"Fresh fish! Fresh fish! All is freshly caught and guaranteed!"
Fresh.....low costs....bargain.....I don't know if this is supposed to be a lively city festival or just a common market place.
Compared to Konoha, this city is more modernized. Besides that everything looks traditional, but the plenty of people walking around mostly are foreigners.
And will I also mention that this city was also heavily guarded with gates and a very high wall as a fence? This city is not even the main capital of a country.
The city was crowded, and it is as it should be expected, like how I had described it.
And the lively atmosphere here is probably of the news about an engagement of lords.
"Young man, how about we serve you for tea?"
I just smiled and waved to say no to the kind lady who's calling for a customer at the entrance of the supposed tea house, but it looks like it was just a bait, it's actually a brothel. It's obvious by judging on the fumes that house was emiting.
But I'm only in my early teens, for crying out loud. Maybe I'm oberthinking this. (— — )
All I had so far was finding out that Kakashi-sensei disguised himself as a sushi guy in a small store with Naruto-nii-chan as his assistant.
I haven't seen anyone from their team yet, except for them. And seeing Kakashi-sensei and Naruto in disguise, I can assume everyone else is in disguise.
"There's a tea house that I've heard that it has been here for five decades and it still serves customers to this day."
"So you're saying it is as old as my mother?"
"Yumi, that's not a very polite to throw a joke about age like that."
"Whatever, but do they serve liver sashimi?"
"Are you craving it?"
"No, it just reminds me that it's her least favorite food. Might as well try and give an opinion about it then look for that recipe and cook it for her when I get home to convince her that it isn't the worst food."
"We went everywhere and you guys still talk about the hokage indirectly."
"Whatever, Sakura. I missed her, so it's her name that lingers in mind right now. Go back to my mother and beg her to spank you if you're not a good girl if you want."
"Yumi, that's not how you should talk back to her."
I tried to walk past the people in the crowded street and followed the only voices that I can hear beyond those screams and chatters of people everywhere.
And there she is...
But she looked different, but I'm positive that it's her.
That vile sarcastic tongue, it will confirm that it was her. (— — )
"Yumi!" I said, blocking her way.
Her surprised big onyx eyes say it all. She's not expecting me to be here, and that same goes for who is following her lead.
"Konohamaru?" Asked Kyousuke.
"What are you—no, it should be, how'd you get in here?" Asked Hiro, changing his surprised to suspicious look.
"Don't worry, I didn't come here to cause any trouble on your mission," I responded immediately. "Yumi," I said again and returned my attention to her that now she isn't surprised, she has an eyebrow raised.
"If that's so," Kyousuke uttered then immediately chaged back to his usual vivacious self. "Hey, we're grabbing lunch. Join us, it's on me!"
But before I could say anything...
Yumi briefly let out a deep soft sighs that made me shut up and others turned to her, "I know what you mean, but I really can't come home yet. And also remember to take Kakashi, Naruto, Sai, Yamato and Sakura with you when you go home," she says and brushes me aside on the face with her hand fan.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm passing through."
I don't even said a word yet, what the heck. (—_— #)
"Yumi!" Called Hiro with a demanding tone.
"That's not how you should talk to people, you know! Have your manners gone to the gutter?" Added Kyousuke.
"I agree with her," says Hiro that made me turn to him for his sudden change of side.
"You mean it?" I asked sarcastically.
"Sakura-san," Kyousuke called as we all turned in her direction.
Sakura was more relaxed, unlike how I expected her to react from what Yumi had said. As a tsundere like her, I thought she'll be the first one to get pissed off. Maybe not this time.
"What's the hold up?" We all turned to the person who just talked.
It was Keisuke-sensei. His long blond ragged hair was tied up, clothed in a kimono with two swords tied in his waist. He posed up like a rounin if you asked me.
Now that I mentioned it. Actually, all of them are dressed in kimonos.
Kyousuke wearing a maroon colored kimono and Hiro in a dark blue.
Sakura wearing a pink kimono. And looking back to where I saw Kakashi-sensei and Naruto, they're also dressed in those traditional kinds of garments.
And also, everyone else who is probably from here also dressed like it.
I wasn't informed.
Now I get why everyone here takes a liking to scam me, I was a foreigner so obvious because of the way you dressed. (— _ — ")
"We're on our way deciding where we should grab lunch."
"Yumi walked on her own," said Hiro, continuing what Kyousuke had left.
