The tobacco in the pipe burned slowly, and Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a cloud of murky smoke.
"Mission Rank C, escort Mr. Tazuna, a bridge expert, back to the Land of Waves."
His gaze swept over the three youngsters of Team 7, finally resting on Kakashi's face.
Kakashi's expression was as laid-back as ever, but in the eye that was visible, there was a hint of observation directed at Naruto.
"Sensei, what went wrong? Your kid's style is a bit off."
Sasuke was expressionless; a C-rank mission was nothing but a waste of his time.
Sakura, on the other hand, was a little excited. This was her first time going to another country for a mission.
Only Naruto, like a statue, listened in silence. He had already noticed the strong smell of alcohol on the client, Tazuna, and the fear hidden in his constantly darting eyes.
The client was lying; this was not a simple escort mission.
Naruto disliked lies, but this was indeed an opportunity to temper the team. Under normal circumstances, new teams like theirs rarely received missions above B-rank.
"Alright then, go prepare. We'll meet at the Village gate in an hour." Kakashi waved his hand, signaling dismissal.
"Yes," Sasuke and Sakura replied in unison.
Naruto did not respond, simply turning and being the first to walk out of the office… On the forest path leading to the Land of Waves, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light spots.
Tazuna walked in the middle, nervously glancing around. Sakura, like a curious tourist, chattered excitedly, asking about everything related to the Land of Waves.
Sasuke walked at the back of the team, his hand always on his Ninja tool pouch, maintaining vigilance.
Kakashi and Naruto walked side-by-side at the very front.
"Naruto, teamwork isn't simply about command and obedience," Kakashi tried to break the silence.
"I know," Naruto looked straight ahead. "It's a tactical combination based on a common goal, maximizing individual abilities."
Kakashi was momentarily speechless. This answer was too standard, but too cold, leaving him unable to refute or continue.
His attention was drawn to a puddle on the ground ahead.
The weather was clear, and it hadn't rained in a long time; there shouldn't be water here.
Kakashi's steps didn't falter in the slightest, as if he hadn't noticed it at all.
He was waiting.
Waiting for an opportunity, and also waiting for an answer. He wanted to see how Naruto, who held efficiency and discipline as his guiding principles, would handle this textbook ambush.
Naruto also saw the puddle.
He even sensed the two Chakra signatures beneath the water, deliberately suppressed to their limits.
Chunin level.
This was an excellent sample for testing Sasuke and Sakura's combat abilities.
He also chose to ignore it.
The group walked directly past the puddle.
The moment they passed, the puddle exploded!
Two brawny figures, wrapped in chains, burst out, carrying a metallic whoosh, and instantly entangled Kakashi!
"First one!"
"Swish!"
The sound of blades tearing through flesh was clearly audible.
Under the horrified gaze of Sasuke and Sakura, Kakashi's body was instantly shredded into several pieces by the chains.
Blood… did not gush out.
"What?" one of the Ninja exclaimed in surprise.
It was just a Body Replacement Jutsu.
"Everyone, get down!" Kakashi's voice came from behind.
The two Hidden Mist rogue Ninja, the Demon Brothers, Meizu and Gozu, had already abandoned Kakashi, their target instantly locked onto the least threatening client, Tazuna.
"Second one!"
Sasuke's pupils constricted, his body reacting faster than his brain. He drew a kunai, blocking in front of Tazuna, his face showing the tension and ferocity of facing true combat for the first time.
"Sasuke! Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura froze in place, terrified, her mind blank, only able to emit meaningless screams.
This was the battlefield.
When facing the threat of death for the first time, training and theory become pale and powerless. Fear is the only instinct.
Meizu and Gozu, one on the left and one on the right, their metal-clawed gloves cut through the air, grabbing at Sasuke.
Sasuke gritted his teeth, parrying with difficulty, but was repeatedly forced back by their brute strength, his arm going numb.
This was the strength of a Chunin.
Just then.
A golden afterimage, with an utterly illogical speed, cut into the battle.
It wasn't a Ninja's Body Flicker Technique; there was no Chakra fluctuation whatsoever.
It was pure, raw speed unleashed by the body.
