Chapter 61 A D-Rank Debut and a Drunken Revelation

Team 7’s first mission after the bell test was, as expected, a D-rank. It involved chasing down a runaway cat named Tora.

The mission was classic genin fare: a furry, uncooperative target, a lot of running, and the usual complaints from Sakura about the cat’s claws.

Satsuki moved with silent efficiency, cornering the mischievous feline in a deserted alley.

Naruto, with a surprising knack for animal whispering, managed to calm Tora down and even get a purr out of him.

“Alright, team,” Kakashi said, a hint of genuine approval in his visible eye.

“Mission accomplished. You all handled that… rather well for a D-rank. Especially you, Naruto. Who knew you had a way with cats?”

Naruto just beamed, scratching Tora behind the ears. “He just needed a little understanding, Sensei.”

Sakura sighed dramatically. “I just needed to not get scratched! My poor hands!”

Satsuki, ever stoic, merely nodded. “It was straightforward.”

Back at the Hokage’s office, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, watched them present the disgruntled Tora to his delighted owner, the Feudal Lord’s wife. He smiled, a plume of smoke from his pipe rising into the air.

“Excellent work, Team 7,” he boomed. “Another successful D-rank. What’s next on the agenda, Iruka?”

Iruka-sensei, standing nearby, checked his scroll.

“Another D-rank, Lord Hokage. Clearing weeds from the village gardens.”
Sakura groaned.

“More D-ranks? Can’t we get something more exciting? Something that uses our ninja skills?”

Naruto, though outwardly calm, felt a similar pang of boredom. After the intensity of the bell test, pulling weeds felt less like ninja training and more like… chores.
Kakashi, however, seemed to anticipate their thoughts.

“Patience, team. Every ninja starts with the basics. These missions build teamwork and discipline. Plus, they teach you how to endure the mundane.”

He gave them his usual closed-eye smile, though Naruto suspected he was secretly amused.

The weed-clearing mission went by quickly, with Naruto using a surprising burst of chakra to clear a large patch in mere seconds, much to Kakashi’s raised eyebrow and Sakura’s astonishment.

Satsuki, of course, matched him in efficiency, using her keen observation skills to quickly identify and remove the stubborn weeds.

By the end of the week, Team 7 had completed a surprising number of D-rank missions, each one showcasing their burgeoning teamwork and individual strengths. They may have been "boring," but they were certainly passing with flying colors.

One evening, after another day of uneventful D-rank missions, Naruto decided to take a stroll through the village.

The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. He was humming a familiar tune, the same one he’d been humming during the bell test, when he heard a loud, slurred voice coming from a nearby tavern.

“Stupid ninja! Always too good for a proper drink!”

Naruto paused, his enhanced senses picking up the scent of sake and a hint of desperation. He recognized the voice as belonging to an older man he’d seen around the village, often with a bottle in his hand.

He was known as Tazuna, a bridge builder from the Land of Waves.

Curiosity piqued, Naruto decided to investigate.

He found Tazuna slumped at a table outside the tavern, muttering to himself and nursing a bottle of sake.

“What’s wrong, old man?” Naruto asked, his voice friendly.

Tazuna looked up, his eyes unfocused.

“Huh? Who’s there? Another one of you fancy-pants ninjas, I suppose. What do you want? To laugh at an old man’s troubles?”

“Not at all,” Naruto replied, pulling up a chair. “Just thought you sounded like you needed someone to talk to. What’s on your mind?”

Tazuna scoffed, taking another swig from his bottle.

“My mind is on that blasted bridge! And that no-good Gato! He thinks he can just push everyone around, does he?”

Naruto listened patiently as Tazuna, fueled by sake and frustration, began to ramble about his struggles.

He was trying to build a bridge that would connect the Land of Waves to the mainland, a bridge that would bring prosperity and hope to his people.

But a ruthless shipping magnate named Gato was trying to stop him, using thugs and intimidation to maintain his monopoly.

“I need a bodyguard,” Tazuna slurred, looking at Naruto with bleary eyes.

“A ninja to protect me while I build that bridge. But the Leaf Village… they’re too expensive. And they only take C-rank missions and above for escorts, apparently.”

Naruto’s eyes narrowed slightly. He knew Tazuna was a civilian, and the Hokage’s office usually handled all mission assignments. There was something off about this. He could feel it.

A subtle flicker in Tazuna’s aura, a tremor of fear that went beyond just the everyday worries of a drunken man.

“You’re asking for an escort mission, right?”

Naruto prompted, his voice still casual.

Tazuna nodded vigorously.

“Yes! A simple escort! Just me and a few workers. Nothing dangerous. A C-rank at most, maybe even a D-rank if you’re feeling generous. But no, the Hokage said it’s too risky for a D-rank.”

Naruto’s mind began to churn. His unique perception, honed by his cultivator training, allowed him to see beyond the surface.

He could sense the intricate web of deceit and danger surrounding Tazuna.

This wasn't a simple escort mission.

The old man was lying, desperately trying to downplay the true nature of his predicament.

The presence of Gato, a powerful and ruthless figure, meant this mission was far more dangerous than a C-rank. It was likely an A-rank or even an S-rank in disguise, requiring high-level shinobi.

But as a cultivator at the Emperor realm, Naruto knew such distinctions were almost meaningless to him.

A Kage-level ninja, while powerful, was a mere infant compared to his true strength.

Even in this world, where chakra was the dominant force, his spiritual energy and physical prowess far surpassed anything a shinobi could muster.

He had trained in countless techniques, mastered ancient martial arts, and communed with the very essence of nature.

There was no way this mission, no matter how dangerous it truly was, could pose any threat to him.

He wished his step mother, Daji, was here.

She would have seen through Tazuna’s lies instantly, probably with a knowing smirk.

“Don’t worry, little fox,” she would have said, her voice a soothing melody, “even a thousand Kage wouldn’t be a match for us.”

Unfortunately, Daji had returned to her own world to attend to some urgent matters.

Still, her absence didn't diminish his confidence.

“So, you need help getting that bridge built, huh?” Naruto said, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. “And you’re willing to pay for it?”

Tazuna looked up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

“Yes! Anything! I just need that bridge. My village… they’re suffering.”

Naruto leaned back in his chair, the setting sun casting long shadows behind him.

He knew this wasn’t just about a bridge for Tazuna. It was about saving a village, about protecting innocent lives from a tyrannical force.

And while the Leaf Village might not take such a high-risk mission disguised as a low-rank one, Naruto Uzumaki certainly would.

He had a feeling this was exactly the kind of "interesting" challenge he had been waiting for.

“Alright, old man,” Naruto said, his voice firm but kind. “Tell me everything. And this time, don’t leave anything out.”

Tazuna, still slightly drunk but sensing the genuine sincerity in Naruto’s words, began to recount the full, grim truth of his situation. The threats, the attacks, the fear that gripped his village. As he spoke, Naruto's smile remained, but his eyes held a great curiosity.

This wasn't just a mission anymore.

It was a chance to see the world outside the wall.