Hey guys, thanks for all the alerts and favs...I really appreciate them however I am disappointed that there aren't a lot of reviews. Can I please have more reviews from you guys, I know that there's a lot of you reading it and a review would go a long way in improving my chapters so just click on the review button and tell me what you think of this chapter; thanks :). This chapter is short because it's mainly an introductory one to the Land of Waves Arc, it'll get longer next chapter so see you until then. See you next chapter everyone.

A month after graduating from the Academy Naruto and Jiraya entered the Third's office where they would be given their first assignment, Naruto had been training hard in the whole month, not only with Jiraya and Asuma but also communicating with the Kyuubi and Ryujin constantly so they developed a repertoire with each other and they were now in good terms as well though there was hesitation between the Kyuubi and Ryujin. Also Naruto had spoken with the Hokage about reinstating Sakura as a medic-nin in the Konoha hospital and Naruto clearly remembered that day:

Flashback

Naruto entered the Hokage's office and bowed respectfully, "Hokage-sama" he said, "I wish to speak to you about something" he said.

"What is it Naruto-kun?" Sarutobi said with a smile, despite his immense respect for the blonde he still liked to call him Naruto-kun if only to annoy Naruto a bit.

"Uh…" Naruto said a bit taken aback but then got his tongue back, "yes I wish to speak about Sakura Haruno."

Sarutobi's eyes steeled itself and his tone became menacing, "She hasn't been harassing you has she?" he asked.

"No, no that's not why I'm here" Naruto quickly said knowing that Sarutobi would not forgive Sakura a second time if she was found to be breaking her condition with the Sandaime.

"Then what is the matter Naruto-kun?" Sarutobi asked.

"Well…I had a chat to her a couple of weeks ago, I had just come back from talking to Asuma-sensei and well…I kind of thought that she had such great chakra control in the Academy and I kind of heard that medic-nins need massive chakra control to do the things they do and…" Naruto explained.

"And you thought to offer her a job in the hospital" Sarutobi finished the sentence as he sighed, "you do realise that in order to be a medic-nin you have to be a shinobi."

"I know but Sakura really needs this job…she's facing problems at home from her mother since she's no longer a kunoichi…at least consider it please" Naruto pleaded.

Sarutobi stared at Naruto's eyes which held a pleading look and he instantly knew that Naruto cared a lot for Sakura despite what she had done to him throughout his life, "Very well Naruto…I will see what I can do to have Sakura reinstated back as a kunoichi and by proxy as a medic-nin…but she will have to prove herself as the hospital will not allow her to slack off."

"She would be the last people to slack off Hokage-sama" Naruto said as Sarutobi nodded and Naruto left via shunshin.

End flashback

"Good morning Naruto-kun…Jiraya" Sarutobi said, "I have your first real mission ready for you, usually I would give you an E-rank or D-rank mission but because of your tremendous ability and the fact that you have Jiraya with you I'm giving you a C-ranked mission."

"Thank you Hokage-sama" Naruto said internally rejoicing that he has a chance to do some actual shinobi work for a change. For almost a month he had been doing nothing but doing E-ranked and D-ranked missions, most of them usually consisting of helping an old farmer plants some seeds, helping the construction of a new building or just fixing some fences. None of them were actually worthy of his abilities but Naruto didn't complain once knowing that this was necessary to allow the Hokage to actually justify sending Naruto to a C-ranked mission even if his teacher was one of the legendary Sannins.

"Now…your mission is to escort a bridge builder back to his hometown where he will finish completing his bridge, we don't expect anything to happen but bandits have been known to prowl the area so be on your guard" Sarutobi explained.

"Yes sir" Naruto and Jiraya simultaneously said.

"Very well" Sarutobi said, "I'll call the bridge builder now…" then Tazuna entered through the door and took a look at the pair.

"Are these my escorts? I thought you said that I would have at least four shinobis with me…all I see is a kid and an old man" Tazuna said.

Naruto had the urge to punch the man and tell him that he wasn't a kid anymore but considering that his was their employer he couldn't do that legally without getting his ass in jail for assaulting an employer.

However it was Jiraya who answered the man, "That kid may be a brat but I am the legendary Sannin of Konoha….Jiraya the Toad Hermit!" he said dramatically earning a groan from Naruto while Sarutobi just facepalmed his face.

Tazuna just simply stared at Jiraya in complete shock before saying, "This is a shinobi?" he asked pointing to Jiraya making him facefault.

Sarutobi had to laugh as he saw his student getting up while grumbling to himself, "Although he may look like an old man he is indeed one of my prized students and the most powerful one as well…as for Naruto-kun, he is very talented and he has shown incredible skills so you are in very good hands Tazuna-san" Sarutobi said.

"Very well then…" Tazuna said, "I'm expecting you to defend me even if it costs you your life."

