"This is some basic information about the client. Take it back, read through it, and then destroy it," Fugaku said, handing Saitama a stack of paper.
"The mission only requires you to ensure the client's safe arrival at the Capital City. As for everything else, handle it as you see fit."
So his sole responsibility was ensuring the client's protection!
"Understood!" Standing straight, Saitama accepted the documents and nodded.
"Pop!"
After closing the door, Saitama left Fugaku's office. Right now, he still needed to report to the Hokage.
...
Wearing a black turtleneck jacket with a sword hanging at his waist, Saitama directly entered the Hokage administrative building.
"Thud! Thud!" Guided by several silent ninja wearing animal masks, Saitama didn't get lost and successfully knocked on the Third's office door.
"Come in!" A somewhat weary voice came from inside, and Saitama pushed the door open and entered.
"Hokage-sama!" Walking up to the desk, Saitama bowed his head.
The Third was still reading a document and didn't immediately respond. Instead, he pointed his finger toward the couch beside him, signaling Saitama to sit there first.
Nearly ten minutes later, the Third exhaled deeply and picked up his pipe resting on the right side of the table, putting it into his mouth.
"Saitama Uchiha?" The Third blew out a puff of white smoke as he addressed him.
Saitama stood up neatly and responded, "Yes, Third-sama!"
His gaze remained firm and straight ahead. Although his body slightly bent forward, Saitama gave off an overall impression of being upright and dignified.
"He only graduated from the Ninja Academy a year ago, yet has already eliminated several enemy Jonin on the battlefield. His combat capability rivals that of a Jonin."
Holding the pipe between his lips did not hinder the Third from speaking slowly.
Saitama stayed quiet, eyes fixed straight ahead. He knew such information had certainly long appeared on certain people's desks—it wasn't anything unusual at all.
"What a gifted child you are! And also rare in your composure." The Third narrowed his eyes; the smoke blurred his face in a hazy veil, quietly sighing inwardly.
"This mission was personally recommended for you by Fugaku. Do you feel confident about it?" This time the Third didn't rush and started chatting with Saitama casually.
"A ninja risks their life to complete a mission. I won't betray the village's trust!" Saitama's voice remained eerily calm, and he had become the 'Silent' ninja once more.
"The client is nobility from the Capital. You must escort them safely to the Capital. Currently, they're already in Konoha. In a bit, you can take the mission scroll and find them to begin the mission according to their request!" The Third continued leisurely puffing on his pipe.
The reward money for this mission directly belongs to wartime funds—Saitama won't receive even a single coin from it. This was also why some Konoha clans could avoid rushing to the battlefield during war times.
Konoha would assign such missions to certain clans, keeping them away from direct combat and preventing resentment among regular ninja. After all, everyone was contributing to Konoha.
But make no mistake—some of these assignments were every bit as dangerous as frontline combat.
The mission rank is temporarily set at A. Although the client mentioned encountering ninjas on the way, even Jonins, this alone wouldn't justify the village assigning it an S-rank."
Hiruzen continued speaking while watching Saitama carefully for any reaction. However, he was disappointed—Saitama remained as calm and attentive as ever.
"No problem!" Saitama nodded. From what the Hokage explained, the mission sounded completely doable.
"This is a photo of the client. He should be at the izakaya on Market Street—the largest one. You can start your search there." Hiruzen handed over a photograph.
"Understood." Bowing while receiving the photo, Saitama then bowed to the Third before leaving the Hokage Building.
...
"Haha! Let's go! Keep 'em coming!"
"Sir's unstoppable!" "He's a beast!" "He'll drink 'em under the table!" "Hahaha! He went down! Sir takes it!"
"Come on, let's keep going! How'd everyone already pass out?" As soon as he reached near the entrance of the izakaya, Saitama heard those loud cheers and jeers, which made him frown involuntarily.
Stepping inside, Saitama found himself in the middle of quite a chaotic scene. A handful of people still stood scattered around the main hall, while the majority had already collapsed onto the floor or slumped over their seats, the entire place reeking of alcohol. Among them, a tall, drunken man cradled a large barrel of sake, staggering through the hall, clearly close to falling himself.
