konoha Village, the capital felt completely different.
The streets were wider and far more crowded. Elegant buildings lined the roads, and nobles dressed in luxurious clothing could be seen moving through the city.
After the mission was officially completed, the merchant handed over the payment.
For a C-rank mission, the standard reward usually ranged between 30,000 and 100,000 ryo.
Because this merchant frequently hired Konoha ninjas, he generously paid 80,000 ryo.
Hiruzen Sarutobi held up the money pouch with a smile.
"As the Jonin team leader," he said, "the rules state that I receive half of the mission reward."
He calmly counted out 40,000 ryo and placed it inside his personal ninja pouch.
Then he looked at the remaining money.
"Hmm…"
Tsunade suddenly spoke with a mischievous grin.
"I heard Teacher Sarutobi has been dating someone recently."
"They say she's very strict."
"So Teacher Sarutobi has been secretly saving money."
Uchiha Su froze for a moment.
Not because of the gossip itself.
But because the person who said it was—
Orochimaru.
If Tsunade had been the one spreading gossip, it would have been completely normal.
But Orochimaru?
Uchiha Su stared at him with disbelief.
Orochimaru noticed his strange expression.
"Su-kun?" he asked.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Uchiha Su muttered quietly.
"I'm just surprised that you, Orochimaru, would actually talk about gossip."
Before they could continue talking, Hiruzen suddenly sighed dramatically.
"Oh dear… it seems there are only 40,000 ryo left."
The three students looked at him at the same time.
Hiruzen rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"With only three of you, dividing the money evenly would be difficult."
"If an argument started over a mere 10,000 ryo, then I would have failed as your teacher."
With a sorrowful expression, he took another 10,000 ryo and quietly slipped it into his pouch.
Now only 30,000 ryo remained.
The three Genin stared at him silently.
Although none of them truly cared about the money, their expressions clearly showed their thoughts.
Tsunade came from a wealthy family.
Even though the Second Hokage limited her allowance because of her gambling habits, she still had plenty of spending money.
Orochimaru also received financial support from the village after his parents died during a mission.
And Uchiha Su belonged to the wealthy Uchiha Clan.
Nevertheless, the three children still looked at Hiruzen with identical expressions of disdain.
Their eyes practically said the same thing:
You're even cheating money from children… you shameless old man.
Hiruzen coughed awkwardly.
Perhaps feeling slightly embarrassed, he quickly changed the topic.
"Normally, after completing a mission, we would immediately return to the village."
"But since this is your first time leaving Konoha, I will allow you to explore the capital today."
He pointed toward the city streets.
"You have free time until tomorrow."
"Meet here again at noon."
Before the three Genin could say anything else, Hiruzen suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke.
He had escaped.
After their teacher left, Tsunade immediately ran off like an excited horse set free.
The unfamiliar architecture and lively streets of the capital fascinated her.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru turned toward Uchiha Su.
"I plan to visit a bookstore," he said.
"Su-kun, would you like to come with me?"
Uchiha Su shook his head.
"Not right now."
He looked around thoughtfully.
"Which bookstore are you going to?"
"I might come find you later."
"After all, Teacher Sarutobi didn't arrange accommodations for us. We might need to find an inn ourselves."
Orochimaru pointed down the street.
"There."
Uchiha Su followed his finger.
Sure enough, a bookstore stood on the corner of the street.
The signboard swayed gently in the wind.