Naruto rebirth! Born again with a system.

Chapter 48: A New Mission!

The evening settled over the village as Team 15 made their way home from the training grounds. The intensity of the sparring session had left them all feeling energized, though each carried different thoughts about what had transpired.

Kōzaru walked with a spring in his step, his mind still buzzing with the adrenaline from his victory over Aotaka. The battle had been more challenging than he had expected, but it had also shown him just how much he had grown. His combination of taijutsu, wind style ninjutsu, and tactical thinking had proven effective against a skilled opponent.

As they reached the main street, Kōzaru paused and opened his status screen, curious to see his current capabilities after everything that had happened.

Kōzaru:

Inuzuka Clan: Level 8: EXP (1020/2000) Skill points available: 2

Health: 140 + (14×2) = 168,

Chakra: 140+ (10×2) = 160,

Taijutsu: 14,

Ninjutsu: 10,

Genjutsu: 2,

Kenjutsu: 3,

Abilities: Wind Style (Gale Palm): Cost 20 chakra.

Body Flicker: Cost 10 chakra.

Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu: Cost 30 chakra.

Man Beast Clone: Cost 30 chakra per clone. Now no cost if the dogs use their own chakra.

Fang over fang: Cost 20 chakra.

Special: Heightened senses Yuki & Riku: Ninja hounds Basic Pack Coordination.

The numbers were impressive, especially considering where he had started just weeks ago. His taijutsu and speed had reached chunin levels, and his ninjutsu was rapidly improving as well. Having earned an extra 200 EXP from his battle with Aotaka and even gained a level in Kenjutsu.

I'm actually getting strong, he thought to himself, a smile spreading across his face. That fight with Aotaka proved it. I held my own despite him having the Senju strength boost. I'm glad I picked Inuzuka as my start. He thought as he looked down towards Riku and Yuki who followed him, their tails wagging as he made eye contact.

His mind drifted back to the battle, analysing each exchange and what he had learned. The way Aotaka's chakra-enhanced blade had nearly caught him, the precision of his kenjutsu techniques, and the raw power behind his lightning style jutsu. It had been a real test of everything he had learned so far.

But my wind style was able to counter his lightning completely, Kōzaru reflected, remembering the moment when his Gale Palm had overwhelmed Aotaka's Static Force technique. Elemental advantages really do make a difference in battle.

He was so lost in thought that he almost missed Yuki's sharp bark of warning.

"Woof! Woof!"

The sound snapped him back to reality, and he looked down to see both Yuki and Riku staring at him with expressions that seemed almost accusatory.

"What is it?" he asked, but then his enhanced senses picked up the subtle changes in the air around them. The quality of light, the position of the sun, the way the shadows fell...

His eyes widened as realization hit him. "Oh no! We're late!"

"Late for what?" Tatsuma asked, but Kōzaru was already moving.

"Minato-sensei's mission! He should be back by now, and we're supposed to meet him at the mission office!" Kōzaru called over his shoulder as he broke into a run. "Come on, we need to hurry!"

"Wait up!" Aotaka called out, though his voice carried a slight strain from his earlier injuries as he was still recovering.

The three teammates and their ninken companions rushed through the village streets, weaving between evening shoppers and late-working merchants. Kōzaru's mind raced as they ran, hoping that their sensei wouldn't be too upset about their tardiness.

We got so caught up in sparring that we lost track of time, he thought, pushing himself to run faster. This is exactly the kind of thing that could get us in trouble.

They reached the mission office just as the sun was beginning to set, the building's windows glowing with warm light against the darkening sky. Kōzaru burst through the entrance, his breathing slightly laboured from the sprint, with Tatsuma and Aotaka close behind.

"Team 15 reporting!" Kōzaru announced, his voice carrying a note of apology.

"There you are," came the familiar voice of Minato-sensei, who was standing near the mission desk with his characteristic warm smile. "I was wondering when you three would show up."

"Sorry we're late, sensei," Tatsuma said, still catching his breath. "We were training and lost track of time."

"Sensei!" Kōzaru said, relief evident in his voice. "How was your mission?"

"Successful, thank you for asking," Minato replied, his eyes taking in the slightly dishevelled appearance of his students. "Though I can see you three have been busy as well. How's everyone feeling?"

"We're all good, sensei," Aotaka said, though Kōzaru noticed his friend's movements were still slightly stiff from their earlier battle.

"How are you feeling, Aotaka?" Kōzaru asked, genuine concern in his voice. "That was a pretty hard hit you took."

"I'm fine," Aotaka replied, flexing his arm to demonstrate his recovery. "See? The Senju constitution isn't just for show. I heal faster than most people."

Minato chuckled, his experienced eyes picking up on the subtle signs of recent combat. "I can tell you three have been going at it while I was away. Let me guess, sparring session?"

"How did you know?" Tatsuma asked, amazed by their sensei's perception.

"Experience," Minato said simply. "Plus, Kōzaru's jacket has a very clean cut through it that wasn't there this morning, and Aotaka's moving like someone who recently took a hard impact. Good sparring is an important part of training, but make sure you're not pushing yourselves too hard."

