After that brief run-in with Might Duy, Uchiha Kagami continued leading the two Genin through the mission board.
The tasks suited for freshly graduated Genin—some familiar, some completely new—were all listed on the notice board in front of them.
"Babysitting for nobles, cleaning out the sewers in Konoha's eastern district, finding the Daimyō's wife's lost cat, harvesting crops…"
The missions were neatly arranged, each with its reward clearly listed underneath.
"Since this is our first official mission, let's go with cleaning the sewers in the eastern district of Konoha!"
[D-Rank Mission: Clean the Eastern Sewer of Konoha]The drainage outlet in Konoha's eastern sewer system is clogged with a large amount of trash. If left unchecked, it could paralyze the entire system. Please remove all obstructions to restore proper water flow.—Issued by the Hokage's Office
Kagami's plan was simple: start with something to familiarize them with the mission process, then gradually introduce them to tasks involving interactions with strangers. Step by step, they'd gain experience, building toward more advanced missions.
Neither Uchiha Kaien nor Namikaze Minato had any objections. Both were freshly minted Genin, while Kagami held the title of Jōnin. Since they were now a team, they'd follow the rules of the ninja squads.
Subordinates didn't question their commanding officer—that was just basic discipline.
Work was work. Life was life. The two had to be kept separate.
To Kaien, this mission system felt a lot like the adventurer guild setups he'd seen in games—accept quests, complete them, collect the rewards. From that perspective, this was actually kind of fun.
And if there was a mission he didn't like? Just dump it on Minato. With that guy's ridiculous talent, even without Kaien's help, he'd still complete the job beautifully.
...
"Water Style: Water Tornado!"
Kaien raised one hand, unleashing a Water Style jutsu. The dirty, grimy water pooled at the sewer's outflow point surged forward, sucked entirely into the spinning vortex before them—trash and all.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Right behind him, Minato followed up with a Wind Style jutsu, scattering the trash Kaien had gathered.
As long as Kaien kept the water tornado strong enough to withstand the gusts, the trash would get pushed out by the wind's resistance, dispersing cleanly—leaving only the spinning water vortex behind.
That was the plan they'd come up with for cleaning the sewer.
Kaien, who had a mild obsession with cleanliness, had absolutely no intention of touching that foul water himself. In fact, even now, the jutsu was being cast by one of his shadow clones.
What might've been a grueling task for average Genin wasn't even close to a challenge for monsters like Kaien and Minato.
How many fresh Genin could sustain such large-scale jutsu? And with this kind of coordination?
Even Kagami, watching from the sidelines, twitched at the corner of his mouth. He really should've expected this. There was no way Kaien would get his hands dirty himself—but honestly, it didn't matter. As long as the job got done properly, the method didn't matter.
One of the key principles in the ninja handbook:Complete missions as efficiently as possible to maintain your own combat readiness.
And on top of that, it was great ninjutsu practice. A win-win in Kagami's book. He was never one to follow rules rigidly.
The trash, now completely dislodged and swept to the side, was gathered in a pile. Kaien dispelled his shadow clone, then casually opened his mouth, releasing a small but intense fireball.
With a whoosh, it ignited the pile.
Another gust of wind swept through, and the trash vanished—reduced to drifting ash in the air.
...
[D-Rank Mission: Granny Zamura wants to plant two peach trees in her yard. However, she's grown too old to do it herself, so she's issued a request for help. These trees seem to carry special meaning for her…
Mission Objective: Help Granny Zamura plant two peach trees in her garden.—Issued by Granny Zamura]
"Alright, let's go with this one next."
Kagami grabbed another mission slip and waved it at Kaien and Minato.
He'd chosen this one very deliberately.
He already knew Kaien's chakra nature: water, fire, wind, and lightning—but no earth. Same with Minato: wind, fire, lightning, no earth.
Which made this the perfect time to dig some holes—with no chakra allowed.
It was the best way to train their physical fundamentals.
While accepting the mission, Kagami also submitted the last one and received the payout.
"Here. Your reward from the previous mission—five thousand ryō. Half each."
Since the next mission was going to be a bit more physically demanding, it was a good idea to give them a bit of motivation first. Nothing killed a kid's enthusiasm faster than boredom and repetition.
"Wait, Kagami-sensei… aren't squad leaders supposed to split the reward too?"
Minato, ever the observant one, noticed something strange—the mission had only paid out five thousand ryō, and Kagami had handed it all to them.
"Oh, that?" Kagami smiled. "Sensei's doing just fine financially. A little mission money doesn't mean much to me. Go get yourselves something good to eat. You're still growing, after all."
Kagami wasn't fussed about money. He had more than enough. No reason to split pennies with a couple of kids.
"Thank you very much."
Minato bowed politely and didn't say another word, silently resolving to repay Kagami someday.
Kaien, on the other hand, casually pocketed the money. Two and a half thousand ryō—just enough to cover a single herbal soak. Compared to his own fortune, it was basically nothing.
Soon, the three of them arrived at their next mission site—Granny Zamura's home.
That's when Kagami dropped the bomb:
"This time, there's a rule—you can't use chakra. You've got to complete this mission with your own physical strength. If you pull it off, I'll treat you both to barbecue afterward."
"Totally unfair, Kagami-sensei. This is exploitation!"
Kaien's tone had shifted from calling him "Kagami-san" to "Kagami-sensei," clearly to express his dissatisfaction.
But Kagami didn't budge this time.
Kaien wasn't too upset, though. A little chakra restriction didn't bother him much. Old Man Madara had trained him under worse conditions.
Besides, he still had Minato nearby—he could always slack off and let Minato cover for him. No way that guy would rat him out.
"Alright then, before we start digging, let's get some tools."
"Summoning: Lightning Flash Blade Creation!"
With a single-handed seal and a flash of light, Kaien summoned two sturdy iron spades into his hands.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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