"Jonin Tsunade, Jonin Orochimaru." The two bowed respectfully to them.
Tsunade and Orochimaru had yet to reach their peak, but they were already among Konoha's finest Shinobi, and they were also Hiruzen Sarutobi's students.
That left the two with no choice but to show respect.
The brothers cast a complicated glance at Hyuga Akira. Neither the carrot nor the stick worked on this guy.
Their father's punishment for Hyuga Akira was not particularly harsh. Its main purpose was to let Hyuga Hiashi bring Hyuga Akira fully under his command.
Willingly and wholeheartedly.
Although Hyuga Akira was a deathsworn guard, Hyuga Hiashi still needed to cultivate his loyalty. He was supposed to be a guard willing to die for him, not someone who could be driven by threats alone.
Even a branch family member had to become a deathsworn guard willingly. Otherwise, the slightest resentment could put Hyuga Hiashi in danger.
But judging by Hyuga Akira's attitude, nothing got through to him.
Now he would not even greet the two of them.
He really was asking for death.
Hyuga Akira simply ignored them. Using a carrot-and-stick routine for cultivating deathsworn guards on a player?
What a joke.
Although none of the three looked at one another, Tsunade and Orochimaru could still sense the tension between the two sides.
"Your mission is to deliver these supplies to the Land of Rain and establish a defensive line there." Orochimaru ignored the tension and explained the details of their mission.
"The Land of Rain, huh." Hyuga Akira narrowed his eyes.
"Oh? Are you interested in the Land of Rain, Akira?" Orochimaru regarded Hyuga Akira with interest. Compared with Hyuga Hiashi and his brother, he was more interested in Hyuga Akira.
After all, since Konoha's founding, the Hyuga Clan had produced only this one person who defied the Hyuga Main Family.
"A little." Hyuga Akira smiled.
Fortunately, this was the Orochimaru of the present. If it were the Orochimaru of later years, he would have had to worry about himself a little.
He was not afraid of having his body stolen.
After all, even a dog would turn down a Hyuga Branch Family body.
He was just afraid the man would use him as experimental material.
The current Orochimaru would not do that, though.
But the Land of Rain had something he needed to undo the Caged Bird Seal, something only Rain Ninja would drop.
To use those things, however, he first had to reach level 18.
"I hope the Land of Rain won't disappoint you, Akira." Orochimaru smiled.
Beside him, Tsunade said firmly, "Get your packs on. Move out!"
Chapter 24: Traveling Properly This Time
Several figures sped across the branches of towering trees.
Tsunade led from the front, while Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga watched either flank. Hyuga Akira brought up the rear.
This time, they used a standard traveling formation.
This mission was nowhere near as easy as the last one.
There was no time for conversation along the way. They had to make for the Land of Fire's border at full speed.
Hyuga Akira carried a backpack almost bigger than himself, but its weight did not affect him at all.
By contrast, Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga, who traveled in the middle, were breathing a little harder.
The weight still placed some strain on them.
Good thing my equipment increased my strength quite a bit, Hyuga Akira reflected silently.
Thanks to his strength +3 stat, he was considerably stronger than Shinobi his age.
The backpack contained Sealing Scrolls holding strategic supplies such as ninja tools, Soldier Pills, and medicine.
These supplies were crucial, too. None could be lost.
This mission had also been raised straight to A-rank.
Without Tsunade, they would not have had this opportunity.
The team sped through the trees.
They passed through woods, waded across rivers, and entered the mountains.
Shinobi rarely traveled on main roads, mostly making their way through mountains and rivers instead.
Only after entering the mountains did the three stop to rest.
Night had fallen, and a crescent moon hung high over the rarely visited mountains.
They built a campfire.
The flames swayed in the night wind.
Tsunade poked the fire with a piece of wood, making it burn a little brighter.
"We still have three more days of travel before we reach our destination."
That was at their rapid Shinobi marching pace. At an ordinary person's walking pace, it would take at least a month.
Tsunade offered a reminder.
"And the stretch ahead is the most dangerous."
Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga frowned deeply, while Hyuga Akira looked eager.
This brat just can't wait for trouble. Tsunade looked at Hyuga Akira, speechless.
