I Do Not Own Naruto
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Drifting on the Winds
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"In position," she whispered into her piece as she looked down from her perch.
"In position," she heard Sasuke's voice in her ear piece.
"Good now remember, today is a capture and return mission, team work is crucial for this to work," Kakashi's voice spoke and she nodded in understanding; more to herself and Sasuke, who could see her from his perch. She and Sasuke looked to their target and then they nodded as they moved silently through their trees. "Alright, on my signal…" Kakashi said and they all tensed as they waited.
"I'LL GET IT! BELIEVE IT!" Naruto screeched beside them, the orange knucklehead flew from his hiding perch, there was a scream and she groaned in exasperation. Three months of this and Naruto had yet to figure out how to be stealthy.
"Naruto!" Sasuke and Kakashi hissed in the ear piece, she dove after Naruto then so they didn't lost the target, Sasuke was a step ahead of her though as she tried to catch up to them.
"ROEOW!" a fierce screech came.
"I GOT IT!" Naruto shouted in triumph, but he screamed when the cat started retaliating and scratching his face up as he tried to squirm away from Naruto's squid grip.
"Target acquired," Sasuke spoke into their earpiece for Kakashi. Sakura was snickering as the cat and Naruto fought, and she smiled as she stood beside Naruto.
"Confirm the red bow on the right ear," Kakashi spoke.
"Confirmed," Sasuke announced. She giggled as she gently lifted the fighting cat from a bleeding Naruto and walked off with it towards the village. The cat was purring happily as he nuzzled his way under her chin and looked over her shoulder.
"Dobe, you're supposed to wait for the signal," she heard Sasuke chiding Naruto as she stroked the cat and laughed at the cat as he purred and tried to wrap himself around her.
"I thought that was the signal," Naruto grumbled.
"Useless loser!" Sasuke hissed as he stomped up to her and Naruto appeared on her other side glaring.
"No fighting boys, we've got the cat now let's go to the Hokage's office to return it!" Sakura decided as she skipped up to Kakashi who gave her a bland look. She shrugged, just because she was helping him teach Naruto and Sasuke did not mean she knew how to restrain those two boys as she walked with Kakashi into the village. And just so she was clear she had known all of what Kakashi was planning the night their teams were announced and she got home demanding if he was insane; he had told her that she was important for being a mediator of sorts and that they were the first team to be formed on the instructors wishes rather than what the Hokage thought was a good fit.
"Hello boys, how'd the mission go?" Minato asked when they all walked into his office.
"Mission complete!" Naruto declared, and his father looked amused at the sight of him. Sakura knew why even, whisker boy was all scratched up and grinning like a fool.
"Naruto, this was a D-ranked mission why do you look like you just did battle?" Kushina asked in an amused tone.
"Stupid cat!" he glared at the cat, which Sakura handed back to a squealing woman and she felt bad for the poor can. The Uchiha said nothing as he looked blandly at the Hokage, while she smiled.
"We're still working on stealth… and patience," Kakashi informed the Fourth as he read his Icha Icha book. Sakura was tapped with the spin of his book again and she looked up to him, he jerked his head to the boys who were arguing again and she sighed, this was worse than when they had been kids!
"Knock it off you two!" She shouted, both boys looked at her then and Sasuke scowled, Naruto was glaring at Sasuke.
"Teme!" Naruto snapped as he folded his arms.
"Dobe," Sasuke hissed and she stepped between them with a sweet smile in place.
"Good to see some things never change," Minato chuckled. "I have a few more missions if you're interested; babysitting, or helping the daimyo's wife, or walking the Inuzuka clan, or—"
"NO! I want a real mission!" Naruto whined.
"For once, I agree with the dobe," Sasuke muttered under his breath. Sakura was very careful to say nothing because she also agreed, she was tired of trash collecting, cat hunting, babysitting, and just the overall D-ranked missions all genin performed. But more than that she was really tired of Naruto whining about it as they had to do the missions.
Minato didn't look offended though as he laughed.
"So, you think you're ready for a real mission?" he asked his son.
"YEAH! BELIEVE IT!" Naruto declared.
"In that case, I have just the mission for you, an escort mission to the Land of Waves," Minato said. She saw Kushina pale a bit with worry, but said nothing. "You'll be protecting a bridge builder named Tazuna from highway men, robbers, and thieves on his journey home."
"REALLY!?" Naruto looked excited while Sasuke looked interested and she just smiled then.
"Don't worry Kushina, I'll keep Naruto out of trouble!" Sakura promised and she saw the fiery redhead mother sigh in relief. Ever since the attack from the Cloud Kushina was a worry wart mother according to Naruto, but honestly, if Sakura had a mother she would want her mom worried about her. But she didn't have a mom, she had Kakashi and that was more than enough for her. Kakashi worried about her a lot more than any mom ever did, and she knew that was another part of the reason she was on his team. He didn't want her out of his sight, Sakura felt that his losing his friends Rin and Obito had something to do with this decision of his.
