Chapter 12

Sustainability Stone Arc part 2

Being led to a mission half blind set the six Genin into a nervous tension. Shinobi work can easily turn sour, and they were not only not shown the full picture, but encouraged not to ask needless questions.

Konoha's ninja made their way quickly from tree branch to tree branch, a quick flash of movement to the regular person who might be looking from the road for travelers below them.

As far as Moegi was willing to explain when they set out, "We're heading to Amegakure! Don't fall behind!"

Inojin and Shikadai answered "Yes Sensei!" with accustomed ease.

They took a turn west out of the village, and have been making their way hastily for twenty minutes.

Shikadai appears nonchalant, but Sarada knows him well enough to know he's more sharply tuned in than normal for this mission.

Sumire, Sarada notices, is particularly tense. It's a subtle thing, but after training with the girl for several weeks now, she can see it.

Wasabi catches Sarada's glance and winks, smirking.

Sarada doesn't smirk back, but her eyes gleam with excitement, she knows, and Wasabi's smirk turns wilder.

I should be more guarded about this mission.

Sarada scoffs; who's she kidding? This is the first thing in weeks which are remotely interesting in her job as a ninja. Absently, she scratches at a scar on her wrist – cat claws are the worst. I'll leave the worrying for Sumire and Shikadai…and the panic for Namida.

Sarada watches the brown haired girl with sympathy. She does well to appear brave, but it's clear she's gritting her teeth in fear. At that moment Sarada applauses Namida in her mind for deciding to face life as a shinobi with such a soft personality.

"It's getting even greener." Inojin hums, looking around appreciatively and Sarada knows he's committing it to memory to later draw.

The forests tend to dwindle as they approach different countries during missions.

"We're still six hours away." Hanabi Hyuga tells them.

The genin all readjust their stamina upon hearing that, and settle into a steady group pace.

"Listen, if it happens that we need to separate during this mission," Moegi starts, her voice loud and clear even over the wind rustling through their ears as they swoosh by. "Hanabi and her three genin will go one way, and my team and Sarada-chan will head the other way, understood?"

"Yes!" some of them call; the others just nod, panting due to the prolonged run.

Sarada herself is slightly out of breath, although less so than she would've been before she added so much Taijutsu practice on her plate. Then again, her plate was pretty empty, she bitterly acknowledges. She notices Shikadai and Namida are particularly tired.

"You kids are already out of breath? No stamina!" Moegi scolds them.

Inojin looks flustered and Shikadai rubs the back of his head, embarrassed.

Sarada notes that both boys, surprisingly, care about their Sensei's opinion of them. Sarada finds herself with newfound respect towards Moegi-Sensei; having gone to the academy with both Inojin and Shikadai she knows most teachers were unable to elicit any motivation out of either of them at times.

"Is there a reason for this strategy?" Sumire asks, frowning. Her breathing is heavy but steady and she seems to have balanced the long strain.

Hanabi spares her a glance. "I understand the need to process a situation is vital in your training, however the Hokage did press you should refrain from inquiring too deeply into this mission, Sumire." Hanabi says gently, but firmly nonetheless.

Sumire frowns. "But Sensei, we need to at least understand our fighting formations and the strategic logic behind them, if we are called to act in this mission." She insists.

Moegi glances back at her, and Sarada isn't sure if it's in approval or disapproval.

"Alright, that much we can divulge." Hanabi agrees, long brown hair flying behind her as she flashes gracefully from tree to tree. "As a team our teamwork is balanced and most practiced here, so it should keep figuring out how to fight together simple in an emergency with the least amount of unknown variables."

"Exactly." Moegi nods. "And Sarada should fit well with our formation as well." Moegi studies Sarada. "Do you mind being on the offensive? I remember your strength at the Chunin Exams – we'd only need to adjust a little around your abilities to substitute Cho-Cho."

Sarada stares at the two Jonin looking at her and her excitement turns chilly and rolls up to her throat, making it harder to breath. "Of course. Am I restricted to physical strength?"

Moegi rolls her eyes, but it doesn't seem annoyed, but rather fond. "Of course not! It's a battle! Just figure out the best move when it's time." She calls confidently, her orange hair bobbing up and down in their rabbit buns as she moves fluidly from tree to tree, barely out of breath at all.

Nervous she'll be the only one having to figure things out as they go on this mission, Sarada gulps and nods. "Yes!"

