'NARUTO!' Sakura screamed, clenching her fist in front of her and bumping Naruto on the head as soon as he came within range. 'You're late, baka!'
Naruto wondered for but a second whether to call her out on her behaviour but decided against it. As much as deception rubbed against his nerves, he had to admit, especially after reading Tobirama's notes on how a shinobi fights, he needed to preserve their impression of him… for now.
'Ite!' Naruto rubbed his head, all the while grinning up at her. 'Sakura-chan! That hurts. I overslept, gomen!'
He could see Sakura grind her teeth in frustration. Sasuke had his usual self-satisfied smirk. 'Che, dobe,' he muttered under his breath.
'Shut up, teme!' Naruto yelled back prompting another quick punch to his head from the pink haired fangirl.
He had been ready for her yell the moment he stepped on to the training ground seven in view of his teammates. Sasuke as usual was sulking under a tree and Sakura, also as usual, hovering near him.
Secretly, Naruto was quite pleased with his senses having increased this much. He had been able to tell where in particular his teammates were standing.
Che. Teammates. What a stupid word for what they are. They can barely qualify as a team as it is. But looking at the broody bastard reminded him of something he thought of last night as he read the book the old man had given him.
Although he didn't know the creep's name, it was quite clear to him that the man was a big admirer of the Second Hokage. And it wasn't difficult to see that now that he has read halfway through the memoir of the Nidaime.
His demeanour was exactly how Tobirama-sama has outlined in it. Although, he had a feeling that it was added later on and not published within the book. Did the old man do it? Regardless, it didn't matter to him right now.
Not when he needed to research the Uchiha Clan. He had briefly seen the weird Sharingan eye of both Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke. From what Haku had observed and Zabuza said, it can read, decipher and copy all hand-signs, ninjutsu and genjutsu.
That made it highly dangerous. How unfair was that! He would be damned if he let the teme copy his one useful jutsu. Although, there was no telling he hadn't already done it. Naruto had used it quite a few times against Haku after Sasuke had awakened his freaky eyes.
The problem was, the hateful woman at the library wouldn't even let him in there, much less look up anything concerning the Uchiha clan. The moment he asked for it, he was certain it would elicit a stampede from the teme's fans defending him.
Maybe the old man had some information on the now nearly extinct clan. Naruto had been quick to get a bingo book as soon as they had returned from Wave, remembering what Zabuza had said about them:
'When you are deadly enough to be entered into my bingo book then you may have earned the title Ninja.'
And reading through the book, it was very, very obvious that Naruto didn't rank anywhere near the most powerful shinobi in the world.
From what he saw, ninjas were ranked the same as ninja missions. The least dangerous ones, usually runaway genin and academy students ranged from D to E. Then Chunins with no special ability ranged were usually C while those with a kekke genkai were B ranked.
There was a decent bounty on their return to the village they defected from or to the village which has put the bounty on the ninja.
Then came the powerful shinobi like Kakashi-sensei and Zabuza. Both were A ranked which are amongst the most powerful shinobi in the world, next only to the Kages and S-ranked Ninja.
It had shocked him to the core to see that Sasuke's older brother, Itachi was S-ranked with an order to kill on sight, but only with backup. If encountered alone, the ninja was ordered to flee right away.
No wonder the teme was so obsessed with getting strong. His brother was one of the most powerful shinobi in the world. Naruto inwardly grinned. He would no way make it obvious that his new ideal of strength was not Kakashi or even the Sandaime but Itachi himself.
He was determined to one day be stronger than the older Uchiha. And he never went back on his word.
The chirping birds brought him back from his internal musings and reminded him of the present. All his dreams would have to wait. There was no way he was getting stronger by waiting for his perpetually late sensei to show up.
Apparently, they were to have a mission today.
Finally, Sakura's loud shout alerted them. 'You're late!'
'Ne. Ne… You see, I was on my way here but a black cat crossed my path and I had to go around all the way across the village,' their sensei without a pause, his smut book in front of his face as usual.
'LIAR!' both Naruto and Sakura yelled. Naruto did, merely to keep up the pretence. If anything, he had learnt that his lazy-ass sensei was scarily observant. And who knows what the sensei will say about his changing outlook on ninja life.
