4. Dangerous Mission: Journey to the Land of Waves!

Akane walked out of her room completely dressed before she walked to the room on the right side of her own that was used as a guest bedroom. Letting out a sigh, the light sandy blonde haired girl opened up the door to the room to see that showing a bundle on the bed in the room and under the covers there was a truffle of blonde spiky hair. With a quiet giggle Akane walked up to the bed.

"Naruto-kun," Akane gently whispered, "time to get up. We have to meet the team today for our mission." All she got was a groan the bundle rolled over. "Naruto-kun, get up!" This time all she got was silence. "Don't make go get my Kaa-san, Naruto-kun." Once again the bundle was silent. Akane let out a sigh before she walked out of the room and to the stairs. "KAA-SAN! NARUTO-KUN WON'T GET UP!"

"ALRIGHT!" her Mother called back before she appeared at the bottom of the stair case, "why don't you go on ahead and head out Akane-chan." By that time Akane was already walking down the stairs to stand next to her Mother.

"Hai Kaa-san," the young Mamoru agreed as her Mother walked up the stairs to the guest bedroom.

Akane walked into the kitchen grabbed a piece of toast and an apple before going to put on her shoe. Once that was done Akane ran out of the house towards the meeting spot. As she moved away from the home, she could hear a male voice yelling cold behind her making the young girl to giggle.

…...

"Sasuke, I'm at point B."

"Sakura, I'm at point C."

"Akane, I'm at point D."

Squad 7 was one of their many missions that are D-ranked. Sakura, Sasuke, Akane, and Naruto where starting to get annoyed with them. Akane let out a sigh that soon turned to a yawn as they waited for Naruto.

"Naruto, I'm at point A. Believe it."

"Your slow Naruto," Kakashi told him, "uh." Akane rolled her eyes. "The target has moved. After it!"

All four Genin followed their target though Akane was getting bored really fast with the waiting around.

"What's your distance from the target?" Kakashi asked.

"5 meters," Naruto answered, "I'm ready. Give the single."

"I'm ready too," Sasuke said.

"Me too," Sakura chimed in.

"Can we just get this over with please?" Akane asked, "I'm already bored as hell."

Kakashi let out a sigh while the others rolled their eyes.

"NOW!" Kakashi yelled.

Everyone jumped out of their hiding place, but Naruto was the who cought the cat though he got his face stretched by the thing.

"Confirm ribbon on left ear," Kakashi said.

"Affirmative," Sasuke told him.

"Right," Kakashi said, "lost pet Tora captured. Mission accomplished."

Akane tooked her ear phone out of her ear just as Naruto opened his mouth.

"CAN'T WE GET A BETTER MISSION THEN THIS!" Naruto yelled. "I HATE CATS!"

Akane looked at Sasuke and Sakura to them throwing their own ear phone out of their ears making her laugh at their misfortune.

…...

Akane watched in amusement as a woman named Shijimi suffocated the cat.

"Oh my poor little Tora," she told the cat, "mommy was so worried about her little naughty fuzzy cakes. Yeees."

"*Laugh* Stupid cat," Naruto said, "that kitty deserves to get squash."

"No wonder he ran away," Sakura said.

Hokage looked at the D-ranked mission scroll.

"Now then," he said, "for squad 7's next mission. We have several task." He then looked surprised. "Huh? Among them babysitting the Chief counselor's three year old, helping his wife do their shopping, digging up potatoes, and…"

"NO!" Naruto yelled as he crossed his arms in an X shape, "I want to go on a real mission! Something challenging and exciting! Not this kid's stuff! Come on old man!?"

Akane felt her eye twitched in annoyances, but know that it was a matter of time before Naruto said something.

'He's got a point,' Sasuke thought.

'He's such a past,' thought Sakura.

'I saw this coming thought I have to admit that he has a point,' Akane thought.

"How dare you?!" Iruka yelled, "your just a brand new Genin with no experience! Like everyone else, you start with simple missions to develop your skills and improve yourself!"

"Are you serious!?" Naruto asked, "babysitting is not a mission it's just a stupid…"

Kakashi had punched Naruto on the head. "Well you put a lid on it?"

"Naruto," Hokage said getting everyones attention though Akane was paying attention to her nails. "It seems you don't understand the task that are given to you. Listen, many request come into our village everyday from babysitting to assassinations. These request are carefully recorded, analyzed, and then ranked: A, B, C, and D depending on their difficulty. We ninjas are also racked by ability: Hokage at the top, Jonin, Chunin, and then Genin at the bottom. At the highest level, we select the missions and assigned them to ninjas who have the appropriate skills and experience, and if the mission is successful we receive a fee that supports our village and our work. Since you're untried Genin, just starting down the shinobi path, your given D-level assignments of course."

