The next morning, she made her way to the gate, where Izaki and Sensei Koshiro were already waiting. Her teacher raised his hand with a smile, while Izaki nodded to her.

Ivana replied briefly and stood quietly next to the white-haired boy. It was a few minutes before seven, so she was on time.

Her gaze slid to the side, into the sky. The sun slowly rose and colored the sky pink. The clouds were gently, it would be a warm day. She really didn't mind going on a longer journey.

At least she hoped so.

About ten minutes later, Anaki arrived, who was a few minutes late, but they didn't dwell on that because Koshiro was already explaining the task.

"We have to travel to Tenrou. We have been asked for help because the village has apparently been having problems with bandits for some time."

Ah.

Tenrou was about three days' march away. And bandits was a fairly demanding task for her level. Apparently he really wanted to test her skills.

Ivana didn't mind. She just nodded quietly while Anaki was completely excited and Izaki rolled his eyes at his behavior before the four of them left the village.

Ivana walked quietly next to her sensei, while Anaki and Izaki ran ahead of them. She looked out over the paths and the nature, which was only slowly waking up. It was really nice to be away from Konoha for a while.

Away from her father.

"Are you OK?"

Ivana looked up at her sensei, who was looking down at her, gently. Ivana just nodded slightly before looking away again.

She wasn't used to being looked after.

And she didn't want to get used to it or give it too much importance. Not when she knew that she would only be with them for a certain amount of time. Not when she had to see them as a burden.

So she kept her hands behind her back and looked at her surroundings. She heard Anaki provoking Izaki in the background, and also knew that he would soon lose his cool again and join in the argument. It had become routine by now.

Koshiro just let the two boys do what they wanted. As long as the anger didn't escalate, rivalries and competitions weren't a problem, it just fueled the team more.

His gaze slid to the kunoichi from his team again, smiling slightly as she looked at all the things around her.

It was Ivana's first time really being away from Konoha, the first time she saw new things and new freedom, so she really enjoyed it.

"Come," Koshiro turned into the forest and Ivana followed quietly, while Anaki continued to annoy Izaki and he tried to ignore it.

It was almost like an annoying little brother you didn't want around.

Their sensei stopped in front of a river and then walked across it, using the chakra in his feet.

They might be on a mission, but that didn't mean the new genin didn't have to keep training.

Ivana looked briefly at the river before carefully taking the first step. She concentrated enough chakra and then slowly stepped across it, following her sensei and stopping with him on the other side on the bank. He smiled proudly and then looked at the two boys.

Izaki looked briefly at his feet and tried to take the first step as well. He wobbled slightly, dipped a little. It took him a moment to concentrate the right amount of chakra before he made his way across the river, slightly wobbling.

Anaki was, as usual, way too motivated and made the first move without thinking, which ended up with him getting completely wet.

Ivana sighed quietly while Izaki shook his head in judgment and muttered, "Idiot."

Koshiro gave his two charges a stern look, then turned to the brown-haired boy who was trying to shake the water out of his shoes.

"You have to let chakra slide into the soles of your feet. It will keep you afloat."

Anaki made a noise of understanding.

He hadn't paid attention to really concentrating his chakra. So he did it now. Even though his skills with most Jutsus were rather mediocre, his chakra control was excellent. So his steps were very sure, he, just like Ivana, immediately had the right amount and ran across the river to them.

Koshiro smiled weakly.

His three charges were really something special. If they could manage to become a real team and trust each other, become even more confident in their positions and gain routine in working together, then this team would be outstanding.

They continued to walk, until evening finally came.

Izaki went and collected some firewood while Anaki prepared the camp and Ivana lit the wood. The sky slowly grew darker, the flames of the campfire flickered slightly.

Ivana sat quietly against a tree and let the fire warm her, while Koshiro warmed some bread in the fire and Anaki talked again about something that Ivana didn't understand.

Izaki quietly collapsed next to Ivana in the tree, leaned back and closed his eyes. The kunoichi just kept staring into the flames, also slowly getting a little tired. But they should all eat something before they went to sleep. Otherwise they wouldn't have enough energy tomorrow.

That was probably the only downside to traveling with them. She couldn't take off her bandage to sleep and while she was really used to it, she didn't like sleeping with it on.

But that's how it was now and it was at least a minor evil.

Koshiro handed them the warm bread and Ivana took it with a slight nod before slowly starting to eat. However, they didn't all have the same manners, because Anaki started to wolf it down, which made Itaki snort "Disgusting".

"Hey!" the brown-haired boy complained, swallowed the bite and contradicted "You have to eat bread warm, otherwise it doesn't taste good anymore".

"That's nonsense"

"You're nonsense".

"I'm not at all".

While Ivana looked between them as they argued, Koshiro laughed. The two really behaved like arguing brothers.

Ivana looked slightly from them to her sensei and - felt something warm in her stomach.

She couldn't quite say what it was, but she felt it clearly. A warmth she had never known before and had never experienced. It came from hearing the three of them talk and laugh as they ate.

Her gaze slid to the bread in her hand and she silently took another bite, unsure how to handle it. She only knew that she shouldn't get used to them and shouldn't like this warmth.

Other people were ballast. Other people held you back and destroyed you. Other people - only meant problems and obstacles.

It was her job to rise as quickly as possible, to bring honor to her family and to be useful.

It was her job to serve.

Not to feel and to want.

She couldn't forget that.

The next morning they crossed the paths again. It was still early when they were on the road and Ivana continued to look at everything.

It was beautiful.

She watched the leaves move in the wind and some were carried through the air.

Sunmer was approaching.

