The Tale Of Naruto Uzumaki

Chapter 6: Road To Land Of Waves

Author Note - Two months had passed since
Team 7's first day training
Team 7 is sitting in the Hokage Monument's main hall, eagerly waiting for their first mission after two months of intense training. Iruka and Hiruzen sit with them, and Team 7 is ordered to stand as the Hokage prepares to speak.
Naruto: What is taking the old man so long?!
Sasuke: Just wait, dobe.
Sakura: [Thinking] I hope our first mission isn't too difficult...
Kakashi: Alright, Team 7, we're about to get our first mission.
Hiruzen: Okay, Team 7. For your first mission, we have many available options: babysitting the chief councilor's three-year-old, helping his wife with shopping, or digging up potatoes.
Naruto: Nooo! I want to go on a real mission! I've been training for two straight months every day! I want a real mission, not this kid stuff! Come on, old man!
Sasuke: [Thinking] He's got a damn point...
Sakura: [Thinking] He's such a pain, but he's right...
Kakashi: [Thinking, annoyed] Huh... I knew this was coming.
Iruka: Mad at Naruto How dare you?! You're just a brand-new genin like everyone else! You start with simple missions to hone your skills and prove yourself!
Naruto: Are you serious? Babysitting is not a mission; it's just stupid!
Kakashi punches Naruto on the head, shutting him up.
Kakashi: Will you put a lid on it?!
Naruto: [In pain] Hahahahahaha!
Hiruzen: Naruto, it seems you don't understand the task you've been given.
Naruto: [Hnnh]
Hiruzen: Many different types of requests come into our village every day, from babysitting to assassinations. These requests are carefully recorded and analyzed, then ranked A, B, C, or D based on difficulty. We ninjas are also ranked according to our ability:
Hokage: Leader
Jonin: Elite
Chunin: Regular
Genin: Junior
Ninja Academy: Candidates
Hiruzen: At the highest level, we select missions and assign them to ninja with the appropriate skills. If the mission is successful, we receive a fee that supports the village and our work. That's how people like Kakashi make money.
Kakashi: That's right.
Hiruzen: Since you are untried genin just starting on the shinobi path, you will receive D-rank missions. Of course...
Naruto sits down, talking to Sakura and Sasuke.
Naruto: So, I had this tonkotsu ramen yesterday, and I'm thinking miso ramen today.
Hiruzen: Silence!
Kakashi: Oh, sorry.
Naruto: [Annoyed] You always lecture me like you're my grandfather or something, but I'm not the little brat that used to pull pranks all the time. I'm a ninja now, and I want a ninja mission!
Kakashi: [Thinking] I'm going to hear about this later.
Hiruzen: Amused Naruto wants us to know he's not a brat; he's a former brat. And since he wants a real mission, so be it.*
Naruto: [Excited] Really? Yes! Are we going to guard a princess or a bigwig counselor?*
Hiruzen: Don't be so impatient. I'll bring him in now.
Hiruzen takes another puff of his pipe.
Hiruzen: Send in our visitor.
Team 7 turns around to see the man who enters the room.
Tazuna: What the hell? A bunch of little snot-nosed kids...
Tazuna takes a swig of his beer.
Naruto: Huh?
Tazuna: And you, the little one with the idiotic look on your face-do you really expect me to believe you're a ninja?
Naruto: [Laughs] Who, the little one with the idiotic look on their face?! Hahaha!
Sasuke and Sakura move closer to Naruto to show that he's the shortest.
Naruto: [Mad] I'll demolish you once I get my hands on you!
Kakashi: You can't demolish the client, Naruto.
Tazuna: I'm Tazuna, a master bridge builder. I must return to my country where I'm building a bridge that will change our world. I expect you to get me there safely, even if it costs you your lives.
Kakashi: Alright, Team 7. Since it's about 9, meet at the village southern gate by 10:30.
Team 7: Okay, sensei. Let's go!
Cut to Sakura arriving home.
