Returning to the Village

Tsukimi's playful expression faded, but he did not set out immediately. The two bodies still needed to be dealt with properly.

The bodies were crucial clues in the search for whoever was behind this. But if either man still had family or friends, taking the bodies without permission could cause trouble, and Tsukimi could not bring himself to do that. Only after confirming that neither had any relatives could he take them back to Konoha with a clear conscience.

Having made up his mind, Tsukimi asked Kurenai and Asuma to search the scene once more. He went out to make inquiries around the estate.

The old cook, Toji, had no wife or children and had lived alone in Bluestone Town. Kawata Genji had often traveled for business, with only hired Genin at his side. He had no surviving relatives either.

Neither man had anyone left behind.

Once Tsukimi had confirmed this, his last misgivings vanished. He returned to the estate and met up with Kurenai and the others. After they confirmed that no clues remained at the scene, the four finally set off for the village.

The return journey was nothing like the trip there. On the way out, the team had been escorting a client and had to match the carriage's pace. It had taken them four days to reach Bluestone Town.

Now the mission was over, and they needed to report back to the village as soon as possible. The four traveled at full speed. Nothing else happened along the way, and on the afternoon of the third day, they finally spotted the statues of the past Hokage in the distance.

Dusty from the road, the four reached Konoha's gate. Tsukimi took out the mission scroll, and after the Ninja at the gate checked and registered it, they headed straight for the Hokage Building.

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, pipe in hand, quietly listening to Tsukimi's orderly report.

Tsukimi recounted everything that had happened, from meeting the client and noticing something amiss to the Chunin's attempt to kill them, the smuggling secret, their plan to set a trap, and how their opponent had outwitted them in the end. He also shared his suspicions about the person behind it all.

Asuma and Kurenai added details from the parts of the mission they had handled. Even Orochimaru spoke up for once, explaining that the poison was extremely obscure and would require laboratory testing.

After finishing his report, Tsukimi took a Sealing Scroll from his Ninja Tool Pouch, stepped forward, and placed it on the desk. It contained the bodies of Kawata, Toji, and the Chunin who had been sent to die, along with the poisoned tableware.

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly set down his pipe. He picked up the Sealing Scroll, weighed it in his hand, then looked up at Tsukimi. There was a note of appraisal in his voice.

"Tsukimi, where do you think we should start investigating?"

Tsukimi considered it briefly, then raised two fingers.

"Two directions. First, identify the source of the poison. Second, investigate every channel through which Green Velvet Grass is sold in the Land of Fire."

"Oh? Why investigate all the sales channels for Green Velvet Grass?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned forward slightly, keen interest appearing in his eyes.

"From what I can tell, the person behind this probably had more than one way to obtain Green Velvet Grass."

"How do you know?" Asuma asked from beside him, puzzled.

"If they really are conducting experiments on living subjects, they'll need a great deal of Green Velvet Grass. A single merchant like Kawata Genji could never provide a steady supply over the long term. Besides, if Kawata Genji had been their only source, they wouldn't have killed him."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly, looking at Tsukimi with clear approval.

"You're right. That is one line of inquiry." He sighed softly. "Who would have thought an ordinary C-Rank escort mission would lead to all this? It went far beyond the scope of a C-Rank Mission."

His gaze passed over the three Genin, and his tone grew solemn.

"Faced with a covert attempt on your lives and one scheme after another, you kept your heads, preserved the key evidence, and handled the situation with great care."

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused before delivering his final decision.

"After review, Orochimaru's team's C-Rank escort mission is hereby upgraded to a B-Rank Special Reconnaissance Mission. All payment will be issued at the B-Rank Mission rate."

"Yes! Thank you, Lord Hokage!"

Tsukimi, Asuma, and Kurenai Yuhi bowed together in acknowledgment.

After giving the three their instructions, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru, you know more about poisons than anyone. I'll leave it to you to coordinate with the Medical Department and follow up on the tests."

"Yes, Teacher Sarutobi." Orochimaru nodded slightly.

They took their leave and walked out of the Hokage's office.

"All right. Get some proper rest over the next few days."

With that, Orochimaru vanished in a flash. Tsukimi and the other two went downstairs to the mission hall on the first floor.

The mission hall was still bustling that afternoon. Ninja came and went without pause, their voices filling the hall, though everything remained orderly.

As soon as Tsukimi and the others emerged from the stairwell, they spotted the Minato Team in the hall, there to turn in a mission.

Minato Namikaze wore a Jōnin vest and stood tall, his manner gentle. Three familiar figures stood beside him.

The little white-haired one still had his usual dead-eyed stare. Konoha's ghost girl wore a gentle smile. The lovable idiot looked full of himself, having just turned in the mission and now quietly trying to one-up the little white-haired one.

What a collection of characters!

Asuma could not resist speaking first. He had just completed a B-Rank Mission, after all. How could he pass up the chance to brag to Obito?

"Well, if it isn't Obito. While we were away, were you still stuck doing D-Rank Missions?"

The four members of the Minato Team turned toward Tsukimi and the others. Obito's eyes lit up. He ran straight over, threw an arm around Tsukimi's shoulders, and spoke as familiarly as ever.

"Tsukimi, you're finally back! I couldn't even find anyone to spar with these past few days."

Then he turned to Asuma, looking thoroughly unconvinced.

"And Asuma, I'll have you know I can take a C-Rank Mission tomorrow. Just you wait!"

Rin smiled warmly and asked with concern, "Did the mission go smoothly? It looks like you ran into trouble."

Kurenai nodded gently and gave a faint smile, visibly more relaxed now that they were back. "It's all been taken care of. Nothing went wrong."

Kakashi looked at Tsukimi. His voice was calm, with a trace of regret.

"We're taking a C-Rank Mission tomorrow too. Looks like I won't get a chance to spar with you anytime soon."

"That's fine. We'll have plenty of time later."

After answering Kakashi, Tsukimi turned to Minato Namikaze.

Minato wore a gentle smile. "We just turned in a D-Rank Mission. I didn't expect to run into you right as you got back."

Tsukimi was about to reply when Obito's voice suddenly shot up in disbelief.

"What? You're saying you did a B-Rank Mission? How is that possible?"

Obito stared at Asuma skeptically. Then he looked at Kurenai and Tsukimi. When both nodded, he visibly deflated and began muttering under his breath.

"That's impossible. How is that possible? Why does Asuma get to do a B-Rank Mission?"

Asuma patted Obito on the shoulder and laughed smugly. "Hahaha! You've got to accept the gap between us, Obito!"

The fourth-ranked idiot had used his taunt skill on the second-ranked idiot!

Tsukimi stretched and invited Minato, "After all these days of running around, I'm treating everyone to barbecue. Want to come along, Minato?"

Minato waved a hand apologetically. "Sorry, Tsukimi. I have something else to take care of, so I won't intrude on your get-together."

After a brief farewell, Minato left first. The other six headed for Akimichi Barbecue Restaurant together, chatting and laughing all the way.