"Sweet dango on a stick, Mori, when was the last time you got sleep?" Aya exclaims. "I'm gone for two measly weeks - !"
She shoulders her bag and rushes forward, leaning in and studying his face. Mori turns away and twists out of her grip, rolling his eyes.
"I come back to greet you from a mission well done, and this is what I get?" he mutters, a light grin on his face.
"This isn't a joke!" Aya near screeches. "You look like death!"
"Yeah, Mori," Yuko says, her arms crossed. "You look like death."
"Gee, thanks," Mori snipes back.
Aya ignores his commentary and turns to face their other teammate. Her eyebrows are knit together in concern and she chews her lip. "Yuko, I thought you said that you'd keep an eye on him."
"He keeps disappearing," Yuko says, her voice frigid, and Mori shoots his teammate a betrayed expression.
She sniffs and turns away.
"Damn it, Mori," Aya grumbles. "We're taking you out for ramen, right now."
"You have to report to the Hokage first," Mori reminds her. She's just gotten back from a mission, and even though Yuko had dragged him out for Aya's return, she still has things to do.
"Yuko, take him out for ramen, right now," Aya commands. "I'll meet you guys there. Mori, you're going to eat at least two bowls, okay? And then you're getting a full night's rest."
"Thanks, mom," Mori mutters.
Aya shoots him an annoyed glare before zipping off to make her mission report.
Mori shakes his head as she disappears from view. Then he twists around. He has things to do, too.
But before Mori can escape, a cold hand snakes around his wrist and drags him down the street.
"You're not actually going to take me to Ichiraku's, are you?" Mori asks Yuko. "You hate ramen."
"Ramen is cheap, unhealthy, and excessively salty," Yuko says, "but Aya's right. Also, this is the first time in weeks that I've gotten to talk to you for more than thirty seconds." Yuko squeezes his wrist uncomfortably tight. "Every time I try to talk to you, you say something about your genin team or having errands to run, and you disappear. One would almost think you've been avoiding me."
"I'm not avoiding you!" Mori says, in a fruitless attempt to defend himself.
"You forced me to track you down and drag you out here," Yuko says, without turning around to look back at him.
"I'm busy!"
"Well, whatever it is you're doing, you're taking a break from it tonight," Yuko orders. "Consider it team bonding."
Mori grimaces and resigns himself to whatever it is his teammates have planned for him.
Really, it's not like he intended to avoid them. He's just…
Well, the past four months have been stressful, to say the least.
Yuko sits him down on a stool and orders three bowls of ramen for the three members of their team, no doubt planning her interrogation strategy.
Mori attempts to protest. "Yuko -"
"Nope!" she says, and suddenly Mori can't feel anything in his legs.
"What the hell?" he protests, and he scoots his stool back from the counter to look at his feet. "Did you just Jyuuken me?!" He tries to wiggle his toes and watches in horror as nothing happens.
Yuko slips into the stool on his right and folds her hands together, looking like a formal interrogator. "Last time we tried to eat out as a team you ran away. "
"It was an urgent matter!"
"You didn't come back."
"Ugh," Mori groans, slumping down and laying his head on the counter. "I hate it when you two gang up on me."
Aya and Yuko are great ninja in themselves, but they also make the most terrifying team. It's incredibly annoying. Mori resigns himself to the upcoming conversation. It's going to be impossible to get away now.
"I'm here!"
The curtains of the stand blast out of the way as Aya flings herself into the stand, landing on a stool on the other side of Mori. She swings an arm around his shoulder. He resists the urge to attack and flip her over, knowing he'd end up on the ground with his numb legs.
"So, Mori," Aya begins, voice low. "How has your week been?"
"Great," Mori says stiffly. "My team's doing well and we're getting a lot done."
"Oh, good, fantastic! I like those little brats of yours." Aya chirps. "However, I misspoke. How has your week been?"
Mori attempts a smile.
Aya frowns a little bit, before forcing a smile in return. "Well, you're trying, at least. I can appreciate your honest effort."
"I'm sorry for avoiding you guys," Mori says, rubbing his head. "It's just… a little stressful."
Aya looks over at Yuko, a silent question in her eyes. Yuko shakes her head. They both glance over at Mori, who is keeping his eyes low and pretending not to notice the concerned expressions on their faces.
There's an empty seat at the edge of the ramen stand. It's been four months.
