C-Rank Mission And A New Friend?
Author's Note:
This is an updated version of this chapter as I was not satisfied with it. This is also where I'm starting the Omake series. I hope you enjoy.
"I'm in position," a male voice said over the radio. "Does everyone else have sight on the target?"
"Hai/Hn/Yes sir," three voices responded.
"Good," he said. "On my mark in 3… 2… 1… Go!"
Three shadows flew out of the trees at breakneck speeds towards the target. "Meow! Hissss!"
"Yeouch!", Naruto said as he held the swiping cat. "Why is it always me that gets scratched?"
"That cat must only hate you," Sakura said.
"… Do you want to hold him then?", he asked. The cat look at the pink hair girl with a twinkle in its eyes as if saying, 'Try it bitch!'
"I don't think so…"
"That's what I thought. This demon cat is getting on my nerves."
Sasuke said nothing but he had to agree with his blond teammate. That cat was a demon when compared to the rest of his kind. 'And that including the Paw Encyclopedia Mission,' he thought. 'At least those cats were easier to handle.'
"Now. Now," Kakashi said. "Let's just finish the mission."
Xxxx
"Oh Tora! My darling!", the Daimyo's wife said as she squeezed the life out of the cat. She was rather large woman who wore a black gaudy dress and a matching sun hat. She had a multitude of rings and jewelry to show her wealth and wore a heavy amount of makeup that seemed to be caked on her.
'No wonder he keeps running away…', Sakura thought.
'That's right!', Naruto thought. 'Suffer!' Normally he wouldn't wish for the suffering of an animal but this one was special case. The cat had been a thorn in his side for nearly two weeks now and it was high time he got some revenge for all the suffering he's endured.
"Good job Team 7," Hiruzen said. "Another job well done."
"Is there anything else you have for us Hokage-sama?", Kakashi asked.
"Iruka?"
"We have weed pulling, fence building and painting, and looking for herbs," he said. Suddenly a crash was heard as Tora ran out of the arms of the Daimyo's wife. "And we have the Tora Retrieval Mission… Again."
"Hokage-sama," Naruto said.
"What is it Naruto?", Hiruzen said.
"I feel like we are ready for a mission of a bit more higher caliber."
"Naruto!", Iruka said. "You've only just started-" Hiruzen held up his hand, stopping the Chunin.
"Oh?", Hiruzen said. "And what do you think of this Jonin Kakashi?"
"Team 7 has excelled in every mission so far and have done well in their training," Kakashi said. "… I think they're ready for a C-Rank Mission."
"Jonin Kakashi!", Iruka said. "They've just started. Even if they've excelled every mission so far, it's not eno-"
"Chunin Iruka," Kakashi interrupted. "I know your trepidation is not unfounded but have a little faith in these Genin. They may just surprise you."
Iruka said nothing as he looked at his former students for a hard second. "… I will trust your judgment Jonin Kakashi."
Hiruzen smiled. "If that's all, we have a C-Rank mission that just came in yesterday. It's an escort mission."
"We'll take it Hokage-sama," Kakashi said.
"Bring him in," Hiruzen said.
A grey-haired, bespectacled man walked through the door. He had a large beard and dark eyes. He wore a sleeveless V-neck shirt with an obi, pants, and a pair of sandals.
"This is Tazuna from the Land of Waves," Hiruzen said. "He has asked us to protect him and his workers while he finishes the construction of his bridge."
"Is this it?", Tazuna asked. "I thought there be more?"
"Don't worry sir," Kakashi said. "My Genin are a capable bunch... Team 7. I want you to be at the gates by noon. I want to be at the Wave by nightfall."
"Yes sir," the three said as they disappeared via Shunshin.
'He's taught them the Shunshin already?', Iruka thought. 'Maybe I've been underestimating Kakashi's training.'
'Fufu,' Hiruzen thought. 'It seems that he has taken my words to heart.'
[Naruto's apartment]
"Where are you going?!" Lala said. She was being dragged across the floor as she held onto him as if he was her lifeline.
