C11 The First Mission

Two days later, in the forests of Konoha.

"Hey, you've already mastered all my techniques," Yūhi Kurenai said with a hint of pride, tousling Ye Fenng's hair. "Apart from needing a bit more practice, it seems I'm no longer needed as your teacher."

Despite his reluctance to admit it, Ye Fenng had to acknowledge that he, once a Genjutsu novice, had now fully grasped his sensei's most advanced skills. Frankly, his proficiency in Genjutsu was already at sixty percent of hers. It was often said that the student could surpass the teacher, but his progress was astonishingly rapid. Was he even human?

"Let's go, Ms. Kurenai," Ye Fenng said with a light laugh, releasing the hand seal he had been holding. Moments before, he had mastered her Red Demonic Fantasy – Tree Binding Killing. It was an impressive Genjutsu, and while it didn't compare to Itachi's Moon Reading, it was formidable in its own right. As long as his opponent's Mental Energy was lower than his, he could drag them into an illusion and bind them with branches and vines, leaving them helpless.

Ye Fenng, however, preferred his own name for it: the Binding Technique.

"Let's go find the Sandaime and see if there's a suitable mission for us," Kurenai agreed without hesitation. She was exceedingly pleased with her pupil.

Together, they left their usual training ground and made their way through the forest.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the Hikage Building.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

"Come in," the Sandaime called out upon hearing the knock, casually tapping his pipe.

Kurenai and Ye Fenng entered the office, both offering their respects with a bow. "Lord Sandaime."

"What brings you here, Red?" the Sandaime inquired, exhaling a ring of smoke. His demeanor was weary, almost comical in its forlornness.

Ye Fenng's keen eye caught the disarray of mission scrolls on the bookshelf, the ashtray brimming with ash, and most tellingly, the Sandaime's exhausted expression. Clearly, the recent troubles had placed a heavy burden on Konoha.

Ye Fenng couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude.

He wasn't mistaken, though. The situation in Kunoha was downright embarrassing; they hadn't found a trace of the murderer after all this time. Their predicament had turned into the butt of jokes far and wide. A flurry of disparaging remarks about the Sandaime sprouted up everywhere, putting both Kunoha's and the Sandaime's reputations on shaky ground.

"Lord Sandaime, this is my newly accepted disciple, Uesugi Fenng," Ms. Kurenai said with a slight bow. "He graduated from the Ninja Academy ahead of schedule a few days ago, and I plan to take him on some missions."

"Graduated early?" the Sandaime inquired.

"Yes, he appears to be a promising prospect."

The Sandaime gave Ye Fenng a cursory glance before his attention drifted elsewhere. He had little interest in these matters at the moment.

"You'll find mission scrolls over there; pick any that seem suitable," the Sandaime instructed, returning his focus to the paperwork on his desk, making it clear he was done engaging with Kurenai and Ye Fenng.

"Yes, Lord Sandaime," Kurenai responded softly, leading Ye Fenng to the scrolls.

They perused the selection for some time before settling on a C-class mission scroll and departing.

Mission Difficulty: C-class

Mission Content: Eliminate a group of thirty-seven bandits on the border of the Country of Fire. Their stronghold is located on the mountain east of Fallen Leaf Village. Requirement: All targets must be eliminated.

Reward: Three thousand taels of silver.

The mission was standard fare for a C-class—nothing out of the ordinary and lacking any real challenge, aside from the long trek required.

"Ms. Kurenai, this mission seems rather dull," Ye Fenng muttered, voicing his discontent.

To him, a mission of this caliber was trivial. With his abilities, dealing with bandits no stronger than Genin was hardly worth the effort.

"Considering you're a newcomer, being assigned this type of mission is quite an honor," Kurenai retorted, rolling her eyes. "Typical Genin fresh out of the academy are stuck with D-class tasks like weeding or finding lost pets. They have to complete dozens of those before they even get a glimpse of a C-class mission."

"If it weren't for your exceptional talent, I wouldn't have granted you any special privileges," Kurenai murmured under her breath, giving off the impression that he had already gotten the better end of the deal.

Ye Fenng opened his mouth to respond but ultimately chose to remain silent.

Engrossed in their conversation, they reached the village entrance before they knew it.

"Aren't you going to let your little girlfriends know?"

"This mission is going to last at least half a month, you know."

Kurenai gently reminded him, her teasing gaze fixed on her mischievous disciple.

He had managed to charm not only the eldest daughters of the Mountain and Yandou families but even Anko. He was quite the handful.

She wondered where he got such allure.

Although... he was undeniably a beautiful youth.

Under Kurenai's scrutinizing look, Ye Fenng could only offer a resigned smile and effortlessly performed a hand seal.

"Clone Technique."

A tangible clone materialized and set off back to the village to deliver the message.

"Wow, you've mastered the Clone Technique? And you're so adept," Kurenai whispered, her hand covering her mouth in surprise.

She had yet to master such a perilous ninjutsu herself.

"It's a secret."

Ye Fenng replied with a mysterious grin, choosing to keep his methods to himself.

He didn't actually know the Clone Technique; it was merely a clever ruse with a paper clone.

For now, Ye Fenng wasn't ready to reveal his Paper Escape Bloodline Limit.

"You little rascal," Kurenai grumbled, unable to pry the truth from him. She playfully tousled the boy's hair until it was a complete mess, resembling a bird's nest within seconds.

"Ms. Kurenai, you're becoming quite the tsundere," Ye Fenng commented, a mix of amusement and exasperation in his voice.

He watched her walk ahead and leisurely followed, a smile on his face.