A/N: a little later than I thought, but here's chapter 6, the last flashback/character chapter...yeah, the mission officially kicks into gear next chapter. As always, read & review...

EDIT: I rewrote a few parts almost immediately after posting the chapter, so bits and pieces near the end are different.

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Chapter 6

"Aim"

(FLASHBACK) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (FLASHBACK)

With his head hanging sadly between his knees, the boy caught sight of the faint green aura emanating from the crack between the double doors. He knew the massive amount of healing chakra that had to be generating on the other side. The hospital's top medical specialists argued and yelled as several nurses rushed past into the emergency treatment room behind him. Angrily clenching his teeth, he fought back the tears as vivid images from the disastrous battle flooded his mind. He collapsed to his knees, pounding his bloodstained fists into the floor. The torn white cloth he held in his right hand was almost completely discolored, dyed a deep red by the large amount of blood it had absorbed. He growled in anguish as he tossed the bloody memento away.

"Takeo!"

(END FLASHBACK) -------------------------------------------------------------- (END FLASHBACK)

"Takeo-kun!"

"Hm?"

Takeo glanced over to Kaori and felt her steely gaze. His eyes immediately turned back towards the small backpack Kintarou had pressed on him. Nearly ten days after they had departed from Konoha's gates, Takeo and the others had finally reached the Earth Country border. As Kintarou happily reminded, Tsunade had instructed them to be discrete when entering Earth Country, which was why the three Chuunin were sneaking around in a small clearing on this rainy afternoon, discarding anything that would identify them as shinobi from Konoha. Kintarou and Kaori had removed what few items they had, but were now impatiently waiting for Takeo to do the same. After lifting his quiver off and over his head, Takeo had unzipped his Chuunin vest and pulled his left arm out of the sleeve. The dark red bandana he wore tied around his bicep snagged on one of the vest's frayed edges and slid down around his elbow, causing Takeo to pause and immediately lift it back up. He double-checked the knot, tugging carefully on one of the ends. Curious about Takeo's fixation with a simple piece of clothe, his teammates had exchanged puzzled looks.

"What are you doing?" Kaori again asked him.

"Uh, taking my Chuunin vest off…" Takeo answered, carelessly dropping the dark green flak jacket to the damp ground.

"I see that," Kaori frowned. "I meant what are you doing messing with your silly armband? We're in a hurry remember."

"I know, I know," Takeo sighed, trying to hide his resentment towards Kaori's remarks.

"I've always wanted to ask, but is there a reason you wear that?" Kintarou inquired. "Colors like that red are hardly appropriate for a high-level shinobi to wear, especially one from Konoha. It would make it difficult to hide amongst the green and brown of the forests surrounding the village."

"It's really none of your business," Takeo snapped, throwing the loaded backpack to the ground at Kintarou's feet. "We're set now, right?"

"Takeo-kun?" Kaori said with confusion.

"It's nothing!" he fiercely shot back, before heaving a long exasperating groan. "…I'm sorry, Kaori…you too, Kintarou…"

"Forget I asked," Kintarou smiled, picking up the half-wet pack and slinging it over his shoulders. "Guess that's everything then. Hopefully we'll reach Geyser sometime in the next-"

"It's a reminder," Takeo said bluntly. "A memento…I guess…"

"Oh…of something special? Or someone special?" Kaori lightly joked.

"…Of my failure…" Takeo answered.

Kaori's teasing smile quickly vanished as she and Kintarou both looked with concern at Takeo, who coldly turned away as he ran a hand through his dampened hair. The sudden drizzle had caught the three by surprise that afternoon. Perhaps it was a sign of the dreary days to come. Or maybe it was just a reminder of the gloomy past that Takeo was now reliving. Again fidgeting with his armband, Takeo reluctantly began to relive the horrific day…

(FLASHBACK) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (FLASHBACK)

"Tsk…honestly, how many times do I have to tell you? Balance is the key to accuracy. What good is an archery specialist who can't even hit a stationary target twenty yards away? Now do it again! And keep your elbow tight!"

"But it's past dinnertime and—"

"Now, Takeo!"

A disappointing groan escaped the lean boy's lips as he raised the thick oaken bow clasped in his left hand, his long skinny fingers barely able to wrap around the textured grip carved in the middle. Reaching his right hand back behind the mop of disheveled short brown hair on his head, Takeo pulled an arrow from the small quiver strapped across his back. Nestling the tail of the thin wooden spear against the bowstring, he slowly drew it back, resting the shaft on top of his cramped and calloused left hand. Taking careful aim, Takeo focused on the circle-shaped target nailed to the tree before him. Under his father's watchful eyes, he shakily released his grip on the arrow and let it fly. He didn't even bother to look at the target. His father's frustrated sigh told him enough.

