New Assignment

Team 7 was returning to Konoha by jumping from tree after tree. Since they no longer had any passengers, they were able to put their Shinobi skills to good use.

"So sensei, what are we gonna do when we're back at Konoha?" Sakura asked Kakashi.

"We make advancements in you three's training. Satsuki wants to learn how to wield a sword while you want to improve on your Genjutsu and nature transformation skills."

" Naruto wants to get started on training his Wind Release which is his strongest element with Water being second, Lightning being the third and Fire being the fourth."

" I will send you to separate teachers that specialize in those skills I just mentioned."

" Who will they be? " Satsuki asked curiously. Kakashi gave them an eye smile.

" Shinobi that specialize in specific Shinobi arts." Kakashi replied, making his three students sweat drop and groan at their sensei's antics.

Suddenly, a hawk flew towards them. Kakashi widened his eyes and held out his arms. His students stopped and stood on tree branches while the hawk perched on Kakashi's shoulder.

"It's a messenger hawk from Konoha." Kakashi explained while taking the scroll tied to the hawk's leg. He let the hawk fly back to Konoha after petting it.

Kakashi then opened the scroll and read the contents in it. He widened his eyes as he read word after word. His concerned students watched on as there was a tense silence around the atmosphere.

Kakashi sighed as he closed the scroll. "We've been assigned another mission from Lord Third. It's an A-rank mission." Kakashi revealed, shocking his students to the core.

A-rank missions relate to what is in a village or country's personal interests and are extremely difficult or dangerous to complete, usually assigned to jōnin. A-rank missions pay between 150,000 and 1,000,000 Ryō.

"Another one!" Naruto muttered while receiving the mission scroll from Kakashi.

"To sum it all up, an Anbu patrol squad spotted and sensed two Shinobi from Iwagakure crossing our borders chasing someone. Lord Third wants us to go stop them before they get too far in the country to cause a massive incident that could potentially start the next Great Ninja War." Kakashi explained. Naruto gulped as he read the mission scroll that held some more details about the mission.

" Sensei, why are they not sending people like jonins or Anbu to stop them? Why send us, a Genin team? " Sakura asked, getting nervous. Satsuki was silent, but she was also tense like everyone else.

"We're short of hands. Most jonins that have Genin teams are currently out in Konoha performing their own C-rank missions. We can't send an Anbu squad or a squad of jonin mixed with chunin because that might send the wrong signals to the Iwagakure Shinobi." Kakashi explained. Naruto handed the mission scroll to Satsuki who quickly read through it with her Sharingan.

"Well we are a first response team. It would make sense that gramps assign us this mission." Naruto commented. Kakashi shook his head.

"These days, Team 7's true purpose as a first response team is in name only. This hasn't happened since the Third Great Ninja War." Kakashi muttered. Satsuki deactivated her Sharingan and gave the scroll to Sakura who quickly read through it.

" Do we have any information about who the two Iwagakure Shinobi are? Do we also have information about who they're chasing? " Satsuki asked him.

" The Anbu's observations confirmed that the two Shinobi were chasing a Missing-nin from their own village. One of the Shinobi is the Third Tsuchikage's granddaughter, Kurotsuchi while the other is the Tsuchikage's 'shield', Akatsuchi." Kakashi revealed, Sakura almost dropped the scroll she was reading.

" The Tsuchikage's.... granddaughter.... " Satsuki gulped. She had never felt this nervous in her life, not since she saw the dead bodies when she entered the Uchiha Clan compound all those years ago.

"I think we all understand the severity of this mission. I want you all to stay alert at all times and proceed with caution as anything could happen in a mission, we experienced that on our last one. " Kakashi advised while also reminding his students about their C-rank turned A-rank mission they just completed.

"Are you guys ready?..... Alright! Let's head out!"

.

.

The journey was tense. It may seem like a small negotiation mission, but it isn't at all. All negotiations in the Shinobi world will have two directions, peace or war. The threat of a war starting was on their minds the whole journey.

Team 7 landed on a clearing as an Anbu operative landed in front of them. Kakashi looked at the Boar masked Anbu member who was standing in front of them.

"Report, Boar." Kakashi commanded as Boar nodded back at him.

"The two Iwagakure Shinobi are a few miles away, they're chasing the missing-nin as we speak. We will provide support if things go wrong, captain." Boar reported to Kakashi who waved back at him.

" Hey Boar, I'm told you guys I'm not Team Ro's captain anymore." Kakashi replied to him.

" In our hearts, you will be our captain forever." Boar muttered. Kakashi sighed as Boar used the Body Flicker Jutsu and disappeared in a blur.

"Let's pick up the pace." Kakashi whispered as he and his students used the Body Flicker Jutsu at the same time.

