"So… how did this happen again?"
Rin's voice drifted lightly through the quiet of the forest path as he walked alongside the others, his gaze shifting between his teammates and the stretch of wilderness ahead.
Beside him, Sakura let out a small breath.
"Naruto whined to the Lord Hokage."
She said, glancing ahead briefly before looking back at Rin, her tone caught somewhere between mild annoyance and reluctant acceptance.
"...and for some reason they ended up giving us the C-Rank mission."
"Well…"
Rin began, his voice thoughtful.
"that's good. Getting a C-Rank mission this early is great for us."
It's normal for genin's to go on D and C-Rank mission, but an opportunity this early on is really good.
To him, this wasn't something to question too deeply. It was a step forward.
A few paces ahead, Sasuke gave a slight nod. His expression didn't change much, but there was no mistaking the agreement.
If anything, there was a faint approval in the way he carried himself—Naruto's loud insistence had—for once—led to something worthwhile.
"Totally! I've been waiting for this!"
Naruto's voice cut through the forest with unrestrained excitement. He walked at the front of the group, his head constantly turning from side to side, eyes scanning everything—the trees, the undergrowth, the path ahead—as if expecting something to jump out at any moment.
There was an eager energy in every step he took, anticipation that made it impossible for him to stay still or quiet for long.
This was their first time out of the village after all.
Rin's attention drifted away from the conversation as he continued walking, his eyes slowly moving across the world beyond the familiar walls of Konoha.
The trees seemed taller somehow, the forest deeper, wider—less contained.
The air itself felt different, fresher in a way that settled strangely against his senses.
It had been… years.
Years since he had last been outside the village like this.
It was refreshing.
The nine of them moved along the forest path at a steady pace. Team 7 and Team 8 had been assigned the C-Rank mission—escort Tazuna, the bridge builder, all the way to the Land of Waves, stay with him, and protect him until the bridge was finished.
It wasn't flashy.
But for a group of genin who had only just graduated from the academy, it was a solid step forward.
Still, among them, the one with the second widest grin—right after Naruto—wasn't even one of them.
It was Tazuna.
The old man walked along with a slouched posture, a bottle in hand, looking far more pleased than someone in his position probably should have been. His eyes would drift over the group every now and then, and each time, that satisfaction didn't really leave his face.
And honestly… it made sense.
He had basically struck gold.
All he had asked for was protection on the road—mentioned the risk of thieves and rogues, made it sound like a standard escort job. Nothing unusual. But somehow, things had worked out far better for him than expected.
For just a bit more than the usual payment, he now had two elite jonin shinobi and six genin escorting him.
Two full teams.
It was more than most people would ever get for something like this.
Back in the village, the Hokage had pushed for the extra payment, suggesting that assigning two teams would be better. His only reason being that he wanted to keep the team 7 and 8 joined outside of Konoha.
Normally, anyone else would've refused right there. One jonin alone was more than enough for a simple escort like this—especially when the danger was just supposed to be some random thieves, something that barely even happened.
But Tazuna wasn't exactly being honest about everything.
So he had played his part.
A bit of fake reluctance, a little hesitation here and there… just enough to make it believable before finally agreeing to the increased cost.
In the end, he got exactly what he needed.
Extra protection.
And for the kind of risk he was actually hiding, the amount he paid for it was… honestly pretty cheap.
As he walked along with the group, that faint, satisfied look never really left him, even as the genin around him stayed unaware of just how good of a deal he had managed to secure.
"Hey…"
Rin's voice dropped low as he slowed his steps just enough to fall back beside Kakashi. His eyes didn't move much, still facing forward, but there was a slight tension in them now—something sharp, aware.
Kakashi didn't look at him either.
"You can tell, too? Good. Ignore it and just keep moving."
His reply came just as quietly, calm like always, as his gaze stayed fixed ahead… or rather, just slightly off to the side—towards a small puddle of water sitting right at the side of the path.
It didn't belong there.
Not with the weather they'd had.
