Chapter 22: Preparation
After parting ways with Shisui and Itachi, Ryuya quickly returned home.
This time, the three of them had accepted a total of three missions, all of which were A-rank.
The first was an escort mission. The target was a wealthy merchant from the Land of Rice Fields, and the mission was expected to last a little over two months.
A merchant capable of issuing an A-rank mission was clearly no ordinary figure—his wealth and status were bound to be exceptional.
Escort missions of this kind were anything but simple, because there were far too many people coveting such targets.
It could be the employer's business rivals, or bands of thieves formed by rogue ninjas.
Among them, the rogue ninja groups were the most troublesome. Though most of them weren't particularly strong, their numbers were overwhelming.
Especially after the brutal Third Great Ninja War, the destruction of many small countries and minor ninja villages had produced even more rogue ninjas.
Struggling to survive, these rogues wandered everywhere committing crimes, and "fat sheep" like their current mission target were extremely likely to become the focus of their attacks.
Once the escort mission was completed, it would be followed by two missions to eliminate rogue ninjas. All three missions combined were expected to take at least half a year.
After carefully studying the mission intelligence, Ryuya began making preparations.
The first and most critical matter was food supplies.
With the help of the biochip, Ryuya had now fully mastered the Akimichi clan's Partial Expansion Technique and Expansion Technique. Combined with the two recently acquired C-rank jutsu—Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall and Wind Release: Great Breakthrough—he could easily display combat power at the level of a chūnin.
As long as he prepared sufficient food reserves, Ryuya would be able to maintain steady combat output during the mission.
However, considering the long duration of the journey, ordinary food simply wouldn't keep for that long. Ryuya could only purchase large quantities of jerky and dried fruits, sealing them inside storage scrolls.
Soldier Pills were extremely effective, but their price was far too high—something Ryuya couldn't afford at the moment.
To ensure his combat capability, Ryuya also purchased some ninja tools such as kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags.
Although the quantities weren't large, the money spent was still considerable.
After all the shopping, Ryuya realized that his wallet had become even thinner.
Painful as it was, these preparations were necessary for survival.
From this, one could see just how much financial investment was required to cultivate a truly capable ninja.
After preparing everything he needed for the journey, Ryuya began looking for a suitable place to settle Green Snake.
This trip would last roughly half a year—there was no way he could keep Green Snake sealed inside a scroll for that long.
As for his other summoned beast, Brownmaru, Ryuya wasn't worried at all.
Ever since Ryuya had brought it back to Konoha several months ago, the little guy had quickly "defected" and become a permanent resident of Kyoko's household.
Kyoko treasured it dearly, keeping it by her side whenever she had free time. She certainly wouldn't treat it the way Ryuya did—either sealing it away or leaving it at home to guard the house.
Although Ryuya felt a bit annoyed about Brownmaru's "defection," he didn't take it too seriously.
Especially after recently inscribing a Sealing Vitality Technique Mark on it, Ryuya felt even more relieved.
With that mark inscribed, Brownmaru's appetite had increased by two or three times.
Though its food consumption was nowhere near Green Snake's, it was still a minor burden. Since Kyoko liked it so much, Ryuya felt absolutely no guilt in leaving it with her.
Finding a place for Green Snake, however, was a real challenge.
Originally, Ryuya had only used it as a test subject for the Sealing Vitality Technique, but its growth rate had far exceeded his expectations.
After long-term nurturing, Green Snake had grown into a massive python nearly ten meters long and as thick as a water bucket. The amount of chakra within its body was also considerable.
According to the biochip's calculations, Green Snake's strength was even greater than Ryuya's.
Such a summon with tremendous growth potential naturally deserved careful cultivation.
But since Ryuya would be away for half a year, it was impossible to keep such a massive snake by his side. He had to find a suitable place to leave it.
After some thought, Ryuya finally settled on a location—the Forest of Death.
In Konoha, the Forest of Death was a special area. It was a live-combat training ground established by the village. Each year, the Ninja Academy organized multiple exercises there for students about to become genin, and the Chūnin Exams were also usually held within it.
The Forest of Death covered an enormous area—a vast forest spanning a ten-kilometer radius. It was filled with poisonous insects and wild beasts, making it a well-preserved natural treasure trove.
What Ryuya valued most was its natural environment.
With its vast territory, sparse human presence, and abundant natural resources, the Forest of Death seemed like an ideal place to settle Green Snake.
Ryuya rushed to the outskirts of the forest and chose a secluded corner before taking out his summoning scroll.
Poof!
A cloud of white smoke rose as Green Snake was summoned.
The snake appeared extremely excited. It rubbed its massive head against Ryuya, then slithered around for a while before obediently coiling itself into a circle.
Seeing this, Ryuya gently stroked the snake and began inscribing Sealing Vitality Technique marks onto its body.
"Go on."
After finishing, Ryuya lightly patted Green Snake's body, signaling it to enter the Forest of Death.
This time, Ryuya had inscribed eight Sealing Vitality Technique marks on it. He wanted to see whether Green Snake could survive in the wild under these conditions.
Ryuya very much looked forward to the day when Green Snake would fully mature.
"Hiss—hiss~"
Green Snake seemed to understand his intent. It turned back to look at Ryuya, flicked its tongue with a few soft hisses—almost as if expressing reluctance—then slithered off into the depths of the Forest of Death.
Ryuya stood there for a moment, watching, before finally turning away.
That night, with a mix of nervousness and excitement, Ryuya fell into a deep sleep.
Early the next morning, Ryuya knocked on Kyoko's door.
"Ryuya-san?"
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Kyoko's mother, Aunt Tsuchida, Kyoko appeared at the doorway, still half-asleep and wearing an adorable set of pajamas.
"Ah! Wait a moment!"
Seeing Ryuya, Kyoko suddenly remembered their agreement. She spun around and dashed back into her room.
A few minutes later, Kyoko reappeared, fully dressed. After greeting Aunt Tsuchida, the two of them left together.
Before departing, Ryuya still had one more thing to do—inscribe Sealing Vitality Technique marks on Kyoko.
For this kind-hearted girl who had helped him so much, Ryuya naturally wouldn't shortchange her.
The experimental data for the Sealing Vitality Technique was now extremely complete, so Ryuya could confidently apply it to Kyoko.
Taking her to the clan's training chamber, Ryuya inscribed three Sealing Vitality Technique marks on her body.
With the assistance of these three marks, Kyoko's training speed would increase dramatically.
At nine o'clock in the morning, when Ryuya arrived at the village gate, he found that Shisui and Itachi were already waiting.
"Let's go."
Seeing Ryuya arrive, Shisui said nothing more. He simply spoke softly and led Itachi out of the village.
Ryuya immediately quickened his pace and followed after them.
Under the spring morning sunlight, the shadows of the three figures stretched long across the road.