"Sorry, but you guys aren't allowed to take on A-Rank missions for the time being."
Inside the mission assignment hall, the staff member looked at the three of them with a slightly apologetic expression.
"What are you talking about? How could we not be allowed?!" Danzo couldn't help but retort. "With the strength of our team, forget A-Rank— even S-Rank missions are no problem!"
Indeed, a team consisting of one jōnin and two tokubetsu jōnin was eligible to take on S-Rank missions. Whether they could actually complete them was another matter entirely.
Koharu instinctively glanced at Renya.
"Renya-kun, what should we do now?"
Renya frowned and looked at the staff member.
"May I ask why we're not allowed to take A-Rank missions?"
"Apologies, Jōnin Renya," the staff member said with a smile. "I didn't explain clearly earlier— it's not just A-Rank. You're prohibited from taking any mission above C-Rank."
Renya's eye twitched.
"So, you're saying... we can only take D-Rank and C-Rank missions?"
"That's correct," the staff member replied.
"You expect a jōnin like me to do C-Rank missions?!" Danzo's eyes narrowed. "Are you deliberately messing with us...?"
As he spoke, powerful chakra flared from Danzo's body.
The other shinobi in the mission hall turned their heads and began whispering among themselves.
Renya remained silent, watching calmly. He had a feeling something wasn't right.
There was no way the mission assignment hall would restrict their missions for no reason. The only person with the authority to interfere would be the one in the Hokage's Office.
Just what the hell is that old guy Tobirama up to now?
The staff member was just a civilian. Faced with Danzo's pressure, cold sweat began pouring down his face.
"T-This was Tobirama-sama's decision. If you have any issues... y-you can go ask Tobirama-sama directly."
Hearing that, Danzo immediately withdrew his chakra and gave a smile.
"Oh, so it was Sensei's decision... Sorry about that, my mistake."
Renya raised an eyebrow, revealing a look of realization.
Just as he thought—this had Tobirama's fingerprints all over it. Who knew what that old bastard was plotting this time?
"Let's go. We'll ask him directly."
Renya turned and left the mission hall with the other two following behind.
...
On the way there, Koharu couldn't help but ask,
"Renya-kun, why would Sensei do this?"
Renya shook his head.
"Who knows?"
Danzo, on the other hand, looked thoughtful.
"Could it be that Sensei has something important to entrust to us?"
At that, all three of them fell silent.
...
"Huh? What's the meaning of this, old man?"
Inside the Hokage's Office, Renya looked suspiciously at Senju Tobirama, who was busy reviewing paperwork.
Danzo and Koharu stood behind Renya, just as confused.
Tobirama didn't answer immediately. He finished reading the document in his hands, set it aside, and finally looked up at the three.
After a moment of silence, Tobirama spoke slowly.
"You three are to refrain from taking any missions for the time being. I have something important to assign to you."
"Sensei, your instructions, please," Danzo said eagerly.
The moment he heard there was an important task, Danzo grew visibly excited.
The fact that Sensei was entrusting them with something important clearly meant he trusted them—no, trusted him.
Otherwise, why not assign the mission to Hiruzen and the others?
If he had earned Sensei's trust, didn't that mean the position of Hokage could soon fall to him?
Could it be... that illusion Renya once cast is about to become reality?
The more Danzo thought about it, the more excited he became. He looked anxiously at Tobirama, barely able to contain himself.
Even though he didn't yet know what the mission entailed, he was already eager to get it done.
Renya noticed the flash of bewilderment in his own eyes, not understanding Danzo's behavior. This guy seemed way too eager.
Tobirama observed Danzo's reaction and gave a slight, satisfied nod.
Danzo took that as even more confirmation.
Sensei's nod was recognition!
The Hokage position is as good as mine!
"Sensei, what is the mission?" Koharu asked.
Danzo glanced at her with a cold sneer.
This stupid woman thinks she can compete with me for the Hokage seat?
What a joke.
In his mind, once Sensei stepped down, the Hokage role would absolutely go to one of his disciples.
And of them, the strongest candidates were himself, Renya, and Hiruzen.
The others? No threat whatsoever.
That's how Danzo saw things...
He even believed Renya couldn't possibly become Hokage—after all, Renya was an Uchiha. The incident with Uchiha Madara a few years ago was still fresh in everyone's minds.
Given that, there was almost no chance for an Uchiha to rise to the Hokage seat.
But since he couldn't fully grasp Tobirama's opinion of Renya, he still considered him a rival.
"The task I need you to complete is..." Tobirama began to explain.
As the three listened, their expressions turned strange.
Renya's mouth twitched.
Looks like the old guy had finally succeeded in developing Edo Tensei...
Otherwise, he'd never ask them to do something like this.
"This mission is top-secret. Not a single soul beyond you three can know of it!" Tobirama's expression was grave.
"Understood!" the three of them said in unison.
"Good. Then go carry out the mission." Tobirama waved them off.
Renya and the others left the Hokage's Office.
...
Night fell, and darkness blanketed the remote graveyard.
Crows occasionally let out shrill cries, adding an eerie chill to the air.
Three masked figures in black stood amidst the chaotic burial mounds, whispering quietly to each other.
"Renya-kun, are we really going to do this?" Koharu asked in a hushed voice.
"Won't we be cursed or something..." Danzo muttered, also uneasy. "What's Sensei even thinking...?"
Renya let out a helpless sigh.
"Enough. Start digging."
He raised the shovel in his hands and began excavating the grave.
Tobirama's assigned task was simple—dig up graves and collect the bones of the dead.
Of course, those buried here hadn't been ordinary in life.
This was the battlefield of the Warring States period, where countless powerful shinobi had fallen.
"Renya, what do you think Sensei's real goal is?" Danzo asked.
"How would I know? Just dig." Renya rolled his eyes and swung his shovel faster.
Being dragged into grave robbing was annoying enough—this guy just had to ask a bunch of pointless questions. Even if he explained, Danzo wouldn't get it...
Seeing that Renya didn't want to talk, Danzo shut his mouth and went to work quietly.
"We really shouldn't agree to do such disgraceful things in the future," Renya muttered, still feeling a chill on his back.
At that moment, Koharu called out from the distance.
"Renya-kun! I think this one's from your Uchiha clan!"
Renya's mouth twitched.
Great. Ran into an ancestor.
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