"Kenzaburo, scholar?"
Hagoromo looked at the names written on the scroll in her hand, and then looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with a puzzled expression.
Does a C-rank mission really require the Hokage's personal intervention?
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, then said in a deep voice, "The main reason is that this client is a professor who specializes in ancient runes and the history of the Warring States period."
"I've been serving under the Daimyo of the Land of Fire for a long time, and I don't know what's going on this time, but suddenly I'm being asked to go to the vicinity of the Land of Whirlpools for an inspection."
"Near the Land of Whirlpools..." Hagoromo frowned.
Since his last attack, the coastline of the Land of Whirlpools has become a target of exploration for various countries.
Although a long time has passed, the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools have become even more dilapidated as a result.
That's it? Is there even any point in conducting further investigation?
"Although I don't know exactly what he's trying to do, he issued a standard 'scholar escort mission' request to Konoha through the Daimyo."
"All the procedures are perfectly in line with a C-rank mission, but I still have some doubts."
"These days, there are almost no teams I can trust to handle C-rank missions, so I have no choice but to send you there."
"While we're at it, let's also have Naruto visit his mother's ancestral home."
Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his temples. He was already very busy, and now there was this strange scholar trying to cause trouble.
"I understand. I'll lead the team on this mission."
Hagoromo put away the scroll and nodded.
"Yes, I'll feel more at ease if you go." Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled.
If Hagoromo could get there, he would be able to know some things immediately.
"He's currently at the guesthouse in Konoha. You can just go there." After saying that, Hiruzen Sarutobi handed Hagoromo a mission slip and a permit to leave the village.
Hagoromo nodded and accepted it, then turned and left the Hokage Building, calling over several disciples who were in the training ground.
The group then headed to the guesthouse in Konoha.
Naruto looked around with curiosity. Although he lived in Konoha, this was the first time he had ever seen a guesthouse or anything like that.
Following the host's directions, Hagoromo led Naruto and the others to the outside of a room on the third floor.
Thump--
Hagoromo gently knocked on the door, and after a while, a kind voice came out.
"Please come in."
Hearing the response, Hagoromo pushed the door open and went inside.
The first thing they saw was an elderly man wearing an old woolen coat, with gray hair and round-framed glasses, looking at them.
"You... are the ninjas who accepted the mission?"
As he spoke, Kenzaburo stood up and bowed to Hagoromo and the others, quickly glancing at Hagoromo as he looked down.
"Huh?! The client is actually an old man?"
Naruto, standing behind Hagoromo, looked at Kenzaburo with curiosity, blinked, and spoke.
Seeing Naruto's expression, Kenzaburo smiled gently, "That's right, I am the client. I'll leave this mission to you all."
Sasuke, faced with such a amiable client, didn't know how to start the conversation, and simply put his hands in his pockets and looked around.
Hagoromo waited for the old man and Naruto to finish speaking before nodding and saying:
"Well, I'm the Jonin this team, Sawada Hagoromo."
"Professor, could you please briefly explain the mission's content and route?"
The task at hand is to investigate the person in front of us, so we'll need to have that person plan the route themselves.
Hagoromo and the others used this as a reference to protect Professor Kenzaburo.
Kenzaburo was taken aback when he heard Hagoromo's name, then awkwardly nodded.
He rummaged through his old leather bag for a while before pulling out a map and spreading it out on the table in front of him.
"Alright, our destination is here, an abandoned fishing village on the eastern coast of the Land of Fire, Sea-View Village."
"I need to stay here for about three days, mainly to measure some of the stone tablets and ancient runes left behind at the ruins."
Naruto, who had been watching from the side, came over, then showed a hint of disappointment on his face.
"Huh?! I thought we were going to fight pirates! Turns out we're just going to a village to look at rocks?"
Hagoromo covered her forehead in exasperation. "That kid..."
Even if you want to complain, you don't have to say it so loudly, do you?
Kenzaburo's face showed a hint of embarrassment upon hearing Naruto's words, and he adjusted his glasses.
"Hehe, this mission really doesn't need that, because this village hasn't been inhabited for decades."
"At most, there are some wild animals and some refugees, so we'll need your help to escort them."
Sasuke simply grabbed Naruto and pulled him away; this Dead Last was unusually outgoing.
"Dead Last and keep interrupting."
Kenzaburo's heart skipped a beat when he saw Sasuke dragging Naruto along. It took him a while to look at Hagoromo sitting in front of him.
Hagoromo Yi looked at the old man in front of her. If the mission was strange, it wasn't really that bad.
But the way this guy acted when he heard his name and saw Sasuke and Hinata.
This clearly indicates a clear understanding of certain matters within Konoha and the families involved.
However, this task was assigned by Hiruzen Sarutobi, and he insisted that Hagoromo carry it out, so he immediately asked.
"Professor, are these all the items you need to bring? Is there anything that requires special attention, or anything of higher value?"
Kenzaburo quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, I only brought some academic supplies, nothing worth much. My main task this time is to protect me on my way to the local area for investigation."
"Of course, these things are also part of my research, so they need to be kept safe."
Hagoromo glanced at the items laid out in front of her, nodded, and didn't ask any further questions.
Since this person doesn't want to say it explicitly, then he'll just pretend he doesn't know.
"Alright, our team will take on this mission."
"Well then... I'll leave everything to you all. Shall we set off tomorrow?" Kenzaburo asked, looking at Hagoromo.
Hagoromo stood up, nodded, and said to Kenzaburo, "No problem, we'll be waiting at the village entrance at eight o'clock tomorrow morning."
"We've understood the specifics, so we'll take our leave now."
With that, Hagoromo led several disciples out of the room; it was already afternoon.
While it's possible to set off now, Kenzaburo is an ordinary person, and traveling at night would be almost impossible for him.
It's better to wait until tomorrow morning to set off.
This would allow Naruto and the others to prepare, and Kenzaburo was clearly not telling the truth.
Kenzaburo only let out a heavy sigh of relief after the room door was closed and he heard the footsteps outside gradually fading away.