Several minutes passed before Kurenai Yuhi emerged from the inn.
"The client still needs to make purchases in Konoha. Tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, be on time to gather at the village entrance," Kurenai Yuhi instructed. "After disbanding, go back and prepare a change of clothes, as well as camping tents and blankets. It's best to prepare some Soldier Pills too. If you can't fit everything, then buy a Storage Scroll; your reward money for this period is more than enough to cover it."
"Yes."
Eighth Squad nodded in response.
"Gather at eight o'clock tomorrow morning, and remember not to be late," Kurenai Yuhi reminded again, then disappeared in a Body Flicker Technique.
Izayoi and Hinata also parted ways with Shino Aburame.
"Izayoi-kun, you don't need to buy a Storage Scroll; I'll bring one tomorrow," Hinata said softly.
Izayoi pinched Hinata's small face and teased, "As expected of a young lady from a wealthy clan, you're going to take care of me so soon?"
"Take... take care of..."
Hinata's face instantly turned red, and her voice trembled.
"Just kidding."
Izayoi patted Hinata's head, then took her small hand and smiled, "There's no need to bring a Storage Scroll; I'll just bring a backpack. If we need to camp outdoors, I'll stand guard and protect you."
Hearing this, Hinata's face turned even redder, and she subconsciously lowered her head, looking at her hand intertwined with his, a happy smile immediately appearing on her lips.
Her heart felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey.
Although their relationship hadn't completely broken through, Izayoi and Hinata's interactions were no different from those of a couple.
If it weren't for the consideration that announcing their relationship might reach the clan and attract obstruction from some elders, Hinata would have already taken the initiative to confess to Izayoi.
Once she and Izayoi both became Jonin, or Elite Jonin who could become clan heads and trump card combatants, they would be able to be together completely.
Even her father and the clan elders wouldn't be able to stop them.
That day would definitely not be far off.
Hinata suddenly squeezed Izayoi's hand, thinking to herself.
Izayoi didn't know what Hinata was thinking, or he would definitely show a gratified smile again.
Hinata, who had changed her personality, was already excellent enough.
Hinata, with a goal, would become even more outstanding.
With further guidance, the Princess of the Byakugan would bloom with dazzling light.
...
The next day, at 7:50 in the morning.
Izayoi and Hinata each carried a backpack and arrived at the village entrance.
There, Shino Aburame, also carrying only a backpack, had been waiting for a long time.
"Good morning."
"Morning."
"Shino, aren't you bringing a tent?"
"I am, it's in the Storage Scroll. Let me know if you need Soldier Pills."
"Thank you, but Hinata has already prepared some for me."
"..."
After exchanging greetings as usual, Izayoi started an awkward conversation with Shino Aburame.
However, this time it wasn't the 'aloof' Shino Aburame who killed the conversation, but Izayoi himself.
Shino Aburame, who was inexplicably fed a mouthful of dog food, didn't show any change on the surface, but his mood was quite bad.
However, his character prevented him from being sarcastic, so he could only choose to remain silent.
Seeing that Shino Aburame had stopped talking again, Izayoi could only go to the side with Hinata to whisper sweet nothings.
To avoid being eavesdropped on, Izayoi stuck to normal topics and didn't tease Hinata.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Before long, Kurenai Yuhi's voice drew the attention of Izayoi and the others.
A convoy of a dozen or so people came into view.
Leading the way were Kurenai Yuhi and an ordinary-looking middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man was currently sizing up Izayoi and the others, a warm smile on his face, his joy visible through the windows of his soul.
Moreover, Izayoi and the others noticed that his gaze lingered on Hinata the longest.
It wasn't because of Hinata's figure that surpassed her peers, but because of her eyes.
Izayoi released his senses and didn't detect any malice from him.
It seemed that he wasn't targeting Hinata's Byakugan, but because there was a Byakugan in the escort team.
The Hyuga Clan's Byakugan was the most famous sensory eye in the Shinobi World.
Its 360-degree long-range vision and X-ray vision could see through all low-level Invisibility Techniques.
Even Earth Release that could merge the body into the ground couldn't escape the eyes of the Hyuga Clan.
With the Byakugan in the team, they could detect danger in advance and escape in time.
The commission fee for a C-rank mission was enough to hire a member of the Hyuga Clan, which was simply a huge profit.
No wonder the middle-aged man was so happy.
Having figured this out, Izayoi didn't care anymore.
"Let me introduce you, this is our client, you can call him Mr. Nishimura." Kurenai Yuhi introduced the middle-aged man to Izayoi and the others.
"Mr. Nishimura."
Eighth Squad politely greeted him.
"Hello, I'll be in your care from now on."
Mr. Nishimura didn't put on any airs and instead adopted a very humble posture.
Seeing that the client was so easy to get along with, Eighth Squad, who had encountered bizarre clients on D-rank missions before and had to put in some effort to get a good review in the end, breathed a sigh of relief.
"Let's go, we can set off."
Kurenai Yuhi and Mr. Nishimura handed the pre-arranged exit permits to the Chunin guarding the gate, and Izayoi and the others left the village where they had lived for twelve years for the first time.
At first, Hinata and Shino Aburame were very much looking forward to what the outside world would be like.
However, after they passed through the first town, they were greatly disappointed.
Although there are many prosperous commercial towns like Tanzaku Street in the Land of Fire, there are more ordinary towns and villages, and their construction is naturally not as good as Konoha, which serves as a military base.
Moreover, nobles nowadays mostly travel by human-powered palanquins or carriages.
High technology like trains will not appear for many years.
In less than a day, Hinata and Shino Aburame lost their expectations and focused on the mission.
Ninjas move very quickly. If they travel at full speed, it takes about three days to get from Konoha in the Land of Fire to Sand Village in the Land of Wind.
In just over a week, they can reach the most remote places in the Shinobi World.
But that's for ninjas.
If there are ordinary people in the team, it depends on their speed of movement.
The mining team consisted of a dozen people and two carriages. There were no goods on the return trip, so the speed was much faster than walking.
Even so, the team stopped and started, taking eight days to leave the Land of Fire.
"Hinata, what's the situation around us?"
Just after leaving the territory of the Land of Fire and changing from a forest road to a mountain road, Kurenai Yuhi asked Hinata, who had activated her Byakugan, with veins bulging on both temples.
"There is no danger within a twenty-kilometer radius."
"Nani?!"
Hinata clearly gave a safe answer, but almost shocked Kurenai Yuhi and Shino Aburame.
There was no way, they were both frightened by Hinata's data.
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