The eldest daughter of the Hyūga clan was simply too kind-hearted.
Just a few words, and she had completely leaned to the opposite side.
This made Kurenai feel even more helpless deep in her heart.
"Yeah, yeah, Kurenai-sensei, that bandaged guy—Momochi Zabuza—has already retreated. He probably gave up on the mission for now. There shouldn't be much danger next. We should be able to continue carrying out this mission, right? Don't you think so, Akamaru?"
Inuzuka Kiba patted his chest confidently and spoke loudly.
"Woof! Woof woof!"
The small white dog lying on Kiba's head, Akamaru, immediately responded enthusiastically, echoing his master's words.
"If the ninja abandon the mission midway, it wouldn't be very good for us either."
Aburame Shino, standing nearby with his hands in his pockets, spoke calmly and evenly.
The words spoken by these three inexperienced genin—
Could not really be called wrong.
From the perspective of ordinary people,
This choice was undoubtedly "just."
It could even be said to align well with the so-called "Will of Fire."
However, from the standpoint of a ninja,
This was a disregard for established rules,
And also a form of irresponsibility toward oneself.
But this was precisely the表现 of newly graduated genin who lacked experience. They had never witnessed the true darkness of the ninja world, nor did they understand the cruelty hidden behind mission classifications. Relying only on the limited worldview they had formed over the past twelve years, they made what they believed to be the correct judgment. And in truth, one could not truly blame them. After all, judged purely from the perspective of human kindness, this was the most "correct" choice.
It was just that this kind of kindness came at the cost of ignoring one's own safety.
Clearly, Kurenai herself possessed this same flaw.
Especially after hearing the pleading words of her three students, the hesitation on her face deepened further. She could only turn her gaze toward Hatake Kakashi beside her, seeking his opinion.
Because Kurenai understood very well—
Setting aside the option of abandoning the mission, if Team Eight truly chose to continue, Kakashi's assistance would be indispensable. No one could guarantee that Zabuza would not return. And even if this mission were abandoned, as long as Gatō was willing to pay enough, he might still hire a shinobi of comparable strength.
If that happened—
Once Kakashi withdrew, only Kurenai would remain to lead Team Eight alone.
The outcome would truly be disastrous.
Faced with such hesitation and concern,
Kurenai naturally depended on Kakashi's stance.
And sensing her inquiry,
Kakashi immediately understood. Looking at the scene before him, he raised his eyebrows slightly. His expression remained calm, but inwardly he felt a hint of helplessness.
Strictly speaking, this mission had nothing to do with him.
His assistance was purely based on Konoha's general standards and prudence.
Of course, the identities of the members of Team Eight were special, and Kurenai herself was also no ordinary jōnin. Kakashi was well aware that Kurenai was an elite genjutsu specialist and one of the more promising jōnin in the village, as well as a close companion of Sarutobi Asuma.
Still, Kakashi believed that withdrawing from the mission was the most rational choice.
But looking at everyone in Team Eight—
Including Kurenai herself—
It was obvious they all hoped to continue.
After a moment of silent consideration, Kakashi nodded subtly.
This small gesture immediately caused Kurenai to let out a quiet sigh of relief.
If Kakashi was willing to continue assisting, then the pressure on her would be greatly reduced. To be honest, when the Third Hokage promoted her to jōnin not long ago, Kurenai had felt a quiet sense of pride. Throughout the ninja world, truly famous female shinobi were extremely rare. One could count them on one hand.
In Konoha's history, only two truly stood at the pinnacle.
The first was Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the First Hokage and the first jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.
The second was Senju Tsunade, the legendary Sannin, disciple of the Third Hokage, and granddaughter of the First Hokage.
Beyond them—
Female ninja in Konoha rarely possessed comparable renown in the broader ninja world.
Even Kushina Uzumaki, though also a jinchūriki and the wife of the Fourth Hokage, did not achieve the same level of international reputation as Mito.
This situation was not unique to Konoha.
The same was true across all ninja villages.
Since ancient times,
The ninja world had been dominated by men.
That Kurenai could rise to the rank of jōnin was already proof of her talent and effort.
And though she appeared gentle and humble on the surface, deep down she also wished to become a kunoichi whose name would one day be remembered alongside Tsunade's.
Yet reality had struck her quickly.
Her very first C-rank mission as a team leader—
Had nearly turned into a disaster because of Zabuza.
Her strength was still far from sufficient for true high-risk missions.
If not for Kakashi's intervention, she knew very well that she might have already fallen in that battle. Even with her genjutsu, she had been completely suppressed by Zabuza's killing intent, unable to mount any effective resistance.
Pride.
Reason.
Fear.
Responsibility.
All these emotions tangled together in her heart.
She did not want to abandon the first mission she had ever led.
Yet she also understood that this task was beyond what her team should reasonably handle.
Still, seeing Kakashi's willingness to help,
Kurenai finally relaxed inwardly.
"…If we fail to complete the mission, it will indeed affect our team's evaluation. After all, this is also the first C-rank mission of Team Eight. In that case, we will continue the mission and protect you until the bridge is completed."
Kurenai turned toward Dazna, who was looking at her eagerly, and let out a helpless sigh, as if reluctantly agreeing.
"That's wonderful! Thank you so much, ninja-sama!"
To Dazna, Kurenai's words sounded like heavenly music.
His joy was genuine, with no hint of pretense.
After witnessing the battle earlier, Dazna understood very clearly—
Without protection, let alone finishing the bridge,
He might not even survive the journey home.
Even if he did not fully grasp how powerful Zabuza truly was,
He knew one thing for certain—
Such people could kill him as easily as crushing an ant.
Now that Konoha's ninja were willing to continue protecting him,
There was no longer anything to fear.
The bridge would definitely be completed.
As long as that goal was achieved—
Even death would hold no regrets.
For Dazna, this bridge was his life's obsession, his ultimate purpose, and the one thing he had to accomplish no matter the cost.
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