Team White Fang...Mission Ready
Sakumo Hatake wandered down the narrow streets of Konoha feeling more relaxed than he had in years. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to walk past the stalls in the Market District without being stopped by a minimum of a dozen women. They would either throw themselves at him, or they'd be angling for him to meet their daughters or single sisters.
Now, however, he could take his time enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the best market in the Five Countries...at least in his opinion. Sakumo chuckled to himself. And all it took was becoming a jonin-sensei. If he'd realized having these three boys trailing after him would act as bimbo-repellent, he would have volunteered for this task years ago!
The first time the boys had shown this innate talent had been when they were walking toward their very first D-ranked mission as a team...to help a local merchant reorganize their fruit stall. The target stall was deep in the center of the Market, and they hadn't even made it past the first two stalls when Sakumo found himself accosted by a half dozen harpies. Okay...so technically they were some of the most beautiful ladies in Konoha, but that beauty was easy to overlook when each and every one of them was vying to gain his attention. He'd never seen such cruelty, even from his most dangerous enemies in the field. Hell, these 'Beauties of Konoha' would willingly tear the hair out of their best friend if it meant one less woman to possibly catch the great White Fang's eye.
So when Choza somehow wriggled his less-than-slender frame into the path of a certain overly clingy harpy's lips as she tried to steal a kiss, Sakumo was as proud as any sensei in the history of Konoha...especially from the level of screech that the move had elicited from the foiled woman. Then, when Inoichi somehow found a way to place stink-weed strategically into the hems of each woman's clothing and the straps of their sandals without being noticed, Sakumo's pride increased just a shade more. Of course, the icing on the cake occurred when he was still trying to escape the brood of women and somehow he found himself freezing mid-step while the flustered, stinky women continued on a few steps more on their own to head straight into a cascade of fish parts that mysteriously toppled off a nearby fishmonger's stall.
Similar fates met any other women brave enough to venture near him anytime his team was near him, and now...two weeks later...Sakumo was reaping the benefit of having a very possessive group of genin following in his steps. A smile spread across his lips at the thought of how well these boys worked together for a common goal, and he was glad to see his original inkling of their potential was already showing to be true.
Today was one of the rare days in Konoha where there were no D-ranked missions available for the genin teams, and so, after a grueling morning of training with the boys...where he was able to begin to teach them the basics of advanced chakra-control, he'd decided to surprise them with lunch at his favorite hibachi joint. After all, it wasn't every day that Sakumo felt a need to reward someone...and with an Akimichi on the team, what better reward than food!
He pulled up short in front of a small storefront tucked away between two weapons stalls. "Okay boys...we're here!"
He peeked back over his shoulders to find three distinctly different reactions. Inoichi's face held a look of disgust when he spied the under-watered plants on either side of the entry, Shikaku's eyes shifted from side to side even as he was slouching in his ever-bored stance, and Choza...well, Choza's reaction was exactly as he'd expected once the aroma of cooking meat made its way to his nose. The red-haired boy was literally drooling until a small puddle was forming between his feet.
Sakumo smiled and chuckled at the trio before motioning for them to follow him inside. Shikaku's voice...much deeper than either of his teammates'...made it clear that he had no clue why he'd brought them here. "Sakumo-sensei, this place costs a bit more than we can afford on a genin's budget."
Sakumo smiled back at them. "Lucky for you all, it fits my budget just fine. Lunch is on me today."
"All right!" Choza's enthusiasm was followed by him shouldering his way in front of the others only to be caught by his collar by Sakumo before he could barrel into the restaurant and frighten the staff.
"Restraint, Choza. We've talked about this before, haven't we?" Sakumo glanced down at where the young man was now blushing in embarrassment.
"Yes, Sensei." The boy's face took on a serious look as he was obviously recalling the last time he'd been told to use restraint. "I shouldn't make it too obvious when I want to do something...because...because then my enemy will know my plans before I can do them. Right?"
Sakumo let go of Choza's collar and was pleased to see that he stood quietly next to him instead of continuing into the building. He placed one hand onto the short-cropped red hair. "That's right Choza. But that lesson can be applied across the board...like when you're going in to eat at a fine establishment like this one."
Choza licked his lips in anticipation of the meal inside. "But I would think the owners would love to see how eager I am to eat here, wouldn't they?"
Sakumo removed his hand from the boy's head. "Eagerness is fine in moderation, Choza. But the best idea is not to scare the owner into thinking you intend to eat everything that isn't nailed down. Understood?"
Choza's cheeks blushed another shade darker and he lowered his head slightly. "Yes sir."
Sakumo smiled and pushed the boy toward where a small-waisted girl...not much older than Choza...with bright green eyes and long brown hair was watching them expectantly. "Why don't you go let the hostess know Team White Fang is here for their lunch reservation, okay?"
Choza's broad face lit up with a bright smile, and Sakumo couldn't help but notice how the young girl blushed at the sight of it. He watched the boy introduce himself to her with a small bow and chuckled when Choza turned back toward him with an enthusiastic thumbs-up. He turned his attention to where the other two members of his team were standing...or at least where they were supposed to be standing.
He frowned. A quick step back out into the street showed that Shikaku was leaning against a nearby wall with his arms crossed and his eyes closed...likely catching another nap. Meanwhile, Inoichi was busily watering the two neglected plants, mumbling under his breath the entire time. Sakumo inched a little closer to where the Yamanaka was fussing over the plants, fully expecting to overhear a rant about how useless the owners were for leaving their plants uncared for. Instead, he listened quietly while the boy ran through the various different parts of this particular species of plant, and how each part could be used for everything from soup stock to a rather potent aphrodisiac. That last bit had him lifting his eyebrows in more than a bit of curiosity.
