63 Genin (3)

"45 metres, 11 o'clock!" Hinata reported through the eyes of her all-seeing Byakugan.

I nodded in response, "Roger that. Shino, surround the target and drive her towards us."

"Understood." The stoic Aburame replied as he sent wave after wave of kikaichuu in to the surrounding vegetation.

Chakra surged into my body as I activated [Chakra Enhancement]; there was no room for error. I closed my eyes and counted down mentally. It would take roughly ten seconds for Shino's swarm to position themselves, so I had another… five, four, three, two…

I reopened my eyes and dashed forward, activating [Whirlwind Steps] to further boost my already impressive speed. My eyes, even without the Sharingan, instantly took note of all the footholds and branches along my path as I made my way towards the target. Thanks to my relatively high DEX stat which improved my dynamic visual acuity naturally, I had keen eyesight regardless whether or not my doujutsu was activated.

It was a feat in and of itself going as fast as I was while making as little sound as possible. Had I been wearing the Rogue's item set, my footsteps would have been soundless. But I figured it was kind of weird for a genin to possess soundless footsteps even as he walked around normally, so I held off on wearing them unless I was on a mission that required discretion.

It took but a few moments before I reached my target – Tora the cat.

The feline menace had extraordinarily keen senses, even for a cat, and had sensed my presence just before I could snatch up the animal with my outstretched hand despite my stealthy approach. With a snarl, the cat leapt away with the unnatural grace and dexterity afforded to its species only to realize that it's escape path had already been blocked off by swarms of insects.

It's eyes flickered around, trying to find a hole in the web we had spun around it. A gap in the blockade of kikaichuu drew its attention as it immediately dashed through. Of course, that gap was intentionally left open to begin with.

Just as Tora was about to achieve freedom, I reappeared with [Flash Step] right in front of the creature and rope flew out of my hands. Hojojutsu, or Restraining Rope Technique, was a standard skill all shinobi had to learn. In the hands of an expert, however, it could bind the enemy in rope before they even realized what was happening.

In a flash, the cat was now bound in rope even as it was trying its hardest to get out of it with its little body. While cats had an extremely flexible and skinny physique which was disguised by their fluffy coat, a shinobi's Hojojutsu ensured not even a creature such as Tora could escape from its restraints. Target acquired.

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"Team Seven reporting in. Target, dubbed 'Tora the Cat', has been acquired. Mission accomplished." Asuma stiffly announced while the rest of us stood at attention behind him. Under his arm was the creature in question, though it was now free from its restraints.

Asuma had removed the rope before we entered the Hokage's tower, citing that the mission requester would not be happy to see her beloved pet being bound tightly in rope. What he used to pacify the restless creature instead was a focused, directed flare of his chakra that sent every survival instinct in the cat's brains firing on all cylinders.

Tora instinctively realized that the human that was holding her was akin to an apex predator that currently had its claws poised around the cat's neck – one wrong move and the feline's throat would be torn out. Or at least, I assumed that was that the cat was thinking as it immediately shrank into docility upon receiving the targeted chakra spike from Asuma.

Had my Sharingan been activated then, I might have even created a new skill. Something like [Killing Intent] or similar.

The Hokage who was seated in the mission dispatch desk nodded calmly, though he looked slightly stirred. Removing the tobacco pipe from his lips, he spoke to us as he looked directly past Asuma. "Capturing Tora in under an hour is considered by many to be an unofficial trial by fire for freshly minted genin. Very well done, Team Ten."

""Thank you Hokage-sama."" The three of us chorused.

[Quest [Mission(D): Capture] Completed!]

Retrieve Tora the Cat (√)

(Bonus) Complete mission within 3 hours (√)

(Bonus) Complete mission within 1 hour (√)

(Hidden) Persuade Tora to willingly follow you back (X)

[Rewards:]

+500 EXP

(Bonus) +100 EXP

(Bonus) +1 Point

(Hidden) New Title: [Cat Whisperer] (X)

I loved D-ranked missions. Every mission assigned by the Hokage's tower generated a quest and these quests all had their own rewards separate from the actual mission payment we would receive from the village administration. They provided ample EXP for relatively simple tasks that could be completed in a short time. If only my shadow clones could receive these missions themselves, I would be able to accumulate EXP at a ridiculous rate.

However, my request to do so had been rejected by Asuma. The jounin, upon learning that I had picked up the Kage Bunshin from Naruto, was initially concerned that I might misuse the technique and end up harming myself. But ultimately he knew me well enough to know that I wasn't a fool who would recklessly make more clones than I could handle.

