Mission to Wave, Part 1
Uchiha Mikoto, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, was reading progress reports for the most recent graduates from the Konoha Ninja Academy. Teams One through Six had failed their genin tests with their jonin sensei, and only teams Seven, Eight, and Ten had succeeded. It has been three months since this class graduated, and training with their jonin sensei has progressed little by little.
Team Ten led by Uchiha Itachi, the Hokage's eldest son, made up of Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akamichi Choji, needed the most work. Ino's obsession with the Hokage's youngest son, Uchiha Sasuke had to be broken. Itachi did that by telling her the Uchiha way of selecting their mates, especially for the clan's head family and from outside the clan, only skilled and powerful ninja were even allowed to be selected, for example Yūhi Kurenai was deemed worthy of betrothal to Uchiha Shisui, the nephew of the clan head, Uchiha Fugaku because she is a powerful genjutsu and taijutsu specialist. Only Maito Gai, sensei for Team Nine is a more skilled taijutsu warrior. Once Ino heard of these requirements, she buckled down on her training, and started to improve not only her basic skills, but her clan's mind jutsu, as well. Choji's progress was slow at first, but once Itachi forced him to reduce his junk food addiction, and change his eating habits to more healthy fare, his progress started to improve dramatically.
The biggest issue with Team Ten, was the Nara in their midst. Shikamaru was like all Nara males, a genius; considered gifted even by the Nara, Shikamaru was one of those minds that come along once in a century, and they usually change the course of history. However, as was typical of all male Nara, he was lazy, apathetic, and shiftless, he would sit under a tree for hours just watching the clouds, and the only thing he would move himself to do, was to play shogi. Nevertheless, for the past three months since his graduation, Uchiha Itachi began changing Shikamaru. Itachi started, by not giving the Nara a choice, and by threatening his life.
It began, the day after Team Ten truly became genin, they were all at training ground ten. Itachi ordered them to line up which Ino and Choji complied, but Shikamaru remained lying on his back under a tree, cloud gazing. This is when Itachi did something he has never done in his entire life, raise his voice to another human-being. He also brought a shinai (bamboo practice sword, used in kendo) with him and beat the ever-living daylights out of the boy. Shikamaru got the point very quickly that day. When his sensei told them to do something, it was not an option he did it right then and there or suffer the power of an S-ranked ninja. Itachi made Shikamaru fear him, even more than Shika's own mother.
Mikoto's eldest son, started making the entire team review everything they learned in the Academy, and if the Nara slacked off, his entire team suffered for his lapse, with extra physical training exercises. Again, Shikamaru got the idea, if he lapsed into indolence on missions, it was not just he who would pay the price, but his entire team. Itachi really drove home that point, when one day after a D-ranked mission where he allowed his languor to cost them the mission not to mention the pay, he made Shikamaru go to each individual family, and inform them that their ninja died on the mission. Both of his teammates were standing next to him, so the families knew it was just an exercise, so they played along and asked for details on how their children 'died.' Itachi wanted to remind all his students of that same point, so he made the other two do the same for Shikamaru's family. All three of them forgot one person on their team, Itachi and he punished them for it, he reminded them that he was as much a member of their team as each of them, and his life was in their hands, as well.
Overall, Team Ten was coming together nicely, and Itachi was starting to weld them together into a real team. As much progress as they have made, Itachi has not yet advanced them to C-ranked missions. They have only just begun tree-walking and did not yet think of themselves as a team.
Such was not the case for the other two graduate teams. Team Eight led by Yūhi Kurenai, with Inuzuka Kiba, this graduating class' dead last, Aburame Shino, and one-third of the Rookies of the Year, Hyūga Hinata. Kiba was their biggest problem, not only was he dead last, but seemed to have a chip on his shoulder about women. He seemed to believe that he was superior to women simply because he was a man, he often went on and on about alpha-male this alpha-male that. That attitude did not brook well with his sensei, and the other kunoichi on his team, nor his sister Hana, and mother Tsume, and the former two tried breaking him of this mind set in the past. Kurenai took steps to knock that chip off his shoulder for good, and being great friends, even roommates with Team Seven's sensei. Kurenai proposed a joint-training exercise with Team Seven, the training session involved a taijutsu only, no chakra usage allowed, but anything else goes melee battle, between members of both teams.
Kiba was bewildered when Sasuke and Naruto, double teamed the Hyūga heiress. Then thinking to score an easy knock out attacked Sakura; in the Academy, Sakura was the second best kunoichi fighter, after Hinata, and she has been improving that skill set for the previous month. Sakura barely noticed Kiba as she knocked him out with ease, and went after Shino, this was a taijutsu only battle, so Shino could not use his bugs, and had to rely on his family style, twenty-one strikes of the mantis.
Aburame mantis style taijutsu is a formidable style, with a nearly impenetrable defense and fast, precise footwork, but after a month of sparring with the two rookies of the year, Sakura's taijutsu was better. Naruto was the second best in taijutsu in the entire class, and he, Sasuke, and their sensei taught her a lot in the month since they graduated, and she used what she's learned, not to overwhelm Shino's defenses but to harmonize with it, which allowed her to anticipate the bug user's footwork, and outmaneuver him, and strike as fast as a viper's tongue flicks, into nerve-endings and pressure-points. Sakura flipped him on his back, and then kicked him in his head knocking Shino out.
