Chapter 237: War Mission
Chapter 237: War Mission
"Let me see, a C-rank mission..." The registration ninja lowered his head and flipped through the available missions.
"There are some C-rank missions left, but they are all war-related. The regular C-rank missions for today have already been taken," the registration ninja said, looking up.
"There are still a few D-rank missions available, though. How about you take on some of those, Mu Yue? You can always check back tomorrow to see if there are any new C-rank requests," the registration ninja suggested.
"What a coincidence," Mu Yue said, slightly taken aback by this turn of events.
Mu Yue furrowed his brows in thought. He had intended to gauge the rewards of a standard C-rank mission, but now it seemed that they had all been completed.
After a moment's consideration, Mu Yue decided to return to training with his students. There was little point in taking on the D-rank missions as the chakra rewards were meager. Their time would be better spent training.
"Hey, then how about you let us take on a B-rank mission, old man? Look, we've already completed two A-rank missions, so a B-rank mission should be no problem," Tobirama said with a cheeky grin.
Having experienced the C-rank missions, he had no desire to return to the mundane tasks of the D-rank. Unless they were desperately short on money and had no other options, of course.
"When you become a Chunin, then I can assign you B-rank missions," the registration ninja replied, unimpressed by Tobirama's attempt to leverage their past accomplishments. "Your resume means nothing here; I only consider ninja rank."
"But look, our team includes Mu Yue, a special Jonin, and Kakashi, a Chunin. As for us two who haven't graduated yet, well, that shouldn't count against us. Surely we meet the requirements for a B-rank mission," Tobirama argued, trying to finagle his way through.
"No," the registration ninja replied bluntly, his face devoid of compassion. "You both have intern ninja certificates, which makes you intern ninjas."
"Then give us a C-rank war mission! It's still a C-rank mission, so it shouldn't be any different, right?" Tobirama persisted, unwilling to give up.
"It's very different!" The registration ninja's expression turned solemn. "War missions are directly related to the ongoing war. The battlefield is no place for children like you. Come back when you're a Chunin if you still want to consider such missions."
"What's with the long face, Nawaki? Can't you be a bit more cheerful when talking to the kids?" Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi descended the stairs, a smile on his face as he greeted them.
When his official duties allowed, he would often spend time in the mission hall. This not only showed the clients that Konoha valued their missions but also let the Konoha ninjas know that the Hokage cared about their endeavors.
"Hokage-sama, the situation is that Jonin Mu Yue came to take on a C-rank mission, but the only ones left are war-related. And this kid, Tobirama..." Nawaki bowed respectfully to Hiruzen Sarutobi, explaining the situation in full.
"I see," Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, placing a smoking pipe in his mouth as he pondered the matter.
In terms of sheer ability, he believed that Mu Yue's team was more than capable of handling a B-rank mission.
Mu Yue's class was not to be underestimated—the ninja's true strength far exceeded that of a standard Jonin. Kakashi was an experienced Chunin, and both Tobirama and Might Guy were skilled in their own right.
B-rank missions typically involved facing off against Genin-level ninjas. To encounter higher-ranked ninjas would require additional funds and a higher mission rank. With Mu Yue's team composition, they would undoubtedly succeed against Genin opponents.
However, with two interns on the team, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt it might be a bit much to grant them an even higher-ranked mission, especially after already granting them the privilege of a C-rank mission.
"Hokage-jiji, you know our team's capabilities. A C-rank war mission is still a C-rank mission, and we're confident we can handle it," Tobirama said, his eyes sparkling with anticipation as he looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a few puffs from his pipe, deep in thought, before saying to Nawaki, "Let me see the C-rank war missions."
Taking the mission scroll from Nawaki, Hiruzen Sarutobi perused the options and soon found one that involved escorting supplies to the battlefield in the Grass Country.
C-rank war missions rarely involved direct ninja combat and were mostly focused on logistics.
Normally, a mission like this, escorting rations, wouldn't be ranked as a C. The likelihood of encountering enemy ninjas from the opposing village was high.
However, the current situation was different. Konoha and Iwagakure were engaged in a conflict in the Grass Country, each occupying half of the territory. This made it difficult for Iwagakure ninjas to circumvent Konoha's territory and launch an attack from within Fire Country.
While small teams of ninjas could bring their own provisions or forage for food, a large-scale, prolonged war required supply lines from the rear.
There were generally two scenarios: either the front lines faced a food shortage due to unforeseen circumstances and urgently required resupply, or it was a routine delivery of provisions from the rear to the front lines. This particular C-rank mission fell into the latter category.
"Your team has indeed performed admirably, and I am willing to make another exception for your exceptional abilities. I will allow you to undertake this war mission," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, his eyes crinkling with a smile as he handed the scroll detailing the escort mission to Mu Yue.
"What do you think of this mission?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Mu Yue took the scroll with both hands and carefully read through the entire mission brief before nodding in agreement. "We will not disappoint, Hokage-sama. We will ensure the successful completion of this mission."
Mu Yue was satisfied with the mission, even though it was war-related. It didn't seem like they would encounter any dangerous situations.
