Chikage took back the Official Dispatch and glanced at his watch.
Eight fifty-nine.
He stepped one foot through Konoha's gates.
At the very moment the second hand reached twelve.
The system notification chimed in Chikage's mind, right on schedule.
[Ding! Successfully clocked in for work today!] [Host detected to be on a business trip. Double rewards triggered.] [Congratulations! You have received 200 daily points!]
Chikage let out a long breath as he listened to the crisp chime.
Two hundred points in the bag.
This business trip was already well worth it.
He turned around and glanced back at Konoha.
Sunlight shone on Hokage Rock, gilding the statues of the past Hokage.
Chikage gave the backpack on his back a bounce.
The two hundred thousand ryo in special-purpose funds inside made a dull rustling sound.
"Lord Danzo, thank you for your sponsorship."
"I'll make sure every bit of this money is properly accounted for."
Chikage turned and set off down the road toward the border with a spring in his step.
He failed to notice someone in a large tree not far outside the village gates.
A small, thin figure wearing an Anbu mask and ordinary casual clothes was watching him silently.
It was Uchiha Itachi, who had left the village ahead of him.
Itachi watched Chikage stroll along the trade road with that large backpack, his steps light and easy.
He silently swore to himself.
Deputy Captain Chikage, go ahead without worry.
I'll keep an eye on any trouble lurking in the shadows for you.
Itachi pushed off, his figure becoming a blur as he darted through the treetops.
He kept a safe distance from Chikage at all times.
Far enough to avoid detection, but close enough to respond to any emergency.
Chikage walked along the main road in excellent spirits.
He opened the food box Mikoto had prepared, took out a skewer of three-color dango, and bit into it.
The sweet, chewy texture melted in his mouth.
This was even more comfortable than drinking tea in the Konoha Military Police Force office.
If I could go on business trips and earn double points every day, who would put up with that nonsense back in the village?
As he walked, he mentally worked out how to spend those two hundred thousand ryo.
Once I reach the border town, I'll find a nice, safe inn first.
Then I'll buy intelligence, medicine, and supplies according to high-risk mission standards, with a receipt for every expense.
Since this is a Joint Enforcement Mission, lodging, meals, intelligence contacts, and temporary guards can all count as operational expenses.
Danzo approved the funds, after all. It would be a waste not to spend them.
The more Chikage thought about it, the more perfect the plan seemed.
Humming an unfamiliar little tune, he strode onward.
After three days of traveling.
Chikage finally arrived in Hot Water Town, on the Land of Fire's border near the trade road to the Land of Hot Water.
Throughout those three days, he had strictly maintained his nine-to-five schedule.
He clocked in and set off at nine sharp every morning.
He clocked out and stopped work at five sharp every afternoon.
Not once had traveling interfered with his clocking in or out.
Two hundred points came in steadily each day, and his system balance was gradually recovering.
Hot Water Town was a well-known trading hub on the Land of Fire's border.
Connected to the trade road leading to the Land of Hot Water, it drew a motley mix of merchants, mercenaries, and rogue ninja, with someone dealing in every kind of business.
With his large pack on his back, Chikage swaggered into the town center.
He looked up at the sign.
The town's sprawling, lavishly decorated Hot Springs Inn stood before him.
Chikage walked inside and set his heavy money pouch on the counter.
"Innkeeper."
"Give me a Heaven-Class Room."
"It must have a private hot spring, and I want your finest meals delivered to my room."
The plump innkeeper was startled by his manner.
After glancing at Chikage's Konoha Military Police Force uniform, he quickly put on an obliging smile.
"Sir."
"A Heaven-Class Room costs ten thousand ryo a day."
"Would you perhaps..."
Chikage waved a hand, cutting him off.
"Book it for five days to start."
"Also, issue an expense receipt for one hundred thousand ryo in accordance with joint enforcement hospitality standards."
The innkeeper froze.
In all his years running an inn, he had never encountered a request like this.
Five days of lodging only cost fifty thousand ryo.
Why did he want a receipt for one hundred thousand?
Chikage counted out one hundred thousand ryo in banknotes from his pouch and pushed them toward the innkeeper.
"Fifty thousand is for the room."
"Put the other fifty thousand toward meals, tea, intelligence contacts, and temporary hospitality arrangements."
"Itemize everything clearly. Don't lump it all into one muddled total."
"I'll need to submit it to the Konoha Military Police Force's finance office for reimbursement when I return to the village."
The innkeeper's eyes gradually lit up as he looked at the money before him.
This gentleman from Konoha was not only generous, but also perfectly clear about the accounting.
As long as he provided the services requested and issued itemized receipts, the deal would be entirely aboveboard-and quite profitable.
He immediately nodded and bowed.
"Rest assured, sir."
"We'll itemize everything clearly and arrange the finest meals and hospitality."
Chikage nodded in satisfaction.
Now this is how a business trip should be.
Using the funds Danzo approved, staying in a luxurious hot spring room, and arranging supplies and intelligence contacts for the joint enforcement operation while I'm at it.
Once I'm back in the village, I'll just hand these receipts over to the finance office.
Every expense neatly accounted for.
Five o'clock sharp that afternoon.
The clock on the wall chimed right on time.
A system notification sounded in Chikage's mind.
[Ding! Successfully clocked out of work today!] [Congratulations! You have received 200 daily points!]
Chikage took off his uniform and changed into a loose yukata.
He settled comfortably into his room's private hot spring, with Mikoto's food box beside him.
A bite of three-color dango, a sip of hot spring water.
He had it easier than the Hokage.
Chikage leaned against the edge of the hot spring pool.
The warm spring water covered his shoulders.
He pulled the food box Mikoto had prepared within reach.
The box floated on the water.
Chikage picked up a skewer of three-color dango and took a bite.
This really is the good life.
No poring over those tedious scrolls at the Konoha Military Police Force.
No dealing with complaints from hardliners like Yashiro.
And two hundred points in double rewards coming in every day.
Chikage tossed the bamboo skewer onto the tray beside him.
I'll have to look around town tomorrow.
Find a few informants selling intelligence and buy some information about smuggling along the border.
Whether the smuggling case is real or not, I still have to go through the motions.
When I submit my expenses back home, I'll need every receipt for intelligence, hospitality, and supplies.
Those two hundred thousand ryo Danzo approved must be spent reasonably and legitimately.
Meanwhile.
In a secluded valley more than thirty li outside Hot Water Town.
The night wind blew through the woods with a soft rustling.
Several wagons covered with waterproof tarps stood at the bottom of the valley.
A group of people wearing battered ninja armor gathered around them.
These people did not even have forehead protectors.
A few had forehead protectors with deep horizontal slashes through them.
They were a band of rogue ninja roaming the Land of Fire's border.
Their leader was a burly, bald man with a gruesome scar on his face.
Scarface walked up to a wagon and yanked off its waterproof tarp.
Several wooden crates came into view.
He pried the lid off one crate with a kunai.
Inside lay neatly stacked, brand-new standard-issue kunai and shuriken.
Another crate held bundles of explosive tags.
These were all high-grade military supplies produced by Konoha's Weapons Department.
Scarface picked up a kunai and hefted it.
Forged from fine steel, with perfect balance.
"Good stuff."
"Konoha's military gear really is top quality."
A man in a gray cloak stood on the other side of the wagon.
The Cloaked Man kept his face hidden in the shadow of his hood.
"You've inspected the goods."
"Does the count match?"
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