Chapter 5 The first real mission to the waves
"Sasuke, I am at point B." was heard on the ear piece
"Sakura, I`m at point C." was next.
"Kira point D." Was the muffled answer. And a few moments later.
"Naruto, I`m at point A. Believe it."
"You`re slow Naruto. Okay Squad 7…" there was rustling and Kakashi shouted. "Target has moved! Follow it!"
The target jumped into a shrub.
"Over there." Naruto said.
Team 7 approached it waiting for the signal.
"What`s your distance from the target?" Kakashi asked.
"Five meters. I`m ready just give the signal." Naruto answered.
"I`m ready too." Sasuke muttered.
"So am I." Sakura confirmed
"I`ll wait here for incase it gets away. Kira was the last one to answer.
"Okay…..Now!"Kakashi said thus making three of the four Genin jump on the rouge….cat.
"I got it. I got him." Naruto said holding the cat which soon started scratching him.
"Verify the ribbon on its right ear. "Kakashi instructed Kira.
"Affirmative we got a positive ID." She mumbled into the earpiece.
"Right, lost pet Tora captured mission accomplished. "
"CAN`T WE GET A BETTER MISSION THAN THIS?! I HATE CATS!" Naruto yelled causing Kakashi to fall to the ground with his ear ringing.
15 minutes later…
"OH!. My poor little Tora, Mommy was so worried about you fuzzy little kittens. Yes."
Squad 7 watched as the cat they captured was being hugged to death by the Fire Lords` wife.
"Ahaha, that cat deserves it!" Naruto said
"No wonder he ran away." Sakura said quietly .
The other three didn't say anything Sasuke was looking away and Kakashi and Kira were both engrossed in their reading, Kakashi a Make Out Paradise Special edition and Kira a manga book. The Hokage started naming all the other D- ranked missions
"Now then for Squad 7 next mission we have several available tasks. Among them babysitting the Chief councilor's` three year old, helping his wife to do the shopping, digging up potatoes and…." Until he was gracefully interrupted by Naruto.
"Noooo. I wanna go on a real mission." He said crossing his arms to form an X. " Something challenging and exciting not this little kids stuff. Come on old man."
'He`s got a point.' Sasuke thought.
'But he`s such a pain.' Sakura finished her thought.
'I knew this was coming.' Kakashi said with a sigh.
'I wonder if I cloud make this single round house kick a triple one…' Were Kira`s thoughts
"How dare you! You`re just a brand new Genin with no experience! Like everyone else you start with simple mission to develop your skills and prove yourself!" Iruka yelled jumping from his seat beside the Hokage.
"Are you serious?! Babysitting is not a mission it`s just a stupid… Gaaaa!" Naruto cloudn`t finish the sentence because he was hit in the head by Kakashi thus making him fall face first on the floor.
"Will you put a lid on it." Kakashi finally muttered.
"Naruto it seems that you do not understand the tasks you have been given…." The Hokage started while Naruto whined about how his head hurt"….Listen. Many different kind of requests come into our village every day. From babysitting to assassinations. These requests are carefully recorded, analyzed then ranked A,B.C or D….."
'Not to mention S.' Kira absentmindedly mentally added.
"Depending on their difficulty we ninja are also ranked by ability. Hokage top, Jonin, Chunin and Genin at the bottom. At the highest level we select the mission and assign them to ninja who have the appropriate skill and experience. And if the mission is successful we receive a fee that supports our village and our work. Since you are untrained Genin just starting down the shinobi path you are given D level assignments of course.." The Hokage stopped his talking only to see that no one of Squad 7 was listening to him. Instead they were listening to Naruto who was rambling abut ramen.
"So I had this Tankatsu ramen yesterday so I`m thinking Miso ramen today…." The Hkage yelled
"Silence!" making the squad turn attention to him.
"Oh, sorry." Kakashi simply said.
"You always lecture me like you`re my grandfather or something. But I`m not the little brat who used to pull pranks all the time, I`m a ninja now and I want a ninja mission." He ended pouting with his back turned to t Hokage and Iruka.
Sighing again Kakashi said. "I`m going to hear about this later."
Finally cracking the Hokage thought. ' Naruto wants us to know that he`s not a brat. He`s a former brat and he wants a mission.' "So be it." He said making Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura perk up and Kira and Kakashi move their glances to him
"Since you are so determined, I'm going to give you a C ranked mission. You`ll be bodyguards on a journey. "The Hokage said making Naruto turn to him.
"Really? Yes! Who, who? Are we guarding a princess or some big league councilor?" Naruto said excitedly.
"Don't be so impatient. I will bring him in now. Send in our visitor." The Hokage ordered.
And the whole Squad 7 turned to the door which opened to show them the drunken middle-aged man they were supposed to escort and protect. He was wearing a straw hat with a pointy tip and glasses. In his left hand there was a bottle of what smelled like sake.
