Short but I want to give the Zabuza chapter it's own chapter not mix it into this.
Part of the reason all three girls are so good is to make a point that female ninja can be great. We see so few of them in the series, so I wanted to showcase three girls working as hard and as well as Lee in their own fields. Not only boys want to be great you know!
Kakashi was impressed with Aoba's team, they noticed something was up before his team did... in fact his team had noticed nothing. Though if he was being honest it was the cat, clearly trained to react to foreign chakra, that had noticed the hidden ninja, not the girls. Still that they readied themselves, alerted Naruto and were just generally not panicking was a wonderful sign for their potential. It was little wonder that Aoba had bragged so much about them, running his mouth to the true skill and power his team actually had. It was actually quiet an accomplishment to impress someone so much.
'I wonder if they'll react well to the attack, if they really are as skilled as Aoba says were aren't going to find out who their from based on who they attack... oh well, interrogation it is.'
And so he watched, from his place in the middle of the entourage guarding the rude bridge builder. Aoba, who was right next to him, seemed almost uncertain and very much nervous about the entire thing. His smugness was almost invisible, despite being so suffocating earlier. It created doubt in Kakashi's heart.
And it was then that the idiots attacked.
From the puddle they rose slowly, and one threw the other, Kakashi could feel the air pushing against him as they landed. A long, thick chain twirled in the air and attempted to wrap around him, only to be caught by the Hyuuga's girl's sword. She twirled it inwards, catching them in her grip. Her sister disciples were not idle, the dark skinned girl with the cat charged the further one just as the Akamichi shot towards the closer one.
As one, the girls struck. An enlarged fist struck the closer attacker, sending him flying back just as the further attacker was grabbed by the front and tossed towards the now flying closer attacker. Their bodies collided painfully with a crunch, but the girls were not done. The dark skinned one, in a blur of above chunin level speed, appeared next to the slumping attackers and kneed one so hard in the face it shattered his nose filling the road with the sound. A kunai twirled in her hand and she placed it at the only conscious attacker's throat.
The Akamichi hurried over and put her hands, expanded, around the man's shoulders and pinned him down. The Hyuuga approached, putting her sword at his throat.
The dark skinned girl smiled kindly, a disarming expression that threw even Kakashi a little. "Who are you and why did you attack? Answer and I might let you live, be silent or lie and I will stuff an explosive tag down your pants and well see how tough you really are."
The man paled, shaking under the girl's threat. "Your bluffing." She wasn't as she actually pulled out an explosive tag and reached for him, and in one quick motion, stuffed it down his pants. "I'll talk! We were after the bridge builder!"
Everyone but the girls turned the to the bridge builder. The Dark skinned girl frowned and kneeled. "Why? Who hired you?"
"Gato, he wants him dead so he can stop the bridge from being built."
"And that is because?"
"Gato owns Wave, he turned it into a slum he gets rich off of. Drugs, human trafficking, weapons... if the bridge is built, he loses the isolation that has given him the means to control Wave."
The girl looked up. "Aoba sensei, want to rip through his thoughts?"
The man, smug and proud, walked over and put a hand on the attacker's forehead for a moment before declaring. " He is telling the truth... their names are Gozu and Meizu, the Demon brothers. Two chunin level stealth specialists." He quickly stood, unleashing his own knee to the man's face, knocking him out. "So, Tenzin, anything you want to share like why you asked for a c rank when this is easily already a Mid B rank at the least. A if they send even one more Ninja of at least chunin level."
Tenzin froze, shaking under the gaze of both Jonin ninja.
"This is beyond the scope of our training, we really should get back to the village." Sakura said, her voice sweet and soft and very much afraid.
The other girls turned to her with disdain, so much so that Kakashi was shocked she didn't burst into flames.
"Sakura we have two join on this mission, Sasuke and I are easily chunin level in terms of sheer combat skill." The dark skinned girl said, her voice patient and tired but very annoyed. "My sister students are both just shy of chunin level and together I'd put them against Iruka sensei any day. Naruto can make hundreds of physical clones, that if given the right directions, makes him a one man army. We are over staffed for an B ranked mission and just about right for an A rank. Yes he lied, but if what the Demon brother said is true then this country is being sucked dry of resources, resources that could benefit the Leaf greatly. While we should charge him double for the lie, the cost of the mission and it's perks if completed could be incredible for our village. The raw resources, trade benefits and other gifts from an alliance with Wave would be beyond helpful.
We would be failing the village by not helping them and that we cannot and will not do."
The Hyuuga shook her head. "Naomi is right. This is the only positive option, it is our best option. We need to journey forth."
The Akamichi nodded, looking not at all as cowardly as the heir had seemed when Kakashi had first seen him. "Logistically this is the best option we have."
"My students are right, what do you say Kakashi? Feel like pushing forward?" Aoba smirked a little, but seemed genuine in his desire to push forward.
