On the third day after Konoha's new Genin were assigned to teams, the area outside the mission assignment office in the Hokage Building buzzed with voices.
Konoha ninjas received missions in two ways: One was direct assignment, and the other was voluntary acceptance.
But either way, missions had to go through the higher-ups. Ninjas were not allowed access to a mission request until its rank had been assessed.
New teams consisted of a Jonin who could accept missions up to A-Rank and completely inexperienced Genin who could only carry out D-rank missions, so the Hokage made the final decision on their assignments himself.
"Our first mission!" Naruto had been talking about it the whole way, and now he was brimming with excitement at the meeting spot. Clearly, Minato's words last night had done him good. "I wonder what kind of mission it'll be."
"Kakashi-sensei still isn't here." Hinata looked around but found no sign of the man who had agreed to wait for them here. She sounded a little worried. "When we parted yesterday, his injuries still didn't seem healed. What if..."
"Well, he brought that on himself. Don't worry, he's a Jonin! But you, Sasuke..." Naruto turned to Sasuke, whose face and arms were covered in medicinal ointment and bandages, looking puzzled. "You didn't fight Kakashi-sensei yesterday, did you? How did you get hurt?"
"What's it to you?"
Sasuke glared, apparently pulling at a wound on his face, and immediately grimaced in pain.
But Naruto could tell that the guy seemed to be in a good mood.
Hinata blinked, remembering how only she and Naruto had been there when they left home that morning. Brother Neji hadn't appeared. Instead, she had seen a familiar medical ninja leaving the house, looking exhausted after a sleepless night...
Clever Hinata seemed to