[1 Month Time Skip, They all are now chunnin level, also Raito now knows Body Flicker Jutsu and Great breakthrough, and Fireball]
"Are you three ready?"
Sengoku's tone was composed, but his eyes betrayed excitement. This was his first official mission as a squad leader, and he had personally petitioned Hiruzen to skip the trivial cat-chasing nonsense. Their very first mission was B-rank.
The trio followed him into the Hokage building.
"Normally," Sengoku explained while gesturing toward the wooden counter lined with mission scrolls, "you'd collect assignments from the mission counter."
He paused, allowing anticipation to build.
"But since this is your debut, Lord Third will be assigning your mission personally."
He waited for the respectful awe that a normal group of genin would show.
Only Raito lifted his eyebrows in apparent admiration, which Sengoku immediately recognized as performed courtesy.
Kuro shrugged. "Doesn't really matter who hands us the scroll. Work's the same."
"Agreed," Ryuma added simply.
Sengoku stared at them. Cold-hearted little brats…
But after a month of training them, he'd come to expect nothing less.
They entered the Hokage's office and offered a slight bow.
"Oh ho!" Hiruzen chuckled, smiling behind his pipe. "The future of Konoha is so remarkably polite! It's heartwarming."
Of course, he saw through them immediately. He let it slide.
"So then," Hiruzen said casually, shuffling through mission forms he had clearly already reviewed, "what assignment would be appropriate for this fine young team?"
He's stalling for no reason, Sengoku thought.
Did he not prepare beforehand? Unprofessional. Ryuma's mental critique echoed.
"Ah, here we are," Hiruzen said at last, clearing his throat. "Your mission is to clean the dog—"
The children's horrified expressions cut him off.
Hiruzen burst into laughter. "Relax. Just teasing."
Sengoku didn't even blink.
The Hokage's smile faded, replaced by seriousness.
"Team 2, you are tasked with a Bandit Extermination Unit Mission. Your destination is the border region near the Land of Grass. Locate the bandit encampment, eliminate all hostiles, and dismantle their operations entirely."
The trio exchanged glances.
Now that's more like it, Sengoku thought, lips tugging into the faintest grin.
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"So," Sengoku asked, glancing at the three of them as they waited by the village gate, "I trust you've all packed your bags?"
"Yeah," they replied in unison.
"Good. Considering the mission site and the objective, total extermination—this trip will likely take a week, maybe two. So make sure your parents are informed."
Silence.
Sengoku blinked.
The trio just stared at him.
Right… they don't have any. He cleared his throat.
"Well, Ryuma, at least you have a brother. You can let him know, right?"
"No." Ryuma's tone was flat. "He's with the Anbu."
Sengoku exhaled through his nose and gave a short nod, followed by an involuntary chuckle.
Kuro glanced between them, confused. "Did I miss the joke?"
Ryuma answered blandly, "Most Anbu operatives are undergoing post-mission rehabilitation right now. My brother included."
Kuro blinked. "So… he's like… clinically insane?"
"Yes."
There was no outrage. No discomfort. Just Ryuma, acknowledging a fact.
Sengoku stared at the boy for a moment longer and then sighed inwardly.
These kids, he thought, are either going to become legends or irreparably break something.
Probably both.
_________________________________________________________________________
Inside the Hokage's Office
"Hiruzen, I'm telling you, I want the boy." Danzo's gaze was cold and unflinching.
"And I'm telling you, Danzo," Hiruzen replied firmly, "you're not getting Raito. I've already said it, once Team 2's genin pass the Chūnin Exams, you can have Ryuma. I'll even give you the two Uchiha kids." His eyes hardened. "But I won't hand over Raito."
Danzo's expression darkened. "That child commands shadows. No one understands shadows better than I do. I am Konoha's darkness, and all shadows submit to darkness."
Hiruzen stared at him for a moment.
Dear gods, that was awful, he mused inwardly. Does he rehearse these lines?
Danzo leaned forward, voice low. "Don't forget, Hiruzen. You and I are bound by this. The Uchiha can only be taken down if we act together."
"I don't care," Hiruzen cut him off sharply. Then, with a confident smirk, he added, "And don't forget,"
He leaned back in his chair.
"I am the Hokage."
