Naruto: Binding Uchiha Sasuke, Hundredfold Return

The corpse was eventually taken away by a ninja squad sent by the Fifth Hokage, and it would soon be classified as a C-rank mission. In the village, it was impossible to act as if nothing had happened when someone was killed.

Since the deceased was not a person of any particular standing, the matter wasn't significant enough to require ANBU's intervention and would instead be posted as a mission. Just as Kazuki predicted, by the time they completed their mission, this new task had officially been posted. Afterward, Soryu and Kawano found out about it and showed great curiosity.

The two wanted to take on the mission, but Kazuki refused. His reason was that they hadn't completed eight D-rank missions yet. Soryu and Kawano were not like Naruto, they didn't make a fuss when denied. Thus, they missed the C-rank mission. By the time they finished their D-rank tasks, another ninja squad would have already completed it.

In Konoha these days, there were many ninjas but few missions, so much so that the village was struggling to provide enough work for everyone. This was one reason why the Hokage had taken on a commission from Kirigakure: too many young members, too few resources.

A month later...

After a month of special training, Soryu, Rika, and Kawano had all made significant progress. However, they still had a long way to go before they could truly operate independently. Soryu's foundation was barely solidified, Rika was no longer hesitant in combat, and Kawano's swordsmanship had visibly improved. The next phase of training was about to begin.

Kazuki arranged for Soryu to engage in live-combat exercises to build courage and experience, so he wouldn't freeze up during his first real battle. Rika, lacking specialized combat skills, needed to practice new jutsus. After Kazuki's assessment, he found that Rika's chakra affinity for all five nature types was average, meaning learning ninjutsu might be challenging. However, her chakra control was excellent, making her suited for medical ninjutsu—a skill where girls often excel in chakra control.

Kazuki had her begin with the tree-climbing technique to further improve her chakra control before moving on to the water-walking technique. Kawano, who had mastered these skills long ago, didn't need this training. Given his progress in swordsmanship last month, Kazuki decided to teach him the Dance of the Crescent Moon!

Mastering the Dance of the Crescent Moon requires two key skills: proficiency in the Shadow Clone Jutsu and the ability to quickly identify an opponent's weaknesses, attacking them precisely. Combining these two elements allows the user to attack three vital points of the enemy simultaneously with clones, leaving them defenseless. Once Kawano mastered this technique, he would be a formidable opponent—even challenging someone like Kakashi.

The Dance of the Crescent Moon does have a flaw: its limited destructive power. However, sword techniques in this world rely more on subtlety and speed rather than raw power, since few ninja excel at defense. What appears to be a disadvantage isn't necessarily one. Different jutsus naturally counter each other; no single technique can be perfect. Each jutsu has its unique advantages, and combining techniques is what makes a ninja strong. Cutting corners will get you nowhere.

As Kazuki's team trained diligently, the ninja world remained far from peaceful. Ninjas from Sunagakure had been driven back by Kirigakure forces, leading to a stalemate on the battlefield. Kumogakure then entered the fray, causing significant problems for Kirigakure. Fortunately, Konoha intervened quietly, slowing Kumogakure's advance. But this was only because the elite forces on both sides hadn't yet engaged. If A and his village's Jinchuriki entered the battle, Kirigakure would be swiftly overwhelmed.

The Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, was deeply concerned. To persuade Konoha to send stronger reinforcements, she even offered a million-ryo commission! Any squad led by a Jonin could take on this mission, with no limit on the number of teams. One squad, one million ryo!

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The fanfic is finished on p@treon/tambeerg