Chapter 7: Fruitful Labors
Uchiha Clan Compound, Konohagakure no Sato
Another evening was disrupted by the terrors of his memories. Sasuke thought that maybe the shadow clone training from yesterday would have been the start of peaceful slumber. But once he gained the hang of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, the nightmares started to recommence. He was no longer fatigued after using the technique, and was starting to actually train with a steady and solid clone.
Following his success, he watched from his dreams as his older brother began to slaughter his clan horrendously. He couldn't understand why this needed to happen to him. He earnestly tried his best to get rid of the visions, the memories. But he would be tormented nonetheless every single night. He honestly wished that he did not get proficient with the Kage Bunshin. Those times he struggled with the learning the technique were some of the best nights of his life.
Now, he was practicing with Kage Bunshin, trying to learn the Housenka no Jutsu. Now, with the shadow clone, he could learn that technique a little more efficiently. He still had no idea what he needed to learn the Housenka, but he was determined to learn the technique.
The beauty of the Kage Bunshin, besides retaining the memories of the clone, was that the clone shared the same amount of chakra as the original. That meant that the clone could use or practice jutsu that was within the boundaries of its chakra reserves. The only technique a shadow clone could not use was the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (which makes sense once you think about it), but they are able to use any other technique.
The training was proving fruitful, more so than if he was to do it on his own. With two of him, he was able to practice at twice the time, learning from his mistakes twice as fast as before. He soon realized that he was putting too much chakra into his hand seals when he performed the Housenka. More specifically, he was putting too much chakra into a certain hand seal, lessening the size of the fireballs he unleashed. He quickly found the right chakra for that specific hand seal, and was able to get the Housenka to the proper size.
But it still wasn't enough. The Housenka did not have the power that he remembered. The fireballs start off very powerful, but burns out after a few meters of travel. He couldn't understand why it would extinguish so quickly, but he had an idea. He was running out of time, however, as the horizon was blanketed by the welcoming golden rays of the eastern sun. He needed to get ready for morning training.
As he looked into his closet, searching for his outfit for the day, he remembered the shocking words Hinata said 4 days ago.
Training Grounds #7, Konohagakure no Sato (4 Days Ago)
"Um…Everyone?" Hinata suddenly said, gathering everyone's attention. "M-my family…the H-Hyuuga Clan, is f-formally i…i-inviting you to one of our b-banquets…"
Hinata was incredibly shy when she brought forth the invitation to her team. She was fidgeting apprehensively, brushing her forefingers together in a habitual manner. She sent nervous glances at Naruto, blushing deeper with ever look.
Naruto, on the other hand, had a confused look on his face. "Invite? Banquet? What does that mean?"
Sasuke palmed his face. "She says she's want us to come over for dinner."
"Me? Dinner?" Naruto asked skeptically.
Hinata nodded timidly. She did not know how Hanabi managed to convince their father to invite Team 7 to dinner at the Hyuuga Clan Compound, but she was really happy that she would be eating with Naruto.
"Not for me." Sasuke said, waving his hands aside. "I'm not interested in dinners with the Hyuuga."
"Hey Sasuke, why not just go for Hinata? For your team?" Kakashi asked.
"Hn." Sasuke mumbled aggressively.
"It's okay, Hatake-sensei." Hinata said, staring at the floor. "He doesn't have to come if he don't want to…" She trailed off at the end of her sentence.
"Well, if the prick ain't wanna come, I'll go Hinata-chan." Naruto said with a smile. "I've never been invited to a dinner before, I bet it's gonna be fun!"
"Naruto…" Hinata said. "Yes! It's going to be a lot of fun!" She gave Naruto a big smile, which Naruto returned with his golden grin.
"Well, if anyone cares about my opinions, then I want to come to." Kakashi said, feeling slightly left out. "We are looking forward to your hospitality."
"Everyone, please make sure to come in formal outfits." Hinata said. "We look forward to catering you one week from now." She gave another smile before departing to her home.
