A/N: Hey there everybody! Mission-y stuff today! Oh yeah, and Anko finds something she accidentally overlooked. The girl's party gets started too. Ready? Let's go. Enjoy!

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Over a slight rise in the road, Kakashi spied their farmer. He elbowed Asuma and said, "Over there."

"Yeah, I see him. I'll do the talking."

"Go ahead."

They continued on quietly until they were on the road outside where the farmer was tilling. Asuma stopped as the farmer looked up at them. He said, "Exquisite day we're having."

The farmer looked at him and nodded, then went back to his tilling. Kakashi said, "Maybe he didn't hear you."

"He heard me alright."

"Maybe this isn't the right guy."

"Maybe not. Let's go on."

Then they heard, "If it decides to rain, you can find temporary shelter at The Tora Inn."

Asuma waved to the old man, and said, "Thanks for the tip." The old man had already turned his attentions back to what he had been doing.

Asuma turned to Kakashi and said, "We have our contact place."

Kakashi said, "Now if we can just find the village."

"There's not much to it. So whatever Inn is there shouldn't be hard to find."

The two male shinobi traveled another half an hour or so until they started coming to some small houses. They were more like small hut type structures, like the houses of farmers – simple, and functional. As they traveled on, there seemed to be more wild area, then some houses sprang out of nowhere in a small cluster at an intersection of two streets. Some other partial streets seemed to shoot off from the main one, but it was indeed just a very small village. They walked on, taking in the sights, looking at the few people they saw, wondering if any of them were who they were to meet with. They tried to get a feel for the tiny village and its people. The residents seemed quiet, yet hesitant to make, or keep, eye contact with them. They were obviously suspicious of strangers.

Kakashi pointed out to Asuma, "There it is." The Tora Inn was a small one level building with a sign that said, "Tora Inn." It was obviously just a small place for passing travelers to get some rest, maybe something to eat, and move on. With more dread in his voice than he wanted to convey, he said, "I guess this mission is officially on."

Asuma looked over at him, nodded, and opened the door to the Inn.

Anko managed to not eat three of her chocolate roses, so she stashed them in a locker to retrieve them later. As she was stashing them, a note fell from them that she hadn't noticed before. She looked at it and almost laughed out loud. In small script, it said, "I was going to get you six chocolate penises but since you were at work, I thought these were more appropriate. Be back soon – love, K" After choking back a laugh, she stuffed the note in her pocket.

Anko was entirely grateful that he'd sent chocolate roses instead.

Back at the Tora Inn, Kakashi and Asuma went inside. They found a barkeep wiping glasses and a lone man sitting at a table with his back to them. The man appeared hunched over either thinking or eating, they couldn't tell which. Quietly, they walked to the bartender and ordered two glasses of lemonade each – they were quite thirsty from their travels. They sat down and waited for the barkeep. When he returned, he said, "You must be travelers. Here, these'll get the dust out of your throats." Kakashi looked out of the corner of his eye to see if the man seated reacted to the word "travelers." He did. He sat up and looked over his shoulder at them, then turned away again.

Kakashi said, "He's our man."

"Drink one, take the other over there and talk to him?"

"Yeah."

Both men drank one of their drinks, paid their bill, tipped the barkeep, and stood up with their other drinks and approached the man, opting to sit at a table next to him.

As they sat at the table next to the man, on the opposite side of him, so they could see his face, or chase him if he decided to run, Asuma said without looking at him, "We heard they fled at night."

The man didn't move. Asuma looked at Kakashi, and then they both looked back at their drinks. Then they heard it. The man said, "They did, to avoid the snake." He turned to them and smiled, looking very relieved. He said, "We're really glad you're both here. Your Hokage sent the right men by the looks of you." Kakashi and Asuma were slightly suspicious, but they let him continue to talk. He said, "I am Naoto, and I'll take you to the house where the sisters are living."

Asuma said, "I am Asuma, this is Kakashi. When do you want to leave?"

"As soon as you're done with your drinks."

