ewww wth is up with thish chapter? ughhhgghasjdfklj

Previously on Blade of the Broken:

"Come on Naruto. It's about time to pick up Kanna and Hakudoshi," Kagome said, motioning Naruto to follow her out the training field, "We can go eat afterwards."

At the mention of food he jumped up with renewed vigor, "YEAH!" came his excited shout. He then invited their fellow teammates, whom surprisingly accepted, before they all made their way to the academy. The warm light of the sunset enveloped their form, encasing them in the hopes of their futures, united.

Presently:

"Sasuke at point B"

"Sakura at point C"

"Kagome at point D"

...

"Naruto at point A. Believe it!"

"Naruto you're late. Okay, since everyone's in their positions, who's closest to the target?"

A chorus of "Naruto." followed as their straight forward reply.

"You know what you needs to be done, Naruto."

Nodding, Naruto silently crept over to where their target remained, just a few paces away from his current position. Crouching, he eyed his prey. Then he pounced, letting loose a fierce battle cry. Time slowed down, as the target turned to face Naruto, teeth bared, a hiss escaping its mouth and slitted eyes staring at him with a dangerous gleam.

Just as Naruto was about to tackle the beast did it attack him, scratching him without rest as it released several loud yowls of protest.

"Target captured. Mission complete." Kakashi reported, his voice sounding throughout all of the walkie-talkies.

"AHHH!" Naruto screamed, attempting to remove the offended cat from his face. Rolling her eyes, Kagome let a low growl rumble from her chest before she approached the cat. Their eyes met, and it regarded her with respect, allowing her to calm it down after the trauma of near death by an idiot. The cat purred in response to her gentle strokes, preferring her over the rude human despite how different their species were.

Pouting, Naruto looked up at Kagome,"Why doesn't it like me, but it likes you? You're the one with the disadvantage here!" Glaring, Kagome tugged at Naruto's ear, allowing it to act as punishment for his slip up. Naruto's whimper's of pain were easily ignored by Kagome, as were the confused looks she was receiving.

Turning to Kakashi, Naruto winced, "Time to go back right?"

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~*~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

The Fire daimyos wife was ecstatic to receive her cat back, squeezing it tight and rubbing it against her face with vigor, "Momma is sorry you got lost in the woods. Momma will never let you out of her sight again! No more free time outside, okay sweetie? Yes thats right, more fun time with momma," the poor cat looked at the team in despair, the comforts the woman was offering more like a torture than anything.

Naruto snickered from where they observed the scene, laughing at the cats misfortune, "No wonder it tried to run away!" he muttered to his teammates. They all of nodded in agreement, the torture the cat received on a daily basis evident. Finally, after obsessing over the cat for the longest time, the woman turned to face the team and thanked them. With a slight bow, she handed the attendees her due payment before exiting the building, unhappy cat in tow.

After witnessing the exchange, the team went to the Hokages tower, waiting to receive their next mission. Luck was on their side, as only 15 minutes later did the Hokage become available. Sarutobi watched them with soft intensity as they entered the room, the mountains of paperwork around him revealing the constant stress he held in order to uphold their country.

"How'd your mission go?" he asked, eyes trained on Kakashi.

"It went smoothly, no complications at all." Kakashi replied.

"Good. Now you have two choices for your next mission; you can either babysit or paint-"

"I don't want anymore baby missions! I'm tired of baby sitting and painting fences! I want a real mission!" demanded Naruto, blue eyes ablaze and cheeks flushed. He didn't want to be babied- no- he wanted real missions that were full of action and tinged with danger! He sure as hell didn't want to change anymore diapers!

"Naruto!" Sakura screeched, hand raised to strike him. Just as her hand began its descent did Kagome snatch her wrist, applying pressure and glaring at the girl. Kagome released with the knowledge that a bruise would no doubt form on the girls wrist and she'd have a rather unwelcome reminder of how not to treat Naruto, or at least cross paths with Kagome. Kakashi on the other hand, sealed Naruto's mouth with his gloved hands, praying to god that no other madness would escape the boys lips

Caution was exerted as Kakashi looked up only to find two unhappy adults,"Naruto! You know better than that!" shouted fumed Iruka.

