Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Differential Equations
Y''+2y'=3y
F''(x)+2f'(x)=3f(x)
((d2y)/(dx2))+2((dy)/(dx))=3y
There can be multiple ways to approach the same problem. Likewise, there can be multiple ways to express the problem. Unfortunately, there are no multiple solutions (or functions). Or rather, there are not multiple solutions that will satisfy each approach… each expression. Finding a solution that does fit… Well, that can take some perseverance.
"And you have everything?" Anzu asked once again as we stood in front of the gates to the village. I've lost count of how many times she's asked. Which isn't like me. But my mind is on other things.
Tickled pink that someone cared enough to ask, Naruto's grin currently took up most of the space on his face. "It's all packed", he assured my sister. He was holding the shoulder straps with each of his hands and gave them a tug to adjust the weight on his back. As if indicating that everything he needed was right there.
Naruto and I stood shoulder to shoulder with Anzu before us. Behind us, to my left, Sakura was having her own goodbyes with her parents. "Dad, cut it out. You're embarrassing me". I could hear her grumble.
From Naruto's right were the others; Kakashi, Sasuke, and Tazuna the bridge builder. In contrast to Sakura and her family, they were silent; just standing in the background; waiting for the rest of us to hurry up.
Twisting a strand of orange-dyed hair on her index finger, Anzu worried her bottom lip. Her excitement for our 'adventure' from last night faded into the crushing reality this morning. "You'll look out for each other". It was a statement. One I think she was using to reassure herself.
But Naruto took it as another question. "Of course, we will. Believe it. Rion's got nothing to worry about with me around". The irony in that sentence was astounding.
Anzu stopped chewing on her bottom lip; smiling softly at our blond neighbor before her black eyes swung in my direction. "Rion?" She asked, expecting me to answer the same question.
It wasn't just Anzu looking at me now. Having spent enough time with us by this point, Naruto had started to be able to read what Anzu and I didn't say with words. As such, he heard Anzu's expectations in her voice. And now I could feel his eyes boring into the side of my face. The amount of hope and wonderment he was projecting was nauseating.
"Sure", I responded; voice flat. Anzu frowned at my less-than-willing commitment, but she didn't comment. What Anzu didn't understand was that looking out for Naruto might as well be its own mission. An S-ranked mission.
Though Naruto didn't seem to care that my answer had been served with reluctance. Emotionally moved in ways I couldn't fathom; Naruto was suddenly all over me. "This is going to be the best mission ever! I just know it".
His arms were wrapped around me, pinning my arms to my sides like a boa constrictor. "Get off of me", I complained as I tried to shrug myself free.
"Rion and I are going to finish this mission like no genin have ever done a C-rank before!" If even possible, Naruto's hold became tighter.
My ears were ringing at how loud Naruto was talking. He was way too close to my ear. "Let go!" I tried again; frustration bubbling. Though my mood soured more at Anzu's amused and unhelpful expression as she watched and listened to all this ridiculousness unfold. I tried to break his hold as we were taught to during our academy days. Unfortunately, breaking out of a hold wasn't the same thing as escaping a hug. An oversight I'd have to correct the next chance I got.
"And when we come back, we'll treat you to ramen at Icharaku. And we'll tell you about all the cool stuff we did. And-And-"
A new presence made itself known by emitting less-than-pleased vibes as it loomed over us from Anzu's side. Its shadow cast a calming bout of seriousness over us. Or at least, I felt it calming when compared to the whirlpool that is Naruto Uzumaki. This presence had Naruto stilling to silence and Anzu nervously inching away; her eyes suddenly focused on the ground.
"You will let go", the new person said as he adjusted his sunglasses with his right pointer finger; his mouth hidden by his jacket collar. "Why? Because you do not have my daughter's consent to touch her".
Like magnets repelling each other, Naruto jumped away from me with his hands up at his ears; palms facing Shibi. As soon as there was a distance between Naruto and me, Shibi's countenance returned to his usual self; an air of mystery.
Satisfied, Shibi turned his attention to me; seemingly unaware of how uncomfortable he was making Anzu. Or how nervous he was making Naruto. Not that I was bothered by the latter. "Daughter", he acknowledged in his usual everyday way.
"Shibi", I returned. I kept myself blank. But it was surprising to see him. Especially considering everything he bought me yesterday. In my book, that outweighed any goodbye he could give at the gate.
