Although the war had ended and all the great nations had turned to rebuilding and enjoying newfound prosperity—especially the Land of Fire—crime naturally did not vanish as long as humans still existed. That said, with the presence of ninja, common bandits and thugs were no more than paper tigers. Under ninja suppression, such large-scale, overt criminal groups were now a rarity.
The next morning, all four members of Team 10 gathered at the mission assignment hall in Konoha, fully prepared for their journey. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, wasn't present—after all, as the Hokage, he had far more pressing matters to handle.
Unexpectedly, Team 7, led by Kakashi Hatake, arrived at the same time to report in after completing their own mission. Since the two teams of Genin knew each other, they exchanged greetings.
"Morning!""Morning!"
Seeing the Team 10 members with travel packs strapped to their backs, Naruto and the others couldn't help but glance over curiously.
As usual, Naruto didn't bother hiding his thoughts. Though he hadn't been especially close to Shikamaru and the others during their time at the Academy, he still walked over and pointed at the bags, asking bluntly, "Shikamaru, why are you guys carrying backpacks? What're you doing?"
Kakashi, who had been quietly reading Make-Out Paradise, finally looked up and glanced at Team 10. With a knowing expression, he gave an "ah" and turned to Asuma: "So you've already started taking C-rank missions, huh?"
D-rank missions never required leaving the village. After all, who would go to the trouble of hiring ninjas just to pick up trash?
"C-rank?" Sakura exclaimed with envy, while Ino puffed up proudly beside her. Clearly, the comparison to Team 7 had stroked her ego.
"Sensei!" Naruto whined, narrowing his eyes and pouting as he marched over to Kakashi. With clear discontent, he demanded, "Why is Team 10 already doing C-rank missions while we're still stuck on D-rank ones!?"
His tone and expression made it obvious—he was blaming Kakashi for the current situation.
Kakashi didn't even glance at Naruto. He lazily turned a page and replied, "I heard Shikamaru was top of the class at the Academy. Chōji and Ino also had solid scores. Not to mention their performance during the Genin exams…"
Then, taking the opportunity as he flipped another page, Kakashi finally shot Naruto a glance and delivered a final blow: "Unlike a certain someone who got tied to a post and watched everyone else eat because they couldn't even complete a D-rank mission."
...
While Kakashi and Naruto bickered, a burly middle-aged man was led over to Team 10 by one of the mission desk shinobi.
After exchanging greetings with the man, Asuma began listening to the mission details.
The task: four high-risk inmates had escaped from a local jail, killing guards during their breakout and fleeing into a nearby mountain range. Along the way, they murdered more civilians and armed themselves with stolen weapons. The local authorities were enraged but unwilling to spend the resources to mobilize their own forces. In Shikamaru's previous life, the only option would've been to send troops, but in this world, there were ninjas with supernatural powers—far more efficient and cost-effective.
Of course, even if the mission came from officials within the Land of Fire, no one below the rank of Daimyō had the authority to command shinobi from the Hidden Leaf. Orders had to come through official hiring channels. The man before them, a trusted agent of the local lord, had been sent to Konoha solely to issue the mission. He remained extremely respectful—after all, ninjas were powerful and independent of their bureaucratic structure. In this world, shinobi could not be insulted or ordered around lightly.
In Shikamaru's former world, ninjas had been marginalized, involved in shady dealings, and never played decisive roles in history. Because their status was low and they operated outside the system of noble "virtue" or "honor," they were often shunned and suppressed, unable to thrive. But here, power determined status. If someone like Orochimaru or Sasori went mad, they could destroy entire countries. With that kind of power, how could they possibly tolerate being treated as expendable or inferior?
With preparations already complete, the man handed over a map and mission scroll to Team 10. Since ninjas were far faster than ordinary people, the team would proceed ahead. The agent could follow if he wished, but he would only slow them down.
Under Asuma's lead, Team 10 departed from Konoha.
As a seasoned Jōnin, Asuma had already handled the exit paperwork, and the team encountered no obstacles along the way.
