Akira's POV
Our team was all gathered in a secluded part of the forest as we all listen to our Sensei. I yawn and stretch my arm, my mind drifting away from what is Sensei talking about.
Naruto wouldn't let me sleep last night reasoning that I left him and do all the cool things with Sensei. He also reasoned that I replaced him with the other boy he saw when we arrive at the village gate. My eyebrow twitch remembering him jumping up and down on my bed just so I won't be able to sleep.
(Ah, mo, I'm still sleepy... Naru-chan this is your fault...)
Someone nudges me making me snap out of my thoughts. I look at the person beside me confused.
"Why?..." I whispered to Naruto whose eyes is darting back and forth between Sensei and me.
"Akira, are you listening?"Kakashi-sensei asked, drawing my attention to him.
"Um... Yeah..." I said hesitantly, as I play with the end sleeve of my jacket.
(I should probably stop drifting so much.)
"You're clearly not listening" He said making my eyebrow twitch.
(He shouldn't have ask, if he knows)
I gave Sensei an innocent smile making him sigh, clearly not impressed.
"Err-sorry..." I said sincerely, scratching my neck slightly. I gave Naruto a look making him stop from chuckling.
(Kami-sama, please bury me right now...)
I hide half of my face between my knees as Sensei just stare at me. He clears his throat before speaking again, making me sigh as his eyes leave mine.
"Listen, okay?" Sensei said, making all of us nod.
"According to our Intel, the thieves who took the golden statue are either traveling on land through this forest path..." He said lying the map at the center, as he points out the route he is talking about.
"or sailing by boat and will land here." he said pointing to the other route on the map. We look up at him as he rolls the map again.
"We're going to split up into two teams and lie in wait for them. In terms of balance, I guess Akira should go with me and the three of you will be together." He said making my eyebrow knit.
"What no way" I protest, Naruto nods his head in agreement.
"Well, that will be the splitting of the team" He said lazily.
"What do you mean by that? Sasuke could join you instead of Akira... or are you saying Sasuke needs all the help he can get?" Naruto said as he tilts his head to the side innocently. I cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing.
Sasuke looked at Naruto insulted "No, you're the hindrance." Naruto looked at him annoyed.
"I'm not up to your level yet, but I can say the team splitting is wrong. Why don't you take Naruto with you and leave Akira with Sakura and me instead? Subtract his skill from yours, and we'll be even." Sasuke said to Sensei, which made me perk up.
Sensei take a glance at me as I childishly nodded repeatedly, agreeing with Sasuke.
(I'm not saying that Naruto is weak. Sensei could take, either Naruto, Sasuke, or Sakura with him instead, and just leave me with the other team. I've been stuck with him for two days already, don't tell me I'm going to be stuck with him again. No way in hell)
A squeal made me jump. Sakura pulled me by my sleeves as she wriggle like a worm, fluttered by what Sasuke said.
"You've got to be kidding-dattebayo!" Naruto said angrily to Sasuke.
"Why would you subtract my skill?! You're the one who should be replaced by Akira and not me! Subtract your skill with Sensei and then with that will be even-dattebayo!" Naruto continually shouts.
(Here we go... like I said a really unique team...)
"What?! You are the one who has nothing to add!" Sasuke responded, making Naruto angrier.
I sigh and rest my head on my hand as they all continue to fight. Sakura is still squealing and wiggling on my side, you can literally see the heart shape in her eyes.
"Sasuke-kun wants to be with me so much, he's getting impatient!" Sakura said as she shake me slightly.
"My gosh..." I whispered. Sensei pick up the bamboo beside him as he hit it to the ground. There was an electricity that flows to my body that is very subtle, making me quickly pull away from Sakura. The three stop immediately as their hair stands up.
I look at Sensei with a frown. He just shrugs and looks at the other team members, whose looking at him, slightly twitching.
"Now that I've got your attention" He said pulling the map again.
"We will watch the pier. And you three will keep an eye on this path in the forest." He said
"If the thieves appear, notify us immediately. Do not take them lightly. Our mission is to retrieve the golden statue we must proceed with utmost caution" He explained making all of us nod.
"If the thieves appear on our side, I will send a signal with this." He said picking up the bamboo again.
"When this lightning barrel is tossed in the air, it will release one thunderbolt. Once you verify it, rush straight to that location." He said looking at all of us, making it clear that we are listening.
"You better handle that with care." Naruto said pointing at Sasuke.
"Now remember. You are not to act alone" Sensei said sternly before he stands up.
All of us also stand up ready to do the mission. I was about to walk with the three when I got suddenly pulled by my jacket.
"You must have forgotten. You're coming with me." He said still holding me on my jacket as I try to remove his hand.
"This is our path" He said pulling me by my jacket. I heard Sakura chuckles. I look at them pleading, but they just shrug, making me sigh defeatedly.
(Man...kami-sama, what's more, you want me to do?)
"Hai, hai. Just stop pulling me" I said once the three already left.
He looked down at me for a few seconds before letting go, confident that I would not follow the three.