"Thank you Sakura," Kushina smiled in relief. Sasuke nudged her ribs, she scowled at him and Naruto grinned like a happy fool. Kakashi was shaking his head in exasperation when the door opened.
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Sasuke found Tazuna to be amusing, he was good at antagonizing the dobe, which was amusing in itself; and the dobe was also realizing he was shorter than himself and Sakura. though it annoyed Sasuke that she was the tallest of them he knew that wasn't going to be long. Sakura was going to stop growing in a few years according to Itachi; something about girls maturing quicker than boys; he honestly didn't care, he just wanted to know when he was going to be taller than Sakura again.
Anyway he was at home packing up.
"So you have a traveling mission?" a soft voice asked. He looked up to see Izumi then, she smiled softly, he just nodded and resumed packing. Izumi did not leave the compound much anymore, he hadn't really asked why but he had heard the villagers talk about her scars. He had even beaten up a civilian kid for calling his brother's fiancé a monster; aside from Sakura, Izumi was the kindest girl he knew and he wouldn't tolerate anyone badmouthing her. She was family after all.
"Where are you going?" Izumi asked him when he stood up with his pack.
"Land of Waves," he answered her.
"Alright, be safe," she said and ruffled his already bedhead hair.
"Aa," he grunted and walked past her. Sasuke gave Itachi a nod and then he was out the door.
Sakura was chatting with Kisame when he left the house, it was unsettling just how quickly she had befriended the shark man. But he didn't mind if Kakashi thought it was alright for her to be friends with Kisame.
"Hey Sasuke!" Sakura waved at him as Kisame looked over his shoulder at him.
"Hn," he nodded and walked over to her. Kisame ruffled Sakura's hair as he walked into the Uchiha compound then and Sasuke gave her a blank look.
"He's not that bad once you get to know him!" she defended as they walked to the gates where the dobe and Kakashi were waiting for them. Kakashi was holding Naruto by the collar as he tried to rush Tazuna while reading his book again and Sakura smile as she hurried up and hugged Naruto.
"Calm down Naruto! We're ninja now and we have a mission!" Sakura snapped and the dobe scowled as he settled then.
"Ready to go now?" Kakashi asked, not even looking up from his book.
"Aa," he nodded as he fell into step with Sakura who was behind Naruto and Tazuna behind them with Kakashi bringing up the rear of their little group.
"Are you really ninja?" Tazuna demanded. Sasuke's eye twitched at the question as he turned to give the drunk bridge builder a scathing look. He was an Uchiha, he had the Sharingan, and he was a shinobi; a genin to be specific. But despite their rank as genin they were true shinobi. He had grown up to be a shinobi and he was not going to be thought of as less.
Besides the Uchiha were shinobi nobility in many ways.
His name alone was something which he knew could send enemies running from a fight. The Uchiha were formidable even if there were only three of them at the moment. The Hyūga were another noble family, and they were just as feared despite their few numbers; there were eight of them rather than three. No matter though, they were feared, and there was much to fear from the Uchiha and Hyūga, their visual prowess was something to fear.
"Yes," he hissed and he saw Tazuna flinch a bit at his words.
"And don't forget it!" Naruto shouted. "Believe it!"
"You are looking at the three best genin out of the Academy, this mission will be a piece of cake for them," Kakashi assured Tazuna and he felt a small hand on his arm. He looked to Sakura then, she shook her head and continued to walk forward, taking the lead from Naruto. Sasuke fell into step beside her again as Naruto leapt ahead of them. Again and was humming in satisfaction.
"You're telling me that these three pipsqueaks are fresh out of the Academy!?" Tazuna demanded.
"Yes, but not to worry, there is a reason I am here, I am a jonin," Kakashi said reassuringly. Sasuke said nothing as they walked down the road.
This was going to be a long journey, he could already tell and they had hardly left the village. He glanced at Sakura who was smiling softly as she walked beside him and he sighed. He'd just endure the insults, one of these days he was going to prove everyone wrong and he was going to be the greatest shinobi ever; and he was going to avenge his clan.
He knew Sakura had dreams to be a great shinobi and make it to the ANBU black ops like her guardian had made it. And Naruto; the big dobe, he wanted to be Hokage and surpass his father in every way there was. They all had large goals, but mostly, they were offended to be thought of as kids and he knew it.
"Alright, now kids, be on alert, we're on a mission here and we are prepared for anything," Kakashi said and he smirked as they resumed their walking at a brisk pace. They'd be fine, hell, the three of them were Trouble, and all enemies would be afraid of them before then end of the years as genin, he knew it and so did the Leaf. He looked to Sakura, who's green eyes were alight with mischief as she walked beside him and the goofy dobe in front of them was sniggering as they walked down the road.
They'd be fine.
And this was their first C-ranked mission and they were only a few months as genin, that in his mind was impressive and a gesture of faith in their abilities.
That's all for now folks!
Enjoy Blooming in Darkness! =)
