The First C-Rank Mission

Half a month flew by amid intensive training and trivial D-rank missions.

The three members of Team Six grew more in sync by the day under Aburame Shio's strict and efficient guidance. Might Guy was still burning with passion, but he had begun to observe his teammates' positions when attacking; Uchiha Narong remained steady, yet he would speak up to command when necessary, making up for Guy's tactical shortcomings; though Amamiya Ren was still somewhat shy, during training and missions, her chakra threads became increasingly precise, and her Mystical Palm Technique grew more and more practiced. She had begun to treat Narong and Guy's minor injuries quickly and effectively after their high-intensity taijutsu sparring.

Aburame Shio was like a silent iceberg. Most of the time, he merely observed, and whenever he did speak, it was inevitably with comments or orders that struck straight to the point. His training methods were practical, even cold, but they rapidly brought out the three's potential.

Another half month passed. Aburame Shio felt their basic teamwork had already taken shape, and it was time for a true test. He went to the Hokage Office and reported Team Six's situation to the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"...That is the general situation. Might Guy has outstanding taijutsu and a strong fighting spirit. His grasp of basic ninjutsu is acceptable, and without opening the Eight Gates, he is still among the best of the genin. Uchiha Narong has shown proficiency in sensory ability, taijutsu, and ninjutsu, and has also mastered some foundation in genjutsu. Though his eyes have yet to awaken, his overall strength is above Guy's. Amamiya Ren, as a medical ninja, is skilled in the Three Basic Techniques. Her Mystical Palm Technique is already practical, and her sensory ability is not weak. Her strength is relatively lower, but she can play her proper role within the team."

Aburame Shio's report was concise, objective, and without the slightest embellishment.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a draw from his pipe and slowly exhaled the smoke, a gentle smile on his wrinkled face. "Mm, Shio, I have always trusted your judgment. It seems Team Six has preliminarily gained the ability to handle more complicated situations. Very well, I approve them to begin accepting C-rank missions. Remember, safety comes first. They are Konoha's future."

"Understood." Aburame Shio bowed slightly.

Early the next morning, the three members of Team Six gathered on time in the mission assignment hall. Today, they would welcome their first C-rank mission since becoming ninja.

The hall was packed and unbearably noisy. Ninja of various ranks came and went, handing over missions, chatting, and joking. The air was filled with the unique smell of tobacco, sweat, and scroll ink mixed together. This was a glimpse of daily life for Konoha ninja.

They saw quite a few familiar and unfamiliar faces. Several Uchiha clansmen wearing clothing marked with the fan crest gathered in a corner, their expressions carrying the clan's usual reserve and aloofness. Narong's gaze briefly met theirs. They nodded slightly to one another, and that counted as a greeting.

Even more eye-catching was another squad. The boy at the front had silver hair and wore a mask that covered most of his face. His lazy eyes held a trace of sharpness. It was Hatake Kakashi. Beside him, a boy was making a racket, loudly declaring that he would make the ninja world remember his name. It was Uchiha Obito. And the girl with gentle brown eyes and a sweet smile was the medical ninja Nohara Rin.

"Kakashi!" Guy immediately charged over excitedly, waving his arms with boundless energy. "This is the reunion of youth! Are you here to take a mission too?"

Kakashi's eyelids drooped as he replied lazily, "Ah... It's you, Guy. Mm, a simple C-rank." His voice sounded somewhat muffled through the mask. Compared with a few years ago, his aura had grown even colder.

Narong also walked over and greeted them calmly. "Kakashi, Obito, Rin."

When Obito saw Narong, he seemed to remember something and restrained himself slightly, but he still muttered, "Hmph, it's Narong." Rin responded with a gentle smile. "Narong-kun, Guy-kun, and this is... Hello, I'm Nohara Rin."

Amamiya Ren introduced herself somewhat shyly. "My name is Amamiya Ren. I'm Team Six's medical ninja."

After a simple exchange of greetings, Kakashi's squad received their mission scroll and left. Before leaving, Obito did not forget to shout his catchphrase. Guy watched their backs and clenched his fist hard. "Oh! Kakashi, I won't lose to you! Next time we meet, we must have a passionate contest!"

Narong looked in the direction Kakashi had left, his gaze flickering slightly. He knew that this former genius did not carry a light burden.

Just then, Aburame Shio appeared silently beside them, holding a mission scroll he had just received.

