CH_6.26 (197)

CH_6.26 (197)

Fourteen teams gathered in the town hall of Camp Banana. The building wasn’t meant to handle fifty people, much less the over ninety crammed into that hall. Only a few secured actual chairs, more sat on the floor, but most barely had enough space to stand comfortably. But they had to, as the town hall was the largest building, and it was raining buckets outside.

Takuma stood somewhere in the back, leaning against a pillar. As they had arrived separately, the team was separated because of the crowd. He looked around and could see them scattered around the hall.

“Shuffle to the side, will you?”

He was not alone, however.

He looked to the side at Kameko, who didn’t look very pleased to be touching shoulders with him.

“There’s no space,” he replied.

“Then make some,” she rolled her eyes.

“Why don’t you jump up to the ceiling and hang there like a banshee,” he said. Then he looked up, and seeing the flat, wide ceiling, began to think his taunt wasn’t a bad idea.

Kameko only scoffed.

The chatter simmered down when the two jonin walked into the hall. Toridasu sat on the chair reserved for him beside Tokubetsu Jonin Benzou from Hidden Steam while Shirakumo took center stage, facing the gathered shinobi.

“Good afternoon, ladies and gents,” Shirakumo greeted as he took the center stage. “Seven days from now, we will be mounting an assault on the Gojiro Gold Mines. All of those gathered here will be participating in the operation. The rest of this camp will remain here, defending the camp.”Thê source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))

He pulled the sheet behind the big boards behind him and revealed a huge wall-wide mission board. His assistant rolled in a cart and passed on the individual mission packets to everyone in the room.

Takuma flipped through the pages as Shirakumo began speaking.

“The first problem to solve is the miners working in the mine. Before we attempt anything, we need to clear out the civilians. With them around, we won’t be able to operate freely—so getting them out is the first priority because we don’t want to get caught up covering for them in the face of an enemy attack.”

He used a large stick to point at the board.

“The mining operation shuts down with sunset, and the miners live in the dormitories,” he pointed at a map, “it’s in the northeast corner, which is to our advantage as we can go in and shepherd them out. But we will have to do it carefully... While the miners sleep at night, the shinobi keep an eye all day round. Security will be tight around the dormitories.

“We would need to be stealthy; one mistake could lead to the entire mines being alerted before we clear them out.” He looked towards the chunin spread among the crowd. “Jonin Toridasu and I have our preferences, but who wants to volunteer who wishes to take on the evacuation components.”

A lot of the chunin raised their hands. Among them was Anko.

“Do you want to do it?” Takuma asked her.

“Of course,” said Kameko, “we will be the first ones in, the first one to make contact, and we get to rescue people—those four teams are going to have the most important job.”

“Sounds about right,” Takuma smiled. “Do you think we would get selected?”

Kameko pursed her lips; she looked like she didn’t want to say it.

“If... If Anko was assigned under Shirakumo, we would have a higher chance... but under Torirdasu, it’ll be difficult if we get selected with how many chunin want to do it.”

They were standing so close that he didn’t need to lean in as he whispered. “Really? I mean, I know other chunin don’t like her very much—but Jonin Toridasu? I didn’t know he had a problem with her.”

She whispered back. “He doesn’t show it openly, but it’s clear from how he’s treated the team that he has something against her. You were not here for two months—two months of our team being incomplete. He could have allotted someone from the quartermaster’s crew or the medical tent so she could at least have a complete team to go on missions, but he didn’t. What does that tell you?”

“... That he doesn’t like her,” Takuma sighed.

Shirakumo nodded and continued,

“Something of this scale; yes, this will be my first time,” Takuma said, cracking his knuckles. He glanced at Benzou for a moment. “I’m worried about the operation.”

“Of course, you are. It’s dangerous; no matter who you are, it’s normal to be worried,” said Benzou.

Takuma shook his head. “No, it’s not about that. I’m worried about the miners; I’m worried that they are being looked at as liabilities. Get them the fuck out of the way so they don’t end up being a burden. They might be criminals, but they’re still civilians of this country. I think the evacuation teams need to be extremely careful how they approach their part.”

Takuma felt Benzou’s gaze on him. He looked at him and noticed how the look had changed.

‘Okay...’

“If you’re so worried, how about getting your team into the evacuation unit,” said Benzou.

‘Excellent!’

Takuma laughed bitterly. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“Really, why?” asked Benzou.

Takuma looked at Benzou, smiled, and shook his head. “I can’t say. It’s an internal problem.” Benzou was a Hidden Steam shinobi; they might be an ally, but he was still an outsider to the Hidden Leaf. There were things no Hidden Leaf shinobi would share with him, no matter Benzou’s rank.

And that worked to Takuma’s advantage.

Benzou furrowed his brows but nodded in understanding.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. The evacuation unit is the first one into the enemy territory. It’s the most dangerous; thus, the most glory. The mission will go to the jonins’ favorites. I just hoped that it would go to someone who actually cares,” said Takuma, pretending that he didn’t notice what he had given out from his words.

There were two possibilities: Benzou noticed and thought that Takuma’s words were a genuine slip-up, or Benzou noticed and realized what he was trying to do. It was good for Takuma either way. He didn’t mind as long as he had a chance to get what he wanted.

“Anyway, I must take my leave, sir. I have a lot to prepare,” Takuma patted his chest where the mission packet was taking cover. “Let’s continue this some other day.”

“Of course,” Benzou smiled. “I must thank you once more.”

“I was just trying to help,” Takuma replied before leaving. He didn’t look back and jogged until he was in his home.

“What was that about with Hidden Steam’s Benzou?” Daiki asked as the first thing as Takuma closed the main door behind him.

Takuma removed his shoes and put the mission packet on the table. He looked up at his teammate and roommate and answered,

“I was getting a return on investment.”

Daiki looked confused. “I don’t understand.”

Takuma leaned against the table and smiled,

“I’m curious if it will pan out. You know, everyone likes good people—especially when they’re trying to help them.”

Daiki’s confusion didn’t improve, but Takuma hummed a tune, satisfied with himself.

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