"Natsumi!" Kiri banged on the apartment door with a grin. "Open up! We've got a mission briefing!"

Natsumi looked up as she put away the last piece of laundry and smiled at the familiar voice. She ran to the door and threw it open.

"Kiri!" She beamed at the other girl. "Sena!"

Kiri leaned her arm against the doorframe. "Stop whatever you're doing and come with us. We're going to get briefed now."

"We?" Natsumi's smile grew. "Does that mean...?"

"That we're being assigned as a three-man-squad?" Sena smiled wryly and nodded. "It absolutely does!"

Natsumi squealed and hugged them. "I'm so excited!" She released then and ran back inside, waving them in. "You can come in. I'll be ready in just a second."

They stepped inside and Natsumi quickly watered the plant on the kitchen shelf, brushed her teeth, and then grabbed her jacket. Kiri eyed the pictures on the wall and chuckled as she pointed to one. "Aww... Natsumi... look at how cute and little you were! Sena, look!"

Sena turned to follow's Kiri's gaze and her eyes widened at the picture of Natsumi and Naruto at five years old.

"Oh my gosh! You guys were so cute!"

Natsumi crossed her arms and made a face. "I look like such a baby there. No wonder everyone picked on me."

Sena giggled. "Maybe they were just jealous of how adorable you were."

"Yeah, right." Natsumi laughed and put her shoes on. "All right; I'm ready now."

"Don't worry, Natsumi, you're still adorable." Kiri patted her head.

Natsumi rolled her eyes and swatted her hand away, leading them out before locking the door behind her.

"Come on; I thought we were in a hurry?"

Sena laughed and nodded, and led the trio to the ANBU headquarters. They changed into their uniforms and rested their masks on the top of their head, and then stepped into the briefing room. The Hokage and Captain both stood waiting for them.

"Right on time." The Hokage nodded in acknowledgment and waved them closer.

"Alright, you three." Yuuri addressed them coldly in a rigid stance and her eyes narrowed at Natsumi. "Lord Third is briefing you directly today. Pay attention."

Hiruzen cleared his throat and glanced at the woman, then to three agents.

"Several weeks ago, we received a tip that the Abe Clan is actively working to betray the Daimyo and ignite a war between nations."

Natsumi's eyes widened slightly. It's just like Ahmya said! She straightened and listened closely.

"They were approached approximately six months ago by an unidentifiable man who struck a deal with them."

Natsumi glanced to Kiri and Sena both from the corner of her eye as they both stood at attention. Natsumi copied, gulping.

They both look so rigid and serious... I've never seen them like this before.

She turned her attention back to the Hokage as he approached the large table in the center of the room with a map laid out on its surface.

"Our informant claims he is a son of the Clan leader, Hideji Abe, but has kept his own name private. Lord Abe has six sons, and we believe our informant to be Hasu, the youngest." Hiruzen paused. "He's come forward out of fear. According to his information, the mastermind of this plot is filling their heads with delusions of grandeur- promising to make Hideji the new Daimyo, and his family has begun to act... mad."

Hiruzen held one hand behind his back and held his pipe in the other.

"Clan Abe resides on a secluded estate near our border to the Land of Rain, here." He pointed to a spot on the map where a pin had been placed. "So, for the time being, we must assume that the Land of Rain is behind this plot."

"Clan Abe is wealthy, but do not have Ninja among them. However, there are a dozen foreign Ninja provided by their benefactor as protection. Their skills and level are unknown." He released a puff of smoke slowly. "Our informant has been gathering evidence for us to prove his family's corruption and has agreed to meeting with us in secret to deliver it. Then, he will be brought back to Konoha to be placed under our care." His eyes moved between the three females. "That is where you come in."

"In three days' time, our informant will meet you here." The Hokage pointed to another pin on the map. "This village was destroyed in a wildfire several years ago and remains abandoned to this day. Several reports of bandits have come in about this area, so you must exercise caution and do whatever it takes to protect the informant."

Natsumi nodded slightly. Meet the informant. Get the information. Bring him back here. Watch out for bandits. Seems simple enough.

"This is the most current photograph of Prince Hasu we have." The Hokage pushed the picture across the table for them to see. "It's over a year old, but will serve well enough as a reference if he indeed is our informant." Hiruzen looked at Natsumi, who lifted the photograph up to examine it. "He should be around your age now."

