Naruto : Path of Wind

"Oh hell yes!" I crow when we emerge out of the Hokage Tower, holding the crimson-lined mission scroll tightly in my hand, having graciously offered to keep it for the night. "Can you believe this?" I ask, nudging Sakura with an elbow. "Our first mission and we get to smash a load of bandits and save a village all in one!" Sakura nods, smiling shakily.

I turn to babble at Sasuke, only to find him glaring at our mentor team. I roll my eyes, poking him in the side. His head whips around to fix me with a sharp look.

"What?"

"What happened before Sakura and I got to the old man's office?" I ask, quieter. Sasuke's gaze flickers over to Sakura for a moment, and he responds in an equally low voice.

"The Hyuuga ran his mouth and the green one blindsided me before I could knock him out," he says. The anger is still there, simmering just below the surface of his stony facade. What in the world could have ticked him off so badly in just a few-

I wince. "Uchiha talk?" Sasuke grunts in the affirmative.

It's never been a secret that the Hyuuga and the Uchiha clans hate each other's guts. They're hate-hate relationship has spanned back to the dawning days of Konoha itself, and only grown larger and worse smelling since then. The Uchiha were technically here first, but not by too much.

Besides them the Hyuuga are the oldest clan in Konoha, not counting Senju Tsunade. So as the two oldest clans in the village, who just so happento each contain stupidly powerful kekkai genkai, which just so happen to both be doujutsu, it's a given that a little bit of a rivalry would spring up.

Too bad that on top of being the oldest and arguably most powerful clans in the village, they're also the biggest assholes. So instead of forming a friendly connection like the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi have going on, they became bitter and near outright hostile enemies.

Also too bad that Sasuke hates even talking about his clan. And if that long-haired fruit is as stuck up as some of the other Hyuuga I've had the displeasure of meeting, he probably pushed the ribbing far past Sasuke's admittedly low level of tolerance.

"You wanna corner him during the mission and strangle him with his hair?" I ask. Sasuke snorts.

"Idiot."

"So who's up for some barbecue on me?" I ask loudly, coming to an abrupt stop. Sasuke doesn't even grace my offer with a response, just veers off towards a shortcut to our favorite barbecue joint. "Coming, Sakura?"

My teammate fidgets. "I should really get my things together for tomorrow," she says nervously.

I wave a hand. "Nonsense. The sun isn't even gone yet. Besides, who can resist a free meal?"

"Not me!" Kakashi declares, appearing in front of us in a cloud of smoke. My eyes narrow.

"Sorry, genin only," I say. "Team building experience, you know?" Kakashi places a hand over his heart, closing his eye in mock pain, making a little "oof" sound.

"So are you coming, Sakura?" I ask, ignoring his theatrics. The pink-haired girl bites her lip, one hand coming to rest on her stomach.

"I suppose..." She slowly agrees. I grin, hooking a thumb over my shoulder in the direction Sasuke went.

"Let's go, then."

"Don't forget to bring your scrolls, Naruto!" Kakashi calls after us."Sakura and Sasuke will be perfecting their tree walking on the trip back." I scowl. Touche, Hatake.

By the time we make it to Tanaka's the moon is beginning its ascent, bathing the village in an eerie glow where there are no paper lamps to illuminate things. The barbecue itself is nearly full, and I quickly slip between the various different tables before slipping into the corner booth Sasuke has snagged. Sakura moves in gingerly.

"Your bruises still bothering you?" I ask.

"Yeah," she replies quietly. Man, how bad did Kakashi beat her? That salve usually fixes me up right away.

A harried waitress stops by our table to take Sakura's and my order and is off a moment later in a swirl of dirty white cloth. I lean back in the comfy booth and slap the mission scroll down on the round table, picking the already broken seal off and unraveling it.

The mission summary is laid out in bold, eye catching text, detailing the village we're being sent to liberate from the bandits and stray nukenin just off the border of Kusa. The horde itself isn't too special. Only a handful of its members are above C-rank. Pretty routine mission, in all honesty.

For a jounin.

