At the entrance of the mission hall.
A middle-aged man in a green jumpsuit was apologizing profusely to two other genin.
This person was none other than Guy's father, Might Duy.
"I'm… I'm sorry, it was my mistake last time. I promise it won't happen again. Please, let me join this mission…"
Might Duy looked extremely nervous, his words full of guilt as he continuously apologized to these people, hoping for their forgiveness.
One of the genin stepped forward.
Holding his forehead in frustration, he said, "Duy, it's not that we don't want to give you a chance, but you always make mistakes. Even if you change this time, you'll make mistakes again next time. Because of you, we've received multiple complaints from clients. If this continues, we'll have a hard time getting missions. So, I'm sorry, but we can't take you anymore."
"Please don't say that!"
Might Duy didn't want to give up and bowed slightly to the two genin, his tone firm as he promised, "I, Might Duy, swear I will do my best to complete the mission and won't make any more mistakes. Please trust me one more time!"
The two genin exchanged a helpless glance. After hesitating for a while, the genin who had spoken earlier said, "Sorry, Duy. You should find another team. We can't take you."
With that, the two genin walked away.
Might Duy wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. He could only watch as his former teammates left.
Tenya and Kakashi witnessed this scene.
Tenya already knew about Might Duy's situation.
What happened before them was nothing more than Might Duy's daily routine.
After being rejected this time, it wouldn't be long before Might Duy, with his tenacious spirit, found another temporary team.
"Is that… Guy's father?"
Kakashi looked uncertainly at Tenya beside him.
Tenya nodded and joked, "A bit surprising, right?"
"A bit!" Kakashi was silent for a moment before continuing, "Guy sometimes talks about his father. Guy's taijutsu was taught by his father. I always thought someone capable of teaching Guy must be strong. But now…"
Perhaps he was a bit disappointed.
Kakashi found himself at a loss for words.
"Though Duy-senpai is a genin, his true strength could rival that of elite jounin, maybe even a Kage-level."
"That's impossible!" Kakashi was skeptical.
Tenya smiled and asked, "Kakashi, have you heard of the forbidden technique Eight Gates?"
"Eight Gates?" Kakashi seemed to recall something and uncertainly asked, "You mean Duy-senpai can use the Eight Gates?"
"Not only can Duy-senpai use the Eight Gates, but he has also mastered it to the level of opening all eight gates. Do you still think he's weak?"
Tenya said with emotion, "Although the side effects of this forbidden technique are severe, just opening the first seven gates can make him as strong as an elite jounin."
Tenya paused and continued, "Such a person would greatly reduce the risk factor of our mission if we had him in our team. Even if unexpected changes occurred, we could handle them smoothly. Even if we couldn't win, we could still retreat safely."
"What do you think, Kakashi?"
Finishing his explanation, Tenya looked at Kakashi.
By now, Kakashi understood Tenya's intention.
He wanted to recruit Might Duy into their team to carry out this mission together.
If Might Duy were as strong as Tenya said, he would indeed be a valuable asset.
With his addition, their team would be more confident in facing dangers.
"If Duy-senpai is as powerful as you say, I don't mind."
Seeing that Tenya had gone to such lengths, Kakashi also showed his stance.
"That's enough!" Tenya patted Kakashi's shoulder, "You'll see Duy-senpai's strength for yourself. You can verify if he's as strong as I said."
After convincing Kakashi, Tenya walked directly towards Might Duy.
Having been rejected by the last team, Might Duy hadn't given up. He was still trying to find a new team to join.
However, he was met with constant rejections.
After a brief moment of disappointment, he regained his spirits and prepared to find his next target team.
Suddenly, a figure blocked his path, and Tenya's voice reached his ears.
"Duy-senpai, you seem to be in trouble…"
Might Duy looked at Tenya, feeling a sense of familiarity but unable to recall who he was.
"You are…"
Despite trying hard to remember, Might Duy couldn't identify Tenya.
However, the surrounding genin recognized Tenya at a glance.
"Isn't that Tenya Gekkou, who performed spectacularly in the Chuunin Exams?"
"Tenya Gekkou? Yeah, I know him. That's definitely him. Didn't expect to see him here."