Naruto stood there with a deadpan expression on his face. He blinked twice, trying to understand the last statement Hinata made.
"Huh?" He finally said, breaking himself out of his stupor.
Uchiha Clan Compound, Konohagakure no Sato
He was very adamant about refusing her offer, but he began to reconsider. With him as the only Uchiha left in Konoha, there was no point in keeping petty grudges. Besides, Hinata was the only Hyuuga he actually knew and He found her not at all annoying. Unlike the rest of the "Sasuke Fan Club," Hinata has not expressed any romantic interest in him. She had goals that were somewhat respectable, and she seemed to have her priorities straight. Certainly, he preferred Hinata over the blond and pink-haired harpies that plague his every step.
He was more or less frustrated with her irritating introversion. She was shy beyond comprehension, stuttered like there was no tomorrow, and could not stop blushing for the life of her. Although Hinata was definitely much more tolerable than Ino or Sakura, she was by no means a stupendous shinobi in her own right. Truthfully, Sasuke believed that Hinata would have made a better housewife than a kunoichi. She was passive, submissive, and obedient. Sasuke did not want to be disrespectful to her, or to any female for that matter. But every single female he has met has disappointed him. He has not met a single kunoichi that could live up to his expectations.
Regardless of what he thought of the timid Hyuuga heiress, foresight dictated that he should not just simply outright shun the girl, especially when he was tasked with her tutelage.
Sasuke pinched his brow in irritation. Why did Kakashi leave him to teaching Hinata as well? Dammit, is the stupid perverted jounin actually going to teach them something?
Sasuke already had Naruto to help, as per according to the deal they set up. And while Sasuke hated to admit it, Naruto was steadily improving. His form was becoming more fluid, allowing him to link attacks more efficiently. He is positioning his body in proper manners to allow him to deviate between offense and defense at a given moment. His attacks utilize as much of the body's muscles as possible to deliver the most impact for each hit. With Naruto steadily learning the basics of combat, he should begin to search for a taijutsu style that fits his mindset.
But Hinata…she was a hell of a lot more difficult to teach. She was always expecting herself to fail and could not grasp the concepts that Sasuke was trying to impose on her. Every time he lifted his hands, Hinata's entire body would visibly flinch in an odd manner. He presumed that this was a natural reaction for the poor girl, and he started to wonder why she even had such a reaction. Of course, he cared about the girl as far as he could throw her, and he did not even bother to ask why.
She, too, made a little progress over the last 4 days. Her shurikenjutsu was terrible at the beginning. She had decent aim at 10 to 20 meters, but following 30 to 50 she began to fumble with her throws. Much like Naruto, her form was terrible. She was not using her legs to assist in increasing the power and speed of the flings, and she did not flick her wrists to provide curvature in the trajectory of the small projectile. She did not take into account wind speed and other variables that affect the travel path of the shuriken, and most importantly she was not evening bothering using the Byakugan to get the most insight for her pitches and throws. It was obvious that she was a complete novice at this.
Sasuke took his time to remember when he was this bad at shurikenjutsu. Everything he learned was self-taught. He always tried to get Itachi, the prodigal Uchiha Elite, to help him understand the concepts and science behind a simple shuriken throw, but Itachi was always busy. Sasuke winced at his memories of his older brother. Yet, deep down inside, it brought him some strange comfort and nostalgia.
Fugaku was an even worse mentor. He could care little about Sasuke's progress with his jutsu or shuriken practice. He gave no hints or advice that could help Sasuke improve, and he spent all of his focus on Itachi, whose milestone accomplishments were quickly placing him in the upper echelons of the village power.
Now they were all gone. No Aniki to help him learn new jutsu and techniques. No Otou-sama to try to impress. No one.
