A/N: Oh boy its been a long ass time since I last updated this, and to be honest this chapter isn't entirely new it's been up on ao3 for a long time but I completely forgot to upload onto here. However, I have been trying to get my will to continue my works. Got overworked with university and the virus didn't help matters, I eventually dropped out and I've been trying to figure things out ya know? But enough about that, no excuses. I'll do my best to continue this story and hopefully provide regular updates if my muse permits.Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and it's related media.
Chapter 5: One Step Forward
"So, these brats are meant to protect me?" the man spoke with a slur as he leaned against the door-frame, his bespectacled eyes judging the trio of Genin. It was ridiculous, how did these ninjas expect him to be safe with a bunch of kids?!
"I mean look at them, especially the child what is she doing here? Isn't she supposed to be in some sort of day-care?" He mocked the blonde who would merely flash him a smile that was eerily too sweet, her eyes squinting into mere slits.
"Tazuna, was it? The last thing I'd take to heart are the words of a drunkard who is most likely facing a midlife crisis, your drab fashion sense speaks volumes and the thinning of your hairline suggests other factors. However, I assure you, there is no need for such negativity." Natsumi's cheery façade did not falter despite the chilly aura that the young kunoichi exuded. Tazuna felt his blood run cold at the display, it was similar to the feeling he got when Tsunami told him everything was fine.
'Ah Kushina would be so proud.' Hiruzen thought with an internal chuckle as he stroked his goatee. Yet, he would imagine that Kushina would have taken the more abrasive approach rather than using her words, he has seen many things in his life but an angry Uzumaki was an entirely different beast. Iruka on the other hand found it terrifying!
"Now, now, Natsumi be nice to our client. Alright team, we'll meet at the village's main gate within an hour. Don't be late." Those who knew Kakashi could not help but give the man a deadpan look, who was he to talk about punctuality? Feeling the stares directed towards him, the silver haired Jonin took the opportunity to excuse himself from the room. Natsumi followed soon after but surprisingly she found herself being trailed by her pink haired teammate who rushed up to her side as she reached the spiralling stairs leading to the tower's lobby.
"Hey Natsumi, I'm sorry to bother you –again- but I was wondering, what should I grab before we set out?" the blonde Jinchuuriki quirked a brow but didn't question the request. The relationship that she had developed with Sakura was odd if one were to look at their history during their academy years, the two barely spoke and when they did it was an aggressive exchange, and now Sakura viewed Natsumi as a mentor of sorts. Whenever she needed advice about the ninja way or life choices, Natsumi was never too busy for her.
"Only the essentials, I do suggest that you gather as much medicinal inventory as you can. Remember, the pleasantries will not assist with casualties." A chord was plucked and Sakura took a moment to let the words sink in. This would be the first time they left the village and be greeted by the real world, which could be good...or bad.
"R-Right!" she snapped back to reality trying her best to not conjure any worst-case scenarios in her head before the start of the mission. The duo of females descended the stairs, Sakura soaking up everything that Natsumi suggested without a hint of doubt since it all made sense in one way or another. They made it to the outside and parted ways.
Natsumi's trek through the village was uneventful, ignoring the few snide stares she received there was nothing to stop her from getting home…except for the light tugging of her kimono. The young girl blinked as she sought out the source of the pull and when she looked down, she saw tufts of white fur with hints of soil on the strands. A soft smile brightened up her delicate features as she bent down and scooped up the pup and held it up a bit away from her face.
"Hello there Akamaru, I haven't seen you in a while." She said as the ninken barked in response, its tail side to side erratically showing how happy it was to see the blonde. Just as she was about to question the whereabouts of his owner, she heard the gruff yell of the Inuzuka clan member who came rushing towards them only to come to an abrupt stop. Kiba brought a hand to his head and messed with his hair, a sheepish grin plastered on his face as he watched his dog interact with his somewhat crush.
