The mission really begins

" Beta!... Delta! Do you copy me!... How is the situation at your respective position! I repeat!... Beta!... Delta!... Do you copy me!... How is the situation at your respective position."

Ichinaru talked through a portable communication device that consisting of an earphone and a mic. He was standing on top of a branch of a tall and big tree while trying to communicate through the device.

"Delta copy you, Alpha! There is nothing strange at my position..."

This was the reply of a feminine voice coming through the communication device of Ichinaru.

" Beta copy you too, Alpha!... I have found their hideout! I strongly request back-up from both Delta and Alpha!... My position is 10 km Northwest from the place we dispersed. "

These words came from a masculine voice talking through the communication device of Ichinaru.

"Roger! Beta!"

Ichinaru replied as he turned his body to his right and started to jump from branches to branches.

[ Flashback begun]

Early in the morning

Five days away from Konoha.

On the outskirts of a vast forest of several hectares.

"Okay! We have reached the forests where the bandits hide after each of their raids on the surrounding villages... As I told you after when we left the last village that was raided by those bandits... I will only be supervising you for this mission, so act as if you are only part of a three-man cell...

After all, I'm here to guide you not to spoon-feed and also I will be your team leader for a maximum of Three years. That is the maximum amount of my time that I have been able to free up for you as I can take a leave from job as the chief of Konoha Military Police Force for a longer period of time... I will training you through missions and special trainings where necessary and with your potentials and my trainings. I think that in four month all of you should be at least the level of a regular chuunin and be ready for the chuunin exams in July.

So, don't let me down kids, I can see the potential to reach the level of jounin ninja in all of you at a very young age. So don't disappoint me and make me regret believing in you. Now, for this first mission as we all agreed Ichinaru, you will be the team leader....Now everything is up to you, Ichinaru."

Fugaku immediately stepped to the side as he finished talking to the three genin of his teams. Ichinaru didn't waste any time, immediately took the lead as the leader and opened a map of the region in front of his teammates.

"Okay... First from the additional informations we obtained at the last raided village, and what was given to us previously when we received in the details of the mission.... The encampment of the bandits should be in the regions between the attacked villages, so we will such for it within a perimeter of 1200 kilometers squares....

Also the numbers of bandits are 50, but let's assume that their numbers may be around 100, after all intervals between the raids are too small. Only 3 hours of interval for raiding two villages which are 2 km away is two little for some bandits, unless there are ninjas among them. So we must be very vigilant and prepared for any situations. We will be separating the perimeter into three sections and each of us will be searching the one assigned to him/her.

Also we have been provided with communication devices, so as soon as you found the bandits request back-up from the others. After they may be bandits but their numbers are high and in worst case scenario, there may be ninjas among them. Also, If I'm not wrong as Fugaku-sensei is acting as a supervisor, he will intervene if things go of control. So no one will be in a life-threatening situation.

Okay!... Tsurugi, you will take the Northwest section, Reiji, you will take the southern section While I will be taking care of the northeast section of the perimeter. I advise you to move by taking advantage of the trees of the forest and use the branches, this should easy with the tree climbing technique that Fugaku-sensei taught us when we left Konoha. Also remember for this mission, I will be Alpha, Reiji will be Delta and Tsurugi will be Beta... With those codenames even if our communications are intercepted our identity will remain a secret, do all of you understand the plan for now."

"Yeah! Understood."

Reiji and Tsurugi shouted in unison.

"Okay... Dispersed..."

Tsurugi, Reiji and Ichinaru got back on their feet from their squat position, dashed in their respective direction. They did all this under the attentive gaze of Fugaku.

'Today is the day of truth... If I can train them and nurture them to the chuunin-level or higher.... Mainly Ichinaru, if he is able to awaken his sharingan by next year, he will be an important asset in the plan to take over the village without bloodbath... But still if Shisui was still alive he would have been very useful with his kotoamatsukami's power....

Unfortunately he died, we couldn't find his body and on top of that Itachi who knows about what happened to Shisui doesn't want to speak about it.... This kid!!... I don't know what happened to him, but one thing is sure, I cannot leave my Uchiha clan in his hands. I must keep on involving myself more in Sasuke's training... But still Ichinaru who's two years younger than Sasuke, has shown the potential to reach the kage-level...

If he become the right-hand of Sasuke once he become the Clan Head, the clan will definitely reach new heights. "

Fugaku thought as he stared at the direction that Ichinaru took, he then looked at the sky and sighed. Finally, he put his earphone, checked his communication device and performed the hand seals for shadow clone jutsu. Three clones appeared behind him, he raised his right index finger and motioned it forward.

"Go!"

The three clones dashed forward while each following a direction taken by the three genin.

[Flash back ended]

After about 10 minutes, Ichinaru arrived at Tsurugi's position and Reiji arrived only about 10 seconds later. They were hiding on a huge tree about 15 meters away from an artificially created tunnel, and its entrance was behind masked by some bushes.

"Delta... Beta... Prepare yourselves, in ten minutes we are going to raid them... So let's clear this mission and prove to Fugaku-sensei that he's not wrong about us. Let's show to everyone that wish to know who's currently the strongest team in Konoha."

"Yeah!"

Both Tsurugi and Reiji replied simultaneously in a soft voice and tensed expressions while checking their equipment right away for the upcoming confrontations with the bandits.

' They are tensed but I think that they should be able to manage it... Also I intend on killing all of the bandits by myself, except for the leader, after all he's the only one that we really need.... Tsurugi and Reiji will only have to take care of those that escape my attacks. It's now, that the mission really begins.'

Ichinaru thought as he removed a scroll from his ninja pouch and opened it in front of himself.