Chapter 10 - The C-Rank Begins


Paint. Endless, boring paint.

Naruto kicked disconsolately at a loose stone on the path back to the village center, sending it skittering into the dusty roadside weeds. Painting fences. Who becomes a ninja to paint fences? It was almost as bad as catching that stupid Tora cat last week, or weeding that rich lady's garden the week before. Utterly, monumentally boring.

He glanced sideways at his teammates. Ino was marching rigidly beside him, her face a mask of thunderous fury beneath a light sheen of sweat and, unfortunately, several prominent streaks of bright blue paint that clashed horribly with her usual purple ensemble. One streak even decorated the end of her usually pristine blonde ponytail. Naruto winced internally. Okay, maybe getting distracted during the final fence section and 'accidentally' creating a vibrant, multi-colored, abstract 'masterpiece' directly onto the client's adjacent shed wall hadn't been his finest moment. But it wasn't his fault the shed was so close! And besides, the blue really made the orange spiral pop, didn't it?

"If Mrs. Ito complains to the Hokage about her 'defiled' shed," Ino hissed through gritted teeth, clearly picking up on his lack of remorse, "I swear, Naruto, I will personally use my Mind Transfer Jutsu to make you scrub it clean with your own toothbrush!"

"Hey! It was an accident, believe it!" Naruto protested loudly, shoving his hands in his pockets. "And maybe she'll like it! It adds character! Besides, it's her fault for having a boring white shed right next to where awesome ninjas are working!" He conveniently ignored the part where he was the only one wielding blue and orange paint at the time. "We shouldn't even be painting fences! We're shinobi! We should be fighting bad guys, protecting princesses, doing cool S-rank missions!"

"The only 'bad guy' you fought today was a stationary wooden wall, Naruto," Shikamaru drawled from behind them, his voice thick with exhaustion. He ambled along, somehow managing to look like he was simultaneously walking and falling asleep. "And you lost. Decisively."

"Did not!" Naruto whirled around, ready to argue, but caught sight of Kakashi-sensei strolling calmly ahead, nose buried deep in that familiar, obnoxious orange book. Their sensei hadn't even flinched when Mrs. Ito had come screeching out of her house about the 'vandalism'. He'd just offered a placid eye-smile, promised Team 7 would 'reflect' on their 'artistic choices', and smoothly guided them away before Naruto could get yelled at further. Useless.

These past few weeks had been… weird. Ever since that dinner at Ino's house, things felt… different. Not better, exactly. Ino still yelled at him constantly, Shikamaru still sighed like the world was ending if asked to lift a finger, and Kakashi-sensei was still perpetually late and unhelpful. But sometimes… sometimes Ino's yelling had a slightly less murderous edge. Sometimes Shikamaru would actually offer a grudgingly useful observation instead of just complaining. And Naruto… well, Naruto was still Naruto. Mostly.

He hadn't thought he'd done that horribly when it came to impressing her family - but judging by her reaction, he'd probably done something wrong.

That wasn't to mention, the nightmares still came, shadowy whispers of Mizuki's hatred, the chilling label – monster. He still checked his reflection sometimes, searching for the fox he couldn't see. But the scratched hitai-ate felt solid against his forehead, a constant reminder of Iruka's faith, of surviving that night.

They reached the administrative section of the Hokage Tower, the air blessedly cooler inside, smelling faintly of old paper and ink. Naruto immediately made a beeline for the mission assignment desk, slamming his hands down on the counter before Kakashi could even hand over their predictably paint-streaked completion scroll.

"Old man Hokage!" Naruto yelled, ignoring the startled chunin clerk behind the desk. "We need a new mission! A real mission! No more painting, no more cats, no more weeds! Give us a C-rank!"

The chunin sighed, adjusting his glasses. "Naruto, Lord Hokage is busy. And mission assignments go through the proper channels."

"Yeah, well, the proper channels stink!" Naruto shot back. "We're awesome shinobi! Team 7 is ready for something tougher, believe it!"

"He's right!" Ino stepped up beside him, surprisingly backing him up, though her expression was still pinched with irritation (and perhaps embarrassment over the blue paint). "These D-rank tasks are beneath our skill level! We've completed several now, efficiently—" she shot Naruto a death glare "—mostly. We need a challenge that actually requires teamwork and, you know, ninjutsu!"

Shikamaru had somehow materialized beside them, leaning heavily against the counter. "Technically," he began, his voice a low drawl, "our mission completion record, factoring in accidental property damage, escaped target animals, and the occasional mid-task nap, probably doesn't scream 'C-rank readiness'." He rubbed his neck. "Statistically speaking, assigning us anything involving potential combat seems… ill-advised. Troublesome for everyone involved, really."

"Hey! Whose side are you on?" Naruto demanded, rounding on Shikamaru.

"The side of getting home before noon," Shikamaru mumbled, closing his eyes again.

"Now, now," Kakashi's voice cut in smoothly. He casually placed the mission scroll on the counter, somehow managing to avoid the paint smudges. "Let's not overwhelm the clerk. While my team certainly possesses… unique talents," his eye seemed to linger on Naruto's accidental paint job, "perhaps their enthusiasm is justified. They have shown improvement."

The chunin clerk looked unconvinced, raising a skeptical eyebrow as he scanned their file on the screen before him. "Improvement? Team 7's record includes...'Successfully retrieved Lord Councillor's ceremonial wig from tallest tree after subject Uzumaki attempted to use it as a 'super cool bird's nest''. 'Located missing ostrich, 'Sparky', after subject Uzumaki challenged it to a race and both became lost in the western woods'. 'Repaired riverside dock damaged during... vigorous taijutsu practice'." He peered over his glasses at them. "And today's 'fence painting incident'."

Naruto flushed. Okay, maybe Sparky the ostrich had been faster than he looked. And the dock kinda got in the way when he was practicing that awesome spinning kick Guy-sensei showed him…

"See?" Naruto insisted stubbornly. "We get the job done! Mostly! We need a real challenge to show what we can really do!"