Although he trusted that I was competent enough to use the jutsu sparingly, using the clones to complete D-ranked missions was another matter entirely. He explained that the missions were used by the village to instil patriotism and empathy for the village and its people. That was why Konoha spent a large amount annually subsidizing the costs for these missions.

They were not something to be used by shinobi to exploit for profit nor were they intended to be so. These D-ranked missions had to be taken as a team and completed as a team in order to maximize the 'propaganda' effects. Therefore, regrettably, I was not able to use shadow clones to take on D-ranked missions to farm EXP. Other system generated quests were perfectly fine though, if they weren't assigned by the village that is.

At that moment, the door to the side opened up and in walked a corpulent woman dressed in what had to be the finest and most luxurious garment money could buy. Her rotund cheeks was heavily caked in ghastly makeup while the woman was also adorned with various forms of jewellery and ornaments made of gold and precious gems.

Right behind her was a stoic looking man dressed in an ornate yukata, though less extravagant than the woman's. He had the distinctive aura of a sheathed blade and his eyes flickered about seemingly looking for hidden threats. For a moment, his pupils locked towards the corner of the room, as though he was staring at someone who no one else could see, before relaxing his vigilance and following the woman into the room.

"Hiruzen, I heard that my Tora-chan has been- Tora-chan! You're back!" The woman started before yelling in joy and running over to Asuma and snatching the cat from his arms and into hers.

"Oh my poor little Tora-chan! Mommy was so worried about her naughty little fuzzykins, yes she was!" The lady exclaimed as she clutched the cat in what I had to assume to be a bone crushing hug even for the flexible cat.

Tora shrieked in displeasure while struggling to get out of the grasp of the lady, though with little success.

I cocked an eyebrow in curiosity, thinking about the audacity of the woman who had dared address the Sandaime Hokage so casually and with so little regard to his authority before I remembered who the owner of Tora the Cat belonged to – the Fire Daimyo's wife.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Asuma lean forward, as if he had almost instinctively knelt down in deference – a habit I was sure he picked up during his days at the Capital as one of the twelve guardian shinobi, but he caught himself before he did. Kneeling to someone right in front of your own Hokage was a sign of such disrespect that even Asuma, the Sandaime's own son, was not willing to display.

Instead, the jounin bowed deeply, "Lady Shijimi, it is an honour to meet you once again."

The woman raised her head from cuddling the cat and took a look at the man who had just spoken, "You are… oh, Asuma! Come now, no need for such formality. Raise your head, you are no longer in the service of my husband. How long has it been since you left the Capital? A year?"

Asuma straightened his back and smiled, "Slightly longer than a year, Lady Shijimi. You look as radiant as ever."

"Hohoho, you're as smooth talking as ever too, Asuma. I heard you became a jounin instructor recently, is this your genin team?" Lady Shijimi gestured at the three of us who had been watching the exchange with some astonishment before being startled by the sudden attention.

"Yes, Lady Shijimi." Asuma looked to have been considering something in his head before he continued, "They are a talented bunch who will serve the Land of Fire well in the future. Although truth be told I still deeply yearn for the days spent in service to his lordship Daimyo-sama."

His words were just empty platitudes. That I knew for a fact. Asuma had repeatedly shared with us that there were as many downsides to being one of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi as there were benefits. Though it seemed the Daimyo's wife appreciated the gesture.

She approached us as we bowed deeply, similar to how Asuma had been just bowed before.

"At ease," She motioned for us to rise. Lady Shijimi stared at Hinata for a moment before giving an 'ah ha' look, "Oh, I know you… You're Hiashi's daughter, yes?"

Hinata was unexpectedly not as flustered as I thought she would have been, apparently having been taught by her father on the ways to interact with figures of nobility, "Yes Lady Shijimi." It seemed that she had also been taught to be concise and precise with her words when dealing with such people.

"Ah, I remember your mother. What a shame that was. So young."

The Hyuuga looked to have been caught offguard by the statement. I didn't think she had been aware that the Fire Daimyo's wife was so familiar with her parents.

"I… I thank you for your kind words, Lady Shijimi."

The woman nodded before turning to Shino and me, though seeming to not have received an impression that would have prompted her to converse with us lowly genins.

Without speaking, she turned away from us and approached Asuma once more, who I now realized was speaking to the man who had been following Lady Shijimi.

"It has been awhile, Sarutobi." The man greeted; his aura presence tinged with a sharp edge that was not present before.

"Likewise, Sakamoto." Asuma returned the greeting, though his head was tilted in a superior manner. I could only guess at the history behind the two warriors.

