A/N: Well, it took me long enough to do this chapter xP I have many excuses, but I'm sure no one cares, so I'll just keep them to myself.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, plain and simple, wish I did though, as do many people…Maybe we need a support group, Naruto anonymous -.-
Beta'd by the lovely:
ForeverLasting Fermata
"Talking."
"Thinking."
"Demon/Inner persona talking."
"Demon/Inner persona thinking."
"Thinking while talking."
It was a beautiful day in Konoha, the sun was shining, the trees were blowing softly in the wind, and a team of shinobi were trying to track a demon spawn… Wait a minute.
"Whirlpool in position, target spotted." Kakashi nodded
"Bow on ear?" There was some static
"Bubble gum here, bow spotted… And why did we let Naruto choose the codenames?" More static
"…Duck bottom here… He had the shortest straw."
Whirlpool chuckled; he thought he chose fitting names.
"Wolf here, everyone get into position." Some static.
"Angel here, why should we get into position? You should get the damn cat, since you want to just sit in that damn tree and read your book." Kakashi had to quickly dodge a kunai aimed for said book.
"QUIT THROWING SHARP THINGS AT MY PRECIOUS!"
The cat got spooked and ran. "GOD DAMN YOU WOLF!!"
Two hours later showed a cat being squeezed to death by one Madam Shijimi.
"Oh my baby Tora! Momma missed you so much!" She yelled as the cat tried to wriggle free. Team seven covered their ears, but offered no sympathy for the cat named Tora, even as the cat turned blue, then white.
After a ten minute reunion, in which the cat was hugged into unconsciousness, Madam Shijimi left.
"Alright team seven, another mission completed. We have a few more today, one farmer needs his fields tended to, another needs his animals gathered up, and one villager is busy and needs some errands run for them." The Hokage was about to continue when a scream was heard.
"TORA NO! LEAVE THAT OTHER CAT ALONE AND COME BACK TO MOMMY OR I'LL HAVE YOU FIXED!" Everyone sweat dropped
"And retrieving Tora… So he can be fixed." The Hokage sighed. Someone snapped. "HELL NO!"
Everyone turned to Naruto "I REFUSE TO DO ANYMORE OF THESE DAMN KIDDIE MISSIONS!" The rest of team seven nodded, and Iruka was about to reprimand Naruto when the Hokage chuckled.
"Alright, alright, I must admit even I grew tired of D-rank missions when I was a Gennin." Everyone looked to him, shocked.
"But, they must have been fun old man. I mean, you probably got to hunt dinosaurs for your D-ranks." Tenshi giggled, seeing that the Sandiame's eye was twitching, but so was the corner of his mouth. Everyone else was either trying not to laugh, or they were upset because of the disrespect, one such was Iruka.
"SHOW SOME RESPECT NARUTO!" Naruto cringed as Iruka yelled. He'd give Sakura when she was mad a run for her money. "It's ok, Umino-kun."
Iruka turned to look at the Hokage, mildly surprised. "It's just nice to see the next generation show their will of fire."
Iruka sat back down, still surprised. "I suppose I can give your team a C-rank"
He pressed a button and a few seconds later, an old man who reeked of Sake and sea water came in. "These runts supposed to protect me? Look like they're barely out of diapers!"
Kakashi held Naruto back when he reached for his kunai pouch, while Tenshi went and got the mission scroll.
"I assure you." He looked at the scroll. "Tazuna-san? …Hm, have to get Naruto-kun to give you a nickname… That we are more then capable of protecting you, we have three of the best Gennins and an experienced Jounin, not to mention that if those four aren't enough, you have an extra member of this team, a Chuunin. So, please don't insult us, or we might just make you walk all by your lonesome." Tazuna gulped before taking a swig of sake.
"Well if this brat can back up that talk I'm sure I'll be fine."
Kakashi sighed; he had a feeling this was going to be a long mission.
"Well… Tazuna-san, we will meet by the gate in an hour. That should give you enough time to get your things together and let us prepare." Tazuna nodded, turning and leaving, as did the rest of team seven.
Arriving twenty minutes early, Naruto sat down next to the guard post, talking to Izumo and Kotetsu. About five minutes later, Sasuke showed up, Sakura beside him, trying to get him to talk. He ignored her, as well as everyone else, as he leaned against the gate, brooding like he normally did. Another five minutes later, Tenshi showed up, pulling Kakashi by his ear while Tazuna was walking behind them.
