Author's Note: Double upload today because my beta reader is AMAZING!

Disclaimer: Naruto and Inuyasha belong to their respective owners.

Dialogue Legend:

"Unforgivable" – Normal dialogue

'Unforgivable' – character's thoughts/speaking to Inner Demon

"Unforgivable" – Jutsu name

'Unforgivable' – Inner Demon speaking


Review Corner:

Demonboy121986 and God of Wind 200: Thank you both for your comments regarding the Kage Bushin, I had forgotten exactly what muscle memory is. After relearning its definition, there's no reason why Kage Bushin couldn't transfer it. Chapter 8 has been corrected.

Chapter 9 – To the Land of Waves


Iwagakure


"That bastard Minato has a son, who just happens to be the Kyuubi's current Jinchuriki?!" Onoki, Tsuchikage of Iwa, had veins throbbing visibly in both temples.

His right hand flashed a signal, and the five hidden Anbu currently stationed in and around his office revealed and prostrated themselves before their lord.

"Boulder, you and your team are to depart for the outskirts of Konoha at once!" Onoki addressed the captain of his elite guard. "Per this missive, Minato's brat and his squad will be eligible for C-Rank missions outside of Konoha soon. The instant they leave the safety of Konoha's walls, you are to destroy Minato's spawn, his teammates and Sensei, and any witnesses in the area!"

"With all respect, Tsuchikage-sama, is this course of action truly wise? We have no way of verifying the information you have received. This could be an elaborate Konoha scheme to draw your elite forces into a trap." The Anbu commander code-named "Boulder" wanted Naruto dead as well, but he could not shake his concern.

"Boulder, this missive was written in a cipher known to be used by a trusted informant within Konoha. Never before has the information provided by this man been false. Naruto Uzumaki is Minato's son, and he must die both to appease all of the souls lost in the Third Shinobi World War and to grant closure to those still among the living!"

Boulder grimaced. "As you command, my lord, but know that my team and I take this mission under protest. Our village has only recently returned to its full strength after the disastrous invasion of Konoha twelve years ago, and assassinating a Jinchuriki is an open declaration of war."

"Your protest is noted; now leave." Onoki spat.


Kumogakure


"What do you think of this, Bee? The missive is written in a cipher known to our Intelligence Division. According to Cee, the data contained within messages written in this cipher has always been accurate." Ay, Raikage of Kumo, sought the advice of his brother and combat partner regarding the missive they received.

"Konoha's Fox is outta the box; best leave him be. A dozen years since we messed around, and we're still feeling sorry." Killer Bee's atrocious rapping never ceased to aggravate Ay, but the words rang true. While Kumo had recovered militarily from the Konoha invasion twelve years ago its primary trading partner, Kirikagure, had never completely forgiven them for the act. The strict economic sanctions Kiri had imposed ended years ago, but Kiri used the existence of said sanctions as an excuse to renegotiate their trade agreements with Kumo. The new contracts, while still fair, were much less generous to Kumo, and the mountain villages' coffers suffered for it.

"You would let Minato-dono's son live then, even knowing that many of our brightest Shinobi were cut down by the Yellow Flash?" Ay's weary tone indicated he didn't want to deal with this problem right now, or any time in the future.

Bee shook his head. "If the sins of the father are passed to the son, a cycle of hate without end is begun. Instead, smash the cycle before it begins! Then, maybe Kumo and Konoha become best friends."

Ay gave a rare half-smile; maybe this day wouldn't be so bad after all! "If that is your stance, then I have a mission for you."


Konoha, 1 month after Danzo's death


"Look, it's him! We need to thank him!"

"Don't bother, girls; you know he's already engaged to Hinata Hyuuga"

"I can't believe we thought he was a monster this whole time; how were we all so blind?! He's such a nice young man; maybe a little gruff, but who can blame him?"

"We never gave him a chance; now, we can only hope that he'll give us a second chance."

As Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata followed Kakashi back to Hiruzen's tower to report the completion of their latest D-Rank mission, they overheard this exchange and many other conversations of similar content. The civil war between Root and the upper echelons of Konoha's command structure left few civilian casualties in its wake, but the self-destruction seals Danzo triggered throughout the conflict had inflicted immense collateral damage. The entirety of Konoha's Construction Corps was mobilized to repair the damage, and hundreds of D-Rank missions requesting Shinobi aid had been logged.

Naruto's prodigious use of Kage Bushin paid literal dividends as he undertook several dozen of these missions in the weeks following the war's end.

And civilians of Konoha took notice.

It started small, as such things often do. Naruto was in the middle of rethatching a roof when a large stack of shingles fell to the ground. At that point, a child was playing in the yard and would have been severely injured, or even killed, by the wayward bundle. Naruto leapt off the roof and intercepted the shingles, landing hard on his back. After doing a quick self-diagnosis to ensure nothing was broken and noticing he had a dislocated shoulder, Naruto shrugged with his good shoulder and resumed his duty.

