Chapter 16: The C-Rank Path
"Good. That's settled then." The barest hint of a smile touched Sasuke's lips—a fleeting, almost imperceptible softening that was gone in a blink, but for that instant, it transformed her cold features into something startlingly beautiful. Naruto found himself momentarily transfixed.
Catching his stare, Sasuke's expression iced over again. A dismissive "Hn," and she turned on her heel and strode away.
Naruto shook his head with a rueful chuckle, touching his nose. Guess a smile is too much to ask for.
Back in his apartment, he sat on the bed and summoned back his dispersed Shadow Clones. The deluge of experience and sensation washed over him—the frustrating lack of progress on the Wind Cutter, the stubborn plateau in achieving a one-handed, instant Rasengan.
He let out a slow breath, a frown creasing his brow. This doesn't make sense. My control is refined, my theory is sound. It's like there's… resistance. An interference in the chakra flow itself.
His thoughts turned inward, to the sealed, malevolent presence he now shared his body with. Kyuubi.
That night, as his body slept, his consciousness descended once more into the dank, psychic sewer of his mindscape. The oppressive aura and the glow of massive red eyes greeted him from behind the immense seal.
"You again, brat. You're getting better at finding this place on your own," the Kyuubi rumbled, its voice a landslide of contempt.
Naruto ignored the hostility, adopting his usual calm tone. "Kyuubi. I'd like to have a discussion."
A low, derisive growl vibrated through the water. "Discuss? You think I have time for your pathetic questions about 'training'? Get out."
Naruto didn't flinch. The beast's immediate dismissal confirmed his suspicion—it was aware of his internal struggles.
As if reading the surface of his thoughts (a chilling notion), the fox sneered. "Fool. Though I am trapped in this cage with a foreign soul like you, we share this vessel. I cannot touch your mind… but I can feel its echoes. And more importantly…" The great eyes narrowed to crimson slits. "I can certainly touch the chakra that flows through it."
It paused, watching for a reaction. Naruto kept his expression placid, the infuriating smile still in place. The Kyuubi huffed, a sound of pure annoyance, and closed its eyes, ending the audience.
Naruto withdrew, the puzzle pieces clicking into place. The fox wasn't actively sabotaging him with complex schemes; it was a constant, low-grade pollutant. Its immense, hostile chakra presence was a turbulence in the energy field of his own body, like trying to draw a straight line during an earthquake. His control wasn't flawed; it was being tested by an environmental hazard only he had to endure.
The implication was clear. True mastery wouldn't come from merely refining technique. It would come from overpowering this internal interference, from wielding his chakra with a will so strong it could ignore the Nine-Tails' very existence. That was the next plateau.
The following morning, Team 7 assembled at the Hokage's office for their daily mission assignment. As planned, after the Third Hokage offered another D-rank, Naruto stepped forward.
"Lord Hokage," he said, his voice respectful but firm. "With all due respect, we feel ready for a greater challenge. We'd like to request a C-rank mission."
Sarutobi Hiruzen peered at him over steepled fingers, smoke curling from his pipe. "A C-rank? That involves possible combat with enemy shinobi. You've only just formed as a team."
Naruto offered a diplomatic shrug, glancing back at Sakura's hopeful face and Sasuke's intense stare as if to say, I tried.
Sasuke's patience snapped. She stepped forward, her voice crisp and challenging. "Lord Third Hokage. How can we grow stronger chasing cats and pulling weeds? Real strength is forged in real danger. We need this." Her gaze was unwavering, a young hawk demanding to be thrown from the nest.
Sarutobi looked from her determined face to Kakashi, who gave a minute, resigned shrug behind his book. The Hokage sighed, a small smile touching his lips. The Will of Fire burned brightest when fanned by ambition. "Very well. Since you insist…" He tapped a scroll on his desk. "Enter!"
The door swung open, admitting the reek of cheap alcohol and unwashed clothes. A grizzled, drunken old man staggered in, a bottle in one hand, a wicker basket on his back. This was Tazuna, the bridge builder from the Land of Waves.
The mission was accepted. The script, despite the changed lead, was advancing on schedule.
Outside Konoha's gates, the reality of their first C-rank settled upon them. The journey to the distant, mist-shrouded Land of Waves would be long, and their pace was hamstrung by their civilian client. Three days of travel stretched before them.
Naruto observed his teammates. Sasuke walked with a focused, alert energy, her eyes constantly scanning. Sakura alternated between nervous glances and wide-eyed wonder at the world beyond the village walls. Kakashi, of course, was engrossed in his new Icha Icha.
For Naruto, the journey was a mental workshop. He turned the problem of the Kyuubi's interference over and over, while simultaneously running theoretical drills on one-handed Rasengan formation and Wind Cutter focus. Survival is the priority, he reminded himself. The White Zetsu… no, Haku, and Zabuza are on another level. For now, observation and survival.
They entered a stretch of road lined with dense trees, a small, innocuous puddle glistening on the path ahead.
Naruto's senses, honed by years of paranoid training, didn't scream danger, but they whispered. He noted the puddle's placement, the unnatural stillness. He said nothing, did nothing. This was a lesson they needed.
As they passed it, the puddle erupted.
Two figures clad in strange, striped attire shot out, chains whipping from their hands with metallic shrieks. They converged on the seemingly oblivious Kakashi. The chains wrapped, tightened, and with a sickening crunch, Kakashi's body was shredded into bloody pulp.
"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Sakura's shriek was pure terror. She stumbled back, her face ashen.
Sasuke, to her credit, moved. In a blur of motion, she was between the attackers and Naruto, deflecting a follow-up chain strike with a sharp block from her kunai. She pivoted, a powerful kick connecting solidly with one attacker's jaw, sending him sprawling.
She shot a glance at Naruto, who hadn't moved from his spot. A smirk of pure contempt touched her lips. "Pathetic. Frozen in fear?"
Naruto simply watched, analyzing. The attackers—the Demon Brothers—regrouped, their target shifting to the true objective: Tazuna.
Sasuke's eyes widened as she realized she was out of position. "No!"
They lunged for the terrified bridge builder.
A swirl of leaves. Kakashi stood before Tazuna, a Demon Brother clamped in the crook of each arm. A quick, efficient squeeze, and they went limp, slumping to the ground. He'd been there all along, the substitution and genjutsu flawless.
"My, my," Kakashi drawled, eye-smiling. "You certainly took your time."
The ensuing confrontation with Tazuna, the revelation of the true A-rank danger, played out as Naruto remembered. The team, driven by a mix of wounded pride (Sasuke), defiant courage (Sakura), and a sense of duty (Naruto's silent agreement), voted to continue.
As they pressed on, Sasuke fell into step beside Naruto, her earlier triumph now laced with smug superiority. "Well? Nothing to say, coward? Too scared to even twitch?"
Naruto met her gaze, his expression one of mild amusement. "You had it handled. Why waste the energy? Besides," he added, his tone light, "you looked like you were enjoying showing off."
Sasuke's smirk vanished, replaced by a flash of irritation at his nonchalance. She huffed and looked away. "Whatever."
Naruto let the silence return, his mind refocusing on the core issue. The Kyuubi's interference was the chokepoint. Control wasn't just about finesse; it was about dominance. He needed to strengthen his will, his mental fortitude, to the point where his chakra obeyed him alone, a clear stream cutting through the fox's murky, hateful sea. The Land of Waves mission was no longer just a test of combat; it was the first real-world crucible where he would have to wield his power under the pressure of an internal storm. The path to mastery was proving to be a battle on two fronts, and both battles were now joined.