Chương 19: Meeting the Hokage

"Today we will do our first C-rank mission," Choza said after two months of D-rank missions. The words were just said by him but Guy instantly exploded with a fist pump.

"Yosh! Finally I would be able to show the full power of youth on a real mission! We will face danger with burning passion! Our fists will strike true and our spirits will shine brighter than the sun itself! The springtime of youth has arrived at last!" Genma took a slow breath and let a small, tired smile spread across his face. He had grown weary of the chores that were disguised as missions too. Carrying groceries up five flights of stairs for the same old lady three times a week.

Painting fences until his arms ached. Finding lost pets that always seemed to hide in the same thorny bushes. The D-ranks had been safe, yes, but they had also been mind-numbingly repetitive. A C-rank, even if it turned out to be escorting a merchant, at least promised something different. He rolled the senbon between his lips and gave a small smile. Shunsui thought, 'Finally, About time that this happened. I had believed that we would be sent on a real mission much earlier, considering it is wartime.

But better late than never.' Villages needed every shinobi they could get during this time. Genin teams were often thrown into low-risk C-ranks or even escort duties near the border to free up chunin and jonin for the front lines. Shunsui had expected his team to be pushed sooner. But it seemed their sensei had managed to stall it long enough for Shunsui to fully learn chakra augmentation while his teammates mastered basic chakra control in the form of tree walking and water walking.

Choza had been careful with them. He wanted them to be good enough to survive out there. Shunsui appreciated that more than he let on. He also realized something he had misunderstood for a long time. Guy had chakra and he could use it. In fact, he had an average level of chakra for a shinobi his age. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. It was Might Duy, his father, and later Rock Lee who could not use chakra or ninjutsu effectively. Guy could. He just chose not to.

The boy had followed in his father's footsteps by choice, not by limitation. That explained how Guy managed to summon a turtle with the summoning jutsu in the future. He had the chakra reserves and the control to do it. He simply preferred the path of pure taijutsu. Shunsui thought, 'I find that oddly admirable. In a world obsessed with flashy jutsu and bloodlines, Guy has picked the hardest road because it felt right to him. Now that is Youth.

But I wonder what would Guy turn into if he also uses ninjutsu with his Taijutsu.' He shivered at that thought. Choza led them through the village streets toward the Hokage Tower.

"It is tradition for every genin team under a jonin sensei to receive their first C-rank mission from the Hokage himself," he explained as they walked.

"It marks a step forward. From chores to something with real responsibility."

'Huh,' Shunsui thought, amused.

'Naruto even got his D-rank missions from the Hokage. And we only got called up for our first C-rank? Favoritism much?' It was the first time Shunsui had entered the Hokage Tower as a genin. He was no sensor type, but the moment he stepped inside the building, he felt eyes on him. The ANBU watched them without showing themselves. The weight of their attention made his skin prickle.

'Creepy,' he thought with a small frown forming under his straw hat.

'They must be the ANBU. I understand they are worried about the safety of the Hokage, but come on, they are making me feel naked. Like I walked into a room full of hidden cameras.' Choza noticed the slight tension in Shunsui's shoulders. He placed a large hand on the boy's back for a second.

"Do not mind them. They are doing their job. A spy could just suicide-bomb the Hokage building in times of war. So they have to be careful. Better to feel watched than to be caught off guard. But I am quite surprised that you could feel their eyes on yourself. You must be very sensitive to chakra and presences." Shunsui sighed and nodded.

"Understood, sensei." As they entered the Hokage's office, the third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, surrounded by what looked like hundreds of papers, scrolls, and maps. Shikaku Nara occupied a smaller desk to the side, buried under even more documents. The Nara future clan head looked half-asleep despite the mountain of work in front of him. Hiruzen looked up and smiled warmly.

"Ah, Choza. And this must be your genin team."

"Hokage-sama," the three genin said stiffly, bowing a little.

"I have heard a lot about you three," Hiruzen continued.

"Choza is all praise. And it seems he has deemed you ready for a C-rank mission." His eyes moved over each of them in turn. They lingered longest on Shunsui, then dropped to the twin swords at his side.

"You wear quite an attire, young Shunsui. I have not seen many people wear a kimono as a shinobi."

"It makes me feel at peace, Hokage-sama," Shunsui answered easily.

"Besides, the orphanage matron knitted it herself on my demand. If I put it in a closet and never wear it, I would never hear the end of it." Hiruzen chuckled.

"A wise choice, then. Never anger the one who feeds you." Shunsui thought,'Is that supposed to be sentence with double meaning? Is it a warning? Like don't anger Konoha either because they feed you or he is just giving a life lesson? Am I thinking too much into it?'

"Young Shunsui," The Hokage added after a moment, "I hope that one day you will tell me more about your ability. It sounds wonderful." Shunsui nodded as he was shook away from his thoughts.

'Yeah sure, I will tell them to you when I am confident enough to kick your ass.'