I'm baaaack! At least sporadically. Thesis has been completed and I know have a fully functional Master's Degree! Yaaaay! I'm less busy than before, so if I can get my mind back into the story, there's hope it'll be done someday. Also it was a relief to find out after such a hiatus that I had written more of the story and had completely forgotten to upload it! So consider the dry spell over! However, I don't have much written past this so it's major brainstorming time.

Anyways, enjoy the return of Atsuko and her new friends as they begin to wrap up the mission!

Reviews and favorites give me warm fuzzy feelings so keep them coming!

The Land of Wind was still a long ways ahead, their progress made slower by the pace of the oxen. Having passed unharmed (and unnoticed, it seemed, although it was unlikely) through the area where reports had placed the thieves, they passed the Fire Country's border and entered Wind Country. It was growing dark so Yuudai found a clearing and they made camp.

Yuudai had made many such journeys in his life and was fully prepared. All the ingredients and equipment had been packed for a delicious dinner. Everyone chipped in, even Shirakumo, from cooking to caring for the oxen to preparing a place to sleep. Everyone was tired and battered; little was said. As they sat down to eat, Yuudai told a story.

"Many years ago, I was travelling with my father to some village to sell our wares. I was just a boy, proud to finally accompany him and do men's work while seeing new places. We passed through a forest much like this one when a man jumped out of the bushes and demanded we surrender our cart.

"Of course, it was just one man, but he had a knife and my father had me to look after. But he had a remarkably quick mind.

"'Please let us go,' he said, looking very scared. 'We have nothing valuable.'

"Naturally the thief didn't believe him. So my father leaned forward and whispered, 'There's a shinobi in the cart. He's forcing me to take him to his superiors. Please, let us go. He's very dangerous and he'll kill anyone who gets in his way.'

"The thief was skeptical, so my father held up his hand. He'd lost two of his fingers in an accident as a child, but in the shadows of the forest they could have been fresh.

"'He's already cut off two fingers for the last two times we were stopped,' my father said. 'Those who stopped us weren't so lucky.'

"By now the thief was pale with fright. He immediately let us go. As we drove the cart past him, I looked back and as soon as we were far enough away, he bolted in the opposite direction as fast as he could run." Yuudai wiped his eyes as he laughed. "Ah, you should have seen the look on his face when my father showed him his fingers."

Everyone was laughing heartily. Atsuko clutched her side, the tension of the day relieving itself through uncontrollable laughter. Even Shirakumo was smiling, war veteran that he was.

"You all did an excellent job today," continued Yuudai, his tone sobering. "I never expected so many skilled attackers, but you handled them well. You, Atsuko, have a useful talent and good timing and I owe you my life twice over. You too, Gisuke, and Shirakumo as well. And you, Yukina," he added with a kind smile. "Your cleverness may well have saved every other merchant who will travel this road. All of you, thank you. Now, get some sleep. It is another day to our destination.

=/=

Atsuko lay next to Yukina. Everyone was asleep or nearly so. The fire was left to burn itself out, its amber glow casting shadows throughout the forest. Atsuko was tired, but couldn't silence her mind.

"Yukina," she whispered. "You awake?"

"Yep, what's up?"

"How did you come up with the idea to scare the thieves?"

"It just occurred to me. I hadn't really thought of how it would all end."

"It was a really good idea. It solved the violence of today and prevented any in the future." Atsuko sighed, staring up at the stars. "I wouldn't have come up with that."

"Maybe not today, but remember, I've been at this longer than you have." Yukina rolled over to look Atsuko in the eye, her face made golden by the light of the flames. "It's impossible to judge yourself by the standards you use to see others. You have strengths I don't have; if you hadn't been there, Yuudai probably would have been killed. You've got good sense; with more experience you will be as formidable as any shinobi." She gave a smile. "You'll be a strong member of the team."

Atsuko smiled back, relishing the feeling of warmth in her chest. Looking back up at the stars, she continued to smile.

=/=

Several days later, they were heading back to Konoha. Once they had reached Sunagakure, Yuudai had gone his way and they theirs. The letter had to be given to the Kazekage. All of them, including Shirakumo, had been surprised when the Kazekage not only met with them immediately but in person.

Gaara of the Desert was young, younger than any of them. But there was a keenness in his eyes, a maturity and understanding of the world that made it clear why he had been chosen to lead the Wind shinobi.

Gaara had accepted their letter solemnly and spoke with them briefly. He spoke quietly but politely.

"Sunagakure would be proud to assist Konoha with the next chunin exam," he'd said. "Please tell your Hokage that I will send my sister, Temari, to assist when the time comes."

"Thank you, Kazekage," Shirakumo had replied with a bow, the rest of the team following suite.

The visit had instilled pride in Atsuko for being part of the powerful alliance between the two villages, and also a deep sense of dread.

The chunin exams.

The trials by which genin from all shinobi villages prove they have the power and the brains to become chunin, capable of leading teams of their own.

Gisuke and Yukina had been genin for over a year. Yukina had a good mind for strategy and Gisuke was cunning in his own way. Atsuko was filled with apprehension: she wasn't even remotely ready to attempt the exam, but she didn't want to hold Gisuke and Yukina back, nor did she relish the thought of being left behind as they surpassed her.

The journey back to Konoha was set at a leisurely pace. Yuudai had delivered his merchandise and accompanied them for most of the way. There was no sign of any thieves in the area, indicating that Yukina's threat had worked. Once the coast was clear, they parted ways, as Yuudai wanted to get home as soon as possible and no longer needed their protection.

Shirakumo had decided they should go home by way of a hot springs, there to rest and recuperate. While Shirakumo and Gisuke headed for the men's bath, Yukina and Atsuko went to the women's side; the hot steam wiping away all weariness and pain, leaving only warmth and contentedness. Then, there was a wonderful dinner with the four of them, Shirakumo's treat.

"Congratulations on finishing your first mission as a team," Shirakumo said after they'd finished. "Now that you've seen combat, Atsuko, you should have an idea of how each of us fight. With that, tomorrow we'll spend the day training together so we can incorporate your skills into some exercises you all can work on between missions when I'm not there."