Chapter 131: The First C-Rank Mission

July 23rd. It was a clear day.

Even though it was already 6 PM, there was no sign of nightfall yet.

"So far, Team 7 has completed a hundred D-rank missions," Kakashi said as he glanced at his three students. "That's an average of four missions per day. Very impressive."

Naruto raised his hand, bursting with excitement. "Kakashi-sensei! Does that mean we'll finally get to do higher-ranked missions from now on?"

"D-rank missions are still part of your duties," Kakashi replied, shaking his head.

Naruto immediately deflated, looking as dejected as a withered eggplant, his energy draining away.

"However… your next mission will be C-rank," Kakashi added with a smile.

"Only C-rank?" Naruto was clearly disappointed. His mind wandered back to the excitement of battling Idō during the B-rank mission. That had been thrilling.

Sasuke seemed to share Naruto's sentiment. He longed for a worthy opponent, and he believed C-rank missions rarely provided that.

"Naruto," Kakashi's voice grew stern. "As a ninja, you must take every mission seriously, regardless of its rank."

"Yes, sir!" Naruto responded, his tone immediately serious, though a trace of his earlier eagerness remained.

"This will be our first C-rank mission as a team," Kakashi said, squinting as if deep in thought. "I'll make sure to pick something that satisfies you all."

Shinho's expression shifted subtly. He had a strong suspicion about what this mission would be: the infamous escort mission for Tazuna.

That old man… he's trouble.

In his previous life, Shinho hadn't thought much about the mission while watching the anime. 

But now that he was a ninja himself, he realized how reckless it was for someone like Tazuna to mislead a team about a mission's difficulty, putting everyone's lives at risk.

A C-rank mission with hidden dangers far beyond its level was practically sending Genin to their deaths. Shinho silently decided that Tazuna wouldn't get off so easily this time.

"Dismissed!" Kakashi clapped his hands and disappeared in an instant.

"Sasuke," Shinho said as he glanced at Naruto, "see you tomorrow."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked, finally catching on after a few seconds and hurrying to catch up with him. "Wait up!"

Sasuke, who had been watching them walk away, instinctively called out, "Wait."

But Shinho and Naruto didn't hear him, continuing on their way.

"Never mind," Sasuke muttered after a moment's thought, deciding against pursuing them. Today was his birthday, and that morning, his mother Mikoto had reminded him that he could invite some friends over to celebrate.

At the time, Sasuke had replied that he didn't really have any friends, but the first person who came to mind was Shinho. However, it seemed he'd missed his chance.

With his pride on the line, there was no way Sasuke would chase after them to extend the invitation. He turned in the opposite direction and walked away in silence.

….

On the streets of Konoha.

"Shinho-kun!" Ino waved energetically when she spotted Shinho from afar.

Beside her were Choji, Shikamaru, and Sakura.

"Hey, everyone!" Naruto responded cheerfully, oblivious as ever.

Shikamaru chuckled. Classic Naruto.

Ino had clearly been calling out to Shinho, yet here was Naruto responding. Completely clueless.

Sakura, on the other hand, felt a wave of complicated emotions as she looked at Naruto. She still couldn't believe that in the blink of an eye, he had been revealed as the son of the Fourth Hokage. 

Turns out, I'm the real commoner among us, she realized. Everyone around her had ninja clan backgrounds except her.

"Shinho-kun," Ino hurried to his side, flashing a bright smile. "I'm not sure what kind of gift Sasuke would like. Any suggestions?"

"Maybe you could get him some ninja tools," Shinho mused. For a ninja, tools were always useful, and Sasuke loved to train, so it was a solid, practical choice.

"That's a great idea," Ino said, her smile growing even brighter.

"I'll get him some, too!" Naruto said, his eyes lighting up. If Shinho thought it was a good idea, it had to be right.

"No way!" Ino immediately shook her head. "You can't get him the same thing!"

"Then… what should I do?" Naruto scratched his head, clearly deep in thought.

"There's a gift shop up ahead," Shikamaru pointed out, nodding toward a store. "They've got plenty of good stuff."

"Too bad Kiba and his team aren't with us," Choji said through a mouthful of chips as they walked.

"I heard their team is on a C-rank mission," Ino replied.

"Yes, they are," Shinho added. "They're on a bandit-clearing mission near the border of the Land of Fire."

When Shinho had first heard that Team 8 had taken on a C-rank mission, he had been startled, worried that they might have been assigned to the Tazuna escort. 

But after investigating, he had found out otherwise and felt relieved.

