It had been a week since the council meeting. Naruto and his sensei had picked up right where they left off with the D-Rank missions, much to the delight of the villagers. Yamato felt that returning to doing D-Rank missions for a while was a much-needed reset after the events of their previous C-Rank mission. Naruto didn't mind this course of action one bit, as it allowed him to take in the sights of the village and meet the villagers. Spending all his life in the capital with his grandmother and big sister, he hadn't had much interaction with people outside of those two and his godfather when he stopped by for a visit. As such, he thoroughly enjoys conversing with the villagers during his missions.
Currently, Naruto was walking through the streets of the Leaf Village. He had the day off due to his sensei being called away on a mission. His sensei had told him that it would mean he would be taking missions with one of the other Genin teams while he was away. Naruto did not know which team he would be teaming up with; he figured he would just find out in the morning when he reported for his mission assignment.
"Good morning, Lord Senju," came a female voice knocking Naruto out of his thoughts. Looking in the direction from which the voice originated from Naruto saw an elderly woman smiling at him warmly.
"Good morning," Naruto politely said with a warm smile of his own before he continued walking along his way. As he walked through the street, more and more villagers would greet him, and he would in turn smile and reciprocate each of their greetings. After walking for another 15 minutes, Naruto arrived at his destination. Looking up at the sign, he saw it read 'Yamanaka Flowers.' It was a flower shop that was run by the Yamanaka Clan. The shop had been in business since the First Hokage's era. Smiling at himself, Naruto walked up and pulled the door open, causing the tiny bell hung above the door to chime, alerting the owners that they had a customer. The gentle scent of blooming lilies and fresh soil washed over him the moment he stepped inside.
"Good morning! Welcome to Yamanaka Flowers!" came the soft voice of the woman sitting behind the counter off to the left of the entrance. Naruto looked over at her and smiled, causing her to let out a small gasp as she recognized who he was. "Lord Senju!" she said in shock as he bowed slightly. She had light brown eyes without pupils and brown hair, which was tied into a bun with a red ribbon in it. Strands frame both sides of her face, hanging over her ears from behind them. She was fair-skinned, and slight wrinkles were visible near her mouth. Her attire consists of a dark teal, elegant dress, which sports an aquamarine-colored gem below the collar.
"Please, call me Naruto," he said, trying to get her to drop the formalities.
"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Naruto," she said warmly as she smiled at the blonde. "I'm Aoi Yamanaka, you are probably familiar with my daughter Ino, she is also a genin like you," she said in an elegant tone. Naruto raised his eyebrows in surprise, not realizing that the woman before him was the matriarch of the Yamanaka Clan. "And my husband, Inoichi, the current head of the Yamanaka Clan," she added, causing Naruto to nod his head in confirmation.
"I have met both of them, though briefly," he said gracefully.
"Now," Aoi said as she stepped out from behind the counter. "What brings you here today?" she asked with a smile as she approached the blonde.
"I'm here looking to buy some flowers," he said as he looked around the shop. His eyes scanned the vibrant display of blooms lining the walls, sunflowers stretching toward the ceiling, delicate orchids basking in the sunlight pouring through the front windows, and neat rows of fresh-cut arrangements that looked too perfect to touch. For a second, he just stood there, absorbing the peaceful atmosphere.
"Are you looking for flowers for a particular occasion?" she questioned, knocking him out of his observation.
"It's not for any particular occasion," Naruto replied as he turned and looked at her once more. "I am trying to breathe some life back into the Senju Clan's compound," he said, letting out a sigh. "My grandmother always told me about how beautiful the compound was when all the flowers were in bloom. But with no one living in the compound for the past decade, all the flowers that were there withered away," he said, causing Aoi to nod, understanding his goal. She was about to say something to him, but before she could, the sound of the bell above the door chiming got both of their attention. Turning his head to the side and glancing behind him, Naruto saw the heir of the Yamanaka Clan walk through the door. Ino had her hands full with a large arrangement of flowers. Glancing down at her feet, Naruto saw that she used chakra on the bottom of her feet to pull the door open for herself. Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at himself when he noticed that.
"Clever girl," he thought with a chuckle.
"Mom!" Ino shouted, not realizing her mother was standing right in front of her due to the flowers blocking her view. "I brought the arrangement that Sakura's mom ordered!" she shouted out before placing the flowers down on the counter.
"No need to shout, dear," her mom replied elegantly, causing Ino to look over in her direction and see both her and Naruto smiling at her.
"Naruto!?" Ino yelled out in surprise, causing her mom to shake her head while Naruto just grinned at her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. Naruto smirked and leaned against the counter before replying to her.
"Well, I'm here to see you, of course," he said with a smirk, causing a light blush to appear on Ino's face and her eyes to go wide.
"R-really?" she asked with a small stutter as she felt her heart rate increase slightly.
"No," Naruto replied, chuckling to himself before turning back to Aoi. Ino's eyebrow twitched in frustration before she punched Naruto in the arm.
"Idiot!" she said as she punched him.
"Oww!" Naruto yelped. "That hurt!" he said, rubbing his arm where she punched him. Ino simply folded her arms and huffed at him before walking to stand beside her mother with a small pout on her face. Aoi couldn't stop herself from giggling at the interaction between the two in front of her.
"Now, dear," Aoi began to playfully scold her daughter. "Naruto is a customer," she said, causing Ino to huff at him once more, earning a chuckle from her fellow blonde. Turning her attention back to the young Senju Heir, Aoi spoke once more. "Though I must say, Naruto," she began, getting his attention. "Bringing the Senju compound back to life is something we can help with," she said with a nod. "Like you, I too have heard the stories of the beauty of your clan's compound from my mother-in-law," she said with a warm smile on her face as she recalled a memory.
"Grandma told you?" Ino suddenly asked her mom as she looked at her questioningly.
"Yes," she said, nodding her head. "Your grandparents had made frequent deliveries to the Senju Compound when they ran the shop," she said, surprising Ino while making Naruto smile. "Do you know what kind of flowers you would like, Naruto?" she asked, causing the blonde to shake his head.
"No," he said with a sigh. "I am not sure what would look good around the compound," he admitted with a light chuckle.
"Would you like it if one of us came to the compound with you and took a look?" she asked, causing the blonde to perk up at that suggestion.
"I would appreciate that," he said eagerly. "If it's not too much trouble, that is," he added with a sheepish look on his face, causing her older woman to chuckle lightly at him.
"No trouble at all," she said before putting her arm around her daughter. "Ino had the entire day free today, so she can go with you," she said, causing her daughter's face to take on a surprised look.
"But mom!" Ino began before her mom gave her a stern look, squashing any complaints she was about to have.
"Don't worry, Naruto," Aoi said, returning the warm smile to her face. "When it comes to flower arrangements and decorating, Ino has a good eye," she said, causing a light blush to appear on her daughter's face at the praise.
