novelbin Chapter 391 391 The Mission To Roran
Chapter 391 391 The Mission To Roran
Konoha Village, the afternoon sun filtered through lush green leaves, casting dappled shadows on the clean stone-paved road.
Minato, having just returned from a not-so-easy B-Rank Mission, was walking on his way back to his apartment.
His face, which always has a gentle smile, was now clouded with a faint gloom, his brows slightly furrowed, his deep blue eyes downcast in thought, seemingly troubled by some problem.
Just then, someone gently patted his shoulder from behind.
Minato instantly snapped out of his reverie, his body reflexively tensing slightly, but then, a familiar and warm shade of red made him relax.
Turning his head, what met his eyes was a head of vibrant red hair like burning flames, and a pretty face full of concern and curiosity.
Uzumaki Kushina stood beside Minato, her head tilted to the side slightly, her large eyes blinking as she looked at him, still wearing her favorite dark green apron, clearly having just stepped out from home.
Seeing Minato come back to his senses, she put her hands on her hips, speaking with a tone tinged with dissatisfaction and worry:
"Hey, Minato! What's wrong with you these past few days? You're always absent-minded! You were so lost in thought while walking, you almost bumped into a utility pole! Did that idiot Obito cause you some trouble again?"
Kushina was well aware that Minato had recently become a Jonin Instructor, leading a Genin Team that could be called a collection of problem children.
Hatake Kakashi, whose personality became withdrawn and cold, solely focused on missions after his father, the White Fang's death… Uchiha Obito, optimistic and cheerful but always clumsy and holding the team back… and Nohara Rin, caught between the two problematic boys, trying hard to mediate but often feeling powerless.
For these three students, Minato had indeed expended a lot of mental energy.
Seeing Kushina's lively appearance, the gloom in Minato's heart seemed to dissipate a bit. He showed a gentle, apologetic smile and shook his head: "No, it's not about Obito and the others. Kakashi is still the same, but Obito has been training very hard lately, and Rin also takes good care of them... It's just..."
He paused, walking side by side with Kushina, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards the distant Hokage Rock, carved with the faces of past Hokages, and the Hokage building at its base, symbolizing the core of Konoha's power.
Minato's voice lowered a bit, carrying a hint of uncertainty: "Just now at the mission reception, someone from the Anbu conveyed a message. It seems the Third Hokage-sama has a new mission to personally assign to me. For some reason, this time I have this... indescribably strange feeling."
Hearing this, Kushina's beautiful eyes immediately widened, her cheeks puffing out slightly with obvious complaint: "Huh?! Another mission? You just got back and rested for less than two days! The Third Hokage is really too much! Even the [Yellow Flash] can't be run ragged like this!"
Seeing his girlfriend's adorable look of standing up for him, Minato felt warm inside. He smiled helplessly, reached out, and gently ruffled Kushina's red hair, soothing her: "Alright, Kushina, don't be angry. Since it's a mission personally assigned by the Hokage-sama, it must be very important. I promise you, as soon as this mission is over, I'll come back immediately, without any delay. And..."
He deliberately drew out his tone, watching Kushina's eyes instantly light up, and said with a smile: "I'll bring you back some souvenirs, okay?"
"Really? Minato!" The moment she heard about souvenirs, Kushina immediately tossed her dissatisfaction with the mission to the winds, a brilliant smile blooming on her face, hopping with joy like a child.
As the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, she had never once set foot outside the village since being brought to Konoha Village.
Everything about the outside world, its scenery and things, held a mysterious allure for her.
And the souvenirs Minato brought her from different places each time he returned from a mission became her most important window to understanding this vast world, each one carefully treasured by her.
Chatting and laughing, the two soon arrived at the foot of the Hokage Building.
Minato stopped and said to Kushina: "Then I'll go up, you head back first."
"Mhm! Be careful! I'll wait for you to come back!" Kushina nodded vigorously, waving hard at Minato, her eyes full of expectation and reluctance.
Seeing Kushina's red hair and smile shining brilliantly in the sunlight, Minato's heart was filled with tenderness and determination to protect her.
He gave Kushina a reassuring, confident smile, then turned and walked into the Hokage Building with steady steps.
Arriving at the heavy wooden door of the Hokage's office, the gentle expression on Minato's face had already faded, replaced by his usual calm and focus during missions.
He took a deep breath, raised his hand, and knocked on the door with just the right amount of force.
"Come in." Inside came the steady, slightly hoarse voice of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Minato pushed the door open and entered.
The office was filled with a faint smell of tobacco. Hiruzen sat behind the large desk, holding a scroll, his brow slightly furrowed as he read it, a pipe in his other hand, taking a puff from time to time.
Seeing it was Minato who entered, he put down the scroll, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"Oh, Minato, you're just in time. I'll have to trouble you to go out again." Hiruzen's voice carried the appreciation and reliance of an elder towards an outstanding junior.
Minato walked to the desk, stood straight, and spoke respectfully and concisely: "Please give your orders, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen nodded, pulled open a drawer in the desk, took out a mission scroll with a hint of exotic style, placed it on the desktop, and gestured with his eyes for Minato to take a look.
At the same time, he slowly began to speak: "This is a secret commission from a desert nation, the Kingdom of Roran."
"Delivered to Konoha secretly by an envoy dispatched by the Queen of Roran. The content of the commission is to request that we send reliable Ninja to safely escort her only daughter, Princess Sara, to Konoha Village, and let her live and take shelter here for a period of time."
