Oooh lala~ This chapter has finally give you a hint~ Something that you readers been trying to figuring out. Tell me... who's the mysteriously ANBU with zebra mask? *curious*
Warning: unbeta, English is my second language, ASL is my first. Yeppie, I'm deaf. *peace*
I don't own Naruto. I do own OC named Nama.
Enjoy~ :D
Team Saki-Shika-Cho
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Tsunade watched six Genins' faces of swirled in emotions. Confused. Disbelief. Curious. Annoyed. Dumbfounded.
She leaned forward, "Yamanaka will be placed in Team Ten and Haruno will be in Team Seven." She repeated it in simple sentence for them to understand.
"Why?" Naruto speaks up. Don't get him wrong, he's excited to have Sakura in his team along with Sasuke-teme but, why switch? Ino is their teammate.
Tsunade raised her eyebrows, "Because I said so." She leaves it there and in truthfully, she wanted to see how they balance each other out in team now the girls are switch. "Now, your job is to escort this client to the Land of Bird without any trouble. This client is important since this mission is C-Rank." She said, "It's a possibly that you'll deal with bandits." She pointed it out.
Then suddenly, the door knocked, "Come in." Tsunade called out and saw Shizune walked in with a client followed. "Ah, speaking of client… meet your client. Nagashima, Kaito."
Team Ten recognized their old client and Shikamaru mentally groaned, "Troublesome." He muttered in irritated while Sakura and Choji glanced at him in pity.
Kaito recognized Team Ten also and he crossed his arms when his eyes landed on Shikamaru with a rude face. "You…" he narrowed his eyes at him with dislikes.
Sakura walked up with a smile on her face, "Hello, Nagashima-kun. It's nice to see you again. How are you?" she asked politely before Kaito say any rude remark to her lazy-ass teammate.
Kaito frowns softly, "I'm fine." He sniffed. Then he observed his bodyguards and shift his eyes to Fifth Hokage, "Would I be safe with them? Especially, the midget with an idiot looking face?"
Naruto blinked and quickly measures himself against his teammates and realize he is still short. Annoyed vein popped out of his forehead and glared at Kaito. Sasuke and Ino knew what their knuckle-head's thinking, they grabbed Naruto's shoulders to pull him back from hitting their client. "Oi!" Naruto snapped.
"You have two teams that will protect you." Tsunade explained to Kaito as she ignored Naruto's glaring, "They are only ones that are available to escort you, Nagashima-san."
Kaito frowned as he uncrossed his arms, "Fine." He looked away rudely. "I need to leave as soon as possible." He said with arrogant.
"Listen you-!" Ino covered Naruto's mouth from insulting their client. "Shut up." Ino hissed in Naruto's ear in annoyed.
Sakura sweatdropped, 'He has not change…' she smiles weakly, "We can leave in an hour." She glanced at her teammates and they agreed with her. '…this is going to be a long mission.' She mentally sighed.
~Later~
After an hour, Sakura arrived at the Konoha Gate; meeting her temporary teammates. Sasuke and Naruto are waiting by the gate with their backpacks. Naruto beamed when he saw Sakura, "Hey Sakura-chan!" he waved at her in excited.
Sakura smiles at him, "Hello Naruto-kun." Naruto blushes and she glanced at Sasuke, "Sasuke." Sasuke 'hn-ed' and closed his eyes.
The pink-hair girl frowned at Uchiha, 'Is he always like this?' she mused; now that she's not after him anymore. She is starting to see his real personality. 'I hope he won't be hard to get along.' She silently hummed.
Sakura perked up when she felt familiar chakra coming to their way. Her emeralds eyes glanced over her shoulders, "Shikamaru-kun!" she greeted him happily.
Shikamaru yawned and nodded his head in greeted at his pink-hair crush. He noticed something, "Where's that troublesome otter?" he mumbled in puzzled.
"She's with Asuma-sensei. She is not ready to go on a mission yet. I need to train with her." Sakura briefly explained and Shikamaru nodded his head in understanding.
"Shikamaru, Sakura-chan." Choji walked up in greeted while he's holding his BBQ bag of chips. He smiles at his friends as they greeted him back friendly.
Sakura glanced around, "Now, all we have to wait is Ino-chan and Nagashima-kun." She said.
The lazy-ass sighed as he shoves his hands into his pockets, "I can't believe we're escorting that troublesome kid again." He whined.
"Who's troublesome kid you stupid sack of lazy bastard!"
'Déjà vu.' Sakura sweatdropped as she turned around and saw Kaito glaring at Shikamaru with great dislikes.
The lazy Nara moaned at his misfortune luck as Choji pat his back in sympathy while Sakura shakes her head in pity.
"Sorry I'm late!" Ino ran up to them with guilty face. "I had to talked to my dad about something." She excused.
Sakura smiles at Ino, "That's okay. We're all here now." She frowned, "Did the Hokage-sama tell any of you who's the leader of this mission?" she asked in confused and curious.
Naruto grinned wide, "I'll be the leader!" he volunteered in eagerness.
Ino glared at her loud-mouth teammate, "No!" she snapped.
