After hearing Mikoto's request, Qingshui fell silent for a brief moment.
He did not answer immediately, but instead weighed the matter carefully.
From a rational standpoint, there was no urgent reason for him to leave Konoha. His life had been stable, his strength was growing steadily, and the hospital provided him with a constant flow of system rewards. Leaving the safety of the village always came with risks.
Yet precisely because of that, he knew—
If he remained in the village forever, he would never truly understand how strong he had become.
Combat experience was not something that could be gained through training alone.
No matter how many techniques he mastered, or how high his chakra reserves grew, all of it would remain theoretical without being tested in real situations.
After a few seconds, Qingshui nodded.
"Given our relationship," he said calmly,
"this small matter is naturally not a problem."
Relief immediately appeared on Mikoto's face.
She had been worried he might refuse. After all, medical ninjas working at Konoha Hospital rarely went out on missions, especially escort missions that required long-distance travel.
The true reason Qingshui agreed, however, went beyond friendship.
He needed this mission.
Over the past month, his strength had improved dramatically. According to Maruboshi Kosuke, he was already close to the level of a Jonin. But words alone meant little—Qingshui wanted to confirm it for himself.
There was also another, more ambitious reason.
This mission was headed to the Land of Rain.
If fate smiled upon him, he might encounter Nagato.
If that happened, and if he could use the Copy Scroll on him—
Even a small chance of copying the Rinnegan was worth the risk.
Dreams were free, after all.
And if he didn't encounter Nagato, then there was still Mikoto.
Her three-tomoe Sharingan was already an exceptional prize.
Either way, he would not lose.
"That's wonderful!" Mikoto said, her voice bright.
"Thank you, Qingshui. After the mission is over, I'll treat you to a meal."
Qingshui raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"Mikoto, haven't you heard the saying—'a beauty herself is already a feast for the eyes'?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Mikoto froze.
A faint blush spread across her fair cheeks, quickly deepening as she realized what he meant. Her usual calm demeanor cracked, making her look unexpectedly charming.
"Y-you really are smooth-tongued," she muttered.
Seeing her reaction, Qingshui didn't push further. He knew when to stop.
"Wait for me here," he said.
"I need to ask the Vice Director for leave."
---
Konoha lay deep within the Land of Fire, while the Land of Rain was a neighboring minor country.
Even at a ninja's speed, crossing borders took several days.
And this mission involved escorting a merchant caravan, which would slow the pace even further.
Qingshui couldn't simply disappear from the hospital without notifying anyone.
When he arrived at Minako Fukada's office, she immediately noticed him.
"Qingshui?" she asked with a smile.
"Is something the matter?"
Ever since Tsunade had explicitly instructed her to focus on Qingshui's development, Minako had treated him with special attention.
In her eyes, his future was already clear.
It was only a matter of time before he rose to a higher position.
The only thing holding him back was experience.
"Director Fukada," Qingshui said respectfully,
"I plan to accompany a team on a C-rank mission. I'll need to take leave for a while."
Minako's expression changed immediately.
"A mission?" she repeated, frowning slightly.
She hesitated.
Medical ninjas were not frontline fighters. Their training already consumed enormous time and energy—few could afford to develop strong combat abilities on the side.
In her memory, before turning to medical ninjutsu, Qingshui had been nothing more than an ordinary Genin.
That was precisely why he had chosen the medical path in the first place.
She wanted to persuade him to reconsider.
But looking into his eyes, she understood—
He had already made up his mind.
After a long pause, Minako sighed.
"…Very well. I'll approve your leave."
She comforted herself with the thought that it was only a C-rank mission.
Nothing unexpected should happen.
---
After obtaining permission, Qingshui returned home to prepare.
Medical supplies, ninja tools, spare clothes—everything had to be checked carefully.
By the time he arrived at the rendezvous point Mikoto had specified, the others were already there.
And immediately, he noticed a familiar figure.
"Minato?" Qingshui asked in surprise.
"Why are you here?"
Minato Namikaze turned around, his blond hair catching the sunlight. When he saw Qingshui, his face lit up.
"Brother Qingshui! Long time no see."
He smiled brightly.
"I'm now a member of Sister Mikoto's squad."
Qingshui was genuinely surprised.
Back during the Second Great Shinobi War, his squad had occasionally cooperated with Jiraiya's team, which was how he had come to know Minato.
At the time, Qingshui hadn't possessed the system.
He understood very clearly what it meant to rely on powerful allies.
Naturally, he had paid extra attention to Minato—the future Fourth Hokage.
Back then, Jiraiya often left the three Genin behind to carry out high-risk missions alone.
During those periods, Qingshui had taken care of them, guiding them through missions and watching their backs.
Minato still remembered that.
If not for Qingshui, he might have died on the battlefield.
"I see," Qingshui said, nodding.
"That explains it."
He then looked at the other two members of Mikoto's squad.
They appeared even younger than Minato.
"Hello," Qingshui said warmly.
"My name is Hirakawa Qingshui. You can call me Brother Qingshui."
"I'm Yuuki Mukai," the boy declared confidently.
"The future Fourth Hokage!"
Qingshui blinked.
Then smiled.
"To be able to carry out a mission with the future Hokage," he said lightly,
"it seems my luck is quite good."
Yuuki's chest puffed out immediately, clearly pleased.
"Don't worry, Brother Qingshui. I'll handle all the fighting!"
"That's very reassuring," Qingshui replied.
The remaining girl spoke more softly.
"H-hello… I'm Ayame Sasaki."
She seemed shy, stopping after her introduction.
Qingshui nodded to her kindly.
He had heard about her from Mikoto before.
Ayame was the youngest member of the team, a Genin who had just graduated.
More importantly—
She was the only survivor among Mikoto's original three students.
---
After introductions, Mikoto led Qingshui to meet the mission's client.
A middle-aged man stood beside a wagon, worry etched deep into his face.
"My name is Jūhachirō Ide," he said.
"This is my son, Hiroya."
Jūhachirō was a food merchant from the Land of Rain.
Unlike the fertile Land of Fire, the Land of Rain suffered from constant rainfall and limited sunlight.
Grain production there was nearly impossible.
As a result, merchants like him depended entirely on importing food.
In the past, he had always traveled alone.
This time, however, his son had begged to accompany him.
The Land of Fire's environment had been a revelation to Hiroya—
And in his excitement, he had injured his leg.
"I must trouble the ninja-sama," Jūhachirō said anxiously,
"to look after my son during the journey."
Qingshui smiled gently.
"Don't worry," he said.
"I'll take good care of him."
For some reason, his calm demeanor eased Jūhachirō's worries instantly.
The tension in the merchant's shoulders finally relaxed.
With everything settled, the escort mission was ready to begin.
And Qingshui knew—
This journey would be far more important than it appeared on the surface.