"You were going to tell us that much anyways, weren't you?" Sumire asks, somewhat embarrassed.

Hanabi grins proudly. "Yes, if you hadn't asked us, we'd have just gone on explaining all of this right away."

Sumire sends her teacher an apologetic look. "Sorry."

"What we learn, how hard we train, and our orders; that's what leads us through a mission." Hanabi slows down. "But it's our instincts that save our lives when we're on the field." She pets Sumire on the head kindly. "You were right to follow the feeling telling you this is something worth insisting on." Hanabi resumes her pace easily.

Namida and Wasabi each elbow Sumire from either side in camaraderie and she grins, sheepishness gone.

"Alright, try not to slow down the pace here, we're expected within half a day!" Moegi calls loudly, again easily overheard by all of them.

"Yes Sensei!"

"Yes, Moegi-Sensei!"

"Five minutes break!" Moegi barks and all six Genin collapse in unison off the tree to the plump soft grass.

"My feet are killing me." Namida sighs, relaxing her shoulders.

"This mission is going to be so hard!" Shikadai complains, his arm pulled over his face.

"Why do you figure?" Inojin asks, trying to catch his breath.

"Because just getting there is already exhausting!" Shikadai grumbles.

"What did you expect, we're literally travelling to another country in under a day – " Wasabi rolls her shoulders, trying to ease tension.

Sarada tunes them out, blinking at the soft sky. Clouds upon clouds are blocking the sun, but she thinks it's already well into the afternoon. They set out during early morning.

A voice next to her draws her attention back.

"Sarada, Konohamaru said you're pretty good with analyzing situations under pressure – we're counting on you."

Sarada looks up at Moegi. "Right." Her stomach clenches even more.

"Should you be adding to the pressure she's already feeling?" Hanabi asks, raising an eyebrow at Moegi.

"It's not pressure, it's good nerves – the kind that reminds you what's at stake and keeps you alive when bad stuff happens." Moegi shrugs, claps Sarada on the shoulder encouragingly, and rises.

"Good nerves." Sarada repeats, unsure.

"Don't worry, she'll be right there for you when it counts, she's just trying to prepare you." Hanabi says kindly.

"Thank you, Hanabi-Sensei." Sarada says, trying to calm down. I just haven't been on a real mission in a while, that's all. She tells herself.

"Oi New-Chubbers," Inojin lightly kicks her leg from where he's sitting, leaning back on a rock. "You know we've got your back, right?" he tells her.

"Of course." She answers at once, but her nerves inexplicably decelerate. She shoots him a grateful look.

"Hey you guys want some cucumber water while you're at it?" Moegi calls, standing over them.

The Genin all look up at her, perplexed.

She taps her watch. "Five minutes are up."

They all groan.

"We need to hurry." Hanabi seconds, and, still grumbling, they all make it to their feet and quickly climb the nearest trees.

Rain country doesn't look as nice as it sounds. The forests thin and the trees turn bare and wary looking, and a constant drizzle accompanies them as they pass village after village of bare boned stone houses and struggling people.

It's after they've had their lunch break and resumed their way for a couple hours more before they come across their first city – or at least a more populated and advanced village.

"My glasses are all wet." Sarada says. Her glasses have become very difficult to see with, after several raindrops fell on them through the hood and stained the glass.

"It's been raining for hours." Shikadai says, tugging his water-coat hood further over his head.

"Amegakure." Moegi nods at him. "If it doesn't rain for two days in a row – the people of Ame consider that a draught!"

"The rain gets stronger in the hidden village itself." Hanabi tells them. "Make sure to account for that when you're planning your moves."

"Yes!" the Genin all call, and Sarada notes it in her head.

"Will we really enter the village itself, Sensei?" Wasabi asks, her hood down uncaringly and her hand combing the water drops from her short hair. "After all, we're ninja from a foreign country and they're also a shinobi village."

Both Jonin ignore her and she rolls her eyes. Clearly, they won't be getting an answer to her question.

"Wonder what that says about your instincts, Wasabi-chan." Inojin says innocently.

Sarada and Shikadai smile.

Wasabi hisses at him, much like she sometimes does when her ninjutsu is active. "Up yours, Yamanaka." She declares.

Namida and Sumire giggle, trying to pretend that they're not.

"Hey, you're my teammates!" Wasabi grumbles. "Hey – oh, wow!" they take a turn and really see the first city of Amegakure.

