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DAY ONE...
Day one of the journey was rather quiet. The group made their way through the farmlands that stretched just beyond Konoha's outer limits. Which so happened to be the second largest agricultural zone in the Land of Fire, a major contributor to Konoha's economy.
Kuro had been here before, more times than he could count. Most of it was D-rank grunt missions. Planting seeds, chasing off crows, just the usual bullshit chores disguised as missions Genin were stuck with.
The farmland stretched on for miles, taking up most of their day as they made their way through it. It felt endless at first, but eventually the fields thinned out. The neatly lined crops and wooden fences grew fewer and fewer, until there was nothing but trees around them and Konoha was miles away.
"Alright, we'll set up camp here for the night," Kuro said, stopping near a quiet clearing by a river. The water flowed steady and clean, perfect for drinking and washing up. The spot was open enough to see any threats coming, but tucked just enough into the woods to keep them hidden.
"Finally…" Sugari groaned, dropping his heavy bag and flopping down as he rolled out his sleeping bag with zero grace.
"Food should be ready in about ten more minutes," Daichi said, crouched near the fire. He gave the pot a small stir, the soup bubbling with a soft hiss.
At the sound of that, Sugari perked up like a dog catching a whistle. "Jeez… I'm starving. I haven't eaten all day," he said, rubbing his stomach as it let out a loud growl in agreement.
Kuro chuckled a little, shaking his head. "You had snacks in your bag."
"Snacks don't count," Sugari shot back, flopping dramatically onto his back.
Airi sat a little off to the side, her legs crossed and arms resting on her legs. She didn't say anything, just eyed the pot quietly, the scent of boiling herbs and meat slowly pulling her out of her usual cold shell.
Kuro sat with his back against a log, his hands resting behind his head. "We made good distance today," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "If we keep this pace, we'll reach the forest ridge by tomorrow afternoon."
"Perfect," Daichi said, not looking up as he gave the soup one last stir.
Kuro leaned back on the rough log. "We'll set up a watch tonight and take turns, two people at a time. I'll take the first shift."
"I'll join you," Airi said, surprising everyone with how quickly she volunteered.
Sugari raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Didn't expect that."
"I'd rather be awake all night than stuck listening to your snoring." Airi shot back, giving him a glare.
"Tch. Rude," Sugari muttered, but there was a small smirk tugging at his lips.
A few more minutes passed, the warmth of the fire beginning to chase away the creeping cold of the night. Daichi gave the pot one final glance and nodded. "Alright. It's ready."
Sugari shot up like he hadn't been dead tired five seconds ago. "Finally."
As bowls were passed around and the team dug into the soup, the conversation faded into quiet eating.
Once everyone was finished eating and camp was set up, everyone turned in for the night, everyone except Kuro and Airi, who stayed up to keep watch. The fire crackled softly between them, casting long shadows across the trees, but neither said much. The quiet wasn't awkward, it was more like both of them were comfortable keeping their thoughts to themselves.
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DAY TWO...
Day Two of the journey was better than the day before. As the group was starting to get used to one another, and the awkward silence from before was now filled with the occasional small talk and light banter. It wasn't anything deep, but it made the long walk feel a little less tiring.
After a few hours of travelling, they came across a small town tucked between two ridges. Just a place with a couple of shops, worn down houses, and an inn that looked decent enough to rest in. They figured it was as good a place as any to stop for the night.
The inn only had rooms big enough for two, so they had no choice but to split up.
Sugari ended up rooming with Daichi, mostly because the two of them already knew each other.
Kuro, on the other hand, got paired with Airi.
As Kuro stepped into the room with Airi, he glanced around. It was just a simple room with two small beds on opposite sides, a wooden desk in the corner, and a single window with a half-open curtain letting in the moonlight.
Without saying much, Airi grabbed her things and headed into the bathroom first. The sound of running water filled the room for a while, and Kuro sat on the edge of his bed, sorting through his stats and inventory one last time before they called it a day.
A short while later, Airi stepped out, steam trailing behind her. She was wrapped in a towel, already pulling on a shirt as she passed by. She didn't say anything, just gave him a glance and headed for her bed.
Kuro grabbed his own stuff and took a quick shower after her. The hot water helped shake off the soreness from walking all day, and by the time he came out, the lights were dim and Airi was already tucked in her bed.
He glanced at her and let out a quiet sigh. 'This is awkward. I've been pretending it's nothing, but... I need to say something.' He walked over to his bed and grabbed a seat at the edge.
"Do you have a problem with me or something?" Kuro asked, very direct.
Airi turned slowly, caught off guard by the sudden question. "No… why?" she asked, genuinely confused.
Kuro raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you keep staring at me?"
She narrowed her eyes slightly, holding his gaze for a few seconds before exhaling. "You really don't remember, huh?" she said quietly.
Kuro blinked.
He shifted upright in bed slightly, as he tried to read her expression in the low light. "…Remember what?"
Airi sat up now too, her legs crossed and her eyes narrowed, like she was trying to figure out if he was messing with her or not. "We were in the same class at the Academy. I sat behind you for three years," she said flatly.
