Sneaky Hunters

"Hey Killua," Gon said, "I know Kurapika and Leorio are probably okay, but what do you think happened to the original group? My dad was part of the team, but they still went missing."

Killua glanced up from his report. He had gathered a good amount of intelligence from Sasuke about the massacre, and there were already bits and pieces that did not match. He shrugged. "I'm sure they're fine. Chances are that they are spread all across the world because they were split up in the beginning."

"Hmm." Gon leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. Today had been moving really slow. The Hokage wanted them to write a report of their specializations before sending them off on a mission, and Killua insisted on researching chakra. Gon's hand hesitated at the pen. Sighing, he withdrew and went back to staring at the ceiling. Tracking seemed to be the only shinobi talent that fit his skills. Sitting here thinking about things wasn't going to get him any more answers.

One of Hiruzen's favorite hobbies was art. More specifically, he enjoyed calligraphy. Writing down words of wisdom and framing them on his wall was but one of his past times. Currently, he had been working a on a new piece involving over eagerness. He planned to have it hang in the academy one day to remind the students to calm down. He chuckled to himself. It was a great idea!

"Hokage!" Hiruzen dropped his paintbrush in shock. How had the boy gotten there without him noticing?! "Do you know anything about the other hunters?"

Hiruzen took a breath from his pipe. He exhaled slowly, wisps of smoke curling upwards. "Most shinobi in Konoha have heard rumors, but they are unaware they actually existed. There were rumors of several during the war. After that, they suddenly vanished; however, a new group arrived." He inhaled from the pipe again. "The reports were unconfirmed. It's as if your kind vanishes into thin air. Speaking of which," he pointed at Gon, "how did you get in here without me noticing you?"

"Zetsu."

"Zetsu?"

"Yeah. It lets us completely hide our presence. I wanted to see if it worked on chakra users."

"Hmm. That's right. Hunters can't use chakra." He said, "But you have your own ways of making up for that." Hirzuzen turned back towards the banner. "How did your time in the academy go?"

"It was great! We got to learn all sorts of cool things! I had no idea that you had giant animals that ran around! That means there are still many things to find! Oh, and we've been training Naruto! He's going to be a great shinobi one day!"

Hiruzen smiled softly. "I know I already gave you a mission, but how would you feel about taking on a genin team?" Gon's excited vigor faded instantly.

"No." Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. He had been excited just a moment ago… "We don't have time to be training a team. I only accepted because Naruto's my friend now. There are other people out there waiting for us to find them."

"I see. Perhaps I should give you a mission outside of the village. It would help you gather information."

"Really?! What kind of place will we be going?"

"Let's see." Hiruzen stood up and went to his nearby desk. Normally, missions were passed out in the mission room, but higher ranked missions were an exception. In particular, missions containing sensitive information were kept under the careful watch of the Hokage. He pulled out a blue scroll tied with red string. "This one is perfect. It calls for people who don't draw attention. It's a mission to the land of water."

"Land of Water?"

"Yes. We are to recover a refugee clan. Recently, there was a civil war. Those with Kekkei Genkai, bloodline limits, are being killed due to fear from the local populace." He handed the scroll to Gon. "Well, it's died down recently, but this clan is still fearful and resented. They requested to take refuge in Konoha." He locked his hands together under his chin. "The problem is that all of our ANBU members have been eradicated. A faction under the Fourth Mizukage has a jutsu that allows them to distinguish chakra users from ordinary people. Zetsu would be the perfect deterrent against these users."

"I understand. So we are just supposed to bring these people back to Konoha."

"Yes."

"Okay, but I want someone to tutor Naruto while I'm gone. He knows what to do, but he made need some help."

"That is acceptable." A simple condition made things even easier. "You will be headed to Itoyama. It's a small village not far from the Village Hidden in the Mist, so be careful of spies in the town. The clan you will be recovering is called the Shi clan."

"Got it. We'll head out right away."

"Be careful. They are a rather…eccentric clan." Gon nodded and dashed out the window. Killua wouldn't be happy to hear they had to escort, but it would be interesting to see what was outside of Konoha.

Gon grinned. He couldn't wait!

I'm not dead! Just majorly delayed. This one was giving me troubles for some reason. ( I also had a bit of formatting trouble with FF making all the words bolded and wacky.)