It was a hassle trying to teach Hinata, but he actually began to like it. He reasoned it was because she was growing slightly better with each passing day (and thus much less of a burden towards his ambition). Yet he was genuinely happy with every accomplishment she and Naruto made as they furthered their training. It made him feel a little better about himself, and it gave him a sort of recognition he had not received from his own family. So Sasuke won't complain anymore about the teaching assignment Kakashi forced on his shoulders.
His leadership role, on the other hand…
He understood that Naruto was too incompetent to be an effective leader. Sure, the blonde idiot show promise with his potential, but Naruto just did not understand tactics and strategies well enough to be looked upon as a source of insight. Naruto's ideals, while noble, were too unrealistic to be considered for a genuine leadership role. Never give up? Sometimes a leader must give up in order to reach the ultimate goal. A leader must have foresight, the ability to see into the future, to try and grasp the bigger picture. Naruto did not have those features.
Hinata had very apparent self-esteem issues. She doubted herself far too often, as if she had some sort of inferiority complex. She was weak-willed and hesitant, and could not cope with the stress of a high pressure leadership position (She probably would blush or faint. Most likely faint). Hinata was kind and considerate, and such attributes allow a leader to bind his comrades together. But kindness is not enough to guarantee the success of a mission.
That left Sasuke. The dark, brooding loner of the group. The person that would easily abandon his teammates if it meant a chance to kill Itachi. He would certainly be the least fit to be the leader of Team 7. Yet Kakashi believed him to be the most capable. Personally, he would give his burden to Naruto. He was the one that wanted to be the Hokage. Let Naruto learn from experience. He may be dumb, but he is not stupid. He could learn from his mistakes.
He did not understand the thought process of his sensei. In fact, he could not understand his sensei at all. How did he have a Sharingan to begin with? When Sasuke saw Kakashi's Sharingan (fully matured, no less), it actually terrified him into complying with Kakashi's demands. There was a curious method to Kakashi's madness, but Sasuke could not put his finger on it. He wanted to know a little more about the enigma known as Hatake Kakashi but, like Hinata, he only cared about him as far as he could throw him.
And he could not throw Kakashi that far.
Training Grounds #7, Konohagakure no Sato
Four shuriken landed on their targets in multiple areas. There were two shuriken protruding from the outer regions of the circular target engraved on the bark of the tree, followed by one in the middle region and one at the direct center. Hinata wiped the sweat that was accumulating on her forehead; that was her 78th toss over the last 3 hours. She finally got her first shuriken to hit the center of the target.
Hinata was standing about 45 meters away from the tree. Usually, she would entirely miss the target, throwing the shuriken into the bushes on the side of the tree or the leaves at the canopy. As she practiced harder and harder, the frequency in which she missed her throws steadily declined. Now she was able to hit the target 7 out of 11 times, albeit mostly at the outer regions. She was very giddy about her recent accomplishment.
"D-did you see that, S-Sasuke-san?" She said in her most excitable voice. Despite the glee she was feeling, she still stuttered and her voice was still rather low.
"Hn." Sasuke mumbled unimpressed. He pulled 4 shuriken from his holster and threw them one after the other. The first one landed dead in the center of the target, next to Hinata's shuriken. The second one landed several millimeters from the first one. The third, and the fourth, followed suit, each with miniscule distances from each other. Hinata frowned at the display of Sasuke's shuriken-throwing prowess.
"You shouldn't be proud of such an accomplishment, Hyuuga." Sasuke said condescendingly. "Even I have room for improvement."
"W-what do you mean, Sasuke-san…?" Hinata asked in a depressed tone. She knew better than to try to find recognition from Sasuke. The boy was colder than her own father.
"If I was proficient with my throws, the last three shuriken would have ricocheted off the first shuriken. That would have meant all four of my shuriken hit the dead center."
"I…I see…" Hinata said. At that moment, Sasuke sounded like a total perfectionist, much like her father. At least he did not beat her to the brink of unconsciousness. She was grateful for at least that.
