Chapter Twelve-Mission
It had been three days since the incident, Verlet had gone to Kakashi-sensei and apologized personally, explained, as much as she could, to her teammates about what had happened and had had one hell of a lecture to listen to. Her Ka-san had reminded her of her teachings, had questioned her non stop of what a medic should no about the consequences of chakra exhaustion until finally she had broke down crying and hugged Verlet as tight as she could. The second day Kakashi-sensei had told her and her team of the mission they had been assigned. They were to go to the land of sand and trade scrolls with the Kazekage-san him self. He and her Ka-san's team had both been Genin, had met during their chunnin exams and since then had kept in touch. Sakura and the village of the sand exchanged information on poisons and antidotes. It was the morning of their mission now and Verlet was calm. She had been calm since her venting, been able to deal with things more calmly. As she watched her teammates approach the village gates Verlet nodded her greetings.
"Morning." Daichi said while Haru nodded as well.
"Kakashi-sensei will be late,...as usual." Haru noted dryly while playing with a kunai in hand. Verlet smiled wickedly.
"No, he's right on time." Verlet said before jumping down from the tree she was in and greeting her sensei. Haru and Daichi instantly knew what she had done and grinned. She was one hell of a shinnobi and a hell of a girl.
"Is everyone set?" called their sensei. Haru, Daichi and Verlet all nodded in agreement before following their sensei. At first Verlet was happy to take on a mission, to finally be assigned a mission but as time went by and they ran toward the land of sand she couldn't help but wonder. These types of missions weren't normally given out to genin. There was after all always the possibility of it turning into a higher ranking mission.
"We're just outside of the outskirts of the land of sand so we'll set up camp here." called their sensei, coming to a stop by a small stream and a clearing. Verlet and the others in understanding.
"I'll clear the area." Verlet stated, wanting some time alone. Her teammates were good shinnobi, good people and kind but Verlet just wasn't used to being around people other than her family for too long. Kakashi looked over Verlet but nodded none the less. She was a strong kunoichi, knowledgeable and powerful. Checking the surrounding was nothing to her.
"Hai, the rest of you set up camp, I'm going to put up some traps." Kakashi said before disappearing. Haru and Daichi looked over to Verlet but before they could ask what had gotten into her Verlet was gone too. Haru and Daich quickly started a fire and began to fix camp while Verlet ran off. She did a full area clearing, checking a raidius of 18 feet from their camp sight just to make sure. Every now and then she ran into her sensei's traps but easily went around them. The silence around her was calming, and the solitude numbing. Growing up in her family's home was at first difficult but then comforting. She had never been allowed to play with other's her age, had instead been taught material meant for people twice her age. Upon getting back to the camp site Verlet took a seat by the fire and watched as it danced. Haru and Daichi had set up the sleeping area, only three mats were set up.
"Who's taking first shift?" Verlet asked casually. Everyone's eyes turned to her then. She had been gone for almost half an hour, even she wasn't that slow. "What?" Verlet asked, looking toward her sensei with confusion in her eyes. He shook his head.
"Daichi had volunteered to take first watch." Haru answered while handing Verlet a rice ball.
"Thanks." Verlet said before turning to their sensei. "I take it I'm getting third or last watch?" she asked before taking a bit out of the rice ball.
"It seems that way." he noted before taking out his favorite book and sitting down to read. Verlet sighed, walked toward one of the mats and lay down. She didn't mind, didn't care what shift she got, all that mattered was that she knew the plan, she knew who would be watching and when. Soon Verlet fell to sleep, Haru stayed up with Daichi for a while before falling asleep. Daichi was sitting on top of a tree branch, looking over their camp site and immediate area. So far nothing was out of place, he could see his sensei's traps and even managed to find a couple Verlet had placed. Shaking his head he looked down to find Verlet restless in her sleep. Was she having a nightmare? Daichi wanted to jump down, to wake her form whatever nightmare she was trapped in but wasn't sure how she'd react. Daichi was about to jump down when suddenly Verlet shot up and sat in place. A kunai was in hand, her body tense and eyes blurry. Was she scared? Shaking it off Daichi jumped down, keeping his back to her while looking around.
"I haven't seen anything, calm down." he said. Verlet was ready, had been about to spring at him but when Daichi spoke she recognized him. He was her teammate, her comrade and a fellow shinobi. Sighing she shook her head and placed her kunai away.