"He does that all the time, you know."
Shikaku's voice roused him from his thoughts. When had the boy moved away from the wall? Sakumo covered his surprise with his response. "And would that be rescuing unfortunate plants? Or listing off every possible use for them?"
Shikaku gave one short laugh. "Both, I suppose. But mostly he constantly quizzes himself on all the plants around here. He says it relaxes him."
Sakumo glanced down at the dark-haired boy. His hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, similar to how Inoichi tied back his blond hair, but the shorter length and coarse texture made it stick up awkwardly instead of flowing down gracefully like his teammate's did. "Hmm...it shows he has a keen grasp on what's important for a shinobi...intimate knowledge of his environment. And what about you, Shikaku?"
The tanned boy tipped his head to one side in apparent confusion. "What about me, Sensei?"
"What does someone like you do to relax?"
A frown settled over Shikaku's face. "Someone like me?"
Sakumo grinned down at the boy. "Yes, Shikaku. Someone like you who spends every moment watching all that's going on around you and analyzing it into its smallest components."
A stunned expression replaced the frown letting Sakumo know he'd read the boy perfectly. After one more moment of shock Shikaku shook his head slightly and shoved his hands deep into his pockets before turning to enter the restaurant. As he walked away Sakumo heard the boy's single-word answer to the original question.
"Shogi."
Sakumo smiled after the boy. He'd have to dig out his father's old board and challenge the kid to a game or two. After all, it will provide him with some one on one time to show Shikaku the true meaning behind that particular strategy game. He looked back to where Inoichi seemed to have moved on to pruning the plants.
"That's enough of that, Inoichi! It's time to eat."
The blond looked up and blinked his eyes a few times in confusion before he seemed to recall that Sakumo hadn't brought him there to tend to the flora. He brushed his hands off on his trousers and took one last look at the plants before joining him at the door. Sakumo placed one hand between the boy's shoulders and guided him into the restaurant.
"Although it's commendable that you want to immerse yourself into plants, Inoichi, you shouldn't let it distract you from everything else around you. It could prove deadly down the road."
That seemed to upset the youngster and Sakumo found himself on the receiving end of a viscous glare. "There's nothing wrong with me liking plants!"
He held his hands up in mock surrender between himself and the angry Yamanaka. "I never said there was, kid. In fact, I just finished telling Shikaku that you'd prove very handy on missions because of that very skill."
Inoichi looked skeptical. "You did?"
Sakumo nodded once. "Go ask your buddy if you don't believe me."
Inoichi narrowed his eyes and looked like he was trying to read the truth of his words when Sakumo felt a faint pressure behind his eyes and he remembered which clan the boy hailed from. If he didn't know better, he'd swear the brat had just tried to access his surface thoughts! He broke eye contact with him and, not so gently, pushed the boy toward the table where Shikaku and Choza were already sitting.
Sakumo chuckled to himself and ran one hand through his hair as he walked over to join them. These kids were a never ending bucket of surprises. He settled into a chair with his back against the wall and waved for service. Once another young woman...this one closer to his age than his team's...came over with the menus, Sakumo addressed the boys once more.
"I want you kids to order anything you want off the menu..." He paused to meet Choza's eyes before continuing. "...within reason, that is."
The Akimichi lad blushed slightly but then met his stare full on. "Can you provide me with what reasonable limits would be, Sensei?"
Again, Sakumo found himself glad he'd taken these three unique genin on. Each one seemed to have above average intelligence, and he didn't really need to waste his time on the basics of team building, which left him open to moving on to the more advanced teachings far sooner than other teams would be able to. At this rate, Team White Fang would be wiping up the floor with the competition at the next Chunin Exams. Heh...he'd need to make sure he laid a sizable bet with Tsunade when the time came.
With that thought in mind he turned his attention back to where Choza was still quietly awaiting his answer. "Order yourself three meals Choza...you'll need the extra energy for what I have planned for tonight."
After a moment of elation from the beefy genin, Sakumo watched all three boys groan at the implications of what he'd just said. He placed an innocent smile on his face and went about ordering a relatively light meal for himself...after all, he knew better than to eat heavily before the kind of workout he was already devising in his mind.
xoxox
Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned forward over a small table that held his crystal gazing ball on a small red pillow. He felt a brief moment of guilt as he used his chakra to activate the ball and focused in on where he'd learned Team White Fang was doing a late night training session, but he pushed that guilt aside as the smoke cleared within the globe to show him three exhausted genin and one rather smug looking elite-jonin.
Hiruzen frowned as he shifted the focus in the globe to take in the surrounding training field. All around the small group were signs of destruction. Trees were toppled, boulders were unearthed, and a small lake had been drained of all its water. All three boys were leaning over their knees with their heads down and showed the definite signs of having been involved in one way or another with the unsettling mess surrounding them.
He turned his attention toward Sakumo, expecting the man to be immaculate, as he surely just sat back and ran the boys through grueling exercises, like so many of the sensei in his ranks tended to do. Instead, he saw that the man was actually in worse shape than the three boys. Although not showing it as plainly as the genin, it was clear to Hiruzen that the man had used this session to actually participate in the training firsthand.
