IN NARUTO AS KURAMA

Amid the chaos of the collapsing rubble, Uzumaki Naruto stood frozen, his mind racing. The dust swirled around him, and his face paled as the weight of the situation settled in.

"What are you doing, Naruto?!" Hatake Kakashi's voice rang out urgently. "Save him, now!"

Naruto snapped out of his daze and dashed forward, joining Kakashi in digging through the rubble.

"Hang on, old man! We'll get you out!" Naruto shouted as his hands worked frantically.

After what felt like an eternity, the unconscious figure of Tazuna, the bridge builder, was uncovered. Kakashi quickly hoisted him onto his back.

"Meet me at the Ninja Hospital!" Kakashi ordered, disappearing in a blur of movement, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with Naruto close behind.

In the Ninja Hospital, Tazuna was being treated by a medical ninja. Shiro, observing everything from the shadows, sighed and muttered, "You're really unlucky, old man."

Naruto shifted uneasily, his guilt apparent. "Kakashi-sensei, I didn't mean for this to happen…"

Kakashi sighed, his deadpan expression unchanged. "It's fine, Naruto. It was just an accident. But try to be more careful next time."

Naruto nodded solemnly as he sat in silence. Moments later, Sasuke Uchiha and Haruno Sakura arrived, their faces full of concern.

"Is he okay?!" Sakura asked as she approached.

"We don't know yet," Kakashi replied. "The medical ninja is still working on him."

After a tense wait, the medical ninja emerged from the room. "He's fine now," she said. "Just be careful in the future, and maybe try not to use your missions as bumper car practice."

Relieved, Naruto rushed into Tazuna's ward. "Uncle!" he called out excitedly, startling the recovering man.

"W-what are you doing?!" Tazuna yelped, still shaken.

Naruto grinned apologetically. "I just wanted to check on you! Are you okay?"

Tazuna eyed Naruto warily, still unsure what to make of him. "You're ninjas, right? I could use some help."

Naruto tilted his head. "Help? What kind of help?"

"I need protection while I return to the Land of Waves," Tazuna said. "You've already injured me, so it's the least you can do."

Kakashi stepped into the room, cutting off Naruto's reply. "What exactly do you need us to protect you from?"

"It's just a simple escort mission," Tazuna explained. "A C-rank job. Nothing too dangerous."

Kakashi studied him for a moment before nodding. "Fine. We'll take the mission, no charge."

Shiro, watching unseen, shook his head. "A+C+C+C lineup for this old man? This is practically a setup for Naruto to handle solo. This'll be fun to watch."

---

The Next Morning

For once, Kakashi was the first to arrive at the meeting point, with Team 7 not far behind him. At around nine o'clock, a tipsy Tazuna finally showed up, clutching a bottle of sake.

Sasuke immediately grabbed him by the collar. "Are you serious? You're wasting everyone's time!"

Tazuna hiccupped, waving the bottle in Sasuke's face. "Relax, kid. This mission revolves around me. I'm your god right now!"

Before Sasuke could retaliate, Kakashi stepped between them. "Enough, Sasuke. Let's go."

With that, the group began their journey.

During the Journey

As they rested for lunch, Naruto sat beside Tazuna, curiosity sparking in his eyes. "Hey, uncle, what do you do for a living? You look like a construction worker or something."

Tazuna chuckled. "I'm a bridge builder."

"Really? The kind that hammers nails and stuff?" Naruto asked, intrigued.

"Yes, but it's not as simple as it sounds," Tazuna replied.

Naruto tilted his head. "If it's not dangerous, why'd you hire us ninjas?"

At this, Tazuna hesitated, his face flushing slightly. Kakashi noticed the shift and cut in. "Naruto! As ninjas, we're not supposed to pry into the details of a mission."

"Oh, okay…" Naruto muttered, disappointed, and fell silent.

As the group continued, two shadows emerged silently from the bushes, unnoticed by everyone except Naruto.

Two masked ninjas, armed with chains and swords, appeared behind Naruto, their weapons poised to strike.

"Naruto!" Kakashi and the others shouted in warning, but the blades were already descending.

Bang!

Naruto's figure vanished in a puff of smoke. Clone Jutsu!

The real Naruto crouched on a tree branch above, grinning smugly. "I saw you coming a mile away. Your hiding technique is full of holes!"

The two ninjas exchanged uneasy glances. "Not good! Retreat!"

Realizing they were outmatched, the ninjas began forming hand seals. "Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

A thick fog descended over the area, obscuring everyone's vision.

Naruto's excitement grew as he felt the tension in the air. "Finally, some real action!" he thought, his blood boiling with anticipation.

Naruto crouched low, his senses heightened as he scanned the mist for movement. He tightened his grip on his kunai, his confidence unwavering.

"Let's see what you've got," he muttered, a grin spreading across his face.

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