An Ordinary Dinner

"After all, with a Chunin on our team, there shouldn't be any problem taking on a C-rank mission, right?" Ye Wuyue said.

"I think so too. I've already carried out more than a dozen C-rank missions, and I haven't encountered any danger I couldn't handle. The enemies were basically just bandits and brigands." Sai chimed in.

Itachi lowered his head and thought for a while. In the end, he pointed to one of the C-rank missions on the mission board and said to the ninja, "Give us this bandit-clearing mission."

Although newly formed ninja teams usually started by taking on D-rank missions, their team was rather special. Setting aside Sai, who had already become a Chunin and carried out numerous missions—

Even if his younger brother Sasuke were to fight a Chunin now, he certainly would not have any problem. That was based on the strength Itachi knew Sasuke had possessed six years ago. He did not know how strong Sasuke was now, but he could be sure that he was stronger than he had been six years ago.

"All right. Please wait a moment."

The ninja began rummaging around. After a while, he handed a scroll to Itachi.

"This is the mission scroll for clearing out the bandits. It contains the specific details and requirements of the mission."

After taking the mission scroll, Itachi led Ye Wuyue and Sai to an empty area and opened it.

[Mission Details: Bandits have been active around Xiaotang Village in the western part of the Land of Fire. They have been intercepting the goods and money of passing merchants and burning, killing, and looting nearby villages. The local villagers have commissioned Konoha to send ninjas to exterminate them.

Requirements: Exterminate all the local bandits!

Reward: Fifty-one thousand ryo

Time Limit: Within two months]

A small map of the destination was attached at the back.

Ye Wuyue and Sai also read the details of the mission. Missions to exterminate bandits like this were generally commissioned by letter, with the commission fee sent along with the letter. There was no specific client.

Itachi read through the mission details once more for Ye Wuyue and Sai, making sure they understood what it involved.

"All right, you two understand the mission now. Go back and rest today. We'll meet at the village entrance first thing tomorrow morning. Understood?" Itachi said to Ye Wuyue and Sai.

"Understood!" The two nodded at the same time.

"Then I'll head back first. See you tomorrow, Sasuke, Teacher Itachi." Sai waved at Ye Wuyue and Itachi with a fake smile, then immediately vanished.

"Let's go home too, Sasuke." Itachi patted Ye Wuyue on the shoulder.

"Oh." Ye Wuyue withdrew his gaze from the place where Sai had disappeared, then followed Itachi home.

I'll see what kind of plans you have...

In the pitch-black underground chamber, Sai respectfully knelt on one knee before a man leaning on a cane, half of whose body was wrapped in bandages.

"They didn't become suspicious, did they?" Danzo asked flatly.

"No. I exchanged my smile for their trust." Sai answered confidently.

"Good. From here on, proceed according to the plan. You should know what to do."

"Yes." Sai lowered his head.

"Hmph! That brat Minato actually agreed to let someone from the Uchiha Clan serve as the team's Jonin commander. This is completely a betrayal of Konoha!

"He even said that someone from the Uchiha Clan would be better at guiding members of the same clan in their training. Does he think he's a member of the Uchiha Clan? What qualifications does someone like that have to become Naruto? And Hiruzen—he even let someone else take control of the ANBU under him. He's completely useless! How could our teacher have chosen him back then?"

When he reached the angriest part, Danzo brought his cane down hard. Sai remained kneeling on one knee beside him, not daring to say a word.

"Konoha... can only become powerful under my leadership!"

After saying this, Danzo gradually calmed down.

"All right, you may leave. Remember not to expose yourself." Danzo waved his hand.

"Yes." Sai answered, then vanished into the underground chamber.

"Thud!"

After Sai left, Danzo jabbed the floor with his cane. Five Root ninjas suddenly appeared beside him.

"You should know your responsibilities, right?" Danzo said flatly.

"We understand." The five Root members trembled slightly. They knew what their fate would be, but they had no way to resist it.

"Good. Don't worry. Your families will continue living safely in Konoha, and your children will enter the Ninja Academy in the future. You have nothing to worry about." Danzo turned his back to the Root ninjas.

"Yes."

After answering, the five Root members also left. Danzo then leaned on his cane and slowly walked toward the depths of the underground chamber...

The next morning

The members of Team 11 gathered at the village entrance early in the morning. None of the three had brought much with them. The ability to survive in the wilderness was something every ninja had to learn.

"Since everyone is here, let's set out."

Itachi glanced at Sai. After returning home the previous day, Ye Wuyue had already told Itachi about Sai's identity. Although Itachi did not know how his younger brother had learned this information, he chose to trust him.

Danzo's infiltration plan had already failed before it even began. From now on, any information Danzo received would be information that Ye Wuyue and Itachi wanted him to know.

"Let's go!"

The three walked toward the outskirts of the village with smiles on their faces. Anyone who did not know better would have thought they were going on an outing.

By evening, Ye Wuyue and the others had already covered half the distance. They had barely rested during the journey, eating soldier pills whenever they got hungry. Ye Wuyue had finally experienced the hardships of being a ninja.

When they reached a stream, the three of them stopped.

"We'll rest here tonight and continue traveling tomorrow."

Itachi put down his pack and spoke to Ye Wuyue and Sai.

Ye Wuyue felt somewhat uneasy. Flowing Fire had not eaten anything for an entire day. Although she did not need food as a Zanpakuto with a soul, ever since Ye Wuyue had been able to manifest her in the real world, she had to eat at least one meal every day—and it had to be something delicious.

One day, Ye Wuyue had forgotten to buy her food. The next day, while he was practicing Bankai, she had beaten him senseless for several hours. No matter how much he apologized, it had been useless.

Ye Wuyue had asked Flowing Fire whether she had been like this when she was with Yamamoto Genryusai.

Her answer was that Yamamoto Genryusai had been stronger than her, and that her current strength had been enhanced by Captain-Commander Yamamoto. Originally, she had not been this powerful. She had merely been an ordinary fire-type Zanpakuto. It had taken Yamamoto more than a thousand years of cultivation to make her the strongest fire-type Zanpakuto.

Because of this, Ye Wuyue wanted to say thank you to Yamamoto Genryusai.

"Teacher Itachi, I saw a few wild rabbits over there just now. I'll go catch two and roast them for dinner."

As he spoke, Ye Wuyue ran into the forest. Itachi did not stop him.

"Is it all right for him to leave the team without permission?" Sai looked up and asked Itachi.

"It's fine. When I chose this place for us to rest, I had already surveyed the surroundings and set up defensive measures. There won't be any danger nearby." Itachi answered Sai.

"That's not what I meant. Doesn't leaving the team without permission count as breaking the rules? Why didn't you stop him as the team captain?"

Sai shook his head, somewhat confused. If he had done this during a mission, he definitely would have been punished by Root.