Chapter 23: D-Rank Mission
After another round of... intimate discussion, Orochimaru ultimately chose to follow Jiraiya back to Konoha.
At that same moment in Konoha, Naruto was picking up trash by himself.
"Yeah, right... 'teamwork'... 'mission experience'... So why am I the only one stuck doing this stupid mission?!"
Naruto grumbled, bending over to pick up an empty drink bottle and tossing it into the trash bag on his back.
People on the streets of Konoha came and went, some giving him an odd look, but they quickly averted their gaze.
He was used to being ignored, but today it felt especially irritating.
This was supposed to be a group mission for the Konoha Special Tactical Squad, but in the end, he was the only one sent out to pick up trash!
"Dammit, Sasuke is probably off training right now. Sakura's probably studying with the Medical Corps, and Shikamaru and the others probably just found an excuse to slack off..."
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He kicked a can at his feet, sending it clanging down the street until it hit a nearby wall and stopped.
A middle-aged man wearing an armband stormed over, pointing at Naruto. "Littering is a fine! What squad are you? Who's your Jonin leader?"
Naruto flinched, quickly running over to grab the can. "Sorry, sorry! I'll clean it up right now!"
The man huffed. "The young shinobi these days have no respect. Don't even know the basic rules."
Naruto kept his head down, saying nothing, but he felt incredibly wronged. They're the ones who littered in the first place! Why am I the only one getting yelled at?
Suddenly, the man froze, as if he'd been struck by lightning. He twitched, then immediately turned back to Naruto, his entire demeanor changed. "Oh, it's you, Naruto! Here, I'll take care of this. You just go rest on the side."
Naruto froze, blinking. He couldn't believe his ears.
"Huh? Mister, that's... not what you were just saying."
The man's expression became complicated, a dazed look in his eyes. He stared at Naruto for a few seconds, then broke into a warm smile.
"Ahem. I... I didn't realize it was you." He scratched his head. "You're... uh, the future Hokage! We can't have you doing this kind of menial labor, can we?"
"Future... Hokage?" Naruto's eyes went wide, shining with surprise. "Mister, what did you just say?!"
The man seemed to realize his slip-up and quickly coughed to cover his embarrassment.
"Ahem! I mean... you just look like you've got what it takes to be Hokage!" He bent down, grabbed the trash bag, and started efficiently cleaning up the area. "Go on, go on, I'll take care of this."
Naruto stood there, completely baffled by the man's sudden helpfulness.
"Weird... He was so grumpy a second ago, and now he's all nice? And... how did he know I want to be Hokage?"
Could it be? Has my dream of becoming Hokage finally spread through the village? Does everyone know now?
Looks like that Hokage seat is as good as mine! Naruto thought, grinning like an idiot.
The man worked quickly, and in no time, the surrounding area was spotless.
He puffed out his chest. "Naruto, if you ever need help with anything, you just let me know. I'm just an ordinary guy, but I've got a few connections in Konoha."
Naruto was even more confused. He asked tentatively, "Mister... have we met before?"
The man's expression froze for a second before he let out a dry laugh. "Ahaha, well... does that matter? The important thing is, I'm rooting for you!"
Just then, footsteps approached.
"Naruto! What are you doing?" a familiar voice called.
Naruto turned and saw Iruka walking toward him, holding a file.
"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto waved excitedly. "I was just picking up trash, but this mister suddenly offered to help!"
Iruka walked up, his gaze lingering on the man for a second, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Mr. Yamashiro? What are you doing?"
Mr. Yamashiro immediately stood up straight, his face all smiles. "Ah, Iruka-sensei! I just saw Naruto working so hard all by himself, I thought I'd lend a hand."
"Helping?" Iruka glanced at Yamashiro, then turned to Naruto. "Since the mission is done, go turn it in."
"Oh! Okay!" Naruto nodded. His head was still full of questions, but since Iruka-sensei had spoken, he didn't think about it anymore and ran off.
After Naruto was out of earshot, Iruka said, "Mr. Yamashiro, it's better to let Naruto do these D-Rank missions himself. He still needs the practice."
Yamashiro replied, "I know, I just saw the kid working hard and wanted to help." He felt his excuse was a bit weak and quickly added, "Besides... back in our day, missions were always done in teams of three..."
"Times have changed, Mr. Yamashiro."
Naruto ran happily toward the Mission Hall. That "future Hokage" comment from Mr. Yamashiro had him thrilled.
It was the first time since he'd had the dream that someone had actually, openly acknowledged it.
Soon, Naruto arrived at the Mission Hall.
He pushed open the door and walked up to the ninja at the registry desk.
"Hi! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm here to turn in my D-Rank mission! The trash-collecting is all done!"
The desk ninja looked up, and his face immediately broke into a smile. "Ah, Naruto! Good job on the mission! You worked hard. Here's your pay."
As he spoke, he handed Naruto a pouch of money, but also added a few extra bills. "And this is a bonus. Keep up the good work!"
Naruto took the money, stunned. "Thanks! But... why am I getting a bonus?"
"Because you did a great job!" the ninja said, smiling. "A young shinobi as serious and responsible as you deserves a bonus. Keep at it. You have a bright future!"
"A bright future?" Naruto scratched his head. "What do you mean?"
The desk ninja paused for a second, then chuckled, clapping Naruto on the shoulder. "It means you've got guts, kid. You don't give up, no matter what. A shinobi like that is bound to do great things. You might even... really achieve that dream of yours to become Hokage."
"Become Hokage?" Naruto's eyes lit up. Mr. Yamashiro's words about being the "future Hokage" echoed in his ears. "Y-You know I want to be Hokage, too?"
"Haha! Who in Konoha doesn't know you want to be Hokage?"