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Chapter 17

"Bonding" Time

Sachino Hari walked back to her house from her meeting on the bridge. She wasn't in a good mood really, for she woke up much too early. Her jounin sensei, Anko, had come up to her house and started knocking on her door. Of course, Hari just turned over and tried to tune her out. She underestimated how determined Anko could get, of which she regrets doing. After shutting Anko out and falling into a light slumber, Anko had jumped up to her window and managed to get into the room. Then...well, let's say Anko wasn't very happy about being ignored.

Hari, like as said, wasn't all that happy either. Especially when she found out that the reason she was torn from her house, not to mention in her night down, and onto a bridge just so her and her team would know that they were going on a long mission and would be the hardest they've gotten so far, and that they should start packing for their descent later in the day. She felt the gentle morning breeze come from the north, and glanced over her shoulder to see the sun just now peek over the horizon.

"Today's going to be a long day," she muttered to herself.

Kako had woken up hours before daylight, and had been reflecting on his life. Even questioned his goal in life. Was it really worth it? He thought as he hid in a tall tree overlooking the area of where he had officially graduated and Kotetsu had passed his team. What other teams have graduated, anyway?

He hopped down and paced his way to his little apartment. He fumbled with the keys when he heard his phone ringing throughout the apartment and passing through the cracks of his door. Kako pushed on the door and rushed to the phone. He sighed in relief as he heard a voice, signaling that he made it in time.

"Hello?" The crackly voice said through the phone.

"Hi, who's this?"

"Kotetsu, can I speak to Kako?"

"Speaking, what is it Kotetsu-sensei?"

"A mission. We're leaving today in about three hours, and we're going to be gone for maybe a couple of days, so you might want to pack up some things and tell your friends or family that you'll be gone for a while,"

"Got it, so what rank is the mission?"

"A C-rank mission,"

"Really? What about?"

The next words came out after a hesitation, but sounded quite forbidding especially coming from Kotetsu's mouth,

"Ghosts"

"Ghosts?" Sakka guessed, "It could be about something creepy like ghosts." Team 11 had arrived at the entrance of their village, Konoha, at the supposed time. All had arrived other than the most important person, Anko, and the three man cell had been getting a little restless waiting for her.

Hari shivered at the idea of a mission like THAT. That as in hunting for ghosts, going through old dusty basements, or even worse:

"Maybe we'd get cursed," she managed to say, her statement was clear with obvious fear. Chiro flicked his hand at Hari.

"There's no possible way that it would be about ghosts. Our village only takes missions worth going on," Chiro said, putting his hands on his hips.

"What are you talking about 'only takes missions worth going on'? Are you saying that ghosts aren't real?" Sakka accused at Chiro.

"Course ghosts are real!" came a female voice. The three turned their heads to see Rei smiling at them, along side Jin. A gust of wind swept past them as Hari saw Jin in a way she never has. She could hear the soft tune playing as he glided up to them. His hair swayed in a way she haven't seen, making him more secretive than she thought. The little spark of feelings for him re-lit and grew, grew to a more than she could even imagine.

Jin had noticed Hari giving him a look. He wasn't sure of what kind it was, but it wasn't something he's ever seen a girl give him. It made his insides twist and he could quietly hear his ragged breathing becoming rougher. He quickly turned away, for he wasn't accustomed to this new sensation.

"So, what are you two doing here?" Sakka asked. Rei cocked her head and decided that there was no harm in telling them, right?

"Kotetsu-sensei called us here for a mission!" She chipped.

"Really? Our sensei called us here for that, too!"

"Cool! What kind of mission?"

"Dunno yet, she just said that it might take a while,"

"Same here!" Rei said, getting excited. Maybe we're both going to the same village!

Kako watched his two team mates come to a slow realization that something was a little too coincidental. He sat in a nearby tree, safe from the broad daylight and relaxed in the calm shade. The moment his jounin showed up, he would confront him and ask him what exactly was going on.

He didn't have to wait long.

"Kotetsu-sensei! What's our mission?" Rei happily asked, but then saw Hari saying at the same time, she looked over and there was Anko behind Kotetsu. "Eeerrr….?" Rei tilted her chin at Anko. Kako decided to join the now growing crowd.

"What's going on?" He asked the moment he touched the ground. Normally, someone jumping down like that wouldn't bother Rei or Hari, but its how he did. For girls, like Hari, or anime lovers, like Rei, they would notice the coat and sparkles floating around him. It was like the guy from the heavens above. His face looked like it was delicately made from the hands of an angel, but the thing that really triggered them was his flowing long coat that softly waved in the wind. There was only one word for people like this:

"Bishounen," The two girls said in unison. Kotetsu opened his mouth to speak,

"Do I want to know…?"

"Kotesu-sensei, times have changed since you were our age. The kind of guys girls want are now men with long hair, and are very feminine, and of which hide dark secrets. These people are what girls call 'Bishounens', or 'Bishies' for short," Jin explained, scratching the back of his head, then sighing. Anko whispered in Kotetsu's ear, making the back of his spine stiffen.

"Should I tell them?" she asked in a softer tone than normal. Kotetsu just nervously smiled and nodded. Anko smirked devilishly and turned to the six genins, giving the air of a commanding officer. The students stiffened and turned to attention. "Ok, I bet all of you now realize that it's not just a coincidence that we're all meeting at the same place, same purpose, same time, so I'll just come straight forward," she paused and looked at the faces staring at her. She was pleased, "Our two teams will be going on the same mission!"

Even Kotetsu had to recoil as the bursts of questions thrust forward. He glanced at Anko. She was totally unfazed, actually, it looked quite the opposite, she seemed like she was enjoying it. He shook his head. Anko was one person he couldn't start to understand.

"Ok!" Anko yelled and the only thing that could be heard was the soft rustling of the leaves drifting by, "Heres the details; Our two teams will race to see who can get the mission done first, and make it back successfully. So that means whatever the reward money, only one team will take it, and for the other…well, they've just wasted some time." She smirked than nodded at Kotetsu.

"Erm," he stammered, "The mission itself is one taking place in the waterfall village. Some of the villagers think there's a ghost haunting them. We're suppose to go and check it out, see if there is a ghost, and if so, figure out what's behind it. We don't know the details ourselves, but we'll figure out what's going on when we get there, agreed?" Kotetsu finished with a friendly smiled, letting the genins relax a little more.

"Yeah, and this would be good 'bonding time' for our two teams!" Anko added in.

"Everyone ready?" Kotetsu asked.

"We've been for a while" Sakka rolled his eyes. Another gust blew by as everyone gradually turned to head out. There was a variety of emotions flowing through everyone as well as thoughts. Hari was anxious to be working close to Jin, I'll show him I'm strong and cute! Some others saw it as a pain, but there were two that seemingly seemed to be very anxious, even if their legs shook and they faked smiles, but both felt the same about these new events: Excited.