Naruto: I start with one door, and I can open it infinitely.

Before going to sleep, Lin Chuan went to the toilet. He had been holding it in for most of the night while on night watch. He should have known better than to drink so much water.

"Ouch……"

But as soon as he came out of the toilet and turned around, someone rushed towards him. He could only dodge with the speed of a ninja, and the person crashed into the wall with a loud thud.

The streetlights outside the restroom were broken, so it was pitch black except for the restroom and the corridor. Who knows where this person came from? I didn't even hear him walk.

After hitting the wall, he heard a woman's voice. Looking down, he saw that the girl was dressed simply and seemed to be the maid of the person who had entrusted him with the task.

"Are you alright?" Lin Chuan quickly reached out and helped the girl up. It wasn't his fault; the girl walked so quietly. But as soon as he held her hand, he felt how soft it was.

Don't get the wrong idea. He's not a pervert. As a ninja, he trains with a sword all year round, and his palms are covered in calluses. How could this girl, who works as a maid, not have calluses on her hands? How could her hands be so smooth and soft? Something's not right.

"Ugh, why didn't you block it for me? It hurts so much!" The girl stood up, clutching her forehead, which instantly became red and swollen. She felt as if she had bumped into a wall.

"Sorry, I didn't see it." Lin Chuan saw it, but why should he help the other person? Wouldn't that mean he would bump into himself? Ninjas don't let any strangers get close, so it's not his fault. After all, he's a ninja!

"Hey, where are you going?" The girl called out to Lin Chuan as he was about to leave.

"Go back to sleep. Is there anything else you need?" Lin Chuan was a little confused when he was called. The two of them had no connection. Why did the other person ask him to do something?

Furthermore, the other party is far too direct. What do they take ninjas for? Ninjas are a group of people with martial arts skills. How dare an ordinary person shout at a ninja? Aren't they afraid that if a ninja gets angry, they might teach the other party a lesson?

"I'm injured. Do you have any medicine to reduce swelling and relieve pain?" The girl covered her forehead and ran over to catch up with Lin Chuan, completely unaware that she had done something wrong. As a servant, she had no sense of hierarchy.

The girl stood under the streetlight in the corridor, and Lin Chuan could finally see that she had a pout, her eyes were brimming with tears, and she looked like she was about to cry. Her face was quite delicate, and her facial features were well-proportioned. There really aren't any ugly girls with cartoonish faces.

He had indeed seen the girl before; she was one of the maids who helped the client's daughter into the carriage when they set off. The client's daughter had two maids, but he had guessed wrong.

"Hey, what are you looking at? Do you have any medicine or not?" The girl was furious when she saw Lin Chuan standing there dumbfounded. What was wrong with this ninja? He was so annoying.

"Oh, yes, I do," Lin Chuan reached into his ninja tool bag, took out a small bottle of anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medicine, poured some into his hand, and was about to raise his hand to wipe it on the girl's forehead.

"Wait, I can do it myself," the girl snatched the medicine from Lin Chuan's hand, poured it on her fingers and rubbed it, before gently applying the medicine to the red and swollen area on her forehead.

"Take your time, I'm going to sleep," Lin Chuan waved his hand gently. He was already too sleepy to stay here. He had to work all day tomorrow, so he didn't have time to waste.

"Hmph, what kind of person is he?" The girl snorted as Lin Chuan left. She hated ninjas the most.

After applying the medicine, the girl realized that there was still half a bottle of medicine left, but she was in an unfamiliar place and didn't know how to return it to the young ninja.

After thinking it over, she decided to return the medicine to the other party tomorrow. She put the medicine in her pocket, went to the toilet, and went back to her room to continue sleeping.

……

The next morning, everyone got up early, as they still had a long journey ahead.

At the caravan's leisurely pace, it's estimated that it will take about half a month to reach the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Iron.

