Mission Assignment Hall.
More than three months had passed since their first C-rank mission. During this time, they hadn't exclusively taken on C-rank missions but had alternated between C and D-ranks. To put it in the gaming terminology of his first life: D-ranks were for grinding experience, while C-ranks were for farming breakthrough materials.
The rewards gained from missions, the experience learned—it was all ultimately for self-improvement. If one merely completed missions for the sake of completing missions, that would be mistaking the means for the end. Missions were, after all, just a tool, a method—not the goal itself.
"Naruto?" Sakura's voice was laced with uncertainty as she looked at the figure in the distance. Since the formation of their new teams, they hadn't crossed paths. Teenagers, moreover, seemed to change month by month, hence her hesitation.
"Yo, long time no see, Hayate-san!" Kakashi called out.
The perpetually sickly Hayate turned his head. Recognizing the speaker, he returned the greeting. Their relationship wasn't particularly close, but it wasn't limited to mere nodding acquaintances either. While Konoha boasted many ninjas, there were only about a hundred jonin, and they mostly all knew each other.
"Long time no see," Naruto said, turning towards Sakura's group of three. He still had some impression of Sasuke and Sakura. As for the other young man, he didn't recognize him; he must be their replacement.
The young man seemed to notice his gaze and gave him a polite nod, though his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"His smile… why does it feel a bit creepy?" Izuno Akigiku whispered, leaning closer to Naruto. Clearly, she had also noticed the boy's smile.
"No idea," Naruto shook his head.
As the two were quietly conversing, Gekko Hayate approached, holding a mission scroll.
"Let's go."
"See you around!" Naruto nodded towards Sasuke's group and followed his supervising jonin out of the Mission Assignment Hall.
Watching Naruto's retreating figure, Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly. There was something that puzzled him greatly. Judging by Naruto's performance during the bell test, he shouldn't be the type to get along amicably with teammates… How had he…
"Kakashi-sensei, have you chosen a mission yet?" Sakura asked, noticing him somewhat lost in thought.
"Oh, oh, yes, yes." Kakashi casually picked up a mission scroll.
Sakura: "…"
Sasuke's gaze was fixed intently on the direction Naruto had departed. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he felt that guy had gotten stronger again.
The eerily grinning young man observed this scene from the corner of his eye, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Gekko Hayate handed the mission scroll in his hand to Izuno Akigiku. The youngsters had pretty much adapted to the mission routine by now. For many C-rank missions, his intervention was no longer necessary.
"D-rank?!" Izuno Akigiku looked at the scroll in her hand, her expression surprised. "Sensei, why is it a D-rank?"
"Cough, cough, I forgot to tell you." A faint smile touched Gekko Hayate's pale, sickly face. "The Chunin Exams are coming up soon. I was thinking of finding you an easier mission so you can relax and prepare."
As he spoke, he handed each of them a Chunin Exam application form.
"Isn't it a bit early?" Kaminarimon Etsureki sounded a little unsure. From what he understood, most new genin avoided the Chunin Exams in their first year, usually participating in their second or even third year.
"It might be a bit rushed, but just treat it as an experience," Gekko Hayate nodded. In his opinion, of their three-person squad, only Naruto had reached the Chunin standard in terms of strength. Truthfully, he didn't expect his team to get promoted to Chunin in their first year; it wasn't realistic.
"Is that so?" Kaminarimon Etsureki said, not pressing the matter further.
"You're a grown man, can't you have a little ambition!" Izuno Akigiku gave him a hearty whack on the head, her tone one of exasperation, like scolding a child for not living up to expectations.
Poor Etsureki, a strapping young man nearly six feet tall, could only nod repeatedly in response to Akigiku's chiding.
Naruto watched the two with amusement. Perhaps it was clearer to an onlooker; both he and Gekko Hayate had pretty much figured out that Etsureki had a secret crush on Akigiku. Only the two involved seemed oblivious.
Truth be told, Kaminarimon Etsureki, who seemed to have hit a growth spurt fueled by who-knows-what hormones, already stood at 172 centimeters. Combined with his initially somewhat chubby build, which had been toned by months of training, he now presented an almost wall-like, imposing figure to his peers. Naruto himself, despite his good natural development, was only about 156 centimeters tall. Due to his slender build, he was in a completely different weight class than Etsureki.
"…Tell me, what is your goal for these Chunin Exams?" Akigiku stood with her hands on her hips, looking down at the big guy before her as if peering into his very soul.
"Ch-Chunin."
"With conviction!"
"I will become a Chunin!"
Head held high, chest out, gaze slightly elevated—Kaminarimon Etsureki's imposing aura at that moment even made Naruto look twice.
"That's more like it," Akigiku muttered under her breath.
Gekko Hayate smiled faintly. He too had a lover, a childhood sweetheart at that. He understood the current dynamic between the two genin better than Naruto did.
"I won't be accompanying you on this mission. Remember to hand me your application forms tonight."
The three genin acknowledged.
After Hayate's figure disappeared, the trio's gossip mode instantly activated.
"I'm sure Hayate-sensei went to find Yugao-sensei."
"Only a few days off a month!" Naruto stated succinctly.
Uzuki Yugao was Gekko Hayate's girlfriend. However, unlike Hayate, who had a relatively lighter schedule as a supervising jonin, Yugao, who served in the ANBU Black Ops, was much busier. The time they could spend together amounted to only a few short days each month.
"And his excuse was: 'The Chunin Exams are coming up soon. I was thinking of finding you an easier mission so you can relax and prepare.' Heh heh heh…" Kaminarimon Etsureki's expression gradually turned lecherous.
"You're grinning like a pervert!" Izuno Akigiku covered her eyes, feigning blindness.
Though they were teasing, none of the three had any complaints about Gekko Hayate's arrangements. He had only been their team leader for a few months, but in that short time, all three had undergone a dramatic transformation in both strength and experience—the kind where they could now single-handedly defeat their past selves from a few months ago. The reason for this was undoubtedly Gekko Hayate's dedicated and responsible guidance. He had even taught them some of his trump card techniques, tailored to their individual strengths: Naruto's Secret Sword: Moon Shadow; Akigiku's Konoha-Style Taijutsu; and Etsureki's Water Style: Water Marsh.
"Anyone got a pen?" Naruto asked, looking at the Chunin Exam application form in his hand.
"Nope. I think I threw mine like a kunai during the last mission," Akigiku said, scratching her head sheepishly.
"I have some." Kaminarimon Etsureki took out two pencils from his ninja tool pouch and distributed them.
"You're the best!" Naruto gave him a thumbs-up.
"Etsureki, you're not still designing those fantasy transportation devices, are you?" Izuno Akigiku asked while filling out her application.
"It's not entirely fantasy. The Land of Snow once had similar designs," Kaminarimon Etsureki said, his face slightly flushed. Grand ideals were important, but as a topic of conversation, it was still a bit embarrassing.
"By the way, Naruto, how's the construction of your Shinobi Prosthetic coming along?" Etsureki asked. Perhaps it was fate; he never would have imagined that someone else on his team would also be interested in 'crafting.'
"The main structure is pretty much done. The remaining details still need to be polished," Naruto nodded.