Chapter 239: Mission: Capture the Calico Cat
On a quiet street in Konoha, three young shinobi were stealthily approaching a small calico cat. They moved with practiced silence, suppressing their presence to avoid startling the skittish creature.
Several genin teams had already failed this particular mission. For the honor of Team Kyosuke, failure was not an option.
"Anko, your expression is too fierce. Try to tone it down a bit," Shisui whispered, a hint of exasperation in his voice.
"Tch. Mind your own business," Anko grumbled, but she did her best to relax her features, adopting a more "harmless" look.
The three of them formed a triangle around the cat, slowly closing in.
A short distance away, their sensei, Kyosuke, sat munching on Anko's snacks, watching their progress with an amused expression.
Not bad. Their chakra control is excellent. But... they've overlooked one crucial factor, he thought with a smile, eagerly anticipating what would happen next.
As a new teacher, Kyosuke had taken to the role with surprising enthusiasm. He had created a personalized training regimen for each of his students and had a deep understanding of their individual strengths and weaknesses. It was this understanding that led him to believe this mission was doomed to fail.
And he was right. Just as the three of them were about to close in, the cat, which had been dozing peacefully, suddenly shot to its feet. Its fur stood on end, its back arched, and it let out a low, warning hiss.
The three genin froze, completely bewildered. They had been so careful. There was no reason for the cat to be so agitated.
Then, they noticed that the cat's hostile gaze was fixed on Anko.
Anko: "?"
The realization that she was the cause of the problem was a bitter pill to swallow. But her hurt feelings were quickly replaced by a surge of indignation.
Why me?! Why not that smug bastard Shisui?!
Consumed by rage, Anko abandoned all pretense of stealth. With a wild cry, she lunged at the cat.
"Damn it! Yamato, let's go!" Shisui, unable to stop his impulsive teammate, called to the other boy. The cat was already on the run.
As they gave chase, Shisui tried to figure out what Anko had done to spook their target, but he couldn't come up with a reason.
Whatever. The mission comes first. I can always ask Kyosuke-san later. He'll know.
Forcing the question from his mind, he focused on the chase. But no matter how fast they were, the small calico cat was always one step ahead.
It was no ordinary cat. It was a ninneko, a ninja cat, from the Izuno clan. It had run away from home for reasons of its own, and the clan, unable to find it, had posted a mission request at the village.
Unlike the ninken of the Inuzuka clan, ninneko were not particularly strong in direct combat. But their senses were far sharper, and their agility was unmatched. It was why so many genin teams had failed to capture it.
And Team Kyosuke was no exception.
Neither Shisui's speed nor Anko's venomous snakes could corner the agile creature. Just as it was about to make its escape, Yamato, who had been observing from the sidelines, finally made his move.
With a series of calm, deliberate hand signs, he completed his jutsu just as the cat was about to leap to freedom.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
An arch of interwoven wooden planks erupted from the ground, blocking the cat's path. It instantly tried to reverse course, but Shisui was already there, cutting off its retreat.
Seeing Shisui's gentle smile and the kunai in his hand, the cat wisely decided to surrender. With a conciliatory "meow," it dodged Anko's outstretched hand and leaped into Shisui's arms, shooting a triumphant glare at the fuming kunoichi.
"Grrr, I'm gonna kill that cat!" Anko seethed.
Kyosuke slowly walked over, a thoughtful expression on his face. Anko was... Anko. Shisui's performance was as expected. But the MVP of this mission was undoubtedly Yamato. Though his time in Root had been devoid of any real-world missions, his training had been rigorous. His execution and adaptability were superb. For now, he was a step above Shisui. But with Shisui's talent, he was confident the gap would close quickly.
"Hiccup... do you know why it was so wary of you?" Kyosuke asked, a smirk on his face.
Anko shot a glare at the cat, now purring contentedly in Shisui's arms, and began to think.
This isn't the first time. Lately, all the small animals have been avoiding me... When did it start? Her eyes fell on the snake still coiled around her arm, and a look of realization dawned on her face.
"I know!" she exclaimed. "It's the snakes! It must have sensed them!"
"Correct. Your powers of observation are sharp," Kyosuke praised, then his tone shifted. "But you should have considered that from the beginning. A single, small mistake can lead to mission failure, or worse."
"Hiccup... understand?"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Anko mumbled, her head hanging low. Then, a thought struck her. She looked over at her backpack, and her eyes widened in fury. The snacks were gone.
"Aaargh! Sensei! You ate my snacks again!" she shrieked, lunging at him.
Kyosuke, caught red-handed, quickly promised to buy her some dango, and managed to placate his furious student.
He patted his now-considerably-lighter wallet and, with a grand gesture, led his team toward the mission assignment desk. After they submitted their report, he would treat them all to a well-deserved meal.
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