Minato picked up the scroll, feeling its unusual texture.
He unrolled the scroll and read it carefully.
The content of the commission was written quite earnestly, the wording revealing a mother's deep concern for her daughter's safety, as well as some unspoken, difficult-to-express worry.
It seemed that within the Land of Roran, they were facing some unknown, enormous threat, forcing the Queen to send her daughter to distant Konoha to seek protection.
As Minato read the scroll's content, Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, exhaled a puff of smoke, and his tone became serious: "However, shortly after this commission arrived in our Konoha, even before we had time to decide whether to accept it, the Anbu Intelligence Division received the latest news: the Queen of Roran has been assassinated."
Minato's brow instantly furrowed deeply, his fingers gripping the scroll tightening slightly.
'Indeed, this mission was anything but simple!'
'The Queen was assassinated immediately after sending out the commission… this was too much of a coincidence. There must be a larger conspiracy behind it.'
Hiruzen, seeing Minato's grave expression, took another puff of his pipe, then presented an even more puzzling piece of intelligence: "Moreover, according to information sent back by our undercover operatives stationed in the Land of Rain, in recent months, intelligence personnel from Amegakure have also been actively collecting all information about the Land of Roran, the Queen of Roran, and a Roran minister named Anrokuzan. Their movements are very discreet, but the frequency is high."
"The Land of Rain? Amegakure?" Minato's heart sank heavily.
The appearance of this name instantly raised the complexity and danger level of the entire mission by a notch!
The dramatic changes that had occurred in the Land of Rain and Amegakure over the past six months had already spread throughout the Ninja World through various channels.
The mysterious death of Hanzo, the Demigod of the Ninja World, the rapid rise and seizure of power by the Akatsuki, and the incredible resilience and development speed shown by Amegakure amidst internal troubles and external threats… all of this had caused the major nations and villages to cast more scrutinizing and wary eyes on that land.
Especially regarding that world-shaking explosion that caused strange phenomena in the skies above the Land of Rain, although Konoha's Anbu had investigated with full force, the specific cause remained a mystery. They only knew it was related to a battle between two unimaginably powerful Ninja.
There were even rumors that beside the new leader of Amegakure, Yahiko, there existed a mysterious Ninja of unfathomable strength who had easily repelled probing attacks from other villages.
Minato was almost certain that person was Menma, whom he had met twice and whose strength made both him and Jiraiya feel palpitations!
Minato looked up at the Third Hokage, asking seriously for confirmation: "Hokage-sama, are you saying that... the assassination of the Queen of Roran is likely related to Amegakure? That they orchestrated it?"
Hiruzen slowly shook his head. Amidst the swirling smoke, his eyes appeared deep and wise: "Currently, there's no direct evidence to indicate that Amegakure was responsible. From our comprehensive analysis of multiple intelligence channels we control, Amegakure seems more like they are... waiting for a certain moment."
"They appear to have known in advance that something might happen in Roran and have shown an unusually high level of interest in it."
Hiruzen picked up his pipe, tapped it lightly on the edge of the ashtray, then looked back at Minato, his voice low: "If Amegakure, or rather, that mysterious powerhouse behind them, also intervenes in the events in Roran, then this mission will likely no longer be a simple escort mission. Its difficulty and danger level would probably need to be assessed as an S-Rank!"
'S-Rank mission!'
This meant the mission content involved state-level secrets and safety, was extremely dangerous, with the possibility of encountering an unknown number and strength of hostile Ninja at any time, or even multiple parties getting involved. The mission reward would also be over one million ryo!
The atmosphere in the office instantly became extremely grave.
Minato fell silent for a moment, his brain working, weighing the mission's danger against the required personnel configuration.
Soon, he looked up, his eyes regaining their usual calm and confidence, speaking clearly:
"I understand, Hokage-sama. If the mission rank is S-Rank, then I request the following personnel participate in this mission: Akimichi Choza, Aburame Shibi, and... Hatake Kakashi."
When he heard the name 'Kakashi', Hiruzen's hand holding the pipe paused slightly, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
Choza and Shibi were both heirs to Konoha's traditional secret technique clans, both Jonin-level in strength, experienced, and excellent choices for high-difficulty missions.
But Kakashi, although exceptionally gifted, hailed as a genius, was still only a Chunin for now, and quite young. Participating in an S-Rank Mission seemed somewhat...
Minato saw the Third's concerns and explained: "Hokage-sama, although Kakashi is young, his strength has already reached Special Jonin level. Whether it's Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, or tactical thinking, he far surpasses his peers. He needs to experience higher-difficulty missions to hone himself and accumulate experience. I believe he is capable of handling it, and moreover, this is a necessary step on his path of growth."
Hiruzen looked at the trusting and determined look in Minato's eyes and pondered for a moment.
He understood Minato and knew he wasn't someone who would joke about missions or his comrades' lives.
If Minato chose Kakashi, he must have his reasons.
Finally, Hiruzen slowly nodded, putting his pipe back in his mouth, and made the decision: "Alright, since it's your choice, I trust your judgment. Then, this S-Rank escort mission to Roran will be carried out with you as the captain, leading Akimichi Choza, Aburame Shibi, and Hatake Kakashi. Take the mission scroll, all the specific details and intelligence are inside."
"Remember, prioritize the mission and the safety of your team members above all else."
"Yes! Hokage-sama! We will definitely complete the mission!" Minato solemnly accepted the mission scroll and bowed to the Third Hokage.