"A challenge that doesn't involve property liability insurance," the clerk muttered under his breath, before sighing loudly. "Fine. Lord Hokage did anticipate this… 'enthusiasm'. He left specific instructions." He typed something into his terminal, his expression turning resigned. "Alright, Team 7. You want a challenge?"

Naruto leaned forward eagerly, bouncing on his toes. Ino straightened up, anticipation replacing her earlier fury. Even Shikamaru opened one eye, a sliver of curiosity cutting through his usual apathy.

The chunin clerk sighed, the sound like sandpaper on dry wood. He adjusted his glasses again, peering at the three eager (well, two eager, one semi-conscious) genin and their infuriatingly relaxed sensei. "Alright, alright," he conceded, reaching under the counter. "Lord Hokage anticipated this… persistence." He pulled out a thin mission scroll, the official red seal gleaming dully under the office lights. "He authorized one C-rank assignment for Team 7, provided you understand the potential risks."

"YES!" Naruto exploded, pumping both fists in the air so hard he nearly clocked Shikamaru, who shifted fractionally away without opening his eyes. "Finally! A real mission! Are we fighting bandits? Protecting a princess? Maybe taking down a giant monster?" His imagination was already running wild, picturing epic battles and heroic deeds.

The clerk unrolled the scroll with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. "Hardly." He cleared his throat, reading in a monotone voice that could curdle milk. "Client: Jiro, Master Dam Builder. Location: Remote valley near the border of the Land of Hot Water. Objective: Assist Master Jiro and his crew in the construction of a small, temporary dam for irrigation purposes."

Naruto's triumphant grin faltered, replaced by a bewildered frown. "...Dam builder?" He echoed the words slowly, tasting the distinct lack of ninjas, princesses, or monsters. "We're... building another wall?" The memory of Mrs. Ito's screeching over his accidental shed mural flashed unpleasantly through his mind. This sounded suspiciously like more manual labor, just... wetter.

"It's C-rank, Naruto," Ino interjected, though her own excitement had visibly dimmed. She sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as him. "See? Not D-rank. And it's in the Land of Hot Water! That's another country!" She straightened up, a flicker of determination returning to her eyes. "Travel outside the village requires a higher classification due to potential unforeseen dangers and the logistics of operating across borders. It's a step up."

"Yeah, but... building?" Naruto slumped slightly. "That doesn't sound very 'ninja'."

The clerk pushed his glasses further up his nose, clearly done with the conversation. As he reached to file their scroll, his hand brushed against another one lying nearby. Naruto, craning his neck to try and see if there were any cooler C-ranks available, caught a glimpse of the characters scrawled across it.

"Client: Tazuna…" Naruto read aloud slowly, squinting. "Bridge Builder…? Escort to the Land of Waves? Hey, what about that one? Sounds way more exciting than a dam!"

The clerk snatched the scroll back quickly, looking flustered. "Whoops! Wrong file entirely. That one's… uh… already been assigned anyway." He tucked it away hastily under a stack of papers. "Team 8 took it this morning, I believe. Kurenai's squad. Tough escort mission by the looks of it." He tapped the correct scroll – their scroll – pointedly. "Your assignment is Master Jiro. Dam construction. Land of Hot Water. He is ready to leave as soon as you prepare."

"Huh," Naruto blinked. "Team 8 gets an escort? Wonder who they got paired with. Bet Sakura, Sasuke, and weird Shino are totally bored already!" Bridge builder? Sounded almost as dull as fence painting, honestly. Dam builder definitely had a cooler ring to it. Maybe they'd get to use explosives! Yeah! "Alright, dam building it is! We'll build the best dam ever, believe it!" His enthusiasm, momentarily dampened, reignited with characteristic speed. A trip to another country! That was definitely ninja stuff!

"Troublesome," Shikamaru murmured, finally opening both eyes. He stretched languidly, like a cat disturbed from a prime napping spot. "Travel… manual labor… sounds exhausting." Yet, Naruto noticed a faint spark of something other than pure apathy in his teammate's usually bored gaze. Maybe even Shikamaru was a little intrigued by the prospect of leaving the familiar village confines.

Kakashi, who had observed the entire exchange with his usual detachment, stepped forward and took the mission scroll from the now visibly relieved clerk. He scanned it briefly, his visible eye betraying nothing. "Alright, Jiro the dam builder it is." He tucked the scroll away inside his flak jacket. "Meet back at the main gate in one hour. Pack for potential variable weather and light combat readiness, just in case." Just in case of what? Rogue beavers? Naruto wondered. "Don't be late."

And with that final, utterly hypocritical instruction, Kakashi vanished in another swirl of leaves.

"One hour?" Ino groaned, already calculating the time needed to pack appropriately and potentially fix the lingering blue streaks in her hair. "And you know he'll be late again!"

"Who cares?" Naruto cheered, already bouncing towards the exit. "We're going on a C-rank mission! To another country! This is gonna be awesome!" He ignored Ino's exasperated sigh and Shikamaru's low groan. His mind was already racing, picturing the journey, the new sights, the 'potential unforeseen dangers' (way more exciting than dam building!), and most importantly, the chance to finally prove what Team 7 could really do. Even if it started with moving rocks instead of fighting rogue ninjas. It was a start! And Uzumaki Naruto was always ready for the next adventure.


The hour crawled by slower than Shikamaru ambulating towards a chore. Naruto vibrated with impatience by the massive Konoha gates, bouncing on the balls of his feet, backpack already feeling strangely heavy with the 'essentials' he'd crammed in (extra ramen cups counted as essential, right?). The midday sun beat down, making the packed earth dusty and the air thick with the promise of a long, sweaty walk.

"Where IS he?" Naruto grumbled for the twentieth time, squinting down the road leading into the village. "We're gonna miss all the cool parts of the day traveling!" He pictured bandits lurking in shadowy forests, needing a swift Naruto Uzumaki beatdown, but only being active at noon or something. You couldn't waste bandit-fighting time!