"Like I've told you for the past 6 minutes, on a C-Rank mission," he said. "I'll be gone for at least a week as we protect the bridge builder."
"But I don't want you to go!", Lala exclaimed. "Can't they send someone else?"
Naruto sighed and was about to say something but his words caught him as he felt Momo snake her arms around him.
"Fufu," she giggled. "At least give us a parting gift. Maybe a something a little more... risque?"
"Goddammit woman!", he said. "You are going to be the death of me!"
Nana watched as the three argue about him leaving. Between Lala's cries and Momo's teasing, it was starting to become kind of sad really.
'What type of family was I born into?', she thought.
Knock. Knock.
"Hey Nana," Naruto said. "Can you get the door?"
"Sure Naruto," she said as she walked to the door. Opening it, she was surprised to see Sasuke standing there. She stared at him with widened eyes as she processed standing in front of the object of her affection. "Is… Dope there?"
"Oh? Yes!", she said. "Naruto! Sasuke-kun is outside waiting for you."
"Tell him I'll be right there after I pry your sisters off me!", he said.
"Don't leave us Husband-kun!", Lala said. "I'll miss you!"
"Yeah!", Momo said. "Who am I going to tease with you gone? Nana? It gets boring after a while."
"He said-," Nana was going to say.
"I heard," Sasuke interrupted.
It soon became an awkward silence once again as they both lacked words to say.
[With Naruto]
"Ok. Ok…" he said. "What do y'all want?"
"What?"
"I'm asking you two what do you want in exchange for me to go on this mission…"
Momo pondered it for a second before she suddenly got a devious smirk. "We want to-."
"A date!", Lala interrupted her sister. "Give us both a date once you get back and we'll let you go."
"That sounds reasonable…" he said. "Is that alright with you Momo?"
"It's not what I had in mind but it'll do," she said. "So that's a promise Naruto Uzumaki. Once you get back, you give me and Lala both an individual date… And Sasuke has to go on a date with Nana."
"What?!", Nana and Sasuke said, hearing the conversation. "I didn't agree to that!", they both said in unison.
"Come on," Momo said. "We could even double date if y'all too scared to go alone."
"Teme… you owe me one for saving you from that fangirl mob," he said.
"… Fine," Sasuke said. "Just get to the gates as soon as you can."
Just as Sasuke was about to leave, he felt a tug on his shirt. Turning to see a blushing Nana, she says. "Um… Good luck on your mission and stay safe okay?"
…
"I will," he muttered to the point where only she could hear it, before disappearing via Shunshin.
Naruto sighed in relief as Momo and Lala let him go. The clone that he sent to pack for him gave him his backpack. "Well I better get going," he said. "Don't want to be late."
"Okay Naruto," Lala said as she gave him a peck on the cheek. "Stay safe out there."
"Yeah," Momo said as she pecked his other cheek. "Don't get too hurt ok?"
Naruto gave them a genuine smile. "I will," he said as he used Shunshin to teleport away.
[Konoha Gates]
Naruto landed to see the rest of his team waiting for him. "Am I late?"
"Just on time actually," Kakashi said. "Okay team. We are going to do a standard formation. Sasuke you take point, followed by Naruto and the client. Sakura, you will behind the client and I'll take the rear. Got it?"
All three nodded.
"Good," he said. "Let's move Team 7."
[With Momo]
After Naruto left, Momo had decided to walk around Konoha, looking for something to do. It had been 30 minutes and she has been walking in a semi familiar part of the city.
"Sigh. What am I going to do now with Naruto-kun on his mission?", she thought out loud. 'I can't go hang out with Hinata as she is also on a mission and I can't hang out with Ayame since it's the lunch rush.'
"Huh?", she said, stopping her thoughts. Walking over to a shop nearby, she could feel the love coming off of the flowers through the window. 'Yamanaka Flower Shop?', she thought as she went in.
"Welcome to Yamanaka Flower Shop," a girl behind the counter said. "How can I help you?"
