How...?

Another... mission for me?

There didn't seem to be anything else in the battle report. The only issues now were the morale of Konoha's ninja forces and those scattered, encircled, isolated small units that had been broken apart! There couldn't possibly be anything else that required me to carry out a mission! Unless...

That battle report just now hadn't covered everything. Were there other problems at the front?

Chiba tried his best to keep his expression from changing, his eyes fixed tightly on the Third Hokage. At that moment, the Third Hokage seemed to be searching through something, his gaze not on Chiba.

What else could have happened? According to that report scroll, this was the biggest event of the past month.

Could it be another "experience farming" mission like Hirohiko and Kakashi's? Something related to the front lines, but not particularly dangerous, and capable of giving us valuable experience? Tch! Those missions are troublesome too. They waste time, and there's basically no time to train during them. But what other excuse do I have? What excuse can I possibly think of? A string of thoughts passed through Chiba's mind. He knew that surprise and frustration were useless now. If the Third Hokage had decided to send him on a mission, then it was already settled. Without a sufficient reason, he could not refuse. Being surprised or frustrated would accomplish nothing.

Moreover, the Third Hokage might have his own considerations in assigning missions. During this time, Chiba had come to understand that unless absolutely necessary, the Third Hokage would not easily send young ninja onto the battlefield. He was doing everything he could to protect every child in the village. At the same time, while protecting them, he did not forget to teach them how to fend for themselves, allowing