Choza stood at the edge of the training ground after he came back from the Hokage's office, watching his three genin train hard.
They were throwing blunted kunai, senbon, and shuriken at each other in a careful but intense drill. The goal was to improve their reflexes and situational awareness.
All three had small nicks and cuts on their arms and legs from the training, but none complained.
"You all can stop for now and gather around," Choza called out in his deep voice.
The genin stopped immediately and walked over to their sensei, breathing a little heavily. Sweat glistened on their faces. Guy wiped his forehead with his arm and grinned. Genma put away his senbon neatly. Shunsui adjusted his straw hat and waited calmly.
Choza looked at each of them seriously. "You all would be going for a B-rank mission tomorrow which might turn into an A-rank."
Shunsui and Genma's faces became grim. They understood what that meant. B-rank missions already carried real danger, and an A-rank could mean facing jonin-level threats or worse. Guy, however, jumped up in joy, pumping his fist high into the air. "Yosh! Finally a real mission worthy of our burning youth! An A-rank mission!"
"Are you sure, sensei, that we are ready?" Genma asked quietly, his voice showing concern.
Choza shook his head slowly. "No. Not yet. Besides, you are never truly ready for any mission. Any mission can turn into an S-rank in difficulty if your luck is bad. The world outside these walls does not care about your rank or how long you have been a shinobi. A simple escort can become a deadly ambush. A bandit hunt can lead to a rogue jonin. That is the reality of being a shinobi during wartime. You learn by doing, by surviving, and by getting stronger after each close call."
He continued in a firm but caring tone. "I will not lie to you. This mission carries risk. But that is why we train every day. That is why we push you. Growth does not come from safety. It comes from facing challenges that scare you. You three have already shown good progress. Now it is time to test it in the real world."
"If it was just me, I would have never let you do the missions despite all the flowery words about growth and challenges that I just told you." Choza said with a sigh.
"But the Hokage has made his decision, and we would have to do the mission," Choza said. "The mission is critical to the war efforts. As Leaf shinobi, we are expected to complete it no matter the difficulty. The village needs resources, alliances, and victories to keep fighting. Every successful mission helps our soldiers on the front lines. Every coin we bring back buys food, weapons, and medicine for our people."
Choza's voice grew stronger. "This is not just another assignment. It is part of the bigger war. The Daimyo of the Land of Claws is choosing between Konoha and Iwa. Our success could bring important support to our side. Failure could push him toward our enemies. That is why the Hokage chose us. He believes in your potential. And I believe in you too."
Choza then smiled gently to ease the tension. "But do not worry. My team would be accompanying you for the mission. And let me tell you, we are some of the best jonin out there. Together we can even give a Kage a tough fight. So we would be protecting you with our lives."
Guy's eyes filled with tears immediately. He wiped them away but more kept coming. "That's so youthful, sensei! I hope that I can return the favor one day! If I have to give my life to protect my comrades, I will do it with a smile! The springtime of youth demands that we burn brightly for each other!"
Choza patted Guy's shoulder. "You are still young, Guy. Your job is to grow strong and protect others in the future. For now, let us protect you."
Guy nodded, still emotional. "I will train even harder after this mission! I will become someone worthy of such trust!"
Choza smiled at his enthusiastic student. "That is the spirit. Now rest for today. Treat your wounds. Pack your things in the storage scrolls I gave you for at least a month-long mission. Remove the weights that are on you. Shikaku would explain you the mission tomorrow. Meet at the village gate tomorrow at 8 am."
The genin nodded. They dispersed to prepare for the mission. Shunsui watched his teammates leave before turning toward the orphanage.
Seeing that he was going for a dangerous mission, he decided to give the orphanage a visit… maybe for the last time. He thought grimly.
He walked slowly through the village streets, his pink kimono swaying gently.
He arrived at the orphanage gate. His situational awareness training paid off as he dodged a couple of wooden kunai coming straight for his head and neck. The small projectiles whistled past him and stuck into the wooden fence behind.
He appeared behind the kid responsible and held him by the collar. "Ika, this is getting ridiculous."
"I almost had you this time!" Ika said with a grin. "Next time I will go straight for your heart, but you seem to be improving too. Maybe I should get more people to strike you. That way you would not be able to dodge all attacks."
Shunsui sighed. "One of you is enough. No need to corrupt others." He tossed the kid gently into a nearby bush and walked inside.
He went straight to the matron. "I might not return from the next mission. Remember this when you cry every day after remembering how I died because you wanted me to be a shinobi."
The matron laughed loudly, not at all worried. "Brat, I know you better than you know yourself. I know you are too lazy to die out there. Your dream is to die peacefully at the age of 75. Not too old that you cannot walk or enjoy life, and not too young. So I know you would be returning alive to me. And your sensei had already told me that you are not an ordinary genin."
She patted his head roughly. "And even if you die, I would be proud of you for dying for the will of fire."
"Damn you, old woman. Damn you, Hokage, and your brainwashing," Shunsui muttered, walking off.
He thought darkly, 'Hiruzen knows how to brainwash people. I believe it to be his best skill after not killing traitors like Danzo or Orochimaru.'
The matron smiled warmly behind him. "Since you are here, wash your hands for dinner."
------Author Notes---------
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