A Fresh New Start - Bring on the Missions!

It was only a few days after Naruto had defeated the enigmatic Akatsuki member known as Kakuzu with his now-forbidden Wind-Release Rasenshurken, that his after-wounds were beginning to heal. Sakura, one of Naruto's best friends, was now checking-up on Naruto's hand. It was doing fairly well, considering his hand should have been torn off from his own attack.

"Alright, Naruto. Your hand's doing good. But just like what the Hokage says, no using Rasenshuriken." Ordered Sakura in a firm voice. Naruto scoffed.

"All that training, all those Shadow Clones, wasted. I really despise Grandma Tsunade sometimes." Groaned Naruto. Sakura gave him a little nip, making Naruto yelp.

"That "Grandma" happens to be my master." Snapped Sakura. "And she forbid it for a reason, Naruto. Keep using it, and your arm's cells are gonna get ripped apart." Naruto flinched at those harsh words. He never knew this kind of Jutsu could be so deadly, to his opponent and himself. Sakura performed one last healing Jutsu on Naruto's hand, and ended the treatment. "Done. Now with that out of the way, I got a message from the Hokage."

"Eh? What kinda message?" Asked Naruto.

"Just to come down to her mansion when I finished healing you."

"More news on Akatsuki?" Naruto said solemnly.

"I dunno. Possibly." With that, Naruto put his orange and black sweater on and raced to the Hokage's tower, with Sakura in hot pursuit. Tsunade was talking with Kakashi, in the Hokage's Tower, with Shizune beside her, when Naruto and Sakura barged in.

"Your message?!" Naruto yelled. Tsunade sighed as well as their Sensei.

"Okay, Kakashi. Good luck with the mission." Declared the Hokage.

"Don't I always do?" Asked Kakashi. Then he took his marching orders and left, while giving Naruto a favoured look. He left with a gentle slam of the door. Tsunade began to pile on her notes and looked at one in particular.

"Now Naruto. I have some business with you to discuss. You might as well join us, Sakura." Declared Tsunade. Naruto fully walked in with Sakura beside him.

"Business? What kinda business?" Asked Naruto expectantly.

"Mission business, of course." Naruto could feel his heart beat. If this was another Akatsuki mission, it'll be one step closer to finding Sasuke. "We need you on regular missions." Naruto yelled with surprise, his hopes were crushed at this phrase. Naruto jumped up, in rage on the Hokage's table, eye-to-eye with the Hokage.

"Regular missions?! You can't be serious, Grandma!! I was sitting here kicking Akatsuki butt, and you want me back to plain old regular missions! No way, I refuse!!" Yelled Naruto, in rage. Tsunade sighed, and flicked Naruto away, colliding with Sakura, getting both clearly mad.

"It wasn't a matter of asking, you little brat. The same is going for everyone of the ninja in your year group. Now if you don't mind, allow me to explain." Naruto took his time in calming down, and listened to what the Hokage had to say. "Now, you remember the times when you and your ten buddies went on missions together?" Naruto thought back to all the missions he shared with the ten former Genin. He nodded confusedly. "Well, after you left to train with Jiraiya, the mission success rates for the remaining ten was shot to a low level."

"What?! So everyone was failing there missions?!" Naruto screamed. Sakura looked away in embarassment. Shizune then spoke up.

"Not all the time, Naruto. Before you left, the success rate was 90. Meaning for every ten missions, one would fail. But after you left, it fell to 60. So, instead of 1 mission being failed, 4 missions would fail. The 55 were completed by either the ANBU or the Jounin."

"But how's that possible?! Everyone of my friends would never fail their missions!" Yelled Naruto.

"It was because you weren't there." Tsunade continued. Naruto flinched. "Without your Rasengan, Shadow Clones and not-giving-up speeches, everyone couldn't complete their missions with their high morale. You were everyone's backbone." Naruto gasped loudly, then looked away in remorse.

"I guess leaving was a bad idea afterall."

"You said it, Naruto." Sakura mumbled.

"But, thankfully, you're back. And with your morale support, the success rate will be back up." Said Tsunade delightfully.

"But what about the Akatsuki?! We can't just leave them to continue killing more innocent lives!" Exclaimed Naruto.

"No, we can't. But our latest sources indicate that the Akatsuki are starting to settle down again. It seems your Rasenshuriken gave them a little fright." Tsunade said. Naruto sniggered behind his teeth, while resting his arms behind his head.

"So that means it's not a forbidden Jutsu anymore, right?" Sniggered Naruto. And at once Tsunade's smile faded.

"I never said that!" Shouted Tsunade. And with that, Naruto's smile faded also.

"Uggghhhh! My beautiful Jutsu!" Groaned Naruto.

