Chapter 4: C-Rank At Last!
Team 12 stood before the Rokudaime awaiting their next mission.
"Here you go. This mission is marked as D-Rank, and will be your twenty eighth. It seems that it will also be the fifth time to hunt down that blasted cat. I swear, that lady shouldn't be allowed to have pets to begin with." Naruto said with a chuckle. "Well, you have your orders, and I have paperwork. I can see why Tsunade-oba-chan drank so much. It kills the headache. For a while anyway." He grimaced at the stack of papers awaiting his perusal and signature.
Neji shook his head with a smirk. Even as Hokage, Naruto will always be Naruto.
'At least he straightens up for the delegates,' the jonin thought. 'Well, except the Kazekage.'
"We'll be back in a few Da- ehem, Hokage-sama." Hikaru stated, his slip earning him a raised eyebrow from Naruto.
The team left quickly, wanting to get the habitual runaway of a pet back to the smotheringly affectionate woman. They found their quarry in it's usual hiding place near the west gate.
"This thing just never learns." Amaya said sadly as she caught the animal with the kage mane before it could escape. "Maybe we should help it escape. Claim it as a political refugee or something. I really don't want to subject this poor thing to that woman anymore."
"It's our duty. A client has placed a mission, and we are honor bound to complete it." Takeo said, though even he didn't sound too convinced.
Neji gestured them on quickly as they approached the hokage's tower, cat in tow.
"What's up Sensei?" Hikaru asked.
"It seems we're needed for another mission."
The four of them rushed into Naruto's office quickly.
"What is it Da- I mean, Sir?" Hikaru asked excitedly.
"You are getting a C-Rank mission. I'm pairing you with Team 6 for this, as soon as they get here."
Said team walked in, headed by Akimichi Chouji. Hikaru nodded at his old friend Inazuka Akira, and his canine companion, Kuromaru. His teammates, Tanaka Kyo, and Kojima Kotaru looked at Team 12 appraisingly.
"Now that you're all here, listen up. I'm pairing you together for a high end C-Rank mission. It seems a small town near the border of Fire Country needs some medicinal aid. They were hit hard by a group of raiders, and are running short on supplies. The hospital has the packages you need to deliver. Get them there as soon as you can, but try not to overexert yourselves and be wary. There may be some raiders left in the area."
As the teams stepped outside Neji caught their attention.
"Since we're going to be traveling toward the northern border of Fire Country, we'll need to pack accordingly. We'll be gone for a while. Go home and pack. Meet up at the hospital in twenty minutes."
The genins nodded as they each rushed home.
Hikaru tried balancing his packing with telling his mother all about his first C-Rank mission. He was failing miserably.
"Hikaru sweetie, maybe you should pack. You can tell me all about it when you get home. We can even ask your grandfather to come over."
"Alright! This is gonna be great!"
Hikaru finally managed to get his gear squared away. He barely made it to the hospital in time.
They started for the north gate not long after his arrival.
During the journey, each stayed mostly to their own team.
-ooo-
It was three days after Hikaru left, and Hinata couldn't help but feel a little apprehension.
"Calm down Hina-chan. Hikaru will be fine. He's an Uzumaki after all! Besides, he's with Neji, Chouji, and five other genin. He's a ninja. We take bigger risks than this on our missions." Naruto said, trying to soothe his wife's fears.
"You seem to forget that you're hokage. You don't take missions anymore, Husband."
Naruto could only sigh at Hinata's brusque reply as she paced around in his office.
"I know he's still our little boy, but he's more than capable of dropping off some medical supplies. Plus with Neji and Pop's training, I'd feel sorry for anyone who gets in his way."
"You know Father hates it when you call him that."
Naruto flashed his infectious grin, relieved that he had lightened the mood. If only a little.
"I suppose you're right, but it's a mother's place to worry about her children."
"I think you just miss having little ones around." Naruto said, grin changing tone slightly.
Hinata didn't miss the sparkle in his eyes.
"We were talking about having more Naru-kun."
"Well, I'm finished with my paperwork."
-ooo-
Hikaru sided up with Neji as they stopped for lunch.
"Neji-sensei, where are the chuunin exams being held this year?"
"Sunagakure is hosting this year. Why do you ask? Do you really believe you're ready?"
