Konoha's Hextech Ninja

A qualified ninja is never just someone who has enough fighting power.

Of course, if one is strong enough to ignore all traps and ambushes, that's another matter.

But even the Kage of the Five Great Ninja Villages could not achieve this level of skill.

"Then let's discuss the route."

Yoruichi Yagami pulled out a map, unfolded it, and pointed to the mission's target location, saying, "The target is 'Kawama Village,' which is right here. There are three routes to choose from starting from Konoha. Kosuke-senpai, do you have any information about these three routes?"

“I won’t go into the information marked on the map.” Maruhoshi Kosuke glanced at the map, drew a line, and said, “This route will pass through Tanzaku Town, which is a famous commercial town in the Land of Fire and also the territory of a great nobleman.”

“The territory of a great noble family will be very troublesome if something happens.” Yagami Yoruichi abandoned the shortest route without hesitation and pointed to another route, saying, “Let’s take this route.”

"Why choose the longest route? Even if we want to avoid the Tansuke Street route, there's another route that's closer, isn't there?" Maruhoshi Kosuke asked.

It was less of a question and more of a test.

"That road is shorter, but it's close to the border post. It's not safe enough, and we could get caught up in trouble. Our mission is just to suppress bandits, so it's best to avoid any unforeseen complications."

Yagami Yoruichi explained her reasoning and looked at Maruboshi Kosuke.

Kosuke Maruhoshi neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply nodded and said, "You're the captain, so we'll do as you say."

Yagami Yoruichi looked at the four of them and said, "Uncle Kosuke has the most experience, so he'll lead the way. Kakashi and Inahi, you two will be in charge of the flanks, and I'll cover the rear."

All four are 'ninjutsu-type' ninjas, and their greatest skill is ninjutsu.

As a ninja squad, their configuration was actually flawed.

However, while being skilled in ninjutsu, all four are also relatively versatile, with no obvious weaknesses in taijutsu, ninja tools, or other aspects.

Even though Yagami Yoruichi is the least skilled at genjutsu, she is not too weak in resisting genjutsu, and she also has a rudimentary medical ninjutsu skill.

Since they are all very versatile, when assigning formations, only their strength needs to be considered, without having to consider the issue of 'team positioning'.

Kosuke Maruboshi is the strongest and most experienced among the four, and he is also the only ninja among them with sensory abilities, making him the best candidate to scout ahead.

Of the remaining three, Yoruichi Yagami is the strongest and is responsible for holding the back to ensure that she can support the others at any time.

Kakashi Hatake and Inaho Uchiha are roughly equal in strength, so it would be the best arrangement for them to each take charge of one flank.

"Rhombus formation, let's go with this arrangement, is there any problem?" Yagami Yoruichi looked at the three of them.

Maruhoshi Kosuke was determined to just follow instructions and do his job without offering any opinions.

Kakashi Hatake and Inahi Uchiha did not object.

They are geniuses, but like Yagami Yoruichi, they have zero experience in carrying out ninja missions.

Tsunade appointed Yoruichi Yagami as the captain, and Yoruichi's strength earned their respect.

Unless Yoruichi Yagami's arrangement is clearly unreasonable, they will not raise any questions.

“Kakashi, you're skilled with a sword, and your coverage area is larger on the right, so you'll be in charge of the right side. Inahisa, the left side is yours.” Yagami Yoruichi arranged their positions, put away the map, and said, “With our stamina and speed, we need to reach the vicinity of our target location tonight and find a campsite. After a night's rest, we'll carry out the mission tomorrow. Of course, this is based on everything going smoothly; if we encounter any unforeseen circumstances along the way, we'll adapt accordingly.”

After making a series of arrangements, Yagami Yoruichi was about to give the order when she suddenly recalled something from her theory class. Her words immediately changed: "Now, let me report on the ninja tool reserves. I have a standard set of kunai and shuriken, plus five explosive tags and two smoke bombs."

"I brought ten kunai, twenty shuriken, and five explosive tags..."

Uchiha Inahisa and Hatake Kakashi also took out their ninja tool pouches, revealing the ninja tools they had prepared.

Upon seeing this, a hint of admiration flashed in Kosuke Maruhoshi's eyes.

Find out about your companions' equipment; this detail is insignificant.

However, it is an extremely important part of long-distance raiding missions.

A ninja's combat effectiveness is greatly reduced if they run out of ninja tools.

"These are the ninja tools I brought." Maruboshi Kosuke opened his ninja tool bag, showing the three of them the tools inside. He then tapped the large iron pot on his back and said with a smile, "And this pot too. If you get hungry on the road, I can cook you a delicious meal."

Upon hearing what Maruboshi Kosuke said, both Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Inahi couldn't help but twitch at the corners of their mouths.

This behavior is not like that of a qualified ninja!

Yoruichi Yagami, however, did not pay any attention.

Given Maruhoshi Kosuke's abilities, carrying out such a small task is a complete game of cat and mouse, so it's normal for him to be a little casual.

Even ordinary S-rank missions don't put much pressure on Kosuke Maruhoshi.

