It Tells a Tale
Dedicated to Yuun-Chan and Sabaku no Sarah-Hime
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Shinko and her horrible plans to get us into troublesome situations, I sighed silently, wishing I could be somewhere else. Speaking of Shinko...
I glanced at her, still meditating, how very Shinko-like. I yawned and stretched my arms high above my head.
A rather loud sound startled me out of my tiresome trance. The woman appeared with that hunk of grey smoke was Anko, the obnoxious examiner.
"Genma, Tsunade-Sama sends your mission and her regards on your journey," she spoke loudly, giving us a passive glance before she disappeared with another loud bang and more smoke.
Sasuke peered casually over Genma-San's shoulder to read the scroll. I saw him giving a very loathsome smirk.
"Right, I'll meet you guys in Hokage-Sama's office," Genma flashed us with a brilliant smile then vanish with a whisk of white smoke.
"Shinko..." I called out, unsure if she's even awake or not.
"I heard him," she faded with her usual screen of water vapour and mist.
"Feisty, isn't she?" Sasuke sneered as he evaporated with a cherry red flame.
"Your typical girl," Shikamaru yawned as he disappeared with a hand seal.
"It's a race then," I shrugged, hopping off the balcony and waned in midair.
The atmosphere of "friendship" wasn't much better in Tsunade's office. Shinko was still sitting cross legged in a corner with her eyes closed, making absolute no attempts to talk. Shikamaru yawned...again. Sasuke had his usual talk-to-me-and-die expression. I appeared beside Shinko, standing.
"Friendly team you have here, Genma-Kun," Tsunade smiled sarcastically.
"No sweat, they're just shy, that's all," He didn't seem to have a problem with a team consisted of an avenging Uchiha, a lazy bum, and two Akatsuki missing Nin. Of course, he wouldn't have known that.
"I'll believe you," Tsunade sighed heavily. "Your mission, also doubled as the first round of the exam for these enthusiastic youngsters," enthusiastic? Right..."is to escort the protégées of the Mizukage safely to Kirigakure."
Shinko's eyes flashed open. Good job, Tsunade-Sama. You've finally managed to get her attention.
"They'll meet you at the Gate in a few minutes, that gives you plenty of time to pack," Shizune announced.
I made a seal and disappeared with Shinko, only to materialize in our dimly lit room inside the tavern.
Without a word Shinko marched to her bed and started throwing an item of clothing into her tiny travelling bag.
"Listen, I understand how much you hate the Mizukage." I began.
She chucked some bandage into the bag.
"...but you must not let that emotion resurface."
More items of clothing glided gracefully across the dense air and landed flawlessly in the sack.
"Who said that I hated him?" Shinko finally snapped.
"If you don't, then that's even better," I was taken back. It wasn't like Shinko to lose her temper. But then again, this is the Mizukage that we're talking about...
I hurled some clothes and scrolls into my bag, only to find that Shinko has already disappeared, leaving only a trace of her mist in the air.
I shook my head sadly. Kisame-San, what have you done to her?
I shrugged yet again and walked out. I seemed to shrug a lot lately.
"Yuun!" a voice called down from down the hall.
I turned around, just in time to collide with Jin.
"We just got our mission! We're delivering a scroll to the Kazekage," he grinned. "But of course, Deidera-Sama is going to take care of him real soon," he basically squealed.
I punched him in the stomach. "Are you afraid to not getting caught?" I interrogated.
"Well, that's not..."
"Then shut your trap!" I cut him off with another slap across the back of his head.
God he is always so simple-minded. I bet he got that off from Deidera-San along with all of his (basically) useless earth jutsu. Well, it's not like I don't respect Deidera-San, and I know he is...was the top member from the Iwagakure ANBU.
I sighed and patted his back passively, then strolled down the wooden staircase. The sound of my foot made a gloomy thudding sound as I grinded my foot against the floor hard.
The rain never seemed to have ceased since we've arrived at the Leaf village. I saw Shinko waiting patiently by the double doors of the tavern, having already changed into new, clean green long sleeved top and black knee length capris.
"We need to hurry," she said aimlessly, while wrapping some bandage onto her old wounds. I peered at the scars, already healed but still fresh.
Shinko did a quick seal. I closed my eyes as her film of mist surrounded us quietly. When my eyes became open, we were already outside of the huge wooden gates that protected Konoha. The family and our fellow escorts were already present.
Sasuke gave us a hard glare for being late, then turned to suspicious family, "we should be on our way then. The plan was to reach the border to the Water Country before dawn tomorrow, but apparently, some of us have decided to be rebellious."
Genma Sensei smirked, his toothpick moved sharply upwards.
"So from the information given, you are the protégé of Mizukage Sama, correct?" I stepped forward.
"Yes," the lady shuddered.
"Very well, we should get going before Sasuke-kun here starts to have a tantrum," I laughed.
"Yes, um...thank you again for your effort to come and protect us; but don't you think that we ought to need a Jounin to help us, Instead of a few...children," the man wrapped his arm around the wife's limp shoulders.
"I assure you, Misuyona-Sama. These boys are the top graduates of Chuunin in our village; and these girls came from a very high recommendation directly from the leader of Amegakure himself," Genma smiled.
That's a lie. The leader doesn't even know he's entered a 3-man team in the test. I chuckled softly.
"Anyhow, let us be on our way," Genma Sensei suggested.
"Yes, we probably should," the lady said as she climbed into the little wooden carriage.
"Excuse us for a moment while I...update on some information on our dear friends," Genma shoved us far away from the carriage.
"Listen, this is an A-ranked mission; but I warn you, as soon as we have made contact with foreign ANBU or other ranked ninja, this will immediately become an S-ranked mission. Death is a high percentage of ninety, critical wounds are almost guaranteed. Be very careful of your surroundings, check the temperature and humidity once in a while, and beware of area changes for signs of Genjutsu. I know I'm not going to be held responsible if you die, but I'd hate to see any of you have your lives taken, understand?" he said in an urgent whisper.
We nodded our heads almost in unison. It's not like I've never been on any S-ranked missions; but still, your life is hanged on balance if you don't be careful, and somehow, I'm getting a feeling that this is about to turn into something completely different.
Shinko is being extremely careful today, taking readings of temperature and humidity percentage every five minutes or so, noting down the times and surroundings, and checking the map once in a while. I wonder why she's being so paranoid, we've been on missions for the Akatsuki a million times on this route, the chances of us getting lost or attack is basically none.
It was near midnight that we sat down to eat. Shinko popped a soldier pill in her mouth while she eyed down the road vacantly.
That was the only rest we've made so far.
Suddenly, Sasuke stood straight up. We froze. The only sound was when a slight breeze glided over our fire, making a faint cackle sound. I felt Shinko's chakra tense up a little, it always happen when she's annoyed or being paranoid.
"Someone kill the fire, quick!" Sasuke whispered.
Without a second notice, Shinko formed a highly visible wall of dense chakra vapour around the fire pit. She closed onto the fire with swiftness that within seconds, the big amount of flames was nowhere to be seen, leaving only a small strand of weepy smoke.
Shikamaru eyed the carriage; our clients went into a dead sleep hours ago. A shiver suddenly went down his spine. I felt it too, strong presence of chakra, water element if I'm not mistaken.
Kiri...Ame...or Takigakure...?