Tazuna

The Hokage Building.

Inside the Hokage's office.

"Grandpa Hokage, please! I'm not a little kid anymore... I'm a ninja now."

"I don't want to do those low-level missions anymore~!"

"Give us some high-level missions! Finding cats and dogs... We've had enough!"

Naruto stepped up to the Hokage's desk and raised his hand, intending to slam it down hard.

But after his hand hovered in the air for a few seconds, he slowly lowered it again.

He looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi's smiling face.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but Naruto suddenly found the kindly old face he'd always known a little disgusting.

He pursed his lips and muttered, "Teacher Cangwu said we shouldn't treat the strongest person in the village so rudely... Grandpa Hokage is a great hero who protects Konoha."

Inside, though, he was full of disdain.

I don't believe this pervy old man is the strongest!

Hiruzen Sarutobi, on the other hand,

was grinning so broadly that his old face crinkled like a blooming chrysanthemum.

He looked at Naruto, who was being more or less polite.

Then he took a deep breath.

He nodded to himself.

He was incredibly glad he'd made Cangwu Team 7's Jonin Instructor.

Just look at him! Naruto could actually be called polite now!

As expected of a teacher who'd learned from me.

Sigh... It really does take someone else to make people understand how much I've sacrificed over the years.

Naruto, you must learn my Will of Fire from Cangwu.

He turned to Cangwu and nodded appreciatively.

Sasuke took in Hiruzen Sarutobi's little gestures, his brows knitting slightly.

Then he folded his arms and turned away.

Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi's face made him feel sick; he got goosebumps.

Sakura stood properly beside Cangwu.

Sensing the strange atmosphere, she cautiously glanced at Cangwu.

There was nothing amiss on Cangwu's face; he still wore a gentle smile.

Only then did she relax a little.

They'd been standing around for quite a while.

Yet Hiruzen Sarutobi still hadn't given them a clear answer.

Bored, Sakura began sneaking occasional glances around the Hokage's office.

"Sorry, Hokage-sama."

"Naruto, was that the right attitude?"

Cangwu said it that way, but Naruto could tell there was no reproach in his tone.

"It's all right."

"It's normal for young people to be impatient."

Before Naruto could say anything, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately used Cangwu's words to earn Naruto's goodwill.

Before, Naruto would have acted disdainful on the outside, but secretly felt pleased.

Now, though...

"So, do we have a high-level mission?!"

Looking at Naruto, Hiruzen Sarutobi was briefly lost in thought.

It was as if he were seeing the previous Team 7.

The infamous Yellow-Gambler... ahem, the Legendary Sannin.

Of course, that had little to do with the strongest Hokage.

He meant their strength.

"Ahem..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed twice to hide his lapse.

Looking at them now, this generation of Team 7 really was similar... flat-chested, brainless, and calm... but also not.

The old man shook his head and looked at Cangwu.

A hint of hesitation appeared in his eyes.

Cangwu was good in every way, except he took the Will of Fire too seriously... Would he understand what Hiruzen meant?

Hiruzen Sarutobi was still uncertain about that.

But this mission was rather special.

If Kakashi were the Jonin Instructor, he would certainly understand what Hiruzen meant.

But... you couldn't gain something without giving something up.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, feeling a little troubled, blurted out without thinking:

"Wherever the leaves of the village dance, the fire will continue to burn. The flames will illuminate the village and make the new leaves sprout."

"Yeah~!"

"Just as you'd expect from the Hokage~!"

Cangwu immediately applauded.

The three kids twitched at the corners of their eyes, then joined Cangwu in clapping.

"Ahem..." Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed lightly again.

He'd blurted it out before he could stop himself.

He picked up the scroll on the desk.

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Cangwu again, then picked up another scroll.

"Cangwu."

Cangwu took the scroll.

He looked down at it.

One was a mission scroll.

It said it was a C-rank escort mission.

The other was written in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand.

The corner of Cangwu's mouth curled into an almost imperceptible sneer.

"What mission? What mission?!" Naruto hurried over.

Thwack—

A heavy punch landed on his head.

Naruto clutched his forehead and groaned, then looked miserably at Sakura.

"Sakura-chan... What's wrong?"

Sakura fought back her irritation. "Idiot."

Sasuke folded his arms. "Hmph. You really are an idiot."

Naruto immediately felt wronged.

What had he done?

Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi said:

"All right, Naruto."

"We happen to have a C-rank escort mission."

"You're getting what you wanted, aren't you?"

The three kids were startled when they heard it was a C-rank mission.

Just as Teacher Cangwu said...

Should I do what Teacher Cangwu told me to, then...?

In the end, Naruto forced himself to smile brightly, despite his discomfort.

"Thank you, Grandpa Hokage~!"

"Hahaha... All right, Mr. Tazuna, please come in!" Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled and called toward the door.

Creak—

At Hiruzen Sarutobi's words,

the door opened.

An old man dressed like a civilian entered the Hokage's office.

His eyes were faintly bloodshot, his nose was red, and his gaze wandered.

He was holding a bottle of liquor.

He staggered toward them.

Before he even reached them, the stench of alcohol filled everyone's nostrils.

Naruto covered his nose, looking thoroughly displeased.

"Ugh..."

Tazuna let out a sound like a hiccup, then paused for a moment.

His gaze shifted from Hiruzen Sarutobi and Cangwu to Naruto.

"Are these brats really ninjas?"

"Hmph. Don't tell me you're just sending anyone because it's a C-rank mission?!"

"How could brats like these possibly escort me safely back to the Land of Waves?!"

Tazuna fired off three questions in a row as soon as he arrived.

Sasuke frowned and discreetly edged back a little.

Sakura couldn't help covering her nose, too.

It was hard enough to tolerate him when he wasn't talking.

Once he started, the smell was unbearable.

Before anyone could answer,

Tazuna took a swig from his bottle.

He glanced contemptuously at Naruto. "A fool like this can become a ninja?"

"You'd better hurry back to school!"

Then he glanced at Sasuke.

"This kid at least looks somewhat reliable."

Naruto and Sasuke naturally reacted differently.

Sasuke remained expressionless.

Naruto was visibly turning red with anger.

He could put up with someone calling him an idiot, since the other man was a client.

But to say he was worse than Sasuke?

That hit a nerve!

"Damn drunk, what did you say?!"

"I'm obviously way more reliable-looking than that brooding Sasuke!"

Sakura rubbed her forehead helplessly. Here we go again.

Tazuna ignored Naruto and looked at Cangwu.

"If this man were handling the mission, that'd make sense."

"But could you switch out the others?"

"He looks so clean and delicate. He'd probably go weak in the knees as soon as he saw an enemy!"