It wasn't until later that we heard about one of the jonin who committed seppuku. My teammates and I assumed that he was part of the plot against Lord Kazekage. We were given rest and some time off to rest some more.

I took that time to walk my brothers home, sneaking in some snacks. I also had lunch with Father. That was a strange meal.

"Tsukio?" Father called out while I was walking my brothers home.

"Yes Father?"

"Are you free for lunch tomorrow? The café next to the shop just got some new fruit in and I thought you might like to try it."

Father kept shifting his weight from foot to foot, he also couldn't look me in the eye for long periods of time. He was either nervous or he had more bad news to tell me. Either way, it didn't matter, I would find out soon enough, "I would love to meet you for lunch tomorrow. Would you like me to meet you at the café or at the shop?"

"The shop is fine. Just stop over when you are free. I don't have a set time when I take lunch, you know."

Father was rambling. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my brothers exchanging confused looks, so it wasn't just me. I smile at Father and bow slightly, "I will be there just after noon. Since we are supposed to be resting, my teammates and I have large amounts of time on our hands."

"Yes, that's good. I'll see you then," Father continued to walk down the path. I assumed he was going back to the shop.

"That was strange," Takashi muttered.

I nod, then I give each boy a kiss on the forehead, "Go inside and do your homework, I have to get some shopping done."

"Love you!" Isamu yelled as he ran into the house.

"Exams are soon and he is worried," Takashi told me.

"He will do just fine, he is a very smart young man. If he starts to worry too much, just remind him that he knows this information already."

"I will, do you think you can pick us up again tomorrow?"

"I should be able too. If I can't, I will send someone to let you know." I watched as Takashi's lower lip stuck out. I grinned, "With the some money for a snack."

Takashi's lip pulled back in and his cheeks scrunched up as he grinned, "You are the best!"

I ran my fingers through his hair before I pushed him forward, "And you two are the best younger brother's in the world."

I then left and went to pick up the last few things we needed for dinner. The next morning, Baki-sensei stopped by and told us that we were to meet with Lord Kazekage and Lord Kankuro later this morning.

"Do you know how long it will take?" I asked.

"Why?"

"My father wants to have lunch today," was all I said, but Baki-sensei being the smart man he was understood.

"You should be fine, this shouldn't be a long meeting, it isn't a debriefing."

"Thank you," I whispered.

Baki-sensei nodded, gave a quick reminder that we were to meet him in one hour in our standard uniforms and left.

Hideo and Amagi turned to look at me.

"Do you want us to go with you?" Hideo asked.

Amagi nodded.

"He knows what you look like," I reminded them.

"We can go in disguise, besides you are probably going to a civilian place and all we have to do is wear robes and put a henge on," Amagi answered.

"I think I will be fine. He asked me, not the other way around."

The boys nodded and we finished up our breakfast, did the dishes and got ready.

Less than an hour later, we were standing in front of the desk in the Kazekage's office.

"Team Baki, you have done Suna a great service. You willingly gave up your chance at promotion to be able to bring vital information needed to save the Kazekage," Lord Kankuro began. "You have shown that you have what it takes to be a shinobi of the sand."

"Team Baki," Baki-sensei continued, "you have shown strength in adversity through the numerous trials you have faced. You have shown the ability to make quick decisions, as demonstrated by your run from Konoha. You have shown the ability to work as a team in unprecedented ways."

"Team Baki," Lord Kazekage finally spoke, "it is in the best interest of Suna to continue to watch you grow, as shinobi, as teammates and as people. You will be an amazing team in a few years. I can't wait to see what you become. With that in mind," Lord Kazekage picked up something from his desk, "congratulations Chunin Hideo, Chunin Amagi and Chunin Tsukio."

I froze as the words made their way through my head. Chunin Tsukio. I had been promoted. I was promoted!

My team was PROMOTED!

My mouth parted and my eyes grew wide as I realized what just happened. My heart was racing and I couldn't stop the excited gasp that left my mouth right before I bit my lips to keep quiet. I glanced over and saw my teammates were also trying to keep the excitement from their faces.

Lord Kazekage's lips twitched, "Dismissed. Go and celebrate. This is a huge accomplishment for you. I know that you have all worked hard and you have brought honor to Suna with your actions. Report to Intel tomorrow morning. You have a new mission. Good luck and congratulations again."

The three of us bow deeply to the three men behind the desk.

"Thank you, Lord Kazekage. I hope we continue to bring honor to Suna with our actions and deeds," I stated. My teammates nodded. Then we turned and walked out the door.

We stayed quiet until we were outside the tower. Then Amagi let out a whoop of joy. Followed by Hideo.

I was jumping up and down, "We did it! We did it!"