"Are you even listening to me?" his father irately asked.

"What? I'm sorry, I wasn't listening…" Takeo sarcastically answered.

"Judging by that shot, it wouldn't surprise me. This is important, Takeo, so please just listen. Whether you want to take this seriously or not is ultimately up to you. But I can tell you from experience that if you don't start concentrating on your training, you'll never be worth anything as a shinobi."

"I'm sorry I'm not living up to the legendary Keigo's expectations," Takeo slowly replied.

"This has nothing to do with me," Keigo said matter-of-factly. "Takeo, this is only about you. You're the one who wanted me to train you as an archery specialist, as I recall."

"No, you're the one who wanted to train me," Takeo snapped.

"I haven't heard you ask me to stop," Keigo quickly countered.

"Yeah, well…that's only because I like having it easy," Takeo shot back. "I get to stay out of all of the dangerous close-combat stuff everyone else has to deal with."

"You're not serious," Keigo angrily responded.

"Yes I am," Takeo nodded, tossing his equipment to the ground at his father's feet. "All the other Genin are jealous that I get to stay in the back during fights…and that I don't have to train as hard or as much as they do."

"And you just assumed that was the best thing?" his father inquired, shaking his head. "Have you so little respect for your teammates and fellow shinobi? Whether you're a ninjutsu specialist, a medical specialist, or an archery specialist, you have a vital part to play on your team. If you ignore that, you're only going to hurt you or your teammates."

Takeo looked away with annoyance.

"Takeo!" Keigo boomed, drawing his son's glaring eyes. "Your barely thirteen, so I realize that you're at a crossroads right now. Believe me, I was there. So I am telling you this as both a father and as your superior as a Jounin of this village. You need to ask yourself what exactly you're goal is as a shinobi. What do want to be? If you remember anything I've taught you, remember what I told you on your first day of archery training: find your target, focus on it and take aim, never taking your eyes off of it."

Takeo folded his arms across his light blue flak jacket as he feigned interest.

"Takeo," Keigo said sternly, grabbing him by his shoulders. "What is your goal? What are you aiming for?"

Takeo paused. "Right now, my goal is to get some sleep. And I'm aiming for a nice big fee for our mission tomorrow since it's a C rank one."

He turned and began walking away, wiping his sore hands on his black knee-length shorts before unzipping his vest. Keigo shook his head as he gathered up the gear Takeo had discarded at his feet.

"I hope you get things figured out soon, Takeo."

Half a day later, Takeo chuckled as he repeated his dad's lecture to his teammates. Marching along on the outskirts of Konoha, the three Genin paced a few yards behind their sensei, allowing Takeo space to whisper the previous evening's events.

"Wow, so he got really mad, huh?" a short boy asked, shaking his raven-haired head. "Kind of sounds like my dad."

"But Takeo," a brown haired girl responded. "Keigo-san sounds like he was just trying to help…right?"

"Yeah, Hitomi, he's always trying to "help" me," Takeo scoffed. "It would be nice to go one day without the famous Keigo blessing me with his advice."

"That'd be like a day without some stupid sarcastic remark from you," the boy laughed.

"Shut up, Katai," Takeo retorted, playfully punching the boy in his shoulder.

"Oi, you three finished gossiping yet?"

"Yes, Hokoji-sensei," Hitomi quickly answered.

"Good. Because we're here."

Halting several miles outside of Konoha, the four hurriedly began to set up a makeshift campsite. Once Hitomi and Takeo had finished gathering a few broken branches for firewood, Hokoji gathered everyone around the aging tree stump, where he repeated the briefing for their mission. The feudal lord of their country had dispatched a messenger requesting an investigation into the recent string of robberies that had made traveling to Konoha a hazardous trip. The few witnesses that had escaped with their lives claimed that the bandits had attacked them while they were resting within the forests along the northern road, which was why the four of them were now setting up a decoy site.

"So," Hokoji continued, wiping his glasses clean with his baggy sleeve. "Hitomi and Katai, you two will play the part of the travelers. Just act normal and try to relax. Takeo, you and I will take cover in the trees on opposite sides of the camp. That should give us a complete view of the site so we can immediately spot the bandits. Once they're in position, I'll signal you, Takeo, at which point you will join Hitomi and Katai on the ground. After I've secured the surrounding area of any possible "surprises" I'll join in, too. Everyone understand?"

"Yes," the three Genin nodded.

