Jaden and Aki's RP of OH SNAP

[ChakraTurret]

Only Daskini and ChakraTurret may post here, but you can read along if you wish~

[Daskini]

Name: Jaden Akiyama

Age: 24

Rank: Chunin

Personality: She can be a little brash and hot headed, jumping into situations without thinking at times if she is enraged enough. She tends to remain quiet around her superiors, often getting mistaken for being shy. Overall, Jaden has a sweet personality, if you stay on her good side.

Kekkei Genkai: Fire release.

Jutsu: (Jaden's jutsu are all based around her fire release technique. she possesses basic academy jutsu as well, such as clones, transformations and base escape techniques)

Blazing Kunai Dance: The user performs a series of graceful movements, throwing out chakra inflamed Kunai toward the enemy. Jadens Kunai have explosive tags attached which will activate when they make contact with anything. These tags can either be instant or time delay, Depending on the need.

Echo Confusion: Using this technique on either herself or her kunai, Jaden can confuse her opponent by disguising her attack with echoing after-images, Confusing her opponent on where to block. Ability is adaptable to other jutsu, but takes time and practice to master.
After images do no damage at this point, and serve only as a confusion.
Technique only lasts a short time, enough to get the edge in a fight. Can be canceled prematurely if user becomes incapacitated.

Fire Release: Scorching Twin Dragon Charge: The user expels a large amount of chakra through their breath, which takes the form of two fiery dragons. These dragons will lock on and charge toward an enemy until the user runs out of chakra, cancels the technique, or the dragons are blocked by a solid object. Objects can be navigated around, but if the timeframe is too short, It will perish on contact.
Being a jutsu with a high chakra use, it is not wise to keep it active for too long. Should a user keep the jutsu going for whatever reason (Example, pressured by their superior because they "almost had him" ) The attack will become weaker to the extreme point that the user cannot take it any longer and the attack will fail.

Burning Blade: User infuses their blade with chakra, creating a fiery edge that will cause the victim serve pain should they be cut by it.

Basic background (keepin it short xD)

No one really knows who Jadens parents were. Her mother abandoned her as a child in the forests near Konoha, and she was adopted by a resident ninja.
Her caretaker passed in a battle when she reached the age of 6, and she was forced to look after herself. She trained herself in swordsmanship and studied hard until she was able to complete her academy training, become a genin and reach the rank of Chunin by the age of 14.

Jadens history with Kakashi had been slightly exaggerated to the point where no one understood why she hated him so much - not even Kakashi himself.

[ChakraTurret]

Name: Akimoto Michiyo

Age: 15

Rank: Genin

Personality: Akimoto is a very shy, quiet and fearful girl, she doesn't trust very many people and tends to avoid most of them so that neither she or them get hurt. However, she does have a happier side and it can be seen when she is around those who are close to her. She becomes very playful, hyper, and almost fearless. Her loved ones make her feel safe and give her courage, and because of that, she feels that when she is with them she can conquer anything, and for once it doesn't matter what the world thinks of her.

Kekkei Genkai: Kurai Kaze ((Darkness Release))

Kurai Kaze enables the user to call upon dark chakra. They're eyes will turn black and depending on how long the kekkai genkai is active and how the user is feeling emotionally at the time, dark chakra will start seething off their body. If activated for too long, the dark chakra will monetarily corrupt the user, making them act insane. Like most Kekkei Genkai it does drain a lot of chakra and slowly deactivates when the user is put under a big amount of stress to their chakra levels. First the smoke disappears and then the eyes return to their normal color.


Jutsu: Haven't thought of anything too special for the moment lD But she does know basic academy justu and is also able to use genjustu.

Background: Born after the war in the Land of Water, and near the end of Yagura's reign where Kirigakure was still know as the "Bloody Mist". Akimoto feared everything around her. At young age she learned, if she was to betray her village she would die. To make matters worse, and as much as they considered it a curse and hated to do so, her whole clan had been forced to hide their kekkai genkai. With the war still fresh in people's minds and them being such a prominent factor due to their powerful kekkai genkai. It was too dangerous to let anyone know they still existed. People assumed the Yaminoko's had either died after the war or fled the village. When in reality they went into hiding. Hence them having to change their last name to Michiyo. However, Akimoto would consider this to be a blessing. She knew the power that the Kurai Kaze held, and she feared the dark chakra she had been born with. So basically it was, if you were to betray your village or use your kekkai genkai you would die. This made for a very fearful young Akimoto. One who was scared to try hard in the academy, in fear they would make her fight, and do bloody and horrible acts like she had heard from the tales her grandfather would tell her of the village. She was also afraid to fight in case she accidentally released her kekkai genkai, and hurt or killed someone. The thought of using her kekkai genkai, always gave her the fear that she would not be able to control it if she ever did. The idea of hurting and killing was never ideal for Akimoto, as all she could see was the pain it caused others. Due to her kind heartedness and fear of hurting others, she was viewed as weak and teased by her fellow students about it. Even her clan was disappointed in her, especially her father and she felt as if she had brought shame to them all. The only one who wasn't disappointed in Akimoto was her mother, but due to the fact she admitted into an Asylum, Akimoto didn't get to see her as often as she should have been able. Due to all the pain welling up inside, she knew that she needed an escape.

One day, she was so distraught that she ran away from class and out of the village while everyone's backs were turned. She just kept running until she ended up a flowery field. There was rabbits everywhere in the field, and it was colourful and beautiful. Finally finding her escape, Akimoto would often run away to this field anytime she was in tears. The rabbits of the field occasionally showed their concern. Sometimes they would look at her from a distance, or some would come up and sniff her hand, some even lick it. However if she tried to pick them up, or made any sudden movements, they would become frightened and run away. The rabbits were so much like her in that way. Running away because they were afraid. Due to this she had come to love the rabbits, because she had finally found something to relate to. Every time she would come to the field it would be the same. It would start with her crying, the rabbits showing concern, her trying to pick them up and hug them, and then them running away because they were afraid. However, one day, everything changed.

It had started out like any other time she visited the field. She cried for a few good minutes, before she felt something tickling her foot. Curious, Akimoto would raise her head to find a rabbit at her feet. As always she was in need of comfort, so once again she attempted to pick up the rabbit so that she could hug it. However, as always the rabbit became frightened of her movements and jumped away--into the arms of a peculiar looking boy, who was standing right in front of her with a concerned look on his face. He then proceeded to ask why she was crying. At that moment, Akimoto nearly jumped out of her skin. She hadn't seen him there, nor did she know how long he had been standing there. Sniffling, Akimoto looked up at the boy, his eyes held a kindness and genuine concern that she had never seen before, because of this she felt complied to tell him everything. Right there and then she confessed everything to him. How she had been born after a war, how she was a born with a kekkai genkai she was afraid to use, and banned from using it or she would face death. How the thought of using it scared her and she feared she would not be able to control it, How she would face death if she betrayed her village, how her clan was disappointed in her and she felt as if she shamed them all, how the kids and school teased her and called her weak because she hated the idea of hurting others, how she was always afraid, doing well in school, meant she would have to end up killing someone, how she hated killing because all it brought was pain, she told him everything.

