Chapter Three – A Real Mission at Last- Naruto's Oath
The Hokage's office was bright, a direct contrast to the mood that infused the room. Tension had seeped into the air, almost all of it coming off a blonde-haired boy, who was glaring darkly at a brown cat being held by Madame Shijimi, the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire's wife. She was cooing over the feline, clutching it to her chest as it yowled desperately, clearly hating it the attention.
"Serves the stupid cat right," Naruto muttered under his breath. The other two children in the room glanced at him, but silently agreed. Catching that devil of an animal had been hell, and the scratches that littered their bodies spoke testament to that.
No wonder it ran away, Sakura thought to herself, the only one left that still had a spark of sympathy for the feline.
The Hokage cleared his throat. "Now then, the next mission for Kakashi's seventh squad is…" He paused for a moment, and the three held their breath, hoping for a better mission than the last one. "And errand to the neighbouring town to babysit the Chief Councillor's boy…." They all released a sigh of disappointment. The Hokage, either not noticing or ignoring them, went on.
"Helping to dig for Potatoes, eh…" He continued. Naruto felt anger building up. These missions were all basically worthless! They may as well just be doing chores. This was not what he had signed up for, and if the Hokage thought that Naruto would just stand around and put with these ridicules farces that posed as real Ninja missions, then he thought wrong.
"I won't do it," He spoke up, setting his glare to the old man, who had stopped reading. "I refuse to do any more kiddie-like chores. Assign us a real mission."
Everyone had turned to stare at the Naruto, Kakashi with exasperation at the boy's rudeness, but the other two gave reluctant nods, letting the Hokage know that they agreed. Even though they found fault in the way that he had addressed the issue, he did have a point. They didn't exactly want to continue like this…
"Listen here, Naruto…" Kakashi said, after giving the Hokage an apologetic look. "You're still a rookie, and that means that until you get enough experience from low-ranking missions, you're not qualified to take on the higher ones." The boy just scowled at him.
"They're not missions, they're slave work," He said darkly. Sick of his rudeness, Kakashi hit him over the head.
"Knock it off," he said sharply.
The Hokage, thinking it was about time that Naruto understood exactly how the rankings were organised and that it was not in fact "slave-work", started to explain. But Saratobi wasn't even two-thirds of the way through before Naruto interrupted.
"Look, old man, I get how it works- no need for the lecture. But I'm not the same as before, and we're more than ready for something else! These missions are just wasting our time," He argued. Kakashi, no longer thinking that just a look cut it any more, profusely apologized.
Honestly, that boy…
But the Hokage stopped, and considered the blonde-haired boy before him, who was now disputing his point with his sensei, glaring at him defiantly. It was true; Naruto was no longer the same 12-year old as he was mere months ago, the boisterous prankster had changed when Iruka had died, leaving something different behind. Maybe it was time…
"Ok then," He announced," if you insist, I'll let you have C-rank mission!" Sakura and Sasuke gaped at him in shock, and even Kakashi's eye widened. Naruto, not realizing at first that he had won, continued to argue before doing a double take and falling silent. It lasted for a second or two.
"Oh." He said." Good."
Another pause.
"What's the mission?" He eventually asked. Saratobi smiled slightly.
"You'll be bodyguards to someone. I'll introduce him now." Raising his voice, the Hokage called for whomever this mysterious someone was to come in. They all turned to look at the exit, curios to see who it was.
'I hope it's the Feudal Lord!' Sakura thought excitedly.
The wooden door opened slowly, revealing an old man in a peasant's garb. He took one look at the three children, one of which was gazing at him in disappointment and scoffed. "What's this? It's just a bunch a dammed midgets!"
He then gulped heavily at the bottle of alcohol he carried with him. They stared at him, except for Naruto, who started to scowl again.
The old man began leaning against side of the door." Seriously, are you sure they're going to be able to protect me? Especially that one with the emo-looking face."
Everyone then turned to look at Sasuke. He noticed.
"What?" He asked, confused.
Old man shook his head. "No, I meant the other one."
They all glanced at back at Naruto, who was indeed the one sporting the emo-like expression. Realizing this, he flushed angrily. "Why you-"
The Hokage quickly interrupted," This is Tazuna, the man you'll be guarding. And yes, there should be no problems with your protection." He gave them all a stern look, and after a quick glaring contest, Naruto backed down.
