"LETS GO LETS GO LETS GO!" I yelled at the nine kids as they tried to run through the mud. Kunai flew at them as they struggled through. "First one to get hit has to wear the hat of shame for a week!" Sasuke was in the front, dodging incoming Kunai and Senbon. I smiled to Genma as he let another round of senbon fly. Choji fell face first into the kilometre of mud. "CHOJI, up, up, up! Staying still means getting hit." The kids were grumbling.
"I'M NOT GOING TO LOOSE!" Yelled Naruto as he tried to pick up the pace, but the mud is up to their waist, making it hard to push forward.
"Calling attention to your self gets you killed!" Hiroki yelled back aiming Kunai at him. Naruto dodged them blocking a few with his own dawn Kunai. Age didn't calm Naruto down actually I think it made him more loud and impulsive, I blamed approaching puberty. They were all eleven years old in their last year at the academy, that's why the tests have escalated.
"You always say you hated it when your Sensei did this to you!" Ino cried out. "You called him a psycho!"
"YEAH! What does that make you!" Kiba yelled angrily, both of them worked hard to dodge incoming projectiles, fuming.
"Well I'm not throwing the Kunai at you. Am I?" I gave them a wild smile, they all grumbled. "Watch out Sasuke, Shino is about to take the lead and Naruto and Hinata aren't to far behind!" Sasuke checked behind him then started moving faster. They were really only advancing at a slow walk, but it was still very entertaining. "Your parents are waiting for you so lets pick up the pace. Sakura high knees. Pick your feet up!" she looked over to me and I demonstrated, she picked up her pace and now was inline with Choji. "Shikamaru! If you come in last your mom told me she was going to have a hell of a lot of chores for you. Come on I know you can go faster." he was dead last at the moment.
"This is troublesome but Chores are more troublesome." He picked up his pace making Sakura speed ahead in an effort to keep him behind her. Coming up behind Ino.
"Kiba! What's this I thought you were the fastest!"
"I am the fastest but not in this much mud!" He yelled at me. I winked at Genma who started his assault with senbon aiming them everywhere. I looked towards my brother motioning toward the lead group, he smiled flipping a few kunai into his hands letting them fly. Hinata blocked effortlessly, the others had a bit more trouble but they all came out unscathed.
"Your parents are in view, lets lift those legs up, now is the last time to pull ahead, and the knives are going to becoming allot faster. Don't loose focus, a ninja must always be vigilant." Cheering started from the group of parents all of them cheering on there kids, the loudest being Tsume and Shikamaru's mom. "let the knives fly!" I yelled to Genma and Hiroki the both started running circles around the group jumping over the mud river we had created. All of them slowed considerably due to having to dodge. Shikamaru was now with the front pack along with Kiba Sakura was a little to behind to be counted as the front pack and just two steps behind her was Ino and Choji. "Choji your strong use your strength. Ino you got more in you than that!" They both struggled to quicken their pace, and soon enough they were all one big pack, Sasuke five steps ahead though. He hopped out of the mud river taking a few steps forward then falling to the ground laying down on his back panting. Once everyone else got out they did the same. "Good job guys! No one got hit and you all finished in about the same place!" The parents cheered finding their kid laying on the ground and congratulating them, even Sakura and Hinata's parents were here (well Hinata's dad.) it was a wonder they could recognize them to me they all looked like rock golems. I went to where Naruto and Sasuke where laying, sitting down between them. "I'm proud of you boys, you did so well! You both managed to stay at the front the whole entire race!" I said cheerfully.
"Your crazy." Naruto panted out and Sasuke grunted in agreement. I laughed loudly as Hiroki and Genma came to join us.
"Good job boys." Hiroki praised.
"I think the jonin's should have a race now!" Ino yelled , the rest of the kids yelled in agreement. Oh dear I created an angry mob. I looked towards Inoichi, Shikaku, Choza and Tsume. Tsume shrugged.
"Well I guess that's fair." Inoichi said.
"YEAH! And we get to throw the Kunai." Kiba yelled. That was hardly an issue for us.
"Jutu's or no?" Shikaku asked sounding completely unpleased. "Because if we are allowed jutsu's the race is over before it begins, Kina will leave us in the dust." Genma smiled proudly at me. I stood up starting to walk to the other side of the mud river.
"No jutsu's but chakra enhancements are allowed." Declared Ino. Thank goodness they all had a large height difference on me.
"Come on Haishi, your a jonin too." I tried not to laugh at his surprised look, but he followed. "Okay who ever wants to throw Kunai come with us the rest stay here." I instructed the kids. Ino, Naruto, and Kiba came along.
