By morning, the sleeping Konoha had fully awakened. People bustled everywhere, and the whole village was thriving again.
The Mission Hall was never short of ninja looking for work. Arriving half an hour early, Taiichi spotted his teammates from a distance.
He went over to join them and learned that they had been too excited to stay home, so they had come to wait at the Mission Hall.
Poor kids. Wonder what faces they'll make when they find out we can only do D-Rank odd jobs.
"Captain Yamaguchi isn't here yet?" Taiichi looked around but saw no sign of him.
"It's still half an hour until nine. He probably won't be here this early," Saori said softly.
"Then let's wait a little longer." Yohei could hardly contain himself. He was desperate to carry out his first mission.
"What? Come on!"
The cry drew everyone's attention toward its source.
A ninja squad stood there. One of its members had apparently been complaining to the captain about their lousy assignment.
"I'll go take a look. I think that's Tatsuya Kawasaki's team." Yohei volunteered and headed over.
One glance at the scene was enough for Taiichi to guess what had happened.
"Tatsuya, it really is you!" Yohei was delighted to see his former classmate. "What was that about? Everyone in the Mission Hall was looking at you!"
Hearing his name, Tatsuya turned around. He was pleased to see his class's top student, but the question made him flush.
"Don't ask. We just got a D-Rank mission to catch a cat..."
"D-Rank? Catch a cat?" Yohei looked stunned.
At his expression, Tatsuya and his teammates all wore looks that said, Just as we expected.
Yohei returned to his teammates and explained what he had learned, only to find that Taiichi and Saori weren't particularly surprised.
"You two don't seem surprised at all," Yohei said.
"I asked my father about it," Saori said quietly.
"Looks like you don't know much about what kinds of missions ninja of each rank can take!" A deep voice came from behind Yohei, making him jump.
"Captain Yamaguchi!" all three called out.
"Captain, does that mean we have to take D-Rank missions like catching cats too?" Yohei asked.
"Of course. Every newly graduated Genin squad has to complete a certain number of D-Rank missions before it can take missions of a higher rank."
"Besides, that rule exists to help rookie Genin like you learn the mission process and get used to working as a team," Captain Yamaguchi said earnestly.
"I get that, but these missions are way too easy," Yohei grumbled.
"You still have a lot to learn. If you rashly took a high-ranking mission and ran into danger, could you handle the consequences? Even a C-Rank Mission might bring you into contact with enemies," Captain Yamaguchi said gravely.
"Enough. Come with me and I'll show you how to take a mission." With that, he led the way to the Mission Office.
The three exchanged glances, then hurried after him.
At the Mission Office, Captain Yamaguchi picked up a scroll listing D-Rank missions. After a quick look, he handed it to the three of them.
They opened the scroll and huddled together to read the mission summaries:
Find a dog: Mrs. Morita's dog went missing at the market... Requirement: find the dog within two days. Reward: 1,000 ryō.
Weeding: The Matsuda family's fields east of the village need weeding... Requirement: finish within one week without damaging the crops. Reward: 800 ryō.
Clear the river: Garbage has piled up in the Xiao Nai River west of the village... Requirement: remove the garbage and restore the river's flow within two days. Reward: 5,000 ryō.
The scroll was packed with missions, but the more the three read, the less enthusiastic they felt. They were all trivial chores around the village, dull even to look at.
In the end, they chose the river-clearing mission together. At least it paid the most.
The three handed the scroll to Captain Yamaguchi. "Captain, let's take the river-clearing mission."
Masasuke Yamaguchi read the summary, then returned the scroll to the Chunin at the desk. As he submitted their application and completed the paperwork, he explained the process to the three of them.
Soon, the paperwork was done, and they left the hall with their tools and proof of assignment.
Taiichi and the other two each carried a large bamboo basket on their back, filled with trash bags and litter-picking tools.
Captain Yamaguchi looked over the mission details in his hand and went through the key points with them. "Pay special attention to the departure time, destination, and completion deadline."
"You're only taking D-Rank missions now, but missions from C-Rank onward can have special requirements. More importantly, pay attention to a mission's confidentiality level. Don't disclose mission information to anyone uninvolved." Captain Yamaguchi's tone was stern.
"And asking about someone else's mission details, like you did earlier, is a serious breach of protocol on higher-ranking missions. It could be taken as espionage," he added.
The three nodded repeatedly. Yohei's face was especially red. He had been the one who had gone straight over to ask about another team's mission.
"All right. Let's head to the Xiao Nai River west of the village." The four set off at a run while their captain explained the assignment.
"The Xiao Nai River is about twenty meters wide and flows slowly. Garbage washed downstream often blocks it, disrupting irrigation for nearby farms. So the farmers in the area pool their money to post regular cleanup missions with the village," Captain Yamaguchi explained.
"This mission was posted yesterday, which means we only have today left to complete it. There's a fair amount of work."
Twenty minutes later, the four reached the Xiao Nai River. Looking at the broad river and the hundred-meter stretch they had to clear, the three finally understood what their captain meant. They might be working until nightfall!
"Enough gawking. Listen up," Captain Yamaguchi said, drawing their attention.
"From the way you traveled and fought before, I could tell you've all trained in tree climbing. So you know about Water Walking too, right?"
All three nodded, though Yohei Uchiha looked uneasy.
"Since you know what it is, I won't explain it further. For this river-clearing mission, I want you to work while using Water Walking. You're not allowed to stand on the riverbed."
"But Captain, I'm not very good at Water Walking yet!" Yohei protested.
"Then practice more. You don't want to hold your teammates back, do you?" Captain Yamaguchi's answer left no room for argument.
"Yes..." Yohei looked utterly miserable.
"Get to work!"
Taiichi and Saori strolled onto the river. Faint ripples spread beneath their feet as they walked steadily across the surface, picking up trash with their tools and dropping it into the baskets on their backs.
Yohei, on the other hand, cautiously put out one foot. Only after making sure it didn't sink did he bring out the other, then wobble toward the middle of the river.
He had just opened his mouth to boast when his expression changed. He tipped sideways and fell into the water with a splash.
The sound caught Taiichi and Saori's attention. At the sight of Yohei climbing out, soaked to the skin, they burst out laughing.
"Come on, Yohei! We're waiting for you to join us," Taiichi called encouragingly.
"Just wait! I'll be there in no time!"
Splash! Yohei had barely finished speaking before he fell in again, drawing another round of laughter.
Half an hour passed, and Yohei still couldn't stand steadily on the water.
"Yohei, just focus on practicing Water Walking. I'll handle your share of the work," Taiichi said, worried about their progress.
Without waiting for an answer, he formed Hand Seals and used the Water Clone Technique. Water surged up before him, then took Taiichi's shape when it reached the height of a person.
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