AN: Hi guys. FIC TIME!
Kosuke:
The old man waited at the small café early in the morning, sipping a cup of café au lait. He knew this place of old, and it was, he knew for near certainty, responsible for some of the finest coffee in the leaf village. Where better to meet his new teammates? Hiruzen had provided Kosuke with a list of available Jonin team leader candidates, and had asked him to make the final unofficial decision on who would be leading this ramshackle new ninja team.
Kosuke watched as the two young ninja entered. Their faces would have been quite recognizable even if he hadn't memorized them. The Haku girl wore her hair long, hanging in thick lines that framed her pale face, while Kimimaro Kaguya wore the trademark red dots on his forehead that Kosuke remembered from his experiences against the mist in the last great war. Both children were far too pale and far too quiet to pass for leaf villagers, he thought. At least, not without the icy pale eyes of the Hyuga clan as an explanation.
The two stood in the entrance, examining the interior of the café and presumably scanning the early morning clientele for their new teammates. This was the first of Kosuke's tests, could they identify a ninja among civilians? For this purpose, he had chosen to forgo his usual equipment, instead wearing a simple shirt and pants.
The Yuki girl caught Kosuke's eye and nodded to him. Kosuke greeted the newcomer with a smile and a small wave, and the two young ninja approached.
"Good morning sensei," said the dark haired girl formally as she sat across the table from Kosuke. "I look forward to working under you." The white haired boy nodded silently.
Kosuke chortled slightly. "Teacher? No, I'm your new teammate, I'm a Genin, like you two." He waved over the waiter, a quiet young girl with a kind face. "Would either of you care for some breakfast? The pancakes here are wonderful."
Kosuke's new teammates were giving him very strange looks from across the table. "You're a Genin?" Asked Kimimaro, clarifying.
The old man gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I do seem a bit old for it, don't I? But yes, I am a Genin, just like yourselves." The waitress arrived by the table and Kosuke smiled at her. "Three house specials please, and two coffees." The girl returned his smile, turning towards the small kitchen.
Haku broke the silence that followed. "So… where's our team leader?"
"Truthfully, we haven't been assigned one yet,"
"Then how are we going to do missions?" Kimimaro asked. "We don't really have any money to live on at the moment."
Kosuke gave another small smile. "That shouldn't be an issue. For the moment, we have been assigned a number of lower level missions that the village needs done. For these, we can quite comfortably operate as a three man team while our Jonin is decided on. That should give you more than enough money to live on for the moment, and if you find yourselves struggling, I have a house in the village where you can stay until you are settled."
The two young ninja nodded their assent at this, and the waitress returned bearing three plates of steaming pancakes. The white haired boy looked at the waitress awkwardly. "We uhh… we don't have any money yet." He said, embarrassed.
Kosuke waved the objection aside. "Nonsense children, this is my treat. A young ninja always needs a good breakfast before a day's work, now tuck in."
Cautiously, almost as though expecting something underhanded, the two young ninja began to eat and Kosuke joined them. This should make for an interesting assignment, he thought.
Haku:
The old man seemed pleasant enough, but Master Zabuza had often warned to be wary of old men in the ninja world. They were after all, by definition, veterans of the most dangerous job in the world. Haku wondered at how a man like that could still be a Genin. She picked at her pancakes and sipped at her coffee, both of which, she had to admit, were delicious. "So, what's our first assignment?" She asked.
"Weeding," said Kosuke, taking a sip of his drink. Haku cocked her eyebrows in confusion at this, waiting for an explanation. "Ahh, yes, of course. You two were travelers until quite recently weren't you?" Haku nodded, Kimimaro doing the same beside her. "Well," Kosuke elaborated. "Most ninja villages usually maintain large gardens of medicinal and poisonous plants, as having supplies of such things on hand is understandably beneficial. While the task of growing and maintaining these plants is given to specialists, the more menial tasks of keeping the flowerbeds free from weeds is the general purview of us Genin. It might normally be assigned to someone else, like local children for example, but as I said before, some of these plants are quite poisonous." Haku nodded her understanding. That made sense.
