It was a lovely morning in Konoha. There was sunshine and butterflies, children laughing in a park and elderly shuffling towards their destination. The usual murders happened of course, but none of the victims seemed very stressed. The murderers were in a good mood too, giving their victims no chance to realize what had happened. The ANBU whistled in tune with their kunai's as they took out the murderers and they too died unaware of the situation. It was beautiful and generally agreed to be the start of a very good day.
Agreeing with that sentiment, Kakashi got up early and went to retrieve his three idiots. His plans had changed and now he needed to inform his trio of trouble magnets. He also wanted them to finally stop looking so disbelieved whenever he acted professional. Kakashi really wanted to make them wait for him, but even after arriving three hours late, there was no one on their spot. The little bridge over the pitiful stream was deserted.
For the very first time in many years, Kakashi found himself waiting for someone to show up. He stood in the scorching sun, thirsty and starving, with no company and having to endure the stares of Konoha's citizens, for five minutes. Then he left to fetch them.
Sasuke was up and training on his own. Kakashi decided that he couldn't deal with the bloody knuckles, demands of stronger jutsu's and the general grumpiness of the Uchiha without some proper spiked coffee and went to get Naruto. Sasuke would be busy anyway, by the looks of it today was a very Itachi-oriented workout. Two punching bags had been dumped in a corner already and the paper masks that were stapled to the bags were shredded. Kakashi spotted two red dots on the crumpled remains and turned away.
On his way to the poor neighborhood of Konoha, Kakashi came across a very familiar scent. One that he had not smelled in a very long time. It followed some well endowed ladies, one of whom had a rather bruised looking purse. The other was still putting her flip flops back on. The scent lingered around the bookshop, near his beloved books and there were hints of it on the saleslady who was taping a book back together. After a short inspection of the adult section, Kakashi was sad to discover to no new additions to his novels.
He then made a short detour to the Hokage Tower and found said leader in his office, looking out the window with a satisfied grin. There was a note on his desk, surrounded by that scent. In a corner stood a long and old rod, the kind that were used back in the day to discipline children. His backside started to hurt just by looking at it.
There were many documents strewn across the room, but none seemed legible and Kakashi gave up reading them when he recognized his former ANBU colleagues. Back when he was an ANBU himself, he never bothered to use elaborate and extremely difficult codes like the rest. Kakashi simply gave a list of numbers and attached a coupon for an Icha Icha novel. Perhaps that had motivated the Hokage to take his mask away. Kakashi retreated and rushed back to his path.
Naruto's window was open and his curtains were drawn. He was sitting in plain sight of every potential murderer. Kakashi spared a moment to wonder how Naruto had survived this long, before he jumped inside the tiny kitchen/living room/cave.
The kid was sitting at his table, slurping down what seemed to be his fourth cup of ramen if the empty cups around him were anything to go by.
"SENSEI!" He greeted loudly, spraying noodles and broth all over the table. Said sensei leaned back to avoid the attack.
"Yo." Kakashi saluted, glad that the kid held no grudges. "Why aren't you at the meeting spot?"
"Didn't you tell us to rest?"
"No?" Kakashi's raised eyebrow hid beneath his headband. "You were supposed to be on our spot three hours ago."
"...We thought you might be four hours late?" Naruto said, filled with hope. It was false hope.
"Simultaneously?" His teacher replied dryly. His kids would sooner listen to his instructions before working together as a team. Which was a bit diabolical but he couldn't think of anything else. It was probably the effects of excessive drinking. Kakashi blamed Ibiki. And Naruto.
"What's that?"
Kakashi gave up. "I've got a mission for you."
Naruto's eyes sparkled "Just me?"
"Yep." He prayed that it would go well.
"Is it a bandit? A super-secret spy that tried to steal the scroll with forbidden jutsu? Is it a pervert who needs to learn a lesson?" Naruto slammed his hands on his table and opened his eyes wide. "Please let me fight!"
First of all, you were the one to steal the scroll. Second, it is a pervert. Third, you wouldn't be able to defeat him even if you had trained for the past century.
"Calm down. I got informed that a certain man has been spotted in Konoha and I want you to find him." Kakashi jabbed his finger at his student, leaning back to avoid more flying noodles.
