With all due respect, I am aware that the Flying Thunder God Technique is a real transportation technique canonically - - I've just decided to change its function for the purposes of this fanfic (I've even shortened its name!), much like the transformation jutsu (which is canonically a literal transformation and not just an illusion).
It's fanfiction.
For simplicity's sake, nothing canon has explicitly occurred before this fanfic; if it has, it'll be mentioned in the story at some point. Assume nothing.
As for the profanity, I'm not fond of it myself, but I find it a good way to express certain traits of a character, like immaturity or brashness.
That being said, I'm glad to know people are enjoying this work.
Hope everyone is having a nice year so far :)
Chapter 3: The First Missions
Late Afternoon, Public Footpath
Sakura sat on a bench, internally fuming. With her eyes closed and her head held back, she rocked her legs back and forth.
I can't believe Naruto would be so stupid! Tricked so easily! Stealing a scroll from the hokage! Not coming to me for help! Stupid stupid stupid!
An hour ago, she had admonished Naruto and stormed off from the testing site.
What was it I called him again? "Careless, short-sighted, rash, naive, and dim-witted?". I hope he's okay after all that... Actually, no! He should feel bad! He has no regard for his own safety! Hmph!
She sighed in frustration.
But then again, if he hadn't, would he have gotten the bells? Not like we needed them to pass... So, if he hadn't let himself get fooled like that, if he hadn't learned that jutsu, and if he had just listened to me and Sasuke, we would've passed anyways... But even if he did learn the jutsu, why didn't he stick with me and Sasuke? He really is rash!
She leaned forward, hands on her knees, looking down.
I guess it was pretty sweet of him to get the bells for all of us, though... And he did tell us he didn't want us to see what happens when he does that technique, while I was storming off. What could be so terrible? He sounded like he was afraid.
She blinked wistfully.
Whatever. Just try to distract yourself, Haruno. Think non-Naruto thoughts. Comfort yourself!
As such, the girl attempted to clear her mind as a form of de-stressing.
Just imagine, if Sasuke were to show up and say something like, I don't know, "You have a noble brow, I just wanna kiss it!".
Elation ran over her as her vivid imagination provided a sense of relief.
Just then, someone approached her. Feeling the presence, she opened her eyes and looked up to see none other than Sasuke standing in front of her.
Nonchalantly, he stated, "You have a noble brow, I jus' wanna kiss it!".
"...".
"Just kiddin', doesn't that sound more like somethin' Naruto would say?".
Sakura pouted.
Now that I think about it, it really does...
Sakura asked, "Hey, Sasuke, what's up?".
"I wanna talk. Scoot over, please?".
"... Sure.".
Sakura moved over, allowing Sasuke to take a seat beside her.
Strangely enough, Sasuke seemed nervous. He was silent, and just stared at Sakura, as if he were scanning her.
Sakura coughed. "You wanted to talk?...".
Sasuke stammered, "Y-yeah... I was wondering... What's your opinion of Naruto?".
"My... Opinion?".
"Yeah, what comes to mind when you think of him, what do you think about his personality?".
Sakura cleared her throat. "Well, I think he's a little careless; I get the feeling that he takes advantage of the fact that he's an orphan to engage in shenanigans.".
"W-what sort of shenanigans?".
"Y'know, like defiling the Hokage monument.".
"Yeah, that was pretty dumb, I guess.".
"Dropping that eraser on Sensei's head.".
"I mean, that was funny, though, you even laughed at it...".
"How about disguising himself as someone else to get my opinion of him, when he could just ask me outright?".
Sasuke stuttered, "Wh-wh-what does that mean?".
Sakura rolled her eyes. "I know it's you, Naruto. Give up the act already.".
'Sasuke' sighed.
With a puff of smoke, he revealed himself to truly be Naruto, cheeks red with embarrassment.
With a downtrodden expression, he asked, "What gave it away?".
Sakura replied, "Plenty of things, like the fact that Sasuke was asleep when you pranked Sensei. Besides, the thing about liking my forehead? Sasuke would never say anything like that... Other than that, you still had the whole accent thing going on.".
Naruto was taken aback.
"A-accent?!".
"Yeah, accent. You sound like a kid version of 'The Man with No Name'.".
"Who?".
"It's a guy from some old Westerns, I'll show you later. But I digress. I'm sure even you could've figured out by now that I wasn't being serious about the whole 'taking advantage of being an orphan' thing.".
Naruto didn't respond.
Sakura pressed further, concerned. "You did know I wasn't being serious, right?".
Naruto sheepishly turned away, looked down, and began to twiddle his thumbs. "Well... No, not really. I was ready to accept it, though. I am kinda annoying, and I probably wouldn't be so troublesome if I had parents...".
Sakura reluctantly put a hand on his shoulder, shifted closer, and told him, "H-hey, I know you can be kinda annoying, but you're not some ominous little orphan boy...".
Naruto interjected, "Who said anything about me bein' ominous?".
The girl squeezed his shoulder and spoke through gritted teeth, "That's not the point here...".
Naruto straightened himself up in an attempt to recoup his confidence.
"Then... What is the point?".
Sakura sighed. "The point is that you're not as bad as you think I think you are.".
"I... Huh?".
"Look, you have this idea of how bad I think you are, right?".
"Yeah...".
"What I'm saying is, you're not really as bad as that idea.".
"So, what do you think of me?".
"I don't really know... You're hardly the bane of my existence, to say the least.".
"Okay...".
"But that doesn't mean I like you the way you like me.".
"Oh.".
Naruto slumped, looking down.
Not anything I didn't know, but it still kinda hurts to hear.
