Chapter 32 – C-Rank

“I, Hatake Kakashi of ‘Team Seven’ would like to request for C-Rank Mission.”

Kakashi’s request reverberated in the room, confusing everyone except Hiruzen who was looking at him with the same wise old eye.

BANG!

Iruka stood up glaring at Kakashi, pointing towards him, he shouted, “They are just Genin. What the hell are you thinking Kakashi?”

Kota who was by the side placed his right hand on the table and a frown on his face. “Kakashi-sempai, I too think this decision is too…absurd.”

Kakashi ignored the two looking at Hiruzen waiting for his answer.

Hiruzen smirked inside, leaning on his chair, he hummed, “Accepted.”

“Hokage-sama!” Iruka turned to look at Hiruzen who had for him accepted an absurd and illogical request.

“Hokage-sama, these three are just children, Genins, lowest of the low in our system and C-Rank means they are going out of the village where there are troubles and dangers. If it was three or four months after, no, it’s because…it’s been only one month after they have graduated that I am not accepting this request.” Iruka argued and Kota nodded in agreement while facing Hiruzen.

“Iruka.” Kakashi called out, his voice heavy and his single lone eye had changed into a serious one. “I am not asking you.”

“You had your hands on them when they were your students when they were in the academy. But now they are not students, they are beyond it. Beyond being a student, they are ninjas, a Genin, for now.”

“What are you afraid of? Do you fear that it is too early for them to kill? I had already started killing when I was eight and by twelve, when I became Jōnin, I had a hundred on my hands. And after that, it was war…”

“… That’s not…They are not strong enough, they are weak. If they go out now they can die. There are a lot of stronger people outside the village” Iruka argued for the sake of arguing.

“If you think like that then they will never leave the village. There is always someone stronger and there are people stronger than Hokage-sama himself. Do you, Iruka, think that, even I shouldn’t go out of the village?” Kakashi turned calm and his words were filled with sarcasm.

“Iruka, sit down.” Hiruzen commanded giving him a side glance.

Iruka grudgingly sat down, looking hatefully at Kakashi.

“Hey, Iruka-sensei.” Naruto called out with a big smile on his face. “We have been training really, really hard, ya know and I have stopped playing pranks. I have grown up…no, we have grown up. We are no longer those who bunk class or play pranks. We have truly grown up, Iruka-sensei.”

“Naruto…you.” Iruka held his breath, feeling difficult to breathe. The small bundle of orange during these five years ago was a bit different now, he seems to have matured. Feeling warmth growing inside him, he sat down with a huff and said, “Fine.”

“Kota.” Hiruzen called out with a wave.

“Hai.” Kota quickly gave Hiruzen C-Rank mission scroll and Hiruzen went through the scroll.

“C-Rank: Escort.” Hiruzen announced.

“A C-Rank wow.” Naruto jumped in joy holding Hinata’s hand.

And as for Raito, he was………reading a book in leisure.

Kakashi sighed as well as Iruka and Hiruzen. Kota was just too busy preparing a document for C-Rank for Genins.

Feeling the stares on him Raito closed the book and looked at everyone. “You guys finally are done talking?”

Eyes twitching, Kakashi hit the back of Raito with speed far surpassing Raito’s.

Thwack

“Ow!” Rubbing his head, Raito glared back at Kakashi. “What was that for?”

“Not paying attention. If you don’t pay attention, you will miss a lot of things. And that is what makes you an incompetent ninja.” Kakashi glared back.

The book in his hand disappeared and Raito’s hand snatched towards Kakashi’s shuriken pouch. “Who can say I wasn’t paying attention?”

“Then Raito…tell me what are those people outside the tower doing?” Hiruzen asked with a smile.

“…” Raito was left speechless.

“C-Rank, Escorting a Merchant group to the ‘Tea country’.” Hiruzen ordered and gave Kakashi the scroll.

Going through the scroll, Kakashi looked quizzically at Hiruzen then he bowed. “We accept.”

“Team seven, here.” Kota gave Kakashi a scroll to sign and similarly to the group.

“If team seven doesn’t return within fifteen days then we will be sending a search and rescue, emergency team.” Kota did what he was supposed to do in C-Rank.

Iruka gave a light cough to get attention. Raising his finger, he spoke, “After leaving the Hokage tower team leader will meet the mission issuer and discuss the plan. As this is your first time, the whole group will go and observe. Understand?” Iruka ended with a question.

“Hai.” The Genins shouted with excitement. The month of strict monitoring reigned in Naruto a bit.

