A/N: Its been way too long since I updated this. I've just been so busy with stuff. I promise this chapter will be worth it. Let's get to it!

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Growth

The next morning came swiftly for Team Seven. Rise was shook roughly by Serah. Her Hyuga eyes opened slightly and she whimpered, pulling the pillow over her face. Serah sighed and pulled Rise off the bed.

"Get UP!"

Rise rubbed her eyes and she climbed to her feet from her sprawled form on the ground.

"You don't have to be so rough."

Serah shook her head and she sighed.

"Kakashi sensei has been calling for you for twenty minutes. Just be lucky I didn't set you on fire. Kaze and Kakashi sensei are waiting for us. Get dressed and let's go. Now."

Rise pouted and she grumbled as she dressed.

"There. I'm ready. Now get off my back."

Serah sighed and she placed her bag on her back and she rolled her eyes.

"Kaze's going to get sick of your laziness fast. You need to focus more on the mission, and not yourself."

Serah then opened the door and she left the room. Rise snorted.

"You're just jealous. He loves me."

She whispered before she exited her room as well.

Kakashi was waiting impatiently at the exit to the village with Nana and Kaze. Kaze smiled as he saw Serah walking towards them, but he averted his gaze when he saw Rise stumbling along behind them. Kakashi then spoke.

"Here's the basic plan. We'll be taking a ship to Kumogakure from Otogakure. Once there, we meet with A, the Raikage. Nana will convince him to end this dispute. Our job is to protect Nana from all harm. Odds are both Tsume and Kumogakure Shinobi will stand in out way. We have to pass through the Waterfall Village before we reach Otogakure. Thats a three day trip from here. Let's move. I want Kaze in front with me, Nana in the middle, followed by Serah then Rise."

Rise opened her mouth but Kakashi cut her off.

"Not now. You need to stay there because you're the only member of this team with Byakugan. You're going to be a very valuable asset Rise. You need to learn that there are times to follow orders, and time to give them. Now is the time to follow orders. Watch out on all sides, and if you detect anything at all, let me know by giving some sort of signal. How far can you see?"

Rise looked away.

"1 kilometer."

Kakashi placed his hand on her head and he whispered.

"You really are your mother's child. Rise, you're a very special child. I want to see you succeed. Are you ready?"

Rise nodded and she formed the tiger seal. She focused her Chakra to her eyes and she opened them. Kakashi smiled and he pointed forward, indicating a forward march. The terrain of the Land of Earth was just that: A barren wasteland with few people. The majority of the people in this country lived in Iwagakure. If they were going to be ambushed, it would have to be through transformation. Rise stopped suddenly, having picked up a presence.

"Wait! Something... something is coming!"

Kakashi looked around and he called for a halt.

"Rise?"

Rise stopped and she pointed into the sky. Kakashi looked up and he drew a kunai.

"We've got company. Everyone, stand your ground and do not leave formation. Do you understand?"

Rise, Kaze and Serah nodded. Kakashi stood in front of Nana, with his students on one of her other sides. Rise was scanning the area and she spoke once more.

"I'm seeing five Chakra signatures from above, and something... is approaching from below. What do we do?"

Kakashi swore loudly and he looked around as five young men dropped from the sky. Kakashi identified them as Iwagakure Shinobi.

"Why are you attacking a young woman from your own village?"

Kakashi asked plainly. The male in the middle, who was obviously the leader from his flak jacket, spoke.

"We're under orders to make sure this girl never gets to Kumogakure. Lord Tsume's orders, Lady Nana."

The male formed several seals and he pressed his palms to the ground. Rise and Kaze nodded, understanding what was going to happen. Serah already had her claws on her arms. Kakashi whispered to his team.

"I've seen this type of thing before. They're going to try and trap us until we tire ourselves out. I want you to remain motionless. Rise, where's the large object you saw underground?"

Rise closed her eyes and she focused.

"Its a person! He's... digging his way at us at high speed."

Kakashi focused his Chakra and he plunged his hand into the ground and he pulled it out instantly, along with a man unlike anyone had ever seen. His hands were shaped into claws and he was covered in hair, much like a mole. Rise wrinkled her nose and she sneezed. Kakashi then pulled his headband up off his left eye.

"I want all of you to listen carefully. I've never seen this kind of Jutsu. He might be capable of something extreme. Leave our mole friend to me. The rest of you, figure a way out of this prison and under no circumstances are you to leave Nana unattended."

