A/N: Well, it's been a little while so I feel it's time for a new chapter. So, small time skip is in place. Minor, really. Just skipping over some of the more mundane training. Other than that, we begin the first arc of Absent Serpent.

Two Weeks Later

Yukio kneeled from exhaustion as sweat ran down his face. The hole in the tree was bigger, but not by much. Yukio stood and rolled his shoulder. His arm felt like rubber. He turned to see Denji having some fun with a new Earth jutsu, making spikes or something. Arine was busy working with her recently found out kekkei genkai. It seemed she could make fog at will, which would explain what happened that first night. Aika was helping her develop some genjutsu to use with it. It seemed to work in the same way as the Hidden Mist jutsu, just that Arine could manipulate it more finely and do some more things that Aika promised to cover at some point.

The white haired boy simply walked back to the cabin steps, sat down, drank some water, and took a needed rest. Aika wasn't doing much with them any more in regards to group practice, it was all more individual. And with Arine acting the way she was, Yukio was kind of glad for it. Tensions were growing worse between Denji and Arine. Arine wouldn't stop talking about it if she and Yukio were the only ones up at night. And if Yukio and Denji were up, Denji did his fair amount of bitching. However, Denji usually took the opportunity to talk about women he'd meet.

"You do realise that one of the women you hope to meet in the future is going to turn out to be a succubus of sorts, right?" Yukio had questioned Denji's growing hormones last night. They were 12, they shouldn't need to worry about this.

"Maybe, but I'm a lover, not a fighter."

"And yet, you're here with us, learning how to fight." Denji had no response.

"You stupid boy." Yukio muttered in the present. He cared for his friends, he really did. But they were acting like, well, children. Though sometimes Yukio sometimes couldn't tell if he was being stuck-up or if he was right. Either way, those two were getting to him. Bitching and moaning on both sides. About Arine's lack of humour or Denji's stupid jokes and innuendos. He brought the issue to Aika, but she was no help.

"Let 'em sort it out." she said. "They'll get over it eventually." Yes, well, eventually was beginning to look a long ways away. Yukio could only hope that if they entered combat, their fighting would stop enough to deal with an opponent.

"Hey, earth to Yukio!" Yukio's head jerked up to see Denji snickering at him. "Dude, Aika said we're done for the day."

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking." Denji chuckled.

"You think way too much. Besides, it's time to eat. And Aika said she has an announcement." An announcement? Oh, this was going to be good. Yukio stood and followed Denji to where Aika was setting up a small fire. Yukio looked around and noticed that it was almost dark. How did he miss that?

"All right my young ones, gather 'round." Aika said, lighting the collection of sticks with a kunai and some flint. It caught quickly and soon a small fire was blazing before the circle of four. "I got our first 'mission'."

"A mission?" Denji asked. Yukio simply sat and let the heat of the fire wash over him. He was too exhausted to do anything at this point.

"Yes, a mission. From the details, it's just a simple bounty hunting mission. We look for the guy, bring him back, get the reward money, simple. It's C-Rank at best."

"C-Rank?" Arine asked.

"Yeah. There's a mission system the villages use. it goes from D, which is the least dangerous. Almost like paid chores. Then C, then B, then A, and finally S. Basically, avoid S until you're way more skilled. Otherwise, you'll likely die. I've seen too many people walk into missions thinking they can handle it. Those missions were never completed." Aika stared each child in the eye. "But don't worry, I'll increment our little excursions as much as possible."

"So are we going to be, like assassins or something?" Denji wondered excitedly. Arine grumbled something under her breath as Yukio simply stared into the fire.

"Well, kind of. Depends on if the target is wanted dead or not. If they're wanted alive, it's most likely either minor or the client has a very good reason for wanting them alive. Now if it's dead or alive, you'll likely get paid more for them being alive. Otherwise, you're free to choose. And a target wanted dead is self explanatory."

"Have you ever had a bounty put out on you, Aika?" Denji asked. Aika glared up at him, making Denji look extremely guilty. Aika sighed.