"Aw, don't listen to that stickler, Hinata-chan!" Naruto said all of a sudden, patting Hinata on the shoulder. "He's got a stick shoved so far up his ass. He's full of shit."
Sasuke said nothing. He made Naruto's favorite hand sign and formed a shadow clone. Naruto did the same. Both clones walked away from their originals and began to spar, seeing which one would dispel first. Naruto and Sasuke do not try to spar with each other now. Unless they were going for an all-out rumble, they allowed their shadow clones to engage in proxy spars. So far, the record is 23 to 60 in Sasuke's favor.
"That's not to say that your improvement should go unnoticed." Sasuke said, continuing his previous conversation with Hinata. "Now that you've managed to hit the center of the target, I'll let you chose what we work on next: longer distances, mobile targets, or shuriken throwing with the Byakugan."
Hinata thought for a several seconds. All three options were exceedingly difficult, but all realistic nonetheless. She wanted to work on maintaining her Byakugan for longer periods of time, so she made the obvious choice. She'll save mobile targets for when she becomes truly proficient with the shuriken.
"I see. Very well then, we'll begin training tomorrow, same time." Sasuke said. He was met with a gracious bow from Hinata before she turned to continue her practice. "Wait!" Sasuke shouted before she began. "I…er…would like to join your coming banquet…"
Hinata's smile grew very wide and sunny. "You will, Sasuke-san?" She asked in excitement.
"Yeah." He answered.
"No, don't come!" Naruto shouted indignantly. "I wanna spend all my time with Hinata-chan! I don't want the teme to come and ruin it!" His comment earned him a deep red blush from Hinata.
"Hn." Sasuke mumbled again. He was not interested in Naruto's petty antics.
"Ah, so all of Team 7 is going to the formal Hyuuga dinner?" Kakashi suddenly said, frightening the wits out of poor Hinata. Naruto was startled as well, but he was not as white as the Hyuuga heiress.
"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto screamed.
"Give it a rest, dobe." Sasuke said. "He's been late three hours for the last week."
"Ehehehe…" Naruto chuckled nervously. "Force of habit I guess?"
"I'm glad to see that everyone is training so vigorously! It makes me so happy that I am your sensei!" Kakashi said with a smile. Naruto and Sasuke deadpanned. First Kakashi was not teaching them much, now he was taking all the credit.
"Don't worry, my cute little students!" Kakashi said elatedly. It was as if the Cyclops was capable of reading their minds. "When I have deemed your teamwork adequate enough, we'll begin with the chakra control training."
"Dammit!" Naruto said frustrated. "All we've been doing are stupid games and shit! How the hell does that 'build teamwork?'"
Naruto was referring to the series of exercises that Kakashi had them engage in following the missions over the last 4 days. One of the exercises, Kakashi had formed a miniature maze using Doton, blindfolded Hinata, and had the two male genin navigate her way through.
"Those exercises teach trust." Kakashi said. "When one is blindfolded, the fear of the unknown kicks into high gear. It goes double for men, since we…uh…have our…um…packages to protect…Anyways. The point is that one relies on the instruction of others to gain insight on the obstacles in their path. If one provides good instruction, one's partner can navigate with ease, avoiding as much damage as possible. However, if one provides bad instruction, the road becomes treacherous and unforgiving. That's why trust is essential."
"But Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto rebutted. "I think we trust each other enough. Well, I can't really trust the no good, dirty, rotten, selfish bastard."
"Glad that you are being honest, Naruto." Kakashi said. "Well, if you can't trust Sasuke, than that means your teamwork is not going to improve. Which means I don't need to teach you anything."
Naruto and Sasuke both pouted. Sasuke, of all people, knew just how far one can get from self-teaching. It's not enough, and he is slowly reaching a plateau in terms of what he can actually learn. If he doesn't learn something new, he's not going to gain any strength.
"Um…Hatake-sensei…" Hinata said, after recovering from her shock. "D-do you have our first m-mission of the day?"
