A special mission?
The moment they heard those words, the eyes of all three lit up. It wasn't just the competitive Uchiha Ryoji and the approval-seeking Aida Sui-even Hyuga Suzune's usually calm eyes were filled with anticipation and longing.
There was no doubt-they all hoped Xin would take them along on this special mission. "Captain, can you take us with you on this mission?" Uchiha Ryoji asked eagerly.
Aida Sui nodded enthusiastically as well, while Suzune didn't speak, but her eyes gave her away. The young girl clearly wanted to join too.
Special mission? Who wouldn't want to go?
For these kids who hadn't yet stepped outside the village and hadn't seen the harshness of the world, higher-ranked missions were the most exciting thing imaginable.
Xin looked at their eager faces and his expression turned a bit strange.
"Are you sure you want to go?" He asked.
"Of course!!" They replied.
"Even if this mission is so dangerous that even Jonin has only a one-in-ten chance of survival?" Xin added.
"Uh..."
They froze.
Wait...
Was this still a special mission? Or was it more like a suicide mission?
What kind of mission had such a terrifying death rate, where even Jonin was unlikely to come back alive?
This was no special mission; this was practically a death sentence.
In fact, the mission truly was one where most Jonin would meet their doom. Only those with exceptional skills had any chance of survival.
Sneaking into the Hidden Cloud Village and targeting their jinchuriki? The difficulty level of this mission was off the charts.
Most shinobi wouldn't even dare think about it.
In such a mission, what good was Jonin? They'd likely be wiped out.
"Do you still want to go?" Xin asked with a grin, looking at their stunned faces. "Come on, you were so confident just now. What happened?"
"Captain, you're joking, right? Haha..." Aida Sui laughed awkwardly.
Ryoji's face kept shifting between determination and hesitation, while Suzune stayed silent, clearly conflicted.
She was trying to figure out whether Xin was just trying to scare them, maybe to discourage them from coming along.
Shaking his head, Xin dropped his smile and spoke seriously: "I'm not joking, and I don't make jokes about things like this. This mission is extremely dangerous. Even Jonin can die easily on it. If you don't believe me, you're welcome to come along. Just don't expect me to guarantee how many of you will make it back."
"Uh, no thanks! We'll just wait here in the village for you, Captain," Aida Sui said, immediately backing down.
Uchiha Ryoji hung his head too.