Ino, perched delicately on a low stone wall nearby, sighed dramatically, fanning herself with her hand. The blue paint streaks were mostly gone, replaced by her usual pristine appearance and an aura of barely contained annoyance. "Give it up, Naruto. He'll show up when he feels like it. Probably after inventing a new, even lamer excuse." Her travel pack, considerably smaller and neater than Naruto's, sat beside her like a silent rebuke.

Shikamaru was, predictably, horizontal. He'd found a patch of shade under the gate's overhang and was sprawled out, using his own backpack as a pillow, seemingly fast asleep. Naruto wasn't entirely sure he wasn't actually asleep. How could anyone nap right before their first real trip out of the village? It was madness!

Just as Naruto was contemplating testing Shikamaru's consciousness with a well-aimed pebble, a lazy swirl of leaves materialized a few feet away.

"Yo." Kakashi-sensei offered his standard, infuriatingly calm greeting, book already open. "Sorry, ran into a philosophical debate with a scarecrow. Lost track of time."

"A SCARECROW?!" Naruto and Ino yelled simultaneously. Ino shot to her feet, hands planted firmly on her hips. "Are you serious right now? We're packed, we're ready, we're waiting for our first C-rank mission, and you were arguing with-"

"Anyway," Kakashi cut her off smoothly, snapping his book shut with practiced ease. "Allow me to introduce our client." He gestured vaguely behind him.

Emerging from the settling leaves wasn't the wizened, sake-soaked, grumpy old man Naruto had instinctively pictured (maybe like that grumpy bridge builder from the file?). Instead, the guy stepping forward looked… young. Like, maybe barely older than some of the chunin instructors. He was built solid, not bulky like Guy-sensei, but sturdy, with tanned skin and strong arms crossed over a simple, dirt-stained tunic. His dark hair was tied back functionally, and his eyes, bright and assessing, held an infectious energy. He definitely didn't look like someone who needed genin protection for building a glorified beaver dam.

"Hey there!" the man boomed, his voice surprisingly loud and cheerful. He strode forward, bypassing Kakashi completely, and stuck out a calloused hand towards Naruto. "Jiro. Dam builder extraordinaire! Born and raised in the Land of Rivers You must be the shinobi squad? Ready to move some earth and conquer some currents?" He grinned, a wide, friendly expression that radiated pure, unadulterated enthusiasm. About dams.

Naruto blinked, momentarily thrown off balance. He shook the offered hand automatically, feeling the surprising strength in Jiro's grip. "Uh, yeah! Naruto Uzumaki! Future Hokage!" he declared, recovering his usual bravado. This guy wasn't grumpy at all. He seemed… way too excited about mud and rocks.

"Excellent! A future leader!" Jiro clapped Naruto heartily on the shoulder, nearly making him stumble. "Visionaries understand the importance of strong foundations! Just like a good spillway design!" He turned his beaming grin on the others. "Ino, Shikamaru, right? Kakashi-san filled me in. Pleasure to have you aboard! We've got some tricky hydraulics to manage upstream, but with shinobi precision, we'll have that coffer dam up in no time!"

Ino offered a hesitant smile, clearly caught off guard by Jiro's sheer energy and lack of obvious senility. "Uh, pleasure to meet you, Jiro-san." Shikamaru, who had somehow managed to become vertical without anyone noticing, merely grunted, though Naruto thought he saw a flicker of surprise in his half-lidded eyes before the usual boredom settled back in.

"Precision? Hydraulics? Coffer dam?" Naruto repeated the unfamiliar words. "Does that mean we get to use explosives?" Please say yes, please say yes…

Jiro laughed, a loud, booming sound. "Ha! Maybe not explosives exactly! Bit too much collateral damage for controlled water diversion. But we'll be moving boulders, redirecting flow, maybe even employing some clever earth style jutsu if you've got 'em? Gotta respect the river's power, but bend it to our will, you know?" He practically vibrated with passion for hydrological engineering.

Naruto's enthusiasm dipped slightly again. No explosives? Moving rocks? Sounded suspiciously like more glorified gardening. Still, Land of Hot Water… maybe there were hot springs? Yeah, hot springs sounded cool.

"Right," Kakashi drawled, interrupting Jiro's potential lecture on sedimentary erosion patterns. "We should probably get going if we want to make decent time before nightfall. It's a few days journey to Yu no Kuni." He adjusted his pack, already turning towards the road out of the village.

"Right you are, Kakashi-san!" Jiro agreed readily, slinging a surprisingly hefty-looking tool bag over his shoulder. "Sunlight's burning! Let's go build something amazing!" He bounded after Kakashi with an eager stride that promised a brisk pace.

Naruto exchanged a bewildered look with Ino. Their client wasn't grumpy, wasn't demanding protection, wasn't even old. He was just… really, really psyched about building a dam. Shikamaru sighed, the sound conveying volumes of anticipated exhaustion.

"Well," Naruto shrugged, forcing a grin. "Guess it's better than chasing cats, right?" He jogged to catch up, ignoring Ino's muttered "Marginally." Okay, maybe not fighting bandits, but a trip, a non-grumpy client, and the potential for hot springs? This C-rank mission might just turn out okay after all. As long as Jiro didn't expect him to understand 'hydraulics'.

Okay, maybe hiking wasn't that bad. Two hours out from Konoha, the path had narrowed, winding through thicker woods now. Sunlight dappled through the leaves overhead, painting shifting patterns on the forest floor. It felt… adventurous. Like maybe, just maybe, danger could actually be lurking behind one of these big, twisty trees.

"Stay alert, team!" Naruto yelled, dramatically crouching and scanning the surrounding foliage with narrowed eyes. He held a kunai at the ready, trying to look cool and imposing. "Could be bandits anywhere! Or maybe ninja assassins! Or giant killer squirrels!"

