Chapter 20: Setting Out! Evil Alliance?

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Ino's POV (Great Gate of the Hidden Leaf)

Team Seven arrived at the gate the same morning. Kakashi, once he had rounded them all up, announced their first mission. Naruto and Ino had reacted poorly believing it to be the arrival of the "D-Ranks" they had done in the academy. To their pleasant surprise, Kakashi had announced a C-Rank mission. Expressing confidence in their abilities. After the briefing, they had immediately headed to the main gate. The group stood prepped to leave their home. Neji and Kakashi looked like trained killers, presenting themselves cleanly and confidently. The two blondes next to them seemed more like zombies. Eyes red, posture low, and mood down.

"Welcome to the joys of alcohol. HANGOVERS!" Kakashi shouted jovially.

"Gah, my ears!" Naruto screamed as he covered them desperately.

"Kakashi-sensei I will kill you." Ino muttered darkly. Her father would be insufferable when she got home. Asking her a question that frankly made her even more confused. She had been drunk and she knew it made you act differently. But she knew it merely made you act a bit more earnestly. And she had been all over Naruto… after being exposed for thinking he was attractive too! Embarrassing did not even begin to describe it. So for now she would stick to the side until it didn't hurt to think about it. Add to that one of the worst headaches she had ever experienced and she was having a day.

"Why are you both so down?" Neji asked curiously.

"HOW ARE YOU NOT!" The two screamed furiously.

"I don't get hangovers." Neji replied simply. His teammates merely glared at him.

"Now now, let's focus." Kakashi chided. "Let's run over what our mission is again." He looked at Neji knowing the other two would be less than cooperative.

"There is a bandit camp outside of the Fire Country capitol. They had discovered this due to the bandits boldly attacking merchant routes. In response, the Lord of Fire had sent a trained squad of militia experienced against bandits to the camp. He had hoped they would crush them. But they had never arrived back. Now they wanted a Genin squad to scout them out and destroy them as long as it was inside their scope. Furthermore, the Hokage suspected this may be the Lord of Fire's way of testing a new genin team." Neji recited effortlessly.

"Show off." Naruto teased.

"Doesn't take much when you're the competition." Neji replied simply. The two started glaring at each other. But it was downright friendly in comparison to before.

"Shut. It." Ino said simply. Oddly enough the men did.

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Leifazu's POV (Hidden Sound Base)

A man with a red mohawk marched into a cave. He wore a black tattered cloak and some kind of prison garb underneath. He had two hatchets on his belt. As he got deep inside the cave he seemed to be shadow boxing. Not a second went by that he was still. It was an odd sight to behold. The sight became even odd as a man emerged from the ground as if breaching regular water.

"Hello there friend! He's no friend, merely a pawn of Zetsu." The two halves of the monster said to the strange bouncy man. He looked vaguely human, one half of his body being pure white. The other half is black. He had hair and maybe could pass for a painted man if not for the giant protrusions that covered his head. It looked as if a Venus flytrap was growing out of him.

The man suddenly stopped his air boxing. "I'm no pawn. I'm a killer playing a messenger." He said angrily. "I'm known as the berserker shinobi! Wielder of these powerful blades! I am Leifazu Uzumaki! " He drew his axes and started to swing wildly.

"Oh wow, he seems quite powerful! Stop wasting our time. Why did you reach out? Our master was quite surprised to hear from you."

"It seems the leaf is making a move on us. My boss would like to suggest an alliance to repel the threat at hand. See the leaf has mobilized some troops my boss thinks you'd have a vested interest in capturing." Leifazu explained impatiently. Clearing from a script he had memorized.

"Interesting Orochimaru-sama has always loved capturing people! Who are you fooling? Your theatrics hold no weight here."

"Itachi and Obito Uchiha."

"Now you have my attention. Now you have my attention." The sides stated at once.

"This is what bossman is thinking," Leifazu said with a manic grin locked in place.

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Kakashi's POV (Traveling Land of Fire)

Kakashi had expected a difficult journey, considering the notoriously temperamental personalities of Naruto and Ino. They both looked like they were suffering from terrible hangovers with constant grimaces on their faces. Neji and Kakashi had agreed to remain silent in the hopes of avoiding any arguments during the journey. However, to their surprise, both Naruto and Ino remained eerily quiet. Naruto seemed to suffer in silence, wincing at every loud noise. Neji couldn't help but find it amusing when he accidentally stomped on a branch too hard. Ino, on the other hand, usually explodes in anger multiple times before giving up on whatever has annoyed her. But on this journey, she was oddly subdued. Neji planned to ask one of them what had happened the previous night when they felt more relaxed. Despite their condition, they made good time and were close to their destination. Kakashi suggested they camp for the night and attack in the morning.

"Wouldn't it be better to strike in the dark?" Naruto chimed in.

"It does seem like the shinobi thing to do." Ino added.

