Title: Are You Ready?
Chapter: 10 – Team 8
Author: Killaurey
Rating: T
Word Count: 3366
Summary: AU. Sakura gives up on Kakashi as a teacher after Team 7 falls apart. Too bad fate, enemy ninja, and sheer bad luck have other plans.
Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me. It's Kishimoto's and I just play with it. Part 10 of ? Unbeta'd.
Notes: Kurenai took over this chapter. Like. A lot.
The Yamanaka Clan is one of the smallest Clans in Konoha. It's more than just her and her dad but it's not much more—nothing like the sprawling, tangled mess of the Nara Clan or the Akimichi Clan's steady expansion down the generations.
Usually, it doesn't bother Ino (the joke 'quality over quantity' is one she's said before) but tonight, home at her father's request, Ino does sort of wish that there were a few more cousins to talk to because then maybe a few of them her age and status would be available. Instead, all she has is a handful of cousins much younger than she is, still in the Academy (and one too little to even be in the Academy), and while she loves them, she can't really talk to them about this.
And the adults, of course, but that's its own separate thing.
"Tsubaki-chan, don't put that in your mouth!" Ino says, swooping in to pluck her littlest cousin up and away from the lily of the valley. "No, that's bad for you! Poisonous."
Tsubaki, all adorable curls and dimples, giggles, sticking her hand in her mouth instead of the flowers.
"You know better than that," Ino says sternly, refusing to let her heart melt the way it wants to. "Tell me what lily of the valley does to people."
She's 'home' tonight but, really, that means the whole Clan (who aren't on missions or otherwise occupied) are hanging out in the main greenhouse. It might as well be home, though, since most of her earliest memories revolve around this very same place.
"Heart problems!" Tsubaki crows, flinging her arms around Ino's neck. "Death to bad shinobi!"
"Very good," Ino says approvingly. At Tsubaki's age 'heart problems and death' is a good answer. Detail will come with age. "So that means don't eat that, okay? Are you a bad shinobi?"
Tsubaki shakes her head, giggling. Ino kisses her chubby little cheeks and sets her down—safely away from the lily of the valley and their enticing red berries.
Ino sweeps the row she's in with a critical gaze—Erika and Sumire are weeding and Tsubaki makes a toddling beeline for them. Shobu's slipped out of her row, but she can hear him talking to Hinagiku about homework the next row over.
It's a quiet, peaceful moment and Ino doesn't trust it.
Oh, sure, everything's fine—except for the fact that she knows good and well that she, and her team change, are the subject of discussion tonight. The adults dropped the kids on her and are busy talking in the back area.
Some of the older cousins, adults but not parents, had given her sympathetic glances as they'd slipped by.
I think I'd rather be with Sakura.
But Sakura couldn't keep hosting her the way she had been and Ino hadn't missed the way Sakura had been guiltily relieved when Ino had said that she was going home for the night. Sneaking herself in without either of Sakura's parents knowing… well, that was a risk and Ino got that.
Besides, this was her mess and she had to deal with it.
Which would be a lot easier if I was in there instead of out here.
The very worst part is that she's equal parts relieved and annoyed that she's not in with the adults. It's frustrating being relegated to 'babysitter' when it's her issues everyone's talking about but at the same time, since they're talking about her issues, she's grateful to not have to be put under a microscope.
There's nothing quite like having a choice be thoroughly dissected by a family of mind readers—they can track every process that went into that choice.
It would be creepy, but she's used to it. She does the same thing to other family members. Minds wander, after all. It's just a little more purposeful in her family.
There's the tinkling of the bells over the door and Ino frowns.
"Nara at the door!" Erika announces, even as Ino realizes that she even knows which Nara are there. Her stomach drops.
"Akimichi too!" hollers Shobu.
"I'll get it," she says, as eldest in charge. "Sumire, keep an eye on Tsubaki."
Then, despite the fact that it's the last thing she wants to do, Ino steels herself and heads over to get the door.
"Shikaku-san, Chouza-san," she says, smiling as she pulls the door open. The smile feels brittle. "Please, come in. Dad's in the back with the others, you know the way."
Chouza rumbles a greeting as they go past, Shikaku with a nod. That doesn't bother her.
What bothers her is the way that Shikamaru and Chouji sweep past her too, following their fathers and ignoring her. Shikamaru's face is set, Chouji looks down.
