First Mission

Early the next morning, Toru received a mission notification stating that Nara Shikaku had accepted a mission requiring the three of them to complete it.

Curious about the contents of the assignment, Toru changed his clothes and headed out.

Kurenai and Asuma received the same notification.

The three of them arrived at the Nara Clan compound almost simultaneously.

Although the Nara Clan was not considered a massive clan in Konoha, it was still of a considerable scale.

Standing at the entrance of the Nara estate, the three of them were somewhat conspicuous.

Fortunately, after being announced by the gatekeeper, Nara Shikaku walked out with a strange smile on his face, which made Toru immediately feel that something was amiss.

Toru's premonition proved correct when Nara Shikaku announced the details of the mission.

This was a C-rank mission issued by Shikaku himself: patrolling the Nara Clan's deer herd, located in the Nara Forest within the Land of Fire—the ancestral property of the Nara Clan.

Shikaku said, "There is no danger involved in this mission, so I won't be joining you."

"Someone will guide you to the Nara Forest. You only need to guard the designated area for one month and handle the patrols."

"Rest assured, no one usually covets the territory of the Nara Clan."

"Go back and pack your things."

Toru felt a bit bored; he had been quite interested at first, but it turned out to be a mission without any danger at all.

Kurenai, however, felt rather excited, as she had heard there were many deer in the Nara deer herd. After all, young girls liked small animals.

After watching the three of them leave, Nara Shikaku returned to the compound, where an elder said with dissatisfaction, "Shikaku, you've offloaded the mission assigned to you by the clan again. Are you really that unwilling to contribute to the family?"

"Furthermore, the deer herd is a forbidden area for our Nara Clan; traditionally, only our kin are allowed to enter."

Shikaku waved his hand and said, "I am a Konoha jonin now, so naturally, I must contribute to Konoha first. Besides, isn't delegating the task also a form of contribution?"

"Also, those three are not just my students, they are the future of Konoha. Are you suggesting you doubt the future of Konoha?"

The elder was left speechless and left in a huff.

Shikaku watched the elder leave and sighed, "What a drag."

A young ninja from the Nara Clan found Toru and the others.

This ninja, named Nara Ensui, wore his hair in a black ponytail and had dark, heavy circles around his eyes, looking quite exhausted.

Nara Ensui said, "I will take you to the deer herd. For this month, I will be the one looking after you."

"Sigh, what a drag... Shikaku dumped this mission on me again."

The three of them seemed to sense Nara Ensui's deep resentment and couldn't help but feel sympathetic toward him.

Tsk tsk, it seems our teacher really is "guilty of many crimes."

That afternoon, Nara Ensui led Toru, Kurenai, and Asuma to a forest in the heart of the Land of Fire. This was the renowned Nara Forest.

It was home to a large herd of deer and countless wild animals, and it was planted with many precious medicinal herbs. It was the most cherished asset of the Nara Clan, bar none.

The fact that the Nara Clan almost monopolized the medicinal herb trade in Konoha and even the Land of Fire was entirely due to this forest.

The Nara Forest was vast, so it was impossible for the three of them to patrol the entire area.

In fact, the range Shikaku had designated for Toru was less than one percent of the forest's total area.

But even so, this area would take the three of them quite a while to patrol, and since they had to remain vigilant at all times, it was even more troublesome. No wonder Shikaku didn't want to come.

Nara Ensui brought the three to a small wooden cabin and said, "This will be your home for the next month."

"There are some supplies inside. There is a small town to the north of the forest; if you run out, you can go there to purchase more. You can charge the supplies to the Nara family's account by simply presenting your mission credentials."

"Oh, and we'll be harvesting deer antlers in two days. Although you don't know the Shadow Possession Jutsu, you can still help by catching a few deer. When I come to harvest the antlers in two days, I'll settle your extra compensation based on the number of antlers collected."

"Here is a map of the forest. It's very large, so be careful and don't get lost. That's all, I'm leaving."

After giving his instructions, Nara Ensui departed.

Toru rubbed his nose and sighed, "This first mission is quite different from what I imagined."

Toru had previously heard Kakashi complain that the village missions were boring, so he had been mentally prepared.

He could accept catching cats or dogs, and of course, he had hoped for a mission that would improve his practical combat skills.

But he hadn't expected this mission to be a month of patrolling here, complete with lodging.

If it were interesting, it was just walking around the forest and catching deer.

If it were boring, it was still easier than catching cats or dogs.

In short, it was quite different from either of the scenarios he had anticipated.

Kurenai and Asuma had similar feelings.

The three of them entered the cabin and found that it was much more modern than they had imagined, equipped with electric lights, a gas stove, a refrigerator, a water heater, and other modern furniture.

This satisfied the three of them, as they were already accustomed to the convenient life within Konoha.

The only thing they were dissatisfied with was that the cabin was quite small and only had one bed.

"I have never lived in such a small house..." Asuma shook his head and said.

The same was true for Kurenai. Although her family wasn't as wealthy as the Sarutobi clan, she still lived in a detached villa in the center of the village.

Of the three, only Toru had experienced true hardship. Before the age of five, he had lived in a dilapidated house in a small town in the Land of Fire. It was about the same size as the cabin, and it was practically empty of furniture.

Toru said, "Complaining won't help. This bed can only sleep one person. Kurenai, you sleep on the bed. Asuma and I will sleep on the floor. Any objections?"

Toru looked at Asuma as he spoke. Asuma shook his head; although he was the young master of the Hokage's family, he wasn't so delicate that he would fight a girl for a bed.

Kurenai was initially embarrassed, but she realized that if she didn't take the bed, she would have to squeeze in with the boys. She suppressed what she wanted to say and nodded slightly.

The three of them unpacked their luggage and worked together to clean and organize the cabin inside and out.

Kurenai wiped the sweat from her brow, put her hands on her hips, and inspected the fruits of their labor. "Not bad, not bad. It finally looks like a place where people can live."

Toru had also laid out the floor bedding. He and Asuma lay down to test it, and the space was just enough.

Kurenai looked at the two of them and couldn't help but chuckle. "You two worked hard today. Don't worry, I'll be in charge of the meals for this month. I'll make sure to treat you well."

Toru lay on the floor bedding and gave a silent thumbs-up.

Asuma saw this and burst into laughter.

Kurenai then looked through the ingredients in the refrigerator to decide on the menu for the evening: "Radishes, potatoes, onions, and baby bok choy."

Toru sat up with a start. "No meat?"

Asuma also sat up and said, "The Nara region is known for its vegetables, but isn't this a bit excessive?"

Kurenai opened the refrigerator door for them to see for themselves; sure enough, it was all vegetables.

Toru hadn't expected that while the supplies here were plentiful, there wasn't a hint of meat to be found.

Toru immediately said, "I'll go hunting, then we can have meat."

Kurenai and Asuma both objected. Asuma said, "Nara Ensui didn't say whether we are allowed to hunt. If we act rashly and cause trouble, it will be a drag."

Kurenai suggested, "Let me go to the town to buy some. Besides, you two should start your patrol mission."

Toru had no choice but to suppress his urge to go hunting.

And so, the three divided the labor: Kurenai went to the town to buy supplies, while Toru and Asuma stayed in the forest to patrol and catch deer along the way.