Disclaimer- I do NOT own Naruto.
This could be my last chapter. R&R (Read & Review. Not to be confused with Rest and Relaxation) for the "Geniuses" out there.
Shino X OC (Mitsuko)
Kiba X OC (Keiko & Midori for Akamaru :D)
Lee X OC (Haruna)
Chouji X OC (Hitomi)
Kankuro X OC (Kimiko)
Gaara X OC (Haruka)
Hope you like it!
Leaving
Chapter Ten
Of course the young woman couldn't sleep that night. And how could she? Mitsuko was actually out the door as soon as the clock chimed at five in the morning. This time she actually bothered to knock on the door, tapping her boot on the ground and waiting for him to answer. Shino's father opened the door, receiving a confused look from the teen who had disturbed his sleep at five in the morning.
"Uh… Is Shino here?" Mitsuko asked, trying not to seem very surprised but failing.
"He left an hour ago," he said in his monotone voice.
'Damn!' she turned on her heels and rushed towards the gates. 'What if he left already?' The cold air didn't even faze her as she continued on, accidently running into Kimiko and Kankuro as she did/
"Shit!" Kimiko yelled as she fell to the ground.
Her partner was yelling something at Mitsuko but she was too upset to listen. There was only a two minute run to the gates, but it felt like years to her. She even jumped three fences to try and get there sooner. Her heart sank when she saw no one except Izumo and Kotetsu standing at their posts.
"Did they leave yet?" Mitsuko asked breathless, fearing for the worst.
"Shino's team left an hour ago, Mitsuko," Kotetsu said shuffling through papers-and that was the worst.
'He didn't even say goodbye,' she thought storming off. Deep down she knew this would happen. And that gave her more inner fire to slam the door to Tsunade's office.
"We're leaving. Tonight," she growled, not wanting to stay there for another moment.
"Why?" she asked shooting up from her desk, causing her chair to scrape against the floor.
"Too many complications. It's better this way."
Mitsuko left with a shrug, ignoring Tsunade's tries to reason with her. In the middle of the hallway, she pulled out the small silver whistle, which in her mind probably started this entire thing. She caught herself staring at it before shaking any memories of the past few days out of her mind. When the high pitch noise rang in her ears the team was already awaiting her orders before her.
"We're leaving," Mitsuko said to the other assassins as she replaced the whistle in her pocket.
"What?" Keiko screamed in protest.
"Tonight," the leader finished, continuing her way to the stairs.
"Why?" Kimiko asked remembering earlier that day when she was pushed to the ground by Mitsuko.
"Staying in Konoha has put us behind schedule."
Kimiko rushed towards her about to throw a punch. But not before the angry teen snatched her arm and brought it behind her back.
"Kimiko, when you joined me you're occupation became your only priority! I mentioned this six years ago… to all of you," she reminded them, releasing her teammate and continuing on her way.
"You have the rest of the day to pack."
She assumed that they all followed her orders as she waltzed outside. When she did, bright orange sitting atop the Hokage Monument caught her eye. Mitsuko finally made her way to the Third's head, glancing over the peaceful village. On the Fourth's head was Naruto. Deciding that she should say something to him before she left, the teen jumped over to sit next to him. After sitting in uncomfortable silence, Naruto stood, looked Mitsuko in the eye, and smacked her. She was stunned nonetheless, holding her cheek and smiling a smug like smile.
"I don't really know why I deserved that."
"You're an idiot," he stated, peering down at her with daggers for eyes.
That was actually crossing a line. Mitsuko shot up, returning his evil gaze right back at him.
"You have no right to call me that."
He turned to look at the quiet village below, unknowing to the conversation being shared between the two.
"You have no idea what you're friends have found here."
"Yes I do," Mitsuko grumbled, not wanting to relive the idea of killing the love life of her teammates.
He stared in amazement, while a serious face met his. Her voice sounded monotone, careless, bored to anyone who didn't know her. But since Naruto had a way of reading others, he saw the pain in her eyes.
"I can love too, Naruto."
"Then why are you leaving?" he asked, returning to his seat of the smooth head of the Fourth.
"Love. I promised myself that I would never fall in love after my parents died."
She looked up towards the clouds and then to the orange clad teen. Part of her was actually a little frightened that he would smack her again.
"What happened to your parents?"
"Both were ANBU members. They fell in love with each other on a mission. They settled down after I was born. But there were many people who wanted them dead. So one night they were killed in cold blood… and I was left with no one at four years old."
Silence followed her story until Naruto's voice sounded.
"So you don't want to be left alone again if he dies, right?"
"Right."
The boy smiled and stood with his hand extended.
"There is something you should see."
There was nothing she could do except take his hand. 'This should be fun.' But minutes later she was looking at the same forest where she and Shino officially met. She pulled her hand from his screaming,
"Damn it Naruto! Are you trying to make me have a break down!"
All of the sudden he crouched down, surrounded by smoke. Mitsuko thought that he was completing his Oiroke no Jutsu. So of course she raised a fist.
