I don't really have anything to say. It's summer…a bit of free time here…a break there… No excuses though and no promises…Enjoy!
Disclaimer: See chapter one.
Yuki paced back and forth in her room with Ito's sharp eyes following her every move. She paused and met Ito's gaze. She longed for his conversation but he barely ever obliged. He complained it hurt his throat. Yuki resumed her pacing, walking to her bed and back to her desk on the other side of the room.
The thing that was troubling was the fact that Orochimaru had sent her a message requesting her presence at his current hideout. Looking over the map again, Yuki saw that he had moved during the past week. It was now in a type of desert area.
What was she supposed to tell Lady Tsunade? She could be summoned for a mission any day now. Yuki had gone through so much trouble of getting the Hokage to trust her, but what if this ruined everything?
Her eyes snapped to the desk when they caught movement. Ito was poking through the letter Orochimaru had sent her.
"Here," he grunted picking up a smaller note in his beak and holding it out for Yuki.
Frowning, Yuki accepted the piece of paper. "Thanks," she mumbled as her eyes scanned over it.
Yuki's frown deepened when she was finished. "So he wants me to tell Tsunade that I'm visiting an old Sensei of mine?" She rolled her eyes. "How true."
"Will you be going then?" Ito asked tilting his head to the side.
"Yes," Yuki sighed getting out a piece of parchment.
"I will be there within five days."
Yuki rolled up the reply before tying it to Ito's leg. Nodding, he zipped out the window.
Hearing a knock on her door, Yuki exited her bedroom and went to answer it. "Good morning, Naruto," she greeted seeing the smiling shinobi.
"Hey Yuki," Naruto said quickly grabbing Yuki's hand and dragging her out of her house. "Listen, you aren't going on any missions any time soon, are you?"
"Um, no," Yuki answered taking back her hand and walking alongside Naruto, "why?"
Naruto's blue eyes brightened. "Because I need another person for the mission Grandma Tsunade is send Sakura and me on. Will you come?" he asked hopefully.
"I'm sorry Naruto, but I won't be able to make it. I just got a letter from my old Sensei saying that he wants to see me again. I wish I could help you, especially since I haven't been on a mission yet."
Naruto sighed with disappointment. "Darn, well thanks anyway. I still have Kiba and his squad to ask. If worse comes to worse, I can always ask Shikamaru, he's sure to help me out."
"What mission are you and Sakura going on anyway?"
A determined look caught fire in his eyes. "We got a clue to where Sasuke could be."
Yuki almost tripped over her feet, but quickly covered it up. Sasuke? You mean, Sasuke's from this village? Yuki had met Sasuke only once, almost three years ago. After first meeting him, she made sure to keep out of his way. She barely knew him, but she did know the lengths Orochimaru had went through to get his claws on his 'precious' Sasuke.
"Who is Sasuke?" Yuki asked once she had recovered her voice. "A friend of yours?"
"Yeah," Naruto replied softly. "He left the village a little more than two years ago. He was my teammate…and my friend. I swore to Sakura that I would bring him back. I promised then and I stand by it now. I never go back on my word. That's my nindo, my ninja way."
Yuki stared at Naruto. He's crazy. To be going after someone years later. This kid…he's different…
Naruto peered at her closely. "What?"
Yuki sighed inwardly and looked away. He gives Sasuke too much credit. There's no changing Sasuke's mind, that's for sure. "Nothing."
While Yuki headed towards the Hokage Tower, Naruto went off in search of his friends. She followed the hallways that Kakashi had led her down her first day in Konoha. She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Yuki was about to knock on the door when Tsunade's voice caught her ears. Frowning, she leaned against the door, putting her ear against the crack.
"-but you cannot impose any more restrictions on him. So long as Naruto remains in one place, the Leaf is in danger. Sooner or later, the Akatsuki will come for him."
Yuki gasped silently and leaned in closer.
"In the Hidden Sand Village incident, they headed straight for the Jinchuriki, Gaara. Even though, supposedly, he was in the safest location in the village." Tsunade paused. Yuki was now completely pressed up against the wall in anticipation. "And if they come after Naruto? You can bet the Akatsuki will be just as brutal as they were then. And at the end of the day, that would put the Leaf Village in danger as well."
The long silence that followed made Yuki's skin itch.
"But if Naruto stays on the move, the enemy will have a tough time figuring out what he's up to and how to get him. Let's not forget, he is a boy with talent. He's a fine ninja and a great asset to the Leaf."
A man with a deep voice grunted. "I expected much more from you, Tsunade. You call yourself Hokage?"
A loud stomp made Yuki jump away from the door suddenly, her heart racing. She watched the door with wide eyes wanting to see through to the other side.
"Look! I'm trying to find a compromise here, too, damnit!"
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you can't be sure that Naruto won't be taken by the Akatsuki!" the man shot back. "And if they do get control of the Ninetails. Tell me what guarantees you can make that such a horrific tragedy will never come to pass!"
This silence was even longer than the last. Yuki could almost feel the flames of anger subside. When Tsunade spoke again, she was quieter.
"He won't fail," she whispered, her voice thick with memories. "They won't get Naruto. If there's anything I believe in, it's him."
