"He's North."
Itachi looked at me, and I could see the red glow of his sharingan despite his ANBU mask. He nodded slightly, then we all started running. He was our team captain, after all.
We split to the sides, Itachi and Kuro going right, and Fiore and I taking the left. We usually split into these groups, since Itachi and I were the two sensory-type ninja, while Fiore and Kuro were more force and strength. I was also part of the interrogation core, since I can generally tell when a person is lying, because of my abilities, so I usually handled looking after our captives on the way back to base.
We caught up to the escapee in a matter of minutes, and I heard Itachi's voice through the radio link.
"Attack in three, two, one... now!" we leapt out of our cover, surrounding him instantly, and Fiore used his water-style to bind the man instantly, and remove the scroll he had stolen. It was tossed to Itachi, and he looked it over once in confirmation before rolling it up and tucking it in his kunai holster.
"Target acquired." we all nodded, and Kuro picked up the now unconscious prisoner, tossing him over his shoulder and starting running. I kept focus on the prisoner, so I could take action immediately if he was to wake.
"Ahh, good, I can go home and put my feet up." I said, smiling as I sighed, once we had handed over the criminal. I removed my neko mask, pulling the hairband out of my longish white hair and ruffling it out. I then put my mask back on, for the run. I hated wearing it, but it would be irritating if all of the villagers knew that I was ANBU. I felt a mocking mood emanating from Kuro, and frowned at him. He looked at me, feeling cocky.
"Yeah, you must be tired after all that exercise, Kaoru-baba." I glared at him and he snickered, but it fell when I hit him hard over the back of his head. He fell off of the branch he was on, having lost his footing, and I caught him by his collar, holding him high enough while we ran that he couldn't get down.
"I've told you once and I'll tell you again..." I said, eyes closed to keep my anger under control. "I can't help my hair colour!! So shut up about it!"
He wriggled out of my grip, and saluted me with a cocky smirk, before dashing away. I grunted in irritation, then focused back on my path, making my two other teammates look away quickly, though I could still feel their amusement. I was a force to be reckoned with when I was mad, so they both had better watch out. That damn Kuro..."
"Calm down, Kaoru-chan." Itachi said, smiling easily at me, which I could somehow tell was there despite his mask. I sighed.
"Yeah yeah..." I muttered. I know I have temper issues, but seriously! When you have my little brother, and that baka Kuro, AND a creepy pedophile like Danzo as your boss, you're going to have some issues. Unless you're like Itachi.
Sasuke's a lot better behaved than Naruto though. But still, I cannot see how Itachi manages to stay so calm all the time.
Don't get me wrong, I love Naruto, but...
"Uzumaki-senpai?" I regarded the new-appeared ANBU-rookie tiredly, already knowing why he was summoning me.
"What's he done this time?" I asked, exasperated.
"Iruka-san is trying to handle it, but he needs assistance. It seems Naruto-san has graffitied the Academy building." I sighed, covering my masked face with my hand, using Itachi's calm emotions to my advantage.
"Where is he now?"
"He was last seen in the northern streets." I nodded.
"Okay. I'll find him." I waved a quick goodbye to my fellow ANBU, then took off in a northern direction, searching out Naruto's chakra signature. It took a few minutes, but eventually found him, and headed in that direction.
I could see him now. He was running, then hid against a wal, using a camouflage sheet, as Iruka passed by. He pulled it back down and laughed, then went to move, but I pinned his shirt with shuriken before he could.
I jumped down onto the street below, stalking towards him and folding my arms. He had a scared expression as he cowered against that wall, like a trapped rabbit. I glared down at him.
"For a ten-year-old, you cause a lot of trouble." I removed my mask, and glared harder, then smiled. "Oh well. Boys will be boys, I guess."
He looked suspicious, then wary, then happy. "So I'm off the hook?"
"What gave you that idea?" I smiled sweetly, then it darkened into almost sinster. "You are in so much trouble."
He shivered in fear; he had seen my 'scary-lady face' as he called it, many times before, and it freaked him out every time. He looked side-to-side in a panic, then quickly shrugged out of his shirt and took off down the road. So now he was running away, after dessecrating the academy, shirtless.
"Naruto you get back here this instant!!" I shouted, running after him, but man, that kid could run fast when he was scared. He was like Kuro in that respect.
He jumped into a ditch, hoping to lose me, and I quickly made a clone to keep running and trick him while I hid behind a tree. He watched my clone disappear out of sight, then sighed in relief. I quickly appeared behind him, and pinned his wrists behind his back.
"Why so happy, otouto?" I smirked as he froze, a look of dread on his face.
* * *
Naruto probably sensed the punishment coming, and turned his head to me, an innocent smile on his face as he tried to make me crumble. But no. I was determined not to lose to those baby blues this time.
"You know I love you, nee-chan.." he simpered, gazing up at me cutely, and I glared at him, crossing my arms.