"A certain man?" Naruto frowned "Are you sure, sensei? That sounds shady, even for you."
Oh you have no idea. Kakashi thought gleefully, before Naruto's words registered.
"What did you-" He started, but reminded himself how pointless it was to discuss with Naruto. "Never mind, just trust me, you will like it."
"What about training?"
"This is part one, the rest will follow. I do need you all to meet up at the spot at five tonight."
Naruto jumped up, his orange uniform paining Kakashi's eye further. "You got it! I will find this guy and get him! BELIEVE IT!"
Kakashi sighed "I haven't even told you who it is."
"Just give me a picture." Naruto demanded cockily. "Or even a thread, a strand of hair!"
He thought for a bit. "I guess even a smell could work! Just no sandals please, or socks. Those stink."
Kakashi sighed "I'll give you two things: his name and where you could probably find him. The rest is up to you."
He motioned the boy closer. "His name is Jiraiya and you can probably find him at the hot springs."
The mostly peaceful gardens near the civilized/civilian part of town~
Sakura was on a walk. Ibiki was on a walk.
Sakura was walking slowly. Ibiki was walking fast.
Sakura was bored. Ibiki was paranoid.
They ran into each other near a fountain that had no business being in that corner of the park. Ibiki saw it. Sakura saw it. They both paused in their steps and then Ibiki grabbed Sakura and flashed away. They landed on the other side, near a large oak that had been there for many years. Sakura stumbled away, already reaching for her kunai until she saw who kidnapped her.
"Ibiki sensei?"
Ibiki nodded wearily "Apologies, Sakura. There was no time to brief you."
Sakura tensed "The fountain."
Ibiki frowned and nodded slowly, approval making its way in his expression. "Yes, the fountain. What can you tell me about it?"
"Well," Sakura tilted her head, "no one would put such a large fountain in a corner and no one in this village would let it remain that clean and blood-free."
Ibiki nodded "Correct. Very well done. That fountain was Shinji, actually."
Sakura's jaw dropped. Ibiki nodded, scrunching his face. "I shouldn't have taught her so many tricks."
Sakura recovered, "What was she doing there?"
The teacher sighed and raised his hands in defeat "I am supposed to train her but I really needed a break. Shinji has something against taking breaks so I sneaked away."
This is the guy who was once named the Scariest shinobi by Shinobi Go?
Sakura laughed hesitantly. On the other hand, he is dealing with Shinji.
For a long time Sakura had been convinced that Shinji was the reason she had developed an Inner Sakura. Now of course she knew it was because of her mother's constant pressure and the conflict between her own wishes and her mother's but back then... Shinji could probably defeat the First Hokage simply by opening her mouth. Sakura pushed the thought away.
"I'm sorry to hear that, sensei." She said sincerely.
Ibiki nodded and waved "It's all good. I guess I should be happy she's so strong-willed."
Sakura nodded and the silence stretched between them. Then Ibiki seemed to remember something and he looked at her. "So how is your training going?"
"Eh, well... I don't really have to train..." She replied, trying to keep her voice light. Her battle with Ino ended in a draw. They had knocked each other out after a long and intense match. Sakura had easily evaded Ino's mind tricks with the help of Naruto's shouting but was physically too exhausted still.
Ibiki almost winced but his training kicked in and he straightened "That's no excuse. You're still a shinobi, right?"
Sakura did wince and did a poor job of hiding it. Ibiki reflected on the different teaching methods the Jonin teachers used. One of the problems with having Kakashi, the masked ninja, as a teacher meant that his students learned very little about facial expressions.
"Yes, I am." She muttered and then raised her head "But I don't know where to train! 'Kashi sensei is busy with Sasuke and Naruto is running around somewhere doing his own training."
"What kind of role do you want to have in your team?" Ibiki asked.
"I don't know..." Sakura shrugged and looked away. "I want to be useful."
Ibiki sighed "It's hard with those two on your team, isn't it?"
She didn't reply, but her cheeks turned red.
"Well," Ibiki turned away "there are never enough medics on a battle field. There are too little actually, that's how I got all these pretty scars!"
