[Amegakure, Eastern district]
The restaurant was a refuge of warmth and noise in the damp, industrial district. Steam from various pots fogged the windows, blurring the eternal rain outside into streaks of silver light.
The air was thick with the rich, savory smells of stewed meat, frying dough, and the distinct, earthy aroma of mushrooms foraged from the swamp forest, a couple of miles down the village.
The bill sat between the shinobi on the scarred wooden table like a declaration of war.
"That will be 2 635 Ryô, Ma'am", the cook spoke, "Do you want to pay now or later?"
Yumi Hakko had a small tear in her eyes, seeing the bill. However, an invitation was an invitation. No matter how easy it had been, they had completed a C-rank mission and killed an entire convoy of merchants alongside their shinobi guards. It was expected for a team captain to take their subordinates out for dinner.
If only...that annoying bastard Goto Haribako was not here...
'This bastard has eaten two bowls by himself and...Ryugo', she smiled thinking about the captain who had led her in combat, 'To think he would be able to fit six bowls in his body despite being so thin'
Ryugo had been loyal to his Sage of the Six Bowls title.
"I was impressed, truly", Yumi said, "Usually, Dark Hall Tower members are stern and arrogant. That's not your case"
Ryugo nodded: "Well, let's just say I find arrogance to be a poor seasoning. It ruins the appetite. And you did invite me to eat, so acting like a decent human being is the least I can do"
Ryugo was a simple man.
Over the past two months, he had grown accustomed to his new identity in this world. He did not have any great plan, any great ambition besides surviving in this damned world. Immortality seemed possible, but at the same time, the odds of dying young were high. He knew little to nothing about this world. The plot was bound to get broken, and more importantly, he was currently unable to do anything about it.
Despite being aware of this, he never gave up and trained more than what should have been humanly possible. He never once hesitated. He never once despaired. He had no one back on Earth. This was different here. And perhaps one of the best things about this world was the food.
As for company, although he never felt in his place, it was nothing a little Eloquence (D) could not solve.
Goto smiled: "Speaking of pragmatic cooperation… Yumi and I had a favor we wanted to ask. Now that the formalities and digestion are underway, it seems a good time"
The atmosphere at the table subtly shifted. His fingers stretched back: "Tell me"
"That ambush. It was clean, efficient, and most importantly, we were never in danger. We followed your plan to the letter, and we all walked away heavier. That's rarely the case in ops with the Amegakure General Corps. Most strategies are simple charges. Yours involved the choice of the terrain, intel gathering, and even probing of the enemy. That was very much unlike what we are taught in the corps' barracks"
Goto picked up the thread, his voice equally low. "We have a proposition. A mission out of the Dark Hall Tower scope, but definitely alluring to shinobi who enjoy money like you"
Ryugo's eyebrow lifted a fraction. "Go on"
"We want your strength, Ryugo", Yumi said while blowing smoke in his face, a poor attempt at seduction.
Kunoichi were known for using all tricks they had to persuade opposing parties. But it was clear that Yumi lacked experience
Goto felt uneasy about that poor attempt, inwardly judging the captain of team 42, and tried to convince him: "What she's trying to say is, you have a good brain. Ameruyi is talented, but she does not do tactics like you did. As for Tetsu, he is good at genjutsu, but he is no leader. We're offering to pay for your teachings. Teach us some strategy of yours, spar with us in team fights, and in exchange, you gain Ryô and combat experience. We might not look like it, but the both of us combined have completed over a hundred missions"
Ryugo was quite surprised. He had expected to stand out. After all, he never once thought of hiding his skills. Had he been in a village with other players, it might have been different, but in a place like Amegakure, all alone, showing skills was bound to attract opportunities.
However, Goto's offer was all too good to pass.
'Tetsu could benefit from a Haribako's experience in hidden weapons, and Ameruyi would definitely be better if she could learn a ninjutsu or two from a Hakko's team captain', Ryugo thought, 'And I gain some good money on top of that? I see no reason to refuse'
[Mission - Exchanging Pointers (D) [Repeatable]
Team 41 and 42 have explicitly asked to include them in future trainings in exchange for monetary rewards and skills. Their motivation is simple. They were impressed by your skills and see this as an opportunity to grow stronger while building connection with a rising roster from the Dark Hall Tower.
Task: Complete 1 training session with team 41 and 42 over the next month (0 / 1)
Rewards: 100 EXP, +30 Reputation points with Team 41 & 42, +5 Reputation with Amegakure General Corps, 5 000 Ryô]
The payout was small. It was to be expected since they were just genins. However, he would have trained anyway. Having some sparring partners could not be detrimental.
Plus, building connections was good if he ever wanted to become Amekage.
'To survive, becoming Amekage is just the beginning, unfortunately...', Ryugo thought with a heavy heart, 'But first, let's attempt to become chunins soon'