Such an underground city, equal in scale to the one above, probably doesn't exist anywhere else in the entire shinobi world.
On the scroll, a line of delicate handwriting read: "Find Master Bu, rescue the townsfolk, secret, be careful!"
Shigeo frowned. Who was Master Bu? What had happened to the townsfolk that required rescuing? And why would the daughter of the castle lord beg him to save the people—could this be related to the large-scale hiring of shinobi to come to this place?
The mysteries of this city only grew deeper. Truly, Unnamed City was a strange place.
By dusk, he entered the city again. It was still eerily quiet. Here and there a few people hurried down the streets, but the moment Shigeo tried to approach them, they dodged away as if he were some kind of criminal.
If he needed to search for Master Bu in secret, he obviously couldn't just go around shouting in the streets.
Since it was his first time here, best to observe the situation carefully first.
"Little brother, you're here in Unnamed City for a mission, aren't you?"
An old man suddenly appeared before him.
Shigeo nodded slightly. "Yes. And you are…?"
"I too am a medical shinobi. My name is Shennong. Come, the reporting place is that way, let's go together." He pointed toward the end of the mist-covered main street.
Shennong? One of the few medical specialists even Orochimaru acknowledged, leader of the Sky Ninja, a man who would use any means to achieve his goals—an ambitious villain. Meeting him here, was it coincidence, or design?
Shigeo's expression darkened, but he nodded, following the man toward the street's end.
At the cliff entrance, two lines of people were registering: one for protection shinobi, another for medical shinobi.
Shigeo soon handed over his commission slip and was placed with the medical team. Most bore forehead protectors showing their villages; only a few were freelance healers with no insignia.
"You're a medical shinobi too, young one?" Shennong asked again from ahead.
Shigeo nodded. "Not entirely."
"You're the youngest among us—genius shows early!" Shennong's smile seemed kind and genial.
"Shennong—it's Shennong-sensei!"
Voices rose from the group. Many turned to look, some bowing with respect: "Shennong-sensei, your fame precedes you! To think we'd meet you here in Unnamed City!"
"Yes, yes, let us all work hard together." Shennong replied modestly.
"Then it seems the castle lord's personal physician will surely be you, Shennong-sensei. For us, this trip is wasted."
"Indeed, our skill can't compare to even half of his."
The freelance healers shook their heads. Though they had been paid deposits to come, the commission had clearly stated only a few would be chosen. The rewards promised were generous, but competition would be fierce.
Hearing such flattery, the place grew lively.
"Don't be disheartened," Shennong said with feigned humility. "Who knows who will be chosen? Even I may not succeed—after all, here are many talented shinobi from the great villages. Compared to them, we mere wanderers may hardly be noticed."
His words sounded humble, but carried subtle provocation.
Sure enough, one of the freelancers shouted: "So what if they're from the great villages? If they were so capable, why hasn't the castle lord solved her problem already? She wouldn't need to send commissions everywhere if they could handle it! I was thinking of withdrawing after seeing Shennong-sensei, but now I refuse to shrink back. We won't let the Five Great Villages look down on us!"
Others echoed, voices rising, even some rogue shinobi in the protector group clapping in agreement.
"Little brother, you're a freelancer too, aren't you? Let's stick together and show them what we can do!" That same man turned toward Shigeo.
Suddenly, every gaze fixed on the smallest, youngest boy in the line.
"…Heh."
Shigeo forced an awkward smile. He had done nothing, yet everyone's attention was suddenly pinned on him. Their grudge against the great villages had nothing to do with him. Compared to their bickering, he cared far more about the strange mysteries of this city.
Just as he was thinking how to sidestep this pointless squabble, a booming voice rang out:
"Shigeo! Didn't expect to see you here! Brat, where have you been this past year?"
Might Guy barreled forward, scooping him up into a crushing embrace. Kakashi and Anko followed behind.
Kakashi just gave him a quiet look and said nothing. Anko, however, studied him curiously—she'd heard the hospital medics whisper that he had once borne Orochimaru's curse mark, yet it had been absorbed into his body and vanished. For someone to survive that… it was like a miracle.
"So? What are you doing here? Why are you with the medical shinobi?" Guy asked.
"I'm here on behalf of Tsunade-sensei," Shigeo replied simply.
Guy laughed, slapping his shoulder. "Then you'd better perform well—don't shame the name of Konoha's greatest healer!" He winked mischievously before rejoining his squad.
Once again, every eye was on Shigeo.
The medical nin from the great villages chuckled.
A Cloud shinobi sneered: "See that? Even if they hide their forehead protectors, those from the Five Great Villages are leagues above you. Freelancers will always be just that—freelancers."
(End of Chapter)
[50 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[10 Reviews = 5 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]