Chapter 2 – So, this is a C-Rank?
Authors Note
Hi guys! So, I suck when it comes to fight scenes, sorry! Anyway, hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters do not belong to me
Just before the stick reached the puddle, two ninja dressed in dark-grey clothes and each wearing a metal gauntlet with vicious-looking claws and a connecting chain burst forth.
In a panic, Kakashi dove forwards - his book nowhere to be seen, for once. Catching Naruto, the jounin rolled, trying to protect the young blond. After coming out of the roll, Kakashi barely had time to push Naruto out of the way before the chunins' chain wrapped around him.
Sakura screamed, watching as their sensei was seemingly torn to shreds, failing to notice the shredded evidence of a kawarimi.
"One down." The Mist ninja stated together, before turning their attention to their second-closest target – Naruto.
Eyes narrowing, Sasuke reached into his weapons pouch while at the same time, Naruto turned to face the enemy, a faint, blue glow sounding his feet, before slowly turning purple and creeping it's way along the ground.
"Two down." The chunin stated, still eerily at the same time, sending their chain at the blond. Seeing that whatever his teammate was doing would be too late, Sasuke sprang into action, startling the Mist ninja as their chain was caught on a tree by a shuriken and locked in place by a kunai piercing the hole in the middle.
"You ok, Bibiri-kun?" Sasuke asked, a brief hint of concern hiding in his eyes.
Naruto scowled, before yelling, as the chunin each pressed a button on their gauntlets, releasing the chain, and ran towards them, splitting up as they went.
"Sasuke-kun, watch out!" Sakura cried, client completely forgotten.
Sasuke threw a scowl over his shoulder (was it seriously too much to focus on the mission?) before pulling out another kunai and engaging, the clangs ringing out through the forest.
Meanwhile, the second attacker veered off, away from the blond, and headed straight for Tazuna, completely ignoring the weak fan-girl offering no protection.
Reaching the old bridge-builder, he raising his clawed gauntlet, intending to take him out in one fell swoop, only for the blond to suddenly appear, catching the strike with his hand and forcing the ninja back.
"Oi, Rettō-sei! I'm your opponent, dattebayo!"
Blinking in surprise, the ninja disengaged, jumping backwards to regroup with his teammate. Together, they then tried once again to get at Tazuna, only to get clotheslined by Kakashi as he shunshined back into the clearing.
"Good work, Sasuke, Naruto!" Kakashi eye-smiled after knocking the enemy nins out. "Not many genin can go toe-to-toe with the Demon Brothers so soon after graduating!" They earned themselves a thumbs up.
Sasuke nodded, a gleam of achievement entering his eyes.
"So, this is a C-rank mission," he murmured.
Hearing him, Kakashi frowned.
"No. This is no longer a C-rank." Kakashi stated. "On an ACTUAL C-rank, the most that should be encountered are bandits. The Demon Brothers of the Mist, however, are chunin, making this AT LEAST a B, possibly even an A-rank, depending on whether or not we encounter a larger threat." Kakashi side-eyed their client. "So, Tazuna-san, mind telling me why they were after you, why you lied about the mission rank and brief, and, most importantly, WHY we should continue with this mission, when MY three cute, little genin could very well get killed?" Kakashi finished in a low hiss, slight Killer Intent leaking out.
Tazuna gulped, wilting under the pressure.
"I had no choice! Wave is a small village, and a poor one at that. We banded together and scraped and saved - for months, the C-rank was the highest mission we could afford! Please, you've gotta help us! Our country's economy is pretty much dead, killed by Gato, and the bridge is our only hope! It will connect us to the mainland and mean we won't have to rely on Gato's shipping for trade and resources."
Kakashi hummed.
"I don't know, theoretically, we ought to return to Konoha, at the very least, the Demon Brothers should be taken to Ibiki-san, and the poison they use to the Nara Research Facility for analysis for future reference..."
Hearing this, Sasuke's eyes widened, and he turned to glance at the blond.
"Sensei! We need to head back NOW! We aren't ready for another fight against ninja, we haven't even been out of the Academy a full month, and...and Naruto's been injured! He needs to go to the hospital!" Sakura cried, looking round for a reason to head back.
Freezing, Kakashi spun around, hurriedly looking the blond over.
"Naruto, did one of the Demon Brothers get you?" he asked, slightly panicked.