Tazuna took a deep breath, and finally turned to address them seriously." As your Hokage mentioned, I'm Tazuna- a veteran bridge builder. You'll be risking life and limb in guarding me to the max, until I return to my land and complete my bridge".
Well, it could be worse, Sasuke thought. And then, as if to dispel any last trace of the previous moment, the old man took another large gulp of the bottle.
I spoke too soon…
The gates of the Village of Hidden Leaves loomed ahead much larger up close then they ever seemed before. Almost always open, yet the world beyond them had always remained a mystery until now. The five of them approached the gate, but only the pink-haired girl had shown her excitement, a happy grin lighting her face as she daydreamed about all bonding moments she could have with Sasuke… 'Maybe the outside could get him to open up a little', she mused. The other two didn't seem so enthused. Naruto was blank-faced, showing no reaction at all towards their newfound freedom. While, trailing behind, Sasuke was staring intently at the old man. Tazuna was obviously a drunk and acted just like any other peasant… yet, from closer inspection, he seemed to be a little suspicious... as if he had something to hide. Sasuke continued to stare trying to figure out what it was. But no matter how long he looked, nothing else was revealed. Obviously he would have to keep a closer eye on the old man if he were to learn anything else.
They were just about to leave; Kakashi making sure that everything was set for their team to exit the village for the first time.
"Alright," He said finally, "Everything is ready, and we're almost good to go. However, there's just one last thing before we head off." Kakashi then turned to look at Naruto sternly, noticing the absence of a key item, something that was very important. "Naruto, put on your forehead protector- you can't leave the village without it."
Naruto just glared daggers at Kakashi, as he did almost every time the two had to interact with each other. "Why? It's not like I need it to complete our mission… it's just a band of fabric with a metal plate on it." He replied harshly, fighting the urge to glance at the blue Hai-ate he hid in his pocket. "What will it actually protect me from…?"
Kakashi managed to look incredulous, as much as a guy in a mask was able to. "Naruto, that's not the point" He said, frustrated. "It's a symbol that you're a Ninja of the Hidden Leaf. Now put it on so we can leave! Mr Tazuna has a schedule he'd like us to keep." With a final glower and a loud sigh, Naruto took his forehead protector out of his pocket and tied it around his neck, opening the front of his jacket slightly so that it could sit comfortably and still be seen clearly.
By Kakashi's sharp look, Naruto could tell that he wasn't impressed with him- he knew he was supposed to wear it around his forehead like both of his teammates, but he didn't care. Plenty of others had worn them in a variety of different ways, so why couldn't he?
"There, it's on. Can we go now?" he asked in a clipped tone. Kakashi let out a long sigh before nodding and stepping out in front of the group. He led the way through the gate, and finally, they were on their way.
At first, they mostly walked in silence. But after a while Sakura who, once the initial excitement of leaving had passed, had quickly grown bored of seeing just trees and shrubbery ahead and started asking Tazuna and Kakashi questions about the Wave Country, and if there was any Ninja's there.
Kakashi clarified that there was no need for an island like the Land of Waves to have a Shinobi Village, since it was small and the location rather difficult for the other Nations to influence. He then went on to explain about other Nations, the Shinobi Villages, and the Kage's as well.
"Heh," Sakura exclaimed," No kidding! So the Hokage is that incredible!" But inwardly, she wondered if the old man could be half as amazing as her sensei made him out to be.
Kakashi glanced at her. "You just doubted the Hokage, didn't you?"
Surprised, she frantically shook her head. 'Can't believe I'm that transparent' she thought, embarrassed. Kakashi let it go, simply patting her on the head. "Well, don't worry." He reassured, smiling." There are no Ninja battles in C-rank missions."
Sakura let out a relieved breath. "Then there really is no worry about getting into a battle with foreign ninja's," She said, happy. She must admit she was more worried about that than she thought, ever since hearing about the mission in the Hokage's office. She wasn't a coward by any means, but now that Kakashi-sensei had said that it wouldn't happen, she felt that she could finally relax.
Unbeknownst to them, Sasuke, who was closely observing Tazuna, saw the old man's stance change the moment Sakura had asked if there were any foreign Ninja. He appeared tense, and sweat was starting to form on his face.
So that was why, when Sakura was sighing in relief, he glanced back, and saw the expression on Tazuna's face. He looked almost… Guilty.
