A/N: Chaptar 7!! This is actually not very filler, so I've abandoned the filler title.
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Peck peck peck.
"…oooOOOHSHADDUP!" Minamo groaned as the tiny bird annoyingly bashed its beak on the window stubbornly. She finally gave in to her temper and threw her alarm clock at the bird. Clearly she didn't realise that there was glass between them, and the clock collided with the glass, sending its mechanism awry and causing it to ring unendingly.
Fortune was clearly not on the side of Minamo Hamazaki that morning.
After a few minutes of unceasing drilling, Minamo leapt out of bed and promptly threw the alarm clock out of the window, her disturbed ears not hearing the distant yelp of annoyance a few seconds later.
She threw her ninja clothes on her and was just adjusting her headband when she realised the bird's presence. It seemed to scornfully look at her, and in return, Minamo glared back at her. She decided that from then on, she hated birds.
"What the hell do YOU want?!" Minamo leered.
The bird impatiently tapped its leg. She stared blankly at it, experiencing one of her frequent delayed reactions.
"…Mission?"
The bird, if it was human, would have clearly sweatdropped. Fed up, it flew away.
"HEY, HEY, HEY, where, who, what, why?! …And how?!" Minamo spluttered. She gave up, strapped her kusari-gama on her back and jumped out of the open window.
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Kyoko, already up but without her katana, was leaning against the back of a tree near the outskirts of the village doing what she liked and did best; drawing. As the pencil skittered over the pad, a sweet chirping came from Kyoko's right. She abruptly looked up to see the same bird coming from Minamo's apartment, looking somewhat hopeful that this kunoichi would be more shrewd than the one before.
It fluttered onto her finger.
WOAH! Wow… Kyoko thought absently. "Mission? Hokage Tower?" the bird looked slightly more satisfied and flapped away. She felt a bit disgruntled, having been disturbed from her drawings quite early. She packed up her pad and ninja-jumped over to Hokage Tower.
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Minamo was not late surprisingly and she entered the Hokage's office, where Mira was, looking a bit sorry for herself. Kyoko entered soon after, late, but after her explanation that she was at the outskirts of the village, she was reprieved. While the Hokage shuffled his papers, Minamo muttered to Mira.
"What's with the sour-grapes?"
Mira quietly snickered. "My venus flytrap jutsu, um, got a bit out of control." And indeed there was a rather large hole to the Third's right.
"…Ah."
The Third Hokage began his speech.
"You three girls have proven yourself to be kunoichi more than capable of expected standards of girls falling from the sky,"
Mira and Minamo snorted while Kyoko looked impassively on.
"I have thus made a decision to form a team and have forthwith picked your Jounin sensei," he looked towards the door. "ENTER!"
The door creaked open to reveal a slightly more polished Saya Kurotani; she had tied up her long black hair and was wearing a modified haori; the sleeves on each arm were short, but were each connected to a bit of a longer sleeve. She also wore slightly short trousers with boot sandals underneath. Minamo reacted instantly, bolting towards her friend to hug her, as did Mira. Meanwhile, Kyoko returned immediately to sketching her latest doodle; Konoha's landscape. Unfortunately, doing it from memory and not on a hard surface were quite effective and lines slopped all over the place.
"Hmph." She packed it up again.
The Hokage managed to somehow gain attention again and continued his speech.
"Minamo Hamazaki."
"Wha? Oh, yeah. Yes. Sir."
"Kyoko Toyama."
"Mm hm."
"Mira Sohma."
"UP AND READY FOR SERVICE! …Well, not quite---"
"Saya Kurotani."
"Hai."
"I hereby assign your new team as 'Team 9'. You, Saya Kurotani, will be required to teach them in the way of the ninja and to accompany them on team-based missions. Do you accept?"
After a horrified look at Mira's maniacal grin, she sighed.
"If I must."
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Training sessions went in an interesting fashion. Each of the kunoichi would demonstrate their bloodline limit, weaponry use, taijutsu, genjutsu and tactic skills to her as she flicked genjutsu situations at them. She looked quite pensive, but Minamo could have sworn that she had fallen asleep at least once. Nevertheless, one day, she presented a form to each of them, somewhat like a school report except sloppier.
A crashing sound interrupted the kunoichis' reading-of-the-report time, as they saw their recently appointed jounin sensei rummaging around fiddling with some papers that had somehow slipped out of her clipboard.
"…Right…genjutsu, covered, tactics covered, wait, I saw that sheet before!" she fussed over the sheets once more while the other three sweatdropped.
"Ah, yes," she finally emerged from the pile of sheets looking triumphant. "We have to go to Hokage Tower in five minutes!"