Their ramen arrives, and they eat in silence. Aya and Yuko lean in and press their shoulders against Mori, a quiet show of comfort. Slowly, his legs regain feeling, and slowly, Yuko and Aya draw him out of his shell.
They finish their ramen, but then spend a long time talking, reliving old missions, reminiscing. They trade tales of solo missions, retell old jokes. The undercurrent of nostalgia both saddens and lightens Mori's mood.
Teuchi-san doesn't seem to mind their extended stay - it's a slow night and they're having a warm and entertaining conversation. Still, it can't last forever.
Mori yawns as he gets to his feet. He pulls out some extra coins and leaves a large tip on the counter with a respectful nod to the chef.
"Thanks, guys," he says, turning to his teammates.
"You're going to get some sleep tonight," Yuko orders, her white eyes pinning him down. "And stop being such a stranger, okay?"
"Right," Mori says, and this time, his smile is genuine, even if it is a little small.
"Mori," Aya says before he leaves. " Take care of yourself, okay? Even if you have other things going on… you matter too, you know?"
Mori smiles reassuringly. "I'll be fine, Aya."
Aya holds his gaze, searching. It seems she's satisfied with the answer, because she nods.
Mori turns to leave, taking a step out and into the street. His feet carry him along, automatically taking him in the direction of his apartment. As he walks, he can't help but look at the shadows, hoping for a face that he's not sure would even appear.
He sighs. He loves his team, he really does, but even so. There's some problems that team bonding can't quite fix.
"Damn it, Izo," he mutters, wondering where his friend is. If he's even alive. "Straightforward mission, my ass."
It's incredibly complicated for Mori to pick and choose his D-ranks without making an intentional pattern that the Sandaime can pick up on, but he manages. It's also incredibly complicated to arrange for D-ranks that also happen to be very good surveillance sites of the Uchiha Compound, but he manages that, too.
Focus on your team, the Sandaime had said. The 'don't get involved in the Massacre' was heavily implied, but never explicitly stated. As long as Mori fulfills his duties, the Sandaime can't complain.
Besides, Itachi's part of his team, too, unofficial though it is. On his days off, Mori can usually convince the boy to join his team. This also leads to a lot of annoying conversations with Fugaku, but Mori thinks he's starting to wear the clan head down with sheer stubbornness. After all, Itachi has zero complaints about how their system works, and it's not affecting his ANBU duties.
Either way, Mori's carefully chosen missions is two birds with one stone - getting D-ranks done while researching the Uchiha.
Mori sits in a tree above a clearing. Below, his genin team labors away at their task, working hard on their mission. He can hear Issei grumbling - we're ready for a C-rank, damn it - which makes Mori grin. He's heard his genin complaining, heard them dropping little hints showing their irritation at being assigned constant D-ranks. But they haven't asked him directly, yet, which is what he's waiting for.
In a way, he's glad that they haven't said anything, because there's quite a bit he needs to do in Konoha.
This is their fifth D-rank in three weeks that borders the Uchiha compound. Mori's distantly aware of his team, working diligently and planting shrubs, but most of his attention is on the conversation he can hear on the other side of the wall. He channels chakra to his ears, enhancing his hearing enough that he can pick out the words.
Hushed voices, quiet whispers. Itachi is right - tensions are high.
"I heard that they're making it required to have at least one outsider on an Uchiha's mission."
"I heard that they're thinking of making it illegal to use the Sharingan within Konoha."
"That's fucked up."
"We don't deserve this."
"They fear us."
"They should."
Mori frowns. It's worrying.
There are some complaints that are just that - complaints. Most of them are petty. But then there are those that are legitimate grievances. Even if they are just rumors, rumors are always based on a grain of truth.
Mori's horrified. Itachi had only brought up the official, confirmed policies - but Mori knows that these rumors are just as divisive. Even if these measures don't pass the Council, the fact that they were even considered in the first place is concerning.
Someone is out to get the Uchiha.
Mori takes note of the complaints he picks up from the conversations in the Compound and files them away in his head for later.
"Sensei!"
Mori winces as he quickly draws chakra away from his ears. He flicks his gaze over and quickly spots his three students kneeling on a branch next to him.
They've gotten the hang of it, now, he thinks with pride. All three can comfortably walk on trees, now - they've been practicing it for the past four months, ever since Itachi had dropped by for that first time training them.