"N-Natsumi, so, that's why Akamura just ran off." He took a few steps forward, keeping in mind that he watched the very same girl humiliate Sasuke with barely any movements. His heart fluttered as he saw the smile she wore, and he felt himself melt on the spot.
"Kiba-san, yes, Akamaru here found me and I could not resist but pick him up, I hope you don't mind." He didn't know who had the softer voice, Hinata or Natsumi, both had a certain charm in the way their delivered their words and it was always pleasing to the ears – it was soothing. Shaking his head to clear the fog clouding his mind, Kiba just chuckled and kicked some dirt aside.
"Nah, it's cool. So are-"
"Kiba."
He was cut off by the stern voice of his sensei, the raven haired Kurenai who emerged from the crowded streets with his other teammates in tow. Hinata's face lit up upon seeing Natsumi and she could barely hide her excitement, but being in the presence of her mentor she decided to calm herself and wait. Shino on the other hand remained unreadable as usual.
"Sensei, I found Akamaru." Kiba replied as he pointed to the dog that was more than content staying in the genin's arms. Kurenai knew a bit about Natsumi, not a lot considering the girl was not easy to stumble upon despite her visits to the Hyuga compound. What she knew was that she's been living with the clan for nearly a decade and that she was part of Kakashi's oddball of a team. The girl seemed to fit the Hyuga criteria, elegant wear and a polite demeanour with a suited posture; from what she's heard from Kakashi, she's something of a skilled ninja and definitely not one to be taken lightly.
"Kurenai-sensei, Shino-san, Hime-chan." Natsumi greeted with a nod of her head as she then proceeded to hand Akamaru over to Kiba, in spite of the pup's whines as he pawed at the air between them. Natsumi reached out and patted his head, "I promise to visit you once I return from my mission, okay Akamaru?" the dog barked in confirmation.
"Mission?" Hinata asked as she stepped forward, leaving her sensei's side.
"Yes, we've just received a C-rank mission and we'll be leaving the village within an hour." She informed and she saw the concern surface on Hinata's face. Kiba on the other hand blinked owlishly before stomping on the ground.
"Wait, C-rank?! That's so unfair!" he announced but a quick gaze from Kurenai shut him up.
"H-How long will you be gone for?" Hinata asked as she was now just a few feet away from Natsumi.
"A few weeks to possibly a month. Don't worry Hime, I'll be alright and you will be too." She grabbed Hinata's hand gave it a firm reassuring squeeze, the two then embraced before separating with Hinata still bearing some worry.
"I should take my leave; I do not wish to have Kakashi-sensei's habits rub off on me." She jested which was enough to bring out a soft chuckle from Kurenai who was well aware of Kakashi's tardiness. The two parties divided, with Hinata giving a lingering stare at Natsumi's form as she disappeared into the busy crowd of the market.
Her Journey to and fro the Hyuga compound spurred no other events. She had managed to gather all that she needed and was out with a quick notification of the Hyuga head. Natsumi reached the gates just in time to encounter the scornful Uchiha, lips curved into his infamous scowl. She had to stifle a chuckle, to her, he appeared to be a pouting child who had been refused dessert after vegetables.
"Hn."
She blinked rather unsure of why that was directed to her, was it a greeting? He did that quite a lot and with the Uchiha that must have been a secret language or something akin to it. The few times she met an Uchiha that wasn't Sasuke happened to be when she was about five years old; she remembered how the man frowned at her as she scurried past him. He too huffed and bit on his teeth, scoffing at her.
"Hello to you too, Uchiha-san." She half-heartedly greeted, eyes momentarily glossing to the side.
'Uchiha-san this, and Uchiha-san that. Can she not use my name?' he wondered, his mind trying to wrap around a memory with the blonde referring to him by name. Of course, there have been such moments, the kind that left him hot and bothered, tongue caught in a knot and heart battling his chest. He knew what a crush was, the symptoms obvious to everyone but he refused to acknowledge said crush. Even if…
"A long yard stare, I hope that mind is focused on the mission."