He glanced back at the emptied lake and now understood that the jonin had actually used A-ranked jutsu in his lesson. A small part of him was outraged at such a move, but a larger part of him was thrilled that he'd been right about the potential the three boys held...and that that potential was obviously being brought out by matching them up with Sakumo Hatake. He chuckled as he watched the jonin move over to where the boys were all shaking with exhaustion. Each of their faces showed a combination of wariness and exhaustion...which, considering one of the boys was Shikaku Nara, getting any emotion out of them at all was rather impressive.
Sakumo crossed his arms and stared down at the boys as though waiting for them to explain themselves and slowly, each of the boys stood up straight and waited for him to tell them what to do next. Hiruzen watched as the jonin reached behind his back into one of his pouches and saw all three boys flinch slightly when he pulled that hand back out in front of them. Sakumo opened his hand slowly, and whatever it was he was showing the boys caused each and every one of them to open their mouths wide before transforming them into some of the widest grins Hiruzen had ever been witness to.
His curiosity piqued, he found himself refocusing the crystal to bring him a closeup of Sakumo's hand and found himself confused. Sitting in the pale palm of the White Fang of Konoha sat three equal sections of what appeared to be a colorfully decorated coin. Each segment had a chain attached to it, and as Hiruzen readjusted the focus of his crystal to take in the whole scene again, each boy took one of the segments and quickly placed it around their necks.
By now, even Sakumo grinned like a fool before he stuck his hands into his pockets and led the way out of the training field. Team White Fang moved with purpose until they left the field of view in the crystal, and Hiruzen laughed out loud at the way things had turned out. Of course, he hadn't exactly lied to Sakumo when he'd told him about the counselors' concerns over the future of the Hatake Clan, but he was thrilled to see that the man had taken so well to nurturing the boys no one else wanted to give a chance to.
The quiet clearing of his aide's throat made it obvious Hiruzen's next appointment had arrived, and so he reluctantly shut down the viewing crystal and shrugged into the Hokage robes that were held at the ready for him. "Ah, yes Aseri...I assume the potential client is waiting in the outer hall?"
The young man rolled his eyes. "Yes Lord Hokage. As he has been for the last hour."
Hiruzen raised his eyebrows at that comment. "That long? Well then, let's not keep him waiting any longer, shall we?"
With that, he walked around the gaping aide and pushed open the door to the outer hall. "Welcome to Konoha, Yotogi. Please...come in and have a seat, so we can talk about the mission you're requesting."
He waved the man into his office and slowly walked to his chair with his arms behind his back. While he walked, he brought to mind what this particular client's request was, so that by the time he was seated he was all business. Hiruzen took a moment to go through the motions of preparing his pipe to smoke, giving him a bit more time to discreetly look his visitor over.
The man sitting in front of him was no shinobi...that was clear from the way he dressed, to the way he sat in the uncomfortable chair. The robes he wore were meant to impress those around him, and made it quite clear that Yotogi was from one of the upper houses of Lightning Country. By the look of the intricate designs and material used, Hiruzen would have to guess this man belonged to the Daimyou's house, at the very least.
Once his pipe was filled and lit, Hiruzen leaned back in his chair and smiled toward the client. At the same time, Aseri set a tray of tea on the surface of the desk and went about pouring the hot liquid for the two of them before moving to stand off to the side. Yotogi sighed deeply and took the porcelain cup in hands that noticeably shook.
Hiruzen made no sign that he had noticed the shake, and proceeded to set his pipe down and sip at his own tea before addressing the man. "Yotogi, your request for Konoha's help was rather vague when it came in. Which is why I've asked to see you personally before deciding whether we accept the job or not."
The shake in Yotogi's hands grew worse at Hiruzen's words, and he splashed a bit of the hot liquid out of the cup, although the man barely noticed it. When he spoke, his distress was quite evident in the high-pitch of his voice.
"But you have to accept the job! Her life depends on it!"
Hiruzen frowned. "Whose life depends on it, Yotogi?"
The client placed the cup back onto the tray before running his shaking hands through his shoulder-length blond hair. He sighed and slumped into the chair as much as he could before meeting Hiruzen's gaze with bloodshot eyes.
"Forgive me for ranting, Lord Hokage. But the Daimyou of the Land of Lightning has made it quite clear that if I can't manage to bring a Konoha team back for this job, that...I shouldn't return at all."
The man let out a pathetic wail before Hiruzen sighed heavily and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. It was far too late in the day to deal with such an emotional display. After a moment, the man pulled himself back together and glanced hopefully in his direction. Hiruzen leaned forward and placed his palms on the desk while leveling one of his most serious gazes at the potential client.
"Is there some reason you could not hire the Raikage's shinobi to carry out this particular assignment? From what I can see from your initial request, it's nothing more than a simple escort mission."
Yotogi lowered his head and took to studying his fingers as though he'd never seen anything so interesting in his life. When he spoke, his words were barely above a whisper. "We can't let the Raikage know about this particular escort mission, Hokage."
Hiruzen frowned. "And what might happen if he did find out?"
The man's head snapped up and the look of absolute terror in his eyes was matched by the shudder running through his body. "Trust me...it would be better if we didn't find out."
Hiruzen sighed and pushed himself back into his chair. "You put me in a very difficult position, Yotogi. Relations between this Village and Lightning have not been the best for quite some time. Surely you can see how sending one of our jonin teams might be construed as an act of aggression?"
