Here we go, Chapter 2! This is about 6 years after the first chapter, and basically the plotline has slowed from the actual series. Sasuke has left to go to Orochimaru, but the Akatsuki are still a pretty quiet group. So instead of the main gening being age 12, for the most part they're chunin and jounin and around age 18. And the word 'Habdama' is gibberish, just an fyi.
-Uchiha Estate-
"Hmm... What if I added an F flat...?" I clicked the mouse and changed the key signature and edited a few notes and rhythms. Ha! Take that! One song, done. Humming a different tune, I began to print the song off the computer. "Alright..."
A knock on the door interruppted me. "Zero!" came the short bark. I stood up and answered the door, waiting for a biting remark from the man I knew was outside. Getting out of my rolly-chair, I turned the handle and dreaded the sight I knew was coming.
"Hey, Neji," I greeted. Surprisingly, the biting remark didn't come.
"Report to Tsunade. She has a new mission for you, I believe." I nodded. Sounded legit. "So do something useful instead of blowing air through a pipe all day." There it was.
He took off without blinking an eye. "It's a clarinet, thank you." He was gone. "Douche," I muttered crossly. Grabbing my sword and a ring off my desk, I took a quick stock of the room. Looked somewhat decent. My clothes weren't scattered across the floor of my apartment like usual, my computer would shut off due to inactivity, and there wasn't anything of high worth out in the open. I shut the lights off and locked the door. If I needed to leave the village immediately, all was well.
I slid down the ladder of my home to the path and strolled down the street through the empty Uchiha estate. The small path connected to the main road and led to the gate. Walking under it, I shifted my direction towards the monstrous building in the center of the village that held the Hokage's office.
Soon enough I entered the part of Konohagakure that held the major shops and stores. "Zero!" A voice called.
"Yeah...?" I looked wildly around to see where the voice had come from. Usually there was a Naruto lurking, ready to pounce like a predator on the poor, lost, unsuspecting puppy as it tried to find its way home. :(
Sure enough, a heavy weight carried me off my feet. Dirt sprang up around us and I eagerly tried to kick my enemy away. "Gr'off meh!" I landed a blow and heard a yelp. Oops. "You okay, Naru-?" A paw smothered my question away. My feet were picked up by hands and I was dragged out of the dirt cloud and down the street.
I managed to crane my neck to see a large, white Akamaru staring at me. "Woof."
Kiba was the one dragging me. We were getting some very odd looks from the citizens of Konoha. "Hey, Kiba! As much being lazy is fun, this is really impeding my progress." He began to walk faster. Ouch! Have I mentioned Konoha's road are packed-down dirt and therefore rather rocky? "Habdama!" He let go.
I sprang up and he glared at me. "That's for hurting Akamaru." I looked back at our furry friend. He was smiling contentedly in the doggy way.
"He looks perfectly fine. Was that you yelping?" His face got a bit red. Yep. "I hope you don't make noises like that in bed."
Akamaru let out a barking laugh. Kiba stormed off. "Lovely to see you, Zero," Akamaru said in his deep voice.
"And you, Akamaru," I replied. "Sorry about sending your Master away." Kiba's angry figure quickly disappeared around a corner/ leaving the two of us to continue on our way.
"I've said worse; he'll get over it. But what brings you out of your hole today?"
"Ha, ha, Akamaru," I mocked. Although I did spend a lot of time in my house... "Tsunade sent for me; I think it's a mission. I'm pretty sure. You know, I'm positive it is. She doesn't call anyone for anything else."
He rolled his eyes. "Glad you solved your own doubts. Now, race me to the Hokage's building? I'm bored." His eyes were too pleading.
"Alright!"
He barked and took off. I used chakra and shot off, hot on his heels. The buildings flew by in bright blurs, the only things focusable were the far away things in front of us. I skidded to halt in front of the stairs that wrapped around the Hokage's building.
Akamaru was waiting. He pulled his lips back into a grin. "I win!" He turned around and kicked dirt at me. "Good luck, Zero! Hope you have a good run!"
'Hope you have a good run.' A delightful courtesy between canines; there was nothing more simple and pleasurable than running as fast as one could through a forest. Jumping over logs, paws skimming the ground, trees and undergrowth rushing by... (1. Only thing better is an orgasm.)
I hopped up the long staircase and into the building. Somehow I found my way through the maze of hallways and was able to knock on Lady Tsunade's door. There was an angry, muffled, "Come in!" (2. You know, somehow, despite the thick walls and door of her office, the tone of her voice comes solidly through. It's a wonder of Tsunade. So much anger in one being...)
I hesitantly pushed the door open. Oh, so that's where Naruto had been. He swayed as if some imaginary wind was pushing him, a bump on his head growing and an eye darkening with a bruise.
"Ah, Zero. Glad you're here and sensible." She glared at Naruto, who cowered a bit. Shizune subtly backed away from the Hokage. "I have a solo mission for you, and a warning." Right down to business.
I tilted my head to one side, like a dog, and narrowed my eyes. "A warning, M'lady?"
She nodded. "But first, the mission. You shall be escorting an elderly man by the name of Gin to the Land Hidden in the Waves. It should be fairly easy; he's just a paranoid business man." I bowed my head in acceptance of the mission. Easy enough.
"I'll do it to the best of my ability," I answered.
"Mm, so no doubt you'll do it flawlessly. A jounin and the only true member left of the Uchiha Clan. Speaking of which, here's the warning I have for you." I lifted my head so my eyes could meet hers. Speaking of the Uchihas? Oh, no. Please, no... "Itachi Uchiha has been sighted between here and the Land Hidden in the Waves." Yep. There it was. My cousin the weasel. (3. Quite literally, that's what his name means.)
