My Techniques are a bit off

One Month Later, Morning at Link's Home, Konohagakure

"Ding-ling-ling~"

Link opened his eyes, turned off the alarm clock, and groggily got out of bed, heading to the bathroom.

At the same time, his shadow on the ground, identical to him, stood up and walked into the kitchen to begin making breakfast.

"Whoosh~"

The sound of running water echoed.

Ten minutes later, Link finished washing up, walked out of the bathroom while drying his face with a towel, and sat at the dining table, yawning. The shadow placed fried eggs, toasted bread, and a cup of warm milk on the table before reverting to a two-dimensional state.

"Today's the first B-rank mission I'll carry out with Ensui-sensei—wait, no, my second B-rank mission…"

As he ate breakfast, his mind gradually cleared, and he began planning the day.

The development of his shadow technique had concluded two weeks ago, and he had taken the opportunity to apply for a slew of ninjutsu scrolls from the village.

After all, judging by the Third Hokage's attitude, the old man seemed to have some expectations of him. Why not take advantage while the opportunity lasted? He'd applied for, well, just a modest set of over seventy jutsu.

The scrolls included a large number of C- and D-rank elemental jutsu, along with B- and A-rank medical ninjutsu, summoning techniques, and sealing techniques.

As for his average chakra reserves and the fact that he still hadn't mastered a second chakra nature—

Oh well, might as well try. Whether it works or not, no harm in asking, right?

It's not like he had the money to buy these scrolls himself. He was a Chūnin now, and with the Third Hokage favoring him, there was no reason not to shamelessly ask.

"Not bad, my cooking skills are improving."

Link finished breakfast and nodded in satisfaction.

In his hands, the shadow clone technique had evolved into a debuff skill against opponents. But it also had a fascinating little trick—his own shadow, once separated, didn't return due to stamina depletion.

In essence, the technique was a permanent buff for himself. The shadow clone could stand up and perform any task, consuming the same amount of stamina as if he did it himself. However, for daily tasks, the energy consumption was so negligible that it hardly mattered.

Moreover, when it reverted to a two-dimensional state, the energy consumption dropped even further. He could easily maintain it 24/7 if needed.

Do you know what that means?

It meant he could finally escape the drudgery of daily chores. No more worrying about cooking, laundry, cleaning, or even…

Link put on the freshly laundered clothes he'd hung to dry the previous day. Standing by the doorframe, he compared his height against the marks on the wall. Meanwhile, his shadow busily equipped him with scroll pouches, kunai holsters, and other ninja tools.

"I'm already 136 centimeters tall! I've grown so fast recently."

Seeing that his height had increased by another centimeter, he raised his arms, letting the shadow slip a green vest over him and straighten the creases in his undershirt.

He turned to the mirror, admiring the reflection of Chūnin Link. Maintaining a serious expression, he tried striking a cool pose—first folding his arms, then resting his thumb and index finger under his chin while curling the other three fingers.

Definitely cooler now.

"Perfect, time to go!"

…

At Konoha's Main Gate

"Morning, Ensui-sensei!" Link greeted the arriving Jōnin cheerfully.

Nara Ensui nodded at his three subordinates. "Morning." He tossed a scroll to Link and said, "Here's the intel for this mission."

Link caught the scroll and opened it, with Iris and Ami leaning in to read alongside him.

They already knew the mission's objective from the previous day when they accepted it together:

[Escort a wealthy merchant from the Land of Fire to the Land of Rivers for a gold mine auction.]

The mission was expected to last about two months, involving escorting the target from Konoha to a city in the Land of Rivers, protecting them during the auction, and ensuring their safe return to the Land of Fire.

Though not excessively difficult, it was a B-rank escort mission likely to involve combat with enemy shinobi. The reward was 150,000 ryō—high even among B-rank missions, which was why a Jōnin was assigned to the team.

According to the intel provided by Nara Ensui, potential enemy shinobi were likely from the Amegakure or the Sunagakure.

The gold mine in question was first discovered by a Amegakure merchant in the northern part of the Land of Rivers, near the border. Recently, the merchant had been assassinated, leaving the mine ownerless. The Land of Rivers decided to auction it publicly, with only three parties participating:

The Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Rain.

Shinobi weren't paragons of morality. Assassinations and sabotage in the name of commercial competition were common. To counter such threats, hiring ninja for protection was the natural course of action.

In this competitive cycle, the commerce of the shinobi world felt uncomfortably realistic—

Just eliminate your competitors.

"Interesting…"

Link stared at the scroll and suddenly recalled his first B-rank mission, which involved rescuing a kunoichi pursued by Amegakure shinobi.

Looking up, he met Nara Ensui's gaze. The Jōnin said nothing, though his expression seemed to convey more than words ever could.

"I heard the Kazekage from the Sunagakure can create gold, right?" Iris asked curiously. "Why would they even want a gold mine?"

The Kazekage's ability to manipulate gold dust was no secret, often used in trade with other nations. In fact, the Sunagakure deliberately allowed such rumors to spread, showcasing their wealth and power. Even a seasoned Genin would've heard of it.

"First of all, the Fourth Kazekage doesn't 'create' gold," Nara Ensui corrected. His technique for collecting gold dust was impressive but far from true alchemy. Otherwise, the Sunagakure wouldn't still be struggling financially.

"Secondly, the more gold they can sell, the less they want gold mines falling into someone else's hands…"

His words carried a deeper meaning, though he didn't elaborate. Instead, he said, "They're here."

A convoy of wagons approached the open gates. Nara Ensui jumped down to speak briefly with a samurai-like man at the front before signaling his three subordinates to follow.

The transportation in the shinobi world was… odd, to say the least.

Despite the existence of bicycles, cars in certain areas, railways, and even advanced trains in the future—not to mention ships, sailboats, and steamships—wealthy individuals still used sedan chairs carried by people, and merchants relied on horse-drawn wagons for travel and transport.

It was bafflingly inconsistent. A technological paradox.

Link directed Iris and Ami to take positions on either side of the convoy while he brought up the rear. Watching the slow-moving wagons, he couldn't help but sigh at this utterly unscientific technological tree.

No wonder it would take two months—the pace was painfully slow!

~~~

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