A month had passed. The trio had completed their physical training and were now sitting down, enjoying their ration bars. Takao grinned and spoke, "Today marks the beginning of our very first mission as a team. It's going to be assigned by Lord Hokage himself, so let's get ready."
Upon hearing this, Yuki and Kosuke couldn't hide their excitement, but Yuto let out a sigh. Deep in his thoughts, Yuto pondered, 'They're all hyped up, but they're unaware of the nature of the mission. I wonder how they'd react if they knew.'
With a polite knock, the four of them entered the Hokage's office. Inside, they found Hiruzen busy with paperwork. As he noticed them, he looked up and said, "I assume you're all here for your first mission, right?"
Takao nodded and replied respectfully, "Yes, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen began sifting through his documents, his brows furrowing in concentration. After a moment, he spoke again, "We have quite a few missions these days. Ahh, here it is. This mission has been pending, and it's urgent. Ignoring it could lead to problems."
Hearing this, both Kosuke and Yuki felt a surge of excitement, their minds racing with thoughts. 'Are we going to be tasked with killing a spy or carrying out an assassination?' they wondered.
Hiruzen's explanation continued, "Your task is to clean the sewers, as neglecting this duty could lead to the spread of disease. I hold high expectations for all of you."
After leaving the Hokage's office, the shock of the assignment left them speechless. Yuki, still struggling to believe it, asked in disbelief, "Sensei, do we seriously have to do this?"
Takao couldn't help but reflect on the stark difference in their reactions. 'They have it much worse than I did. My first mission was chasing down a runaway cat, while they're dealing with cleaning sewers. You little brats, my sympathies.' With his thoughts settled, he responded, "Well, missions like these are common for lower-ranked ninja. They help us build teamwork and other essential skills. As we complete these missions successfully, we'll gradually be entrusted with more challenging tasks. For the next two months, we'll be focused on these missions, one each week. After that, if I see you're all ready, we'll start taking on higher-ranked missions."
Kosuke chimed in, a hint of disappointment in his voice, "I guess we have to start somewhere."
Yuto, offering some perspective, added, "It might not be glamorous, but remember, every mission has its purpose. We'll learn and grow from each experience."
Takao nodded, acknowledging their feelings. "Absolutely. The path to becoming stronger ninja starts here, and every mission is a step towards that goal."
Both Yuki and Kosuke sulked, their expressions a mixture of disappointment and resignation.
A few minutes later, they reached their destination and were met by a worker who explained their task. Takao stepped forward, saying, "Now that you all understand what needs to be done, the three of you will handle this while I attend to some other matters." With those words, he swiftly disappeared from sight.
Yuto reached into his pouch and pulled out three paper tags, summoning a lightning clone and conjured a shadow clone. He gave instructions to the shadow clone to oversee the lightning clone as they worked on cleaning the sewers. Afterward, Yuto's attention shifted to a nearby thicket. He quickly averted his gaze and proceeded to find a comfortable spot beneath a tree, settling into a meditative state. Witnessing this, both Yuki and Kosuke were left astonished, their curiosity piqued. They couldn't help but desire to acquire that jutsu as well.
Observing from his concealed position nearby, Takao pondered, 'Did he sense my presence? It seems he possesses a knack for sensory abilities. Despite his inclination towards laziness, he manages to employ his intellect effectively.'
After Yuto had finished his part of the cleaning, his clones lent a hand to Yuki and Kosuke, speeding up the task. Both Yuki and Kosuke were genuinely grateful and began to see Yuto as something of an angel. As they diligently worked on cleaning the sewers, Takao suddenly reappeared before them. With the worker's approval in hand, he led the way back to the Hokage's building.
Arriving at the mission hall within the building, Takao began, "As we move forward, we'll be taking missions from this point on. The payment will be divided in a 40-20-20-20 split: 40% for me, and 20% for each of you. Keep in mind that if any of you become the leader in the future, your share will be higher than the others. Leadership comes with its own rewards." The three Genins nodded in understanding, though in their minds, they couldn't help but think, 'He barely did anything and still gets paid?' Once the reward was split among them, they went their separate ways.
The following day, the trio completed their usual physical training and sat down to eat. Yuto's thoughts wandered, 'It's a good thing I had a couple of shadow clones studying more about fuinjutsu. Progress is happening faster than expected...' Takao's voice interrupted Yuto's thoughts as he said, "Now that your teamwork is improving, we'll set aside time for practicing that once a week. While you've all learned the jutsus, mastery is still the goal. Yuto and Kosuke, aim to reduce your hand seals further, and Yuki, try to minimize your hand seals as much as possible. Speaking of which, Yuki, it's time for your taijutsu practice." Upon hearing this, Yuki bid farewell to Yuto and Kosuke before heading home.
After Yuki left, Takao directed his attention to Yuto and Kosuke. "Now, both of you, demonstrate your progress with chakra flow."
