Sometime later the team gathered together, Koichi praised the team for a good job, scolded Yuta a little for a risky approach with rogue shinobi and for being distracted after his first kill, he also scolded Hikari for venturing alone in the cave where the traps might have been set up by rogue shinobi.

After that Koichi stored the two bodies of rogue shinobi in to the sealing scrolls as protocol dictates to bring back to the village any shinobi bodies if possible, as it can bring useful information on the shinobi village they are from and on jutsu they possess.

As for a few dozen bandit dead bodies in the cave, Koichi used some jutsu to collapse the entrance of the cave to bury them.

As it was already late, group went for an hour in the Konoha’s direction and set a camp for a night. The rest of the journey back to the village went without a problem and the team comes back to Konoha at evening of the fourth day after they left the village.

After entering the village and going through the checks on the gates, they went to the Hokage Tower and submitted the mission completion on the reception desk at the first floor, Koichi said what happened without much details and handed the scroll with the two dead rogue shinobi.

After hearing about two Chunin level rogue shinobi that team-two encountered, the man on the reception asked surprised, “You had to fight two Chunins on your first C-rank mission, that’s unusual, well, Koichi-san, you probably had to step up and handle them yourself aren’t you? Either way this mission can be elevated from C to B rank with those rogue Chunins involved.”

“Don’t bother” Koichi replied calmly, “Those two were a barely on the Chunin level, elevating the rank of this mission is a stretch, and it’s them who handled the rogue shinobi” Koichi nods at Yuta’s and the rest.

“Wow” Receptionist said in amazement, “That’s still a great job not the less, they are just recently graduated Genins, right? I’m looking forward to theirs future accomplishments!”

With that team received their payment, the mission reward was 75k ryo, as village takes a third of it, as well as Koichi, there is 25k ryo for the three of them left, after splitting the bills and going outside, Koichi spoke in a serious tone.

“Well then, now that you are a full-fledged shinobi in my eyes I’m not going to continue your training like I did before, I already taught you all you need to know and what your training should be, and it’s up to you to move forward on your training and shinobi life.

I’m still available, you can ask me any questions or ask for a new jutsu if you truly believe it’s necessary for you, I will be leaving a shadow clone at mornings at our training grounds on the off-mission days. Also, we will assemble there in the morning, the day we are supposed to take a mission.

But from now on I’m considering you all as adults and I’m expecting from you to act as one, if I will find out that you are slacking at your training and doesn’t take seriously being a shinobi I might to decide to disband this team. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sensei!” The three Genins replied with resolve.

“Okay then” Koichi said becoming more casual, “Hikari and Yuta, I’m waiting for you tomorrow morning at the training grounds, I will bring scrolls on advanced Fuinjutsu theory for you Yuta, and I will bring you Hikari to introduce you to your new Kenjutsu teacher.

Now you have four days off, rest and train well in this days, then we will be taking a new C-rank mission and then spend in the village the equal amount of days the mission will take to complete, that will be the team-two new routine for now on. If you don’t have any more questions, dismissed.”

After Koichi flickered away, the teammates glanced at each other and Hikari said, “Hey guys, let’s go grab something to eat, it’s being four days since we ate something else than ration bars after all.”

Yuta gave Hikari a suspicious look.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

‘Wow, Hikari being friendly all of a sudden, is she undergo some sort of a change of heart of is she scheming something? I will bet on the latter…’

“Sure, why not.” Itachi shrugged and looked at Yuta.

“Fine by me, where do we go?” Yuta replied indifferently.

‘Well, if Itachi already agreed, I can’t just leave.’

“It’s a lot of good places around here, but I recommend the barbeque restaurant nearby.” Hikari said and gestured in some direction away from Hokage Tower.

With no further objections they went to the restaurant and in a few minutes, they arrived there and occupied a free table. It’s a nice and cozy place with tables that are somewhat isolated from each other and provide the feeling of privacy, the tables have a grill in the center, it’s a place where you are supposed to cook for yourself on a grill.

When they take a seat around the table, Yuta and Itachi on the one side and Hikari on the opposite side, waitress came and asked what they would like to order.

