I, Uchiha, will not be whitewashed!

Chapter 84 An Outstanding Junior!

The sun was shining brightly at the entrance of the Hokage Building.

Naruto leaned against a pillar, his hands behind his head, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth.

He was getting impatient, so he chewed up a blade of grass and replaced it with another. He also stepped on and killed three ants at his feet.

Sakura Haruno squatted on the steps, organizing her ninja tool bag. She carefully arranged the kunai one by one, sorted the shuriken by size, and even stacked the explosive tags neatly.

Sasuke stood a little distance away, his hands in his pockets, his back against the wall, and his eyes closed.

"Kakashi-sensei is late again." Naruto spat out the grass stem and picked up a new one.

"That's how Jonin are." Sakura Haruno said without looking up.

"My dad isn't like that."

Sasuke opened one eye to look at Naruto, then closed it again.

About fifteen minutes later, Kakashi finally arrived.

He was wearing a Jonin vest, his headband pulled low to cover his left eye, and he was holding a copy of "Icha Icha Paradise," which he had flipped to the middle of and was reading with great interest.

He walked up to the three students, closed the book, and put it in his pocket.

"Good morning."

"It's getting late!" Naruto jumped up.

Kakashi ignored him, took out a mission sheet from his pocket, unfolded it, and read aloud: "Today's mission is D-rank: help the widowed old woman in Riverside Village weed. Reward: 5,000 taels."

"Weeding again!" Naruto snapped. "It's been three months since we graduated, and all we do is catch cats, weed, and scavenge for trash! We're ninjas, can't we have something more exciting?"

Sakura Haruno sighed. "Naruto, missions of C rank or higher might be dangerous."

"Danger is good!" Naruto clenched his fist. "I want to become Hokage. Can I become Hokage by just weeding all day?"

Sasuke didn't speak, but a hint of impatience flashed in his eyes.

He didn't come here to weed the old lady; he needs to become stronger, strong enough to catch a weasel. Doing D-rank missions every day, when will he ever become stronger?

Kakashi glanced at them, folded the mission sheet, and stuffed it into his pocket. "Come with me."

"Where to?"

"The Hokage's office. Go and tell them yourselves."

In the Hokage's office, Minato was sitting behind his desk reviewing documents.

A thick stack of documents was piled on the table; those awaiting approval were on the left, and those already approved were on the right, with just enough space in the middle for a cup of tea. When Naruto pushed the door open, the document was just picked up by the man who had just entered. Upon seeing Naruto, he put down his pen.

"Dad—Hokage-sama!" Naruto ran to the table. "Give us a C-rank mission!"

Minato glanced at Kakashi, who shrugged, indicating that it was none of his business.

"A Rank C mission might involve combat," Minato said calmly. "Are you prepared?"

"It's done!" Naruto patted his chest.

Sasuke took a step forward and nodded. Sakura Haruno hesitated for a moment, but followed.

Minato glanced at them and remained silent for a moment. He opened the mission list, his finger pausing on a line of text.

"There's a band of about thirty people in the border mines, and there might be wandering ninjas among them. Originally a B-rank, but the scouts said the ninjas have already left. Downgraded to C-rank."

He pushed the task sheet onto the table. "Are you going or not?"

"Go!" Naruto snatched the mission sheet.

Kakashi took the mission sheet, glanced at it, and nodded. "We'll depart tomorrow morning."

A secret outpost, late at night.

Shuoge sat at the end of the corridor, his sword resting beside him, his mask tucked into his waistband. He had just returned from the training grounds, his clothes still damp with sweat. Shisui sat beside him, twirling a kunai in his hand.

"Lord Minato is looking for you."

Sakugo didn't move. After a while, he stood up, slung the sword over his back, and walked towards the Hokage's office.

The Hokage's office light was still on. Minato wasn't approving any documents; he was standing by the window, gazing at the moon outside. Hearing the door open, he didn't turn around.

"Squad Seven is going on a mission tomorrow. Level C, bandit suppression."

Shuoge stood in the doorway, not sitting down. "Is there anything you need me to do?"

"Follow them. Don't give yourself away." Minato turned around. "The Nine-Tails inside Naruto is unstable, and Sasuke is a genius of the Uchiha clan. Keep an eye on him, and make sure nothing happens."

Sakugo was silent for a moment. "The Kaleidoscope has a certain suppressive effect on the Nine-Tails. But I can't guarantee that I can completely control it."

"That's enough. The sealing technique I gave you is enough to suppress the Nine-Tails."

Minato walked to the table, picked up a mission sheet, and handed it to Shogo. "The route, objective, and time are all on this. Go ahead and observe from a distance. Don't take action unless absolutely necessary."

Shuoge took the task sheet, glanced at it, folded it, and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Be careful," Minato's voice softened.

Shuoge nodded, turned and left.

The next morning, before dawn.

Kakashi led Team 7 out of the village and headed towards the border mines.

Naruto walked at the front, his steps light and quick, humming an unknown tune.

Sakura Haruno followed behind, glancing back at Sasuke from time to time.