Sakura looked off to the side and admitted, "I don't like saying this, but for a long time, I didn't have any opinion of you. Your existence was like an open secret, everyone knew you but no one knew you personally, and I certainly didn't know you, so I didn't want to form a baseless opinion.".
"...".
"Then I met you, and I thought you were some sort of ne'er do well, y'know?".
"...".
Sakura turned back to Naruto and glared at him. She sternly ordered, "Look at me, loser.".
With timid eyes, Naruto obeyed, meeting her gaze.
"When Iruka-sensei suggested that I tutor you, I was peeved. I really only took him up on the offer because he promised extra credit.".
"...".
"But - - and I'll snap your neck if you tell anyone - - I've warmed up to you since then.".
Excitement overtook Naruto. His eyes widened as he formed a hungry smile. He pushed himself up to kneel on the bench as he leaned in to Sakura.
He jabbered, "Really really really?! You mean it?".
Sakura chuckled, "Yeah, yeah, bask in your glory...". Then, she ruffled his hair - - promptly calming him down - - while softly telling him, "And I appreciate what you said about my forehead. It was really sweet.".
As she let her arm down, Naruto scooted forward, grabbing ahold of it. He swore to her, "I meant every word! In fact, I like everything about you, more than anyone else!".
Now blushing, Sakura gently removed his grip on her arm, stating, "That's really flattering...".
She then demanded, "That line about my forehead, say it again. As yourself this time.".
Naruto froze up. He choked, "W-well, I-I just- it's not easy...".
"Just look me in the eyes and say it already!".
Naruto obeyed and squirmed.
"Okayokayokayokayokay! You have a noble brow, I'd really like to kiss it...!".
That wasn't so bad.
Sakura stood up, telling Naruto, "I'm gonna go home now, but before I do...".
She cupped a single hand under his chin to turn his face, priming him for the soft peck she landed on his cheek, leaving him completely dumbfounded.
She noticed his attention fixed on her, and sang, "I'll kill you if you tell anyone!~", as she began her walk home.
.
.
.
Wealthy Urban District
Sasuke approached a lavish, pristine, luxury, glass apartment building, a symbol of the Hidden Leaf's - - particularly, the Uchiha and certain other elite clans' - - great wealth. Passing through the district were people not just on foot, but also in wagons operating on motors. Such was the abundance of wealth in Sasuke's home of the past few years.
The building had a vast plaza, with a fountain in the middle, whose centerpiece was a stone bust of the Uchiha clan symbol.
The names of victims of the Uchiha massacre, such that each day begin with their names in the light of the sun, were plated on the eastern side of the fountain, facing away from the complex.
Sasuke hated it.
Every time he saw it, it was just a reminder of what he had lost, that so many others had been permitted to keep - - his family.
Sure, the massacre hadn't even made the slightest dent in the clan's numbers, but Sasuke lamented each and every day that his parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends were the ones who had lost their lives, and that at - - as far as anyone knew - - his elder brother's hand.
Every time he saw the memorial, he forsook the Lord, wishing it had been someone else's family and someone else's friends.
He had even turned to God in supplication, praying that somehow his family and friends would return, or even just his parents at the very least.
Nonetheless, no such thing ever happened. According to Sasuke, because God had it out for him, or didn't exist; either one was a fine enough, albeit poor, filling for Sasuke's attempts at apathy towards God.
Being that he so despised that memorial, as well as the occasional swarm of journalists and paparazzi, Sasuke had chosen the back door as his preferred method of entry.
He made a beeline from the entrance to the elevator. He stuck a key in the hole above the buttons, sending him up to the top floor - the penthouse.
As the elevator doors opened, Sasuke walked in and was greeted by his legal guardian, Shisui Uchiha, one of the most reputable Uchiha - - also one of the only capable Uchiha - - in the shinobi ranks.
"Good afternoon, Sasuke. How'd your test go?".
Sasuke whined, "My teammates are annoying and my sensei's a bastard.".
"Better than I expected. Go take a shower and we'll hang out or something. I'm making your favorite for dinner!".
.
.
.
Suburban Area, Sakura's House
Sakura skipped to the front steps of her house - - a 2-story home with ample room for her family, and then some.
She used her heart-shaped key to open the door, walking in with a cheery greeting of "I'm home!" as she removed her shoes.
Immediately, Sakura's mother, Mebuki - - a slim woman who almost resembled her, if not for the thinner jawline and short wavy hair - - hopped over to meet her.
"There you are, Princess!". She joked, "Daddy's not home now, you're stuck with me and Haruto!".
Sakura chortled, "I'm gonna take a shower, don't wait up!".
As Sakura sprinted up the stairs, Mebuki shouted, "And when you come back, tell us how the test went, darling!".
.
.
.
Naruto's Apartment
When Naruto arrived, he yelled, "Yo Anko, I'm back!", to which Anko replied, "Come on, Naruto, join the fun!".
Naruto kicked off his shoes and ran to the living room to see what Anko was talking about.
To his horror, she was playing Just Dance with Kakashi!
Naruto complained, "First you mount Anko, now you invade our home?! Where does the insanity end, Sensei?!".
Not breaking away from the dance, Kakashi answered, "I wasn't aware of the notion that it should end! I don't even know when it began!".
Naruto grumbled. "Ach, fine, whatever! But can you just tell me how you got to the point of bangin' Anko? It doesn't make sense to me!".
Kakashi responded, "You know the movie 'When Harry Met Sally'?"
"Yeah...".
"She's Harry, I'm Sally!".
Naruto sighed.
I'm gonna have to choke a straight answer out of him, aren't I?
He shifted his attention to Anko, commanding, "Anko, I need your help with something.".
Still dancing, Anko replied, "Not now, Kid, I haven't kicked Kakashi's ass all the way yet!".
Rather than wait, however, Naruto decided to act on his impatience.
