[Mission: Eliminate the bandit group on the Fire Nation's border. Approximately fifty regular bandits, five rogue samurai, and two rogue ninja from the Wind Nation. Mission Rank: A. Recommended for a team of at least three elite ninja.]
"Don't be ridiculous, Hiruzen. This mission is dangerous."
Hiruzen struggled against Danzo's grip, flailing his arms in protest. However, as soon as Kagami spoke, he gradually calmed down.
Kagami had always been the most reliable member of their team, and everyone trusted his judgment.
The group exchanged glances before stepping forward to examine the mission scroll. As expected, Kagami was right—this mission was no joke.
Just as everyone was digesting the difficulty of the task, Hiruzen spoke up, "It's a tough mission, but we work well together. As long as we stay cautious, there shouldn't be any problems."
Hearing this, the middle-aged ninja who had just criticized him lifted his head to take another look at the boy in front of him.
It was as if Hiruzen had suddenly become a different person.
This was precisely why, despite his usual reckless and boisterous behavior, the team still accepted him.
Because when it came to missions, Hiruzen was often the most reliable one. He was also the de facto leader of the squad.
While his leadership skills were evenly matched with Danzo's, there was something crucial that Danzo lacked—something only Hiruzen possessed.
"Hiruzen is right. We've fought together long enough to develop great teamwork. This mission won't be a problem for us," Koharu encouraged. As the only female ninja on the team, her strength was no less than the others.
Meanwhile, Akimichi Torifū continued munching on his food while offering his silent support. He wasn't good with words, so he used eating as his way of expressing himself.
Over time, his teammates had learned to interpret his "food language."
"Big Brother, what are you guys doing?"
A sweet voice rang out from the crowd behind them. Uchiha Kagami almost thought he was hearing things.
But then, he saw his younger sister, Uchiha Naori, squeezing through the crowd with Torifū.
"Naori, Torifū, what are you two doing here? We're about to head out on a mission."
Kagami was surprised to see his sister here. At this time, she should be training under the Hokage.
Naori smiled. "Hehe, Hokage-sama had other matters to attend to today, so he only taught us a few moves before dismissing us."
That was unusual. Even if the Hokage was busy with political affairs, he would normally send a clone to train them.
However, since the Hokage had allowed them to leave, Kagami figured there must be a reason behind it and didn't dwell on it.
"Alright, so what brings you two here?"
Naori nudged Torifū forward. "It's him. I just tagged along."
Kagami sighed. His little sister was practically Torifū's shadow at this point.
At home, she never acted this way around other kids her age. He could only give Torifū a thumbs-up for somehow managing to tame her.
"Kagami, are you guys going on a mission? Take me with you."
The moment he said this, not just Kagami, but Naori and everyone else were stunned.
Did this brat even understand what he was saying?
"Don't be ridiculous. First of all, there's no way I'm taking you. And even if I did, if anything happened to you, Hokage-sama would have my head!" Hiruzen shouted.
But this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment request from Torifū.
Last night, his system had triggered a new Chaos Event, and ever since then, he had been thinking about this mission.
For the past two days, he had wandered around the village, deliberately passing by anyone who seemed remotely suspicious.
But even after circling Konoha multiple times, he hadn't triggered a single Chaos Mission!
Not a single spy in the whole village. Yet, Uchiha Setsuna's threat loomed closer each day. He needed to earn Peaceful Points somehow.
Maybe bandits and rogue ninja outside the village could trigger an event.
Otherwise, there was no way he'd willingly take on a mission. Staying home and sleeping sounded way better!
"What would it take for you to let me go? I'm serious about this."
The atmosphere turned tense. Hiruzen had been joking a moment ago, but now, Torifū's serious tone made him pause.
Naori tugged at Torifū's sleeve. "Torifū, are you okay? Why do you suddenly want to go on a mission? You know missions involve killing, right?"
Torifū simply nodded. He had already killed before. Once you crossed that line, it didn't matter how many more you took.
"Don't worry, Naori. I just want to get some real training. And Hiruzen wouldn't let anything happen to me."
Naori hesitated but relaxed slightly. The intensity of the situation had made her uncomfortable.
"Hey, hey, don't act like we've already decided! I'm not agreeing to this!" Hiruzen protested.
To him, kids like Torifū were meant to be protected within the village.
If children were sent on dangerous missions, that would go against the First Hokage's vision. It would be no different from sending kids to war!
"Then let's have a spar. If I prove my strength, you take me. If I lose, I won't bring it up again."
Torifū was determined. If he missed this chance, he didn't know when the next one would come.
Most of the bandits near the Fire Nation had already been wiped out. The survivors had fled to the border, banding together with rogue samurai and ninja.
If Hiruzen and his team eliminated them, the Fire Nation would be peaceful for a long time.
And missions outside the village wouldn't trigger Chaos Events.
This was his only chance.
He wasn't even sure if his plan would work, but if he didn't try, he'd never know.
For the first time, he truly understood what people meant when they said, "Making money is hard".
"Hah?"
Hiruzen was dumbfounded.
Why was this kid so obsessed with hunting bandits? Did he have some personal grudge against them?
Naori, on the other hand, had given up being shocked.
She was convinced that last night's attack by Uchiha Setsuna had made Torifū desperate to get stronger.
Otherwise, why would the ever-calm and laid-back "Peace Bro" suddenly act so recklessly?
"Kid, are you serious?"
"Of course. I'm not joking."
Seeing Hiruzen's stance shift toward actually fighting a six-year-old, Koharu stepped in.
"Hiruzen, don't be ridiculous. He's just a child!"
Hiruzen grinned. "Relax, Koharu. I won't hurt him."
Unlike Hiruzen's confidence, Kagami had a bad feeling about this.
'Hiruzen… don't underestimate him and get yourself embarrassed.'