24 Ch-24 You remain as weak as ever

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It had been two hours since their departure from Konoha, and now they were merely 50 meters away from the village. Iroha signalled everyone to halt, and with a serious tone, he addressed the group, "Our mission this time is to eliminate the bandits who have taken control of this village. These bandits invaded the village a month ago, resulting in the loss of innocent lives. Upon receiving this distressing news, Konoha decided to take action and resolve this issue."

Iroha turned his gaze towards Jiryoku and spoke, "Jiryoku, this will be your first mission. How would you like to approach this?"

Jiryoku replied, "If you allow me, I would prefer to handle this task on my own."

Upon hearing Jiryoku's words, Iroha nodded in agreement. They had been specifically instructed by the Hyuga Elder to observe Jiryoku closely and assess his true strength.

Once Jiryoku received affirmation from Iroha, he strode purposefully towards the village. At the entrance gate, two men stood guard, their eyes fixated on Jiryoku's attire, deducing that he must be a wealthy individual. Fuelled by greed, they drew their weapons and launched an assault on Jiryoku, aiming to harm and ultimately eliminate him. Unfazed by their aggression, Jiryoku calmly unsheathed and then resheathed his sword with fluid motion. In an instant, the severed heads of both guards tumbled to the ground, leaving no trace of their former threat.

With an air of composure, Jiryoku proceeded to stride into the village. As the villagers caught sight of him, their initial assumptions mirrored those of the guards. However, one keen observer noticed something crucial—Jiryoku wore the Konoha Forehead Protector on his right arm. Reacting swiftly, the observant individual exclaimed, "He is a Konoha ninja!" The startling revelation caused the others to examine Jiryoku more closely, and soon enough, they too spotted the distinctive Ninja forehead protector, confirming he is Konoha ninja.

Jiryoku came to a halt, and at that moment, the leader of the bandits emerged, laying eyes upon Jiryoku. Mockingly, he addressed him, "Well, well, a Konoha ninja. Judging by your forehead protector, you're nothing more than a mere Genin. Coincidentally, I too am a Genin. If we were to fight, I doubt it would end well for you. So, why don't you just..."

Before the bandit leader could finish his sentence, his head was suddenly detached from his body, soaring through the air. From behind him, Jiryoku's voice rang out, "You talk too much." It was Jiryoku himself who had swiftly silenced the bandit leader, severing his head with precision.

As the bandits watched, Jiryoku suddenly disappeared and swiftly killed their leader. To their amazement, the leader's blood miraculously repelled when it came close to Jiryoku, adding an air of mystery to his abilities.

"Run! The leader is dead!" With these words, the remaining bandits attempted to flee, but there was no escape from Jiryoku's relentless pursuit. One by one, they fell to his blade.

After ten minutes, Jiryoku stood amidst a sea of lifeless bodies. Remarkably, not a single drop of blood stained his person. He gracefully shook his sword, and the blood coating its blade vanished, leaving behind a seemingly ordinary crutch-like weapon. With a calm demeanour, Jiryoku resheathed his sword, concealing its true form once more.

Jiryoku emerged from the village with a composed demeanour, making his way to where Iroha stood. He reported, "Iroha Jonin, all of the bandits have been eliminated. None of them survived."

"Excellent work, Jiryoku. We will make sure to include this accomplishment in the mission report," Iroha replied, nodding in approval.

"Alright, now that the mission is complete, we should make our way back to the village. We still have a few hours before dark, so let's try to reach Konoha before nightfall," stated Iroha.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and they departed from the location. Eventually, they arrived back in Konoha. Iroha proceeded to report the mission while the others waited patiently. After approximately 15 minutes, Iroha returned with the mission fees in hand.

"Here is your share, Jiryoku. It amounts to 20% of the mission fees," Iroha announced, handing over the payment to Jiryoku.

Jiryoku calmly accepted the money, acknowledging the gesture.

"Today, you are all dismissed. You will be informed when we have a new mission," declared Iroha as he left, accompanied by the two other Hyuga clan ninjas. Jiryoku also departed and made his way to the Ichiraku Ramen shop.

Upon arriving at the Ichiraku Ramen shop, Jiryoku was taken aback by the presence of all the members of the Konoha 12 gathered there. Paying little attention to their presence, Jiryoku walked past them with a composed demeanour. However, his path was intercepted by Sasuke, who stood directly in front of him.

"Fight me!" Sasuke challenged, determined to test Jiryoku's skills.

Yet, in a sudden turn of events, Jiryoku vanished before Sasuke's eyes, and a voice resonated from behind him, remarking, "You remain as weak as ever."

Startled, Sasuke swiftly turned around, only to witness Jiryoku calmly entering the Ichiraku Ramen shop, seemingly unperturbed by the encounter.

Shikamaru, being well-aware of Jiryoku's capabilities, simply shook his head in a typical nonchalant manner, muttering, "What a drag." With that, he led the rest of the group into the Ichiraku Ramen shop.

Upon entering, Ino took the initiative, addressing Jiryoku, "Since this was your first successful mission, you should throw a party, right?"

Jiryoku, not inclined to argue, simply nodded in agreement. With everyone's approval, they happily indulged in their meals, relishing the occasion. However, members of the future Team 7 were noticeably absent, having departed earlier. Sasuke left in defeat, trailed by Sakura and Naruto, their efforts focused on pacifying him.

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