Inside the Hokage's Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat as he always did—smoke curling from his pipe, paperwork spread across his desk. His sharp eyes lifted to Roshi, who had just stepped in. There were no pleasantries, only the blunt words of a leader.
"Your team-building has gone well. Their coordination in recent days has been solid." The Third Hokage's voice carried a trace of approval as his gaze settled on Roshi. "Based on your judgment, is your team ready for a mission?"
"Anko Mitarashi's mental state has largely stabilized." Roshi answered with deliberate caution. "Given that, I judge this team capable of handling a B-rank mission."
He emphasized the rank. For their first official deployment, he needed a buffer—he would not allow Konoha to throw them into a firestorm too soon.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly. In the past, Roshi had been direct, confident, even sharp—rarely cautious to the point of restraint. Was this change the scar left by his last mission, where he was gravely injured and a comrade lost? Or was it because of the boy on his squad—the eight-year-old Uchiha with a name too heavy for politics to ignore? The thought flickered and passed.
"Hmm." The Hokage pulled a scroll from the pile on his desk. With a casual flick, it landed in Roshi's hands. "A B-rank mission: escort a merchant caravan to Deai Port."
An escort mission? B-rank? Roshi untied the cord and scanned the neat handwriting.
Client: Tanzai
Profession: Cloth Merchant
Cargo: A shipment of fine cloth from the Land of Fire
Destination: Deai Port
Mission Rank: B
On the surface, it looked routine—an international trade escort. Yet the B-rank designation spoke otherwise.
Deai Port lay on the southwestern coast of the Land of Fire, within the peculiar borders of the Land of Tea.
The Land of Tea possessed two fragmented enclaves—wedged into the Fire Country's southwestern and southeastern corners—along with two massive offshore islands, Naizaki and Ozu. In sheer territory, it even surpassed the Land of Water. But crucially, the Land of Tea had no shinobi village.
Its geography meant it relied heavily on Konoha for protection. Almost every serious commission within its borders flowed straight to the Leaf.
And yet… if Tanzai's caravan, traveling from Fire Country's heartland to Deai Port, required B-rank protection, then something else was in play.
Roshi lifted his eyes to meet the Hokage's steady gaze. "Does this mission have hidden objectives?" Escort risk alone could not justify such a rank.
"You are as perceptive as ever." Hiruzen inhaled from his pipe, the smoke briefly veiling his expression. "Recently, a group of rogue shinobi has been active near Deai Port. They've proven troublesome."
"Understood." Roshi gave a small nod. "Have we gathered detailed intelligence on them?"
"A team of five," Hiruzen replied, retrieving two thinner scrolls from a drawer and laying them on the desk. "They call themselves the Black Snake Group. They move in secret and employ dangerous, insidious techniques. Not to be underestimated." He pushed the scrolls toward Roshi.
"This mission carries two layers," he continued. "First: escort Mr. Tanzai's caravan safely to Deai Port. Second: investigate the Black Snake Group. Should the opportunity arise, you may choose your course."
He tapped the scrolls with his pipe stem. "An A-rank directive: eliminate the Black Snake Group. A B-rank directive: scout and gather precise intelligence. Judge accordingly once on-site. If the risk is too great, focus solely on the escort and return alive. That is your priority."
Hiruzen leaned back, his tone final but steady. "For administrative purposes, your team will retain its old designation—Team Five."
Roshi's eyes lingered on the scroll marked Team 5. The number of his old squad—the one that had fought and bled with him on the border, from which only he had returned alive, carrying fragments of intelligence. He said nothing, simply taking the two additional scrolls detailing the Black Snake Group.
Hiruzen rose from behind his desk and walked around, his robes brushing softly against the floor. He laid a hand on Roshi's shoulder—a gesture of comfort—but his gaze wandered past him, out the wide office window toward the bustling heart of Konoha.
"The Land of Tea's commissions are vital to Konoha's finances," he said, his voice low. "We can't afford to lose them." Withdrawing his hand, his tone carried a tinge of weary helplessness. "The Kumogakure delegation will arrive soon, and our forces are stretched thin. Anbu and regular squads are all tied to their security and the peace talks… which leaves only your Team 5 to reach Deai Port first and assess the situation."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Roshi's expression betrayed nothing.
He gathered the three scrolls, turned, and stepped out. The heavy office door closed with a final thud, cutting off the smell of tobacco and the weight of duty. The hallway beyond was dim, but Roshi's steps were steady, his thoughts already racing.
The Black Snake Group—rogue shinobi, dangerous unknowns. Investigating them, perhaps even eliminating them, on top of escorting a merchant caravan… the difficulty was far from trivial. Itachi's genius was real, but limited by age and stamina. Anko had recovered her spirit, but her sharpness had not fully returned. For their first mission, carrying dual objectives deep into contested territory, the risks climbed steeply.
But the Hokage's meaning had been clear. For ten long years, Konoha had known only a single year of peace—between Year 50 and 51 of the Village calendar. Even a village as wealthy as Konoha now bore crushing financial strain. The Land of Tea could not be abandoned.
"Team 5…" Roshi murmured the number under his breath. The memories it carried, even secondhand, tightened something in his chest.
With a long exhale, he forced the thoughts down and quickened his pace, heading for the Third Training Ground. It was time to prepare the new Team 5 for their journey.
The sun was already blistering overhead by the time Roshi returned to the training field. Anko was hammering away at a reinforced stake, practicing sharper angles for her Hidden Shadow Snake Hands. Sweat plastered her dark purple windbreaker to her back, but her eyes were bright with focus. Off to the side, Itachi sat cross-legged, eyes closed in deep concentration, cycling chakra with the quiet precision of someone beyond his years.
Noticing Roshi, Anko stopped and wiped her brow. A spark of anticipation flickered in her gaze. "Captain, the old man—cough, I mean, Hokage-sama—what did he want with you? Don't tell me… a big mission?"
Itachi also opened his eyes, calm but attentive, his focus wholly on Roshi.
Walking into the center of the field, Roshi knelt and unrolled the three scrolls onto the sand. "Our assignment is a B-rank mission—escort a cloth merchant caravan to Deai Port in the Land of Tea."
"Deai Port?" Anko raised a brow. "That place is usually peaceful. A B-rank for that? What, enemy shinobi causing trouble?"
"It was peaceful," Roshi replied evenly. "But now, a rogue group calling themselves the Black Snake Group has appeared near the port. They employ dangerous secret techniques and threaten the trade routes." He tapped the two auxiliary scrolls. "The secondary objectives are clear: gather intelligence on them—also B-rank—or, depending on circumstances, engage and eliminate them. That part is classified A-rank."
Anko let out a sharp breath. "A-rank?! Our first mission? That's insane."
"Hokage-sama left the choice to us," Roshi said firmly. "Our primary duty is to get the caravan to its destination safely. Investigation and combat are secondary—decided on the ground, by our judgment and condition." His gaze swept across them both. "The risk is high. These enemies are unknown, and we cannot underestimate them."
He let a pause hang before continuing. "Team 5's objectives: First—escort Tanzai's caravan safely to Deai Port. Second—collect as much intelligence on the Black Snake Group as we can, without compromising ourselves. Third—if conditions allow, we move to expel or annihilate them." His eyes locked briefly on each of them. "Understood?"
"Understood!" Anko straightened, her earlier disbelief replaced by sharp determination.
"Yes, Captain," Itachi replied with crisp clarity.
"Good." Roshi rolled up the scrolls. "The caravan leaves tomorrow morning. Prepare your gear, tools, and medicine. Gather at the village gate before six."
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