"Mission confirmed, C-rank. Objective: wipe out a group of bandits entrenched near a border town in the Land of Fields. The client is the local mayor. Intelligence indicates there is one wandering ninja among the bandits, suspected to be at genin level. Commission: thirty thousand ryo. Prepare yourselves. We depart immediately."

Without any unnecessary words, Team Six's first C-rank mission began just like that.

The group left Konoha Village and set out on the road to the Land of Fields.

Within the Land of Fire, the roads were flat, and most of the scenery along the way was fertile farmland and dense forest, with a mild climate. But the closer they drew to the border of the Land of Fields, the more desolate the scenery became. As a small country, the Land of Fields had relatively scarce resources, and the terrain also grew rugged.

Aburame Shio remained silent the entire way, handing full control over to the three genin. This was both a form of trust and a kind of test.

After traveling for some time, they arrived at the town designated by the mission. The town looked run-down and bleak. There were few pedestrians on the streets, and all of them wore worried expressions. Clearly, the bandit problem had brought tremendous pressure to this already less-than-wealthy town.

In the mayor's home, they met the worried client. The mayor was a thin middle-aged man who repeatedly described the bandits' brutality and their most recent robbery of a merchant caravan.

Throughout the entire conversation, Aburame Shio leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, saying nothing. It was impossible to tell where his gaze behind the sunglasses had fallen.

Guy listened with righteous indignation, his fists clenched tight, but asking him to analyze tactics was asking too much. Amamiya Ren stood quietly to the side, working hard to record the information in the mayor's words, but she was clearly not good at leading the conversation.

In the end, it was still Uchiha Narong who stepped forward and calmly asked the mayor for key information such as the bandits' exact numbers, activity patterns, and the rough location of their lair. His thinking was clear, and his questions went straight to the point, displaying a calmness and analytical ability beyond the level of a genin.

The clues provided by the mayor were limited. He only knew that the bandits' lair was in the mountain forest outside town, that there were about twenty or thirty of them, and that their leader was a wandering ninja who could use ninjutsu.

After leaving the mayor's home, the four found a quiet place to discuss things.

"What do we do, Teacher Shio?" Guy looked at Aburame Shio, hoping for instructions.

Aburame Shio merely said flatly, "This is your mission. Decide for yourselves."

Guy scratched his head. "Then... we charge straight in and beat them all down!"

Amamiya Ren said softly, "Wouldn't it be better to... scout first?"

Guy said, "Scout? Too much trouble! There's only one genin anyway. The three of us will definitely be fine!"

Narong pondered for a moment, then said, "The mayor's intelligence may not be accurate, but the bandits have just robbed a merchant caravan, so they're very likely to be lax. A night raid is a good choice. The advantage lies in catching them off guard. Guy's frontal assault can quickly create chaos, Ren will support and keep watch from the rear, and I'll provide cover and eliminate key targets. Teacher Shio... please hold the line."

His arrangement was clear and reasonable, taking into account his teammates' traits and the uncertainties. Aburame Shio nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Good! We'll do as Narong says!" Guy immediately agreed. Amamiya Ren nodded as well.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

Following the vague location provided by the mayor, the three silently approached the bandits' lair. It was a camp built using the mountain wall and crude timber. Bonfires burned brightly, and voices rang out noisily.

Just as expected, the camp's defenses were extremely lax. Perhaps because of their "haul" during the day, the bandits were gathered around the bonfires, eating and drinking with abandon. Their clamor could be heard from far away. There was not even a decent sentry.

The camp's wooden gate was crude beyond belief. Narong made a hand signal.

"Go!"

The three leaped over the wooden fence like ghosts and landed inside the camp.

The drunken bandits froze for a moment at the sudden appearance of ninja. Then panic erupted!

"Enemy attack!"

Guy took the lead, roaring as his Leaf Whirlwind instantly kicked the two closest bandits flying. "Let the power of youth explode!"

These ordinary bandits were utterly helpless before well-trained Konoha genin. Guy was like a tiger among sheep. Wherever his fists and feet went, bandits fell one after another. Narong's figure shuttled through the crowd, his kunai precise and efficient. Every time he struck, a bandit inevitably lost the ability to fight. Amamiya Ren guarded a relatively safe position, vigilantly observing the surroundings, several shuriken clasped in her hand, ready to provide support at any moment.

The battle was almost a one-sided slaughter. However, just as the bandits were about to be completely wiped out, a sudden change occurred!

Three figures rushed out from the largest wooden house in the camp, chakra surging around them.

"Not one! Three wandering ninja!" Narong's eyes sharpened as he shouted a warning. The intelligence provided by the mayor was wrong!

