Chapter 98

"This time, the mission is a B-rank escort mission."

Kakashi's team stood at the entrance of Konoha Village. The team leader, a jōnin, said to the three team members with a serious expression.

"A B-rank escort mission? That's quite rare."

One of the chūnin, upon hearing the team leader's words, showed a look of surprise.

The other chūnin in the team also nodded in agreement.

Usually, escort missions are mostly C-rank, and B-rank missions already involve battles between ninja.

"Then, who is the target of the escort?"

Kakashi, indifferent to the mission rank, wanted to understand the mission details as soon as possible to complete it quickly.

After Kakashi spoke, the two chūnin in the team looked at him and took a step back, clearly not wanting to stay with Kakashi.

Seeing this, the team leader sighed inwardly.

He knew it would be like this.

Putting Kakashi in his team was a reluctant move. On one hand, it was the Hokage's instruction, and on the other, his team's combat strength was indeed a bit lacking.

Adding Kakashi to the team could make up for the lack of combat strength.

Unfortunately, Kakashi's problem wasn't a lack of strength. It was truly astonishing for someone to become a chūnin at such a young age.

This also indirectly proved that Kakashi was quite capable; otherwise, he wouldn't have passed the extremely difficult chūnin exam.

"The merchant convoy from the Land of Demons."

The team leader said.

"The Land of Demons? That's quite far, isn't it?"

Not just Kakashi, but the other two chūnin also frowned.

The Land of Demons is a rare neutral country in the ninja world, bordering the Land of Snow and the Land of Earth to the north, and the Land of Silence and the Land of Bears to the south. To the west, it faces the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning across the sea.

Although it borders many countries, it does not share a border with the Land of Fire.

The Land of Demons is separated from the Land of Fire by several countries, requiring a long journey to reach there.

"Don't worry. This mission doesn't require us to go to the Land of Demons. In fact, we only need to wait for the convoy in the Land of Rain."

Seeing the confusion on the faces of the three team members, the team leader explained, "Since the Land of Fire and the Land of Demons are far apart, the journey from the Land of Demons to the Land of Rain has already been entrusted to Iwagakure ninja. As for the second half of the journey, it will be handled by us, Konoha ninja. This has been secretly discussed by the Hokage and the Tsuchikage, so there won't be any diplomatic issues."

After hearing the team leader's explanation, the three of them finally understood.

Indeed, during the early stages of the last great ninja war, Iwagakure was also a participant and fought several battles with Konoha in the Land of Rain. However, Iwagakure's main force was focused on fighting against the Hidden Rain Village's leader, Hanzō, and the friction with Konoha wasn't deep.

However, Konoha and Iwagakure are not allies, and their relationship has always been lukewarm.

Such a special mission requiring ninja from two villages to hand over the escort indeed requires prior consultation between the leaders of both villages to avoid any diplomatic disputes.

"If there are no problems, let's set off now."

◎

In the Great Forest of the Land of Fire, the four-member Konoha team was running quickly.

"By the way, Captain, why is the merchant convoy from the Land of Demons coming to the Land of Fire?"

One of the chūnin team members caught up with the team leader and couldn't help but ask.

The journey was very boring, so they could only find some topics to talk about.

The team leader replied, "Not entirely correct. This time, the convoy we are escorting is coming to our Konoha Village."

Kakashi and the other two were surprised.

"Violet Flower Pharmaceutical Technology Company, have you heard of it?"

"Yeah, I've heard of it. Although it was recently established, the drugs it develops are much better than those on the market and are selling well in several neighboring countries, making a lot of money."

"Exactly. This time, the convoy we are escorting is a delegation from Violet Flower Company. They plan to open a branch pharmacy in our Konoha, and this has been approved by the Daimyō and the Hokage."

"Really impressive. I think the company was founded less than half a year ago, right?"

The chūnin sighed.

"That's their ability. If the drugs they developed were ordinary, they wouldn't have received the approval of the Daimyō and the Hokage."

Of course, the neutral status of the Land of Demons also provided a lot of convenience.

If the backer of Violet Flower Company was a major country like the Land of Earth or the Land of Wind, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire and the Hokage would never agree, no matter what.

This is similar to how the Land of Iron can open a ninja tool shop in Konoha. As a neutral country, the Land of Iron does not participate in the great ninja wars, and its reputation is recognized by all countries, so Konoha opens the door for it.

Not only that, many ninja villages have weapon merchants from the Land of Iron setting up branches, providing high-quality weapons.

Violet Flower Company's current business model is no different from that of the Land of Iron.

