"Get out!?"
With that booming farewell from Hokage ringing in his ears, Takeshi departed Konohagakure alongside the Caravan.
After the black cat growing significantly larger, his sheer power surged. No one questioned his supposed "Jonin" rank anymore, a single glance at his imposing form told you he was formidable.
Once clear of Konoha, Takeshi chatted with the others and learned that the Caravan leader this time was Sora Uehara, nephew of the previous leader, Kazuhiko Uehara.
This was Sora's first time leading a caravan solo.
"How are things in the North, meow~?" Takeshi asked casually.
"With Orochimaru-sama and Jiraiya-sama stationed there, there haven't been any major conflicts recently," Sora Uehara replied, sighing softly. "But we've seen a surge in refugees flowing in from that area, so things have been pretty chaotic lately."
If it hadn't been for the unrest, he wouldn't be spending a small fortune sending an urgent request to Konoha for a Jonin squad to escort the Caravan.
Jonin squads didn't come cheap.
This particular Caravan wasn't even focused on weapons sales abroad. While the profit was still decent, after paying Takeshi's squad and the other employees their shares upon completion, there wouldn't be much left over for the Uehara family.
'Honestly, the family practically pushed me into this,' Sora grumbled internally. 'Leading the team alone right now is asking for trouble. Wouldn't it be nicer to just coast along under my uncle's wing?'
He stewed in his complaints for a moment before sighing aloud, "I just want to coast through life. Why does it have to be so difficult?"
"Yeah, I just wanted to be a ninja cat who coasts through life, but now I'm stuck being a Jonin, meow!" Takeshi added with genuine feeling.
Genma, standing nearby, opened his mouth to retort, senbon needle twitching between his lips. But Ebisu instantly clamped a hand over his mouth accidently pricking his finger, shaking his head frantically.
Genma held up a finger, signaling he understood. Only then did Ebisu release him, pushing his glasses up his nose.
'That was close!' Genma thought, a bead of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He'd had a habit of nitpicking since childhood and sometimes couldn't resist the urge. If he'd voiced his thoughts just now, this relatively peaceful journey might have gone sideways fast. Thankfully, Ebisu had stopped him.
Genma let out a silent breath of relief, though his critical side still felt restless.
"Ah, it seems we see eye-to-eye on some things, Jonin Takeshi," Sora said, trying to find common ground. "Speaking of which, the last time we worked together, you were on a mission with Minato-sama, and now you're already leading your own team! That's really amazing!"
"Actually, I didn't want to. It's too tiring leading these guys, meow!" Takeshi complained.
'So annoying,' Genma grumbled inwardly. 'One's born with a silver spoon, the other's some cat prodigy, and here they are, bragging to each other!' Holding back his comments was proving difficult.
The area immediately surrounding Konoha was secure, making ambushes unlikely. The black cat and Sora Uehara hit it off, chatting away happily. Guy, Genma, and Ebisu, however, were having a rough time listening to the exchange.
As for the other Caravan members... they were used to Sora's personality. Their main concern was the black cat. 'Is he really reliable?' they wondered nervously.
Once they left the immediate vicinity of Konoha, the road deteriorated, and everyone grew more vigilant. Even Sora stopped chatting, his expression turning focused. "Sir," he said cautiously, "we often encounter Missing-nin and refugees spilling over from the Land of Rivers in this area. We need to be careful."
"Got it, meow!" Takeshi replied. He was being paid to handle trouble, and since he had nothing better to do, he might as well earn his keep.
Takeshi leaped down from the carriage. As his paws touched the earth, natural energy began to flow into his body. In the next instant, Sage Mode activated. His perception sharpened dramatically, the aura of the surrounding area becoming crystal clear. He activated Sage Mode partly to locate potential threats and partly to enhance his physical prowess with Senjutsu.
"Hey, it's the Uehara family's Caravan! They only hired three kids and a cat. Leave the money or die!" the leader, a wandering ninja, shouted. Half his crew were wandering samurai.
Before he could actively search, however, the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder.
*Thump-thump-thump!*
Around twenty figures burst from the trees, each brandishing a weapon, their faces contorted with aggression.
"Heh, lookie here! The Uehara Caravan hired three brats and a cat?" sneered the leader, a rough-looking wandering ninja. Half his subordinates appeared to be wandering samurai. "Leave the money, or you all die!"
According to Takeshi's enhanced senses, the strongest among them was barely Genin level. 'They're probably no match for Guy,' Takeshi mused. 'Don't let Guy's personality fool you, his strength is top-tier among Genin. Asuma definitely couldn't keep up with him.'
"Alright team," Takeshi instructed, waving a paw. "Guy, you take their leader. Ebisu, Genma, you each handle one flank. I'll assist whoever struggles the most, but... whoever needs help will have to move the client's cargo afterward."
"Yes!" Guy responded without hesitation, launching himself straight at the enemy leader.
Genma followed, senbon held ready in his mouth. The most pressure would likely fall on Ebisu.
Takeshi's condition, handle your side or haul cargo, was a powerful motivator. Sora didn't quite understand why they needed manual labor when they had carts, but he kept quiet.