Out of curiosity, I casted [Observe] on the mysterious man.

[Sakamoto Takeshi Lv ?]

HP: ?

CP: ?

Sakamoto Takeshi is the bodyguard of Lady Shijimi.

You can't tell what he thinks of you.

Takeshi is stronger than you.

It was not surprising that I could not read the status of the man, which could only mean that he was more than 50 levels higher than me. My jounin instructor had a similar status page when I used [Observe] on the man, albeit with slightly more information than the sparse description of this individual. He and Asuma felt equally dangerous to the side of my mind that had a habit of assessing any potential danger to me.

"Hmph, we still haven't settled our… dispute, before you ran away back to Konoha." Takeshi taunted.

Asuma lifted an eyebrow before smirking, "Hah, if by dispute you mean you challenging me to a fight and then losing before swearing you will win the next time, then sure… I 'ran away'."

The bodyguard narrowed his eyes and was about to retort before Lady Shijimi interrupted their exchange of verbal barbs, "Let's go Takeshi. Hiruzen, double the payment for Asuma's team. They have done well."

"Yes mistress." Takeshi acknowledged, not before sending a parting glare at Asuma.

"Of course, Lady Shijimi." The Hokage responded, "Please, allow me to escort you." Hiruzen stood up and accompanied the Fire Daimyo's wife and her bodyguard out of the room while signalling to us that we were dismissed.

The three genins including me exchanged looks and simultaneously breathed out a sigh of relief. Even Shino, the ever stolid Aburame, could not remain unaffected in the presence of one of the most powerful person in terms of authority in the Land of Fire.

Asuma continued staring at the door where his father and the wife of his previous employer had just left through. Feelings of nostalgia and longing seemed to have burgeoned out of the jounin's heart where it had been previously buried deep.

"Asuma-sensei," I started, pulling the man out his thoughts, "I don't understand… why does the Daimyo's wife even need genins to retrieve her cat for her? I am sure she has her own entourage who are more than capable of doing so. And I hear that she is in Konoha often and loses her cat just as often. The whole thing just seems strange to me."

"Yes, I too am curious. That man looked to be an accomplished warrior. Surely he would have the ability to retrieve a mere cat." Shino added.

Hinata looked to still have been affected by Lady Shijimi's parting words, so she remained silent and out of the conversation.

Asuma brushed his beard, "That's… complicated. Hmm… Shino, Hinata, the two of you will become the heads of your respective clans in the future, so perhaps it would be good for you to hear this. And I think the three of you are mature enough not to go around spreading rumors or leaking what I am about to say."

He motioned for us to come closer as he whispered.

"The situation in the Capital is… turbulent. The Daimyo has one official wife, and that is Lady Shijimi. But, he also has quite a few concubines, among whom three of them have sired children for him. And it is these three who often compete, rather viciously too, for the Daimyo's time and affections."

"As the Daimyo's legal wife, Lady Shijimi has little reason to bother with the infighting amongst the concubines. However, there is no wife in the world who can stand to see her husband making googly eyes at other women. Furthermore, because of the favour the Daimyo has bestowed to the three concubines, they are allowed more leeway in their machinations, which at times would involve Lady Shijimi."

"My theory is that such an environment can be too toxic for Lady Shijimi, who can't stand the Daimyo's behaviour. Not that I would blame her… not only is her husband spending every night with young women, but he also turns a blind eye to their schemes. So she often makes trips to Konoha, giving excuses like maintaining the relationship between our village and the Daimyo's court, in order for her to spend less time in the Capital city and avoid being part of the infighting between the Daimyo's women."

"Tora often 'escapes' for her to have a reason to remain in Konoha even longer than she needs to. Sending a bodyguard to retrieve the cat would be too quick for her purposes, while allowing genin to do so would not only stretch out the time she gets to spend in Konoha, but she can also further justify it by claiming to be participating in the village's system of D-ranked missions inculcating loyalty."

"Not to mention she also gets to avoid the messed up conflict between the Daimyo's children… ahem but that's a story for another time, and a much too sensitive topic to be discussed so openly." Asuma finished elaborating.

I titled my head in interest. I never knew that behind the scenes of Lady Shijimi's visits to Konoha lay such a tumultuous backstory. Neither did I know that the Daimyo had concubines or even multiple children to boot. Asuma mentioned some kind of conflict between them as well, perhaps a fight for the throne? Fascinating.

"Alright, story time's over. The three of you have the rest of the day off, you can leave now. The old man wants to talk after this, so I will stay."

""Hai, Asuma-sensei.""