"Sensei, I want a C-rank mission!"

Naruto started sweating bullets at that. He couldn't handle D-rank missions and- those were glorified chores.

"Well, I'd like to give you one." No, he really didn't. "But, it's up to the Hokage."

Naruto hoped that would silence her request, but he was so very wrong.

The team made their way into the Hokage Tower and Naruto was not enjoying the slow walk there.

They arrived at the Hokage's desk and Naruto wished he had the power to steal voices. Oh how he wished...

"Hokage-sama, I request another D-rank mission please." Naruto could feel Sakura's anger directed to him because of the the request. He couldn't help the beads of sweat that started falling.

"No! No, more chores! I want a C-rank. This is getting stupid! We finished the minimum requirements for a C-rank and we're all strong enough!"

Naruto wished-he pleaded with God himself- that Sakura would just shut up. Did she want to get him killed? This was ridiculous!

The Hokage started stroking his beard, and looked like he was taking the stupid idea into consideration. Naruto could feel the hope leaving his body, similar to a deflating balloon.

Just not as incompetent.

"Hm... It's all up to your Sensei. Naruto, do you think they're ready?"

All eyes turned to Naruto and he could feel the murderous intent rolling off Sakura and Hinata. Sasuke was standing there, smiling.

'Of course I don't. Yet, if I say no the next place I'm ending up is a body bag.'

Naruto realized he had been standing there for a good five seconds, and he had still not given them an answer.

"Uh...sure."

The Sandaime didn't look very convinced by the answer, but he handed over the mission briefing nonetheless.

"Your mission will bring you to a small town called Mīmu. It will be near Iwa's borders, so you need to be careful. We may have a treaty with them, but accidents can happen."

Naruto flinched at the Hokage's warning. They were all going to die.

"You need to deliver a scroll to Ishiba Hakko. He's the local blacksmith and is expecting it." The Sandaime turned his head to face Naruto's team. "Don't get too excited, and don't start any confrontations. Spies could be lurking and we don't need another incident."

He send a meaningful look at Hinata.

Sarutobi switched his gaze to Naruto, and Naruto could feel the intensity of the man's stare. The old man stared a second longer before muttering, "Already catching up to Minato."

Naruto didn't understand what that meant, who was Minato?

[BREAK OF THE LINE]

Sakura was ecstatic.

Well, not ecstatic but she didn't want to murder everyone in the vicinity.

Team seven's idiot of a Sensei had gotten them a C-rank mission! It may have been delivering a letter but it was better than baby sitting!

She arrived at the Konoha gates and saw that her team was already waiting there. Sasuke turned around and look towards her.

"You're late."

Sakura scowled at his words. It wasn't her fault, everything had just seemed to go wrong this morning. She couldn't find her clothes, and her breakfast had exploded in her face. Then when she had showered, there was no hot water.

It felt like someone was pranking her.

"Sakura."

She was broken out of her thoughts by the voice of her Sensei.

"Sakura, next time, please don't be late."

Sakura turned and when she saw the smug smile on his face, she started seeing red. Irritation flared and Sakura knew that it was Naruto's fault.

He was the one that pranked her.

She was going to skewer him, then hang him up by his en-

"Sakura!"

Sakura was once again taken out of her thoughts by her Sensei's very annoying voice. Why couldn't he just stop speaking?

"Yes?"

When Sakura faced Naruto this time, he seemed to have gained a grave expression.

"I need you, to listen to me." Sakura nodded at his words. "We're going near Iwa's border, so we need to be careful. I need you to listen, and trust me completely. Got it?"

Panic seemed to filter into Sakura and she realized what could happen. Dread was tying her stomach in a knot, and for a few moments, she didn't know how to answer.

She then nodded.

Naruto's eyes lit up at that and Sakura wanted to punch him in the face.

"Good. Now, let's take our leave."

The walk to Rock was a hard journey. Sakura's limbs were aching and her lungs were burning. Who knew it would so far from the village?

She stared at her team, a look of intense concentration on her face. She had an idiot sensei, a teammate that was an even bigger idiot and Hinata.

She was alright.

"Sensei!" The roughness of her own voice made her flinch. Her tongue felt as dry as a scorpion's nest.

She was not enjoying their first C-rank mission.

"Yes?" Her sensei's voice rang clear after she had called him.

Sakura wiped the sweat collecting on her forehead. Traveling like this was disgusting.

"How long til we arrive?"

Instead of answering, he just eased into another idiot smile and muttered, "As long as it takes."

What did that mean?

Sakura looked around for any sign of a city. The jaggedness of mountain's near the border were beyond irritating. With Naruto leading them, Sakura felt like they were going one step forward and three back.

Does he even know where he's going?

Sakura slowed her pace so she would be standing near Hinata. She needed to have a decent conversation with someone who wasn't weird.

"Hey, Hinata." The Hyuuga looked up, startled by Sakura's loud voice.

"He-ll-o," The Hyuuga stuttered, not used to being spoken to. Sakura smiled, her teammate was so adorable.

Sakura looked at the front to make sure Sasuke was out of listening range before leaning in next to Hinata.

"Our Sensei's most probably going the wrong way." Sakura gave a Hinata a bright smile. "He's an idiot, isn't h-

Before Sakura could even finish the sentence, a very sharp Kunai passed her by a hairs breath.

Sakura looked forward and Sasuke was standing in front of her. His Sharingan the color of blood.

"Insult Uzumaki-sama again, and next time the kunai won't miss."

The insane grin on his face made Sakura's every self-preservation instinct tell her to run.