Both Genin spun around, hands readied at their pouches. Yet, their tensed muscles relaxed upon seeing the tuft of grey hair defying gravity and making a joke out of physics. Next to their one-eyed Jonin was a sober Tazuna who -through grumbling- appeared to not be pleased by his clear state of thought. His eyes glanced over at the petite girl before looking away, his muttering dying down into whispers.
"If it weren't for Tazuna-san, I would have thought you to be an illusion, Sensei."
"I'm hurt, my cute Genin thinks I'd be late to a mission."
"To be fair, this is the first time you're early, and I'm not cute nor little. I am an elegant kunoichi with a reasonable vertical advantage."
The three males stood with their words held back as they feared making any sort of comment. After all, all three of them have felt her wrath one way or another. Kakashi beamed at his student and shrugged his shoulders. He caught a sight of pink in his peripheral vision and was thankful for Sakura's arrival. If anyone said anything, the mission might have been delayed due to a code Natsumi.
"Sorry I'm late! I stopped by the shops to grab a few extra supplies." Her eyes first darted to her pseudo-mentor before situating on her official sensei.
"As long as you're here, and I'm glad to see you take some precautions." Kakashi stood in front of his team and eyed them. There was an uneasy feeling in his chest, they were so young and even if they showed promise, he was still reluctant to truly let them out into the Shinobi wilderness. He had to remind himself that it wasn't the war times, and that what happened to his team wouldn't happen to the new generation. However, Kakashi knew that there really wasn't any safety in this world that they lived in. Casualties were a norm, even more so for a ninja. He just wanted to see them learn, grow, and proceed to teach the future shinobi of Konoha. He was there to not only guide and mentor them, but to also protect them. Nothing was going to happen to his team.
"Alright! I know this is your first time beyond the walls. I want you to remember that we are a team, and work as one. Anything goes wrong, trust your comrades. Team 7 will succeed in this mission."
With those words shared, the team officially set off on their first C-rank mission and their first venture beyond the village gates. Kakashi manned the front while Natsumi took the rear, Sasuke was on the left and Sakura to the right. The Jonin had hoped the formation would be enough to protect Tazuna who was in the middle; should anything come from ahead, he'd be able to intercept. Natsumi was capable in the back and could conjure clones to give them time to clear the bridge builder from any conflict. Sasuke was closest to the forest and he could counter any attacks from the foliage, Sakura was the least likely target due to how open her position was. Yet, he knew not to relax.
A few hours passed and the time was spent with Sakura questioning Tazuna about his village. The other two members of the team were preoccupied with their own thoughts and keeping an eye out for any danger. Sasuke found himself occasionally glancing at Natsumi, something about her just didn't make sense. She carried herself with an air of nobility and grace, the perfect image of a princess, but from what he's observed the villagers treated her like the complete opposite. He saw the stares they gave her, the looks of disgust and harsh whispers that followed in her wake. The people feared and respected the Hyuga clan, but Natsumi, she was like the black sheep of that admiration. He had tried to find an answer to it, but everyone was reluctant to shed any light on the hate, and Sasuke didn't want to confront the girl about it.
'Just what is her story?' he gave her a sidelong stare, only to look away as she met her gaze. Despite not seeing her, he could just feel the smirk on her face as she trekked behind the group.
Another hour passed as the group continued its journey, but Sasuke suddenly felt his stomach sink. Something felt odd, and he couldn't quite place his finger on it. Looking around he could see Kakashi tense up, followed by Natsumi who placed her gaze a little towards the ground. Sakura and Tazuna appeared to be oblivious to the shift in the air. His eyes narrowed as he picked up the hot white reflection of a puddle in the near distance. He looked around a bit more and sought out similar pools of water, but he saw none. It was strange, especially since it hadn't rained in quite a while since it was the middle of Summer and Hi no Kuni typically didn't experience rain around this time.