The three Genin nodded. Rise's eyes were scanning the area for any signs of escape, and that's when she saw it: There were now seven Chakra readings in opposition to the six she detected. She whispered to Serah and Kaze.

"There's three seals keeping the prison up. If we can get rid of the seals, we might be able to dispel the Jutsu."

Serah looked at Kaze and she nodded.

"Can you tell us where they are?"

Rise nodded and she threw three kunai at the walls.

"There. But they're on the outside. We'll have to put enough force into our blows to pierce the walls."

Kaze then looked around.

"Leave this to me."

Kaze wove seals and his body melted into sand. Rise and Serah waited for what seemed to be hours but was actually a minute. The prison that surrounded them crumbled into rocks and then dust. Kaze's body reformed and Serah smiled.

"Body Manipulation Jutsus. I've only seen Suigetsu do it. That's impressive Kaze. Now, for these five."

Serah then drew her claws once more, with a glare of fire in her eyes. Serah still had yet to awaken her clan's kekkei genkai, the Sharingan. Rise assumed her battle stance alongside Kaze, but their opponents were acting strange. Rise peered deeper into their Chakra flows and she whispered.

"They're giving their Chakra to that mole person."

Kakashi caught her voice and he nodded.

"Take them out while I keep this one busy!"

Rise nodded and she started to weave seals.

"Wind Style: Gale Cutter Jutsu!"

Rise had been working on this technique for a while and she could finally use it. A harsh wind started to blow. Rise pointed at one man and the wind seemed to focus on him. The man was thrown backwards and a large cut appeared on his chest, as if he'd been slashed by a sword. Rise did this twice more and she then dropped to her knees.

"Sorry. I can only do that three times. The rest is up to you two. They don't seem to be fighting back."

Rise said to Serah. Serah then whispered.

"They're Earth Clones!"

Kaze confirmed this by punching them. They responded by crumbling to dust. Kakashi then noticed a change in his opponent's behavior. His blue eyes turned red and he dropped to all fours, very similar to when Rise lost control. Kakashi turned his head around and he smiled at his students. He gave them a thumbs up.

"Sensei!"

Rise's voice cut through to him. The mole person had swung its deadly claws at Kakashi. He took the blow full onto the face. He then burst into smoke and vanished. The mole person then froze and screamed as his leg broke in three places. Kakashi shimmered into view and he delivered a fatal blow that snapped the mole person's spine. Kakashi dropped his headband over his eye again and he sighed.

"What the hell were those things?"

Rise asked. Kakashi shrugged.

"I'm sure we'll find out once we reach Kumogakure. Nana, are you ok?"

The young woman was on the ground, clenching her robe. Rise bent down and she spoke.

"Nana?"

Nana screamed and she looked around.

"B-blood. I h-hate blood."

Kakashi looked at her.

"Haemophilia. She has a fear of blood. We rest here for now."

Rise sat with Nana until the young woman calmed down. Nana then spoke.

"I am haemophobic. I witnessed my father kill my uncle over a petty dispute. My six older brothers became Shinobi after our family was cursed. All of them were killed, except for Tsumi. He's the only brother I have left."

Nana broke into tears, and Rise and Serah hugged her. Kaze stood watch with Kakashi while the females rested. Kaze spoke to Kakashi in a whisper.

"Why do you think Tsumi joined Akatsuki, sensei?"

Kakashi smiled under his mask.

"I cannot say for certain, but I think he wanted to restore his clan to grace. The Osada clan was once a famous clan in Iwagakure, famed for the Seven Stone Sinobi I'm assuming that your father and six older brothers were these Shinobi?"

Nana nodded and she smiled through her tears.

"You are correct. They all are dead now, except for Tsumi. He joined because he thought that Kenshu would be able to revive our family. This scroll is proof of that."

Nana held a scroll to Kakashi and he read it.

"I see. This is a letter that Tsumi left you. Do you want me to keep this?"

Nana nodded.

"I'd feel better with you holding it until we reach Kumogakure. I'm fine now. We can continue when you're all ready."

Nana stood up and she brushed the dirt off her clothes. Kakashi then gave the order to move. One thing didn't sit well with Rise though.

"Why does Tsumi seem so bent on killing you then, Nana? That attack was by him."

Nana shook her head.

"I think it might be a ruse. My brother loves me."

Nana said with a bright smile. Rise silently prayed that she was right.

TO BE CONTINUED...