On the way to the Land of Vegetables.
The young nobleman who was the client even purchased two carriages, one of which he intended to use specifically for Hagoromo and the others.
Having carried out so many missions, this was the first time Hagoromo Yi had ever seen an employer spend so much money.
They ignored it and directly rejected the offer.
After all, they could usually travel faster than a horse-drawn carriage.
Seeing this, the young nobleman did not try to persuade him further.
Two carriages and the Hagoromo Squad followed behind, heading towards the Land of Vegetables.
Neji, who was leaving the village for the first time, did not show any curiosity.
They were focused on traveling the whole way, and even the Yutoshi and Kokone didn't know how to speak.
As the team leader, Hagoromo naturally noticed this and began to consciously start a conversation, chatting as they traveled.
As night fell, at the foot of a mountain, the Hagoromo Squad stood guard, ready to act.
Beside the campfire, the young nobleman glanced at the location of Hagoromo and the others.
The campfire reflected in his eyes; he seemed lost in thought.
"Master, is this necessary when carrying out a mission?" Neji asked curiously.
After all, apart from necessary rest periods, their teacher hardly paid any attention to the client along the way.
"Well, this time is a bit special."
Hagoromo waved her hand dismissively and said...
From the very first meeting, this client had been intentionally trying to make contact with them.
Although she did it very well, Hagoromo had no interest in paying attention to it.
I reckon they want to get to know the ninjas of Konoha in order to gain support from some powerful forces after they return.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't explain, Hagoromo naturally wouldn't do such a thing.
After all, this has gone beyond what they should be doing.
If you claim to be an heir, then it's one thing for a small country to extend an invitation to the Land of Fire.
However, while it sounds nice to be a collateral branch, in reality, it's just that kind of thing.
Hagoromo had no interest in getting involved in such a messy affair.
It's done, but it won't help Konoha at all. Instead, it'll just be used as a pretext to do things around the country.
At that point, will Konoha acknowledge them or not?
Therefore, it's better to ignore it; that young nobleman can't do whatever he wants anyway.
On my side, all I need to do is complete the task.
Neji nodded thoughtfully, though he seemed indifferent to the first mission.
However, they also wanted to familiarize themselves with the material as soon as possible in order to meet their master's requirements.
"Yutoshi, Kokone."
"You two go and rest first. Neji and I will keep watch for the first half of the night."
Hagoromo spoke to the Yutoshi and Kokone beside her, and the two nodded and then closed their eyes to rest.
Hagoromo then turned to Neji and said:
"When carrying out missions, we usually follow the orders of the Jonin. Since this is your first time out, you'll be on night watch."
"After all, if I and the Yutoshi had to do everything ourselves, you wouldn't learn anything."
"No problem, teacher." Neji nodded, got up, and went to a secluded spot to stand guard.
Seeing this, Hagoromo couldn't help but nod. At least Neji did these superficial things almost perfectly.
There are also requirements for the position of the guard: you must be able to observe the surroundings and also be able to alert your partner immediately.
Ignoring him, Hagoromo simply sat down cross-legged on the spot.
Time passed quietly, the campfire crackling occasionally, and the surroundings were utterly still.
The latter half of the night is, in theory, the time when people are most relaxed.
Yu Yi, who was sitting Hagoromo on the ground, suddenly opened her eyes without making any move.
Neji, who had been observing from that position, suddenly became alert and quietly pulled on the threads.
Startled by this action, the Yutoshi and Kokone immediately stood up and went to the sides of the carriage.
Alerted, the young nobles and their attendants hurriedly hid in the carriage, while Hagoromo stood up and looked in one direction.
Neji leaped directly to Hagoromo's side and said, "Master, six people. Judging from their attire, they should be the Kirigakure Ninja described in the books."
"Well, that explains how we were discovered. Turns out there's Byakugan user in the team."
A sinister voice rang out, its eerie sound echoing throughout the surroundings.
This surprised Neji, as he had never seen this method before.
Hagoromo ignored him and turned around to throw Shuriken the side.
Whoosh--
The Shuriken sliced through the air and flew towards the target, causing the two figures to scatter immediately.
Seeing this, Hagoromo twitched her fingers slightly, and the Shuriken that was originally heading towards the target suddenly changed direction.
Caught off Shuriken that suddenly changed direction, the two figures were clearly caught off guard.
One figure had his throat slit, while the other narrowly avoided it but was still injured.
"Be careful, this guy is not simple!"
A warning sound came from the woods, but still no one appeared.
After all, the Kirigakure Ninja's consistent style is to fight by utilizing environments that confuse the viewer.
Sure enough, the next instant, mist rose directly from the flat ground.
Neji, be careful.
Hagoromo then reminded Neji that the Byakugan is a valuable Kekkei Genkai for all nations.
"Yes!" Neji nodded in response, cautiously observing his surroundings.
"Take care of that Byakugan brat first!"
With the Byakugan present, these Kirigakure ninjas lost their advantage, so they immediately set their sights on a target.
The increasingly thick fog enveloped the entire area, making it impossible to see even within half a meter of one's surroundings.
"Heh, you little brat with the Byakugan, I'll take your eyes!"
A figure suddenly appeared behind Neji, and a cold light flashed.
"Eight Trigrams - Vacuum Palm!"
The moment Neji's shadow appeared behind him, he moved instantly.
He raised his hand and unleashed a Chakra shockwave.
Boom--
In his view, this skill was superior to that of Neji, who frequently fought against Naruto.
These Kirigakure Ninjas were being excessively contemptuous.
"Knowing I could see him, he still rushed at me like that, it's just... idiotic."
Even Neji, couldn't help but start to doubt the intelligence of these Kirigakure Ninja.
"You seem very confident, kid!"
In the mist, the sounds became exceptionally eerie, as if voices were coming from all directions.
Neji time because he had not spotted any enemy.
Sizzle--
A cold light burst from the ground, piercing downwards towards Neji's throat.
"You brat! Go to hell and repent!"
Neji stomped his foot and retreated rapidly, using Kunai in his hand to block the spiked weapon that was attacking him.
He then swiftly struck the acupoints on the person with his fingers, the sound of the striking echoing continuously.
Upon landing, Neji looked at the figure before him, his expression turning grim. "A clone?"