Finding a relatively clean seat, Saitama decided to sit down for a moment since he quickly realized the drunk man wobbling around and swinging in Drunken Fist style was actually the mission client.
"Hrrrg!" The intoxicated man let out a loud belch right in Saitama's face as he approached the table, his breath thick with liquor.
Saitama remained expressionless, calmly fixing his gaze on the drunk man without flinching.
"Slap!" Saitama tossed the mission scroll onto the table, making sure the drunk man could see it clearly before pressing it down firmly with his hand, preventing several curious individuals from peeking.
"Eh?" The drunk man gave the scroll a brief glance before picking up his barrel and walking away from the table.
"Alright! Tonight's drinking stops here. I need some rest. Let's party again next time!" The man declared loudly as he turned around, his tone still slurred but not completely unconscious.
"Of course! Please have a good rest, sir!"
"See you tomorrow!"
"Let's go! Catch you later!" Several men in neatly pressed dark suits stepped forward, assisting those who could barely walk out of the izakaya. Others carried out those who had completely passed out. Where they were taking them, Saitama didn't care.
"Ninja sir, our master needs some rest now. Would you mind moving to another spot? Here's a little something from him," said a man with a thick mustache who approached Saitama's table, placing a sizable sum of money on the table—enough for an entire afternoon of drinking anywhere in Konoha.
"Steward, no need. This is the ninja who accepted our mission," boomed a thick voice from behind the mustache—it was the drunken giant again.
"Yes, sir!" Bowing respectfully, the steward cast an astonished look toward Saitama, his eyes betraying clear surprise.
"Hello!"
"Saitama still smells like alcohol, but your eyes have cleared up completely," Saitama said, shaking the Drunken Giant's rough, calloused hand.
Everyone in the izakaya seemed unfazed by the Drunken Giant's transformation from drunken brawler to composed professional.
"Let me introduce myself!" Saitama announced as he stood up and pulled out a chair. "I'm Saitama Uchiha!"
"Kaiho Tora! Your employer!" the Drunken Giant declared, locking eyes with Saitama without a trace of condescension despite the young ninja's youthful appearance.
"Just you?" Though Saitama appeared reliable enough, Kaiho couldn't help being cautious when it came to matters of life and death.
"That's right!" Saitama nodded calmly.
"What?!" Before Kaiho could respond, the Man with a Thick Mustache suddenly interjected, stepping forward angrily toward the table. "How can the Hokage be serious about this assignment?"
"Steward!" Kaiho's tone darkened, clearly displeased with the interruption.
"My apologies, Lord Kaiho," the man bowed his head contritely before retreating again, though the anger still simmered visibly beneath his composed exterior.
"You're from Konoha's Uchiha Clan?" Kaiho asked bluntly without pretense or honorifics, which Saitama found oddly refreshing.
"Hmm."
"A jounin at your age? Impressive indeed!"
Kaiho whistled appreciatively. To him, Saitama looked barely fifteen—an age where even becoming a chuunin would be considered extraordinary in any Hidden Village.
"I'm actually just a chunin [equivalent to a mid-level ninja rank]," Saitama clarified calmly. There was no need for deception; trust was essential at the start of any mission.
Kaiho's eyebrows lifted in surprise. He'd been warned that this mission could put him against jonin-ranked opponents.
Has Konoha really fallen this far? A sudden surge of dissatisfaction gripped him at the thought.
The Man with a Thick Mustache flushed again at Saitama's words but remained silent, apparently lost in thought.
"You said your name is Saitama Uchiha?" Suddenly recalling a small piece of intelligence he'd received during a recent exchange with Konoha shinobi, Kaiho added, "The one from the Suna battlefield?"
"Hmm." Saitama simply confirmed, locking eyes with the older nobleman.
"So you really are back from there," Kaiho murmured, connecting the dots. "I heard some... unbelievable rumors about that incident."
