"Well, what do we do now?" Genma asked as we finally gathered at the Hokage Tower.
"You guys got the letter too?" I asked, glancing from one to the other.
"Yeah," he nodded.
"Yes," Guy confirmed, pulling a neatly folded note from the pocket of his vest.
The letter was brief, but the message was clear: our sensei, Choza, had been sent on an urgent mission and would be gone for about a week. It also mentioned that genin teams without a teacher could take on D-rank missions independently, provided all members were present and the reporting protocol was followed.
That didn't seem entirely right to me. I hadn't expected to be coddled, but being left without a mentor on the second day of forming a team felt odd. Especially since just yesterday he had confidently said he was responsible for us… But then again, there's a war on. Maybe having a teacher around every day is a luxury right now.
"Looks like we'll have to handle D-rank missions ourselves," Genma concluded, putting the letter away.
"Let's go then. We figured out the process yesterday," I said and took the lead toward the assignment center.
This time, everything went much quicker. We already knew the steps: registration, team confirmation, and mission selection.
"Good morning," the duty genin said without looking up from his scrolls.
"Good morning," we replied almost in unison.
At that, he finally looked up at us, gave a quick once-over, and nodded.
"D-rank missions are over here." He pointed to a large shelf lined with scrolls in wooden slots.
I glanced at the shelf, then back at him.
He was a lot more polite yesterday, I thought. Picked out a few scrolls himself and handed them to our sensei. Now? Didn't even get up…
Whatever. I can manage.
We walked up to the shelf. There were a lot of scrolls — from cleaning jobs to delivery tasks. I started flipping through them, trying to find something not too tedious but not completely pointless either.
While I was browsing, Guy came over, glowing with enthusiasm.
"This one's perfect! Cleaning the First Hokage's monument. Great training for strength and stamina! We'll polish it until it shines like the day it was placed!"
I smirked without even looking.
"Guy… there are three tiers of stairs, it's hot, there are pigeons, and the stone doesn't wash clean."
Genma, after digging around a bit longer, pulled out another scroll and tossed it to me.
"Delivery of medical supplies to the hospital. Simple route, fast, quiet. And in the shade, by the way."
Then it was my turn:
"A mission to carry crates of training weapons from the village gates to the equipment shop. Says the caravan arrived early and they urgently need help."
Genma raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, good load. Not boring, and useful."
"What do you guys say?" I looked at them.
"I'm all in for the Hokage!" Guy said fervently.
"I vote for the medicine," Genma yawned.
"Then I'm for the weapons," I shrugged. "Obvious choice: draw lots again."
We exchanged glances. I pulled out a coin.
"Heads — weapons. Tails — medicine. If it lands on its edge — we do Guy's monument job."
The coin flipped into the air.
All three of us watched it like the fate of the world depended on it. It landed in my palm. I opened it — heads.
As you might've guessed, Guy never stood a chance.
A cart was already waiting by the village gates, loaded with long wooden crates. Next to it stood a bored-looking ninja from the transport corps — judging by his expression, he'd been waiting for us a while.
"Oh, finally," he said with relief when he saw the forehead protectors. "Thought I'd have to unload everything myself again. You're here for the weapon transport mission?"
"Yeah," I confirmed, handing him the scroll. "Team Four, covering for our sensei. We're taking over."
He glanced briefly at the paper, nodded, and pointed at the crates.
"All training gear. Wooden swords, spears, training kunai and shuriken. The equipment shop is in the eastern quarter, near the arena. Take them there and check in with the clerk named Tadashi. Be careful — some of the gear is non-standard."
"Got it," Genma replied and climbed into the cart. "Let's split it evenly."
Each of us grabbed a crate. They weren't heavy, just awkward — long, rough, no handles. I slung mine over my shoulder and followed the others.
"Heh, you know," Guy said, walking ahead, "even in simple missions like this, there's meaning. You're not just carrying wood — you're carrying the strength of future shinobi!"
"Right now I'm just carrying a splinter in my shoulder," I muttered, adjusting the crate. "But thanks for the pep talk."
We walked in silence for about half the way. The heat was starting to rise, our shoulders ached from the load, but our spirits were still decent — the mission was boring, sure, but easy.
A short, grey-haired shinobi met us at the shop — must've been Tadashi. He gave a curt nod, checked the scroll, then carefully opened each crate to match the contents with the list.
"All here. Thanks for the help. Sign here," he said, handing over the mission record.
I took the brush, signed it, and he rolled up the paper.
"Confirmation of completion will be sent to the mission center."
With that, he gave a short bow and disappeared into the shop. We exchanged glances and headed back.
"So, another one?" I asked, stretching.
"Why not," Genma shrugged. "Still daylight. We can squeeze in a couple more."
Guy nodded in agreement, and we headed back to the mission hall. The next one wasn't hard — helping sort supplies at a warehouse, and then walking an aggressive dog belonging to a Yamanaka elder.
"That was weird," Guy commented, wiping dog drool from his cheek. "He licked me. Five times."
"Good thing he only licked," Genma smirked. "I thought he'd bite off my hand when I tried to put the leash on."
We wrapped up the third mission without any trouble as well. When we returned to the assignment desk and submitted our report, we were handed our payment slips. For three missions, we each earned 8,000 ryō — not a bad result.
"Hey, Kotetsu, you didn't forget you owe us a treat, did you?" Genma's eyes gleamed as he elbowed me.
"Ah, right!" Guy jumped in, clearly waiting for this moment.
"Damn… you remembered," I scratched my head, chuckling. "But I did promise, so bailing now would be lame."
Honestly, I didn't mind grabbing something hot either — after running all over the village and walking battle dogs.
"Alright, let's go," I waved. "But no fancy desserts this time, Genma. I know your tricks."
"Me? I'm the picture of modesty!" he said innocently, already checking his wallet.
We turned toward one of the favorite genin spots — a small street noodle stand tucked between a scroll shop and an old weapons store. The air smelled of broth, sesame, and fried garlic — like they served real heroes here.
"Three miso udons with fried dumplings!" Guy called cheerfully, not even waiting for us.
"Add tea," Genma muttered, already settling on a low bench at the counter.
"No spice for me," I added.
The owner — an old man with a forehead protector and a cigarette always in his mouth — nodded silently, and within minutes steaming bowls were in front of us. We ate quietly, slurping the noodles — the fatigue from the day's work starting to melt away, our stomachs grateful.
"Hey, how about we do some team training after we eat?" I suggested, finishing my tea. "Missions are done for today, and next time we might get something harder. Better be ready."
"I was planning to train on my own anyway," Genma said, finishing his broth.
"I'm in," Guy shrugged, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
"Come on, Genma, don't be the only one skipping," I grinned, standing up.
"Fine, fine. But I'm warning you — if I wipe the floor with you two, you owe me dinner next."
"If you do — you got it," I waved him off. "But you gotta beat us first."
We stepped out of the diner and made our way to Training Ground Six…