In Konoha, missions were trally received and assig the Hokage Building. As the tallest structure uhe Hokage Rock, this building served multiple funs. Masashi took in the familiar sight as he approached.

  Another mission. At least the air ditioning works better here than at the police station.

  The top floor housed the Hokage's office, meeting rooms, aarial departments assisting the Hokage. The middle floors were dedicated to the administrative offices and the headquarters of the ANBU.

  Wonder if they ever get tired of pying ninja hide and seek up there, he mused as he climbed the stairs.

  The ground floor, partitioned for public services, was where missions were received and distributed. The mission hall was the busiest pce, with three loangur tables arranged in a gate shape. The middle table was used for mission assigs, while the side tables handled mission requests and payments from ts.

  Minato sat in the ter, personally overseeing mission distribution aing ts. During this process, he kindly expihe services avaible to the ts and introduced the skills of the ninja who would uake the mission.

  He makes it look so easy, Masashi observed. Like he's just having a friendly chat rather thaiating potentially life-threatening missions.

  inally, the Hokage didn't perform this duty. This practice began with the Third Hokage, who started doing it regurly. It signifitly closed the gap between the Hokage and the vilge's ninja, earning high praise from ts.

  In the past, it wasn't easy to meet the Hokage, but now, ts felt more fortable spending money in Konoha, knowing they were in good hands.

  However, the Third Hokage had admitted that he had been forced into this practice. The Hokage was not only the leader of Konoha but also its face. Every a was scrutinized by many.

  During Hiruzen's time as Hokage, the most troublesome issue wasn't the vilge's ninja s or his overbearing rades, but the over-imaginative vilgers and outsiders. Sometimes, he couldn't tell who were his fans and who were his critics. Being aloof and cold wasn't suitable for a Hokage.

  In the Land of Fire, where people generally enjoyed good living ditions, the citizens teo love gossip, endlessly fueling rumors.

  Minato, for now, didn't have such s. Firstly, he was still o the role, and sedly, oneone became Hokage, everyone around them was on their best behavior, fog oablishing a good image in the Hokage's mind.

  Except for Danzō—he'd always been a tough one.

  As Masashi ehe room, he immediately spotted the iic spiky hair of Minato. That hair could probably guide lost ships to shore.

  Ahing that stood out was the banner hanging in the mission hall, which read, "Everyone, please do your best!"

  Really? That's the best motivational message they could e up with?

  Before Minato's desk were three fners: two adults and a child. One adult and the child were dressed extravagantly, while the other was clearly a bodyguard. Masashi could sense chakra flowing from the bodyguard. Trained but not quite ninja-level.

  Although in this world, chakra wasn't exclusive to ninjas, most chakra users did bee ninjas. Some, for various reasons, never sidered being a ninja. There were also unlucky ones who simply weren't suited for the shinobi path, but that didn't mean they had no other career options.

  "Masashi, you're here," Minato waved him over with his characteristic warm smile. "e, let me introduce you. This is the esteemed Daimyō of the Land of Hot Water."

  Masashi walked over, sizing up the t. At least this one doesn't reek ance like most nobles.

  From his appearance, he seemed refined and easy to unicate with. Esissioroublesome when ts were stubborn and arrogant, whinecessarily increased the mission's difficulty.

  Unfortunately, such sarios were quite on since high-level esissioypically issioned by nobility. In this world, tries were governed by feudal systems, with individual autonomous lords called daimyō.

  They appointed local officials and owed military service to the higher-ranking daimyō, who was the great lord. Ninja vilges were teically funded by the state, but iy, they were primarily financed by the daimyō.

  These lords were prime ts for ninja vilges sihey were willing to spend vishly.

  "Daimyō-sama, this is Masashi, one of the elite from the Uchiha ," Minato introduced him before turning to Masashi. "The daimyō's visit to Konoha is rare, so be mindful of your approach. unicate openly to ensure smooth colboration."

  Upon hearing the surname 'Uchiha', the daimyō's expression ged, a hint of excitement in his eyes. Here we go. The usual Uchiha fan club rea.

  "This is wonderful! With a strong Uchiha proteg us, I'll be much more at ease."

  However, he gnced regretfully at the Hokage. In the past, he had been a regur t of Minato, always specifically requesting him. After all, he was strong, pleasant to talk to, and warm-hearted. But now, as Hokage, Minato no loook on missions.

  The Uchiha was known for their exceptional skills, but their service attitude... well, that was another matter. As a noble, he didn't enjoy hearing someone say, "Give me the money, and I'll ha," as it cked personal touch.

