The next morning, Akira made a brief trip to the Konoha Mission Assignment Center.
Stepping up to the counter, he submitted an official C-rank request for a private medical ninjutsu tutor. The terms were straightforward: 200,000 ryo for a single month of basic instruction, requiring only fundamental medical knowledge and chakra control guidance. For an inactive or low-level medical ninja, it was remarkably easy money.
Leaving the center, Akira walked through the village streets to pick up groceries and fresh fruit for the house.
The atmosphere in the commercial district felt heavy and tense. Everywhere he walked, small groups of villagers huddled near storefronts, whispering bitterly under their breath about the Uchiha clan and the tragedy of the Nine-Tails attack.
"If the Police Force was actually doing their job during the attack, so many lives wouldn't have been lost..." a merchant muttered quietly to his neighbor.
"And now news from the front lines says the fighting is getting worse," another villager added with a scowl. "Our ninja are dying out there every day, while the Uchiha just parade around the village acting like kings."
Nearby, a patrol of Uchiha Police Force members walked past, their hands resting on their sword hilts. Their teeth were gritted tightly, their faces pale with suppressed rage as they ignored the glaring eyes around them and continued their routine rounds.
Akira watched the scene play out with a quiet sigh as he carried his bags of groceries.
"The Uchiha higher-ups are truly foolish for clinging so tightly to the Police Department," Akira thought to himself. "It separates them from the rest of the village and turns them into the scapegoat for every piece of resentment."
Returning to his villa, Akira spent the remainder of the morning refining his chakra control and practicing the intricate brushstrokes required for complex fuinjutsu formulas.
By early afternoon, a knock sounded at the front gate.
Sister Ren opened the door to find a woman in her late twenties with short brown hair, round spectacles, and a gentle, slightly weary expression.
"Good afternoon," the woman said politely. "Is this the residence of Hyūga Akira? I'm here regarding the C-rank mission request for a medical ninjutsu teacher."
"Ah, yes. Young Master Akira mentioned you might arrive," Sister Ren replied warmly, stepping aside to let her in. "Please wait in the main hall for a moment. I'll inform him right away."
Sister Ren walked back toward the yard, where Akira was currently standing with his arms crossed, supervising Po as the giant panda sat at a low table struggling to write human letters with a brush.
"Young Master, the applicant for your mission has arrived," Ren reported softly.
Akira nodded, making a brief hand sign. "Byakugan!"
Veins bulged slightly around his eyes as his vision pierced through the sliding doors and walls of the main house. The moment his gaze locked onto the brown-haired woman sitting in the hall, Akira blinked in genuine surprise.
"Nonō Yakushi... the Wandering Miko and current director of the Konoha Orphanage."
He quickly put the pieces together. A simple C-rank tutoring mission offering 200,000 ryo for basic instruction was an incredibly lucrative job. With the ongoing war straining village resources, the Konoha Orphanage was likely running completely dry on funding, making Nonō eager to claim such an easy payout. What surprised him, however, was seeing a high-level Root field agent specialized in espionage and covert gathering spending her time answering local tutoring requests.
"Sister Ren, please bring her out to the garden," Akira said, deactivating his Byakugan.
Sister Ren bowed and returned to the main hall, leading Nonō out into the backyard.
As Nonō walked down the wooden corridor, she looked around the estate in quiet awe. The expansive courtyard, carefully maintained gardens, and serene atmosphere gave off the impression of an elite Main House elder's private residence.
"The client must be a high-ranking Main House child to afford a private tutor at that price," Nonō thought to herself.
However, as they stepped into the open yard, her breath caught in her throat.
Sitting under a shade tree was a young boy wearing a simple black shirt. The green Cursed Seal of the Branch House sat clearly visible right in the center of his forehead, completely uncovered. Beside him sat a massive, full-grown panda wearing tiny reading glasses, holding a writing brush in its big paw while the young boy sternly pointed at a sheet of paper.
"Keep your wrist straight, Po. Your handwriting looks like a squashed beetle," Akira was saying calmly.
Nonō stood frozen for a second, completely caught off guard by the surreal scene before her—especially seeing a Branch House member living in such luxury.
Akira turned toward her, gesturing to a pair of wooden chairs set near the garden table. "Please, sit down."
Nonō quickly composed herself, taking a seat opposite the young boy. "Thank you. I am Nonō Yakushi. I saw your mission posting at the center."
Akira got straight to the point. "Let's discuss the requirements. First, the teaching sessions will be two hours every day—one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening. Second, you will prepare all training materials and medical scrolls yourself. Third, you must not disclose any details about my learning progress during this month to anyone... including the Hokage or the village council."
Nonō listened carefully, nodding without hesitation. The orphanage urgently needed the funds, and the conditions were completely reasonable for a private clan lesson. "I agree to all three terms. However... is it possible to receive an advance on the payment?"
Akira looked at her for a moment, then spoke in a relaxed tone. "I can do better than an advance. If you agree to expand the lessons to include high-level combat sparring alongside medical training, I will increase the total mission reward to one million ryo, paid immediately."
Nonō's eyes widened behind her round glasses. A million ryo was enough to keep the orphanage fully funded for months. But caution immediately took over, her gaze sharpening as she looked at the young Branch House boy.
"A million ryo for basic sparring?" Nonō asked carefully, her voice dropping. "Why ask a simple medical ninja for combat training?"
Akira offered a calm, faint smile. "Who is more qualified to teach practical survival and combat than a former senior agent of Root?"
The temperature in the yard seemed to drop instantly.
The gentle, scholarly aura around Nonō vanished completely. Her eyes turned cold and sharp, her body tensing as she slid back from her chair into a low, lethal battle stance, her fingers hovering near her weapon pouch.
"How do you know that name?" she asked, her voice laced with deadly quiet.
Beside them, sensing the sudden spike in hostility, Po dropped his writing brush and let out a deep, protective roar, his massive frame rising to shield Akira.
Akira casually reached into his pocket, pulled out a fresh stalk of sweet sugarcane, and tossed it to the panda. "Easy, Po. Go back to your homework."
Po immediately caught the sugarcane, his territorial anger melting away as he happily began crunching on the sweet treat and sat back down.
Akira turned back to Nonō, remaining entirely unbothered by her threat. "Root isn't as much of a ghost as Danzō likes to think. The village has many eyes, and the Hyūga Clan has been here since Konoha's founding. We know far more secrets than people assume, especially regarding those who served in the dark. It would be best for both of us if you keep that knowledge to yourself."
Nonō stared at the calm boy, her mind racing. The Hyūga clan's Byakugan and vast intelligence network were famous throughout the land. It wasn't entirely impossible for a gifted Branch House prodigy with access to clan records to know about classified village factions.
Realizing there was no immediate threat or ambush, Nonō slowly stood up straight, letting her guard down and relaxing her posture.
"I see..." Nonō sighed softly, adjusting her glasses. "Very well. But for the record, I have long since retired from field operations and Root. I have no remaining connections to that organization."
"That works out perfectly for me," Akira smiled smoothly. "I'm only interested in your skill, not your past loyalties."
He turned toward the house and called out, "Sister Ren, please bring the scroll from my study table."
Ren stepped out a moment later, handing over a thick financial mission scroll. Akira signed his name, stamped it with his seal, and handed the advance payment scroll directly to Nonō.
Taking the scroll, Nonō bowed politely. "I will prepare the necessary medical texts tonight and return tomorrow morning for our first session."
"I'll be waiting, please take care of me." Akira replied.