First Mission

Early the next morning, Training Ground 7.

By the time Tejima Shinichi arrived, Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu were already there. Both looked restless, pacing in place and constantly glancing toward the entrance.

"Shinichi!" The moment Kobayashi Ken saw him, he hurried over, unable to suppress his excitement. "We're going to the Hokage to accept a mission today! A real ninja mission!"

"The day has finally come." Sato Yu stepped forward as well, her voice equally eager as her hands unconsciously clenched. "I wonder what kind of mission it'll be."

Tejima Shinichi nodded in response.

The morning breeze lightly stirred the black hair beneath his forehead protector, but his expression was nowhere near as excited as his two teammates'.

The standard process for newly graduated Genin... this so-called "beginning of a ninja career" would most likely involve trivial chores unrelated to Chakra or ninjutsu—clearing trash from riverbeds, helping farmers harvest crops, or even looking after noisy children.

This was not an era of war. There were not that many urgent enemy reconnaissance missions or border conflicts.

What the village needed was to temper new ninjas' patience, teamwork, and absolute obedience to orders.

"Hmm?"

At that moment, Tejima Shinichi suddenly sensed something and turned his head.

Almost simultaneously, Yamato appeared soundlessly behind them, leaning against the railing at the entrance to the training ground.

"T-Teacher!" Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu jumped in fright and called out in unison. They hurriedly stood at attention, their faces full of embarrassment at having their restlessness caught.

Tejima Shinichi calmly greeted him. "Teacher Yamato."

Yamato's gaze swept across the three of them before lingering on Tejima Shinichi for a moment. Smiling, he said, "Everyone's here. Let's go to the Hokage Building."

"Yes!"

Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu immediately responded and followed closely behind, their faces bright with excitement once more.

Tejima Shinichi started walking, bringing up the rear.

Hokage's Office.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, looked at the three newly formed teams lined up before him with a smile. When his gaze passed over Tejima Shinichi, it paused slightly, and his smile deepened.

"From today onward, you are ninjas capable of standing on your own. The village will entrust missions to you and place faith in your abilities." He picked up the mission scrolls. "Now, we will begin assigning missions."

"Team 1, your mission is..." He drew out a scroll. "Help the villagers clear away the garbage piled up in the riverbed."

"Yes."

Yamato stepped forward and accepted the scroll.

The excitement on Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu's faces instantly froze, and their shoulders slumped in unison.

"Clearing... garbage?" The two exchanged a look, each seeing the obvious disappointment in the other's eyes.

On the way to the river.

"How could it be garbage collection..."

Kobayashi Ken kicked at pebbles along the road and sighed repeatedly.

"I thought we'd at least get to leave the village..."

Sato Yu muttered as well, looking dispirited.

Hearing them, Yamato, who had been walking ahead, stopped and turned back. With a patient smile, he explained:

"Although I personally did not go through this stage in full, as far as I know, every newly graduated Genin went through the same thing."

He paused, then continued in that calm tone:

"D-rank missions may seem simple, but they are the foundation for training a ninja's patience, attention to detail, and teamwork. Besides, becoming familiar with every corner of the village through these small missions and understanding the villagers' daily lives are important parts of ninja training as well."

The explanation made perfect sense. The disappointment on Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu's faces faded somewhat, replaced by looks of realization.

But Sato Yu was more perceptive and caught the unusual part of Yamato's words. She blurted out:

"Huh? Teacher Yamato, you said... you 'didn't go through this stage in full'? Why?"

As soon as she said that, even Tejima Shinichi, who had not cared much about it, shifted his gaze slightly toward Yamato's face.

Yamato's expression did not change, as though he had merely mentioned something insignificant.

"As for why I didn't take part in these..." He deliberately drew out his words, whetting Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu's curiosity before smiling. "...Well, that's a secret."

"Tch!" ×2

That disappointing answer made Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu click their tongues at the same time, their freshly sparked interest instantly vanishing.

Yamato smiled at the two students whose heads had drooped again, then turned and continued leading the way.

"All right, don't overthink it. Focus on the mission."

The cleanup work was tedious and time-consuming.

Tejima Shinichi created three Shadow Clones, making the work highly efficient.

Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu lacked motivation at first, but driven by Tejima Shinichi's efficiency, they gradually threw themselves into the work as well. They coordinated to clear away smaller pieces of debris, occasionally whispering a few words whenever they fished up strange stones or shells.

Yamato watched from the side and nodded to himself. Tejima Shinichi's leadership and efficiency were beyond doubt, and the two civilian children were fairly straightforward by nature. They could keep up with the pace.

By the end of the day, Team 1 had efficiently completed four D-rank missions, including clearing the riverbed, harvesting crops, and finding lost pets.

As the sun set, Yamato handed each of them a small money pouch.

"This is today's mission payment. By the rules, it will be divided equally."

Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu eagerly accepted their shares. They weighed the pouches in their hands and listened to the crisp clinking of coins within, smiles finally returning to their faces.

"Hehe, the first money I've earned myself!" Kobayashi Ken said excitedly.

"It feels... pretty good." Sato Yu carefully put away her money pouch as well.

Kobayashi Ken was already making plans. "I'm going to try Ichiraku Ramen's new item!"

Sato Yu thought for a moment. "I want to buy a new hair tie."

Seeing that Tejima Shinichi had not spoken, Kobayashi Ken nudged him with his elbow. "Shinichi, what about you? What are you planning to do with all that money?"

Tejima Shinichi looked at the money pouch in his hand, then raised his eyes toward Yamato, who was preparing to dismiss them.

"Come to think of it," Tejima Shinichi said teasingly, "I heard from other teams that after passing their assessments, the instructor usually treats their students to a barbecue meal to celebrate."

As he spoke, Tejima Shinichi's gaze settled on Yamato's face.

"But our team hasn't had a meal together yet. How about... we use this first payment to treat you to a meal today? What do you say... Teacher Yamato?!"

The moment he said that, Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu's eyes lit up. They both looked at Yamato, their faces filled with disbelief.

Yamato was instantly at a loss for words, and a clear trace of embarrassment flashed across his face.

"Well... Shinichi, it's not that your teacher is stingy." He tried to explain, his tone somewhat stiff. "It's just that... I really have something to do tonight..."

Looking at his three students, especially Shinichi's gaze that seemed to see through everything, along with the undisguised expectation in the other two's eyes, Yamato gave a light cough and compromised.

"How about this—tomorrow! After tomorrow's mission, I'll personally take you to Yakiniku Q. My treat. How does that sound?"

"Great!" Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu nearly jumped up, agreeing in unison.

Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Tejima Shinichi nodded as well. "Then it's settled."

"Mm, dismissed." Yamato breathed a sigh of relief and waved a hand.

The four went their separate ways. Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu were still excitedly discussing tomorrow's barbecue, and the atmosphere was lighthearted.

Tejima Shinichi walked home alone, passing through a relatively quiet street.

The setting sun stretched his shadow long behind him.

Suddenly—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three ninjas wearing animal masks appeared without warning, surrounding him in a triangular formation!