Naruto and Sasuke, had their hands full, there was a reason Hinata got a 100 on the taijutsu in the portion of the graduating exam. They have sparred with her before, even earlier today before meeting their teams, so they knew how strong she was, and it would take both boys to subdue her. They knew her weaknesses, and she knew theirs, they have been best friends since they were five when Sasuke and Naruto saved her from abduction by ninja from Kumogakure. That was where they learned about Naruto's chains ability to prevent access to chakra, it was also when Hinata changed from a shy, mousy little girl and gained determination to be the best ninja she could be.
Hinata got into her ready stance, and with a devious grin said, "you are within range of my divination, my brothers," she said in her deceptively gentle voice. Naruto and Sasuke stood arrayed against their sister in all but blood. They were in their ready stances, neither were moving as the boys eyed the girl in front of them. Naruto charged in first, pivoting on one leg, and bringing the back leg up and around aiming his shin at her side. Hinata brought her arm up and parried Naruto's leg, but allowed the force of the kick to push her out of the pocket she found herself. Just in time for her to dodge, a clothesline from Sasuke, and circle round him, palm blocking his arm to deliver a nerve strike to the humerus, but he pitches forward before the blow arrives. That's when Naruto appears behind her, and sweeps her legs out from under her, which causes her to somersault with her fall regaining her feet. That's when Sasuke's lightning fast speed kicks in, because he seemed to materialize out of nowhere and chopped Hinata's neck, which knocked her off balance. Then he was gone, and Naruto was in his place, grabbing her and pulling her further off balance, and into his elbow, making her clutch her throat. Then Naruto and Sasuke grabbed her by the back of the head and shoved her face-first into the ground. Their combined attack knocked her out, securing victory for Team Seven.
After the fight Kiba woke up, confused, and disgraced, he criticized Sasuke and Naruto for attacking a girl. Both Team Seven males, did not understand what Kiba's problem was, in their minds they went after the person, they felt was the most dangerous to them and their team, and said as much to the Inuzuka. That's when Kiba went into his diatribe about male superiority and being an alpha male. Sasuke and Naruto, laughed their asses off at the very idea that being male automatically made them superior to females. "Dude, what gender is the Hokage," Sasuke asked Kiba, "she's called the Devil of the Leaf for a reason? Her katonjutsu are considered a fate worse than death by her opponents, the few that are still alive, you don't think there were quite a few men wanting the job of Hokage? My own father was up for the position, and nobody believes Uchiha Fugaku is weak." Sasuke points his thumb at Naruto, "Naruto's own mother was considered one of the most powerful ninja in Hinokuni (Fire Nation), and she would have been named Hokage, over Naruto's dad if she had been born in the village."
"Your notion of a so-called alpha-male mentality is bullshit," Naruto spoke up then too, "I've been studying animals for a long time to perfect my family's henge no jutsu. Of all the species I've studied from fish to mammal, of every single one of them it's the female who chooses her mate." Kiba's eyes widened as he spluttered in disbelief, "Oh, the males do fight over the females, that's true, but that's only so the female will know who the strongest male is, so she can make her choice. I could go on and on about the differences between a peacock and a peahen, black widow spider females versus her male counterpart's size, how most of the time male praying mantises stake their life just to mate. The point is your alpha-male ideology is flawed, in wolf packs which you Inuzuka pattern your clan structure after, there are usually two alpha males who are usually the best hunters and are meant to protect the pack, but only one mother wolf, who is the leader of the pack."
Sasuke spoke-up again, "when Naruto and I double teamed Hinata, we did that because she is the strongest taijutsu fighter between us," he informed his misguided male counterpart, "she is the only one in our class to receive a 100 in the taijutsu portion of the graduation exam, if you remember, you barely passed." Kiba's eyes could not get any wider, according to the female sensei of Teams Seven and Eight, "and, lest we forget the one woman on Team Seven, who wiped the floor with you, and then Shino without our help," Sasuke supplied to make his point, "while me and Naruto, had our hands full taking down one woman. We ultimately won through numbers and teamwork, not because Hinata is a woman. That kind of throws your notion of male superiority into the rubbish bin, does it not, Kiba?"
The Hokage smiles, I remember that day, when Sasuke came home his face was covered in four different shades of lipstick, and he was blushing up a storm. He wouldn't tell me how it happened, I was mom then not his Hokage, I had to get the story from Kurenai, and verified it with Anko. After the boy's words, Kiba ran off to sulk and re-evaluate his beliefs, and Shino went home to practice his taijutsu. Naruto and Sasuke were about to leave as well, when they were surrounded by the four kunoichi. They looked wary, like they were under attack by a force deadlier than a kunai. The four women advanced on the two 'doomed' boys who went back to back, and into defensive postures. The two jonin moved through their defenses swiftly and efficiently and claimed their victories. The two genin were right behind the older women and claimed similar victories upon their opponents. The four young women spent a good half hour with the two young men, and when it was over Naruto and Sasuke were a mess. Their noses were bloody, and their lips and cheeks were red, from the female ninja's assaults, swollen from the repeated contact with the lips of the women. When the women were done kissing the two boys into submission, Naruto and Sasuke were nearly catatonic with overstimulation.
