"Really now, asking a group of children to escort me… Does Konoha not care about its missions anymore? Am I supposed to protect you, or are you supposed to protect me?"
The old bridge builder, Tazuna, muttered in a tone dripping with depression. His face was wrinkled with doubt. When he had first heard from the mission staff at Konoha about how powerful Team 7 was, he had expected seasoned shinobi, people who carried themselves like warriors hardened by years of combat. Yet when the group assembled before him, he saw three children barely out of the Academy and a silver-haired man with a single visible eye. The sense of security he had hoped for instantly crumbled.
"What did you say, you stingy old drunk!?" Sakura's forehead bulged with veins as she snapped back at him, her voice rising. "We need you to take care of us? Don't underestimate us—we are ninjas! Do you even know what that means?"
Her words cut through the early morning air like sharp steel.
Sasuke, standing near the village gate with his arms crossed, didn't even glance at the argument. He leaned casually against the wooden frame, lost in thought about the new ninjutsu he might learn from Senior Andrew once this mission was complete.
Naruto, however, stepped in. He blocked Sakura from lunging at Tazuna. Though Naruto had little interest in defending the old man, a faint warmth in his chest urged him to stop things before they escalated. Still, he said nothing to scold Tazuna. He simply restrained Sakura, letting her fume.
Kakashi, their Jonin leader, watched the scene unfold with his usual dead-fish eye expression, seemingly indifferent but quietly observant.
"Ha, so this is what excites you about your first mission outside the village?" A voice came from behind, calm yet carrying weight. Andrew, the senior Uchiha, approached slowly. "It looks like the training you've been giving them, Kakashi, might still be too little."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Andrew's eyes scanned Team 7 carefully. To be honest, even he wasn't sure how to evaluate them anymore. The presence of Naruto and Sasuke, both altered by his own ideological influence, made them far different from what they might have been otherwise.
Naruto still carried that loud, untamed personality, yet he now possessed restraint and thoughtfulness, shaped by Andrew's teachings. He acted with less reckless impulse and more awareness of the bigger picture.
Sasuke, on the other hand, remained cool and detached, but his arrogance had diminished. What filled its place was composure—a sharpened calmness that made him seem much older than his age.
Both were clearly qualified as shinobi. But for fresh graduates, such maturity was highly abnormal.
As for Kakashi… Andrew quietly noted that the Jonin seemed more focused on guiding Sakura alone, perhaps because Naruto and Sasuke had already outpaced what Kakashi usually instilled in his students. This created a strange imbalance within Team 7.
"Senior Andrew! You came!" Sasuke straightened, his voice respectful.
Naruto and Sakura also fell quiet, their earlier energy subsiding as they looked toward him, though a faint blush of embarrassment lingered on their faces.
Andrew raised a brow. Naruto's awkwardness was understandable—they had history. But Sakura? He had little to do with her. Was it just because of Sasuke? He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
Instead of lingering on Sakura, Andrew simply nodded to Kakashi, signaling he was ready to depart.
The effect of Andrew's arrival was immediate. Team 7 became noticeably more disciplined. Even Tazuna, who had been skeptical, felt reassured when he saw the Uchiha crest stitched into Andrew's attire. His earlier complaints quieted down.
The Uchiha clan's name carried weight across the shinobi world. Their Security Force was infamous for its strict efficiency. Many nations would have gladly entrusted all their missions to the Uchiha—if not for the high cost of their commissions.
For Tazuna, though, this was more than reputation. His homeland, the Land of Waves, was under the shadow of a ruthless man: Gatō, a wealthy shipping magnate who had strangled their economy. If the Uchiha had an interest in opposing Gatō, then perhaps the mission's chances of success had just increased dramatically.
The group left the gates of Konoha, heading toward the sea that separated the Land of Fire from the Land of Waves.
Kakashi took the lead, walking lazily but with constant vigilance. Andrew followed at the rear, his presence steady and protective. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura moved in a triangular formation around Tazuna, shielding him on all sides.
"Hey, old man," Naruto piped up after a while, unable to hold his curiosity, "what kind of place is the Land of Waves anyway? From the way you act, it doesn't sound too great."
Tazuna's lips twitched. "Huh? Did you just call me a useless old man?" He glared, but his anger deflated quickly when he thought of his homeland. His voice softened as he continued.
"The Land of Waves… It's not as big or as rich as the Land of Fire, but it was once a peaceful and warm place. People worked hard, they had dreams, and they believed in building a brighter future. Families thrived. Life was simple, but it was good."
His tone grew heavier. "But everything changed when Gatō arrived. He came under the guise of a successful businessman, with ships and wealth, but he used his money to hire samurai and rogue shinobi. He monopolized our trade routes, controlled our markets, and spread fear. Now, the people live in despair, chained by his greed."
Before Naruto could reply, Kakashi suddenly raised a hand. His visible eye narrowed. "Wait."
He turned his head slightly. "Mr. Tazuna, did you just say Gatō… as in Gatō Enterprises?"
Tazuna froze mid-step. "…Yes. Do you know him?"
Kakashi's expression darkened. "Of course. In Konoha, wealthy merchants are watched closely, especially after the rise of the Uchiha business group. Men like Gatō are dangerous. Their reach isn't limited to money—they can buy power, soldiers, even shinobi. A man like him could destabilize entire nations."
Tazuna nodded grimly. "Exactly. And now my home suffers because of him."
They continued walking. The path wound through the forest, silent except for rustling leaves.
Ahead, a small puddle glistened on the dirt road. It hadn't rained in days.
Kakashi's gaze lingered. Andrew's lips curved faintly. Sasuke's Sharingan flickered briefly. Naruto, aided by Kurama's instinct, also sensed something was wrong.
Only Sakura and Tazuna walked on unaware.
Andrew met Kakashi's eyes briefly, then looked away, silently telling him: This is your team's test. Handle it yourself.
Just as Kakashi began to speak again, the puddle rippled.
With a splash, two shinobi burst out of the water, chains whipping through the air.
"Now!" one shouted.
The iron chains lashed around Kakashi, binding his body tight. Before the team could react, the two attackers pulled with brutal force.
Kakashi's body was torn apart, shredded into pieces in an instant. Blood and flesh scattered across the ground.
"The famous Copy Ninja Kakashi? Hah! So much for the legend," one of the masked shinobi sneered, his eyes gleaming from behind his rebreather. He turned toward the stunned children and the trembling Tazuna. "You brats are next."
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