Kakashi began to chuckle, much in the same way as when they first met on the top of the Academy rooftops. That was a sign of something ominous to come.
"It's time." Kakashi said with finality.
"Time…time for what?" Naruto asked, squinting his eyes in confusion.
Time seemed to stop as all three genin took in the silence that engulfed them. They were suddenly aware of the running water of the creek, the birds chirping in the trees, and the leaves rustling by the wind. Naruto gulped audibly, unnerving Hinata at the pure suspense of the moment. Even Sasuke had sweat roll down his face. Finally, Kakashi broke the silence of the moment in the most menacing voice he could muster.
"That mission…"
Forests, Land of Fire
They have been chasing leads for hours. Apparently, there was eyewitness reports of the target seen around this area. Kakashi ordered Team 7 to scour the entire area for any signs of the VIP. Fortunately, they did not have long to look.
"Um…Hatake-sensei," Hinata's timid voice said over the radio. "I-I've found prints left in the mud that l-lead into the creek…"
"Darn it," Kakashi cursed under his breath. "The VIP couldn't have escaped using creek, could he?"
"That's a negative, Kakashi." Sasuke said. "I'm picking up movement in the nearby grove. Should I pursue?"
"Negative Sasuke." Kakashi said. "Naruto, Hinata, I want you to rendezvous with Sasuke and surround the target. Sasuke, monitor the VIP's movements and make sure he does not leave your sights, do you copy?"
"Affirmative, Kakashi." Sasuke answered.
"Seriously? I didn't catch a single word any of ya guys said, over." Naruto said.
"Naruto…" Hinata said. She could have sworn she had the sound of a palm hitting the flesh of the face from two different sources on the radio.
"Just…just meet up with Sasuke, Naruto." Kakashi clarified.
"Oh, got it, over." Naruto said.
Hinata and Naruto managed to meet up with Sasuke. They found that Sasuke had indeed found the VIP, playing happily with the butterflies in the area.
"What's the distance to the target?" Kakashi asked.
"Five meters." Sasuke replied. "I'm ready anytime."
"M-me too…"Hinata said.
"I'm ready too,over." Naruto said.
"Idiot, there is no need to say 'over' at the end of radio communications."
"But…but in all the movies I watch, they do that all the time!"
"Do you honestly think this is a-"
"Enough." Kakashi said coldly. "Focus on retrieving the VIP."
Sasuke and Naruto both grumbled under their voices. At the end of the annoyed grumbling, Naruto managed to slip in an "over."
"When I give the word, all three of you will block all exit paths. Naruto, use your Kage Bunshin no Jutsu to surround the VIP. Meanwhile, Hinata and Sasuke will focus on extraction. Do you understand your objectives."
"Yes!" All three of the genin said simultaneously, with Naruto adding a stubborn "over" at the end.
"All right then…" Kakashi said, building up the tension with the seconds of silence. "GO!"
Immediately, Naruto formed over 50 clones in a wide arc, blocking off the VIP's exit ways. The Narutos began to jump at the VIP in waves of 5, trying to subdue the VIP and accomplish the mission. But the VIP was too slippery, dodging every futile attempt with relative ease.
After about 3 waves of futile suppression attempts, Sasuke entered the fray.
"Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted in his first official attempt at the jutsu.
The incoming volley of fireballs frightened the VIP, who scurried to dodge the rain of flame. As the fireballs pelted the ground near the VIP, she closed her eyes in acceptance of the inevitable death that would befall it.
Fortunately, that was not the case. The VIP was gently lifted from its curled position and softly petted and reassured.
"Don't be afraid, kitty." Hinata said in the softest, nonaggressive voice she had. "Everything is going to be okay. I'll protect you."
The VIP, a cat by the name of Tora, stopped shivering under the tender hold of the Hyuuga heiress. Tora began to lick at Hinata's palms, expressing her gratefulness for having her life save.
