"Just what kind of monsters is Root raising?" Kakashi stared wide-eyed as Karin overpowered Sasuke.
Back when Yamato (then known as "Tenzo") shocked him with his Wood Style, that had already been unbelievable enough. Now, another genius appeared who wasn't any less astounding.
Kakashi had personally experienced Sasuke's strength — his taijutsu foundation was rock solid — but Karin's base was even stronger. When it came to raw physical strength, she actually surpassed Sasuke.
Sasuke swung a spiked club, while Karin wielded a massive hammer. The clashing of their weapons echoed with resounding DUANG, DUANG, DUANG reverberations.
Their fight had already exceeded the scope of a Genin battle — even a clash between Jonin wouldn't look much different.
"Are these really newly graduated Genin?"
Question marks started popping up like sweat on Kakashi's forehead.
Wasn't a Genin supposed to only know the basic Three Ninja Techniques, some tool usage, and a touch of basic taijutsu?
Why was each of these kids so terrifyingly strong?
Or… had he just grown too weak to keep up with the times?
Sasuke, Karin, Naruto — each new Genin he encountered was more ridiculous than the last. If it weren't for Sakura still being a genuine Genin in terms of ability, Kakashi might've started doubting everything he knew.
Little did he realize that back when he himself had become a Jonin at age twelve, his fellow Leaf ninja had thought the same thing about him. His dazzling talent had been unparalleled.
But the years he'd lost in stagnation couldn't be reclaimed so easily.
The match didn't last long. Since it wasn't a life-or-death battle, it wrapped up quickly.
"Hmph. Not bad," Sasuke muttered through gritted teeth, panda-eyed and bruised, trying to keep his pride intact.
Sasuke had lost. Again.
Karin had a mischievous streak — she'd deliberately aimed at his face the entire time. By the end of the fight, Sasuke's once-handsome visage looked like a raccoon's.
He'd been thoroughly dominated. Even more so than when he fought Kakashi. It was as if Karin had been trained specifically to counter him.
But Sasuke was too proud to admit it.
With the Uzumaki clan's massive chakra reserves and her innate regenerative ability — biting herself to instantly recover stamina and wounds — Karin had an unfair advantage in taijutsu from the get-go.
Even though Sasuke had trained longer, she'd caught up quickly. Some things just came down to natural talent. Just like how some people in the shinobi world simply couldn't mold chakra at all.
Sasuke couldn't understand how someone with Karin's skinny frame could hit so hard.
But the truth was, that slim body was packed with ultra-dense muscle.
The Uchiha clan's talent lay in their ocular prowess — Indra's strength stemmed from Yin Release, from spiritual power. Unfortunately, under Naruto's influence, Sasuke had become obsessed with comparing taijutsu… which only set him up for beatdowns.
"Sasuke-kun really is strong," Karin said with a beaming smile, her tone and expression uncannily mimicking the Fourth Hokage. "Even I could barely keep up!"
Even Kakashi glanced over more than once, wondering silently if this girl might be his late teacher's illegitimate child.
With her strength now fully acknowledged, Karin had seamlessly integrated into Team 7.
The next day, under Kakashi's leadership, the squad officially began their Genin missions.
Shinobi missions were categorized by rank: S, A, B, C, D — from hardest to easiest.
Genin usually took on D- and occasionally C-rank missions — simple errands designed to build experience. Chuunin handled C and B ranks. Jonin took on A-rank tasks. As for S-rank, those were ultra-classified, high-risk operations, often involving international consequences.
D-rank tasks were mostly busywork — weeding, babysitting, lost pet retrieval, and the like.
But for this Team 7, those chores were a breeze.
Naruto could dispatch a dozen Shadow Clones and be done in a flash.
Sasuke and Karin had both learned Shadow Clone Jutsu too — speeding things up even more.
Within just one week, the trio completed 100 D-rank missions, clearing out nearly a month's worth of the backlog.
After tracking down a cat named "Little Tiger," they were told no basic missions remained.
"You've built enough basic experience. Let's give you a C-rank mission now," said the Third Hokage leisurely, puffing on his pipe as he pulled a scroll from his desk.
Though it looked casual, it was almost as if he'd had it prepared in advance.
When something that seems like a coincidence keeps happening — over and over — it usually means it isn't a coincidence at all.
Just like the mission Team 7 was about to receive.
"Thank you, Grandpa Third," Naruto said politely.
The Hokage nodded kindly, then briefly explained the assignment.
"Tazuna, a bridge-building expert from the Land of Waves."
Before long, a drunkard stumbled into view — swaying unsteadily toward Team 7.
This was their client: Tazuna, master bridge builder of the Land of Waves.
The mission sounded simple: safely escort Tazuna to his homeland, and wait until the bridge was complete — then return.
It sounded easy… just time-consuming.
But this was an out-of-village mission.
The logistics of a Jinchūriki leaving the village were extremely complicated. Just ask the Fourth Hokage — he'd warned Naruto that even attempting it without permission could get him branded a rogue ninja.
Yet now, Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was leaving the village for a mere C-rank task?
Sounds absurd, doesn't it?
Not even a full team of Jonin could normally make that happen.
And the Land of Waves bordered the Land of Water.
What would the Mist Village think if they found out the Nine-Tails host was this close to their border?
They'd take it as a provocation.
The Mist's brutal "Blood Mist" era had only recently ended. Was the Third Hokage using this mission to test their response?
It was very possible.
Not only that — a certain filthy-rich merchant trying to control the Land of Waves had a habit of not hiring powerful shinobi. He was basically a walking cash cow.
Naruto nudged Sasuke. "Sasuke, Karin — we're taking the mission."
If Sasuke wanted to grow stronger, he needed real combat experience. This mission would deliver just that.
A real ninja battle.
"This C-rank mission will be completed by Team 7," Karin said confidently once they'd all agreed.
As for Sakura's opinion? Didn't matter. She just needed to follow along obediently.
Hic. Unaware he was a mere pawn, the drunken Tazuna stared at his new bodyguards through bleary eyes, let out a foul-smelling burp, and took another swig from his gourd.
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