Afterwards Kiba was more subdued and less vocal about his beliefs, and once he accepted that he was wrong about many things. He began to focus on what matters most to a ninja, training. They began to grow quite well together, all three were growing by leaps and bounds, and had mastered tree walking. Their sensei was about to start them on water-walking soon and deemed them ready for C-ranked missions.
Team Seven, however seemed to be the most advanced of the recent graduates, and they seemed to have very few disagreements. The only such arguments seemed to be over what Naruto, and his sensei deemed to be the food of the gods. Yet, their arguments were a form of bonding for the two outcasts of Konoha, a way to take measure of the other. Naruto had informed his team about the Rinnegan, his chains and the drawbacks therein, he even informed them of his Jinchuriki status, and why he was an orphan. Naruto only told Anko, however about his parents being alive in his mindscape, who got confirmation from the Hokage and Tsunade when she confronted them.
The Hokage, witnessed the advancement of Sasuke's skills herself, when he practiced at home, therefore she knew his progress without having to read reports. His training in the Uchiha Interceptor Fist, was succeeding well above average, one day he would even exceed his brother's strength, he was also training using jutte, tonfa, and sai. His weapon of choice was the sai, it makes since, with his nature affinity: lightning. His Sharin-gan has not yet manifested, but that's not to worry, it requires intense stress and fear to awaken, and he has not yet been in those kinds of situations. Mine did not manifest until my first chunin exam, and Itachi grew up during the Third Great Ninja War, stress and fear were rampant in those days, which is why his manifested at such a young age. Sasuke is fast, fast enough to casually catch a kunai out of mid-air, and then throw it right back at you. He also has the same instincts Mikoto has, and she is teaching him to listen and be guided by them, but not let them control him. She has taught him to temper his instincts with reason and facts.
Haruno Sakura, has been weened away from her obsession with Sasuke, in largely the same way as Ino, so instead of focusing most of her energy on Mikoto's youngest son, she turned her attention to her training with the same single-minded determination she used to attract him. Sakura trained in taijutsu, and genjutsu like Kurenai, but also trained in her nature affinity; water. Sakura began taking classes at the hospital to become a medic-nin, and additional instruction with Kurenai in taijutsu and genjutsu, with Anko's permission of course.
Naruto's progress was just as impressive as the rest of his team. He has been practicing with the Rinnegan since the day he got it. There seemed to be several abilities associated with every path of the Samsara Eyes, each specific path, as the concentric circles around the middle were called, are named after a specific realm of the realms of desire. There seem to be three types of jutsu for each path: personal, projection, and summons. When he grew those fiery iron claws, that was personal, when he summoned the King of Hell to bring Mizuki back to life, that was of course summoning, he has not yet displayed a projection. Whether he uses a path power or not, he had excellent eyesight, and can follow the path of a fly and anticipate where it will land if it is in direct line of sight, he can see auras and chakra and even nature energy. Rikudō Sen'nin not only gave him access to the Rinnegan, but evened out his yin and yang chakra, which now allows Naruto to learn genjutsu. Thus, with permission from Anko, and after some serious persuasion, began training in genjutsu under the tutelage of Uchiha Shisui. Though after three months, Naruto has only mastered supplementary genjutsu. Having the Rinnegan, also grants him all five Nature affinities: his father and mother were Wind and Water users respectively and began teaching him to use those Nature transformations as soon as he graduated.
Naruto has not simply trained his chakra usage, he cannot use his chakra with his chains deployed anyway, therefore he has also focused on purely physical skills. Naruto has trained in kenjutsu since he was four, and with the aid of his mother became equal to any chunin in skill. That combined with his family taijutsu styles, Hanuman-Pekiti-Tirsia-Siradas from his father, and Hapkiyosu from his mother. Naruto combined both into a single-style that he augments with his chains, and calls Daiuzu or Maelstrom.
The individual skills of Team Seven while impressive, are moot when weighed with the team. Team Seven, or as they began calling themselves, Viper Team or just Viper, probably out of respect to their sensei and her summons, have become what Naruto calls a family without blood. He sees Anko and Sakura as his sisters, and Sasuke as his brother, and they in turn have returned those feelings, at least that is how Mikoto's youngest saw the way things happening with Viper Team. They have already progressed to water walking, after spending two of the three months tree walking, and getting proficient enough to have full on spars on the side of Hokage mountain. Naruto had to train himself not to use his chains, when practicing tree-walking exercise. All of Viper was now in the middle of water walking and could now stand on the water and even run on it, a little. Because of their practice and improvement, Anko has recommended Viper for C-ranked missions.
Mikoto's mind was finally made up, as she keyed her intercom, "please show the bridge-builder in, I think I may have the solution to his dilemma." The mentioned party was shown in immediately, "Ah, Tazuna-san, please come in and have a seat." The Hokage indicated a sofa across from her, against the wall. "Tazuna-san, after some careful deliberation, I have come to a solution that could help you, without going beyond your budget."
