DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO (JUST WANTED TO CLEAR THIS UP HAHA CAUSE I DON'T WANNA GET IN POSSIBLE TROUBLE)

A Farmer And His Cattle

- Somewhere North Of Konohagakure -

(Time: Undisclosed)

A group of three Konoha ninjas was jumping from tree branch to tree branch alongside the border of Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire) as they were tasked to patrol said area to check if there are any suspicious activities. It was a pretty much mundane day at the job with nothing notable to mention, which is why the three men decided to chat about various things as a means to pass the time while they were on the go.

"That's pretty much what happened, Tadao-san" a man said to his comrade

"Look man… I've been there although you have to stand up to your girl sometimes. If I were you I'd defend myself in that situation, to me it seems that your girl is rather bossy, Kazuhiko-san" he replied while their other companion made a whip sound while laughing his ass off.

"I'm not whipped, you bastard… At least I have a girlfriend, what about you, Makoto-san?…" Kazuhiko retorted.

Makoto didn't seem to be bothered by his teammate's jab at his single status as he continued to jab at Kazuhiko's predicament. "You're whipped, just admit it man… This is the reason why I don't date civilians, they're too clingy for my tastes" he said.

"Then why aren't you dating any kunoichis in our village then, Makoto-san?…" Tadao asked

"Oh well, you see… I have no problems with the prospect of dating a fellow shinobi, as long as I don't work with her in the same department y'know?… Cause of awkwardness in the workplace in the case she and I break up. I just find them rather scary at times…" Makoto admitted while the other two burst into a fit of laughter.

The three continued their pace along the trees until suddenly they heard rustling from a distance. Tadao, their leader, gestured to them that they should remain discreet and follow his lead since it was their job to investigate anything unusual that occurs during their patrol. The three shinobi dropped down to the ground and formed into a triangle formation to watch each other's backs. Tadao looked around to scan their vicinity to look for things that looked out of place until from a distance he saw a rather odd footprint made by a wild animal.

He looked back at his teammates to wait for him and watch his six while he takes a closer look at the footprint. While Tadao investigated what he found, the other two continued their conversation from earlier.

"Are you scared of Michiko-san from the Cryptoanalysis Department?…" Kazuhiko said

"I don't know… She doesn't scare me that's for sure although I don't think we have anything in common though, so it wouldn't work nonetheless" he replied

"Well, I got nothing left… That's all the kunoichis I know, maybe you're fated to be alone for the rest of your life" Kazuhiko teased to which Makoto flipped him off with his middle finger.

Kazuhiko laughed due to his friend's response but then noticed that their leader was silent and hadn't spoken for quite some time. "What the fuck is taking him so long?…" Kazuhiko asked, Makoto shrugged and speculated that he must be around the area somewhere and that he couldn't have gone too far. Kazuhiko then decided to look for him while he waited for him.

A couple of minutes have passed and neither of his teammates has returned. This made him rather anxious as he began to worry about where they were. He then began to overthink the possibilities that may have happened.

"Man… This fucking sucks… I swear this happened in one of those horror stories I've been reading… Where the hell are they… They better not be playing a prank on me, if so… I swear I'll fucking deck them so hard they're gonna-" he wasn't able to finish when suddenly he heard a cry of pain from afar.

He noticed it was Kazuhiko's voice, with that in mind he rushed to where the voice originated as fast as he could. He pumped chakra into his legs In order for him to get there in a quick manner, Makoto then came across a kunai covered in blood on the forest floor, he remembered this was Kazuhiko's favorite kunai in his arsenal due to the fact that the weapon's ring is located between the blade and the handle, unlike conventional kunais where the ring was at the end. As he came close to pick it up he heard rustling from the bushes behind him.

In instinct, he decided to throw multiple shurikens at it only to see a rabbit come out of the shrubbery. Makoto sighed in relief, for a second he thought something terrible was gonna come out of the bushes. He then returned to worrying about the whereabouts of his teammates, as he was in thought it began to drizzle in the forest. Raindrops then began falling on him lightly, he looked up to check how dark it was.

