"Hahaha, that demon fox deserves it!"
"He can't even see through such a simple trap, why is he even a Ninja!"
"He actually used Ninjutsu and Genjutsu on them? Lord Kakashi is way too strict, isn't he?"
"Strict? As a Ninja, if you fall for Genjutsu that easily, you die."
"But that's Lord Kakashi's Genjutsu! Who can resist that?"
"And that girl... what are young girls thinking these days? Even after becoming Ninjas, are they only thinking about handsome male classmates?"
"She's just a little girl after all, she hasn't experienced much. It's understandable."
"I can't understand it at all. She's a Ninja; if she's not serious, she'll drag down her teammates, fail the mission, and might even cause huge losses."
"Looking at her like this, she probably won't get assigned any important missions."
"The Uchiha boy is great, though. As expected of the top of his class."
People throughout the Ninja World watched the screen, loudly expressing their opinions on the assessment as if they were the examiners themselves.
"Hmph. Kakashi... you actually remember those words!"
In the dark dimension, Obito spoke coldly.
It gratified him slightly that Kakashi remembered the lesson, but what was the use of memory without action? If you can't live up to the ideals, remembering them is meaningless torture.
[A (Fourth Raikage): Is this how Konoha trains Ninjas? It does have some merit.]
[Onoki: Teamwork? Ninjas act in squads, so teamwork is indeed the most important thing.]
[Mei Terumi: Cooperation within a team is naturally stronger than individual ability. A disjointed team is just a collection of corpses.]
[A: Does the Hidden Mist Village also emphasize teamwork? That's new.]
[Rasa: Hahaha, Raikage, since when did you learn to tell jokes? Everyone knows about the graduation rituals of the Blood Mist.]
[Hiruzen Sarutobi: Our Konoha is peaceful and friendly, full of bonds between comrades, so naturally, we conduct teamwork training. The Will of Fire connects us all.]
[Mei Terumi: Everyone, our Hidden Mist is different now. The Blood Mist policy has ended. What we will do next is unite and develop; those old, barbaric training methods will all be abolished.]
[Onoki: Tsk tsk tsk, then congratulations. The Hidden Mist Village has finally set foot on the right path.]
[Jiraiya: Kakashi is right. One must never abandon their comrades.]
Listening to Kakashi's words and typing that sentence, Jiraiya couldn't help but think of Orochimaru, the friend who had gone astray. He truly hoped the three of them could meet again as comrades, not enemies.
"Kakashi-sensei... so this was the test you wanted all along."
Naruto grinned foolishly at Kakashi in his usual carefree manner. "I really thought you just wanted us to steal the bells! I didn't know you were being so deep!"
Sasuke also looked at Kakashi in surprise, contemplating the necessity of teamwork. As a lone avenger, he had always believed a team was a shackle. Perhaps... he was wrong.
Sakura lowered her head, her face flushing red. Having her obsession with Sasuke broadcast to the entire Ninja World gave her a profound sense of social death.
[On the screen, Kakashi's test was completed. Team 7 was officially formed.
They began accepting missions and earning rewards. However, as a newly formed Genin squad, they could only take on the lowest-level D-rank missions.
The screen showed a montage of their exciting ninja life:
Picking up trash in the river.
Weeding a farm.
Walking dogs.
And the ultimate challenge: Capturing Tora the Cat.
"Gah! This stupid cat!"
Naruto held a cat with a ribbon on its ear, his face scratched and bleeding. The cat hissed violently.
But it didn't take long for such missions to cause Naruto's dissatisfaction. He didn't become a Ninja to be a glorified maid.
"I want a real mission! Something exciting!"
Naruto sat on the floor of the Hokage's office, throwing a full-blown tantrum. He crossed his arms and turned his back on the Third Hokage.
"Alright, alright," Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, putting down his pipe. "Since you are so determined, I'll give you a C-rank mission. It is an escort mission for an important person."
"Really?!"
Naruto jumped up, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Who is it? Who is it? A Daimyo? Or a Princess?"