Good reputation, neutral status, and strong drug development capabilities are the key reasons for obtaining permission to set up a branch.

"I've heard that the company's monthly revenue is terrifying, a number that ordinary ninja like us can't even imagine."

"Then let's work hard to complete the mission."

The team leader encouraged.

"Captain, how much do we get for this mission?"

The chūnin complained.

Not to mention D-rank and C-rank missions, the rewards of several thousand or tens of thousands of ryō, after accumulating and replenishing ninja tools, there isn't much left.

"Well, I can't do anything about that. Maybe you can find a part-time job during your free time."

"It's impossible. We still need to train, after all, ninja need to improve their strength to take on higher-level missions, and the rewards will be higher then."

Kakashi said at this moment.

"You're right."

The team leader nodded.

Conversely, the lower a ninja's strength, the lower the mission rank they can take, and the rewards are barely enough to support themselves.

Thinking about it, being a ninja is not a very lucrative profession.

Only when one becomes a jōnin does the situation improve a bit.

A single A-rank mission can earn at least several hundred thousand ryō.

And an S-rank mission, completing one can earn at least several million ryō.

"Alright, let's speed up. We need to reach the rendezvous point in the Land of Rain as soon as possible. Be careful in the Land of Rain; the environment there is chaotic."

"Yes."

After the team leader spoke, Kakashi and the other three were alert.

Although they had not been deep into the Land of Rain, they knew that the country was currently in turmoil, with bandits rampant and even rogue ninja and wandering ninja mixed in, representing all kinds of people.

◎

In the northern border of the Land of Rain.

When the Konoha ninja team arrived here, it was around three o'clock in the afternoon of the second day.

At the entrance of a small town in the rain, they saw the delegation of the Violet Flower Company from the Land of Demons.

There were twelve carriages used to transport the drugs, each filled with precious medicines.

After handing over the mission to the four-member Iwagakure team, the Konoha team leader signed the documents, and the Iwagakure jōnin left with his three teammates.

Then, the team leader looked at the representative of the Violet Flower Company's convoy.

It was a short young man, about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, wearing round-framed black sunglasses, a spotless black suit, and holding an umbrella.

His name was Kado.

The president of Violet Flower Pharmaceutical Technology Company, a very capable businessman.

In less than half a year, he transformed from an unknown person into a highly sought-after businessman internationally. The four Konoha members did not dare to underestimate this non-ninja civilian.

As a representative of the new generation of businessmen, his head had a bounty of five million ryō in the underground black market.

This was already a very high bounty for a civilian.

It was expected that as the company's capital grew, his bounty would rise to tens of millions of ryō or more.

Because of the sudden entry of Violet Flower Company, many small pharmaceutical companies were on the brink of bankruptcy, and his head was put up for a bounty in the black market, which was understandable.

"Konoha members, let's rest in this small town tonight. I've already booked a hotel. How about we set off early tomorrow morning?"

After shaking hands with the team leader, Kado pushed up his black sunglasses and smiled calmly.

"That sounds good. It's not suitable to travel at night at this time."

Moreover, the carriages were filled with precious drugs, and any accidents would be bad.

Looking at the two guards beside Kado, wearing black trench coats with the Violet Flower logo on the back, it was clear that they were not ordinary guards.

Not only that, but there were nearly twenty more guards around the twelve carriages, all wearing the same black trench coats with the Violet Flower logo on the back.

This meant they were from the same organization.

After some thought, the team leader was relieved.

Although Violet Flower Company had been established in the Land of Demons for a short time, becoming a giant in the pharmaceutical industry was only a matter of time.

There must be a special department for training armed personnel to protect their products.

However, the total value of this batch of drugs must be so high that it required such a large number of guards to protect it, which was unimaginable for an ordinary person.

In any case, this was not his concern.

His team's mission was to safely escort the Violet Flower Company's delegation to Konoha.

The rest of the business cooperation was the Hokage's job.

◎

The next morning, the four-member Konoha ninja team set off with the guards of the Violet Flower Company, escorting the twelve carriages loaded with drugs toward Konoha in the Land of Fire.

Because they had to escort these valuable drugs, the convoy moved very slowly.

It was not until two o'clock in the afternoon that they slowly reached the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire.

"Mr. Kado, after passing through the canyon ahead, it's just a short distance to the Land of Fire."

The team leader pointed to the huge canyon shrouded in rain, indicating the direction to Kado.

"Make the people at the back move faster."

Kado nodded and said to the guard beside him.

The guard then went to convey Kado's order.

"Once we reach the Land of Fire, we won't have to worry about bandits on the road. We have border defense forces at the border."