Kakashi gave it only a moment of thought before the ideals of justice and decency Obito had impressed on his took flight. "Their right, we go forward." He turned back to his students, seeing an impotent looking Sasuke furiously glaring at the girls, a startled Sakura still standing in front of Tazuna with a Kunai in her hand, and a very startled Naruto still shaking and looking terrified and ashamed. "Good job Sakura, guarding Tazuna like that. Sasuke, Naomi is the fastest in your class and they had a serious heads up thanks to their cat. Naruto, I am surprised you froze."
The dark skinned girl, Naomi, frowned at him. "He's never been in real combat, he was stunned. We really should be finding a way to break students into this so they don't freeze. This isn't my first fight, I was there with Mizuki, so I have an edge."
Her sister students both nodded, a fierce look on their faces as they stood near Naruto in solidarity.
It was then that Kakashi realized that no matter what, all three girls would be leaders of the generation.
If they survived into Adulthood.
"""
Naomi felt Naruto's flushed face looking at her as they approached the land of Mist. Naruto had been oddly quiet for hours, shamefully looking downward the entire time, none of his natural energy and life present anywhere in his form. "What's wrong?"
Naruto turned to her, his eyes not tearful but not far from it. "I messed up. Everyone did something and I froze."
"It's normal Naruto. There is a reason we should really be on a C rank, it's so you get used to battle with thugs and get used to the shock. Like I said, if I hadn't fought Mizuki and nearly killed him I might have frozen too. I am not used to open battle yet, Ami and Yura sparring me have helped a lot with that too, as has them growing up fighting and sparring. You'll get there. Just try channeling what you felt with Mizuki."
Naruto lit up. "I think I can do that."
"It's all about the effort Naruto."
"You girls were amazing, you were so fast I couldn't track you! Any of you!" Naruto gave her a look of pure hero worship that, despite herself, she enjoyed.
"Hehe, we try. You'll get there Naruto, you have a lot of potential. Like I told you before, I'll help you find it. Now, how about you hold Mio. If she hisses there is someone with chakra active nearby." She handed him Mio, who purred and rubbed against Naruto's face kindly. Mio, for some reason, adored Naruto. "
And from the look on Naruto's face, it was reciprocated.
"Hehe, I love Mio. I'll carry her and alert you to any enemies nearby, believe it!" He all but shouted, making Naomi sigh.
"A little quieter Naruto, but with the same enthusiasm." Then she turned away, hiding well the shaking of her hands. The adrenaline from the previous fight had left her a shaking mess. She was still out of it, her senses over reacting to everything. The fight hadn't left her blood. She played it off well, but she was marked by the experience. She had just acted, no thought in her mind, just pure movement.
She hadn't realized she could act like that, or that her team had that kind of synergy. They liked each other for sure, and they got a long extremely well, but they hadn't done much for teamwork exercises beyond group fights against Aoba twice. The man, full out, was more then enough to fight the three of them, but the fights never last that long as Aoba skillfully separated them. This was their first real fight together.
It was good to know they were reliable... she was proud of them but also concerned, concerned that what made them so skilled would one day get them killed. When and if they got cocky. She hoped that day would never come. She liked her sister students, they were great, skilled and kind and she liked that about them. She just hoped they would live long with her.
Well into adulthood... they deserved it and she wanted them to have everything they deserved.
"""
Sasuke's hands shook as he looked back, at the corner of his eyes, at Team Thirteen. He was jealous, jealous of their speed and skill. He wasn't dumb, he knew that together they could beat him. Naomi might beat him by herself, her speed was insane and he felt that blow to the Demon brother's as if she had hit him with it herself. He hated that, he had to be better, he needed to be better...
Next time he would be... he would be better...
No matter what.
"""
Hiruzen felt smug, proud of himself. He had given the girls, the dead team, a chance to prove themselves while also providing Naruto with more support. It was something he admitted was rather smart of him to do. He wasn't blind to Team Seven's poor teamwork, their low morale. It was clear that they needed more connections, especially Naruto. Having Naomi, who cared for him or at least respected him, made it an easy choice.
'Two birds, one stone. I am good.'
Taking a few puffs from his pipe, he turned his attention back to the mission scroll before him. It was Team Seven and Thirteen's scroll, he couldn't help but keep it close. Two important teams, in their own rights, it was something rarely done for C ranks to put so many people together and yet they had done so.
"LORD HOKAGE!" A knock on his door and a scream alerted him to one of his shinobi who barreled into his office. "Two Chunin level Missing Mist Ninja have been discovered near the village. Both were defeated by Team Thirteen, they were bound to a tree where they were found by the patrol."
Hiruzen sighed. ' So much for good ideas... at least the girls are proving their worth.'
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was fun to write, simple and powerful.
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.