"I'm fine." Verlet said before standing up and going for the stream. She knew Daichi wanted to follow her, wanted to ask her what had happened but Verlet refused to give him the chance. "Keep to your post Daichi." she warned, stopping him in his tracks. As soon as Verlet felt his pause, stay in place, she went for the stream and washed her face. She had seen, dreamt of the night she had lost her family, had seen it all over again and again she could not show her pain, or her sorrow. Splashing on her face Verlet decided it was best to stay up, to help keep watch until dawn and it was time for them to go on. They were so close after all, maybe while inside a village she'd be able to sleep without dreaming. Shaking her head while pushing her sorrow back Verlet took in a deep breath and walked back to camp. Daichi stayed silent, had not tried to speak to her upon her arrival and for that she was thankful. Soon she woke Haru up for her shift and stayed up, again in silence. By the time dawn came Verlet was ready and packed, they all were. Their sensei soon lead them out of the forest and into the beginning of what appeared to be some sort of dessert.
"It's going to get warmer from here, make sure you stay hydrated." Verlet said, taking a drink of water before walking up ahead of her sensei and team. Normally she would have stayed behind, would have covered their backs but for some reason she felt uneasy. Soon they were at the outskirts of the village hidden in sand.
"How much longer." Haru called to her sensei and Verlet. Kakashi-sensei was about to answer her when all of a sudden Verlet was throwing kunai and exploding hidden bomb tags.
"What the hell?" Daichi called, instantly going into a defensive position. Kakashi all the while stayed calm and smiled.
"It's been a while hasn't it Temari?" he called out, causing his team to freeze. Verlet had her kunai in hand, keeping them ready and armed just in case. Soon a tall kunoich with blond hair and a large fan like weapon appeared with a smile.
"That it has been Kakashi-san." she greeted before looking toward the girl who had easily found her hidden bomb tags. Verlet met her gaze full on, not afraid and not submitting.
"This is my team, Daichi Hyuuga, Haru Nara and Verlet Uchiha." he introduced. Temari smiled.
"That explains." she said before shaking her head. "The Kazekage is waiting, shall we?" she said before turning and leading the team toward the village and the Kazekage's office. The villagers seemed kind, accepting and yet observant as well. As they entered the office Verlet bowed.
"Good afternoon Kazekage-san." she said. Whether she was now apart of a new clan, had a new life meant nothing to Verlet. Her parents had raised her to keep her manners, to always properly greet the leader of a village regardless of the situation. The kazekage looked over Verlet with curious yet empty eyes before turning to Kakashi.
"It's been a while. How is Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura doing?" he asked. Kakshi smiled, his eye gleeming with amusement.
"They're well. Sakura will be getting married soon."
"To Itachi-san?" the kazekage inquired. Kakashi nodded.
"The scroll Kakashi?" Temari asked, ready to take it to their lab and their own medics.
"Hai, Verlet." Kakashi called. Verlet soon stepped up and went through a series of seals before the scroll in question appeared in her hand.
"Here." she said, offering the scroll to Temari. Temari looked over the girl with amazement in her eyes. She was not only younger than her fellow teammates but on a higher level as well. She truly was an Uchiha child.
"Thank you." Temari said before disappearing. Verlet all the while stayed silent, thought of her past and the reason of her dream. Perhaps the Kazekage would be able to help her, give her information on her clan's murder. Mentally Verlet sighed. If she was going to ask she'd have to do so when here teammates weren't around.
"Here is the scroll we promised Kakashi." the kazekage spoke while handing him the scroll. Nodding his head Kakashi took the scroll and put it away. Verlet may have been the acting medic of the squad and had been allowed to carry the scroll they were to deliver but she wouldn't be able to take the new one back.
"Thank you Kazekage-san." Kakashi-sensei said.
"You will be staying the night won't you?" the Kazekage offered. Kakashi looked to his team and then nodded.
"I think it would be good for them to experience the land of sands for a while." Kakashi said. The Kazekage nodded.
"You're welcome to stay as long as you like." he said before standing and leaving. Verlet had wanted to stop him, to ask him for help in the name of her clan but her sensei and teammates were near, were around and that was something she couldn't afford to share with them. At least now yet. So, Verlet followed her team out of the Kazakage's tower and through the village. Meanwhile Garra had been ready to catch up with Kakashi, ask about how his friends from the village hidden in the leafs were doing but Temari had called him. Sighing he walked into the back office and called for her.
"There have better be an important matter at hand." he warned. Temari and Kankuro soon appeared.
"That girl, Verlet. She's an Uchiha." Temari said. Garra looked at her, not sure what to make of it. He knew what an Uchiha's chakra was like, what it felt like regardless of where they came from. There was always that common, identifiable aspect of the Uchiha chakra. He had not felt such a thing when in the room with the girl. Then again she was probably just suppressing her chakra.
"How do you know this?" Garra demanded.
"Kakashi introduced her as such. I think it's best if we kept an eye on her." Temari cautioned. Garra stayed silent for several seconds, they were genin. The girl was genin. How big of a threat could she be if she was a spy in disguise. Then again he was one of the strongest for his age, but there was the fact that he wasn't as young as she was when he was a genin.
"Let her be for now. If anything happens I'll ask Kakashi-san about it my self." Garra said before once again taking his leave. After all running a village wasn't easy.
