Crimson Stained
Chapter 34
Separate Missions
Nikushimi arrived at the KIA stone to find Obito, crouched next to it. A blue scarf was wrapped around his neck, as the weather was cold and dreary. Nikushimi shuffled over to him and crouched next to him.
"It's been a week… I can't believe they're gone. I feel like any minute now I'll wake up to mom making breakfast." Obito murmured.
"Death is hard to become accustomed to. For someone to suddenly never come back again… I've always been alone. I had a family once though." Nikushimi told him, looking up at the grey sky.
"What was your family like?" Obito inquired, dark eyes not leaving the KIA stone.
"The good thing about losing them early is I can't remember much. I can't miss much." Nikushimi muttered, frowning down at the stone. The two sat in silence for a while longer before Nikushimi rose. Obito stood up a moment later and waited as Nikushimi stretched her legs out.
"I think a little training sounds good." Nikushimi decided, pulling her senbon pouch out from her jacket. She grinned at Obito, and Obito allowed a ghost of a smile to spread across his mouth.
'I suppose that I was prepared for this. As ninja, we face death every day. It'll be a common occurrence to lose comrades with this war… I'll just have to be sure to protect my friends so that I don't lose anyone else!' Obito thought to himself, looking up at the sky.
"Sure, let's head to our training grounds." he agreed quietly, and the two began the walk to their training grounds.
Meanwhile, Moyasu and Tamashi stood in the Hokage's office.
"You two are to go on a brief espionage mission." the Hokage told them. Tamashi and Moyasu shared a look.
"The two of us?" Moyasu questioned in disbelief.
"Yes, and Minato will take Team Moyasu with his team on a mission." the Hokage added. Moyasu frowned.
"I'd feel better if I went with my team; it is wartime, after all." Moyasu muttered.
"I'll take care of your Genin, Moyasu." Minato promised as he entered the room in time to hear.
"They'll be fine Moyasu. Now, Moyasu and Tamashi, you two will be under the cover of being two lovers in Takigakure seeking refuge from the war," the Hokage ignored Tamashi and Moyasu both sputtering brief protests, "And while you two are there Team Minato and your Genin will be assisting in the evacuation and protection of the Daimyo of the Land of Grass and his daughter."
"Iwa has invaded a majority of that land though!" Moyasu protested.
"Your Genin will be fine Moyasu, now, go prepare them and explain the mission. You both leave today by noon." the Hokage ordered. Moyasu pushed a façade on and nodded.
"Yes sir." Moyasu marched out behind Tamashi, who didn't look any happier than he did. Moyasu stood outside the office, thinking about his team and the missions.
"Nikushimi's strong. And her teammates are an Uchiha and Garasu, they'll be fine." Tamashi finally said, nodding to herself.
'They have to be.' she thought to herself as she parted from Moyasu.
"I'll go find my team, I believe around now Nikushimi and Obito are either at the KIA stone or training." Minato offered. Moyasu snapped from his thoughts to peer at Minato.
"KIA stone?" Moyasu questioned.
"Obito's parents were killed in action last week and Obito has been visiting the stone every morning with Nikushimi." Minato answered, turning and gesturing for Moyasu to follow. They made their way to the Hokage monument, where Minato leaned against the railing.
"The two of them… when we ran into Nikushimi those months ago, all I saw was a little girl. Now I see Obito's best friend and anchor. Originally, Rin was in this position." Minato murmured.
"Rin?" questioned Moyasu.
"Yes, Obito has had a crush on her for some time. He still does, but it isn't as bad. Before, it was all he revolved around. It's because of Nikushimi, and this war, that Obito's changed. We just need to hope the war doesn't take everything away." Minato muttered.
"Has Nikushimi really changed him that much?" Moyasu asked, looking down at the bustling village.
"He was a crybaby before, he wasn't the strongest, he was always late and he didn't take things seriously. Now however… he tries his hardest to protect his loved ones, he doesn't cry as much anymore, and he takes every mission seriously. He's still late most of the time, but it really is from his urges to help others or get lost in something." Minato explained, smiling at the grey sky. He looked to Moyasu after a moment of letting Moyasu think.
"We'll be fine, just worry about your mission. We'll be back soon; it's just evacuating a Daimyo." Minato assured Moyasu, before leaving Moyasu to his thoughts. Moyasu leaned against the railing and sighed.
"I guess I should go get my cute little Genin…" Moyasu pushed off the railing and started off to gather his Genin.
When Moyasu eventually managed to hunt down and gather Shogai and Tatakau, he led them to where Obito and Nikushimi trained. They arrived to find Nikushimi demonstrating her senbon.
"It'll be February in a few days; our bet goes until the end of February. You have a pretty good chance of winning at this rate, of course you still need to get the senbon to stay, and aim better." Nikushimi announced to Obito as she gestured to a second board that had one senbon sticking out and several on the ground.
