"We need to recover Yamashiro Aoba."
The Hokage said as she sat back in her chair. Miho felt a nervous thrill crawl through her gut when Lady's Tsunade's eyes fell sought her out among the gathered shinobi. Team Kurenai, Team Genma, and Team Asuma were gathered. The shortage of seasoned shinobi never seemed more evident. Mostly chūnin shinobi were being sent to retrieve Yamashiro Aoba from Orochimaru. It seemed absolutely negligent. There was hardly any choice.
Yet, Miho knew that it was from a mixture of causes.
Miho nearly threw up when Genma described the scene. The way that Aoba's body was mangled by one of Kukuzu's attacks. How he'd watched as a snake swallowed Aoba-sensei whole as massive trees fell under Fū's onslaught. Aoba-sensei had been barely conscious when he'd been consumed, looking to the rest of the team, knowing they could do nothing. Genma-sensei's eyes were so haunted when he described it to her and Shin. Tetsuya had already gone to bed that evening, exhausted from the funeral.
"Why would Orochimaru bother taking Aoba-sensei though? Why not just kill him?" Shin's question— asked in the quietest, most careful voice she could remember— still reverberated in her mind as she stared back at the Hokage.
"Who was Orochimaru partnered with in Konoha?" Genma-sensei shot Miho a significant look.
Danzō.
"And what did that bastard want?"
"I doubt he wanted him for his good looks." Genma-sensei had sighed.
"How could he have known Aoba-sensei knew?"
The Hokage let out a breath, reaching for a scroll on her desk. "It seems that Grass Country would like a deal with the Akimichi Clan." Miho felt herself straighten and she saw Chōji do the same in her peripheral vision. A thrill of nausea struck her, burrowing deep in her get, pushing her morning muffins into her throat. "Despite Grass Country's best efforts, a majority of their rice crops failed due to the storms this past spring. The peoples' pleading with their daimyo has resulted in a deal with our own daimyo, to the tune of a significant amount of money. Your father is in the capital now settling negotiations."
Negotiations. Sure. Miho felt her stomach clench. The Akimichi were overtaxed as it was, paying for past mistakes. If Akimichi rice was exported, then…that meant that the demands of the village would be outsourced a bit. That would remove the village's dependence on the Akimichi for imports, something the village had been angling for since her abduction.
Convenient, that.
She wondered, not for the first time, if this was how the Uchiha felt. When that thought surfaced, she immediately squashed it.
Miho straightened, realizing that she was present not only as a member of Team Five, but as a representative of the Akimichi Clan. To her right, Chōji did the same, raising his chin and putting his bag of chips away. He stepped forward as if summoned and Miho followed his lead, settling at his right side just a step behind.
It was so easy to fall into the mannerisms of a noble clan head's second born. Her mother and father had drilled this protocol. She and Chōji had practiced this since they were toddlers. No matter how much distance there was between them, these trained habits were strong. She felt both right and wrong standing there, awkwardly knowing that all of this stemmed from her father's decisions.
"At Chōji's side, you present a strong front. A single Akimichi can be overpowered, true enough, two Akimichi however, cannot be shaken."
When her father told them that years ago, Miho had grappled with the image of her father and brother standing against a figure in a black, red, and white overcoat in the ruins of Konoha. Her brother was scared then, but stood strong. Until their father…Until he…Miho shook her head.
"I have approved that rice from Akimichi Sui's farm be exported to Grass Country on conditions outlined herein." Great Uncle Sui's farm was one of the biggest rice producers in Fire Country. That was…a significant amount of rice. Miho carefully didn't allow her expression to falter. Inside, she felt like yelling. "As you can see, your father's seal is there." The Hokage held out a red and gold scroll. "He signed it before he left for the capital this morning."
Though, as a shinobi, Chōji would have accepted a mission scroll, this scroll was a trade deal. It required different procedures if a lower-ranked Akimichi was present. Noble clans had very particular customs. This was one of them. Miho stepped forward and took the scroll, opening it for Chōji. She was careful not to read, leaving that to her brother as was his duty. Her attention shot over to where Ino stood. Her blue eyes were narrowed, focused on the Hokage. Shikamaru, too, was alert.
Miho handed the scroll over, resuming her position at his shoulder.
She watched him stiffen. His normally kind eyes became sharper the longer he read the scroll. It was a flash of the brother she knew lurked there, after he'd tore out someone's heart. After a few long moments, her brother pulled in a breath, swallowed, and rolled the scroll back up. He held it out for Miho to take.
"Our father's seal is given. The deal with Grass Country will be kept by the Akimichi."
It's not good. Ino's voice entered her mind. Though her best friend's voice was calm and even, the edge of barely bridled anger was tinging it. They're charging the Akimichi the export tax and then taxing the profits at such a high margin that it doesn't level out. Miho took a deep, focusing breath. Vaguely, Miho wondered when the clan would stop paying the price (quite literally) for her father's actions. Miho stiffened, looking back to where the Hokage sat, observing.
