84: Chapter 84 Tazuna! The Troubles of HeightOuch!
Naruto cried out in pain.
Surprisingly, his rubbery head didn't swell up immediately like a normal person's; instead, it remained as bouncy as a rubber ball.
It bounced up and down twice with a "thump" before returning to its original state, and everyone present couldn't help but sway their eyes up and down with the rhythm.
"Alright, stop fooling around, Naruto."
Kakashi withdrew his hand and glanced at him with dead fish eyes.
At this moment, Iruka-sensei, who had been sitting next to the Third Hokage, responsible for recording and instructing the novice genin, could no longer stand it and sternly reprimanded him:
"Idiots!You're all inexperienced newbies!"
The path of a ninja is long and arduous.Everyone starts with the most basic D-rank missions, accumulating experience and honing their will step by step!This is the inevitable path!
"But Iruka-sensei!"
Naruto rubbed his still slightly throbbing forehead and retorted, feeling wronged, "Even so, we've already done so many, many, many D-rank missions!We should."
"Naruto," the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority, interrupting Naruto's protest:
"It seems I need to explain to you and your Class 7 what a ninja mission is!"
gibberish.
".These are the rules, and they're also for protection.Do you understand?"
After the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, finished explaining the mission ranking system with great care, and was waiting for Team 7 to digest and understand it, he looked up and found that the scene in front of him made his blood pressure rise instantly.
Naruto sidled up to Sasuke and Sakura, whispering excitedly, "Hey, Sasuke, Sakura, how about we go to Ichiraku Ramen for lunch?"
"Celebrating our upcoming first C-rank mission.well, we haven't received it yet."
"Idiot, you haven't even chosen a mission yet," Sasuke said coldly.
"Oh well, Grandpa will definitely agree!I want a super big bowl of char siu tonkotsu ramen!"
"Naruto!Be serious!" Sakura whispered, but her eyes couldn't help but drift to the window, as if she was thinking about lunch.
"You lot—!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's roar exploded like thunder in the office, nearly slamming his pipe on the table."Pay attention!"
Kakashi and Sakura instantly stood up straight, sweating profusely, and quickly bowed and apologized: "We are so sorry!Hokage-sama!"
Only Naruto shrank back when yelled at, but then a defiant look appeared on his face.
He turned around, his back to the Third Hokage, and drawled out his words with a hint of grievance and stubbornness: "Third Hokage.you always talk about these 'rules' and 'protection,' these meaningless things."
He whirled around, his blue eyes staring directly at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his voice carrying an unprecedented seriousness and a hint of hurt:
"But!I'm not the same person I was before!"
I've grown up!I'm no longer the Naruto Uzumaki who only knew how to get attention through pranks!
He pointed to the Konoha symbol on his headband, his voice trembling with emotion: "Why.are you still looking at me with the same eyes as before?"
After saying that, he turned around angrily again, crossed his arms, and looked like he didn't want to talk to him.
Kakashi silently lamented, 'I'm doomed.I'm definitely going to get a severe scolding, and even the C-rank mission I mentioned earlier might be ruined.'
However, to Kakashi's surprise, Hiruzen Sarutobi behind the desk and Iruka-sensei next to him exchanged a glance.Instead of getting angry, they both smiled gently, their eyes filled with relief and a touch of emotion.
"Hehehe."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his beard, his anger replaced by kindness."I see.Naruto, you've grown up too."
Looking at Naruto's stubborn back, he seemed to see that same angular, blond figure from the past, and said in a gentle but solemn tone, "Alright, since that's the case.I understand."
He picked up a new scroll, his voice clear and powerful: "Squad 7, Kakashi's squad!You are now officially assigned to a C-rank mission!"
The mission type is—Protect the target person to safely reach their destination!
"Level C?A protection mission?"
Naruto instantly forgot his anger, turned around abruptly, his eyes widening in surprise:
"Really?Third Grandfather!Who are we supposed to protect?The Daimyo?Or Her Highness the Princess?"
He could already picture himself as a dashing and imposing figure protecting an important person.
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand with a smile: "Don't rush.Next, I'll introduce you to the person you're going to protect this time."
He raised his voice towards the office door: "Alright, Mr.Tazner, please come in for a moment."
The office door was slowly pushed open, and a strong smell of alcohol wafted in first.
Immediately afterwards, a figure staggered in.
His hair was gray and greasy, his beard was unshaven, he was wearing patched and wrinkled work clothes, and he was carrying a nearly empty wine bottle.
His face was flushed, his eyes were glazed with drunkenness, and he let out a loud burp.His cloudy gaze swept over the four ninjas in the office, finally settling on the shortest one, Naruto, and he sneered without any politeness:
"Wh.what.hiccup.they're all a bunch of immature brats."
He swayed as he pointed at Naruto, reeking of alcohol, "Especially.that shortest idiot.he looks.totally unreliable!Hiccup!"
He seemed to think that wasn't enough, and emboldened by the alcohol, he leaned forward, almost bringing his face close to Naruto's, and questioned him:
"Hey!Kid!You.you're really a ninja?Or are you.hiccup.just here to make up the numbers?Hahaha!"
Naruto first wrinkled his nose at the strong smell of alcohol.Upon hearing the other person mocking him as "the shortest idiot," he immediately pointed at Sasuke and Sakura and burst into laughter, clearly gloating.
"Hahaha!Sasuke!Sakura!Did you hear that!He said you're stupid.uh?"
His laughter stopped abruptly.
He noticed that Sasuke and Sakura were looking at him with an extremely tacit, pitying gaze, and they both took a step closer to him without prior arrangement.
Naruto looked left at Sasuke, who was half a head taller than him, right at Sakura, who was also a little taller than him, and then looked down at himself.The air seemed to freeze.
Naruto's face instantly changed from gloating to disbelief, and then from disbelief to a purplish-red color of shame and indignation!
"You.you stinking, drunken old man!"
Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Naruto pointed at Tazuna and jumped up and down, roaring, "I'm not the shortest!No!I'm not stupid!"
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