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“Wake up.” The command was simple, straightforward, and successful as it roused Akina from an uneventful slumber. The Genin rubbed sleep from her dark eyes as she blinked up at her older brother, already clad in his Chuunin vest, which he had personalized by adding the Uchiha crest and placing the metal portion of his forehead protector over the shoulder. His outfit also consisted of red sweatbands around his wrists, dark blue shorts, and boots which also displayed the crest of the clan. His hair, which when left loose was long enough to tickle about his shoulders, had been drawn back and fastened by wrapping it with a red cord.



“What for?” The kunoichi rolled her gaze to the side, taking in the time on the clock, it was only 7 o’clock and she was fairly certain Kiba hadn’t scheduled training until nine. It was then that she remembered getting a message the night before mentioning a meeting at eight, “I only have an hour to get ready! You should have woken me up earlier you idiot!”



With that, she raced from the room, barricading herself in the bathroom. She stripped of her pastel nightgown, and gingerly stepped into the shower. Turning the knobs, the water began to fall, and she flinched at its initial coldness. Eventually, however, the water warmed, and she sighed at the relaxing effect of the warm deluge cascading over her.



By the time she emerged from the shower, fluffy white towels wrapped tightly around her body and hair, a half hour had passed already. Quickly she ran down the hallway and to her room. As she passed through her doorway, she spat the froth from brushing her teeth into a nearby trashcan. Tearing the towel from her torso, she hurriedly slipped into a powder blue dress, whose hemline stopped short of her knees. The next step was to smear some moisturizers and acne preventing medicines over her face. Grabbing her brush she ran it through her dark locks, making certain to curl the pink bangs under ever so slightly. To finalize her outfit she fastened her forehead protector about her waist, which held against to her a small pouch of kunai, and added a touch of sheer gloss to her lips.



Once she was ready, she made her way down the stairs to get some breakfast. She grabbed a couple slices of bread and took a seat at the table across from her brothers, both of whom had finished getting ready for the day and were watching her as she ate.



“I wonder what this meeting’s about…” Yasuo murmured, tugging at his sleeve nervously. The shinobi was clad in his usual attire. His blue top had sleeves that reached past his wrists, and which he folded over to keep from being too long, the collar was a very loose turtleneck style, and on the back was the Uchiha crest, a standard for all outfits belonging to the clan. His shorts were a paler blue, and at his hip was attached a satchel in which he stored his kunai. The metal plate which bore the familiar symbol of the village was bound across his brow with a black band of fabric.



“The messenger didn’t say,” Taro replied; his eyes closed as his chin rested on the palm of his hand, “Just that all three of us were supposed to go…and that you two should meet with your sensei once we get there.”



Akina was devouring her breakfast as quickly as possible, taking large gulps from a glass of milk between bites. When at last she had finished she pushed away from the table, dropping the used dishes into the sink as she headed for the door, “Well, we’d better get going before we’re late!”



“You don’t have to tell us that,” the eldest Uchiha child reminded her, “You’re the last one ready. Why on earth do you take so long primping anyway?”



“Just shut up and move!” Akina flushed at the comments and slid into her sandals before rushing out the door. Following after her, the two boys did the same, and soon enough they were jogging down the dusty streets of Konoha towards the place where they would meet with the Hokage.



As they ran they spotted a group of ninja in the distance, a blonde shinobi with his hair pulled into a spiked ponytail at the nape of his neck, wearing a pale green vest that might easily be mistaken for a Chuunin uniform which stopped just above his naval fastened over a mesh shirt, and low riding brown pants held up by the forehead protector that, like Akina’s, was fastened around his waist. While this boy kept a slow, leisurely pace, the kunoichi ahead of him was walking slightly faster, although she was facing him and moving backwards. Her hair was fastened in two, short, brown pigtails that were easily recognizable to Akina. She was clad in her usual lilac hued shirt and grey cargo shorts, the metallic plate with the village insignia tied about her thigh. Keeping pace with the girl, though facing forward, the next in the group was a Jounin. This man also bore a single ponytail, though his was far darker than that of the shinobi. He too wore sleeves of mesh beneath the vest required by his post. Dark pants reached to his ankles. His forehead protector was tacked loosely to his mesh sleeve, clearly having been added with minimal effort.



As they drew close enough to hear what was being said, they were not surprised to hear Mine sighing in exasperation at her brother, “Nii-san, can’t you move any faster? We’re going to be late!”



