The Hokage Tower stood tall, casting a long shadow over the village.
Henri had never been inside before—most genin didn't visit unless they were in trouble or going on missions.
He wasn't sure which this was.
He stood beside Jeneya in the mission office, watching Iruka-sensei shuffle papers behind the desk.
"Henri. Jeneya. You two are now officially assigned your first mission," Iruka said, handing them a scroll. "It's a simple D-rank—delivery to the outskirts of the Land of Fire. But—" his tone dropped slightly "—we've received rumors of bandit movement near the route. Be careful."
Henri grinned. "Bandits? Time to stretch my legs."
Jeneya elbowed him lightly. "It's a delivery mission, not a battlefield."
---
🌟 [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Quest Received: "First Step into the Field"
→ Reward: 200 XP
→ Bonus Objective: Use Leaf Dash successfully in combat (Hidden)
---
Outside the gates, Henri and Jeneya leapt from tree to tree, moving fast and fluid through the forest.
Every leap Henri made added small bits of agility and stamina. He could feel his body growing sharper, stronger—alive.
But halfway through the route, Jeneya stopped mid-branch.
"Shh." She raised a hand. "Something's moving."
Henri narrowed his eyes. "Animals?"
"No," she whispered. "Metal."
Suddenly—
Thunk! A kunai slammed into the tree between them.
From the shadows, three rogue shinobi emerged, faces masked, weapons drawn.
"Hand over the scroll," one growled.
Henri's heart raced.
This wasn't a drill.
---
⚠️ [SYSTEM ALERT – Combat Engaged]
Opponent Power Levels: Low-Chūnin
→ Strategy Mode Active
→ Suggestion: Use [Leaf Dash] to evade and strike
---
"Jeneya, left side!" Henri shouted.
She was already moving, a blur of steel and speed.
Henri activated Leaf Dash—his body blurred forward like lightning. In less than a heartbeat, he was behind the first enemy.
He twisted mid-air—jumped again from a branch—then brought his heel crashing down on the enemy's shoulder.
CRACK.
The rogue ninja screamed as he hit the dirt.
One down.
But another appeared behind Jeneya with a kunai raised.
Henri didn't think—he jumped across the clearing, slammed into the attacker, and rolled with the impact.
---
🟢 [SYSTEM UPDATE]
→ +5 Agility
→ +2 Strength
→ Hidden Bonus Achieved: Leaf Dash Used in Combat
→ Skill Unlocked: Aerial Step – Mid-air jump boost using chakra
---
Jeneya stared at him, breathing heavy. "That was insane."
Henri stood, dusting himself off. "Thanks. I practiced jumping off rooftops for this exact moment."
She smiled despite herself. "Crazy idiot."
They looked at the third rogue, who dropped his weapon and ran.
Smart choice.
---
When they returned to Konoha, scroll delivered and enemies neutralized, Iruka couldn't hide his surprise.
"You did...all that on a D-rank?"
Henri just smiled.
"Guess I jumped ahead."
---
[To Be Continued…]