-two weeks ter-
Pov: Kenzo
"You guys love doing D-ranks that much...?" Kurenai-sensei asks us three.
I hand over the most annoying cat in the world to Katsuko, she instantly soothes the beast and it starts to sleep in her arms- why does the cat hate me so much? I have scratches all over my body...
"Money" Kanata holds up his hand and makes a 'coin' with his pointer and thumb.
"Cat" Katsuko holds up the cat as if proud to be in its presence.
"Meh" I shrug my shoulders and smile.
...
Kurenai-sensei almost facepalms but takes a breath instead- we walk up the street towards the main building to hand over the cat.
"We are taking a C-rank mission tomorrow, sorry to upset you all but you need more experience than just odd-jobs" Kurenai tells us.
"Yes! More money!" Kanata practically jumps.
"Can we fit just one more D-rank mission in today? We have time right?" I ask.
I am one more mission away from getting a scroll through the 'Genin' title I have.
"Yes- I am up for it!" Kanata says.
"I don't mind" Katsuko nods her head.
...
"You guys can accept and do the mission yourself, I am busy this afternoon" Kurenai-sensei tells us.
Oh, she has given up on us already hasn't she? My bad.
"Have you picked out the C-rank mission already?" I ask her.
"Yes, I took it this morning when you guys took two D-rank missions, be prepared for one week away from Konoha and make sure to arrive at the gates on time at six tomorrow morning- understood Kanata?" Kurenai-sensei replies.
"Yes mam" Kanata sighs weakly.
Never good to go in the mornings is he? Does he stay up te pying violin or something? What am I saying, of course he does.
Alright- one more D-rank, I will upgrade my Genjutsu affinity tonight and then make sure I am fine before leaving in the morning, I also have to inform Naruto and make sure he is going to be alright by himself.
...
Its going to be weird not hanging out with Naruto every night- I have to get used to it though as this job, especially investigation jobs that I want to get into keep me away from Konoha for ages at a time.
Maybe I will be closer to Konoha when I go for the T&I job upon graduating to chunin?
"They had a dog walking task right? If no one has taken it since this morning lets do that" Kanata tells us.
"No way that is still up there, resign yourself to weeding someone's garden or some te babysitting for a ninja couple" I reply.
"I don't mind the babysitting... kids are so cute" Katsuko says with a big smile.
That cat is really making her happy isn't it? I haven't seen her be so happy and upbeat since meeting her... maybe we take more cat reted missions in the future.
"Do you have any cats at home Kat?" I ask her with a curious tone.
"No... unfortunately my dads allergic" She sighs and nearly frowns again, but the cat in her arms saves the day and she starts smiling again.
We reach the end of the road and enter into the main building, finding our way through the halls and into the mission desk.
Katsuko saddens once more as she has to give the cat away and Kurenai-sensei grabs us a D-rank babysitting mission to complete before she leaves.
"Don't be te Kanata" She smirks and leaves.
"Never going to stop hearing that am I?" He mutters in response.
"Cant really 'stop hearing that' when you constantly sleep in..." I retort as we make our way through the streets of Konoha again.
"Cant help it- I don't sleep that well" Kanata shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head.
"Who are we babysitting...?" Katsuko interrupts.
...
Kanata expins the house we need to go to and the three of us talk as we head over to complete the final D-rank mission I need done.
---
-three hours ter-
Pov: Naruto
*Slice* *Slice*
I finish slicing through the tomato and cling wrap the leftovers to pce in the fridge, apply to my sandwich with cheese and some ham.... and boom! My money is gone! But at least I can tell Kenzo that I ate something other than ramen for dinner, wait- is a sandwich dinner material?
Lets just eat it before Kenzo corrects me...
*Swish*
I turn around with the sandwich stuffed between my cheeks and see that Kenzo is crawling through the window.
"Hey O- *Gulp* phew, good sandwich, why are you coming through the windows again?" I ask and wipe the crumbs from my mouth.
"I told you, Kurenai-sensei wants me to get better at parkour and such since I don't have any flicker technique or capable of getting high pces with swiftness" Kenzo closes the window and dusts himself off.
He walks over to the counter and picks up an apple from the fruit bowl we have- Kenzo has been working hard and putting almost all his money into making this apartment more liveable, meaning sandwiches with multiple items on them is no longer a fantasy... I still don't want to lean on his hospitality so I did buy the bread and chees with my own allowance...
...
I could have bought ramen with that.
"Why are you still up? I thought you wanted to sleep early for your written test tomorrow?" Kenzo asks me as he bites into and apple and grabs a set of pyjamas.
"Oh- hungry, I will sleep in a moment" I wave my hand and Kenzo finishes his apple chucking it into the bin before heading into the shower.
