This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Naruto, which is trademarked by Masashi Kishimoto. Everything aside from the original characters are created from the wonderful mind of Kishimoto.
Most of the following unrecognizable are original characters of mine, please bear with me I am still in the process of making the character profiles for an even better visualization.
Comments, suggestions, criticism, even just simple messages are welcomes, please feel free to message me anytime.
I am so sorry for the super long haul, it seems that I am not good at keeping my promises… T-T
On another note, events will begin to take drastic changes here, details small or big that would greatly affect Misaki and the characters so the said changes are necessary, but fear not to diehard fans like me, I tried to stick close to the story.
But above all, thank you for those who have been there since day one, I love you guys so much!
Thanks for reading!
Chapter 14:
"So you think we should have a big ceremony or just a small intimate one? I'm not sure what Kakashi would prefer," Kaede pondered as she and Misaki sat in front of one another at the Namikaze household.
"Well, you both are pretty well known in the village, but I think you'd both appreciate an intimate one, since both of you really keep a tight circle of friends" Misaki answered, taking notes of their conversations since this is probably the beginning of the planning, and why you may ask is the bride groom not present, well even though every single person in the village was happy (except Kakashi's fan club though) with what Kakashi had done, it's still a violation and he had been assigned to clean his graffiti.
A pretty light sanction if you ask Misaki, compared to dealing with Kaede's nerve wrecked ever changing, never decisive instructions. Not that Misaki minded, although she was pretty worried about the wreck Kaede is putting herself through.
Then shortly after Kakashi had finished cleaning the graffiti, Naruto had been relentless and incessant to pick up their training where they left off, and Kaede didn't have the heart to keep Naruto from his training after she learned that Kakashi was formulating a training method for Naruto that would help him surpass the fourth hokage's rasengan.
Taking off her attention off of Kaede's rambles, she looked around the expanse of the kitchen, the whole entire floor covered in food and sweets to taste for the reception. She figured that if sweets couldn't calm down after being confronted with dozens of sweets, Kakashi will be the only one capable pulling her out of this hole.
Setting her sights on a small fruit tart, Misaki picked it up and examined its intricate details, admiring the small detailed flowers surrounding the fruit, when something clicked inside of Misaki.
However that thought was short lived, when a bird, not just any bird, a snow owl, carrying a scroll holder on its back. Miskai quickly stood and received the bird, she took the letter and offered the fruit tart to eat.
"You must have had a great trouble travelling the heat" Misaki encouraged before opening the scroll.
She didn't even get to finish the message, nor did the dropped letter get the chance to hit the floor when she disappeared in a flash, shocking Kaede enough to snap her out of her wedding tangled dilemma and into a fright.
"MISAKI!" Kaede yelled worriedly cursing herself for being selfish and inattentive.
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"Tsunade-sama! This is bad!" Tsunade, Shizune and Tonton jumped out of their settlements when Misaki suddenly appeared before their eyes.
"Misaki!" Tsunade exclaimed, looking warily at Misaki, already expecting and dreading at the prospect of yet another bad news.
"Nii Yugito, the two tailed beast of Kumogakure has just been confirmed to be captured by the Akatsuki within the Land of Fire,"
"What!?" Tsunade growled and slammed her fist on the table. The akatsuki is dead set on capturing their beasts and fast.
"There's more, the fire temple has been attacked, my intel tells me they might be headed our way" Misaki added, the tone and the urgency of her voice enough to stress her, well distress.
"Tsunade-sama!" one of the shinobi guarding the gates entered in haste, presenting with him an equally distressed, perhaps even more, monk.
And reported he did, about a two mysterious men dressed in akatsuki's signature cloak, who destroyed the whole temple, and everyone else in it, even the monk Chiriku who was once a member of the Fuedal Lord's Twelve Gurdian Ninja. Just the two of them.
"Shizune!"
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Back at the Namikaze Household, Kaede had just finished putting away all the mess she had created, still guilt driven on how careless she had been that she didn't notice Misaki's dilemma, she raised Misaki, before she could instantly notice the change in Misaki's behavior, but now she could only guess the gravity of the news judging from Misaki's reaction. Kaede tried to read the scroll that Misaki dropped, but as soon as she her skin made contact to the surface of its paper, it burst into blue scalding hot flames that didn't stop until there was nothing left of the scroll.
