"The target has moved from my field of view!" Kakashi's voice had came out quickly from the electric soundboard. Communicating with the aid of this technology was very crucial, it was one of the many advancements brought about by the war.
"I think I'm lost..." Sakura mumbled from behind a barren tree lined only by bark and missing leaves. Naruto on the other hand, lunged after the furry shape and mass of a black cat, wearing a red bow that had shown up suddenly.
Tora was the name of this furry mass, and running away from home was a game that it had loved doing quite often. The most common of these D-ranked missions were these rescue-based missions around the village.
"I became a ninja to do...basic services...There's got to be more to it than this what are we even doing..." Sakura mumbled to herself.
One hour later.
"Mommy missed you so much!." A chubby woman screamed out, rubbing Tora's face against her cheek with evident happiness.
Nuzzling this cat towards her, Tora squirmed and meowed for freedom, pawing at the air. Naruto smiled happily at this sight in front of him.
"That was fun!" Naruto said firmly.
"For Team 7's next mission, we have several tasks..." Hiruzen exhaled a puff of smoke as he spoke out.
Seated behind a table, six chairs came to be but only three were filled. Sitting beside the 3rd Hokage, Ebisu sat in Iruka's prided chair, an evident reminder of his absence.
"Noo!" Sakura shrieked, forming an 'X' with her arms in anger.
"We've been at this for weeks! This was our 7th D-ranked mission, I want a real mission!" Shouting, she slumped to the ground like a broken doll.
Kakashi sighed as he pretended to ignore Sakura's bellowing.
"A harder mission would be more interesting." Sasuke spoke up.
"I love doing these D-ranked missions but...I do want a bigger challenge old man!" Naruto followed up.
Hiruzen began to scratch his beard as he stared at the students in front of him. He took a glance at Kakashi's face who seemed to have a rather blank expression as he looked on in curiosity at what the hokage himself would harken upon them.
"Very well. If all three of you agree..." Smoke poured out from Hiruzen's nose.
"Are we escorting a princess to some holy empire? Or saving a threatened village from a bandit attack? Are we delivering an important message that will save the world from some world-ending threat?" Sakura cut in abruptly..
Bouncing like a rabbit up into the air, Sakura's fair face was framed by strands of pink hair. The sunlight sparked upon her from an exterior window, her green eyes shone like ornate jewels of emerald which gleamed.
"You'll serve as bodyguards to a nearby land.." Hiruzen explained, waving for their guest to enter.
Stumbling past an opened door, a rather old-appearing man was barely able to stand or walk. With shaggy grey hair and a poorly trimmed goatee, alcohol dripped to the floor, slipping from the bottle he held in his hand.
Dressed in a short-sleeved grey tunic, his hairy chest was exposed by a deep 'V' cut. Held in place by the pale purple sash around his waist, this contrasted his tan pants and civilian shoes.
"You! The bright haired idiot who I heard yelling! Am I suppose to believe you're a ninja eh?!" Tazuna coughed out.
"You...You did NOT just call me an idiot! I'll punch you so hard you'll forget where you're at old man!" Sakura's own anger came out of her intensely.
An awkward gaze came at her from her teammates and sensei. Sakura glanced at all of them before she huffed and closed her arms together while muttering about how much she hated everything around here in that moment.
"I'm gonna kill this alcoholic I swear..." Sakura muttered to herself.
"You cant kill him Sakura." Kakashi picked up on the words Sakura muttered out.
"I KNOW!!!" Sakura yelled back out in response.
Sakura began to rant once more in utter anger. At the same time, the elderly man finally stopped drinking from his bottle as he began to speak out once more to the group in front of him.
"I am Tazuna, a bridge builder and I must return to my country..." Tazuna slurred out.
"I'll destroy any bridge you've ever worked on for that attitude mister! I promise you!" Sakura could not continue forward with her rant much longer as Kakashi lightly bonked her on the head which lead to her falling to the ground dizzy.
"You're a C-rank mission. Can't be that serious..." Sasuke mumbled.
"Tough talk from a wimpy-looking brat like you." Tazuna slurred out once more.
