Mission to the Land of Earth

"Yamanaka Xingran, based on our investigation, the bandits who attacked you last time weren't rogue Stone Ninja at all." Third Hokage paused here, glancing at Xingran's expression.

Seeing Xingran's brow slightly raised, he guessed what was on his mind—nothing more than I knew it or something similar.

"But they weren't disguised Kirigakure ninja either." Third Hokage paused again, wanting to see Xingran's reaction, whether he'd bring up the Kumogakure matter, since that issue was largely deduced from intelligence Xingran had provided.

"..."

Xingran remained silent. Third Hokage hadn't expected a genin who'd only graduated a year ago, without the baptism of war, to be so composed.

In truth, this was a habit Xingran had developed since crossing over here, or rather, a facade.

He had no visible talent. As a ninja, his abilities were pitifully low, so he couldn't afford to be as carefree as Naruto. Being cautious in everything and never revealing his intentions easily had always been his means of self-protection, but in the end, it was just the tragedy of a small-time nobody.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Third Hokage wasn't a man with time to waste. Probing with words was merely incidental. Faced with Xingran's silence, he didn't want to drag it out any longer—asking directly would yield a more straightforward answer.

"No, Lord Third. Whoever these people are, as long as they're confirmed as enemies, that's enough." Xingran's reply was simple, but in truth, it was also meaningless. Third Hokage still hadn't gotten what he wanted: Xingran's attitude toward the Stone Ninja.

All Third Hokage wanted was Xingran's current stance on the Stone Ninja. If he could confirm that Xingran held no hostility toward them, then arranging for him to go as an envoy to Iwagakure and explain the incident clearly would let the village, aware of the matter, lower its guard again and maintain the fragile peace just beginning.

The Hokage wanted to preserve this hard-won peace and couldn't let other nations think Konoha was provoking conflict. From the intelligence, it was already certain this wasn't the Stone Ninja's doing. From the Tsuchikage's perspective, it would naturally seem like a staged act by Konoha to extort more compensation from the Land of Earth, which had already declared defeat.

So, though Konoha was the primary victim, they had to swallow their pride, speak gently to Iwagakure, and explain that someone was stirring trouble to reignite conflict between the two nations.

As for who was stirring it? Sorry, they hadn't found out. For Konoha now, even if they could confirm Kumogakure was behind it, they wouldn't escalate the conflict while maintaining pressure on the Cloud Ninja in local battles. They'd already gained an advantage; pushing too hard would let the Cloud Ninja's war hawks surface, playing into the hands of certain unsavory types.

Xingran was the survivor of Team 16's annihilation. Having him as the primary explainer would lend credibility to Iwagakure that no one else could replace.

"Mm. Because of this incident, the Land of Earth, which just declared defeat, has made some poor judgments again. We need to send a delegation to explain the full details to the Tsuchikage and preserve this hard-won peace. Are you willing to be one of the representatives?" The Hokage finally stated the mission's content.

Xingran thought briefly and grasped the logic. They wanted him, as the person involved, to explain on-site: Konoha doesn't suspect Iwagakure; we know you're innocent. We also have no further plans against you. Rest assured, we're still good neighbors.

"Understood. I'll do my best to clarify this incident. Also, Lord Hokage, you said a team would be sent as representatives—so who are my teammates?" Xingran accepted the mission without hesitation. Unless you were a major clan heir like the wealthy Hyuga, who could take or refuse missions on a whim, you had to follow orders.

Most ninja relied on missions for their main income. Xingran had always taken non-combat missions below B-rank, with some savings but not much. He needed missions to support himself; after graduating from the Ninja Academy, he'd stopped relying on Hai Yi.

His original team was wiped out. Being assigned a team mission now clearly meant the Hokage planned to reincorporate him into another squad. This mission likely also served to build teamwork. Since he couldn't avoid it, he might as well start early while the mission was easy.

A mission without ninja combat wouldn't exceed C-rank. On the surface, it was just a message delivery, but for sincere political purposes, a simple messenger hawk wouldn't do.

"Tomorrow at 6 a.m., meet at Konoha's main gate. Your new team will be waiting there. You'll find out about your teammates then." Ninja missions were always confidential, even the simplest ones. This habit effectively reduced the chance of mission details leaking to spies.

Third Hokage finished speaking, took a puff from his pipe, and slowly exhaled a long breath, clearly signaling dismissal.

Though he still didn't know if Xingran had fully let go of his hostility toward the Stone Ninja, Xingran's calm acceptance of the mission showed he held no special grudge against them. Whether this Yamanaka kid truly saw the facts or was just a cold-blooded person indifferent to comrades remained unclear.

But those two should figure it out. As Hokage, as long as the mission was completed, that was enough. Spending too much thought on a small fry was unnecessary. If he wanted to know something, his subordinates could investigate it thoroughly.

Xingran didn't yet know that this mission wasn't just about delivering a message. His new team also had orders from the Hokage to monitor him.

Back home, following what he'd learned at the Ninja Academy, he meticulously organized his ninja tool pouch.

This message mission was nominally an envoy trip, so he had to prepare to stay in Iwagakure for a while. The mission would only end when he returned to Konoha with the Tsuchikage's reply.

After finishing, a large travel backpack was stuffed full, reminding Xingran of the scene in the original story where Naruto's team went to the Land of Waves. Everyone carried big packs, but as their strength grew, the things they needed for long trips became fewer and fewer.