Mission Briefing
The Hokage's office always carried the weight of history. The smell of old smoke and parchment filled the air, the windows casting light across maps pinned with markers. I stood shoulder to shoulder with Daichi and Rina, my teammates straightening nervously under the Third's gaze.
Sarutobi's eyes lingered on us longer than usual, his voice calm but firm.
"Team Three. Your assignment is to escort a merchant envoy along the northern trade routes. Bandit activity has spiked. Some reports suggest missing-nin are involved. Consider this mission C-rank at minimum, with potential to escalate."
Daichi's brow furrowed. His hands clenched just slightly, betraying his nerves. Rina, in contrast, smirked faintly, eyes bright with the thought of action.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kenta-sensei answered smoothly.
I inclined my head but kept silent. Escort missions seemed mundane, but with missing-nin in play, this was no trivial assignment.
⸻
Setting Out
At the village gates, we met the merchants—a broad-bearded man leading two ox-pulled carts, his guards in mismatched armor. His skeptical eyes flicked over us.
"These are my escorts? Children?" he muttered.
Kenta's voice cut in like cold steel. "Children trained as shinobi. If you value your life, you'll trust us."
The man's mouth shut with an audible click.
I glanced at the guards. They looked nervous, shifting at every sound of the forest. Swordsmen for hire—they'd fight only so long as their pay outweighed their fear. Which meant the real work was ours.
⸻
The Journey
The first days were uneventful. The path wound through thickets of pine and stretches of rolling fields. At night, the guards grew careless, laughing loudly, boasting of women and coin.
Rina passed the time by showing off small bursts of flame, grinning at Daichi's scolding. "If something attacks, I'll roast it before you can even lift a rock," she teased.
Daichi adjusted his hitai-ate and frowned. "Or you'll light the forest on fire and get us all killed."
I sat nearby, watching them. "Both of you are missing the point. Fire without restraint, earth without decisiveness—both can fail a team. You'll need to temper each other."
Rina huffed. "Easy for you to say, Mr. Calm-and-Collected."
"Calm wins battles," I replied evenly.
Kenta's eyes flicked toward me then, almost approving. He rarely spoke, but I could feel his trust settling more firmly each mission.
⸻
A Quiet Warning
It was on the third morning that the forest fell silent. Birdsong ceased. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
"Stop the carts," I said suddenly.
The merchant scowled. "What now?"
"Stop." My voice carried no hesitation.
Kenta gave a single nod. "Halt."
The oxen groaned as they slowed. The guards shifted uneasily, hands tightening on their hilts.
Then a kunai whistled from the shadows, embedding itself in the dirt before the lead ox. A warning.
Three figures dropped from the trees. Torn and slashed forehead protectors gleamed on their brows. Missing-nin.
"Well, well," the tallest sneered. "Leaf brats guarding fat merchants? Easy coin."
"Take the goods. Kill the rest," another muttered.
The guards paled. I stepped forward, kunai in hand. "Daichi, form barriers near the carts. Rina, hold fire until they commit. Sensei?"
Kenta's lips curved faintly. "Your command, Hayashi."
The weight settled squarely on my shoulders.
⸻
First Clash
The leader lunged first, blade flashing. Rina grinned fiercely and charged to meet him, fire spiraling from her palms.
"Fire Release: Flame Burst!"
Flames roared forward. The missing-nin twisted aside, but the heat singed his sleeve. Rina pressed in recklessly, kunai slashing.
"Rina, don't overextend!" I snapped.
Meanwhile, the second enemy hurled shuriken toward the carts. "Daichi!"
"On it!" He slammed his hands into the earth. "Earth Release: Mud Wall!"
A thick slab of earth erupted from the ground, intercepting the barrage with a dull thud. The oxen bellowed but held steady.
The third enemy targeted me, kunai gleaming. He came fast—trained, not a thug. I sidestepped his strike, guiding his momentum past me before driving my elbow into his ribs. He staggered back, eyes narrowing.
"Tch. Clever brat."
⸻
The Push and Pull
Rina's fire lit the clearing in bursts, her laughter sharp and reckless as she drove her foe back. But she wasn't reading his feints. A blade slashed dangerously close to her cheek.
"Rina!" I barked. "Retreat two steps, redirect, strike from low!"
She scowled but obeyed, twisting just in time to avoid a killing blow. Her kunai bit into his arm, flames searing the wound.
Daichi, meanwhile, kept his focus steady, raising earthen spikes to deter the second enemy. But his hesitation showed—his walls came a fraction too late, his strikes half a beat too slow.
"Don't think so much!" I called. "Decide and act!"
His jaw clenched, but the next barrier rose faster, blocking another assault.
⸻
Escalation
The leader snarled, his hands blurring through seals. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Flames roared from his mouth, massive and consuming. The merchants screamed.
Rina raised her own flames instinctively, but they would be swallowed. "I can't hold that!"
"Daichi! Wall—now!"
His hands slammed into the dirt, chakra surging. A massive barrier of stone erupted just as the fireball struck, the heat washing over us in waves. The wall cracked but held.
Daichi collapsed to one knee, sweat streaming down his face. "I—I did it…"
"You bought us time," I said sharply. "Now breathe."
⸻
Breaking Point
The enemy pressed harder. Rina's flames grew wild, threatening the carts as much as the foes. Daichi faltered, chakra draining fast.
The missing-nin leader laughed. "Leaf brats, nothing more. You'll burn out before you break us."
I tightened my grip on my kunai. No. We wouldn't.
"Rina—force him into the open. Daichi—cut off his retreat. On my mark."
They glanced at me, then nodded.
"Now!"
Rina unleashed a torrent of flame, wild but directed. The leader dodged left, just as Daichi drove an earthen spike from the ground. The man stumbled, opening his guard.
I surged forward, blade flashing. My kunai sliced across his ribs, drawing blood.
The leader snarled, fury sparking in his eyes. He prepared another jutsu—one that would have incinerated us all.
⸻
Kenta's Hand
And then Kenta moved.
One blur of motion, faster than sight. His kunai pressed against the leader's throat, his voice cold.
"This ends now."
The clearing froze. The remaining missing-nin hesitated, eyes flicking between their bleeding leader and the calm jōnin behind him. With curses and snarls, they retreated into the trees, vanishing into shadow.
The silence afterward was deafening.
⸻
Aftermath
The merchants huddled by their carts, pale and shaken. "Children," the leader whispered, eyes wide. "Children who fought off shinobi…"
"Leaf shinobi," Kenta corrected smoothly. "Do not forget the difference."
Rina collapsed onto the grass, panting, a grin still tugging at her lips. "Did you see his face when I nearly roasted him? Priceless."
"You nearly got yourself roasted too," I muttered, but the faintest curve touched my mouth.
Daichi wiped sweat from his brow. "I hesitated. Again."
"You acted when it counted," I said firmly. "Your wall saved us all. Next time, trust yourself sooner."
Kenta's gaze swept over us. "You held longer than I expected. Arato—your leadership was sharp. Rina, your fire has potential, but you lack restraint. Daichi, your earth is reliable, but you lack confidence. Together, you balance each other. Remember this."
The fire crackled that night as the merchants whispered of demons in children's skins. My team sat quietly, exhaustion heavy in their limbs. I lay on my back, staring through the branches at the stars.
This was no longer the simplicity of academy drills or D-rank chores. This was the path of a shinobi: fire and blood in the shadows of the road.
And I knew—we had only taken our first step into true danger.