"Captain, are we preparing to head out soon?"
When Aida Sui saw Xin, he was practically buzzing with excitement. He had been eagerly awaiting the day they'd leave the village to take on higher-level missions.
But he was about to be sorely disappointed.
Xin sighed and patted Aida Sui on the shoulder.
"Sorry, Aida Sui, but I won't be able to take you on any more missions. I came here to tell you that the Hokage will be assigning another jonin to lead your team."
"....."
The smile on Aida's face froze, and he scratched his head awkwardly.
"Captain, please don't joke like that. It's really not funny."
"I'm not joking. I'm retiring. Do your best from here on out. I still need to inform Suzune and Ryoji. Take care."
Retiring? Why?
When Uchiha Ryoji heard the news, he was in complete disbelief.
Retire? What the hell was going on?
"Captain, can I ask why you want to retire?"
Hyuga Suzune, who had been looking forward to leaving the village and exploring the wider world, was shocked when the first news she got was about Xin's sudden decision to retire.
It felt like her entire world was spinning.
"Does it really matter?"
"It does." Suzune nodded earnestly.
"I guess I'm just tired. Tired of constantly fighting for the village, only to be targeted and dragged down because of some ridiculous reasons."
"So, I'm choosing to retire. Let the Hokage deal with targeting the Uchiha from now on-I'm done with it."
"Even if you have a new captain, make sure to work hard. Only strength can truly ensure your safety."
Xin gave Suzune's head a light pat before walking away with a smile.
Was he retiring because he was being targeted?
As someone from the Hyuga main family, Suzune was somewhat aware of the tension between the village leadership and the Uchiha. She wasn't completely clueless.
The higher-ups had been targeting the Uchiha for a long time, and because Xin had Uchiha blood, despite not being part of the clan, he'd been caught up in their schemes.
"Do you need help packing your things?"
Suzune's father, the Hyuga elder, had assumed his daughter was about to leave the village on her first real mission.
He had no idea what was really going on.
"Father."
After bowing respectfully, Suzune shook her head.
"There's no need to pack anything anymore. My captain is retiring. He's no longer going to be a shinobi."
"Hmm, retiring is a good... wait, retiring?"