Sarutobi opted to shake his head at the young boy, before he launched into a speech about the different levels of missions and whom they were assigned to. Naruto completely ignored the elder, and instead his focus turned to that of his favorite thing in the world. Ramen. However, after Sarutobi had finished his lecture, Naruto remained unaware of such so he continued talking,"Yeah, so I had beef ramen last night and I dunno if i should have chicken ramen tonight-"

"Silence!" shouted Sarutobi, appalled by the disrespect that was being shown.

"You always act like you're my grandpa or something! And you always treat me like a little kid, but I'm not! I'm not the brat who used to play pranks all the time! I don't wanna be babied anymore! I want real missions now!" he expressed, before turning away and pouting. He awaited the shouts of disproval sure to come, but was happy to have at least gotten his word in.

Strangely enough, Sarutobi appeared to be amused with Naruto's proclamation, "So Naruto wants us to know that he's not a brat, but a former brat, and he wants a real mission. So be it."

Shock echoed through the members of Team Seven, all having found this outcome unexpected. Naruto had accomplished the impossible- he had persuaded the leader of the fire country to allow them the honor of a higher mission. All he had done was pout and complain! Sakura suddenly took a mental note to practice her pouting when she got home, if Naruto could sway the Hokage then she sure as hell could ensnare Sasuke. Kagome's attention, however, was turned to the presence that waited on the other side of the door.

"Seriously? Yatta! Who'll we be body guarding? A lord? A princess? I'm so excited!" Naruto hopped up from his cowering position, and instead hopped with joy and excitement. Honestly, he hadn't anticipated this turn of events but it was all the same to him. It was a win-win situation; he got a super cool mission and, well, the Hokage didn't have to deal with his pranks. For a while.

A chuckle emitted from the doorway, causing all heads to snap towards the sound, "I don't think I'm no princess. Wait a second," confusion and distaste shown clear on his face, "I'm being guarded by a bunch of snot-nosed kids!?" as if to ease himself, the man took a long drink from the alcoholic beverage he held in his hands. His eyes scanned the young individuals whom were before him, each one etching a deeper frown into his face as he stared them down, "Hey you, little boy with the stupid look on your face, you sure you're a ninja? You look just about as scary as a puppy."

Narutos grin grew wide with laughter, already liking the old man as they had found a common enemy. As if to further the blow to Sasuke, Naruto asked the man, "Hey-hey, who's the little boy with the stupid face?"

Immediately, Sasuke and Sakura scooted over to where Kagome and Naruto stood. Invisible dotted lines dotted the top of their heads as if to reiterate the height difference between the team. Sasuke remained the tallest, Sakura a close second with her eyes reaching his nose. Naruto stood with his eyes meeting Sasuke's chin, whereas Kagome's own met Sasuke's shoulder, the tiniest of the team.

All earlier thoughts of amusement and respect expelled from Naruto once he realized that he was the one the man insulted. The small boy charged, only for Kakashi to catch him by the collar and hold him like a dog on a leash. A rabid dog at that. Still, Naruto had a rather loud bark, and spewed insults and threats at the drunken older man.

Tazuna enjoyed the reaction he had elicited from the boy, and decided that he would continue his teasing later on, "I'm Tazuna, master bridge builder. I'm in the middle of an important project, so I need you brat's to escort me home safely, and protect me when I do my work. Capiche?"

Still irked, Naruto opted to respond to the self proclaimed, 'Master Bridge Builder' with a raspberry and an unsightful wag of his behind. With the little interaction between the pair already, Kagome knew that this would be one interesting mission to come.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~*~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Following the mission debriefing, the team returned to their respective homes to prepare for the day to come. Returning home, she was met with a pair of fairly stressed out twins and loads of homework. Kagome winced as she observed the stacks of papers they each had, and were to complete by the following morning. After all, a ninja must be capable to complete anything by its deadline; mission reports were lengthy and required much patience. Deciding to spare the pair of any more stress, Kagome began to gently explain to them what trajectory was optimal for hitting a target from X distance, or which herbs were most commonly found in the nearby forests of Konoha.