"Yes, lady Hokage," the old man asked with hope in his eyes? Tazuna was a grey-haired, bespectacled man with a large beard and dark eyes, he wore a sleeveless V-neck shirt with an obi, pants, and a pair of sandals, he also carried a towel around his neck and wore a pointed hat.
"We will be sending ninja with you to guard and protect you against any difficulties as you finish your bridge," the Hokage informed him, and his face began registering glee, but Mikoto raised her hand to forestall any outburst, "however they will only be a single rookie, genin team, and a chunin. This genin team will be comprised of a group of four, with a single jonin ranked ninja, Anko Mitarashi assigned to train them, and three genin ranked ninja, ranging from seven to twelve years of age or older. The chunin, will be one from my personal guard detail, an Uzuki Yugao."
Tazuna was aghast, thinking of his own daughter and grandson, "you would send children off to fight, and even possibly die in battles like this," he asked in a whisper?
"That is the way of the ninja, and the way they have chosen to live their lives," the Hokage answered, "but you are wrong about one thing, they are no longer children, once they became ninja, they ceased to be children in this village and to the rest of the Elemental Nations. They are adults in the eyes of the law and have all of the rights and responsibilities of being an adult."
"If it were your own children you might see things differently," Tazuna assumed.
Mikoto's eyes burned, "but they are my children, bridge-builder, every ninja, no every citizen of this village is my child, whether they are infants or doddering old fools they are all my children. Not only that, but I am also a mother of two boys, one became a ninja when he was seven, and the other is one of the genin, I am considering sending with you, to protect you."
That brought the old man up short, "why would you willingly send your own child off, to maybe die…"
"So, I should send someone else's child off to die," the Hokage replied sharply, "why is my child more precious than anybody else's," she continued, while clutching the Kage hat, "the moment I put this hat on I became the mother of every citizen in this village? My predecessor the Yondaime Hokage, sacrificed his life, the life of his wife, and placed upon his own infant son, a burden no adult would be able to withstand, all to keep a demon from destroying this village." Mikoto took a deep breath which visibly calmed her, "it is not my place to try, and convince you of the validity of our way of life," the Hokage told him, "but you came to us for help, you cannot afford a higher ranked mission, and sending a single genin team, plus a chunin, from my guard detail, which are not paid through missions, but get a salary, falls within your budget, so it is up to you, take the help we provide or go your way."
Tazuna lowered his head deep in thought, then sighed, "I really have no choice, the bridge I'm building is the key to so many dreams. I accept."
Team Viper Training Grounds
Deep in the forest, Viper Team was playing a game. It was a game most children their age would play; tag. The game, Team Seven played was a combination of two children's games; tag, and hide'n'seek. The rules were the same as the childhood games mentioned above, one member of the team was 'It,' and the rest of the team including their sensei had to chase them down, and tag the one known as, It; simple really, the only difference; the game was being conducted the ninja way. The game theater was not restricted to the forest floor, but extended to the canopy, and the out of bounds was the Village itself, and Training Ground 44. This was not a new game for the Viper genin by any means, they have played it since they mastered tree walking, and started water walking. They used it to test their overall skills, because in this game there were no holds barred. Viper Team has given it, its own name, they call it, Capture the Missing-nin, and instead of 'It,' the target of the team's attacks is now called, Nukenin. Now, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, was a nukenin, being pursued by his whole team, and the object was not to just tag him, but capture him.
Naruto burst through the green brush, running desperately, looking back over his shoulder. His surroundings blended well with his tiger striped clothes. Looking ahead, Naruto vaulted upon a twenty-foot-high branch and began to bound from tree to tree. Behind him three-other people, lit upon the same branch the Uzumaki-Namikaze heir recently occupied. They recognized his diminishing back, studying each other, and nodding before jumping after him. Two continued the chase by going right after Naruto. The last one began maneuvering outward, in hopes of flanking him. Liting upon another branch thinking to catch his breath, Naruto's danger sense tingles. He hurdles away just as multiple shuriken and kunai impact his previous position. Looking back, his eyes widen noticing only the two behind him. Searching ahead, noting how close he was to his destination, Naruto redoubles his efforts, and tapped into his chakra to give himself a boost.
Scanning the area with his eyes, he looks left noticing a familiar aura, and angles away from it, when from the right, a leg shot out across his throat, just as he jumped between trees, sending him plummeting to the ground. It had been a shadow clone of his sensei that kicked him, he did not notice because, shadow clones do not emit an aura. In addition, the Rinnegan unlike the Byakugan, does not give its owner omni vision, Viper found that out the first week they were together, and Naruto got cocky again, forgetting that another member of his team could summon shadow clones, as well. It was another reminder not to rely too much on one thing, but to vary your techniques. Just before he struck the ground, another form shot out of the forest and caught him in the head with a punch. A plume of smoke cleared, and a log was found in his place. Naruto came out from behind another branch and leaped right for the figure closest to the log, using her as a spring board, he bounced further up into the canopy. Naruto cleared another fifty yards before coming to rest on another branch.
