Hiruzen unhurriedly pulled a report from a stack of documents on the table, shaking it in his hand so the paper made a crisp rustling sound, before slowly speaking, "Mamoru, do you know what these are?"
Mamoru tilted his head. "How should I know? Maybe some high-level missions or something."
Hiruzen didn't answer directly. Instead, he held the paper steady, cleared his throat, and read, "May 8th, the theater rooftop jumping incident. While passing by the theater, Mamoru intervened in Team Three's mission regardless of the risks. He kicked the suicidal person off the theater roof. Fortunately, the incident did not result in any casualties."
After he finished reading, he slowly set down the booklet and looked at Mamoru with a calm gaze.
Instantly, the entire room fell into a deathly silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Kurenai covered her face with both hands, the skin visible between her fingers flushed with a desperate blush.
Trouble had arrived!
She was in trouble because of this troublesome student. She would definitely be lectured in a moment.
Why was she assigned such a handful the very first time she became a Jōnin instructor?
Her duty was originally to guide the team to execute missions correctly, allowing the rookie Genin to grow healthily and accumulate enough experience and strength to participate in the Chunin Exams.
But now?
Behind her, Hinata and Shino both hung their heads, not daring to make a sound.
Mamoru couldn't help but retort, trying to explain himself, "I looked into it, that guy had tried to commit suicide over a dozen times. Every time he makes a huge scene about dying but gives up halfway, wasting the Police Force's manpower every single time. Severe illnesses require strong medicine. I stepped in to make him realize once and for all that he doesn't have the guts to commit suicide."
"Idiot!" Iruka was so angry that veins popped on his forehead.
"Regardless, you shouldn't have kicked someone off a roof. What if something happened? That's a human life."
He knew what Mamoru said was true. He had heard of that person, who was indeed a nuisance that the higher-ups would have had to deal with eventually. However, a scolding was still necessary, or else this child would only push his luck if he were coddled too much.
"But nothing happened, right?" Mamoru muttered, still being stubborn.
"You still dare to argue!" Iruka's voice rose another octave.
"Alright, let's let it go this time." Hiruzen tapped his pipe against the table, his deep voice carrying an unquestionable authority that stopped the argument.
He then looked at Mamoru and said, "However, your actions have caused immeasurable psychological trauma to the victim. The person is currently staying at the Konoha Hospital receiving psychological counseling and treatment. The subsequent treatment costs will be deducted from your future mission pay."
Mamoru was instantly dumbfounded, wailing in his heart.
NOOOOO!
"My deepest apologies, Hokage-sama." Kurenai quickly pushed Mamoru's head down as they bowed together. "It's my fault for letting this fellow run wild. I will definitely give him a good lesson when we get back."
"Kurenai, I know you've been away on other missions and weren't in the village, so I won't hold you responsible this time." Hiruzen's tone softened a bit.
He had actually timed this to bring up the old case specifically when Kurenai returned.
"Yes." Kurenai secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now then, Team 8's next mission is..."
Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe, slowly exhaling white smoke. He then picked up a scroll from the table, opened it to read carefully, and said, "A C-rank escort mission. Protect the merchant from the Land of Grass, Komatsu, as he returns to his city."
"A C-rank mission?" Iruka was somewhat surprised.
For rookie Genin, this was quite a good opportunity for experience.
"The client will be arriving shortly." Hiruzen said.
Sure enough, before long, the door to the assignment hall was pushed open gently, and a young man wearing high-quality kimono walked in. He looked to be about twenty years old, with a clean-cut face and refined manners.
"Are you here?" Hiruzen looked up with an authoritative tone.
"Hokage-sama."
After the young man named Komatsu entered, he immediately bowed respectfully to Hiruzen. His movements were smooth and natural, showing good family background and upbringing.
"Mm." Hiruzen nodded, using his pipe to gesture toward the standing Team 8. "These four are the ninjas who will be escorting you back to the Land of Grass."
Hearing this, Komatsu's gaze carefully scrutinized the four members of Kurenai's team, lingering for a moment on the three children.
A hint of hesitation appeared on his face as he chose his words carefully. "Hokage-sama, please forgive my rudeness... but aside from this beautiful lady, aren't the other three still just children?"
Hiruzen's tone was calm. "Rest assured, they are all Genin of Konoha who have passed rigorous testing."
"But..." Komatsu seemed to want to say more to express his concerns.
However, before he could finish, a cold flash of light zipped past in an instant.
A sharp Kunai was already precisely held against his throat, its tip almost touching his skin. The one holding the Kunai was none other than Mamoru.
So fast!
This was the thought that flashed through the minds of everyone present, including Kurenai and Iruka.
In this room, there were probably only two people who had completely seen Mamoru's movement just now—one was Hiruzen, sitting as steady as a mountain, and the other was his Jōnin instructor, Kurenai.
Hiruzen calmly adjusted the hat on his head, a faint, imperceptible glimmer of praise flashing in his eyes.
Such speed...
He truly was a child who inherited the bloodline of the Uchiha clan.
Iruka stood there with a blank expression, his heart shaken.
Was this really a student who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy not long ago?
He hadn't even been able to capture a clear afterimage of Mamoru's movement just now. This rate of growth in strength was simply too astonishing.
Since Kurenai had sparred with Mamoru before, she had some understanding of his strength and didn't show too much surprise.
As for Komatsu, who had a Kunai at his throat, a look of terror instantly flooded his face. He could clearly feel the cold killing intent coming from the metal tip. His throat bobbed involuntarily as he gulped, his body trembling slightly from fear.
"Stop." Hiruzen spoke up at the right time, his tone authoritative. "Mamoru, do not be disrespectful to the client."
Hearing his words, Mamoru's wrist flipped nimbly, spinning the Kunai into a beautiful arc around his finger.
His face immediately switched to a warm smile like a spring breeze, as if nothing had happened. He even reached out to pat Komatsu's shoulder, laughing. "Haha, don't be nervous. It was just a joke."
"You, you, you..."
Komatsu, however, was a mix of shock and fear. He took a large leap backward to distance himself from Mamoru, his voice trembling. "Don't come near me!"
At this moment, this child looked no different from a life-taking demon in his eyes.
"Tch, coward." Mamoru curled his lip, tossing the Kunai in his hand before walking off to the side on his own.
"Hey, can you stop messing around?" Kurenai gritted her teeth, reaching out to press down on Mamoru's head and ruffle his hair.
Mamoru didn't bother to acknowledge her 'ravaging' and simply turned his head to look out the window.