"The target is in the bushes under the tree, two hundred meters at eleven o'clock. No abnormalities detected," Nao said, her Byakugan fixed on the bushes under the nearby tree.
Yosei, hanging from a branch directly above the bushes, whispered, "Arrived at the location. Can assist with capture."
Yuta said, "Arrived at the location. Commencing capture."
Upon receiving the order, Yosei released his Chakra adhesion and quickly descended. Before he could drop into the bushes, an orange blur shot out. However, Yuta was already waiting nearby and quickly reached out, grabbing the orange blur by the scruff of its neck.
The moment its scruff was pinched, the orange blur's limbs stiffened, and it became motionless. Upon closer inspection, it was a small cat with a bow tied to its ear.
Returning to the mission office with the cat, Yuta said to the client helplessly, "Madam, please keep a close eye on your cat this time. This is its fourteenth escape in a month."
Yuta even suspected that this client might be a plant from Hiruzen Sarutobi, set up because there weren't enough D-rank missions.
"The only tasks left with high pay and low time commitment are gathering herbs," Yuta said, taking the mission request and asking for their opinions. "Let's wait for Teacher Rikuto to return and take this mission."
Nao said, "I have no objections."
Yosei: "I have no objections either."
The newly formed squad, consisting entirely of Genin who hadn't completed a certain number of D-rank missions, could only take the simplest D-rank requests. These tasks usually involved chores like weeding, gathering, or repelling animals. It didn't make much difference which one they chose.
"Teacher Rikuto, we're planning to take the herb gathering mission," Yuta said to Rikuto upon his return.
Rikuto, seeing the bored expressions on their faces, knew they were tired of these simple missions, so he brought a small surprise.
Rikuto put the request form back in its place and asked, "Interested in a C-rank mission?"
"C-rank? Really? That doesn't seem to follow the mission rules," Yuta asked, puzzled.
"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The Sealing Technique at Rakugan Temple in the Land of Fire has weakened and needs to be reinforced. Everyone else in the Konoha Sealing Team is busy, so they made an exception and gave it to us," Rikuto said, teasing them as he saw the surprise on their faces. "What? If you don't want it, I'll return the mission."
"No, no, no, Teacher Rikuto, you're the best!" Yuta quickly snatched the request form from Rikuto's hand. He had finally gotten a mission that paid more, and Yuta intended to cherish it.
He had thought that becoming a Genin and taking missions would relieve his financial pressure, but Yuta awkwardly discovered that the money he needed after becoming a Genin had doubled. This was even without any combat. Yuta had no family support, so he had to seize every opportunity to earn money.
"Teacher Rikuto, when do we leave?" Yuta asked.
It would take about twenty days to travel from Konoha Village to Rakugan Temple. Including the return trip and the mission itself, it would be about two months. Being away from the Village for so long, Yuta wanted to say goodbye to Naruto first.
Rikuto tilted his head to look at the clock and said, "Let's go after lunch. Otherwise, we'll only have dry rations on the road."
Nao asked, "Should we go for sushi then? The sushi restaurant in the west of the Village seems to have a lot of new flavors lately."
Rikuto said, "Sushi sounds good. Since this is your first C-rank mission, I'll treat you this time."
"Thank you, Teacher Rikuto!" Yuta and the other two said in unison.
"Teacher Rikuto, I'll go tell my brother first, then I'll meet you at the sushi restaurant."
Leaving the mission office, Yuta found Naruto weeding in a overgrown estate. After explaining the situation, Yuta ignored the indignant Naruto and turned to head to the sushi restaurant. Someone was finally treating them, and it would be a shame to miss it.
Of course, since it was their teacher treating, Yuta and his two teammates didn't overdo it. After lunch, the four of them set off for Rakugan Temple.
The journey was smooth. Apart from a few wild beasts that ended up as their dinner, nothing else disturbed the four.
The abbot, dressed in a kasaya, had been waiting at the temple gate for a long time. Looking at the youthful faces of Yuta and his two teammates, the abbot asked with some hesitation, "Are you four the Ninja-samas who have come to repair the Sealing Technique?"
"That's right. I am Uzumaki Rikuto, a Jonin from Konoha Village, and these three are my subordinates," Rikuto said, detecting the distrust in the abbot's tone. After all, in the past, a two-person Jonin squad usually came to maintain the Sealing Technique. This was the first time a new squad, operating as a team, had come.
"So it's a Ninja-sama from the Uzumaki Clan. Please forgive my rudeness. Please come in," Maruyama said, bowing to Rikuto with his hands pressed together.
Most Ninja from the Uzumaki Clan are skilled in Sealing Technique. This was something not only Ninja, but even those with some contact with Ninja, knew about.
Rakugan Temple is located in the western part of the Land of Fire. Compared to larger temples, Rakugan Temple is not particularly famous, but its offerings, decorations, and architectural style are quite refined. Entering the temple makes one feel involuntarily calm.
Rikuto surveyed the interior of the temple and clicked his tongue, "As expected of Rakugan Temple, known as the Temple of Tranquility."
"You flatter me, Rikuto-sama. It is only with the protection of the Ninja-samas of Konoha that this small temple can continue to be tranquil in this world," Maruyama said to Rikuto with his hands pressed together. "You must be tired from your journey. We have prepared food and rooms for you to rest. The matter of the Sealing Technique is not urgent; it can be handled tomorrow."
"Thank you, Master Maruyama," Rikuto returned the bow.
"Thank you, Master," Yuta and his two teammates said, mimicking Rikuto's bow.
Maintaining a Sealing Technique is not a simple task. From detecting weak points in the Sealing Technique to completing the repair and observing whether it has been perfectly restored, this process takes about three days. And at this moment, Rikuto and his three teammates indeed needed a good rest.
Rikuto looked at Yuta, whose face was a bit unnatural, and asked, "Yuta, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I think I ate something bad earlier," Yuta said, clutching his stomach with a grimace. "Master Maruyama, where is the restroom?"
"At the end of the hallway, turn left. Do you need some medicine?" Maruyama asked with concern.
"No, thank you, Master," Yuta forced an ugly smile, then quickly ran to the restroom.
"Shadow Clone Technique." Yuta created two Shadow Clones. He himself stayed in the restroom for a while, then walked out as if nothing had happened.
"Ninja-sama, please come this way," a young monk at the door said to Yuta.
Yuta smiled and returned the greeting, "Thank you, young master."
After the two walked away, Yuta's Shadow Clone then left the restroom.
After dinner, the four of them returned to their room to sleep. To prevent any accidents, they slept in the same room, regardless of gender.
The bright moon slowly rose, and rustling sounds echoed through the tranquil temple.
"Thud."
A Ninja dressed in black lightly landed in front of the room where the four were staying. He signaled to the four other Ninja who had also surrounded the room, then pushed the door open and entered.
"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."
Inside the room, Yuta and the others were sound asleep. Even Rikuto, a Jonin, didn't sense the enemy's intrusion, still snoring loudly on the bed.
"Hmph."
The black-clad Ninja snorted coldly, the Kunai tightly gripped in his right hand glinting with a cold light.
"Pfft."