"Our first official mission is only C-rank?"
Kakashi could not even be bothered to raise his eyelids.
"A mission's rank is determined by its contents, not by how exciting you expect it to be."
"But this is our first mission!" Obito clenched his fists. "A first mission should be something spectacular! Like taking the head of an enemy commander or saving the village at the last possible second! And now you're telling me our first mission is... delivering packages?"
"I understand how Obito feels. For youth to step onto a real battlefield for the first time, only to transport supplies... it certainly leaves the flames in one's heart unsatisfied."
"You think so too, right?!" Obito had found an ally.
"But!" The fire in Guy's eyes blazed back to life. "Precisely because this is our first mission, we must complete it with three hundred percent enthusiasm! Even if we are only transporting supplies, we must transport them with the brilliance of youth!"
Obito stared at Guy's face, which practically screamed, I'm already burning with passion, and silently shifted half a step closer to Rin.
"Do you think all that handstand training damaged his brain?"
"Obito!" Rin lightly smacked him. "Guy is right. A C-rank mission is still a mission, and this is our first one. We have to take it seriously."
"See? Rin is always reasonable." Obito instantly replaced his expression with a smile.
"But putting that aside..." Rin turned toward Kakashi, her gaze lingering on him for a moment. "What exactly are we escorting, and where are we taking it?"
That question successfully brought the conversation back on track.
"Chakra armor. The newest mass-produced batch. We're delivering it to Outpost Three on the Land of Grass front."
"Chakra armor?" Obito scratched his head. "What's that?"
"A new type of ninja tool." Even Kakashi had not expected Konoha to become capable of producing the chakra armor originally developed in the Land of Snow. "Think of it as an external enhancement circuit for a ninja's chakra."
Obito clearly did not understand.
"Speak normally."
"It makes your ninjutsu stronger when you wear it."
"You should've just said that from the beginning." Obito slapped his thigh. "Then this stuff is pretty amazing. Why is the mission only C-rank?"
"Because we're only escorting it."
Guy nodded vigorously. "Transporting equipment that will strengthen our comrades on the front lines is indeed a mission filled with the significance of youth!"
Obito looked at him suspiciously. "How do you manage to find 'the significance of youth' in literally everything?"
"The meaning of youth exists everywhere!"
"..."
Rin asked, "How long will it take to travel from Konoha to the border outpost?"
"Three days, if everything goes smoothly."
"And if it doesn't?" Obito asked.
Kakashi was silent for a second.
"Then it will take longer than three days."
"That answer tells me absolutely nothing."
Kakashi put away the scroll and looked over the three faces before him.
Obito's expression practically said, I want to do something huge, but this mission isn't huge enough.
Guy's eyes burned with the determination to give his all no matter what kind of mission it was.
Rin looked serious and focused, already memorizing the mission details in her head.
This was his team.
"Meet at the village gate in thirty minutes." Kakashi tucked the scroll into his clothes. "Bring all standard equipment, enough ration pills for three additional days, and..."
He paused.
"Don't be late."
Thirty minutes later.
At the entrance to Konoha Village, sunlight filtered through the leaves and scattered across the ground like fragments of gold.
Guy arrived first.
He was a full fifteen minutes early and used the extra time to complete three hundred squats in the clearing beside the gate.
"Warm-up complete!" He sprang upright. "My body is now in peak condition. I can depart at any time!"
Rin arrived second, carrying a medical bag slightly larger than the standard size.
"Rin, as expected, you're thoroughly prepared." Guy raised a thumb.
"It's our first mission, after all. It's better to bring too much than too little." Rin smiled. "I just hope Kakashi doesn't think I packed too much."
"He won't!" Guy declared firmly. "Proper preparation is proof of youth's sense of responsibility!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kakashi appeared at the village entrance.
He swept his gaze over the two people present.
"Where's Obito?"
Rin and Guy exchanged glances.
"He hasn't arrived yet," Rin said helplessly.
"There are still..." Kakashi checked the time. "Two minutes."
"Obito will definitely arrive on time!" Guy clenched his fist. "He may complain all the time, but he is still one of us! The burning passion of youth will never allow him to be late!"
Two minutes passed.
The village gate remained empty.
There was no sign of Obito.
Another two minutes passed.
A crow flew overhead, its caw sounding particularly loud.
"I'll give him one more minute." Kakashi's voice revealed no emotion.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from the distance, accompanied by a familiar shout.
"Wait! I'm here!"
Obito came sprinting from deep inside the village.
"While packing, I realized I forgot an extra set of clothes, and when I went back for them, I realized I forgot my explosive tags, and when I went back for the explosive tags, I—"
"You're five minutes late," Kakashi interrupted.
"That's because—"
"No excuses." Kakashi turned and began walking out of the village. "The first rule of carrying out a mission is punctuality. A ninja who arrives late becomes a burden to the team. On the battlefield, a burden becomes a fatal weakness."
Obito's face turned red.
He wanted to argue, but found he had nothing to say.
Rin lightly patted his shoulder and handed him a handkerchief to wipe away his sweat.
Guy gave him an encouraging look that clearly said, It's fine. Prove yourself through your actions.
Obito gritted his teeth, swung his pack over his shoulder, and strode after them.
"Next time, I'll definitely be the first one here!"
"I hope so." Kakashi did not look back.
The four traveled along the forest paths through the central region of the Land of Fire.
The air carried the mixed scent of pine resin and damp earth. Occasionally, birds flew overhead, leaving behind short cries.
The first half of the journey was quite peaceful.
Kakashi walked at the very front, barely making a sound.
Guy stayed at the rear of the formation, occasionally glancing behind them.
Kakashi had assigned him that position, saying the rear guard needed the best taijutsu skills to respond to attacks from behind.
Guy was extremely proud of this responsibility.
"Kakashi." Obito's voice broke the silence of the group.
"Mm."
"Every time you speak, you only say a few words. And your face always has that same expression, like everyone in the world owes you money."
"A ninja must remain calm."
"Being calm doesn't mean having a frozen face. Look at Lord Third Hokage. He smiles all the time."
"The Third is the Third. I'm me."
That answer completely shut Obito down.
He could only lower his head and continue walking.
"Obito is right." Guy's voice came from the rear of the formation. "Kakashi, although you are very strong, your youth is far too gloomy. Youth should be filled with passion! It should be shouted out loud, like this!"
He took a deep breath.
"LET'S GIVE IT OUR ALL TODAY TOO! YOUTH, BURN BRIGHT!!!"
His voice echoed through the forest, startling an entire flock of birds into the air.