"Shikaku's the best. You can tell he's loaded just from the way he talks," Hyuga Shin praised.
"Shin, go easy on me. This is several years' worth of pocket money I've saved up, so don't eat it all in one go," Shikaku Nara reminded him.
Having to treat two big eaters like Hyuga Shin and Choza Akimichi was no small strain on his wallet.
Once they arrived at the barbecue restaurant, Hyuga Shin and Choza Akimichi started ordering. They didn't hold back at all, and Shikaku Nara's mouth twitched as he watched, his heart aching a little.
Once they'd eaten and drunk their fill, Shikaku Nara got down to business.
"We should turn down the mission we accepted today. There's obviously something wrong with it."
At that, Nawaki sprang to his feet. "No way! I don't see anything wrong with it! This is our first C-Rank mission. How can we give it up?"
"That's you. We've already done C-Rank missions," Kushina said with a hint of pride. Although she was strong, she was only ten, after all, and liked to show off.
"Were you just coming back from outside the village that day because you'd completed a C-Rank mission?" Nawaki asked, his face full of envy.
"I'm talking about the matter at hand," Shikaku Nara said helplessly, drawing everyone's attention.
They all knew Shikaku was smart, and wanted to hear what he had to say.
"This isn't peacetime anymore. The borders are already in turmoil. As soon as the main forces arrive, a full-scale war will break out, and the Land of Rain will become a battlefield."
"Our mission is to escort someone to the Land of Rain. This definitely isn't a C-Rank mission. It's at least B-Rank, maybe even A-Rank. For us, without a jonin leading the way, it's