Konoha cat breeder

Chapter 179: Concealment

Fifteen minutes later.

At Konoha's village gate, Tonari arrived promptly as scheduled. The father and daughter, who were to be escorted, had already been waiting at the gate.

"Let's move out!"

With a wave of his hand, Tonari handed over their departure papers and led the group out of Konoha.

Normally, Tonari wouldn't choose escort missions, as they required long travel times—something he disliked. However, since this was the first mission for his three students, an escort mission seemed ideal, as the likelihood of danger was minimal.

This reasoning mirrored Tsunade's logic for her team's first mission, and Tonari had followed suit.

"Kurenai, your task is to stay close to the young lady at all times. Protecting her is your responsibility. Guy, you will guard this gentleman," Tonari instructed as he assigned tasks.

"What about me?" Asuma asked eagerly when he noticed that no task had been given to him.

Tonari glanced at him and smirked. "You? You're with me—to take down any enemies."

At the mention of fighting, Asuma's eyes gleamed with excitement.

It seemed his teacher held him in the highest regard!

"Don't worry, Kurenai. I'll protect you all!" Asuma declared, seizing the opportunity to show off in front of Kurenai.

Tonari didn't burst his bubble. After all, this would be their first real test as ninja. Especially for Asuma, who had been receiving daily beatings as part of his resilience training—he was undoubtedly the most experienced in combat among the three.

The purpose of this mission, for Tonari, was simple: to make them experience bloodshed and transform them into true shinobi.

---

Traveling from Konoha to Yugakure in the Land of Hot Water would take less than two days if Tonari traveled at full speed. However, with civilians in tow, the journey would take significantly longer.

On the first day, they remained within the range of Konoha's influence, and as expected, no incidents occurred.

Tonari had chosen a main road for the journey. It was easier for civilians to traverse, but such roads were also more likely to have ambushes or attacks.

When night fell, the calm was broken.

Out of the dense forest, several water arrows shot toward the middle-aged man whom Guy was tasked with protecting.

Tonari's sharp eyes narrowed as he disappeared in an instant, deliberately leaving the situation to his students.

Thankfully, the trio didn't disappoint. They quickly neutralized the incoming projectiles with shuriken and traced the direction of the attack.

Four figures emerged—dressed in black with no identifying insignias.

From their movements, Tonari immediately assessed their strength: one Chūnin and three Genin.

"Attack!" the leader ordered, gesturing sharply.

The three Genin charged forward, and the sounds of battle erupted in the forest.

Satisfied with his students' performance, Tonari remained in the shadows.

The Chūnin, observing the situation, decided to bypass the fight and headed straight for the father and daughter.

The girl's face turned pale, and while the middle-aged man's expression was grim, he maintained his composure and shielded his daughter.

But as the Chūnin prepared to strike, he suddenly froze mid-action. A chill ran down his spine as he realized someone was behind him.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he dared to turn his head slightly, only to see a hand resting lightly on his shoulder.

It was Tonari.

The Chūnin's instincts screamed danger. This man wasn't just strong—he was leagues above him.

"Who sent you?" Tonari's calm, low voice carried a weight that made the Chūnin feel suffocated.

The Chūnin's first response wasn't to answer but to resist. He twisted his body, attempting to stab Tonari with a kunai.

But before he could even complete the motion, his entire body seized up, paralyzed.

Tonari had severed the nerves along his spine with a precise application of chakra, leaving him immobile.

Despair filled the Chūnin's eyes. Realizing there was no escape, he gritted his teeth and bit down on something hidden in his mouth.

Within moments, his body convulsed, and a faint purple hue spread across his skin. He was dead.

Tonari frowned as he watched the Chūnin's lifeless body collapse.

The speed and decisiveness of the man's suicide made one thing clear: these attackers were prepared to die. They weren't just random mercenaries but operatives with a clear mission.

This was no ordinary B-rank mission.

Tonari turned to the middle-aged man. "This is a B-rank mission?"

The man remained calm under Tonari's piercing gaze, but the weight in Tonari's voice made it clear that he was demanding an explanation.

From his experience, this was at least an A-rank mission, possibly higher. The presence of a Chūnin, combined with the attackers' resolve to die rather than reveal information, indicated that this was no ordinary escort task.

"You lied about the mission details," Tonari stated flatly. "Care to explain?"

The man hesitated, but before he could respond, Tonari shifted his attention to his students.

Asuma, Guy, and Kurenai were locked in combat with the three Genin. Their inexperience was evident—each of them bore multiple injuries.

Kurenai, in particular, struggled to use her genjutsu effectively in the chaotic fight.

"Use a visual distraction for your genjutsu!" Tonari shouted to Kurenai.

"Focus your strikes, Guy! Aim for their center of mass!"

"Asuma! Remember your training—don't just defend, counterattack!"

Tonari's guidance cut through the tension, and his students began to adapt. Slowly, they turned the tide of the battle.

After a grueling half hour, the three finally defeated their opponents.

Exhausted and battered, they collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.

Kurenai looked pale, on the verge of vomiting from the stress of her first kill.

Asuma, unable to hold back, leaned over and retched violently.

Guy, though visibly shaken, managed to keep his composure. His mental resilience and willpower stood out even under the intense strain.

Tonari approached the three, his expression calm but firm.

"Remember this feeling," he said quietly. "This is what it means to be a shinobi."

---

After tending to their injuries with his medical ninjutsu, Tonari turned back to the middle-aged man.

"Now, explain. What's really going on?"

The man met Tonari's gaze steadily, though his silence lingered for a moment too long.

His daughter, however, stepped forward, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and desperation. Grabbing Tonari's sleeve, she pleaded softly, "Please, Tonari-sensei, can you help us? We have no one else to turn to."

Tonari's eyes flicked to the girl, then back to the man.

After a tense silence, the man finally spoke. "I am Taro Kawano, the head of Yugakure's research division. What I told you earlier wasn't false, but…"

He hesitated before continuing, "But Yugakure's prolonged peace has bred unrest among certain clans. They've begun conducting… forbidden experiments. As the head of research, I was coerced into assisting them. When I left for Konoha, it was to gather the missing knowledge they needed.

"But now, they're desperate to retrieve me and the data I've acquired. I suspect this ambush is only the beginning."

Tonari narrowed his eyes, his thoughts racing. This revelation complicated the mission far beyond its original scope.

"Sensei, let's help them!" Kurenai urged.

Guy and Asuma echoed her sentiment, their earlier fatigue momentarily forgotten.

Tonari sighed. His students' compassion was admirable, but this situation required more than blind goodwill.

"We'll talk," Tonari said to Kawano. "Privately."

Leading the man into the nearby woods, Tonari's tone turned cold.

"If you want my help, you'll need to tell me everything."

(End of Chapter)

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