Naruto used the branch to slow his descent, but as he reached for another branch, the very one he was reaching for suddenly morphed into a person. It was too late for Naruto to change direction, so he flipped into a kick, right into the kunoichi's sternum, who dispersed the energy with a cross-block, and some water manipulation. The hit was not harmful, but sent the girl hurtling away, adding some extra power to Naruto's motion. Naruto shot out a thin chain, cancelling his Rinnegan, the chain wound around a nearby tree branch, which slowed his descent allowing him to go further down than expected. Retracting the chain, Naruto bounced back off a tree near the forest floor and took off running after landing as fast as he could, which was fast considering his gravity and resistance seals were set to level two, today.
Naruto did not make it more than a hundred yards, before Sakura came crashing down upon him like a meteor. Then there was a sound that froze Naruto, he was at a standstill then leapt back a few feet. Good thing he did, because a five-foot wide, two-foot deep crater opened right where he was about to be. Out of the crater she had just made stepped, Haruno Sakura, "That hit to my solar plexus, was an excellent display of technique, Naruto. If I hadn't cushioned the blow with my water manipulation abilities, it might have really hurt me." Sakura dropped into a Hokkyokusei Ken stance, the style taught to her by Yūhi Kurenai, and rocketed forward. Naruto fell into one of the Daiuzu style stances. Naruto shot forward launching his attack, twisting at his waist adding torque to his punch. Haruno parried the blow with a ridge hand on the inside, knocking the arm wide, and leveling a palm strike at Naruto's chest. Naruto continued adding the momentum to a spin and elbowed the thoracic vertebrae of Sakura's spine, making her grunt and fall forward. She dove forward and onto her feet with a pained expression on her face. Both sprang forward unloading a salvo of kicks and punches, counterattacks, throws, and counter throws, as fast as they could, before a palm strike from Naruto, and a round kick from Haruno pushed them away from each other.
Sakura stood tall immediately, and saluted her opponent, "Sha, that was an excellent example of your Maelstrom style properly used in a fight, my brother and friend." The girl had changed quite a bit in the three months, since she and Naruto started on the team together. Her hair had shortened into a bob, her normal mode of dress now, included a red qipao dress with short sleeves, and slits along the sides accompanied by a zipper but the white circles of her family crest were no longer there. Complementing this were black gloves, low-heeled, knee-high boots, with black shorts under a short pink apron skirt, and elbow protectors. The cloth of her forehead protector has changed to red and she now carried a medical pouch, since she began lessons at the hospital to be a medic-nin. For three months under the tutelage of Kurenai-sensei, Haruno Sakura studied taijutsu, and genjutsu, Hokkyokusei Ken taught her to use her hands and upper body as weapons. Naruto was happy to see that she has been able to channel her energy from stalking Sasuke into her training. Even Kushina was impressed, it just goes to show what a person can do, when they've got the right motivation.
Suddenly, two figures dropped out of the canopy, right in front of them. One of them was clutching at her stomach where Naruto jumped from her, then began applauding, and she was grinning from ear to ear. Anko is a tall woman with a slender frame, light brown, pupil-less eyes. Anko kept her violet hair styled in a short, spiky, fanned-ponytail. She wore her usual form fitting mesh bodysuit that covered her from neck to thighs, a tan trench coat with a purple lining, and deep pockets on each side, a dark orange mini-skirt, a dark blue belt, and pale grey shin guards. She wore the typical forehead protector, with a small pendant looking like a snake fang, and a wrist watch. "Excellent," Anko tells them, "you have all come along rather well you're no longer the smelly fish, I took under my wing, three months ago, you've now evolved into piranha." Anko checks her watch, "since it's close enough to noon let's get some lunch, the missing-nin for the day can treat."
"Fine," Naruto huffed, "but if I'm treating that means I'm picking and I say, to Ichiraku Ramen," he said finger pointed skyward before bringing it down and pointing toward the Village.
Anko sighs, looking down, "ramen it is," then looking at her other students, says, "I am sorry, you won't get to enjoy the magnificence of dango, it seems I still have much to teach my young student." She turned, and squared her shoulders, as if facing something she would rather not, "let's go eat some soup." She walks forward putting her arm around the blonde ninja, as he advances toward what he calls, paradise on Earth.
Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other and grin ruefully, the battle over the best food was an on-going joke within Viper Team, specifically between the two outcasts of Konoha. It did not matter to these two where they ate, both were equally good in their opinion, Sasuke always made sure to bring a tomato or two from the home garden. Sakura now that she was buckling down on her training, preferred anything high in calories, to help build up her body. No kunoichi, who was serious about her training needed to diet, their training insured that they would not gain a pound more than necessary, except to keep their curves womanly, because one tool that all kunoichi kept with them and was just as deadly as the kunai in her belt, was their beauty and sex appeal. History is rife with tales of men lowering their guard when a beautiful woman passes them by, beauty can stop even the best of men from thinking straight. So, the question of where they ate meant very little to them, but they always got a kick out of the little show their leader and teammates displayed for them.
