Hello once again people of FFN!

I bring to you a much smaller chapter because this one was a pain in the ass to write.

Seriously I could not figure out how I wanted it to go and this is probably the best I could do.

If you haven't noticed, in the TOC I will put down the status of upcoming chapters so if you want to know where a future chapter it's at, check there.

That said, let the chapter begin!

_I don't own Naruto_

HELLCAT

"WHERE IS THAT DAMNED CAT??!"

Team 7 has started taking on missions! They were all excited to finally start their profession as a Shinobi of the Leaf, some showed it more than others, but it was all the same.

Their sensei was pleased with the results of the test he had given them. His team seemed to be cooperating well together during the test so he was glad to take them on.

Only after the test did he find out that Naruto and Sasuke didn't get along well at all.

For the first week, Kakashi took them out to eat at one of the most famous barbecue places in Konoha, Yakiniku Q! It was known for its ribs and steak. It was also sponsored by the Akimichi clan which was known for their large appetites.

Kakashi was saddened to find out that his team was nothing like he expected. You couldn't blame him, they all worked well together during the test, each of them backed each other up almost perfectly for most of the test.

But when they weren't fighting in a battle, they were fighting with insults.

Kakashi tried to train them in chakra exercises but the two boys competed so much that they forgot the point and argued with each other.

Hitomi was also different, he noticed. She was always reading a book and was very observant yet quiet.

The only one who he saw the same was Naruto's companion, Haruto. Even though the man couldn't understand Haruto, he could tell through the conversations and the body actions the pup had to know what he was like.

Now it was the second week that they had been a team and now finally they got a mission.

A couple of minutes before getting the mission

"It's too hot~" said Naruto. He was laying down on the grass, spread out to optimize the air flow throughout his body.

It was a hot day in Konoha, one of the hottest days of the year so far. The last time it was as hot, if not hotter, Naruto had fans pointed at him from all angles as he played games.

He had to get a loan out form the Hokage because of it affecting the power bill but it was definitely worth it as the other option was being cooked in the heat.

Now that he was a Shinobi, he planned to pay back the old man soon enough.

Back in the present, Team 7 had gathered at their usual training ground once again. And once again, their sensei was late.

They had already grown accustomed to it but they hadn't even dared to arrive late, just in case he might randomly show up on time.

Naruto had his normal jumpsuit off to the side as he laid down, no way he would wear it in the heat. Sasuke also took off his high collared shirt, exposing his chainmail undershirt over a white tank top in order to not get hurt from it. Naruto was also wearing chainmail armor with a tank top.

Hitomi changed her clothes from a black, long sleeve shirt to a breathable white, short sleeve shirt in order to not absorb as much heat. She also was now wearing black poly fabric shorts instead of her normal shorts that didn't allow much air flow.

They were pretty spread out on the field. Naruto was laying down with Haruto, Sasuke was leaning on the stumps from the test, and Hitomi was under a tree, reading. They unintentionally positioned themselves into a triangle formation.

They were suddenly greeted by a puff of smoke in the center of their triangle. The genin already knew what to expect so they got up and walked towards it.

When they got near, the smoke finally drifted away and revealed their sensei, Kakashi.

Kakashi was wearing his normal outfit with no change but he didn't seem to be sweating in the slightest. All three genin noticed and were just about to ask him when he spoke up right before any of them could have.

"Hello my wonderful students, it is time for some endurance exercise!" Said Kakashi, he was happier than normal, which was scary, especially when remembering that this man was the same one who hunted each of them down with ease.

"Sensei," called out Naruto. Kakashi looked at the boy, which meant 'continue' without saying it. "How are you not sweating?"

Kakashi closed his eyes in thought, it was a subject that he didn't find his students ready for, but he had to admit that it was definitely hot today so that impacted his decision.

"Well, Naruto, I use my chakra to cool me down," he said, not elaborating any further than that.

The two boys in the team seemed to be too exhausted from the heat to retaliate, as if Sasuke was actually going to. Haruto did a lazy bark from the top of Naruto's head but Kakashi didn't pay attention to it since he didn't speak dog or fox or whatever Haruto speaks.

The only one that was truly not as impacted from the heat was Hitomi. She was still sweating, of course, but not as bad as Sasuke or Naruto. Her change of clothes helped but not as much as whatever her sensei was doing.

"Is it some type of Jutsu you apply or a form of chakra control?" Asked Hitomi. Kakashi knew to expect Hitomi to catch onto the true meaning of something. Still, he was impressed by how right she was.

"Right now it's too advanced for genin of your abilities, I'll teach it to you all at some point in the future," replied Kakashi but aimed at all genin.

"So," started Sasuke, "what are we doing for training today?" He asked, obviously ready to get stronger based on the fact that he was smirking even with all the sweat on his face.

