A Commission from the Daimyo's Mansion
Logically speaking, after learning most of the Ninjutsu, Shuichi's strength growth should slow down, followed by rapid increases in strength as he gets older.
However, the exchange just now showed Orochimaru that this was not the case. Although his Ninjutsu remained the same, he had continued to improve. For example, the intensity of his Ninjutsu releases, or the slight modifications to existing Ninjutsu, were as if his existing abilities had been refreshed and strengthened.
"What amazing wisdom! Even without my guidance, he knows exactly what he should do at different times."
After these thoughts flashed through Orochimaru's mind, he continued, "The Third Hokage has a problem with the two of us. Let's make some preparations soon."
"..., All right."
"Sigh, no choice, another mission."
Shuichi knew some time ago that he had a 30 million tael bounty on his head from the Underground Black Market, and he had been staying in the village for the past few months without going out, so he hadn't done a single mission.
Recently, as time went by, Konoha experienced a peak in the number of missions due to the Chunin Ninja Exams. While everyone was working hard, Shuichi and Orochimaru, those two slackers, were idling around the village, which naturally caught the Third Hokage's eye.
After discussing the meeting time with Orochimaru, the two ended their sparring session for the day and returned home to prepare the equipment needed for the mission.
Two days later, in the Hokage's Office, Orochimaru and Shuichi, carrying their bags, listened calmly to the Third Hokage's complaints, showing no remorse for slacking off.
Seeing their nonchalant attitude, Sarutobi Hiruzen lost his temper and said irritably, "Most of the quick and easy quests in the village have already been claimed. Since you've been dragging this out for so long, don't blame me for giving you the troublesome ones!"
"Of course, Lord Hokage!" Shuichi smile, "Look, my teacher and I have brought all our belongings with us; we're all ready."
"Knock knock knock..." During the conversation, there was a knock on the Hokage's Office.
"Please come in."
Shuichi and Orochimaru moved to either side of the desk, their eyes fixed on the person who had entered. Unsurprisingly, this was the client for this occasion.
The newcomer was a middle-aged man with delicate features and a short stature. Although he was dressed like a merchant, his coat looked understated yet luxurious, clearly indicating that he had a certain status.
His expression was slightly anxious, but after entering the room and seeing Orochimaru and Shuichi beside him, he paused for a moment, then his expression quickly relaxed.
"It's Danza. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting these past few days." The Third Hokage's tone was warm and friendly, clearly indicating that he was quite familiar with the man. "You weren't very satisfied with the previous teams, so these ones meet your requirements, right?"
"Of course, Lord Hokage!" Inoue Danza was clearly delighted to hear Sarutobi Hiruzen's tacit agreement. "Lord Orochimaru goes without saying, and this young man beside him must be Takeda Shuichi, right? I've heard about his performance in the Chunin Ninja Exams all over Daimyo's Mansion recently. He's a genius that our Land of Fire produces only once every few decades. It's truly wonderful to have these two here."
"Haha, you flatter me, sir." Shuichi's innocent, youthful demeanor, making the client feel comfortable and at ease, is the best way to improve the reputation of a ninja. "Could you tell me what kind of request it is?"
Through Inoue Danza's explanation, Shuichi understood why this mission was a bit troublesome.
Inoue Danza was indeed a man of great status. He was one of the officials in charge of the Daimyo's Mansion, mainly responsible for foreign trade. He did not sit in Kyoto managing domestic affairs, but rather led caravans to trade with other countries for a long time.
He wouldn't normally bother with items of low value, but the reason he was kept in Konoha for a while without finding a suitable team was because the requirements were very high.
"Every year, the Land of Fire conducts large-scale transactions with other countries. I really didn't expect Konoha to suddenly face a shortage of manpower this time, which is why we were in such a hurry."
The goods were expensive luxury items produced within the Daimyo's Mansion, such as porcelain, spices, and famous paintings—items of extremely high value and fragile—and the trading partner was the Daimyo's Mansion of the Land of Iron.
Shuichi and Orochimaru need to go to the Capital of the Land of Fire with Inoue Danza first, and then escort this priceless team all the way to the Land of Iron, where the terrain is quite difficult to traverse in the dead of winter.
The caravan members were all ordinary people, and there were also professionals who needed to ensure that the rugged roads wouldn't damage the goods. This kind of news couldn't be kept secret by so many people; there were bound to be envious robbers along the way.
"Money isn't the issue, but it's difficult for most teams to complete. There have been instances where supplies were destroyed in battle before, so I'm not entirely confident in the previous teams." Inoue Danza was indeed an old acquaintance of Konoha, visiting several times a year, and he knew more about ninjas than the average person.
"Now that you two are here, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Please take good care of me over the next few months."
"Don't worry, Uncle!" Shuichi was actually a little annoyed after hearing this. This batch of supplies might be worth more than the heads of Jonin. Moreover, after the transaction in the Land of Iron, there was still a large batch of valuable Katana and exquisite armor that needed to be transported back. Among them were top-quality items for the Daimyo's collection. One round trip was equivalent to two top-level escort missions.
After accepting their mission, on this sunny winter day, Shuichi and Orochimaru left the village with Inoue Danza and headed to the Daimyo's Mansion to make preparations.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire is very close to Konoha, both located roughly in the center of the Land of Fire, less than 100 kilometers southeast of Konoha. With the speed of a ninja, they can even reach it in two hours.
However, Inoue Danza was an ordinary person, so the three of them had to walk as fast as they could. Fortunately, he was also an experienced hiker with outstanding stamina, and he walked with great speed and strength, arriving in the Daimyo's Mansion before sunset on the afternoon of the second day.
"Phew, is this the most prosperous city in the Shinobi World today?" Shuichi saw the entire Daimyo's Mansion's capital from a small hill.
This Kyoto was several times larger than the ancient capital of the island nation that he had seen in his previous life. It also had a square structure, with a large river running along the edge of the city. The city walls were majestic and magnificent, and the buildings in the city had deep eaves and large areas of dark gray roofs. Various beautiful and uniquely shaped hip-roofed houses came into view.
Among them were many tall buildings. After recalling the books he had read, Shuichi realized that they were shrines, temples, and palaces.
"How is it? Spectacular, isn't it?" Inoue Danza said, looking at him. "Because the caravan has a lot of goods, and some people are still preparing, the departure is tentatively scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Shuichi-kun can take this time to explore the Daimyo's Mansion. I'm sure you won't be disappointed."
The three of them successfully entered the Daimyo's Mansion before dusk, and Shuichi and Orochimaru were led to a VIP accommodation.
Even at night, the city was still brightly lit with no curfew, and the streetlights and candlelight along the main roads were always on. Shuichi was having a great time strolling around the commercial street, looking around for any unique items worth buying, planning to go on a big shopping spree after completing the mission.