Just as Sakura thought she would be sent back to the Academy for retraining, the defeated Naruto and Sasuke suddenly appeared behind Kakashi, snatching the bells from his belt.
Kakashi, now without his bells, gave a helpless smile and looked at Naruto and Sasuke.
"You forced me to use a jōnin's strength. Among chūnin, your abilities would already be considered outstanding. This assessment is officially a pass for you both. However, having such strength too early isn't necessarily a good thing for you."
These words came from the bottom of Kakashi's heart. He had always been conflicted about Naruto and Sasuke's rapid growth.
Both of them had unique identities, requiring them to grow stronger quickly to deal with the dangers that came with them. But the stronger they became, the closer they got to even greater dangers, increasing the likelihood of tragedy.
If they encountered those beyond their current level, even he might not be able to protect them.
Meanwhile, Sakura, who had spent the entire time as a bystander, was completely lost. She didn't understand what had just happened. How had Naruto and Sasuke, who were usually only a little stronger than her, suddenly become so powerful?
And did Kakashi-sensei just say that Naruto and Sasuke already had chūnin-level strength? That was way too exaggerated!
Kakashi, noticing Sakura spacing out, walked over and said, "Sakura, although your performance wasn't as strong as Sasuke's and Naruto's, you still passed the test. As for why they are so strong, you should have realized it by now, they have been my students for a while."
Hearing this, Sakura patted her chest and sighed in relief.
She had thought that she simply wasn't working hard enough or wasn't talented enough, which was why Sasuke and Naruto had pulled so far ahead of her. But if she could receive special training from Kakashi, she too could become just as strong as them.
---
After the test, Kakashi prepared to take the three of them to the mission center to report and accept a mission.
On the way there, Sasuke kept staring at Kakashi, unable to shake off the doubts in his mind after seeing Kakashi's Sharingan.
Why did Kakashi have a Sharingan? Weren't all the Uchiha massacred by Itachi?
But thinking back, Kakashi was most likely the mysterious person who had given him the ninjutsu scroll. Without a Sharingan, he wouldn't have been able to teach him how to use it.
Still, Sasuke wanted to know the origins of Kakashi's Sharingan.
Kakashi noticed Sasuke's concerns and, finding an excuse, pulled him aside to speak privately.
"Sasuke, are you wondering why I have a Sharingan?"
Sasuke nodded. "The Sharingan is the Uchiha clan's Bloodline Limit, but you're clearly not one of us. I want to know where your Sharingan came from."
His tone was filled with doubt.
Kakashi sighed and said, "I'm not an Uchiha. This Sharingan was given to me by a dear friend who passed away. It was his final gift to me."
"Why would he give you a Sharingan?" Sasuke was skeptical.
Kakashi patted Sasuke's shoulder and said, "You don't need to know that. What you should know is that your father, Fugaku, approved of me having the Sharingan."
Sasuke's expression changed. He was eager to uncover the truth. He pressed on, "You knew my father? How much do you know about the massacre? What do you know about Itachi?"
"Itachi was once my subordinate… but he's also someone I could never truly understand."
After a brief pause, Kakashi continued, "I know you're desperate for answers, but you're still far from being able to defeat Itachi. At your age, he was already a jōnin."
Kakashi then sighed, "I don't know why he spared you that night, but seeking him out now would be a mistake. Unless you surpass even me in strength, you'd just be walking to your death."
With that, Kakashi turned back toward Naruto and Sakura and continued leading them to the mission center.
Sasuke rejoined the group, and Naruto immediately leaned in. "Sasuke, what did you talk about with Kakashi-sensei? Was it about your brother?"
Sasuke nodded. "Kakashi said I'm too weak to go after Itachi. He said I'm not even close to being strong enough."
Hearing this, Naruto's expression darkened.
"My situation is the same. Kakashi and Old Man Third won't tell me anything about my past. I don't even know who my real enemy is."
Watching Naruto and Sasuke whispering to each other, Sakura suddenly felt out of place for the first time.
Before long, they arrived at the mission center in Konoha. Inside the hall, Kakashi revealed his identity as their jōnin instructor and picked out a few low-rank missions for them.
These missions were extremely simple, finding a missing pet for a noble's wife, weeding fields for farmers. You know, basic errands.
There were no enemy ninjas involved. The purpose of these missions was to familiarize new genin with mission procedures and to provide financial support to the veteran genin who never advanced further. After all, the shinobi world didn't have a regular salary system, if you wanted money, you had to take on missions.
Team 7's first mission was to find a missing cat, and their second was to clear weeds from farmland.
At first, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were full of enthusiasm, but after half a month of these low-level missions, they grew increasingly frustrated.
With their strength, how were they supposed to improve if they were stuck doing chores every day?
After finishing another dull mission, Naruto and Sasuke couldn't help but complain to Kakashi.
"Kakashi-sensei, shouldn't we be doing higher-level missions by now?"
Kakashi glanced at them and casually pushed the responsibility onto the Third Hokage.
"I'd love to take you on higher-ranked missions, but as genin, the highest you're allowed to take are D-rank missions. And all missions are assigned by the Third Hokage. If you want higher-level missions, you'll either have to talk to the Third yourself or get promoted to chūnin first."
Naruto and Sasuke frowned, and even Sakura looked displeased. They could tell Kakashi was brushing them off.
And he was.
With his authority, he could easily take a group of genin on an A-rank mission. But he didn't want them encountering danger too soon, nor did he want them leaving the village prematurely. Of course, the Third Hokage wouldn't allow Naruto and Sasuke to leave either.
After all, Naruto was the Nine Tails jinchūriki. If anything happened to him outside the village, who would take responsibility?
---
A few hours later, Kakashi still ended up taking Team 7 to the Hokage's office.