Except, Shibi didn't offer any more words. At least, not to me. Instead, he raised a hand and carefully lowered it until it was resting on the top of my head. It was just like how he used to do it back when I first moved in with him; when he wanted to communicate something but didn't know how. Or maybe he did, and this was just one part of the Aburame language I have yet to learn.
I kept my eyes on him as he raised his head to look over me and off to my right. "Hatake", he said as he, I'm guessing, looked at Kakashi.
What he meant by that greeting remained unclear. But clearly, it was more than just a hello. Because after Kakashi's humoring reply of, "Aburame", there was a long drawn-out moment where Shibi just stared over my head without moving. No one moved, as far as I could tell. Not Anzu and Naruto off to the side. Not Sakura and her family. Nor the other three.
But Shibi must have seen what he was searching for. Assumingly, from Kakashi. Because once the moment was over, he slid his hand off my head and returned his attention to me. "Shino received your note. He agreed to your request".
Was it just me, or did everyone breathe sighs of relief? "Okay", I said in response. I blinked. It remained unclear if Shibi blinked. "…Thanks…"
From behind me, Kakashi coughed as a form of polite interruption. "We should really be heading out".
"Yes", Naruto jumped on the opportunity. "Great idea!" He scurried over to the gates and the others, giving Shibi a wide berth as he did so. Rolling my eyes as I followed suit, I waved in Anzu's direction. Shibi wasn't even that scary. If Naruto couldn't handle him, then… Well, this mission was screwed.
Once the chunin on gate duty recorded our names and took our registration numbers, we were free to go. Naruto, his earlier unease forgotten, was vibrating with pent-up energy as we stepped through the gates. As if the gates were the catalyst he needed, as soon as his feet were outside of the village, Naruto cheered and threw his arms up in the air.
"Why are you so excited?" Sakura asked from her place next to Sasuke; sounding bored.
"I've never gotten to leave before", Naruto shared as he acted like new things to behold were waiting just on the outskirts of the village's walls.
I glanced over my shoulder as we walked. "Is this pipsqueak really up for the job?" The bridge builder asked. Before I faced forward once more, my last sight of the village was of Anzu and Shibi standing apart as they watched us go. One of them was more put together than the other. This was going to be a long… month? How long was this mission going to take?
Nothing happened for the first few days. It was a lot of walking. We'd stop when the old man needed a rest. And then there was camping. We all had our roles; find water, fetch wood, scout the perimeter, and cook. Come morning, we were walking again. Boring, really. Naruto calmed down after the first day. Well, as much as possible for a personality like that.
Tazuna wasn't that bad when he was sober. And since we decided to not stop in any of the farming villages along the way, he was sober following our departure from the village. He kept pace and didn't complain about the exercise. And apart from riling Naruto up, Tazuna seemed to respect us. Even if he did doubt our abilities in relation to our age.
This first leg of the trip created a false sense of security. One that the others easily bought into. I didn't. But not just because I had some second-hand knowledge in my noggin. There was also Kakashi to worry about. While he seemed happy to ignore me as we walked further and further away from our home, I couldn't be convinced that making me suffer through this mission was the only thing he'd planned when forcing me to tag along. What was his end goal? When would he strike? Needless to say, I walked behind him whenever possible. Kakashi Hatake was not someone I wanted to show my back to.
The day we were approaching the border to leave the Fire Country is when things started happening. Despite watching Kakashi closely, I managed to split my attention and search for any nonsensical puddles. When I saw it, it was harmlessly laying in the middle of the dirt road. Just ready to be overlooked.
Hanging back, I slowed until falling into step with Sasuke; behind everyone else. He gave me a side-eyed glance but otherwise didn't comment. To do so would only invite conversation after all. And we wouldn't want that, now would we?
"There's a puddle up ahead", I spoke softly; nodding my head in the direction I wanted Sasuke to look. Birdsong surrounded us. Undisturbed as we traveled through their home. Up ahead, Naruto walked past the puddle.
Sasuke looked at me like I was stupid. Good, that meant I had his attention. "Weird. Don't you think? It hasn't rained in days". Sasuke slowed a little; his eyebrows slanted in thought. Sakura passed the puddle. "How was it made?" I asked; acting like it was a question I was pondering myself.
