Chapter 3: The D-Rank Grind

Naruto groaned loudly as he trudged through the streets of Konoha, Sakura and Sasuke flanking him with equally bored expressions. Kakashi strolled lazily behind them, his usual book in hand, seemingly indifferent to their collective misery.

"This sucks!" Naruto shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "I became a ninja to go on awesome missions, not to chase some stupid cat!"

"You mean like this one? The same one we just caught last week?" Sakura snapped, clutching the squirming feline in her arms. The cat, a rotund creature with a ribbon tied around its neck, yowled in protest, its claws narrowly missing Sakura's face. "I swear, this thing hates me."

"It hates everyone, it's a demon comprised entirely of hate and loathing," Sasuke said flatly, his hands shoved in his pockets. "And it's not a real mission if you're whining the whole time, Naruto."

Naruto spun to face him, pointing an accusatory finger. "Like you're having fun, Mr. Cool Guy!"

"Enough," Kakashi said without looking up from his book. "You're ninja now. D-rank missions are part of the job. Everyone has to start somewhere."

Naruto grumbled under his breath, but didn't argue further. Instead, he glanced at his teammates, then at Kakashi, a sly grin spreading across his face.

After returning the cat—Tora-chan, the daimyo's wife had called it, smothering the struggling creature in her arms—Team Seven found themselves saddled with another menial task: pulling weeds from an old woman's garden.

"This is so lame," Naruto muttered as he yanked at a particularly stubborn root. "I could be training right now."

"You should be focusing on your work," Sakura said, glaring at him. "This is part of being a ninja, Naruto."

Naruto ignored her, forming the cross-seal with a subtle motion. "Shadow Clone Jutsu," he whispered.

A faint puff of smoke appeared behind a row of hedges, and two clones slipped away unnoticed. Naruto grinned, satisfied.

As the rest of the team continued their task, the clones darted toward the forest, heading straight for Naruto's secret training ground. There, they got to work, each focusing on the same task: recreating the ever elusive phenomena that had produced that tiny plant.

Back in the garden, Kakashi's eye flicked up from his book, briefly scanning the area. He frowned slightly, his gaze settling on Naruto, who was yanking weeds with exaggerated effort.

Shadow Clones, Kakashi thought. He's using them for something else. Has he discovered what the technique does?

The Shadow Clone Jutsu, while impressive outright in its offensive capabilities, had a significant and unique feature: any experience or knowledge gained by the clones would transfer back to the original when they dispelled. It wasn't a technique to be used lightly, especially not by a genin. Yet here was Naruto, apparently using it to... train?

Kakashi's frown deepened as he returned to his book. Just how much does this kid really understand about what he's doing?

Hours later, after completing a handful of similarly mundane missions, Team Seven returned to the Hokage's office to report their progress.

"Well done," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, his voice kind but weary. "Keep up the good work, Team Seven."

Naruto barely heard him, his mind already drifting to his training. As soon as Kakashi dismissed them for the day, Naruto bolted, ignoring Sakura's protests and Sasuke's frown.

"Where's he going in such a hurry?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Training."

"Training?" Sakura repeated, incredulous. "After all that work?"

Sasuke didn't respond. Instead, he turned and began walking away, his expression unreadable.

At the training ground, Naruto's clones dispelled one by one, their experiences flooding back to him. He staggered slightly, clutching his head as the memories and sensations hit him all at once.

"Okay," he muttered, shaking off the disorientation. "So combining Water and Earth chakra isn't as simple as I thought... but I'm getting closer."

He formed the Snake Seal again, concentrating on the faint feeling of interconnectedness he'd felt during the clones' attempts. The ground beneath him rumbled slightly, a patch of dirt shifting unnaturally before stopping.

"Dang it!" Naruto groaned, flopping onto the ground. "Why is this so hard?"

Before he could try again, a voice called out from the shadows.

"Still working on your 'special technique,' Naruto-kun?"

Naruto jumped, spinning around to see Rock Lee standing nearby, his ever-present grin plastered across his face.

"Lee!" Naruto exclaimed, quickly scrambling to his feet. "What're you doing here?"

Lee crossed his arms, his grin widening. "I was going to train, but it seems you've beaten me to it. Tell me, Naruto-kun, how has your progress been?"

Naruto hesitated, glancing at the patch of disturbed dirt. "Uh... it's coming along," he said vaguely. "But it's gonna take a while."

Lee nodded sagely. "All great techniques do. Come, let us train together! Youthful effort is the key to success!"

"Alright, bushy-brows. Let's do this!" Naruto couldn't help but grin.