A flash of something passed over the Hokage's eyes before she looked over to the assembled teams.
"Team Kurenai, your primary mission is the location of Yamashiro Aoba."
Kurenai-sensei nodded from where she stood in front of Hinata, Shino, and Kiba.
"Team Genma and Team Asuma, your primary mission is the protection of Akimichi Chōji as a representative of the Akimichi Clan in the delivery of this signed missive." Her eyes alighted onto Genma-sensei, whose expression was bland and tired and— she saw flash of anger there as well. "Asuma might be mission-ready, Shiranui. You're definitely not. Looks like Team Genma will need a replacement captain." She waved her hand at Chōji, dismissing him.
Miho followed him back to the teams, locking eyes with Tetsuya.
"And you're not mission-ready either, kid."
Miho sucked in a breath, looking from the Hokage to Tetsuya.
"Lady Hoka—"
"Besides, Yugao has requested you for an independent mission. It seems Hayate Gekko left some traps in their home." Miho thought that was the most bullshit independent mission excuse that she'd ever heard. Yugao was ANBU. She knew how to disarm traps. She was pregnant, not unable. Clearly, Tetsuya also thought it was a ridiculous lie as well. When he opened his mouth to argue, Genma-sensei reached over and settled a hand on Tetsuya's shoulder.
Miho could see the conflict, the anger, the hurt flickering through his dark eyes as he spun around to face her and Shin. His shoulders rolled forward as he tried to force himself to keep it bottled up, to keep his rage under control. No matter how much she wanted to, Miho couldn't comfort him here.
It would do more harm than good.
"Tetsuya, this is an order."
Her heart wrenched in her chest when his eyes screwed shut, teeth clearly grinding as his jaw worked. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, Tetsuya's face smoothed out and his shoulder rolled back again.
"Affirmative, Lady Hokage." He turned and bowed, stepping back to stand at Genma-sensei's other side.
Genma-sensei rested a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it firmly as if to ground Tetsuya to one place. Miho felt sick watching how her teammate hid his shattering.
Why would the Hokage—
"So, you'll need a member and a captain or rather, you two will need to join another team." She turned her head toward the door. "GET IN HERE!"
"Yo."
Miho almost, almost threw herself out of the Hokage's office window.
Kakashi-sensei gave a small two-fingered salute, smiling behind his mask. Next to him, Sakura smiled and nodded in greeting. Miho returned the smile as best she could, trying not to choke. A medic like Sakura would be absolutely invaluable if they found Aoba-sensei. Tetsuya's absence from the mission made sense. Tsunade stood as Miho and Shin walked over to stand with Sakura.
"Well then, Team Kakashi?" The Hokage narrowed her eyes at the newly assembled team. Miho wondered if she'd ever heard a more frightening set of words. It took everything in her will to not turn around and look to Genma-sensei. "Your mission is the protection of Akimichi Chōji during this delivery of a signed trade deal. Teams Kurenai, Asuma, and Kakashi, you depart at zero-nine-hundred. Recover or retrieve Yamashiro Aoba. Get to it."
"I know you want to go, Tetsuya, but listen to me. Please." Miho was getting tired of this. As patient as she was trying to be, her teammate was pushing every single button he knew all too well how to push. Shin was of no help, prepping his own pack for the mission. There wasn't a whisper of complaint out of him. Or he was just being merciful. Miho wasn't quite sure at this point who was feeling what and why. Tetsuya was angry. Shin was accepting. Miho was resigned. "Tetsuya…"
"It was my teacher that was killed. My master! I have as much right, if not more, to go out there! It should be me going on this mission, not Haruno Sakura!" Miho jerked at the reminder that, by all technicalities, she and Shin would be joining Team Kakashi for this mission.
Miho didn't want to think on that any more than she had to. She also bit down the logic that Sakura was a medic, one that would be sorely needed on this mission. Tetsuya wouldn't be receptive to it.
"It should be me, not Ino or Chōji or Shikamaru! Or Team Kurenai."
He pulled off his bandanna and threw it to the floor like a child half his age throwing a fit. His hair fell in sweat-matted waves onto his reddened face; the scar there twisted, skin taut and pulling. The bandanna was his usual green fabric, a gift from Lee. She could see the tears burning in his eyes. There was so much hurt and frustration there. If he could just go on this mission, he could do something. Tetsuya always faced everything head-on. Hell, he left his clan. Tetsuya acted on his emotions. She knew her teammate and she could only hope that the Hokage was right.
Miho pulled in a breath, turning her back to him to make way for her bedroom. She had twenty minutes to suit up, pack, and arrive to the gate. And she'd already wasted two of those minutes arguing with Tetsuya.
She pulled the flak jacket on over her vest. The bear fur tickled at her cheeks as she zipped it up. She pulled out her arm guards, strapping them into place while ignoring Tetsuya's ranting from the doorway to her bedroom. His voice was getting desperate. She tried to focus on the habits. She tried to focus on the monotony. She tried to tune him out in the pattern.