"We'll be more careful, sensei," Kōzaru said, though his voice carried the confidence of someone who had proven themselves in battle.

"I'm glad to hear it," Minato replied, his expression growing more serious. "Because we're going to need all of you at your best for what comes next."

"What do you mean?" Aotaka asked, his earlier frustration momentarily forgotten in the face of his sensei's serious tone.

"The War has escalated," Minato explained, his voice and expression carrying the weight of someone who had seen the conflict first-hand. "The situation is becoming more dangerous, and the village needs every capable team ready for higher-level missions."

"Higher-level missions?" Tatsuma repeated, his eyes widening with understanding.

"That's right," Minato said, turning toward the mission desk. "Which is why we're here. Team 15 is being assigned a C-rank mission."

The three teammates exchanged glances, excitement and nervousness warring in their expressions. This was what they had been training for, what they had been hoping to prove themselves ready for.

"What kind of mission?" Kōzaru asked, his earlier fatigue almost completely forgotten.

Minato approached the mission desk, where a chunin clerk was waiting with an official scroll, handing it over to him with a nod.

"The mission is classified as reconnaissance and investigation. A convoy of medical supplies has gone silent near the Fire Country border. Our job is to investigate and report on what happened."

"A missing convoy?" Aotaka said, his competitive spirit immediately engaged. "That could mean anything from bandits to enemy ninja."

[New quest: C-Rank mission: Investigate the medical convoy! Reward: 1000 EXP!]

The system pinged in each of their ears and sight, with all three of them pushing it aside for the time being as they continued to listen to Minato explain.

"Exactly," Minato said, his expression serious. "Which is why this is a C-rank mission. Boarding on B-rank. There's a real possibility we'll encounter hostile forces, and you'll need to be ready for anything."

"When do we leave?" Tatsuma asked, his voice carrying the same excitement that was evident in all their faces.

"We move out in two hours," Minato replied. "This is a time-sensitive mission, so we can't afford delays. The convoy was supposed to reach its destination two days ago, and every hour that passes makes it less likely we'll find survivors."

"Survivors?" Kōzaru repeated, the reality of the situation beginning to sink in.

"Medical convoys usually have a small escort of chunin-level ninja," Minato explained. "If they've gone silent, it means something powerful enough to overcome trained shinobi has interfered with their mission."

The training ground suddenly felt very far away. This wasn't about testing their abilities against each other anymore—this was about real danger, real consequences, and real lives potentially at stake.

"Are you ready for this?" Minato asked, his eyes moving to each of his students in turn. "If enemy ninja are involved, they won't hesitate to kill anyone who gets in their way." He said, knowing what had happened on their last mission with Shibi.

"We're ready, sensei," Kōzaru said. "We've all gotten stronger." He said, getting a bark from Riku who was also ready for action.

"Much stronger," Aotaka added, though his voice carried a note of determination that went beyond simple confidence.

"We won't let you down," Tatsuma said, his usual nature evident as he wore his happy go lucky smile on his face.

Minato smiled, pride evident in his expression. "I believe you. You've all shown remarkable growth, just like Shibi said, and I have confidence in your abilities."

"What should we bring?" Kōzaru asked, his mind already turning to the practical aspects of the mission.

"Standard mission gear," Minato replied. "Extra weapons, medical supplies, and enough food for at least three days. We don't know how long this investigation will take."

"Should we bring soldier pills?" Tatsuma asked, remembering their earlier experiment with Chōza's gift as he took the bag of them out of his pouch, handing them over to Minato.

"Chōza asked us to give these to you sensei." Tatsuma then said, getting a shocked look from Minato.

"He did, did he? Well, I guess these might come in handy if we find ourselves in a bind." He said as he handed two each to Tatsuma and the others, keeping two for himself.

"These should help, they will restore your chakra and help keep you in the fight. Though I hope we won't need them. The best missions are the ones where everything goes according to plan." He said.

"When has that ever happened?" Aotaka said with a wry smile, earning chuckles from his teammates as they each took the pills and put them away safe.

"Fair point," Minato conceded. "Which is why we prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

As they left the mission office, the three teammates felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness that was entirely different from their earlier sparring session. This was real. This was what they had been training for.

"I can't believe we're finally getting another real mission," Tatsuma said as they walked through the evening streets.

"I'm ready for it," Kōzaru said, his confidence genuine but tempered with respect for the dangers they might face.

"So am I," Aotaka said, though his friends didn't notice the way his hands clenched into fists at his sides. This is my chance to prove myself. To show that I'm not weak.

"Come on you guys, lets go and check out the weapons shop before our mission starts, now that we have saved some money maybe we can get better gear?" Tatsuma said, getting a nod of agreement from the other two.

"That's not a bad idea at all." Kōzaru said, knowing he should proably get some padding or something to help in his Taijutsu.

"Yeah, lets go and stock up." Aotaka said, wondering what else they might find in the weapon shop.

With that the three of them walked off towards the weapons shop, excitement replacing the nervousness that had come from their first mission. 

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