Chapter 4
Akane and Ai walked towards the gates of Konoha quietly. Akane was excited at the prospect of leaving Konoha however, Ai was not. She was rather worried about the mission, unsure whether they should have a C rank. The kunoichi quickly shook her head and tried to get rid of these thoughts as they approached the gate. Hotaru was already waiting at the gate, leaning on the wall. “What took you so long, idiot?” He smirked. Akane didn’t answer and only smiled instead. “What are you smiling about?” Hotaru raised a brow. “Oh nothing!” She answered. Ai sighed. “She’s excited to leave the village.” The bluehead replied causing Akane to pout. “H-Hey!” Someone cleared their voice from behind them.The trio turned around to see their sensei with a woman with chestnut brown hair tied in a bun and hazel eyes.“Team 11, meet our client, Minami Yoshiko.” He introduced. Ai was the first to respond. “A pleasure to meet you Miss Yoshiko.” The brunette nodded her head. “Good, it seems at least one of you has manners here.” She scoffed. Akane glared and opened her mouth but was cut off by Kohaku. “Okay! Let’s get going.” He gave a closed eye smile as he walked off. Akane pouted and followed. Minami walked after the redhead with a frown. Ai strolled behind the trio as she began to hum to herself. Hotaru sighed as he followed the four. 'This mission is stupid. I already have to deal with an obnoxious redhead, a lazy sensei, a blind person and now a snobby woman?. At least Ai is tolerable.'
“So...What’s this mission about anyways?” Akane tilted her head curiously. Minami stared incredulously at the teen. “You mean you don’t even know what this mission is about?!” She shouted. Well, this mission is screwed. Ai sweatdropped as Kohaku chuckled nervously. “Actually I do,” I may have forgotten to tell my team. “I was going to tell them on the way there.” Minami glared at the amber-eyed male. “You better. I refuse to trust my life and this mission with incompetent idiots.” Hotaru narrowed his eyes. 'How rude, and this woman spoke about manners.'
“A-Anyways, the mission. Our mission is to investigate an organisation suspected of illegal slave trade. The organisation is located in the Sound Village. If it is proven true, we are to free the slaves and stop the trading.” Kohaku instructed his team. Ai frowned. “Slave marketing?” She whispered. “I didn’t know that still happened.” She muttered, looking up. Akane stared at her sister in worry. 'I hope Ai is alright...' Hotaru only watched her strange behaviour in confusion. 'I don’t see why she seems so upset.' Meanwhile, Minami gazed around quietly. 'Don’t worry, I’m coming...'
~~~
Day One:
“So sensei, how long is this mission going to last again? I miss Ichiraku’s! Plus Ms. Kurosawa’s dangos! Her tea shop is the best!” Akane whined. “The mission didn’t specify and it depends on how events play out. However, if my calculations are correct, it’ll only take a day and a half to get there. So today and half of tomorrow. We should arrive at night. We’ll book a hotel room and stay there for the night.” Akane nodded. “Okay! A day and a half, that shouldn’t be too bad.” Hotaru sighed in annoyance. “I highly doubt it...I bet she’ll start complaining before it even becomes night.” He muttered. Akane glared, “Hey! I heard that!” She shouts. “I wasn’t exactly trying to keep it a secret, idiot.” He retorted.
~~~
“Sensei! How long until we reach the Sound Village?” She complained. Kohaku merely rubbed his temple. 'At this rate, I’m going to get a migraine.' “I knew you couldn’t last till night before you started your whining.” Hotaru stated with a scoff. Akane glared. 'Why you...' “Why couldn’t Kami have given me a different team? One without a loudmouth, a rude boy and an idiot?” Minami spoke, glaring. Ai sighed. 'I know Akane is excited and all. I know she’s my sister and I love her but she can be rather annoying.' Akane walked over to Ai as she began muttering incoherent things under her breath that were without a doubt, about Hotaru. Kohaku resisted grinning. 'Finally! She shuts up. Let’s just hope it lasts.'
