Rating: T (M for later chapters)

Words: 2900

Pairing: Genma/OC, various pairings later

Warnings: This chapter is pretty tame, some flirty references and general Genma banter

Author's Note: So, this is the point where I apologize for how long it has taken me to update stories. Since the end of November, my life has gotten unexpectedly hectic. It doesn't appear that it's going to let up any time soon. Sorry if it takes me a while to get the chapters out to you guys. The story is all planned out so there will be more coming, but it may take me a little while to get them out. We'll see how things go. As always, thanks for reading/reviewing!

Mission Report - Week Two

We've arrived in Arashi-gai, and the situation is as we expected. No leads have surfaced yet, but we've made plans to gather the necessary intel. Our base has been established, and we'll press forward tomorrow. I plan to do everything in my power to expedite this mission. G is impossible to work with. I've compiled a list of his insubordinations-

Kakashi burst into laughter when he reached the word insubordinations. On the opposite side of the Hokage's desk, Tenzo stood quietly, expression mildly curious about the contents of the missive he'd delivered. The man didn't ask.

Still chuckling, Kakashi picked up the page to read through the offenses. Setsumi's script grew smaller and smaller, as if she realized that she was running out of room. The complaints detailed were hardly surprising for Genma, especially the one listed as romantic attachments. Kakashi had known the man for a long time. There was nothing romantic in Genma's attachments; they were purely physical, and always had been.

Inappropriate comments, back talk, and alcohol consumption were hardly unusual over the course of a long mission. Though, it was surprising that they had started this early. Some of the other charges were more mysterious, even for Genma: laziness, compromising mission security, and improper use of jutsu. Kakashi frowned and read over the message again, impressed that Setsumi hadn't included a second scroll. Two lines of conclusion squeezed across the bottom of the page.

We've discussed these issues at length. If G and I can't come to a satisfactory conclusion soon, I'll have no other option than to start enforcing consequences.

"I don't know what he did to get under her skin, but this reads like a letter to a friend rather, than a mission report. That isn't like Setsumi." Kakashi chuckled again. "But, I'd love to see someone trying to enforce consequences on Genma."

"Hokage-sama?" Tenzo questioned, brow furrowing from lack of information. Though the man had brought the scroll to Kakashi, he had no idea what it contained. Tenzo had been leaving the mission room when Shikamaru asked if he could deliver the report. As head of Kakashi's guard, it wasn't unusual to find him in the Hokage's office, and today had been no exception. The Anbu had been on his way to make a mission report as well.

Pushing the scroll toward his longtime friend, Kakashi waited. Dark, almond eyes read the words without revealing a hint of Tenzo's thoughts. "Well? What do you think," Kakashi asked when the man remained silent.

"I think it's a long-term mission," Tenzo shrugged, handing the report back to Kakashi. "They'll get things figured out in the end."

Kakashi incinerated the paper with a fire jutsu, then wiped his fingers against the dark fabric of his pants. "Perhaps they'll work out something like you and Anko did?" Tenzo tensed, and Kakashi grinned, wondering just how far the woman had pushed him. "Neither of you died under mysterious circumstances, so I can only assume that you reached some kind of understanding."

Tenzo's stiff posture suggested that something was wrong, but Kakashi couldn't put his finger on what it was. The man had been out of the village for two months on a mission with Mitarashi Anko. Their pairing had been nearly as explosive as Setsumi and Genma. Kakashi suspected that Tenzo was glad to be back in the village and away from her. Anko was difficult to work with in the best of times.

"We did." Tenzo cleared his throat, then laced his hands together behind him. "As amusing as your newest mismatched team is, was there something you needed, Hokage-sama?"

Suppressing his curiosity about what was bothering Tenzo, Kakashi asked about the mission. As anticipated, the man launched into a bland report. He concluded with the fact that their mission had been a success, and the intel was currently being analyzed by the Intelligence Division.

"Are you sure there wasn't any trouble?" Kakashi nodded toward a long scratch that ran over Tenzo's shoulder, disappearing under his armor. "It's not like you to let someone land a hit," he added casually.

"Then we should spar more often, to keep my reflexes sharp." Tenzo rolled his shoulder, wincing slightly before continuing. "It's only superficial."

Kakashi raised one eyebrow at the man, wondering why Tenzo changed the subject. "When did you get back to the village? I expected you sooner."

"We got back last night, but I went to clean up first." Tenzo shifted his weight from foot to foot before shrugging. "Then, it was so late that I didn't see the point. Since it wasn't urgent, I took the evening to write a detailed report."

That four-page document remained face down on Kakashi's desk, unread. In fact, he probably wouldn't read it at all; Shikamaru usually took care of that. Instead, Kakashi watched his kohai, trying to determine the cause for the man's discomfort. Maybe I'm imagining things.

A knock interrupted Kakashi's thoughts, and Raido poked his head into the office. Tenzo moved respectively to the side without being asked.

"Hokage-sama," Raido bowed to the two men. "Haruno Sakura is here."