Sasuke walked at the very back, his hands in his pockets, his eyes scanning his surroundings.

"Why does this road seem so long?" Naruto called out as he turned around.

"The mine is on the border of the Land of Fire, about a day's journey from the village." Sakura Haruno pulled a map from her backpack. "At this speed, we should arrive by evening."

"When did you buy the map?" Naruto asked, leaning closer.

"Yesterday. A C-rank mission might involve combat, so it's always good to be prepared."

Sasuke glanced at Sakura Haruno but said nothing.

Kakashi walked at the front, his headband pulled low, and his "Icha Icha Paradise" had been put away.

His laziness vanished, replaced by a steady alertness. His gaze swept across the trees on both sides, his ears perked up, catching any unusual sounds.

"There's an ambush ahead," Sasuke suddenly said.

Everyone stopped simultaneously. Kakashi didn't turn around. "How many people?"

"Three. Two in the tree on the left, and one in the bushes on the right."

Kakashi still didn't turn around. "Naruto, Sakura, you two go to the right. Sasuke, to the left."

"Wait—" Before Sakura Haruno could ask any questions, Naruto had already rushed out.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Bang bang bang!

Three Narutos burst out of the white smoke and pounced towards the bushes on the right.

A person jumped out of the bushes, wearing tattered armor and holding a wood-chopping knife.

He saw three Narutos, paused for a moment, and then swung his sword to slash.

One strike landed on one of the clones, which turned into white smoke. The second strike landed on the second clone, and another puff of white smoke appeared.

The third Naruto kicked the man in the stomach, sending him flying. He crashed into a tree and lost consciousness.

Two people jumped down from the tree on the left and headed straight for Sasuke.

Sasuke didn't move. He waited until they rushed in front of him before dodging the first slash and striking the first man on the back of the neck with his elbow. The man lay motionless on the ground.

The second man rushed up, but Sasuke blocked his sword with a kunai and kicked him in the knee, causing him to kneel down. Sasuke's kunai was pressed against his throat.

"Who sent you?" Sasuke's voice was cold.

The man's lips trembled. "Mountain—mountain bandits—we are mountain bandits—"

Sasuke's kunai went in another inch, and blood seeped from the man's throat.

"Sasuke." Kakashi's voice came from behind. "That's enough."

Sasuke put away his kunai, and the man collapsed to the ground, his crotch soaked.

Kakashi walked up to the three bandits, squatted down, and examined them.

They were all ordinary people, not ninjas.

He stood up and glanced at the three students. "Well done. Naruto reacted quickly, Sasuke made accurate judgments, and Sakura Haruno—why didn't you move just now?"

Sakura Haruno lowered her head. "I—I didn't react."

"Remember next time, there's no time to hesitate on the battlefield." Kakashi turned and continued walking. "Tie him up and take him to the nearest post station. Mission on."

The three bandits were tied to a tree. Kakashi carved a coded message on one of the trees, waiting for the next patrol to deal with them.

The team resumed their journey.

In the evening, the team arrived at the foot of the mine.

The abandoned mine shaft is located halfway up the mountain. The entrance is mostly sealed with wood and sheet metal, leaving only a narrow crack through which dim yellow light shines.

Two sentries stood outside the cave entrance, holding spears and smoking.

Kakashi crouched behind the bushes and observed for a while.

"There are at least twenty people in the mine. Two sentries, one at the entrance, and others patrolling inside." He glanced back at the three students.

"The plan is: I'll take care of those two rogue ninjas, Sasuke and Naruto will draw their attention from the front, and Sakura Haruno will cover the rear to prevent anyone from escaping."

Naruto nodded, and Sasuke nodded as well.

Sakura Haruno's hands were trembling, but she gritted her teeth and didn't say "I'm scared".

"action."

Kakashi burst out of the bushes, moving so fast that the two sentries only saw a black shadow before the kunai slit their throats. They fell to the ground without a sound.

Naruto and Sasuke charged into the mine from the front, while Sakura Haruno went around to the back of the mine and blocked the other exit.

The mine was larger than I had imagined, with several small rooms dug out on both sides of the tunnel walls, filled with looted supplies and weapons.

The bandits were eating when they saw two teenagers rush in, and they didn't react for a moment.

Sasuke made the first move, sending a kunai flying from his hand and embedding it into the shoulder of the nearest bandit, who screamed and fell to the ground.

Naruto's shadow clones emerged from the white smoke, and seven or eight Narutos rushed forward at the same time, throwing punches, kicks, and headbutts in a chaotic mess.

The bandits realized what was happening, picked up their weapons, and began to fight back.

Sasuke's Sharingan gleamed red in the dim light; it was a single tomoe, meaning only one eye was open.

He caught the bandits' movements; every swing of their knives and every slash slowed down in his field of vision.

He dodged a knife by sidestepping, but the kunai pierced the man's arm, and the man screamed and staggered backward.

Another bandit rushed up, and Sasuke kicked the knife out of his hand and punched him in the face.

Naruto's clones were scattered in several places, but new clones kept appearing to replace them. His main body hid among the clones, specifically targeting lone bandits.