"Didn't you just announce your engagement? What's with the long face?" Kazuhiko asked as he perched himself on the open window next Kaede.
"Kazuhiko, what are you doing here?" Kaede asked, snapping out of her thoughts.
"I wish I'd be a bearer of good news, but we've been summoned, Tsunade-sama has called in twenty, four man cell platoon" Kazuhiko relayed the message.
"Twenty platoons?!" Kaede exclaimed, it must be an urgent matter for the fifth hokage to pull in such manpower.
"You're guess is as good as mine, this number of men, it can only mean one thing, trouble." Kazuhiko voiced his own perception of the situation, and Kaede couldn't agree more as she nodded and prepared in haste.
Once they got to the hokage's building, they were ordered to take formation at the roof top since the hokage's office would be too small to for eighty people to congregate. Once complete, well except for them, because so far Kaede's team only consisted of herself, Kazuhiko and Hyuga Neji, judging from the amount of Hyugas within the ranks, Kaede figured that this type of mission may have something to do with a search mission, but not just any search mission, such search mission to take a four man cell together, can only mean a search mission for someone particularly dangerous.
Everyone took notice when it was high time that Tsunade showed herself followed by Shizune, of course carrying Tonton and a Misaki, who wordlessly joined the ranks, completing her four man cell.
"Listen up! Not long ago an intel has been sent, another one of the tailed beast has been captured successfully by the akatsuki within the land of fire. Days later the fire temple was attacked and destroyed by the very same pair of akatsuki members. Your mission is to track down this akatsuki pair and subdue them, and under any circumstances are we to let them leave the land fire. Is that clear!" Tsunade charged the entirety of eighty men before her.
"Then that's all I have to say, any questions?" Tsunade asked, usually she wouldn't be tolerant about unnecessary questions but in this case, questions were necessary and answers are scarce. Out of everyone before her, only one raised his hand to ask his query.
"Chiruku, a former member of the Twelve Shinobi Guardian should be there, what happened to him?" Asuma asked, concerned about his friend's wellbeing. To this, Tsunade merely lowered her gaze, but she didn't answer, she felt that it was not her news to bring.
"Lord Chiriku died by their hainds" the monk amongst Chiriku's peers revealed, and no words could explain the shock on Asuma's face, Tsunade can only guess what's going on inside.
"For the pride of Konoha, and most of all the safely of the land of fire, we must not let them rampage any further. I want to know what they are after, but they're very dangerous. Don't let them out of the land of fire no matter what. Find them without fail and if you're unable to restrain them, kill them. Go, dismissed!" at her command every single person forming the twenty platoons embarked to prepare themselves even more for the mission, for none of them new what may lie ahead of them, or if they would be able to return to their homes at all.
However, for Kaede a different kind of turmoil rest deep within her, back at the Namikaze compound, she noted Misaki's erratic behavior, and how their current predicament is affecting her, something that is barely noticeable for someone who hadn't been with her, outside Misaki looked composed and collected, but there are little things only Kaede would notice.
Like how Misaki didn't check her gear and supplies like she always did before missions, or how she over stuffed her supply bag, where as she would usually pack light for faster mobility, or how she simply did everything a little too fast, whereas she would take her time to choose her equipment wisely for her mission.
"Misaki" Kaede called out, but when Misaki looked her in the eyes, she knew that Misaki's mind had only one thing in it, and that she would not get any concise answer at the moment.
"Nothing, I'll meet you in a few I'll just have to attend to something" Kaede diverted and Misaki only nodded.
"I'll go check if Kazuhiko and Neji are all set, I'll meet you at the gates" Misaki confirmed and left shortly after. Soon as Misaki left, Kaede wasted no time equipping herself before leaving for the training grounds where Kakashi had already resumed Naruto's training. Kaede was surprised to find that a waterfall had been erected much like a mushroom sprung from the ground, and the sight of Yamato amongst their small group confirmed that a spontaneous erection of the waterfall is indeed possible.
"Impressive work Yamato" Kaede complimented as she approached the two colleagues.
"Thank you, Kaede-senpai" Yamato blushed lightly at being complimented.
"Not as quite as impressive as Naruto's progress" Kakashi jested earning a light hit on his side from Kaede, effectively getting Kakashi's attention from Naruto or rathers the Narutos form to her.
"Mission?" Kakashi noted more than asked.