"You should watch your mouth old man! That's no way to talk to the people who intend to protect you!" Naruto harked back.
"I can talk however I want with how much I'm paying brat." Tazuna snarled.
"Enough!" Hiruzen's voice rang out loudly which forced everyone's mouth shut.
"You will all go prepare and lend out your assistance to this man." Hiruzen said firmly.
"In two hours, your mission begins. Go get ready." Hiruzen finished.
Kakashi sighed as he hurried the rest of the team to go get themselves ready for what lied ahead.
Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto rushed to gather their supplies from their homes. Meeting at the western gate in two hours, Team 7 was about to experience their first real mission.
Two hours later.
Strolling out the ornate entrance of the western gate, Team 7 escorted Tazuna. Led by Sakura, this kunoichi displayed a wide and prominent smile, occasionally glancing at Sasuke.
"This is the first time I've ever left the village! My mom will be so proud when I get back!" Sakura cheered.
"Am I supposed to trust my life to this brat? She's a joke!" Tazuna complained.
"Am I supposed to trust that this drunk bastard can actually build a bridge? I bet he's a fraud!" Sakura yelled back out.
"Kid, I've built more bridges than day's you've lived. You don't know what type of bridge builder you're messing with!"
"I'm messing with a drunk stupid idiotic one!" Sakura yelled back out.
Tazuna stared back in anger as he took another swig from his bottle of alcohol.
"These kids better have something under their sleeves that isn't just those foul words that have no meaning to them!"
Kakashi merely waved up a hand as if unbothered.
"Don't worry, As long as I'm around nothing will happen to you." Kakashi was hidden behind his book.
"I expect nothing from that weakling anyways-"
"HEY! Someday I'll be the greatest Kunoichi to ever exist! You better watch who you're talking to and NEVER call me a weakling again!" Sakura retorted.
Sasuke sighed at the sound of the idiots surrounding him.
"Why me..." Sasuke muttered.
Tazuna emptied his bottle of Alcohol. Revealing another bottle from his bag, alcohol poured from his beard, staining the tunic he wore.
"You're a weakling now, and you will be a weakling later brat." Tazuna burped.
"I'LL POUND YOU INTO THE GROUND" Sakura shrieked before charging up.
As this kunoichi advanced, Kakashi casually gripped her collar without any effort, raising her into the air. Giving her several minutes to calm down, she was lowered to the road still filled with remnants of anger.
"I told you, you can't destroy the client. If you do, who pays us?" Kakashi sighed.
"THIS ATTITUDE! IT ANNOYS ME!"
"Sometimes, you'll have to deal with...annoyances to get what you want in our world Sakura." Kakashi remarked.
"Fine! I'll play nice...for now!" Sakura crossed her arms and turned her head as the group continued their walk.
"Heh! Finally learned some manners eh?!" Tazuna stammered out.
"With all due respect, If you continue behaving the way you are don't be surprised if you get out of here with some...minor injuries." Kakashi threatened under a glare through his lone eye that promised never-ending pain and suffering.
Tazuna grimaced at the sight as the alcohol that he was drinking seemed to instantly fade from his demeanor as he straightened up and continued to walk alongside the group rather quietly.
"Hey, Naruto." Sasuke asked out with some trepidation.
"Yeah?"
"...Do you think that...This mission will go well..?"
Naruto briefly took a moment to think before quickly answering.
"Well I'm not going to say that it ends poorly because that would just mean I'm not confident. I think thing's will go very well for us all Sasuke!" Naruto remarked happily.
"Is that so? I can't help but feel this...sense of nervousness within me at what we're going to be running into..."
"Why's that? This doesn't really seem like that complicated of a mission." Naruto questioned.
Sasuke briefly stared at the skies above before answering.
"I just can't help but get this feeling that...We're about to be in a very awkward position..."
Naruto smiled as he grabbed onto Sasuke's shoulder.
"It doesn't matter what position we end up in. I've got your back no matter what!" Naruto's smile was filled with conviction.
Sasuke turned his head to Naruto and smiled back.
"Let's go my friend."