Akane looked down at Naruto from looking at her nails when he started to talk to them.

"So I had this Tanguetatsu ramen yesterday and I was thinking Miso ramen today and…" Naruto was telling everyone.

"SELINCE!" the Hokage yelled.

"Oh sorry," Kakashi apologized.

"You always lecture me like you're my grandfather or something, but I'm not the little brat yo used to pull pranks anymore," Naruto told him, "I'm a ninja now and I want a ninja mission." He sat on the ground, turned around, crossed his arms, and puffed out his cheeks. "Hmph."

"I'm going to hear about this later," Kakashi mumbled.

"*Laugh* Naruto wants us to know that he's no longer a brat, but he's a former brat and so he wants a mission," the Hokage said, "so be it." Everyone looked at him surprised. "Since you're so determined I'm going to give you a C-ranked mission. You'll be bodyguards on a journey."

"Really?" Naruto asked as he turned around with a grin, "yes! Who? Who? Are we guarding a princess or some big wigged counselor?"

"Don't be so impatient," the Hokage told him, "I'll bring him in now." He looked towards the door. "Send in out visitor!"

Akane looked towards the door when it opened to show a dunk old man making her scowl.

"What the?" he asked as he lend on the door frame, "a bunch of snot nosed kids?" He pointed at them. "And you the little on with the idiotic look on his face, you really expect me to believe that you're a ninja?"

"*Laugh* Whose the little one with the idiotic look on his face?" Naruto asked looking around making Akane, Sasuke, and Sakura walk up to him to show the height: Sasuke being the tallest then it was Akane who was only ½" taller then Sakura with her heels on, and finally Naruto. "I'll demolish you!" Kakashi grabbed Naruto by his collar. "Let me go!"

"You can't demolish the Client Naruto," Kakashi told him, "that's not how it works."

"And the blonde haired girl," the guy went on, "I have a hard time believing you're a ninja." Akane glared at him. "It seems to me, your just trying to get a guy to look at you."

Kakashi, the Hokage, Iruka, and Sakura freaked when Akane moved so fast that Kakashi was unable to grab her to hold her and without warning the old man was pinned to the wall with Akane glaring at him.

"I'll watch what I say if I were you old man or you just might disappear in the middle of the night," Akane growled, "got it?"

The old man nodded a bit afraid of her and when Akane let him go he moved away from her. He then took a drink out of his bottle before introducing himself.

"I'm Tazuna, a master bridge-builder and I must return to my country for I am building a bridge there that would change our world and I expect you to get me there safely even if it means giving up your lives," he told them.

Akane walked out of the room after that heading home to pack her things.

…...

When Akane walked up she saw Tazuna, Sasuke, and Naruto making them turn to her to see that she had her light sandy blonde hair pulled up into a high spiky ponytail on top of her head by a pale blue ribbon. Sasuke tooked noticed that she had her crystal made bow on her back with a quiver of arrows attached on her right hip, her kunai pouch on her right upper thigh, and her scroll pouch on her left waist.

"Akane, your really going to bring her bow with you?" Naruto asked once he noticed it.

"It's called being prepared, Naruto," Akane answered, "I don't care if this is even for a C-ranked mission."

Akane looked over when Kakashi walked up making Sakura and Naruto almost have a heart attack.

…...

"Yeeeah!" Naruto shouted as he threw his arm up into the air. "Alright!"

"What are you so excited about Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"This is the first time I've left the village," Naruto told her. "I'm a traveler now. Believe it!"

"Hey!" Tazuna yelled, "am I supposed to trust my life to this runt? He's a joke!"

"*Laughs* He's with me and I'm a Jonin, so you don't need to worry," Kakashi told the old man.

'Why did we have to get this old geezer to guard?' Naruto thought, 'I'm going to cut him down to size right now.' Naruto turned around to point a finger at the old man. "Hey never insult a ninja it's a big mistake and I'm one of the greatest ninja ever! Someday I'm going to be Hokage and you'll look up to me! My name is Naruto Uzumaki! Remember it!"

"Hokage's are powerful and wise," Tazuna told him, "you are pony and brainless. The day you become Hokage, I'll sprout wings and fly."

"AH!" Naruto yelled in frication, "shut up! I'm welling to do anything to become Hokage; no matter what it takes and when I do everyone well admit that I'm the top ninja including you!"