Naoto filled them in a bit, "The sisters still have yet to confide in anyone. They fear for their lives. They are looking forward to their move to the safe house, and then their permanent protection location. I know that they know much more than they want to talk about. They fear retribution around every corner. There have been other strangers seen in this village as of late. You probably got quite a few looks when you arrived."

Asuma said, "We did, but I usually attribute that fact to Kakashi's hair."

Kakashi looked at him and said, "Why is it always the hair with you? You know it has a mind of its own!"

Naoto waited for them to quit picking each other, and then he continued, "We are sure that Orochimaru's people have traced the sisters here. Luckily, the Aunt's house where they are staying is remote and very well hidden. The sisters will probably not be there now. They are out doing errands in disguises that the other villagers have come to recognize. They still don't know who the sisters are, but all have been warned to be on alert for strangers. You two will have to work quickly to see if you can get the information from the sisters."

Asuma asked, "What type of work did they do for Orochimaru?"

"Mostly research, that's no secret. What type of research, they haven't said."

Asuma said, "Most likely on live human victims." Kakashi nodded.

"If you're ready, I'll take you there."

Kakashi said, "We're ready. Let's get on with this."

Naoto stood up and led them from the Inn.

Anko looked at the clock in the hall, soon. We're getting out soon. Should go find Kurenai because I'm finding myself a little too preoccupied to do anything other than leave right now. She went to the locker and picked up the rest of her chocolate roses and took them with her. She walked the halls, her work – what little she could focus on – done for the day. She looked for her friend, so they could leave. After a few minutes of searching, and asking a couple of other fellow shinobi, she found Kurenai outside with her former team. She walked up to her and Kurenai said, "Oh hey Anko. I take it you're ready to go?"

"I can't think today. Can we just go?"

"Sure. Shino, Kiba, Hinata, you guys can go for the day too. I'm off tomorrow, so proceed through training exercise 14. Should take you half the day to complete. I want a successful report the day after tomorrow."

Kiba said, "If we get done early, can we leave early?" Akamaru barked.

Kurenai said, "I don't want you rushing this training exercise. I know I'm not your sensei anymore, but that doesn't mean I can let you slack off just because you're not needed on a mission right now. Do it right, and do it well, or I'll ask Tsunade to supervise you while you do it again."

Hinata gulped audibly. Shino said, "We'll do it right. I'll make sure of it."

"Thank you Shino. Have a good night everybody." She waved to them and took Anko by the arm. "So lady Anko, where do you want to pick up some take out from?"

"Wherever we pass on the way to your place."

The ladies walked toward Kurenai's apartment and stopped at a stir fry stand to pick up some dinner. Kurenai said to the waitress, "I'll have an order of rice, vegetables and shrimp, to go please. Anko, what'll you have?"

"I'll have fried rice and veggies. And throw a deep fried Twinkie and some chocolate dipping sauce in there too."

Kurenai just looked at her and said, "You sure you're not pregnant?"

"Do you want me to hit you in public?"

Kurenai smiled and dropped it. They picked up their meals and went to Kurenai's apartment.

Once they got inside Anko flopped on the couch and Kurenai took the love seat next to a coffee table. They both started eating, but then Kurenai said, "Oh, almost forgot. Something to wash down dinner with!"

Anko shoveled a large pile of food in her mouth, and practically swallowed it without chewing. She said, "Whatcha got to get this party started?"

Kurenai went into the kitchen and came back a few minutes later with a tray that had a bucket of ice, a drink shaker, drink strainer, and various bottles. She said, "How about we start with pomegranate martinis?"

"Ooh! I've never had those before. Make me one! Are they sweet?"

"And tart. I think you'll like them." Kurenai made a shaker full of martinis and poured them into some fancy glasses. She handed one to Anko who tasted it. She asked, "So, what do ya think?"

Anko said, "Oooh. Good." She drained her glass and said, "I think I'll have another."

"Better be careful, they taste good, but they sneak up on you."

Before they finished their dinner, they each finished two shakers full of martinis. Then the conversations started.

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A/N: What could they POSSIBLY talk about? You'll find out next.

Next up: The mission proceeds, and the girls have a drunken laugh fest. See you soon!