Chapter 116

Shrugging, I moved a free chair away from the table and sat down. I could wait, even though I was eager to find out everything quickly; a few minutes wouldn't make much difference. However, it didn't take long to wait — the commander read through a few more sheets of reports, signed them, then rolled them up and placed them in a small stack of already reviewed scrolls, which he had sealed with wax and a fuinjutsu seal (usually used for stamps, but adapted by the Uzumaki genius for this purpose), which could only be broken with a matching seal at the main headquarters, where this pile of paperwork would eventually be sent. Even though we are an assassination organization, bureaucracy still causes considerable problems here, albeit not as much as at the Daimyo's court.

— So, let's get to the point — your team's skills are needed for a small but crucial capture mission, — the commander began, tiredly rubbing his eyes. — Just tonight, our specialists managed to crack one of the prisoners and learned the likely route along which orders from Iwagakure no Sato are delivered to the front lines.

— And how does this concern us? — I raised an eyebrow in question. — Especially considering the fact that we just returned from a patrol last night...

— How does it concern you? It's simple — we need not only to capture the orders being delivered but also to capture the courier intact or at least alive and able to answer questions. And since you are the only operational Nara and the most experienced iryo-nin we have, there's no one else we can send.

Wincing, I remembered that I had sent the last fellow clan member to the main camp with a convoy of the wounded just last week. The unfortunate Towa had suffered such severe chakra exhaustion on his last patrol that he would recover at best in a month, if not longer.

— And why is it necessary to take him alive? — I was still hoping to wriggle out of the honor of a deep raid into enemy territory and grasped at any straw. — A mere courier doesn't know much, and the orders are far more important than the contents of his head.

— Perhaps, but couriers are not randomly chosen; they are specifically selected shinobi who are regularly involved in this task, — Meido shook his head. — This will allow Yamanaka to extract from his memory all the routes ever used by Iwa for delivering important documentation.

— Which will allow us to disrupt these well-established lines of order delivery to the front, — I sighed, realizing I could no longer avoid the task, — thereby causing confusion in the enemy's ranks and allowing our forces to take advantage of the moment for another offensive.

— Exactly, so be here tomorrow by ten with your team to discuss the details of the mission and meet with your commander and sensor, who will be one and the same.

— Understood, I'll be there, — I nodded to the commander and stood up.

After leaving the large room, lit only by a couple of oil lamps (fuinjutsu lights for the front are too expensive, especially in these times when the Uzumaki shop is no longer available) on Meido's table, I noticed the clouds starting to gather, which had become frequent guests this time of year, and headed towards my tent, where we had set up the campfire.

— So, what's the news? — Ishii asked lazily, picking at his teeth with a sharp bone, as soon as I plopped down in my spot.

Tsume also stopped grooming the contented Kuramaru and raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

— Nothing good — another mission tomorrow, — I replied. — A raid into enemy territory to capture a courier carrying orders from Iwa.

— But we just got back! What about the rest we're supposed to have? — Rotaro immediately protested.

— Rest is just a dream for us, — I grunted in response. — Our team is the only one well-suited not only for battles but also for capturing live targets, so there's no avoiding the mission. And be thankful we'll be assigned a sensor to the team; they could have sent us without one.

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