Natsumi looked at the picture carefully and her cheeks warmed slightly. This is our informant? She looked the picture over again and memorized his face. He wore a formal black and blue kimono that accented his dark blue eyes, and his long, black hair was parted in the middle and neatly kept in a low, loose ponytail. He had the gentle features of a boy, but in a year's time, was sure to look more mature.

He's... He's pretty cute! She passed the photo over to Kiri, who looked it over before passing it to Sena, hiding her blush as best she could.

"It's vital to secure the evidence and return as quickly as possible." The Hokage added. "As soon as his absence is detected, Clan Abe will go on high alert and immediately search for him, so you must leave before that happens."

The old man took a long puff on his pipe. "This mission is crucial if we are to learn who our enemy is, what they are planning, how much they know, and when they intend to execute their plan. Should you fail, we could be plunged into yet another war."

Natsumi let out a slow, quiet breath. No pressure or anything...

The Captain stepped forward with a stern expression and crossed her arms. "Jiro, Aia, and Kuma will follow you as backup. They'll be a half day behind you but will be able to assist if anything goes wrong." Her eyes darkened at Natsumi as if saying 'you better not mess anything up.'

"Natsumi." The Hokage looked at the girl thoughtfully. "This is your first S ranked mission. Your success in this will cement your position in the ANBU and establish yourself amongst its ranks. Are you prepared to undertake this task?"

Natsumi straightened at attention and nodded. "Yes, sir. I won't disappoint you."

"Excellent." He chuckled to himself and nodded to Yuuri, who handed them each a small packet begrudgingly. "This will cover all of the information you require... good luck."

The three nodded together and Natsumi's stomach began to twist into knots.

There's that bad feeling again... She bit her lip. I hope Naruto is okay.

Natsumi pulled at the black cloak and adjusted her mask as they walked toward the village gates.

"Stop fussing." Kiri looked over and patted the top of her hooded head. "There's no need to be nervous. This is actually an easy mission."

"Yeah?" Natsumi bit her lip from behind the mask and glanced toward Kotetsu and Izumo, who were sitting at the station beside the gate and playing a card game. "If it's so easy, why is it an S Rank?" She muttered as Kiri raised a hand to wave at the two before she put in on her hip.

"That's mostly because our informant is a nobleman." Sena answered quietly and followed Kiri through the gates. "The other reason is because there's the threat of war hanging over our heads. S Rank missions don't always have to be assassinations."

Natsumi took a long look at the village gates from over her shoulder with her pace slowing.

I've never left the village before... I thought I would be more excited about leaving, but I'm just nervous.

"Come on, Red." Kiri waved for her to follow. "We've got to make good time this first day of travel."

Natsumi gulped and nodded, lifting her foot and slowly stepping forward.

The farther I get from the village... the worse this sense of dread gets.

"Are you sure that this will be an easy mission?" Natsumi looked between her friends, who each patted one of her shoulders.

"What could go wrong?" Sena giggled behind the mask. "We've got each other."

Natsumi smiled and nodded. I trust them with my life. I only hope I'm strong enough for them to trust me like that.

She touched her stomach as it twisted, then her eyes fell on a nearby tree.

I can't shake this feeling... but... She bit her lip and pressed her palm to the trunk and a glowing blue symbol appeared. But this will give me some peace of mind.

"Natsumi!" Kiri put her hand on her hip and watched as the symbol faded. "You'd better not be considering teleporting back here after the mission! To do that from that distance would be suicide!"

Natsumi's cheeks flushed slightly and Sena put her arm around Natsumi.

"If it makes her feel safer, let her. It's her first real mission, after all."

Natsumi nodded. "Just in case something happens and we have to come back quickly... I'd rather be prepared."

Kiri narrowed her eyes. "That could kill you!"

"Kiri." Sena raised a brow. "She's nervous. Let her have this."

Kiri relented and then patted Natsumi's head.

"Alright. Do your thing, then."

"You know," Sena smiled behind her mask, indicated by the tone of her voice. "On my first mission, I was so nervous that I wore my lucky underwear."

Natsumi giggled and followed Kiri as they began to travel in the cover of the treetops.

"You have lucky underwear?"

