Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its character as much as I would love to have a few of them hidden in my closet. They all belong to Mr. Kishimoto. Any of the characters you may not recognize of the canon story belong to me.


Don't Let Go

by Shihori


Prologue

A night in the life of ANBU


It was a moonless night, -perfect for the task at hand. In the darkness only slight flashes of white could be seen as the squadron advanced along the trees at incredible speed.

At the edge of the forest line metal flew, directed to the sentries that had yet to notice the advancing enemy. The three men fell from their tree branches with kunai sticking through their necks. Before they could hit the ground they were caught by three white, animal masked figures. They retrieved the embedded kunai before following the other three running ahead.

Quiet as a shadow, they jumped onto the tiled roof of the wall surrounding the small compound. Silence blanketed the courtyard with its scattered huts.

On time with the leader's signal, four jumped into the courtyard while the two left ran down the wall in opposite direction.

In the courtyard, two guards patrolling that area were brought down by one of the black shadows before they could sound the alarm. The short blades of the intruders gleamed with the light provided by the few torches set around the perimeter. Their feet barely touched the dirt as they sped around the cottages, eliminating every sentry they found in their path. Two shadows moved forward to the central abode while the other two forked out to opposite sides.

When the pair was about to infiltrate through the north-west side, the rice paper screens shattered outwards as a human sized cannon ball shot through them. One of the masked intruders had to jump back into the surrounding yard to avoid a direct hit.

The cannon ball unfurled itself to reveal a massive man just as the shadow jumped over him unsheathing a sword hidden inside the black cape. With a skilled movement of the wrist, the sword found its target, penetrating through the bulky mass of the man's nape until the tip reappeared at the throat. Stepping on his massive back, the masked shinobi pushed him down, effectively freeing the sword, and then flying back onto the walkway.

Inside the other shinobi danced around the wave of guards that had been in waiting, blood spraying everywhere. The other one joined the carnage and soon no more battle cries could be heard. The pair moved on then to the hallway in search of any other guards to kill. Instead they found two of their teammates.

"How many on your end?" One of the other shinobi asked.

"Eleven total."

"The intel said the group had thirty total. With what was out there, that's the majority." The modulated voice added. "Captain must have found the girl by now."

Right then, a whistle pierced the silence. The four shadows mobilized until they reached the central courtyard were the other two waited, with two more people inside the transport circle scroll.

"Your count?" The one shadow holding a sleeping girl, no older than ten, asked.

"Twenty-three." answered the one keeping track of the dead guards.

Nodding towards the beaten up, unconscious man outside the circle he said, "That makes the total then. Let's return to Konoha."

The other one waiting outside the circle pressed hands onto a symbol on the scroll and the chakra fed into it made the masked man and the girl in his arm disappear.

"Next package." One of the shinobi grabbed the unconscious man, dragging him into the circle. The process repeated itself. "Next up the two of you."

"Hold hands kids." The one shinobi waiting outside the circle chuckled, "Or tie each other to the hip. You wouldn't want to loose your boyfriend on the way home sweetheart."

"Shut up perv." answered the shinobi that had taken care of the human cannon ball.

The other one remained silent but took his teammate's hand all the same.

Sending chakra to his hands, the other one said, "See you guys in a few days. Let's go out for a drink to celebrate." Then pressing his hand to the symbol once more, he sent off the last of the team meant to travel that way.

Rolling up the scroll and stashing it away under his cape he turned to his teammate. "Let's check the area and be done for the night. I'm starving."


Back in Konoha, the last two arrived at the roof top of the Hokage building. One of the teammates waited for them without the mask or cape on. Around his right bicep he wore a white band that stood out with the rest of the black and gunmetal of the ANBU uniform.

"Welcome back." said a jounin who had helped to power up the transport circle. When they stepped out, he started rolling up the scroll.

"How are you two feeling?" Their teammate asked. "No buzzing in your ears? Take your masks off."

The teenage boy and girl followed orders as the medic-nin checked their eyesight with a penlight and took their pulse.

"Alright." The medic said, satisfied with their vitals. "No injuries?"

"None." answered the girl while the boy simply shook his head.

"Very well." The medic-nin turned towards the stairs where the other jounin awaited. "The captain ordered us to wait in the lockers. Sandaime is pleased with the mission's result."

"Is the Kurosagi girl alright?" The girl asked as she pulled off the hair net holding her hair back.

"She had been sedated by the kidnappers. From my initial check up she seems to be alright, but Kakashi took her to the hospital to have a thorough check up before she is delivered tomorrow to the Fire daimyou's family."

The girl nodded slightly and looked away from their teammates in the direction the Konoha hospital was located.

"Let's head back." The older shinobi said, placing the mask back on his face before walking into the building's stairwell.


"Seriously, we are just friends!" The girl complained as she stepped out of the women's changing area, tying her hair up in a ponytail. "Why can't Genma leave it alone?"

The medic-nin chuckled, "Probably because he loves to tease you Tomoe-chan."

"Ignore him." Itachi added to the conversation, strapping his sandals on.

Tomoe sat next to him to do her own sandals up. They were crisscrossed up to her knees so they needed a little more time. "How can I? If he keeps spreading rumors, no one will dare come close to ask me out much less date me. Tell him Usami-san."

Usami wrapped his arms over his chest, already changed into his normal gear. "Young girls have it tough Itachi-san." He chuckled, "No one will want to approach your friend here if Genma keeps spreading that rumor."

"What rumor?" asked Kakashi as he walked into the locker room. With a flick of his wrist three paper notes flew towards the shinobi which they easily caught. Setting down the gear in his hands on a table, he sat down.

"That our kids here are a couple. Tomoe-chan is terribly worried about it." Usami answered.

"Ignore Genma, Kurosagi-san." Kakashi smirked under his mask. "Good job tonight everyone. Don't spend it all in one place and fill in your reports by five tomorrow. Now, head on home. We have another mission in seventy-two hours. Rest up."

The blue eyed girl nodded towards the senior jounin. "Always nice to work with you gentlemen. Have a good night." Then hooking an arm around Itachi she said, "I could eat a cow. Let's go for yakiniku."

"I'm heading home." Itachi answered succinctly turning towards the exit.

"Geez. Why don't you just show off that you have someone to cook for you when you get home." Tomoe let go of his arm as they walked to the door.

"You're the one who keeps complaining about getting called my girlfriend." Itachi pointed out.

"Does that make you mad?" Tomoe grinned devilishly as they crossed the threshold and disappeared.

"Oh to be young again." Usami laughed, shaking his head. "Those two...it's like watching a puppy bark at a tree."

"Quite so." Kakashi chuckled as he turned around and gave the clipboard with paper a bored stare. "Want to fill this out for me ol' man?"

Patting his shoulder, Usami headed to the exit himself. "Have fun captain. I have a warm bed and an even warmer woman to get home to."

"Lucky bastard." Kakashi muttered to which the other man just laughed.

"Get married then Hatake. Taking the trash out and going out clothes shopping are small prices for the benefits reaped." And with that piece of advice, the older shinobi left the locker room.

Kakashi rolled his eyes at that parting statement and stretched his arms over his shoulders. Taking the pen, he stared at the blank paper for a moment.

A trip out of town will do. He thought, calculating how long it would take him to arrive to the closest city to Konoha. If I leave tonight I can make it back on time for the next mission.

Deciding his course of action, he began writing the mission report -short and concise much to his superior's dismay. After all, everyone knew Hatake Kakashi hated writing reports but they kept assigning him as captain.

They'll learn to live with it. He chuckled to himself as he signed the one paragraph report and hurried out to deliver it and get out of town.


Final Check: 07/31/2014