The following two weeks flew by in a blur of mundane tasks. Each day brought a new challenge.
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Day 1: Walking the Daimyō's Dog
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Sai crouched next to the small, overly pampered Pekingese with a blank expression. "Why does it require a leash when it has no intention of moving?"
The dog lay sprawled on the grass, refusing to budge despite Konohamaru's repeated attempts to coax it with treats.
"Come on, you little furball!" Konohamaru groaned, waving a piece of dried meat in front of its nose. "It's just one lap around the garden!"
Shibi adjusted his sunglasses. "Perhaps it senses your frustration. Animals are highly attuned to emotional energy."
Konohamaru threw his hands up. "Great, now I have to pretend to be calm while babysitting a dog that refuses to walk!"
Sai pulled out his sketchbook and began to draw. "Perhaps a visual representation of its future will motivate it."
The dog, predictably, ignored the picture entirely.
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Day 4: Painting a Fence
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The team found themselves armed with buckets of paint and wide brushes, tasked with repainting a fence that encircled a local bakery.
Sai worked with meticulous precision, ensuring every stroke was perfectly even. "The symmetry must be maintained," he said, squinting at a particularly uneven section.
Konohamaru, meanwhile, had splatters of paint on his arms, face, and even his tail. "Hey, Sai, wanna see something cool?"
Before Sai could respond, Konohamaru dipped his tail into the paint and used it to create a crude caricature of Shibi on the fence.
Shibi walked over, inspecting the drawing. "Inaccurate," he said flatly. "My sunglasses are oval, not rectangular."
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Day 7: Catching a Runaway Chicken
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"You've gotta be kidding me," Konohamaru muttered, glaring at the offending bird perched smugly on a rooftop.
The chicken let out a defiant cluck, flapping its wings as Konohamaru leapt toward it, only to miss by an inch.
Sai pulled out his scroll. "Perhaps I can assist."
He sketched a hawk in quick, fluid strokes, imbuing it with chakra. The ink bird sprang to life, soaring toward the chicken.
The chicken squawked in terror, flapping wildly as it tried to escape the hawk's grasp.
"Too aggressive," Shibi commented, his kikaichū buzzing around the base of the building. The bugs formed a net, gently guiding the chicken back down to the ground.
Konohamaru landed beside it, panting. "Next time, remind me to just use the bugs first."
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Day 10: Cleaning the Riverbank
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The team stood by the murky edge of the Naka River, armed with trash bags and gloves.
"This is… surprisingly gross," Konohamaru said, holding up a half-buried sandal.
Shibi inspected the water. "Pollution affects the ecosystem. We must remove all debris to restore balance."
Sai pulled out his sketchbook. "I could create an ink fish to collect the submerged items."
Konohamaru grinned. "Now you're thinking like a Genin!, wait isn't that gonna gonna dissolve?."
"Your assessment was accurate, but I have accounted for that. My ink ninjutsu is formulated to be impervious to water."
Konohamaru."Nice"
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Day 14: Babysitting
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Their final mission of the two weeks proved to be the most challenging yet: looking after a pair of hyperactive twins who seemed to have an endless supply of energy.
Konohamaru was pinned to the ground, one twin bouncing on his back while the other tugged on his tail.
"Why do you have a tail?!" one twin demanded.
"Are you a monkey?!" the other asked, giggling.
"Yes, I'm a monkey," Konohamaru groaned, trying to wriggle free. "Now get off me!"
Shibi, meanwhile, stood calmly, his kikaichū forming a barrier that kept the twins from escaping the yard.
Sai knelt in front of the twins, holding up a drawing. "Would you like a picture of yourselves?"
The twins stopped mid-chaos, their eyes lighting up. "Yes! Yes! Make us look cool!"
Sai's sketching provided just enough distraction for Konohamaru to recover, pulling himself to his feet and dusting off his jacket.
"
At the end of their Mission, Team Ebisu stood before the Hokage once again.
Hiruzen handed Ebisu a scroll, his smile betraying his amusement. "This will be your last D-rank mission for a while. You're tasked with retrieving Lady Shijimi's cat, Tora."
Shibi adjusted his sunglasses. "An efficient insect trail will suffice."