"Chie," he nods, smiling at his student. "Are you three done?"
"Yes," she says, a determined note in her voice.
"That was quick," Mori comments. He glances over at the row of freshly planted bushes beneath them and nods in approval.
He's been waiting for the other shoe to drop for what seems like forever, but it seems that his team has proven him wrong. They work together smoothly, finishing their missions quickly and to the best of their ability. Chie and Issei may bicker, and Riku may be a little nervous at times, but when they're on a mission, the three of them can put aside their arguments and work together to get a job done.
In front of him, Chie takes a deep breath.
Mori's eyes flicker behind her. Issei and Riku are standing side by side, giving Mori a serious gaze.
"We're ready for a C-rank, Mori-sensei!" Chie declares, her voice smooth and confident.
Ah, he thinks. Just as I think it's lucky they haven't asked for one. Of course.
Issei glares at him from behind her, daring him to object. Riku presses his lips together, but he nods, determination in his gaze.
"A C-rank, huh?" Mori asks. At first, he's tempted to just flat-out refuse. He thinks of the Uchiha, of Itachi being trapped in his duties. He thinks of Izo, who no one has heard of since he'd left four months ago. He doesn't want to leave the village, he can't. There's too much going on in Konoha.
"We can do it, sensei!" Chie says, and behind her Issei and Rikuto nod in agreement.
The words hit Mori like a punch to the gut. A flash of guilt crosses his face, too quickly for his young genin to catch.
He thinks of Issei's steadily increasing impatience, of Chie's not-so-subtle hinting at a harder mission. He thinks of Riku's annoyed groans when they're assigned another menial task, and of their dutiful laboring.
Yeah, the Massacre is a big deal. And yes, he's been stressed. That's no excuse for denying his team a C-rank when he knows that they're more than ready for it.
"Alright," he says, a little resignedly. "We'll stop the D-ranks tomorrow and train, and after lunch I'll find us a suitable C-rank."
Chie blinks. Her mouth slackens slightly before she shakes her head and leans forward. "Wait, really?"
"Yeah," Mori says, scratching the back of his neck. "Honestly, I've thought you were ready for a while. I've just been waiting for you to ask."
Issei's eyes twitch. "You mean, we've been slaving away at these useless chores when we could've asked you this entire time?" he grumbles.
Riku and Chie groan at the same time. Mori cracks a grin as his team turns away and begin making their way down the tree, grumbling the whole way.
"Stupid sensei and his stupid hidden tests," Issei complains. "'Everyone does everything for a reason', I get it already!"
Chie smacks him on the back of his head, nearly knocking off his glasses. "Stop being so rude about sensei, jerk!"
"Stop your unhealthy fangirling, loudmouth!"
Rikuto groans. "You're both annoying," he mutters.
Chie and Issei simultaneously whip their heads around to glare at him. "Shut up, nerd!"
They head toward the Hokage Tower - a habit Mori had ingrained in them, even if they hadn't noticed. Finish the mission, then report.
Mori smiles fondly.
He stretches his shoulders, and then moves to follow his team. But as he climbs down, he can't help but glance in the direction of the Uchiha Compound.
There's too much going on, he thinks. Sighing, he shakes his head and climbs down the rest of the tree.
After he dismisses his team for the day, Mori carefully scans the area surrounding him to make sure no one is watching. He reigns in his chakra and starts to make his way toward the Archives. As he walks, he tugs up a hood hidden underneath his jounin vest, effectively hiding his face from view.
For four months he's been digging through the numerous files in the old library, slogging through papers and papers of mind-numbingly boring legal documents and records of everything related to the Uchiha.
There's a lot.
He's also unfamiliar with the organizational system that the Archives has going for them, which is a huge pain. He can't exactly ask the guards for assistance without letting the Sandaime know that he's going against his unspoken orders to stay out of the Massacre. And he can't get caught, either - he's sneaking into and out of the Hokage Mountain for this.
He walks by the entrance to the Archives without looking over. It took him a few weeks to become familiar with the guards and the patrols of the Archives, but after four months, it's not that hard to wait for a switch in guards and slip in while they're distracted. He always thinks of informing the Hokage and the ANBU of their lax protection of the Archives, but he manages to talk himself out of it each time.