"Sasuke-san, you really should not have used that jutsu." Hinata said in a scolding that sounded like a mother's concern.
"I agree with Hinata." Kakashi said, appearing from the canopy of the trees. "There was no need for such show of force. You could have easily burned the VIP with that technique."
"Hn." Sasuke merely grunted, not interested in expressing why he used the Housenka. During a search and retrieve mission like this, it was the perfect opportunity to test out his new jutsu. It was outside the village, so it threatened no property. Plus, Sasuke did not even attempt to hurt the cat. The flames were used as a distraction, leading the cat into the loving embrace of the passive Hyuuga. He did not see the problem with what he did.
"Sweet! Mission accomplished!" Naruto said with satisfaction. "Hey Hinata-chan, can I see the kitty?"
"S-sure, Naruto-kun…" She said, giving up possession of Tora.
"Aw, who's a cute kitty? Yes you are, yes y-ACK!" The cat began to violently tear at Naruto's face with its claws. "Psycho kitty! Get 'em off of me! Get 'em off!"
"So, to verify. There was indeed a ribbon on the kitten's right ear?" Kakashi asked Hinata, ignoring Naruto's cries of despair.
"Yes. T-there was a red ribbon cutely tied to the kitten's ear." Hinata said with a mild blush. Even though the kitten was clawing Naruto to death, she did find it very adorable.
"The target shares anatomic similarities with the objective." Sasuke said. "I can say with certainty that the subject is indeed the VIP Tora."
"Great. 'Lost Pet Tora' search mission complete!" Kakashi said. "You know, with this mission, you are officially genin. I had to chase after Tora's father, Shishi, when I was a genin. I'm so proud of you."
"Proud my ass! Now get this cat off of me!" Naruto shouted as the cat continued to claw his face into diced salami.
Hokage Tower, Konohagakure no Sato
"Congratulations on accomplishing your mission, Team 7." Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, said with a bright smile. "You know, with this mission, you are officially genin. I had to chase after Tora's great-grandmother, Hyō, when I was a genin. I'm so proud of you."
"Yeah, save the speech for someone who cares, old man!" Naruto shouted with a scowl. He was not happy that the cat had ripped his face to shreds. Now how was he going to ask Sakura out?
"HEY!" Iruka, the Sandaime's mission adviser, shouted. "Learn to treat your Hokage with more respect!"
"It's not my fault I defeated him with a single jutsu!" Naruto rebutted. "He don't deserve my respect! In fact, YA don't deserve my respect either! I defeated ya with the same technique I beat the old man with! Hell, Kakashi don't deserve my respect!"
The room was silent as the three men shared a moment. All three were single-handedly defeated by Naruto's perverted ninjutsu. They all wanted to be ashamed of themselves, but the inner pervert within them refused to let go of its pride.
The Sandaime cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention and changing the embarrassing topic. "Now…" He said, taking a puff of his pipe. "Kakashi's Team #7, your next duty is…Babysitting an elder's grandson, shopping in the neighboring village, and helping with the potato digging. You have a choice as to what you want to do first."
"NO, NO, NO NO!" Naruto screamed, stomping his feet with each successive "NO." "No thank you! I want to do, ya know, a more incredible mission! Find us a better one!"
'I agree with the dobe.' Sasuke thought. These D-rank missions were not testing his abilities. The training could only go so far, and his spars with Naruto were very limited. He could not fight to the death with the blond idiot, after all.
'Naruto-kun…' Hinata thought worriedly.
'It seems the time has finally come' Kakashi said. 'Though I did hope that we would receive their first C-rank after they began the chakra control exercises.'
"You idiot, you are just a rookie!" Iruka shouted again. Naruto merely tossed him an annoyed glare. "Everyone starts off with simple duties and work their way up!"
"But! But!" Naruto yelled, scrambling to find the best rebuttal. "We keep getting the crappiest duties!" He evidently was unable to find a good argument and reverted to merely screaming his previous point again.
