Chapter 28: New Team Six Arc: Five

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Sometime, though, I would like to own my own creative work.

In the end, we do have to run merchant guarding because there just aren't enough genin teams for us to not do so at least once in our careers.

"Are you certain you want Team Six to take this mission, Hokage-sama?" Sensei picks up the mission scroll with his fingertips, taking great care to not actually touch it more than necessary. There's an aura of disdain that he radiates expertly at the scroll itself. Dreaded merchant guarding oh Kami. "I think we must be overkill for this sort of thing, aren't we?" Sensei's so casual.

I'm not sure that's a good thing.

The Hokage sets his pipe down and looks up at Sensei from under the wide brim of his hat. "I will force you to do more work if this is your attitude towards merchant guarding, Ensui." But then again, the Sandaime doesn't seem to mind it much.

Sensei leans back against the wall. "Ah, there's no need for that." He tosses the scroll up into the air and catches it again with a single hand. "Team Six will take the miserable bandit beating mission. Just please, I don't enjoy these at all so let's not do this too often." He waves a hand at us. "Well my minions, let's get this show on the road."

Itachi looks at me. "Is this normal for Sensei?" He shifts from foot to foot as if he's unsure that he actually said something so...rude. Well, rude for him anyway.

"Indeed." Sensei drawls without turning around. "I despise bandit beating. It's so troublesome." Sensei sighs deeply and sets a hand on Toku's shoulder. "Now, you three can beat the bandits, and I'll just do my level best to civilian walk the entire way to Kusa alright?"

I run just a little bit to catch up to them. "Why would we do that, Sensei?" My falsely innocent tone must have bothered Sensei.

He raises an eyebrow at me. "You're my minion what else should you be doing except my work?"

I poke his arm. "Asata-san is a bad influence on my wonderful Sensei."

"We're not your minions." Toku grins up at Sensei. "We're your students."

"Alright, alright." Sensei laughs, and gestures for Itachi to follow him as well. "Very well, my not-minions, let's get this show on the road."

We're protecting a merchant caravan which traded mostly in spices on the way to Kusa, the journey at civilian speed takes about a month. But because it's a long trip, our packs are amply stocked with clothing and spare weapons and other necessities. With our former mission luck, we made sure to keep an abnormally large supply of field medicine kits around just for peace of mind. At our current normal speed it would take a week to return. If we ran at top speed we'd be back in three days.

At any rate, it just gives Sensei time to walk lazily and moan about getting up early.

The merchant himself, a middle aged civilian man named Adachi Akihiko, does not find this habit of Sensei's particularly amusing. He's also not particularly fond of dogs, which makes him irritating in my book as well as the Triplets'. "Does he always have to do this?" He asks Itachi, who, now that I think about it, probably looks the most normal of us, and could maybe pass as Sensei's son if we were going with normal disguises.

What a sad fact of life that Itachi's actually the inheritor of a demon eye bloodline that activates based on negative emotions such as fear for one's life, misery, pain, and killing one's best friend and using one's brother's eyes. Such a sad fact of life that Adachi-san didn't know about.

"Sensei is a Jonin of Konohagakure. He's perfectly capable." Itachi responds, ever diplomatic, ever polite, although he probably doesn't even know if Sensei has that many fighting skills given that Sensei does not often exert himself enough to try.

"En-sensei's more than capable." Toku slings an arm over Itachi's shoulder and smiles up at the merchant man. "He just doesn't want to try. That's different you know."

Adachi-san noticeably shudders when meeting Toku's eyes. I frown. "You should attempt to be more polite to your hired help, Adachi-san. We wouldn't want to dislike you."

From behind us, Sensei snorts.

Kusa is...well a grass land. Not that I didn't know that already, but seeing it and knowing it are two very different things. I'd never visited a grassland before, and the sight is a strange one to behold after Konoha's leafy forests filled with Hashirama Trees. The village itself isn't as grassy as the surrounding plain, but anyone who'd studied the history of the Third War remembered just how much horror had taken place here, between Konoha and Iwa.