Once they had finished, Kagome explained to them of her mission that was coming the following day, "So, since I'll be gone for about a week or two, I expect you two to be on your best behavior. If you need me you know what to do," they all shared a knowing look, "and as far as food goes, I've got that covered. You know we've got a budget, so I made you two a chart to follow," the twins groaned, "and I expect you to follow it! Money's where it always is, make sure this place is clean when I come back, I don't wanna slave away cleaning up when I get home okay? Curfews at 9, so don't let me come home to hear you two were out and about or else." she sent a warning look to the both of them.

"Oh, and be safe and stick together, okay?"

"Yes, mother."

Kagome grinned at their response, "Love you too." with that she placed a kiss on each of their foreheads, which they accepted a tad begrudgingly; they had hoped for more freedom, yet were still grateful for the fair amount they received.

With a final wave behind her, Kagome allowed the door to her room to lightly shut as she entered it. Her eyes scanned through her dark room, and she began to collect all the necessities for the trip. Her kunai pouch came first, as she had placed an ancient miko charm on it to allow vast amounts of space within it, and the weight remained the same as it would empty. Placing the pouch on the bed, she assembled the rest of the items she needed for the journey; weapons, medical equipment, feminine products just in case, and some food. Finally, she placed all the items in her pouch in an organized manner, ensuring that they fell into their specific roles that she had created for the trip. Such was the beauty of being a miko.

Since her preparations were finished, Kagome grabbed her black bath towel and entered her bathroom for a relaxing shower. Free of her concealment bracelet, weapon necklace, and her multiple power suppressors, Kagome felt raw and full of energy. Knowing full well than to let her aura free, she concealed it and entered the shower. Her hair was quickly relinquished from its bun and sat on the floor, Kagome not at all affected by its weight. The water was gelid cold, causing Kagome to shiver and her skin to go red yet she paid it no mind. The past was at the forefront of her mind.

Carelessly she cleansed herself, her mind too absorbed with what had occurred in the feudal era. Brushing through her thick locks, Kagome was brought back to reality and toyed with the idea of letting her hair go without a cut for another month. Suddenly, she realized that if she did then she'd be a real life Rapunzel, except she wasn't a damsel nor was she in distress. Shrugging away the thought, Kagome did her routine of dressing for bed and placed her earrings, lip ring, and necklace back on, but she reserved her bracelet for the morning. For the next week or so, she'd be stuck in an area where she wouldn't be able to risk removing it once, not even while bathing. This was the last time she'd be able to be in her true form for about a week, and she was not eager to be stuck in her human form for that time.

A quick glance to the clock at her nightstand proved it to be nearly midnight, and she fell onto her soft bed. It always took her some time to go to sleep, unless she was exhausted. Even her body was weary of the nightmares that plagued her mind each night. With a sigh, Kagome waited for darkness to find her once more.

Kagome woke up at 3:47 am choking. Gasping for air, it was as though her lungs refused to accept any of it. The air she was able to get was heavy and weighed heavily within her chest. Kagome could feel, the weight of the world upon her shoulders, and her body trembled from the strain. Sweat drenched her clothes as she ran to the bathroom, breathless and choking. There, she vomited whatever contents her stomach held and more, acid tearing at her throat and chest. The world was spinning and she feared that this was it. Everything was off balance and she was so, so numb. It was like she couldn't smell or see or taste or feel. Screaming. Was she screaming, or was that just the ringing in her ears?

Kagome remained in such a confused state until 4:11 when she finally was able to grab her bearings again, her panic attack leaving just as suddenly as it came. Her throat was raw and burning, her body ached and she felt weak. Still, she was grateful that she had secretly made her room soundproof the minute she had the chance. Had she not, her siblings would come running every night- if she had decided to sleep that is.

Attack curbed, Kagome knew she wouldn't be able to return back to sleep. She was grateful for that little aspect at the very least. She hated her nightmares. Often times they consisted of flashbacks or fantasy, or a mesh of reality and fiction to create the ultimate disaster that often left her numb and discontent.

Still, she ran through the nights routine once more; she usually took morning showers due to all the sweat she built up during the night. Grabbing her pouch, she remembered to put her hair and body necessities in the bag before making her way to the kitchen. There, she placed two copies of the budget chart on the fridge and made a quick meal of eggs and toast, rice, and soup for the twins before she left for the gates.

