Although Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji, the three genin, privately killed the fugitive instead of having them publicly executed by the town, which caused some slight displeasure among the officials, it wasn't considered a major mistake. Moreover, the Team 10 completed their mission quickly and were still given an A-grade evaluation for their excellence.
On the way back to Konoha, there was no need to rush. The primary objective of the mission had already been achieved, and Asuma was happy to take the opportunity to let the three genin, who had never been far from Konoha before, rest a bit. This would help relieve any negative emotions they might have felt after their first kill. Over the course of several missions, Shikamaru and the others had accumulated quite a bit of money and bought many souvenirs — after all, both their first time leaving Konoha to complete a mission and their first time taking a life were significant milestones for any ninja.
"Shikamaru, on the way back, you, Ino, and Choji are in charge of writing up a summary of the mission," Asuma suddenly reminded Shikamaru one evening while the team was leisurely walking through the town's night market.
"Got it, Asuma-sensei," Shikamaru nodded. He was familiar with the format for a mission summary since it was something they had been taught in the Ninja Academy. He had also seen Asuma write these summaries before.
Asuma's request was naturally to help the three of them develop their skills, so Shikamaru wouldn't be foolish enough to feel displeased. After all, the primary responsibility of a jonin instructor was to guide and train their genin, preparing them for the future. If the instructor were to always act like a babysitter and do everything for them, it would be an irresponsible behavior.
The journey back to the village was relaxing and pleasant. Ino and Choji, being around twelve years old, were still kids, so they didn't have much negative emotion. During their travels, they easily shook off any discomfort they felt from their first kill.
Although they spent a day or two longer than expected, with Asuma's guidance, the Team 10 made sure not to get complacent. Before the travel permit expired, they returned to Konoha and handed in their completed mission.
The various procedures were familiar to Shikamaru and the others. Though this was their first C-rank mission, there were no complications. After handing in the mission, the four of them chatted briefly before going their separate ways to return home.
In the following period, the Team 10 took on two more C-rank missions, which involved escorting important people and hunting bandits. Both missions were completed successfully.
They naturally interacted with the other two genin teams from the same graduating class, and Shikamaru kept an eye on the progress of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura's team.
Shikamaru was particularly looking forward to the mission to the Land of Waves. Although it was dangerous, it was also a rare opportunity to gain recognition during peacetime. Despite Asuma being a jonin, and offering guidance and training, he couldn't fully unleash the killing intent and power that had been honed through years of combat. This mission would allow Shikamaru to witness the true power of a jonin and also allow him to compare his abilities with those of his peers from other villages before the Chuunin Exams.
C-rank and even D-rank missions would make use of many ninja techniques. Even though these missions were for genin, they still provided valuable experience. Shikamaru understood this and had been observing the progress of the Seventh Team, which allowed him to anticipate when they would be ready for a C-rank mission.
The impact of killing, of course, wasn't just about making Ino and Choji less afraid of taking lives. More importantly, it helped them realize that being a ninja wasn't as glamorous as they had imagined in their childhood. The flow of blood and the loss of life was not always from enemies — after reaching the Chuunin rank, they would start taking on B-rank missions, where they would face other ninjas in battle. It wouldn't be as easy as killing an ordinary person, and without the necessary strength, one's own life would be in danger.
This understanding caused Ino and Choji to quickly change their attitude. They began putting more effort into their training and studies, and they were more accepting of Shikamaru's frequent suggestions to take on missions.
That morning, like usual, Shikamaru arrived at the mission assignment center. To his surprise, but not entirely unexpectedly, he saw Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura from the Team 7, led by the clearly displeased Naruto.
"Good morning, everyone!" Shikamaru greeted with a smile.
"Morning!" Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all responded, some with nostalgia. Both teams were made up of students from the same graduating class, and while they hadn't been the best of friends in school, seeing each other again inevitably stirred feelings of familiarity. Shikamaru, in particular, had always been well-liked in school. Although he wasn't the most charismatic, everyone had a good impression of him.
Kakashi and Asuma nodded at each other in greeting. The two teams walked in separate lines toward the mission center.
"Shikamaru, how many missions have you guys completed so far?" Naruto, holding a squirming fat cat, walked up to Shikamaru and asked.
With a slightly forced smile, Shikamaru replied, "Well, seven D-rank missions and three C-rank missions."
"Wow! You've done three C-rank missions already!" Naruto exclaimed loudly. He then ran over to Kakashi with a pained expression, saying, "Kakashi-sensei, look! The Team 10 has already completed three C-rank missions, but we haven't even done one! Can you talk to Hokage-sama and get us some better missions? Please don't let us keep doing D-rank missions!" Naruto put his hands together in a pleading gesture.
