Chapter 58: Shadows of Familiar Faces
The next morning at the outpost, the chill of dawn lingered in the air as Kiyoshi stepped out of his tent, freshly dressed and alert. His teammates, Ryota and Mikoto, were already waiting. With a nod exchanged between the three, they silently began their walk toward the command tent.
As they walked, Mikoto broke the silence. "What did you think about those merchants last night?"
Kiyoshi kept his gaze ahead, his tone even. "Internal politics of the village... sometimes it's better to ignore them."
Then he added with a faint smirk, "At least until you're powerful enough to ignore both them and the consequences."
Mikoto gave a small nod, thoughtful.
Ryota, on the other hand, clenched his fists. "I don't care what people say about me, but there's definitely something shady going on. That Councilman Danzo—or whatever he's calling himself—what's he doing with the contents of those crates? Why else smuggle them in through disguised merchants?"
Kiyoshi gave a mock-serious shake of his head. "Ah, the day has finally come... the baby bird's starting to fly, huh?"
Mikoto smirked, catching on. "Aww, he's growing up so fast."
Ryota turned red. "I'm being serious, dammit!"
But when he saw their teasing expressions, his frustration melted into a sheepish grin. The tension eased, and for a brief moment, they just walked—quiet and easy.
As they arrived at the command tent, they spotted their jōnin-sensei, Kenshiro, already in discussion with Commander Hideo. The two older men turned as the trio approached.
Hideo spoke first, nodding approvingly. "I heard about what happened yesterday. Your response was commendable. In times of war, shinobi like your team become the backbone of the village."
The three stood straighter, trying not to look too pleased.
Hideo continued, "Kenshiro told me the truth—that this was an investigation mission disguised as a border patrol. I had suspected as much."
All three nodded in sync, their faces brightening. They already knew what that meant.
"I've asked Kenshiro to ensure the Hokage hears of your performance," Hideo added. "He's already submitted the report."
Kenshiro gave them a small, approving nod.
"You're officially relieved from patrol duties. You may return to the village and—"
A voice interrupted from behind.
"Well, well… looks like I got here just in time."
Everyone turned sharply. A man strode toward them, unbothered by the sudden tension he brought. Renji.
Ryota muttered under his breath, loud enough for the group to hear, "Isn't that the guy who gave us our first mission? The suicidal one?"
Mikoto and Kiyoshi both nodded slowly. Kenshiro's face darkened, jaw tightening.
Renji approached with a smug smile, directing his first words at Kenshiro. "Still alive, huh? You're more stubborn than I remember."
Without waiting for a reply, he handed a scroll to Hideo. "Mission Assignment Department. Direct orders."
Then he walked up to Kenshiro, eyes locking. The tension between them was instant—silent, electric, dangerous.
Kenshiro broke the silence. "What are you doing here, Renji?"
Renji smirked. "What? Childhood friends can't drop by whenever they like?"
Kenshiro said nothing.
"So," Renji continued, "how's life as a jōnin-sensei? Bet it's worse than working under me."
Kenshiro narrowed his eyes. "A lot better than working with you. Anywhere is better than that."
Renji snorted. "Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"
Watching them, Kiyoshi's mind wandered—back to their first mission. A high-risk assignment with little intel and no backup. They'd barely made it back.
If that scroll is from him, Kiyoshi thought grimly, it's definitely bad news.
--
---
Kiyoshi wasn't wrong.
As soon as the scroll reached Hideo's hands, the commander broke the seal and gave it a quick glance—his brow furrowing. Without a word, he passed it to Kenshiro.
Kenshiro read the contents, his expression darkening with every line. When he finished, he looked up at Renji with narrowed eyes and asked in a low, frustrated voice, "What the hell is this?"
Renji crossed his arms and smirked. "An order. Mission assignment for your team."
Kenshiro's tone turned sharp. "The Hokage already gave us a mission—"
Renji raised a hand, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Yeah. And if I'm not mistaken, that mission is already completed, isn't it?"
Before Kenshiro could reply, Hideo stepped in, his voice calm but probing. "Renji. This order—was it issued directly by Hokage-sama?"
Renji gave a lazy shrug. "Not every mission goes through the Hokage. You know how the chain of command works. This one came from the Mission Assignment Department, and it's valid. Until the Hokage calls them back personally for something critical, their orders are to continue."
"Continue what?" Ryota asked warily.
Renji turned slightly toward the team. "Border patrol. Reinforcements are stretched thin across the perimeter, and we need capable teams stationed here. Consider it extended deployment until you're pulled for something important."
Mikoto frowned. "So we're just stuck here indefinitely?"
Renji gave her a half-smile. "Unless Hokage-sama himself sends for you, yeah. You'll rotate patrol routes, monitor for enemy movements, and maintain stability. You've proven you can handle yourselves. That's exactly why you've been chosen."
Kenshiro's jaw tightened. "You're treating them like disposable assets."
"No," Renji replied, tone surprisingly firm. "I'm treating them like shinobi. You don't get stronger sitting around in the village. You get stronger out here."
Hideo looked between them, then sighed. "I'll verify with the higher-ups. But if this order holds, we follow protocol."
Kenshiro didn't look satisfied, but he gave a curt nod. "We'll do our duty. But you'd better pray nothing happens to my team while following one of your orders."
Renji only smiled, unbothered. "You're welcome."
Kenshiro turned to his students. "You heard him. Pack up and get ready. We're not going home yet."
As they walked away from the tent, Mikoto muttered, "This sucks."
Ryota groaned. "We didn't even get to celebrate surviving the last one."
And for once, no one had a witty comeback.
Kiyoshi just looks toward Renji and Kenshiro thinking something.