The next morning to Yamato's relief all of the team were on time to get there mission. Zaki was grumbling something about hangovers.
"What were you hanging over?" Kaida asked her.
"The bottle," Was all of Zaki's reply.
"How is that?"
Keiji then interrupted her, "we got to go for the briefing Kaida, ask Zaki these questions when your older."
"I'm almost 9 you know! I'm practically an adult!" Kaida told her peers. The two older kids laughed. "It's not funny! It's true!"
"Shh the Hokage needs respect." Yamato scolded the three. All of them tensed, this was the first time Tsunada actually was briefing the team. And he was 200% sure that he was the only one that had ever had contact with the Kage before. He looked at Keiji who looked scared. Kaida looked curious and Zaki looked, hung over.
When they went in Yamato smiled to himself, Tsunada looked as hung-over as Zaki, if not more. He wondered how this encounter would turn out. He just hoped Zaki wouldn't say anything about her breast size.
Keiji was very UN wowed by the Hokage, maybe it was because she looked as miserable as Zaki. Or maybe it was because the he was expecting a goddess that shone through the darkness like a hundred thousands suns. But it was probably the first. She was pretty, he guessed. She had beautiful dark eyes and her blond hair was nice. Keiji blushed at the next thought, her chest was bigger then the women's chest's in Shikimaru play boy. He had heard stories that her beauty would make any man melt. Maybe, maybe if she smiled.
"So Yamato, your team today will be going on a week long escort mission, You will be escorting the Daimyo's youngest son and daughter, there 6. You'll be going to the point between, the Sand, and the Waterfall village. You will meat up in the Daimyo's summer house, stay a night if it's late. But try to get back as soon as possible; the Gennin sign up for the chunnin exam is in a week and a half." Tsunada grumbled.
"You look so perky today Hokage." Zaki grumbled.
"I could say the same for you Gennin."
"Yeah but I have the power of youths amazing liver do you?" Zaki was making fun of the hokage, she was going to get defenestrated! (A.N defenestrated means to throw out a window.)
"Experience I find is better then youthful energy." Tsunada replied, she was smirking so maybe Zaki wouldn't get defenestrated.
"My head hurts too much to come up with a reply," Zaki finally conceded. Tsunada gave a similar grunt.
"You may go. The kids will meat you at the south gate."
"I GET IT KNOW!" Kaida said walking out, "HOKAGE-SAMA IS HANGED OVER THE BOTTLE LAST NIGHT LIKE ZAKI!"
"That's the gist of it Kaida," Yamato told her.
The kids were there waiting for them, with two chunnin and a middle age looking man. The man was Yamato's height, his features were undefined, and a cowboy hat sat on top of his head. The two looked like twins, both with big brown eyes and ruddy brown hair. They were fighting over a stuffed bunny.
"Come on Suki, Sasuke, if I have to take away Harvey (1) again there will be serious consequences." The man scolded.
"But Sensei-sama you said it was my turn with Harvey," The little girl whined.
"Nuuh Harvey likes me better, he doesn't want to go with you he thinks you smell and have girl cooties!" The boy Sasuke said pulling at the bunny harder.
"Stop it right now you two!" The man boomed, the boy and girl stopped instantly. "Harvey will be traveling with me for the rest of the journey." He took the bunny from the feuding siblings.
Kaida scoffed at that, "that's so childish, can't they learn to share?"
"Hello, are you Tikashi? Yamato asked the man.
He smiled seeing the team, "Yes are you are escorts?"
"Yes I'm Yamato; this is my team, Keiji, Kaida and Zakuro." Yamato introduced, the little Twins eyes widened at Keiji and Zakuro. But then didn't look trusting at Kaida.
"She looks younger then us!" The boy said,
"Yeah what does she know about anything?" The girl continued.
Kaida pursed her lips, "for your information I'm almost 9 that's 3 years older then you, so respect your elders." Kaida confronted the two younger children. "And even if I wasn't older then you, you still shouldn't be so rude."