"Fuck… Where are they?…" he asked no one in particular. As he began to walk he felt a small piece of rock stuck inside his sandals, it was rather annoying so he decided to get rid of the annoyance, he knelt on one knee and took off his shinobi sandals to remove the rock. Once that was settled he fixed his footwear once more and noticed something drop from above, he came closer and noticed that it was blood dripping from high up.

Makoto looked up and saw a creature with blood dripping from its maw but before he could react it pounced at him and he was never to be seen again.

- In Konoha -

"I've been wondering…" Naruto said which caught the attention of his teammates as they were waiting for their sensei to arrive

"What is it Naruto?" Ino said raising her eyebrow

"If you use a straw to consume soup, are you eating it or drinking it?…" Naruto replied

Ino gave him a deadpan stare for his ridiculous question whereas Shino remained silent. "Huh? Of course, you're still eating it duh! Soup is food, therefore you're eating it. And for the record why the hell would you be using a straw in the first place, Naruto?" Ino replied.

"I was just wondering jeez... I mean sure using a spoon is the right thing but come on! Think about it for a second… What is the purpose of straws then?…" he asked.

"For sipping or drinking liquids" Ino replied

"Then if you use it to consume soup, then you're drinking it, right?…" he countered

"You eat soup! Not drink it… Seriously Naruto… It's too early in the morning for this" Ino rubbed her temples. Naruto then asked what Shino thought.

"Well, Naruto… If you put it like that I would have to agree with you, why? Because straws are used for drinking. In this case, you used it to consume soup, therefore you are drinking soup" Shino said.

"SEE! Shino gets it" Naruto exclaimed. A vein on Ino's forehead appeared, "Did I hear that right? You're with him on this one Shino?! Is you're head messed up or something?…" she wondered.

"I think Naruto's logic checks out Ino" Shino said calmly. Ino was at a loss for words but luckily for her, their sensei arrived in time before she was about to lose it. "Sorry I'm late, I had some stuff to tend to, are you guys ready to take on a mission today?" Asuma asked to which both the boys nodded except for Ino who was somewhat losing her mind.

"What's wrong with her?…" he asked, "I asked if you use a straw to consume soup are you eating it or drinking it, me and Shino answered drinking since straws are used for drinking" Naruto explained.

"Tell them they're wrong, Asuma-sensei…" Ino said

Asuma then thought about it for a while, after a couple of minutes he came to a decision, "Well since straws are for drinking… And if you use it on soup… Then I guess you are drinking it" he answered. This made Ino furious as she headed off to the Hokage Tower all by herself. Asuma sighed while Naruto shrugged in response whereas Shino was still silent the entire time. They then decided to follow her and catch up to her.

- At The Hokage Tower -

Asuma knocked on the door to alert the Hokage of their presence, after a bit of waiting they were then permitted to enter when Hiruzen said so. "So Hokage-sama, what mission do you have for us?" Asuma inquired.

"I have another mission for your team, and before you protest Naruto-kun, it is C-Rank at the very least" hearing this satisfied Naruto. He then remained silent and listened attentively for the moment. "I was supposed to give this to another team but unfortunately they had some setbacks on their end which is why I'm transferring this mission to your team" Hiruzen said.

"I see Hokage-sama, and what does this mission entail then?" Asuma asked, "It's quite simple really, all you have to do is escort your client back to his farm near the border of Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire). I believe it is around the southeast corner of Takigakure no Sato (Village Hidden by a Waterfall), you're tasked to stay there to act as guards, apparently, some of his cows went missing these past few days" Hiruzen explained to which Asuma nodded.

"But why didn't he seek help in Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall Village)? I'm pretty sure they have shinobi there too right and a leader I'm guessing is called the Takikage" Naruto interjected

"I agree with your first statement Naruto though I have to correct you when it comes to the latter statement. Takigakure does not have a "Kage" so to speak, why? Because they are a minor village" Shino weighed in.

