Author's Note: This is the revised version! I still did not have this beta'd, however it should be alright (I hope). If you would like to beta for me, that would be wonderful (seriously). If the summary sucked, I apologize; I'm still pretty new to this. I really hope you enjoy reading this. Even if I do say so myself, I like it well enough.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Any of it. Not a single piece.

Fair Trade

Chapter 1

"Yes, ma'am," her blonde eyebrow twitched in mild annoyance. "Yes, Tsunade-sama." He amended. "I understand that you have not asked me to undertake this mission that I probably shouldn't even know about it. Therefore, I so humbly volunteer." Kakashi's showing eye curved into a half-moon, he smiled hoping to charm the Hokage.

"Listen, Kakashi, we both know there's no coming back from a mission like this. Whoever goes in won't be coming out. You," she sighed, "are too nosy for your own good sometimes." The Hokage sat at her desk, head in hand, eyes narrowed to slits, glancing at him from under her lashes. "Very well, I'll consider it. You do realize, however much I want to solve this issue, I wasn't about to send anyone to their death. " She sat up straight in her chair, looking him straight in the eye, "I'm telling you this so that you will understand, you may change your mind; however, if you still wish still to accept tomorrow, I will have a meeting of the Elder's to discuss specifics. If it is agreed that the mission is of as much importance as it seems, you will receive your orders post haste." She stared intently, waiting for his reaction.

"Yes, ma'am, that would be best I believe." He smiled as her eyebrow twitched for the second time. "Then, I will await your orders." He saluted and with that Kakashi leapt from the window ledge where he had been crouching.

Tsunade followed his progress with her eyes momentarily before shifting back in her seat. She groaned. "Shizune! SHIZUNE!" she thundered, "Where is my sake!?"

Tsunade waited a moment while her aggravated assistant arrived. The door opened, a medical file was thrown in her face, and Shizune exited. "No sake?" Tsunade asked the closed door, "Damn." She didn't have the energy to spare after learning she'd be sending Kakashi to his death. "Damn, damn, damn." Oh, well, she thought, nothing to do now but continue.

Placing her hand on a summoning seal on her desk top, Tsunade scribbled a quick note which she then handed to the masked ANBU who appeared before her. "Deliver this please. Quickly if you don't mind." The ANBU nodded and disappeared as quickly and quietly as he had come. Tsunade picked up the folder Shizune had tossed at her and flipped it open. Her eyes quickly scanned the page.

"Shizune! What do you mean by giving me a medical case for chronic diarrhea!? Come deal with this yourself or get someone else to do it! I have more important things to deal with!" Tsunade stood angrily and marched to the door. "Take this folder and get me some goddamn sake!" She thrust her arm out the door. Shizune stomped up and snatched it from the Hokage.

"Get your own sake! We all have more important things to be doing." Then she walked off.

"Hey, get back here!"

=^.^=

Kakashi was already three rooftops away when he heard Tsunade yell. He paused momentarily, and when he figured the yelling wasn't directed at him he moved on. Tsunade really is one for tantrums, he thought, I wonder what set her off this time? If it was me, I'm glad she's yelling at someone else instead.

Arriving at his apartment Kakashi looked around the bleak interior. Every time he decided to accept a suicide mission, he inventoried his stuff, his weapons, and his life. He made sure everything was in order; no lose ends, relational or otherwise. He always left believing he wouldn't come back. It made it easier. Of course it also made life in general more impersonal. No real ties to anyone or anything. Not that he minded. He was a shinobi. As far as he was concerned, that was the point.

Kakashi sighed. Well I'd like to tell myself that anyway. But now, he thought, I have Naruto and Sakura. But they're grown enough, I don't have to worry. And it was true. They were already well on their way to becoming some of the best shinobi the world had ever known. Kakashi saw them from time to time but simply not enough to justify any reluctance toward this mission. He would have liked to stay in Konoha, he would have liked to always be there for his team, but he was a shinobi, before he was anything else. Sometimes he regretted that.

Still, he couldn't let that affect him, not today. He hadn't seen Naruto or Sakura in well over a year, he reminded himself. Again. His village and his people were in need and he wanted, no, he needed to do everything in his power to help. Kakashi had been inactive for too long. Sure, he'd been on missions, more than enough missions, but no real danger, no real excitement. Adrenaline junky that he was, this everyday cat-in-tree thing was wearing thin. Kakashi was a shinobi and shinobi lived to help; they lived to face dangers that terrified civilians would never face. Kakashi was a shinobi and he wanted to risk his life for something important.

I feel like a pansy, thinking to myself like this. He shook his head. Pull yourself together. Train for the next couple days, prepare yourself, and plan your route of entry. Hey, don't even have to worry about an escape route. Just get in and handle the mission. Simple as that. Kakashi knew that he would be the only readily available shinobi with the ability to complete this mission. No one else could get close. Even he wouldn't get out alive. Sucked to be him. Oh well, he'd asked for it. No reason to complain now.

Sighing to himself Kakashi crossed his room. He pulled his photo album from the drawer and tossed it on the bed. He proceeded to pull out a change of clothes and half the weapons stashed in secret corners, drawers, safes, under the bed…. "No reason not to get packed and ready," he said out loud to no one in particular. "Tsunade wants to believe we will have time to discuss the best course of action but, we all know that we don't have that much time. At the most I'll have three days."

"At the most, three days." The empty room practically ran with the words. "Three days."

He looked out the window. It was mid-afternoon. The sun was hitting the floor just inside the window frame, fully lighting his room without blinding him. He could hear the sounds of the city, the people and their pets. And beyond that in the distance, he could hear the sounds of the forest, the birds and animals. It was nice. Calm. Normal. It was boring. That's why he needed this mission.

Unfortunately, that meant he still had a bit of a wait. Today, he'd already been through his morning workout before he'd decided to spy on Tsunade. He could always train or workout some more.

Kakashi sighed again, maybe it would become his new habit. He turned back to his room, such a contrast to the city. Boring in its own right perhaps, but sterile, different, separate. He saw his already folded clothes and prepared weaponry. In less than thirty seconds he could be ready to go. This had only taken him two minutes anyway. Pathetic, ready to leave at any moment, but obviously, he was a shinobi.

Kakashi reached into his back pocket to assure himself that his reading material was on his person before he headed for the door. Outside in the sunlight, he squinted up at the sun, and then turned left toward the closest city wall. He was looking for a nice tree, with a good amount of shade; one preferably just outside the city. Read 'til I get bored, then train to my heart's content. Hopefully they don't spend three days deciding. I won't know what to do with myself for three days. The new Icha Icha book doesn't come out for another month and I'm almost done with this one. Kakashi settled himself underneath the tree. "Maa….. I'll figure it out." He pulled out the book and opened to the bookmarked page.

Another Author's Note: So I hope you liked it. And I hope you liked it and will want to read more. I promise I will write more (meaning past ch 11). Please, please, please, plllleeeeaaasssssseee review. If you don't like it and review that's cool too. Any constructive criticism would be wonderful. Thank you for reading!