After a short rest, Ken headed toward the Genin Corps.
The building sat closer to the administrative district than the Academy, busy but never loud. Genin came and went throughout the day, most of them familiar faces. People he had worked alongside. People who had started with energy and ended with routine.
Ken hadn't been assigned to a jōnin sensei.
That wasn't unusual.
The village didn't have enough jōnin to spare for every graduate. Those resources were reserved for genin who showed clear potential. The rest were filtered elsewhere.
Here.
The Genin Corps wasn't a bad posting. It was stable. Safe, at least while the village remained at peace. Most of its members handled D-rank missions exclusively. Escorting civilians. Cleaning storage sites. Guarding warehouses. Necessary work, but work that didn't sharpen you.
Progress was slow by design.
Still, the village hadn't completely written them off.
Ken stepped inside and moved toward the mission counter.
A contribution system existed. Complete enough missions, prove consistency, and access slowly opened up. Techniques. Higher-ranked missions. Limited, but real.
One hundred D-rank missions.
Ken had completed them quietly. One after another. No shortcuts. No complaints.
He stopped in front of the desk.
"How may I help you?" the girl behind the counter asked, her tone flat from repetition.
"I'm here to request my one-hundred mission completion certificate."
She paused.
Her eyes lifted from the paperwork and settled on him properly this time. She didn't say anything right away. Just looked.
"You're applying for C-rank missions?" she asked.
"Yes."
She leaned back slightly, studying his posture, his hands. Most genin who reached this point didn't look eager. They looked tired. Or resigned.
She turned to the files.
Paper rustled. A stamp came down once, then again. She slid a folded document across the counter.
"This certifies your completion," she said. "You're eligible to accept C-rank missions and purchase C-rank techniques."
Ken nodded and accepted it.
She hesitated, then reached beneath the counter and retrieved a scroll.
"This is the mission currently available to first-time applicants," she said, pushing it toward him. "Bandit suppression. Solo."
Ken took the scroll but didn't open it yet.
She continued, her voice lowering slightly. "Failure will be recorded. If that happens, future mission assignments may become… limited."
"I understand."
She watched him for a moment longer, then looked away. "Good luck."
Ken stepped aside and unrolled the scroll.
Bandits had been sighted along a trade route. Poorly armed, but experienced. A standard C-rank assignment. Straightforward on paper.
Dangerous in practice.
For most genin, this would be their first real combat mission. Their first time facing opponents who intended to kill them. Teams were usually preferred for that reason.
Ken folded the scroll and slipped it into his pocket.
Figures.
This wasn't meant to be fair. It was meant to test resolve.
He left the building and stood outside for a moment, letting the noise of the village wash over him. Merchants calling out. Shinobi passing by without a glance.
None of them cared which missions he took.
That was fine.
Ken adjusted the strap of his pouch and started walking.
He didn't expect this to be easy. He didn't expect to come back unscathed.
But this was the step he needed to take.
D-rank missions wouldn't prepare him for what was coming.
And staying where he was would only slow him down.