Another couple days had passed, and Kumiko was woken up by loud banging on her front door. Thankfully, her father was at work so he wouldn't be there to get angry at whatever idiot it was who thought it was okay to bang on her door. The banging was continuous until Kumiko swung the door open, anger etched all over her face.
"What the hell are you doing Gai-sensei?" Kumiko snapped, annoyed at not only being woken up, but being forced to get up from the loud banging wasn't making it any better. The fact that it was her sensei, made it even worse. Usually his visits resulted in them being called onto a mission.
"Morning Kumiko. We have a mission today." Gai said, doing his nice guy pose, and his teeth doing a little sparkle. She noticed an eager Lee and stoic Neji behind their sensei. Yup, it's a mission. Sighing, she opened her door all the way.
"Come on in. I'll start the tea."
After Kumiko made the guys tea, and had gotten dressed, the team headed down to the gates. According to Gai, the mission was an escort C-rank. They were just supposed to escort someone safely back to the Land of Snow. It's supposed to be a really simple one, just an escort, since the person just has a bit of money on him and is paranoid of getting robbed.
Since it was still pretty warm out, and it'd be a bit odd walking around in snow clothes, Kumiko was taking a big bag filled with warm clothes for everyone. Really though, it was just pants and coats for all of them. Gai and Lee most likely weren't going to use them though, claiming how their body movements will keep them warm.
She didn't care though, better safe than sorry.
"Geez, the Land of Snow is so far away." Kumiko complained as they were walking to the gates. "It's gonna take us around a week and a half to finish the mission and return." Just for an escort too? Did he seriously come by himself when he arrived at Konoha?
"On the bright side, we're getting paid a huge sum of money for it." Neji pointed out the only pro to the mission. But, Kumiko could list way more cons.
"Yeah, yeah." She waved her hand.
"Do not be like that Kumiko! The youthful journey has yet to begin!" Lee said as he jumped around a bit. Kumiko bit her lip and patted Lee on the head. This boy is so rambunctious and hyperactive.
"You're adorable Lee." She muttered. Lee smiled and gave her a thumbs up.
When they reached the gates, Kumiko noticed someone standing and waiting there. He wasn't a very old man, probably in his late 40's if she had to guess. He was tall, slightly chubby, had dark brown hair, and brown eyes. He also had a mustache mixed in with his beard. There were some silver framed glasses sitting on the tip of his nose. He pushed them up when he noticed the group heading his way.
"So sorry for the wait. Had to get this one." Gai said as he kicked Kumiko in the butt, making the young girl fall forward.
"Ow! Gai-sensei you better keep your feet to yourself!" Kumiko exclaimed as she rubbed her butt in pain. The old man stared at them with slightly wide eyes. This is the group that was supposed to guard him? Yeah right!
The smaller black haired bowl cut boy looked like an exact replica of the taller one, and was looking at the taller one in complete awe. The boy…or girl with pale eyes was staring him down with a stoic look, and the 'clearly was a girl' one was glaring at her sensei while muttering rude words.
Yup, he was definitely not going to make it home in one piece.
A few minutes after the introductions, Kumiko learned the man's name was Matsumoto Matsuda. He came to Konohagakure to talk business. She didn't remember all the details, since she kind of zoned out. Although, she didn't really care. It was just an escorting. Not like she needed to know the guys life story.
"Kumiko, the quicker you move, the quicker we can return back home." Neji spoke, noticing that said girl was walking pretty slowly. Kumiko snorted.
"It's not that I want to go home quicker, I'm just dreading the cold." She told him, as she finally sped up a bit to be able to walk next to him.
The two were walking behind Matsuda, while Lee and Gai were in front, chatting about youth or something like that. Matsuda seemed pretty interested in their conversation as he kept looking between the two. Or maybe he was just amazed at how alike they were.
"Oh yes, we've only been there twice, so we're not really used to cold weather." Neji said, although it seemed like he was talking to himself. Kumiko nodded anyways. The group was about three hours worth away from the Leaf Village. Thankfully, there was still around 6 hours of daylight left, so they decided to take a break.
"Gai-sensei, where's the food?" Kumiko questioned as she noticed Gai just standing around with a grin. He laughed heartedly.
"I didn't bring any! I figured it'd be fun to find our own!" He shouted. Kumiko sweat-dropped. Of course he would. Is there a reason she thinks this is a sensible man?
"Gai-sensei is correct! That would be quite fun!" Lee also began to shout, then pointed at Neji. "Come on Neji, let us have a challenge to see who can find food first!" Neji raised an eyebrow, and looked like he was about to refuse. "Go!" With that, the young boy ran off.
"How does that kid have so much energy?" Matsuda questioned, looking genuinely awed. Neji began walking away, going to search for food. He wasn't taking part in the competition, but if he was the first to find food, it's not like he wasn't going to accept the praise.