The team leader smiled.

"Konoha ninja are always the best in the ninja world, and our company trusts this. In fact, we are here with the attitude of cooperation and mutual benefit."

Kado also smiled in response.

As the convoy slowly entered the canyon, the rainfall began to decrease, but the road was still muddy, making it difficult to walk and slowing down the convoy to ensure the safety of the drugs in the carriages.

Neither the team leader nor Kado said anything about it. In a country like the Land of Rain, which has been in chaos for years, it couldn't even ensure the safety and well-being of its own citizens, let alone invest extra funds in road construction.

"Captain..."

Kakashi and the other two chūnin approached the team leader and whispered.

"Ah, I know."

Since entering the canyon, the team leader had sensed that the atmosphere was not right, with a cold feeling mixed in the rain.

Boom!

The explosion came suddenly, but the guards escorting the convoy and the Konoha ninja were not too frightened.

As the fire exploded on the rock wall, huge rocks fell from above.

Kakashi, leading the charge, drew his White Fang short sword and swung it at the falling rocks.

The rock split in half, and he used the still-falling rock as a stepping stone to attack the top of the rock wall.

Behind him, the jōnin team leader and the two chūnin teammates also rushed up.

They were met with a large number of shurikens and kunai thrown from the sky.

Kado stood calmly in the convoy, with the two black trench coat guards beside him standing like stone pillars in the rain, their faces unchanged.

The surrounding guards in black trench coats, half of them stayed to protect the vehicles, while the other half fought alongside the four Konoha ninja to eliminate the attackers.

"Really, they couldn't resist the urge to attack here. It seems we overestimated them."

Kado sat on the step of a carriage, completely unaffected by the sounds of battle around him.

Since he took over the company, he has faced several assassination attempts each month, but he is still alive, which is a testament to the strength of Violet Flower Company.

"It can't be helped. After all, the value of this batch of drugs is too tempting."

"Consider it as an intermission. Let's finish it quickly."

"Yes."

Developing the company and making it profitable was Kado's task.

Eliminating the enemies was their job.

Kakashi, in the midst of the battle, immediately understood the identities of the attackers through their combat. They were samurai, with some knowledge of chakra, and some were wandering ninja, skilled in basic but practical low-level jutsu.

For someone who had learned the White Fang sword technique, their strength was not enough to pose a threat.

However, for his two chūnin teammates, it might be a bit troublesome.

Seeing them struggling hard, almost hit by the enemies' attacks several times, Kakashi glanced at them, confirming that the team leader was nearby, and they were not in mortal danger.

So, he ignored their struggles.

Compared to worrying about this, quickly eliminating the enemies and completing the mission was what he needed to do.

As one enemy after another fell, Kakashi, moving through the rain, saw the blood on his White Fang short sword washed away by the rain, turning red and then white, and then red again, repeatedly.

The battle ended after about ten minutes.

At the cost of a few minor injuries, they defeated all the enemies, and some fled, which they did not pursue.

"Mr. Kado, we can continue our journey."

The team leader wiped the blood from his shoulder, the pungent smell of blood diluted by the rain.

Kado pushed up his sunglasses and ordered the convoy to prepare to move on. However, there seemed to be a dispute on Kakashi's side:

"Hey, Kakashi, what's wrong with you? Didn't you see us signaling for support just now?"

After the battle, the two chūnin, who were working with Kakashi for the first time, were very dissatisfied with his cold attitude.

Because they were surrounded by a large number of enemies, they were injured.

"With your two's strength, I think you would be fine even without my help."

Kakashi spoke frankly.

These two had some strength, and in the situation of being surrounded, they were capable of defeating the attackers.

Eliminating as many enemies as possible was the best choice considering the situation.

The faster the enemies were eliminated, the sooner the drugs would be safe.

"What did you say? Say it again if you dare. Aren't we teammates?"

The chūnin grabbed Kakashi's collar.

"I said, I judged that you two were not in mortal danger, and the fastest way to eliminate the enemies was the best choice. The longer it took, the more dangerous it would be for the convoy. The safety of the drugs is more important than you two."

The two chūnin's faces turned pale, looking very upset.

"Alright, you three, don't make a mess on your first mission. I was watching, and I wouldn't let anything happen to you three."

The team leader smiled apologetically to Kado and then walked over to the three, trying to prevent the situation from worsening.

"Damn, I can't get along with someone like this."

The two chūnin finally gave up and started to tend to their wounds.

"I just wanted to minimize the risk of mission failure."

Kakashi turned his head to the