Konoha: I Have a Gravity Training Room

"Mm, I only met him last year."

Kakashi opened his copy of Make-Out Paradise again, his tone casual. "Xia Mu is much more sensible than you guys. And he's about to leave the village for a mission. Unlike you, who can't even catch a cat properly. Good grief, I really envy Team 9's instructor."

"What?! Team 9 is leaving the village for a mission?!"

The three of them immediately lost their composure upon hearing that.

They had spent the past month doing odd jobs until they were practically sick of them. Yet Xia Mu's Team 9 was already allowed to leave the village—how could they possibly accept that?

They immediately demanded, "Teacher Kakashi, we want to leave the village for missions too!"

Kakashi smiled faintly. "No! You'll have to wait for Lord Hokage's arrangements!"

After all, it concerned a Jinchuriki. Kakashi could not make that decision. Only after the Third Hokage approved it could a Jinchuriki leave the village. Otherwise, if anything went wrong, no one could bear the responsibility.

Meanwhile, Xia Mu had already arrived at the village gate.

Aoba Yamashiro was leading the merchant caravan through registration with the two gate guards, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane. Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato had arrived long ago, both excited about leaving the village. Xia Mu was the last to arrive, but as long as he was not late, it did not matter.

However, the merchant caravan did not seem satisfied.

Though they called it a merchant caravan, only the mustached man was actually a merchant. The other four were servants or guards.

When the mustached merchant saw Xia Mu arrive last, he could not help complaining. "Is Konoha reliable or not? I paid good money, and they're sending these little brats to escort me? Don't let them go weak in the knees when we run into bandits!"

Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato were immediately displeased, glaring angrily at the mustached merchant.

Aoba Yamashiro, on the other hand, felt nothing. He had heard plenty of clients complain about all sorts of things during his previous missions.

But Xia Mu was not the type to suffer in silence. He smiled and said, "If this merchant sir is dissatisfied, it's not too late to change the commission. I suggest spending one million ryo to issue an S-rank commission. Lord Hokage will definitely assign the finest jonin to escort you the whole way. So? Would you like to change the commission?"

Change it, my ass!

A million ryo? Did he think money was printed in his own house?!

The mustached merchant's face turned bright red. Even if he sold all of these goods in the Land of Fire's capital, he would not make three hundred thousand ryo. He would have to be insane to spend a million ryo on a commission. But he could clearly tell that this brat was mocking him—mocking him for being broke and telling him to shut his mouth if he could not afford better!

He wanted to curse back, but the moment he met Xia Mu's gaze, his heart turned cold.

Thinking it over carefully, these kids might be young, but they were official shinobi. They were far stronger than his four guards. He would have to be an idiot to keep complaining.

For a moment, he chose to keep quiet.

Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato could not help laughing. Their boss really was something—one sentence was enough to shut that arrogant guy down.

Aoba Yamashiro also gave Xia Mu a surprised look. He had thought Xia Mu would argue with the merchant for a while, but instead, he had struck directly at the man's weak spot and left him speechless.

He would not tolerate being taken advantage of, but he was levelheaded and clever.

Aoba Yamashiro was growing increasingly satisfied with Xia Mu.

"Ahem, that's enough. Let's get going. Xia Mu, you take command." Aoba Yamashiro handed full authority over the mission to Xia Mu.

This was mainly to train him. Xia Mu was strong enough now, but he lacked shinobi experience. If he wanted Xia Mu to grow quickly, he had to let him try being a captain ahead of time.

With him as the teacher there to back things up, Xia Mu could do whatever he wanted.

Xia Mu nodded and made the arrangements. "I'll walk in front. The caravan follows behind me. Tatsuya and Megumi, take the sides. Don't get carried away being excited—you two need to take turns scouting along the way. Teacher Aoba will bring up the rear. Well, Teacher, just sit back and watch us perform."

Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato immediately echoed, "That's right, Brother Aoba/Teacher, just watch us perform!"

Aoba Yamashiro adjusted his sunglasses, looking completely relaxed.

Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane were surprised, though. They had not expected Aoba Yamashiro to hand complete control of the mission to his student. Though he would provide support if needed, letting them handle things like this on their first mission outside the village took some nerve.

Soon, the group set off.

Xia Mu walked at the very front. Leaving Konoha for the first time gave him a slight sense of novelty.

Still, the Land of Fire's scenery was all more or less the same. There were simply fewer people and houses than in Konoha. For the most part, it was nothing but towering trees and mountain forests. The surroundings had barely changed, so there was not much to see.

Even Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato, who had been so excited at first, soon lost that initial excitement and focused on the mission.

The two took turns scouting. Megumi Kato used the Water Style: Telescope Technique, which let her see pretty much everything within a kilometer. Tatsuya Yamashiro, meanwhile, summoned crows and used them for reconnaissance.

However, there would not be any danger for the time being.