He stomped over to Anko, grabbed her arm, and skirmished into his room with her in tow.
After getting in, he shouted to Kakashi, "Don't even think about listenin' in, creep!", before slamming the door shut.
Anko asked, "Alright, Naruto, what's so damn urgent?".
Naruto told her, "I need advice! For a girl...".
Anko smirked, "Do ya now? Alright, I'm all ears.".
"So... What does it mean if a girl says she'll snap my neck if I tell anyone she doesn't hate me?".
The smirk disappeared as Anko asked, "... What?".
"What does it mean if--"
"I heard you the first time. Why did she say that?".
"She also said she'd kill me if I told anyone she kissed me on the cheek.".
"She's a weird girl.".
Naruto objected, "Hey, Sakura's not weird!".
Anko snapped, "First of all, she definitely is. Secondly, now she has to snap your neck. Third, it's your classmate Sakura that you're talking about? Isn't she hung up on Emo-boy?".
Naruto murmured, "Don't tell her I said anything, please?... And yeah. She's 'hung up on Emo-boy', as far as I know.".
Anko sighed. "Alright, here's my advice: be assertive.".
"Assertive?".
"Next time you see her, tell her, 'Listen, girl, I won't play these games with you! If you really like me at all, you have to promise that you won't snap my neck and/or kill me.'. That should get the ball rolling.".
"Really?...".
"Yes. Really. Now let me get back to fooling around with Kakashi.".
"Please don't phrase it like that.".
.
.
.
Sakura's House, Evening
Sakura's father - - a slick businessman, named Kizashi, with a goatee, and his hair now down to his shoulders - - walked down the stairs in a T-shirt and sweatpants, having taken a post-work shower. He noticed that his wife and daughter - - dressed pretty much the same way - - gestured for him to enter the dining room.
Walking towards them, he peeked in the living room to spot his eight-year-old son watching T.V., before joking to the girls, "Are we having an early dinner?".
Mebuki replied, "You wish. No, Sakura just wants some advice about a certain boy.".
Now standing with the girls, Kizashi asked, "The troublemaker or the emo?".
Sakura rolled her eyes. "It's Naruto.".
Her father snickered, "Well, I prefer that one anyways.".
Sakura cleared her throat. "Now let's get to the issue at hand...".
Mebuki told her, "We're all ears.".
The girl informed, "Well, it's just that Naruto gave me a really sweet compliment today... He said that my brow's noble and that he wants to kiss it.".
Mebuki interjected, "I didn't think he'd be so forward!".
Kizashi asked, "Well, Sakura, how did that make you feel?".
Sakura answered, "It felt really nice. I was all warm and fuzzy inside... But it's Naruto.".
Kizashi advised, "Say that again, but leave out that last part.".
Sakura restated, "It felt really nice, I was all warm and fuzzy inside.".
Kizashi suggested, "Isn't that all that matters? In spite of how averse you've been to connect to that kid, you feel good around him. Act on that.".
Mebuki admitted, "Your father and I were the same way, really. I couldn't stand him at first, but he won me over with his own special brand of charisma. The buttery-smooth voice didn't hurt, either.".
Sakura smiled.
His voice? That gives me an idea.
She excused, "Thanks, Mommy, thanks Daddy, I'm gonna go and invite Naruto here then.".
The adults watched as Sakura went over to the home phone in the living room and called Naruto.
"Yeah, Naruto, it's me. ... I was thinking, if you don't have anything to do, you could come over? ... Yeah I know we don't have to study anything anymore, I'm just inviting you as a, well, as a social thing. ... We can watch one of those Westerns I was talking about, with 'The Man with No Name'... ... Yeah, you can come now, that works fine. Join us for dinner, too. ... Alright, see you soon, bye!".
I hope I don't regret this...
.
When Naruto arrived, he was dressed in a plain white shirt and black shorts - - a bold choice for the increasingly-cold Hidden Leaf nights.
He was welcomed warmly, as Sakura and her family had grown accustomed to his presence.
As he took off his shoes and stepped into the living room, he asked, "Hey, Sakura, can we talk privately real quick?".
Sakura replied, "Wh- Yeah, sure. What is it?".
Naruto asked, "You wouldn't really snap my neck or kill me, would ya?".
Sakura answered with her own question, "Did you tell anyone about our conversation?".
Naruto closed his eyes and begged, "Just my caretaker, and by accident, please don't hurt me!".
Sakura responded, "I was joking, Naruto. I'm not crazy enough to kill you, you know.".
"O-oh? Alright, then... So, what's the movie we're gonna watch?"
Sakura answered, "'For a Few Dollars More'. The guy I was talking about is the main character. By the way, his nickname's actually Blondie in the third movie, so that's just another way that you're like him, heh.".
Naruto pouted. "Yeah, okay...".
Thus, Naruto, Sakura, and her family plopped onto the couch to watch the two-hour film.
To Sakura's surprise, her disdain for Naruto proved to be no issue. As a matter of fact, it hadn't even crossed her mind. For once, she was having unabashed, unequivocal fun with Naruto. At one point, their hands had even touched as they both reached for popcorn at the same time, eliciting quickened apologies, though neither one really minded.
All in all, Sakura felt like she could accept being more comfortable around Naruto; the source of her insecurity seemed to become alien for the time.
.
.
.
Namikaze Bridge, The Next Day
To the surprise of both Naruto and Sakura, Kakashi was early for their meeting - - the man was waiting for them as they arrived.
They had noticed that he was lost in a book, but stayed standing in a single spot, as if he were a statue.
The genin decided to approach their sensei.
Upon seeing the book Kakashi was reading, both Naruto and Sakura shouted, "PERVERT!".