"Why would I take orders from your bossy mouth?" Sasuke asked Kaida.
"Because my fist will slam into your whiney face!" Kaida shot back.
"Cut it out you two!" Tikashi ordered. Sasuke pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his side. Suike giggled seeing her twin like this. Kaida blatantly stuck her tongue out. Keiji bumped his team mate. He expected contention from Zaki not Kaida. But any way, it was only a week. He looked over toward Yamato, Takashi had pulled out a map and they were talking about routes they should take.
"I think we should take the gorge route, it's faster." Takashi declared.
"Yeah but its easy ambush area, any body could come and nock us off the cliff, plus the cliffs are unstable this time of year." Yamato said.
"But if we take this way it'll only be 2 and a half days instead of 3."
"A half a day is something I'll risk, its safer taking the other way." Yamato said, Takashi looked desperate. The man lowered his voice.
"I know this is horrible, but there Older sisters wedding is in 3 days, and they don't have to attend, but they both really really want to be there for her. I told them I'd try to get them there for at least the reception. And well we would have been a week earlier but the Hokage decided to delay our travel for another week. I know you shouldn't be doing this but please." Takashi pleaded.
"Is that man saying were not going to get to Sis's wedding in time!" Suika said worried. "But we promised to be there for the reception, sis will be counting on us!" The girl was nearly in tears. Takashi looked like he would rather be stabbed with a Kunai.
"And Takashi needs to tell our sister that he loves her before she ends up marrying that jerk faced ugly guy that smells bad!" Sasuke added.
Takashi bit his lip. "If it's for love we got to do it!" Kaida agreed.
"It is a noble pursuit." Keiji agreed. Yamato looked over Takashi. He seemed like a man to his word.
"Plus, if somebody was planning on attacking us, they are more likely to camp on the main road thinking we would trade in speed for safety." Zaki said lighting up a cigarette.
"My mommy says cigarettes kill." Suike said looking at Zaki. Zaki smirked and leaned down towards the little girl, and blew a smoke ring by her face.
"Better get out of my death smoke then." Zaki replied, the little girl coughed and retreated.
Kaida scoffed at the little girl, "You don't know Zaki she's practically invincible, no little things like cigarettes will kill her, not to mention she's unbelievably cool."
Keiji smirked at this comment, so did Yamato. The little girl had always looked up to her older team mate. Zaki looked frightened.
"Come on lets get going, Takashi needs to valiantly save our sister!" Sasuke cried.
"Yeah let's get going." Zaki agreed. She seemed perturbed by something.
"Oh and remember we can't run into the shark man," Suike added. The boy Sasuke nodded in agreement.
The first night of camping Kaida laid there with Yo in her arms. She couldn't sleep, it was cold and nobody was there. Well the others were there, but it wasn't like at home. Where either daddy or mommy was there to comfort her, she looked around; Zaki was off staring at the stars. Nobody else would notice her. She remembered her father told her when she was real little, when she would get scared. Her father told her to close her eyes shake her hands and say Googely, Googely, Googely go away! But she was grown up now, she knew that wouldn't work. Kaida snuck over to Yamato, and poked him.
Yamato woke up; there was no sound of fighting. "What's wrong Kaida?" He asked. She bit her lip.
"May I cuddle with you tonight?" She asked her blue eyes shining in the darkness. Yamato wanted to say no, she was a shinobi after all. But he couldn't.
"Ok, But don't wiggle too much." Yamato said opening up his blanket to let Kaida in. The small mass settled in and the breathing quickly became regular breathing.
Zaki stared into the camp, smirking at there sensei letting Kaida cuddle with him. He was a big over grown kid at heart. Never knowing what really too do. He looked up to Kakashi like a sick puppy. And his scary face wasn't really scary. It was just creepy. Zaki then looked towards Keiji who was laying down the farthest away from the fire. He slept on his stomach and it barely muffled the snores. The twins slept in each others arms. For siblings who only bickered they sure were very close. Zaki looked around to look for Takashi.
