Kakashi turned his dead-fish eye toward the bridge builder. The atmosphere instantly shifted from 'post-battle adrenaline' to 'interrogation room cold'.
"Mr. Tazuna," Kakashi said, his voice dropping an octave. "We need to talk. The two ninja who just tried to turn me into confetti were Chunin from the Hidden Mist. They are relentless, they are elite, and they don't get out of bed for C-Rank protection details."
Tazuna wiped sweat from his brow with a trembling hand but remained silent.
"Our contract states we are to protect you from gangs, thieves, and wildlife," Kakashi continued, leaning against a tree. "It does not mention enemy ninja. That elevates this to a B-Rank mission, bordering on A-Rank depending on who sent them."
"If we had known ninja were targeting you," Kakashi's eye narrowed, "we would have organized a standard tactical team. The Genin are not equipped for this. False entrustment causes a mismatch in difficulty and capability. That mismatch leads to death."
He paused, letting the word hang in the air.
"Who is after you, Tazuna? And why? If you don't answer, I terminate the mission right now."
Tazuna slumped, the weight of his deception finally crushing his shoulders. "Haaah... it seems I have no choice."
He took a swig of his flask, but it clearly brought him no comfort. "You are right. This mission is beyond your scope. My life is being targeted by a very terrifying man."
"Terrifying?" Sakura whispered, clutching her kunai. She had thought the Demon Brothers were scary enough.
"You may have heard of him," Tazuna said darkly. "A shipping magnate named Gatou."
Kakashi's visible eyebrow shot up. "Gatou? Of the Gatou Corporation? He's one of the richest men in the world."
"Rich on the surface," Tazuna spat. "But underneath, he's a monster. He deals in drugs, contraband, and uses ninja to crush his competition. A year ago, he set his sights on the Land of Waves. He used his wealth and violence to seize control of our maritime transport."
Tazuna looked at the group, his eyes desperate. "For an island nation like ours, controlling the sea means controlling the lifeblood of the people. He owns everything now. The only thing he fears... is the completion of my bridge."
"Oh!" Sakura realized. "Because the bridge connects you to the mainland! If it's finished, you won't need his boats!"
"Exactly," Tazuna nodded. "I am the obstacle. If I die, the bridge dies. And if the bridge dies, my country starves."
Kakashi sighed, scratching his head. "I understand the politics, but why lie to the Hokage? Why not request a B-Rank mission properly?"
"Because we are broke!" Tazuna yelled, tears forming in his eyes. "The Land of Waves is poor! Even our Daimyo has no money! I couldn't afford a B-Rank fee! If I told the truth, no one would help us, and I would be killed before I even reached home!"
He looked at the Genin, his face crumbling into a mask of tragic acceptance.
"But you are right. Go back. I understand. When I die, my adorable eight-year-old granddaughter will just cry her eyes out all day long. And the people of my village will starve and curse the Konoha ninja for abandoning them. But hey! It's not your problem! You go home and sleep soundly!"
The guilt trip hit the team like a physical blow.
Naruto bit his lip. "Granddaughter... crying?" Sakura looked down at her feet. "That's... terrible."
Even Sasuke looked uncomfortable.
"Moral kidnapping," a voice cut through the sob story like a knife. "I don't subscribe to that magazine, old man."
Everyone turned. I was leaning against a tree, cleaning my nails with a kunai.
"Kenji!" Naruto shouted. "How can you be so cold? The old man is suffering! We have to help him!"
"Yeah!" Sakura chimed in, glaring at me. "Have some compassion!"
I looked at them. I let out a long, disappointed sigh.
"Sakura," I said slowly. "You have such a spectacularly wide forehead, yet the brain inside it is remarkably small."
"CHA! What did you say?!" Sakura stepped forward, fist raised.
"Shut up and listen," I snapped, my voice hardening. The authority in my tone made her freeze. "Do you know why lying about mission details is a crime in the shinobi world?"
Silence.
"Mission ranks exist for a reason," I lectured, walking into the center of the group. "A Chunin accepts a C-Rank mission because he knows he can handle bandits. If he walks into a C-Rank mission and finds an A-Rank enemy Jonin waiting for him, do you know what happens? He dies. His team dies."