Yotogi frowned and wiped at a bit of sweat that was rolling down his forehead even though the windows were open and a pleasantly cool evening breeze was present. "It wouldn't need to be a whole team of jonin, Hokage. The person in need of escort is no stranger to fighting. Is there perhaps a lower level team that might be available?"
Hiruzen reached out and brought his pipe back to his lips trying to fathom just what game this man and his Daimyou were playing. The two sat in silence for quite some time before Yotogi spoke again. "Please, Hokage...any team will do. They won't even need to do more than enter one of the border towns. Hardly into Lightning lands at all. It's just that...well...we just can't let her go on her own...she likely wouldn't arrive."
"Is someone after her, Yotogi?"
The mousy man in front of him rubbed his hands together nervously. "Not exactly...it's just that once she learns where she's going, and why, we honestly expect her to try and run."
Hiruzen hummed thoughtfully at that. "So you aren't looking for an escort...but rather, you'd like a babysitter?"
The man before him blushed slightly. "I wouldn't exactly say that...especially not to her. It's more like we need a tactful guiding hand to ensure she gets to where she needs to be without her...or the Raikage...learning about it."
Hiruzen chuckled at the purely diplomatic answer. "I'm afraid I'll need some additional information before we can even consider accepting your request, Yotogi."
The man frowned. "There's not much more I can tell you, Hokage."
Hiruzen made a subtle signal to Aseri and, a moment later, a detailed map of the border of Lightening Country was placed on top of the desk. "I assume you can at least tell me where the subject of this job is located?"
Yotogi's face became a mask of embarrassment. "Of course, Hokage! Forgive my oversight."
The middled-aged man leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at the map as though trying desperately to locate anything that was familiar to him. Hiruzen chuckled under his breath and casually pointed out a few major landmarks. "Here is where the Raikage is located...this is the where the Daimyou dwells..."
A small smile graced the man's face as he nodded enthusiastically at each place identified. The man's finger jabbed at a location closer to the Raikage's lands than the Daimyou's. "That's it...right here! See! This is a waterfall, right?"
Hiruzen nodded. "That's right Yotogi. That's the Falls of Sorrow."
"Ah, yes...that's exactly right!" The man was beaming now. "She'll be waiting in the Inn of the Falls located just about...here." Again he poked a finger at the parchment.
"I see. And who exactly would this 'she' be?"
Yotogi took a moment to glance around the room as though he expected someone to be listening in. He leaned dramatically over the desk to whisper into Hiruzen's ear. "I shouldn't tell you this...but it's the Daimyou's niece."
Hiruzen was honestly surprised to hear that. The Daimyou of Lightning was known to keep his enemies close...and his family closer. So to learn that his niece was located across the country from him was definitely out of character for the man. He frowned at the potential client. Something just didn't feel right about this.
"Why isn't she already with the Daimyou?"
He watched the man tense before Yotogi sat back down. "She is a bit of a free spirit, Lord Hokage. The Daimyou has never been able to say no to the girl, and so when she wanted to learn the art of the shinobi he was unable to deny her request."
"She's a shinobi?!?" Aseri's startled voice reminded both men they were not alone in the room.
Hiruzen glared pointedly at his Aide until the man had the decency to step back from the desk once more. "He brings up a good point, Yotogi. If the girl is already a shinobi, why would she need an escort at all? Was she simply given the title as a favor to the Daimyou?"
It wasn't unheard of for such things to happen, especially considering it was always a good idea to keep the favor of the local Daimyou. It allowed for other, less favorable activities to go on in the Hidden Villages without worry of interference. Still...Hiruzen continued to think he was missing some vital piece of the puzzle.
Yotogi's eyes went wide. "Heavens no! She has more potential than many of the other shinobi in her class. That's part of the problem."
At last some clarity was coming into the situation. "Is the Raikage aware the girl is related to the Daimyou?"
Now the man before him rubbed at the back of his neck. "Not exactly. He thinks the girl is my daughter."
Hiruzen raised his eyebrows. "I would think the child's parents wouldn't be too pleased with such a ruse."
A nervous chuckle left Yotogi's mouth. "Well, about that...you see, the girl's father was killed before she was born...and her mother, well, her mother hasn't been healthy enough to even notice she wasn't there in more than ten years."
"Ten years?" Hiruzen's eyes narrowed at the man. "Just how old is this girl?"
The man swallowed deeply. "She'll be seventeen in three months."
A headache was beginning to form behind Hiruzen's eyes. "And just how old was she when she joined the ranks of the Raikage's shinobi?"
"Ten...and a half."
"So is she chunin...or jonin?"
Yotogi blushed. "She's a chunin. But..."
Hiruzen's eyebrows rose once more. "But...?"
"But she's a shoo-in for jonin next month."
"Which is why you need her to be brought home now?"
Yotogi sighed. "Yes, Hokage. And why we can't let the Raikage know about it."
Hiruzen scratched behind his ear. "Don't you think he'll notice if a jonin candidate goes missing so close to the exams, Yotogi?"
The man launched himself from his seat to lean on the edge of the Hokage's desk. "You aren't listening to me! We can not allow this girl to become jonin!"
Hiruzen stopped his personal ANBU guards from approaching with a subtle wave of his hands before Yotogi had even finished leaving his seat. Now, all he needed to do was discover just why the Daimyou was so hellbent on keeping his niece from becoming a jonin. But first things first.
"Yotogi, sit down please." His words had been spoken quietly, but with enough authority that the robed man instantly did as he was told.
"Forgive me, Hokage. This is just becoming much more complicated than it ever should have been."
