I am on my balcony when I see Sakura walking to my apartment, I wave to her and walk down to meet her.
"Hello, Sakura." I smile.
"Hi."
"So who, all is coming to this barbeque?"
"Well, Ino said that a few of the Chunin are out on missions. So only Shino, Kiba, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Choji are all here. Team Guy is out on a mission so you can meet them later."
I nodded.
"So what do they all know about me?" I ask apprehensively. She stops mid-stride and looks at me. "You don't have to worry about that. I already told them what you and Lady Tsunade have told me, and I let them know that rumors and rude comments will not be tolerated." She says matter of factly.
I smile. "Thank you Sakura, I really do appreciate that," I say as we continue walking back to the training fields.
As we get closer to field nine I can start to smell some good food. I can smell some spices that I can't quite make out all blended together. I can see a gathering of people up ahead and start to feel nervous.
"CHOJI! You're supposed to wait till the Princess gets here!" I can hear Ino's distinct yell and I see Sakura smile and laugh.
"Well, we're here," I say.
Everyone turns around to see us. "Oh Kane, we didn't see you guys coming. Umm… Well, let's get intros out of the way." Ino says. "As you know I'm Ino Yamanaka." She nudges a bored-looking guy next to her who sighs.
"I'm Shikamaru Nara. Nice to meet you." He sounded bored and like he didn't want to be here. I smile and nod.
"I'm Choji Akimichi." The next guy says about to eat a piece of the barbecue. I just giggle at him obviously ignoring Ino's reprimanding from earlier.
"I'm Kiba Inuzuka and this here is Akamaru." Says a guy leaning against a giant dog. I walk over.
"May I pet you?" I ask the dog, he barks and sniffs me, I giggle when he licks my face and I pet him.
"Wow, your the first to ask Akamaru and not me if you can pet him," Kiba says astonished.
"I know that Ninkin is like their own person. It's not nice to ignore an animal. Just like plants, all life has to be respected." I bow lightly to Kiba. He looks at me almost like I'm crazy but also with respect.
"I'm Shino Aburame." Says a guy wearing a green jacket and sunglasses. I look at him and see a bug crawling on his sleeve. I tilt my head and point.
"You have a beetle on you if you didn't know," I say.
"Yes, this is a female Kikaichu beetle. I'm surprised you're not freaking out about the bug. Why because most people do, but then again you did say you respect all life." He answers.
"I did say that and I do." I smile at him as I see the bug disappear under his sleeve.
I look at the only person left to not introduce themselves. It's a girl with blue-black hair and lilac eyes. She smiles shyly at me. "Hi, I… I am… Hinata… Hinata Hyuuga." She says, stuttering. "Hello, Hinata." I smile.
After this and an awkward pause, we all agree to eat and hang out. I get to know all of them a bit more throughout this dinner and have fun, slightly becoming sad that I did not have this growing up.
"So what do you think of them?" Sakura asks we were now on our way back to my apartment it was now getting late.
"I like it here, everyone so far is very nice. Your group is very nice and fun. I especially think I like Hinata. She is shy but very nice and fun to talk to once you get her to."
Sakura nods. "Yes, she is. So did you like any of the boys?" She asks slightly nudging me. I think for a moment. "Hmm… they are nice but I don't think I like any like that yet." I say laughing.
"Oh, no fun Kane." Sakura pouts at the lack of gossip. I just laugh.
"Maybe if I get to know them better, and besides it would only be able to be a crush nothing more. I am a Princess that has to find a 'fine Sutter' for my clan." I say, air quoting and rolling my eyes.
"Eesh that's no fun, well I won't tell your clan or Queen of any crushes you may gain here. I say your aloud to have fun and gain at least that experience before you go having to be Queen no Love." She says smiling at me. I ponder her words while we reach my building.
"Hmm, you know Sakura, I think your right. I am aloud fun before I have to be Queen no Love." She laughs with me for a second.
"Well, Kane I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep well."
"You too Sakura," I say, I turn to go up to my apartment but stop and turn. "Hey Sakura, thank you," I say making her stop and face me.
"For what?"
"Helping me fit in here and being a good friend," I say smiling.
"No problem, I'm glad we can be friends." She says and waves bye.
The next day I wake up to an annoying knocking.
"Go away Masao five more minutes!" I yell and rollover. The knocking only gets worse. "I said five more minutes!"
"Five more minutes is not allowed when we have a mission, Princess." I hear someone say. I sit up in bed screaming.
"Oh, Kakashi Sensei, I'm sorry," I say as I see him crouching in my now open window.
"It's fine. Meet us in the Hokage's office in 15 min." He says and disappears out the window.
I sadly get out of bed and get ready in my ninja outfit with my gear. I take the normal path to the Hokage's offices and when I get there the door is open. Kakashi and Sakura are already there.
"Sorry if I kept you waiting long Lady Tsunade," I say with a slight bow.
"No, not long." She says as I stand next to my team. "So your mission should be a rather easy B rank. In the Land of Earth, an Earth scroll has been stolen. You three are to go investigate and find who took the scroll, which of course, if able, you are to take back to the country Daimyo." She explains as I become nervous about my first mission with my new team. "Kakashi here are the papers for the mission, you three are to leave in an hour."
