"I planned to pass you from the very beginning."
When Kiyosuke said that with a smile, the trio's minds collapsed.
Wasn't that just messing with them?
"Then what about the test?"
"Oh, just a formality. Everyone else does it, I couldn't be the only one who didn't."
"And the bell-stealing game?"
"Formality."
"Tying us up?"
"Formality."
"Kiyosuke-sensei… that's just mean," Hinata mumbled softly.
"Mea… mean?!"
Kiyosuke was dumbfounded.
"Hinata, am I really that bad?"
"A creepy old man with a twisted sense of humor," said Shino.
"A psycho who gets off on this stuff!" barked Kiba.
"A terrible grown-up," Hinata added.
Kiyosuke could no longer recover.
He quietly put away the rope, his mental state thoroughly wrecked by a group of kids.
"Tomorrow morning, you'll come with me to the Hokage Building to receive the first mission of your lives."
"Yes, sir."
All three nodded.
...
On his way home, Kiyosuke ran into Kakashi, who was giving him a resentful look.
"Hey, what's with that expression?"
"You actually made Naruto wear a steel plate on his butt!"
Kakashi lifted his swollen finger.
"Do you have any idea how painful it is to use the Thousand Years of Death on something like that? Do you?!"
"Don't tell me… you actually used the Thousand Years of Death on Naruto?"
Kiyosuke raised an eyebrow, his bad mood—after being roasted by a bunch of kids—instantly vanished.
"What do you think?"
Jabbing that finger straight into a steel plate was no laughing matter. It hurt like hell.
To think he actually fell for one of Kiyosuke's tricks… well, what else could he say? It was Kiyosuke, after all.
"Hahaha, I only told Naruto to be prepared, just in case. Never thought you'd really fall for it—Hah! But how was it?"
"Not bad. The assessment went well."
He saw what he wanted to see: teammates helping and supporting one another. That was enough.He didn't want to see another version of himself appear.
"That's good."
...
The next day, Kiyosuke brought the three kids to the Hokage Building.
Seeing him, Sarutobi Hiruzen said,
"Kiyosuke's team, your mission is to pick up trash along the river."
Life as a genin meant picking up trash, searching for lost pets, and babysitting.
Kiyosuke accepted the task without complaint. After all, it wasn't his job to do the work—he just had to supervise. And he still got paid afterward. Not a bad deal at all.
"Alright, brats. Your mission today is to collect all the trash in this area and deliver it to the waste station. That's your task for the whole day."
He found a shady spot and sat down, Akamaru lying next to him.
"Alright, get to it."
With baskets on their backs and tongs in hand, the trio stepped into the river and began their work.
For lunch, they had Ichiraku Ramen delivery.
Kiyosuke also brought watermelon and drinks—he wasn't about to mistreat the three kids and a dog.
They kept at it until dusk before the mission was finally completed.
...
The next day's task was to find a missing pet.
This one was much easier—Akamaru just sniffed around and quickly found the lost animal.
On the third day, they babysat.
On the fourth, they helped plow a field.
On the fifth…
And so it went on for over ten days.
Eventually, Kiba couldn't take it anymore.
"Kiyosuke-sensei, can we please stop doing D-rank missions? They're so boring! I want something more exciting!"
"What are you talking about? This is the daily life of a genin. But… you three have been doing pretty well these past few days. I'll go ask the Hokage for a C-rank mission."
When he arrived at the Hokage Building, he asked,
"Hokage-sama, do you have any missions involving bandit-clearing or the like? I want these brats to see some blood."
"We do."
Sarutobi Hiruzen pulled out a scroll and handed it to Kiyosuke.
A C-rank mission: Bandit extermination.
"Alright then, this is your mission—eliminate all the bandits in this area. Leave none alive."
...
Standing at the edge of the bandit camp, Kiyosuke issued the task to the trio.
"Eliminate… all of them?"
"That's right. All of them. Kill them."
"But we…"
Hinata trembled, fear in her eyes.
"Can't do it?"
Kiyosuke looked at them and said,
"My first C-rank mission was just like this: eliminate the bandits and rescue the hostages. The content was exactly the same—and we got it done."
He spoke softly.
"This is your first real lesson from me as your sensei: The mission comes above all else. No matter what it entails, you must complete it. Even if you're scared or unwilling, you finish the mission."
"Alright. I still won't interfere this time. Your job is to complete the mission within two days. That's the deadline."
The mission was simple and brutal.
But to these fresh-faced genin who had never seen blood, it was terrifyingly hard.
Kiyosuke disappeared.
He'd given them plenty of time—but they remained standing there, unsure of what to do.
"This is insane… Kiyosuke-sensei actually completed something like this back in the day?" Kiba said.
Shino replied,"Of course he did. Kiyosuke-sensei graduated younger than any of us. According to my father, during the war, he was a hero of Konoha—he killed the Third Mizukage on the battlefield and, together with the Fourth Hokage, brought an end to the Third Great Ninja War. He's refused the position of Hokage several times."
"Were ninja really that insane in his generation?" Kiba muttered.
"Mm. They survived war, after all."
Shino looked at Hinata.
"Hinata, can you do it?"
"I…"
Hinata opened her mouth.
She didn't want to at all—but clenched her teeth and said,
"…I can."
"Then Kiba, you too?"
"Hmph! Don't underestimate me, damn it!"
Kiba seemed fired up.
Shino formulated the plan and then said,
"We move at night."
"Alright."
"Yeah."
"Woof!"
...
That night, Kiyosuke watched from afar as the bandit camp lit up in flames.
Two whirlwinds swept through, chasing and tearing into the scattering bandits. Swarms of black bugs swarmed their targets.
Hinata activated her Byakugan and struck with Gentle Fist. Whether they lived or died, Kiyosuke didn't know.
Before long, dozens of bandits had been taken out.
Kiyosuke finally stepped out.
The trio stood trembling and vomiting.
Kiyosuke nodded.
"Time for your second lesson."
He casually drew a blade and stabbed it into a "corpse."
The "corpse" suddenly opened its eyes and screamed before collapsing again.
"You have to confirm the kill—always deliver a finishing blow. Don't rely too heavily on your abilities. Even sensory skills can be fooled."
"Yes, sir."
The three nodded, pale-faced.
Kiyosuke turned to the camp and said,
"Let's go. Finishing off stragglers is too much trouble. I'll go with something more… final."
Once they reached a safe distance, a deafening explosion erupted behind them.
They turned to see roaring flames devour the entire camp, reducing it to ash.
From within the fire, their teacher slowly emerged.
"Alright. Let's head back."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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