"Well, I think it's time for a mission."

The old Hokage was at his desk, pipe in hand. He was going over the reports of the new genin teams but was having a hard time figuring out the issue in one of the teams.

He found their behavior strange, it was something that he had, almost, seen before but he never figured out why it happened.

So, "What is the problem Team 7 is facing?" Hiruzen asked no one in particular.

He tried to remember about the team that had a similar issue but couldn't remember if they had ever solved the problem.

Eventually he gave up and decided to hand out missions to his Shinobi instead. Handing out missions was a much easier way of staying productive anyways.

As the aged Hokage sat down and got comfortable, the door swung open and revealed, "TEAM 7, READY FOR DUTY!"

The two male members of Team 7 had gotten back into their clothing. Hitomi had no need to because she had already been ready for training.

Naruto was swatted on the back of his head for yelling by Kakashi but other than that they moved forward as if nothing happened.

The room they entered was the mission office. The designated room to hand out missions to the different Shinobi teams and all the other chūnin and jōnin.

It was a large room that was near the Konoha Cafe. It had straight walls with the back wall being mostly glass, revealing a balcony to look out to the village. There was a green rug in the center and in front of it, almost completely at the back wall, was a large desk with multiple people sitting there, the Hokage and Iruka included.

"I see Team 7 is ready for their first mission," said the Hokage with a warm smile. "What mission would you like?"

Iruka also gave a warm smile and waved towards Naruto.

Naruto waved back happily and was about to start rambling about his time as a genin but Haruro covered Naruto's mouth with his tail, rendering him unable to speak.

Kakashi ignored whatever was happening with Naruto and instead looked straight at the Hokage after some time looking over the missions available ,"We'll take. . . the Tora mission."

As the words escaped the sensei's mouth, every chūnin and jōnin inside the office smirked and started snickering at the team, trying to hold themselves from bursting out laughing.

The sound of them laughing at the team as they walked out was no reassurance to Naruto. Sasuke, however, took it as a challenge to prove he was stronger. Hitomi, who was still reading, kept on reading.

Haruto on the other hand, already hated this mission.

"So, Kakashi-sensei, what exactly is the mission?" Asked Naruto when they got outside of the building. He had already unzipped his jumpsuit.

"Well our job is to catch Tora," explained Kakashi. "Tora is the current Fire Daimyo's wife's cat."

"So this cat is important," said Naruto, catching onto why it was a mission.

"Exactly, so we get paid well," said Kakashi. "There is just one catch."

All genin focused on Kakashi as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Tora's nickname is . . . Jigoku no Neko, also know as, the Hellcat," finished Kakashi.

Everyone in earshot range instantly felt a shiver at the mention of the title. Many genin teams have had that mission, it goes so far back that it is unknown how it still exists.

Some speculate that Tora is the same spirit that runs away to different incarnations of itself but the wife always follows. It was a mystery of how it actually worked but it always had the same outcome to the teams.

Naruto and Haruto grew weary of Tora, of course it was nothing compared to what the villagers had caused him but a title like that isn't given out for nothing.

Sasuke didn't seem to catch on. He scoffed at the title, pretending as if he didn't have a shiver go down on him as well.

Hitomi put her book away and started becoming serious. There was a difference to how she acted normally and during missions. Right now, instead of simply not caring about other things other than her book, she went into mission mode. She was more attentive to her surroundings and anything that could affect her mission.

"Say, Kakashi-sensei," said Naruto, getting the attention of said sensei. "Why does it have that nickname?"

"Well, Tora has a reputation of being fast and agile," said Kakashi. "Most teams get the mission at least once and all of them have had trouble catching Tora, even the Fourth Hokage who is said to excel in everything had trouble catching it."

Once finished, silence intruded on the team. The fact that the Fourth had trouble made them doubt themselves at least a tiny bit.

"What's the record?" Said Sasuke, breaking the silence.

"Hmm, if I'm correct . . . then around 18 minutes or so," revealed Kakashi.

The team gained some confidence in that answer. It wasn't a short amount but it wasn't a long amount either.

Both Naruto and Sasuke smirked, "We'll beat that record," they both said in unison.

Kakashi smiled under his mask. Seems he was right about his prediction. They only worked well when on missions.

This wasn't much of a problem for the current time though, as long as they trained then it would be fine if they only worked well in missions but it wasn't a path that went for straight success. Kakashi pushed the thoughts out of his mind, that was for when the time would come.

"Now then, Tora is a brown cat with lighter brown stripes on his back," said Kakashi. "It also has a red ribbon in its right ear so it should be easy to identify."

Naruto nodded, he was sure that this mission would be easy now. Especially if they knew what to look for.

