Getting into Konoha isn't all that hard - but leaving it, now that's another story. Shinobi aren't allowed to leave the village unless their mission specifically requires it. Merchants, for example, have to get a permit and a temporary certificate to travel between Konoha and other towns or villages.
If you're just a regular villager, you have to go to the administration office and fill out a form stating when and why you're leaving the village. After all, Konoha is first and foremost a military facility, and only then a village.
Once I got to the administration building, I not only filled out the application, but also set up a mission for my own escort.
"So… escort and protection, huh? Well, the road to Tanzaku is pretty safe, so this'll be a C-rank mission. The fee for creating the mission is ten thousand ryo. Do you have any requirements for the shinobi?" asked the same old man I'd dealt with the first time I requested a mission. Back then, I'd said I wanted as many people as possible, so the old guy - whose name I still didn't know - suggested I just request a new team, with a reward of ten to fifteen thousand.
This time, I needed someone to watch my back while I strutted around Tanzaku. When I was wandering around in rags, nobody cared about me, but now, if I showed up looking all fancy, trying to find a spot for a new branch, I was sure some "big brothers" would show up, eager to offer me their "protection" for a hefty fee. So, at the very least, I needed a chunin to stick close to me - it'd make me feel safer, and besides, it's always more fun with company.
"Oh, a few weeks ago, a girl in a mask saved me from some trouble. She seemed really strong - is there any way to hire her?"
The old man pushed his glasses down to the tip of his nose and looked at me over the rims.
"You're probably talking about an ANBU member. They only take assignments from the Hokage."
"Really? That's a shame… but still, I'd like someone at least as strong as her to guard me. I'll put up a reward of 150,000 ryo," I said, pulling out the money right then and there.
"Well, if you want ANBU level, that means someone at least as strong as a top chunin. Got it, Akira-san," the old man said, and started filling out the mission form. Then he pulled out a scroll, unrolled it, and began writing the details in ink.
If they record every mission in a scroll, they must have an archive the size of an airplane hangar. Now that's what I call thorough.
****
I looked at the stables by the village gates with a bit of regret. Originally, I'd planned to make this little trip on horseback, but it turned out that riding a horse isn't at all like riding a bike. You can't just hop on and yell, "Alright, horse, let's go!"
The stablehand was so polite, he even let me try out his own horse for a bit. For ten minutes, I stood there listening to his lecture on how to sit, how to pull the reins to turn or stop, and how your legs control the horse's movement. In theory, it all sounded pretty simple, but the moment I settled into the saddle, my lower back started screaming.
It's really hard to keep your balance while moving, and after just fifteen minutes, my butt and back were killing me. If it was just a couple of hours, maybe I'd have rented the horse anyway - it would've been a fun experience. But I wasn't heading to the next village over - I was going to Tanzaku, which is three days from Konoha. I don't think my rear end would survive that distance.
And honestly, I didn't want to take a carriage with a driver, either. If I was going to "travel" for the first time in months, I wanted to experience it for real - so I decided to go on foot. It's healthier, and honestly, more fun. As for food and a place to sleep, I'd already prepared everything. Sure, I didn't really want to carry it all on my back, but I'd thought of that too - my escort would be carrying my stuff. Heh heh.
The mission stated that today - the 21st - my escort was supposed to meet me at the village gates at exactly 8 a.m. When I left the house, it was a quarter to eight, and by my estimate, the meeting time was just about to arrive. I was practically praying that, by some miracle, Kakashi wouldn't be the one to take this mission. The odds were low, but still - I really didn't want to be stuck waiting here for hours.
*Shff*
I turned at the sound, and when I saw who'd shown up. A smile tugged at my lips.
"Shinobi-san, are you my escort?" I asked, trying to spot the differences between her and her mother.
Itachi, like all members of the Uchiha clan, had dark eyes, and from her brows down to her cheeks ran lines that looked like tear troughs. Her long black hair framed her face in the front and was tied back in a ponytail. She was a head shorter than me, and unlike her mother, her build was slimmer - but her legs… her legs were just perfect. I usually prefer slightly curvier thighs, but slim legs don't bother me at all.
What caught my eye, though, was her hair — not the usual jet-black common to most Uchihas, but a deep, rich purple that shimmered subtly in the light. It wasn't completely unheard of in the clan, but definitely rare. Maybe a recessive gene, or a trait passed down through a forgotten line. Either way, it gave her a distinct, almost otherworldly presence. [ image ]

I didn't get an answer, so I quickly looked up at her face, and she nodded right away.
Yeah, not much of a talker… Well, I've got experience dealing with quiet girls, so I figured our trip wouldn't be all that boring.
I wonder if they really think that just because she's not wearing a mask, I won't recognize an ANBU member? Sure, the clothes are different, and I've never heard her voice, but her height hasn't changed, and the hair's the same. Whatever - I guess they decided that if she's supposed to keep an eye on me, she might as well be my escort.
"How should I address you?" - yeah, like it or not, you're not getting away with just silence.
"Just call me shinobi-san," she replied quickly, her face completely neutral. Same gentle voice as Mikoto, but less deep and totally emotionless.
"Alright then, shinobi-san, I hope we'll work well together. Do you have a scroll I could use to store my things?" I asked, pointing at the big travel backpack lying by the tree.