Unless an opponent appears who is a renowned and powerful figure, such as the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, he cannot get him to take things completely seriously.

"One last check of the equipment," Yagami Yoruichi instructed, watching as the group completed their final checks. Once everything was confirmed to be in order, she commanded, "Move out according to the planned formation!"

Swoosh~ Swoosh~ Swoosh~ Swoosh~!

With a whooshing sound, the four of them instantly turned into afterimages and rushed into the distance, disappearing into the dense forest.

This is not a teleportation technique; it's just an illusion caused by excessive speed.

"As long as this task is completed, there will be tens of thousands of taels of silver in income. Even if it is divided among four people, each person can get more than 10,000 taels, which is enough to alleviate my financial situation a lot."

"Also, I can take this opportunity to confirm the system's reward mechanism. If there are gold coin rewards for killing enemies, then my growth rate can continue to accelerate!"

Yagami Yoruichi stared straight ahead, fully focused and alert, a hint of anticipation in his heart.

Chapter 74 "Cooking Ninja"

In the dense forest, four figures maintained a fixed distance, leaping across the treetops.

To avoid leaving too many traces, ninjas usually try to avoid main roads with dense crowds when traveling, and instead walk in the jungle. Sometimes they even have to deliberately erase their traces.

Yoruichi Yagami also received this knowledge in the theory classes at the Ninja Academy.

During her departure from Konoha, by observing Kosuke Maruhoshi's actions, Yoruichi Yagami quickly integrated theoretical knowledge and transformed it into her body's instincts.

In just one day, Yagami Yoruichi had already learned how to leap rapidly across the treetops while conserving energy and chakra to the maximum extent, without leaving obvious footprints or other traces.

Suddenly, Kosuke Maruhoshi, who was walking at the front, raised his hand and made a 'stop' gesture.

The four of them slowed down instantly and stopped in the canopy of a large tree.

"Is there a situation?" Yagami Yoruichi asked with a gesture, but Maruhoshi Kosuke shook his head and pointed to a small village halfway up the mountain ahead, saying, "According to the map, we are about ten kilometers away from our target location."

Before setting off, Yagami Yoruichi said that they should find a place to stay overnight before reaching the destination and then complete the mission the next day.

A nighttime raid would be exponentially riskier for Yoruichi Yagami's squad, who were unfamiliar with the terrain.

Anyway, those thieves are staying here for a while and they won't run away, so it's better to wait another day.

"Ten kilometers. If the mission data is correct, those mountains have no way of finding us from such a distance."

Yagami Yoruichi nodded and said, "Then let's spend the night around here. There seems to be a nice place by the little river we just passed."

It was inevitable for ninjas to spend the night in the wild, and the choice of a place to stay was also important. Generally, it needed to be convenient for vigilance, convenient for setting traps, and convenient for counterattack or retreat in case of a surprise attack. Only if all three conditions were met could it be considered a qualified campsite.

As for comfort, these are generally not considered.

A place that she had passed by before met this standard in Yagami Yoruichi's memory.

Kosuke Maruboshi did not express an opinion, but Kakashi Hatake and Inahi Uchiha remembered the location that Yoruichi Yagami had mentioned, and after a little thought, they both agreed.

After walking several hundred meters, they arrived at a small river.

"Kakashi, you're in charge of setting up the warning traps. They don't need to be too powerful, just enough to serve as a warning. I'll set up the tents. Kosuke-senpai, Inaha, could you please get me some food? We've been traveling all day and have only eaten soldier rations, so my stomach is a little upset."

Yagami Yoruichi quickly took out tent parts from her backpack and began assembling them.

“Then leave it to me.” Maruhoshi Kosuke smiled and untied the large iron pot, placing it on the ground. He said to Yagami Yoruichi, “Please start a fire while you’re at it. I promise I’ll find the most suitable ingredients.”

“Shouldn’t we avoid making fires in the wild?” Uchiha Inahisa objected. “We learned in theory class that when going out on a mission and not being able to be sure of our safety, we should try to replenish our strength with soldier’s rations. Unless absolutely necessary, we should not look for food in the wild.”

"That applies to ordinary genin. Genin don't have the ability to distinguish whether wild food is safe, so they need to be careful. Uncle Kosuke won't make such a basic mistake. Besides, with our strength, at least within the Land of Fire, we don't need to worry too much about enemy ambushes. Maintaining good condition is more important."

Yoruichi Yagami explained her reasoning: "Eating only soldier pills can guarantee stamina and chakra, but the feeling of hunger will always be there. Over time, my condition will inevitably decline, which will be even more disadvantageous."

“I see.” Uchiha Inahisa nodded, not arguing further, and said, “Then I’ll go chop wood and start a fire. Identifying ingredients is not my forte, so I’ll trouble you, Kosuke-senpai.”

He had received guidance from his clan and knew of Maruhoshi Kosuke's special status, so he didn't dare to be presumptuous in front of Maruhoshi Kosuke and behaved very politely.

