。

ـم 04 ـم

The First Mission!

"Tojike." A knock on his door and the light switched on. Tojike blinked awake, staring up at the roof blurrily.

"Hn?" He rolled over to see his Dad looking surprised and serious.

"A Chunin from the village headquarters gave me this." He raised a slip of paper in his hand. "He wants you to report to the Hokage immediately for your first team mission. Somewhere outside the village, he said it was a B-rank."

Tojike blinked a couple more times before the alertness settled in. Throwing his blankets off he leapt up and started rummaging through the clothes in his drawer. Crap! It's already late into the morning! He could tell from the bright sunlight seeping in from his window. He moved as quick as he could, and since he didn't have time for a proper shower he used soapy water from the sink before coating his body in roll-on deodorant. Barging open the door with his shoulder while tying on his ninja headband, hopping down the stairs in urgency.

"Good luck on your first mission, Tojike!" His Mum said proudly. "Be sure to stay safe."

"I will!" He moved in to hug both his parents, a rare thing. "When I get back we can use the extra money to go out somewhere nice for dinner."

They smiled at him and Tojike ran to the door, grabbing his shoes and slipping them on. He felt around to make sure he had everything he needed and then bolted out the door. I'd better run so I don't keep the Hokage waiting. His parents didn't understand that B-rank missions were not at all safe, but he wasn't going to worry them. He ran down the dirt street, weaving around the walkers and up the steps to the headquarters. He'd been in here plenty of times before and took the stairs quickly, racing past curious ninjas and skidding to a stop in the long room where missions were signed out.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up from behind the long table and smiled under the traditional Hokage hat. Beside him were teachers from the academy and other Chunin processing the paperwork.

"Good of you to join us, Tojike."

"Sorry." He entered the room and saw his team waiting. Kawari gave him that confident smirk while Manzu surveyed his harried appearance. Tamuki-Sensei eyed him without emotion, her arms crossed. She decided to accept us after all? Tojike went to stand beside his comrades and they faced their superiors.

"For your first mission Tamuki has opted for a B-rank." Hiruzen knitted his fingers together. "As timing would have it such a mission has just become available. There is a farming village called Anbuku that resides in the Fire Country by the border of the Land of Rivers. It is predominantly rice-fields. They are being frequently robbed by bandits who need to be captured or eliminated. The area isn't wealthy. There have been known instances of robbers along the trade routes so this mission is B-ranked."

"We're going to fight a group of bandits?" Tojike stared.

"Yes. When you get to Anbuku their village council will be able to fill you in with more details. Since this is your first B-rank mission and we don't know much about these bandits or who they're working for, it's been decided that another team will follow after you once they've returned from their mission."

"Which team is that?" Kawari asked as the three stiffened nervously.

"Fuzaki Senju's team two." Of course.

"We'll have the mission completed before Fuzaki's team gets there." Tamuki was confident. "Is that all?"

"Yes. It'd be best for you to leave immediately to save time. After completing the mission you will each receive the additional ryou reward money for the B-rank mission." He smiled at them. "Good luck."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage."

The four ninjas headed off, Tamuki leading them with her scowl and awkwardly-hunched posture. Tojike felt excitement despite the danger they were about to face. This was what being a ninja was all about. They couldn't let their guard down for a moment. Together they were going to figure out a plan of attack, take down the mobsters and free the innocent farmers of Anbuku. As they stepped down the stairs an office assistant presented them with backpacks full of supplies and rations for the trip. After gearing up and leaving the building Tojike felt determined. Manzu was quiet. Kawari looked over to reveal the same determination.

"Our first real mission. I can't wait. Hey sensei, how long is this trip supposed to take?"

"A couple of days on foot. Depends how many breaks we take and whether we want to stop at proper lodgings."

"I don't mind camping out in the forest if it means we'll get to Anbuku faster." Kawari glanced back at Manzu and Tojike who conceded with nods.

"Then we might make it in two." Tamuki's dark eyes studied them amid her oval smudges. "We can fit in a bit of training on the way, as well."

"Awesome!" Kawari was pumped for it now.

"These raids against Anbuku have been happening once or twice a month for the last three months. I read the Hokage's file." Tamuki explained, looking forward again. "It won't matter if we take an extra day or so to get there."

"So long as we beat team two…" Manzu muttered under her breath.

The four set out on foot, out through the wide open gate and into the woodlands. They talked as freely as they had yesterday and Tamuki spoke to them as well, albeit in her subdued manner. As soon as he stepped foot outside the village Tojike felt another pulse of energy. Dark energy, the Zero-Tails coiling in excitement.

Who will you face in this mission? Whose darkness will allow me to feed…?

"Alright. From here we're going to move quickly." Tamuki turned around to face her students. "There's no rush, but still, I want to make sure you guys have the stamina and chakra control to be fast."

"You want to see if we can keep up?" Kawari raised his chin.

