Stepping beyond the village

"So these three brats and you will be responsible for keeping our caravan safe?"

When it was time to set out on the mission, Madara Uchiha arrived punctually at the entrance to Konoha's Ninja Mission Hall. Kazuhiko, Sosuke, and Hayato were already waiting there. With them stood a striking woman who looked to be in her twenties, dressed in a short Kurenai outfit. When Kazuhiko told her everyone had arrived, she gave him a rather incredulous look.

"Never mind those other two brats, this child looks barely six or seven. He's certainly good-looking, but a pretty face won't put food on the table. Can he really protect us?"

Madara Uchiha, who was a little over seven, looked especially small even beside Hayato Hyuga and Sosuke Aburame. Shizuko, the caravan's owner, simply could not believe a brat like him could keep the caravan safe. If they ran into enemies, he might fare even worse than she would.

"You people from Konoha aren't trying to cheat us out of our money, are you?"

Seeing that Konoha had sent these three children to protect them, the companions beside Shizuko who were escorting the goods also began questioning Madara Uchiha and the others' abilities.

"What you paid only covers a C-Rank Mission at most, but I'm a Jonin. With me here, you can rest assured about your safety. As for my three subordinates, they're all outstanding Genin who passed my tests. This seven-year-old is named Uchiha Itachi. He may be young, but he's a prodigy of the Uchiha Clan. Frankly, even with all three of you adults together, I doubt you could last ten breaths against him."

Faced with the clients' doubts, Kazuhiko, who had plenty of experience handling missions, promptly stepped forward to explain the team's composition. Once Shizuko and her companions heard that Kazuhiko was a Jonin and Madara Uchiha was a prodigy of the Uchiha Clan, they finally felt reassured.

Shizuko was a merchant from the Land of Rice Fields. On this trip, she had brought goods from her homeland to sell in the Land of Fire. Now that everything had been sold, she only needed to return home. According to her, however, someone in her village was jealous of her money-making business and had contacted some bandits to ambush her. That was why she had sought protection from a Ninja Village.

"Just bandits? That's no fun at all."

Upon hearing that their opponents were bandits, Hayato immediately looked disdainful. As a ninja, he had been hoping for stronger opponents.

"Thump!"

A straight punch struck Hayato on the head. The one who had thrown it was the usually good-natured Kazuhiko Sarutobi.

"As a ninja, you must remain fully alert in every situation, against every enemy. Looking down on the dangers you might face before you've even left the village is something only a fool would do."

"I was wrong, I was wrong."

Hearing Kazuhiko's reprimand, Hayato immediately admitted his mistake while clutching his head. He might talk a little too much, but he was good at reading the situation. For instance, although he had originally looked down on Madara Uchiha, he now did whatever Madara Uchiha told him.

And so Shizuko and her two companions set off under the escort of Kazuhiko and his three students.

After stepping outside Konoha, Madara Uchiha glanced back at its imposing gates. Although the younger generations had been sorely disappointing, Konoha truly had grown considerably over the years.

As soon as they passed through Konoha's gates, Madara Uchiha, Sosuke, and Kazuhiko all turned to look at Hayato. Shizuko and her companions were rather puzzled by their behavior.

"I know, I know. I'll keep watch, all right? Say, Itachi, doesn't your clan's Sharingan let you spot danger too? You're such a genius, so when are you going to awaken it? You always make me handle intelligence gathering. It's hard work for me too, you know."

As chakra surged into Hayato's eyes, his Byakugan activated at once. With its three-hundred-and-sixty-degree field of vision, it was difficult for anyone to evade the Hyuga Clan's detection. Judged solely on its scouting capabilities, the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan was indeed slightly inferior to the Hyuga's Byakugan.

"This may sound a little cruel, but even if Itachi awakens his Sharingan, he'll need to save his chakra for combat. You'll still be responsible for scouting."

As their instructor, Kazuhiko Sarutobi bluntly informed Hayato Hyuga of this cruel reality without the slightest regard for his feelings. Hayato rolled his eyes in response, though they were already white to begin with.

Meanwhile, Shizuko and her companions watched Hayato's Byakugan with great curiosity. As a small country, the Land of Rice Fields did not yet have the funds to support a ninja village, and the Hyuga Clan was unique to Konoha. Naturally, Hayato's unusual display drew their attention.

"Let's go. It's safe ahead."

Once Hayato confirmed that the way was clear, Kazuhiko and the others set off with Shizuko's group. As the leader, Kazuhiko walked at the front, followed by Hayato Hyuga. Sosuke, Shizuko, and her companions came next, while Madara Uchiha fell back to the very rear.

"Is it really safe to leave that child all alone at the back?"

Walking up ahead, Shizuko glanced back from time to time at Madara Uchiha, who followed silently at the rear. Although she had heard of the Uchiha Clan and had great faith in their strength, seeing a seven-year-old child guarding her rear still made her feel a little sorry for him.

"Don't worry about him. I hate to admit it, but his strength is downright monstrous. Even I'm no match for him. With him here, you'll definitely be safe."

Hayato Hyuga chatted with Shizuko while observing their surroundings, and before long, the two had grown familiar with each other. If social skills were rated as an ability, Hayato Hyuga would undoubtedly rank first in Team One.

“All right, we'll rest here tonight and set out again tomorrow. We'll take turns keeping watch while we rest. Miss Shizuko, you and your companions can just sleep.”

After a full day of travel, Kazuhiko and the others still had not crossed the Land of Fire's border. They were in a forest, but it was already late, so they had no choice but to make camp where they were.

Kazuhiko, Madara Uchiha, and Sosuke would each keep watch for two hours during the night. Although Hayato was a ninja, using his Byakugan throughout the day had drained him considerably. He urgently needed rest to recover his chakra, so he was exempt from night watch. Once the schedule was settled, Shizuko and her companions went to sleep, and Madara Uchiha took the first watch.

"Aren't we taking turns? Why are you still awake?"

At night, everything fell quiet. Hayato's snores mingled with the scattered calls of animals in the forest. Amid those sounds, Madara Uchiha noticed that Kazuhiko Sarutobi had not gone to sleep. While he kept watch, Kazuhiko remained awake as well.