"Why did you keep working after injuring yourself?!" The child's mother – and the client for this particular request – had observed the entire incident and could not in good faith say Naruto had any fault.

"Look at the sky; it's going to rain soon." Naruto pointed and the dark clouds overhead. "This roof needs to be fixed before then."

"But why help me or anyone in this village? You know we all hate you!" The woman shrieked.

"It's the right thing to do; you and your daughter don't deserve to live in a waterlogged house. Maybe you deserve worse for anything you've said or done regarding me, but making that decision is not part of the mission." Naruto grunted.

"And after the mission is over?" The woman asked cautiously.

"Then I'm off to the next house and twenty more that still need new roofs." Naruto smiled through his pain.

The woman ran inside her house and fetched a few herbs from her indoor garden. "Chew on these on your way to the next house. They're bitter, but they work wonders for pain and soreness!"

While civilians either lucky enough to not be impacted by the civil war or wealthy enough to weather any damages incurred still treated Naruto with distain, his reputation among the lower classes of Konoha's citizenry was much improved. True to his word, Hiashi has announced Naruto's engagement to Hinata and stated his full approval in no uncertain terms. The resulting uproar was barely worthy of being called such. The nobility of Konoha was largely silenced by the endorsement implied by Sasuke's presence at the announcement, and the majority of the citizenry were either too absorbed in their own problems or had already revised their opinion of the Namikaze lord. To his embarrassment, some of the most grateful clients had taken to calling him "Saint Naruto"; the young Shinobi had little doubt the title would stick.

"Who would've thought that so many sheep live in our village?" Sasuke snorted. "They treat Naruto like shit for twelve years, but they change their tune the instant they need help."

"Grief makes people do stupid things." Naruto answered. "How many villagers lost friends or loved ones when Kurama was enslaved?"

"We must also consider that Danzo-san and his allies on Konoha's council were fanning the flames all these years." Hinata added. "With Danzo-san dead and Hokage-sama subjecting the civilian faction of Konoha's council to intense scrutiny, any who insist on hindering Naruto will have – at best – minimal support. The deaths of the Academy instructors, shopkeepers, and restaurant owners who hated Naruto have already sent a clear message that such bigotry will no longer be tolerated."

"Fair enough." Sasuke let the matter drop as they neared the tower.

"Lord Hokage, Team 7 reporting the successful completion of Mission D-023378." Kakashi addressed Hiruzen as his team entered the conference room where missions were typically assigned.

"Acknowledged, the reward posted by the client will be transferred to Team 7's account later today, along with yet another bonus to Naruto from the Construction Corps assigned – again – to the 'Construction Saint of Konoha'". A shit-eating grin adorned Hiruzen's face.

Naruto grimaced, but his eyes lit up as he came to a decision. "Hiruzen-sama, as Acting Head of the Namikaze and Uzumaki, I would like all bonuses that I have received – and will continue to receive – from missions to be placed into a fund to be used for future reconstruction projects."

"Naruto-dono, are you certain?" Hiruzen mentally applauded Naruto's verbal decorum and responded in kind. "The bonuses you have received are substantial; in fact, they exceed the total reward amount for every request recently posted by the Construction Corps."

"I am, Lord Hokage; my inheritance has left me very rich, as is befitting a clan descended from a Daiyoukai. As such, I have no personal need for mission bonuses and believe the Construction Corps generosity should be rewarded in kind." Naruto declared.

"So be it; the fund shall be established later today." Hiruzen stated.

"Hokage-sama, I humbly request for our next assignment to be a C-Rank mission." Hinata's words shocked everyone in the room.

Hiruzen blinked. "My, my, I must confess, Hinata-chan, that I would never have expected such a plea from you. It is most unusual for a team of Genin to receive a C-Rank mission merely a month after being formed."

"There is precedent, Hokage-sama. According to Konoha's mission logs, your three disciples – who would later become renowned as the Sannin – began taking C-Rank missions within weeks after graduating from the Academy. Furthermore, the purpose behind assigning newly-minted Genin numerous D-Rank missions before they progress to C-Rank missions is to instill a sense of servitude to the people of Konoha and further cement the comradery a Shinobi squad needs to thrive. I believe the reconstruction missions Team 7 has completed this past month have achieved these goals beyond any reasonable measure of satisfaction; we are ready to progress to more intensive missions." The Hyuuga heiress' eyes gleamed with determination as she concluded her argument.

'Well, well, look at Hinata-chan go. Is she trying to prove herself to Naruto? No, that war has been waged and won. More likely, this bravado is meant to defeat herself, if not her clan's preconception of her.' Kakashi's good eye, previously narrowed in thought, now relaxed.

