"Naruto!" Tsunade snapped.
"Yeah?" the blonde genin replied, looking bored.
"Pay attention when I'm assigning you a mission!"
"But, Granny Tsunade, they're all so boring!" Naruto whined, turning his back to the hokage and sulking.
"Fine," the woman said, "if you're going to be whiney I guess I'll give this C-rank mission to Sakura instead."
Naruto snatched the scroll from her hand and opened it eagerly.
"Steal a cursed ring from a band of rogue ninja and return it to its rightful owner," he read aloud, "and...your handwriting is really hard to read...'Do not listen to the ring?' What the heck is that supposed to mean??" This last was meant for Tsunade.
"It means exactly what it says: 'Do not listen to the ring.' Some kind of warning from the owner." Tsunade scoffed. "Do you accept?"
"More exciting than catching that stupid cat," Naruto muttered.
"So, yes?"
"Yeah, and I'll get it done quick so I can come back and get another mission!" Naruto was already headed out the door.
"Aspirin, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune queried, knowing the effect Naruto had on people.
"Three of them at least," Tsunade groaned, making Shizune smile.
AT THE CAMP OF THE ROGUE NINJA
Okay, Naruto thought, counting in his head, five sentries around the perimeter in trees. six or seven ninja sleeping around the campfire. and three ninja guarding the tent on the other side of the camp. so sixteen in all including the leader in the tent. Piece of cake.
Forming hand seals, Naruto made six shadow clones: one for each of the perimeter sentries and one for the three sentries at the tent. He sent the five meant for the perimeter sentries to them and, once they were distracted, slipped around the camp's edge to the back of the tent. The remaining clone distracted the last three with his sexy jutsu while he ducked into the tent, stepping over the sleeping form of the leader as he did so.
A large chest stood in the center of the tent, presumably containing the ring he was after.
Using a 'borrowed' hairpin from Tsunade, Naruto picked the large padlock and slowly opened the lid to avoid any creaking. Inside was a small box, just the right size to hold a large gold ring; Naruto grinned as he slipped the ring box into the pouch at his back that contained his kunai, scrolls and exploding tags.
He hooked a kunai with his thumb as he drew it out and used it to cut through the fabric of the tent before escaping to the forest outside.
Jumping into a tree, he dismissed his clones, then headed off to the village as fast as he could. The ease with which he had raided the ninja camp had unsettled him.