After Team 7 finished the handover and left with the mission client, the room suddenly became quiet.
"Well then, since you can't do a C-rank mission for now..."
Hiruzen picked up a mission sheet and read slowly, "Then... Team 8's next mission is to help the elder take care of children, run errands to the neighboring village, or help dig up sweet potatoes."
"Let's go with digging sweet potatoes." Mamoru replied immediately, seemingly having a plan in mind.
Roasting sweet potatoes while digging them up, he'd treat it like an autumn outing.
"Remember to complete the mission well. I don't want to see anyone coming to complain about you again." Hiruzen reminded him, as if seeing through his thoughts.
"Yes..." Mamoru answered with a drawn-out tone.
Kurenai took the stamped mission sheet and was about to lead the team away when Hiruzen called out to Mamoru again, "Wait, Mamoru, there's another mission here that you need to carry out."
"Eh... it's not a solo mission, is it?" Mamoru was stunned for a moment and asked in shock.
After all, he was just a Genin. Logically, only those at Chunin level or above would be assigned solo missions.
"It's not a solo mission. This is a subjugation mission personally assigned by the Daimyo. You just need to go and assist."
Hiruzen picked up another mission sheet and said, "The time is before 9:00 tomorrow morning, gather at the Konoha Gate. Look for a Jonin named Miki. He is the main person in charge of this mission. Follow his arrangements for everything, got it?"
"No problem." Mamoru agreed readily.
Then as if remembering something, he quickly followed up, "By the way, do I bring my own cement?"
...
Walking out of the mission assignment office, Mamoru and his group followed Kurenai toward the mission destination. They passed through the bustling commercial street, crossed the small bridge over the Naka River Tributary, and turned into a quiet tree-lined path. Fallen leaves rustled down, and the air was filled with the faint scent of green grass.
The noise gradually faded away, leaving only the sound of footsteps echoing in the forest.
As they walked, Kurenai suddenly spoke, "Speak up."
Mamoru glanced at her and clasped his hands behind his head. He knew what Kurenai wanted to ask, so he said directly, "You heard that old man's self-introduction just now, right?"
Kurenai nodded. "Yes, he's a bridge-building expert. Is there a problem with that?"
"There's no problem with building bridges. The problem is that building a bridge in the Land of Waves is a big problem."
Mamoru lowered his hands and thrust them into his pockets, no longer beating around the bush.
"There's a man named Gato in the Land of Waves. He used his wealth and violence to take control of all maritime transportation in the Land of Waves..."
Before he could finish, Kurenai subconsciously asked, "Gato? You mean Gato, the tycoon of that shipping company? He's one of the wealthiest men in the world."
Mamoru nodded. "That's right, it's him. This C-rank mission isn't as simple as it seems on the surface. Rather than escorting that old man, it's more like going against Gato."
With that, he looked at Kurenai, who was lost in thought. He knew that if he gave her some time, she would definitely be able to figure out the key points.
Seeing that several minutes had passed and she was still pondering, Mamoru took the initiative to explain, "For an island nation like the Land of Waves, controlling the maritime transportation lifeline means controlling the wealth, politics, and people of this country—everything."
"If Tazuna is allowed to return to the Land of Waves successfully, once the bridge is built, Gato's influence in the Land of Waves will inevitably suffer a serious blow. Therefore, Gato will definitely not let this bridge-building expert return home safely. With his power and wealth, there is no doubt that they will encounter ninja assassinations during the mission."
Kurenai asked with a frown, "In that case, wouldn't it be better to tell the truth and raise the mission difficulty?"
Mamoru spread his hands. "The problem is that old man has no money at all. The Land of Waves is even poorer than dirt, all the money is in Gato's hands."
Kurenai pressed, her gaze becoming solemn, "Then why didn't you say so on the spot?"
Mamoru rolled his eyes at her, cursing in his heart, 'Say it? Say my foot! How would I explain my source of information? I can't exactly say I've seen this plot before, can I? Could I withstand an investigation?'
'You're easy to fool, but is the shrewd and calculating Hiruzen that easy to fool?'
The reason he told Kurenai so much was simply because she wouldn't go and tattle to Hiruzen about this. From the moment she chose to help Mamoru refuse this mission, they had already drawn a clear line between themselves and that mission.
He replied nonchalantly, "There's no need. Once Team 7 leaves the village and gets attacked by ninjas, they'll come back obediently."
"As for whether Team 7 will be good people to the end or abandon someone in distress, that depends on their own judgment."
Thinking about it carefully, Konoha's intelligence network was really poor.
A tycoon as famous as Gato, and an event like bridge building that involved the interests of a major group—how could no one have noticed?
It was just treated as a C-rank mission, Hiruzen really was getting old and senile.
Kurenai asked again, her eyes like torches, "By the way, where did you get all this information?"
Mamoru thought to himself, 'Here it comes.'
He replied without changing his expression, "I heard it through the grapevine at a shop where I often eat. Merchants from other countries are often there discussing the situation in their own countries."
Kurenai looked at him suspiciously. "Then why do I never hear anything when I go?"
Mamoru maintained a calm expression. "Maybe it's just luck, I only heard it occasionally."
Kurenai said half-doubtingly, but the suspicion in her eyes hadn't completely dissipated, "I'll take your word for it, for now."
Stepping out of the shaded path, the view suddenly opened up. Vast fields stretched out before them, with several farmers busy in the fields. The warm sun cast a golden glow over the entire field, and smoke from cooking fires rose in the distance.
Kurenai walked ahead to meet with the client, while Mamoru took a deep breath and began to adjust his mindset: Genin = errand boy.
He looked at the setting sun on the horizon, a faint, ambiguous smile appearing on his lips.