Chapter 7 – New Mission

Naruto was walking home from his practice with Gai and Lee. It was tough but he felt it was worth it in the long run. 'Damn Gai-sensei. As if I needed more weights.'

Flashback

Naruto walked into the training grounds at 3:00 on Saturday. It was his first training session in taijutsu. He saw Lee and Gai waiting for him and said, "Hello Lee. Hello Gai-sensei."

"Hello Naruto-kun." Lee replied enthusiastically.

"Hello Naruto-kun. " Gai started. "Since today is your first day of training then I need to gauge your strength. To do that I want you to fight Lee. No ninjutsu or genjutsu. Just taijutsu. I don't expect you to win since Lee is a taijutsu specialist but I need to gauge your abilities."

"Okay, Gai-sensei." Naruto replied. He took his fighting stance across from Lee. Then he charged and delivered a series of punches and kicks, which were all dodged by Lee. After a few minutes of sparring, Naruto was getting slightly tired. Lee hadn't even been touched by him. He only dodged Naruto's attacks. He took his stance again and charged at Lee. This time Lee delivered a kick to his chest which sent him flying.

Gai had enough. He gauged the Naruto was very dependent on ninjutsu and pretty bad at taijutsu. He spoke up and said, "That's enough you two." He helped Naruto up and said, "From what I gathered, you aren't very good at taijutsu which is why you came to me. You are probably very good at ninjutsu so that wasn't a fair fight at all but it was just to test your taijutsu skills. Now to train with me you must be ready to do very hard work. I think you can improve but it will take work. Are you still interested in receiving my training?"

Naruto answered almost instantly saying, "I will do whatever it takes to improve."

"Now that is the kind of youthful attitude I expected from a young one like you." Gai stated as he struck his pose. He turned serious again and said, "Now if you are to train with me you must wear weights. Now I think you should wear about…"

Naruto interrupted him and said, "I already wear weights. I wear 50 pounds in my vest, 20 pounds on each arm and on each leg for a total of 130 pounds."

"Well if you are to train with me I will increase your weights." Gai replied. "With your youthful fire you can wear much more than that. I will give you 50 pound weights for each arm and leg as well as a new vest with 100 pounds of weights."

Naruto was dumbstruck. He regained his composure and yelled, "But that is 300 pounds in weights. That's more than doubling my current weights. "

"Exactly." Gai replied. "You will get much stronger. Now we will continue with today's lesson. I will teach you the same style I have been teaching Lee. First though do 1500 punches. If you can't do it then you must run 100 laps around Konoha"

"Damn you Gai-sensei." Naruto cursed as he started to punch a tree.

End Flashback

'Well at least I will get much stronger with his training.' Naruto thought. 'So Kyuubi, what do I do tonight for training?'

'I think it is time you started re-learning some of your techniques from your last life. The Shunshin no Jutsu would be a good start. As you know it allows your body to move at speeds that are undetectable to the human eye. It also doesn't require seals and is the perfect technique to integrate into your new taijutsu style.' Kyuubi explained. 'By using the shunshin you can move even faster and enhance the speed of your punches and kicks.'

'Alright…' Naruto replied. 'I'll re-learn the shunshin now and integrate it with what I learn after every practice.'

After about 2 weeks of doing regular missions as well as Gai's and Kyuubi's training with the occasional session with the Hokage, Naruto arrived at the bridge at 9:00. Kakashi had told them to arrive at 7:00 that morning but he knew that Kakashi would be late. He was surprised that he was the first one to arrive. After a few minutes Ino and Sasuke arrived together but with Sasuke obviously trying to put as much space between them as possible. Naruto grinned and they exchanged greetings with each other before Kakashi arrived. He spoke up and started, "Sorry I'm late. I got…" before Naruto and Ino shut him up. He cleared his throat and said, "Well anyway, the Hokage has requested to see us saying he has a new mission. Now follow me." The group followed behind Kakashi. Sasuke and Ino were both wondering what the mission would be but Naruto already knew. He had gone to talk with the Hokage about this already. The Hokage had wondered why Naruto would ask for this mission but he had agreed. The group entered the Hokage's office together and was confronted by the Hokage at a large table with Iruka.