"In this case, we should be significantly more powerful than our adversaries. And with our lovable knucklehead, we can easily outnumber them. So striking during the night merely gives them the option of hiding. But make no mistake we aren't gonna just charge in. We'll scout them out, formulate a plan and crush them before they even realize what is happening." Kakashi lectured.

"Seems efficient enough." Neji stated simply. "Besides, Naruto and Ino could very well use the rest." The blondes both nodded, seemingly in agreement now that it was pointed out to them.

"Great job, team. Neji, please gather some firewood and start a fire. Ino, can you set up the tents? Naruto, please use your shadow clones to establish a perimeter. Let's have eight clones, one in each cardinal direction and one in between. After that, Naruto, can you please try to catch some game for us?" Kakashi gave clear instructions with a serious tone.

"Yes, sensei!" The Genin chorused as they dispersed to begin their assigned tasks. Kakashi hummed contently, waiting until he was sure no one was watching him. Then, he swiftly created a shadow clone and sent it out to scout the surrounding area. Although he planned on having his team survey the area before they attacked, he wanted to have his own eyes on the situation. After all, Minato had always taught Kakashi to ensure the odds were in his favor. He refused to put any of his Genin in danger, especially not Minato's son. However, he had grown fond of his team, despite their rough exterior. They were a talented and motivated group, even Ino had recently shown improvement and seemed uncomfortable with feeling weaker than the men. As he quietly moved around the clearing, he set subtle traps and signaled his team to alert them to any potential danger. Although Kakashi wasn't truly worried, he played it safe. They were close to the village and his team was strong. Neji and Naruto were advanced for Genin, and Ino was clever and a valuable team player. Kakashi himself was an elite Jounin. They should be fine, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Within the hour the three young adults had done as he asked just before it became dark. The fire was well-built and contained by several wet logs courtesy of Neji. Two tents were erected, one for the men, the other for Ino. And Naruto had somehow captured a hog. When asked, Naruto merely said clones, and Kakashi decided not to ask. To the surprise of the Jounin who had prepared himself to wield his mediocre cooking skills. Neji quickly volunteered. Even more surprising was how talented he was at it. Ino assisted having some culinary knowledge but for the most part, the Hyuga quickly served them roasted hog. Kakashi was pleasantly surprised again when it was much nicer than what he could produce. Perhaps camping it out on missions with some green Genin wasn't as bad as he feared?

"Neji! I expected you to suck at cooking!" Naruto called in between bites laughing at his own words.

"You always seem like a brute to me." Ino added a small teasing smirk on her face.

"Unlike you blondes, I am expected to be talented in a multitude of fields." Neji countered with a scowl.

"He got you good there Naruto!" Ino chuckled.

"YOUR BLONDE TOO!"

"But unlike you blondie," Ino wagged her finger "I'm drop-dead gorgeous."

"I wouldn't say g-" Neji stopped as a kunai flew by his head. "But I suppose beautiful wouldn't be out of order?" Ino nodded at this serene smile in place. Naruto busted out laughing which seemed to make Ino panic and blush for some odd reason. And by the look on his face, Neji smelled blood in the water. It wasn't unusual for Neji to get snipes in, but rarely did he ever drive the two silent as he did now. Naruto is simply confused about Neji bringing up Ino's reaction and blushing. And Ino mortified Neji finally had something solid on her. His Genin were too cute.

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Ino's POV (Temporary Camp)

When Kakashi had first brought up them taking shifts at night to ensure nothing snuck up on them she had felt dread. Quickly she had declared she would not be first to watch. Figuring that must be the worst one. She had rethought that as she first awoke for her watch. But even quicker still she had discovered she did not mind it. With her recent interactions with Naruto, she could use the time for herself.

At first, having Naruto on their team didn't seem like a big deal. He had a negative reputation with older generations for unknown reasons, and although he was one of the few successful shinobi to make it without a clan in their year, his performance was mediocre compared to the rest. Ino assumed she was stronger than him, but her perception changed the first time she saw him fight. Even at his lowest, Ino doubted she could have done anything against him. Despite his standing, she assumed he was a simple, obnoxious man who was egotistic. However, since forming the team, she discovered depth to him she never noticed before. Naruto gave everything his all during training, spars, practice, and fights. Witnessing it made her realize just how much Naruto gave. Ino wasn't sure she could ever match his endless energy. He also showed more humor and shocked her to see they had similarities. Naruto was surprisingly clever in his way, making wisecracks here, using unorthodox strategies there, or even seeming to know what others were feeling at times. He decided wordlessly that he needed to break through to Neji, a known genius, just to prove a point. Ino felt it was ridiculous and that Naruto was merely risking injury for nothing. Even if he somehow defeated Neji, that wouldn't make him suddenly change, she thought. However, Naruto often proved her wrong, making him very interesting. The kindness and relaxed nature were nice, but the unpredictability and emotional wisdom of the blonde had intrigued her.