"Now we're not here to discuss lifting the ban on your Jutsu. Right now, we've got C and D rank missions to accomplish." Said Tsunade. And at that instant, the door knocked. "Come in!"

And at the door emerged Sai and Captain Yamato, Team Kakashi's latest editions. "You called for us, my lady?" Asked Yamato.

"Yes, Captain Yamato. As I was saying to Naruto and Sakura here, with Akatsuki silent again, you and the other teams will be doing regular missions again. You, Team Asuma, Team Kurenai and Team Gai will be doing normal missions until we hear news of Orochimaru or Akatsuki." Declared Tsunade.

"Normal missions?" Asked Sai. "Isn't that a little boring?" Both Naruto and Sakura groaned at this.

"Your reaction's same as Naruto's. But yes, with Naruto back in the Hidden Leaf Village, I believe the four teams' mission success rates will rise, therefore increasing our relationships to other nations." Said Tsunade.

"Looks like there's no changing your mind, huh, Grandma?" Asked Naruto.

"Nope."

"Ugggh, fine, fine." Groaned Naruto.

"Put it this way, Naruto," Said Yamato. "it gives you a chance to catch up with your friends you hardly know anymore."

"Yeah, guess so."

"Alright!" Said Tsunade. "For now, there're no missions, so you can go back." With that the others left. Naruto and Sakura walked together out of the Hokage's tower.

"I can't believe Grandma Tsunade!!" Yelled Naruto. "Sending me back on normal missions, it's almost insulting!"

"Calm down, Naruto!" Complained Sakura. "Obviously with the Akatsuki down, the Hidden Leaf's gonna be quite quiet for a while now. And besides, weren't the missions we had before you left fun enough for you?" Naruto gaped.

"Ugh, no. It was fun, Sakura. But with all the fights with the Akatsuki, I don't wanna stop until they're all gone."

"Well don't worry. Be patient and do your missions, and eventually, one of the Akatsuki'll show themselves." They had now arrived outside Sakura's house. "Now don't try and do anything stupid, not until we start getting missions, at least." Sakura went inside her house after waving Naruto goodbye. Naruto then decided to go have some lunch at Ichiraku Ramens. He was grumbling to himself while eating his noodles. Then someone sat next to him. It was Iruka.

"Hey, Naruto." Said Iruka in his usual cheerful way.

"Hey, Iruka-Sensei." Said Naruto, trying to sound cheerful.

"You don't look too good. Something wrong?"

"Argh! Grandma Tsunade's making us go back on regular missions."

"So? Isn't regular missions good?"

"It's not that. I was just so used to fighting those Akatsuki jerks..." But Iruka interuppted.

"That you just want to keep going, right?"

"Yeah! Yeah!" While Naruto was saying this, Ichiraku handed Iruka a bowl of ramen. "When we're back walking dogs and planting flowers, I just wanna...grrrr!" Naruto let his rage out by drinking the rest of the ramen soup.

"Hey, it's not just D-rank missions we're going on. It's also the Bs and As. And it's not the end of the world when you occasionally get a few D-ranks." He then took a big whip of noodles and took a bite on it.

"So what you're saying is I should be patient and wait for Akatsuki to show up? 'Cus if it is, too late, Sakura told me."

"No, Naruto. I'm saying treat all your missions like challenges. Every challenge you do will bring you closer to facing Akatsuki." Naruto took a while to think about it, and finally got himself together.

"Good advice, Sensei! Yo, Ayami! Another bowl of ramen please!"

"Coming right up, Naruto!" Replied the daughter of the shop. Eventually, after Naruto had finished, Sakura had called him for a mission from the Hokage. Soon, Naruto, Sakura and Sai were on a D-rank mission to find a piece of lost jewellery in the middle of the meadow. Naruto merely smiled.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Yelled Naruto, and with his hand seal, he called on a thousand Shadow Clones that scoured the grass along with Sakura and Sai, until a Clone found the gold ring.

"Way to go, Naruto!" Cheered Sakura.

"Challenge complete!" Naruto said. When they returned with the ring, the client paid up. Next the trio had to plough some fields. With Sai's ink-lions, Sakura's super strength and Naruto's Shadow Clone force, the task was almost too easy. Soon after doing another D-rank mission, night grew in and the trio were treating themselves to ramen.

"You really have grown to the whole D-rank missions, huh, Naruto?" Said Sakura.

"Yup!" Said Naruto happily. He took another mouthful of noodles.

"You never wanted to do them. So why are you so happy in doing them?" Asked Sai, in his oftenly polite way.

"Why not? Just 'cus I don't wanna do them, doesn't mean I don't wanna complete them." Said Naruto with his mouth full of ramen.

"Glad your getting into it." Said Sakura happilly.

Then Naruto said: "Well, it's a fresh new start."