Hiruzen took another draw off of his pipe and chuckled softly. "Why don't we start again, shall we? What's this girl's name?"
Yotogi blushed slightly. "Ah yes, I suppose that might help. Her true name is Amaashi Meika, but while she trains she is known as Tenka Shuurai."
Hiruzen smiled at the distinction. This wasn't the first time he'd dealt with members of a distinguished family taking on an alias in order to have a life outside of the pomp and circumstance. But it still didn't explain why Amaashi couldn't be allowed to be jonin. He set his pipe down and folded his hands on the desk.
"Yotogi, if you expect me to assign any of my shinobi to this mission, I need one last bit of information from you."
"If I am able, Lord Hokage, I will tell you anything you ask."
"Good...tell me why she should not be jonin."
The man before him paled noticeably. "Because in Lightning Country, upon reaching jonin level, the candidates must perform one specific task to show their undying loyalty to the Raikage."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes at that. It was rare for any information about a rival Hidden Village's jonin exams to be shared. If he actually shared more detailed information about this 'task' then there would be no doubt in his mind that taking this mission would be well worth the risks. He leaned forward a bit as Yotogi spoke further.
"The Raikage demands each jonin candidate to seal their life to him."
"Seal it?"
Yotogi sighed. "Yes, Lord Hokage. If Lady Amaashi becomes jonin, her Uncle will lose his only living heir."
Now the gravity of the situation was becoming clearer to Hiruzen. He'd heard of the archaic rituals used in other Hidden Villages which held no true relationship with their Daimyou, but never had he known they would go so far as to seal the jonin to them in such a manner. Still...it didn't quite explain the value placed on this single girl.
"Forgive my bluntness, Yotogi. But is there some reason the Daimyou doesn't simply make more heirs?"
The man's nervousness increased tenfold. "You can't tell a soul, Lord Hokage. But the Daimyou is unable to produce heirs any longer due to a rather unfortunate accident twelve years ago. To lose the Lady Amaashi would be to lose his entire legacy."
"And he did not see fit to recall her sooner?"
"That was my doing, I'm afraid. I knew she was thriving where she was...far enough removed from the structured life of the Daimyou's world. And I convinced her Uncle that it would be wise indeed for his only living heir to know how to defend herself."
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair once more. "And how will you explain her need to return now if she desires to stay?"
At this question, Yotogi actually smiled. "That's where your shinobi come into play! Lady Amaashi has always had a soft spot for helping others in need. It's something the Raikage has tried to beat out of her over the years, but she has a bit of a fiery temperament and refuses to change that aspect of herself for anyone. All we need from your shinobi is a believable sob-story that would require her to help them. If she buys it, then your folks just need to extend her time with them long enough to miss the jonin exam."
Hiruzen smiled. "Oh, is that all they need to do?"
Yotogi blushed once more. "Surely you have someone you could send that might be able to convince Lady Amaashi that they need help...don't you?"
Hiruzen closed his eyes in thought. If he refused this mission, it was highly probable that the Lightning Daimyou would make things difficult for Konoha in the long run. On the other hand, if they accepted the mission and failed...it would be even worse. So the question was, what team could he send that would be believable enough to require Amaashi's help, while being skilled enough to keep her away from the Lightning Village long enough? A slow smile crept across his face, and he opened his eyes and glanced over to where the crystal viewing ball sat.
"Yotogi, I have the perfect team in mind for this task. How do you feel about a seasoned jonin and three genin?"
xoxox
Tenka Shuurai watched as her best friend threw another volley of shuriken her way. With a few quick hand signs, Tenka eliminated the threat a dozen feet from where she was standing by pulling a wall of static electricity up between her and the deadly projectiles.
"You'll have to do better than that at the exams, Makkura, if you expect to become jonin!" Even as she said this, she pulled her katana out and spun to where Makkura was now coming at her from behind. "That diversion may have worked when we were genin, but it takes more than that to fool me now."
Makkura dove under her sweeping blade and gripped her around her legs, tackling her to the hard ground. Of course, when all was said and done, it was actually a large rock he was clutching, while Tenka sat on a nearby branch and laughed at him. His dark skin was coated in sweat and dirt, and his close-cropped white hair was stained dark brown in various sections from the mud he'd landed in.
"That's not fair, Tenka!"
Pushing her own silvery-white hair behind her ears and wishing it was long enough to braid, Tenka jumped lightly to the ground and offered Makkura a hand up. "Do you honestly think the enemy will play fair? I mean really...you're two years older than I am...shouldn't you already know this stuff?"
Makkura glared at her even as he accepted her help off the ground, placing his dark hand within her far paler one. "I still don't get why you take this all so seriously, Tenka. We're just sparring...there's no need to go all out."
Tenka rolled her eyes and placed her katana back into its sheath. "Why would I want to get used to attacking or defending at anything less than my best? That's how shinobi lose their lives, you know."
Makkura released a huge sigh and tried in vain to brush off some of the clods of dirt still sticking to his chunin uniform. "Fine...if it will make you feel any better you can point out my failings at my funeral, okay?"
Tenka frowned at his comment. "Listen Makkura, it's just that if you aren't going to come at me with the intent to kill, then there's no point in my training with you anymore."
Her best friend's eyes went wide in disbelief. "But Tenka...who else will I find to spar with?"
Tenka sighed. "Why don't you check out Kainashi. I understand he's looking for a sparring partner."
Makkura frowned. "But he's a genin!"
Tenka smirked. "Right...so he should be able to keep up with the level you seem determined to stay at."
