Mr. J: This is a one shot I thought would be interesting

Naruto: Why?

Mr. J: Because you are to dam happy and don't understand. Now onward with the one shot. I don't own Naruto.

…...

*invasion didn't happen

Naruto was waiting in the Hokages office with his new chunning vest wondering why he was called here for.

"Naruto I have a mission for you, it's a C-rank." The elderly Hokage told him.

Naruto started jumping up and. "What am I going to be doing? Will I be rescuing a princess? Bring a tyrant to his knees? Save a village?" As Naruto continued his rant, the hokage shook his head. "Actually Naruto, you are to kidnap a merchant in a town not far from here and kill him."

Hearing that Naruto stopped and paled, "But Jiji, we are heroes, we don't do stuff like that?" The hokage looked Naruto in the eye and saw that he meant what he said.

The Hokage sighed, "Naruto, what is a ninja, a shinobi?" Naruto thought of it. 'What were shinobi….ah I got it' "They are protectors heroes." The hokage shook his head. "We are protectors, yes…but we are mercenaries. We kill, cheat, steal, destroy property. We do what we are paid to do. Yes we get missions to save people….but we also get kill missions to. Life as you know isn't all sunshine and daises."

Naruto was staring at the hokage in shock. Being a ninja was supposed to be full of heroes right? They were the good guys. But now the Hokage was telling him otherwise.

The Hokage was now looking at Naruto. "Will you take the mission?" Naruto thought about it. What would he do, would he do what he was ordered to and go against his ideals and be a shinobi, or continue to live in a fantasy land?

Naruto then found his resolve and told the Hokage that he would do it. After all. He is Naruto Uzumaki….a Shinobi of the Leaf!

…

Mr. J: Well there it is

Naruto: *tears in his eyes* my beliefs…..what am I to do?

Mr. J: *Shrugs man up, well, see you all later