This chapter has been revised as of 8/8/2021.

Chapter 7: The Distant Tiger

Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, and Daichi were settled in a smaller guest cabin on the Hanamoto property by late evening. Only a short distance from the main greenhouses and living quarters, but far enough away to give a sense of privacy to its occupants. It was a one story wooden structure, but it had three bedrooms, a living room with a table and cushions, a bathroom, and electricity to allow indoor lighting. Kakashi worked out a schedule with Ichirou on when and where they should stand guard, factoring in the expected shipments and delivery times from other merchants. Tomorrow, they'd be out in the eastern fields as the farmers harvested and loaded in the first order of medicinal herbs. Daichi and the cart driver claimed a room, leaving the other two open.

"Sorry about the lack of a kitchen, I'll send someone over with food soon." Ichirou said before he departed. Naruto dropped his bag on one of the unoccupied beds and came back into the living room, where Kakashi studied a map of the grounds.

"Hinata's kinda been gone for a while," Naruto said. He knew that weird Katsuo guy apparently knew her, but still… "Should we go look for her?"

"Hm?" Kakashi momentarily looked up at him. "No, I'm sure she'll find us when she's done."

"Yeah…" Sasuke said. A laugh from escaping him as he checked over his equipment.

"What's so funny?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing." Sasuke seemed to have collected himself again. Naruto looked between him and Kakashi and gave up.

"Alright, whatever."

Around the middle of dinner, one of the back windows creaked open. Hinata jumped over the sill and landed inside without much of a sound, only to realize that everyone in the living room noticed. She shut it again without a word.

"See, Naruto? She's fine," Kakashi said from his position in the corner. He didn't look up from his novel. Naruto, too much food in his mouth to talk, waved at her instead. She reluctantly went to sit down beside him, only slightly redder than usual. Food ranked higher than shame today.

"Sorry for disappearing, Kakashi-sensei," she said. She kept her eyes on the plate in front of her.

"Took you longer than I thought it would to get back here," Sasuke said. Naruto stopped inhaling the contents of his bowl to watch them. Daichi took that moment to get up and retreat from the table with his tea. Hinata set down her chopsticks and met Sasuke's challenge.

"It was a delicate situation, Uchiha." She went back to eating, He at least had enough mercy to not push her any further tonight. After reviewing their tasks for tomorrow, they went to bed. Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi piled into the second bedroom, and Hinata took the third one. Separate sleeping quarters on a mission was a rare thing, so she tried not to grow used to these conditions. Sometimes a group could only afford to carry a single large tent in order to take up less space and draw less attention. Personal boundaries tended to disappear after a while for active field ninja, or at least that was what many of their Academy teachers explained. A focused ninja wouldn't allow themselves to be distracted by things like who they slept next to, after all. Having an empty room did cause her thoughts to drift in the silence, which only brought Katsuo back to mind. He'd gone on and on about how they were a perfect match, talking about how he would run the entire company in a few years.

"I mean, we're both heirs to our families, right? That would place us on the same level, and I'm sure your father would approve of my request," he had explained. He'd walked her through one of the many packed greenhouses while she tried to find a polite way to extract herself. "And then you won't have to be a ninja," She just couldn't resist cutting him off there.

"It doesn't work like that…" she tried to say. "I need to know how to fight, or our reputation will"-

"But you have a younger sister, right? She can do that boring ninja clan business for you, and you can live here with me. I have it all figured out." Hinata felt her jaw clench, but she let out a slow breath and didn't snap at him.

"What a waste of time," she mumbled. Hinata shifted under the futon covers and sighed, aware of what awaited her tomorrow. Kakashi-sensei didn't want Katsuo getting in their way, and so she had to keep him out of Mr. Kato's work while he oversaw the caravan. They wouldn't be here for too long, at least, and maybe she could lose him out in the fields and have time to study and train.

The next day started early, and the ninja spread around the first field to observe the harvesting process. Assuming they'd grow bored, Kakashi gave them a new chakra exercise to pass some time with. The greenhouse had more than enough big trees around the edge of the property for them to practice walking up using only the strength of their chakra, but he did warn them to take things easy for now to avoid exhaustion. Like clockwork, Katsuo showed up not long after they began. Naruto gave him a dirty glare.