"Well, in that case, I'll be in your capable hands," Naruto said, flashing Ino with a smile, causing her light blush to deepen. She quickly turned away from the blonde and made her way to the back room of the shop.
"L-let me grab my notebook and pen!" she said with a small stutter, causing her mom to giggle once more. A few moments later, she came out of the back room with a purple satchel strapped across her body. "Let's get going," she said, grabbing Naruto's arm, pulling him out of the shop.
"It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Yamanaka!" Naruto yelled out as Ino dragged him outside. Once outside, she let go of his arm and the two of them began making their way to the clan's compound. The blonde duo walked in silence for about five minutes before Ino spoke up.
"How do you handle all of it?" she asked, causing Naruto to look at her with a confused look on her face.
"Hmm?" he mumbled, tilting his head to one side with a confused look on his face. "Handle what?" he asked.
"All the stares," she replied lowly while gesturing at the people staring at them as they walked through the street. Looking away from her, Naruto saw the villagers all looking at them as they walked by.
"I guess I've grown accustomed to it," he said as he waved to a few people who greeted him when they noticed he was looking at them. Ino simply shook her head. As much as she enjoyed having people's attention, this was just too much attention even for her. Seeing that his fellow blonde was uncomfortable under all the stares, Naruto decided to change the topic to get her mind thinking about something else. "How come you are not with your team doing missions?" he asked.
"We have the day off today," she said, folding her arms as she walked. "And those are not missions, those are chores!" she said with a huff, causing Naruto to chuckle. "And don't get me started on those two idiots I have as teammates!" she began, much to Naturo's amusement. "One can't stop eating and the other can't stay awake!" he said, causing Naruto to let out a chuckle.
"Sounds like one interesting team dynamic," he said with a smile.
"While I'm stuck with those two, forehead girl is getting closer and closer to Sasuke every day!" she said, clenching her fist out in front of her, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow at her.
"Forehead girl?" he asked questioningly.
"Sakura," Ino replied, causing him to nod his head in understanding. "Should have been me on his team," she said in frustration.
"Speaking of Sakura," Naruto began, putting his hands in his pockets as they walked. "What's her deal?" he asked, getting a questioning look from Ino in response.
"What do you mean?" she asked in a confused tone.
"Is chasing after Sasuke her only motivation?" he asked as he waved at a villager who greeted him. "Does she have any aspirations whatsoever in being a kunoichi?" he asked as it had been a question he was genuinely curious about ever since meeting the girl on the mission to protect the bridge builder. Ino was silent for a few minutes before she finally responded.
"I don't know," she admitted in a softer tone. "We never talked about it," she said, looking down as they walked. "We used to be good friends, but when she found out I had a crush on Sasuke, she said we wouldn't be friends anymore," she said, surprising Naruto.
"That's a pretty stupid reason to end a friendship," Naruto said bluntly.
"We were kids at the time," she said with a smile. "Besides, being rivals seems to push her along," she said, causing Naruto to smile. To him, it sounded like Ino didn't like Sasuke as much as she let on; she was only doing it to push her friend along.
"You're a good friend, Ino," Naruto said, causing her to blush.
"Shut up," she said quietly, causing him to chuckle.
"We're here," he said, stopping in front of the gates to the compound, surprising Ino. She was so absorbed in their conversation that she hadn't realized that they were already in the clan district. Using the Master control on the sealing matrix, Naruto undid the security seals and escorted Ino into the compound before reactivating them. As they walked down the main path of the compound, Ino couldn't help but marvel at the Cherry Blossom trees lining the pathway on either side.
"What do you think about some flow patches between the cherry blossoms on either side of the pathway?" she asked as he pulled out her notebook and pen from her satchel and began making notes and taking sketches.
"Oh, that would look lovely," Naruto replied as he began to picture it in his head. "We would alternate colors between each tree," he added, causing Ino to nod.
"Hmm, I think some Peonies would be a great fit there," she said before walking up and kneeling between two cherry blossoms. Then began to poke the soil with the back of her pen. "Soil is nice and loose as well," she commented before standing back up and adding to her notes. The duo continued walking until they arrived at the main courtyard of the compound. In the center of the plaza was a large concrete box set on an inclined plane and filled with nothing but soil. The pathway formed a perfect circle around the box and then branched out in many directions from the center.
"It's a flower bed," Naruto said, answering the question he knew Ino was asking herself. "From the stories I heard from my grandmother, our clan's symbol was displayed there, using flowers to shape it," he said while pointing to the symbol on the back of his shirt. "I would like it to be on display again," he added, looking at Ino, who was making more notes.
"Any colors in particular you would like?" she asked as she looked up at him.
"A white background with the clan's symbol itself being red," he said with a nod. Ino tapped her pen against her chin a few times while thinking about the possible flowers that could be used for Naruto's request.
"White Chrysanthemums and some red camellias should do the trick," she said with a nod before jotting it down in her notebook and looking at the area surrounding the box. " We can add some Moss Phlox on the ground around the box. It's a Carpet-like flowering plant, great for visual cohesion," she said, looking at Naruto for approval.
"I trust your judgment," he said with a smile and a nod. The duo then spent the next hour reviewing every aspect of the compound, where they thought flowers would be a good addition. When they were all done, Ino had quite a few pages filled with notes and sketches.
"I think this should do," she said, flipping through the pages.
"I agree," Naruto said with a nod. "Should we head back to the shop?" he asked, causing Ino to nod and put the notebook back into her satchel.
"Sure, let's go," she said before two of them began making their way out to the compound.
"Want to walk, or run?" Naruto asked, glancing up at the rooftops.
"I'm fine with running," Ino said before channeling chakra into her legs, leaping from the ground into a nearby rooftop. Naruto smirked to himself before following suit. He quickly caught up with his fellow blonde. He made sure to slow his own pace down to match hers as they leaped from one rooftop to the next on their way back to the flower shop. It took less than five minutes for them to arrive back at the flow shop. Dropping down in front of the shop, Naruto stepped forward and pulled the door open, causing the bell above the door to chime.
"Ladies first," he said, gesturing for Ino to enter with a smile.
"My, such a gentleman," Ino teased as she walked through the door, causing Naruto to chuckle. "Mom! We're back!" she called out as they entered the shop.
"I'm in the greenhouse, dear," Aoi called out from further inside the ship. Ino looked back at Naruto and gestured for him to follow her. Nodding back at her, he followed her through the back room and out a door which led to the family's greenhouse. As he stepped into the greenhouse, he felt the temperature rise slightly, the air warm and humid, heavy with the mingled aromas of soil, petals, and the faint, almost medicinal tang of herbs. Sunlight filtered through the glass roof in golden beams, casting soft, dappled patterns over the foliage. The greenhouse was a living maze of green—tall stalks of lavender swayed in the breeze of a small fan, vines curled around trellises, and rows of potted plants lined the back tables with the kind of meticulous care only a florist would have. "Welcome back," Aoi said, getting Naruto's attention. She was standing by one of the tables at the back, tending to some of the potted plants, which Naruto could see were all bent over.
