The Day, M, Hokage Building.

  “Is Ensui-sensei not ing?” Iris asked instinctively as the three gathered.

  Link shook his head ahe way into the mission assig office. “Ensui-sensei has his own missions to handle.”

  After all, Link being targeted for assassination and the two genin taking a break were uandable. But there was no way a jonin would get the same leeway.

  “Good m, Lord Third,” Link greeted Hiruzen Sarutobi after entering. “Please assign us a B-rank mission.”

  “A B-rank mission, you say?” The Third Hokage sidered briefly before seleg a mission scroll from the sta his desk. “Here, take this one.”

  Link took the scroll, g it briefly, and bowed slightly, preparing to leave with his teammates.

  “Wait.” The Third Hokage stopped him and pulled a familiar scroll from beh the desk. Handing it over, he said, “A-rank jutsu are incredibly difficult to learn, and sealing teiques are even more so. This jutsu is ohat only I know in the vilge now. If you enter any difficulties, feel free to e to me.”

  "Is that... the Five Elements Seal scroll?"

  Link froze momentarily upon receiving it. Looking up at the Third Hokage’s warm and kind smile, he didn’t thank him ht or say much. He simply responded calmly, “Uood.”

  “Safe travels,” the Third Hokage said, watg the three young shinobi depart with a gentle smile.

  Outside the Hokage Building, Iris couldn’t wait any longer. “Boss, what’s our mission?”

  “To assassinate a missing-nin,” Link replied coldly, tug the Five Elements Seal scroll into his pouch. “A missing-nin from our vilge.”

  …

  Land of Fire–Land of Grass Border.

  “Shh~ Shh~ Shh!”

  The three members of Link’s team sped through the forest, leaping effortlessly between braheir pace was rapid.

  “The target was once a in who stole cssified information and killed rades before fleeing to the Land of Grass. He was st spotted in a city within its borders.”

  “The report states the target is skilled in taijutsu ah release ninjutsu.”

  “Suspected to be a spy from another vilge.”

  “Our mission is to elimihe target and recover the stolen information.” Link paused before adding, “This time, the task is yours to handle.”

  The interaining his teammates had undergone, along with their progress in chakra nature maniputio they were now close in strength to an average in.

  His tone was not a suggestion but a and.

  His teammates exged gnces, accepting the responsibility. Iris, perhaps too casually, remarked, “The target has the same chakra nature as you, boss. Earth Release.”

  “Shut up and save your energy,” Ami snapped, dousing his enthusiasm like a cold bucket of water.

  Link said nothing, silently increasing his speed.

  After about ten mihe silhouette of a city emerged on the horizon, faintly illuminated uhe night sky. cealed by the shadows, they infiltrated the city, blending seamlessly into its quieter ers.

  Thanks to the vilge’s intelligehey quickly located their target in a secluded inn.

  When they arrived, it was already te into the night. The target was fast asleep.

  Iris and Ami dismahe traps at the door aered the room silently. Exging a brief ghey each threw a handful of shuriken at the bed.

  “Shh! Shh! Shh!”

  The shuriken tore through the bedding, masking the sound of the target’s substitution jutsu.

  “A trap that alerts the target when dismantled... It’s a clever setup.”

  Link stood outside the window, arms crossed, quietly . Despite being asleep, the target had reacted almost instantly and used a e teique to create a decoy.

  “k!”

  Iris twisted midair, raising his arm to block the target’s kunai strike from behind. The csh of steel rang out. Almost simultaneously, Ami drove her kunai into the target’s neck.

  “Crack!”

  The "target" crumbled into pieces of rock—a rock e. The real target attempted to escape through the door but was quickly forced bato the room by Ami.

  "A rock e... A shinobi from Iwagakure?"

  Link remaiill, analyzing. This specific teique was uo the Iwagakure; even the Konohagakure didn’t have an equivalent.

  Ihe three cshed again. Their taijutsu skills were evenly matched. However, Iris and Ami’s teamwork allowed them to suppress the target, preventing any effective terattacks.

  The target, realizing the disadvantage, served his limited chakra and avoided usih-style ninjutsu. After ten tense seds of exging blows, he made a desperate gamble, charging toward the window to escape.

  A poor decision.

  “Crash!”

  Link didn’t move. His shadow rose from the ground and, before fully f, struck the target with an eerie kick. The gss shattered, and the target was sent flying backward, only to be pinned down by Iris.

  “Squish!”

  The target’s head rolled to the floor.

  Mission: plete.

  …

  Two and a Half Months Later, Afternoon, Konohagakure.

  Dust-covered and weary, the three returned home.

  “Ah~” Iris stretched zily, his voice rexed. “Finally, we rest in the vilge for a bit.”

  Ami frow the mud-stained hems of her cropped pants. “I hope we never get assigned another mission in the Land of Rain... The weather there is a nightmare firls.”

  Their st mission had been esc an unfortunate official fleeing the Land of Rain to the Land of Fire. He had apparently offended certain fas amidst the Amegakure’s chaos—or perhaps embezzled funds. In any case, he was wealthy enough to hire shinobi from the Konohagakure instead of the Amegakure.

  It was a task riddled with plications.

  Still, ninja cared little about the morality of their ts. So long as they paid, justice or evil didn’t matter.

  The jourhrough perpetual rain and endless mud, culminating in a midnight battle with pursuing shinobi, had left them grimy and exhausted.

  Leading the way, Link looked retively , though his clothes were still damp. “Let’s rest for the couple of days. Tomorrow afternoon, Yakiniku Q...”

  He stopped abruptly, causing his teammates to halt as well.

  “Yo, in Link. Long time no see.”

  A familiar, rexed voice greeted them. Kakashi Hatake stood nearby, holding an inappropriate book.

  “Long time no see, Jonin Hatake Kakashi,” Link replied, his gaze shifting to the group behind Kakashi—Naruto Uzumaki looking tired, Sakura Haruno gng at Ami, and a dark-haired boy staring directly at Link.

  “So... the story has finally begun.”

  Thoughts raced through Link’s mind as he resumed walking, gesturing for his teammates to follow.

  Behind him, the dark-haired boy spoke: “Kakashi-sensei, who are they?”

  Bleam