Shortly after Naruto's dramatic exit from Tazuna's home, Nishira stepped out of the side room and was also heading out into the night.
"Oh Nishira, you look nice."
"Thanks, Sakura. I'll be back later."
She gave the young kunoichi a wink. Kakashi drank in the sight of the short skirt and long shapely legs, his breath hitching beneath his mask.
"Hold on a second, where are you going?"
Nishira turned with a puzzled look on her face.
"Out? On the mission you gave me?"
Her face had been scrubbed clean of the daily grime with the barest touches of makeup added. The fitted shirt that offered a window into an ample bosom was sharply tucked into a short skirt that had a dull gleam that leather gave in the yellow light. The bangle on her wrist made a tinkling noise as she let go of the door handle. Kakashi frowned, even though the sight before him was pleasing.
"Explain."
Nishira frowned at his disbelief.
"I'm going to the izakaya, that's likely where I'll find who I'm looking for."
"Your mission is to watch and track."
"What do you think I'll be doing?" Nishira's eyes flicked back and forth wondering what the objection was.
"Where is your gear?"
"Well, I packed a handful of kunai in my purse." Sakura was surprised, the purse was hardly larger than a paperback book. "Jutsu doesn't need to be carried. How do you watch people?"
"Shinobi typically watch from the shadows. Undetected by others."
"What happens if they go inside a restaurant then, do you just wait outside? Not everyone has jutsus to be invisible. If anything, that increases the chances of getting caught. If I'm a patron of the bar, I can watch and move around without being seen."
Sakura piped up.
"At the academy, we had to take classes specific for kunoichi and the teacher talked about taking on roles that we wouldn't be noticed. We did a flower arranging class, a fan dance class, manners and etiquette classes."
Nishira smiled. "Those are some good classes, but they don't go far enough. Sometimes you have to look like a patron of the establishment, or if appropriate, a prostitute. Thugs love telling their secrets to hookers."
Sakura blushed as did Kakashi as she gave Sakura another wink, but his voice dropped lower in his displeasure.
"I'm coming with you then. As your squad leader."
"I'm sorry, Kakashi sensei, but no way. You might as well be wearing a flashing sign; everyone will know who you are as soon as you walk in. You said it yourself, my mission is to watch and intercept. Besides you can't go anywhere without a crutch and I'm betting you didn't bring any plain clothes with you, so no."
Nishira sat at the bar in front of the open kitchen near the entrance. She nibbled on the edamame in a communal bowl on the gleaming countertop, keeping her eyes casually on the door. This was the last izakaya in the town that was dank enough to lay low in. And as the time ticked by and she sipped at the beer in the glass tankard in front of her slowly, she was beginning to doubt her method until a man entered with what Nishira knew immediately didn't belong. The items themselves were the same items you'd find a fisherman wearing, thick fabrics, slick to repel water, warm enough to shelter you from the harsh winds on the water. But the material was not one from this province, and he stuck out like a sore thumb. Amateur, Nishira thought to herself. She had her target.
Nishira took a generous swig of her beer and gave a smile to the chef who was nearby before getting up. She hiked her skirt up a little more barely covering her dignity and toddled towards the back where a sign pointed towards the toilets. As she passed the outsider her feet stumbled and as she caught herself, her hand gently ducking into the man's right jacket pocket, finding a key. It was obvious to her which pocket to search, since he'd held his tankard in his right hand. Nishira mumbled an apology and toddled off, swaying for the drunken effect.
The drunken act led to a tipsy stumbling entrance into the toilets. Which was quickly discarded once she realized the stalls stood empty. Nishira inspected herself in the mirror, feeling the buildup of a beer bubbling in her veins, her finger wiped some lipstick that had strayed from the lines, then she scrunched a section of her hair. Her other hand gripped the prize of her efforts, an inn key. The room number written on the tag attached to it with the inn name on the other side. After a long enough time, Nishira left the bathroom, passing by the target and using the passing of the server to stealthily dispose of the key back into the man's pocket. Sitting back on her stool, the chef caught her eye and tilted his head ever so slight to the left. Looking down at her tankard, she saw some bubbles in her beer that hadn't been there before. Her eyes slid left and then right, and the man on her right ducked his head and was watching her through the side of his eye. Nishira saw a menu in front of the man on her right, using her left hand to grab it, she let her elbow knock the glass cup, splashing the patron on her left. He cussed, standing, knocking the chair backwards. A waitress popped up with a cloth, profusely apologizing. Nishira stood, holding her hand for the cloth and began patting him roughly. She held a kunai in her other hand and as she got closer, the man grinning as the material patted close to his groin, when he was in the right position, she subtly pressed the kunai to his gut, leaning in to whisper.