"I got everything we would need, Mom," Ino said as Naruto and she made their way to the back of the greenhouse where her mother was. "But I am going to need your help to figure out how many flowers we will need," she added, causing her mom to nod and smile at the duo.
"That's fine, dear," she replied before turning her attention back to the potted plant.
"What happened to the orchids?" Ino asked in a slightly worried voice.
"I don't know, dear," Aoi replied in a somber tone. "I came back here to check up on them and saw all of them bent over like this with their blooms closed," she said as she placed her hand under one of the flowers.
"Aren't these supposed to be picked up today?" Ino asked, looking at her mom.
"Yes," she replied, letting out a sigh. "I suppose I will have to reduce the price since they are like this," she added with a frown.
"I can help if you like," Naruto said, getting both women's attention. They both looked at him with a confused look on their faces.
"How can you help?" Ino asked, genuinely confused at what the blonde thought he could do.
"Like this," Naruto said with a smirk, letting his chakra begin to flow. The effect was immediate. All around him, the greenhouse responded, not just visually, but viscerally. Flowers unfurled in full bloom, their colors deepening into richer, more vibrant hues. Leaves shimmered with new luster, their edges lifting as if awakened from slumber. Even the stems and stalks straightened with sudden vigor, as though the plants were reaching toward Naruto himself, drawn in by his life force. Aoi and Ino stood frozen, mouths slightly ajar, unable to tear their eyes from the transformation unfolding before them. It wasn't just something they saw; it was something they felt. The air grew warmer, denser, alive with energy that hummed through the soil and clung to the walls like a living aura. The greenhouse didn't just look livelier. It felt sacred. Then, just as gently as it had started, Naruto let his chakra recede.
"Amazing!" Aoi said in a whisper while her daughter could only nod. "It is just like the story about Lord First," she added as she noted the orchids now in full bloom. "Thank you, Naruto," Aoi said gratefully with a small bow.
"It's no problem at all," Naruto said with a wide smile. "Do you know when you know how many flowers it will be for the compound?" he asked, wanting the change the topic.
"I will have to sit down and go over Ino's notes with her before I make that decision," she said before she paused and thought about it for a while. "It may take a couple of days, as I think it would be best to get my husband's input on it as well," she said, causing Naruto to nod in understanding. "If you like, I can have Ino come find you once we have everything finalized, then new can determine a price," she added with a smile.
"That sounds good to me," Naruto replied with a nod. "Well, I'd better get going. I want to get some training in," he said with a smile. "Thank you both for your help today," he said, bowing slightly to the two of them.
"No, no, thank you," Aoi responded with a grateful smile to the blonde. Naruto then turned to Ino, who still had her mouth open while staring at him with an amazed look on her face and smirked at her.
"I guess I'll be seeing you around, Ino," he said with a smirk before holding up a half-ram seal. Ino could only nod dumbly as she watched the blonde disappear from the greenhouse in the swirl of cherry blossoms.
"Close your mouth, dear, you'll catch flies," her mom said with a giggle before she returned to tending to the orchids.
** At the Senju Compound**
Naruto appeared in front of the main house of the compound, the same way he disappeared from the Yamanaka flower shop, in a swirl of cherry blossoms. Naruto then created 300 shadow clones. He ordered 100 clones to continue their work with the sealing techniques they found in the clan's library, and the remaining 200 were ordered to go practice some new wood release jutsus from his great-great-grandfather's scrolls. While the clones were off with their respective training, Naruto made his way to the private hot springs. He planned on spending the rest of the day relaxing.
**Next Day**
Naruto was currently standing in his room, fully dressed in his gear. He looked over himself in the mirror before strapping his headband to his left bicep. He did a once-over of all his equipment before he held up a half-ram seal and disappeared using the body flicker technique. Naruto reappeared in front of the gates of the Academy in a swirl of cherry blossoms, much to the surprise of the academy students arriving at school this morning.
"Woah! Look at that," one student said in shock.
"That's so cool!" another said as they watched Naruto appear.
"I want to learn how to do that," another said. Naruto ignored all the stares and began making his way into the academy. As he was making his way to the academy, he heard a familiar voice call out to him.
"Big Bro Naruto!" came the voice of Konohamaru from behind Naruto. Stopping and turning around, Naruto saw Konohamaru running towards him with two other kids his age.
"Hey, Konohamaru," Naruto said, greeting the boy as he stopped in front of him. "Who are your friends?" he asked, looking at the two kids with Konohamaru.
"This is Udon," he said while pointing to the boy with snot running from his nose. "And this is Moegi," he added, pointing to the lone female of the group. "We saw you just appear from out of nowhere, it was so cool!" Konohamaru said as he and his friends stared up at Naruto with stars in their eyes. Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at their reactions. "Can you teach us how to do that?" Konohamaru asked as he and his friends all leaned closer to Naruto with a hopeful look in their eyes.
"How about you guys graduating from the academy first, then I'll teach you," Naruto said with a chuckle as he ruffled the boy's hair before turning and entering the Academy.
"You promise?" Konohamaru asked as he and his friends followed Naruto into the Academy.
"I promise," Naruto replied with another chuckle, causing the kids to get excited.
"Are you here for a mission, Naruto?" Moegi asked as they walked through the halls of the academy.
"Yeah, hopefully I get something good today," he replied with a nod.
"Have you been on any cool missions yet, Naruto?" Udon asked, causing the other two to look at Naruto with excited looks on their faces. Naruto brought his hand up to his chin and tapped his finger against it a few times as if he were thinking.
"Hmmm, you could say I've been on a few," Naruto said with a smirk as he bragged a little. "Took care of some bandits near Tanzaku Quarters a couple of weeks ago," he said nonchalantly, causing the kids' eyes to light up. "Then I had to protect a bridge builder in the Land of Waves from a missing ninja called the Demon of the Hidden Mist," he added while sneaking a glance at the kids.
"Wowwww!" all three of the kids said in unison, causing Naruto to grin.
"That's so cool, Big bro!" Konohamaru said with stars in his eyes.
"Yeah, you're like the coolest!" Added Udon.
"I can't wait for us to graduate and go on cool missions," Moegi said with an excited look on her face.
"Well, the only way you three are going to graduate is if you get to class," Naruto said as he arrived at the stairs leading to the upper floor where the mission assignment center was.
"Bye, Naruto!" the three said in unison before running off to their class. Naruto shook his head and chuckled to himself before he made his way up the stairs to the mission assignment center. Naruto slid the door open and entered the room.