"Yes Tazuna-san we'll do our very best" Jiraya said as Tazuna left.

"So when do we leave?" Naruto asked when Tazuna had gone.

"In two hours" Jiraya said, "the sooner we complete this mission the sooner I can teach you."

"Can't you teach me en route?" Naruto asked.

"I could but what I'm going to teach you is something only the Fourth and me could do and I don't want enemy shinobis to copy it…especially that Uchiha not that he could since this is practically an S-classed jutsu."

Naruto's eyes widened when he heard that Jiraya would be teaching him an S-class jutsu, "S-class…it must be pretty strong" he said.

"One of the most strongest jutsus…it was the very same one other than the infamous Flying Thunder God Technique that made the Fourth legendary among the shinobi world as well as a hero in Konoha" Jiraya said.

"Awesome" Naruto said allowing a little bit of joy to be expressed, "I'll go get packed and get ready in an hour."

"Okay we'll be waiting for you" Jiraya said as he shunshined out of the office.

"Good luck Naruto-kun and be careful, do not underestimate a C-ranked mission" Sarutobi said.

"I won't Hokage-sama" Naruto said as he quickly went to his home and packed everything he would need for a journey while wondering at the same time if a C-ranked mission would be more exciting than a D or E-ranked mission…sure there was an element of danger associated with C-ranked missions but at the same time the most dangerous thing that he would encounter are either wild animals or at the worst bandits so he wasn't sure if it would be exciting…but a job's a job and he already accepted it so he couldn't back out from it now.

He soon arrived at the gate where Jiraya and Tazuna were already waiting on his back was his backpack containing everything he would need for a journey as well as the Dragon Blade within easy reach of his hand, "You're ready kid?" Jiraya asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be" Naruto said with a smile as the trio then walked towards Tazuna's destination. Along the way they passed through a puddle and that struck both Naruto and Jiraya as odd since it hadn't rained in Konoha for some time now so they continued to walk but was wary of any attacks that may come their way; sure enough a moment later several shruikens came flying towards them. Naruto jumped up and drew the Dragon Sword while Jiraya simply dodged them while grabbing Tazuna and protecting him.

"Hehehe…looks like you're good" Gozu said.

"We might even have some fun" Meizu agreed with his brother.

"Who are these two?" Naruto asked.

"The Demon Brothers" Jiraya said, "they're two Chunin missing-nins from Kirikagure and they're very good at assassinations."

"Damn…" Naruto mumbled, "you think we can take them on?"

"Are you kidding me?" Jiraya asked laughing, "I am Jiraya the Toad Sage while you are my apprentice…there is nothing that can stop us" he said.

The Demon Brothers looked at each other before they charged, crisscrossing each other, before they then simultaneously charged at Naruto and tried to slice him apart but Naruto simply ducked underneath them and side kicked Gozu before kicking Meizu's head knocking him out before he then smashed Gozu's face and knocked both of the brothers out, "That…was too easy" Naruto remarked as he sheathe his Dragon Sword.

"Not all battles are as epic as you thought they are" Jiraya said as he calmed down after he tied the Demon Brothers to a tree and sent a frog to tell the Hokage about what had happened and to send someone to arrest the Demon Brothers before he turned to Tazuna and said, "however…the Demon Brothers are well known for being hired for assassination purposes…so why are they after you Mr Bridge Builder?"

Tazuna gulped and said, "How should I know? Perhaps they're random shinobis" he said.

Jiraya sighed, "The most danger we expect from a C-ranked mission is a couple of wild animals or at worse some bandits but if shinobis are involved then this has just been bumped into an A-ranked mission and as such you have lied to us…so you better tell us what's going on before we decided to dump you here and no I do not care what the Hokage will say and better yet he'll support our move to dump you here."

Tazuna looked at Jiraya with shock in his eyes before he sighed and narrated the whole story of the Land of the Wave's situation, from their poverty, Gato's annexation of the docks all the way to his desire to build a bridge from the Land of the Waves to the mainland to get rid of Gato's influence on the Land of Waves. Jiraya and Naruto listened intently to the old man's explanation and they had to raise an eyebrow or two when Tazuna over-dramatised some parts of the story especially at how his grandson would seek revenge and his daughter being all alone if he died.

Jiraya and Naruto looked at each other before Jiraya visually asked what he wanted to do, Naruto just shrugged indicating that whether or not they continued with the mission he doesn't care, "Very well…since we're already here we'll follow you all the way until the enemy is incapacitated or you have successfully completed your bridge" Jiraya said.

"Thank you, thank you so much" Tazuna said with a genuine smile. The trio then made their way towards the Land of Waves as they hoped that the Demon Brothers were all that stood in their way before they trashed Gato for trying to monopolize the Land of Waves.