Yuta was here before multiple times. During the times when he trained in the time-loop he used to spend his money on a good food each time he was about to time-travel, to relax a little and relieve some build up stress. Being used to this place he ordered his favorite set of meat and vegetables with non-alcoholic drink.

“So, it seems that you have being here before?” Itachi said looking at Yuta.

“Yea, a few times” Yuta replied.

After that Itachi made the same order as Yuta, Hikari ordered a set of meat without the vegetables, and a light alcoholic drink.

“Don’t you are too young for drinking alcohol?” Itachi asked Hikari surprised.

“As sensei said before, I’m already considered an adult.” Hikari replied with a slight annoyance, “Besides, it’s just one light drink, it’s not like I’m about to get drunk.”

Itachi hearing that nods, Yuta thought, ‘Just great, she is not even 8 if I’m not wrong, and she is about to drink and it’s okay with everyone, even the waitress didn’t even budge hearing her ordering alcohol just because she is wearing the headband…’

After the ordered food and drinks were delivered and they start eating, Hikari said, “Well, why don’t we get to know each other better, we are a team after all, and we are rarely even speak to each other.”

“That is fine by me” Yuta said calmly, looking at Hikari with questioning look, “But why are you changed all of a sudden, I mean, you acted unfriendly all this time and now that?”

Itachi looked indifferent observing the conversation, while Hikari looked annoyed hearing that.

“Hey, that’s rude for you saying that!” She said annoyed, “I’m trying to get together with my team here…”

“Fine, whatever” Yuta replied, “It’s not like I’m against that, I’m just curious.”

“Hey, Hikari” Itachi said suddenly, “You wanted to ask something, aren’t you, is that about the Shadow Clone jutsu again?”

“No, it’s not about that” Hikari replied, “I will ask sensei for that later. I mean, we are supposed to be in the same team for at least until we become Chunins, right? Why don’t we spend some time together and get to know each other better, or even become friends?”

‘Well, if that being said by anyone else but Hikari - that will look like a nice thing to say, and I will look like a bad person… But it’s Hikari who said that, the same Hikari that acted annoyed, cold and arrogant for the whole two months, the same Hikari that tend to act rashly and risky without waiting for her teammates to catch up, and now she is suddenly acted friendly like that?’

‘Or maybe I just imagining things. She is just a 7-8 year old girl, maybe she are just undergo some sort of change of heart and I’m the one who is wrong here…’

“Sight, fine, I’m sorry” Yuta said with a sigh, deciding to drop the matter, “What would you like to talk about?”

“That’s more like it!” Hikari said with a smile, “I just wanted to ask how you guys get to know each other? I mean, Itachi is from the Uchiha clan, and you Yuta have civilian background same as me, right? And you were not even in the same class and even not on the same year of the academy, right?”

‘So that is what she is after? Well, that might seems strange, especially if you add the jutsus that Itachi taught me into account…’

Itachi and Yuta glanced at each other, and Itachi said, “We meet each other at the academy accidentally and become friends after, that’s all.”

Yuta nods but Hikari looked not convinced, she said, “So that how it is, but you rarely speak to each other, are you sure you are friends? And Itachi taught the Shadow Clone jutsu to you Yuta, and also promised to help you with Genjutsu. Is all of that are just because you are friends, or maybe you offered something in return?”

‘Damned, and here I was, thinking that Hikari grown some friendliness and changed. Now this dinner looked more like interrogation rather than get-together friendly meal…’

“That is not of your business” Itachi replied calmly, “Me and Yuta are friends, and I’m helping him with jutsus training from time to time, this is all that you need to know.”

“So, there is something more about it!” Hikari exclaimed with satisfaction, “Well, if you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine.”

After that they continued eating with some small talk about nothing in particular and soon after that they split the bill and Hikari left.

Before leaving Yuta asked, “What do you think about all of this, isn’t she is a bit too curious?”

“Never mind her” Itachi replied, “It’s normal for her to be curious.”

With that Yuta went home, thinking about how to spend the four days off.