Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

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The sand bandit that charged towards Menghuang was sent flying backward at several times the speed it had come from.

Like being thrown by a catapult, he slammed hard against a distant rock pillar, slid softly down, and completely lost consciousness.

"Stay calm during the battle! Aim for vital points!" Naruto left those words behind before disappearing again.

On the other side, two sand bandits attacked Wudong together. Wudong was so frightened that he panicked and even made a mistake in the hand seals for the Substitution Technique.

The blade was about to strike—

Naruto appeared beside him, attacking with both hands.

Two seemingly casual chops landed precisely on the back of the necks of the two sand bandits.

Without uttering a sound, the two rolled their eyes and collapsed to the ground like rag dolls.

"Keep your hand seals steady! Keep your mind calm!" Naruto's reminder was brief and powerful.

Konohamaru's side was fighting back and forth, making use of his taijutsu advantage and smoke bombs.

He managed to hold his own against a sand bandit, even managing to kick him back a few steps with a rather clumsy "ninja kick," and was feeling quite pleased with himself.

"Konohamaru! Behind you!" Naruto's voice carried a warning.

Konohamaru was startled and turned around abruptly, only to see another sand bandit who had somehow circled behind him, grinning maliciously as he raised his curved sword!

Just as the blade was about to fall, Naruto struck first, delivering a sharp side kick.

He kicked the sand bandit who had launched the sneak attack, sending him spinning 720 degrees in mid-air.

It crashed heavily onto the sand, kicking up a cloud of yellow sand.

"Don't ignore any direction during battle! Always pay attention to your teammates' positions!" Naruto shouted, his tone stern and unquestionable.

Under Naruto's precise guidance, Konohamaru and his two companions gradually overcame their initial panic and fear.

They began to work together.

Moegi's shuriken became increasingly accurate.

Udon finally managed to use the Substitute Technique to dodge the attack.

Konohamaru became increasingly fierce in the fight.

They even seized an opportunity to create two clones using the "Shadow Clone Technique," which together defeated their opponent.

The battle did not last long.

Although these sand bandits were fierce, most of them were ordinary people who relied on brute force.

Facing Konohamaru's team, which had undergone formal ninja training and had Naruto as their "super babysitter," they quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.

After abandoning seven or eight of their companions who were either unconscious or injured, the remaining sand bandits realized they couldn't gain any advantage.

With a whistle, it fled as swiftly as it had come, disappearing into the vast sea of ​​sand in a disheveled state.

Several of the caravan's guards sustained minor injuries, but no one died, and the goods remained intact.

Although the whole process was intense, it was kept under control outside the convoy.

It didn't even disturb the most magnificent carriage in the middle.

The curtains remained drawn, and faint melodies and the indistinct laughter of the Full Moon Prince could still be heard from within.

He seemed completely oblivious to the fighting outside.

"You're not hurt, are you?"

Naruto walked up to the three panting but bright-eyed genin and handed them his water bottle.

Their chakra consumption was not high; their main stress came from intense mental tension and the excitement of their first real battle.

Konohamaru took the water bottle and gulped down a mouthful. Wiping his mouth, he looked tired but proud: "Easy peasy! Not even close!"

Udon's face was still a little pale, and he patted his chest with lingering fear: "That was...that was terrifying...those people's eyes were so fierce..."

Meng Huang also took a sip of water, took a few deep breaths, and tried to calm her racing heart.

He gave a slightly relaxed smile: "It feels... like if a fight really breaks out, it's not as scary as I imagined."

Naruto smiled and patted Udon's shoulder hard: "Get used to it. You'll encounter many more situations like this on the path of a ninja."

"Everyone gets nervous the first time, but you'll be better next time."

Moegi looked at Naruto curiously, her big eyes sparkling with curiosity: "Naruto-sensei, when you first carried out a C-rank mission, did you also encounter bandits?"

Upon hearing this, Naruto wore a complex yet somewhat amusing expression.

He scratched his cheek: "My first C-rank mission... Well, I did encounter enemies, but not bandits, they were rogue ninja from Kirigakure."

"As for their strength... I don't know, but Sasuke and I each took care of them back then."

"However, because of this, the mission level was later directly upgraded to either B or A level."

The mission in the Land of Waves was an unforgettable experience for him.

Wow! An A-rank mission!

Konohamaru immediately perked up, his face full of envy: "That's great! We want that too! To be upgraded to a high-level mission in no time!"

Naruto's lips twitched, and he quickly poured cold water on this little fanatic: "Let's talk about it when it actually happens! That kind of thing isn't fun at all!"

When he was young, he was only excited when the difficulty increased; now he has experienced those challenging tasks.

Please, just let this mission be a C, no problem!

However, when Naruto looked at the excited Konohamaru, the still somewhat fearful Udon, and the Moegi who was trying to become stronger.

Suddenly, I deeply understood how Kakashi felt when he led Team 7 back then.

That kind of struggle and patience—wanting to let them grow freely while constantly keeping a close watch on their safety...

It's amazing that Kakashi-sensei could put up with us problem kids back then.

I wonder how Sasuke and Sakura are doing now?

After Sasuke went back, he should have joined the Konoha Police Force.

Sakura is probably still busy saving lives at the hospital, right?

Sigh... I really miss the days when Class 7 was still around.

A faint sense of melancholy and nostalgia welled up in Naruto's heart.

As darkness fell, the extreme temperature difference between day and night in the desert quickly replaced the scorching daylight with the frigid night.

The caravan chose a relatively flat, open sand valley to set up a temporary camp and lit a campfire.

In the center of the camp, Prince Full Moon's tent stood out as exceptionally spacious and luxurious, brightly lit, and even filled with the aroma of roasted meat and melodious music.

His private chef and musicians are busy.

In contrast, Naruto and his three companions sitting around a small campfire looked particularly "simple".

Naruto took out several cup noodles from his ninja tool bag, skillfully poured hot water into them, and put the lid on.

"Brother Naruto,"

Konohamaru looked at the instant noodles in his hand.

She glanced at the aroma of meat wafting from afar and couldn't help but complain, "Didn't you say you were in charge of preparing the food this time? Why is it instant noodles again?"

Naruto chuckled and patted his chest: "This is my treasured super deluxe seafood-flavored cup noodles! I added double the seasoning packets!"

"Don't complain! Being able to eat hot instant noodles in the wild is already a blessing!"

"But……"

Konohamaru tried to struggle a bit, but his gaze drifted uncontrollably toward the prince's tent.

"But,"

Naruto snatched the almost-cooked ramen from Konohamaru and pretended to open it himself: "I'll eat two boxes by myself!"

"Don't even think about it!"

Konohamaru immediately pounced on him, and the two of them started wrestling and joking around.

Fighting over that box of "super deluxe" cup noodles.

It added a lively touch to the cold desert night.

Mogi and Udon looked at them and couldn't help but laugh, temporarily forgetting their fatigue and longing for the luxurious barbecue.

As the night deepened and all was quiet, most of the campfires in the camp went out, leaving only a few scattered embers flickering in the cold wind.

The caravan members and guards, exhausted from a long day, were all fast asleep.

Even Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon were huddled together in a small tent, sleeping soundly.

The daytime battles were a considerable burden for them.

Only Naruto sat alone on a boulder at the edge of the camp.

He didn't sleep; he volunteered to take the night watch.

The desert night is silent and cold, with countless stars scattered like shattered diamonds across the velvety night sky, huge and clear, seemingly within reach.

He wrapped his clothes tighter around himself, his gaze like that of a vigilant sentry.

Slowly sweeping across the sand dunes shimmering silvery-white under the moonlight, my ears catch any unusual sound.

The night wind howled and blew by, stirring up fine sand and making a soft rustling sound.

Keeping watch is a lonely job, but his heart is full.

Looking at the three little ones sleeping peacefully in the tent, a feeling called "responsibility" weighed heavily on his heart.

But it also brings a strange sense of satisfaction.

He recalled the day's battle, reflected on each child's performance, and planned how to guide them the next day.

A cold wind blew by, and he shivered.

He subconsciously touched the instant noodle box in his ninja tool bag, but a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Kakashi-sensei... So this is what it feels like to be a teacher."

He muttered to himself, his breath instantly dissipating into the cold air.