It was a smut novel, titled 'The Thoroughest Examination' by famed pervert author, Jiraiya.
Kakashi nonchalantly eyed his students and said, "Reading's good for the soul.".
Sakura snapped back, "Well, I read that those kinds of books destroy your mind, so...", and stuck her fingers in her ears as she stuck her tongue out at Kakashi and raspberried him.
Naruto added, "Yeah, what she said!".
Kakashi sighed, closing his smut as Sakura finished taunting him.
He informed, "Alright, now as soon as Sasuke gets here, we're going to take our first mission as Team 7.".
Naruto jumped up and down. "Oh boy, missions!".
Kakashi added, "E-rank missions. Just stuff like sowing seeds and finding lost pets. We're not even stopping crimes.".
Naruto deflated. "Oh. Lame.".
Just then, Sasuke showed up to the bridge, bored and unexpressive as always. However, he also let the slightest gasp slip when he saw Kakashi not giving his team the runaround for once.
Sakura automatically blushed as a result of her infatuation with him, but felt her stomach churn at the same time.
Why does Sasuke always make me feel so weird?...
.
.
.
An Hour Later
Naruto spoke through a radio, "Target in sight. I repeat, target in sight. Next course of action, Team Leader? Over.".
Sasuke responded first, saying, "Stop talking like a dope, Dope.".
Kakashi ignored this, answering Naruto, "We have the element of surprise. Wait for us to get into prime position.".
As he, Sasuke, and Sakura, attempted to get a good vantage point over their target, they suddenly heard Naruto shouting in their earpieces.
"Got ya, ya little- Oh, no you don't! YEOUCH! Rgghhh, just stay still!".
They ran towards him, finding that he had subdued the target.
Naruto told them, "One minister's wife's cat, as ordered!".
He flaunted the black cat in his arms, which was making a grumpy face, having failed to escape his clutches.
Kakashi scolded, "I told you to wait, Naruto!".
Naruto argued, "I was gonna wait, promise! But the cat started gettin' suspicious of me, so I had to act fast!".
Kakashi relented, "Alright, I'll accept it. Let's take this thing back to the hokage's office, now.".
.
Hokage's Office
Team 7 and the hokage watched as a now-disheveled Naruto handed the cat over to a plump lady.
The lady, the minister's wife, sang, "Oh thank youuuuu~! My sweet little Snookums couldn't ever survive in the harsh wilderness of the village!".
Naruto sarcastically replied, "Oh yeah, it's not like cats are natural predators or anything.".
The fire lord's wife responded, "Well, not my Snookums. He's a precious little baby who's only meant for the luxuries of domestic life!".
Naruto eyed her up and down, and joked, "He clearly isn't the only one...".
With that, the lady left the office.
The hokage commended the team.
"Good job, Team 7. Here is your pay for the mission.".
Kakashi received an envelope. He ripped it open, revealing a huge wad of cash.
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were all starry-eyed.
That's a small fortune!
As he flipped through the cash, Kakashi informed, "The minister's wife gets real worried about her Snookums. We were lucky to get this mission!".
He then removed half of the money, placing it back in the envelope.
"That's my cut. I am team leader, after all.".
The hokage chuckled.
Kakashi then removed half of what was remaining, and gave it to Naruto.
"For your trouble.", he stated.
Naruto frantically took the money and placed it in his trusty frog wallet, making his team snicker at the childish thing.
Kakashi then split the rest of the money evenly between Sakura and Sasuke.
Sasuke complained, "How come we're making so little?".
Kakashi told him, "If you want to earn more, you gotta be more proactive...!".
.
.
.
One Week Later
Team 7 stood at the clear path beside their rendezvous bridge, facing a set of tall trees.
Kakashi told his genin, "Today's lesson: Walking on walls.".
He nonchalantly approached a tree, and without missing a beat, walked up its side as if it were even ground.
He continued walking until he encountered a branch in his way, and he opted to walk into that branch as well, now hanging upside down from it.
He asked, "Anyone know how that's done?".
Sakura volunteered. She explained, "It's obvious; you simply have to regulate your body's chakra to balance the chakra in your feet with the surface you intend to walk on!".
Kakashi challenged, "Then do it.".
Sakura deflated. "I... I've never tried it before...".
Kakashi chuckled. "I've never tried hanging upside down before, but here I am! Try it quick, before there's no more blood in my legs.".
Naruto urged, "C'mon, Sakura, I know you can do it!".
Sakura replied, "If you insist...".
She skipped over to an adjacent tree, stopping short of touching it in her hesitancy.
With a prayer, she slowly brought up the first foot to tread - - her right foot, as she had been taught it to be proper - - while concentrating the proper amount of chakra into her soles.
God, I hope I get this right!
Voila - - her foot attached to the tree as if it were solid ground.
She brought up her other foot in the same manner, with the same result.
Step by step, she walked 10 feet up the tree, and then...
THUD
Sakura landed in a pratfall on the ground.
Kakashi lightly remarked, "Oh yeah, did I forget to tell you? It's not a pleasant drop.".
Sakura sarcastically replied, "Yeah, thanks for telling me.".
Kakashi facetiously answered, "You're welcome.".
Naruto decided to try his hand at tree-walking. He ran towards a tree, brought his foot up to it, and only found himself shoved back.
Kakashi dropped to the ground, stopped him from falling, and announced, "That's what happens when you use too much chakra.".
He watched as Sasuke attempted the same maneuver, only to fail to latch onto the tree. He told him, "That's what happens when you use too little.".
Sakura, now sitting 20 feet up on a tree branch, called out, "Naruto, Sasuke, what's up? I am!", and stuck her tongue out at them.
The boys dedicated themselves to walking up their respective trees.
After a few minutes, Naruto approached Sakura, who was sitting at the base of her tree.
