Kei-Kei Yuki: Okay, so I decided to just stick with this story and make my way up from there. I just gotta learn how to be patient. Again, thank you all who are loving this story. I know it has problems and issues. Some characters might seem OOC or unlikable, but I'm trying. I don't want my Naruko to be like everyone else Naruko. Becuase if everyone writes the same Naruko, where's the fun in that?

Beta: Ana-DaughterofHades

Wave Arc: Part 1

"Now let's see, your next mission-"

"Hold it right there, old man! I'm sick and tired of these lame missions! No thank you! I demand something more exciting! If I have to paint another fence, shop for someone else's groceries, or capture another animal, I'm going to lose my mind!" vented an angry blonde. Her team members couldn't help but sigh as they all had seen this coming and at the same time couldn't help but agree with her as well.

"Naruko, you're still a rookie! You're not ready for a higher rank mission at your current level." Scolding the girl, Iruka-sensei stood firm as Naruko marched her way over to the woman.

"Yeah huh! Uzumaki Naruko is ready for anything! No matter what you say, Iruka-nee!"

"No, you're not! You still need to train more!" Iruka sternly told the girl.

"I can train more while out on awesome missions!"

"Take what is handed to you, no matter how lame it may sound!"

"Never!"

This back and forth bickering between the two continued for quite a while; the Hokage could do nothing more than chuckle at the sibling relationship that was shared between the two. Kakashi took out his Icha Icha Paradise book while Sasuke's expression remained neutral, and Sakura's fist was itching to hit their knuckleheaded teammate upside the head. A cough from the Hokage captured both Iruka's and Naruko' attention, the first sheepishly blushing for acting so immature in front of the leader of the village.

"If that is the case then I think I have just the right mission for Team Seven." In that next moment, they were introduced to a man name, Tazuna. He was bridge builder who was in need of help.

"Damn, and here I thought it was going to be to help a feudal lord or a princess," pouted Naruko, openly displaying her discontent, before she was slapped upside the head by Sakura.

"Idiot! Before you were complaining about a higher ranking mission and now you're complaining about the client. Don't make us look bad." The glare the pinkette was giving the blonde was frightening as she lightly rubbed the spot where Sakura had hit her. After everything about the mission was explained, both Sasuke and Sakura had to hold back their teammate from murdering their client. When he look at Naruko and called her: A noisy blonde pipsqueak.

"IM GONNA KILL HIM!"

"Naruko, you can't kill the client." Even an elite jounin like Kakashi had to step in to restrain the livid blonde, though none missed the killer intent that was being thrown towards the bridge builder from the sweet chunin teacher Umino Iruka.

"If he teases Naru-chan one more time, please forgive me for exterminating him, Hokage-sama." Iruka was polite enough to apologize before she could commit murder. All the men in that room felt a tingle of fear run down their spine, watching Iruka, smile still in place, innocently twirl a kunai in her hand. The bridge builder was smart enough to keep his mouth shut and take a few cautious steps back.

A lot had taken place at the start of their first C-rank mission, and right now Naruko was having a strange conversation with a beautiful girl who had woken her up in the forest. Naruko began helping the other search for medical herbs that were in the area as they talked. Then the girl asked what Naruko was doing so early in the forest.

"Training to be a badass kunoichi of course!" Naruko proudly stated with a large grin on her face.

"Kounchi? Are you perhaps a ninja?" inquired the pretty and mysterious female.

"Of course! I got to train to get stronger!"

"Strong? Why do you wish to grow stronger?" asked the mysterious female.

"Because like other people, I have goals I wish to accomplish, to prove myself, and... to protect the people most important to me." When Naruko said that last bit, two important people that she cared dearly for instantly came to mind.

"What about you? Is there something or someone who you wish to grow stronger for? Someone... who you wish to protect?" asked Naruko. The female couldn't help but flinch and stare at the serious expression the blonde was giving her. For a second she thought she had been found out when the blonde smiled softly at her.

"The eyes speak to me and when I look in yours, I can see you hold someone dear in your life. So you too understand how far a person would go to protect someone who is precious to them. I have people like that in my life too. At first, it was only Iruka-nee, and later Hina-chan, but now it's also my team. For them... I'll risk anything as they're precious to me." The girl's words bonded with her mysterious female companion, both unaware that watching them from a distance was Sasuke, perched up high in a tree.

"I see we are a lot alike. You know, you're really cute." The comment caused the grinning blonde to lose composure, blushing like a ripe tomato; Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the mysterious girl.

"Wha! H-Huh-Mmm!" Naruko's blue-eyes were blown wide as a pair of soft lips were pressed against her own. The poor clueless blonde didn't know how to react when the mysterious female pulled away, chuckling lightly at the cute blonde's expression.

"Adorable. The man who snags your heart one day will be very fortunate." Grabbing the basket, the mysterious female began to walk away, not missing the heavy amount of killer intent that was being thrown her way from a glaring Uchiha. Deciding to throw more oil on the fire, the mysterious girl paused, a smile on her face as she look back at the adorable blushing blonde and said,

"By the way, I'm a boy."

This earned a loud disbelieving protest from Naruko, saying how the boy looked even prettier than Hina-chan and Sakura combined while a seething Sasuke was ready to Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu that stranger who dared just kissed Naruko.

End of Wave Arc: Part 1