A/N: Hello, My dear Snowflakes! I assume some of your are already out and about on Summer Vacation? If so, I'm glad! I'm happy to let you all know that I've been feeling great lately! Much better, actually. So here... Please have this chapter as a display of my happiness.
'I... have everything I need I think.'
The flaxen haired young female was carrying a bag of supplies, but for what purpose... she had no idea. She had only spoken to Shiji for a brief moment before heading out, and he had only instructed to go out and prepare. For what? She hadn't the slightest idea, but with what had been talked about just a couple of days before, she had the impression that she would need to prepare for the Sasuke Retrieval mission.
It was early morning in Konoha, and though most-often, it was well packed with a slew of people, all looking to shop or gather for this or that, it was slightly less active this early. She had been told to take her rounds through the village with the utmost care. Anyone that could recognize her could be trouble.
She plucked a few more kunai from the countertop affront her, stowing them away into her bag and offering the money required.
"Thank you for your business!" The red-haired female so-chirpily replied, closing her pale colored eyes in a gleeful smile.
Parting her lips to speak from behind her mask; Kiyowa abruptly refrained. She nodded her head instead, finding herself smiling in reply before turning to leave.
Quietly pacing and pondering at once, she looked up to the spreading essence of dawn across the sky, feeling mesmerized for only a brief moment before excitement came bursting through her mind again. 'You're going to have a really great surprise. Just make sure you're prepared.'
His words echoed through her head and spurred excitement. She had goosebumps!
"I'll hurry and get back." She nodded in approval to her own choice of action, starting her way back toward the base in the forest. Since training had begun with her brother, she had felt more than confident, walking with her chin up and eyes straight forward. She learned to give herself her own security. As people passed by, she could so easily begin to feel their thoughts and actions by their emotions alone. Knowledge was imperative in this new challenge, and she was learning to embody that necessity with relative ease.
Sometimes it scared her just how quickly everything seemed to be putting itself together.
Practicing her ability, her -as she was now aware from being taught- sensory technique, she seemed to project it through those that she walked past. It almost made her feel a little guilty - it had to have been an invasion of privacy, after all, right? But she convinced itself it was for the greater good.
Readying to exit the village, a strange jolt - much like an electric shock-, abruptly traveled through her chest. She felt.. propelled forward, but her feet just barely remained stationary, causing a slightly awkward standing position. Feeling the nerves begin to rise upon her skin; she was rendered still - unable to take any step forward or backward. Instead... she reluctantly shifted her head to peer behind her.
What... is this..?
It felt... familiar. Her breath catching in her throat, struggling to find release. Her muscles freezing in her limbs and preventing her from taking just the small stretch required to get to her base. What... was it that made her feel this way.
Finally, catching a glimpse; she could see from afar - a pair of eyes that seemed to be watching her intently.
White eyes.
Wait. This had all taken place at another time. Whilst she escorted her team to the Chunin Exams. It was the-
Kiyowa could feel her skin begin to crawl and writhe in the most crippling of ways. She could feel the sweat beading from behind the security of her mask... The pressure was absolutely unbearable. To know that she may have just compromised an entire assimilation of ninja.
'Think... something... quick...' It was clear that if she registered that surprise of notice in her body language, it would make things most obvious... With the terrifying way that his gaze seem to pierce her -from even then she remembered-, it was most-likely that he would recognized even the tiniest details that hinted to similarity. Taking a sharp intake of breath that hardly seemed to fill her lungs in the way she required; the young ANBU thought quickly. She bent down, brushing her fingertips against the ground as though picking something up.
She clutched her fist in such a way that would have hidden the object -had there been one, whilst easing up to her feet. She pretended to store it away in her pocket, and tried her best to move fluently in the midst of her retreat.
Even as she left the area under the cover of her thrown-together facade, the watchful eyes that tracked her continued to focus intently on her disappearing form.
There was a positive uneasiness that seemed to be plaguing him now. He could feel a disturbance just a moment ago; a prying feeling similar to that of an infiltration. That strange intuition that one usually got when having the feeling that they were being watched by someone. Had it not been for the obstruction of her mask at just the point in time his eyes met the hollow of the material, he's positive he could have seen her eyes then. Had he been able, he was almost positive he could have identified her then.
