114. The C-Rank Mission in the Land of Grass

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

Team One, led by Hanekawa, spent their time alternating between learning ninjutsu and completing missions.

Since they primarily handled D-rank missions and were highly skilled, the tasks didn't take much time.

In just three months, they completed over 100 D-rank missions, meeting the criteria for taking on C-rank missions.

Hanekawa followed Tsunade to the Hokage Tower's mission hall.

Compared to D-rank missions, C-rank missions were more challenging and involved a certain level of danger.

For example, in the original story, Naruto and his team's first C-rank mission was to escort the bridge builder Tazuna.

Ignoring the fact that Tazuna hid crucial information, most C-rank missions were escort missions, protecting individuals or sensitive information.

While Tsunade browsed the mission options, Hanekawa accessed his skill system.

After three months of training, his progress with the Yin Seal was still at the beginner level, with the progress bar at 15%.

Hanekawa wasn't surprised and remained patient.

Besides working on the Yin Seal, he also found time to learn three sensory ninjutsu, unlocking a new trait.

[D-Rank Talent Trait: Sensory Genin]

Trigger Condition: Acquire three sensory ninjutsu.

Effect: All sensory ninjutsu effects are increased by 30%.

Note: Learning more sensory ninjutsu may advance the trait to the C-rank "Sensory Chūnin."

The three sensory ninjutsu Hanekawa learned were Long-Distance Vision, Earth Listening, and Sensory Expansion Technique.

Long-Distance Vision enhanced eyesight, akin to a telescope.

Earth Listening allowed one to detect ground activity through vibrations.

Sensory Expansion Technique expanded perception, resembling a much weaker version of the Kagura Mind's Eye.

Hanekawa's teammates made significant progress too.

Yūhi Kurenai mastered Water Release: Water Formation Wall, which Tobirama Senju had simplified from five hand seals to just two.

Additionally, only Tobirama's version could rotate in a circular fashion, offering all-around defense, unlike the single-sided barrier others created.

Nohara Rin showed even greater improvement, having started with a weaker foundation.

Under Tsunade's guidance, her skills advanced rapidly. She mastered Hemostasis Jutsu, Anesthesia Jutsu, and basic Poison Neutralization Jutsu, along with acquiring critical medical knowledge.

"Hey, stop daydreaming and give me an idea," Tsunade said, knocking on Hanekawa's head.

"Just pick anything; they're all the same to me," Hanekawa replied nonchalantly.

Having done numerous B-rank missions, C-rank missions felt as routine as a walk in the park—assuming they didn't get an unreliable client like Tazuna.

"The Land of Lightning is unstable; we might run into trouble," Tsunade muttered before asking, "How about the Land of Grass?"

The Land of Grass?

Hanekawa's interest was piqued.

In the original series, the Land of Grass didn't appear much but had its moments, like Karin's backstory and the movie's Hōzuki Castle and Box of Ultimate Bliss.

"Sure," Hanekawa said, glancing at the mission.

The mission was simple: escort a merchant named Ryuichiro to the capital of the Land of Grass.

C-rank missions typically didn't involve ninja battles, with most threats coming from rogue samurai, bandits, or pirates.

Outside the Five Great Nations, smaller countries were often chaotic.

"This one, then," Tsunade said, choosing the mission.

With their strength, as Hanekawa noted, any C-rank mission would be manageable.

After collecting the mission scroll, Tsunade and Hanekawa returned home, where Kurenai and Rin were still training.

Both worked diligently since their abilities were far below Hanekawa's.

In addition to them, three others were present today.

"Hanekawa, long time no see!"

Sarutobi Asuma greeted him with a smug expression, clearly eager to boast. "Let me tell you…"

"Did you finish a C-rank mission?" Hanekawa interrupted.

"How… how did you know?" Asuma stammered, his triumphant air vanishing as he turned to Uchiha Shisui and Shizune. "Did you secretly tell him?"

Shisui and Shizune shook their heads.

"You're just too obvious," Hanekawa replied, cutting off Asuma's chance to show off.

"Damn it!"

Asuma was so frustrated that he nearly spat blood.

"Team One, take the rest of the day off," Tsunade said before leaving.

She didn't linger, partly because she didn't want to intrude on the younger generation's conversation, and partly because she'd spent the past three months teaching Hanekawa's team and hadn't had much time to visit the casino.

Now, she could finally relax.

"Let's go!" Asuma clapped his hands. "I just got my mission pay. Let's have a barbecue!"

"Not bad, it's rare to see you being so generous," Kurenai said, pausing her training and running over to Hanekawa.