As Team Viper passed through town, Sasuke and Sakura now that they knew what to look for, noticed the way the Villagers looked at the two ahead of them. Sasuke's demeanor grew colder and colder, toward the citizens of Konoha. Ignorant fools, Sasuke thought, why did they not realize the sacrifice, Naruto has already made for them? Sakura, however could not quite forgive herself for how she treated Naruto over the years, simply because everybody else did the same. When Sakura's mother found out she was going to be on the same team as Naruto, she demanded Sakura quit, even going so far as to leave the ninja forces, Sakura refused. When Sakura found out why Naruto was so despised, she was ashamed of her own mother. Sakura moved out within a week, being a ninja made her legally an adult, so she could live anywhere she could afford. She now lived in an apartment near the main gate, as Sakura was leaving her parent's house for the last time, she took out a scroll and threw it right at her weeping mother, it hit her square in the face, and left a bruise in the middle of her forehead. "That's a storage scroll," Sakura said to her mother who knew one by looking at it, "inside is one kunai, when you tell me why I did what I just did, you will be welcome in my apartment," Sakura said to her mother, "until then stay the hell away."
Viper reached the ramen stand, and Naruto ordered four miso ramen for himself, and said to bring his friends whatever they wanted, and put it on his tab. Naruto was about to take his first bite when an ANBU ninja shun-shinned into the eatery. The ANBU had straight, purple hair reaching down to her waist, warm brown eyes, peeking out of a porcelain mask resembling a cat with three red stripes, one vertical stripe on the forehead and two horizontal stripes, one on each cheek. She was wearing the standard ANBU uniform, consisting of black and grey armor, metal arm guards and a katana strapped to her back, as well as the signature ANBU tattoo on her right shoulder. Yugao looks hot in her ANBU uniform, he thought, for once there was something in his life, more important to him than eating ramen. Luckily nobody in his team noticed his pause in eating what he called, food of the gods. Naruto eyed the chunin ANBU, but before he could even get the bite to his mouth the ANBU spoke up, "Team Seven is to report to the Hokage's office as soon as possible," she spoke to our sensei, then looked around the establishment and lingered only a fraction longer on him, before shun-shinning away again. It may have been his imagination, but he noticed a small smile on her lips, when she caught him checking her out in her uniform.
Anko immediately stood up, a little too quickly, she had a big smile on her face. Sasuke and Sakura stood up as well, but Naruto remained seated and continued to eat his ramen. "Let's go Viper Team," Anko said, and made to leave the stand, followed by the other two.
"Why are you leaving," Naruto asked, and continued to eat his ramen bowls, although at a substantially accelerated rate?
"Didn't you hear, the Hokage wants us to report immediately," Sakura reminded him?
"I heard, as soon as possible," Naruto said resolutely, between bites, "which means after you finish what you are currently doing." Naruto was already on his second bowl, "if the Hokage had wanted us there immediately, the ANBU would have used the word 'immediately' not the phrase, 'as soon as possible'."
Anko was about to refute his words when the logic of what he was saying made since. Having served as a member of the Hokage's ANBU detail in the past, she knew messages were required to be delivered verbatim, no addition or subtraction of any word was allowed. Anko's shoulders slumped, she had been so close, "he's right team," she told them sadly, "if the Hokage wanted us there immediately, the message would have included the word 'immediately'," Naruto's sensei sighed, "you can finish your soups, and then we'll head to the Hokage's office." Anko grabbed some chopsticks and began slowly and methodically consuming her meal. Naruto grumbled something about calling the food of the gods, "soup" in its own house of worship. The other two just smiled at the antics of their family and tucked into their own meals.
The Office of the Hokage…
There was a tone on the Hokage's intercom, "Yes," Mikoto's voice answered.
"Team Seven, to see you Lady Hokage," her receptionist's voice came over the devise.
"It's about time," Mikoto called out, "show them in, right now." Mikoto took the time to look over the occupants already in her office, Tazuna was lounging on the same sofa he occupied earlier, while Yugao stood, sans mask, to the side looking straight ahead. Uzuki Yugao, the chunin ANBU, call sign: Neko (Cat), though without her mask, she could not be addressed as an ANBU operative, she had to be treated like any other chunin, and Tazuna, not even being a citizen of Konoha, let alone a ninja, did not know she was an Elite Ninja even among ninja, when he saw her, he made a snide comment about letting little girls fight battles meant for men.
Yugao did not acknowledge the slight, but her eyes did harden until Mikoto, rebuked Tazuna about his comments, "Are you saying that I shouldn't be in battles either," the Hokage asked? Tazuna looked confused, until the Hokage informed him that no Hokage inherited their position, they were appointed by a panel that included the Daimyo, and the Village Ruling Council, and among the criteria for selection was strength and power in battle. She then warned Tazuna, that one more crack about her ninja, she would cancel their contract and have him escorted out of Konoha.
The door opened and in walked, Team Seven, having heard the Hokage's exclamation they were apprehensive about this meeting. "What took you so long, I sent Cat to get you fifteen minutes ago," Mikoto asked more curious than upset.
It was Naruto who spoke up, willing to take whatever happened for his misinterpretation, "It's my fault Hokage-sama," he said before Anko could offer an explanation. "we were having lunch, and I wouldn't leave the food of the gods, especially since I was paying for it."
Mikoto smiled, "ah, well a copper saved is a copper earned," and with that, the rest of Viper breathed a sigh of relief, they thought they were in trouble, "now, to business," Mikoto said, putting the entire issue out of her mind. The Hokage gave cursory introductions, "Team Seven, meet Uzuki Yugao, she will be accompanying you on the mission, I am just about to brief you on," she told them.