"Once. It wasn't a pretty experience." and she left it at that. Yukio simply pondered. As grateful as he was, their teacher obviously wasn't one to like her past, whatever it may be. He wondered if maybe something similar happened to her like it did- no, no. Don't think of that. Arine's screams still troubled him. Now that he could see, he was beginning to wonder what all the sounds he heard before were. The screams, the squelches, the clanging, the shuffling, all of it. Yukio had a sense of unease. Aika was talking about a "simple nab 'em and tag 'em" kind of mission. The guy might put up a fight, but not much was what she said the bounty said.

"And that's the basic gist of the mission. Any questions?" Yukio couldn't think of any, and neither could his peers. Aika concluded the meeting and proceeded to hand around ramen cups. They boiled some water, filled the cups, and had a hearty, yet quick, supper before retiring to bed. Unfortunately for Yukio, Arine was up later this time.

"At least he wasn't bad today." she complained. Yukio was simply sitting up right, not really caring anymore. Two weeks of constant bickering was boring.

"I know." just keep agreeing, they'll let you sleep eventually.

"Well, I just hope he isn't too bad on the mission. Aika says we're heading near the middle of the Land of Fire. Apparently it's somewhere kind of near the Hidden Leaf village." Yes, Aika had mentioned the village that resided in the Land of Fire, yet neglected to expand much upon it. Odd as it was, Yukio had learned to let Aika do her thing. No need to pressure her.

"Yes." just keep agreeing.

"Anyway, I'll get some sleep. Big day tomorrow and everything." Arine bid Yukio good night and turned away from him and started sleeping. Yukio kept sitting, thinking. About Aika, the village whose name she didn't say, this target. and his growing sense of unease. Yukio looked at the price on his head and it seemed somewhat high. Especially for someone who only owed some debts. He told Aika but she simply said

"He's probably owed several debts to a gang and they're probably paying more than the usual so they can have fun torturing him. However, I'll take that into account just in case. Nice spot." And then she sent him to bed. Yukio didn't trust this bounty. Something was iffy. He could sense it. Though he couldn't explain it, that was the problem. It kept irking him.

"Damn it. If only I had all the information." Even though Aika said what they had was all the info, Yukio still felt it was…. incomplete. No, not incomplete, just….. off. He was at a loss for words. It was just so slightly off that it set him on edge. Yukio rubbed his temples, something Aika said helped with headaches. He found it somewhat calming and often did it once Denji or Arine had finished complaining and went to sleep. It helped enough in removing the irritation. Maybe that was it, he was simply too irritated and that was bugging him. Maybe.

Yukio laid down on his back, knowing he wouldn't get rid of that off-putting feeling he had about this. A wind brushed against the cabin, rustling trees and the leaves. Denji was snoring and Arine was relatively silent, save for the occasional airy sigh. An overall peaceful set of sounds. Yukio just kept staring at the wooden ceiling above him, blanket over his horizontal form. He wasn't immune from the slight bulk up that came with training. He felt stronger, just not as strong as he'd like. He wasn't going to be muscle bound, that was looking more like Denji's route, but he still felt there was a lot of room for improvement. Yukio sighed. He closed his eyes, cutting himself off from seeing the ceiling, but allowing himself to surrender to the coming slumber.

He may have dreamt, he couldn't remember, but he still felt uneasy as he woke up. Arine and Denji were civil as they all dressed. Mostly since Yukio ushered Denji out of the room before an argument about whether Denji could be there or not occurred. Arine looked to be in a semi-better mood as she walked out, as if in thanks for Yukio's precaution. Yukio mostly did it for himself, but he felt that it benefitted the group as a whole. When they all assembled before a groggy Aika, she gave them a once over.

"All right, you guys are good. Just let me get set and, uh, here." she handed them a short list. "Some things you should definitely pack. But we should keep our supplies light and small, but also make sure we have enough. You know what, pack a little extra of everything. Just in case." she looked at Yukio, who still had that damned uneasiness. but it seemed Aika was taking it into consideration and allowed for a margin of error. That was good. Preparation was important.

Yukio and co. spent about an hour packing all they needed into small but easily used packs Aika had stored. Knives, tags, food supplies, water canteens, the works. Aika, however, had a little something extra. A little "something something" she called it. No one argued. Soon, as the sun was rising, Aika and her charges stepped out from the cabin and set out on their first mission as a group.

