*Chapter 177: Long Time No See, Konoha Village!*

The moment the Third Hokage spoke, Sasuke’s pupils narrowed slightly.

A protection mission!

It’s here!

The Wave Country mission!

Sasuke was already certain in his heart—this mission was the Wave Country mission!

But…

Why?

Why didn’t it appear in the Year-One Future Events Guide?

A question mark popped up in Sasuke’s mind.

This was directly related to his own interests!

If it had been listed in the Year-One Events Guide, he could have earned an additional 50% system points.

Now that this mission wasn’t included in the guide…

There was no bonus.

Damn it!

Sasuke felt like he had taken a huge loss!

“Who is it?”

“Who are we protecting?”

“Is it a daimyo?”

“Or maybe a princess?”

Naruto’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. This was the first time he had received a protection mission, and his heart was brimming with excitement.

“You’re really impatient, aren’t you?”

The Third Hokage, holding a pipe in his mouth, glanced at Sasuke. He took a slow puff and said calmly, “Let me introduce them to you now.”

Then—

The Third Hokage looked at the office door.

Tap tap!  

He gestured with a wave of his hand and said in a low voice, “Come in!”

With that—

A middle-aged man walked in, holding a bottle of sake.

The man had gray hair, wore a pair of simple glasses, and was dressed in a green sleeveless shirt paired with checkered pants. He took another swig from his bottle as he entered.

“What the heck?”

“Just a bunch of kids!”

“Especially…”

The man’s gaze fell on Naruto, and a trace of disdain flickered in his eyes.

“That short little brat looks clueless. Are you really ninjas?”

As soon as he said this—

The room fell silent.

In an instant—

Naruto glanced around. Both Sasuke and Sakura were taller than him.

Short little brat?!

Naruto was about to explode in anger when Sasuke clamped a hand on his shoulder.

“Do you know who you’re talking to, old man?”

Sasuke’s gaze was sharp and piercing.

Fast forward a few years—

These would be the Sixth Hokage, the Seventh Hokage, the Fifth Hokage’s apprentice, and…

Himself, the unrivaled prodigy!

*+10*

A number flashed before Sasuke’s eyes.

“So rude,” Sasuke muttered.

The middle-aged man took another swig from his bottle, gulping it down noisily, then turned his eyes toward the Third Hokage.

“Can’t you send someone else? These kids don’t look reliable.”

The man spoke bluntly, without a shred of courtesy or tact.

“No need to switch. Only we can handle your mission. Let’s get going,” Sasuke said before the Third Hokage could respond.

*+15*

Another number flashed in front of Sasuke’s eyes.

“Hmph!”

---

---

The older man snorted coldly but said nothing more. After glancing at Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura, his gaze finally settled on Kakashi.

Perhaps...

He thought Kakashi seemed the most reliable.

"I am the renowned bridge-building expert Tazuna! Please stake your lives to protect me until I return home and finish constructing the bridge!"

Tazuna's voice carried a hint of gravity—after all, the mission he reported wasn’t merely a C-rank.

"We’re highly professional," Kakashi replied with a nod, his tone devoid of much emotion. He had experienced countless missions and met all kinds of clients.

"Let’s move out."

Tazuna gave Kakashi a deep look and chose not to say anything further.

"Team 7, prepare to depart," Kakashi commanded. Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura instantly responded in unison, following Tazuna as they all headed out.

Shortly after, the group of five began walking away from the village.

"Sasuke, you’ve been on two missions outside the village already. Is it fun out there?" Naruto asked curiously, walking beside Sasuke.

"There’s more danger than fun," Sasuke replied flatly, not wanting Naruto to think the outside world was all enjoyment.

"I’m finally on a mission outside the village!" Naruto ignored Sasuke’s words completely and ran excitedly toward the village gate.

Once he reached the gate, Naruto stood under it, raised his arms, and shouted to the sky, "Let’s go!"

His voice echoed across the open space, brimming with excitement.

Sakura, watching Naruto’s enthusiasm, glanced at Tazuna’s disdainful expression and couldn’t help feeling a headache coming on.