Sakura's expression morphed into horror when he took his bandanna off. Ibiki quickly put it back on and nodded gravely. "Yeah, I had some idiot who thought he could stitch these wounds. After my headache was over, I went to visit him."
A pregnant pause followed. Ibiki was reveling in his memories and Sakura was thinking. Her eyes lit up and she looked up. "Sensei! How can I join the medical corp?"
Ibiki suppressed a grin and shrugged "Just sign up at their stand near the market. They're always looking for new recruits. Don't get caught up in their donating scheme though..."
"That won't be a problem, I don't have a bank account." Sakura replied easily.
Ibiki laughed and patted her head. "Good for you kid. Enjoy living tax free for now."
They walked out of the park together and entered the busy part of the city. Civilians bustled about, all concerned with their own jobs and lives. Sakura saw some civilian girls standing around a photo-booth, giggling as they compared their pictures. A small part of her imagined her standing there, holding a thin strip with their faces as well. One with a peace sign, one with pouty lips and one laughing uncontrollably with her friends. The bigger part of her told the small part to grow up already. Being a shinobi meant cramming 80 years of life in 35. Sakura was 12, but she had to be 21 to keep up.
Next to her, Ibiki had seen the girls too and was hit with a wave of bitterness. He too, once chose for the shinobi way of life. He had spent most of his life without finding time to really think about the sacrifices he had made with that one decision. His parents had been shinobi, so they couldn't show him a different life, but they had build a civilian life as adults. Ibiki had grown up in a turmoil, spent his twenties fighting and ended up torturing people. He'd never tell a soul, but sometimes he too wished he had ended up as a farmer with a small family and a big dog.
"We need to turn left here." He said out loud. Sakura jolted beside him and nodded, a blush rising to her cheeks as she tore her gaze away from the girls. Ibiki squashed his remorse and guided them along to the market.
In the T&I armory~
Chi scrubbed her kunai with vigor. Sparks flew over her table and whomever decided to work near her, soon found themselves moving away. There were rocks digging in her back but she didn't care. If anything, they helped her distract herself. Against her better knowledge, she had brought the little note with her. It was barely bigger than her pinky finger but it contained a heavy load. She could sense it through the coarse fabric of her shorts, chafing against her thigh. Her throat itched again and she cleared it. The itch persisted until she inhaled some dust and started to cough. Her kunai fell on the table as she turned away from the table until she calmed down. The room was silent except for the sounds of weapons being cleaned and her raspy breaths. Light filtered through a dirty window in a far corner in the ceiling.
She stood suddenly, holding her kunai in her fist. For a moment she swayed, emotions breaking through her stony mask, but she swallowed it all down and stalked out of the room. The others inside paused minutely and in a corner a black haired man with a goatee opened one eye. Worry clawed at his stomach but he stubbornly remained seated. This problem was not his to solve.
Right?
Chi wasn't sure what was right, or what was even true. As she marched down the hallways deep under the office of the T&I office she felt the walls close in around her. A colony of ants tittered about in her stomach and her throat ran dry. The wound in her neck had healed but the skin was still dark and wrinkled.
You think they care for you?
The voice echoed in her head, pressing against her skull as if it meant to crack it open. The braces she wore hummed in warning, tightening around her. The hallway was long and there was no one in sight, but then again, no one ever was. The first time she had entered the building with her team, Chi had thought that they were too early. No one was in sight, no matter where they turned. Empty hallways, locked doors, closed curtains and no sound. Shinji solved the problem by requesting Chi's sharpest weapon and then dragging it along the walls until the janitor jumped out of his hiding spot in tears. That was their first day and also the first of many punishment push ups.
Trust you?
Chi traced the thin line, scratched into the walls with her finger. She turned her eyes up again and froze in her steps. Ryuya stood in front of her, her smile wide and fake. She shook her head, her blue hair dancing around, but kept her eyes on Chi. Her smile widened until it split her face in two and the skin curled around, black as coal. Her eyes were like glass and with a gentle 'pop', they slipped out of their sockets one by one. Chi choked on air and stepped back.
The hallway was empty.