  But the moment Masashi spoke, the daimyō's opinion of the Uchiha ged.

  "Daimyō-sama, I look forward t with you. You call me Masashi," he smiled warmly, eling his best er service persona. Sometimes a smile is the best jutsu.

  "If you have any additional requests, feel free to discuss them. We'll aim for the best possible solution."

  He was a master of er service, uanding how to make ts feel good about spending money.

  At this moment, the daimyō felt satisfied and ected. He cheerfully replied, "No, I don't have any special requests. As long as my son and I arrive safely, that's all I ask."

  The young boy o the daimyō perked up at the mention of his udying Masashi with undisguised curiosity. "Father, is he strohan ur guards?"

  "The Uchiha is rehroughout the nations," the daimyō answered proudly, as if he'd personally recruited Masashi himself.

  Now I have to live up to the 's reputation. As if I didn't have enough pressure already. "What's the schedule?" Masashi asked, keeping his professional demeanor.

  "If possible, I'd like to depart immediately. I've already been away from my domain for quite some time."

  "Got it. I'll just finish a few handovers, and we'll be on our way."

  After finaliziails with the t, he turo Minato, who had been the iion with approval.

  "Hokage-sama, the mission is firmed. I'm ready to depart."

  "Good, be careful on the road." Minato hahe mission scroll to a nearby staff member and gave o reminder. "No matter what happens, ehe absolute safety of the daimyō."

  Something's off about this mission. Minato doesn't usually emphasize the obvious. Masashi aowledged the order and instantly switched into mission mode, positioning himself protectively beside the daimyō and his son as they exited the building.

  The bodyguard fell into step beside them, his trained movements betraying years of experience.

  "I usually take point position," he offered, his tone professional but slightly defensive.

  "I prefer to maintain full visibility," Masashi replied smoothly. "You know the daimyō's habits better; stay close to him." Two civilian targets, one semi-capable guard, and at least three blind spots in our formation.

  Leaving from the nate of Konoha, he began his jouro the Land of Hot Water with the caravan of the daimyō.

  Standard guard formatio positioning, but those blind spots are going to be troublesome. He adjusted his position slightly, keeping both the carriage and the perimeter guards in view.

  The journey within the Land of Fire eaceful and secure. The guard captain noticed Masashi's watchful gaze and nodded approvingly. "The roads are well-maintained here."

  "Konoha's influence," Masashi replied simply. "Even bandits know better than to operate on these routes." Though sometimes I wish they'd try. A bit of a would make these esissions less b.

  In this world, the transportation infrastructure was generally poor. Uhe feudal lord system, only the major vilges had well-maintained roads funded by local lords, while other roads were merely paths formed from frequent use.

  After the formation of the "One try, One Vilge" system, with ninjas trated in the vilges, the ninja vilges took oask of guiding public transportation routes.

  Soon, the feudal lords reized the bes of this, turning these guiding services into state-funded wilderness security, to everyone's delight.

  However, this happiness was limited to the five great nations. At this time, the Land of Fie was experieng a golden era of security due to the tless Konoha ninjas scattered across the nd, making the journey of the daimyō's caravan quite smooth.

  Until they crossed the border into the Land of Hot Water. The real game begins here. Hot Water's political instability makes it perfebushes. Masashi's fingers brushed against his kunai pouch, a habit he'd developed during the war.

  In the Land of Hot Water, Konoha ninjas wouldn't handle security for free. Less than a day after leaving the border, the caravan entered a band of robbers. But there was no flict; a quick Fireball Jutsu from one of Masashi's shadow es sent them scattering.

  During this, as instructed by Masashi, the guards circled the lord's carriage, while he formed seals.

  Ohe robbers had fled and the coast was clear, he signaled for the caravan to tinue.

  "That was effitly handled," the daimyō remarked, clearly impressed.

  "Perhaps too effitly. Please stay alert," Masashi responded, his eyes still sing the treelihe daimyō initially didn't uand the precaution, so Masashi patiently expined.

  F local bandits or dispced people to atta enemy's group to lull them into a false sense of security before ambushing them was a tactic used by Kiri during the Third Ninja War, one Konoha had also learned from.

  "In uaiories, paranoia keeps you alive," Masashi added. Kumo wouldn't use Kiri tactics... uhat's what they want us to think.

  Realizing he'd grown too aced to the peace of the Land of Fire, the daimyō asked no further questions, cooperating fully for the rest of the journey.