'Well… now that we are here, let's get going,' Kakashi turned around and led them all the way to the Hokage tower. A few people were already milling about, shinobi and civilian alike. Naruto ignored the cold stares he received, as well as the admiring gazes Sasuke attracted.
Although the latter, brew his jealousy savagely, he managed to smother it down. What was it that he had that Naruto didn't? Was it the looks? No, that can't be it. Maybe it was the noble clan and his heritage?
The soft bell of the assistant's desk tinkered as they pushed the door of the office open. The pretty brunette looked up at their entrance. Unlike other people in the Tower, and indeed, in the academy, the assistants the old man Jiji hired, were always good to him.
'Yo,' Naruto beamed at the girl. 'How you doing, Izumi?'
The girl smiled at him, replying, 'Very well, Naruto-san,' then looked towards Kakashi. Naruto, who had been trying to be more observant ever since the old man admonished him for it, noticed the reddening of her face. So weird. Hinata did the same thing.
'Izumi you okay?' Naruto said concernedly, 'You look a little red?'
If anything, the girl reddened even more, and replied, 'I…I'm fine, Naruto-san. Just a little fever.'
'Oh,' Naruto sighed. He had been right. 'Well get well soon!' He waved and moved towards the old man's office, missing the looks of incredulousness of his teammates or the slight shake of Kakashi's head.
However, Izumi's fever was the last on Naruto's mind. He was more concerned with the broody bastard that his teammate was and his clan. Maybe the old man knew something about the Uchiha clan, Naruto wondered. But he wasn't about to ask him in front of his paranoid teammate and observant sensei.
Instead, he greeted the Hokage his usual way. 'Hey Jiji!' Naruto grinned.
That grinned was soon wiped off when Sakura's fist bounced off his head, 'Baka! Don't call the Hokage that!'
Though his head pained him, his air was in threat of being cut off as Sakura captured his head in a lock with her deceptively strong arms.
'Ma Ma Sakura,' Kakashi lightly admonished his rowdy genin. 'Necks aren't supposed to bend that way. Hokage-sama.'
The Sandaime Hokage, who most people revere as the God of Shinobi, the only one to hold the title since the venerable Shodaime, Hashirama Senju, looked on at the team fondly.
Kakashi was one of his strongest Jounins, and the one-eyed, grey haired man had been drowning himself in ANBU missions for too long. But now, seeing the look in his one-eye, even if his face was hidden behind the mask, showed Hiruzen that giving him the genin team was a good idea.
Sakura, another genin from civilian background, had graduated the top of her year amongst the kunoichi. Yes, she lacked power certainly but he was sure Kakashi was working with her on her faults. By the admiring looks, she subtly – but not subtly enough – sent the Uchiha, it seems she still held a torch for him.
Well, that wasn't anything new. He was distinctly reminded of another Uchiha merely six years ago and the pang of guilt rose in his chest. An entire clan eliminated. If only…. No. There was no use thinking of such things now.
Sasuke was a fine shinobi. Sure, the boy had problems but for someone who had been shown his parents' murder by his own brother using the Sharingan's capabilities, it was no wonder. Still, it was good for Sasuke to be in a team where his vengeful tendencies can be curbed and he could form friendships.
The last boy, grinning at him with those shiny blue eyes brightened his day, surely. Even if the troublesome genin had invented the most dangerous jutsu known to mankind. Naruto reminded him so much of him and yet… at the same time, didn't.
Sandaime was well aware of how hard the poor boy's life had been in the village and he had done everything possible to make it easier for him. But alas, he could hardly force people to like him. And he had been outvoted by the Shinobi Council from taking Naruto into his own diminished clan.
If he did it for one orphan, then it set a dangerous precedent for all others. So, regrettably the boy had been left at the mercies of the orphanages. That's not so say that Hiruzen hadn't kept an eye on the boy.
And until last week, there had been no concern from the boy about his danger. After Kakashi's report however, he reminded himself to summon his errant former student. Although the spy network was very important for Konoha, so was this.
But the grinning boy looked to be in good spirits. So that was well.
'Well, Kakashi, you're here for a mission, I suppose.'
'Hai, Hokage-sama,' the man answered, not putting down the book that got him, and so many other men in trouble with the ladies.
'Well let's what we got here,' Hiruzen pretended to sift through the numerous scrolls on his desk, knowing that Naruto's patience was running thin but enjoying it too much.