He waited for someone in his team to react, but Kakashi-sensei hadn't acted, nor did Natsumi-cha- Natsumi, just Natsumi. The pond neared and as soon as their sensei had reached it, his body stiffened. His eyes widened as he watched chains engulf the man and effectively split him in half. Two figures stood before them, swathed in tattered gear and menacing gauntlets. The only reason Sasuke managed to break out of his shock was because of Sakura's shriek.
"Sasuke!"
He blinked as Natsumi shot past him, this was enough to force him into action as he followed after her. As he sped past Sakura and Tazuna, he was a little surprised to see the pinkette stand before their client and shield him with a kunai in hand. She was a little shaken, but overall, she looked fine. Their enemies worked in conjunction as they rushed forward with a barbed chain linked between them. Natsumi was the first to make contact as she slid underneath the chain, surprising the two, and just as they were about to turn around, Sasuke leapt above the chain and launched a bevy of kunai at it. The knives managed to pin it to the ground and stopping the targets from doing anything.
"Shit!" one of the assailants cursed as he switched his focus from Natsumi and onto him, the other decided to keep his gaze on the blonde. The chain suddenly fell limp as it was disconnected from their respective gauntlets, leaving the pairs to face one another.
Sasuke's opponent was distinguishable from the other by the two horn like protrusions jutting out from his hitai-ate. The man seemed agitated as he lunged out at the Uchiha, arm swiping wildly at the dark haired Genin. Sasuke managed to dodge and parry many of the swipes, but he could feel his arm recoil in pain each time his kunai clashed with the gauntlet. He grunted and could feel himself begin to wane in strength as his opponent continued his flurry of strikes. However, just as he was about to be mauled by the gnarled claws, the man was kicked away and knocked out by Kakashi was revealed himself to be rather alive.
Free from the onslaught, Sasuke rushed to help Natsumi who was managed to frustrate her adversary. In fact, the man appeared to be sluggish as he attacked and missed the petite girl, her hands pushing against his body, striking the joints and tender muscles of the body. The Uchiha noticed just how stiff the enemy looked as he tried to keep up with his blonde teammate's swift strikes. Sasuke had never seen a Hyuga fight, during the academy Hinata was restricted from using the Gentle Fist, but from what he's heard he could match descriptions to Natsumi's actions.
"Y-You…brat!" Gozu grunted as he made one last attempt to down the girl. He mustered all his remaining strength and lashed out at her, and much to his joy and frustration he only managed to nick at her left palm as she used it to push away his arm. He was left open and cried out in pain as he felt a sharp throb in his heart. He hunched over in pain and he could feel his body grow heavy; darkness enveloped his vision and soon he was unconscious.
"Natsumi!"
The girl turned to see Sakura rushing over to her. As she was about to say something, her hand was yanked from her side and she finally realized the rush of concern. Where the man had managed to cut her, blood dripped but that wasn't the issue, the problem was the sickly purple tint surrounding the wound. She was poisoned. She blinked a few times, but paid little attention to it. She could already feel Kurama work on combating the poison. However, she smiled at Sakura who rambled and chastised her for being reckless.
"I'll be careful next time, and Sakura-san."
The pinkette looked up as she halted the process of applying ointment to the wound. Sakura wished she could be like Sasuke and Natsumi, they braved the threat whilst she cowered in the back. She wished she could be brave, she wished she wasn't scared, but she couldn't hide it. She could see the fear radiating off her in Natsumi's eyes, the reflection she saw was of a weak and frightened girl who was nothing but a burden.
"Thank you."
Sakura froze as she saw Natsumi's smile. She expected to be met with a look of disappointment, rage, or even pity. Instead she was met with a warmth and comfort. Her eyes squeezed shut as she felt a hand pat at the top of her head, and as she peeked with a single eye, she found it a little adorable to see Natsumi reach out on her toes.
"Twerp." Sakura found herself whispering, a soft chuckle leaves Natsumi as she allowed her to bandage her hand.