He asked, "Hey, Sakura... Can I get some help, please?".
She answered, "What? Yeah, sure.".
The boy kneeled down and whispered, "How do I walk up a tree? Don't let Sasuke hear...".
Sakura, in turn, giggled. She whispered back into Naruto's ear as he nodded and grinned.
.
.
.
Hours Later
Sakura, with her headband concealed, walked along a sidewalk in the dead of night.
She was holding a large, expensive purse, waving it around as if she were showing it off.
Just as she walked past a streetlamp, two men on a motorcycle passed by at a slow speed.
The motorcycle was a barebones vehicle, with its singular seat being a broad strip of leather, no place to rest the feet, nor obedience to bicycles' rules of steering, instead using triggers on the handlebars to turn.
A man jumped off the back while the other continued driving at pace.
The man who jumped off attempted to snatch the purse from Sakura, who resisted. All the while, the man on the motorcycle continued at pace down the street.
Sakura demanded, "It isn't yours, give it back!", as the thief barked, "Just hand it over, bitch!".
He then pushed her down onto the ground, though she saved herself from a major injury by guarding her head. She whispered, "Alright, Sasuke, get ready!".
As the thief approached the corner of the street, he suddenly tripped.
Sasuke was hiding behind the building, and brought out his leg to apprehend the man. He quickly leapt onto his back tying his hands, as the man shouted to his accomplice, "Get outta here, save yourself!".
The man on the motorcycle sped up, tripling his speed to escape the genin.
Unbeknownst to him, a kunai passed above his head.
Out of nowhere, Naruto appeared behind the cyclist, pulling on his shoulders.
The cyclist thrust the brakes, sending the motorcycle to a screeching halt, as both he and Naruto fell on the ground.
Naruto quickly summoned a dozen clones, one of which helped him tie down the cyclist, while the others stopped the motorcycle from sliding too far.
Naruto and the cyclist landed directly under a streetlamp, as the rest of Team 7 came by. Kakashi picked up the cyclist and ordered, "Sasuke, we'll take these guys to the station.".
As they began to drag the men, Kakashi noticed that Naruto hadn't gotten up.
Concerned, he gestured to Sakura, who walked over to Naruto. She kneeled down and asked, "Naruto, are you alright?".
The boy's breathing was shallow, and he was unresponsive. Upon closer inspection, Sakura noted that he was also sweating much too heavily.
Attempting to stay calm, she placed her hand on his forehead, and began to panic.
She shouted, "He- he's burning up!".
In this weather? In those clothes?!
She undid the zipper on Naruto's vest, and was about to cut his shirt off, when he suddenly jolted and woke up.
Sakura noogied him. "So it was all an act, was it?! You had me really worried, you know!".
Yelping in pain, Naruto explained, "Yeow! N-n-no it wasn't an act, I swear! The light jus' started hurtin' me all of sudden!".
Sakura pulled her hand back, and took a look at the light. She reasoned, "You think it has an effect on your chakra reaction?".
Naruto answered, "Y-yeah, it got in my eyes and gave me a headache, combine that with the jutsu I used...".
Sakura noogied him again. She scolded, "And that's why we don't use techniques that are above our level!".
.
.
.
Another Few Weeks Later...
Teams 7, 8, and 10 stood in the hokage's office, sending in their first monthly reports.
Being that the Autumn months had arrived in an already-cold year, they were all dressed in jackets or light coats, along with longer pants.
Except for Naruto.
He was adamant that until he really needed to, he would continue to wear his short-sleeve T-shirt and vest. The jonin sensei were all betting on when that would be.
The hokage announced, "It seems everything is in perfect order. You may very well be taking C-rank missions within the next quarter!".
Naruto complained, "No! I'm tired of all these menial tasks and petty crimes, I wanna do a C-rank nowwwwwww!".
The hokage rolled his eyes. He asked, "Kakashi, what say you?".
The addressed jonin, in turn, asked Sakura and Sasuke, "Of course, I have my own opinion, but do you guys think you're ready for a C-rank?".
Sakura and Sasuke looked at each other for confirmation, before looking back at Kakashi and affirming, "Yes we are!".
Kakashi smiled, addressing the hokage. "We're ready, Lord Hokage.".
Hiruzen, though taken aback, pulled out a folder.
"I trust your instincts, Kakashi. This will be your mission; escort Mr. Tazuna Aono to his home, the Land of Waves, while ensuring his goods are not damaged. Then, you will oversee the construction of a bridge he's building - - it's in the final stages by now.".
He held a button on the phone on his desk, ordering his assistant, "Bring Mr. Aono in, please.".
A few seconds later, the door to the office opened.
In came an aging man, somewhere in his 50s. His unkempt graying hair, bushy goatee, lazily-worn sunglasses, and plain rags gave the impression of a poorer man.
He slurred, "Am 'ere, Mr. 'kage.".
Naruto whispered to his team, "Why's he dressed like a hobo?".
Sakura whispered back, "Maybe he's trying to be Christian-like. Y'know, using his money on himself only for stuff he needs, using the rest for his people.".
Tazuna shuffled his feet across the office, and when he bothered to lift them, he brought them down with a loud, empty thud. As he approached the desk, it became apparent that he was holding two large duffel bags, along with wearing a camping backpack.
Sasuke stated, "He walks more like an animal than a Christian...".
Tazuna responded, "Yeahhh, what'z the diff'rence?".
Though Sasuke smirked, Sakura answered, "Hey, it's not nice to talk about people that way just because you don't share their beliefs!".
Tazuna groaned. He flaunted the cross necklace he was wearing, gesturing to it without his hands. "Yeah, well, hiccup I'm one o' them. What d'you gots a say about that?".