"Senbon can't be that difficult." Tatakau snorted as they approached.
"Oh yeah? Care to bet on that?" Nikushimi turned, a devious glint in her eyes.
'Heh, I can so get something out of this.' she thought to herself evilly.
"I'm not that stupid; I already know that you're a senbon master." Tatakau told her, flicking her nose when she didn't stop giving him an evil look. Nikushimi frowned, and turned to Moyasu.
"We all have missions." Moyasu began, "Tamashi and I are heading to Taki for an espionage mission, while Team Minato and you, my cute little Genin, will be going to Kusa in a protection assignment."
"Why are you and Shishou getting a mission together?" inquired Nikushimi. Shogai smirked, a strange sight for the pale, shy boy. Moyasu gestured for him to stay silent.
"Because they're both close in age, they can act as spies who are lovers. It's a common façade that spies use in espionage." explained Shogai, and Moyasu sighed when Tatakau and Nikushimi both started snickering.
"Pack and meet at the west gate, both teams leave before noon." Moyasu ordered before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. The three Genin and Chunin dispersed. They met up with their usual equipment at the gates. Moyasu ruffled Nikushimi's hair before they departed in their separate missions.
"Don't die." warned Moyasu. Tamashi snorted beside him.
"Don't do anything stupid either." Tamashi added. Moyasu looked to Tatakau, who was bickering quietly with Obito.
"Tatakau, keep watch on your teammates," Moyasu then looked to Shogai, "Shogai, make sure Nikushimi doesn't kill Tatakau in her usual threat in their arguments."
"Understood, Moyasu-sensei." Shogai nodded.
"Have a safe mission, Shishou, Moyasu-sensei." Nikushimi called as Tamashi reduced her weights and tensed, ready to move.
"We will brat." Tamashi told her before she and Moyasu jumped into the trees and disappeared from view.
"Well, everyone's ready. Let's get a move on; I want to make it to the border before dark." Minato announced. He looked to Nikushimi.
"I understand you can keep up, what's your limit?" he inquired. Nikushimi grinned.
"I'll be fine!" Nikushimi assured him. Minato nodded and hopped into the trees. Nikushimi lessened her weights before hopping up beside him.
"Don't go and miss a branch!" taunted Tatakau as he sped past her. Nikushimi growled.
"Oh hell no!" and she jumped after him. Minato passed Tatakau to lead, Kakashi right behind him. Nikushimi was right on Tatakau's heels with Obito beside her. Rin and Shogai kept behind them, content with watching Nikushimi try and pass Tatakau in their race. Eventually, about a kilometer before the border, Nikushimi began to lag back and Obito carried her on his back.
"We'll set camp here." Minato finally decided when the sun was setting. They were less than one fourth of a kilometer from the border, which was a good distance according to Minato.
"We're good for a fire here," Minato murmured after checking the perimeter, "Obito, a small fire please." Obito used a small fireball Jutsu and they all sat around the fire.
"Now, the Daimyo has requested that we use a decoy for his daughter." Minato began, and all attention was on him.
"So Rin?" Obito asked.
"No. Rin's our medic, she can't be a decoy. And she also has too much chakra to be the Daimyo's daughter. Nikushimi however, makes the perfect decoy." Minato replied. Nikushimi frowned, and looked down at the fire.
'I feel like this is a recipe for disaster, I recall last time I was a decoy, I ended up in a cell with Yuki.' Nikushimi thought to herself, but she kept her thoughts to herself.
"Nikushimi can't henge for long though." Rin pointed out.
"She doesn't need to be henged, the Daimyo's daughter has black hair, the red and silver can easily be explained as dyed, and Nikushimi can wear her bangs over her eyes. She is also pale, not Nikushimi pale, but the Daimyo's daughter is pale as she is of royalty and does not need to subject herself to the harsh sun." Kakashi demurred.
"But, Nikushimi isn't, no offense Nikushimi, ladylike." Tatakau gestured to Nikushimi, "She's loud, has a temper, swears, and I'm willing to bet she can't serve tea, or set a table correctly or whatever noble ladies do."
"Nikushimi will not need to do those things; all she needs to do is act as a helpless civilian. Let me explain the plan and it'll make more sense." Minato explained, "We will be in two teams for this mission, Kakashi, Tatakau and Obito will discreetly maneuver the Daimyo's daughter to a safe point that we are going to pass in the morning. Then Rin, Nikushimi, Shogai and I will be back with the Daimyo. Nikushimi will be acting as the Daimyo's daughter while she is being moved. Then we will evacuate the Daimyo after Kakashi sends word the daughter is safe in the safe point. It's a precautionary plan because if we are attacked and have to defend both the Daimyo and his daughter, we'll be separated and more likely to fail. This is safer and more efficient."