"It's not up to me, Naruto," Kakashi said, his attention finally shifting from his book to Naruto's pleading face. He lazily added, "You can't even handle D-rank missions well, and the employers give poor reviews. How is the Hokage supposed to trust you with higher-level missions?"
"But I'm going to be Hokage! I'm not meant for these low-level missions. I can handle more difficult ones, and I know I can do well!" Naruto said confidently.
"But all the Hokage started with small missions and grew from there," Kakashi replied.
"..."
The stubborn Naruto and Kakashi argued, with Kakashi giving him advice while not really caring much.
...
Naruto's personality was destined to cause a lot of issues. Unable to argue with Kakashi, he resorted to begging the Third Hokage, showing off his cute side and throwing a tantrum, relying on his youth to be a little brat. This worried Iruka, who was working at the mission center and saw Naruto as family. Iruka, pretending to be angry, told Naruto to apologize to the Hokage and Kakashi, and this concerned but affectionate gesture made Naruto, though clueless about the underlying care, reluctantly apologize with a sulky look on his face.
"Sorry, Third Hokage!"
"Sorry, pervy old man!"
"Thud!"
Naruto's bad mouth got him a punch from Iruka, and with a yelp, he squatted down, holding his head, clearly in pain.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, watched Naruto's antics with a slight smile. As the "Ninja King," he had a certain tolerance, and Naruto's blonde hair always reminded him of a talented and easygoing young man from the past, which made it hard for him to stay angry.
Hiruzen smiled gently and waved Iruka off, signaling him to stop the apology on Naruto's behalf. Thinking about how Kakashi's team had already completed quite a few D-rank missions, he decided it was time for them to try their hand at a C-rank mission. He instructed a Chuunin to bring someone in.
The Chuunin left and returned minutes later, bringing in an old man who reeked of alcohol, disheveled but sharp-eyed. This was none other than the master builder from the Land of Waves — Tazuna.
If it had been like in the original story, only Kakashi's team would be present, but Naruto's bumbling actions made Kakashi look odd, and Tazuna was cautious about hiring them. He feigned drunkenness, trying to conceal some details about the mission, attempting to deceive the Konoha mission center. If this deception were discovered, it would result in a hefty fine. But if it led to the death of Konoha ninjas, Tazuna would have to worry about more than just the threat from Gato; his own life would be on the line.
Tazuna looked directly at Naruto, who was still squatting on the floor, and, without hesitation, said, "Can he handle this?"
Tazuna's tone was filled with distrust, and even Naruto, who was usually slow to catch on, understood. He immediately argued back, "I'm going to be Hokage!"
"I don't want to hire this shorty," Tazuna ignored Naruto and pointed to Asuma's Team 10, asking the Third Hokage, "I want to hire them."
Despite their lack of discipline, Asuma's mature and rugged appearance made him seem more reliable than Kakashi. Even though one of the genin was overweight, Tazuna could see the pride in his eyes when he looked at Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, proving that Asuma's team might be stronger.
"What did you say!" Naruto, interrupted mid-sentence, looked confused. He quickly reacted, rolling up his sleeves and preparing to rush at Tazuna, but before he could move, a taller figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
It was Shikamaru, his usual indifferent expression in place.
"That's fast!" Sasuke, who had been quietly watching Naruto's performance, blinked in surprise. For a moment, he hadn't even seen Shikamaru move. This was so unexpected that he couldn't believe it. After all, though Shikamaru had always been ahead of him in school, the gap hadn't been that large before: "How is this possible? How did he improve so quickly?"
"Is that the Body Flicker Technique?" The Third Hokage chuckled as he watched the scene. He knew this was Shikamaru's newly learned skill. "I didn't expect him to improve this much already. Looks like his teacher, Asuma, did a good job."
Using chakra to generate explosive power in the lower body, this was essentially the Body Flicker Technique, which Sasuke had learned by using chakra to climb trees during the original story. Shikamaru had learned how to walk on water, and now his chakra control was good enough to perform this technique, likely at a level higher than Sasuke's back then.
However, ordinary ninjas, lacking a bloodline limit like the Sharingan to enhance their reaction time, wouldn't be able to perform such techniques at high speed. Shikamaru, though, had already mastered enough chakra control to make this technique work.
"Shikamaru, what are you doing?" Naruto asked, surprised at Shikamaru's speed.
"Naruto," Shikamaru glanced at Asuma, who didn't seem to object to his actions. He then said slowly, "This man is now under my protection!"
"What do you mean?"
"We, the Team 10... are taking this mission!"