"Does this t as pleting a B-rank mission?"

  Walking back to the inn, Link couldn’t quite tell if he was disappointed or happy. He felt oddly calm, as if his first battle had been a bit... underwhelming.

  It was as if he had simply ridden the coattails of two jonin and pleted the mission without tributing much himself.

  He didn’t know why the mission had been issued, what its text was, or why there had been a flict with Amegakure shinobi. From start to finish, it all felt hazy and fusing.

  In terms of performance, he didn’t aplish much. Could this even be credited as a B-rank mission for him?

  Strolling along the roadside, he pohe mission briefly before shifting his thoughts to the brief enter with the Amegakure shinobi.

  The Amegakure ninja who kicked him had undoubtedly surpassed him in strength, speed, and power. If the fight had turned into close-quarters bat, it might have been troublesome.

  But that oppo had uimated him—a nine-year-old kid with little physical prowess and no apparent bat skills. He had simply kicked Link aside, assuming it was enough to incapacitate him, befoing after the female ninja.

  The instant his "body" broke apart midair while his "head" remained ihe shinobi had clearly mistaken it fenjutsu.

  Instinctively disrupting their chakra flow to dispel the supposed genjutsu, they lost crucial seds. By the time they realized it wasn’t a genjutsu, Link, despite his inferior physical strength, had already wouhem.

  If the female ninja hadn’t stepped in to finish the job, Link still believed he could have secured a victory in the end.

  A single misstep in judgment could determine life or death.

  For some reason, Link suddenly thought of another person—Shikamaru Nara.

  In the inal series, Shikamaru was described as someone capable of instantly seleg the correct option among 200 possible strategies.

  Would he himself be able to make the right call in a simir sario and execute it without hesitation?

  He sighed quietly. Switg perspectives, if he had been in the Amegakure ninja’s position, he probably would have reacted the same way—shocked, instinctively trying to dispel the supposed genjutsu, and ultimately failing or even dying because of it.

  The simutions at the academy had taught him many things, and his only two real experiences—both involving jonin battles—had left him feeling a bit uhered.

  For a brief moment, he’d almost vinced himself that as long as he summoned a powerful substitute, he could stand toe-to-toe with a jonin. That fleeting thought, though naive, felt intoxig.

  But real battles didn’t e with preparation time or ly arraandoffs.

  There were no turn-based attacks, no “your move, my move” sarios.

  It was ambushes, assassinations, and stealth. It was fighting unknown enemies in chaotic circumstances where a single mistake could meah.

  Shinobi were not samurai; their purpose was to take lives with the least cost to themselves.

  For Link, however, this fight provided something far more valuable—it firmed that his jutsu gave him a genuine edge against other shinobi.

  It gave him fidence.

  His defeats during the two graduation exams at the hands of jonin had shaken his self-assuranow, he realized it wasn’t that he was weak; jonin were just incredibly strong.

  The fight also reinforced the importance of always maintaining his e Teique as a passive defehe only downside? His oppo hadn’t given him the opportunity to test his new battle system with the Transformation Teique.

  These refles steadied him. He wouldn’t uimate or overestimate himself—a banced mi was crucial.

  "My first B-rank mission, my first enter with another shinobi…"

  Standing in front of the inn, Link gnced back at the brightly lit streets.

  "Not bad at all."

  …

  The m, Nara Ensui returo the inn and informed the Team Five that they could explore Tanzaku Town until noon before heading back to Konoha.

  Unaware that their teacher and teammate had taken part in an A-(B-)rank mission the previous night, Iris and Ami each grabbed their wallets a off to enjoy themselves.

  Tanzaku Town wasn’t just known for its seedy attras—it also boasted one of the most famous amusement parks in the Land of Fire.

  Link couldn’t uand why a town infamous fambling, illicit activities, and debauchery would have an amusement park of all things.

  Instead of joining his teammates, he wandered aloo Tanzaku Castle—an a fortress from the war-torn past, now a cultural heritage site in the Land of Fire. Its architectural style was strikingly simir to the castles of Japan from his previous life.

  The bustling crowd included many fn tourists, their attire vastly different from locals. After cirg the castle, Link climbed to the highest vantage point to take in the view—a blend of historical architecture and the bustling modernity of Tanzaku Town.

  The streets below were lined with Konoha-style buildings, harmoniously bining differes and shapes. Advertising banners, electrical wires, and modern touches like appliance shops added a porary vibe.

  Yet, despite the teological advances, Konoha still relied on she radio headsets for unication (up to 500 meters). Long-distance calls and energy-intensive surgeries required lightning release teiques or oversized batteries.

  The world’s teological insistencies were baffling.

  If someoold me one day that everyone in the Naruto world is secretly an orc, I wouldn’t even be surprised, Link thought.

  After expl Tanzaku Castle, he returo the inn, where his teammates and teacher regrouped to head back to Konoha.

  Without the mert slowing them down, the group moved at full speed. Setting out after lunch, they reached the vilge before nightfall.

  At the mission assig office, they handed in their pleted task and collected the reward. The four then parted ways, but Nara Ensui stopped Link to have a word.

  "You did well in st night’s mission."

  "Well, I mean—" Link began, realizing this marked his first pleted B-rank mission.

  "That’s right," Ensui firmed with a smile. "gratutions on pleting your first B-rank mission."

  Link pursed his lips, tilting his head to look up at his teacher. "Thank you for the opportunity."

  "Don’t get cocky," Ensui advised. "pleting one B-rank mission is just the beginning."

  He tossed a small booklet to Link. "Study this carefully. There will be more B-rank and higher-level missions ing your way. I’ll assess your performand reend you for in promotion accly."

  [Konoha in Guidebook]

  Just reading the title brought a smile to Link’s face. "Thank you so much, Ensui-sensei!"

  "Well…" Ensui scratched the back of his head, his slightly weathered face showing a rare glimpse of youthfulness. "Taking care of you three brats is exhausting."

  He patted Link on the shoulder. "Keep up the good work." With that, he left.

  Bleam