Anko and Yugao smiled, but Anko spoke, "Oh, I know who she is Hokage-sama," she said stepping forward and hugging the purple-haired woman, "we were on a three-year mission, together. I was sempai on this mission," Anko grinned nostalgically, the phrase 'on a three-year mission,' was code for in ANBU, since standard recruitment in ANBU is three years, ninja in ANBU are said to be on a three-year mission. When they leave and return to the regular ninja forces, they are said to return from a successful three-year mission and are all, but guaranteed promotion to jonin.
"Indeed," the woman known as Cat added, "when she was my sempai, I plotted several scenarios that would allow me to assassinate this sadistic bitch, but now she is like a sister to me." Naruto moved, until he was standing behind the woman as she spoke, which caught every ninja in the office's attention, because she had no objection to his position, and ANBU are very picky in whom they allow to stand behind them.
"Hello," Sasuke greeted shaking her hand, grinning from ear to ear, deliberately not looking at Naruto.
"Hi," Sakura added with a bit of (KI) killer intent, as she eyed the chunin with suspicion.
Naruto remained in his position, and said not a word, Yugao did not turn her head away from her Hokage, who kept an unreadable expression on her face, before starting the briefing. "The reason I have called you all here, is because I am sending Team Seven, and a member of my personal guard detail, on a C/B-ranked mission," she told them.
There was a mixture of astonishment and confusion, as well as a small amount of joy and anticipation. "I know, you, Yugao and you, Anko, find the unusual ranking troubling, that is because the job is likely to be a B-ranking, while the pay will be C-ranked." Mikoto pointed to Tazuna, "This is Tazuna, master bridge-builder from Naminokuni (Wave Nation). He has come to us and asked for us to guard him while he completes his bridge connecting Wave to Fire, the bridge when complete, will open up more trade between our nations."
"From what or whom does he need guarding," Yugao asked?
"I was coming to that," Mikoto told them, "it seems the shipping magnate, Gato has recently entered Wave and has gained a stranglehold over the economy. He has taken control of the shipping ports, which are the lifeblood of the economy there in Nami."
"I see," Sasuke added, "with the bridge completed it would cripple this Gato person's monopoly on the nation," Mikoto nodded and smiled with pride at her son's perception of events.
"There are rumors that Gato, is more than just a legitimate business man, but a smuggler as well," Anko added, "dealing in everything from drugs to slavery."
"They're more than rumors in Wave," Tazuna broke in harshly, "I have seen his vile corruption with my own eyes, and he has no problem getting his hands dirty." The old man seemed to visibly shrink, "some months ago, my son-in-law tried to get the people to form a revolt against Gato," there were tears in the bridge-builder's eyes, "Gato's men rounded him up, and made an example of him, by crucifying him. Now, my grandson has lost all hope and faith in anything, he just sits and looks out the window or at Kaiza's photograph. It's not just the economic issues that made me want to build my bridge, but what the bridge represents: hope."
"Even so, why hire ninja, regular guards would be cheaper, if all you were worried about were a bunch of thugs," Naruto added his own indirect observations.
"That's correct Naruto," the Hokage replied, "Tazuna came here to hire us, because Gato has hired his own ninja to augment his forces," Mikoto sighed "which is why I gave this mission that unusual ranking, Tazuna doesn't know the names of the ninja, but it is safe to say they are missing-nin. If Gato is in the illegal import and export of illicit goods, he cannot go to any of the other ninja villages since they all report to their respective Heads of State, and such things are illegal to varying degrees in all nations. That was the reason for my unusual designation for the mission. We have no way of knowing how many ninja are arrayed against you, or what caliber they will be. This type of mission would normally be given at least a B-ranking, but Tazuna cannot afford anything higher than a C-ranked mission, but his bridge is vital to both nations to complete. Which is why I have called in a genin team, and a chunin from my personal guard detail, to escort him back to Wave, and guard him until he completes the bridge."
"When do we leave Hokage-sama," Sakura asked?
"You will need to leave as soon as you get your gear," Mikoto said, staring at her son. "It is a two-day journey to Wave Nation," Hokage informed them, "and the bridge-builder assures me that the bridge is only a month from completion." They all nodded, already thinking of the journey ahead. "Dismissed!"
Anko began issuing instructions to her team. "Go home and gather everything you think you might need for a month-long journey," she told them, "meet me at the Main gate in one hour," they nodded their understanding, "Go!"
The Hokage, removed her hat and took her robes off, she now stood in a normal yukata, and hakama. "Sasuke, honey," his mother called, "would you care to escort your mother home?"
Sasuke looked at his mother, and nodded, "of course mom," he said warmly, holding out his elbow for his mother to loop her arm through, "I would be honored."
Everybody exited the tower and started to go their separate ways, when Mikoto called out to Naruto, "Naruto, would you please come by the Uchiha compound, once you are in your full kit?"
"I'll be there godmother," Naruto called back as he waved.
