Just as the trio were a few steps away from their previous location, a voice cut through from behind them.
"Oi! You three there."
It wasn't loud, but it carried that firm edge, enough to make people instinctively turn to listen.
Hideki and Sora halted first, both turning at the same time.
Murakami noticed this and stopped, exhaled through his nose. "…Of course they'd stop," he muttered under his breath, before slowly turning around like someone who already knew he wouldn't like what he was about to see.
Standing near the entrance of the Hokage Building was a Shinobi in his late twenties.
He wore standard Konoha flak gear, slightly loosened at the collar like he had just come off duty.
A short dark-green jacket, forehead protector tied neatly, and a posture that looked relaxed but still not careless.
His eyes were sharp in a way that didn't feel hostile… more like observant. The kind that noticed things before you even realized you were being looked at.
He had one hand raised slightly, as if he had just called out to them mid-step.
When he approached and saw them properly, his expression shifted into something more casual.
"…You three just gonna stand here staring at the building all day?" he asked, a faint amused smile forming.
Hideki blinked. "Uh…"
Sora frowned slightly. "We weren't—"
Murakami cut in quietly, mostly to himself. "…We were, actually."
Sora shot him a look immediately.
The Shinobi chuckled lightly, stepping a bit closer. "Relax, I'm not scolding you. Just curious."
His gaze moved over them briefly, then he tilted his head. "So… what's the reason? First time seeing the Hokage Building properly?" he asked, tone light but interrogative.
Hideki nodded a bit too fast. "Yes! I mean—yeah. We just became Genin today."
"Ahh," the Shinobi nodded knowingly. "Fresh graduates."
Sora crossed his arms. "We were just observing the village like sensei told us."
Murakami didn't say anything.
He just stood slightly behind the other two, already regretting that they had stopped at all.
The Shinobi's eyes flicked to Murakami last.
There was a brief pause, then he smiled a little more.
"…And you?" he asked. "You look like the type who didn't want to be here in the first place."
"Is it that obvious?" Murakami asked back.
The Shinobi gave a small, amused huff. "Little bit," he admitted.
Murakami sighed softly through his nose. "…Unfortunate."
Sora immediately turned his head. "Oi, what do you mean unfortunate?"
Murakami didn't look at him. "Exactly what it sounds like."
Hideki scratched his cheek awkwardly, glancing between them. "Uhh… should we even be talking like this in front of the Hokage Building?"
The Shinobi chuckled again, waving a hand lightly. "Relax, relax. You're not in trouble."
He stepped down one more step so he was closer to their eye level.
"I just saw three Genin standing outside the most important building in the village looking like they were waiting for instructions from the wind," he said casually. "So I got curious."
Sora frowned. "We weren't waiting for instructions from the wind…"
Murakami glanced at him briefly. "You were staring at it for a while."
Sora clicked his tongue. "That's not the same thing."
"It kind of is," Hideki muttered.
"See?" the Shinobi said, pointing lightly at Hideki like he had proven a point.
Hideki froze. "Wait, I didn't mean—"
The Shinobi raised a hand, laughing. "Alright, alright, I'm just messing with you."
Then his tone softened a little.
"So," he asked again, now more genuinely curious, "what's the real reason you were out here instead of going in?"
Sora hesitated this time.
Murakami answered first.
"We were mapping the village," he said simply.
The Shinobi blinked once. "Mapping?"
"Yes," Hideki jumped in quickly, relieved to have a clear answer. "Sensei told us to get familiar with important places in the village."
The Shinobi nodded slowly, glancing back at the building behind him.
"…That makes sense," he said. "Still, most Genin don't do it by standing in front of the Hokage Tower like it's a landmark on a sightseeing trip."
Murakami shrugged lightly. "It is a landmark."
That earned him another look.
Then the Shinobi smiled, this time a bit more genuine.
"You've got a point there," he said.
A brief pause followed.
Then he tilted his head slightly toward the entrance.
"Well, since you're already here… you planning to just admire it all day, or are you actually going to come in and finish your 'mapping' properly?"
Sora looked at Hideki.
Hideki looked at Murakami.
Murakami looked at the entrance.
"…Troublesome," he muttered under his breath.
But he didn't turn away. "Then we will trouble you to show us the way, senpai."
"Bwahaha." The Shinobi laughed out loud, clearly amused. "Senpai… I like the sound of that."
He wiped the corner of his eye like the title had genuinely brightened his day, then straightened a bit.
"Alright then," he said, a little more composed. "Name's Mitsuki. Chūnin. Since you've gone and called me senpai, I guess I've got a reputation to uphold."
He jerked his thumb toward the entrance. "Come on. I'll show you around."
Sora and Hideki exchanged a quick glance before following. Murakami stepped in behind them, his gaze sweeping the area once more before crossing the threshold.
The moment they entered, the atmosphere shifted.
Outside had been noisy, alive. Inside… Everything felt controlled.
Everyone moved with purpose, some carrying scrolls, others speaking in low tones, a few heading deeper into the building without sparing anyone a glance.
Hideki leaned slightly toward Sora. "Feels… different."
Sora nodded faintly. "…Yeah."
Mitsuki noticed but didn't comment. Instead, he gestured ahead as they walked.
"Front area's mostly admin," he explained. "Reports, paperwork, mission logs… boring stuff, but necessary."
Hideki grimaced. "We have to do paperwork too?"
Mitsuki gave him a look. "You want to get paid?"
"…I take it back. Paperwork is important."
Sora snorted under his breath.
They moved past a few rooms with Mitsuki occasionally pointing things out.
"Over there is the record room. Mission histories, ninja files. Not somewhere you wander into without permission," he said casually.
Murakami's eyes flicked toward it for half a second before moving on.
'Information hub.'
Noted.