Standing in front of the big building, Raito looked everywhere in interest. And walking inside there was a tall man looking at the four entering and by his side two muscular warriors; one wearing a loose robe and the other wearing common tight t-shirt and pants, looking with a disinterested glance.

“Kakashi-san, I good to have you here once again.” The tall man stood up shaking hands with Kakashi.

Looking at the rest with curiosity, he asked, “And they are?”

“My Genins.” Kakashi answered with a smile.

“Genin?” The man frowned slightly before his expression returned to normal before sighing. “As long as you are there.”

After introducing each other, Kakashi and the tall man discussed the time, route and other various little things, which took more than an hour. The two men behind the tall man also interjected from time to time. And in the entire time, Raito, Naruto, and Hinata sat silently, Raito making conversation with the gentle woman who was also sitting by the side.

Outside the building, in front of Kakashi’s apartment building, Raito asked, “Sensei, Junichi-san, he already has bodyguards, why are we needed?”

Kakashi looked at the side and after a long time, he answered, “…Junichi, he is a good businessman but likes to show off.”

An awkward silence lasted for more than a necessary period.

“…We are escorting him so that he can show off?”

“Yeah.”

“Hey, sensei, is he really an important person?” Naruto asked.

“Yeah, he is the biggest trader for the tea leaves in the whole eastern part of the continent. He even has an official post, although it is a name only.” Kakashi answered.

“Ano, sensei. Will there be any problem in the way?” Hinata asked with her Byakugan active and frowning.

Giving a side glance, he replied, “There shouldn’t be. The two people behind him are also famous mercenaries and with me, you three don’t have to do much.”

“Oi, are you telling us that we are useless.” Raito glared.

“Your interpretation is very…odd, Raito. Think more positively. How can you think of yourself as useless?” Kakashi, amused, replied to Raito.

Irritated Raito threw a punch only to get counter-held. Tightening the hold, Kakashi added, “Don’t get angry, so soon.” Quietly.

At the home, Naruto filled his bag with everything he could find, clearly, he was in a very good mood.

Face-palming, Raito said, “You don’t need those all and you clearly can’t carry all those and at the same time protect the client.”

Hands on the chin, Naruto was in a thinking position for a while before looking at Raito with his shiny eyes. “You can keep everything in your space jutsu.”

“It’s called ‘Inventory’ and no I am not gonna carry your thing.” Raito massaged his temples in irritation and replied.

“But your jutsu is soo convenient and you are sooo good to me…” Naruto asked in a cute way.

“Ew.” Raito directly kicked Naruto and walked upstairs.

Knock! Knock!

The door was knocked and Raito turned around. “It’s Hinata.”

Naruto rushed to open the door. Hinata walked in carrying a bag and looking a bit nervous. She looked at her back while using Byakugan, which was extremely suspicious in Raito’s eye.

“Hinata? You brought your things?” Naruto circled Hinata and closed the door.

“Come, come let me help you.” Naruto tried grabbing Hinata’s bag but she using her quickness walked several steps.

Looking at Raito, she called out, “Raito-san.”

Irritated his facial muscle twitched causing him faint discomfort, “Idiots, both of you. Even after learning Fuinjutsu… (Sigh).”

“Ano…Raito-san I came here to make seals.” Hinata asked after understanding that Raito was getting the wrong idea then she added. “I want to make an intermediate level storage seal. Please guide me.”

“Guided you?” Raito looked in confusion. This past month by teaching Naruto and Hinata, his ‘Teaching’ skill has leveled up by quite a bit already.

“Yes, I feel that when Raito-san teaches it becomes easier for me to understand.” Hinata said earnestly. It was because of Raito that Hinata had learned much and improved most of her skill.

“Now, she said that I feel that Raito is way better than those stinky, stupid academy teachers.” Naruto commented with lots of comical gestures.

Raito felt growing headache listening to the two talking. But he was little motivated as Raito could increase his WIS stat easily.

“You two are seriously lazy.” Raito said as he walked down taking out a scroll from his inventory.

Hinata blushed whereas Naruto was looking as he was going to shout. Raito gave him an eye and Naruto shut up, dragging Hinata to sit on the sofa.

Pushing chakra on the scroll, the seal was broken and the scroll was unrolled. Giving it to the two of them, Raito started, “Uh… so intermediate level…it’s just the same as low-level storage seal but there are some changes.”

Raito sat in the middle and soon began teaching them. Hours passed by and Raito was looking at Hinata and Naruto drawing a character on the scroll.