“What’s the hurry?” the elder Genin replied with a shrug, “I think Hokage-sama will wait till we get there.”



“I’ve seen snails that move faster than you!” his sister tried once more to coax him into faster movement, “Even Otou-san isn’t this lazy!”



As if to prove her wrong, the Jounin let out a deep yawn, sliding his hands into his pockets as he continued walking, “Why on earth did Naruto schedule a meeting so early anyways…?”



The girl’s teal eyes slid shut as she emitted another sigh. Continuing to walk backwards she was focused on trying to come up with a way to get her family out of their lazy streak. It was clear to her father and her brother that she was becoming more and more frustrated with them, but didn’t want to start a fight, or head off on her own.



The Uchiha were watching this unfold from their short (and growing shorter) distance behind the Nara family. Akina turned to her brother with a small smile, “Hey, I’ll catch you two there, okay? Nii-san, try not to traumatize Ototo-chan, okay?”



“Just go,” Taro dismissed his sister with a wave of his hand. The youngest Uchiha sent Akina a forlorn look, as though begging her to stay, but she returned the expression with an apologetic shrug as she sped up to catch Mine.



“Mi-chan!” the Uchiha girl gave waved happily, as she caught up she greeted the rest of the Nara clan with a small bow of her head, “Shi-kun, Shikamaru-sensei! I’m afraid I’m gonna have to steal Mi-chan, that way were together when we find Kiba-sensei. We’ll see you when we get there!”



Turning to Mine she grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her along, “Nii-san and Ototo-chan will keep them company. Come on, Mi-chan.”



The two of them ran off ahead, leaving Taro behind, the older boy bearing a rather annoyed look on his features. Mine cast a look over her shoulders, still feeling slightly bad about leaving her family behind, “See you two slow pokes at the meeting!”



When they arrived at the place the Hokage had asked them to gather, they soon found their sensei. To Kiba’s left was a curvy young woman with a brown ponytail and pale eyes. There were fang marks upon her cheeks, making it quite clear whose daughter she was. She wore black pants that hugged closely to her figure. Her mesh shirt was covered for the most part by a Chuunin vest which had been personalized by the addition of a brown fur collar. Her forehead protector had been removed from the black band, and been attached across her back, just below the shoulders, to guard her one blind spot. On the other side of Kiba stood a woman with black hair which made her milky skin and pale eyes stand out all the more. Beneath her Chuunin vest she wore a simple black shirt, and on her legs were a pair of iridescent slacks, as she shifted her position they seemed to change in shade from blue to a lilac shade. To this woman’s right was a young boy with the same dark hair and pale eyes, fang marks upon his cheeks identified him as another of the pair’s children. He wore a long brown coat, fringed with fur at the collar, and left open from the waist down to reveal his blue pants, which flared slightly at the bottom.



Mine and Akina approached Kiba and his family. The Nara girl smiled brightly in excited anticipation, her teammate had her arms folded across her chest, serious as she waited to find out just what they were doing there. A faint blush crept across the cheeks of the young Inuzuka boy. Kiba’s daughter waved at the girls, whom she had come to know well because of the fact that her father was their teacher.



“Hey, girls,” Her pale eyes shut as she grinned at the pair, “Exciting, huh? Wonder what’s up.”



Behind the Inuzuka father and his children stood their canine companions. The familiar features of the massive white Akamaru panted a happy greeting, while at his side stood a jet black creature, whose characteristics were sharper, like those of a wolf, and piercing blue eyes. He grinned in his canid way as he watched the Genin approach. A slightly smaller female dog stood behind her human master, her sides thick with long red fur, with a black streak along her back. Her features, though not as sharp as the black animal’s wolfish face, were more drawn out than those of Akamaru. Her black ears flopped to the sides of her head.



“Yeah!” Mine nodded her agreement, reaching out to scratch the large black dog behind its ears, “Maybe we get a mission!”



“It would be a nice change in pace…” The dark haired woman at Kiba’s side replied softly. Though Hinata had come out of her shell quite a bit since her youth, she was still soft spoken. Her husband smiled at her brightly and slid his arm around her shoulders.



“You’ve got that right! I know my team is getting antsy just sitting around.” Kiba grinned and let out a chuckle.



“It...it is a little…useless of us to just stay in the village…” The youngest of the Kiba and Hinata’s children said softly.



