CHAPTER TWO
Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched his blonde teammate jump up and down the road, skipping silly on the way to the gates of Konoha. The idiot.
"Naruto, I know it's your first time to leave the village – (1) shikashi, sonoyōni shigeki-sei kōdō shinaide kudasai!" Sakura huffed haughtily behind him.
"Eh! Sakura-chan! D – Don't worry, (2) watashi wa futatabi sore o shinaidarou..." Naruto ran fast as he dodged Sakura's fist and sighed as he looked at his temmates. "Where's Kakashi-sensei, anyway?"
"(3) Nē, hanamizu," Even Sasuke gritted his teeth as Tazuna called his teammate through the slurring breath of his mouth. He reeked disgustingly of sake. Lots and lots of it that Sakura fanned her nose and went over to a shady tree to get her needed fresh air. Honestly, is this really the one they should escort for their C-rank mission? "Shouldn't your teacher be here already? Honestly, how can I entrust my life with you ninjas if ––"
Kakashi poofed behind Tazuna, making the older man squeak and jump in utter shock. "My punctuality may be questioned, but not my abilities. I am Jounin, a sensei and I have survived the challenges of being a Konoha nin years before these three children have been born."
His unmasked eye twitched dangerously for a moment then shot a silly look to his team as the three glared at him with all dark intent that could have had him buried already should looks have the capacity to kill. "(4) Gomene, watashi wa jinsei no michi de ushinawareta..." He hid his effort to swallow the trembling lump in his throat as he saw Naruto and Sakura, their hands on their hips on a firm and no-nonsense akimbo position – Sasuke felt too dignified to do that and simply contented himself with crossing his arms at his chest.
Tazuna shook his head at them and took another swig of sake from his bottle. "Very well then, let us go to Wave..." Soon enough, he was flanked by Kakashi and Sakura infront of him, Sasuke and Naruto bringing up the rear.
Their journey was fairly smooth, Kakashi talked with Tazuna about his village – his questions hovering over suspicion as the old man kept twitching nervously and looked at the sides of the road frantically, as if waiting for himself to be attacked. Sasuke and Naruto were arguing again about 'who's gonna be the best shinobi" while their kunoichi teammate was helpless and torn between her adoration of Sasuke and her annoyance at Naruto.
"Oi!" Naruto unwittingly poked the tip of his black shoes a suspicious-looking puddle in the middle of the road. He stepped back immediately, clumsily tripping in his shoes as men armed with poisoned weapons came out of the puddle. He cried in horror as his Kakashi-sensei was hit by a senbon – seemingly getting killed – and blanched as he himself was hit by poison. Then biting his lip, he went to Sasuke's side and used his Kage Bunshins to attack the ones who attacked him. (5) Watashi wa watashi no yūjin ga kega o sa semasen, (6) watashi wa shinobuda, (7) watashi wa tatakai, mamoru! He determinedly shielded Sakura and Tazuna as another shower of weapons came their way.
"Hn," Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the two men who attacked them. So they were the Kiri brothers. Huh, S-rank criminals? This is starting to get good, he smirked as he remembered that he needed to be stronger to defeat someone.
He swiftly dodged kunais and senbons thrown at him and pushed Sakura to the side to keep her from getting hurt as she tried to search for their lost sensei. The one who was hit infront of them was just a clone, they found out as it poofed out of existence.
Kakashi fended off another enemy on their side, Zabuza and he was getting trouble even with the use of his Sharingan. The Bloody Mist Ninja was very deadly in his Water-Style Jutsus, having the infamous reputation as the Demon of the Mist after he slaughtered his entire graduating class. He was already about to defeat him – as his students went to his help after they successfully won over the Kiri brothers (with Naruto's palm bandaged by Sakura, the poison siphoned off from him by a healing jutsu) – when a senbon whizzed through the scene and hit Zabuza.
Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura turned to their side and warily looked at the source of the senbon. A young teen with the looks of a girl (Sakura repressed herself from pouting as she saw that the teen was looking prettier than she was) went and took Zabuza's body.
"Oi! Why are taking him?" Naruto asked him suspiciously.
The teen bowed. "I am a Mist Hunter-nin and it is my job to seek S-rank nins from our village, especially Zabuza."
"I see." Kakashi nodded as the teen went away with Zabuza's body, though his mercurial eyes were lidded in suspicion. Then he whirled around to face the trembling Tazuna with a raised eyebrow.
"So this mission may be A-rank then, team..." He said to his students as the old man looked at him sheepishly and told that he will explain everything to them when they get to his house.
"Hn." Sasuke simply said as they returned to their positions to guard Tazuna.
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(1) but please, do not act so irritating!
(2) I won't do it again
(3) Hey, snot
(4) Sorry, I was lost in the path of life...
(5) I won't let my friends be hurt,
(6) I am a ninja
(7) I will fight and defend!
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Thank you for reading our story!