"What the? A bunch of little snot nosed kids."
The man said as he took a long drag of the alcoholic drink, some of it spilling on his chin, to his grey haired beard and on the floor.
Squad 7 except Kira who seemed to find her manga more interesting were looking at him.
"And you the little one with the idiotic look on your face, you really expect me to believe you`re a ninja?"
Naruto started laughing.
"Hahahaha. Who`s the little one with the idiotic look on his …." His smile was wiped out when Sasuke and Sakura stepped closer to him and Kira who was right next to him so he cloud realize that he was shorter than Sasuke and Sakura. Thankfully he was the same height as Kira but as long as he had known her she had never had an idiotic look on her face so that means….
"I`ll demolish you. Let me get my hands on you….."Naruto continued ranting as he was held back by Kira and Kakashi said to him, not like he as listening.
"We do not demolish our clients Naruto. It doesn`t work that way."
While Naruto was fuming the drunkard helped himself to another swing or sip from the bottle. When he was done he introduced himself.
"I am Tazuna a master bridge builder and I must return to my country. I am building a bridge that will change our world, and I expect you to get me there safely even if it means giving up your life."
Meanwhile
A shadow racing through the forests of the outside of The Village Hidden In The Leaves.
On the inside of the Village gates
Naruto was the first of squad 7 to get out through the gates.
"Yeah!All right!" he shouted.
"What are you getting so excited about Naruto?" Sakura asked.
"This is the first time I ever left the Village. I`m a traveler now. Believe it!" He said looking left and right as excite as a kid who went to the candy store and doesn't know which candy to choose.
"Hey am I supposed to trust my life to this lump he`s a joke." Tazuna said making Naruto stop laughing and start glaring at him.
"He`s with me and I'm a Jonin so you don't need to worry."
'This runt. He`s a joke. This runt. He`s a joke' The bridge builder`s words kept repeating themselves in Naruto`s head
'Why do we have to get this old geezer to guard? I`m gonna come down to size right now!' He thought as he turned to Tazuna.
"Hey! Never insult a ninja it's a big mistake. I`m one of the greatest ninja ever, someday I'm going to be a Hokage and you`ll look up to me. My names Naruto Uzumaki! Remember it!"
Tazuna took a swing from the bottle and said.
"Hokage are powerful and wise, you are puny and brainless. The day you become Hokage I'll sprout out wings and fly." Thus making Naruto angrier.
"Ah! Shut up! I`ll do anything to become Hokage, no matter what it takes! And when I do then everyone will have to admit that I'm the top ninja including you!" which to Tazuna replied
"Huh, you can become Hokage ten time over but to me you`ll still be nobody, just a loser."
Just as he said that Tazuna heard a voice next to him. "That loser happens to be my best friend." As he jumped around in surprise he saw Kira and called out to Kakashi.
"Hey, keep your son in check. He almost scared the hell out of me."
Kakashi looked at him and then at Kira who had already returned to her manga reading.
"Oh no Kira is not my kid." He said surprising Tazuna.
"Are you sure he looks like a mini copy of you except for the eye coverage." He said looking closer at Kira`s face. Naruto sneakered before saying.
"You`re the only one dense here old man. Would you like to tell him Kira?" he said with a barely hidden smile.
"Tell me what?" the bridge builder asked and turned to Kira who was already walking ahead. She simply turned to him and as her first day on school said the same words.
"I`m a girl."
.
.
.
"Whaaaat?!" Came from the super surprised bridge builder. Naruto bust out laughing.
"That's the exact same way she told us after Kiba asked her if she had a girlfriend when he thought she as a boy. And the entire class including me has the exact same reaction as yours. But not only had you thought she was a boy you also thought she was…. Was …. Ka…Kakashi- sensei`s son! Bwahhahhaha!" Naruto fell to his knees laughing. After he had calmed down Squad 7 continued their journey unaware of the two pairs of eyes looking at them.
After a few hours Sakura decided it was time to get curious about the country they were going to so she started asking the bridge builder.
"So Mr. Tazuna….."
"What is it?" the old man gruffly replied
"Your country is the land of waves right?" Sakura continued.
"Yea, what of it?"
"Kakashi-sensei there are ninja in that country too aren't there?" Sakura asked turning to the silver haired Jonin.
"No. there are no ninja in the Land of Waves, but in other countries there are Hidden Villages. Each with their own different customs and cultures where ninja the people of this continent the existence of ninja villages means strength, military strength. In other words that's how they protect themselves and maintain the balance of power with neighboring countries.
The ninja villages are not controlled by any government, they`re independed and have equal status. Now a small island like the Land of Waves has natural protection from the sea, so there`s no need for a ninja village. The five ancient lands that possess shinobi villages are The Land of Fire. Water, Lightning, Wind and Earth.
