Welcome to the world of missions
"Oi! Kenji, hurry up!" Sasuke ordered through a transmission and shut off. A creature zoomed through the trees. Followed by Kenji that jumped off the trees, she contacted Sasuke on her communicator. "I know already!" she yelled at him. "Just shut your mouth while I get it!" she said and kept on moving. "Ok, target captured in three, two," she bounced straight off a tree trunk and caught a brown cat while sliding on the ground. "One!"
Her teammates caught up to her. The cat scratched her on the face. "Confirmed red ribbon?" Kakashi asked.
"It's Dora alright." Sasuke answered.
They returned to the cat. . . And the owner was a psycho.
"No wonder why it ran away." Naruto muttered.
"Serves it right!" Kenji growled with crossed arms and a bandaged face.
"I think the cat deserves some credit. I mean your face looks much better bleeding with claw marks." Sakura snidely told her. Kenji got a red vein.
"It's makes me even madder because she's right!" she thought.
"Now the next mission . . . Babysitting and digging potatoes." The third Hokage said.
"Noway! No, no thank you! I want to do a more exciting mission! Gives us something else!" Naruto exclaimed.
"He's got a point . . ." Sasuke thought.
"A more exciting mission . . ." Kenji thought. Kakashi sighed.
"I thought it was about time for him to get fretful . . ." he said.
"You fool! You're still bottom rookie!" Iruka scolded but Naruto kept complaining. The Hokage explained missions while they talked about food. "Very well since you insist." the Hokage said and perked up team 7. "I'll give you a C-rank mission. You'll be body guarding someone." he said.
"Really!? Who? Who? A feudal lord?! Or a princess?!" Naruto said excitedly.
"I'll introduce you. Please come in." The Hokage allowed an old man with Sake to come in. "What's this?! They're just a bunch of squirts." the old man insulted. He started drinking the alcoholic drink .
"Huh?" Naruto reacted.
"Especially you the smallest one with the idiot face. Are you really a ninja?" the drinker asked. "Oh! Who's the smallest?" Naruto asked.
They measured up, Sasuke and Kenji at the same height were the tallest, Sakura in the middle, Naruto was the shortest. Kenji folded her hands. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun." she apologized. Kakashi held Naruto back.
"I'm Tazuna, a bridge builder. You'll be risking life and limb in guarding me to the max until I return to my land and complete my bridge!" the man introduced.
Next thing they know they met at the exit to the village. "Alright! We're off!" Naruto cheered and he threw his arms in the air.
"What're you so excited about?!" Sakura asked.
"You see, I've never left the village before!" he answered eagerly. Kenji looked at the ground. "Ooooii , Kenji!" Sakura brought her out of her thoughts. "What's up with you?You're spacing out." she told her.
"It's just that. . . Just thinking of leaving the village scares me. I have a fear of snakes." she admitted to her.
"What? You're a ninja and you're scared of something with no legs or arms?" Tazuna mocked her.
"Gomen," she dropped her head.
"Don't worry, Kenji! I'll beat anything that comes close to us!" Naruto pounded his right fist. "Just hearing Naruto's reassurance makes me feel safe." Kenji thought and blushed.
! Then Kenji looked into the trees and looked shocked. She reached for her kunai holster but Kakashi stopped her. "Don't worry." he told her and she pulled her hand back.
Soon they started walking and talking about the Shinobi nations. Kenji kept clinging to Naruto. "Hey, Kenji. Why are you holding onto me like this?" Naruto asked.
"I-I'm very scared. I really feel like I'm gonna get attacked right now!" she cowered. "Hn, scaredy cat." Sasuke insulted then his collar was grabbed and he was thrown by a strong arm into the air landing on the ground.
"Urusai, Teme!" Kenji yelled at him. Sakura came and chopped her on the head and made a bump. "Ite!" Kenji winced and grabbed her head.
"Don't hurt Sasuke-kun!" Sakura scolded.
"He had it coming!" Kenji yelled. Kakashi came over and blocked the both of them.
"That's enough." he said. Kenji pointed at Sakura.
"She started it! All she ever does is follow Sasuke-teme around like a lost puppy!" She blamed her. "Kenji's yelling at Sakura-chan again. . ." Naruto thought.