After she was done explaining to him, the boy proceeded to take a seat next to her, place the rabbit in his lap, and squeeze Akimoto's hand gently. He then told her that he understood everything she was saying, before telling her his story. He told her how, like her, he had also been born after the war and he too, was born with kekkai genkai he was not allowed to use, however he had not known this, and was faced with death after reviling his new found ability. He also explained how his father had killed his mother and he was going to die next, but due to his fear and inability to control his kekkai genkai just yet, he ended up killing his father and the mob his father had assembled, and that from there on he was forced to live on the streets, struggling to eat every day, and was unwanted by everyone and everything, until one day a man name Zabuza took under his wing and gave him a second chance, and how he was now his weapon, and that he fought for him and felt as though he had purpose in his life again.

Horrified by this story Akimoto proceeded to cling to the boy, tears flowing down her cheeks, vowing she would never let go until she could take his pain away. He had it so much worse than she did, and she wanted to help him. The boy then smiled as she clung to him, and he told her that he would be okay, and that she would be okay too, and that he would help her. He then proceeded to offer the bunny to Akimoto, who's tears now turned into ones of joy. However, she was a bit hesitant to take the rabbit, telling him that she was scared it would run away from her but after being shown how to hold it, to her surprise it licked her tears from her cheeks instead of trying to escape. Giving the boy a heartfelt and tearful thank you, she wanted to cling to him again. She then asked him if he would be her friend, and he told her that he would. Once again Akimoto was overjoyed. She was so glad that someone understood her and treated her kindly. He then asked for her name, telling her his was Haku. She answered with Akimoto, and it was around this time Haku was called away by someone. The two of them looked in the direction of shout, to find a man glaring at them. Terrifying Akimoto in the process. Haku explained that, that was Zabuza and that he needed to go now. Quickly the two pinkie promised to keep each others stories a secret in order to protect each other. As Haku started to walk away, she asked if she would ever see him again. The boy then nodded at her and smiled saying. "I promise" before walking away back to Zabuza, leaving Akimoto to cuddle the rabbit in her arms.

After that, things seemed go on like the normally did. She was still getting teased and school, and would still come to the field. Every time she did, she wondered when she would see Haku again, and just the thought of him cheered her up. One day when she came to the field she found Haku there waiting for her. Squealing and nearly knocking the boy over with a hug. She was overjoyed to see him there. She then became concerned, asking him if he would get in trouble for being here. He then explained to her that he had been begging Zabuza to come see her again, and he finally said yes. From there on Haku would continue to visit Akimoto whenever he could, over the years, and the two became best friends. He was always looking out for her and giving her encouraging words, helping her get back onto her feet. He taught her how to use senbon, and was even the one to suggest she learn to use genjutsu in battle, that way she could hopefully confuse her opponents and escape the battle without having to hurt them. By teaching her gentle ways to fight if she was ever forced to, his hopes were to keep her safe in case she was ever caught in battle. Over time Akimoto would develop feelings for him. However she would keep these feelings to herself telling no one.

[Daskini]

Konohagakure

It was quiet in the village of Konoha, the morning having only just begun. Villagers were making their way through the streets on their daily routine, buying foodstuffs for their morning meals. The streets were haunted with the familiar smell of Japanese cusine, slipping out into the roads from various stalls.

"Sorry! Excuse me! My apologies!" a voice echoed through the street as the tall brunette ninja gently pushed people out her way. "Tsunade is going to kill me... " She whispered, adjusting the scarf around her neck as she skilfully dodged passing villagers. She had overslept, and was late to see the Hokage. Tsunade had warned her once before about being late, she would not be taking this lightly. She vaulted up onto the rooftops, taking off towards the Hokages mansion. "Damn it!!" She hissed under her breath.

"Sorry I'm late Lady Hokage!" She cried, bolting in through the door. She looked up at the other occupants - aside from Shizune, four other ninja stood in the room, staring at Her sudden intrusion. Kakashi Hatake, and his team of Genin - Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha.
She glared at the Jonin, taking her place in the line beside him. Tsunade watched her carfully, making her feel somewhat uneasy. She glanced at Kakashi next to her, wondering why they had all been called here.

"Nice of you to join us, Jaden." Tsunade sighed, her hands folded neatly in front of her face. "I was just discussing with Team Kakashi your next mission." Jaden glanced at the team a second time.
"Wait - are they coming with me?" she asked a little out of turn.
"You're going with them" She smiled. "You remember Katsuko Hiashi?" Jaden looked up at the mention of her former best friends name. He had become a missing ninja a few years ago, after murdering his comrades. She could never understand why he had done it.
"yes..." She whispered, looking down.
"He has recently been sighted on the outskirts of the Fire country. I'm sending Team Kakashi to investigate and bring him down if he's spotted. You know Katsuko best, I'm sending you with them to help track his movements." Jaden groaned a little, glareing at the ninja next to her. Tsunade knew all too well she refused to work with him. She grinned behind her desk. "Is there a problem, Akiyama?"
Jaden stood tall.
"No, Lady Hokage" She frowned.
"Alright. You leave as soon as possible. Dismissed."

[ChakraTurret]

Tears slipped down the girl's face as she sat there on her bed. She could hear their voices from downstairs and she despised every word they were saying.

"They've forced us into hiding for too long now. Those with kekkai genkai such are ours are viewed as the harbingers of war and death"

"So many of those born with kekkai genkai have died because they were born with a gift. Were strange, different, so either we die or we must hide our gifts"

"They want the harbingers of war and death of war and death?? We'll give them the harbingers of war and death" Her father... and his voice was followed by laughter that had made Akimoto shiver. The Kurai Kaze... It did things to you... and there was no doubt in Akimoto's mind that her father had it active, she could literally feel the dark chakra seeping through the floorboards.

"The once forgotten Kurai Kaze will be remembered again, and this time..." More laughter, Akimoto shivered again "It will never be forgotten"

Then there was the sound of footsteps. They were coming for her, they were going to ask her to be part of their uprising.

No.

Akimoto wanted no part in it. As much as she had very little love for her village, and didn't trust very many people. Akimoto refused to hurt anyone, she refused to kill anyone, she refused to be like them. With that she jumped out her window and on to the rooftops. She took off as fast as she could, the fastest she had even ran in her life. She wanted out, she wanted out of this village of hate, killing, and pain. Perhaps if she left she could also warn someone outside her village about the attack, before it was too late. Perhaps someone in Konoha, she had heard Konoha ninja were nice people, perhaps they would listen to her....

