Konoha: Starting with the Tenseigan and Taking Charge of Team 7

"Don't get the wrong idea, old man." Aogetsu Hyuga closed his book, walked up to Tazuna, and seized his beard. "The ten thousand you're offering will get you three Genin at most."

"I'm only here to accompany my students and watch the show."

"If you want a Jonin to take the job, go home and prepare a hundred thousand. I could take it myself, but you'd need at least twenty million." Aogetsu tugged Tazuna's beard and looked down at him with cool disdain.

He only accepted missions that paid over a million. Every difficult mission he had taken before involved capturing rogue ninja from other nations.

Some targets were even S-Rank rogue ninja, so his rates were absurdly high. And when he caught them, their bounties went straight into his own pocket.

"A hundred... a hundred thousand? Twenty million?" Tazuna spluttered, his eyes bulging. The sums nearly sobered him on the spot.

Forget twenty million!

He didn't even have a hundred thousand!

Scraping together the ten-thousand reward had already bled him dry. The Land of Waves was so poor now that even putting food on the table was a struggle.

A company currently controlled the Land of Waves and had seized every profitable port.

Tazuna had once been fairly wealthy, but he had poured everything he owned into building the bridge. The ten thousand set aside to hire ninja was his last lifeline!

But the real problem was this.

This flippant white-haired man had demanded twenty million right off the bat.

What gave him the right?

It was ridiculous!

Completely ridiculous!

Tazuna looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Mm." Hiruzen gave a slight nod, answering his unspoken question.

Even as Third Hokage, he couldn't send Aogetsu on a mission without putting up twenty million.

Ordinary Jonin didn't charge anything like that. But every mission Aogetsu Hyuga took was a difficult A-Rank or S-Rank assignment, and his completion rate had always been one hundred percent.

Uchiha Itachi was an S-Rank rogue ninja.

That was why Aogetsu's services came at such a high price.

Tazuna wasn't the only one confused. Everyone in Team 7 was, too.

Their teacher was always fooling around, grinning as he toyed with people. Could a man that flippant really be so formidable?

"Twenty million... How much is that? How many bowls of ramen would it buy?" Naruto Uzumaki counted on his fingers, utterly unable to picture that much money.

"I... I don't have a hundred thousand!" Tazuna glared at Aogetsu. As far as he was concerned, the demand for twenty million was pure nonsense.

What Jonin demanded a staggering twenty million for a job?

Who does he think he is?

What gives a flirtatious lightweight like him the right to ask for twenty million? He's just inflating the price to make things difficult for me!

"If you can't afford it, don't be so stubborn. Listen to reason." Aogetsu patted Tazuna on the head with a faint smile. "Anyway, as Team 7's teacher, I'll accompany these brats on the mission."

He needed Team 7 to complete the Master-Disciple Mission within two days so he could gain the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

Tazuna took a swig of liquor. "Sorry for the trouble."

He still felt Aogetsu Hyuga was less dependable than other Jonin.

But what choice did he have without money?

Aogetsu regarded him coolly. "The mission you requested is an escort job involving a few bandits, right?"

"The assignment is to escort Mr. Tazuna safely back to the Land of Waves. You may encounter some bandits along the way." Hiruzen Sarutobi read from the mission scroll.

Escorting the client home and dealing with a few bandits, with no ninja among the enemies, was plainly a C-Rank mission.

Aogetsu shot Hiruzen a look. "Old man Third Hokage, I wasn't asking you. Does your wife put up with you butting in all the time?"

"You little brat!" Hiruzen's face darkened.

"I-it's a C-Rank escort mission," Tazuna said guiltily.

"This pay is fair enough for dealing with bandits. But if we meet enemies beyond the scope of a C-Rank mission, my students could be in danger. Then I'll raise the price on the spot." A cold glint flashed through Aogetsu's eyes.

"And if you turn down my offer when that happens, I'm afraid you'll have to wait for death." Aogetsu smiled, but there was danger in it.

As someone who had crossed into this world, he knew exactly what the mission was hiding.

Protect Tazuna and fend off the Demon of the Mist!

He had already decided to raise his price when the time came. The Land of Waves might be broke now, but once the bridge was built, it would become prosperous!

Tazuna's face turned grim, but he said nothing more.

The members of Team 7 exchanged puzzled looks and glanced at Aogetsu.

They only had to escort Tazuna to the Land of Waves and deal with a few bandits on the way. What danger could there be?

"Let's go to the Land of Waves. Don't forget to bring snacks." Aogetsu walked out of the office.

"Teacher Aogetsu, we're going on a mission!" Sakura Haruno protested. Why bring snacks? Were they going on a picnic?

Tazuna watched Aogetsu's retreating back and sighed inwardly.

Oh, dear.

Could that flippant man know something?

Impossible!

If Aogetsu knew, why would he willingly lead Team 7 to their deaths?

Was Aogetsu Hyuga even strong?

If he turned out to be weak, they'd all die!

Soon, Team 7 left the village with Tazuna in tow and Aogetsu leading the way...

Obtaining the Rumble-Rumble Fruit! ### In the Land of Waves.

The sun blazed in a cloudless sky.