Ino shuts the door.
"Right," she says. Of course they'd be invited into the meeting that she's not. "Right."
She'd chosen this. It still hurts.
Kurenai is tired, filthy, and glad to see the gates of Konoha again.
There's a certain exhilaration to going on missions that challenge her mind, body, and heart but once the job is over, her task accomplished, she wishes that there was a way to get home faster than her own two feet could carry her.
But no horse can out-pace a trained shinobi over the course of a day and flying, well, unless there's a bloodline that allows that…
She might as well keep dreaming.
Entry back into Konoha is a simple matter of having her chakra signature confirmed—it's more dependable than checking her paperwork, though that's checked as well—and then, once she's cleared for entry and confirmed to not be wounded enough to require assistance (there's a burn on her upper left arm but she's bandaged it and it's not terrible) she's left to go about her own business as she'd like in the village.
The night air is cool and brisk. Not cold enough to cause discomfort but, rather, just enough to make her walk refreshing. Though perhaps that's just because she's back in the village and can relax for the first time since she'd left. That, alone, is refreshing even if she remains tired and in dire need of a bath.
It's tempting to head straight home but Kurenai knows the routine as well as her team does. She needs to give them time and, in knowing so, she prepared her report the night before and heads instead to the mission desks.
Though she does slant a considering glance at some of the late night food stands. She hadn't been hungry until she'd smelled food and now she feels like she's starving. Still, Kurenai refrains.
As soon as she'd reached the village, one of Shino's kikaichū would have alerted him that she was back. He, in turn, would have alerted Kiba and Hinata. She doesn't know who came up with the whole routine-the first time it had happened, she'd been surprised and touched. The surprise of it had worn off but being touched and, yes, grateful never left.
Three in the morning means that a great deal of the village is asleep but no hidden village ever truly sleeps, so Kurenai isn't surprised when she takes to the rooftops that there are other shinobi going about their own business.
Missions desk is nearly empty, the desk Chuunin there looking bored as she drops in, leaving her report in their capable hands.
"Yuuhi-san," one of them says, "Hokage-sama would like to speak with you."
"I see," she says, with scarcely a pause, though she's startled. "Is she free now?"
"She's currently in a meeting with Hatake-san but will be free shortly."
Kurenai thanks the desk Chuunin and, rather than head home the way she wants to, heads up to wait on the Hokage's pleasure. The Chuunin who guard her doors nod their greetings but say nothing as Kurenai leans against the wall and waits, her tired mind kicking back into gear.
It can't be another mission already, not when she's just gotten back to the village. Genjutsu specialists are rarely in high enough demand to have so little downtime and she's a Jounin-sensei besides. Her first priority, in the eyes of both the village and her Hokage, should be to her team. Admittedly, like many of her peers she's been pulled from a great deal of her usual duties temporarily due to the upheaval but…
Perhaps it's something to do with her team? Fear clenches at her and Kurenai pries it back ruthlessly. Her Genin are a strong, solid team and Genin-only teams are currently running missions solely in the village if their sensei is otherwise occupied.
The door to Hokage-sama's office opens and Hatake leaves it. He does a blink of a double-take at her and she eyes him back, even as he raises one hand with a 'yo' at her in passing. Kurenai nods back to him but—
He'd seemed different.
"Yuuhi-san, come in," Hokage-sama calls, shaking Kurenai out of her thoughts.
The meeting doesn't take long—and, quite honestly, could have waited—but as she leaves to finally, finally head home, Kurenai is smiling faintly. She takes the stairs up to her apartment even though she's tired because her sensei had beaten it into her head, back when she'd been nothing but a Genin, that elevators were death traps, and once in the hallway of her apartment, that faint smile grows.
Her team is waiting for her by the door, despite the hour.
At her approach, Hinata stands up and beams at her, Kiba rubs the back of his head, and Shino nods. Kiba is holding a bag of groceries. Akamaru shakes himself out of a nap and comes trotting over to her.
"Welcome home, Kurenai-sensei," Hinata says, her pale eyes scrutinizing her even as Kurenai checks them over, too, to make sure they're alright.
"I'm home," she says, kneeling down to pet Akamaru, briefly, the pup giving her face a quick swipe of his tongue with a happy little yip before trotting back over to Kiba, his tag wagging. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"You were detained," Shino says, both a question and a statement of fact.
