The Genin trio found themselves back at the Hokage building under Kaito-sensei's lead.
"You guys must have come here right?"
To his question, the three nodded their heads.
Hideki went on to say. "We met a kind senpai who showed us around and explained some things to us."
"Oh?" Kaito nodded in understanding. "That makes things easier then."
He walked into the building and they followed behind him. Soon they arrived at the mission center which was still as crowded as it was minutes ago.
"You should already know the classifications of Shinobi missions then." Kaito asked as he walked through the crowd towards the counter where missions were assigned.
"Yes Sensei." Hideki and Sora replied. "So we'll be starting with a D-Rank then?" Sora asked.
Kaito didn't answer immediately, instead, he reached into a stack of scrolls on the counter and pulled out a C-Rank mission request.
"Here for a mission, Kaito-san?" The attendant asked, looking up as she recognized him, her tone polite but composed.
Her gaze dropped briefly to the scroll in his hand.
"A C-rank request?" she noted, then looked back at him. "That's somewhat below your usual assignments, isn't it?"
Kaito gave a small nod, his expression unchanged. "It is," he said simply. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "It's for my team."
The attendant's gaze sharpened slightly in understanding, but then she looked at the trio in pity.
"My Genin just graduated," Kaito continued, tapping the edge of the scroll lightly against the counter. "This will be their first assignment."
'Other Genins began with D-rank missions on their first day but these boys…' she couldn't help but feel bad for them.
Unaware of her thoughts, Kaito turned to the trio. "We're taking this one."
Murakami's eyes widened slightly. "...What?"
He had expected this but at the same time…wasn't this too abrupt?
Kaito didn't respond immediately. Instead, he handed over the scroll to Murakami who unrolled it, scanning the details.
Hideki leaned over to read it. His expression stiffened as his eyes darted over the contents.
[Mission Objective: Eliminate a bandit group terrorizing Hoshino village in the Land of Fire.
Rank: C
Target: Unnamed group of armed criminals, estimated 17 to 25 individuals.
Location: Hoshino Village, Land of Fire
Risk Level: Moderate. Targets are untrained but dangerous due to their number.
Mission Details: A village located two days' travel from Konoha has reported multiple attacks by a bandit group. The group has raided supplies, kidnapped villagers, and attacked merchant caravans. Eliminate the threat and ensure the village's safety.]
Sora's expression darkened. "Sensei, are you sure? We've just become Genin, and you're already giving us a mission involving combat?"
Kaito collected the scroll and placed it on the counter, nodded at the attendant before turning to Sora. "You want to be shinobi, right?"
"That's not the point," Murakami argued. "Isn't this a little early for—"
"This is reality." His voice was sharp, cutting through our protests. "If you thought being a shinobi meant running errands until you're 'ready,' you were mistaken. Especially not during these times."
"The world won't wait for you to feel prepared. Bandits, rogue shinobi, and enemy nations don't care that you're new. The moment you put on that headband, you're a Shinobi of Konoha."
The trio fell silent at that.
Sora shifted uncomfortably. "Sensei, we haven't even done a single D-Rank yet. Shouldn't we—"
Kaito raised a hand, cutting him off before he could finish.
"D-Rank missions serve a purpose," he said evenly. "They're meant to build discipline, coordination, and familiarity with civilian interactions, not combat readiness."
His gaze settled on Sora. "Konoha is at war. You don't develop the ability to handle armed threats by performing basic labor," he continued. "Your training will reflect that."
Sora looked down but said nothing.
Hideki exhaled sharply. "Fine. Let's do it."
Murakami nodded. "If this is what it means to be a shinobi, we can't avoid it."
He wasn't really bothered with the mission, it just came unexpectedly and sooner than he expected.
And while that was the case, it wasn't unwelcomed.
His lips curled into an imperceptible smirk that was quickly corrected as his expression turned normal.
Kaito nodded slightly. "Good. We leave at first light. Go home, get some rest, and be at the village gates by sunrise."
'Sunrise again…' Murakami rolled his eyes inwardly.
Sora still looked uncertain, but he didn't argue as they turned to leave, each processing the weight of the mission in their own way.
…
That evening, Murakami stood in front of a well illuminated display wall with his pre-ordered ninja attire hanging. He admired the handwork with a smile.
He didn't think he'd be putting it on soon after graduation, but as expected, fate was a fickle thing.
Shaking his head, he turned around and began putting his equipment together carefully.
Kunai, shuriken, ninja wire, various Fuinjutsu tags and a few energy bars all properly tucked into their spaces in the full black attire.
Murakami's hands lingered on the kunai pouch longer than usual. 'Up until now, I had only used these weapons in training. Tomorrow, I will be using them to potentially kill other humans.'