“You sound like Yuudai. But I guess you do have a point, Ki-kun,” Akina let out a laugh and shifted her attention to the older girl, “Speaking of missions, have any interesting ones lately, Ta-chan?”



Takara shrugged, “Not really. I had an escort mission last week. Some injured worker from a different village had come here to get help from your okaa-san. He wanted an escort home. It wasn’t a big deal.”



The dog standing behind the Inuzuka girl suddenly started in with a low growl, bearing his teeth. Takara turned with a concerned look and put a hand on his strong neck, “What’s up Tatemaru?”



But the ebony furred creature didn’t need to answer, however, as a red-headed boy soon appeared and threw an arm around the curvy girl, “Hey, Takara-chan! What’s up?”



Speaking over the vicious barks of her animal comrade the pale eyed Chuunin lifted away the arm and stepped aside, creating an opening into which her dog immediately stepped, still snarling defensively. Adjusting her fur collar, which had been mussed by the boy’s actions, Takara replied, “Nothing’s up, Miki. Now, you should probably go find someone else to bother.”



“Bother?” A look of hurt came into the other’s eyes as he put a hand to his chest. It was clear this boy was a Chuunin as well; the collar of his vest left unzipped slightly and folded over. His bear, strong arms ended in hands covered by fingerless gloves. Black shorts, the metal plate with a leaf insignia stitched directly to the thigh, covered his legs, and the look was finished up with a pair of black sandals, “You think I’m a bother? I’m offended!”



“No,” Takara batted her pale eyes coyly as she replied, “I don’t think you’re a bother, I know you’re a bother. Where’s your sister?”



Miki laughed, folding his arms over his chest, “Now why should I tell you where Ima is when you go and treat me like that? Maybe for a kiss I’d tell you…”



Takara quirked a brow, and Tatemaru continued to growl, “You do realize my father’s standing right here, right?



Miki grinned, his own brow lifting in mock curiosity, “Oh, and if he weren’t, then what were you thinking we could do?”



Kiba had remained silent thus far, knowing his daughter knew how to handle herself. However, he couldn’t merely sit by and watch the boy continue speaking like that. As he stepped forward to put an end to the conversation, however, he found he had no need to say anything.



A hand swiftly landed a blow to the back of Miki’s head, and the boy grasped as the forming bruise, “Hey!”



“Can it, pervert.” The voice came from behind, another redhead, this one a girl with slightly darker locks stood. One hand was poised on her hip, the other still hung in the air behind the boy’s stooped head. Her eyes were also green, though at the moment they were closed, and she also wore the familiar Chuunin vest, coupled with a short black skirt, and a long black sleeve down one arm which looped over her middle finger.



“Ima!” Takara’s smile grew more sincere, and the large black canine at her side joyfully greeted the other Chuunin by dragging his large tongue across her cheek.



The red haired girl laughed as she pet the dog, kissing his nose softly, “Hey Tatemaru, hey Takara! Sorry my brother’s been bugging you again…you’d think he’d learn.”



Miki glared at his younger sister, “Well, I was actually making progress ‘til you showed up!”



“No you weren’t,” Takara informed him, “You were probably about to get your a** kicked by Otou-san.”



Kiba nodded as though to confirm this statement. In the background Mine and Akina exchanged amused glances. Akamaru tilted his head as he regarded the young shinobi before him, and Takemaru continued to watch the male Chuunin warily.



“So,” Mine turned with a bright smile to the boy in the long coat, and he flushed mildly at the attention, “How have you been, Inuzuka-kun?”



“Y-you can call me Kiyoshi…you know…” His voice was soft, seeming to take after his mother, and his pale gaze avoided direct contact with Mine’s teal eyes, “I’ve been busy…with training.”



“Yeah, your dad keeps us pretty busy too.” The kunoichi nodded in reply, “But when we get our mission, it will be worth it!”



“What makes you so sure we’re getting a mission, ne?” Miki had been distracted from his pursuit of Takara upon hearing the statement.



“Well…why else do you think they would call us all together here?” Mine responded.



---



It was not too much longer before Shikamaru and his son arrived, along with Taro and Yasuo. The youngest Uchiha quickly seized the opportunity to escape his elder brother and find his teammates. Locating the rest of the newest Genin team wasn’t hard, their sensei was Rock Lee, and he was more the image of Gai than ever. The enthusiastic Jounin still wore the same green spandex suit, though a little larger to accommodate his increased muscle mass. His forehead protector was bound by an ebony band around his waist.



