The sun had long since set, leaving the dense forest dark and ominous. Mio sat on a branch overlooking the night camp. Tenzo had erected two small wooden structures, he and Itachi were currently resting in them, Kakashi and Mio having volunteered to take first watch. They would each get approximately four hours of sleep before moving on at first light. It was hour two of the first shift and boredom was prevailing for the young woman. She jammed a kunai into the rough bark of the tree beneath her, a soft thud accompanied by a crack rang in her ears. She ripped the metal free and did it again. She was used to the quiet nights, typically on her own, except the rare occasion she accompanied Master Jiraiya on recon. It was nice to be on assignment, the perfect time to think. Her mind wondered, running through scenarios she wished she could change; moments in her history she wished could be rewritten.
The beige room was circular, six blocky windows lined the wall positioned behind the lone desk in the center of the room. Minato stood in front of the middle window, his blue gaze transfixed on the village outside. He donned a white, flame decorated, overcoat and his yellow hair spiked out wildly as always. Mio stood in front of the desk, her gaze fixed on his back. She felt uneasy. So much had happened and tension continued to mount within the ranks of the village.
"How is Kushina?" She asked, her voice shaky and nervous as it cut through the heavy silence.
"She's nearing her due date." Minato answered, glancing back at the woman. A smile claimed his face, lighting up his features. "Naruto will be here any day now."
"I can't wait to meet him." Her smile evaporated any remaining tension; the room filling with warmth. "I miss her, you've been selfishly hiding her away."
"There is something coming Mio." He remarked, his face serious once more. "I need to keep them safe. That's why I called you here today."
"Me?" She raised a perfectly manicured brow at him. "You have Hatake guarding her. What do you need me for?"
"I need you to do what you are best at." Minato turned to face her fully. "I need you to gather as much intel as you can about any threats to the village…and to my wife and unborn child."
"You want me to leave…so close to the birth?" She shook her head. Frustration, confusion, and rejection filled her stomach like a rock. "What if you need me? What if something happens?"
"This is what I need from you."
"No." She shook her head.
"It wasn't a request." His demeanor was serious, his tone dripping with authority. "You are an anbu operative and I am your hokage. It is an order."
"Uh….understood, Lord Fourth."
Kakashi stepped softly on the branch beside her, kneeling down to watch as she stabbed the branch again. Her gaze did not falter as the company was not invited. She'd hoped the rumors of her delinquency and rigid personality would have been enough to have the boys avoiding her but this one didn't seem to mind her reputation. She could only figure it was because he had a reputation of his own, though Kakashi had become more comrade oriented since the death of his team.
"Can I join you?" He asked.
"Whatever." She sighed, jerking the kunai free from the bark. She forced the metal blade back into the wood.
"If I asked you a personal question would you answer it?" He asked. Mio looked over at him, a smirk on her wineberry lips.
"Probably not." She admitted.
"Who is your sister?"
"I figured you'd ask anyway." Mio exhaled heavily. "She died during the 9-tails attack. That's all there is to it."
"There is always more." Kakashi sat fully on the branch next to her, allowing one leg to dangle freely.
"Not this time." She shook her head. "A lot of ordinary people died that night."
"Ordinary." Kakashi rested his hand on the back of her silver hair, his eyes displaying the smile hidden behind his mask. "Even ordinary people are extraordinary in someone's eyes."
"Are you always so…sentimental?" She asked, furrowing her brow at him. "It's a little off-putting honestly."
"No." He chuckled. "I'm off putting?"
"A little." She stifled a smile and looked back at her kunai. "She was actually my sister-in-law. She was married to my big brother."
"A brother?" He raised his right eyebrow at her.
"I think that's enough sharing for the evening." She laughed, the sound lacked any real humor. "I'm gonna do a perimeter check and then we can swap out."
…..
Mio rolled onto her back, keeping her eyes closed for the moment. The hard ground beneath her was a rough reminder of her current situation.
"She's a total mystery." Tenzo remarked, his voice carrying easily to her ears. "Why does she get the privilege of having secrets?"
"There is something about her that Danzo and the elders don't want us to know." Itachi stated, his tone more curious than cautious.
"How can the two of you expect to build any level of trust with her, as comrades, when every 'closed-door' conversation is about her?" Kakashi asked.
"Just a day ago you were as curious as the rest of us." Tenzo observed. "What changed?"
"Nothing." Kakashi defended. "I just relate to the idea that some people just need more time than others." Mio crawled slowly out of the wooden tent that had provided her shelter for resting, breaking into the hushed chat. Kakashi had already joined Itachi and Tenzo, leaving her the last to awaken. The burnette and the young Uchiha boy looked over to her curiously. She was like a strange fruit for them; both curious to understand her, but neither brave enough to take the first bite.