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Chapter Two: Our First D-Rank Mission
The sun hung high over the Hidden Leaf Village, casting a warm glow over the newly formed Team Minato. They stood in a small clearing, the air filled with the scent of fresh grass and the distant sounds of village life. Minato Namikaze, their sensei, had a gentle smile on his face as he looked at his young charges. His blond hair shimmered in the sunlight, and his blue eyes reflected a calm and composed spirit.
"Now that we are officially a team, let's do this again," Minato began, his voice steady and reassuring. "I am Minato Namikaze. My hobbies include developing new jutsus and reading books about everything, especially seals. I also like spending time with my girlfriend Kushina Uzumaki. I like efficiency and dedication, and I dislike unnecessary conflict. My dream... is to become the Hokage and protect this village and everyone in it."
Kakashi Hatake, the silver-haired prodigy, stood next to him, his visible eye revealing nothing of his thoughts. He was known for his stoic demeanour, a book often tucked under his arm—a habit he picked up from his late father.
"I'm Kakashi Hatake," he said, his voice betraying no emotion. "I don't have many hobbies, but I read... sometimes. I like completing missions successfully and dislike those who break the rules. My dream is to become a shinobi respected for his adherence to the shinobi code."
Minato had a sad smile on his face.
Then, Obito Uchiha stepped forward. His spiky black hair and bright, enthusiastic eyes were a stark contrast to Kakashi's reserved nature. He was always brimming with energy, a grin never far from his face.
"And I'm Obito Uchiha!" he declared, his voice full of life. "I love training, especially with my Sharingan, and I like eating miso soup. I dislike waking up early, and I really dislike when people aren't there for their friends. My dream? It's to become the Hokage, so everyone in the village will acknowledge me!"
Minato nodded in silent acknowledgement before looking at me.
I gulped.
What should I say?
Exactly what Rin said yesterday?
Something else?
The idea of rummaging through someone else's memories has never been appealing to me.
However, now that I AM Rin Nohara, I should at least know the important things in her life- that's what I thought.
Her first memory was of her dad and mom. Typical. They were fruit merchants in the village. They were a happy family.
One day, at the age of five the family was going to Suna for some reason when a group of Iwa Shinobi attacked them.
It was the first time
Rin saw someone getting killed.
That was her mom.
Her dad died protecting her.
She was the last one.
The Iwa Shinobi gave her a disgusting and sickening look before lightly drawing one vertical line under each of her eyes.
That's why she has purple marks under each of her eyes…
To cover the scars…
Then, he came.
Sakumo Hatake.
He saved her and killed those monsters.
Her mom and dad were buried in the family cemetery.
Rin wanted to become a Shinobi so that she could kill... Iwa Shinobi. It was her innermost desire. Although she wanted to save her comrades using medical-ninjutsu too.
Now that I am Rin Nohara...
What is my goal?
"My name is Rin Nohara. I come from a civilian family and I am an orphan. I like to eat Ramen, especially the one Ichirakus' serve. I like the colour orange, toads, and learning cool jutsus. I hate traitors and the three minutes it takes for instant Ramen to get ready. My dream... I want to unite the Shinobi world so that there would be peace."
"That's an admirable goal." Minato smiled.
"Believe it!"
"All right team!" Minato clapped his hands with a smile. "You all are very interesting and I am egaer to work with you. We will train on Saturday, Monday and Friday. Tuesday is off and the rest atr mission days. So tomorrow, we are getting our first D-rank mission as a team. Now you are dismissed for the day."
As they finished, Minato nodded, pleased with their introductions. He could see the potential in each of them, the seeds of greatness that could one day bloom into something extraordinary. But he also knew the challenges they would face, the trials that would test their bonds and beliefs.
In the quiet of his heart, Minato hoped that these three would grow not just in strength but in understanding and compassion. For in the shinobi world, where life could be as fleeting as the cherry blossoms in spring, it was the heart that mattered most.
The darkness enveloped me, a suffocating shroud woven from the threads of despair. I stood amidst the ruins of a battlefield, the silence broken only by the whispers of the dead. Their voices, a cacophony of accusation, clawed at my mind.
"You could have done better."
The words stung, each syllable a barbed hook dragging across my conscience. I turned, facing the spectral forms rising from the earth, their eyes hollow, their gazes piercing.
"Why didn't you save us?"