"..."

Sarutobi Asuma was left speechless.

"All those times I treated you before, you never noticed?"

The six of them arrived at the barbecue restaurant.

"Do you know what kind of mission we just completed?"

As soon as they sat down, Sarutobi Asuma couldn't resist and brought it up.

"What's there to talk about when it's just a C-rank mission?"

Hanekawa, uninterested, flipped the beef slices on the grill.

"Exactly," Yūhi Kurenai chimed in.

Asuma instantly wore a pained expression. Uchiha Shisui and Shizune couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction.

"What kind of mission was it?" Nohara Rin, being kind-hearted, picked up on Asuma's topic.

"It was for selecting the Guardian Ninja for the Daimyō of the Land of Fire!" Asuma's expression transformed to one of excitement as he proudly shared.

"And were you chosen?" Hanekawa asked casually.

"Of course… not!" Asuma coughed awkwardly. "The Daimyō invited Sakumo-sensei to be the examiner."

"So you ended up doing nothing?" Hanekawa glanced at him.

"The Daimyō values me highly!" Asuma insisted proudly. "If I wanted, he'd definitely pick me to be a Guardian Ninja!"

"Do you want to go?" Hanekawa smirked slightly.

"No." Asuma shook his head decisively.

"Anything interesting happen during the mission?" Hanekawa asked as he flipped the sizzling meat.

"Yes," Asuma said, grilling the meat as he spoke. "I learned that outside Konoha, there are other ninja factions, like the Fire Temple."

"Fire Temple's Chiriku is quite strong," Shisui chimed in. "He's about our age and nearly defeated Asuma-senpai."

"What do you mean 'nearly'?" Asuma protested. "There's a huge gap between us!"

Hanekawa remained calm, focusing on grilling.

Both Asuma and Chiriku were Guardian Ninja in the original story, with Asuma having a bounty of 35 million ryō and Chiriku 30 million ryō. Chiriku was targeted by the Akatsuki's Kakuzu and Hidan, and Asuma died trying to rescue him.

Once the barbecue was over, they returned to Tsunade's house to train.

Asuma challenged Hanekawa to a sparring match and, unsurprisingly, was soundly defeated.

Despite learning a new Wind Release and Fire Release jutsu, the gap between them was too vast to bridge with techniques alone.

Hanekawa, meanwhile, took the opportunity to learn both jutsu for free.

"See you next time!"

As night fell, Asuma, Shisui, and Shizune left.

"Don't forget to arrive early tomorrow," Hanekawa reminded. "Our teacher accepted a C-rank mission to escort Ryuichiro to the Land of Grass."

"Finally, no more D-rank missions!" Kurenai exclaimed with excitement.

Rin smiled softly. Unlike D-rank missions, which rarely required her medical skills, this mission promised opportunities to put her abilities to use.

---

The Next Day

At Konoha's gate, a man approached Tsunade eagerly.

"Are you Lady Tsunade?" he asked respectfully.

"I am," Tsunade replied calmly.

"This is truly my luck!" Ryuichiro exclaimed in excitement. "To have one of the Legendary Sannin escorting me for a C-rank mission fee—how fortunate!"

The two young men accompanying him immediately bowed to Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sensei is amazing!" Kurenai whispered with admiration.

"Yes," Rin nodded vigorously. Tsunade's fame extended far beyond Konoha, even if her personality could be unpredictable.

"Let's go," Tsunade said with a faint smile.

She glanced at Hanekawa, noting his indifferent expression while the others beamed with excitement.

"Hanekawa, you take the lead and handle reconnaissance," she instructed. "You've learned sensory techniques, unlike Kurenai and Rin."

"Understood." Hanekawa moved to the front.

Tsunade and Kurenai positioned themselves on either side to protect Rin, Ryuichiro, and his two companions.

By the second evening, the group arrived in the Land of Grass.

"We'll rest here for the night," Tsunade announced, noticing Ryuichiro and his companions visibly exhausted.

Kurenai set up tents, Rin gathered firewood, and Hanekawa prepared dinner.

After the meal, Ryuichiro and his companions shared a tent while Hanekawa and the others sat around a campfire.

"Once we're in the Land of Grass, we might encounter Grass Village ninja," Tsunade warned. "They have a poor reputation, so stay vigilant."

Hanekawa recalled the original story's description of Grass Village. Known for stealing and reverse-engineering other villages' techniques, they often resorted to theft or force to acquire jutsu.

Their treatment of Karin and her mother was a perfect example of their ruthless nature.

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