"Listen to me and listen to me well. If I ever catch you drugging anyone's drink ever again, I will gut you from sternum to groin, do we understand each other?"
The man shoved her off and sneered as he made his way to the entrance.
"Bitch!" he muttered under his breath. But otherwise, no one was the wiser.
The waitress bowed her head several times apologizing. Nishira took her hands and gave her a sweet smile before pressing money in her hands, totalling at least triple what her bill would be. The woman began bowing with gratitude. Nishira picked up her purse and left.
Nishira stepped into the cool night, looking to the sky, she could make out the stars. They reflected so brightly on the bobbing surface of the river and as Nishira closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, the refreshing air was humid and nipped with a tinge of salt. She could hear the rushing water from there. She turned towards the inn, conveniently on the route back home. She stopped outside the building, seeing it's pointed roof reaching into the night sky. The wooden exterior was bitten by the sediment from the river, but the old wood stood strong as it carried the layers of rooms above it. Lanterns hung like fringe, dancing in the cool air, throwing its warm rays onto the moss laden cobblestones below it. Nishira reached for the sliding door.
As she silently stepped, she was greeted with oiled wood floors that gleamed and worn panels that held the ghost of regal designs that lay proudly displayed before. The lights had been dimmed because of the time, but Nishira looked down to only see two pairs of shoes left at the front. Some customers might have been out, like her target, but it was more likely that this inn was deeply struggling like every other business. The bridge was important and Nishira felt the warring of the want to abandon this place to Gato's mercy with the urge to fight back for all these people. Her thoughts wandered to Rani at the bridge, the trickster spent all his time either at the bridge or taking care of his sick wife. There was no other option than working long days and then coming home to them. The money wasn't good enough to take her to the mainland and get the help she needed, and it was slowly killing his wife. But he showed up each day with a smile and a terrible joke for his unwilling audience.
Nishira pulled off her heels and carried them in her hand. The front desk was empty of the innkeeper, so she lightly stepped towards the stairs. Just as she was reaching it, an old woman's voice called softly to her.
"Can I help you?"
Nishira turned to see a curious but friendly face. The woman's face was carved with the cruelties of time, but there was a gentleness in her eyes that prevailed. Her hair was back in a tidy bun. But as she walked towards Nishira, she saw the woman's pace was slow and painful. Her kimono was frayed at the edges, the colors, once vivid and beautiful, now muted like everything else in this town. Nishira gave her a bashful smile.
"Oh, I'm supposed to meet someone here, but it looks like I'm early."
"Who are you meeting?"
She gave another bashful smile.
"I didn't get his name, he just asked me to come here and that he'd show up soon." The smile on the old woman's face hardened.
"We do not allow people like you in here. This is a family establishment."
Nishira frowned, she hated what she was about to say but it was necessary.
"All due respect, Madam, but I'm just trying to make a living, just like you are. Please, I need to feed my son. I'm all alone and it's just me. There is no where else for me to go, unless you know of somewhere else I can get a job to support us?"
The old woman's frown didn't leave, but it softened.
"No, there are few jobs here, and even less for women I'm afraid. I am sorry you have to resort to this. I will allow you here once, but for the future, I do not want to see you here again."
Nishira gave her a low polite bow of gratitude before walking up the stairs, the old woman watching every step, disapproval plain on her face. She slipped out of view, silently climbing the steps and as she approached the right door, she lifted a leather pack from her purse, pulling out some tools that she slipped into the lock and moved until she heard the telltale click she wanted. The door handle opened under the gentle pressure of her hand.
Inside, a neat and tidy room lay before her, with sparse furniture. A table and two chairs and a single mattress laid out for the guest already. Nishira started her search with a quick look around the room. The bed was made, likely by the old lady she'd just met. The surfaces were clean and smooth, the few cabinets were empty. Nishira looked into the luggage, opening the bag from the top and trying not to disturb the contents, but her eyes scanned the lining of the bag under the top, realizing there was something underneath it. She ran her hand down the surface and felt the ridges of a knife, a wrapped-up wire for a garrotte, and a couple of vials to name only a few. It became increasingly clear that the man was not a broker, but instead the man to complete the job. This was surely getting interesting.
Leaving the luggage as it was, Nishira approached the last part of the room she wanted to look through, it would have the evidence she needed to confirm her theory. The table was littered with papers and that drew Nishira's interest. Quietly approaching it, her eyes memorizing the layout of the papers to keep them in the same place. She began rummaging through the pages, mostly invoices from business from other lands. She found a passport, and inside the photo was definitely of the man she'd seen, but the photo was too new, Nishira examined it closer and found only the tiniest indicator that the photo was added on top. But the job was as seamless as she'd ever seen. The name on the passport was Sumigoro and it was likely fake.
