Chapter 4: First Mission!
"Alright team 8!" Kurenai said, excitedly. "Ready for your first D rank mission?"
Kurenai received an enthusiastic response from Kiba, Akamaru and Hinata who threw their fist in the air. However, the only one that remained quiet was Shino. Kiba and Hinata cocked their head and looked at the mysterious boy. He wasn't much of a talker, and his bugs were creepy. So it was going to take time to get used to their teammate.
"C'mon man, show some enthusiasm!" Kiba said to Shino.
"If I show enthusiasm, it would be fake. Why? Because I know that D-missions are just chores we do for other civilians. Why? Because the ninjas require a way to make money." Shino replied.
The rest of team 8 stood there, stunned. They didn't know that Shino could actually talk this much.
"I see, so we definitely have a know-it-all on our team." Kurenai said, while smiling. "Since you guys are ready, let me read out your first mission."
Shino had been right.
After Kurenai was done reading out the mission, Hinata and Kiba's enthusiasm was leeched out of them by some unknown entity. It was as if a grim reaper had taken the fun out of life by swinging its scythe.
"K-Kurenai sensei…" Hinata said. "Why do we have to pull out potatoes? I know Shino said it's because we need the money, but…is there a lesson out of this?"
"There's no lesson." Kurenai said, while smirking. "But don't worry, thanks to me, we're gonna have fun on our first mission."
"Yeah right, Kurenai sensei don't lie to us." Kiba said. Akamaru barked as if trying to back him up.
"Well my young genins, they don't call me the Genjutsu mistress for nothing." Kurenai replied. The sound of her chuckle made her young genin feel unsettled.
Reality crumbled after the mission began. The farm was gone, and the fields disappeared. Gone was the beautiful, peaceful scenery of farm life. It was replaced by a fog so dense that it had Hinata calling out for her teammates names. She couldn't see anything, there was fog everywhere. Hinata stepped on something, a rock perhaps. When she bend down to pick it up, she wasn't able to see what was in her hands. She brought the item close to her face.
It was a decomposed rotting head.
A deafening scream came out of Hinata's mouth as she threw the object out of her hand.
"Hinata!" Kiba yelled, but he couldn't see a thing. "God damn it, this isn't fun! I rather be picking up potatoes!" Kiba yelled. As soon as those words left his mouth, Kurenai dispelled the Genjutsu. She was satisfied that her little genins had changed their attitude towards picking up potatoes. She'll have to thank Anko for giving her such an idea of how to make her students take interest in things.
"T-The head! Where did it go?" Hinata asked, as she looked around. Shino walked forward and bend down to pick up a potato that clearly wasn't there before.
"Hinata, I think you pulled out a potato. But when you were under the illusion, you thought the potato was a head." Shino explained.
"No way…but it smelled so awful…and it felt so real." Hinata mumbled.
"You're making me feel bad." Kurenai said. "Anyways, get to work already. I'll be back when you guys are finished."
"Eh!" Kiba and Hinata yelled in union.
"I thought you were helping us, sensei." Kiba said.
"I already did my share of work when I was your age." Kurenai replied. She then disappeared in a whirl of pink petals.
"Um…this is better than that creepy illusion." Hinata commented.
"Agree." Shino said.