Mori makes his way through the Archives undetected. The lights are always dim in here, partially because of the lack of windows and natural light, and partially to protect old documents from the being ruined by light. It's good for stealth and bad for research. He's going to need glasses by the end of this, he's sure.
He slips past the shelves, retracing his steps from two days ago to find the place where he left off. Suppressing a yawn, he lifts a couple files and starts combing them for information.
I hate politics, he thinks, squinting at the tiny type and trying to make sense of the words.
He hasn't found anything of use, yet. The Uchiha are an old and prestigious clan, one that's been part of Konoha since its founding. There's a lot of material to wade through, even if he does limit his search to documents from the past ten years.
He pulls out another folder, thumbs it open and sighs.
It's another ninja registration form - there's a lot of those from the Uchiha. But then he sees the name and pauses.
Uchiha Shisui, huh?
He's a few years younger than Mori, about nineteen right now, and he's probably the fastest ninja alive. Shunshin no Shisui, whose skill with the body flicker earned him a spot in the Bingo Book at the young age of fourteen. Itachi talks about him sometimes, telling Mori about how his older cousin spars with him and plays with him, like a brother.
Mori's never met him face-to-face. He wonders what side the teen is on, if he's with the Uchiha or with the village.
It'd better be the latter, Mori thinks. The Uchiha already have a lot of strong ninja in their ranks, even without Itachi and Shisui. If it were any other clan, a rebellion wouldn't be that much of a problem. But no one wants to make an enemy of the Uchiha.
Not to mention, he's close with Itachi. Mori wonders if Itachi killed Shisui too, the first time around, and he grits his teeth at the thought.
He replaces the file and continues digging through paperwork. Following paper trails and sifting through legal documents isn't Mori's style; he prefers eavesdropping and picking apart actions and words. Still he pushes on.
He pulls out another set of documents and leans in to read it.
When a new law is proposed, when a motion is brought forth in the Council, there's usually a paper trail left behind. It details the suggestion, when it was proposed, and who brought it up. Mori's been running through these for months, confirming an alarming amount of the rumors he's heard while eavesdropping at the Uchiha Compound. While Mori can understand the need to keep the Uchiha in check, some of these are just downright ridiculous. Prohibiting the Sharingan on any missions lower than an A-rank, never mind self-defense or missions that go astray. A general restraining order to keep all Uchiha away from the Uzumaki kid, forget the fact that there's no way to keep an entire clan from interacting with someone without watching them constantly.
There were rumors, Mori remembers, that the Uchiha were involved in the Kyuubi attack. That they somehow summoned the bijuu to Konoha, using their Sharingan to orchestrate the attack. Someone's obviously taking those rumors very seriously and escalating the situation by further limiting the Uchiha.
The problem Mori's been having is that there's no mention of who brought it up. Someone's been carefully erasing their tracks, hiding their involvement in the controlling of the Uchiha clan. Whoever it is, they clearly distrust the Uchiha. Riling them up. It's almost like they're waiting for an excuse to take them out…
A sudden noise startles Mori out of his thoughts. He swiftly shoves all the files back into their boxes and back onto the shelves. Suppressing his chakra, he slips out of the aisle and crouches in the shadows, eyes darting around the scene.
A figure appears, a dark silhouette at the other end of the bookshelves. Mori holds still, hiding as best as he can, and watches as the figure walks down, closer to his location.
Mori holds his breath as they stop in front of the boxes he'd been digging through. They kneel down, fingers brushing the label on the box, before they stand up and look around.
A bead of sweat runs down the back of Mori's neck as they turn in his direction. He stiffens as he catches sight of their uniform. Gray flak jacket. Elbow length gloves. Metal armor. A porcelain mask.
An ANBU?
Slowly, carefully, Mori stretches out a tiny tendril of chakra, attempting to feel out the unknown figure. From what little he can feel, it's not a chakra signature he recognizes. In fact, it doesn't feel like a chakra signature at all. It's too cold, almost robotic. Mori pulls back his chakra and bites his lip.
After looking around one more time, the figure walks away, disappearing into the darkness of the Archives.
Mori's hands curl into fists.
That wasn't one of the guards.
Who the hell was that?
Mori leaves the Archives quickly after that, quietly slipping out, pulling down his hood, and leaving to wander the streets of Konoha. His mind is entirely focused on replaying that entire encounter, from start to finish.