The three left the small café, guided by Kosuke outside the village proper, to a quiet swathe of pastural land some way to the west. Haku gasped. Across the field, in neat rows and columns, lay a selection of herbs and plant life that he would normally have only dreamed of. The field medic inside her weeped tears at the beauty before them. Kosuke led the small group forwards, speaking briefly with a white robed figure Haku took to be one of the specialized gardeners. Shortly after, the three were put to work. It was very peaceful, tending to the garden. Haku found a certain satisfaction to be had in seeing to the needs of the plants, extricating the tangling vines of the more troublesome weeds as thoroughly as she could. Once or twice, Haku saw plants that struggled even in this lush environment, their leaves wilting, their vines the wrong shade of brown, any one of a hundred small imperfections. She noted each of them down by location, most seemed to be simple fixes, replacing the soil in one section, allowing another slightly more shade in which to grow, small things. She noted these observations to one of the gardeners who came to check her work, and the man seemed somewhat surprised.
"Can I have your name, young miss?" The gardener asked.
Haku nodded. "Yuki, Haku."
The gardener noted the name down carefully on his clipboard. "Well, miss Haku, Would you mind showing me these plants you mentioned?"
Haku nodded, leading the white robed figure back across her route, making points as the man occasionally questioned her, taking occasional notes.
"How did you come to know so much about plants?" The gardener asked, when Haku finished with the last of her suggestions.
Haku shrugged. "I don't really. I just learned a lot about jungle plants for my master when we were traveling and noticed that a lot of the plants here are a lot more comfortable in environments like those of the hidden mist village."
The gardener had made a note of this. "Well, thank you for the advice. We don't really have an expert on hidden mist native plant life, so the help is appreciated."
Haku smiled. She liked this man, he was good with plants.
The team had rejoined for a small break at noon. Kosuke smiling that same quiet smile, Kimimaro seemed less satisfied with the day's task. "I swear to god, if I had known being a leaf ninja meant gardening, I'd have looked for a job as a miner or something. Plants are irritating."
"Really?" Haku said cheerfully. "I rather like it here, it's very peaceful."
"I like it here too," Kosuke said agreeably. "I find that tending the herbs centers me." Haku smiled at the old man and he smiled back. Kimimaro gave no further objection.
"If Haku likes it, it's fine." He sighed.
As the three of them sat quietly in the warm midday sun, two of the white robed figures approached them. One held a clipboard, the other, a tea set.
"Young Lady?" The figure holding the clipboard said, checking a note on the paper. "Yuki, was it?"
Haku nodded. "Yes?"
"Miss Yuki, my name is Ritsu Nohara. I'm the one in charge of this little project." She gestured out at the massive stretch of herbs as she used the word 'Project' "Earlier, one of my colleagues mentioned to me that you had some very astute suggestions regarding the wetland native plants we are growing here. Is that correct?"
Haku hesitated, not sure how to answer. "I… sorry, I didn't mean to upset anyone, I-" The woman cut her off with a placating gesture.
"Oh no! No, no, nothing like that. I was just hoping that I might be able to pick your brain on one or two of our more troublesome crops in exchange for some of this freshly brewed hibiscus tea." She gestured to the pot her partner held hopefully.
Haku was somewhat taken aback by this, but nodded agreeably. "I would be happy to help."
The kindly woman and her colleague sat down and, without delay, began plying Haku with questions about the various conditions and threats of plants she had encountered. After a time, Kosuke produced from a bag at his shoulder, a selection of rice balls, and the five of them ate and drank the revitalizing tea as they talked together under the sun. At the end of it all, Ritsu Nohara stood, and offered Haku a hand, which the young girl shook cautiously. "Thank you very much miss Yuki. Tell me, would you by any chance, be interested in coming to work for us here, part time?"
Haku looked across at Kosuke. "I umm… I'd certainly like to, your garden is very calming, but I don't know if I'm allowed," she said, honestly.
Kosuke smiled. "It shouldn't be an issue. The team can probably spare you for a few hours each morning for something that helps the village."
Haku beamed, nodding enthusiastically at the kindly gardener. "When can I start?" She asked happily.
Ritsu laughed slightly. "Tomorrow morning, if you're eager," she said, before turning to the others. "If it helps with your team scheduling, we have some construction work that we need done over the next few days. That should be enough to keep the rest of your team occupied while we pick Haku's brain some more."