There was a deathly silence while the congregation realised that they were at the furthest point away from Hokage Tower. And five minutes had turned into four.
Kyoko sighed. At that note, they ninja-jumped as fast as they could to get to Hokage Tower.
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"…You should be lucky that all of you are not punished for your actions, but fortunately for you, Kakashi does much worse. Anyway, I have a C-rank mission for you three. It also includes Team 7."
Minamo struggled to make a smile, and in doing so, made it look like she had bad toothache. They had been half an hour late.
"Your client is Gatamaru Totsunaya-sama, and your mission is to accompany him back to the Earth Country from Konoha." The Hokage sighed at the blank looks before him. "He's the goddamn daimyo."
"AAAH."
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"Well, well, well…what an interesting bunch we have here…" An emaciated, yet somewhat cool voice resounded from the back of the room. "A girl with extraordinary potential in mind powers, a Mokuton Hijutsu user and…a Toyama…"
A boy walked into the darkened room, his steps resounding across the wooden floor.
"You called?" His cold black eyes pierced through the blackness on the other side.
"Yes…Sachi Tanidera. Sachi, I order you to trace that mission that is shown in my crystal ball. I will send some of my ninjas to infiltrate the procession. You will come, seemingly out of nowhere, and help those three defeat them. You will then attempt to get friendly with them and extort information about their respective bloodline limits…"
"What about their Jounin sensei?"
"She is somewhat of an interesting one as well…include her in your 'friend' list until I can confirm my suspicions. Oh, and no disguise is needed, apart from this," the white-skinned hand abruptly threw a Rock-nin headband to Sachi, which he promptly caught with one hand still in his pocket. "Have you got that?"
Sachi sighed.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."
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So that was how Team 7 and 9 were at Konoha Gate with an elaborate procession.
"These are my escorts?" A rather plump man in carefully made clothes roared. "They're brats, and most of these are girls! I won't say anything about their looks, but their skills prob---"
"These girls in particular would be prepared to abandon their mission and look for something more difficult that would perhaps better their skills, sir." Kakashi interjected coolly. The daimyo freaked out slightly and hopped into his carriage.
"Right, er, let's move!" he said. His horses seemed to obey instantly and trotted off, with Kakashi, Minamo, Naruto and Sakura at the front and Saya, Sasuke, Mira and Kyoko at the back. Sasuke was thinking quiet resentment that he was stuck at the back with all the other girls. Mira was already fawning over him anyway.
Mira, after Sasuke forcefully brushed her off, turned to Saya. "Who would be wanting to target the daimyo? I mean, specifically?"
"The daimyo enforced some controversial laws quite a while ago (from what I've heard) which caused lots of uproar," Here Mira grunted vehemently, this not being that much of a surprise. "Since Sound country used to be part of Earth, their troops are suspected also. Earth is more under his control, you see."
Sasuke turned to her. "Why do you know such detailed information? You were, I seem to remember, in a Mist Prison for quite a long time."
Mira started. "Yeah, you aren't even wearing a Konoha hitai-ate! Are you from Mist after all?"
Saya pursed her lips. "There's no reason I would want to be in that rain-filled country any longer. It's just that they need more information to confirm that I did come from Konoha, let alone was a ninja. For the first question, a lot of people come and go out of that dump. I've been there for yonks, so you know…"
"What the hell did you do…?" Kyoko muttered, her eyes widening.
"Not anything that concerns you. " Saya waggled her finger, crinkling her eyelids to make a smile. Kyoko thought it looked quite forced.
"Oh, that's fine then!" Mira gushed. She crossed her legs while the wheels rattled on through the path. It was quite faint now since they were in a field. They were almost up to the border, and would stop by at a neighbouring town for the night. It would then take another day to get to the palace as it would involve avoiding a marsh slap-bang in the middle of Earth Country.
Saya's radio crackled and she immediately put her middle two fingers on the headpiece to steady the sound waves.
"Routine check please, guys…" Kakashi's voice came through the speaker. Saya nodded softly, at which point Sasuke and Mira's eyes closed, then reopened. Sasuke, of course, had the Sharingan, which he was scanning the immediate area for chakra patterns. Mira was 'listening to the ground' with her feet, searching for anyone that could have been underground. On the other side of the carriage, Kakashi was doing the same and Minamo was also scanning the horizon for mind waves.
While in the process of doing this, the front and back windscreen of the bourgeoisie slowly descended, and he called out to both, "Any baddies?" with gusto.
Kyoko sweatdropped. Suddenly Mira gasped at the same time as Sasuke wheeled around to face the ground a few metres to their right.
"A big number of people, judging from the vibrations the ground were emitting, coming from Sound, at 2 o'clock!" Mira squeaked, getting out a kunai.