"Look out!" Kenji shouted out of the blue and Kakashi instantly pushed her and Sakura away. While they were falling they and everyone else saw Kakashi get sliced by retractable shuriken chains by two Kirigakure ninjas. His remains fell to the ground leaving some people shocked. The two ninjas took off.
One of the ninjas outstretched his claw towards Naruto. Kenji got in the way and extended her palm out to him.
"Shinra Tensei!" she yelled and a powerful force was released from her palm. Quickly sending the ninja back. The other one zoomed passed them. "Darn it! I forgot about the old man!" she yelled in her mind.
Sakura guarded Tazuna followed by Sasuke. By then Kakashi grabbed the ninja by the neck and saved them. "Yo." he said. Naruto turned to the area where Kakashi was supposed to be shredded. "So, he used substitutions." he said.
"That's a relief." Kenji sighed.
"My bad Naruto, I thought you would move. . ." Kakashi apologized and turned to Sakura and Sasuke. "Good job, Sasuke. Sakura, you too. . . Kenji!" he yelled.
! ! Kenji jumped in her skin. Kakashi looked at her sternly. "What you did. . ." he had a serious tone. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Kenji cried. "They were gonna hurt Naruto-kun so I. . ." she had everyone staring at her. "I-I-I, I acted before thinking!" she let it out.
"That was brave of you but it was in vain Naruto got scratched with poisonous claws." Kakashi said.
! Kenji widened her eyes.
! Naruto also widened his eyes. He looked at his bleeding hand and Kenji fell down and dropped her head. She dug her fingers through her hair. "I let Naruto get hurt!" she thought and a sob was released from her throat.
"Maybe that was a bad idea to tell her." Kakashi thought.
"Hn, are you guys hurt? Scaredy cats." Sasuke taunted them. Naruto growled.
"Sasuke!" he yelled. Later they found out their mission was more than they thought it was, it was at least A-ranked. "Hm, Naruto's injured plus Kenji is an ophidiophobe. Maybe we should head back." Kakashi said looking at Kenji who on still on her knees but was paying attention, she dropped her head at the mention of her phobia.
"What's an ophidiophobe?" Naruto asked.
"What are you? Stupid?" Sakura asked. "An ophidiophobe is a person with ophidiophobia, a fear of snakes." she told him.
"Naruto," Kakashi called him "You should probably thank Kenji for saving you." he said. "I-it's fi-" Kenji was interrupted by Naruto stabbing his wound with a kunai knife. "Naruto-kun!" she yelled in worry. Everyone was shocked.
"Why am I so different?! Why's it always me . . . Darn it!" he said in frustration.
"Naruto! what're you doing?!" Sakura shouted seriously.
"I should be getting stronger . . . Here I'm steadily carrying out missions and doing special-skill training by myself every day . . . I'll never get into another situation from which I'll have to be rescued . I'll never be afraid or be a coward . . . I won't lose to Sasuke . . . I'm going to swear on the pain of my left hand! I'll protect you old man . . . With this kunai knife! The mission continues!" he said determined.
"Naruto. It's all well and good to rid yourself of the poisoned blood ,but any more than that and you'll bleed to death." Kakashi told him.
. . . Naruto started sweating. Kakashi zoomed up.
"Things will get hairy if you don't stop the bleeding quick . . . Seriously!" he said.
"Yikes! Argh! No! No! I can't die like this I say!" Naruto started panicking.
"Show me your hand." Kakashi told him. Sakura marched up with her hands on her hips. "Noo! Help me!" Naruto kept on freaking out.
"Naruto! You're really self-abusive , aren't you! That's masochistic!" she said.
"Uruse, forehead." Kenji said and irritated Sakura.
"The wound is already starting to heal." Kakashi thought.
"Hey hey . Am I ok? You looks awfully serious . . ." Naruto asked with a scared face. Kakashi started to bandage the wound. "Well you should be ok." he said.
"Is this the power if the nine tailed fox?" Kakashi wondered.
"But you still owe Kenji a 'thanks'." Kakashi told him.
"Oh," Naruto turned and faced her. "Kenji," he started.
"It's ok, Naruto. Now we're even after all you saved me back then." Kenji told him smiling but it left everyone else clueless.