Yuto and Kosuke focused their efforts, guiding chakra through their swords. Takao scrutinized their technique before commenting, "You're on the right track, but there's more to master. It's good for battles, but you should aim to extend its duration and increase its impact."
The subsequent two months unfolded similarly, with their training sessions continuing under Takao's guidance. Over this period, they tackled 12 more rank D missions. Their streak began with the task of bathing the dogs at the Inuzuka kennels. The trio felt a sense of relief, appreciating the change of pace from their previous assignments, and they enjoyed playing with the dogs.
Next came the mission that was infamous for its difficulty—capturing the elusive cat. The cat scratched Yuki's face and bit Kosuke multiple times. It dawned on Yuto why this mission was so challenging. The cat was like a ninja in its own right, skilled at sneaking and using distractions. Adding to the difficulty, Takao imposed the restriction of not touching the ground and requiring them to walk on walls.
The challenges didn't stop there. They were tasked with cleaning all the emergency shelters, likely meant to familiarize them with the shelters around Konoha. Following that, they had to deliver mail to various clans and nobles across the village. Then came a babysitting mission, looking after a couple of Yamanaka children. Lastly, they were entrusted with sowing seeds on a farm. Watching his teammates, Yuto could sense their patience being tested, realizing they were on the verge of losing their composure.
Kosuke muttered to Yuto, his voice exasperated, "I can't believe we're babysitting and sowing seeds. When do we get to do something exciting?"
Yuto let out a sigh, wiping sweat from his brow. "I didn't know delivering mail could be this tiring. Those nobles sure live far apart. And what can we even do."
Yuki nodded in agreement, brushing dirt off his clothes. "And those Yamanaka kids were full of energy. I hope their parents appreciate our efforts."
Takao grinned, observing their slightly frazzled expressions. "These missions might not always be flashy, but they're valuable learning experiences. They build your skills and prepare you for whatever comes your way."
Kosuke muttered with a wry smile, "I'll appreciate more challenging missions than this."
After their morning training session, Yuki spoke up, her curiosity evident, "Hey, have you noticed that there are fewer teams around?"
Yuto nodded, acknowledging her observation. "It seems like most of them have gone to other villages for the chunin exams."
The realization brought a sense of disappointment to Yuki. The thought of missing out on the chunin exams seemed to cast a shadow over their progress.
The following day, as they entered the mission room, the chunin in charge began to search for a suitable task. He finally spoke up, "Team Takao, your next mission is to babysit the newborn child of Lord…"
Before he could finish, Yuki had had enough. Her frustration took over, and she exclaimed, "Seriously? Why do we always end up with these dull missions? Who in their right mind sends ninja to babysit kids? They should hire a nanny for that!"
The chunin's response carried authority, "You're just a..."
Kosuke, however, interrupted again, his expression calm and collected. "I agree with Yuki. We've already completed over a dozen missions. It's time for us to tackle higher-ranking ones."
The chunin's patience was wearing thin, having been cut off twice. He tried to regain control, saying, "Listen, you brats, I..."
But yet again, he was interrupted, this time by Yuto's voice. Yuto offered with a light-hearted tone, "You know, sir, in our last mission, we were quite concerned about Yuki accidentally damaging the apple tree while plucking apples. Although we managed to control her, we can't be sure if it might happen again in the future."
The chunin's expression shifted as he grasped the implication of Yuto's words. Takao, too, found amusement in the situation, thinking, 'I was contemplating having them do a few more rank D missions, but if they can engage in a debate with a chunin official and win, then perhaps we're ready to tackle rank C missions.'
If Yuto had known that Takao hadn't initially intended to jump to rank C missions just yet, he would have mentally kicked himself for speaking up. As monotonous as rank D missions were, they were quick and safe, leaving more time for training and lacking any serious risks. The chunin found himself caught off guard, struggling to formulate a response. He opened his mouth a few times but couldn't manage to utter a word.
His eyes turned to Takao, who gave him an affirming nod.The chunin clenched his jaw, obviously perturbed by their boldness. "Fine, fine. We'll consider a rank C mission for your next assignment. Just make sure it's not another debate!"
As he reached for the rank C mission file, Takao offered further guidance, "Look for bandit clearing missions in the nearby regions. It would be preferable if the bandit bases are located relatively close to each other."
The chunin followed the instruction and began searching the file. After a brief moment, he extracted four mission papers and handed them over to Takao. Taking a moment to read through them, Takao glanced at his squad members and declared, "Today, we're taking on our first rank C mission. Meet me at the main gate in a couple of hours, and pack for a week-long journey." The genins nodded in unison, absorbing the information.
As the time approached for their first rank C mission, the trio set about preparing for the week-long journey ahead. They ensured they had enough food, clothing, and medical supplies. With their gear packed and their minds focused, they gathered at the main gate as the sun began to set, ready to embark on their challenging mission.
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