The Fourth Hokage had slaughtered hundreds here in one battle, causing the tide to turn and the suffering to cease. Peace had been bought with blood.

Kannabi Bridge is here as well, and my thoughts turn uncomfortably to Uchiha Obito. If he hadn't 'died' here would Madara have found him? Would everything be different? The answer is probably yes. Yes. Perhaps Kakashi would still have two teammates, a Sensei, and his Sensei's wife.

And Tobi would never have existed to haunt Itachi's eyes. My hands clench. No matter what, I won't allow him to harm anyone I care about ever again.

We drop off Adachi-san at the market, and then immediately turn around to leave.

"Is there something you want to eat here?" Sensei looks over at the three of us. "Otherwise we can just go and find the nearest tea house. I happen to know a good one."

I smile. No matter where we go, Sensei never changes. "Sensei, if I didn't know you any better, I would think that you really really really disliked tea."

"Impudent brat." He ruffles my hair. "You're lucky your Tou-san loved you so."

We're six days into our return trip from Kusa, and Toku's taking point at the moment, but his Byakugan isn't active. We're so close to home that I can almost feel my bed, and Sensei could smell the tea from Mufu-an.

"Tokuma-kun?" Itachi calls from behind me and the Triplets.

"Call me Toku-kun." Toku throws over his shoulder. "No one calls me Tokuma except you and people who don't know me very well."

"I don't think I should do that." Itachi sounds hesitant.

Toku snorts. "You sound like Hiashi-sama and the Elders. They're the only ones who call me Tokuma-kun like it's my real name."

Sensei has his hands laced behind his head, and he walks beside me staring up at the clouds. "Just call him Toku-kun, Itachi-kun. It'll make him feel better."

Ichi perks up. "I smell something. I'm not sure what."

I pat him on the head. "Tell me more about when we get home, alright?"

"Alright, Toku...kun." Itachi says. "Can you come over for team dinner next time?"

Toku turns back to look at Itachi. "Your parents wont-" And he drops like a puppet with cut strings, a spray of red rising into the still air.

"TOKU!" I shriek as I surge forwards, the Triplets half a beat behind. I take two steps before I'm caught, frozen, and behind me Itachi moans wordlessly.

"Tell me." Sensei drawls as he walks forwards, his hands in the rat seal. "Who are you?"

It is only then that I notice the masked man in front of us. Uchiha Obito. I feel rage dye the edges of my vision red, red like the blood still seeping into the dusty road in front of me. I talked to you. I thought you were a hero.

You're nothing but a monster. A Monster. The shrieking in my head reaches a fever pitch. You ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A MONSTER.

The masked man takes a step forwards towards Itachi and I, and he and Sensei clash kodachi against kunai, metal glittering in the hot noon sun. "Who are you?" Sensei asks again.

Uchiha Obito's only reply is another strike. He's pushing Sensei back, back towards us, and the killing intent in the air is enough to make my legs tremble, fear and fury echoing in every tremor. Beside me, Ichi's fur stands on end, and Ni and San have retreated back to supporting Itachi. I turn to Ichi. "Run." I whisper. "Make for Konoha."

He looks at me with worry in one dark brown eye. "You might die, Hana."

"We need help, Ichi." I pat him on the head with a hand that trembles so badly I can barely raise it. "Run."

He turns, and with a burst of chakra enhanced speed that wouldn't stop Tobi's Kamui abilities in the slightest. But Tobi's not interested in one lone dog racing down the dusty road towards home and safety.

Sensei's on one knee now, a hand against his abdomen, his green flak jacket darkening a shade more each moment. Tobi raises his kodachi. "One strike." He says clearly, the first words he's said at all, and I know only that I can't let it happen. That none of this can happen. None of this has happened. None of it ever will.

