After sealing the dead man, we started walking back toward the village. Genta stayed close beside me since I was still shivering a little. I knew death was part of a shinobi's duty, but that did not mean I was happy about doing it. I was conflicted and yet certain I had done what needed to be done. The feeling left me hollow as I walked like a ghost, my mind distant, my feet moving only out of habit.
At some point, Sensei Masahide appeared beside us, his calm steps falling in sync with ours. He did not speak right away, simply watching the three of us in silence. Shota looked tense, his shoulders tight, and Genta's jaw was set in a grim line. Sensei's presence steadied us a little, even without a word.
When we finally reached the village, we were greeted by the elder, a frail man who could barely stand. His head was completely bald, and his half-closed eyes made him seem blind, yet his voice was strong and clear when he spoke.
"How did it go, honored shinobi?" he asked, his tone heavy with hope and exhaustion.
Genta stepped forward, released the seal, and the dead man's body appeared before the villagers. Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd. At first, there was shock, then relief, then anger. Their eyes burned with emotion as they stared at the lifeless form of the man who had destroyed their homes and killed their families. A few dropped to their knees, crying openly, while others clenched their fists, muttering curses and prayers under their breath.
As I watched, my own mind began to clear. The haze lifted enough for me to ask the elder, "Did they take any hostages with them into the cave?"
The old man shook his head weakly. "There was a fight here," he said slowly. "At first, we managed to push them back, but then the one who used chakra joined in. Once he started fighting, the houses burned, and many more were killed. They took what they could carry and fled quickly after that. A hostage would have slowed them down."
Relief passed quietly through me, though out of respect, I kept my face composed.
The elder bowed slightly once more and handed us the mission completion scroll. We resealed the body and started heading out, leaving behind the cries and wails of the grieving villagers. The sound followed us for a long while before fading into the forest air.
As the trees grew thicker around us, I finally spoke. "Shota," I said, keeping my tone calm, "we're a team. We must always stay coordinated and never take action alone. It's the only way to avoid mistakes like the one back in the cave."
Shota nodded, his head low. He was clearly unhappy with how he had performed, especially near the end. I continued, "You and Genta both need to work on your speed even more."
Genta frowned immediately. "What? Why? I did great back there!"
I sighed softly. "It took you too long to get back. I know you value strength the most, but you should learn a thing or two from Noa about the importance of speed and precision."
I felt a bit guilty mentioning Noa, knowing how hard Genta tried to catch up to him, but I also knew it would push him in the right way. And, as always, it worked. Genta's eyes lit with determination.
"Fine," he said, smirking. "I'll make sure I get fast enough to punch him in the face before he can react."
I could not help smiling faintly. When I looked back, Masahide-sensei was watching us with a pleased expression, giving me a small nod of approval for my assessment and the way I handled my teammates.
When we finally returned to Konoha, we went straight to the mission desk. Genta handed over the seal while I and Sensei completed the mission report. Genta, meanwhile, tried to cheer up Shota, who was still too quiet. Once the paperwork was done, Masahide-sensei told us he would take Shota to the hospital for a check-up and dismissed the rest of us for the day.
By the time everything was finished, it was already past noon, and I decided to go with Genta to Noa's house. Knowing him, he would be done with lunch or in the middle of cooking something, and honestly, I needed both food and company.
I was still in a bad mood. The mission had been a success with no casualties, yet my thoughts kept drifting to what could have gone wrong instead of what had gone right. But all that stopped the moment we walked into Noa's home.
He stood in the middle of the living room holding a broom, an apron wrapped around his waist, and a headscarf tied over his forehead, clearly noticing my clouded mood. For a moment, I just stared, completely speechless. Genta was the first to break, bursting out in uncontrollable laughter. "Why are you dressed like a housewife?"
Noa's eyes narrowed as he glared at him. "Well, I cooked, and now I'm cleaning the house. That's what grown-ups do."
Genta wheezed between laughs. "Yeah, but you still look like one!"
Noa's irritation spiked, though I could tell he wasn't truly angry and was mostly going with it to cheer me up. His reply came sharp and dry. "The apron keeps my clothes from getting dirty, and the scarf keeps sweat from dripping down. If you ever did a single house chore in your life, you'd understand."
Then, noticing that I was still silent, Noa added with exaggerated emotion, trying and failing to sound feminine. "You always leave the housework to me and never help with the chores." He even faked a few sniffles and wiped his eyes dramatically.
That did it. Genta collapsed to the floor, laughing so hard he could barely breathe, clutching his stomach and gasping for air. Noa cracked a grin, clearly proud of himself, then turned toward me with mock pride. "Well? Am I not the best housewife in Konoha or what?"
Despite everything, I smiled. The tension in my chest loosened, and even a small genuine laugh escaped me. Noa untied the scarf and took off the apron, his tone softening as he looked at me seriously. "What happened? Why do you look so down?"
I sighed and told him everything about the mission. Noa listened quietly, never interrupting. When I finished, he nodded, his voice calm and steady.
"Sit down," he said, walking into the kitchen. Moments later, he returned with steaming plates full of food. The smell alone eased the weight in my chest.
Genta's eyes widened. "Noa, you're the best!" he said, already halfway through stuffing his mouth.
Noa ignored him and focused on me. "You ask too much of yourself," he said. "I know you want everything to be perfect, but no one is. We just do our best, learn from mistakes, and move forward. From what I heard, you succeeded in your mission without serious injuries and took down the target. That's more than enough to be proud of."
I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Letting those thoughts out and hearing them reflected back with reason and care made something inside me ease. I finally realized that we had actually completed our first C-rank mission and succeeded in it.
Genta mumbled something through a full mouth of food. "I told her that too!"
Noa gave him a small nod, finally sitting down to eat before Genta could finish everything. I joined them, grateful for the warmth, the laughter, and the strange little second family I had found in my friends.
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A/N: The poll has ended. Raiton: Raijin Jukai (Lightning Style: Forest of the Thunder God), which was added by 54n570n, has been chosen as the jutsu name. Thank you all so much for participating.