"Is he seriously gonna stand there and stare at us all day?" he asked, standing up from his latest attempt at tree climbing. Sasuke already made it partway up the tree, resting on a lower branch.

"He's either insane or more persistent than you if he thinks Hyuga's going to stay here with him…" Sasuke crossed his arms.

"Hinata…" Kakashi-sensei said. "Go...patrol the grounds. I'm sure Katsuo is willing to show you around." Katsuo's eyes lit up, falling for their plan. She hadn't expected him to catch the trick, and she did agree to go along with it last night. She left her team behind, forcing herself to keep a blank expression.

"See? Now you're not stuck with those two "ninja" watching herbs. That's not the kind of thing a princess should do." he said proudly. "I'll show you the western greenhouse, that's where we keep the more decorative flowers. Do you still press flowers?" Katsuo asked. She turned to him, eyebrows raised.

"You...remember me saying that?" Hinata asked. She brought it up years ago as idle conversation. "I don't have much time for it anymore, but I do still maintain a garden." She had the books she filled with preserved flowers hidden away in her room.

"Then let's find some seeds to take home with you!"

"But I"- He once again grabbed her hand, and she begrudgingly let him take the lead. Why did she open her mouth again?

She finally convinced Katsuo to let her be sometime in the afternoon, and she returned to the eastern part of the property hoping to regroup. She found another Leaf ninja speaking with Kakashi. A Chunin judging by the flak jacket, she guessed. The trees that Naruto and Sasuke climbed were covered in knife marks, and it looked like Naruto reached his first branch. Would she have to spend time tonight to catch up with them?

"Sorry again, but Lord Hokage would really appreciate it if you took care of this for him," The Chunin said, handing Kakashi a sealed scroll. He took the scroll and slipped it into a jacket pocket.

"It's fine, it's only a few miles away."

"Well, I'll leave you be…" The leaf ninja disappeared, leaving a few leaves behind in the wind. Kakashi faced her, though he probably knew she was there since she arrived.

"Oh, good timing. There's another mission at a nearby town, and they need some backup. I'm going to be gone for a day or so to help them out. You'll all be fine here, right? I should be back when everything's packed up."

"You're just...letting us handle this on our own?" Sasuke asked.

"Why not? You're all ninja, right? But if you're not comfortable yet, I can just decline…"

"No wait, I wanna do the mission by myself! Don't listen to Sasuke!" Naruto butted in. They did handle the bandits on the road well enough, and the plans to keep the property safe were already made. It's not like they had to come up with anything on their own.

"We can continue without you, Sensei," she said with a short nod. This kind of thing was what Chunin did all the time, right? It could prove their maturity.

"You sure you won't freeze up like a deer again out there?" Sasuke asked. Naruto growled at him. Kakashi seemed to take that as a sign they'd be okay with their new arrangements.

"Good, then I'll be gone in an hour. I just need to tell Mr. Kato about the change in plans. Behave yourselves out there, okay?" he disappeared, though he left nothing at all to show he'd been there.

"That was a one time thing, Sasuke!" Naruto said, before bringing his attention to the tree. "Next fight, I'm gonna be the one saving you." He grinned. "How about that?" Sasuke shook his head.

"For some reason, I doubt that. You can't even beat me to the top of a tree."

"You're gonna eat those words and my dust!" And they went right back to racing against each other.

"We're meant to be watching the caravan, you know…" Hinata said. She did want to try tree climbing too, but they still had work to do. At least one of them would take this mission seriously.

"So the jonin left?" Kenzou asked after his second in command read the report to him. Most of the tent was now taken up by larger supply crates and scrolls of different sizes, his weapons packed away. "He disappeared, and it's just the kids there?"

"That's what the scout saw." Haruka said. "The same silver haired man with one eye covered." She frowned. "Hey, do you think he's…"

"Sharingan Kakashi? No doubt it's the same man, though I didn't think he'd be the type to drag around students." He chuckled to himself. "I can't believe it… I tried to get rid of him myself, and then he just ran off. And one of the Genin is a Hyuga? Maybe even a Uchiha too? I thought they'd gone extinct." Kenzou sobered up quickly. "We're attacking tomorrow at dusk. Get as many men together as you can, I want the place surrounded, and then we'll steal as much as we can in the chaos before reinforcements arrive." He tossed a set of notes to Haruka, and she skimmed them as he continued to explain. "We stick to that until I say otherwise."