Hideo and Amagi joined me and for a moment, we were just three kids who had done something great.

"We need to celebrate!" Hideo said.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked.

"I don't know. Should we go out to eat?"

"Well we can't drink," Amagi answered, "and there isn't a festival happening soon."

"We could go out to eat and have ice cream on the roof like we did to celebrate getting into the chunin exams."

"Ooo, I like that," I told Hideo.

"Good. Then we will plan on going to that barbeque place we all like, eating our weight in meat and then eating desserts until we burst!" Amagi confirmed.

"I'll go tell Matsuri and the others," I told the boys as we moved towards our rooms.

"Do it on the way, you still need to get ready for lunch with your father in an hour," Hideo reminded me.

"Yeah, we can take care of letting everyone know. You will want to look nice," Amagi seconded.

I took a deep breath, "So what should I wear?"

Both boys shrugged and I sighed, "Not a lot of help are you?"

"Hey, what to wear and what to say to people, that is your job," Hideo pouted.

"At some point you both will need to learn this stuff," I reminded them.

"Yeah, but not right this minute. Besides, you are just going to cover whatever you are wearing with a robe anyway, so what does it matter?"

I sighed again, "Fine! I do want to change out of this uniform. But now that we are chunin, you have to learn this stuff."

"Yeah, yeah," Amagi waved his hand at me, "We will get better at it."

I rolled my eyes, not believing them at all. We saw Matsuri near the dorms and we told her about our impromptu celebration. She offered to let anyone she sees know before she runs off to join her team, they also have a meeting with Lord Kazekage today.

I changed into my more comfortable training clothes consisting of cropped pants and a sleeveless shirt. I did put my robe on top of it, which had both Amagi and Hideo laugh when they saw me.

Unsurprisingly to me, both boys were also dressed in civilian clothes with dark brown robes on top.

"I should have known," I muttered.

Amagi nodded, "Of course. Don't worry, we won't follow you."

"Of course, you will be there before me. How are you going to disguise yourself?"

"Henge," Hideo answered.

I sighed.

"Hey, last time you met with your father, you cried, so we are not going to let you go into a situation that will cause you to cry again," Hideo told me.

I nodded, "I know, but I'm not weak."

"Of course you aren't. This isn't any different than when you helped us deal with Sajin. As your teammates, it is our job to support you."

"And in this case, support means not letting you walk into a potentially emotional meeting with your family alone," Amagi finished.

"Your father won't even know we are there, but you will, and that is what is important."

I nod, "I'm leaving in a few minutes, so you should leave now so you aren't noticed."

The boys nod and together they walk out the door. I briefly wondered what henge they were going to use. In an effort to calm my nerves, I took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. Just like we were taught in the academy. I took one final look in the mirror, decided I was presentable and then I left the room. Remembering to set the chakra locks.

My stomach was in knots as I stood in front of Father's shop. My mouth was dry and my hands wouldn't stop shaking. I took another deep breath and tried to push all of the emotion back into a box, I wasn't going to let Father see just how nervous I was. My hands stopped shaking, but the knots in my stomach didn't go away. Well nothing I could do about that, so long as it didn't show, I was going to call it a win.

"Tsukio!" Father's voice boomed when I walked in the door. "Right on time! Just let me put up my sign and we can go eat."

I nod and watch as he rushed around the counter. I moved back out the door as Father hung the sign stating he was closed for lunch and he locked the door. The short trip across the street was quiet. Inside the café the low murmur of conversation help to break up the awkward silence between Father and me.

I glanced around and didn't see my teammates, but I knew they were there. Father let us to a table that had the small "Reserved" sign on it.

"I wanted to make sure we got the good table," he said as he moved the sign away.

"Ah," I replied. Not sure if I should, but the silence was grating on me. I shouldn't be nervous. This was my father, not some stranger.

We sat and the waitress quickly gave us a menu. A tea pot was set in front of us, with two cups.

"It's your favorite," the waitress told me.

"Thank you," I answered.

I looked over the menu, to give myself something to do. Honestly, I had the menu memorized, but I didn't know what else to do. This was awkward. I was more comfortable talking to a client than my own Father.

"We will start with a plate of fruit, the new ones, if possible. I believe that we will have the cold noodles with spicy dipping sauce?" Father was looking at me as he asked.

I nodded, "That sounds delicious."

"Very good. I will have that out shortly. Should I keep the fruit platter full?"

Father and I nod, this was a standard meal for the two of us.

When we were alone, Father cleared his throat, "I heard that your test went well?'

I nod, "It did, we made it past the first round. We didn't get into the second round, but we were still promoted because we performed very well."

Father's eyes lit up and a grin stretched across his face, "Tsukio! That is wonderful! You did it! I'm so proud of you."

