The Light Of Konoha

Chasing Tails

Sakura's P.O.V.

"Now that next assignment for Kakashi's team seven will be..."

I tuned out as the Hokage rattled off some boring sounding jobs.

As if chasing a cat for four hours wasn't bad enough, we've been doing these kind of odd jobs for days now.

'What was the point of all those years of training just to do errands for lazy rich people?
I'd much rather be going on tougher missions so I can show Sasuke what I've got...'

"No way!! No thank you--!" Naruto interrupted,
"give us something different to do! Something important! Something amazing!"

'Oh... He's such a pain,' I mentally grumbled.

Iruka jumped from his seat, slamming his hands upon his desk with an expression of extreme anger bordering on constipation.

"Don't be a fool--!! You're only a beginner!
Everyone starts out doing grunt work. It's where you get the experience so you can work your way up to the bigger things," Iruka lectured.

I noticed Aki had wandered off, he was chatting with our client and playing with the cat.

'I honestly don't think he even cares...' I sighed in my head.

I watched closely as he squished Tora's soft paws between his fingers gently, causing the cat to purr in content.

Massaging it behind the ears now, I was intrigued at his apparent intense concentration.
Strangely, Sasuke was watching also, just as entranced at Aki as I was.

The lady picked up the cat and squeezed it tightly and I almost giggled at the look of utter despair on Aki's face at the loss of his plaything.

"I need a pet..." He mumbled almost inaudibly.

"We've done tons of small stuff.
Can't we get some action?!!" The idiot continued to yell.

I groaned and rubbed my temple, 'he doesn't need to shout... They're right in front of him!'

"Naruto, that's enough. Knock it off!" Kakashi intervened.

'Finally!'

"Apparently Naruto needs an explanation of just what these duties are..." The Hokage spoke.

I mentally groaned, ' and now we have a lecture to sit through. Thanks Naruto'

"You see, everyday, our village receives many requests...
For everything from babysitters to assassination."

He took a long drag on his pipe,
"We take that tremendous variety... And sort them into categories from A to D, based on the degree of skill they require.
We have also divided the shinobi into classes.... Based on their level of skills."

I nodded subtly,
'I know this...
When we graduate it's Genin, chûnin, jônin and then the Hokage is the highest rank...
Kami this is boring, what possibly could Naruto have been doing when we were taught this in detail during our cadet years...'

"After we of the upper echelon have sorted all the requests... We distribute them to those ninja with the appropriate skill level."

Aki still looked crestfallen as he watched the fire lord's wife pay the mission fee, clutching the struggling Tora tightly in her grasp.

"And... If the ninja in question completes those duties successfully... Then the grateful person they have helped pays them a fee..."

I noticed that Naruto was mumbling about ramen and entirely not paying attention, my mouth fell open in shock.