Hokage Office.
Team 7 had just finished their latest mission—catching a runaway cat—and were now waiting for their next assignment.
Hiruzen Sarutobi flipped through a stack of mission scrolls while muttering to himself.
"Hmm… river cleanup—done. Harvest assistance—done. Babysitting—also done… Ah! The Akimichi clan! This one's good. A D-rank mission: 'Watch the Akimichi family's children for a day.'"
Haruno Sakura stood quietly to the side.
There was no excitement on her face, but no disappointment either.
The past few weeks had been nothing like the thrilling ninja life she had once imagined—but strangely, she no longer felt dissatisfied.
Especially because of Naruto.
Her gaze drifted unconsciously toward the boy standing slightly ahead of her.
Whether it was the way he coordinated tasks during missions or the small moments of quiet care he showed in everyday life, Naruto had somehow become a source of comfort she hadn't expected.
Being placed on a team with Sasuke had once felt like a dream come true.
But now Sakura realized something important.
Without Naruto balancing things out, Sasuke's personality and her own earlier immaturity would probably have turned Team 7 into a battlefield of constant arguments.
"Maybe living like this every day… isn't so bad," Sakura thought.
But someone else clearly didn't feel the same way.
Uchiha Sasuke's hands had already clenched into tight fists at his sides.
An icy aura surrounded him, and the anger in his eyes was almost impossible to contain.
Another D-rank mission.
Catching cats.
Finding dogs.
Babysitting.
Pulling weeds.
Was this really what being a ninja meant?!
Was this the path to the power he needed?
What kind of joke was this?!
Every day spent on meaningless chores felt like a betrayal of the dead Uchiha clan watching him from the afterlife.
He could not waste any more time.
He needed real combat experience.
Real training.
Real opportunities to grow stronger.
Just as Sasuke was about to step forward and openly challenge the Hokage—
A warm hand gently covered his clenched fist.
Sasuke froze.
Turning his head, he met Naruto's calm gaze.
There was no lecture.
No criticism.
Just a quiet, steady reassurance that Sasuke couldn't quite put into words.
Memories from the past weeks flashed through his mind.
When Sasuke pushed himself to exhaustion during training, Naruto would silently hand him water and soldier pills.
Whenever missions ran into trouble, Naruto always found a way to resolve the situation before it spiraled out of control.
When Sakura felt hurt by Sasuke's coldness, Naruto would smoothly shift the conversation to ease the tension.
Somehow, the boy Sasuke had once dismissed as the "dead last" had become the pillar holding Team 7 together.
After a few slow breaths, Sasuke's fist finally loosened.
He shot Naruto a look that clearly said:
You'd better have a plan.
Neither Hiruzen nor Kakashi missed this subtle interaction.
Hiruzen's pipe twitched slightly as a glimmer of approval passed through his eyes.
Sharp observation.
Perfect timing.
And enough influence to calm the prideful last survivor of the Uchiha.
Naruto was becoming more impressive every day.
More and more like his father.
Kakashi also glanced at Naruto and Sasuke's brief contact before thinking to himself:
Looks like I don't need to step in to calm the explosive little Uchiha.
Naruto… you're doing even better than I expected.
At that moment, Naruto stepped forward.
After giving Hiruzen a respectful bow, he said calmly:
"Hokage-sama, Team 7 has completed a considerable number of D-rank missions already. I believe it's time we contribute to the village from a higher level."
Just listen to that phrasing.
"Contribute to the village from a higher level."
No wonder he was the Fourth Hokage's son.
Hiruzen and Kakashi exchanged a glance.
If any other rookie team had made such a request, they would almost certainly reject it due to lack of experience.
But this request came from Naruto.
With a child that steady in the team, what was there to worry about?
"Very well," Hiruzen said, pulling another scroll from a different pile.
"There happens to be a C-rank mission available. The task is to escort someone safely back to the Land of Waves."
"A C-rank escort mission!" Sakura gasped quietly.
Her heart filled with both excitement and nervousness.
Sasuke nearly burst out laughing in relief.
Finally.
Finally no more meaningless chores.
"Bring Mr. Tazuna here," Hiruzen ordered the ANBU guard near the door.
Moments later, a shabby old man with glasses staggered in while clutching a bottle of sake.
It was the bridge builder, Tazuna.
The moment he entered, he looked over Team 7 critically.
His gaze lingered on Sakura before he snorted loudly.
"What's this? Just a bunch of brats? Especially that girl in the dress with long hair—are you really a ninja? You look completely useless!"
"What did you say?!" Sakura exploded.
Her fists clenched instantly.
Sasuke's expression darkened as well.
Naruto sighed inwardly and stepped forward again.
Standing between them and Tazuna, he spoke calmly.
"Mr. Tazuna, before we discuss the mission details, please allow me to point out several misunderstandings."
The room fell silent.
Naruto raised one finger.
"First. The relationship between ninja and client is based on a contractual agreement. You pay us. We provide protection."
"So what—"
Tazuna began to interrupt.
Naruto cut him off firmly.
"That means it is an equal exchange, not a master-servant relationship."
Tazuna paused.
"We ninja are human beings with dignity and emotions. We are not tools to be insulted or ordered around freely. Respect goes both ways."
Tazuna opened his mouth but found himself unable to respond.
Naruto raised a second finger.
"Second. This mission is classified as C-rank. That means the expected threats are limited to bandits or rogue warriors—not ninja combat."
Naruto gave Tazuna a meaningful look.
"Our team is led by an experienced elite jōnin, Kakashi Hatake."
He gestured toward Kakashi.
Kakashi lazily lifted his eyes, which was enough to make Tazuna feel a faint chill.
"Alongside him are three genin," Naruto continued.
"The girl you mocked, Haruno Sakura, ranked first in theoretical knowledge among our graduating class."
Sakura's anger instantly turned into surprise.
She straightened her back proudly.
Naruto then gestured toward Sasuke.
"And this is Uchiha Sasuke, the top overall graduate, excelling in taijutsu, ninjutsu, and shurikenjutsu."
Sasuke said nothing, but his cold gaze softened slightly.
Finally, Naruto pointed at himself.
"As for me, Uzumaki Naruto. While my overall ability may not surpass my teammates', I do possess the Shadow Clone Technique, a technique normally used only by jōnin."
He paused.
"With Kakashi-sensei leading this lineup, completing a C-rank escort mission should be more than sufficient."
Tazuna's face turned ugly.
He had expected to intimidate a group of kids.
Instead, Naruto had dismantled his argument completely.
Naruto raised a third finger.
"And finally, Mr. Tazuna."
"If you still believe our current team cannot ensure your safety…"
His eyes sharpened.
"Then I suggest increasing the payment and raising the mission rank. In that case, the Hokage will naturally assign a stronger squad."
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