The A-rank Job
Following Gaara came in second to trailing the Phantom Troupe. They both had the nonsensical ruthlessness found when you so much as glanced at them. Gaara might actually be worse. There was no stopping the boy when he went on his too frequent blood rampages. Kurapika was quickly growing tired of keeping an eye on the pre-teen. The kid was constantly able to slip under his radar using sand clones.
He had said, "I don't need a doppelganger of my uncle chasing after me everywhere." Kurapika was unable to let that go because it also had a tendency to equate to the loss of village shinobi should they anger him. The boy was ridiculously strong for his age. If he put his mind to it, Kurapkia thought coldly, he could massacre the entire village with the bat of an eye. The urgency of the Kazekage's request was theoretically sound.
"So this is where you were. Well, it's never too hard to find you in the first place." Kankuro. As the eldest son of the Kazekage, he held much sway and respect in the village. A puppet user who is easily irritated. Kurapika's eyes drifted to Temari beside him.
"Hey, don't go making him mad! We have to work with him on this mission in preparation for the attack! What will we do if you go making him angry?" The only daughter of the Kazekage. A wind user who utilizes her giant fan to cut her enemies to shreds with a vicious killing streak. Kurapika turned his attention to the final newcomer. Gaara. Enough to be said about that one.
"Both of you shut up." The bickering siblings quieted in an instant. Even they were not beyond his wrath. Kurapika remained silent. The siblings never openly spoke with him. He didn't initiate conversation so neither did they. This silent agreement amount to a strenuous ceasefire at best, and a nuisance at the worst. Kurapika had taken the time to note the varying skills and personalities of each individual. Suna was not his ally nor was his enemy, so Kurapika often found himself profiling potential enemies.
"What does the Kazekage want this time?" Kurapika responded from his spot on the nearby bench. Gaara seemed to be taking the lead this time evident by the tense expressions of his siblings.
"We are taking a mission half a year in advance to scout out Konoha. Our client is waiting inside." Gaara didn't say anymore—his orders were absolute. There was to be no questioning. Kurapika gave a sharp nod. Turning silently, Gaara separated from the group and headed back to the Kazekage's building in the far distance.
Both of the Sand siblings let out a sigh. "Whew!" Kankuro said, "I'm glad he's gone! Now then, what he didn't mention is that this is an A-rank mission. We screw up and we're dead." He made a cutting motion across his throat. "Ya got that?"
Kurapika gave him a dismissive wave. "Yes, yes. I assure you I can handle it. I can handle Gaara after all. Let's go somewhere where no one can hear us and then give me the details."
Kurapika silently led them down twists and turns of alleyways and shortcuts. He didn't want the siblings to know the streets he took. It would be extremely unpleasant to have one of them showing up at his door to complain about his spying techniques. He stopped abruptly in front of a cheap but well-kept building. Kankuro slammed into him and grumbled several curse while rubbing his nose in pain. No one paid attention to him as the wooden door unlocked with a click. The door squeaked open revealing Spartan accommodations.
"Sit. I will activate the defenses I installed against intruders and spies." Both the siblings promptly sat on the nearby couch. Temari was picking at her nails in boredom while Kankuro studied the only piece of art in the house. Kurapika placed his hand on the wall and a flash lit the room for an instant.
Temari narrowed her eyes at Kurapika as he sat back down. A sound proof 's not unheard of for paranoid shinobi of high rank or major clans to keep A to S-rank barrier jutsus sealed for use in their homes; however, there is something off about this one. It feels denser.
"You've noticed. It's a technique I spent considerable time training just to develop. I had an unfortunate eavesdropping event a while back, so I developed a switch that activates a special barrier only useable in these types of situations."
That's no explanation at all! Temari thought angrily. This guy didn't open up easily at all. Pulling information was going to be ridiculously hard. Temari cleared her throat. "Well…as my brother was saying, you are going to be joining us on an A-rank mission. Our father told us to choose any jounin we want. After seeing how you handled Gaara, we decided you were the best choice."
"Is that so?" Kurapika leaned forward slightly. "What are the parameters?"
"An espionage mission. We have a hidden operative from Otogakure waiting. He is acting as a client awaiting an escort mission back to Sunagakure paid for by his overprotective mother. His mother distrusts Konoha shinobi, so she has requested that the job be forwarded to Sunagakure."
"I see. So our real mission will be to uncover strategic locations, create escape paths, and estimate enemy strength while we are there."
Temari blinked at his rapid uptake. This guy even better than she first thought. "Yes. Do you accept?"
Kurapika's lips tilted upward. This was perfect! He could investigate the Uchiha clan while he was there. If he was lucky, he might even be able to get a pass into the unrestricted part of the library. "Yeah. I've been meaning to go to Konoha for some time."
"There's one more thing Temari forgot to mention," Kankuro said. "If this all goes well, you will be posing as our jounin leader during the exams instead of Baki. Is this also acceptable?"
"Yeah." There was a flicker of light and the barrier faded. "Prepare to set out. We'll leave as soon as possible. Try to make sure your brother doesn't get into any trouble while I'm preparing." Kurapikia ushered them out the door. He let out a sigh and stared at the ceiling with scarlet eyes full of excitement. He was one step closer to possibly finding out more about the origin of his clan's eyes!