"Looking for me?" A voice said from behind her, the girl jumped. There was the male nanny standing in front of her. He sat down next to her tree stump.
"You should get your rest if you're going to go save a girl from a fate worst then death." Zaki joked with him.
"No I wanted to talk to you." Takashi said leaning on a tree next to him.
"About what?"
"Just talk, how bout you ask a question I ask a question." Takashi suggested.
"Sure" The teenage girl scooted farther away from the man. "What's a guy like you doing as a Nanny?"
"Well it's a good paying job, I like kids and well. I wanted to be able to see Sylvia. My turn, Why are you a shinobi?" Takashi asked.
Zaki had to think long and hard about that question, not really she needed to think of how to lie to him. "I'm good at it." She finally said.
"Is that it, your good at it?"
"Hey, it's my question, what's so special about Sylvia?"
"I think your two young to understand."
"She's that good in the sack?"
"No no, we've never I mean *cough cough* no it's just, I met her after getting the snuff beat out of me by bandits. I was I don't know unconscious, and when I woke, there she was standing above me in a glow of illuminating presence, she was glowing. Like an angel. That's when I realized I loved her. That's two questions, My question How do your parents feel about the smoking, and I assume heavy drinking."
Zaki smirked, thinking how to react trying to remain calm. "My mom doesn't know she would probably freak, but my step dad does he doesn't really care."
"What does your mom do?"
"WHY DOES IT MATTER?!" Zaki asked.
"Can't answer a question with a question."
"Says who?"
"You're a little defensive." Takashi shrugged.
Zaki took a big breath of her cigarette, "You're a little nosy."
"I was just wondering." Takashi said.
"Why do you care? I mean you think you know people like me?" Zaki argued god she sounded emo, but who was this guy who just came over and started asking questions about her personal life?
"I like to think I do, I did get a dr. in child psychology."
"Was that the requirement of being a nanny?"
"Not really I wanted to originally deal with young adult abuse victims." He put off handedly, Zaki stiffened.
"You think I'm a victim? I'm not I'm a fucking shinobi I'm able to take care of myself." Zaki rushed.
"I never implied that, you did. So you think you are a victim?" Takashi had such a cool exterior, Zaki wanted to punch him in the face.
"No I can take care of myself, I don't need anyone. I'm independent I'm not a love struck puppy that's for sure and no my mommy does not hit me, but thanks for asking!" Zaki was getting angry who was this guy to come here and think he knew her and knew what goes on in her life. He doesn't know jack shit. "You don't know jack shit."
"I've never met a man named jack shit so you are right. And I never implied any of that; you were the one who jumped to conclusions. And if hypothetically if you were an abuse victim, you show no sign of physical abuse, but you do show a sign of a girl who had been sexually"
Zaki stood up, "Its time for me to sleep, Keiji's watch. Mr. Takashi it's rude to make assumptions about people, hypothetical or not." Zaki scolded, as she quickly rushed to wake Keiji for his watch. Takashi just watched her with a frown.
Keiji woke up to Zaki shaking him like there was no tomorrow, "Wha-what is it?"
"Your turn to take watch," Zaki told him, "don't make your bed, I'll just use yours because I don't want to go to the trouble to use mine." Zaki practically through him out of bed, she seemed ruffled about something. Takashi was frowning and looking at her.
"Did he do something to you?" Growled Keiji, he didn't like this Takashi guy not at all.
Zaki rolled her eyes, "NO I'm just…really tired."
"Oh ok, I'll let you sleep." Keiji gave in, there was no use in pursuing Zaki when she was like this, and it only ended up with insults against him. Keiji grudgingly trudged to the spot Zaki at, glaring at Takashi. HOW DARE he fluster Zaki! Zaki was his team mate, under his protection; if anything happened to her it would be horrible. She was a friend.