The threat of extra work spurred them on.
Guy was the fastest, charging forward with a loud yell, "Ahh! watch my-"
"Is this guy an idiot?" one of the bandits muttered.
The missing-nin and his men exchanged glances, stifling laughter. Whether it was Guy, Genma, or Ebisu, they were all just kids. And their squad leader was a cat. Could there be a more ridiculous team? They barely had time to register the thought before-
*Whoosh!*
'Where had the kid running at the front gone?'
In the next second- "Leaf Hurricane!"
With a blindingly fast kick targeting the missing-nin's side, Guy sent the leader staggering. Before the man could even hit the ground, Guy was beneath him, launching another powerful kick that sent him flying skyward. Guy had already activated the Gate of Opening.
Seeing this, Genma didn't spare a thought for Ebisu. He dashed towards his designated flank and spat out the senbon from his mouth.
"Ninja Art: Senbon Shower!"
While Genma wasn't overwhelmingly powerful yet, this technique was devastating against opponents weaker than himself, like the bandits before him. In moments, his targets collapsed.
"Meow~ Looks like you need some help over there, Ebisu," Takeshi called out.
"No, I don't! Please don't interfere, I-" Ebisu protested desperately.
His strength might have been lacking compared to his teammates, but dealing with these wandering bandits wasn't impossible. He just needed a little time... but time was exactly what he didn't have.
Across the clearing, Guy landed after delivering a final, decisive blow from above, finishing off the wandering ninja leader. Poor Ebisu hadn't even reached the enemy line before his two teammates had already mopped up their sections.
He froze, dumbfounded.
As he stood there, a massive black shadow flashed before his eyes. He looked up just in time to see Takeshi's giant form descending.
*BOOM!*
With a deafening crash, the ground buckled under the impact. The forest trembled as cracked earth erupted, burying the remaining bandits who had rushed over from the Land of Rivers. If Guy and Genma hadn't retreated quickly, they might have been caught in the devastation.
The jaws of the Caravan members practically hit the dirt. They'd seen Takeshi enlarge earlier, but witnessing the sheer destructive power of his attack was something else entirely. That single leap was terrifyingly powerful, his previous size and appearance had been utterly misleading!
After landing, Takeshi used a massive paw to casually push the displaced earth back, smoothing the road somewhat.
"We're still on a schedule, meow," he stated calmly. "I'll let you guys fight it out slowly next time, if we get the chance."
The giant black cat then patted Ebisu's head with a paw far too large for the gesture. "Good try, meow~ Go get some training in. One crate of cargo for you."
When you're feeling down, the last thing you want is pity, because the moment someone offers comfort, the tears often start. Takeshi's final sentence, however, wasn't comforting at all, it was sharp, shattering Ebisu's remaining spirit.
Ebisu felt incredibly wronged. So what if he was a little slow? So what if he didn't have any large-scale ninjutsu?
'This is unfair!' he thought bitterly.
But Takeshi was a Jonin. Protesting unfairness was useless. Who told him to be the weakest? Excellent grades at the Academy didn't mean much out here unless he somehow had the clout to transfer directly into teaching right after graduation.
Of course, Konoha's Ninja Academy had no precedent for new graduates becoming instructors. Everyone started from the bottom, even someone of high standing couldn't bypass the process.
So, Ebisu had no choice but to hoist a crate of cargo onto his back.
The Uehara family primarily dealt in ninja tools and iron goods. This crate mostly contained farming tools and similar items, packed densely, making it quite heavy. Forget Ebisu, even Genma might struggle to lift it easily.
Gritting his teeth, Ebisu picked up the crate and struggled to keep pace with the caravan.
Sora Uehara watched, feeling a pang of sympathy. 'The kid's so young,' he thought. 'Isn't this kind of strenuous task a bit much?' However, once the crate was removed from the cart, he noticed the vehicle seemed to move a bit faster. Recognizing the practical benefit, he quickly suppressed his sympathy and remained silent. 'Well,' he reasoned, 'it is the Jonin's order.'
Meanwhile, Takeshi was secretly observing Guy and Genma. A team, partners, should help each other. Ebisu clearly wouldn't be able to carry that crate the whole way on his own. If those two didn't step up... Takeshi's eyes narrowed slightly in amusement. 'Hehehehe.'
Slowly, Ebisu began to fall behind the main group. Hot sweat streamed down his face, but he clamped his jaw shut, refusing to make a sound.
Just then, Guy spoke up. "Takeshi Sensei, Ebisu isn't looking too good. Let me carry it for him."
"Ebisu can hold on a bit longer," Genma interjected quickly, senbon still in his mouth as he subtly blocked Guy's move. "I'll take over later."
Genma hadn't understood Takeshi's motive at first, but after a moment's thought, it clicked. Takeshi wanted Ebisu to acutely feel his own weakness. Carrying the crate wasn't just punishment, it was training, meant to push Ebisu physically.
Of the three genin, Guy was clearly the one who needed extra physical conditioning the least.
'Therefore,' Genma concluded silently, 'I'm second in line to help.'
===============
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