Of course, Iruka knew very clearly that during the previous wartime years, far too many ninja who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy were forced to head directly onto the battlefield. Kakashi had graduated from the Ninja Academy at the age of five, and by the age of twelve he had already become a Jōnin. This was something Iruka knew very well. After all, it was a fact known by most people in Konoha Village, and even throughout the entire ninja world.
The son of Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, Kakashi Hatake had inherited exceptional talent. Combined with the Sharingan he later obtained from the Uchiha clan, he was regarded during that era as one of the most outstanding geniuses, and his reputation had spread to all the major ninja villages.
However, Iruka believed that this situation was simply not comparable.
Leaving Kakashi aside, even under normal circumstances, those were wartime years. If the villages had not done so, they would have likely lost the war, resulting in devastating consequences for the village itself. Even cannon fodder has the value of cannon fodder. Since the establishment of the Five Great Ninja Villages, there have been only two individuals capable of completely ignoring numerical disadvantages: Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama. As for the others? Even the famously powerful Third Raikage of Kumogakure ultimately fell under tactics involving overwhelming numbers. This proved that at critical moments, sheer numbers still mattered greatly.
Moreover, Iruka could barely be considered someone who lived through the later stages of the war. Naturally, he understood that during wartime, those who were sent directly to the battlefield after graduation often faced a fate of nine deaths out of ten. There was simply no comparison between that era and the current relatively peaceful times.
Because of this, Iruka did not want Naruto and Team Seven to take on C-rank missions so early.
At the very least, they should wait two or three months, accumulate sufficient mission experience, and allow their mentality to mature further.
However, this time, Iruka had just begun to speak and had not even finished his sentence—
When he was interrupted by the Third Hokage raising his hand.
"Iruka," the Third Hokage said calmly, "Naruto and the others are no longer children of the Ninja Academy. They are now qualified shinobi of Konohagakure."
Although the Third Hokage's words still sounded gentle, the unmistakable authority contained within them caused Iruka to stiffen slightly. After less than a second of silence, Iruka lowered his head and nodded in acknowledgment.
"Yes… I understand, Third Hokage-sama."
Immediately afterward, Iruka turned his gaze toward Naruto standing not far away, his expression extremely complex. There was worry in his eyes, along with concern, but also unmistakable pride. At this moment, Iruka truly realized that the boy he had once protected like a younger brother had indeed grown up.
The image of Naruto standing in front of him on the day of graduation, blocking Mizuki's attack without hesitation, resurfaced in his mind. Iruka's expression softened even further.
"You really have grown up… Naruto…"
Iruka thought silently in his heart.
On the other side, as the Third Hokage's decision settled—
Naruto, standing at the forefront, could not hide the joy that surfaced on his face.
Even Sasuke, who was usually cold and expressionless, had a faint smile appear at the corner of his mouth.
In truth, Sasuke's thoughts were very similar to what Naruto had just said earlier. It was just that due to his personality, he did not voice them directly. Repeating the same D-rank missions over the past several days, with no difficulty and no real value, had already bored him thoroughly. Sasuke wanted to take on C-rank missions earlier, because only through actual combat could he become stronger at a faster pace.
Naruto's direct request perfectly matched Sasuke's intentions, and Sasuke naturally followed along.
Moreover, Sasuke also believed that C-rank missions were merely a transitional stage. Once his strength increased further, he would move on to B-rank missions without hesitation. Only by constantly raising the difficulty could he temper himself and achieve rapid growth.
"Then, the C-rank mission assigned to your team will be to eliminate a bandit group located along the eastern border of the Land of Fire, near the territory bordering the Land of Hot Water. According to the client's report and our preliminary intelligence, this bandit group consists of more than one hundred people. There are no ninja or samurai among them. They frequently raid passing caravans and have attacked nearby villages and towns. Because their overall threat level is low, this mission has been classified as C-rank. It is suitable for Team Seven and will be entrusted to you."
The Third Hokage opened another mission scroll and spoke while looking at Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
A total of more than one hundred bandits.
At first glance, that number seemed large.
However, it included the elderly, women, and children.
Even if there were more than one hundred able-bodied men, a squad composed of three Genin could still clear them out relatively easily.
The reason the Third Hokage assigned this mission to Team Seven was also influenced by Naruto's earlier words.
A chick must experience wind and rain before it can truly soar into the sky.
Although the ninja world appeared peaceful on the surface, the Third Hokage, as Konoha's highest authority, could clearly sense the undercurrents hidden beneath that calm. Konoha Village had been weakening in recent years. The older generation of ninja was gradually aging, while the new generation had yet to fully grow.
The Nine-Tails incident.
The death of the Fourth Hokage.
The destruction of the Uchiha clan.
The attempted kidnapping of Hinata Hyūga.
The conflict with Kumogakure that nearly escalated into another great war.
All of these events were slowly eroding Konoha's strength.
This was undoubtedly one of the weakest periods in Konoha's history.
Appropriately accelerating the growth of the new generation was both reasonable and necessary in the Third Hokage's view. Since they had already graduated from the Ninja Academy, it was time for them to experience real combat. This would prevent future situations where ninja with sufficient strength still froze up due to fear or lack of resolve.
Bandit suppression, criminal elimination, and underworld cleanup missions were the most suitable ways to train rookie ninja.
With Team Seven's current strength—especially considering Naruto had already defeated Mizuki, a Chūnin-level opponent—this mission posed no real problem.
And with an elite Jōnin like Hatake Kakashi present, any unexpected danger could be handled immediately.
There was no need for concern.
Regarding the mission announced by the Third Hokage—
Kakashi, as a Jōnin, maintained a calm and indifferent expression.
Sakura, however, felt somewhat nervous.
More than one hundred bandits? That sounded dangerous.
Uchiha Sasuke's eyes, on the other hand, flickered with a distinct light of excitement.
Since the mission involved eliminating bandits, it meant he would definitely have opportunities to fight.
Although the opponents were not ninja, which left him slightly disappointed, this was still infinitely better than dull and meaningless D-rank missions.
Sasuke was basically satisfied with the outcome.
More importantly, as long as Team Seven completed this mission successfully, they would be able to continuously accept C-rank missions in the future. Even B-rank missions would not be out of reach. Fighting real ninja was something he could already envision.
At this moment, excitement faintly flickered in Sasuke's pupils.
Only—
Naruto's mood was different.
At this moment, he truly did not know how to express his feelings. Almost the instant the Third Hokage finished speaking, the corners of Naruto's mouth twitched ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE 30+ CHAPTERS
patreon.com/Prince209