A Task for Four

"That was just a coincidence, purely a coincidence." Obito's voice lacked any real conviction.

This made the jonin in front of them burst into laughter: "Haha, if you fail next time, be careful or I won't give you any more missions. Alright, this mission is actually fine; although it might be a bit dangerous, with Kakashi there, you should be fine. Well, you lot, do your best."

B-rank mission: Emergency mission, survey and sampling around Konoha.

Glancing at the map and checking the mission location, Kakashi furrowed his brows: "The location is a bit far. We might need to stay out overnight, so let's prepare before we head out."

It was clear that this mission was several kilometers away from Konoha, meaning it would take at least half a day just to travel there and back; it was impossible to complete in a single day.

This made it necessary to pack supplies for an overnight stay.

The three of them nodded and prepared to leave. Rin Nohara had already turned to go, but remembering something, she immediately turned back and hurried over to ask: "Um, Kakashi-kun, should we prepare some military rations?"

Kakashi pondered for a moment, then said in a rare, lighthearted tone: "Mm, the rations Rin makes are indeed quite good. Preparing a bit extra wouldn't hurt."

"Yes, um, okay." Rin Nohara's face flushed a bright red, and she left looking quite happy.

Yang Xing, watching from the side, merely curled his lip, turned around, and left in silence.

Returning to what he considered his home, he packed his clothes and luggage, prepared some dry rations, and after eyeing a few seasonings nearby, Yang Xing hesitated for a moment before tossing them into his pack.

Once finished, he headed out again.

Packing only took about half an hour, and when he arrived at the meeting point Kakashi had specified, the others were already there.

"Hurry up, you guy, why are you always so slow?" It was clear that Obito was the most eager of the bunch.

Picking up his pace, Yang Xing jogged to catch up with the group ahead.

The four of them checked their luggage and, without further ado, set off.

The mission was simple: water source survey, tree survey, chakra trace investigation, and general terrain mapping—hardly a dangerous assignment.

The only potential dangers were encounters with various wild beasts or bandits, which was why it was classified as a B-rank mission.

Of course, this was only assuming Konoha was in a normal, peaceful period.

Regarding this, both Kakashi and Yang Xing were well aware; facing this trip, neither of them let their guard down in the slightest.

"I really hope to stir up some trouble this time. If a few capable bandits show up, it would be the perfect chance to test the power of my enhanced ninjutsu." Thinking of this, the smile on the corner of Yang Xing's mouth could not be hidden.

After presenting their mission authorization, Yang Xing and his group successfully left Konoha, following a small path toward the mountain forests.

Here, the hills rolled, and aside from various small trails, the surroundings were filled with towering forests, very much in line with the environment of the Warring States period.

Following the map, Yang Xing and the others traveled quite slowly. This mission wasn't exactly an emergency, and there was no set deadline. Plus, since it was their first mission, getting lost wouldn't be very funny.

They walked for several hours, until the sun was about to set and their stomachs began to protest.

Kakashi, walking in front, finally paused his steps.

"Alright, let's find a place to rest and continue our journey tomorrow morning." Scanning the dimming light of the surroundings, Kakashi stopped and headed toward the woods.

Watching Kakashi's movements, Obito was clearly stunned. As he followed closely behind, he couldn't help but ask: "Hey, if we keep walking like this, won't we have to wait until tomorrow noon to even reach the site? And then we still have to finish the mission—won't that take several days?"

"The mission is simple; it won't take long. It's just the travel that takes a bit of time."

The four of them arrived at a relatively open area. Although there were weeds, it wouldn't affect their sleep.

To ward off wild beasts, a fire was essential. Obito easily solved that with a Fire Style jutsu, and the task of setting up the tents was left to Yang Xing. As for Kakashi, he scouted the perimeter to ensure there were no threats.

After finishing his share of the work, the four gathered together and began to eat their dinner in silence.

They had all brought dry rations, but unfortunately, one guy had brought something truly bizarre, leaving Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara staring blankly at him.

"Salt, soy sauce, MSG, chili powder—yep, nothing is missing. Oh, and a small knife." Pulling item after item from his pack, Yang Xing wore a smile on his face.

Watching Yang Xing's actions, Rin Nohara was stunned and couldn't help but ask: "Um, what are these for?"

Seeing the three of them staring expectantly, Yang Xing shook his head with a look of regret: "Why eat dry rations in the wild? You guys have no sense of style. We should at least have a feast."

"We are on a mission." Kakashi's blunt remark didn't dampen Yang Xing's spirits.

"So what? I just checked, and there seem to be traces of animals over there. We might be able to catch something. Anyone who wants to taste some wild game can come with me." Carrying a small knife, Yang Xing turned and headed toward the nearby woods.

"Hey, don't go too far. This area is safe, but I can't guarantee anything further out." Kakashi paused, frowning as he watched Yang Xing leave, and followed without a second thought.

"Too cunning! You two, wait for me!" Obito hesitated, put down his dry rations, and immediately followed.

Rin Nohara had no choice but to follow as well.

Actually, the destination was quite close.

Yang Xing and Kakashi were so fast that by the time Obito and Rin Nohara caught up, the two were already crouching in the bushes.

Seeing them motionless, Obito panted as he approached: "Hey, you two ran way too fast. What are you crouching here for? A rabbit?"

There was indeed a gray rabbit not far ahead, and seeing it made Obito's eyes light up.

"It's a wild rabbit."

"It's food!" Yang Xing pulled out his small knife.

Watching Yang Xing's movements and knowing he couldn't stop him, Kakashi could only sigh and say, "Make it quick, don't linger here too long."

"Huh? What kind of nonsense are you spouting? You want me to go alone? You guys have to help too."

"?"

"Stop with the nonsense, that guy is about to bolt." Yang Xing glanced at the rabbit that was starting to stir, then slapped a hand onto Kakashi's shoulder: "You two handle the catching, I'll handle the dissection."

Looking into Yang Xing's eyes, Kakashi hesitated for a moment before standing up. He looked at the rabbit ahead and couldn't help but offer a wry smile: "I can't believe I'm actually going along with you on something like this."

"Right, Obito from the right, Kakashi from the left. Be careful, this rabbit might not be an ordinary one. For it to be this bold, it must be quite agile."

"Are there even 'not ordinary' rabbits?"

"Why are you wasting breath? Just do as I say."