Up ahead, Kurenai had already noticed it too. She didn't stop, just kept walking like nothing was wrong.
Rin gave a small nod, barely noticeable, and continued forward.
Step by step, he passed the puddle.
For a split second, everything felt normal.
Then—
The surface of the water shifted.
Two figures burst out from it in one sharp motion, water scattering in all directions as their forms twisted mid-air. One of them moved instantly, grabbing the other and throwing him straight towards Kakashi, a chain already spinning between them.
It all happened too fast.
"Now."
Rin moved the moment the word left his mouth.
His body reacted, pushing forward and away, feet digging into the ground as he slipped past the line of attack. He didn't look back, didn't hesitate—just got clear.
Behind him, the ambush hit.
The two attackers worked together smoothly. The chain flashed through the air, wrapping around Kakashi before anyone else could properly react.
It coiled tight, the bladed edges catching the light for a split second as both of the attackers pulled from opposite ends, locking him in place.
"Wh—?!"
"Eh—?!"
The rest of the teams snapped their heads around, eyes widening as the scene registered all at once—Kakashi caught, bound in a chain covered in blades.
There wasn't even time to process it.
As the mist shinobi pulled.
Hard.
The chain tightened in one brutal motion, slicing through as it constricted—
And in the next instant, Kakashi's body was torn apart, cut cleanly into pieces by the bladed chain.
For a moment, everything just… stopped.
"Ka-Kakashi-sensei!"
Naruto's voice broke out, loud and shaken, his whole body going stiff as he stared at what was left behind.
"EEYAA!"
Sakura let out a sharp yelp, her hands instinctively coming up, eyes wide in disbelief.
Hinata froze where she stood, her face pale, the sheer brutality of it hitting her all at once.
Even Kiba, who usually jumped headfirst into things, stood there stunned, caught off guard by how fast everything had turned.
But not everyone lost themselves.
Sasuke didn't move.
Rin didn't either.
And Kurenai—she hadn't even shifted from her spot.
Her eyes stayed locked on the two attackers, calm, watching them from behind like she had been expecting the next move already.
Then it came.
Naruto, still shaken, didn't notice it at first—but the two attackers were already moving again. They rushed forward, fast, the chain whipping free as they circled around.
By the time Naruto turned—
They were right behind him as they pulled the chain again.
The bladed chain snapped forward, slicing through the air, stopping just an inch away from Naruto's throat.
Then—
A sharp metallic clang cut through the moment.
A shuriken flew in from the side and struck the chain cleanly, knocking it off course and pinning it against a nearby tree. Before the chain could even settle—
Klang!
A kunai followed right after, hitting dead center into the shuriken, driving it deeper into the bark and locking the chain in place.
The attackers were stunned by that but still reacted quickly, both of them yanking at the chain, trying to pull it free—
But they were already too late.
Two figures were in front of them before they could even recover.
Two kicks landed at the same time, one from each side, slamming straight into their jaws with clean force. The impact snapped their heads back, breaking their rhythm completely.
As the attackers staggered from the hit, their vision blurred for a second—
And then it cleared.
Just enough for them to see who had stopped them.
Sasuke.
And Rin.
Sasuke and Rin landed lightly on the ground, right in front of Naruto, their feet settling with barely a sound.
Rin was the first one to react in throwing the shuriken to save Naruto at the last moment, while Sasuke reacted right after with a kunai. As they followed up together to land blows on the mist shinobi's.
Naruto stood just behind them, still shaken, his breath uneven, eyes locked on the attackers.
"Urgh!"
The two sist shinobi staggered, their balance thrown off from the kicks. Their heads snapped back into place as they forced themselves upright, teeth clenched.
They were stuck—both of their clawed gauntlets still connected to the chain, and the chain itself pinned tightly against the tree.
For a split second, there was tension in their movements.
Then both of them moved at once.
They twisted their arms and spun their bodies, yanking hard on their claw gauntlets. The metal strained as they hit the chain with their claws—
Klang!
And the chain broke apart, freeing them.
