A-Rank Mission

The group sped toward the camp, soon spotting numerous Konoha ninjas standing guard in the vicinity.

"The camp is just ahead," the leader of the ninja squad said, pointing toward the wooden stockade. The gates were tightly shut and heavily guarded. "Amegakure ninjas are experts in poison, and the camp is under lockdown. We cannot let you in without reporting your arrival first."

He strode forward to address the guards at the gate: "The third patrol squad has returned. A ninja claiming to be a student of Tsunade, named Bai Lin, has come to rendezvous."

The gate guard eyed Bai Lin with suspicion before turning to enter the camp to report.

A moment later, the gate creaked open. A trusted subordinate of Orochimaru emerged, his gaze sweeping over Bai Lin with icy indifference: "Lord Orochimaru will see you now."

Inside the central tent of the camp.

Bai Lin stepped inside to find the space brightly lit. Over a dozen Konoha jonin stood in a circle, discussing the situation over a border map with grave expressions.

Orochimaru stood at the center in his standard combat gear, his golden slit pupils cold as ice. Seeing Bai Lin enter, a faint smile flickered in his eyes, followed by a playful smirk: "Oh? Bai Lin-kun, you've returned."

"Is everything taken care of?"

The jonin in the tent turned to look, their gazes landing on Bai Lin with a mix of curiosity, scrutiny, and a hint of disdain.

After all, Bai Lin looked far too young—barely twelve or thirteen—making it hard to believe he was a ninja capable of contributing on the battlefield.

"Lord Orochimaru." Bai Lin gave a slight nod to Orochimaru, his eyes quickly scanning the room.

He saw Tsunade, the red-haired girl Kushina waving at him from behind her, and Uchiha Mikoto, who let out a quiet sigh of relief upon seeing him return safely.

Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze were there as well.

He also spotted Nawaki, who stood behind Orochimaru smiling at him, and beside him, the passionate youth Might Duy, who gave him a thumbs-up.

Hm?

Might Duy giving a thumbs-up?

Is Orochimaru treating him as one of his own confidants now?

Beyond these familiar faces, he noticed a boy with black hair and black eyes nodding at him as their gazes met.

"Who is this kid?"

Bai Lin noticed the ping-pong paddle pattern on the sleeve beneath the boy's flak jacket and immediately understood he was a member of the Uchiha Clan.

Before Bai Lin could dwell on it, Orochimaru spoke with a smile: "Bai Lin-kun, I didn't expect you to have already performed a great service before even arriving here."

"A great service? I don't even know what happened."

Bai Lin raised an eyebrow, his face full of confusion. "I just got here; I haven't done anything yet."

"A few days ago, you sent Nawaki and Uchiha Mikoto to the camp to report that a Sunagakure force of over a hundred men had infiltrated the Land of Fire." Orochimaru tapped his fingertip lightly against the map.

"And then? What was their objective?"

Bai Lin remembered; it was the information he had obtained when he encountered the Sunagakure ninjas while parting ways with Uchiha Mikoto and Nawaki.

At the time, he was heading to Takigakure to seize the Hero Water, so he had them rendezvous with Orochimaru in advance.

"I was skeptical at first, but after sending a scout team to verify, we found the unit at the eastern border—their goal was to ambush the Medical Department and the logistics supply team accompanying Tsunade!"

"The healing herbs carried by the Medical Department, along with the Military Ration Pill and bandages of the logistics team, are all strategic supplies for the front line."

"If they had succeeded, we would have suffered a massive loss."

"Hmm!" Bai Lin nodded, unconcerned.

Great service or not, it wasn't as important to him as making money.

However, looking at Orochimaru's pleased expression, and seeing that Tsunade and Kushina were safe, it seemed the Sunagakure ambush had failed.

It was highly likely the enemy had paid a heavy price.

"That hundred-man Sunagakure unit was caught in our pre-set ambush and wiped out. Not only did we protect the medical and logistics teams, but we also seized a large amount of ninja tools and intelligence."

"This intelligence was provided by you, Nawaki, and Uchiha Mikoto. It was vital to the front-line situation, so I have recorded the completion of an A-rank mission for the three of you."

"Do you have any objections, Bai Lin-kun?"

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing an A-rank mission. Obtained 1 million ryo!]

The system notification rang in his mind, and a flash of hard-to-detect joy crossed Bai Lin's eyes.

He had thought the village's mission system had stalled and that he could no longer follow the rules set by the system through village missions. He hadn't expected that any mission recorded on his official record would count as his own completion.

Now he didn't have to worry about a lack of ways to acquire wealth.

Killing enemies was the easiest way to gain wealth and should be his primary focus, followed by missions. Since it was wartime, there shouldn't be a shortage of B-rank or higher missions, which could serve as a secondary source.

The trade with Kusagakure would be the last resort, as it only happened once a month and the potential for profit was limited.

"Of course I have no objections, Lord Orochimaru." Bai Lin's tone was calm, and he even volunteered, "If there are any A-rank or higher missions in the future, feel free to assign them to me. I will certainly not fail the mission."

He was ecstatic inside, but appeared perfectly composed on the outside.

Tsunade stepped forward, her brows furrowed, her tone tinged with worry: "Bai Lin, A-rank missions are extremely high-risk. You will likely have to face jonin head-on. With your current strength, you are not ready for that. Do not be reckless."

"On the battlefield, survival is always the top priority."

"You are still young. Even if you are a genius, you need time to grow."

Bai Lin reached out to take Tsunade's hand, but she swatted it away. He could only shrug helplessly, his tone carrying three parts contempt, three parts disdain, and four parts arrogant indifference: "Tsunade, a mere A-rank mission—what is there to worry about?"

"Jonin? They are nothing but stepping stones for me."

"Watch with your own eyes as I climb, step by step, to the very top!"

"I will make them tremble in fear the moment they hear my name!"

The expressions on the faces of everyone present shifted into a kaleidoscope of reactions.

Tsunade furrowed her brows even deeper, a mix of anger and anxiety, as she raised her hand to rap him on the head: "You brat! You're getting more arrogant by the day! Do you think a Jonin is so easily dealt with?"

Kushina's eyes went round, and she pumped her fist with a look of pure adoration: "Wow! Brother Bai Lin is just too cool!"

Might Duy clenched his fists, his blood boiling as he shouted: "Yes! That is the indomitable spirit of a ninja! Boss, I cheer for you! I will surely follow in your footsteps."

Minato Namikaze watched Bai Lin radiating brilliance amidst the crowd, smiling happily: "As expected of the boss; he will surely become a true leader."

Jiraiya stroked his chin, a playful glint in his eyes, and chuckled to Minato Namikaze beside him: "This kid is just as wild as I was in my youth. Minato, your talent is second to none. I have a feeling you are the Child of Prophecy I have been searching for."

The Uchiha Clan youth felt a flicker of surprise in his black eyes, and he cast a look of challenge toward Bai Lin.

The Uchiha Clan never bows to anyone.