I yawn and turn off the lights before sitting on my bed, got to let the food go down before sleeping.
...
*Click*
A few minutes ter and Kenzo walks out of the shower and drops to his bed.
I look at him as he thumps into his bed and sigh- he is shaking, probably in pain again, something is happening to him and I don't know what it is, but when we celebrated 1his graduation and a few other times I have noticed him shaking in pain... tying that to our youth where he slept with a towel in his mouth...
Why is he in pain? I have no clue, but he is and I hope it stops.
"Oh yeah... I am leaving for a mission tomorrow, for a week that is, eat healthy and be well... money is under my bed, safe password is 0978, I will be gone when you wake up so I will see you in a week" Kenzo tells me and my eyes widen.
"Really? What kind of mission?" I ask.
"Investigation I am sure..." Kenzo replies.
...
He needs rest so he can sleep off whatever is happening to him... I can speak to him in a week.
"Alright then... I will see you ter, stay safe O" I tell him and he falls asleep.
I get under my covers and close my eyes.
---
Pov: Kenzo
*Tap* *Tap*
I tap my foot and whistle as we wait for Kanata again, apparently Kurenai-sensei lied about the time so he would arrive on the actual time he is needed.
...
The actual time he needed to arrive was half past six- guess what? He is te to that.
*Rush*
"Sorry! Sorry!" Kanata out of breath runs up to us and Kurenai-sensei shakes her head.
"An hour te. You will be duck walking until we set up camp" Kurenai-sensei starts heading out of the gates and Kanata sighs before kneeling down and moving forward as fast as he can.
...
I'm finally faster than my teammates.
I walk leisurely ahead of him and chuckle, he sighs and I start to hum in joy.
"Having a good day today Kenzo?" Kurenai-sensei asks.
"Yeah- first time outside the vilge, very excited" I reply.
"Is it? I suppose you would have never gotten the chance... I know Katsuko has left for vacations with her family, and that Kanata used to live outside the vilge at one point- well then, congratutions Kenzo you are taking a step into the wide world" Kurenai smiles at me.
That indeed. I wish I could see the sights around me, but I will have to rely on 6ny hearing to describe what's happening around me.
We walk down the road and on it for quite a while, after seven hours and me having to carry Kanata after the three hour mark, we eventually drift from the road and Kurenai-sensei starts teaching us wilderness survival and location tracking tips... we take a small break and get back to walking, Kanata gets to walk normally now and we keep going until the sun starts to descend, then we set up camp.
*Crackle*
The fire crackles in front of us and both me and Kanata sit up on the first night watching duty.
*Yawn!*
"You tired Kanata?" I ask.
"As always... you not?" He replies.
"Not really, if you are that tired I am sure Katsuko wouldn't mind switching shifts- Kurenai-sensei would probably prefer herself to stay up with the sleepiest of us" I tell him.
"Nah- just keep me entertained so I don't fall asleep" He ughs weakly.
..? Entertained? How so? Hmm.... maybe some stories? The only stories I can remember that are cool might be the mythology of my previous world... cant use that can I?
"Entertain you how?" I ask.
"Know any songs? Something on the quieter end" He asks.
Songs...? I mean, who doesn't listen to music in my previous world... its everywhere in adverts and through shopping centre's... hmmm... what songs can I remember? I always pyed a few in the backgrounds of my studying.
How about 'Rises the moon'? That's quiet enough right? I don't even need to sing... just use my genjutsu and *Snap!~* my fingers... my chakra drains and my efficiency with the genjutsu makes it less draining than usual.
Kanata smiles and starts humming along as I focus on my hearing in case anyone is nearby... my genjutsu is getting more and more efficient- and yet I am losing more and more chakra due to it, my chakra system is getting smaller and smaller and due to that so is my chakra... at least I am not wasting much on something as simple as a genjutsu on a willing target.
"Didn't know you had this kind of use... got anymore songs stashed away in that snap of yours?" Kanata asks me and I alter my genjutsu to start pying another song.
...
My ears notice that Kanata stops gripping his wrist tight and loosens up with my songs pying through his ear, it seems I will be sending music through to him all night.
Maybe I will loop the genjutsu on some silent violin pying before we swap out and sleep for the night.
...
The song behind it all starts to py for me, nature is so beautiful at this time of night and the songs that flow through my ears tell me so much...
---
Pov: Hiruzen
*Scribble* *Scrawl*
Hmm... where is Ibiki's report... ah, there it is- ill pce that here and complete it this afternoon, I need a break soon and might as well get it over with before I start going through the T&I reports.
I take a puff from my pipe and then pce it down, I get up and stretch before turning to look out my window at the entirety of Konoha.
