NOVEL WEB Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Under the Lamp, Darkness
"It seems the mission isn't going too smoothly," Kazuki observed, looking at his three students.
"Kazuki-sensei, I've searched all over the streets and alleys, but I haven't found a single cat like the one we're looking for," Kawano said helplessly.
"I didn't find it either," Rika added, sounding discouraged.
"It's really difficult to find a cat in such a large area like Konoha," Soryu explained calmly, acknowledging the mission's difficulty.
Even a D-rank mission with a 10,000 Ryo reward isn't that easy to complete.
"Well then, let's have our lunch while we discuss how to tackle this problem," Kazuki suggested, laying out several bento boxes for everyone to share.
As they ate, the three students grumbled about the mission's challenges.
"Let me tell you, I must've found over twenty cats this morning! A bunch of stray cats and some house cats, but none of them looked like the one we're supposed to catch!"
"Look at this," Kawano said, stretching out his arm to reveal a clear scratch mark.
"I got scratched by one of those cats! I've bled for Team Seven!" he declared with exaggerated sadness.
Rika, taking small bites of her food, added quietly, "I went door-to-door asking dozens of people, but none of them had seen this cat. It's probably not in my area."
Soryu chimed in, "Same here. I checked all around the area near the family that reported the missing cat, but I didn't find any trace of it."
Kazuki frowned as he listened. A cat with such distinct features shouldn't be impossible to find within a certain radius.
Either the cat had run very far, or it had met an unfortunate fate somewhere out of sight. But either way, finding it wouldn't be easy—unless they tried a different method.
After lunch, Kazuki decided to summon three of his Summoning Beasts. With a quick jutsu, he called forth three tracking dogs, each with yellowish-brown fur.
These Summoning Beasts, trained with guidance from Kakashi, couldn't speak but were excellent trackers with sharp instincts and loyalty.
"In the afternoon, take these dogs with you. Let them smell something belonging to the missing cat. Within a one-kilometer radius, nothing can escape their sense of smell," Kazuki instructed.
"A Summoning Beast! Sensei, why didn't you bring this up sooner?" Kawano exclaimed, both pleased and slightly irritated.
"You all seemed confident this morning. I thought you'd be able to handle it without my help," Kazuki teased, which made Kawano blush slightly. Kawano was often quicker with his words than his thoughts.
"Don't worry, Kazuki-sensei! With the help of these Summoning Beasts, we're sure to catch the cat and complete the mission!" Kawano proclaimed with newfound confidence.
With that, Kazuki allowed his students to continue their search. Taking the dogs, they headed back toward the bustling streets of Konoha.
The team first visited the client. Under the client's guidance, they let the dogs sniff the belongings of the missing cat.
Then, with the dogs on their leads, they spread out in all directions.
After a chaotic chase, the three combed through the streets and alleys of Konoha, but still found nothing. It was as if the cat had vanished into thin air!
With no other options, they regrouped to discuss their findings.
"I've searched everywhere in my area. The only way we wouldn't find it is if it ran into one of the big clans' compounds," Kawano speculated.
"Even if it went into one of those compounds, the dogs should still be able to pick up a scent trail. But they didn't react, so cat Mimi probably isn't in any of the clans' territories," Soryu pointed out.
Kawano had named his dog "Big Yellow." Rika's was called "Yellow Two," and Kawano's dog was named "Fortune," fitting his unique style.
"There's something else. Haven't you all noticed that Big Yellow and the others haven't given us any clear leads so far?" Soryu asked, looking thoughtful.
"You mean…?" Rika trailed off, catching on.
"Is it possible that Mimi never left her home?" Soryu proposed.
"Under the lamp, darkness!"
Big Yellow and the other dogs might know they're supposed to find Mimi, but it's harder to track her when the whole house is already filled with her scent.
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The fanfic is finished on p@treon/tambeerg