Before long she found it, it was a thin leaflet, but the cover showed a sigil she recognized as the variation of the Gato Transport. Usually, an arrow in the shape of a "G" in bright orange, the arrow on this one was similar but blue and made more of a circle and included the word logistics, which earned a wry smile from her. Of course, he thought of the disposal of his rivals and anyone who stood in their way as a logistical issue. Nishira flipped open the book to see faces of thugs, gangsters, and some citizens. She landed on a page that had Tazuna looking right at the camera. It was a younger picture, probably from before Gato's takeover and his threat to every citizen's livelihood. He usually did his homework before acting.
The contract was for 500,000 ryo. An exceedingly large number for a simple bridge builder. But when Nishira thought of the complete control Gato would have on the entire nation of the Land of Waves, it paled in comparison. He'd squeeze them of every ryo, hire them as workers as a necessity and pay them garbage wages. The nation would never be able to move from under his thumb, and they would be doomed to permanent poverty. Her gaze flicked to another page with a face she recognized, it piqued her curiosity.
She was lost in thoughts of pondering Gato's big plan with his bingo book, when an arm snaked around her neck. Her silent attacker applied pressure, cutting off her air supply. Her hands dropped the book and began clawing at his arms. She recognized the fabric as the same color as her target from the bar.
"Who the fuck are you?" The sound in her ear was gravelly and soaked with the heat of a threat. Nishira's response was a gurgle as his arm choked out more air. She kicked at table trying to find purchase, tipping over all the papers. Her attacker grunted as he lifted her higher to get a better angle to render her helpless, but Nishira kicked out her feet desperately trying to find a connection to alleviate the pressure.
Her foot found a surface and pushed with everything she had left, throwing them backwards. The man grunted as he hit a solid wall, and the impact on his head made him release his grip, throwing her haphazardly to the ground. Nishira hacked as the air invaded her lungs like a charging bull. The target from the bar stood over her.
"Who are you? Are you here for the contract too?"
Nishira glanced to look at the window, knowing that in the warm fall, they often left the window open a crack to let in the cool night air. She was pleased to see it opened just a crack. That old lady was dependable, and Nishira silently thanked her for her diligence. Nishira's hand wrapped around a stray letter opener that had fallen near where she'd been discarded.
"Wouldn't you like to know."
The sound was raspy through her bruised throat, but she threw the letter opener, nailing the man's shoulder, before snatching her purse and bolting for the window and launching out. The man was close on her heels but just missed grabbing her ankle. As Nishira leapt, she turned to look at the man with a cocky grin before disappearing into the dark.
After making sure she wasn't followed by taking a roundabout way, Nishira began walking back to the house on bare feet, her borrowed heels left behind. It wasn't long before she felt the smallest shift of air beside her, and then a towering form walking in with her step.
"That was fun, seems like a lot of work but I suppose it has its uses."
"Were you watching me?"
"Of course. Nishira, since we've met, you have continued to surprise me. I wanted to observe how you would act in a situation where you were solo."
"And?" the tone was dripping with sarcasm, and still a little raspy from her encounter. "How'd I do?"
"I'd say you did just fine. You seamlessly scouted your target, infiltrated his living space, and then got out without betraying the client or jeopardizing the mission."
"I'm pretty sure I got choked out and compromised the mission, sensei."
"Did you though? Your target believes you are also on the job to kill Tazuna. If anything, you'll act as a deterrent."
"Or it'll make him more reckless. The orders seem to be to wait until Zabuza kills him, and if he fails, to take the old man out. By then, this man may be part of the community, Tazuna won't stand a chance, and if it's not Zabuza or this guy, it'll be someone else. Gato will never stop, he never stops."
Kakashi grabbed her wrist, interrupting the tirade. His eye was soft and the grasp gentle.
"Nishira, please, tell me what you know."
"I really don't want to, Kakashi."
The tone changed, the dropping of his formal title was indicative of how she was addressing him, not as her teacher but simply as a person.
"He has done things, I've done terrible things. All I can tell you is that this man is bad news, and we would all be better off if we went home and let it play out as intended. Kakashi, please believe me that all I want is for none of you to get hurt. Please. Please tell me we can go home."
The squad leader looked at his squad mate, her arm was shaking in his grasp, her eyes flickered as they moved through memories of the past, and something deep within that scared her more than anything else.
"Why are you afraid?"
