Land of Fire.
Border town.
Tenya and his companions stopped in their tracks.
For confidentiality, the three had already removed their headbands.
Now, the three of them looked no different from ordinary passersby.
"We'll rest here for the night and set off early tomorrow," Tenya said as they arrived at an inn, addressing Kakashi and Might Duy.
The two nodded in agreement.
"You guys rest first, I'm going to meet our client for this mission."
Leaving these words, Tenya turned and left the inn.
"It's quite lively here!"
Walking down the streets of the town, Tenya saw traveling merchants everywhere.
Perhaps due to the abundant resources of the Land of Fire, many out-of-town merchants came here to buy goods at low prices and then sell them elsewhere at higher prices.
As Tenya walked, he mostly heard merchants haggling.
Tensions are rising between the Land of Fire and other major nations, and border skirmishes are becoming more frequent.
It was uncertain when a minor incident might escalate into full-blown conflict.
When war breaks out, border towns would be the first to suffer.
The bustle and prosperity here might not last long.
With a sigh, Tenya continued forward.
"Sunlight Hot Springs Inn, this must be the place."
Just as Tenya entered, a sweet-looking attendant approached.
"Welcome, sir!"
"I'm here to see Mr. Jouichi. Can you tell me where he is?"
Tenya got straight to the point.
"Oh, you're here to see Mr. Jouichi. Please follow me!"
Following the attendant's lead, they stopped in front of a Japanese-style room.
"Please enter, Mr. Jouichi has been expecting you."
Upon entering, Tenya saw a plump middle-aged man kneeling on the floor, savoring some fine wine. Not far from him, a middle-aged man with a sword was staring intently at Tenya, his eyes full of vigilance.
Tenya glanced at the middle-aged swordsman before shifting his gaze to the plump man kneeling on the floor.
The plump man saw how young Tenya was and couldn't help but look down on him a bit.
"Did Konoha really send such a young ninja for this mission? Do they not take this seriously?"
While thinking this, he maintained a bright smile.
"May I ask where you're from and your name?"
"Konoha, Tenya Gekkou," Tenya replied blandly.
"Tenya Gekkou? Is there such a famous ninja in Konoha?"
The plump man searched his memory and realized that his list of notable ninjas didn't include this name.
It seemed that this young ninja was likely a nobody.
It was unexpected that Konoha would be so cavalier about an A-rank mission, sending just a young ninja to meet him.
An A-rank mission without a Jonin's presence would have very slim chances of success.
He didn't believe this young man had Jonin-level strength, likely he was just a young recruit getting field experience.
Feeling a surge of anger, the plump man thought, "Maybe the team leader for this mission is someone else."
With a bit of hope, he asked again, "Tenya-kun, where is the team leader for this escort mission? Could you introduce me?"
"I am the team leader for this mission. If you have any questions, you can ask me directly."
Hearing this, the last glimmer of hope in the plump man's eyes faded, and he seemed to lose all his energy.
Trying to pull himself together, he asked, "Could you tell me about the strength of your team members, so I can have some confidence?"
"As for me, I'm currently a Special Jonin of Konoha. The other two members are a Chunin and a Genin."
This wasn't a secret, so Tenya answered truthfully.
Of course, this was just their surface-level strength.
In reality, both Tenya, Kakashi, and Might Duy had abilities far beyond their ranks.
Especially Might Duy, who mastered the Eight Gates Technique, capable of challenging even Elite Jonin when fully unleashed. Even Tenya couldn't guarantee he could beat him.
"A Special Jonin, a Chunin, and a Genin—this configuration dares to take on an A-rank escort mission? I can't believe the Konoha higher-ups!" The plump man seemed completely disheartened, his face showing more worry.
He wanted to say something but swallowed his words.
Tenya didn't care what the man was thinking; he was most interested in knowing when they would depart.
Without batting an eyelid, he asked directly, "Mr. Jouichi, when do you plan to set off?"
"Tomorrow morning, once I've gathered the team," the plump man replied listlessly.
"Oh?" Tenya paused, then asked, "How many people are in your team, and how much cargo are you carrying?"
"About fifty people and five carts of goods."
Without much thought, the plump man answered directly.
"Mr. Jouichi, I must remind you that our team is only responsible for safely escorting the princess out of the Land of Snow. We won't be responsible for the safety of your convoy," Tenya paused before continuing. If you wish, we can escort your convoy as well, but you must pay an additional fee. This can also be considered an escort mission. What do you think, Mr. Jouichi?"
Without hesitation, the plump man refused, "No need. We have our own guards."
Coming to the Land of Fire to purchase goods had already cost a lot of money.
He had hoped to get free protection by acting as their guide.
But the young Konoha ninja, despite his youth, was cunning enough to demand an escort fee openly.
Reluctant to part with his money, he refused Tenya's offer.
Tenya didn't mind and smiled faintly, "If that's the case, I'll take my leave. See you tomorrow!"
"Sigh!" Watching Tenya leave, the plump man sighed helplessly, "I thought I could get free protection from Konoha ninja, but I encountered someone sharp. My plans have completely failed."
"Sir, the king has instructed that for safety, we can hire Konoha ninja for escort. Why refuse his request?" the middle-aged swordsman, silent until now, finally spoke.
"I was just trying to save some expenses for the kingdom. The finances haven't been great in recent years." The plump man's face showed a timely expression of worry.
"Sir, I admire your loyalty to the kingdom. But our convoy will pass through several countries. If we encounter rogue ninjas, our guards might not be enough," the middle-aged swordsman looked deeply at the plump man and continued, "If possible, I hope you can hire those Konoha ninja. This way, your safety and the cargo's safety will be ensured."
"I'll seriously consider your suggestion," the plump man nodded, not saying more.
Back at the inn, after a simple dinner with Kakashi, Tenya began training alone.
He hadn't had the chance to practice the A-rank sword technique scroll he got from Orochimaru.
Now that he had the time, it was the perfect moment to learn this technique.
Soon, the courtyard was filled with the sound of sword whistling.
Not far away, Kakashi watched Tenya practicing and murmured, "No wonder your sword skills are so powerful..."
After watching for a while, Kakashi turned and left without disturbing Tenya further.
Tenya glanced briefly in Kakashi's direction but didn't say anything, focusing on his training.
"Completion progress: 1.2%...1.5%...2%..."
Seeing the completion progress slowly rise, Tenya's anticipation grew.
He wondered how much role-playing progress he would gain once he fully mastered this A-rank sword technique.
With this expectation in mind, Tenya trained even more vigorously!
The long sword in his hand seemed to move faster, almost invisible.
At this moment, the sword seemed to transform into a blur of light, darting around Tenya.
Where it passed, sharpness lingered.
In the air, silvery lines seemed to radiate from Tenya, extending in all directions…