Hello everybody! Yes I am alive and No I haven't abandoned this story. I've just been enjoying my summer vacation and my AP school work. So here is the latest chapter and as always if anything seems weird or it doesn't make sense I always enjoy constructive criticism from anyone. All will be read and replied to, as long as you're signed in so that I can.
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"WOOHOO! YEAH!" Naruto yelled excitedly as he ran ahead of the group outside of the village gates. He was acting like a little kid who was exploring some unknown environment by the way he was looking around at everything. Although there wasn't much to look at since there was only the road that lead out of the village and the forest that surrounded us.
"What are you so excited about Naruto?" Akina asked when she caught up to him.
"This is my first time leaving the village ever! I'm finally a traveler now, BELIEVE IT!" He replied with his usual hyperness.
"Kakashi, do you really expect me to trust my life with this runt? He's nothing but a joke." Tazuna said as he pointed at Naruto.
"Don't worry I'm a Jounin so there is nothing to be worried about." Kakashi replied calmly while Naruto looked like he was ready to hurt the old man.
"Don't worry Naruto, you'll get a chance to show him what you're made of." Akina whispered to Naruto to help calm him down. His angry expression disappeared as his signature smile spread across his face.
'That's better.' Akina thought as she watched Naruto give the old man a lecture in how he was going to the Hokage one day.
"Once I become Hokage you'll have to look up to me so remember my name! Naruto Uzumaki!"
"Aren't Hokage supposed to be powerful and wise, look at you. You're just puny and brainless. The day you become Hokage is the day I'm gonna sprout wings and fly." Tazuna said as he kept drinking his liquor.
"AHH! Do you ever shut up! I will anything to become Hokage and when I do everyone will have to respect me including you!"
"Hah, you can become Hokage a 100 times over. You're still going to be nobody to me."
"That is it!" Naruto yelled as he was ready to hit the old man but luckily Kakashi caught him and held him back before he could.
"That's enough Naruto. What did I say about not trying to kill the client?" Kakashi said. Although Naruto didn't hear him as he was struggling to try and beat up the old man.
Akina, Sasuke, and Sakura were watching the scene with annoyance in their eyes at the fact that they were being slowed down because of this.
'This is going to be a long day.' Akina thought as she followed the old man who had started walking ahead of them. A slight chill ran up her spine as if they were being watched and, while still walking normally, she slightly let her chakra loose to sense if there was somebody watching. Her chakra spread like a tiny veil over the ground as it spread into the forest around them. At first she sensed the usual chakra of bugs and plants until she found what she was looking for. She quickly brought her chakra back in as she did a mental sigh.
'It's going to be a long day indeed.'
"Hey, Mr. Tazuna." Sakura asked. It had been a couple of hours since they left the village and so far nothing had happened. Although it didn't make Akina lower her guard for an instance because if her instincts were right than she needed to be on her toes to protect her team.
"What do you want?" he said while still drinking his bottle of liquor.
"You're from the Land of Waves right?"
"Yeah, what of it?"
"Kakashi-sensei is there ninjas in the Land of Waves?"
"No, there isn't. In other countries though there are Hidden Villages of ninja, each one different in terms of customs and culture. In this continent shinobi are seen as military strength, to protect their countries and keep balance with other countries. These ninja villages are independent of any government and they all have equal status. The Land of Waves is a small island surrounded by water so it already has natural protection; so there isn't any need for ninjas. There are only 5 nations that have Hidden Villages; Land of Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind, and Earth. They are known as the 5 Great Shinobi Nations. Only the leaders of each Hidden Village are given the title 'Kage' which means shadow; Hokage, Mizukage, Raikage, Kazekage, and Tsuchikage. These are the 5 great shadows that command thousands of ninja."
"Wow Lord Hokage is really important." Sakura said with new found appreciation in her eyes although it looked like there was a hint of doubt in there. Naruto looked like he was having trouble trying to believe what Kakashi just said.
'Yeah right I got that old man with my sexy jutsu. He can't possibly-'
"Hey! You all just doubted Lord Hokage didn't you." Akina watched in amusement as Naruto and Sakura were trembling in fear of what Kakashi would do to them.
"Don't worry there aren't any ninja battles in a C-ranked mission so you guys can relax." Kakashi said in his laid-back yet calm way. At this information both Sasuke and Naruto looked slightly disappointed that they weren't going to fight anybody. All the while Akina still had the feeling that things were not going to go as planned as her team continued on down the road.