Coming to a stop, Sasuke withdrew his hands from his pockets. "Kakashi-Sensei", he called out right as Kakashi and Tazuna passed the puddle. Kakashi paused. Tazuna did not.
"What is it, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked as he looked back in our direction. Notably, he didn't turn his whole head; making sure to keep his visible eye in a position where it could see the puddle.
Once Tazuna was standing with Naruto and Sakura, the three of them stopped and looked back to see what was up. Sasuke jutted his chin in the direction of the puddle as his right hand hovered over his kunai holster; fingers twitching. "There's been no rain", Sasuke answered; loud enough for everyone to hear.
If you blinked, you would have missed it.
Two forms shot out of the puddle like bottle rockets. The puddle evaporated in their absence and the birdsong ceased. Not that anyone noticed. There were more pressing things to focus on. Naruto and Sakura let out cries of surprise as Tazuna stumbled backward; his hands held close to his chest and face.
Ready, Sasuke had a Kunai in hand before we could even get a good visual on the two forms. Their faces were nearly impossible to see; shrouded as they were by their mist headbands, masks, and hair. Once out of the puddle, the two moved in opposite directions; a chain between their matching gauntlets linked them together. "First one", the enemy ninja on the left said as they targeted Kakashi.
This time, since Sasuke had called it out to everyone, Kakashi couldn't feign being taken by surprise to test his hypothesis. So, he was forced to act. Mindful of the three behind him, Kakashi avoided the chains with a few dancing steps without taking himself out of range.
"What do we do?" Naruto yelled as his knees shook.
"Protect the bridge builder", Kakashi called back as he continued to dodge the advances of the enemy nin. He sounded almost exacerbated that such a direction was needed.
I was prepared for this. I had thought this threw. That fact didn't stop my heart from pounding or my head from racing. Kakashi ducked under their chain before lunging forward with a spurt of chakra. Raising a fist, he engaged in battle.
"The other one", Sasuke said as he dropped into an offensive stance; bending his knees and squaring his shoulders. "I'll handle him".
Without another word, Sasuke ran into the heat of the action. Elbow poised and ready, he let his kunai fly. The knife sailed through the air like a diving bird. Its trajectory caused it to intercept the second mist ninja before Kakashi's fight could turn into a two-against-one ordeal.
"Have fun", I yelled unhelpfully after Sasuke, as he leaped in the air to deal out a roundhouse kick before the second ninja could recover.
Sakura had overcome her shock as evidenced by the defensive stance she now took in front of Tazuna. Fisted in one hand, she held a kunai in front of her. While she used her other hand to cover its hilt. Naruto was still floundering as he made little anxious vocalizations as his head snapped back and forth from Sasuke's fight to Kakashi's fight.
Reaching into my hip pouch, I pulled out a spool of ninja wire. With the spool in one hand and a bit of wire held between my thumb and forefinger, I got ready as Kakashi grabbed his opponent in a chokehold. All without his opponent landing a single blow. With his bicep pressed against the mist nin's throat, Kakashi squeezed. "Careful, Sasuke", Kakashi warned as the man in his grasp clawed and squirmed as a breathless gasp left his covered mouth. "The claws on their gauntlets are poisoned". Soon after Kakashi's warning, the man he was choking went limp in his hold; head sagging as much as Kakashi's grip would allow.
Across the way, the last standing enemy nin made a swipe at Sasuke; his claws extended. However, Sasuke jumped again before the claws even came close to touching him. Only to flicker into existence a few seconds later; perched on top of his opponent's gauntlet.
Once assured the man he choked out wouldn't be waking anytime soon, Kakashi let him drop to the dire road. Releasing the man in a similar fashion to how people take out their garbage. As Kakashi left to help Sasuke finish things off, the unconscious man first landed on his knees before his whole body fell forward where he came to lay face-first in the dirt.
Starting towards him to put my ninja wire to good use, I didn't see how Sasuke and Kakashi handled the other one. But based on the sounds, it didn't take long.
Once the fighting ended, the birdsong returned. But no longer would it lure us into a sense of security. As everyone's adrenaline levels returned to normal, processing what just happened began. Naruto stood a short distance away from everyone else as he stared angrily down at his closed fist. He was shaking slightly. I doubt lingering fear was the cause. Tazuna stood on the road with Sakura and Sasuke; his face looked ashen as he listened to Sakura talk. "Oh, Sasuke! You were so brave. You didn't even hesitate".