Fortunately, the Land of Fire is safe enough that there is no need to worry about attacks or other dangers, so everyone can travel in a relaxed manner.

Even Lin Chuan didn't stay hidden in the forest any longer. Instead, he jumped onto the roof of the carriage and sat down. Since he was watching the group of people behind him anyway, watching from the carriage was the same for him.

Upon seeing his sudden appearance, the samurai from the Land of Iron were about to draw their swords when their eyes fell on the Konoha headband on Lin Chuan's forehead. They all released their grip on the hilts of their swords, knowing that there were four Konoha ninjas among the accompanying guards, so this man was an ally.

"Just as I thought," Lin Chuan said, his eyes lowered. He saw that the four warriors from the Land of Iron were quick to draw their swords and their movements were so synchronized that he knew they were no ordinary warriors and were probably elite warriors from the Land of Iron.

His strength was at least comparable to that of a Chunin, which is why he deliberately used his water clone to test him, and it turned out just as he expected.

From the moment he dealt with the rioters yesterday, he sensed that these samurai were quite strong. Just two samurai from the Land of Iron could cut through those wandering samurai like butter; their composure, honed through countless battles, was undeniable.

Does the client's daughter really need such elite warriors to protect her?

He had no idea. The convoy continued on its way. There was no rush for lunch today. The entire convoy would stop to cook lunch and rest for an hour.

It was during his break that the girl from last night found him and raised her hand to shake the medicine bottle in her hand.

"Hey, do you still want your medicine...?"

"Of course I want it," Lin Chuan jumped down from the carriage, reached out and snatched the potion from the girl's hand. The daylight was much brighter, and he was finally able to see the girl's full appearance. She really was a beautiful girl.

"Are you hungry? Do you want to have some ramen with us? My uncle makes really good ramen. Consider it a thank you for the painkillers," the girl said, inviting Lin Chuan to lunch since he was sitting on the roof of the car.

"No," Lin Chuan shook his head and refused. He still remembered the captain's instructions from earlier that morning: do not eat food from strangers during the mission.

Suddenly, a boy's voice rang out, his tone hostile as he looked at Lin Chuan warily, "hope Zi, I told you he wouldn't come, now you believe me, right..."

"Hmph, ninjas are really annoying," the girl named Xizi snorted, pulled the boy away, and called out to him, "Masaki-nii, if he won't eat, we'll eat it ourselves..."

"Hehe," Lin Chuan's lips twitched. Boys and girls are such a hassle. He didn't want to get involved. He went back to the roof of the third carriage, took out a soldier's ration pill, mixed it with water, and ate it.

"Wait, Xizi, Miss hasn't eaten yet. Let's take it to her first," said the boy named Masaki. Seeing that Lin Chuan ignored them, he loosened his grip on the knife handle and let the girl take the food to the young lady.

"I know," the girl rolled her eyes at the boy, marveling at his acting skills. She immediately went to the camp kitchen, brought a bowl of ramen, and delivered it to the third carriage.

However, when the ramen passed by the warriors of the Land of Iron, the warriors checked the ramen for poison. After confirming that the ramen was not poisoned, they personally served it to the daughter of the person who had made the request, who was inside the carriage.

After the ramen was delivered, the girl saw Lin Chuan still sitting upright on the roof of the carriage. She snorted coldly and turned away. She brought two bowls of ramen to the boy and ate them near the carriage. She wanted to take revenge on this boring ninja.

Listening to the two slurping noodles, Lin Chuan admitted that he was a little tempted, but he forced himself to resist. After all, he had eaten at the border outpost last night, so it wouldn't matter if he waited a few more days.

After most people had finished lunch, he counted the number of people and found no one missing. He then reported to the morning team leader, and the convoy set off again.

The girl from earlier had some foot pain while walking, so she would sit in the fourth carriage, swinging her legs and gazing at the scenery along the way.

The young warrior from before will also stay by the girl's side, never leaving her side no matter where she goes, always guarding her.