The realization felt heavier than expected. It was one thing to expect a future, and another to stand at the precipice with no thoughts or actions being able to circumvent it.
Sora's words from earlier echoed in my mind. "Isn't this too much for our first mission?"
Murakami shook his head, pushing the thought away.
This was an unforgiving world. If he hesitated, he would die. Kaito-sensei's had made that clear.
And even without Kaito-sensei's words as a reminder, he was aware of this.
This was a kill or be killed world, no middle ground unless you stood at the top.
After double-checking his gear, Murakami lay down, staring at the ceiling. Sleep didn't come easily that night
…
Morning arrived sooner than expected. At the village gate, Sora and Hideki stood in silence, their attention fixed on Murakami.
Gone was his usual haori.
He stood there in a fully black ensemble, layered and fitted in a way that didn't just look like clothing.
The material hugged his frame without restricting movement and was reinforced at the shoulders and arms with subtle plating beneath the dark leather finish.
A hood rested over his head, casting a shadow over his upper face, while a mask concealed everything from the nose down.
Straps crossed lightly over his torso, holding small pouches and tools in place, two rods crossed diagonally across his back, while pouches lined his waist.
And the long dark fabric that fell behind him shifted slightly with the morning breeze, completing the look of a seasoned operative rather than a fresh genin.
Even his posture felt different.
Hideki let out a low whistle. "Since when did you join ANBU?"
Sora arched an eyebrow. "You expecting a war or something?"
Murakami barely spared them a glance then shook his head at their sparse clothing. "I dress for survival."
Kaito-sensei, who had been waiting nearby, chuckled at the remark as he revealed himself. "Good. A shinobi should always be prepared."
His gaze flickered over the three of them before nodding in approval. "You'll learn soon enough, looking the part is half the battle."
Sora shifted uncomfortably. Next to Murakami, their standard gear felt almost inadequate. The realization settled in, making it look like they had underestimated the reality of what lay ahead.
Kaito-sensei turned toward the road. "Let's go."
Murakami fell into step beside him without hesitation. Hideki and Sora exchanged a glance before following. Their first real mission had begun.
…
The sun had barely risen when Team Kaito set out from Konoha, heading toward Hoshino Village.
Murakami took point, his movements efficient and controlled, his black attire blending into the shifting shadows beneath the trees.
Behind him, Sora and Hideki followed in a staggered formation, their steps lighter than before but still revealing inexperience. Kaito-sensei led the way, his gaze assessing his students' movements as they followed behind him.
For the first few hours, the journey was uneventful.
The terrain was relatively smooth, the path well-worn. But Kaito wasn't content with silence.
"Formation's sloppy," he noted casually. "Murakami's keeping the right distance, but you two?" His gaze flicked toward Sora and Hideki. "If we were in enemy territory, you'd already be dead."
Hideki frowned, adjusting his posture. "We're not in enemy territory, though."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "And how would you know? Are you sure no one's tracking us?"
Sora pushed up his glasses, glancing around instinctively. "We'd notice if we were being followed…"
Kaito smirked. "Would you?"
Before anyone could react, he flicked a kunai. The blade embedded itself in the tree trunk inches away from Hideki's head.
"Shit—" Hideki jumped back, heart pounding.
"You saw that, but would you have dodged in time?" Kaito asked coolly. "Or would you be lying dead right now?"
Silence followed. Sora's jaw tightened, while Hideki muttered a curse under his breath.
Murakami, having barely flinched, adjusted his gloves. "You're testing us."
"Observation is a shinobi's first defense," Kaito said. "And you're failing." after saying that, he was already on the move.
The team followed behind, now more conscious of their footing. Murakami extended his sensory perception, feeling the fluctuations in chakra around him.
Hideki and Sora. He was familiar with them.
His senses swept through the treetops and the forest floor, searching for anything unnatural, an anomaly in the flow of chakra, or the faintest sign of an unseen threat.
He didn't believe for a second that they were truly in danger, but Kaito's lesson was clear—awareness wasn't optional.
Around midday, Kaito signaled for a brief stop near a shallow stream. As they refilled their canteens, he issued another command.
"Stealth exercise. Move five hundred meters ahead without making a sound."
Murakami took the lead again, moving with practiced ease, barely disturbing the foliage. Sora followed, relying on careful steps, though his occasional misstep sent tiny pebbles rolling. Hideki struggled the most—his natural confidence betrayed by a snapped twig beneath his foot.
Kaito sighed. "That was terrible."
Hideki groaned. "We're genin, Sensei, not ghosts."
"And yet, a trained genin should be able t
o cross this terrain unnoticed," Kaito replied. "If you're loud in the wild, you won't just alert enemies—you'll invite death."
As the team resumed their journey, the reality of their mission settled in.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
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