The sun barely peeked over the horizon as Team Kagami prepared for the start of their mission. The crisp morning air carried the faint scent of damp earth, and the quiet murmurs of servants loading carriages filled the space. The noble's entourage consisted of 30 people, a mix of guards, attendants, and servants.
Their mission was to guard them from the shadows.
It sounded exciting at first- mysterious, dangerous and even cool. But by the end of the first day, Yuichi and the others quickly realized…
'It's exhausting.'
The noble's wife and children, along with other non-combatants, forced the entire group to travel at a slow pace. It was unavoidable, these were ordinary civilians, people who had never felt the pulse of chakra in their lives.
Instead of moving swiftly through the trees as they usually did, Team Kagami had to adjust their pace, blending into the surroundings while keeping a constant watch for potential threats.
Before their departure, Kagami had arranged a meeting between his team and the high-ranking noble they were assigned to guard.
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Inside a lavishly decorated tent, Yuichi stood beside his teammates, arms crossed, waiting for the noble's arrival.
"So, what do you think he'll be like?" Sakumo muttered under his breath.
Mio, ever the skeptic, scoffed. "Short, fat, and insufferable."
Yuichi nodded, smirking. "Probably drowning in perfume, too."
Sakumo grinned. "Oh, and definitely one of those guys who eats grapes while lying down."
Their hushed jokes were interrupted as the tent's entrance lifted, revealing the nobleman they were tasked with protecting.
Contrary to their expectations, he was neither round nor short.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and physically fit, a man who clearly valued discipline and regular training. His dark, neatly combed hair and sharp eyes held a look of practiced observation, something Yuichi immediately recognized as a warrior's awareness.
The noble studied them briefly before speaking.
"So, these are your students, Kagami?" His voice was deep, firm, carrying an air of quiet authority.
Kagami nodded. "They are."
The noble's sharp gaze swept over the three young shinobi.
"They are very competent for their age," he remarked, then met Yuichi's eyes directly. "You seem perceptive."
Yuichi blinked. "Thank you?"
It was a vague compliment, but something about the way the noble observed them unsettled Yuichi.
'Is he too a warrior or something?'
Mio, arms still crossed, sighed. "So what exactly are we expecting on this mission?"
The noble smirked. "Hopefully nothing. But in my experience, something always happens."
Sakumo chuckled. "That's what makes it fun, right?"
The noble raised an eyebrow. "Fun?"
"Yeah! An easy mission would be boring," Sakumo grinned.
Kagami sighed, shaking his head. "You'll regret saying that if something does happen."
The noble let out a low chuckle. "Interesting students you have, Kagami. Let's hope their enthusiasm doesn't turn into regret."
With that, the meeting concluded, and their mission officially began.
~
At present the first three Days passed by and the journey was going on smoothly.
Yuichi and the others moved through the dense forests surrounding the capital, keeping a reasonable distance from the carriage procession as they monitored for potential threats.
Their travel was painfully slow, but it couldn't be helped.
By the third night, the tedious routine had set in.
Yuichi perched on a tree branch, observing the noble's camp below. His fingers unconsciously rubbed against his wrist, where a small, inconspicuous seal was hidden beneath his sleeve.
This seal was something he developed to know time at any place without clocks. It was a small innovation but these are the things that kept him engaged in the fuinjutsu.
Although he was on the mission, looking at his surroundings.
His mind wasn't on the mission.
Few minutes later he activated his phantom steps and decided to train a little in quietness.
The ability lasted for mere 4 seconds which itself was an improvement but this time it caused a strange development.
His chakra sensing which at first was subtle, just a flicker of awareness, a slight high perception was now a lot more improved. He felt a little more connection with chakra, his sensory ability has strengthened up.
Still he knew, It wasn't as refined as a sensor-type ninja, but the fact that it was developing at all was both intriguing and concerning.
And through this strengthened ability, something new caught his attention.
'The noble…Had chakra'.
It wasn't overwhelming, but it was there- a steady, controlled presence, far stronger than ordinary civilians.
He would have missed it but the sudden flicker of chakra which happened while using it and the heightened sense that he had after deactivating his ability, caught the glimpse of it.
Yuichi furrowed his brows, his eyes locked onto the noble's tent.
"That's… unusual," he spoke out aloud. After all, nobles rarely possessed any real chakra ability unless they had shinobi ancestry or specialized training.
His curiosity deepened, and many questions regarding his sensory ability rose in his mind. but before he could dwell on it further, a faint memory surfaced- a conversation with Kagami a few days ago.
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"So, you're saying some people develop sensing abilities later in life?"
Kagami nodded, casually flipping through a scroll. "Yeah. It's not as rare as you'd think. Some people are born with it, those are the ones who become truly exceptional sensors. But others… they awaken it over time, either through training or exposure to unique chakra influences."
Yuichi leaned against the wall of their training ground. "But I haven't been training in sensory techniques."
Kagami glanced at him, expression unreadable. "Not directly, no."
Yuichi hesitated. 'Should I tell him about my ability?'.....'No. Not yet.'
Instead, he carefully worded his response. "What if someone suddenly starts sensing chakra without any training?"
Kagami raised an eyebrow. "It happens. But in most cases, it means their body has been forcibly adapting to something."
Yuichi frowned. "Forcibly?"
Kagami smirked. "Not in a bad way. Just that your chakra pathways are probably evolving in response to something. A hidden potential, maybe."
Yuichi remained silent, absorbing the information.
'Was Phantom Steps the trigger?
If so, what else was it changing about him?'
~
Back in the Present
Yuichi exhaled, returning his attention to the noble's tent.
The revelation of his chakra presence only added to the growing mystery surrounding him.
'Who exactly was this noble?'
He wasn't just a normal high-ranking official, after all nobles rarely possessed any real chakra ability unless they had shinobi ancestry or specialized training.
'was there more to his identity than they had been told?' A few doubts rose in Yuichi's mind regarding the noble's identity.
But his thoughts were interrupted by Kagami's voice from below.
"Don't overthink it, Yuichi."
Yuichi glanced down, seeing Kagami leaning against a tree. His tone was relaxed, but there was an unmistakable knowing glint in his eyes.
"How long have you been watching me?" Yuichi asked.
Kagami smirked. "Long enough… maybe from the moment you started doing some strange things."
'Shit.. caught red handed'
Yuichi sighed, shaking his head "You think it's strange?"
"The noble? Or you?" Kagami's smirk deepened.
"Haa.. I am talking about the noble." Yuichi sighed and spoke truthfully, " about me it's just a part of my kekkei-"
"Okay thats all. I got a rough idea, so no need to explain any more. You are smart Yuichi, keep a few of your cards hidden, it will always benefit in the long run." Kagami stopped Yuichi midway through his sentence and with a pause spoke again, "about the noble… I will explain it to you later."
Kagami pushed himself off the tree and started walking back to camp. "Get some rest. We've got a long way to go."
Yuichi nodded at Kagami's words.
He knew even if the noble might not be as defenseless as he assumed, the mission still needed to be complete. He remained seated for a few minutes, staring up at the moon, still lost in thought.
He now had a feeling that this mission was turning out to be more interesting than he expected and it was only the beginning.