Next Day — 8:00 AM
As the sun was just started to rise Naruto quickly moved towards the village gates
Naruto arrived on time for once, standing at the village gates with excitement bubbling in his chest.
It was his first time leaving the village, and he couldn't wait to see what lay beyond the walls of Konoha.
He had always dreamed about the outside world—and now, finally, he was stepping into it as a ninja.
No one was late. Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke all gathered at the gate, just as scheduled.
Soon, their client arrived.
A disheveled old man with square glasses and an unkempt beard staggered toward them, a sake bottle in hand. This was Tazuna, the bridge builder.
He eyed Team 7 skeptically, squinting at them through his glasses.
"Are you sure these kids can handle this mission?" he asked Kakashi bluntly.
"They don't look like much… especially that blond one. He looks like the most unreliable of the bunch."
Naruto flared instantly. "Hey, old man! I'm totally capable—don't judge me like that!"
But his protest only made Tazuna more suspicious.
Kakashi, ever calm, stepped forward. "Don't worry, sir. They're all trained shinobi from the Hidden Leaf. We're professionals. We can protect you."
Naruto nodded firmly alongside Kakashi. He saw himself as a full-fledged ninja now—and didn't like being underestimated by a scruffy stranger.
His excitement dampened slightly.
why do they always doubt me? Do I really look that unreliable?
Naruto looked down at his outfit, adjusting his headband. He didn't see anything wrong with how he looked.
Forget it. I'll just prove myself later. Hopefully, something exciting happens so this stinky old uncle can see how awesome I am.
He sighed and massaged his temples.
"Oh! I forgot to check the development time for my new bloodline last night!" he remembered suddenly.
After a lot of back and forth, he had finally decided to develop the Nara Clan bloodline as his third one.
He'd looked at the summary panel before going to sleep:
---
Sample Identified: Nara Bloodline
– Kekkei Genkai: None
– Chakra Nature: Yin, Fire, Earth
– Estimated Time to Complete: 6 Months
---
Even though it had no kekkei genkai, the chakra types matched well with Naruto's development path.
The shorter time frame also meant it might be completed in just a month—especially if he kept training and taking C-rank missions.
That made it the perfect pick.
Now he summoned his golden panel again to see the updated development status.
---
[Development Panel]
• Uzumaki Bloodline
– Purity: 100%
– ∆ Uzumaki Physique (Infancy Phase)
• Uchiha Bloodline
– Purity: 9.47%
– Time Remaining: 4 Years, 4 Months
• Nara Bloodline
– Purity: 0.55%
– Time Remaining: 5 Months, 29 Days
---
Tazuna, still not entirely reassured, climbed into his carriage—marking the official start of their mission.
As the gates of Konoha opened, Team 7 stepped out of the village for the first time together.
They didn't move at high speed, though—they had to match the pace of their client's carriage.
While the carriage was decently fast by civilian standards, it was nowhere near the speed at which trained ninja could travel without interruption.
If they were traveling alone, Team 7 could've reached the Land of Waves within a single day.
But with Tazuna in tow, the journey would take around three days.
C-rank missions often took longer to complete, but the payoff was worth it.
The rewards were significantly higher compared to D-rank missions.
For a well-paying D-rank job, they might earn around 5,000 ryō.
But a single C-rank mission could pay upwards of 50,000 ryō—a big step up, even after splitting it among the team.
As they traveled, everyone took up their roles to protect the client, while Kakashi monitored them silently from behind.
Naruto and Sasuke walked ahead, scanning the road and surrounding forest.
Sakura stayed near the carriage, keeping close to Tazuna.
Kakashi took the rear, making sure nothing approached from behind.
They kept this formation until the sun dipped below the horizon and the moon began to rise.
By the time it was fully dark, they stopped for the night.
Kakashi quickly set up a campfire, both to keep warm and to cook food.
The forest air cooled fast after sunset, and the fire was a welcome comfort.
As the flames crackled, the team sat around in a circle.
Kakashi broke the silence.
"Since this is your first mission outside the village," he said, "let me tell you a bit about where we're headed—the Land of Waves."
Naruto and the others leaned in closer, listening as Kakashi began to explain.
"The Land of Waves is a small nation located on an island just off the coast of the Land of Fire. It doesn't have a hidden village of its own," Kakashi said.
"That means they rely on outside help—villages like Konoha—for protection."
He continued, his voice calm and steady.
"Even though it's a small, isolated island, it's been pretty prosperous.
Most of their economy depends on shipping—commerce, trade, and fishing.
The people there are mostly civilians: fishermen, traders, builders. Normal folk."
"Then why do they need us if there are no ninjas?" Naruto asked, tilting his head.
Kakashi gave him a look. "Even without ninja, there are still plenty of threats—bandits, mercenaries, smugglers.
And without trained shinobi of their own, they're easy targets. That's why they hire us—to protect them from those kinds of dangers."
"Hmmm… I get it," Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "So we're fighting bandits tomorrow?"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's not like bandits just pop up because you want a fight, Naruto. They're not that common."
Naruto scratched the back of his head, a little disappointed. "Still… would've been nice to show off a little…"
" Now end of discussion set up camps and go to sleep I'll be on duty for the night you all just sleep "
Saying this kakashi quickly dispersed them as they began to quickly set up their own camps for sleeping
After setting their camps Naruto Sasuke and sakura all got to sleep meanwhile kakashi was awake monitering the surroundings