"You know, I never thought travelling would be boring." Denji muttered as the group trudged along the dirt path. The trees shaded them somewhat, but it wasn't much. The group had traveled for a couple hours now and Denji was already feeling the effects.

"Well, as someone who's done a lot of travelling herself, you get used to it." Aika reassured him. Denji simply sighed and kept up pace. "Although…" Aika looked around. "We could use a break. Let's find a shady spot and have a drink." Arine pointed out a spot and the group set their packs down and popped open their canteens.

"Gah! Now that hits the spot!" Denji was happy to get a break. Yukio was as well, even with that niggling sensation in the back of his mind. The break helped him take his mind off it for a bit. Aika kept watch while the trio of children conversed. Even Arine was in semi-high spirits. They mostly talked about what was to come.

This is nice Yukio thought. Just us, sitting here like before, talking. Yukio was so wrapped up in this, he almost didn't notice Aika blocking the knife thrown at them.

"Kids, get ready." Aika's voice was low and stern. The trio stood, readying weapons. They saw nothing that showed foreign presence except the old looking kunai on the ground. Yukio closed his eyes for a second, channeling chakra into them, before reopening them and scanning the area. He saw four hunched figures moving somewhat clumsily behind the brush.

"Aika, right in front of us, four of them." Yukio whispered, turning his infrared off. Aika taught him the basics about controlling his chakra with his eyes so he could switch it at will.

"All right." Aika nodded, readying a kunai. With expertise, she threw it straight into the brush, resulting in a loud yell of pain.

"You bitch!" A man dressed in brown rags came forth, scarlet blood staining his outfit. "You got me in the shoulder!" Aika smiled.

"Maybe you shouldn't try and hide sloppily. Then I might not hit you." she called back. The bandit was carrying a spear in his good arm, which he leveled at Aika.

"You're gonna pay for that." He was about to charge when Aika dashed forward. She quickly pulled the kunai from his shoulder before almost literally running circles around him, slicing with the small knife and leaving several gashes on the man's body. He couldn't do anything, Aika was clearly out of his league in speed. That was when Aika whipped around, elbowing him in the face hard enough to knock a tooth out. The bandit stumbled as Aika kicked forward into his knee, audibly breaking it. The man let out a scream for but a second, as Aika appeared behind him, quickly stabbing the kunai into the back of his neck and back out before jumping back to her charges. The bandit fell over, dead.

"And that, dear children, is why you always go for the kill with an enemy. Especially filth like these bandits." as if on cue, the other 3 bandits came forward. One carried another pole-arm weapon that had a crescent blade on top while the other two had almost brand new looking swords. "And I think now is as good a time as any to see how far you've come in two weeks."

"Are you sure Aika?" Denji asked, somewhat nervous. All three were.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be here so no worries." And with that, the bandits charged, screaming loudly. The trio charged forward as well, each meeting an opponent. Denji and Yukio each went at a sword carrier while Arine went trident against bladed staff.

"Come here you little brat!" the first sword swinger yelled. Denji rolled under his first wild swing. He stopped rolling and jumped up, punching the man as hard as he could in the face. The crunch under Denji's fist was audible. The man backed away, groaning. "You broke my nose!" Denji wasn't immune from the pain either. His hand hurt like a mother. He was flapping it in an attempt to get rid of the pain. However, the screaming of the sword wielder charged. Denji quickly made some hand signs, hoping they were right.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" He slammed his hand into the ground, just as the bandit brought his sword down. the short earthen wall bashed his arms up, making him lose his sword and sending it flying. As he stumbled to keep his footing, Denji pulled a small scroll from one of his jacket pockets. "I hope this works." he muttered, channeling chakra into his hand and summoning the warhammer Aika gave him. It did work, the heavy hammer landing on the ground with a thud. Denji picked it up and ran around the wall at his opponent, who was picking up his sword. He turned only to see Denji spin his body around and swing the heavy weapon into his chest, shattering several of the man's ribs and sending him on the ground. He was trying to breath right when Denji came up and swung the hammer at his head. There was a wet crunch as the bandits' head slumped in death. Denji stood there, panting, and looked at the progress of his friends.