The moment they were loose, they bolted in the opposite directions, feet pushing off the ground in a sharp burst of speed.
Instead of going for Naruto, instead of turning back towards Rin or Sasuke—
They ran straight past them.
Straight towards Tazuna.
Naruto barely had time to react as they slipped by, the sudden shift in target catching him off guard again.
Up ahead, everything moved at once.
Sakura stepped forward instantly, placing herself right in front of Tazuna. Her hand came up, gripping a kunai tightly, even though there was a slight tremble in her fingers.
'He-! Here it comes!'
Her eyes were wide, but focused—locked onto the incoming attackers.
Beside her, Kiba moved too—but there was hesitation in it.
His body tensed, instincts kicking in even as his mind lagged behind.
He started transforming into his beast-state, muscles tightening, posture lowering. But there was stiffness there, a split-second delay that showed he hadn't fully shaken off the shock yet.
Even so… he didn't stop.
He pushed through it.
On the other side, Hinata stepped into position.
Her Byakugan activated, veins bulging slightly near her eyes as her vision sharpened. She raised her hands, settling into the Gentle Fist stance.
There was nervousness in her—clear in the way her shoulders held just a bit too tight, in the slight pause before she fully set her footing.
But she didn't back away.
Even frozen, even shaken—
She stood her ground in front of Tazuna, ready to protect him.
As the two attackers rushed in, closing the distance fast, their steps rough—
"Alright, that's enough."
The voice came calm. Almost casual.
And then—
A blur of movement.
Kurenai appeared right behind Hinata, so sudden it almost felt like she had always been there.
Her foot came up in one clean motion and drove straight into one of the attacker's gut.
"Ooomph—!!"
The impact knocked the air right out of him, his body folding slightly from the force.
At the same time—
Kakashi was there.
The second attacker didn't even get the chance to react before Kakashi's arm hooked around his neck, pulling him back into a tight clothesline.
The motion was smooth, stopping him completely in his tracks as Kakashi held him there without effort.
Just like that—
Both of them were stopped.
Easily.
The jonin had stepped in at the very last moment, only after watching how their students handled the situation.
A brief silence followed.
Then—
"I'm sorry, Naruto."
Kurenai spoke, her voice softer now, but there was a slight tension in it.
Her eyes shifted toward him as a bead of sweat ran from her head, her expression not as calm as before.
At the same time, Kakashi glanced over as well.
"I didn't think you would freeze up... like that. I would've moved sooner otherwise."
Her tone didn't change much, but the meaning behind it was clear. This hadn't gone the way she expected.
It had been a bad situation.
When she first noticed Naruto freeze, she had already been ready to act—to trap the attackers in genjutsu before things got worse.
But even then… it would've been too late.
The chain had been too close.
If things had continued like that—
Naruto's head would've been gone.
Her gaze shifted slightly, just for a moment, towards Rin and Sasuke.
If those two hadn't moved when they did—if they hadn't thrown that shuriken and kunai at just the right time—
This would've ended very differently.
Kakashi had reached the same conclusion the moment he saw it unfold.
And just like Kurenai—
He felt it too.
That quiet sense of relief, knowing those two had stepped in exactly when it mattered.
"You did good, Sasuke, Rin."
Kakashi's voice came out easy like always, but there was clear approval in it.
His visible eye lingered on the two of them for a second.
"You guys were good too."
Kurenai's tone softened as she turned toward the others. She reached out and gently placed her hand on Sakura's head, patting it lightly.
Sakura blinked, a bit surprised, before looking up at her with a slight blush.
Clearly happy with the praise.
Kurenai's eyes moved between Sakura, Kiba, and Hinata, a small, kind smile forming.
They hadn't been perfect.
They had hesitated.
But for just a bunch of genin's they still stepped forward when it mattered.
And that counted.
After a while, the two mist shinobi were tied up securely against a tree, their arms bound tight with rope. Kakashi crouched in front of them earlier to finish the knots, making sure there was no way for them to slip out.
