Naruto, the 4th member of Team 7

A better mission please

"Ohhhh, my cute Tora-chan. I was so worried about you!"

I just stood to the side with my team as I watched the Land of Fire's daimyou's wife hug her cat. Well more like suffocate it from the way she was hugging it so tightly.

I pity the cat, no wonder it ran away.

For the past few weeks ever since we passed Kakashi-sensei's tests, we've been doing missions everyday. But these missions were far from fun, they were boring and I felt as if i was more of a hired help than a shinobi.

We had to help the villagers with their tiny problems that honestly don't even require a ninja's help at all. But I understood that this is how it works, the genins would be tasked with these easy D rank missions. If we want better missions then we just have to climb up the ranks to get higher ranked missions. 

Nii-san was a genin before the massacre happened so I knew this much. I could still remember the days when he would tell me and nee-san all about his missions whenever he returned. 

I was so caught up in the past that I didn't listen to the conversation Naruto was having with Hokage sama and Iruka sensei until I heard Sandaime-sama shout 

"Listen!"

Kakashi sensei immediately scratched the back of his head and apologized.

"Geez, you always lecture me like that, jii-chan." Naruto turned around to face him. "But I'm not the kid who used to play pranks anymore!" he declared before puffing up his cheeks and turned away.

Eeehhhh, I dont believe him. He's still going to play pranks when the chance arises. I bet on it.

Kakashi sensei was scratching the back of his head again while sighing, probably thinking that he's going to get a lecture from Sandaime-sama on Naruto's behaviour later.

But I noticed the smirk on Iruka-sensei and Sandaime-sama's face. I guess they are probably thinking that Naruto has finally grown up to say that.

"Okay, I understand."

Eh?

All of us looked up, including Kakashi sensei.

"Since you want it that much, I'll give you a C-rank mission." Sandaime sama declared with a smirk on his face. "It's an escort mission." He explained further.

"Really?? Who? Who?" Naruto couldn't contain his excitement and started guessing. "Daimyou-sama? Or a princess??"

"Oh, come on. If it was such an important mission Naruto, this would be an A rank mission!" I tried to tell him.

"Don't get so hasty, I'll introduce him now. Can you please come in now?" Sandaime-sama raised his voice so that the person outside the door could hear him.

We all turned to face the door, curiosity on our faces.

The door opened slowly, a hand holding a bottle of sake appeared first before the door was pushed open completely revealing a drunk old man.

He was carrying a huge backpack with a towel around his shoulder and had a rope tied around his head. "What's this? They're all kids!" he exclaimed before he took a few gulps of his sake.

He then rested his elbow against the door frame before continuing "Hey you, the shortest one with the idiotic face. Are you really a ninja?"

I had to stop myself from smirking, understanding that he was referring to Naruto. Sadly, Naruto didn't realize it was him this old man was referring to cause he started to laugh while looking around.

"Hahahaha! Who's the shortest one with the idiotic face eh, guys?" Naruto had his hands on his waist and looked from one to the other.

The 3 of us shared a knowing look above his head before approaching to stand next to him. Sasuke was the tallest, Sakura and I were the same height, and coming in last place was none other than Uzumaki Naruto.

Naruto finally understood as he started to make a fuss, swearing that he would kill the old man.

"I'm going to kill you!!"

"What's the point of killing the man you are supposed to escort, you idiot." Kakashi had to grab Naruto by his collar to stop Naruto from attacking the client.

The old man took another gulp of sake before he began to introduce himself to us. "I am the bridge building expert, Tazuna. Once we return to my country, I expect all of you to protect me while I complete the bridge."

Whoa, so we are like bodyguards? Cool.

After his introduction, we were dismissed to pack for our journey. We were to meet up at the village's gate in half an hour.

Half an hour later, we walked out from the village's gate. Surprisingly, Kakashi-sensei was on time.

"All right! Let's go!" Naruto raised both his arms in the air and shouted.

"Let's go!!" I shouted too and high-fived Naruto. I could understand his enthusiasm, it's our first time leaving the village. And a C rank mission at that, i bet we can brag about it to the others.

"What are you so excited about?" Sakura asked, clearly not feeling the same way.

"Because I've never gone outside the village before." Naruto explained while looking around enthusiastically.

"You guys have never left the village too before, right?" I looked at Sakura and Sasuke who both had neutral expressions.

I whispered into Sasuke's ear "I bet you're excited on the inside as well, Sasuke-kun." to which he immediately looked away with a 'hmph', that means a yes.

"Oi, will a kid like this really be capable of this mission?" Tazuna questioned Kakashi sensei, doubting Naruto's abilities as a ninja. Though, nobody can blame him really.

Kakashi sensei chuckled before reassuring Tazuna "Well, I am a Jounin. There's no need to worry."

Naruto didn't take that well cause he turned around and pointed at Tazuna, shouting "Hey, you old geezer! Don't underestimate us ninjas! I'm a great ninja! I'm the elite ninja who will receive the title of Hokage one day."

Ah, there he goes again, telling everyone of his dream.

"The name is Uzumaki Naruto. Remember it!!"

"Hokage is the village's number one ninja right?" Tazuna asked while drinking his sake, again. Geez, this guy sure likes to drink.

"I don't think a guy like you can become one." 

"Ggghhh! Urusai! I'm willing to go through any hardships to become a Hokage! If i beome the Hokage, you'll have to acknowledge me!"

"Huh, I won't kid. Even if you did become Hokage."

"Gghh!! I'm going to kill you!" Naruto tried to lunge towards Tazuna to only be held back by Kakashi sensei again.

"Stop it, baka." Kakashi sensei scolded Naruto.

"No, no! Let me hit him at least once please!" 

I sighed before saying loudly "Can we leave now? We're wasting time here."

Everyone looked at me for a moment before agreeing and we finally started to move.

This was going to be a long mission.