Saitama couldn't help but feel a little surprised. Even within his own clan not everyone knew about his exploits on the battlefield, yet here was a nobleman from the Capital City who'd already caught wind of them.
"In that case… I guess I've got no complaints."
"We're in your hands, Ninja-sama!" Kaiho Tora stood up and bowed.
The Man with a Thick Mustache tugged at his beard slightly.
"Wait? We're starting the mission already — just with a Chunin? What's going on with Lord?"
Though puzzled, he didn't voice his doubts. Years of instinctive obedience had made it second nature. All he needed to do was follow their lord's orders.
"Pass the word — we move out this afternoon!" As he spoke to The Man with a Thick Mustache, Kaiho Tora hesitated briefly before glancing back at Saitama.
"I'm good whenever. You handle the details!" Saitama nodded.
"Then get ready — we move soon!" Kaiho Tora waved his hand.
"I'll come by later. You two get set first!" Saitama said as he prepared to leave.
"Alright. That is..."
"You can just call me Saitama," Saitama added, noticing Kaiho Tora's discomfort with using honorifics civilians usually reserved for ninja.
"Then see you later... Saitama?"
"Mm."
Saitama rose and left the izakaya, leaving behind a silhouette.
"Adult!" After Saitama had left, The Man with a Thick Mustache approached Kaiho Tora.
"There's no issue with this ninja's strength. No need to worry." Kaiho Tora understood exactly what was on The Man with a Thick Mustache's mind.
"Don't underestimate a Chunin, especially one from Konoha!" Kaiho Tora continued, then sat down, lost in thought.
The Man with a Thick Mustache looked at Kaiho Tora and chose to trust his adult, then moved off to give instructions to the others.
They needed to tidy up before heading out. They couldn't afford to delay any longer in the Capital City. Though their lord hadn't said it outright, having waited so long in Konoha, he must be feeling anxious too.
...
Though Saitama had told Ka Po-pu he would be taking on a mission outside the village, he hadn't mentioned he'd be leaving today.
Since the client also needed time to prepare, Saitama decided to return and let Ka Po-pu know first.
"Ka Po-pu!"
"Already back, Saitama?"
It was still just past ten in the morning. Ka Po-pu was watching TV from her room. Saitama had bought the TV a few days earlier from Market Street to keep her entertained, and now she lay comfortably in bed enjoying it.
Beside the bed stood a small cabinet displaying some photos. At a glance, they were all group shots of Saitama and Ka Po-pu.
From these photos, one could see how both Saitama and Uchiha Ka had changed; one had grown steadily more mature, while the other had visibly aged.
The largest frame held a photo taken on New Year's Day when Saitama had someone come to their home to capture the moment. In the picture, Saitama smiled gently, standing behind Ka Po-pu with his hands naturally resting on her shoulders. Ka Po-pu wore a warm, motherly smile, clearly treasuring the moment with him.
"Ka Po-pu, I'm heading out on a mission right away. Just wanted to let you know beforehand."
As Saitama spoke, Ka's eyes subtly narrowed, though only for an instant. Still, she replied lightly, "Be careful, Saitama. Don't worry about me — I've still got plenty of life left in me!"
"Well then, please take care of yourself, Lady Ka Po-pu," said Saitama. He stepped quietly over to the bed, adjusted Ka Po-pu's blanket a bit more securely, then got up and left.
Sigh! The moment Saitama shut the door behind him, Ka Uchiha couldn't help but let out a sigh.
Was she the only one who still saw Saitama as just a child under eight? Deep in thought, Ka Uchiha lost all interest in watching TV. Suddenly, the TV before her seemed boring and pointless.
Turning her head slightly, Ka Uchiha looked at those photo frames.
...
Drip!
A drop of water fell onto the floor, breaking the silence.
"The target's departure time from the village has been confirmed. Please give your orders."
"Leave the rest to others. You're dismissed!"
"Yes, sir!"
In the darkness, silence returned once again. It felt as if the place had always been silent, eerily still and deserted.
Thud!
It sounded like someone had struck their cane on the ground. Footsteps echoed through this space filled with pipes, while faint shadows flickered across the area.
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