"You little bitch!" the bandit swung his weapon down at Arine. She dodged easily and jabbed at him again, pricking his skin with her trident points. This guy was kind of big and wasn't easy to simply knock out with a weapon in one blow. Arine jumped back and weaved some handsigns.

"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!" Arine spewed out a stream of water into the man's face, making him splutter and back away. Arine waited until enough was on the ground to make a puddle. Weaving some more hand signs, she tried her most recently learned jutsu. "Water Style: Water Whip!" from the puddle Arine made with her previous jutsu, a tendril of water emerged before shooting up. It slammed into the bandits' hands, knocking the pole-arm in the air before slamming into his face once, twice, three times, delivering bruises. Arine ran up and leveled her trident before thrusting it forward right into the man's crotch.

"Gaaaaaah!" was all he said as Arine wrenched her weapon from the man's punctured genitals. He fell to his knees and Arine took the opportunity to skewer his face. His arms slumped forward and as Arine pulled her trident out, he fell over, dead.

"Stop dodging!" Yukio was panting and didn't consider the order. He was busy trying to figure out this guy's way of attacking. It seemed to only be wide swings sideways and slashes. Yukio charged again with no intention of attacking. As the man swung his sword down, Yukio jumped out of the way.

So, if I run up, he swings from top, down. If I come in from the side, he swings in a horizontal arc. So I should run up, but turn at the last second, slam my spear into his knee, turn while behind him, run up and stun him. Then finish him off with a spike to the back of the head.

Yukio pulled his left spear and flicked it out. He ran at the bandit again, who looked really tired of this. He swung down again, but Yukio turned at the last minute, swinging his spear and making contact with the knee. The bandit let out a yelp as he knelt. Yukio skidded to a stop, put his spear back, and made some hand signs while running up to him.

"Lightning Style: Spa-" the bandit turned, swinging his sword. Yukio dropped and skidded under the swing.

Damn it! I didn't think he'd swing again!. Yukio flicked his wrist, sending one of his needles into his hand. He threw it, managing to spear the bandit's wrist. He let the sword drop as Yukio ran up, making the handsigns again.

"Lightning Style: Spark!" He thrust his hand forward, touching the man's chest and sending a surge of electricity through him. The bandit started shaking with the electricity as Yukio jumped over, him. The white-haired boy pulled his right spear from the small of his back, flicked it out, and with a yell, thrust it into the back of the bandits' head. He pulled it out and let him fall over. Arine and Denji joined him as he pulled the thick metal needle from the deceased bandits' wrist, wiping it down, and putting it in one of the many inside pockets he had while putting a fresh one in the mechanism.

"Well, that was kind of fun." Denji said, a grin on his face. Yukio chuckled and Arine even smiled.

"Yeah, it was fun to spear that guy in the crotch." Denji stared for a second before sliding a foot away from his friend.

"Well done kids." Aika said, walking up. "Denji, try and avoid hurting yourself during battle if you can. It doesn't help. Arine, you took a bit too long before trying anything. I'd suggest faster action. And Yukio, you've still got a lot to learn about predicting actions during battle if you didn't think he'd swing while you were behind him. Okay?" All three nodded, Yukio cursed internally over that. "However, what's done is done. And I gotta say, you kids are learning quite well. I'm impressed. I think that with a few more years under your belts, you'll become deadly shinobi. Right now, however" she motioned to the bodies. "We gotta get rid of these. So let's shove them in the woods and let the carrion birds deal with them."

Each took a body and dragged it into the woods. They couldn't do anything about the blood on the blood on the ground, however. Aika simply said to ignore it. The group then moved up quite a ways before taking a much needed water break that wouldn't be interrupted by stray criminals. After words, the group packed up and started on their way once more.

A/N: Yes, this took a month. I'm lazy as shit. But don't worry. Next Week, I'm going on a spree. I'll have a chapter of each of my three on going stories banged out that week. So the next AS chapter may be a little shorter, I dunno. It may be longer. Who knows. Anyway, til next time.