His influence had shifted things slightly from the original timeline. With Aburame Shino now using both parasitic and explosive insects, and Hinata mastering the Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, their team was strong enough for C-rank missions. 

After assessing their abilities, Yamato had requested the mission from Tsunade.

"They're already doing a C-rank?" Naruto's voice was filled with surprise and a hint of jealousy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"Our next mission is C-rank too," Naruto boasted, clearly pleased with himself.

Of course, Shikamaru thought to himself. You guys are already setting a new standard for Genin.

"You're raising the bar too high," Shikamaru muttered under his breath. These guys are making the rest of us look bad.

"We need to do a C-rank mission, too!" Ino said with determination, glancing at Shinho with a serious look.

Shikamaru started to say something but promptly shut his mouth when Ino glared at him. Women are terrifying, especially when they're in love.

The group entered the gift shop, continuing to chat.

"Shinho-kun, aren't you going to buy anything?" Ino asked curiously, her gaze locked on him. She had been watching him closely since they entered, and he hadn't even glanced at the various gifts on display.

"I've already got Sasuke's gift ready," Shinho replied casually.

"Oh, I see…" Ino's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Well then, Shinho-kun, why don't you come with me to buy some ninja tools?"

"Sure," Shinho agreed, following her to the ninja tool shop next door.

Sakura, catching a glimpse of them from the corner of her eye, couldn't help but feel envious. When will I get the chance to walk around with Sasuke-kun like that?

"How about this kunai?" Ino picked up a sleek kunai, showing it to Shinho.

"It's decent," Shinho said after a quick glance.

"Do you want it?" Ino asked, her eyes twinkling with an idea. "I'll buy it for you."

"I have no need for that," Shinho refused politely.

"Are you sure?" Ino pressed, clearly unwilling to give up.

"Why are you so insistent on getting me something?" Shinho narrowed his eyes, giving her a scrutinizing look.

"Well…" Ino stammered, flustered under his gaze. She averted her eyes and mumbled, "I just wanted to thank you."

"Thank me for what?" Shinho asked, tilting his head slightly, amused by her shy demeanor. She reminded him of a little rabbit caught in a trap.

"For that Yin creature!" Ino suddenly raised her voice, as if she had just found the perfect explanation.

"How's it working out for you?" Shinho followed her lead, curious to hear more.

"It's been amazing!" Ino nodded enthusiastically.

"Tell me the details," Shinho said, his interest piqued.

Ino explained further. Mind Transfer Jutsu—a technique that allowed the user to release their mental energy to take control of an enemy's body. While its effects were powerful, it had several major limitations.

First, the accuracy was low, as the mental energy could only travel in a straight line.

Second, the range was short; it could only work if Ino was nearby, and the farther away she was from her real body, the quicker the jutsu would fall apart.

Third, there was a delay in retrieving the mental energy if she missed, leaving her vulnerable and unable to defend herself until it returned.

Fourth, any damage the controlled target took would reflect back on her real body.

Due to these limitations, her clan's jutsu was typically used in conjunction with the Akimichi and Nara clans—Akimichi acted as the tank, and Nara provided crowd control and strategy.

However, thanks to Idō, Ino's mental energy had greatly increased. She could now send mental strikes that curved mid-air, and the range of her jutsu had also extended considerably. 

While the last two problems remained unresolved, Ino was confident that with time, those limitations would naturally be overcome.

"Congratulations, Ino," Shinho said with a warm smile.

"No, it's thanks to you, Shinho-kun," Ino's cheeks flushed a light pink as she stammered, "I really don't know how to repay you."

Her father, Yamanaka Inoichi, had even talked to her mother about marrying her off to Shinho in the future.

After all, Shinho's gift of the Idō scroll had earned him an enormous amount of goodwill within the Yamanaka clan. A single request from Shinho, and he would easily have a fiancée.

"Boss, I'm ready to pay," Shinho said, turning to the shopkeeper.

Ino bit her lip, watching him closely, and quickly followed after him.

By the time they regrouped with Naruto and the others, they had all bought their gifts. Together, the group made their way toward the Uchiha district.

"This way," Shinho said, leading them not through the main gate but to the window outside Mikoto Uchiha's room.

With a gentle push, Shinho slid the window open—it had all been prearranged with Uchiha Mikoto.

"Keep quiet," Shinho whispered as he climbed inside the room.

The others followed suit, each moving silently without making a sound.

"Izumi-nee," Shinho greeted Uchiha Izumi, who stood inside the room with a cake cart.

"Good work," Izumi whispered. "We'll move out when the lights go off outside."

