A New B-Rank Mission

[ Ding! New mission issued: Accumulate practical combat experience. ]

[ Mission requirements: Independently complete a B-rank or higher mission, or participate in an A-rank mission with a contribution rate of at least 30%. ]

[ Mission reward: 500–2,000 dimensional points, depending on mission difficulty and contribution rate. ]

[ Failure penalty: None. (But you might die.) ]

The system prompt arrived as punctually as ever, but this mission description was exceptionally blunt.

"Could die..." Ling Yue mulled over those three words, yet the corner of her lips curved upward.

Perfect. She also wanted to test the results of her recent training.

The opportunity came soon enough.

A few days later, in the mission hall, Tsunade tossed a mission scroll to Kakashi.

"Outpost No. 37 on the border has been out of contact for a full week. The last message mentioned an attack by unidentified shinobi. Preliminary assessment places this as a B-rank investigation and support mission. Kakashi, take Sakura and Ling Yue there."

Tsunade rubbed her brow and added, "The border has been unsettled lately. Sand Village seems to be making some moves too. Be careful."

"Yes." Kakashi accepted the scroll and glanced at Ling Yue and Sakura beside him.

Sakura looked a little nervous, but her gaze was resolute as she clutched her medical kit.

Ling Yue, meanwhile, looked calm, even a little eager.

"Finally, not a D-rank mission," Ling Yue muttered quietly. Kakashi shot her a glance. "A B-rank mission means we may encounter enemy shinobi and enter combat. This is no game."

"Understood."

After making a few quick preparations, the three set off immediately.

Along the way, Kakashi briefly explained the situation at Outpost No. 37.

It was a small guard outpost at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers. Only one chunin and two genin were stationed there, mainly tasked with monitoring border activity and patrolling. They rarely encountered real danger.

Being out of contact for an entire week was indeed abnormal.

"If they were able to silently wipe out an outpost, they're not weak. Once we arrive, we'll conduct a concealed reconnaissance first. Don't rush in recklessly," Kakashi instructed.

"Yes!" Sakura and Ling Yue answered in unison.

Ling Yue secretly activated [Zetsu], suppressing her presence to its lowest point. At the same time, [Beast Instinct] was fully activated, sensing the movements around her.

The energy of [Healing Arts] also flowed slowly through her body, ready to heal at any moment.

Sakura appeared somewhat tense, glancing from side to side every now and then.

After two days of travel, the three approached the target area.

The surrounding forest grew denser and quieter, while the air carried a faint smell of blood and something scorched.

Kakashi made a hand signal, and the three immediately slowed down, using the trees to conceal themselves.

Through gaps in the branches and leaves, they could vaguely make out the outline of the outpost.

It was a small wooden fortress built around massive trees. At the moment, it was terrifyingly silent. The outer walls bore obvious signs of ninjutsu damage, with several sections charred black.

There were no lights, no cooking smoke—only deathly stillness.

"Something happened here, just as expected." Kakashi's gaze turned grave as his Sharingan quietly activated, carefully observing the outpost and its surroundings.

"Is there an ambush?" Sakura asked in a low voice.

"No obvious chakra signatures for now, but we can't rule out enemies skilled at concealment. Yue, your sensory ability is good. Can you detect anything?"

Ling Yue closed her eyes and focused, combining the senses of [Beast Instinct] and [Zetsu] as she carefully probed the area.

"Inside the outpost... there are no living auras. Around us... hmm? At three o'clock, roughly two hundred meters away, there's an extremely faint chakra signature underground. It's well concealed, like... some kind of earth-traveling technique, but more refined. And... in the treetop at nine o'clock, there's one more. He's almost completely blended into the environment."

A trace of surprise flashed through Kakashi's eyes. His Sharingan had only just caught the slightest inconsistency in that treetop. Ling Yue's senses were actually this sharp?

"Two, then... Sakura, stay here and provide support. Set up some simple warning traps. Yue, come with me. We'll deal with the one in the treetop first," Kakashi ordered swiftly.

"Yes!"

Kakashi and Ling Yue silently moved toward the large tree at nine o'clock.