By the time some of Akimoto's clan members and her father had reached her room, Akimoto was long gone. "Dammit!!" Her father said, slamming his hand against the wall. He was literally seething his dark chakra "She's gone!! It's just like her to run away like this!!" He growled. He then turned to face his two clan members that were behind him. "Haruhisa!! Seita!! Find her before she can cause any trouble, I don't care what it takes to bring her back here, but bring her back alive" A dark smirk played across his lips "I'm sure with a little convincing we can get her to join us"

The two men bowed before taking off after Akimoto. When they had finally caught up to her, she was in a dense forest quite far from the village. They stepped in front of her and Akimoto gave them a dirty look.

Seita looked at Akimoto with a serious expression, glaring at her slightly "Alright Akimoto, either you come with us now, or we hurt you, you're father wants you alive so--"


"Wait" Haruhisa said grabbing Seita's shoulder with a frightened look on his face. "That chakra, do you feel that??"

A huge grin spread across Akimoto's face. Haurhisa was right. There was chakra. Chakra signatures to be exact. Two of them, two that Akimoto knew very well. The chakra signatures were close, so that meant they were near by.

"That chakra..." Seita looked just as frightened as Haruhisa now. "That's Momochi's chakra and the kid with the ice release..."

"We'd better get out of here" Haruhisa said, he then glared at Akimoto "We'll be back for you"

Akimoto blew as raspberry at the two men as they took off, before laughing a tiny bit. It seemed as though she wasn't the only one in her clan that was scared of Zabuza.

She then turned around and walked in the direction of the chakra. Haku was around here somewhere, and there wasn't anyone who she wanted to see more right now. Surely enough after walking a bit, Akimoto came across a cone shaped architecture. So this must be where Haku lived!! She looked at it in marvel for a moment, wondering how long it must have taken to build. Shyly, the girl then crept up to the door, it was open a tiny bit, she peeked inside the crack only to find that Haku was indeed in there. She then squealed, bust through the door and attacked Haku with a flying glomp.







"Alright!! Mission time!!" Naruto said pumping his fist the air the moment they had exited the room. "About time we got out of there!! Grandma Tsunade talks to much"

Kakashi just shook his head, Tsunade had barely said very much, but that was Naruto for you, impatient as ever. Slowly his eyes trailed over to Jaden for a moment. She was still as bitter with him as ever. The worst part of it all was Kakashi had no idea why. What was it that he had done to make her feel this way about him?? A soft sigh escaped his lips. This was going to be a long mission.

Naruto had been practically skipping along when he fell to the ground. His hands curled over his stomach, Sakura gasped and ran up to him.

"Naruto!! Are you alright!!"

"Y-Yeah" Naruto said weakly. "Just really, h-hungry, need, food"

The pink haired girl frowned "Naruto you knew we had a mission!! Why didn't you eat before now??"

"S-Sorry Sakura, I got too excited and forgot to e-eat" Sakura sighed and then helped Naruto to his feet, throwing her arm over his shoulder and helping him walk along. They hadn't been walking far when Sasuke had also came over to help, throwing his arm around Naruto's other shoulder.

"S-Sasuke..." Naruto said, rather surprised that he had come over to help. The Uchiha just simply glared at him in response. "Do you want my help or not??" Naruto paused for a moment.

"Thanks..."

Sasuke simply huffed.

As Kakashi watched the scene unfold he couldn't help but smile under his mask. His team had grown so much in only a couple months. Every day they grew stronger and began to get closer to one another. It remind him of his own team back when he was a chunnin. A team that was lead by none other than Naruto's father himself. However, it was something that Kakashi would never be able to tell Naruto, even if he wanted to. Even though it was to keep Naruto safe, it pained him to do so, but there was no sense dwelling on the past now. He had an important mission to focus on.

Pretty soon they had passed the ramen shop, and immediately Naruto burst from Sakura and Sasuke's arms, and raced to take a seat.

"For someone who was so hungry he could barely walk, he sure seems energetic." Sakura said in annoyed tone.

"Loser.." Sasuke muttered under his breath.

"Well it seems like were going to have to take a lunch break." Kakashi announced with a sigh. He looked over to Jaden "I hope this isn't too much of a problem"

[Daskini]

"He's headed North." Zabuza pointed to the map on the table before them. "If we can make it to the canyon in three days, we can cut him off" Haku remained silent, thinking over their plan of attack. The missing ninja had caused them much grief in the past weeks, and it was time for a bit of payback. A smile slowly crossed Haku's lips, as he felt the presence of another within their base. He closed his eyes.
"We are not alone." He said simply. He could feel the girls presence behind him, knowing exactly who it was. Zabuza frowned a little, grabbing the hilt of his executioners blade , ready to attack the intruder if necessary.
He lunged forward as the intruder entered the room, stopping himself as he realised she was Haku's friend. He stepped back, watching her tackle him. He groaned a little in disgust. He had never really approved of their friendship, claiming it to be a waste of time and a distraction.
Haku laughed with her a bit, hugging her tightly.
"Akimoto" He whispered as they broke apart. "what are you doing here? How did you find us?" He studied her face for a moment. "Is something wrong?"





Jaden smiled a little to herself, watching Naruto bolt for the ramen bar. She had been watching over him for some time - since before he started his academy training. She believed him to be something like her - neither of them had known what it was like to have a family. She wanted to help him on so many occasions, but found it hard to announce herself to him when the whole village looked down on him. She had her own priorities, Just knowing that he was alright was enough.
He hadn't changed a bit. Sure, he had improved as a ninja, and somehow made it to be a Genin, but his personality still made her smile. She glanced at Kakashi, the smile instantly fading.
"It's fine." she whispered coldly, avoiding his gaze. "A ninja needs to keep his strength up. Personally, I would prefer it if they ate before we left. They might not get another chance later. " She walked past him. "I'll be at the gates."
Without waiting for a response, she headed to her apartment and gathered her things. She packed a few medical supplies, spare kunai, a small pack of rations and a blanket into her backpack. She swung it over her shoulder, giving her apartment the last check over before she locked up, and headed for the gates.
When she arrived, she was overcome with disappointment as she realised Team Kakashi still had not arrived.
"Late as always." She whispered, kicking a rock at her feet. It bounced off one of the large green gate doors with a small thunk. Kakashi's constant tardiness annoyed her to no end. It had been that way since the day she had met him.

[ChakraTurret]

Hearing Haku's laugh brought a smile to Akimoto's face. She loved it when he laughed. All the fear and sadness from before vanished into thin air, and she hugged him back as tightly as he was hugging her. It wasn't long before she was grinning.

"Akimoto" he whispered to her, she just kept grinning at him. "What are you doing here? How did you find us?" It was then that she frowned and went into deep thought. How was she going to explain this him?? She didn't want to hide it from him, she hated hiding things from him.

"Is something wrong?"

Haku... He always knew when something was wrong, she didn't even have to say anything for him to know. Akimoto drew in a sharp breath, might as well just blurt it out.

"I left Kirigakure..."

Quickly she waved her hands around frantically in defense. "I know what your thinking" She said nervously "But I have a good reason..." For a moment the girl paused and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Come on Akimoto, don't cry, don't cry"

She drew in another sharp breath, explaining this part would be the hardest, because of how much it hurt.

