Chapter 63: Chapter 1:Shibuki!
Under the bright morning sun of Konoha, the village bustled with life. Civilians went about their daily routines, merchants shouted to promote their goods, and ninjas leapt across rooftops, hurrying to complete their missions. Amid this lively scene, three genin—Naruko, Hitomi, and Yuto—trudged along behind an elderly carpenter. Each of them carried heavy wooden planks, tools, and other construction materials.
The carpenter, a gruff old man with a crooked back, barked orders as they followed him to the site where he was building a house for a client. "Move faster, kids! This stuff isn't going to carry itself!"
Yuto adjusted the weight of the massive wooden plank he was holding on his shoulder, his expression strained. 'This is the 33rd D rank mission, there are still 67 mission's to go before Kakashi Sensei gives us another c rank mission.' he thought bitterly. "Old man, we're not pack mules, you know!" he grumbled.
The carpenter scoffed without looking back. "What do you shinobi know about hard work? You're lucky I'm paying for this mission at all."
Naruko, sweating under the load of a toolbox, groaned. "This is worse than fighting mercenaries on that bridge mission," she muttered. "At least there was some excitement then."
Hitomi, who was carrying a barrel of nails and some smaller wooden beams, rolled her eyes. "Maybe if you didn't skip strength training during our free time, this wouldn't be so hard."
Naruko glared at her teammate. "You want to switch loads then?"
"Enough bickering," Yuto said, cutting in. "Let's just finish this quickly. The sooner we're done, the sooner we can get back to training."
Despite their complaints, the trio continued following the carpenter as they made their way through the busy streets. After what felt like hours, they finally arrived at the construction site. The carpenter turned to them with a satisfied grin. "Good work, brats. Now stack those supplies over there and don't you dare scratch anything! I'll inspect it once you're done."
Yuto groaned, setting down his plank. "Why do I feel like we're being scammed?"
Naruko flopped onto the ground after dropping her load. "Because we are!"
Hitomi, the only one who maintained her composure, smirked. "Stop whining. This is part of the job."
As they began organizing the materials, Yuto's mind wandered. 'I need to ask Kakashi-sensei if he can lift the punishment a little bit. My D rank mission will end after doing 40 more mission's. After the mission ends, I can ask Kakashi Sensei to stop the punishment.'
Once the supplies were arranged, the carpenter gave them a grudging nod of approval. "Good enough. You brats can go now. I've got work to do." He signed the Mission scroll and gave it to Yuto.
The trio sighed in unison as they left the construction site, already dreading what other mundane missions awaited them.
At the Hokage's office, Kakashi stood before Hiruzen, awaiting instructions for a new mission. Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke from his pipe, eyeing the Jonin.
"I've summoned you for an important mission, Kakashi," Hiruzen began. "The former leader of Takigakure has passed, and his son, Shibuki, has taken his place. To maintain our alliance, Shibuki visited Konoha. Your team's mission is to escort him back to his village safely."
Kakashi nodded, sensing there was more to the assignment. "And the other part of this mission, Hokage-sama?"
Hiruzen's eyes sharpened. "You will secretly assess the stability of Takigakure's Jinchuriki. Ever since the Seven Tails was sealed into its current host, our ability to monitor her has been limited due to the chaos caused by the Nine-Tails' attack and the Uchiha massacre. You must ensure her seal is intact and report her condition."
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed in thought. 'A sensitive mission involving a Jinchuriki. This could complicate things.'
"I understand. I'll carry out both tasks." Kakashi gave a small bow, his demeanor professional, though his mind was already formulating plans.
Hiruzen nodded approvingly. "Good. Be cautious, Kakashi. Jinchuriki are powerful, but they are also vulnerable. Ensure you don't draw unnecessary attention."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replied, then disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Team 7 sat under the shade of a tree at Training Ground 7, enjoying ice cream after a grueling morning of D rank mission's and training. The peaceful moment was interrupted by a puff of smoke, and Kakashi appeared, nonchalant as always.
"You have a C-rank mission," Kakashi announced cheerfully. "Pack your bags and meet me at the village gates in an hour."
Before anyone could respond, he vanished in another puff of smoke, leaving behind a fuming team.
Naruko scowled. "Seriously? After all that work, now this?!"
Hitomi sighed. "Does he ever think about our exhaustion?"
Yuto, licking his ice cream, grumbled, "One day, I am going to get him back for this."
Naruko and Hitomi nodded in agreement, their ice cream providing little comfort as the idea of rest vanished into thin air.
After an hour of preparation and packing, Team 7 arrived at the village gates. There, they spotted a lone figure—a young man standing quietly, seemingly waiting. Yuto immediately recognized him as Shibuki, the newly appointed leader of Takigakure. 'He was in one of the filler episodes,' Yuto thought. 'I don't remember much about it, though. What happened again?'
Shibuki didn't acknowledge the trio, and they didn't seem to mind. Naruko pulled out a deck of cards, and the three sat on the ground.
"We know the drill by now," Yuto said with a grin.
"Two hours late, minimum," Hitomi added, shuffling the cards.
Naruko sighed. "Might as well play while we wait."
They started their game, comfortably ignoring Shibuki's presence. It was a routine for them by now, knowing their perpetually tardy sensei all too well.
Three hours later, Kakashi arrived in a puff of smoke, completely nonchalant.
"You're late!" Shibuki exploded, his frustration spilling over.
Kakashi gave a casual eye-smile. "Ah, sorry. I was lost on the road of life… while searching for my dog."
Shibuki stared in disbelief at the absurd excuse, sputtering, "What kind of—?!"
Meanwhile, Team 7 didn't even flinch. They were too used to their sensei's antics, continuing their card game without batting an eye.
Kakashi turned his attention to his team. "Alright, pack it up. Your mission is to escort Shibuki, the new leader of Takigakure, back to his village."
Shibuki glanced at the trio, his disappointment poorly concealed. 'J-just Genin? I thought they'd send Jounin...' But he forced a neutral expression. As the group prepared to leave, Shibuki silently bemoaned his circumstances. He was, after all, a self-aware coward, constantly fearful of everything.
With their mission officially underway, Team 7 began their journey, walking alongside a very nervous Shibuki.
(Pls give me some power stones!)
(Find out next time on Naruto:Eye system)