"— and Genma-sensei, too! I thought we were moving forward as a team! He should've said some—"
That was where Miho drew the line.
"Tetsuya! Please!"
Tetsuya went still. She could feel him tense even as she tried to focus on fastening her right guard. She was always better with her right hand, no matter what training she underwent. "Genma-sensei isn't going either. How do you think he feels? Aoba-sensei is important to him, but he's trapped here. Injured. He just lost a friend and a teammate. He might lose more. And he'll be in physical therapy for months. This is Aoba-sensei. Tetsuya, stop it. Please."
Miho looked over at the team picture that sat on her windowsill.
Back when Koji was alive. When they'd all finished a mission. There was a kind of exhilaration caught in the picture. They were all looking up at Genma-sensei. Miho's eyes trailed down to where her leg was still wrapped. Tetsuya's bandana. That day, Koji had gotten a toothpick from the barbeque they'd visited. Everyone, even Genma-sensei, seemed so young then.
She sensed Tetsuya withdraw from her doorway after a few moments. Swallowing, she finished pulling together her mission pack, stopping at the pantry in the hallway for food scrolls. As she stood there, staring at the food, Miho tried to calm her nerves. She could do this.
Team Asuma. Team Gai. Team Kakashi. Her.
Orochimaru.
Aoba-sensei.
Shit.
It was a chilling day when the most comforting, and most damning, part of a retrieval mission was that the captured shinobi was an interrogation specialist. He could withstand the worst. He was trained to withstand all that an enemy could use to extract information.
But that meant…Aoba-sensei might have to undergo the worst.
From Orochimaru himself.
Miho settled her shaking hand on a food scroll, curving herself a bit more into the darkness of the cupboard. She settled her head against a package of ramen, focusing all of her attention on the sharp edges of the noodles pressing against her forehead. The stale, salty scent of it reminded her of Naruto. He loved that flavor. She always kept it here, just in case.
Fisting her hands over two more food scrolls, Miho pulled in a deep breath and held it. Her teeth gritted.
She was stronger than this. She was stronger than the panic, than the fear. She was strong. She was inheritor of the Akimichi staff style. She was inheritor of the Okuda legacy. She was a Bear, damn it. Finding some kind of fortitude deep in her gut, Miho opened her eyes and pulled away from the cupboard, pushing the extra scrolls into her pockets.
A bear.
Be a Bear.
Bears are strong. They protect their-
Shit.
Brows drawing together, Miho's face set in determination and she spun on her heel. How could she forget? It wasn't like there weren't a million things happening at once, but she still forgot. Guilt for that was gnawing at the back of her throat. She was a bear with terrible memory. "Shin! I'll meet you at the gate in ten!" He yelled an affirmative.
Miho threw her pack over her shoulder and wrenched open the front door, looking over to Tetsuya's room. The door was closed.
That seemed louder than his raised voice.
"Tetsuya! I love you! Stay safe!"
She didn't hear his response, if there was one, as she leapt over to the neighboring grocery store roof.
It'd taken her years to control her weight and chakra just right so that she didn't make dents in the rooftops as she ran. When she'd been a little girl, she'd watched in awe as her father and cousins and uncles and aunts took to the roofs of Konoha, flitting around like butterflies despite their weight. Just like a butterfly's wings, which seemed so light an delicate, held up a large body, chakra held Akimichi bodies. She'd never thought she could manage such delicate control. Yet, now, she landed on the rooftops with as much ease as any kunoichi or shinobi.
"You must be delicate. Not only because your chakra demands it. Not only because your weight demands it. Not only because your strength demands it. You must be delicate because—"
"My life demands it?"
"Manners, cub. Not just your life. Life itself demands delicacy."
She landed in front of the hospital. Miho could only hope that the Hokage would allow her this. She could only hope that Tsunade didn't have a hangover. She could only hope that this was…something.
"Good morning, Emiko." Miho greeted the woman who usually manned the front desk. Emiko's expression was a dull 'what-do-you-want' that came with the service industry and too many tiring and eccentric shinobi about. "Is Lady Hokage here?"
"Room 212, tending to little Iwa—"
Miho didn't wait, hurrying up the staircases. When she arrived in the hallway on the second level, which was dim in the mid-morning light, Lady Tsunade was standing in outside of Room 212, scowling down at the clipboard in her hand. Shizune stood at her side, murmuring quietly as TonTon snorted. It was three minutes to mission departure. Lady Tsunade's attention snapped in Miho's direction, eyes narrowed.
"Get over here, Akimichi."
Wasting no time, Miho rushed to the Hokage's side, pulling the scarf from around her shoulders. "Lady Hokage, can you please give this to my friend? She's here in the hospital and I know she'll wake up feeling alone and…"
Fū would eventually wake up here, alone. No one knew she was here. Her assigned teammates were dead. She couldn't return to her village. Miho hadn't even seen her. It seemed to be one thing after another. Hayate-sensei, Genma-sensei, Aoba-sensei... In the rush of the funeral and the mission, Miho'd forgotten. She'd forgotten that Fū was here and had likely lost all she'd ever known.
