Bellicism Arc: Home?

Yuina's stomach fell when she followed Orochimaru past mission services, up several more stairs, to the Hokage's office to report directly. She didn't think their mission required it, but she wasn't about to question Orochimaru's actions, nor did the Third Hogake seem surprised. Afterwards, she left while Orochimaru stayed behind. Probably because of the contents of whatever information Jiraiya passed along. She didn't know what was within it.

She felt free leaving the building, and she felt the eager jitters to return home, wash up, and switch into a fresh set of clothes.

The streets. The homes. The people. They were all the same as before. It was all how she knew them to be, and yet the familiar territory didn't offer her any sense of nostalgia or relief. It was no different from going to school or to work. A familiar part of her routine, but there lacked emotional attachment. It was weird. She couldn't say she loved Konoha, but part of her expected being away found make her grow fonder.

"Yuina? Hey, Nao, that's Yuina. Yuina! Hey Yuina, it's us!"

Yuina stopped in her tracks to look in the direction the familiar voice shouted from only to see two of her old classmates. Mayumi ran towards her while Nao followed behind at a normal walking speed.

"Mayumi," Yuina greeted unsure what to say to them. She had known them for a year, but they also hadn't spoken in about eight months, which she still couldn't figure out why the months were named like the roman calendar. They were the epitome of convenience acquaintances.

"How have you been?"

"Good."

"Nao reached them. "Are you coming back from a mission?" Yuina wondered whether if she looked disheveled. She hoped she didn't smell bad. She had opportunities to bathe, but not as often as she would have liked.

"Yeah. I just got back."

Mayumi's eyes glimmered with interest. "You have to tell us all about it. Tell me it was something exciting."

It was probably safe to say it was a scouting mission. It was vague enough, yet she found herself hesitating.

Non-disclosure wasn't anything new to her, but there was a vast difference between research and information for a military state. She knew people talked to a degree, but how many degrees of separation those stories were shared with and in how much detail was a different matter. It would have been better if she didn't have her own speculations.

Nao nudged Mayumi and shook her head.

"Nothing tragic happened." Yuina assumed Nao might have thought the mission went south with her unresponsiveness. "Though I did have someone question my abilities." She felt irritation crawl under her skin at the memory of the mine owner's son.

"I bet you showed them." Mayumi made a punching motion. "Kichiro still says stupid things. Asuma tries to slack off, but Kurenai can usually make him join in. Ibiki totally likes that Mai girl in the other class. What else…?" Mayumi gently pushed her fingertips as if counting.

"Jun and Hoshi thought it was a good idea to skip class and stalk out mission services so they could meet cool shinobi only to get lost and ended up somewhere they weren't supposed to be. They won't say where, but someone carried them back to class," added Nao.

"I remember that! That was funny. Oh, and Nao here is making more friends, so you don't need to worry about her." Mayumi threw her arm around Nao's neck who blushed.

"Don't tease me."

"Anyway, I need to get home before my mom starts worrying, but we should catch up sometime." Mayumi waved and walked off with Nao.

Yuina let out a small breath. She was glad Mayumi didn't push to schedule plans immediately. She wouldn't even know what to say. Time moved forward. To Yuina, they were people to pass the time with. They were never particularly close. They'll continue their studies, graduate at a normal time, and she would become nothing more than a footnote in their lives. One year was a lot of time for a kid, but she couldn't perceive time the same way.

She continued walking home.

Yuina felt the stress leave her body as she reached the door, only for her muscles to tense right back up the moment she opened the door. There was a third person out of place in their home. Her home. Her safe space. Her bubble from the outside world. There wasn't a reason the person shouldn't be there – he was clearly invited over. Yuina had met him before in passing, but that didn't make him any less of a stranger to her.

"Minato." Yuina courteously dipped her head before glancing at Sakumo. "I'm home."

"It took you long enough. I did three missions in the time it took you to do one," said Kakashi.

Her eye twitched as Sakumo ushered her to join them.

"It's not a competition." Yuina sat down to join the rest.

Kakashi took another mouthful of rice. "Of course it is. That's how you rise through the ranks. Minato-sensei wouldn't sigh me up for this chunin exam, but he promised to recommend me for the next one if I complete enough missions.

Yuina stared. It hadn't been a year yet and Kakashi already wanted a promotion. Please, someone tell her that he was joking.

"I'm judging your physical abilities and your decision making too. It's not only your mission rate," added Minato, for which she was grateful for. Good to know he wasn't pushing Kakashi to move up the chain as fast as possible, even if that was obviously what Kakashi wanted. Or maybe it would stain Minato's name for recommending someone before they were deemed ready. Why couldn't Kakashi slow down just a little? If it was to beat some record, there was plenty of time. Yuina wanted him to be prepared, but she also wished he wasn't so eager to be put in more danger.

"Have I done anything wrong?"

"Nothing we haven't discussed."

Kakashi cut Minato off, so he must have felt secured in their mentor-mentee relationship. "Then I'll be ready by the next exam. I'll prove it to you." He was so eager and assured. It frightened her a little. If Kakashi said he was ready there had to be at least a foundation for him to believe so. It wasn't above him to be swept up in some idealized version of himself, but he wasn't so disconnected from reality that he would make such wild claims without some basis. She hoped that was still the case.

It was one thing to have childhood dreams and another to fulfill them at such a young age. Yuina worried this would come back to bite. "Next summer might be a bit too soon for me. I'll be rooting for you." Rooting for his safety. Warming up to the idea of missions didn't mean that she didn't recognize that the higher up the chain the greater the threats.

"Have you been slacking without me?" Kakashi was confused at how Yuina was falling further and further behind him.

She gave him a flat look. She took some of the pressure off herself when she realized Kakashi's progress was by no means normal, and she spent time in the lab, but the actual hours spent training hadn't deviated from their pre-graduation levels. She gave a pleading look to Sakumo who stepped in and changed the topic.

Yuina didn't want to know what Kakashi's teen years will be like if he was already like this now.