A-Rank Mission

"Is the target the people of Takigakure and those he's lured from the outside?"

The carriage continued its journey, and Himeshima Tsuki hid inside as usual.

Just a moment ago, Hui had revealed information about the enemy.

Kuchiki Kurohane, a radical Takigakure ninja driven by greed and the younger brother of Heili, hoped to elevate the status of Takigakure through the Chakra Fruit, while simultaneously gaining greater power to ascend to a higher position himself.

Of course, Takigakure was only so large, and individual strength was far too weak; even as a Jonin, Kuchiki Kurohane could not single-handedly stand against the entire village.

Thus, the idea of a partnership was born.

Using the temptation of Hero Water, Kuchiki Kurohane lured other equally greedy ninjas from the outside.

The allure of a tenfold increase in chakra was something almost every ninja coveted, especially those at the Jonin level who spent their days eyeing the Kage-level figures above them, hoping that one day they might break through.

And a tenfold increase in chakra gave them that very hope.

It was a temptation these ninjas could not help but be moved by.

Kuchiki Kurohane was indeed a clever man; he had formed this so-called squad using only the Hero Water—which came with side effects—while keeping his lips sealed regarding his true goal, the Chakra Fruit.

By using the strength of others to obtain what he wanted, one had to admit that Kurohane's schemes ran deep.

"Since he was young, Kurohane has been competitive, always wanting the best of everything."

That was how Heili evaluated his younger brother.

"He isn't just a man of brute force; on the contrary, his mind is unexpectedly meticulous. He was originally the premier ninja of Takigakure, but as for the specifics, I'm afraid only he knows."

It had to be said that Heili held his brother in high regard.

However, for Tsuki and his group, the stronger the opponent, the greater the pressure on their own side.

Not a man of mere courage without strategy, but unexpectedly meticulous.

Tsuki mused silently.

Perhaps this Kurohane was not so simple, Tsuki thought.

Looking at it from Tsuki's own perspective:

If the level of the opponents was merely that of the ones who had just attacked, then there would be almost no pressure on his side.

The Jiraiya Squad alone could fend off the enemy, and if the ninjas of Takigakure were added to the mix, everything would be easily resolved.

But Tsuki did not think so.

This mission would absolutely not be as easy as one might imagine.

You ask why?

It was simple.

Because just a short while ago, the system's electronic voice had popped up once again.

It was a new mission, but the contents of the two missions were linked.

Mission Triggered: Make contact with the energy within the Chakra Fruit. Mission Completion Reward: One lucky draw.

It was another mission related to this objective, and it also proved that the so-called Small Divine Tree Fruit truly existed.

The Divine Tree Fruit, which no one in the original story had ever known about, had now produced a low-spec version; yet, in the face of the system, Tsuki had no choice but to believe in this incredible occurrence.

"Himeshima Tsuki?"

As Tsuki was lost in thought, Hui's voice drifted over.

"Hmm?"

Tsuki turned his head to look at Hui, not knowing why she had called out to him.

"Sorry, just asking."

Hui smiled faintly and offered an apology.

Tsuki didn't pay it any mind and continued thinking about his own affairs, failing to notice the glimmer in Hui's eyes.

That gaze was fixed on Tsuki, but he remained oblivious.

The carriage moved slowly. Minato Namikaze, Kushina, and Mikoto took turns guarding the carriage, while Tsuki remained as lazy as ever, hiding inside. Jiraiya, on the other hand, was the opposite, stuck outside on guard duty.

The carriage traveled for several more days, stopping and starting, until they finally arrived at the so-called Takigakure.

Takigakure was situated within a waterfall; the cascading water served as the entrance to the village. It was precisely because of this that Takigakure had remained untouched by war, despite being located at the center of four great nations.

Such an isolated village reminded Tsuki of the legendary Peach Blossom Spring.

"Let's go in."

Hui announced, leading Tsuki into the waterfall.

Even Jiraiya, who had traveled everywhere, hadn't discovered it, nor did he know that a hidden village existed in this place.

A village existing within a waterfall was truly eye-catching. Setting aside Tsuki and Minato Namikaze, both Kushina and Mikoto were filled with excitement.

"So amazing, there's a village inside the waterfall."

"So amazing."

The two women scanned their surroundings in surprise; everything was lush and green, with small cottages standing in the distance.

It had to be said, it felt as though they had arrived in a new world. After passing through the water, what met their eyes was a settlement, and the scent of human habitation slowly drifted toward them.

"Princess, you've returned."

"Welcome back, Princess."

To Yueshu's surprise, the others were also looking at Kei.

The villagers here came out one after another to greet her; Kei held a very high level of prestige among these people.

Everyone here wore a smile as they welcomed Kei, calling her Princess.

Kei claimed to be the guardian of the Chakra Fruit, yet her status in Takigakure was unexpectedly high.

As Yueshu and his group followed Kei, the villagers treated them with equal warmth.

Very quickly, Yueshu and his party were settled into their accommodations.

"I hope you have a pleasant stay here."

Kei disappeared on her own after saying this, supposedly to attend to more important matters; it was Heili who was responsible for relaying this to Yueshu and the others.

"Alright, little ones."

The Jiraiya Squad gathered together, and Jiraiya began to speak.

"The mission has been upgraded to an A-rank mission: assist Kuchiki Kei in protecting the Chakra Fruit. Miss Kuchiki has already agreed to increase the compensation, so now..."

Jiraiya left them hanging.

"Go do your own things. I'm going to wander around and see if there are any beauties here."

Jiraiya suddenly became unserious, causing Yueshu and the others to panic for nothing.

After a round of retaliation against Jiraiya, he finally began to act a bit more professional.

"You all know by now that Miss Kuchiki is the guardian of the Chakra Fruit, but she is also effectively the Waterfall Shadow of Takigakure. She manages the entire village, so what you need to do is ensure Miss Kuchiki's safety in your daily duties."

Jiraiya spoke slowly.

"Heili will take you to find Miss Kuchiki now. I have other business to attend to, so I'm off."

As his words faded, Jiraiya suddenly erupted into a puff of smoke, and in the blink of an eye, he had vanished.

"That guy."

Yueshu and his group were speechless, but there was nothing they could do—that was the teacher they were stuck with.

A short while later, just as Jiraiya had said, Heili arrived to lead Yueshu and his group to Kei.

The Jiraiya Squad's A-rank mission had officially begun.