I looked around, surprised, things had ended much faster than I expected. I had never been in a fight like this one in this life and I honestly did not expect it to finish so quickly. I knew the difference between shinobi and civilians was big, but still, I did not spend much effort here. Just so chakra, a few movents, and that was it.
I stared down at my hand, opening and closing it slowly while feeling the urge to smile wider than I should have. The happiness of power, the thrill of actually using it, pulsed through . Since I live in the mont, I gave in to it, letting my chakra flare proudly as the eight n lay sprawled across the ground. So were unconscious, others groaned in pain, their bodies injured in ways that made breathing alone look like an impossible task. Most of them hovered right on the edge of blacking out completely.
Strength had its own appeal, and I was starting to appreciate it in ways I never had before.
Movent behind pulled my attention. I turned and saw Sena approaching through the bottleneck of the alley, calm and composed, her expression carrying a small, practiced smile. Her hands moved in a fluid sign to deactivate the seals she had placed earlier, and the chakra lines dissolved cleanly from the walls. Kobaru trailed nervously behind her, his eyes darting left and right as if expecting soone to leap out again. The mont he realized every single enemy was already down, his whole posture changed. He puffed out his chest and let out a loud declaration.
“Such rude custors! While I appreciate custor feedback, they really should have been much friendlier. I am glad I had the foresight to hire shinobi for protection!”
Sena responded without hesitation, voice polished and smooth. “A wise decision from a wise rchant.”
Kobaru threw his head back, laughing, rubbing his chin and nodding as if he had just solved the aning of life.
I rolled my eyes just in ti to see Kaen co forward from the rear, scowl plastered across his face. “Don’t intervene,” he started, but Shisui cut him off with a calm, even voice. “We’ll talk later. Right now it’s ti to escort him out of this place.”
I gave a small nod while Kaen tilted his head to the side, exhaling sharply in obvious annoyance. Sena approached with Kobaru at her side, and the rest of us fell into step. The southern district streets stretched ahead of us, and for once luck favored us. The walk was peaceful, no more interruptions waiting around the corner.
Hours later we finally reached our destination. Sena’s smile had not dimd in the slightest as she handed over the mission completion paper to Kobaru for him to sign. Her tone was syrupy sweet, layered with perfect politeness. “I hope you liked our service, honored rchant.”
He signed with satisfaction, nodding as he looked at us. “You were nothing if not friendly and accommodating. Such competent shinobi are rare. I will make sure the Hokage hears of your great performance.”
Shisui’s lips twitched with the briefest smile before his expression leveled again. Sena collected the paper smoothly, replying with the sa friendly tone, “Those words are appreciated, and coming from a great rchant they weigh even more. We wish you every success in your business.”
We left the overly pleased Kobaru behind and made our way to the Hokage building. After turning in the completion paper, Sena moved through the mission desk paperwork like a storm. Her speed and accuracy were so sharp that the employees behind the desk gave her impressed looks. I could already hear them whispering about her efficiency. Kaen, anwhile, kept shooting annoyed glares every ti he thought I was looking.
By then I had already removed my mask. When we reached a nearby training ground, Shisui finally let his voice brighten, speaking with cheerful authority. “Great work, team. The mission ended without any issues, we achieved our target within the ti limit, and the client left happy. That’s a great success in anyone’s book.”
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Sena smiled brightly. I clenched my fist and blurted out the only question that mattered to . “When is our mission money coming?”
Sena laughed, shaking her head, while Shisui smiled faintly and answered, “Paynt sotis takes ti, especially with new teams. The village likes to double-check with the client to confirm everything went well. It might take a day or two.”
My gaze sank to the ground, and darkness crept in at the thought of how empty my savings already were. Almost nothing left, and no guarantee of when the next coin would co.
Shisui clapped his hands sharply, snapping us back to attention. “Now, ti for so guidance.” He turned his gaze on Sena first, expression genuinely impressed. “You did incredible today. You kept the client safe and calm, made sure he felt respected, and made sure he felt that his business truly mattered. That kind of work makes the whole experience pleasant for him. Well done, Sena.”
I could tell he ant it. Hell, he almost sounded like he was beginning to value her more than or Kaen for his larger goals.
Next, he faced Kaen. “You also did well. I can see you enjoyed the fight, and you were effective.” Kaen’s chest puffed a little at the praise, pleased to hear it from his idol. But Shisui wasn’t finished. “However, you need to stop separating from the team. You are shinobi who work together now. Fight together unless a plan requires otherwise. And never underestimate your enemies. Even weak ones can surprise you. Stay vigilant and observant. Enjoying the fight is understandable, but do not let that enjoynt cloud your judgnt. Keep your mind clear and be ready to act without hesitation. Understood?”
Kaen nodded reluctantly, his head dropping low in dejection.
Shisui’s smile softened. “That doesn’t an you did badly. It simply ans you need more team training. You did good, Kaen.”
Kaen’s head shot back up, grin spreading across his face as if a switch had been flipped.
I found myself impressed with how easily Shisui could control Kaen’s mood, like flicking a light on and off.
Then his gaze locked on . “I already knew it, but today I saw it even more clearly. Your toolkit is impressive. Frankly, it’s frightening for soone your age. You remained calm, were effective, and acted without hesitation. The only mistake you made was letting one enemy slip past. I understand you trust Sena’s abilities, but you need to minimize variables on missions. Advanced opponents will often distract from the front while striking from behind. Your responsibility is to make sure your teammates remain free to act. Do not allow unnecessary risks.”
I nodded slowly, thinking, Fair is fair. I wanted to leave so action for Sena, but his words make sense.
Shisui glanced at all three of us. “You are not there yet, but you can already fight together sowhat. You did well, and with more missions and proper training you will soon be ready for important assignnts.”
Kaen grinned, Sena nodded, and my mind drifted toward the thought of paynt. I imagined the reward from those future missions, my mouth practically watering at the idea of it.
The following month turned into a full training course under Shisui-sensei. Day after day he hamred formations and coordination drills into us until they beca second nature. We still took D-rank missions, most of them uneventful, but the steady flow of paynt kept food on my table. That alone was a blessing. My chakra reserves were also growing steadily thanks to my persistent ninjutsu and taijutsu training.
Fuinjutsu, however, remained untouched. I didn’t have the money for it, and worse, I avoided the library completely. Every ti I thought about training fuinjutsu there, unease gnawed at . Just thinking of going back scared .
My lightning chakra circulation, at least, kept improving. Slowly but surely the lightning chakra flowing through was getting stronger, enough that I almost felt like a very faint version of Stormdrive was always active. That thought alone kept motivated.
I visited Master Shuzo a few tis at the Sarutobi compound. Most of the ti he was lucid, and his family’s help with als and keeping him free of stress slowed his decline slightly. But there were still monts where his focus slipped, monts where he forgot who I was even as I sat beside him. He always appreciated the visits though, and I was glad to be there, asking questions drawn from the scroll he had given was a good way to keep his mind active.
Once, he asked about my fuinjutsu training. I admitted my hesitation about the library without ntioning the problem with my training materials. He picked up on the way I avoided the subject and insisted on giving chakra ink and a stack of blank tags. I tried to refuse, but he pressed it into my hands, saying that my regular visits were more than enough in return. The gesture was both sweet and bitter, leaving feeling even more indebted to him.
A few days after that, following a strong performance in a training session where Kaen managed to act sowhat professional, even though his attitude still leaked through clearly, Shisui gathered us with a grin. “Great job, everyone. I think you’re all ready for your first C-rank mission.”
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