"My clan is going to destroy Kirigakure and overthrow it, and they expect me to do the same...." She bit down on her lip to make extra sure she did not start crying. "I ended up finding you because two of my clan members were hunting me down after I left.... They want to take me back to my father..." She clenched her hands and gritted her teeth at the thought of him. Her father didn't love her... He didn't love anyone but himself!! The only reason he wanted her back was to force her into fighting. She took an angry breath before finishing. "The men who were chasing me..." Akimoto finally admitted who they were "My olders cousins... Haruhisa and Seita... were the first to feel your chakra, they knew exactly who you and Zabuza were and they ran away"

That was all she had to say right??... She didn't have to say that her clan were the holders of the dreaded Kurai Kaze while Zabuza was in the room right??... Haku was the only person outside of her clan that knew she had a kekkai genkai. Everyone else had no idea, it was a secret she kept to herself, only sharing it was Haku because he was the one who she trusted most. This also meant that Haku would understand how truly dangerous this situation was. Fighting with one Kurai Kaze holder was bad enough, considering they could destroy an area within a certain radius of themselves, but a whole clan of them?! They would have the whole village shallowed by darkness and under their control with a snap of their fingers. The worst part of it all was, that since they had been in hiding for so long. No one in Kirigakure even knew Kurai Kaze still existed. Their plan would be flawless...





"It's fine." She was avoiding eye contact again. "A ninja needs to keep his strength up. Personally, I would prefer it if they ate before we left. They might not get another chance later. " He watched as she walked past him and kept going "I'll be at the gates."

"You make a good point, We'll meet you at the gates then" Kakashi answered, he wasn't quite sure whether she had heard him or not, but he supposed that it didn't matter at this point. He then turned around, scanning his eyes along the many food stalls that were lined across the street. Since his team was getting something to eat, he might as well too. Approaching one that sold soup, Kakashi took a seat. It wasn't long before a waitress appeared. "Hello sir" She said with a bright smile "What can I get you today??"

"I'll have miso soup with eggplant please" Kakashi answered politely, giving her a smile in return. It was his favorite meal.

"Sure thing!!" The waitress said enthusiastically before leaving to make Kakashi his soup. A couple minutes later she had returned with a bowl of soup and placed it in front of him. "Here you are" She said, still smiling away.

"Thank you" Kakashi replied with another smile, before removing his mask and beginning to eat his soup.





Naruto grinned kicking his legs back and forth as he awaited Teuchi to turn away from his cooking and notice that he was there. The moment the man did, his whole face lit up and Naruto's grin grew. "Well if it isn't my favorite customer Naruto Uzumaki" Teuchi was now grinning himself. "What will it be today Naruto"

"Miso ramen please!!" The blonde said with excitement as he licked his lips, he could barley wait to start eating.

Teuchi simply laughed "Coming right up!!" He said before leaving to make it. It wasn't long before Teuchi returned with his daughter Ayame and Naruto's bowl of ramen, which Ayame place in front of Naruto with a smile "Here you are"

Naruto grinned again "Hiya, Ayame, and thanks!!" He said before wolfing the ramen down. Ayame giggled "Hello Naruto"

Naruto had devoured the ramen in no less than a couple seconds, he then reached into his pocket and pulled out his frog wallet.

"Only one bowl today Naruto??" Teuchi said, raising and eyebrow. This was quite unusual as Naruto usually had two or more.

Naruto slapped his money on the table before taking off "Sorry!! Important Mission!! Gotta Run!!" He shouted as he waved goodbye to Teuchi and Ayame.

Teuchi chuckled "Good Luck!!" He called after Naruto.

Naruto grinned "Thanks!!" He shouted back one last time before, racing towards the village gates. Upon arrival he was disappointed to find that Jaden was the only one there. That meant he would have to wait. "Where is everyone??" He asked looking at Jaden with a frown.





"So what were you thinking of eating Sasuke?" Sakura said, looking over at him with a smile as she walked along side him.

"Rice of some sort, perhaps some omusubi" Omusubi was Sasuke's favorite food, especially with katsuobushi and tomatoes in it.

Sakura's smile grew "Omusubi is really good, especially umeboshi in it" Sakura loved umeboshi it was one of her three favourite foods.

Sasuke could tell by the way Sakura talked about umeboshi, that she was not just making it up to impress him. Umeboshi was usually eaten with rice, meaning Sakura must like rice too. Huh, who knew. The thought of that brought a smile to Sasuke's face for some reason, perhaps it was because he shared something in common with someone.

Sakura was shocked when she saw a smile appear on Sasuke's face. "Sasuke are you--"

Quickly the smile vanished from Sasuke's face and he glared at Sakura. ]"It's nothing."

Sakura then became silent and looked away from Sasuke in fear of angering him further. Instead she focused ahead of her. The two of them walked in silence before approaching the stand that sold omusubi. "Well we better get eating, Naruto and Jaden are probably waiting for us."

Sakura's face reddened and she was taken a back slightly "W-Wait you want me to eat with you??"

"You did want omusubi, didn't you??" Sasuke said with a straight face.

"Y-Yes" Sakura said, quickly taking a seat. Her heart was pounding and her cheeks were cherry red. "Sasuke wants me to eat with him, Is this a date??" She thought to herself. Her inner was also excited about what was going on. "SCOREE!! CHA!! TAKE THAT INO PIG!!"

Sasuke took a seat beside Sakura and not long after he did, an old lady showed up. "Hello, and what can I get you young ones today??" A gentle smiled crossed her features. "Omusubi with katsuobushi and tomatoes" Sasuke's answered in his usual tone. The old lady smiled and then turned to Sakura "And what about you young lady??" Sakura smiled back "I'll have omusubi as well, but with umeboshi" The old lady continued to smile. "I'll be right back with your orders"

Both Sakura and Sasuke sat in silence while they waited, Sasuke's reason was because, well he was Sasuke, and Sakura's was because she wasn't quite sure what to say, in all honesty she was kind of nervous.

Soon the old lady returned with both plates of omusubi and sat them down in front of Sasuke and Sakura. "Here you two are, Enjoy!!~" She then turned to Sakura and winked. "He's quite the cutie isn't he. He must be lucky to have such a beautiful young lady as yourself." Sakura, blushed and smiled "Thank you, but were n--"

"Were just friends" Sasuke said, cutting Sakura off.

"Yeah... Just friends..." Sakura said sadly.

"I see" The old lady replied, frowning, as she could see the sadness in Sakura's eyes.