"Yeah, Tsunade-sensei is sending Twenty four man celled platoon out, it seems that an akatsuki pair is causing mayhem inside the land of fire territory, the two tailed beast jinchuriki has been confirmed captured and dead, and the fire temple was attacked. Tsunade-sensei wants them stopped before they could leave the lands" Kaede explained and Kakashi didn't respond processing what Kaede was trying to tell him beneath her word, to him it sounded like a capital doom with red letters. Sensing his thoughts, Kaede placed a hand on top of his, comforting him.
"I'll be fine, I have Misaki and Kazuhiko on my team, plus that young Hyuga genius Neji, we'll be fine. To be honest, I'm more concerned for Misaki, for what she might do, for her another jinchuriki lost is another step close to Naruto" Kaede began, Kakashi wanted to butt in, to comfort Kaede and to tell her that Misaki will be alright, that her worries are for naught, but at the same time, he remained silent, because there was something in Kaede's face that told him she wasn't finished yet.
"With everything that's been going on, I think it's best if we call of the wedding" Kaede finished, and Kakashi's eyes, well eye since it was the only eye visible, widened.
"No, not entirely, just for a little while, you know until things begin to simmer down" Kaede added, afraid that she might have sent the wrong message. At her follow up Kakashi calmed a little, but the turmoil was still evident in his eyes.
"Anyway, Misaki and the others are probably waiting already, think about it" Kaede said kissing Kakashi over his mask before leaving.
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Team Kaede wasted no time mobilizing, the moment Kaede arrived the whole team was already assembled and on their toes, ready at any given moment. With Misaki at their front, she was able to check anything suspicious instantly, before the team can even catch up to her and Neji at their rear, able to have a clear 360 degree view, Kaede was confident with their team's capability should they encounter their target.
So when Kaede saw Misaki stop she had reached out to her threads, on high alert.
"What is it Misaki?" Kaede asked and before Misaki stood two of female shinobi from the villages hidden in the rock and in the clouds.
"They're friends, people whom I shared my views and travels with" Misaki introduced her friend.
"Kazumi, Natsumi, this my mom, Namikaze Kaede" Misaki added, and immediately Kasumi moved forward directly before Kaede and bowed, not the nod of the head, bowed, but the waist bending bow.
"Kaede-sama, It's an honor to meet a legendary medic" Kasumi revered, making Kaede blush.
"I'm not of a big deal, really. By the way did your village send you?" Kaede diverted, earning an exchange of looks between Misaki, Kazumi and Natsumi, finally it was the eldest of the three, Kasumi who stepped forward.
"No they didn't, as a matter of fact they aren't aware of our movements, our decisions are decisions we made purely on our own and our actions are actions we take for the benefit of not only our home villages but also the surrounding villages" Kasumi elucidated.
At first, Kaede was skeptical, she didn't know that Misaki's traveling buddies were actually from rival villages, until Natsumi decided to speak up.
"Here we all are butting heads as villages when our enemy unites despite their origins. Akatsuki might be out enemy, but they were right in uniting for a greater purpose, and look how far they have gotten" Natsumi fortified, when Kaede's eyes still didn't waver, Misaki sighed and placed a hand on her mother's shoulder.
"It wasn't just coincidence that we met, Kasumi of the earth and stone was the student of Han, the late jinchuriki of the five tailed horse, he was the first one to be captured since he was living in solitude. Ayako, of the wind and sand, is one of Gaara's closest friend, and she also come very close to losing him when he was captured, it's only thanks to Chiyo-baa that he survived extraction. Yoko, of the water and mist is the sister of a jinchuriki named Utakata, the host of the six tailed slug, he has been reported to have gone rogue, but he's still alive, but like all jinchuriki his life is not safe. Finally akatsuki's latest captive, Nii Yugito, the host of the two tailed cat, was reported to be already dead, she was Natsumi's sensei" Misaki exposed, and finally Kaede's eyes turned to realization as she slowly understood the gravity of their friendship and what they were fighting for. Kaede also noted the way Misaki's worry rise from her shoulders and the relief in her eyes at the presence of her friends.
"I'm sorry for your losses" Kaede uttered, reaching out to convey her condolences physically, because they understood Misaki best and even though they had their own burdens to carry, they are doing their best to help Misaki.
"It's no use weeping the dead, us medics must concentrate on keeping the living, alive" Kasumi enlivened the mood and Natsumi nodded in agreement.
