A couple of weeks later Team Kakashi were doing stupid little missions, but Tsuki had things to look forward too, after all, she'd had three dates with Inuzuka Kiba and even got a kiss on the cheek on the last one. It had happened a few days after graduating properly. She hadn't expected to enjoy it, but she actually had a good time with Kiba, he made her laugh.
( Tsuki fell onto her back, panting heavily as Kage un-summoned himself, they had successfully managed to complete the jutsu they'd been working on.
"Arf!" she turned only to have a small white puppy like her nose.
"Hey sweet-cheeks," a rather cocky voice interrupted the silence.
"Kiba," Tsuki muttered, looking at the shaggy brown haired boy, his eyes were dark with vertical slits and his teeth were more canine. He was wearing a fishnet tank top and his usual grey pants.
"What're you doing out here on your own, where's Uchiha?"
"Training," she said, answering both questions in one.
"Cool, so, wanna go out to dinner with me?"
Tsuki flushed red and looked away, she'd had the comments and she could deal with those but no one had ever actually asked her out. She didn't know how to deal with it.
"Aww, are you blushing?" Kiba taunted.
"Urusai," she muttered.
"Kawaii! (CUTE -or something to that effect)"
"If I go out with you will you shut up!" she snapped, sitting up, Kiba just grinned. )
This mission was a cat hunt. It was hot, the sun was out and there were few if any clouds.
"Sasuke, point B," came Sasuke's voice through the ear piece of the COMS kit; Tsuki sighed as she stopped on the branch she was meant to be on.
"Tsuki, Point D."
"Sakura, Point C," there was a moment of silence.
". . . Naruto, point A Dattebayo!"
"Too slow, Naruto," Kakashi scolded. "Yosh, Team Seven – oh? The target had moved!"
Tsuki followed the black shadow of the cat with her eyes and frowned slightly as it dashed into a bush for cover not too far away.
"Yosh, he's there, Dattebayo!" Naruto murmured and they all moved closer, hiding behind trees to surround the bushes.
"What's the distance from the target?" Kakashi asked.
"Five metres, I'm ready to go, Dattebayo!" Naruto said.
"I am, too," Sasuke said.
"Mm."
"Me too," Sakura agreed.
"Yosh . . . Go!" Kakashi ordered.
The four Genin dived into the bushes and Naruto let out a yell of happiness as he grabbed the cat around the waist.
"Got you at last!" the cat cried out and then turned on Naruto, clawing at him fast and repeatedly. "Itai!" he exclaimed.
"Does it have a ribbon on its right ear? Is it our target, Tora?" Kakashi asked, Sasuke who had his back to the rest of the team answered.
"It's the target, no mistake."
"Yosh, operation Capture Tora the lost pet is complete."
"Isn't there a more exciting mission we can work on! Dattebayo!" Naruto yelled.
He was waiting on an answer when the cat, which had been still for a moment, started attacking him again. Tsuki just sloped off next to Sasuke and they led the other two back to Kakashi's meeting point. Once back at the Hokage's office a rather fat woman, the wife of a feudal lord snatched the cat back in a smothering hug and waterfalls of tears started falling from the pet.
"Probably deserved that, you baka-neko, (IDIOT CAT)" Naruto laughed.
"No wonder it ran away . . ." Sakura said.
"Alright, the next mission for Team Seven. . ." the Hokage read, "Baby-sitting Yojyu-sama's boy, grocery shopping in the neighbouring town, digging up potatoes-"
"No way!" Naruto yelled.
He made a cross with his arms while the rest of the team just listened to him. They were used to Naruto's refusals by now.
"No Arigatō, to all those tasks! I want to a more exciting mission! Choose something else."
'There's some truth to that,' Sasuke thought.
'What a troublesome guy,' Sakura thought.
'I knew he was going to do this soon,' Kakashi thought.
Tsuki just kept quiet, watching as Iruka who was next to the Hokage jumped to his feet.
"Bakayaro! You are still just an amateur!" he yelled. "Everyone needs to start with the easy missions to gain experience!"
"Datte! Datte! (BUT) We've only been doing dumb missions lately!"
Kakashi delivered a hard punch to Naruto's head, knocking him flat on his face and Tsuki stepped to the side to avoid him.
"Cut it out," Kakashi said.
"Naruto! I need to explain to you what it is that makes a mission," the Hokage explained and Naruto sat up, rubbing his head. "Many different kinds of requests come into our village every day . . ."
Tsuki's thoughts drifted. She was little more happy these days, she even got a few laughs out of Sasuke during training – at her own expense right enough. She had Kiba, Sakura wasn't half as fan-girly as she had been and she was even on better terms with Naruto.
'Getting comfortable then?'
'Urusai!'
The only problem Tsuki was having, was that the voice in her head seemed more present the more she was happy.
"Listen!" the Hokage yelled.
"Do sumimasen, (EXCUSE ME - or something to that effect)" Kakashi rubbed the back of his head.
"Ji-san, all you do is lecture me," Naruto stated, "But don't forget, I'm no longer the naughty gaki you used to think of me as!" the blonde turned his back in a sulk.
