Chapter 78: C-Rank mission.

"Kakashi," Naruto groaned dramatically, slumping over the mission desk like a noodle in despair. "I'm fed up with these missions. Yeah, sure, chasing cats and guarding cabbages has its charm, but man—I want a real fight!"

Karin crossed her arms, mirroring his frustration. "Honestly, it's been fun, but we need something more... substantial. Something with teeth."

Even Sasuke, quiet as ever, gave a sharp nod. That was all the confirmation I needed.

Kakashi, of course, had been expecting this.

With an audible snap, he pulled out a scroll and laid it on the table like a magician revealing his final trick. "Well, I figured you'd all crack soon enough. So I pulled a few strings…"

He unrolled it slowly, savoring the moment as their eyes widened.

"This," he said with a half-lidded gaze and a smile behind his mask, "is a C-rank mission. Not glamorous, but more your speed. Escort duty."

"Escort?" Naruto raised an eyebrow. "We babysitting someone?"

"Technically, yes," Kakashi said, pointing to the mission brief. "You're to escort a bridge builder back to the Nami no Kuni."

"Nami no Kuni, huh?" Karin said, her eyes narrowing with interest. "Sounds far."

"Sounds like adventure," Naruto grinned, fists clenched in excitement. "Finally!"

Kakashi closed the scroll and tucked it away. "Gear up. We leave tomorrow morning. And this time—don't forget extra kunai, and no sleeping in."

Naruto practically vibrated with energy. Karin smirked. Sasuke cracked his knuckles.

Something about this mission felt different.

The Next Morning — Village Gate

The sun peeked lazily over the rooftops of Konoha, casting long shadows at the village gates. Naruto, Karin, and Sasuke stood waiting—suited up, ready, and visibly… irritated.

Of course, someone was missing.

"Ugh, seriously? Again?" Karin groaned. "Why do we even bother showing up on time? We should just come an hour late like him."

Sasuke folded his arms, clearly annoyed. "It's not training if you're training your patience every mission."

Naruto chuckled, though it sounded tired. "Maybe Kakashi-sensei thinks being late adds to his mystique. Like, the 'cool guy who's never on time but always pulls through.'"

Just then, a grizzled man with a heavy pack and an even heavier glare approached. He had thick stubble, a brown cloak draped over his shoulders, and a general aura of "I've been building longer than you've been breathing."

"You brats, the ones who're supposed to escort me?" he asked, giving them a once-over that felt like a performance review.

Naruto smiled politely. "Yup, we're the squad. Just waiting on our jonin leader."

Tazuna raised an eyebrow. "Ah, I see. So the Leaf Village is so rich in talent these days they send three fresh-faced kids and one invisible babysitter to guard me. Should I be worried or just insulted?"

Karin narrowed her eyes. "We're more than capable, old man."

Tazuna huffed. "You better be. My bridge is more important than your little graduation party. If I die out there 'cause you're busy braiding each other's hair, I'm haunting you."

Sasuke scoffed. "You talk a lot for someone who needs protection."

"Ohhh, moody one's got fangs," Tazuna chuckled darkly. "That'll go great with the gravestone I'm gonna need if your sensei doesn't show."

Just then, a gentle breeze swept through, and poof—Kakashi appeared in a lazy swirl of leaves, reading Icha Icha Paradise like the world wasn't turning.

"Yo," he said nonchalantly. "Sorry I'm late. A herd of turtles blocked the road. Very dramatic."

Tazuna blinked. "This is the guy? You've got to be kidding me."

Kakashi looked up, smiled under the mask. "Nope. I'm the guy."

"Wonderful," Tazuna muttered, already regretting everything.

"Kakashi, how the hell do turtles even block a road?" Naruto asked, flailing his arms. "Were they giants? Were they aggressive? Were they… doing turtle traffic drills?!"

Kakashi didn't even blink. "Some mysteries are better left unsolved, Naruto."

"That's not an answer!" Naruto shouted.

Karin sighed. "Naruto, don't feed his nonsense. He thrives on confusion."

Kakashi turned a page in his book. "Correct."

Tazuna, dragging his feet behind them, muttered under his breath, "I'm gonna die. I'm going to die, and these idiots are going to let it happen while arguing about turtle conspiracies."

The group arrived at the village gates, where two guards were posted. One of them gave a lazy wave. "Routine check. Name, mission rank, destination."

"Kakashi Hatake. C-Rank escort to the Land of Waves," Kakashi said, handing over the mission scroll without even looking up from his book.

The guard opened it, gave a half-hearted glance, and nodded. "Looks good. Safe travels."

As they passed through the gate, Tazuna whispered, "Let's hope the most dangerous thing we see on this trip is a herd of turtles."

They stepped out onto the open road, the gates of Konoha shrinking behind them—unaware that just beyond the peaceful tree line, a puddle shimmered unnaturally, waiting… watching.

