The big and little kappas, the pretty boy, and the pretty girl

At the Konoha, Tōka leaned against a huge gatepost, looking up at the sky with utter boredom. The blue sky and white clouds floated gently, creating a tranquil and peaceful scene.

Tōka and Kai accepted B-Rank Mission to capture Rogue Ninja in the Land of Grass, and the agreed time was 8:00 AM.

It's already 8:15, and there's not a soul in sight at the village entrance except for Tōka.

"Kai may be unreliable, but he's definitely not the type to be late. What happened?" Tōka slowly withdrew his gaze and turned to look at the empty street.

Suddenly, a cloud of dust rose from the main road leading out of the village.

Two figures, one large and one small, both dressed in Green Skin bodysuits and with Watermelon on their heads, came rushing towards them like a gust of wind, their faces tense.

Swish!

The two figures swept past Tōka, creating a whirlwind that made Tōka's hair sway wildly.

"Hey, Tōka, you're here early!" Kai stiffened up, raised his legs to stop himself, then turned around, gave a thumbs up, and grinned.

A smaller figure, almost identical to Kai, stood at attention beside him, looking serious.

Tōka glanced at Kai expressionlessly, then looked away.

"Let me introduce you, this is my disciple, Rock Lee!" Kai showed no remorse for being late, and generously pointed to the smaller Kappa.

Before Tōka could speak, two more bursts of smoke and dust, like rockets, filled the street.

But then they saw two little devils, a boy and a girl, about the same size as Rock Lee, running towards them.

"Neji, Tenten!" Guy said.

"What do you want with them?" Tōka asked knowingly.

"This time, I'm taking them out here to show them what real ninjas are!" Guy said seriously; he wasn't the type to joke around.

However, this Genin, who had just graduated and only done a short period of D-rank missions, was facing Special Jonin for the first time?

It might be acceptable during wartime, but in peacetime... isn't that a bit much?

"Are you sure? Aren't you afraid of your adorable disciples..." Tōka wiped his neck and raised an eyebrow as he asked.

"Isn't that what you're here for? You'll help me when I can't take care of everything, right?" Kai laughed without batting an eye.

Well, so I've ended up being a nanny!

Tōka's face darkened, and he turned and walked out of the village.

Seeing this, Neji, Rock Lee, Tenten gathered around and asked, watching Tōka's departing figure, "Teacher Kai, who is that handsome older brother?"

"Tōka is an extraordinary ninja." Kai's eyes burned with fierce light.

"An amazing ninja?" Upon hearing this, Rock Lee's eyes filled with respect. "Sensei, is he also Jonin? He looks so young!"

Tōka has delicate features and a slender, well-proportioned figure, making her look like a teenage girl—cough, a boy.

Upon hearing this, Neji and Tenten couldn't help but prick up their ears.

"Tōka is only Chunin, but he's very strong," Kai sighed, his gaze wandering as if his thoughts were returning to the Third Shinobi World War.

That year, the Battle of Kikyo Mountain left behind a forest of Withered Bones that covered the entire mountain.

Except for a few Elite Ninja who escaped thanks to their precognitive sense of crisis and incredible speed, ninety percent of them were buried beneath that gray Bone Forest.

The Sunagakure Shinobi suffered heavy losses in that battle, which directly led to their defeat.

These things happened so long ago, and Tōka has faded from people's sight over the years; most people have almost forgotten about him.

However, the wronged souls buried on Kikyo Mountain will never forget.

"What? So he's just a Chunin." The little girl Tenten no idea about Tōka's past achievements, and upon hearing that Chunin, she showed a disdainful expression.

Neji didn't speak, but his Pure White eyes no longer held the curiosity they had at the beginning; a hint of indifference lingered in his otherwise indifferent gaze.

Rock Lee secretly remembered Kai's words: anyone who could be praised by Teacher Kai must be a true powerhouse!

Because besides Tōka, Rock Lee had only ever heard Kai praise Kakashi.

Rock Lee stared intently at Tōka's retreating figure, secretly vowing in his heart that one day, he too would be recognized by Teacher Kai!

"Let's go, or we'll fall behind Tōka." Kai took in the expressions of the three of them but didn't offer any further explanation.

He patted Rock Lee on the shoulder, signaling the three of them to follow.

With a whoosh, Kai's figure blurred as he dashed out, leaving a trail of green Green Light in his wake.

Dust filled the air, blurring the view.

