Urusai: And we're back!

Jackyl: My time's limited... do tell me what the reviewers wish to know and let the show begin...

Urusai: But there isn't seem to be much to it... the readers enjoyed the chapter and they await another update...

Jackyl: Okay, so here it is!

IMPORTANT NOTE: a lot of exams are coming and I propably won't be able to update for a longer while. It should get better around Christmas, but it's highly possible you won't be able to read new chapters for few weeks. Sorry for that, but I really have to study hard for what's coming.

Chapter #8: New Mission! Return to the Wave Country

Chapter Cover: Kakashi is standing on top of the Hokage Monument. On Tsunade's head to be more exact

Naruto gave Kakashi a report from his team's last mission. The Rokudaime read it quickly and then looked up at the rookie gennins.

"Alright team number seven, time for your new assignment…" announced the Hokage after a moment of silence.

"Just hope it'll be better then the last one…" stated Urusai. "How does paining a house suppose to make us stronger anyway?"

"And you expected to battle shinobies the moment you leave the Academy?" Naruto gave him a questioning glare. "Not only you're gennin, but a rookie ones for that matter. Fighting is out of the question for you guys right now…"

"But how long will we be getting such lame missions? Two, other teams become gennins except us! Can't they have some of those?"

"Actually, team number ten already took a mission of cutting down the trees for a nearby village" announced Kakashi. "They're preparing the town for winter…"

"Who cares?" replied the blonde gennin. "If they want, they can do lame missions like that. Give us something interesting, dammit!"

"Yeah pops, give us something more… challenging…" begged Ayame.

"They're not showing me any respect, are they?" the Rokudaime sweat dropped. "Listen, it's not that I don't want you to enter higher rank missions at all, but you guys aren't ready yet…"

"Oh yeah?" yelled Urusai, pointing at his instructor. "Naruto-sensei said that his team completed an A-rank mission when they were rookie gennins just like us!"

"You told them about that?" Kakashi's eyebrow went up, as he looked at the blonde jounin.

"It… must've escaped my mouth" replied Naruto with a smile. "Sorry, Kakashi-sama…"

"Guess there's really no helping it now…" sighed the Hokage. "But you guys still won't get an A-rank mission. You'll be able to see the place your sensei had his first, tough fight though. You'll be heading to the Wave Country…"

"So what's the mission objective?" asked Jun.

"You'll be transporting supplies for the people of that country… and Naruto… tell everyone I said 'hi'…"

"I will, Hokage-sama" replied the blonde as he bowed. "Okay team, let's go!"

"But Naruto-sensei, we don't know where the supplies we need to bring to the Wave Country are…" reminded Ayame as the instructor face fallen.

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"This will take forever!" complained Urusai as they exited Konoha gates on a wagon pulled by a single horse. On the wagon, except them, was lots of food and tools. "Can't we just grab the stuff and go on foot?"

"Do you seriously think you'll be able to carry at least ¼ of this stuff?" asked Naruto, not even turning to his subordinate.

The blonde gennin kept silent for a moment and then replied: "Okay, but why did we get such a lame mission? The Hokage is your father, Ayame-chan. Couldn't he gave us anything more challenging?"

"The Wave Country isn't so far away really…" announced the whisker-marks. "Getting there, even with this wagon, shouldn't take longer then a day or two. Once we give the supplies to the right people, we'll return on foot to the Leaf… this is a mission for a week at most…"

"Naruto-sensei…" began Jun. "How come you know so much about the Wave Country? What exactly happened during your first, A-rank mission?"

"Well…" the blonde jounin looked to the sky while he drifted away in his memories. "It all happened when I was around your age, actually. Kakashi-sama, me and my two teammates were protecting a bridge builder by the name of Tazuna… Gatou hired shinobies to kill him, because he feared Tazuna finishing his bridge…"

"Why was that bridge so important?" asked Ayame.

"It wasn't just any bridge… it was the lands chance of getting free from Gatou… and it'd remind the people of that country what courage is…"

"So what exactly happened?" this time Urusai got curious.

"A guy named Zabuza was send to kill Tazuna" responded Naruto. "And we stopped him… kinda…"

"Kinda?" repeated the blonde gennin.

"Haku, Zabuza's partner, sacrificed his life to save his comrade… later on Zabuza died while killing Gatou... they both died protecting someone important to them… and even though they were my enemies, they gave me a valuable lesson…"

At hearing that all three rookies went into silence and none of them even noticed a mysterious figure who watched them from above:

"So this is the brat?" the figure thought to itself. "It'd seem like it, but I expected someone more… oh well, that's of no importance… guess I'm pretty lucky to get that shrimp out of the village without any trouble… only one jounin… taking him shouldn't be a problem…"

The trip took the whole day (and was extremely boring in Urusai's words). Nothing really happened and team seven reached the Great Naruto Bridge without any trouble.

"The Great Naruto Bridge?" Ayame read the sign. "Looks like you're mighty famous here, Naruto-sensei…"

"Tazuna actually named the bridge after me?" the blonde jounin's eyebrow went up. "That's quite unexpected…"

"I see you actually kept your promise…" they suddenly heard a voice and turned the way it came from. Then they spotted a boy in his twenties with short, spiky, brown hair and black eyes. "Long time, no see, eh Naruto?"

"Well, it has been a while" replied the whisker-marks. "And you changed quite a bit… Inari."

Both of them smiled widely as they approached each other and shook hands.

"How have you been, Naruto?" asked the one called Inari. "I see you even manage to get your own bunch of kids… are they as strong as you were?"

"Maybe even better" replied the blonde. "And how are things going around here?"

"Well, since Gatou disappeared, the country returned to it's wealth" responded brown-hair. "But you'll be able to see it with your own eyes when you except my offer to stay for the night at my place…"

"Okay… as long as you'll have any ramen" and with that phrase he smiled even wider.

"I'm afraid that won't be happening" they all heard another voice and before anyone could act, Jun received a powerful blow in the stomach, which send him flying back. Luckily for him, Naruto was able to catch him before he hit the ground.

The blonde jounin then looked in the direction were the mysterious figure was standing. He was wearing a black cloak with purple flame painted on the back. The man had short, spiky, white hair and red eyes. His hands that were uncovered, were completely covered in bandages.

"That symbol on his back…" Naruto thought to himself. "There's no doubt about it… but why is he here? Could he be after…?"

"My name is Genko" announced the figure. "And I didn't came here to fight with you. I guess you know what my objective is, so why not just allow me to finish my mission and you can get back to yours…"

"Sorry, but that I cannot do…" replied the blonde jounin as he gave unconscious Jun to Inari. "Urusai, Ayame, stay out of this! This guy is way above your level… if you interfere, you'll only make things worse…"

"So you wish to fight me alone, even though you know who I am?"

"I'd say it's a bit different" responded Naruto. "I'm gonna fight you alone, coz I know who you are. Besides it's not like I don't have any chances…"

"Ah, yes…" nodded Genko. "The famous Uzumaki Naruto, crusher of the Akatsuki… but you should know Akatsuki was nowhere near our level…"

"So I heard… but this changes nothing…"

"As you wish then… I'll kill you and then complete my mission…"

"You're way to confident" announced Naruto. "I suggest you take me seriously" and with that he performed a quick set of hand seals. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

And so this chapter is finished!

I'll cut this one rather short (sorry for skipping even the jutsu encyklopedia... I'll try to make it up to you guys next time).

Please, leave a review and till the next time!