~The prom queen has blood on her hands~

{This chapter might be a bit sentimental but you know I had to make a chapter like this after the mission so deal with it.} 

Team 1 moved swiftly and silently through the trees, but then, for the first time since they had known him, Utakata spoke not in his usual neutral tone, but with something different.

"Do you know why the village always gives new genin their first C-rank mission where they must take a life?"

The three genin remained silent, listening.

"The village wants to ensure that the young kids who were having fun in the academy until now finally gain some maturity when they take a life. Killing is like a rite of passage for a shinobi. The moment you do it, you stop being just a student—you become an actual ninja who can serve the village."

Utakata continued, his tone calm. "A shinobi will face many trials in their short life. If they overcome those trials, then maybe just maybe their short life will become a long one."

"For some, taking a life will be easy," Utakata went on. "For others, it will be the hardest thing they have ever done. But in the end, it doesn't matter whether it was hard or easy. Once a life is gone, it's gone. Nothing you do will change that."

Ren exhaled softly, his mind replaying the moment his kunai sliced through the boys' throats, the warmth of their blood splattering onto his hands. He hadn't felt guilt. He hadn't felt hesitation. Should he have?

Utakata spoke again, his voice cutting through their thoughts. "All you need to remember is this you took a life because if you didn't, you would have been the one to die. That is the reality of being a shinobi."

Then, in a quieter voice, Utakata added, "If you feel like you cannot continue taking lives, then leave the career of a shinobi. Or… become strong enough that you can subdue your opponents without needing to kill them."

The three genin exchanged glances, but no one spoke.

"But unless you choose to walk away," Utakata concluded, "all you can do is keep taking lives… until no one can take yours."

As they continued moving through the trees, unseen by his students, Utakata slipped a small, worn-out diary into his chest pocket. He pressed it there for a brief moment before letting it go.

The journey back to Konoha continued in silence.

By the time the sun had set, Team 1 had already returned to Konoha. At the village gates, Utakata collected the mission stamp from the guard before turning to his students. "I will go and submit the confirmation for the mission's completion. You all can go home. Tomorrow, we meet at Training Ground 1 at 8 AM." Without waiting for a response, he flickered away, leaving the three genin standing there.

Ren exchanged glances with Yugao and Hitoshi before saying, "Let's meet tomorrow. Bye." Then, with a flicker, he disappeared, heading home.

When Ren entered his house, he saw Juichi already seated at the table, reading the note he had left behind. Hearing the door, Juichi glanced up and said, "Oh, I thought you'd be gone for at least a day or two."

Ren shrugged. "Yeah, I thought so too. That's why I left the note, but the mission was easy, so we finished it quickly."

Juichi nodded. "Alright. Go take a bath, then we'll have dinner."

Ren did as he was told, washing away the dirt and sweat from the mission before returning to the table. Dinner was already prepared, and as they ate, silence stretched between them. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence just the usual quiet understanding between father and son.

After a while, Ren finally broke it. "Aren't you going to ask me anything?"

Instead of answering, Juichi countered, "Do you want to tell me anything?"

Ren fell silent again, contemplating his father's words as they continued eating. Eventually, he spoke.

"It was really easy, you know. I thought it would be harder, but it wasn't. And… I didn't even feel anything. Was it wrong that I didn't feel anything?"

Juichi took a slow sip of water before answering, his voice calm but firm. "It is easy, indeed. And it's not entirely right that you felt nothing. But it's not wrong either." He placed the glass down and looked at Ren. "Just remember this, everything is fine as long as you don't turn into a bloodthirsty monster. But hell, even if you do, you'll still find me standing beside you."

He gave a small laugh, standing up from the table and stretching as he walked toward the door. Before stepping outside, he added, "No matter what you do, no matter how many lives you take in the future, even if people call you a monster or a demon… in the end, you will always be you. And nothing can change that."

Then he stepped outside, leaving Ren alone.

Ren sighed, thinking about his father's words and those Utakata had spoken earlier. He quietly cleaned the dishes before heading to his room, where he finally opened his system rewards.

[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR FIRST C-RANK MISSION.]

REWARDS:

3 Jonin-Level Points

(Note: This reward is only given for first-time completion. Subsequent C-rank mission rewards will be based on mission difficulty. Maximum reward: 5 System Points.)

Ren closed the system after adding all three points to Vitality, as usual. He had noticed a pattern when his Vitality increased, the growth speed of his trainable physical stats also increased. Previously, his physical training had slowed down, but after adding points to Vitality, he could push himself further again.

Before long sleep claimed him.