"Now you are free to start whenever you are ready," said Kakashi with an eye smile. It still confused the genin how he was able to put so much emotion into just an eye. They would have to ask him later.

The genin then got into a triangle formation, touching shoulder to shoulder. They then gave a thumbs up to Kakashi and blasted off in their own directions.

-Somewhere outside of Fire Country-

A single candle kept the room from being pitch black. The sound of the crackling fire was accompanied by the sound of coins being dropped one by one.

With each drop, a gruff voice counted higher and higher. The man was hidden in the shadows of the room, only his glasses visible but only showed the reflection of the swaying fire before him.

Then light entered the room. A creeping door was slowly being opened, letting the light enter the room. The man who was counting coins was sitting at a desk that was covered with stacks of coins and bills. The man was completely hidden due to his chair. The coins kept dropping and the numbers kept rising.

A man then entered the room, slowly but surely. His face was full of fear and his voice no better.

"Sir, the bridge builder has gone missing," the man who entered the room said, his voice quivering.

The coins then stopped dropping. "Did I say you can come in?" Asked the voice.

The man who entered tensed and the fear that showed was multiplied tenfold. He grew as pale as snow and tried to run away but was stopped by a blade to his neck. There was another man in the shadows of a corner.

Then the voice spoke again, "You come into my room unannounced and tell me this news?" The voice asked rhetorically. "Tell me," the voice said. "Do you have anyone you care about?"

The man, who was still shaking and still had a blade to his throat, answered, "No one, sir."

"Good," the voice said with an audible smirk. "Then you have no need to write your will."

The sound of cutting flesh then overlapped all sounds. Then drops of liquid hitting the floor followed. Finally, two thuds finished the sounds.

"Clean up the trash," the voice said. "And send the new recruits, we have a bridge builder to find."

-Konoha-

It had been almost an hour since the genin spread out to capture a single cat. Their time limit that they set for themselves had been long passed and yet they hadn't made any progress.

All of the pent up annoyance that one blond had had finally been released as he entered an alley thinking that the cat would be there but it wasn't.

After checking the alley thoroughly, he couldn't contain himself anymore, "WHERE IS THAT DAMNED CAT??!"

Kakashi, who was sitting on top of a roof nearby, decided to offer some advice, "You know, it would be easier if you had some help."

Naruto, being the knucklehead he is, took it the wrong way. He flashed a cross hand seal and called out his technique, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Five Naruto's appeared all around the original. "Now then, let's find that damn cat!" Shouted the real Naruto. All the clones

With a loud cry, all Narutos spread out into all directions, each going their own way.

Kakashi looked over at them as they disappeared into the village. With a small sigh, he disappeared into a shunshin, leaving a cloud of smoke behind.

Kakashi appeared on top of a tree. He would've gotten his book out but then noticed that Hitomi was working with Sasuke.

He wasn't very surprised. In fact he expected it at this point. What caught his attention was their conversation.

"I told you to spread out," Sasuke said while looking in multiple bushes for the cat. "We have a better chance at finding him if we spread out."

Sasuke wasn't wrong. If they stayed together then they would have to search more places for a longer period of time. If they split up then they would cover more ground.

"No thanks, I'd rather we work together," Hitomi said as she checked a tree. "Besides, you're not seeing the potential of working together," Hitomi added.

Sasuke sighed and kept looking for the cat. He thought that this mission would be easy but it already took an hour and they've made no progress in finding Tora.

Kakashi let out a deep sigh, it was clear that he needed to train his team more if they were like this. It was probably a good idea to test where they were as a team besides in fights.

The beach stretched for miles.

The golden sand glimmering in the barely setting sun. The waves gently crash on shore. And an abandoned mortar boat lying on the gentle beads. Rushed footsteps leading away from the boat. Glasses lying on the sand. A single throwing knife embedded in the sand. A red trail spreading like lightning running away.

Three bodies lay breathless as the red beneath them continued to spread.

Two men in all black uniforms stood above the bodies. They were cut and bruised, one was impaled. The stream of blood wouldn't stop.

There was one man left standing.

Step after step. Pant after pant. The man kept moving. The blade barely managed to cause bleeding. He wasn't sure if his bodyguards were still alive but he had to put his trust in them to come back safely, for their families sake.

He was forever grateful for them. They had let him escape and search for help. He wouldn't let their sacrifice be for nothing. He will find help, and once they regroup they will take a break.

So he kept running. Running and running, searching for a village or a person. He kept running. He wasn't like his son-in-law. He couldn't fight. But he could run.

And right now, there weren't any other options.

It had been some time since the sun had begun to set. The sky was now a bright orange color.

