章 9: Chapter 9: Missions
Chapter 9: Missions
Chapter nine – Missions
"Rejection is a part of any man's life. If you can't accept and move past rejection, or at least use it as writing material - you're not a real man." -Jiraya
The only good thing about being Genin during wartime was that none of the fresh graduates was being forced to do D-ranks. Instead Naruto and her classmates had gone through a fair load of them during their last year at the academy.
It had become part of the graduation demands that everyone had to at least fulfill ten D-ranks before being allowed to take the genin exam. It was up to themselves when they wanted to do them, since the missions were done after academy hours.
Naruto, true to her old unstructured habits, had completed them at the very last minute, and it had been a very close call.
One day in class Naruto overheard Mizuki talking about how he had already finished all his D-ranks. The boy had been rather smug about the whole ordeal, and that usually didn't bode well for anyone else. Her suspicion had been confirmed correct.
Because as every slacker in her year was demanding a D-rank at the same time, it had become difficult for the mission desk to find enough work for students before the graduation exam.
It was an ironic truth, seeing as early in the semester they had needed more people then they got, and now it was the opposite. The high demands of panicking graduates were taking every possible slot before the exam and it was hard for them to find enough work for the students to do.
The economy was worsening for every passing month, and by then most people didn't waste money on hiring a ninja to paint their walls or babysit their kid. Everyone was saving money, so the commissioned D-ranks that came in were far less than it had been a year ago.
So when Naruto, Ensui and Iruka met up to stand in line at the mission desk that same afternoon she overheard a couple of students in front of her panic about being given a D-rank that was after graduation. Meaning they only finished nine out of ten, and would therefore be denied doing their exam.
Iruka had looked horrified, Naruto had frozen and Ensui had sighed and looked up at the ceiling with the air of someone who just wanted to get the bad news over with.
Naruto had no plans of being held back half a year though, and as the line moved forward she told the two boys to play along with her. Iruka had started asking what she meant, but Ensui had stepped on his foot to stop him from asking more questions as the two chūnin behind the mission desk came into hearing range.
Naruto started talking in a normal voice, just loud enough for the two men she was targeting to hear, that how if she didn't graduate she might get so bored she started doing pranks to pass the time until she could graduate.
This didn't have the desired effect, and with an unpleasant realization she remembered that no one knew what a prankster she could be. Maybe they envisioned she would drop a spider underneath her sensei desk or equally harmless.
So she changed her tactic slightly instead.
She asked Ensui if he'd heard about the new paint down at the equipment shop. It was a paint that could color stone, and it stuck so well that you would have to scrub for days on end if you wanted to get it off.
Without missing a beat Ensui had answered that no, he hadn't heard of it, but he would check it out with her after they got their missions. And Maybe Iruka wanted to come along too?
Iruka had started answering, the confusion on his face so obvious Ensui had been forced to step on his foot for a second time. Naruto had said that yeah, that would be really good of him. It was just a shame she wasn't sure what to paint yet.
As the line moved one person forwards Naruto changed the topic to the Hokage Monument, fully aware that the chūnin closest to them were now eavesdropping. She mentioned casually how the fog surrounding the mountain that day made it hard to see the stone faces from down in the village. That the Hokage tower, which was red, was so much more visible. And that if the faces on the mountain had been colored when they had been sculptured it would have made a real difference in dreary weather like this.
At this moment Iruka looked beyond confused, but wisely kept his mouth shut. Ensui on the other hand was fighting hard to keep a straight face.
Naruto went for the final blow and said off handedly that the Second Hokage looked so stern all the time. And if it had been painted with rosy cheeks, his proper white hair and skin color it would make the face so much more visible and he'd looked more cheery to boot. The two chūnin at the mission desk had exchanged troubled looks and one of them had left the desk completely to rummage around in the storage room as the line moved forward.
Not surprised in the slightest, all three of them were given a set of slots that had all their D-ranks finished before graduation. Ensui barely managed to hold his face in check until they stood outside, but then he burst out chuckling and high-fived her for her unexpected brilliance.
That's how Naruto had managed to do her D-ranks over the last two weeks before graduating together with Iruka and Ensui. Squeezing them in just on time to graduate.