"Very well, I shall grant Team 7 a C-Rank mission received this morning. You will be escorting the client to his home and protecting him while he completes a most important task. Tazuna-san, come forward!" Hiruzen shouted the last sentence to draw the client's attention from the adjoining room.

"The fuck is this? I requested a Ninja escort, not a trio of snot-nosed brats!" An elderly man stumbled into the conference room with a sake bottle in his hand.

Naruto barely resisted the urge to retch as his superhuman sense of smell backfired on him. 'Wonderful, the client for my first mission beyond Konoha's walls reeks of alcohol. Just how many bottles of sake has he downed today?!'

"Don't worry about our skills, old-timer. Team 7 is stacked with prodigies from three of the best clans in Konoha!" Sasuke's eyes flashed as he refuted Tazuna's statement.

"Sasuke-san, we are quite skilled, but I do not believe I am worthy of being labeled a prodigy." Hinata admonished.

"Hmph, good girl. Modesty gets a lot of people far." Tazuna grunted before turning to address Kakashi. "We leave in two hours, don't be late!"

"What a charming fellow." The Jonin sighed as Tazuna returned to the waiting room. "Sorry that you three have a less-than-grateful client for your first C-Rank mission."

"Better a drunkard with a stick up his ass than an arrogant noble or a spoiled princess." Naruto replied, recalling some of the post-mission banter he'd overheard over the years.

"True, and Tazuna-san should be more likable while sober." Kakashi agreed.

Two hours later, Team 7 met Tazuna at Konoha's outer gate. Sasuke and Hinata had changed out of the sturdy clothing provided to them by the Construction Corps into their normal attire, but Naruto arrived wearing one of the two suits of armor he had discovered in the deepest room of his clan vault.

A form-fitting black jumpsuit and matching combat boots with steel toes were worn underneath a gray cuirass with lotus petal-like faulds. Gray pauldrons were securely fastened to the jumpsuit and reached halfway down from the shoulder to Naruto's elbows. A set of greaves and gauntlets, also colored gray, completed the set. Naruto had added a garnet-colored sash to the ensemble; Tenseiga's sheath and Naruto's ninja tool pouch were tied to the sash.

"Nice get-up, didn't know Ninja played at being Samurai boy." Tazuna scoffed.

"Hmm, and I didn't know respectable clients fantasized about being kicked out of taverns after having twelve too many." Naruto retorted as he threw a shuriken at Tazuna's latest sake bottle, shattering it.

"WHY YOU!"

"Now, now, Tazuna-san. It's better for all of us if you're sober during the mission." Kakashi quickly stepped between the enraged drunk and Naruto. "Naruto-kun, don't throw shuriken or kunai at the client." The ex-Anbu Commander's tone left no room for negotiation.

"Tazuna-san, after we escort you to the Land of Waves, what task will you be undertaking that requires our continued protection?" Hinata asked.

"I'm the best bridge builder in the Land of Waves!" Tazuna boasted. "My current project is a massive bridge that will connect the Land of Waves to the mainland. You lot are to protect me until the bridge is finished."

"So you're concerned about sabotage while the bridge is being finished?" Sasuke asked.

"That's right lad, can't risk the bridge going under! It has to be finished, no matter what." Tazuna whispered the last sentence, but Naruto heard every word.

Two days later, the group passed by a small puddle on the road. Hinata observed it with suspicion before activating her Byakugan.

"How many?" Kakashi whispered.

"Two – I'll take point; Naruto and Sasuke-san, cover me!" Hinata said as the group continued onward as if nothing was amiss. The only change was that Hinata moved towards the back of the group. Moments later, two Shinobi wearing massive metal gauntlets emerged from the puddle. Before they could activate the mechanisms contained within their gauntlets, Hinata flashed through a series of hand signs.

"Raiton: Denshuriken no Jutsu!"

Electricity arced between Hinata's fingers as she hurled several masses of lightning at her opponents. Once in the air, they stabilized into shuriken and streaked towards their targets. The two assailants attempted to evade Hinata's counter-ambush but their armaments worked against them as the shuriken were attracted to their gauntlets. Their voltage what somewhat weak, but Hinata expected it would be enough to incapacitate her foes given the amount of metal they were wearing and the fact that they were currently still drenched from having just emerged from a puddle.

She was not disappointed.

Gozu and Meizu, two former Chuunin of Kiri, were knocked unconscious by Hinata's new Jutsu. "I did it! I used Ninjutsu in real combat for the first time!" The Hyuuga heiress sounded like she had just realized that candy exists as she deactivated her Byakugan.

Kakashi couldn't blame her; the Hyuuga never use Ninjutsu for direct combat. Knowing precisely how this anomaly transpired, the Jonin turned to address the culprit. "Naruto-kun, while I applaud your effective use of the time you and your fiancé had off, did it not occur to you that I, as this team's leader, should have been informed that a Genin from a clan known for specializing in Taijutsu to the exclusion of all else was trained in long-range Ninjutsu?"