The village was filled with orange and yellow. The colors could have passed by as lights from lanterns and the setting sun if not for them moving into areas where there were no lanterns or where the sun couldn't reach.

"That damned cat, I'll make it pay!" Grunted Naruto as he kept running around the village, passing a different Naruto after Naruto.

He had gotten so upset with the mission that he resorted to using a variation to the Shadow Clone technique, the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!

It does the same thing as the normal Shadow Clone Jutsu but it spawns far more clones of the user.

"I knew this mission was bad from the very beginning," Haruto snarled as he kept his nose up. There was only one of him sadly.

As Naruto kept running without paying attention, he bumped into a man and fell onto his butt.

As Naruto looked up, he saw it was Kakashi, "Kakashi-sensei, what's up?" He asked.

"Meet at the training ground, I already told the others," the silver haired man said. "Oh and get rid of your clones would you?" He asked as he poofed away.

Naruto gulped as he got up, "We're screwed."

As Naruto entered the training ground, he threw himself onto the floor where his teammates were seated. Haruto was lucky enough to jump off before Naruto plummeted.

"What's up with you, dobe?" Sasuke asked with a smirk.

Hitomi for once wasn't reading her book but instead had her eyes closed with her fingers interlocked as she sat on a step.

Sasuke was also sitting on a step but closer to the grass.

Naruto rolled over and layed in his back now. "I have a huge headache," he answered with his eyes squinted shut.

As Haruto was about to curl up into a ball to rest, a puff of smoke made the entrance for the team's sensei. "I see all my students are here," the man said as he walked out, no book in hand.

"Sensei," Naruto called out in a normal volume, something he rarely did. "Why'd you call us? Shouldn't we be out searching for Tora?"

Kakashi sighed and then sat down. "You all failed the mission," he said blankly, with no emotion coming from his eye.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He'd never truly failed at anything before. It was humiliating.

There was no obvious change in Hitomi. She kept herself composed and no emotion was showing from her.

Naruto on the other hand was the most obvious along with Haruto. They both had their mouths agape and a faint raspiness could be heard from their throats. Their eyes bulged and their faces looked comical.

They were about to speak up until Kakashi put his hand up to stop them. "This isn't necessarily a bad thing," he said. "This was just another test to see where you were at when not fighting an opponent but instead searching for people."

It made sense to the genin. They hadn't done much work as a team and even though their sensei tested them on multiple subjects, they weren't dealing with this kind of task.

"So this is to determine if we're good for a search team?" Said Hitomi in a question.

"Exactly," confirmed the white haired sensei.

"Then I guess we're more of an attack or defense team!" Shouted Naruto with a smile.

"And we're doing these missions to see which type we are," added Sasuke.

Kakashi shrugged. "This was the only mission we would take for determining what type of team you are," said Kakashi. "Next I'll be testing you, of course I'll go easy. I would want to hurt my cute new students," finished Kakashi with an eye smile.

All genin breathed a sigh of relief once they heated he'd be going easy. They didn't want to experience what their sensei put them through on his test again.

"Now now, the sun is going to sleep so you all better get some shut eye too," said Kakashi. He then grabbed his orange book out and started filling from page to page. "We'll meet here at 7 in the morning, don't be late," Kakashi said as he started to walk away. Three steps later he disappeared into smoke.

"I need to learn that Jutsu," Naruto said as he picked up Haruto, who fell asleep midway through the conversation.

The other two genin nodded in agreement. They all then started heading out of the training ground, each going back home to get some rest.

"Finally! I made it!"

It was now night time. The mood was barely peeking out into the sky as the sun had finally left it. The crickets were chirping loudly and owls were hooting.

Sounds of people chatting covered the area. Lights from lanterns and candles lit up the street. The aroma of delicious foods filled the air.

People were laughing. Chatting. Celebrating. Living.

This was Yawaragi no Sato. A civilian village that is relatively close to the coast. It has top tier hot springs and spas. The crime rate is close to zero since everyone respects the peaceful village.

Knowing that, the bridge builder decided to hide here for a while. Hoping that he was safe for some time. Hoping that he'd see his bodyguards, and friends, once more.

_End Of Chapter_

And finally this chapter can leave the back of my mind!

I know, Team 7 didn't catch Tora. Originally I wanted them to catch Tora but as I kept writing I realized it wouldn't have worked.

But this chapter's main purpose is to set up the future chapters so it isn't really important what Team 7 does right now.

Anyways, I'm going to go to bed. It's 2:23 AM when I'm writing this and my phone is about to die. Yes I write on my phone. Same with drawing and publishing the chapters.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed at least some bit of this chapter but I know it's not my best work. This chapter is just not what I like writing.

I'll see you in about a month or two. I have no clue what to write for the next chapter.

-UW