A pinecone dropped from a branch above, landing with a soft thump near his foot. Naruto yelped, jumping back and instinctively adopting a fighting stance, kunai pointed at the harmless cone. "Ambush!"

"Naruto... it's a pinecone," Ino said from behind him, rubbing her temples like his very existence gave her a migraine.

"It could've been a disguised explosive tag!" Naruto retorted defensively, though he sheepishly lowered his kunai, nudging the pinecone with his sandal. Still, you couldn't be too careful! That's what being a ninja was all about, right? Vigilance!

"I believe the primary threat on this mission is Naruto tripping over his own feet and accidentally demolishing the dam before we even build it," Shikamaru mumbled, his voice muffled as he trudged along behind Ino, somehow managing to look bored even while navigating uneven terrain.

Naruto scowled back at them. Fine, maybe he was the only one taking the 'potential unforeseen dangers' part seriously. Kakashi-sensei was, predictably, several paces ahead, book firmly in place, seemingly oblivious. But Jiro… Jiro was practically bouncing alongside their sensei, chatting animatedly about rock density and water pressure, gesturing enthusiastically at the landscape. For a civilian, he sure had a lot of energy. Way more than Shikamaru, anyway.

As Naruto tuned back in, Ino had apparently decided to engage the client, her earlier annoyance giving way to hopeful curiosity. "So, Jiro-san," she began, quickening her pace to walk beside the dam builder, flashing a bright, professional smile. "The Land of Hot Water… are there really lots of, you know… springs? Hot springs?" She practically vibrated with the question. "Good for the skin, I hear?"

Jiro laughed, that big, booming sound echoing through the trees. "Yu no Kuni lives up to its name, alright! Best hot springs on the continent, if you ask me. We'll be working a bit upstream from the main resort towns, but yeah, the whole region's geothermal. Great for relaxing after a hard day moving earth!"

Ino's eyes lit up. "Relaxing… yes, exactly!"

Naruto frowned. Hot springs? Was that all she cared about? "Hey! Who cares about baths?" he interjected, jogging to catch up. "We're building a dam, right? Is it to stop some kinda giant monster invasion? Like a huge water dragon that tries to flood villages?" Now that would be a C-rank mission worth bragging about!

Jiro blinked, then chuckled again, shaking his head. "Ha! Nothing quite that exciting, Naruto-kun. Though a water dragon would definitely test my structural integrity calculations!" He sobered slightly, his gaze turning thoughtful as he surveyed the gently flowing river visible through a break in the trees. "Nah, this is more about managing nature than fighting monsters. The folks in Kawasato Village, just downstream from the site, contacted me direct. Nice little farming community, but see this river?" He pointed. "Looks calm now, but come rainy season, it turns into a real beast. Floods their fields, washes away topsoil, causes all sorts of grief every single year."

He slapped a fist into his palm with conviction. "The old timers always just build temporary levees, try to reinforce the banks the same way they always have. Doesn't work. This temporary dam I've designed – it's about strategic diversion, creating a spillway to handle the overflow before it hits the village. Smarter, not just harder." He grinned, tapping his temple. "That's why I need folks like you. Moving heavy stones precisely, shaping earth quickly… jutsu makes construction way faster and more accurate than a dozen guys with shovels and rope, you know? The old ways are too slow for problems this persistent."

Naruto nodded along, trying to look like he understood 'strategic diversion' and 'hydraulics'. Shaping earth? Moving boulders? Okay, maybe that sounded a little cool. Better than painting, anyway. Just as he was picturing himself chucking massive rocks around, they came to a section of the path blocked by a recent-looking rockslide – not huge, but enough jumbled stones and loose earth to make passage awkward.

"Ah, pesky erosion," Jiro muttered, stepping forward before Kakashi even lowered his book. "Hate it when this happens." He crouched down, placing a hand flat on the largest boulder blocking the way. Naruto watched, curious, as Jiro closed his eyes for a second, concentrating.

Then, with a low grunt, Jiro channeled chakra – actual, visible chakra shimmering faintly around his hand. "Earth Style: Stone Lodging!"

The boulder groaned, then slowly, smoothly, it shifted aside as if nudged by an invisible hand, settling neatly into a stable position off the path, clearing the way. Jiro stood up, dusting off his hands on his tunic, looking entirely unbothered.

Naruto stared, jaw slack.

Did… did Jiro, the civilian dam builder, just use an Earth Style jutsu? A real one? Not a fancy academy trick, but actual elemental manipulation? While Naruto himself, genin of the Hidden Leaf, future Hokage, couldn't even make a single explosive tag spark?

A hot, uncomfortable knot twisted in Naruto's stomach. It wasn't fair. How could this guy, who wasn't even a proper ninja, just casually move rocks with chakra while Naruto struggled so hard with the absolute basics? He remembered Iruka-sensei's patient explanations, the frustration of endless failed hand signs, the humiliation of falling flat during the graduation exam… It was like there was a wall inside him, blocking him off, while this random dam builder had a wide-open door. The familiar sting of inadequacy, the one he usually buried under loud boasts and frantic energy, prickled sharply.

Jiro, noticing Naruto staring with wide eyes, grinned again, mistaking awe for simple curiosity. "Handy, right? Saves a lot of back-breaking leverage work." He looked Naruto up and down, assessing. "Good Earth Style is crucial for solid dam foundations. You know some yourself, Naruto-kun? Could always use another pair of hands for the fine-tuning and shaping later on!"

The question hit Naruto like a physical blow. Could he do Earth Style? Panic flared. He couldn't admit the truth, not here, not now, not after bragging about being an awesome ninja. Especially not when a civilian could do it.

"Uh… Earth Style?" Naruto stammered, forcing a laugh that sounded way too loud and high-pitched. He vigorously scratched the back of his head, avoiding Jiro's gaze. "Oh yeah! Totally! Loads of it! Best Earth Style user on the team, believe it!" He shot a desperate sideways glance at Kakashi, hoping his sensei wouldn't contradict him.

