The Twelve Guardian Ninjas?
Nara Shikadan frowned slightly.
He'd definitely heard that name before...
Ah, right! Wasn't that the organization Sarutobi Asuma would join in the future after leaving Konoha?
And wasn't there some big bald monk who could summon a "Mini Gundam" or something?
Seeing Shikadan lost in thought, Shikano assumed the young Genin had never heard of them.
"This organization probably sounds distant to a newly graduated Genin like you. It's no surprise you haven't heard of it," Shikano said gently.
He continued, his tone becoming more formal.
"The Twelve Guardian Ninjas is a joint force created by Konoha, the Fire Temple, and the Fire Country government. Their mission is to protect the Daimyo of the Fire Country."
Shikadan nodded. That aligned pretty well with what he remembered.
The Fire Daimyo was the lord of the entire country, sure—but most ninja didn't really respect him. Especially those from outside the Land of Fire. To them, he was just a fancy civilian in expensive robes.
If a foreign ninja village really wanted to send someone to assassinate him…
Well, without a protection squad, it wouldn't be much harder than wringing a chicken's neck.
That said, few villages would dare take such a bold and disruptive step. An open assassination of a country's leader—especially a non-combatant one—would break too many unspoken rules in the international ninja community.
And breaking those rules… meant war.
So yes, the Fire Daimyo needed bodyguards.
What puzzled Shikadan was why the Fire Temple was involved.
He could understand Konoha and the government forming a protective detail together. But the Fire Temple? That ninja temple didn't seem very powerful at all...
Shikadan voiced his doubt.
"Clan Leader, I read about the Fire Temple in our academy textbooks. Isn't it just a ninja temple?"
"To be more precise," Shikano corrected, "it's one of the very few temples that still upholds the 'Ninshu Sect' philosophy of the Sage of Six Paths."
He wasn't surprised at Shikadan's skepticism. Most modern ninja ignored these religious relics.
"The Fire Temple is also connected to the second special reward I mentioned earlier... but we'll talk about that once we arrive."
He trailed off with a knowing smile.
Shikadan frowned.
"Then… is the Twelve Guardian Ninja position related to the first special reward?"
"Exactly."
Shikano nodded.
"The Twelve Guardian Ninjas reside at the Daimyo's mansion in Kyoto. The work may be a bit repetitive, but it's far away from the frontlines. Safer. Shikadan, if you're interested, with the backing of the Nara Clan, you could easily earn a place among them."
He looked at Shikadan with expectation in his eyes.
This was the first special reward Shikano had prepared for the S-rank clan mission [Eye of Shadow].
He knew Shikadan well: strong in spirit, weak in physique, and lacking typical ninja qualifications.
If Shikadan were to grow, he'd need time and a secure environment—one that let him develop without constant risk.
And the Twelve Guardian Ninjas? They offered just that.
A safe place to grow.
Much safer than being a standard Konoha shinobi, especially with war looming on the horizon.
Shikadan understood Shikano's meaning clearly—and it made him hesitate.
Was the offer tempting?
Of course.
In Shikadan's mind, being a Guardian Ninja was like landing a comfortable desk job, while a Konoha Ninja was still stuck doing fieldwork in a war zone.
Konoha shinobi were always on the move—working day and night, camping in the wild, constantly risking their lives.
By contrast, Guardian Ninjas operated within the capital city—the most developed, comfortable place in the entire ninja world.
Stable, safe, quiet, and clean.
A lazy ninja's dream.
If Shikadan hadn't awakened the [Lazy Ghost System], he might've leapt at the chance.
After all, working hard was just a way to trade labor for meager rewards.
But slacking off and profiting from it—now that was the real way to live.
The problem was…
He had already tasted the sweetness of the [Lazy Ghost System].
And while the Guardian Ninja life might be peaceful, it was also too peaceful.
No high-risk missions meant no high-value rewards.
Fewer enemies meant fewer drops. Fewer scrolls. Slower leveling.
'Maybe the best outcome is slacking off in Konoha itself?'
'Didn't I have a job like that before? Too bad my boss fired me before I even showed up…'
He snapped out of his thoughts.
"I'm sorry, Clan Leader. I can't give you a definite answer right now."
He bowed his head slightly.
"I'd like to see what kind of organization they really are before I decide whether to join them."
"That's fine. It's a serious decision," Shikano said gently.
"Besides, even if you want to become a Guardian Ninja, it won't happen overnight. After we return to the village, you can talk it over with your parents—Shusuke and Hirako."
Shikadan had no doubts there. His parents would likely be thrilled.
What he was worried about... was the number of death flags Shikano kept planting along the way.
'"Don't worry, it'll be fine." "Let's talk after the mission." You keep saying that, and I am starting to worry!'
Shikadan felt a vague sense of unease settling in his stomach.
Just then, Yamanaka Inoichi appeared beside the deer cart.
"Lord Shikano."
During the mission, even longtime friends addressed each other formally.
"I used the Mind Reading Technique on the ninjas who ambushed the caravan. I've mostly confirmed the situation."
Shikadan subtly pricked up his ears.
He was genuinely curious about the Yamanaka clan's spiritual techniques.
Shikano responded calmly.
"Let me guess—the bounty hunters from the gold exchange?"
"Correct." Inoichi nodded.
"They received a job. But interestingly, their goal wasn't to rob the caravan. Their actual target was someone from the Chinoike Clan."
Shikadan blinked.
Chinoike Clan? He'd never heard of that.
Shikano frowned too.
"I remember them being hired by the Uchiha of the Lightning Country… then exiled to Hell Valley in the Hot Spring Country?"
Shikadan gawked.
'Wait—Lightning Country hired the Uchiha Clan? Which timeline is that from? Did this happen before Konoha was founded?'
Inoichi added, "The bounty hunters didn't know the full details. But supposedly, a surviving member of the Chinoike Clan went berserk, slaughtered their entire clan, and fled from the Hot Spring Country into the Land of Fire."
"A whole clan massacre…" Shikano's frown deepened.
"Was this ambush targeted, or were we just unlucky?"
"Just a coincidence," Inoichi answered.
"They didn't have proof anyone from the Chinoike Clan was in this caravan. They planned to use the 'search' as an excuse to extort us."
Shikano didn't hesitate.
"Maintain formation. Expand sensory range. Keep moving at current speed. Notify the other caravans about the attack. Lunch break postponed by an hour."
"Understood, Lord Shikano."
Inoichi vanished in a flicker.
The deer cart rolled on.
No more bounty hunters showed up for the rest of the journey.
That night, as they camped in the wild—
Shikano, noticing Shikadan's unease, tried to reassure him.
"Just hang in there. One more night to go."
Shikadan stared at him, horrified.
'Please stop saying that! You're summoning the flag demons!'
He forced a smile.
"Clan Leader, I'll practice a bit before bed."
As the mission client, Shikadan wasn't on nighttime watch duty.
And since he hadn't hit his daily "medicine" quota yet, it was the perfect time to train.
He said goodbye to the disappointed Shikano and found a nearby tree. Leaping up to the trunk, he sat cross-legged and pulled out a Ration Pill.
He swallowed it calmly.
[Stamina +10]
[Stamina: D+]
'Tomorrow morning, I'll finally break into C-rank Stamina!'
He closed his eyes, savoring the energy flowing through his chakra network.
Then, just to be safe, he opened his Lacquer Eye and scanned the camp from above.
'One… two… eight…'
He squinted.
'Wait—nine? Ten??'