Sakura crossed her arms and pouted. She told him, "I don't feel like playing these stupid little games. I've got this guy as my sensei.", as she gestured to Kakashi.
Naruto, feeling left out, interjected, "Yeah!... Old man...".
Tazuna turned back to Hiruzen, inquiring, "Hold on a second... Is this the team that's gonna be taking me back 'ome?".
The older man replied, "Yes, they are. Meet Kakashi Hatake, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki.".
Tazuna sighed with hesitation. "Olright, olright, I'll take 'em.".
.
.
.
The Next Day, Hidden Leaf Wall
Tazuna greeted Team 7 outside the village walls, still holding his bags from the previous day. Team 7 also had backpacks, filled with their clothing for the stay in the Land of Waves.
Tazuna told the team, "Olright, to begin with, we'll be walking a few miles out the village, to the transport I've prepared.".
Naruto questioned, "Transport?...".
Tazuna replied, "Ach, yeahh, it's one o' them motorized carriages.".
The blonde perked up. "A motor-carriage? Really? That's so cool! I've never been in one before!".
Sasuke commented, "I think you're the only one...".
Naruto responded, "It's not my fault I'm poor... Besides, I'm sure Sensei hasn't been in one either!".
Kakashi sheepishly replied, "Well...".
Naruto gave him puppy-dog eyes and whined, "Et tu, Sensei?".
Sakura gave Naruto a slap on the back and added, "It's gonna be a ton of fun, I promise!".
.
The group had only walked a mile out from the village, when all of a sudden, chains emerged from the forest. They wrapped around Kakashi and squeezed, snapping his bones and making him fall to the ground.
Sakura froze. She cried, "S-Sensei!".
Just then, Sasuke stepped in front of her and attacked a man who was approaching, using a boomerang to knock him out with a blow to the back of the head.
Naruto also froze.
Before the other attacker could do too much damage, Kakashi appeared in a blur, twisting his arm and breaking it.
The dead Kakashi on the ground vanished in a puff of smoke, revealing itself to have been a shadow clone all along.
Sasuke mocked Naruto, saying, "What's the matter, Scaredy Cat?".
The insult brought Naruto back to his senses, as he stepped back.
He shot back, "N-n-no! I was just surprised, is all!".
Though he feigned stoicism, guilt overtook him underneath.
Damn it! Why'd I freeze like that? What if someone actually died? What if Sakura got hurt? What kind of shinobi cowers like that? Moron!
His heart sank, and tears even threatened to spill.
It was then that Kakashi stated, "Whoops, I think you've been poisoned, Naruto. Think we gotta take you back...".
Naruto looked around and saw that there was blood flowing from the back of his hand - - he'd been sliced.
In response, he stammered, "No way, I'm staying!".
He pulled out a kunai and stabbed his hand underneath the wound, hoping to get the poison out of his system.
Sakura cried, "Idiot! You could've made things worse!", as she approached.
However, after she cleaned the wound, and when she took out a bandage and prepared to apply it, she saw that the bleeding had already stopped.
What? How?
Kakashi saw it too, and unknowingly shared a thought with Naruto.
That must be the nine-tails' power...
Naruto chuckled, trying to cover for himself. "Haha, must be a fast healer, huh?".
Sakura curiously replied, "Well, maybe whatever clan you come from just has fast healing as their kekkei genkai...".
Tazuna questioned, "Kek' genkai?".
Sakura rolled her eyes and answered, "Certain clans have a bloodline limit that provides them with abilities others don't have. The Uchiha have the sharingan, the Hyuuga have the byakugan, et cetera.".
The old man joked, "What kinda nerd says 'et cet-era' out loud?".
Sakura stuck her tongue out at him.
Kakashi sighed. He looked at the attackers - - who he'd been tying up - - and explained, "These guys are the Demon Brothers of the East Coast, a B-rank rogue ninja team...".
Tazuna nervously gulped. "Well, what do they want with you?".
Kakashi furrowed his brow. "It's not us they were after. There's no advantage to these guys, neither does it fit their M.O. nor intelligence, to attack an unremarkable genin team.".
Naruto and Sakura whined, "Hey...".
Kakashi ignored them. He walked up to Tazuna and said, "They were after you, weren't they, Tazuna?".
Tazuna stammered, but quickly figured he had no choice but to confess. He told the team, "I- I had to buy materials, didn't have enough money left to pay for an A-rank...".
Kakashi grabbed Tazuna by the collar and lifted him up. He demanded, "Explain, before I hurt you.".
Tazuna obeyed.
"As you know, my company is building a bridge in the Land of Waves... But we're ruled by a damn oligarch. The Land of Waves used to be a prosperous sovereign land, but then Gato bought out our politicians, and took the helm for himself. He's been brutalizing our people for years, and the bridge I'm building in collaboration with the Land of Tea is the Wave's path to escape Gato's clutches!".
Kakashi dropped Tazuna, letting him pratfall. The younger man looked at the sky in deep thought, before turning back to his team.
He asked, "This mission just got upgraded to an A-rank, and it may go higher. We're sure to come across guys more dangerous than these clowns. Do you guys want to keep going?".
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke all looked at each other, communicating through eye contact alone.
They looked back at Kakashi and stated," Yes, Sensei! ".
Tazuna breathed a sigh of relief.
.
Within the next 20 minutes, the group reached their first stop.
At this point, the dirt road was blocked off with a short steel concrete barrier, giving way to a paved asphalt road on the other side.
On the left and right ends of the road were short lines of black closed-top wheeled carriages, with engines in front to power them.
Tazuna led Team 7 to one of these carriages, using a key to unlock the trunk, in which the group proceeded to place their bags.
Then, Tazuna walked to the right side and swung a door open, allowing the genin to enter the backseats.
