I do not own Naruto and his associated articles; only my OCs.

Squadron Hatake's camp was comprised of ten beige tents lined in a semicircle. Unlike the base, there weren't any bustling shinobi or sounds. It was quiet and could have been mistaken for abandoned if not for the light glow coming from some of the shelters. In the center was a banked fire pit, glowing embers peeking through the soot and ash. No smells drifted from the camp.

The shinobi were quick to enter through the opening in the Genjutsu. Manami noted as the last person through that the barrier closed after her, leaving a shimmery appearance to the air. The complexity to create such a jutsu was astounding; the chakra used to create it was undetectable. The six shinobi headed toward camp with Manami trailing after, her duty dictated her greeting her new commander and relieving her predecessor from his station. The mystery of the barrier would have to come later.

From the largest of the tents emerged a black haired individual and upon closer inspection, it was another Uchiha. Sourly, Manami wondered exactly how many members there were of this particular clan, this being the third she had directly encountered in a span of less than twenty-four hours.

He was stoic, looking over all of the shinobi, his eyes briefly resting on her before moving on. He did this with every member of the troop. "Greetings. I suppose you're here to relieve Sho, hm?" His face was deep and gentle, "Hatake-taichou is out on patrol with the others right now, so you'll have to wait a bit. They're due back in an hour or so."

That explained why the camp was abnormally quiet. Manami rolled back her shoulders, her back cracking from the motion. Namazu looked at her and grinned a little. He had been acting strangely since the main base or so the kunoichi thought. The other Uchiha, Akio, approached a tent, motioning the blue haired woman over. Manami was quick to respond, wearily wondering what the Uchiha wanted.

"There's no sense in standing around waiting for the captain to get back." Akio surmised, as he led the medic into the shelter. It was a supplies tent stacked high with crates. In the center there was a path, just wide enough for a single person to walk through. Past the wooden boxes along the back wall was a cot and writing desk somehow crammed into the small space. It was claustrophobic. The Uchiha sat on the desk, motioning for the kunoichi to take the cot.

The cot was too small for Manami to simply sit. Briefly, she struggled in the severely confined space to get the back scroll off without disturbing the supplies lining the walls. The scroll was laid on the bed first, followed by the stiff kunoichi. She dreaded what the Uchiha would say next, knowing what his words would be.

"I'm sorry that this is the best we can do for now. The other members of the team share two or three men in a tent. And while I trust the men as shinobi, I don't think it's appropriate during this time for a man and woman to share a tent. Hatake-san shares these sentiments with me. Once I had learned that you would be assigned to this position, I sent a messenger hawk asking the captain to prepare a space for you. This will be only a temporary residence as we are planning to move from this camp in the next couple of weeks. I know it's tight, but it is better than being wet."

Manami nodded, "It is. I can't say that I've stayed in worse quarters, but I see the point that you are trying to get across. I also feel that it is not the proper time for that kind relationship. It will do for now. I don't expect that I will get many visitors to my personal quarters as it is." It was Akio's turn to nod. "I assume most of my callers will those that are in need of a medic and we have a space for that purpose. Perhaps it would be better time spent if we were to visit those facilities rather than to lounge in my tent."

"It was my hope that you would suggest as much. I would suggest that you change into something more casual. Without having to travel, I see no reason for us to laze about in full armor. I shall see you soon again, Hamano-san." Akio was quick to navigate his way out of the tent, moving past the sitting kunoichi with ease. Resignedly, Manami followed the Uchiha's advice and changed from her field attire.

The casual clothing she had been allotted was much softer and less stiff than the field set. The black sleeves didn't need to be rolled up, the clothing resting at her wrist perfectly. The torso was on the loose side though, making the kunoichi appear even more flat chested than she really was. The pants were comfortable too, unlike the over-starched field wear. Manami forwent the vest, feeling warm. The hitai-ate she had removed while changing stared up at her from the desk. She left it there, as she reattached her hip pouch and exited the tent.