Hiruzen was quite impressed with Shino's knowledge regarding the village system for someone his age. "That is right Shino-kun, Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall Village) is a minor village much like Kusakagure no Sato (Village Hidden in the Grass), Hoshigakure no Sato (Village Hidden Among the Stars), Yugakure no Sato (Village Hidden in Hot Water), and many more. These minor villages aren't big enough to be recognized as a major village and because of that, they do not necessarily play by our rules by having a "Kage" as well as a Daimyo they report to. Moving on, I believe there are two reasons why he went to our village to ask for help. One is that Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall Village) is quite difficult to find and only a few people know where it truly is. Second, is that there is prejudice towards minor villages compared to major ones. But who are we to judge them, it is not our place to judge people but simply do our job " Hiruzen explained.

"Ohhh! I get it now, thanks Hokage-jiji!" Naruto then gave him his foxy grin much to the amusement of Hiruzen

Suddenly the door opened only to reveal a lady, most probably the Hokage's assistant holding a bowl of soup. "Hokage-sama, here is your bowl of Miso soup for your breakfast, beside it is the pastry you requested earlier" she told with a smile. Hiruzen thanked her and picked up the spoon not until he saw Ino with a rather odd look on her face.

"Is she alright?…" he asked, Naruto then explained what happened earlier and asked the same question to him. Hiruzen then rubbed his chin and began contemplating the question, "The straw doesn't really matter at all Naruto-kun, what matters is if the soup has solids in it. You'd be eating the solids and perhaps drinking the liquid, thus you are technically eating and drinking it. That is quite amusing Naruto-kun, I'll have to think about it" Hiruzen chuckled. "Anyway, that is all I have to say, that would be all. All of you are dismissed" Hiruzen said after which they excused themselves and exited the office.

- Konoha's Gate -

"What is taking him so longgggg?…" Naruto grumbled as he was displeased with their sensei's tardiness from time to time. It's not like he's late most of the time unlike Kakashi-sensei, from what he heard from Ino and Sakura's conversation the other day is that the Cyclops-Jounin is always late to the point they usually headed to their training grounds an hour later than the agreed meeting time.

Though when it comes to Asuma-sensei, when he's late he usually provides a rather pathetic excuse for it. Ino was grumbling as well due to her displeasure of waiting for their sensei as well whereas Shino remained quiet and didn't express his feelings towards their sensei.

The grumbling of both blondes ended when Asuma finally arrived after two hours of waiting. "Where have you been Asuma-sensei?!…" Ino exclaimed demanding a valid answer from the Bearded Jounin, "Uhhh… The Hokage-sama… He wanted t-to… clear up some stuff with me before our departure… That's it!…" Asuma said sheepishly to which Ino and Naruto glared daggers at him for they didn't buy his excuse due to its flimsy nature.

Both of the blondes sighed and decided to let it go and just move on. "So Asuma-sensei, where's our client then?" Ino asked, "Oh he'll be here in a bit, I suggest you take advantage of this time to assess all of your gear to make sure you're not forgetting anything" Asuma advised them.

After ten minutes of waiting they could see a man running towards them in the distance. The man finally arrived, all panting and heaving.

"Sorry for the hold-up, I got sidetracked on the way since I saw this flower shop and I knew I had to buy some for my wife back home. Oh, where are my manners? I'm Kaneshiro Takeo, it's a pleasure to meet you all" he said.

"Nice to meet you Kaneshiro-san, I'm Sarutobi Asuma and these are my students, Aburame Shino, Yamanaka Ino, and Uzumaki Naruto" Asuma introduced them to which the three of them nodded in return.

"Well then now that our client is here I believe we should get a move on and not burn daylight" Asuma said

- Outside Konoha -

All five of them were walking at a rather brisk pace as to their client's request due to the fact that he doesn't feel comfortable with the idea of leaving his wife alone back at home. Kami knows what could potentially happen to her while he's away.

"So tell me Kaneshiro-san, what seems to be the whole ordeal at your farm other than the fact that some of your cows went missing" Asuma inquired.

