Early the next morning, after washing up and getting ready, Torifū set off for the place he had agreed to meet Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Since they were going out on a mission, wearing robes would definitely be inconvenient, so Torifū changed into the combat uniform of the village ninjas.
It was a rare thing, but his house actually had a ninja combat uniform suitable for his age.
When he arrived at the meeting place, Torifū was surprised to find that he was the last one. He thought he was already early.
He didn't expect these people to be even earlier than him.
And among this group of people, Torifū also noticed a very familiar figure.
"Hi, Torifū!"
Naori waved happily, signaling Torifū to hurry up.
"Naori? Why are you here too?"
Torifū was very puzzled by this. Sarutobi Hiruzen shouldn't have agreed.
Naori clenched her small fist threateningly. "Big brother agreed to let me come, and everyone else has no objections. You shouldn't have any either, right?"
Facing Naori's 'threat,' Torifū pretended to be scared and repeatedly said, "Wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare. With Naori here, we'll definitely complete the mission easily."
Kagami couldn't stand it any longer and reached out to mess up Naori's hair, making it all disheveled.
"Remember, Naori! This time, stick closely to me. I don't expect you to kill any bandits; just don't get yourself killed."
Naori didn't get mad at her brother's lack of faith, nor did she argue back. She just said she'd behave.
Torifū raised an eyebrow. That wasn't like her.
The truth was, Naori hadn't wanted to be so meek either—but no one could imagine how hard she had pleaded and begged last night to get her brother to bring her along. She'd pulled every trick in the book: threats, bribes, tears—finally forcing Uchiha Kagami to reluctantly give in.
Torifū had already guessed this would happen. Naori was too competitive to pass up a chance like this.
As for why Hiruzen agreed to such a ridiculous request, it was entirely because of Kagami's guarantee—he would be solely responsible for Naori's safety during the mission.
"Well, since everyone's here, let's head out!" Hiruzen said excitedly. After all, this mission was basically their graduation exam. If not for his chakra still being a bit drained from yesterday, he might've gone ahead to the bandit's den by himself already!
Everyone double-checked their gear pouches: plenty of shuriken, kunai, explosive tags—everything was well-stocked.
They even had enough soldier pills for the round trip.
With all preparations complete, the gates of Konoha slowly opened. For the first time, Torifū and Naori officially stepped onto the path of a shinobi mission.
In truth, they were lucky to be born in relatively peaceful times. Before the founding of the village, six-year-olds were already being sent to war.
In that era, a ninja who lived to thirty was considered long-lived. What a tragic reality.
They traveled quickly along the main road. One thing worth mentioning: ever since awakening his system, Torifū hadn't had a single moment to return to that familiar forest for play. Every day was filled with training.
Hiruzen slowed his pace and addressed the group. "Gather around. I'll go over the mission intel—my dad got it for us."
The group quickly moved in closer. Sarutobi Sasuke, Hiruzen's father, was one of the village's top-tier combatants and the clan leader of the Sarutobi. He had led their clan to join Konoha and held great prestige.
As for the intel, it was likely acquired from a bounty group or the black market.
Those kinds of information brokers always hoped for war—it was their best opportunity to make a fortune.
"There are five samurai. Their leader's strength is on par with the village's elite shinobi. The rest aren't much to worry about."
The group nodded. They'd encountered samurai before—most were just weaklings, not worthy of the title, and easily defeated.
"As for the two rogue ninja from Sunagakure—one uses Fire Style, the other Wind Style. They're twin brothers and extremely coordinated."
"They escaped pursuit from Suna and have taken over a mountain in the Land of Fire."
"Their combined Fire-Wind jutsu is extremely powerful. Be especially cautious and aim to separate them before attacking!"
"Understood!"
The intel was brief but gave them a good idea of the enemy's strength—enough to prevent disastrous underestimation.
Kagami thought for a moment before speaking. "Their combo is meant to boost the fire jutsu's power. If we have strong enough Water Style, they won't be a threat."
"Koharu, you specialize in Water Style—can you suppress them?" Danzō asked from the side.
Koharu shook her head cautiously. "It's hard to say without facing them, but I should at least be able to weaken their jutsu."
It was a serious red flag during missions to overestimate oneself. In team operations, volunteering for a key role and then failing could endanger everyone.
"I'm good with Water Style too. If I cast alongside Koharu-nee, we should manage." Torifū said casually.
Hiruzen grinned. "Torifū! Didn't know you were a Water Style user too?"
"More accurately, I'm proficient in all five basic natures." While that sounded like bragging, no one doubted him.
They had all seen Torifū's strength with their own eyes. In his previous match against Hiruzen, they'd only witnessed a fraction of his Crystal Style jutsu. His true power was still a mystery.
And that was exactly how a proper ninja should be—never revealing the full extent of their ability.
Koharu chuckled. "If we can't separate the twins, I guess it's up to us Water Style users to deal with them."
Everyone nodded. The plan wasn't fully fleshed out yet, but it seemed solid enough to tackle this mission.
With that, the group stopped chatting and focused on traveling.
Naori, meanwhile, ran in silence, sulking. She was annoyed by how the others had ignored her earlier.
But there was nothing she could do. She was the one who had shamelessly insisted on coming along. If she could join the team through her own strength like Torifū, she would probably be recognized.
Alas, she, the proud genius of the Uchiha clan, could only rely on tantrums.
The gap between her and Torifū was indeed very large.
'If I could awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, perhaps my strength could catch up to Torifū's, right?'
Naori thought to herself. But how difficult was it to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan? Even her brother hadn't awakened it yet. There was no way she could awaken it before her brother.
'No matter what, I will do my best and show my worth in this mission.'
Although Naori was relatively modest, pride was an attribute that flowed in the Uchiha clan's bloodline.
Kagami turned his head and glanced at his sulking younger sister, a faint smile appearing on his face.
'Do your best, Naori. Let me see what you can do.'