Shisui, the good little boy that he was, had done his own missions once a week the first ten weeks of his final year. But the Uchiha had curiously enough chosen to accompany them on some of their D-ranks anyway.
However, instead of helping out he sat on the sidelines and smiled widely while he watched his friends pick garbage from the park or washed the windows of the Hokage building.
Usually he made sure to have ice cream with him while he sat on a bench and watched them work. For the first time Naruto noticed the boy had a mean streak in him. Shisui had of course heard how Naruto had manipulated the chūnin at the mission desk to get their D-ranks, and maybe this was his way of showing disapproval.
Or he just liked to gloat. It was hard to tell the difference.
But still, Naruto couldn't remember the last time she had ice cream. It had been in the future. These days the idea of beings served ice cream at the orphanage was laughable, and affording one was just a waste of none existence money. The fact that the chūnin at the mission desk had bought her paint story was only because they had no idea Naruto was a penniless orphan. She also doubted Shisui understood just how poor Naruto was though, and if it had been Anko he was gloating at he'd be far worse off than Naruto let him be.
To his defense, Shisui himself called it moral support, but that was a just a load of bullshit that everyone could see through.
The D-rank missions had also been done for free. They were considered volunteer work done to be allowed graduation. Which annoyed Naruto to no end.
In her own time she'd at least gotten paid to do these sorts of things, but no. Wartime meant different rules.
But as Naruto was now Genin she started on C-ranks right off the bat and after a week of Orochimaru's slave regime they finally started doing missions.
On the first C-rank, the blonde had been relieved when nothing went wrong.
It was a simple escort mission which took them outside of the village and it went just as planned.
The second was accomplished in the same fashion, and every single one until the tenth.
During the tenth mission Anko fell into an old trap right next to lake they had been passing by, and ended up underneath the water so quickly Naruto still didn't understand properly what had happened. The only thing she knew was that Anko was going to drown if something wasn't done quickly.
Orochimaru had been surprisingly swift at acting though, and Anko had been saved before she swallowed too much water. It had been an enemy trap but they weren't attacked, so Orochimaru concluded it was a trap an enemy left behind before moving to a different location.
All in all Naruto was starting to grow more nervous for each new mission they went on.
Team Kushina had already run in with enemies from Iwa twice, but it had gone well both times thanks to the fact they were small scouting teams meant to spy on Konoha, and not a whole team that Kushina couldn't handle. Iruka had talked Naruto's ears off at both times, but it never had the desired effect on Naruto. Instead of being impressed the blonde grew more troubled.
And just like Anko had been doing, Naruto too was saving up money for her own place to live now that she was legally allowed to leave the orphanage. She had also soon come to the harsh realization that it was truly mind bogglingly expensive.
In her own time she'd never dealt with rent herself. Naruto had just received an allowance and the apartment she'd rented had somehow paid itself. The monthly money hadn't been much, after all the reason she'd gotten such an addiction to ramen was because it was socheap. But if her rent had been as much as it was these days she could understand that there hadn't been much money left for food.
Now her first pay check had gone to weapons and the next one had been saved. Shisui had let her borrow some of his old clothes which he'd outgrown too. Since her orphanage shirt looked more like a sack with holes after only a week of training with Orochimaru.
That's how Naruto found herself wearing all black in the form of ninja pants and a wide collard plain T-shirt for every day at training and missions.
The clothes weren't really something she'd pick for herself, but they were for free so she wasn't complaining. At least there weren't any Uchiha fans printed on any of the surfaces.
"Are you sure it's alright?" Asked Naruto when Kagami had come down from the attic with the clothes.
"Of course, it's not doing any good gathering dust in the attic." Chuckled Shisui and shook his head.
"It's no problem Naruto, this way we get rid of some hooped up articles, and you can save your money for your new place." Added Kagami kindly, and afterwards invited her to stay for dinner. Naruto had gratefully accepted both clothes and the meal, but on the inside she felt like a loser. It was strange that kindness, almost as much as the old feeling of being ignored, could make her feel like such a nuisance. Because Naruto couldn't repay the kindness. She had nothing to give back, and it made her feel incredible bothered about accepting what she was offered. But it was the polite thing to do, and later on she made sure not to mention her short coming in front of Shisui.