I pointed a finger at Tazuna.
"This old man reported a C-Rank difficulty. What if Kakashi-sensei wasn't here? What if a newly promoted Chunin squad leader had taken this job? Those Demon Brothers would have slaughtered them in seconds. Their corpses would be rotting in that puddle right now."
I turned to Naruto and Sakura.
"Is the life of a shinobi dust compared to a civilian's? Is it okay for a ninja to die just because the client has a sad story?"
The words hit them hard. The image of a weaker team being butchered because of a lie washed away their sympathy. Their eyes turned to Tazuna, no longer filled with pity, but with cold realization.
Tazuna shrank back, his guilt trip dismantled. "I... I..."
Kakashi watched me, a small, approving smile hidden behind his mask. This kid... he's a pervert and a chaos agent, but he understands the weight of the profession better than most adults.
"Kenji is right," Kakashi stepped in before the mood got too dark. "So, the decision is yours. As the team captain, I can authorize us to continue, or we can return to the village. Returning will not affect your record, as the client falsified the data."
Naruto looked at Tazuna, then at me. Sasuke waited. Sakura looked unsure.
"Of course we're going," I said casually, breaking the tension I had just created.
Obviously. I have a date with Zabuza Momochi and a certain pretty ice user. I can't leave now.
"H-Huh?" Sakura blinked. "But Kenji, you were just yelling at him!"
"I was educating him," I corrected. "There's a difference."
I turned to face the group. "Look, it's our first mission outside the village. We can't just tuck our tails and run. Plus, the people of the Wave are dying. If I walked away now knowing that, I wouldn't be able to sleep. And besides..."
I grinned at Kakashi.
"We have an Elite Jonin with us. Isn't that enough insurance?"
Naruto's face lit up. "Yeah! We have Kakashi-sensei! And us! We can do it!"
Sasuke smirked. "Hn. I'm not running away."
Tazuna looked at me as if I were a savior sent from heaven. "You... you really mean it?"
"Don't get too happy, old man," I cut him off, stepping into his personal space. The 'savior' mask dropped, replaced by the 'capitalist'.
"I'm not finished. You ordered a C-Rank meal, but you're eating an A-Rank steak. You have to pay the difference."
Tazuna sweated. "B-But I told you, I have no money!"
"Not now," I said smoothly, pulling a pre-written contract scroll from my inventory (always come prepared). "We will set up an installment plan. Low monthly payments. Of course, there will be interest. Compound interest."
Tazuna gulped.
"If you don't like it," I shrugged, turning around. "We leave. Gatou kills you. Your bridge fails. Your granddaughter cries. Your country starves. I don't really care."
Tazuna looked at the contract. He looked at the path ahead. He looked at death.
"Fine!" he shouted, grabbing the pen. "I'll sign! The Wave can't pay now, but once the bridge is done, trade will return! We will pay you back!"
"Excellent," I smiled, rolling up the scroll once he signed. "It's a pleasure doing business with you."
[System Notification][Financial Future Secured: Debt of the Land of Waves][Reward: 50 SP + Future Income Stream]
"Alright team," Kakashi said, putting his book away. "Since we have a new financial agreement... move out."
As we started walking again, the mood was lighter.
Sasuke walked up beside me, a rare look of excitement in his eyes.
"Hey," Sasuke muttered. "If this is B-Rank or higher... that means more ninja will come."
"Probably," I nodded. "Gatou won't stop with just two Chunin."
"Good," Sasuke clenched his fist, a predatory grin appearing. "Next time an enemy shows up... leave him to me. I won't be showed up by you again."
I looked at the Avenger. He was eager. He wanted blood.
"Sure," I patted his shoulder patronizingly. "You take point, Sasuke-kun. Although you are currently about a million points behind me in the DPS department, I believe in you."
Sasuke swatted my hand away, raising his chin arrogantly. "You got lucky with a trick. Next time, I'll kill the enemy before you can even blink."
"We'll see," I laughed.
Oh, Sasuke. If you only knew what's waiting in the mist.