Naruto went home and with help from his parents, packed everything he would need for two months, he stowed everything he needed in a huge storage scroll. He placed Totsuka no Tsurugi in its sheathe and Akai Shi, his mother's O-katana in its sheathe. Over his normal ninja attire, he would wear, a wolverine hide-oil-duster longcoat, in which, he kept another half month's gear locked inside seals, on the back of the coat taking up most of the surface, was a combined replica of the Uzumaki and Namikaze crests (see icon at the top for a description). One thing his parents stressed while training him, there is no such thing as being too prepared, but also, it is impossible to prepare for everything.
Once he had everything arrayed before him he began to kit up. The sheathe for Totsuka went on first, followed immediately by the longcoat, buttoning it all the way up to his neck. Naruto sheathed Totsuka, and practiced drawing and sheathing it to make sure it was easy to get to, and placed the storage scroll on straps even with his butt. The longcoat had huge pockets, both carried the ninja tools he may need, this was in addition to the ninja tools he always carried with him. The longcoat had a cinch strap looped around the middle, and on the left side, angled above the pocket, Naruto strapped his mother's blade. Again, he practiced drawing and sheathing his weapons, this time all weapons were drawn, and practiced with before being returned to ready.
Naruto walked to the hall foyer and tied on his flexible combat boots. On the shoe stand lay his forehead protector, with black, wraparound shades, and a boonie hat, the same color and material as the longcoat. He threaded the crimson forehead protector, through loops of the boonie hat and tied it tight. Naruto placed the shades on his face and the boonie hat, over his blonde locks. He walked out of the house, nodding to a clone, one advantage he found, was shadow clones do not need food, or sleep, and that made them the perfect guards. He walked to the gate of his house, closing, and sealing it.
The Uchiha, since they were the Police Force of Konoha, were right in the middle of the village. To reach the Main gate, one had to either go around, or through their compound. Naruto made it to the Uchiha Estate, exactly thirty minutes after the meeting in the Hokage's office. He removed his glasses, looping a stem into the cinch and threw the boonie hat back as he approached the gate, even he, did not recognize himself in his gear. The gate guards gave him a thorough screening to make sure Naruto was who he claimed to be. Hey, the Uchiha are all policemen, and their estate was the civilian jail, where criminals awaited the judgement of the magistrate for the month, one of the Clan Council. "Ah, Naruto," one of the guards said, after confirming his identity, "Lady Uchiha informed us you might drop by," he then added, "you remember the way to the main living area, I'm sure." Naruto nodded the affirmative, if they found his taciturn nature unusual they did not say anything about it. They were ninja too, and remembered their first few missions outside the village, and how exciting they were. The excitement tends to erode after your first few, real fights.
Outside the main family's house, Naruto noticed a small gathering outside on the lawn. Mikoto, Fugaku, Itachi, Shisui, and even Kurenai, were standing, and seemed to be waiting for something when Naruto walked up. They all turned and smiled, Mikoto was the first one to speak, "welcome Naruto, this is a tradition when the Uchiha undertake their first mission outside of the village."
"The immediate family gather around to celebrate the Uchiha taking their place in society," her husband continued.
Just then, Sasuke walks out of his house, he was also dressed differently. He was wearing a midnight-blue high-collared shirt, a midriff-exposing flak jacket, and light blue pants, with brown arm guards covering his forearms, a light brown poncho with the Uchiha crest on back, over a brown belt and white bandages wrapped up to his knees on both legs, and a pair of shinobi sandals. His forehead protector was in the usual place, but strapped to his sides, along his thighs were a pair of sai. They approached taking their measure and appraising each other, then Sasuke broke into a grin, half a second before Naruto. "I see you found a way to cover-up that eye-sore hair color," Sasuke joked.
"Hey," Naruto shot back, "the only thing colorful about you is your personality," then they fist bumped.
"Alright," Fugaku called out, "the tradition, I was telling Naruto about, is for the genin to take a shot of sakè, with his or her immediate family," Sasuke's dad filled sakè cups for everybody and passed them around. "Naruto, I know we are not your immediate family," Fugaku stated, "but your father was my cousin, his mother my aunt, and you are Mikoto's godson, as far as I'm concerned you are family, would you please share in this tradition with us?"
Naruto was stunned, of course he knew from his father of his family tree, but to be invited to take part in this, was overwhelming. Besides, Fugaku did not know about his parents living in his mind, Naruto took his glasses off his coat and put them on, "It would be a great honor, cousin."
Mikoto, Fugaku, Shisui, Kurenai, Itachi, and now Sasuke, studiously ignore the liquid dripping from below Naruto's glasses. "Then a toast to Naruto and Sasuke, our hopes and prayers go with them," Fugaku led his family in a toast."
"May they represent their village with honor," Mikoto added her blessing.
"May they remember their training," Shisui added.
"May they live as an example to the other two teams," Kurenai put in.
"May they return stronger and wiser than when they left," Itachi told them.
"May we return together, or not at all," Sasuke added his toast.
"May Viper Team, grow and prosper, and become Legends," Naruto added his prayer.
"May you all return better than you were before," Minato input with his own sakè cup.
"May the King of Kings, shield you with his might, and bless you with his grace," Naruto's mother said.
"May you not Die, kit," Naruto's tenant added, though Kurama had no sakè to drink.
And, all except the Fox drank their sakè.