"That's right, my sensei was captured and killed here, that's why I came Misaki, your brother, he might be next" Natsumi presaged.
"I know, that's why we're here, we immediately informed the hokage and she gave orders to twenty platoons to never at any cost let the leave our lands alive.
"Whoah, Misaki, are you sure you should be giving out information like that, they're still from rival villages" Kazuhiko intervened.
"It's fine Kazu, they wouldn't tell as soul and vice versa, that's how our relationships have always worked" Misaki reassured one of her oldest friend, willing him to trust her on this one.
"I see, then we must hurry, judging from the recent turn of events, and the fact that the pair hasn't reached Konohagakure they have taken a detour, but we can't ignore the fact that they have a target in mind" Kasumi theorized.
"The other platoons are going their respective directions, if they find something, they'll immediately relay the message. Our best bet is to continue where we are originally assigned to. Besides that, Neji would be able to see if something is up for a few miles, so we might be able to cover more ground " Kazuhiko sighed, he didn't fully approve this, but if there was someone in the world Kazuhiko would trust his life with, it was Misaki, however, he missed the way Natsumi's eyes glimmered with hate before it completely disappeared, one that Neji's eyes didn't miss.
"They attacked the Fire Temple right after sensei was declared dead, shouldn't we be going there?" Natsumi asked not liking that they were going the wrong way.
"No, one of the monks there, was a treasured friend of a man amongst our ranks, out of respect, we left it to his good judgment to go that way" Neji clarified and Natsumi slammed her fist on tree next to her, unconsciously lighting it with her blue flame earning an impressed whistle from Kazuhiko.
"Natsumi, your fire, we don't want to start another forest fire, especially since Yoko isn't around" Misaki warned sweat dropping. Realizing this, Natsumi blushed at her antics and extinguished her fire.
"Tche, let's go" Natsumi pouted and went off on her own… on a completely different route.
Misaki and Kasumi looked at each other knowingly.
"You guy go on ahead, we'll catch up" Kasumi sighed and went after to get Natsumi.
After a few paces Kasumi and Natsumi were able to catch up to the rest of the team, with Natsumi by passing Neji with a huff.
Kazuhiko, ever the oblivious one to female tension, approached Natsumi to talk about her unique fire, trust Kazuhiko to be such a flame head Misaki thought rolling her eyes.
After spotting several signs of the akatsuki's tracks, the team rested at the mouth of a suspicious looking cave whilst the others checked it out, Misaki and Neji stayed behind to keep watch.
"Misaki-san, I have a question, it's been bothering me for quite a while now" Neji began catching Misaki's attention who was in the middle of drinking water from her bottle.
"Yeah, what is it?" Misaki asked temporarily removing her lips from the bottle before resuming.
"Why does Natsumi-san hate me so? Was there something I did or said that elicited her anger?" Neji asked, causing Misaki to choke on water.
"Really, what made you say that?" Misaki pretended not to notice something with one of her too innocent to not know something smile. Neji just gave her an intense glare that even without the byakugan could see right through her. Misaki began to sweat profusely, trying not to show any sign of nervousness out of secrecy and omission of truth, including breathing, moving and breathing.
"Okay fine!" Misaki finally gave in and motioned for Neji to lean his head down.
"Putting aside the fact that you're a Hyuga I think Natsumi has a little crush on you" Misaki whispered.
"You didn't hear it from me okay!" Misaki said and left for the cave, leaving Neji blushing, but pondering about what Misaki meant about the fact that he was part of the Hyuga clan.
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Natsumi is clumsy, that wasn't a secret to everybody who knew her dearly, but she was twice and even more so clumsy that day.
She had accidentally lit four trees on fire, so far, almost tripped on her own feet twice, and miscalculated a tree branch five times, and each time Hyuga Neji was there for her before the actual disaster can happen.
Why?
Well it might have something to do with Misaki asking her to be on the rear before Neji, or the fact that she was in clear view of the handsome pale faced ninja, but Natsumi knew not to think much of it,
Or rather she forced herself not to think much of it, but every time Neji averts her disasters, she was beginning to feel thankful, grateful and cared for, a feeling that she was continually shut down multiple times, resulting to her physically shooting down unsuspecting trees with her flames.
Misaki watched with mild amusement, her mind currently off of anything grim and focusing on how cute Natsumi was acting around Neji.