She was a fair skinned young girl that looked around her age. She has long platinum blonde hair with bangs framing the right side of her face. She has light blue eyes that looked dull from boredom. She wears a high purple blouse with a matching apron skirt and has bandages wrapped from her abdomen to her legs. Momo could just make out the forehead protector on her waist, being used as a belt.
'She's a shinobi huh?', she thought.
"I was just looking around," she said. She spent a few minutes looking at the many flowers before stopping a set of flowers with a radiant blue violet glow. "These remind me to the ones Naruto's cultivating," she said.
"You like those?", the girl said as she walked up to the girl. "They are pretty rare in Konoha. Only found in certain parts of Hi no Kuni and are hard to breed in captivity."
"Huh… That's weird," Momo said. "I could've swore I saw some in Naruto-kun's garden…"
"… What did you just say?", Ino asked.
"I said I saw some in Naruto-kun's garden," she said.
"… NARUTO-BAKA HAS A GARDEN?!", Ino screamed. "How did this happen?! Who taught him?! Why would he make a garden of all things.?!"
"To answer them in order. Naruto created the garden on the roof, I taught him the basics, and he likes to cook now and felt that it would be better if he learned how to grow his own food. He also added the flowers because of how much I like plants."
Ino stared at the girl for a few moments. 'Now that I think about it. Who is this girl?', she thought 'I've never seen her around the village before… and how does she know Naruto-baka?'
Noticing she was staring now, Ino composed herself. "Where are my manners", Ino said with a smile on her face. "Hello. My name is Ino Yamanaka."
Smiling at the girl, she introduced herself. "I'm Momo," she said. "Momo Deviluke." Not knowing, this meeting would cause whole headache for Naruto and Team 7.
[With Naruto]
"… Why does it feel like something terrible has happened?" Naruto shivered.
"You feel it too?", Sasuke said.
"… What are y'all talking about?", Sakura asked. "I feel nothing."
"Rowdy bunch aren't they?", Tazuna said to Kakashi.
Kakashi only eye smiled as they walked down the road and past a puddle.
"I think it's-" he started only for chains to suddenly wrap around him. "Nngh?!"
"One down," one of two brothers as they yanked the chain wrapped around Kakashi, causing him to be ripped apart. "Four to go," the other brother said.
Naruto froze as his sensei fell apart in front of him. 'W-what? He's so strong… How could he die just like that?' He was cut out of his thoughts when one of the two shinobi went into to attack him.
"Two down," both shinobi said as they readied to wrap their chains around him.
"Guh!", one of the shinobi said as he was kicked in the head by Sasuke. Using the momentum of the kick, Sasuke jumps into the air. He throws a kunai at the chain, causing it to get lodged in a tree.
"Gozu!", the other shinobi said.
"I'm fine Meizu," he said. "That kid is stronger than the others… Break the chain and go after the weaklings. I got this one."
Landing in front of Gozu, Sasuke calls back to Naruto, "Get your head out of the gutter dope!"
Snapping out of his shock, Naruto nods as he puts his hands in a T formation. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!", he says as four clones appear, surrounding the Shinobi named Meizu.
"Just because you made some Bushins, doesn't mean you aren't vulnerable," Meizu said as he charged one of the clones, only for said clone to duck under his attack and give him an uppercut.
'S-solid?', he thought. He didn't have much time to ponder this as the rest of the clones charged him as well.
"Sakura!", Naruto said, knocking her out of her shock. "Protect Tazuna while I help Sasuke!"
She nodded. "Got it!", she said as she pulls bridge builder from the fight.
"Also, if you get the chance, use that."
She nodded as she got in a ready position in front of Tazuna.
'Good luck,' she thought.
[Konoha, Naruto's Apartment]
Lala hummed as she worked on her newest contraption. "What are you working on sis?", Nana asked.
"My newest invention!", Lala said. "It's called Masage Massage-kun! Meant to massage all of your stresses away!"
"Have you tested it yet?", Nana asked, wondering how this is going back fire on her sister.
"Nope!", she said. "I was hoping to test it when Husband-kun got back today."
"Oh. Okay," Nana said. She was glad that she wasn't going to test it on anyone yet.
"But since he went on his C-Rank mission, I might as well try it out now!"