"Naruto, what are you so excited about?" Sakura asked with exasperation, feeling slightly embarrassed by Naruto’s behavior.

"This is my first time leaving the village!" Naruto replied with a wide grin. He looked around, finding everything fresh and exciting.

Tazuna observed all of Naruto’s antics silently.

"Hey!"

Tazuna pointed at Naruto and turned to Kakashi.

"Is this kid even up to the task?" His voice carried a hint of skepticism, and his expression was far from kind.

"Don’t worry. You’ve got me, a Jonin, and my most capable student as well," Kakashi reassured him.

Ever since Sasuke had mastered the Morning Peacock technique, Kakashi had considered him a ninja on par with himself. It was like doing a mission with Guy.

"Hmph!"

Tazuna turned his head away, his displeasure evident.

"Hey!"

Naruto pointed at Tazuna, his face full of discontent.

"Old man!"

"How dare you underestimate Sasuke!"

"Sasuke is incredibly strong!"

"Of course," Naruto added, puffing his chest out. "I’m strong too!"

"Remember my name! I’m Naruto Uzumaki, and I’m going to become Hokage!"

Naruto declared his trademark dream with fervor.

"Oh?"

Tazuna gave Naruto an amused glance before taking another swig from his bottle.

"The Hokage is the strongest ninja in the village, right?"

"Doesn’t seem like something a brat like you could achieve!"

Tazuna clearly didn’t believe Naruto could become Hokage. To him, Naruto looked like nothing more than a wet-behind-the-ears kid.

"Shut up!"

Naruto yelled in protest. "I will become Hokage!"

Tazuna glanced at Naruto over the top of his glasses, smirked, and shook his head without replying.

"Hmph!"

Naruto snorted and ignored Tazuna, just as Tazuna ignored him.

The group continued walking, chatting along the way.

Sasuke, silent since leaving the gate, seemed focused. He had already heard something unusual.

"By the way," Kakashi said casually to Tazuna, "you’re from the Land of Waves, right?"

"That’s correct. Why do you ask?" Tazuna responded.

"No reason," Kakashi replied with a shrug.

"Kakashi-sensei, are there ninjas in the Land of Waves?" Sakura suddenly asked nervously, a hint of fear in her voice.

"No, there are no ninjas in the Land of Waves," Kakashi answered, gently patting Sakura on the head. "Don’t worry. A C-rank mission doesn’t involve encountering ninjas."

"Then there’s nothing to be afraid of!" Sakura felt a wave of relief.

At the back of the group, Sasuke quietly observed everything, his thoughts elsewhere.

It was almost identical to the scene he remembered from the anime.

On the ground ahead lay a small puddle of water.

It wasn’t calm.

Ripples faintly spread across its surface, barely noticeable.

Sasuke had already sensed something was wrong with the water and focused his attention on it.

As Kakashi walked past the puddle, a head suddenly emerged from the water, right in Sasuke’s line of sight.

The ninja wore the forehead protector of the Hidden Mist Village.

Sasuke stared coldly at the emerging Mist ninja as though he weren’t even a threat.

"Do you really think taking out Kakashi-sensei will be enough?"

Sasuke stopped in front of the puddle, his gaze fixed on the head that hadn’t even turned around.

There was no stat boost.

The Mist ninja wasn’t strong enough to be worth Sasuke’s effort.

Whoosh!

The Mist ninja leaped out of the water.

At the same time, another ninja emerged from the same puddle, swinging a chain rapidly.

"How dare you ignore me!"

Sasuke’s voice rang sharply in their ears as he appeared between them, his hands gripping their heads. He slammed their heads together with force.

+10

A number flashed in Sasuke’s vision.

Bang!

A dull sound echoed.

The two Mist ninjas felt their vision darken as the impact left them dazed.

Their heads throbbed with pain.

What strength is this?!

As they struggled to comprehend, a cracking sound came from their skulls.

---

---

The forehead protectors at the point of impact cracked and shattered into pieces, scattering on the ground.