Sakura entered first, and Naruto was about to jump in, but Sasuke stopped him, saying, "I get motion sickness. I need to sit in the middle, for balance.".
Naruto argued, "I don't care, throw up out the window!".
This prompted Sakura to admonish, "Don't be an idiot! Besides, a window seat is better than the middle!".
Naruto whimpered and whined, "Ohhhhh, fine...", and decided he would let Sasuke sit in the middle without issue.
However, rather than immediately enter the vehicle, Sasuke walked back around to the trunk, and pulled out a thermos.
Walking into the backseat now, he explained, "It has ginger in it. Helps alleviate motion sickness.".
Naruto muttered, "Asshole...".
As Naruto stepped into the vehicle, he shut the door.
The genin then waited as Tazuna opened the hood, cranked the engine, started the car, and closed the hood again before stepping into the passenger seat, with Kakashi driving.
.
.
.
Though Naruto would have preferred to sit next to Sakura, he was still enjoying the ride.
It's so oddly... Relaxing. It's crazy how everything looks like it's passing slow out one window, but when I look out the other one, everything looks fast... And the little bumps and waves almost feel like a small rollercoaster... I've been missing out!
He verbally expressed his joy, speaking across the car, "Hey, Sakura, you were right - - this is fun!".
Sakura replied, "I know, right? How about you, Sasuke?".
She turned to face the Uchiha, but he was clearly sick.
His skin looked pale and greenish, and he was swaying back and forth.
The boy placed a firm hand on Naruto's shoulder, begging, "Get me near the window... I need fresh air.".
Naruto complained, "Oh, so now you don't wanna sit in the middle?!".
Sasuke put his hand over his mouth and grunted, "Just move, dumbass!".
Naruto planted his feet. "No.".
Sakura groaned, and grabbed Naruto's forearm. She yanked him up, giving Sasuke space to scoot over, and pulled the blonde into the middle.
As Sasuke opened the window and hyperventilated, Naruto preoccupied himself with Sakura.
He pushed himself against her, getting a view of the outside through her window, inadvertently squishing her face onto it.
Sakura struggled against him, and escaped. She grabbed his head, and pushed it down below her chin, then locked him in place by keeping her arm around his neck, all the while forcing him to slouch so his feet would still be touching the floor. This gave Naruto a view of the window without crushing Sakura.
Naruto cleared his throat and sheepishly told her, "Thanks...", to which she gritted through her teeth, "It's. My. Pleasure.".
.
.
.
Mid-Afternoon
The group reached another car-station, where Tazuna returned the vehicle he had rented.
Following this, they hopped aboard a boat. It was small, but just big enough to fit all of them and their bags.
Sasuke faced a similar motion sickness issue, which was exacerbated by the harsh, near-freezing weather.
Albeit reluctantly, Sakura clutched onto Naruto to share body heat. Naruto made no protest, as he was beginning to feel tired, and he actually liked being this close to her.
Though Naruto tried to resist, his breathing slowly waned.
The day's... Not... Over... Must... Stay awake...
Naruto's plans, however, went under further assault when Sakura squeezed him tighter to close any space between them, and fully take advantage of the body heat.
That being the final straw, Naruto burrowed himself into Sakura's neck and fell sleep right there on her shoulder, an inadvertent effect of her actions.
No skin off my back, he's really warm. I'd almost say he's cute like this.
She commented, "It's so foggy and cold all of a sudden, what is this?...".
Tazuna whispered, "Aye, it shouldn't be this cold here yet. Must be some anomaly we've not detected.".
Chills began to run up his spine - - a feeling he was sure wasn't just due to the cold. The fog laid thick, making it harder to breathe, as if they were atop a mountain.
Kakashi stayed silent, and simply rowed the boat on.
When the boat finally reached the desired shore, Kakashi quietly ordered, "Alright, let's get up...".
Something's odd... This is a heavily-wooded area we're going to walk past, but the first hundred feet of land are like a barren ramp.
Tazuna and Sasuke followed, while Sakura had to wake up Naruto.
She gently rocked him, whispering loudly, "Naruto, wake up!".
It didn't work.
She tried shaking him, but that didn't work either.
She tried slapping him, but even that didn't work.
In the end, she resolved to carry him on her back - - he had gained some weight, but was still unusually thin for his age.
So, while Kakashi carried Sakura's and Naruto's bags, Sakura held Naruto, piggybacking him across the path.
However, before they could even make it 50 yards inland, Naruto was stabbed in the shoulder with a kunai!
The force made him fall forward, taking Sakura down under him.
Fortunately, it had also woken him up.
He stumbled upwards, pulling the kunai out of his shoulder, but was suddenly knocked down by Sakura.
She had just saved him from being decapitated via giant shuriken.
The wound on Naruto's shoulder quickly healed, as he sat and saw that Kakashi was standing in front of the group, guarding them.
The entire group was ready to fight, as the genin quickly formed around Tazuna to protect him, brandishing their kunai.
As a part of the fog cleared, a shadowy figure made itself present, stepping forward to reveal its form.
It was a darker man, though his skin was pale. His hair was short, black, and unkempt. Perhaps the most noticeable thing about him was that he had wrapped himself like a mummy on his torso, bringing the bandage around the top of his head to form a mask over his mouth and nose. Besides that, a massive sword in his hand, almost resembling an oversized kitchen knife, was stepped to his back, and he wore a forehead protector with three lines crossed out.
Kakashi was hit with flashbacks of the past hour.
The sudden cold, the damp air, the fog... It all makes sense now. But something still feels off...
He tried to conceal his anger. "I should've known on the boat... Zabuza of the Hidden Mist.".