Kakashi was not expecting to see Gai when he reached the top of the mountain he'd been climbing. He hadn't been using chakra, and instead of climbing like any reasonable sane person did, with both arms to make sure you had the correct gravitation point on the uphill battle, he used one. He found it an extremely draining exercise in itself, it also tested his bravery, as many would have swooned from the height itself, and the last he had energy left for was Gai.
"My eternal rival! I am delighted to see you here! Successful in your brave climb in the heat of the merciless sun!" Was the welcome he'd received the moment he reached the top. Kakashi had decided to keep to his original routine instead of replying to Gai, and lay down while panting heavily at the mountain top instead.
While Gai continued having a conversation with himself, Kakashi thought back to his latest, disastrous, mission. The whole of Rōran was reduced to a smoking ruin. He hadn't been allowed close to the battle, but the mission report spoke for itself. The Queen had died together with her village and the tyrant. Minato would probably always carry that hideous scar on his back, and Choza was still in the hospital.
They'd also lost a man. Aburame Shibi had gone down in the battle. He didn't know the insect summoner that well. This mission had been by far the most they'd ever interacted. He had liked him though. He understood privacy and had clearly been intelligent. Most of all he had followed all the rules to a T, just like Kakashi did, and yet he had died...
He felt sadness at his death. Not as much as his family of course, but it had still been horrible watching the man get killed by that monster.
He sighed heavily. This sound seemed to snap Gai out of his endless chatter, and instead he looked concerned to Kakashi, who was still laying spread eagle on the ground while he tried to get his heart back to its normal rhythm.
"Oy, Kakashi? Are you okay?" He asked concerned, and Kakashi felt the normal irritation at being perceived as weak flare up momentarily. It died quickly though, and wordlessly he nodded.
"I heard you had a rough mission..." Added Gai, tilting his head in the direction of the village.
"Yes." Supplemented Kakashi, realizing Gai was not going to stop pestering him. Coza was his sensei, so it was impossible for Gai not to learn the reason he was without a sensei at the moment.
"It's hard to watch a comrade die. I never want to experience such a thing. I've been lucky so far though. Choza-sensei is still in the hospital, but he'll be out within the end of the week." He said and sat down at the edge of the mountainside. Kakashi didn't let his gaze leave the clouds above him, they were moving across the sky aimlessly. As if they were actually going somewhere.
"I'm glad he's making a speedy recovery." Kakashi replied out of politeness. He was glad, but again that was a personal thing. Gai who wore his heart on his sleeve in all matters of his life didn't understand the need for privacy. The need to dwell over things with only yourself.
"We're set for a mission in a little more than a week… I hope sincerely Choza-sensei will be healthy enough. Maybe he should sit it out."
For the first time Kakashi gazed in the green clad kid's direction. Fleetingly catching Gai's uncertainty. It was unusual for the boy to show anything but exuberant overconfidence, and it had to bother him a lot for him to look so sullen. Or as sullen as you could look in such a ridiculous outfit.
"Only Choza-sensei himself will know if he's ready. If he's not he won't go." Stated Kakashi in a matter of fact tone.
"Ah, haha… You're right Kakashi! As always… And we'll be going with team Orochimaru, so nothing too bad can happen when you have a sannin on your team. He has a springtime of blooming that has lasted him for many years! We should all strive for his example!" He said and started sounding more like himself again.
Kakashi snorted at the idea of Naruto and Gai on the same mission. It would be pandemonium. Maybe Choza really did need to get well and out of the hospital. If they decided to go ahead without him then there was a real possibility the two hyperactive ninjas would be a jeopardy to the mission out of sheer loudness. Orochimaru by himself could hardly be a strong enough counter force.
The wind had cooled him down by now, his forehead was less sweaty and according to his training schedule Kakashi should be heading down the mountainside again by now.
"I have to get back to training, Gai. But good luck on your mission." Kakashi said and moved swiftly to the mountainside and lowered himself over the edge.
"Thanks Kakashi! I will do my utmost to fulfil this new and challenging mission!" Gai said and waved down to him as Kakashi swiftly moved down the mountain. With one hand.