Sasuke had his hands in his pockets; shoulders relaxed as he tried not to show how pleased he was with himself. Or any other feeling he may be experiencing after his first taste of combat. While Kakashi stood behind me, watching as I double-checked the knots I made to keep the mist ninja tied to the tree we'd fastened them to. "I think that'll hold", I said; my voice a little more high-pitched than normal.
Despite knowing something was coming, despite having a plan, the feelings evoked by being so close to the action couldn't be avoided. This had been no academy brawl. And now I needed to figure out how to adapt to this new intensity. Just as I had done back when fighting was a new concept.
Kakashi returned to his lazy, unbothered posture. Even though he was anything but. His visible eye narrowed as he thought; portraying a seriousness that I had not seen in him prior. Seeing this as my chance, I turned slightly away from the enemy ninja, still unconscious to the world. Though it probably wouldn't be much longer. "Something is wrong", I said to Kakashi as he remained unmoving. "I remember from the academy. Shinobi against shinobi isn't intended for C-rank missions. So, either this was a fluke and they thought we were easy targets or-"
Kakashi cut me off before I could accuse Tazuna of misrepresenting his case. "Were they after us? Or The bridge builder?" Kakashi paraphrased for me. His tone was all business as he examined our captives from his position.
"What'd you say?" Tazuna asked as he wandered a little closer. Either he finally had enough of listening to Sakura sing Sasuke's praises, or he was worried about what we were discussing. Maybe a bit of both. No one could fault him if both were motivators.
Tazuna's approach attracted the attention of the others. Even Naruto managed to pull himself out of his self-loathing to watch the exchange. "Was this just ninja attacking ninja?" Kakashi repeated. "Or were they after you? If you were their target, then we're outside the parameters of our mission".
"Parameters?" Sakura asked as Tazuna gulped nervously.
Kakashi made no move to answer; keeping his focus on studying Tazuna and noting every agitated tell the bridge builder failed to conceal. So, I answered for him. "We were hired to protect him from robbers and bandits on his way home and to provide security while he finished building his bridge. Fighting other ninjas was never part of the deal".
Mustering up the courage to push past our suspicions, Tazuna shoulder's tensed as he manipulated his face into an offended expression. "You calling me a liar?" He challenged.
"Not yet", Kakashi replied. He did not raise his tone to match our client's. "We'll have to talk to these too first", he said in reference to the losers tied to the tree. Speaking of which, there were some signs of them coming to; change in breath, their eyeballs moving under their eyelids. "But first", Kakashi began; momentarily changing gears. "Let me just say, good job". Kakashi turned his one visible eye to Sakura and Sasuke. "Sakura, you upheld the mission by positioning yourself in front of Tazuna. Sasuke, not only did you alert to something you didn't feel was right, but you also relied on your training and didn't wait to be told what to do".
While Sakura preened under the positive attention with her hands clasped behind her back, Sasuke merely grunted in response. Briefly, his gaze washed over me. But when I made no comment. Neither did he. Good. That's the way I wanted it. Kakashi adjusted his stance just enough to be able to see Naruto.
Naruto, who was still standing off by himself as he scowled at the ground; was unnaturally silent. Kakashi gave a small pause as if calculating what to do. Should he offer words of encouragement? Should he tell Naruto that freezing like that wasn't unusual for first combat experiences? Should he tell Naruto everything he did wrong so he could learn from it? In the end, Kakashi decided to let bitter disappointment be its own teacher as he directed his attention to me. "And you", he said; his voice suddenly stern. Well, as stern as Kakashi was capable of. "Have fun?" He asked, parroting what I had said to Sasuke.
"It worked, didn't it?" I answered with a shrug. "Sasuke didn't need any help and that way I was free to tie them up". Just to be obnoxious, I held up the spool I had used. "It is my ninja wire holding them, remember?"
Kakashi made his disapproval abundantly clear. An impressive feat considering how little we could see of his face. Maybe in another life, I would have cowered. But right now, I was nowhere close to backing down. As I glowered at Kakashi, Tazuna shifted his weight anxiously between his feet while Sakura and Sasuke watched on. In the background, Naruto could be heard growling to himself. "Why am I so weak?" He asked. "What's wrong with me?"
