Nearly ten days had passed.
At around 9 in the morning, Ryou left his house and walked toward the Hokage building. When he arrived, he saw that Shisui and Tenga had already gotten there before him.
Over the last ten days, they had been busy with many D-rank missions: weeding gardens, catching runaway cats and dogs, digging potatoes, babysitting, clearing trash, picking medicinal herbs, and even teaching Academy students. These missions were meant to help them adapt to the lifestyle of a shinobi and strengthen their cooperation.
During this time, they were also reminded of the important Shinobi rules learned in the Academy, like 'A shinobi must always put the mission first and 'A shinobi must follow their commander's instructions' and other important shinobi rules of Konoha.
But yesterday, their Jonin instructor, Daichi, informed them that they would be taking on a C-rank mission today. He had asked them to be prepared, as these missions would be required for them to leave the village.
C-rank missions typically took place within the Land of Fire but given the tensions along the borders and the skirmishes with other hidden villages, there was always the possibility of danger.
The village wasn't sending them directly into war zones yet, but they were slowly preparing them, making sure they'd be ready to be deployed to the front lines at any given moment.
"Ryou!" Tenga called out. Ryou nodded and walked toward them. After ten days of working together, the three had grown somewhat closer.
"How are you holding up, Shisui?" Ryou asked.
Yesterday, some of the injured ninjas' from the front lines returned to the village. Among them was Shisui's father, who had lost a leg and was now hospitalized.
"I'm fine. I understand that as a shinobi, we're prepared for things like this, but... seeing my father like that, makes me wonder what a shinobi is and why we are fighting!" Shisui said, shaking his head.
Before Ryou and Tengo could say anything, Daichi arrived.
He looked at them and said, "We're going to the Hokage's office to receive our mission. Please be respectful when you meet the Sandaime Hokage!"
"Really, Sensei? Are we meeting Hokage-sama?" Tenga asked with bright eyes.
This was different from their usual D-rank assignments, which were given at the Mission Assignment Desk. Today, they were suddenly called to the Hokage's office to receive the mission.
Ryou looked at Shisui thoughtfully and mused, '...that old fox, Sarutobi. He's trying to use Shisui's weak moment to draw him onto his side.'
Not only that, Ryou also sensed a slight change in Shisui's chakra. There was no doubt, that he had likely awakened his Sharingan. What Ryou didn't know, however, was whether it was a one-tomoe or two-tomoe Sharingan.
--
Inside the Hokage's office,
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his desk, his attention focused on the documents spread before him. It wasn't until Daichi respectfully called, "Hokage-sama," that Hiruzen finally looked up, his eyes studying the three of them.
Hiruzen smiled warmly, his gaze lingering on Shisui a moment longer than the others. "It's good to see such promising young ninjas of Konoha. I've heard about your missions these past few days from Daichi. It seems you've been adapting well to your new life."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Tenga responded eagerly, his excitement palpable.
Leaning back slightly, Hiruzen continued, "Shisui, how is your father? I was informed he returned from the battlefield injured."
Shisui was taken aback by the Third Hokage's knowledge of his name and his father's situation. For a moment, he felt a genuine kindness from Hiruzen. "He's recovering well, Hokage-sama," he replied earnestly.
"Mn. I will pay him a visit when I am free. He's an excellent shinobi. The battlefield is cruel, especially in times of war. Injuries and losses are burdens we shinobi must bear," Hiruzen said, his tone serious yet compassionate.
"But remember, even when an old tree loses a branch, the young and new ones continue to grow strong. You, young ninjas, are the future of Konoha!"
Hearing Hiruzen's words, Ryou felt speechless for a moment. Even he couldn't tell if the Hokage was genuinely concerned or manipulating Shisui with his carefully chosen words.
"I understand, Hokage-sama." Shisui slightly bowed his head.
Hiruzen gave them a slight smile and offered a few words of encouragement before handing a mission scroll to Daichi.
Once they exited the Hokage building, Shisui took a deep breath, his eyes changed, as if he had made some kind of decision.
Ryou noticed the change and had to admit Third Hokage has a way with words, easily manipulating Shisui's emotions. He began to wonder just how far the Hokage's words had impacted him.
Tenga, oblivious to all these things, grinned and patted Shisui on the shoulder. "Shisui, we are finally going to leave the village. Aren't you excited to see the outside world?"
Shisui nodded and asked, "Sensei, what's the mission?"
In response, Daichi casually tossed the mission scroll to Shisui. As Shisui unrolled it, they all read the details together:
Mission: Track and Capture a Thief [C-Rank]
Details: A thief named Kuro has stolen a large number of weapons and ninja tools from a blacksmith in Kurogane village. He's a genin-level ninja specializing in traps and sword techniques.
Reward: 100,000 Ryo.
"Capturing a thief? Finally, some action!" Tenga said with his fist clenched. Shisui was also looking forward to their first mission outside the village. Meanwhile, Ryou looked uninterested, his expression calm.
Daichi noticed it but didn't say anything. Over the past ten days, he observed the three of them and found Ryou was exceptional, displaying maturity far beyond his age.
His strength was already on par with a chunin, with impressive chakra control, mastery in swordsmanship, and had natural talent for Ninjutsu. He even learned the Genjutsu he taught the team in a few tries and was able to perform them skillfully.
Aside from Ryou, both Shisui and Tenga were also impressive in their own area. 'With their current strength and skill, they could even participate in the chunin exams,' Daichi thought to himself.
"Alright, make the necessary preparations and have your breakfast if you haven't yet. We'll meet at the village entrance in half an hour," Daichi instructed, vanishing in a blur with the Body Flicker Technique.
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