"Good morning," he greeted as he entered. Currently inside the room was the Hokage, sitting in his usual spot smoking his pipe, and two chunins that Naruto had never seen before.
"Good morning, Naruto," the Hokage greeted as he took a puff from his pipe. "You're early," he said, causing Naruto to chuckle sheepishly as he walked up to the long desk.
"Just figured I'd get a head start today," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head with a casual grin. The Third Hokage chuckled warmly, his eyes crinkling with amusement at the young Senju's familiar energy. He opened his mouth to respond, but the soft shhhk of the mission room door sliding open drew both their attention. Stepping through was Team 10, their sensei leading the way. Naruto recognized him immediately from the council meeting. Asuma Sarutobi, the Hokage's son, with a cigarette tucked between his fingers and an easy confidence in his stride. Trailing behind him was Ino, her blond hair catching the morning light. Naruto offered her a bright smile. Ino blinked in surprise, then straightened slightly as a faint smile tugged at her lips. Next came Shikamaru Nara, dragging his feet with the half-lidded expression of someone who resented being awake before noon. And finally, Choji Akimichi strolled in, cheerfully munching on a bag of chips, crumbs dusting the corners of his mouth. The sound of crunching echoed in the otherwise quiet room. Naruto watched the trio with mild amusement, a soft chuckle escaping him. Their personalities couldn't have been more different—but somehow, it worked. There was something oddly balanced about them.
"Team 10 reporting for duty," Asuma said as he walked up to the desk, giving Naruto a small nod in acknowledgement, to which Naruto returned. Ino immediately walked over and stood beside Naruto on the left. "You two know each other?" Asuma asked while looking at the blonde duo.
"I'm buying some flowers from their shop for the clan's compound," Naruto said, turning his attention to the jonin. "Ino, helped me pick out the flowers that I will need," he added as he took a small glance at the blonde at his side.
"It's been years since I've seen flowers in the Senju Clan's compound," The Third Hokage said as he closed his eyes, recalling a fond memory.
"After hearing all the stories about the compound from grandma, I wanted to breathe some of that life back into the compound," Naruto said, causing the old Hokage to smile at him fondly.
"Well, I look forward to seeing it once it is done," he said, causing Naruto to nod his head. "Well then, shall we get to," the Hokage began before he was cut off by the door opening once more. Turning his head to the side, Naruto saw that Team 8 were the ones entering the room this time. Leading the way was Kurenai Yuhi, her crimson eyes sharp yet serene, scanning the room with quiet confidence. Her long black hair flowed behind her like a shadow, and there was a poise to her step that commanded silent respect. Naruto watched as the first of her students stepped in, Hinata Hyuga. She moved cautiously, her gaze low, giving Naruto the impression that she was very timid. Next came Shino Aburame, silent and composed, his high-collared jacket and dark glasses giving away nothing of his thoughts. Naruto gave the bug user a respectful nod, which Shino returned with the barest tilt of his head. Bringing up the rear was Kiba Inuzuka, as energetic as ever. Akamaru perched comfortably on his head, yipping a short bark as they entered. The moment Kiba's eyes landed on Naruto, he tried to size the blonde up. Naruto simply ignored him.
"Morning, Kurenai," Asuma said with a smirk and his cigarette in his mouth as Team 8 walked up to join the group.
"Good morning, Asuma," Kurenai said as she shot Naruto a glance. "Still smoking that cancer stick I see," she added as she looked past her fellow jonin and bowed to the Hokage.
"Must you wound me so every time?" Asuma asked in a mock hurt tone, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow at the two.
"I haven't been wounding you enough, it seems," Kurenai retorted, causing the Hokage to chuckle slightly. Naruto glanced over at Ino and whispered.
"Do they like each other or something?" he asked in a whisper but was still loud enough for everyone in the room to hear the question. Kurenai and Asuma looked away from each other in embarrassment, with a small blush appearing on the female jonin's face. Ino punched Naruto in the side of the arm for his failed attempt at a whisper.
"Can we get on with the day's events now?' the Hokage asked, getting everyone's attention. "We have a large stack of missions here that need to be completed," he said, gesturing to the stack of scrolls with the letter D labeled on them, earning groans from every genin present except Naruto.
"Actually, Lord Hokage," Asuma spoke up, causing everyone to look at him. "I think my team is ready to try their first C-Rank mission," he said, surprising his team, who were earning jealous looks from a certain Inuzuka clan heir.
"Are you sure?" the third Hokage asked as he studied his son's expression.
"Yes, I do," Asuma responded confidently.
"Very well," Lord Third responded before grabbing a scroll with the Letter C on it, tossing it to the jonin. He then pulled another scroll and tossed it to him before speaking once more. "Your mission will be to deliver that scroll to the Kazekage in the Village Hidden in the Sand," he said, surprising to jonins and Naruto. "It is applications for this year's Chunin Exams," he said, earning a nod from Asuma. "All of our messenger hawks are out delivering to the villages further away. So, your team will be making this delivery," he added before turning to Naruto. "Since your sensei is out on a separate mission, you will be joining Team 10 on their mission, Naruto," The Third Hokage said, causing the blonde to smile and nod.
"Welcome aboard, Naruto," Choji said with a mouth full of chips, causing Naruto to flash him a grin and a thumbs up.
"How troublesome," Shikamaru said with a yawn.
"I feel my Team also ready for a C-Rank mission," Kurenai said, grabbing everyone's attention. "They have completed the required number of D-Rank missions," she added, causing the lone Inuzuka on her team to become slightly excited at the prospect of a C-Rank mission.
"Very well," the Hokage replied before grabbing another scroll with the letter C on it, along with another scroll with no markings. He then tossed both scrolls to the female jonin before he spoke again. "Your team's mission will be to travel to the Land of Waves and meet with the master bridge builder, Tazuna," the Hokage said, getting Naruto's attention. "The contents of that scroll are a request for him to come make repairs and additions to the stadium," he added, earning a nod from the female jonin. "Should he accept, you will then escort him and his workers back to the village safely," he said sternly.
"Yes, Lord Hokage!" Kurenai said with a bow before turning to her team. "Go home and prep to be out of the village for more than a week and meet me at the South gate in 1 hour," she said to her genin team. The three of them nodded before rushing out of the mission assignment room to get ready, with Kurenai following behind after bidding the remaining occupants of the room farewell. It was now Asuma's turn to speak to his team. He turned to Team 10 and Naruto and spoke.
"It will take three days to reach the Sand Village from here," he began speaking in a serious tone as he eyed his team. "Page for a week's journey at least," he commanded, causing the three genin to nod. "Meet me at the West Gate in two hours," he said, causing the four genin to nod before they all began making their way out of the room. As the genin all left the room, Asuma was about to follow suit, but the third Hokage stopped him.