As Keiji sat down Takashi said something, "You look like you just swallowed a bug."
Keiji growled in response, what could a nanny have done to shake her so much? "Hn I don't like not getting enough sleep." Keiji lied, Zaki had taught him to lie, and he was good at it. People who didn't know him could never tell. But he could never, would never lie to a close friend, or his grandparents.
"Yeah I know what you mean," Takashi grinned, "The sky is beautiful isn't it?"
"Yea," Keiji said looking at the stars he had always preferred sunrises, they reminded him of Adara. The night sky was nice though.
"It reminds me of Sylvia," The Nanny mused, "Practically everything reminds me of her." He admitted with a chuckle.
"Sylvia must be some girl, for you to go through all this trouble." Keiji murmured.
"I would go through a lot worse for her, when you're in love with somebody, you would do anything for them especially if you think they are going to do something life altering."
"Like getting married to the wrong man?" Keiji asked. Takashi smiled at the lad.
"That would be an example," the man admitted.
"If you love Sylvia why is she going to marry another man?"
"Well like you know she is the eldest daughter of a Daimyo, she's doing her duty and marrying a very rich banker, or is he an invester in the stalk market? I don't know he wears a suit were ever he goes. I was going to tell her and her father that I loved her. But Charles that's her fiancé over heard and had it staged so I had to bring the twins over to Konoha, hoping I wouldn't be able to tell her." Takashi explained.
"Even if you do get to her on time, do you think that her father and parents would go for you in their family?" Keiji asked.
"Her fathers an understanding man, if he knew how happy we made each other he would call it off, I knows him." Takashi assured Keiji. They heard rustling from behind them. Little Suike was tossing and turning murmuring something.
"Is she having a nightmare?" Keiji asked.
"Yeah I'll go wake her up, she's been having a lot of nightmares recently." Takashi said getting up and heading toward the twins. The girl kept on shaking. Takashi got her up with soothing words, "Suike its me, its all right."
"NO its not, the man with the red eyes is coming after us! HE is, and, and, somebody's going to die. He's coming to kill us Takashi!" Sueke was in a small panic shaking violently, only to be calmed by Takashi's calming arms.
"I thought the shark man was coming to kill us?" Takashi asked.
"They both are they are working together! Don't you understand, Charles wants you dead, he wants too kill us too! Why won't you believe me?" Suike was nearly screaming. Takashi made a hushing sound rocking her back and forth.
"I won't let the shark man or the red eyed man ever harm you darling, it's my job to protect you. When ever they are coming we will be ready, you don't have to worry about it." Takashi said. Soothing the little girl, she was crying now.
"Some body's going to die, Takashi I don't know who though. I don't who, and I should be able to stop it. They are sent to kill us, but they will kill…somebody else, I don't know. I think we should turn back to Konoha!" Her brother Sasuke now had woken up.
"You weren't having dreams about that two too where you?" Takashi asked him, the boy shook his head and took his sister from their nanny. "No I had a dream about Charles he's planning on killing our sister, he wants all the money." Takashi wasn't reacting to what the little kids were saying.
"I know you two don't like Charles but making things up like this isn't nice. Now go back to sleep we have a long day ahead of us." Takashi ordered, the two reluctantly obeyed. Once they were sleeping again Takashi looked at Keiji.
"Kids have such active imaginations, I don't like Charles but he isn't capable of hiring out assassins and planning on killing Sylvia. I think most of this is there active imagination." Explained Takashi.
Keiji nodded, Takashi made a yawning gesture, and "I think I should get some snooze too. You look out after Zaki, she seems to need it." And with that Takashi went to bed.
1: I got the name for the stuffed bunny from an old Jimmy Stewart movie, about a grown man who had an imaginary friend that was a 6ft white bunny, if you were wondering The bunny was named Harvey. :D