"You perverted idiot!" she screamed as her fist collided with his jaw.
The smoke cleared, showing Mitsuko's clenched fist. There where a few trees that where snapped in half. Who she thought was Naruto, was replaced with Shino, causing her to stumbled back a step and reevaluate what happened.
"What the hell?"
Mitsuko rushed to Shino to see if he was still breathing. She sighed when he shifted, but almost felt like killing him when she realized he was alive.
"I disguised myself as Naruto so that I could see what was wrong," he said trying to stand, only to be set back down by a less angry female assassin.
"You should have picked someone else. I thought that you were doing something perverted," she chuckled.
"What are you still doing here? I thought you left on your mission hours ago."
"I came back," Shino stated, still trying to stand, even with Mitsuko basically shoving him.
"Why?"
"I didn't want to leave you."
She gave Shino a hug, and knew that he understood how she felt. Shino continued to try and stand, but Mitsuko won, beaming down at him.
"Don't stand until we get help. Okay?"
She watched as a small butterfly landed on his nose as she took a seat next to him. Everything was peaceful until she heard noised in the bushes. Her assassin instincts kicked in, and a kunai flew towards the sound. But moments later, Kimiko, Haruna, Haruka, Keiko, Midori, and Hitomi walked out, screaming "surprise", their escorts soon followed
"Does this mean we're staying?" Haruka asked as she walked closer to Gaara.
"Yes. It does," Mitsuko stated matter-of-factly.
She glanced around and took in her teammates smiling faces as they chatted with the other men. Now that she looked back on it, they all really where her friends. They where there for her and she was there for them, but whenever someone even mentioned their relationship, it was always 'teammates' or 'partners'. Had her team realized it and kept their mouths shut? Or did they care anyway because they knew what they all where? And to think, a week ago, she would have never been here if Tsunade didn't trick her into it.
"You know what this means, don't you Kimiko?" the leader asked, struggling to stand from sitting so long.
When she looked up, Mitsuko noticed that Kimiko was confused. But the question was so random that the young woman had to asked what the hell she was talking about.
"You and Haruka have to move to Sunagakure with Kankuro and Gaara."
"We'll visit once a month!" Haruna screamed, overenthusiastic as usual.
"Great…" Haruka groaned rolling her eyes a little with a slight grin.
Just then Tsunade entered the clearing, taking in the scene. Her work was done here and she knew for certain that nothing like that would happen again in a long, long time. The old woman made her way towards Mitsuko, who was stealing glances at Shino, but distracting herself with the chatting teens around her.
"I guess I should thank you," she sighed, watching Midori and Akamaru play.
"For what?"
"My, my… You ask a lot of questions," the young woman mimicked the earlier voice perfectly, with a quirked brow.
The Hokage smiled, leaving the forest to the young teens as Gaara and Mitsuko helped Shino off of the ground. He was bruised to say the least, but other than that nothing was wrong… well that's what they thought until he flinched.
"I'm really sorry Shino," Mitsuko apologized, helping him limp towards the hospital.
"It's alright. I know what to expect now."
Both teens helping him laughed and continued their way to get Shino's bruised and sore body attention.
One Month Later
"We're here!" the leader screamed, walking into the Kazekage's office.
Gaara was sitting at the dark brown desk filled with papers with Haruka beside him. The joining room door opened revealing Kimiko and her partner walking out. Though they only came out to here what the hell the loud screaming was for, both where surprised to find two old friends standing hand in hand.
"I hope you don't mind, we brought our boyfriends with us."
"It's nice to see you again Mitsuko," Haruka greeted, making her way towards her.
They hugged and chatted for a moment, talking of the missions that they where sent on, what had happened on their way there, and anything else that sounded interesting. Soon they where going down the stairs to reunite with the others-and it was no surprise that Haruna was the first to talk with the teens who had moved to the Sand Village. Hitomi and Chouji where conversing with Gaara's sister who had just came in through the door, and the two dog lovers where searching everywhere for Akamaru and Midori. Shino was going to ask what they where doing when Kimiko and Kankuro ran down the stairs yelling,
"We found them!"
Not surprisingly Kiba and Keiko where the first to dash up the staircase. The Kazekage was standing before them with crossed arms. Mitsuko peeked over the man's shoulder and saw that they where sleeping.
"They must be really tired," Gaara stated looking at Kiba.
"No. They were fine a second ago."
"What could have made them so tired in such a short period of time?" Keiko asked, dumbfounded for a moment, but as soon as they realized they all exchanged glances.
"Oh… My… God…" Shino said simultaneously with Mitsuko.
Everyone whipped around and began walking down to the lobby, trying to rid the image of what two dogs did when they where alone.
"Shino," Mitsuko addressed him
"Yes?"
"We are never getting a dog," she giggled, then smiled when he grabbed her hand and walked into the streets.
'And to think, I almost missed out on this.'
THE END