"To be fair, Sensei, Naruto was going to tell you but got more than little distracted becoming Konoha's newest Saint!" Sasuke smirked as he covered for Naruto's lapse.

"Ah, yes, there were quite a few reconstruction projects." Kakashi allowed.

"457 caused by the Root Purge, last time I looked. I completed 204 of them using sturdy Kage Bushin and another thirty myself." Naruto clarified. "Speaking of which, both Sasuke and Hinata can now use the Kage Bushin no Jutsu, but their limit is three at once, and creating them eats up half of Hinata's Chakra and a third of Sasuke's Chakra."

"That's better, Naruto-kun." Kakashi smiled. "Did Sasuke-kun pick up any new tricks?" Kakashi inquired as he used ninja wire to tie Gozu and Meizu to a nearby tree. Once they were secured, he summoned Pakkun to inform Konoha that the duo needed to be arrested.

"No new Nature Transformations, Sensei. I focused on mastering my Katon affinity." Sasuke replied.

"Furthermore, Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke-san and I both learned that we have secondary nature affinities. My secondary affinity is Suiton; Sasuke-san's is Raiton." Hinata supplied.

"I also took up Kenjutsu and did some research into what I can do while using that Jutsu." Naruto was vague to avoid alarming Tazuna. "This sword is related to that research."

"That's much better, you three. Now, Tazuna-san, I need similar transparency from you." The Copy Ninja's good eye flashed dangerously.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I was very clear about what I need in my mission request!" Tazuna shouted.

"Yes, escort and protect: a typical C-Rank mission." Kakashi hummed. "However, an escort mission's rank can vary drastically depending on how much danger is suspected. The Shinobi Hinata-chan just dispatched are a rather infamous pair of Kiri Chuunin known as the Demon Brothers. If Chuunin-level Shinobi are after you this mission is now, at least, a B-Rank mission. This is very vital information that could have endangered my team. Deliberately misrepresenting the danger of a mission was once a common practice among clients to avoid paying the significantly higher sums for higher-ranking missions.

That is why Konoha and most other Hidden Villages implemented laws and statutes granting a Team Leader full permission to terminate a mission in progress if a client is discovered to have lied regarding the danger of a mission. In extreme circumstances, the murder of a client may also be authorized if a Team Leader is convinced that a firm message needs to be sent."

Kakashi's killing intent was now on full display. "So, Tazuna of the Land of Waves, give me one Kami-damned reason why I shouldn't march my team back to Konoha this instant and leave your lying, drunk ass to the wolves!" The Copy-Ninja delivered his ultimatum, not aware that his group was being monitored by five Iwa Anbu wearing cloths imbued with numerous anti-Detection Jutsu seals.

"Landslide, send an urgent message to Tsuchikage-sama requesting reinforcements." Boulder ordered. "Naruto-san's team is led by Kakashi of the Sharingan, and he has both Sasuke Uchiha and a member of the Hyuuga Clan as comrades. Furthermore, the Demon Brothers they just defeated are known associates of Zabuza Momochi, the Devil of the Hidden Mist. Until our reinforcements arrive, we follow and observe."

Chapter End


Since canon doesn't specify exactly how many D-Rank missions Team 7 did before getting the Land of Waves mission, I took advantage of that to give Naruto hundreds to do. Naruto doesn't really care what the civilians think of him at this point as long they aren't actively trying to screw with him, but he does have a lot of respect for Konoha itself and the ideals it's supposed to represent (what Hashirama wanted it to be). Him going above and beyond to fix as much of the damage as possible in the shortest amount of time was derived from his sense of duty to help Konoha in a time of need; gaining the goodwill of a huge percentage of Konoha's citizens was just an added added bonus.

If Danzo's message had reached Kumo at a much earlier point in time, Ay likely would have been triggered enough to do what Onoki did here. But 12 years of economic hardship has made him very weary of antagonizing Konoha, and by extension Kiri, any further.

Naruto's new armor is a Shinobi variant of Sesshomaru's armor, hope you all like it.

Raiton: Denshuriken no Jutsu: Lightning Release: Electric Shuriken Technique (C-Rank) – the user generates an electric current between their fingers that can be used to either create shuriken composed entirely of lightning or imbue preexisting shuriken with the lightning element. The voltage of the lightning produced is determined by the amount of Chakra used and the skill of the user. If used to create shuriken of pure lightning, the Chakra and skill of the user also determines how many can be created at once. The Jutsu is relatively easy to master, even for those not born with an affinity for Raiton. Consequently, many practitioners of the Denshuriken no Jutsu become skilled enough to use it without hand seals.

Thank you for reading!