Sena laughed. "Well, I didn't at the time, but I didn't have a lucky charm to bring with me. So... I just picked a random item in my room and decided that it would be my good luck charm."

"Did it work?" Natsumi grinned at the Frog mask.

"Well, the mission was a success and I returned safely, so I'd say it did."

"And here you were lecturing me about believing in luck." Kiri snorted.

"It's not that I really believe in luck, but I do believe that having a special item or piece of clothing acts as a suitable placebo to ease one's mind in tense situations."

Natsumi giggled again. "So, do you still use your lucky underwear?"

Sena laughed again and shook her head. "Oh, I grew out of those a while ago when I developed these." She patted her hips. "But I realized that I could choose anything as my placebo-morale booster."

"Have you picked a new one yet?"

Sena lifted her mask to wink at Natsumi. "Yup! It's you!"

Natsumi blinked and stared at her. "Me? But, I'm not very lucky."

"Come on; you're our Red Flash." Kiri laughed. "If anyone should be a good luck charm, it should be you."

Natsumi pressed her lips together for a moment, then grinned broadly. "Well, I'll make sure I don't disappoint you, then."

"Let's rest here for tonight." Kiri stopped on a high branch and looked around.

Night had already fallen and darkness had settled into the forest, blackening everything into a single sheet of shadow. Natsumi leaned against the trunk of one tree and let out a long sigh.

"Good. I don't know how much farther I could go." Natsumi prodded her thigh. "I can hardly feel my legs."

"You'll get used to these long-distance trips in no time." Sena smiled and turned her mask to the side to reveal her face.

"We made great time so far, too." Kiri stretched and uncovered her own face. "Even better than I was hoping. We'll definitely get there early."

"We made great time because she kept nagging at us." Natsumi muttered under her breath to Sena, who giggled.

Kiri crossed her arms and eyed them suspiciously. "What's so funny, I wonder?"

"Nothing!" Sena giggled and waved her hand. "These are just tired giggles."

"Right," Kiri rolled her eyes. "Alright, miss-tired-giggles, why don't you help me figure out where we're going to sleep."

"Why can't we sleep on the ground?" Sena glanced below and pointed at a small clearing, surrounded by dense underbrush. "That looks like a good spot, and I hate sleeping cocooned in the trees."

"Maybe, but I don't like sleeping out in the open like that." Kiri followed where she pointed. "It's much safer in the trees."

"Wait!" Natsumi clapped her hands together suddenly and smiled. "I have a Jutsu that allows me to go underground, right? I could go underground and create a little burrow for us? We could all cozy up down there like little mice, and no one could see us that way."

"Wouldn't we suffocate?" Kiri stuck out her tongue.

"I've never done anything like it before..." Natsumi tapped her chin. "But I think I could do it. I can even make a few different ventilation holes."

Sena bit her lip and paused. "Do we have to go underground?"

Natsumi watched her expression shift and her face fell. I remember now... she said that she was in a rock slide as a kid... she probably doesn't like to feel trapped.

"F-Forget I said anything." Natsumi waved her hands and shook her head. "It was a stupid idea."

"No... it was a good idea." Sena turned her face away. "We should do that."

"Are you sure?" Kiri frowned slightly and touched her shoulder. "Why don't we just sleep on the ground instead?"

Sena shook her head. "It's a better idea to not be out in the open like that."

Kiri and Natsumi shared a look, and then shook their heads.

"We're sleeping on the ground." Kiri patted her back and hopped down to land softly of the grass.

Sena and Natsumi landed beside her, and Sena let out a drawn-out sigh, turning her face away to hide her blushing.

"You guys don't have to accommodate my stupid phobia."

"It's not a phobia. A phobia is an irrational fear." Kiri pulled off her mask, then her cloak, and then set to work erecting the small tent for them to share.

"Sure, but..."

Natsumi slipped her hands into Sena's and squeezed it gently. "If you're not comfortable with it, we won't force you to put up with it."

Sena squeezed Natsumi's hand back. "Thanks. You guys are the best."

"I know." Kiri smirked. "Now, stop complimenting me and come help. I suck at tents."

Sena smiled weakly and they helped Kiri. In a few minutes, the tent was sent up

"Ah, nice and cozy." Sena pulled off her cloak, balled it up, and set it down like a pillow. "So much better than strapping yourself to a branch."

Kiri and Natsumi did the same and slipped off their packs.