“What the…”

Both of them were dazed, their vision doubling as they looked at Sasuke in front of them. The force of the collision was too intense.

“This is the correct way to use a forehead protector,” Sasuke remarked while glancing at the two Mist Ninjas collapsed on the ground. He felt a bit annoyed—after causing such a commotion, the points only increased by 10.

+12

As Sasuke muttered to himself, the points before him began to tick upward again.

“Kakashi-sensei, should we leave these two alive, or just finish them off?”

Sasuke asked casually, as if killing two people was an insignificant task.

+15

The numbers before Sasuke’s eyes jumped once more.

“I’ll take care of it,” Kakashi said as he approached. He had intended for these two Mist Ninjas to give Team 7’s genin some experience, but Sasuke had dealt with them immediately.

“Sasuke is so cool!” Sakura exclaimed, finally snapping out of her daze. Her eyes were practically heart-shaped.

“Sasuke really is amazing!” Naruto nodded in agreement. He hadn’t even seen what had happened before the two Mist Ninjas were already on the ground.

“This kid might actually be reliable,” thought Tazuna with a sigh of relief, his face slick with sweat.

Kakashi stood over the two Mist Ninjas, studying them closely for a moment before turning his head slightly to look at Tazuna.

“Tazuna, I have something to discuss with you,” Kakashi said, his tone turning cold.

“What... what is it?” Tazuna stammered nervously.

“If I’m not mistaken, these two are Chūnin from the Village Hidden in the Mist, known for their relentless fighting style,” Kakashi said seriously.

“What are you trying to say?” Tazuna grew even more flustered.

“Tazuna-san, you’ve been targeted by ninja. A mission involving enemy ninja isn’t a C-rank mission—it’s a B-rank mission!” Kakashi stated firmly.

“B-rank missions require more money,” Tazuna finally admitted.

“B-rank might be a little too advanced for us right now…” Sakura said, her voice trembling. She wasn’t ready to face more ninja yet.

“You promised to protect me!” Tazuna protested, bowing his head in frustration. He couldn’t really argue, though—it was true he had withheld the truth.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. We’ll escort you to your destination,” Sasuke said suddenly. With his hands in his pockets, he looked completely unbothered, as if the two Mist Ninjas hadn’t affected him at all.

+20

As Sasuke finished speaking, the points on the screen in front of him increased again.

“That’s right!” Naruto stepped forward, standing in front of Tazuna. Pointing to himself with his thumb, he declared, “If there’s danger, I’ll protect you!”

Tazuna looked at Naruto’s short stature and twitched slightly, holding back his thoughts.

If Sasuke had said that, Tazuna might have felt reassured. But Naruto? Not so much.

“The mission continues,” Kakashi announced after hearing two of his team members voice their commitment.

Tazuna sighed in relief at Kakashi’s decision.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

However—

At that moment, the two Mist Ninjas who had fallen earlier suddenly sprang up, wielding an iron chain as they lunged toward Sasuke, aiming to strangle him.

The spiked chain circled toward Sasuke, who stood motionless, not even attempting to dodge.

“You should’ve taken the chance to escape,” Sasuke said coldly. Under everyone’s gaze, he reached out and grabbed the iron chain.

+25

The numbers on Sasuke’s screen jumped again.

Sasuke’s hands gripped the chain, which began to spark and crackle with a bluish-purple lightning.

“Chidori Stream!”

*Zzzzzzt!*

Terrifying bolts of lightning surged along the chain, rushing toward the two Mist Ninjas.

In an instant, their entire bodies seized up, paralyzed. Their faces were filled with shock.

*This is a genin? Are all Konoha genin this terrifying?*

As the two ninja reeled in disbelief, Sasuke’s hands returned to their solid form. Gripping the chain tightly, he suddenly pulled with immense force.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

The two Mist Ninjas were flung toward each other at high speed.

*Bang!*

The loud crash echoed as their bodies collided violently. Both of them collapsed unconscious, completely unaware of what had just happened.

