"Naruto, if you don't shut up, I'M going to be the one that's hearing about this later…" Kakashi groaned. He grabbed the collar of the struggling blond Genin, keeping him subdued without much effort.

Naruto continued his violent contortions even though his sensei almost had him in a chokehold, yelling several curses at the Jounin.

"The definition of the word calm probably doesn't process well in his head…" Kakashi thought tiredly.

The Hokage of Konohagakure sat at her desk, hands folded neatly together, just barely covering her pursed lips. As leader of the village, she was expected to keep a temperate attitude when dealing with the ninja she commanded.

But not him. Not Naruto Uzumaki. Tsunade almost had to resist the urge to send the boy hurling all the way to Sunagakure. He would have to walk back then. That would be nice. Her headache would, at the very least, diminish in intensity.

"Come on Granny Tsunade!!" Naruto pleaded through gritted teeth. Kakashi's grip on his collar had gotten tighter, making him regret wearing his orange coat, "Just one B Class mission!"

The agitated aura that suddenly surrounded Tsunade could be felt by all in the small office that enclosed them. Shizune, the overworked but appreciated assistant for the Hokage, backed up a few steps from her friend's desk, though this was all too routine. She nervously started biting her nails.

"N-Now Lady Tsunade…" Shizune thought apprehensively, "Don't do anything TOO rash… Remember he's only a boy…" The young woman knew better than to voice her thoughts. When Tsunade was angry, annoyed, agitated, or all of the above, the slightest word in the wrong direction could send her flying off her handle.

Then her rant started.

"What do you propose I do then, Naruto?!" Tsunade yelled at the boy who stared her down unflinchingly, "All of the requested missions have been taken up, and you've already done several missions already today!!"

"Those were D missions! That's freakin' baby stuff!" Naruto yelled back at the Hokage, no longer paying heed to his being a leashed dog.

"Every… Mission… Counts!!" Tsunade said slowly, carefully annunciating each syllable, "As a ninja, you are proud to do any and every job you are assigned, whether it's a D or S mission!!"

Silence. Naruto looked down at the floor angrily. Fine. Tsunade had won this round, but Naruto would be back for more; the both of them knew that.

The occupants of the room quietly but intensely stared at Naruto, waiting for another outburst. Kakashi and Shizune heaved a silent sigh of relief when the silence prolonged.

Tsunade said nor did nothing different. Her gaze stayed upon the boy, even as Kakashi let him go, and even as he continued to glare icily at the floor of the Hokage's office.

"As for you, Kakashi," Tsunade broke the exasperated silence, "I have another S Ranked mission for you to do immediately."

Kakashi's bored demeanor morphed into a wearied one. He had already been on four. Nonetheless, his reaction was the same as ever: A sigh.

"What a slave driver…" Kakashi thought once again. It seemed that everyday there were more and more S Ranks to be done. If he were his 'Eternal Rival' Maito Gai, it would be fantastic news; but he wasn't. And truth be told, he would much rather be at home reading Make-Out Paradise or Make-Out Violence. Either one would be preferable at this point. Oh well though. A ninja must do what he's told. At least, that's what the Copy Ninja kept on telling himself.

"Man, you're so lucky Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said to his teacher as they both walked out of the Hokage's Tower after Tsunade had briefed Kakashi about his mission.

"How's that?" The silver-haired Jounin inquired.

"I mean, you get to go on S Ranked missions all the time!" Naruto's blue eyes glimmered, "That would be WAY more exciting than a stupid D Ranked one…"

Kakashi chuckled, "Lucky's in the eye of the beholder Naruto. I don't do these missions because I have to…" He stopped walking as soon as the two of them were in town again and looked at his curious student, "I do them because it's my duty to Lady Tsunade and to my village. That goes for you and your C and D Ranks."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "I'd welcome a C Rank right now!"

Kakashi smiled, "That's a good attitude to have. Anyway, I have to go. I'll see you around Naruto."

"Bye sensei," Naruto said blandly as Kakashi took off in another direction. There he went again; off on another one of his exhilarating adventures. What Naruto would give to go with him!

"How am I supposed to get Sasuke away from that creep Orochimaru if I don't go on tougher missions??" The blond shinobi thought as he trudged back home, "But I have to do it… Before it's too late."

And as Naruto walked home, as the sun set, and as Kakashi got closer to his target, everything was sound in the Leaf Village.

"Shizune!!" Tsunade called out to her ally firmly, her eyes glued to a piece of parchment she had spread on her desk.

"What is it Lady Tsunade??" Shizune said urgently as she rushed into the room.

"Get me a team of Jounin!" The Hokage barked

"W-Which ones?" Shizune asked innocently, "Do you want Gai, or-"

"I don't care!" Tsunade interrupted indignantly, "Gai, Genma, Raido, anyone! Hell, I don't even care if you get some Chuunin!" Her eyes locked with Shizune's, "Just form a team, and send them after Kakashi!!"

Shizune looked surprised, "Ka… Kakashi…? But, Lady Tsunade-"

"You know where's he's headed to, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then send them there! You have my permission! Tell them to only go as backup for Kakashi, and not stop or get distracted by anything!!"

"Of course!" Shizune nodded, still curious as to what could have-

Her eyes widened.

The kunoichi's gaze had wandered down to the parchment Tsunade had been fawning over earlier, and the moment it did, she shot out of the room, leaving Tsunade to herself.

On the parchment the Hokage had received only minutes earlier from a messenger bird rested a headline that didn't need an explanation:

"Suspicious Characters Spotted in Land of Rain Wearing Black Cloaks with Red Clouds."

The Akatsuki.