Chapter 46

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Three days passed in a flash.

By the third day's midday, a group of three kids and one adult were sleeping beneath a massive tree that stood over 20 meters tall in a remote forest near Kamakura Town, one of the busy business districts of the Land of Fire.

Satoshi appeared unchanged from three days prior. His attire, demeanor, and aura remained the same. He wore a green Jonin vest with the Uchiha's fan emblem embroidered on the shoulder, looking relaxed and unaffected by the three days of travel.

However, the three resting opposite him were not as relaxed. Toshiro and his teammates looked utterly exhausted, sprawled on the muddy ground without concern for their appearance. Even Toshiro, who had the best physical fitness among them, sat on the ground in disarray.

Nearly an hour later, after a period of rest, the trio, having regained their physical stamina, gathered in front of Satoshi once more. Despite the grueling two-and-a-half-day journey, their resilience allowed them to recover quickly.

Satoshi observed his disciples with satisfaction. Although they weren't elite-genin yet, they were significantly stronger than their peers. His focus lingered on Toshiro, the son of a former comrade. He looked forward to the surprises this young ninja might bring to both himself and the Uchiha clan. He only hoped that he wouldn't be left too far behind by his own student.

Satoshi was realistic about his own potential. Reaching the level of an elite Jonin was likely his peak, a threshold that 99.9% of ninjas with bloodlines couldn't surpass.

The phrase "bloodline limit" signifies both an advantage and a barrier. Many ninjas from clans, endowed with powerful bloodlines, could attain jonin and elite jonin levels much more easily than ordinary ninjas. But passing that threshold is tricky and sometimes impossible.

For an ordinary ninja, becoming a Jonin without special circumstances or the guidance of an exceptional mentor was nearly impossible.

Not every ordinary person is a 'Konoha's Blue Beast' like Might Guy. Even Might Guy has the secret technique of 'Eight Gates' that has been passed down by his father.

Yes, the 'Eight Gates' is a secret technique inherited from Might Guy's father. Almost no one is aware of this, not even the Third Hokage, the leader of Konoha. Otherwise, such powerful combat capabilities would have been utilized in times of war.

Might Guy's father, Might Duy, remained an ordinary shinobi until his death, ridiculed and shunned by his peers in the village. No one was even willing to team up with him for low-level missions.

This underscores the tragedy of the ninja world: for ordinary individuals to reach the pinnacle, they must not only put in daily effort but also risk their lives.

At thirteen or fourteen, Genma was chosen as a member of the Hokage Guard Platoon by Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. He was taught Hiraishin, an exceptionally difficult space-time ninjutsu. Genma was groomed to be a future pillar of the village.

Yet, at the start of the story, almost thirty years old and a classmate of Kakashi, he remains a special jonin. Was he not trying hard enough? Not necessarily. Though he might seem lazy and unmotivated at times, as a veteran of the Third Ninja World War, he undoubtedly worked tirelessly to improve his strength. However, the barriers of talent and bloodline were too great for him to overcome.

Individuals who can shatter these limitations and break through their own limits, like the Fourth Hokage, are almost non-existent in the ninja world.

---

"Toshiro, the next task is up to the three of you!"

"Unless there's a serious problem, I won't intervene!"

As he spoke, Satoshi, seeing that his disciples had nearly finished resting, tossed a scroll about twenty centimeters long towards Toshiro.

For this mission of suppressing bandits, unless there are multiple chūnin-level opponents, he won't step in. The likelihood of encountering a jōnin during a simple C-rank mission is nearly impossible.

Bandits are usually a small group comprised of bankrupt peasants, ruffians, and wandering samurai. At most, one of them might have learned how to refine chakra. Such 'fodder' presents an excellent opportunity for Toshiro and his peers to gain experience.

Satoshi is an exemplary mentor. Not only does he guide Toshiro and his team through low-level missions, but he also provides them with special, customized training, sharing invaluable combat experience, skills, and tactics.

"Huh! Sensei, aren't we completing this mission together?" Toshiro exclaimed, still holding the scroll in surprise. He hadn't expected their first C-rank mission to be one where their sensei wouldn't participate, leaving them—the 'rookies'—to complete it alone.

"So, who will be the captain for this mission?" Toshiro asked, realizing the gravity of the situation. Seeing that Sensei was resolute and unlikely to change his decision, Toshiro knew that appointing a leader among the three of them was crucial. The wrong choice could affect their harmony and potentially lead to internal conflicts.

"It's up to the three of you to decide," Satoshi said with a slight smirk. With a playful smile, he left in an instant, leaving the trio to figure it out.