Another puff of smoke and Naruto was just about ready to snatch that damn pipe out of his mouth. It annoyed him almost as much as Kakashi's damn book.
'Yo, Jiji… What's the deal?' Naruto tapped his foot impatiently.
'Ma Ma, Naruto. Have some patience,' said Kakashi, knowing it was a lost cause.
Naruto however already knew that. Tobirama had expounded greatly on the usefulness of patience.
'Hmm… This one, I think,' the Sandaime gave the scroll to Kakashi who took it without bothering to look at it.
Before Naruto could ask what it was, just as he had no doubt both Sakura and Sasuke wanted to, the Hokage said, 'Be sure to be back for more…'
And just like that, he knew this was another D-rank.
And sure enough, they were stuck sifting trash from a nearby river for more than five hours. Naruto was just glad that they didn't have to find Tora, the demon cat. He was certain that the cat took vicious, sadistic pleasure in scratching his face off every time. Oh, how he longed to kill it.
'Ugh Naruto no baka, we could have been done so much earlier if you had used your shadow clones,' Sakura said, not for the first time as they walked back towards the administrative buildings.
'Hn,' Sasuke added helpfully and immediately Sakura was glad to see that her crush agreed with her.
'Why the hell should I do that, Sakura-chan?' Naruto asked, both his hands behind his head.
'What the….,' he didn't understand Sakura's confused look before it was turned into one of anger. 'Why, because it would have taken us less time. And it's teamwork, baka!'
'Gomen, Sakura-chan, but no,' Naruto replied, and missed her dumbfounded expression and Sasuke's momentary frown as he turned to Kakashi-sensei hopefully.
As usual, the glares accompanied wherever he went and they collected their pay from the mission centre where they collected scrolls of completed missions.
'Ne, Ne… Kakashi-sensei,' Naruto looked up at him hopefully. 'Can you teach me something new… Please!'
'Sorry, Naruto but you need to focus on the basics,' came his teacher's usual reply and one that Naruto had been expecting.
'But… But…,' before Naruto could plead further, he knew there was another team coming down from the Hokage's tower.
'Hello Kakashi,' asked the beautiful sensei and his own teacher replied, without putting down his book.
'Yo.'
Naruto didn't need to be a genius to know when to stay away from women, and this was it. Instead, he looked toward her genin, and pushed down the feelings of resentment that came up at the sight of the brash Inuzuka.
'What are you looking at dobe?' Kiba asked, and was immediately admonished by his sensei who seemed to have finished her brief conversation with Kakashi.
'Nothing, just seeing why anyone have to suffer your stench, dog breath,' Naruto replied, knowing that it would set him off.
And like clockwork, he nearly exploded, 'Why you dead last! I would beat your ass here and now but we have a mission to get to.'
'Che, like you can,' Naruto replied, grinning and just when he was getting ready to defend against the about-to-lunge Kiba, both of them were pulled away by their respective teammates, Naruto by Sakura and Kiba by Shino.
Naruto briefly saw the indigo hair of Hinata and turned to see her face but she immediately ducked her head. Ah, so she didn't even want to look at him. Of course. She no doubt thought that he shouldn't even get into an argument with someone as strong as Kiba.
But that's exactly why he needed to.
'N…Naruto-kun,' he thought he heard her say as they were about to part but it must have been his imagination. He turned towards Sakura and grinned, 'Ne…. Ne… Sakura-chan!'
'What is it Naruto!' the girl almost growled at him, already having his neck in her grasp.
'Since we're done with the mission, how we get something to eat…,' he said, smiling up at her.
'SHUT UP, BAKA!' another punch to the head followed his request.
But he felt it was worth it. He didn't want to look into the pale, light lavender eyes of the girl who he thought was his friend.
'A shinobi knows when to unleash his fury and when to hold back. Patience can be a weapon if you know how to use it and anger can make you stronger if you know how to control it,' Tobirama-sama had stated.
And Naruto was angry. At his treatment by the villagers. By the people who were supposed to be his friends and his teammates. His sensei. And he was learning to be patient.
He might not have learnt a new jutsu in the two days since he had been given the book by the old man but he had improved. And maybe he was one step closer to being a called a ninja in Zabuza's book.