"I understand how it's a good plan." Shogai finally commented quietly and thoughtfully. Tatakau grumbled in low, confused grunts to Shogai. Shogai replied with an amused snort. Nikushimi shared a look with Obito.
"Er, I don't mean to cause any issues, but, well to be blunt, kimonos aren't exactly something I wear often." Nikushimi pointed out.
"You surely have worn one before, so you'll be fine as all you have to do is walk." Rin chirped. Minato nodded at Rin's words. Nikushimi gave an unconfident nod and looked to Obito with an unsure look.
'I can already see how badly this mission's going to go.' Nikushimi thought with an outward sigh. When Minato extinguished their fire after they had their rations, Nikushimi crawled into her sleeping bag next to Obito's.
"Are you nervous?" Obito asked her quietly. Both listened to the nightlife around them. Leaves rustled in the dark, and Nikushimi could hear an owl in the distance.
"A little. But, we've been through a lot already so I'm sure we'll get through this."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Tamashi pulled on her kimono sleeve, frowning at it. Her hair was parted to the side, her unruly hair now tamed to stay in shoulder length wisps. Her bangs swept across her face, hiding her eye patch from sight completely.
"I can't believe we're assigned this mission. We have to hide our chakra, so we have to keep our henges simple." Moyasu complained as he came out from the bushes. His once flaming hair had been dulled to a ginger tone and his eyes were now a dull brown. Tamashi snorted.
"Henge my hair already." Tamashi ordered him, and Moyasu sighed before changing her hair to a raven black. Tamashi nodded in satisfaction.
"Alright, let's head to Taki before it gets dark." Tamashi announced. Moyasu and she took off at a walking pace. After twenty minutes, they found themselves at where they knew Takigakure to be situated.
"Well, there's the giant tree, how do we get in?" Tamashi wondered.
"I don't know, Nikushimi." Moyasu replied. Tamashi narrowed her eyes at him. They had decided on their names to be Shizen Nikushimi and Naraku Obito.
"Let's go to the waterfall." Tamashi decided, stalking forward towards the tree. Moyasu followed behind. The waterfall was beautiful, reflecting the setting sun as they hiked to the waterfall.
"Mm, at least we know we'll be protected. That is if we can find the village." Tamashi murmured, amber eye scanning the waterfall for a way in.
"Hey!" a loud voice called. Tamashi and Moyasu turned to find a Takigakure man standing on the water, a headband securely in place with the Takigaure symbol etched into it, "State your names and business here!"
"Naraku Obito, and my fiancée, Shizen Nikushimi." Moyasu lied smoothly, "We're seeking refuge from the war here as we heard Takigakure is a safe location." The ninja looked them over, and called to his comrades. By the time the sun had fallen, Tamashi and Moyasu found themselves in Takigakure, a village hidden in the tree and only accessible by water fall tunnels.
"Well, we'll be here for a month, right? We'll need a decent hotel or an apartment." mused Moyasu as they wandered down a bustling street.
"Hotel." Tamashi answered, eyeing her and Moyasu's linked hands. She didn't mind physical contact with men, she didn't mind seduction missions, and she didn't mind acting for missions. However she did hate acting on missions with someone who she had to continuously speak to. She knew that, as they were a couple to the public, they had to act it. And she couldn't stand the thought of making that kind of relationship with Moyasu, even if he didn't exactly look like Moyasu.
"That one." Moyasu commented, stopping in front of a decent looking hotel. He led Tamashi in, and in a few minutes they had a place to stay for the next month.
"Things aren't looking so bad." Moyasu chirped, lying back on their single bed. Tamashi looked out the window, silently nodding despite her inner conflicts.
On the bed, Moyasu noticed Tamashi's silence. He watched, deciphering her body language as she watched out the window. He closed his eyes after a moment.
'I see. I can't say this arrangement doesn't give me some kind of fear either. Because it does. But it's easy to get over.' Moyasu thought to himself. But he knew they'd be fine on their mission. He doubted that they wouldn't argue, he knew they would be.
'I wonder how Nikushimi's doing.' Moyasu's now dull eyes opened and stared at the ceiling.
'Hm, I hope our usual luck in out of village missions hasn't followed them.' Moyasu thought as Tamashi left the window and made her way into the bathroom. He heard the shower start up, and he looked out the window. He shook his head and pushed his worries from his mind.
"They'll be fine." he said to himself as he rolled onto his side, "They have Minato, and each other."
AN
And here starts a new mission, this time everyone fears the threats they now foresee. Death now strikes fear in Obito, as it has already struck him in his parents.
Fun Fact- Initially, in the Land of Snow, Nikushimi and Obito were supposed to share a sleeping bag. Every time a mission would start I would copy and paste Nikushimi packing her things and knocking her scrolls over as she was supposed to drop her sleeping bag scroll. However I never found the right moment to put it in.
Thanks to Luvrainluv and Rwisher for reviewing!
Sayonara!