Chapt. 8
Ino woke up sweating on the floor between Hinata and Sakura. She panicked at first before remembering they'd had a sleep over that night. She looked blearily around for her clock to check the time wondering why it was so bright out. Finally locating it under the shopping bags from last night, she gasped at the time.
"Hinata," she shouted at the girl to her left. "Get up, we've got twenty minutes before we have to meet Naruto-kun and sensei."
The blue haired girl sat bolt upright looking around in a panic.
"Why didn't the alarm go off," Hinata moaned reaching for her share of the shopping bags.
Hinata and Ino had decided to buy new outfits for work the night before. They looked marginally similar with a tight shirt that showed off their bellies and laced up the front, and short skirts that went to just above mid-thigh and fishnet leggings. Hinata's were dark purple and had long loose sleeves that hid her hands. Ino had chosen to go with a dark green with sleeves that came just off the shoulder.
Sakura, awoken by the noise, groaned as she realized she was already late for her team meeting and haphazardly threw on her clothes before rushing out the door.
The remaining two girls finished up by just pulling their hair into ponytails before following the pinkette out the door.
"How did the alarm clock end up buried under the bags anyway?" Hinata asked with a yawn.
"I set it last night before we went shopping and unfortunately we just happened to drop our bags there," Ino moaned. "Hopefully we won't have to chase the stupid cat again."
Hinata nodded as they turned the corner to the bridge where their team normally met. They could see Naruto sitting on one of the handrails, but no sign of Kakashi. Deciding to save some dignity they slowed down to a walk.
Naruto looked up at the sound of their approach and smiled for a second before his mind registered the girls new outfits and his mouth dropped open.
"See something you like Naruto-kun?" Ino purred cheekily.
Naruto nodded dumbly at the two girls as he drank them in. Ino and Hinata giggled at the poor boys reaction, who was snapped out of his daze as Kakashi appeared on the scene. Their teacher did a double take at the two girls, before sighing at the realization of what they were doing.
"Well, shall we go?" Kakashi said as he turned to walk away. The three genin dutifully followed after.
"So, what's with the new clothes?" Naruto asked trying not to stare too openly at the girls.
"Well, after the hot-spring yesterday, we decided to go shopping to cool off," Hinata replied. "After the sixth store we decided to go into one of the kunoichi stores. We saw these outfits and thought they were cute and bought them. Do we look alright, Naruto-kun?"
Ino and Hinata looked expectantly at the boy while Kakashi tried not to laugh.
"Er, yeah," Naruto stuttered. "You both look hot."
Ino and Hinata smile brightly at Naruto and each gabbed an arm as they followed after Kakashi.
Kakashi shook his head glad he already knew what was going to happen today. That and he'd been able to properly say goodbye to Yugao last night, and again that morning.
"Sensei, please tell me we're not chasing that cat again," Ino shuddered.
The silver haired man chuckled at his students horror at just the thought of the cat. "I can guarantee we won't be going after Tora today."
The group moved quickly through the village towards the Hokage Tower passing civilians and off duty ninja on their daily errands. They walked past the normal entrance to the mission hall, much to the surprise of the genin. They made their way over to the main entry of the tower and through the doors.
"Sensei," Ino asked quite curious. "Why are we heading toward Naruto's dad's office?"
"Huh?" Kakashi looked up from his book. "Oh, the Hokage asked to see us for our mission today."
"He did?" Naruto looked at the older man. "He didn't say anything to me this morning."
"Wonder what that means?" Ino mused.
"Naruto-kun," Hinata asked sweetly. "What, did, you, do?"
Naruto and Ino shivered at the blue haired girls tone, knowing it as a threat.
"M, m, me, Hinata-chan," Naruto started to sweat. "Don't I usually have you two along if I'm going to do something? So obviously, what could I have done?"
Hinata's smile became much more cheerful and Ino and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief as they walked up the stairs to the Hokage's office. The secretary smiled and waved them in. Inside they found Minato talking to an older man who smelled rather like a distillery.
Minato looked up at team seven's entrance and smiled. "Here we go, Tazuna. Kakashi's team will be taking on your mission and escorting you home."
The old man unstably got out of the chair he had been occupying, took a swig from his sake bottle and glared blearily at them trough his glasses. "I guess they'll do," he grunted. "Look a little green though, if you ask me."
Minato chuckled as the three genin glared daggers at the other man.
Kakashi smiled. "Ah, don't worry sir, as their sensei, I guarantee things will be fine. Anyway we'll meet at the main gate in an hour so hurry and pack what you need."