Upon arriving, Naruto and Sasuke immediately stepped forward and expressed their frustrations to Hiruzen. They no longer wanted to waste time on trivial missions. They wanted real challenges.
Hiruzen, ever the benevolent old man in front of most shinobi, initially tried to reject them by saying they weren't strong enough. But Naruto and Sasuke quickly protested.
"Old Man Third! Kakashi-sensei said we already have chūnin-level strength. We're not kids anymore, we can handle real missions!"
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked toward Kakashi.
"Kakashi, is that true? Naruto and Sasuke have chūnin-level strength? Why didn't you report this earlier?"
For Hiruzen, gathering intelligence on them was a simple task.
The Third Hokage had long known that Naruto and Sasuke were stronger than the average genin, but what displeased him was that Kakashi had not reported this and had instead helped them conceal their strength.
Kakashi's expression changed slightly before he explained, "In terms of combat ability, they have indeed reached the level of chūnin, but their theoretical knowledge and experience are still lacking. I planned to keep them at the genin level a bit longer to build up their experience."
Hearing this, the Third Hokage nodded in satisfaction. He flipped through the mission records and pulled out a file.
"In that case, I actually have a mission that might be suitable for you."
"What kind of mission?" Sasuke and Naruto immediately perked up, eager with anticipation.
The Third Hokage answered unhurriedly, "It's a C-rank escort mission. A bridge builder named Tazuna from the Land of Waves wants to return home to complete the construction of a bridge, so he has specifically requested an escort."
Upon hearing that it was only a C-rank mission, the members of Team 7 were visibly disappointed.
Although C-rank missions allowed them to leave the village, they rarely involved dangerous enemies, at most, they might encounter wild animals along the way. Such a mission wouldn't give them the kind of real battle experience they were looking for. However, if they didn't accept this mission, they would be stuck doing low-level tasks in the village.
Left with no choice, the team reluctantly agreed. "Grandpa Third, we'll take this escort mission, but can we get a more challenging one next time?"
"That will depend on your performance~."
The Third Hokage chuckled and led them to meet their client. The client, Tazuna, was a thin and scruffy old man who looked more like a farmer than a bridge engineer.
Upon seeing that his escort consisted of a group of kids, he frowned.
"Hokage-sama, I paid a hefty sum for this mission, and you're sending a bunch of brats to escort me? Are you sure I won't end up protecting them instead?"
Tazuna's words instantly angered Sasuke and Sakura, who stared coldly at him.
Naruto raised his head and retorted, "Sir, if you think we're not strong enough, you can cancel your request. The strength of Konoha's shinobi is not something outsiders can question."
Tazuna was momentarily stunned, then his face flushed red with embarrassment. He turned to the Third Hokage and protested,
"Hokage-sama, is this how your village's shinobi treat clients? I just made a casual remark, and now they're telling me to cancel my request. Are you trying to drive me away?"
"Naruto."
The Third Hokage stopped Naruto from speaking further and calmly explained to Tazuna,
"Tazuna-san, though they may be young, they are exceptionally capable. Their leader, Kakashi, is a renowned jōnin. You can rest assured about this escort mission."
With this reassurance, Tazuna reluctantly agreed to let Team 7 handle the escort. They set a meeting time at the village gate, scheduled to depart in half an hour.
After dismissing Naruto and the others to prepare for their journey, Kakashi turned to the Third Hokage and asked, "Hokage-sama, is it really safe to let Naruto and Sasuke leave the village now? Naruto is the son of Minato-sensei and the village's jinchūriki. If word gets out and something happens, what then?"
The Third Hokage glanced at Kakashi and replied, "I understand the risks of letting Naruto leave the village, but he cannot remain confined here forever. I've already kept him in the Academy for two extra years, was that not enough?
Though the world seems peaceful on the surface, there are dangerous undercurrents everywhere. If Naruto doesn't quickly grow into a competent jinchūriki, the village will only become more vulnerable.
As for Naruto's safety, you don't need to worry. I will have an Anbu squad secretly follow you. If you encounter enemies beyond your capability, you only need to retreat with Team 7. The Anbu will cover your escape."
Hearing this, Kakashi realized there was no way to refuse the mission. However, there was still something bothering him, and he needed an answer.
"Hokage-sama, Tazuna seemed off. This is supposed to be a simple C-rank escort, but he was oddly picky about his bodyguards. Is there something we don't know?"
The Third Hokage nodded. "I investigated Tazuna. There are significant discrepancies in his request, this is definitely more than a standard C-rank mission. You will encounter enemy shinobi."
"Enemy shinobi? Then that means Tazuna deliberately concealed the mission's true danger. By the rules, we could cancel the mission and confiscate his payment…"
Kakashi trailed off as a thought struck him. He turned to the Third Hokage.
The Hokage knew that Tazuna was hiding something, yet he didn't expose him. That could only mean he has an agenda, one that likely involved the Land of Waves.
"Hokage-sama… Your real target is the Land of Waves and the wealthy merchant Gato, isn't it?"
This time, the Third Hokage did not answer. He merely gave Kakashi a knowing look and said,
"Kakashi, just focus on your mission. There's no need to overthink the rest."
Understanding the implications, Kakashi could only sigh and leave the office, heading toward the village gate.
Having served in the Anbu, he was no stranger to missions that involved manipulating small nations or seizing wealth from powerful figures. However, he hadn't expected Team 7's very first real mission to be one of those kinds.
Soon, after gathering at the village gate, Team 7 set out with Tazuna, leaving Konoha behind. What they didn't notice was a shadowy figure silently following them.
Once they were a considerable distance from Konoha, this figure split into two, one half continued tailing them, while the other rushed toward an unknown small country in the shinobi world.
The news of the Nine-Tails jinchūriki leaving Konoha has already been leaked.