This mission had been incredibly productive. It had pointed out a lot of my shortcomings. But I had gained so much. Now I have a team to go on a mission next time. I also had a lot of money. Apparently, the mission only stated annihilation of bandits. Not returning stolen goods. So everything in the camp was open season. The other two thought it beneath them to work for looting civilians.
But I had other plans. The weapons, even if inferior, were good enough for the other kids to practice. We divided the Ryo, but weapons were mine alone. We dropped off the prisoners in a nearby village. I gave them a little bit of my loot. The girls had hollow eyes and a haunting expression, even when we left. I knew this was a brutal world. Seeing the naked, bruised, and beaten prisoners had driven the point home again.
Lastly, there were these notifications I had missed in the adrenaline rush.
Achievement - Killer I - Kill a hostile Civilian
Reward - 10 SS
Achievement - Path of Shinobi I - Complete a mission.
Reward - 100 SS
LEGEND - 64
I was getting the hang of Legend Points progression now. Small doable achievements, like killer I, fisherman I, gave 1 point. MC's Aura. Killing across 2 ranks was tough, even if done to someone injured. So it gave 10 points. Ridiculously difficult tasks like establishing your own clan gave 50 points.
Although what could be done with these points was still up for debate.
We reached back to Konoha in 3 days. We were taking it easy with our mission complete. We trained on the way. And this time the atmosphere was way more amenable. Victory tends to do that.
Rina was energetic and friendly. And she loved her jackets. She changed them a lot, even on missions, somehow. While Souta I found was quite a silent and grumpy type. And he looked down on anyone not from a big clan. Like me. But my potential as a fuinjutsu master outweighed his disdain. I think.
But anyways. We made it work.
As we entered the village, we were stopped by an Anbu. "Kurosawa-san, the Hokage would like to meet you." Which was a shock to us all. Normal teams do not report directly to the Hokage. Naruto did that because his team had a jonin, a jinchuriki, and the last Uchiha. Random Genin teams on random C-Rank missions weren't Hokage time-worthy things.
But orders were orders. We silently followed. Rina and Souta were visibly excited now. After all, in their clan politics-laden world, a line to the Hokage was the Holy Grail. And they had a chance to get one here.
"Who are you exactly?" Suddenly, Souta questioned. Rina and I looked at him with question marks above our heads. Why was he asking this now? "The Anbu clearly addressed you. He said Ren-san. Not us." Huh, I hadn't noticed that.
"I guess he wanted to get an update on my clan's progress." I mused. "You are from a shinobi clan?" Both exclaimed. They had never heard of a Kurosawa clan. Especially one that the Hokage bothered with.
I shrugged. "It's very new." I couldn't think of anything else.
-----
We stood in perfect attention in the small office filled with smoke. Hiruzen was examining a document with a pipe in one hand. He exhaled a puff of smoke and put the document down. "We greet the Hokage." Souta gave a proper traditional courtesy. I and Rina tried to imitate.
"Hoh ho, little Ren, you have found yourself an interesting team here. Planning on joining the big leagues so soon, are we?"
I knew he was just teasing. No way was my clan gonna have actual power before decades of development. And if it did, this guy and his advisors would probably be the first ones out for my blood. I knew of the history, or I guess the future, of many clans and village leadership. The annihilation of Uchiha, the Senju, and the Uzumaki, along with incidents like sacrificing Hizashi, were all famous examples. I was being supported because I was threat-free. "You jest, Hokage-sama. We are generations away from anything near that. And that is only if it succeeds."
He chuckled softly, leaning back with that ever-familiar pipe resting between his fingers. "So, your first mission with blood on your hands, correct? Tell me, how are you feeling?"
I didn't feel much, but judging from the man in front of me, saying that would have been the wrong answer. So I said evenly, "I think the loss of life was lamentable, but the interests of the village and peace in the Land of Fire come first."
His expression remained composed, but a flicker of approval passed through his eyes — that quiet, assessing gleam only the Hokage could manage. "Good… good. That's a sound outlook, Ren. Never lose sight of that balance."
He exhaled a thin line of smoke, the faint scent of tobacco curling through the air. "Now, as for the reason I called you three here. I've already read the report; a simple mission, nothing to rehash. What I do want," he said, eyes moving from me to Rina and then Souta, "is your view of this team."
The three of us exchanged glances. Silence hung in the air, unsure and awkward, until Rina finally broke it.
"Forgive me, Lord Third, but… what exactly are you asking?"
"I'm asking," Hiruzen said with a patient smile, "whether you would be amenable to forming an official squad under a Chūnin instructor."
"Yes."
We all turned to look at Souta. The word had slipped out before he realized it. Even the Hokage raised an eyebrow at seeing the traditional Hyuga's outburst. Souta's face flushed crimson as he straightened in his seat. "I mean—" he cleared his throat— "I think we would all be glad to do so."
Rina and I also nodded in assent. This was a good team. And of course, there was the fact that when a kage suggests something to a genin, it is an order.
Hiruzen's chuckle was quiet but genuine. "Then it's settled. Come in, Kagenori."
A trench coat-wearing man with black sunglasses and brown hair came in. "This will be your instructor, Aburame Kagenori." He is an elite chunin and has varied experience.
Called it. It was an Order.
We bowed and greeted our new Sensei.
"Well, with that settled. There's one more thing. Before you take any missions, Kagenori, make sure to keep me apprised."
"Yes, Lord Third."
Our newfound sensei answered, and we left.
-----
Souta's POV.
At first glance, I could tell that Kurosawa Ren was deadweight. That impression was only confirmed when he mentioned he used to be a logistical shinobi. Still, we needed a third, and Rina agreed we could carry him.
His chakra reserves and raw strength were clearly above average, but they felt wasted — like an uncut gem. His control, on the other hand, was sloppy, barely on par with a genin.
That assessment changed quickly. When I saw the complexity of his Fūinjutsu, I realized how wrong I was. His technique wasn't just above average — it was refined, deliberate, and years ahead of his age. He might not be a front-line fighter, but he didn't need to be. Fūinjutsu specialists were usually glass cannons — helpless without protection, unless they were legends like Uzumaki Mito, or had learnt fuinjutsu as a side hobby. But Ren wasn't helpless. He could fight well enough to survive, and that made him dangerous and valuable.
I realized something else then — the three of us were actually equals now. Rina and I might be considered defective pieces of our clans, but we still carried our names and training. Ren, though... he was a different kind of threat — talent without heritage.
He mentioned he had a clan, but a no-name clan didn't count. Especially not in the beague leagues that concerned me.
And yet, it stung a little. The Chūnin instructor, the special oversight from the Hokage — all of it was because of Ren. We'd failed to earn an official team assignment after graduation, and now it was handed to us just because we teamed up with him.
Still, I couldn't complain. For the first time, we were a real team — official and recognized. I couldn't wait to see the faces of the branch family members when they found out the failure had a team, a sensei, and the Hokage's eye on him.