The Hokage welcomed Renjiro warmly. "Ah, Renjiro, it's good to see you. It has been quite a while since we last met. You've grown considerably," Hiruzen remarked, a gentle smile on his face.
Renjiro gave a respectful bow, though internally he was curious about the Hokage's compliment. 'What's up with the compliments? And why is he talking as if he couldn't just spy on me if he wanted?' Renjiro wondered as he took his place beside Sama and Hiro.
He couldn't help but notice a figure standing next to the Hokage. 'Is that Shikaku? No, it can't be. It seems like those Nara clan members are always so formidable,' he thought.
'So this is the boy?' Shiba thought as he assessed Renjiro silently.
"Now that we are all here, I guess we should start," Shiba began, handing out small booklets to everyone except Daichi and Hiruzen. The sight of the booklets piqued Renjiro's curiosity.
'Why are they giving us these?'
Minato, flipping through the pages, looked puzzled and echoed Renjiro's thoughts.
"Shiba-sama, why are you giving us bingo books?"
The Hokage replied, "It has been updated. Just take a look at it."
Shiba nodded in agreement. "Yes, please, look through it carefully."
The five shinobi did as they were instructed, their eyes scanning the pages of the updated bingo book. As they reached a particular section, they all stopped suddenly.
Yano and Minato exchanged glances, their expressions mirroring their shared shock. Hiro, on the other hand, had a more obvious reaction.
"Huh? Why am I in the bingo book?" he exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief.
Sama, who had been silently reading, added, "The three of us are all there," pointing to the images of herself, Hiro, and Renjiro.
Renjiro's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the entries. "But why are the bounties so high?" he finally asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the room.
The bounties on the three chunins were twenty million Ryo each for both Hiro and Sama, while Renjiro's bounty was an astonishing twenty-five million Ryo.
In as much as it was flattering to Renjiro that someone was willing to spend this amount of money to have him killed, he realized that something had gone terribly wrong.
They were all just chunins, and this was a higher bounty than even Riku, his former jounin sensei and an elite jounin, whose bounty stood at only fifteen million Ryo.
"You have a keen eye," Shiba remarked, breaking the silence. "Minato's and Yano's bounties have not increased, so we can conclude that this is a result of your mission with the Iron Fangs. If it was the Silent Blade, then Minato and Yano's bounties would have definitely increased."
"But how did they even know that we were involved? We got rid of any evidence and even brought all the bodies to the village," Hiro asked, frustration and confusion evident in his voice.
"There are many unexplainable jutsus out there that could have revealed your involvement," the Hokage commented, his tone calm and instructive. "You must always be aware that information can be uncovered in ways we do not yet understand."
Renjiro thought back to the mission and couldn't help but wonder how Sama and Hiro had gone so long without having bounties on their heads.
'Going by the figures, Shiba is probably right,' he thought.
"But why is my bounty higher?" Renjiro inquired, voicing the question that had been nagging at him.
'If we had the same tasks, why is mine higher?' he wondered.
"That we do not know," Daichi responded. "It might be due to your actions during the mission or the manner in which the information was gathered."
"Then it's probably when we were dealing with the chunins and genins at the base of the Iron Fang Mercenaries," Renjiro speculated.
"Yes, that was the only time you were acting separately from us," Yano added. "So that must be when they got their information. It explains why your bounty is higher."
Hiruzen's expression turned serious. "This is no ordinary situation. The high bounties indicate that you are considered significant threats by our enemies."
Daichi, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "We believe that these bounties are part of a larger strategy by our enemies to destabilize Konoha. By targeting our promising young shinobi, they aim to weaken our future."
Minato nodded in agreement, his expression thoughtful. "That makes sense."
Hiro, still trying to wrap his head around the situation, asked, "What does this mean for us now?"
Hiruzen leaned forward, his gaze intense. "It means that you will need to be more vigilant than ever. With such high bounties, it is inevitable that bandits and rogue shinobi will target you."
"So, it is best if the three of you do not leave the village any time soon," Daichi added, his tone firm.
Renjiro's heart sank at this news. 'What? I've just become a squad leader. How am I supposed to go on missions with my squad?' he thought.
The other three did not take this news well either, as it would significantly affect their ability to take on missions.
"Staying in the village will limit our activities," Sama said, her voice tinged with frustration. "How are we supposed to work effectively?"
"The safety of our shinobi is paramount," Hiruzen said gently. "We cannot risk losing you whenever you step out of the village."
As the conversation concluded and the others were dismissed, Renjiro remained in the Hokage's office, a sense of foreboding settling in his stomach.
"Renjiro, there's more we need to discuss," Hiruzen began, his voice calm but serious.
"While it's commendable that you've become a squad leader, we must address the immediate danger posed by the bounties on your head."
'I knew this was coming.'
Renjiro frowned, feeling a surge of defiance. "I understand the risks, but I can take care of myself. I can even use the transformation jutsu to stay hidden."
Daichi shook his head. "Renjiro, you're still a chunin. Even if you can protect yourself, you'll be putting your squad in danger. Your presence alone will attract threats."
Shiba nodded in agreement. "There's much more to being a squad leader than just taking missions. You need to understand that leading a squad involves responsibility beyond combat."
'But taking missions with my squad was what I was most looking forward to," Renjiro thought, his frustration evident. 'I was going to control when to take missions, that way I could use my time efficiently.'
Hiruzen leaned forward, "Renjiro, your safety and the safety of your squad are paramount. We cannot afford to lose you or put your squad members at unnecessary risk."
Renjiro's shoulders slumped slightly, the weight of their words pressing down on him. He had envisioned leading his squad into missions, proving himself through action. Now, it seemed that dream was slipping away.
Daichi asked, his tone gentle but firm, "Renjiro, do you still wish to continue serving in the force?"
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