Yet, she still couldn't not notice how close he was. Sasuke may have been an insane excuse of a human being, but he was a hot idiot.

'That flawless pale skin, wrapped around those perfect-'

Her blush came back with a vengeance, and no matter what she did, it wouldn't leave.

Sakura caught Naruto's gaze on her before he asked, "Are you sick or something?"

Her blush died at those words. That idiot knew, he was just being smug with her. Whenever Sakura got a chance, she would kill him.

No-one makes a fool of Haruno Sakura.

Especially not stupid blonde sensei, or insane team mates.

[BREAK OF THE LINE]

Naruto was scared.

He had gotten his team lost, when he was meant to be leading them.

He had no idea where they were going!

That's when Naruto saw it.

His salvation.

It was the town, they had made it! Even after him getting them lost and doubling the amount of time it should've taken to get there.

They had still done it.

Naruto walked into the town, preening and filled with pride.

He had done it.

Maybe Naruto could do this whole Jounin sensei thing. It couldn't be as hard as he had thought.

"So Uzumaki-sama." Naruto turned, and his eyes landed on his raven haired student. "What do we do now?"

That question left the blonde stumped.

What were they supposed to do?

That's when it struck Naruto. The blacksmith, they needed to deliver a package.

Naruto looked back at his team, and for once he didn't feel like they were all going to die.

"We need to deliver a package to a local blacksmith." Sakura's eyes narrowed at this.

"Sensei?"

Naruto's eyes locked onto hers. "Yes?"

Sakura's face seemed to gain one massive smirk before answering, "Do you know where the blacksmith is?"

Panic made its way into Naruto's heart. Adrenaline swirled around his body, his lungs locking up. They were going to di-.

"Found it," Sasuke voice rang out. Naruto stared at his student, eyes almost tearing up. From that day forward, Sasuke would always be his favorite.

Naruto followed Sasuke as he walked towards the blacksmith's shop. This was it. He would hand in the stupid package and they would run back to the village.

Naruto would then barricade himself in his room, and never leave. He'd ask Sasuke to bring him food and other essentials.

Then he'd live a happy, and safe life.

Naruto didn't notice the blacksmith's door until his head had an intimate moment with it.

"Ow!"

Naruto rubbed his forehead and turned to look at Sasuke. Wanting to ask the boy a question, until he realized Sasuke had a kunai out and was planning to attack the door.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke froze before turning around.

"Yes, Uzumaki-sama?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed at him, "Don't stab the door."

Sasuke's eyes widened in outrage at the command, "But Uzumaki-sa-"

He interrupted him before Sasuke could finish, "No buts! Now we're going to calmly walk into the shop and you aren't going to stab anyone."

He didn't need Sasuke starting fights with anyone stronger than them.

Naruto made his way to the front of shop, eyes searching for anything and everything. He didn't want to get killed on his first mission as a Jounin.

That would suck.

His eyes landed on the old blacksmith and he smiled. Things were going right. Naruto walked forward and faced the old man, a strong purpose in his eyes.

"Sir?"

The old man looked up, an age old twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes?"

"I'm a Jounin of Konoha. I've been tasked to deliver this to you." Naruto brought out the package, arm tensing as he realized the shape of the package.

It was a sword.

"Oh, thank you." The old man said, arm reaching for the valuable parcel. "I had no idea if this was going to make it to me," he confessed, a broad grin on his face, "I sent it through a low rank mission to throw off anyone wanting to steal it. Thank you again."

Naruto felt his eyebrow raise at the old man's statement.

'I wonder what kind of sword it is?'

"Sensei!"

Naruto recognized that voice.

Sakura came running in, her breathing labored.

"We searched all over town for you two!"

Naruto's eyes widened at that. They had walked three metres ahead into a store, how could they have gotten lost?

"So sensei, is the mission complete now?"

Naruto smiled at the question. The mission was complete. They could go home and no one had died.

It was a great mission.

Yet, the atmosphere of the shop changed. There was something there, and Naruto could feel it. He felt his lungs constrict and his heart was racing. He searched for the foes and came across two men clad in red and purple.

"Hand over the sword."

Naruto's eyes landed on the old man, what was that sword?

The aged blacksmith spoke, a fire in his eyes that reminded Naruto of the Third Hokage.

"You'll never have the Raijin!"

Naruto's eyes widened at that. Raijin, as in the sword that could wield lighting? It was the one thing that he had listened to in the academy.

It had been so cool.

"This Konoha jounin will defend me!" The blacksmith said, pointing at Naruto.

Wait what?

"Very well, we'll kill him and then take the sword."

Sakura spoke up, voice trembling, "Sensei... they're the Yōton no Rōshi and Jōki no Jinchūriki."

Naruto couldn't believe it. He could feel the panic flooding his veins. They had done a simple C-rank and now he had to fight not one but two Jinchūriki.

Someone was screwing with him.

"That's no problem, Uzumaki-sama could take both of them on blind folded!"

Sasuke was now off the favorite list.

The shinobi seemed to take offense to Sasuke's statement.

"This blonde brat? He couldn't harm a fly."

Sasuke's eyes radiated anger as he lunged towards the Iwa shinobi. Vengeance was his only thought, and he would have it.

Too bad his opponents both outmatched him, and had no qualms with killing genin.

They flew forward, the murderous intent dancing in their eyes.

Sasuke never had a chance.

Sasuke screams echoed throughout the room as they snapped his arm, before silencing him with a quick kick to the head.

"Now," One of the men said, eyes glinting. "Who's next?"

Naruto gulped. This was going to end very badly.