"I will keep an eye out. If I meet him and it does not endanger Mr. Gin, I will bring my cousin home alive for questioning."
Tsunade nodded. "You're a good person and kunoichi, Zero." She glanced at the ring on my hand. "Please, keep safe and don't overdo it like this idiot." She gestured to Naruto and I hid my grin. He was an idiot, truly, but he was our idiot. He smiled lopsided at me, looking dazed.
"Will do. And I meet Mr. Gin at...?"
She glanced at Shizune. "You're the one who did the paperwork."
"Um, yes..." She shuffled through some papers. "Meet him at the gates at 5 o'clock today. So, right now."
I nodded, a bit panicked. It was already five. The client was gonna hate me... "Bye!" I was gone.
I made it to the gates before Gin did, actually, making me very happy. It wasn't a hate-fest yet! So I turned to the only other human beings there to pass the time; the shinobi on guard duty. "Hey, guys."
The pair glanced up, one smiled, the other looked back down to his papers. "Name?" asked the one buried in his papers. He had a piece of grass sticking out of his mouth.
"Zero Uchiha," I replied, following his finger down the list of Ninja exiting the village on missions.
"Alright." He put a check by my name and wrote down the time. "So an escorting mission?" He looked back up with bored eyes.
"Yep. Gin from the Land Hidden in the Waves." The other shinobi seemed to shyly edge away from my gaze. "What're your names? I've seen you before, but..."
The bored one answered, "I'm Genma. This is Raidou. And you're Zero, as you stated before." He offered a smile. "So Tsunade didn't give you Gin's last name?"
I hadn't thought about that. "Nope," I laughed. "And nice to meet you both," I grinned. Raidou had a scarred face, but somehow it didn't mar his face. He seemed to get a bit red as he noticed me looking at him.
"Hey," he greeted.
"Hey, girl!" a gruff voice called out. "I'm ready to go!" Turning, I saw an old, tough, weathered man with a kind smile. "I want to go home." Waving good-bye to Raidou and Genma, I obediently went to Gin's side. He gave me one of his two bags, slinging his other over his shoulder.
"I'm Zero, your escort. Pleasure to meet you," I recited and stuck out my hand. Old people scared me, with their experience and wisdom and jugemental attitudes...
"Gin Ryuuga. What's your last name? Just so I can know you a bit better." He began to walk out the gates. I hurried after him.
"Uchiha."
"Ah, so you live in that empty estate near the edge of the village?" He seemed very knowledgeable.
"Yep, that's it. So what do you do for a living?" Normally, these questions were answered before the mission started. But Tsunade had seemed rushed to get the warning about Itachi first rather that the misiion details. Come to think of it- I didn't know what town I was going to. Just the country. Oooh, crap...
"I sell and buy jewlery. I've actually tailored to the Kazekage's needs, before. Not the current one, but his father. He needed the perfect diamond for his wife." Gin smiled, eyes fixed on the pink clouds, lost in memories. You know, I liked this guy. He wasn't in any way like my grandparents.
-Konoha Gates-
Genma smirked and nudged Raidou and pointed at the pair walking on the road into the distance. "So, like what you see?" Genma's smirk grew larger as Raidou's face glowed brighter red.
"Shut up, Genma. I didn't see anything special about her. Just a brat, like her cousin," and yet he continued to stare.
"Uh huh... Which is why you're still staring and have such a sudden opinion on her and her cousin?" Genma shifted the grass stalk in his mouth as Raidou turned to him.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he forcefully told Genma. Genma calmly stared at his friend.
"I didn't mean anything by it, geez. It's alright to check out hot girls, I was just giving you crap." He then turned back to his paper work. All the names but Kakashi's and Naruto's were filled out.
Raidou suddenly spoke, "She was so hot and pretty..."
Genma stifled a laugh. Dear God, he had to get Raidou a girlfriend; his unconcealed staring was ridiculous.
-Konoha Forest Road-
It was night, and Gin and I had set up camp a ways off the road, away from bandits at Gin's request. He was a bit paranoid, but not overly. Anyone with the amount of precious stones and metals he had should be worried. We kept the fire fairly small, afraid we might accidently set the woods on fire.
Setting a large bowl over the fire, we put in some ingredients(pretty much whatever sounded good) and hoped the product would be as delicious as the individual ingredients. As we waited for it to cook, we started up our conversations again.
He was a very kind and wealthy man with a son, son-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law, and five grandchildren, one of whom was a Shinobi.
"What's his name?" I asked. It would be fun to meet him one day.
"Taho Ryuuga. He's handsome and single," he winked at me. We laughed, but then he caught sight of the ring on my finger and looked completely embarassed. "Oh, my! I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were married!"
I smiled at him. "Oh, don't worry, I'm not anymore." I fell silent. Was that soup done yet...? I got up to check. Anything to distract myself from that awful silence.
Gin looked at the ring a bit longer, deep in thought. "May I ask what happened?"
"Uh, yeah... Soup's done!" I poured some into a separate bowl for him, and another for me. A breeze rustled the leaves of the woods.
-Konoha Forest-
"Married? Oof!" The voice was cut off by an elbow to the gut and two shadows swiftly moved away as a breeze picked up. They landed on the road and lay down under a bush to eavesdrop on the pair by the fire.
"You didn't tell me tha-," a foot in the face.
"That's because I didn't know." The second voice commanded respect and immediate silence. The girl by the fire began to tell her story.