"You can become Hokage 10 times over and to me, your still a nobody," Tazuna stated, "a loser."

"I'm going to make you pay for that right now!" Naruto shouted as he tried to get to Tazuna, but Kakashi had stopped yet again. "Hey! Let go!"

"You suppose to protect the client Naruto," Kakashi told him. "Not attack him."

Soon they were walking along the dirty path though Akane looked around keeping an eye out for enemies.

…...

Akane listened to her team talking while she listened for movements that wasn't theirs.

"Say Mr. Tazuna," Sakura said.

"What is it?" Tazuna asked her.

"You country is the Land of Waves right?" she asked.

"Yeah," Tazuna answered, "what of it?"

"Kakashi-sensei, there are ninjas in that country, too, aren't there?" she asked.

"No," Kakashi answered, "there are no ninja in the Land of Waves, but in other countries there are Hidden Villages each with their own different constums and continents were ninja resign. To the people of this continents the existences of shinobi villages means strength, military strength; in other words, the ninja villages are not controlled by any government. Their independent and have equal statue. Now a small country like the Land of Waves, have natural protection from the sea, so there's no need for a shinobi village. The 6 ancient lands exist that presses' shinobi villages are the Land of Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lighting, and Night. They each precise vast amount territories. Their knew as the six 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 Lighting-the Village Hidden in the Clouds, the Land of Wind-the Village Hidden in the Sand, the Land of Earth-the Village Hidden in the Stones, and the Land of Night-the Village Hidden Under the Moon. Only the leaders of these Hidden Villages are permitted the name Kage which means shadow; Hokage, Mizukage, Reikage, Kazekage, Tsuchikage, and Yorukage. These are the leaders, the 6 shadows that rain supreme over thousands of ninja."

"*Gasp* then Lord Hokage is really important," Sakura said with a smile.

'Is that old man really such a big deal?' Inner Sakura asked, 'I'm not buying it.'

'I got him with my sexy jutsu, so he can't be that great,' Naruto thought, 'believe it!'

'They'll be yelled in…3, 2, 1," Akane counted down in her head.

"HEY!" Kakashi yelled.

'What ya know I was right,' Akane thought.

"You all just doubted Lord Hokage, didn't you?" Kakashi asked, "that's what you were thinking." Sakura and Naruto shook their heads while Sasuke and Akane just remained calm. "Well, anyways." He walked up and placed a hand on Sakura's head. "There are no Ninja battles on a C-ranked mission, so you can relaxed."

"Then we're not going to run into any foreign enemy ninja or anything like that?" Sakura asked.

"*Laugh* Not likely," Kakashi told her.

Sakura let out a sigh of relief, but Akane cought the way Tazuna looked down at the ground. After a bit more walking they crossed a bridge and then to Akane's surprise they walked passed a puddle that's not suppose to be there, so she moved to walk next to Kakashi.

"Did you see that puddle, Kakashi?" she asked.

"Yeah, I did," he answered, "go back up front and pretend you don't know anything."

"Right," Akane agreed and then did as she was told to do.

After a bit longer two Ninja came out of the puddle and attacked Kakashi by wrapping him up in chain.

"WHAT?"

"KAKASHI!" Akane called out in false surprise.

"Huh?"

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Now!" "Do it!"

At that both of them cut Kakashi into piece making Sakura and Naruto look shocked at where Kakashi once stood.

"K-K-Kakashi-Sensei."

Sasuke was fast to act when the two ninja went to attack Naruto with the chains. He jumped up into the air while pulling out a shuriken to penned the chain to a tree then added a kunai to help hold the chain in place.

"I can't get lose."

Akane then jump onto their arms before grabbing them and kicking them in the face making them unleash the chain, but they went in different directions. One went after Naruto and the other went after Tazuna. Akane jumped in front of Naruto going through hand signs at a fast pace while Sasuke got in front Sakura, but the one that was going after Naruto stopped short and stared at Akane in confusion having never seen the hands signs before.

"Crystal Style: Crystal Senbon!" she yelled as she utilize her chakra creating 3 clear like needle that she held between her fingers.

With amazing aim Akane sent the needles into the pressure points on the guy's neck knocking him out. Kakashi had finally made himself known and had stopped the other Ninja from hurting Sasuke before he walked over to the man who was now lying on the ground three needles in his neck.

"Naruto, sorry I didn't help you right away," Kakashi told him, "I didn't mean for you to hurt." He walked up to Akane and Naruto. "I just didn't think you would just freeze up like that."

'*Sigh* They saved me after all,' Tazuna thought.

