6.2.i
6.2.i
“Pack up, we’re leaving for a mission.”
Ino looked up from her food to Asuma-sensei. The trio had started eating while they waited for their teacher. The man looked haggard and tired. He hadn’t even sat down yet and was already dropping bombs. Team Ten was at their usual barbeque place, Yakiniku Q. Choji was stuffing his face like usual, Shikamaru looked even more annoyed than normal.
“Troublesome.”
Choji despaired. “What? No! We just started lunch!”
Ino put the chopsticks down, cleaned her mouth with a napkin. She was as annoyed, if not more so, than the rest of the team, but there was no need to be immature about it. “What is the mission?”
Asuma-sensei looked at the table, the food, and the empty chair that was his usual place. He sighed, sat down. “Another team has requested reinforcements for an infiltration, asset acquisition and possible extraction mission.”
Shikamaru scowled. “Why the hell are they sending us?”
Asuma-sensei sighed again, lit a cigarette. “Short staffed.”
Shikamaru’s scowl didn’t go away. Ino knew him well enough to know that they would only waste time if she didn’t change the talk to something more productive. “What are the mission details? What do we need to prepare?”
Asuma-sensei nipped the cigarette at the table. He hadn’t taken a single puff. He looked at the food, took a piece of meat, chewed, spoke after he swallowed. “The details are confidential and are not to be discussed outside our team. Not to friends, family, or any other shinobi that might ask, do you understand?”
Ino nodded. Shikamaru shrugged. Choji stuffed his face even more.
Asuma-sensei placed both hands on the table. “About two weeks ago, a team left looking for the hideout of the enemy that attacked Konoha. They—”
“A single four-man cell?” Shikamaru interrupted. Ino glared at the chunin, but he wasn’t paying attention to her; his face was grave. Asuma-sensei’s answer was a single nod. “A full complement of jounin?” Sensei shook his head. “Shit.”
“The team succeeded. They found the hideout, and there, they found information about where captured enemies are kept. The jounin in command sent a notice requesting reinforcements, and his team went ahead to scout and prepare a plan of attack in this new location.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
“What will we be up against?” Ino asked.
Asuma-sensei shrugged. “No idea. The first place they found was teeming with traps but abandoned. There was some experiment gone wrong rampaging nearby, which they put down. There was no information on whether this new place was still in use or what defenses there were.”
“Who is the other team? What are their capabilities? What do we need to prepare?” Shikamaru shot in quick succession.
“A jounin and three chunin. The jounin’s name is Yamato, age twenty-four. Graduated from the academy at six, and was promoted to chunin that same year. He has the same ability as the first Hokage to control wood.”
Choji dropped his food. Shikamaru cursed. Ino didn’t know what to think. Chunin at six? What sort of bullshit was that?
“Hayase, age eighteen. Member of the intelligence department. From the mission briefing I received, his main role is support. Data analysis and strategy.”
“Sai, age fourteen. Combat ninjutsu specialist. Can summon an array of ink constructs, which he uses for communication, recon, and combat.”
Asuma-sensei stopped, looked at the rest of the team, then fixed his eyes on Ino. Her stomach churned. She didn’t like the look in his eyes.
“Hinata, age twelve. Logistics specialist.”
Choji choked on his food. It was Ino’s time to scowl. From what she understood, the mission was almost like a suicide one; why the hell was Hinata involved? Was that because of her storage seals? Ino knew they were good; she saw them often enough to know it wasn’t the normal fare. And chunin, since when? Was this what her father was hiding from her? Ino knew him well enough to know something had happened and he was keeping it a secret.
Choji removed the food from his mouth only to stick his foot. “Hinata? Why? She lost to Naruto. What’s she doing on such a mission? And since when is she a chunin?”
Shikamaru face-palmed. Ino just shook her head. Asuma-sensei’s face, however, was grave.
“Hinata, age twelve. Logistic specialist.” The man repeated, eyes not leaving Choji. “Former member of the Hyuga clan, proficient at combat, can use shadow clones, can use jutsu without hand seals, is effectively immune to genjutsu. Like Yamato, she can use mokuton. She fought and killed three chunin during the attack. She killed the full Otogakure team during the Forest of Death preliminary exam, fought and survived a battle against an S-Rank missing-nin, fought and survived against an A-Rank missing-nin on her first mission outside the village. Created a new type of explosive tag with at least five times the yield of normal ones. Created a new type of storage seal that can store four times more while using three times less space.”
The silence stretched. No one said anything.
Asuma-sensei pressed. “Yes, that Hinata.” He sighed. “Look, Choji, I know you’re trying, but yes, that silly-looking, happy-go-lucky girl who likes to give candy to everyone is the most dangerous person on that team beside the jounin. You can’t judge a ninja just from their appearance. Hinata has done an excellent job of building a harmless persona. Don’t be tricked like many others.”
Ino disagreed with Asuma’s assessment. She didn’t believe for a second that Hinata was putting on an act. That was just how she was. Ino’s lips curled into a smile. It was fitting, she guessed. Cute on the outside, deadly when provoked. Like an adorable kitten.
“What are you smiling about?” Choji complained. “You got tricked by her too!”
Asuma got up and lit another cigarette. “Finish eating, pack up everything you think might help. We'll meet at the mission hall in one hour.” He didn’t wait for their response and flickered away.
“What? No!” Choji cried out. “What about dessert?”
“How troublesome,” Shikamaru complained again.
Ino pushed the food away. Her appetite was gone. “See you guys in a bit.” She turned around, left for her house. One hour wasn’t enough time to prepare. She took to the roofs, or as Hinata liked to say, Konoha’s Shinobi exclusive lanes. Ino rolled her eyes and smiled. Strange. When did remembering Hinata’s silliness become nostalgic?
She dropped at the store entrance and rushed inside. Her mother was at the counter; there were no clients in the store. “Mom, I got a mission. It's confidential. I'm leaving in one hour.” She didn’t wait for an answer. She rushed up to her room and started packing.
Kunai, explosives, wire, parchment, makeup, skincare, haircare, bandages—she made sure the essentials were secured. Her eyes found the letter Naruto had delivered a few weeks back. She took it, read the neatly written letters, pulled the parchment closer, smelled it—cherry blossoms. Another smile came to Ino’s face. Hinata wasn’t one to use perfume herself, but it was a nice touch to send a perfumed parchment.
She folded the letter again, then, after a moment of deliberation, stored it in her pouch as well. Lastly, she packed the few remaining seals she received from Hinata. Those were supposed to last for months. Hinata knew she might be away for a long time. Ino was ashamed to admit she might have… over indulged. Maybe just a bit.
“That’s fine.” She said to no one in particular. “Just need to help her finish the mission and return. Then I can get more.”
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