"Of course, Lady Tsunade," Kakashi Sensei nods and turns to Sakura and me. "Get packed and ready to go, we will meet at the gate in 45 min."
"Right." I bow a bit and turn to leave as Sakura follows me.
"Do you need help packing for a mission?" Sakura asks as we're leaving the building.
"No, I've got it, but thank you." I smile to her, she nods and heads in the direction of her house.
I check my pouches seeing that they have a couple of flash, smoke, and paper bombs, I make sure I have a good amount of Kuni and Shuriken. In my backpack, I pack an empty scroll with ink and a quill. I grab my poison and antidote making set packing that as well. I also pack my hygiene kit, extra undergarments, one extra set of clothes, and grab my bedroll as well. I head to my fridge and grab two extra bottles of blood packing them in a specially made pack to keep them safe for consumption, I pack that away as well, I double-check myself, grab my Gunpai and head for the store to buy suitable food for the road, after I head for the gate.
When I get there I only see Sakura standing by the gate I knew we still had about 10 more minutes till it was time to meet but she was early.
"Are you always this early?" I smile and ask.
"I try to be, I keep all of my stuff for missions already packed." She answers and I nod.
"That's a good idea." I praise and make a mental note to do the same as well from now on. "So how long should we wait for Kakashi Sensei?"
"Missions are the one thing he is never late for actually." She nods towards the road and I turn to see him walking towards us with his book in his face. I was starting to think that was his permanent face.
"Well, that's a good thing." I laugh as he makes it to us.
"All ready to go?" He asks putting away his book and grabbing the papers Lady Tsunade gave him.
"Ready," I reply as he unfolds a map.
"This is the fastest path to the Land of Earth, it'll take approximately 2½ days to get there." He explains while tracing the path on the map. I nod measuring distance and memorizing the path, a trait I gained as a wanderer.
"Shall we head out then?" Sakura asks. Kakashi and I nod.
I sigh as I fill all our canteens in the waterfall we were camping near, it was a long day of nonstop traveling but I was used to this, we had made it to the border. I place the cap on the last canteen and trek back to my team. I smile when I smell the food Sakura has made, simple miso pasta. I make my way over to her and place her canteen next to her.
"Thank you," She says as she starts to divide the food into bowls.
"No, thank you, this smells wonderful," I say as I place Kakashi's canteen next to his pack, he was doing a routine check of our surroundings. I sit down on my own bedroll and take the food offered to me. Kakashi comes back and we eat in comfortable silence. I finish my bowl and place it down looking around the forest. Absentmindedly I place my hand on the ground and grow a Deathbell flower, I start to play with the flower.
"That was cool." Sakura's voice pulls me from my random thoughts, I look to her smiling and hand her the flower.
"Just don't eat it," I laugh as she takes it in her hand to inspect it.
"This is bluebell, correct?" I nod impressed that she knows the plant.
"Otherwise known as Deathbell," I add, she nods and I look to Kakashi as he watches us.
"It's poisonous, isn't it?" He asks, I nod.
"Yes it can cause cardiac arrhythmia, hypotension, and electrolyte imbalance, it's the main ingredient in all my poisons I make," I explain as she hands it back nodding to everything I've explained.
"I learned about it in my medical studies." She says.
"Can you do that all the time or does it take a lot of chakra?" Kakashi asks as I place the Deathbell in my hair.
"It's the plant I can grow using the least of my chakra, other flowers take more time and chakra, but I can grow most flowers known to man," I explain and concentrate to grow a blue Jade Vine flower and give it to him to examine.
"Can you keep the plants alive, if they are picked?" He asks still staring at the flower.
"I could if I kept it in a bit of soil mixed with my blood," I explain pulling my bag to me and grabbing a small jar out, I scoop a bit of the forest ground into the jar, I pull a kunai from my pouch, prick my finger and allow a couple of drops of my blood to drop into the jar, I put the kunai back and hold my hand out for the flower. Kakashi gives me the flower watching with interest. I place the flower in the soil and concentrate my chakra to have the flower grow roots again. I smile once I'm done and hand the jar and flower to Kakashi. "You may want to water it." I laugh when he raises an eye at me.
"Well I guess we all should be heading to bed I'll take first watch," Kakashi says placing the flower next to his canteen. I nod and lay on my bedroll watching the glint of stars through the canopy of trees above. When I finally start to drift off to sleep is when I realize I have given a flower to Kakashi which means engagement, presence, and intimacy and I start to wonder if he knows the meaning and language of flowers. The next day and ½ are spent traveling, only taking a break for lunch or bathroom, and we set camp for dinner and take shifts for the watch.
Once we get to the outskirts of Kyōkokugakure (Hidden in the Canyon) we stop and shade my eyes to find this village was literally tucked in a canyon. Strong beams and anchor points held balconies you could see people going in and out of buildings built into the cliff sides of the canyons, stairs went from one side of the ravine to the next, and elevator type machines led people and supplies up and down as needed. I was impressed as I looked from side to side finding the canyon went on for miles on each side and I wondered if the village did as well. I follow Sakura and Kakashi Sensei to one of the small buildings that weren't in the canyon.