Blinking up at him, Naruto shrugged. Frustrated, and wanting to head back home to safety before more ninja came after them, Sakura marched over to him and grabbed the injured hand, raising it to show their sensei.
"That looks rather bad, we'd better head on back to the Village, Hokage-sama will be able to send a more suitable – and experienced team once Tazuna-san updates the brief and ranking..." Kakashi began, while moving closer.
Naruto snorted.
"Ne, sensei, it's only a scratch, dattebayo! What type of ninja would I be if every time I got scratched, I had to return? I'd be the laughing-stock of the Village! 'Sides, it's against my Nindo to give up!" That said, Naruto stabbed his left hand with a kunai. "By the pain in my left hand, I swear I'll never give up on a mission, so long as the objective can be achieved, no matter how low the probability, I won't run away or rely on others, dattebayo!"
Kakashi sighed, pulling a roll of bandages out of his pouch.
"Well, at least that's got rid of the poison. Not to mention, one vote to continue. Sasuke?"
"My daughter and grandson will NEVER forgive you, and will most likely curse Konoha for the rest of their lives..." Tazuna began his lousy attempt to blackmail them.
Naruto groaned, all of his effort, going down the proverbial drain! Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke scoffed.
"Like I'd vote to go back! You realise returning without completing the mission will go on our permanent records, and make the Village look weak? Besides, if the mission is a higher rank, it'll give us more experience." A strange gleam appeared in Sasuke's eye.
"Right, so that's two votes to continue. Sakura?" Kakashi asked, while retrieving a scroll and pen from his pouch.
"Ano," Sakura hesitated, before glancing at Sasuke. "I guess we should continue?" She didn't want Sasuke-kun to think she was weak.
"Excellent, then I guess we're continuing!" Kakashi eye-smiled, sealing the scroll, before summoning a small dog and passing over the scroll. "Pakkun, I need you to take this to Hokage-sama, along with those two." He nodded to the Demon Brothers.
The pug nodded and took the scroll, before heading off.
Soon enough, the sun started setting, causing Kakashi to call a halt to their journey, much to Sakura's relief. After their encounter with the Demon Brothers, the surrounding pressure had increased; what with Tazuna's tension, and Naruto easily slipping back into his muttered conversation as if nothing had happened, instead of fooling around like she was used to from the Academy.
"Ok, team, we'll set up camp here. Sakura, tents; Sasuke, fire duty; Naruto, cooking. Any questions? No? That's fine, then!" Kakashi didn't wait for an answer. "I'll take first watch, with Sakura, then Sasuke and Naruto'll take second, and I'll take the third."
"But, Sensei, why would you let Naruto cook? Are you sure he won't somehow poison us? Everyone knows he only eats ramen," Sakura started complaining.
Naruto's shoulders slumped slightly, before huffing.
"Ne, Sakura-chan, you don't have to be so mean! I can to cook, dattebayo, you'll see!" He declared, before racing off into the forest.
"Great, there goes the dobe." Sasuke sighed, before turning and following after him. "I'll go make sure he doesn't get himself killed."
Kakashi nodded, head already buried back in his precious book.
Sakura pouted.
"But, Sasuke-kun! Why don't you stay and...take a rest? We've been walking all day!"
Sasuke didn't seem to have heard, and soon disappeared into the trees.
"Sakura, daylight's fading. Unless you want to set up camp in the dark, I'd get a move on. Don't forget to make a fireplace." Kakashi eye-smiled, not looking up from his book.
Sakura sighed, and started working on the tents.
"Feel free to help, Sensei," she smiled sweetly.
"Maa, Maa," Kakashi waved his hand dismissively. "If I helped, I wouldn't be able to read, besides, if I helped all the time, what would you do if I'm not around?"
"But Sensei! You're not doing ANYTHING!" the pinket exclaimed.
"Not true. I'm reading. And keeping a look-out incase some more ninja decide to keep us company." Kakashi eye-smiled.
Sakura groaned, and continued working in silence.
It wasn't long before a trio of Naruto's arrived, loaded down with firewood.
"Boss said to get the fire laid, he and the teme are busy getting food." One of the blonds reported.
"Um, where did you want the fire?" another asked, looking round the makeshift campsite.
"BAKA! Over there with the stones, where else?" Sakura raged.
"That doesn't look like a fireplace," Clone #2 deadpanned, dodging the fist Sakura sent his way, before looking at his fellows, who nodded. "It's just a stone pile."
Clone #3 winced.
