For more than three months, Lock had been stuck grinding through D-rank missions. In that time, he and Kushina had completed over forty assignments.
Of course, Jiraiya never truly stepped in—he was always "supervising" on the sidelines, while the main work fell on Lock and Kushina. According to Jiraiya, this was all part of their training.
Three months might not seem long, but it was enough to sharpen Lock more than an entire year back at the Academy ever had. Jiraiya's level was far above that of an average teacher, and despite his unreliable personality, when he did take things seriously, his guidance was invaluable. Many of the problems Lock faced in his training had been solved thanks to Jiraiya's insights.
And when Jiraiya wasn't around, Minato often stepped up, patiently explaining techniques and concepts. In this team, both Jiraiya and Minato were far ahead in skill, while Kushina was also growing steadily by learning alongside them.
Even without rising in rank, Lock's chakra control, ninjutsu mastery, and overall combat awareness had advanced considerably. Compared to three months ago, his strength had increased by at least fifty percent.
"After all these D-rank missions," Jiraiya suddenly declared one morning, "it's time we pick something with a little more bite."
The four of them headed to the Mission Assignment Desk inside the Hokage Building. With Jiraiya leading, they were given easy access to browse higher-ranked missions.
As one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya could easily take S-rank missions himself. But as a team leader, his responsibility wasn't to hog the spotlight, but to train the younger ones—especially Lock. That meant picking something challenging but not overwhelming.
"This one's too hard… this one's too far away… ugh, this one doesn't even pay enough," Jiraiya muttered as he skimmed through mission scrolls. Finally, after ten minutes of fussing, he grinned.
"Perfect. A B-rank mission. Outside the village, decent pay. That's the one."
Mission Ranks in Konoha
Konoha's missions were divided into six categories: D, C, B, A, S, and Super-S.
D-rank missions were the lowest, usually mundane chores: finding lost pets, pulling weeds, cleaning, and other menial work. These were mostly commissioned by villagers or local nobles, with bounties ranging from 500 to 1,000 ryō.
C-rank missions involved low-level risk, such as delivering documents or guarding travelers. These were meant for training new teams. Rewards ranged from 1,000 to 5,000 ryō.
B-rank missions were more dangerous, often involving hostile encounters with enemy shinobi (though usually not above chūnin level). These included escorting important individuals or handling delicate conflicts. Payment ranged from 5,000 to 15,000 ryō.
A-rank missions were much more serious—wartime operations, suppressing uprisings, or clashing with elite opponents. Only jōnin-level shinobi or extremely skilled chūnin were qualified.
S-rank missions were top-secret, high-stakes assignments like assassinations, infiltration, and high-level espionage. The rewards exceeded a million ryō, but so did the danger. Only elite jōnin could even attempt them.
Super-S rank missions were the rarest of all, involving matters of international scale—village wars, world-shaking operations. These weren't about money, but about survival and politics.
Normally, Lock—as a freshly minted genin—wouldn't even qualify for a B-rank mission. But this was Jiraiya's team, with Minato and Kushina both already standing out as prodigies. The mission desk shinobi didn't bother protesting; with their lineup, a B-rank was well within reason.
"Finally!" Kushina cheered, her red hair bouncing with excitement. "No more chasing cats or scrubbing floors!"
Three months of menial chores had driven her nearly insane. As a chūnin, she'd already outgrown such low-level work, and repeating it dozens of times had been nothing short of torture.
"But Jiraiya-sensei," Kushina added quickly, "don't you think we're ready for A-rank by now?"
Minato gave her a gentle smile. "Kushina, A-rank missions are a little too much for us at the moment. Better to take this step by step."
"Tch, boring," Kushina huffed, crossing her arms. But in her eyes, there was still a spark of excitement.
At long last, they were moving past the lowest ranks.
---
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San