"Good. Let's go then," Hokoji commanded as he dashed away into the treetops.

"Lucky," Katai sighed as he sat down and began to stack the wood.

"Yeah, yeah," Takeo replied. "You two have fun."

"Be careful, Takeo," Hitomi said as he turned.

"You too," he echoed, leaping away into the dense canopy opposite his sensei.

Landing gracefully on a large branch roughly forty feet from the forest floor, Takeo turned and double-checked that the campsite was still visible. Once Hitomi and Katai were within sight, Takeo plopped down onto the branch, dangling a leg over either side. He pulled his bow over his head and left shoulder and set it carefully in front of him. It wobbled back and forth a bit on the rounded surface of the branch before Takeo swung a leg up and pinned his bow beneath it. Tilting his head back against the trunk, Takeo sat patiently waiting. And waiting. An hour had passed and there had been no sign of the thieves. Growing bored, Takeo couldn't help but let his mind wander. He found himself daydreaming of himself, a few years older and out on his own, free from his father's oppressive watch. He imagined himself leading his own team of fresh-faced Genin on a mission. As he began to picture their eager smiling faces, one of them began to whistle. It took a moment before Takeo realized that that it was someone else whistling.

"Hokoji-sensei," he said, startled from his daze.

Whipping his head around, Takeo saw his two teammates surrounded by half a dozen large, burly, and angry-looking men. Their weapons drawn, Katai and Hitomi prepared to attack. Takeo fumbled with his bow and nearly let it fall to the ground. As he hurriedly withdrew an arrow, the echoes of the battle below resonated in his ears. A few loud groans from the subdued bandits accompanied the clang of Hitomi's kunai and the thud of Katai's staff against their opponents' weapons. Hitomi's sudden cry quickened Takeo's pace and he hurriedly drew back an arrow to fire. A towering muscular man had knocked Hitomi's kunai away with the curved blade of his sword, and he was now moving in for the kill. Takeo hastily took aim and let his arrow fly, waiting to see the man fall to the ground. He waited, his stomach tensely churning as his heart thumped wildly. And he waited.

"Hitomi!" Katai warned, fending of an attacker.

Hitomi's agonizing scream repeated over and over in Takeo's wide-eyed head. He watched Hitomi collapse to the ground clutching at her side. Unsatisfied with simply wounding her, the man flipped his sword around so the blade was facing down. Takeo frantically reached for another arrow, but knew he'd never make it in time. He immediately dropped everything and leapt to the forest floor, racing over to his wounded teammate.

"No—" he started to yell.

"Tokken! (Tackle Charge)"

Rushing out of the bushes, Hokoji barreled down on the man and drove his shoulder into his gut. The bandit flew back, blood coughing up from his mouth, as he crashed hard through several trees before collapsing in a heap on the dirt. The two remaining bandits fled after seeing Hokoji's strength, leaving their four unconscious accomplices behind. Katai knelt down, trying to catch his breath as he glanced worryingly over towards Hitomi. Hokoji quickly checked on him before rushing over to Hitomi's side. Takeo, meanwhile, had already beaten him there. Beneath her blood-covered hands, a long deep gash bled from Hitomi's stomach. Sweat began dripping down her ashen face and her eyes struggled to stay alert and open.

"Hitomi," Takeo said sadly.

He took the end of the long white sash wrapped around her waist between his teeth and tore a long strip from it, which he quickly compressed against her wound.

"Takeo," Hokoji started. "How is she?"

Looking at her now unconscious body, Takeo shook his head. He pressed down harder on the bloodied clothe with is hands, which were now covered with Hitomi's blood as well.

"We need to get her back to the hospital, now," Hokoji said, scooping Hitomi up in his arms. "You and Katai secure these four."

"But—"

"Do it, Takeo," Hokoji ordered. "Finish the mission, then you can meet me at the hospital."

Takeo was left speechless and holding the bloodied strip of clothe as his sensei sped away towards Konoha. Katai slowly sauntered over beside him.

"How's Hitomi?" he meekly asked. "Takeo? Takeo?"

Takeo managed to fill Katai in as the two of them quickly tied up and secured their captives and raced back home, signaling an ANBU squad to fetch the bandits. It seemed to take forever for the two to arrive back in Konoha, where they swiftly ran to the hospital. Inside, they found Hokoji speaking with one of the nurses. Both Takeo and Katai sat, until Hokoji led them down the hall where they sat, patiently waiting.