An ANBU? Perhaps the Hokage is doing the same thing he is - sending in someone to look into the anti-Uchiha legislation, looking for loopholes or ways to repeal the laws. It would explain the ANBU's presence and why they were watching the Uchiha files specifically. That's the only explanation that makes sense to Mori, and the most logical.
But he can't shake the feeling away, that cold, emotionless chakra. It was as if that ANBU were an emotional vacuum with how empty they felt.
With a shiver, Mori ducks into a barbecue stand, taking a seat at the end of the counter. He hasn't eaten dinner yet, and he's really not in the mood for cooking for himself.
"Barbecue pork, please," he orders. "And a water."
The owner smiles at him. "Coming right up," he says, and Mori smiles back in return.
"Senpai?"
Mori turns his head. Iruka is sitting down, a couple stools away, waiting for his own meal.
Oh, thank Kami, he thinks. A distraction.
"Iruka!" Mori exclaims. He scoots over two stools and takes the space next to Iruka. "I haven't seen you in a while. How's the Academy?"
Iruka looks up, eyes wide and begging for help. "They need me to be a homeroom teacher."
"Already?" Mori asks. "It hasn't even been a full year, yet."
"I know," Iruka says, shaking his head. "But… they don't have anyone else who is willing to teach Uzumaki."
Mori's eyes widen. "...Uzumaki Naruto," he says. "... And they want you to be his homeroom teacher."
"I know, right?" Iruka laughs, but the sound is hollow and lacking its usual humor. He places his head in his hands and smiles, false and brittle. "I don't know if I can do this."
To be honest, I don't know if you can either, Mori thinks, a shadow passing over his face. The Uchiha are going to die, Iruka's going to die… Kami, why is everyone fated to some gruesome murder?
Iruka's eyes are wide as he stares at the wood grain of the counter. "The Sandaime wants me to teach him? Me? I don't want to do this!"
"Everyone lost something that night, Iruka," Mori says lowly.
"I know ," Iruka answers. "I know already, and I know I'm going to take the stupid job. I don't want to. But I'm going to."
"Well, think of it this way," Mori says. "Sandaime-sama trusts you to put aside your personal feelings for this. He's trusting you to be objective and responsible."
"I am the epitome of responsibility, yes," Iruka agrees.
"Oh, please," Mori rolls his eyes. "You haven't pulled a prank in years. You're a lot more mature now than you were before."
"I guess," Iruka says, looking uncomfortable. "But, it was already hard enough that I had to see him once a week. Now it's every day, and in the same classroom for hours on end…"
Mori claps a hand on Iruka's shoulder. "You're going to be fine," he says fiercely. He thinks of Iruka's dead body and suppresses the thought as best he can. "You're a good kid, Iruka. You can do this."
Iruka looks up, meeting Mori's eyes. "...Thanks, senpai."
Mori grins back, hoping to hide the conflict in him. Iruka's death, the Uchiha's deaths. He can't get it all out of his mind.
There's too much going on.
Mori distracts himself by changing the subject. He tells Iruka about his genin team's request for a C-rank. Iruka responds with a funny story about one of his classes at the Academy. They start swapping stories about their students, both of them ignoring the other problems going on in their lives.
After their meal and conversation, Mori walks back to his apartment and stares at his ceiling for a long time before falling asleep.
"A C-rank?"
The Sandaime lifts an eyebrow at Mori, who nods.
"My team is ready," he says, without a hint of doubt or uncertainty. He meets the Hokage's gaze, conveying the message.
He can practically hear his students smiling behind him: Chie trembling in excitement, Riku standing tall with pride, and Issei's predatory, anticipating grin.
"Okay," the Sandaime says, accepting the assessment. He shuffles through the papers on his desk before pulling out a mission folder and handing it to Mori.
He takes it and flips it open, scanning the contents.
"Hmm," he hums, taking in the information. "We'll take it."
"You'll leave tomorrow morning," the Sandaime says, dismissing Mori and his team with a wave of his hand.
The four members of Team Four bow down.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Chie says. "We won't let you down!"
The Sandaime gives them a fond smile, and Team Four leaves the office with a spring in their steps.
"What's the mission, sensei?" Chie asks, jumping up and grabbing Mori's arm. "Are we gonna fight bandits? Protect royalty? Guard a magic artifact?"
Mori laughs and pries Chie off his arm. "Closer to the last one, actually."