A few miles away there were two Iwagakure Shinobi chasing someone. Those two were Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi.

"You're not gonna get away with this! You will not start a war!" Kurotsuchi shouted at the man she was chasing.

"I'll do whatever I want, Kurotsuchi!" The man, named Gantetsu replied. Kurotsuchi gritted her teeth and performed a couple of hand seals.

She landed on the ground and looked at her target. "Earth Style: Falling Earth Spears!!" She declared as she condensed the mud in the ground. She produced a horde of large spikes that protruded from the ground in order to skewer Gantetsu.

Gantetsu gritted his teeth and applied chakra to his legs. He landed on a tree branch before blasting off it, zooming past the spikes that tried to skewe him.

"Earth Style: Earthen Stone Shoots!" Kurotsuchi declared after performing more hand seals after her first Jutsu.

She condensed the soil and rock in the area to sprout out in the form of large spikes that attacked Gantetsu from all four sides in an attempt to skewer him once again.

*PSSSHHH!!!!*

Gantetsu was pierced by the spikes. Akatsuchi landed beside Kurotsuchi. He widened his eyes as he looked at what the spikes pierced. It was a wooden log, Gantetsu had used the Substitution Jutsu.

"Earth Style: Rock Bullet Jutsu!!"

Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi widened their eyes as two giant rocks flew towards them. They jumped back and dodged the rocks that crashed onto the ground they were previously standing on.

They look at Gantetsu who appeared right before them. Gantetsu has a head of spiky dull-black hair, thick sideburns and dark-coloured, squinted eyes.

He was wearing the standard attire for Iwa shinobi which consisted of a red outfit that had one sleeve-a lapel which is usually found on the side without a sleeve and a brown flak jacket that had a pouch attached to it. He was also wearing mesh armour around his ankles.

"We can do this the easy way, Gantetsu! Hand over the scroll that contains information about Iwa's military!!" Kurotsuchi demanded seriously. Gantetsu scowled at her.

" Why should I, brat?!" Gantetsu shouted back.

"Because I know what you will do with it! You will share it with the neighboring countries, even Konoha! You want to start the Fourth Great Ninja War! I will not allow that!" Kurotsuchi shouted back while gritting her teeth. Gantetsu's scowl deepened.

"You know nothing about my plan! I won't hand it to you even if I'm dead!" Gantetsu shouted. Kurotsuchi's angered expression turned intoa serious one.

"Then I'll just have to melt you until there's nothing left of your body to fight back against me." She whispered before performing hand seals with Akatsuchi performing his own set of hand seals.

"Lava Style: Quicklime Congealing Jutsu—

" Earth Style: Stone Pillar Prison—

*POOF!!!!*

Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi stopped executing their respective Jutsu and squinted their eyes as a plume of white smoke suddenly exploded in front of them out of nowhere.

The plume of smoke cleared, revealing Team 7 standing in between Gantetsu and the two Iwa Shinobi.

Kurotsuchi widened her eyes in shock when she looked at Kakashi. "Copy Ninja Kakashi Hatake! What are you doing here?! This is Iwagakure's business!" Kurotsuchi shouted at him. Kakashi shook his head.

"When you entered the Land Of Fire's borders, it makes your business Konoha's business. Now Kurotsuchi-chan and Akatsuchi-san, please retreat back to your own country before you start another Great Ninja War." Kakashi ordered. Kurotsuchi gritted her teeth and shook her head.

" Can't do that, unfortunately. We're chasing a missing-nin who has stolen information about Iwa's military. Said missing-nin intends to share this info with the other Great Nations to start another Great Ninja War. That's why we can't ket him escape." Kurotsuchi explained. Kakashi narrowed his eyes.

" Where is he now? " Kakashi asked. Kurotsuchi sighed.

" Well, we were about to deal with him until you and your.... wait is that your genin squad? " Kurotsuchi tilted her head as she looked at Naruto, Satsuki and Sakura who all donned serious expressions.

"Yes, these three are my cute little students. Please finish what you were saying."

"Ah right, we were about to deal with him until you and your genin squad came in. He's gone now." Kurotsuchi explained. Kakashi hummed.

"Sorry for ruining your chance, but it's not too late to go after him. We will have to come with you, you are in our territory after all."

" So does that mean you're helping? " Kurotsuchi asked him with a surprised expression on her. She was expecting Kakashi to chase her and Akatsuchi away.

" Yes, but if any of you show even a hint of aggression towards me and my students, I'll send you back to Iwa in body bags. " Kakashi threatened while leaking a bit of his killing intent. Kurotsuchi gulped before nodding.

"Y-yes sir."

To be continued....