One Month Later, M at Link’s Home, Konohagakure

  "Ding-ling-ling~"

  Link opened his eyes, turned off the arm clock, and groggily got out of bed, heading to the bathroom.

  At the same time, his shadow on the ground, identical to him, stood up and walked into the kit to begin making breakfast.

  "Whoosh~"

  The sound of running water echoed.

  Ten mier, Link finished washing up, walked out of the bathroom while drying his face with a towel, and sat at the dining table, yawning. The shadow pced fried eggs, toasted bread, and a cup of warm milk oable before reverting to a two-dimensional state.

  “Today’s the first B-rank mission I’ll carry out with Ensui-sensei—wait, no, my sed B-rank mission…”

  As he ate breakfast, his mind gradually cleared, and he began pnning the day.

  The development of his shadow teique had cluded two weeks ago, and he had taken the opportunity to apply for a slew of ninjutsu scrolls from the vilge.

  After all, judging by the Third Hokage’s attitude, the old man seemed to have some expectations of him. Why not take advantage while the opportunity sted? He’d applied for, well, just a modest set of over seventy jutsu.

  The scrolls included a rge number of d D-rank elemental jutsu, along with B- and A-rank mediinjutsu, summoning teiques, and sealing teiques.

  As for his average chakra reserves and the fact that he still hadn’t mastered a sed chakra nature—

  Oh well, might as well try. Whether it works or not, no harm in asking, right?

  It’s not like he had the moo buy these scrolls himself. He was a in now, and with the Third Hokage fav him, there was no reason not to shamelessly ask.

  “Not bad, my cooking skills are improving.”

  Link finished breakfast and nodded in satisfa.

  In his hands, the shadow e teique had evolved into a debuff skill against oppos. But it also had a fasating little trick—his own shadow, once separated, didn’t returo stamiion.

  In essehe teique erma buff for himself. The shadow e could stand up and perform any task, ing the same amount of stamina as if he did it himself. However, for daily tasks, the energy ption was so negligible that it hardly mattered.

  Moreover, when it reverted to a two-dimensional state, the energy ption dropped even further. He could easily maintain it 24/7 if needed.

  Do you know what that means?

  It meant he could finally escape the drudgery of daily chores. No more w about cooking, undry, ing, or even…

  Link put on the freshly undered clothes he’d hung to dry the previous day. Standing by the doorframe, he pared his height against the marks on the wall. Meanwhile, his shadow busily equipped him with scroll pouches, kunai holsters, and other ninja tools.

  “I’m already 136 timeters tall! I’ve grown so fast retly.”

  Seeing that his height had increased by another timeter, he raised his arms, letting the shadow slip a gree over him and straighten the creases in his undershirt.

  He turo the mirror, admiring the refle of in Link. Maintaining a serious expressioried striking a cool pose—first folding his arms, theing his thumb and index finger under his while curling the other three fingers.

  Definitely cooler now.

  “Perfect, time to go!”

  …

  At Konoha’s Main Gate

  “M, Ensui-sensei!” Link greeted the arriving Jōnin cheerfully.

  Nara Ensui his three subordinates. “M.” He tossed a scroll to Link and said, “Here’s the intel for this mission.”

  Link caught the scroll and ope, with Iris and Ami leaning in to read alongside him.

  They already khe mission’s objective from the previous day when they accepted it together:

  [Escort a wealthy mert from the Land of Fire to the Land of Rivers fold mine au.]

  The mission was expected to st about two months, involving esc the target from Konoha to a city in the Land of Rivers, proteg them during the au, and ensuring their safe return to the Land of Fire.

  Though not excessively difficult, it was a B-rank esission likely to involve bat with enemy shinobi. The reward was 150,000 ryō—high even among B-rank missions, which was why a Jōnin was assigo the team.

  Acc to the intel provided by Nara Ensui, potential enemy shinobi were likely from the Amegakure or the Sunagakure.

  The gold mine iion was first discovered by a Amegakure mert in the northern part of the Land of Rivers, he border. Retly, the mert had been assassinated, leaving the mine ownerless. The Land of Rivers decided to au it publicly, with only three parties participating:

  The Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Rain.

  Shinobi weren’t paragons of morality. Assassinations and sabotage in the name of ercial petition were on. To ter such threats, hiring ninja for prote was the natural course of a.

  In this petitive cycle, the erce of the shinobi world felt unfortably realistic—

  Just eliminate your petitors.

  “Iing…”

  Link stared at the scroll and suddenly recalled his first B-rank mission, whivolved resg a kunoichi pursued by Amegakure shinobi.

  Looking up, he met Nara Ensui’s gaze. The Jōnin said nothing, though his expression seemed to vey more than words ever could.

  “I heard the Kazekage from the Sunagakure create gold, right?” Iris asked curiously. “Why would they even want a gold mine?”

  The Kazekage’s ability to manipute gold dust was , often used in trade with other nations. In fact, the Sunagakure deliberately allowed such rumors to spread, showg their wealth and power. Even a seasoned Genin would’ve heard of it.

  “First of all, the Fourth Kazekage doesn’t ‘create’ gold,” Nara Ensui corrected. His teique for colleg gold dust was impressive but far from true alchemy. Otherwise, the Sunagakure wouldn’t still be struggling financially.

  “Sedly, the mold they sell, the less they want gold mines falling into someone else’s hands…”

  His words carried a deeper meaning, though he didn’t eborate. Instead, he said, “They’re here.”

  A voy of wagons approached the open gates. Nara Ensui jumped down to speak briefly with a samurai-like man at the front before signaling his three subordio follow.

  The transportation in the shinobi world was… odd, to say the least.

  Despite the existence of bicycles, cars iain areas, railways, and even advarains iure—not to mention ships, sailboats, and steamships—wealthy individuals still used sedan chairs carried by people, and merts relied on horse-drawn wagons for travel and transport.

  It was bafflingly insistent. A teological paradox.

  Link directed Iris and Ami to take positions oher side of the voy while he brought up the rear. Watg the slow-moving wagons, he couldn’t help but sigh at this utterly uific teological tree.

  No wo would take two months—the pace ainfully slow!

  Bleam