Chie's eyes widen comically. "Really?"
"Yep," Mori says, flipping the folder open.
"If we're leaving tomorrow, then we're going to be leaving the village." Issei says.
"Yes," Mori replies. "There's a temporary exhibit in Yugakure showing some valuable gemstones," he says. "They're worth a lot of money and they want protection to ward off any bandits and thieves."
"Where's Yugakure?" Chie asks.
"North of here," Riku answers. "It's a village in the Land of Hot Water. It used to be a ninja village, but they shut down the ninja activity after the Second Shinobi World War."
"What do they do now?" Chie asks.
"Hot springs tourism."
Chie crinkles her nose. "Weird."
"Not really," Riku says, shifting into lecture mode. "There's a lot of volcanic activity in the area, but the heat is balanced out by the rivers and lakes in their mountains. When the snow melts, they use the water from the streams to cool down the springs so they can use it for baths."
"I asked for where it was, not an Academy lecture," Chie grumbles.
Issei rolls his eyes at his teammates before turning to Mori. "How long will the mission take?"
"The exhibit's open for a week," Mori says. "Factoring in travel time… about eleven days. We'll have accommodations and food supplied to us, plus we can stock up over there. So pack for a two-day journey."
Issei stares. Riku nods. Chie salutes.
"We'll meet at the main gates at seven thirty tomorrow," Mori instructs them. "Don't be late."
"Gotcha!" Chie grins.
Once they're out of the tower, his three students disperse, presumably to start packing. Mori smiles at their antics before picking a direction to walk and moving forward.
He makes his way through the streets and toward where Yuko and her team were; his teammates would kill him if he disappeared on a mission without telling them first. As he moves through the village, he's almost hyper-aware of every single Uchiha shinobi in his vicinity. There's two on the rooftops to his left, another in the alley on his right.
The Uchiha Police Force makes its rounds around the village, and he can't get the thought of a coup out of his mind. He wonders how many support the coup and how many don't. He remembers the Sandaime's orders to focus on his team, he remembers Itachi's desperate plea for help. He thinks back to the ANBU in the Archives and groans.
Everything is so complicated nowadays.
He arrives at Yuko's training grounds, his lips twitching when she has her team sparring in the trees without touching the ground. He can hear the sounds of them complaining about having to constantly channel chakra to their feet while they fight.
Her Byakugan is activated as she keeps track of her genin. Mori walks forward, not bothering to mask his presence.
"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" Yuko asks without turning around.
Mori winces. She's still a little angry at him for four months of going underground.
"Just wanted to inform you that I'm taking my team on a C-rank," he says.
"Mhm." Yuko turns her head slightly. "It's about time. How long has it been, three, four months, now?"
"Getting closer to five , actually. They took their sweet time," Mori shrugs. "Took awhile for them to ask."
Yuko sighs. "You get the easy team, of course," she grumbles. "My brats were begging for A-ranks the second week."
Mori snorts. He and Yuko stand next to each other as her genin battle it out in a three-way spar.
"It's probably their first time out of the village," Mori says, referring to his team.
"They'll be fine," Yuko replies, catching the hint of concern in his words. "It's a C-rank. Don't worry too much about it."
"I'll try," Mori promises.
"How long will you be gone?" Yuko asks.
"Two weeks at the most," Mori says.
"Where to?"
"Hot Water."
"Nice," Yuko laughs. "That's practically a vacation."
Mori shrugs. He'd never been one for hot springs; he preferred being clothed around strangers. And then there was the fact that he had a seal literally burnt onto his chest. That wasn't something that he wanted to advertise.
Above them, one of Yuko's students finally gives out, ditching the side of the tree trunk to come down and collapse on the ground.
"Finished, Misaki?" Yuko asks.
"Yes," she gasps out. "I - I'm done." Her limbs are sprawled or across the dirt. There's the occasional involuntary twitch, but otherwise, she's completely still.
Mori smiles. For all of Misaki's threatening size and build, she's surprisingly not that good with the physical side of being a ninja. He recalls the day of the color test, when his team met Yuko's, and when they shied away from the intimidating girl.
In truth, Riku could've probably taken her in taijutsu even back then.
"You did well," Yuko says. "Don't just lie there. Stretch."
"Okay, sensei."
She pulls herself up to a sitting position and throws out her legs, straining and stretching her muscles. When she looks up, she catches sight of Mori standing next to Yuko.