The first one to finish the seal wasn’t the studious Hinata but Naruto who was tweaking the seal as he liked.

After recording the Fuinjutsu, Raito ignored Naruto and watched Hinata working. Naruto who was happy with his seal work, sat quietly beside Hinata looking her working with her seal.

“You can do it, Hinata.” Naruto cheered and Raito gave Naruto a disapproving glance.

Naruto cheering would not benefit Hinata but distract her and since Raito didn’t want to waste more time on this, he gave Naruto a dirty look. But kicking the common sense out of the window, Hinata was doing better and better.

It is common sense that if someone interrupts a person doing Fuinjutsu, the Fuinjutsu will naturally fail as there will be a slight disturbance in chakra. Soon she was finished with the storage seal.

“I did it.” Hinata breathes out, sweats walking down her face.

[Intermediate Storage seal] (+2)

[Intermediate Storage seal] (+1)

‘This again.’ Raito frowned.

Falling back on the sofa, Raito yawned. “You two need to seriously read books.”

Naruto and Hinata smiled with their storage seal on their hands. They quickly sealed their items in the scroll. Hinata taking out few of her low-level storage seals, she emptied it and again sealed it in the intermediate seal.

Picking out a few of the desserts, Raito ate with relish.

[Modifying bring forth new possibilities]

Raito blinked and the notification box was gone. Raito muttered and took out a scroll, trying tweaking his seal, attempting to work on one of the flaws. The seal he was working on was ‘Anti-bleeding’ tag to stop bleeding.

‘I have to think that the tag can be used not by the intervention, activating by chakra but by the condition of the body.’ Raito quickly drew out the base of the Fuinjutsu. Compared to when his Fuinjutsu skill was low, now he was already in level thirty and had more knowledge.

[Anti bleeding Tag]

Log – Improved, Modified

Rating – 5/10

Improved by Yoshizawa Raito. The tag activates on its own, when there is sufficient blood loss from the body, sufficient to cause a change in the vital status of the body. The user can also activate the seal himself or herself by pushing chakra into it.

‘Well, it’s progress.’ Raito watched the seal forming, the corner of his lips raising.

“Hey that’s an anti-bleeding tag, isn’t it?” Naruto asked from behind. “Though, something is different about it.”

“I think it’s the same.” Hinata commented.

“Nope, I modified it a bit.” Raito answered giving Hinata and Naruto one each.

“Unseal.” Both of them studied and soon gasps of surprise came about.

At the Hokage Tower

“I hope it not going to blow up.” Kakashi along with a few other Jōnin went through a stack of paper.

“Tea Country is just fine, Kakashi. Though bring me some good tea leaves.” Asuma put the paper down and went for his smoke box which was stopped by the glaring Kurenai.

“This is C-Rank, first C-Rank of a Genin team and you know what happens in this kind of…” Kakashi placed down the papers. Not feeling his heart calm down, he again went through them.

“Kakashi, don’t get so much worked up. If you are too much worried then why did you request for C-Rank?” Kurenai asked.

“It’s because they are good.” Kakashi said it with confidence.

“They are just Genins, Kakashi.” Kurenai frowned.

“I understand what you are saying. If my Genins weren’t lazy, I would have taken a C-Rank too.” Asuma chuckled.

“Asuma.” Kurenai called out, her frown deepening.

Asuma immediately made a sign of sealing his lips.

Throwing down the papers, Kakashi sighed, “I don’t see any problem with Junichi and Tea Country.”

“Being prepared is good.” Kurenai sat up and walked out the door. “I still have a team to train.”

Asuma and Kakashi nodded and went back to their talking.

“You really think they are good enough.” Asuma asked with faint seriousness.

“Yeah.” Kakashi replied quickly and confidently.

“It’s same with my team.” Asuma looked up at Kakashi then added, “I hear they get together once occasionally, do you know about it?”

Leaning back, Kakashi replied, “I looked into it and it was a fun type of training they did. Like hide and sneak, Tags, and once there was even a fight between Sasuke and Raito. Hmm… and there were delicious foods.”

“I wanted to see but now they are a bit strict.” Asuma chuckled, “I at least wanted to see it for myself, once.”

“Hokage-sama gave them some instructions.” Kakashi grabbed the bundle and started walking out. “Well, at least I am a prepared ninja.”

“Don’t forget that there is never an ideal situation.” Asuma walked with Kakashi then went on his own way.

Looking at the back figure, Kakashi muttered with sadness filling his body, “Curse of first C-Rank, I can never forget.”