"Upstairs is restricted," Mitsuki added. "Higher clearance. Don't worry about that for now."
They turned a corner, and the space opened up into a larger hall.
Several counters lined the far side, with shinobi standing in small groups. Some were handing over scrolls, others receiving them.
"This," Mitsuki said, stopping briefly, "is the mission center."
Hideki's eyes lit up immediately. "So this is where we get missions?"
"Yep."
Sora stepped forward slightly, observing the interactions more carefully. "…How does it work?"
Mitsuki crossed his arms. "Simple. Missions are ranked based on difficulty. D-rank, C-rank, B-rank, A-rank, and S-rank."
Hideki blinked. "That many?"
"Mm. As Genin, you'll mostly be doing D-rank missions."
Hideki's excitement dimmed a little. "…What kind of missions are those?"
Mitsuki shrugged. "Errands. Helping villagers. Finding lost pets. Cleaning. Stuff like that."
Hideki's face fell completely. "…Cleaning?"
Sora, on the other hand, didn't look disappointed. "…And C-rank?"
"Escort missions. Minor threats. Nothing too crazy," Mitsuki replied. "You don't touch B-rank and above without proper clearance. That's where things start getting dangerous."
Murakami listened quietly, his gaze drifting across the room, observing shinobi submitting and taking scrolls then leaving, others returning, some tired, some injured.
'So this is where everything begins,' he thought.
Mitsuki continued, unaware of his thoughts.
"You'll usually come here with your Jonin sensei. They'll take missions on your behalf until you're experienced enough."
Hideki scratched his head. "So we can't just pick what we want?"
Mitsuki laughed. "You think they'd let Genin choose missions freely? The village would be in chaos."
Sora nodded slowly. "…Makes sense."
Murakami's gaze shifted to a shinobi handing in a scroll, the faint smell of blood lingering as he passed.
'Order… built on risk,' he thought.
He exhaled lightly.
"…Efficient," he murmured under his breath.
Mitsuki glanced at him. "Something like that."
Then he pushed off the wall lightly.
"Alright," he said. "That's the important part for now. You'll be coming here a lot, so you'll get used to it."
Hideki looked around once more. "Yeah… I think I get it now, but when do we get to pick our own missions?"
Mitsuki gave a small shrug at Hideki's question.
"When do you get to pick your own missions?" he repeated. "Short answer? Not anytime soon."
Hideki's shoulders slumped. "…Seriously?"
Sora, on the other hand, leaned in. "So when does that change?"
Mitsuki folded his arms loosely. "When you're no longer Genin."
Hideki blinked. "So… Chunin?"
"Exactly."
He gestured toward the mission boards behind the counters. "As Genin, you don't choose. Your Jonin-sensei selects missions for the team based on your level. It keeps things… controlled."
Sora nodded slowly. "And to become Chunin?"
Mitsuki's expression shifted just a little, less casual now.
"You pass the Chunin Exams."
Hideki perked up again. "Oh! That thing they told us about at the academy?"
"Yeah, that 'thing'," Mitsuki said with a faint smirk. "It's not just a test. It's an evaluation. Multiple stages. Survival, teamwork, strategy… sometimes combat."
Hideki swallowed. "…Sometimes?"
Mitsuki didn't soften it. "You're being judged as a leader. Not just strength. Decision-making. Awareness. Whether people can trust you in the field."
Sora crossed his arms. "…So even if you're strong, that's not enough."
"Not even close," Mitsuki replied. "Plenty of strong Genin fail."
Murakami's gaze lowered slightly.
'Of course,' he thought. 'A system that promotes control wouldn't value strength alone. Especially a system built by Tobirama.'
Mitsuki continued.
"If you pass, you get promoted. As a Chunin, you can lead missions, choose from available ones within your rank, and take responsibility for a team."
Hideki's eyes lit up again. "That sounds way better than cleaning!"
Sora shot him a look. "You'd probably still mess it up."
"Hey—!"
Mitsuki chuckled lightly before his tone dipped just a bit.
"But don't rush it."
That got their attention again.
"Right now," he said, glancing briefly around the hall, "things aren't exactly… normal."
Sora's expression sharpened. "…Because of the war?"
Mitsuki nodded. "Because of the war."
Hideki shifted uncomfortably. "…What does that change?"
"A lot," Mitsuki answered simply. "Mission frequency goes up. Risk goes up. And promotions…" he paused briefly, "…can get faster."
Sora frowned. "Faster?"
"Battlefield promotions," Mitsuki said. "If you prove yourself out there, sometimes you don't need to wait for the exams."
Hideki's eyes widened. "That sounds… dangerous."
"It is."
There was no humor in Mitsuki's voice now.
"War doesn't wait for you to be ready," he continued. "If the village needs Chunin, it makes Chunin."
Murakami's eyes flicked up slightly. 'Naturally,' he thought. 'When it comes down to it, outcomes matter more than order.'
Sora seemed to be thinking along a similar line. "…And if you're not ready?"
Mitsuki met his gaze.
"Then you either grow fast… or you don't make it."
Silence followed that.
Even Hideki didn't have anything to say this time.
Murakami's thoughts settled quietly.
'A ranking system in peace. A filter in war.'
He exhaled softly.
"…I see."
Mitsuki glanced at him briefly, then nodded once like he understood what wasn't being seen.
Then, just as quickly, his tone lightened again.
"But that's not something you need to worry about today," he said. "For now, you're Genin. Learn the basics. Survive your missions. Don't do anything stupid."
Hideki raised a hand slightly. "…What counts as stupid?"
Sora answered immediately. "You, most of the time."
"Oi—!"
Mitsuki laughed, shaking his head then began walking back.
"…You'll figure it out."
Murakami said nothing.
But his gaze lingered on the mission center just a moment longer before turning away to follow.