Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
First time I've ever written a fanfic, so if you've got suggestion how I can improve my writing please tell me, I'd appreciate it greatly. Other than that, just speak you mind.
Chapter 1
"Target is in sight, Sakura confirm distance." The tone of Uchiha Sasuke was just like his personality, cold and devoid of emotions. The earpiece cackled briefly before his teammate responded.
"Target is estimated to be twelve meters from your position Sasuke" his teammate told him is a voice which she clearly believed was seductive, the only reaction the pink-haired kunoichi got was silence, as usual.
"Ma, Team 7…..Move out!" Their lazy leader, the legendary Copy Ninja Kakashi drawled.
"HAI!" came the answer of all three members.
Three black blurs streaked through the undergrowth making their way to an unsuspecting feline. A few seconds later an angry hiss signalled the capture of the cat. It had actually been the third time this week and the last member of team 7 was getting a little frustrated. Hyuuga Hanabi had not become a Genin just so she could go and capture cats. A smirk crossed her face as she recalled the exact reason she had become a Genin, quite a few years too early.
FLASHBACK
Hanabi patiently waited for her father to enter the room. He had summoned her, it must be because she had beaten her older sister in a sparring match. The young Hyuuga's face twisted in contempt for her older sister, Hinata. She was weak, weaker than her and how many years younger was she?
"Hanabi, please pay attention." Hiashi curtly admonished her.
Hanabi was shaken out of her thoughts and straightened her back, curious to what her father had to tell her.
"Hanabi, you have proven to be worthy of the name Hyuuga by defeating your older sister."
Hanabi's heart filled with pride, she was a Hyuuga and had proved it.
"And after witnessing the pitiful performance of Hinata, it has been decided by the Council and myself that you will join the Ninja Academy this year, so that you are able to take over the title of Heir quicker."
Hiashi paused, considering how much he should tell.
"As you may know, the position of the Hyuuga is not very stable at the moment and it will take a strong Heir to successfully lead our Clan. Now, I expect you to give it your all and become strong."
Hanabi quickly bowed and left the room, a smirk struck on her face. She would be heir on day and not that pitiful sister of her.
END FLASHBACK
"-abi, are you coming?"
The question her sensei asked brought the Hyuuga girl back to the present rather quickly. Nodding her head, feeling too aloof to answer the girl strutted past a rather bored looking Kakashi. Said Jounin couldn't have cared less, he just pulled out his perverted book and began the long walk back to Konoha. His one eye carefully observed his pupils and their actions. It seemed that team 7 had fallen into their routine again. Sasuke was brooding, lost in thoughts while Sakura was trying to get him to notice her and was fawning over the raven-haired Uchiha while Hanabi…was being Hanabi. Aloof and cold she was the embodiment of Hyuuga and strongly reminded him of Hiashi before he fell in love. Sighing Kakashi wondered if his team would survive the Chuunin Exam, they didn't really seem a team to him.
Not unlike our team eh Obito? Maybe some contact with the other teams will bring them a little closer together, a joined-mission perhaps?
Musing on how to bring his team closer together the Jounin focused on his perverted novel again, whilst emitting a perverted chuckle.
I wonder what Ayame will do when she discovers who her secret lover is
"Team 7 reporting back Hokage-sama, mission success."
"Well done Kakashi, dismissed." The Hokage reclined in his chair, puffing from his pipe blowing out some smoke and reached for his own perverted book when a cough alerted him of the fact that Kakashi had not yet left his office. Cramming the perverted back into hidden drawer the Hokage put on his most grave voice and addressed the Ninja in front of him.
"Is there something that you wish to share with me Kakashi?" Sarutobi asked Kakashi while trying to glare the Jounin to death.
The Jounin gulped, it seemed he had interrupted the Hokage's reading session. Coming quickly to business, lest he be punished, Kakashi hurriedly explained
"You see Hokage-sama, I am concerned that this years Genin hardly know each other. If they are to take higher classed missions than they might have to work together and at this point, that is not possible."
"Point taken, what do you propose Kakashi?"
"A joined-mission where in this years Genin all participate to strengthen their bond."
The Hokage carefully considered the proposal, idly stroking his beard. After carefully thinking it over he decided to do it.
"Kakashi, round up Kurenai and Asuma. Tell them they are to participate in a C-classed mission together with your team. I will brief the tomorrow. Dismissed."
And that's how Kakashi found himself guarding Fire Country's border only a week later. Together with a lazy Nara, a stuttering Hyuuga and a silent Aburame the (in)famous Copy-cat found himself in the pouring rain, wishing that he had never suggested his idea to the old Hokage. Their mission was to prevent all unwanted nins from entering Fire Country. And it was the most boring thing that existed, all they had to do was guard a road and adjacent wood. It was not the dullness that Kakashi was complaining about, it was the rain the prevented him from reading his beloved Icha-Icha Paradise, his all-time favourite in perverted literature.
"Kakashi-sensei, someone is approaching our position"
Those were actually the first words the Aburame had spoken, which was the only reason that Kakashi even bothered looking at the incoming traveller. Beneath his mask, the Jounin smiled, the traveller was easily spotted; he was wearing an orange cloak making him light up like a beacon compared to all the dark colours of the forest around him. Top that of with the straw hat he was wearing he looked very out of place in this rainy forest.
He would really make a bad ninja, that orange would get him killed within three seconds. I bet he's really loud and obnoxious as well. The Jounin mused.
"W-what do we d-do K-kakashi-sensei?"
The stuttering Hyuuga brought Kakashi quickly back to the situation at hand. He carefully studied as the orange-clad figure passed his position. By the cart he was pulling Kakashi could tell he was a merchant or tradesman. The Jounin could sense close to no chakra coming from the man so he was no nin either. Just as Kakashi was about to let himself slide back into his state of apathy he sensed two chakra signatures heading towards them. Speaking into this earpiece the Jounin quickly gave out his orders whilst trying to remember the names of the Genin under his command.
"Two chakra signatures incoming. Shino, go and get Asuma with his team. Hinata, activate your Byakugan and tell me where they are heading."
A few handseals and a shy"Byakugan" later the shy Hyuuga relayed her information to Kakashi.
"T-they're m-m-mist-nins. B-but there's a-a scratch t-through their h-hitai-ate."
Kakashi's only visible eye widened in alarm. They were missin-nins? Traitorous ninja's that had betrayed their own Hidden Village. This was not looking very good. As a Jounin he was confident in his abilities to stop both of them but truth be told, he was too lazy to do so. And whether they were strong or not, missing-nins always were trouble.
"K-kakashi-sensei, h-here they a-are."
The two Mist nins had come into sight. They both looked eerily alike. Both were clad in tattered black cloaks with a weird mask over their face, only leaving their eyes visible. On their hand was a metal bracelet and each of their fingers were had a metal claw over it. As Kakashi prepared to attack them, both nins stopped. They turned to the orange-clad traveller, who Kakashi had forgotten existed, and bowed respectfully. The tallest of the two took a step forward and spoke.
"Greeting shounin-sama. We are the infamous Daemon Brothers, we would like to see what you have in stock, we also hope you have our order like agreed?"
The merchant lifted his straw hat revealing sky-blue eyes and a relatively young boy, Kakashi estimated he was only twelve years old. A small smile graced his lips as he answered the missin-nin.
"Of course I have your order, and please do not call me shounin-sama, makes me feel so old. Just call me Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto."
Author's note: Well that was it, nothing much has happened yet, this was more a prologue kind of thing. Next time we get to know the story behind Naruto and also we find out how the Genin react to this young traveller.
Until the next chapter.
P.S. Shounin means merchant, pretty simple not?