Sai tilted his head, his expression neutral.
Konohamaru snorted.
Ebisu pushed his glasses up with a sigh.
"
The team started their search in a quiet residential area where Tora was last seen. Konohamaru crouched low, examining a patch of freshly disturbed dirt.
"These paw prints are fresh," he said, his tail flicking lazily. "Tora must've passed through here recently."
Shibi knelt beside him, his kikaichū spreading out in a silent wave. "I'll send my insects to search the surrounding area. They should be able to locate the cat within minutes."
Sai, who had been sketching in his notebook, tore out a page. With a small surge of chakra, the ink drawing of a bird came to life, fluttering into the air. "I'll scout from above," Sai said calmly.
Ebisu watched the teamwork unfold with a small smile. Despite their casual attitudes, the three were surprisingly effective.
It didn't take long for Shibi's kikaichū to locate Tora, hiding beneath a cart in a bustling marketplace.
"There," Shibi said, pointing to the cart. The team moved in quietly, but Tora, sensing danger, bolted out from under the cart and darted into an alley.
Konohamaru grinned. "Alright, let's go." He dashed after the cat, his speed and agility on full display as he leapt over crates and dodged startled villagers. His tail flicked behind him for balance, allowing him to take sharp turns with ease.
Shibi followed at a more measured pace, his kikaichū spreading out to block potential escape routes. Sai, riding on his ink bird, directed the chase from above.
Tora zigzagged through the alleys, jumping onto a rooftop. Konohamaru was right behind her, climbing with ease. He reached out, his fingers brushing the cat's fur, but Tora leapt off the roof, landing gracefully in a pile of trash below.
"Seriously?" Konohamaru muttered, leaping down after her.
After an exhausting chase through the marketplace, the forest edge, and back into town, the team finally cornered Tora in a small courtyard. The cat hissed and arched its back, ready to bolt again.
"Let's box her in," Shibi suggested, his kikaichū forming a perimeter around the courtyard.
Sai summoned an ink snake, which slithered toward the cat, blocking one escape route. Konohamaru crouched low, his tail swishing as he prepared to pounce.
With a swift motion, Konohamaru lunged forward, his hands closing around the squirming, screeching Tora.
"Gotcha!" he exclaimed, holding the cat up triumphantly.
Tora yowled in protest, her claws swiping at Konohamaru's arm. He winced but didn't let go. "Man, this cat's got attitude."
Ebisu arrived. "Excellent work, team. Now, let's return her to her owner."
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Mission Complete!
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Back at the Hokage's office, the Fire Daimyō's wife smothered Tora in a suffocating embrace. The cat's muffled meows of protest filled the room as the woman gushed her thanks.
"Thank you so much!" she said, tears streaming down her face. "Tora is my precious baby. I don't know what I'd do without her!"
Konohamaru exchanged a glance with his teammates, biting back a laugh. Shibi's kikaichū buzzed faintly, almost as if they were annoyed by the woman's theatrics. Sai, meanwhile, sketched the scene with detached curiosity.
After the woman left with Tora, Ebisu handed the team their payment. "Another mission successfully completed. Good work, everyone."
By the end of the two weeks, the team had completed a total of 15 D-rank missions, ranging from mundane to downright ridiculous.
As they gathered at Ichiraku Ramen to celebrate, Konohamaru leaned back in his chair, his tail flicking lazily. "Alright, I'll admit it. D-rank missions aren't as bad as I thought they'd be."
Shibi adjusted his sunglasses. "They serve their purpose. Discipline, patience, and teamwork are foundational skills for a shinobi."
Sai nodded, his expression neutral. "And they provide opportunities for observation and artistic inspiration."
Konohamaru stretched, his tail flicking. "Yeah, yeah. You guys can make anything sound noble... I wouldn't mind if we got-higher mission this time, for a change of pace for once." konohamaru sign.
Shibi adjusted his sunglasses. "Given the current assignment rotation, it's unlikely we'll see a higher-ranked mission soon."
Sai tilted his head. "Would you like me to sketch a more exciting mission for you, Konohamaru?"
Konohamaru slurps a noodle and glances at Sai. "You know what? Sure, why not? Draw me fighting a dragon or something."