"Wait? What?!", Nana asked as she saw her sister press the button.
"At least wait till I'm out of the room first!", she said as she closes her eyes as she readied for the worst possible situation.
…
…
"Huh?", Lala said. "Nothing happened."
Releasing a breath that she didn't even know she was holding, Nana was about to say something but…
"Oh here we are!", Lala said as she grabbed a screwdriver. "A screw was loose… There we go!"
Suddenly the contraption came to life as it scanned the two Devilukeans.
*Bzzt!* "Scan complete! *Bzzt!*
*Bzzt!* "Anomalies found. Starting massage procedure now!" *Bzzt!*
A multitude of tentacle hands came from the machine and rushed the two girls.
"Kyah!~", their screams were heard across the village.
[With Momo]
"Huh?", Momo said. "What was that?"
"What was what?", Ino asked.
"… Nothing," she said. "Anyways, it's nice to meet you Ino."
"You as well Momo," she said. "So what can you tell me about this garden? I've never known Naruto to be a good cook."
"Naruto-kun has been learning to cook ever since his doctor, Mikado forced him to go on a diet," she explained. "He gets meat from the butchers, but after learning how to grow food, a lot of his vegetables come from the garden."
"But growing vegetables don't grow that fast," Ino said.
"That's where I came in," Momo said. "I have bit of a greener thumb when it comes to plant life… For example." Momo walked over to a couple of sprouts as she held out her hand. A pinkish energy glowed from her hand, causing the flower to grow and bloom at an alarming rate.
"Woah," Ino said.
"I can't do anything on a large scale," she said. "But it's enough for a garden."
"That's so cool…" Ino said. "Wait. How do you know Naruto anyway?"
"Oh! I'm his fiancé!", she said.
"Fi-fiance?!", Ino said. "Since when could Naruto-baka not only pull such a cute girl like you but also get her to marry you?!"
"Could you please stop calling him baka?", she said. "He's much smarter than you think he is…"
Seeing that she hit a nerve, Ino decided not to push it any longer. "I'm sorry. I won't call him baka anymore, ok?"
"… Apology accepted," she said.
"Hey, it's getting close to my lunch break," Ino said. "You want to go out to eat? I know a great barbecue place nearby. My treat."
"… Okay," Momo said. "It's always great to meet new friends."
"That's the spirit!"
[With Team 7]
"Hah!", several clones said as they attacked the Demon brother. Some threw punches and kicks, while others threw shurikens and kunai at the rogue shinobi.
Jumping in the air to dodge the clones' taijutsu, he was forced to block the projectiles with his metal arm. 'Damnit!', Gozu thought as he slashed a clone that threw a punch at him. Each time he destroyed one clone, the boy would make two more in his place.
"I'm getting sick of this!", he said. With renewed vigor, he slashed multiple clones at once, finally leaving an opening for him. Gozu jumps back while weaving through hand signs.
"Suiton: Mizurappa!", he said as he shot a wave of water at the clones, causing them to be pushed back and disperse. "Hah. Hah," he huffed from exhaustion.
'Did I get him?', he thought. Step. Step. Step. His eyes widen as he hears the sound of wet steps next to him. He turns to see Naruto charge him with a savage punch to the face. Recovering quickly, he was able to block several strikes from the Genin before sending one of his own, forcing Naruto parry it with his arm and the blade cutting his arm.
'Tch!', Naruto thought as he ducked under another strike and gives an uppercut to the Chunin, sending him into the air. Grabbing onto the Chunin's leg, he throws the shinobi as hard as can away from Sakura and Sakura.
"Hah. Hah," Naruto said as he grabbed his injured arm.
[With Sasuke]
Sasuke ducked under several strikes from the rogue Shinobi before counterattacking with a series of his own. Meizu, put on to the back foot, was able to block the incoming attacks, but was put under high pressure by the Genin.