I froze in shock as all of the poured from Father's mouth, but also confused. "You're proud of me?"

Father stopped talking and looked at me, I could see the confusion written on his face. "Of course I'm proud of you! You are achieving your dream! Your are forging our own path in life. Not letting anyone tell you what you should and shouldn't do. This is a wonderful thing to see your child do."

"But Mother…" I trailed off, but Father knew what I was asking.

"Your Mother loves you and only wants the best for you. She wants all of her children to be safe and happy. When she is honest with herself, she prefers safety over happiness. Being a shinobi is a life that will never be safe. She wants you to have an easy life. She spent most of her youth following me around the desert and working hard. She wants better for you, because you are her daughter." He broke off as the waitress brought their food.

In addition to the cold noodles, dipping sauce and fruit platter, she brought small bowls of soup, rice and pickled vegetables.

"Thank you," we both muttered as we picked up our chopsticks and began to eat.

"So why did she throw me out?" I asked, "Why did she tell me to not come back?"

"Because she wants you to be safe. In her own way, she was convinced that if she took away your home, you would cave to her wishes."

I frowned, "I can't just leave. I'm a trained shinobi, they don't just let me quit!"

Father nodded, "I know this. Your mother knows this too. I won't make excuses for her, what she did was wrong. However I will say, that she wasn't in her right mind when she said that. She spoke out of fear, not out of love."

"So why haven't I been invited back home?"

"Your sensei came and told both of us that you would not be returning. You were going to be going on very dangerous missions and you couldn't be distracted by a turbulent home life. We were given the option of being able to stay in touch, or you would be taken out of our lives until you have decided to return."

I felt the heat of anger, how dare Baki-sensei take that choice from me! It was gone as quickly as it came though, because as my sensei he had every right to make that choice. He wouldn't care that Mother was speaking out of fear. He wouldn't care that she would have asked for forgiveness shortly after she got her emotions under control again. He cared about my safety and well being. Baki-sensei cared about my goals and in his way, helped to make it so I could and would be in the best position to achieve those goals.

"The awkwardness you feel when you bring the boys home," Father continued, "is that your mother doesn't know what to say. She wants to ask for forgiveness, but so much time has past, that she isn't sure how to start."

I nod, because I can understand that.

"If you would like to come over to dinner tonight, we could have a family celebration of your promotion."

I shake my head, "I can't tonight, all of us are getting the word today if we were promoted, so the we are all having a barracks wide celebration. It is a fun tradition."

"Of course, then tomorrow?"

"I will have to check our mission schedule, but as of right now, I don't see why I couldn't."

"Wonderful!" Father clapped his hands together, "Now finish eating this fruit and tell me all about the exam. Was it difficult? What did they have you do?"

The conversation flowed easily after that. The two of us talked about my missions, at least the parts I could tell him. Father then caught me up on the latest gossip in the merchant's guild. I hadn't been sure about the lunch at first, in fact I was afraid of what would be said, but by the end, I was happy. I wasn't a disappointment to my parents and I was welcome to visit. Father and I parted ways at his store. I promised to let him know if tomorrow wouldn't work, he reminded me to ask my teammates if they wanted to come.

I hadn't gone more than five steps away from the store when Hideo and Amagi appeared on either side of me. I grinned, this was predictable.

"So how did it go?" Amagi asked.

"You don't look sad, so I'm going to say it went well," Hideo added.

I nodded, "It went well. It was strange at first, but we quickly fell back into old habits. Father told me that I'm always welcome home. That Mother doesn't hate me, she just wants me to be safe. They also want to throw a family only dinner to congratulate us on our promotion."

Amagi grinned back at me, "That's great! I know that has worried you and now it is all better. You don't have to sneak around to visit your brothers."

Hideo on the other hand was frowning, "What do you mean a family only dinner for us?"

"You are my teammates, that makes you family."

"Really?"

I could understand Amagi's confusion, after all, Mother didn't seem to treat my teammates like my brothers. Although if I thought hard about it, I would understand she treated them more like she treated my uncle before he died.

"If Father says so, then it is so. I wouldn't think too hard about it. It isn't like she will suddenly expect you to call her Mother or bring gifts for the holidays," I told them.

Hideo smirked, "No, you always bring enough for all of us."

"Hey!" I sounded offended, but I wasn't, not really. I did bring more food or extra gifts. Not on purpose, it just happened that way. "Now we need to go and get ready for our party," I continued, "we should also let the ice cream shop know that we are celebrating, so they don't run out of ice cream."

"Good idea."

The three of us walked to the small ice cream shop closest to the barracks. I grinned as I saw Matsuri and Ameno standing in line. Since they hadn't seen me yet, I ducked low and began to sneak up on them. Hideo and Amagi just shook their heads at me.