They were still close to Konoha, and shinobi occasionally passed through the area. No matter how bold bandits or outlaws were, they would not dare cause trouble near Konoha.

Besides, the caravan itself was slow. The merchant traveled lightly, carrying nothing and walking with ease, but the four guards had to push a cart full of goods. That miser of a merchant did not even have a horse to pull the cart, so after half a day of walking, they had not gotten very far.

And this guy had the nerve to complain that the shinobi Konoha assigned were too young?

Buy a horse to pull the cart first, and we might actually move faster!

Xia Mu glanced back at the mustached merchant. The irritation in his eyes made the man wipe sweat from his brow, afraid that the kid might suddenly lash out and beat him up.

He had only complained once at the gate. Was Xia Mu still holding it against him?

What a petty brat!

The group continued onward, stopping only around noon to eat and rest before moving again. It was not until evening that they finally encountered trouble.

Boring Mission

"Boss, there are ten people hiding on both sides of the road eight hundred meters ahead. They're all armed. They don't look like shinobi, so they should be bandits preparing to rob travelers."

Megumi Kato looked at the image in front of her lens and swiftly reported her findings.

"Okay, got it."

Xia Mu raised a hand to stop the group, then checked for himself and confirmed that they were indeed not shinobi.

He then said to Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato, "They're just small fry. Want to have some fun? It's been boring walking all day, hasn't it?"

Tatsuya Yamashiro immediately spoke up. "It has been pretty boring. Boss, leave these small fry to me. I guarantee it won't take long. But Boss, how should we deal with these bandits?"

Xia Mu waved a hand. "Subdue them first. Then we'll have Teacher Aoba use the Mind Reading Technique. If they're truly vicious criminals, kill them."

Killing was something every shinobi would experience sooner or later.

Thus, Xia Mu and the other two had already prepared themselves mentally. Xia Mu had not told Tatsuya Yamashiro to kill them outright simply because he did not want to slaughter people indiscriminately. Even if this world was deeply twisted, Xia Mu did not want to become an executioner who despised life. Those who deserved death would die; those who did not would be spared whenever possible. That was all.

This was not foolish kindness. It was a person's bottom line.

Tatsuya Yamashiro nodded, rapidly formed several hand seals, and slapped the ground. "Summoning Jutsu: Crow Swarm! Watch the Thousand Crow Technique Brother Aoba taught me!"

As he spoke, he commanded the crows to swoop toward the bushes ahead. The hidden bandits were immediately driven out by the Crow Swarm, and chaos broke out. These were no ordinary crows, but Summoning Beasts. No matter how frantically the bandits swung their blades, they could not harm the crows. Instead, they were repeatedly pecked and clawed.

Tatsuya Yamashiro then charged forward. In the blink of an eye, he had reached the bandits, kicking them down one after another. The entire fight took less than two minutes.

The mustached merchant and his four guards could not help swallowing. They had not expected this twelve-year-old shinobi to be so capable, taking down ten bandits all by himself.

And the kid they called boss had not even made a move. He was surely even stronger.

As for the instructor walking at the rear, there was no need to mention him.

They had actually dared complain to such powerful shinobi before. The fact that they had not been beaten up on the spot was already an act of mercy. It seemed they would need to be more polite from now on.

Xia Mu smiled. "Teacher Aoba, Tatsuya has improved quickly."

Aoba Yamashiro nodded slightly. "That kid Tatsuya works hard. It's only natural that he improves."

"Heh, maybe he just wants to show off in front of someone. Isn't that right, Megumi?"

Xia Mu's teasing made Megumi Kato blush. She immediately realized that he had noticed what was going on between her and Tatsuya Yamashiro, so she could not help glaring at him.

Xia Mu merely shrugged. Teasing was one thing, but he should not interfere.

Still, Xia Mu remembered that Megumi Kato had once been part of Sasuke's fan club. How had she forgotten Sasuke so quickly and fallen for Tatsuya Yamashiro?

Could it be that their names were simply fated to match?

Soon, Tatsuya Yamashiro came over with the ten bandits in tow, grinning. "Boss, all done!"

As he spoke, he gave Megumi Kato a smug look, as if saying, See how awesome I am? That immediately made her blush and roll her eyes.

Xia Mu nodded and looked toward Aoba Yamashiro.

Aoba Yamashiro walked over to the bandit leader, formed several hand seals, and pressed a large hand against his head. Not long afterward, he withdrew it.

"They're just a group of refugees. They mainly wanted to block the road and demand some toll money."

"Then beat them up and dump them by the roadside."

Since Xia Mu was primarily in charge of this mission, he naturally had the authority to decide how these bandits would be handled. No one else objected to the arrangement.

Tatsuya Yamashiro handled it personally, giving the ten bandits a vicious beating before tossing them aside and leaving them there.

"Alright, keep moving. Once the sun sets, we'll stop by the road for the night."

At Xia Mu's command, the group continued forward. But the caravan was simply too slow. Before they had gone very far, the sun began to set, and they had no choice but to stop.