"NO!" And I'm moving forward of my own accord, my arms thrown wide to shield as much as I can falling to my knees even though I know that I can't, I won't shield enough if I do. "NO!" NonononONONONONONO. Not Sensei, please not Sensei. Never. NO.

The kodachi remains suspended in mid air. "Rin?" He whispers.

"Katon: Great Fire Ball." The words are shaky, but the growing heat of the flames before me covers the world in a red glow. When the flames disperse, Tobi is gone and only Itachi remains, shaking in his open toed sandals. He's breathing hard, red eyes looking at me with concern.

"Are you okay?" He asks, but I'm already turning around.

"Sensei?" I ask, my hands coming to a stop on Sensei's shoulders. His face is ashen, grey from blood loss making the green stand out even brighter.

"Hana-chan?" He raises the hand that's not against his stomach. "Are you hurt?"

I press his hand down so that it remains by his side, and scramble to hold out the bandages at him. "Here."

He takes them wordlessly, a cracked smile on his face. "I guess I'm not as good as I thought I'd be."

Reassured that Sensei will stay alive for the moment, I turn again to find Itachi hovering over Toku, who's still sprawled in the road. "Hana-chan, he's still bleeding." Itachi's voice cracks. "I felt a pulse but I don't know how to stop his bleeding."

I stumble to my feet, and race towards Toku. "Where's he hurt?" There's a long bleeding gash across his chest, and I pull my pack closer towards me and uncork the blood clotter. "Pass me your bandages. I gave mine to Sensei."

Itachi does so wordlessly. Now that I'm regaining more level headed thinking, there hasn't been as much blood spilled as I thought. But it's still so severe.

"Hana?" Ni nudges my elbow. "Can I help?"

San whines. "We didn't do anything."

"You guys were scared." I whisper, but I spare no hands for them as I lather Toku's chest wound with as much blood clotter as I have available. The sooner it stops bleeding the better. "Run to Konoha. Tell them we need a field medic team as soon as possible, or Toku's going to bleed out here in the road. " They look at each other and turn running just as fast as Ichi.

We aren't far away. We aren't far away. Please. Please, please.

"Hana-chan?" I jerk my eyes back to Toku. "How bad is it?" He winces as he speaks, each word painful, each breath shallow and fast.

"Hush." I brush his bangs back from his face. "Hush. You've gotta survive this." My mouth tightens to a thin grim line. "We're going to find our vengeance, Toku. We're going to take him down."

Toku huffs, and then yelps from the pain. "We all of us couldn't take him this time." His eyes flutter closed. "We might all get butchered if we go hunting for him."

"We'll get stronger." Itachi whispers as he passes me two rolls of bandages from his pack, and helps me pull Toku up so we can wrap his chest as tight as possible together. "We have to get stronger. He's still after me."

We share a look, he and I, over Toku's slouched shoulder. We're going to get stronger. Then, we're going to butcher him for taking from us.

"How is Toku-kun?" Sensei's wrapped his wound already, but he moves very slowly towards us. We're not far from him, perhaps six feet or so, but watching him struggle is too much.

Itachi rises to help him. "Toku-kun's been bandaged. I think Hana-chan has sent the Haimaru Brothers back to the village for help."

We sit there, in the road, as the sun gradually slides downwards towards the horizon. The only sound all around us, is Toku's breathing, labored and slow.

And the dark forms of Konoha's ANBU are descending all around us. "What's the status report?" A woman in a cat mask turns to me. Behind her, Bear and Bird pick up Toku and Sensei respectively, and hurry off in the direction of home.

"Sensei and Hyuga Tokuma injured, Cat-san." I reply. "Uchiha Itachi and Inuzuka Hana seem to be without injuries. We were attacked by the same masked man that attacked Uchiha Itachi's last team."

Cat nods, "Well reported." and pulls Itachi into her arms, and with a swish of purple hair disappears as well.