"Tsukio!" Ameno yelled when she saw me, before I could scare her, sadly enough.

"Hey Ameno!" we hugged each other, then I moved to hug Matsuri. "What are you two doing in line?"

"Placing an order for lots of ice cream," Matsuri answered.

"Oh?" I asked. I wanted to know if she was promoted.

She grinned, "I didn't get promoted, but Gaara-sensei told me I did a great job. I have a few things to work on before I can be promoted, but I show great promise!"

"That's amazing! I'm so excited for you. Did he tell you how you should work on them?"

"Yes, he is going to put me on a more active team. He also wants me to work on more defensive justus. I only have two that I can do, he would like to see me closer to five when I test again."

I nod, "That sounds reasonable." I turned my attention to Ameno, "You?"

She shook her head, "Oh no, I wasn't promoted. Although when I am, it will be through my work in the hospital. My mentor told me that she wanted me to experience what it was like to go through the chunin exam, which was why I was there. She also told me that I would need more team experience before she could do that. However, now that I have more than the basics learned, I can sign up to join any team that needs a medical-nin."

I grinned, "That is wonderful! I'm so glad we all learned something in this exam."

Matsuri laughed, "Yeah, but you are the only one that got promoted."

I could feel my cheeks heating up a bit, "I honestly thought I wasn't going to be promoted. I left the exam early, because we had news. Although it was that quick thinking that led to our promotion, so I guess I can't complain."

"So you giving up your chance at promotion is what led to your promotion?" Matsuri frowned.

"That's what we were told," I answered. "I don't get it or understand, at least not right now, maybe in the future I will."

The line was steadily moving forward until we were at the front of the line. "So what type of ice cream should we get?" Ameno asked.

"Last time we all got different ice cream and met on the roof," Matsuri said, "What if we were to do something different?"

"What do you mean?" Hideo and Amagi had entered the conversation.

"Well what if we were to get a couple different ice creams and pick up disposable cups and that way people can get the ice cream they want, until it is empty."

"Oh," Ameno gasped, "when we were in Konoha, they put lots of toppings on their ice cream, we could go get some."

I grinned, "So a special ice cream party on the roof."

Hideo nodded, "I like this idea."

"Do we get to keep the left overs?" Amagi asked.

We all laughed, even Amagi.

"I would think so, unless people want to take theirs back to their rooms," Matsuri answered.

"Great," Amagi rubbed his hands together, "I say we get vanilla and chocolate."

"What can I get for you?" a voice boomed from behind the counter.

"We are having a celebration tonight," Ameno told him, "We were wondering if we could place our order now and pick it up closer to the party time. That way you have time to make some more, if needed."

"Well what do you want?" he asked again, "I have lots of flavors to choose from."

"We were thinking two types, but lots of it," Ameno continued, "vanilla for sure, and what would you recommend? Something popular."

"Our most popular flavor is vanilla, followed by chocolate. What are you planning on doing with it?"

"Letting our guests pick the ice cream they want, put it in a cup and add somethings on top, like chopped nuts or fruit," Hideo answered this time, "At least that is what they put on it in Konoha."

The man nodded, "I have heard of stuff like that, so I would suggest vanilla and chocolate. However you can get some plum sauce to make it extra special."

"Ooo," the five of us coo, plum sauce, when it isn't a festival, sounds delicious.

He smiled, "I have some, if you want to add that to your order."

We all nod our head.

"How much ice cream are you thinking?"

"Well we would need enough for fifteen people."

He nodded again, "Alright, I can do that. When will you pick it up and who is paying?"

"We can pick it up at 7 tonight," Matsuri told him, "And they will be paying." She pointed at Hideo, Amagi and me.

"Hey!" Amagi gasped.

Matsuri grinned, "You are the ones that just got promoted, which means a raise in your pay, so you can afford it."

The three of us sigh, but nod, I ask how much it will be, including the plum sauce. He gives me a total that isn't outrageous, so I pay without a fuss.

"See you tonight!" he called as we left.

"Chunin Hideo!" a voice called as we left the shop.

Hideo turned, "Yes?"

"I have a message for you," the genin answered, holding a piece of paper to Hideo.

He took it and nodded, the genin returned the nod and quickly left.

"Who is it from?" I asked.

"Baki-sensei and Lord Kankuro want to meet with us tomorrow morning for a mission brief."

"So soon?" Ameno asked. "We all just got done with the exams."

I shrugged, "It is a briefing, so it could mean we need extra time to get ready for the mission." As Ameno continued to pout I sighed, "We have our party tonight then there is a family dinner tomorrow, but after that, if we are still available, then we can do a sleep over at Matsuri's place."

