"Hiding Like a Mole Teique... I wonder what it will look like," Link mused aloud while lying in bed, fantasizing about the jutsu he might acquire.

  Feeling the pangs of hunger, he rubbed his stomach. But the idea of cooking for himself seemed beh his ature.

  After all, could a in didate really justify cooking his own meals?

  Time for Ichiraku Ramen!

  Rolling out of bed, he opened his window and formed a hand seal, eling a minimal amount of chakra.

  "e Teique—Activate!"

  With a satisfying pop, his substitution e appeared.

  Reag up, he casually pulled off his e's head, aimed it toward Ichiraku Ramen, and hurled it with all his strength.

  "Off you go!"

  Through the air, "Link's head" soared in a wide arc, spinning and gliding. His eyes squinted shut in sheer delight. In the bustling streets of Konoha, this method of transportation was effit, chakra-serving, and oddly thrilling.

  Uhe energy-intensive Body Flicker Teique, his modified e Teique ed only a fra of chakra. He could easily summon 20-30 es without breaking a sweat.

  With his physical strength, throwing his "head" 100 meters was effortless. As his headless body stayed behind, his floating "head" ehe exhiration of flying above rooftops.

  The thrill of "air travel" was oddly addictive.

  Just before nding, Link celed the teique, allowing the head to dissolve with a soft pop! as his body reassembled on a nearby rooftop.

  vely, his teique reset gravity’s effects, sparing him from the force of a crash nding.

  Reorienting himself, Link spotted Ichiraku Ramen just dowreet. Two quick leaps ter, he nded gracefully outside the shop.

  Adjusting his hair, which had bee disheveled during his flight, he walked in as if nothing had happened.

  "The usual, Ueuchi."

  Taking a seat, he notiaruto Uzumaki seated nearby, inhaling a bowl of ramen with uraihusiasm. Link gave a small wave of aowledgment, smiling faintly.

  Naruto, grinning widely, waved back before returning to his meal.

  Their iions over the past few months had been limited to such simple exges. There was no need for deeper es.

  After lunch, Link strolled leisurely to the Seventh Training Ground.

  For reasons unknown, it had bee Team Five's default meeting spot, likely because their instructor, Nara Ensui, favored it for bat assessments.

  Arriving ahead of his teammates, Link began his daily training routine.

  For him, foundational strength was everything.

  "Ninja battles are battles of chakra!" he mentally decred, swinging his arms with renewed vigor.

  "Su iie... I’ll definitely use it someday to look cool in a fight."

  With sweat dripping from his brow, Link tinued pushing himself, occasionally chug at the imagined grandeur of future battles.

  …

  The M: Mission Assig

  At the Hokage's offi the mission assig ter, the t, a middle-aged man, bowed deeply.

  "I’m entrusting my safety to all of you," he said early.

  The man introduced himself as the proprietor of aertai establishment in Tanzaku Town. While he didn’t specify why he required prote, his demeanor implied a sense ency.

  Tanzaku Town...

  Lially reviewed the mission. Giveails, it seemed like a standard, low-risk k esission.

  Iris, one of his teammates, studied the t curiously, while Ami fidgeted nervously with her hands.

  Nara Ensui nodded calmly, leading the group toward the vilge gates.

  Without any unnecessary chatter, Team Five instinctively fell into a triangur formation, positioning themselves around the t. Even within the safety of the vilge, their instincts as trained ninja guided their movements.

  After registering at the gates, the squad officially departed Konoha, stepping into the forested paths beyond its protective walls.

  For Link, this marked his first time leaving the vilge—a signifit milestone.

  "Haaah..."

  Breathing in the fresh air, he felt an inexplicable mix of excitement and apprehensioe knowing the area was retively safe, the unfamiliarity of being outside the vilge's security created a subtle tension.

  Their route to Tanzaku Town was straightforward. Located southwest of Konoha ahe border with the Land of Rivers, it was much closer than other destinations like the Land of Waves.

  Even with the potential dangers of a k mission, this particur journey warrahe lowest possible reward of 30,000 ryo.

  The Land of Fire’s western and southern regions were known for being slightly more votile, especially near borders shared with tries like:

  The Land of Grass

  The Land of Rain

  The Land of Rivers

  These territories, caught between major ninja vilges like Konohagakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure, had been battlegrounds for decades. The aftermath of tless wars left their nds ravaged and their people struggling, with many turning to banditry or being rogue ninja.

  While the Land of Grass and Land of Rain maintained a sembnce of order thanks to their ninja vilges, the Land of Rivers was chaotic.

  Its fertile nds and abundant resources masked its internal strife. Frequent civil u and the ck of a ninja vilge made it a breeding ground for meraries, bandits, and all manner of wlessness.

  Tanzaku Town, however, thrived in this chaos. Located he Land of Rivers, its proximity to wealth attracted both legitimate traders and less savory elements. As the most famous eai hub in the Land of Fire, it drew merts, gamblers, and pleasure-seekers from far and wide.

  But with prosperity came dahe town’s reputation as a bustling hub made it a mag for both opportunity and crime. As a result, wealthy individuals often hired ninja escorts for the journey.

  Despite these risks, the mission proceeded without i. Occasionally, distant eyes seemed to watch them from the shadows. But at the sight of Konoha’s forehead protectors, those gazes quickly disappeared.

  By dusk, Team Five arrived safely at their destination:

  Tanzaku Town.