Ryu entered his home and found Dan waiting for him.
"Good morning, Grandpa," Ryu said.
Dan raised his head to look at Ryu. "Morning, Ryu. You've received a letter. From the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers."
Ryu, intrigued, asked, "Oh?"
"Yes," Dan confirmed, gesturing to the letter. "He's identified some land for us to potentially use and is asking us to visit to see which plots might be suitable."
A moment of contemplative silence enveloped them as they pondered the journey ahead. Dan was the first to break it. "I'll go with you, Ryu."
Ryu shook his head gently. "Thank you, Grandpa, but I need you to stay here. Jiyuu and Yasashii are making significant progress with their chakra control, and I need you to keep training them. They respond well to your guidance."
Before Dan could protest further, Enjomi Kaori, Ryu's diligent private secretary who had been quietly attending to some tasks nearby, stepped forward.
"Boss", Kaori said, her tone formal but earnest, "please allow me to accompany you. It is my duty to assist you."
Dan looked at Kaori. "Kaori", Dan said, "while I appreciate your dedication, a journey to the Land of Rivers is no simple trip. Will you truly be able to travel that far? It could be dangerous."
Kaori met his gaze calmly. "Big Boss, before I became a private secretary, I was a genin," she replied. "I assure you, I still have some ninja left in my bones."
Ryu offered a small smile to Dan. "Grandpa, it won't be necessary to worry about a bodyguard," Ryu said. "There are already... ANBU guards assigned to me so a regular guide will be fine."
Dan frowned. "ANBU guards will be far away, Ryu. Out in the wilderness between villages, you need someone close by. Someone actively watching your back."
The discussion continued, Dan firmly insisting on proper protection. Eventually, the talks concluded with Dan laying down a non-negotiable condition.
"Ryu, if you are going, you are having a bodyguard," Dan stated firmly. "A Jonin-level ninja, at least. Otherwise, I won't allow you to go."
Reluctantly, Ryu agreed, knowing Dan's concern stemmed from love and a deep understanding of the dangers that now surrounded them.
Dan left home to place A mission request for a bodyguard was subsequently placed with the Leaf Ninja Mission Centre. Dan went directly to see Tatsuya, the lead mission approver.
Dan had known him for years; Tatsuya smiled warmly, reflecting their long-standing relationship. Dan said, "Hello, Tatsuya. It is good to hear from you."
Tatsuya felt a wave of relief and genuine happiness seeing Dan. He said, "It's truly good to hear from you. I'm just glad you're no longer taking those dangerous missions and are finally enjoying a peaceful retired life with your grandson."
When informed of the specifics of the request, Tatsuya's demeanour shifted to one of focused professionalism.
"Leave everything to me," Tatsuya assured them emphatically. "I will personally ensure you have the best Jonin available for this mission."
The wheels were set in motion, with the Leaf Ninja Mission Centre soon to assign a high-level bodyguard to accompany the young prodigy on his journey.
Somewhere in the abandoned streets of the village, a cloaked ANBU ninja moved with stealth through a hidden tunnel. They entered a bunker-like lair, the stone walls bare and imposing – the operational heart of Root, Danzo Shimura's personal force.
The ANBU approached Danzo Shimura, who was seated at a large desk, with Tatsuma Aburame standing beside him.
The ANBU knelt. "Lord Danzo," the ninja reported, "Dan Hamura has put in a request with the Mission Centre for a Jonin for a bodyguard mission."
Danzo's mind churned, a calculating thought forming, "It is time to put Dan and that bastard's grandson in their place."
"Tatsuma", Danzo said, his voice a low rasp, "It's time for you to deal with the Hamura problem I left unattended for too long. You will head this operation and complete it where I left off. Take whoever you want."
Tatsuma nodded.
Danzo asked, "Who has accepted this mission?"
The ninja replied, "No one has accepted it yet. It is still with mission control."
Danzo said, "Good. Have one of our own accept that bodyguard mission."
"Understood," Tatsuma replied, his voice devoid of emotion.
"What is the status of the Jisatsu Squad?" Danzo asked.
"My spies report they have already left the Land of Lightning," the ANBU replied. "They are moving to set up an ambush in the Land of Rivers."
