Squad 7 and the newest ANBU captain met at the gates of Konoha, and Michiko was explaining the mission. "We need to go to Lightning Country in order to protect a member of the royal family that has been targeted by assassinations. They believe the shinobi may be no more than Chuunin or even Genin level, so it's a borderline C and B-ranked mission, but I want to make a few things clear…NO wandering off on your own, no matter WHAT you're going to do, NO shouting to the trees your going to be the next Hokage, and NO throwing kunai at defenseless woodland creatures!!" she was looking pointedly at Naruto, who nodded, grinning sheepishly, and she sighed, saying, "Then let's go…" She pulled on her ANBU mask, made sure that and her headband were secure, hid her necklace behind her ANBU armor, and disappeared in a flash, already traveling.
The others followed, and soon caught up with her, since she wasn't running as fast as she could. She slowed down so she was among the group, and smiled softly behind her porcelain tiger mask. "Having a good run?" Sakura glared softly, because she was already tiring from having to keep up with Michiko's speed, but Naruto and Kakashi seemed fine. She turned forward, wishing she could feel the wind against her face instead of the cold mask. She'd always liked running, as long as she could feel the ground under her feet and the wind on her face. When she was younger, she'd often jump up high in the air, thinking she'd eventually fly through the air, and fly through the clouds. She loved those imaginative thoughts she had, but she noticed how the imaginative, creative side was either being drained out or used to fight. 'Everyone still thinks I'm like a child…but my childhood is being stripped away…because of the life I chose…'
She sighed silently, and looked up at the sky. It was around noon already, and they jumped down to rest and have lunch. Though Naruto complained he wanted Ramen, Michiko eventually got him to eat the food they had, and they packed up everything before heading out again. They reached the Lightning Country by nightfall, and Michiko's great nighttime vision led them to the royal's house. They were led into a conference room with a man in his late thirties, probably the ruler, and they sat down respectfully. "So you're the ninja from Konoha…?" Michiko nodded, trying to keep as respectful as possible, and he nodded.
"We requested the Lightning Cat Ninja and the Copy Cat Ninja to come with a squad to protect my son…" he motioned to the guards, who let in a familiar face that nearly made Michiko throw a kunai. 'Taiki…' The familiar fire-red hair and coal-black eyes infuriated her. Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder, calming her slightly, but he didn't trust him. "This is my son, and he will soon inherit the power I hold now. But, because of this, he's been attacked by shinobi. I need you four to protect him until tomorrow night, where we'll be having a festival where he'll be crowned and choose his wife. You're free to come, of course." Michiko felt like refusing rudely, like Yukie used to do, but she could tell from Kakashi's glance that THAT course of action wouldn't be wise. "Of course, we'd enjoy going to the festival." Kakashi answered him, smiling slightly under his mask. Taiki seemed to be staring intently at Michiko's ANBU mask, while she was glaring right back.
"Take off your mask…" hesitantly holding back a sharp remark, she untied the string in the back, taking off her tiger mask. She noticed the stares, and gave an innocent, questioning look. "Is something wrong?" "You're so young…no older than twelve…" "Actually…I'm thirteen, sir…" she said politely, putting her ANBU mask on her belt. "That's still young for you to be such a high-ranking shinobi. In this village, girls…I mean, females…aren't very strong, and they tend to get into mischief…" Michiko couldn't help that her eyes hardened, and she said, as respectfully as she could, "If you don't mind me voicing my opinion, FEMALES can be just as strong as men. I know quite a few powerful kunoichi from my own village, one being the legendary Sannin, Tsunade." She couldn't help the pride that slipped into her voice when she said her sensei's name, but she kept silent after that. She noticed Taiki staring at her, and she glared slightly before turning her head away in contempt.
They were dismissed soon after, and were walking through the streets with Taiki, though Michiko disliked it. 'Something's up…he's planning something…' she noticed the strange stares she was getting from people in the village, probably because of her headband and ANBU mask, but she learned to ignore them, though their stares bore into her back like kunai. She eventually got tired of it, saying, "I'll go…scouting the area…I'll be back soon…" she put on her ANBU mask, disappearing in a flash, and she started running on the rooftops, her keen eyes going swiftly through the crowds. She went into the forest, and punched clear through a tree, knocking it over.