Kakashi frowned. He hadn't summoned Sakura and couldn't think of a single reason why she would stop by his office. When he said as much, Raido chuckled. "She's actually here to see Yamato." The man turned toward the Anbu with an apologetic shrug.

The words deepened Kakashi's frown. His gaze wandered to Tenzo's face, and the Anbu shrugged. If Kakashi hadn't known better, he would have thought that the color in Tenzo's cheeks was a blush. But, that didn't make sense. Sakura ducked into the office under Raido's arm, face flushed with annoyance. Kakashi wisely didn't say anything. The medic's pink hair was pulled into a bun, loose tendrils falling around her face. Sakura had clearly come straight from the hospital, a fact made evident by the white coat she wore over her civilian clothing.

"Hokage-sama," Sakura bowed to Kakashi, then turned toward Tenzo. "Yamato, you didn't check in after your mission. If you're injured, you have to be examined for medical clearance before returning to duty."

Tenzo started to say something, but Sakura spoke over him. "I'm shocked that Anko would come in, and you wouldn't. She said that you took at least two wounds."

Kakashi ignored the pleading look in Tenzo's brown eyes. He wasn't about to step between Sakura and her quarry when it came to medical treatment. Kakashi had been on the receiving end of that particular after mission lecture more than once, though those were few and far between these days. He'd never known Tenzo to be one to avoid the hospital. In fact, he always followed regulation to the letter. Interesting, Kakashi thought, watching the pair with more than a little amusement.

Sakura crossed her arms and started tapping her foot. "If you're done with your mission report, we can do your exam now." Her tone made it clear that she planned to escort Tenzo to the hospital so he couldn't try to skip out a second time.

Tenzo cut his eyes toward Kakashi, but the silver-haired man shook his head. "Don't look at me. You can't be cleared without her approval, Yamato." Kakashi's voice curled playfully around the code name that Tenzo answered to now. The man's mouth tightened before he turned back to Sakura.

"Fine," the ANBU huffed. "Let's get this over with."

Tenzo glared at Kakashi, and Sakura shot a triumphant look over her shoulder before following him out of the office.

"No way, absolutely not," Setsumi snarled, feeling dirty by just looking around the two-room apartment. Yellow water stains ran down one wall in the small kitchen, and there were enough layers of grime on the windows to give the room a permanently dingy appearance. A single, large bed had been pushed into the corner, mattress sagging in the middle. Mildew permeated the air.

Genma made a sound of frustration and raked long fingers through his brown hair. Since they'd crossed the border into the Land of Water, both Setsumi and Genma had removed anything that marked them as Leaf Shinobi. The man's mop of unruly, caramel hair had surprised Setsumi. For some reason, she'd imagined that Genma's hair would be thin and wispy, but it was thicker than she thought. He'd completed the same action so many times today that it looked disheveled. "You're going to have to lower your standards," he complained, glancing around the room. "I've stayed in much worse places than this."

"You need to raise yours," Setsumi shot back, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She wiped at the sheen of sweat on her forehead. The sticky, humid air remained unbroken in this building, hanging heavy like a blanket. The pair had been looking for a room all day, and seemed destined to spend another night at the inn. A cockroach skittered across the floor as Setsumi stepped into the hall. "I'm not staying here, so unless you want to split up, we might as well go look at the next."

Snorting, Genma followed. "The next one sounded okay. It's near the beach, at least."

Setsumi scoffed as they stepped back onto the street. "Why? So you can stare at all the women?"

"So I can go running, actually. Sand is good for endurance." Genma delivered the line with complete sincerity, and Setsumi glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Even after two weeks together, she still hadn't figured him out. Sometimes, he came across as the careless playboy everyone knew him to be. Other times, rarely, he'd say something to remind her that he was a shinobi and soldier as well. But, Genma always morphed back into the arrogant flirt that Setsumi expected.

By late afternoon, Setsumi and Genma had reached the last apartment on their short list of places that had rooms to let. A pleasant breeze rippled through the street around them, and the crashing of the sea was louder. Being closer to the beach might not be such a bad thing after all.

As they walked through the apartment building, Setsumi exhaled thankfully at the cooler air. The hardwood in the hallway while well-worn and scuffed from sandy feet, was clean and insect free. Paint had peeled away from the wall in a couple of places as well. The building was rundown but in decent repair, as if the landlord cared about her tenants.

Yuki, the tiny woman leading them down the hallway, seemed kind enough, but Setsumi knew that looks could be deceiving. Pausing outside of the rooms, the landlord slipped a key into the lock and pushed the door open. Setsumi held her breath as she stepped inside, hoping this apartment would prove better than the others.

The main room was small, consisting of both the kitchen and living area. Both were cleanly swept and neat, though certainly not as nice as Setsumi's apartment back in Konoha. A couch nestled in one corner beneath a window that opened toward the sea, and a bookcase with a handful of dusty volumes sat next to it. The table and chairs were plain, but in good repair. An equally small bathroom was positioned off the side of the living room, but it looked large enough for their needs. Best of all, Setsumi didn't see any roaches.