  The terrain in the Land of Hot Water rose gradually from south to north, with the daimyō's resideuated to the northeast, not far from the Land of Frost.

  Higher ground meaer visibility, but also more exposure. They'll expect us to take the valley route.

  Acc to intelligence, an enemy had hired Yu ninjas, disguised as Shimo ninjas, to assassinate him to seize his nd. While wars between ninja vilges rarely aim to destroy or occupy enemy vilges, feudal lords follow entirely different rules in their flicts.

  Masashi didn't give this much thought. Knowing even that the enemy inteo disguise themselves as Shimo ninjas, it was either due to a major information leak oher side or iional misdireost likely, the information from the Uchiha 's sources was reliable.

  The hired ninjas would likely be from Kumo. And given their style, they probably wouldn't bother disguising themselves, treating the act of disguise as merely posing as Kumo ninjas.

  Days ter, despite occasional minor disturbances, Masashi still hadn't entered a full-scale ninja ambush. He didn't let his guard down.

  "Another quiet day," one of the guards ented.

  "Too quiet. They're waiting for something," Masashi replied, his hand never far from his on. If this was the enemy's pn, he found it quite uninspired. Even a noviinja would see through su obvious tactic.

  As the sun began to set on the fifth day, the caravan reached a riverbank, beyond which y a dense forest, dark and quiet in the distance. After crossing this forest, they would reach their destination.

  Rather than crossing the bridge, the carava up camp beside the river, lighting a bonfire, pitg tents, and f a protective circle with the wagons on the perimeter.

  Nearing home, the daimyō rexed siderably. He id out a thick carpet he fire, brought out food and drink, and sat with his child, discussing their life after returning home.

  He patrolled the camp's perimeter, setting traps that were meant to be noticed.

  The journey had been too easy. He attributed it not to any hidden scheme but rather to the differeween Kumo and Kir ninjas' bat styles.

  Ninjutsu could often reflect a vilge's bat tendencies. For Kiri ninjas, signature teiques include the Hidden Mist Jutsu and Silent Killing. Kumo ninjas, oher hand, were known for their Lightning Release. While Kiri ninjas excelled in covert and unventional tactics, Kumo ninjas preferred direct frontations.

  A night breeze swept by, and Masashi licked his lips, feeling a surge of excitement. Living in this world was ging his personality; he was being more like an Uchiha.

  In the dark, his crimson Sharingan eyes glowed, aightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, the chill of the handle reminding him to keep calm.

  This roteission.

  The red glow faded as his eyes returo their normal color. After a g the forest across the river, he turned back toward the camp.

  ---

  As time passed, the camp grew quieter, eventually falling silent. The moon hid behind the clouds, leaving only the dim refle on the river, with the quiet sound of the flowing water filling the night.

  A figure suddenly appeared on the river's surface. It was a blonde woman. Taking a geep forward, she vanished from her spot, and several figures appeared in the distance where she'd been, all stepping onto the river.

  They were ninjas.

  Despite the darkness cealing their headbands, their brown skin and single-shouldered vests were unmistakable markers of Kumo ninjas. Only Kumo ninjas, with their offensive-minded philosophy, would design their bat attire in such a way.

  The woman in front halted.

  A young Konoha ninja emerged from the shadows. The Kumo ninjas watched him coldly. A stranger's face, firming they had no record of fighting this Konoha ninja.

  "So, you were watg us the whole time," the young Konoha ninja said.

  "You aren't asleep." It was a statement, not a question.

  "Of course not. When traveling, I o and drink what I've brought myself," the Konoha ninja replied with a rexed, slightly fake smile.

  "Cautious one, aren't you? Though it doesn't matter—you Konoha ninjas are our real targets anyway."

  The Kumo ninjas slowly encircled him. However, the woman raised a hand, signaling them to stop.

  "I'll give you a ce. How did you detect us?"

  "You're w if I have a blooddline limit? Sure, since you're rather bold."

  The full moon emerged from behind the clouds, illuminating the Kumo ninjas' view more clearly. Before them, the young Konoha ninja's eyes turned scarlet, three-tomoe swirling in each.

  "Sharingan!" the woman, trembling slightly as she stared. "My luck is incredible."

  Her smile grew slightly twisted. "Would you care to surrender? I'd rather not break you."

  "No do." Masashi shook his head, easily assessing their strength. "Suice chakra... Three jonin and five in—reasonable enough."

  He pulled an onigiri from his poud took a bite. "One more bit of information for you. I'm actually super strong when I'm full."

  He drew his short sword.