"Asuma," the Hokage called out, stopping him. "When you are in the Sand Village, do not use any of their last names," he warned, causing the jonin to narrow his eyes. "Especially when it comes to Naruto," he added in a serious tone.
"I understand," Asuma said with a nod. He was about to take the heirs of four clans into a foreign village, and one of those heirs was from one of the most famous clans in the whole Elemental Nations. Extra caution is warranted, even when it is an ally.
**With Naruto**
After leaving the mission assignment center, Naruto went straight to Ichiraku Ramen. The Ramen shop had easily become one of his favorite places in the entire village. Ducking under the banner and stepping into the shop, Naruto was greeted by the ramen shop's owner and his daughter.
"Welcome! Naruto," the owner, Teuchi greeted warmly as he laid eyes on one of his favorite customers.
"Hey, Old Man," Naruto replied with a grin before turning to the man's daughter. "Hey Ayame," he said with the same grin, earning warm smiles from both.
"What will it be today?" the old man asked as his daughter held up a small notepad.
"It's going to be a large order," Naruto said with a smile as he sat down on one of the stools. "Going on a mission, so I need twenty large miso ramen, twenty large bowls of seafood ramen, and twenty large bowls of Tonkotsu Ramen," he finished, causing the old chef's eyes to see dollar signs.
"Jeeze, Naruto, how long will you be gone for?" Ayame asked as he looked over his order.
"About a week, but I'm getting enough for the entire team," he said with a chuckle. "And there is going to be an Akimichi on the team with me, so..." he said, trailing off, causing the father-daughter duo to nod their heads in understanding.
"Well, we'd better get started," the old chef said to his daughter.
"I'll be back in a little under an hour to pick it up," Naruto said as he stood up from the stool. He then left the shop and used the body flicker technique to appear back inside the Senju compound. Naruto made his way into the main house and down to the armory. Inside the armory were all kinds of weapons on racks lining the walls, with multiple crates filled with Kunai and Shurikens. On the far side of the armory was a large table, on it were a large pile of storage scrolls. Naruto had his clones seal away supplies into these scrolls so he could grab one to go, and it would contain all the supplies he needed to restock his pouch. Next to that pile was another stack of scrolls, only these were all empty storage scrolls. Naruto grabbed two scrolls with his supplies and an empty storage scroll before storing the two scrolls away within the empty scroll. He then picked up eight additional empty scrolls and stored them away as well within the same scroll as his equipment scrolls.
"These always come in handy," he thought to himself as he stored the lone scroll he was left with into the storage seal on his wrist. He then made his way back upstairs to do some final checks.
**One Hour Later**
Naruto was currently standing by the West Gate, leaning against a tree that was right outside the gates, staring out at the path ahead of them. He was the first one to arrive, and neither the others nor their sensei had arrived as yet. He was about to take a seat on the ground, but the sound of loud munching got his attention. Turning his head to the side and glancing behind him, he saw Choji walking up towards him with a new bag of chips in his hands.
"Hey Naruto!" Choji said with a wave as he walked up to the blonde.
"Hey Choji," Naruto replied as he turned and waved to the young clan heir.
"Are the others not here yet?" he asked between bites.
"Not as yet," Naruto replied with a shake of his head. "We're the first ones," he added.
"Ino usually takes forever to get ready," Choji said, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow at him. "And Shikamaru probably fell asleep after he got ready," he added, causing Naruto to sweat drop.
"And your sensei?" Naruto asked with a curious expression on his face.
"He's probably going to show up any minute now with Shikamaru in tow," Choji said in a carefree manner as he was used to his team's dynamic by now. Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at his explanation.
"Hey, guys!" came an excited shout from a voice both recognized to be Ino. Looking over Choji's shoulder, Naruto saw Ino with a backpack on running towards them, waving as she ran. Ino ran up and stood beside the duo, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear as she spoke. "Is Sensei not here yet?" she asked, resulting in both Naruto and Choji shaking their heads. "He must be getting Shikamaru," she noted, causing Choji to nod while Naruto simply chuckled. As they were talking, there was a puff of smoke just in front of the gate, grabbing their attention. When the smoke cleared, they saw Asuma standing there with a cigarette in his mouth and a backpack slung over his shoulders. Beside the jonin sensei was Shikamaru with a bored expression on his face.
"Sorry I'm late," Asuma said as he and Shikamaru walked up to the group. "I had to make sure someone was awake," he said, glancing down at Shikamaru.
"Troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled under his breath as he let out a tired sigh.
"Do you guys have everything you will need?" Asuma asked as he looked over his students, receiving nods from everyone. When his eyes landed on Naruto, he saw that he had no backpack or anything like the rest of the genin. "Where is your stuff, Naruto?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Right here," Naruto replied as he flicked his wrist, activating the storage seal, causing a small puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared, Naruto had a medium-sized scroll in his hand. "Storage scrolls," he said, earning a nod from the jonin.
"Smart," Asuma replied while nodding.
"I got more if anyone wants to put their stuff inside," Naruto said as he produced four empty storage seals. Every member of Team 10, including their sensei, took Naruto up on his offer and sealed their backpacks away in one of the scrolls he had. With everyone's stuff now stored away, Asuma spoke to his team.
"Alright, with all that sorted, it's time we be on our way," he said with a calm look on his face. "Shikamaru, you and Choji will be in the front, Naruto and Ino in the middle, and I will watch our rear," he said, earning nods from most of the genin. Shikamaru was the only one not to nod; he simply muttered about how troublesome this mission was under his breath, causing Naruto to chuckle while Ino's eyebrow twitched at her teammate's laziness. With that, the group set off on their journey to the Hidden Sand Village. As they were walking away, Choji would often turn back to look at the village growing further and further away from them.
"Is anyone else nervous?" Choji asked lowly in a nervous tone. Shikamaru glanced over at his friend a bit before sighing to himself.
"It's going to be fine," Shikamaru said lazily. "The Leaf Village and the Sand Village are allies, so there shouldn't be much to worry about," he said, trying to put his friend at ease. "Besides, even if something did happen, Asuma-Sensei and Naruto are here," he added, causing the blonde to raise an eyebrow at the mention of his name.
"Nothing to worry about, Choji," Asuma said, speaking up. "You rarely ever see combat on C-Rank missions," he added to which Naruto nodded in agreement, even though he saw combat on both of his missions outside of the village.
"And the path between the two villages is heavily patrolled by both Leaf and Sand shinobis, so there isn't much chance of running into any trouble," Naruto chimed in. Hearing everyone reassure him, Choji smiled and nodded before returning to munching on his bag of chips, causing both Asuma and Naruto to chuckle while Ino simply shook her head and smiled from beside Naruto.
"Alright, Team," Asuma said, getting everyone's attention. "Time for us to pick up the pace," he said, earning nods from everyone. The group then disappeared from the spot on the road as they began tree running.
