I do not own Naruto and/or God of War. I know this story will never be considered canon, but I can dream, damn it!
XXX
Kiba yawned loudly as he stretched his arms up towards the morning sky. The red sun had just barely begun to peak out above the horizon. The majority of Konoha was still quietly asleep in their beds while he waited at the northern gate for his sensei to arrive.
Close by the young Inuzuka were the other genin of Team Eight. While not as vocal about it, Kiba could tell they were just as tired as he was. Hinata was sitting upon one of the many benches that lined the sides of Konoha's streets. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap, and her head would occasionally bob down slightly as she nodded off, just to shoot back up a few seconds later when she awakened.
Shino stood the farthest away with his back leaning against a tall oak. His collared jacket and sunglasses hid any obvious signs of fatigue from sight, but Kiba saw the slight shifts of his friend stifling a yawn of his own. Each of the children had a bulging backpack with them. The sound of soft footsteps that accompanied their sensei's sudden approach shook the sleepy shinobi from their stupors.
"Good morning, students." Athena greeted.
"Good morning, Sensei." They chimed in unison.
"I am glad to see you are all here on time and ready to go. Our mission is in a small village on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice Paddies. Once we arrive there, we are to help the local law enforcement with their job for a month." Kiba grinned and pumped his fist.
"Awesome! Our first real mission and we get to chase down thieves and murderers for a whole month." The Inuzuka quickly shut his mouth when Athena directed her piercing gaze directly at him.
"That will be highly unlikely. Ibaraki's population has only recently ascended past the two thousand mark and possesses a very low crime rate." Hinata quietly spoke up in her timid voice, stammering occasionally.
"Umm, Sensei, i-if that's true, th-then why would they need us t-to help the police work?" The former goddess smiled at her student.
"An excellent question, Hinata." The girl turned bright red from the praise. "Many of the smaller villages in the Elemental Nations to act as law enforcement for two main reasons. The first is that it frees up manpower the town can use for other tasks such as farming, blacksmithing, etcetera. Secondly, shinobi are better equipped to handle an average criminal as well as any more serious threats that may turn up than regular enforcers." The three genin nodded in understanding.
"Normally, assignments such as this last anywhere from six months to a year." Athena continued. "Since this is the first time Ibaraki has approached Konoha for such a commission, however, the length has been greatly reduced."
"Allowing Ibaraki to decide whether it wishes to continue working with Konoha or do business with a different hidden village." Shino finished for his teacher, and the jounin nodded.
"Precisely, Shino. As such, I expect all of you to do your absolute best to ensure Ibaraki will continue its business with our village. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Ma'am." Her team responded.
"Then let us head out." Athena said. She turned and began walking towards the massive gateway with Kiba, Hinata, and Shino following in her wake.
XXX
"Name five countries that border the Land of Fire."
"The Land of Rivers, the Land of Hot Springs, the Land of Tea, the Land of Grass, and the Land of Waterfalls."
"Good. What landmark are did we pass close by yesterday, Kiba?"
"The Valley of the End."
"Correct, and why is it famous, Hinata?"
"Um, i-it is where the Sh-shodaime Hokage fought Ma-madara Uchiha for control of Konohagakure."
"Excellent. Now, Kiba, what is the major export of the Land of Rice Paddies?"
"Uhhhh...rice?"
"Incorrect, Shino?"
"Alcoholic beverages. More specifically sake, also known as rice wine."
"Oh, come on! That was a trick question."
It has been two days since Team Eight had set out on their first C-rank mission. During this time, Athena had suspended the children's daily physical training so that they would not use up all of their energy and be unable to walk afterwords. To compensate for this, the former goddess had taken to quizzing the three on various subjects while they traveled. There were no repercussions for answering wrong, but each child knew better than to be caught slacking off. Athena's chilling glare was enough to make even the most battle-hardened shinobi pause momentarily.