Matsuri nodded, "My roommate is on a long mission, so I have the whole place to myself."

"Great!" Ameno squealed, "I'll let the other girls know. It has been a while since we were able to just hang out together."

I laughed, "Hard to do when we are all on missions or you are working full time in the hospital."

Ameno shrugged, "I guess this is the part where someone says we wanted this?"

Matsuri grinned, "Don't act like we never see each other. We have lunch at least once a month. Yes, it isn't the same as when you were all in the academy where you saw each other every day, but once the rest of your group gets into the barracks, you will have a better chance at seeing them."

Ameno still frowned, "Still I miss seeing you all, all the time. It seems the majority of the time we meet is when you are injured."

Apparently Amagi was done with this conversation because he butt in, "Of course, after all, that is where you spend the majority of your time. I have even heard the other medical-nin tell you to go home and stop living in the hospital. But if you will excuse us, we have to go get ready. You will see everyone tonight and you can finalize the sleepover or whatever it is you are doing." He grabbed my arm and pulled me towards our rooms.

Hideo said our goodbyes and quickly followed after us.

"What was that about?" I asked once we were inside the safety of our rooms.

"She was trying to make you feel guilty for not spending any time with her. I wasn't going to let her."

I looked over at Hideo who nodded.

"She was either looking to make you feel guilty or she was trying to relieve herself of some guilt for not trying to see you. Either way, it wasn't going to be good."

"Ameno means well, after all we were together all through the academy, we had dreams and ideas of what our futures would look like," I defended.

"That might be, but she can't stand there and tell you that you are the reason the two of you never hang out," Hideo countered.

I nodded, "I understand what you are saying, but I'm just saying that she has a right to be upset."

"So do you," Amagi told me.

"Don't worry about that right now, right now you will want to get ready for tonight. I'm sure you will want to get dressed in something more fancy than your normal clothes," Hideo told me, "Amagi and I will also dress up a little bit, after all, we were just promoted. It looks like the only ones in the latest test group."

I nodded because Hideo was right and I wasn't going to the party in my regular clothes.

Dinner was wonderful, full of laughter, inside jokes and just happiness. We splurged on our food, especially when we found out that Baki-sensei was taking care of the bill. So we got the nicest cuts of meat, a wider variety of meats and sides. We even splurged to get genmaicha, something that we would hardly ever do.

The ice cream party on the roof was also great. We had fun trying to come up with the strangest combinations of ice cream and toppings. At one point all of the boys tried to make the biggest ice cream and eat all of it. I did not envy them the stomach ache that plagued them for the rest of the night.

We were not the only team that was promoted, however none of my former classmates were, so I felt some pride in that.

The next day, bright and early the three of us trooped up to the classroom we called our own in the Intel building. A small "Congratulations" followed us up the stairs, but that was the only noise in the building. We sat down and waited.

"My stomach," Amagi moaned quietly.

"You shouldn't have eaten that ice cream," I hissed.

"I wasn't going to let some one beat me," he moaned.

"Yes, and look at where you are now. You should have taken a page from Hideo's book and just thrown the ice cream in the trash."

"And waste it?" Amagi sounded horrified.

"Better to throw it away than to throw it up," Hideo answered.

Thankfully Baki-senei and Lord Kankuro walked in before they boys could fall into a full fight.

"Good, you are all here," Baki-sensei said, moving to his spot next to the desk at the front of the room. "You know that we have been training you for a specific reason. I'm also sure that you have guessed some of it. Now you get to know about that reason and the mission you will be on."

"Mission?" Hideo repeated.

"Let me explain, it will all make sense when I'm done," Lord Kankuro answered instead. He stood behind the same desk he asked us if we wanted to be one of the most powerful teams. "As you know, we have been training you on various methods of spying. Everything from gathering information to blending into a crowd. These skills will be necessary for the mission we have for you. Unlike other missions, you are allowed to say no and it will not impact your career. However you should know that refusal will mean some changes will have to happen within your team."

Lord Kankuro held up his hand when Amagi opened his mouth, "Let me finish." Amagi's mouth snapped shut with a click. "Now you three have been trained to be spies. Your mission is to maintain a long term undercover mission to spy on the capital. Those with power, those who want power. You will be Lord Kazekage's eyes and ears in the capital. As his eyes and ears, you will help to protect Lord Kazekage, like you did while you were in Konoha. You will find information and send it back to us. We will give you small missions that you will need to accomplish while you are in the Capital. However your primary mission will be to get into different parts of society and watch and listen.