"Well, we should probably do it too. Or just go home anyway, it's also a good option," he replies that almost made me fall to the ground for not expecting that kind of response from a sensei.
I want to slap my face from hearing that. But I must admit, his laid back attitude was kinda applauding. (" — —)
"Let's just focus on the objective of this mission. Each of us had their own wise way of collecting information, correct?" He asked that all three of them looked so focused.
"Sakura," he called.
"Yes, sensei?" She responded, almost flinching for a sudden call for attention.
"I apologize on her behalf for what she said, I hope you didn't take it to heart. She.....well, let's just say that she isn't good at working in teams. I hope you understand."
"You should probably get used to it already after the first and this second mission with us around. You can't see us together but still working on the same objective," says Hiro then suddenly turned his sharpened eyes on me.
"Why are you here?" He asked.
"You better say a good reason or else," added Kyousuke who only looks like he's pretending to be serious in asking that.
"It's a long story."
It's a long pause, "but please, I really didn't plan to take her back to the village with a mission ongoing. All I need is answers and it's urgent, you see, well, it's about Kyo."
Hiro's expression changed and so did Kyousuke and Keisuke-sensei. Sakura remained silent, but she's obviously curious about what's going on.
"I don't know how to explain it to you guys so I don't think I can give every detail, but the hokage also said if I need answers it's Yumi who is to ask everything about it."
"Where is he now?" Keisuke-sensei asked.
"He's in a coma and was under the hokage's strict surveillance. I'm not allowed for visitations either. She didn't ask me to go and fetch her, I came in my own accord. I didn't mean to cause any trouble, but I only need her to spare me an hour to talk to her," I said.
Judging by the expression on their face, I don't feel good. I came here, bringing all my pride down if ever I had one. Seeing them looking at me like that, it just weakens me.
I came here all alone without telling it to my teammates even to Ebisu-sensei who basically became like my babysitter since I was young. If someone needs to know that I went out of the village, it's my parents, but they had no idea what I came here for.
"No wonder she wanted to finish this mission so quickly," says Keisuke-sensei, breaking the ice.
"What?" I blurted out immediately after hearing him talk.
"Well, it's a parent's instict. Just like how I feel whenever my children get into trouble. I always knew I should go to them and check they're okay. And it's precisely about ninety nine point percent accurate," he says.
"I had no idea you had children," comments Hiro.
"Well, I do. I had two sons and a daughter."
"I already knew where this is going. Please, stop," Hiro immediately crossed that conversation out, preventing us from continuing that conversation.
"I had Hiro, Kyousuke and Yumi. Why else should I ask for more?" Keisuke continues with a big smile plastered in his face.
"That's very cheesy and at least my ninety nine point nine percent of my deoxyribonucleic acid said that it's not true, also I don't want you as my father," responded Kyousuke immediately.
"If it's okay to inform you, it doesn't look like it, but she's anxious," says Hiro, finally cutting their conversation that drags to nowhere, then turns his head around as if he's looking for someone in the crowd.
"She's been crying all the way here, but where did she go?"
"She knew Kyo needs her before you probably do. So please, don't stand in the way, we also wanted to go home as quickly as possible," says Kyousuke before shoving me by the shoulder then left.
"Get back here, young man. I didn't raise you to be rude. Where are your manners?"
All I can say, this whole "where are your manners" and this "I didn't raise you," was like a family habit they get from home. Am I missing something? (— _ — ")
"Imouto-chan? Where are you?" He called in between the crowd, ignoring his sensei.
"The main event would begin after two days, but it's Yumi. We're talking about," says Hiro.
"What she wants, she gets. If not, she should have it," Keisuke-sensei comments with a grunt.
"Didn't I tell you guys not to lose sight of her that's why it's the three of you beside her?" He reminded them that it awakens their sleeping thoughts in a snap.
Keisuke-sensei let out a defeated sigh, "The highest probability is, she had requested the meeting should proceed earlier. I'm not overestimating her talents of being so sly, but it's always the same story."
"That means? She's on her way to—" she stopped when someone had talks that made her interrupt.
"I just found myself a eunuch." Very plain and blunt, not suppressing to give us an indirect message that she's doing fine with just her and we're only annoying her.
She stepped aside, "This is Ren," she introduced and Ren bowed his head to give his respects.
"I formally introduce him to you so he can escort you all back to southern part of the city, away from the main city without causing any convenience to him."
"What is this all about?"