A short ways in front of the group, the faint outline of a large hamlet could be seen peaking out between the trees. The mid-morning sun saturated the leaves and gave a greenish tinge to anything under the canopies. The soft dirt road muffled the steps of the shinobi as Team Eight marched on; damp soil sunk down slightly at the weight and left shallow footprints in their wake.
Soon, the Konoha ninja had reached the outskirts of Ibaraki. There they saw an elderly man walking up to the wooden gate with a bulging cloth sack slung over his right shoulder. In his left hand he carried a large walking stick that stood taller than his hunched form. His bald head was covered by small cap to protect the sensitive skin from damage. He wore a light red robe with darker shade bordering the edges. The man's face was deeply wrinkled, and his crinkled brow almost hid his pale green eyes completely. Worn, leather sandals adorned his socked feet. He hummed softly as he walked, but stopped to talk with the civilian guard posted at the entrance. The two conversed for a short while before the younger man pointed at the approaching shinobi. When the man turned and saw them, a grin spread on his face revealing missing tooth on the right side of his mouth.
"Well, hello there, travelers. What brings the four of you out to our little town?" The elder called out.
"Good morning, sir. We are here to help your prefect in his or her duties. Would you mind taking us to their office?" Athena greeted in return. The man let out a loud cackle.
"I'll be damned. You must be them Konoha shinobi. Heh, yeah, I can show you were to go, seein' as it'd be me you're lookin' for." Kiba looked at him skeptically.
"Are you sure? But your so ol-ow." The Inuzuka stopped talking with a yelp after Athena flicked his ear.
"Do not be rude, Kiba." The man simply laughed again and waved his hand.
"Bah, forget it. It's part of the reason I've started hiring your type to help me out. Names Hiroshi Satou, but y'all can call me Hiro. Come on now, I'll show you around." He turned his back to them and started walking away. Athena was right behind him, motioning for her students to follow as well.
Inside the wooden walls, Ibaraki's main street was alive with activity. People walked briskly down the sides to their destinations, greeting each other as they passed. Wooden carts drawn by oxen crowded the middle as they dragged their loads around the village, out to the nearby fields, or back from them. Boisterous vendors cried out above the general din, naming their various prices.
Small houses bordered the edges of each street. All of them were brown in color though the shade varied depending upon what type of wood had been used in their construction. None were over two stories tall, save for one that stood at the very center of the village.
Said building stood atop a shallow hill overlooking the hamlet; this made the three story building seem even taller than it was. In the center was a smooth dome that connected to the two wings on either side and in back. The front was bare for the most part. However, a beautiful wood carving outlined the entrance, depicting what Athena guessed was a history of the village and a few local legends.
It was towards this building that the shinobi were led, but their progress was very slow. The elderly gentleman who was supposedly their client seemed unable to go more than two feet without having to stop and speak with someone passing by. Eventually, the prefect would remember what he previously been doing and excuse himself to continue on his way.
By the time the group reached the ornate doorway, the bright sun had almost reached its peak for the day. The old man reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys to let them inside. The doors opened seamlessly, and he ushered Team Eight in.
Hiroshi led them through the building to his spacious office where he leaned his walking stick against the back wall and sat down behind his worn desk. The large sack was plopped down at his side. He let out a long sigh of relief before addressing the shinobi gathered before him as Hinata quietly shut the door.
"Well now, I reckon it's time we got down to business." Kiba was about to mutter something under his breath but quickly remembered his sensei's warning. "Bottom line, I'm gettin' to damn old to be chasin' after youngin's all day long. That's were you four come in. Not much to do for the most part 'cept wander around the village an' make sure nothin' happens. Ibaraki's a pretty quiet place for the most part, but sometimes people just lose their heads over little things." Athena nodded in understanding.
"Where will our lodgings be during our stay here?" She questioned.