"Yes," Kurenai says, unsealing her door and gesturing for the kids to enter her place first before she steps inside, breathing in the fresh air of her home, and locking the door behind her. "Hokage-sama wished to inform me that beginning tomorrow Team 8 will be on active duty again—with all four members."
Hinata claps her hands together even as Kiba lets out a whoop as he heads for the kitchen.
"That is good news," Shino says, and she can tell he's smiling even as he follows Kiba.
"It's wonderful news," Hinata says. "Will we be meeting later today?"
Kurenai considers that even as she makes her way to her bathroom, Hinata trailing after her. She's tired but…
She's missed her team.
"You three are already here," she notes. "It seems silly to send you all back home."
The hours are strange but shinobi operate on strange hours. It's good for her team to have their schedules shaken up a bit.
Hinata laughs softly.
"I'm going for a shower," Kurenai says. "When I'm done, would you look at my burn? It's not serious," she adds, as Hinata frowns. "But it will need a new dressing."
"Yes, of course," Hinata says, her slim shoulders straightening.
And, Kurenai thinks as she steps under the stinging spray of her shower, it will give her a chance to ask Hinata about whatever it is that's bothering her. Something is, she'd noticed the glances the boys had exchanged, and the way that Hinata had her fingers curled around the edges of her sleeves.
It's perhaps twenty minutes later that Kurenai sits on her bed, hair wrapped up in a towel, and wearing loose draw-string pants and a sleeveless tank top. Hinata's turned the lights on and now studies the burn on her upper arm intently.
"It's healing well," Hinata says, after another moment. "It shouldn't leave a scar."
"I didn't think it would," Kurenai admits as Hinata picks out of her salves to use. "It's good to be sure, though."
Beauty, after all, was a weapon to a good kunoichi. As a genjutsu master, she didn't need her own beauty but, since she had it, she wanted to keep it. A tiny vanity.
The salve smells strongly of blackberries and it's cool to the touch as Hinata gently applies it.
"Ryo for your thoughts," Kurenai says, keeping her voice light and easy. "You're very serious tonight. What's the matter?"
Hinata blushes slightly, embarrassed at being caught out, but Kurenai just waits patiently as Hinata works her way through both treating the burn and organizing her thoughts at the same time. All three of her Genin prefer that she be blunt rather than dance around a subject.
How they respond after that, well, that depends on the Genin. Hinata takes her time to think and would rather be doing something with her hands as she does so, Kiba usually plays with Akamaru while he talks about his problems, and Shino prefers to have her undivided attention as he answers with nothing to clutter either of their minds.
"Nothing's the matter with me or with Kiba and Shino," Hinata says as she wipes her hands with a cloth, caps the salve, and reaches for the bandages.
Kurenai inclines her head slightly with a tiny smile. She appreciates that reassurance.
"Wh-while you were away," Hinata says, stumbling over her words before she takes a deep breath. "Ino-san transferred over to Hatake Kakashi's Team Seven."
She hadn't been sure what she'd expected but… that hadn't been it. "I'm… sorry?"
Hinata smiles faintly. "Ino-san has left Asuma-san's Team Ten and joined Team Seven."
Even hearing it a second time doesn't make it make more sense but now she knows why Hinata's unsettled. Hearing it makes her feel unsettled. The 'Rookie Nine' have gone through enough upheaval thanks to Team Seven and now…
"Why?" Kurenai asks as Hinata finishes wrapping the bandages around her arm.
Hinata hesitates. "She says… Ino-san says that the training is better."
With a wince, Kurenai flexes her arm, testing the bandage. "Thank you," she says, "and I'll talk to Asuma about this, see what he has to say about it."
"Hatake-sensei is… different," Hinata says. "He moves differently. Shino-kun and Kiba-kun both say he smells different. Like himself, but not. Ino-san and Sakura-san ignore any questions about him specifically, though they'll talk about his training regimes for them."
That's what had bugged her, Kurenai realized. He hadn't moved quite like she was used to him moving when they'd passed each other in the hallway. Something different.
"And… and, there's a lot of fuss about if he's going to poach from another team," Hinata admits.
Kurenai frowns. "Are people pressuring you?"
Hinata studies her medical supplies intently as she puts them away.
It's Kurenai's turn to let out a breath that's more of a sigh. "Hinata," she says, "do you want to transfer teams?"