At his side stood two girls, at first identical, though on closer inspection one could see that their eyes, each baring one pale eye and one brown, were the opposite of one another. The first of these girls, whose pale eye was to the left, wore a bright green shirt that emulated the Chinese style, It was fastened at her right shoulder by a button surrounded by golden embroidery. On her left arm was bound the classic Konoha forehead shield, and her legs were clad in brown shorts. Her sister wore an outfit quite similar in style, though the embroidery was on the other shoulder , the shirt was coloured red as opposed to green, and the forehead protector was on the opposite arm. Each girl bore a single bun, bound by an elastic band matching the colour of their shirts.



Yasuo hurried towards his team, a shy smile upon his features. He came to a stop aside the red clad girl, whose sister was busy smiling at the sensei, “Hi, Sumi-chan.”



“Hi!” The non-distracted twin greeted him with a smile. Her mismatched eyes sparkled with excitement.



“Ah!” Lee noticed his final student had arrived, “It seems we are all together now! Isn’t this exciting? It seems we may finally get a chance to display your youthful enthusiasm on a mission!”



“Yeah!” The green clad twin broke her silence, “I really hope so Lee-sensei!”



“Yosh!” Lee beamed with enthusiasm, “That is the spirit Kagami!”



---



In the meantime, Shikamaru and his son had approached Kiba’s team, the lazy Jounin rubbing the back of his neck as he looked boredly around, “So troublesome…What on earth could Naruto want so early?”



Kiba laughed as his old friend spoke, “Lazy as ever, ne? How does your family put up with you?”



“It helps that Nii-san is even lazier,” Mine chimed in, her earlier annoyance at her brother sloth-like behavior having been replaced with an amused air, “Okaa-san and I just tolerate it as best we can.”



“Troublesome as she can be, Temari loves me,” Shikamaru grinned as he gave his own reply, “So, that makes it worth putting up with each other.”



The group was soon joined by two more Genin. The first was a young girl whose hair covered her eyes, clad in a long blue-grey coat with athletic wrap bound to her thighs showing just below the high collared coat’s hemline. Her forehead protector was bound in its customary spot across the brow. At her side was a long haired boy, his brown gaze darted to the side as he took in Shikamaru and his daughter, eyes narrowing slightly as he saw Shikaji with them. This boy wore a dark violet shirt, a pair of brown capri length pants, and a loose fitting black belt with compartments for kunai and shuriken and other such tools of the trade.



“Shizu-chan, Utoi-kun.” Kiyoshi gave them each a small bow of his head, failing to notice as the kunoichi he addressed went pink. Utoi, on the other hand, merely nodded his own greeting.



“Hey, you two!” Mine smiled brightly, and from behind the rest of the group one by one murmured their own greetings to the new arrivals.



Shizu gave a small smile at Mine’s greeting. The shy kunoichi, who could in all honesty be easily mistaken for a male if you hadn’t heard her speak, reached out a hand to gently stroke the red furred canine that had stepped forward to meet her. Shizu’s voice was soft and sweet, like the song of a distant bird on an early spring morning, as she whispered to the oversized dog, “Hello, Ibakuko.”



The group was then distracted by a voice behind them, garbled as something was interfering with the proper formation of the words, “Todja dey were here!”



“Ewww!” A second voice interrupted with a disgusted tone as the group turned to see who was approaching, “Chou, don’t talk with your mouth full! How can you eat so much anyways? It’s totally disgusting!”



The voices came from another pair of girls, one of quite a heavy build, and the other slender and clearly well groomed. The larger girl wore a loose fitting mesh tunic over a tighter black camisole; her legs were covered in a baggy pair of shorts that came to her knees. On her head was a tight cap of black fabric, a single bushy ponytail protruding from a hole in the back. Her plump face pink with the exertion of hurrying to the meeting place, made her green gaze look positively tiny in comparison, and her cheeks were adorned with the markings of her clan, unique to each individual, which in her case took the shape of purple suns with four rays each. In her hands she grasped a box of mini chocolate donuts



Her slender companion was clad in a dark blue halter, fastened at the back by a single strap formed by the forehead protector she had incorporated into the outfit, and trimmed at the front sides with gossamer blue fabric. Her skirt was of the same deep blue as her top, which also matched her eyes, and was nearly so small as to be of no actual use. Her feet were covered in high boots, her dark hair drawn into a long ponytail. Her blue gaze lit up with delight as she spotted the blond Nara in the crowd ahead, and she called out with an enthusiastic wave as she bolted forward, “Shika-kun!!”