"I also heard that Hokage-sama promoted him to special jounin recently!"
"Really?"
"Of course! You can ask around if you don't believe me!"
"…"
Listening to the discussions around him, Might Duy finally recalled. The boy in front of him was indeed Tenya Gekkou!
His son Guy had mentioned this person and seemed to get along well with him.
"So, it's you. Guy mentioned you before."
Might Duy looked at Tenya, a genuine smile forming on his face.
"Duy-senpai, this isn't the place to talk. How about we find a quieter spot?"
Tenya glanced around at the bustling crowd and sighed helplessly.
Being too famous wasn't always a good thing!
Given the high level of confidentiality of this mission, Tenya didn't want to discuss it in such a crowded place.
"Sure!"
Might Duy didn't think much of it and agreed to Tenya's request.
Away from the crowd, Tenya and Kakashi led Might Duy to a relatively secluded area.
Only then did Tenya speak, "Duy-senpai, I have a mission here. We still need one more teammate. I'd like to invite you to join us. Would you be willing?"
"Willing? Of course, I'm willing!"
Might Duy's eyes lit up upon hearing the invitation. Without thinking, he agreed immediately.
"Duy-senpai, listen to me first before you decide."
Tenya briefly explained the mission to Might Duy, clarifying its dangers and the reward.
He thought Might Duy would hesitate given the significant risks.
However, he didn't expect that upon hearing the A-Rank mission reward, Might Duy's eyes practically gleamed green.
Without any hesitation, he firmly replied, "I'll take this mission!"
In his eyes, Tenya seemed to see countless money signs.
Thinking the invitation might face some hurdles, Tenya was pleasantly surprised when Might Duy readily agreed, saving him a lot of effort.
Perhaps it was the pressure of life.
At this stage, Might Duy had a son to raise, and the expenses were undoubtedly significant.
As a genin, he could only take on D-Rank and C-Rank missions.
D-Rank missions were mostly trivial tasks with modest rewards.
C-Rank missions required forming a team, but finding a team willing to accept him wasn't easy.
Now, an A-Rank mission with a substantial reward was in front of him, and both teammates seemed to be strong.
Tenya Gekkou had performed exceptionally in the Chuunin Exams and now held the title of special jounin, indicating his considerable strength; Kakashi was also a genius with elite chuunin capabilities.
With these two leading, even with risks, Might Duy believed the mission wouldn't be a big problem. Even if they encountered a major crisis, he trusted his Eight Gates technique to ensure the safety of these village geniuses.
Additionally, the reward for this mission was too tempting for him to refuse.
With Might Duy successfully recruited, Tenya knew they were ready to set off.
At that moment, the familiar system notification sounded in Tenya's mind.
"Ding! Conditions met. Congratulations, host, for successfully triggering a new mission!"
[Escort Mission]: Escort the Princess (Incomplete)
[Mission Requirement]: Safely escort Princess Koyuki Kazahana out of the Land of Snow
[Activation Condition]: 3-man team (Condition met)
[Mission Reward]: (1%-5%) Role Progress
Unexpectedly, a new mission was triggered.
If he successfully completed this escort mission, Tenya would not only receive the deserved reward but also gain system rewards, possibly even unlocking new skills.
A win-win!
This mission couldn't have come at a better time!
"Kakashi, Duy-senpai, you have one hour to prepare. We meet at Konoha's main gate in an hour," Tenya said to Kakashi and Might Duy, adding a reminder, "Don't be late!"
After speaking, Tenya glanced meaningfully at Kakashi.
He knew Kakashi had a habit of being late.
He wondered if Kakashi's old habit would act up this time.
Kakashi knew this well, rolling his eyes helplessly as he promised, "Don't worry, I'll be on time this time."
With that, he disappeared in a flash.
After bidding farewell to Might Duy, Tenya planned to head home.
On the way, he found a small snake blocking his path.
The small snake spat out a scroll before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
"That's Orochimaru's summoning beast!"
Seeing this, Tenya immediately knew what it meant.
"I wonder what Orochimaru wants this time."
After reading the message on the scroll, Tenya didn't hesitate and followed the instructions on the scroll straight to Orochimaru's lab.