The mission desk was on the first floor of the Hokage Building. The morning market had just ended, and two teams were lined up at the window.
The team ahead came away with their assignment, heads drooping and the edges of the paper crumpled in their hands. Naruto rose onto his toes for a look, then turned and winked at his teammates.
"See that? Weeding. Good thing we didn't start with that."
The team behind them was eating rice balls. The smell drifted over, and Naruto's stomach growled.
When Team 7's turn came, Kiyoshi set the slip on the counter.
The Third Hokage sat inside, his pipe beside a paperweight, a smoke ring halfway dispersed. He adjusted his reading glasses, glanced at the counter, and read aloud.
"D-rank. Find a cat."
"We'll take it," Kakashi answered for the team.
"Hold on!" Naruto slapped the windowsill. "We're ninja, not a pet shop!"
Sakura tugged at his sleeve but failed to hold him back.
The Third Hokage looked at him over the top of his glasses for two breaths.
"Rookies start with cats."
He tapped his pipe against the edge of the paperweight.
Naruto opened his mouth but found nothing to say. He retreated to the back of the team. "...Fine. A cat it is. We're rookies, after all..."
Sasuke clicked his tongue, very softly. Sakura pressed her lips together, holding back a laugh.
An entire board of requests hung on the wall beside the window, papers piled over papers, the bottom layer already yellowed. Delivering letters, finding umbrellas, retrieving keys from wells-one layer covered another.
Kiyoshi gave it another glance, then looked away. The rules were just as the rumors said.
The cat belonged to the Hokage's household and had been missing for three days. The search area was circled around