"Chunin Tsukio, with your father's contacts, you will be able to reach the highest levels of society. There isn't a door that won't open to you. You would use that reputation to go where the rich and powerful are, to ensure they are not plotting against Lord Kazekage. That there isn't someone sowing dissent or trying to undermine Suna's power. No one will suspect you because you can look innocent.

"Chunin Hideo, you have proven yourself to be a strong leader, one who is able to focus on a task, formulate plans and complete the mission. You have thrived in your interrogation training, your trainers have nothing but good things to say about you and your techniques. They are confident that you will be able to get any information you want out of someone in an efficient manner.

"Chunin Amagi, you have shown yourself to be a chameleon. You can look scary and intimidating, or you could look young and vulnerable. You have proven that you can disappear into any crowd.

"These things will be assets to the mission I have for you. Any questions?"

"How long is long term?" Hideo asked.

"The starting length is three years, however that can and will change as the situation changed."

"How is this getting us closer to being able to read each other's minds?" I asked.

"Simple, you will be on a mission for years, this will force the three of you to learn about each other more than you already have. For example, if Tsukio is distracting someone while Amagi is searching for information and Hideo is the lookout. You will learn what Tsukio will do if the distraction doesn't work, or you will find out how Hideo reacts to a plan falling apart. These will all help you learn to predict what the others will do."

"What rank is this mission and how will other missions be factored into this one?" Amagi asked.

"This is currently ranked at a B rank, simply for the length of time. That may change however. Especially if Tsukio gets you all into the daimyo house. The risk will be greater, as will the reward. As for other missions, we will have to see as they go along. Although there is currently one we could add. There is a merchant who doesn't like his competition and would like his competition's wares to be sabotage. Nothing major or that could permanently damage the products, but things like, the shipment is late because the wagon's wheels broke or the shop couldn't be opened because the door was jammed, or even smoke filled stores."

I nodded, sabotage was easy enough depending on the wares. "This isn't a competitor of Father's is it?"

Lord Kankuro shook his head, "While civilians like to say that shinobi have no loyalty, we know that isn't true. Your Father has put his trust in Suna and brought Suna a great prosperity, so we wouldn't take a mission like this. Now other shinobi nations might not have that same philosophy, but you don't have to worry about us doing something against him, or the other merchants who call Suna their home."

I felt happiness bubble through my body as Lord Kankuro's words. Civilian's might call shinobi honorless, but we had our own code of honor and shinobi of Suna couldn't be called honorless.

"Do we have time to think about this?" Hideo asked.

"Of course, you have until tomorrow. If you are going, there are things that must be set up to establish your cover."

"Yes Lord Kankuro. Are we allowed to discuss this with anyone outside this room?"

"No, in fact as far as your friends will know you will be on a long mission. That is it."

The three of us nod, while I could tell it wasn't the answer any of us was looking for, we also expected it.

"Any more questions?"

The three of us shook our heads.

"Good, then you are dismissed. Talk in your room and figure out if this is what you want."

We got up and bowed, before following his orders.

Back in our room, I made tea while the boys gathered some snacks, papers and pens to take notes. Once we had everything we needed, we sat at the table and stared at each other.

"A long term mission," Hideo broke the silence.

"In the capital," I agreed.

"I wonder what our cover would be?" Agami asked.

I frowned at him.

"What?" he asked, "I can't be the only one who was thinking that?"

"No, but why is that the first thing you think of?" Hideo asked.

"I think our cover is important. What if it is something stupid, I don't want to be some runaway lovers or something."

"Lord Kankuro was saying he hopes we can get into the daimyo court, that would mean I wouldn't be married or anyone's lover," I informed him.

Amagi shrugged, "I'm just saying."

"I think our cover will be something we can negotiate with, especially if there is something specific they want us to achieve. But none of that matters if we are not going to accept."

"Why wouldn't we accept?" I asked.

"It is a long term mission," Hideo began, "which means no training. We are barely trained as it is. It also means we wouldn't eligible for promotion for a long time."

"Why not?" Amagi asked.

"Along with time in service and mission requirements, we would also have to demonstrate proficiency in at least two different types of jutsus. There are exceptions to the rules, but they don't happen very often. So other than distinguished service, which is how we got this promotion, I don't see how we could do any of the requirements for promotion."

I smiled, "We have been chunin for one day and you are already looking an jounin?"

"Of course."

"So it could take five years instead of three to try for our promotion," Amagi butt in, "Is there any other downside?"

"We would be away from Suna for years," I told him.

"That isn't a huge problem for me, you two are the closest thing to family I got," Amagi answered.

"I think only Tsukio would have the problem. Her brothers are here and she is starting to mend fences with her parents."

"I am sure we could break away for small visits," I say, "and if not, then I can always write and we can keep in touch that way. I don't think we would be kept isolated, it isn't like we are going into hostile territory, it is only the capital."