As they drew closer, Ling Yue's [Paper Arts] senses became even clearer. The shinobi in the treetop breathed extremely slowly and faintly, and even his heartbeat was suppressed to the bare minimum. He was definitely an expert.

Kakashi made a hand signal, indicating that they should flank him from both sides.

Ling Yue nodded and activated [Flash Step], instantly circling to the other side of the tree.

Just as the two were about to launch a thunderous strike,

Several kunai shot out of the ground without warning, aimed directly at Ling Yue in midair and Kakashi as he climbed!

It was the underground ambusher! He had discovered them!

"Watch out!" Kakashi shouted lowly, twisting in midair as his kunai precisely blocked the attack.

Ling Yue activated [Paper Arts], her body twisting strangely through the air as she narrowly evaded the poisoned kunai. At the same time, she flung a kunai already attached with [Void Threads] at a point on the ground!

The kunai burrowed into the earth, and the threads instantly tightened, seeming to have entangled something!

"Got you!" Ling Yue landed and yanked hard with both hands!

"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!" The underground shinobi reacted quickly, immediately using a substitution technique. Instead, he emerged from the ground beneath Ling Yue's feet, one hand reaching for her ankle!

At the same time, the shinobi in the treetop stopped hiding and swung his ninja blade straight at the back of Kakashi's head! Their coordination was flawless!

"Hmph." Kakashi seemed to have expected it. Without even turning around, he blocked the ninja blade with a reverse kunai grip while his other hand rapidly formed seals!

"Lightning Release: Lightning Tiger Rampage!"

A lightning hound roared as it pounced at the underground shinobi!

The underground shinobi had not expected Kakashi's counterattack to come so quickly. Forced to abandon his attempt to seize Ling Yue, he dove underground again to evade it.

Meanwhile, the treetop shinobi's attack was easily blocked by Kakashi. The Sharingan instantly caught an opening, and Kakashi kicked him flying!

Ling Yue also leaped backward to widen the distance, her heart still racing.

That had been close! These guys worked together far too well!

"Are you all right?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm fine. They look like professionals."

The two attackers regrouped, revealing their true appearances.

Both wore gray shinobi outfits without forehead protectors, and masks covered the lower halves of their faces. They were clearly experienced rogue shinobi or mercenary ninja.

"Kakashi of the Hidden Leaf Village, the Copy Ninja... your reputation is well deserved," one of them said in a hoarse voice. "Unfortunately, you came too late."

"Where are the people from the outpost?"

"Who knows? Maybe they were fed to wild beasts. But don't worry. You'll be joining them soon enough!"

Before his words had faded, the two formed hand seals at the same time!

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

The wind fueled the flames, and a massive fiery storm swept forth in an instant, swallowing Kakashi and Ling Yue from sight!

"Teacher Kakashi! Yue!" Sakura cried out in horror from the distance.

But when the flames dispersed,

A charred wooden stump stood in their place.

"A substitution technique? When did they—?"

"Above you!" Kakashi's voice came from the air! At some point, he had leaped high into the sky, both hands crackling with lightning!

"Lightning Cutter!"

But just as he was about to dive down, the rogue shinobi skilled in Earth Release slapped the ground. "Earth Release: Yellow Springs Swamp!"

The ground beneath Kakashi instantly transformed into a massive swampy mire! At the same time, countless sharp stone spikes erupted upward!

Kakashi was forced to interrupt Lightning Cutter and change direction in midair.

The other rogue shinobi seized the opportunity to hurl a mass of shuriken tied with Explosive Tags, covering every route Kakashi could use to evade!

At the critical moment, a streak of golden-white lightning arrived later but overtook them all! It was even faster than the shuriken!

"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"

Ling Yue streaked across the field in a flash of lightning, Senbonzakura Asauchi in hand precisely severing every shuriken's connecting wire!

The Explosive Tags detonated prematurely in midair!

At the same time, the moment she landed, she pressed both hands to the ground. "Water Release: Water Wall!"

A wall of water rose up. Though it could not completely block the combined ninjutsu, it greatly weakened the flames.

Kakashi landed safely and gave Ling Yue a glance. "Good coordination."

