Early the next morning, Kazekaze arrived at the Hokage building. All the missions accepted by the Hidden Leaf Village were, without exception, gathered here, organized by specialized ninja, and then dispatched.
Today marked Kazekaze's second day as a Genin, but it would be his first real mission. The thought alone had him practically buzzing with excitement. For this occasion, Kazekaze not only ate two extra bowls of rice in the morning but also changed into a new set of clothes.
"If I remember correctly, D-rank missions are all trivial tasks. From finding pets, picking up trash, to helping others with weeding, there are all sorts of things. When Kakashi first led Naruto on those mundane D-rank missions, Naruto was absolutely miserable. He complained to Hiruzen Sarutobi for half a day before getting a chance at a C-rank mission."
Kazekaze couldn't help but reflect internally. When Tobirama brought him, Sarutobi, and Sakumo together as Team 7, Kazekaze couldn't help but think of Naruto's team. The parallels were undeniable. They were both Team 7. The difference was that his starting point was much higher than Naruto's. And his very first mission—was a C-rank!
However... C-rank missions are personal-related tasks, such as escorting individuals or delivering confidential documents. At this level, they wouldn't encounter ninja from enemy nations. At most, they might run into some bandits.
"The first C-rank mission Naruto and his team received was escorting Tazuna to the Land of Waves. As a result, Tazuna, due to insufficient funds, concealed the fact that he was targeted by Zabuza."
If classified by mission level, the mission Naruto received at that time was at least A-rank! Although it was a series of coincidences, it helped Naruto establish his own ninja way and understand what a true ninja is. Even Kakashi commented that it was great that the first enemies Team 7 encountered were Zabuza and Haku.
"Speaking of which, my ninja way..."
Although Kazekaze relied on the check-in system to obtain Hashirama's chakra, the Eight Gates, and passed Tobirama's test to become a Genin of the Hidden Leaf, he hadn't thought carefully about things like the ninja way or will.
"Kazekaze-sama."
Just as Kazekaze was lost in thought, Sarutobi's voice came from behind him, pulling his thoughts back to the real world.
"Sarutobi-sensei" Kazekaze turned around and greeted politely.
"Haha, Kazekaze-sama, don't be so formal! From today on, we're teammates, right? Just call me Hiruzen—or big bro, if you prefer!" Sarutobi laughed.
Although they were a ninja team, Sarutobi didn't join as a Jonin leader but as a teammate. So having Kazekaze call him teacher felt inappropriate to Sarutobi. The title "Sensei" seemed too formal, while "Hiruzen" or "big brother" felt more intimate.
Kazekaze nodded slightly, "Alright, I understand. I'll call you Hiruzen then. As for the 'sama,' let's drop it. Just call me Kazekaze."
Although Kazekaze's physical age was seven, his mental age was already twenty. Calling a child like Hiruzen "big brother" was a bit hard for him to say.
"Okay, Kazekaze."
As soon as Sarutobi finished speaking, he noticed another figure that seemed out of place here. He immediately waved, signaling for the person to come over and join them. According to the system established by Tobirama, the basic age for entering the ninja academy was six, and graduation was at twelve. So those who could come here to take missions were all over ten years old. Instead, geniuses like Kazekaze and Sakumo seemed out of place in this environment.
"Hello, Sarutobi-sensei." Sakumo took three steps in two strides to stand in front of Sarutobi, "My name is Hatake Sakumo."
Sakumo was polite and didn't have the arrogance typical of some geniuses. In fact, Sakumo was approachable and cared about his companions. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given up a mission for the sake of a comrade's life. From a certain perspective, he was a rather respectable ninja. However, the current environment wasn't very friendly to someone like Sakumo.
"Sakumo's fate..." Kazekaze's eyes narrowed slightly as he assessed his soon-to-be mission companion.
However, Kazekaze had heard a conspiracy theory. Because Sakumo's reputation was so great, he held a very high position in the heart of the Fire Country's Daimyo. He was the only one who posed a threat to Sarutobi's position as Hokage. So his death was actually related to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Thinking of this, Kazekaze couldn't help but glance at Sarutobi. Of course, as for the truth, he wasn't sure. After all, Kishimoto didn't draw it, and these were just things netizens speculated. However, some details in Naruto did align with conspiracy theories. Like the death of Hizashi, the Uchiha massacre night, and similar issues, Sarutobi always showed a weak and yielding attitude, but every time... he was the biggest beneficiary. Even Danzo was relieved of his duties with just a word from him. But the scariest part? Not a single person in Konoha's high command had ever questioned him.
"Wait, if I think this way, could this guy eliminate me to rise to power?" Kazekaze thought to himself.
"Kazekaze... why are you looking at me like that?" Sarutobi looked puzzled, feeling that Kazekaze's gaze was a bit strange.
"It's nothing. I just remembered something, but it's not important. Let's go; we should meet the client." Kazekaze changed the subject, then remembered he hadn't introduced himself yet. So he turned to Sakumo and said, "My name is Kazekaze."
"Hello, Kazekaze." Sakumo smiled in response, then followed behind Sarutobi, heading towards the mission point.
At the same time, Sakumo kept observing Kazekaze. He initially thought he was the only one who graduated early, but he didn't expect to meet someone his age.
"I haven't seen him at the ninja academy."
Sakumo recalled every person he had seen at the ninja academy and found that Kazekaze wasn't among them. For a moment, he became very curious about this child around his age.
'He should be like me, excelling in all aspects compared to peers. Maybe… We will be great rivals, Kazekaze.'
Sakumo only thought this in his heart and didn't actually say it out loud. In no time, the three of them arrived at the place where missions were issued. Tobirama had been waiting there for a long time.
"You're here." Tobirama crossed his arms, looking serious, then spoke in a low voice to the other side, "Come in."
As soon as Tobirama finished speaking, the door on the other side was pushed open. A middle-aged man who looked to be in his twenties, accompanied by a little girl about Kazekaze's age, walked in. Upon seeing Tobirama, the man nodded respectfully, and it was clear from his eyes that he held Tobirama in high regard. The girl, with long, beautiful red hair and a hairpin on the right side of her hair, had bright eyes full of curiosity about everything.
In Kazekaze's eyes… it was like looking at a young Kushina herself!