We got to that starting line all of us at the ready, Shikaku dropped a rock and we were off. The difference between us and the kids was we didn't fall into the mud. Chakra enhancements were allowed that means we could use chakra to walk on the surface. Needless to say we left the kids in the dust, I wasn't off to a good start, so I dropped the resistance seal I kept on and quickly weaved around the grown ups, sliding through Tsume's legs I took the lead, but the were close behind. Both Haishi and Tsume kept pulling ahead, but a flush of chakra would pull me back up. We landed with a thud at the finish line.
"I couldn't even see who won." Sakura exclaimed. Everyone looked stunned except for the ninja's.
"Kina won." Haishi said plainly.
"I think you and Tsume tied actually." I was fairly certain I fell behind at the last moment.
"I think Kina won." Inoichi added. As it turned out no one knew who had won. We started taking things out for the picnic as the Kids who were here went to the river to wash off. Naruto, Ino and Kiba finally showed up.
"Took you long enough." Shikamaru's mom said in a scolding voice. "Go wash up, we are going to have lunch!" No one argued. I even felt the need to go to the river and wash up. Once all the kids came back I dried them off with a wind jutsu, they all looked horrible though, hair plastered back, I wished I had a camera.
After lunch we packed up and said good bye to everyone. I was giving them the weekend off so I wouldn't be seeing any of them until Monday. Hiroki, Genma, Sasuke, Naruto, and I headed to our house together. I had hired a few genin teams to collect all the senbon and kunai for us, and someone to turn the mud river to normal ground again. Over all it was a good day, I didn't expect them all to come out without being hit. We were walking down the street to our house now, Naruto chattering away about some special ramen when we saw the last people I ever wanted to see. (okay that was really dramatic but what ever)
"Hey Kina!" Hanah Inuzuka called to me from a near by shop she just came from. My body stiffened but I turned towards her voice, knowing exactly who I would see her with, and dreading it. "How did the race go?" She asked as she neared our group. Everyone was still glaring at her partner. I smiled brightly at Hanah.
"It went really well! Sasuke here won, but everyone else was so close together we didn't even bother trying to tell where they placed." I cringed at how fake my voice sounded, even to me.
"Thats good! Kiba would be impossible to deal with if he placed anything less than second." She laughed, her face getting prettier with the action, I laughed with her feeling hopelessly inferior.
"Oh I bet! So what are you doing today? Did you guys want to come over?" I asked. Please god say no, please god say no.
"No!" Kakashi exclaimed, Hanah looked at him funny. "Me and Hanah have allot of plans to do, but maybe another time." I could feel him looking at me but I kept my eye's on Hanah.
"No we don't we were just walking around." Hanah said confused looking up at Kakashi.
"Oh well if you guys are on a date who are we to interrupt you, we will just get going now. You two have fun." I called pulling both Hiroki and Genma along. I tried to forget the feeling of his eye's on me as we rushed into our house.
"That was really awkward." Naruto helpfully pointed out. Well he wasn't wrong.
"Are you okay Kina?" Genma asked grabbing my hand softly.
"Yeah for sure, it's been a year, I just still feel awkward around them. Force of habit I think." I rambled waving my hand around dismissively. "Lets watch some tv or something, maybe find a good movie to watch." I smiled warmly at the four boys and made my way over to the couch.
It's been a year, and it still hurts to much to look at him.
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Kakashi POV
We walked out of the shop her hand twined in mine. We hadn't talked much but we never really needed too.
"Hey Kina!" Hanah yelled waving her hand around to get her attention. I stiffened, slightly considered running but Hanah's hand in mine stopped me. The burnet started pulling me towards Kina and her usual entourage these days. "How did the race go?" Hanah asked, I could see Kina's stiffness though it didn't seem like Hanah noticed, than Kina's pale face instantly switched expressions to her vibrant bright smile, I noticed how she made a point to only look at Hanah keeping her eyes completely off me, though the rest of her group didn't have a problem all of them leveled glares at me.
"It went really well! Sasuke here won, but everyone else was so close together we didn't even bother trying to tell where they placed." Kina exclaimed, though it felt forced.
"Thats good! Kiba would be impossible to deal with if he placed anything less than second." Hanah laughed, I could almost hear what Kina was thinking and it hurt, I wanted to put her head in my hands and tell her she wasn't inferior to anyone, but the time where I could do that was long gone, and I certainly did a good job at fucking up the future. Kina joined in Hanah's laughter but the sound was to fake, and to forced, but even so she looked painfully beautiful.
"Oh I bet! So what are you doing today? Did you guys want to come over?" she asked Hanah.