"What kind of plant is that? I've never seen one before." Naruto Uzumaki, carrying a huge backpack, looked around like a tourist. It was his first mission away from the village, and he could barely contain his excitement.

Sasuke Uchiha walked with his hands in his pockets and a tiny backpack on his shoulders. He gave Naruto a cool glance. "Idiot. While you're strolling around acting stupid, an enemy could appear at any moment."

Sakura Haruno, also carrying a small backpack, glared at Naruto. "You should learn from Sasuke. We're escorting a client, so we need to stay alert."

Naruto was the only member of Team 7 who had followed Aogetsu's advice and brought plenty of snacks.

"Tch. What's so great about that show-off Sasuke? Of course I remember the mission. Some vicious bandits might show up." Naruto pulled out a Kunai and scanned left, then right, putting on an exaggerated show of vigilance.

"I'm watching for enemies! Even if bandits show up, I can beat them easily!"

"Complete moron. Enemies aren't going to march right up to us," Sasuke Uchiha sneered. "They're probably waiting for us to lower our guard before they strike and kill the client."

Team 7 had already entered the Land of Waves without encountering a single bandit since leaving the village.

Either the bandits had given up, or they were waiting until everyone relaxed before attacking.

"Sasuke's so cool!" Sakura Haruno gazed at his aloof face, starry-eyed, then glanced at Naruto with disdain. "Compared to him, Naruto..."

Even on his first mission outside the village, Sasuke could analyze the situation so calmly.

He's amazing.

"Damn it! What a show-off. He just wants the spotlight!" Naruto gritted his teeth and glared at Sasuke beside him.

"They're only a few bandits. We can handle them without trying." Aogetsu reached into Naruto's backpack, took out a bag of salt-and-pepper potato chips, and opened it. He glanced at Tazuna. "Right, old man?"

Tazuna's heart lurched. His eyes darted away, and he forced out a guilty, "Uh... yeah."

Naruto saw Aogetsu take the chips and scowled. "Teacher Aogetsu, I paid for those snacks! You only told us to bring them because you wanted to eat them yourself!"

Aogetsu held up a chip and waved it. "Want some? Don't be shy."

He liked snacks, but carrying a big bag of them was a nuisance. That was why he had told Naruto to buy some.

"That's what I'm saying! They're my chips!" Naruto snapped.

Sakura watched Aogetsu's laid-back manner and complained, "Naruto may be an idiot, Teacher Aogetsu, but could you at least take this seriously? We're on a mission."

From start to finish, Aogetsu had acted as though he were on vacation rather than a mission.

Sakura couldn't be as relaxed as him. This was a difficult C-Rank mission.

Even if their enemies were only a few bandits, one careless mistake could get them killed!

"No need to worry. If danger comes, we'll use the old man as bait and run for it." Aogetsu smacked Sakura's round backside.

"Is that something an escort is supposed to say? And where do you think you're touching?" Her backside stung, and a blush spread across her fair cheeks as she glared at him.

Jerk!

Pervert!

Why does Teacher Aogetsu keep taking advantage of me?

Is he just a lech?

Or... does he like girls like me?

Oh my gosh!

Does Teacher Aogetsu like me?

Sakura's face turned scarlet. She glanced shyly at Aogetsu, then stole a look at Sasuke.

Teacher Aogetsu was handsome, sure, but calm, composed Sasuke was handsome too.

What do I do? It's so hard to choose!

"I know I'm handsome, but don't get carried away. I only touched you because you're the only woman here." Aogetsu ate a chip and looked calmly at the blushing Sakura.

The journey was dull. He had to amuse himself somehow.

Honestly...

Her backside was small, but it felt pretty good.

"Sakura's such a lovesick fool," Naruto sighed.

"I was not getting carried away!" Embarrassed that her thoughts had been seen through, Sakura blushed harder and punched Naruto.

Thud! Naruto hit the ground and clutched his aching head. "Why am I the one getting punched?"

Teacher Aogetsu had touched Sakura's backside, yet Naruto Uzumaki was the one who got hit.

Why?!

Aogetsu glanced at Sakura. She had been frightened just moments ago, worried that an enemy might appear at any time. After their little commotion, she wasn't nearly as scared.

"Stop." Aogetsu raised a hand, signaling everyone to halt.

"Enemies?"

Every member of Team 7 stiffened. They drew their Kunai and moved at once to shield Tazuna in the middle.

Tazuna's heart sank, his eyes full of fear. He had long since prepared to die, but the dream he had yet to fulfill made death terrifying.

He wanted to finish the bridge before he died and bring happiness to everyone in the Land of Waves. At the very least, he wanted them all to have enough to eat!

"There's a lake." Aogetsu pointed ahead.

"A lake?"

The whole team stared at him in confusion. Tazuna froze too.

A lake?

What about it?

"Teacher Aogetsu, so you noticed it too! I spotted something wrong with that huge lake up ahead ages ago. The enemy's hiding in there, right?" Naruto gripped his Kunai and stared warily at the water, sneaking a glance at Sakura as he spoke.

Heh, Sakura.

Pretty sharp of me, right?

Finally, it's my turn to shine!