Chapter 3: Leaf, Sand and Sound
After a couple of C-Rank missions, Kurenai had a surprise for her team "We request a B-Rank Mission." She said.
Minato blinked "Are you sure they are ready?"
She looked at her team. Naruto was staring at the ceiling, lost in his own world, Kiba was grinning with Akamaru waggling his tail and Ino looked unsure, but she trust they will do alright.
"Yes, Lord Hokage. I am sure."
Minato smiled at her and pulled a scroll and handed it to Kurenai "Very well. Your mission; to work with a team of Suna to capture a Sound Shinobi."
Ino looked confused "Sound? I haven't heard of that village."
"That's because it is a new village and with need information about them. Because somehow, it is related with Orochimaru."
Once they left the village, Naruto was surprisingly, looking ahead. Which, worried Kiba. "Hey Naruto; you okay?"
Naruto nodded "I'm excited to meet the Suna team." He said and Ino raised a brow.
"Why exactly?"
"I want to see if they have a puppeteer with them." Naruto explained and Kurenai smiled.
"You want to test your own skills against another puppeteer." She deducted and Naruto nodded.
"Yes Sensei." He said and Kiba laughed.
"Anyway, I bet you can kick anybody ass with Morpheus! Well, except me." He clarified and Naruto looked at him with his head tilted.
"But last time, I wo-"
"Shut up!"
*Meeting Point, Border of the Land of Rice*
"So Baki; do we have a specific target?" Kurenai asked the sensei of the Suna team, Baki, that shook his head.
"No. We just need to make sure it is of high priority." Baki explained and Kurenai nodded. Meanwhile, Kankuro was getting fed up with Naruto starring at him.
"You like me or something!?" He snapped at the blonde that tilted his head.
"No. I was wondering about your puppet." Naruto said and Kankuro raised a brow.
"Why?"
"I am also a puppeteer. And I wanted to compare mine with one from Suna." Kankuro laughed at that.
"A tree hugger a puppeteer!? HAHAHA!"
"Who hugs trees?" Naruto asked.
"You, you idiot." Kankuro said and Naruto nodded.
"Okay. But I don't hug trees." He said tilting his head, reaching inside his jacket for the scroll of Rest.
Kankuro smirked "What is that? Your puppet?" He mocked as Naruto unsealed Morpheus.
"Yes." He said as he moved Morpheus to lean on him, surprising Kankuro.
"But-What-How?" Kankuro asked "Where did you buy it!?" He demanded and Naruto tilted his head.
"I made it myself. I read how to make them from Chiyo's book." Naruto explained and Kankuro nodded dumbfounded.
Naruto sealed the puppet and continue walking next to Kankuro "And you also learned how to control it from that book?"
Naruto nodded "Yes."
Kankuro smirked "You know, I think I misjudged you." Naruto tilted his head "I think we are going to be great friends."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You can call me Senpai if you want. It would make sense." Kankuro joked and Naruto nodded.
"Okay Senpai."
Ino, who was walking next to Temari shared a look with the other blonde "Your teammate is..."
"An airhead? I know." Ino said "That's why I make sure he doesn't get in any trouble. He doesn't have filter neither."
Temari smirked "Kankuro is a hot head. But I think as long he calls him Senpai, his ego will contain his anger." She joked and Ino laughed.
"Knowing Naruto, he probably won't even notice he is doing that."
"Oi Naruto," Kiba said walking to the blonde that looked at him "Can I walk with you guys? The Gaara kid gives me the creeps."
Naruto shrugged "I suppose."
"Yeah, Gaara... can do that." Kankuro said nervously.
*Hours Later*
"We need to capture one of them." Kurenai said "Acording to the other shinobi, they are part Orochimaru elite squad."
Naruto stared at them. One of them had 8 arms like a spider, the other one was big and a bit fat, one seemed to be two people in one body, and the last one reminds him of his mother, due to her red hair.
"Naruto." Kurenai said and Naruto looked at her. "Knock them out."
Naruto nodded, taking the scroll of rest, when the two in one guy, threw a kunai with explosive tags at them.
They jumped just in time to avoid the explosion and surrounded the Sound shinobi. They got in pairs to fight each one.
Ino and Temari went for the fat one, Kurenai and Baki went for the spider guy, Gaara and Kiba fought the two in one leaving Naruto and Kankuro fighting the red haired girl.
She smirked "Alright fuckheads, who wants to die first?" She mocked and Naruto tilted his head, as he unsealed Morpheus and Kankuro took out his own puppet.
"This shouldn't take too long." Naruto said, moving his fingers, making the puppet rush toward her. She placed her flute on her lips and started to play a tune, but stopped to avoid the senbon throwed at her.
Kankuro's puppet rushed to her and threw a smoke bomb, blinding her. She landed and started to cough as Karasu, Kankuro's puppet hugged her, immobilizing her. Morpheus got face to face with her, opened it mouth and a blue gas came from a tube inside.
She coughed as she started to lose consciousness. "What's that?" Kankuro asked and Naruto shrugged.
"Sleeping gas." He said and turned to their senseis "We got one."
Kurenai nodded "Good! Retreat!" She ordered. Naruto grabbed the sound kunoichi and both teams left.
"Lord Orochimaru's plan is going well."
*Hours Later, Road to Konoha*
"I'm going to kill you, Racoon Eyes!" The sound kunoichi, which name is Tayuya cursed as Naruto carried her. She had chakra suppressing seals and her hands are tied.
Naruto ignored her, looking at the sky "Oi! Are you retarded or something!?" Tayuya insulted him again.
Kurenai sighed. The deal was that Konoha will keep Tayuya and try to get as much information out of her. After that, her fate will be unknow.
Tayuya got fed up with Naruto ignoring her and bit his ear, making him flinch and bringing him back to reality. He looked at her "That hurt."
"Good!"
This will be a long trip.
*Konoha T&I Department*
Tayuya glared at the red-haired bitch in front of her that only smiled at her "If you expect me to say something, then to fucking bad."
The woman smiled at her "You remind me so much of me. My name is Kushina Namikaze. But I used to be Uzumaki." Tayuya's eyes widen at that "I'm so happy to finally meet another Uzumaki."
*Later, Namikaze Compound*
Naruto entered his home and was instantly tackled by Shingeku "Bro! What had you done!?" He exclaimed in panic and Naruto tilted his head.
"I walked around the village a bit. And you?"
"Naruto! Come meet our new guest!" Kushina screamed and Naruto nodded as Shingeku shook his head.
"Don't go..."
Sadly for him, Naruto already drone off and walked to the kitchen, where Kushina was talking to Tayuya. She smirked at him "Hey Racoon Eyes." She mocked and Naruto tilted his head.
"Oh. It's you." He bowed his head "Welcome home." He said before leaving to his room.
Tayuya eye twitched and Kushina chuckled "Don't worry. I know you two will be great friends."
"As if."
In his room, Naruto was placing the finishing touches to his newest puppet. This one, has green hair, yellow eyes, sharp metal teeth, was shirtless with multiple compartments on its torso, arms and its legs were covered by some black kilt reaching to its ankles.
Chakra strings came from his fingers and he moved the puppet making him smile. He sealed it inside a scroll with the kanji of War.
He yawned and fell asleep on the chair.
Next Chapter: Chunin Exams, Petulant Children and Uzumaki Spar