Naruto: Binding Uchiha Sasuke, Hundredfold Return

On the day the new Seventh Team was formed, Kumogakure's activity did not cease.

After Kumogakure quietly took control of the Land of Wind, they arranged for Sunagakure shinobi to infiltrate the borders of the Land of Rivers and the Land of Fire. Meanwhile, the Land of Rain also saw a few spies from Sunagakure making their way in. However, since many Konoha shinobi were stationed in Amegakure, these Sunagakure shinobi were quickly discovered by an alert Jounin assigned to guard the Land of Rain.

A skirmish broke out, resulting in a few Sunagakure shinobi casualties before they retreated. With no prisoners taken, the stationed Konoha Jounin could only report the suspicious activity of Sunagakure to Konoha. However, this did not concern Kazuki.

He believed Sunagakure had merely entered the Land of Rain to cross it and gather intelligence in the Land of Lightning. Nothing worth worrying over. Even if Sunagakure intended to invade the Land of Fire, Kazuki had no concerns. With the Gekko Clan's strongest warrior, Kazuki, present, no minor village like Sunagakure could stir up much trouble.

...

The First Day of Team Seven

At precisely nine in the morning, Kazuki's students—Kawano, Rika, and Soryu—finished breakfast and arrived at the training ground right on time. Just as they wondered if their mentor would again be delayed by one of his usual distractions, Kazuki appeared from another direction, also on time.

"Good, it seems everyone here is punctual!" Kazuki smirked, glancing around.

Rika rolled her eyes. You think we're all like you?

Unaware of her internal grumblings, Kazuki led the three towards the Hokage Residence, fulfilling his duties as their Jounin mentor by teaching them how to receive, complete, and report on missions while helping them develop their skills. Just as Kakashi had once guided him, though Kazuki hadn't needed much instruction from Kakashi back then.

...

Hokage Residence

Without knocking, Kazuki pushed the door open, his students following closely behind, though Kawano and Rika hesitated slightly, looking like cautious thieves.

"Hokage, I'm here to pick up a D-rank mission," Kazuki announced.

"Kazuki-dono, you're here!"

"Hokage, no need to be so formal…"

"Didn't we agree? You call me Hokage, and I'll call you Kazuki-dono!"

"Fine," Kazuki muttered, picking up a scroll filled with D-rank missions. He selected a simple one: locating a missing pet.

"This one will do."

"All right. Red, note down Team Seven's assignment!"

"Yes, Hokage-sama~"

Once Red had recorded the assignment in a scroll, they were done. Kazuki nodded and turned to leave. Kawano, Rika, and Soryu were in awe, having never seen the Hokage show such respect to anyone before.

"Sensei, are you stronger than the Hokage?" Rika asked, curious.

"Yes," Kazuki answered bluntly.

"Then why don't you become the Hokage yourself?"

"Too much work. Being Hokage is exhausting," Kazuki replied nonchalantly.

His response made perfect sense to his students, who had already noticed his laid-back approach. He finally shared the details of their mission: finding a missing pet cat for a wealthy merchant's daughter before sundown.

Kazuki held up a photograph. The cat had a colorful face, mostly orange and white fur, a red ribbon tied around its tail, and a small golden bell around its neck—a pampered pet by any standard.

"Look how cute this little cat is!" Kawano commented, while Rika excitedly pondered getting a pet of her own.

"Remember the cat's details so you don't miss it when you see it," Kazuki said.

"Got it, Kazuki-sensei! I might not be the best fighter, but I can definitely find a cat!"

Kazuki raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "I hope so. Now, split up and search. In two hours, regardless of whether you find the cat, meet at Training Ground Seven. If any of you find it first, you can claim extra pay for this mission."

"Really?" Rika's eyes sparkled.

"Really."

Two hours later, Rika and Soryu returned to Training Ground Seven, both visibly disappointed. Kawano arrived last, calm and composed but without the cat in hand, clearly also unsuccessful in the mission.

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The fanfic is finished on p@treon/tambeerg