Kakashi, naturally, just offered a slow, deliberate eye-smile over the top of his book, saying absolutely nothing. Shikamaru sighed softly from the back. Ino rolled her eyes so hard Naruto thought they might actually get stuck.

"Just, uh… saving my chakra!" Naruto added quickly, puffing out his chest again. "For the really hard parts of the dam building! Yeah! Gotta conserve energy, ya know?" He nodded vigorously, hoping his terrible lie sounded remotely convincing.

Jiro beamed, completely buying it. "Excellent! Smart thinking! Always conserve your resources until the critical phase! See? A natural engineer!" He clapped Naruto on the back again. "This is going to be great! With shinobi like you three helping out, we'll have Kawasato Village safe before the first downpour!"

Naruto managed a shaky grin, the knot in his stomach tightening further. Great. Just great. Now he had to pretend he could do Earth Style for a guy who actually could.

The next few days blurred into a rhythm of dusty paths, aching feet, and Jiro's relentlessly cheerful lectures on fluvial geomorphology (whatever that meant). Naruto tried his best to maintain his 'vigilant ninja' persona, periodically scanning the trees for imaginary threats and practicing cool poses when he thought no one was looking. Mostly, though, he just walked, trying hard not to think about the uncomfortable truth simmering beneath his bravado: Jiro, the civilian dam expert, could casually sling Earth Style jutsu while Naruto, the supposed shinobi prodigy, couldn't even manage a basic Transformation reliably.

Every time Jiro effortlessly moved a fallen log off the path or stabilized a crumbling bank with a quick application of chakra, Naruto felt that familiar, sour twist in his gut. He'd try to counter it by bragging louder about his awesome taijutsu, or by challenging Shikamaru to pointless races (which Shikamaru always declined with a world-weary sigh), or by pestering Ino until she threatened bodily harm. Anything to distract from the nagging voice that whispered, See? Even a regular guy is better than you. He found himself watching Jiro's hands whenever they stopped for a break, trying to figure out the trick, the secret he was missing. But there was no trick. Jiro just… did it. And Naruto couldn't. It sucked. Big time.

Ino, meanwhile, seemed torn between asking Jiro detailed questions about local hot spring etiquette and complaining about the lack of proper bathing facilities on the road. Shikamaru conserved energy with masterful dedication, somehow managing to appear half-asleep even while navigating treacherous slopes. Kakashi-sensei, predictably, remained glued to his book, offering cryptic non-answers to Naruto's increasingly desperate questions about C-rank mission dangers ("Is it zombie badgers? Are we fighting zombie badgers, Sensei?").

They walked until their legs felt like lead pipes and Naruto had exhausted his entire repertoire of trail snacks (mostly smuggled ramen cups and slightly squashed rice balls). The landscape gradually began to change. The dense, familiar forests of the Land of Fire thinned out, replaced by rolling hills covered in shorter, scrubbier trees and strange, feathery grasses Naruto had never seen before. The air felt different too – warmer, heavier, carrying a faint, sulfurous tang on the breeze.

They were cresting a particularly long, uphill slope when Kakashi-sensei finally lowered his book, tucking it away – a sure sign something significant was happening. Naruto instantly perked up, forgetting his aching calves.

"Alright team," Kakashi announced, his voice lacking its usual lazy drawl. He surveyed the vista unfolding before them – a wide valley stretching out, dotted with steaming vents and rocky outcrops, greener and somehow lusher than the terrain they'd just crossed. "Welcome to Yu no Kuni. The Land of Hot Water."

Stepping over the invisible line into Yu no Kuni felt… different. Not in a big, flashy 'new country, new rules!' kind of way, but subtle. The air definitely smelled funnier, like someone left rotten eggs out in the sun (though Jiro cheerfully called it 'healthy geothermal activity'). And the trees looked shorter, twistier, like they were too busy soaking up steam from the ground to bother growing straight. Weird little plumes of vapor puffed up from cracks in the rocks here and there, making the whole place feel like a giant, leaky teapot.

The initial excitement of being in another country propelled Naruto forward for the first hour, banishing thoughts of aching legs and Earth Style inadequacy. "Whoa! Look at that funny-shaped rock! It looks like a grumpy toad!" he yelled, pointing. "And did you guys see that steam? Maybe there's a hot spring right over there! Bet I could totally soak my feet!" He peered eagerly into the underbrush, half-expecting to find a bubbling pool waiting just for him.

"Naruto, it's probably just volcanic gas," Ino sighed, batting futilely at her hair, which had indeed started to frizz slightly in the humid air. "And keep your voice down! We're in foreign territory, remember? Stealth and awareness!" She sounded like she was quoting directly from an academy textbook. "Honestly, this humidity is going to be a nightmare for my hair. Kakashi-sensei, are we sure there isn't a shortcut that goes past a salon?"

"Just ignore him, Ino," Shikamaru mumbled from somewhere behind them, his voice barely audible over the crunch of their footsteps. "Maybe if we don't react, he'll run out of energy eventually." A faint rustling sound suggested he might have been trying to adjust his backpack pillow while walking.

"Run out of energy? Me?" Naruto scoffed, puffing out his chest. "I'm just getting started! This place is awesome! Way more interesting than Konoha's boring old trees! Bet there are super strong ninja hiding around here, testing us! Right, Kakashi-sensei?" He bounded ahead, striking another dramatic pose, scanning the steaming landscape. "Ready for anything!"

"The only thing hiding around here is heatstroke if you keep bouncing like that," Ino retorted, wiping a bead of sweat from her temple. "And maybe bad hair days."

"Hair is temporary, ninja glory is forever!" Naruto declared grandly. Honestly, Ino just didn't get it. This was adventure! Even if the adventure currently involved walking towards a glorified pile of rocks Jiro was going to boss them around about. At least the scenery wasn't boring. He wonder if—

"My favorite teacup," Kakashi-sensei said, his voice utterly flat, devoid of any inflection.