"Why he takes after me of course!" Gai said, then did his nice guy pose. Matsuda turned to him.
"So he really is your son?" He asked. Kumiko snorted at the downfallen look on Gai's face.
"No, but they do have a father-son bond." She answered for him. "They're both very weird." Matsuda couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Of course, being the resourceful person he is, and using the byakugan, Neji returned first with some red apples. Kumiko, who had stayed with the adults, because she was too lazy to search for food, gratefully accepted three of them. Matsuda took two, and Gai refused them, saying that he'll eat the food Lee brings back.
He wasn't trying to be mean to Neji, though it may have seemed that way. He was just meaning that Lee was likely to bring a good amount of food back, and would feel bad since the others would be full from the apples. Kumiko smiled at the thoughtfulness, and stuck the extra apples in her bag with the clothes and her doll. Neji shrugged and started a conversation with Kumiko about the cold.
Eventually Lee came back with some boysenberries. Of course, as promised, Gai ate a majority of them with Lee after the others refused, still full on apples. Kumiko felt a bit bad as Lee stared at her with puppy eyes though, so she ate one too. Neji ignored the boy as Lee started shouting about how he wouldn't lose to Neji again.
After a few minutes, of them taking a break, they were finally ready to go again.
Night eventually came, and the group was already 1/5th of the way there. They decided to stop for the night and set up camp. The group had brought two tents. Neji, Matsuda, and Kumiko were to share one, while Lee and Gai were to share another.
"Wouldn't it make more sense for all of the kids to share a tent?" Matsuda asked, confused at the sleeping arrangements. Kumiko snorted as she shook her head.
"Lee and Gai-sensei both sleep train. You'll thank us in the morning." She told him then chuckled. "Besides, Gai-sensei enjoys sleeping outside more than inside."
It's true, the first few times Kumiko, Neji, and Lee shared a tent, everything was perfectly fine, and then when Lee and Gai began training harder, Gai had taught Lee how to train in his sleep. Many times after that, Kumiko would wake up with a couple bruises and half way on Neji's sleeping side, since she slept in the middle of the two.
When that began happening, Lee and Gai began to share tents while Neji and Kumiko did. Now I know what you're thinking. A teenage boy and teenage girl sharing a tent together? The ideas they could get!
Of course that stuff would never happen, what with Neji not liking Kumiko like that, and Kumiko letting her feelings for Neji simmer down enough so they could work together and her feelings not get in the way...also Gai-sensei would check in on them every hour until they fell asleep.
Of course the trio would still share a tent when they went on missions without Gai. Those were rare though, since Gai and Lee can't really stand training without each other very long. Matsuda nodded, but still had a confused look on his face.
"Wait, why do you even use tents? I thought shinobi slept outside during missions." He pointed out. Kumiko blushed lightly as she gave an awkward laugh. Neji rolled his eyes at the memory of why they had to start using tents a while back.
"Oh, well you see," Kumiko started. "The first time we were assigned an over-night mission, I was perfectly okay with sleeping outside. But, when I woke up in the morning, I felt something crawling around in my hair..." She trailed off, shivering a bit as she remembered.
"A bunch of caterpillars made a home in her hair during the middle of the night." Neji finished, noticing that Kumiko paused. Said girl began shivering as she thought of the creepy bugs crawling around her when she was sleeping. They could have laid eggs in her hair and she wouldn't have found out until they hatched. Gross!
"It was so disgusting!" Kumiko whined as tears ran down her face at the memory. "I screamed so loudly that I almost ripped my vocal cords." Matsuda couldn't help but give her a weird look at the exaggeration.
"That actually is rather terrifying to think of."
"Thank you!"
It turns out the trip to the Land of Snow was a very quick one. They said their farewells to Matsuda and began heading back home. Kumiko was so grateful, she was getting very sick of the snow quickly. Just like she predicted, her and Neji needed the clothes she packed. And also predicted, Lee and Gai-sensei rejected them, claiming their movements were keeping them warm.
"Thank goodness we're going back home!" Kumiko exclaimed gratefully, crossing her arms behind her head, hoping to block the wind from blowing on her ears.
"I must agree, it would be nice to finally go back home." Lee said with a smile. Kumiko smiled as she walked beside Neji, who was quiet.
The group was soon two days away from home, and it was warm enough for them to put the coats away. The three teens were walking side by side, Kumiko in the middle, and Gai was walking a bit behind them, going on about the youth. Suddenly though, Neji stuck his arm out in front of Kumiko, who instinctly did the same to Lee.
"There's someone watching us." Neji muttered as he glanced around. Kumiko didn't even hesitate to grab a couple of her shuriken and held them cautiously. Gai, who heard Neji, walked closer to the group and also looked around. "Byakugan!" Neji said and looked around, and his eyes focused on a certain spot in a tree. He nudged Kumiko and she noticed where his eyes were looking, and then threw her shuriken. They stuck in a nearby tree, apparently having missed the intended target.