With his head hanging sadly between his knees, Takeo caught sight of the faint green aura emanating from the crack between the double doors. He knew the massive amount of healing chakra that had to be generating on the other side. The hospital's top medical specialists argued and yelled as several nurses rushed past into the emergency treatment room behind him. Angrily clenching his teeth, he fought back the tears as vivid images from the disastrous battle flooded his mind. He collapsed to his knees, pounding his bloodstained fists into the floor. The torn white cloth he held in his right hand was almost completely discolored, dyed a deep red by the large amount of blood it had absorbed. He growled in anguish as he tossed the bloody memento away.

"Takeo!"

Takeo's sorrow-filled eyes spotted his father approaching. He immediately looked away, ashamed of the story he'd have to tell him.

"What happened?" Keigo asked, sitting down beside him.

Takeo couldn't make himself answer. He couldn't admit his guilt in Hitomi now facing death.

"Dad, I…" Takeo stumbled.

Suddenly, the doors behind him swung open, and several nurses emerged with satisfied faces.

"She's stable," one of them said. "Hokoji-san, you managed to control the bleeding enough during transport…at least enough so that we could still heal her.

"Can we see her?" Katai asked.

"Only for a moment," the nurse answered. "Once her family arrives, we'll have to ask you to leave for a bit."

Katai nodded as he and Hokoji stepped inside.

"Go on," Keigo nodded. "You can tell me later."

Takeo thankfully got up and joined his team inside Hitomi's room. He was glad to see the color had returned to her face. He tried to keep himself from staring at the large bandage wrapped around her midsection as he approached her bed.

"Hey guys," Hitomi weakly smiled.

"Hey," Takeo and Katai replied.

The room remained fairly silent for a few minutes.

"…I'm sorry, Hitomi…"

Takeo gritted his teeth, trying to keep himself from crying.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I should have had that guy, I just…I'm sorry."

"It's…okay…" Hitomi tried to assure him.

She briefly glanced at him, before coughing and clutching her wound.

"You should rest, Hitomi," Hokoji told her. "Let's go, boys."

Katai waved briefly before turning along with Hokoji and moving towards the door. Takeo moved a step or two behind them, turning to look at Hitomi.

"I'm really sorry," he repeated.

"Yeah, yeah…" Hitomi smiled forcibly, closing her eyes.

Takeo stopped and looked closely at his injured teammate. He clenched his blood red fists tightly. Outside Hitomi's room, Keigo had begun speaking with Hokoji before Takeo interrupted them.

"Dad…Hokoji-sensei…" he said glumly. "I'm sorry…it's my fault…what happened to Hitomi. The guy that hurt her, I…I had a clear shot at him, but…but I missed. If I had been more focused, I could have stopped him…"

Keigo and Hokoji glanced at one another.

"I see," Hokoji nodded. "I realize this will be difficult for you to understand now, but believe me when I say it could have been worse. Hitomi isn't the first Genin to be seriously injured on a mission, and she won't be the last. Likewise, you aren't the first Genin to make a critical mistake, and you certainly won't be the last."

"As bad as the situation is, at least maybe you've learned something from this incident," Keigo added. "This is something that you should always remember, Takeo, the pain of seeing a comrade injured and on the brink of death. Doing so…makes it easier to make sure it never happens again."

Takeo nodded, catching a glimpse of the bloodstained piece of Hitomi's sash lying on the floor. He knelt down and picked it up.

"Don't worry," he dismally responded, tying the dark red rag around his left arm. "I'll never forget."

Takeo fidgeted with the armband. From now on, every time he raised a bow in his left arm, he'd see the reminder of this day, making sure he could never forget this pain or this regret. He'd never let anyone down again…

(END FLASHBACK) -------------------------------------------------------------- (END FLASHBACK)

Kaori and Kintarou stood speechless as Takeo finished his story. Neither of them could muster a word.

"Oi, you guys are creeping me out," Takeo said. "Quit staring at me."

"Uh…sorry," Kintarou apologized. "It's just that, well…"

"We didn't know you were carrying something like that with you," Kaori finished.

"It's no big deal," Takeo hastily replied, walking up next to them. "Happened over four years ago. A lot of Genin get injured on missions…it's nothing too special."

"Takeo-kun…" Kaori started.

"Are we going or not?" Takeo sighed, tossing a light blue jacket over his dampened black shirt.

"Yosh," Kintarou nodded. "We'll be in Geyser before you know it."

Kintarou began marching off.

"After you, Kaori-san," Takeo smirked.

Kaori wrinkled her nose. "Thanks, Noppo."

Kaori fell in line beside Kintarou. Takeo paused, dejectedly rubbing a few fingers over his armband and double-checking the knot again.

"Never again," he muttered to himself, before jogging ahead to catch up with the others.