"In the afternoon we'll come across a small village," said Koshiro next to her and she looked up at him.

"How about we stop there and have something decent to eat?"

Ivana remained silent for a moment before nodding slightly and humming "Mh," thus agreeing.

That sounded like a good idea. A bit of decent food always gave enough energy.

Koshiro smiled slightly and looked from his kunoichi to the two boys who were running ahead. Anaki annoyed Izaki with a caterpillar and he threatened to put him in a genjutsu where he would experience his nightmare over and over again.

It was almost amusing. But it was lively and it was much better than at the beginning when the three of them didn't speak to each other.

Koshiro whistled and the three Genin looked at their sensei, who jumped up and landed on a branch.

Ivana quickly looked to see if there were any lower branches, but there weren't. So she put enough chakra in her feet again and jumped, landed next to him and tipped back slightly.

Koshiro put his hand on her shoulder and caught her so that she had a firm footing, while Izaki had to grab Ivana's arm when he almost slipped off the branch again. She returned his grip silently, just pulled him up and then let go. Anaki, on the other hand, had no problems landing next to them.

"Very good, now let's go," nodded Koshiro and jumped from branch to branch, whereupon Anaki followed, laughing. Ivana and Izaki exchanged a brief glance before they also jumped off.

They weren't quite as fast at the beginning, and had to find their balance every now and then to avoid falling. Only as the day went on did they manage to become more confident in their step and keep up with the other two.

Once you really understood how it worked, it was actually quite easy.

And just as Koshiro had said, they arrived at a small village in the early afternoon. The team jumped out of the tree and continued on the ground together into the small village, where they looked around.

Ivana didn't find the village particularly impressive, but it wasn't bad either. It was just a small village in the land of fire. But it was still nice to see something different to what she was used to.

"Come on, this way."

Koshiro led his three charges into the small restaurant in the village. They should all eat something, especially the three of them.

Of course, Izaki and Anaki started arguing again, because the brown-haired boy didn't have any tablecloths.

"Didn't they teach you to eat properly?"

"Yes. Eating properly means to enjoy."

"And you have to make such a mess?"

"If it tastes good, you have to see it!"

"Let's stop arguing," laughed Koshiro.

They should just enjoy this for now. For the first time, everyone was sitting together and eating, making memories together, and that should always be appreciated.

They had a corner in a restaurant, sitting on the cushions on the floor, around the table. Koshiro sat between Ivana and Izaki, Anaki sat next to Izaki.

The table was full of all kinds of food, plates were filled as they preferred and the atmosphere was surprisingly good. While Izaki gave Anaki another clear lesson about marinating and good behavior, Ivana ate quietly and Koshiro laughed quietly at the little discussion, adding a little of the steamed vegetables to Ivana's plate.

A really pleasant get-together, for each and every one of them. And for Ivana too.

She looked up from her plate at Koshiro and nodded in thanks, once again feeling the warm feeling in her stomach. Eating and laughing together, being looked after, that was all unusual and new for her.

And at the same time she felt how warm it could be. Her gaze slowly lifted from her plate, watching her team slightly. She mustn't get used to them, she mustn't start to like them. They would make her weak and vulnerable, her father had taught her that from birth.

But - it felt good.

Not being alone, laughing while eating, talking, it felt - like home. The way home should feel. For the first time she felt what she had really lost, what had been kept from her. How nice it could have been if she could be a child, not a curse.

Ivana ate the steamed vegetables in silence, took a sip of her water and looked up at her sensei, who was once again lecturing the two boys that arguments within a team were not good. As if they would learn from it.

Koshiro looked down at Ivana.

And even though the bandage was always around her eyes, you eventually learned to read the rest of her expression. He smiled down at her slightly and actually, for a moment, a faint smile appeared on her lips before she looked back at her plate and continued eating.

Slowly she warmed up.

Extremely slowly, you hardly noticed the progress, but it happened.

He still knew far too little about her, knew too little about why she was the way she was. But maybe, with a lot of caution and patience, she would come to them at some point.

At least that was what he hoped.

When the meal was finally over, they crossed the path again, through the village to continue on to their destination.

What really didn't surprise Ivana was that she was constantly being looked at.

And her team noticed that too.

The bandage must have made it difficult for her. She was stared at, people whispered, others stepped out of the way.

She was only 12, and yet she was treated like a monster.

Koshiro looked at her out of the corner of his eye, how she didn't mind any of it. That showed how used she was to it.

And he didn't understand why she kept it on.

They left the village and continued on their way, after all they were still on a mission and couldn't waste an infinite amount of time. So they moved through the trees again, not stopping until the sun had already set and it was time to rest.

This time they kept it much shorter, didn't make a big fire and skipped dinner. They only made a small fire to keep them warm while everyone went to sleep.

Ivana's eyes closed and she fell asleep pretty quickly. Koshiro made sure that all of his charges were asleep first before he took one of the blankets and put it around the girl's shoulders, leaned against the nearest tree and closed his eyes too.

The little kunoichi reminded him of Eri.

His best friend, his partner during his time in the ANBU. She had been like that too.

Quiet, reserved and needed a long time to warm up to someone. For him it had taken almost two years.

She died about six months ago during a mission. And because he couldn't stay in the ANBU without her, he too had left and wanted to devote himself to a team instead.

And the little kunoichi reminded him of her.

He smiled weakly and opened his eyes slightly, looked at Ivana, then at Izaki and Anaki.

They were so different, but they were also so - pure, still so pure. No matter what they were like, no matter what they thought, they put all their trust and their future in his hands.

And that was so much more important than anything he had ever done in the ANBU.

He shaped the lives of three young shinobi.

That was for eternity.