Starting Over

Missions Begin (updated)

"This is Naruto, I'm at point A." Naruto said into the radio, looking at the cat that he has had to recover so many times that it wasn't funny. Naruto sighed. This was ridiculous.

"Sasuke, I'm at point B"

"This is Sakura, I'm at point C."

"Sakura, you have to pick up the pace. Okay Squad Seven..." Kakashi said. "The target has moved follow it."

Naruto watched as that stupid cat stopped to groom itself.

"What's your distance from the target?" Kakashi asked over the radio.

"A hundred meters" Naruto said. "I'm ready on your signal."

"I am too" said Sasuke.

"Me too." Sakura said almost too loudly.

"Okay... Now!"

They all moved. Naruto and Sasuke blocked the cat in while Sakura grabbed it. "I got him!" She screamed holding onto the struggling animal.

"Can you verify? Ribbon on right ear." Kakashi asked.

"Yeah it's the right cat." Naruto said in a bored tone while listening to the cat scratch at Sakura while trying to get away.

"Right, 'Lost pet Tora captured', mission accomplished."

"Sensei, I mean no disrespect but can't we have a better mission. These are getting kind of old." Naruto said glaring at the cat causing it to stop struggling and hold still like it was frozen.

Naruto walked over to it and picked it up by scruff of the neck and started to walk back to the village.

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Naruto walked into the missions' office and threw that cat at the Fire Lords wife. She grabbed onto the cat and squeezed it saying how much she missed it. Naruto probably took too much pleasure in the cat's situation, and as much as he hated this particular mission he would never tell the Fire Lord's wife that if she loved her cat just bit less it most likely would not run away or at least not as often. That cat running away every day, sometimes multiple time a day brought way too much money to the village.

After the Madame Shijimi left the Hokage looked at the team in front of him and then down to the available missions. "Now then for Squad Seven's next mission, we have several missions available. Among them is babysitting the Chief Consoler's three-year-old, helping his wife do the shopping, and digging up potatoes for the Akimichi Clan." The Third Hokage said.

"No offence Lord Hokage, but this team is more than ready for a C-Rank mission. I hate to say it but these 'Missions' as you call then would be better suited to academy students than qualified shinobi. You wouldn't have to pay the academy students, it would be considered a part of the requirements to becoming genin." Naruto

"How dare you! You're just a brand new Genin with no real experience. Like everyone else you start with simple missions to develop your skills and improve yourselves." Iruka yelled.

"Iruka, I don't think you quite understand me. I was just suggesting that the team I am on is ready for a C-Rank mission. We have worked hard and we are ready.

"Naruto it seems that you do not understand the tasks you have been given. Listen many different kinds of requests come into our village everyday– "

"Yes, Lord Hokage, I know. The Village receives requests from baby-sitting to assassinations. The requests are carefully recorded, analyzed, and then ranked A, B, C, or D, depending on their difficultly. The ninja in this village are also ranked. The Hokage at the top, Jonin, Chunin, and Genin at the bottom. At the highest level the missions are selected and assigned to ninja who have the appropriate skill and experience and if the mission is successful a fee is received that supports the village." Naruto said.

"Well Naruto, I must say that I am impressed. So, impressed that I am going to give you a C-Rank mission. You'll be body guards on a journey." The Hokage said. "Please send in our visitor."

Naruto and his team turned around to see who it was even though Naruto already knew who it was. Naruto smiled as the door opened. He had been getting sick of D-Ranked missions. He was a Kage for God's sake, he needed something challenging. He had worked his body to near its breaking to get it caught up with his mind.

"What the? A bunch of little snot nosed kids. "Tazuna says as he walks in. He tries to take a drink out of the bottle in his hand only to find it shattered.

"Hey old man, we are ninja and you should never underestimate even the weakest of us." Naruto said.

Tazuna's eyes were wide. It took him a few minutes to get his composure back. He swallowed before saying, "I am Tazuna, a master bridge builder. I must return to my country. I am building a bridge there that will change our world and I expect you to get me there safely even if it means giving up your lives."

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Naruto and his team quietly left the village. Naruto felt certain nostalgia; he remembered when he and Jiraiya had left the village for the three-year training trip. How he missed the old pervert. In fact, Naruto never really realized how much Jiraiya had rubbed off on him until he was eighteen.

"Say Mr. Tazuna?" Sakura asked about an hour into their journey.

"What is it?" Tazuna asks.

"Your country is the Land of Waves, right?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Kakashi sensei? There are shinobi in the Wave Country too, aren't there?"

"No. There are no ninja in the Land of Waves, but in other countries, there are hidden villages each with their own customs and cultures where ninja reside." Kakashi said. "To the people of this continent the existence of shinobi villages means strength, military strength. In other words, that's how they protect themselves and maintain the balance of power with neighboring countries. The ninja villages are not controlled by any government. They're independent and have equal status. Now a small island like the Land of Waves has natural protection from the sea. So there is no need for a ninja village. The five ancient lands that possess Shinobi Villages are the Land of Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind, and Earth. They each occupy vast territories, together they are known as the Five Great Shinobi Nations. The Land of Fire has the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The Land of Water has the Village Hidden in the Mist. The Land of Lightning, the Village Hidden in the Clouds. The Land of Wind, the Village hidden in the Sand. And the Land of Earth, the Village hidden in the Stones. Only the leaders of these Hidden Villages are permitted the name Kage, which means Shadow. Hokage, Mizukage, Raikage, Kazekage, Tsuchikage. These are the leaders the five shadows that reign over thousands of Shinobi."

Sakura gasp. "Then Lord Hokage is really important!"

"Hey Sakura, Sasuke! You just doubted Lord Hokage didn't you. That's what you two were thinking." Kakashi said and Sakura shook her head.

"The job of a Hokage, is to protect their village no matter the cost. I am right Sensei?" Naruto said.

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, Naruto that is right."

About a half an hour later they came across the puddle that Naruto had been thinking of. They walked by it and about a second later the Demon Brothers attacked. 'Taking' out Kakashi. Naruto jumped into action. He jumped in front of Tazuna and got into a defensive position. Both Sakura and Sasuke were knocked down. Naruto narrowed his eyes. This was a lot different than the last time. Naruto made five shadow clones. Three to cover the last three sides of Tazuna and two to go check on his team mates. The Demon Brothers were about to reach him when Kakashi intervened. He disabled the ninja in seconds, Naruto smirked. Kakashi could be a real showoff sometimes.

"Tazuna you do know that you should have said that there are ninja after you." Naruto said. "Not that we're not going to not finish the mission. I am just saying that some of us, are not ready for a mission like this. It just means that we will have to be more on guard then before."