"And if "Sensei" comes back?" Haruka asked.

"Run for it. I'm serious, he'll kill us both if he feels like it. I like being alive more than I like fame or money." There was a difference between a tactical risk and throwing yourself to the wolves. He stood up to check on a locked trunk behind him. "You know that feeling very well, don't you Haruka?" She winced. "Hey, don't be like that! That's why we're working together. We understand each other."

"Yes, Kenzou. I'll... get things organized then."

"I appreciate that."

The moon had risen high overhead when Hinata left the guest cabin. She slept for a few hours, but she couldn't ignore that she hadn't trained much compared to Naruto and Sasuke. Since she wasn't going to rest very much tonight, she headed over to the ground's edge. The trees looked much taller at night, with only moonlight and stars to illuminate them. She stared up at the top for a minute, trying to visualize how she'd reach that point. This was all about chakra control, right? It just required a different technique than usually. Instead of pushing chakra out of her palms or fingertips, she had to spread it from the soles of her feet. That's what Kakashi-sensei told them.

Hinata pulled out a parrying kunai and reversed her grip on it, then backed up a few feet to get a proper running start. She ran a couple of steps up the tree, and then accidentally kicked off when her chakra pushed too hard against the surface. She fell, but rolled when she landed to avoid hurting herself.

"...So pressure and force matter too." A half-inch deep footprint was now embedded in the tree trunk. She brushed the bits of grass and dirt off her jacket. She felt sore, but nothing hurt enough to stop now. Father would expect her to keep training, and so she'd push on for at least a few more hours.

"Hey…" Naruto stood behind her, half asleep but back in his normal clothes. "You had the same idea, huh?"

"Naruto, you should go back to bed." She turned away from him.

"I wasn't joking when I said that I was gonna be the first one to reach the top. I'll train all night if I have to! No one's getting past me." Hinata wanted to argue, but then she realized how hypocritical it'd be. He just wanted to get stronger, like her. He wasn't the best ninja, but it's not like he didn't try to do better. He improved at a pretty impressive rate in her opinion. "Besides, now you can ask me for tips!"

"...Just don't complain tomorrow if you're tired," Hinata said. She should know better than to try and deter him from anything by now. "I'd like to experiment more before asking for help though."

"Yeah, sure!" Naruto unsheathed a kunai and charged at the tree. He got a good way up before he had to grab a low branch to stay in place. He held himself in place with one hand and scratched a notch on the tree with the other. "Pretty good, huh?" he asked. He looked roughly 20 feet off the ground. That was her next goal. She ran up the trunk, this time minding her chakra output. She was meant to stick to the tree, not pierce it like the Gentle Fist technique. It had to be less of a "point" shape and more of a liquid state, attaching to the surface like adhesive. That was the theory she worked with, at least. It seemed to be working though, as she didn't eject herself from the tree trunk again. Not even a few steps after Naruto's height, she lost focus and slipped. Hinata slashed at the tree to mark her place before she fell. She landed in a crouch, bracing her legs with chakra to absorb most of the impact. About 24 feet, that was much better. "Woah, nice!"

"Chakra control is mostly pure theory and application," Hinata said. Naruto jumped down to join her. "I just had to visualize the exercise differently." Naruto scratched the back of his head.

"Hey, whatever works for you. I just keep trying until stuff works out."

"Did you two think I wouldn't hear you leave?" Sasuke asked them from a short distance away. "Especially you, Naruto."

"I thought I was being quiet…" Naruto interrupted himself with a yawn. "The wooden floors are really squeaky though."

"If you think I'm just going to sleep while you sneak more practice in, you're wrong," Sasuke continued. "I'm the strongest on the team, and that won't change." Hinata didn't take his bait this time.

"The fact that you came out here at all means you're afraid you might lose that spot," she countered. Sasuke's mouth twitched.

"I wanted to train anyway. Just don't get in my way," he said.

"I was gonna say the same thing," Naruto retorted. He returned to his tree. Hinata sighed. There went her plans.

