Chapter 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."
Iruka peers over his stack of papers. "It's too soon. They just got out of the academy."
"That's unfair!" Sakura exclaims and Sasuke wisely takes a step away from her. "We completed those missions in record time, Iruka-sensei! Where's our reward?"
"Yeah!" Naruto stands to his feet, joining Sakura. "We worked our asses off." He says. "What's the point of knowing how to walk on trees and water and all that other bullshit if we can't use it outside of the village?"
"Naruto!" Iruka scolds half-heartedly. He seems more upset with the words Naruto is using than anything else. "Language!"
"Hmph!" Naruto scowls, crossing his arms over his chest.
Lord Third sighs, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke that swirls around his old face. He massages his temple with his fingers, looking tired and weary.
Naruto rather likes that look on his face. He wonders what fear━
"Is this true, Kakashi? Have you taught your team the necessary skills they'll need to survive outside the village?" The Hokage questions, rummaging through the scrolls on his desk.
"Affirmative,'' Kakashi nods, grabbing a hold of the back of Sasuke's high collared shirt and pulling him back into place beside Sakura. Sasuke struggles in his hold like the untrained, disgruntled pup he is.
"Very well then,'' Lord Third relents. "If it's going to get you out of my tower, then so be it." He motions with his hand towards the ANBU near the door, "Please, invite him in."
Naruto physically holds himself back from doing something very right at the wrong time to the Third Hokage. It's Naruto's tower, actually━
An old man enters the office, slightly swaying on his feet. He reeks of bitter alcohol, the scent pungent. Immediately, Team Seven take a collective step backwards, away from the stinky man.
"What's going on here?'' The old man holds out his bottle of cheap sake, shaking it to slosh the clear liquid inside. He peers over the rim of his glasses, his gaze landing onto the three genin in the room. "They look like a bunch of wet nosed brats. Especially the midget. He's got the look of an imbecile."
Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke share a look. They stand straight, slowly comparing their heights. Sakura is the tallest, then Sasuke, and Naruto, as it turns out, is the shortest in their team.
"I'll kill him," Naruto deadpans, reaching for a kunai. His expression visibly darkens. Before he can do anything else, Iruka body flickers in front of him. He wraps his arms around Naruto and pulls him into a bear hug, shushing him quietly as he pets the back of his head.
''There's no need for that,'' Iruka says calmly, pushing Naruto's face into his chest. He holds him in place, his fingers gently running through the genin's blonde locks. Naruto rolls his blue eyes, but compiles, letting Iruka hold him.
"I suppose he's right,'' Kakashi raises an eyebrow at Iruka, but holds back from asking. "No killing the old man you've been assigned to protect."
"Looks like all my plans just went down the drain," Sakura glares at their assignment for upsetting her teammat. Beside her, Sasuke stuffs his hands into the pockets of his shorts and turns away, finding the situation now uninteresting when Naruto is being manhandled to behave.
Team Seven's assignment takes a swig of his sake, wrinkling his nose. "It's a joke right? You kids aren't really shinobi, are you?" He shakes his head and introduces himself. "I am Tazuna. A bridge builder of the ultimate renown. Until I am safely back in my own country, where I'll be completing my next bridge, you'll all be expected to protect me. Even if it costs you your lives!"
"Yeah, right,'' Naruto grumbles, nuzzling into Iruka's chest to calm his fraying nerves. He breathes in the scent of soft lavender and wills himself to keep his anger in check. It wouldn't bode well for his mask to fall in front of the Hokage.
"I thought I told you not to coddle that boy," Lord third sighs, looking thoroughly disappointed at Naruto's and Iruka's behaviour. He tosses the mission scroll towards the chunin. "Escort them outside."
"Of course, Hokage-same,'' Iruka nods, catching the mission scroll. He unwraps himself from around Naruto, bows his head and herds Team Seven and Tazuna out of the office.
Once outside of the Hokage tower and out on the busy streets of Konoha, Iruka lets out a loud sigh and leads Naruto away from the others. He crouches low to the ground and settles his hands onto Naruto's slim shoulders.
"Naruto-kun, we've talked about this before," he scolds softly, keeping his voice quiet. The rest of Team Seven and Tazuna send them curious and annoyed looks. Sasuke inches ever so slowly closer and Sakura copies him, holding her palm over the outside of her ear as she tries to catch the conversation.
"I know, I'm only supposed to kill when it's absolutely necessary," Naruto says, echoing Iruka's words from a long time ago. It's funny, Naruto thinks, that his most and only beloved person truly knows what he is and still treats him so kindly and softly.
"Alright, can you promise me you'll protect Sasuke and Sakura just like you protected me against Mitsuki?" Iruka questions, tilting his head slightly to the side as he catches Naruto's gaze.
Protected is a weak word for what Naruto did to Mitsuki for hurting his precious sensei. He had torn him apart limb from limb and left his pathetic body parts strewn across the forest floor with blood splattered everywhere. He'd done that so everyone would know not to touch what was rightfully his.
"Please?'' Iruka pleads and Naruto caves in, feeling possessiveness weaving its way throughout his body.
"... fine."
Iruka graces him with one of his gentle, soft smiles. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. Now come on, your mask is out of place. Flash everyone an easy going smile."
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto says, slouching in his stance. He turns, beaming a bright, bright smile at his team, intent on ignoring Tazuna with his whole being. "See ya, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto waves at the man before he runs off.
Iruka waves back at him, murmuring, "I hope you come back safe to me," as he watches Sakura and Sasuke immediately pounce on Naruto, asking several questions all at once.