"I can't say I dig the whole Shinobi Sibling thing," I begin happily. "But I'll put up with it any day of the week if it nets me missions like these!" Sasuke smirks at that, but Sakura just seems to sink into the booth. "Sakura?" I ask, cocking my head. She shakes her head.

"It's nothing," she says. "I just..."

"You're nervous," Sasuke states matter of factly.

"What's there to be nervous about?" I ask. "We're the best damn students the Academy has to offer, and we've got a veteran team to back us up on top of that." I pause. "Even if they are jerks."

"It's not that," she says quickly, lowering her eyes. "I'm just worried... that I might not pull my weight."

"You're what?" I ask disbelievingly. "You massacred those tigers during the genin test for us. What makes you think you won't pull your weight?"

"That was a special circumstance." She sighs. "I only have that one barrier seal right now, and it only stops physical attacks. If someone were to hit it with a chakra-enhanced sneeze it would shatter. It doesn't even have a bottom."

"Then we'll just have to leave all the bandits to you, then, won't we?" I retort.

"You don't even need the barrier seal," Sasuke speaks up. "Just keep up a steady chain of Kawarimiand pelt the enemy with some of those exploding tags you coated the inside of it with." He hooks a thumb at me. "That's more than Naruto can do with his Breeze Fist."

"I told you to stop calling it that, Uchiha," I growl.

The waitress stops by with our drinks and a quick promise that our food will be out in a moment, and thank you so much for being patient. I break off my stare down with Sasuke to grab my milk and take a long swig. Oh but does that taste good. My stomach contracts painfully, demanding more, and I hurry to oblige it, gulping the whole cup down in one go.

"Anyway," I say, "What are you guys going to bring tomorrow, you think? I've already got the basic stuff in mind, like a tent and some clothes, but are we thinking heavy or light weaponry? I want to make sure I have enough room for my rations when it's all said and done."

"And your scrolls," Sakura helpfully reminds me. Thank you Sakura.

"I'll be packing all of my weapons," Sasuke says smugly. "In a sealing scroll."

Ah, right. Chakra defect.

"Yeah, well. Fuck you too," I retort sourly.

The rest of the meal passes with small talk and tons upon tons of roasted beef. Soon enough I'm stumbling out of the restaurant clutching a blissfully full stomach. Sakura slips off with a hurried thanks and I start trudging towards my apartment. Sasuke walks beside me, a pensive expression on his face.

"What's going on now?" I ask. His brow furrows.

"Itachi just got back from another S-rank mission," he admits.

"So another night of fatherly encouragement?" I ask dryly. He nods. "Well, if you're good with waking up extra early to pack your crap, I guess you can dent my couch for tonight."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Sasuke wastes no time collapsing on my comfy old couch when we walk into my apartment, the day's training and the beefy dinner knocking him out as soon as he hits the cushion. I stumble into my room, grab one of the thinner blankets off my mound, and cross back out to toss it over him.

Then I set about my nightly routine, discarding all my clothes except for my boxers in the corner of my room with the rest of their kind, getting my teeth brushed, and my kunai and shuriken cleaned up. Then I set to packing.

I end up going with my little collapsable tent, three sets of orange pants and black t-shirts and boxers. I throw in ten shuriken, kunai, and senbon respectively- though I never seem to use senbon these days... I eye the little pack of throwing needles sitting innocently in my backpack, taking up space.

Eh, might as well take 'em anyway. Giving a little shrug, I shove my scrolls on chakra shape manipulation in along with a little metal case filled with bandages and water purification tablets and the like. Not quite a first aid kit, but close enough. I take a quick survey of my room, double check my bag, and zip it up.

Then I slip back into the bathroom, pop a certain tile free, and grab the strongbox underneath. As I slump back onto my bed and crack the scroll open, I glance at the glass door leading to my tiny balcony. Faint shadows cast by the moon are all I see. I should really go to bed soon. Dawn isn't far off, and the western gate will be waiting.

When shaping one's chakra for the Heavenly Chakra Chains, it is important to remember ...

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