Naruto, moving later but arriving first, appeared behind Gozu.
He didn't use any Ninja tools, his five fingers pressed together, his palm turning into a blade, and with a tricky angle, he precisely struck the back of Gozu's knee.
"Crack!"
A bone-chilling crack of bone.
Gozu let out an inhuman shriek of agony, his entire right leg folding outwards in a grotesque manner, instantly losing all mobility.
Almost simultaneously, Naruto's other elbow, like a battering ram, struck upwards, slamming hard into Meizu's jaw.
"Thud!"
Amidst the dull thud, Meizu's body flew backward like a broken kite, teeth mixed with blood foam spraying into the air.
Everything happened in a flash of lightning.
From Naruto's move to the two Chunin-level enemies being completely incapacitated, it took no more than five seconds.
No Ninjutsu, no hand seals.
Only the most efficient, most brutal violence.
Sasuke stood frozen, looking at the Demon Brothers wailing on the ground, then at Naruto, who stood there, his breathing not even slightly disturbed.
A feeling called "powerlessness" once again clearly swept over his entire body, like torture.
That was a fighting style he couldn't comprehend.
Sakura's scream was caught in her throat. She looked at Naruto's back, that fear even surpassing what she felt facing the enemies just now.
"Good reaction, Sasuke."
Kakashi's figure leaped down from a tree. He walked over to Naruto's side, glancing down at the two Ninja who had already passed out.
The methods were clean and precise, to the point of being unsettling.
He turned to Naruto, and for the first time, his usually lazy eye held a stern question.
"You knew about them long ago."
"Yes," Naruto answered simply and directly.
"Then why didn't you give a warning?" Kakashi's tone grew heavier. "Your teammates and Sakura were exposed to mortal danger!"
"This is a drill," Naruto met his gaze calmly. "On an unpredictable battlefield, a surprise attack can happen at any moment. I can give a warning this time, but what about next time? If the enemy is a sensory-type Ninja, any premature movement would expose us."
He paused.
"Kakashi-sensei, you also sensed the presence of these two Ninja, didn't you? And your thoughts were the same as mine."
"You also know that they need to adapt to facing death without warning. The sweat shed today is so that no blood is shed tomorrow. Sensei, you should understand this principle better than I do."
Kakashi's body stiffened, the experience at Kannabi Bridge flashing through his mind.
He walked in front of Naruto with a grave expression, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder, slowly applying pressure.
"You brat…"
"Why be so direct? It makes Sensei lose face."
Kakashi playfully patted Naruto's shoulder.
"You're not cute at all like this."
...On the mist-shrouded river, a small boat slowly moved forward.
The atmosphere was terribly oppressive.
Sasuke and Sakura were both silent; the recent battle had a huge impact on them.
"Mr. Tazuna," Kakashi broke the silence. He relayed the information about the Demon Brothers and his re-evaluation of the mission rank. "This is no longer a C-rank mission; it's at least a B-rank. Furthermore, your opponents might send Jonin to carry out assassination missions, at which point it would become an A-rank or even S-rank mission."
He looked at his three students.
"For safety, the mission is aborted. We will escort Mr. Tazuna back to Konoha, and the Village will re-evaluate and send a more suitable team."
This was the safest and most correct decision.
"I disagree."
Naruto spoke, disrupting Kakashi's plan.
"Why?" Kakashi crossed his arms and looked at Naruto.
"Incorrect risk assessment," Naruto met Kakashi's gaze and began his tactical analysis. "First, we have already engaged the enemy, and they have obtained our basic information—one Jonin leading three Genin. Giving up now would only make them think that since Konoha is afraid to fight, there's nothing to worry about, and the next force sent to disturb the Land of Waves will be stronger and more reckless."
"Second, Konoha's credibility. Accepting a request but abandoning it halfway damages the Hokage's credibility. A Ninja Village that loses its credibility cannot endure for long."
Every word he spoke was like a nail, driven into everyone's hearts.
Sakura and Sasuke both looked up, staring at him in shock.
This had completely exceeded their understanding of missions.
"Finally…" Naruto narrowed his eyes, a gentle yet heavy glint passing through them.
"If we don't protect the Land of Waves, no one will."