Hideo shook his head, "From the way Lord Kankuro was talking, it sounds like we should think of it as hostile territory. We all know the history of the last daimyo and the Fourth Kazekage."

"Do you think we would get higher pay?" Amagi asked.

"Long term missions usually have higher pay, because you have pay to get yourself established, unless there is someone already there."

I frowned, "I guess we have more questions then."

"I think the most relevant point is that we were chosen for this mission specifically. Tsukio was pulled directly from graduation, just for this mission, so it almost sounds like the mission was crafted because of Tsukio. Lord Kankuro said that this mission was to ensure the safety of Lord Kazekage and the rest of Suna," Hideo said.

"He also said that our training has been focused on this mission," Amagi agreed.

"So it would stand to reason that this mission has been our whole purpose. Are we willing to turn down our purpose?" Hideo continued.

The three of us looked at each other, the silence growing around us. Until a knock at the door broke it.

I quickly go up and answered the door.

"Hey Tsukio, I just wanted to make sure we were still having our sleepover?" Ameno asked.

I nodded, "Of course, I was planning on heading over to Matsuri's room after I had dinner with my family."

Ameno's grin spread across her face, "That's great! I am on my way to get snacks and all sorts of products so we can have a small spa day, complete with face and hair masks."

I laughed, "That sounds wonderful. I'll see you later tonight then."

Ameno leaned forward and gave me a hug before she left, to go and do shopping.

"I could be away from this for a few years to ensure they are all safe," I told the boys.

They both nodded.

"If we can keep Suna and Lord Kazekage safe, isn't it worth it?" Hideo asked.

Amagi smiled, "Tomorrow we will tell Lord Kankuro and Baki-sensei that we will accept the mission. Then we can learn more of the details and we will begin our mission."

That settled, I felt at peace with our decision. We were doing exactly what we were trained for, why our team was formed. We had shown what we were capable of and now, we would be able to prove to the world that we were a team to be feared. It is hard to not be afraid of people who know all of your secrets.

Looking back, the family dinner was filled with awkward silences, but nothing that felt threatening. Mother even gave me a hair pin that had been in her family for generations as a promotion gift. My brothers were very excited to hear that I was a chunin now.

I had a great sleepover with the girls. We put on hair masks to soften the damage done in the desert. Face masks to erase any problems caused by the relentless sun. We ate snacks that were full of sugar and salt. Traded gossip about the different people we know. It was a great night.

Then we stood in front of Baki-sensei to tell him we would accept the mission. He gave us a rare grin before his lips fell into their usual frown.

"I'll let Lord Kankuro know," was all he said to us before dismissing us for the say.

Later that afternoon we were summoned to Lord Kazekage's office. Once again we found ourselves standing in front of the Sand Siblings and our sensei.

"Team Baki, I heard you are taking on a long term mission in the Capital. Very good. We have your covers here," Lord Kazekage held out three scrolls, one for each of us. "Look them over and memorize them. Not much is different, however you should not the most significant change is that Tsukio didn't graduate from the academy. That should help if anyone sees you using any chakra or detect that you have higher than civilian levels of chakra. Chunin Amagi and Hideo are your bodyguards, hired by your father after you decided you wanted to get away from Suna. It will be up to you what you want to do while you are there, however Temari suggested a combination of running your father's business in the capital and a spoiled rich girl ready to party."

"Wouldn't Father need to be in on the mission if I were to claim that I am there to oversee his business?" I asked.

A knock sounded on the door. Baki-senei was already moving to open the door.

"Ah, right on time Masahi," Lord Kazekage said. "We were just talking about you."

Father bowed low, "It is always an honor to be of service for the Kazekage."

"Good, good. We were just talking about a mission we need Tsukio for and we need your cooperation."

Father glanced at me before bowing to the Kazekage again, "How can this humble merchant be of service to Lord Kazekage?"

"Tsukio and her team need to be in the capital for a while and we were hoping you could help give her a reason to be there," Lord Kazekage told him.

Father straightened his back, "Of course, were you thinking a personal reason or a business reason?"

"Please explain the differences between the personal and business reasons," Lord Kankuro ordered.

"A personal reason could be anything from Tsukio finding a husband to her being kicked out of the house. While a business reason could range from finding new clients to running the whole business on that side."

"That is a wide range of reasons, which do you think would cause less suspicion, especially since her time there isn't a solid timeframe," Lord Kazekage asked.

