Chapter 5

Naruto pointed to an A-rank mission on the board in front of him, pressing his right index finger hard against it.

“That one!” Naruto said. “That one! I want that one!”

“Naruto you don’t even know what it is,” Sakura groaned. “How can you want it then?”

“Because it’s an A-rank and…!” he said.

He looked at the requirements carefully.

“Involves the elimination of high powered shinobi…and death of an elite bridge engineer,” he read. “Of the Village Hidden by the Mist…must be of high caliber ninja to…complete.”

“It sounds violent, Naruto,” Hinata asked. “And kind of dangerous. For our first mission…couldn’t we pick one where we don’t kill people? Like…being somebody’s bodyguard?”

Naruto jumped in excitement.

“Yeah!” he said. “That’s the one I want!”

He then turned around to look at his sensei standing behind him.

“This one Kakashi-sensei!” he cried. “I want this one!”

Kakashi looked over from where he sat to look at the mission board as the room was empty save for them. The missions were unrolled scrolls pinned to a board suspended on the wall before them, each one listed with a big letter ranging from D to S. Naruto, Sakura and Hinata had just arrived at the board where assignments for ninja were posted, with Naruto gunning for an A-rank one. The assignments also had an expiration date and would be taken down if no one chose them in time.

Sakura and Hinata seemed to be scanning for lower ranked missions as he did. Sasuke reclined in a cushioned chair next to Kakashi, seemingly uninterested in their first assignment. At Naruto’s behest, Kakashi walked over to observe the mission he selected. Their sensei narrowed his eyes.

“Huh…” Kakashi said. “Seems the expiration date is in three days. Must have been posted fairly recently then. So you want to work for the Gato Company?”

Naruto shook with surprise at his words. He looked to Sakura and Hinata to see they were just as shocked as he was. The young ninja looked back to his sensei to find his expression stoic as ever.

“What?” Kakashi asked. “When I gave you permission to pick the mission…you didn’t even read it fully? Not very becoming of Hokage to look over such vital information as the requester of the assignment.”

“B-But the…” Naruto said. “The Gato Company?”

He looked to see that Kakashi was right. The Gato Company was the one requesting the assignment. Naruto stared in disbelief at the sight. It didn’t make sense at first that they would be given a request from the world’s richest and most evil mafia. However, rather than being utterly shocked he remembered some of the history books Jiraiya had given him.

The Hidden Leaf took assignments from just about everyone. He thought. At least, in the books Jiraiya gave me they did. Including the mafia.

“Yes,” Kakashi said, never taking his eyes off the mission. “Apparently Gato is requesting someone to kill the engineer Tazuna who has been hired to construct a bridge for the Land of Water. It’s linking the various isolated islands that make up the country for economic prosperity and greater transportation across the sea…”

He paused as he read more, Naruto’s heart beating harder with every word Kakashi spoke.

“Gato has apparently taken advantage of the Land of Water’s isolation through monopolization of its economy with his own company’s shipping capabilities,” he further read. “Tazuna is a danger to Gato’s continued monopolization with his bridge and Gato wants him dead for this. And apparently…those guarding Tazuna are high ranking shinobi from the Village Hidden by the Mist.”

Naruto had searched for knowledge to make him stronger. That didn’t end with knowledge about performing ninjutsu and techniques to make one stronger. He also wanted to know about the history and economy of the Hidden Leaf as it would be expected for a Hokage to learn about such things.

This is where the books given to him by Jiraiya and those he read in school differed. In history texts assigned for him to read the Hidden Leaf rarely did anything wrong and only fought defensively or when a large enough threat that threatened the world forced them to act preemptively. Those given to him by Jiraiya told a different story.

The Hidden Leaf’s entire economy revolved around having their shinobi act as mercenaries for anyone with the best pay. Naruto remembered. Even the history books given by my teachers admit that. But the difference between those not written by the Hidden Leaf is that no matter how evil those acts were, ninja of the Hidden Leaf had no noble intent or moral principles. Children were slaughtered under their reign and entire lands subjugated under their dictatorial rule. One thing that the history books Jiraiya always gave me always pointed out was the hypocrisy that village ninja had about not wanting to be called ‘mercenaries’. Apparently mercenary ninja were something different than regular village ninja even though they essentially acted the same way.

When trying to reconcile the two narratives of history presented to him, Naruto found it hard to understand them. He just assumed that the history given to him by his teachers was the truth and those given to him by Jiraiya were written out of spite by villages they had beaten. It was possible that the Hidden Leaf had enemies that disseminated propaganda.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

But then why would Jiraiya tell me it was real? Was a question Naruto asked himself that he could never answer. However…if I asked anyone…they would find out the history Jiraiya gave me. I can’t do that.