Makkura groaned in defeat. "Fine! You've made your point...and trust me...tomorrow morning I'll have no trouble at all going at you with killing intent!"
She smiled sweetly at him and chuckled as a blush colored his dark cheeks even more. "I'll hold you to that promise, Makkura. But...I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain-check for sparring tomorrow. I've got an escort mission for a bunch of kids and their injured caretaker."
Makkura glared at her. "You're taking a mission this close to the exams? Are you insane?"
She shrugged gracefully and started walking away from him. "Probably...but the scroll was delivered this morning, so who am I to turn it down? Besides, it's only a C-ranked mission. I'll be back before the week's out."
Makkura quickly caught up to her and nudged her in the arm until she paid attention to him. "Can I go with you?"
Tenka laughed. "Makkura, aren't you scheduled for gate duty for the rest of the week?"
He groaned. "Don't remind me. They have me paired up with Monban. That man has got to be the dullest shinobi I've ever met. It's like the only thing he's ever wanted to do with his life is stand in front of those blasted gates!"
Tenka slapped Makkura in the back of his head. "You shouldn't make fun of Monban. At least he has a goal for his life."
"What's that supposed to mean? I have a goal for my life!"
She stared directly into his deep green eyes. "And what would that be, Makkura? To remain chunin for the rest of your life?"
The look on her best friend's face made it clear she might have gone too far. "No wonder no one else wants to hang out with you, Tenka. You have an uncanny knack for making people feel worthless."
She sighed at his reaction and walked away from him. "I'm a realist, Makkura. Nothing more...nothing less."
After a few moments, Tenka heard Makkura's heavy steps as he caught up with her once more. They walked on in an uncomfortable silence until, at last, her friend spoke. "Dammit, Tenka. I didn't mean anything by that."
She kept her head facing forward and continued walking. "I know. And I didn't mean anything either."
He nudged her shoulder with his own. "I know."
And silence descended on them once more, but this time it was a comfortable silence. After another five minutes Makkura cleared his throat. "Hey, Tenka...where are you headed for your mission?"
She shifted her gaze at him with suspicion. "Why do you want to know?"
She noticed his cheeks darken once more. "It's just that when I was in the mission room last night there was talk about some unknown rogues out by the border taking down some pretty strong jonin. They even took down a puppeteer!"
Tenka stopped walking and faced Makkura with her hands perched on her hips. "Ah...Makkura...are you worried about me?"
He scowled at her teasing and crossed his arms in front of him. "No way! I just figured that if that's where you were going that I'd send word ahead to warn them!"
She laughed out loud and slung one arm around Makkura's shoulder before leaning in and placing a kiss on his cheek. "And it's that very reason I keep you around Makkura."
His face shaded even darker, and a huge grin plastered itself to his face. When Tenka moved away to start back down the road she felt Makkura's firm grip on her arm, drawing her attention back to him. His face was now deadly serious.
"Tenka...I wasn't making that stuff up about the rogues. They said there was barely anything left of the jonin who were attacked. Just be careful, okay?"
She wanted to tease him again...but a feeling deep in her gut made her stop. "I'll be careful, Makkura. Besides, how much trouble can an injured caretaker and his three brats be, hmm?"
xoxox
Shikaku walked alongside his teammates as they made their way to where Sakumo-sensei insisted they would be meeting up with the object of their mission. The genin sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets as they continued down the muddy road for the sixth straight hour. He watched Inoichi tugging at the hem of his gray tunic and smirked at the thought that the Yamanaka clan's hope for the future was upset about not looking stylish. Of course, part of the problem was likely the fact he'd been made to dye his long blond hair a muddy brown two nights ago, and he knew his friend well enough to know that the change of hair color was far more traumatic than the change of clothing.
A quick glance over at where Choza was animatedly speaking with their sensei made it plain that the removal of his clan's trademark face-paint, and dying of his hair had no effect the jovial boy in the least. For himself, the only real changes were his clothing and the fact he was wearing his dark brown hair down instead of in its usual high ponytail. He chuckled darkly to himself. If the other two ever learned he'd been the one to suggest the hair color for this mission he'd very likely find himself on the receiving end of their anger. Choza would probably pin him down while Inoichi showed some highly poisonous plant down his pants.
Shikaku watched Sakumo-sensei scratching at his own recently dyed hair, and the chuckle disappeared at the thought of what that man would likely do to him once the information came out. If even half the stories about the White Fang proved true, he could find that a poisonous plant might be welcome in comparison. Shikaku frowned and trudged on through the mud until the much older man called for a halt.
"Alright kids, we have just one or two more things to do before we'll be ready to walk to the Inn of the Falls." He watched as Sakumo waved the three of them over to the side of the road where he sat down on a large rock and waited for them.
Once the three of them were standing in front of Sakumo, they all had a much better look at the transformation the man had undergone in the name of the mission. His normally white, gravity-defying hair was chestnut brown and slicked back so that he actually looked far shorter than they were used to. In addition, he had dyed his eyebrows to match, and his always present mask and headband were removed altogether revealing a broad forehead and rugged jawline. His clothes, although gray like the rest of theirs, was cut in such a way as to downplay his build. The result was that he looked rather unassuming...especially once he donned the wire-rimmed glasses that he'd just pulled out of his pocket.
The man smiled widely at them. "I know I've pushed us rather hard to get here in under a week, but there was actually a very good reason for it. Would any of you care to guess at what it is?"
