Ch336. Prisoners

Kakashi and Anko sat opposite Ringo, Zabuza, and Raiga at the table in Tazuna's house, awkwardly staring at each other. Kakashi and Zabuza were from time to time worriedly glancing at Raiga who completely and effortlessly ignored them while Anko and Ringo were telepathically communicating, throwing jokes about the fidgeting males around the table at each other and competing who would say a better, or rather more vulgar, one.

Since Tsunade first introduced Anko as her apprentice to Rei and his other wives, Ringo and Anko hit it off thanks to their similar personalities.

Separated from both groups sat awkward Tayuya who had no idea how to act in her current situation and next to her was tied up Guren with gag in her mouth making her able to only silently glare at both Konoha and Kiri groups.

On the other side of the table, the three genins from Team Seven quietly observed the situation while next to them, Haku elegantly enjoyed a rice ball, not even a little bothered by the suffocating atmosphere.

Tazuna's dining room was quite full.

"Are you sure this is fine?" Kakashi had finally had enough and nervously asked Anko. While he was de-facto the leader of Team Seven on the paper, anyone who saw how the team worked knew that even though Kakashi led the genins, Anko was the one who called the most important decision like this one.

Kakashi didn't really like the outcome of this mission. He knew well there was nothing he or even Anko could do with how the situation ensued. With the Mizukage present, neither of them could do anything rash. No matter that he didn't like how the Mizukage basically took ownership of Raiga which meant that Kirigakure just gained an extremely strong S-rank ninja.

But going as far as giving them both of their prisoners who were defeated by Anko... now that Kakashi thought to be a bit unfair.

Anko heard his question and just rolled her eyes, "Yeah. It is safer this way."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows at her vague answer. "You defeated them so it is only fair that Konoha should get them."

Personally, Kakashi couldn't care less about the fate of the two sound kunoichis but he knew what would happen if he didn't even try. The Konoha council won't call chunin Anko to answer their questions. They will call him, the team leader, and jonin instructor. And they will scream their throats raw at him once they find out his team relinquished their jonin-level prisoners to Kirigakure.

'For the love of Sage, what did I do in my past life to suffer being on this team?' Kakashi inwardly cried and bemoaned his fate.

"Kakashi..." Anko sighed, "While we are strong, I don't want to risk being ambushed by the Sound ninjas. It wouldn't be a bother for you and me but what about our students?" She reasoned. "It's not well known but the Sound Village is led by Orochimaru and these two," She casually pointed at the two quiet women, the redhead resigned and the gagged bluenette glaring at Anko, trying to combust her with her gaze, "are one of his best. He might torture them, he might mark them like cattle, he might even experiment on them, but Orochimaru is not an idiot. He knows there is a difference between losing an unimportant pawn and losing a bishop he cultivated for years. The crystal user alone is worth a lot."

Kakashi had to admit she had a point. The bloodline of the crystal user will most likely be the biggest reason why the council will scream at him. He could easily picture Orochimaru wanting to save her once he hears she was captured.

As for Anko's real reason why she tried to pawn them to Ringo...

Frankly, if she dragged these two to Konoha and gave them to Tsunade or if Ringo took them... their final destination would not change at all. Anko didn't see a reason to bother with them and would rather dump them on Ringo's shoulders. Then again, she couldn't just tell that to Kakashi, could she?

"Like it or not, if we took them with us to Konoha, there would be a high chance their comrades would ambush us and try to free them. The Mizukage not only has two S-rank and two jonin-level ninjas in her party, but she is also heading in a completely opposite direction from us. Leaving them with her is safer." Anko said, knowing she was laying it on a bit thick when she saw how Kakashi's gaze started to soften, she knew she had him.

Before Kakashi could verbally react, however, Ringo snorted, "Right... The woman whose dream is to kill Orochimaru is giving away the perfect bait for the man. Yeah, nope... pick another one. Anko, you suck at lying with a straight face." She deadpanned with a teasing tone lacing her voice.

"Oh, come on!" Anko indignantly exclaimed and pointed at Kakashi next to her while staring straight into Ringo's eyes, "I am not that bad! The cyclops would totally believe it if you didn't say that!"

Ringo lifted her eyebrows in surprise and turned towards Kakashi, "You would?" She asked in a bewildered tone.

Kakashi suddenly found himself between a rock and hard place. What was he supposed to say to that!? If he confirmed it, he would come out as a naive idiot and if he denied it he would paint himself as an easily fooled moron!

All eyes in the room abruptly shifted towards him and Kakashi could feel a cold sweat forming under his multi-layered face-covers. There was only one way to get out of this predicament!

"Well, it's Anko. One never knows when it comes to her." Kakashi cooly shrugged in the most casual way he could muster at the moment and gave Ringo his best eye smile. "By the way, Lady Mizukage, I wonder why Zabuza was our reinforcements instead of somebody from Konoha. Could you enlighten me? I intended to ask Lady Tsunade but since you are already here..." He trailed off.

Ringo's lips twitched upward, "Indeed," She turned towards the shocked Anko who couldn't believe the way Kakashi flipped the situation around. "It's Anko." Ringo amusedly shook her head, "As for your question-" She looked towards the annoyed Anko.

"I sent a message to Lady Tsunade who is a friend of Lady Ringo. Lady Tsunade knew Ringo was interested in Raiga and the Kiba blades so she sent her a message." Anko said.

"And Zabuza was the closest guy so I sent him his orders alongside the summoning scroll the second I heard Raiga was involved. The Kiba blades were out of Kirigakure for way too long. There is really nothing much else to it." Ringo said before giving Raiga a meaningful look, making him petulantly avert his eyes. "Don't worry about being reprimanded for the prisoners either. Tsunade is reasonable when she wants to be."

'That's unsurprisingly not reassuring at all.' Kakashi inwardly deadpanned.

"What the hag said." Anko quipped before yelping as Ringo kicked her in the shin under the table.

"Hey!" Anko took that as a personal challenge and soon enough, the two women started a childish kick-a-shin war while the whole room full of trained killers stared at them in bewilderment.

'These are S-rank kunoichi?' Zabuza thought in disbelief as his jaw hung a bit low from watching the spectacle.

'And I swore lifelong loyalty to this woman.' Raiga hung his head low as he watched the Mizukage acting like a total brat.

'Let's pretend we don't know her.' The genins of team seven thought at the same time with blank stares aimed at the grinning Anko, unknowingly showing off their superb teamwork.

Kakashi was somewhat used to Anko's antics but even he was flabbergasted. This was the Mizukage they were dealing with! The strongest and most respected ninja of her village! And Anko was kicking her... with her chakra enhanced strength no less...

'I am too young for this shit.' Kakashi tiredly sighed.

As for stopping them? Well, he quite liked his ability to breathe so getting in-between the two women was a big no-no.