Chapter 21

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Just from the clothes he was wearing, even without recognizing the Uchiha clan emblem, it was clear that the fabric was of high quality, indicating some level of status. It was obvious that this servant lacked discernment.

In other words, he was used to acting arrogantly.

It's understandable that in a small rural town people might lack perception, but for even a servant to act with such superiority to outsiders, it reflected poorly on the household itself.

"But… the reply from Konoha was that a Jonin team would come to carry out the mission..."

"Do you really think that with the small sum of silver you've offered, you could afford to have a Jonin take on this mission?"

"This..."

A look of embarrassment crossed Tobita Yuichi's face.

Of course, it would be ideal to hire strong ninjas, but he was reluctant to spend the necessary money.

Ironstone Town was impoverished, and Yuichi Tobita had only managed to scrape together a small amount of silver. As a low-level noble without a formal position in Kyoto, he had returned to his fiefdom and was unwilling to part with the little he had.

"But... sending just a teenage boy..."

"You don't need to question my abilities," Haruto interrupted calmly.

"And if you doubt me, you cannot doubt the emblem on my clothes or the power of my eyes."

With that, Haruto opened his eyes, revealing the Sharingan. At times like this, the reputation of the Uchiha clan carried weight.

Sure enough, the moment Tobita Yuichi saw the Sharingan, his expression shifted, and he forced a smile.

Haruto remained silent but noted that Tobita hadn't even noticed the red and white fan emblem of the Uchiha clan on his clothes earlier.

"I see, you're from the Uchiha clan! That sets my mind at ease."

In the Land of Fire, no matter how remote a place might be, one might not know who the Third Hokage is, but it was impossible not to know the Uchiha clan's reputation.

The Uchiha name had been built on centuries of strength and was deeply ingrained in the hearts of the ninja world, especially in the Land of Fire.

Of course, Tobita Yuichi had another thought. The Uchiha clan, with their pride, wouldn't allow a C-rank or D-rank mission to fail. If Haruto couldn't complete it, Tobita could simply publicize the failure. The Uchiha's sense of honor would compel them to solve the problem, even if it meant bending the rules.

This was something Tobita Yuichi had learned from other nobles during his time in Kyoto.

"Rest assured, sir. Besides, I'm not the only one working on this mission. My comrades are currently out gathering intelligence on the bandits. I came here to see if I could obtain any useful information from you."

"Of course, of course! If this ninja master has any questions, I will answer them all. Would you like to join me for a banquet first?" Tobita offered enthusiastically.

"There's no rush, let's focus on the information first."

---

**The Next Day**

Inuzuka Ryo stared dumbfounded at the table full of delicious food, glancing at the girl beside him peeling shrimp, before turning to Haruto.

"I was out at a crowded tavern, enduring the stench of sweaty men while gathering information with my enhanced sense of smell. Nami, meanwhile, was lying outside town, scouting the terrain with her insects... but you spent an entire day here, enjoying this kind of luxury at the Lord's mansion?"

Inuzuka Ryo couldn't find the words to describe the difference in their experiences.

"I actually like the company of bugs," Aburame Nami chimed in unexpectedly, continuing to eat her tempura.

"Do you not enjoy it?" Haruto asked, picking up a crystal shrimp dumpling.

Inuzuka was momentarily stunned, then hurriedly responded, "As ninjas, we need to endure hardships and pressure, but there's no harm in relaxing a bit. It's just... I'm worried about the mission."

"It's fine. We can pack some of the food and bring it back later," Haruto replied nonchalantly.

"Good point," Inuzuka agreed, finally starting to enjoy the meal, but then he stopped mid-bite.

"Ninja master, is the food not to your liking? If you're not satisfied, I can have the kitchen prepare something else. Ironstone Town is small and can't compare to Kyoto or Konoha, but we've prepared the best we can," Tobita Yuichi said, approaching with a glass of wine.

"No, it's not that. I just think we should complete the mission as soon as possible," Inuzuka Ryo responded.

"Don't worry. There are still items left in the Lord's Mansion from when the bandits last attacked. With your abilities, you should be able to use them to track them down," Haruto said as he retrieved a box from under the table and handed it to Inuzuka.

Inuzuka opened it to find a bloodstained cloth.

Seeing this, he was relieved.

If it had been anything else, it might have been difficult, but the bloodstain carried the essence of the person it belonged to. If the bandits had attacked less than a month ago, Inuzuka Ryo was confident he could use the scent to track down their hideout.

---

**The Bandit Hideout**

After following the scent, Inuzuka Ryo suddenly stopped just before reaching the bandits' hideout.

"What's wrong, Ryo?" Haruto asked, turning to look at him, suspecting what might be on his mind.

"Haruto, do you think... we're doing the right thing?"

Inuzuka Ryo raised his head, meeting Haruto's gaze.

"Over the past few days, we've seen how poor Ironstone Town is. People here can barely put together a complete set of clothes, yet at the banquet, Tobita Yuichi served us an extravagant feast…"

"So, what are you trying to say?" Haruto asked.

Inuzuka Ryo sat down, gently stroking his dog, Tetsumaru, before continuing.

"When I was gathering information, I found out that four months ago, when the Sand Ninjas attacked and destroyed the mines, they released the miners who were being forced to work by Tobita to draw attention away from their escape."

"But they failed. Minato Namikaze, the youngest ninja in the village, tracked them down and defeated them. However, after attacking the lord's mansion, the mountain bandits realized Tobita had already fled. So, they stole whatever they could from the mansion and fled into the mountains to become bandits."

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