"Oy, Jiji, how much time's it gonna take to reach your village?" Naruto asked, casually walking backward just to talk while facing Tazuna.

Tazuna groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "At least one week. That's if we don't stop every five minutes for some nonsense. And stop calling me 'Jiji'! I'm not your grandfather!"

Naruto just smirked, completely ignoring the protest. "One week, huh? I think you might have that much life left in you. Maybe. Depends on how much you whine."

Tazuna grumbled. "The Hokage really stuck me with brats."

Karin chuckled. "You're the one who called us 'snot-nosed' before even knowing us, remember?"

Sasuke added dryly, "That was the nicest thing he's said so far."

Tazuna looked back at them with a grunt. "Feh. You kids are too mouthy."

Still, Naruto's curiosity got the better of him. "Anyway, old man—what do you build? Bridges? Houses?"

Even Sasuke smirked at that one.

Tazuna gave him a sidelong glance but couldn't hide the faintest hint of pride sneaking into his voice. "I build bridges, kid. Real ones. Big ones. The kind that connect nations."

Now, he had their attention.

"A bridge?" Karin blinked. "Like... across an ocean?"

"That's right," Tazuna said, his gruff tone now laced with pride.

"What do you say, old man? Teach me those legendary builder techniques of yours!" Naruto asked, eyes practically sparkling like he'd just found the One Piece.

Tazuna nearly stumbled. "What?!"

Caught off guard by the sheer enthusiasm radiating from the red-haired shinobi, the old man blinked twice, unsure if he was being trolled or recruited.

Kakashi chuckled softly, not even bothering to lift his eye from his book. "Don't worry. He's not messing around. Naruto just… likes to pick up everything. If it weren't for his training, I swear he'd have worked in every single shop in Konoha by now."

Naruto folded his arms proudly. "Facts. If I didn't have to throw kunai every day, I'd be a ramen chef by now. Or a pro angler. Or maybe a card dealer. Y'know—if gambling counted as work, I'd be an elite already!"

He stepped forward, hands on his hips like a kid volunteering for class monitor.

"But I'm serious, Jiji. Once I get even stronger, I plan on learning everything else the world's got to offer. And your building skills—that can be the start. So how about it? Can you take me in as an intern?"

Tazuna scratched the back of his head. "…You're asking to be a builder mid-mission?"

Naruto shrugged. "Multi-tasking. It's a ninja thing."

Tazuna sighed. "You're a weird one, kid."

"But a lovable weird," Kakashi added.

"Fine, fine… if you don't destroy everything in the process, maybe I'll show you how to hammer a nail straight."

Naruto grinned. "It's a deal!"

They all continued walking, the breeze light, laughter bouncing through the trees. Naruto was still teasing Tazuna, who was getting more irritated with every step.

"Y'know, Jiji, you should really smile more. Might add a couple more years to that old heart of yours." Naruto grinned, skipping ahead.

"Hah!? You little brat! I've built more in my lifetime than you've walked!" Tazuna barked back.

But suddenly, that playful air vanished.

All four of them halted in sync.

The mood snapped tense. A shift in chakra—four signatures, closing in.

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. "Who's taking them?"

"Me." Karin cracked her fingers with a wicked grin. "I'll take the warm-up round."

"You sure?" Naruto asked, already sensing them through his Kagura Shingan. "They've split up. One for each of us. But they're weak."

Sasuke had already activated his Sharingan, red eyes tracking the movements ahead. "Let her have it."

Tazuna, oblivious to the presence, looked around. "Uh, are we stopping for lunch or something?"

Before he could finish, two Mizu-nin burst out from the trees, chains flying through the air—headed straight for Kakashi.

But Kakashi didn't even blink.

Karin dashed ahead and caught the chains in mid-air, barehanded. Her grip tightened, her stance solid.

"What the—!?" the ambushers stammered.

Karin yanked them forward with a twist of her wrists and pivoted sharply. With one fluid spin, she flung one attacker into a tree and landed a punch into the other's gut.

Crack!

He hit the ground, wheezing for air.

From the other side, the remaining two enemies appeared.

One rushed at Naruto, who tilted his head.

"Try harder," he smirked, vanishing in a flicker using Shunshin no Jutsu enhanced with his sensory speed. He reappeared behind the attacker, striking with a clean chop that knocked the enemy out cold.

The last tried to flank Sasuke, but the Uchiha didn't even turn. His Sharingan had already read the attacker's movement. A clean dodge, followed by a quick blow to the back of the neck.

Thud.

All four enemies were down.

Naruto exhaled. "Well, that was boring."

"You wanted a warm-up," Karin teased, brushing dust off her sleeves. "They were barely room temperature."

Tazuna just stood there, mouth open. "W-What the hell was that!?"

Kakashi flipped a page in his book. "Amateurs. But not random. Someone sent them."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "That's what worries me. If they're testing us, someone bigger's coming."

Karin nodded. "Good. I was starting to get bored."