They each occupy vast territories. Together they are known as The Five Great Shinobi Nations. The Land of Fire has The village Hidden in the Leaves, the Land of Water The Village Hidden in the Mist, the Land of Lightning The Village Hidden in the Clouds, the Land of Wind The Village Hidden in the Sand and the land of Earth The Village Hidden in the Stones.
Only the leaders of tis villages are permitted the name 'Kage' which means shadow. Hokage, Mizukage, Raikage, Kazekage, Tsuchikage. These are the leaders the five shadows that reign over thousands of ninja"
Sakura squealed. "Then Lord Hokage is really important!" she cried when inside she was thinking,
'Is that old man really such a big deal? I`m not buying it.' Naruto on the other hand was thinking when he used the Sexy Jutsu oh the old geezer.
'I got him with my Sexy Jutsu. He can`t be all that great. Believe it.' They were both interrupted by Kakashi
"Hey! You all just doubted Lord Hokage didn't you? That's what you were thinking." Naruto and Sakura quickly shook their heads no. Kakashi calmed Sakura down by patting her head and said.
" Well, any way there are no ninja battles on a C-rank mission so you can relax." making the pink haired girl smile and say.
"And we`re not going to run into any foreign ninja or anything like that?" Sakura asked making Kakashi chuckle.
"Not likely."
After some time of walking the squad passed a small bridge single file and as they were walking on the path they passed a puddle. Kakashi took a look at it and when he turned back to the squad he notices Kira`s eyes linger on the puddle for a split second, then her hand which held the manga lower into the weapon pouch and pull out a kunai.
'Smart girl, already as perceptive as a Jonin.' His thoughts rang out as he prepared himself as well.
Suddenly two figure jumped out of the puddle. They had claw like weapons on their right hands that were connected with chains. They surrounded Kakashi with the chains and pulling him they tore him to shreds.
Squad 7 and Tazuna were shocked. Sakura screamed and Naruto shouted.
"Kakashi-sensei!" and suddenly the rouges were behind him. He cloud hear their laughter.
"Now it`s your turn." One of them said and they started moving but Sasuke was quick to react and pin the chains to a tree with a kunai and a shuriken.
"I can`t get lose." One of them said. Naruto was still paralyzed as Sasuke grabbed the claw like gadgets to give the foreign ninjas a kink in the face which made them fall down to the ground.
Suddenly the chain bloke and the ninja started running , one towards Tazuna and the other to Naruto.
Sakura saw one of the going to the client so she stood in front of Tazuna with a kunai in her hand.
Naruto was frozen until a head of sort silver locks covered his view and pain came from the back of his hand.
Just before the claw could hit Sakura Sasuke appeared and did nothing because Kakashi grabbed the ninja and already had the other one in a headlock.
Naruto who was on the ground couldn't believe his eyes. Akashi simply said.
"Hi."
'Kakashi-sensei. He`s alive!' Sakura shouted in her head.
'Hm, show- off. 'Sasuke thought.
"B-but he was…" Naruto turned to the place where the mangled body of his sensei was and saw a bunch of pieces of a log.
"Kakashi-sensei used the Replacement Jutsu." His sensei turned to him and said.
"Naruto sorry I didn`t help you right away I didn't mean for you to get hurt. I just didn't think you`d freeze up like that."
Tazuna was exhaling a breath of relief.' They saved me after all.'
"Good job Sasuke very smooth, you too Sakura."
'I was useless! And Sasuke was so cool like he`d done this a thousand times. Didn't he feel scared at all. He looks so calm not a scratch on him and I look so lame he had to come up and save me. Why can`t I keep up with him.'
"Hey." Sasuke called Naruto making him turn to him.
"Yea?"
"You`re not hurt are you scaredy cat." Sasuke said making Naruto fume
Naruto! Stand still. These ninja have poison in their claws. We need to take it out of you and Kira quickly."
Naruto got scared but not because of the poison in his hand, no that was only a small portion of it. He felt scared when he heard Kira`s name with his. When had she gotten attacked. He turned to see Kira and saw a single slash on the side of her right upper arm.
"Hey Kira are you ok? It look painful, ya need some help?" he asked but the girl just shook her head.
"I`ll be fine Naruto." She said taking out another kunai and wedging it into the wound making everybody except Kakashi wince. After she was done she took out a small container and dabbed a finger and spread out the ointment. Immediately some kind of upper layer of white foam appeared on her wound.
"Disinfection." She mumbled and helped Naruto who had already removed the poison from his hand and dabbed her finger in the ointment and quickly spread it on his wound. As soon as the ointment touched the torn flesh Naruto screamed.
"Waaaah! It stings, it stings!" waving his hand back and forth.
"If you do that it`ll reopen." Kira said instantly making him stop.
"How can you handle the pain" he asked.
"I just can." She said as she turned to the tied up enemies.