"Damn mission-Damn Taiki-Damn that whole f$#ing squad!!!"
She punched another tree over in her anger, not noticing the chakra hiding itself nearby. She breathed deeply, calming herself slightly, when she felt the chakra. She tensed, pumping chakra in her fist as she pinpointed it. When she did, she disappeared in a flash, and was about to punch the person when the familiar red hair made her stop. "What are you doing, Taiki? I left you with the others!" "I didn't want to stay with them…" she hissed slightly, moving towards the village.
"When did you get so strong?" she stopped, saying, "I've always been strong…" "I remember a time when you were weaker…" she could almost see the smirk on his face, and appeared in front of him, a kunai at his throat. "I don't appreciate jokes like that…so don't make me mad…" There was a tense moment of silence, and she pulled the kunai away, putting it away. "You've really changed, Michiko…" "I've been told…" she answered coldly, moving to go back to the village. "I think I like you better this way…" she tensed, saying, "And I always hoped I'd never have to see you again…" she kept walking, and noticed him following her at a safe distance. When they got back together with the others, Naruto seemed a bit jealous, but the feeling went away when he saw how much Michiko disliked Taiki.
"We should take shifts watching him. Two at a time. Me and Naruto will watch him today while you two relax, and you guys can watch him tonight and tomorrow. We'll all watch him during the festival. Okay?" they nodded, and Kakashi and Sakura left to relax. Michiko sighed, putting her ANBU mask on the top of her head. "Naruto-kun, we'll have to follow him, I guess…so don't get impatient." Naruto nodded slightly, glaring at Taiki, who smirked, saying, "I'll be heading to the hot springs…will you two be joining me?" "I'll keep watch…" Michiko said, and they followed him to the COED hot springs. Naruto went in with Taiki, and Michiko waited outside. She waited for fifteen minutes, but thought that some relaxation wouldn't be that bad, and went into the changing room, putting her ANBU armor, ANBU mask, and weapons into a special scroll and hid it in a cubby before wrapping a towel around her chest and walking out into the hot spring.
She found Naruto quickly, and slipped into the water. "Hey, Naru-kun!" she smiled, holding the towel tight over her chest, even under the hot, steamy water. "Hey, Michi-chan! I thought you were going to wait outside…" "I thought I needed a chance to relax…I've been a little…uptight lately…" Naruto nodded, holding his own towel around his waist. She sighed, feeling her tense muscles relax, when the splashing of water made her look up…unfortunately…
"Hey, Michiko! I didn't think you'd come in-!"
He was stopped by a boulder in the face as Michiko wore a face of disgust. "FOR GOD'S SAKE, PUT A TOWEL ON!!!!!" "Why? I don't feel like it…why don't you take YOUR towel off?" this earned him another boulder in the face. "PERVERT!!!!!" she snarled, and neither noticed the angry, jealous look in Naruto's eyes as he glared at Taiki. "Touchy much?" "You're disgusting…" she said to the seventeen year old, her eyes like cold crystals as she glared icicles into his own black eyes. "Come on…a single girl like you should get a boyfriend…" "I DO have a boyfriend!" she said coldly, and both boys gave her surprised looks. "You're just saying that…" Taiki said, sounding only slightly unsure of himself. "Then I'll prove it!" her stubbornness was not to be trifled with, and she turned to Naruto. Her eyes softened, and Naruto, knowing this would be a perfect time to piss of Taiki, nodded, smiling.
When they kissed, Naruto could see Taiki's surprised, then angry expression. Naruto smiled into the kiss, and Michiko could tell that Taiki was getting mad. But what she didn't expect was to feel someone grab the back of her towel and rip it out of her grip, leaving her without anything on. She screamed, going into the water as she covered her chest with her arms. She felt Naruto's jealous rage building as he yelled at Taiki, but she failed to notice the second, which hid itself well.