The dark red towers easily towered the trees around them, high up as though attempting to reach beyond the rain. Blue, green, and red tubes go all around them, making them seem like factories of some sorts. There were newer and older looking ones, spread across the territory before them. Between them there are advanced looking buildings and houses, all dark tones in color, keeping with the colors of the towers.

"Those are hella bitchn'." Wasabi notes, eyes wide at the strange type of architecture they've never come across before.

"Those are hella high." Inojin says, cranking his neck. "It's giving me a headache to look all the way up."

"Yeah, so try not to." Moegi grins. "The distance messes up your head. Many shinobi tried keeping an eye on the tops of these towers and ended up dizzy-headed and were taken easily by surprise."

"So –" Shikadai's immediate worry is stopped quickly by Moegi who seems to have seen it coming.

"So luckily we've got Hanabi-san with us."

Hanabi grins at them, her blank purple eyes crinkling. "Leave it to me."

Namida smiles with relief at her teacher. "You can see all the way up those towers, Sensei?"

"Mm." Hanabi nods reassuringly.

"Don't underestimate Konoha's Hyuga clan kids!" Moegi tells them grandly, and Hanabi grins. "Because they don't like it!"

Sarada isn't able to smother her snort of laughter, not having expected the jonin's snark. Namida, Wasabi, and Sumire seem to be struggling with their laughter as well, trying to hide it behind their hands from their teacher. Shikadai and Inojin both smile, not looking surprised.

Hanabi folds her arms across her chest and raises her eyebrow at Moegi's smug smirk.

"Proving my point there, Hanabi-San."

Hanabi shakes her head, showing a small smile of her own. "Come on everybody, we're cutting through the city." She takes off and the six Genin stumble trying to keep up with her sudden speed, as Moegi easily takes up the rear and follows behind them.

The city seems vibrant and active, despite the morbid architecture and constant rain, as people bustle around without sparring them a glance.

Sarada tugs on her hood, making sure it's hiding the symbol on her headband. They're probably allowed here, but the people would still likely react badly to shinobi from other countries so deep in their territory.

It's half an hour later, and they've crossed through the city, flashed by two other small villages, and reached an area that frankly, seemed rather bare-boned from…everything except rain and earth.

Hanabi-sensei stops and glances at Moegi-sensei who nods.

"Two hours and THIS is the place you picked to stop for rest?!" Shikadai demands, mud sticking up to his thighs and raincoat drenched.

"Alright, fifteen minutes west of this spot is The Village Hidden in the Rain." Moegi calls authoritatively, and Sarada is again surprised at how easy it is to catch her words even under the heavy rain (it has been raining harder and harder the more they moved inside of Rain country).

"As Hanabi-san and I have planned, we've managed to arrive five hours early!" Moegi says without an ounce of shame.

The Genin all stare at her.

Inojin whistles, blinking shrewdly at his teacher. "I can't feel my legs." He tells her.

"You'll live." She doesn't even blink. "Now, since you six have never before been part of such a high profile mission, nor intermixed your teamwork once you've graduated the academy, we've decided we needed to prepare you a little first."

"Prepare how, Sensei?" Sumire asks, glancing between the two Jonin.

Hanabi jumps away from the group, facing them with her unreadable expression.

"Oh no…" Namida flinches and her eyes water, and even Wasabi looks hesitant.

"We told you the preferable outcome – in any given situation we're forced to separate, we've decided on the teams." Moegi calls, drawing some of the attention back to her, although none of Hanabi's three students turned their backs on their teacher. Moegi gives the three kunoichi an approving grin. "However, it's possible we'll be forced to separate without a say with who we end up with. For this purpose, we'll now randomly group and regroup you six, and since we're trying to ready you for a worst-case-scenario we'll assume neither Hanabi-san nor I will be present."

Sarada's nerves calm a little, with how crazy this day has been; at least they aren't throwing six genin into an SSS-Rank mission without prepping them a bit for what they might end up facing there, no matter the urgency.

She nods sharply, and a small fountain of water slides down her hood. Sarada grimaces, hoping not to forget about the rain everywhere during the fight. It reminds her of her fight in their field trip at the Hidden Mist Village, and how she did end up copying a water release jutsu from her opponent who stole one of the seven swords.

"Looks like Sarada's up for it, good! The rest of you, either step up or go quiver in fear in the corner." Moegi calls cheerfully, but no one moves.

