I am aware that this story is full of characters who, while starting off Mary-Sues, I hope have evolved to be much less so. They were intentionally written into the story as Mary-Sues, because this story was, and always will be, intended for the small group of my friends who heard my crazy idea for this story one day, and wanted to hear what would happen if I included characters *with these characteristics*. *With these characteristics* being any random thing they could throw at me on any given day. XD
This first chapter, and perhaps the second chapter, do not contain these characters. However, they will appear later on, and will have a good deal of "screen time." However, I have also given quite a lot of screen time to every character who is present in the story. All four ninja squads appear in this story.
If you have any questions, or if I have confused you at any part of the story, feel free to ask me anything.
Also, I am aware that the first two chapters start off slow and somewhat suck. I apologize, but I don't feel like going back and redoing them.
I do not own Naruto fandom and make no money from the writing of this story. Please do not sue.
*~~*
The sun shone brightly in Konoha as the village buzzed with energy.
Conversely, Uzumaki Naruto was fast asleep.
On Umino Iruka's desk.
Iruka twitched as he watched the eighteen-year-old ninja drool on a stack of papers, oblivious to the world.
"Na…ru…to!" the chuunin roared, thumping the blonde on the head.
"Gah!" Naruto flailed, falling off the desk. Papers dislodged and floated to the floor.
Iruka's face turned beet red.
"Naruto, what are you doing sleeping on my desk?!" Iruka bellowed. Groaning, Naruto sat up, scratched his head, and glared at his former sensei out of one eye.
"Well?" Naruto's sensei threw his hands in the air, waiting for an answer. Naruto leaned against the desk and gave an enormous grin.
"I'm ditching! Dattebayo!" The blonde ninja shook with laughter as Iruka fell twitching to the floor in disbelief.
"Naruto," Iruka nagged as he lifted himself off the floor, "you shouldn't be ditching. Maybe if you showed up to training more, Kakashi would be more inclined to nominate you for the jounin exams. Someone with your talent shouldn't remain a chuunin."
"Bah, you shouldn't talk, Iruka-sensei," Naruto pointed at his former sensei accusingly.
"You're still a chuunin and you're a good ninja."
"That doesn't matter!" Iruka shrieked, "I'm a teacher; I don't need to be a jounin! You, on the other hand," he reached across his desk and shook the blonde in frustration, "need to go forward to be Hokage! At this rate, you'll never be Hokage!"
"Shows what you know, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted, tossing Iruka off him. "I'll be Hokage no matter what!"
Eyes closed, Iruka shook his head and sighed. "I know you will, Naruto. But more people will accept it if you're a jounin first. Besides, you can't tell me that Sasuke and Sakura being jounin doesn't bother you."
Naruto made a face and stalked to the door. As the blonde slammed the sliding door open, Iruka waved frantically. "Wait, Naruto, where are you going?!"
"To train, of course!" Naruto snickered, argument forgotten.
Iruka sweatdropped and began picking up scattered papers as Naruto left. "Kid's crazy," Iruka muttered. He smiled, "But he'll be the greatest ninja ever, no doubt about it."
*~~*
Naruto whistled nonchalantly as he approached the bridge where team seven usually met. Although no one was present, he wasn't worried; he had picked up Kakashi's tardiness and was three hours late. The blonde ninja sat on the bridge's railing to wait for his team. They had probably gone out for lunch and would return soon.
As he waited, Naruto couldn't help thinking about how everyone had changed.
Sakura, who had started out feminine and weak, had practically become Tsunade's twin in tact and strength.
Sasuke, who had betrayed the leaf, had returned to Konoha. Naruto had dragged the Uchiha back to the leaf shortly before Orochimaru's twisted ritual. Afterwards, Tsunade ordered that Sasuke be held in the most secure ninja prison until the deadline for Orochimaru's twisted ritual had passed, and then be kept under strict anbu guard until last year.
Kakashi, unlike Naruto's other teammates, had not changed at all. The silver-haired jounin still favored Sasuke, despite his betrayal, and still saw Naruto as much too immature.
While his team seemed to be leaving him in the dust in terms of rank in the village, Naruto was often traveling with Jiraiya, completing missions that would be impossible for any other leaf ninja.
Naruto sighed and stared wistfully at the clouds; so much had happened during his six years as a Konoha ninja, but he had gained little respect.
"Naruto!" a piercing scream ripped through the silence. The blonde flailed for the second time in a day, falling off the rail and smacking face-first onto the wooden bridge. "You idiot!" Sakura roared at the chuunin as she, Sasuke and Kakashi approached the bridge.