Kagome locked the door behind her, shoving Naruto's aura before she silently left the apartment. Kagome noted how vendors had just began setting up their stores for the day and few people flocked the dirt streets, the sky barely lit in the early morning. The sun hung awkwardly in the sky, spreading sleepy tendrils of light over the landscape. The sky was a refreshing blue, clouds nonexistent in the eve of day. A soft dusting of morning dew spread across sparse grass and windows, the morning birds were just starting in their song. All in all, it was a rather mellow morning, a sweet relaxed vibe inhabiting her senses as she breathed in the cool air.

Kagome enjoyed her stroll as she made her way to the Konoha gates, the growing hum of animals a warm welcome to her ears. It was so much more peaceful than that of the bustling streets of Konoha. It had become easier to focus on a particular scent or sound or sight since she had gained her demonic abilities through the blood bond. Originally, she thought that her heightened senses were at their peak, but it had only been temporary. Over the course of three weeks did her senses heighten, even taste wasn't excluded to her new abilities. Each time she a sense peaked, it hit her like a truck, and she'd nearly scream from the many things to take in. If it hadn't been for Sesshomaru, Kagome would've lost her sanity. Humans needed stability, and each new hyperaware sense rocked her boat until it had tipped over and sunk into the ocean. Blood bonds between demons and humans were always rather tricky.

It wasn't much of surprise that the rest of the team had reached the gates before her, Sasuke and Saskura each stood tall in a slight tired haze as the regarded her, and Tazuna's face was set in a deep scowl. Kakashi on the other hand, had been a bit of a shock, yet she knew him to be fairly punctual with things that concerned other countries. Tazuna, was a man from another country, so Kakashi always remained aware of what missions such as these meant. Politics were always a thought when dealing with patrons from other countries. Had they been feuding with Tazuna's country, the situation would've taken a whole new route but since they were allies, it did no harm to aid the elderly man in his travels.

Naruto's aura was bulldozing towards her so she paused for a moment to wait for him, excitement present across the expanse of his face and wide grin showing off his pearly white teeth. Half his face was lightly indented from his pillowcase, while the opposite cheek held some jam from presumably toast. In a moment of pure canine, Kagome licked the jam from Naruto's cheek, acknowledging it as breakfast. The blond was too distracted to care, either that or he was too used to her antics to react.

Reaching the group, Kagome grunted in greeting. Although she may not like all of them, any of them for that matter, she was raised to be a lady. As her mother would say, lady's found it improper to disregard someone or ignore them instead of greeting them as a lady should (or something along those lines). Old habits die hard as they say.

The bright gates that protected Konoha released a low rumble as they opened, and Kagome once again questioned how Konoha was classified as a "hidden" village. If anything it disturbed the otherwise confusing nature of the thick forest, a beacon of civilization in the midst of the mysterious woods. But you had to accept things as they were presented when you weren't in control, which is something Kagome often had to accept.

Naruto leapt from Konoha the second the gates permitted it. Dust lightly lifted from the earth as he hopped around excitedly. The grin on his face was broader than before, and his sensitive blue eyes were wide open with excitement. He often kept them squinted due to their sensitive nature, but Kagome had been encouraging him to keep them open more often. She was pushing him to build up his eye-endurance so that he could better survey every location he was in. After all, a ninja must be completely aware of their surroundings at all times.

Naruto slowed his exuberant movements and turned to face the group, "Yatta! This is the first time I've ever left the village before- I'm a traveler now, believe it!" he then resumed to his earlier actions, taking in as much as he could before they had to begin travelling.

"Hey, I'm not sure I can trust my life with that little runt. You sure I'll be safe?" Tazuna said, shifting his body to address Kakashi.

"Of course, I'm a jounin, so you don't have anything to worry about." Tazuna exhaled in relief before his face resumed its usual scowl.

Kagome watched the interaction with interest, eyes narrowed as she sensed Tazuna's extreme unease to be suspicious. Why did he say 'trust my life', if all they were doing was acting as his body guards? Their mission was to protect him from bandits and the like. True, some bandits killed, but a majority just preferred to make each interaction quick and short as they went about stealing your things. If anything, bandits that liked to kill were either from gangs, or held a grudge.

