Naruto's Mischief

Sasuke snorted at Kakashi's words. Despite the praise, he felt he was still far from Naruto's level and his strength was still within human limits. He thought to himself, Uchiha Itachi! Just wait! I will kill you soon!

Naruto, meanwhile, frowned at Kakashi, his face showing a mix of frustration and determination. Hatake Kakashi! You've got a death wish! he thought. Though his physical recovery ability was a bit stronger, he worried about being expelled.

With a mischievous grin, Naruto pulled out a door panel he had been hiding and tiptoed behind Kakashi. His actions, though not exactly stealthy, drew everyone's attention. Kakashi's eyes widened, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. Why is this kid so obsessed with door panels? he wondered. Or maybe he's just thinking of his father, Minato Namikaze, and how to knock him over!

"Naruto! What are you doing?" Several people turned to Naruto, creating an awkward silence.

Caught in the act, Naruto grinned sheepishly. He couldn't very well backstab his teacher in front of everyone; respect for one's teacher was a valued virtue. However, in the world of Hokage, students backstabbing their teachers seemed to be a tradition.

Naruto raised the door panel, kicking up a cloud of dust. "The door's a bit moldy," he said, "I was just going to take it out to dry. Makes sense, right? Hahaha, Mr. Kakashi, you didn't think I was going to sneak attack you, did you?"

Kakashi gave him a deadpan look. If you hadn't just tried to sneak up behind me with it, I might have believed you, he thought.

"Let's go, don't delay the mission time," Kakashi said, trying to divert attention. He then turned to Dazna, the bridge builder they were escorting. "By the way, old man, about your mission... Isn't it a bit odd that a normal C-level escort mission gets attacked by ninjas? This sounds more like an A-level mission."

Dazna, avoiding Kakashi's sharp gaze, turned his head away, guilt evident on his face. Kakashi's intense stare and sudden change in demeanor had the old man fearing for his life. But then, Kakashi's expression softened into a smile as he looked at his team.

"This mission is now classified as A-level," Kakashi stated. "Do you want to continue or back out?"

"Continue," Sasuke responded coolly. Sakura quickly nodded in agreement, and Naruto, with a serious expression, added, "I'm in."

Relieved, Dazna smiled gratefully, though he quickly adopted a somber look. He started to explain, "Sorry, everyone... There's a reason why I—"

"Shut up! Skip! Skip!!" Naruto interrupted, not wanting to hear Dazna's sob story. He had little patience for backstory in video games, and even less for this. I'm here to complete the mission, not get dragged into a drama!

The rest of Team 7 sighed, rolling their eyes at Naruto's outburst. Dazna, who had been preparing to emotionally manipulate them with his tale of woe, was left speechless. Why won't this kid let me explain?

Naruto, sensing another attempt at moral manipulation, was ready. Moral kidnapping? Not happening if I have no morals! This mission is just a checkpoint. I'm not a hero here to save everyone!

Kakashi, confirming that his team was willing to proceed, nodded. They continued their journey without further incident.

During lunch, Naruto felt bored. He noticed the book Kakashi was reading and then glanced at Sasuke, who seemed lost in thought. Smirking, Naruto delved into his mental inventory, searching through the system for a suitable item. After a short while, he found what he was looking for and pulled out a book titled Breaking the Sky.

"This one's for you, Sasuke," Naruto said, tossing the book over. Sasuke, surprised, caught it and read the title, "Breaking the Sky?"

Kakashi, noticing the exchange, gave the book a suspicious look. Is Naruto reading questionable material? Did he get it from Konoha's adult bookstore?

Naruto, noticing Kakashi's discomfort, rolled his eyes. "It's not what you think, Kakashi-sensei!" Sasuke, intrigued, opened the book and started reading. Kakashi, relieved but still concerned, stepped back, mentally resolving to steer his students away from any inappropriate content.

"Naruto, Sasuke," Kakashi began, "you're too young for this kind of material. The adult world isn't something you should explore at your age."

Naruto sighed, exasperated. "It's not that kind of book, Kakashi-sensei."

Sasuke, after glancing through the book, nodded in agreement. Realizing his mistake, Kakashi tried to play it off, pretending nothing had happened. Meanwhile, Sakura, slightly disappointed that it wasn't what she thought, quietly returned to her meal.

Sasuke found the book intriguing, though the story of a "crane tail" rising to power seemed odd. Nevertheless, it provided a distraction from his usual brooding, even if only for a moment.