It surprised Kakashi that he didn't follow. Gai was usually hard to shake off when they first ran into each other. But taking a peek up he noticed Gai was simply gazing at the horizon. Already far away in his own thoughts. Kakashi felt a pang of guilt at how he'd handled the situation. But then again, what the hell did he know about lifting others moral? He had enough with his own…
"I want you three to be as prepared as possible for our next mission." Said Orochimaru and looked down over his nose at his three students. Naruto and Shisui shared a confused glare in each other's direction, not having had this type of briefing before a mission before. While Anko had only focused more intensely at her sensei. Knowing the tone he used meant business, and that he expected top performance from each of them for this new task.
"It will be a long one, at least a month. Probably more and it will include two stages. First we are to transport supplies to the front lines. They're suffering a shortage and as most of you are tiny and two of you are good at hiding your chakra you'll be the ones to sneak into two of our hidden bases without drawing attention to our soldiers. This will be a good test to see how good you are in the field because we'll be passing through some dangerous territory to get to the bases. The second stage will be explained once stage two is completed." Explained Orochimaru and nodded to Naruto who had raised her hand.
By now she'd learned the best way to get out of excruciating extra training was to not anger her sensei too much. He was being surprisingly tolerant with her, but he hated being interrupted. Naruto had received more bruises than she could count from some of the discipline punishments Orochimaru had given her.
"Why can't we know beforehand?" Asked Naruto.
"That should be obvious. Shisui explain." He said and gestured in the boy's direction. Shisui blushed slightly but started explaining.
"In case one of us are captured and the enemy extract information from us. If a situation like that occurred it could jeopardize the second stage." Shisui told Naruto quickly, earning himself an approving nod from Orochimaru.
"Good to see you at least can keep up, Shisui." The sannin added before turning to point towards the western gate. "We'll leave from that gate tomorrow at dawn. This is a joint mission together with team Choza. It's also classified as two B-ranks and I want you all to dress for camouflage and pack all the warm layers you can find. We'll be passing over some high altitudes that have little cover and I want us to blend in with the mountainside." Ordered Orochimaru.
Naruto scratched her upper arm uncertainly, a feeling of uneasiness taking root in her stomach as they were being allowed to leave early. Orochimaru exchanged a few words with Anko before he left in the direction of the Hokage tower. Anko nodded to Shisui and Naruto before she turned around and left. Not waiting for Naruto to join her.
Naruto took that as a sign that she would not be welcome to dinner that day.
She kept looking at Anko's back while the girl walked away briskly. Naruto felt guilty for not having patched things up with Anko yet. This argument was stupid and Orochimaru was not worth it. It was difficult to understand how Anko could stand their sensei, far less jump to his defense. Anyone who saw him had to notice his creepy nature. Naruto thought back to her chūnin exam in the forest of death. Even disguised and hiding his motives, team seven had still picked up on his horrible nature almost instantly. But she guessed Orochimaru reputation blinded people from seeing the truth. Even the Hokage….
Instead of catching up with Anko she fell in step with Shisui as they headed back towards One Legged Parade. "I think this mission will be one of those 'easy task, high risk' missions. It's a B rank, and most likely Orochimaru-sensei is the reason we're going on this mission in the first place." Said Shisui thoughtfully after a long silence.
"Oh?" Asked Naruto, but agreeing that it was likely.
"Yeah… we're just genin, but the other team we're going with are all more experienced. Maybe all of them are chūnin even." Said Shisui and shrugged. "Though I'm surprised Choza-san is already out of the hospital. I heard he got pretty badly injured at his last mission. An Aburame on his team even got killed. He was a friend of my dad… And I heard Namikaze-san is the only reason they got back and the mission was somewhat of a success." Explained Shisui as they entered the back ally of a housing district. It was a short cut that allowed them to follow the street around.
"Is he alright enough for a mission already then?" Wondered Naruto aloud. Feeling like something was nagging at the back of her consciousness, but couldn't for the life of her understand exactly what.
"I guess so. Father says Choza-san is a very good shinobi. I also didn't get the feeling the times I've met him that he's one to jeopardize either his student or a mission because of his own health problems." Shisui said and looked sideways down at Naruto. She was walking with both arms crossed behind her head while One Legged Parade came into view between the buildings ahead of them.
"Isn't Gai on his team?" Naruto suddenly asked, getting distracted from the odd feeling she was having and stopped just as they reached the street.