Well, this was news to him, even if he digged deep into Kuro's memories he still didn't remember her. But she did look familiar, although she still came up as a blur in his memories. "You were...?Well, I don't remember you..." He said.
That made her brow twitch slightly. "I remember back in class, you were the laughing stock. Everyone thought you were the weakest Genin. Honestly, I didn't believe it at first when I heard about you beating a Chūnin during the evaluation. But then I saw you, and yeah… you're different now. Way different. But it's definitely you."
Kuro didn't say anything at first, just nodded slightly to himself. 'That kinda explains it… With the system, I've changed more in a week than I ever thought possible,' he thought.
"And I hate you," she said, but this time, her tone held something else...curiosity, not anger.
Kuro blinked, caught off guard. "Hate me? For what...? What did I even do?" he asked, taken aback by the sudden straightforwardness.
"Someone so weak shouldn't be strong... that's how life works," Airi said flatly, her tone almost cold. "The strong prey on the weak. The weak are meant to stay weak. Meant to be crushed like ants."
Kuro stared at her for a second, processing that. 'Oh… she's that type of person,' he thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. 'That's barely even a reason to hate someone.'
He leaned back a little, keeping his voice calm. "If that's true… then why is it that humans, who are weak compared to most creatures in this world, can still dominate a world full of monsters ten times our size and strength?"
She opened her mouth like she had an answer, but nothing came out. Her lips tightened, and her brow furrowed into a scowl as she glared at him. "I really fucking hate you," she muttered, spinning away and yanking the covers over her head in frustration.
Kuro just blinked. "...Love you too, I guess." he mumbled under his breath, laying back down and staring at the ceiling.
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DAY THREE...
The forest blurred beneath them as the group leaped from one branch to the next. The sound of rustling leaves and the occasional crunch of bark underfoot followed their trail. Sunlight pierced through the canopy in scattered beams, dancing across their shinobi gear as they made their final push toward the mission location.
Today was the final stretch, and they all agreed to reach the destination by afternoon instead of dragging it into the next morning. It meant more pressure on the legs, but it also meant getting it over with sooner.
"Kuro," Sugari called out, keeping pace beside him. "I just realized... you're not carrying anything in that little-ass backpack, but somehow you've got in there. What, you got a scroll hidden somewhere or something?"
Kuro let out a sigh, he figured that question would come eventually. "Something like that," he replied, not bothering to look over. "Let's just say I've got a method that works."
Sugari raised a brow but didn't push. "Huh... shady."
Kuro ignored the comment and focused on the path ahead. "We'll take a break in about an hour. We've got to stop at the village near the sighting of the bandit camp, since the mission details didn't give the exact location of the camp," Kuro said as he landed on another branch. "So we'll have to meet with the informant first and they'll point us in the right direction from there."
Airi, quiet as usual, glanced over briefly but didn't say a word. Daichi just gave a nod as he silently landed on the next branch, his movements rather light for someone of his size.
Kuro glanced over at Airi and let out a small sigh. 'She's been even quieter than usual since last night...' he thought, watching her from the corner of his eye. 'Man, girls in this world really come with a lot of attitude.' He shook his head to clear the thought, now wasn't the time to be thinking about that, the mission came first.
About an hour later, the trees started to thin, and the forest began to give way to signs of civilization. They were close to their objective location with just a couple more miles to go.
"Alright," Kuro said, slowing to a stop near a cluster of trees. "We'll rest here for a bit. After that, we push on. Not long left."
Everyone gave a small nod in response, splitting off to do their own thing. Daichi climbed up into the trees and leaned back on a thick branch, with his arms crossed behind his head. Sugari sat by a tree, casually spinning a kunai between his fingers. Meanwhile, Airi knelt by a nearby stream, refilling her canteen, and taking a sip from it.
Kuro leaned against a tree, letting himself breathe for a moment. The calm before the storm was always the hardest part, especially when you knew the storm was coming.
'Status screen...'
━─━─━─≪◈ STATS ◈≫─━─━─━
[NAME] ➤ Kuroshin Kagemura
[AGE] ➤ 13
[LEVEL] ➤ 17
◇───INFO───◇
[JOB] ➤ NONE
[TITLES] ➤ Courage Of The Weak...
[HP] ➤ 520/520
[CP] ➤ 1500/1500 (GENIN)
[FATIGUE] ➤ 5
[AVAILABLE ABILITY POINTS: 26 ]...
◇───STATS───◇
[STRENGTH] ➤ 42.5
[AGILITY] ➤ 48.5
[SENSE] ➤ 26.5
[HEALTH] ➤ 32.5
[INTELLIGENCE] ➤ 33
◇───SKILLS───◇
[BASIC TAIJUTSU TECHNIQUES] ➤Lv.11 (PASSIVE.) [ Basic Melee attacks inflicted on an opponent is increased by 29%. ]
[BASIC SHURIKENJUTSU TECHNIQUES]Lv.9 (Passive) [ When throwing small concealed weapons, damage inflicted is increased by 24%.]