"We shouldn't stay out here for too long, or none of us will be useful tomorrow."

"Woah, the three of you look kind of dead," Daichi commented at breakfast the next morning. "Rough night?" Sasuke grunted and kept eating. Naruto yawned.

"Nah, we were working on this cool technique, that's all," he explained.

"We'll be able to keep watch today, Mr. Kato," Hinata assured him. Breakfast was enough to help her deal with her lack of sleep, and their hosts gave them almost too much food. Not that she would complain about it. Katsuo only walked her around the property yesterday, which wasn't strenuous. Him trying to convince her to quit being a ninja felt far more exhausting.

"Whatever you say," Daichi finished his tea. "We'll be up by the northern greenhouses today for a few hours, and then I'll be in the main building to handle the paperwork. You guys can follow the carts up there when you're done eating."

A few miles outside of the entirety of the Hanamoto property, the bandit camp mobilized. Over the past handful of years, Kenzou drafted many rogue men and women into his band of outcasts. Some were thieves and brutes, grouping together to survive in between village patrols. Others were ex-ninja like himself and Haruka, runaways during times of war, dropouts from school that didn't have the right aptitude, and those with records too stained to forgive. Kenzou didn't think of himself as a giver of second chances, but he did know that he needed strength in numbers, and he couldn't afford pickiness over who he hired. As long as they carried out his plans, the past was forgotten.

Kenzou's full force of about 200 people armed themselves with crossbows, knives, swords and bludgeoning weapons, and even explosives. Years of stealing from caravans and breaking into stores in small towns allowed them to build up an impressive arsenal of tools to use. Haruka appeared at Kenzou's side as he looked over their makeshift battalion.

"They're divided into teams, like you wanted," she said. "Are you sure you want me to control the larger force?" Kenzou took a moment to place a broken porcelain mask over the top half of his face. Remnants of a rookie Black ops unit that tried to take him down. He did enjoy the tiger motif that he'd gained in the war, and the painted tiger's visage fit well.

"I need you to focus all your efforts on attacking the facility from all sides. Make them spread their forces too thin," Kenzou said. "You'll slowly wear down their main guard, and I'll take my smaller team inside to grab as many valuables as we can carry. I'll handle any "living" valuables too. Wait for my signal when we finish, and you can retreat. They won't be able to tell what happened until it's too late and we're miles off." He smiled at her. "You just follow my lead, and this'll be the most successful robbery we pull off so far. We might even be able to leave the country."

"...Hm, sure. Let's get this over with." Something was wrong, but she always felt paranoid to some degree. Kenzou acted on his gut instincts and intuition. That was how he survived on the frontlines and how he adapted to what seemed like any weapon he could get his hands on. Him still being alive at his age spoke volumes of his luck and skill. Haruka slid her custom goggles over her eyes and whistled sharply, getting the large group's attention. "Let's move, we have to be in position by sundown!" she called. The mercenaries mumbled and began to march into the woods. They had to travel off the roads, which made the walk slower, but harder for any patrolling soldiers or samurai to detect. Before she joined up with them, she stared back at Kenzou. "Just don't try to bite off more than you can chew."

"Hm?"

"Don't play dumb. You said it yourself, that Jonin is dangerous. The more time we waste, the more likely he's going to catch us," Haruka said. "I'm not gambling with my life again. That's why I left in the first place."

"Yeah, I know. It'll be fine, I promise. Three genin and some hired guards with no chakra control are nothing to us." She stared at him for a while longer, her expression as unreadable as his own.

"I'll see you when this is over." Haruka jumped into the trees and darted off, taking point to scout the path ahead. Kenzou stayed behind with about ten people for his stealth aligned group. Either very talented thieves or decently trained genin that abandoned their village. He didn't care which.

He would take them on a roundabout way to Hanamoto Greenhouse, taking various sideroads and cutting through the underbrush. He'd done all this mapping on his own weeks ago, getting a lay of the land. He only needed to give Haruka some time to cause chaos. He even set up the traps days in advance, countless tripwires, pits, explosions, and other fun surprises. They only had to drive and bait their enemies towards his net of hazards, and the battle would soon end.

"We're leaving, our window of opportunity is closing," he said to his team. They faded into the night.