Chapter 15

After finalizing the team-up, Hyuga Kagami once again flipped through the mission list while Itachi stood quietly beside him, waiting patiently as Kagami chose their next task.

When he turned to the second page of the list, a particular name suddenly caught Kagami's attention.

"Shennong? Who has the nerve to go by a name like that?" Kagami muttered to himself, frowning as he began to examine the mission in detail.

The task was simple: escort a physician named Shennong to the neighboring Land of Fields, which bordered the Land of Fire.

As he read the task description, Kagami furrowed his brow. For some reason, it felt oddly familiar.

A few moments later, it clicked.

In his hazy memories from a previous life, there was indeed a rogue ninja from the Sky Village who disguised himself as a physician, traveling across nations to gain reputation while secretly stealing forbidden techniques and classified secrets from various ninja villages. That man's name... was Shennong. If he remembered correctly, this same man later created a synthetic tailed beast known as the "Zero-Tails," which caused quite a stir.

"Could it really be him?"

Pondering the possibility, Kagami decided to take the mission regardless.

After completing the necessary paperwork, Kagami and Itachi soon met the client in question.

Kagami scrutinized the man in front of him. His appearance and clothing matched closely with what he remembered of Shennong.

Without a doubt, this was the rogue ninja from the Sky Village—the future creator of Zero-Tails.

Maintaining his composure, Kagami introduced himself: "I'm Hyuga Kagami, a Chuunin from the Hidden Leaf Village and the team leader for your mission. This is my teammate, Uchiha Itachi, a Genin from the same village."

Shennong, who appeared to be in his early thirties, responded politely with a bow. "Then I leave myself in your care."

"We'll do our best. But before we set out, I need to know a few things." Kagami paused, then asked, "You elevated this mission to B-rank. I assume you had a good reason. Who exactly is your enemy?"

Shennong looked slightly uneasy and gave a small cough. "It's not really an enemy, more like a small misunderstanding. While I was traveling through the Hidden Cloud Village, a theft occurred. They seem to think I was involved. But you know, I'm just a humble physician—I couldn't possibly be connected to something like that!"

"Yeah, right," Kagami thought to himself with a smirk. "This guy must be a master thief."

The Hidden Cloud Village was notoriously hard to infiltrate, even for top-tier spies. Stealing intel, jutsu, or forbidden techniques was practically impossible. Yet this plain-looking Shennong managed not only to pull it off but also to escape unharmed. That was nothing short of impressive.

Sensing that Shennong might prove useful later, Kagami chose not to expose him. After a bit of preparation, the three of them set off for the Land of Fields.

Not long after leaving the village, Kagami witnessed Itachi's meticulousness firsthand. From selecting travel routes to choosing camp sites, Itachi was flawless.

On the road, Itachi frequently corrected errors on his map and recorded their daily journey in a notebook, occasionally jotting down his reflections as well.

Itachi's presence saved Kagami a lot of trouble.

Kagami didn't idle either. He used the unparalleled perception granted by his Tenseigan to observe both Itachi and Shennong. He studied their facial expressions and muscle movements, sharpening his own observational and predictive abilities.

Itachi quickly noticed but assumed Kagami was simply assessing his abilities as a Genin and didn't mind.

Shennong noticed too but kept up a cheerful, clueless front, chatting about amusing travel tales throughout the day.

After several weeks of travel, they finally reached the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Fields.

As night fell, Kagami said, "Itachi, find a good spot for camp. We'll rest tonight and cross the border tomorrow."

"Understood," Itachi replied respectfully, leaping into the trees to scout for a suitable location.

Shennong chuckled. "Kagami-kun and Itachi-kun truly are worthy heirs of noble clans."

Kagami waved it off. "Names don't matter. In the ninja world, it's all about strength."

Shennong continued smiling. "I've met many ninja during my travels, but few as capable as you two. I suspect your names will soon echo throughout the ninja world."

Knowing full well what kind of man Shennong really was, Kagami ignored the flattery and shifted the topic to medical ninjutsu.

It was undeniable—Shennong was extremely knowledgeable in medical arts. His skills in bandaging, understanding of the human body's chakra pathways, and herbal medicine were all far above average.

This was one reason he could convincingly pose as a physician. Otherwise, he'd have been exposed as a spy long ago.

After finding a wide-open clearing, the three sat down to eat while discussing human chakra networks. Shennong did most of the talking, while Kagami and Itachi listened and learned.

To Kagami, a member of the Hyuga Clan, chakra networks weren't mysterious. But whereas his clan studied them for Gentle Fist techniques, Shennong approached the topic from a medical perspective. This difference in purpose led to new insights for Kagami.

Itachi listened intently, filling several pages of his notebook with diagrams and notes.

Though the Uchiha Clan was familiar with chakra networks thanks to their Sharingan, they lacked a strong tradition in medical ninjutsu. Shennong's knowledge was therefore quite valuable.

Shennong was clearly investing effort in teaching them, and with good reason. In his eyes, Kagami and Itachi were valuable connections in the Hidden Leaf. Gaining their friendship would be beneficial for his future activities in the village.

As they chatted, Kagami suddenly asked, "So what exactly was stolen in the Hidden Cloud? What makes them so determined to track down a mere physician?"

"How should I know? I had nothing to do with it!" Shennong replied awkwardly. He added, "Honestly, if it weren't for a plague outbreak in a village in the Land of Fields—and a personal plea from an old friend—I wouldn't be traveling at all during such a tense time."

Realizing he wouldn't get any useful information out of Shennong, Kagami ended the conversation. "That's enough talk for today. Let's rest. We have more traveling to do tomorrow."

Taking the cue, Itachi quickly set up several tripwires with bells around the perimeter for early warnings, then jumped into a tree with a good vantage point to rest.

Watching Itachi skillfully set up the traps, Kagami couldn't help but be impressed. "The Uchiha really do know how to use ninja tools. Itachi's just a kid, but his trap setup is already on point."