I stumbled backward, my heart racing, the chill of their resentment seeping into my bones. The ground beneath me was littered with the fallen, their lifeless eyes fixed in eternal judgement.
"You were our hope."
The air grew thick, the sky above a canvas painted with the blood of the twilight war. Shadows danced at the edge of my vision, mocking, taunting.
"Is this your dream?"
I reached out, desperate to silence the voices, to banish the nightmare. But they were relentless, their spectral fingers pointing, accusing.
"You let us down."
The world spun, a maelstrom of guilt and fear.
I could see him then, the architect of our demise, his laughter a thunderous roar that shook the very heavens.
Madara.
His presence was a blight, a corruption that tainted the air I breathed.
And then, I saw him, the mastermind.
Black Zetsu.
And then, she arrived, a deity of destruction, her arrival heralding the end of all things.
Kaguya.
The Infinite Tsukuyomi, a promise of paradise, now a prison of eternal slumber. I could feel its pull, the seductive lure of a dream turned nightmare.
"You could have stopped it."
The words were a whisper, a venomous hiss that promised no escape. I was trapped, ensnared in a web of my own failures, the weight of their expectations, a chain around my neck.
And then, silence.
The dead were still, their accusations fading into the ether. I was alone, the sole witness to the end of everything.
I took a deep breath, my heart was racing. I was lost in a bad dream, trapped in it. The night was dark and heavy around me. I woke up suddenly, my eyes wide open. I saw a place that looked both new and old to me.
Who was I?
Who was I before I became Rin?
This question stayed in my head, like a ghost from a past I couldn't remember. Memories were close but I couldn't touch them, they were like whispers I couldn't hear. But now, I was called Rin.
Rin Nohara.
I had to be her, even though nobody asked me if I wanted to.
The world was falling apart, about to break. I had to save it, fix the cracks that were going to split it in two. I was the one who could make things right or make them worse.
Then, there was a loud knock. Obito's voice came through the door, he sounded like he needed me. "Rin-chan! Are you up? We have to go for our first mission!" He was calling me to get up and face what was coming.
I took a deep breath and got ready. I was going to start the day, take on what was meant for me. I wouldn't give up; I wouldn't let anyone down. I was Rin, and I had a whole world counting on me. The road ahead was full of danger, but I was set. Set to meet my fate, to make my own way. The big adventure was just starting.
As the team stood in front of the Hokage, the team, especially Obito, couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nerves. It was our first mission, and even though it was just a D-rank, it felt like the start of something big. Minato-sensei, always the picture of calm, made it official. "Team Seven reporting for their first D-Rank mission, Hokage-sama."
Obito, who couldn't stand still if his life depended on it, groaned. "Aww! Can't we jump straight to an S-rank? I'm ready!"
Kakashi looked annoyed. "We're not ready for that level, especially you, Obito."
Obito's face turned red, and I could tell he was about to start a full-blown argument with Kakashi. "What's that supposed to mean, Bakashi?!"
Hokage-sama, Hiruzen, just chuckled, the sound warm and a little mischievous. He flipped through the mission scrolls like he was browsing a menu. "Let's see... cleaning a pig-farm? No, that won't do. Helping Takashi-san in his book shop? No? Then out How about the Yamanaka flower garden? No? Then what about helping out in the Ichiraku's—"
I saw my chance and jumped in before anyone else could. "Hold on!" Maybe this could be my ticket to some delicious Ichiraku Ramen... "We'll take it, old man!"
The room went silent. You could cut the tension with a kunai.
Obito hid behind Minato-sensei like he was a shield from an incoming jutsu.
Kakashi's eyes widened so much I thought his mask might rip.
And Minato-sensei?
He looked like he was seriously considering using his teleportation jutsu to get out of there.
But me?
I was cool as a cucumber. 'I've faced scarier folks than you, old man.'
Hiruzen's eyebrows shot up. "Did you just call me an old man?"
I shrugged. "Would you prefer 'old woman'?"
Obito's whisper was so faint it was almost lost. "Rin-chan... that's THE HOKAGE..."
"Yeah, I know he's the Hokage," I said matter-of-factly. "Doesn't change the fact that he's old."
Hiruzen's grin suddenly reminded me of Orochimaru, and that was saying something. "I think I have just the mission for you..."
We all shivered, although it wasn't from the killing intent but because of that smile on his face.