"Good Job, Sasuke, Akane, very smooth you two, you, too, Sakura," Kakashi told the others.

'I was useless and Sasuke along with Akane were so cool like they've done this a thousand times,' Naruto thought, 'didn't they feel scared at all?' He looked over at them as they looked at Kakashi who was tying up the two Ninja. 'They look so calm and not a scratch on them, and I was so lame. They had to come up and save me. Why can't I keep up with Sasuke or Akane for that matter?'

"Hey?" Sasuke called over.

"Y-yeah?" Naruto asked.

"Your not hurt are you?" Sasuke asked before smirking, "scared cat."

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he started to go towards.

"NARUTO!" Kakashi yelled over to him, "stand still. The enemy ninja has poison on their clews, we need to take it out of you quickly or the poison will spread. We have to open the wound and drain it out for it's in your blood, so don't move around that spreads the poison faster." He then looked at Tazuna. "By the way Mr. Tazuna."

"Yeah," Tazuna said. "What?"

"We need to talk," Kakashi told him before they finally turned their attention back to the ninja that were now tied to the tree. "Their Chunin from the Village Hidden in the Mist; their speaciality is endless attack, the keep fighting no matter what the sacrifice."

"How did you know about our ambush?"

"A puddle on a clear day when it hasn't rained in weeks," Akane answered.

"In that case why did you leave it to the Genin to do the fighting?" Tazuna asked.

"I could have tooken them out quickly, but then I would have learned nothing," Kakashi answered, "I had to know who their targets are and what they were after."

"Mmm…" Tazuna hummed, "what are you getting at?"

"This," Kakashi answered once again, "I wanted to know if they were after us, ninja attacking ninja or if their were after you, the master bridge builder." Kakashi looked at him. "When you put in your request; you asked for standard protection from rubbers and highway men. You didn't say there were ninja looking for you, hunting you down. If we knew this it would have been a B-rank or higher. Our task was to simply get you to your bridge and protect you while you finished building your bridge. If we had known we would be fielding attacks from enemy ninja we would have stuffed differently and charged for the cost of a B mission. Apparently, you have you reasons, but lying to us is not acceptable. We are now beyond the scope of this mission."

Kakashi then looked at Akane who was looking up at the sky with a fare away look in her eyes.

"We're Genin this is to advance for our level of training," Sakura said. "We should go back and I really think we should treat Naruto's wound to get the poison out. Back in our village we can take him to a doctor."

"Mmm…"

"Huh?"

"Naruto's wound may become a problem *Sigh*," Kakashi said in a thoughtful tone. "I guess we should go back to the village."

Akane walked up to Kakashi and then smacked him on the back of his head right when Naruto took a kunai and stabbed his wound. Everyone looked at him in surprise, well, everyone, but Sasuke that is who wore an indifference look. Akane once again smacked Kakashi upside the head though this time he whacked her on the head making her glare at him before she walking up to Naruto.

"Why am I, so different?" Naruto asked, "why am I always…? Grrr."

"Naruto!" Sakura called out, "stop that! What are you doing?"

"I worked, so hard to get here," Naruto went on, "pushing myself till it hurt. Training alone for hours. Anything to get stronger, to reach my dream. I'll never back down again and let someone else rescue me. I will never run away, I will not lose to Sasuke. Upon this wound I make this pledge. Believe." Naruto then turned to the bridge builder. "Bridge builder I'll complete this mission and protect you with this kunai."

"Naruto, that was cool how you got the poison out and all, but if you lose anymore blood then your going to die," Kakashi told him which earned him another smack on the back of his head for making Naruto go into panic mode. "Good idea to stop the bleed now seriously"

Naruto started to freak out big time as he started to run around.

"Let me see your hand," Kakashi told him

Naruto did as Kakashi told him to do, but he still was freaking out.

"Naruto," Sakura said as she walked up to him, 'you've got a since of abusive personality. It's called masochism." Akane walked to stand next to Kakashi a bit more to see that his hand was already healing making her frown already knowing what's sealed inside of Naruto.

'The Kyuubi,' she thought with a sigh.

'The wound it's already starting to heal,' Kakashi thought.

"Mmm…You both have a very serious look on your face," Naruto said, "am I going to be ok."

"Uh…" Kakashi said coming out of his thought, "yeah, you should fine." Kakashi started to wrap up Naruto's hand. 'This healing power is it from the Nine Tailed Fox?'

Soon enough they were all on their way once again knowing that they had to stay on their guard now for enemy ninja, but the biggest threat was yet to come.