Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter 29

Orochimaru was not happy. Of the team sent to capture Kakashi none had returned. Kabuto's spies had managed to learn that all of them had been captured or killed while no Konoha ninja had been badly injured. Why was he surrounded by incompetents? How had they managed to take out his team with no casualties? They should have grabbed Hatake and been long gone before anyone could catch them. He wanted access to the jutsu the man had copied since receiving his Sharingan. But obviously he was better protected than just the simple chuunin he was apparently living with.

Hiro lay in the grass soaking up the sun, Ves doing the same at his side. It was nice having a day off to just do nothing. Feeling a familiar presence he stayed relax, smiling slightly as Kakashi sat beside him before rolling to rest against him. He felt Kakashi tense ever so slightly before relaxing and reaching down to ruffle his hair. Hiroshi half-heartedly swatted at his hand, too warm and sleepy to do more than that. "Having fun?" Kakashi asked in amusement.

"Nice 'n warm." Hiro answered.

"Agreed. Definitely better than your old home." Kakashi missed nothing of that mission, including the weather. "You okay?"

"Fine."

Hiro rolled over to look at him. "You were almost kidnapped Kakashi."

"But I got away thanks to you and the others." He shrugged it off.

"If you say so." Hiro lay back down. Ves hissed at the movement and draped herself over them both to keep them still.

Hiro browsed the shelves, he needed something special for his cousin's birthday. He hated shopping! And the giggling girls really didn't help. Didn't they go for clan prodigies and not nobodies? But he was on Team 7 now, training under Ibiki and he lived with Kakashi which meant more and more people were hearing about him which led to the attention from girls. He expected this in the Wizarding World, not Konoha. It just made the whole shopping experience worse. Pity he couldn't hex them, just something mild to get them to leave him alone. But that would make Iruka and Tsunade annoyed at him and he didn't want that.

Hiroshi stood with his team mates inside the Hokage's office while she finished dealing with some sort of document. She then handed Hiro a file making him start. "Background information for you since you're new. Honestly I would prefer not to give this mission to Team 7 but we're stretched thin at the moment so you're it. You're to head immediately for Suna to back up them up in rescuing the Kazekage. He has been taken by Akatsuki." She looked at Naruto who winced slightly. Ibiki seemed surprised by their mission. "Ibiki stay a minute, the rest of you dismissed." The three teens left immediately to pack.

"Roshi has never taken on more than a C-rank mission and Naruto is on their capture list. Surely there is another team available."

"Team Gai is the only other option and I have sent them a message to divert to Suna but you will beat them there. Harry single handedly brought down a castle according to reports and he fought a war. That is more experience than many ninja have before a mission like this."

"Very well. Anything else?"

"Do you think Kakashi is up to backing you up?"

"You're worried about Itachi…he did well against the Sound-nin who attempted to take him and his training has gone back to what it was before the…incident. But against S-ranked opponents, I'm not sure."

"Very well. I'll have him on standby in case. Dismissed and good luck."

Hiro quickly packed what he need and then shrank it all down. "Hiro?" He looked to see Iruka standing in the doorway.

"Mission." He answered nervously and saw the way Iruka's expression tightened. "We'll be fine and back before you know it." He offered and Iruka pulled him into a hug.

"Be careful and watch out for each other."

"We will. Say bye to Kakashi for me?" Iruka nodded and Hiro apparated to the gates to wait for the others.

TBC…