It had occurred to him then. The time he had last felt something such as that. But was that not the girl that had recently been pronounced dead after a mission gone arry?
"Neji!"
The spirited call of the black haired male rose up over the hill, inadvertently demanding the Hyuga male's attention. With a waving hand raised, and -as always- speeding up to greet him, Rock Lee came to meet him at the top. His bandaged hand rested again his knee and he seemed to be breathing heavy, no doubt the result of his excessively heavy early-morning-training-regimen. "You are ready, yes? Gai-sensei says that we're going to be moving out soon."
Whence he found himself left unanswered, the large-eyed teammate glanced up inquisitively, "Hm? Neji? You can't possibly not be fully awake yet, can you?" He lifted himself to stand up straight, and in doing so, found Neji peering off toward the entrance gate.
"No. Not that." He closed his eyes, tipping his head away, "I'm only preoccupied..."
"Ahhhh. I see." Nodding firmly, the black haired male's lips seemed to form up into a strong 'M' shape, fist clenched tightly against his chest, "Well you had better clear that up before we leave! We have to have our mind focused on the mission 110%!" Whirring around quickly, he peered down over the hill, pressing his flattened hand's edge against his forehead as though to peer into the distance, "If Tenten shows up on time... I am almost positive she'll be late again..."
"Hm..." He looked back, only for a moment, but as he had expected, by then, she was most-likely far gone already.
'Please let that have worked.' Reaching a deep part of the forest, brushing aside the plants and undergrowth that blocked the way, the blonde haired kunoichi shakily inhaled. That was the scariest situation she had been in in quite a while. What was the penalty for revealing such a huge secret? Gah, leave it to her to make a mistake that huge. It was the price she paid for gardering her confidence, and wearing her power on her sleeve that way.
Gulping down the sour taste in her mouth that stemmed from her arisen, deep-seeted anxiety, the flaxen haired girl pushed open the door to the base.
"It's about time you got back."
Seeming to jolt slightly, Kiyowa glanced up, tucking her arms behind her back, "Ah..Shiji..."
"I didn't spook you did I?" He settled his hand in the pocket of his dark colored pants, thumb propping up on the opening seem. He could feel her nerves jumping around in her chest, and judging by all of the potential things that could have been a cause for it, he thought nothing of it. After all... there was a big trial that was right in front of her.
"No... I..." She paused for a moment. There was no need to cause concern if nothing became of it, yes? Her fingers moved affront her, fingers intertwining softly. "... I'm... excited..."
"Ahhh yeah... The surprise... You must be pretty hyped up."
"Yeah..." Though she attempted to fight it, she could feel her shoulders rising; an old habit that used to come about whenever she was put in a frightening or stressful situation, "W-What.. is it?" A hopeful glimmer passed through her deep green eyes for a moment, quietly watching and waiting for a response that would uplift the frightening feeling that was still boiling at her core.
"Well, it may not be exactly what you're expecting..."
Her stomach dropped immediately as they began to walk. That was definitely not what she wanted to hear. She hadn't even known what to expect, but the fact that she was expecting something good, immediately sent her already fleeting optimism taking a tailspin towards the ground.
They moved down the hallway, and Shiji continued to speak, leaving subtle hints, "But it's a step up from your previous training. You know. How you had to do the whole constantly-attended thing. And, hey, you got assigned a mission the other day, so you're well on your way, y'know."
'I.. just wish he would tell me...' The beating around the bush was just sending her anxious nature skyrocketing to an unmentionably high level. It couldn't have been healthy. Hell, as time had crept by and the end of the hallway seemed to grow further and further away, she could feel herself begin to grow light-headed in the process. Her mouth way drying, and time seemed to slow even further than it already was if possibly. She watched her brother's hand loop around the handle of the door, feeling the heat beginning to grow further. Why? What, was this a guilty conscience?