Kakashi knocked Naruto upside his head with his palm. "Be quiet you!" He said with an authoritarian tone.
"Naruto!" The Sandaime called out, shifting the position of his pipe to better communicate his coming points. "It seems I have to explain to you what these duties are all about."
He went on to explain the economics behind Hidden Villages. Villages received requests from outside parties to complete tasks that are laid out before them. These tasks are varying in difficulty, so they are categorized in terms of ranks, from S-rank (the most difficult and dangerous missions) to D-rank (the most passive and menial missions). He began to explain the economic theory behind the mercenary lifestyle of the shinobi and how it was the most efficient means of support their lifestyle.
The Sandaime explained the basic ranks of a shinobi: Jounin, Chuunin, and Genin. He elaborated on what missions each rank were expected to do, with Jounin doing S- and A-rank missions, Chuunin doing B- and C-rank missions, and Genin doing D-rank missions. It seemed like a completely comprehendible lecture. But it was a lecture no less, and Naruto's attention immediately diverted to yesterday's lunch.
"HEY! LISTEN!" The Sandaime shouted fairy-ishly in a rare fit of anger.
"I…I apologize…" Kakashi said, trying to save face.
Naruto would not relent his opinions. "Geez! All you do is give me lectures like that! But ya know what? I'm not the trouble making brat you still think I am!"
'I'm going to get yelled at later for this…' Kakashi thought with a sigh. Although he was proud of Naruto asserting his own opinions, he could have (more preferably) done this at a situation where Kakashi could not possibly get skinned alive.
Hiruzen smirked. 'Hehe, he used to only be able to express himself through pranks.' He thought fondly. The Oiroke no Jutsu and the Harem no Jutsu were ninjutsu that Naruto created in order to gain the attention that he had always craved. He did not care what sort of attention he wanted, as long as he received it. Though this time around, Naruto was searching for a more positive approach. He wanted people to recognize him for his abilities, and he is slowly finding that in his Team, from what Hiruzen can see from his crystal ball.
Which reminded Hiruzen. After this, he really needed to categorize "Harem no Jutsu" as an A-rank technique. It's too dangerous.
"Very well then. If you want a C-rank mission, I can provide a C-rank mission. This is the last C-rank mission for the day, so you don't have any other option."
Sasuke couldn't believe what the Sandaime just said. He equally could not believe that the stunt Naruto had pulled actually worked.
"This is an escort mission. A bridge builder needs to be escorted back to his home…"
Naruto and Sasuke both got excited. Finally, a mission that allowed them to-
"in the Land of Waves."
-stay at home.
Hiruzen noticed the rising anticipation and sudden disappointment between the two genin. He was curious as to why that was the case.
"I apologize, Hokage-sama. But we cannot take that mission."
"Pray tell why not?" Hiruzen asked in a sagely manner.
"Hyuuga Hiashi-sama refuses to allow his daughter to leave the country for any mission." Kakashi answered.
Hiruzen immediately thought about the incident 9 years ago. Hinata's kidnapping. Shinobi from Kumogakure entered Konohagakure under the guise of peaceful diplomacy. What they were really after was the dōjutsu of the Hyuuga clan. They kidnapped Hinata, the heir of the Hyuuga clan, but their attempt was nipped at the bud. Ever since then, the Hyuuga has maintained an isolationist mindset, uninterested and hostile against any and all diplomatic channels and travel. They did not allow Hyuuga to leave the country at any time.
Hiruzen could do nothing about the position that the Hyuuga held. He was in charge of basic governance of Konohagakure. Individual clan politics were not under his sphere of influence. As such, he had no say in the matter. All he could do was nod his head in agreement and watch the disappointed looks on all of the genin's faces, including (surprisingly) Hinata. It was times like this where he wished the Hokage had more power, but he believed that Konoha's political system was efficient and capable of satisfying the majority of parties.