The bedroom, however, presented a problem. Like most of the apartments they'd looked at, it contained a dresser, nightstand, and a single bed. Setsumi opened her mouth to explain that the room wouldn't work, but Genma stopped her by sliding an arm around her waist and pulling the woman into his chest. Too stunned to argue, Setsumi glanced up at him.

"It's perfect isn't it, love?" Genma managed to muffle his grunt when Setsumi's elbow connected with his stomach, but he didn't loosen his grip. "We'll take it."

Genma turned away, keeping an arm around her shoulders. Sensing that the man wasn't just trying to make her want to stab him, Setsumi followed his lead by curling a hand around Genma's waist. He shifted in surprise, leaning toward her. "It's exactly what we've been looking for," she lied. The sugary sweetness in her tone nearly gagged the woman.

Their new landlord nodded, smiling. "Excellent. I was hoping to get a lovely young couple like yourselves. I try to have a safe place for families here." Yuki eyed them, clearly trying to figure out how soon they would be starting said family. "I don't want my tenants to get mixed up in any of that shinobi nonsense."

"There won't be any of that with us, will there darling?" Genma cooed, stopping just short of kissing Setsumi's forehead when she shot him a murderous glare. "We've heard that there've been some, what was it that boy told us? Robberies and muggings, maybe even murders on the other side of town?"

Setsumi was impressed by Genma's acting ability. His hand tightened around her protectively when he mentioned the rumors. Determined to keep up their appearance, and not be outdone by Genma, Setsumi rested her cheek on his chest. She brushed the man's lower back with one hand, surprised at how easily he slipped into the role of worried, civilian husband.

Yuki's frown deepened, wrinkling her sun-darkened face. "You won't need to worry about that here. Come on, let's go back downstairs and get everything finalized."

"I cannot believe that you paid that much for this place," Setsumi complained before the door fully closed behind Genma. "Or that you took it. There's one bed. One. If you think I'm sleeping with you, you are sadly mistaken." She folding her arms over her chest in defiance.

"We can take turns," Genma suggested, dropping his bag onto the floor. He crossed the room to open the window, and the heat immediately dissipated. A salty, clean breeze washed through the space. He turned back to Setsumi with a cheeky grin. "Or, we can share the bed. I can keep my hands to myself if you can."

A sharp jab between Genma's ribs from two of Setsumi's fingers wiped the smirk from his face. "I don't make any promises," she grumbled. "Though, I doubt you'd enjoy my hands on you."

Genma grunted and turned away. Moving back toward the kitchen area, he crouched and began to dig through the bag on the ground. "There's nothing wrong with this place. It's a great location, and the price was more than fair. Besides, this puts us closer to our target."

Setsumi glared at Genma before deciding to help him unpack their gear. In a matter of minutes, radios, earpieces, and various other surveillance equipment covered their small table. Pushing items out of the way, Setsumi picked up one of the earbuds and turned it over in her hand. Since most of her missions were solo, she'd never used one. She was surprised at how well it fit inside her ear until horrible static reverberated through her head. Jerking the piece out, she threw it back on the table and frowned at Genma, who had chosen that exact moment to check the radio. The man's grin only made her more annoyed.

"Stop goofing off." Setsumi dragged one of the notebooks closer. "What's our plan?"

"Oh no," Genma shook his head as he took a seat. Resting his heels on the table, the man tipped the chair backward, the picture of ease. "You wanted to be captain, remember? I don't have plans; I follow orders."

Setsumi snorted, doubting that Genma had ever followed an order a single day of his life. Tapping the pencil idly against her lower lip, she frowned at the blank page. They had gleaned decidedly few details over the past couple of weeks. So far, all that they really knew was that there was a potential threat to Konoha somewhere in this village, Arashi-gai. The only solid evidence they had was a name, Gouu, but Setsumi knew that was enough to get started.

"I thought we'd start by canvassing the city to see what we can find out about this Gouu. Bars, markets, people in the street, whomever we can get information from. Carefully, of course." Setsumi practically felt Genma roll his eyes at her warning. "I think we should use code names while we're here."

"Nobody knows who we are," Genma said, running his fingers through his hair again. "I'm going to keep using my name, but you can do whatever you want."

Dropping the chair back to the floor, the man stood up. "We have a plan now. I'm going to go for a run before it gets dark. Do you want to come?"

Ignoring the smirk on the man's face, Setsumi scribbled down a few notes without answering. She wouldn't allow herself to sink to his level of juvenile humor. The idea of spending another hour with Genma that she didn't have to sounded like a special kind of torment. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Suit yourself," Genma shrugged and headed toward the door. He turned back with a grin. "Also, since I found this pace and got it for us, I'm taking the bed first."

Setsumi's notebook thudded against the door as Genma slipped into the hallway, his laughter fading with his footsteps.