Chapter 10: Gato

Kana's gaze hardened as she confronted Tazuna about the situation. "Tazuna-san," she began, her voice laced with a tinge of coldness, "these two are chunin-class ninja from the Hidden Mist Village. They are known to be relentless fighters, and they were after you.We weren't informed that there would be shinobi pursuing you.What was initially a simple protection mission against thieves or gangs has now escalated to at least a B-rank mission."

Tazuna's eyes widened as he absorbed Kana's words. He had not expected this twist in the mission, and the realization that two chunin-class ninja from the Hidden Mist Village were after him sent shivers down his spine. "I-I had no idea," he stammered, "I never thought things would escalate to this level. I'm just a bridge builder trying to help my village!"

Kana's gaze softened slightly, understanding the weight of Tazuna's burden."It's not your fault, Tazuna-san," she reassured him."But we need to take this situation seriously.These Mist Village ninjas are known for their relentless pursuit of their targets."

Sakura, Satsuki, and Naruko were also taken aback by the revelation.They knew that the mission had become more dangerous, but they were determined to stand their ground. After all, they had just demonstrated their capabilities in the battle with the previous attackers.Daichi who already knew it has a serious face.

Kana continued, "We have two options: we can either return to Konoha and seek reinforcements, turning this into an official B-rank mission, or we can proceed with our current strength and finish the mission as quickly and quietly as possible."

Naruko stepped forward, her determination clear in his eyes. "Kana-sensei, I believe in our team's strength. We've shown that we can handle ourselves against strong opponents. If we go back now, the Mist Village ninja will likely cause more trouble for Tazuna and his bridge."

The rest of Team 7 nodded in agreement.They had come this far, and they were not about to back down now.

"Very well," Kana said, "We'll continue with the mission as planned, but we must stay vigilant. Tazuna-san, do you have any idea why these Mist Village ninjas are after you?"

Tazuna took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "I suspect it has something to do with the bridge itself," he admitted. "This bridge is more than just a construction project; it symbolizes hope and progress for my village. The land of waves has been suffering under the oppressive rule of a wealthy businessman named Gato. He wants to keep my village isolated and poor, so he's been sending thugs and ninja to stop the construction of the bridge."

"I see," Kana nodded. "So Gato has hired the Mist Village ninja to maintain his control over the Wave Country. Well, we won't let that happen. Team 7, our objective remains the same: protect Tazuna and ensure the bridge is completed."

The team moved forward with renewed determination. They understood the significance of their mission now, not just as a C-rank protection assignment but as a crucial step towards bringing positive change to the Wave Country.