"If it's not too much trouble," Kakashi began. "we would like to come back next week to see if a new C-rank mission is available. For now, we will take the Babysitting mission."
Naruto kicked the ground below him, pissed at the missed opportunity. Sasuke, with his hands in his pockets, gripped his thighs tightly. Hinata just looked down on the floor, avoiding the gaze of the two boys.
"Very well then." Hiruzen said. "Councilwoman Utatane Koharu will be engaged in the planning of the upcoming Chuunin Exams, hosted by Konohagakure this year. She will not be at her home to take care of her grandson, Soyokaze Aki, and as a result filed this mission in the boards. This will be an overnight mission, and she is authorizing full use of her estate for your Team."
Kakashi nodded, understanding affirming the mission briefing in his head.
"If that is all, then you are dismissed." Hiruzen said. Team 7 slowly left the Hokage office, slumping their shoulders in discontent.
"Hokage-sama," Iruka said. "Tazuna-san still needs a ninja squad to escort him back to Wave."
"I know, Iruka-kun." Hiruzen said. "I will give the mission to a squad of experienced genin. I'm sure they'll be more than able to handle bandits and rogues."
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu - Shadow Clone Technique
Katon: Housenka no Jutsu - Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique
Oiroke no Jutsu - Sexy Technique
Harem no Jutsu - Harem Technique
Hey Y'all!
Chapter 7 of Finding Conviction complete! I probably could have wrote more, but I wanted to get this in on my deadline. One of my reviewers said they don't give a damn about how long I take, so long as I provide quality work. While I truly appreciate the sentiment, I need to get my work done by the deadline. Two reasons. One: It builds character. A person that is constantly punctual will be viewed as reliable. I am a very reliable person, and I don't want people to think otherwise. Two: It's preparation for my eventual return to the university. I want to break my habit of procrastination, so I need to start now. That's why I am pretty damn anal about getting my own work in on time. I feel disappointed when I can't.
Speaking of University, my schedule WILL be changing again when I am readmitted into the University. Don't worry, that'll be about 3 months from now. But I will be releasing works less frequently than I am now. The reason is obvious, and I apologize if I can't do three things at once. Oh wait...
Sasuke now has a grasp on Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. It took him several days, but he can now make a Shadow Clone without exhausting himself. As a result, Itachi has decided to revisit our unfortunate protagonist in his dreams. How exactly will Sasuke rid himself of the tormenting nightmares that plague his nights?
Hinata has been getting a little better at shurikenjutsu. Now, she'll be learning how to hit targets using her Byakugan. I'm sorry if it seemed like she is learning a little too fast, but with 3 hours of training a day, you can definitely improve your skills. Besides, she is a shinobi. The learning curve between a shinobi and a civilian is too great a gap. Shinobi could pick things up faster than normal civilians, hence why kids can learn things like medical ninjutsu and other sophisticated anatomical details.
If you haven't guessed it already, then this chapter will finally hit the nail in the head. There will be no Land of Waves arc in this story. Something more exciting is coming about. Who knows? We may even meet a certain criminal organization ahead of schedule? And what will happen to Zabuza, Haku, and Gatou? What about Tazuna?
There is a reference to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in this chapter. Hope you enjoyed.
Week 6 Update: 12 Reviews, 22 Favorites, 34 Followers, 3 Communities, and 2,364 Views! Everyone, please check out the new Community that has accepted Finding Conviction, Appreciating the Hidden Jewels!( community/Appreciating-the-Hidden-Jewels/84920/)
No questions for this week either. Fudge ripples...
Stay tune this Tuesday for True Paths to Power, This Thursday for Finding Conviction, and June 15th for Release from Pain. Thank you so much for reading and see you again next week!
-Blackrazgriz 6/6/2013 2:56PM EST
NOTE (7/18/2013 4:46PM EST): Misuse of a word. Changed "pursuit" into "pursue."