RADG: Chapter 31/32

Chapter 31: Grandpa Hiruzen?

When you step outside, you must carry your identity with you, but sometimes, you have to remind others of it.

Yami had no intention of ending up like Asuma, the oldest second-generation heir in Konoha, who still lived like a failure.

In the corner of the Mission Hall, Yami unfolded a stack of mission request forms and spread them out on the ground.

Then, he called the others over and crouched down.

"Come help me pick. Let's see which mission is best."

Hizashi had a complicated expression.

This was the first time he had ever chosen a mission this way.

It was... a novel experience.

Even though he was a Hyūga, the younger brother of the clan head, a branch family member was still a branch family member. No one had ever tried to curry favor with him.

Besides, when a shinobi was still weak, they weren't exactly in a position to be picky.

Once they became strong enough to be Jōnin, they naturally gained status—by then, they wouldn't even care about these clerks.

But Shimura Yami?

This guy had no restraint whatsoever.

Even the Hokage's son wasn't this arrogant.

Then again…

He was the grandson of Danzō.

It made perfect sense.

Everything seemed natural.

Kurenai and Yugao were at a complete loss for words.

In their previous squads, Jōnin leaders simply assigned missions. They never had a say.

"This one looks interesting."

Yami's eyes lit up as he pointed to a mission.

Hizashi glanced at it and immediately rejected it.

"No. We're not in a situation where we need to send a child to the battlefield."

Konoha had signed a ceasefire with Sunagakure, but not with the other three nations.

The borders were still tense, low-intensity skirmishes and conflicts were common.

Ninjas from both sides would steal missions from each other or intercept supplies.

The mission Yami picked?

An ambush on an Iwa-nin team.

If Hizashi actually took Yami to the front lines, he'd probably be locked up in Root's underground prison before they even got there.

Oddly enough, Yugao's eyes flashed with a trace of hatred when she saw the mission.

"This one," Hizashi said decisively.

The three of them leaned in to check—a B-rank assassination mission.

Apparently, a merchant in the Land of Fire had been smuggling grain to Iwa-nin.

The smuggling itself wasn't the issue.

Dodging taxes?

That was a problem.

The Fire Daimyō himself had issued the request.

Among assassination missions, killing civilians, especially wealthy businessmen was one of the easiest tasks. And there was even extra money involved.

Hizashi wasn't asking for much, just a little extra income for his personal savings.

That way, he wouldn't actually starve Neji in the future.

"Alright, fine," Yami sighed in disappointment.

He had wanted to head to the battlefield, make life-or-death bonds with other shinobi…

But it seemed like that would have to wait.

Kurenai and Yugao had no objections.

Just as they were about to return the mission scroll, an Anbu shinobi suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Hyūga Hizashi, the Hokage requests your presence. Please bring your team to his office immediately."

Hizashi was momentarily stunned, but quickly composed himself.

"Understood. We'll go now."

Yami was curious.

What did Sarutobi Hiruzen want?

Handing the mission scroll to the Anbu, he led the way upstairs.

—

At the Hokage's office, Hizashi knocked lightly.

After receiving permission, he pushed open the door and led his team inside.

The room was filled with smoke.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, puffing on his pipe.

On either side of him sat Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, the village's elder advisors.

"Hokage-sama. Elders."

Hizashi greeted them respectfully.

Kurenai and Yugao also bowed their heads slightly.

After ruling Konoha for over thirty years, these old men and women still commanded significant authority.

Only Yami frowned.

Damn it.

The room is completely sealed, and they're smoking in here?

Aren't they afraid of dying from secondhand smoke?!

"Hizashi, you're here."

Hiruzen nodded with a smile.

Noticing Yami's frown and how he was fanning the air in front of his nose, he immediately understood the problem.

He stood up and pushed open the window behind him.

A cool breeze rushed in, clearing the smoke and improving visibility.

"We old folks are used to the smell of smoke. We forgot you were here."

[Ding!]

[Host has established a Bond with Utatane Koharu. Reward: 0.5 standard Jōnin chakra.]

[Host has established a Bond with Mitokado Homura. Reward: Fire Release - Proficiency.]

Yami wasn't surprised.

Danzō and the Elder Council were so close that they might as well share a single pair of pants.

Of course, they would have some level of goodwill toward him.

After greeting the two elders, Yami turned to Hiruzen.

"So, old man, what do you want?"

Technically, Hizashi was the team leader.

But this was the perfect moment for him to speak.

Hiruzen simply filtered out the way Yami addressed him.

He immediately blamed Danzō for it but kept the smile on his face.

"It took a while to successfully put your team together. Am I not allowed to check in on you?"

"Given my relationship with your grandfather, you could even call me Grandpa Hiruzen."

"What's wrong with me caring for the younger generation?"

Yami shook his head furiously.

"My old man said you're a cunning old fox."

"The more you want to screw someone over, the bigger your smile gets, just like right now."

"Who knows if you're just using me to go after my old man?"

Silence.

Hiruzen's smile froze.

Hizashi and the others were completely stunned.

In all their years, they had never seen anyone talk to the Hokage like this.

Konoha simply did not allow such people to exist.

"Pfft!"

Koharu burst out laughing.

She quickly covered her mouth when Hiruzen shot her a death glare.

"Danzō really taught you everything, huh?" Koharu smirked.

"Aren't you afraid of corrupting the kid?"

Damn you.

At this moment, Hiruzen really wanted to throw Koharu out the window.

What do you mean, 'corrupting the kid'?

My friendly smile is fine, damn it!

Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen decided not to engage with Yami's nonsense.

Instead, his expression turned serious.

"Hizashi, I called you here because I have a mission for you."

"This mission is very important. Most of the Jōnin are out of the village."