"Gai? That green clad boy?" Asked Shisui and shrugged. "I don't know."
"I think he is..." Naruto muttered, and then looked in the direction of the orphanage. It was time to face her room-mates again. She had crashed at Anko's for a few nights after their wordless argument started, but after a week and a half Naruto couldn't stand the tension anymore and instead slept at the orphanage.
"We'll find out tomorrow who we'll be going with. Pack wisely Naruto. Is there something you need to borrow?" Asked Shisui kindly and smiled.
"No thanks, Shisui." Naruto answered a little too quickly. Shisui narrowed his eyes but let it drop. Instead he waved as he left while Naruto pondered where she could get a cloak for the next mission.
Winter was soon upon them, and even she wasn't completely immune to diseases. It would be best to start using some of her savings. She had a little saved up by now for her future apartment, but if she had to buy winter gear there would be pitiful little left.
It couldn't be helped though, and in any case she would be doing two B-ranks. They paid better than D-ranks and she would be supplied with food while they were on the road. That meant she would have no expenses while she was away and could save everything she earned once she returned.
As Naruto walked up the hallway of the orphanage she was deep in thoughts, wondering how she would use her spending and where she could get the best deals. There was no flee market before she left, but she knew of a new second hand store near the northern gate that might have something at the right price.
When she reached her door of her room Naruto suddenly stopped. She thought she heard a strange sound, and looking confused around Naruto tried to find out where the sound came from. With a furrowed brow she followed the sound. It was a stifled sort of hiccup, coming from somewhere further down the hallway. The sound led her to the storage shed, and confused she opened up the door. At first all she could see was the dark outlines of racks containing washing equipment, dust and a heavy sent of detergent. The room was so dark she couldn't see half a meter in front of her, and fumbling with her hand against the wall on the inside of the room she found a light switch and turned it on.
The light flashed a few times on and off before giving a steady dim red light that made her able to see better. The sound had stopped, but Naruto knew someone was in here. Walking carefully in she started looking between different shelves, and as she walked through the room she heard another sound. A small sob from somewhere further in.
Naruto felt a little nervous, no one came in here except Madam May, and that was only on Tuesdays and Fridays when she washed the orphanage. There was a smaller storage room next to the kitchen they used more regularly, and this room was used more to store the heavier things that didn't fit downstairs. Between two rows of shelves a small figure sat with their hands around their knees. The person had their face pressed against their knees, trying to block out the light and get control of themselves before they were caught.
"Akiko?" Naruto asked concerned. The brunette didn't look up, and instead started sobbing so intensely she heaved for breath afterwards. Bending down Naruto reached out her hand, not sure if the girl wanted to be touched at all. Going for it she laid her hand on Akiko's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "What happened?" Naruto murmured gently.
Akiko was someone Nauto had never seen cry. She was usually one of the happier souls in the orphanage. She was popular amongst both the girls and boys and was somewhat of a queen bee amongst her peers. She complained about the orphanage, but was usually polite and kind to just about everyone. Though Naruto was far from her favorite person, she had never been outright cruel to her for sticking to Anko instead of her and her friends.
Akiko looked up, her eyes shining with tears that poured down her face and her lip quivering as she tried to hold in the sounds of her sobs. "Oh, Akiko..." Naruto said with empathy, and without asking what was wrong she engulfed her roommate in a tight hug. The brunette didn't push her away and instead hugged back with even more intensity.
It was a sad truth that in the orphanage you just didn't show weakness. No one cried in public, not even in front of Madam May, who was like a surrogate mother for everyone. With so many children that were used to never being shown mercy, they themselves showed little for others. Akiko probably didn't dare show how much of a wreck she was to even her closest friends. Naruto remembered she would go down to the basement and cry there in her own time. It was quiet and not once did anyone come down there. It was a free zone where she could go whenever life caught up with her and she just couldn't hold in her tears.
Naruto didn't know how long she held Akiko, but eventually the girl started calming down. "Do you want to talk about it?" Asked Naruto gently when the girl at last pulled away, drying her red eyes repeatedly even though tears were still falling, though with less intensity.
"H-Hana r-ran away." Akiko said in small gasps, still trying to control her voice.
"Oh…" Naruto replied, not sure what to say to that. Hana was one of their other roommates, and if possible, Naruto knew her even less than she knew Akiko.