"Unless you want her to get married, I would suggest not having her look for a husband. She is also too young to be alone looking for a husband. Having her kicked out of the house could also cause some problems, because her reputation would be called into question. I wouldn't mind having her meet with a few clients, or talk to new supplies on occasion. It wouldn't seem suspicious, especially since it is known that her mother would like for her to make a good match. Tsukio would still be seen as looking for a husband without actively having to find a husband," Father shrugged, "if I were to choose, I would go with that option. It will give Tsukio the most freedom to do whatever you need her to do, while also growing my business. A win for all parties."

Lord Kazekage nodded, "Perfect, please have some clients or suppliers that you would wish for Tsukio to talk to. Those requests will most likely have to go through Kankuro, because he will know where the team is, but it will work out. This isn't our first time doing this."

Father bowed low, "Of course Lord Kazekage. It is always a pleasure for our family to help you in any way you need. I have a couple people I would like Tsukio to meet when she arrives, I will prepare a letter of introduction. That way word can spread that she is there."

Lord Kazekage nodded, "Thank you, Masahi. Your dedication to your craft and to Suna is noted."

Father turned to leave after one final bow, the door closing quietly behind him.

"Now that we have that taken care of, Chunin Tsukio, you will be going to the capital to further your father's business opportunities. You will be accompanied by your two guards, Amagi and Hideo. As far as the capital is concerned, you are not a shinobi of the sand, you are just a spoiled rich girl who is finally out from her mother's thumb. You will conduct yourself as such. If you are discovered as a shinobi, your mission will be immediately terminated and depending on the length of time between now and that time will determine if the mission is a failure or not," Lord Kazekage paused and gave the three of us a hard glare, "You will not fail."

The three of us bowed and replied "Hai, Lord Kazekage."

"Baki will be your point of contact, so any changes in orders will come through him. If a mission is required of you, then he will be the one who sends you the mission, the one who will relay that it is completed and the one who the client will talk to. As far as your friends will be concerned, you are on a long term mission. You will be permitted to return to Suna as the mission allows, but that will be handled at a later time. You have two days before your departure. Take care of the things you need to take care of. Say your goodbyes. Let your friends and family know they will be able to send monthly communications through Baki."

The three of us nod.

"Dismissed," Lord Kazekage ordered.

The three of us turned and walked out the door.

"We did it," Hideo breathed.

I nodded, "We did. Now we just need to wrap up everything we have here and head out to the capital."

"I wonder where we will live," Amagi asked, "Do you think it will be near the harbor?"

"Even if it isn't, we will still be able to see the water from anywhere in the capital," I told him.

The rest of our time in Suna was a blur, we were busy packing up the things we would need and letting our friends know that we would be gone. We also settled any outstanding debt or tabs we had. We also emptied our apartment of all foods, even the ones in the pantry, this way we wouldn't come back to mice or other vermin living here.

Baki-sensei came over before dinner with my parents to let us know that we would be guarding a caravan to the capital and he would be accompanying us. He would then get us set up in some temporary housing before leaving us. Baki-sensei did remind me that I should change my personal uniform so no one would connect the shinobi with the merchant's daughter.

Finally it was time for us to leave. I had gotten new uniforms from Matsuri's aunt and packed them away, along with all the clothes that Mother had been making for me. I knew I would have to look fashionable, but I also didn't want to stand out too much. Father told me he was looking for a house to buy and that I would live there. He also gave me the names of three contacts to meet with. Two wanted to start selling our cloth while the other wanted to help supply our silk. It was up to me to reach out to them and set up the appointments. He had let them know his representative would reach out to them.

The three of us stood facing Baki-sensei as he gave us our final orders for this mission.

"You three know what you have to do. Since this is a shorter caravan we will only need one in front, one in back and two will scout ahead. Keep your eyes and ears open and be prepared for anything."

"Hai, Baki-sensei."

He nodded and turned to talk to the caravan leader. I glanced behind me, remembering all the people that I was leaving behind, but also remembering why I was leaving them behind. If I could help make the desert safer for my family, then all of this has been worth it.

The caravan leader gave a loud whistle. It was time to leave. I heard a shout and the soft groan of wheels turning. I glanced at my teammates, who were also looking at the tall gates of Suna.

"We will be back," I whispered to them.

"We will be stronger," Amagi replied.

"We will not fail," Hideo promised.

As one, the three of us turned and began to move with the caravan.

Everything before now, was a test to see if we could accomplish our goals. We would become a team who could predict each other's moves. We would become the most powerful team in Suna. Today was the first step into making our dreams reality. We passed the tests, now the work begins.

AN: There we have it folks the end of part 1. How did you like it? Our small team has been promoted and are moving onto bigger things. I love this team and am so excited to show you all just what they are doing. As a note, the next part will contain a time jump, simply because I need the team to grow up.

As usual, let me know what you think. I'm so happy that so many of you have made this journey with me and I can't wait to see how you like where this ends up. Until next time, be safe and relax.