"Sasuke and Naruto, though, were a little slow to react during the fight."
Kakashi Hatake turned his gaze toward the two of them.
He was simply giving an objective assessment.
In truth, even he had been caught off guard by parts of Chiba's fight.
The instant the ambushing ninja appeared, Chiba had rushed right up to them.
Two successive high kicks had brought them down in a heartbeat.
No matter how he looked at it, Chiba's combat skills were every bit as good as his own as a Jonin.
Perhaps that had something to do with Jiraiya, one of the Sannin.
Kakashi Hatake's mind wandered for a moment.
Jiraiya of the Sannin, who had trained the Fourth Hokage, was still as frighteningly good a teacher as ever.
"Damn it, damn it!"
Naruto shouted indignantly:
"Next time, I'll definitely react in time!"
Chiba replied with a smile:
"Of course you will."
"I believe in you, Naruto Uzumaki!"
"After all, you're my little bro!"
Chiba gave Naruto Uzumaki a thumbs-up, strengthening their bond.
Sasuke, on the other hand, still wore the same dead-eyed, gloomy expression, without the slightest change.
But Chiba caught a flicker of emotion in his eyes.
Maybe setting Uchiha Sasuke's worldview straight would be a good choice, too!
Chiba found the idea rather tempting.
"Mr. Tazuna, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Kakashi Hatake looked at Tazuna.
By now, the bridge builder's forehead was covered in sweat.
The two unconscious ninja were tied to a tree.
They happened to regain consciousness just then.
"Normally, a C-rank mission doesn't involve ninja attacks. We're only responsible for dealing with gangs or bandits."
Kakashi Hatake's dead-fish eyes somehow gave off an oppressive air.
"But once ninja are involved, it becomes a B-rank mission."
"So, for the students' safety..."
Just then, Naruto Uzumaki suddenly interrupted Kakashi.
"Kakashi-sensei, I want to give it a try!"
"No matter how dangerous this mission is, I still want to try!"
"Because my goal is to become Hokage!"
Looking into Naruto Uzumaki's determined eyes, Kakashi Hatake felt something stir within him.
For some reason, Naruto's figure overlapped with that of someone in his memories who had long since passed away.
Chiba silently applauded Naruto Uzumaki.
Good lad! Your big bro didn't save you for nothing this time!
I even spared you an injury.
I can't give up the sign-in mission in the Land of Waves.
He had coveted the Eight Gates Released Formation Ninjutsu for a long time.
But since it was classified as a Forbidden Technique, he had no way to get his hands on it.
That made this sign-in mission a golden opportunity.
He absolutely could not pass up a chance to add another trump card to his arsenal.
"Kakashi-sensei, I think we can give it a try."
Chiba suddenly spoke up:
"D-rank missions no longer give us the experience we need."
"Jumping straight to a B-rank mission might be a bit of a leap."
"But I think this is a very good opportunity to gain experience."
After hearing Chiba and Naruto's requests, Kakashi Hatake sank into thought.
A moment later, he turned his gaze to Sasuke Uchiha and asked:
"Sasuke, what do you think?"
Since the other two had chosen to continue the mission, Sasuke Uchiha naturally would not back down.
"Continue the mission."
His answer was brief and to the point, without any hesitation.
Since the three of them were a team, Kakashi Hatake needed to consider everyone's feelings.
Fortunately, Sasuke also hated losing, which made things much easier.
"Thank you, everyone!"
With no way to repay them, Tazuna could only express his thanks.
"All right, now comes the main event."
Kakashi Hatake clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"The ninja who attacked us are from Kirigakure."
"Their methods of completing missions have always been quite bloody."
"So, Chiba, Naruto, I'll leave them to you."
Naruto Uzumaki's face went pale, and he stammered:
"Kakashi-sensei, what do you mean?"
Kakashi Hatake bent down, leaned close to Naruto Uzumaki's face, and said quietly:
"If you want to continue the mission, kill them."
"As a ninja, killing is unavoidable."
Chiba looked at Kakashi Hatake in some surprise. This was different from the man he remembered, who always seemed evenly matched with any opponent.
Still, as far as killing and bloodshed went...
Chiba had already prepared himself mentally when he set foot on this path.
To him, death was nothing more than a fleeting interlude.
"I..."
Naruto Uzumaki gripped his kunai, hesitation written all over his face.
Whoosh!
Thud!
A kunai flew past Naruto Uzumaki's ear and buried itself squarely in one of the ninja's foreheads.
"Naruto, if you can't even get past this hurdle..."
Chiba looked at him, his expression utterly calm.
"I suggest you give up on becoming a ninja!"
Before you continue