A-Rank Mission, Nakada Shun

Late at night, Naraku finished washing up and stepped into his room. After his sparring session with Shisui during the day, he had gained a basic understanding of the other's strength.

His preliminary estimate was that Shisui's current strength had already reached the level of an elite Jonin. Both his ninjutsu and taijutsu were outstanding, especially his Body Flicker Technique; its speed was so fast that even with Kagura Mind Eye active, Naraku found it difficult to parry.

Although Kagura Mind Eye could sense the opponent's position, his body simply could not keep up with that speed.

Still too young, Naraku muttered to himself.

The next day, As usual, after waking up, Naraku first went to visit Kushina.

Looking at the red-haired woman lying on the hospital bed, Naraku could clearly sense through his powerful perception that Kushina's condition was improving day by day. Just as Tsunade had said, perhaps it wouldn't be long before she woke up.

At this thought, a smile tugged at the corners of Naraku's mouth, and he then left the hospital.

Just as he was preparing to head to the Anbu, a dashing figure stood before him.

A cat-mask and a familiar spiked hairstyle—the person who had arrived was none other than Uchiha Shisui.

"Is there... a mission?" Naraku asked tentatively.

Shisui nodded slightly upon hearing this. "There is an escort mission that requires us to carry out together. We have thirty minutes to prepare; I will wait for you at the village gate."

With that, Shisui handed him a scroll and departed.

Naraku took the scroll back to the hospital, read the contents carefully, and then immediately disposed of it.

Although this was his first time executing a mission, he understood the rules. Whether for his own safety or the interests of the village, intelligence regarding any mission must never be leaked.

Just an escort mission?

After reading the contents of the scroll, Naraku frowned slightly.

This mission was to escort a merchant named Nakada Shun and his caravan from Stone City in the Land of Fire to a small town in the Land of Wind. Because of the long distance, it would take at least half a month to complete.

Looking at the mission details alone, there was nothing strange; it seemed like a normal escort job. However, what made Naraku feel suspicious was that the mission was ranked A-level.

One had to know that most escort missions were C-level, and only if ninjas were involved would they be defined as B-level. As for A-level, it went without saying—an A-level mission almost guaranteed the appearance of enemy ninjas, and they were likely to be Jonin.

It seems this mission isn't simple, Naraku thought to himself.

After a brief analysis, Naraku didn't feel too worried. After all, he wasn't the only one on this mission; Shisui was the main lead.

Besides, even if he encountered any real danger, he had ways to protect himself. As long as he didn't run into a Kage-level powerhouse, Naraku felt he had nothing to panic about. Even if his luck was bad and he ran into some troublesome entities, he was confident he could retreat unscathed.

Afterward, Naraku went to Kushina's room and carefully checked the barrier surrounding it. When it came to Kushina's safety, he dared not be the least bit careless.

Feeling that the barrier's alert system wasn't enough, Naraku pressed one hand to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu."

With a poof, a cloud of white smoke appeared. Once the smoke cleared, a small, bright red toad stood there.

"Hah, it's Naraku. What do you want with me?" Gamayan opened his sleepy eyes, looking as if he had just woken up.

"Ugh, still the same as always," Naraku gave a helpless smile.

Having become Jiraiya's disciple, he had naturally signed a summoning contract with Mount Myoboku, and Gamayan was the first toad he had summoned.

Although Gamayan's size didn't look very impressive, Naraku knew his strength was not weak at all. According to the toad himself, Gamabunta was supposedly his cousin or something similar.

Moreover, this guy had one exceptionally obvious trait: laziness. Gamayan's greatest hobby was sleeping.

"Hah, if... there's... nothing..."

Just as Gamayan started to say something, Naraku spoke quickly.

"I have to leave the village for a few days. I'll have to trouble you to watch over my sister here during this time."

Naraku was truly afraid that this guy would run off before he could even finish his sentence.

Although Gamayan was reluctant, he eventually agreed after Naraku promised to try his best not to disturb his sleep in the future.

Seeing this, Naraku breathed a sigh of relief. If Gamayan hadn't agreed, it would have been quite troublesome. While there were other toads on Mount Myoboku, they were either too large like Gamabunta, making them inconvenient, or their strength was too low.

Gamayan was just right. Afterward, he found Shizune, gave her a few instructions, and left.

After he departed, Gamayan curled up by Kushina's bedside and closed his eyes. Before long, the sound of snoring filled the room.

At the village gate, Naraku met up with Shisui, and the two left Konoha together.

Stone City was a small town within the Land of Fire, not very far from Konoha. With neither of them being slow, they reached their destination before nightfall.

At Shisui's suggestion, the two used a simple Transformation Jutsu to disguise themselves as middle-aged men, then found an inn in the town to stay at.

Although the Transformation Jutsu could easily be seen through by other ninjas, it was sufficient to deceive the ordinary people in the small town.

The night passed without incident.

After waking up, the two set off to find the initiator of the mission, Nakada. Following the location recorded in the scroll, they quickly found their target.

Inside a small tavern, a middle-aged man in black, about 1.8 meters tall, was sitting there sipping a drink.

This was the initiator of the mission, Nakada Shun.

At this moment, he was sitting there alone, raising his cup for a sip. After downing a cup of sake, he wore a look of complete contentment.

Confirming the target, Naraku stayed put while Shisui stepped forward to make contact.

Naraku, meanwhile, remained hidden outside the tavern. They did this to guard against any unforeseen accidents, however slim the possibility might be.

Inside the tavern, Shisui, now disguised as an ordinary person, stood before Nakada Shun.

Nakada Shun did not seem surprised by the arrival, though a flicker of imperceptible concern crossed his eyes as he took in Shisui's youthful face.

"A ninja from Konoha?"

"Yes. You must be Nakada Shun, the client for this mission."

"I am," Nakada Shun nodded, then continued, "As expected of Konoha, to send such a young ninja to carry out an A-rank mission."

Hearing the slightly probing tone, Shisui showed no reaction; he had long grown accustomed to such remarks, having already completed numerous A-rank missions.