Obito firmly believed in this statement, but he definitely didn't want to make his last - minute appearance by being late. That was not a protagonist - like entrance at all!
On the way, he had encountered an old man who had fallen. He took the old man to the Konoha Hospital, called for doctors and nurses, and then rushed to the gate of Konoha as fast as he could.
Sure enough, that annoying Kakashi was looking at him with a face full of impatience.
Who is he showing that stinky face to all day long?
He really wanted to curse because he was late.
Teacher Minato was also looking at him with a troubled expression. Kiyosuke, Asuma, and the others were there too.
"Sorry, Teacher Minato, I'm late."
"It's okay. Don't do this again next time. We're going on a mission, not something else. Being late is something that must never happen again." Minato sighed and apologized to Mr. Kazama. After all, it was his fault for not disciplining his subordinates well.
"Yes, Teacher Minato!"
With Obito's arrival, both teams were complete. Mr. Kazama got into the sedan chair, which was carried by special porters, and everyone officially set off on the journey to the Land of Hot Water.
"Say, Obito, is this your first time leaving Konoha?" On the way, Kiyosuke asked the excited Obito.
"Of course. It's the first time I've left Konoha since I was born." Obito said excitedly, "I want to see the scenery different from that of Konoha."
Hey, hey, this cheerful boy and the villain who wants to destroy the world in the future are completely different people!
"That's true. Usually, we can't leave Konoha without a reason except when on a mission. I'm really excited to carry out this kind of mission for the first time." Rin chimed in.
"Is this your first time out?"
"No." Kiyosuke recalled some unpleasant memories and said, "Forget it. Let's not talk about it."
The last mission was still fresh in his memory, and he didn't want to bring it up.
Obito blinked. He felt that the topic had become heavy, so he changed the subject.
"Is there anything we need to pay attention to in this mission, Teacher Minato?"
Minato said, "Generally speaking, an escort mission isn't a very dangerous one. Just protect the safety of the employer. Of course, we still need to be careful of bandits on the way."
When it came to bandits, the expressions of Kiyosuke and the other two didn't look good.
Kakashi noticed their expressions and asked, "What's wrong with you guys? Was your last mission out of the village related to bandits?"
"I don't want to talk about this."
"Me neither."
"Sorry, Kakashi, we don't want to talk about it."
After all, killing for the first time was a memory that could never fade away.
Yuuhi Mahiro glanced at his subordinates and shook his head. They were still just kids.
Minato had also gone through this stage and could probably guess, so he led the conversation to other topics.
"The Land of Hot Water is in the northeast of the Fire Country. It's famous for its beautiful natural scenery, you know."
"But doesn't the Land of Hot Water have a ninja village? Will they give us trouble when we go there?" Obito asked.
It hadn't been long since the Second Shinobi World War, and the relationships between various countries were still a bit tense.
Minato explained, "Don't worry. The Land of Hot Water has always maintained a good cooperative relationship with the Fire Country. Moreover, after the Second Shinobi World War, the Hidden Hot Water Village is no longer what it used to be."
During the Second Shinobi World War, the Hidden Hot Water Village was severely damaged and had long lost its former glory.
"And with two jonins, Teacher Minato and Teacher Mahiro, there's nothing to worry about." Kakashi said, "Rather than worrying about this, you might as well worry about being late again when we leave."
"Damn it! That was just an accident! There are no old people in the Land of Hot Water that I know!" Obito jumped up in anger. The somewhat solemn topic gradually shifted to what they should buy when they arrived in the Land of Hot Water.
Before long, they entered a town.
Mr. Kazama took the goods he had stored here, and the way of traveling changed from walking to taking a carriage.
Looking at the convoy behind, pulling large and small goods, no wonder two ninja teams were needed for escort. But why he didn't ask chunins to escort was unknown.
To protect the convoy well, the two team leaders divided the work. Team Minato was responsible for the front part of the convoy, scouting the way and protecting the employer.
Team Mahiro was responsible for the rear part, guarding against sneak attacks and protecting the goods.
The night - watch duty was also arranged in the same way. The two teams took turns keeping watch, one in the first half of the night and the other in the second half. These arrangements were rotated daily.
Sitting on a carriage tied with goods, looking at the deep ruts in the dirt, Kiyosuke was a bit interested in the goods being transported.
He was about to take a peek but was stopped by Yuuhi Mahiro. "It's not allowed to pry into the employer's secrets. Understand? Don't do it again next time."
"Yes."
What the employer was selling had nothing to do with them. All they needed to do was complete the mission.
"I'll go patrol at the back."
Kiyosuke obediently ran to the back. Although this was just a simple escort mission, it didn't mean there was no danger. Wild beasts on the road, bandits who might jump out suddenly... were all potential enemies.
Suddenly, the little white snake in his sleeve stuck out its head, pointed in one direction, and flicked its tongue.
Judging by this, there should be enemies.
"Stop!!"
A group of bandits suddenly jumped out. They had fierce looks, burly figures, broad shoulders, and strong fists, looking like they were good at fighting.
"This is a robbery! Hand over all your things, and we'll spare your lives!" The leader's voice was rough, and the machete in his hand glistened with a cold light in the sun.
"Bandits again..."
Without saying a word, Kiyosuke rushed out and kicked the man in the face. All his teeth were kicked out, and blood spattered everywhere.
"Boss! What are you doing! Boss?!"
"Boss, how could you be defeated?!"
Bandit leader: I made a move, and I was instantly killed. What's there to say?
Several bandits shouted, picked up their boss, and ran away, as if they were just here for a joke.
"Uh, let's keep moving."
This was just a small episode and didn't need to be taken seriously. The convoy moved forward slowly. Everyone wasn't in a hurry and was moving at a leisurely pace.
They thought the journey would be uneventful, but not long after, another group of people jumped out.
These people were not the same as the previous bandits. They were all wearing long swords. Although they looked slovenly, the aura on their bodies was much fiercer than those bandits, filled with a strong smell of blood.
These were a group of ronin!
That is, so - called wandering samurai.
They had their eyes on the convoy, on Mr. Kazama's money. They had followed the convoy all the way and decided to make a move in this desolate place, wanting to wipe out everyone here.
Then they could sell the goods in the convoy and make a fortune.
After all, they were wandering samurai with no one to support them.