Choza scratched at his head. "So we'd have time to eat a meal before we arrived?"
Sakumo smirked and shook his head. "No Choza. But feel free to have a snack while we chat."
Shikaku held back his chuckle as his friend didn't wait another moment before digging his hands into his deep pockets and taking out a rice ball that he must have snagged from the Inn they'd stayed in last night. Inoichi let out a large sigh before giving his own answer.
"Was it because you have a sadistic streak, Sakumo-sensei?"
The jonin laughed out loud and crossed his arms in front of him. "Although that might actually be a true statement, Inoichi, that isn't the one I was looking for."
Shikaku felt his sensei's gaze shift toward him and he tried hard not to be affected by it. "And do you have a guess, Shikaku?"
He shrugged and pulled one hand out of his pocket to rub his neck self-consciously. "Probably because, according to the mission briefing you gave us, we're not supposed to appear like we're shinobi. So the more disheveled and miserable we look, the more likely whoever it is we're meeting will believe in the lie."
Sakumo's grin told him he'd gotten it right long before the man's words did. "I should have known you'd have it figured out. After all, you were also the one to do the research ahead of time to know that our hair needed to be dyed this color to match the looks of the area we are claiming to come from."
Shikaku glared at the man as his teammates turned their attention toward him. Choza had even stopped chewing at the news, and Inoichi's gaze made it crystal clear that both of his friends would be getting even with him later. The former took a menacing step in his direction, but Sakumo's chuckle drew their attention back to their team leader.
"He was very wise in this choice, boys. Changing our hair coloring is one of the easiest ways to disguise ourselves without having to resort to a genjutsu which our target likely would be able to detect. Besides..." The jonin grinned wider still. "...you should count your blessings that we weren't pretending to be traveling monks. I, for one, would not have enjoyed shaving my head."
Shikaku knew his face was mirroring his friends' faces as they gaped at the man sitting in front of them. Choza's whispered question shook them out of their shock.
"You wouldn't have really made us do that, right Sensei?"
The man placed his hands on his knees and leaned forward a bit. "Of course I would have." He pushed back to sitting straight and crossed his arms once more. "Now then...let's make sure we're clear on our back-story, shall we?"
All three of them answered at the same time. "Yes, Sensei!"
The next two hours were spent quizzing each other on everything from their place of origin, to their parents' names, to where they were headed and why. Once they all passed Sakumo-sensei's rather high standards, they finished their preparations by helping the jonin add the final touches to his own disguise...namely the signs of injury that they needed to have look real enough that they would pass the muster of the chunin they were going to meet. Sakumo insisted that he not be involved in deciding on, or creating, the injury. He claimed it was to keep the illusion more believable, but Shikaku suspected it was just one more way the jonin was testing them as a team.
The three of them had gone back and forth over just what type of injury they should give the man that wouldn't necessarily hinder the need to fight if things got cagey. Choza's idea of whacking Sakumo-sensei with a large branch, thereby giving him a rather nasty head wound, was quickly voted down when it was pointed out having the man woozy wasn't really a good idea. In fact, they quickly ruled out all types of injuries that might run the risk of doing permanent damage to their sensei.
This left them thoroughly frustrated after another hour. Shikaku stared over at where Sakumo-sensei was lounging back on his large rock, basking in the small amount of sun that managed to poke through the heavy clouds which threatened to soak them at any moment. A dark shadow crawled across the man's pale face making it look bruised from where Shikaku was standing when an idea sprang into his mind.
"Inoichi, I don't suppose there's any of that bristle-root growing around here, is there?"
His friend's look of confusion was quickly transformed into a wicked grin as Inoichi obviously guessed at what his plan was. "Actually, I spied a fresh patch of it near the rocks by the stream over there. Give me a minute and I'll go grab some."
Choza looked between the two of them and tried to pretend he knew what they were up to, but his frustration won out and he scratched his ear. "Wanna let me in on the plan, Shikaku?"
He smiled at the shorter boy. "Do you remember what happened when you fell into that patch of bristle-root last summer?"
"Yeah...my mom thought you and Inoichi beat the crap outta me cause I showed up covered in black and purple blotches that looked like someone took a stick to me." Choza's eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh yeah! That'll work perfectly!"
A moment later and Inoichi returned with a sizable amount of the dark-green spiky leaves. Shikaku noticed his friend was wearing his gloves and smiled when he recalled how black their hands had gotten when they pulled Choza free of the vegetation that last time. He was pleased to see Choza was already putting his own gloves on, so he turned and led them over to where the jonin was eying them suspiciously.
"Okay, Sensei. We've got the perfect solution." Shikaku knelt down next to the man and smirked at him. "That is, assuming you can pretend you've sprained you ankle, that is."
Sakumo-sensei narrowed his eyes at them. "I assume you know that just wrapping my ankle won't do the trick, right?"
The three teammates shared a knowing grin and then Shikaku pulled the jonin's pant leg up and lifted his foot high enough that Choza had no problem removing the man's sandal. "Trust us, Sensei. You've taught us well."
Shikaku held back a chuckle when he felt the jonin's leg tense when Inoichi moved forward with his hands full of the vegetation. He had to apply a bit of pressure to the man's leg to keep him from pulling away as the other two worked together to rub the brittle-root into Sakumo-sensei's skin. Once a fair amount of his foot and ankle had been coated with the stuff they sat back to watch what happened next. Within moments, the skin they'd touched the most began shifting in color to a deep black, while the sections with less contact turned lighter shades ranging from yellow to deep purple. Next came the swelling of the entire area until the effect made it look as though the man had taken a nasty fall and nearly broken his ankle.