Naruto skidded to a halt, nearly tripping over his own feet. He blinked, turning around. Kakashi had stopped dead in the middle of the path, not even looking at them. His head was tilted slightly, as if listening to something far off, but his visible eye was fixed on a nondescript patch of feathery grass beside the trail. His book remained tucked away.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, confused. "Teacup? What are you talking about, Sensei? Did you lose one?" He glanced around the path. No teacups here. Maybe back where they stopped for water?

Ino frowned, pushing a frizzy strand of hair off her forehead. "Sensei? Are you feeling okay? We're talking about potential enemy ninja, not... ceramics."

"Broke this morning," Kakashi continued, his voice still that same unnerving monotone. He didn't move a muscle. "Slipped right out of my hand. Absolutely shattered." He paused. "Irreparable."

Irreparable? What the heck was he on about? Naruto exchanged a bewildered look with Ino. Kakashi-sensei was always weird and late, but this was just… random. Was he finally cracking up from reading those weird books all the time? Maybe the geothermal fumes were getting to him?

Then, Shikamaru spoke, his voice sharp, cutting through Naruto's confusion, utterly devoid of its usual lazy drawl. "Tea is quite hot."

Naruto looked back at Shikamaru. His teammate wasn't lounging anymore. He was standing ramrod straight, eyes wide open and alert, scanning the surrounding hillsides with an intensity Naruto had only seen briefly during their sparring match. His usual apathy was gone, replaced by a taut, coiled readiness.

What was going on? It was like they'd all started speaking a secret language Naruto didn't know.

He looked back at Kakashi. Still frozen. Then at Shikamaru. Still scanning, hand hovering near his kunai pouch. Then he looked at Ino.

And that's when Naruto saw it.

Ino wasn't just confused anymore. The color had drained completely from her face, leaving her paler than the steam rising from the rocks. Her eyes, usually narrowed in annoyance or bright with excitement, were wide with something else entirely. Something Naruto recognized from the terrified faces of villagers during the Kyuubi attack flashbacks Iruka-sensei showed them once. Something he'd maybe even seen reflected in his own eyes that night in the forest with Mizuki.

Fear. Raw, naked fear.

Naruto blinked, looking from Ino's terrified face to Shikamaru's rigid alertness, then back to Kakashi-sensei, still muttering about broken pottery. A slow grin spread across his face.

"Oh, I get it!" he burst out laughing, slapping his knee. "You guys are messing with me, right? Trying to psych me out for my first C-rank!" He chuckled again, shaking his head. "Pretty good one, Kakashi-sensei! Talking about teacups like it's super serious! And Shikamaru playing along!" He pointed at Shikamaru's tense stance. "You almost had me fooled, lazy bum! Acting all ninja-like!" He turned to Ino. "Even you looked kinda scared, Ino! Good acting!"

He laughed again, relieved. It was just a prank. A dumb, elaborate prank to test the rookie. He should've known! Kakashi-sensei was probably trying to teach them about vigilance or something, even if it involved weird metaphors about breakfast beverages. Typical weird Kakashi-sensei stuff.

"Alright, alright, you got me!" Naruto conceded cheerfully, starting to walk past Kakashi again. "Hilarious. Now, can we get going? I wanna see if Jiro was right about those hot springs-"

A hand clamped down on his shoulder, stopping him dead. Not hard, not aggressive, but firm, unyielding. Naruto looked up, annoyance flickering. "Hey, c'mon Sensei, joke's over-"

The words died in his throat.

He looked up into Kakashi-sensei's visible eye. And it wasn't smiling. It wasn't lazy, wasn't amused, wasn't detached. It was sharp. Deadly serious. Completely, utterly focused, boring into Naruto's own with an intensity that sent an icy jolt straight down his spine. The faint crinkle lines at the corner were gone, smoothed out by sheer concentration. The air around their sensei suddenly felt… cold. Dangerous. Like the stillness before a lightning strike.

This wasn't a prank.

Naruto's laughter died, replaced by a lump of ice forming in his stomach. His own smile felt suddenly stupid, painted onto a face that was rapidly losing its color. He looked back at Ino. Her face was still sheet-white, her knuckles white where she gripped her kunai pouch, her breath coming in shallow little puffs. Shikamaru hadn't moved, his gaze sweeping the ridgeline above them, methodically, like he was dissecting the very landscape for threats. Jiro, the usually boisterous dam builder, had fallen silent too, his cheerful energy replaced by a wary tension, hand resting on the heavy tool bag slung over his shoulder.

Something was wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong.

"My favorite teacup… Broke this morning… Absolutely shattered… Irreparable."

"Tea is quite hot."

What did it mean? Naruto's mind raced frantically, desperately trying to connect the dots. Codes. Kakashi-sensei had mentioned codes. Weeks ago, one afternoon when Naruto had been mostly focused on trying to balance a kunai on his nose while Kakashi droned on about situational awareness and communication protocols… He'd zoned out, obviously. It had sounded boring, full of stupid phrases for different alert levels. Who needed code words when you could just yell "Look out, giant badger!"?

But Kakashi had been insistent. Drilled them for almost an hour. Phrases about weather, about food, about… teacups? Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, trying to pull the memory from the fog of boredom and inattention. Think, Naruto, think!

"Cloudy with a chance of rain," Kakashi had drawled, sounding bored even then. "Means minor enemy presence, proceed with caution. Clear skies means all clear. Thunderstorm warning means heavy enemy numbers, prepare for engagement…" Naruto had definitely tuned out around then, trying to see if he could stick leaves to Shikamaru's back without him noticing.

But there was something else… something specific Kakashi had repeated, his voice losing its usual laziness for a moment, his eye fixing on each of them in turn. Something about the worst-case scenario. Something he'd said was absolutely critical to remember, even if they forgot everything else.