"If someone attacks us, roughly how strong would those Shinobi be?" Hyuga Akira asked directly.
If they were Jonin, he would focus on staying alive. If they were Chunin, he would decide whether to take a chance based on their numbers. If they were Genin...
He would just farm them.
Tsunade glanced at Hyuga Akira.
"Most likely Chunin. Jonin and Genin are less likely to appear."
Konoha generally paid particular attention to Jonin. At the slightest word of one, they would be driven out immediately.
Genin had a hard time surviving Konoha's searches.
Only Chunin, caught in the middle, received insufficient attention without being that easy to kill. Instead, they found it easier to survive in the Land of Fire.
"Probably," Tsunade added afterward.
But Hyuga Akira felt that Tsunade sounded rather unconvincing.
Looking at the expressionless Tsunade, Hyuga Akira secretly raised his guard.
We're not bait, are we?
"You three get a good rest tonight. I'll keep watch," Tsunade said firmly.
Now even Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga sensed something was wrong.
But the three said nothing more and obediently settled down to rest.
Hyuga Akira glanced at the backpacks piled together. If he wanted to know whether they were bait, he had to confirm whether the Sealing Scrolls inside the backpacks were real.
After a moment's hesitation, he decided not to check.
After all, they were only Genin following orders right now. What difference would knowing the truth make?
Hyuga Akira materialized the Bronze Blade, cradled it in his arms, and curled up beside a rock. He closed his eyes and began to drift off to sleep.
Tsunade glanced at the Bronze Blade in Hyuga Akira's arms.
A new Kekkei Genkai of the Hyuga Clan? Or some kind of ninja tool?
Hyuga Akira had too many things about him-an abnormal number. The most obvious was that blade.
She had never seen Hyuga Akira take it out on the road, and he had nowhere on his body to hide a blade.
But she had no intention of digging deeper and simply kept her questions to herself.
Late at night.
The cold wind howled.
Sitting beside the fire, Tsunade took a small sip of strong liquor to dispel the chill.
She glanced at the withered yellow branches around her.
"Winter's almost here."
The night passed peacefully.
The three got up in the morning, ate a military ration pill each, and set off straight away.
Soldier Pills replenished chakra and made the stomach feel full. They were the most important military supplies during a march.
The three continued onward in silence. The sooner they reached their destination, the sooner they would be safe.
As they traveled farther, Tsunade grew increasingly vigilant.
Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga also grew somewhat tense.
Only Hyuga Akira looked as though none of this concerned him.
Suddenly, Tsunade stopped on a tree and turned to signal the three.
"Scout."
All three activated their Byakugan at once and quickly scanned their surroundings.
Everything around Hyuga Akira turned transparent in his vision. Several figures stood motionless in the distance.
The chakra flowing through their bodies could not hide from the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan.
Hyuga Hiashi immediately relayed the information to Tsunade with hand signals.
"Five enemies ahead. Judging by their chakra levels, likely one Jonin, two Chunin, and two Genin."
Tsunade frowned.
Hyuga Akira understood why she was frowning.
There were too few enemies.
If they were being used as bait, attracting only four enemies was nowhere near enough, however he looked at it.
There could not be so few Shinobi hiding in the Land of Fire.
Yet there really were no other Shinobi nearby.
Tsunade quickly signaled that she would deal with the Jonin, while Hyuga Akira and Hizashi Hyuga held off the Chunin, and Hyuga Hiashi held off the two Genin.
Once she finished off her enemy, she would deal with the others.
Hyuga Akira bared his teeth in a grin and quickly signed back.
"No. Give me the two Genin. Leave the Chunin to them."
Not to be outdone, Hyuga Hiashi also made hand signals.
"I can hold off one Chunin."
As the Hyuga Clan's young heir, he would never admit that he was weaker than those two.
Tsunade gave Hyuga Akira a long look, then swept her hand down to signal.
"Begin the operation."
Hyuga Akira tucked the Bronze Blade at his waist and wound his trouser drawstring around it to keep it from falling.
He saw the three cast doubtful looks his way.
Hyuga Akira scoffed. Surely these three did not think he bullied the weak and feared the strong?
Before you continue