"Hell yeah…" Minamo and Sakura both muttered, glancing awkwardly at each other before readying themselves too.
"What, hey, what's the ruckus! It's 4! It's after 2! Am I going to be killed? What's happening? Aah?!" the daimyo hyperventilated, repeatedly looking at his rather expensive watch.
There was a deathly silence.
Saya uttered in a monotone voice, "Over there, sir," pointing towards the black blob rapidly catching up to them.
The 8 ninjas leaped off the carriage and made a wall, while Naruto ran forward with kage bunshin at hand. He and Mira worked in sync, she 'vining people up' while Naruto took the advantage by spearing them with kunai. Kakashi and Saya were doing various long-range jutsus on the other side of the carriage. Meanwhile, the horses were going crazy, heightening the tension even further.
However, no matter how many they seemed to have struck, they seemed to get back up and charge once again with even more determination. This wore out the ninjas slowly but surely, and soon they were all panting wrecks.
Suddenly a hollow 'bong' was heard in the distance. A moment of silence enveloped the area before the Sound troops dissolved, the black material of their clothes also mingling with the air particles before vanishing completely. A boy could be seen with his hands in a complicated seal at the place when they were first seen. Saya absently wondered why the boy wasn't sensed in the first place.
The daimyo wasn't a person for delayed reactions and he immediately called for the boy to reveal himself. The boy seemed to falter, and Mira and Minamo ninja-jumped over to him, as it was clear he was losing chakra rapidly. They brought him over to the daimyo and while doing that, saw that he was wearing a Rock-ninja headband. When he saw the daimyo, however, he was deeply humbled and knelt instantly.
"To-Totsunaya sama!" he mumbled.
"Show your face, Genin!"
"Chuunin." He couldn't resist correcting him as he stood up. His hitai-ate was more of a bandanna, like Ibiki's, and his brown spiky hair sprung out from where the hitai-ate finished its grip. His narrow, bored eyes pierced whatever he concentrated on.
"Whatever. You don't know how much I thank you for saving my life back there…you did really know better than these…bodyguards…(here Minamo bit her lip from an angry retort) and as a reward, I'll let you accompany me. You're going back to Earth as well, right?"
Sachi bowed again. "Yes sir. You are most kind."
"Who is your father? Or your mother, rather? I need to tell them of your good deeds!" the daimyo threw his arms up in the air, and in doing so, didn't notice the slight twitch in Sachi's mouth. However, the shy smile returned and he remarked, "Toshiro Setsuna, sir." He said, more confidently.
"Right, well there it is. Well, hop on…what is your name?"
"Sachi. Sachi Setsuna." He explained, cautious of the possible short-term memory loss that the daimyo might have had. Before he could remark any further on that, Kakashi interjected.
"If I might interrupt," he glanced at Sachi suspiciously. "albeit lucky that we escaped from that, more reinforcements might come, especially if we stay here any longer. Shall we move?"
The daimyo glared at him. "Yes, captain. Let's go!" The horses responded once again, and they were moving once more. The positions had changed slightly and now Mira and Naruto had swapped places. Sachi joined them at the front as well, him having the daimyo's favour.
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"Woah."
At least half of the ninjas had said that simultaneously, looking at the luxurious 'guest rooms' that the Earth daimyo seemed to have an endless number of. After an awed silence, Kakashi coughed softly. Minamo, Naruto, Sakura and Mira apologised.
"Please remember that we are meant to protect the daimyo as well as enjoy all this. Girls in one, Men in the other." Kakashi winked (or so was thought) and immediately disappeared along with Naruto, Sasuke and Sachi, who were all sniggering. After Sachi announced that he was going to the loo, everyone settled in, Minamo and Mira checking the DVD selection, Saya and Sakura exploring the drinks cabinet, and Kyoko drawing. Again.
Mira abruptly flicked her head up, then bolted for the door. Everyone looked up, but then breathed a sigh of relief as she yelled 'TOILET!' as the door slammed.
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The door clicked as Sachi locked it. He then swiftly took out an elaborately designed scroll and opened it with one fluid motion, laying it on the floor. There were many complicated kanji, but they were all ones that Sachi could easily. His hands flashed into seals, and just before he summoned his book to record observations, he heard a heavy thud on the door.
He froze.
The thuds ceased, at which point he breathed again, but then he saw something that made his insides recoil, a feeling he would never forget.
Many vines were slithering slowly, deliberately under and to the side of the doors, even making it on the side with the hinges. Sachi instinctively backed away, abandoning the scroll. A few of the vines morphed into one, then made for the lock, faster this time. The door unlocked obligingly this time, and Mira came bursting in, slamming her hand on Sachi's throat.