The Hokage greeted them as they entered and said, "Team 7…your new mission will be…to pick up groceries for a resident."

The whole team sweat dropped and Naruto yelled, "WHAT! How can you send us on this mission? Normal people could do this. I want a harder mission." With that said he turned his back to the Hokage and sat defiantly.

Kakashi sweat dropped even further. 'Great…this kid is going to get me into so much trouble.'

To everyone's surprise the Hokage laughed and said, "Fine Naruto. If you want a harder mission then I will give you a class C mission. You will be a bodyguard."

Naruto turned around, his face brightened, and exclaimed, "Really, Old man? Who will we protect a baron, a princess, someone important."

The Hokage laughed again and said, "No one like that. It will be a man named Tazuna." He turned to the guards and said, "You can let him in."

The doors opened to reveal an old man with a gray hair and a beard. The man spoke up and said, "What, these runts will be protecting me?"

Naruto stood up in faked anger and said, "How dare you call me a runt. I am Uzumaki Naruto and I will be Hokage one day!"

"Hahahaha" Tazuna laughed. "Like a kid like you could become Hokage."

Naruto just smirked and said, "I'll show you." With that the group made their way outside the village.

The group gathered together outside the village. Once they got out Naruto started stretching and looking around. He glanced towards the trees and squinted a bit but quickly stopped so no one would notice. He then heard Tazuna say to Kakashi, "Is that runt really a ninja. He's so short. How can person like that be a ninja?"

Naruto flared up and yelled, "SO WHAT IF I'M SHORT! I'M GONNA BE A GREAT NINJA AND MAKE YOU RECOGNIZE ME!" The group just stared at Naruto. Once they had all calmed down the group set out towards the Nation of Waves. As the group walked Kyuubi and Naruto talked in his head.

'So kit, a little over-emotional about your appearance there.' Kyuubi snickered.

Naruto let out an unnoticed sigh and replied, 'Well the truth is I've always been very subconscious about my height. I can't believe it wasn't until I turned 15 that I finally started growing.'

'Your appearance and your growing will be different in this life. Remember you fused with me meaning some of my characteristics are going to come to you.'

'What the fuck!' Naruto yelled at Kyuubi. 'Do you mean I'm going to be some freak and start growing tails and fur?'

'No kit. Not that kind of change. I mean that you will most likely grow taller, your hair will change a little, and you will definitely grow faster. I'm warning you though you will not grow gradually. With me fused with you, you will do all your growing in about a month.'

'What?' Naruto asked. 'I can't grow that fast.'

'Unfortunately for you, you will kit. I say unfortunately because it might be a little painful.' Kyuubi laughed. 'Now focus on the mission. You're almost to the spot.'

Naruto thought about what was to happen. 'So, we will be attacked first by two Hide in the Mist chuunin. This time I will fight.' He thought. Then he turned to Kakashi and said, "Kakashi-sensei I need to go to the bathroom. Can we wait for a minute? Once he got far enough from the group he whispered, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu". Once the clones were made they all whispered, "Demon Eyes Technique". Finally to cap off his strategy all the Naruto's used Henge to hide the change in his eye color and sent 2 clones to each side of the group to watch their backs. Finally he made his way back to the group and pretended to have gone to the bathroom. As they started walking Kakashi gave him an odd look but it disappeared quickly.

Kakashi was starting to wonder about this boy. 'I don't know what he did but that kid did not just go to the bathroom.' He then noticed an out of place puddle on the ground. The looked at the team and saw Naruto narrow his eyes. 'Does that kid see it too?'

"Sasuke" Naruto whispered.

