I sat on a low tree branch, legs swing back and forth like a child. Giving the appearance of a little kid who is blissfully ignorant. But the truth was the complete opposite. Twenty minutes ago I had notice Ino land five branches above me. Seven minutes later Choji hid behind the bolder that was 20m away and was eating BBQ flavoured chips. And five minutes ago Asama had practically dragged a half asleep Shikamaru to the tree 7m to my right.
"I know your there so that shadow possession jutsu 3m to my right won't take me by surprise." I say just loud enough for all three to hear.
"Oh man. I could have sworn we had you that time." Ino pouted as she leaped down. Choji also landed with Ino while Asama dragged Shikamaru over before I slid off my branch to join the forming circle on the forest ground.
"So, Tsukiko, are you training with us today?" Choji asked as he opened another chip packet. I give a curt nod.
"Geez women you need to talk more. All we can get out of you is about five full sentences a day and ones already gone." Ino complained. "You can't still be shy; you've known us for 1 and ½ months already."
I only shrug it off before looking at Asama and saying "Training?"
"Right, well you wouldn't happen to know how to play shoji?" Asama asked while scratching the back of his head. I shake my head. "Well it was worth a try."
"You're saying I have to beat you in that game for training? Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed.
"Well in that case, can you help Ino perfect her mind-transfer jutsu?" Asama asks. I raise a sceptical eyebrow at him. Just what is he planning?
"Nani*? That means she doesn't do any training. That's unfair! All she has to do is sit there!"Ino shouted. (*for those who don't know it practically means 'what')
"Ino," She looks at me the anger in her eyes fading a little. "Who said anything about siting there? Who says that I won't fight back?"
She looked a little taken back before continuing her shouting. "But if you keep moving than I won't be able to use the jutsu."
"You will just have to find a way to stop me moving or predict where I will move to." I force myself not to smirk. Why do these genin make it hard to hide emotion? For three years I didn't show a thing, but now I'm struggling to keep the emotion from showing on my face. Did Hokage-sama's know this would happen? What is that old man plotting?
"Fine. But Choji is helping me!" She said pointing a finger at the boy who was about to eat another chip.
"Alright, off you go-" Asama started to say before chunin landed on the branch above us. "What is it?"
"Hokage-sama wishes to speak with Tsukiko." He replied. So he's the messenger boy. I nod once and am about to use the teleportation jutsu when Asama is slowly and almost unnoticeably shaking his head. So this isn't a genin level jutsu. But it is too late to stop it unless I wish to be split in half. I guess I will leave Asama to come up with an excuse for me.
"…and I expect you to get me there even if it means giving up your life." An old gruff voice broke through as my teleportation jutsu came to a stop causing a small cloud of smoke to appear and slowly shift away.
"Gahh! Huh, Tsukiko? What the hell are you doing here?" I ignore Naruto's loud voice and look straight at the Third.
"You summoned me Hokage-sama."
"Great, another snot-nosed brat. And this one's even smaller." That's the voice I heard when I arrived. I look past team 7 and almost wince when I see a drunken old man barely standing because of his liquor intake.
"Tsukiko, this man is Tazuna; a master bridge builder from the land of waves. Team 7's mission is to escort Tazuna back to his home village and supervise until the bridge is finished. You may join them on this mission or I have another that requires your -eh- skills."
My eyes lock onto the scroll that the Third holds up reluctantly. By the red stripe I can tell that it's an A rank and for Wolf. So that's why he looks like he would rather hide it under the desk than hand it over. I glance at the old drunk before holding my hand out for the scroll.
"I thought that would be your choice." Hokage-sama sighed tossing the scroll into my outstretched hand.
"What? Is this idiotic kid too scared to go on a simple mission? Are you sure you're even a ninja little girl?" I go completely tense as I turn to face the old drunk. My eyes turn dark, cold, and become void of any happiness. Kakashi looks shocked for a moment before his mouth runs without really thinking.
"Wait, Tsukiko. You can't kill our client."
"You think this shrimp has the guts to kill? Don't make me laugh." Tazuna said before taking another swig from that damn bottle. In seconds a kunai leaves my fingers, smashing the bottle into millions of pieces.