He pushed up his headband, bringing it evenly around his forehead, revealing that the iris of his hidden eye was red, with black comma-like marks circling his pupil.
Zabuza replied, "Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye. I have no quarrel with you, I just want the bridge builder. Step aside.".
Kakashi refused. "A shinobi is loyal to his village; I've sworn to the hokage that this man will reach his home safely.".
Zabuza scoffed. "I remember when I was that naive! Still stuck in the ways of blind patriotism, you're no better than a child who believes in fairy tales.".
Without warning, Kakashi ran towards the man, before disappearing in a puff of smoke followed by water, as he reappeared behind Zabuza, with a kunai at his neck.
He warned, "This is the end of the line, Zabuza!".
Zabuza chuckled. "Funny, I was gonna say the same to you.".
Just then, the dirt up to the point where Zabuza stood sunk, giving way for water to rise from below.
Simultaneously, Kakashi tripped, and found himself trapped in a water bubble, facing Zabuza's hand.
Zabuza smirked. "Water prison jutsu. You fell for it.".
Kakashi's eyes widened.
He was keeping the water hidden under the dirt! But for how long? Never mind that! I need to save my team!
Kakashi yelled into his radio, "Get out of here! Take Tazuna home! Just leave!".
Sakura and Sasuke were terrified, but Naruto stood resolute.
He defiantly responded on the radio, "Hell no!".
Kakashi shouted, "You moron! You realize this is insubordination?!".
Naruto shouted back, this time at the bubble, "You said it yourself, Sensei! A shinobi who abandons his mission is no shinobi at all, and a shinobi who abandons his comrades is scum!".
To solidify his point, Naruto pulled off his headband and threw it at Zabuza, who caught it with his free hand.
Kakashi quivered.
Shit, what's he thinking?!
Naruto then summoned a slew of shadow clones, prompting Zabuza to summon a single water clone, handing it his sword.
Each Naruto ran towards the Zabuza clone, but were all destroyed with a swift swing of the sword, clouding the battlefield with smoke.
As the smoke cleared, Zabuza found himself perplexed.
A kid that age knows shadow clones? Besides that... Where the Hell is he?
His intuition told him to look behind, and as he did, he saw Naruto in mid-air, having thrown multiple shuriken at him.
Zabuza was about to bring up his free hand to block the shuriken with a technique, but found that the arm was being pulled down.
Instinctively, he brought up the hand maintaining the water prison, using it to create a water wall to block the shuriken, inadvertently freeing Kakashi.
Naruto fell into the water, as his team looked on in astonishment. Sakura, in particular, was floored.
Did Naruto really do all that?... What's this feeling?...
Kakashi beamed with pride.
Within a few seconds, he came up with a crazy plan like that to free me. He really is his parents' son...
Kakashi slid back on the water, creating space between himself and Zabuza, who did the same.
As Zabuza slid back, he found that the culprit of his free hand's lack of mobility was a shadow clone Naruto had made, which managed to hide until it found the opportunity to grab him.
What kinda freak kid thinks that fast? Damn it!
Zabuza's water clone threw the sword back at him and dispelled, as Zabuza himself destroyed Naruto's clone and sheathed it on his back.
Naruto sat up in the water, watching the battle ensue.
I j-j-j-just wish it wasn't s-s-s-so c-cold!
Zabuza began forming a long string of hand signs, chanting their names, as Kakashi sprung to mirror him.
After dozens of signs were completed, both men summoned dragons from the water. These dragons twisted and turned around each other, before colliding in an immense splash that rained down on them - - and Naruto.
Fortunately for Kakashi, the force of the dragons knocked Zabuza down, giving him ample time to grab Naruto and push him towards the rest of the group, while he himself fought with Zabuza. Stumbling, Naruto managed to pick up his headband.
As Naruto stood upright, he nearly bumped into Sasuke, but was saved - - again - - by Sakura, who knocked him down and fell - - again.
When Naruto looked back up, he saw that Sasuke had been struck by multiple needs in his chest.
Scrambling, Naruto shoved Sakura off, dropped his headband, and yanked Tazuna's leg to make him fall back on the dirt to help keep him safe from any more needles.
Naruto scanned the trees and spotted a second shadowy figure.
Before he could chase the figure, Naruto head Sasuke croak, "Naruto... Find the man who killed my family...".
Naruto panicked.
No, no, no, he can't be dead! He's just delirious, isn't he?
He opted to pursue the shadowy figure he saw, and the figure seemed to be content with confronting him, as it descended onto the ground in front of Naruto.
However, before they could battle, Zabuza shouted, "Haku! Retreat!".
With that, the figure jumped back into the trees and vanished, while Zabuza did the same with the mist.
In the blink of an eye, the fog around the area cleared - - the blue sky was vibrant, and the sun was getting close to the horizon.
Naruto watched as Kakashi, battered and exhausted, limped over to him.
He ran towards Kakashi, then held his hand to help guide him towards the group.
It was then that the initial shock of everything wore off, and Naruto remembered what had just happened.
He pulled Kakashi harder to reach Sasuke, who was still lying on the ground.
Sakura was holding him and crying, begging, "Just wake up, Sasuke, please!".
Tazuna watched, standing still.
"Damn...".
Kakashi let go of Naruto's hand, silently giving him permission to go to Sasuke.
Naruto skipped over and kneeled, checking for a pulse.
"He's cold... And I'm not feelin' anyth-"
Sasuke suddenly spoke, "Unhand me...", through squinted eyes.
Through teary eyes, Naruto obliged him, dropping his arm onto the ground. He got up and wiped his tears, blubbering, "Let's jus' get to this drunkard's house already...".
Hope you enjoyed.
I might try to aim for shorter chapters. I feel like cutting the lengths of the chapters in half could make the fic more readable.