If it had only been shinobi traveling, they would have reached the Land of Fire's capital before nightfall.

But they had to escort this sluggish merchant caravan, and it had not even arranged for a horse to pull the cart. Of course they were going to crawl along.

Still, now that they had become shinobi, they would face even more situations like this in the future. This sort of thing was normal, so it was better to complain less. Besides, missions outside the village would inevitably involve camping in the wilderness. It was better to get used to it now than be unable to endure harsher conditions later.

Xia Mu took out a scroll and summoned several tents, as well as pots, bowls, and other cooking utensils.

Naturally, these were prepared for his own people. The merchant caravan was responsible for its own food and sleeping arrangements.

Team 9's task was only to escort them and protect them when danger arose. They did not need to concern themselves with anything else. On top of that, the mustached merchant had been rude from the beginning, so there was no need to treat him kindly.

Thus, the five people from the caravan ate dry rations while staring longingly as Xia Mu and the others set up a pot, heated oil, and enjoyed steaming hot food.

Then, the five members of the caravan could only make do by sleeping against their cart, while Xia Mu's group slept soundly in their tents. Fortunately, they had arranged night watch. Otherwise, the caravan would have cried themselves to death.

Nothing happened that night. When the well-rested Team 9 saw the five exhausted members of the caravan the next morning, they immediately felt satisfied.

And this guy called himself a merchant? He had not even prepared a tent for himself. Either he was not making any money, or he was simply stingy.

And he had the nerve to look down on the shinobi Konoha had assigned?

He would not even spend money himself, yet he wanted the Hokage to personally protect him?

The rest of the journey was mostly uneventful. This was the main road from Konoha to the Land of Fire's capital, and with Konoha shinobi escorting the caravan, bandits generally did not dare cause trouble. Unless they were ignorant or suicidal, no one would want to rob a group escorted by Konoha shinobi.

Besides, the merchant's goods were so shabby that they were not worth stealing in the first place.

By evening, the group reached the Land of Fire's capital, and the mission was naturally complete.

Team 9 separated from the merchant caravan. The caravan's safety was no longer Team 9's responsibility. Seeing that the sky was growing dark, they naturally planned to stay in the city for the night and look around while they were there.

Honestly, this mission had been pretty boring.

If they had not run into those few bandits along the way, they probably could have completed it while yawning and sleeping as they walked.

Xia Mu's only expectation for this mission had been sightseeing in the Land of Fire's capital and buying a few small gifts for his girlfriend. Everything else was irrelevant.

Aoba Yamashiro found an inexpensive inn, then thoughtfully said, "The Land of Fire's capital is lively at night too. Go look around, but remember to come back tonight. Also, we're Konoha shinobi. Don't cause trouble, but don't be afraid of it either. Put simply, don't disgrace Konoha."

"Got it, Brother Aoba/Teacher! We're going out to have fun!"

Someone Was Following Them

Tatsuya Yamashiro and Megumi Kato agreed quickly, then left together. They were clearly going on a date.

Xia Mu smiled. "Teacher Aoba, your clansman moved pretty fast."

Aoba Yamashiro spread his hands. "That kid Tatsuya is fairly sharp. When he meets a cute girl like Megumi, he has to make his move early. Otherwise, he won't even have a place to cry later."

"Heh, he is pretty sharp. What about you, Teacher Aoba? Why didn't you make a move on Senior Shizune earlier? Did you think Senior Shizune wasn't cute? Do you have somewhere to cry now?"

"You brat! Daring to tease your teacher! Get out and go have fun on the streets!"

Aoba Yamashiro drove Xia Mu out. For a moment, he really had nowhere to cry. How was he supposed to know that Lady Tsunade would take Shizune away—and for so many years, at that?

Back then, the cutest girls in their class had been Kurenai Yuhi, Shizune Kato, and Rin Nohara. Rin Nohara had already died, Asuma was pursuing Kurenai Yuhi, and Shizune had vanished without a trace. The men of their generation had it rough, okay? Yet Xia Mu was still reopening old wounds. Was he asking to be beaten?

Xia Mu had already slipped out onto the streets.

It truly deserved to be called the capital of the strongest country in the Shinobi World.

The Land of Fire had always been prosperous due to its advantageous location, and the capital where the daimyo lived was especially bustling. Even deep into the night, it remained brightly lit and filled with laughter and cheer, as if the Shinobi World were not chaotic at all.

Perhaps this was an unspoken rule of the Shinobi World.

It did not matter if the hidden villages fought one another to the death, but none of them were allowed to attack a daimyo. Doing so would be a violation.

The daimyo were the rulers of their nations, wealthy and powerful. The hidden villages were merely armed institutions under their authority. Generally speaking, they had to obey the daimyo's orders. Even the Shinobi World Wars were like war games played by the daimyo.

To someone from China, it was truly unbelievable.