Kakashi rubbed the back of his head with a sigh, eyes closed and Tsuki scrunched up her nose in amusement.
"Alright then," he announced, making Naruto turn, "I understand that you are very keen, I think I can give you a C-rank mission. It is being a bodyguard to someone."
'Eh? He only needed to sulk to get what he wanted? I should try that sometime,' Tsuki thought, eyeing Sasuke and he gave her a look that said don't-even-think-about-it.
"Really?" Naruto asked, getting excited. "Dare, dare?! Is it the Feudal lord? Or maybe Ohime-sama?"
"Don't get so hasty," the Hokage instructed, "I'll introduce him now. Please enter."
The door opened, revealing a drunk smelly looking and horribly mannered man with little hair and glasses, holding a bottle of Sake.
"What's this, a bunch of kids?" he took a drink, spilling some of it down his chin. Naruto stood up as Team Sevenlooked at the man. "The smallest one, especially, looks like a baka. You expect me to believe you are a shinobi?"
"Who is he talking about then?" Naruto asked laughing and they moved closer together.
Sasuke and Tsuki were almost of equal height, then came Sakura and then it was Naruto. The blonde got angry and Kakashi grabbed his collar to stop him attacking but he still tried to run.
"I'm gonna punch you in the face!"
"Don't punch the man you're supposed to escort, Boke! (STUPID / CLUELESS)" Kakashi reminded the boy.
"My name is Tazuna; I'm a master bridge builder. Until I go back to my home town and complete the bridge, I must ask you to protect me."
There was a light whistle on the wind coming through the window and Tsuki turned, feeling someone moving around just outside the border, someone who wasn't meant to be there.
"Oi, you coming, Baka?" Sasuke asked smirking a bit as she looked at him.
"Hai," Tsuki mumbled with a glare, following after them.
Tsuki opted for using her summoning pouch to pack her stuff, as it easily attached to her belt. She slung her sword case strap over her shoulder and made sure it was locked in, the hilt had teeth on it which connected to the casing and it took a drop of her blood to unlock.
Glancing around the room she decided she had better actually wear her identification plate and tied it loosely around her neck as she left. She hadn't been wearing it as it got annoying after a few days.
"Yosh!" Naruto cheered, overly excited as they left the village gates, "Let's go!"
"What are you getting all excited for?" Sakura asked.
"Datte! I've never been outside the village before," Naruto looked side to side, shielding his eyes with his hands.
"Oi," Tazuna asked, pointing at Naruto, "Will a kid like this really be capable of this mission?" Kakashi chuckled.
"I'm a Jounin so there's no need to worry."
'This jiji is the worst client ever, I need to say something,' Naruto thought.
He spun around angrily with his finger pointed at Tazuna and Tsuki dropped her head into her hand as the argument started. She took the time to pull Kakashi down to her level.
"Ne, someone's fallowing us," she muttered.
"I know, just act normal," he replied, just as quiet, "Oh and don't come on to strong, if you catch my drift."
Tsuki stared at Kakashi wide-eyed as he walked forwards to where Tazuna and Naruto were almost finished. She had already promised never to use her Kekkei Genkai in battle ever again. She felt eyes on her and blinked, returning to her usual expression as she faced Sasuke, he had his eyes narrowed.
'Followers' she mouthed and his eyes widened a fraction before he nodded.
Tsuki ignored the conversation ahead, she had fallen behind the group but Sasuke walked with her, eyes darting over the surrounding area wearily.
"Ne, Tazuna-san?" Sakura was asking.
"What is it?" Tazuna replied gruffly and Tsuki flicked a stone at him, on "accident" of course.
"You come from Nami no Kuni, (LAND OF WATER) right?" came Sakura's reply.
"What about it?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head and shooting glares over his shoulder at the other girl.
"Ne, Kakashi-sensei, are there also shinobi in that country?" the pink girl asked.
"No, there are no shinobi in Nami no Kuni, but in most countries although they have different cultures, there are hidden villages and that's where shinobi exist," the Jounin said.
Kakashi then explained the set up of the hidden villages and the lands they resided within. Tsuki was sure they learned that in class, so paid no attention.
"Eh, Hokage-sama must be a great man!" Sakura exclaimed but she didn't look convinced, nor did Naruto.
"Is that jiji really a great man as he says he is? Sounds fishy . . ." Inner Sakura said.
'It must be a lie, hai, a lie,' Naruto thought, remembering how easily he – as a naked girl – knocked the Hokage down.
"Oi," Kakashi said, "You guys just doubted Hokage-sama, didn't you?"
Sakura and Naruto shook their heads fiercely, Tsuki snickered. Sasuke smacked her over the back of the head and she pouted at him, making him smirk. Sakura relaxed when Kakashi rested his hand on her with a light chuckle and she smiled at him.
"Although, no need to worry. We won't be fighting any shinobi on a c-rank mission."
"So, we won't have to face any foreign shinobi?" Sakura asked. Tsuki noticed Sasuke looking back and followed his line of sight to Tazuna who was looking away guiltily; Kakashi gave a slight nod, meaning he'd noticed it also.
As they kept walking, there was a splash and Tsuki looked down to see she had stepped in a puddle. She was about to walk away when she froze. Kakashi nudged her in the back.
