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[GUtW]—❈—31:: Nothing's Easy
🕑 Added 2023-07-04 11:49:05 +0000 UTCNaruto rushes ahead to walk with the family, happily regaling them with one of his many wild and (I sometimes suspect) made-up stories.
Sakura moves to follow, but notices that I'm not walking too.
"Sasuke?" she asks, looking at me. She must notice that something is wrong from my expression, because she adds; "Is something wrong?"
"Go ahead," I say. "I need to talk to Kakashi."
Sakura looks from me to our sensei, who also hasn't moved from where he stands behind me, then finally, she nods and walks away.
Even before Sakura is out of earshot, I turn to Kakashi and ask: "Is this you?"
The jōnin scratches his cheek through his mask, his eye gazing off into the distance.
"You've figured it out," he says, not a question.
"Is this you?" I repeat, not in the mood for games. "Did you plan this? Did you know?"
Kakashi looks at me now, all trace of his usual merry demeanour nowhere to be seen.
"Sasuke, I'm flattered that you think so highly of my abilities, but how exactly would I have set this up? Or known beforehand?"
I stare at him. It's not an answer, not even close… but it's enough to make me believe that Kakashi didn't do this.
This is just a bit of bad luck, it happens to all ninja, we simply have the dubious fortune of having it happen to us on our first mission.
I hold back a sigh. 'At least we didn't end up fighting one of The Seven Swordsmen of Mist,' I think.
At that thought, a tiny, traitorous voice in the back of my mind mutters; 'No, you left that nice little surprise to Team 8.'
I slap down the voice. Team 8 will be fine; they have a jōnin with them, and, unlike our counterparts in the story, I intensely doubt that they would be as stupid as to continue with the mission if its danger level increases substantially.
Besides, not even Zabuza Momochi will be insane enough to attack Leaf genin, and certainly not genin in The Jōnin Mentorship Program.
Focusing back on Kakashi, I ask; "What do we do?"
Kakashi shakes his head. "Good or bad, this is still your mission, Sasuke. I can advise you if you want it, but—"
"Then advise me," I practically snarl, "because there are two ninja of undetermined skill in this little village, and I have no idea why they're here."
Kakashi gives me a look. "Don't you?"
I scowl, and despite myself, my mind begins to put the pieces together.
Ken is an old man, Kei a young girl, and with the obvious genetic similarities between her, Gin, and the old Chief, all of which is crystal clear in my memory thanks to the glimpse I got of them with my sharingan, it's safe to assume that Kei's a Springtree native.
Ken, on the other hand, is, as I've already said, an old man, even if he's lived here for decades, as he seems to have, he could still be from anywhere.
Ken and Kei are ninja; Ken and Kei obviously share a close bond; someone also had to have taught Kei the ninja arts out here in the middle of nowhere…
Ken is a missing-nin.
My guess is he's been hiding out here for a long time, and when he noticed that Kei could use chakra, he couldn't help himself.
He trained her. Ken is a missing-nin and he's Kei's sensei.
Suddenly, I remember Naruto's wish for us to encounter rogue-nin on this mission.
My teeth clench.
"Do you think he's one of ours?" I ask Kakashi, pushing all thoughts of a certain infuriating blonde from my head.
Kakashi nods. "Fuji clan," he says. "Died out back in The Third War."
It's no secret that ninja bloodlines always come with unique features and traits that are passed along with whatever that family's ability happens to be.
It can be anything from hair colour, eye colour, facial features, a certain body type, or any combination thereof; Kakashi must know whatever the Fuji clan's is for him to be certain Ken is one of them.
"What's their bloodline ability?" I ask.
"Fire chakra," Kakashi says. "Like the Nara clan's shadow chakra, only with a lot less fine control."
"Sounds dangerous," I can't help but say.
"It was," Kakashi concurs. "Especially considering they weren't immune to their own flames. They burnt themselves a lot."
I think back to Ken, trying to remember if he has any burn scars. I don't recall any.
When I mention it to Kakashi, the jōnin shrugs. "Maybe he was lucky," he says. "Or maybe he had them healed."
"Or maybe he's so skilled he never got any," I say
"That too," Kakashi agrees.
The conversation lulls for some seconds.
"What are you going to do?" Kakashi asks me.
I eye the jōnin, still somewhat irritated that he's giving me decision making power in this.
I mean, yes, I'm team leader, and yes, I understand the usefulness of authority and definitely want the advantages it provides, but this has gone far beyond a simple mission.
Right now, we're dealing with a rogue Leaf asset who's divulged state secrets to at least one person, that we know of; a genin should not be in charge of this matter.
In answer to Kakashi's question, I say; "There's nothing to do but report it."
Kakashi makes a noncommittal gesture. I don't bother to try to interpret it.
"Are you going to tell your teammates?" he asks.
My scowl deepens, then I sigh: "You make it sound like I have a choice."
"We always have choices," Kakashi says.
The glare I shoot him shows my opinion of that nonsensical platitude quite clearly.
Interestingly enough, Kakashi doesn't look he's joking around, and it takes a moment for the realization to sink in; he genuinely believes that.
"Anyway," Kakashi says, carrying on the conversation, "if you're telling them, my advice would be for you to do it now, because I'm pretty sure Naruto's already making friends with the girl."
My eyes close and I sigh in tiredness. Why is nothing ever easy?