Danzo's jaw tightened. He knew exactly what that meant. Hiruzen wasn't just reminding him of the chain of command, he was establishing dominance. Danzo would take the fall if anything went wrong. That was their unspoken arrangement.
And beneath all the schemes and shadowplay, there was one undeniable truth:
In the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi was the Hokage.
As Danzo turned and silently left the office, Hiruzen's eyes narrowed in thought.
That boy... his ability to manipulate shadows independently, to summon creatures from within them, it's too unique, too valuable. I won't let it be swallowed by the darkness you claim to control, Danzo Shimura.
____________________________________________________________________
"Alright," Sengoku began, his tone calm but focused as they moved through the forest with perfectly synchronized steps, "let me explain the mission thoroughly while we travel."
The trio followed just behind him, attentive.
"We're heading toward the border near the Land of Grass," he said, unrolling a map mid-stride with practiced ease. He pointed to a marked location. "Reports indicate repeated bandit raids on a nearby village. Our objective is complete extermination of the threat."
"Journey time?" Ryuma asked.
"Approximately four days if we pace ourselves and rest accordingly," Sengoku replied.
"Four days?" Kuro frowned. "Can't we just body flicker there, sensei?"
Sengoku halted abruptly and turned back to them. His easy-going expression vanished, replaced by a hardened gaze, stern, commanding.
"No." His voice was edged with steel. "If we're ambushed en route after continuously body flickering, we'll be exhausted. Combat readiness is paramount. Never compromise your ability to fight."
"It's just bandits," Kuro muttered, confused. "Why would anyone ambush a squad of genin?"
His logic wasn't wrong, just incomplete.
They weren't just any genin.
They were his genin.
Their instructor was an elite jōnin whose reputation reverberated across the ninja world.
Flame Sword Sengoku of Konoha.
A man with a bounty exceeding ten million ryō.
He was the prize.
Sengoku's sternness softened as he placed a hand on Kuro's head, ruffling his hair with a casual smile. "Just trust me on this, okay?"
Kuro recoiled instantly, scrunching his face in disgust. "Sensei… that's some straight-up predatory behavior."
Without hesitation, Sengoku's palm met the back of Kuro's head with a sharp smack.
Raito and Ryuma couldn't help themselves, they burst into laughter.
In that brief moment, amidst the seriousness of their mission, the forest echoed with camaraderie.
_____________________________________________________________________________
They dashed through the dense woodlands, silent and swift. In just two hours, they had crossed the Land of Fire's border.
Sengoku slowed to a halt, his expression suddenly more vigilant.
"This is the frontier. Tread carefully," he warned. "The shinobi around here are not only weak, but unreliable."
Ryuma glanced at his teammates. "My brother used to say something in ANBU training: 'Konoha is part of the Land of Fire, not the other way around. They're not obligated to protect us. We're obligated to protect them.'"
'Poetic,' Raito mused inwardly.
Kuro clicked his tongue in disdain. "Idiotic. Any hierarchy not built on raw strength and strategic ties is meaningless."
Raito smirked. "Bold talk for someone who never backs it up."
Kuro side-eyed him. "You got something to say?"
"Yeah," Raito replied coolly. "But I'd rather not humiliate you right now."
Kuro stepped forward, fists clenched—
"Quit it, Kuro." Sengoku's voice cut through the tension as he grabbed the boy by the collar mid-swing.
Raito chuckled as Kuro was restrained. "What's the matter? Can't move without permission now?"
Without missing a beat, Sengoku smacked Raito on the back of the head.
"Ow!" Raito rubbed the spot in annoyance.
"No more talking between you two for the rest of the journey." Sengoku's tone brooked no argument.
Ryuma spoke up gently, redirecting the mood. "Sensei, let's take a break here. Rest, eat, and then push to the village by nightfall."
They made their way to a small inn in Fire Capital, seated comfortably around a low wooden table moments later.
Raito raised an eyebrow at Ryuma. "Didn't expect you to know people here."
Ryuma had just secured them a sizable discount with a few quiet words.
"During the Third Great Ninja War," Ryuma explained, "my brother saved the innkeeper. I visited often when I was younger. He… exploited their gratitude extensively. Never paid once."
They didn't dine for free, but it was still a welcome indulgence.
At the head of the table, Sengoku sipped his tea with narrowed eyes.
I saved lives during the war too. Where's my discount? All I got was a bounty… he brooded enviously.