"I've never been late in my life for a mission, and I'm not about to start because of you!" Everyone sweat dropped.
"'Bout damn time someone did that to him." Izumo and Kotetsu agreed, though they were surprised Kakashi wasn't trying to fight back.
Releasing his hold on Kakashi's ear, Tenshi went and gave something to Kotetsu before moving back to team seven and Tazuna, where Kakashi was making sure everyone had packed enough.
"We good to go?" Kakashi turned before nodding his head.
"Then let's go!"
Sasuke looked at Naruto. "And why are you so happy dobe?"
Naruto glared at him. "Not only is this our first C-rank mission, but it's my first time out of the village… Not that you care."
Tazuna shook his head. "Am I really going to be safe with this brat?" Kakashi nodded. "As Tenshi said, these are our best Gennin and if they aren't enough you have him and I accompanying you also, so no need to worry."
Tazuna nodded, still not completely assured. Naruto was pissed but didn't say anything.
A few hours later, team seven started walking, Naruto leading the way with Tazuna behind him. Beside Tazuna were Sasuke and Sakura, with Kakashi and Tenshi bringing up the rear.
"Ano... Tazuna-san?" Sakura said slowly. Tazuna swallowed the sake he had in his mouth and looked at her.
"What?" He said rather rudely.
"You're from the wave country right?"
He nodded his head "What about it?"
Sakura looked at him strangely. "Well don't you have ninja in your country that could have come to Konoha to escort you?"
Kakashi focused his eye on her.
"Actually Sakura, there are no ninja in wave country… But in other countries, the culture and customs may be different, but hidden villages exist, and by proxy, so do ninja."
Sakura nodded her head, but Kakashi wasn't finished.
"To the many countries of the continent, the existence of a shinobi village means military power. This is how they hold and maintain advantages over each other. But, it's not that the villages rule the countries, they merely stand equally with the country's government. A small island country like wave country doesn't receive much interference from the larger countries and may not need a shinobi village. Within the many shinobi villages, Leaf, Mist, Cloud, Sand and Stone, are large and powerful, and thus are referred to as 'The Great Five Shinobi Countries'. And, these are the only countries whose leader receives the name 'Kage'."
Everyone was a little amazed at this lecture. But no more so then Sakura. "That old man of a Hokage is that incredible? …Sounds kind of fishy..." She thought.
Everyone else was thinking along the same line.
"Wow! Hokage-Sama is incredible!!"
Kakashi looked at them sternly. "You guys just doubted Hokage-Sama, didn't you?"
Everyone flinched, knowing they'd been caught.
"But don't worry. There won't be any ninja combat in a C-rank mission." Tenshi sighed.
"I KNOW! IT SUCKS!" Naruto cried dramatically while everyone sweat dropped, but Tazuna flinched, and both Kakashi and Tenshi looked at each other, then back to the road, seeing a puddle past the bridge they were on. Tenshi looked to Kakashi, but Kakashi just shook his head, so they walked past the puddles, with Tenshi grinning.
Once they had passed the puddle, two figures came up out of it, one of them throwing the other into the air, a chain hanging in between them. The chain wrapped around Kakashi, who looked shocked, but before he had time to do anything, they pulled their hands and the chain tightened, turning Kakashi into shreds
"One down." One of the ninja muttered.
Tazuna, Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto turned to see it.
"Kakashi-Sensei!"
The two jumped together before jumping forward, aiming for Tazuna, but before they could get to their next step, they were hit and sent flying back towards the bridge, Tenshi standing where they used to be.
"You know, for a few rouge Chuunin from the Hidden Mist, you guys aren't that smart… Maybe they're lowering their standards."
Both of them got up, glaring at Tenshi, who seemed unaffected by their glares.
"Judging from your looks, I'd say you're the demon brothers, Gouzu and Meizu." Gouzu started laughing.
"Doesn't matter who we are…"
Meizu started where his brother stopped "…We'll kill you before you know it." They both dashed forward, breaking their chain, Gouzu headed for Tenshi, Meizu for Tazuna, who now had Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto standing in front of him. Tenshi proceeded to meet Gouzu head on, drawing his sword, dodging a claw swipe from Gouzu and chopping off his arm.
Gouzu screamed out, jumping back and holding his stump of an arm. Before he had time to move, Tenshi was in front of him.