"TAIKI!!!!" she cried out in anger, her glare deadly. He held her towel up into the air, daring her to take it from her, but, if she were to try, she would reveal not only her behind, but her chest as well.
"You're worse than Jiraiya!!" she shouted, angry and embarrassed at the same time. "Take it from me if you want it so bad." Her glare was devoid of its usual childish, playful undertone, and it meant she was going to kill him…slowly and painfully. She felt a towel fall on her head, and she moved it slightly to see Naruto had given her his own, and he was going to get hers back from the lecherous older boy. "Naru-kun…" "Its okay, Michi-chan…just put it on and I'll get you your towel back, okay?"
She nodded as she put on the towel, and watched Naruto successfully get her own towel back by tricking Taiki into tripping over a wet rock. Michiko giggled, and Naruto came back, a triumphant grin on his face as he gave it to her, careful to stay in water up to his stomach, and she carefully took off his towel, and they were soon sitting down again, towels hiding their private areas, and Naruto had an arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head on his shoulder, relaxing, and thinking of what her dad would do when he found out what Taiki did. A small, mischievous grin graced her lips as all those thoughts of torture came to mind. 'I can't wait…'
After a while, they went inside to put their clothes on. When Michiko took off her towel, holding the scroll that held her stuff, she thought she sensed someone's chakra, but it was gone the next instant, though she looked around to make sure. When she didn't see anyone, she put her clothes on, her ANBU mask on top of her head as her necklace was hidden under her white headband. They rejoined Sakura and Kakashi, and, as they headed back to the large mansion, Naruto whispered what Taiki had done, and both males glared at the seventeen year old, their murderous intent drilling holes into his back. When they got into the large room the four shinobi were going to share, Michiko said, taking out a scroll, "I'm going to change…I'll be right back…"
She went to the bathroom, and took off her ANBU armor, putting it in a neat pile. She took out her pajamas from the scroll, her pajamas consisting of a baggy white T-shirt and baggy pants. After pulling on her pants, she moved to grab her shirt when she heard the door open. She froze, and, without thinking, cried out and lashed out violently at the person. Lucky for her, it was Taiki.
"PERVERT!!! CAN'T I EVEN CHANGE WITHOUT YOU POPPING UP!?!"
She hissed, kicking him in the stomach and slamming the door in his face. She pulled the shirt on, put her ANBU clothes and mask into her scroll before walking out, glaring mercilessly at the older boy as she held her headband in her hand and the necklace still hung from her neck. She went into the room, seeing four mats had been put down, and she sat on one in between Naruto and Kakashi, though she talked animatedly with Sakura. When Sakura and Kakashi left to watch Taiki, Michiko laid down on her mat, trying to sleep, but she felt that a certain perverted seventeen year old might come in and try something. When she saw Naruto sleeping soundly in the mat beside her, she relaxed slightly, seeing the peaceful look on his face, and drifted slowly into sleep…though a nightmare wrenched at her heart, making her toss and turn in her sleep, a cold sweat moistening her skin as her strangled whimpering filled the room.
"Michi-chan! Michi-chan, wake up!"
Her eyes fluttered open, but they widened in panic, and she shot up, nearly knocking Naruto over. She breathed heavily, her heart battering her ribcage rapidly, when Naruto put a calming hand on her shoulder. "Michi-chan…what's wrong? Were you having a bad dream?" she could almost see the blood in her dream on her hands and almost thought she saw the wound to the heart on Naruto.
She nodded, trying to hold back her choked sobs, and hugged him tight, burying her face into his chest. "Its okay, Michi-chan…" he said soothingly, wrapping his arms around her, and stroking her hair lovingly. She controlled the sobs, holding back the tears that threatened to fall, and said, her voice muffled by the black shirt he usually wore under his jacket, "I'm sorry…but…it seemed so…real…"
He shooshed her, trying to calm her down, though his own heart was constricting in pain as he thought of the sadness he'd seen in her eyes. After a while, she fell asleep in his arms, and he lifted her up, putting her on her mat, but she refused to let go, so he eventually lay down next to her, and fell asleep with her curled up against his chest and his arms around her shoulders.