Dark and bleary eyes took in the girl who was racing towards him, and he stumbled slightly backwards as she crashed into him, wrapping him in a tight embrace, “Hi, Inoko…”



“Hello, Shikaji-kun.” Chou came to a stop a short distance away, her small green eyes focused briefly on Shikaji, who was still involuntarily being cuddled by the eager Inoko, before letting her gaze shift to her team leader, “Hello, Hinata-sensei. Any idea what Hokage-sama called us here for?”



Hinata’s dark hair shivered over her shoulders as she shook her head, “No…but the general theory seems to be that Naruto-kun has a mission for us…”



“What?” Inoko released her grip on Shikaji as she stared in wide eyed horror at her sensei, “I can’t go on an actual mission!”



“Inoko,” the dark haired woman replied with a smile, “I’m sure we’ll be fine on a mission if –”



“No!” Inoko moaned out in despair, her hand raised to the side of her face, “I won’t be fine! I…I can’t! That means going out…into the woods” There was another groan as she continue, “And there’s dirt in the woods! And bugs!”



She paid no attention to the indignant look that passed over Shizu’s faze at the mention of bugs. And why shouldn’t the girl be offended when her family held insects in such high regard. Inuzuka Takara looked from Shizu, whom she regarded as almost a sister, to Inoko, who was still making a disgusted face at the concept of encountering bugs.



“You know, Inoko,” the Chuunin remarked calmly, pausing only to slap away Miki’s hand, which had tried to snake its way around her waist, “If you want to be a ninja, you’ll have to get over it. Besides, bugs can be useful!”



“But we aren’t allowed to go on missions!” Inoko’s face grew a little brighter and more relaxed at the thought, “Right? Because it’s dangerous and stuff!”



“We’re ‘bout t’find out,” Chou replied through a mouthful of breakfast, gesturing to the front of the room where Naruto had appeared, his son at his side. The blonde man bent to talk to Yuudai, pointing to the crowd gathered, or more specifically to Kiba, as he did.



The green-haired youth made his way to his team, where he was immediately bombarded by other Genin asking if he knew why they had been called together. In reply the Hokage’s child simply muttered, “Like he’d tell me.”



The Rokudaime watched his son wander off into the crowd. When everyone had settled and become silent, staring with curiosity at their leader, Naruto broke into one of his trademark grins, “Alright, ‘ttebayo! I bet your wondering why you’re here, huh?”



Those who had grown up with the Hokage simply rolled their eyes and sighed in chorus. The Genin nodded eagerly, with the exception of Yuudai who merely crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the floor. The Chuunin were silently awaiting their orders.



“Well, I’d better tell you then!” The blond placed a hand on each of his narrow hips and continued grinning like a fool as he tried to build suspense, though he was actually getting on people’s nerves. After what he thought was a nice dramatic pause he continued, “I’ve given it some thought, and I’m gonna send our Genin on a mission!”



A loud cheer came from most of the Genin, though some reacted with nervousness, and some seemed to think it was some kind of a prank. The Jounin in charge of the teams looked around, finding one another in the crowd with ease, seeming to ask with each glance whether any of the other’s had been aware that this was really what was happening; each getting the same response, that though they had suspected, they hadn’t really know. The Chuunin were all still wondering why they had been called.



“Each team’s gonna go to a different village and deliver a scroll to the Kage, dattebayo, but things are dangerous now, so I want an extra man on each team, that’s where the Chuunin come in!” Naruto then produced four scrolls, to in each hand, and held them up for the crowd to view, going into a more serious tone, “Keep the scrolls out of enemy hands, and make sure they get to the kage, then wait to bring a response or, hopefully, escort the kage back to the village.”



Yuudai was now staring at his father through wide golden eyes, not believing what he had heard. He was actually being sent on a mission! In spite of himself a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, not escaping the attention of his teammates; both of whom smiled at the fact that their comrade seemed to be happy for once.



At the front of the room Naruto continued to detail the mission, “Now, we have to sort out which Chuunin goes with which team! Let’s see…Aiyoku Miki with team six: Yuudai, Mine and Akina, with Kiba as the leader; you’re heading to Suna.”



