First Meeting

Today was the day the Third Hokage departed to meet the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire, so many ninja clans gathered at the Konoha gates early to see Hiruzen Sarutobi off.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, with a smile, instructed Orochimaru and the two advisors, excluding Danzo, on various matters. Afterward, he set off with his personal guard towards the capital of the Land of Fire.

News of Hiruzen Sarutobi's departure quickly reached the underground. A team of assassins, who had been on standby, rapidly set out to carry out Danzo's orders.

These power struggles within Konoha's decision-making layer had no relation whatsoever to Senba and the others, who had already departed. At this moment, they were rushing to meet their client.

After traveling for more than half a day, the four finally spotted the client's caravan on a large plain in the Land of Fire.

"Teacher, was the village deceived? A caravan of this scale would be at least an A-rank mission, wouldn't it? The kind that requires several squads working together?"

Uchiha Yue asked doubtfully, looking at the massive caravan before them. The line of people stretched as far as the eye could see.

"It's not like that, Yue. This is a major transit point for caravans in the southern part of the Land of Fire, mainly used for the temporary rest of merchant teams from countries like the Land of Water, Land of Waves, and so on."

Senba landed on the plain with Iruka and Uchiha Yue, following Genma Shiranui's steps towards the caravan. "These teams are heading not only to the Land of Wind but also to other nations."

As he spoke, Senba gestured forward. Banners of different merchant guilds fluttered there, their colorful flags dancing in the cold wind.

Seeing this, Uchiha Yue nodded, appearing to understand. Admiration flashed in her eyes as she looked at Senba; he knew so much.

The next second, a manual was placed in her hand. Senba looked at her with a half-smile, "This is a detailed introduction to this mission. You were too busy showing off your sword skills then to even look at it."

Sensing the teasing in Senba's tone, Yue disbelievingly glanced at Iruka beside her. Seeing this, Iruka stopped taking notes and gave a simple, honest smile.

Upon realizing she was the underachiever of the group, Uchiha Yue fell into a slump and quietly retreated behind everyone else.

Knowing her mood would only be temporary, Senba instead looked curiously at the notes in Iruka's hand, which recorded his observations.

"Iruka, I guarantee you'll be the best teacher at the Ninja Academy in the future. Who knows, you might even train the next Sage of Six Paths."

Although Iruka felt a sense of recognition as Senba comforted him, with an arm around his shoulder, he still felt a bit shy.

Does Senba always exaggerate when comforting people? The Sage of Six Paths? What kind of person was that? It would be great if his students could even become Jonin.

While Senba, Iruka, and Yue were discussing the caravan before them, Genma Shiranui had already finished liaising with the caravan leader and called the three over.

"We'll have lunch at the camp. We'll depart for the Land of Rivers this afternoon. This is the caravan leader, Mr. Yamakawa."

Genma said, pointing to the middle-aged man with a topknot beside him to introduce them. This served as their formal meeting.

For the sake of management, the camp's meals were cooked uniformly. Since they had to supply food for a large number of people, don't expect exquisite dishes; the priority was quick service.

As it was winter, the Land of Water caravan brought frozen sardines and mackerel, which they used to simmer a pot of rich miso soup.

Senba, Iruka, and Uchiha Yue walked towards the mess hall. The food here was funded by the various merchant guilds' stationing fees, so there was plenty.

After verifying Mr. Yamakawa's merchant guild credentials, Senba took two ceramic bowls, each larger than an adult's head. He first scooped a large bowl of rice, then carefully filled another bowl with fish soup. The milky white broth contained several pieces of tender fish.

Since he didn't have his own tent, Senba stayed at a table in the mess hall to enjoy the meal. Uchiha Yue beside him ate slowly with a bowl slightly smaller than hers, while Iruka opposite them looked somewhat uneasy.

Iruka felt the whispers around him and, being rather thin-skinned, lowered his head shyly. Senba and Yue, with their hearty appetites, were attracting too much attention.

Senba paid no mind to this, savoring the unique umami of the Land of Water's fish soup. The tender fish mixed with the broth slid down his throat, warming him comfortably.

A few minutes later, the mess hall manager's mouth twitched slightly as he looked at Senba's empty bowl. He got up and walked over to him.

"Young man, are you full?"

Senba, who was contemplating whether to have more, honestly shook his head in response to the question, indicating he could eat more.

"Then have another portion. Is that enough?"

He shook his head.

"Three portions?"

He still shook his head.

Hearing this, the mess hall manager seemed to have received some information and walked towards the kitchen.

Half an hour later, when a slender figure walked in from outside, the scene they witnessed was a large dining table with more than a dozen portions of fish soup and white rice laid out in order.

A white-clad figure was buried in eating, while everyone around him watched in astonishment.

Does this mark mean he's a Konoha ninja? Bai thought, looking at Senba, who was eating heartily.

Just as he was wondering, the mess hall manager saw him. "Little Bai, are you here to pick up Miss Mei's bento box? It's here."

He said this and handed a delicate bento box to Bai. Bai thanked him softly, then took the bento box with both hands. His small frame steadily held the large bento box, creating a stark contrast.

Perhaps he was an anomaly himself, so before leaving, Bai unconsciously glanced again at the white-haired youth with an unusual appetite, only to find the white-haired youth looking up at him.

Bai was long accustomed to the confusion in Senba's eyes. His appearance, clothing, and gentle voice often led to misunderstandings.

Watching Bai smile gently at him and then turn to leave, Senba resumed eating heartily. However, his eyes, hidden by the large bowl, flashed with thought.

Bai? Is this the Bai I'm thinking of? No, Zabuza should be with him. This isn't a place Zabuza should be.

Thinking this, Senba glanced at Uchiha Yue and Iruka. His lips moved, and through lip-reading, he quickly conveyed his thoughts to them.

Watching the two figures leave, he refocused his attention on the food before him. He shouldn't have gotten distracted while eating.

Another half hour later, Senba left the mess hall with a full stomach under the admiring gaze of the mess hall manager. The chef responsible for steaming the rice behind him slumped onto his chair, exhausted.

For the first time in his life, he was so exhausted from steaming rice that he felt weak, but seeing the satisfied customer leave brought a strange sense of fulfillment.

"Sister, I saw a Konoha ninja just now."

Bai took out the small dishes from the bento box one by one, recounting what he had seen to Mei Terumi.

"Oh, that must be a Konoha ninja protecting the caravan. How was it, Bai? Did you discover anything?"

"Um... he eats a lot."

Mei Terumi looked at her newly recognized younger brother with a face full of question marks. His answers always surprised her.