"My name is Aburame Tatsuma. Starting today, I'll be your team leader, a Jōnin."
Aburame Tatsuma wasn't the talkative type. He completed his self-introduction in just one sentence.
"Tomorrow morning at eight, meet here. We're going on a mission."
In total, he spoke only two sentences. Then, under the stunned gazes of the three Genin, he disappeared in an instant.
"Are all the Jōnin in Konoha this cold and aloof? He finished his introduction and didn't even let us speak!" Obito pointed in shock at the spot where Aburame Tatsuma had vanished.
I'm on a team with Obito?
Am I Kakashi or Rin?
Hiss... Why do I have the feeling I'm the one who's going to get my heart ripped out?
Damn it, who the hell arranged this team? I swear, I'll slap myself to death!
"But I really didn't expect us to end up on the same team." Even though he couldn't understand Aburame Tatsuma's behavior, Asuma was quite satisfied with his teammates.
Being teamed up with unfamiliar people would require time to adjust to their personalities and movements.
Back at the academy, he had sparred and partnered with Takeshi several times, and had a good grasp of his abilities.
As for Obito...
Everyone knows — there's always one or two weaklings in a team to balance out the overall strength. Mm, acceptable.
It's just a shame we have to start from the bottom as Genin...
When it comes to Genin work, it's nothing more than pulling weeds for nobles, walking their cats, or finding lost pets...
Sigh, when will I finally get the chance to show off in front of the old man?
...
"Today's mission is to track down and eliminate the A-rank rogue ninja Yamashita Yūji."
The next day, without waiting for the late Obito, Aburame Tatsuma took out a scroll and explained the mission to Asuma and Takeshi.
"Holy crap, jumping straight into the action?"
Asuma had expected to spend his early Genin life doing dull chores. He never imagined they'd be assigned a rogue ninja hunt right away.
"You two already have the strength of Chūnin. You're just lacking real combat experience."
He handed them a dossier with Yamashita Yūji's photo, then silently waited for the third team member as the two leaned in to study the enemy's abilities.
Yamashita Yūji, 30 years old, former Konoha Special Jōnin, specialized in Wind Release. During an escort mission involving a noble's fortune, he was tempted by greed and murdered his teammates, making off with valuables worth over ten million ryō. The village suffered huge losses...
Specialized in Wind Release?
"It says here he's skilled in Wind Release. I think you two could have a match."
Asuma pointed to the words "skilled in Wind Release" and looked at Takeshi.
"You use Wind Release too, right? You take the lead when the time comes. Might even earn some points with the Third Hokage." Takeshi rolled his eyes at Asuma.
"I'm very, very sorry. I was on the way..."
Just as they were strategizing, Obito finally arrived, panting and flustered.
"Let's move out."
Seeing that Obito had arrived at the rendezvous, Aburame Tatsuma decisively announced the start of the mission and took the lead.
"Um, I..."
Having just sprinted across three streets at full throttle, Obito turned to Takeshi and Asuma in desperation. They're heading out already? He didn't even know the mission details. Couldn't they let him sit down and catch his breath?
"Too bad, it's your fault for being late." Asuma shot him a gloating look and followed Tatsuma.
"Yeah, not much I can say in your defense now. You'll just have to tough it out, Obito." Takeshi shrugged, helpless.
With no one to back him up, Obito clenched his teeth and forced his aching lungs to keep pace.
...
"The last sighting of this guy was in a small town on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Waterfalls." Around noon, the team crouched in an unnamed forest, sharing soldier pills.
During their break, Aburame Tatsuma pulled out a map and pointed to a small square along the border.
"This region is far from the Land of Fire's center, and as a result, bandits and rogue ninja often occupy it. Fortunately, they're wary of Konoha shinobi and usually refrain from acting out. They mostly target residents on the Waterfall Country's side and avoid entering the town itself."
Waterfall Country residents: So?
"Once we infiltrate the town, I'll search for his whereabouts on my own. You three need to disguise your identities and use techniques you learned at the academy to find him. Understood?"
"Don't worry. Once we find this guy, I'll show him the power of the Uchiha!"
Obito confidently swung his arms.
Aburame Tatsuma looked expressionlessly at Obito.
He wanted to tell him he had seen the power of the Uchiha — and whatever it was, Obito certainly wasn't it.
But remembering Obito was the young master Takeshi's good friend, Aburame Tatsuma decided to give him a little face.
Otherwise, based on his usual temperament, Obito would've been sent straight to the Root lab the moment he showed up late.
The next noon, the group arrived at the aforementioned small town.
Aburame Tatsuma, following the plan, left a pouch of money behind and then vanished without a trace.
"Take off your forehead protectors. We're entering the town as ordinary people."
With Tatsuma gone, the task of leadership naturally fell to Takeshi, being the strongest among them.
"This guy stole over ten million ryō worth of treasure. Unless he's lost all sense, he's probably living quite comfortably. In a border town like this, there aren't many ways to pass time — a few casinos, maybe some bars. We'll check them all one by one."
"But... at our age, it might be tough to get into bars or casinos," Asuma pointed out the obvious problem.
"Then we'll just have to stay hidden and quietly observe who's coming and going." Takeshi had thought of that too. Though he was genuinely curious about what went on in those places — purely for reconnaissance, of course. He may have learned some ninjutsu from Jiraiya, but not his pervy habits.
Still, their age put a real cap on their investigative reach.
"Alright, let's go with that. Start by scouting the biggest entertainment spots in town." With the plan set, they moved out.
Using the Transformation Jutsu, they managed to fool the innkeeper — just an ordinary civilian — and rented a room to use as their base. Then, after finding the most famous casino in the area, they took turns lying on the rooftop, watching who came and went.
"Hey, you think this guy might be using Transformation Jutsu to get in and out of the casino?"
After a week of no leads, Obito finally suggested a possibility.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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