Hokage Building, mission submission counter.
"Tora! I've missed you so much!"
"Meow—!"
In the arms of the Daimyō's wife, the cat named Tora struggled desperately.
Figures. The moment I heard the name Tora, I knew it was this cat. The reward should be decent… honestly, with the way she's petting it, no wonder it ran away.
Off to the side, Mino Ichi and Makire looked utterly defeated, like two roosters that had lost a fight.
Anko Mitarashi accepted the reward with a grin and submitted the mission report.
In the "Team Member Evaluation" section, she wrote for Ruichi:
"Unique application of ninjutsu; exceptional chakra control."
After a brief pause, she added, "However, work attitude requires improvement."
Of course, for a simple D-rank mission, even the clerk filing it away didn't bother giving it a second look.
---
Over the following days, Team Anko buzzed around like busy little bees, taking on all kinds of D-rank missions.
Weeding.
Painting.
Cleaning up trash.
And gradually, the team's division of labor began to look… strange.
"This mission is to weed a medicinal herb field! Everyone, focus!" Anko announced, hands on her hips.
"Oh!" Ichi shouted, fired up as he rolled up his sleeves. "Witness my Multi-Weed Decapitation Jutsu!"
He charged in like a spinning top, wreaking havoc. Half an hour later, half the weeds—and nearly half the herbs—had been ripped out.
The herb garden's owner was on the verge of tears.
Makire showed off his top-student tendencies, pulling out a reference book and carefully identifying each plant.
Unfortunately, his speed rivaled that of a snail. By the time he finished, the next batch of herbs would probably be ready for harvest.
As for Ruichi?
He had already finished his assigned section and was reclining comfortably on a simple rocking chair he'd made using Earth Release.
"Ruichi!" Anko's voice carried a dangerous edge.
Under her murderous glare, Ruichi reluctantly stood up.
"Earth Release: Soil Turn!"
The ground trembled slightly as the soil beneath the weeds churned, uprooting them completely.
"Wind Release: Hair Dryer!"
A controlled gust swept across the field, precisely blowing every weed away.
Less than five minutes later, half the herb field was spotless.
The owner stood there dumbfounded.
Ichi and Makire were completely stunned.
This… is weeding? This is art.
"There. I handled the hard part. You two can manage the cleanup, right?" Ruichi clapped his hands and turned back—
Only to find Anko already lying on his rocking chair.
"Anko-sensei…"
"Hey, you have to admit, this thing's pretty comfortable." She showed no intention of moving.
Ruichi sighed and made himself another one. After all, she was his sensei (and his boss).
---
The next day's mission: painting a wall.
This time, Ruichi made two rocking chairs in advance. The moment Anko declared the mission start, she lay down.
Ruichi finished his portion in minutes and joined her, watching the other two struggle.
Ichi swung his brush wildly, splattering paint everywhere—some even landed in Anko's hair.
Makire, meanwhile, carefully calculated surface area and paint ratios. By the time he finished calculating, Ichi had already ruined half the wall.
"RUICHI!" Anko roared again.
"Alright, alright…"
Ruichi sighed, formed hand seals, and used Water Release to guide the paint from the bucket onto the wall.
In under ten minutes, the wall was perfectly coated—smooth and even, without a single bubble.
Ichi and Makire, covered head to toe in dust and paint, exchanged looks.
"Makire… what do you think?"
"I think next time, we should ask Ruichi first."
"Agreed."
---
Gradually, Team Anko developed a bizarre operating pattern:
Mission starts → Ruichi finishes early and slacks off → Ichi and Makire mess things up → Anko can't take it anymore and drags Ruichi out by the ear → Ruichi solves everything in minutes with some unheard-of technique.
Ichi and Makire went from shock, to defiance, to numb acceptance.
Eventually, whenever they ran into trouble, the two would exchange a look—then turn in unison toward the slacker nearby.
"Ruichi, it's your turn."
"Are you kidding me?" Ruichi protested. "At least try first! Are we skipping the process entirely now?"
Anko lay on her rocking chair, temples throbbing as she watched this circus.
Ichi had power but no brains.
Makire had brains but no power.
Ruichi had both—and absolutely zero motivation.
Leading this team was exhausting.
At this rate, Ichi and Makire are going to be completely ruined by Ruichi. Come to think of it… does Ruichi even need me as a sensei?
Although she'd never seen Ruichi fight seriously, Anko's instincts told her he might already be on par with her. From their first meeting, he'd never shown awe, fear, or reverence toward her strength.
So Anko made a decision.
She would take on a slightly harder C-rank mission—to test Ruichi, and to push the other two forward.
If all went well, she'd end Ruichi's mentorship period and send him officially into the genin assignment pool.
---
Mission assignment counter.
"A C-rank mission?!" Ichi's voice shot up in disbelief.
Makire tried to stay calm, but his clenched fists and faint smile betrayed his excitement.
"Don't get too happy yet," Anko said, clapping her hands.
"This is an escort mission—from Konoha to Green Leaf Town in the Land of Rice Fields. It'll take about a week. We may run into some unsavory characters."
What a hassle… And the Land of Rice Fields? Has Otogakure even been established yet? I really don't want to run into that snake bastard…
Ruichi leaned against the wall, kicking at some peeling plaster with his toe.
Walking all day with a caravan, camping at night—just imagining a week of that made his scalp tingle.
"Ruichi! Did you hear me?" Ichi slapped his shoulder. "This isn't weeding or painting anymore! It's a C-rank mission!"
"Oh." Ruichi replied lazily. "And?"
"And?!" Ichi nearly choked. "This is our first C-rank mission! We have to perform well!"
A full-day job, under twenty thousand ryō total, less than three thousand a day, and actual combat risk. Absolute exploitation. What's he so excited about?
"Good luck," Ruichi said perfunctorily, going back to kicking the wall.
A vein pulsed on Anko's forehead.
"Alright! Tomorrow morning at eight, meet at Konoha's North Gate. The caravan will be waiting. Dismissed!"
Ichi and Makire answered excitedly and rushed off to prepare.
Ruichi strolled up to Anko. "Anko-sensei… isn't this mission a bit early for them? This isn't like those ninja errands. Is it really okay?"
Anko flicked his forehead. "You're the only one with the nerve to say that. Do you think I'm just here for decoration? Go prepare—and don't you dare screw this up!"
"Oh." Ruichi shrugged and slowly left the Hokage Building.