"No ramen for a week! And you will apologise to Iruka, then clean every drop of the paint off of that building!" he scowled at me, and I gave him my intimidating look that I use for interrogation. "Is that clear?"
He gulped, then nodded, "Yes ma'am!"
Then he escaped to his room.
I sighed heavily, then went to my room, and took off my ANBU vest, leaving my loose black long-sleeved shirt, then fell backwards onto my bed, kicking off my ninja sandals. I traced the Uzumaki insignia on my single sleeve, that every jounin and chunin also had on their shirts. I only had one sleeve on this shirt for my ANBU uniform, for it is required that one arm must show to reveal the ANBU tattoo on my right arm.
I unlatched my mask from my belt, tracing over the patterns that formed into a neko face.
I had a cat mask for a simple reason; the powerful chakra sealed inside me. When I was two, my blood father sealed the collected excess chakra from Nibi, the two-tailed bakemono neko, into me. I don't remember much, just that it hurt like a bitch on fire, and left this mark on my forehead. I didn't find out about it until I was twelve, and that was only because we had gone on a mission to Uzushigakure, the original home of the Uzumaki clan, and Obaa-chan had recognised me and explained everything.
I had been quite scared at the time, but then remembered about Naruto having the real deal sealed inside him, and thought it through. I couldn't have a little brother that was stronger than me, now could I? If he could deal with being the kyuubi jinchuuriki, then I could deal with being a psuedo Nibi jinchuuriki. Besides, I had more important things to worry about.
I latched it back onto my belt next to my katana, then rolled onto my other side, and slowly drifted into sleep.
* * *
"Nee-chan! Kaoru-nee-chan, wake up!"
"Unh, what..? What is it... Naruto..." I trailed off, bolting upright as I smelled the smoke, and saw Naruto nowhere. Then how come he had woken me up..?
I shook it off, and quickly jumped out of my bed, glad that I'd fell asleep fully clothed. The thick smoke burned my lungs, and I pressed my sleeve over my mouth and nose, coughing. I rushed out of my room, the thick black smoke making my eyes burn and stream.
"Naruto!" I shouted, my voice coarse. No response. "Naruto, answer me!"
"Nee-chan!" I ran to Naruto's room, horrified to see his door blocked off by fire.
"Naruto!" I cried, and I could see his terrified expression though the flickering flames that had already consumed the hallway and were slowly crawling up the stairs.
"The window's blocked off too! Nee-chan, I can't get out!" my eyes widened, and my eyes were filling with tears now, instead of a reaction to the smoke. I couldn't lose anyone else. I wouldn't lose anyone else! I refuse to!
I reached to try and break through, then recoiled as the flames licked at my hand greedily. My skin burned painfully, and I bit my lip to stop myself from crying out. Naruto was scared enough as it was; he didn't need me screaming as well.
"Stay out of the way Naruto! I'm going to get you out of there!" he looked only very slightly calmer, still fearful, but I was touched that he trusted me so greatly with his life. I tried again, moving quickly so as not to burn myself too much, though precision was difficult in my strikes because my body was shaking.
Finally, with one last chakra-infused punch, I broke through, then ran through the flames and scooped Naruto up in my arms. My heart was tearing up into pieces; he was shaking, and his eyes were filled with tears. I quickly turned as I heard a heavy cracking, and the doorway fell in. I had punched out it's support to get in, and now it couldn't hold up. We were trapped.
Naruto's breathing sped up in a panic as he recognised this, and pretty soon he was hyperventilating. I shook him lightly, but he didn't notice, so I lightly hit a pressure point on his neck, knocking him out. It had the desired effect; his breathing slowed, which was good, because it meant he was no longer breathing in so much of the smoke.
Suddenly, a massive hole was broken into the wall from outside, probably made by exploding tags, and an all too recognisible face made my breath hitch in my throat. "Itachi.."
His worried expression turned into a calming smile, and he balanced on the wall inside the huge gap. "Come on. We need to get out of here. This hole won't hold for long."
I swallowed and nodded, and took his hand when he offered it, shielding Naruto's body with my own as I jumped out of the gap with Itachi supporting me. His grip didn't leave even as we landed, and I briefly acknowledged his arm going round my waist in support as I held onto Naruto for dear life.
I clutched him tighter as I felt someone trying to take him out of my grip, but Itachi shook me gently, pulling my gaze from the flames that consumed our house and illuminated the darkness of the street.
"You need to let the medics take him and check him over, Kaoru-chan." Itachi said gently, prying Naruto from my grip. I came around, and let the kind-faced medic take him. She gave me an apologetic glance, but I didn't notice her, eyes back on the flames.
With the emptiness in my arms, came an unbearable ache in my heart, and I fell to my knees, staring in horror at the collapsing building as fire-fighter-nin used water jutsu to try and dull the flames.
The pain still burning on my reddened skin, I doubled over, sobbing painfully into the dirt, with my ANBU captain rubbing soothing circles on my back.
Chapter three people! Hope you liked!
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