From Darkness to Light (The Little Senju Series Book Two): A Naruto Fanfiction

Izumi and the New Mission

Izumi's POV

The next day the four of us were walking around the village reminiscing since it'd been so long since we'd all been together, "Well... You have become strong, huh?" Kakashi Sensei hummed as he read while walking, "I'm amazed you were actually able to get the bells."

"Hehe, maybe I've even surpassed you, Kakashi Sensei!" Naruto boasted pointing a finger at himself.

"What are you saying?" Sakura scolded him, "Such conceit..."

I kept my eyes locked with the ground. I didn't belong here... What if... What if I lose control and...? My body shook as unpleasant thoughts took over the entire expanse of my mind. I wanted... No, I needed to go home.

"Haha... But anyway." Kakashi Sensei chuckled in response to his other students' comments, "I'm still young and recently I developed a brilliant new jutsu..."

As if on cue Naruto's stomach growled loudly leaving our sensei completely forgotten, "Ah, yeah! We haven't gone home or to Ichiraku Ramen yet!" the blond enthused clenching his fist.

"Yeah, I'm a bit hungry from training yesterday..." Sakura quickly agreed.

"Geez..." the silver-haired man signed turning to me, "They used to hang onto every word I said, "he shook his head as his two students talked excitedly about their eating plans, "They were so cute back then..." I wrapped my arms around myself trying to suppress a shiver causing Kakashi to frown beneath his mask, "It's not your fault, you know... What happened."

I closed my eyes and squeezed my arms tighter, "You can't know that. You weren't there." I replied shortly, "What happens if I can't control it anymore and I end up hurting someone? I can't live with that..."

"You're stronger than you know..." he said softly before ruffling my hair, "I think a whole lot of people would be troubled if you weren't here... Mistakes and broken or not..."

"Right, it'll be Kakashi Sensei's treat!"

"Alright, Sensei!"

"Sorry..." Kakashi Sensei apologized quickly, "I have to create and submit a list of formations of the new teams, so it's goodbye for now!" he poofed away.

"I'm out too..." I said giving my teammates a small wave, "See you later..." I couldn't stay any longer, "Goodbye for now!"

. . .

It'd been a couple days since then and I'd moved back into my old apartment. I'd opted not to continue my stay with my aunt for various reasons and was once again staying in that ramshackle, old apartment. It was a surprise that the old place was still standing. Now I'm waiting with Naruto and Sakura for Kakashi Sensei to join us, so we can go on our first mission since Naruto and I got back to the village.

"You're late!" Naruto scolded our sensei upon his arrival since as usual he had gotten to the meeting place fashionably late.

"Well, this time I was delayed by filling out paperwork for the new team..." Kakashi ventured with a guilty expression.

Kakashi's POV

"Today we start our first mission as a new team!" Naruto shouted at me with a groan, "Be enthusiastic!" He ordered, "Kakashi Sensei, "You've been like this for ages!!!"

"Oh, let it go!" Sakura dismissed him with a shout of her own, "It's not his fault that he had a face devoid of any enthusiasm!!"

I'm losing my dignity aren't I... I thought feeling almost offended by my students' words.

. . .

"Eh... That mission... No thanks..."

"Eh?!" the hokage grumbled leaning on her elbow with a scrunched-up face, "What kind of response is that? Well?!"

Well, somethings certainly haven't changed... Please don't talk so selfishly... She'll get angry at me...

"Gah..." Iruka sighed placing a hand to his forehead, "Naruto, you haven't matured at all mentally, have you?"

"Sor... Sorry Sensei!" Sakura broke in sending a fist to the back of the blond's head, "I'll sort him out!"

Izumi turned her head to the side seemingly uninterested in her teammates' bickering. Back in the day she would've made a complaint about their loudness or bring in a logical explanation as to why we should go on a different mission, but now... She was just silent and to make matters worse it seemed that she was avoiding her aunt. Family business... It wasn't really something that I should be getting myself involved with, but Izumi looked troubled and--.

"It's bad...!" Someone called loudly forcing open the door with a creak, "Fifth!"

"What is it...? You're so loud..."

A woman burst into the room screaming, "The Sand's kazekage has been taken by an organization called the Akatsuki! We just received the word.

We were all sent into a shocked stupor for a moment before the hokage flicked her hand down onto the desk in front of her the expression on her face changing from an annoyed one to an unreadable one, "... Right..." she turned her face up at my team and I, "Team Kakashi, I will tell you your new mission." we turned our faces to her listening attentively, "You are to go immediately to the sand, find out the situation, and relay it back to the leaf village... After that, follow the orders of the sand and back them up."

Izumi's POV

The four of us made it to the gates of the village preparing to depart for our mission. I swallowed down my fear and nervousness feeling something shift within me. This was my first test. This was my first chance to prove to myself that I could do something right that I wasn't a waste of space.

"Well... Off we go!" Naruto chanted as he adjusted the straps of his backpack.

"Okay, Lady Tsunade!" Sakura agreed as she sent a salute in her teacher's direction, "Off we go!"

"Ah... Do your best...!" Iruka smiled at his old student.

"Yeah!" Naruto said as though any less was expected. He took a step away from the village only to have us greeted by Jiraiya who stopped to whisper something to Naruto and Tsunade.

As he approached me I turned my head away pretending that a loose leaf blowing in the wind had caught my attention. He placed a hand to my shoulder earning a shudder from me as I felt my heart leap in my chest as he leaned in to whisper something to me, "Be careful with the akatsuki... You don't have to bear it all by yourself... We're all here, so there's no need for you to sacrifice yourself."

He then approached Kakashi Sensei sporting a still troubled expression, "Kakashi... Make sure Naruto doesn't do anything stupid. He's all yours."

"Yeah..."