Naruto
After passing the bell test, Naruto has been getting up early and making his way to his team's grounds to train in private. He realized that he was behind his teammates. Even Sasuke, but he wouldn't admit that. The only thing he seemingly excelled at over them were his shadow clones.
He realized that wasn't enough to keep up. Naruto also didn't have any Ninjutsu to practice with, so he decided to use the one thing he did excel at to help him train his Taijutsu. What he didn't realize was that constantly creating shadow clones slowly trained his Chakra Control.
At the same time, he didn't know the real boon of shadow clones. By training against them, he not only gained his knowledge, but that of his clones as well. After two months, his dodging was really improving but countering was taking longer to learn.
Hinata
Hinata was a special case in all of this as she had taken to watching Naruto train at the grounds. Seeing him slowly improve his Taijutsu made her want to do the same, so she began training harder. She had to prove herself strong enough to learn more than just the 32 palms.
She didn't want to become a hindrance to the team. While she wouldn't learn any clan techniques in that span of time, she would improve herself through the academy Jutsus, basics of her clan's style, and Taijutsu she picked up from Naruto and Daichi.
Sasuke
With Daichi around, Sasuke had incentive to pick up his training as he did not want to be outdone. Naruto and Hinata really didn't have any factor in this decision, nor did they detract from his current training.
Sasuke had the Fireball Jutsu in his arsenal, so during these first couple of months as a Genin he worked to advance his Taijutsu and ninja tool skills. He also added a new Ninjutsu to the arsenal. The Phoenix Flower Jutsu.
Daichi
Daichi worked to improve Kenjutsu, Taijutsu, and Chakra Control. He practiced the Ninjutsu he had to make sure they were polished, but he didn't learn anything new. Thanks to his fusion clones, he had gained knowledge. He just chose to focus on other areas.
Forest of Konoha, Couple of Months after becoming Genin…
Team 7 hid in the brush and communicated via ear pieces.
"Sasuke, I'm at point B." Sasuke stated.
Hinata said, "Hinata, I'm at point C."
"Naruto, I'm at point A. Believe it." Naruto stated.
Daichi said, "Daichi, I'm at point D."
"Take it slow this time Naruto." Kakashi warned as a dark figure darted from the brush. "The target has moved! Follow it!"
"Over there!" Naruto shouted urgently.
The whole squad ran forward taking up new positions.
Kakashi asked, "What's your position from the target."
"5 meters. We're ready to move when you give the signal." Daichi replied.
"Move!" Kakashi declared.
Naruto darted forward scooping the cat up which proceeded to scratch his face before jumping into Sasuke's arms and purring.
"Even cats know Naruto's a loser." Sasuke thought amused.
"Can you verify the target." Kakashi asked
Hinata said, "Affirmative. It's a match."
"Then mission accomplished." Kakashi stated.
Naruto glared at the cat, which glared back, before angrily shouting. "Can't we get a better mission!? I hate cats!"
The cat looked away from Naruto before rubbing its head against Sasuke's chest purring. Cats really liked him. Plus, it was always a treat to see the stoic Uchiha with affectionate cats in his arms. Something about that always brought an amused smile to Daichi's face.
Hokage's Office, Some Time Later…
Team 7 stood in the mission room, and Daichi could see by the way the lady was hugging her pet that the cat would inevitably run away again leading to the same mission. Both Hinata and Daichi couldn't help but feel some sympathy the animal.
Naruto didn't share this feeling. "That kitty deserves to be squashed."
The lady left with her cat, and the Hokage began to list several D rank missions like babysitting a council member's 3 years old, helping some important council member's wife go shopping, and pulling potatoes.
"No!" Naruto interrupted. "I want to go on a real mission. Something exciting and challenging. None of this kid's stuff. Come on old man."
Sasuke thought, "He has a point."
"Naruto…" Hinata thought.
Kakashi thought, "I knew this was coming."
Daichi smiled. "I'm surprised he was able to go this long before saying something."
Iruka slammed his hands on the table and stood. "How dare you! You are a new Genin with no experience. Like everyone else, you start with simple missions to develop your skills and prove yourselves."
"Are you serious? Babysitting isn't a mission it's just…" Naruto shot back.
Kakashi punched Naruto on the head sending him to the ground and stopping him from continuing. Even Daichi had to admit that Naruto had gone a bit far.
Kakashi said, "Put a lid on it."
The Hokage spoke. "Naruto." Naruto sat up and rubbed his head. "It seems you do not understand the task you have been given. Many requests come to our village every day from babysitting to assassinations.
Each request is recorded and given a specific ranking ranging from S, A, B, C, or D depending on their difficulty. We ninja are also ranked by ability. Hokage at the top, Jonin, Chunin, and Genin at the bottom. The jobs are given to those with the right skill and experience.
Our village then receives compensation if the mission is successful. Since your team has untested ninja, you are given D rank missions." Naruto was telling the group about various types of ramen which meant he wasn't paying attention to the Hokage at all. "Silence!"