They had been walking for several hours until they had passed a small puddle. The group had originally been lectured about how the government was made up and what a Hokage's value and position was to the government, and were reflecting over the discussion when they had passed the puddle. The puddle had been easy to dismiss, and none of the group had noted the puddle as they passed, Kakashi observed. Yet, strangely enough, Kagome had relaxed herself as they passed the puddle. He found it strange, but just as he began to think about it two ninja emerged from the puddle, and ripped him to shreds. Looks of horror and disbelief were shared, and Sakura screamed.

The pair of attackers materialized behind Naruto, chains swiftly beginning to circle around him as they had his sensei. He froze, but his sister defended him. Kagome gripped the chains and tugged them toward her, causing the men to be forcefully thrown in her direction. She took their heads and smacked them together, a clang being released in response to metal hitting metal. As she did so, she whispered to Naruto, causing him to go shock still with the information she passed. Rather disliking her treatment, the attackers attention refocused to Kagome, completely forgetting about the shocked Naruto.

Glares directed at her, they were blind of the kunai speeding towards them until the last second, barely able to deflect them. Whirling around, they spat at their newest offender. Using their signature attack, they attempted to kill Sasuke only for Kagome to redirect their chains, using two kunai to pin them to a tree, restraining the men from moving further. With two quick tugs, the chains snapped, and the ninja grinned. They charged, one headed towards Naruto while the bulldozed to Tazuna.

Sakura's eyes widened with fear, but she weakly gained a defensive stance. She knew she was going to die, but she wasn't going to do so without a fight. Sasuke leapt in between her and the assailant, arms spread wide as he waited for the blow. Kagome appeared before Naruto, a snarl on her face. Instead of cowering, Naruto called out, "Your turn Kakashi-sensei!"

In a flash, both nin were detained within Kakashi's arms. Due to momentum, they both choked as their bodies preceded before the necks without pause, their own force causing them discomfort. A look of pride shown clear upon Kakashi's face, and he appeared to be gloating at the team. Sakura squealed with happiness and relief, whereas Sasuke rolled his eyes at the man's unexpected reappearance. A kunai stuck ramrod straight from one of the men's bodies, sticking from the center of his chest. Blood dribbled up Kagome's arm, yet she swiftly wiped it away to non-existence.

In swift, tight knots Kakashi had the two chunnin tied up and detained as he began to interrogate them. Through his interrogation the team learned that they were the demon brothers. Gözu had been the one Kagome had stabbed in the chest before Kakashi's rescue, and his brother Meizu constantly sent Kagome glares, but he despite the animosity he asked, "How'd you know we were going to ambush you?"

"It was obvious-" Kakashi started.

"A puddle on a clear day," said Kagome.

"And it hasn't rained in weeks." finished Naruto.

Seeing that they got the point across, Kagome decided against mentioning the fact that the once thick stream they had earlier passed was nearly dry of all water. Kakashi nodded his agreement, and he felt pride swell up within him. Kagome's earlier reaction had been her prepping for battle, but for Naruto to have known made him feel great pride for the young boy. Even Sasuke hadn't noticed, so it was nice to see that the underdog was striving to do more for the team.

"Exactly," he continued talking, but Kagome tuned him out; she smelt poison in the air.

Eyeing her teammates, she lightly sniffed the air. Eyes narrowed, she faced Naruto whom looked at her curiously. Grabbing his arm, she inspected it for any signs of cuts or scratches. There, on the top of his hand was a small but deep cut, the source of the poison. Kagome withheld a growl as she realized she hadn't been able to protect Naruto.

Seems she wasn't the only one to notice the wound, as Sakura pointed it out, causing the rest of the team to eye Naruto. Suddenly, it became a whole ordeal about returning home, which Kagome disagreed with. Kakashi made a sly comment about his actions during battle which in turn, fired up Naruto and caused him to stab the wound and make a vow upon it. Kagome, whom was fed up with the teams antics, grabbed Narutos hand once again. She sucked out the poison, spitting it out along with his blood frequently. Noticing his wound had begun healing, Kagome wrapped it with gauze and announced him healed.

Finally, they began their trek to the village once more.