"Just shut up, Sakura. Just follow what I said," she snapped.
"It's not just Sakura, but we also want to know."
We all turned our heads to their direction, it Captain Yamato and Kakashi-sensei together with Sai and Naruto.
"Konohamaru, why are you here?" It's Naruto-nii-chan. His eyes looking at me in wonder.
I simply pinched my nose, "you smells like fish," I simply replied.
"Speaking of which, you can stop by to our sushi stall! We've been earning thousands just on the first day! We still had two days, so you should come!" He says enthusiastically, that I don't know if I should be ecstatic about it on how happy he is to invite me.
Honestly, I would want to try, it's a rare occasion that Naruto-nii-chan would actually work as a sushi chef, but I probably won't be able to swallow a bite while Kyo and Yumi were still in my mind.
Yumi gave everyone the look that she's annoyed that things aren't going smoothly like how she had in mind.
"Whatever you say, Kakashi. I won't be listening anyway," she says bluntly.
"Yumi," Keisuke-sensei called her with authority on his tone. "I also want answers."
Hiro held the hilt of his sword, but Keisuke-sensei immediately lifted his arm to block him.
I secretly take a step back, not wanting them to know I'll be leaving them alone.
It's not that I don't care about their concerns, but all I knew I should be with Yumi.
She's the reason why I'm here after all. It's better not to get involved in their conflicts.
"We won't get one, that's for sure," Hiro muttered.
"Yes, that's true," her eyes glowered, "You're wasting your time arguing with me."
I finally had quite a distance that even if I ran, they won't noticed me if I left. Before I go, I stole a glimpse back at them.
I got the feeling she's in trouble.
Third person Point of View
Within a split second, the tip of his katana was already pointing at her neck.
"Calm down! You're just making things worst than it is!" Sakura immediately held Hiro on his shoulder, trying to do what she thinks would stop them.
"Are you out of your mind!" She scolded after she finally pushed him back.
And as for Yumi, she didn't even flinched. She even smiled smugly at them.
"Like I said, follow Eunuch Ren and have faith everything will be alright," she calmly says even after what just happened in between them.
Hiro brought back his sword on its sheath tied on his waist, "You're the one who should calm down, that's just a clone."
Sakura turned her eyes on Yumi who was smiling even after getting threatened.
She stood there, looking happy, but not expecting that she began melting in front of them followed by a flock of crows that flew away to take away every piece of her in front of them.
"I'll go look for Kyousuke, he probably went to the main city," says Hiro.
He made a hand sign that made him vanish on sight leaving a puff of smoke.
"It's a shadow clone," all Captain Yamato could say.
"Well, what can we say, kids we're reckless? We should probably go to plan B."
"What can you say about it, Keisuke?"
"No comment," he says with a sigh, putting his arms at the back of his neck. He smiled so brightly then patted Ren in the shoulder, "Ren! Hang in there! And do your job!" He too had vanished in a smoke.
All eyes were looking at Ren and tears began to form in the sides of his eyes. It puffed a smoke then a ginger cat appeared in front of them with a tiny cute hat tied under his jaw.
"nyan~" he purrs, still trembling in fear. After a few seconds passed, it sprinted to get away from them.
"They said Yumi can't work in teams. They probably had planned it all along and we just played under their rules," all Sakura could say.
"I can't just say so bluntly that I agreed to follow Keisuke's plan. You guys had to agree, because I did," Kakashi gazes up the sky, estimating what time is it judging from the sun.
"Infiltrating the main city won't be easy, but we still had plenty of time if we do it on our own. The banquet will be held after two days," says Yamato then turns to Kakashi.
"So? Do you have a plan b for this?"
"We lack time. Knowing that they're all racing to finish this as soon as possible."
A thought crossed Naruto's mind that made him turn to his teammate, "Sakura-chan?" He called that made Sakura tirns to him.
"Have you seen Konohamaru?" He asked and tried to look around near them. "I didn't noticed him leave."
"You mean that obedient dog who always follows that skank like chasing it's tail?"
"Sai, that skank was Lady Tsunade's daughter," she reminded with a displeased glare, but Sai kept his smiling face that everyone knew it was fake anyway.
"He went on his way, possibly he went to find her," he says, ignoring Sakura.
"When we all gather them together, Keisuke will be the main course for dinner!" Is all what Yamato could say.
"That doesn't sound right," all Naruto and Sakura could say to comment on that.