Garp finally understood what the hall was after Kitse explained it to him.
Everything about the place was surreal, even for someone like him. Now that he understood there was no danger to Foosha Village, the sharpness of his aura receded substantially. Kitse, however, did not seem particularly bothered by it in the first place.
"So, what do you say, Garp-san? Would you like to join the Guild?" Kitse asked straightforwardly.
"Are there any strings attached, brat?" Garp asked in return.
"There are only two rules in the Guild."
Kitse raised two fingers.
"First, members of the Guild may not engage in violence inside the Guild. Second, every member must complete at least one mission a year."
He lowered his hand.
"That's it."
Garp's eyes glistened as he listened to the young Guild Master.
"Very well. I'll join your little Guild. Let me see what kind of missions you have."
Kitse walked into the back of the Guild and returned with a shiny green jade medallion. A sleek blue ring with a large butterfly engraved into its surface was embedded within the medallion.
He tossed it toward Garp.
"The medallion is your identity token. Hold it in your right palm and think about returning to the Guild. You'll be teleported here after roughly ten seconds. If your concentration is interrupted during that period, the teleportation will be cancelled."
Garp examined the strange object in his hand.
"Since you've just joined the Guild, you don't have the right to freely choose your missions. That privilege will be granted after you complete at least five missions and I approve your promotion."
Kitse smiled faintly.
"Would you like your first mission?"
Garp played around with the medallion for a moment before nodding.
It was reasonable. Privileges had to be earned, after all.
"Fine. Give me the mission."
Kitse turned toward the wall of pinned papers and immediately found one suitable for Garp.
He pulled the pin from the notice and brought the paper back to the counter.
Garp took it from his hands and began reading.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
NEXUS GUILD | MISSION
Mission: The Fourth Hokage's Unease
Commissioned By: Namikaze Minato, Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure
Mission Details:
My wife, Uzumaki Kushina, is due to give birth shortly. As the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, the childbirth presents certain risks that cannot be ignored. I have been experiencing a strong sense of unease for several weeks, as though something dangerous is bound to happen.
I request the assistance of a capable combatant to remain on standby and assist in protecting the village should an unforeseen crisis arise.
Requirement: Kage-level combatant or higher.
Mission Duration:
Until the childbirth has been safely concluded and any resulting threat has been resolved.
Mission Restrictions:
The participant may not intentionally cause civilian casualties or indiscriminate destruction.
Lethal force may be used against confirmed hostile entities.
Violation of the mission restrictions will result in immediate mission failure and forfeiture of the mission reward.
Mission Reward:
As the Guild Master chooses.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
"Konohagakure? Hokage? Nine-Tails?" Garp looked up from the paper, his expression becoming increasingly confused. "What the hell are these? And what does 'as the Guild Master chooses' mean?"
"You'll understand soon enough," Kitse replied calmly. "Even if I explained it to you now, you'd probably think I was joking."
"As for the reward, it means that the reward will be determined by the Guild Master's evaluation of your performance during the mission."
Garp narrowed his eyes.
"So you're judging me?"
"No. The guild has a branch in that place. The guild master there will be the judge of your performance."
Kitse's smile widened slightly.
"So, are you ready?"
Garp couldn't help but notice a faint trace of schadenfreude in Kitse's voice.
"Ready? Ready for what?"
He immediately became alert.
"Ready for the mission, of course."
Kitse replied innocently.
"Oh."
Garp relaxed again.
"Yeah, I guess."
He assumed Kitse would simply give him directions to this Konohagakure.
Should I take Bogard with me?
Before Garp could give the matter much thought, Kitse stepped forward and casually tapped him on the forehead.
Garp's eyes widened.
Kitse was so fast, he could barely even react before his forehead was tapped.
The next instant, he was standing inside another hall.
It was almost identical to the one he had just left.
However, Kitse was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, a young woman stood behind the counter, while a blond-haired young man stood beside her.
Both of them were staring directly at him.
Garp slowly lowered his hand.
"...What?"
Minato POV
A few moments earlier.
"Guild Master. You called for me?"
Minato had immediately used his Guild token after receiving Lady Minerva's summons.
The yellow flash disappeared, revealing the Fourth Hokage inside the Guild.
Minerva smiled lightly as she looked toward him.
"Your mission has been accepted by someone. He should be here any moment now."
Minato's eyes widened slightly.
"Already?"
Before Minerva could answer, a strange sensation filled the room.
A figure suddenly appeared in the center of the Guild. He was an enormous, muscular old man with grey hair and a grey beard. A white Marine coat with the bold lettered word 'JUSTICE' printed on the back rested over his shoulders.
In his hand was a Guild token.
Minato's eyes immediately fell upon the symbol engraved into it.
Unlike his own token, which bore the silhouette of a lion, the old man's bore a blue butterfly.
The old man looked around the Guild with an expression of complete confusion.
Minato instinctively shifted his stance. He had no idea who this man was.
But one thing was immediately obvious.
The newcomer was strong. Minato could feel it.