My Techniques are a bit off

"Hiding Like a Mole Technique... I wonder what it will look like," Link mused aloud while lying in bed, fantasizing about the jutsu he might acquire.

Feeling the pangs of hunger, he rubbed his stomach. But the idea of cooking for himself seemed beneath his new stature.

After all, could a Chunin candidate really justify cooking his own meals?

Time for Ichiraku Ramen!

Rolling out of bed, he opened his window and formed a hand seal, channeling a minimal amount of chakra.

"Clone Technique—Activate!"

With a satisfying pop, his substitution clone appeared.

Reaching up, he casually pulled off his clone's head, aimed it toward Ichiraku Ramen, and hurled it with all his strength.

"Off you go!"

Through the air, "Link's head" soared in a wide arc, spinning and gliding. His eyes squinted shut in sheer delight. In the bustling streets of Konoha, this method of transportation was efficient, chakra-conserving, and oddly thrilling.

Unlike the energy-intensive Body Flicker Technique, his modified Clone Technique consumed only a fraction of chakra. He could easily summon 20-30 clones without breaking a sweat.

With his physical strength, throwing his "head" 100 meters was effortless. As his headless body stayed behind, his floating "head" enjoyed the exhilaration of flying above rooftops.

The thrill of "air travel" was oddly addictive.

Just before landing, Link canceled the technique, allowing the head to dissolve with a soft pop! as his body reassembled on a nearby rooftop.

Conveniently, his technique reset gravity's effects, sparing him from the force of a crash landing.

Reorienting himself, Link spotted Ichiraku Ramen just down the street. Two quick leaps later, he landed gracefully outside the shop.

Adjusting his hair, which had become disheveled during his flight, he walked in as if nothing had happened.

"The usual, Uncle Teuchi."

Taking a seat, he noticed Naruto Uzumaki seated nearby, inhaling a bowl of ramen with unrestrained enthusiasm. Link gave a small wave of acknowledgment, smiling faintly.

Naruto, grinning widely, waved back before returning to his meal.

Their interactions over the past few months had been limited to such simple exchanges. There was no need for deeper connections.

After lunch, Link strolled leisurely to the Seventh Training Ground.

For reasons unknown, it had become Team Five's default meeting spot, likely because their instructor, Nara Ensui, favored it for combat assessments.

Arriving ahead of his teammates, Link began his daily training routine.

For him, foundational strength was everything.

"Ninja battles are battles of chakra!" he mentally declared, swinging his arms with renewed vigor.

"Such an iconic line... I'll definitely use it someday to look cool in a fight."

With sweat dripping from his brow, Link continued pushing himself, occasionally chuckling at the imagined grandeur of future battles.

…

The Next Morning: Mission Assignment

At the Hokage's office in the mission assignment center, the client, a middle-aged man, bowed deeply.

"I'm entrusting my safety to all of you," he said earnestly.

The man introduced himself as the proprietor of an entertainment establishment in Tanzaku Town. While he didn't specify why he required protection, his demeanor implied a sense of urgency.

Tanzaku Town...

Link mentally reviewed the mission. Given the details, it seemed like a standard, low-risk C-rank escort mission.

Iris, one of his teammates, studied the client curiously, while Ami fidgeted nervously with her hands.

Nara Ensui nodded calmly, leading the group toward the village gates.

Without any unnecessary chatter, Team Five instinctively fell into a triangular formation, positioning themselves around the client. Even within the safety of the village, their instincts as trained ninja guided their movements.

After registering at the gates, the squad officially departed Konoha, stepping into the forested paths beyond its protective walls.

For Link, this marked his first time leaving the village—a significant milestone.

"Haaah..."

Breathing in the fresh air, he felt an inexplicable mix of excitement and apprehension. Despite knowing the area was relatively safe, the unfamiliarity of being outside the village's security created a subtle tension.

Their route to Tanzaku Town was straightforward. Located southwest of Konoha and near the border with the Land of Rivers, it was much closer than other destinations like the Land of Waves.

Even with the potential dangers of a C-rank mission, this particular journey warranted the lowest possible reward of 30,000 ryo.

The Land of Fire's western and southern regions were known for being slightly more volatile, especially near borders shared with countries like:

The Land of Grass

The Land of Rain

The Land of Rivers

These territories, caught between major ninja villages like Konohagakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure, had been battlegrounds for decades. The aftermath of countless wars left their lands ravaged and their people struggling, with many turning to banditry or becoming rogue ninja.

While the Land of Grass and Land of Rain maintained a semblance of order thanks to their ninja villages, the Land of Rivers was chaotic.

Its fertile lands and abundant resources masked its internal strife. Frequent civil unrest and the lack of a ninja village made it a breeding ground for mercenaries, bandits, and all manner of lawlessness.

Tanzaku Town, however, thrived in this chaos. Located near the Land of Rivers, its proximity to wealth attracted both legitimate traders and less savory elements. As the most famous entertainment hub in the Land of Fire, it drew merchants, gamblers, and pleasure-seekers from far and wide.

But with prosperity came danger. The town's reputation as a bustling hub made it a magnet for both opportunity and crime. As a result, wealthy individuals often hired ninja escorts for the journey.

Despite these risks, the mission proceeded without incident. Occasionally, distant eyes seemed to watch them from the shadows. But at the sight of Konoha's forehead protectors, those gazes quickly disappeared.

By dusk, Team Five arrived safely at their destination:

Tanzaku Town.