You're Going Too Far

"Don't worry, you still have me. If anyone attacks again, just hide in the carriages. As for the enemies, leave them all to me," Jiraiya laughed, patting his chest.

In truth, Jiraiya's own chakra reserves were running low. But as the captain of Team 5, his duty—beyond keeping his team's spirits up—was to shoulder the burden of defense.

"Wait, where did Matsuri go?" Minato Namikaze suddenly realized that Uchiha Matsuri, the newest addition to their team, had vanished half an hour ago.

"You all stay here; I'll go look for him."

After confirming Uchiha Matsuri was missing, Jiraiya hurried toward the depths of the dense forest.

A few minutes later, Jiraiya found Uchiha Matsuri lying on the ground, unconscious.

After confirming that Uchiha Matsuri's life was not in danger, Jiraiya let out a long sigh of relief. He hoisted the unconscious Uchiha Matsuri onto his back and walked back to the caravan.

Seeing Jiraiya return with Uchiha Matsuri on his back, Minato Namikaze asked worriedly, "Matsuri, is he..."

"He just exhausted his chakra and passed out. He'll be fine after a couple of days of rest," Jiraiya said, looking exhausted.

"However, it's strange. I found Matsuri in the forest over a hundred meters away, and there were clear signs of a struggle around him. It looks like he clashed with another faction," Jiraiya frowned slightly.

"Another faction?" Minato Namikaze asked in surprise.

"Yes, likely other ninjas lurking in the forest. But it seems the other party didn't fare much better," Jiraiya said.

"If you ask me, he definitely couldn't beat the enemy and tried to sneak away, only to run into another group and get injured," Kiba Inuzuka said with a curl of his lip.

"Kiba, don't say that. Matsuri is unconscious now; we don't know what happened, so we shouldn't make wild assumptions," Minato Namikaze said, displeased.

"Tch."

After traveling for another half-day, the caravan finally reached a village before nightfall.

It was called a village, but few people lived there anymore. Due to the constant instability in the Land of Grass, the residents had either died or fled, leaving behind only the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled who could not travel far.

After finding an inn, the innkeeper respectfully showed them to their rooms. After all, to a commoner like the innkeeper, ninjas like Jiraiya were not people to be trifled with.

Once the rooms were settled, Jiraiya went to find Koji Moriya, the caravan's steward.

In a spacious, well-lit room, Koji Moriya was sitting on a tatami mat, sipping strong tea. Seeing Jiraiya arrive, he gestured for him to sit.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jiraiya got straight to the point: "Mr. Moriya, I've come to discuss something regarding my subordinate."

"Your subordinate?" Koji Moriya asked with a hint of impatience. "What does your subordinate have to do with me? You just need to ensure my goods are delivered safely."

"It's like this, Mr. Moriya. One of my subordinates collapsed during the fighting. I'd like to stay in this town for a few days until he wakes up before we continue," Jiraiya said seriously.

"Stay for a few days?" Koji Moriya couldn't sit still. "No, no! My goods need to be delivered to the Land of Earth as soon as possible!"

Jiraiya was not surprised by the firm rejection. Since the first plan was shot down, he immediately proposed a second.

"Then, how about I leave one subordinate behind to look after him, while I and the other continue to escort the caravan?"

"Hmph! Jiraiya, don't push your luck." Koji Moriya spat out his cigarette butt and crushed it with his foot. "My master paid for all four of you to provide protection. You want to cut the escort force in half? That is going too far."

"Then, what does Mr. Moriya suggest?" Jiraiya asked, keeping his tone respectful despite his dissatisfaction.

"If he can't wake up, just dump him here," Koji Moriya said, leaving no room for negotiation. "Hmph, even then, we've already overpaid for your ninja services!"

Hearing that Koji Moriya intended to abandon Uchiha Matsuri in the village, Jiraiya's anger flared, and he stopped being polite.

"Since Mr. Moriya refuses to negotiate, then let's terminate the mission," Jiraiya said, standing up abruptly, his tone turning sharp.

Taken aback by the intense reaction, Koji Moriya asked, confused, "Jiraiya, what is the meaning of this?"

"Mr. Moriya, Matsuri is a member of our team. Even if we abandon the mission, we will not leave him behind," Jiraiya stared into Koji Moriya's eyes and threatened, "If you insist on forcing us to abandon him, then please forgive us for no longer escorting your caravan."

At this, Koji Moriya slammed his hand on the table and stood up, pointing at Jiraiya. "Jiraiya, do you realize what you're saying?"

"I am very clear on that."

"Hmph! My master is a relative of the Land of Fire's Daimyo. You're saying you'll just quit?" Koji Moriya sneered. "Aren't you afraid the Daimyo will cut Konoha's budget?"

"I believe my teacher will understand my actions," Jiraiya said calmly before turning to leave.

"Stop!"

"Mr. Moriya, is there anything else?" Jiraiya asked, turning back.

Jiraiya had never intended to abandon the mission; the threat was merely to force Koji Moriya to agree to his terms.

Furthermore, Jiraiya knew that Koji Moriya would have no choice but to agree.

After all, only a fool would travel alone with a caravan through the perilous Land of Grass.

"You, why must you take him?" Koji Moriya stared into Jiraiya's eyes, as if trying to read his heart.

"Because we are teammates," Jiraiya smiled. "I will never abandon a teammate."

"Teammates..."

After a few seconds of silence, Koji Moriya gritted his teeth and compromised: "Since you refuse to leave your teammate behind, we will stay in this town for two days."

The evening of the following day.

Inside the inn room.

On the bed, Uchiha Matsuri slowly opened his eyes.

Seeing him wake up, Minato Namikaze happily stepped to his side. "Matsuri, you're awake."

"Yeah." Having slept for over a day, Uchiha Matsuri felt a bit dizzy and heavy-headed.

"Minato, how long have I been unconscious?" Uchiha Matsuri asked weakly.