Danzo nodded slowly. "Good. Now, leak the information that Hamura is going to leave the village to the Cloud Village's spy. And use our agent in the ANBU force under Hokage to confirm the ANBU patrols assigned to him and see if our agent can be included in the ANBU mission." His eyes narrowed slightly. "And when it is all done, take in that cloud village's spy. We will condition him to act as a double."
"Yes, Lord Danzo," the ANBU respectfully acknowledged.
"You will leave as well, Tatsuma," Danzo instructed. "Take a capable sealmaster with you. If you manage to capture a member of the Jisatsu Squad alive, have him copy the [Jisatsu seal]."
"Yes, Lord Danzo," Tatsuma replied.
Danzo added, the command chillingly casual, "Read their memories and find out everything he knows about Onnen's operations," but be careful. We don't know what kind of seal that is."
Tatsuma simply nodded in understanding. "Understood, Lord Danzo. We will not fail you," he assured before turning to leave with the sealmaster in tow.
Danzo sat alone for a moment, a cruel smile forming beneath his bandages. Danzo thought, "Your happy days are over, Hamura."
Danzo looked out into the empty space before him and said, "I will send that brat to his real grandfather."
Traps were set for Ryu, setting a dangerous stage for him.
The next day, Dan and Ryu left home to meet and depart with the Jonin guard they had requested at the mission centre for their journey.
Traps already set for Ryu Hamura by unseen hands, the next day, Dan and Ryu left their home and made their way to the Leaf Village Mission Centre. They found Tatsuya waiting for them.
Tatsuya greeted Dan with a smile. "Dan, it's good to see you. I received your request." Tatsuya looked over at Ryu. "This must be your grandson."
"Yes, Tatsuya," Dan replied. "This is Ryu."
Ryu offered a polite nod. "Hello."
Tatsuya regarded Ryu with interest. "Hello. I hear you're quite the genius, making waves in the medical field and elsewhere."
A brief exchange of pleasantries followed.
"You're quite lucky with your request," Tatsuya told them. "You asked for a Jonin for the bodyguard mission, but it was accepted by a new elite Jonin."
Dan nodded slowly. "That is very reassuring to hear."
Tatsuya continued, "Yes, and this elite ninja specially requested this mission."
This piece of information caught both Dan's and Ryu's attention. An elite Jonin, specifically asking for a Jonin-ranked bodyguard mission? It was not unusual but still surprised them. A shared, subtle glance passed between Dan and Ryu. They were cautious people; they needed to understand the reason behind this unusual request before they would accept the assigned guard.
"Here he is now, right on time," Tatsuya said, gesturing towards the entrance.
A moment later, a ninja walked towards them. Ryu recognised him immediately. He had seen him before and [Editic Memory] as not just for the books.
"You", Ryu said, a note of surprise in his voice, "I remember you. You were there in the hospital."
Ryu's gaze sharpened slightly as he recalled the chaotic scene. "It was your partner, Tetsuo. He was the one with the explosive tag in his gut."
The approaching ninja stopped before them, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "Yes, that was my friend," Mukai Kohinata confirmed.
Kohinata faced Ryu and bowed, expressing his gratitude, "Thank you so much for saving Tetsuo that day. I accepted this mission as a token of my gratitude for saving my friend's life."
Ryu nodded in acknowledgement, feeling a sense of respect for Kohinata's loyalty. "It was the right thing to do," he replied humbly.
"But," Ryu shook his head humbly. "You don't owe me anything, Mr. Kohinata. I'm a licensed medic now, and it was just my duty."
"Still," Mukai insisted, "I thank you for that. I know how challenging the situation was at that time. Even Lady Tsunade doubted it could be done. But you found a way. Your innovative approach saved him." He bowed his head respectfully and said, "Thank you. I will be in your care as your bodyguard for the next few days."
After the introduction and mutual understanding were established, they proceeded to complete the necessary mission paperwork. Soon after, under the watchful, capable eyes of Mukai Kohinata, Dan and Ryu left the village, embarking on their journey to the Land of Rivers.
Unbeknownst to everyone, due to Kohinata's intervention, the Jonin originally assigned by Danzo lost the bodyguard mission as Kohinata outranked him.
##PoWeR StOnEs##
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