The sun was barely up, but Naruto was already at the gate, waiting for his teammates. His stomach rumbled, but he didn't care. The morning air was fresh, and his muscles felt loose and ready. After weeks of private training, he was eager to put it all to the test.
Today wasn't going to be just another ordinary day.
A simple C-rank mission—escort a merchant through the forest. That was the mission, and normally, a team of genin would have no trouble with it. But Naruto could already feel something was off. Maybe it was just his gut, but the feeling gnawed at him.
"Late as always, huh?" Naruto grinned as he saw Sasuke and Sakura approach, their footsteps quick but no signs of urgency. Kakashi, as usual, appeared last, his silver hair barely visible behind the corner of the gate.
"Ready?" Kakashi asked, his eye narrowing as he scanned the area, ever cautious. He'd been a little more attentive to Naruto lately, but it didn't seem to matter to him. Naruto was still Naruto—reckless, headstrong, and unpredictable.
"Let's go!" Naruto said, not waiting for any further instruction.
The merchant they were assigned to escort greeted them with a nervous smile, his wide-brimmed hat making it hard to see his face clearly. He carried a heavy sack of goods that rattled with coins and trinkets.
As the team made their way through the dense forest path, Naruto kept his senses sharp. The mission seemed too simple, and there was something about the merchant's jittery demeanor that didn't sit right.
They moved in silence, Sasuke walking ahead, Sakura scanning their surroundings. Naruto's eyes darted from tree to tree, his hand on a kunai at his hip. The wind beneath his feet felt... wrong. It was too quiet.
Then, just as they entered a clearing, it happened.
A burst of movement erupted from the trees. From every direction, cloaked figures dropped down, surrounding them in seconds. Their chakra felt strange—like it didn't belong to the normal shinobi ranks. Something was off.
Naruto's instincts kicked in.
"Get ready!" Kakashi shouted, immediately moving to protect the merchant. He threw a kunai in the direction of the nearest attacker. But before the enemy could even react, Naruto was already there, his feet a blur.
He was fast—faster than they expected.
The first cloaked figure lunged at him with a kunai. Naruto didn't flinch. With a twist of his body, he sidestepped, spinning into a perfect counter. His elbow cracked the man's ribs, and in an instant, a gust of wind sent him flying into a tree with bone-shattering force.
"Wind jutsu, huh?" Sasuke muttered, raising an eyebrow as he observed Naruto's style.
Naruto grinned back, his eyes shining with excitement. He wasn't just using wind for show—his chakra flow was perfect, a silent storm rolling beneath every strike. No wasted energy.
His clones appeared, popping into existence with each use of Shadow Clone Jutsu. One took the merchant to safety, while the others joined the fight.
Kakashi, now facing off with one of the attackers, nodded approvingly at Naruto's control. The kid was strong—stronger than he'd expected.
But Naruto wasn't stopping there. His clones, using the wind chakra to reinforce their attacks, tore through the enemies with ease, sending them back in chaos.
But the fight wasn't over.
The last enemy stepped forward, an older-looking man with deep red markings across his arms. He was different—more composed. His chakra was stronger.
"You're strong, kid," the man said, sizing Naruto up. "But I won't go down so easily."
Naruto grinned. "Bring it!"
The enemy moved quickly, chakra crackling in the air, sending shockwaves through the clearing. But Naruto wasn't caught off guard. He could feel the flow of energy long before it reached him.
"Wind style—cutting gale!" Naruto shouted, thrusting his hand forward.
A powerful gust of wind exploded from his palm, cutting through the air like a blade. The man dodged, but barely, his arm grazing the attack as he recoiled.
Sasuke took advantage of the opening, moving in with a kunai. The battle was ending fast.
The enemy collapsed, defeated. Naruto wiped the sweat off his brow, already moving to check on the merchant. Sasuke stood over the last fallen foe, his gaze fixed.
The mission was over, but the rush of battle still pumped through his veins.
Kakashi gave Naruto a look of approval, his one visible eye crinkling into a small smile. "Good work, Naruto."
Naruto grinned. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei! I told you I'd be ready!"
Sasuke didn't say anything, but there was a flicker of acknowledgment in his gaze.
Sakura, on the other hand, was still processing what had happened. She looked at Naruto with wide eyes, not quite sure how to feel about how easily he handled the enemies.
Naruto gave her a thumbs-up, his grin never fading. "Piece of cake, right?"
Kakashi sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Let's head back to the village. It's been a long day."
As they walked back toward Konoha, Naruto felt a strange calm settling over him. The mission had been easy, but it had proven one thing:
He wasn't just a student anymore. He was already a force to be reckoned with.
And this was only the beginning.