As the two began their nightly sparring session, Kakashi watched from a distance, hidden among the trees. His gaze lingered on Naruto, a mix of curiosity and concern flickering in his eye.

There's something about him, Kakashi thought. Something different. If he keeps this up... he might surprise us all.

Team 7 stood in the Hokage's office, the tension palpable. Naruto crossed his arms, glaring at the mission scroll Hiruzen Sarutobi had handed them. His voice echoed through the room as he shouted, "Another D-rank mission?! Old man, come on! We're ninja, not babysitters!"

"Naruto, how can you talk to the Hokage like that?! Show some respect!" Sakura's eyes widened in horror as she spun on Naruto.

Hiruzen chuckled warmly, stroking his beard. "It's alright, Sakura. Naruto is nothing if not... direct."

Naruto's indignant expression didn't waver. "We're ready for more! Something real, like an actual ninja mission!"

To everyone's surprise, Sasuke stepped forward, his arms crossed. "Naruto's right. We're wasting our time with these mundane tasks. We're ready for something more challenging."

Sakura gaped at him. "Sasuke-kun?"

The Hokage turned to Kakashi, who stood leaning against the wall, his book still in hand. "What do you think, Kakashi?"

Kakashi shrugged lazily. "They're ambitious, I'll give them that. Maybe it's time to test how ready they really are."

Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully. "Very well. I have a C-rank mission that should suit your ambitions." He reached for a different scroll and handed it to Kakashi. "You'll be escorting a bridge builder to the Land of Waves. You leave tomorrow morning."

Naruto cheered, pumping his fist in the air. "Finally! A real mission!"

As the team filed out of the office, Naruto was already brimming with excitement, itching to tell Lee about his first "real" mission. But before he could dart off to the training ground, Sakura grabbed his sleeve, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hold it, Naruto," she said, her brow furrowed. "You've been running off every night after missions. What's going on?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, sheepishly avoiding her gaze. "Uh, well, I've been training... with someone."

"Training?" Sakura asked, her curiosity piqued. "With who?"

"Rock Lee," Naruto admitted, his voice trailing off. "You know, that bushy-brow guy? He's been teaching me some Taijutsu stuff."

Sakura frowned. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Naruto grinned nervously. "I didn't think you'd care... but you could come if you want?"

Sakura hesitated, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Fine. But only to make sure you're not slacking off."

At the training ground, Naruto introduced Sakura to Rock Lee, who greeted her with his usual exuberance.

"Ah, Sakura-chan!" Lee exclaimed, his eyes sparkling as he took her hand in both of his. "You are as radiant as a cherry blossom in spring! It is an honor to train with you!"

Sakura blinked, her cheeks flushing a deeper pink as she awkwardly withdrew her hand. "Uh... thanks?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Alright, bushy-brows, let's get started."

As the three began their training session, Lee's energy was infectious. He demonstrated several Taijutsu forms with a level of precision and intensity that left Sakura in awe. Naruto, ever the ball of energy, threw himself into each exercise with reckless abandon, while Sakura tried her best to keep up.

Unbeknownst to them, two figures watched from the shadows. Kakashi leaned against a tree, his book still in hand but forgotten as he observed his students with a rare look of interest. Beside him, Might Guy crouched, his eyes gleaming with pride.

"Ah, Kakashi, my eternal rival!" Guy whispered, his voice brimming with emotion. "Your student, Naruto, has a youthful spirit unmatched in Konoha! And Sakura-chan shows great potential under my prized pupil's guidance!"

Kakashi glanced at him, his expression unreadable. "Naruto's resourceful, I'll give him that. Using Shadow Clones to train is... an interesting approach."

Guy nodded, his grin widening. "He embodies the very essence of hard work! Just like Lee!"

As they continued to watch, Naruto summoned several clones to spar with Lee. The two boys exchanged blows with increasing intensity, while Sakura practiced her strikes under Lee's encouragement. For all her initial hesitation, she found herself enjoying the training, her confidence slowly building.

By the time they wrapped up for the night, all three were drenched in sweat but grinning from ear to ear.

"Yosh!" Lee declared, giving them a thumbs-up. "You are both growing stronger by the minute! With continued dedication, you will become formidable warriors of Konoha!"

Naruto grinned, his exhaustion forgotten. "Thanks, Lee. This was awesome."

Sakura, still catching her breath, managed a small smile. "Yeah... it was. Thanks for helping us."

Lee bowed deeply. "It is my pleasure, Sakura-chan!"

As the three parted ways, Naruto couldn't help but feel a newfound sense of camaraderie with his teammates. Tomorrow, they would embark on their first real mission. And for the first time, he felt like they were truly starting to come together as a team.