'Is he truly a Genin?', he thought as he continued blocking the boy's strikes. Sasuke then gives a devastating kick to Meizu's midsection, but recovering quickly, Meizu was able to hold his leg in place. Thinking he got him, Meizu was surprised when Sasuke twisted his body to deliver a devastating punch to the shinobi's face, causing him to let go of the boy. Before he could recover, Sasuke delivers 3 strikes to the rogue shinobi, ending with a kick to the stomach, sending him back into the clearing, and landing right next to his brother.
"Tch!", Meizu said as he got up. "Kid is stronger than he looks."
"This ambush is a wash," Gozu said. "… We'll have to retreat for now." Nodding with his brother, Meizu was about to follow his brother's lead, but found himself stuck in place. Turning his head slightly to Meizu, Gozu saw that his brother was in the same predicament.
"Genjutsu: Shibari," Sakura said with a smirk on her face. "They're all yours Sasuke-kun."
"W-we forgot about the girl," Meizu said.
Landing infront of the two brothers, Sasuke, with a smirk on his face, weaved through hand signs. "Y'all shouldn't have done that," he said. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"
The brothers widened their eyes as the two brothers saw a midsized fire ball fly from the boys mouth. Thinking fast, Meizu breaks his finger, grabs Gozu, and replaces themselves with logs just as the fireball makes contact with them. Landing next to the clearing, Meizu grunted as he felt the singeing sensation of his arm burning.
"Dammit!", Meizu said. "Who would have thought a genin would know elemental ninjutsu."
"Holy shit," Gozu said. "What's with these genin?"
"Hmm… I think I've trained them pretty well don't you think?", a voice said behind them.
Turning around, they didn't see two hands hit the back of their necks. "Gugh!", they both grunted as they both fell prone.
"Kakashi-sensei!", Sakura said. "You're alright! Quick! Naruto is hurt!"
"Hn..." Sasuke grumbled. 'He was testing us…'
"I'll be fine Sakura," Naruto said. "I heal pretty fast. Glad to see your not hurt Kakashi-sensei."
"Don't move Naruto," Kakashi said. "It seems that they've coated their blades with poison. We'll have to open the wound to release the poisoned blood."
Naruto looked at the gash for a second and without skipping a beat, takes out one his kunai and cuts deep enough for the poisoned blood to pour out. Everyone looked at the boy shocked, including the Chunin.
"… What?"
"Nothing," Kakashi said as he tied the two men onto a tree. "Makes my job a little more easier."
'He has more guts than I thought,' Sasuke thought.
'Eeeiiiieee!', Inner Sakura said. 'That was so cool!'
'… Yeah,' Sakura thought. 'That was pretty cool.'
'That boy is insane,' Tazuna thought. 'Glad he's on our side.'
After he finished tying up the two Chunin, Kakashi checks on the gash on his arm. Seeing the gash not only poisoned free, but healing at an accelerated rate, Kakashi nods.
"Just put some gauze on it and you should be fine," he said. 'The Kyubi's chakra must be accelerating his healing. The wound should be fully healed by the end of the night.'
"Now that that's taken care of…" Kakashi said. He gives a hard gaze to Tazuna who flinches. "We need to talk."
"And that's the situation," Tazuna said, finishing the explanation.
"That changes things," Kakashi said. 'This changes this from a C to B-Rank mission,' he thought.
"What do y'all think?", he asked his team. "Do we head back or we continue forward?"
"I… think we should head back," Sakura said. "We don't know what other threats around the corner."
"I say we press forward," Sasuke said with a grunt.
"Naruto?", he asked. "Your thoughts."
Pondering for a minute, Naruto spoke his mind. "I think we should press forward, but have a way to communicate with Konoha just incase we need back up."
"Hm… I have just the thing," Kakashi said. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A small poof appeared as he slammed his hand on the ground, revealing a small dog.
"Team. I want you to meet Pakkun," he said. "One of my ninken."
"What up," Pakkun said.
"He can speak?!", Naruto said.
"What? You've never seen a talking dog before?", Pakkun asked.
"No actually," Naruto said. "But I've seen weirder. Nice to meet you Pakkun."
"I like this one Kakashi and likewise."
"Pakkun will be our emergency messenger if things go south from now on," Kakashi said. "Since you suggested this, Pakkun will be Naruto's responsibility."