The others in the group were spread out around the camp, the shinobi who were looking to escort her predecessor were near the dying fire, laughing at a joke the blue haired woman had not heard. They didn't notice her as she scanned around the camp awkwardly for Namazu or Akio. Yoko huffed up at her, cocking his wiry haired head to the side. He was the only one that seemed to be waiting for her. He trotted around the circle of tents, his tail held stiffly. The hound turned and whiffed at Manami when he noticed she wasn't following.

Manami trotted after the dog, not wanting him to cause a scene by bringing attention to the Uzushiogakure kunoichi. Down the line they walked until they reached one of the larger tents to the south. Yoko scratched at the tent's zipped door before pressing his nose against her shin. "What? You want me to unzip it?" The dog wuffed in confirmation before scratching his ear. Tight-lipped Manami looked at the dog a moment longer. It didn't sound like anyone was in the tent, but she didn't want to surprise anyone if it was occupied. The ninken started to bite its foot, cleaning between the pads of its paw.

"Ma, it seems Yoko knew to bring you here." Akio had appeared behind the blue haired kunoichi. The taller shinobi was once again dressed similarly to when they had first met in the Hokage's office. His hair dripped water and his skin was dewy from washing. "This," he motioned to the tent, "is your new 'office'. I know you're just dying to see it but you're here to save lives."

Manami rolled her eyes at Akio's bad pun. Obviously whatever mood he been in in Konohagakure had returned and she was stuck dealing with his annoying rude side again. With a bit of apprehension, the kunoichi opened the tent's flap and peered inside. The inside was darker than her tent, but she accounted this phenomenon to being farther from the fire at the center of the ring of tents.

The tent was not as under kept as she had feared it would be. The closest walls held shelves that were stocked and labeled. The rest of the room was divided into two examination areas, each with a privacy screen. Manami doubted that she would ever have to use both of them, but it would convenient once this camp was occupied by more than one medic. She also noted that there were oil lamps on several surfaces. Overall, it was acceptable for a field medical facility.

"I'll leave you to get settled then," Akio spoke as Manami skimmed the shelves, "it won't be much longer until the patrol is back, but you'll have enough time to at least acquaint yourself with everything in the tent." The Uchiha exited, the ninken following afterwards. Manami was alone again.

Her eyes strained in the dark to read the labels on the shelf, but fatigue made it impossible to concentrate long enough on any of the characters. What she needed was a light. Unfortunately, she didn't have any matches on her and she wasn't a Katon user. She looked by the lamps, but found nothing that would solve her dilemma. Normally, she wouldn't be so displeased but it was a little frustrating not knowing where anything was, especially when one needed to find it.

Manami tried the desk next, searching for anything that looked remotely like a match. She came up with nothing. She checked the lamp on the desk again, feeling around the rim carefully. Her fingers scraped a hard piece. The foreign part grated against the lamp as the kunoichi pulled it out. It was a piece of flint. Exasperated, Manami kicked the desk, causing the contents to rattle angrily. They didn't have matches, but they had a flint. 'Of all the-' she thought crossly, pulling a kunai out of her hip pouch.

The kunai struck precisely against the stone, sending sparks. The kunoichi nursed the flicker that had landed on the wick with her breath. Gently she blew on it, hoping it would catch and start a small flame. The spark whined from the effort, gradually growing stronger with each exhale until it breathed on its own. With a sigh of relief, Manami was finally able to get back to familiarizing herself with the contents of the medic tent.

Speed-reading through contents she found everything was arranged in a pattern, albeit a strange one to the kunoichi. Rather than a medically categorical method, the shelves were arranged sporadically, as if things were placed as they were pulled from boxes. It would have to be changed. There was neither rhyme nor reason to this organization. Time could be lost if an emergency rose and she or another had to search the entire self for sutras (which were on the lowest shelf near the floor).

Unless the Taichou had another assignment for her, this would be Manami's second order of business. The first would be conducting physicals to access the squad's overall health. Maybe this system of organization had worked for the previous medic, but it would not stay now that Manami was here. Muttering to herself, the kunoichi decided to look over the examination rooms to see if those would need to be changed as well. She was thankful that that wasn't the case. There was plenty of room to move on either side.