Team Guy focuses on Taijutsu, and whether it's daily training or missions, Kai never forgets physical training.

Running is a regular part of my daily routine.

Rock Lee was taken aback at first, then revealed a spirited expression and was the first to rush out.

Neji and Tenten were speechless. Neji is a member of the Hyuga Clan and his Taijutsu follows the Gentle Fist style, but it requires a certain amount of stamina to support Gentle Fist.

Therefore, Neji diligently completed all of Kai's daily physical training.

After being a beat behind, Neji took a deep breath and adjusted his rhythm to catch up.

"Ugh! What's wrong with you all?!" Tenten's face turned green as she saw Neji rush out, while Guy and Rock Lee, who had gone ahead, were almost out of sight!

Tenten excels at Taijutsu and manipulating ninja tools for attacks. She can also summon various ninja tools using Scroll she carries, and her special moves contain the element of "dragon."

As a member of Team Guy's team, Tenten serves as Neji's training subject. Her throwing weapons are incredibly accurate, and she is considered top-notch in both physical strength Taijutsu among girls. This is closely related to Guy's beast training method.

After uttering a complaint, Tenten didn't hesitate and quickly followed.

The master and his three disciples, plus Tōka who was walking at the front, made a total of five people and headed off in the northwest.

The Land of Grass serves as a buffer zone between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, with the other two Small Nation being the Land of Rain in the southwest and the Land of Waterfalls in the Northeast.

Information about the Land of Grass is only briefly mentioned in the records of the Ninja World. It was the strongest ninja nation and was once destroyed.

Tōka's mother, Otsutsuki Kaguya, the progenitor of chakra, once resided in the Land of Grass.

Therefore, it is indeed possible for the strongest ninja nation to exist.

Compared to the lush, green Konoha, where mountains, rivers, and Big Tree create a vibrant and thriving landscape, the Land of Grass is quite different.

Wilderness, water plants, Swamp, and Forest are the most authentic depiction of the Land of Grass.

Upon entering the Land of Grass, Tōka could clearly feel that the air had become much more humid, and even the soil beneath his feet had become softer.

The main reason for this is the neighboring Land of Rain.

The Land of Rain is constantly shrouded in rain, and a large amount of rainwater flows into the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass, resulting in a humid climate within the areas affected by the rain.

Tōka walked ahead, leaving only his back to Team Guy, and didn't say a word the whole way.

He frowned slightly, looking as if he was deep in thought.

Tōka muttered to himself, "We've already entered the Land of Land of Grass. We certainly can't bring Kai along, much less three burdens."

"Is there any way to shake off these guys?"

With Tōka's strength, shaking off Team Guy, or even Guy himself, would be easy; he could simply use a Genjutsu enhanced with the Six Harmonies Divine Technique to take him down.

But even the most perfect Genjutsu leaves traces.

Moreover, the targets were Guy and Rock Lee, the only half-human that Tōka acknowledged in Konoha, and he didn't want to use Genjutsu on them.

At this moment, Kai, who had been hopping along like a frog while lagging behind, straightened up and couldn't catch up, walking side by side with Tōka.

"Tōka, we've crossed the border. Let's find a place to stay." Kai himself didn't care, but he had to think about his three adorable disciples!

Especially since there's a beautiful girl in the team, they can manage to camp out in the wilderness for a day or two.

The task of hunting down Rogue Ninja cannot be completed in just one or two days.

The first step is intelligence gathering. The Land of Grass isn't that big, but it's not that small either. It's impossible for just five people to find the Rogue Ninja from Konoha.

"Okay." After thinking for a moment, Tōka nodded in agreement.

After passing through a dark and dense Forest, Tōka and the others arrived at a small town, a remote town located at the junction of Swamp and Forest.

This place is close to the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain, and many outsiders pass through here.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Tōka and Kai decided to Genin outfits, put on civilian clothes, and find an inn to stay in before searching the locations one by one according to the information on the mission Scroll.

In the guest room, Tōka stood by the window, seemingly lost in thought, while Kai and his three adorable disciples sat together.

"The Rogue Ninja Nishizawa Kotaro was once Special Jonin of Konoha. He is skilled in Water Release, Shuriken, and Taijutsu."

Kaina carefully relayed the information about the Rogue Ninja to Neji, Rock Lee, Tenten using the mission Scroll.

In peacetime, rookie Genin have just graduated from the Ninja Academy need to go through a lot of D-rank missions before they can engage in bloody combat missions, once the instructors feel that the team is well-coordinated.