"You alright with that kid?", Naruto shrugged as he unzipped his jacket. "Get in." Pakkun jumped into the blonde's jacket before sticking his head out of his shirt.
"Let's go…" Kakashi said as they pressed forward.
"But what about the demon brothers?", Sakura asked.
"Anbu will pick them up," he said. "I've sent a hidden signal for any teams nearby."
Nodding at this, Team 7 pressed on.
Omake: The Misadventures of Gid and Zastin
"How did I get here again?", Zastin said as he stood in the dry heat of the deserts of Zarius. He and his men were currently combing the desert looking for the princesses of the galaxy under the command of King Gid.
"Oh yeah," he said. "Now I remember."
[Flashback]
"My lady," he said. "You want us to do what?!"
"Fufu~," she giggled. "It's as I said. I want you to send my husband on a wild goose chase across the galaxy. I know he won't stop until the our daughters are found and I don't want him to come to the Elemental Nations yet to look for them."
"But why my lady?"
"Naruto's status as the Fourth Hokage's son is still a secret to the wider world of the elemental nations, including his home country," she explained. "If his status as well as his status as the fiancé of our daughters would bring all eyes on him. You've fought him before… Do you think he is ready for the responsibility?"
"… No I do not," he said. His bought with the boys was a little… disappointing. Itachi was 3 times as stronger than them at half their age. It wasn't even a contest. 'But then again,' he thought. 'He was my apprentice and a prodigy not seen since Lord Minato's generation.'
"Then you see my point," she said. "We both know that my husband is a terrible liar and Naruto has seemed to have inherited a lot of his mother's personality. It would have been a matter of time before they butt heads."
"I see…" he said. "I will try my best to distract him."
"Thank you Zastin," she said. "Your efforts will be greatly rewarded."
He bowed and took his leave.
[Flashback End]
"Sir," Zastin said to a man standing on top of a Dune. The man had the physical appearance of a slightly devilish child with shark-like teeth. He wore all black and his Devilukean tail that was in the shape of a trident, swayed lightly behind him.
"Hm?", he said. "What is it Zastin?"
"Don't you think we are taking Lady Sephie's words of "Comb the Desert" a little too seriously?"
"What? Of course not," He said. "My wife is a serious person and she would never make a metaphor like "Comb the Desert".
'That's what you think,' Zastin thought.
"Anyways," the man said as he looked at the groups of men literally combing with overly large combs. "Have you guys seen anything?"
"Nothing yet Gid-sama!", one of the two soldiers said as they continued to use the giant comb. Gid looked at another group.
"How about y'all?", he asked.
"Haven't found anything yet sir!", the soldier said. Gid turns to the last group who were using a giant pick instead of a comb like the others.
"What about you guys?", they said.
"We ain't found jack shit!", one of the soldiers said.
"Damn!", Gid said. "We'll have to move a couple dunes over and try again."
'Gods! Just kill me now!,' Zastin thought.
*Rumble*
The sand started to vibrate rapidly as the large mounds of sand rushed towards the group.
"Zarian Sandwurms!", Zastin said. "Quick! Everyone get back onto the ship!"
As the men rushed to the ship, Zastin saw that Gid did not move a muscle as a large toothy grin formed on his face. "Alright! A challenge!", he said as he cracked his knuckles.
Suddenly, three large sandwurms burst out of the dunes and looked directly at the King of the Empire. Smirking, Gid flexed his latent power as he wound up a punch. "Who's first?!", he said.
The sandwurms roared as they collapsed on the man's position but undeterred, he punch one of the wurms, causing its body to fly back into the dunes. "Next?!"
Zastin could only watch from the air, as sandwurms converged onto his King's location. He sighed.
"That man is going to be the death of me…"
End.
List of Jutsu:
Kage Bushin no Jutsu - Shadow Clone Jutsu
Sunshin no Jutsu - Body Flicker Jutsu
Genjutsu: Shibari - Genjutsu: Binding
Suiton: Mizurappa - Water Style: Raging Waves
Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu - Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu
