Kept you waiting huh.

I really don't mean to have such long breaks between chapters but oh well. I explain down below what took me so long and you're free to read up on that if you feel like knowing more buy beyond that I don't like to talk too much at the beginning of chapters so I'll let you get into it. As always I hope you enjoy the chapter and I'm happy to have finally broken the silence, thanks to everyone who reviewed while I was away or got in contact with me through PM.

Laughably routine.

That was perhaps the most fitting way to describe the week following her first meeting with the entity trapped within her. Was it so unreasonable to expect at least some measure of noticeable change in her day-to-day dealings and activities after coming face-to-snout with the creature responsible for nearly leveling her village and earning her the distaste of the populous at large? Perhaps it was somewhat naive of her to expect so much from just one encounter... but in her defense, it wasn't as if their meeting was of no significance whatsoever either.

While her regular duties may not have suffered much disruption in any meaningful way, internally she felt as though the veil of mystery that seemed to surround her had finally lifted somewhat, a trimming down of the web of lies and half-truths that had stunted and limited her understanding of herself for so long… It was a feeling that was almost as liberating as it was infuriating.

On one hand, she had finally gotten some of the answers she'd so craved for. Questions that had plagued her for years instantly snuffed out like the waning flame of a candle caught in the deluge of a summer storm. Yet, on the other hand, the vulpine beast's comments and quips had unearthed plenty of new curiosities as well.

The revelation of the nine beasts who roamed the far corners of the drifting mass of dirt and rock they called home. Nine beings that were likely the closest things to gods that shinobi would ever know. She had heard more than enough rumors and stories about the Kyuubi to say with confidence that she never wanted to see it unleashed in her lifetime but a part of her couldn't resist speculating on the nature of such creatures. Were all of the Biju filled with the same tangible malic that practically radiated from her prisoner? Was it possible to hope that perhaps some of them could be reasoned with and convinced to speak as equals?

She felt it was truly a subject worth taking an interest in.

Then came the topic of the fox's prior containers. Assuming it wasn't lying to her then she was third in line to carry the burden of housing it and that brought forth even more annoying questions. Their identities being first and foremost in her mind alongside questions such as were they even a part of the village to begin with? Had Konoha acquired "ownership" of the fox during its rampage or had it been "part" of the village for quite some time? Did they have any connection to her at all beyond being a vessel for the Kyuubi? What kind of lives had they lived and had they struggled as she had, or perhaps had it even worse?

She doubted she'd get those answers from anyone other than the Fox itself and that conversation didn't look to be in the cards anytime soon.

Speaking of the beast, there wasn't much she could do to expedite a positive relationship with her unwilling inmate other than continuing to tentatively try and break past the walls of its unrelenting anger, visiting its prison when she could, and engaging in what little discussion it would entertain. Call it dedication or just plain stubbornness on her part but either way she would not be deterred so easily. Still, she recognized that any chance of an amicable relationship was likely not going to be found anytime in the near future and so she would put those inquiries to the wayside for the moment and instead turned her attention towards the second major topic of interest that sought to monopolize her thoughts.

The upcoming Chunin Exams.

Naturally, as soon as she'd learned the exams would be coming to Konoha at some point in the approaching months she'd begun making immediate preparations for the incoming trials and doubled down on all areas of her training. She was growing tired of the menial tasks and fetch-quests forced upon genin and her desire for knowledge was more often than not halted by her inability to access more confidential and dangerous information. Of everything she valued in life, freedom and information were both at the top of the shortlist of things she desired, and being lowest on the totem pole didn't afford her much of either.

Of course, she got her team involved as well though she made no mention of the reasoning of why she'd suddenly upped their training. Call her overly cautious but she didn't want them pestering their sensei to let them participate too early, she wanted to be nominated because the woman truly believed them ready, not to sate their childish whining.

Kurenai had obviously noticed the change and confronted her privately about it, perhaps emboldened in her approach by their brief heart-to-heart in Suna, but she managed to waylay any concern by citing a desire to see her team become stronger and bond through the harsher training. She didn't doubt that her sensei probably wasn't fully convinced of her intentions, but since Kiba and Hinata were showing improvement and they were genuinely better synchronized than before she refrained from pressing the matter too hard.

At least for the moment.

Skill-wise she was making fairly good progress, studying under the village's foremost illusion expert had made them all noticeably more resistant to genjutsu which was a boon seeing as she had mostly ignored training herself against the illusionary arts. Beyond that, her training in fuinjutsu was ramping up and she had finally begun incorporating new seals into her arsenal in earnest. Useful combat seals like paralysis tags and chakra restraints gave her a distinct edge in close quarters when appropriately utilized.

Her teammates had made for such wonderful guinea pigs for those trials.

Ninjutsu wise, her arsenal hadn't grown quite as much as she would have liked but that was mostly to do with the limits on what techniques genin were allowed access to. Since she couldn't focus on quantity she made sure to hone in on quality, mastering what she did know and becoming intimately familiar with go-to techniques, and even incorporating a few new tricks for a bit of flavor.

Safe to say she was feeling confident in her chances for a promotion when the time came.

She just needed to be patient…

"Good morning, Hokage-sama... you summoned us?"

Kurenai and her team bowed respectfully as they entered the mission office and made their way to the center of the room. The Third, still sitting in his usual post behind the mission desk greeted them with his famous grandfatherly-like smile and a polite nod before clearing his throat and speaking.

"Indeed I did, we've received a mission request that I believe your team would be able to handle appropriately. It is a bit time-sensitive so you must forgive the short notice." The aged Kage offered a sincerely apologetic look before pulling out a scroll from the many piles upon his desk and placing it down for them to take. "The details are written here but to keep it brief, your mission is to track down and apprehend a few wanted fugitives at the request of the council of Tanzaku Gai."

"Tanzaku… the gambling town?" Kurenai raised a brow in surprise while stepping forward and taking the offered roll of parchment in hand, quickly scanning its contents. "They must seriously need help to ask for our assistance, gambling dens don't particularly care for the attention of shinobi."

The Third took a deep drag from his pipe and nodded. "I'm almost certain if they felt they had any other options they would have taken it but they need this matter solved professionally." He let out a deep breath and gestured with his hand. "It appears as though one of the Tanzaku's major casinos was the target of a robbery, one they are convinced was aided by key members of their own security team. By itself, the robbery is enough to warrant a response but since these individuals have in-depth knowledge of security features and protocols they can't be allowed to roam free."

"That makes sense, they would be pretty much asking to be robbed again if they let that kind of information make its way around." Kiba nodded.

"Exactly." The Third folded his hands and leaned forward. "Luckily for us, the group that conducted the job has a bit of a reputation in the area and they shouldn't prove too difficult to find. Track down the thieves, locate the traitors hiding out among them, and bring them in to face proper punishment."

"Speaking of the thieves, should we do anything about them?" Natsumi asked curiously.

"You are free to disrupt their presence and I encourage it if the opportunity arises but the client has only requested the apprehension of their rogue men, though perhaps they might be appreciative of the cleanup."

"Understood, we will take care of it." Kurenai assured before turning to her team. "Time is of the essence, head on back home and pack whatever you think you'll need for the journey. We'll meet at the Western gate in an hour, don't be late." She ordered.

"Got it!/Y-Yes!/Right!"

Hunting down fugitives huh… promising.

(A few miles outside the Village)

"S-Sensei, have you e-ever been to Tanzaku Gai before?"

"I've passed through it a few times during my career, yes." The raven-haired jonin gave a short nod as they lept through the trees, the village gates having long since disappeared behind them now replaced by the dense vegetation of the treetops that served as their current means of travel. "It is… a decent enough place, mostly a tourist trap for those with a weakness for the flashing lights of the casinos or dreams of finding their fortune playing the slots."

"You don't sound particularly enamored with it." Natsumi noted idly and Kurenai couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'm not a fan I'll admit, preying on people's vices for profit has never sat well with me and Tanzaku has long been a hotbed for wannabe gangs and upstart criminals. The only thing that really keeps the place running is the sizable amount of profit the town earns from its casinos and the paper-thin facade of honesty they project to attract customers." The woman wrinkled her nose in disgust. "There are far nicer places to visit if you want a vacation but when it comes to risking it all, there are few places better than Tanzaku."

"Gambling is for the sharks, or so I've heard." Natsumi hummed. She wasn't much a gambler, or rather she'd never actually tried her hand at any games of chance for money to begin with but given her overall poor luck in life, she very much doubted she'd find great success or fortune playing the odds. Though, she had been told that she possessed a rather solid poker face in the past.

Maybe that would come in handy sometime in the future?

Still, they weren't out here on vacation. They were here on business.

"Do we have any identifying information on our targets?" She questioned seriously and at that Kurenai nodded, reaching down into her pouch and retrieving their mission scroll.

"We do, there are four targets for this assignment." She began, unfurling the parchment. "Doto Kurosaki, Kenmochi Wagarashi, Hibana Sachiko, and Kubota Kunio… these four are all wanted for supposedly supplying the robbers with the information that allowed them to sneak into the casino undetected and aiding in their escape following the heist. Each of them is to be brought back to Tanzaku to stand trial and face punishment."

"Are we even sure if they are still in the area?" Kiba asked with a frown. "They could have already skipped town, maybe even crossed the border if they ran fast enough."

"That is a possibility but given that they've thrown their lot in with these bandits it's likely that they are going to go into hiding for a bit until the situation cools down. Tanzaku is a major town and no doubt word has gotten around about this incident. With wandering bounty hunters always looking to claim fresh heads I suspect they'll use their new 'friends' as a cover until it's safe to move."

"There is safety in numbers, anonymity too." Natsumi surmised thoughtfully. "Speaking of, we have no clue what kind of resistance we should expect to encounter do we?"

"Does it matter?" Kiba grinned, clearly eager to tackle the mission ahead. "Bandits are weak as hell, one or one-hundred we'll blow through them all like wet paper anyway!"

"K-Kiba, you shouldn't underestimate people like that. It c-could come back to bite you." Hinata warned.

"Hinata's right, they may be more crafty than you've given them credit for." She said in agreement. "If they've been operating in the area long enough to earn a reputation without being caught then they have to be at least somewhat organized."

"Eh? Maybe… but against us, I doubt they'll last long." He shrugged nonplussed by the warnings. Bandits were nothing special, hell a few decently trained academy students could probably handle like ten of the thuggish outlaws. "Getting to our targets is going to be a pain though."

"Confidence is all well and good but don't allow it to dull you to danger. Even an untrained bandit can kill a skilled shinobi if they aren't taking things seriously." Kurenai warned. "Our targets are almost certainly going to put up a fight and I wouldn't put it past them to have a few tricks up their sleeves."

"W-Why do you say that, Sensei?"

"Civilians aren't the only people who enjoy a bit of gambling, shinobi are also well known to indulge in their vices." Images of her peers indulging in their own coping mechanisms flashed briefly through her mind as she spoke. "The difference between them is when a normal patron throws a tantrum the worse you might get is a few smashed bottles or maybe a black eye from a small scuffle, whereas an out-of-control shinobi could very well start a bloodbath over some bad card luck." She explained. "Some places outright ban shinobi from entering specifically for this reason while other places hire their own shinobi or individuals with some training to help keep the more... dangerous clientele in line."

"Are you suggesting we might be up against trained ninja?" Natsumi asked.

"I'm saying that it is a possibility our targets aren't just your run of the mill hired muscle and as such I expect each of you to keep your guard up." She ordered. She had no desire to see any of her students harmed or worse because they underestimated their opponents, especially when they were lacking key information on their targets' capabilities. "Until we know more it is better to air on the side of caution."

"You got it, Sensei!" Kiba nodded.

"Of course." Natsumi agreed. "We'll succeed as we always have."

"W-We won't fail!" Hinata promised

"Good to hear, at our current pace we should be reaching Tanzaku within about two days, maybe sooner if we pick it up. We can discuss the mission in more detail when we stop for camp tonight."

...

Hours of travel finally came to a halt with the rising of the moon and the first light of twinkling stars ushering in nightfall. The once clear horizon now laid ensnared by shadows and darkness daring only the most confident and fit individuals to continue the trek ahead.

Safe to say, unless they wanted to stumble through the murk, making camp was probably the best move for the time being. Not to mention running almost nonstop with only small breaks in between had left each of them pretty winded and eager for a solid night's respite. As promised, they had settled down to go over more of the mission details over dinner and start outlining their next move. After about an hour of discussion and some small disagreements their current plan of actions looked to be as thus:

They would head directly for Tanzaku to fish out information for their targets, Kurenai hoped they would be able to get some useful information from the council themselves seeing as they were bankrolling the mission but if that angle didn't pan out then they'd just have to settle for asking the locals or perhaps even visit the crime scene to scrounge for what information they could. From there they would begin the search in earnest to locate the outlaws' encampment believe to be in the wilds surrounding the town and scout ahead from any traps. Once the camp was found they just needed to confirm the presence of their targets and then formulate the best plan of attack.

All that would remain then would be the execution and the successful completion of the mission.

With their course of action settled, for the time being, they broke for the night. Unlike before, they each had their own tents this time and so she found herself left alone with her thoughts as the light from the dying campfire outside began to fade.

She wouldn't deny that she appreciated the privacy… allowing her breathing to slow and eyelids to drop she went about the process of centering herself. She still hadn't mastered entering the space within her seal yet but she was slowly making progress, the still crackling flames of their campfire and the buzzing of insects beginning to fade as she once more turned her attention inwards and in their place slowly emerged the rhythmic sound of dripping water and the sharp whistle of pressurized steam.

Reality seemed to bend around her as the sound of footsteps echoed through countless empty halls and large ripples spread wide from every step as she navigated the dimly lit corridors. To an outsider, this place might as well have been a labyrinth… a place of indecipherable complexity, but in her mind, she saw the path clearly.

In what seemed like no time at all, she found herself standing once again before the now-familiar gilded gates that marked the door to her seal, and like clockwork inflamed crimson-slit eyes snapped open within the looming darkness to greet her.

"You've come again… how pointless."

"Is it? The last time I visited it took approximately ten minutes for you to actually acknowledge my presence. This time you came to greet me right away." She allowed a small smirk of satisfaction to grace her features even as the fox's eyes burned with irritation at her approach. "I would consider that to be a measured improvement."

"Again with that arrogance… I have said before that I possess no desire to speak with you." The beast's breath washed overhear in a warm rush of air. "You simply refuse to leave until you have tested what little patience I possess, a course of action even the dullest of your kind would advise you against."

"Beyond becoming your vessel, unwillingly I might add, I have done you no personal wrong." She approached the seal and in a rather open display of confidence or perhaps foolishness depending on your perspective, sat down mere inches from the worn metal bars and peered calmly into the darkness. "I will reiterate what I said before, I do not have any intention of antagonizing you… I just wish for us to be on speaking terms. I don't see that as an unreasonable request."

"You say that now but the moment you're put in a situation where your strength fails you, you'll call upon mine, and then you'll do it again and again until somehow your primitive mind deceives itself into believing my power belongs to you." The fox narrowed its eyes and scoffed."From there it is only a matter of time until you reveal that you are no different from any other mortal, greedy, selfish, gluttonous… humanity as a race is weak, feeble, always seeking to move beyond their station and making use of strength they have no true claim to. Forgive me then if I don't see bothering with your kind as 'reasonable'."

"You… make a compelling point." She conceded, unable to entirely disagree with his assessment. The history of shinobi, of man really, was one brimming with tales and legends that only emphasized the folly of humanity's never-ending quest for power after all. The dangers of complacency and the corruption of those who possessed unchallenged authority. "However, have you ever paused to consider that your bleak perspective may come from a position of relative privilege?"

She mentally patted herself on the back for not visibly flinching as the water around her came to a boil in response to the wave of killing intent that blasted through the chamber and the smoldering embers of irritation in those unnerving vermillion orbs flashing briefly into a roaring flame of palpable anger

"Speak carefully, mortal!"

"I don't mean any disrespect." She held a hand up placatingly yet held her ground steadfastly, fighting past the rapid beating of her heart. "But you speak so dismissively of humanity's desire for strength while being in a position of essentially unrivaled dominance, one I imagine you've held onto for longer than most of recorded history. " She closed her eyes and let out a hum in contemplation. "Can one born into wealth truly say they understand why the starving thief steals? While his belly has never known hunger, he condemns and labels another whose has never known satisfaction, is that not unfair?"

The fox's rage subsided marginally and the beast fell silent for a moment seemingly contemplating her words, then it spoke again.

"You speak as though you believe if humanity was born into strength they would not still slaughter each other like cows for even the smallest drop of more. As though I've not witnessed your kind paint the very earth red over nothing more than insipid disagreements, willful misunderstandings, and childish jealousy." The shadows concealing its towering form receded as it spoke, its nine tails sprawled along the floor. "Conflict- no… violence, is the only universal language of mortals."

"I don't doubt that but that is simply the nature of all living things, is it not? We must compete in all manners be it for land to settle, resources to survive, ideas to propagate, pride in our ideals, love of others, or just basic survival… everything is a competition and if you are weak you will not survive." She met the beast gaze with one of her own and idly noticed that rather than outright malice, she saw a small bit of genuine curiosity in its gaze. As if it was actually somewhat invested in the conversation at hand. "When one must compete for anything conflict is inevitable."

Perhaps reaching a common ground might not be as impossible as it first seemed?

"You manage to endure in this seal with no real air to breathe, no food to eat, or even water to drink… it is reasonable to assume then that you are beyond the basic needs of humans. Can you really say you understand humanity without knowing what it is like to experience famine or illness?" She leaned forward, a curious gleam shimmering in her eyes. "I'm certain you've seen your fair share of war and perhaps even lost someone close to you… but can you say you know what it's like to fear death in the way we do, be it for yourself or the ones you love? The way those experiences change and warp the minds of men good or bad?"

"Perhaps then you're kind is simply too primitive to be understood by me." Fanged teeth gleamed in the dim light like blades. "I have watched your kind make the same mistakes over and over again without learning anything, generations scarring themselves over foolish ideals and poisoning the next with the very same logic that left them broken, to begin with." The beast shut its eyes for a moment and let out a deep, rumbling breath. "Regardless of whatever 'privilege' you might claim I possess… it does not change the reality that no matter what any mortal says, humanity is destined only for war and inevitable self-destruction. Nothing less."

"That is a rather pessimistic view to take but you have seen more than I have so maybe you are correct… or maybe you are wrong, only time can tell." She stood and dusted herself off. "I'll ask you then if you weren't locked away in this seal and free to roam as you pleased, what would you do?"

"Must I really say it aloud?" The fox leveled her with the closest thing to a bank expression it could muster causing her to cough sheepishly into her fist.

"I guess my question doesn't take into consideration your history." She paused and her brow furled for a moment. "There obviously existed a time before you were locked away, correct? What did you do then?"

"Hmph, I kept to myself content to sleep away the centuries until before I knew it you kind had spread like ants, crawling everywhere you weren't wanted." He remembered years he spent in the temple his father had crafted for him… how long he'd mourned within those ivory walls. Those memories then blurred with the arrival of humans, thieves looking for riches… he'd sent them running but in turn, his presence became known and it wasn't long before various factions began their attempts to subjugate him. All had failed...

Until Hashirama, Madara, and Mito that is. Damn their souls to hell.

"I wasn't under the impression you needed sleep?"

"There is much you don't know about me. Now, I believe it is time that you left."

"I've used up my allotment of your patience I see." He frowned at the obvious cheek in her tone, annoyance visible across his muzzle. "Still, you have to admit this wasn't so bad. I might even suggest you enjoyed yourself a little." She smirked clearly pleased with this outcome even as she felt the pressure of his growing impatience.

"I will admit you are rather conniving… fitting for one in your profession." The fox leveled her with an inquisitive glare, judging her in silence for a few precious seconds before speaking again. "Do not mistake this lapse in my judgment as my acceptance of you, if the opportunity ever presents itself I will happily rip myself free of your broken corpse."

"I expect nothing less, but until such an occasion does arise I do hope we can do this again. I rarely get to indulge in conversation with someone possessing such a unique perspective."The representation of her form began to shimmer, growing almost transparent as she felt her conscious seep out from the seal. She graced his stormy-visage with a simple smile and a wave.

"Let's do this again soon, Kyuubi."

And like that she was gone.

"Feh… I was right, she is insolent." Kurama glared down at the spot his vessel once occupied with tepid annoyance. To use his own hate against him to bait trivial conversation... how long had it been since he'd spoken that long with anyone? Had the decades of isolation truly stunted him so heavily that even a child could deceive him?

His thought invariably strayed towards his prior vessels… Mito had never so much as bothered to speak with him beyond their first ill-fated encounter and her seal had practically been a vault in comparison to his current residence. He saw a lot of her in this brat, they both carried themselves with an almost unnatural calmness that he couldn't help but resent her for the resemblance alone.

"If you use your power, only hatred will come from it. Stay tranquil deep inside me."

Kushina's seal had been only marginally weaker than Mito's but those blasted chains of hers more than compensated for it. He would not soon forget the years he spent pinned to that damned rock, splayed out like some kind of mounted trophy for display. Kushina had spoken with him on only three occasions and not once had she approached him with a positive message. His hatred for her eclipsed even his hate for Mito...

"Neither of us have any sort of luck, do we? You keep the world at bay… but I keep you at bay."

Now he found himself here, trapped once more within one that carried the same infernal blood as his old prisons… yet his experience couldn't have been more different. He still hated her as he hated all humans and he trusted her calls for peace between them about as much as he trusted in the idea of a noble Uchiha. However, he could also admit that she was at least proving to be the most tolerable of his hosts.

"Natsumi Uzumaki… just who are you?"

He would receive his answer eventually, he had all the time in the world to wait and see after all.

...

"Still not a morning person."

She groaned into her pillow as the first rays of sunlight peeked through the thin material of her small tent. How she wished they could simply travel at night but alas they needed to make the most of every hour possible.