"Hiya, Sakura," Naruto mumbled from the ground.
"Hmph! Idiot!" Sakura kicked Naruto onto his back. "Where have you been! We have a mission!"
"What? Really?" Naruto was on his feet instantly, vibrating with energy. His love for missions hadn't dissipated at all over the last six years.
"Yes, now come on!" Sakura huffed in irritation as the three jounin left for the Hokage tower. Not wanting left behind, Naruto scrambled off the ground and sprinted after his teammates.
*~~*
Tsunade pursed her lips in irritation as team seven finally arrived. Naruto frowned in suspicion as he noticed the other ninja in the room. Gai's team, Asuma's team, and Kurenai's team were all present.
"About time, Kakashi," Tsunade snapped. Naruto started to object, but suddenly the violent Hokage was glaring at him. Spinning around, he caught Kakashi pointing at him accusingly. Naruto started to retaliate against his sensei, but let the insult die so that he could learn more about the mission instead.
"Anyway," Tsunade sighed, pulling out a large file, "a request has been made for a rather large force of ninja. Specifically, 'sixteen of our best, who have moderate social connections with each other, to fight numerous skirmishes and guard a very important member of society.' Furthermore, one of you has been requested by name."
Murmurs rose from the ninja, but Tsunade met no one's eyes.
"Here are your assignments," she handed each ninja in the room a small folder. "This mission will likely encompass several months, as the clients are currently in a war of sorts, and can easily pay for your skills for that amount of time. However, because it is a war you will be fighting in, this is officially an A rank mission. If you don't feel comfortable taking this kind of mission, now is the time to speak up."
No one said a word. Tsunade nodded and sent the sixteen very curious ninja home to pack. "Be prepared to leave immediately," she called after them as they exited her office.
*~~*
"Wow, what do you think we'll be doing, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked as team seven left Hokage tower.
"Hmm, likely a little bit of everything, if we're going to fight in a war. We should read our mission assignments thoroughly before we sleep tonight." The silver-haired jounin seemed to be directing his advice at Naruto, but the chuunin was set on ignoring him.
Sakura and Kakashi turned off at the next corner, while Sasuke and Naruto continued down the road. Though Sasuke was silent, Naruto spoke enough for both of them.
"Damn Kakashi-sensei. Does he think I'm stupid or something? Like I'm not gonna read my assignment! Grr…he pisses me off sometimes!" He kicked a pebble on the path harshly, sending it flying into the night.
"He thinks you're immature, Naruto. You act it."
"Shut up, teme! Just 'cuz I like to play around doesn't mean I'm not a good ninja!"
"I know that, dobe. But they don't go together for him. Just ignore it."
Naruto snorted, disagreeing, and waved Sasuke off as he turned the corner to his apartment. Reaching his door, he twisted the key in the lock and threw the door shut behind him. Angrily he kicked his sandals at the door and threw his assignment folder on the table.
"Fuck the stupid assignment, I'm hungry," he growled, throwing his jacket over the back of his sofa and walking to the kitchen.
As he sat down to eat a bowl of instant ramen, Naruto tried to forget what Kakashi had said to him. The jounin was often rough on him, and it normally didn't phase him like this. "Tch, getting touchy. I'm hanging around Sasuke-teme too much," he mumbled to himself around a mouthful of noodles.
Tossing his empty ramen cup into the trash, Naruto stretched and flopped down onto his worn sofa. He pulled the folder onto his lap and opened it to read its contents. Surprisingly, the folder held only three documents.
The first document detailed their mission. The mission, as Tsunade had said, was to protect an important official (name unknown), and to fight as special ops in the client's war afterwards.
The second document listed the ninja assigned to the mission. Since he already knew who would be there, Naruto gave the document a quick scan and set it aside.
The third document listed their destination and employer.
Naruto dropped the paper in shock. He had to be reading it wrong. Pinching himself, he reread it, before shaking his head and placing it, along with the other papers, back into the folder.
He hadn't been reading it wrong.
Sighing, he rose and walked into his room. It's been a long time since I've been there. Kneeling down, Naruto popped a concealed drawer on his dresser and pulled out a hidden set of clothes. Folding the secret uniform, he set it in the bottom of his backpack, under several sets of his usual clothing. As a last touch, he prepared his weapons, either laying them next to his pack or readying them inside it.
Thoughts swirling in his head, Naruto took a quick shower before collapsing on his bed. Tomorrow.