Change

In the alley, Ino cornered Naruto against the wall.

Dense golden bangs covered half her face, her blue eyes locked onto Naruto as she said, "Hey!"

"Does Sasuke actually like girls?"

"What?" Naruto tilted his head, looking at Ino with confusion, showing no sign of feeling interrogated.

"Bastard! You said it yourself!" Ino was a bit frantic, grabbing Naruto's clothes. "Don't play dumb! Naruto!"

"Then you'll have to ask Sasuke yourself." Naruto suddenly grinned, quite slyly.

"Ahhh! Damn it!" Ino was losing it, clutching her head and shaking it side to side. "Does he like girls or not?"

"I have a way to test it out." Naruto spoke up at the right moment.

"What way?" Ino jerked her head up.

"Konoha ninja get one group hot spring vacation a year." Naruto said with a smile. "When that comes, you catch Sasuke alone and just go straight to the Men's Bath—"

"Go die!"

Ino didn't get her answer, let out a long sigh, and gave up.

The Yamanaka Flower Shop was nearby. Naruto walked her there, then returned to his apartment. Compared to others, his relationship with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio was actually pretty good.

The next day, the two-day break ended.

Kakashi gathered Team Seven and told them the mission review had passed. Along with that, he'd taken on their first C-rank mission.

"Protect the bridge-building expert from the Land of Waves?" Sakura asked.

"That's right." Kakashi was unhurried, his dead-fish eyes drooping, hands in his pockets. "Perk up. This is your first C-rank mission."

"Although C-rank missions generally don't involve enemy encounters, anything can happen once you leave the village."

"Bandits, rogue ninja, pirates, ninja from other villages. Any factor could trigger combat and escalate the mission."

"Got it, Kakashi-sensei. You're so wordy." Naruto wasn't as down as he'd been in yesterday's rain, and couldn't help complaining.

That morning when he left, he'd thrown a bag of trash right in the faces of those gloomy-eyed guys downstairs, which put him in an especially good mood.

Those villagers were just keyboard warriors. When they saw Naruto pull out his Ninja Headband, they shrank back and shut up.

Kakashi didn't say a word, just reached out and knocked Naruto on the head.

"Team Seven! Meet at the village gate in thirty minutes! Dismissed!"

With that, Kakashi went poof in a puff of white smoke, vanishing instantly.

"I'm really looking forward to this mission!" Sakura said with a hint of anticipation. "I wonder what that bridge-building expert is like."

"It's just protecting a target." Sasuke spoke up. "Doesn't matter who it is. Kakashi said it—C-rank missions don't have combat."

"Boring. Might as well finish it quick and save time."

Naruto glanced at Sasuke and noticed a blue wrist guard on his left wrist.

"Naruto, what do you think the bridge expert is like?" Sakura turned to look at Naruto, who was yawning.

"No idea. Since he's an expert, he's probably a grumpy old man." Naruto scratched his face, unconcerned.

Half an hour later, at Konoha's main gate.

"Hey! What the hell is this? I paid good money! You're sending three brats to protect me? What's wrong with you people in Konoha?"

A scruffy old man clutching a wine bottle was yelling at Kakashi.

"Is this Konoha's attitude? How are you supposed to protect me! I'm a bridge-building expert!"

Sakura's face was covered in black lines as she stared at the tall, sloppy old man. She glanced back at Naruto, meaning you called it.

Kakashi was smiling and explaining, but the old man didn't believe a word, waving his arms excitedly.

"I'm Tazuna, the bridge-building expert from the Land of Waves!"

Naruto was getting impatient and shouted at the man.

"Shut it, old man. What's so great about building a bridge?"

"You little brat!" Tazuna got worked up, but Kakashi quickly calmed him down. After some back and forth, he finally agreed to set out.

Half a day later.

The group reached the border of the Forest of the Land of Fire. A little further ahead and they'd reach the ferry. But Kakashi's eyes sharpened, glancing left and right.

Sasuke noticed Kakashi's reaction and furrowed his brow slightly. His face stayed calm, but he was already on alert.

Naruto had known someone was following them all along. The Mist Ninja's tracking was just too clumsy. He wasn't worried, still humming a tune as he walked ahead.

As they walked, even Sakura in the group felt a chill. Naruto's meaningless humming made her uneasy.

Just as she was about to speak, something happened.

Two ninja suddenly leaped out from the bushes, each holding a Spiked Chain, and slashed straight toward Kakashi at the front.

In that instant, the muggy wind stopped. Naruto could feel the sweat clinging to his skin freeze in place.

That strange sensation came and went. The black-and-white picture suddenly flooded with color, becoming vivid. Ding. The mechanical synthesized voice rang in his head again.

And at that moment, the frozen scene instantly sprang into motion. Kakashi was cut down in a sneak attack, blood spilling everywhere.

Naruto knew this was Kakashi's Substitution Technique and ignored Sakura's scream beside him. The two ninjas, believing they had dealt with Kakashi, headed straight for Naruto, who seemed completely defenseless.

"Naruto, get out of the way!" Sakura shouted in terror.

But Naruto stood unmoved, as if rooted to the spot. Not far away, Sasuke clicked his tongue and gritted his teeth as he threw three Shuriken.

The three Shuriken temporarily drove back the two ninjas, and then Naruto finally moved. Yet instead of retreating, he charged toward them.

"Naruto! Danger!"

Sasuke was stunned too, but after snapping out of it, he didn't hesitate. Gripping his Kunai, he dashed over.

"Sakura, protect Tazuna."

Sakura only heard the words Sasuke left behind before she saw both Naruto and Sasuke rushing at the two ninjas.

Her heart pounded loudly, a flicker of panic rising within her, along with a trace of inferiority. They were all on their first mission, yet those two didn't seem nearly as afraid of fighting ninjas as she was.

Just as she was lost in thought, Naruto's voice came from ahead.

"Damn it! Are you messing with me?!"

"Options! Get out here!"

Bam bam bam, the two Mist Ninjas had already collapsed to the ground, bruised and swollen, while Naruto stood beside them muttering strange things and continuing to beat them.

Sasuke stopped mid-stride, a look of shock on his face. And Kakashi, who should have been dead, stood unharmed off to the side, shaking his head as he watched Naruto.