**At Night**
It was currently nightfall, and Asuma had decided it would be best for the group if they stopped and made camp for the night. They were currently looking for a spot to set up camp for the night. The group had spent most of the day running, only making short stops every couple of hours for breaks and lunch. During the many breaks they took, Naruto spent most of the time getting to know Team 10. He already had a chance to get to know Ino a bit better when he was buying flowers yesterday but had little to no interactions with the other two members of Team 10. He and Choji mostly bonded over Ramen when Naruto shared some of his many bowls of ramen with the Akimichi. In turn, the young clan heir would share his chips with Naruto whenever they stopped for breaks. When it came to Shikamaru, the blonde found that the Nara heir simply enjoyed relaxing and staring at the clouds in the sky. Something Naruto was happy to partake in. The peaceful serenity of lying amongst the trees, watching the clouds float by, made Naruto feel at home in the forest.
"This should work," came Asuma's voice, breaking Naruto out of his thoughts. Walking over to where the jonin was standing, Naruto saw he was in front of a small clearing surrounded by trees and bushes. The clearing was just large enough for a small campsite. "There is a stream just past that tree line with fresh water," he said, pointing to the tree line behind him.
"Can we set up camp now?" Ino asked, sounding very tired. "My feet are killing me," she added, shuffling her feet slightly. Asuma was about to respond to her, but before he could, Naruto spoke up.
"In just a moment," Naruto replied as he stepped forward, gesturing for Asuma to give him a bit of room.
"What are you doing?" Asuma asked as he stepped back a bit.
"Setting up our campsite," Naruto replied before he began weaving through several hand signs before slamming both of his palms on the ground.
"Wood-Style: Four-Pillar House Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, sending his chakra into the ground. Suddenly, the ground around them shook, and wooden beams erupted from the earth like growing trees, twisting, and branching upward with fluid grace. In seconds, the framework of a traditional-style home took shape, elegant yet sturdy, rooted into the earth as if it had always belonged there. Naruto then stood up and dusted off his hands before turning to face Team 10.
"There, all done," he said as he turned, only to be met with the gob smacked expressions of Team 10, causing him to grin sheepishly. They were all staring up at the house with their mouths hanging open and their eyes the size of dinner plates. Asuma's cigarette had fallen out of his mouth in shock at the sight of the First Hokage's bloodline in person.
"I-it is the first Hokage's bloodline," he whispered in shock.
"A-amazing!" Ino muttered in amazement. Choji just kept eating faster and faster as he stared at the house in awe.
"Troublesome blonde," Shikamaru said, causing Naruto to flash him a grin and give him a thumbs up.
"It never gets old," Naruto thought as he looked at everyone's reaction.
"Well," Asuma began as he pulled out another cigarette and shook his head. "Seems we are camping there tonight," he said, taking another look at the house. Naruto led the way; he walked up and slid the door to the house open before he entered. The inside was just one big open room with a clay fireplace against the far wall, with a pile of firewood stacked neatly beside it. Naruto was not going for luxury; he went for a simple design for them to rest for the night. "I'll get a fire going," Asuma said, walking up to the fireplace and putting some wood inside before igniting it with a small fireball. Naruto and the rest of the team began unsealing their supplies from their storage seals. The first things Naruto took out from his seal were four paper tags with seals drawn on them.
"What's that?" Shikamaru asked as he got a look at what Naruto unsealed, thanks to the light from the fireplace.
"Concealment tags," he answered, holding them up for the young Nara to see. "Placing them on the four walls of the house should create a barrier, making it impossible for anyone to detect the house, allowing us to camp here in peace," he said, earning a nod from the Nara.
"Need help?" the Nara heir asked, causing Naruto to share his head and hold up a half-ram seal, resulting in a puff of smoke appearing behind him. When the smoke cleared, a perfect copy of Naruto was revealed to be standing there. Without looking behind him, Naruto handed the seals to the clone, who took them and walked out of the house to begin placing the tags.
"You are just full of surprises, aren't you, Naruto?" Ino asked with a giggle, causing her fellow blonde to shoot her a grin and a wink, resulting in a small blush to creep up onto her face.
"Troublesome Blondes," Shikamaru said as he lay down on his backpack.
"Shut up, Shika!" Ino shouted before she crossed her arms and blew her bangs from in front of her face. Naruto just chuckled and got closer to the fire before he unsealed his ramen.
"I got plenty more ramen if anyone wants," he said as he grabbed a bowl of miso ramen for himself.
"I'll take a seafood ramen," Shikamaru said, getting up and moving over next to the blonde Senju.
"One for me as well!" Ino said as she hurried to take the open spot next to Naruto.
"I'll take a miso ramen, please," Choji said as he plopped down next to Ino. As Naruto handed out the ramen to everyone, he looked at the lone jonin amongst them and spoke.
"What about you, Sensei?" he asked while looking at Asuma. Asuma just smiled and blew out some smoke.
"I'm all good," he said as he pulled out a rice ball from his storage seal and sat down next to Shikamaru.
"Naruto," Choji said with a mouth full of ramen. "I remember Iruka-sensei said you lived outside the village before you took the test. Where did you live?" he asked, causing everyone to look at the blonde awaiting this response.
"I lived in the capital," Naruto replied nonchalantly, surprising everyone.
"You mean… like, the Capital capital? With the Fire Lord and all that?" Ino asked as she held the ramen noodles a few inches away from her mouth in shock.
"Yep. Big buildings, fancy robes, shinobi security everywhere. It's where I did most of my early training with my grandmother," Naruto said with a nod before slurping up some noodles.
"That explains why you're so freakily strong," Shikamaru said with a sigh before he brought the bowl to his lips and drank some of the broth. Asuma finally exhaled a long stream of smoke before he spoke up.
"Makes sense. If you were training under Lady Tsunade in the Capital all those years," he said, staring into the fire. "She would have made sure you came back strong enough to take care of yourself," he added, earning a chuckle from Naruto.
"Well, I had to be strong; I got a legacy to honor. Couldn't afford to show up half-baked," he said with a chuckle before gulping down some more ramen.
"Well, you definitely made an entrance. The whole village's been talking about the Senju heir ever since you got back." Ino said as she tilted her head with a small smile forming on her lips. Naruto looked up from his bowl of ramen and simply grinned at her.
"Troublesome Blondes," Shikamaru mumbled as he stood up and got his sleeping bag out.
"Alright," Asuma said as he too stood up. "I'll take first watch, Naruto, you take second," he said, causing Naruto to nod. Everyone then finished their meal and got ready to turn in for the night.