"Nice try little girl." Kumiko heard a raspy kind of voice say from behind her. She froze, but then jumped away. The group dispersed to look at the person who had suddenly appeared behind them.
It was a middle aged looking man, who had a sword of sorts in his hand. He wasn't wearing a headband, and seemed to be pretty average looking. Kumiko sweat-dropped. This guy didn't even look like a challenge but was trying to fight four shinobi? Obviously he wasn't taught correctly while growing up. The only thing he had going for him so far was his speed.
"Who are you?" Gai questioned, leering at the guy. The guy shrugged.
"No need for you to know. It's not like you'll be around much longer." He answered. Neji snorted and Kumiko rolled her eyes. This guy sure was full of himself.
"I got this." Kumiko muttered, taking her doll out of her bag inconspicuously, along with one of her kunai's. She smirked as she ran to the guy, holding her kunai up, trying to stab the guy. He dodged it though, and her kunai fell, along with her doll. The man, surprised by the doll, picked it up, and laughed.
"Really? A ninja from the Leaf Village carries around a dolly? How interesting." He said jovially. The doll wasn't anything special. It was just a basic looking human kind of doll. It didn't have any details, no hair, clothes, and the features were meaningless.
Kumiko gave a noise of distress. "Hey, do not make fun of her!" Lee shouted, but did nothing to stop it. He knew this was Kumiko's plan. He was just trying to be helpful. Neji rolled his eyes while Gai stared at the man. Hey, his students have this, so need for some interference.
"Just give it back to me!" Kumiko demanded, holding her hand out. The man raised his eyebrow.
"Why should I? Maybe I'll keep it." He laughed again. Kumiko pursed her lips.
"Yes, because some man carrying around a dolly himself sure is manly, huh?" She snapped. The man, paused to consider this, and then tossed the doll to Kumiko, who caught it. Gripping it tightly, she smirked and got down on the floor, making the doll sit beside her. Oddly, the man sat too when the doll did.
"What the…" He muttered as he realized what just happened. Kumiko giggled, a little bit of a sadistic side coming out of her.
"Okay, so what do you guys want to see him do?" She asked. Neji shrugged while Lee jumped around.
"I want to train with him! Let us see how good you've gotten at fighting with the doll, Kumiko!" Lee exclaimed as he ran over to the man. Kumiko snorted, of course he'd want that.
"I don't care as long as you make it quick." Neji replied as he sat down next to her. Gai leaned against a tree, checking around to see if there were any more idiots who thought it'd be smart to try and jump a group of ninja.
"Alright, then let's do this." She said. Immediately, she made the doll lift its leg up in Lee's direction, and the man's leg did it too. Lee easily blocked it.
"Come on Kumiko, do not go easy on me and my youthfulness!" Lee shouted as he jumped around a bit. Kumiko sweat-dropped and tried making the doll move quicker. In all honestly, even though she's been working with this jutsu for a year, she's not that good at it yet. The most she's mastered is learning the rules of it and getting people to fall for it. Of course, there were some people not stupid enough to pick up the doll and give it to her, so it wasn't perfect.
It's called Ninja Voodoo Jutsu. It's like using a voodoo doll to make people do whatever she wants. The rules to it are that the person she's using it on has to willingly give her the doll, and the second the doll leaves her hand, it wears off. Also, she needs to have the doll on a flat surface for it to work correctly. Her dad taught it to her when she graduated the academy because it's one he used when he was a genin. He promised to teach her another part of it when she becomes a chunin.
Personally, Kumiko found it to be a bit of a hassle, since it was mainly used for defense and the only offense she had was her weapons and the very little taijutsu she knew. It's not exactly her first choice for a jutsu, but it's the closest to a family one she was going to get.
For a good ten minutes, Lee and the man spared, until Lee kicked the guy in the head, knocking him a good few yards away, and unconscious. Neji sighed as he got up and helped Kumiko up too, after she dropped the doll of course so that the effects would wear off.
"Thanks Neji." Kumiko mumbled as she stared down at her doll. Maybe she should focus on weapons more than the Voodoo jutsu, as she wants to be more of an offensive person.
"Let's go home kids." Gai said as he patted Kumiko on the head, who nodded and put her doll away.
There's chapter 3 for you guys! I would like to thank those who have reviewed/favorite/followed, so grateful for it! So, instead of only questions, I'm also going to start adding fun facts because well, I enjoy learning more about stories than is let on in the normal writing.
Fun Fact: Kumiko's name was originally going to be Gisei, but I didn't really like it, so I changed it to Yue, and then didn't like that, and finally settled on Kumiko. In honor of the original name, I decided to make it her father's name.
Question: What is your favorite jutsu? (mine is actually the Shadow Clone Jutsu, but it's mainly because I'm a very lazy person, so it'd be a lot more helpful if there was more of me to help myself out. Although, it'd suck if they were all lazy too...)
