Chapter 124: The Enemy's Hardship Is Nothing Compared to Taichi's
The New Year holiday passed in a blur of busyness. On the first working day after the festival, Team Eight gathered once more at the Mission Hall.
Already unable to contain himself, Yōhei grabbed Captain Yamaguchi and dragged him toward the hall, as if arriving even a moment late would mean all the good missions were snatched away by others.
In reality, however, ninjas were still people—and missions were still work. Not everyone was eager to jump straight back into duty the moment the holiday ended.
The Mission Hall was nearly empty. Only a handful of ninjas stood about, quietly browsing the mission boards.
Captain Yamaguchi took the mission list, gave it a quick scan, then handed it straight to Taichi. It was obvious that this assignment selection was meant as compensation, so the final choice was left entirely to Taichi and the others.
Yōhei and Saori understood the captain's meaning and immediately crowded in to examine the list together.
They quickly crossed out all D- and C-rank missions.
After spending months grinding those tasks day after day, they were thoroughly sick of them. Now that their captain had finally returned, they were eager to take on something more challenging.
Soon, a B-rank mission caught their attention:
Protect mining operations in the Land of Rivers until February 15, Year 45 of Konoha.
High-rank missions were scarce on the first day after the holidays, and ones suitable for Team Eight were even rarer. This protection assignment was practically tailor-made for them.
Leaving the Mission Hall, Yōhei waved the mission scroll excitedly, grinning from ear to ear.
"Finally, a high-level mission! Over the holidays, I pushed my Sharingan usage to a whole new level. This time, I'm definitely going to shine!"
As he spoke, he exaggeratedly mimicked one of Taichi's sword swings, nearly crashing into a nearby vendor's stall. Taichi rubbed his forehead in resignation, while Saori quietly stepped a little farther away.
"If you don't watch where you're going and knock over a stall," Captain Yamaguchi said coolly, "the Uchiha Police Force will probably invite you in for tea. At that point, forget about showing off—you won't even be able to go on missions."
Yōhei immediately straightened up. Clearly, he knew exactly how the police force operated and had no desire to test it firsthand.
What none of them noticed was that their entire exchange had been observed by a customer seated in a teahouse at the street corner. The man wore a brown haori and clicked his tongue softly.
"Are Konoha's ninjas all this… carefree now?" he muttered.
"Especially that older black-haired kid—loud and restless. Not a trace of a ninja's composure."
At that moment, Captain Yamaguchi stopped right in front of the teahouse and scanned the area as if searching for someone. When his gaze landed on the distinctive brown haori in the corner, he gestured for Taichi and the others to follow.
"Excuse me—are you Mr. Tokugawa?" Captain Yamaguchi asked, stopping beside the man and studying him carefully.
The customer, who had been quietly drinking his tea, looked up. When he recognized the group as the very Konoha ninjas he had just been criticizing, an uneasy feeling crept into his heart.
"I am Tokugawa Saku," he replied bluntly, making no effort to hide his distrust. His eyes flicked to the forehead protector on Yōhei's brow.
"Konoha didn't seriously send just you to handle this mission, did they? Given the long relationship between the Tokugawa family and Konoha, this feels… rather dismissive."
"Hey! I'm—"
Yōhei bristled at the disdain in Tokugawa's gaze and was about to retort, but Taichi firmly tugged on his sleeve, stopping him mid-sentence.
Yamaguchi remained calm as he produced his ninja credentials. The record clearly listed his completed missions—among them seven S-rank assignments. Cold, indisputable facts that spoke louder than any explanation.
Tokugawa Saku's expression finally eased, but his gaze remained fixed on Yōhei.
"Then what about this kid?" he said bluntly. "He looks like the least reliable one here. He was jumping around nonstop just now."
"Uchiha Yōhei," Captain Yamaguchi replied, his tone sharpening. "You're familiar with the Uchiha name, I presume? Don't let his age fool you—he's already fought jōnin head-on. And my squad has completed multiple A-rank missions. We're an elite unit."
Tokugawa's teacup trembled slightly in his hand.
Anyone who dealt frequently with Konoha knew the Uchiha name. The saying 'flee on sight in a one-on-one against an Uchiha' wasn't just ninja folklore—it was common knowledge even among civilian clients.
"…Very well," Tokugawa said at last, straightening his posture. "In that case, we should depart immediately. I've received news that the Kawada family has also hired ninja. I've even heard there are shinobi from Sunagakure among them."
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Even the midday sun couldn't dispel the bitter February cold as Team Eight escorted Tokugawa along the road leading toward the Land of Rivers.
As they traveled, Tokugawa explained the mission in detail.
"Matsudaira City has a high-quality mine. It's traditionally been managed by the Tokugawa family, and a large portion of the ore is sold directly to Konoha."
He glanced meaningfully at Captain Yamaguchi—clearly implying that this mission benefited not only his family, but Konoha as well.
"This year, however, the Kawada family suddenly entered the iron trade. They've set their sights on the same mine and bribed officials in the city lord's office to contest this year's mining rights."
"Then compete fairly," Yōhei said, puzzled. "The Tokugawa family's run that mine for years. Surely you're not lacking leverage?"
Tokugawa nodded grimly.
"Before each renewal, the city lord's office sends inspectors to evaluate production and safety. That's where sabotage becomes possible."