"The question is why aren't you? You don't know this world like I do. People who do things like this will do whatever it takes to survive. They are desperate to get the job done, and they will stop at nothing even if it means their lives. I cannot let those kids experience that."
Kakashi was surprised at the statement and the emotions that welled behind it, her voice becoming thick, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.
"Those children, they have never been outside of the village. It is a dark, cruel place where people don't care about ideals or honour. They fight dirty because it's how they survive. They deserve to be at home with their parents and loved ones. They deserve to be told at night that the world is not such a mean place and that they can achieve their dreams. They are literal children and you have given them weapons and trained them from when they are old enough to walk how to kill. Tell me how the village is different than anywhere else?!"
She furiously wiped the tears as they stubbornly fell against her will.
"I will stay, and I will fight to continue the mission until I die. I have lived that, learned that, and will honour my commitments. But Kakashi, please, keep those kids safe. Get them out of here. They are in way over their heads."
Nishira turned to leave, but Kakashi gripped her wrist harder.
"Now, it's your turn to listen to me, Nishira. Do you think those 'children' have the luxury of going home and living their lives ignorant of the real world? They were born after a period of war, after the third great shinobi war. They are armed to kill because that is the only way to keep them safe. It is the only way they know. Your ideals are charming but are ultimately unrealistic. Naruto and Sasuke are orphans, I am an orphan, we didn't have parents to 'kiss us on the forehead' and tell us it would be alright. I fought because I had to, to survive. Which you seem to know enough about. It is a universal truth that if you take away those weapons from them, they will die. They would be defenseless in a world that wants their death, at your bidding. Your care for them is great, and I honour your intentions, but Nishira, they simply can't be."
Kakashi didn't dare let go of her arm and watched as his pupil's face tightened as it shut down.
"I'm sorry to have bothered you, sensei." The monotone words were a betrayal.
"Oh no, I will not tolerate such flippancy, not even from you. You try every shred of patience I have, every bit of self control with that attitude, and that infuriating way you shut everyone out. Sometimes I just want to shake some sense into you, make you see-"
Seeing him through the stinging hot tears, falling despite her better judgement.
"See what? That even though it's obvious you want something from me, you can't be with me because I'm trash, and you're the village hero. And maybe I'm being stupid because I've been treated like crap, but it seemed like you were also into it. I'm a nobody and that's okay, give me your orders and teach me but I can't- I can't do this with you."
Her tirade was interrupted by his rough hand pushing her towards a smooth stone wall, followed by his body, pressing her into the stone, his knee pressing in between her thighs. The leather of her skirt stretched to accommodate it and as he raised his knee a little higher, it rose with it, revealing the barest line of her panties. The look in his eye, the intensity of it, reminded Nishira of the battle with Zabuza, but this serious gaze that made her heart stutter was for her alone this time.
"Nishira, if you think that you're trash, you couldn't be more wrong."
Nishira gasped as he generated light friction between her thighs, moving his knee in a rhythmic motion. His face filled her whole view. "If you think I'm using you, then you're definitely wrong. I would have taken you right then and there if I could."
His hand grazed her breast.
"And you come here with this tiny skirt and low-cut top, taunting me, driving me crazy. And these lips," he let out a groan and moved his knee, Nishira bit her lip to keep from crying out at the warmth spreading from her core. "These lips that I want to taste all night, and every day after it. Nishira, you don't know a damn thing."
Her hands clutched his arms that framed her desperately, holding herself up as her legs shook from the insistent pressure at the crown of her thighs. A rich warmth filling her belly, as her anger slipped away and what remained was need, a parched and crackling need for him. He rested his forehead on her shoulder, the smallest puff of hot breath coming through the mask sending goosebumps along her collarbone.
"I would take you right here if I could. But," she groaned at the last word. "I can't because it would be wrong. You are my student, my stubborn and infuriating student, who I can't get out of my head." The flush in Nishira's cheeks intensified as she was powerless in his embrace. "I am your teacher, and it would be wrong of me to use my power just to fuck you right here. I will not compromise your opportunity to learn from me because of how insanely gorgeous and tempting you are."
"Please." The word was pathetic on her tongue, but it just tumbled out.
"No matter how much you beg me, I won't give in. It'll kill me not to, but for your sake, I won't."
He pulled away from her, and the cold air came like a splash of freezing water on her skin, which rippled with a powerful shiver. The need in her belly roiled in being unsatisfied, like a tiger pacing. Nishira opened her eyes as the spell began to end and in front of her, Kakashi looked as infuriatingly composed as ever.
"Come on, you need some sleep before work tomorrow."
He began a slow walk towards their host's home, giving Nishira the time to compose herself before joining him.