[Daskini]

Haku glanced at Zabuza, His worried expression asking him for something he knew Zabuza wouldn't agree to. He held Akimoto close, comforting her as much as he could.
Zabuza groaned a little, closing his eyes as he reset his blade on his back.
"She can stay here. For now." He whispered gruffly. "But if she gets in the way, I won't hesitate to kill her." With that, He turned and headed for the door, closing it behind him with a slam.
Haku frowned, he was grateful Zabuza was allowing his best friend to stay with them, but he knew he wasn't happy about it. He turned back to Akimoto, Gently wiping away the tears that she had been trying so hard to hold back. He smiled warmly at her, Taking her hand, and leading her down the hallway to his room. The room was as plain as it could be, there was a small bed visible in the corner next to an open window, and a pile of clothes neatly stacked on a chair by the wall. Haku had no use for possessions.
He allowed Akimoto inside, Gently encouraging her to take a place on his bed, brushing her hair from her face.
"You're safe here with us" He smiled. "You don't need to cry anymore. Would you like some tea?"




"Damn it." Jaden whispered. She had been waiting for at least ten minutes. She wasn't happy about being paired with Kakashi in the first place, but she wasn't about to go against the Hokage's orders.
"Where is everyone??" Jaden looked up from the wall she was leaning on, a small smile appearing on her face as she saw the orange ninja heading toward her.
"Did you even eat at all?" She asked him with a small laugh as she stood. "You'll get sick if you eat too fast" She place a hand on his head, ruffling his hair a little. she heard something shuffle over by the other gate. She frowned, walking past Naruto to investigate. She lent she shoulder up against the tree, Looking down at the young Hyuga who was blushing like a tomato.
"Hello Hinata." She smiled, startling the poor girl.
"Jaden Sensei!!" She panicked, jumping back. "I... Uh.. I wasn't...."
"Of course not." Jaden winked a little, before glancing back at Naruto - who was paying absolutely no attention. "What are you doing here?"
"I was on my way to meet Kiba and Shino for training" She whispered, pressing her two index fingers together nervously. "And I saw... Naruto and you - I didn't want to intrude.." She brushed furiously, looking at the ground. Jaden smiled, letting out a long sigh.
"He doesn't bite, you know." She whispered, encouraging Hinata out of her hiding place, and gently pushing her toward Naruto. She was well aware of Hinata's feelings towards him. "Go talk to him."
"But Jaden sensei - I...." She froze as Naruto looked up at her.
"Hinata...?" he asked. A smile crossed his face. "Fancy meeting you here!"
"Naruto!" She almost squealed in terror. She began to press her fingers together nervously again. Naruto watched her, a little confused. Jaden sighed.
"Hinata was just passing by and wanted to say Hello" She nudged the Hyuga girl a little. She was blushing redder than ever. Hinata shut her eyes tight.
"Good Morning, Naruto!" The words left her mouth so fast it was impossible to tell what she said. She froze, opening her eyes again. She glanced up at Jaden. "I'm sorry, Jaden Sensei! I have to go!" She bowed a little farewell, before taking off towards the training grounds. Jaden smiled, watching her leave. It had to be the most she had ever spoken to Naruto.
"She's strange" He whispered, watching her run off.

[ChakraTurret]

When Haku pulled her close, Akimoto's heart skipped a beat. He was so warm and his actions were so gentle and full of love. Never, once, had Akimoto doubted that Haku cared about her. It had been that way since they day that they had met. It was nice to know that at least someone cared... To everyone else she was a disappointment...

"She can stay here. For now."

Including him.

Akimoto shivered at his next set of words.

"But if she gets in the way, I won't hesitate to kill her."

However, as much as his words scared her, they didn't hurt. In fact she had expected them. It had been quite obvious to Akimoto that Zabuza did not approve of her and Haku's friendship. Usually something like this would cause her to give up and run away, but Haku... he made her want to not give up for once, he made her so happy, and his friendship was worth fighting for!! It wasn't like she was a big burden anyway, she avoided Zabuza as much as she could, she was terrified of the man. Strangely enough though, as displeased with their friendship as he was, he hadn't done anything to stop it. There were plenty of times he could have killed her, but he didn't. Perhaps it was because he cared about Haku more than he wanted to admit.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she felt Haku brush his hand across her cheek. Her cheeks were wet... Had she let those tears slip after all?? Oh no!! But... she supposed it didn't matter now, it was too late... Besides her and Haku were alone now, and she knew good and well that Haku wouldn't judge her for crying. So she just let it all out, sobbing softly as he took her hand and guided her down the hallway and into his room. Any other day, the fact she had finally got to see his room would have excited her, but the thoughts of what her clan was going to do were plaguing her mind, and this time, it was harder to think happy thoughts.

Taking a seat on Haku's bed like he had encouraged her to, Akimoto blushed when he brushed the hair from face.

"You're safe here with us"

Akimoto had to take a minute to calm herself down before replying.

"You don't need to cry anymore. Would you like some tea?"

"Yes I would like some tea... and I know I'm safe here... You always make me feel safe..." The fact that Haku cared about her meant so much to her. More than anyone knew. "But the people of my village are not... I know most can be very unkind and I don't prefer them... but I also know that not all of them are... There are innocent people who are in danger..." She drew in a sharp breath, she couldn't help let a few tears slip at what she said next.

"My clan is going to kill everyone Haku... What do I do??..."





It wasn't long before Sakura and Sasuke had finished their omusubi and the old lady collected their plates. Sasuke placed his money on the table and walked off, while Sakura began to open her coin purse to get hers. The old lady then tapped on Sakura's shoulder. Sakura looked up at her curiously. "That won't be necessary. The young man has already paid for you both" Sakura's cheeks went pink and a smile played across her lips.

"So where's he off to in such a hurry??" the old lady asked. Sakura's smile grew as she replied. "Me and Sasuke are on the same squad and we are about to leave for a mission" The lady laughed "Ah so you took a lunch break before hand I see" Sakura nodded and continued to smile before getting up from her seat.

"Wait, before you go"

Sakura blinked and sat back down for a moment. The lady was gone for a couple minutes before she returned with a box.

"Here, Just in case you get hungry later"

Sakura opened the box to see that one side had her favorite omusubi, while the other side had Sasuke's. A wide smile crossed her features and she beamed up at the old lady. "Thank you" she said before closing the box and carefully storing it in her backpack. Team Seven had already packed their things prior to the visit with Tsuande. Sakura then got to her feet before walking away while waving good bye to the old lady.

"You're welcome!! Good luck with your mission!!" the old lady called after her

"Thank you again!!" Sakura shouted back in reply before making her way to the gates. When she arrived she saw, Jaden, Sasuke and Naruto, but no sign of Kakashi. A sigh escaped the pink haired girl's lips. "Kakashi sensei is late again, isn't he??"





Pulling his mask up over his face, Kakashi left the money for the meal on the table, before getting to his feet. "Come again!!~" The young waitress called after him, her cheeks pink. This was the reaction Kakashi got from most woman when ever he took off his mask to eat. So it was something he was used to and it didn't phase him to much. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Kakashi began to walk along the streets of Konoha. Only his thoughts to keep him company.