He was grateful to have Tobirama on the team, a real go-getter. If not for him, they would have had to return to training today without any missions.
While Mu Yue could be as bold as Tobirama, his position as a teacher and a special Jonin made it inappropriate. Tobirama's youth and intern status allowed him a certain leeway that Mu Yue, as a teacher and seasoned ninja, could not afford.
"Yay! Thanks, Hokage-jiji!" Tobirama's face lit up with delight, and he eagerly expressed his gratitude to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"You are the future of the village. Always remember to prioritize your safety," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, removing his pipe and offering a kind smile.
"Teacher Mu Yue, let me see the mission already!" Tobirama couldn't contain his excitement as he hurriedly asked to see the mission details as they exited the Hokage building.
Obito eagerly snatched the dossier and scanned its contents, only to furrow his brow in disappointment. "Isn't this just like any other C-rank mission? It's just delivering food instead of people," he grumbled.
He had expected these war missions to be something extraordinary, and now he felt let down.
"It's not the same at all," Kakashi corrected him, his expression stern. "We're heading to a battlefield, a place where two of the Five Great Shinobi Villages are clashing—one of the most dangerous places in the ninja world."
Kakashi would not tolerate Obito underestimating the dangers of the battlefield, a place where even Kage could meet their end.
"Although it's unlikely we'll engage in combat, we must remain vigilant," Kakashi added.
Despite being a war mission, it was still ranked as a C-rank, leading Kakashi to believe they probably wouldn't encounter any battles. After all, they had faced unexpected situations during their previous three C-rank missions, and the odds of it happening again were slim.
"If you say so, Kakashi, then we're probably going to run into some ninjas and end up fighting," Obito said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Kakashi gave him a puzzled look, wondering how Obito had managed to interpret his words in the opposite way.
"Think about it, Kakashi. Before each of our last three missions, you said the same thing, and every time, we ended up fighting. So, this time will be no different," Obito reasoned confidently.
Kakashi was speechless. He couldn't believe he was being labeled as a jinx; it was all just a coincidence!
"We just had some bad luck on the previous missions," Kakashi explained. "Most of the journey will be within our own country, which is relatively safe. And the part where we enter the Grass Country will be guarded by our Konoha ninjas."
"Enough chit-chat, let's get going. We can't afford to delay a war mission," Mu Yue said with a smile.
Their previous missions had involved some luck, both good and bad, and Mu Yue's choice of more dangerous locations had certainly increased the chances of encountering unforeseen circumstances.
Mu Yue led his disciples to the food transport team's assembly point.
"Ninja-sama, we're all set and ready to depart whenever you are," a middle-aged man approached and said, having confirmed that Mu Yue had accepted the mission.
"We're ready to go as well," Mu Yue nodded and gave the order to depart.
This mission was different from their previous ones, which had involved clients. This time, the client was Konoha itself, so Mu Yue, as the team leader, had absolute authority. His disciples came second in command, followed by the ordinary people responsible for transporting the food supplies.
At Mu Yue's command, a caravan of horse-drawn carriages loaded with food set off toward the Grass Country. Mu Yue and his three disciples rode in a carriage that wasn't carrying any food supplies.
"Teacher Mu Yue, aren't there techniques that can seal objects into scrolls? Why don't we just put all the food into scrolls? That way, we won't need so many carriages or people, and the four of us could handle the escort mission ourselves," Obito asked curiously.
With just the four of them on the mission, their stealth capabilities would be greatly enhanced.
"It's not that simple," Mu Yue chuckled and proceeded to explain the principles behind storing items within scrolls to Obito.
The scrolls that could hold objects were themselves a type of ninja tool. The amount one could store and retrieve depended on the ninja's capability, and it wasn't something that every ninja could do as they pleased.
Ninjas were known for their hearty appetites, and the intense battles of war only served to increase their hunger. To satisfy the appetites of over a thousand hungry ninjas, an enormous amount of food was required.
Powerful ninjas, who could be of greater use in more critical missions, were not assigned to food delivery tasks. Hence, the standard team composition of ninjas and ordinary people remained.
Obito nodded, only partially understanding, but feeling like he had gained some interesting trivia.
"What's a battlefield like, Teacher Mu Yue? Have you ever been to one?" Obito asked, his curiosity shifting from the food to the battlefield itself.
Mu Yue shook his head. "No, I haven't been to a battlefield, neither in this life nor the last."
"How about you, Kakashi?" Obito turned to Kakashi, knowing that Might Guy, another student, would also not have had such an experience.
"I've done a few war missions, but I've never fought on a battlefield," Kakashi replied after a moment's thought.
While he had ample experience with regular missions, he was still just an eight-year-old child, too young to have seen the horrors of the battlefield.
"Then why were you acting like such an expert earlier?" Obito teased, recalling how Kakashi's serious expression had almost fooled him.
"I may not have fought on a battlefield, but I've heard stories from those who have," Kakashi said earnestly. "War is no laughing matter, Obito."
(End of Chapter)
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