Under the sunlight, the rice paddies refracted a kaleidoscope of colors, while the chorus of cicadas from the woods added charm to the summer pastoral scenery.
However, Hayato Ren and the other two had no mind to appreciate this beautiful rural landscape at the moment.
Although it was nearly four in the afternoon, the summer sun remained intensely fierce.
Under the scorching sun, a thin layer of sweat soon formed on their foreheads.
"Teacher, aren't we ninjas? Why do we have to do this kind of work? And with the sun so strong, what if we get heatstroke?"
Kushina couldn't help but complain to Tsunade, who was dozing off in the shade of a nearby tree.
"Ninjas? You're not qualified yet. Hurry up and get moving—the mission deadline is at dusk. If you can't complete it, your first mission will be a failure. And don't worry about heatstroke; my Medical Ninjutsu is quite strong."
Tsunade responded without even opening her eyes.
Indeed, Hayato Ren and the others were currently working on their first D-rank mission as ninjas—transplanting rice seedlings.
At this point, Mikoto looked at Kushina and tried to reassure her.
"Alright, let's hurry up and get to work. This field isn't that big; if we put in some effort, we should be able to finish it quickly."
Hayato Ren chimed in from the side.
"That's right, that's right, and Charmander will help us too. Kushina, you said you want to become the Hokage—surely you're not going to be outdone by Charmander?"
Hayato Ren pointed at Charmander, who had already started working busily, using a taunt on Kushina.
His provocation worked quite effectively. Kushina immediately rolled up her pant legs and sleeves and charged into the field.
"Who do you think you're looking down on? For the sake of the Hokage, even if it's transplanting seedlings, I'll be the champion of the transplanting world."
Seeing Kushina's enthusiastic demeanor, Mikoto couldn't help but tease.
"Kushina is completely under your thumb."
"That's because Kushina has a pure heart. The way you say it makes it sound like I'm some kind of villain."
Hayato Ren responded as he approached the rice paddy.
Watching Hayato Ren's retreating figure, Mikoto's eyes flickered with thought.
In her impression, Hayato Ren was a very low-key person. Apart from being decent-looking and consistently scoring full marks in theoretical exams, he was mostly known as Kushina's "sidekick."
No one had expected Hayato Ren to suddenly make a name for himself during the graduation exam, becoming the one who defeated the examiner the fastest among his peers.
Could it be that his years of keeping a low profile were a strategy to conceal his abilities, fearing that "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down"?
If Hayato Ren knew what Mikoto was thinking, he would surely retort:
Did I want to keep a low profile? If I had drawn Charmander earlier, I would have been looking down on everyone every single day.
...
After two hours of hard work, the entire expanse of the rice paddy was finally filled with transplanted seedlings.
Except for Charmander, who remained full of energy, the clothes of Hayato Ren and the other two were already soaked with sweat. Kushina and Mikoto had even collapsed onto the ground, completely disregarding their appearance.
At that moment, Tsunade, who had been dozing nearby, finally stood up and walked over to the three of them.
"Well, well, you actually managed to complete the task before dusk. Not bad. Alright, you're dismissed for today. Tomorrow at 10 a.m., meet at the usual spot. Remember to bring an extra bento."
"Why do we need to bring an extra bento?"
Kushina turned her head to look at Tsunade, asking with some confusion.
"I'm human too, and I need to eat lunch. Besides, we won't be doing missions tomorrow—I'll be teaching you some real skills."
After saying this, Tsunade turned and left.
"In that case, I'll prepare Tsunade-sensei's bento. After all, whether it's herding one sheep or a whole flock, it's all the same work."
Hayato Ren patted the dust off his clothes.
"Great! Then I want ramen tomorrow!"
The moment food was mentioned, Kushina seemed to forget her exhaustion, immediately jumping up from the ground and blinking as she looked at Hayato Ren.
"Ramen won't work—the noodles will get soggy if left for too long. How about fish tomorrow?"
Hayato Ren shook his head.
"Fish is fine too. Hayato, you decide."
Listening to the conversation between Hayato Ren and Kushina, Mikoto's eyes were filled with confusion.
For one, she hadn't expected Hayato Ren and Kushina to be close enough to share meals daily. Secondly, she was puzzled—shouldn't their roles be reversed? Why was Hayato Ren, a boy, preparing the meals?
Actually, Kushina had volunteered to cook before. However, the final result was hardly commendable. Though it wasn't at the level of a biochemical weapon, it still left Hayato Ren's stomach unsettled for quite a while.
"By the way, Mikoto, would you like me to prepare a bento for you too? Since I'm already making three, one more won't make much difference."
Faced with Hayato Ren's kindness, Mikoto initially intended to refuse. But she was also very curious about what kind of bento Hayato Ren could make.
"In that case, I'll trouble you, Hayato. As thanks, I'll bring some snacks for us to eat in the afternoon."
After a brief chat, the three decided to head home separately. After all, in their current grimy state, they needed a proper bath.
Suddenly, Hayato Ren felt a weight on his neck, followed by a familiar fragrance drifting into his nostrils.
"Hayato, I'm exhausted today. Carry me home on your back."
Kushina rested her head on Hayato Ren's shoulder, whispering coquettishly.
"You didn't even ask for my permission before jumping on. It's not like I can just throw you off now, can I?"
"Hehe, my arms are tightly wrapped around your neck. If you try to throw me off, you'll fall too."
"..."
Watching Hayato Ren and Kushina's overlapping figures, a feeling of envy suddenly rose in Mikoto's heart.
Although she was quite popular at the Ninja Academy, due to her Uchiha status, she had no truly close friends.
As for the other Uchiha clansmen, Mikoto couldn't stand their arrogant attitudes.
Mikoto had never experienced the kind of playful, bickering relationship that Hayato Ren and Kushina shared.
...
Soon enough, Hayato Ren carried Kushina on his back all the way to his home.
Kushina finally hopped down from his back, then pulled a key from her pocket and smoothly unlocked the front door as if she had done it countless times.
Witnessing this, Hayato Ren couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up.
"Why… do you have a key to my house?"