"Are you the Konoha ninja, sirs? It must have been tough traveling all this way."
An old man with white hair bowed respectfully to Konohamaru, his tone full of sincerity.
"Yes, we're the Konoha ninja who accepted your village's request," Konohamaru replied politely.
"Please, follow me. Lady Kiri has been waiting for you."
The old man led Konohamaru and his team into a green-tiled mansion.
The house was elegant and traditional, with red walls and dark green roof tiles that gleamed faintly under the sunlight.
In an empty reception hall, the old man stopped and turned toward them. "Please wait a moment. Lady Kiri is changing and will be here shortly."
He gestured to several chairs, inviting them to sit.
However, Konohamaru didn't take a seat. Instead, he knelt down on one knee, showing formal respect.
"You three—kneel on one knee too," Konohamaru instructed Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki.
"We're shinobi. The client entrusted us with this mission. Showing respect is part of the code," he explained.
Hearing this, Sarada and Mitsuki prepared to kneel as well.
But Boruto immediately said, loud and clear, "Don't kneel."
Konohamaru frowned. "Boruto, what are you doing?"
"Why should we kneel?" Boruto shot back.
"This is basic ninja etiquette—kneeling to listen to the client," Konohamaru said patiently, though his expression grew tense.
Boruto scowled. He clearly wasn't buying into "traditional etiquette."
"Mitsuki, should we kneel?" Sarada asked uncertainly.
Boruto shook his head. "Mitsuki, it doesn't matter what era this is—no one is worth kneeling to. Even if I tell you to kneel, you're not allowed to."
Mitsuki smiled slightly and nodded.
Konohamaru sighed in frustration. "Are you kids rebelling now?"
Boruto shrugged. "Big Brother Konohamaru, if you want to kneel, go ahead. You're already used to it."
Konohamaru fell silent for a moment, speechless.
"I came here for three things," Boruto continued. "To complete the mission, complete the mission, and—guess what—complete the mission. Not to kneel to anyone."
Sarada chuckled and added, "Yeah. Even if Konohamaru-sensei kneels perfectly, it's useless if the mission isn't done."
At that moment, the door slid open, and Lady Kiri stepped out gracefully from the inner room—and to everyone's surprise, she knelt in front of them.
Konohamaru's face immediately filled with guilt. "I'm terribly sorry. My students are still a bit... undisciplined."
"It's alright," Kiri said softly.
Her gaze swept over the group, resting briefly on Boruto's relaxed, hands-in-pockets stance. Yet, there was no hint of anger or disapproval in her eyes.
"It's an honor that Konoha sent you to our Green Village," Kiri said warmly. "Let me restate the details of the request."
"Due to the ongoing drought, our crops have failed. Not just here, but across neighboring villages. However, the people from the Valley of Azure have begun stealing from our granaries."
Her expression darkened with both anger and helplessness.
"Yes, we've been briefed on that," Konohamaru replied with a nod. "Our task is to drive them away so they won't return."
Kiri shook her head. "Originally, yes. But recently... they've started hiring ninja."
Konohamaru's eyes narrowed. He immediately understood what that meant—greater danger and higher stakes.
"Ninja?" he repeated. "That changes things. This would make it a B-rank mission at least."
Kiri nodded faintly. "I understand that."
"But your initial request was listed as D-rank," Konohamaru said with a frown.
"We... we didn't expect things to escalate this way," Kiri stammered, unable to meet his eyes.
Boruto sighed inwardly. Isn't this the same script as Dad's first mission? How boring.
Before anyone could say more, a loud commotion erupted outside.
"Sari-lang! Sari-lang!"
A large man wearing a metal mask stormed into the village, brandishing a long sword. Without hesitation, he thrust it straight through a villager's chest.
Blood splattered across the dirt road. Screams filled the air as villagers scattered in terror.
The once-quiet mansion was instantly thrown into chaos.
Konohamaru's pupils shrank as he jumped to his feet and bolted for the door.
Sarada and Mitsuki followed closely, while Boruto trailed lazily behind, hands still in his pockets.
"How could this happen? Have the people from the Valley of Azure become so bold?" Kiri gasped, pale-faced and trembling.
Outside, the masked attacker was about to strike another fleeing villager when Konohamaru appeared out of nowhere, blocking the blade mid-swing.
Sparks flashed as metal clashed.
The large man grinned under his mask. "Konoha ninja, huh? Perfect. Saves us the trouble of finding you."
His tone dripped with arrogance and mockery.
"Hmph. Since you're here, don't expect to leave alive."
He swung again, his blade cutting through the air with a shrill whirr, aiming straight for Konohamaru's neck.
But Konohamaru didn't flinch. He raised his kunai and met the strike head-on. Sparks exploded as their weapons collided.
"Boruto! Sarada! Mitsuki! Surround him!" Konohamaru ordered.
Boruto didn't move. "Big Brother Konohamaru, seriously? You can't handle one Chunin on your own?" he said flatly.
"Besides, we can withdraw from this mission, can't we? Are you seriously going to risk it over a D-rank job?"
"Boruto! Stop talking and help subdue him!" Konohamaru shouted, blocking another blow.
"Can you cooperate for once? Are you here for a mission or a sightseeing trip?"
Boruto sighed. "Big Brother Konohamaru, you're so damn boring. You could've one-shotted this guy ages ago, but instead you're yelling at me. Amazing."
The masked man sneered. "Konoha ninja, distracted in battle? You'll regret that!"
He lunged again.
Konohamaru's eyes narrowed. He decided to end it.
In a blur, his body vanished from the man's sight—then reappeared behind him.
What—how is he that fast? He's a Jonin?! the masked man thought in panic. He was holding back before!
With one clean punch, Konohamaru sent him flying across the courtyard. The man slammed into a stone wall and spat blood, slumping unconscious.
"See? Problem solved," Boruto said, unimpressed. "But seriously, your moves were kinda cringe, Big Brother Konohamaru."
Konohamaru sighed. "I was trying to test your teamwork."
"Teamwork?" Boruto scoffed. "What kind of teamwork can you test against a guy that weak? He's the kind who gets one-shotted just by blinking."
Konohamaru rubbed the back of his neck helplessly. "Still... if we just abandon this mission and go home, it'll only bring shame to Konoha."
...
Author's Note:
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