This was going to be a tough mission, considering that fact that Jaden refused to cooperate with him, and he had to watch over his team at the same time. Kakashi had to admit, team seven had become stronger, and he had been giving them a little more leway because of it, but they were still kids and they still had a long way to go. As for Jaden, Kakashi wasn't sure what to think. She despised him, he had no idea why either, getting her to work with him would be pain. Kakashi let out a sigh, but he would find a way, he had to.

Approaching the gates, he got the usual angry glares his team gave him whenever he was late.

"Took you long enough!!" Naruto said with a huff, crossing his arms.

"Yeah Kakashi sensei!! We've been waiting for ten minutes!! Where were you?!"

"Hmph"

Kakashi simply shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, I'm afraid I got lost on the path of life again"

All of team seven let out a groan.

"Lets get going then, shall we??"

[Daskini]

"My clan is going to kill everyone Haku... What do I do??..."
Haku frowned as he watched her tears. It pained him to see her hurting like this, but there wasn't much he could do. Zabuza and himself had become known outcasts of the village, stepping in now would leave them severely outnumbered and be the death sentence for them all. He held her close to him once again, Not sure how to form the words without upsetting her further. The two of them had been friends for years, and he wasn't about to let that end.

"There's nothing that can be done" He whispered over her shoulder. "Your clan is strong, and in numbers stronger then the three of us. Standing up to them would not be a wise choice." He refused to let her go. "Please, listen to me when I say I don't want you to go back there. You mean too much to me to see you die."

He finally released her, looking into her eyes. "Sometimes things happen out of our control. You have to be strong, Akimoto." He gently kissed her forehead, as he stood up. "I'll return shortly with some tea. Make yourself comfortable."

He didn't want to have to leave her alone, He knew she needed him there with her at least for a little while. He quickly made some tea, bringing it back on a small tray, watching her with concern as he set it down on the bed next to her. He poured the tea into one of the cups, handing it to her before sitting on her other side.
"Tell me what happened." He said simply. He was trying his best to make her feel better, but to understand he needed her to be calm and explain the situation to him.






Jaden glanced at the Kakashi's three pupils as they arrived. She frowned, he had to have done this on purpose. He knew Jaden never wanted to take on a team of her own, and this was his way of tormenting her. It had to be. She sighed, taking up her place leaning on the door again.

Jaden had simply refused to take part in the Jounin exams when she was asked. She found the whole experience rather pointless, considering she didn't want to have to deal with three knuckleheaded children until they passed the Chunin trials.
"Kakashi sensei is late again, isn't he??"
Jaden looked up as she was approached by the young pink haired ninja. She frowned.
"Afraid so." She glanced between the three of them. "So he does this to you as well?" She sighed as Sakura nodded. "we might be here for a while. You guys can set your stuff down and do some training if you like."
She watched curiously as the three Genin began to spar. Naruto instantly went for Sasuke, and Sakura went for Naruto. Sasuke, a little overpowered with Naruto's sudden barrage, Had little time to worry about what Sakura was doing.
Jaden let out a short sigh. They had no clue how to work together in a team. This mission was bound to fail from the start.

"Took you long enough!!" Jaden looked up as the kids stopped sparring. Kakashi was walking casually down the road.
"Yeah Kakashi sensei!! We've been waiting for ten minutes!! Where were you?!"
"Hmph"
"Sorry, I'm afraid I got lost on the path of life again" He said, shrugging. Jaden glared at him a moment, before rolling her eyes and pulling herself from the door. "Let's get going then, Shall we?"

Jaden trailed behind a bit as they traveled. They had a long way to go before they arrived at the borders of the fire country. She couldn't help but think about Katsuko. They had been close once, before everything happened. She had been there that day he had turned on them. He wasn't himself. Something had gotten to him, and he struck them down out of cold blood. He had attempted to kill her as well, but for some reason, took pity on her and ran.
Jaden looked up as the Genin started talking amongst each other, realising Kakashi was watching her over his shoulder. She glared at him a little, still peeved she had to work with him.

[ChakraTurret]

When Haku pulled her close, Akimoto rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Whenever he pulled her close to him like this she felt absolute comfort, she felt safe and most importantly, she felt loved and cared about. Love was something that her family rarely showed her. All they cared about was power and honor. She hadn't met their standards, so hence she was constantly degraded. This resulted in her rarely being home. She would be off somewhere on her own, 90% of the time she was on her own, she had come to learn to love solitude, it was better than being put into the ground all the time. However, there was one exception, and that was the 10% of the time that she was with Haku. In those moments, she was the happiest girl in the world and nothing could crush her.

"There's nothing that can be done"

Akimoto snapped out of her thoughts and bit her lip, her eyes growing teary again.

"Your clan is strong, and in numbers stronger then the three of us. Standing up to them would not be a wise choice."

Haku was right... Her clan was too powerful... There was nothing she could do after all... A single tear slipped down her cheek.

"Please, listen to me when I say I don't want you to go back there. You mean too much to me to see you die."

Suddenly it didn't hurt so much anymore, her heart began to race and her cheeks turned pink. The best part was the warm comforting feeling that she felt come over her. It was then that it dawned on her, she didn't have to go back, no one was making her go back. Expect for maybe if her family had manged to capture her, but that was a different story. She could stay here with him, and it didn't matter what anyone said or did, she could stay here with him... Another tear fell, but this time it was not because she was sad, but very happy. That was all she had ever wanted, just to be with him, and now she would finally get the chance.

"I won't go back" She whispered softly "I promise"

It was then that he resealed her and looked into her eyes, she looked back into his. Those chocolate brown hues that she loved so much, she looked into them with admiration.

"Sometimes things happen out of our control. You have to be strong, Akimoto."

Akimoto's lips curled into a smile. "I'll will be strong, you make me feel strong" She said softly. It was then that he would do something that she had no expected, but probably should have seen coming considering how gentle and caring Haku was. He kissed her on the forehead. The moment he did, her face went as red as a tomato.

"I'll return shortly with some tea. Make yourself comfortable."

She had heard what he had said, but was unable to respond. For a good few moments she just sat there on the bed blinking. It was when she heard the door shut, that she was able to process what had happened. She picked up the pillow from his bed and squealed into it, before hugging it, giggling, and rolling back and forth. He kissed her!! He actually kissed her. Sure it hadn't been on the lips, but still!! He kissed her!! This day was turning from the worst day of her life to the best in seconds flat. The moment she heard the door handle turn, she quickly composed herself, putting the pillow back it's place, before sitting up and folding her hands into her lap. She couldn't help but grin, however, when he walked in with with the teapot and tea cups on a tray and a concerned look on his face, her grin softened into a gentle smile. He then poured some tea into one of the cups and handed it to her, which she gladly accepted.

"Thank you" She said still smiling, before taking a sip. The warm liquid relaxed her as it flowed down her throat and she closed her eyes. Ah how she loved tea!!~

"Tell me what happened."