"My legs are killing me." Natsumi groaned and massaged her calves.

"Oh, let me." Sena shifted and gathered some Chakra to her hands, then began to massage the knots away.

"Ah..." Natsumi closed her eyes. "That's better."

"Me next." Kiri pointed to herself and took off her protective gear.

"Hold on, hold on." Sena shook her head slightly, and then moved to Natsumi's other calf.

"I didn't know you could give massages, too." Natsumi let out a small sigh of relief as the soreness faded.

"It's something that I learned for my Medical training." She smiled and finished, then moved to massage Kiri's calves. "I'm learning acupuncture, too, but that's something that takes a while to master."

"You know so much about everything." Natsumi opened her pack and retrieved a small bag of dried meat and began to slowly eat.

"Not everything." Sena sat back and massaged her own legs. "I just like to feel prepared. I don't like situations where I feel helpless."

Natsumi nodded quietly and her chest tightened. Her expression still hasn't recovered from before... why did I have to be so stupid and forget what she'd told me, then suggest something so stupid?

Kiri dug into Natsumi's pack and passed her a ration. "Eat up. We've still got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."

Sena grabbed her own ration and began to eat. "I wonder if it's really a prince that we're going to meet. It could just as easily be a servant who only claimed to be a nobleman in the hopes that his plea was acknowledged."

Natsumi opened her ration and picked at the dried meat and ate it slowly.

"Nah, I think it's gotta be Hasu." Kiri took a long drink of water. "I doubt someone outside of the immediate family, even a servant, would be privy to that kind of information. Plus, the boy is young and probably afraid for himself. Even a kid can understand that forming a coup would mean execution for treason for them. Of course, he wants to save himself."

"What if this is all a trap?" Natsumi chewed thoughtfully. "What if there is no informant at all, and it's just a way for them to get ANBU members there?"

"I'm sure that's already been ruled out." Sena reassured. "Lord Hokage wouldn't have sent us if he didn't believe it was genuine."

"I know... but..." Natsumi bit her lip. "It's seems like it would be a good way to capture enemy Ninja in order to interrogate them or steal their secrets."

Kiri smiled and took a bite. "Good analytical thinking. My father always said go into a mission assuming that it could be a trap. Even if it's not a likely scenario, it's best to still be on our guard." She shrugged. "Still, it's that kind of thinking that will make you a good ANBU member."

Natsumi smiled faintly and continued to eat as she thought.

I wonder what Naruto is doing. I hope he's alright. She chewed more slowly and her eyes unfocused at the back of the tent. I wonder if he misses me at all. We've never been apart for this long before, and now he's going to be gone for weeks.

Natsumi sighed heavily and two sets of eyes fell on her.

"What's wrong?" Sena nudged her side with a small smile. "The rations are pretty bad, aren't they?"

"It's not that..." Natsumi sighed again and drew her legs in close to her chest. "Naruto and I have never been separated like this before. It feels... wrong." She paused and bit her lip. "I miss him, and I'm worried about him..." She looked down at her hands. "The first time we're apart for an extended period is when I've got to be on the complete opposite side of the country, and he's going to another country."

"Naruto will be fine." Kiri draped her arm over the younger girl's shoulders. "He's got Hot-ake there to look after him."

"Hot... ake?" Natsumi blinked slowly as she repeated it.

Kiri snickered and Sena stifled a giggle.

"Hot-ake." Kiri repeated and leaned in closer. "You know... Hatake? As in, Kakashi Hatake?"

Natsumi blushed furiously in realization and covered her mouth. Oh my gosh! I can't believe I actually said that out loud! She flushed deeper and Kiri laughed out loud. I feel so embarrassed now...

Kiri laughed again and nudged Natsumi. "Well, there's no denying he's attractive. A lot of women think so."

"A-A lot?" Natsumi murmured under her breath. "But he doesn't seem like the type to date."

"He's not." Sena shrugged. "As far as anyone knows, anyway. Just keeps to himself."

"That doesn't mean that women don't think of him as eye candy, though." Kiri chuckled. "I remember the first time I saw him. I always wanted a piece of that."

Natsumi's ears burned and she covered part of her face with her hair. This is turning into a pretty mature conversation...

Natsumi glanced at Kiri from the corner of her eye. "So... you know him, then?"