~~~
'I jinxed myself, didn’t I?' The male sighed as Akane began shouting loudly once more. Ai had long since tuned the noise out, not wanting to get a headache. She pitied the other three and wondered how she had been able to put up with Akane for so long. 'Ah right, she’s my younger twin sister, I have to take care of her, it’s what Mother and Father would have wanted.' She suddenly felt a wave of sorrow as she remembered her late parents, however she quickly shook it off. 'No, deaths happen all the time in the ninja world. I need to get over it...Not forget, but move on.' She snapped out of her gloomy thoughts at hearing a voice. “Ai? Earth to Ai?” Akane spoke, waving a hand in front of her face. Ai gave a weak smile which looked more like a grimace. “I’m fine.” Akane frowned. “Is it that?” She whispered. The bluenette flinched but nodded her head slightly. Hotaru, hearing the conversation, raised a brow. 'What is ‘that’?' The male thought.
~~~
It was finally night and the group decided to stop for the night and rest. They would continue travelling tomorrow. Hotaru and Akane were currently collecting firewood. Kohaku was sitting in a tree, reading a certain orange book and Minami was just sitting on the grass silently. Ai was gathering fish from the stream. All was quiet. At least, it was. “You idiot! Why would you even think of attempting to use a fire jutsu in the middle of the forest? Do you want other ninja to spot us?! Do you want to light this whole forest on fire?!” A voice shouted. “I’m sorry! I didn’t think of the consequences!” Another voice, more feminine, replied. “Clearly you didn’t think! You never think, idiot!” The first voice spoke once more. An argument soon broke out as Kohaku sighed. 'Here we go again. The two should just get together already. It would help save a lot of people headaches.'
“Would you two stop it already?!” Minami shouted as she stood up. Immediately, the two ninja turned to her with a glare. “Stay out of this!” They shouted simultaneously causing Minami to shrink back. Kohaku snapped his book shut before jumping out of the tree. He grabbed the two. “Don’t be rude to the client and besides, I think I can speak for the rest of us when I say...SHUT UP!” He brought them together and unintentionally causing the two to kiss. Kohaku started laughing as they immediately jumped back from each other, spluttering and coughing. “Ew! Sensei!” Akane shouted as she desperately tried to wipe the ‘Hotaru germs’ off of her mouth. Hotaru was glaring fiercely. “I swear to Kami...” “We’re going to kill you!” The two shinobi shouted as they pulled out a kunai. Kohaku widened his eyes. 'Oh shit!' He sprinted off as Ai laughed quietly at his misfortune.
~~~
Kohaku walked back into the clearing, panting. “Phew! I lost them” “Lost who?” Two menacing voices spoke behind him. Kohaku slowly turned, gulping. Ai decided to intervene. “Hey Akane, if you stop trying to kill Kohaku, I’ll go buy you some dango when we get back” She bribed. Akane brightened. “Really? Okay!” Kohaku silently cheered before turning to Ai. “Hey! What about Hotaru?” Ai giggled. “Sorry sensei, you're on your own.” Hotaru chuckled as he twirled a kunai around his finger. “You evil..little..” Kohaku began muttering things under his breath.
~~~
Day 2:
Ai woke up early the next morning. She turned to her sleeping comrades with a small smile. “Why are you up so early?” A voice spoke from behind her. Ai turned around to see nothing. “Up here” She looked up and saw Kohaku’s chakra in a tree. “I could say the same for you.” She replied causing Kohaku to smirk. “Fair enough.” The male jumped down and walked over to the two sleeping ninja. “Wake up.” He stated causing Akane to groan and roll over, straight into Hotaru. Unconsciously, the redhead clung on to the male, resting her head on his chest. Ai almost squealed. 'I ship it!'
The redhead opened her eyes. “H-huh?” She looked up only to see Hotaru’s sleeping face. 'He’s kind of cute..No! What am I thinking? Wait a minute..why am I on Hotaru?!' She crawled backwards letting out a startled shout. “Gah!” Hotaru groaned. “Idiot, shut up.” He muttered. “Now now, Hotaru, you need to wake up” Kohaku scolded. Hotaru sighed and sat up. “Fine. I’m up.What now? Do we get going?” Kohaku nodded his head. “Ai, please go and wake Miss Yoshiko up and we shall get going” Ai nodded her head before walking over to the chestnut haired woman and gently shaking her awake. Once everyone was up and ready to go, the trio continued on their journey.