"Well, you see… My farm doesn't really have a fence in the first place. For years nothing ever bad happened to my cows as I just let them graze around the area. None of them really wanders too far to be a problem though recently I noticed that number of my cows began to dwindle as I usually take count of them every few days or so to make sure not a single one went missing. I guess it's partly my fault for being too complacent" he explained.

"I see" Asuma replied curtly as he took a puff from his cigarette

"Kaneshiro-san, do you have any idea as to who or what took them? It could probably be a bandit or a predator or something" Ino offered

"I do think it might be bandits or poachers that wander near the area though I'll be sure to take precautionary measures to prevent it from ever happening again"

"Well whoever took your cows I'll be sure to use my sweet moves on them, you'll see dattebayo!" Naruto grinned much to his amusement.

"Who are you again? I wasn't able to catch your name earlier" Takeo asked. Naruto gave him his iconic foxy grin and introduced himself in a grand manner.

"The name's Uzumaki Naruto! Future Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato (Village Hidden in the Leaves), I'll make it come true you best believe it!" Naruto declared proudly. Takeo and Asuma chuckled, Ino rolled her eyes, and Shino, well he's Shino so he didn't react or anything.

"That's a rather admirable dream you have Uzumaki-san, I truly hope you make your dream come true" Takeo said in a sincere tone, in response Naruto thanked him for his kind words.

"What about you Kaneshiro-san? Do you have any dreams or ambitions?" Naruto asked

"Oh me? Well… I used to have this dream to be a well-known ninja though later on in life I knew the life of a shinobi wasn't for me, turns out I do not have the guts to be one but luckily I was able to find something else that I was passionate about" he retorted.

"And what is it?" Ino replied

"I'm quite passionate about my current profession which is farming and whatnot. It's quite relaxing and rewarding as well. My wife introduced me to the world of farming before we were married, I can't possibly imagine a scenario in which she didn't come into my life. Which is why I was late in meeting you guys, I had to stop over and buy her some flowers. Though my profession is about planting stuff, I know next to nothing when it comes to flowers but luckily this nice woman helped me pick out the perfect flowers for my beloved" he answered.

"Oh! You met Ino's mom then" Naruto offered

"Pardon me?" he asked Naruto due to being confused

"He's just saying that you must've met my mother at our store 'Yamanaka Flowers', my family owns it" Ino said back. She looked at the flowers he was holding and noticed that they were red chrysanthemums which meant "I love you".

"Oh! That's why your name sounded familiar, yeah! I did go to your family's store, I must say you guys sure know your stuff about botany"

It felt good that she was being praised by their client, she smirked and replied that it was in their blood after all. "I hate to break the lovely conversation you guys have going on but how much further do we have to travel to reach your ranch Kaneshiro-san?" Asuma asked but Takeo replied that they still have a long ways to go.

"It's getting pretty dark and it would be unwise to continue traveling. Naruto, go make clones and tell them to gather firewood. As for you three, prepare the spot for our camp, I'll keep an eye out on things here, besides consider this as training. Once you runts become Chunin you won't need me anymore since each of you will run your own missions and these kinds of things are important to know, so get to it" Asuma said.

The three nodded and quickly went to work without a hitch, this impressed Takeo very much. "I must say Sarutobi-san that your students are quite impressive if I do say so myself though I don't know how much merit my opinion holds when it comes to all things shinobi" Tadao offered.

Asuma blew out smoke from his mouth and replied back, "Yeah I'm quite proud of them as well, I've only met them for a little while but so far everything seems to be good, they have potential" he said to which Tadao agreed. The two adults continued to chat while the other three continued to do their respective tasks.

(A/N: And that is for this chapter yay! Btw if you disagree with the whole eating/drinking soup ordeal, please don't think the characters are stupid. I just thought it would be funny to make them discuss stuff like that too. I personally still don't know what the right verb is haha. Regardless hope you like this one! Rate and Review if you feel like and. A little RnR (Rate & Review) is appreciated haha cheers^^