As she decided that she might have a little time to start with the reorganization, a high pitched howl, like the one Yoko had performed earlier, sounded. It wasn't Yoko's howl though. This dog's voice was meatier, more robust. Possibly a larger dog, Manami thought as she extinguished the light and placed it back onto the desk.

Outside of the tan canvas, the formerly relaxing shinobi were at attention, joined by the Uchiha who had stayed in the camp. Manami quickly joined the ranks, stepping in beside Namazu who gave her a reassuring nod. Beyond the Genjutsu shield the blurred outlines of shinobi became clear, the shimmering barrier ebbing away slowly. Eight human sized blurs came through quickly followed by nine smaller. Squadron Hatake had returned from sentry duty.

Yoko quickly joined them, his tail wagging enthusiastically. The smaller blurs had transformed into a pack of ninken who were just as excited to see the wiry gray brown hound. The first shinobi of the group to approach the camp was immediately greeted by Akio. The man laughed and clapped the Uchiha on the back as they continued to converse, the team of newcomers listening intently to the tall Sharingan user.

Umino nudged her lightly with his elbow and leaned over slightly, "That's Hatake Sakumo, the squadron's Taichou, in case you were wondering."

Manami had guessed as much. The man was an equal in height to Uchiha Akio, who towered over the Uzushiogakure kunoichi. The taichou was clad in a field uniform similar to what she had been wearing previously, a mixture of greens, greys and whites. Across his chest was a thick leather strap, mostly commonly seen in shinobi that carried a longer bladed weapon, a tantō being the most common.

Sakumo appeared to be four or five years older, though at first glance she had thought him older due to his silvery white hair. His hair was strangely cut, short and scruffy on the top but long in the back; a thick ponytail brushed halfway down his back. Though the color wasn't perfectly clear to her, she noted he wore a green hitai-ate around his forehead, keeping the thick hair from his brow. Beneath the protector laid a set of dark humorous eyes, a straight nose and a surprisingly soft-looking mouth, though age was starting to show with deepening age lines.

Suddenly, Sakumo eyes were locked on her's. Her stomach tightened and she could feel the sweat forming on her palms. The gaze was broken as quickly as it had started, their leader returning his eyes to Akio. She felt uneasy afterwards. Whether it was fear or respect, she didn't know, but there was something about Hatake Sakumo that made her nervous.

Wiping her palms on her pants, Manami turned her attention to the other members of the group. She noted with relief that there weren't more from the Uchiha clan in the group. Akio was enough of a handful as it was. But it appeared that with the exception of herself and Hatake Sakumo, that the rest of the troop had black or brown hair.

The nine shinobi were speaking quietly to one and other, though some seemed more focused on a black haired man with thick glasses in the back, patting his back and laughing. It appeared to the kunoichi that this who she was replacing. He carried a large backpack unlike the other members, used to carry equipment into the field. This made him a blatant target. In Uzushiogakure, where fuinjutsu was common, it was harder to differentiate the medic from the rest of the team because they didn't carry such things.

Sakumo turned his attention back to the group who surrounded the fire. "I'd like to take this time to talk to the five that will be moving on to the next camp tonight. There is some information that I would like to share with you before you depart." His voice was a rich baritone, smooth dark and clear. The group that had accompanied the trio that evening followed after Hatake, the medic Sho laughing and brushing off his teammates as he made to join the others. It was soon silent once again.

Now more eyes were on Manami, though Umino gave her a reassuring smile. It didn't ease her nerves. Manami had never been good around people, especially ones that she hadn't met before. And she knew it. This didn't stop Akio though from calling her over, "Come on Hamano-san, no use trying to hide in Umino's shadow. You've got teammates to meet."

The kunoichi glowered at the Uchiha, though she hesitantly moved to join the team. Umino trailed behind. Manami could feel his amusement at Akio's words. Ten men inspected the five foot five kunoichi as she took a place next to Akio, Umino flanking her other side. While some seemed genuinely interested in her, others showed complete apathy to her presence.

"Everyone, this is Hamano Manami, our ally from Uzushiogakure. Hokage-sama has tasked us with looking after her while she's here on vacation, because we obviously don't get hurt in this squadron." Akio earned a few snickers as he clasped the stiff kunoichi's shoulder. "She doesn't have front line experience, so I expect each of you to look out for her. She'll be our Ma-Hime."

