The First Day of the Mission (Please Vote, Please Give Monthly Tickets, Please Donate)

Back home, Taiichi reviewed the mission details.

Mission: Supplies Escort

Details: Masao Ishihara of the Ishihara Clan in the Land of Rivers had purchased 1,000 tons of grain in the Land of Fire and now required a Genin squad to escort it safely to Jinsong City in the Land of Rivers. The accompanying personnel included 60 drivers and 45 guards.

Rank: C-rank

Requirements: Assemble and depart at 8:00 a.m. on May 23rd, Year 44 of Konoha. Deliver the cargo—1,000 tons of rice—safely to its destination within nine days.

Reward: 50,000 ryo

Judging from the mission description, although there was a considerable amount of supplies, they were not particularly valuable. Logically, there should not be any intense battles. Taiichi therefore prepared his equipment according to the standards for an ordinary mission. To guard against unexpected circumstances, he specifically brought twice the usual amount of Resupply.

Looking at the supplies on the table—six Kunai, twenty Shuriken, a roll of steel wire, five Explosive Tags, a bottle of wound medicine, a bottle of Antidote Pills, three rolls of bandages, and a bottle of Military Ration Pills.

Taiichi considered the supplies. Perhaps because it was his first time leaving the village for a mission, he was too nervous and still felt uneasy. So he prepared another identical set of supplies and sealed them into a Storage Scroll along with the spare clothes he had prepared beforehand.

Fortunately, Taiichi had money now. He had bought plenty of supplies and Storage Scrolls, which was why he could remain so calm.

He then placed the supplies on the table and the Storage Scroll into the most accessible spots in his Ninja Tool Pouch, one by one. Only then were his preparations for tomorrow's mission complete.

By the time he finished, it was already noon. Taiichi made himself lunch, then headed out to train after eating.

There was no mission that afternoon, so the sooner he finished training, the sooner he could rest. Although it was only a C-rank escort mission, they would be leaving the village and would be away for quite some time. Maintaining ample stamina and chakra was necessary.

At 7:45 the next morning, at Konoha's gates.

Though it was still early, crowds were already streaming in and out through Konoha's gates. The most conspicuous sight was the convoy lined up outside.

It was a huge convoy, made up of more than fifty carriages. They formed a long, imposing line along the roadside, with more than forty guards stationed alongside the carriages alone.

Of course, with such a long convoy, a single Genin squad could not possibly watch both ends. Under normal circumstances, their squad would probably serve mainly as a deterrent.

"Taiichi, over here! Over here!"

Taiichi pulled his gaze away from the convoy and turned toward Yohei and Saori, who were calling him. As he drew closer, he saw exhaustion on both their faces and could not help asking, "What happened? Don't tell me you couldn't sleep last night?"

"Don't even mention it. I was excited all night and only got a little sleep near dawn," Yohei said gloomily.

"Same here," Saori said, a little embarrassed.

"Haha, you'll get used to it. Once you've done more missions like this, you won't be like this anymore," Taiichi said with a smile.

"Everyone's here. Come with me and meet this mission's employer." Captain Yamaguchi had appeared silently beside them and gave the order, then took the lead toward the outside of the village.

At the gate, they handed over the mission authorization and exit permits they had prepared beforehand for the gate ninja to inspect. Only after all the procedures were completed did they leave through the gates.

"Remember this: ninja must report whenever they leave the village. Leaving for a mission requires both mission authorization and an exit permit. Otherwise, if you leave without permission and the circumstances are serious, you may be judged a rogue ninja." Captain Yamaguchi did not forget to instruct the three of them.

When they reached the convoy, two adults and a child approached them. The man in front was Masao Ishihara, the client for this mission, along with a beautiful woman holding the hand of a little boy.

"Mr. Ishihara, may I ask who these two are? They do not appear to be listed in the mission report." Masasuke Yamaguchi frowned as he asked. This was something every ninja hated to encounter—the actual situation not matching the mission description.

"They are my wife and child. They came along this time to broaden their horizons. There shouldn't be any problem, right?" Masao Ishihara said nervously.

"You should have stated that in the mission. That way, we could have made more preparations," Captain Yamaguchi said sternly.

"I'm terribly sorry. I'll definitely pay attention next time," Masao Ishihara apologized sincerely.