The lonely figure and the desolated atmosphere around Kakashi made many take steps back.

Next early morning, Raito stared in front of him at a tree and below stood a small girl.

“Please, oni-san. Please help her. She is afraid of heights.” The small girl pleaded, her eyes full of tears.

Raito raised his hand forward and waited for something to happen. But seeing that nothing was happening, Raito looked at his own hands in confusion.

Sighing, he tree walked and soon reached the branch that the cat was stuck on. “Here kitty.”

The cat who was called looked at Raito circled Raito’s leg and meowed lightly. Scooping him up, Raito jumped down and gave the cat to the girl. “Here.”

“Wah!! Thank you.” Hugging the cat she thanked Raito before leaving.

Sighing he looked at the Konoha gates and walked towards it, “It’s already been ten stops. I hope they are not angry.”

“He said he wanted to buy some ramen so I let him go but I didn’t know this would happen.” Grumbling Naruto strapped his bag on the horse driven carriage.

Hinata who was using her Byakugan to track Raito had odd expression every time Raito stopped to help someone. Except helping cats come down and bring down the balloon, he also helped old lady bring her items to her house which was directly opposite to the mission point.

“We should start moving.” The muscular man frowned and placed his hands on the big sword on his belt.

The fan holding, robe wearing man didn’t say anything but looked at Kakashi, waiting for the explanation.

Kakashi who felt the gaze, returned the look with a smile. “Raito will be here soon.”

As soon as Kakashi stopped talking, a gust of wind forwarded in front of him. “Anyone called for me?”

Raito was wearing a shin length black pants with numbers of pockets, a grayish t-shirt and a combination of dark green and light blue jacket with a Konoha village symbol on the back.

“Hey Raito! You are late?” Naruto jumped in front of Raito shaking him in mock anger.

“I couldn’t help it. This little girl was asking me for help…I couldn’t say no, could I?” Raito tried to reason.

“A little girl!?” Kakashi and Naruto gave Raito an eye.

“I saw it.” Hinata helped Raito pointing to her eyes.

“Helping is good. What a nice boy.” The man wearing robe smiled and walked forward. “Junichi-san wants to move as fast as possible, shall we?”

Kakashi nodded and placed his book inside and walked forward. In front of his Genins, Kakashi gave out simple orders.

“Hai.” The three jumped and sat with the coach of the carriage.

Hinata was in the front with Kakashi on the second. Naruto and Raito on third and fourth respectively.

Inside the second carriage before Kakashi had sat with the coach. The two mercenary and Junichi sat discussing.

“Kakashi is good, too good.” The robe man sighed.

“And the three…they are also strong. The pale eye one is from the Hyuga clan.” The muscular man said with his voice trembling.

“Hyuga, huh? They are known to be Konoha’s strongest clan right now.” Junichi commented.

“Those two other kids are not normal. They have above average chakra.” The robe man sighed.

“That’s the difference between systemic learning.” Junichi shook his head.

“But they don’t look like they have much experience.”

“They are just kids, just like you were once.” The robe man glared making the muscular man shut up.

“You…”

“Stop it, you two. If the need comes to fight, corporate with them. My family and I am depending on you guys.” Junichi smiled at the two of them and gave a light bow.

The two eyed each other before walking out, “You are paying us and we are just doing our jobs.”

Raito sat together with the coachman and used twenty five per second of chakra to envelop a large area to sense. “I should have started with the second volume.”

“Did you say something?” the coachman asked.

“Nope, just talking to myself.” Raito shook his head and explained.

Before going to the carriage Raito checked everyone and they were affiliated with Konoha and the trading firm. And the mercenaries, they were affiliated with the trading firm and their mercenary group.

Looking inside the carriage, they were filled with boxes checked and authorized by the gate guards. Using his technique, Raito found that there were silks and delicacies, some contained incense and some contained some play things.

The muscular man with a long sword climbed the carriage and sat at the back end, giving Raito side glances.

[Okudo Hanshiro Lvl 35 Senior level Sword User]

HP – 21,000

CP – 1,000

Although HP was high, CP wasn’t that high at all, just average.

Raito nodded which surprised the muscular man. He also nodded back in reply after getting out of a daze.

Kakashi who was in the second coach looked down at his book frowned a little.

The robed man sat on the back of the second coach and said to Kakashi. “Junichi-san and his family are in this coach and others have valuable items.”

Kakashi nodded, he had already checked what he was going to deal with.

This small journey to tea country could be attacked by the bandits. After all bandits and thieves depended on these merchants for their livelihood.