When the wooden door opened, a sturdy man with a hideous scar on his face stepped out.
He nodded to the Chunin, recognizing him, then turned his gaze to the three led by Tatsumi. Seeing their youthful appearances, his eyes narrowed slightly. However, he didn't say anything and simply signaled for them to enter.
Once inside, the scarred man cautiously looked around before closing the door again. The room was dim, and when the wooden door shut, it became even darker.
Tatsumi felt a hand grab his—it was probably Mikoto's. But after a moment, another hand grabbed him.
It seemed Nawaki also had things he was afraid of. Tatsumi wanted to shake off the hand, but Nawaki gripped him tighter and tighter, almost pressing his body against Tatsumi's.
This made Tatsumi's hair stand on end, and he didn't dare move again.
"Were we followed?" the scarred man's voice came from the front.
"Relax, don't you know my skills? I'm sure no one followed us," Anjiu replied confidently.
"Mm," the scarred man responded.
After a moment, he turned to the Chunin and said, "The captain's request report should have stated that he wanted more experienced ninjas, right? No one here wants to be a babysitter!"
Though his tone was calm, a hint of anger could be felt. Even though Tatsumi couldn't see the scarred man clearly, he imagined his expression must be unpleasant.
It made sense. Three Genin, barely ten years old, should be under the guidance of their supervising teacher, performing low-level tasks. Yet being brought here clearly meant they were being treated as burdens.
"I know. But you also understand that Iwa Ninja Village has been attacking the main camp recently. There's a shortage of manpower," Anjiu explained.
"Moreover," Anjiu leaned closer to the scarred man and whispered, "Let me remind you, their teacher is Lord Orochimaru."
The scarred man fell silent and stopped talking. He knew of Orochimaru—one of the commanders in this war, a disciple of the Hokage. Not someone he could afford to offend.
Tatsumi sighed in the darkness.
It seemed they were being seen as privileged.
Tatsumi wanted to shout that only Nawaki had connections, while he was a ninja with both real strength and good looks.
The atmosphere in the room became awkward. Suddenly, the sound of fingernails scratching the floor echoed.
Then, with a creak, a beam of light shot out from the center of the floor, and a pale hand stretched out from underground.
In the dramatic and eerie silence, a person poked their head out—a woman in her twenties with short hair.
She looked around and saw Tatsumi and the others. "Come down."
Her voice was calm but pleasant.
Except for the scarred man, everyone entered the underground chamber.
The scarred man clearly remained outside as a lookout, ready to alert the others in case of an enemy attack.
The underground chamber was well-lit, with three passages leading to unknown places.
"Is this all the support we're getting? Just these three kids? We lost three Chunin when we ran into Iwa Ninja Village Jonin during reconnaissance. What is the main camp thinking? What can these three little brats do?"
Before the woman could speak, a young man in his early twenties walked over, his tone filled with anger. He completely disregarded Tatsumi and the others.
Tatsumi glanced at him. The man's face was pale, his steps weak, as if he was injured.
They had been told this mission was dangerous but not fatal—simple, meant for training. Yet, people had actually died?
Could Tsunade-sensei have switched their mission halfway through?
The female ninja frowned at the young man. "Ryuji, the higher-ups have their own plans."
"Yura, sending these three kids is worse than sending no one. What can they do besides be a burden?" Ryuji snapped.
The woman named Yura sighed, seeming unwilling to argue with him further.
She turned to Tatsumi and the others. "I apologize. My brother isn't very tactful. Please forgive him."
"You must have traveled a long way—go rest first."
Tatsumi and the others nodded, not bothering to argue with Ryuji.
The underground chamber had three passages—one in front, one to the left, and one to the right. It seemed the right passage led to their resting quarters. Yura led the way.
Soon, they arrived at an area with many small rooms. Inside, only simple beds could be seen—the conditions were spartan.
Yura walked ahead. "I know it's not ideal, but I ask the three of you to adapt quickly."
"As my brother Ryuji said earlier, Iwa Ninja Village has forces moving in this area. It's not safe. Encounters with the enemy are common."
"Many have died recently. I don't want you to be next," Yura said calmly. Then, she pointed to a small room, signaling them to enter.
"Thank you, Yura-neechan," Nawaki said, putting on a cute expression. "So, what exactly do we need to do?"
"Kill people," Yura replied, looking straight at Nawaki. "The enemy especially loves targeting cute little kids like you."
Nawaki's face froze.
"Ahahaha, just kidding," Yura laughed. "Our main task is reconnaissance and reporting to the main camp. Of course, we also have to kill occasionally."
"Speaking of which, have you ever killed anyone?" Yura suddenly asked, her black eyes scanning the three of them.
Tatsumi and the others nodded.
"Is that so? That's good. You know, the first time I killed someone, I was so scared I couldn't even perform the Three Body Technique," Yura said seriously.
Tatsumi couldn't help but question Konoha's quality of education. How had a girl like this survived so long?
"Alright, rest for now. Someone will explain the situation later," Yura said with a smile before leaving.
After she left, Tatsumi and the others entered the room she had indicated.
The room was small, containing only three beds.
"Hey, Tatsumi, why are they so unfriendly to us?" Nawaki asked, setting down his backpack, which he had bought in the Land of Hot Water.
"Isn't it because they think you have connections?"
"What!" Nawaki was indignant. "I am a ninja with both strength and good looks, not some privileged brat!"
Tatsumi sat on the bed and looked at Nawaki. "Then how did you win the Konoha Cup Special Award?"
"Huh?" Nawaki blinked, momentarily confused.
"You say you don't have connections, so how did your first-grade painting, My Hokage Grandpa, win the Konoha Cup Special Award?"
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