"Yes, sensei," the three genin replied before leaving.
Tazuna followed suit, leaving for the hotel he'd been staying at leaving Kakashi alone with Minato.
"Well, at least it'll be an interesting mission Kakashi." Minato laughed.
"I'd forgotten how some people expect the world for a C-rank mission," Kakashi moaned. "Seriously, it's like he thought he'd get a jonin squad."
Minato's laughter increased. "I wouldn't worry Kakashi. He's just returning home to finish a bridge in Wave."
"Seems slightly nervous about something though didn't he," Kakashi thought out loud.
"If it makes you feel better, Kushina convinced me to have an anbu follow you, with a camera, for Naruto's safety." Minato sighed.
"A camera?" Kakashi asked dazed.
"She wants pictures of Naruto's first 'big' mission," Minato snorted. "The anbu has been ordered not to interfere unless absolutely necessary though, so it'll still run like a normal mission."
"Well, that does put some of my worry to rest," Kakashi sighed. "Do we have any intel on what's going on in wave at the moment?"
"Nothing recent," Minato started flipping through the pile of relevant files on his desk. "The last thing we had was that Gato Shipping had started taking over most of the shipping business in Wave."
"And we're protecting the guy building a way around his monopoly?" Kakashi asked shrewdly.
Minato looked up at Kakashi and blinked a couple of times. "You know sitting behind this desk for too long slows the ability to process information," Minato sighed. "I'll have another team on standby near the border, just in case."
"What if we have to eliminate Gato?"
Minato got up and crossed to what looked like a blank wall. He pressed his hand about halfway up and slowly a door appeared. When the door finally opened a room full of filing cabinets was revealed.
"Let's see where was that file anyway?" Minato pondered.
"In the G section maybe," Kakashi's voice floated in through the door.
"The G section huh," Minato snorted. "I'd have never thought of that."
Kakashi chuckled as he heard several drawers open and close.
"Ah, here we go," Minato declared triumphantly. "Oh, well he seems decent enough on the surface, but our records show he's heavily involved in human trafficking and the underworld."
"So we can assassinate him, if needed?" Kakashi asked hoping for an easy solution.
Minato sighed as he exited the file room and the door disappeared behind him. "Sadly, no, we can't just kill him without reason. However, if he attacks you, do what you must."
Kakashi looked at his watch. "Well, I'd better get going. It's almost time to meet the kids."
Minato laughed as Kakashi left, before starting tho write out another mission.
"He's thirty minutes late," Ino ranted standing next to Naruto.
Hinata sighed at the other girl. "The client is also missing, if you hadn't noticed Ino-chan. It probably means he's trying to find him."
Naruto, who had been watching the main road, snorted as Kakashi came into view with a lumpy package over one shoulder. "I think they're here now," he muttered.
Both girls looked up and giggled at the spectacle before them.
"Sorry we're late, but I had to find the bar our client was in," Kakashi said cheerfully. He looked them over and noticed their packs on the ground next to them. Shrugging he motioned for them to follow.
The three grumbling genin shouldered their packs and followed Kakashi, and their charge out the gate.
Several hours later the plodding pace of civilian travel, combined with the heat of the day, had taken some of the luster of the mission for Naruto. The girls, who had been asking Tazuna about his home, had dropped back to walk with him as the alcohol in the old man was starting to wear off and a hangover was taking shape.
"Seriously it's entirely to warm since it hasn't rained in a week," Naruto moaned. "Friggin' droughts, wish it was the rainy season."
It was at that moment Hinata clamped a hand over Naruto's mouth to stifle his rant. "Naruto-kun, if you don't mind it's too hot, and your moaning about it isn't doing the rest of us any favors."
Ino, who was looking ahead trying to ignore the others argument, noticed something odd. A puddle on the side of the dusty road, with nothing resembling a rain cloud in the sky. She hurriedly smacked the other two on the back of their heads and pointed out the anomaly.
Hinata activated her eyes to have a better look and sighed. "It's what it seems Ino-chan, a poorly done ambush."
Naruto chuckled evilly as he went through his pockets before pulling out what appeared to be a small ball. On closer inspection it was several dozen paper bombs. Taking careful aim he lobbed it at the pond, which of course stopped the rest of the group in their tracks.
"Naruto..." Kakashi started.
"It shouldn't kill them sensei," Naruto stated cheerfully as the ball hit the surface of the water and detonated. Two unmoving forms could be seen lying on the ground as the smoke cleared.