"Know him?" Kiri looked upward in thought for a moment. "You could say that. He joined the ANBU the year my father brought me onto Team Yoru, unofficially. Kakashi was assigned to Team Ro." Kiri leaned back slightly and smirked. "Aito and I used to give him so much hell. We always tried to compete to see who could catch Kakashi without his mask off."

"Did you ever?" Natsumi asked and Kiri shook her head.

"Aito told me that it was hopeless and that we should call it quits. He said apparently that he even covered his face when he was in the showers." Kiri crossed her arms and smirked broadly. "Me being me, I decided not to take his word for it and I went to go see if it was true." She winked. "That handsome bastard seriously does cover his face even in the shower, so, I didn't get to see his face, but I did see everything else."

Natsumi blushed again and her eyes widened. "Y-You saw him... naked?!"

Kiri chuckled took a bite of her ration. "And it was wonderful. He was about eighteen at the time, so I'm sure he hasn't changed much."

Sena frowned and pointed at Natsumi. "She does not need to hear any more."

"Oh, relax. It's not as if I'm going to go into detail or anything..." She paused and shot Sena a wink. "But, if I did, that information would be a lot to handle."

Natsumi sunk down and covered her ears, hiding her face in her legs. She's such a pervert! I didn't need to know all that! She shut her eyes tightly. It's going to be so awkward when they get back and I see him again.

"Kiri!" Sena swatted at the woman, who was covering her mouth to stifle loud, rolling laughter.

"What? I didn't give any big hints."

Natsumi covered her head with her arms. Oh... my...gosh. Of all the things to talk about!

Sena slapped her face with her palm and shook her head. "You are such a bad influence. You're going to corrupt her mind and fill it with dirty stuff."

"If I'm such a bad influence, then why aren't you corrupted?" Kiri leaned closer to Sena and raised her brow. "Hm?"

"You did corrupt me!" Sena pointed at her in exasperation. "I can't hear innocent jokes anymore, oh no, instead my mind instantly thinks of the dirtiest possible association. It's like I've got a tiny you in my head cracking sex jokes."

Kiri howled with laughter and wiped her eye. "Really?! And here I thought you'd maintained your innocent little thoughts."

"How could I, when you tell me every single graphic detail about your love life?" Sena groaned and facepalmed again, this time with both palms.

"Best friends share everything." Kiri shrugged. "If you went on dates, I'd listen to every single juicy detail of yours, too."

"Ew, no." Sena shook her head. "Some things should stay private."

"Heh." Kiri scratched her cheek. "If we're going to speak about privates, then I can continue what I was going to say before."

Natsumi ate the remainder of her ration in a few large bites, laid out her sleeping map, then wrapped her cloak around her like a blanket and rolled over to keep her back to them.

"Goodnight!" She said hastily, pulling the cloak over her head, sure that she was burning red from head-to-toe.

"Aww... going to bed already?" Kiri crossed her arms. "But I had a ton more inappropriate puns and jokes I've been saving for a sleepover like this."

Sena shot Kiri a look and she sighed.

"Oh, fine. But I am going to bring them up later. I've been working on them for a while and they're really good!" Kiri pouted dramatically.

"Could you not do puns? You're terrible at them."

The corners of Kiri's mouth twitched into a smirk. "...Shur-i-ken." She snorted. "Get it? Shuriken? Sure-I-can?"

Sena groaned loudly and lay down on her own mat, pulling her cloak over her. "On that note..."

Silence fell over the trio and Kiri stifled a laugh and got herself ready for bed. She stared at the back of Sena's head for a long time before poking her shoulder.

"What?" Sena hissed.

"Do you wanna spoon?" Kiri asked in a whisper.

Sena made a face. "No, Kiri, I do not want to spoon."

"But it's going to get cold tonight."

"Then freeze."

Kiri pouted and lay there for a long time, Sena's teeth began to chatter and she let out a short sigh.

"... Fine. Get over here, you stupid pervert."

Kiri grinned. "Yay! Best friend cuddles!" She slid her arm around Sena's waist and nuzzled in.

After several minutes, a chill passed over Natsumi, and she scooted closer to Sena, who, in term, wrapped her arm around her.

Natsumi glanced to the top of the tent and let out a breath. Good night, Naruto, wherever you are. Stay safe, okay?