When the trio went out for barbecue with their new Jonin sensei, Akimichi Torifu, they were utterly stunned by the man's appetite.
While Hoshiyomi, Sakumo, and Shinku were ordering at tray by tray like normal people, Torifu was ordering by the basin. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Let's start with five bowls!"
Shinku stared blankly. "Sensei… are you sure this restaurant even has that much at in stock?"
Torifu burst out laughing. "Relax. This place always has enough at—because it's owned by the Akimichi clan."
Hoshiyomi's mouth twitched. No wonder he eats like a bottomless pit—this is literally his family's business.
In truth, the three of them were full after just half an hour. The rest of the ti, they sat and watched Torifu eat.
His appetite would put even Hinata's infamous 46 rice bowls to sha. Honestly, maybe only that glutton from One Piece could keep up.
Two hours later, Torifu finally patted his stomach and set down the last platter of grilled at. After wiping his mouth, he turned to his three students and said, "Alright, now that we're all full, it's ti to start your first mission!"
At the word mission, both Hoshiyomi and Sakumo's eyes lit up. They had been eagerly waiting for this day.
Even Shinku, who had flinched earlier, felt a flicker of courage as he glanced at his teammates and their towering, iron-bodied Jonin sensei.
Maybe… just maybe, we'll be okay.
Konoha in this era was nothing like the peaceful village during Naruto Uzumaki's ti. This was still an age of turbulence. There were no cushy D-rank tasks like finding cats or picking up litter. Even the lowest-ranked D-rank missions involved real bloodshed—like hunting down bandits.
The war had just ended, and the borders of the Land of Fire were teeming with missing-nin and rogue brigands. During the war, while the great nations were too preoccupied to care, these parasites had ravaged the surrounding villages. Now that peace was being restored, the Hidden Leaf had to mobilize shinobi to clean them out.
Hoshiyomi's team's first mission was exactly that: eliminating a gang of bandits that had been terrorizing a place called Hanabi Village.
Their client was a deeply tanned middle-aged man, with the plain, sturdy look of soone who had worked the land all his life.
At first, the man was overjoyed that soone had taken his request—until he laid eyes on Akimichi Torifu. His smile froze.
Dear heavens… are you sure that man's a shinobi? Compared to him, the bandit leader sounded like a cuddly sheep.
Watching the man almost collapse in fear, Torifu sighed. He was used to this sort of thing by now. Rather than explain, he gave Hoshiyomi a pat on the shoulder—this kind-faced kid would be a much better spokesperson.
Catching the hint, Hoshiyomi stepped forward with a warm smile. "Don't worry, sir. We're shinobi from the Hidden Leaf—we're not here to hurt you."
The man looked into Hoshiyomi's innocent, sincere face, and gradually relaxed. Hearing the explanation, he seed to snap out of it.
Right. This is the Hidden Leaf. I hired them to get rid of the bandits. I'm paying for this. What was I so scared of?
Seeing his shift in expression, Hoshiyomi leaned in for the finisher: "And you're in luck, too. Our teacher, Torifu-sensei, is a Jonin—he could wipe out a thousand bandits all on his own if he wanted."
The man instinctively craned his neck to take another look at the towering, mountain-like Torifu. After one glance, he hurriedly lowered his eyes, heart pounding.
This kid isn't wrong. With that body alone, the man could crush those bandits with a flick of his finger. The man's anxiety turned to relief.
Gripping Hoshiyomi's hands tightly, he said, "You're right, son—I believe you. Please, you've got to help our village. If you don't, we're dood."
The mission itself was a classic: a gang of bandits demanding tribute from the village, threatening to slaughter everyone if they didn't pay up in three days.
They didn't waste ti listening to the man's tearful begging. After filing their departure papers, they followed him straight to Hanabi Village.
Shinku remained jittery the whole way, constantly glancing around as if expecting a rogue ninja ambush at any mont. But the war was over. Those days were gone.
Given the urgency, they didn't bother with comfort. Torifu simply grabbed the man by the collar and, following his directions, made a beeline to the village.
With ninja-level speed, they arrived at Hanabi Village in less than two hours.
The man, worried for his village, didn't even enter. Instead, he pointed toward the nearby mountain and said, "The bandits are holed up over there. They don't know I went to the Leaf for help. If we strike now, we'll catch them completely off guard."
Torifu nodded. "Then let's go. If we're quick about it, we can still make it back in ti for a good night's sleep."
No one had objections.
They headed straight for the bandit hideout. There were so sentries, but nothing that could escape trained shinobi eyes.
These weren't ninja—they were common thugs. Their traps and hiding techniques were laughably basic.
The scouts were dispatched easily. Sakumo dropped them with swift, precise chops to the neck.
But after knocking out a few of them, he hesitated.
Looking down at the unconscious n, weak and defenseless, he wasn't sure whether or not to kill.
Torifu noticed. In a deep voice, he said, "People who choose to beco bandits are already halfway to the grave. Even if you spare their lives and just cripple them, they won't survive long."
Sakumo hesitated, then slowly nodded. Raising his chakra blade, White Fang, he brought it down without further hesitation.
Soon, they reached the bandits' main camp.
The criminals were gathered together, drinking, laughing, boasting about which villages they'd looted, how much they'd stolen, or how many girls they'd assaulted.
Listening to their crude laughter, Hoshiyomi and the others frowned. Whatever doubts they had disappeared—Torifu was right. These people deserved to die.
Torifu glanced at them and said in a hushed voice, "This is your first real mission. I want you to handle it yourselves. Unless it becos a life-or-death situation, I won't step in. Be careful—and go."
Author's Note:
Regarding pacing: I know many readers feel the early chapters are too focused on childhood scenes. I agree. So, upcoming chapters will accelerate the plot. There might be ti skips between arcs, with transitions covered in just a sentence or two. I hope everyone is okay with that!
PS: Read Advance Chapters at spatreon/c/ReadJin
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