Satoru and the others didn't care what he was thinking.
As a Ninja, as long as safety and mission completion are guaranteed, it's always best to take advantage of any opportunities.
It must be said, Hogoromo Ken's hospitality truly never stopped throughout the journey.
They ate well, drank well, and didn't even have to run.
The petty thieves and rogue Ninja were handled by the escort team they brought themselves.
It seemed to be telling them that they only needed to complete their mission and protect the Hogoromo Clan junior undergoing the trial.
There was no attempt to test their strength or their ability to complete the mission.
Because the Hogoromo Clan is wealthy, Hiruzen Sarutobi, as the Hokage, couldn't possibly arrange for Ninja who were not competent for them.
They were important clients.
Throughout the journey, Satoru and the others certainly didn't just indulge in enjoyment; they took turns on alert.
The Byakugan, the nose, and the insects—a few of them had different sensory directions, ensuring a comprehensive investigation.
Among the three, aside from Inuzuka Tsuyoshi being a bit more active, the other two were taciturn.
None of them were problematic youths.
All three were 19 years old, only one year younger than Satoru, and could be considered geniuses.
"As expected of a great clan's people, their advantage over commoners is too great," Satoru thought to himself.
When he used to read the original work, he only saw Ninja with visuals, and he felt they were just so-so.
In reality, being able to become a Chunin before the age of thirty is considered to have a small talent in Konoha.
He then cast aside his thoughts and began to immerse himself in the study of Ninjutsu.
This time, during the mission, he wanted to complete the analysis of Wind Breath Valley to master its meteorological patterns and then artificially create them.
Of course, he hadn't seen what Wind Breath Valley was truly like, and whether he could succeed still required on-site investigation.
From the book, the storms and hurricanes inside felt like a natural disaster, so it shouldn't be too bad.
Two days later, the team finally entered the Hogoromo Clan's territory.
...
Hogoromo Clan.
A vast complex of buildings, with rockeries, ponds, pavilions, and towers.
Special buildings were interspersed from time to time, making it very distinctive.
In a large area, several young people were discussing.
"What do you think of the Konoha Ninja's strength?" someone asked curiously.
"If you ask me, there's no need to hire Ninja from any Village; we can handle the Wind Breath Valley trial ourselves," a Hogoromo Clan member said disdainfully.
"But the trial is indeed dangerous; if you're exhausted and no one helps, you could be torn apart by the hurricanes inside!" someone else worried.
"We are nobles; for things that can be solved with money, it's better not to risk our lives by being brave.
Our lives are much more precious than those hired Ninja."
"That's true.
In the past, we lost to the Senju Clan.
Now, Konoha, which is stronger than Senju, are merely inferior we can communicate with the money."
Someone was very arrogant about this.
Everyone deeply agreed.
...
Hogoromo Clan Reception Area.
"You all rest first.
I will notify you when the mission begins.
Don't wander around, or you might be mistaken for intelligence gatherers," Hogoromo Ken said to Satoru's four-person team.
As a business elite of the Hogoromo Clan, he believed that professional matters should be handled by professionals.
This was also why the Hogoromo Clan's company was considered a large company in various countries around the world.
"Understood," Satoru nodded.
Then Hogoromo Ken withdrew.
"Captain, this Hogoromo Clan feels even more luxurious than our clan!" Inuzuka Tsuyoshi said, looking at the surrounding environment of green mountains and clear waters.
From all aspects, it was much better than the Inuzuka Clan's environment.
Hyuga Chong and Aburame didn't feel much.
One was one of the largest clans in the Land of Fire, with deep foundations.
The other clan's territory, apart from resting areas, was mostly various forests and caves for cultivating insects.
They didn't value these things much.
However, it was clear that they were also a bit curious, looking at the surrounding buildings.
Many of them were buildings not seen in the Land of Fire.
They looked more like designs that had absorbed various architectural styles from different countries.
Satoru nodded, "Putting everything else aside, this mission is the most comfortable one I've ever had."
This was his truth.
Before, no matter which mission he went on, the conditions were rudimentary, and most of the time, they slept outdoors in the mountains.
This time, the Hogoromo Clan covered everything for them throughout the journey.
It was comfortable.
He also felt their immense wealth.
He worked diligently, and even with occasional S-rank missions, he didn't dare to spend so much.
"Get ready; according to the mission requirements, this mission will take one month," Satoru said.
"Understood."
The Hogoromo Clan's family trial was to endure one month in Wind Breath Valley.
Their mission was to ensure that when the participants were exhausted, they would rescue them from inside for rest.
It seemed very simple, but from Hogoromo Ken's attitude, this mission was not simple at all.
If it were merely a simple rescue, they could just hire a few Ninja; the Hogoromo Clan itself had also recruited some Ninja.
However, the mission requirement for at least one Jonin indicated the difficulty of the mission.
Although the A-rank missions they issued could only be accepted by Jonin in Konoha...
...
Night.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several dark figures darted out of the Hogoromo Clan's territory.
They gathered at a hidden location.
"How is it? Are most of the Hogoromo Clan's experts truly gone?" a dark figure asked.
The dark figure wearing a Kusagakure rogue Ninja headband said, "That's right.
According to the spy's information, the Hogoromo Clan's cooperation with Lord Gato is highly valued this time.
Only one or two of the clan's high-level combatants remain."
"Very good.
Lord Gato is truly Lord Gato.
With just a small trick, he made their high-level combatants move out.
The Hogoromo Clan has already lost its foundation as a great Ninja clan; they can't even see through such a simple tactic."
The dark figure wearing an Amegakure rogue Ninja headband spoke, full of killing intent.
"But they hired Konoha Ninja, and the people who came are Konoha Jonin and three Chunin.
Will this change the plan?" the Kusagakure rogue Ninja dark figure asked.
Konoha is the strongest Ninja Village, and Jonin are very strong; he had a thought of retreating.
In Kusagakure, there was an unwritten rule: if you encounter a Ninja of the same rank from the Five Great Shinobi Countries, you can retreat.
Only if you encounter a lower-ranked Ninja can you go in and fight.
Although he was a Jonin of Kusagakure before, he didn't have much chance of winning against a Konoha Jonin.
"Tch, what are you afraid of?
We're not just a few people; we're several teams.
Will we be afraid of one small team?"
The Amegakure rogue Ninja disdained him.
What about Konoha?
Facing them, who were numerous and powerful, they would still die.
This time, to gain more profit, Mr. Gato spent a lot of money to hire many powerful Ninja.