The mission details were clear enough, but there were still questions that needed to be voiced.
"I've got no issues with this mission anymore. I just don't understand why the mission ranks and requirements have changed slightly compared to before?"
Mizuki had completed S-rank missions more than once or twice. The dangerous battle against enemy ninja squads in the Land of Waves was reasonably classified as an S-rank mission. The protection mission involving Sunagakure's jinchuriki and Deidara's lure mission unquestionably deserved S-rank mission status as well. However, the diplomatic assignment to the Land of Water combined with Mizuki's current reconnaissance task regarding the Six-Tails jinchuriki didn't really justify being ranked as S-class.
Originally, Mizuki thought that visiting Kirigakure would serve as a chance for Kakashi and himself to supervise while Team 7 and Team 8's genin gained some experience. But this solo mission had been upgraded to S-rank. Higher-ranked missions only consumed more resources from elite jonin, and these S-rank missions assigned by Konoha increased overall expenses, which obviously wasn't cost-effective.
This mission should at most be rated A-rank. As long as the assigned ninja avoided provoking Utakata or antagonizing Kiri's Anbu forces, there wouldn't be significant conflict between the two newly allied villages. Actually, completing the mission depended entirely on the ninja's stealth and reconnaissance skills. The combat power required was actually quite moderate, and the possibility of serious danger was quite low.
Yet despite this, they still sent Mizuki specifically, which was quite puzzling.
After hearing Mizuki's question, Tsunade helplessly replied:
"As an elite jonin, having this question during this period is completely normal, though you're actually the first one asking me directly..."
Tsunade sighed before continuing:
"As everyone knows, Konoha is currently facing difficulties. Normally, under such strained circumstances, it would be wise to let more chunin and genin contribute more. However, after recent intense conflicts, the situation across the ninja world has begun to improve, so there's no need to take unnecessary risks anymore. Except for Cloud Village, other villages are all reducing their ninja forces. Years of peace policies have significantly cut military expenditures across the great nations, forcing all ninja villages including Konoha to implement downsizing measures. When conflicts occasionally happen, they mostly hire mercenaries to fight instead, creating opportunities for organizations like Akatsuki to grow stronger. Moreover, with the general decline in military strength, ninja villages have become even less capable of handling direct attacks. Fortunately, Konoha's external environment remains relatively favorable, so after careful consideration, we had no choice but to adjust the difficulty of mission assignments. Boosting mission completion rates is secondary—the main priority lies in protecting our lower-ranked ninja, giving them more time to develop."
Tsunade explained clearly, and Mizuki immediately saw her point.
"I see the situation now, and Lady Tsunade's considerations make perfect sense."
Simply put, if the situation were really dangerous, no one would care about missions or ranks anymore—even boy scouts might have to join the fight. Fortunately, things haven't reached that point yet. Jonin must work extra hard to prop up our seemingly strong but actually fragile village. Especially jonin now have to spend more effort completing tasks that were originally suitable for tokubetsu jonin or even chunin.
"I'm glad you understand. Just hold on a bit longer; once we catch our breath, everything will improve. Time is on our side…"
…
As for this mission, Mizuki didn't find it particularly difficult. The biggest challenge lay in preliminary intelligence gathering. In this respect, the village had actually performed quite well by discovering the Six-Tails' jinchuriki before Kirigakure's Anbu could—something that greatly satisfied Mizuki. It would likely take Mist considerable effort to pinpoint Utakata's exact location, which meant Mizuki wasn't under pressure to leave immediately. With ample time available, Mizuki had substantial flexibility. Most importantly, this was his first mission leaving the village alone since his arrival in this world. Being able to legitimately operate outside everyone else's sight might just present an excellent opportunity to handle some personal matters!
When Mizuki returned home with relatively calm thoughts, Tsubaki had already prepared dinner and was waiting for him.
"Why did you come back so late?" Tsubaki took off Mizuki's vest coat and hung it properly.
"I met with Lady Tsunade; there's another mission tomorrow…"
"Will it be complicated?"
Mizuki shook his head and said, "This task isn't complex. It shouldn't be too difficult nor time-consuming. I estimate I'll be back in three to five days."
"That's good." Tsubaki also breathed a sigh of relief. Every time Mizuki went on missions, he'd either return injured or travel all the way to the Land of Water for troublesome assignments lasting nearly a month.
"Which do you want to do first—bathe or eat?"
"Eh?" Such questions always gave Mizuki unpleasant associations.
"What's wrong?" Tsubaki looked at Mizuki with puzzlement, waiting for his response.
"Let's eat first."
Since their marriage, Tsubaki seemed to have become much more talkative, especially during meals when she enjoyed sharing interesting stories with Mizuki. If it were anyone else speaking, Mizuki probably wouldn't pay attention. However, most of what Tsubaki talked about somehow related to him. For instance, his bad reputation seemed to be softening a bit thanks to some wilder unofficial stories going around.
Naruto Uzumaki used to be seen as a demon child. Despite being widely rejected, he not only became a ninja, but also caused quite a stir during the Chunin Exams by beating the Hyuga clan's genius. Now it was rumored he would be taken as a disciple by Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, surprising many people.
"Has this story spread so widely?"
Mizuki asked curiously. Logically, this shouldn't have become common knowledge throughout the village. Although not classified information, such matter shouldn't be spreading extensively either. From the current situation, someone appeared to be deliberately hyping the story.
"Just about everyone knows by now. A lot of people still can't believe it."
"Is that all?"
It seems the Konoha villagers have significantly changed their attitude toward Naruto Uzumaki. There's still plenty of admiration and jealousy around, but at least they're not being as openly hostile as before. To be honest, Naruto's actions lately have been decent enough to earn approval. Although, this might also be partly due to Jiraiya's and Tsunade's deliberate guidance.
Come to think of it, Karin is moving out soon. I might be away for the next couple of days. If you have time, go check on her once in a while. Help her out if she needs anything. She's still a bit shy around others, so she might feel more comfortable talking to you since you two have gotten close.
"Move out? Where to?" The time they spent together these past few days made Koharu feel reluctant to see this sweet girl go.
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