A/N: Thanks for staying with me!
Circumstance
Book 2: Land of Grass
Chapter 30:
Bright
"We've got company."
Toshiro, wet blanket that he is, demands "How many?" with a bit of a bite, drawing Kushina from her careful count of the chakra signatures laying in wait. She spares him an annoyed glance but turns her senses back to the boarder.
Kushina couldn't show her ass while on such an important mission. She was lucky enough to have convinced (see-nagged) Sarutobi to let her loose and as long as she proved her worth, she'd be sent out on more missions even in the growing hostilities.
She and 'Kaku had argued sensitive documents should have a sensor with the courier team, especially on high level missives. It took the brink of war and increased security measures to get this mission for herself. She can't allow her dislike of a couple of assholes to ruin her chance to get out of the village.
Kushina learned to pick her battles, not because she couldn't win, but because she needed to burn less bridges if she wanted to be Hokage.
Took Minato pointing it out for Kushina to chill.
Nudging aside the distracting thoughts, the teen presses her awareness out to the thirteen chakra signatures within 15 kilometers of the border. The farthest away, tracking north in the usual route of patrol teams, are the three chunin they met four days ago when entering Wind. Kushina considered them a none factor and shifts to the remaining ten. Two groups of four are flanking a pair of bright chakra signatures that shine in the Uzumaki's mind's eye.
Kushina nearly faceplants when she recognizes the chibi's prickly ball of golden embers as one of the two being stalked.
The kid is unexpected, he'd made it plain he hated her and despised each breath she continued to take in his presence. Why the hell would the little gaki be in Wind? How did he managed to get here on his own?! The Kyuubi jinchurikki never thought she'd inflict him with her presence again and couldn't really blame him for the cold shoulder. Her sacrifice, after all, meant more than becoming a jailor. But, that he was here, waiting for her-
No. Don't get your hopes up, Kushina. You know damn well he could be there for any reason. He could be bait.
Despite herself, she was pleased and cautiously relieved the kid was ok. A laugh bubbled in the back of her throat even as she sped up towards the midget sprinting towards their position. No one sane would kidnap this kid and keep him. Mifune was a masochist to want to continue managing the constant verbal abuse she was sure the little brat maintained.
The other chakra though… that one reminds her of sea storms and bright stones that glowed like burnished gold in the sunset.
(A/N): Thoughts? Comments? Concerns?
~Yasha's Sis