Kosuke led Inoiki to the location where the garden awaited its weeding. The sun was high, casting a warm glow over the neatly arranged plants. After introducing themselves to the garden's owner and explaining that they were there to complete the weeding mission, the owner gave them permission to begin.
As they surveyed the garden, Inoiki quickly realized that this job would require more effort than anticipated. The weeds had to be pulled from the roots, making it impossible to simply slice through them with his telekinetically-controlled kunai. Not wanting the task to drag on and interfere with his evening training, Inoiki decided to speed things up.
With a brief hand sign, he summoned a shadow clone to assist him. Two Inoikis would make faster work of the weeds. As the clone appeared beside him, Kosuke raised an eyebrow, then offered some advice.
"Using the shadow clone will definitely make things faster, but remember—you'll feel the fatigue from both your body and the clone's. It adds up."
Inoiki smiled confidently. "I know. That's why I only made one clone. I can handle the fatigue from this much work."
Kosuke nodded approvingly, a gentle smile crossing his face. "It's good to know your limits. I'm an old man, after all. My bones can't handle the strain of shadow clones like you young folks," he said with a chuckle.
With that, Inoiki and his clone dove into the task, pulling weeds at a rapid pace. Kosuke, despite his self-deprecating remarks, also pitched in, guiding Inoiki and offering tips on how to work more efficiently. His years of experience made the job easier, and together, they cleared the garden in just under three hours.
Once the last weed was removed, they showed the owner their handiwork. The garden was pristine, and the owner signed off on the mission paperwork Izumo had given them. Afterward, they returned to the Hokage building to submit the completed mission and receive their remuneration.
When the payment was handed over, Inoiki immediately divided it in half and offered one half to Kosuke. Kosuke, however, shook his head. "You did more work than me. I'll only take one-third of the payment."
But Inoiki insisted, refusing to take more than his share. In the end, Kosuke smiled, helplessly accepting half of the payment before they both parted ways.
The next day brought another mission, this time to trim the grass and shape the trees in a different garden. Upon arriving at the location, Inoiki wasted no time. Summoning his kunai, he used his telekinesis to arrange four of them in a fan formation. With a flick of concentration, the kunai spun rapidly like blades of a fan, cutting through the grass in the garden with precise control. Inoiki moved the spinning kunai across the entire lawn, trimming it all to the desired height with effortless grace.
After finishing the grass, he turned his attention to the trees. Using his telekinesis again, he carefully shaped them with his kunai, leveling them perfectly. Sculpting trees was second nature to him after years of practicing on stone, and the task was completed in less than half an hour.
Once the work was done, they received confirmation from the owner, submitted the mission papers to the Hokage's office, and collected their reward. As usual, Inoiki tried to split the payment evenly, but this time, Kosuke resisted more firmly.
"You did all the work today," Kosuke said. "I was just here to guide you. I can't accept half."
Inoiki, however, was persistent. After some back and forth, Kosuke finally accepted one-third of the remuneration, though he did so with a fond, amused smile. The two then went their separate ways, both satisfied with the day's work.
The next day brought a slightly more challenging mission: removing a wild boar that had wandered into the fields and was wreaking havoc. When Inoiki and Kosuke arrived at the location, the farmer explained the boar's frequent destruction. Kosuke, with his decades of experience, began to teach Inoiki how to track the animal.
"You can tell the boar's been here by the disturbed soil," Kosuke explained, pointing to freshly turned earth where the boar had rooted for food. "See the shallow grooves? That's from its tusks. Also, look at the trampled grass—boars move in a straight path when they're running, so they leave a trail of flattened vegetation. And if you look closely, the droppings over there confirm it's been here recently."
Inoiki listened intently, observing each of the signs Kosuke pointed out, mentally filing them away. But after Kosuke finished speaking, Inoiki gave a slight grin. "All of that's good, but I can make this quicker with my sensory abilities. If the boar is still in the field, it won't escape my senses."
With a brief concentration, Inoiki activated his sensory ability, expanding his awareness across the entire field like an invisible net. Within moments, he pinpointed the location of the wild boar, hidden in a thicket nearby. His eyes narrowed as he focused.
"There it is," Inoiki said calmly. Without moving a muscle, he controlled his kunai with telekinesis, sending it silently through the air. The kunai struck the boar with precision, killing it instantly before it could react or cause further damage.
Kosuke observed with a satisfied smile. "Efficient, as always," he remarked, impressed by Inoiki's swift action.
When they returned to report the mission's completion, Kosuke once again accepted only one-third of the remuneration, insisting that Inoiki had done all the work. Day after day, they completed one D-rank mission, with Inoiki honing his skills further while learning valuable lessons in teamwork and patience.
Over the course of seven days, Inoiki crossed paths with other teams, including Team 7 and others who were also carrying out their D-rank missions. Though the missions were simple, each day brought new encounters and small opportunities for growth.
On the eighth day, Izumo and Kotetsu, having completed their own mission of guarding the Konoha gate, rejoined Inoiki and Kosuke. Izumo greeted them with excitement in his voice. "Today we've decided to take on a C-rank mission."
Together, they headed to the Hokage's office, where Hiruzen Sarutobi was waiting. After a brief discussion, Hiruzen assigned them a C-rank mission: escorting a caravan to the Grass Country. It was a more complex task than simple village work, requiring vigilance and skill.
As they prepared to leave, the sense of anticipation filled the air.
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