"Or else what?"
Chiba leaned a little closer to Tenten, a dangerous smile on his face.
Tenten flushed slightly, holding both hands in front of her chest as she backed away.
"All right, all right, I'll stop teasing you."
Chiba knew when to stop and promptly stepped back.
"As for any requests, I can't think of any right now."
"But I'm very satisfied with the quality of your ninja tools!"
He toyed with the kunai in his hand as he spoke with a smile.
After he bought a batch of ninja tools here, Tenten looked at Chiba with even greater warmth.
He was talented, strong, and handsome to boot.
"Are all the ninja in this year's graduating class this strong?"
Standing at the entrance to the ninja tool shop, Tenten watched Chiba walk away, still feeling a little resentful.
But when she recalled their earlier fight, a sense of helplessness crept over her.
"The gap is just too big."
"We're not even in the same league!"
After a day of rest.
Early the next morning, Team 7 assembled at the gates of Konoha!
The liveliest among them was still that blond golden boy, Naruto Uzumaki.
By comparison, Chiba and Uchiha Sasuke were much quieter.
As for Kakashi Hatake, he was still engrossed in the latest volume of Icha Icha Paradise.
Tazuna looked at his escort team and felt utterly drained.
Was it really a good idea to entrust my safety to these people?
I feel like my days are numbered...
None of these four looked remotely reliable.
"Hey, come on, everyone! Perk up!"
Tazuna felt as though the team's current mood was setting them up for a total wipeout.
"Yeah!"
Only Naruto Uzumaki answered him.
His first C-Rank Mission had him brimming with excitement.
This was the first hurdle on Naruto Uzumaki's path to becoming Hokage!
"Don't worry, old man! I'll keep you safe!"
Tazuna gave Naruto Uzumaki a dead-eyed stare.
"Oh."
His reaction was utterly flat.
"Hey!"
Naruto Uzumaki shouted, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Are you looking down on me?!"
Kakashi Hatake stepped in to smooth things over.
"All right, let's get going."
Kakashi Hatake did not give this mission much thought.
After all, a C-Rank Mission posed absolutely no danger to an Elite Jonin.
Of everyone present, Chiba and Naruto Uzumaki were the ones whose emotions ran highest.
Naruto Uzumaki was excited because this was his first mission outside the village.
Chiba, on the other hand, knew what lay hidden behind this mission.
If they were careless, things could go horribly wrong.
After all, this was the brutal world of ninja!
They encountered almost no danger during their morning trek.
But as they passed a stretch of woods, a puddle caught Chiba's attention.
He raised his right hand to shade his eyes and looked up at the somewhat dazzling sunlight.
The team continued onward without incident.
Kakashi Hatake had also noticed something amiss, but he said nothing.
Actual combat was essential for a ninja.
It was also a lesson Team 7 had to learn.
Chiba sensed a fluctuation of chakra behind them.
"First one!"
A calm, cruel voice rang out beside Kakashi Hatake's ear.
A cold iron chain bound him in an instant.
Blades sliced through him, and a cloud of dust rose!
Naruto Uzumaki and Tazuna stared dumbfounded at the sudden attack.
"Second one!"
That cruel voice rang out beside Naruto Uzumaki's ear next.
The blades closed in instantly!
Faced with the threat of death, Naruto Uzumaki froze, unable to react at all.
Bang! Bang!
A gust swept past, and a dark blur flashed before Naruto Uzumaki and Tazuna.
A tremendous crash came from the trees to their left.
By the time Naruto Uzumaki came to his senses, the two ninja who had ambushed them had vanished from before him.
He looked to the side and found Sasuke Uchiha and Tazuna staring blankly.
"W-what happened?"
He followed their gazes.
The two ninja lay unconscious beneath the trees.
He gasped!
Naruto Uzumaki drew in a sharp breath.
When he looked beside him again, Chiba stood there with a calm expression.
As though nothing had happened.
Clap! Clap!
Applause sounded from behind a tree, and Kakashi Hatake appeared before them again.
"A swift response and an excellent fight."
He did not hold back his praise.
Chiba's abilities certainly deserved it.
From a spectator's perspective, it was easy to see how Chiba had fought.
The instant the attackers struck, Chiba sprang into action.
His explosive speed had made even Kakashi Hatake take notice.
With one kick each, he had sent the two ninja hurtling into trees dozens of yards away.
The force of the impacts had knocked them unconscious instantly.
"Chiba deserves the most praise for this fight!"
Admiration flickered in Kakashi Hatake's eyes.
Before you continue