Naruto: Mixed Heritage

38. First Mission (2)

He had mainly packed extra kunais and clothes. He was still working on his fuinjutsu, so he chose to wait until he could make his own storage seals instead of buying them. Yes, Renjiro was cheap.

'In as much as this is this is just the village gate, It's still nostalgic. Not in the sense that I have been here, but it is exactly how it was depicted in the anime. Although I was only here a couple of years ago when Miwa brought me to Konoha, the sentiment is still there.'

Just as Renjiro was reminiscing, Riku arrived as the last member of their group

"Good morning guys, are you ready?"

The team returned his greeting. Inwardly, they were all wishing that he would keep the same spirit of punctuality during their daily training.

Hozuki Fakinshi, the merchant they were tasked to accompany, arrived at the village gate. His presence marked the commencement of their journey, and with a brisk pace, he approached Team 15.

"Ah, Rikus-san, isn't it?" Fakinshi greeted them, a sense of urgency in his tone.

"I appreciate your assistance in this matter. Time is of the essence, and I'm already behind schedule. Let's not linger. We must get going immediately."

Renjiro, Aiko, and Hiro exchanged glances, acknowledging the merchant's urgency. Riku nodded in agreement.

"We're ready to proceed, Fakinshi-san. We will ensure a safe journey to Yorinaka village." Riku said before turning to his team, "Alright, fall into formation!"

Team 15 fell into formation, with Riku maintaining a vigilant position at the rear. While Renjiro was at the centre with Aiko and Hiro both covering the flanks.

The initial part of the journey unfolded with a sense of monotony, with the terrain stretching before the team and Hozuki Fakinshi.

The merchant attempted to break the silence with small talk, discussing various aspects of his business and the peculiarities of Yorinaka village's culinary delights. Renjiro, Aiko, and Hiro listened attentively, their focus never wavering from their duty.

As the landscape transitioned and the team approached their destination, an unexpected twist disrupted the mundane rhythm of the journey. Renjiro sensed a couple of chakra signatures ahead of them and immediately turned to Riku.

"We have a couple of people ahead of us," Riku calmly whispered to the group. He did not want them to change their formation as that would alert the enemy.

"Renjiro, can you ascertain their power levels?"

"Yes, From their chakra signature intensity, they seem to be genins and at best a Chunin should be among them," Renjiro said.

He could not get an accurate reading as he had activated his chakra field the moment they left the village. The mental fatigue accumulated in these four hours of travel was getting to him.

"You guys prepare yourselves to deal with them. I will stay with Hozuki to keep him safe. Don't worry if things escalate, I will step in." Riku assured the team.

They continued walking and it did not take long for the bandits to make themselves known.

The bandits, armed with makeshift weapons, surrounded the convoy with menacing grins.

Hozuki Fakinshi's expression shifted from mild calmness to one of concern, realizing the imminent threat that now loomed before them.

He was not worried when he heard that an enemy was near since he was being guarded by Konoha Ninjas, which he had faith in. Only after he saw the bandits did his faith begin to waver.

'I should have asked for more security. I do not know why I thought the information of the package wouldn't get out.' Hozuki continued to lament. It seemed that there was more than meets the eye to their 'escort' mission.

Renjiro, Aiko, and Hiro instinctively shifted into combat stances, ready for the unexpected turn of events. Riku, too, maintained a composed demeanour.

The bandits, with their scruffy leader at the forefront, had surrounded Team 25 and Hozuki Fakinshi.

"Hand over your valuables, and maybe we'll let you continue on your journey," the bandit leader sneered, his eyes scanning the convoy.

Renjiro, Aiko, and Hiro remained steadfast, their hands poised over weapons, ready for the signal to strike.

Riku, their sensei, maintained a calm composure, aware that this seemingly routine escort mission had taken an unexpected turn.

'He is a Jounin! This is going to be extremely hard.'

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