The door opened swiftly, but still felt all too slow. Only the booming sound of a commanding feminine voice was able to shock Kiyowa back into full reality.
"It's about time you got here!"
That was Boar's voice.
Kiyowa's cold sweat stopped for a moment, and following the beckoning gesture of her brother, she entered the room.
All eyes seemed to shift to her. Four pairs in total.
Glancing up, she came to notice two members that she hadn't yet seen before in addition to the usual Shiji and Boar. The first was a female, standing a few inches taller than the small Kiyowa. In a rough estimate, the girl seemed to be about Kiyowa's age, standing about 5'5. She was had very light colored silver-white hair, tied into a high, straight ponytail that reached around her shoulders -maybe slightly above. Tied to the side of her head was an Anbu mask, all molded and designed with the intention of a sheep-shape.
The other, was much taller, and stronger-looking - maybe even older. He was quite frightening, though held a sturdily solemn expression, chin up with an air of assurance. He was probably about 5'9, slightly wide shoulders and a slim, yet lightly built-upon figure. Dark brown hair... maybe black, but she was assuming it was the former. It would have been a great sight for an outspoken girl, someone like Motsuki, no doubt, but Kiyowa was having a hard enough time attempting to get past the hardened expression on his face.
"This is going to be your team for the mission," Boar spoke up, stepping forward and motioning to them, "For as long as it takes for you to get to Sasuke Uchiha, you will be assisting them." Standing tall and professionally at attention, her head peered down to look directly to Kiyowa, "Introduce yourselves."
By means of eye-contact, one would think she was instructing Kiyowa, but at her command, the sheep-Anbu took a step forward. Her hand pressed against the top of her chest, and with a kind of smile, the pink-eyed young girl bowed in a threater-esque manner, picking her head up and tipping it curteously. "My name is Nao. But as we work together, please just call me Hitsuji." Hitsuji. Sheep. Just as the mask had depicted. It seemed to be a commonality that as a codename of sorts, the group would seemingly protect their security and identity by going by such names.
Kiyowa nodded her head in agreement, observing the girl closely. She seemed so... poised and calm... and yet the energy Kiyowa could feel from her was springing up with a bubbly nature that nearly forced Kiyowa to uncharacteristically bounce up onto her toes.
She was... holding back so much enthusiasm?
The male that stepped forward didn't make any sudden movement or greeting in the least. He merely acknowledged her with a simple nod, "Yuudai. Refer to me as Osuushi in the field. You may also call me Leader as made appropriate." Even his voice was stern and frightening.
As Kiyowa made a read here, she...
...
Well that was strange... She couldn't feel much of anything. It wasn't the feeling of earlier. She wasn't propelled out nor was her ability canceled. She was feeling his emotion, seeking his inwardly held feelings... but.. It's simply that there was barely anything there. No motion - no feeling... no nothing. If possible... it's almost as though she felt her masked fear for him grow by the moment.
He looked down at her with dark crimson eyes that seemed to be burning a hole right through her, until she tore her glance away and focused on the floor instead.
"I've already well-informed you of Usagi. Be advised that she is well-stocked with knowledge on your target. Keep her safe, and utilize her in any way possible." Boar was currently handing over the files to Kiyowa, who clutched them close to her chest. "As for the mission itself... The only information we have is the presence of Sasuke Uchiha approaching a coastal region in pursuit of other potential sister locations to Orochimaru's main hideout. Stop him before then, if possible. I want you to attempt to avoid pursuing him into any of these bases. It would be like chasing him into his own territory. If successful in encountering him. You're aware of what needs to be done."
The three nodded, each uttering varying tones of the simultaneous response of; "Yes, Captain."
They were aware of what needed to be done, it seemed.
The ultimate objective - pursue Sasuke Uchiha.
The hidden necessity to successfully carry out this mission - Eliminate him.
A/N: Thank you for all of your patience and support, my little Snowflakes. I don't mean to sound... Cheesy. BUT I LOVE YOU GUYS!
Now, my little dear Snowflakes.
Try not to melt in this heat, okay?
- Your Princess Santa Clause the 45th.