"C-rank missions sometimes escalate to B-rank," Hiruzen said gently, watching Naruto's stubborn expression begin to loosen. "It's not impossible."
Naruto finally exhaled in defeat.
"Fine… fine…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Good. Then bring the client in."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
A moment later the office door creaked open.
A man stepped inside—elderly, unsteady on his feet, and carrying the unmistakable stench of cheap alcohol. His cheeks were flushed, his steps wobbly, and he clutched a half-empty bottle like a lifeline.
Naruto's face froze.
His fantasy of guarding a beautiful princess from a distant land shattered into dust.
THIS was their client?
"That old drunk is who we're supposed to protect?!"
The man hiccupped loudly and shot back with equal disdain.
"And this little blond brat is the ninja who's supposed to protect me?!"
Naruto's veins bulged.
"I'm not a brat! I'm a genius who graduated at the top of my Ninja Academy class!"
"Top, huh…? Well, I definitely can't see—"
Naruto clenched his fists in frustration.
"Stop talking!"
Hiruzen cleared his throat tiredly.
"Enough. Tazuna, Team 7 is one of our most promising teams. Their skills are proven, and your safety is in good hands."
Only after the Hokage personally vouched for them did Tazuna finally nod, though reluctantly.
---
The Mission Briefing
With the tension easing, Team 7 listened as Tazuna explained his situation.
He was a master bridge-builder from the Land of Waves. Recently, the entire country had fallen under the control of Gato—an infamous shipping magnate who secretly led a criminal organization. By monopolizing all maritime trade, he strangled the country economically, leaving its people impoverished and desperate.
Tazuna's bridge was the only ray of hope, a means of connecting the Land of Waves to the outside world and breaking Gato's monopoly.
Because of this, Gato had hired thugs and mercenaries to kill Tazuna before the bridge could be completed.
Since the request supposedly didn't include enemy shinobi, the mission was classified as C-rank.
Naruto folded his arms, unimpressed.
"No enemy ninjas, huh? Just bandits? That'll be easy."
It wasn't arrogance—simply a fact. In the shinobi world, bandits were barely considered a threat.
While Team 7 was preparing to depart, the door to the mission hall opened once more.
---
Team 8 Arrives
In walked Team 8—Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba accompanied by his dog Akamaru, and… Sakura Haruno.
Their leader was the newly promoted jōnin, Kurenai Yuhi.
The moment Sakura spotted Sasuke, her eyes sparkled like stars.
"Sasuke-kun! It's been so long! I missed you!"
Sasuke didn't even look at her.
Kurenai's brows tightened faintly as she approached Kakashi.
"Team 7 is taking all the missions lately. What are the rest of our teams supposed to do?"
Kakashi gave a helpless shrug.
"I'm not the one to blame here. It's Naruto."
"Uzumaki Naruto?"
Kurenai's red eyes drifted toward him, scanning him from head to toe with open curiosity.
Under her intense gaze, Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"H-hey, sensei… are you done staring yet?"
Kurenai smiled warmly.
"Asuma told me you were quite an interesting young man. Seeing you now, I can understand why."
"I'd call him troublesome rather than interesting," Kakashi muttered.
He lifted the mission request slip.
Kurenai's expression shifted instantly upon spotting the rank.
"C-rank? Team 7 is taking something like this already?!"
"This is all Naruto's doing," Kakashi admitted.
Kurenai turned her attention back to Naruto.
"Uzumaki Naruto… why are you pushing yourself so hard?"
Naruto internally groaned.
Why does everyone keep asking me that…?
He obviously couldn't say Because my system forces me to.
So he puffed out his chest and declared proudly:
"Because of my dream, of course!"
"Your dream of becoming Hokage?" Kurenai asked gently. "Asuma mentioned it."
"Exactly! And not just any Hokage—I'll surpass every previous one! I'll make everyone acknowledge my strength!"
Kurenai's lips curved into a soft, charming smile.
"Interesting indeed. You were top of your class at the academy—many people already acknowledge you."
"That's nowhere near enough!"
Kurenai let out a small laugh.
"You really were as Asuma described."
Then her expression turned serious.
"But Kakashi, C-rank missions can often become B-rank without warning. Aren't you worried the new genin will struggle?"
Kakashi shook his head confidently.
"Honestly? Not at all."
He looked toward Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata with pride.
"Team 7 is the strongest of this year's rookies. Even against a chūnin, these three wouldn't lose."
Kurenai blinked in surprise.
"You believe in them that strongly?"
"This isn't belief. It's fact."
Kakashi recalled the bell test and the overwhelming strength the three displayed when pushed.
Curious, Kurenai glanced over her own students.
Inuzuka Kiba and Naruto were already bickering loudly, both refusing to back down.
Sakura hovered beside Sasuke like a lovestruck bird.
Shino stood silently in the back, calm and unnoticed.
"They're all excellent children," Kurenai said. "Kiba and Shino are rising stars of the Inuzuka and Aburame clans. Both will become dependable shinobi."
She paused before continuing.
"As for Sakura…"
Kurenai smiled.
"She shows a surprising talent for genjutsu. One day, she might even inherit my techniques."
Sakura straightened with pride.
"Did you hear that, Sasuke-kun?! I'll be amazing at genjutsu one day!"
Sasuke didn't react, though inwardly he scoffed slightly.
Genjutsu? The Uchiha clan reigns supreme in that field. No ordinary talent can surpass that.
With greetings exchanged, Kakashi waved his hand.
"Alright, time to wrap this up. Team 7, let's move."
"Yes, Kakashi-sensei!"
Naruto pumped his fist excitedly and hurried to prepare.
Behind him, Kiba shouted, "Be careful, Naruto! A C-rank mission isn't a joke!"
Though his tone carried a hint of teasing, genuine concern lay beneath it.
Naruto raised a hand without turning back.
"Relax! It'll be easy!"
Kiba snorted.
"What an arrogant guy…"
Sakura watched Sasuke's retreating back with longing, imagining herself standing beside him on the battlefield.
Kurenai gently placed a hand on her head.
"If you work hard, Sakura, you really might stand beside Sasuke someday."
"Mm! Thank you, Yuhi-sensei!"
With a final smile, Kurenai headed to the Hokage to accept her own team's mission.
"Our mission today," she announced, reading the slip, "is assisting a villager whose home is overrun with mice."
Sakura's face went blank.
"…Huh?! Mice?!"
Kiba and Shino exchanged helpless glances.
---
Final Preparations
At the village gate, Kakashi and Tazuna waited while Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata prepared for their long journey outside the village.
Naruto didn't have much to bring.
But after seven days of relentless missions and earning hundreds of thousands of ryō, he had accumulated a small fortune—not much on a ninja scale, but enough to refresh his gear.
He purchased a new toad-shaped wallet, bandages, a complete ninja toolkit, and a fresh supply of kunai and shuriken. His standard equipment—forehead protector, uniform, arm guards, and leg wraps—remained unchanged.
Sasuke prepared quietly, looking composed as always.
Hinata, meanwhile, carefully packed water, medicine, and neatly wrapped food rations for everyone.
Kakashi supervised with a lazy eye-smile, and once everyone assembled, he nodded.
"Alright. Team 7—let's depart."
Naruto inhaled deeply as they stepped beyond Konoha's gates.
This was his first true journey outside the village.
A real mission.
A step toward his dream.
His heart raced—not with fear, but with excitement.
The road to the Land of Waves…
and Naruto's first life-or-death adventure…
had begun.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)