"I know that look, what have you been up to?" Kasumi asked, as she approached the sly kunoichi wearing a smile that rivaled a fox.
"I told Neji that I think that Natsumi might have a little crush on him" Misaki gossiped and for a moment Kasumi stared at Misaki before shaking her head with a small laugh.
"Well whatever you had in mind, it's working, Natsumi is less murderous and a little shyer towards the Hyuga than she was a few miles ago." Kasumi jested and both had shared a laughter.
That night they decided to camp with two at a time keeping on guard whilst the rest of the team rested, a rotation that Misaki 'surprisingly' and 'anonymously' assigned.
It was the second rotation and Misaki and Kaede who had taken the first watch was just beginning to tuck themselves in, the second guard pair, surprise surprise Neji and Natsumi.
"You can take it easy and rest for a while, I can keep watch" Neji offered as he jumped from tree branch to tree branch until perching himself on top of a thick one, where he was able to have a perfect, and flawless 360 degree view of the vicinity.
Natsumi picked the grass at her feet for a whole before groaning and following after Neji.
"I'm sorry" Natsumi began as she approached, taking Neji's focus slightly off of his activated byakugan.
"I'm sorry for being such a jerk, not just today, but since the day I saw you back in Sunagakure" Natsumi clarified sitting down next to the cross legged Neji, wrapping her arms around her legs and placing her chin on top of her knees.
"If you don't mind me asking, why do you hate me so?" Neji inquired, his focus returning to byakugan.
"It's not you, it's your eyes, the byakugan, the famous dojustu of the Hyuga Clan. You see when I was younger, my dad was the head ninja of Kumogakure, and we visited Konoha so he could sign a peace treaty between the villages. However my father had ulterior motives, what I saw as a way for a more peaceful future, he saw as an opportunity to steal the Byakugan that the rival villages coveted so. He took his chance and it caused him not only his life, but the life of one of the Hyuga family and a chance for true peace between two villages." Natsumi divulged, she knew she was being unfair, seeing as despite being a Hyuga, Neji must have been too young to remember the Hyuga Affair.
Meanwhile Neji was coming into terms with his feelings concerning Natsumi's reveal. Years ago he would have hated her guts, for being the daughter of her father, the man that subsequently caused the death of his father. However he couldn't bring himself to right now, looking at her, she probably spent enough time hating herself for being the daughter of her father for what happened. She probably hated him enough for the both of them, she the child that was left to deal with her father's scrutiny right after his death.
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The following day, everybody was up early in order to cover more grounds. In one of the villages, Misaki, Natsumi and Kasumi were all accepted rather warmly, in fact too warm, like a non shinobi villages was not wary that there are shinobi inside their village, nor they were concerned that they were of different villages.
Kazuhiko stood amongst the team's ranks staring in awe as the whole village treated the three girls almost like their gods, like they gave them something precious, they were treated like they would a hero.
Then it all clicked to Kazuhiko, he had continuously heard about the elusive group consisted of five kunoichi, differing from origin, fighting style and specialty, rescuing villages that lay victim of crimes and investigating and gathering information regarding the akatsuki, Jiraiya himself had claimed that he was nowhere near the groups' intel.
Misaki is an acclaimed user of lightning, Natsumi was born with the powerful and unique blue flames of the Hino family and Kasumi's healing style stems from her ability from the earth. Kazuhiko could even deduct that Ayako, of the Isago clan a family of famed wind users and Shimizu Yoko was a user of the one of a kind gel like water.
Five girls, all have taken the path of the shinobi, five nature transformation, of which they specialize in, travelling around, finding out what they can. Looking at them it all dawned to Kazuhiko, not only did they match the kunoichi five's description, but they also had the motives in fighting back against Akatsuki;
to protect people who are precious to them.
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Viola! Chapter 14 hope you enjoyed it so far thus far and Misaki's match making side, just a little something to lighten the mood because looking at the outlines of each chapter, things are about to go serious.
Sorry sorry sorry for breaking my promises I am trying to get over this bad habit of called ningas kugon.
Also, to those beginning to get frustrated with the segues featuring the other characters of my design, just hang in there for a few more chapters because the leading man is about to get more exposure. What do you think of Natsumi and Neji?
That being said, out of all the characters who died in the whole Naruto universe, can name three you wished didn't and why, so interested to know your thoughts.