Toshiro, holding the mission scroll, glanced at Asuka and Kirishima, who were looking back at him. He rolled his eyes helplessly, exasperated by their sensei's penchant for creating such situations. It felt like Satoshi couldn't resist stirring the pot whenever possible.

"Why don't you take the position of captain for this team?" Toshiro suggested, feigning disinterest. He preferred to let the others with 'ideals' and 'ambition' take the lead while he took the backseat. He wasn't a 'hot-blooded fool' driven by the Will of Fire and saw no need to be overly enthusiastic.

Choosing Asuka seemed obvious. He certainly didn't want to pick Kirishima, the 'idiot' of the group. Kirishima's usual performance suggested he'd be a liability, potentially jeopardizing the entire mission.

"Really? Is it okay for me to be the captain?" Asuka asked, feigning humility.

"Why don't you be the captain, Toshiro?" she suggested with a mischievous smile. "You're the strongest among us, so it makes sense."

If it weren't for Asuka's playful grin and slightly curved eyes, Toshiro might have believed her. He couldn't help but think that sensei was setting them up for his own amusement.

'Mah! These three troublemakers didn't fight! What a pity!' Silently observing his 'beloved disciples,' Satoshi raised his hand and rubbed the mustache on his chin, amused by their predicament.

Originally, in his 'script', the three kids would likely split into two camps to fight for the position. Asuka and Kirishima on one side, with Toshiro alone on the other. At the very least, there would be a significant clash, allowing him to intervene just in time to teach the three a valuable lesson. Unexpectedly, one of them took the initiative to concede, causing the 'script' to deviate from his plan. 'But it doesn't matter; this is still a good situation!'

Toshiro, meanwhile, handed the mission scroll left by Satoshi-sensei to Asuka, who had happily been elected as the 'interim captain'. She didn't think much of it, but the 'annoyance' who was usually teasing her seemed unexpectedly agreeable today. Eagerly, she took the scroll and couldn't wait to check the mission details, showing her enthusiasm.

At that time, Toshiro turned around and looked at the canopy of a large tree not far from them. 'Just now, I had the feeling of being secretly watched. Could it be that sensei hasn't gone far and is secretly observing us?'

After staring at the large, ordinary tree for a while and finding nothing, Toshiro shook off the feeling. How could an elite jōnin's presence be detected by a mere genin like him? It must have been an illusion!

'Was I really noticed?'

At this time, in the canopy of the nearby tree, Satoshi was reflecting on what had just happened in disbelief. By all accounts, the chances of being detected were almost zero. Although he hadn't deliberately hidden his presence, an eight-year-old Genin should not have been able to notice him.

'If he did notice, it explains why he didn't compete with Asuka and Kirishima for the 'captain' role!'

Even so, it surprised Satoshi. When it comes to sensing, the Uchiha clan is exceptional. Thanks to the clan's bloodline limit, the Sharingan, every Uchiha ninja who has activated the Sharingan has heightened perceptive abilities, making even a half-trained Uchiha a formidable sensor.

Well, the perceptive abilities of the Uchiha clan's Sharingan are limited to within its line of sight. Once the target is out of sight, their range of perception is no different from that of a regular ninja. Thus, the Uchiha clan particularly lacks long-range sensory ninjas, especially those with the sensory abilities of the Uzumaki clan.

The sensory talent that Toshiro displayed is worthy of having it cultivated. However, being an all-around ninja skilled in ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, medical ninjutsu, and sensory jutsu often leads to mediocrity. With the increasing importance of teamwork among ninjas, they are expected to excel in one area while relying on teammates to cover their weaknesses. Only those who reach the 'elite ninja' level can afford to think about this kind of all-around development.

I need to plan his future development direction carefully.

---

"Well, any plans?" Kirishima asked, glancing at Asuka as she carefully examined the mission scroll.

With a mix of anxiety and excitement, Kirishima was feeling a bit impatient. Ignoring his restlessness, Asuka frowned slightly as she read the scroll, her expression showing a hint of confusion.

The frown was due to the scroll's vague details, mentioning only that there had been several bandit attacks on merchants and nearby villages recently. The number of bandits was approximate, and the strength assessment was ambiguous and unreliable.

For a moment, she felt at a loss. After being stunned for a while, the girl finally reacted. Her bright eyes sparkled as she handed the open mission scroll to Kirishima and said in a righteous and slightly smug voice:

"Here is the mission scroll. If you have any plans, feel free to propose them, and we'll discuss them together!"

AN : You can read chapters published ahead by supporting me (3$) on my p@treon account - p@treon.com/noviceauthor777

Currently, I have published 46 extra chapters in P@treon. The extra chapters are going to increase in the next few days. Please support me.

I have an offer for all the patrons joining until June 15th (tomorrow). They will have access to two more chapters than promised in each tier.