Fox Fire 3:

Years have passed and now Naruto is the Hokage. When his inexperienced son begs him for a high ranking mission, Naruto has to refuse. Unwilling to take no for an answer, Boruto leaves the village to do the mission anyway. There's no telling what this unprepared ninja will face completely alone. Well, maybe not completely. R&R please.

Naruto and its characters belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. This is just a fanfiction. I make no profit. This was just written for fun. The only thing I own is my imagination and the OCs that appear, like the kitsune.

Chapter 1:

After graduating from the academy, young ninja were assigned a sensei to further their training and take them on missions. The first missions they went on were very low ranking but perfect for the beginning ninja. These simple missions ranged from finding a lost pet to working on farmland doing odd jobs. There was very little danger in these sort of missions. Something a certain blond ninja hated.

So much so that he finally worked up the nerve to complain to the Hokage. Actually, he had plenty of nerve. He just wanted to stew in his rage a little longer to build it up a bit more. His father told him getting worked up would not make the Hokage listen any better. He would know, seeing as how the Hokage and the boy's father happened to be the same person.

"Assign me a better mission!" Boruto demanded.

"I can't do that," said the Hokage. "Take your pick from any of these missions. Those are your choices."

"But they're all D-rank missions! I want something better! Give me a higher ranked mission!"

Shikamaru leaned over in his chair to speak with the Hokage in a hushed tone. "Sound familiar, Naruto?"

"Quit smirking."

Boruto slammed his hands on the table to get his father to look at him. "I'm a great ninja. You said so yourself. How am I supposed to prove that if you keep giving me low ranking missions like this?"

"Because that's how it works," explained Naruto. "You just graduated. You're new to this. A ninja first starting out is given missions of this rank and then work up to the higher ones you want. Those are the rules."

"Then bend them! You're the Hokage. You can do it."

"No, I can't."

"Then what's the point in being the Hokage if you can't do whatever you want?"

"What I want?" Naruto raised his brow. "Sounds like it's all about what you want."

"You're my dad!"

"So I should give you special treatment? How is that fair to the rest of the village? To the rest of the ninja just starting out?"

Boruto was getting even more worked up by not getting his way. He expected to have a better mission by now but the conversation wasn't going as well as he had hoped. He tried to reason with his father.

"But I already did a bunch of D-ranked missions and completed all of them."

"You only went on two missions," said Naruto. He held up his fingers. "Two."

"But I didn't fail any of them."

"Two!"

"So what?" said Boruto. "I got experience. Now give me a harder mission."

"Two missions isn't enough. The whole point of giving you these low ranking missions is to give you experience so when you do eventually get a harder mission, you'll be able to handle it. You have to work your way up to those harder missions. You can't just get them out of the gate. They're dangerous."

"I know that. But I didn't fail any of my classes and I passed all the missions I've been given without breaking a sweat. I think I know what I'm doing. I can handle something tougher."

"He didn't pass by much..." muttered Shikamaru. "Just ask Shino."

"You're not ready for those missions yet," said Naruto. "You need more experience. Two D missions aren't going to cut it."

Boruto tried bargaining next. At least his version of it. "Alright, how about this? Instead of giving me an A-ranked mission, you give me a C or something. That's fair, right? I've already done some D ones so next comes C."

Naruto sighed, thinking it over. Shikamaru glanced his way, wondering if he was going to do as his son wished. It didn't take a genius to know it wasn't a good idea. Even those low ranking missions Boruto took were all local. He didn't have to travel far and he had his team with him. Even by some miracle Boruto was ready for something harder, were they? Naruto had to consider the rest of his son's team and not do just what his child wanted.

"Alright, I'll make you a deal," said Naruto. "I'll give you a C-ranked mission..."

"Yes! Boruto's celebration was a bit too early.

"After you successfully complete five more D-ranked missions."

Boruto just about threw a fit. "What?! That's not fair!"

"It's plenty fair," argued Naruto. "Two missions isn't enough to prove that you're ready. Most green ninja like you have at least ten under their belt before moving on to tougher ones. Consider yourself lucky I'm allowing you a C mission after completing eight."