"Hi, Mori-san!" she says. "Please ask sensei to go easy on us."
"Hey, Misaki," Mori replies. "Even if I ask, she's not gonna do it."
Yuko rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. "If you have enough energy to complain…" she threatens.
Misaki does the smart thing and shuts up.
A few more minutes pass as Yuko's two other students battle it out. Kozue and Michi are always competing against each other, often in loud and destructive ways. Luckily for Yuko, Misaki is a natural leader despite her lack of skill - she's capable of balancing out the other two members of her team.
"Have any last minute C-rank advice for me?" Mori asks Yuko, half joking and half serious.
Yuko turns her head to look at Mori, and suddenly he's frozen under the intensity of her white-eyed gaze. She pins him down with her eyes. A cloud crosses over the sun and a shadow falls across the clearing; the temperature drops by a few degrees.
"I hope you weren't ignoring your team the way you were ignoring me and Aya," Yuko intones.
Mori breaks out in a cold sweat.
The cloud passes, and the moment is left behind. Yuko's stony expression breaks into a smug smirk as she turns back to watch her team. "Just kidding, Mori."
"Geez," Mori mutters, feeling a chill run down his spine.
"That was really creepy, sensei," Misaki comments from her position on the ground.
Yuko arches an eyebrow. "What did I say about complaining, Misaki?"
Misaki blushes and returns to stretching.
"Thanks, Yuko," Mori says in a dry tone. "I'm just going to go now."
"Good luck on your mission," she says, this time with genuine friendliness. She places a hand on his shoulder. "Come back."
Mori pauses.
"Will you… while I'm gone…"
"I'll keep an eye out for Izo," Yuko promises, not needing any clarification. She squeezes his shoulder before letting go.
"Thanks," Mori says, a small smile on his lips. He waves goodbye to Misaki and leaves the grounds.
He wonders if it's bad that he's hoping that this mission is wrapped up as fast as possible, wishing that he didn't have to leave Konoha at all. In his head, he starts reviewing all the things he needs to pack for the mission, and he hopes that his genin will pack smart for their journey.
They leave at seven thirty exactly. Chie and Issei are both early by twenty minutes. Both of them are clearly excited for the mission, though Chie is a little more open about it than Issei is.
She bounces around, telling Issei about how she packed and repacked her bag thirty times and how she could barely get any sleep. Even now, she checks her bag and pats her pockets, constantly reassuring herself that she didn't forget anything.
For once, Issei doesn't complain about her babbling. He stands relatively still, but his nerves show up in the way he keeps cleaning his glasses and how he taps his foot impatiently.
Riku shows up five minutes after them, hands shaking with excitement. He releases his energy by spouting off random facts about the Land of Hot Water. No doubt he couldn't sleep and spent the night researching instead.
Mori grins from his position on a bench a few feet away. None of his genin noticed him as he watched them arrive - such is the advantage of having such an average appearance. Two minutes before seven thirty, and maybe one second before Chie gives in and starts tearing the village up in search of him, Mori shunshins to their location and appears in a swirl of leaves.
"Sensei!" Chie near shouts. She bounces on the balls of her feet, her hair bobbing around her head. "Are we going now? We're going now, right?"
Mori laughs and walks past his team. He takes a step outside of the gate and turns to look back. "You coming?"
"Hell yeah!" Chie yells, scrambling forward. Issei and Riku are right on her heels.
The chuunin at the gate smile fondly. Mori acknowledges them with a knowing smile and a nod.
"Good luck," one calls out as the four leave the walls of Konoha.
"Thank you!" Riku yells back.
Chie has a bouncy spring in her walk as she falls into step beside Mori. She looks back at Riku and Issei and smiles.
"Let's kill this mission!" she declares, before looking forward again.
Issei rolls his eyes at the wording, but he's grinning. Riku nods determinedly, an expectant smile on his face. The three genin move forward, chatting excitedly about their mission.
Mori wishes that he has that kind of attitude. He looks over his shoulder, looking back as the main gates of Konoha grow smaller and smaller.
He thinks of Itachi. He thinks of the Uchiha. He thinks of Izo and Aya and Yuko, and of the mysterious ANBU in the Archives.
Good luck, he thinks. Somehow, he has the feeling that Konoha needs it more than he does.