Her friend would eventually wake, and Miho was so scared for her. Just imagining Naruto, or any of her friends, in the same situation made Miho feel sick to her stomach.
Naruto, alone in some enclosed space. Ino, buried. Shikamaru, interred. Tetsuya, Rock...With no one seeming to care. Alone.
A space that felt too much like an underground cell.
Miho shivered.
No.
None of them.
And not Fū either.
Miho would make sure of it. None of them would face that. She felt something snap into place in her mind and her heart. She wouldn't let anything like that happen to them. "She needs to know that someone is there." Miho fell into a low bow, holding her scarf up. "Please, Lady Hokage."
Miho felt the auburn scarf leave her fingers before a hand came to rest on her head, pressing down over the curls. Glancing up, she saw the expression on the Hokage's face, the expression she sometimes reserved for Sakura, Naruto, Shikamaru, or others she was fond of. Miho had never received that expression before. Not from Tsunade. She always tended to look at Miho with frustration or puzzlement. Never fondness.
"I'll make sure your friend gets this, Miho. I give you my word."
Giving a single nod, Miho focused her energy and smiled, darting for the closest opening. A window in a nearby unoccupied room. It was wide enough that Miho could fit through comfortably, without feeling like she was pushing herself through a grater. Finally, some plus-size consideration in that stupid hospital!
"Brat?" Miho stopped, turning to look back at the Hokage over her shoulder. The Hokage was framed in the doorway, arms crossed. Behind her, Shizune smiled a bit. "Be careful out there."
"Noses right, Aoba is being held at a small installation housed in a mountainside here." The pug's paw rested over a position on the terrain map, pain pinpointing an exact location. "Looks like an old mine from back in the Third War. Konoha blew it up then. Iwa was extracting talc." The dog looked up, expression grim. Ino had always wondered how familiars and summons learned the expressions of humans and why. Did they use those emotions to communicate better?
"What're you not saying, Pakkun?" Kakashi-sensei prompted, all business.
Pakkun seemed to sigh, looking up at his partner. "There was a lot of blood. He put it on everything he could manage. Smart, resourceful, until he doesn't have blood left." The dog licked his paw. "Unless he was distracted, the Snake would've noticed the blood." With that said, the pug disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Ino watched as the group grappled with that statement. The senior-most shinobi took it in stride and stepped away, discussing strategy. Asuma, Kurenai and Kakashi debated the benefits of a tree-pronged attack. After a couple moments, Asuma gestured for Shikamaru to come over to their little planning party as well. Ino rolled her eyes and looked back to the other chūnins. No one made a move. With a roll of her eyes, she stepped away from her position by Chōji.
"Alright! Shino, Hinata: firewood. Chōji, Kiba: tents. Miho, Shin: food. Sakura: actually make sure Kiba puts up the tents and Chōji doesn't end up doing all the work."
Kiba let out a loud scoff, crossing his arms as Hinata and Shino disappeared into the woods. Ino crossed her arms in turn, glaring hard at the Inuzuka. He caved after only a few seconds, throwing up his hands and walking away with his tail between his legs. He always thought he was some kind of Alpha. Scoffing, Ino shook her head.
Miho and Shin moved toward a fallen tree nearby, settling their packs to lean against it. They were speaking in quiet tones, expressions downcast and serious. Ino clicked her tongue, barely able to resist the urge to enter Miho's mind and figure out what was going on. Whatever it was hung between them. Really, her friend was obvious enough. Shin was less obvious, but even he had his tells.
Just like Sai. Sai's eyes were sometimes so soulful that you could see his every emotion. Shin was the same— the hurt and worry was clear in the tension of his jaw and at the corner of his eyes.
Tetsuya threw a fit, made his teammates feel terrible, and then didn't even say goodbye to his 'family' as they went on a dangerous damn mission. Ino could've wrecked him for his thoughtlessness.
Ino wondered sometimes if he forgot that she was apprenticing in the T&I Department as part of her work in Intelligence. Or that Shikamaru had a revenge streak a mile wide. Or that Chōji was stupidly protective. It took several stern looks to keep Chōji from asking about it. That, Ino could only image, would only last for so long with Miho and Shin looking so…reticent.
The itch to enter Miho's mind was getting stronger. Ino instead focused her energy elsewhere, fixating on the bickering between Sakura and Kiba.
"Shut up and just get it done!" Sakura hissed, thoroughly riled.
Ino looked at Chōji, meeting his eyes as he pushed a stake into the ground. She didn't need to hear his thoughts. Please, make them stop. Even if he was supposed to be Honored Guest, here he was putting up the tents. And Kiba was doing jack shit. Like always. Ino whirled around, ready to use every bit of her skills in intimidation to bring him into submission.