Mebuki: Oh, hey my love, how are you doing?
Sakura: Good, mom. We have our first mission, a C-rank! Can you believe it? It's all because of that baka Naruto! He kept begging the Hokage.
Mebuki: Sakura, you want to know something? It's not right to treat your teammate like that. Even if you don't really like him, I know the village doesn't really like Naruto, but he's had a hard life. You need to treat him better. He's a good kid with a good heart. Sakura, you don't need to be harsh. Just talk to him, maybe you'll learn more about him.
Sakura is stunned but agrees with her mom.
Sakura: [Thinking] Why is mom defending him?
The doorbell rings.
Mebuki: It must be your dad, Sakura. Go ahead and pack and meet us downstairs.
Sakura heads upstairs and starts packing.
Sakura: [Thinking] Why is mom defending him?
Cut to the present, Team 7 is traveling to the Land of Waves.
Naruto: [Happy] Yeah, alright!
Sakura: What are you getting so excited about, Naruto?
Naruto: This is the first time I've left the village. I'm a traveler now, Sakura! Believe it!
Tazuna: Hey, am I supposed to trust my life to this runt? He's a joke.
Naruto hears it and gets pissed.
Kakashi: He's with me, and I'm a Jonin, so you don't need to worry.
Naruto: [Thinking] "This runt, he's a joke. Why did we get stuck with this old geezer to guard? I'm gonna cut him down to size right now."
Naruto: Hey! Never insult a ninja! It's a big mistake, and I'm one of the greatest ninjas ever. Someday, I'm gonna be Hokage, and you'll all look up to me! My name's Naruto Uzumaki! Believe it!
Tazuna: Hokage are powerful and wise, but you're puny and brainless. The day you become Hokage, I'll sprout wings and fly!
Naruto: [Mad] Ahh, shut up! I'll do anything to become Hokage, no matter what it takes! And when I do, everyone will have to admit I'm the top ninja, including you!
Tazuna: You can become Hokage ten times over, but to me, you'll still be nobody. A loser.
Naruto: [Angrily] Ahh! I'm gonna make you pay for that!
Kakashi pulls Naruto back by his backpack.
Sakura: [Thinking] I still don't understand why mom is defending him... Naruto is a loser.
Some ninja are watching from above-two brothers.
Sakura: "So, Mr. Tazuna..."
Tazuna, who had been walking ahead of them, gave her a sideways glance. "What is it now?"
Sakura: "Your country is the Land of Waves, right? It's not a ninja village, right?"
Tazuna: "Yeah, that's right. What about it?"
Sakura: "Kakashi-sensei, are there ninja in the Land of Waves?"
Kakashi, who had been walking quietly with his hands in his pockets, answered. "Technically, there are no hidden villages in the Land of Waves. However, in other countries, there are many-each with their own shinobi villages, customs, and cultures. They are considered military forces of their respective nations. The Land of Waves is a small island, so it's protected by the sea, which is why there's no need for a shinobi village."
Sakura: "So, the Land of Waves doesn't have ninjas at all? What about other countries?"
Kakashi: "Well, the other countries, like the Land of Fire, the Land of Water, the Land of Lightning, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Earth, each have their own ninja villages. They are known as the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Their leaders are called Kage-Hokage, Raikage, Tsuchikage, Kazekage, and Mizukage."
Sakura, her eyes widening, looked back at Naruto and Sasuke. "So, the Hokage is really a big deal, huh?"
Naruto, who had been excitedly running around, heard her and smirked. "Well, of course, he's a big deal! He's the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village. He's the strongest, and one day, I'm gonna be just like him! Believe it!"
Sakura, half smiling, still felt skeptical. "Yeah, but... I'm not sure about that old man."
Kakashi, overhearing, narrowed his eyes at the group, but didn't respond. He simply pressed on.
Kakashi: "In any case, there's no need to worry about ninja ambushes here. This is just a simple bodyguard mission. We'll be fine."