"Are you sure?" Asked Naruto, looking down quickly at the glare Akiko sent her. Shortly after she heard a snort and peeked up through her bangs.
"Yeah I'm sure. Her things are gone and I heard sounds last night. She probably packed and left when no one was awake to see her leave." Akiko said bitterly and leaned her head against the wall behind her.
Hana and Akiko was very good friends. Amongst the gang they were usually always sitting together, and Naruto guessed that Akiko, just like Anko had done with Emi, felt betrayed that their closest friend had left without a goodbye.
"I should leave too." Muttered Akiko as an afterthought and Naruto straightened up like a wire.
"No." Naruto growled, her hostile tone drawing Akiko's attention and making the other girl grimace at the fiery look on Naruto's face.
"Why not?! You don't understand! You are a ninja! You have a career already! But me? My friends? Wherever we go we're nothing but orphans! Haven't you heard what happens when we come of age? Our education is a joke! They call us not qualified, to them we're thieves and low class scum that just have to make due with whatever we can get. Most girls who stays in Konoha end up at the brothels!" Akiko said heatedly, but it was obvious she was just about to start crying again.
Naruto bit her lip, knowing perfectly well that what Akiko said was true. Most girls did end up as hookers. The guys had it easier when it came to jobs. There were always some jobs that included hard manual labor that was deemed unfit for women where they needed cheap labor. It was still a shitty job, but at least they were respected more than hookers were.
"You still shouldn't run away. It's not safe, you could-" Naruto started saying, but was cut off by Akiko.
"I don't care! At this rate all of my friends will leave me behind! I hate it here and I don't want to live here! It's grim and depressing and my future will be ruined if I stay in this place! I can't be a ninja, so my best shot is to leave Konoha and find a job somewhere else! Kami knows there no one who'll hire me here with my background." Akiko shouted so loudly Naruto was certain they could hear it throughout the whole floor.
"Akiko!" Naruto said sternly back. "I've been out there, I've been out there all on my own and I know what I'm talking about. Do not leave Konoha! This orphanage might not be the best place to live but it's better than the alternative. You don't know how to hunt or what plants are edible and not. And since you don't know that you'll have to stick to populated places. We're at war, Akiko! You'll get killed! No one trusts outsiders anymore, civilian or not, it doesn't make a difference. And out there you'll have no protection at all! Here you get a roof over your head, food and while it's not much to brag about you do get an education. Pitiful as you seem to think it is it's a hell of a lot more than others get!" Naruto said, her voice growing in panic at the stubborn expression Akiko's face.
"Please… If you leave you won't be able to come back. All deserters are treated as enemies… Even if you leave and then change your mind… You'll be seen as an enemy of Konoha. You'll be thrown in jail if you return. Then you'll be both an orphan and a criminal." Naruto said quietly, taking Akiko's hand and squeezing it in comfort.
Akiko pulled her hand quickly back and looked away, but couldn't hide the fresh tears.
"Hana… She…" Akiko said and tried to stifle a new set of sobs. "Won't be able to..."
She didn't need to finish the sentence. Naruto knew what it entailed. Hana would never come back.
Akiko's only chance to see her now was to either wait years until Konoha was stable and started trusting strangers again, or leave and track her friend down. Naruto understand extremely well what Akiko was going through. Hadn't Naruto chased Sasuke in an attempt to get him back? Even when he was classified as a missing nin and an enemy of Konoha?
"Hey… Akiko." Naruto said, and tried to keep her voice friendly and nonjudgmental. The girl looked slowly back at Naruto, her swollen eyes looking glazed while she dried her red nose.
"Yeah?" Akiko breathed.
"I'm going on a mission tomorrow… I'll be gone for over a month." Naruto started, her resolve coming back to her as Akiko looked uninterested now that she understood this was just about ninja business. A topic the girl probably hated.
"Good for you." Akiko replied scornfully.
"No, I mean… Please don't leave while I'm away. Promise me that if you do leave, you'll wait and tell me goodbye. I'll give you some tools that might make it easier to survive out in the wild. You also have to try to stay away from villages… And…" Naruto wasn't sure what else to say.