"Y'all'll be stayin' at my house fer the time bein'. We got plenty a room up on the old flat. My house is a little ways up yonder, near the north gate. Past that is the road up to the rice fields where we do most of ar' farmin'. You saw the shops on ar' way here. Far as payment goes, you-" Hiroshi halted in the middle of his sentence when the door to the office suddenly opened.
"-door's open, so he should be in here..." The young man who entered let his sentence trail off at the sight of the people in front of him. He had shaggy brown hair that hung down close eyes. He looked to be in his early twenties with a lean frame and tanned skin that came from many long hours toiling in the crop fields. His eyes were a deep, chocolate brown. He wore a dark green robe and wooden sandals. At his side was a short tantÅ in a shabby scabbard. "Umm, hey, Hiro. I was just looking for you."
"Kenji, what're you doin' here. I thought I gave you the week off." Hiroshi asked the boy. Kenji rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the floor.
"I was just, um...escorting the shinobi you hired to your office." Hiro's eyes narrowed at the young man.
"That'd be a mighty hard thing for ya ta do, seein' as they're already here."
"About that..." Kenji stepped to the side of the door and let the five people standing behind him enter.
The first was a middle aged man wearing a black jumpsuit and a gray tunic. A purple belt of twisted rope kept the bottom of his tunic held in place. He had slicked back, brown hair that touched the base of his neck. The strangest part about him were his hands and eyes. His hands were a metallic gray in color and full of luster. His jumpsuit hid how far up the coloring reached, but it was at least to his wrist. His eyes were completely white, with no defining features at all. The man wore an impassive expression with his lips drawn into a tight line.
The second person was a woman dressed similarly to the first man. Her eyes were light blue with a sadistic gleam within them, and her black hair was pulled into short pig tails that stuck out into the air. The standard kunai pouch was strapped tightly to her left leg She wore a cruel smile upon her ivory face, accentuated by her black lipstick and eyeshadow.
Behind those two was a younger girl in her mid-teens. She had a tan combat vest covering her torso and wore black and gray camouflaged pants. Her long black hair reached all the way down to the small of her back; the strands were kept together by a large purple bow at the end. She to had a kunai pouch, only hers was on her right side. A scarf with the same design as her pants was wrapped loosely around her neck.
The next to come inside was a young man about the same age as the previous girl. He had spiky, dark hair that pointed up and off the his left side. His eyes were dark with tiny pupils and irises. He wore a beige, baggy t-shirt with two black stripes around the shoulders and three prints of the symbol for death down the front. The sides of his face had worn, metal face guards running down their lengths. As with the girl before him, he wore a snake camouflaged scarf around his neck.
The final person entered slowly, his bow-legged stance not interfering at all with his purposeful strides. His back was hunched over greatly, making him look much smaller than he actually was. Bandages covered most of his face and head; only his left eye was left uncovered. He wore a large, gray poncho with long sleeves that hung down past his hands. He too had a snake patterned scarf around his neck. A straw raincoat protruded from the back of his scarf down to his knees.
All five ninja entered and settled themselves into the room. The two older shinobi stood in front with the younger three standing behind them. The one thing all five of them shared in common was the metal forehead protector they wore on their brows, a single eighth note adorning the center.
"Kotone? What're you doin' here?" Hiroshi asked. His tone and widened eyes conveying his sheer surprise at their appearance.
"Nice to see you too, geezer," The elder woman of the newcomers answered. She sent quick glare at Team Eight. "And I could be asking the same thing about those four Konoha shinobi." Athena met her gaze impassively.
"We were hired by Prefect Satou to help police Ibaraki." Kotone tapped her index finger against her cheek in a mocking thinking pose.
"Hmm, that's funny because we were hired to the same thing, just like we have been for the past two years." Hiro interrupted her before she could continue.
"I already told you last time y'all were here that I was endin' my contract with Otogakure. Konoha offered us a lower rate, and we need to save all the money we can what with the price of crops droppin' so low these days. Just who in the sam hell hired you back on?" Kotone only looked at Kenji, who was beginning to shuffle nervously. With a speed that hardly seemed to befit a man his age, Hiroshi jumped out of his chair, grabbed his walking stick, and smacked Kenji on the side of his head with it.