There was a happy gasp from Mine, for this meant she would be able to visit her uncles, a chance she got far less often than she would have liked. Miki’s face fell as he cast a nervous glance at Kiba, who was smirking at the boy that so adamantly pursued his daughter. Yuudai had at this point broken into a full smile. Akina was beaming, caught up in the general excitement in the atmosphere.



Naruto continued, “Next up, Aiyoku Ima, you’re going with team four, that’s Hinata’s team: Chou, Inoko and Shikaji. The five of you are heading out to Kumo.”



Ima reacted with a bright smile, pleased to be assigned to the team lead by her best friend’s mother. Inoko wrinkled her nose slightly as she tried to recall just how far Kumo was, and whether there would at least be good shopping once she got there. Chou happily continued eating her mini donuts. Shikaji let out a sigh that showed he wasn’t looking forward to a trek. Hinata wore a small smile, though she felt quite nervous at the idea of testing the skills of her team on an actual mission.



It was time for the Hokage to announce the next squad, “Uchiha Taro’s on team five, lead by Shikamaru; Shizu, Utoi and Kiyoshi are on that team. You guys get to head off to Iwa.”



In all honesty there was little reaction from this team. Kiyoshi bore the happy smile that seemed to be gracing the faces of most Genin in the room, Utoi’s face was set in a serious expression, Shizu’s reaction was quite hard to read, as most of her face was hidden by her hair. From behind the curtain of soft brown bangs she was staring attentively at Naruto. Taro was silently wishing he hadn’t gotten teamed with such a lazy Jounin, but was determined to make the best of it. Shikamaru was a little glum at the prospect of having to travel to the ninja village of the Earth Country, but understood well his duty to Kanoha.



The Rukodaime now announced the final group, “That leaves Inuzuka Takara with team 11: Lee, Sumi, Kagami and Yasuo. You need to head to Kiri.”



“We will fulfill our duty with youthful efficiency!” Lee sparkled with a salute, causing Sumi and Yasuo to cast embarrassed glances to one another. Kagami on the other hand beamed up at her sensei, eyes gleaming with admiration.



“I’m sure you will…” Naruto replied with an amused roll of his eyes, “I wanna talk some more with the sensei, but the teams should go start getting ready for the mission.”



The Genin and Chuunin filed towards the exit, excited murmurs rumbling through the crowd, blended as a chorus of whispers so thoroughly that no individual’s statements could be deciphered. Once the younger ninja had vacated the area, the Jounin gathered about their leader, who had taken on a serious air, a look of concern shining in his sapphire eyes, “I know the Genin are excited about their first mission, but don’t allow them to let that lower their guard. The attacks have been happening more often, and no one seems to know who’s responsible, ‘ttebayo. But we can’t protect our Genin forever, they have to learn how to be true ninja, and that can’t happen behind the village walls. Most of you have kids on one or more of the teams, but I know you well enough to know you agree with me…”



Hinata, once so timid around Naruto, gave a delicate nod, “Hai, Naruto-kun. But…to send them to the other kage…it seems a pretty big mission for Genin…perhaps the anbu-”



The Hokage shook his head, an understanding smile spreading over his features, “No. Any mission would be just as risky in this situation. And should the village get attacked while you’re gone, we’ll need the more experience ninja here…”



There was something in his voice, and odd tone hard to describe, that sent a shudder down Hinata’s spine. It seemed to her as though he expected that the village would be attacked at some point in the near future. She knew her friend well enough to know that he wasn’t telling the whole truth, and as she glanced at her fellow Jounin, she could tell they had the same thoughts.



“Whatever you’re hiding from us,” Kiba said in a voice that held a sharp edge, “We deserve to know. Like you said, they’re our kids too. And it’s our village.”



Shikamaru regarded the leader of the village with his typical lazy gaze, though behind the weary eyes his mind was hard at work. Whatever was being hidden had a good deal more effect personally on Naruto than it would on any of them, he was sure of that.



“Yes, please tell us, Naruto!” Rock Lee chimed in, “While I may not be a parent, I am a shinobi of Kanoha! How can I defend her properly without knowledge of what is happening!”



“You’ll find out,” Naruto assured them as he began to hand out the scrolls, seeing the uneasy looks that continued to pass among his friends, he added, “Just get the kage here as quickly as you can. After you’ve completed the mission, I promise I’ll tell you everything. And you know my promises are always kept, dattebayo! Make sure the teams don’t read the scrolls. I want them focused on the mission, not the message.”



