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Twenty-ONE reviews!
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The fifth chapter of my Naruto© fan fiction, Ladybird. Read and review, my duckies.
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Chapter Five : Migration
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Everyone woke up bright and early on the day of Team Seven's departure to the Land of Waves.
At the village gates, the gang was pumped up and ready for the adventure.
"YATTA! My first real mission!" Naruto exclaimed, 'bird-chan' in tow.
/Could you be any louder?/ Suzu thought, getting the brink of the shout.
"Could you BE any louder, Naruto?!" Sakura said, bumping him on the head.
"Dobe." Sasuke said, cool as ever.
"OK guys, calm down," Kakashi said, holding the two male genin of Team Seven by the collar after Naruto made an obscene gesture toward the Uchiha.
"I can't believe these little chumps are protecting me..." Tazuna muttered.
"What you say, old man?" Naruto said, growling.
"Let's just go..." Kakashi sighed. If they don't get killed by enemy ninja, they just might kill each other first...
With that note, Team Seven and their client went down the road leading out of Konoha and the Land of Fire, the village gates closed firmly behind them.
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If birds could sigh, Suzu would have done it about a thousand times now.
/Jeez, this is so boring./ She thought. /At least I'm out of that cage though.../
Naruto looked on his shoulder where his 'bird-chan' was perched. "Hey Suzu-chan, you can fly out for a little bit if you want."
/Thank you!/
She nodded and cawed, using her wing to pat Naruto's cheek. Then, she flew off.
"You and your bird seem to be pretty close." Tazuna remarked, looking at Suzu fly in circles ahead.
"Yeah...found her in a bush pretty beat up. I nursed her back to health."
"Huh. They say that if you befriend a bird then they would be your companion and friend forever..."
"I thought that was a dog!"
"Dogs, birds, what's the difference?" Then he took another swig of his bottle, chuckling as Naruto made a face at him while ruffling his hair.
Why does everyone do that?
Suzu meanwhile was stretching her limbs a bit with her flight, and decided to go higher out. She looked down at her surroundings and felt happy.
/Sometimes being a bird isn't so bad./
Going a little lower, she noticed something very odd. A figure of some sort (she could not identify him or her because of their mask) was lowering himself into a puddle of water, disappearing!
/What magic is this?/ Suzu thought, thinking that the activity was suspicious since the puddle was right on Team Seven's path. She flew back to Naruto quickly, startling Sakura who was in Suzu's way.
"Hey, watch it birdy!" She said, hair ruffled by the sudden movement. Suzu turned around and pecked hard at her head before going back to her intended destination.
/Pink bitch.../
"What's up Suzu-chan?" Naruto said, not noticing Inner Sakura emerging from the kunoichi ahead of him.
Suzu gestured toward a large oak tree ahead, about 20 meters away from them. Naruto looked back at her and said, "There's something over there?" Suzu nodded, pointing at the ground.
"On the ground?"
She nodded once more.
Naruto jogged over to the head of the group where Kakashi was strolling with his naughty book open.
"Kakashi-sensei?"
"Yes?" the silver-headed jounin said, turning another page in his book.
/How does he read and walk at the same time?/
"Bird-chan said that there is something suspicious ahead."
"Your...bird saw this?"
Naruto nodded animately, Suzu looking straight at him.
"You sure it was not just an animal or something moving in the trees?"
/Are you doubting me you masked cyclops? Reading that ecchi book.../
"Suzu would not lie." Naruto said firmly, Suzu cawing as well.
"You named it Suzu now?"
/That's it you.../ Suzu eye flashed and she grabbed the book by its talons, flying up.
"My precious book!" Kakashi said, anime tears falling. "Give it back!"
Suzu dropped it to the ground, satisfied. /With pleasure. Who knows where that thing has been.../
After recovering his Icha Icha while giving 'bird-chan' a cold glare (with she returned with the bird's version of the finger) he noticed the puddle under the tree that Suzu was talking about.
