He had accepted a C-rank mission to escort a shipment of supplies to a small town on the Land of Fire's border. The mission itself was easy enough; the journey was just a little long.
The Genin under his command were three kids fresh out of the academy—Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu.
Guy wore a green bodysuit and ran like a gust of green wind;
Genma had a senbon between his lips and his hands in his pockets, looking cool and aloof;
Ebisu wore round glasses and clutched a copy of Shinobi World Geography, flipping through it as he walked.
"Guy, don't run so fast!" Genma called from behind.
"Youth means running!" Guy ran even faster without looking back.
"Where does this guy get all that energy..." Ebisu adjusted his glasses and sighed.
The Chunin walked at the head of the group. He glanced back at the three Genin, his mouth twitching.
He had led plenty of Genin before, but Guy was the first whose boundless energy gave him a headache.
"All right, there's a river ahead. Let's take a break." The Chunin stopped and pointed ahead.
The words had barely left his mouth when his body went rigid.
Seven people stood in the clearing ahead.
All seven were dressed differently, but each radiated an intense killing intent that seemed ready to spill over.
Their leader was a man with a scar running across his face and the enormous Kubikiribōchō strapped horizontally behind his waist.
Beside him stood a burly man covered in fat, carrying a massive, bandage-wrapped sword over his shoulder.
Next to him were a masked man clutching a long needle, a short man holding the Blunt Hammer, a tall, thin man carrying a scroll on his back, a dark-faced ninja with two short blades at his