"No problem, no problem." Maruhoshi Kosuke slowly walked into the jungle to look for ingredients.

By the time Yagami Yoruichi said "It's so smelly," everyone else had already returned.

“I’ve set up simple warning traps in all four directions, all triple traps. Ordinary ninjas shouldn’t be able to get close without alerting us.” Kakashi Hatake explained the location and arrangement of the traps to prevent ‘our own people’ from accidentally triggering them.

Maruhoshi Kosuke scooped up a plump fish from the river, skillfully scraped off the scales and removed the internal organs, then chopped it into small pieces with his ninja sword. He also washed and chopped the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and other ingredients he had picked, and threw them into the boiling pot along with the fish bones to cook.

"Wait a little while, and it's ready to eat. You need to bring out the flavor of the mushrooms and fish bones first before adding the fish. Otherwise, if you stew it for too long, the fish will become tough."

While stirring the fish soup, Kosuke Maruhoshi explained, "This mushroom fish soup is perfect for this season. Only in early spring are such fresh ingredients available; it's not easy to come across them at other times."

At this moment, Maruboshi Kosuke didn't seem like a veteran powerhouse, but rather like a 'kitchen ninja' on the verge of extinction, focusing all his attention on the large pot of soup in front of him.

"Thank you for your help, Uncle Kosuke." Yagami Yoruichi said with a smile, sat down around the large iron pot, and said, "Let's split the night watch into two shifts tonight. Uncle Kosuke and Kakashi will be in charge of the first half of the night, and Inahisa and I will be in charge of the second half."

In the wild, poor sleep is almost inevitable.

However, given a ninja's physical condition, they only need a short rest to get back into top form.

Sleeping for half a night is enough.

Of course, doing this for a long time will definitely have an impact on the body.

However, during the mission, a short-term reduction in sleep is not a problem.

With two shifts on night watch, the rest time is sufficient, and the security is also greatly improved.

Maruhoshi Kosuke still didn't offer any suggestions and silently continued simmering the fish soup.

When the soup was almost ready, he took out the sealing scroll, conjured a pile of bowls and chopsticks, ladled out the soup, and distributed it to the fishy-looking fish. "How's your cooking?" he asked.

Yagami Yoruichi picked up the bowl and took a sip. The freshness of mushrooms and bamboo shoots, mixed with the richness of the fish soup, made him feel much more energetic after that one sip.

"It's delicious!" Yagami Yoichi's eyes lit up as he gulped down the fish soup in his bowl and said to Maruhoshi Kosuke, "Uncle Kosuke, another bowl, and this time with extra toppings!"

Seeing Yagami Yoruichi's posture, Maruhoshi Kosuke immediately smiled and said, "Don't worry, there's plenty!"

"I also want."

"Senior Kosuke, could you please have another bowl?"

Kakashi Hatake and Inahi Uchiha were both captivated by Kosuke Maruboshi's culinary skills.

"Yes, yes, don't worry, there's plenty more than enough." Maruhoshi Kosuke chuckled as he handed the package to the customer.

At this moment, the group didn't seem to be on a dangerous ninja mission; rather, they seemed to be on a picnic.

Chapter 75 Embezzling Rewards?

Nothing happened all night.

At this time, the ninja world was not particularly safe.

However, the Second Shinobi World War was nearing its end, and Konoha had long since strengthened its control over the borders of the Land of Fire.

Within the core territory of the Land of Fire, the probability of encountering enemy ninjas is so low as to be negligible.

Even in the immediate aftermath of a war, the level of security within the ninja villages was higher than during peacetime because of the increased vigilance between them.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Yagami Yoruichi and Uchiha Inahashi, who were responsible for keeping watch during the second half of the night, woke up Maruboshi Kosuke and Hatake Kakashi.

Despite sleeping for less than five hours that night, all four of them were in good spirits.

"Shall we officially begin the bandit suppression mission today?" Kakashi Hatake asked Yoruichi Yagami as he dismantled the tent. "Should we just charge straight in, or should we gather intelligence first?"

"I've already investigated the information." Yagami Yoruichi took out a scroll containing information she had gathered while on night watch, during which she had taken the opportunity to investigate the village.

There isn't much valuable information inside; all that's known is that the group of mountain folk lived on a desolate mountain not far from 'Hejian Village'.

As for the origins of these mountains and valleys, even the villagers of Hejian Village are unaware of them.

However, Yagami Yoruichi did not take the bandit suppression mission too seriously.

In this team, both I and Kosuke Maruboshi are Jonin-level, while Kakashi Hatake and Inahi Uchiha are close to Special Jonin in strength.

Let alone ordinary mountain monsters, even most ninja teams wouldn't pose much of a threat to the four of them.

Minor flaws like insufficient information detail are completely insignificant.

"According to intelligence, the terrain is quite rugged, but such terrain obstacles are not a problem for ninjas."

Yagami Yoruichi drew a simple topographical map and said, "There's only one passage in front of us. Kakashi, you're good at Earth Release ninjutsu, so use your ninjutsu to seal off the passage and trap us like a turtle in a jar."