Drace:: alright. yes... i decided to put a chapter between 2 and 3, so now this one is chapt 3, some of you said that it was rather an abrupt change from 2 to 3, and i fully agree, i just hadn't had it fixed. but now there is this!! and it also gives you more of an idea about what Naruto has been training for and such. Also i'm hoping to make you all sad that Mouse died. And no, we wont ever get his name, he's Mouse, and he thinks weird and talks weirder, mostly because RATs aren't used to talking normally. think about it. they are trained NOT to talk about what they do, of course they'll wind up speaking in riddles and weird ways. Naruto hasn't because he's also a CAT so he doesn't need to mess with your head!

THIS IS CHAPTER 3!!

There where days where Mouse was sure he wasn't going to see the next sunrise. Days where he worried that his young student Cain would have to carry on with the mission and leave his corpse behind.

Mouse knew it would kill the boy inside. Cain was a good boy. He listened well, fought hard, and served loyally. Nothing more could be asked of the boy. But he wasn't able to understand cowards. He couldn't fathom turning and running away from the fallen without a thought.

Mouse had days where he feared he'd lose his student because of that compassionate heart. Feared that the boy would be sent out without him and killed when the beautiful heart couldn't turn. Mouse hated the days when his student was among those who didn't understand the love within that heart. Cain was more likely to die for anothers mistake than because of anything Cain did.

As he sent himself into the easy trance of leaping from tree limb to tree limb, energy gathering to stick, to expel, he felt his student hop and skip jerkily behind him. A quick glance let him know that Dove had waved the boy over so that she could check on the right leg wound again. The stitches were no doubt becoming loose again. They didn't have time to stop and let her set in a good weave. Cain wouldn't let himself become a cause of distraction. Mouse was proud of his student for that.

Cain had learned so much in the few years he had served within ANBU. He had quickly been drafted into RAT after Hound, a tracker that often served among the general ANBU squads had noticed the boys natural talent for taking in his surroundings and his cunningly swift hands at capturing a goal.

Hound also had taught the young canine masked boy how to track. Hound himself had expressed his regret that Cain wouldn't serve with the Hunter-nin, in his own words he had said "Cain learns and adapts to challenges so fast I would almost label him an environment prodigy". Mouse had been expecting a cocky rookie when he was saddled with the "new" RAT. Instead, he found himself feeling rather like a father teaching his son the trade of their family.

It was a dark and rainy day the first time he discovered he had to teach his student to run. The mission had run afoul when some fool of an arrogant jonin had tripped off the alert and the mission became compromised. The other jonin with them lost his left leg to an enemy jitsu as they exited the building.

The fool who had tripped the alarm kept running, and Mouse would have followed just the same if not for Cains' sudden change of direction. The boy went back for the fallen. Hadn't thought or called or even needed to take a breath to think it over. He just moved to his fallen comrade without pause. Mouse was both awed and heartbroken.

Mouse didn't turn back for his student, but he had paused lightly, he wanted to turn back, but intelligence was worth more than a single life or two. He glimpsed back then went forward again. He left only a small drop of green dye every twenty feet to show the boy a trail home. He couldn't wait, but he could be an old fool who hoped.

Cain carried the other man all the way back to Konoha.

In rain and lightening the boy had managed to carry the larger jonin all the way from Rock borders all the way back to Konoha with only little green dye drops that had gotten farther and farther apart in distance as Mouse had lost his hope. The boy had a broad gash out of his side and the jonin he carried had a missing leg and several gashes from kunai. Yet both made it back. Alone with an injured teammate, Cain had tracked little green drops back home. Mouse felt his hope grow, but his heart ache.

Cain wasn't made to be a RAT ANBU.

It would be two days after that day he returned that Mouse taught Cain the truth about RAT ANBU. RATs, did not go back for comrades. They ran away.

Cain didn't speak for the next two months of his training. Mouse missed his joyful voice calling to him as the boy did his tasks. Yet he had to teach the boy.

Cain paused the next time it happened. The pause was longer than it should have been, and he took the time to fire a flash bomb into at the attacking force, but he did continue forward. Mouse knew he could ask no more of the boy. He couldn't simply turn his back without offering something. Mouse accepted that.

When Black Cat asked to take Cain on her mission in Grass, Mouse had been leery about letting the boy go without him, but agreed that Cain would be able to help. When they came back, Black Cat spoke to Ibiki and Cain was then being trained as a CAT ANBU as well. Mouse wasn't very surprised, perhaps maybe a little pleased. CATs at least went in to take their comrades back, Cain could find peace in knowing he could go back for anyone he left behind as a RAT.

"...the leg looks like it should hold up well enough. Keep putting more weight onto the other though, and use your right hand to help catch yourself as you go so you wont wear the other leg. Honestly Cain, you are the worst for getting mangled when trouble hits." Dove's soft voice broke into his thoughts.

Mouse turned to see her watching his young canine masked student's progress. The boy managed well enough. Cain was stronger than she realized. But who was he to tell a healer? Mouse chuckled softly to himself.

"I'm fine Dove-san the cream has stopped the burning and I'm not tired at all. Honest." Cain's cheer warm in the air. Owl's soft huff of laughter a whisper above Mouses' head.

"...Taku... you are so loud gaki" came Wolf's dry mutter. Mouse was about to make a comment when said 'gaki' responded.

"..'che... you've just got your hearing aid on too high old man Wolf" snarked back.

"...brat"

"Geezer"

"Punk"

"Old fart"

"Snot nosed child"

"Bitter senile old pervert"

Mouse let a small smile slip onto his face as their playful curses kept springing back and forth. Dove's soft laughter easing the last of her worry over Cain away. Whatever might have been causing friction between Cain and Wolf had resolved itself once the mission had gone down the drain.

Then again, Mouse mused to himself, it was hard to be standoffish with another ANBU who held their ground with you back to back. Cain never did stop his heart from keeping him from helping when he could. Wolf and he had worked well together.

Wolf may have been smart, but he was also caught in the same mind set of all shinobi who lived during the Rock wars, hit hard and fast. Wolf wasn't expecting to be blind sided by a cunning 'possum' attack into his back. Luckily Cain was more clever than Wolf's would-be attacker. Cain's leg took the blow and his right arm took the head of said attacker.

After that it had been a dance of blood.

The two worked their way through the enemy as Mouse snatched the scroll away with Dove and Owl covering for him. Wolf using jitsu to spread out the foes, and Cain was darting off of every tree and rock to slide his claws home in the throats and chest of the enemy. Wolf was the lighting, and Cain was his thunder. The flash what killed you, the thunder was what you last heard.

Mouse made a mental not to make a small mention of the good chemistry between Wolf and Cain in fighting together while in the office before formally passing in his report to Ibiki. It never hurt to let an idea form in the heads of others all on their own after all.

Mouse let a smile cross his face. No Rat squeaked unless their was something written in the words underneath what at first seemed so simple. Ibiki wasn't fool enough to overlook the disguised suggestion. Mouse knew his student could have worse than Wolf to watch his tail.

Drace: well hope you all liked it! I swear, there wont be anymore chapters squeaked in, so it'll be chapter 5 that i next write! lol.