"What's with the long faces, Team Five?" Kiba called across the camp, making Shin and Miho lift their eyes from where they'd been unpacking some MREs. Kiba's eyes narrowed, considering the pair for a moment. "Oh hey! Looks like you've lost weight, Akimichi! Congrats!"
Chōji was standing in the next second, body blocking Kiba's line-of-sight to Miho. Ino barely had time to grab his arm. It was only his conditioning in responding to teammate signals that made Chōji pause, fist halfway to Kiba's startled face. Ankamaru barked.
The camp had gone quiet.
"Hey. Cool off, Chōji." Shikamaru called from where he stood by Asuma-sensei. His stare flickered to her momentarily. Ino took the hint and connected Shikamaru's mind to Chōji's, knowing that he was one of the only voices in that clearing that would calm him down. He's an idiot, man. Probably didn't mean anything by it. Hell, he might not even know.
"What the hell, Chōji!" Kiba growled, hands fisting at his sides. "What the hell was—"
For his trouble, he received a smack to the back of his head so strong that it sent him flying forward into the nearly-finished first tent that Chōji'd built. He wailed, throwing himself onto his back to stare up at Sakura and then at Chōji with wide eyes. A few feet away, Ankamaru whined. The nin-dog didn't approach, watching as his partner glared. At least Kiba wasn't idiotic enough to drag his dog into this with him.
"You should never comment on an Akimichi losing weight. Why? Because often that weight-loss, outside of battle, is due to something traumatic or connotated 'bad.'" Shino explained as he entered the clearing. He walked over to where Shin and Miho sat, setting a pile of firewood nearby.
"Losing weight is a good thing!" Kiba argued back, not knowing when to shut his mouth. "It was a compliment!"
Ino tightened her grip on Chōji before he could launch himself down onto Kiba. For all that Chōji struggled with his weight, he also struggled with how people mis-characterized the weight of his clan. Ino realized, to some shame, that her former self—the one from the Images—didn't understand. Not until she was older. Now, Ino could see that it was frustration that led many of Chōji's outbursts.
Not defensiveness or shame.
Frustration.
"Not for Akimichi." It was Miho's voice that spoke up. She glanced over to the jōnin, who were observing the exchange. With a nod of her head, she signaled that the situation was handled. Asuma-sensei, arguably closer to Miho than either Kakashi-sensei or Kurenai-sensei, gave her a thoughtful look before shrugging his shoulders and putting his cigarette back into his mouth. He turned his back on the exchange, engaging both jōnin and Shikamaru, who was still eyeing Kiba and Chōji.
Kiba turned, resting on his hands, brows raised. "What—"
"We're taught in the Akimichi Clan that a nin-dog is always welcome to dinner, never to comment on fur on clothing or uniforms, to always carry spare dog-friendly food on missions when a nin-dog teammate will be present." Miho said all of this as she tore open MREs, observing as Shino and Shin set the fire. "If a loss should happen in the Inuzuka Clan, we're taught that the howling for the lost will last a full night. We're taught not to block out the sound. Instead, we prepare meat cuts for delivery the next day."
Miho finally lifted her eyes, meeting Kiba's across the clearing.
Just once. Just once Ino wanted Miho to lay him out.
To just pummel him into the ground.
Because he was a disrespectful little prick.
And Ino wanted the satisfaction of seeing Miho do it.
Sakura's punches and hits were gratifying, but Miho's would be like pudding with whip cream and a cherry on top. Damn decadent.
You're being too nice explaining it to him. He should know this. Ino said, narrowing her eyes at Miho's patient stare. Only for a moment did her friend's eyes flicker away from Kiba, meeting Ino's scowl. Miho's chin rose, as it always did when she was challenged or questioned. So freaking stubborn.
"It's an insult to say that an Akimichi has lost weight. Weight is only lost unwillingly in our clan. It'd be like saying 'you don't have any fur on you today!' to an Inuzuka. What does that typically mean?"
Kiba's mouth opened and then snapped shut. To Ino's surprise, he nodded his head. "Yeah. Okay. I get that." Pushing himself up in the tent's wreckage, he crossed his legs and settled his elbows on his knees. "Sorry for bein' a jerk then."
Miho smiled, accepting the apology with a nod. She turned back to Shin and Shino, preparing the MREs as the fire crackled to life. Ino scoffed.
Ino watched as Kiba turned away from Miho, looking up at Chōji with a grimace. His expression was thoughtful. Way more thoughtful than Ino had ever seen him. For a few seconds, Ino wondered if maybe he'd turned a corner. Maybe he wouldn't be an absolute dumbass for—
"So, uh, you look…particularly fat today, Chōji!"
The clearing was still and quiet for a whole two seconds.
Chōji was fast when he wanted to be.