There's a yelp from the door of her bedroom and, as Hinata flinches, knocking her medical bag off the bed, Kurenai gets up, unwinding her hair from her towel, letting it collapse around her face in damp tangles.
"Really," she says, leaning against the door frame. "I thought I taught you three better than this."
Because while it had been Kiba who'd yelped, Shino and Akamaru are there as well. Both of the Inuzuka have the grace to look sheepish, while Shino adjusts his sunglasses.
"It's information pertaining to the entire team," he says.
"A-ano," Hinata says, "I want to stay with Team Eight, Kurenai-sensei. I don't want to transfer."
Then, as if her bravery was exhausted, Hinata hurries past them all and into the bathroom. The locking of the door sounds loud in the silence that follows.
Kurenai drags it out for a moment before she raises her eyebrows at the boys. "What have I taught you about eavesdropping?"
"Don't get caught," Kiba says, rubbing the back of his head. It does nothing to conceal his grin. "Hinata, breakfast is ready if you want any!"
She swallows a laugh.
Akamaru yips his own excitement and prances towards the kitchen.
"Alright," Kurenai says. "Breakfast. And while we're eating you can tell me everything different you've noticed about Hatake Kakashi."
She doesn't ask them if they're willing to start acting as a team a day early—after all, their orders were to re-assemble tomorrow, not today—because Kurenai tries not to ask stupid questions of her team. Sweeping past Kiba, she ruffles his hair just for his outraged protest, and laughing heads to the kitchen.
Behind her, she hears Shino check in on Hinata, who comes out of the bathroom, still flustered, but Kurenai can hear the smiles in their low voices.
Welcome home, she thinks, and smiles.
Sakura muffles a yawn with one hand and eyes the empty practice ground.
She's the first one here which doesn't surprise her—it's much closer to her house than it is to Ino's and because of Hatake-sensei's orders they hadn't gone training before the mission. Her bag is packed, though she doesn't know what it's packed for.
He hadn't said what they were going to be doing.
Ino wanders into the practice ground next, looking muted and pale in the pre-dawn light. As she gets closer, Sakura frowns. Ino's in a bad mood.
"Any idea what we're doing?" Ino asks.
"No," Sakura admits. "You okay?"
Ino hesitates, considering that. "I don't know," she says, finally. "Let me think about it more."
"Okay," Sakura says, though that answer just raises more questions. "You know where to find me."
The two of them make idle chit-chat as they stretch out, waiting for Hatake-sensei. They're both early. He arrives right on time, two shopping bags in hand.
"Good," he says, "you're both here."
"What's our mission?" Ino demands, a beat before Sakura can. "You modified that mission brief."
Hatake-sensei smiles at both of them. "I did," he says easily. "And we'll get to your mission. First, I want you both to dump out your bags."
"What?!" Sakura protests. "We know how to pack, Hatake-sensei!"
That smile of his goes nowhere.
"Then prove it."
And what else can they do? Everything else he's done so far has had a reason.
Sakura swings her pack off her shoulders and, with a prayer for her neatly rolled items, dumps it all out. Ino moves a few feet away and does the same.
"Alright," Ino says, "tell us what we've done wrong."
Hatake-sensei takes his time looking over their supplies, never putting down his own pack or the grocery bags he carries. Sakura shifts slightly, casting a glance at Ino who shrugs back. Whatever Hatake-sensei is looking for, Ino has no idea either.
"Okay," he says, stepping back. "Take a seat by your things and we'll start. You've both packed according to the Academy's rules and standards, which is good."
"But?" Sakura prompts.
"Now you're going to get up to my standards," he says, reaching over to pick up one of Sakura's pens. "Why this pen?"
"I like it?" Sakura says. Sure, it's pink, but it writes well (in black ink).
"It's too identifiable," Hatake-sensei says. "Leave it in the village. The pink is bad enough but this brand's ink is used only in Fire Country. Ink can be traced. The point of being a shinobi is to be untraceable." He drops a packages of plain black-capped pens in front of her and Ino. "This brand is one of the two in the village that are used in all major countries—use those for out-of-village work exclusively. The ink isn't as dark and they don't last as long but they work and, more importantly, they're much harder to trace."
"What's the other brand?" Ino asks, picking up her package of pens to scrutinize.
Sakura settles in to listen, realizing that from his shopping bags, they're likely to be here for a good while learning how to get up to his standards.
But they'll get there—with his help.