Dosu's Great Escape

Chapter Two: Introductions

D ranked missions in the Leaf Village were humiliating. In the Sound Village, you killed dissenters and made examples of people. Threatened the sheep back into line. But here, in this place, the Leaf Village had you do menial chores.

Why? What purpose could it possibly serve to degrade your ninja in such a fashion?

Dosu pondered the fact as he stabbed his litter picker through another piece of trash in the park. Bringing it up, he dropped it into his bag. From there he continued. Glancing up, he saw Zaku and Kin doing the same. Neither one looked any happier than he felt.

"This is the absolute worst," said Kin.

"Quiet Kin," said Dosu. "We have work to do."

Zaku made his way up close to Dosu and spoke in what he probably thought was a whisper. "Come on, why don't we make a break for it? We could pry the armlets off later."

"We will do no such thing," said Dosu. "We wait and observe."

"For what?" asked Zaku.

"Opportunity," said Dosu. "Now quiet. We're being watched." He motioned with his neck toward where Anko was sunbathing on a nearby building. She'd shed her outer jacket and set up an umbrella, and was sipping an iced coffee while munching on peanuts. An untrained observer would think her off-guard.

But Dosu had noticed that her eyes had never left them. Had they made a break for it she would have been up in a flash. And they would have been caught.

Finally, she finished her ice coffee. Pulling on her jacket, she came down and approached them. "So how are you enjoying your first D ranked missions, kids?"

"Go to hell," said Zaku, stabbing some trash. He stowed it away in his basket.

Dosu said nothing. Kin was smart enough to ignore her as well. Nothing good would come from engaging with the parole officer. They could not subvert her, and open defiance would make her suspicious.

"Well, that's not very nice. You ought to try and stay on my good side," said Anko, stretching her arms. "After all, I'm the one writing reports on you."

Reports. Of course, there would be reports.

What they were doing was obvious. The three of them had been pegged as mere children. They had resisted the initial offer of defection. So instead they were assigned to doing menial jobs. In so doing they would pay for their presence.

Once they became used to doing D missions for the Leaf Village, they would be offered a C rank. Nothing directly against the Sound Village. But it would pay better, and by then they would be used to taking orders. That's how it would go, salami slice tactics. Since Lord Orochimaru had already refused to pay any ransom, they would have no incentive to hold out.

Little by little their loyalty would be subverted.

But it would not happen. Dosu had no intention of letting them beat him. He needed only to find a way to turn the system in on itself. Once he did that

And then Dosu heard other voices, coming through the park. "...I'm only saying, Neji, that the whole posing thing worked out pretty well." said a familiar female voice.

"We were left completely exposed to attack, Tenten," said Neji. "In most combat situations our enemy won't wait for us to finish speeches." Now Dosu remembered them, those genin had defeated them.

What were they doing here? Was it chance or design?

"I for one believe that our posing is entirely youthful. Guy-sensei himself approved." said a bold voice.