An Elderly Genin Encountered Again

Because they had to travel with the Guild Master, Team Seven did not move very quickly. After two days, they finally arrived at their mission destination.

Standing at the foot of the mountain, the Guild Master explained, "This is where we received the goods from the Gato Company in the Land of Waves. Before we could transport them inland to the Land of Fire, we were attacked by Bandits..."

Kakashi Hatake looked up at the lush green mountain peak. "While most Bandits will surrender when they see ninja, we can't rule out the possibility that there are some particularly vicious ones among them..."

"Doesn't that mean we'll get to fight?"

Sasuke Uchiha clenched his fist and said disdainfully, "Perfect. We can use them to test the results of our training these past few days."

"Yeah, let's go take a look first..."

Naruto Uzumaki nodded, but before he could finish speaking, the crisp clang of metal suddenly reached everyone's ears!

Kakashi Hatake frowned and leaped onto a large tree, looking down toward the source of the sound. "There's a fight happening nearby..."

Everyone in Team Seven immediately tensed up!

However, by the time they reached the battlefield, the fight was already over. They happened to know both surviving people.

Tazuna, the old man Team Seven had met at the village entrance two days ago, stared at the elderly ninja standing before him in astonishment, his face full of disbelief...

The elderly Genin who had accepted the escort mission, Maruboshi Kosuke, held a ninja blade as he warily watched the figures emerging from the forest. Only after seeing Team Seven's faces did he relax. "Ah, it's you. What a coincidence..."

Two people lay beside Kosuke, blood pouring from their throats. Judging by the wave-shaped symbols on their forehead protectors, they were from Kirigakure across the sea.

From the moment the sounds of battle began until Team Seven arrived, less than five minutes had passed, yet Kosuke had already killed two Kirigakure ninja...

Under the rules of ninja villages during peacetime, any ninja qualified to carry out assassination missions was at least a Chunin...

"It looks like Elder Kosuke has taken on a very troublesome mission!"

Kakashi Hatake scratched his head and looked at Tazuna, whose expression was complicated as he stood behind Kosuke. "It seems your client knows something. This involves combat between ninja, and there has already been an attempted assassination by Chunin. By all rights, this should be a B-rank mission or higher, shouldn't it?"

"Yeah, this isn't a mission a Genin like me should be getting involved in!"

Maruboshi Kosuke sheathed his ninja blade and waved with a smile. "It doesn't matter. I haven't stretched these old bones in a long time anyway!"

Kakashi Hatake frowned. "Are you saying you don't intend to give up on this mission?"

"Mr. Iruka specially selected this mission for me, and it has been a long time since I last carried out a high-ranking mission..."

Maruboshi Kosuke smiled as he turned to Tazuna. "Although I will continue carrying out your mission, could you tell me who exactly is trying to assassinate you? After all, I'm only a Genin!"

Tazuna nodded with a strange expression. "..."

What exactly was going on with this Genin?!

When he had seen those two Kirigakure ninja appear earlier, he had practically fallen into despair! Yet the only person by his side had been an old, lame Genin!

Who could have imagined that this inconspicuous old man, who looked more like a cook than a ninja, would swing his ninja blade and take down the assassins in just a few moves!

One against two—a Genin against Chunin—yet he had handled them as cleanly as an adult beating children!

If Konoha's Genin were all this strong, then it was easy to understand why they sat firmly at the head of the Five Great Nations.

Kakashi Hatake glanced at Tazuna and spread his hands. "If Kosuke needs help, our team can provide support at any time..."

"Mm, it hasn't come to that yet... Cough, cough..."

Maruboshi Kosuke sheathed his blade and thumped his old lower back. "I just hope these old bones of mine can hold out until this mission is complete!"

Team Seven: "..."

If the two ninja corpses on the ground had not still been warm, and if he had not been completely uninjured, they might actually have believed Kosuke!

Maruboshi Kosuke and Tazuna did not waste much time. After the two old men talked for a while, they once again set off for the Land of Waves.

Of course, anyone with eyes could see that the elderly Genin was faintly excited, as though he had drawn a winning lottery ticket.

It was truly impossible to understand...

After making a few preparations, Team Seven headed up the mountain to search for the Bandits' hideout.

Sasuke Uchiha was eager for a real fight. When he was younger, he had often carried a small bow and arrow while pretending to hunt in the forest, so he quickly found traces of the Bandits' movements.

"As expected of Sasuke!"

Sakura Haruno praised him loudly, raising her fist. "Let's charge in while we have the momentum and take them down!"

"Hey, hey, hey, be a little more rational!"

Although Kakashi Hatake wanted to stop them, the difference in strength seemed overwhelming to him. Besides, with a Jonin like him standing right there, nothing unexpected should happen.

Following the tracks, they soon reached the middle of the mountain. There were several crude houses there, and the sounds coming from within showed that people were inside.

A rough wooden gate stood outside, with long swords and short daggers scattered everywhere. There were even mountain animals lying around, mixed with the smell of blood...

Kakashi Hatake stopped. "This should be the place. We'll first investigate how many people are inside, then force them to hand over the goods..."

The Guild Master beside him gave an embarrassed smile. "Lord Kakashi, they're just Bandits. There's no need to take them so seriously, is there?"

In his view, as long as Konoha ninja showed themselves and demonstrated a bit of skill, these Bandits would surely surrender.

"Every mission must be handled carefully..."

Just as Kakashi Hatake was about to say more, his expression abruptly changed. "Something's wrong. There isn't just animal blood here. There's human blood too..."

As a ninja who had fought on battlefields for many years, he could already distinguish the difference in the scent of blood. A battle must have taken place here within the past two days!

"Maybe the Bandits got into a dispute over dividing the spoils?"

Sasuke Uchiha grinned and chuckled. "If that really happened, then this fight won't be very interesting..."

Naruto Uzumaki suddenly raised his head and stared at the activity inside the houses. "Maybe someone else killed them... There's killing intent!"

Crack!

The entire door suddenly shattered!

More than a dozen figures abruptly leaped out, each holding a ninja blade as they spread out and completely surrounded Team Seven!

"Could you tell us who you are?"

Kakashi Hatake pulled out a kunai and gripped it tightly, shielding the three children of Team Seven behind him. "Based on my many years of experience carrying out missions, I don't think Bandits could possibly possess such skills..."

Just from the way they leaped and moved through the air, it was obvious they had the habits of ninja hardened by the battlefield. Ordinary Bandits could never do such things!

Although these people wore the clothes of wandering samurai and masks that concealed their faces, the killing intent radiating from them was unmistakably real!

Their only response to Kakashi was silence!

Second Update

Kosuke: I'm old, I'm old. This body of mine can't move anymore...

Zabuza Momochi: I don't believe it. Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!

Kosuke: Young man, you're doing it wrong. That isn't how you form the hand seals for the Water Dragon Bullet. Why did you use forty-four seals when it only takes three?

Zabuza Momochi: Hidden Mist Jutsu! I'll chop you to death!

Kosuke: Young man, where did you learn your swordsmanship? It's kind of interesting...

Zabuza Momochi: Who exactly are you...

Kosuke: Just an ordinary Genin from Konoha!