“Apparently Gato’s company monopolizing the Land of Water’s economy is hurting the Village Hidden by the Mist’s bottom line,” Kakashi went on. “And now they’re fighting against Gato’s organization to regain control of their nation.”

“B-But, Kakashi-sensei?!” Naruto cried. “C-Could…could we really-?!”

“Yes,” Kakashi said. “The Gato Company? What? Don’t tell me you’re unwilling to take the mission because of that…are you?”

He couldn’t answer. He stood paralyzed by indecision. Naruto didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure of what Kakashi wanted him to say. The Hidden Leaf Village was good, Naruto was certain of that. The people of the village just wanted to live in peace and while they may have feared Naruto, it was only because they were unaware of his true nature. His teachers were good people, his classmates were. If they were working for the mafia on this one assignment, it could be because the Gato Company wasn’t as bad as they were initially believed.

The Gato Company’s Hidden Leaf division must not be as bad as it is in other places. Naruto thought. From what I’ve read…some mafia groups and other bad actors are more tolerable and less violent in some areas than other places. Sometimes mafia are respected by villagers since they don’t kill civilians and will protect people from larger threats. It must be the kind of sector of Gato’s Company we’re dealing with right now. There are times that the Hidden Leaf would work with evil shinobi villages for the greater good. This is one of those times.

Another thought crossed his mind.

Or it could be that Gato has reformed. Naruto thought. From the history textbooks I’ve read, Konoha has a way of redeeming monsters. Gato might be a different person. I mean…Kakashi of all people would never let us work with bad guys. He’s a hero.

He then looked back at Kakashi, his single eye’s gaze seemingly boring through Naruto.

Then why is Kakashi asking me such a blatantly obvious question? He wondered. If the Leaf Village wouldn’t join up with criminal gangs unless it was completely necessary and ordinary people wouldn’t get hurt…then why is Kakashi asking so bluntly?

He tried to think of why Kakashi would give Naruto such an inquiry before thinking about the reaction the village had.

Of course! Naruto thought. My ninja reputation! A ninja’s reputation proceeds him and their acts on assignments spread throughout the village like wildfire! When a ninja fails or succeeds, has poor performance or disagrees with their commander everyone in the Hidden Leaf hears about it! Kakashi’s using this as a ploy to get me to obey him…lest the village thinks I’m a traitor.

He glared at him, somewhat angry that Kakashi would use his honor as leverage to comply.

If word gets out that I disagreed with the legendary Copy Ninja Kakashi then my reputation as a ninja would be even worse than it already is. Naruto said. I can forget about becoming Hokage if that happens. Making sure I do well on the assignment is one thing but disobeying my squad leader is a death nail for my dream.

“Of course not, Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto said. “I’m ready to do anything for the sake of profiting the village!”

He grabbed the edge of his forehead protector before moving it up slightly.

“You can count on me to do whatever for the Hidden Leaf!” he said. “Or die trying!”

“Good,” Kakashi said with a more upbeat tone. He then leaned over to look at Sakura and Hinata. “What about you two?”

The women looked a bit more skeptical about the situation. Sakura crossed her arms and looked to the side as she mulled it over. Hinata was staring at the floor as usual.

“The money for this mission is good,” Sakura said. “One hundred twenty million ryo is above average for even an A-rank mission.”

“The Gato Company pays well,” Kakashi said. “You should know that as high as your grades are, Sakura.”

“With that being said…” she said. “I say we take it.”

“Well…” Hinata said. “I-I didn’t know we would be working for the mafia…I don’t…I don’t want anyone innocent to get hurt.”

“You are a ninja of the Hidden Leaf,” Kakashi said. “Your life is owed to your country of origin that raised and took care of you since birth. Your family would be disappointed in you for being hesitant to take on such responsibility, Miss Huyga.”

Hinata nodded in understanding as she sighed.

“Besides,” Kakashi said. “This is a battle we are going to engage in. No one is innocent. We are all soldiers in this regard.”

“Well…” Hinata said. “I’m…I’m still afraid of dying then.”

Naruto turned to her and smiled at her.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll protect you.”

Her eyes widened at his words.

“Y-You will?” Hinata asked.

He gave her a big thumbs up.

“You betcha!” Naruto said. “I’ll protect everybody on my team! Especially you, Sakura!”

“Oh brother,” Sakura said with another eye roll.

Kakashi nodded, satisfied before turning to Sasuke.

“And you?” he asked.

The Uchiha just shrugged.

“Doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “As long as no one gets in my way.”

“Then,” Kakashi said. “Let’s go. Apparently, Gato is waiting for us in the Hidden Leaf. Staying in an inn until someone takes his offer. Better not keep him waiting.”