"Right now, you're the most suitable candidates."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 32: Kirigakure’s Spy Arrives

Hiruzen began explaining the mission details.

This was classified as a tentative B-rank intelligence mission, but it had the potential to escalate to A-rank.

Konoha had received intelligence that Kirigakure had sent spies to a Town, located at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers.

Their objectives remained unknown.

The mission directive was to capture the target alive and return them to Konoha for interrogation by the village's intelligence unit.

The reason this mission was initially classified as B-rank was that intelligence operatives typically lacked combat prowess, some weren't even shinobi, just trained civilians.

With one Jōnin and three Chūnin, this team was deemed more than capable of handling the mission, even allowing room for unexpected complications.

After listening to the details, Hizashi agreed without hesitation.

A satisfied smile returned to Hiruzen's face.

The main reason he had specifically chosen Hizashi's team for this mission was because of Yami.

He wanted to observe Yami's capabilities and potential during an actual mission.

If Yami's performance met his expectations, Hiruzen might intensify his efforts to lure him away from Danzō.

While the Uchiha clan's geniuses were valuable assets to the village, their unique status required careful control.

Even though Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi had emerged as rising stars, no other clans in Konoha could currently match them.

The only hope for balance was Yami.

However, his background was complicated and Danzō was an even greater obstacle than the Uchiha clan.

—

"Old man."

Yami frowned.

"We already accepted another mission. Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

"That mission isn't important."

Hizashi quickly interjected on behalf of the Hokage.

"It's just assassinating a merchant. There are plenty of teams in Konoha who can handle it."

"Capturing Kirigakure's spy is the priority."

"Then what about my extra money?"

Yami sighed.

"Ever since I became a ninja, my old man doesn't even give me pocket money anymore."

"Meanwhile, I'm carrying thousands of explosive tags on me."

"I don't feel safe at all…"

"…"

Hiruzen lifted his pipe to his lips but paused.

For a long moment, his eyes were filled with confusion.

Thousands of explosive tags…?

What are you trying to do? Start a small war?

—

"Can we take two missions at the same time?"

Yami asked, "The mission we accepted is in Tanshō Street, which happens to be on the way."

"What mission did you take?"

Hiruzen asked.

Hizashi quickly explained the details.

The Hokage hesitated.

"There's no precedent for carrying out two missions at once…"

"It's just a matter of approval," Yami said dismissively.

"Sensei writes the mission report, you sign off on it, and that's it."

"Hiruzen," Utatane Koharu added, "It's a matter of convenience. It won't take much extra time, and it also saves manpower. I think it's a good idea."

"You should have more confidence in Hizashi.

"Even though he's from the branch family, his strength is undeniable."

"I agree."

Mitokado Homura nodded seriously.

"Their team composition is exceptionally strong. It would be wasteful to limit them, especially when the village is short on manpower."

"…Fine."

Under the persuasion of his advisors, Hiruzen had no choice but to approve it.

However, he still gave one warning:

"If you fail the mission…"

"I'll have Danzō spank you when you return."

Hizashi's mouth twitched.

If you fail a mission, all you get is a spanking…?

As expected, connections rule everything.

—

With two authorization letters in hand, Hizashi's team left the Hokage Building and headed straight for Konoha's gates.

Since they had already packed their gear, they wasted no time and prepared to leave the village.

At the gates, the two gatekeepers—Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu—stood guard.

Technically speaking, these two were Yami's classmates, having graduated just a few months ago.

Normally, Genin weren't qualified to be gate guards, but today, they were on duty as part of their assigned missions.

After completing the departure registration, Hizashi turned to the others.

"Fujimoto Keisuke, the smuggler, is currently residing in Tanshō Street.

"It's not far from Konoha. If we move at full speed, we should arrive by afternoon."

The group nodded without objection.

They disappeared into the forest, swiftly leaping through the treetops.

When Hizashi said "full speed," he didn't mean burning out their stamina.

Instead, he meant maintaining a balance between speed and endurance, ensuring their condition remained above 80% in case of emergencies.

Thus, their travel pace was dictated by the slowest team member.

That person was Kurenai.

She had the weakest endurance in the squad.

Realizing this, Kurenai remained silent throughout the journey, carefully managing her stamina.

She secretly resolved to train her taijutsu and endurance when she returned, at the very least, she needed to improve her travel speed.

Meanwhile, Yami and Yugao seemed completely unaffected.

In fact, Yugao even took the opportunity to ask Yami about kenjutsu techniques along the way.

By the time they arrived at Tanshō Street, Yugao still seemed unsatisfied.

Danzō had provided Yami with numerous swordsmanship instructors and swordsmanship scrolls, so his theoretical foundation far exceeded Yugao's.

Their conversation had been highly beneficial for her, helping her recognize many weaknesses in her technique.

If it were up to her, she would have found a secluded area to train with Yami immediately.

But this was a mission.

Now that they had arrived, their priority was the task at hand.

—

The team booked a hotel, checked in, and gathered in Hizashi's room for a final briefing.

"Fujimoto Keisuke lives in the luxury district of Tanshō Street," Hizashi explained.

"Many wealthy merchants and nobles reside there.

"Our mission must be conducted discreetly, causing a scene would damage Konoha's reputation."

Though Tanshō Street was called a 'street,' it was actually a bustling commercial town.

Casinos, pleasure houses, and taverns lined the streets.

At night, the town was alive with activity, making stealth operations more difficult.

"We'll rest for now," Hizashi concluded.

"We move after midnight."

—

After leaving Hizashi's room, Yami suddenly called out to Yugao.

"Yugao."

She turned to him, curious.

"What is it?"

"Do you know someone named Uzuki Shinji?"

Yugao's expression immediately darkened.

(To be continued.)