The morning sun had just risen over the Ancient Masters Village when Kaelen and the other young ninjas arrived at the mission hall. It was a large wooden building near the center of the village where E-rank ninjas received their first assignments.
Inside the hall, many newly promoted ninjas stood in line, waiting to receive their missions.
Kaelen stood beside Allan, Taro, and Kaito. This was their first mission together, and all of them felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
A village officer walked toward them holding a scroll.
"Team Four," he said.
Kaelen stepped forward and accepted the scroll respectfully.
"This is your mission," the officer explained. "Several villagers living near the eastern forest have reported a problem. A wild animal has been damaging supply carts and frightening the farmers. Your task is simple: investigate the area and make sure the villagers are safe."
Taro grinned.
"So basically, we chase away a wild animal."
The officer nodded.
"This is an E-rank mission, so it should not be dangerous. But remember, you are still ninjas of the village. Complete the mission properly."
The four of them nodded.
"Yes, sir."
With the scroll in hand, the group left the mission hall and began walking toward the eastern side of the village.
Meeting the Villagers
After about thirty minutes of walking, they reached a small farming area near the edge of the forest.
Several villagers were waiting anxiously beside a wooden fence.
When they saw the young ninjas approaching, relief appeared on their faces.
"You must be the ninjas sent from the village," an elderly farmer said.
Kaelen nodded politely.
"Yes. We came to investigate the problem."
The farmer pointed toward the forest.
"For the past few days, something has been attacking our supply carts at night. It also scared our livestock."
Another villager added,
"We haven't been able to enter the forest safely. We think it might be a large wolf or something similar."
Allan looked toward the forest calmly.
"We'll check it."
The villagers bowed gratefully.
"Thank you. Please be careful."
Investigating the Forest
The four young ninjas entered the forest slowly.
Sunlight passed through the tall trees, and the air felt cooler inside.
Kaelen walked in front while the others followed behind.
Kaito was the first to notice something on the ground.
"Look."
He pointed toward the soil.
There were large claw marks and broken branches.
"Something big passed through here," he said.
Taro cracked his knuckles with excitement.
"Good. That means we're close."
They followed the trail deeper into the forest.
Soon they reached a small clearing.
In the center of the clearing was a broken wooden cart.
Sacks of grain were scattered everywhere.
Allan crouched down and examined the damage.
"This must be the supply cart the villagers mentioned."
Taro pointed at the deep scratches on the wood.
"These claw marks are huge."
Suddenly, a low growling sound echoed from behind the trees.
The four ninjas instantly became alert.
"There it is," Kaelen said quietly.
From between the trees, a large wild wolf stepped into the clearing.
It was much bigger than a normal wolf, and its sharp teeth were clearly visible.
The animal growled again, protecting its territory.
Taro smiled.
"So this is the troublemaker."
The Fight
The wolf suddenly charged forward.
"Move!" Kaelen shouted.
The group quickly spread out.
The wolf jumped toward Allan first.
Allan reacted quickly.
"Water Style!"
He formed a quick hand sign and released a stream of water that hit the wolf, slowing it down.
Taro used the opportunity and rushed forward.
With a powerful punch, he struck the wolf's side.
The animal stumbled but quickly recovered.
Kaito stepped forward next.
"Wind Slash!"
A sharp gust of wind struck the wolf, pushing it backward.
The wolf growled loudly and tried to attack again.
Kaelen stepped forward calmly.
"Hold it for a moment," he said.
Taro grabbed the wolf's attention by jumping in front of it again.
"Come here!"
The wolf lunged at him.
At that exact moment, Kaelen drew his sword.
A faint spark of energy ran along the blade.
With one swift movement, he dashed forward and struck the wolf with the flat side of his sword.
The impact knocked the wolf down onto the ground.
The animal struggled for a moment but soon stopped moving, clearly defeated.
The forest became quiet again.
Mission Success
Allan exhaled in relief.
"That should take care of the problem."
Kaito nodded.
"The villagers will finally be able to work safely again."
Taro stretched his arms.
"That was easier than I expected."
Kaelen looked at the defeated wolf.
"It was still a good experience. This was our first mission."
The four ninjas left the forest and returned to the farming area.
The villagers were still waiting anxiously.
When they saw the young ninjas returning safely, they rushed forward.
"Did you find the creature?" the farmer asked.
Kaelen nodded.
"Yes. It was a large wolf causing the trouble. We have already dealt with it."
The villagers sighed with relief.
"Thank you! Our livestock will finally be safe."
Another villager bowed gratefully.
"We really appreciate your help."
Allan smiled kindly.
"It was our duty."
Returning to the Village
After confirming everything was safe, the four ninjas began their walk back to the Ancient Masters Village.
The large wooden gates soon appeared in the distance.
Taro looked satisfied.
"So that's our first mission completed."
Kaito nodded.
"It went smoothly."
Allan looked at Kaelen.
"How do you feel?"
Kaelen smiled slightly.
"It feels good."
Completing their first mission made him realize something important.
He had truly taken his first step as a real ninja.
As they entered the village and headed toward the mission hall to report their success, the four young ninjas felt more confident than before.
Many more missions would come in the future.
But this simple E-rank mission would always remain special.
It was the mission where their journey as ninjas truly began.
If you like Kaelen's journey, please add this story to your library. Your support helps me continue!"