"I HATE alcoholics." I spit before returning to my normal stoic face.
"Yeah, I do think this 'shrimp' has the guts to kill." Kakashi half whispers to the startled man. I shoot him a glare for the remark which he replies with his closed eye smile.
"Alright, well all of you will be meeting in the east gate." I raise an eyebrow at the Hokage. "You will travel together until you reach the border where team 7 and Tazuna will continue into the land of waves while Tsukiko will go on her mission."
So my mission is in the east. I will have to read this scroll before I meet them at the gate. Who knows when I will have another chance.
"This means I'll have to restrain two kids from killing Tazuna. Naruto was going to be troubling enough." Kakashi mumbled with a sigh.
"Is that all Hokage-sama?" I ask, not even waiting for a reply before using the teleportation justu.
As the smoke clears I'm on the outskirts of the village facing a small, run down wood cabin. The windows are smashed, the porch has a few missing planks and vines engulf the rotting structure. I quickly walk up the creaky stairs and slip through the door which is hanging off one hinge. Home sweet home.
"Tsukiko, while on this mission you won't be able to live at HQ. Here are the keys to an old hunting cabin that is no longer in use. It's a little run down but I'm sure you will be able to make it liveable again. Perhaps your new team might help you out." The Third smiled down at me as he held a rusty old key in front my face.
I never actually got around to patching up the cabin. Now it's even more unstable than before. I slip my shoes off despite the fact that it wouldn't make much difference. There was hardly a spot that wasn't covered with dust, dirt or vines that squeezed through the gaps in the old floor boards. I walk through a doorway and into the only room that shows any signs of use in the last forty years. The door that used to be on the hinges now leans against the smashed window with a simple spring bed that sits in the centre of the room. On the far wall are shelves packed with weapon pouches, storage scrolls and a few backpacks varying in sizes. I place my current weapon pouch on the only spare spot on the shelves and my satchel on the floor before flopping down on the bed, releasing a cloud of dust. I pull out the scroll and quickly scan through before standing up again. Grabbing the medium sized backpack and three weapon pouches. Putting one of them on my hip before placing the other two and three storage scrolls in the backpack which already contains enough clothing and camp gear. I open my satchel seeing that my mask and ANBU uniform is still in it before pulling over my shoulder and picking up my backpack. I leave the house before using the teleportation jutsu again.
"Well you know that she graduated last year, right?" Asuma scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah, that's the fifth time you've said that sensei, but it doesn't explain a genin knowing a jonin level technique." Shikamaru repeated himself yet again.
"Eh…"
"What are you hiding sensei?"
"Umm…" Sweat was starting to have a million beads of sweat rolling down his forehead as he cursed how perceptive Shikamaru is.
"Yeah! Alright!" Naruto's voice could be heard in a kilometre radius of the east gate.
"What are you getting so excited about Naruto?" Sakura said sounding slightly annoyed at his childish antiques.
"This is the first time I've left the village. I'm a traveller now believe it."
"Hey, am I supposed to trust my life to this runt, he's a joke." Tazuna growled as he pointed at the over exited Naruto.
"Hehe, well he's with me and I'm a jonin so there isn't really anything to worry about. Besides Tsukiko will also-"
"Don't expect me to help wish your mission, Kakashi." Tsukiko cut off the silver haired man.
"Don't tell me you're still peeved 'cause the guy had a drink."
"Hey, old man, never insult a ninja, it's a big mistake! And I'm one of the greatest ninja ever! Someday I'm gonna be Hokage and you'll look up to me! My name is Naruto Uzumaki! Remember it!" Naruto shouted, having completely missed what Kakashi and Tsukiko had said while brooding over Tazuna's remark.
"Hokage are powerful and wise, you are puny and brainless." Tazuna said, taking a mouthful of liquor. "The day you become hokage I will sprout wings and fly."
"Gahh! Shut up! I'm willing to do anything to become Hokage, no matter what it takes! And when I do, everyone will have to look up to me and recognise that I'm the best ninja, including you!"
"Ha! You can become Hokage ten times over and to me you'll still be nobody. A loser."