Time passed, and the sun slowly rose overhead, blazing down brightly upon them. It was quiet again, the only noise being the occasional rustle of an animal passing by in the forest, and birdsong.
They kept up a steady pace; the three genin's lost in their own thoughts as they walked by a large puddle of water, seemingly without noticing it. Only Kakashi glanced at it, but he looked away just as quickly, and they passed it in silence. Not seeing the head that merged out of the water, glaring at their retreating backs.
In seconds, the puny puddle had turned into two completely foreign Ninjas, their headbands proclaiming them to be from the Village Hidden in the Mist. In an explosion of movement, they struck leaping in the air towards the group, a gleaming chain of shuriken trailing behind them.
Upon hearing the noise, Kakashi glanced up, but it was too late to do anything as the chains quickly wrapped securely around his body, ensnaring him. He exclaimed in shock, his reaction mirrored by that of his students.
They could only gaze in terror, as with a shout of "the first one!" the two Ninja's simultaneously and cruelly yanked on the chains, the force of their harsh pull tearing their sensei's body apart in a moment.
The sound of Kakashi's remains hitting the ground seemingly unfroze Sakura. She screamed out in horror and stumbled back, her arms instinctively thrown out in front of her in defence as the two Ninja turned their attention on the now panic-stricken group.
But they didn't attack Sakura, and instead appeared behind Naruto, the boy trembling in fear as he realized what was just about to happen.
In a haze, he distantly heard one of them say smugly "the second one," and he flinched, slowly turning to face them, even as inside, he yelled at himself to move- because he had to do prevent this, had to something before they killed him, but it was like his legs were stuck in quicksand and he couldn't move, couldn't escape-
And the chains were already heading toward him, and it was probably too late now, the ninja's faces starting to show a trace of triumph-
Only for it to turn into surprise when a Shuriken came out of nowhere, catching the chain just as it was about to reach Naruto, and lodging it deeply into the bark of a nearby tree. A Kunai quickly followed it, and it pierced through the hole of the Shuriken in an expert display of skill and accuracy, leaving the two Ninja's stuck.
They went to run forward, but stopped when their weapons didn't even budge. "It won't come off, "one of them growled in annoyance.
Naruto could only watch in stunned silence as Sasuke- who had jumped into action the moment he saw the danger- landed gracefully on their outstretched, weaponized arms in a perfect crouch. Smirking, he grasped their forearms and kicked out, sending them flying.
W-wow, Naruto thought, gazing at his Teammate's actions numbly. It was impressive, but for some reason, it bothered him. Why… Would Saskuke do that? It didn't make sense to him just as the reason why Iruka-sensei died for him didn't make sense.
Once they realised they wouldn't be able to release their chain from the tree one of the detached it from his claw like gauntlet and made for Sakura and Tazuna, Sakura held her stance in front of the old man- even though she knew there was nothing she could do to stop the oncoming attack. Seeing her predicament, Sasuke quickly got between her and their assailant.
Right before they were about to engage, Kakashi appeared out of nowhere, taking down both of their attackers quicker then the young Genin's eyes could follow.
After the relief of seeing that their teacher was okay had worn off, they quickly realised that Kakashi had obviously used a Substitution Jutsu to avoid the chains.
"Naruto, I'm sorry I didn't save you immediately. I got you injured. But I didn't think you'd freeze up like that. Anyway, good job Sasuke, Sakura too." Kakashi said, nodding at both of them to acknowledge their efforts. Sakura beamed, pleased that she got praised.
Meanwhile, Naruto had to fight down his shame. Swallowing, he glanced over at Sasuke. He looks as if nothing happened. He doesn't even have a speck of dust on him… Yet it was his first real battle. Was he not scared at all? He even saved me…' Naruto thought bitterly.
"Hey!" Sasuke called out, getting his attention immediately, "You alright, Scardy-cat?" he taunted with a smirk.
Naruto's eyes darkened dangerously, and he clenched his fists, struggling with the urge not to start a fight. But before he could lose his control, Kakashi spoke up.
"Naruto, save it for later". The boy bristled, but he took no heed of it." Their claws are soaked in poison, and we have to remove it quickly." At his words, Naruto finally noticed the cut along his hand, where their attacker must have grazed when he headed for Sakura and the old man.