Whatever the mission was, I had a feeling it wasn't going to involve any ramen.
There we were, Team Minato, knee-deep in... well, let's just say it was a mess. A big, stinky, 'why did I get out of bed this morning?' kind of mess. And according to Kakashi, it was all my fault.
"This is all your fault," he grumbled for what felt like the hundredth time, pulling out something from the drain that I'm pretty sure was alive at some point.
I rolled my eyes and tossed another squished can into the pile. "Not my fault. Maybe he didn't like you wearing that stupid mask. Perhaps he took it as a sign of disrespect?"
Kakashi shot me a look that could curdle milk. I shrugged it off and glanced over at Obito, who was bravely—or foolishly—picking up things that I'm pretty sure moved when you poked them. "A little help here?" I asked.
Obito just grimaced and turned away, mumbling something about 'teamwork' and 'gross missions'.
"What's the big deal?" I said, trying to lighten the mood. "So I called the Hokage an old man. He's got more wrinkles than my prune at my apartment."
Minato-sensei, who had been so engrossed in a scroll he probably hadn't noticed the apocalypse, finally looked up and sighed. "Rin, just because someone has a few grey hairs doesn't mean—"
"Okay, okay, so he's not ancient," I interrupted. "But come on, he's at least... what, fifty? That's old enough, right?"
That's when I heard it.
Heavy breathing.
Was Obito crying over there?
I peeked around the corner and—oh, it was just some rotten onions.
False alarm.
But seriously, why is cleaning the Akimichi BBQ drain line a D-rank mission?
This should be at least B-rank.
I mean, there's a chance we might not make it out alive from the smell alone!
Another person shot me a disgusted look as I walked in the streets of Konoha.
"What?"
He ran away seeing my face.
Not because my face was scary, but because it was dirty.
Very dirty.
I was stinking like shit.
Because I had actual shit.
All over my body.
"Rin-chan-" I heard a familiar voice before someone threw up. "Oh my god… are you… sorry…"
Before I could look back, the person had already gone.
Huh.
Beats me.
Then I saw it.
My salvation.
Ichiraku's!
"Hey, old man!" I called out as I moved a curtain and settled on a chair. "Ten large bowls of miso ramen!"
"Coming right… 'old man'?" A-not-very-old-man came out of the kitchen.
It was Teuchi.
But not fifty something.
But thirty something.
I gave him a sheepish grin.
"Slip of tongue, believe it!"
"Oh, no problem, kid." He grinned back. "Ten large bowls of miso ramen coming right up!"
What's with this verbal tic?
Is it Rin's?
"Hey, old man!" An energetic and loud voice was heard, making me almost jump. "Ten large bowls of miso ramen!"
I froze.
"Hey," I began. "Mo… Kushina?"
The redheaded beauty, wearing a white-green jacket and blue Shinobi pants looked at me.
"Huh?" She frowned. "Who are you?"
"I am… Rin Nohara…"
"So we are introducing each other, cool!" She looked really enthusiastic. "I am Kushina Uzumakiv. I am a Jounin. I lilke ramen, believe it!" Then she paused and closed in, leaning very close before beginning to sniff me.
I squealed.
"You smell like trash and poop. Why?"
"D-rank at Akimichi BBQ?"
"SO YOU ARE ONE OF MINATO'S BRATS?!" She yelled, I almost felt like my eardrums were cracking. "So…!"
This is gonna be a looong day...
It was a dark cave with a huge demonic statue. There was an extremely old man with long grey hair sitting on a plain but gigantic throne. A white humanoid creature with green hair and yellow eyes emerged from the earth. It was grinning. "Madara. I have seen the boy. He seems quite delicious, I must say."
"Zetsu, he is not for eating," The old man, now named Madara said.
"Aww! You're a meanie!" Zetsu pouted.
Madara sighed.
Age has been eating him. Consuming him everyday. He doesn't have much time left. Ever since he read about the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he has been waiting. Waiting for the best candidate that will fulfil what he couldn't. That Uzumaki boy will no doubt begin to use the powers of Rinnegan soon. Madara needed to choose the person whom he could count on. A few months ago, he found one.
"It has been almost a year since I gave that boy my Rinnegan eyes. I hope he is alive and the war didn't claim his life. This war... It is a disgusting thing. It has been there since the time of the sage. The time is close... The time where I must choose my successor. I already have one person in mind... Obito Uchiha."
TBC