"Gahh, I'm gonna make you pay for that right now!" Naruto started kicking and punching the air while Kakashi held him back by his collar.
"I told you, you're supposed to protect the client not attack him."
"Come on, just let me at him."
"Naruto." Tsukiko makes him freeze. "Shut up or I'll knock you out and drag you across the ground for the entire trip."
"And she will do it." Kakashi said darkly in Naruto's ear.
"Gahh!" Naruto leaped away from Kakashi. "Don't do that Kakashi-sensei."
"Alright let's get moving, It'll be a week before we reach the border."
"You mean I have to put up with this guy for a whole week?" Naruto complained before he suddenly fell to the ground in a heap. Four stunned faces looked at the small girl standing beside him.
"I told him to shut up." Tsukiko looked as innocent as a five year old which freaked the others out even more. "He will only be out for half an hour."
Seeing that that nobody else was making any sign of moving, Tsukiko grabbed Naruto by the collar and started dragging the blond. It wasn't until after she was ten metres ahead did the others start to follow.
"Now, not only do I have to protect Tazuna from her, but also my squad." Kakashi mumbled to himself with a sigh.
It was the third day on our travels and Tazuna, despite me advising otherwise, kept glaring back at Tsukiko. Last night she stumbled across his liquor stash and smashed it all without warning. Now it looks like Tazuna is ready to ring her neck while she walked carefree. Well at least as carefree as a constantly vigilant and tense ANBU black Ops ninja could get. In fact I think she was quite pleased with herself as she chucked all three bottles at a tree.
"Kakashi, Tsukiko knocked Naruto out again." Sakura's voice interrupted my thoughts. I sigh.
"Tsukiko," I say stoping and turning around to face the eleven year old. "I'm glad that you're more open to my squad, but can you please stop knocking out my student. This is the third time."
She just looks up at me for what feels like ten minutes with that stoic face of hers.
"Ok." She replies before dumping the unconscious blond on me and walking ahead. I shake my head. Sometimes she is just too good at playing the innocent kid. But why is she bothering trying this act unless… I will have to talk to her about it.
I keep glancing around, practically shaking with anticipation. I noticed the old sign of someone following us over the last five days but it could have been my wishful thinking.
"Tsukiko, quicken your pace or you will be left behind." Kakashi calls over his shoulder.
"I'll be a second." I call back before venturing off the path. About twenty metres into the forest I find what I was looking for. A small clearing littered in footprints and other signs of camping. I quickly scan all the imprints in the ground. So there are two of them and they were here no more than a day ago.
Shrugging it off I head back to the path and start to catch up to the rest. I should probably tell Kakashi in case he hasn't noticed yet. They finally come into view but I notice the numbers don't add up. And that's when I see two new figures pull a chain slicing Kakashi into a thousand pieces.
Dog. But there is no way that he would be that caught off guard or fall for such a petty trick. I ignore the fight between the genin and the two new comers as I watch the dust clear away from Kakashi's body.
Knew it. Dog would never fall for that. Where there was supposed to be body pieces of a human were small logs of wood. I look back to the fight as Kakashi comes out from his spot in the trees. Knowing the fight has finished I walk over to them.
"Nice of you to join us Tsukiko." Kakashi said turning to face me.
"And Sasuke called me a scaredy-cat. Where the hell were you?" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at me.
"It's not my mission." I state simply with a shrug.
"What are you thinking?" Kakashi said as he turned to face Tsukiko.
"Just contemplating how to kill them."
"Who said you're going to kill them?" Kakashi asked, ignoring the looks the other six people in their company were displaying.
"Well none of us are taking them back to Ibiki and none of us can take them along on our missions."
"Forget it Tsukiko, I sent word to the village. They will make sure these two get introduced to Ibiki."
"Psst. Sakura." Naruto sort of whispered. "Is it just me or does she look upset that she doesn't get to kill?"
"Naruto! Mind your own business. It's probably an act. Yeah, it's an act." Sakura said trying to convince herself that was the case more than anything.
"Alright let's continue, only a few minutes until we reach the coast where we will split up." Kakashi said, changing the subject.
I walk away from the harbour where Naruto is waving furiously. I pull out my mask put it on with ease. Now it's time for my mission.