"It's not just about speed. You have to be consistently fast and keep up with the rest of your team. A slow ninja will be left behind, or worse… drag down the rest of the team. When moving collectively in the forest you need to focus on multiple things: awareness of your surroundings while jumping between branches, chakra control that effects leaping and grip, awareness of the location of your team-mates and the direction of your destination. All of this and speed. For the next few hours we'll be moving quickly. This is important training, and I expect each of you to keep up."

The three Genin looked serious. Tamuki was different now that she'd agreed to be their sensei. Even if she was willing to talk freely now she was still all-business when it came to their training. Tamuki faced the trees beside the path.

"Alright. Let's go!" She pushed off and flew to a tall branch, jumping away. Kawari then Manzu blasted off after her.

Tojike focused chakra to his feet and aimed, timing the burst with his jump so he flew through the air. He changed the chakra to the correct amount so as to stick to the branch once he landed. Instantly spotting his next footing and re-adjusting his chakra control, leaping and landing. He picked up his pace to not be left behind.

The three Genin were well-versed in the art of tree-climbing. As well as pushing off and moving quickly. They were able to keep up with Tamuki, but Tojike was sure that doing so for hours was a big ask. The four leapt between branches several metres above the ground as the afternoon settled in, occasionally startling possums and scattering birds. Manzu lost her footing against a branch but managed to launch herself back up from a trunk and re-join them, alert again. This practice was second-nature to ninja, but with their level of experience they could still mess up if they stopped paying attention. Tojike's hunger didn't help things – as their exercise wore on his stomach began to audibly gurgle.

Surely we're gonna stop soon and eat?

The training continued and Kawari started to fumble. Missing branches, swinging off them with his arms instead, or landing wrong. Sometimes using too much chakra and scuffing up the bark. Tojike was last because he was the most cautious, barely fumbling at all. All three of them were sweating and panting but didn't want to be the one to ask Tamuki for a break. Their Sensei seemed fine under the exertion, remaining stoic and impassive. At one point Kawari landed with too much force and his branch snapped off, he cursed and almost fell, rolling instead and launching back up from another tree.

"Getting tired there, Kawari?" Manzu said with a competitive smirk. "Maybe you should ask Sensei for a break?"

"Dream on, Manzu!" The challenge lit a fire in him and the two became even more determined.

Jeez, Tojike thought glumly. I'm gonna have to be the one to ask… No. I refuse to be the weakest one here. I have to keep up with the rest of the team.

Tojike battled through the exhaustion and kept going. Eventually they reached a stream and Tamuki slowed down, swinging off a branch and landing on one of the massive grey boulders. The tree roots wrapped around the series of rocks, green moss coating the base and ground. What sounded like a waterfall further up-stream.

"We'll have a break here." Tamuki stood out of her crouch and put her hands on her hips, watching the flowing water. "You all did very well, I'm impressed." She turned around and blinked in surprise. Her students were on their butts, hands and knees while panting heavily. "…You sure exhausted yourselves though."

Tojike was breathing so hard he was choking, but managed to calm down after a moment. They took off their backpacks and fished out their water canisters.

"Tojike… you're going to have to… pour the water in for me…" Kawari panted while lying on his back.

"Here…" Manzu shuffled over on her knees. "Having a lot of chakra doesn't help if you don't control it effectively. That's why Tojike barely stuffed up at all…" She held out her water, hand shaking so much she gripped her wrist. Kawari watched her with one eye closed. Manzu tried to pour carefully into his open mouth but still spilt water over his face, causing Kawari to shoot up and cough.

Tojike couldn't help laughing and then Manzu started up as well. Kawari moaned in frustration while wiping the water off his face. Tamuki observed them with a wry smile.

"You three seem to get along well." She observed. Then she stepped toward them. "We'll eat here and recover. Then walk until sunset and set out the camping gear."

"Alright."

"Cool…"

Their rations included dry crackers, little tins of something and rice balls. At the bottom of his bag's contents Tojike found the prize: a wrapped pork bun. He was trying to save his food but downed two rice balls in a matter of seconds. He barely even tasted them, what seemed like minced beef was in the centre of the globs.

"You guys are going to run out of food before we get there." Manzu said.

"Maybe we'll pass a village, that way we can buy something." Kawari's mouth was full as he spoke "Depending how far off the trail we get."

Tojike bit into his pork bun then hesitated. He didn't have any more money for food. He finished half of the bun before wrapping and tucking it away. When they stopped eating Tamuki called the trio over from the rushing stream. Tojike stood and dusted the crumbs off his hands, jumping up and over the boulder after his team-mates. Tamuki stood on the other side. The boulders were as big as houses, Tamuki was at an incline but stood straight with her arms crossed.

"Okay team. I'm sure all of you are proficient at the basic ninja techniques you needed to graduate from the academy. Ninjutsu, Taijutsu and Genjutsu. I'm sure that over the years you've been doing solo missions, you've also been refining your skills. My primary goal is to make you into fine shinobi. Meaning you will be strong and an asset to the village."

Tamuki closed her eyes in thought "With that said… you've still got a long way to go. Before we focus on your individual strengths and mastering a powerful jutsu, all of your skills need to be at an acceptable level, so you're well-rounded no matter what enemy you face." Her dark eyes opened. "What I'm saying is: before I can teach you to be strong, first I need to teach you how to not die."