"Open the wound and release the poisoned blood from your body," Kakashi instructed. "And don't move around too much, or the poison will spread." Satisfied that Naruto now understood his situation and how to take care of it, he began dragging the unconscious bodies of the two ninja's over to a nearby tree and began trying them up.
"Oh, and Tazuna-san" Kakashi said, looking over his shoulder as he addressed their client.
"What is it?" The old man replied nervously.
"I need to talk to you." At the serious tone in his voice, Tazuna gulped.
Kakashi continued. "These are Hidden Mist Chuunin, and once engaged in battle, they are known to never give up, not matter what." As he was saying this, one of them woke up. He glared heatedly at his captor. The white-haired man just looked back at him evenly, not phased in the slightest.
"How did you read our movements?" The ninja asked, wanting to where they failed.
"On a sunny afternoon like this where there hasn't been rain in days, there's not going to be a puddle." Kakashi said simply.
"If you knew that, then why did you let the brats fight?" Tazuna asked, appalled but slightly curious to know the answer nonetheless.
Kakashi looked at Tazuna from the corner of his eye, his entire demeanour changing instantly, "If I had wanted to, I could have killed these two instantly, but… there was something I needed to find out- who these two were after."
"What do you mean?" Tazuna said; still trying to play the confused bystander- not that Kakashi was buying his act anymore.
"Meaning… were they after you or one of us? "He looked at the old man intently, and he immediately glanced away. "Our mission was to simply protect you from thieves or gangs. We haven't heard that there are Shinobi after you. This was supposed to be simple protection until you completed the bridge, but now this has now become a B-Rank Mission."
"If it was known that Ninja were after you this mission would have been set as the more expensive B-Rank and I'm sure you had your reasons, but it causes problems when you lie about the mission. We are now operating outside of our duties." He finished.
"We aren't ready for this mission, lets quit! I mean; we'll need medicine for Naruto's wound. We should go back to the village and take him to a doctor." Sakura added in.
'Hmm… She's right. This might be too much…' Kakashi thought, giving Naruto a quick once over.
"I guess we should return to the village to treat Naruto" He decided, but the words had barely left his mouth before Naruto whipped out an Kunai and viciously dug it into the wound on his hand. 'Why is there so much of a difference? He thought, squeezing his eyes shut in pain. Why am I always… Damn it!
"Naruto! What are you doing?!" Sakura shouted out in surprise as she watched Naruto stab himself in the hand.
Naruto paid her no attention, still trying to figure out what went wrong- why he froze up so completely. 'I should become stronger… I've completed lots of missions and even practiced my Jutsu everyday by myself everyday, so this shouldn't have happened!
But then his eyes hardened. Never again, He vowed, I'm never going to need saving ever again! I'm not going to be afraid or try and run… And I won't lose to Sasuke! I swear it on this pain in my left hand!
"We will protect this old man! We're continuing the mission!" Naruto said resolutely, leaving no room for any of the others to object.
So once his wound was properly cleaned and bandaged by a exasperated Kakashi, the group continued their journey with only minor complaint from Sakura, who wanted to make it perfectly clear she did not agree with them and would not be held accountable with the rest of them if anything goes wrong- well, if they should all survive, that is.
Oh my god this chapter has been a mission and a half to finish!
So I'd like to start by saying a big giant thank you to my wonderful Co. why did most of the work on this chapter, with only a few words from me about the Dialog or setting! ~ Honestly this chapter would not exist without her amazing hard work! And her brilliant editing skills.
Second, I know I mentioned on Tumbler that this chapter would be longer and also introduce Zabuza to the story, but we decided that this was a good place to end the chapter, not only for our own story-boarding reasons but we've made you all wait so long for it we decided to get it out as soon as we possibly could.
Have no fear though! Next chapter Zabuza will join the party and there will be much angst with Naruto and we will get to see more of his dark side!
Now I will want to put a few things to a vote, we intend to make this arc around 3-5 chapters, what we want to know is would you guy's like to see more development of their characters now, or would you prefer we stick to building up the story and save most of the major character development for the Chunnin Exam? Leave your answer in the comments!
Oh and if you are not already, please follow us on Tumbler ask-naruto-with-a-curse-mark for regular updates, side story's and any questions you may have about the story. We also post story art their!~
Regards Yami-Sama & Krystal-Chan