Sasuke then flipped his wrist, revealing a kunai in his palm. In a flash, he slashed it across their throats.

*Shk! Shk!*

Blood spurted out in two crimson arcs, staining the ground beneath the Mist Ninjas.

+35

The numbers on Sasuke’s screen jumped yet again.

“Ahhh!!!” Sakura stumbled backward, her eyes wide with shock.

*Killing!*

Sasuke had killed them!

Sakura knew Sasuke had gone on two missions before and had killed enemies, so it wasn’t entirely surprising.

But seeing it with her own eyes was a completely different experience.

“Sakura, the ninja world is cruel. It’s either kill or be killed,” Sasuke said calmly, wiping his kunai clean on the Mist Ninjas’ clothing.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he slid the kunai back into his sleeve, where it disappeared.

“Sasuke, why did you kill them? We might have been able to get some information out of them,” Kakashi said, looking at him.

“Hmm,” Sasuke responded lightly.

---

Naruto and Sakura both nodded.

"That makes sense!"

"We really should interrogate them."

"Kakashi-sensei, I know you're testing me."

Sasuke's lips curled into a faint smile as he glanced at the two corpses on the ground and spoke calmly.

+40

The numbers before Sasuke's eyes jumped once again.

"Testing?!"

Naruto and Sakura's minds simultaneously filled with a giant question mark.

"What do you mean?"

Kakashi looked at Sasuke, feeling quite satisfied. From start to finish, Sasuke remained composed, never hesitating to act when necessary.

"Kakashi-sensei, they're Chūnin from the Hidden Mist Village, known for their relentless, fight-to-the-death battle style. Given that, how could they possibly reveal any information?"

Sasuke shook his head as he spoke.

+45

The numbers before Sasuke's eyes jumped once again.

Of course, it wasn't entirely impossible to interrogate them.

If someone like Ibiki from the Leaf Village, a specialist in interrogation, or someone with a Sharingan illusion to paralyze the targets were involved, they could extract some intel.

But Sasuke didn't feel like bothering.

After all, it was just Zabuza! Revealing more information at this point wouldn't help—if anything, it would only cast a shadow over the team.

"That explanation was well done!"

Kakashi nodded in approval, even Naruto and Sakura followed suit.

"So that's how it is."

Both of them had learned something new.

The rest of the journey passed without encountering any pursuing Hidden Mist ninjas.

The road to the Fire Country's border was smooth and unobstructed.

As the five of them made their way toward the Land of Waves, the Hidden Leaf Village welcomed a special guest.

With white hair, a forehead protector bearing the kanji for "oil," a ninja outfit, and a red vest, it was none other than Jiraiya.

At that moment, Jiraiya stood at the gates of the Hidden Leaf Village, holding a manuscript belonging to Sasuke.

"If it weren't for retrieving the teacher's manuscript, I wouldn't have been delayed for so long."

Jiraiya glanced at the village gate, memories flashing through his mind.

"It's been a while, Hidden Leaf Village!"

Jiraiya sighed deeply and stepped inside.

Swoosh! Swoosh!  

In an instant, two figures appeared in front of Jiraiya. Both wore masks, dressed as members of the Anbu.

But one of them, with her long purple hair, had already given away her identity.

Yūgao Uzuki!

Which made the identity of the other person obvious without the need for guessing.

Hayate Gekkō!

"Jiraiya-sama, welcome back to the Hidden Leaf Village. The Third Hokage has an urgent matter to discuss with you!"

Hayate Gekkō's voice emerged from behind his mask.

"Ugh, you people are so annoying. I just set foot in the village, and you're already bringing me all this stuff!"

Jiraiya waved his hand repeatedly, shaking his head in refusal, his face full of reluctance.

"I'm not here to deal with any village issues this time—I'm here for the novels."

Jiraiya's words left Hayate Gekkō and Yūgao Uzuki utterly dumbfounded.

"Do you know where Uchiha Sasuke is?"

Jiraiya asked directly, his tone carrying a hint of urgency. He had been agonized by a cliffhanger for far too long.

---

(Chapter ends)