"Seven," Shikamaru corrected.

"Right, seven."

That wasn't good enough for Boruto. "No way! I'm ready for a C now! I've already done D missions. I-"

"I heard you the first time. But two is not enough. Complete five more and then I'll give you a C." Naruto pushed some assignments forward. "If you pick one now, you'll only have four more left to go. If you're as good as you say, it should be easy. You'll do it in no time and you'll be off on your first C mission."

Boruto refused. "I wouldn't waste my time. Just give it to me now."

"I'll give it to you alright!"

"Naruto..." Shikamaru said in a warning tone. "You're arguing with a twelve-year old."

"He's pushing me. You saw."

"Who's the adult here?"

Naruto sat back down, sighing through his nose like a bull ready to charge. He had to calm down.

Boruto folded his arms. He wasn't going anywhere until he got what he wanted.

When Naruto ignored him, Boruto approached the table to take a look at the missions. Normally, ninja in his position weren't allowed to look through the assignments on the Hokage's desk, but Naruto told him he could take a look. Naruto was more lax than other Hokages. Either that or it was simply because he was the son of the Hokage. It was a shame that didn't allow him to go on the missions that he wanted, though he thought it would. What was the point in being the son of the Hokage if it didn't give him special treatment?

"This one." Boruto pointed to one of the papers. "I want this one."

Naruto looked at his choice. "That's a C," he said in an annoyed tone.

"I want it."

"I don't care if you do. You're going on five more D missions before I assign you a C. Those are the rules."

"It's not fair!"

"Everyone has to do it."

"But if the whole point is to gain experience, then I am ready! I can do it!"

"And the rest of your squad? Can your team handle it, too?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru was pleased to hear that Naruto was thinking along the same lines as he was. He, too, was looking out for Boruto's team. He was considering them as well.

"Then I'll go alone."

"You can't do that," Naruto and Shikamaru said at once.

"Why not?"

"Because these missions are completed in a squad. Not solo. That would be far too dangerous. If something bad goes down, there will be no one there to help you. That would be troublesome."

"Did you even stop to consider how they would feel about this? If they were ready?"

Boruto didn't want to lose his nerve in front of his father so he stood his ground and kept the same determined expression on his face. He was not going to back down. "Even if they're not as ready as I am, I still want that mission. I'll carry my team if I have to."

"Listen to me, Boruto. When I was your age, I wanted a higher mission, too. I felt the same way you do. But I had to take a whole bunch of D missions before I was even considered for a C and I complained every step of the way. I learned a lot. I gained experience and it's helped me in missions down the road. I'm telling you, you're not ready."

"The hell I'm not!"

"I get where you're coming from. Believe me. I've been there. I understand. But two missions isn't enough. Which is why I'm telling you to take just a few more and then and only then will I give you a C. It's not just to prove you can handle it. It's for your own good as well."

"I don't have to prove myself to you!" snapped Boruto. "I'm ready for this. Just give me the mission already!"

Naruto had enough of this redundant argument with his son. They were going in circles and he was sick of it and his attitude. "Either take the five missions or get out of my office. You're wasting my time."

To Boruto, that translated as he was a waste of time and that his father did not care about him. That he was unworthy and his father thought very little of him.

He was also upset that he still had not gotten his way. His father wasn't wearing down. No matter how much he repeated himself or how loudly he shouted, Naruto wasn't giving in. It was frustrating.

Boruto slapped the D-ranked assignments off the desk screaming, "Screw you!"

Naruto had a temper as well. "Hey, you little brat!" Naruto stood up out of his seat and leaned over the table. "It's not that I don't believe in you! Those are the rules and I can't change them just because you don't like them! They're in place for a reason and make sense. Stop being selfish and think about other people for a change! Your teammates might not be ready for this. These missions get dangerous and you have no clue! You're not ready! Not in terms of skill or emotions. Get more experience and then come see me about a more advanced mission! It's dangerous out there and if you're not ready, you won't be able to handle it and I don't want anything to happen to you!"

"I'll be fine!"

"These missions aren't a game! It gets dangerous out there. If you're not ready, you could get yourself killed! Every time you go on one of these missions, you're risking your life!"