Kakashi still thought Genma's students were weird. Now, it wasn't because they idolized Genma, of all people. Not entirely because they idolized him anyway. He'd gotten over that a while ago. After a while, weirdly idolizing Shiranui Genma became 'normal.' So, it wasn't entirely because of that. It was because they were weird all on their own.
The Akimichi— Miho— knew the damn future from a past life. He thought she was weird before he even knew that tidbit. While that might've made her interesting, it really didn't. It made her weird. She knew things about him that she really shouldn't. Now, other people knew those things too.
Being in ANBU kept him away from their looks, their pity. From the emotions of it all.
And her Mental Comic Book made everyone's personal stories, 'public.'
Even the new kid Genma somehow got roped into adopting— Shin— was a codependent mess of a caregiving killer. Where Sai didn't understand people, Shin understood them a little too well. What people didn't seem to notice was that the little jerk was one hell of an emotionally manipulative bastard. Kakashi wondered if it was a kekkai genkai.
Genma told him, in rather colorful language that his poor virgin ears didn't deserve to hear, to let the subject drop.
Kakashi knew he really didn't have any kunai to throw here, but he also knew— they were weird.
And they still did the whole Genma-worship thing.
The girl, with her wrapped legs.
The junior Mother Hen with that dumb choker necklace around his throat.
"Team Kakashi and Team Asuma will escort Chōji to the Rice Daimyo to deliver the trade deal. Meanwhile, Team Kurenai will go with Pakkun and stake out the mine, determine entrances, exits, forces within, and mapping the structure." Asuma laid out the plan, looking over at Team Kurenai, particularly Hinata and Shino. They nodded, acknowledging their essential role in this plan.
"You take care of my kids, you hear me?"
He wondered if Genma recalled ordering Aoba to do the same at the Chūnin Exams. Kakashi did. Then again, Kakashi remembered everything. Like that one night Genma drank himself into a stupor after one of his kids died. He remembered it not because he was there, but because he wasn't. Gai was. And Quiet Gai told him every terrible detail.
As if Kakashi didn't already have enough fuel for nightmares.
He watched his two teammates share a look before Shin stepped back and allowed Sakura into the "triangle" of the lower-ranked team members. Sakura clearly realized that this was an effort to include her, despite their joining Team Kakashi and not the other way around.
The efficiency of Shin and Miho's teamwork was something to factor into strategy. Genma had told him as much in his quick schpil of information (and orders to look after his kids).
"Team Kakashi will round out the protection detail as Miho will be acting as the Akimichi escort." Asuma explained. "Four-point protection with two external prongs, myself and Kakashi."
Kakashi knew, from what Asuma had told him, Chōji had changed since his sister was taken by Danzō. Kakashi had seen small changes himself It never really made sense why Asuma sounded surprised whenever he said this over drinks. Chōji knew the future. His own sister had been reborn from another world. Hell, all of Team Ten knew the future. They knew before anyone else, as children. Then, his sister was taken and tortured for that information. Kakashi would've been surprised if the kid didn't change at least somewhat after that.
Chōji lifted his head and glanced over to Shikamaru and Ino before speaking up. "We'll need to stop outside of the capital. I'll need to get changed. Miho as well."
"You can get changed when Team Kurenai splinters off." Kakashi answered. "How much time do you need?"
"Uh, three minutes?" Chōji looked over to Miho, gauging her reaction. She nodded. "Yeah, three minutes."
"Well, at least it's Akimichi and not the Hyuuga. The Hyuuga might want a palanquin. No offense, Hinata." Kiba inserted. To the Inuzuka's credit, he didn't quell under the group's stares. "Just sayin'!"
Kakashi barely resisted the urge to rub his forehead. With a (not quite desperate) look in Kurenai's direction, he tried to express his annoyance in his eyes and the set of his jaw. Hinata shifted, obviously not wanting to defend her clan while social expectation demanded she do just that. Kiba's dislike for that clan was well-known, even outside of his circle. Tsume enjoyed the hell out of teasing Hiashi about it.
Kurenai clearly got the message, interceding before things got dramatic again. "After we've mapped the mine, we'll rendezvous at the Alpha site before planning our attack."
As the meeting ended, the teams separated. Sakura hesitantly followed Shin and Miho toward the campfire. It was only after she realized that they were making sure she was with them that she seemed to settle into the dynamic. Kakashi wondered if that was new for her. Sasuke and Naruto were nearly constantly at odds, making her often the one that was middling. And that was only during and after the Chūnin Exams. Before that, it was nearly constantly bickering and an exhausted, and bitter, Sakura looking between the two boys.
Kakashi watched the interaction, making a show of opening his book and leaning back against the tree. He'd need to talk to them in a few minutes, to make sure expectations were clear.
Still, he wanted to see the team dynamic unfold.
"I may need your help getting my hair under control. Shin's terrible at it."
Sakura's eyes went wide at Miho's jibe. The bigger girl playfully shoved at her teammate's shoulder. "You've…You've done her hair?" His poor student's voice sounded strained, like she couldn't imagine a male doing anything of the sort. Her eyes went wide as she stared at Miho. Kakashi forced down a laugh and started approaching the group. "For real?"