Tojike gulped, all three of them were a mixture of worry and excitement.

"So…" Tamuki regarded them from across the stream. "I want each of you to tell me honestly what your skills are in those three categories. I got a pretty good idea of your taijutsu level when we fought in the training area." She stared at Kawari who was standing on the right and waited for him to speak.

"I'm good at taijutsu!" He stated proudly, punching his chest.

"My taijutsu could be improved." Manzu admitted.

"My taijutsu…" Tojike hesitated "is mediocre, at best."

"Taijutsu is essential." Tamuki was looking straight at Tojike. "When you're in a situation where your techniques and the techniques of your enemy cancel each other out, or if you've run out of chakra, taijutsu may be your only option. Of the three skills it takes up the least amount of chakra, so it's also the sensible option in many situations. I hope you understand how imperative it is to improve on this, Tojike."

"Yes, Sensei." Tojike conceded.

"Right. Now, how about genjutsu?"

"I'm not good at genjutsu." Kawari tilted his head meekly.

"I'm above average." Manzu stated.

"I have a high aptitude for genjutsu." It felt good for Tojike to say that.

"Of the three skills genjutsu is the least important." Tamuki went on to say. "But it is still imperative. At the very least you must know how to cancel it. You could be a master at ninjutsu and taijutsu, but if you don't have skill in genjutsu, you could be taken out by someone with moderate skill level. The Genjutsu Release Jutsu can remove most illusion-based genjutsu, with practice it can break stronger and stronger ones. Unfortunately, if you find yourself up against a genjutsu master there's not much you can do but try to play the game their way, if you can't break the technique. Do you understand, Kawari?"

"Ah, yeah."

"Not only for this reason, but small genjutsu at decisive moments can create an opening for victory." She turned her head. "As for your ninjutsu?"

"I'm good at close-range and mid-range!" Kawari boasted.

"I only know a few good ninjutsu techniques, and I need to be up-close to use them." Manzu admitted.

"Apart from academy ninjutsu… like cloning shuriken and substitution… I have no real Ninjutsu abilities." Tojike said.

"Right, well, that's going to change." Tamuki said seriously. "Ninjutsu trumps taijutsu in most situations. It also has real-world effects, unlike genjutsu. It is a ninja's signature skill. In time I will make sure each of you know at least one high-level jutsu you can depend on, even if it's just to be used as a final resort."

"Awesome!" Kawari raised his fists eagerly.

"Apart from these three skills there are other things that will help keep you from dying. Skill with weapons is one. For example, I'm adept in fighting styles involving windmill shuriken. Chakra can be funnelled into weapons for various purposes and this can help improve and cover up weaknesses with taijutsu. Intelligence and cunning is also very important. Resourcefulness. And also, planning. These intellectual skills are the hardest to train, however. If you don't have a good head on your shoulders there's not much you can do. But it's good to be aware of that, so you don't take as many risks."

Tamuki raised a finger then lowered it to her side. "Lastly… chakra control. Perhaps the most important at your current stage. Some ninja can even make it to Chunin with terrible chakra control. Sure they can use it to increase their strength and for climbing, but if they naturally possess a lot of chakra and know powerful jutsu they can cover up this weakness. The problem with this is…" Tamuki's eyes narrowed "in a drawn-out situation, or long battle… say, war, for example. They will wear themselves out and die. A jutsu they can only perform twice could be used as much as seven times if they had the proper control. And with absolute mastery and precision, even twelve times. Do you guys understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah…" The three of them nodded.

"How well can you walk on water?"

"Ah…" The three of them looked at each other, Manzu responded "Alright, but I can't move as fast while doing it."

"I can only do it for a limited amount of time." Kawari itched the back of his head.

"Can you stand still on moving water?" Tamuki asked and then walked down the drop, the incline sharpening until she was at a right-angle to the water, stepping out and straight again. She walked over and stopped in front of them, unaffected by the running water that splashed lightly around her shoes. She made it look effortless.

"Well… I don't think I could make it look that easy." Tojike answered.

"This is one of the skills I'm going to teach you. Water surface walking is the best training for precision with chakra control, it needs constant focus and readjustment. We're not going to practice this today, without a proper place to sleep tonight it'd mean you'd be sleeping in wet clothes. Instead we're going to walk from here, then stop before sunrise. We'll throw out a tarp for the night and do different training before bed."

Hmmm what training? Tojike wondered.

"Let's go!" Tamuki leapt up, shooting over their heads and landing above them. She glanced back, the overhead sun shining down. "I hope you'll all pay attention to this. It may seem trivial now, but in the midst of a life-or-death situation it'll be these lectures you'll be trying to remember to save your life. Take it from an experienced Jonin, and one that's fought in war."

AN: I updated thanks to Stryker23's consistent feedback. Also I'm enjoying exploring the Naruto universe this way. Who will the team meet on their journey? Don't know what to put in a review? Why not tell me what you think of the characters, or who's your favorite.

。