"Target in site. Sakura, take the left flank," said a voice over the radio. Sakura nodded to herself and moved as fast as she dared. Silence, Kakashi-sensei told her team, was a matter of life or death for a shinobi and because of that she practised it whenever she could.
It had been several months since graduation and team seven passed Kakashi's test. Sasuke still refused help when it came to things that he didn't know how to do and trained on his own most of the time. It seems that the real Naruto didn't want anything to do with a rivalry where the fake one did and that threw Kakashi's predicted team dynamics into the dumpster.
Naruto was still his mysterious self that helped her out when ever she had a question. Kakashi had started them on chakra control exercises a week after the team was made and somehow she wasn't surprised when Naruto said that he already mastered tree climbing and water walking. It was hard to say if he had gotten stronger or not since she never really knew how strong he was in the first place but from listening to him and Kakashi talk she was able to figure out the he had a least improved a little bit.
Sakura smiled when she remembered meeting Akara for the first time. It was heart warming to see how much love and pride was in Naruto's eyes when he introduced them to each other. Akara was a strange one and when she mentioned that she was mature for how young she was the little girl only shook her head and said that she wasn't mature just well informed about the world.
Sakura herself had changed drastically over the months and had mastered the Taijutsu style that Naruto had been teaching her. She had also gotten into contact with a medic-nin at the hospital and was now happily being trained to be a Medic-nin herself.
"I'm in position," Sakura said ino her radio. Her eye were locked on the target.
"Good," Kakashi said, "Sasuke, you ready?"
A grunt was his response.
"Alright team...NOW!"
At once all three jumped out of the forest and toward their target. A feline cry and a scream of pain rang through the air.
-The Choice-
"Sasuke, did you get in a fight with Tora and lose?" Kakashi asked as he watching his team come walking out of the forest.
"Hn," Sasuke grunted as Sakura healed the scatches that criss-crossed his face. He turned his head to shoot a glare at the demon cat that was now sitting happily in Naruto's arms. "Why doesn't it attack you?"
Naruto looked up from scratching Tora from behind the ears and said, "It's an animal thing I guess." (Name the referance.)
"Let's turn this mission in and call it a day," Kakashi said as he turned and started going back to town.
The walk took a little bit longer then it normally would have due to an old lady needing help crossing the street and Kakashi being the gentleman that he was had to help her.
Naruto chuckled when Kakashi came walking back to the group after talking to the old lady who was trying to get him to come back to her home. "You did that to make your excuse a real one didn't you?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, I way simply helping out a nice old lady," Kakashi replied.
"She wanted you to go home with her, I think Jiji would get a laugh at that." Naruto started to snicker.
A kunai placed on his throat stopped Naruto's snickering and Kakashi said darkly, "If a rumor starts I'll know who to kill first."
"Right, I see your point. My lips are sealed."
Kakashi nodded as he put his kunai away.
"Alright, I can't believe we have a C-rank mission!"
Naruto and the group looked down the road and saw Kiba come bounding out of the Hokage tower.
"Looks like someone is happy," Naruto said as he walked in to the town with his group in tow.
From what Naruto overheard from Kiba's talking it seemed that Team 8 was going on a C-rank mission to Wave. Something about protecting a bridge builder or whatever. He went to the missions room and didn't pity the shinobi that had to organize the many scrolls that he could see.
"Oi, Jiji. Mission complete," Naruto said and swiftly avoided a punch from Iruka who screamed.
"Naruto, show some respect!"
Hiruzen chucked and said, "That's quiet alright Iruka. I would be worried If Naruto called me anything else. How is Akara since I last saw her?"
"She's fine. She decided to learn how to cook and all I can say is that if food could be used as a weapon she could win a war by herself," Naruto said as he set Tora down on the table.
It wasn't half a second before the cat was whisked into the arms of a fat lady who screamed, "My lovely Tora, you came back to me."
Naruto sweat dropped at the face the cat was giving him and he muttered, "For that cat's sake I hope it dies soon."
Kakashi and Hiruzen nodded their agreement.
-The Choice-
"Kakashi," Hiruzen said as he took another pull from his pipe. "Just how strong is Naruto, your best guess?"
It was night and the village of Konoha was lit by the lights of the city. Kakashi had been asked to meet the Third to answer some questions about his team and most importantly, Naruto.
"It's hard to say really since I've never seen him cut loose and fight to his fullest. From what I've seen he is a no talk fighter that will end a fight in an instant. He's not one to play around," Kakashi answered.
"What level would you place him at?"
Kakashi put his hand to his chin and thought about it. "I would have to say he is firmly at Chunin skill level."
The elderly Sarutobi nodded, "It's not surprising, he has been training with Kage Bushin since he was young."
Kakashi nodded. "So, you gave Kurenai's team a C-rank mission?"
"Yes, they asked for it and Kurenai said that they could handle it."
"It's most likely going to be first blood for each of those kids, I hope they get over the shock quickly."
Both of their attentions were turned to the door when it opened and a Chunin can running in. "An emergency message from Team Kurenai!"
Hiruzen snatched the message from the Chunin's hand and tore it open. He was still for three seconds before he turned to Kakashi and said, "Would you bet your life on Naruto being as strong as you said?"
Kakashi nodded, his face was that of stone.
"Good, Team Kurenai has meet some Shinobi resistance. Zabuza Momochi or the Demon of the Hidden Mist as he is also called has been hired to kill the bridge builder that the team was escorting. I want you and Naruto to go and help Team Kurenai out."
"What about Sasuke and Sakura?"
"They would only slow you and Naruto down and time isn't something that we have a lot of at the moment."
"We'll leave immidiatly," Kakashi said and Shunshined out of the office.
-The Choice-
"Akara, go to Jiji's house and stay there until I get beck," Naruto said firmly as he came out of his bedroom. He put a scroll into his traveling pack and then threw it over his shoulders.
"Hai, Oto-san," Akara said and she followed Naruto out of the home.
Naruto turned to her when they got outside of the home and gave and gave her a tight hug. "I don't trust the villagers while I'm away, stay with Jiji, okay?"
"I will, Oto-san," she said as she huged him a little tighter.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Don't worry, little one, I'll be coming back."
She nodded and quickly gave Kakashi a hug. He smiled behind his mask as he hugged her back and said, "I'll keep him safe."
"Take care of each other," she said as she stepped away from them.
"We'll be back, Akara, just watch the horizon for our return," Naruto said before he made three kage bushin and then jumped away with Kakashi leading.
One of the kage bushin smiled and said, "Let's get you to Jiji."
-The Choice-
That is the End. That is all I have ever written for this story. I did add on a side thing about to mercenary shinobi. If anyone was interested in that, PM me and I may upload that as a separate story.
Thanks for having an interest in this story.
Have a good one.
-Unbiased Abyss