Everyone nodded.

….

In the living room, Sasuke sat at the dining table, lost in thought.

Was no one coming after all? Not even Sakura, the girl who usually followed him around like a lovesick puppy, had shown up.

"Why is there so much food?" Sasuke suddenly noticed how the table was full of dishes. It was way too much for just two people.

"It's your birthday," Mikoto said, her voice calm and gentle. "Naturally, I made a little more food than usual."

"There's no way we can eat all this," Sasuke muttered, shaking his head.

"It's fine," Mikoto replied with a smile. "We can have the leftovers tomorrow."

"Where's Izumi-nee?" Sasuke asked, suddenly remembering her.

"No need to rush," Mikoto said, nonchalantly flipping the light switch off as she walked into her room.

Sasuke blinked, momentarily confused but not thinking too much of it.

In the next instant, the dim glow of candles lit up the room.

Sasuke stood up abruptly, his eyes widening. In the soft light of the candles, he saw Shinho and the others standing there, smiling at him. Uchiha Izumi was there too, pushing the cake cart.

"Happy Birthday, Sasuke," Mikoto said, stepping forward and playfully pinching his cheek. "Don't be mad at us for tricking you."

"Stop that!," Sasuke grumbled as he blew out the candles in one swift breath, using the darkness that followed to wipe his eyes quickly.

When the lights came back on, his expression was back to normal.

"Sasuke." Shinho approached, holding out a long, slender sword. "Here, I've reforged the Sword of the Thunder God for you."

Sasuke's eyes gleamed with interest as he looked at the sword. 

It was a sleek, straight blade with a faint glimmer of both lightning and fire dancing along its surface. It was unlike any normal sword—far superior in craftsmanship.

"This is for you," Shinho said, handing the sword to Sasuke. "It enhances both Lightning and Fire Release, specifically designed for you."

"Thank you." Sasuke's heart warmed as he gripped the hilt of the sword. He didn't often express his gratitude, but this time was different.

"It was called the Sword of the Thunder God before, but it doesn't quite fit now. You can rename it," Shinho suggested.

"The Sword of the Thunder God used by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju?" Mikoto asked, clearly astonished.

Shinho nodded.

"This is far too valuable!" Mikoto exclaimed, her face full of surprise. 

She was already wondering how to repay Shinho. Compared to this sword, the chakra-infused cloak she had gifted him earlier paled in comparison.

"It's nothing," Shinho said calmly. "I had no use for it, anyway."

"Thanks," Sasuke said after a long moment of silence, his gaze fixed on Shinho. "I'll call it 'Raika'—the Lightning Fire Sword."

"...Huh?" Shinho was momentarily speechless.

"Is that a bad name?" Sasuke asked, looking confused.

"It's great," Shinho quickly replied, smiling. "I like 'Raika' too."

"Sasuke, here's my gift!" Naruto, along with the others, handed their gifts to Sasuke one by one.

"Time to eat!" Mikoto clapped her hands together, signaling the start of the meal.

"Yay!" Naruto couldn't wait any longer.

"This is delicious! So good!" Choji gave a thumbs-up as he dug into the food.

"Aunt Mikoto, could you teach me how to cook like this?" Sakura took the opportunity to ask.

"Of course, dear," Mikoto replied with a warm smile.

Sasuke remained silent, but deep inside, he felt something he hadn't experienced in a long time—an overwhelming sense of warmth. 

Since the death of his father, Fugaku, and his brother Itachi's betrayal, it had been ages since he'd felt anything like this.

….

The dinner party ended in a joyful atmosphere.

….

The next morning, even though it was a rest day, Shinho got up at his usual time. After having breakfast, he began his training routine.

By noon, he packed a lunchbox and headed out.

He reached the Hokage's office without any interruptions—no Anbu dared to block his way anymore. 

Even if Tsunade had told them not to allow anyone inside, they all knew by now that if Shinho entered, the Hokage wouldn't be upset.

"You brat! Finally, you're here!" Tsunade shouted as soon as she saw him, jumping to her feet. "Hurry up, I'm starving!"

Shinho opened the lunchbox and set it down in front of her.

"It's still the best when you cook," Tsunade said as she bit into a tempura shrimp.

"Is the food at the canteen really that bad?" Shinho asked, chuckling.

"It's worse than bad," Tsunade muttered between bites. She then remembered something, pulling out a scroll and handing it to him. "This is the mission Kakashi picked for your Team 7."

Shinho opened the scroll, his eyes scanning the contents.

Sure enough, it was the mission to escort Tazuna.

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