The next day, Team 1 gathered at Training Ground 1 as instructed. As usual, they arrived early, waiting for their sensei to appear. A moment later, Utakata flickered into view and, without preamble, handed each of them an envelope.

"These are your payments from yesterday's mission," he stated simply.

A C-rank mission typically rewarded anywhere between 30,000 to 100,000 ryo. The mission reward for their previous job had been 50,000 ryo of which 40% (20,000 ryo) went to Utakata, while the remaining 60% was split evenly among the three genin, leaving them with 10,000 ryo each.

Ren took the envelope and stored it in his storage belt without much thought. Unlike some other genin, he didn't have many expenses. His kunai, shuriken, and ration pills were all provided by his father, so he hadn't even needed to buy them himself. In fact, he didn't even know their prices.

He also didn't need to buy explosion tags or storage scrolls because his clones were constantly producing them. However, his materials were running low, so he would need to purchase more soon. He also considered selling some of the excess explosion tags and storage scrolls, especially the storage scrolls. He had more than enough, and keeping so many served no real purpose.

His thoughts were interrupted when Utakata spoke again.

"From now on, we will complete one C-rank mission every week, aside from any emergency missions that may be assigned to us."

At this, the genin perked up slightly. It was a clear sign that they were now being considered capable enough for more frequent real-world missions.

Seeing their reactions, Utakata added, "Yes, from now on, we will be available for emergency missions as well. That means you must always be prepared to move out at a moment's notice."

The three genin nodded in understanding. This was exactly what they had been training for over the past month. They had known from the start that their team had been formed to be the first dispatch squad. Now that they were finally stepping into that role, they had no complaints.

With everything settled, Team 1 resumed their rigorous training once more.

By the time the sun was about to set, Team 1 had completed their training and finished their assigned D-rank mission for the day. With nothing else left to do, Utakata dismissed them.

As Ren was about to leave for the marketplace to see if he could sell some explosion tags and storage scrolls, Yugao suddenly asked, "What are you guys doing now?"

Ren responded casually, "I'm heading to the market."

Hitoshi, on the other hand, surprised them both by saying, "I'm going to play with my little sister."

Both Ren and Yugao stopped in their tracks and turned to Hitoshi in disbelief before asking in unison, "You have a sister?"

Unfazed by their reaction, Hitoshi simply nodded. "Yes."

Still trying to process the unexpected revelation, Yugao asked, "How old is she?"

"Four," he answered, his tone as calm and neutral as ever.

There was a brief silence as Yugao and Ren exchanged glances, trying to reconcile the image of their quiet and reserved teammate with the idea of him playing with a four-year-old. Hitoshi just didn't seem like the type to have a younger sibling let alone one he actively spent time with.

Seeing that neither of them had any more questions, Hitoshi nodded slightly and said, "Goodbye," before turning to leave.

Even after he was gone, Yugao shook her head and muttered, "I really didn't expect him to have a sister."

Ren chuckled. "Yeah, me neither. He doesn't really act like someone who has a little sister."

Though he had known Hitoshi since their first year at the academy, they had never really talked much not even after becoming teammates. So in a way, Ren still felt like he didn't know him that well. This was just another reminder of that.

The two walked together for a while before parting ways near the marketplace Yugao heading home while Ren continued onward.

The marketplace Ren visited this time was one specifically set up for shinobi, with most stores catering exclusively to ninja supplies. He walked through the area, observing various items for sale.

A set of six kunai was being sold at a discounted price of 100 ryo. A pack of ten shuriken was also going for 100 ryo.

The individual prices weren't particularly high, but considering that shinobi used and lost these tools regularly, the costs added up over time. Most shinobi preferred to buy them on a mission-to-mission basis, ensuring they had enough without overspending. After all, quality weapons could mean the difference between life and death.

After searching for a while, Ren finally found a shop specializing in Fuinjutsu items.

Displayed on the shelves were various seals and scrolls, including explosion tags, storage scrolls, chakra-draining seals, and paralysis seals, among others. Even though Ren hadn't attempted anything beyond explosion and storage seals yet, he was confident that with his Fuijutsu talent, he could successfully create the others with some practice.

As he approached, the shopkeeper, a middle-aged man with sharp eyes, greeted him with enthusiasm.

"Hey, kid! Looking to buy some seals? We have everything you need even the highest-grade training seals! Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it here!"

{How's the new cover, I thought Ren's image might be more inviting than whatever it was before.}

 {This is a poll about Ren's summoning (Open till Sunday)}

1) One of the three holy lands shown in the anime

2) A new holy land (would become AU) (likely from the cats progeny or something else you want)