He leaned over the desk, practically vibrating with anticipation.
"Don't be in such a hurry, I'll introduce him to you now."
Hiruzen smiled and signaled to the door. "Please come in."
The sliding door opened.
A man holding a half-empty sake bottle staggered in. He wore a towel around his neck and glasses on his nose, looking flushed with alcohol.
"What?"
The man looked at the three children with disdain. "They're just a bunch of brats."
He took a swig of sake. "Especially the shortest one with the stupid look on his face. Are you really Ninjas?"
"Haha!" Naruto laughed, looking around. "Who's the shortest one he's talking about?"
Sasuke and Sakura silently took a step closer to Naruto.
Sasuke was tall. Sakura was average. Naruto... was the shortest.
The height difference was suddenly, painfully obvious.
Naruto's grin instantly vanished.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
Naruto screamed, flailing his arms and legs as he tried to charge at the client.
Kakashi caught him easily by the back of his collar, holding him back as he swung uselessly in the air.
"You idiot," Kakashi sighed. "How can you attack the man you're supposed to protect? That's the mission."
"I am the famous bridge builder, Tazuna," the man announced, ignoring the raging boy. "I am returning to my country to finish a bridge that will change everything. You must ensure my safety until I get back to the Land of Waves."]
[Hahaha, it's just a mission to find a cat, yet they made it look like a war zone!]
[No wonder Tora wanted to run away, that cat is a demon.]
[I feel a bit bad for the cat. Naruto was squeezing it hard.]
[Konoha's mission system is still very sound. D-ranks build character.]
[As expected, he's making a fuss. That's Naruto for you.]
[Hahaha, even Kakashi is helpless. Kids are really hard to handle, aren't they?]
[Baby Naruto is so cute, he's even cute when he's angry trying to kill the client.]
[Husband Kakashi is so handsome holding him back!]
[Is it about to appear? The content of Chapter 2?]
[Going to the Land of Waves so soon!]
[Opening of the Main Storyline: The Land of Waves Arc!]
[They're going to meet Zabuza and Haku!]
[Everyone, friendly reminder: Haku is a guy.]
[Haku is a femboy. Accept it.]
[No, I don't accept it. He's prettier than Sakura!]
[Seems like C-rank, but it's actually S-rank difficulty.]
[It's definitely not C-rank.]
[Zabuza is a Jonin-level Rogue Ninja of the Seven Swordsmen. Encountering him pushes this way past C-rank standards.]
[Only missions involving Kage-level threats are S-rank, right? This is at least high A-rank.]
[Hahaha, Naruto, why aren't you laughing anymore? Short king!]
[I don't know about combat power, but Naruto is definitely the shortest. Verified.]
[How tall can a kid who only eats instant noodles grow? He's malnourished.]
[My heart aches for him. Baby Naruto, hugs!]
"I wonder how long they did low-level missions before this?"
Kakashi subconsciously began to analyze the timing. Given Naruto's temperament shown on screen, he probably wouldn't last long doing D-rank chores. This Land of Waves mission likely wasn't far off in their actual timeline.
"Oh! A mission outside the village!"
Naruto jumped up in excitement, ignoring the height jokes. He had never been outside Konoha before; taking this mission meant he could finally leave the village gates!
"But... looking at what the comments are saying, this mission is very dangerous," Sakura said, her brow furrowed with concern. "They mentioned Rogue Ninjas."
"C-rank missions generally don't involve combat with other Ninjas," Shikaku Nara interjected, his voice calm but serious. "Even if there's combat, it's typically against bandits or thieves. The 'Zabuza' mentioned in the comments..."
Shikaku's eyes narrowed as he recalled the Bingo Book entry.
"That would be Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist. If they encounter him, the mission difficulty is definitely not C-rank. The client, Tazuna, must have lied about the mission parameters to save money."
"Zabuza Momochi..." Kakashi's visible eye hardened. "One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. That is going to be trouble."
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