Miho shrugged. "Of course. Tetsuya's better at it. He was raised in a clan that made formalities more important that people. Hell, Tetsuya and Shin are always my go-tos for getting into my kimono. Tetsuya's really good at it." Shin let out a snort before chuckling, looking at Sakura's scandalized expression. "Shin just gets the job done, but it doesn't look great."
"Highly complimentary there, babycakes."
Kakashi— the feared Copy-Nin Kakashi— nearly walked into a tree.
When he righted himself, it was to see Sakura's wide eyes and blush. Miho stared back at Shin.
"Always, honey."
"Another—" Sakura seemed to choke on nothing. Coughing, she regained her composure like a kunoichi pro and the protégé of the Fifth Hokage. "Another nickname?"
"Is it?" Shin questioned with a smirk and a wink. There was something irritatingly familiar about that smirk. It had the same sort of chaotic edge Genma's did whenever he got up to trouble at the seedier establishments of Konoha. Or whenever he went on a battlefield killing spree with his shower of needles. Kakashi decided it was time enough to step in and ruin the team bonding, if that's what this was.
Shin reacted to his arrival first, sitting a bit straighter than before now that he was in the presence of a superior officer. Miho merely turned and acknowledged him. Sakura looked thankful. "Kakashi-sensei!"
Was that a tone of relief? Was he rescuing her from the dreaded Book Club?
"To be clear, there's nothing going on here, right? Typically, we don't put significant others on the same mission. Particularly not newly-minted chūnin." Kakashi couldn't resist making the kids uncomfortable. It was too easy. Sakura shifted, looking between the two. Shin and Miho conspicuously locked eyes. "Need to know information here. Will it affect the mission?"
Shin responded, the cunning and humorous light leaving his eyes. Kakashi wondered if he made the right call jibing with this kid. "No, sir."
Kakashi smiled under his mask. Vague. What was that 'no, sir' referring to? "That right, Miho?"
"No, nothing like that will affect the mission, Kakashi-taicho."
Shin nodded in agreement.
Across the clearing, Kakashi could hear Yamanaka Ino stifling a laugh. When he glanced around, Kiba was looking pale and sick.
Hiding barely contained glee, Kakashi nodded. So, these kids did understand a joke. "Good, good. Now, let's talk about roles."
Well, weird as they were, they were Genma's kids after all.
Miho removed the arm guards and then slowly removed her flak jacket. The vest came next. She'd wear it under her kimono. Miho didn't feel comfortable outside of Konoha without it on. Next came her yukata. The cool air of the valley hit the skin of her shoulders and lower back. After hours of travelling, it was a relief. Cool air against sweat. Taking a cloth from her pack, she mopped up the sweat on her neck and along her sides. Refreshment cloths was something her family got from the capital, scented with eucalypts and spearmint.
A frivolous expense by a noble clan except in situations like these.
"How is it going?"
"Smoothly." Miho responded without thought, pulling on the juban. "They kept saying this day would come. I always thought they were bullshitting me." She heard Shin laugh a bit at the derisiveness of her tone. "How about we address the Tetsuya-shaped elephant?"
Shin was quiet for a moment and Miho continued to work, going through the motions. This process had, indeed, been part of her clan studies as she grew up. She knew how to put on a kimono like she knew how to write her own name, and perhaps every other name she'd ever had. "Tetsuya is hardly an elephant. Aren't they supposed to be smart?"
"If only he were here to hear that one." Miho returned without missing a beat. "Did he say anything to you before you left?"
"Nothing. I can only hope that working with Yugao will help. Or maybe they can mourn together. That's all we can hope for. It's…It's out of our hands."
There was only so much they could control. Miho nodded, pulling her arms through the sleeves of the second layer. She followed all the standard folds, holding the ends of the sash out to her sides where Shin took them from her fingers. He crossed them and then handed them back to the opposite hand. She was too large around the middle for her to reach around behind her own back.
"Chōji sure is lucky he doesn't have to wear this get-up." Shin commented, grabbing the third and final layer from where it hung on a tree branch nearby. "His formal wear isn't nearly as complicated." His formal wear closely resembled their father's, all reds and fine silks and heavy fabrics. The only less-than-formal piece was the armor, which asserted the Akimichi as a ninja clan.
"The fun of being a female…Double standards." Miho returned, pulling her two-layered sleeves, whites and yellows, together before pushing her arm into the proffered brown, red, and green kimono.
The top layer was ornate. To impress upon others the wealth of the Akimichi Clan. Just the fact that they had access to such silk, and that the silk was chakra-enhanced, only underscored the fact that the Akimichi's wealth ranked only second to the daimyo in the whole of Fire Country. It was a fact that was only touted during meetings like these. The size of the kimonos and large swaths of silk only underscored this.
"How's it coming?" Kakashi-sensei's voice questioned.