Kakashi waved his hand. "Sorry."
Naruto wasn't done. "I'm not the same brat who pulls pranks anymore. I'm a ninja who wants a ninja's mission."
The Hokage chuckled. "Naruto wants us to know he's not a brat anymore so be it. Since you are determined, I will give you a C rank mission. You'll be bodyguards on a journey."
Naruto jumped to his feet excited. "Who are we guarding!? Some princess or important leader!?"
"Don't be so impatient." He then addressed the Anbu. "Send in our visitor!"
Team 7 turned as the door opened and an old man entered. He had gray hair, glasses, a large beard, and dark eyes. His attire consists of a sleeveless, V-neck shirt with obi pants, and a pair of sandals. He also carried a towel around his neck and wore a pointed hat on his head.
The man looked at the Genin. "What the? A bunch of snot nosed kids are ninjas?" He took a long drink of the alcohol he had in his hands. "You, the blond with the idiotic look on your face. You expect me to believe you're a ninja."
This made Naruto mad, but Kakashi was there to stop him from attacking their client. "You can't hurt the client Naruto."
The man took another drink. "I am Tazuna the Master Bridge Builder, and I must return to my country. I'm building a bridge that will change our world, and I expect you to get me there safely even if it means giving up your lives."
Konoha's Gate, Some Time Later…
Team 7 and Tazuna walked out the gate.
"All right!" Naruto joyfully exclaimed.
Hinata smiled. "It does feel nice to be outside the village."
"I'm with Naruto." Daichi happily declared. "This is a great chance to travel and see something new."
Tazuna pointed at Naruto who was acting like a little kid in a candy store. "Am I superposed to believe that the shorty can protect me? What about the others?"
Kakashi chuckled. "You don't have to worry about a thing. I'm a Jonin and more than capable of taking down any bandit or highway man."
Naruto angrily pointed at Tazuna. "I'll have you know I'm a great ninja and someday I'll be Hokage. Then, you'll have to look up to me. Believe it. The name's Naruto Uzumaki and don't you forget it."
"Hokage are powerful and wise. You are brainless and weak." Tazuna retorted. "The day you become Hokage, I'll sprout wings and fly."
"I will become Hokage." Naruto firmly declared. "When I do everyone will have to admit that I'm a great ninja. Even you."
Tazuna took a drink. "You can become Hokage 10x over, but to me you will be nobody."
Kakashi had to hold Naruto back once more.
On the Road, Some Time Later…
After a while, Hinata decided to try and break the ice between the team and their client. "Mr. Tazuna, your country is the Land of Waves, right?"
"What of it?" Tazuna asked.
"Well doesn't your land have its own Shinobi you could hire?" Daichi jumped in curious.
Kakashi decided to answer. "The Land of Waves doesn't have any Shinobi, but other countries do. Each of those villages have their own traditions and cultures. To the people of this continent, a Shinobi village means military strength.
In other words. that is how they protect themselves. Shinobi villages aren't controlled by any government. They are independent and have equal status. The Land of Waves has the sea so there's no need for a village.
The five ancient lands, which have the largest Shinobi villages, are the Lands of Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind, and Earth. They each occupy vast territories and together they are known as the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
Land of Fire has the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Water has the Village Hidden in the Mist, Land of Lightning has the Village Hidden in the Clouds, Land of Wind has the Village Hidden in the Sands, and Land of Earth has the Village Hidden in the Rocks.
A leader of these villages is permitted Kage. which means Shadow, while the smaller villages use their own tittles to denote leaders. Hokage, Mizukage, Raikage, Kazekage, and Tsuchikage. These are the 5 leaders, or Shadows, that lead Shinobi."
Hinata gasped. "That means the Hokage is really important.
Naruto thought, "I got him with my Sexy Jutsu, so he can't be that powerful."
"He did help me when I came to the village, but I have to question if it's more of a paper role than a power role." Daichi thought.
All three of them stopped in their tracks when Kakashi spoke up once more. "Some of you just doubted Lord Hokage. That's what you were thinking." Naruto and Daichi shuddered. "Anyways, there are no ninja battles in a C ranked mission, so you can relax."
Hinata sighed relived. "Good. Then our first mission outside the village should be successful."
Daichi and Sasuke caught a glimpse of worry on Tazuna's face before his expression returned to normal. They decided to be on guard just in case.
Some Time Later…
The group had been walking for a while when Kakashi, Daichi, and Sasuke noticed a puddle on the road.
Daichi walked over to Sasuke and put his arm around him in a friendly manner as not to look suspicious and for ease of whispering. "You noticed the puddle, right?"
Sasuke whispered. "Likely doesn't hold more than one or two Shinobi. They'll aim for Sensei first."
"You up for working together to take them down?" Daichi asked. "Hinata and Naruto can cover Tazuna."