"Like you care!"

"Of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't be saying any of this!" Naruto pointed at the papers on the floor. "D before C. Take them or you won't get a C mission or anything higher."

"I don't need them! If I take a C mission, then I'll gain even more experience! More than I would with a D. Let's skip the small stuff and get right into the action. It makes sense."

"You learn to crawl before you walk."

"But if you walk then you won't need to know how to crawl. So just show me how to walk right off the bat so I won't need the first part. It's a waste of time."

"Saying this stuff just proves to me that you're not ready. You don't know what you're doing. Some things you have to know first. You're skipping important lessons and skills that you need. You can't just jump in. And you can't expect to figure it out in the heat of battle. Be smart about this."

Boruto wasn't going to win the argument. Now Naruto was never going to give him that C mission because he felt Boruto didn't deserve it. He was proving to his father that he wasn't ready for an advanced mission. Especially with this immature attitude.

Instead of thinking the fault was on him, Boruto took it as his father having no faith in him.

Fuming, Boruto stormed out of the office. "Stupid idiot..." He turned once and yelled back at his father. "You're such an ass!" He ran into the hallway and kept going.

Naruto sat back down and slumped in his seat with a heavy sigh. Now that his son was out of the room, he felt calmer, but his stress levels were up.

"Shikamaru..."

"Yeah?"

"As my adviser... Where were you when I decided to have kids?"

"Hm?"

"You could have advised me not to." Naruto tuned to look at him. "Remind me never to have kids..."

Shikamaru laughed. "If only we could go back. Then I'd be happy to tell you. But knowing you, you probably wouldn't listen to me anyway. Always doing your own thing."

"Yeah..." Naruto sighed. "Just like my kid."

"Like looking in a mirror, isn't it?"

Naruto rubbed his temples. "I swear, I'm never having another one... This guy's a handful enough. Thank God his sister's still sweet and easy to handle."

Shikamaru patted him on the shoulder. "Thank God I only have one."

"That you know of," added Naruto.

"Don't even joke."

Boruto ran straight home and into his room. His response to his mother's welcome was a slammed door.

He kicked the side of his dresser and threw himself on the bed. "Stupid moron..!" He had a feeling his father wouldn't let him have his way, but he had hoped he could wear him down a little. Begging, demanding, reasoning, bargaining. Nothing worked.

He couldn't stand the thought of going through five more of those boring missions where he never had to draw his weapon once. They were a waste of his time and skills. He could do so much. He could make Shadow Clones just like his father. He had a lot of energy and chakra. Even his father had told him he had what it took to be a great ninja. Now all he had to do was prove it.

He had a lot to live up to. His father was the Hokage, so it was expected that his children would be great, too. He had to impress people and be a great ninja. Even surpass his own father. It wasn't just his bloodline he had to live up to. It was his teammate. She was the daughter of Sakura and Sasuke, two of his father's teammates. Also acclaimed ninja in their own right. They were considered elite ninja of the Leaf. She was expected to be a great ninja, too. She was skilled and powerful, even for her age. Boruto couldn't let her outshine him.

Though they had only just graduated, Boruto felt the need to pick up the pace. He felt he should be out there fighting other ninja, not rescuing lost animals in the woods. That was kid stuff. He didn't consider himself to be a child, even if his age and attitude begged to differ.

He felt he was ready. Good enough was good enough.

He imagined what it would be like to get a high ranking mission before anyone else in his class. He thought it would not only give him bragging rights but would also give him the experience everyone said he should have. He'll be a step above everyone else. He'll be a great ninja before the others.

Gaining experience, being assigned to an advanced mission... It would make him a real ninja. This was his chance to prove himself.

Boruto pulled a piece of paper out of his jacket and smoothed it out over his knee. It was the C-rank mission he wanted that his father wouldn't assign him. When he slapped the papers off the desk, he quickly snatched this up before anyone could notice.

If no one was going to assign it to him, then he was going to take it upon himself. He was taking this mission, whether the Hokage would give it to him or not.