Naruto pouted at her. "I think Sasuke-kun should be the leader." Ino suggested and Naruto complained.
"WHAT?! Why teme?!" Naruto pointed at Sasuke rudely.
Ino hit Naruto's head in annoyed, "Stop shouting! I'm right here you baka!" Ino snapped in anger.
Sakura watched them in amused.
"I think Shikamaru should be the leader." Choji spoke up and Sakura nodded her head in agreed. Nara is genius and they do have skills of being leadership if they are motivating enough.
Naruto sulked, he wanted to be a leader of the mission. Ino placed her hands on her hips with a thinking face while Sasuke frowned as he eyeing on the lazy Nara. Shikamaru mentally groaned, 'Troublesome.'
"No." Kaito bluntly refused. He pointed at Sasuke, "He'll be the leader! Now can we go." He glared at his 'bodyguards' impatience.
"Hn." Sasuke step out of the Konoha Gate, "Dope and Sakura, your positions are behind me while I lead." He ordered and glanced at Ino-Shika-Cho team, "You three will be behind the client. Got it?" Sasuke glanced at them and they nodded their head. "Hn. Let's go." Sasuke walk ahead while Naruto was sulking and grumbling as he followed him with Sakura.
~Meanwhile~
The Fifth Hokage frowned at the reports and documents on her desk as she is reading carefully. "Shizune." She called out in wariness.
"Hai, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune looked up from her books as she is sitting on the couch against the wall.
Tsunade furrowed her eyebrows in puzzling, "What do you think if there's ANBU that doesn't belong to Hokage nor any of the elders?"
Shizune blinked and frowned, "I would be very suspicion of this ANBU. Probably have him to taken to T&I right away. He could be a spy for all we know." She pointed it out.
Tsunade hummed softly, "I'm curious to why sensei didn't put this ANBU to T&I. He must have a plan." She mumbled in curious. Tsunade tiled her head as she drums her fingers against her desk, "I don't trust this. Whether sensei does have a plan or not. I need this ANBU capture and sent to T&I right away." She decided as she believe it's best for the village.
She waved to get her ANBU's attention and ANBU with cat mask, "Find the ANBU with Zebra mask. Take him to T&I. He's suspicion and possibly a spy." Tsunade ordered her ANBU.
"Hai." ANBU with cat mask left through the window.
Tsunade sighed and glanced back to her papers, "What else did sensei left with other problems…" she grumbled slightly that she has to clean the Third Hokage's mess.
~The Land of Bird~
The teams have arrived at their destination after few hours of walking. Kaito wanted at least three bodyguards to follow him inside the place where he is meeting with a Lord. Sasuke decided that Team Ten will go with their client and his teammates will scout the area for safety. Sakura stay with Naruto as she waved at her original teammates and sighed softly. 'Why do Ino-chan and I have to switch?' she thought with a frowned in puzzling.
Sasuke turn at his teammates, "I'll take the left side. Dope, you take the right side. Sakura, you'll take the behind." Sasuke ordered. Naruto glared at him as Sakura nodded her head in silent.
"Hn." Sasuke walked away to scout his side of area. Naruto huffed and walked to his side while grumbling about teme and beat up. Sakura shakes her head and walked around the building behind to observed any suspicion.
When there was none suspicion, Sakura grabbed her crystal necklace as she carefully glanced behind her. 'It wouldn't hurt investigate about my parent's death, would it?' she bit her lip. Sakura knew she couldn't abandon on her position since this mission is important yet, the mysteriously behind her parent's death is even more tempting to her. She closed her eyes, 'Sorry. I need to find out!' she snapped her eyes open in determined and quickly jumped over the tree to start on her personal investigate.
~Meanwhile~
Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino are sitting on the mats near the wall behind their client. Kaito is sitting crisscross on the fancy pillow as he is facing the Lord, they were discussing the policy and economic between their lands. Then the Lord bring up the marriage idea to strength the bonds between the two lands. Kaito frowned as he listened the Lord's idea about him marrying one of his nieces. "You think an arrange marriage will work?" Kaito said in doubt and slight interest.
"Of course! Three of my nieces should be close your age. However, if you want to get closer your age, my niece is from Land of Wave. That could double it, you'll have the Land of Bird and land of Wave as your allies." The Lord explained.
Kaito hummed, and they discussed more of it. Shikamaru mentally sighed in boredom while Ino glanced at her nails and Choji resist the urge to grab his snack. However, Shikamaru heard the fire accident from the Lord that caught his attention.
"You needed the money to rebuild the orphanage?" Kaito asked in curious and the Lord sighed as he nodded his head.
"Hai. It was very unfortunate, since it left all the orphans homeless. Fortunately, all orphans are saved. Expect three adults died in the fire." The Lord said, "It was a rather heartbreaking that night. If I remembered correctly, the man tried to save his wife from the fire but the villagers wouldn't allow him."
"What happened to that man?" Kaito asked in small interested.
"No one knows. He disappeared that night." Then the Lord change the subject.
Shikamaru frowned slightly, 'Didn't Sakura told me that her mother died in a fire?' he mused, he wasn't sure yet though because Sakura didn't tell him where her parents were, but he keeps his suspicion opens in mind.
