The Mission Ends

Fengxi struggled to lift his head and looked at Asuma and Kurenai with a cold sneer.

"Don't get too cocky... My partner will finish off that brat soon. When he gets back, you'll both be dead!"

His voice brimmed with confidence.

But as soon as he finished speaking, faint footsteps sounded from the woods.

Fengxi instinctively turned to look, and the sneer on his face froze.

Amada emerged from the trees at an unhurried pace, his expression calm. He didn't have so much as a scratch on him.

"Y-you... What are you doing here?!"

Fengxi's eyes widened, his voice full of disbelief.

"Where's Leilu? He's a Chunin! How could you possibly..."

Amada merely said, as if it were nothing,

"He's dead."

The three short words hit Fengxi like a crushing blow.

He opened his mouth, seeming to want to say something, but in the end, he could only hang his head helplessly,

as if all hope had vanished in that moment.

Asuma and Kurenai were also stunned by Amada's appearance.

Asuma had planned to rush to Amada's aid as soon as he dealt with Fengxi,

but he hadn't expected Amada to have already taken down the Chunin on his own.

His eyes widened, and his voice was tinged with disbelief.

"Amada, you... You really took down that Chunin?"

Amada nodded, his voice still calm.

"Yeah. It's taken care of."

Asuma stood there stunned for a moment, then drew a deep breath, a complicated look flashing across his eyes.

He'd thought he had performed well enough in this fight,

but he hadn't expected Amada to be this strong.

He muttered under his breath,

"You really kept your strength hidden, huh?"

Kurenai stood nearby, gazing intently at Amada, her admiration plain to see.

Just then, a familiar voice rang out from the shadows, full of approval and amusement.

"You've all done so well. I'm impressed."

The three turned at once, and saw Kushina emerge from the shadows of the trees.

"Teacher!"

Asuma and Kurenai cried out together, their faces lighting up with delight.

Amada smiled faintly, as if Kushina's arrival hadn't surprised him.

He had guessed that with Kushina's abilities, rescuing the hostage wouldn't be difficult.

Kushina walked up to the three of them, her gaze sweeping over them as she praised them without reservation.

"Asuma, Kurenai, for your first real mission, you did exceptionally well. Asuma especially—you adapted to your opponent's rhythm quickly in battle and ultimately defeated him. I'm proud of how much you've grown."

Embarrassed by the praise, Asuma scratched his head, a smug smile appearing on his face.

"Heh, it was nothing."

Kurenai blushed slightly and spoke softly.

"It was a team effort. We all did well."

Kushina nodded, then turned to Amada, surprise and admiration flashing in her eyes.

"As for you, Amada, you surprised me even more. I don't know how you did it, but you took down a Chunin so quickly on your very first mission. Your strength is astonishing. You really are a member of the Uchiha Clan."

Amada smiled, his voice calm but confident.

"I was just lucky. You're too kind, Teacher."

Kushina shook her head, her tone serious.

"No, it wasn't just luck. Your skills and composure are already far beyond what I'd expect from a Genin. This mission has been a valuable experience for all of you."

The group quickly returned to the village. Even from a distance, they could see villagers gathered at the entrance, their faces full of anxiety and hope.

When the villagers saw Kushina return safely with Amada, Asuma, and Kurenai,

and saw that they'd rescued their kidnapped loved ones, they erupted into cheers.

"They're back! They rescued the hostages!"

Someone shouted excitedly.

"Thank goodness! We can't thank you enough!"

The village chief hurried forward, tears of gratitude in his eyes.

He clasped Kushina's hand tightly and spoke in a trembling voice.

"Thank you. Thank you for bringing my daughter back..."

Afterward, the villagers quickly notified the local authorities.

They arrested the ordinary bandits whom Kurenai had subdued with Illusion Techniques, one by one.

The bandits were bound with ropes, their faces filled with regret and fear. They had clearly realized the punishment awaiting them.

As for the surviving Genin, Fengxi, Kushina decided to take him back to Konoha.

She believed that, as a Cloud Village defector, Fengxi might know more about the Cloud Village.

While they rested briefly at the village chief's home, Amada and the others learned who had really commissioned the mission.

Sitting in his chair, the village chief spoke slowly.

"Actually, I was the one who sent the request to Konoha. When my daughter was kidnapped, I knew only a ninja could save her. So I secretly sent someone to Konoha to post the mission... Thank goodness you came."

Kushina scratched her head and smiled.

"So that's what happened. But don't worry—we've dealt with the bandits for good. Your village won't be threatened again."

With the mission complete, Kushina set off for Konoha with Amada, Asuma, and Kurenai.

When they saw Konoha's gates in the distance, a warm sense of familiarity rose in their hearts.

"We're finally back..."

Asuma let out a long breath, his face relaxed and smiling.

Kurenai nodded with a smile.

"Yeah. This mission was unforgettable."

For Asuma and Kurenai, the mission had been a transformative experience,

and now they could truly call themselves ninjas who had experienced real combat.

After returning home, Amada sat alone in his room and began to reflect on the mission.

He had gained a rough sense of his own strength.

With my Sharingan, ordinary Chunin are no match for me.

Amada murmured to himself,

But compared to an elite Jonin like Teacher Kushina, I still have a long way to go.

In the darkness of night, the lights in the Hokage's office still shone brightly.

Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi held the mission report that had just arrived.

Standing before him was an Anbu Ninja wearing an animal mask, quietly reporting the details of the mission.

"Asuma and that girl, Kurenai Yuhi, performed exceptionally well. Asuma especially—on his first real mission, he quickly adapted to the flow of battle and ultimately defeated an experienced Genin. As for that Uchiha, Amada..."

The Anbu Ninja's voice carried unmistakable surprise.

"His performance was even more astonishing. On his first real mission, he effortlessly killed a Chunin. Smoke bombs obscured the battle, so we couldn't observe it directly, but according to our examination of the body, the opponent was beheaded with a single slash. It was clean and decisive, with almost no signs of resistance."