Sarada hears Shikadai's mutter "There are no corners here." But even he doesn't take the out offered.

"Hanabi-san is the enemy, taking your random group by surprise. Make do with whatever you've got. I'll add little surprises along the way, as the environment factor." Moegi tells them, and after a breath she calls "Shikadai, Namida, and Sarada, GO!"

They really went for as random as it gets.

"Yes!" the three call, and move to face Hanabi-sensei, moving closer than the rest.

"Good luck you three!" Inojin calls easily. "You'll need it!"

Sarada ignores him as Wasabi barks "You can do it, Namida!"

Shikadai gives her a calculating look, before moving it to Namida and Sarada realizes instantly that despite the unexpectedness of the grouping he's determined to quickly come up with a suitable formation.

Sarada leaves Namida to watch Hanabi-sensei like a hawk, and makes sure to keep Moegi-sensei in her peripheral vision – who knows what her 'surprises' will manifest as.

"Any advice, Namida?" Shikadai asks, looking grimly at Hanabi.

"When facing Hanabi-sensei?" Namida asks, her voice high and nervous for what's to come. "Yeah, run."

Shikadai turns to Sarada and yells to be overheard above the rain. "Think you can get close enough to try and distort her Byakugan with a genjutsu?"

Sarada blinks at him, dumbfounded.

Holy crap, can that be done with a strong enough Sharingan? Can Dad do that?

"You shouldn't let your enemy in on your plans, Shikadai." Hanabi's voice washes over the three genin through the rain gently, and before the words even finish singing Shikadai's thrown into the ground, splashing mud everywhere and yelling. Where he stood, Hanabi stands with veins popping around her eyes and her hand still extended with the move she used to throw Shikadai.

There isn't a moment to acknowledge the action, there isn't a second to understand the order of events, before Namida's mouth opens and she's taking a breath in –

Sarada's heart jumps with hope – Namida seems to be working on autopilot with the speed with which she saw it coming.

"Don't think so Nami-chan." Hanabi's fond words contradict with the harsh hand gripping Namida's jaw and nose forcing her mouth to stay shut, and it's then that Sarada sees just a little faster – there's no way she's strong enough to use the Sharingan against Hanabi, but she saw Shikadai being thrown with the Sharingan – and she sees the flex of muscles and the familiar stance and knows she has three seconds during which Hanabi is going to throw Namida through the air as well for Sarada to act.

Knowing she doesn't have time for hand signs she throws three shuriken, bending the lower two with her thumb like she's been practicing.

Namida is flying through the air and Hanabi doesn't even look Sarada's way as she reaches out to stop the shuriken with a kunai in her hand, when Namida's shout reaches them and Sarada falls, ears tearing, and Hanabi flinches.

"Hhhhhhhhhha!" Namida, her mouth no longer restricted, aimed her jutsu in their direction from the air and ended up including Sarada in the attack.

Sarada blinks, as the world goes silent. Hanabi blocks the straight shuriken with ease, but Sarada misses the sound of the metal clashing. Sarada's heart quickens with fear until she remembers the feeling from her academy days.

Namida's jutsu.

Relived her hearing will return in a few seconds, Sarada watches with confusion as Hanabi doesn't even glance at the two shuriken who collided behind her back and one swooshes to her neck dangerously. Not able to hear the shuriken, presumably, just like Sarada who can't hear anything, Hanabi still dodges fluently and the shuriken passes her. Hanabi sees Sarada's incredulous look and grins, tapping her eyes lightly.

That shuriken was aimed at her blind spot – does the Byakugan really have such a crazy field of sight?

Hanabi then hops as a shadow stretches beneath her feet, trying to capture her, before throwing the kunai in her hand softly behind her to where Shikadai is presumably.

Before Sarada can attempt to figure out how to fight without her hearing, she feels a foot on her back and she yells, before her chest hits the muddy earth and Hanabi has her arm twisted behind her and a knee keeping her down.

The Hanabi before her vanishes in a PUFF of smoke, and Sarada knows the real one is the one pinning her down.

Her ears are ringing painfully, but finally sound returns to her, as she hears the pitter-patter of the rain again.

"Kill Namida, or I'll kill Sarada." Hanabi's clear voice calls and Sarada has to wiggle on the mud to catch Shikadai's shocked expression, where he freezes mid hand sign.