One punch knocks one unconscious, one kick knocks another down.

His punches weren't very powerful, but he had the advantage of having more people.

Sakura Haruno was behind the mine, hearing the sound of ping-pong balls inside. She held a kunai in her hand, her palms sweaty.

A bandit emerged from a small hole on the side, covered in blood, clearly having escaped.

He saw Sakura Haruno, paused for a moment, then raised his knife and charged.

Sakura Haruno's mind went blank; she didn't know whether to dodge or block.

The sword came down, but her hand moved on its own—a kunai blocked the sword, and the sound of metal clashing was jarring.

She pushed hard, and the bandit took a step back. Then she kicked him in the stomach.

The bandit bent down, and the kunai in her hand pierced his shoulder.

The bandit screamed and collapsed to the ground, motionless. Sakura Haruno's kunai was covered in blood; her fingers trembled, but she didn't let go.

The battle inside the mine is nearing its end.

Most of the twenty-odd bandits had fallen, and the remaining few huddled in a corner, covering their heads with their hands, too afraid to move.

Sasuke and Naruto stood back to back, panting heavily.

"Tch, is that all?" Naruto wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth—he had gotten a shallow cut at some point, though he didn't know when.

Sasuke didn't speak; his eyes were still scanning his surroundings.

Kakashi emerged from the depths of the mine, carrying a middle-aged man whose wrists were bound and whose face was bruised.

He was the leader of the mountain bandits, but not a ninja.

Those two wandering ninjas had already run away.

"Mission accomplished." Kakashi tossed the bandit leader to the ground. "Count the men, prepare to return to the village."

Sakura Haruno walked in from the back of the mine, still clutching a kunai in her hand, the blood still fresh. Her face was pale, but her eyes were more determined than before.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Naruto ran over.

"N-nothing." Sakura Haruno put the kunai back into her ninja tool pouch and wiped the blood off her hands with her sleeve.

"Are you injured?" Naruto asked, looking at the blood on her sleeve.

"It wasn't mine." Sakura Haruno's voice trembled slightly. "It was a bandit who escaped—I subdued him."

Kakashi glanced at her. "Well done."

Sakura Haruno's lips twitched slightly, not in a smile, but in a sigh of relief.

In the distance, atop a tree outside the mine, Shuoge crouched among the branches, his Sharingan behind his mask slowly rotating.

He witnessed the entire process—Sasuke activated his Sharingan during the recent danger, Naruto's Shadow Clones became even more proficient, and Sakura Haruno's reaction after seeing blood for the first time was better than most people's.

Shuoge recorded every detail.

The team rested in the mine for one night.

The next morning, they set off on their journey home, escorting the bandit leader and a dozen prisoners.

On the way back to the village, Kakashi called the three students together and talked as they walked.

"Sasuke, your Sharingan usage is good, but your stamina is lacking. You were already breathing erratically after less than ten minutes of fighting. Double your stamina training when you get back."

Sasuke didn't speak, but he nodded.

"Sakura, you were very calm. It was your first time facing a real fight, and you didn't panic; you were even able to counterattack. But your close-quarters combat is too weak. Go back and learn basic physical techniques from Guy. I'll talk to him about it."

Sakura Haruno paused, startled. "Kai-sensei?"

"I'll make the arrangements."

"Naruto," Kakashi glanced at him. "Your Shadow Clone Technique is very effective, but your real body is too easily exposed. What if the enemy bypasses the clones and goes straight for your main body?"

Naruto scratched his head. "I—I hadn't thought about it."

"A brain is a good thing. When facing a strong enemy, a brain makes it easier for you to win with minimal cost."

Kakashi paused, then said, "You are all more talented than I imagined. But you are also weaker than you realize."

"We still need to practice."

Naruto grinned, Sasuke remained expressionless, and Sakura lowered her head, looking at her hands. Those hands still held the warmth of yesterday's blood.

In the distance, Sakugo returned to Konoha via another route. He arrived half an hour earlier than Team 7 and went directly to the Hokage's office.

Shuimen was reviewing documents when he saw him and put down his pen.

"How's the mission going?"

"Done. No casualties. Nine-Tails' chakra is stable, with no fluctuations."

Sakugo placed the task sheet on the table. "Sasuke's Sharingan usage isn't quite refined yet, but it's pretty good for someone who just awakened it. Sakura Haruno's reaction to bloodshed for the first time is good. Naruto—"

He paused for a moment. "His shadow clone tactic is effective, but his tactical thinking is lacking. (His brain isn't quite up to par.)"

Minato nodded. "You keep an eye on things."

Shuoge turned and left. He stopped at the door without looking back.

"They are all excellent."

Minato paused for a moment, then laughed. It was a brief laugh, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, like wind rippling across water.

"I know."

Sakugo stepped out of the Hokage Building, the sunlight blinding him. He tucked his mask back into his waistband and headed towards the Anbu base.

Behind him, in the window of the Hokage Building, Minato stood by the window, watching his figure disappear around the street corner.

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