The mission scroll landed on the desk with a solid thunk.
"Escort duty?" Naruto blinked, eyeing the short, grumpy old man with a walking stick, a straw hat, and a jug that definitely wasn't filled with water. "We're helping this guy?"
The old man scoffed. "Hmph. You're the brats the Leaf sent to protect me? I've seen stronger noodles in ramen shops!"
Naruto nearly exploded. "WHAT DID YOU JUST—?!"
Michio placed a calm hand on his shoulder, already reading the mission details.
> C-Rank Mission Accepted:
Escort the bridge builder, Tazuna, to the Land of Waves
Objective: Protect him from bandits and minor threats
Warning: Mission Difficulty May Escalate
Bonus Objective: Carry supplies while maintaining full workout regimen
Reward: +1 Strength, +1 Endurance, +2 Storyline XP
Penalty: Death. Probably.
He looked up at Kakashi, who was leaning against the wall, reading Make-Out Tactics again.
"Let me guess," Michio said. "This one doesn't stay C-Rank, does it?"
Kakashi didn't even look up. "I dunno. Do I look like a clairvoyant?"
Sasuke scoffed. Sakura sighed. Naruto was still trying to insult the client back without getting smacked.
Michio just rolled his shoulders.
"Fine. Let's hit the road."
---
They left the gates of Konoha at dawn. The sun was barely up, but Michio had already done 50 push-ups and ran two kilometers—with Naruto complaining every five minutes.
"You do this every morning?!"
"Every hour, if I can help it," Michio said mid-lunge. "It's called dedication."
Sasuke side-eyed him. "Or obsession."
Michio grinned. "Jealous?"
Sakura, surprisingly, cut in. "Actually, I think it's kinda impressive. Weird, but… impressive."
Naruto gagged dramatically. "Are you flirting?!"
Sakura promptly hit him with her clipboard.
> Team Bond Update:
Sakura's Respect: +5
Naruto's Confusion: Maxed Out
Sasuke's Suspicion: Still brooding.
---
Two days into the journey, everything changed.
They were crossing a misty path by a shallow stream. It was quiet. Too quiet.
Then—shing!
A blur of steel.
Chains.
Poison Mist Jutsu.
Two rogue ninja in breathing masks burst from the mist, spinning sickle-blades chained between them.
Tazuna screamed. Naruto froze. Sakura backed up.
Sasuke moved to intercept—but Michio was already there.
"MOVE!" he yelled, tackling the bridge builder to the side as a chain snapped past them.
One of the masked attackers leapt forward.
Michio grabbed a rock, chakra-enhanced his arm, and hurled it like a shot put.
CRACK.
The ninja staggered, and Sasuke followed up with a clean kick to the chest.
Kakashi appeared instantly, eyes narrowed.
"Demon Brothers," he muttered. "Not good."
He knocked both of them unconscious with a single combo, then tied them up with wire faster than Michio could blink.
Naruto was still shaking. "I-I didn't move… I couldn't…"
Michio put a hand on his shoulder.
"Next time, breathe. Then punch."
Naruto looked up, eyes wide. Then he nodded, a little fire returning to his stare.
> System Notification:
Minor Combat Encounter: Complete
+1 Reflex
+1 Team Morale
Hidden Stat Gained: Leadership (Lv1)
Kakashi turned to Tazuna, serious now.
"This isn't a C-rank. These were trained assassins. What aren't you telling us?"
Tazuna looked ashamed. "I lied. The man I'm building the bridge for—he's being hunted by a crime lord named Gato. He doesn't want the bridge finished. I couldn't afford a B-rank team…"
Kakashi sighed. "We're already in this. We'll finish it."
Naruto looked fired up now. "Let's go kick that crime lord's butt!"
Michio cracked his knuckles.
"Yeah. Let's make waves."
As the mist thickened around them and the air grew colder, Michio couldn't help but feel it:
This was no game anymore.
The ninja world was starting to show its teeth.