"That was an excellent response team, a little rough around the edges but effective nonetheless." Kakashi made his presence known as he finished tying up the two attackers who were identified to be the Demon Brothers of the Mist. Presented with the bleak information, Team 7 stood in silence as they eyed the tied-up duo.
"There are chances of this mission being more dangerous than we were led to believe. Now normally, protocol would have us return to the village for appropriate procedures because Tazuna-san here undoubtedly has been holding back some information." The bridge builder tensed as he saw the glare sent his way, and just like that he broke down, dropping to his knees.
"Please! I beg of you! I cannot afford anything higher than a C-rank mission! My people are oppressed and I used any and all money they could gather to hire you! The bridge I'm building is a beacon of hope, and failure to complete it will crush any and all possibilities for my village to free itself from the tyrant Gato!"
"Gato?" Natsumi tilted her head to the side and observed the man.
"He's a bastard! A monster who took over our country and robbed it of everything!"
"You seek freedom?" she asked, her form crouched as she was eye-level with the aged man. There was silence from the other members of team 7 as they watched the two.
"Yes! More than anything! If not for myself, for at least my daughter and grandson! I'd do anything to see them happy again!"
"Very well….Kakashi-sensei I request permission to continue with Tazuna-san."
"But Natsumi, that's quite dangerous, especially alone."
"She's not alone, I'll go with her." Sasuke spoke up with his hands buried in his pockets, and his eyes calm as usual as he eyed his blond teammate. He didn't jump in just because he wanted to impress her, that was only part of the reason. He also wanted to prove himself, he wanted to test his limits and such a mission would be the perfect test run.
"Then count me in as well!" Sakura chimed as she stood in-between her teammates. She may have been scared before, but this was her chance to break that chain of fear. She was no longer an academy student, she was a kunoichi of Konoha and fear was an unwelcome weakness.
Tazuna watched the Genin as they stood before him, each voicing their desire to continue. He felt bad for his words earlier, they had certainly proved him wrong. Rather than turn back, they stood by his side and that was enough to bring more tears from his eyes.
"Well, it would be irresponsible of me to continue this journey, but it would make me scum to abandon my team and someone in need." Kakashi beamed at his team as he watched them shine. Part of him knew that Natsumi wouldn't back down from the mission, and he also knew that the others would be swayed by her determination. The girl had a little too much of a hold on her teammates, and that could either be good or a bad thing.
"You're in luck Tazuna, my cute little Genin wish to continue and so the mission is still on. The decision has been made."
Chapter End
A/N: There you have it, the elusive chapter 5. Not much to write home about, the team finally leaves the village and get to pummel the Demon brothers. In truth I remember wanting this chapter to be better, hoping to portray Natsumi's prowess better but past me lacked a lot in writing fight scenes.I've dabbled in role-playing so I hope that helps me improve in writing fight choreography better. Here's hoping.Also to discuss some plot points; I don't remember much about what I wanted to do with this fic, I didn't have the foresight to write notes on future scenes and plot points and I can only remember tadbits of information so there might be some contradictions here and there. Ultimately I have an image in mind and I'm working on improvising it, think of it as a soft reboot with minor retcons. Kaguya is going to play a major role, I recall asking if anyone could guess who Natsumi was referring to in a previous chapter, it was the rabbit goddess herself...well not entirely. The whole Kama thing gave me inspiration for something that I might toy with.As for something minor, pairings are something I've obviously figured out. Natsumi loves Hinata despite what she said to Sakura, it was more to keep any such thoughts out of her teammates mind. However, she knows that clan politics would keep them apart and that just adds stress.Sasuke is a possible romance option, and so is Sakura, Heck I even toyed around with the idea of it being Shikamaru but that's all for future events. I'll try and see how she connects with other characters, might even do a spin off series of one shots with her spending some time with potential suitors to see who would be the best pick.Anywho that's pretty much all I have in mind. Once again I apologise to those who still clung to this story, truly you are admirable I hope to not disappoint.R R
