One day, in the morning, outside Konoha Village, in a forest not far away.
The scorching sunlight poured down upon the earth, filtering through layers of greenery, filling the forest with a warm and cozy atmosphere.
And it was in this forest that, at this moment, four figures were scattered in different locations.
Among them, three of them were arranged in a triangular formation, centered on a specific spot, slowly closing in.
"Number one is in position."
"Number two is also in position."
"Number three has reached the designated target. The mission objective has appeared. Shall we capture it?"
"Can you confirm the target?"
"Yes, we've confirmed it's the mission objective."
"How far is it from the target?"
"Less than five meters. We can strike at any moment."
"Very well! Then, according to the plan, disperse and surround the target directly. Be careful not to let it escape and ensure the absolute safety of the target object!"
"Yes!"
"Alright, let's go!"
"Yes!"
"Swish, swish, swish."
In the lush forest, suddenly, a strong gust of wind arose. Three figures swiftly dashed out, and at the center of their encirclement, a chubby, tiger-striped cat that had been resting on a tree trunk woke up abruptly as the three figures approached.
"Meow, meow, meow!?"
Its eyes quickly opened, and it saw the three approaching figures. The chubby cat let out an intimidating cry, but just as it was about to leap away, a blue figure intercepted its path, blocking it. The chubby cat's face displayed a human-like expression of fear.
After a moment of shock, the cat attempted to turn and escape, but at that precise moment, a golden figure intercepted it from another angle. With a slight forward tilt, the figure reached out and effortlessly scooped up the chubby cat.
"Mission accomplished! The target has been successfully captured!"
At this moment, the other two figures also landed on nearby positions.
These three figures were none other than Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno, who had just recently passed Kakashi Hatake's final test and officially became Team 7, also known as the "Konohagakure Seven."
The chubby, tiger-striped cat struggling in Naruto's arms was their mission objective for the day.
This cat was the well-known "unfortunate" cat from the original storyline, famous for its "tragic fate." One could even say that the cat's life, or rather, cat life, could be turned into an epic adventure full of ups and downs. Catching this cat was not their first time, and it certainly wouldn't be their last.
As Naruto watched the cat struggle to break free from his grasp, memories of the cat's owner came to mind—the wife of the Daimyo of the Fire Country, Lady Shijimi. Her presence was as terrifying as a "ferocious beast." Just thinking about it gave Naruto a shiver, and he couldn't help but look at the chubby cat in his arms with a sympathetic expression.
However, no matter how sympathetic he felt, this was still a mission, and Naruto was looking forward to the rewards they would receive later. After all, Naruto was eager to save up some money.
He could use it to improve his meals and finally replace his worn-out clothes, which he couldn't do before due to a lack of funds. Graduating from the Ninja Academy and becoming a genin had changed the way people treated Naruto. Although some still viewed him with curiosity or questioned the idea of having the Nine-Tails fox as a ninja, they all showed a degree of respect due to his ninja status. This was the era of ninjas, and being a ninja was a symbol of strength.
Naruto was no longer subjected to the open bullying he had faced as a child, but he couldn't afford to let this chubby cat slip away, especially when it meant potentially receiving a substantial mission reward.
"Alright, the tiger stripes are confirmed, and there's this red bandage. Yes, we can be one hundred percent sure that this is the chubby cat."
Sakura approached a bit closer, carefully examining the various details of the chubby cat in Naruto's arms before nodding in satisfaction.
Sasuke, on the other hand, remained cool and silent, not uttering a word.
"Good, now that we're sure it's the mission objective, let's head back to the village and report the mission. I'm sure the client is anxious to have this done."
Kakashi Hatake, who had casually strolled over from a nearby spot, glanced at the chubby cat in Naruto's arms and lazily said.
As Kakashi's words landed, Naruto could clearly feel the chubby cat in his arms struggling even more frantically. Not only was it struggling, but there were also visible tremors, and its cat-like pupils displayed a human-like expression of fear. Naruto couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head.
"It's really a poor little kitty."
Despite feeling sorry for it, this was still a mission. Regardless of the reason, Naruto couldn't let this chubby cat escape from his grasp.
(End of this chapter)
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