These three wandering ninja were clearly far stronger than ordinary bandits. Though their methods were crude and their chakra was not pure enough, their practical combat experience did not seem weak. One swung a broadsword and charged toward Guy, another formed hand seals and spat a stream of foul, acidic mucus at Narong, while the last stealthily moved in, trying to ambush Amamiya Ren in the rear.

"Ren! Watch out!" Narong shouted, nimbly dodging the mucus at the same time. Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique was released in an instant, forcing back the wandering ninja with the sword.

Guy clashed head-on with the broadsword-wielding ninja, producing a dull impact. "Not bad strength! But you're still far behind youth!" The more Guy fought, the braver he became.

The wandering ninja ambushing Amamiya Ren was about to succeed. Though Amamiya Ren was nervous, the results of her training showed. She quickly retreated while shooting out chakra threads—not to heal, but to coil around the opponent's ankle. Though the opponent easily broke free, it still bought her precious time to evade.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" Narong seized the opportunity, and multiple small fireballs sealed off the ambusher's path.

The battle grew intense. The appearance of the three wandering ninja meant the situation was no longer easy. Guy needed to deal with the pincer attack of two wandering ninja at the same time, while Narong fought the ninja who used something similar to Water Release or Poison Release, and also had to spare attention to look after Amamiya Ren.

It seemed as if they had fallen into a "hard fight." Narong deliberately controlled his strength, behaving like a genin with decent ability but still shallow experience, fighting back and forth with his opponent and occasionally making "dangerous" dodges. Guy, meanwhile, was truly fighting with everything he had. His taijutsu held the upper hand, but with their numbers and vicious fighting style, the opponents also kept him from winning for the moment.

After Amamiya Ren adapted to her initial nervousness, she began to play the role of a medical ninja. She no longer merely dodged, but attempted to use chakra threads to interfere with the enemies. She even picked the right moment to apply a simple stamina recovery technique to Guy. Though the effect was faint, it greatly boosted Guy's spirit.

After a bout of fighting, Narong finally caught a flaw in his opponent's movements and used a clever Substitution Technique combined with a kunai attack to deal with his enemy. He then immediately supported Guy. The two worked together and quickly defeated the other two wandering ninja. When the remaining ordinary bandits saw their leaders fall, they immediately scattered like birds and beasts.

The battle ended. The camp was a mess, and the bonfires were still crackling, illuminating the three young faces, weary yet filled with a sense of accomplishment.

Only then did Aburame Shio's figure slowly step out of the shadows like a ghost. He had clearly been observing from the dark the entire time.

He swept his gaze over the battlefield, pausing briefly on the corpses of the three wandering ninja before looking at the three panting genin.

"Acceptable performance. Correct tactical choice. Passable adaptability. Teamwork has improved." His evaluation was still concise, but the words "has improved" were already decent praise from Aburame Shio.

After cleaning up the battlefield and confirming the mission was complete, the four returned to the town to report to the mayor.

When the mayor learned that the bandit threat had been removed, he thanked them profusely. Regarding the intelligence error, he apologized again and again, and proactively added five thousand ryo to the reward as compensation.

In the end, Team Six set out on the road back to Konoha with a reward of thirty-five thousand ryo. Once this reward was split after they returned, each person would actually only get a few thousand ryo. No wonder ninja were relatively poor. Konan is really rich. Kakuzu is truly the number one workhorse. Uchiha Narong thought of Konan's explosive tag ocean from the original work and felt his heart ache.

Under the setting sun, the three of them cast long shadows. Though they were exhausted, the excitement and sense of accomplishment from completing their first C-rank mission filled each of their hearts. To Uchiha Narong, this transmigrator, this mission had been a novel test. In his past life, he had never killed anyone, but yesterday he had killed quite a few, and there had been no nausea, vomiting, or anything of the sort. Was this the cruel manifestation of the Uchiha bloodline? Or did he subconsciously think these were Japanese, so he had no psychological burden at all? He himself was not sure.

Guy was still full of energy, loudly discussing the details of the battle. Narong was relatively calm, but his eyes held a bit more sparkle than usual. Amamiya Ren did not say much, but the corners of her mouth carried a faint, confident smile.

Aburame Shio walked at the very front, his high collar concealing his expression. Beneath his sunglasses, perhaps his gaze swept over his three young subordinates. Team Six's first true combat test could be considered successfully passed.

Konoha Village's gates gradually grew clear in the dusk.