"You must be the Leaf village ninja here to help with the scroll." A male ninja states as he stares at our leaf headbands.
"Yes, I am Kakashi Hatake, This is Sakura Haruno and Kane Hyohaku-sha." The ninja nods and gestures to us to follow him. He leads us to one of the elevators we make it to halfway down the cliffside when he stops the elevator, we follow a walkway for a bit to go downstairs to the other cliff side and stop outside a door.
"This is where the Daiymo is staying until matters are settled." He says as he nocks on the door.
"Come in." An angry male voice calls. The ninja leading us opens the door, following him in we find a small comfortable room, in the middle sitting at a table, was the Earth Daimyo, his face in an angry scowl. "Ah, Finally, you have arrived," He speaks as we give a small bow." "Yes, yes come sit, we have a lot to discuss." I sigh inwardly at his impatience and lack of formality. We sit down and I look to Kakashi as he speaks.
"Lord Daimyo I am Kakashi Hatake and this is Sakura Haruno and Kane Hyohaku-sha. I have here the papers of the mission," He passes the papers across the table but the Daimyo doesn't take them. "I understand that you suspect rouge ninjas stole the scroll and were seen last heading towards the Land of Rain or Land of Grass?"
"Yes, we tracked them and lost their trail here," The ninja that escorted us points to the map on the wall, a detailed map of the Land of Earth.
"Right, I would like to see the room that the scroll was kept in," Kakashi says to the ninja, we still hadn't learned his name.
"Why on earth would you need to do that?" The Daimyo finally speaks, glaring with suspicion at my Sensei.
"I would like to see if my Ninkin can pick up a scent of the rouge ninjas." I raise an eyebrow at this information. Kakashi Sensei has Ninkin?
"Fine, but do not dawdle, we need that scroll back as soon as possible, the information can not be in the wrong hands." The Daimyo speaks impatiently. I clench my jaw not wanting to say anything rude, this was why my clan normally dealt with the Tsuchikage instead when we traded with the Land of Earth.
"Of course, Sir, if that's all we will head to our rooms to get ready and then head to the scroll room." Kakashi Sensei speaks pointedly, he didn't seem to want to deal with him anymore as well.
"Right, I will show you to your room then." We get up to follow the ninja again. We are lead further down the steps we came from and to a small balcony off to the right.
"This is where you will be staying, my name is Jori," He says, opening the door. "There are only 2 rooms, but one room does have 2 beds. I hope that is ok." We nod as we follow Jori into a large room, off to the right it had a small makeshift kitchen there was a small table with 4 cushions around it and off to the left a sofa and writing desk. In the back was 3 doors.
"That's fine, Jori, Kane and I can stay in the same room." Sakura answers.
"Right well I will let you settle in, I will come to get you in an hour, Is that fine?" Kakashi nods and we say bye as Jori leaves. I walk to the back and open a door to find a room with only one bed. I turn and smile at Kakashi.
"Found your room Sensei." He just nods and I move to the door Sakura is in front of she opens it to find a bathroom we make our way to the far right to find our room.
"Which bed would you like?" I ask her as we stand in the middle of the room.
"I'll just take this one if that's okay with you?" She says taking the left one. I nod and smile, taking the one on the right. I set my backpack down and take out most of its contents. I grab ahold of my hygiene kit and grab some wipes out of it and wash up as much as needed. I sit on the bed, take off my headband, and undo my braided hair to brush it. Sakura doing the same turns to me and smiles.
"My hair used to be that long." She says and I look to her trying to imagine it.
"Why did you cut it?" I ask curiously.
"When I was taking the Chunin exams someone had ahold of my hair, if I didn't cut it Sasuke and Naruto would have died." She explains. My eyes widen and I nod.
"I think that's the only way I would ever cut my hair." I blink thinking. "I like my hair too much to cut it… even if it does sometimes get in the way." Sakura smiles at me as we hear a knock on the door.
"Come in." We course at the same time. Kakashi opens the door peeking his head in.
"Are you ready to go over some stuff for the mission?" He asks looking as refreshed as Sakura and I. We nod and stand up. I grab my headband and hair tie and follow them out to the table. I sit down next to Sakura and listen as Kakashi explains what the plan is.
"So I am hoping that my Ninkin can pick up a scent of the rouge ninja we will follow them to where they are and hopefully we can find them when we do we will come up with a plan to ambush them and take the scroll back." I finish brushing my hair and start to braid it.
"If these are Earth-style users we have to take into consideration that they may be moving underground, would your Ninkin be able to pick up a scent from underground?" I ask thinking of how the tracking was lost. Kakashi stares at me as I braid my hair.
"You think that's why the tracking was lost here?" He asks pointing to where Jori did on the map. I nod. "It makes sense." He says going quite staring at the map.
"I will be able to find the tunnel if that's how they disappeared," I say and he looks at me with surprise. "I can grow vines as I did on my first day of training and use them to find any disturbances in the ground," I explain. He nods still a bit surprised.
"Sounds like we have our plan." I finish braiding my hair and tie on my headband as a knock is heard on the front door.