...
Naruto graduates next year, I have indeed failed him in many ways- but I will have to do better in the future, the entirety of Konoha is falling apart due to a multitude of so many things... I am gd Kenzo was there for young Naruto when I couldn't leave Konoha behind for him.
Speaking of Kenzo, his first C-rank and I caught two root agents tracing his team- luckily the st teammate was te or else my Anbu would have never found them in such a short time.
I wonder how that mission is going? This is Kenzo's first time out of the vilge... I worry that team six will return without him because he fled, almost everything about Kenzo screams flight risk.
I don't bme him... nothing in his upbringing here has been good for his wellbeing, I just hope he proves loyal in the end.
---
Pov: Kenzo
I yawn as we finally arrive at the roadside inn we are supposed to investigate, Kurenai-sensei just finished all the details we got on this mission.
Apparently someone's brother travelled to another vilge and never returned, all the previous investigations done by him or others he asked told him he never arrived in the other vilge, this is the st stop he had that was confirmed by other travellers.
...
Not much else is known, and that's what we are here to investigate and what that guy hired us for.
We enter into the wooden inn and creek open the sliding door... looking around it seems abandoned- probably only three days minimum since the dust has piled up and the pce hasn't been in good care, crumbs all over the tables... no guests, a spider friend making decorations in the corner.
Hm.
"Hello?" Kanata calls out and I listen intently for anyone's movement.
Two people- both upstairs and conversing to each other, an argument about who should go down and talk to us.
"Two people upstairs, both hesitant to greet us- maybe they think we are bad guys?" I tell them.
The argument seems more panicky and worried than anything else.
"They are coming down" I tell the others and Kurenai-sensei takes a few steps into the inn and scans it before smiling at the elderly dy who walks down the stairs.
"Hello mam, we are here investigating a disappearance- do you think we could have a look of the premises?" Kurenai asks her.
"Oh- I see... Konoha ninja? There have been a fee disappearing people yes... we had to close shop recently due to them, please look around, just don't mess with anything if possible..." The old dy replies with a smile.
?
The song seems menacing? Even if they were secretly bad guys who took over this in they shouldn't be so... imposing? Wouldn't they be scared if a shinobi came to take care of them? Confusing... I take a calm breath and snap my fingers lightly.
...
No genjutsu on me at least.
I look around and stare through my blindfold at the areas where no one is... the pce looks just like I heard it, did they give up cleaning or is it people in disguise not wanting to put in so much effort for a temporary situation?
Much to investigate, and I am sure my teammates have a few insights of their own.
"Ill leave you all to it" the old dy nods her head and walks back upstairs.
...
"Lets split and search a few pces, me and Kenzo will search upstairs, you two stay down here and together" Kurenai tells us.
So she suspects something as well? Why else would she ask them to stay together... wait, why not me? Never mind, lets just get this over with.
Now, where to go?
We all start to spread out across the inn and look in multiple rooms for various things, I go upstairs and keep my ears out for the two owners who speak in hushed tones next to the room I chose... the storage closet.
Why did I choose this? I can hear a breeze coming from the attic in here and- *Click* I open up the hatch in the roof and jump up to crawl into the attic, really need a skill for parkour... maybe my walk could walk up walls? Nah- while its likely I still need to jump around pces, a jump skill next? Maybe.
I listen throughout the attic and have the ancient song py... nothing up here at all.
I jump back down and close the hatch before leaving the storage room and entering into the room next to me... a regur bedroom, albeit a tiny bit small.
Hmmm... nothing interesting to hear within this room, I close the door and go to the next and so forth.
...
Ten minutes ter and we all meet down at the entrance once more.
"Cant find anything, where do we even start to look now?" Kanata asks.
"There is always something, nobody is perfect and everybody has a trace to leave, most notable is the owners of this pce even when shut down you should at least keep everything clean... and they tense up whenever we get close to them, they don't like being near us" Kurenai tells us and I nod in reply.
...
Tense up? They have a song of menacing aura around them... why would they be tensing up if they are also imposing?
"So.. we interrogate them?" Kanata asks.
"I will speak to them, ask them various questions and get information, you three need to go check the surrounding area and start seeking out anything reted to the missing brother, he wore blue and had a golden neckce... brown hair and green eyes I believe" Kurenai orders us and we leave the building.
...
"This is a pain, cant we just paint some fences instead?" Kanata asks.
"I wouldn't want to disappoint our customer..." Katsuko whispers.
"We search, you heard Kurenai-sensei lets stay together and I will focus on things I can hear while you two search for visible clues" they start walking ahead of me and I walk behind them as we start to search the forest and road for signs of someone lost.
Thanks for reading :)
