“Are we really about to take on a B-rank mission?”

  Shisui and Kurenai arrived at the meeting point, immediately questioning Asuma as soon as they saw him.

  “I don’t know! I just… I just casually mentioned wanting a more advanced mission. I didn’t think they’d actually approve it!”

  Asuma was just as fused. He had only briefly brought it up to his old man, and by the afternoon, he received the call to gather.

  “Let’s head out first. I’ll expin on the way,” Kyoichi said suctly.

  Once everyone had gathered, they registered at the vilge gate and immediately set off westward.

  After leaving Konoha, Kyoichi expihe mission.

  “This time, I’m implementing wartime protocols,” Kyoichi announced. “No cooking meals on the road—your food will entirely sist of military ration pills. ing until we reach designated distances. Stay alert at all times.”

  “Yes, sir!”

  “Move out!”

  While the three students were thrilled at the prospect of a high-ranking mission, they couldn’t help but feel a little tense. Judging by their teacher’s tohis mission might involve actual bat with enemy ninja.

  As they traveled, Kyoichi’s thoughts wandered.

  This was a turbulent time—Akatsuki was just beginning to rise. Although the Land of Rivers had no ninja vilge of its own, the turmoil in the region was bound to have ties to Akatsuki.

  It all lined up too well.

  However...

  Given Akatsuki’s current state, they likely wouldn’t target Konoha ninja directly. Their mission was merely to rendezvous with Minato, not to engage in direbat, so the risks weren’t as high.

  Even Hiruzen must have thought Minato’s mission was retively low-risk.

  But what if things went wrong?

  These were unstable times, and the vilge couldn’t afford unnecessary losses. Sending Kyoichi’s team was an additional yer of security—and perhaps an opportunity to gather intelligence.

  Kyoichi uood this perfectly.

  “Sensei, does that mean Kakashi’s team also received a k mission?”

  Asuma, after running a long stretch, suddenly blurted out a question.

  Kurenai eechless.

  You’re only realizing this now?

  Kyoichi didn’t even bother to respond.

  Kurenai, exasperated, expined, “Kakashi’s a in. His team is already strohan an average Genin squad, so taking on k missions is normal.”

  “I heard Guy-senpai’s team also took a k mission,” Shisui added.

  “Oh…”

  Hearing this, Asuma scratched his head. He had assumed their team ecial, but now it seemed that all the elite squads had already started handling k missions.

  The pride he had been feeling quickly defted.

  “k missions are mostly escort tasks with limited bat. What we experie time was an exception. This time, the mission was cssified as B-rank because of the likelihood of entering enemy ninja,” Kyoichi expined.

  Generally, k missions paid between 20,000 to 50,000 ryō and were primarily defensive in nature. Their st mission had escated into a proactive strike, far exceeding the usual scope of a k.

  In simple terms, they had gone above and beyond.

  Of course…

  The rewards reflected that.

  The final payout was 60,000 ryō—20,000 more than the iimate. This increase was due to their elimination of the bandits and recovery of stolen goods from several vilges.

  The group pressed on, quickly pig up signs of Team 7’s movements.

  But as they he border of the Land of Fire, the trail abruptly vanished—Minato’s team had clearly begun erasing all traces of their presence.

  “Proceed to the mission location,” Kyoichi instructed.

  sulting the map, he led the group toward Minato’s st known coordinates.

  As they traveled deeper into the Land of Rivers, Asuma couldn’t help but notice the desotion around them.

  “Sehere are so few people in the Land of Rivers.”

  “It’s too chaotic here. People ’t survive, so they leave,” Kyoichi replied.

  “Is it because they don’t have a ninja vilge? But doesn’t the daimyo have enough moo hire ninja?”

  Asuma’s fusion was evident.

  Kyoichi paused before expining, “The Land of Rivers is surrounded by too many major nations, and its territory is retively rge. Even if it established a ninja vilge, it would be nearly impossible to sustain.”

  “What about the Land of Rain?”

  Shisui thought of the nation sandwiched betweehree great powers.

  Wasn’t the Land of Rain even worse off than the Land of Rivers?

  Yet during the Sed Shinobi World War, the Land of Rain had stood its ground against the three major nations, earning great renown.

  “The Land of Rain has Hanzo,” Kyoichi said with a sigh.

  In its earlier years, Hanzo had been an immensely powerful figure with clear ideals. But after the Sed Shinobi World War, even he couldn’t withstand the pressure from the three great nations.

  Hanzo had made waves, seemingly victorious.

  However…

  The major nations recovered within a few years. What about the Land of Rain?

  Aside from the anomaly of Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, the try cked the educational and medical systems o produother Hanzo. Everything relied on rare outliers.

  That was the fual differeween a small nation and a great power.

  Kyoichi’s expnatio his students in thoughtful silence.

  For years, they had seen things from Konoha’s perspective, viewing the smaller nations as instigators of war. But now, imagining themselves as ninja from a minor vilge, they couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of despair.

  The atmosphere grew heavy.

  Asuma, Shisui, and Kurenai seemed lost in thought.

  But then...

  A sudden notification broke Kyoichi’s focus:

  [You’ve successfully guided Sarutobi Asuma’s ideology. He now sees you as a life mentor.]

  [Evaluation: Excellent]

  [Reward: Flying Swallow]

  Huh?

  Asuma, you’ve finally repaid me!

  Kyoichi couldn’t help but smile as he accepted the reward.

  The Flying Swallow teique wasn’t merely a on style—it was a high-level bination of taijutsu and Wind Release chakra manipution, making it a deadly skill in close bat.

  For Asuma, this would eventually bee his signature teique.

  But for Kyoichi…

  It was much more.

  Not only did he gaieique itself, but he also received a boost to his dexterity. His left hand, in particur, now felt signifitly mile.

  This wasn’t something most teiques could offer.

  “This settles it—I need a sed chakra bde as soon as possible,” Kyoichi mused, thrilled by the possibilities.

  As he g Asuma, who was still deep in thought but quickly shook himself out of it to refocus on the mission, Kyoichi smiled again.

  Asuma had grown a lot.

  On impulsive troublemaker, the young Sarutobi was now a far cry from the boy who had left the vilge over minor flicts.

  All thanks to me, Kyoichi thought smugly.

  Of course…

  Even as he reveled in his students’ progress, Kyoichi kept his chakra senses active, sing the surroundings for any signs of Minato’s team or potential threats.

  Finally…

  “I’ve found them! This way!”

  Kyoichi pointed in the dire of the trail.

  Asuma and Shisui looked startled, while Kurenai appeared unfazed.

  She kept pace with Kyoichi and remarked, “You didn’t seriously think Sensei had no idea where the bandits were ba Hakuen Town, did you?”

  Realization dawned on Shisui.

  Their teacher must have pinpoihe bandits’ location long before testing them in Hakuen Town.

  “That expins why he showed up so quickly afterward.”

  “And I remember my father once mentiohe Sed Hokage had a sensory teique that could detect chakra from great distances…”

  “Enough chatter. Keep moving,” Kyoichi interrupted.

  He didn’t deny their observations—there was no point.

  As long as he had Tsunade’s bag, he didn’t have to hide his abilities. And if push came to shove, he could always leave the vilge.

  No big deal.

  Gcell