"We'd better lay the fire, too; who knows, she might think that laying the fire is just plonking the sticks on the stones..."
The other clones groaned, before setting to work correcting Sakura's 'fireplace', before dispelling once they'd finished, leaving Sakura grumbling about rude blonds, and how HER Sasuke-kun wouldn't have been SO inconsiderate.
Hearing her, Kakashi and Tazuna sweat-dropped.
"Is she serious?" Tazuna whispered, not particularly wanting to attract the female's ire.
Kakashi shrugged.
"Not sure. She's been like this as long as I've known her, but then again, I've only had this team for less than a month, so..." Kakashi trailed off, as the two boys returned from the forest, Sasuke carrying some fish and a brace of rabbits, the blond in question, a handful of veggies and what looked like grass?
"Aarrgghhh! Naruto! Why did you get grass? See, Sensei? This is why Naruto shouldn't be in charge of cooking! He even had to rely on Sasuke-kun to get anything decent! I bet it was Sasuke-kun who found the veg, too! As if Naruto would even know carrots..." Sakura berated the blond, failing to notice Sasuke's scowl deepening.
Naruto just shrugged, pulling out a knife and starting to chop the veg and 'grass', putting them into the cooking pot a clone had fetched from the nearby stream.
"Naruto? Where'd you get the pot from?" Kakashi asked curiously.
Naruto blinked up at him in confusion.
"From my pack, where else would I get it?"
"Where else," Kakashi repeated slowly, before glancing at said pack suspiciously.
"Don't be silly, Naruto, there's no WAY you had that in your pack, it wouldn't fit in the first place." Sakura smugly began lecturing the poor blond again.
Naruto frowned.
"You mean to say you didn't pack cooking equipment? How were you planning to cook food?"
Kakashi sweat-dropped.
"Well, normally, you'd use hard rations, food pills, and cook meat or fish – if you can find any – on a stick over the fire; not make stew with a cooking pot that's too large to fit in your pack..." Kakashi trailed off, a strange, distant look in his eye.
Naruto shrugged it off, before accepting the skinned rabbits from his clone.
Ignoring them; I mean, really, it's Naruto, what were they expecting; Sasuke busied himself preparing the fish, before using a small Katon jutsu to light the fire. Naruto grinned and lifted the full cooking pot, easily carrying it over to the fire.
Soon a delicious scent was rising up from the bubbling pot, causing the team and Tazuna's stomachs to rumble. Kakashi sighed, before pulling out his water bottle.
"Ok, everyone, how's the liquid level? Now's as good a time as any to refill."
Sakura blinked, as Kakashi dropped four water bottles into her lap.
"There you go! Stream's just over that way." He said, pointing to the left.
"Huh? Sensei, why me?" the pinket asked, not wanting to stand up again for a while.
"Well, Naru-chan's cooking, Sasu-kun's already got the firewood – and apparently most of the food – and is keeping an eye on the fire, Tazuna-san needs to rest from all the walking we did today and is our client, so that just leaves you!" Kakashi eye-smiled, before turning serious. "Besides, refilling the water bottles is part of setting up camp."
Sakura groaned, before getting up to head for the stream.
"You couldn't of mentioned this BEFORE I sat down?" she grumbled quietly.
"I shouldn't have needed to; isn't how to set up a camp, and the required duties that come under that, taught at the Academy?" Kakashi frowned, making a mental note to speak to the Hokage when they returned about the Academy standards dropping. Sakura was supposed to be the Kunoichi of her year, after all – something Kakashi was finding harder to believe the longer he knew her.
Upon her return, Sakura was handed a bowl of the rabbit stew. Bewildered, she watched as Kakashi carefully wrapped the fish in some leaves for tomorrow's lunch, his bowl empty beside him. A quick glance round revealed Tazuna still eating, and Naruto serving Sasuke-kun a second bowlful.
Hesitantly, she started eating, only to freeze as the flavour of the stew hit her tongue.
"NO WAY! How on earth did you make it taste so good? This could even be served at Izakaya-san's restaurant!"
Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"Ano, that would be the 'grass', Sakura-chan. It was actually wild herbs, onion and celery!"
Sakura stared at him in shock.
"You know what they look like?"
Yes, Kakashi was definitely going to Have Words with the Hokage about the Academy. Needless to say, Sakura wasn't pleased to discover that she had to do the washing up, as 'the boys had cooked, Tazuna was the client, and Kakashi was busy reading'.