...
By the afternoon of the third day, they reached their destination.
The sun was just beginning to set, its rays casting a reddish glow on the distant buildings. As the sky darkened, Asuma let out a breath of relief and led his team into the bustling town.
Though the escaped criminals had fled into the nearby mountains, the town itself remained relatively unaffected and continued to thrive.
Ordinary visitors might have checked into a local inn and freshened up before meeting the town officials. But Asuma and his Genin weren't here for appearances. Their mission was to hunt down fugitives, not socialize.
After presenting the mission scroll, the official in charge received them politely. While not overly enthusiastic, he treated them with proper courtesy and invited them to rest at the estate for the night before heading out at dawn.
Asuma initially wanted to decline, but seeing how exhausted Chōji and Ino were, he relented. They lacked experience, and in their current state, they'd be vulnerable to ambush at night.
...
Early the next morning, Shikamaru woke up and washed up before carefully inspecting his ninja tools. Even if the targets were just regular people, good habits should never be neglected.
Their rooms were connected. As Shikamaru listened closely, he heard movement from Asuma's room—he was already up.
Moments later, a bleary-eyed Chōji knocked on his door, calling him to meet up in Asuma's room.
The estate was still quiet. A few servants had started their morning duties, and the occasional bird chirped from tree branches and rooftops. Breathing in the crisp air, Shikamaru felt reinvigorated.
He and Chōji reached Asuma's room and pushed the door open after a light knock. Ino was already there, yawning groggily. Her sleepy expression lacked its usual spark. Startled by the opening door, she hurried to cover her mouth—worried about looking unrefined.
Her fatigue was obvious. Like Chōji, she clearly hadn't slept well.
After their initial excitement wore off, the weight of the mission had begun to settle in.
Once all three Genin were seated, they looked to Asuma in silence.
"Put these on," Asuma said, opening his eyes. He had been resting until then. From his pack, he took out four radios with earpieces. Keeping one for himself, he handed the rest to the team. "The four targets fled into the mountain beyond the town. Our mission is to track and eliminate them."
Despite the murders, the fugitives were just ordinary people. Ino or Chōji alone could take them down—no need for elaborate planning. Asuma gave his instructions and exited the room.
A guide sent by the officials was already waiting outside. Once Team 10 was ready, the guide led them to the edge of the forest where the fugitives had disappeared.
The mountain wasn't tall, but its dense woods and sparse human activity made it an ideal hiding spot. Tracking down the escapees would be difficult for regular soldiers, requiring immense manpower.
Now that his job was done, the guide stood respectfully to the side. Asuma waved him off, signaling that he could return.
Once the guide left, Asuma crouched down to examine the tracks on the ground. The footprints were scattered and messy—clear signs of a panicked escape.
Shikamaru stepped forward as well. They had been taught basic tracking at the Academy, and he was no stranger to the skill.
"Shikamaru, you'll lead Ino and Chōji. Track them down," Asuma instructed after a close look. Lighting a cigarette, he waved away the smoke and added, "I'll wait for you at the base of the mountain."
With the fugitives untrained and poorly supplied, their trail would be easy to follow for a ninja.
But Ino frowned at Asuma's words and asked, "Asuma-sensei, aren't you coming with us?"
"I'm your Jōnin instructor, not your babysitter," Asuma replied coldly. "Tracking is part of your Academy training. If the three of you can't even handle four ordinary people, then you have no business calling yourselves shinobi."
His sudden change in tone stunned Ino. She bit her lip and met his gaze, replying firmly, "That's not what I meant, Asuma-sensei."
"It better not be," Asuma said, exhaling a puff of smoke. His face, half-hidden behind the haze, made it hard to read his expression. "Let me give you a warning: don't show unnecessary mercy or sympathy to the enemy. If you get yourselves killed, don't expect praise or honor. Being killed by mere civilians? You'll be remembered with scorn—and mockery will follow your corpses into the grave."