Akimoto set the tea cup on her lap, still holding the handle to make sure that it did not fall over and spill. She opened her eyes and drew in a deep breath before releasing it. "One of my clan members returned home from a mission severely injured... I guess this drew my clan over the edge because they began to blame it on the fact that he was no allowed to use his kekkai genkai... and then from there the mist village and everyone in it... It got to the point where everyone just went insane and decided to stage an attack on the village... My father being the leader of the whole thing... He's the one who took it the worst..." Akimoto shivered at the thought. She would never forget the way her father was laughing, it was bone chillingly evil.





And they were off, they had quite a long walk ahead of them. This would be a long journey. As they walked, Kakashi noticed that Jaden had been trailing behind, so he kept on a eye on her. He knew how hesitant she was to proceed with this mission and if given the chance who was to say she wouldn't leave?? It had taken her a bit to notice that he was watching her, but when she did, she glared at him. Kakashi sighed and turned around to look at his team who was still chattering away. How on earth would he ever get her to work with him if she was going to be this stubborn??

In the midst of the chatter Sakura turned around and noticed that Jaden was trailing behind them. She didn't look to happy. A concerned look appeared on her face and she slipped away from her spot beside Naruto and Sauske, whom were too busy arguing to even notice that she had left. She walked over to where Jaden was and began to walk along side her.

Kakashi watched as Sakura left her spot and walked beside Jaden. Well, at least he didn't have to look back as much often now. With Sakura there, it was less likely that Jaden would try to leave. However, it was still important that he look back every once in a while. In fact, it was important that he kept an eye on everyone. You never knew when you could be attacked by enemy ninja during your travels. Team Seven had already had this happen to them once before, so it was good idea that someone kept a look out and didn't get too comfortable. That someone would be him, he was the jonin of the group, and it was his responsibility to keep everyone safe.

Sakura walked in silence beside Jaden for little while. Every once and a while she looked over at her with a concerned look, wondering if she should say something or not. Finally, Sakura had decided to speak up. "Jaden sensei" she said softly with a concerned look on her face "Is everything alright??"

[Daskini]

Haku watched Akimoto as she took a sip of the tea. She seemed to be in a strangely better mood, her face still a little red.
'The poor girl must be traumatised.' he thought to himself. He listened closely as she took a deep breath, and began to speak.

"One of my clan members returned home from a mission severely injured... I guess this drew my clan over the edge because they began to blame it on the fact that he was no allowed to use his kekkai genkai... and then from there the mist village and everyone in it... It got to the point where everyone just went insane and decided to stage an attack on the village... My father being the leader of the whole thing... He's the one who took it the worst..."

"Are you going to be alright?" Haku asked, watching her shiver a little. He knew having her family turn on her wasn't an easy thing to handle, running away was probably the smartest thing she could have done. She was handling it well thought, He couldn't help but feel proud of her.

He frowned a little, he really didn't have anywhere for her to sleep for the night. He decided she could have his bed, and He would just find some blankets and sleep on the floor until something could be arranged. Truthfully, he was worried, and did not wish to leave her on her own - at least for now. He knew Zabuza would not agree to her hanging around too long, but what choice did he have?
Haku thought for a moment. Their mission... She was going to accompany them - if she wished to, of course. He would have to bring it up with Zabuza later, now was not the time.






"Jaden sensei" Jaden snapped out of her thoughts, and glanced down at the young pink-haired ninja who was suddenly walking next to her. "Is everything alright??"
A little startled, Jaden smiled at her.
"Everything's fine, Sakura." She turned her focus to the area around her. It was time she stopped day dreaming.

She didn't feel as though she should discuss her old friends history with them. The less they knew about his intentions towards his team, the better off they were.
A frown crossed her face. The whole event had been traumatic for her at the time, did he take pity on her because she was scared and weaker than him? She glanced at the small team, Naruto and Sauke now arguing with each other. The thought began to cross her mind - why did Tsunade send the Genin with her? She was capable of handling the mission on her own, and they could just slow her down. She let out a small sigh, before turning to Sakura, smiling brightly to cover up her thoughts.

"How has your training been going?" She asked, trying to make some form of conversation to wipe the concerned look off the young girls face.

[ChakraTurret]

"Are you going to be alright?"

Akimoto looked over at Haku, a sad smile on her face. "It hurts but... I'm here with you now... As long as I'm with you I'll be okay" She said softly as another stray tear had trickled it's way down her cheek. She moved her hand up to her face to brush it away, before picking up her teacup and taking another sip of tea. All she could do was pray her cousins didn't find her where abouts. They had been so close to capturing her and bringing her back home. However at the same time, they ran away when they felt Haku and Zabuza's chakra. They knew better not to mess with them, so it was unlikely they would return. Her father however... If he were to come find her, he wouldn't be running away from anyones chakra. That made was arrogant and had no fear, and with the Kurai Kaze active, it made it 10x times worse.





Both Haruhisa and Seita approached the main house with caution. They had not managed to capture Akimoto and because of it, they knew they were in deep trouble. They hesitated to open the door, only for the very man they dreaded seeing to slam it open anyway. He glared down at them with his dark chakra seething in anger and it was enough to make both men shake.

"Where is she??" He hissed.

For the longest time there was no answer.

"Well??"

Seita took a deep breath before speaking up. "She's gone..."

Akimoto's father slapped Seita clear across the face, the dark chakra around his hands had sharpened and manged to leave a cut. Seita grimaced before holding his hand to
cheek.

"Seita!!" Haruhisa yelped rushing to his brothers side.

"You fool!! Why did you let her escape?!"

"Because we had no other choice" Seita shot back with venom in his voice, glaring at his uncle. "If we didn't leave we would have died. For all we know she's probably dead right now"

Akimoto's father looked furious "I told you to bring her back alive" He growled while drawing the blade of his katana from his hilt, before raising it above Seita's head. However, before he could do anything, Haruhisa intervened.

"Wait!!"

Akimoto's father lowered his blade.

"We don't know for sure if she's dead or not, but we'll figure out!! Please!! Just give us one more chance!!" he pleaded.

"Fine" Akimoto's father hissed, "But only one more chance. If you fail again I will end you both" With that, he stormed out of the room.

Seita just kept glaring at the spot where Akimoto's father was previously standing, before getting to his feet.

"Seita are yo--"

"I'm fine. Come on Haruhisa. Lets go"

With that, the two men left their clan grounds once again.





"Everything's fine, Sakura."

Sakura frowned. "Alright if you say so" she said softly. She wasn't buying it, but at the same time she didn't want to push. If Jaden didn't want to talk about it then she wouldn't make her.

"How has your training been going?"

At this Sakura brighten up a bit. "It's going well, I'm getting stronger, I think" She said with a shy smile, blushing a tiny bit.

In the midst of his argument with Sasuke, Naruto spotted something out of the comer of his eye. To conform his suspicions were true, he turned his full attention to what he saw, and seeing that he was right, a huge grin spread across his face. He looked back at everyone, still grinning away, while pointing his finger in the direction of what he saw. "Look guys!! A ryokan!!" Naruto then took off running towards it. "I bet they have food there!! Lets go get something to eat!! I'm starving!!" In a matter of seconds, Naruto was out of sight and inside the ryokan.