He finally reached the heart of the matter.
"If accidents occur during this period—or if we fail to meet the required quotas—then with Kawada applying pressure behind the scenes, we'll lose the mining rights entirely."
"So our job is simple," Captain Yamaguchi summarized. "Ensure uninterrupted operation. No interference."
Tokugawa stopped walking and bowed deeply—nearly ninety degrees.
"My family's fate rests in your hands."
The sudden bow caught everyone off guard, sending Taichi and the others scrambling awkwardly.
Time was tight.
They were required to reach the Tokugawa estate by February 1st—only five days remained. For ninja, the journey alone would be trivial. Unfortunately, Tokugawa Saku was just a civilian with limited endurance.
Even pushing hard, it still took them two full days to cross into the Land of Rivers.
Night fell like ink.
Team Eight and Tokugawa moved through dense forest paths. Since leaving the Land of Fire, wide roads had vanished, replaced by narrow woodland trails—forcing the squad into heightened alert.
Moonlight fractured through thick branches, scattering pale fragments across the ground. Tokugawa panted heavily as he spoke between breaths.
"One more day… and we'll reach the estate… I didn't fail the family head… I managed to bring you in time…"
"You should save your breath," Saori said gently. "If Taichi hadn't been using medical ninjutsu to help you recover, you'd have collapsed days ago."
"Yes—yes, my thanks…" Tokugawa replied before breaking into another coughing fit.
That decided it.
"We camp here," Captain Yamaguchi ordered. "No sense rushing if our client drops dead."
Taichi and Saori moved off to prepare the campsite, leaving Yamaguchi and Yōhei guarding Tokugawa.
A cloud slid silently across the sky.
The moon vanished.
And in that instant—
Six black figures dropped from the treetops.
Shuriken screamed through the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Captain Yamaguchi snapped up his kunai, deflecting the projectiles—but four attackers were already closing in, clearly aware he was the strongest combatant present.
On the other side, Yōhei dodged effortlessly, his three-tomoe Sharingan blazing crimson in the darkness.
He yanked Tokugawa aside just as a kunai sliced past the man's ear, severing a few strands of hair.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"
The blazing sphere forced one attacker back—but even retreating, the enemy flung kunai toward Yōhei.
The angles were vicious.
They weren't aimed at Yōhei.
They were aimed at Tokugawa.
Yōhei had no choice but to block them.
At that moment, another enemy lunged in from the side, striking for the fallen Tokugawa.
Less than ten seconds had passed since the ambush began.
Taichi and Saori were still racing back from the campsite.
Captain Yamaguchi remained locked down by four enemies using a conservative, stalling formation.
Tokugawa was seconds from death.
"Don't underestimate me!"
Yōhei roared.
His Sharingan spun, perfectly tracking every trajectory.
He sidestepped the first kunai, knocked aside the second with his own blade, and blocked the third with his forehead protector—then hurled his kunai straight at the attacker charging Tokugawa.
In the same breath, he Shunshin'd forward.
The enemy was pinned to a tree in an instant.
Only then did Tokugawa realize how close he had come to dying.
When he looked back—
One attacker lay dead at Taichi's feet.
The four surrounding Captain Yamaguchi had abandoned two corpses and fled.
"Chase?" Taichi asked coldly, blade still in hand.
"No," Yamaguchi replied. "They were expendable scouts. Killing them all serves no purpose."
"Six chūnin as cannon fodder…" Taichi muttered. "The Kawada family really wants this mine."
He knelt, examining the bodies. "Bounty ninja. No Sunagakure involvement."
Yōhei approached with Tokugawa—and Taichi immediately spotted the deep gash on Yōhei's right arm.
"You're hurt."
Yōhei glanced down casually. "This? Barely a scratch. If I'd noticed later, it'd have healed itself."
The relaxed joking eased the tension—until Taichi spoke again.
"It's poisoned."
"…What?" Yōhei froze. "I don't feel anything—"
The skin around the wound was already darkening, numbness creeping in.
Tokugawa's tone shifted entirely.
"Is he going to be alright?"
Taichi said nothing. He retrieved the poisoned kunai, sniffed it once, and nodded.
Then came the bottles.
Many bottles.
Tokugawa stared in confusion.
Yōhei's smile twitched.
Saori and Captain Yamaguchi quietly turned away, shoulders shaking with laughter.
They knew Taichi's medicine.
Effective.
Absolutely.
But the taste… unforgivable.
"Can't I just take a standard antidote?" Yōhei asked weakly.
Taichi didn't even look up.
"I don't mind. Unless you're worried about long-term complications."
Five minutes later, a freshly made pill was pressed into Yōhei's hand.
"Emergency batch," Taichi said. "Flavor might be… intense."
Yōhei closed his eyes and swallowed it whole.
The pill stuck.
He choked.
Eyes rolled back as he gulped water desperately.
Finally swallowing, he stuck out his tongue, gasping as if exhaling bitterness itself.
Tokugawa stared, reevaluating the brave youth.
Captain Yamaguchi patted his shoulder solemnly.
"One day," he said, "you'll understand that expression."
The camp was secured. Watches were set.
The clouds drifted away.
Moonlight returned, bathing the forest in pale silver once more.
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