Kakashi ran forward first to check of the two men, before tying them up. "Well, they are alive, and appear to be Kiri shinobi."
The rest of the group caught up as Kakashi brought one of the rogues around.
"Seriously Naruto, did your have to use that thing," Kakashi eyed his pupil.
"What? It was designed more for shock than damage," the boy defended his choice.
Kakashi sighed before turning back to the prisoners. "So, why are you hiding out on a road in the Land of Fire?"
The rogue with the slashed Kiri headband kept quiet as Kakashi glared. Kakashi getting tired of the stare down pulled up his own headband and uncovered his sharingan. The others watched for several minutes until the Mist shinobi shuddered.
"We were hired by Gato to take out the bridge builder," the rogue gasped. "We weren't informed that he'd have guards."
"Were you the only shinobi hired to kill Tazuna?" Kakashi asked sternly.
"N, no," the man seemed to be trying to lie. "Zabuza was with us."
"Zabuza Momochi?" Kakashi asked in shock. "Just him? Granted that's bad, but I should be fine. No one else?"
"N, no, nobody else."
Kakashi nodded his head before knocking the man back out and summoning two ninja hounds, a pug and a large bulldog.
"Pakkun, Bull," Naruto greeted cheerfully. "How ya doin?"
"Hey Naruto," Pakkun the pug greeted.
"Pakkun, Bull, I need you two to take these to back to the village," Kakashi stated as he finished writing on a scroll and tossing it to the pug.
Naruto helped Kakashi secure the two prisoners onto Bull's back and watched the two dogs run off in the direction of the village.
"So who's this Zabuza guy sensei?" Ino asked.
"Hmm," Kakashi broke from his thoughts. "Oh, he's one of the rogue members of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist. Now that I think of it a decent portion of the bingo books are from the Mist village."
Kakashi hoped the last part would distract his students a bit so that he could think some things through. If they continued on he'd have to deal with a jonin with assassination abilities, while protecting his students. If they turned back, he'd have to endure them whinging for weeks on end.
'However they do need to learn that this happens on missions from time to time,' Kakashi thought to himself. 'Plus there's that follow-up team and the anbu agent trailing us.'
"Naruto, do you have any tags that seal water?" Kakashi asked the blonde boy.
"Uh, give me a sec," Naruto stated as he started to go through his pockets. He took out sheaf after sheaf of seals looking for the ones that were requested. "Ah here we go," he crowed triumphantly waving several tags around.
"Good we'll each take a few of these and continue on," Kakashi said as he plucked a few out. "These will help us out if Zabuza appears, he is noted as a water specialist, as well as a swordsman. Hinata we'll need you to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Naruto, Ino keep your guards up as well."
"So, we're continuing onwards sensei?" Hinata asked nervously.
"Well," Kakashi mused with a glare at their client. "Every so often you'll get a mission in which the client misrepresents the threat level."
"You mean he lies about what we might face," Ino growled at the now bowing Tazuna.
"Well, yes," Kakashi sighed. "In these instances the commander chooses whether to continue on or return to the village. Seeing who we have on our team and the skills I know we have, I think we have a good shot at completing the mission still."
Several hours later found team seven and their client set up in an inn for the night. Kakashi received a message back from Minato just a short time after their arrival informing him that another individual may be with Zabuza.
'Man, this mission is getting to be such a headache,' Kakashi moaned to himself. "Who is it?"
An anbu with a crow mask stepped out in front of Kakashi. "The Hokage asked me to check in with you, sir."
"Eh Itachi? Kushina assigned you to take the photos?" Kakashi almost laughed.
"Yes, aunt Kushina asked me to do so," Itachi groused. "The Hokage however was worried about this mission. Especially after those chunin rogues you ran into. The money from their bounty will be added to your teams mission pay as usual. As to Zabuza and Gato, he states that you shouldn't mess around with the situation. So none of your usual looking for new jutsu while fighting."
Kakashi chuckled weakly. "Come on now, I'm not that bad."
Itachi just appeared to stare back at the man.
"Fine, I won't mess around during the fight," Kakashi groaned. "So anything else?"
"Yes," the Hokage has given permission for Gato's assassination," Itachi said. "I'm to carry it out quickly after you are all settled in."
"It was bound to happen after the initial confrontation," Kakashi shrugged. "Still rather quick on the trigger this time for sensei."
Itachi shrugged before disappearing.
"Man that kid is still as anti-social as ever," Kakashi chuckled before heading in to bed.
4-7-13