Using a withering gaze, Manami hissed, "Don't call me Ma-Hime or any other pet name. I will not be mocked." Her fingers dug into her palms to keep her from attempting to strike the Uchiha shinobi.

"Ma, Namaiki-chan, don't provoke the poor thing. She looks like she's going to have an aneurysm. Then where would that leave us, hm?" Input one of her teammates. "Besides, the only one in this group that needs a nickname is you. You're that special to us." More laughter followed.

"You're right, of course. Silly me." Akio smiled, "Hamano-san, I shall now introduce you to your new team. You've already met me and Umino-san and to extent Uchiha Yoichi, my cousin. These two," he indicted the shortest of the men, barely taller than her, "are Saito Daichi and Daiki. You have probably already surmised that they are twins. To the right of them, is Hyūga Jirou, our sensor. To his right are Komatsu Shuji and Yamada Jun, our long range specialists. To my left are Oonishi Takeshi and Otomaru Yuudai, my former three man cell teammates.

"Over the next couple of weeks, you'll come to know everyone better and we'll be a big happy family. You can be the pet dog that everyone likes but that occasionally bites."

"You were dropped on your head as a child weren't you?" Manami deadpanned, staring at Akio incredulously. It had slipped out before she could stop herself, but the kunoichi was starting to get frustrated with Akio's behavior, rude and uncouth to serious then back again.

The outburst caused the loudest reaction yet, the team laughing out loud not only to the kunoichi's words but Akio's reaction. He hadn't expected Manami to talk back to him. "It seems our ocean lover does have a bite. Calm as the sea but with a temper that can rage like an uncontrollable storm. I'll behave from now on Hamano-san. "

Manami severely doubted this would be the case, though she accepted his truce for now. Attention was turning from her back to the rest of the group. The twins were quick to accost Namazu, each throwing an arm over his shoulder locking him in between their bodies. "Umino-chan, I thought we had told you to start growing some facial hair.

"You're looking especially baby-faced today." The first speaker had been Daiki and the second Daichi. The twins had once been identical, but it seemed that sometime during training or even battle, Daichi had acquired a deep slash, most likely from a sword or something similar, from his right temple to cheekbone. The other twin Daiki had on his left temple a mole. "Oi, Hamano-san, don't you think that Umino-chan would look good with some facial hair?"

"Then he'd truly look like namazu." Daiki interjected, the twins laughing at the pun on Umino Namazu's name.

"That's true, but it would be an improvement to his face overall." Daichi replied, as Namazu shook off the twin's arms, obviously unimpressed with their banter. They were quick to latch onto the newest member after that, effectively pinning her between their bodies. "You wouldn't look as good with a mustache though, right Daiki?"

"You're right. What this one needs is more breasts. She's as flat as a rail. You've probably heard the rumor, as a medic, that massage is known to help with that hm?" Daiki breathed in her ear. "It's always a shame when a girl looks exactly like a boy. I'd be more than glad to help you change that though."

A kunai brushed his between his legs, as Daichi was met with the kunoichi's hard eyes. "Unless you want to have the organ that 'determines' your manliness removed, I'd step away." To prove her point, the kunai tore a small hole in the shinobi's pants.

"Ouch. Guys! It seems that our little sister doesn't like to be touched and isn't afraid to bite. I have a hole in my pants to prove it." Daiki lamented as he pulled away from the Uzushiogakure woman. "How will I ever get on with my life with a hole in my pants? I'll never survive the night. Brother, hold me. Comfort me until the daylight comes!"

The brothers haughtily embraced each other, though their theatrics were mostly ignored. It appeared to the kunoichi that scenes like tthis happened more often than not. Annoyed, she slipped the kunai back into her hip pouch. If the rest of the team was anything like the Saito twins or Uchiha Akio, Manami doubted her sanity would remain intact throughout her tenure.