"Nearly there." Miho smoothed a fold across her stomach in place and reached for the muna himo. She smoothed it over the fold and passed it to Shin's waiting fingers. The fur around her neck was reassuring, even if this costume was way too cumbersome for a forest at midday. Shin passed the ends of the fabric back to her and she folded it into a knot, pressing it down. Turning, she smiled up at Shin. "You know, this reminds me of that mission in Moon."
"Personally, I think I did wonderful on that mission."
"Yes, that get-up looked very becoming on you." Miho pushed at his shoulder, reaching down to push her feet back into her kunoichi heels. "Do you mind sealing up that stuff? I need to get Sakura to handle all this." She gestured toward the mess of hair that sat untamed on her shoulders. Shin waved her off, moving to seal her clothes away.
She settled her arm guards onto her arms again, walking out into the clearing. "Sakura."
On the other side of the clearing, her brother lifted his head from where he was affixing his own arm guards. She saw the moment he realized, the moment he saw, that she wasn't wearing the usual kimono with the clan symbol on the left shoulder. In fact, there wasn't a clan symbol to be found on her outer kimono. Just a painted silk array of flowers, vines, autumn leaves, and bear claw prints. Even if the symbol was still in the vest that sat heavy over her shoulders, no one could see it. He couldn't see it.
Something flickered in Chōji's eyes. Then, he hid it away and refocused on his other arm guard. He said something to Shikamaru, who turned. He looked her over and sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead before muttering something.
"Sakura, you better help her hair in thirty seconds or less. That's a tall order, but..." Kakashi-taicho trailed off, gesturing helplessly toward Miho's hair. Miho just shrugged.
Sakura let out a yelp and hurried over, moving to stand on a nearby tree stump. Miho took her cue and stood in front of her. Miho was tall enough that this only placed Sakura only an inch or so taller. "Do you have a hair ornament or something?" She pulled Miho's wild mass of hair up and off her neck, sweeping it around into a loose bun, a rather large bun, at the back of her head. Miho's stomach rumbled.
Miho handed the ornament up into Sakura's waiting hand before fishing a snack out of her sleeve.
"You're keeping snacks in your kimono sleeves?" Sakura seemed to choke.
"Of course I am. It's like having two giant snack bags on your arms." Miho scoffed. She wondered if Sakura knew that her left arm guard was filled with sealed food. Enough to really feed the teams for a fortnight, with dog-nin food as well. She doubted Sakura had any idea.
"Alright. Let's review." Asuma-sensei stepped to the middle of the clearing, Team Ten flanking him. Kurenai-sensei stood, walking over to stand with her team. Shin joined Miho and Sakura, holding out Miho's pack. "We meet at Alpha site in forty-eight hours. At that time, our mission diverts to a retrieval mission. Until then, Team Kurenai will scout the area. Team Asuma and Team Kakashi will escort Akimichi Chōji to complete the trade deal with the Grass Daimyo. Any questions?"
The clearing was silent.
"Alright then." Kakashi-taicho nodded to Kurenai. "Go."
Miho turned to Shin, holding up her arm. He followed the motion, tapping his forearm to hers. "Let's get it." His face settled into the cool mask he wore on missions, all emotion void in the set of his dark eyes. To anyone else, his lack of expression may have been disturbing. Miho found the familiarity of it reassuring. Sakura stepped down from the tree stump and Miho held up her right arm, waiting for the pink-haired girl to return the gesture.
Sakura looked a bit hesitant before raising her arm to tap it against Miho's.
"Let's get it." Miho instructed, feeling her own expression harden as her brother moved.
She heard Sakura echo, but it seemed distant.
With a few long strides, Miho made her way to Chōji's side.
"If only Elder Chojiro could see us..." Miho sighed, looking over her brother. Pressing her lips together, she could seem to read his thoughts when she met his eyes. "Father signed it." They were in mixed company and, as much as Miho trusted those present, they still couldn't say anything much about the trade deal in public. Miho finally looked away from his face, glancing toward where Shikamaru was gathering his pack. "For better or worse, it was Father's decision."
Chōji's voice was quiet and even when he responded. "It's not the first time I've questioned his decisions, Miho." Miho jerked her head back around, but he'd already turned away.
"In formation." Asuma-sensei's voice called.
Kakashi-taicho's voice was low and determined. "Let's go."
Miho watched her brother's back. He stood taller than her now and his shoulders seemed broader now, but they rolled forward now, like the weight of the Akimichi Clan fell onto them. And it did. That weight sat squarely on his shoulders. All she could do was to try and help him shoulder it. She was always meant to do that, to support him. When they were little, she never could have known that it would be to face unfair export taxes and the revenge of a village threatened.
Notes:
It's been a while! I've so enjoyed reading the reviews that you all have left on this story! Thank you for the favorites, follows, and reviews! I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! We're now in the Aoba Retrieval Arch!
Please stay healthy and safe!