A few days later, Squad 10 had completed several more D-rank missions, such as finding lost cats, pulling weeds, and cleaning riverbeds.
Tsunade was the first to show obvious impatience with this tedious, repetitive routine.
Once again at the Hokage's office to submit their mission report, just as the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, habitually picked up his pen to assign another D-rank mission, Tsunade bluntly interrupted the process.
"That's enough, old man," she said, crossing her arms, her tone direct. "I think these brats have polished their fundamentals enough. They're capable of executing higher-level missions now."
The Third Hokage looked up from the documents, glancing at his impatient disciple and then at the three students behind her, who all wore different expressions.
"Since you say so..." The Third slowly pulled another mission scroll from his drawer, unrolled it, and read at an unhurried pace, "Well then, here's a suitable mission. It's located on Izu Oshima, an island in the eastern sea of the Land of Fire. Over the past two months, there have been several bizarre deaths."
"All the victims claimed to have watched a black videotape of unknown origin within a week before their deaths. Their state at the time of death was quite uniform—their faces twisted in extreme terror, as if they had witnessed some indescribable horror. However, there were no obvious fatal wounds on their bodies. The local authorities are at a loss. Suspecting the involvement of supernatural forces or shinobi, they've sent a request to Konoha for assistance."
Hearing this, Shizune subconsciously hugged her bag tighter. Her face paled, and her voice trembled slightly, "A-A videotape that kills you after you watch it? That sounds like something straight out of a ghost story..."
Tsunade frowned, tapping her finger on the desk. "Izu Oshima? That's too far. Traveling all that way just for a busted videotape? We'd spend more time on the road than on the actual mission. Pick another one."
The Third Hokage nodded good-naturedly and pulled out another scroll. "How about this one? Located at the Saeki estate in the Setagaya district of Sanban City. Five years ago, a family of three mysteriously disappeared. There were no signs of a struggle or any stolen property. It was as if they vanished into thin air."
"Over the next five years, five civilians who trespassed, three police officers investigating the case, and two real estate developers who bought the property all died bizarre and sudden deaths in their own homes or temporary residences shortly after entering the estate. The causes of death varied, but similarly, no signs of external foul play could be found."
"Because of this, the estate is considered cursed. The Sanban City authorities hope Konoha can dispatch professionals to conduct a thorough investigation."
Shizune's face grew even paler. She huddled closer to Kurenai and whispered, "A cursed house that kills anyone who enters it... t-this sounds even more like a ghost story than the last one... and it's a serial killer..."
Tsunade rubbed her temples, her tone laced with disgust. "Cases involving old, cold cases, serial deaths, and rumors of curses are the most annoying to investigate. The trail is probably completely cold, and the crime scene has likely been contaminated countless times. Plus, you have to deal with a bunch of local bureaucrats and superstitious civilians. It's a massive waste of time and energy, an utterly thankless task."
"No. Change it again!"
The Third Hokage, still perfectly patient, swapped to another scroll. "How about this one, then? Kirisaki Town, a coastal town in the southwest. Recently, a series of bizarre murders and conflicts have occurred. Several male townsmen, including the son of a wealthy local merchant and a police officer, have been involved in fierce brawls."
"The target of their obsession is reportedly a black-haired girl with astonishing beauty and a teardrop mole under her eye. They fight over her out of jealousy, scheming against each other and even resorting to direct murder, seemingly having completely lost their minds. Rumors are already spreading in the area that she is a mind-controlling fox spirit reborn."
"Fox spirits and ghosts? Isn't it just some guy using genjutsu causing trouble?"
Tsunade scoffed after hearing the description, but this time, she didn't immediately reject it.
Seeing Tsunade's attitude soften, the Third Hokage smiled and tossed out another option. "In Kirimi Village, near the northwestern border, young women have been disappearing on the night of the full moon over the past three months. They are found unconscious the next morning in front of the shrine outside the village. Their lives aren't in danger, but they have absolutely no memory of the previous night, and their bodies show signs of mild exhaustion."
"Rumors are spreading through the village that the Mountain God is taking brides, causing widespread panic. The local guard investigated to no avail and reported the situation, requesting professional shinobi assistance."
Shizune's small face was still pale as she muttered, "The Mountain God taking brides... that still sounds super creepy..."
"Why are all of these either gods and ghosts or urban legends?!" Tsunade finally snapped. "Old man, don't you have any normal C-rank missions? Like wiping out bandits or escorting a merchant caravan?"
The Third Hokage shrugged, looking innocent. "The Land of Fire has been relatively peaceful lately. The standard escort and bandit-suppression missions have already been taken by other squads. What's left are either these cases with a supernatural flavor that need shinobi to uncover the truth and dispel rumors, or more distant, complex international missions."
He paused, as if suddenly remembering something. He rummaged through the pile of scrolls on his desk and pulled out one that looked relatively new.
"Ah, right. I do have one here... well, it might be a bit unusual, but it might be the most suitable mission for Squad 10's current situation."
The Third unrolled the scroll, his eyes scanning the contents, and read in his usual, steady voice:
"Mission Type: VIP Escort. Client: Shinichi Higashino, Guest Chef at Konoha's Ajino Takumi Restaurant. Mission Details: Safely escort Guest Chef Shinichi Higashino to the capital of the Land of Fire, ensure his safety during his stay while he completes all procedures related to the 'Number One in the Land of Fire' Culinary Competition, and safely escort him back to Konoha. Mission Rank: C-rank."
The Third Hokage read it entirely deadpan, as if it were the most ordinary escort mission in the world.
However, the moment he finished speaking...
Everyone in Squad 10, including Tsunade, snapped their heads toward Shinichi Higashino, who had been standing off to the side, mostly silent since the meeting began!
Everyone's faces were plastered with shock, confusion, and a ridiculous sense of 'Did I just hear that right?'
Shinichi was a chef?
He was entering a culinary competition?
Shizune and Kurenai were completely dumbfounded, their eyes wide as saucers.
Tsunade blinked, the impatient expression on her face freezing entirely. She raised a hand, pointing a somewhat uncertain finger at the perfectly calm Shinichi, then turned back to the Third Hokage. "Old man, this client you just mentioned... Shinichi Higashino. Is he the same person I'm thinking of?"
"Assuming the client didn't provide false information, yes, it's the same person."
The Third Hokage coughed lightly, then smiled. "Well? Tsunade, are you taking it?"
"Taking it! Why wouldn't I take it?" Tsunade hesitated no longer. She snatched the mission scroll from the Third's hands with a crisp, decisive motion.
She turned around to face Shinichi. Suddenly, an incredibly friendly, almost exaggeratedly enthusiastic smile bloomed on her face. Speaking in a tone reserved for a highly valued VIP client, she declared:
"Mr. Shinichi Higashino, please rest assured! From here on out, Konoha's Squad 10 will use the utmost professionalism to guarantee your absolute safety during your trip to the capital! We promise to deliver you to the competition venue without a single hair out of place, and escort you back in one perfect piece! Please focus entirely on preparing for your competition with peace of mind!"
What is this?
Did he just issue a mission request to himself? Shizune and Kurenai both thought incredulously.
Faced with Tsunade's deliberately goofy, solemn promise, the corner of Shinichi's mouth twitched involuntarily. But he quickly recovered his composure, nodded slightly, and played along, "Then I'll be leaving my upcoming itinerary in your capable hands."