Kosuke:
The old man was surprised, albeit pleasantly so, to see the young shinobi acclimatizing so quickly to their new surroundings. The dark haired young ninja was practically skipping as they headed back towards the village late that afternoon.
"It certainly seems like you had fun," said Kosuke with an affectionate tone. He liked the Yuki girl.
Haku nodded happily. "I like that place, I'm useful without having to hurt anyone." She spoke with traces of what seemed like wonder in her voice, before looking up at her friend. "I'm sorry you have to spend more time there though Kimi."
The taller boy pulled Haku into a hug. "I don't care. I haven't seen your face glow like that in ages."
Kosuke revised his opinion of Kimimaro, perhaps he wasn't as grumpy as he'd seemed. Internally, he crossed Anko Mitaroshi off of his list of possible team leaders. He had thought she would bond well with these two, having also been a student of a missing nin for a time, but she was far too hot headed to deal with what Kosuke was now coming to believe, were two very gentle souls. Perhaps Genma Shiranui would make the better choice, he certainly had the easy going temperament for it.
"So," Kimimaro asked, breaking Kosuke from his reverie. "What other jobs need doing today?"
The old man walked in silence for a moment. "No more missions today, but perhaps we might benefit from a short sparring session, get to know one another's skill sets better." He needed to test these children's abilities, and soon. If Kosuke did choose Genma as their new leader, he had to make sure that the man was strong enough to handle these two. He certainly had a better temperament than Anko, but he was also somewhat weaker, it had to be said. The two young ninja nodded agreeably, moving apart to stand some twenty feet from one another.
"Who takes the old guy?" Kimimaro asked Haku playfully. The smaller child gestured him forward.
"After you," Haku said with a smile.
Kosuke chuckled, they were certainly confident. "Young man, I don't think you'll be 'taking me' any time soon."
Kimimaro grinned. "Okay then old timer, teach me something!" Without another word, he leapt forwards.
The boy was good, Kosuke had to admit. He was keeping pace rather well, and he had yet to use his Kekkei Genkai power. Were Kosuke to assign him a class in terms of speed and strength, he would have placed the boy in the high Chunin range; but his head for tactics seemed somewhat lacking, and Kosuke was able to outmaneuver the boy without too much difficulty, slipping in behind him after a few minutes to deliver a gentle prod to Kimimaro's neck. "And that's the match," Kosuke said kindly. "You did very well."
Kimimaro grunted, slightly annoyed. "I was holding back, you know," he said defensively. Kosuke nodded, taking note that he should try not to injure the young man's pride.
"I know," Kosuke murmured softly. "And I have a feeling your recent injuries may have hindered you somewhat. I expect you're normally much stronger."
Kimimaro shrugged, slightly mollified it seemed. Haku stepped forward. "My turn?" She asked.
Kosuke nodded, this could be an interesting fight, the girl had been watching both him and Kimimaro like a hawk as they had dueled, now she was about to test what she had learned.
Had Kosuke not known about them in advance, he might barely have seen the tiny needles coming, ducking out of the way of their spread as the girl switched seamlessly into a complex series of hand-signs. Kosuke didn't have the time to cross the distance to the girl, and he lacked the equipment he normally carried with which he might have repelled any more of those needles. He had no choice. Dropping to one knee, Kosuke set to work at his prosthetic leg, drawing his tanto from its sheath within the crafted limb.
"Ice style: Crystal ice mirrors, battery wall!" Haku cried. From the tone and volume of the girl's voice, Kosuke thought she might be having fun with this. A formation of rectangular sheets of ice formed in the air behind Haku, twelve of them arranged in three rows of four behind her, forming a high wall. The girl took a step back into one of the reflective panels of ice. Kosuke cocked his head, that wasn't something you saw every day. Kosuke readied his blade and waited.
The girl in the mirror moved, if movement was the right word, firing herself out of the ice like a shot from a gun. Kosuke was barely able to track the girl as she shot through the air, seemingly aimed not for Kosuke, but rather, at a point somewhere behind him. Kosuke remained still as the girl flashed past, letting the opportunity for a quick victory pass him by, the whole point of this was to learn after all. He turned to face the girl who had moved so quickly behind him. Haku was making hand-signs again.
