THIS IS CHAPTER 2! THE OTHER CHAPTER IS MEANT TO BE READ AS TEH 3RD CHAPTER!!
It was later that night that the five shinobi stopped to make camp. Dove used the down time to begin making quick pads and medicinal creams for if they should run into trouble with retrieving the scroll. She was used to having to make quick repair jobs on RAT agents.
Sighing, Dove glanced over at Mouse and Caine as they carefully mixed a compound together which would later be used to hopefully knock out or disorient their targets. The two wouldn't live forever, but she could hope she'd make them live longer than they would otherwise. RAT agents had a high death rate and low life expectancy.
Musing more on the dangers faced by RAT agents Dove kept to her preparations. RAT agents where intelligence gathering agents. Hence the sub name 'rat'. Most spent more time outside of their home than within. Konoha had few RATs and with the death rate being what it was, fewer still every mission.
Mouse was well known for being one of the best RAT agents to date, though from the way things were turning out, it seemed as though Caine would surpass his teacher. If he lived long enough anyways.
Dove's eyes glanced towards Owl as he returned from his scouting. The BIRD agent was fairly decent given that most Hyuuga were stuck ups. Unfortunately they all usually ended up in BIRD class too. The whole being able to see a nearly 360 around them making them perfect for the scouting class.
Hearing a rustle of cloth behind her Dove whipped her head only to relax as Wolf came to set down the bucket of water that would be used to clean up themselves a bit tomorrow morning. She wasn't sure what was going on between Wolf and Caine but she felt her own mothering instincts want to whap the stupid wolf upside the head. She always found it amusing that he was called the 'copy cat' when he was in the DOG sub division on ANBU.
Though, she had a feeling that dog was a poor name for that division. They would be better to be called the hunters. Tracking down and eliminating their targets. Dove often was glad she worked with RAT agents more than DOG ones. RATs at least had some life to them. DOGs were just tools that tracked and killed then went back to their master for more orders.
"I saw some herbs growing near a tree fifty meters south south east of here Himiko, perhaps you might like to check to see if they could be of any use?" came Shiro's quiet tone breaking her thoughts. Looking up Dove noted that Shiro had removed his mask and was munching on one of their tasteless rations.
"Ah! Yes that would be good. Never have too many with the rats about and all. Thank you I'll go once I've finished here." Himiko replied in kind. Her eyes noticing that Kakashi was working on the small smokeless fire and must have finished setting the traps around the camp perimeter.
"Take Caine with you Dove, he could use some experience in identifying herbs in the wild. One never knows after all." Mouse intoned. Nodding, Himiko finished up the last of her needles.
"I'm all set if you are Caine." The man in question stood with his unique rolling grace. His masked head nodding in silence to her. She gave a small frown but began to move to where Shiro said the herbs would be.
Naruto quietly followed Dove, or Yashuda Himiko, as she made her way towards where Owl had said the herbs would be. Her careful steps leaving no trace to be found -by most-. Dove was one of the best MED nins that helped with ANBU members. She seemed to mostly work with RAT agents which meant she had a better idea of how they worked than most.
It was refreshing to not have to explain that, no, he wasn't going to say her real name. And no, he wasn't going to remove his mask. And no, he wasn't going to stop moving after he accomplished his mission and get hit with poison or whatever because the information could not be delayed for fear of being too late.
Dove paused at the base of a tree and carefully pulled some leaves off of the plant growing there. She turned to him and began to explain how one removed the leaves and the use for different parts of the plant. She also told him where you were likely to find such a plant.
Naruto listened with rapt attention as it was important for him to know how to heal given that he was also a CAT agent. Sure Naruto himself had the Kyuubi to heal himself, that didn't however mean it would heal others. CAT agents where ones who had to infiltrate behind enemy lines and into networks to either retrieve items or people of importance. The people being retrieved usually where caught members of Konoha, and needed to be well enough to run.
It was one of Naruto's more preferred missions. He liked being on the edge of things, being right there among his enemy and fooling them. Learning the secrets and foiling their attempts to harm Konoha and those within. It was sad how easy it had been for him to put on a fake face and be anyone among the crowd. After all, he was used to being over looked.
Kakashi felt like taking a kunai to his head. He hadn't slept in over a week. This was getting ridiculous. He'd already snapped at the gaki on this mission and knew he'd over looked the herbs that Shiro mentioned. Having been on an A rank mission four days ago, then a following B rank after that he was ready for rest. Instead he was sent to do tracking for this B rank mission.
Sighing softly he looked to where Mouse and Shiro were talking quietly over the mission scroll. It didn't sound like it would be all that hard, Mouse had no doubt been more than enough for tracking. Hokage-sama just liked to run him ragged he was sure.
She had been on his case since Sasuke had returned. Not letting him be there long enough to even try to train the young idiot. Not that he wanted to exactly, but it was his responsibility to make sure Sasuke knew how things where going to be now. He had taught the boy and he would be responsible for the boy.
