The sun had begun its slow descent beyond the rolling hills of the Land of Tea, painting the sky in hues of orange and crimson. The bustling streets of Camellia City still carried the echoes of merchants haggling, travelers laughing, and the distant ringing of bells from tea houses.
Yuichi moved effortlessly through crowds, his posture relaxed yet mind focused. Years of experience as a hunter in his previous life had drilled into him the importance of information gathering.
He knew to understand someone, you must first understand the heart of it.
'what better way to understand a country than its capital city?'
As Yuichi navigated through various taverns, restaurants, and merchant stalls, he listened. He didn't just collect random rumors, he cross-checked facts, gauging how truthful or exaggerated each statement was.
Seated in a dimly lit tavern, he casually stirred his tea, feigning interest in the cup while eavesdropping on a group of merchants at the next table.
"You heard? Another caravan was hit on the northern route," one of them grumbled.
"Tch. Bandits again?" another asked, his fingers drumming on the wooden table.
"Not just any bandits," the first man leaned in, lowering his voice. "I heard they're former shinobi, operating as mercenaries now."
Yuichi's eyes narrowed slightly, though his expression remained neutral.
A third merchant scoffed. "If the Daimyo had half a spine, he'd deal with them already. Instead, he's too busy drinking tea and counting coins."
The second man sighed. "It's not that simple. If we go after them aggressively, it might trigger something worse. Some say these 'bandits' have ties to foreign powers."
Yuichi took a slow sip of his tea, absorbing the information.
'Rogue ninjas disguising as bandits… and possible connections to other nations? That complicates things.'
His thoughts were interrupted when a middle-aged barkeeper approached him with a friendly smile. "You're not from around here, are you?"
Yuichi returned the smile, adjusting his posture. "Just passing through. The city is lively, though. Seems like business is doing well."
The barkeeper chuckled, shaking his head. "Depends on who you ask. Tea exports are booming, sure, but the unrest? That's another story."
"Oh?" Yuichi raised a brow, pretending to be curious. "What's going on?"
The barkeeper wiped down the counter and leaned in slightly. "You see, Camellia City's wealth is both a blessing and a curse. Too much money, and it starts drawing the wrong kind of attention."
"Bandits?" Yuichi probed.
"More than that," the man replied grimly. "Smugglers, mercenaries, even spies. And that's just the surface. The noble families? Some of them aren't exactly loyal to the Daimyo. There's a power struggle brewing."
Yuichi frowned slightly. "A struggle for what?"
The barkeeper sighed. "Control. Some believe the Daimyo has grown too weak, relying on foreign trade instead of military strength. Others say he's secretly making deals with outside forces to keep the peace. Either way, tensions are rising."
Yuichi finished his tea, setting the cup down with a soft clink.
'So the problem isn't just external threats. There's internal conflict too. But, it's suspicious.'
Pushing his chair back, he stood. "Thanks for the drink. Stay safe."
The barkeeper nodded. "You too, traveler."
***
As Yuichi entered the guest residence provided to them, he was met with a bizarre sight.
Sakumo and Mio stood in the center of the main hall, both holding a strange ornament, aggressively debating over it.
"I found it first! You're the one who copied me!" Mio huffed, clutching the object tightly.
Sakumo scoffed. "Excuse me? I was literally in the shop first. That makes it-"
"Then why didn't you buy it first, huh?" Mio raised the question and cut Sakumo's words short.
"Because I was looking at other things! You stole it while I was checking the swords!"
Yuichi, not wanting to get dragged into the chaos, walked right past them, shaking his head. "Children."
"Oi! Who are you calling a child?!" Mio snapped, but Yuichi had already disappeared into his room.
Dropping onto his bed, he let out a long breath.
'Kagami-sensei isn't back yet. I'll delay the report until then.'
Within moments, his eyes drifted shut.
.
.
.
A few hours later, a rough shake on his shoulder pulled him from his nap.
"Yuichi, wake up. Dinner." Sakumo's voice rang in his ears.
Still groggy, Yuichi forced himself up, splashing water on his face before heading toward the dining hall.
As he entered, he stopped.
Seated at the head of the table was the noble they were supposed to be guarding, but what caught Yuichi's attention was that he wasn't alone.
Two unknown men, both exuding an aura of quiet authority, sat alongside him.
Kagami was already at the table, his usual carefree expression replaced with one of careful politeness.
Mio and Sakumo, who had just entered the room behind Yuichi, also hesitated for a moment before sitting down.
The noble, a tall and well-built man with sharp features, turned his gaze toward them and smiled.
"I assume this must be your squad, Kagami?"
Kagami nodded. "hmm…You have met them earlier. Yuichi, Mio, Sakumo - meet Kanekuwa Yori, head of the military forces under the Daimyo of the Land of Tea."
Yuichi's eyes widened slightly. 'One of the Three Jewels of the Emperor…?'
Meeting one of them in person was already shocking. But what luck he had that he met all three within a few weeks.
However this also raised the difficulty of the mission that came with the pretext of escorting
'This was no ordinary escort mission.'
As the servants brought out dishes, varieties of rice, seafood, steamed vegetables, and finely brewed tea. But, Yuichi's mind was not on food, instead was analyzing the situation.
'Why was someone as important as Kanekuwa Yori casually eating with them?
Why wasn't he with his family, but instead with a team of shinobi?'
Few genuine questions rose in his mind but asking such questions was out of the bound for him.
Kanekuwa Yori finally spoke, his voice carrying both authority and charisma.
"I must say, it's refreshing to see young talents like yourselves in the shinobi world. Kagami always speaks highly of you three."
With a polite gesture all three thanked for the praise.
However in seconds the atmosphere changed as Yori's eyes turned sharp and explanation of mission begins. The cozy, get together become a serious dinner table, marking ever word by the speaker to be noted down on the brain.