"Ice style: Crystal ice mirrors, battery wall!" She yelled again, clearly having quite a bit of fun with this. Another wall of ice began to form behind Haku, leaving Kosuke between them and the first set. Haku stepped backwards again, shifting back into the glass like panes.
Ah, Damn, Kosuke thought to himself, before the real fight began.
Haku was certainly fast, Kosuke considered as he whirled fluidly under the barrage of tiny needles, the girl firing herself between the two walls of ice like a shot from a bow, seemingly without ever stopping. Add to that, the girl was accurate as well, each of her needles had been aimed for a muscle group or nerve cluster, targeted to slow Kosuke without damaging him. But the technique did have its weaknesses, the old man mused, moving forwards to intercept Haku's latest flight path. Anyone with a fast enough reaction time could simply reach out and- Kosuke took hold of the scruff of Haku's neck, spinning himself in a wide arc to absorb the girl's momentum as he simply plucked her out of the air. The two landed with a twirl as Kosuke continued to dissipate the girl's incredible velocity. Haku aimed a jab at the old man's ribs which Kosuke caught easily. So, Haku had speed, it seemed, but not very much strength. Kosuke raised his knee to the dark haired girl's face, stopping just shy of actually hitting the young woman, but making his point clear. The match was over, he put Haku down.
"Wow, you're good," Haku said, impressed. "Even Master Zabuza had trouble keeping up with that move."
Kosuke smiled gently. "And you are very, very fast, little one. I'm quite pleased by the both of you as it happens."
Kimimaro approached the two of them. "So, was today a test after all? Are you our teacher? There's no way you're just a Genin."
Kosuke shook his head, deciding on a bit of honesty. "I decided to stay a Genin for my own reasons young man, but you're right, I am quite skilled. The leaf village asked me to team with you because they wanted an experienced hand there if something went wrong. Having spent the day with you though, I doubt there should be any trouble. As for your teacher, I expect you'll be meeting him tomorrow, a very pleasant young ninja called Genma Shiranui."
"So they wanted someone to watch us for trouble?" Kimimaro asked, looking angry, Haku seemed slightly hurt.
"Think of it this way." Kosuke said to Kimimaro. "They respect your strength enough to be cautious."
"But those people at the garden," Haku said sadly. "They liked me. I thought I was doing well." There were a few drops of water beginning to form in her eyes.
The old man placed a comforting hand on the young girl's shoulder. "They do like you, and you are doing well. But you are a ninja, you know that trust takes a while to build. For what it's worth, I trust you already."
The girl nodded quietly, rubbing her eyes to clear them.
Kosuke sighed, at least the main hurdle was cleared; there were no more secrets between them. "Say," he murmured. "It's getting close to dark, wouldn't you say? Would the two of you care to join me in hunting up some supper?"
"You hunt your dinner?" Kimimaro asked, surprised.
"A good way to not get rusty living off the land is to never stop doing so," Kosuke recited his maxim casually. "I promise you'll like my cooking, and the company is always nice."
Kimimaro nodded. "Sure, sounds fun." But Haku shook her head, the other two looked at her.
"Sorry," she said, self-conscious. "But I have somewhere to be tonight, I kinda have a date."
Kosuke looked at the young woman, surprised, she'd only been in the village for a few days, the girl certainly did move fast. "That was quick, local boy?" he asked.
Kimimaro chuckled and Haku shot him a withering glare before responding. "Umm… yeah actually, one of the ninja we met in the wave village."
Kosuke reviewed his briefing, the team that had retrieved these two comprised three Genin, two boys, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto, the son of the late fourth Hokage. "Blonde or black?" He asked after a contemplative pause.
"…Blonde," Haku said, blushing.
Kosuke chuckled. "Say no more young one, go enjoy your youth while this old man takes Kimimaro off for a hunt."
Haku gave a shy smile before dashing off at speed for the village. "She's an interesting one, your friend," Kosuke said quietly to Kimimaro as they walked.
"Old man, you have no idea," the boy replied. Together, they retrieved Kosuke's cooking tools, before heading into the forest to hunt.