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At thirteen, Naruto wore his headband with pride during missions. He had now been a genin for nearly a year! The happiest day of his young life was when he set his goggles aside and tied the real deal around his forehead. Every morning, without fail, he had an impromptu modeling session in front of his mirror. Naruto! The knucklehead Ninja! Future Hokage of the Leaf!
He noticed the time on the wall - he was late!! He grabbed his pouch of kunai and smoke bombs. He passed a portrait of him on his first day of Ninja Academy years ago, and beside it was a newer frame with Iruka-Sensei, and then a third, brilliantly clean photograph with Team 7.
"I'm off!" Naruto told the empty apartment.
Once meeting up with Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura, Naruto's spirit depleted. Yet another day of pointless, D-rank missions.
"Jeez, why are we always assigned errands no one else wants to do? I want a real mission! Rock Lee, Ten-Ten, and Neji were out guarding a princess in the Land of Rice yesterday, and we're doing busy work! Grrr! I want to find Orochimaru already and make him pay!"
"Stop it, Naruto," Sakura chastised. "We can't control the missions we're assigned..."
"Well yeah, but-"
"I'm with Naruto on this," Sasuke spoke, leaning under the tree shade with his hands in his pockets. "This feels like a waste of time. I want a real mission, too."
Standing before his students with a signature slouch, Kakashi sighed. Sure, his genin had a point, but D-rank missions came with the territory. Life had been different ever since he left the Anbu.
He smiled behind his mask and closed his bare eye. "Look, while I agree with you these aren't the most exciting missions, they're still paid requests by our villagers, and we can't let them down, can we? Yes, you mentioned Orochimaru, Naruto, so just think of all the damage he caused our villagers who need more help than ever. Just promise me you'll get them done by the end of the day. Okay?"
Frowning, his 3 pupils selected random missions from the dozen papers their Sensei had in his hands.
To start off: Sasuke helped a farmer with his daikon radish crop, Sakura babysat an Academy Ninja while their parents were away, and Naruto compiled a month's worth of groceries for a kindly old man.
"Don't have too much fun now." With his nose in his book, Kakashi was off.
"Maaaaan!" Naruto threw his head back. "This stinks!"
┊ ˚➶ ｡˚˚ · • . ° .
Dear Ado,
Sorry, my life has been really hectic.
You know... my village isn't doing well... We don't have a Kazekage anymore... All because of Orochimaru... Instead, all we get are these stand-ins, but a 5th leader has yet to succeed.