"Right now? No, I don't think we are. By the time the exams start? Team 12 will be more than ready for them! We have six months until then. We can get some serious training in, and complete quite a few missions by then! Besides, as the son of the Hokage, I'll be expected to enter."
Neji nodded. Hikaru made a valid point.
"We'll see, though I still think it's a little early to think about the chuunin exams."
Realizing this was the best answer he would receive, Hikaru decided to talk about it with Amaya and Takeo.
The next two days went much the same way. Until dusk fell on the fifth day.
Hikaru was on point with Chouji. Neji took rear guard with Kyo. Amaya, Takeo, Kotaro, and Akira where carrying the supplies. Kuromaru was the first to give indication that something was wrong. He gave a series of growls to Akira.
Kyo heard beast communicate to man, and centered his attention on Akira's body language. The Inazuka scratched behind his left ear twice.
"Someone's out there." he whispered to Neji.
"Alright. Let's set up camp before we lose to much daylight." the jonin called out.
The genins quickly set up their campsite in a clearing a few yards of the path.
Neji activated his byakugan and scanned the area. He located three men in the brush a good twenty yards away east.
"Team 12, gather the firewood." he instructed his students.
Chouji gestured to Akira and Kyo. "Go get some water from that stream we passed a few minutes ago."
Kotaro started setting up the cooking equipment.
Team 12 came back with the firewood as the others returned with the water. Hikaru approached his sensei casually.
"There's three of them to the east."
"And two more to the south." Akira added.
Amaya looked up from the fire she had started.
"I don't think they're ninja. Their positions were too obvious, unless they wanted us to notice those five so we wouldn't notice any others. They're more likely to attack after nightfall while some of us sleep. I would recommend running three, three hour watches. Kyo and I can take first watch. Takeo and Akira would be better suited for second watch, since Kuromaru's sense of smell wouldn't be affected by the darkness, and Hikaru and Kotaru can take third watch."
Neji and Chouji looked at each other and nodded.
"She's got quite a head on her shoulders." Chouji complemented as he tore open a bag of chips. "Reminds me of when I was teamed up with her parents." He smiled as a few memories drifted through his mind. "I might have to pay them a visit when we get back to Konoha. Last time we met up was when we visited the memorial stone to pay respects to Asuma-sensei."
It wasn't long before the squad turned in. Amaya and Kyo kept up the appearance of playing mahjongg for the duration of their shift. Two and a half hours into the second watch, Kuromaru sniffed the wind. The three to the east were moving in. He whimpered softly.
"Do over!" Akira cried, picking up his partner's signal. "I wanna switch these tiles!" Takeo nodded at the code. He and Akira quickly replaced themselves with bunshins and hid in the trees.
Takeo grinned as the trio stepped right into a trap he had discreetly set when he was sent for firewood.
The camp was on it's feet seconds after the explosive tag detonated. The force of the explosion sent one of the ambushers flying haphazardly into the camp, his clothing on fire. The other two caught the brunt of the explosion, and were torn apart.
"Nice wake up call Haruno." Hikaru grumbled.
"Hey, it gives new meaning to the 'explosive fire of youth'."
Amaya groaned at the lame pun.
Kotaro hurled four kunai into the trees behind her. Four dull thumps were quickly followed by cries of pain as the two men from the south fell forward, the kunai protruding from their kneecaps. The three men were quickly detained.
"Definitely not ninja." Neji remarked. "What were you men doing here?" he said, killer intent rolling off of him in waves.
"We come from Waterfall Country." one terrified man answered quickly. "Our village was burned to the ground by someone wearing Fire Country insignia, so we raided a town close by to get provisions! It was eye for an eye! Honest!"
"Are there any more of you in the area?"
"No! It's just us! The others crossed the border already!"
Neji shook his head in disbelief. The cretin believed everything he had said, however implausible it was. The peace treaty between Waterfall and Fire was held strong after the Sound was annihilated.
"I don't like this." the Hyuga growled. "Chouji, continue on the mission. Take the two unable to walk with you and see to it that they're tended to. I'm taking this one back to Konoha. The Hokage must hear of this. Hikaru, come with me. We can't risk you out here at this time. Not with an impending incident like this. We leave as soon as you're ready."
Hikaru nodded as he gathered his gear. He saluted his comrades, and rushed into the night after Neji, the prisoner in tow.
"I don't like this either." Chouji said as they disappeared into the darkness.
End Chapter 4
