"Posting a mission is entirely the client's choice. Konoha has never forced anyone to make demands of us. At the same time, there are strict rules for accepting missions too. If we've taken it on, that means we're capable of finishing it. If you insist we can't handle such a simple C-rank task, then by all means—Konoha's gates have been open for a long time now. Feel free to go find another ninja village for your request. Do you really expect us to take these pathetic low-level tasks seriously? You must be dreaming!"
Sakura shot back sharply. She didn't like Dazuna at all—perhaps even disliked him slightly. He claimed he couldn't afford the fee for a high-level mission, which is why he concealed the true nature of his assignment, but then where did he get the money for drinking? Spending the hard-earned commission from Land of Waves' mission on alcohol—truly an outrageous act.
Most crucially, this guy had shamelessly used moral blackmail in the original story, saying his daughter-in-law and grandchildren would hate Konoha forever. But why hadn't he considered the consequences of mission failure? Back then, Kakashi nearly suffered a fatal mishap. If Team 7 hadn't been the ones carrying out the mission, but rather other ninjas, they probably would've already been killed by Zabuza. Deliberately concealing the real danger just because one couldn't afford a high-level mission—and sending uninformed ninjas to their deaths over it? Sakura had no intention of showing mercy toward someone like him.
"Is this really how Konoha behaves? I am, after all, the mission client!" Dazuna was furious now, pointing his finger at Sakura while shouting.
"Really?" Sakura grabbed the scroll directly from Kakashi's hand and threw it into his arms. "Then kindly take your business elsewhere. Konoha won't be short of clients because of you!"
"You—you can't do this!"
Dazuna panicked. His very reason for coming here right now to place the mission was taking advantage of the timing—Konoha's new genin graduation period. Usually, when lower-ranked genin accepted basic tasks, they were supervised by jonin. By paying merely for a C-rank mission, he could secure protection from a jonin. Then along the journey, he planned to play the pitiful role, threaten Konoha's reputation directly, and ultimately force them to resolve everything for him. Later, he'd just apologize to Konoha anyway—it's not like they could actually hold anything against him afterward.
But now, if Konoha refused his mission, what was he supposed to do? Other villages certainly wouldn't be as accommodating as Konoha.
"You came to us asking for help, and we have every right to decide whether to assist or not. Just because you're the client doesn't mean we have to follow your every demand. Don't flatter yourself."
Sakura let out a cold laugh, feeling absolutely no sympathy for Dazuna. To many people, perhaps Dazuna appeared heroic—a man risking his life for his country—but how many ever considered how many ninjas could die because of his concealment of the actual mission level? If Kakashi hadn't been powerful enough back then, if Naruto hadn't unleashed Nine-Tails' Chakra at a crucial moment, if Sasuke lacked the Sharingan, or if Haku had acted more ruthlessly—the outcome might've been a total annihilation. Pity for people like him? Hardly deserved.
Who could possibly pity the deceived ninja?
"Alright, Sakura. Since we've already accepted this mission, we should complete it properly. I mean, it's only a C-rank mission after all, so there shouldn't be any real danger," Kakashi said gently patting Sakura's head. He sensed that this mission might not be as simple as it appeared, especially how Sakura was acting. Her usual personality was gentle and sweet—this was nothing like her usual self. The way she glared at Dazuna blazed with hatred. But since they had never met before, the only possible cause could be this mission itself. Based on his understanding of her character, her extreme protectiveness would normally only surface when her teammates' safety was in jeopardy. That meant Dazuna's task might endanger them—or worse, innocent bystanders. As things stand now, the ones taking such missions would always be Genin teams led by a Jonin. If an assignment could threaten even a Jonin, clearly their opponents were no ordinary ninja.
In an instant, Kakashi processed a flood of conclusions. As he gazed at Dazuna again, a flicker of displeasure flashed across his eyes. Misreporting the mission rank was universally despised among all ninja. Nobody wanted to die pointlessly because of deception. Once discovered, Dazuna wouldn't just face punishment alone; anyone associated with him as the client would also be penalized. This was part of how the village protected its ninja. Cultivating a ninja wasn't easy; naturally, nobody could tolerate ninja dying needlessly due to clients misrepresenting mission risks.
Chapter 129: Mission from the Land of Waves Obtained [Lower]
"I understand, Kakashi-sensei!" Hearing what Kakashi said, Sakura didn't press further. After all, their mission merely required safely escorting Dazuna back to the Land of Waves. Whether or not they'd get involved beyond that could be decided on the spot depending on mood.
"Kakashi, prioritize your safety during this mission," Third offered no opinions on the dispute but gave Kakashi a meaningful reminder instead.
"I understand, Lord Third." Kakashi nodded, comprehending the hidden meaning behind the Third's words. The message was clear—if danger arose during the mission, their personal safety came first, implying that if things became critical, Kakashi was allowed to abandon the mission to protect his team members.
On one side stood the Konoha ninja who absolutely couldn't afford any mishaps; on the other side was Dazuna, who had lied about the mission level and was likely putting them in deadly peril. The Third knew full well what he had to do. Furthermore, considering Dazuna's misconducts, the Third not actively punishing him directly already counted as leniency. As for what should happen to Dazuna should they face life-threatening danger? Both the Third and Kakashi reached the same decision—abandon him!
"Well then, everyone go pack your belongings. We'll meet up at Konoha's main gate in an hour!"
After exchanging a glance filled with silent understanding, Kakashi dismissed Sakura and the others to prepare.
Dazuna, now drenched in cold sweat from fear, dared not voice any complaints. If Konoha firmly refused his request, everything would collapse entirely.
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