Things went quiet again as the group continued to travel down the path, the only thing they could hear were the birds chirping and the rustle of the leaves in the wind. It had been a couple of hours since Kakashi's history lesson and nothing eventful had happened since then. The group soon crossed a small wooden bridge that had a steady flow river running beneath it. Everyone was relaxed as the group walked by a small puddle that was placed near the side of the road even though it had been weeks since it had rained. Kakashi took a second glance at it and when he turned looked back he caught the gaze of two dark violet eyes asking him a silent question. Kakashi slightly nodded his head as his answer and the two continued on as if their silent conversation never happened. As they continued walking a head poked out of the small puddle; his face had a mask covering his mouth and his forehead protector had a metal crown on it. His entire body, which was covered by a black coat, appeared out of the puddle along with another figure. The person jumped over the startled group while at the same time wrapping Kakashi in their spiked chain. Each end of the chain was connected to a metal claw on one of their hands.
"Hey what's going on!"
"Kakashi-sensei."
"Let it rip!" One of the ninjas yelled as they both pulled on their chain which shredded Kakashi into tiny pieces.
"Kakashi-sensei! NO!" Naruto yelled unaware that both ninjas were behind him. His face suddenly became pale when he heard them chuckling in excitement.
"Now it's your turn to die." One of them whispered as they both prepared to strike Naruto with their chain. A whoosh sound followed by a thump caught their attention as they saw that their chain was struck by a shuriken as it embedded the chain into a tree. Followed by a kunai being thrown into the shuriken's hole to keep it there. Both of them struggled to get their chain loose but it was no good.
"Damnit I can't get loose." The one with the dark coat said. Sasuke landed in-between them each foot on their arms. He pushed his weight on his hands on he kicked both of the ninja in the face cause the chain to break off from their metal claw. Although once they were free the one in the black coat went after the bridge builder while the other one went after Naruto. Naruto stood there in shock not realizing that he had to defend himself from the ninja ready to kill him luckily Akina beat him first. She punched him in the face first which pushed him back a couple of feet and then she reappeared in the air as she did a full roundhouse kick which the knocked the guy back-first into a nearby tree. Naruto was still standing there in the same spot, not in fear, but in awe that his friend took down a higher-ranked ninja with only a little bit of effort. She had moved flawlessly with each step as if this was second nature to her and the look in her eyes was that of a real ninja. Emotionless. Never revealing anything that your enemy could use against you in battle.
Akina panted slightly as she watched the ninja who was laid back against the tree that know had a slight dent in it. She watched his breathing to make that she didn't kill him and to make sure that he was knocked out. Looking to her left she smiled slightly at the fact that Naruto was standing there with his mouth open and he looked at her as if he couldn't believe what just happened.
"What's wrong Naruto cat got your tongue?" She said playfully as he still stood there. Suddenly he had her in his death-grip hug as he swung her in a circle while yelling excitedly.
"YEAH! You're so awesome Akina it was so cool how you came out of nowhere and then there you were. And you punched that sucker in the face and he was blown away. And then you used your super speed to kick him in the face and then BAM! He was down for the count! I mean you are my new hero and the greatest friend ever! BELIEVE IT!"
"Naruto put her down or else she will die from lack of oxygen."
"Huh?" Naruto said as he turned around, while loosening his grip on Akina, and looked into his sensei's eye. He stood there perfectly fine without a scratch on him and under his right arm was the ninja in the black coat that went after the bridge builder.
"Kakashi-sensei! But I thought you were-" Naruto looked over at the spot where Kakashi's remains were supposed to be but instead he saw pieces of logs on the ground.
'So sensei used the Replacement Jutsu!'
Kakashi walked over to the tree and grabbed the unconscious ninja under his left arm and turned to face Naruto.
"Naruto I'm sorry I didn't help you back there I didn't think you would freeze up like that. Luckily you had someone there to help you when I couldn't but that will not always be the case. So you must be careful Naruto."
Off to the side the bridge builder let out the breath he had been holding and relaxed.
'So these guys can protect me after all.'
"Good job out there Sasuke, very smooth and you too Sakura. Good job as well Akina you were unnoticed yet fierce, those are very good traits to have as a shinobi."
After finally regaining her breathe from Naruto's hug Akina replied, "Thanks sensei."
"Mr. Tazuna." Kakashi said without facing him.
"Yeah." He replied nervously.
"We need to talk."
OOOH Tazuna is in trouble. Hope you guys enjoyed it I try to stay along with the show but with my twists here and there. As always I love reviews from anybody so don't be afraid of the comment box down below.
Longer chapter next time. PROMISE!