The problem was everyone knew Ino was a flirt. She often became interested in a boy for a bit before growing bored of them. Even Sasuke in a way was just eye candy for her. Handsome for sure but unlikely with how cold he was. But Naruto for her was an odd choice. She did find his untamed look oddly cute. It helped that he was inspiring as well. But she had to wonder if this was a passing fancy? Or was she interested? Ino checked her pocket watch. Well, it was time for Naruto's shift. Perhaps she could test the waters a bit. See how deep her interest went. Besides it wouldn't do to not know if the blonde was interested. But without being arrogant she doubted this was an issue. She quietly walked over to the boy's tent. Quietly lifting the entrance flap she tapped the Uzumaki. The two silently creeping back out of the tent settling at the fire. Ino observed as Naruto yawned loudly before summoning four clones who spread out in the edging of the clearing they were camped in.

"Arent y-" Naruto yawned again. "Aren't you going to go to sleep?"

"I was hoping to ask you some questions." Ino replied.

"We have plenty of time," the blonde man said, chuckling silently as he sharpened a stick by the fire. Ino felt grateful for the distraction; there was something about his gaze that was throwing her off her game.

Ino considered what to ask him. She wanted information and to gauge how well they fit. That would help her decide how she felt and if something should be pursued. But what exactly that information was, was alluding to her now. She decided to ask something relatively innocuous for now.

"You said before you would help Neji's clan. He's our friend now no doubt. But it seems like a big promise. Why make it?"

"He was in pain and seemed so hopeless," Naruto explained. "I can relate to that on a personal level. There's something I struggle to change and Kami knows how many times I wanted to give up. I felt like nobody would ever accept me, especially when I was young. Kids were kept away from me until I joined the academy. Even as comrades, they kept their distance. No doubt their parents suggested it. Fortunately, Shikamaru reached out and became my first true friend. It was only one friend, but it was more than enough, along with my mom's support. That's when I decided to become Hokage, to earn the admiration of the home I love and to find the answers I've been searching for. If I let someone else struggle alone, I wouldn't be worthy of my goal. As a Hokage, I can never leave a friend in pain. I'll help everyone I can and become the greatest Hokage ever. This is my ultimate goal, and I won't accept anything less." Ino silently pondered Naruto's words. As always, Naruto had a unique way with words and could be both a knucklehead and mature and caring at the same time.

"So you'd do that for me, or Kakashi or whoever?" Ino asked. After that speech, she was keen on hearing his thoughts on her.

"Of course believe it!"

Ino furrowed her brows, feeling unsure about the vague response she received. She realized that she needed to be more direct in her approach. "Naruto, I'm curious. What are your thoughts about me?" Inwardly, she panicked a little, regretting her straightforward phrasing.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. Confusion was plain on his face. "Um, I mean your my friend. I think you're pretty hilarious at times, you're pretty smart too, and you can be kind." The blonde male replied.

Ino's heart rate rose as she listened to the blonde. He wasn't particularly smooth or charming, but his honesty surprised her. In her life, she had received many compliments, such as being called beautiful, intelligent, talented, and personable, but she had also been insulted, being called temperamental, vain, and wrathful. However, being called kind was new to her, and she didn't even consider herself as such. Nonetheless, Naruto had said it with such conviction.

"You may not always say nice things. And you can be a bit scary. But when Neji was harsh to us both. I noticed you were putting in effort to get along with me. Even though you considered me a goofball you never put me down. You always took me seriously, in a way not a lot of people did. That meant the world to me. So thank you for that, ya know?" Naruto smiled brightly as he finished. "Oh yeah, and you're really pretty and all that!"

Ino's face turned red as she listened to Naruto's words. Though they were a bit simple, she couldn't help but feel touched by how sincere he sounded. However, this unexpected turn of events had not gone as planned. Despite everything, she realized that Naruto might be her first true crush. Wanting some alone time to process her thoughts, she hastily made her way back to her tent, leaving Naruto in confusion. but the way he said things was so earnest it took her breath away. This certainly had backfired. But she knew when thing for sure. Naruto may very well be her first honest crush. She decided she needed space and quickly retreated to her tent. Naruto merely sat confused.

"Was it something I said?" Naruto called quietly. He waited for a response that did not come. "I'll never understand women."

Kakashi was perched on a branch, observing one of Naruto's undetected clones below. It wasn't Naruto's fault that he couldn't detect Kakashi's presence, even if he had known he was there. Kakashi had planned to stay up all night to ensure the safety of his Genin, but he hadn't anticipated witnessing a moment between the two blondes. "Minato's luck with women and Kushina's lack of understanding of romance. It seems like your path will be similar to your father's," Kakashi thought to himself. He found it enjoyable to be a sensei and to witness the growth of the next generation of protectors.