Once he was done, the mood shifted.
"Mr. Tazuna. We need to speak with you."
Kurenai's voice changed—firmer now. Her eyes locked onto Tazuna, no softness left in them.
Kakashi, still crouched, turned his head slightly toward the old man before standing up fully and facing him as well.
"Ye-Yes?"
Tazuna's earlier satisfaction was completely gone.
His shoulders felt tighter, his grip on the bottle less steady.
"Our attackers seem to be chunin-levelshinobi from Kirigakure."
Kakashi began, his tone calm, but direct.
"They were watching us and were waiting for us in that puddle of water."
The words hung in the air.
Tazuna's eyes widened just a bit.
"Huh? If you knew they were there, why'd you let those creeps attack you?!"
There was a sharp edge in his voice now, mixed with confusion—and something else.
Something closer to panic.
Kakashi didn't react to the tone.
"Not only me and Kurenai."
He said, straightening as he spoke.
"but Rin noticed them too. We simply ignored them to find out who their real target was."
As he fully turned toward Tazuna, those words settled heavily into the moment.
Tazuna didn't say anything at first.
Not a word.
The moment Kakashi finished speaking, the old man's face stiffened, whatever confidence he had earlier was completely gone.
His eyes shifted slightly, avoiding theirs, and that alone said enough.
Kakashi and Kurenai both let out a quiet sigh.
"In any case,"
Kurenai continued, her tone steady but firm.
"Since we have shinobi's after your life, this is at least a B-Rank mission.
Way past the abilities of a team made up of genin's."
There was no accusation in her voice—just a clear statement.
And the meaning behind it was obvious.
They should turn back.
"Umm… there's something you should know…?"
Tazuna finally spoke, his voice hesitant, like he was picking his words while already knowing he had no choice anymore. His hand tightened slightly around the bottle as he looked between them.
That was enough to stop them from making the call right there.
So he started explaining.
Slowly at first, then more steadily as he went on.
He told them about Gato—the richest man in the world.
A man who had taken control over the marine transportation and shipping routes of their village, holding everything in his grip.
Anyone who wanted to move goods had to go through him, had to bend to him.
And the bridge Tazuna was building—
That changed everything.
Once it was complete, people wouldn't need Gato anymore. They wouldn't have to rely on ships, wouldn't have to pay him, wouldn't have to lower themselves just to survive.
It would break his control.
And that's why—
Gato wanted him dead.
That was how Tazuna became a target.
His voice dropped a little as he went on, explaining how poor his village really was. Not just the villagers—even their Daimyo didn't have the money to afford proper protection.
They couldn't pay for a B-Rank mission.
So this—
This was all they could manage.
When he finished, the air felt heavier.
Kakashi and Kurenai were stunned to know the circumstances of Tazuna.
And considering that they had just beaten chunin-level shinobi's, the next attack would be from a higher level jonin at the very least.
More than one if Gato went all out for this.
And this made them even more unsure about taking a bunch genin's to this mission as they looked at each other.
And Tazuna noticed that.
That's when he pushed.
"Well… it's not like you have to help me.
I mean… if you leave, I'll probably just get killed by those shinobi."
He spoke calmly.
Then burst out laughing.
"Haha! But not like that's any of your concern. Only that my daughter and my ten-year-old grandson will cry all day after I'm gone. That's all."
He smiled at them as he continued to push.
"And I'm sure my daughter won't mind spending the rest of her life hating the Leaf shinobi either… living alone like that…"
He trailed off, like it wasn't a big deal.
Like he wasn't saying exactly what he intended to say.
The silence that followed was... awkward.
As all of them were staring at him with sweat falling from their foreheads.
He didn't need to say anything more.
The meaning was already there.
And in the end—
It worked.
—
Some time later, they were already out on the water.
A large wooden boat moved quietly across the surface, the sound of it cutting through the water soft and steady as a man rowed them forward. The air had changed again, cooler now, with a faint mist starting to gather around them.
The mission was still on.
.
.
.
.
.
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