"Ahhh! You old coot, what the fu-Ow!" Hiro hit him with another blow.
"That secon' one was fer not watchin' yer language. The first one was fer goin' behind my back and hirin' a squad of shinobi with village money." The young man glared at the older one while rubbing his reddening skin. "Why in the name of Kami would ya do somethin' so stupid?"
"Because of them!" He shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Athena. "Kotone and her squad were doing just fine, but nooo, you had to go and hire some foreigners who know nothing about us, just to save a few bucks." Hiroshi stamped his foot in anger.
"You brat. Don't you get what you've done? If this ain't handled right, this could turn inta a war with Ibaraki in the middle."
"This wouldn't have had to happen at all if you had just stuck with Otogakure. Besides, I wouldn't have had to go behind your back if you actually gave me some power around here instead of having to sit back and watch you do all the work everyday." The boy spat.
"You know full well why I don't, Kenji."
"Why, because of that thing with Emiko?" His response only earned him another smack from Hiro's stick.
"No, that's not why, but you'd be smart to remember that tryin' ta fool around with yer boss' granddaughter ain't a very good idea. Now get out a my sight before I give you's another lump." Kenji was about to say something, but Hiro brandished his stick causing the younger man to quickly scramble for the door and out the building. Hiroshi slumped back down into his chair and let out a frustrated sigh.
"Nice to see Kenji hasn't changed much in the month we've been gone." Kotone giggled happily. The elderly man shook his head.
"That boy's gonna be the end of me, I swear. He's got a silver tongue in a pig's head, and nothin' good's ever come of it." He looked at Athena and bowed his head. "Please forgive my apprentice's actions. He means well, but sometimes he ain't got a lick of sense. It was nice seein' you again Kotone, but as you can see we already have things covered. Don't worry, y'all can keep the money Kenji payed ta make up fer the trouble he caused." The female shinobi shook her head.
"Sorry, Hiroshi, but the contract Kenji signed says that any attempt by Ibaraki to end the assignment early will mean you have to pay the Sound six times what he already did to hire us. It was the only way our leaders would agree to job here after you cut the last one short." Hiro muttered a string of curses under his breath.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Yer still only here fer the standard one month trial period though, right?" The Sound jounin nodded in confirmation. "Well at least the boy didn' screw with that part of it. Fine then, y'all can stay here and help the Konoha shinobi get familiar with the village. We'll sort the rest of this out at the end of the month." The old man cracked his back before standing up. "Might as well show you Konoha shinobi were you'll be stayin'. Kotone, you an' yer squad, and your friend there can come with if you want. I'm sure Miki'll be glad ta see y'all again." At that, Hiroshi grabbed his stick and bag and left the room. A somewhat tense moment passed between the two groups of shinobi before they followed behind the old man.
XXX
And...Scene! Well that is the first part of Team Eight's C-rank done. Bet none of you saw that coming. But you'll have to wait for the next part because next up is Team Ten, and if any of you can remember how the C-rank in Chapter Three went with Kratos, just imagine what this will be like.
Speaking of which, by show of hands, how many of you went back and reread the first chapter? Well those of you that did might have noticed something different about it. That's right, the entire chapter has been revised and updated. Nothing changed plotwise, but now it is just written a lot better. Seriously, have any of you ever gone back to something you wrote a while ago and thought "Man, I was not very good back then." Yeah, that happened to me when I went back and read through my first chapter again. So consider this my early Halloween gift to you guys, and I don't want to hear anything about how that is still almost a month off. Tell that to the stores around my home. Seriously, they've had their Halloween stuff out since mid-September!
Anyways, enough of my ramblings, I have to get to class before The Dark Void notices I'm not there.
Glock3bb, out!