Captain Yamaguchi nodded without saying more. Seeing that the time was about right, he said, "Mr. Ishihara, I'll take my team to inspect the convoy first. Then we can depart."

"All right. Sorry to trouble you, Captain Yamaguchi," Ishihara said politely.

Taiichi and the other two followed Captain Yamaguchi around the convoy, familiarizing themselves with every member of the caravan while listening to Captain Yamaguchi continuously impart his experience.

"Before setting off on an escort mission, you must familiarize yourselves with everyone traveling with you as much as possible. That is the only way to reduce mistakes during the mission. Otherwise, if an enemy sneaks in using the Transformation Technique, you won't even know..."

The three listened quietly. These were the lifelong experiences of a Jonin, knowledge that could save their lives. As they listened and put it into practice, all three felt they had gained a great deal.

Once the inspection was complete, the convoy officially set off. The already lengthy caravan was stretched even farther, and its front and rear could no longer be seen clearly from one another.

"Taiichi, Yohei, the two of you will guard the convoy from the front and rear, staying one hundred meters away from us. Saori and I will remain in the middle of the convoy to provide support," Captain Yamaguchi ordered.

"Yes." Taiichi and Yohei did not hesitate. They immediately followed the arrangement and left.

At the front of the convoy, Taiichi sat atop a carriage and gazed into the distance. Konoha's gates gradually receded behind him, while the sparse trees on either side of the road slowly became denser. This was also Taiichi's first long journey, and he was curious about everything.

But Taiichi did not forget his duty. He spread out his senses and remained alert to everything around him along the way.

Slowly, as time passed, the monotonous scenery began to fill Taiichi's mind. No matter how interesting something was, looking at it too much would become tiresome. Especially when he had to stay vigilant the entire time.

I wonder how Yohei's doing. He must be bored all by himself in the back. Taiichi thought.

What Taiichi did not know was that Yohei was currently chatting and laughing merrily with the nearby guards and drivers. He was simply too far away for Taiichi to hear him.

By the afternoon, Taiichi could no longer endure it and used the Shadow Clone Technique, finally freeing himself from the tedious watch. Under the resentful gaze of his Shadow Clone, he focused on practicing Nature Transformation.

A small whirlwind swirled around his hand, sometimes distinct and sometimes violent. The nearby guards cried out in amazement. So this was what a ninja was like.

That night, they made camp. All the large carriages formed a wide circle, sheltering everyone within it.

By the campfire, Yohei excitedly recounted the interesting stories he had learned from the guards during the day. Only then did Taiichi realize that he was the only fool who had remained silent while vigilantly watching their surroundings.

Captain Yamaguchi and Saori listened to Yohei's stories with great interest. After Yohei finally finished, Taiichi spoke up. "Captain, will we be arranged like this the entire way?" What he really meant was, Isn't this too easy and too boring?

"We are still within the Land of Fire, so there is not much of a problem for now. Once we enter the Land of Rivers, you will need to stay sharp," the captain warned. "The Land of Rivers is nowhere near as stable as our country. There are plenty of bandits there."

Taiichi fell into thought. It seemed the crucial part of the mission would be the latter half.

At that moment, Masao Ishihara arrived beside them with his wife and son. "Captain Yamaguchi, thank you for escorting us. Tonight is the first night, so it is relatively safe. Everyone should relax a little." As he spoke, he looked toward the guards and drivers singing and dancing around another campfire.

Yohei's heart itched at the suggestion. He glanced at the captain beside him, and seeing no objection, went over to join everyone.

Mrs. Ishihara then took the little boy's hand and sat beside Saori, speaking with her softly.

Taiichi exchanged a look with Yamaguchi. "Then, Captain, I'll go stand watch first. You can take over for me later."

Captain Yamaguchi nodded, and Taiichi went to the outskirts of the convoy, patrolling around the carriages.

There was no environmental pollution in the Ninja World, so the night sky was truly filled with stars. A bright full moon hung overhead, but who could have imagined that the enormous celestial body had been artificially created, and that within it was sealed the ancestor of chakra in the Ninja World—Kaguya Otsutsuki.

The crowd remained lively for another hour before gradually settling down. After all, they still had to continue their journey tomorrow. Everyone went to rest, while the guards also arranged their night watch.

The night passed without incident. At dawn, Yohei came to replace Taiichi on watch, and only then did Taiichi head to the tent to rest.