Shaking the cobwebs from her vision she let out a small yawn and stretched, the slight creaking of bones left stiff from hours of stillness followed shortly by the rush of relief that came with much-needed movement helped fight off some of the lingering drowsiness that clung to her. At least she had slept well, better than nothing.

Already she could hear the subtle crackle of wood being burned outside, one of the others must have been up already and decided to set up a morning fire for breakfast. She doubted it was Kiba since the feral boy slept like a rock, he was usually the last to wake up unless it was important. Akamaru didn't exactly have hands so that meant either Kurenai or Hinata were awake, perhaps both?

Question was, did she really feel like getting up to check?

Not really, no.

Content in her knowledge that they weren't due to set out just yet she settled back down in her sleeping bag and shut her eyes. Returning to sleep now would be a waste of time but there was no reason not to savor the lingering warmth of the covers while she had the opportunity. Of course, just because her body was still didn't mean her mind was stagnant, and in the mute silence of the early morning her thoughts inevitably towards the mission at hand.

She didn't doubt their ability to succeed, her team boasted a wide range of talents, their teamwork was likely among the greatest of their year, and having personally supervised Hinata and Kiba's growth she was confident in their fighting ability. However, this would also be their first real taste of combat and as with many firsts, came some measure of anxiousness.

True, they had fought a small regiment of outlaws before but it seemed as though this time there would be a far greater number of bodies standing between them and their mission objective. Not to mention Kurenai-sensei's earlier remarks on the possibility of their targets not being all they might appear set her ever so slightly on edge.

She frowned and with some force banished those traitorous doubts. The Hokage would not have sent them on this assignment if he believed them incapable of handling the threat and Kurenai was far beyond them in terms of skill so surely she would prove capable of handling any unforeseen circumstances. Besides, this was what she wanted, wasn't it? The opportunity to face a true challenge and prove herself.

"All my training has been in preparation for moments like this..." She clenched her fist by her side and hardened her resolve. "If I begin to doubt myself now over such a trivial threat then what hope do I ever have of reaching his level?"

She couldn't afford to falter, whatever opposition came her way she would overcome it until she had achieved her goals.

That was her promise.

AN. Chapter Complete!

Sorry this chapter took so long, I had a severe case of writer's block (still kinda in the middle of it), and I just wasn't happy with anything I'd written both for existing stories and even new projects I wanted to try. I try to avoid doing updates to prevent chapter bloat or getting people excited only to disappoint them so I'm also sorry to any who reached out wondering what was going on. Anyway, I do wanna talk a little about this chapter. Namely with regards to missions and a little bit about Natsumi's relationship with Kurama. As always you are free to skip these if you want but I appreciate the feedback if you do read and have thoughts.

So a big part of my block when it came to this chapter was the conversation about more unique/non-canon missions. I know many of you have expressed that you enjoy the divergent nature of the story and so I do want to feed that, but I struggled a bit mentally in trying to figure out how to create missions that felt appropriate to send genin characters on while still being interesting to write/read. My biggest concern when sitting to write this chapter was not creating Wave 2.0, I didn't want it to seem like I just took the story of the Wave Arc and set it somewhere else and called it unique. I.e. "Send team eight on a mission that seems basic, they run into missing-nin, things go fubar, yatta yatta."

At the same time, I didn't want to create missions that would be unreasonable to send fresh genin on either since I like things to feel grounded. I think I'm going to try and attempt to use missions that don't necessarily have the same danger levels as Wave (not all but some), and rather try to create missions with maybe intrigue or some kind of twist. At least until the characters are a bit stronger/more experienced. Let me know what you think.

As for Kurama, I'm glad that you all enjoyed her first meeting with him, and as I said before I do plan to have them interact more often. From here on I'm probably going to limit their "in-person" meetings cause they are rather lengthy and switch more brief snippets of internal conversation like a lot of fics do. Beyond that, I tried to give a bit more insight into Kurama's character here by revealing his thoughts on some things.

That's pretty much it for this chapter, this was pretty much just a recap of the last one, the introduction of their coming mission, and a summary of what Natsumi and Kurama's interactions will be like. Action-wise, the coming mission should have a fair bit of stuff going on so if you've grown tired of the dialogue it will hopefully tide you over until we get to the good stuff with the chunin exams!

That's all from me, feel free to message me with your thoughts, advice, critiques (polite if you must), or questions you'd like answered. I hope you all are staying safe and I'll see you next time!