"If it's just one, I'll take him on myself." Sasuke whispered back.
Daichi patted Sasuke on the back and spoke aloud. "Alright, it's settled. We'll spar once we've returned to the village."
Naruto and Hinata were both confused by their teammate's odd behavior.
"So, they both noticed it as well. It'll be a good chance to see how everyone reacts to an actual battle." Kakashi thought.
The group only had to walk a minute more before the hidden ninja made their move. Two Shinobi with Hidden Mist head bands and black cloaks rushed Kakashi intending to entangle him with their chains.
Daichi and Sasuke made their move charged the Shinobi intending to intercept them. The Mist Shinobi moved the chains to finish the Genin first, but both boys ducked under with Daichi shoving one of his katana through the chain.
Before it could be snatched away, Sasuke grabbed the hilt with Daichi. Together, they shoved that blade into the ground with all their strength ensuring it was useless to the Mist Shinobi. The two boys followed up with shuriken causing the Chunin to separate to the right and left.
"What's going on?!" Naruto exclaimed surprised.
"Enemy ninja. Naruto and Hinata defend Tazuna." Kakashi ordered as he got ready to move in at a moment's notice
Both Naruto and Hinata had frozen which left Tazuna defenseless. The Chunin saw this and moved to take the bridge builder down. Sasuke and Daichi were on top of things. Sasuke drew a kunai and Daichi drew his remaining blade. Both moved to stand in front of Tazuna.
"Stay behind us sir!" Daichi yelled.
Kakashi choose now to act catching both Shinobi with his arms and knocking them out. All four Genin were impressed with their Sensei's speed.
Kakashi walked over to Sasuke and Daichi. "Good job. You two kept a clear head, spotted trouble, worked together, and moved to protect the client."
Hinata started shaking. "I-I froze. Our client was being attack, and I froze."
"I was useless!" Naruto started berating himself. "Daichi and Sasuke were so cool. They moved as if they'd been fighting their whole lives. Like they'd done it 1,000 times. I was so lame."
Sasuke walked over to him. "You're not hurt are ya, scaredy cat?"
Naruto normally would have argued with Sasuke, but this time he couldn't. He knew he should have acted. He'd been training to fight at a higher level like his teammates. In the end, that training had just gone to waist.
Kakashi looked at the bridge builder. "Mr. Tazuna, we need to talk."
Some Time Later…
Kakashi had tied the ninjas to a tree. "These are Chunin from The Village Hidden in the Mist. Their specialty is relentless attack. They'll keep fighting no matter the sacrifice."
The ninja looked at Daichi and Sasuke. "How did you children know about our ambush?"
"A puddle on an otherwise dry road." Sasuke stated. "Seems highly suspicious when it hasn't rained in these parts for a while.
"Not exactly the brightest move." Daichi added.
"I didn't see you move at all until the end there." Tazuna looked at Kakashi. "Why leave it for the Genin?"
"I could have taken them out at any time, but then I'd have learned nothing." Kakashi looked to the bridge builder. "Tazuna, mind telling me why foreign Shinobi are after a bridge builder on a simple C-ranked assignment?"
Tazuna sighed knowing he'd been caught. "My village is poor. We didn't have the money to pay for a higher rank, yet we still needed help."
"When you put in your request, you asked for standard protection from bandits and thieves. You didn't say there would ninja after you. Normally, I would say that the mission is void, but this is a team. My students will ultimately decide if we continue." Kakashi explained.
Hinata was seriously considering abandoning this mission. Naruto clenched his left fist becoming determined. With that same hand he drew a kunai holding it out. Everyone had their eyes on him. Naruto took his kunai and stabbed the back of his hand.
"Naruto…" Hinata stated both in worry and shock.
Naruto stared them all down still determined. "If we left, all our training would have been for nothing. From this point forward, I will never back down, let someone else rescue me, or run away. Upon this wound, I make this pledge. Believe it!"
Those words Naruto spoke struck a chord with Hinata causing her worry and shock to evaporate. "He's right. I can't back down either." She smiled. "I won't back down or run away either. I will see this mission through to the end with my team."
"I'm not letting this loser out do me." Sasuke stated with his usual demeanor. "I want to continue."
"We can't go back." Daichi nodded. "This mission may be more difficult than we were led to believe, but I think we can handle it."
Kakashi looked at the determination of his Genin before eye smiling himself. "There you have it. The mission will proceed." He then turned his attention to the wound. "Naruto, that was a cool way to make a vow, but you do realize you're losing a lot of blood, right?"
For a moment, it was so quiet you could hear the birds singing. Then, Naruto began to sweat, and his face turned purple.
Daichi shook his head. "Yeah, that's Naruto for ya."
Kakashi moved over to him. "Seriously, it's a good idea if we stop the bleeding now." Naruto started to freak out. "Show me your hand." Kakashi took note of the fox's Chakra already starting to repair the wound before bandaging it. "Alright, you should be fine."