From the tent emerged the five that would be departing for the next camp, all of their faces appeared grim. Whatever had been discussed in the confines of privacy had obviously not been good news. As the five passed, Sho tapped the Uchiha, "Taichou would like to see your group now, Akio-san. I'll probably see you guys again soon since my new team is in the area. Take care." He turned and continued with the four men.

Leaving the barrier was a lot easier than entering it appeared, as the group easily walked through the membrane, disappearing into the night. Akio regained her attention by clearing his throat. Their eyes met before the Uchiha directed his gaze to the tent, signaling for her to follow. Umino brought up the rear. It was becoming a habit, the shortest being in the middle.

The tent was spacious, the interior being divided into two parts. To the back of the tent, it appeared were Hatake's quarters; a cot peeked from beyond the poorly closed curtains. In the center of the tent was a tall table that had enough room for the company to surround it. The walls were covered in maps, some of their current position. There was, however, a lack of seating.

The silver haired commander stood to the far side of the room, pouring over the map on the table. Placed carefully at junctions were red tags that marked where the enemy laid. A bunch of blue tags were stuck neatly in the center of it. He was pulled from his reverie as the three shinobi took their place on the opposite side of him.

He smiled at the trio, his eyes settling on the kunoichi. It was clear he was inspecting the new addition to his team. Manami's nerves were starting to get the better of her. Her palms were wet again and her heartbeat a bit faster than before. She schooled her face to be stony, without emotion. It was no time for her to be uncomfortable. Manami willed her heart to steady again, meeting the Taichou's eyes. His eyes flashed in amusement.

"Welcome Hamano Manami to our humble camp. I am sorry that I wasn't able to be here when you arrived, but I had some… things to take care of while on patrol this evening. Akio-san has informed me that you have been acquainted with your new quarters as well as the medical bay, I hope they are to your standards?"

Manami wet her lips, finding them extremely dry. "They are adequate."

It was a cut and clear answer. Something that Hatake had expected. The scroll that held the kunoichi's information sat on his desk in the back of his quarters, having been studied and restudied on several occasions. Akio had been kind enough to have sent him a copy immediately after the kunoichi had been assigned to their squadron.

From his own musings, he had mused that the Uzushiogakure kunoichi would be more serious than most. She was the youngest on his squad and with impressive accomplishments for someone so young. Her endeavors put her in the same league as Tsunade-hime, though Manami did not possess the inhuman strength of the blonde haired woman or the prestige that came from her relations. Her skill in sealing made up for the gap left by lack of force, in his opinion.

It had also been noted that Manami had not applied for her Jounin ranking despite her sempai and sensei urging her to for the past half year. Also mentioned were her deficiency in communication skills and a lack of confidence. She had displayed these traits already in the brief amount of time they had been acquainted. It was charming in a way, he contemplated.

"Very good. I know that your quarters are tight but they are under cover. We have been blessed with a dry spell for the last week but I don't expect that to extend much longer. Soon we will be in a constant state of rain and the supplies tent will keep you dry. I am sure that Akio-san and Namazu-san have also familiarized you with the expectations of our squadron and your duties," a curt nod from the trio, "Excellent."

Sakumo moved his eyes from the blue haired woman, gesturing to the map laid out on the table. His fingers immediately indicated the blue markers, "This is our camp, twelve markers for twelve members. And as you can see, we are in the center of a large ring of enemy forces. They are of Amegakure. Some have moved past us as recent as tonight. We spent the better part of tonight pinpointing their camps and numbers. They are all small and in constant contact with each other, making it hard on our squad to make any uncoordinated moves.

"It was simply by chance that we decided to follow a runner instead of killing him. If we had, you might not have come back to a calm camp as you did this evening. That is why we took extra precautions to ensure that the group moving out of the area tonight was informed of their movements. It is our duty to take care of this outcrop.

"They are unaware of our presence here and I plan to keep it that way for some time yet. This group of shinobi are on high guard so we will bide our time over the next two weeks or so before striking all of the camps at once. Already I have sent orders along to ensure that our reinforcements are ready to move in once we have rid the area of excess enemies."