Sighing as many adults do when they find themselves stretched thin due to the multiple needs of children, Kakashi turned away. Though I knew better than to take it as a victory having him back off felt like a win. "Don't worry about it, Naruto", Kakashi said to the blond in his normal tone. "You'll be ready next time".
From the tree, one of the captives started groaning as the other slowly blinked his eyes until he was in a state of awareness. "So, how are you going to get them to talk?" Tazuna asked; his mind stuck on his own problems.
"I can do it", I volunteered before Kakashi answered him. Impersonating Anko, I did my best to stretch a maniacal grin across my face; stretching my cheeks until they hurt. At the sight of me, Sakura flinched back and Tazuna paled. While Sasuke and Naruto acted like there wasn't anything to look at. Hmm. Two out of four. That probably means I still need to work on it. "It is what I'm being trained for, after all".
If he was suspicious of my sudden willingness to work, Kakashi didn't voice it. Instead, he studied me in silence with his team and Tazuna shivering as they thought about the implications of our conversation. As I had predicted, Kakashi eventually relented. "Alright", he agreed. "As long as you know what you're doing".
"I do", I said; forcing myself to sound eager. From a technical standpoint, the interrogation began as soon as our two captives woke up. Digging in my hip pouch, I took my sweet time before pulling out an unopened packet of senbon. As if the needles were old friends, I smiled down fondly at them. "Oh", I said as if a thought had just occurred to me. "If you don't like blood, you may want to turn around, Mr. bridge builder. These aren't meant to be messy", I said holding up the packet of senbon for all to see. "But I am still learning".
A little green, Tazuna did as I suggested; turning away from all of us. Sakura followed him with her hair bristling while Sasuke looked on. Seeming to be morbidly intrigued… Interesting.
One of the enemy ninjas started chuckling. It had a raspy and humorless quality. "It's cute, little girl. That you think you can make us squeal".
To sound unconvinced, I let out a half-hearted hum as I started unpacking the needles. This wasn't like that time with Mizuki. Sure, I knew things like I had before. But this time I had an audience that could overhear. Meaning I was going to have to be a bit more creative. What's more, we were in the field and our environment couldn't be controlled. There was no time to build rapport as Ibiki had taught me. Torture was usually the last result. Information tends to be more honest and useful when it is not being given under duress. Because when pain is involved, how do we know what they're saying isn't just so they can escape? But out in the open like this, there was no other way.
"One, two, three", I counted aloud as I picked up one senbon at a time; going deliberately slow. Anticipation was a useful tool, as Shinobu liked to remind me. "Huh?" I said as my hand stilled before it could pick up senbon number four. Looking up, I examined the two tied to the tree as if they were rats in a lab.
"What's the matter, little girl?" The second mist nin asked as he tried to not let it show how my intensity bothered him. "Lost your nerve? Don't have the stomach to play with the big boys?"
"There are two of you", I said as if he hadn't said anything. Tilting my head back, I looked up at Kakashi who was looming over this whole operation. I didn't mind. He was kind of needed for this part. "It only takes one person to talk".
Kakashi blinked as he took in what I said. "That is true", he agreed after a foreboding silence. "But which one?" He asked; willing to play along for the sake of the mission.
"What are you guys talking about?" Naruto asked. He sounded interested but without his usual vim and vigor. Still an improvement, I suppose. At least he stopped growling to himself.
Sasuke snorted. "Think, idiot".
Naruto's response was almost immediate. "Shut up, Sasuke! No one asked you". And he was officially back to normal.
Ignoring the commentary from the peanut gallery, I only addressed Kakashi as I turned my gaze back to the mist nin. "How about a game?" I suggested. "The one with the best information wins. Winner gets to live longer than his friend". And since I knew that wouldn't be an appealing offer, I offered a small shrug. "Hell, if the information is good enough maybe that will even earn the winner his life. I'm sure our T&I department would love to find out about the inner workings of the Mist village".
The same one as before traded chuckling for full-out laughing. "As if we'd fall for that". Transferring one of the senbon from one hand to the other, I began to twirl it around as I hummed to myself. "Nice try little girl, but you're never getting anything out of us". Reaching for his hand that wasn't wearing his gauntlet, I chose his middle finger. It just felt fitting. "Fear tactics and powerplays don't-" The nin stopped talking in favor of gasping in a silent scream as I inserted the needle underneath his nail.