(I'm not that stubborn not to follow him)
-skip-
Third Person's POV
Kakashi and Akira hide on a nearby tree on the pier, as they wait for the thieves to appear in their location, or wait for the signal of the three if they see the thieves in their position.
Kakashi is reading his book, bored by the lack of action, or rather, he simply wanted to know what would happen next in the novel, despite the fact that he has already read it several times. That's how much he liked the book.
Akira is just sitting there looking bored as she examines the clouds. Akira perked up seeing the cloud have a familiar figure on it.
"Naruto...Sasuke...Sakura..." She whispered to herself as she pointed to the clouds.
Kakashi looks up at her hearing her talk. A small smile appears on his lips seeing Akira point to the clouds with a small smile on her face. She tilts her head again, her gaze fixed on the clouds, hoping to see familiar faces or other familiar objects, again.
Akira examines the cloud that has a familiar form in it, she tilts her head recalling what or who is it.
"Ah...It's him..." She said with a poker face.
Kakashi looks at her curious, wondering who is she talking about.
"Who..." He blurted out, and even him, got shocked by the sudden word that comes out of his mouth.
Akira turns her head to look at him, her brows furrowed. She didn't know her Sensei was listening, his been too concentrated on his book that she thought sometimes he forgot that she was there, when he giggled and clears his throat when he noticed her giving him a weirded-out look.
Akira looks at him, unsure if he is speaking to her or if he is too preoccupied with the story again, that he forgets that she was there.
Kakashi laughed awkwardly "Well you don't have-"
"It's Hiroshi-san" She said, once she knows that her Sensei was talking to her.
She looks at the cloud again "Well, it was really subtle though... Maybe it wasn't him" She shrugs.
Kakashi blink a few times. Did they get too close that she even remembers him and can see him in the clouds? He asked himself
Akira shrugs again with a sigh "It could be a monkey though..."
Akira looks at her Sensei again, confused by the sudden silence.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asks as her Sensei just blinks
Kakashi stops blinking and leans his body a little towards Akira. He also looked up to the clouds, thinking.
"Don't you see me there?" He said, making Akira confused about where is he getting at.
She just looks up again and tries to find a cloud that looks like her weird Sensei. She put on an innocent smile and look at her Sensei again
"Ah... no... Maybe the clouds aren't fans of yours." She said smiling at her Sensei innocently. Kakashi gave her a look she can't seem to read.
She blinks and looks up at the clouds again, uncomfortable by the silence. Maybe what she said really offended their Sensei. She played with her fingers, trying to think of what to say.
"Umm...maybe... the clouds can't form your face because it didn't know what you actually look like, you know..." She said. She wanted to facepalm herself, what she said didn't even make sense, at all.
Kakashi blinks again, he wanted to pat Akira's head, feeling bad seeing Akira look nervously at the cloud.
Akira look at her Sensei again "I'm sorry, that didn't make sense..." She said looking like she was about to cry as she continue to play with her fingers.
Kakashi looks at her and smirks. "Is that your way of saying that you wanted to see my face?" Kakashi said, smirking. He wanted to ease Akira, he wasn't offended or anything by what Akira said earlier. He was just teasing her but it seems Akira got the wrong idea.
Akira's nervousness drops and looks at her Sensei annoyed.
"Come on, don't look at me like that. I was just teasing you." Kakashi said patting Akira's head. Akira sighed wanting to poke his one eye.
"tch" She said shoving her Sensei hand.
Kakashi actually enjoyed this. He wanted to laugh.
"You still didn't answer my question, do you want to see my face? I'm willing to show you" Kakashi ask again leaning a little more towards Akira, as he raised his eyebrow suggestively, still teasing her.
"Ah, mo. No, get away" Akira said shoving him away from her.
"Really? you know many wanted to see under this mask" He said laughing silently. Even if he is like this, he still pays attention to their surrounding.
"Really, I don't want to. Can you stop now, we're on a mission if you forgot" Akira said, done with her Sensei antics. She wondered what happens to the thieves, they still weren't showing judging that the three still not sending any signal to them.
"Really, why not?" Kakashi still insisted actually curious, many people wanted to see under his mask. He may not look like it but he knows his team is curious judging by how they look intensively at him when they were eating together, well except Akira she wasn't even taking a glance in his direction.
"Because I'm not the same as the other people you were talking about, Sensei" Akira said with a sigh. She's not really curious, it didn't even get into her mind. Well, it did yesterday though. She wasn't eager to know what her Sensei look like under the mask, besides what good it will do to her.
"That's your final answer? I'm gonna show you if you want" Kakashi said leaning on the tree again, just like his position earlier.
"No, I'm good." Akira said lazily without any tint of hesitancy as she fixes her hair and her Hitai-ate.
"Okay...If you really don't want to..." Kakashi said still not convinced. Akira just put her head on her hand, as she swings her legs. Their position wasn't noticeable even if you make an unnecessary movement.
Akira looks at the pier. She feels unease now, why are the thieves taking so long.
