[A/N: Many people have asked me if they can comment here instead of on my Patreon page, and I have no problem with that. So, anyone who has a nice title in mind can comment below in the previous chapter notice.]
Chapter 36: The Great Grass-Cutting Mission(1)
By the time training ended, all three of them were completely drained.
Mikoto wiped the sweat from her brow, rolling her shoulder to ease the stiffness. Her combat training had pushed her reflexes to their limit, and even with her Sharingan, keeping up with Kenshiro's clone had been exhausting.
Kiyoshi, despite still having chakra reserves left, knew better than to keep going. Overusing chakra in a single day was reckless, and besides—he had his own reasons for not flaunting his stamina. He subtly regulated his breathing to make himself appear just as fatigued as the others.
And then… there was Ryota.
Unlike them, he looked like he had barely survived a war. His clothes were dirt-streaked, his hair disheveled, and bruises were already forming on his arms and ribs. His once-confident stance had been reduced to a slouch, and his expression?
Utter misery.
He didn't even try to hide it. His face practically screamed, I messed up.
And he had.
Because this morning, in his infinite wisdom, he had made the mistake of grumbling about Kenshiro-sensei's early summons—completely unaware that their ever-calm, ever-observant sensei had been listening to every single word.
And Kenshiro had taken that personally.
Now, after hours of relentless kenjutsu training, Ryota understood the true weight of his actions. His entire body ached, his muscles felt like they had been wrung dry, and he could swear he had seen his life flash before his eyes at least twice.
And yet…
Everyone just ignored it.
Mikoto gave him a brief glance before looking away, as if his suffering was as natural as the air. Kiyoshi, knowing exactly what had happened, didn't bother commenting. Even Kenshiro-sensei—the cause of his suffering—simply moved on as if everything was normal.
And Ryota?
He didn't even try to protest. He just accepted his fate. This was his fault.
Kenshiro finally clapped his hands, drawing their attention.
"That's enough for today. You've all made progress, but don't get complacent. Rest and recover—training is meaningless if you can't fight when it counts."
The three of them nodded, still catching their breath.
"Before you leave," Kenshiro continued, "meet me at the Hokage Tower tomorrow. Our next mission is already reserved, but you need to be there when it's officially assigned."
With that, he dismissed them.
As the group parted ways, Kiyoshi didn't head home immediately. Instead, he took a detour to Ichiraku Ramen. Unlike last time, no unexpected visitors appeared. No surprise meetings. Just him, his food, and a much-needed moment of peace.
After eating his fill, he made his way toward the river. There, he focused on his water-walking exercise—another step in refining his chakra control. The rippling surface beneath his feet tested his balance, forcing him to adjust with every shift in the current. He also focused on Kenshiro's points regarding Fire Release.
Time passed without him realizing it. By the time he checked the sky, the sun was already dipping toward the horizon.
Realizing it was nearly evening, he wrapped up his training and headed home.
Upon arriving, something immediately caught his eye—a bento box left at his doorstep.
Beside it, a small note was tucked under the lid, written in neat handwriting:
"Keep working hard! (◕ᴗ◕✿) – Emiko"
Kiyoshi stared at it for a moment before exhaling in amusement.
That girl… she was just a kid, but somehow, she kept finding ways to embarrass him. Then again, after seeing Tsunade yesterday, he supposed his pride had already taken enough hits.
Shaking his head, he picked up the bento and walked inside—smiling wryly to himself.
After finishing the bento, Kiyoshi cleaned up and made his way to his room. The moment he shut the door behind him, his gaze shifted toward the scroll lying on his desk—the Shadow Clone Jutsu scroll.
Sitting down, he carefully unrolled it, his eyes scanning the detailed explanations and diagrams.
He had already asked Kenshiro-sensei for pointers earlier, and as always, his sensei had given precise insights—explaining the nuances of chakra splitting, the mental strain of multiple clones, and the dangers of overuse.
But more importantly, Kenshiro had left him with a strict warning:
"Even if you think you've mastered it, you are not to use it unsupervised. Either in my presence or in front of an elder—those are your only options."
It was a firm reminder that the Shadow Clone Jutsu was an advanced technique, one with risks beyond what most realized.
Kiyoshi exhaled, letting the words settle.
He wasn't reckless enough to ignore them.
Instead, he simply went through the scroll again, analyzing the flow of chakra described in its instructions. He formed the necessary hand seals, feeling the subtle shifts in his chakra pathways as he followed the method Kenshiro had explained.
With every repetition, his control improved.
He could tell—he was getting there.
But he didn't push further. He stopped before fully forming the clone, keeping himself in check. There was no need to rush—he'd do it properly when the time was right.
Feeling the strain of training and exhaustion finally catching up to him, he set the scroll aside, stretched, and lay down on his futon.
As fatigue settled over him, his thoughts drifted for a moment, but before he could think too deeply about anything—
Sleep took him.
The next morning, Kiyoshi woke up early, feeling well-rested despite the fatigue from the previous day.
He went through his usual routine—some light stretching, a quick wash, and a simple breakfast. Nothing fancy, just enough to start the day right.
Once he finished eating, he geared up—strapping on his ninja tools, adjusting his forehead protector, and making sure everything was in place.
With that done, he headed toward the meeting point—the Hokage Tower.
By the time he arrived, Ryota and Mikoto were already there.
"Morning," Kiyoshi greeted as he walked up to them.
"Yo," Ryota said with a lazy wave, still looking like he hadn't fully recovered from yesterday's training session with Kenshiro-sensei. His miserable face practically screamed regret, but he knew—this was entirely his own fault for badmouthing their sensei without realizing the man had heard everything.
Mikoto, on the other hand, looked refreshed and amused at Ryota's state. "Slept well?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ryota sighed dramatically. "Not enough to forget my suffering."
Kiyoshi smirked but didn't comment.
Just then, Kenshiro-sensei arrived. Without wasting time, he motioned for them to follow.
"Let's go."
They entered the mission assignment office, where a chunin sat behind a desk, overseeing the distribution of missions.
A scroll was already on the table, waiting for them. The chunin gave Kenshiro-sensei a quick look before handing it over, then scribbled something down on another document—likely a record of the assignment.
With formalities out of the way, Kenshiro-sensei handed the scroll to Mikoto.
She opened it, and immediately, Ryota and Kiyoshi leaned in to read over her shoulder.
The moment they saw the mission details, a collective silence fell over the group.
Mission Rank: D
Client: Elderly resident, Madam Chiyo
Task: Cut overgrown grass in the backyard
Ryota exhaled, already expecting something like this. "Yup. Grass-cutting duty. Classic genin experience."
Kiyoshi just nodded, unfazed.
Mikoto sighed but accepted it without complaint. "Let's just get it over with."
Kenshiro-sensei, as usual, gave no reaction—simply leading them toward their destination.