They were each given a small amount of money for their first successful mission and the team met up at the training ground once more. Kakashi showed Sasuke the seals to perform, explaining that, "wind clones only have five percent of the users power, which makes them inferior to say the water clone but wind clones can be created at any time. You don't need to find a source, for wind is all around us. A imaginative shinobi can use wind clones to great effect. When dispelled, the clones burst into wind. It can surprise an opponent or slightly change the trajectory of a kunai being thrown"
Sasuke did the seals only… nothing happened. He tried again and… nothing.
"Your ram seal isn't right", Chiko commented, "your left hand is too far up, it destabilises the chakra flow, try it like this"
Sasuke scoffed but did as he was told and, to his surprise, the jutsu actually worked and there stood two Sasuke's.
They both looked smug.
"Don't feel superior yet", Chiko chided him, "you know what, two C rank jutsu? The great fireball and the wind clone? I know over a dozen techniques and that doesn't include my kekkei genkai. You won't be able to kill anyone using only those two jutsu, well, maybe a civilian but certainly not a shinobi"
"A dozen techniques?" Sasuke looked at him, staring.
"You are our age, how do you know over a dozen techniques?" Naruto chimed in. He had been sparring with his shadow clone, but now, he was also staring.
Chiko got uncomfortable, not meeting either of their eyes, "my parents are both shinobi and they trained me every day after school. My mom is a Jonin you know?"
"Still, it is extraordinary, you have so much control over your jutsu. It is almost like- no matter", Kakashi sensei commented, "anyways, let's end it today, tomorrow, we'll take on another mission or two"
And just like that, two months passed. They took missions at the morning and trained in the evening. They managed to get in sync during this time, honing teamwork and learning what the others were good at.
They had just returned a missing cat, when the Hokage said, "team 7, your next mission is… well let's see… babysitting an elders grandson, shopping in the neighbouring village or help with potato digging"
"No! No! No! No thank you! I want to do, you know, more incredible missions! Find us a better one"
"You idiotic moron! You are just a rookie", a shinobi next to the Hokage exploded, " everyone starts with simple missions and work their way up!"
"Yeah, but it has been two months of nothing but weeding gardens, returning cats or babysitting!"
"We have numerous missions that come in every day", the Hokage said, "there is everything from babysitting to assassination. Each of these requests is -as you should know- divided into ranks, S, A, B, C and D, depending on their respective skill level. The village too is divided into skill levels, starting with me, then the Jonin, the chunin and finally, the genin. These are then handed out to ninja based on their abilities. And, if the duty is completed successfully, we receive payment from the client. You guys just recently became genin. D rank missions are perfect for you"
To the Hokage's annoyance, the four weren't listening, well, Chiko was but only passively.
"All you do is give lectures like that but! I'm not the trouble seeking brat you think I am anymore!" Naruto barked at the Hokage. How he found it in him to yell at the Lord third, Chiko would never know.
"Okay. If you want it that much…" the team was stunned into silence. We're they really given another, more high ranking, mission? "I'll give you a C rank mission. It's a protection mission of a certain individual"
"Who? A feudal lord? A princess?!", Naruto's eyes shone with delight and excitement, he was bouncing up and down.
"Calm down, I was just about to introduce him. Come in"
A man walked in, a bottle of sake in his hand, sipping from it, "what's this? They are all a bunch of stupid brats, especially the shortest one with the stupid looking face. Are you really ninja?"
The shortest one? They looked around, the shortest of them was…
"I'll kill you!" Naruto had an outburst, held back by Kakashi sensei.
"What's the pointing killing the person, we are supposed to protect, idiot"
"He could be a little nicer", Chiko looked him up and down. Greying hair, brown clothes, nothing on his person that would scream wealth. The likelihood that some bandits would choose him as their target was negligible. Chiko had the suspicion that there was something he wasn't telling them but he kept his mouth shut.
"I'm the super expert bridge builder, Tazuna. I expect you to provide protection until I get back to my country and complete my bridge"
Again, something stinks there but let's wait and see. He was sure that Kakashi sensei had also already picked up on it. He would be a lousy Jonin if he didn't, so Chiko didn't ask, simply gathering his things.
"Mom, I'll be out of the village for some time! I don't know when I'll be back. We just received our first C rank mission", he told his mother.
"A c rank mission already? You only became genin two months ago! I got my first c rank mission soon after graduating, sure, but it was wartime. We are living in peace! I'll have a word with the Hokage and-"
"We asked for it. The Hokage only gave us one because we insisted. Naruto especially was loud about getting a more challenging mission and I agree with him. If I need to weed one more garden, I'll go insane!"
"Well… if that's the case- just… try to be careful. My little baby, all on his own…"
"I won't be alone, I have my team and you and dad also taught me plenty", he reassured her, "we will be fine, it's a c rank mission, it's not like we'll encounter any enemy shinobi"