Boruto read the mission's details. The location, what the assignment entailed and all the objectives. It told about a place further from the Leaf where some shady men were lurking. They were thieves and they were heading for an area where a royal family lived and traded. The mission was to stop the thieves and make sure the royal family and their riches were kept safe.

"Seems simple enough," Boruto said to himself. "I don't see why I can't handle something like this."

Boruto looked around his room, thinking. It would probably be best not to tell his teammates about this. They would probably tell the Hokage or some other people who might try to stop him. Boruto had never taken on a mission alone before. Thinking back to what his father and Shikamaru had said about needing people with you on assignments gave him an idea.

"Think how impressed they'll be if I take on a mission all by myself. And a C mission, no less."

They would have to take him seriously then. If he could handle a C mission alone, he would not only prove himself to be a worthy ninja but they would have no choice but to assign him more advanced missions. He would be a true ninja.

Though it might have been foolish and dangerous to go alone on any sort of mission, Boruto figured his clones would be able to help him if he got into trouble. They would be there for him if he needed them. He could be his own team.

His mother knocked on the door and Boruto shoved the assignment under his pillow. "Uh, y- yeah?"

"Are you alright in there?" Hinata opened the door. "Did something happen?"

"No, no. Everything's fine."

Hinata knew he had gone to speak to the Hokage about a mission. He had been planning it for days, ranting and pacing through the house, then running off to do it elsewhere. She knew. She also knew that no matter how much he bagged, Naruto would not give in. Not even to his own son. Or perhaps that was one of the reasons why he couldn't give in.

"Honey, I'm sorry your father didn't give you an advanced mission like you wanted. But nobody gets one of those for a while. Not when they're first starting out. You'll get your chance."

"Yeah, I know." Boruto wasn't worked up anymore. He was a lot calmer now that he had his own mission to carry out. He was going on this mission whether his father wanted him to or not. What did he have to be upset about now that he was getting his way?

"You hungry?"

Boruto was going to decline but he knew he had to get some food in him for this mission. He would be traveling a great distance. He needed energy for his travels. He needed other supplies for the journey, too. "Sure, mom. I could eat."

This was the prefect way to do it without looking suspicious. He could eat and grab as much food as he could for the mission without calling attention to himself.

Boruto ate as much as he could, with his mother reminding him that dinner would be in a few hours. As she moved through the house, doing the chores and cooking the evening meal, Boruto gathered up some food from around the kitchen. He grabbed cookies, some snack bars, some fruit and a bottle of water. He pretended to carry his plate to the sink when he was actually hiding some crackers under it so his mother wouldn't notice. He caught a lucky break when his sister called for their mother to come look at something she saw outside.

Boruto scurried up to his room and started to pack his bag. He had to travel light but he had to be prepared for any number of things. He made sure he had his food packed and his water. He had bandages, some money, a small blanket and a map. He made sure he had his weapons and all his ninja tools. He wasn't sure what else he needed for a mission like this so he declared it finished. He was all packed.

Next, Boruto grabbed the assignment from under his pillow and secured his bag to his back. He was ready to go.

Now was the prefect time to leave. His father wouldn't be home for hours and his mother was busy cooking and tending to their other child. Boruto felt bad about not telling them where he was going, but he knew they would tell his father or his mother would try to stop him herself.

Rather than go out the window as he had originally planned, he went out the front door, thinking if his mother went to check on him later, she wouldn't panic when she discovered he wasn't there. If she heard a door slam shut then she would think he went out and was somewhere in the village. He thought it was a great plan. He made sure his mother was within earshot when he closed the front door so she would hear it. It wasn't uncommon for him to leave the house several times a day to go train or to hang out with his friends or simply to go for a walk, so she wouldn't see this as odd.

Boruto quickly left the village, taking advantage of the security guard at the gate dropping something under his seat. No one noticed him. By the time his father came home and discovered him missing, Boruto would be too far away. He would have put too much distance between them. Hopefully by the time Naruto finally caught up to him, his mission would be complete and he could rub it in his face.

He smiled to himself, thinking he was very clever. "Of course I'm ready for this mission. I can do it, no problem. Dad doesn't know what he's talking about. What's the worst that can happen?"

Keep an eye out for familiar characters!

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