a village with(out) me ━ naruto fanfic

9.

Chapter Nine: 

The Hokage's office is busy, bustling with activity and noise. Papers and scrolls are scattered everywhere, a select few Chunin running in and out of the room looking stressed. An ANBU stands stationed beside the window and another guards the door, both of them looking menacing. 

Iruka-sensei (Naruto's most and only beloved person) is signing off Team Seven's most recent D-rank mission ━ the capture of Tora the cat. 

Sakura passes the disgruntled thing to the fire Daimyo's wife. Lady Shijimi squeezes it tightly, like she's trying to kill it, and Tora yowls trying to break free. "Poor tiger! Good little kitty-kitty," Lady Shijimi forces the cat into her carrier. "I was so worried about you, I could have died!'' 

Naruto and Sasuke share a discreet look. There's no doubt they'll be capturing the damn thing again and by the looks of it, very soon too. Naruto gives the Daimyo's wife half a day before she'll be storming back into the Hokage tower, demanding her cat be found once more. 

"Poor cat," Sakura mutters underneath her breath as Lady Shijimi leaves the office, looking ever so happy and satisfied. 

Lord Third, who is sitting behind his desk and smoking his old pipe, gives Team Seven a stern look. Beside him, Iruka sends Naruto a soft smile. 

"Now," Lord third blows out a thick plume of smoke, "the next assignment for Kakashi's Team Seven will be, hmm… to babysit for the council of elders, to help dig sweet potatoes━" 

Naruto dreams of the day where he'll get to absolutely slaughter━

Ahem. 

Naruto plops himself onto the wooden floor and rolls his head from side to side, relaxing his shoulders. "So, I had this really good tonkotsu ramen yesterday," he rambles on over the Third's voice, immediately catching his team's attention, "but I think I'll have some miso today. What do you guys think?" 

Sakura holds her chin between her thumb and forefinger, completely shutting out the Hokage's voice. "Shouldn't you be eating more vegetables?" She asks. 

"Hn," Sasuke adds, ever so eloquently. 

"They're right, Naruto-kun,'' Kakashi says, agreeing. "What happened to that basket of delicious greens I gave you?" 

Naruto snaps his fingers, a glint appearing in his blue eyes. "They were disgusting. Don't worry Sensei, they died a very slow and agonising death." 

"Ahem!" Iruka clears his throat, making Team Seven glance his way. The chunin stacks some papers together, very obviously motioning his gaze towards the Hokage. 

"Oh, right," Naruto says, keeping his spot on the floor, "you were saying something about sweet potatoes being easy on your old teeth, right?"

Iruka sighs, covering his face with the stack of papers. 

Beside Naruto, Kakashi pulls out a sign that reads, 'I'm grovelling and cannot help you.' There's a tiny paw print in the corner, indicating that Pakkun wrote the sign for him. 

Sakura pats him on the back. "That looks great, Kakashi-sensei." 

"Thank you, Sakura-chan." 

"Hn." 

"So anyways, I'm heading to Ichiraku's after this━" 

"Enough!" Lord third orders. Team Seven, begrudgingly , listen. "As I was saying. Your next mission is babysitting for the council of elders." 

Naruto dreams of the day where he'll get to absolutely slaughter━ 

Ahem. 

"Actually, Lord Third," Kakashi says, folding his sign back up and tucking it away into his vest for safe keeping, "since my team has completed fourty D-rank missions, I believe they're qualified for their first C-rank."