Chapter 31: The C-Rank Mission
Early the next morning, Tenchi washed up and headed straight for the mission hall, arriving well before the meeting time. He wanted to pick a mission and be ready when the others arrived.
"Lord Tenchi, you're here early! What kind of mission are you looking for today? Another D-rank?" The mission desk ninja didn't presume anything this time, simply asking for his preference.
"Today, give me a C-rank mission," Tenchi said. "The kind that looks easy but pays well." He was specifically looking for a mission like the one Naruto's team got in the original story—the kind that secretly involved fighting other ninja.
"Ah, this... let me see." The mission ninja was a bit stumped. That type of mission was always in high demand. He wasn't sure if any were left, but he started searching through the scrolls for Tenchi.
After about ten minutes, he finally found one. "Lord Tenchi, this is the only C-rank that fits. It's an escort mission, but the journey is quite long."
Tenchi took the mission scroll, looked it over, and a slight smile touched his lips. *'Perfect. Just what I was looking for.'*
The scroll stated that the client was a man named Tōka, who needed to be escorted safely back to the Land of Rice. The pay was very high. The Land of Rice was a small, neutral country with no ninja village of its own, though it did have samurai. For someone to travel all the way from there to Konoha to hire ninja was suspicious.
"Good. This is the one. My team will take it," Tenchi agreed without hesitation. This was exactly the kind of "trouble" he wanted.
"Excellent, Lord Tenchi. I'll notify the client to come here immediately." The mission ninja went off to fetch the client.
Soon, the man who posted the mission arrived. He wasn't an old man, but a middle-aged man in his thirties.
"Tōka, this is Captain Tenchi. He and his four-man team will be taking your C-rank mission. You can trust them with your safety."
"Lord Tenchi, this is Tōka, the client for the mission," the mission ninja completed the introduction.
"Can he really handle it? He looks so... young," Tōka said, eyeing Tenchi with clear suspicion.
The mission ninja started to defend Tenchi's honor, but Tenchi cut him off.
"You don't need to worry," Tenchi said, his voice low and his eyes narrowing slightly as he leaned closer to Tōka. "I'm a veteran of the last great war. I wouldn't be afraid even if dozens of Jōnin came at me at once. So, you can rest easy."
"That's right!" the mission ninja chimed in, seizing the chance to boast. "Lord Tenchi is incredibly powerful. If he weren't training a new team, he wouldn't even be taking a mission of this level."
Hearing this, Tōka seemed relieved. "Then... when do we leave?" he asked urgently, clearly anxious to get back to the Land of Rice.
"No need to rush," Tenchi said calmly. "I'm just waiting for my three genin. If you're in a hurry, you can wait for us at Konoha's main gate. We'll set out as soon as they arrive."
"Alright. I'll go wait at the gate then. Please, be as quick as you can." Not wanting to offend anyone on their home turf, Tōka simply nodded and walked out.
*'Let's see what tricks you have up your sleeve,'* Tenchi thought, watching him leave.
Tenchi then went to wait outside the mission hall's entrance for the three genin. He *was* very early; looking at the time, it was only 7:30 AM. *'Still half an hour to go. Might as well take a quick nap.'*
He sat down on the ground, leaning back against a pillar and closing his eyes. In the safety of Konoha, he could afford to be this relaxed. If he were outside the village, he would never dare to sleep so soundly. Falling asleep out there could mean never waking up.
And so, every ninja who came to pick up a mission that morning saw a young man sleeping by the door, a faint, silly smile on his face as he dreamed.
"Why is this guy sleeping here?"
"This brother is something else, sleeping at the mission hall entrance."
"Shh! Keep your voice down! Don't you recognize him? That's Uchiha Tenchi! You don't want to mess with someone like that!"
"What?! The one who killed hundreds of Kumo-nin? Let's get out of here. Don't wake him up!"
***
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru finally arrived at the mission hall.
"He said to meet here, but Brother Tenchi isn't here. Did he oversleep again?" Jiraiya wondered, looking around.
*WHAM!* "Don't talk nonsense!" Tsunade snapped, punching Jiraiya on the head. "Brother Tenchi is never late! If he's not here, there must be a good reason!" After what she learned last night, she had immense respect for Tenchi and refused to believe he was lazy.
"Ow! You flat-chested brute!" Jiraiya muttered, rubbing his sore head.
"Hey, why is there a crowd over there?" Jiraiya noticed the group of people and squeezed through to see what was going on.
"Hehe! It's Brother Tenchi! Why is he sleeping here? Tsunade! Orochimaru! He's over here!" Jiraiya yelled out when he saw it was Tenchi.
Hearing this, the other two rushed over.
"Oh, for goodness sake! It really is him! Not only is he sleeping here, he's drooling!" Tsunade facepalmed, feeling utterly embarrassed. *'I just defended him, and this is what I get? The embarrassment is too much.'*
"Having so many people watch him sleep... it's shameful! You idiot!" With that, Tsunade drew back her right fist and punched Tenchi squarely in the face.
*THWACK!*
"Who?! Who is it?! Who dares to attack me?! Have the guts to show yourself!" Tenchi jolted awake, clutching his stinging cheek and shouting at the crowd.
Seeing the angry look on his face, everyone instinctively took several steps back. Jiraiya and Orochimaru also retreated quickly.
"I did it," Tsunade declared, stepping forward.
"You bastard! How dare you hit your... Oh, it's you, Tsunade?" The anger drained from Tenchi's face the moment he saw who it was. "Why did you hit me?"
"Brother Tenchi, you're supposed to be a role model! Don't you feel ashamed, drooling in your sleep here in public?" Tsunade scolded, her hands on her hips. All the admiration she'd felt the night before was rapidly evaporating.
"Oh, that..." Tenchi rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I came early to get the mission. Since you weren't here yet, I just closed my eyes for a minute. I didn't mean to fall asleep. Besides, a ninja falling asleep because of mission fatigue isn't something to be ashamed of."
"Even so, couldn't you have gone inside the mission hall to sleep? There are chairs in there! Did you have to do it out here where everyone can see?" Tsunade retorted, not buying his excuse.
"Alright, alright, enough, Tsunade. It's embarrassing with so many people watching. I've already picked the mission. Let's all meet at the main gate." Without another word, Tenchi turned and sprinted away. Even with his thick skin, being scolded and punched by a girl in front of a crowd was too much.
"Tch, as if anyone would believe his excuses," Tsunade muttered, watching him flee. A strange, fond feeling stirred in her heart despite her annoyance.
She then turned her glare on the remaining onlookers. "What are you all looking at?! Want me to punch you, too?!"
Everyone knew this was Tsunade, the famed and strong-willed "Princess Tsunade." Nobody wanted to be on the receiving end of her famous temper—or her fists. The crowd scattered instantly, leaving only a stunned Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
"Well, that *was* a bit embarrassing," Tsunade admitted, reflecting on the scene.
"Let's just go to the gate," she said to the other two.
Jiraiya and Orochimaru just nodded frantically, exchanging a look. *'She's the one who dares to punch Tenchi in public and threaten a whole crowd of ninja. It's better not to provoke someone that fierce.'*
Together, the three of them headed for Konoha's main gate.