A familiar man with spiky silver hair and a hound mask drops down in front of me. "Your dogs are resting back at the village. They made the sprint back too quickly to be healthy." He offers me a cradle of his arms. "I'll take you back, Inuzuka-chan."

I'm about to protest that I'm perfectly fine, that I'll make it back on my own two feet, but he tips the porcelain mask down for a moment so he can pin me with a harsh look over the top. It is only then that I realize how badly I'm still shaking. "Thank you, Hound-san." I whisper. How many rules is he breaking by taking off that mask outside of the village?

He picks me up easily as if I weigh nothing more than a mission scroll. "No need to thank me, Inuzuka-chan."

But we both know that Hound-san is Kakashi, and that really, he calls me Hana-chan.

Sensei and Toku are both in critical condition. Kiho-baachan and the Yamanaka are in the next room over, worrying over Sensei, so Itachi and I and Hound sit in Toku's room instead.

He hadn't any immediate family to sit with him between his parents and Koma-senpai registered as out on missions, and Haya-senpai working in the operating room on a team that had come in merely hours before us.

Fugaku-san and Mikoto-san show up at about midnight to take Itachi home, and he goes without protest, but far too many backwards glances. "Make sure that Toku-kun's alright, Hana." He whispers as he leaves.

I nod. "I will. Go sleep now."

Kaa-san shows up to look for me at about one o'clock, takes one look at the man in the porcelain hound mask behind me with his hands still on my shoulders, and growls. "What are you doing here?"

Hound tilts his head to one side, but says not a single word, as befitting of the Hokage's personal guard.

Kaa-san throws up her hands. "Fine. Don't say anything to me." She stalks over and ruffles my hair. Hound growls. Kaa-san glares at him until he stops, and turns back to look at me. "They'll make it through, Hana-chan. You have to believe in them, alright?" I nod, and she traces her thumbs over the red fangs on my cheeks. "You're an Inuzuka Hana-chan. Our loyalty is in our blood. Our strength is in our hearts. If you believe in them, then they will believe in you. If you believe in their strength, they'll believe in it as well." She presses a quick kiss to my forehead. "I don't want you to lose as I have, Hana-chan." But you get into so much trouble. Her next words go unsaid, but they hang in the air between us.

I nod, and answer her, through the lump in my throat. "I know they will Kaa-san. Take care."

She takes one final look at me, and then at Hound. "Take care of my daughter."

Hound nods wordlessly without making a single sound. He'd broken protocol by talking to me outside the village too. And Kakashi-san hates hospitals. Why is he voluntarily staying in one?

My thoughts are a confused swirl of emotions. I hadn't parted on good terms with Kakashi the last time we spoke. My team had just been attacked by his former teammate that he still grieved deeply. He'd been considerate and is still being considerate.

We stay through the night sitting in the hospital chair by Toku's bedside in deep silence.

Hound melts away from the hospital with the rise of the morning sun, still without a single word. I straighten up, look over Toku's pale face once more, and make him a promise. "I'll bring back the rest of Team Tan to come and see you."

The trip to the Aburame Compound is purely torture. I hadn't parted on the best of terms with Muta the last time we spoke either. And from what I could gather, neither had Toku, but someone had to sit with him. Someone had to care, and I needed the other one of my best friends to talk to right now.

We'd sat together for Toku once before. Prayed to move heaven above and hell below that we'd never see him in a hospital bed again. He'd understand.

I want him to understand.

If he's forgotten, then I'd make him understand once more, just what it meant to be friends.

A.N. This was a hard chapter to write, and it's left me quite exhausted. Confusing motives for everyone involved that isn't Hana. At any rate, we'll get the breakdown of stuff that went down next chapter after all the rush and angstyness.

Thank you so much to Snidekick, CasJeanne, Sis and May525 for reviewing. (And Narutopedia is the site I'm using as official date/fact manager, as such, I think Naruto's birthday is October Tenth.)

And thank you to everyone who favorited and followed.

~Tavina