The Price Of Protection

As soon as Kakashi exited the Hokage Building, he realized Naruto was missing.

Sigh...

This team is proving to be difficult to manage. If they're like this before even leaving the village, Kakashi dreads to think what chaos they'll cause outside.

"Where's Naruto?" he asked, trying to keep his exasperation in check.

Sasuke merely shrugged, uninterested. Sakura hesitated for a moment, then pointed back at the Hokage Building, "I think I saw him turn around just now. Maybe he went back to see the Third Hokage?"

Kakashi felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. He was starting to understand the fatigue his own sensei must have felt. Naruto, in particular, was proving to be more troublesome than Obito had ever been. Reflecting on his memories, Kakashi led the remaining members of Team 7 back to the Hokage Building.

There, they found Naruto in a heated argument with a small, old man.

"Are you here to cause trouble, old man? I already told you I'm a Genin from the Leaf Village! I can take on your mission! The price is reasonable!" Naruto was nearly shouting, clearly frustrated.

Naruto had initially approached the old man politely, addressing him as "Grandpa." However, the old man dismissed him with a wave, telling him to stop causing trouble. The old man's dismissive attitude only worsened when Naruto showed his forehead protector, proving his status as a ninja. The old man seemed uninterested, scanning the hall for other Chūnin or Jōnin to hire.

Exasperated, Naruto blurted out, "How much would it cost to hire us?"

Dazna, the old man, finally looked at him, more out of annoyance than interest. He was trying to figure out the costs while eyeing the mission board.

Naruto, lacking knowledge of mission pricing, thought back to the earlier mission they were given—20 million ryo for a C-rank mission to leave the village. He decided that charging ten times less should be fair enough.

"Two million ryo!" Naruto declared, confident in his estimation.

Dazna's expression darkened. "Two million ryo? You must be out of your mind! I don't even have 300,000 ryo!"

Feeling insulted, Dazna waved Naruto off, dismissing him as a nuisance. Naruto, feeling justified, got increasingly irritated, shouting, "I think you're here to make trouble!"

The situation quickly escalated. Naruto, now genuinely angered, summoned a diamond sword from his system inventory and brandished it at Dazna. "You're looking for trouble, aren't you, old man?!"

"Naruto, calm down! We can talk this out!" cried Shenyue Izumo, one of the guards. He and his partner, Gang Zitie, rushed forward, grabbing Naruto before he could do something rash.

Naruto struggled against them, shouting, "Don't stop me! Two million ryo isn't that much! Why is it such a big deal?!"

Shenyue Izumo and Gang Zitie exchanged shocked glances. No wonder Dazna was upset—Naruto had unknowingly quoted the reward for an S-rank mission.

"Uh, Naruto..." Izumo began carefully, "two million ryo is a bit high, don't you think?"

"Impossible!" Naruto retorted, his voice rising. "The old man from the Third just gave us a C-rank mission with a reward of 20 million ryo for leaving the village for a month! I'm asking for ten times less!"

Izumo and Zitie fell silent, awkwardly remembering their own involvement in raising the 20 million ryo. The entire village had contributed, including many of the ninjas, to get Team 7 out of the village. The Hyuga clan had been particularly generous, for reasons well understood by those in the know.

Kakashi, who had arrived just in time to witness the commotion, couldn't believe his eyes. Not even five minutes had passed, and Naruto was already causing trouble. He sighed deeply.

Kami-sama, when is Jiraiya-sama coming back? Kakashi thought. This kid is Jiraiya's disciple's son... Surely it makes sense to leave him to Jiraiya-sama when the time comes?

Rubbing his temples, Kakashi approached Naruto and gently held his head. "Naruto... Two million ryo is an S-rank mission reward."

Naruto's face twisted in shock and anger. The realization that the villagers had collectively offered an S-rank reward just to get rid of him hit hard. The idea that his village didn't want him there, despite all he'd done, was a bitter pill to swallow.

Seeing the tension rise, everyone around Naruto—including Kakashi—held their breath, fearing he might lose control and let the Nine-Tails' chakra loose.

Kakashi, sensing the need for a diversion, addressed the old man. "So, you're looking for an escort mission to the Land of Waves?"

Dazna, a bit calmer now, nodded. "Yes, but I can only afford 250,000 ryo."

As the tension eased, Kakashi pondered the situation. The mission itself was straightforward enough, but handling Naruto's unpredictable behavior would be the real challenge. The mission might just turn out to be more complicated than anyone had anticipated.