Naruto: Tango with Death

To read up to 15 chapters ahead: https://www.patréon.com/SlyOW

-------------

I didn't have to do anything to protect myself from the boy as our Sensei warned, "Laiko!"

This instantly stopped the boy, Laiko, but his palms only turned paler and his face redder. Our Sensei addressed me next, "I am the one who chooses whether they are ready or not. Now, I have been told about your… experience, and I'm going to make it clear right now, it doesn't give you any rights. So stop antagonizing your teammates, you are supposed to be a team."

I internally rolled my eyes, that was only a test to see their temper, but I still nodded outwards before slightly bowing once again at the two, "If I have offended you, please accept my apology."

Somehow, that only the boy even madder as he crossed his arms, looked away, and spat out, "Bitch."

Wow there big guy, that's some hurtful words you're throwing there. And yet, our Sensei didn't say anything… fine, let the big guy have his victory. Let me be the bigger person.

I turned my eyes to the Uchiha, and asked, "Well, you turned mute?"

Urgh, maybe I am immature…

Her gaze only became colder, and our Sensei said, "What kind of troublesome kid did I pick up… Fine, those two are Laiko Yamanaka and Izumi Uchiha, while my name is Amai Kuma, so Amai-Sensei for you."

I nodded, a bit more serious now.

Amai-Sensei sent a glance at my two teammates, before announcing, "Today we will be doing some team training."

Laiko was quick to complain, "But…"

"No buts." Amai-Sensei cut him off, and ordered them to start.

"No butts, haha." I laughed, but quickly shut up with a glare from Amai-Sensei. And this is how I started my first team training as a Genin.

Honestly, it was rather boring compared to everything happening around with my promotion. Both Laiko and Izumi sent me quite a few glares, and fortunately for them our training did not include sparring, or I would have handed their asses over to them, as promised.

We pretty much did a more advanced version of the trainings of the academy, physical training. Even though it was a team training, much of it was individual.

It was the same for the rest of the week, but it wasn't necessarily useless as while our teamwork remained inexistent, I learned more about the way they fought, and so I would be able to base my tactics around those.

Izumi had already awakened the Sharingan, which was good for our team, and her entire fighting style was based on it. She mainly went for close combat, and dealt lightning quick attacks in quick succession. Her only mean to attack from a distance was to throw shurikens and kunais. She also seemed skilled in Kenjutsu, the art of the sword.

In my opinion, this was both a good and a bad thing, to base her fighting style off her greatest strength I mean. On one good hand, this allowed her to show a great prowess, and although I said I would hand her ass over to her, I actually don't think I can beat her in a proper spar. Sasuke without Sharingan was better than me, so her with Sharingan and several more years of experience was an unlikely victory for me.

On the other bad hand, this restrained her too much. While I would lose in a proper fight, in a real fight to the death, I hold no hesitation in saying I would kill her. With difficulty, of course, but I definitely would.

While it helped her prowess, it also made her predictable. For example, she barely used any Ninjutsu, and clearly wasn't very proficient in using them.

Of course, the Sharingan and the Uchiha's prowess wasn't to be underestimated, in the anime Madara had wasted the Shinobi Alliance using only the Sharingan and Taijutsu. Still, even Madara didn't become the beast he was thanks to his Sharingan only, he mastered a variety of techniques and ways to fight to reach the point he did. Besides, she was no Madara. I hope.

As for my other teammate, Laiko Yamanaka, he too followed his clan's teachings to the letter. Despite his tall build, his Taijutsu was laughable, even I could match him despite working on it for barely two years.

He mainly relied on the Yamanaka secret Ninjutsu, the Mind Body Jutsu. It could be quite the terrifying jutsu against an unprepared enemy as protecting oneself from it could prove to be an arduous task, but it also had its weakness.

For example, his inability to move while using this Jutsu. Or if the enemy is prepared, they may rather easily dodge the technique depending on the attacker's skill and the defender's speed. If Laiko did miss, then he would have to recover for several seconds before he could use it again.

In my opinion, at his level of mastery, Laiko's Mind Body Jutsu was hardly useful. Thankfully, he still had a redeeming point, and that was the Uchiha and me. Alone, he wasn't very dangerous, but in a team he could turn into the most dangerous member of the team as his success rate with his Mind Body Jutsu would skyrocket if the enemy is busy with either me or Izumi.

For now, I don't know whether the two are hiding things from me while training, I would say they are, based on the fact a ninja is supposed to be deceptive, that's exactly what I had been doing myself, but maybe I was overestimating them.

Anyway, after this week of training, I got to do my first mission. D Rank, of course.

"Amai-Sensei, why do we have to go all the way back to D Rank Missions!"

While exiting the Hokage tower, Laiko quickly burst into a fit of frustration, sending not so subtle glares at me.

Amai-Sensei looked impassive as he replied, "It's not because you were selected for a C Rank Mission that every following mission will necessarily be C Rank too, especially if that C Rank Mission was failed."

The faces of both Laiko and Izumi turned pale, the last C Rank Mission was probably the one where the person whose place I took died. I was curious about that mission, but wasn't so insensitive or mean as to ask now.

Turning my attention to Amai-Sensei, I asked, "Amai-Sensei, why did you take a Genin Team under you?"

Amai's head whipped toward me, while Laiko and Izumi were looking at me with round eyes.

Amai remained silent for a moment, before replying, "You are being awfully intrusive."

My hands in my back, I lightly skipped around him as I said, "You don't have to answer, if you don't want to. So, this D Rank Mission, is our pay split in three, or are we paid based on our contribution?"

Amai gestured toward the other two, "That's something you should decide between yourselves."

My eyes darted over to the other two, and asked, "How do you want to do it then? I'm fine with either."

Laiko maintained his glare, while Izumi sighed and said, "We usually go with equal pay. We will do the same this time, but if you just laze around…"

I rolled my eyes and interrupted her, "Yeah, threats and threats, I'll do my fair share."

Izumi bit her lip in frustration, while Laiko looked ready to lash out, but he miraculously held himself… oh wait, Izumi is grabbing his arm. Nevermind, he's being held back by her.

The silence that followed was awkward, to say the least. Thankfully, it didn't take us long to reach the rim of the village, to the farmlands.

Upon arriving, we were welcomed by an old man, who was sweating because of the sun and his work. He had a large strawhat on, as well as a hoe over his shoulder.

Seeing them approach, he smiled and welcomed them, "I've been expecting you, thank you for accepting the mission. I would need you to pick a hoe and remove the weeds. There are strawhats available too if you want, for the heat and the sun."

Smiling back at him, I quickly fetched my hoe, inwardly stopping myself from making an inappropriate joke, and started removing weeds.