The next day.
At nine in the morning.
Seimei arrived at the Hokage Building right on time.
Before he got close, Ryosuke's voice came from afar.
"Seimei, over here!"
Seimei followed the sound and quickly spotted Ryosuke, who was waving his arms, along with Mizutani Shizuko, who was quietly standing beside him.
He then walked over quickly.
"Seimei-kun."
When Mizutani Shizuko saw Seimei approaching, she said softly.
"Hmm, Shizuko."
Seimei nodded in response.
"Seimei, why do you always arrive right on time? Can't you come a little earlier?"
Ryosuke looked at the calm Seimei and complained, "You're always so relaxed."
Seimei knew there was no malice behind his words, so he casually replied, "You guys arrived early. Sensei said to gather at nine, and it's not even nine yet."
"Eh!"
Hearing this, Ryosuke let out a light sigh and mumbled in frustration, "Always acting all mysterious, finishing tasks and leaving, without any idea of what you're doing."
What am I doing? Of course, I'm training.
However, Seimei thought it unnecessary to say this out loud.
So, he pretended not to hear him and quietly waited for Furukawa's arrival.
During this time, he also gathered a small amount of Chakra under his feet to boost his 'Chakra Control' Proficiency level.
While this method was less efficient than climbing trees and walking on water, it had the advantage of being doable anytime and anywhere, so the progress was still decent.
Seimei estimated that in another four or five days, he could raise it to lv3.
By then, he would be able to save 15% of his Chakra.
However, it would be much more difficult to progress beyond that.
Seimei had already vaguely sensed the limits of this method for boosting Proficiency levels.
Once he reached lv3, simply gathering Chakra under his feet would likely make it hard to accumulate Proficiency levels anymore; even if it were possible, the efficiency would probably drop significantly.
After that, he might need to find other ways to train.
As for his goal,
Seimei had a rough idea—it was the Chakra Threads used by Puppet Masters from the Hidden Sand Village to control their Puppets.
Condensing Chakra into such thin threads and manipulating them flexibly was no simple task and required a high level of Chakra Control.
If he could obtain the corresponding training methods, it would definitely help raise his 'Chakra Control' level.
However, that was all in the future.
At this stage, his focus was still on awakening his Sharingan.
······
At exactly nine o'clock,
a figure appeared silently.
It was none other than Furukawa.
"Sensei!" ×3
Seeing the newcomer, Seimei and the others quickly greeted him.
"Hmm."
Furukawa nodded, his gaze sweeping over the Chakra gathered under Seimei's feet before he said, "Since we're all here, let's go in."
With that, he walked toward the Hokage Building.
Seimei and the others hurried to follow.
As they passed through the door, they entered a spacious hall.
The hall was lined with wooden counters, behind which sat several Chunin, the staff responsible for reviewing and issuing tasks.
Seimei and his group approached them.
Along the way, Ryosuke asked out of boredom, "Furukawa-sensei, what task are we taking on this time? Picking up trash or babysitting?"
"No."
Without turning his head, Furukawa replied, "This time we are taking a C-Rank Mission."
"What?"
At this, not only was Ryosuke shocked, but Seimei also showed a hint of surprise.
It should be noted that in Konoha, newly graduated Genin typically have to complete more than eight D-Rank Missions before they are allowed to take on C-Rank Missions. This is also the minimum requirement for participating in the Chunin exam.
Generally speaking, D-Rank Missions do not involve combat; they are mainly meant for rookie Genin to gain experience and usually consist of trivial tasks.
However, C-Rank Missions will involve combat. While they won't engage in battles with other ninjas, there is a significant chance of encountering thugs, bandits, robbers, and gangsters.
Therefore, they are not absolutely safe.
In the past half month, they have completed only four missions, all of which were D-Rank, and they do not meet the requirements to take on C-Rank Missions.
'It seems Konoha wants to accelerate the growth of our group.'
In almost an instant, Seimei came to this conclusion.
This realization added a sense of urgency to his previously calm mind.
Konoha did not directly send them to the battlefield, but they also did not intend to train them step by step.
If his predictions were correct, it wouldn't be long before their group would be heading to the battlefield.
"Great! We can finally leave the village."
Seeing Ryosuke excitedly speaking on the side, Seimei said nothing more and quietly followed behind Furukawa.
Although Ryosuke was his companion, Seimei felt there was no need to remind him about everything; he needed to grow as well.
In front of the counter, after a conversation with the staff, Furukawa obtained a scroll.
Upon opening it, he read the mission details.
Mission: Eliminate Bandits
Content: A group of mountain bandits has taken up residence on Kokuro Mountain, significantly impacting the trade routes below. They must be eliminated as soon as possible.
Level: C-Rank
Requirements: Eliminate all bandits.
Reward: 75,000 ryo
'It's actually a direct combat mission. They really place a greater emphasis on practical combat skills.'
After reading the contents of the scroll, Seimei glanced at Furukawa, pondering in his heart.
From the content of the survival test, it is evident that, compared to other senseis who emphasize student character, Furukawa clearly values practical ability more.
For the same C-Rank Mission, direct combat tasks are significantly more challenging than escort missions.
After all, the former almost guarantees that a battle will occur, while the latter might end without incident.
Mountain bandits are also human; they fear death. When they see a Ninja escort as their target, they might choose to give up the chase.
Therefore, there is a certain chance to avoid combat in that situation.
In this case, rookie Genin performing the mission only need to bear psychological pressure and do not actually need to fight.
In contrast, direct combat missions are entirely different; they require real fighting, and blood will inevitably be shed during the process.
Logically speaking, even when taking on a C-Rank Mission, it should be done in a gradual manner, starting with easier tasks and then progressing to harder ones. However, Furukawa clearly has no such plan, starting them off with the most difficult one right away.
This will undoubtedly place greater pressure on the Genin.
Just like now, after reading the mission details, Ryosuke, who had been excitedly shouting a moment ago, immediately fell silent, while Mizutani Shizuko beside him turned pale.
After all, they are just children around ten years old. Even though they have learned a lot of killing techniques at the Academy, when it comes to actually killing someone, they still hesitate.
Not to mention them, even Seimei, as an adult, felt a ripple in his heart after realizing what he was about to do.
Having grown up in a peaceful era, Seimei has an instinctive respect for life.
Even though he has crossed over and accepted the memories of his previous life, it is not easy to break the worldview that has already formed.
However, he also understands that in the Ninja World, where human life is as insignificant as grass, if he cannot overcome his psychological barriers, death is the only thing awaiting him.
Moreover, these mountain bandits are not good people. Killing them is a way to rid society of harm, so he doesn't need to feel too much psychological burden.
As if convincing himself, Seimei let out a light sigh, and his mood gradually calmed down.
Looking at the three who remained silent, Furukawa did not offer any words of comfort; he simply instructed, "Now go back and organize your equipment. We will gather at the village gate tomorrow at ten in the morning. Remember, don't be late."
After he finished speaking, he used a Body Flicker Jutsu and left the hall.
Watching Furukawa disappear without a trace, Seimei withdrew his gaze and looked at his two bewildered companions. He also didn't offer any words of comfort, simply saying, "I'm leaving first," before stepping out.
As he watched Seimei's figure fade away, Ryosuke raised his hand, wanting to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat, and he ultimately gave up.
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