"Stop!" Moegi-sensei's voice rang across the clearing, and the pressure keeping Sarada down vanishes.

Sarada gets up slowly, rubbing her ears.

Shikadai, Namida and Sarada share looks, unable to believe how badly that went. They're better than this, after all.

Moegi gathers them and says "Shikadai, you did well asking Namida for advice on how to approach the threat seeing how she has the most knowledge about Hanabi-san, but then you ignored her, which was a mistake." She tells him.

"She said to run away." Shikadai argues.

"Yes, because Hanabi-san is above your rank, and when you face someone much stronger than you on the field you don't risk letting you teammates die and the mission fail when you can instead attempt for a distraction and evasion." She says without pause. "Namida, you started well but then lost your concentration and, panicked, and allowed one of your own teammates to suffer under your jutsu."

Namida sinks inside of her raincoat sadly. "Sorry Sarada." She apologizes.

Moegi doesn't let Sarada answer. "Sarada, your reaction was late, but the shuriken you used did help you analyze the enemy better. However, am I right in assuming you quickly lost all whereabouts of your teammates during the dual?"

Sarada grits her teeth but nods.

"And so you got caught and could've easily been used against your own team." Meogi looks at the three muddy genin. "Next round!" She calls.

Sarada, Namida, and Shikadai retreat dejectedly, and Wasabi, Inojin, and Sumire head carefully to where Hanabi-sensei is.

"Shikadai, Sumire, and Wasabi." Moegi says clearly, and Inojin gapes at her.

"But I haven't –"

"You three have had way too long to assume you'd be the next team, which means you've all been thinking about how to work with each other and that defeats the idea of this exercise." Moegi shrugs and ushers a pale Shikadai forward again.

"GO!"

It doesn't get better, until their fourth round with Sumire, Inojin, and Sarada when just as they are starting to hold their own – Inojin's paintings and ink doing their best to cover Hanabi's powerful vision, Sarada distracting her movements by throwing shuriken left and right causing Hanabi to either block them or perform a Hyuga jutsu that protects her all around, letting Sumire slowly aim précised water attacks that Hanabi can't ignore - when Moegi 'surprises' them with an earthquake.

"Don't let anything surprise you!" Moegi scolds, while Sarada makes her way over, carrying boots heavy with mud. "Accept that you can't control everything and use it to the best of your abilities!"

After that, Moegi does her best to show them what she means – sometimes switching places with Hanabi-sensei, other times summoning nin-animals to neutrally pester either side of the battle, etc.

At first it goes badly – the six genin are beaten one by one repeatedly in the constant rain coming down hard on them – but after several rounds all six of their eyes blaze even as muddy and wet as they are outside and inside of their raincoats.

They are ninja, after all, and they can all tell they are gaining experience through this is something none of them ever attempted before.

When Moegi calls "Sarada, Sumire – GO!" they don't even blink despite it being the first time they only have two in a group.

Both girls share a quick look before jumping on Hanabi – neither wanted to wait to be attacked again. Unable to keep up the Sharingan so much, nor having stamina to use ninjutsu so many times in such a short amount of time, Sarada ends up relying on shurikenjutsu and taijutsu (thank you Lee-San).

The others too, slowly realize that exhausted, in an emergency, they won't be able to move carelessly either and so everyone fights passionately, but without the attacks that take the most steam out of them.

Sarada runs out of weapons twice, and has started at some point to tie them with wires before tossing them, so they'll easily come back to her. She refuses to shuffle in the mud again in search of something to attack with as Moegi-sensei scolds her for not thinking ahead.

"Sumire, Wasabi, Inojin, Shikadai – GO!"

Mid-attack, Sarada fluently jumps back, clearing the field. They're gotten used to being interrupted without warning.

By the end they have all been thrown so randomly together over and over again, Sarada feels a good kind of exhaustion overcome her – the type that you're proud of, because you gained from it.

"Alright, that's much better!" Moegi calls. "We've got a room with a shower waiting for us in the village – you six will clean up and we'll head over!"

"Yes Sensei!" the genin shout back, bruised, bleeding, out of breath, and content.

As they make their way, it doesn't feel like going into a dangerous mission anymore for Sarada. It feels like going in to take a final exam, already tired but ready, having just finished a practice test with perfect score, and you know that no matter how much longer you'd have had to study, this is as ready as you'll ever be.

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