She couldn't force Akiko to do anything. She wouldn't even be in Konoha, and if the girl was leaving she'd do it soon. She was being reckless, and her childish thinking would make her do something stupid. It was hard to be a child where no one had your back. You weren't mature enough to understand, but yet felt things so much more intensely.
"And if you wait until I return before you leave… I promise you I'll try to find Hana while I'm away. I can't really go look for her, I have a mission I need to complete and I can't abandon my teammates, but I can try to keep my eyes and ears out. I'll even ask Anko to help. She understands, she lost Emi the same way. And hey, if I find her I promise you I'll do anything to help her out." Naruto offered kindly.
Akiko's eyes widened, her expression going from grumpy to startle. Slowly she nodded and wordlessly she took Naruto's hand tightly in both of hers, holding on as if her life depended on it.
Shisui looked from each of his new comrades in turn. There was Choza, the tall plump man that had carried him back to Konoha on the disastrous outing almost two years ago. Next to him stood a thin boy who was tall for his age, with chin length brown hair and blue bandanna tied around his forehead. He was dressed in a cloak that covered whatever he was wearing, so Shisui couldn't tell if he was a chūnin or not. Next to him stood Gai, similarly dressed and smiling good naturedly to them as the shortest member of his team. Next to the energetic ninja was a black haired boy with round black glasses and a haughty demeanor.
Orochimaru had just finished introducing himself and his team and Choza had taken over the introductions.
"… And these are my students." He explained and gestured to the three boys. "Shiranui Genma," He said and pointed to the tall boy with the bandanna. "Might Gai" He said and indicated to the surprisingly calm boy. "and Ebisu. I hope we'll work well with you." Choza finished and smiled proudly down at his students.
"I'm sure it will go well." Said Orochimaru more out of formality then having any genuine emotion behind the words. Shisui wondered if this behavior was what made Naruto dislike their sensei so much. Orochimaru was the opposite of Naruto in so many ways.
He rarely showed any other emotion than excitement, and even that was a rarity. Naruto never hid anything. She was so easy to read it was almost a handicap for her. The only thing that had ever surprised him about her was her intense dislike for Orochimaru. Shisui had not seen that one coming.
"I'll be captain of this squad." Orochimaru explained and looked pointedly at Naruto when he said this. The blonde rolled her eyes but didn't say anything to start up an argument. "Everyone have their backpacks and war supplies all packed up?" He asked everyone in general. Again everyone nodded. Not only were they bringing supplies for themselves for this long mission, but also for the forces out on the front lines.
All eight of them were carrying a large backpack each. In Naruto's case it looked almost comical. The backpacks had clearly been designed for adults, and since she was the smallest the backpack looked to be drowning her. Shisui was surprised she wasn't already complaining about the heavy weight.
"Then let's go. We're heading out." Stated Orochimaru, and walking at a fast pace the two teams set out for the front lines.
"Why won't you just tell me everything? This is all your fault!" Shouted Naruto furiously, looking up into the eyes of the kyūbi. His face lifted an inch from his paws which his head had been resting against. His right eye dimmed closed as if he was about to fall asleep.
"Your petty concerns aren't mine own." Said the nine tailed demon fox in his deep, booming voice that filled out the echo of the dark sewer like space that was Naruto's mindscape.
"You threw us back in time! What were you attempting to do? If you'd gone back on your own you would just have ended up inside my mother! And then you'd have been just as imprisoned as you are now! What the hell happened?" Demanded Naruto, leaning against the golden bars of the cage separating the two angry souls.
"Insolent little human..." Muttered the fix darkly, his remaining left eye closed like the right one had. "What I choose to do is my own business. I've already told you the gist of it. Figure out the rest on your own." The kyūbi said darkly, his shoulders starting to rise and fall as his breathing evened.
"Why won't you cooperate with me? Why can't we be a team like Killer Bee and octo-pops?" Asked Naruto tiredly and let her hands slide down the bars. "Why can't you just admit that you screwed up? I do it all the time and I don't try to hide that fact."
The fox's eyes opened slightly, becoming narrow slits of light where they glinted in the darkness. "Because I will not wag my tails to the command of my jailer. Hachibi is a fool for cooperating with despicable humans."
