The mission had a clear objective: to prepare us for what we would face in the future — dangerous battles and bloodshed. The ninja world outside the academies is a deadly jungle.

I was tense, but it was the perfect time to see what I was capable of.

"Everyone, are you ready?" I asked.

Renji just nodded, but I could see the determination in his eyes.

"Let's go, it's time," Sora replied, this time with her animosity more restrained.

'They're tense too... but I need them in top condition.'

"Time to throw some punches, catch the renegades, and save the day! Right?" I said, trying to calm them down.

"You know how to ruin these moments, Riku..." Renji said, starting to walk and looking slightly calmer.

"That's right, Riku! That's the spirit!" Sora said, jumping up and waiting for me to give her a high five.

I returned her high five and smiled.

'Now let's get to the most important thing... keeping my promise.'

I started walking alongside Sora, while Renji kept a few steps ahead of us. It was an interesting formation — the Uchiha was undeniably better than both of us in hand-to-hand combat — keeping him ahead would save us some trouble.

The fog covering the forest floor was thick and sent a chill down our spines due to the deathly silence that inhabited the place.

Our vision was impaired, and we could barely see more than three meters in front of us.

I quickened my pace a little to stay close to Renji.

Losing sight of him here could mean game over.

"Renji, Sora, wait a moment," I said.

They stopped and looked at me carefully.

"Now is a good time to see if there are any enemies nearby."

"Mokuton: Root Sensory Technique."

The roots spread across the ground, connecting my chakra to our surroundings, but I couldn't sense any enemy chakra signatures — except for a small trace lingering on the ground.

"A little ahead, there's a path in the forest that turns left. I can sense a small remnant chakra signature there."

Sora gulped.

Renji nodded, and we started heading in that direction. They had their blades and ninja tools in hand, and I also held a kunai.

When we arrived at the spot, we saw some footprints in the mud that led deeper into the forest, the path they followed creating a small trail with crushed plants and flowers on the ground.

"Let's go," Renji said.

Before they could start walking, I put my hand in front of Renji, who was in front.

"Wait a minute. Don't you think it's strange that ninjas would leave such obvious tracks behind? Seems like amateur work."

"You... you're right," Renji replied.

"Are you saying it's a trap, Riku?" Sora asked.

Looking at her was all she needed as an answer.

"Urgh... how boring, I expected children to be a little dumber..." said a man coming out from behind one of the trees, a little ahead.

"Wait, where did he come from? I couldn't sense his chakra at all." I was surprised to see him.

The man wore a kind of black poncho that covered his torso and prevented us from seeing his hands — his silver hair contrasted with his orange eyes. I didn't need much to recognize that the malicious smile and deep eyes exuded the aura of an assassin.

My colleagues held their weapons ready for combat.

"Aw, how cute, you want to fight me? I think you'd better go home and watch out for the bogeyman! GAHAHAHAHA." He laughed hysterically, scaring away some birds that were sleeping in nearby trees.

Sora paused for a moment.

"Sora, wait—" I tried to warn her, but she was quicker.

There wasn't just one enemy there, that was obvious, but we ignored it.

The moment she moved in hesitation was enough for one of the other ninjas to advance on her and slash her arm.

She managed to dodge most of the blow, but her arm was still bleeding.

Three other ninjas wearing the same clothes as that assassin appeared to attack us, the only thing that set them apart being the demon-shaped masks they wore.

We didn't have time to discuss or prepare for battle.

Renji had to dodge two slashes coming his way, but with his Sharingan active, he handled it without much trouble.

I prepared myself for another ninja coming towards me, along with the assassin.

"Doton: Stone Skin!"

I managed to block the blade strikes that came at me, dodging some thanks to my Battle Instinct and blocking others with my kunai and the stone layer on my skin.

"Gahahahahah!" With every blow that assassin struck, he laughed hysterically.

'We haven't even started fighting properly, and I'm already getting angry about it. I need to finish him off quickly.'

I deliberately took a kick that chipped my stone skin a little, just to get some distance from him, realizing he wouldn't let me do it willingly.

[Damage Taken: -8 HP]

[HP: 332/340]

'That wasn't so bad, thank goodness.'

I got up quickly and, taking advantage of the gap and distance I had created between myself and the two ninjas fighting me, formed hand seals.

"Mokuton: Wooden Spikes!"

Several projectiles flew toward my enemies, who began to defend themselves by running behind trees, getting hit by a few along the way.

[You hit your enemies. +40 EXP]

[You hit your enemies. +40 EXP]

[You hit your enemies. +40 EXP]

"This kid has some tricks up his sleeve. Two, what do you think?" the assassin commented to his teammate, who just remained silent.

'These ninjas... I've never heard of them,' I thought, staying alert for more attacks.

Renji and Sora fought the other two ninjas, and from the corner of my eye, I could see that their fight was evenly matched, but I didn't have time to help them.

At the first sign of distraction, that man came toward me, this time without his henchman.

"Suiton: Water Palm!"

A burst of water rushed toward him, which he managed to dodge thanks to his speed. Then he got within striking distance of me and launched a series of attacks.

Most of the time he used kicks, trying to win with the reach of his blows, but with the training I had received from my sensei, it wasn't difficult for me to deal with such basic attacks.

We began to exchange blows, some grazing me but most not accurate enough to hit me, while I managed to hit him a few times using my Mokuton-enhanced fists.

'If we keep exchanging blows for too long, I'll eventually win. My physical endurance is apparently superior to his, but I can't stall for too long,' I thought during our exchange.

I punched him in the chest, which he managed to block, but then I made the mokuton protection surrounding my hand burst into shards that pierced his skin, giving me time to perform a jutsu.

"Mokuton: Wood Prison!"

Vines and roots began to bind the ninja's feet, making it impossible for him to move.

[Battle Instinct activated.]

A blow from the other henchman finally came my way, but it was unsuccessful.

He tried to hit me in the back with a kunai, but with a counterattack I threw the kunai into the sky, where it fell a few inches away — a viscous green liquid dripped from the blade; it was poison.

My eyes immediately darted to Sora.

She was still fighting her opponent, but her skin was paler than usual and her movements were slower and stiffer.

'Shit, Sora, hang in there just a little longer...'

....

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