What did I do…? She couldn't have seen the scroll, it's tiny, it was in my headband, and I made sure to cover my trac---
"Who are you, where do you come from, and what do you want?" Mira muttered, her grip more intimidating as her vines had not completely receded yet.
"Sachi Setsuna, Earth Country, and to go to the loo." Said Sachi in mock exasperation, hoping she had not seen the scroll lying obviously on the floor.
"Wrong, wrong, and not funny," Mira said with a wry smile. "I know Toshiro Setsuna. He's the VERY nice old man at Ichiraku Ramen. Earth Genin wouldn't get a mission to go to Konoha, and especially not to have free time."
"I'm not lying, I love ramen." Sachi said blankly. Mira's vines spun slowly, the natural dew on them dripping on the floor very gradually.
"…You come from Sound, don't you?" Mira whispered. Sachi visibly twitched. He then decided to take Plan B.
He sighed and hung his head. "Yes, I do. I came to spy on you three's bloodline limits. I am ordered to try to persuade one of you to join Sound---"
"Where Oro is?" There was a pause.
"…If you mean Orochimaru, then yes. He is the head of Sound, you know."
"Why didn't he come for Sasuke? That is his aim, yes?" Mira mused.
Sachi gulped. This girl knew everything. Maybe they are all geniuses. "…He prefers to have as many containers as possible. Including me." He sighed.
Mira closed her eyes. Pros and Cons. Pros, Oro, this pretty nice-looking boy. Cons, leaving everything I based here behind, including Nyamo and Kiki. Hm.
"Persuasion not needed." Mira said briskly, holding out her hand to shake. Sachi awkwardly took it, pondering that a recon mission was not meant to be that easy. "Oh, and I have one request."
"What?"
"You can take me after the Chuunin exams, kay? Cos I do want to try, ya know. Plus I can confer with Oro in the Forest of Death. Oh, and I meant 'take' in the 'you transport me to Oro' sense, not in the, um, other sense."
"Kay, WHAT THE HELL?!" he yelled, turning red rapidly and backing away into a far corner. Mira coolly did a peace sign, then beckoned him over. He didn't budge. "Oh for god's sake. I have a plan!"
"…Right…" He slinked forward.
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A fanfare resounded at the gates as the daimyo's carriage rolled in, surrounded by ticker tape, ninjas and citizens. The daimyo absorbed all of this into his ego, waving 'gracefully' at the crowd while the Konoha ninja and Sachi assigned to protect him sweatdropped simultaneously. Kakashi and all the others hopped off and bowed, as one, to him. He, in turn, praised them all lavishly, the events that happened involving Sachi seemingly forgotten.
As the ninjas prepared to 'lift off' for a much faster trip back to Konoha, Sachi gave a little half-hearted wave. Everyone returned it, not noticing Mira's curt little nod. At that, Sachi slammed poisoned smoke bombs on the ground, launching a few shurikens to them. The attack was well-timed, surprising most. No one had the time to react as the poisoned fumes entered their system…
Not.
Kyoko had practiced her control of force waves since the 'Haku mission' and her force now resembled a large wall, through which everyone could see the slightly smirking face of Sachi, his feet now slowly sinking into the ground. The daimyo was shocked beyond belief.
"Gifts from Sound, Daimyo. See you guys later." He was completely submerged.
Kakashi let out his breath in a low hiss, as did Saya. Their suspicions were correct. While the daimyo fumed publicly with the rest of the hyperactive crew, Mira made seals that made the earth flat over the hole that Sachi made. No one saw this but Kyoko.
Her suspicions were confirmed.
"Mira?" Mira wheeled around, with a frightened face that could have been the same as a deer in the headlights. Her features suddenly turned apologetic under Kyoko's querying, yet glaring gaze.
"You couldn't possibly track that guy with your affinity, could you? We're all worn out after that long mission, right?" Kyoko said, with an air of slight contempt in it, her face, however, no different than normal.
Mira twitched, than smiled. It was a smile of a friend, and not of a traitor. Kyoko shook off the unnatural deep thought and walked off towards the daimyo, where everyone else was.
Being a medical ninja made you too generous. Kyoko sighed.
A/N:O Holy… 8 pages?! This is double my normal rate! This is unnatural! Ah well, tis the holidays after all. God, Japan is absolutely sweltering. Right. Chuunin exams, now! whistles Oh, oh, in reviews/PMs, could all fans of the story do a sort of opinion poll, like in Naruto? You can have two votes, and they all must be from one of my OCs. This is because I quite liked the pic I did of the OC group shot (natsama. and I want to do another one. Yeah, thanks, guys! salutes, then bolts off to post via grandma's computer which actually HAS internet