Naruto peeked up carefully, wondering about the current state of the kyūbi and its altered appearance. "Why do you look different? You're so thin..." Asked Naruto and took a step back. "Or well… You were extremely thin, but now you're just slightly less chubby then I remember you being."
"Don't call me chubby you brat!"
Naruto sighed and walked away from the cage, wondering if she'd ever get a word out of the fox.
Opening her eyes Naruto stared into the back of Anko's head. She was sitting cross legged while eating her bowl of soup next to Orochimaru a little ahead of where the blonde was sitting. Naruto turned her head sideways and stared right into Genma who hurriedly leaned backwards because of the close proximity between their faces had been.
"Oh, sorry. I thought you'd fallen asleep while sitting up." Genma blurted out an excuse while he grinned apologetically. Naruto smiled and let her hand drift to the back of her head, smiling sheepishly back.
"Nah, I was trying to meditate, but it didn't go very well." Naruto answered and looked around the camp. Shisui was talking with Choza while the latter was eating from a bag of chips. Gai was nowhere to be seen and Ebisu was doing some odd looking stretching poses.
Genma nodded before looking down at the ground which was littered with senbon.
"What are you doing?" Asked Naruto interested, taking a peek at the different sizes and designs of the needle formed weapons.
"Organizing." Answered Genma while he picked up a couple of senbons before placing them carefully back into the fabric of his pants right by the knee.
"Eh?"
"I'm spreading them out and pocketing them in useful locations. Making sure there's always a needle at hand." Supplemented Genma.
"So you have this many on you at all times? Not just the one in your mouth?" Asked Naruto and gestured to the senbon between Genma's teeth. The boy gave a crooked smile and nodded. Naruto remembered the ninja well enough from her own time. He was more awkward now then she remembered.
Genma had been her proctor during the final rounds of the chūnin exam, but after that she hadn't seen him much. He had been friends with Shikamaru though, so Naruto had always had the impression he'd been a smart man. Maybe it was just who she associated him with and his quiet demeanor, but so far she quite liked Genma. He seemed aloof and kind at the same time.
"Why senbon?" Wondered Naruto. She remembered Haku and his needle work. It was a dangerous tool when used by an expert but you got nothing for free. You had to train accuracy and strength to a tedious amount to get it down. Naruto had problems picturing anyone wanting to do such a monotonous job for so long to call themselves expert. At least if you used a kunai you got a little for free. If you jabbed with it you were sure to make damage if you were close enough.
Genma shrugged, as if saying 'I'm not sure' before continuing in silence. "Are we continuing soon? I thought we wanted to reach the mountain before dark." Added Naruto, feeling restless from the silence of their camp.
Genma nodded again, and when Naruto continued to stare him down he sighed and replied out loud. "We're leaving as soon as Orochimaru is finished with his work. I think he's planning on splitting us up into our respective teams. It makes for a smaller target if we're in two companies."
"Yeah, he's finished so pack up already." Said a voice from in front of them, and both Naruto and Genma looked up at Anko who was scowling at them.
"Sure." Replied Genma, raising an eyebrow at the angry expression on the dark haired girl.
Naruto rolled her eyes but did as instructed. Getting to her feet she packed up the bowl she'd used for the soup earlier and walked up to stand next to Anko afterwards. She was already ready, tapping her foot while she waited for the others to finish.
"You know, I think you should be a little less grumpy." Suggested Naruto to Anko.
The girl whirled on her foot scowling so badly Naruto wondered if Anko was about to hit her. "Well, I don't care what you think!" Retorted Anko heatedly and started walking head, making Ebisu, who was still packing, to start throwing in his equipment in fear of being left behind.
Naruto sighed as the others started following after Anko. From her left she could hear Shisui and Choza still conversing, and caught the last of Shisui's words. "I hope those two can make up soon." He said with exasperation, and Naruto fell a little further behind the others to where Gai was carrying some of Ebisu's equipment he hadn't had time to pack up properly.
As Gai started talking a waterfall of words Naruto tried to engage in the conversation. It was impossible to stay down while in the company of the green clad ninja. He was always so positive, and though he could creep her out sometimes, his antic was too eccentric even for her at times, she still appreciated the distraction. As they walked and talked Naruto comforted herself with the thought that Anko would have to come around eventually.
.
.
.
To be continued...
週次パワーステータス
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