As we moved through the quiet streets toward the Hokage's building, Shisui glanced back at me. There was a faint, rare edge of disapproval in his voice when he spoke.
"Noa, you should have known better than to use so much chakra during training. A shinobi must always be ready to be recalled for an urgent mission. You should never overexert yourself outside of duty."
I let out a small sigh and nodded. "Sorry, sensei. I got carried away. I was excited about my progress. I'll be more careful in the future."
Shisui's eyes widened slightly, as if he realized something, and when he spoke again his tone was warmer.
"I know you're young and still figuring things out. I didn't mean it as a scolding, just something to keep in mind. It's admirable that you work so hard to get stronger, especially since you're already strong."
I smiled faintly. "Thank you, sensei."
To my surprise, Sena shifted slightly beside me, a tiny sign of unease I rarely saw in her. She leaned in just enough to speak softly.
"Sorry, Noa. I didn't think about this possibility and even encouraged you to keep training."
I turned my head toward her and answered in the same low tone.
"That wasn't your fault. You don't have to be the voice of reason all the time. That would be exhausting. It's fine to make mistakes once in a while."
For a moment a genuine, unguarded smile touched her face. She was showing that expression more often lately, and seeing it made me feel as if she was changing little by little.
"Besides," I added with a grin, "I make mistakes all the time, and look how strong I am."
I laughed at my own remark. Sena's genuine smile slipped away, replaced by her usual poised expression tinged with mild annoyance, though I could still sense a trace of warmth beneath it.
We reached the Hokage's building and found Kaen already waiting there beside Shisui. I glanced at him for a moment before turning my eyes to the figure who had escorted us. As soon as we regrouped, that figure vanished in a puff of smoke, revealing it had been a shadow clones the whole time.
Shisui paused for a moment, then a small smile tugged at his lips. "Follow me. Quietly."
We slipped inside, bypassing the mission desk again. The last time we had done that, I ended up fighting a missing-nin. Given my luck, I hoped I was not about to be thrown into a cage with a jonin this time.
The corridors felt unusually still as we moved deeper into the tower. When we reached the Hokage's office, the door was already open. That alone made my stomach tighten. We stepped inside and saw an ANBU with a rabbit-shaped mask kneeling before Hiruzen.
The Hokage's expression was tense, something I had never seen before. If a man as powerful as Hiruzen looked that way, it was a bad sign for what lay ahead.
He was holding an unfurled scroll that the masked operative had just delivered and was reading it with deliberate care. A moment later he rolled it up and said in a cold, steady voice, "Fine. Leave us."
The rabbit-masked ANBU disappeared as silently as he had appeared.
I started to turn and follow him out, but Sena's hand caught the back of my shirt, halting me. I turned to find her giving me a look that clearly said I was being an idiot. That was unfair. The Hokage had looked tense. The Hokage. That was reason enough to want to get out.
I sighed and scratched my ear, forcing a nervous little chuckle.
Hiruzen's eyes flicked toward me. For a fleeting moment his stern face softened with the briefest hint of amusement, then it was gone. He sat in his chair and gestured for us to step forward.
Spread across his desk was a large, detailed map. It showed not only the Land of Fire but also the surrounding countries, the major roads, river crossings, mountain passes, and even smaller towns and border outposts. It was the first time I had seen such a complete map of the shinobi world. A part of me wanted to study every bend of the rivers and every marked road.
Before I could let my curiosity wander further, Hiruzen spoke in a calm but firm voice, pulling us back to the reason we were there.
"Due to your excellent record and recent reputation, you have been chosen for this critical mission."
Shisui's posture became even straighter, as if that were possible.
"Since the Third Shinobi War," Hiruzen continued, "the Land of Wind's daimyo has relied more and more on Konoha for missions inside his borders. That shift was due to the heavy losses Sunagakure suffered during the war and the concessions they had to accept afterward. Their reputation and finances were damaged further by those concessions."
Even Sena was now standing as straight as an arrow, her eyes sharp and focused. I almost felt like I might get a paper cut just by standing too close to her.
Hiruzen went on. "Lord Kiyosuke is one of the daimyo's younger brothers and among the most influential figures in his court. He has an iron grip on the Land of Wind's economic and trade affairs and has long advocated for stronger cooperation between the Land of Wind and Konoha. Naturally, that has earned him enemies, both in the court and in Sunagakure."
Hiruzen took a slow draw from his pipe and exhaled, as if letting out some of the tension with the smoke before continuing.
"Two weeks ago, he announced a visit to Konoha to negotiate an increase in the volume of trade with the Land of Fire and to establish additional trade routes, as the expected rise in trade will require more paths to be opened and secured between our countries."
Hiruzen's gaze shifted to Sena, and a small smile softened his features.
"Your father will be a very critical part of that negotiation."
Sena bowed. "It would be an honor for our family to bring more work and fortune to the village, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen nodded, clearly pleased by her gesture, and then continued.
"I am not concerned about an attack while he is in the Land of Wind. Sunagakure would be foolish to attack him there, as it would only prove they cannot protect their own territory. They will not dare attack him while he is in the Land of Fire either. The problem lies in between. He must pass through the Land of Rivers. It has no shinobi village and is not a safe place. We cannot deploy our forces there without provoking Sunagakure, as they would consider it an act of aggression and might respond in kind.
"I cannot send an ANBU team either, as that would send the wrong message. It would suggest we do not trust the very trade routes we hope to expand, and it would give him an excuse to demand ANBU escorts for every future caravan, which we cannot afford. This is where you come in. Your mission is to escort Lord Kiyosuke from the border of the Land of Wind, through the Land of Rivers, and ensure he reaches Konoha safely. Once you cross into the Land of Fire, you will have our full support and patrols."
"Secure him at any cost. Any harm done to him would be catastrophic. We could lose not only a valuable ally in the Land of Wind's court but also the trade agreements we have worked hard to build since the Third Shinobi War and have been striving to expand even further."
Hiruzen's eyes, which had been on Shisui almost the entire time, seemed to intensify further when he spoke his next words.
"They will not send a large force or a well-known shinobi, since that would risk exposing them. We will rely on your strength. Do not hold back if things become dangerous."
Shisui's expression hardened, and he nodded. "As you wish, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen maintained eye contact with Shisui as he continued.
"Since the visit was announced, banditry has increased sharply in the Land of Rivers. Perhaps some groups hope to ambush early delegates and seize treasure, but the timing is suspicious. Sunagakure may be using these bandits as cover to mask an attack and then blame it on the rise in bandit activity. If they do decide to strike, it will likely be in the Land of Rivers."
My mind was already overheating as I thought, If Sunagakure really does attack, and given Hiruzen's warning to Shisui, we might actually face a jonin. Damn it. I jinxed myself.