The Heavens: From Naruto to sign in

Although with the combined strength of Yoruha and Anko, taking down Zabuza shouldn't be too difficult…

The real issue wasn't whether they could beat him.

The real issue was whether they could even get the mission.

That was the key.

Yoruha had to make it clear—he wanted real missions, especially C-rank ones.

After all, escort missions like the one with Tazuna were standard fare for newly graduated genin. And this particular opportunity?

He couldn't let anyone else grab it first.

He had to make sure the Third Hokage reserved it for him.

"Hmm… it's not impossible to accept a C-rank mission early," Anko mused aloud.

"But… I'd need to file a request with Hokage-sama."

She leaned lazily against a tree, stretching like a cat.

"You have to understand, though—assignments like that usually aren't handled by the Hokage directly. They go through the administrative chunin at the Hokage building."

Her expression twisted into a frown.

"I'm not exactly tight with those people. If I want to get this moving… I'd need to grease some palms. That takes effort, money—connections. It's messy. Honestly, kid, you're better off just going through the regular route."

She kept rambling.

Until—

Yoruha pulled out a fifty-thousand-ryō note and set it in front of her.

Anko blinked.

"Ah… this isn't about money. What kind of teacher do you take me for? You think I'm that desperate—?"

Swish.

Another fifty-thousand-ryō note.

"Listen, brat, I said it's complicated. I didn't say it was impossible—"

Swish.

A third one.

Anko froze.

She stared at the growing stack of bills.

As a special jōnin, even when she completed A-rank missions, the money she actually pocketed after deductions was barely two to three hundred thousand at most.

And here he was.

Laying down 150,000 ryō. Just like that.

Could Mitarashi Anko really sell her principles as a mentor for 150,000 ryō?

No way. That would be...

Whoosh.

The sound of that crisp note was too seductive.

Anko's expression cracked.

The corners of her lips twitched upward. Like a happy little puppy catching a scent of roasted meat, her eyes sparkled.

She gave a thumbs up.

"Good boy! Tomorrow, your dear teacher is taking you on a C-rank mission outside the village!"

The next day.

At home, Ino was carefully packing Yoruha's ninja pouch and medical kit.

The pouch was filled with his usual gear: kunai, shuriken, smoke bombs, explosive tags.

The medical kit? Custom-curated by the Yamanaka clan—containing their secret salves, stamina boosters, and emergency remedies.

"Big bro," Ino said seriously, "even though C-rank missions don't usually involve enemy ninjas, you still have to be careful out there."

"If you need to use an explosive tag, just use it! Don't try to save money—we've got plenty at home."

"These soldier pills—take one before a fight. They boost your stamina. And don't worry about the cost! We're not broke!"

Though Ino knew how strong her brother was, this would be his first combat mission.

She had to say something.

She couldn't trust that scatterbrained Anko to keep him safe.

"Alright, alright… you're starting to sound like Mom," Yoruha muttered as he rolled his eyes.

Outside the house.

Yoruha met up with Anko at the village gates.

They were just about to head out—

When Hinata came running up, panting and flushed from the dash.

"Y-Yoruha," she stammered, holding out a small package, "this is a medical kit I made for you… Please take it with you."

Yoruha blinked, momentarily stunned.

Then smiled gently.

"Thanks, Hinata. Don't worry—I'll be fine."

Hinata nodded with a bright, earnest smile.

She believed in him.

But even so, she still wanted to show it.

Outside the village walls.

Anko glanced at the two medical bags slung over Yoruha's shoulders—each one fully packed, bulging with expensive supplies.

Then she looked down at her own humble kit, which barely had a few bandages and ointments.

She let out a long sigh.

"The secret meds from the Yamanaka and Hyuga clans? If those hit the black market, they'd sell for a fortune…"

She chuckled bitterly.

"Rich kids really do live in a different world."