After a day of observation, he had a general understanding of the situation: the young samurai's father was the client's trusted samurai, the girl was the cook's niece in the caravan, and the girl was also the client's daughter's maid.

They all followed the client's family as they prepared to flee the Land of Hot Water and head to the more peaceful and stable Land of Iron. The client's daughter's mother was a noblewoman from the Land of Iron, which is why she found so many warriors from the Land of Iron to protect the client's family as they evacuated to the Land of Iron.

At this moment, he finally understood why so many elite warriors from the Land of Iron escorted the client to the Land of Iron.

The person who commissioned the mission also issued a task to Konoha, presumably to plan a detour through the Land of Fire. After all, it would be perfectly legitimate to entrust Konoha ninjas with the guide if they were to travel on the official roads within the Land of Fire.

That makes sense. There's just one thing he can't understand: why would a young samurai, a swordsman, fall for a maid instead of a noblewoman? Shouldn't this childhood sweetheart story have a happy ending with unrequited love?

In the Naruto world, the samurai class, though not as powerful as the ninjas, is still a group that wields martial arts. It's quite interesting that a young samurai would protect a maid instead of the daughter of the person he entrusted with the task.

He could only guess that he liked her, because if it weren't for his affection, the maid would have died long ago without the protection of that young samurai when the rioters attacked the convoy yesterday.

……

evening--

The first day of traveling on the official road of the Land of Fire passed peacefully. The servants of the client began to set up tents again. This time, the tents were set up around the fourth carriage, but they could not get close to the guard tents of the warriors of the Land of Iron. The outermost guards were still the warriors hired by the nobles.

Baiyun also gathered his team around dinner time, and the four of them sat around the fire, not far from the client's carriage.

After the four of them had a simple dinner, Baiyun made arrangements for his teammates in the morning: "Tokuma and Kuno will sleep first tonight, and Kawa and I will stay up all night..."

"Okay, morning captain," Tekuno yawned as soon as he heard he could sleep. He found a stick to use as a pillow, lay down, and fell asleep.

Lin Chuan and Bai Yun left the campfire early in the morning and leaped up into a tree, where they could overlook the entire camp. They leaned against the tree and stared at the silent camp.

"Captain, who are we escorting? Why does the Evil God Cult want to kill him?" Lin Chuan looked at the largest tent below the camp, the tent where the commissioner slept. It was surrounded by sword-wielding warriors. Just how insecure must that guy be!

"He was a reformist in the Land of Hot Water, advocating the elimination of evil cults within its borders. Unfortunately, he failed and planned to seek refuge in the Land of Iron." Baiyun wondered why Lin Chuan was asking these questions earlier. These things weren't exactly secrets, so it wouldn't hurt to tell him.

"It seems this person holds a high position," Lin Chuan guessed, estimating that his status was similar to that of a prime minister in ancient times, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to preside over the reforms.

Even someone like him failed, so it seems there's considerable resistance to implementing reforms. Perhaps he didn't get the support of the daimyo, or the opposing forces were too strong. It's estimated that the Jashin Cult has already infiltrated the upper echelons of the Land of Hot Springs.

However, no matter how much trouble the Evil God Cult causes, it doesn't matter as long as they don't leave the Land of Hot Water. But if the Evil God Cult ever tries to take over the Five Great Nations, the Five Great Ninja Villages will definitely teach the Evil God Cult what it means to be utterly destroyed.

No wonder the Evil God Church hired someone to kill the client. If the client were to leave the Land of Hot Water and go to the Land of Iron to gain the support of the female nobles, they might make a comeback. That's why the Evil God Church wants to eliminate them completely.

He sensed something was wrong; there was definitely a major problem brewing. If the client could hire Konoha ninjas, why couldn't the Evil God Cult hire ninjas from other countries to carry out assassinations?