An appreciative chuckle drew their attention to the subject of their ministrations. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear I had a severe sprain. Nice job, boys. So how long will the effects last?"
Seeing the pride in Sakumo's eyes made all three of them grin like fools even as Inoichi offered up the basics. "The swelling lasts approximately three days, but the coloration will stay for anywhere from a week to ten days."
"And it won't rub off onto the bandages?"
"No sir. We can guarantee that nothing will rub that stuff off...not even soap and water." Inoichi smirked. "Isn't that right, Choza?"
A light blush covered the stocky boy's cheeks. "Don't remind me, Inoichi."
"Alright then...Shikaku, you wrap this up while Choza and Inoichi go find me something for me to use as a crutch for the rest of the trip."
The three of them quickly did as they were told, and once Choza and Inoichi put their gloves away, the foursome was on their way once more. Shikaku noticed how easily their Sensei was able to feign such a heinous injury and decided he'd ask the man later about what he'd done to gain such a skill. Meanwhile, the jonin led them toward the main road leading to the small village where they were scheduled to meet the woman they'd been hired to protect...without her knowledge, of course.
Shikaku had the sinking suspicion this mission was likely to end up far more troublesome than any of them were expecting. He smiled to himself when he realized a part of him was looking forward to the challenge.
xoxox
Yumi sat near the entrance of a cave located on the far side of the Fall of Sorrows, watching as her two companions grew more and more frustrated with each other...or more accurately, as Kiri tried to take out her frustrations on Hana...again. They'd all been waiting here for their leader, Hitomi, to return for over four days now, and the three kunoichi were definitely getting on each others' nerves. She turned her golden-eyed gaze back outside to see if there was any sign of Hitomi, but she was met with the same landscape she'd seen the last dozen times she'd stared out at it.
She sighed and pulled her dark hair back and tucked it behind her ears, even as she heard Kiri sound off for the fiftieth time today. "Where the hell is she? Does she honestly think we have nothing better to do than sit on our asses and wait on her?"
Yumi turned back to where her navy-haired teammate was holding Hana's shirt in her fists while she continued her tirade. "Can you tell me why she'd do this to us Hana, hmm? What the hell did we do to piss off the freaking bitch now?"
For her part, Hana simple stared at the woman holding onto her as though she'd grown a second head. After receiving no real response from her captive, Kiri growled and released her grip, choosing to ram her fist into the cave wall instead. "Dammit! That hurt!"
Yumi watched Hana straighten her clothes out before crossing over to see what Kiri had done to the wall. The brown-haired woman's pale hand shot out from within her lengthy sleeve and gripped tightly to Kiri's wrist, pulling her arm back until the bloody knuckles could be more easily viewed.
"Why must you always make such a scene, Kiri? Did you honestly think slamming your fist into the rock wall would bring Hitomi here any faster?" Yumi watched as Hana applied pressure to their teammate's wrist until Kiri let out a pained groan. "And don't you ever be so bold as to try that with me again...am I clear?"
Yumi saw Kiri's eyes...one blue and one red...flash with a combination of anger, pain, and even a touch of fear. She figured she'd better step in before the two ended up killing each other. She placed one hand on each woman's shoulder and frowned at them.
"Am I going to have to separate you two again?"
She thought back to a few weeks before, when Kiri and Hana were arguing over who would get to finish off their latest victims. Yumi had gotten so fed up with their antics she'd ended up hanging them both upside down from the nearest rock ledge with chakra-wire, and then she ripped the throat out of the enemy herself. She'd left them there until Hitomi told her she had to let them loose...two days later. Yumi smiled at the memory, and by the way the two kunoichi in her grasp tensed, it was obvious that they remembered as well.
Yumi released them and moved back to her watch, looking out over the road leading to the falls and chuckling to herself. Sometimes it was hard to remember just why she'd joined up with these idiots, but then she remembered how Hitomi had rescued her from the dull life she'd lived before, and she smiled. Soon enough their leader would return with what their next job would be. If they were really lucky, it would include killing someone more skilled this time. After all, nothing was worse than wasting her chakra on someone she felt was unworthy of her talents.
She turned her attention to the road once more and saw a small group of three kids following behind a man limping along on a crutch. Yumi sighed. That was exactly the type of lame-ass group she never wanted to waste her talents on...a bunch of lousy civilians.
Author's Note: This is the third story revolving around what is known as Team White Fang.
It is a collaborative effort/challenge that my friend FallenAngelKakashi (formerly LostOverlord) has asked me to engage with them. The basic concept is that we build stories (one-shots or short chaptered pieces) off of each others work centering on the concept of Team White Fang and their adventures.
This story, although it can be read alone, is meant as a continuation to the basic plotline started in my piece, The Evolution of Team White Fang and continued on in FallenAngelKakashi's story, Team White Fang. (which you can find on her profile - and I suggest you read, if you haven't already!)
With this story, I pass the baton back to FallenAngelKakashi. As always, once she posts the next installment of this tale, my job will be to read it and build on the storyline from there with a new story on my profile. Then it goes back to FallenAngelKakashi, and so on...until we get to the breakup of the team...sometime after Kakashi's birth.
We both hope you will continue to find this as interesting and entertaining an experiment as we do, and I thank you for kind indulgence, as well as your patience for the longer than normal wait between stories this time.
'Krazed