The amount of force it took was shockingly little, but the feeling of it had my stomach churning. "What was that?" I asked; pushing my feelings aside as something to sort through later. "I didn't catch it. Say it again?"
There was silence from the peanut gallery as the man I was working on panted through his pain. "Not talking", he declared; grinding his teeth together to prove his point.
"That's okay. It'll be your turn again soon", I consoled before angling my body over to our second captive. "What about you? Got anything to share?"
Unlike his partner, this guy remained voiceless. He didn't say anything when I picked up a needle. He didn't say anything when I selected one of his fingers. But when I made the insertion, He threw his head back, smacking it against the bark of the tree, and let out a yowl of protest. "Oh, you have something to say now?" I asked as I did what I could to hide a small tremor in my hands. "Don't be shy. We're all friends here. You know what, you can whisper it in my ear. You don't want your comrade to know what information you're spilling, right? Interesting strategy". I kept up the lines of dialogue as I leaned in. Normally, this wasn't something I'd do. After all, a truly desperate prisoner would be willing to bite my ear off if given the opportunity. But they were both wearing masks, Kakashi was right behind me, and I needed to move this along before I lost my lunch.
A short moment passed where I stayed uncomfortably close to the man. He had no words for me. Shocker. But he was whining enough that there was plenty to listen to. And hopefully, that was enough that I could get away with this. "Oh", I said as I sat back on my heels; acting like it was the most provoking thing I've ever heard. "You were hired by someone named Gato. Who's Gato?"
The effect was precisely what I'd been gunning for. "You weak bastard!" The other captive snarled, thrashing in his bonds.
"Are you okay, Tazuna?" I heard Sakura ask in the background.
"It's your turn again", I said as I turned back to the other guy. "Think you can top that? No pressure, of course. It's only your life".
Briefly, the man glared at me before he tossed all his principles out the metaphorical window. "Yeah. Yeah, I can beat that". He missed it when his partner furiously shook his head; too pissed at the eluded situation. "Gato hired us to take out the old man", he added in reference to Tazuna. "To stop him from finishing his bridge".
My eyes flickered up to Kakashi, who gave me a nod in response. Suspicions confirmed. We had been lied to. "Anything else?" I asked; thing time directing the question at both of them. "What can you tell us about what we're up against?"
Once he started, it was like he couldn't stop. "Gato hires thugs and rogues", the first captive shared. No matter how much his friend shook his head, he never held his tongue. In retrospect, his friend never uttered a single word. Even after being sold out. Admirable. Unfortunately for him, that was a hindrance to have in this profession. "It's how he keeps control over the Land of Waves. There's about a hundred of them. Maybe more. You'll probably have to fight them all to save the old man".
Okay… we were getting closer. "Wow, that's a lot", I said; widening my eyes so my face matched my wording. "Any big players? Anyone we should avoid?"
"Yeah. Yeah", the first captive breathed laboriously. "He… Gato has the Demon of the Mist on his payroll".
From over my shoulder, I felt Kakashi tense. "The Demon of the Mist", he echoed.
"Thank you", I said offering the talkative captive a smile. "You've been very helpful. I think it's safe to say that you won". Reaching for my Kunai holster, I pulled out one of my knives. Though as soon as I gripped its hilt in my hand, I froze. Could I do this? I asked as I found myself staring at the blade; my eyes zeroing in on the very tip of it. Could I end a life? I had learned to kill small game while at the academy. But this… I glanced back at the two tied to the tree. They were a lot bigger than squirrels. And they… they were people. No matter how distasteful they were or how they tried to kill us first.
A gloved hand grasping my shoulder pulled me out of troubling thoughts. Turning in his direction, Kakashi squeezed as soon as my eyes were on him. His fingers were nimble yet strong. I could feel the like of them as they gave me the means to ground myself. "I will handle this", Kakashi told me. "Go. You've done your part".
"Okay", I agreed quickly. Loosening my grip on the kunai knife, I climbed to my feet. "I'm just going to…" I pointed to the tree line to signal my intentions as Kakashi took my place in front of our two captives. "Won't be long".
I didn't run, which I'm proud to say. But I picked up my feet higher than normal as I hurried forward. "Wait!" Naruto called after me. "Where are you going? What's happening? I don't understand".
"Go with her, Naruto", I heard Kakashi order as I reached the tree line. "We need to watch each other's backs".