The two rogue shinobi looked grim. They had not expected these two Hidden Leaf Village genin to be so troublesome.

"End this quickly!" They charged forward again, combining taijutsu with ninjutsu in a fierce assault.

Kakashi took the initiative to meet the rogue shinobi who was skilled with taijutsu and blade techniques. With the Sharingan seeing through everything, he quickly gained the upper hand.

Ling Yue, meanwhile, faced the rogue shinobi skilled in Earth Release. The man constantly used Earth Release to alter the terrain, creating quicksand, stone spikes, and earthen prisons to interfere with her. It was incredibly annoying.

But [Paper Arts] and [Flash Step] were least afraid of this kind of control!

Like an earthworm, she moved freely through the ever-changing terrain. [Void Threads] continuously disrupted his hand seals and movements, while the occasional explosive kick from [Lightning Flash Body Technique] left him scrambling.

"Damn it! What's wrong with this brat?!" The Earth Release rogue shinobi grew more alarmed the longer they fought. His Earth Release always seemed to be a half-beat too slow, as though she could predict his movements!

It was the predictive power of [Beast Instinct] and [Paper Arts] at work!

Unable to gain the upper hand after a prolonged battle, a vicious glint flashed through the Earth Release rogue shinobi's eyes as he deliberately exposed an opening.

Ling Yue indeed seized the chance to rush in, her lightning-wreathed fist blasting straight toward his face!

However, the man grinned instead, pressing his palms together!

"Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique!"

His fist was instantly encased in thick rock, growing enormous as it smashed toward Ling Yue's fist! He intended to trade injuries and crush her with raw strength!

But a sly glint also flashed through Ling Yue's eyes. Her fist suddenly changed midway, opening into a palm!

"Armament Haki: Hardening!"

Her palm was instantly covered in a black metallic sheen as she grabbed directly at the enormous rock fist!

The palm imbued with Armament Haki shattered the stone gauntlet by force. Her fingers curled like claws, firmly locking around the rogue shinobi's wrist!

"What?!" The rogue shinobi was horrified. He tried to break free, but could not move no matter how hard he struggled.

"Got you." Ling Yue sneered as lightning burst from her other hand again!

"Lightning Release: Earth Walk!"

A powerful current surged through his arm and instantly flooded into the rogue shinobi's body!

"Arghhh!" The rogue shinobi let out a miserable scream. His entire body convulsed violently, his hair standing on end as black smoke rose from him. Then he collapsed limply, unconscious.

On the other side, Kakashi had also easily dealt with his opponent, holding a kunai against the man's throat.

The battle was over.

Only then did Sakura run over. Looking at the two rogue shinobi sprawled on the ground and the completely unharmed Kakashi and Ling Yue, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes full of admiration. "Teacher Kakashi, Yue, you're amazing!"

Kakashi put away his kunai and looked at Ling Yue, his gaze carrying scrutiny and a faint, barely noticeable surprise. "That move just now... both its defense and attack were unusual."

Ling Yue dispelled her Armament Haki and shook her slightly numb hand, her expression unchanged. "Just a little family trick."

Kakashi did not press further. Everyone had their own secrets.

He walked over to the unconscious Earth Release rogue shinobi and examined him.

"How is it? The people from the outpost..." Sakura asked worriedly.

Kakashi shook his head. "There are no traces of items belonging to the outpost shinobi on them. It seems the outpost personnel are likely dead, but their bodies may have been disposed of. Tie these two up first. Then we'll enter the outpost and search it carefully for clues."

Ling Yue and Sakura immediately got to work.

Looking at the two rogue shinobi tied up like dumplings, Ling Yue began calculating inwardly.

Her contribution to this mission should be quite high. The system points were guaranteed.

Besides, the battle just now had made her use of her abilities even more natural.

[ Ding! Detected that the host participated in and took the lead in defeating two special jounin-level rogue shinobi. Mission contribution increased. Current mission progress: 30%. Please continue exploring the outpost and uncover the truth behind the lost contact. ]

The system prompt sounded.

Ling Yue looked toward the deathly silent outpost, her gaze narrowing slightly.

Would an even greater danger be waiting for them inside?