The morning sun cast a golden glow over the Hokage's office as Kakashi led his newly minted Genin team inside. Naruto was bouncing with energy, Sasuke was as stoic as ever, and Sakura was trying to maintain some semblance of professionalism.
Naruto pumped his fist. "Alright, old man! Give us a real mission! Something awesome! Maybe taking down a bandit camp or stopping a rogue ninja!"
The Third Hokage chuckled, exhaling smoke from his pipe. "Not quite, Naruto. You and your team will be assigned standard D-rank missions for now."
Naruto blinked. "...D-rank?"
Iruka, who stood beside the Hokage with a clipboard, cleared his throat. "Yes, D-rank missions are perfect for new Genin. They help build teamwork, responsibility, and real-world experience."
Naruto crossed his arms. "Yeah, yeah. But what is the mission?"
Iruka glanced at the list. "Your first assignment is... helping a local farmer pick weeds from his field."
Silence.
Naruto's eye twitched. "You're kidding, right?"
Sasuke let out a small, irritated sigh, while Sakura looked equally unimpressed. Kakashi, however, seemed completely at ease.
"Sounds fun," he said casually. "Let's get to work, shall we?"
A Day in the Life of a D-Rank Ninja
The farm was a vast stretch of land, overgrown with weeds that reached up to their knees. The farmer, an elderly man with a straw hat and missing teeth, grinned at them.
"Been needin' some strong young folks to clear this mess!" he said cheerfully. "Go on, now. Get pluckin'!"
Naruto scowled as he yanked at a particularly stubborn weed. "This isn't ninja work! This is manual labor!"
Sasuke worked in silence, efficiently pulling weeds without complaint. Sakura, meanwhile, was sighing every few seconds but doing her part.
Kakashi sat under a tree, flipping through his orange book. "You know, a real ninja doesn't complain about the job. They just get it done."
Naruto shot him a glare. "You're not even helping!"
Kakashi didn't even look up. "Leadership is about delegation."
Naruto groaned in frustration, but after an hour of struggling, the job was finally done.
The farmer beamed. "Great work, kids! Here's your pay!"
Kakashi took the mission payment and patted Naruto on the head. "See? That wasn't so bad."
Naruto grumbled. "I feel like we just got scammed…"
More D-Rank Missions... and More Suffering
Over the next few days, Team 7 tackled one menial task after another.
Walking an old lady's cat: Naruto got scratched multiple times, and Sasuke nearly used a fire jutsu out of frustration.
Painting a fence: Sakura tried to make it "artistic," but Kakashi just told her to finish it faster.
Helping at a construction site: Naruto lifted bricks while Sasuke and Sakura carried wooden planks. Kakashi, once again, supervised.
By the end of the week, Naruto was done.
"We're ninjas, damn it! When do we get to do real ninja stuff?!"
Kakashi hummed. "I dunno. I think painting fences and catching cats is a very important skill."
Sasuke, despite his usual composure, looked annoyed. "This is a waste of time."
Sakura sighed. "I mean… it's kind of important. Right?"
Kakashi chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm sure something interesting will come up soon."
Naruto groaned, falling back onto the ground. "This sucks."
Little did he know, their next mission was about to change everything.