"...and if I ever mention irreparable damage,"Kakashi's voice echoed in Naruto's memory, suddenly sharp and clear, cutting through the haze. "Specifically irreparable damage to something valuable… a vase, a scroll, a… teacup…" His eye had scanned them. "That means the threat level is Z. Existential. Unsurvivable for genin. This isn't about fighting harder. It's not about bravery. It means Hunter-nin, ANBU black ops, S-rank missing-nin… threats you are not equipped to handle. Period. Your only priority in an irreparable damage scenario is immediate, absolute retreat. Do not engage. Do not hesitate. Scatter if necessary, regroup later at a pre-designated point. Survival is the only objective. Understand? Irreparable means run if attacked."

Irreparable.

Survival almost zero percent.

Do NOT engage.

Run.

Naruto's blood turned to ice water. His breath hitched in his throat. Existential threat? ANBU? S-rank? Here? Now? He looked wildly around the peaceful, sun-dappled forest path, at the steaming vents puffing innocently in the distance. Where? Who? Why? His mind couldn't process it. It felt unreal, like the world had tilted sideways again, revealing monsters lurking just beneath the mundane surface.

He finally understood the stark terror in Ino's eyes, the coiled readiness in Shikamaru's stance. They remembered. They understood the code. They knew what Kakashi's bizarre statement about a shattered teacup truly meant.

They were in mortal danger.

The world snapped back into terrifyingly sharp focus. Kakashi-sensei's hand released Naruto's shoulder, the brief pressure lingering like a brand. Without another word, without even a glance back, Kakashi started walking again, his pace exactly the same lazy stroll as before. Book out. Head slightly tilted. Just another ninja out for a walk, nothing to see here.

Naruto's brain screamed RUN! Scatter! Irreparable means GET OUT! But Kakashi was walking towards whatever danger lurked unseen. And Shikamaru… Shikamaru took a slow, deliberate breath, the tension easing fractionally from his shoulders, just enough to look bored again, and fell into step behind Kakashi. Ino, after a shaky inhale that made her ponytail tremble, wiped her sweaty palms on her dress and followed Shikamaru, her steps stiff but controlled.

Oh. Oh. Pretend. Act normal. Don't let whoever is watching know that they know. Naruto got it. Play dumb. Something he was accidentally really good at, except now his life apparently depended on it.

His legs felt like they were filled with wet sand. Each step was a monumental effort, his sandals scuffing awkwardly against the packed earth. He could feel it now – a prickling sensation on the back of his neck, the unnerving certainty of being watched. Invisible eyes dissecting their movements from the trees, the rocks, the very air. Were they Hunter-nin? ANBU? S-rank psychos out for blood? Naruto's imagination, usually filled with ramen and glory, now conjured terrifying images – masks glinting in the shadows, blades flashing silent and deadly.

Irreparable. Survival almost zero percent. Do NOT engage.

He found himself drifting closer to Kakashi-sensei, unconsciously seeking the proximity of the strongest person, the jounin shield. He walked almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Jiro, who had also fallen unnervingly silent, his earlier enthusiasm completely evaporated, replaced by a watchful, wary tension that belied his civilian status. Even Jiro knew something was wrong.

Every rustle of leaves sounded like a drawn kunai. Every bird call felt like a signal. The harmless steam vents suddenly looked like perfect ambush points. Naruto's heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the suffocating silence of his own mind. All his usual loud thoughts, his plans for pranks, his dreams of Hokage glory, were utterly drowned out by a single, looping refrain: I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. We're all gonna die.

He clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms, trying to anchor himself, trying to stop the trembling that threatened to start in his knees. He wasn't a coward! He'd faced Mizuki! He'd nearly drowned a dozen times! But this… this felt different. This was unseen, unknown, rated 'existential' by the coolest, calmest ninja he knew. It wasn't a fight; it was a potential execution.

It felt like hours passed, though it was probably only minutes. Each second stretched into an agonizing eternity of feigned normalcy, hyper-aware of every shadow, every sound, every prickle of unseen observation. Naruto focused on putting one foot in front of the other, matching Kakashi's deceptively casual pace, trying desperately not to break into a panicked sprint.

Then, as they rounded a bend in the path, heading into a slightly more open area with fewer concealing trees, Kakashi let out a soft sigh, audible only to those walking close. He subtly shifted his grip on his book.

"Ah, looks like clear skies," he remarked, his voice regaining its usual lazy tone. He even stretched slightly, like someone shaking off a moment of idle thought.

Naruto almost stumbled. Clear skies? That was the all-clear code! He glanced wildly around. The prickling sensation was gone. The heavy weight of observation had lifted, leaving behind only the normal sounds of the forest and the faint sulfurous breeze.

Shikamaru let out a breath he seemed to have been holding for the entire duration, his shoulders slumping back into their default position. "Good," he muttered. "Clouds are troublesome."

Ino visibly relaxed, some color returning to her cheeks, though she still looked shaken. Jiro wiped a bead of sweat from his brow that had nothing to do with the heat.

Naruto felt his knees go weak with relief, leaning heavily against a nearby rock face for support. His heart was still pounding like a drum solo. "Wh-what was that?" he stammered, his voice hoarse. "Clear skies? You scared us half to death with that teacup stuff! What was that all about?"

Kakashi turned, offering his standard eye-smile, all trace of the earlier tension gone. "Hmm? Just making an observation. Didn't mean to alarm you." He tapped his book thoughtfully. "Though, it seems that unfamiliar bird call I heard earlier belonged to a Hunter-nin squad from Kirigakure. Quite far from home."

"Hunter-nin?" Naruto repeated, confused. The name sounded vaguely familiar, menacing, but the specifics eluded him. "What are Hunter-nin?"

"Elite trackers," Ino explained, her voice still a little shaky, but regaining its usual know-it-all edge. "Specialized ANBU from other villages. Their job is to hunt down and eliminate rogue shinobi, retrieve stolen secrets... basically, they're extremely dangerous, highly skilled assassins you really don't want to run into unless they're specifically after you." She shuddered slightly. "And even then, you probably don't want to run into them."