**One Day Later**
After running through the forest of the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers, the group finally arrived at the border of the Land of Wind. They had spent the past day traveling almost nonstop, only stopping for periodic breaks and Lunch. They had made camp in the Land of Rivers the previous night in a similar fashion to the first night. Asuma had woken them all up before dawn to get an early start this morning. He reasons that it would not be good for them to get caught in the desert at night, which can be very cold. He also did not want to get to the sand Village later in the evening and have to spend the night there. Naruto couldn't help but agree; he did not want to spend the night there either.
"Alright, it should be half a day's journey from here," Asuma said as they all stared out at the barren desert in front of them.
"This is going to be very troublesome," Shikamaru said with a sigh. They were all beginning to feel the heat of the desert, and they knew it was only to get worse the further they went.
"For once I agree with you," Ino said as she adjusted her ponytail.
"What if there was a way for us to get there faster?" Naruto suddenly asked, causing everyone to turn their attention to him while he just stood there grinning sheepishly.
"If you've got one of your tricks up your sleeve to make this trip faster, I am all for it," Asuma replied while the three members of his genin team nodded in agreement. None of them wanted to spend any more time than they had to in the desert.
"Alright then," Naruto said before walking up to the head of the group. He then began weaving hand signs, stopping on the sign for the snake.
"Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu!" he shouted. Just as he finished, from the ground before him, thick wooden tendrils exploded upward, twisting and intertwining as they rapidly formed the massive, serpentine shape of a towering dragon made of living wood. Bark peeled away like scales, leaves sprouting along its spine as the creature took full form—its long, coiled body arched protectively over Naruto, glowing faintly with chakra.
"No way…" Ino whispered out as her mouth fell open.
"That thing is huge!" Choji said, taking a step back.
"I don't think I am ever going to get used to you, Naruto," Shikamaru said, staring up at the towering dragon before them.
"T-this is the stuff of legends..." Asuma muttered as his cigarette fell from his mouth. What they were all seeing before them right now was only something they read about in textbooks that talked about the first Hokage. While they were all in shock at the sight before them, Naruto weaved two more hand signs, causing wooden beams to sprout out from the back of the dragon and form seats for them to sit on and a roof over their heads to protect them from the sun.
"There," he said, turning around with a wide smile on his face. "We can ride on its back..." he began but trailed off when he saw all of them staring at him. "What?" he asked before looking around at his clothes. "Do I have something on me?" he asked as he examined himself.
"Idiot," Ino said, shaking her head at the clueless Naruto before he hopped up and took one of the seats at the front.
"Naruto should come on all our missions!" Choji suggested as he too hopped up on the dragon's back, sitting behind Ino.
"I have no complaints," Shikamaru said as he hopped up and sat down next to Choji. "I don't have to do as much work if he comes along," he added, causing Naruto to chuckle.
"You barely do any work now," Asuma said as he hopped on, taking the seat at the back. Naruto hopped on the wooden dragon with everyone else and plopped himself down next to Ino.
"I would recommend using Chakra to keep yourself in the seat," Naruto said as he looked over his shoulder. After getting a nod from everyone, he turned around and spoke. "Very well then, off we go," he said as he gave the wooden dragon the command to go forward. Everyone's body jerked backward as the serpentine dragon began slithering across the sands of the desert at amazing speeds. "Huh, this is actually working," Naruto commented as they traverse the desert.
"What do you mean ' actually' working?" Ino asked as she stared at the blonde with a questioning look.
"What?" he asked, looking back at her. "I've never done this before," he admitted with a wide grin on his face, causing her eyes to widen in shock/horror, which only made him burst out laughing.
"Narutooo!" Ino yelled out, which only made him laugh harder.
The wooden dragon traverses the desert with much ease, slithers through the sand as if it were on water. The group rode on the back of the dragon for about two hours before it began to slow down. Naruto then navigated the dragon behind a large dune before coming to a complete stop.
"Okay, we have to walk from here," Naruto said, turning and looking at everyone. "The village should be about an hour's walk from here," he added as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Why are we walking the rest of the way?" Ino asked with a confused look on her face.
"Cause I'm pretty sure if they see a large wooden dragon charging towards their village, it will set off a few alarms," he answered, causing her to understand. "Besides, I don't want to announce the fact that I have a bloodline that hasn't been seen for a few decades," he added as he jumped off from atop the dragon. He then held out his hand for Ino, which she took, and helped her down. "Speaking of which," Naruto began looking in Asuma's direction.
"Way ahead of you there," Asuma said before Naruto could finish, causing the blonde to nod. "None of you is to mention your last names," Asuma said in a serious tone as he looked at his genins. The three genins look at each other before nodding affirmatively to their sensei. Once everyone was off the wooden dragon, they all watched as it buried itself in the sand at Naruto's command, perfectly hiding itself from view.
"That should do," Naruto said, dusting off his hands. "We'll pick it back up on our way back," he added, causing Asuma to nod.
"Alright, let's go," Asuma said as he led the way with this team following behind. The group walked through the desert for about 30 minutes with the sun beating down on them relentlessly before the walls of the Sand village came into view. "There it is," Asuma said as they all looked at the stone walls that surrounded the village. The Village Hidden in the Sand," he said. As the group got closer, they saw that the entrance to the village was a single cleft between two cliff faces. When the group was about fifty feet away from the entrance of the village, a loud shout from the entrance halted them.
"Halt!" a man's voice commanded. "State your business!" he yelled out. Asuma stepped in front of the group and spoke.
"We are shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village!" He yelled back at the unknown person. "We have a delivery for the Kazekage from the Hokage!" Asuma shouted out. Silence followed his statement before they could see the silhouette of someone walking out from the entrance of the village. The man was dressed in the standard uniform for a Jonin of the Sand Village. As he approached, Naruto discreetly began to suppress his chakra down to match the level of the other members of Team 10. If there were any sensory ninjas around, he did not want to raise any alarm bells.
"Identify yourself," the man said in a stern voice. "We are not aware of any deliveries from the Leaf village," he stated as he eyed them all suspiciously.
"I am Asuma Sarutobi," Asuma said, causing the man's eye to widen slightly. "And this is my genin team," he continued, gesturing to the group behind him. "We are simply here to deliver this year's chunin exam applications to the Kazekage," he said smoothly, trying to put the man at ease. The man looked them over once more, his eyes lingering on Asuma a bit longer than the others.
"I am Rensa Sabaku," the man said, introducing himself. "Please follow me. I will lead you to the Kazekage's office," he said seriously, causing Asuma to smile at him.
"Thank you, Rensa," Asuma said politely. The man then turned and began walking back towards the cleft. Naruto and Team 10 followed closely behind Asuma through the village entrance and not the village.
The village itself lay in a fortified valley behind cliffs of rock, providing great natural defense from foreign invaders. The buildings inside seem to be made of clay or stucco, which Naruto assumed helped in keeping the buildings cool. As they walked through the streets of the Sand Village, the group couldn't help but notice all the looks they were getting from both civilians and Shinobi alike. Everyone in their group could tell there was hostility in all of those looks. It made even the usually bored and lazy Shikamaru appear on high alert. Naruto didn't understand the reason for those looks, and that made him even more uneasy.