"Keep going," he muttered. From behind, two sets of chains wrapped around Kakashi and ripped him apart; Tsuki scrambled up a nearby tree and suppressed her chakra as Sakura screamed.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled, but the two enemy shinobi appeared behind him.
"One down," one of them said.
Sasuke jumped into the air as the two shinobi cast their chains at the frozen Naruto and threw a shuriken to pin the chains to the tree and then the kunai went through the middle of the shuriken to keep it in place. As he fell, he landed on both of the metal claws in a crouch, grabbed them with his hands and kicked his legs back, his feet connecting with the shinobi's faces, knocking them back and breaking the chains off their gloves.
One shinobi turned and rushed Naruto while the other went after Tazuna and Sakura. Sakura got in front of the bridge builder and Sasuke blocked her as Kakashi appeared and grabbed the one going after Naruto and Tsuki dropped down out of the trees landing her chakra filled feet on the other's shoulders, forcing him face first into the ground and she beamed up at Sasuke, sitting on the shinobi's back.
"Hiya!" she greeted.
"Yo," Kakashi said, grabbing the second shinobi as Tsuki climbed off and pulled him up so he could tie both to a tree.
'Kakashi-sensei, he's alive!' Sakura thought, looking ecstatic.
'Tch, show off,' Sasuke thought looking pissed off.
"Then that was . . ." Naruto turned and looked at the pile of logs that remained from Kakashi's Kawarimi no Justu.
"Naruto, sorry I couldn't save you sooner. You are hurt. I didn't think you'd freeze up like that. Anyway, Sasuke, well done, and you too Sakura, and you Tsuki."
Tsuki's eyebrow twitched as she looked over to Naruto, being put after Sakura was almost an insult.
'I . . . couldn't do anything, but Sasuke was able to in his first real battle, he wasn't afraid at all. Are you saying he helped me with that calm face without soiling his clothes at all?' Naruto thought.
"Yo!" Sasuke called over to him, half smirking, half smiling, "I hope you're not hurt, Bibiri-kun.(SCAREDY CAT)"
"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled and moved to attack.
"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled. "These shinobi claws have poison in them; we need to take it out quickly. We need to open up your wound. Don't move around or the poison will spread. By the way, Tazuna-san."
"What is it?" Tazuna asked.
"I need to talk to you."
Kakashi tied the two rogue shinobi to a tree tightly and stepped back to where the others were standing.
"They're the demon brothers. Chuunin from Kirigakure (VILLAGE HIDDEN IN THE MIST), they're known to keep fighting no matter what the sacrifice," Kakashi said
"How were you able to detect our actions?" one asked.
"It hasn't rained for a few days," Kakashi said, "I saw a puddle of water, on a sunny day like this? A bit strange . . . and Tsuki sensed you before we even left the Hokage's office."
"If you knew that, then why did you let the kids deal with it?" Tazuna asked.
"I could have taken them down in a second, but I wanted to know something. Who was their target?"
"What do you mean?" the bridge builder spoke again.
Naruto was cradling his injured hand as he and the rest of the team turned to look at Kakashi, wondering what he was talking about.
"In other words, were you being targeted? Or one of us shinobi? That's what I mean. We have not heard anything about you being targeted by shinobi. Your request was to protect you from armed groups like robbers and gangs. This is a mission that's above b-rank. Our job was to support and guard you until you completed the bridge. If shinobi are our enemy, this mission would have been an expensive B-rank."
"Eto . . ."
Kakashi and Tazuna, along with the other three Genin turned to Tsuki and she scratched her head.
"Nami no Kuni has no money, so . . . he wouldn't be able to afford a B-rank mission, maybe that's why he lied," she reasoned. "Not condoning, just pondering possibilities."
"It looks like you have your reasons," Kakashi said, turning back to Tazuna, "But it only troubles us if you lie in your request details. This wasn't part of the mission."
"This mission is out of our league, let's quit!" Sakura suggested. "We need to take out the poisoned blood in Naruto, too. We must go back to the village for that!"
Kakashi looked at Naruto and then stuffed his hands in his pockets, tilting his head to the sky. Tsuki had an idea of what he was doing, reverse psychology.
"This sure is a burden, let's go back to the village to cure Naruto," Kakashi said. Tsuki stumbled back as blood splattered across her cheek and everyone turned to see Naruto had stabbed a kunai into his hand.
The red haired girl barely listened to the conversation and wiped the blood off her face with her hand, then held it in front of her. Her vision flickered, and she pushed down the urge.
"Naruto," Kakashi was saying, "Er that was really cool how you took the poison out . . . but if you lose anymore blood, you're going to die." Naruto then started to turn blue and shake, "You should stop it. Really."
"No! No, no!" Naruto stated running on the spot and Sakura moved over to the two of them as well, "I can't die just like this!"
"Show me your hand," Kakashi said and Naruto did as he was told.
"Eto . . . eto . . ." Kakashi looked up at the blue, shaking Naruto, "You have a really serious look on your face, am I okay?"
"Well it should be fine," Kakashi reasoned, wrapping it.
Roxyblack <3