"Since you're here, let's head to the caravan together. The client is in a real hurry to get this shipment!"
Outside the tavern, Nakada Shun, dressed in black, spoke to Shisui. Though he was a little worried that Shisui looked so young he might not be able to help him carry out his plan, he didn't have any better options.
"Don't let me down, Konoha ninja."
"Wait a moment. I have a teammate, too." Shisui stopped Nakada Shun as he was about to set off, then quietly made a hand signal behind his back.
"A teammate?" Hearing this, Nakada Shun smiled. He was about to say something when Naraku appeared in his line of sight, his red hair and a long sword strapped to his back.
"A teammate? A kid?" Nakada Shun's mouth twitched as he looked at Naraku's small frame. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he kept quiet.
Never mind. One more person is better than none. Even a Genin can put up a fight, he thought.
Then he headed forward, and Naraku and Shisui followed.
Naraku took the opportunity to carefully examine Nakada Shun as they walked. Before long, however, he sensed something amiss. A strong energy signature emanated from within the man.
He's a ninja—and a Jonin, at that.
Naraku's expression shifted beneath his mask. He turned to report what he'd sensed to Shisui.
Wait.
Seeing Shisui's calm expression, Naraku quickly figured out what was going on. With Shisui's skill and experience, he could tell Nakada Shun was a ninja even without using his Sharingan.
Naraku shook his head slightly, then quietly followed behind Nakada Shun.
He's already figured it out. As expected of the Uzumaki Clan. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Shisui's lips.
He had recognized Nakada Shun as a ninja long ago. He hadn't warned Naraku because he wanted to give him a small test.
Naraku hadn't disappointed him. Shisui felt that even he might not have been able to do as well at Naraku's age.
"Uzumaki Naraku. What a genius."
Naraku and Shisui followed Nakada Shun for a while. None of the three spoke along the way. Soon, they arrived at a secluded compound. It looked like Nakada Shun's own property, and two guards stood watch at the entrance.
"Welcome back, sir."
When the guards saw Nakada Shun return, they immediately bowed respectfully.
Nakada Shun waved a hand and led Shisui and Naraku inside. "By the way, notify the others to get ready. We're leaving soon."
"Leaving? Have the ninjas you hired arrived, sir?" The guards looked confused, then turned their gaze to Shisui and Naraku.
"Could it be them?" The guards studied Shisui's youthful face and Naraku's small frame, their expressions puzzled.
"Yes, these two are the ninjas Konoha sent. Go get things ready," Nakada Shun said, waving them on.
"All right, sir." Though still doubtful, the guards didn't dare question Nakada Shun after he'd given the order. They went to notify the others.
Naraku and Shisui followed Nakada Shun into a room in the compound.
"Mr. Nakada, is this mission to escort a caravan to the Land of Wind?" Shisui suddenly asked, his sharp eyes fixed on Nakada Shun.
Nakada Shun paused, then nodded. "That's right."
"I originally planned to hire ninjas from Sunagakure for this mission, but for some reason they kept refusing to take it. That's why I approached Konoha instead."
Perhaps worried that Shisui might misunderstand, Nakada Shun quickly explained.
"Sunagakure..." Naraku's face showed a hint of thoughtfulness. "At this time, could it be...?"
He thought of Sunagakure's Tailed Beast, the One-Tail Shukaku. In his memories, Bunpuku, the One-Tail Jinchuriki, seemed to have died around this time.
Of course, he was only guessing and couldn't be sure.
Shisui, on the other hand, seemed to already know something. He showed no surprise.
Shisui then asked Nakada Shun to confirm a few more details about the mission.
Naraku also learned why the mission had been rated A-rank. First, Nakada Shun was offering a generous reward—more than most A-rank missions paid.
Second, someone had set their sights on his shipment.
According to Nakada Shun, his caravan made its money transporting a special kind of ore. The ore wasn't particularly rare, but it brought in a handsome profit.
That profit was precisely why their cargo had attracted the attention of some small ninja villages.
"It's Stone Ninja Village. They're the ones who robbed my last few shipments," Nakada Shun said angrily.
"Stone Ninja Village," Shisui murmured.
He didn't know much about Stone Ninja Village. He only knew it was a small ninja village on the border of the Land of Wind, with relatively few ninja.
"Ninja-sama, I'll be counting on you both for this mission." As he spoke, Nakada Shun bowed deeply to them.
"Mr. Nakada, there's no need to do that," Shisui said, a little surprised. "Now that Konoha has accepted the mission, we'll do everything we can to complete it. Rest assured, Mr. Nakada."
"Then thank you, Ninja-sama."
Nakada Shun then left the room to make preparations for their departure.
Shisui and Naraku stayed behind to rest for a while.
Watching Nakada Shun's retreating figure, Naraku felt that the mission might not be as straightforward as the man had claimed. Stone Ninja Village might be small, but it was still a ninja village.
If Stone Ninja Village really had been robbing their shipments, Sunagakure wouldn't have simply stood by. After all, the village was near the Land of Wind, and Stone Ninja Village's actions would also damage the Land of Wind's reputation.
Naraku felt there had to be something else going on.
As for Shisui, he sat expressionless, his thoughts unreadable.
An hour later, the caravan was ready, and Nakada Shun sent someone to notify the two of them.
"Ninja-sama, it's time to set out."
"All right." Shisui nodded and walked out of the room.
Naraku followed behind him. This mission would be a valuable learning experience for him.
Ninjas took on missions for two reasons: to earn money and to gain experience in actual combat. Only real combat could test one's strength.
And only real combat could make one improve faster.
"Move out!" Nakada Shun called from the front of the caravan. The group of more than twenty set off in a grand procession.
"Stone Ninja Village. Heh. It's about time we settled the score between us."