2 - just keep running~

"Okay, I definitely did not sign up for this," Naruto yelled to be heard over the sound of a collapsing building as she and Kakashi both ran from several pursuing and apparently hostile ninja (judging from the giant fūma shuriken Naruto had to duck). "I thought this was supposed to be an easy infiltration mission!"

"And yet why am I not surprised," Kakashi muttered under his breath, words muffled by his mask. Pakkun, running next to him, snorted quietly in response.

Naruto spun her head around to glare at Kakashi, her (currently brown) braid swinging with the momentum. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing," Kakashi raised both hands in a gesture of placation, wondering how the girl had managed to hear him with the ruckus in the background—the Kyūbi's influence, perhaps?

Naruto flicked her head back forward with a huff. "Hey, I know that my past record is not the most… subtle—but it wasn't even my fault this time!"

"I thought you liked the more ostentatious missions?" Kakashi inquired.

"Ostentatious?"

"—loud."

"Ah." Naruto smiled a little sheepishly. "I mean, if the problem can be solved with a good old rasengan to the face I'm all for it, but usually I know in advance if brute force is what we're looking for, you know? But this time I had to dye my hair and dress all girly and learn a cover and all that, and now it's all gone to waste." She looked a smidge mournful as she dodged a couple of senbon. "It was kinda fun being someone else for a change."

Kakashi threw a few kunai behind him without looking, only pausing briefly to listen for the pain-filled shouts that meant the projectiles had met their mark.

"You did well, Naruto," Kakashi directed one smiling eye at his sometimes-student. The mission had gone to shit in the end, but hey, Naruto wasn't lying when she said it wasn't her fault, and she had executed her part with more finesse than anyone had really expected. Which might have been a low bar to judge by, but no one had to say that out loud.

Naruto grinned happily, tingling with pleasure at the rare praise from one of her most respected precious people.

"If you have time to talk, you should keep running," Pakkun intoned gruffly.

"Yes, yes, your majesty," Kakashi sighed. Naruto just kept silent while increasing her pace, smile still clearly visible on her face.


prompt: you should keep running.