The Jounin looked the scrolls in their hands. It made sense for multiple reasons to avoid reading the contents. The most obvious of these was that if they didn’t know what the scrolls contained, they could not, accidentally or under torture, betray the message; though ninja were trained to die rather than submit to torture anyhow. Still, the mission had been clearly given, and the four team leaders knew well that Naruto would keep his promise to them.



“Now go get yourselves ready,” The Rokudaime’s voice was light once more as a grin spread on his features, “You’ll want to leave right away to make good time!”



In the meantime, Yuudai had followed his father’s instructions and was in his room, a large khaki backpack open on his bed as he rummaged through his belongings. So far the bag contained a set of pajamas, his toothbrush, and hairbrush. At the moment he was searching for some clean clothes among the heaps of worn garments on the floor. From a pile of dark coloured fabric he pulled one of his usual black shirts, held it to his nose, and found it to smell at least fresher than the rest of the tops he had so far located. After tossing the crumpled shirt over his shoulder into the bag, the shinobi repeated the process until he had found a clean change for each article of clothing.



When he had finished with that task, Yuudai took up his bag and headed down the stairs for the kitchen, his next objective being to raid the cupboards for rations. The first compartment opened was found to contain numerous packages of instant ramen. The moss haired youth rolled his eyes at his father’s obsession with the food before snatching up several servings and stuffing them into his bag. While he may not have been as big a fan of ramen as Naruto was, he had to admit it was a convenient item to have among your supplies.



Slamming the cupboard door shut, Yuudai turned and sealed his backpack, throwing it over one shoulder as he headed to the front door, eager to meet with his teammates and depart for the mission. Upon reaching the exit, however, he opened it only to find Naruto beaming on the other side. The blonde grinned at his adopted son, placing a hand upon the boy’s shoulder, “Don’t be in such a rush, ‘ttebayo! Kiba’s probably not even ready to go yet, so we have some time, and I want to talk to you.”



“What?” The Genin shrugged his father’s hand away, “You gonna tell me I don’t get to go?”



With a sigh, Naruto shook his head, gesturing to the chairs in the kitchen to indicate that they should sit and talk awhile. The green-haired youth follow the Hokage, each taking a seat on an opposite side of the small table. When Naruto spoke again, his voice was soft and serious, carrying a note of concern, “Yuudai, listen to me for once. I know you think that you are treated unfairly, maybe you are...but acting the way you do doesn’t help the situation!”



The boy he was addressing avoided his gaze, the youth’s golden eyes staring instead at the floor from the corner of their view. A frown was pulling on the Genin’s lips; his strong arms were folded over his chest in a display of his usual defensive disposition.



“I was never exactly a popular kid myself,” At this bit of information, the moss-haired youth looked up at his father, who continued, “It’s true. Everyone seemed to hate me, dattebayo! The difference is that eventually, when I graduated the academy and was put on a team with Sasuke and Sakura, I realized I had friends! Your team is only as good as the bond you share…and even though Sasuke and I fought a lot, we were still friend, and I never gave up on that friendship. You should give Akina and Mine a chance. You might be surprised to find out they’re actually a lot more open to your friendship than you think! I know I never thought Sasuke would be as great a friend as he is!”



Yuudai stared at his father in silence for a moment before muttering a single syllable in reply, “Maybe…”



“And another thing! I don’t know who gave you the stupid idea that we aren’t a family,” Naruto broke into a happier smile as he said this, “But we are! You’re my son, and I love you, no matter what some idiot says! So be careful, ‘kay? I don’t want to end up losing you.”



“Sure…” The Genin shifted a little uncomfortably at the sappy direction the conversation had taken before standing and once more heading for the front door, “I should get going.”



“Not without these!” Naruto grinned as he held out a soft red cloth of velvet that was carefully wrapped around something.



Yuudai reached out, a brow quirked in curiosity as he accepted the parcel, carefully unwrapping the soft fabric that encased it. Within were half a dozen kunai which looked as if they were brand new, along with a large, gleaming shuriken. The young ninja looked at his father speechlessly a moment before turning and opening his pack again, slipping the gift inside. One more fastening the bag, he turned to face Naruto, “Thanks.”



With that single, sincere word of gratitude, Yuudai departed.