There was a lull in the conversation, as the trio stared at the positioning of the enemy forces compared to their own. The two older males were thoughtful, the dynamics of the team already known to them. Manami's face wasn't as pleasant though, frowning at the red tags. There were eight groups of tags. Eight places for twelve people to strike simultaneously.

The team would be split for the attack and it was concerning to say the least. She would be the weak link if she was sent on the attack, none of the group having worked with her before and vice versa. She let out a huff in annoyance as she mulled over the map, causing a chuckle from the silver haired shinobi leader.

"Don't make such a tight face Hamano-san. You'll get wrinkles prematurely. We'll have more than enough time to strategize in the coming week. For now, we will move onto a different topic. If you will excuse us for a couple of minutes, I have a couple of things to discuss with our new medic." Akio and Namazu nodded dutifully with a bow before exiting the tent.

The tent felt tenser to the seventeen year old now that the only two familiar faces were gone. Hatake-san had disappeared behind the curtains to his personal space, leaving the kunoichi to awkwardly stand at the table. She focused on the red tags to keep her mind from useless wandering. She also took this time to wipe her palms against her pants again, banishing the damp feeling from her skin.

The fabric of the canvas divider rustled as Hatake-Taichou emerged balancing several scrolls in her arms. As he placed them on the tabletop, Manami realized that they were tied together by a thin thread that blended in perfectly with the scroll's white paper. The stack maintained its shape after being deposited.

"Undoubtedly, you know what these are. I only ask that when you are done with them to either seal them away or return them to me so they may be burned. I don't want any personal information about our squadron to be found or for it to leave this camp. It would be a misfortune that would be judged treasonous even if it were only an accident." His formally kind face was serious, glaring at the kunoichi meaningfully.

Manami was aware of his meaning instantly. Whether it had been an honest mistake or intentional, any information that was exposed to the enemy about this team would be punishable… by death.

"I understand," Manami breathed, "and thank you for imparting the knowledge contained in these scrolls to me. I will be returning them to you for proper disposal after I have memorized their contents."

She wouldn't risk sealing them for later review like Hatake-san had suggested. It was clear to her that even though she was to be part of his team that he didn't trust her completely. She didn't blame him. In the last war there had been plenty of deserters and double agents that had wreaked havoc behind lines. Undoubtedly, she would be the first that the team would suspect if things were to go awry. It was another pressure that weighed upon her as an unknown ally.

Hatake Sakumo nodded his approval, moving onto the next subject, "We will be taking the next week or so for you to learn more about the rest of the squadron as well as sparring so that they can get a better feel for your fighting style. You won't be participating in the attack in the coming week though." Manami couldn't control her face from displaying a look of confusion but the captain was quick to clear it.

"Normally, when we're in the field, you would be accompanying us on such a tactic, but you will be needed here to maintain our base's Genjutsu. I know that your strengths do not lie in this area, but all that is needed is maintenance to contain the seal. That will not be beyond your skills. One of the team will show you how the seal works some time during the week.

"Now, I only have one last piece of advice for you Hamano-san, don't be afraid to ask for help or complain. I know these guys are a little uncouth at times and that some of their pranks can get out of hand. Unquestionably, you've seen how some of them act already. They will grow on you, though some are harder to get along with than others. Don't let them bully you too much. You are dismissed."

Manami bowed deeply to her commander before carefully removing the scrolls from the table and leaving the tent. Just beyond hearing range stood Akio and Namazu, watching the camp as it quieted. The large group had already dispersed, some off to their own tents, others carrying on with menial tasks. Namazu greeted the kunoichi almost immediately.

"I take it that it didn't go too bad?" Manami shook her head, the beads in her hair chiming softly. "Good. I would try, if I were you, to get in a couple hours of sleep before day breaks. I can already smell the rain coming in and I'm sure the captain will be keeping us busy though we are supposed to be laying low for a while."

"I will try," was Manami's answer as the two older shinobi made their way back into the tent. She looked down at the stack of scrolls in her hand, "But I can't promise that I will."

Namaiki- meaning impudent or the closest translation to sassy

I wonder if you were able to see through my subtleties this chapter.

Thank you to Prescripto13 for her review, it was much appreciated.

Reviews and Critiques are welcome.