[WIND AFFINITY] ➤ Lv.5 (PASSIVE.) [ Whenever a Wind Style jutsu is used, its power is increased by 50%.]
[BASIC KUNAI TECHNIQUES]Lv.13 (PASSIVE) [ Basic kunai attacks inflicted on an opponent are increased by 32%.]
◇───JUTSU'S───◇
[TRANSFORMATION JUTSU] ➤ Lv.12
[BASIC CLONE JUTSU] ➤ Lv.12
[SUBSTITUTION JUTSU] ➤ Lv.12
[VACUUM BLADE JUTSU] ➤Lv.5
[GALE PALM JUTSU] ➤Lv.5
━─━─━─━─≪◆≫─━─━─━─━
Kuro leaned his head back against the rough bark of the tree, his eye's looking up at the canopy above. 'Alright, my stats are about as good as they can be. For a B-rank mission, this feels a little too stacked...' He exhaled, feeling the cool forest air settle around him. 'I mean, it's just a bandit extermination mission. Four of us for a job like this? Kinda overkill. Honestly, I probably could've handled it myself..but regulations are regulations.' He sat up slightly, letting his fingers rest on the pouch at his side.
Bandits were just regular people who happened to be stronger than the average civilian and had a bit more chakra than most. But compared to a trained shinobi, that gap was massive. A single Genin could take out a dozen of them, no problem. They didn't know any martial arts, they couldn't use jutsu's, and they had no tactical training.
'This mission's gonna be easy…' he thought, though he caught himself before getting too confident. Just because it looked simple, didn't mean things couldn't go sideways. It was always the ones that seemed easy that came with the worst surprises.
Still, Kuro wasn't about to let his guard down.
Kuro didn't mind the how long the journey took. If anything, he welcomed it. It gave him time to sneak in a few training sessions along the way. Nothing too intense, just some light drills, but enough to push his skills a little further. He could see the difference in his stats, slowly creeping up bit by bit.
Most of his skills had leveled up during the past few days, which gave him a small sense of satisfaction. But one thing still bugged him, his Wind Affinity skill.
That one just refused to level up.
Given that it gave a 50% boost just at level five and his other skills were only 20 to 30, it was, in all honesty, his best skill. It made sense why it didn't level up, though. He hadn't practiced any of his wind-style jutsu's recently. Not because he didn't want to, but because he was conserving chakra. If things took a turn for the worse during the mission, he needed every ounce of CP he had.
Which, admittedly, wasn't much to begin with.
He had tried to level his Strength and Intelligence stats directly, but the progress was painfully slow. Even dumping ability points into them didn't move the bar by much. What did help, surprisingly, was just doing things the old-fashioned way: physical workouts, and meditation. Those gave him more CP gain than just doing it through the system.
'Guess the old-fashioned way… is always the best.' Kuro smirked to himself, though the thought stirred more questions than it answered. Still, those were problems for another day.
'Store...'
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[STORE] Lv.1
[RYO: $9,000]
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[ALL]
[EQUIPMENT]
[CONSUMABLES]
[SCROLLS]
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'I don't even have enough saved up to buy anything decent in the store… this stuff is way too expensive for my taste. You'd think with the world being the way it is, they'd offer a discount or something. Can't even afford a low-tier scroll without breaking the bank…' he sighed, staring at the number like it owed him money.
With a small flick of his hand, the screen disappeared, and he stood up from the tree trunk he'd been resting against. He dusted off his pants and stretched a bit, cracking his neck.
"Alright, we've rested long enough. It's time to get a move on. We want to reach the village before nightfa—"
"Uh, we got a problem here, Kuro!" Daichi's voice called out from above, cutting him off mid-sentence.
Kuro snapped his attention upward, spotting Daichi crouched on a thick branch, a pair of binoculars pressed to his face. He didn't sound panicked, but he wasn't exactly calm either.
"What is it?" Kuro asked, already stepping toward the base of the tree.
Daichi lowered the binoculars slowly, his face more serious than usual. "Smoke… up ahead. Not just a little either. A lot of it."
"Bandits?" Sugari asked, standing up and flicking his kunai into its holster.
Kuro sighed, already dreading the news he was about to get. "Great…" he muttered under his breath. He really had to go and jinx it. "Coming," he called up, then stuck to the bark and sprinted up the trunk with ease, reaching the top branch in seconds. Airi and Sugari weren't far behind, both landing nearby as Daichi extended the binoculars toward him.
"Here. Three o'clock, east," Daichi said, pointing. "There is a big column of smoke up ahead. Could be a camp… or someone lit one hell of a bonfire."
Kuro grabbed the binoculars and looked through them. The moment his eyes locked on the rising smoke curling behind a lush mountain ridge, his face tightened.
His brows drew together. "That's coming from the direction of the village," he said, handing the binoculars back. There wasn't time to think it over. "No more breaks, we're moving now. Let's get to that village, pronto."
Without waiting for a reply, Kuro leapt forward, vanishing into the branches ahead. The others didn't hesitate, launching after him through the treetops.
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