Morning sunlight spread across the Ancient Masters Village as the day began. The streets were already busy with villagers opening shops, merchants preparing goods, and ninjas moving through the village on their daily duties.
Inside the Junior Ninja Residence, Kaelen woke up in his new room. For a moment, he simply lay in bed, thinking about everything that had happened during the past few days.
The academy was over.
The exams had ended.
Now he was officially an E-Rank ninja of the Ancient Masters Village.
Today would be the day of his first mission.
Kaelen stood up and got dressed in his new ninja uniform. The dark fabric felt light and comfortable, designed for movement during missions.
He looked at the small wooden badge he had received yesterday.
The symbol of the Ancient Masters Village was carved into it.
This badge marked the beginning of his journey.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
"Kaelen! Are you ready?"
It was Allan.
Kaelen opened the door and smiled.
"All set."
Allan looked excited.
"Everyone is already heading to the mission board. If we're late, all the missions will be taken."
The two quickly left the residence building and walked toward the Village Administration Hall.
When they arrived, the courtyard was already filled with students who had passed the exam. The ten teams stood in front of a large wooden board attached to the wall.
Several scrolls were pinned to it.
This was the Mission Board.
Standing beside it was Administrator Helron, along with several supervising ninjas.
When everyone had gathered, Helron raised his hand for silence.
"These scrolls contain the first missions available for new E-Rank ninjas," he announced.
"Each mission was requested by villagers who need help."
He pointed at the board.
"You may select one mission for your squad."
"But remember this rule."
His voice became serious.
"Only one squad may take a mission."
The students immediately stepped closer to read the scrolls.
Kaelen and Allan began reading the missions carefully.
Most of them were simple tasks:
Deliver supplies to a nearby farming settlement
Guard a merchant caravan traveling to the western road
Assist villagers with repairing irrigation systems
Investigate strange noises reported near the eastern forest
Allan scratched his head.
"These missions seem pretty simple."
"That's normal for E-Rank," Kaelen replied.
Nearby, other ninjas were already selecting missions.
Ryuzen confidently grabbed a scroll involving patrol duty near the western road.
Darek stood beside him with a satisfied smile.
Kaito was reading another scroll carefully when Taro suddenly walked over.
"Hey," Taro said. "Looks like this mission needs four people."
Kaito looked up.
The scroll in his hand read:
Investigation Request – Eastern Forest
According to the report, several villagers had heard strange noises coming from the forest during the night. Some livestock had also disappeared.
"It's probably wild animals," Taro said.
Kaelen stepped closer and read the mission details.
The eastern forest…
He remembered noticing that forest when he first came to the academy.
Something about it had always seemed mysterious.
Allan looked at Kaelen.
"What do you think?"
Kaelen thought for a moment before answering.
"This mission requires four ninjas."
Taro crossed his arms.
"So? Let's do it together."
Kaito nodded calmly.
"I don't mind."
Helron noticed their discussion and walked over.
"Have you chosen your mission?"
Kaelen held up the scroll.
"Yes, sir."
Helron examined it and nodded.
"Very well."
He wrote their names on the mission record.
Squad – Kaelen, Allan, Taro, Kaito
"Your mission is to investigate the Eastern Forest and confirm whether there is any danger."
"Return before sunset and report your findings."
The four nodded.
"Yes, sir."
After receiving the mission approval, they left the administration courtyard and walked toward the village gate.
Taro stretched his arms confidently.
"Finally, our first mission."
Allan smiled.
"I'm curious about that forest."
Kaito walked quietly beside them, observing everything carefully.
Kaelen looked at the mission scroll again.
Investigation missions sounded simple…
But sometimes even simple missions could hide unexpected problems.
Soon they reached the main gate of the village.
Two C-Rank ninjas guarded the entrance.
After checking their mission scroll, the guards opened the large wooden gate.
"Be careful," one of them said.
The four ninjas stepped outside the village.
Ahead of them stood the Eastern Forest.
Tall trees stretched high into the sky, their branches forming a thick canopy that blocked much of the sunlight. The forest looked quiet… almost too quiet.
A cool wind moved through the leaves.
The narrow path leading into the forest disappeared into the shadows.
Taro cracked his knuckles.
"Looks peaceful enough."
Kaito shook his head slightly.
"Forests are never that simple."
Kaelen stepped forward.
"Stay alert."
The four slowly walked into the forest.
As they moved deeper among the trees, the sounds of the village slowly disappeared behind them.
After about thirty minutes of walking, Allan suddenly stopped.
"Wait."
Everyone turned toward him.
"What is it?" Kaelen asked.
Allan pointed toward the ground.
There were large footprints pressed into the soil.
Taro crouched down to examine them.
"These aren't human," he said.
Kaito looked at the nearby trees.
Several of them had deep claw marks carved into the bark.
The marks were fresh.
Kaelen's expression became serious.
"Something big passed through here."
The group continued following the tracks deeper into the forest.
The air felt strangely quiet.
There were no birds.
No insects.
Just the sound of the wind moving through the trees.
After a while, they reached a small clearing.
In the center of the clearing stood something unexpected.
A broken wooden cart.
Pieces of wood were scattered across the ground. Several sacks had been torn open, and their contents were spilled everywhere.
It looked like a merchant cart that had been attacked.
Taro looked around carefully.
"Whatever did this… it's strong."
Kaito knelt down near one of the broken wheels.
"This damage wasn't caused by normal animals."
Kaelen slowly drew his sword.
His instincts told him something was wrong.
Somewhere nearby, something moved quietly among the trees.
The forest had become completely silent.
And the four young ninjas had just stepped into their first real danger.
If you like Kaelen's journey, please add this story to your library. Your support helps me continue!"