If the money is right, the other four great ninja villages that are on par with Konoha will not miss this mission. And since the Land of Iron is sandwiched between the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning, the enemies they will face next will most likely be ninjas from the Hidden Stone Village and the Hidden Cloud Village.

To assassinate the client amidst such a large force of guards, the enemies who have arrived this time must be numerous and formidable.

"What are you thinking about?" Bai Yun asked, seeing Lin Chuan's silence earlier that morning. She wanted to test Lin Chuan's analysis of the current situation and see if he had the potential to become the captain.

Faced with Bai Yun's question that morning, Lin Chuan sighed inwardly. A-rank missions were indeed never simple. He took a deep breath before recounting his guess, "Captain Zaojian, we're in big trouble. At first, I thought our guard force was a bit excessive, but now it seems far from enough. The enemy will probably make their move in the Land of Iron..."

"You guessed right, but don't worry," Bai Yun's usually meticulous face finally broke into a smile as he explained, "The Land of Iron will have samurai to meet us..."

"Really? That's great!" Lin Chuan had also guessed that the samurai would provide support. The Land of Iron was the territory of these samurai. It would be a disgrace if they couldn't even defeat outsiders on their own doorstep. After all, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake.

The worst-case scenario is that the Iwa ninja and Kumo ninja will attack together. That's how the Five Great Gangsters are. Even if they openly attack you, you won't dare to retaliate. Not even the Land of Iron would dare. At most, they would just issue a condemnation.

After all, ninjas make a living by taking on missions, so this is at most a conflict of missions. As for who issued the mission, it is not important to the major ninja villages. After all, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, had also issued war missions to the Akatsuki mercenary group.

"Don't let your guard down. Even in the Land of Fire, you must maintain the professionalism expected of a ninja," Baiyun said seriously to Lin Chuan, who was so intelligent and quick to understand.

To prevent Lin Chuan from being careless and doing any training while traveling in the Land of Fire, so as not to delay the mission.

"Don't worry, Captain Zaojian, I know what to do," Lin Chuan nodded emphatically. Since he had accepted the mission, he would carry it out meticulously. Being a ninja was a job where one's life was at stake, so he dared not be careless.

"You know that's good," Bai Yun continued to lean against the tree trunk in the morning, staring at the quiet camp below. He also felt that this was the calm before the storm. The probability of something happening in the Land of Fire was not high. It was a rare time to relax.

Lin Chuan suddenly thought of something else: he had never seen the target he was protecting. How was he supposed to protect him?

"Captain Morning, I've never seen the client's daughter get out of the carriage. What does she look like? Does she even exist?"

"You've already seen it, don't make a fuss," Bai Yun thought Lin Chuan would be able to tell, after all, he had seen Lin Chuan talking to the client's daughter, but it turned out that the kid hadn't noticed.

"So it was her," Lin Chuan thought. He had felt something was off before, and now he realized it was here.

It seems the samurai boy's choice of girl was correct, and his choice of protecting her was also correct—it was this noble lady, only she was dressed as a maid.

Actually, he should have realized it sooner. After all, which maid doesn't understand the difference between superiors and inferiors? She dared to ask the ninjas for medicine when she encountered them, showing no fear at all, and even dared to give the ninjas attitude.

As a modern person who has been educated to be equal and grown up in a peaceful society, I may not see anything wrong with it. But the ninja world here is not peaceful at all, and there is no social inequality. It is still a place ruled by feudal nobles. Everyone who knows how bad this ancient system is, it is extremely easy for a few people to die.

In particular, ordinary people and noble servants who have nothing have no respect for the strong and will only die faster.

Unless this ordinary person has an extraordinary status and has never experienced what it means to feel awe, it would be reasonable for this to be considered reasonable. That girl just happens to fit that identity.

His father was a minister of the Land of Hot Water, and his mother was a noblewoman of the Land of Iron. His background was indeed extraordinary, but unfortunately, it was of no use to him, a ninja who did not eat beef.