"And," an older lady started, talking for the first time from what Yuki had heard, "if your judgment turns out to be mistaken? Well, what then?"
"Look, if I've endangered the Leaf…or the Land of Fire, then, I swear as the Fifth Hokage, I will protect them with all my might and, if need be, my very own life."
"Very well then," the man finally said. "If you feel that strongly about all this, do as you see fit." He paused and Yuki could feel intangible victory emitting from Tsunade. "However…" Everything seemed to wash away with that one word. "As a compromise, you will use the shinobi we select for the additional members of Naruto's four man squad."
Tsunade sighed. "Agreed," she said at last.
"It is not appropriate for little girls to eavesdrop."
Yuki whirled around to see an elderly man with black hair mostly covered with bandages. He hobbled along with a cane so Yuki had no idea why she hadn't heard him approach. She stepped away from the door to allow him enter as she heard the woman inside.
"Dansou, please enter."
As the man entered, Yuki mumbled an apology only he heard as she leaned against the wall so as not to be seen bay anyone inside.
"It's been a long time, Princess Tsunade."
That was all Yuki allowed herself to hear as she rushed down the hallway silently. She could no longer risk any other unexpected visitors to catch her waiting suspiciously outside the Hokage's room. For now, she would wait for the guests to leave before she saw Tsunade. She sat against a nearby tree so that she would know when the cost was clear. To occupy herself until then, Yuki pulled out a brush, ink, and a piece of paper that she carried with her. It seemed as though it had come in use today.
Yuki copied down every word of what she had heard, determined not to leave a single detail out. When she was finished, Ito flew to her shoulder without being called. Yuki noticed that his feathers were slightly damp with sweat.
"Another message so soon?" he questioned as he stuck out his leg.
"Something came up," Yuki replied as she rolled up the note and tied it to his leg. He cocked his head in a silent question that Yuki couldn't ignore. "Hopefully, some solid information at last." She looked up as the elders left. "But now I have to go. "
Ito cried out once before lifting off her shoulder and disappearing from view.
Yuki got to her feet and entered the building once more. This time, she didn't hear anything but the scratches of a brush from inside. She knocked before anything could come up this time.
"Come in," Lady Tsunade called from inside.
Yuki entered and she found that Tsunade was alone at her desk with a scroll in front of her. She looked up with one eyebrow raised, the only sign that she was at all surprised by Yuki's visit.
"Oh, it's you, Yuki. I'm sorry, I was expecting someone else," she said as she put the finishing touches on the scroll.
Yuki bowed respectfully. "Lady Tsunade, I came to ask if I might be able to go to my old Sensei. I received word from him last night that he wanted to see me again. I feel really bad asking this, after all, you haven't even sent me on a mission yet…"
Tsunade shook her head. "That would be my fault, Yuki. I've just been so busy with team Kakashi's…situation that I had completely forgotten. To make it up to you, I'll allow you to go to your old sensei."
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," Yuki said with a smile.
Tsunade looked up at her with a strange look on her face. "Didn't you say everyone in your village was killed?"
"Hai, my sensei had left years before that. My parents took up my training after he left the village," Yuki explained making sure she didn't talk to fast. The question had just barely set her off guard.
Tsunade nodded, buying the lie. "I'll have work for you once you return. You're dismissed."
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," Yuki repeated and left the room.
She had just taken a few steps down the hall when she heard noise coming from Tsunade's room. Silently, Yuki moved back to her position she had taken only an hour or so ago.
"I heard it was a matter of great urgency," a different male voice said, younger than last time.
"I assume you know why you've been summoned here."
"I have a general idea," he replied.
"Kakashi's out and I want you to take over his team," Tsunade explained.
"It would be an honor to work in Kakashi's stead, milady."
"Now this isn't an ANBU Black Ops mission. You're going on a regular assignment. So you can take off the mask. I'll give you a codename. During the mission you'll be known as Yamato."
Yuki could hear as the man took off his mask.
"Yes, I understand."
"One more thing," Tsunade started, "team Kakashi will be getting a new face in its ranks, from the Foundation, the Black Ops training division."
"Really? The Foundation?" the man asked sounding intrigued.
"However…"
"Yes, milady?"
"Keep a very close eye on him. Study his every move," she whispered.
"And…the reason for this?" Yamato questioned.
"This additional recruit was recommended by a man named Dansou. Not only is Dansou a member of the Hawk Faction, a group that once opposed the Third Hokage, he was behind a separate detail within Black Ops, a training division known only as the Foundation. Dansou was the one who founded the division. I'm sure you've at least have heard his name before." There was a pause. "Though the Foundation has since been dissolved and Dansou removed from power, I…I can't help but to be suspicious of his motives."
"Perhaps you're worrying too much, milady."
There was a long pause. Yuki stayed, hoping Tsunade would further explain her suspicions.
"Never mind," she said at last. "Meet up with the rest of your team immediately."
"Right away," Yamato said before vanishing. Frowning, Yuki did the same.
She appeared back in her room where she stayed until it was dark out, a new report written.
This chapter took a while to write and it also was a lot of work. I hope you guys liked it. It was longer, too. Review please!