Sasuke looked up and followed Naruto's gaze. He was looking at a puddle on the ground. Then it hit him why Naruto looked at it like that. There were no other puddles around. Only that one puddle. He put both hands in his pockets and fingered his weapons.

Naruto saw the head come out and knew it was time. He nodded to his right hoping Sasuke would follow his gaze. Sasuke did and nodded as he saw what Naruto was nodding at. At that moment the two hide in the mist ninjas burst out of the water and headed straight for Kakashi. Naruto took the chance to use Kage Bunshin without the ninjas noticing. He then had the clone use Henge to look like Sasuke. Sasuke ran to the bushes just as the ninjas supposedly got rid of Kakashi. The ninjas then turned their attention to Sasuke and Naruto. One charged at Sasuke while the other came up behind Naruto. The ninjas shot their chains at Naruto and Sasuke but were taken by surprise when they disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The one who charged the fake Sasuke looked behind him and was hit in the face by the real Sasuke. Sasuke took his chance and yelled, "Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu" as a giant fireball emitted from his mouth and engulfed his enemy. The ninja slumped onto the ground unconscious.

The one who hit the fake Naruto was charged by 2 Narutos. Both Narutos had a chakra blade coming from their hand. The ninja attempted to dodge Naruto's attacks but was surprised when he was stabbed from behind by another Naruto. He fell limp and hit the ground with a thump.

Ino was surprised. The counter attack had been planned perfectly. A Naruto had even come over to her and put up some weird shield around her and Tazuna. She had expected Sasuke to fight like this but not Naruto. 'When did he get so strong?'

Kakashi had jumped down from the tree and was thinking along the same lines. 'That kid pulled up the battle strategy with his partner silently and in a matter of a minute. I underestimated him. Plus what was that shield and blade he formed? I know I've seen techniques like that before, but where?'

Sasuke smirked to himself. It had gone perfectly. He had seen the real Naruto in the bushes and understood immediately what Naruto meant. Both of them had easily disposed of the ninjas. 'I wish I got to see more of those techniques he used though.'

Tazuna was dumbstruck. The kid he had thought was unreliable had taken down one of the ninjas and protected his teammates. 'I hope they can survive.'

Kakashi tied the two ninjas up to a tree and turned to the group. "These ninjas are chuunin from the Hidden Mist village. I didn't know we would encounter ninja on this mission. We aren't prepared to go on with this…" He started. But he was interrupted by Naruto.

"Kakashi-sensei, we can handle this mission. Besides I understand why the old man lied to us. All you have to do to understand the answer is to look at the economy of the Nation of Waves. They are a poor country. It makes little sense that a member of that country would be able to afford the protection of chuunin and jounin level ninjas." Naruto explained. At the stunned faces of the rest of the group he continued, "I feel we are obligated to help and to do this mission to the best of our ability. It is his fault if he is killed because he choose to lie but I will do anything I can to stop that from happening."

Surprisingly Sasuke was the first to agree with Naruto. Ino also agreed though somewhat reluctantly. Kakashi had only one problem, "What do we do with these guys then?"

"Kill them." Sasuke said coldly.

Kakashi looked at Sasuke puzzled and thought, 'He is already ready to kill…and at such a young age.'

"No." Everyone looked at Naruto. "We will not kill them. We should send for Hunter ninjas to come pick them up. Until them we can leave them here and let them suffer."

'Phew well at least he doesn't want to kill people on the spot.' Kakashi thought. "I agree with Naruto. Let's leave them here and send for ANBU."

With that the group sent a message to Konoha calling for ANBU to pick up the chuunin and left off towards the Nation of Waves.

AN - Hi everybody. I'll be going on a 10 day camp so I won't be able to update until I get back. I will write on paper though and update once I return. This chapter turned out pretty well. Naruto is learning the shunshin (a technique that his father invented and only an Uzumaki can use). I'm about to leave and don't have time for reviews so I'll just say 'Thanks everyone who likes the story' and I'll answer the reviews with questions when I get back.