It was the word fox that brought Kakashi's attention to what Shiro and Mouse were discussing. Listening in Kakashi learned that they weren't talking about the Kyuubi but rather the newly purposed classification for ANBU.
"FOX members are in essence a mix RAT intelligence gathering, CAT target and item retrieving and the unique distraction and escape expertise that isn't seen as unique or usefully in the eyes of the council. It's the same as their disregard for the WOLF speciality of great endurance and higher skill potential. They simply want to lump everyone under the most basic of classes, however this makes it more difficult when it comes time to hand out the missions. Hokage-sama doesn't know everyone but knowing that they have strong skills in intell gathering or escape abilities might make her more inclined to give a mission to a FOX agent over a Rat agent which may end up keeping the wrong people for the mission from getting the mission." Mouse was saying to Shiro. Shiro nodded and spoke himself.
"I understand completely, I was with a two DOG agents on a mission a few weeks back, one was alright, but the other was hardly winded after the mission. Later when the three of us went on another mission the weaker DOG agent was killed because he wasn't able to preform to the skill level required for the mission. The other one however was capable of it. Why the council is making such a fuse about this I will never understand."
"It's to do with control. They don't want to do it so that they can have more control. It would be too easy to send or suggest a DOG agent with little experience go into a mission to hard for them thus ending the problem they might have with them. It's also dealing with the division distinction policy that is trying to be put into place. Having more divisions of speciality makes for people not in the councils pocket more likely to be in charge of the group of shinobi. They are also in an argument over the name FOX for the division. Which in all seriousness is just stupid. It makes the most sense for the name. Foxs are tricksters and clever and hard to catch. However, I do not think that the council will get their way this time. Eventually it will be passed and they will simply have to accept that Konoha will not be controlled by their greedy ways." Mouse said as he prepared to rest. Shiro chuckled and made ready himself.
"They will rue the day they tried to prevent something you want done Mouse, you RATs don't let information bypass you, and you aren't against using it to work in your favor. I hope you're right and things do change for the better. I'm always waiting for the day I end up on a mission with those unable to survive the mission, falling myself and knowing that with my fall is their fall as well. Rest mouse, and let us hope the days of needless death will end soon."
"...ah, a good thing to hope Owl. Rest you well. And to you as well Wolf. Mind your tongue not start a fight with Caine as well." Mouse then evened his breath and went into a light doze.
Kakashi sighed as the two settled in for the night. It wasn't like he meant to piss the kid off. He'd just spent the week on chakra fumes, and didn't have time to deal with a rookie. It was just his luck that the punk happened to be not a rookie but a full in. Odd, considering he seemed young for the RAT division. Usually they only took older shinobi due to the death rate of the class. Plus it took skill to be able to keep yourself together and loyal to a village when you spent more time away from it.
Moving his mind away from village traitors, Kakashi wondered on the new divisions Mouse was talking about. If what he'd said about WOLF and DOG divisions were true, then he would be WOLF the Wolf. Ha. Amusing and more reason for Hokage-sama to send him out to get run tirelessly.
Kakashi's attention was picked up as he heard a shinobi approaching from the east. Feeling out the chakra he was mildly surprised when he felt two signatures instead of just one. Yashuda and the punk came into the clearing, and Kakashi had to at least give credit where credit was due. The kid was good. He hadn't heard a sound from him. The chakra still needed work, but really if he hadn't heard Yashuda he wouldn't have noticed in time for it to make a difference.
As the two settled and the kid settled into rest beside Mouse, Kakashi turned his senses back into the forest surroundings. He would just have to see what else the kid could do. Caine wasn't that what Mouse had introduced them as? Odd name, hadn't heard much about it, but then the intelligence forces didn't speak about anything without reason.
It was when he later went to wake the boy up for his guard shift that Kakashi saw something that grabbed his attention the most.
"What are those things on your forearms?" the masked face looked down at the white arm guards with deep black grooves. Kakashi had no idea what it was for.
"These? They're claws. I use a free base taijitsu. Use the area around me as a weapon as much as myself. Claws are also better because you can't loose hold of items you're holding with them. Tricky with kunai alone." Caine responded as he unleashed the claws. Four blades arcing up from the groves to settle so that they overhung his fist by five inches. Plenty long to carve a heart right out of a mans chest.
"I've never seen something like those used before." Kakashi admitted with a bit of curiosity perking up his tone. Those looked like they could be useful indeed.
"Maybe you'll get a chance someday. I don't spar with these unless I'm fighting another Claw user, it's easy to get your arm cut off if you aren't used to fighting and defending from them." Caine responded with perhaps a more comradery that what they had started off with. Kakashi was willing to live with that.
Caine went off to start his shift and Kakashi let himself settle into a doze. His lasts thoughts drifting over the unusual ANBU RAT and CAT agent.
Drace: hey all! see! see! i can update! although it's been almost forever and a day... well at least now you have an idea about what those darn sub names mean. i didn't try to get a japanese word to fit them, i just used the animal name for it...so just pretend it fits kay? good. no idea when the next chapter will be out. tell me if it was worth the wait eh?