Chi punched the wall as hard as she could. The steel rings around her fingers hurt. She punched again. Her fingers throbbed painfully as she opened her fist. Her fingers were red for a split second. She rubbed them hard against her haori. They were clean. Chi forced her anger back and stomped to her destination.
Her steps faltered when she reached the door of the Espionage wing. She swallowed and gently tried the door. It opened easily and without a sound, but she knew that there were at least five spies watching her. One of them appeared behind the door, blocking it.
"You can't come here." A deep voice said in monotone.
Chi's voice was weak when she replied "I just need to- I mean, I want to see my-"
"No." The door closed without a sound. Chi took a step back and turned around.
What am I doing? Why am I listening to that man? Air tasted like acid on her tongue. Her stomach twisted violently. Chi ran to the nearest bathroom and stormed in. The mirror showed her pale face with sweat on her forehead. Her eyes were a pale orange color, yellow specks visible. Chi leaned forward and frowned. The dots were new. Her eyes were always a solid color, without any marks.
I look like her.
Chi shook her head and rubbed her temples with her fingers. Sweat dripped down on the sink. Her chakra started to move on its own. Static filled her head, interrupted by bits of words spoken by various voices. The noise filtered down until only one voice rang in her head, clear as day.
"-at do you mean?" Ryuya asked. "Ah she did?"
"Thank you, I'll remember that when I see her."
There was a silence. Whoever was asking Ryuya questions took their time.
"Well... Not sure actually."
"No, no! She is my friend!"
"I- yes, I know. I heard of her family- Yes."
"Sorry? What- No, I understand but- I know. She scares me too... These days she's a bit strange..."
"Hmm? Oh she just zones out sometimes and it looks like she's sick or something. I'm not sure what- She's really pale."
"Trust? Ah I guess... We're teammates- Yeah, but still... She's our friend and she's nice, sometimes..." Her awkward laughter merged with the static noise in the background. Chi cut the connection. There was a bitter taste in her mouth. Her rational part tried to reason, telling her other parts that she hadn't heard the full conversation. Chi forced her lips in a carefree smile. If this was a test, Ryuya had failed. She blinked fast to get rid of the moisture in her eyes before slowly rolling her shoulders. Her fingers pressed hard against the stone sink, braces whining.
Stop.
When Chi entered the hallway again she was stiff. Her legs moved on her own. Why did I listen to him? Why, why why? Chi swore under her breath as she recalled her meeting with Danzo, after the second round of the exam. He had basically sacrificed one of his mindless minions by sending the kid over to the Ketsueki district to give her a message.
Chi found the little girl staring at the cat Genjutsu, entranced. Chi had plucked the scroll from her belt and walked on quickly. As she landed on the other side of the wall, she heard a loud, feline screech and what sounded like a chicken wing broken apart. Which reminded her, she had to clean the dirty sponges she used for the blood. The bones were still laying around as well, she needed to toss them out as well.
For now, the message was enough to keep her busy. Danzo had given her the directions to the Espionage training room. He had told her to listen. He had told her that her team was no longer on her side. He had-
She hit a body and fell to the ground. Shikaku stood in front of her, hands in his pocket and cigarette between his lips despite the rules forbidding them. Chi looked away, feeling her cheeks heat up. His hand appeared in front of her and she grabbed it. The man was surprisingly strong and the callous on his hands proved that he was far from lazy.
"What's up?" He said.
"Eh?" Chi blinked at him.
Shikaku smiled, and Chi shivered. "What's up, Chi?"
"Uhh-" Chi replied, coughing in her sleeve. "Nothing much."
"Sure?" His eyes drilled into her own.
Chi was suddenly very aware of her haggard appearance. She swallowed and nodded, unable to trust her voice. Shikaku smiled again. "Good, I was wondering if you had time to help with me with something..."
He led her away, easily covering Inoichi Yamanaka who had camouflaged himself to look like a door. Inoichi dropped his disguise as the two went out of his sight. His eyes were dark and somber as he looked back at the hallway Chi had come from. A dozen emotions from all sides of his life- as a shinobi, a father and another human- fought for attention and he pushed them all back down. Instead he made a sign and left the building altogether. In his hand he held the small note that had fallen on the ground.