~Sakura~
The pink-hair ninja stood front of the ash-covered orphanage building. This was where her mother died in the fire when she saved the children. Sakura walked inside the empty building and wrinkle her nose. The smell was burnt from cloths and books and woods. It wasn't terrible smell.
Her emeralds eyes glanced around carefully as she walked quietly around the rooms. Sakura avoided the glass shards and broken light bulbs when she arrived the staircase. She walked upstairs in cautioned as the stairs groaned underneath her feet. Sakura leaped over the hole of the stairs effortlessly and landed on the hall way.
Then, the awful smell greeted her nose that she nearly gags. Sakura covered her nose as she walked down the ash-cover hallway. She paused as the smell gotten stronger and she has a bad feeling in her stomach. The pink-hair girl walked straight through the room and vomited on her side. After her stomach emptying out breakfast and lunch on the ground. Her emeralds eyes were filled with tears as she shifts her eyes at the room.
In the middle of the room, there's a dark coal figure of a woman lying on the ground. Sakura's lips trembles as she crawled toward the dead brunt body that is scarily resemble of her mother. She ignored the ashes on her legs and her arms. Sakura react another gag reflex by the smell and her eyes landed on something.
Sakura choked, "N-no…" she covered her mouth unaware that her hands are filthy covers with ashes. She stared at the cherry blossom bracelet. It was her mother's.
A gift from her father.
"M-mom…" Sakura mourned.
She shakily reached the bracelet, the chain broke easily but the cherry blossom charm is harmless. The pink-hair girl clutched on the broken bracelet closed to her chest and cries in silent front of her dead mother.
~Meanwhile~
"You're leaving?!" Nama dropped her paintbrushes and stood up from her stool. She stared at him in disbelieved, "But…but what about your promise?!" Nama glared at him in anger.
"I'm still keeping my promise, Nama. Right now, there are changes of plans. We'll have to do plan b this time." He explained.
The mask-maker clicked her tongue in irritated, "Fine." She obliged knowing that this man is stronger than her and has worst temper of all.
"Did you make it?" Nama nodded her head. She walked to her office and opened her drawer from her desk. She dug through until she found it. Nama lifts the mask that has been waiting to wear from her drawer. She dusts the dirt off the mask as she examines carefully, it was an orange mask that reminded of a lollipop. The mask is little unusual because it has only one eye hole.
Nama sighed softly and left her office, "Do you really have to leave?"
Nama frowned at the man who is wearing zebra mask. He has his palm out and Nama placed the orange mask onto his awaiting hand. Nama watched the man turned his back on her, he took off his zebra mask and put on the new mask. He turned around and Nama tilted her head. She could see his red eye through the hole clearly.
"It's for the best. My act as ANBU is done. The new Hokage send out her ANBU to capture me. I can't let that happen." The orange-mask man said then he gave Nama the zebra mask. It was Nama's first mask when she was little. She grabbed it and frowned at him, "What's your role this time?" Nama asked in curious.
"I'll show my presence in organization called Akasuki. I'll play as Tobi." The mask-man now called himself Tobi said. "And you continue to play your role until I say it's your time." Tobi placed his hand on Nama's head, "Can I still trust you with that?"
Nama frowned, "Hai. You know I won't betray your trust." Nama reminded him.
"Good. I won't be seeing you for a while. It'll be years…" Tobi warned her.
The mask-maker dropped her eyes on the ground, "I know." She whispered in disappointedly, "…because the master plan takes long time to achieve."
Tobi nodded his head, "Hai. Once it's time, I'll take you with me."
Nama glanced up at him with a frown, "…I'll miss you." She said.
Tobi stared at her then he took step back, "Don't forget your role, Nama." He said in emotionless and disappeared in swirl of black.
Nama stared at the space where Tobi just left. '...why couldn't you open up to me?' she thought in disenchanted. The mask-maker shook her head and went back to her work in half-heartily.
~Land of Bird~
After the meeting was done, Kaito and the Lord bowed each other with their new contract sealed. Team Ino-Shika-Cho followed Kaito out of the building. Shikamaru frowned when he noticed his pink-hair crush isn't nearby once he saw Sasuke and Naruto.
"Oi, where's Sakura?" Shikamaru asked them in puzzling.
Sasuke crossed his arms, "She's probably still scouting the area." He snorted.
Shikamaru frowned at the survivor Uchiha.
Naruto tilted his head, "I can go get!" he ran off.
Ino sighed as she dropped her shoulders, "That baka. He tends to get lost easily." She grumbled and went after Naruto.
Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Choji are waiting by while Kaito crossed his arms in impatience.
After twenty minutes of waiting, Kaito snapped, "I'm tired and I want to rest!" he glared at his so-called bodyguards.
Sasuke frowned, "Nara will stay." Sasuke decided and glanced at Choji, "Let's find Sakura." Sasuke and Choji left Shikamaru alone with their client after Choji send his pity at his best friend.
Shikamaru groaned at his misfortune once again, 'Troublesome. Now I have to babysitting this brat.' He mentally grumbled.
