Amada walked at the very back of the group. Though he hadn't joined in their conversation, he had remained on guard the entire time.
He knew that the calmer things seemed on the surface, the more likely danger was lurking beneath.
On the third day, the caravan entered a dense forest.
Suddenly, however, Amada sensed that something was wrong.
"Too quiet..."
He murmured under his breath, warily scanning his surroundings.
The birdsong and insect calls in the forest had completely vanished, and a stifling atmosphere hung in the air.
Amada knew that such unnatural silence often meant danger was close.
He hurried to Kushina's carriage and spoke in a low voice:
"Sensei, something's wrong. It's too quiet around here. There may be an ambush."
At his words, Kushina immediately grew alert.
Kushina quickly issued her orders:
"Asuma, Amada, stay on guard! Kurenai, protect Miss Tachibana!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a hail of shuriken suddenly shot out from the woods on either side of the road, heading straight for the caravan.
Asuma and Amada reacted quickly, leaping to either side of the group.
They swung their kunai and Chakra Blades, deflecting most of the shuriken.
The clang of metal rang out one after another, sparks flying everywhere.
Kurenai quickly jumped into Princess Tachibana's carriage and shielded the girl behind her.
Though Princess Tachibana was a little frightened, Kurenai's reassurance soon calmed her.
Kushina swept her gaze across the forest, then charged in without hesitation.
A moment later, the forest's depths echoed with the clash of weapons and the rumble of exploding ninjutsu.
Before long, the sounds of fighting in the forest gradually died away.
Then Kushina emerged from the woods, dragging two black-clad figures behind her.
She didn't have a single scratch on her, but her eyes held a trace of regret.
"Too bad. One got away."
Kushina threw the two black-clad men to the ground, her voice tinged with frustration.
"But we should be able to get something out of these two."
She crouched down, preparing to question the men.
However, they bit down without hesitation on the poison hidden in their mouths.
Their bodies convulsed, then they went completely still.
Asuma and Kurenai were so shocked by the sight that they couldn't speak.
Though they were already ninjas, seeing their enemies choose to kill themselves without hesitation still sent a chill through them.
"This... is this what being a ninja means?"
Asuma murmured, his voice full of disbelief.
Kurenai frowned as well, a complicated emotion flickering in her eyes.
"To abandon your own life without hesitation for the sake of a mission... Is this a ninja's resolve?"
Kushina stood up, her voice heavy.
"This is the world of ninjas. Their resolve deserves respect."
Amada, meanwhile, was filled with questions.
As he followed behind the group, he pondered to himself:
Princess Tachibana is only a merchant's daughter. Why would ninjas try to assassinate her?
He hurried to Kushina's side and asked in a low voice:
"Sensei, I'm confused. Princess Tachibana is only a merchant's daughter. Why would that draw an assassination attempt from ninjas? This seems beyond the scope of a C-rank mission."
At his words, Kushina glanced at Amada, her tone calm.
"Amada, don't overthink it. A C-rank mission may involve combat with Genin, but not enemies above Chunin rank. As long as the enemy's strength falls within that range, the mission rank doesn't change. As for Princess Tachibana's identity... it's not something we need to worry about."
Amada nodded, but his doubts didn't entirely fade.
He knew that Kushina's explanation made sense, but Princess Tachibana's identity clearly wasn't as simple as it appeared.
Still, since Kushina didn't want to say more, he didn't press her.
Meanwhile, the escaped Genin had reached a hidden base.
He knelt before a kindly-looking middle-aged man, his face full of guilt and fear.
"I'm sorry, sir. The mission failed. One of the people protecting Princess Tachibana was a Jonin. We were no match for him."
At his words, the middle-aged man furrowed his brow slightly.
"A Jonin? No wonder you failed. It seems Konoha is taking this mission very seriously."
He thought for a moment, then waved his hand, his voice even.
"Never mind. We'll leave this alone for now. Go back and recover. I'll take care of what comes next."
The Genin bowed hurriedly and withdrew.
The middle-aged man remained where he was, murmuring under his breath:
"Tachibana... Why did you have to come back?"
Elsewhere, Amada and the others finally arrived in the Rice Field Country.
As they entered the Rice Field Country's main city, the sight before them brought them to a halt.
Vast golden rice fields stretched around the city. The crops were ripe.
Heavy rice ears swayed gently in the breeze, like a golden sea.
The air was filled with the fragrance of rice, refreshing their spirits.
Kushina looked at the scene before them, her voice tinged with emotion.
"This is where the Rice Field Country got its name. It's an agricultural nation, famous for producing grain. The Land of Fire protects it because grain is a hard currency, vital to the country's lifeblood."
Amada nodded, thinking to himself:
"No wonder Danzo is interested in this place. The importance of food really can't be underestimated."
However, the sight before them soon interrupted his thoughts.
As soon as they entered the city, they saw a large group of people standing in orderly rows along the road. At their head was a man dressed in fine clothes.
When he saw Princess Tachibana's carriage, he immediately led everyone in kneeling and shouted:
"Welcome home, Princess Tachibana!"
At those words, Asuma's eyes widened, and he couldn't help exclaiming:
"Miss Tachibana is a princess?"
Kurenai was surprised as well and said quietly:
"No wonder ninjas tried to assassinate her. Her identity really isn't ordinary."
Amada looked at Kushina and saw no surprise on her face. She had clearly known Princess Tachibana's true identity all along.
He immediately realized that this mission was far from as simple as it seemed.
At the gates of the Rice Field Country's palace, Amada and the others were respectfully escorted inside.
They passed through a long corridor and entered a spacious, lavish reception hall.
In the center of the hall sat a somewhat stout middle-aged man with a kindly smile on his face.
He was the Daimyo of the Rice Field Country.
Princess Tachibana stood beside the Daimyo, her face showing a hint of shyness and apology.
Her gaze passed over Amada and the others, and she nodded slightly in greeting.
On the Daimyo's other side stood another middle-aged man who bore some resemblance to him.
His expression was stern, and his gaze carried a hint of scrutiny.
When the Daimyo saw them enter, he smiled and waved for them to sit.
"Welcome to the Rice Field Country, ninjas of Konoha. Please, sit down and make yourselves comfortable."
Amada and the others bowed respectfully before taking their seats in turn.
As the Jonin leading the team, Kushina spoke first.
"Lord Daimyo, thank you for your hospitality. We were only doing our duty, and we hardly deserve such generous treatment."
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