I'd have loved to buy one of those handy storage scrolls myself, but I'm not a shinobi - they don't sell them to civilians. And after Kushina's royal gift, I couldn't bring myself to ask her for another favor.
Itachi nodded and reached into her pouch, pulling out a scroll. I watched with anticipation as she walked over to the backpack and opened the scroll. I didn't know exactly how these scrolls worked. Maybe you had to put the item right on the scroll and channel chakra, or maybe just touch it - but I never found out which guess was right. Itachi rolled the scroll back up and came over to me, quietly saying,
"I don't have any free space left in the scroll." It was hard to tell if she was embarrassed - Her expression gave nothing away - but since she lowered her head a bit, I figured she felt at least a little awkward.
****
"Oh, you're that kunoichi - your tanto's all fixed up, I'll bring it right out." Itachi was about to stop the weaponsmith, but he immediately dashed out from behind the counter into the next room.
"Damn, I only brought enough money for regular expenses," she started to panic a little.
Itachi was an unusual girl. When it came to training or missions, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone in ANBU more serious or prepared than her. Her mental resilience was off the charts. But in everyday situations, she was pretty inexperienced and could get flustered - like right now.
The man came back with the sheath and set it on the counter, smiling as he explained how the master had fixed all the damage and given it a perfect edge.
"Hope your weapon never lets you down. With the discount, the repair comes to twenty-two thousand ryo," he finally said after five minutes.
"I only have fifteen thousand on me! What do I do? Oh, right!" - coming up with a brilliant plan, Itachi nodded and pulled her wallet from her pouch, her face as cold as ever as she started counting out the money.
"Oh, I only have half the amount with me. Could you put the rest on my tab? I'll pay you back right after the mission," She feigned surprise when she 'noticed' that she didn't have enough, but Her emotionless delivery made it sound unconvincing.
"I see, well, I can do that, but…" the weaponsmith started, but was interrupted by a loud sigh from the side.
"Here, take this," Akira said, placing twenty-seven thousand ryo on the counter. "And bring us a storage scroll, please."
The man nodded, handed the girl her tanto in its sheath, and disappeared into the back room again, this time for the scroll.
While he was gone, Itachi took the chance to try and talk me out of it.
"Sir, you really shouldn't use your own money. I can pay for the repair myself, just not right now," she tried to say, keeping her voice steady and emotionless.
"It's nothing. And if you've got good weapons, my safety goes up," I replied. Itachi started to protest again, but I continued, "But if it really bothers you, I'll just deduct it from your mission reward."
That solution seemed to satisfy her, so she nodded.
"Wait, when did he switch to a different form of address?" she wondered, but the thought didn't linger. Another quickly took its place:
"The mission hasn't even started, and I've already messed up twice… how embarrassing," Itachi thought, hanging her head as she followed her employer.
****
The moment we stepped through the gates, the air seemed a little different - cleaner, somehow. Though honestly, the air inside and outside the village was equally fresh. It was just that the endless trees lining the main road created the illusion of a purer atmosphere.
Funny enough, as soon as we passed through the gates, Itachi's identity was blown. No, I didn't try to play the genius and show off my powers of observation - it was just that some shinobi I recognized from the anime greeted us cheerfully at the checkpoint, asking, "Heading out on a mission, Itachi-san? Good luck!"
So much for all that secrecy she'd tried to build up - it was undone in an instant by her own people.
The backpack was stored in the scroll. To do it, she just placed it on top of the scroll, right on a circular diagram with a big "storage" symbol, and performed a few hand seals. So, these scrolls weren't as simple as I thought. It's one thing to create a fuin, but another to make it work with hand seals. I realized it'd be a long time before I could make such handy scrolls myself.
Still, I memorized the hand signs - you only needed three, and then just channel chakra through them. Not rocket science, so after the mission, I could experiment with this miracle scroll a bit.
****
I was wrong - talking to her was actually pretty tough, and I couldn't tell if she was interested in our conversation or not. Anyway, after three hours of walking - with a short break along the way - I suddenly needed to take a leak. But telling her I needed to pee felt a bit crude.
"Ahem, I'm going to scout ahead," she said. I looked at her in surprise. Did she notice something? I glanced around, but the forest seemed perfectly calm. Well, I've just got regular eyes - maybe she really did spot something.
I nodded, and she vanished instantly. Alright, while she's checking things out, I'll go find a bush.
****
After pulling my pants back up, Itachi used shunshin to quickly return to the main road.
"I really need to drink less water," she thought, glancing around in surprise.
"Where did he go… He should be here. Did he go ahead?" Activating her Sharingan, she quickly scanned the area and spotted some trampled grass by the path. "So he went into the woods."
Itachi remembered her orders perfectly - one of them was to never let Akira out of her sight. Thinking he might be trying to ditch her, she ramped up her chakra and sped up several times over.
"Found you!" she said triumphantly, landing on a nearby branch. Akira looked up at her in surprise, and only a second later did she realize something was off.
"Uh, I decided to scout ahead too," she heard as she spun around.
In awkward silence, Itachi and Akira left the woods together.
After another five hours, Itachi once again said she needed to scout ahead.
"Ah, got it. Take your time, don't worry - I won't go into the woods, and I promise not to peek." Itachi didn't reply, just turned and disappeared into the forest, the tips of her ears burning red.
🔥~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~🔥
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