"So, don't judge a book by its cover. Some people are calm as a lake on the surface, but harbor thunder in their hearts." The boy paused.
"That's exactly the kind of person Uncle Guy is."
Morino Kei was taken aback.
"Is he really that incredible? If Kai's praising him like that, he must be ridiculously strong." Morino Kei scratched his head, choosing to believe his best friend without question.
"From the way you're putting it, he could probably take on at least ten of me..." The tall, broad-shouldered boy pursed his lips and looked thoughtful.
At this, Uchiha Kai's mouth curled into a smile. Forget ten of you. Even two hundred of you all tied together would go down with a single punch.
But the boy only thought it; he didn't say it aloud and discourage his lively friend.
"Hey! What are you three whispering about over there?" Aburame Keiichi called out, craning his neck and interrupting their hushed conversation.
The three boys, suddenly called out, froze like students caught misbehaving. Their eyes darted around as they exchanged glances, and they quickly came up with a plan.
"Teacher Keiichi~ We've missed you so much! Everyone's been talking about you while you were gone. We were just so excited to see you back that we started discussing what great things you must've been up to~"
Morino Kei stepped forward and lied without batting an eye, not the least bit flustered.
Aburame Keiichi's eyebrows twitched stiffly twice.
"Heh... Do you even believe that yourself?" the man said, though the corners of his mouth rose involuntarily.
"Enough with the nonsense. I heard you've all been complaining that your missions are too easy and tedious." Aburame Keiichi abruptly changed his tone and got down to business.
"Lucky for you, I'm back, and you've all gotten familiar with how missions work."
Morino Kei's eyes lit up, and his voice suddenly rose.
"Could it be...?"
"That's right. This time, I'm taking you on a C-rank mission—a real ninja operation, not another easy, risk-free D-rank chore." Aburame Keiichi nodded, his tone serious.
"Really? That's great!" Morino Kei cried out, overjoyed.
"Heh heh... Of course it's true." Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes and chuckled.
"Kosuke has told me about your conduct. You're all capable, patient children. It's only natural to grow restless after things have been too quiet. Keeping you cooped up too much wouldn't necessarily be good for you."
As he spoke, Hiruzen Sarutobi pulled a thin scroll from a mountain of documents.
"You can't become great without hardship. You're ninjas of my Konoha, after all. You can't be hothouse flowers."
"C-rank mission: suppress bandits. The mission was commissioned by the neighboring Land of Hot Water, where a band of unidentified bandits has recently been looting, burning, and killing."
"The Land of Hot Water is a neutral country said to be free of war. Since this concerns relations between our two countries, the mission is very important. Preliminary reports say there are no ninjas among the bandits, but you must still proceed with caution."
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke gravely, his gaze sweeping over them.
Everyone present grew more serious, especially Morino Kei, whose expression was positively theatrical.
"This mission is to wipe out the bandits completely and investigate their origins as thoroughly as possible. You must be swift, precise, and ruthless." The old man fixed them with a stern look and said in a deep voice,
"Keiichi's team, can you do it?" Hiruzen Sarutobi called out.
"We'll complete the mission!" Uchiha Kai and the other two answered in unison.
"Good! That's the spirit!" Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled with satisfaction.
"All right, Keiichi, take the children and get ready." Hiruzen Sarutobi handed over the scroll with a smile, then remembered something and added a reminder.
"And be sure to remember what I told you earlier." The old man leaned to one side and spoke quietly.
Aburame Keiichi nodded and took the scroll.
"Team Seven, assemble!" the man called out.
"Understood!" Uchiha Kai and the other two replied.
The next day, at Konoha's main gate.
The red-and-green gate stood half open, its prominent plaque engraved with the character "忍." The imposing ninja statues standing on either side scanned their surroundings from time to time, ever vigilant.
Uchiha Kai and the other two were fully prepared, carrying a fair number of bags and packs.
"Ah... Teacher Keiichi, honestly! He's late again, isn't he? I should've slept in longer..." Morino Kei complained as usual.
"Hmph, you still want to sleep in? Dream on. A teacher can show up late and make excuses, but if you're late, you'll be the one to suffer." Hyuga Rei gave a playful little snort.
"Maybe Teacher Keiichi will suddenly appear in the next second, saying something like he got lost on the noisy road of youth. A classic line from an over-the-hill bachelor." The girl covered her mouth with a sly smile, looking just like a cat licking its paws.
Speak of the devil, and he appeared. The next moment, a lazy, listless voice came from behind them.
"Yo... You boys are full of energy." Aburame Keiichi appeared out of nowhere, dressed as he usually was.
"Well, I got a little lost on the noisy road of life. You don't mind, do you~?" The over-the-hill bachelor narrowed his eyes and shrugged.
"What the heck! You can't just do whatever you want because you're the teacher! You have no sense of time at all!" Morino Kei took the opportunity to complain without holding back.
Thwack! With a dull thump, Aburame Keiichi brought down a practiced chop on the boy's head, drawing a wail from him.
"Objection overruled. Don't talk back to your teacher," Aburame Keiichi said nonchalantly.
"Besides, it's only a C-rank mission. Do you really need to bring so many bags? We're not heading to the front lines to fight Stone Ninja. What's the point of carrying all that?"
Looking at Morino Kei, who was covered in packs and looked as though he'd brought his whole house with him, Aburame Keiichi helplessly patted his forehead.
"There are places to restock along the way. Look at Kai—he's traveling light and only brought what he needs." Aburame Keiichi pointed at Uchiha Kai, urging Morino Kei to take notes.
Morino Kei rubbed his head. He was clearly unconvinced, but didn't dare argue too loudly. He could only grumble,
"I was just taking precautions... Fine, I'll leave some of it at home. I'll go drop off the unnecessary stuff."
But Aburame Keiichi stopped him the next second.
"No, don't go back. Time is precious. Ninjas have to value every second. What you've brought seems fine, so just take it with you." Aburame Keiichi paused.
"We'll all use it, and you'll carry it yourself." The man's mouth curled into a smile as he spoke.
"What?! You're exploiting child labor!"
As Morino Kei protested, Aburame Keiichi strode off as if nothing had happened and approached the ninja guarding the gate. He took the mission documents from his chest and registered them.
After all, in Konoha, ordinary ninjas were strictly monitored and logged when entering or leaving the village, unless they had a special reason or were on a mission.
Leaving the village without reason could easily be considered desertion and land someone on the wanted list. Of course, certain special individuals, whether due to their status or strength, didn't have to follow these rules.
"Yes, Senior Keiichi. I've logged everything. You may take your students out of the village." The unnamed gate guard clearly knew Aburame Keiichi and spoke to him respectfully.
"Thanks for your hard work. See you around," Aburame Keiichi replied politely.
Then he waved the three over and headed outside the gate.
The next moment, two unexpected visitors approached from outside the village.
A tall, slender man with long hair and delicate features, dressed in simple robes, was leading a girl toward the village entrance.
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