Hokage's Office, Morning...
"Sigh~~~~"
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, exhaling heavily as she unfurled a red scroll adorned with intricate golden embroidery. The wax seal cracked as she opened it, and her eyes scanned the message.
> Dear Konoha,
I am the Prince of the Land of Vale. I will be attending the festival held within the Land of Chrysanthemum. This festival holds some... memories for me, so I kindly request Konoha to send shinobi, undercover.
Multiple attempts have been made on my life.
Send your best...
~Your Sincerely, Prince Reiju
Tsunade let out another long sigh and gently set the scroll down beside a growing stack of paperwork. With a tired motion, she rubbed at her temples.
"Prince... Reiju..." she murmured. A flick of her finger summoned an ANBU. In an instant, a masked shinobi appeared, handed her a small intelligence dossier, then vanished just as quickly.
She opened the file.
> Reiju Heras.
Fifth prince of the Land of Vale.
Age: 15
Personality: Flirtatious. Unable to resist temptation. Occasionally calculating.
Tsunade studied the photograph clipped to the profile. A boy with long, flowing blue hair and gentle blue eyes smiled serenely from the picture. He was the very picture of nobility, charm, and grace.
"Hmmm..." Tsunade hummed thoughtfully. "Call Team 7's Haruto Uzumaki."
---
A Short While Later...
Haruto stood in the middle of the Hokage's office, arms folded across his chest. Tsunade ignored him for a while, shuffling through documents, her eyes fixed on her work.
Haruto's patience wore thin.
"Why was I summoned in the first place?" he asked bluntly. "If you're just gonna act like this?"
Tsunade finally looked up, her tone grave. "...We have a mission."
Haruto tilted his head and shrugged with a cocky smirk. "I am Haruto Uzumaki. I fear none."
"It's a classified S-rank escort mission."
"Huh—" Haruto paused mid-thought, processing her words. "Wait... even escort missions have S-ranks?"
"Perhaps..." she said cryptically. "This is a special case."
Haruto raised a brow. "Am I escorting a daimyo or something?"
"It's a prince."
"Whaaaaaaat!" Haruto exclaimed, genuinely surprised. A grin formed as he struck a flashy pose. "Is he as handsome as me?"
Tsunade sighed. "Maybe get your shit together and think hard, Haruto. This is a mission where you don't reveal your ninja identity."
"???" Haruto looked confused.
Tsunade walked over to the window, gazing out over the village.
"This mission involves you meeting Prince Reiju Heras."
She turned back to face him.
"Pick any teammates you want, but assign them roles that blend in with civilians. No chakra flares, no uniforms."
"There have been multiple attacks on his life. He's traveling under the radar now—attending the festival like a commoner."
"Your task is to blend in... by all means necessary. Keep him safe, and do not alert the enemy."
"Understood?"
Haruto stood there... picking his nose.
DUN!
Moments later, Haruto sat with a visible red mark swelling on his cheek.
"Yes, Gra—Lady Tsunade... I understand," he grumbled.
"That's better," Tsunade replied. Then, eyeing him with suspicion, she added, "Who were you talking to, by the way?"
"Thinking of a sensor. Including me, there would be two, so... I'll take Hinata."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Naruto, of course, because of his... inappropriate gender-changing jutsu."
"Wait? Why did you mention his jutsu?" Tsunade asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Wait—I'll explain everything."
Haruto scratched his head.
"Then I'll also take someone... named Sai, from Root."
"Sai?" Tsunade asked. "The Sai who left Root and joined the ANBU?"
> [Author's note/recap]: Yes, I made Haruto use his Six Paths Sharingan and remove Sai's curse seal, bringing him under the Hokage's watch. He's friends with the Rookie 9 now, and they hang out weekly. I didn't show it in detail because I was low on ideas back then. Here's a soft recap. Thanks~
---
Back in Scene...
"Yes, Sai," Haruto confirmed. He paused, then said, "I'll also take... hmm... Sakura. She's trained enough in medicine. We'll make her an apprentice doctor from a small village."
"Ohhh..." Tsunade exhaled, impressed. "You thought this out well... but what about everyone's civilian roles—especially Naruto's?"
Haruto smirked. "Oh... Sai will be the street artist drawing people's portraits. Hinata will be Reiju's maid in his hotel."
"And for me, I'll become a humble stall owner..."
"As for Naruto—he's going to become a dancer."
Tsunade raised an intrigued brow. "Dancer? Then why mention the gender-changing jutsu?"
Haruto's grin turned devilish.
"A female dancer, to be precise..."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Go to your home. I'll summon you all soon."
---
After Haruto Left
Tsunade leaned back, puzzled.
"What was he thinking—making his own brother... a female dancer?"
"Maybe, Lady Tsunade..." Shizune offered. "Naruto has been annoying Haruto a lot lately?"
"I don't knooow..." Tsunade mused. "Haruto's not that kind of person."
---
Meanwhile... in Haruto's Bathroom
"Checkmate, Naruto... haha," Haruto chuckled to himself in the bath, water dripping from his bangs.
Back at Naruto's place—
"ACHOO!" Naruto sneezed violently, shivering.
"Am I catching a cold...?"
---
Hokage's Office – Sunset
The room was quiet.
Before Tsunade stood six selected shinobi: Haruto, Hinata, Naruto, Sai, Sakura... and the surprise addition, Rock Lee.
Tsunade placed her teacup down on her desk, standing with authority.
"Everyone. You've been selected as the best team to undertake this S-rank mission."
Eyes widened.
> S-rank...?
Aren't those meant for jonin teams or elite units? Sai thought silently.
"This mission is classified. You're not to speak of it—not even to your families," Tsunade warned.
"This involves royalty. Prince Reiju of the Land of Vale."
Everyone, except Haruto, swallowed hard.
"He's been targeted multiple times, so he's attending the Chrysanthemum Festival in disguise, as a commoner."
"Your job is to ensure he's not harmed. Or offended. Understood?"
"Hai!" they all chorused.
Shizune stepped forward.
"Now for your roles—"
"Sai, you'll draw portraits in the street for money. Observe and report suspicious people."
"Hinata, you'll work as a maid inside the prince's hotel."
'Maid...? Me?' Hinata thought, startled. She glanced at Sai, who gave a quiet nod.
"Lee, your task is to act drunk around the prince, blending in. Change disguises often. Don't talk to him much—just be visible background noise."
"Wait... I can't use ninjutsu?" Lee asked, concerned.
"Wear a mustache and stuff," Haruto muttered with a smirk.
"Ahem—Naruto, you'll be a dancer," Shizune announced.
"Dancer?! Cool—" Naruto started, beaming—
"...a female dancer."
The blood drained from Naruto's face.
"I AM A MAN!" he screamed.
"Sakura, you'll pose as an apprentice field doctor, offering medical support and researching local remedies." she said ignoring the background noise of naruto
Sakura nodded solemnly.
Shizune turned to Haruto.
"Your role is the most critical. At night, guard the prince in secret. By day—blend in. You'll be a humble street cleaner."
"...Huh?"
It was almost poetic. The leader of the mission reduced to sweeping festival garbage—possibly even sweeping used tampons.
As Haruto sighed in quiet horror, only one thought crossed his mind:
'This is going to be... interesting.'
To be honest
I had no idea how to progress this story but now! I've got the ultimate plan. Progressing the story more quickly adding a frequent time skips aswell so...be ready
Fourth Great Ninja War Is Just Around The Corner....