I walked in a little deeper. Close enough that I could still hear the others, but far enough that I couldn't make out their words. Naruto found me a few seconds later. "Rion, are you okay?" He asked, sounding unsure. I was balancing myself by pressing one hand against a tree trunk as I hunched over and acidic bile erupted from my mouth; littering the forest floor. Why was Naruto unsure? Who knows? Maybe it was because I was sick? Or maybe it was because he'd just witnessed me torturing people.
"It's not an easy job", I said once confident that I was done emptying out my insides. Straightening up, I used the back of my hand to wipe my mouth clean before turning to face Naruto. His eyes were wide as he thought. But at least I wasn't picking up on any sense of revulsion. "I haven't managed to… do it without being sick afterward". Reaching into my hip pouch, I pulled out my hand sanitizer. "Ibiki, my boss, says that's normal". I was mostly talking for my own benefit as I squirted a liberal amount of sanitizer into the palm of my hand. The strong alcoholic and sterile smell of it wafted through the air and I took comfort in it. "I just lack the experience to stomach it properly".
"Is that why you don't talk to Anzu about what you do all day?" Naruto asked; steering us down a tangent I hadn't been expecting.
"Uh…" I started as my thoughts scrambled. In the end, I settled on the truth. "Yeah, partially. Somethings just aren't meant to be talked about". Once the hand sanitizer was fully rubbed in, I stared at my hands as if they were foreign entities. What were they becoming? Who was I shaping up to be?
"So, you're protecting her?" Naruto continued; trying to make sense of this less-than-stellar part of shinobi life.
Looking away from my hands to stare at the blond instead, a half-pained smile pulled up the left corner of my lips. "What else can I do?"
When Naruto and I returned to the others, the two captives had been disposed of. Naturally, no matter what I promised, they both had met their end. The benefit of keeping a captive alive didn't outweigh the burden they would create.
The bodies lay lifelessly in their bounds as Kakashi faced the rest of team seven and Tazuna. "You did not disclose ninjas were after you", Kakashi said to an almost defeated-looking bridge builder. "If the village had known, they would have made this a B-rank level assignment. But, after hearing what we learned from those two, I'd say we might even be looking at an A-Rank level assignment. Something we'd never assign to genin".
Fidgeting with her hair, Sakura pleaded to us all. "We should go back. This is too advanced for us. We haven't been trained for any of this yet".
Despite my lingering queasiness, I perked up. It is a lovely feeling when a plan goes accordingly. "I would have to agree", Kakashi said as he fixed Tazuna with a hard stare. Victory! I inwardly celebrated. No icy near-death experiences in my immediate future.
"What? No way!" Naruto argued. "We can handle this those guys just fine", Naruto said as he waved aggressively in the direction of the corpses.
"We?" I asked. Not willing to let Naruto screw this up for me. "What did you do? Kakashi-Sensei and Sasuke are the ones who fought".
Naruto turned towards me with a scowl. "Rion", he growled in warning.
If Sasuke had an opinion, he didn't express it. Rather, he allowed the others to work it out as he looked on with varying levels of interest. I bet the inside of his head is an interesting place. It's almost a shame I won't have time to mess with it.
"We can handle it", Naruto insisted as he took a big step toward Kakashi. As if that would make him see things from Naruto's point of view. "I can handle it. I won't be too scared next time. This is our chance to be real ninjas and complete a real ninja mission!"
"Naruto, get a hold of yourself!" Sakura yelled. "We can't fight other ninjas. We're not ready".
"And what about the old man?" Naruto kept going. "We can't just leave him behind. Those guys meant business. And that's not what a ninja from our village would do!".
Kakashi remained unmoved. Or at least he did until I had to open my stupid mouth. "I'd like to be that kind of ninja", I said in response to Naruto.
I didn't get a verbal reply this time. All Naruto did was spin around to face me as he shook a fist in my face. It would be more intimidating if I hadn't grown used to his antics. However, the response that did make me nervous was Kakashi's. He narrowed his one visible eye at me as he put his hands in his pockets. "We will not be able to fulfill the mission", he said; giving me false hope. "But we can at least see you home to your country. We don't have much further to go", he said to Tazuna without looking at him. Then, very pointedly, he added, "So, as shinobi of Konoha, it's the least we can do".
Damn it… I miscalculated.