When seeing the party, the Demon Brothers attacked. However, Kakashi was prepared and soon removed the threat. Naruto was amazed at the skills of a jounin, Sasuke was anxious of getting some of that power himself, and Sakura and Tazuna were shaken.
After tying up the now unconscious brothers securely, Kakashi said "Nice job Naruto, you trained your 'bird-chan' well. She will be a good scout."
Naruto grinned, and Suzu beamed.
/Got that right!/
"Tazuna." Kakashi said, eye directly aimed at the client. "We need to talk."
The middle aged man in question gulped. While he and Kakashi were chatting, Sasuke walked up to Naruto.
"That bird of yours is useful after all dobe."
"Teme! Her name is Suzu."
Suzu nodded. /Yeah you brat. Remember it./
"Whatever..."
Sakura rambled over and pointing at Suzu with fire in her eyes.
"Naruto...that bird is evil. She hates me!" she whined.
/I don't hate you...I just highly dislike you./
"She doesn't hate you Sakura-chan, right Suzu-chan?" Naruto said, giving pleading eyes.
Suzu flew over to her, looked for a minute then smacked her with her wing.
"AGH! BIRD!" Sakura said, trying to grab the raven and strangle her. Every time Suzu got in her reach, she dodged.
/Heh, this is fun./
"Suzu-chan!" Naruto said. "Just let up!"
/Never!/
"Team." Kakashi said. The group looked toward him. They saw the seriousness in his eyes.
"We are going back to Konoha."
"WHAT?!" Everyone said, minus Sasuke. He opted instead to give the jounin a look of hatred.
"The status of this mission has been changed. It is now a A-rank."
That made everyone silent. "But...Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said, timidly. "Isn't this just a escort mission."
"Not anymore. We are now dealing with rouge ninja in the employ of a crime syndicate. This is not a game for genin."
"Kakashi-sensei--" Naruto retorted.
"Enough! You are my soldiers and you will do what I say."
Suzu looked at the face of Naruto. /He looks really upset./
Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura were just starting to walk the other direction. Sasuke looked over his shoulder and saw Naruto still standing in the same position with his head down.
"Oi, dobe. Come on!"
"...no."
Sakura sighed exasperated. "Naruto! You heard Kakashi-sensei!"
"NO! Ninja don't run away, ninja don't go back on their word! We promised Tazuna that we will escort him to his home, no matter what the danger. If we just leave then what are we representing?! I will go on this mission and protect Tazuna! I will never go back on my word! That's my nindo, my ninja way."
Sakura looked at the so called knucklehead ninja. Wow...Naruto...
Sasuke agreed. "The dobe is right. We must go, danger or no. Besides, defeating rouge ninja will bring me one step closer on killing that man."
Looking at both Naruto and Sasuke, she felt small. These guys and their conviction. What am I to them?
Kakashi stared at his students defeated. "Alright then. We will continue this mission."
Naruto and Sakura cheered and Sasuke smirked.
"You don't mind these fine ninja protecting you, do you?" Kakashi said with a eye-smile.
Tazuna cleared his throat. "Got to hand it to these kids. They got guts. Just the bodyguards I need."
The three smiled.
"I have to send the Hokage a note informing him of the change of schedule. May I borrow your 'bird-chan' for a bit, Naruto?"
Naruto nudged Suzu, and she flew gracefully over to Kakashi.
"Fly to the village and give this to the guards outside the gates. They'll know what to do." She nodded, and Kakashi tied the message to her leg. Then, he let her go.
Flying to her destination, she thought about the team.
/Be safe Naruto. Be safe, Team Seven./
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This chapter was a little longer than the rest, right? I'm tired enough anyway, schoolwork and all.
Next time: Suzu brings her message to the village, and can't help but feeling that something is wrong. Meanwhile, Team Seven encountered Zabuza and finds out what it truly means to be a ninja.