Assassins? Rogue shinobi? Naruto swallowed hard. Kakashi hadn't been exaggerating. Z-rank danger. He felt a fresh wave of cold sweat prickle his skin.

"But why would Kiri Hunters be all the way out here?" Shikamaru mused aloud, frowning thoughtfully, his earlier fear replaced by characteristic analysis. "We're nowhere near the Land of Water's borders. Pursuing a specific target, maybe? Someone high-profile who fled this far?"

Kakashi shrugged, already reopening his book. "Who knows? Not our concern, it seems. They weren't interested in us. Just passing through." He started walking again. "Let's keep moving. Daylight's wasting."

Naruto stared after him, then down at his own trembling hands. He'd been terrified. Utterly, completely terrified. Not just scared-of-getting-punched scared, but deep-down, cold-sweat, might-actually-die scared. All because of a code word and a feeling. He hadn't even seen anything, hadn't faced any actual threat, and he'd practically dissolved into a puddle of fear.

He clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms again. All his big talk about being brave, about facing danger, about being Hokage… it was all just noise. The first sign of real trouble, unseen assassins lurking nearby, and he'd folded like a cheap paper kunai. He hadn't even seen anything! Ino and Shikamaru had looked scared too, sure, but they'd stayed cool, remembered the code, played the part. He'd just panicked internally, convinced his ninja journey was ending right there on some random path in the Land of Hot Springs (which, by the way, he still hadn't seen any of!).

Never again.

The thought exploded in his mind, sharp and fierce. No way. Uzumaki Naruto was not pathetic. He wasn't a coward who ran from shadows. He was gonna be Hokage! Hokages weren't scared! They punched danger in the face! They laughed at assassins! They definitely didn't freak out over broken pottery metaphors!

He surged forward, practically vibrating with renewed, slightly manic energy, catching up to Kakashi-sensei in a few bounds. He ignored Ino's startled yelp as he jostled past her, ignored Shikamaru's weary sigh.

"Alright!" Naruto declared loudly, planting himself squarely in front of Kakashi, forcing their perpetually strolling sensei to actually stop. "That's IT! I am NEVER being scared like that again, believe it!"

Kakashi blinked slowly over the top of his book, a single eyebrow raised slightly. "Oh? Were you scared?" His tone held that familiar, infuriating blend of boredom and mild amusement.

"NO!" Naruto yelled, maybe a little too loudly, cheeks flushing. "I mean- YES! But NEVER AGAIN! From now on, Uzumaki Naruto doesn't get scared! Not by weird bird calls, not by mean senseis," he shot Kakashi a pointed look, "not by Hunter-nin assassins, not by S-rank psychos, not by GIANT MONSTER BADGERS! Nothing!"

He puffed out his chest, striking a dramatic pose, fist raised high. "I'm gonna face every danger head-on! I'll be so brave, everyone will be amazed! They'll write songs about Naruto the Fearless! The Hokage who never backed down!" He punctuated the declaration with another air punch.

Ino stared at him, mouth slightly agape. Shikamaru actually snorted, a brief, surprising burst of sound. Even Jiro looked mildly bewildered by the sudden outburst.

Kakashi just eye-smiled. "Is that so? Fearlessness is a bold claim, Naruto." He tucked his book away again, his gaze turning unexpectedly serious for a moment. "Sometimes, knowing when to be afraid, knowing when to retreat, is the bravest thing a shinobi can do."

"Nah!" Naruto waved a dismissive hand, unwilling to let logic dampen his newfound resolve. "Fear is for losers! I'm gonna be strong! Strong enough that nothing can scare me! Just you watch!"

He spun around, ignoring the collective sighs and muttered "troublesome"s from his teammates, and started marching down the path again with renewed determination, shoulders squared, head held high. Okay, maybe his knees still felt a tiny bit wobbly, and maybe the thought of hidden assassins still made his stomach do unpleasant flip-flops. But he wouldn't show it. He wouldn't feel it. He would be brave. He had to be.

Fearless Naruto. Yeah. That had a nice ring to it.


Author's Note:

And there we have it, the start to a new arc!

I feel like I have to answer some of you guys, since many of you guys are talking about it, but everything up until now has basically been the PROLOGUE.

Yes, it hasn't deviated much from canon yet. Why? Because Naruto has JUST graduated.

Yes, Naruto is still a knucklehead embodiment of pure annoying energy. Why? Because even though he's been trained by Guy, he still craves attention (Plus it's Guy, who's arguably just as extravagant as Naruto). Naruto charges ahead instead of listening to plans because he thinks that's the best way to do it. Guy has trained him to tackle things head on. He took Mizuki head on and won. That's literally who Naruto is at this point in the story.

Yes, Shikamaru only does the bare minimum. Why? Because he's LAZY. Remember in canon when he gave up fighting Temari? Same thing applies last chapter when he gave up against Naruto. It's a simple sparring match that doesn't matter, so Shikamaru thinks it doesn't matter.

Yes, Ino seems like a whiny baby who only cares about how she looks. Why? Because she's a girl from the prestigious Yamanaka clan who also wants to be super popular. How do you be popular in the Naruto world? You be a perfect shinobi. But how can she be an awesome shinobi when she's stuck with two losers like Naruto and Shikamaru? That's why she wants to impress Kakashi, who actually is an AWESOME JOUNIN SHINOBI.

Yes, Kakashi seems like he doesn't care. Why? Because that's how he is in CANON in the beginning.

After 80k words, they just embarked on their first C-Rank, something the anime does in the first 6 EPISODES. This is gonna be a slow burn.

Also, let me get this off my chest. To a specific reviewer named Muuussssstttttaaaaaarrrrrrddddd, I appreciate the reviews you've been leaving ever since Chapter 1, but all you leave is hate comments. Quit reading if you hate the fic so much. Like you said, nobody likes complaining.

Other than that, I thanks to everyone else who reviews. I love the nice comments, the constructive criticism, everything!