Naruto: We Agreed on a Simulation, But They Actually Came to Life? Chapter 18 18: The Initiation

Three months.

The most exciting thing Kitahara Kaede had done in three months was help a villager find a cat that had escaped from a backyard.

D-rank missions.

Pulling weeds, moving bricks, finding cats, cleaning gutters.

He had beco more familiar with the drainage ditches from the eastern to the southern districts of the Hidden Leaf than he was with his own ho.

Tsunade and Jiraiya were the first to crack.

"I'm going crazy!"

Inside the Hokage's office, Tsunade slamd her mission report onto the desk with a thud loud enough to be heard in the hallway. "Sensei, have you forgotten that we graduated three months ago?"

Hiruzen sat behind the Hokage's desk, his calligraphy brush suspended in mid-air.

He wasn't just their teacher; he was the Hokage. With both identities layered upon him, dealing with these three students was an absolute headache.

Jiraiya sat cross-legged on the windowsill, arms folded across his chest. "Sensei, to be honest—if I have to keep doing this, I'm afraid I might just roast that cat."

"You failed to catch that cat three tis," Tsunade shot back with a sidelong glance.

"...That's because it was too slippery!"

"You're just too stupid."

"Tsunade, you—!"

"Enough."

Hiruzen set down his brush and leaned back into his chair, an unlit pipe clenched between his teeth. His gaze drifted past the two bickering students and landed on Kitahara Kaede, who was leaning against the doorfra at the back.

Kaede didn't chi in, nor did he try to stop them.

The boy had always been like this—when he remained silent, he knew exactly how to wait better than anyone.

Hiruzen sighed inwardly. An eleven-year-old shouldn't be this composed.

"Alright."

Hiruzen pulled a docunt from a stack of scrolls on his desk and tossed it forward. Tsunade's eyes lit up, and Jiraiya leaped down from the windowsill.

"C-rank. An off-village mission."

"The Land of Birds," Hiruzen said, tapping his pipe. "A group of ronin has taken over a village in the southern border region, harassing the locals and stealing their wealth. The Lord of the Land of Birds has commissioned the Hidden Leaf to expel them."

"Ronin?" Jiraiya rubbed his hands together. "How many?"

"Seven to ten. No ninjutsu capabilities; they rely primarily on swords."

Tsunade scoffed, flipping through the scroll to scan the details. "You call this a mission? I could handle this alone."

"You are genin," Hiruzen's tone flattened. "For off-village missions, a Jōnin must lead the team. Your leader will be an Elite Jōnin, Murakami Takuya. Gather at the South Gate this afternoon."

"Murakami Takuya?" Jiraiya tilted his head. "Never heard of him."

"There are plenty of Elite Jōnin you haven't heard of," Tsunade said, already reaching for the commission. "As long as we can leave, I don't care who he is."

Kitahara Kaede didn't move.

His gaze was fixed on the upper right corner of the scroll.

The request date—two and a half months ago.

Based on the sequence of the filing numbers, the Hidden Leaf should have entered this mission into the system two months prior.

A C-rank expulsion mission had been sitting there for two months.

The average turnaround for a C-rank was no more than two weeks.

Either the reward was too low for anyone to take it, or sothing had happened that made the previous team retreat and return the mission.

He didn't speak.

Tsunade turned around, waving the commission at him. "Kaede! C-rank! Out of the village! No more catching cats!"

She couldn't hide the grin on her face, and her voice was a half-tone higher than usual.

Kitahara Kaede looked at her and gave a small nod. "Yeah."

Tsunade rolled up the commission and stuffed it into her ninja tool pouch with efficient movents. "South Gate this afternoon. Don't be late."

"When have you ever seen be late?"

Tsunade didn't respond; she simply turned and walked away, her ponytail swinging in a sharp arc. Jiraiya scrambled after her, shouting about what gear he should bring.

The office fell silent.

Kitahara Kaede remained.

Hiruzen looked at him. "Sothing to say?"

"This commission has been pending for two months."

Hiruzen's movent of tapping his pipe paused for a fraction of a second, and then he smiled. "Which is why I've arranged for an Elite Jōnin to lead the team."

Kaede stared at him for two seconds, then turned to leave. He paused at the door.

"If the intelligence is incorrect—"

"Kaede," Hiruzen interrupted. His tone wasn't harsh, but it was as steady as the roots of an old tree. "This is your first real combat mission. There are so things that cannot be taught in a classroom."

Kitahara Kaede remained silent for a mont. "Understood."

He pushed the door open and stepped out. The hallway was empty.

Hiruzen struck a match, lit his pipe, and took a drag. As the smoke drifted and dispersed, he murmured, "Takuya, keep a close eye on them."

***

Outside the South Gate.

Kitahara Kaede crouched by the roadside, double-checking the contents of his tool pouch.

Kunai, explosive tags, military ration pills, bandages, smoke bombs.

He counted them, snapped the pouch shut, and decided it was enough.

Just as he closed the strap, a line of text floated before his eyes.

[Side Quest Triggered: The First Initiation]

[Objective: Complete the Land of Birds expulsion mission.]

[Special Restriction: Ensure Tsunade's safety.]

[Reward: Calculated based on completion degree.]

Kaede's gaze lingered on "Special Restriction" for three seconds.

The last ti a "Protect Tsunade" quest had popped up was during the academy exercise when they encountered that Missing-nin.

That ti, he had ended up with two broken ribs and a kunai through his right hand.

The system never triggered missions without a reason.

*Ronin, seven to ten people, no ninjutsu.*

He didn't believe it for a second.

"Kaede—!"

Tsunade's voice called out from behind, her footsteps rapid and hurried. She ran toward him carrying a bulging pack, her excitent even more pronounced than it had been in the office—like a child going on their first big trip.

Jiraiya followed behind, lugging a massive bag on his shoulder that made him sway as he walked.

Kaede stood up and asked with a hint of confusion, "What do you have in your bag?"

"Snacks, a change of clothes, dical tools—" Tsunade began counting on her fingers.

"I was asking you," Kaede said, looking at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya puffed out his chest. "Notebooks."

"..."

"For recording material! This is our first off-village mission; what if we encounter so beautiful—"

Tsunade's fist was already raised. "Finish that sentence."

"—Beautiful scenery! Scenery! I was talking about the scenery!"

Tsunade glared at him for three seconds before slowly lowering her fist. Jiraiya wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead.

The sentry at the South Gate looked at the three brats, his lip twitching.

A few minutes later, a figure approached from within the village.

He looked to be in his early thirties, wearing a deep blue shinobi outfit with a Hidden Leaf headband tied firmly across his forehead and a short sword hanging at his hip.

There were no wasted movents in his walk. His pace was neither fast nor slow, but his positioning ensured he was always at an angle where he could step in front of the three of them at a mont's notice.

A veteran.

"Murakami Takuya." He stopped in front of them, his gaze scanning each of them, lingering a fraction longer on Kitahara Kaede. "From this mont on, I am your leading Jōnin."

Short. No pleasantries, no smiles.

Kaede t his gaze for a mont.

Tsunade didn't mind the coldness; her entire focus was on the great road leading out of the village. Three months of drainage ditches and fat cats—today, she was finally getting out.

"Move out."

Murakami Takuya turned and took the lead. Tsunade followed, her steps quick and light. Jiraiya trotted after them, still muttering about his notebooks.

Kitahara Kaede walked at the rear.

As he passed the South Gate pillar, he paused for a mont and looked back at the village entrance. The sunlight hit the lintel, where the words "Hidden Leaf" stood in quiet stillness.

He turned around and caught up with the team.

The Land of Birds was a two-day journey.