Kakashi takes notice of Akira's uneasy look. He has a hunch about what Akira was thinking. He also felt it, what's taking the thieves so long? He looks up at the sky, the three still didn't send any signal at them. They didn't act on their own, right? They did listen to him...right?
-skip-
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura looked at the golden statue, sweatdropping.
"Teme, this is your fault" Naruto said pulling Sasuke as they walk to Akira and their Sensei position.
"What did you say? You're the first one to act alone, Usuratonkachi!" Sasuke said also pulling Naruto.
"What, I look at you and you were ready to attack-dattebayo" Naruto protested.
Sakura sighed looking at the Golden Statue. They all feel uneasy, their mission is to get the Golden Statue from the thieves without any scratch. All of their shoulders drop, but look what happened to the Statue.
They all stop and look around once they reach the position their Sensei told them.
"Where are they?" Sakura whispered. Naruto was about to shout when they heard a rustle on a tree
"Man, this is so boring..." Akira said on the verge of falling asleep.
"Well-" Kakashi said but stop sensing their chakra. He looks at Akira who's looking down the tree, he knows she will sense it too.
"What are they doing here..." Akira said jumping down the tree. Kakashi also followed, he have a hunch that make him sigh. They didn't listen to him at all.
"Oh, you're there" Naruto said waving the Golden Statue.
"Naruto?" Akira said tilting her head a little. They all jump when Akira suddenly appeared in front of them. She looks at the Golden Statue, biting her lower lip.
"Wow..." She said, not really disappointed or surprised with what the Golden Statue looked like.
"Just wow..." She said again, holding a laugh. She look at her Sensei who is now behind her and gave the Statue to him.
Kakashi raised his eyebrows, amused at the state of the Golden Statue.
"Okay, now, tell me what happened..." He said making the three look at each other.
After a few minutes of explaining, Akira chuckled looking at their hand.
"This is really awesome..." She said making Naruto and Sasuke frown.
"Well, I guess it can be melted down and re-cast. Just maybe" Kakashi said looking at the statue.
"Thank you, Sasuke-kun" Sakura said putting her arms around Sasuke. Sasuke didn't push her away.
"Hey, I did my best too-dattebayo" Naruto said defeatedly, looking at the ground. Sakura didn't even thank him.
"This is ridiculous! How come you, of all people, can't undo this, Kakashi-sensei-ttebayo?!" Naruto said pulling his arm.
"Remember, that boss said so too. It'll crumble apart in two or three days." Sakura said making Naruto and Sasuke pull at each other's arms, not wanting to believe what Sakura said. Akira laughs again.
"Like I can put up with him for that long!" Sasuke said pulling harder.
"That's my line!" Naruto said doing the same.
"Damn..." She said laughing
"Akira, don't just laugh there. Can't you do anything with this" Naruto said pulling Akira closer to them. Sasuke and Naruto looked at her pleadingly.
"What's make you think that I can do something about it, when Sensei can't" Akira said making the two shoulders drop.
Naruto shivered and look at Sasuke
"I-I think I need to go." Naruto said
"Not again" Sasuke said as he stop pulling
"This time it's number two." Naruto pats Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke resist when Naruto started dragging him to a nearby bush.
"Aw c'mon, we already peed together." Naruto said making Akira laugh again.
"Oh... my... gosh" She said in between laughs. Sakura crossed her arms and look at the side, disappointed.
"I can't..." She said leaning her body a little to the person beside her. There was a hand on her shoulder, making her stop leaning toward the person beside her, realizing who is it.
"Oh, sorry" Akira said looking up to their Sensei. She walks away from him, not waiting for her Sensei to respond, and took a few steps away from him making her be beside Sakura.
She looks at Sakura who looks like she needed emotional support. Akira pats her back at least. She bites her bottom lip again to try not to laugh.
Kakashi looks at them. A small smile on his lips. He looks at Akira as his hand twitches remembering the feeling when Akira leans her body towards him.He sighed and looked at the rest of the team.
'Those who abandon their friends are worse than scum. This team overcomes it so easily' He said to himself. He looks at the sunset as his heart welled up with emotions.
Akira looks at the two who is still arguing, she chuckled when she realized something.
"So, whose house are you two?" she said, causing the two to come to a halt.
Sasuke and Naruto exchanged glances.
"Mine-dattebayo." Naruto declared solemnly.
Sasuke glared at Naruto and said, "Who said that, huh, mine."
"What, no way, I'm already gonna be stuck with you. I can't let myself be stuck in your apartment-dattebayo" Naruto said now pulling his arm again
"That should be my line" Sasuke said, also pulling his arm again.
"They look like they gonna break their arms" Akira muttered.
She looks at the sunset, wondering what will happen to the two in the next few days. What about her?... She can't let herself be drowned by their bickering for almost three days. Whatever happens, she will not share an apartment with the two until the Jutsu in their hands does not break.
Maybe she can stay with Sakura... If she is lucky maybe their team will be put on rest. Well, she can't see the future, she's just gonna wait and go along with what will happen in the next few days.