"No!" I exclaimed without even thinking. "Me and Hanah have allot of plans to do, but maybe another time." I added quickly.
"No we don't we were just walking around." Hanah said confused looking up at me. I willed her to stop talking.
"Oh well if you guys are on a date who are we to interrupt you, we will just get going now. You two have fun." Kina said in her rambling tone grabbing both Hiroki and Genma's arms and pulling them forward without even a glance my way.
What a mess I have made.
END
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KINA POV
I held on to the bathroom sink so tight my knuckles were white. I had woken up from yet another nightmare, I was glad I never remembered them, though Yuki told me that was her taking them away. There was a soft knock on the door.
"Are you okay in there Kina?" Genma asked through the bath room door. I starred at my reflection, weird, it didn't feel like me. I turned the handle of the door opening it all the way, Genma was looking down at me with concern.
"Yeah I'm fine now, lets go back to bed." I grabbed his hand in mine and we made our way back to bed. He tucked my body to him curling around me, it felt nice to have his body around mine. I focussed on his breathing, the soft puff of air against me cheek. He was comfortable to me, he felt like home. He ran his hand up and down my waist comfortingly, and I sunk into his warm embrace sighing.
"Go to sleep Kina." he whispered in my ear, and I slowly fell into a peaceful sleep.
We both woke up to the boys fighting downstairs, I untangled my limbs from Genma, wishing that I didn't have brother's who fought every time they were left alone longer than and hour. Genma placed a kiss on my cheek than sighed deeply pulling him self out of bed. He was only wearing boxers so he went over to the dresser pulling himself out sweats for himself and throwing a pair of shorts from my drawer to me. I caught them effortlessly and pulled them on. We went downstairs to see what all the fighting was about, though I wasn't expecting to see both eleven year old in aprons in the kitchen, with food everywhere.
"What is going on?" I asked starring at the weird sight. Both boys jumped turning to my direction with sheepish looks on their faces.
"We were trying to make you breakfast in bed, but Sasuke wont let me do ANYTHING!" Naruto whined.
"He has ruined everything I let him touch." Sasuke said turning back to the counter. They are so sweet, making me breakfast in bed.
"Awe you boys are so cute, how about we all make breakfast together instead?" They both nodded and I headed into the kitchen to help. I tried to decipher what they were trying to make. "So what do you want me to do?" I asked the boys.
"Cut up the tomato's, neither of us could." Sasuke pointed to the counter where two murdered tomato's lay. I giggled than started cutting them up for them. "Genma can you make the coffee we don't know how." Genma patted Sasuke's head than went to work on the coffee, all of us working on our own task.
Fifteen minuets we were sitting at the table enjoying the meal we all made together, it had taken a while but we were all happy. The pain of loosing our family had dimmed and we were finally able to find some semblance of normal, we were comfortable, and it was nice. We were cleaning up the dishes when there was a knock at the door, quickly wiping off my hands I went to answer it.
"Kina, hokage would like to see you immediately." A chunin told me as I opened the door. I nodded to the man than closed the door.
"A mission?" Genma asked from the kitchen.
"Yeah probably, I'm going to go get dressed and get my packs." I ran up the stairs to my room, pulling out my combat clothes, the same black tights and shirt as always, the only thing that changed was that instead of wearing shoes I just bandaged the pads and heels of my foot. I put on my weapon pack as I hurried down the stairs, giving all three boys a kiss before leaving out the door. It took minuets to get to the hokage's office, I softly knocked on the door opening it when I head Hiruzen's voice call me in.
"good morning Hiruzen." I greeted smiling, the old man smiled back pipe in between his teeth. "You wanted to see me?" I asked.
"Yes there is an assassination and the client asked for our two best ninja." Hokage said holding out an envelope with the details. I looked them over. Crime boss, heavily guarded at all times. This sounded like something I could take care of by myself.
"Why two? For an assassination that's pretty weird." It was reeeaaally weird to send two people for an assassination unless they were a pair, usually assassins have there own style that works best for them, so sending two who aren't used to working with each other causes clashes.
"The client insisted, and was prepared to pay." Ah, that's why hokage agreed, one assassination job, but getting paid for two, plus if the client asked for the two best, well that was going to cost him a boat load extra. There was a knock at the door. "Come in." Hiruzen called.
"Okay so it will only take us seven hours to get there, and probably another six-to-eight to do the assassination, so we should be back in the next twenty four hours." I quickly calculated.
"You wanted to see me?" an all to familiar voice asked behind me, I didn't react. Of course he was the person coming with me. Hiruzen did say the two best. I should have know.
"Yes Kakashi, you and Kina will be doing a mission together." of course we are.