Chapter 8: The Tea Merchant's Request
The Mission Assignment Desk inside the Hokage Tower was a bustling hub of activity.
"Huh? These three are fresh graduates from the Ninja Academy, and you want their first mission to be one of high difficulty?" A ninja with glasses peered at the three unfamiliar genin, then looked skeptically at Kurenai. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, it's fine," Kurenai confirmed calmly.
After receiving her assurance, the glasses-wearing ninja adjusted his spectacles and asked, "A C-Rank mission? Or a B-Rank?"
"C-Rank would be—" Kurenai began, but Ryouma suddenly interjected.
"Sensei, could I be the one to choose?"
Kurenai's crimson eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of killing intent directed at the bold boy who had complimented her so smoothly yet now seemed intent on challenging her authority at every turn. He was truly a handful!
But before her glare could fully land, Ryouma was already deep in discussion with the mission desk ninja.
"Are there any missions with a higher reward, but where the difficulty isn't exceptionally high?"
What Ryouma really wanted to ask was if there were any missions related to the Konoha rogue ninja, 'Naraku Ryosuke,' but he feared raising suspicion. After some thought, he decided that simply earning some money was the most pressing need, so he wouldn't have to worry about his next meal.
"Missions like that..." the glasses ninja muttered, tapping his chin. Then his eyes lit up. He stood up and pulled a stack of documents from a nearby shelf.
"You're in luck!" he said with a smile. "A wealthy merchant from the Land of Tea just posted a mission. There's a major tea ceremony coming up, and with all sorts of people gathering, it's bound to be chaotic. He's requested Konoha ninja to provide protection for him and his family. The mission duration is three days, and the reward is... quite astonishing. As high as ten thousand ryo."
In the Naruto world, one ryo was a significant amount. A bowl of Ichiraku Ramen cost about 60 ryo. Ten thousand ryo was enough to buy over 16,000 bowls of ramen.
"W-What? Ten thousand ryo?!" Ryouma's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "And our share? How much do we get?"
"Um..." The glasses ninja was taken aback by the blunt question. He thought for a moment. "As genin, the three of you would receive about one hundred ryo each. The jōnin instructor would receive three thousand."
One hundred ryo. Ryouma's face fell, his motivation deflating like a punctured balloon. That was barely enough for a nice meal.
"Hehe, if you perform well, I can offer a private bonus," a voice chimed in. A portly, well-dressed middle-aged man walked through the door, smiling amiably.
"Ah, this is Mr. Trump, the client who posted the escort mission," the desk ninja explained. "If you accept, I'll register it immediately, and you can depart for the Land of Tea with Mr. Trump."
"Ah, hello, Mr. Trump!" Ryouma immediately turned on the charm, his tone ingratiating. "I can tell just by looking at you that you're a man of wealth and taste, no ordinary person at all. We'll be in your care."
"Haha, for these three days, I'm the one who will be in your care," Trump responded, though his eyes lingered appreciatively on Kurenai. "The mission desk informed me the team consists of one jōnin woman and three genin. This combination... should be sufficient."
Seeing Ryouma already cozying up to the client, Kurenai could only give the desk ninja a resigned look. "We'll accept the mission. No question."
"Haha... hehe... Understood." The desk ninja was also somewhat speechless at Ryouma's antics. He buried his head in the paperwork, stamping the mission form with a definitive thud.
"Is there anything the three of you need to prepare?" Kurenai asked, once the mission was finalized.
"No need to prepare anything," Trump interjected smoothly. "I'll have my servants arrange for all daily necessities and a change of clothes. Don't trouble yourselves."
Hearing this, Kurenai nodded. "Then, let's set out!"
At the border between the Fire Country and another nation, within a foreboding castle, a masked man shrouded in red robes sat upon a throne-like chair.
"My lord, the tea merchant, after receiving your letter informing him he would be killed during the tea ceremony, seems to have grown fearful and has gone to a ninja village to hire guards. My lord, why not simply ambush him on the day? It would save us much effort."
At the foot of the throne stood a man clad in black. As he looked up at the masked figure on the chair, a trace of fear flickered in his heart. He knew all too well how terrifying his leader was.
"So what?"
The masked man lifted his head, his gaze cold as it fell upon the man in black.
"Are you reminding me... or are you trying to teach me how to do things?"
The masked man's words were laced with a palpable killing intent. The man in black felt like a small boat tossed in a storm, on the verge of capsizing at any moment.
"N-No, my lord! This lowly one would never mean that!"
The black-clad man quickly dropped to his knees, his body trembling uncontrollably.
"This lowly one is only concerned that such trivial matters might distract you, my lord, from your cultivation."
The masked man withdrew his gaze, turning to look out the window. A large, purple, eagle-like bird was soaring towards the castle.
"Get out."
The words held no emotion.
As if granted a pardon, the man in black scrambled backward and fled the room.
Once he was gone, the masked man stood up and elegantly raised his arm. The purple eagle flew into the castle and landed gracefully on his gloved hand.
"Shimarū, did you find anything interesting today?" the masked man asked the bird, a smile in his voice. Had any of his subordinates heard that smile, they would likely have nightmares for weeks.
The bird, Shimarū, let out a series of sharp, cawing cries.
The masked man's smile twisted from mild amusement into something ferocious and cruel. A vast, oppressive chakra leaked from his body.
"So, the merchant has called for help, has he?"
"Hehehe... Only struggling prey can make the hunt more entertaining."
By evening, Ryouma and his team had followed Mr. Trump into the Land of Tea.
The Land of Tea was a nation that survived on cultivating tea trees and selling their leaves. Trump was a leading figure among its tea merchants.
In the fields, numerous villagers bent their backs, picking tea leaves. The arrival of Ryouma's group drew many curious stares. The sight of Kurenai and the shy Hinata, who tried to hide slightly behind Ryouma, made the gazes of some of the onlookers grow particularly intense.
"Are those the ninjas Mr. Trump hired? Looking at their forehead protectors... they seem to be from Konoha."
"Mr. Trump must have spent a fortune this time. Life hasn't been easy for us lately."
"Tch, when that happens, it's always us common folk who suffer the most."
The villagers' whispers were soft, but not a single word escaped the trained ears of the ninja.
"What's all this chatter? Work hard! Be careful, or I'll have to report to your elders that you're slacking off!"
Trump smiled at the villagers as if joking, but none of them dared take it lightly. They immediately fell silent and returned to their work with renewed focus.
Kiba and Hinata didn't pay much attention to the villagers' talk or Trump's joking threat, but Kurenai felt a slight unease, though she couldn't pinpoint its source.
Ryouma, however, frowned. The villagers' brief exchange had revealed a great deal.
First: The villagers knew Trump had gone to a ninja village to hire ninja. It seemed he wasn't the only merchant who had done so. Why? Was something unusual happening at the tea ceremony, or was it just suspicion and rivalry among the merchants?
Second: What the villagers referred to as "that." What was "that"? What kind of threat did it pose to them?
A sinking feeling settled in Ryouma's gut. This mission was not as simple as it appeared on the surface. That ten thousand ryo wasn't going to be as easy to earn as he'd hoped.