"The Sand and the Leaf have been Allies for decades," Naruto thought to himself as he tried to make sense of hostility towards them. "This is something the Hokage will have to be made aware of," he thought, making a mental note to mention it to Asuma. Naruto glanced over at Ino to see how she was doing, only to find her looking at her feet as she walked. She was uncomfortable with the stares, especially these stares. Wanting to put her at ease a bit, he walked closer to her, letting his shoulders brush against her, getting her attention. Ino felt his touch and looked up at him. As their eyes met, Naruto gave her a warm smile, causing her to blush slightly and smile back at him.
"We're here," Rensa said, getting everyone's attention as they stopped in front of the Kazekage's office. The building was a large, round, sandy colored building with several rows of windows and the kanji for "wind" painted on the side of the building in a circle. "This is the Kazekage's office. Please follow me inside," he said before he entered the building with the group of Leaf Shinobi following behind him. Rensa led the group up a variety of stairs before they finally came to a stop outside of what Naruto assumed to be the Kazekage Office. "Please wait here," Rensa said to Asuma before he knocked on the door twice and entered.
"I will do all the talking," Asuma turned and said to the genins, causing all four of them to nod. No one said anything else; they all just stood in the hallway waiting. After about five minutes, the door to the office reopened, and Rensa came out.
"The Kazekage will see you now," he said, gesturing for them to enter the room. Asuma nodded and then led the group into the room. Inside the office there was only a desk and a chair for the Kazekage to work. There were no bookshelves like in the Hokage's office, nor any chairs for guests to sit on.
"Greetings, Lord Kazekage!" Asuma said respectfully, bowing, which all the genin mirrored.
"Welcome to the Hidden Sand Village," the Kazekage said from behind his desk. Raising their heads, the genin say a man sitting behind the desk in his full Kage attire and a veil covering the lower half of his face. "To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the Third Hokage's son?" he asked, eyeing Asuma. The jonin reached into his pouch and pulled out the scroll he received from the Hokage and stepped forward, placing it on the Kazekage's desk before stepping back.
"We are merely here to deliver the applications for this year's chunin exams," Asuma answered with a smile. The Kazekage took the scroll and opened it out on his desk before placing some chakra into the storage seal, resulting in a small puff of smoke on the desk. When the smoke cleared, everyone saw a stack of papers resting on the scroll.
"I see," the Kazekage said, inspecting one of the applications. "Very good, my children will be competing in this year's exams, so thank you for this," he said politely before turning his attention to the genins standing behind Asuma. "Will your team be competing as well?" he asked as he eyed all the genin.
"I am not sure as yet," Asuma admitted. "This is only their first mission outside of the village," he said with a light chuckle.
"I see," he said as his eyes landed on Naruto and lingered a bit, causing both Asuma and Naruto's heart rate to increase a bit.
"Well, we don't want to disturb you further, Lord Kazekage," Asuma said, capturing the man's attention once more. "We better be on our way, don't want to get stuck in the desert come nightfall," he said smoothly.
"Very well," the Kazekage said with a wave. "Please give my regards to Lord Third," he said, earning a nod from Asuma before the group bowed to the Kage and exited the office. They found Rensa waiting for them outside the office. Without saying a word, the man began leading the group out of the building and out of the village. As soon as they were out of the village, Asuma bid Rensa goodbye before Team 10 began their trek back to the dune where the wooden Dragon was hiding. After another thirty-minute walk under the desert sun, they finally arrived at the dune. Naruto commanded the dragon to the surface, and the group hopped on its back and began the journey back home.
**Three Days Later**
After three days of traveling, Team 10 finally arrived back at the gates of the Hidden Leaf Village from which they left a week ago. As much as Naruto liked going on missions outside of the village, he was happy to be back home.
"Man, it feels good to be back home," Naruto said as they walked through the gate.
"I hear you," Ino said from beside the blonde. "I can't wait to hop in the bath," she said as she rubbed the back of her neck.
"Same here," Choji said as he opened a fresh bag of chips.
"I'm sure I still got sand in places it shouldn't be," Shikamaru said in a tired voice, earning a chuckle from his sensei.
"Well, before you all go running off, we have to report to Lord Hokage," Asuma said, earning groans from his students. The groups marched on to the Hokage's office. Arriving in front of the Hokage's office, Asuma greeted the Hokage's secretary warmly.
"Hi Rika," Asuma said with a smile. "Is he free?" he asked. Rika, the Hokage's secretary, smiled at Asuma before replying.
"He is. You can go in," she said while gesturing to the door. Nodding to the secretary, Asuma walked up and opened the door before leading the Genins into the Hokage's office. Inside the office, the Hokage was sitting behind his desk with two large piles of paperwork in front of him. Looking up from his desk, he saw Team 10 entering, causing him to smile warmly at the genin as they entered.
"Ah, Team 10," he said as he picked up his pipe from the ashtray on his desk. "Welcome back! I take it your mission went well?" he asked before taking a small puff from his pipe.
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Asuma said as he handed the C-Rank scroll back to the Hokage.
"Wonderful news," the Hokage said, opening the scroll and making it complete. "I think you all earned tomorrow off," The aged Hokage said, looking at the genin team, causing them all to smile appreciatively.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage," the four of them said in unison with a bow.
"Why don't you all head home now and get some rest. "I'll finish up here," Asuma said, looking back at his team. The four nodded and exited the room, leaving the jonin and Hokage alone in the room.
"Something else you need to report?" The Hokage asked as he looked at his son.
"Just something Naruto and I picked up on while we were in the Sand Village," Asuma said, causing his father to raise an eyebrow at the mention of the blonde Senju. "Even though no one tried anything, we could feel a lot of animosity directed towards us from the general population in the Sand Village," he reported, causing his father to nod his head slowly in acknowledgement.
"Jiraiya has been reporting the same," the Hokage admitted as he exhaled a stream of smoke. "It seems to be stemming from the fact that the Wind Lord has been requesting missions from the Leaf rather than the Sand," he said, surprising the jonin. "Shikaku is aware as well. We don't expect anything to happen, but things are being put in place in case it does," the Hokage said seriously, causing his son to let out a sigh.
"When will the cycle end?" Asuma asked as he lit a new cigarette.
**With Naruto**
After leaving the Hokage's office, Naruto bid Team 10 goodbye and headed straight to the clan's compound. After packing his stuff away, he went straight to take a bath. Shikamaru was right, there was sand in places it shouldn't be.
'A bath and a visit to the hot springs sound in order," he thought as he stepped into the shower, letting the water wash away all the dirt and grime.
**Chapter End**
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