Author's Note: Another KibaOC for Kaoru-Hime, my wonderful onee-sama. Merry Christmas, onee-sama, and enjoy, everyone!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor do I own any of the Star Wars books.
Wake Up
by Katako-Chan
"Hyuuga Neji, Yamanaka Ino, Inuzuka Kiba, you are to travel to the Land of Grass. Details are in the mission scroll. Hyuuga Neji, as the highest ranking, I appoint you as team leader for this mission."
----
It was a gloriously sunny day in Konoha: the sky positively glowed a translucent cerulean and the bright, cheery sun seeped its way into everyone's moods. It could be said that even sullen man would be dancing jigs from sheer happiness. It was also one of those days that seemed to creep at a leisurely pace and were spent outside strolling aimlessly and perhaps tossing a kunai or two.
But just because it was a day that seemed to creep leisurely, that gave no reason for it to be spent leisurely. Two kunoichi were in the midst of a training session in one of the many clearings that were perfect for that sort of thing.
"Great, Hinata!" Kaoru huffed. "You've gotten better since the last time we sparred. Let's take a break, okay?"
"Alright, Kaoru-san."
"Aw, don't use '-san,' Hinata. We've known each other since the Genin days, which makes…um, nine years! So, er, how's the rest of Team Kurenai?"
"Oh, well, Shino-kun and Kiba-kun are both on missions, and I haven't seen Kurenai-sensei for a while…but I think Shikamaru-kun went to see her yesterday. How about your team, Kaoru-chan?" Hinata tilted her head back so that her bangs no longer shadowed her face.
"They're doing great! …I think. Erikawa's been much more talkative since we got back from Suna, but we all know why, right? The last time I saw Katako was in the Hokage Tower when we were dropping off our mission report, but she looked fine." Kaoru flopped onto the grass. "Mmm, it's so nice out today! What do you say to lunch, Hinata?"
"Lunch? Well, I am rather hungry…"
"We'll go to Ichiraku, then! Maybe we'll catch a boy in orange there, too," Kaoru said with a wink.
"K-Kaoru-chan!"
The pair made their way to Ichiraku Ramen slowly, as the sun shone directly down on them. They made it to the stand just as Naruto was leaving, and an exchange involving blushing, stammering, loud and obnoxious voices, and giggles and smirks (on Kaoru's part) occurred. They sat down and ordered, and just as their bowls of steaming ramen arrived, Erikawa appeared, seemingly out of thin air, inside the entrane.
"Kaoru, I've been looking for you," Erikawa said in greeting. She wasted no time waiting for a reply. "I have some news that you would find valuable. The team that Godaime-sama sent out two weeks ago to Grass was due to return four days ago, but they haven't."
"Y-you mean Neji-niisan's team, Erikawa-san? Do you think something went wrong?"
"I don't know any details; I only overheard Sakura telling Tenten at the hospital. I thought that you ought to know first." With that, Erikawa turned and left.
"T-they're four days late? But Neji-niisan had told Father that the mission was relatively simple A-rank. It was only ranked A because Tsunade-sama was unsure how many sentries there would be…" Hinata trailed off as Kaoru abruptly stood and left. "K-Kaoru-chan, w-where are you going? I'm very sorry, Old Sir, I will pay Kaoru-chan's bill."
----
Kaoru darted through the streets, almost upsetting hawker's carts and elderly people. It was a pity that her apartment was nearby the Hokage Tower. If it hadn't been, she had a smaller chance of being seen, but the rent for ninjas was discounted at the complexes in close proximity to the Tower. My apartment is closer to the south gate, but Land of Grass is to the east…I can take a route through the woods out of the front gate sentries' sight, but it will take a little longer. There better not be anyone with the Byakugan on duty…
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice anything until it looked as if a sea-green hill had sprouted on the horizon.
"Kaoru! What was that all about? You're running way too fast to have been late for something. What happened?" Katako asked, staring accusingly at Kaoru.
"I'm in a hurry, Katako…"
"Thanks for stating the obvious. Tell me what's going on, and then I'll leave you alone."
"Erikawa just came by and told me…told me that Kiba-kun's mission is…is…" She broke out into a coughing fit just then, cutting off the rest of her sentence.
"Kiba's mission is what, Kaoru? A success? A failure?" Katako asked, her voice sharper and more impatient.
"His mission…his team…they should have been back four days…ago." Having finished informing Katako, Kaoru collapsed onto the dusty road.
"Four days? And…you were going to go after them, weren't you?" If Shikamaru had been there at that very moment, he would have compared Katako to his mother.
Kaoru shrunk slightly under her teammate's glare before giving the slightest nod.
"Kaoru, do you know what running off to rescue someone would do?" Katako cried, drawing wary glances from the shoppers. "First of all," she continued, dropping to a whisper, "Everyone, everyone, would know about you and Kiba; and with someone like Ino-san on that mission, it would be the news for weeks. Haven't you learned a thing or two about secrecy since you entered the Academy?
"Secondly, you weren't given a rescue and back-up mission; Tsunade-sama could slate as you 'missing-nin,' and the villagers would think you went Uchiha Sasuke. Do you want that?"
"Alright, alright," Kaoru sighed, defeated, "I won't go anywhere. Geez, calm down…the villagers will be talking about you for weeks after this spectacle."
Kaoru dusted herself off, said her goodbyes, and made her way to her apartment. Unlocking the door, she kicked off her sandals and flopped onto the futon.Well, I suppose there's no way of sneaking out to rescue Kiba-kun's team, what with Katako watching me like a hawk. I don't know where she gets it, but whatever she uses works better than the Byakugan…
…Tsunade-sama will have to send someone out as a rescue and reinforcement team soon, and I'll be on it…
Ending Note: Well, there is chapter one for my onee-sama's Christmas present XD. This plot was so long when I planned it out; it will definitely have to be multi-chapter. Great…just great, I hate writing multi-chapter. Anyways, please review, it speeds the updating process!