C154

Haruto, Daichi, and Shisui gathered at the mission hall as the sun hung low, casting long shadows. The day felt different—calmer, easier—but despite the relaxed atmosphere, a buzz of energy still clung to them. They had barely come down from the adrenaline of their last mission, one that tested their teamwork and pushed their limits. Clearing out a bandit camp had been no small feat, and now they stood a little taller, eager to see what was next.

Their sensei, Sakumo, approached with a scroll in hand. As always, his face was unreadable, but Haruto could detect the tiniest glimmer of amusement in his eyes—something that usually meant their next mission was going to be… interesting.

"Your mission today," Sakumo began, his voice as steady as a rock, "is a guard duty assignment for a caravan heading to the Land of Tea."

Haruto nodded to himself, already mentally switching gears. Guard duty wasn't the most thrilling task, but it gave him time to fine-tune his awareness. He'd have the chance to keep an eye on things, sharpen his senses, and maybe even relax a bit. Shisui, ever the calm one, gave a slight nod, as if he had expected nothing more than this.

But Daichi? He was having none of it.

"Guard duty? Really?" Daichi's groan could have been heard from the other side of the village. "After everything we've done, now we're just… what, babysitting a bunch of merchants?"

Haruto shot him a knowing look. This was classic Daichi—always wanting action, always looking for the next big fight. It wasn't that he didn't value these quieter missions, but Daichi was built for battle, and sitting still wasn't his strong suit.

"Not every mission's a fight, Daichi," Haruto said, smirking. "Sometimes we've got to practice patience."

Daichi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, patience is boring. Punching things is more fun."

They made their way to the caravan, where a grizzled man with a thick mustache was surrounded by crates and wagons. He barely glanced up as the trio approached, too absorbed in his paperwork. The man looked like he'd been on the road for decades, and his lack of enthusiasm didn't go unnoticed.

Haruto didn't mind. To the caravan master, they were just kids sent to do a simple job. He wasn't offended. Shisui didn't seem to care either, his eyes already scanning their surroundings for potential threats.

Daichi, however, was a different story.

With his hands on his hips, Daichi marched straight up to the caravan master, who didn't bother looking up from his papers.

"Hey!" Daichi barked. "A little respect would be nice! We're here to protect you, you know!"

The caravan master didn't even blink, muttering a disinterested "Mhm" under his breath as he scribbled something down.

Daichi's face turned red with frustration. He turned to Haruto and Shisui for backup, but Haruto was doing his best to suppress a laugh. He knew exactly where this was going, and Shisui's usual poker face wasn't far behind, though the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth suggested he was also amused.

"Oh no, no, no," Daichi continued, stepping closer to the caravan master. "Do you even know who you're talking to? We've got the White Fang of Konoha right here!" He pointed over his shoulder to Sakumo, who was standing behind them, arms crossed, watching the situation unfold with an almost imperceptible grin. "And I'm an Uzumaki! You should be treating us with some respect!"

The caravan master raised an eyebrow but didn't even look up. "Mhm," he repeated, clearly unimpressed.

Haruto couldn't hold it in anymore. He snorted, trying to disguise his laugh as a cough, but Daichi shot him a betrayed look.

"I swear," Daichi muttered, his arms crossed in front of him. "Next time we're attacked, I'm letting this guy sweat it out for a minute before we step in."

Sakumo, still watching from behind them, let out a quiet chuckle and stepped forward, placing a calming hand on Daichi's head. "Let's focus on the mission, Daichi. We're here to do a job, not worry about what anyone thinks."

Daichi huffed but nodded, still grumbling as they started to organize for the journey. He wasn't going to let this go anytime soon, but Haruto knew his teammate well enough to see through the complaints. Daichi just needed to blow off a little steam.

As they began walking, Haruto nudged him with a grin. "Don't worry, Daichi. You'll get your chance to show him what you can do."

Daichi's expression brightened, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You better believe it."Haruto, Daichi, and Shisui gathered at the mission hall as the sun hung low, casting long shadows. The day felt different—calmer, easier—but despite the relaxed atmosphere, a buzz of energy still clung to them. They had barely come down from the adrenaline of their last mission, one that tested their teamwork and pushed their limits. Clearing out a bandit camp had been no small feat, and now they stood a little taller, eager to see what was next.