"Didn't he just eat??" Sakura said with an unamused expression on her face.

"Tch, Loser" Sasuke thought to himself.

Kakashi sighed and shook his head before letting out a laugh. Naruto, what was he ever going to do with that kid.

I didn't take long before everyone else had reached the teahouse. Sakura looked up at the sign. Reading it aloud. "Hiro's ryokan and chashitsu" A smile appeared on the young kunochi's face. "This place doesn't sound that bad actually, I wonder if they have a sento inside" Just the thought of relaxing in the warm water caused her smile to grow. With that Sakura entered, and a couple seconds later Sasuke did the same, without saying a word.

Kakashi watched Sasuke and Sakura enter the building, before turning to Jaden "Looks like it's just me and you now" He said, attempting to break the awkward tension that had been between the two of them since the start of this mission. "I suppose we can stay here for the night, Leave it to Naruto to be the one to find this place." His last set of words made him smile a tiny bit.

[Daskini]

"It hurts but... I'm here with you now... As long as I'm with you I'll be okay"
Haku smiled at Akimoto's words.
"I'm glad you're here. I missed you." He sighed a little. "I'll speak with Zabuza, You can stay with us as long as you need to. We are leaving in the morning, however, We have a small assignment to take care of. I'm sure Zabuza will have no problem if you want to come along" He gently took the empty tea cup from her before placing it back on the tray and picking it up as he stood. "You can sleep in my bed tonight. Get some rest. You'll feel better in the morning."

Haku gently closed the door to his room, before turning and running into Zabuza in the hall.
"Why is she here?" He asked, allowing the boy to pass to the small kitchen. "She doesn't belong here."
"She's frightened." Haku said simply, placing the tray down on the counter. "She needs someone to look after her - its only for a short while."
"We can't have her slowing us down." Zabuza protested. "We have an assignment - we can't afford her to be a distraction!"
"She won't be." Haku smiled a little. "She'll be our advantage, more than a distraction. You will see."
Zabuza hesitated, glaring at Haku. He couldn't resist that innocent smile of his. He sighed in defeat.
"Fine. But she's your problem and your responsibility. I won't be looking out for her." With that, he headed back down the halls.

Haku soon returned to his room, carrying a small sleeping mat and a couple of blankets.
"How are you feeling now?" He asked her, laying them on the floor by his bed.







Jaden watched as Kakashi's students vanished into the Ryokan.
"Looks like it's just me and you now" Jaden glanced at Kakashi as he spoke up.
"Yeah." She whispered, folding her arms.
"I suppose we can stay here for the night, Leave it to Naruto to be the one to find this place." Jaden watched him smile, shaking her head a bit. She took a deep breath, glancing towards the building to make sure they were out of earshot.
"Look." She started, turning to him. "I didn't want to bring this up earlier in front of your students, but it needs to be said. I don't want to work with you on this mission as much as you don't want me to be here. If it were up to me, I would be doing this mission on my own - but for whatever reason, Tsunade decided to stuck me with you and your team. So I have no choice here. I am perfectly aware of your feelings towards me, so just drop the fake attitude and let me get on with my mission." She sighed a little. "I'm going to go scout around for a bit. Don't wait up for me." She whispered as she walked past him.

[ChakraTurret]

"I'm glad you're here. I missed you."

Akimoto's sad smile slowly turned into a warm one. "I've missed you too Haku, So much" When she heard him sigh, a confused expression appeared on her face, however, when he began to talk she understood immediately.

"I'll speak with Zabuza, You can stay with us as long as you need to." Akimoto's heart began to race and her cheeks turned pink. She then wrapped her tiny arms around her best friend, pulling him into a hug.

"Thank you Haku" She said softly. Her eyes watering a tiny bit. Haku always did so much for her. It had been this way since they first met. She didn't understand why. She felt as though she didn't deserve it because people usually treated her badly, but at the same time she was very thankful and was extremely lucky to have a friend like Haku.

"We are leaving in the morning, however, We have a small assignment to take care of. I'm sure Zabuza will have no problem if you want to come along"

Akimoto just rested her head on her friends shoulder glumly. She knew that Haku was only saying that to make her feel better. Zabuza would most likely throw a fit about her coming along. All Akimoto could hope was that Haku could somehow convince Zabuza to her come along with them. Akimoto had nearly lost Haku once and she did not intend for it to happen again. Despite how much she didn't like to fight, if she was given the chance to fight along side him to protect him, then she would take it. Haku meant the world to her, he was all that she had, and she would protect him with her life.

Akimoto then released him from the hug and let him take her teacup. She watched as he put it on the the tray and got to his feet. "You can sleep in my bed tonight. Get some rest. You'll feel better in the morning."

"N-No Haku it's okay I can sleep on the fl--" However, before she could finish Haku was already gone. Picking up his pillow, she hugged it. She felt gulity sleeping in his bed, he was the one who deserved to sleep there, not her.

It wasn't long before Haku had returned with a sleeping mat and some blankets.

"How are you feeling now?"

"Better" she said with a bit of a smile. "But you don't have to do this, you deserve to sleep in your bed. I can sleep on the floor" She said softly, blushing slightly.





"Look."

Oh boy, Kakashi already knew where this was going. He sighed mentally.

"I didn't want to bring this up earlier in front of your students, but it needs to be said. I don't want to work with you on this mission as much as you don't want me to be here. If it were up to me, I would be doing this mission on my own - but for whatever reason, Tsunade decided to stuck me with you and your team. So I have no choice here. I am perfectly aware of your feelings towards me, so just drop the fake attitude and let me get on with my mission."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at her. He was starting to become a bit annoyed. What on earth was she talking about?? He had no problem with her being on this mission, nor was he faking being nice to her. Did she think he hated her?? Was that was was going on here?? Because he didn't hate her, he had no reason to hate her.

"I don't hate you if that's what you think is going on" he said calmly, however there was a hint of annoyance in his tone.

"I'm going to go scout around for a bit. Don't wait up for me."

Kakashi just sighed and shook his head, she'd be back. With that, he entered the ryokan. He was soon approached by an elderly man. whom Kakashi assume was Hiro.

"Hello sir, may I help you??"

Kakshi smiled at the man. "Yes you may, how much will it cost for 5 people to stay here tonight??" he asked politely.

"2500 Ryo" The old man said with a smile.

Kakashi was impressed, that was a decent price for the five of them. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a wallet and began to take ryo out of the wallet until he had the right amount. He then handed the ryo to the old man who gave him a bright smile.

"Your rooms are just down the hall. Enjoy your stay sir!!"

"Thanks, we will"

The old man left and Kakashi was now on his own. There was a lot of things he could do right now he supposed, but what he really wanted to do was relax. Relaxing was something a shinboi like him rarely got to do. So he entered one of the bedrooms he just purchased, and laid down on the futon befor pulling his book out of his pocket. With that he began to read.