"You should know better then to mess with the bloody dragon." Gouzu's eyes widened before closing, passing out from a blow to his gut. Meizu stopped at his brother's scream, but then charged forward again, about to kill them all and then help his brother, but before anything could happen, Kakashi appeared, taking out Meizu with a chop to the back of his neck.
"Good job, Tenshi." Kakashi praised. Tenshi just nodded, wiping his sword on Gouzu's cloak.
"Little overboard though."
Tenshi glared, sheathing his sword. "He was an ninja, it comes with the territory. He was also an enemy, so he was dealt with accordingly. Besides… We have our information."
He did a few hand-signs before placing a glowing green hand on Gouzu's wound, closing it shut to stop the bleeding. After that, he tied them both up and sent a message to Konoha about them, telling them the bounty was to be split between team seven. Kakashi pulled Tazuna aside. He had questions and wanted answers, and if Tazuna cared about self preservation, he would answer them truthfully.
Kakashi came back, Tazuna behind him looking pale… He had to remember to thank Anko next time he saw her, who knew that she was right when saying what they had done that one drunken night, could be used in torturing a civillian.
"Listen up guys." Kakashi said. Sakura glared, and he sweat dropped and rubbed the back of his neck.
"And pretty ladies" He added. Sakura 'hmph-ed' and turned her eyes to Tazuna, wondering why he looked about ready to puke.
"This has now become a B-ranked mission. You all know it was supposed to be a simple protection mission from standard thugs and thieves, but since Tazuna here lied about the mission parameters because he didn't have enough money for a B-rank. So we are now operating outside of our duties. We may return to Konoha and leave Tazuna to walk back to wave by himself."
Everyone nodded, but they didn't want to leave the poor man to die.
"Kakashi-Sensei… I think we should continue with this mission." Everyone looked at Sakura, shocked that she spoke before anyone else, but the shock soon wore off and everyone agreed with her.
Kakashi looked at everyone. "You guys sure? We'll probably run into more ninja, and they'll be stronger then these two."
Everyone nodded in unison. Naruto looked at his Sensei. "Nothing to worry about perv."
Kakashi sighed. He wasn't THAT much of a perv...
"If we do run across more ninja, with you and I there should be nothing to worry about." Kakashi nodded.
"Ok then, let's continue this mission."
A no longer pale Tazuna bowed to them. "Thank you. You have no idea how grateful I am..."
Kakashi waved his hand up and down at Tazuna's thanks. "It's nothing."
Tenshi walked up to Tazuna. "We'll continue helping you, but when you have enough money, you're sending it to Konoha for the price of this mission." He put his hand on his sword, glaring into Tazuna's eyes and releasing some killing intent.
"Or else."
Once again, Tazuna was pale, and Kakashi was left wondering if Tenshi somehow knew Anko.
Meanwhile, at a small hut closer to wave...
"You failed?!!" A small man with a cane yelled at a man on a couch whose mouth was covered with bandages.
"I paid you guys a lot of money because I heard you were very strong former ninja's!!"
The man on the couch leaned forward slightly, grabbing the handle of a large sword.
"Stop your bitching." He pulled the sword around, stopping the tip of it at the midgets throat.
"This time, I'll go with this head slicing cleaver, and kill them all."
The midget gulped.
"A… Are you sure? It seems the enemy has hired some skilled ninjas. And with the failure of the demon brothers, they'll be prepared for an attack."
The masked man chuckled. "Who do you think I am? …There's a reason I'm called the 'Demon of The Hidden Mist'. For me, Momochi Zabuza, a few ninja are no match."
A/N: Greetings and Salutations! I'm back with a new chapter ^^ This is where you, my lovely readers, say "About damn time too" Alas, I know that it took me a while to update, but hey, something is better then nothing, also, as you could see at the top of the page, I now have a beta! Yay me! -claps hands-…Sorry about that…Blond moment xD Anywho, next time! The demon of the hidden mist vs. ???? Who will fight him? Have to wait and see xP. So, until next time, hope you're happy, hope you're well, let us hope, we don't meet in hell ^^…Actually…We can't…Restraining order…Damn devil, I just wanted to know if he was dating Saddam Hussein…How was I supposed to know they were doing it?!! He didn't have to ban me from hell because I walked in on them…The bastard. JA NE!
-ATO