The village was just on the horizon when Kohaku suddenly stopped in his tracks. 'That chakra! No, she’s dead!' He shook his head and continued walking towards the village. The others silently questioned why he had stopped but dismissed it. Their spirits seemed to lift at the sight of the village. Minami however, seemed anxious. She was gazing around and seemed alert, as if she was searching for something. Hotaru narrowed his eyes as he looked from Minami’s nervous actions and Kohaku. 'Could he perhaps have sensed something? No. He would have told us and besides, one of us should have sensed the chakra.' He let out an inaudible sigh.
“Well, look who it is. Kohaku Suzuki.” A feminine voice calls out, causing the brunette to tense in alarm. He turned his head towards the tree, where a group of three were, two standing and one sitting. Kohaku’s eyes narrowed in on the blonde haired woman, whom was the one sitting down on the tree branch, oozing elegance. “It’s been a while.” She leaped down from the tree, landing on her feet gracefully. The amber eyes male was as stiff as a board, watching the woman walk closer.
“The man who left me for dead.” A bulky blue haired shinobi scans the group then pouts a bit. “These kids don’t seem like much...” Despite his words, he still jumped down from the branch, his feet colliding loudly with the forest ground. Hotaru’s eyes watched the trio in suspicion. “Sensei, you know that woman?” Akane asks, pointing at the blonde. “My name is Miyako Akiyama.” Another female, who was albino leaps off of the tree, landing in front of Ai.
“Ne, this one is blind. That means her reaction time is better than average. Or slower.” Miyako gazed at her two teammates. “Ayumu, Hideki, distract the children, I need to have an important conversation with this man.” Kohaku tightened his jaw, pulling out a bladed weapon. “So it seems we’ll be delayed after all...” He spoke, his voice a bit shaken up from seeing his long lost comrade. Minami swallowed thickly, feeling the tension grow tenfold.
Ayumu smirked at the blind teen, pulling out a kunai and spinning it around her finger. “This ought to be fun.” She chuckles before darting forwards. Ai sent out a small pulse of chakra every 5 seconds, detecting anything within 3 kilometers of her. Her eyes widened at the speed Ayumu was approaching her with, swiftly taking out a kunai of her own and deflecting an attack. She’s definitely fast… Ai’s eyebrows furrowed at how much pressure was being placed on her blade.
“Ai! Why you ─” “Don’t forget about me, girl.” Hideki says, blocking her path while getting in a battle position. Hotaru scowled, modifying himself into a fighting stance as well. “You better not screw things up, idiot.” Akane grunts, but does not reply, situating herself into an action posture, grinding her teeth. Releasing a battle cry, the red head runs towards her enemy, who grins impishly at her predictable move. Hotaru’s eyes widened a bit at her reckless move.
'Damn! Doesn’t she know her weaknesses?!' He ran to her left side, where Akane happens to leave wide open for attack. She instantly tossed her fist towards Hideki’s face, aiming for a punch to the nose, only for it to get blocked easily. The bluenette clicked his tongue, preparing his hand to hit Akane in her side where
it was stretched far enough to cause internal damage with a good, hard hit. Hotaru slid through, breaking his teammate out of her bounds and kicking Hideki in the chest, sending him stumbling back a few meters.
Ai dodged a slice to her cheek, wincing a bit at the cut she had on her arm. At least it wasn’t my dominant one. She sent another wave of chakra, gasping as she realized Ayumu was right behind her, close to slashing her back. The blind kunoichi swirled around, raising her excessively damaged kunai in front of her face. “You’re awfully persistent, especially for someone who can’t see. I thought that I would’ve got this done and over with quickly, but it seems I must up my game.”
Hideki patted the area where he got kicked, dusting off the dirt. “I told you not to screw things up! Dumbass!” Hotaru glared viciously at his comrade, who gratefully reciprocated it. “Well how was I supposed to know that was going to happen!” Laughing, the eldest of the trio stared at the two children. More specifically, at Hotaru. “What do you know? You actually hit me. I guess I won’t have to go easy on you after all.” Hideki bellowed loudly as he straightened.
The ravenette’s eyes widened in alarm. 'His chakra amount has grown...'
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