Even in actual combat, it's only a C-level escort and elimination mission.

As for B-Rank Mission, they are definitely not something a bunch of fresh graduates can complete.

It was only because Guy was Jonin the team of Jonin, and Tōka was also traveling with them, that the Third Hokage reluctantly agreed to Guy's request.

Even so, Guy wouldn't let Neji other two actually capture the Rogue Ninja.

Nishizawa Kotaro is a genuine Special Jonin with formidable strength. At least in front of Neji, he is a towering mountain that cannot be crossed in a short time.

However, Kai also had his own agenda.

Firstly, it allows Neji, Rock Lee, Tenten to experience a real ninja mission.

Secondly, train the three men in their intelligence gathering abilities.

"That's right. For this mission, the three of you will gather intelligence and be responsible for finding the Rogue Ninja Nishizawa Kotaro." Kai snapped the mission Scroll shut again and looked at the three of them seriously.

"Just gathering intelligence?" Neji frowned, his expression clearly displeased.

He thought he would get to fight Special Jonin, but it turns out he was just there to make up the numbers!

Tenten, who was kneeling to the side, breathed a sigh of relief, but Rock Lee shared the same thought as Neji.

The two had never truly seen blood, the blood of killing an enemy with their own hands. Their understanding was that "capturing Rogue Ninja" was just like their daily sparring.

"Listen up! The first rule of being a ninja is to obey orders! Especially the orders of the team leader. If you can't do it, you can go back immediately!" Kai shouted sternly with a stern face.

The air froze instantly, and the atmosphere became oppressive.

In silence...

The three little ones were the first to back down, their tense expressions easing as they said in unison, "Understood, Teacher Kai."

"A bunch of clueless idiots. Kai is just playing the bad cop to keep you from getting hurt. "Tōka, standing at the window, glanced at the three people inside and thought to himself.

Only...

Rock Lee approves of Kai's words and actions, and since she has agreed, she won't have any other thoughts. Tenten, as a girl, is also quite well-behaved.

As for Neji...

The emotions hidden in those indifferent, Byakugan seemed to...

"Forget it, he's not my apprentice, so I shouldn't meddle in his business." Tōka pursed her lips, turned her head, and continued to stare blankly out the window.

Seeing that the three agreed, Kai, who had been keeping a straight face, revealed a kind smile.

He played both the stern and the benevolent roles; Kai truly lived up to his duty as a teacher.

Compared to this, Tōka's three disciples far away in the Land of Snow seem much more pitiful; they're practically left to their own devices, as long as they don't die...

No, even if someone is about to die, Tōka can bring them back to life.

"Neji will be in charge of intelligence gathering, with Tenten and Rock Lee assisting," Guy said, looking at the three of them. "From now on, Neji will be your team leader."

"Tenten, Rock Lee!"

"Here!" Tenten and Rock Lee Li straightened up and answered in unison.

"You two must obey Neji's orders," Kai said sternly.

A snake cannot function without a head; if two different voices emerge within a team, it becomes dangerous!

"Yes!" The two nodded, indicating that they understood.

"Neji." Kai turned to Neji after speaking, his tone slightly softening, "I'm leaving those two in your care. As the captain, you must protect your subordinates."

Neji grew up bathed in the aura of genius. He has his own pride, and although he doesn't like to hold his comrades back, he would never abandon them.

"Don't worry, I will." These five simple words carry the weight of a true man's promise!

"Then, untie it!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kai's body vanished with a bang.

Neji was slightly taken aback, but quickly came to his senses and subconsciously looked up at the window, only to find that Tōka, who had been staring blankly by the window just a second ago, had vanished without a trace!

Neji genuinely acknowledged Guy's strength.

But this Chunin's speed is just too fast! And Neji didn't even notice when he disappeared!

"Byakugan, open!"

Neji focused his chakra on his eyes, veins bulging on his forehead, his face contorted in a ferocious expression.

Byakugan's vision covered an area of about one mile in radius.

But then they discovered...

There was absolutely no sign of Tōka and Kai!

A moment later, Neji removed his Byakugan with a serious expression, his usually indifferent tone now tinged with earnestness, "Let's set off and gather intelligence."

"Okay!" Tenten and Rock Lee nodded in response.

On their first real combat mission outside the village, the three men displayed different expressions, but deep down they shared the same excitement...