14

Where did he even begin?

Where did Tazuna even begin to begin?

He'd known that ninja had skills. Certain sorts of skills that the average street killer just didn't. They were faster and sneakier and all sorts of stuff that he couldn't have pulled off even if he was a young man again.

And he'd pulled off some stuff in his time. It was how he'd gotten married, after all.

But this shit? This fever dream crap? Coming out of a shallow puddle without a sound? Making solid copies of yourself?

Beating a man most of the way to death with a magical, infinitely growing braid that had left divots all over the road without any visible effort?

A magical, infinitely growing braid that was filling in those divots, shoving in new dirt and patting it down while the one it was attached to had stuck most of her hand in someone's mouth?

…He didn't want to think about that last one.

If he did, he'd reach for one of his sake bottles. And if he reached for one of his sake bottles, he wouldn't put it down until it was empty. And if he didn't put it down until it was empty, he wouldn't have his wits about him.

All he had was his wits. So better not to think about that last thing. Just about everything else.

Where did he even begin?

Where the hell had that all come from? What the hell was any of this about?

Could all ninja do things like that, or was it just these ninja?

Gods damn it, the leader hadn't even bothered putting his book down while his students had dealt with the problem!

What the hell had he gotten himself into?

"So, Tazuna-san," the teacher, Kakashi, started dully. Casually. Without much interest as he turned the page of his book, the newest Icha-Icha. "Do you feel like getting anything off your chest? Lightening your conscience?" His eye rose momentarily, half-lidded and as dull as his voice. "While current events are still fresh in our memories?"

This had gotten super unsuper, super fast.

Tazuna, with a grimace on his face, forced his shoulders back. And forced himself to stand up straight under the eye of a man he now knew, for a fact, could kill him so fast he wouldn't even be able to see it coming.

He took a breath while the white-haired scarecrow continued to stare him down, already having figured out that Tazuna had been blowing smoke up his ass.

It didn't matter.

It didn't matter what he'd gotten himself into. It didn't matter if he died or not. He'd come to terms with that happening to him soon just by walking out here in the first place.

The only thing that mattered was that these people, these ninja, stuck around for long enough that he could finish his bridge.

His bridge that he knew wasn't going to do jack and or shit by itself. Hell, he'd be lucky to still be alive to see Gato set up a toll booth at either end. But it was that or just let his daughter and grandchild starve with him having done fuck all.

This next minute was going to be the longest minute of the rest of his life. And there was only one possible way he could spend it.

"What do you mean?"

Pretend ignorance and hope this didn't end with what remained of his body being used to make some new road divots.

"That?" He shrugged and pointed to the side, where the girl was currently washing her hands with a ball of floating water (the hell) over the unmoving bodies of the prisoners, who… Were they dead? He couldn't even see them breathe. "Bandits happen. That's why I hired you, right?"

Here he went.

"Hmm. I suppose they do. We must be juicier-looking targets than I thought." Kakashi's expression, what Tazuna could see of it, didn't budge an inch as he did a single blink. "If Mist nin, born killers and assassins, are willing to break cover to practice banditry in the middle of Fire Country."

Oh.

That - wasn't super.

"Born killers? Is that what they were?" A drop of sweat went down the back of Tazuna's neck. "You didn't even stop reading your book."

"I was on a good part. And you did hire the best," the other man drawled while, behind him, the pink one did something to the killer's fingers and the orange one tied them to a tree with knots he, with a vague thought way at the back of his head, had to admit were passable. The pink one then pulled out a black book and handed it to him, explaining something under her breath that had the blond nodding enthusiastically. "But, you see, this is out of the scope of our contract."

Wait. "Hey now-"

"My students may have put them down like they were a random animal attack. Like you did pay us for." Kakashi didn't wait. "But you must understand, Tazuna-san, they aren't meant for this sort of thing." He hummed and flipped to the next page of his book. "Chunin, even trash chunin like these, need to be worked up to. At least…five missions worth of blooding before that, I think."

After seeing what he just had, Tazuna didn't have a problem with thinking that the blooding was a literal one. "How does that change anything?" Tazuna stubbornly kept the course anyway. "Random ninja attacks happen, right?"

He was just guessing.

"Mah, that's true. They do happen. It is quite the problem…" He scratched his cheek as the black-haired kid began to walk towards them, looking bored without anything to do… And like any other misunderstood teen that couldn't set people on fire by breathing on them.

He'd never forget those burns, and the smell of good pork on the grill even if the pink one had wiped them away with a wave of the hand.

Tazuna was going to have to have some trouble the next time he had to eat pig. He just knew it.

"But you must also understand where I'm coming from, Tazuna-san, when I say I can't risk the safety of my students, or you, if this is the case."

Tazuna's blood ran cold as he wet his lips. "What do you mean?"

"Rogue nin this far in Konoha's territory, attacking Konoha ninja for no discernable reason while they're on a mission is a serious problem, Tazuna-san." Kakashi's tone this time was a chiding one. "If there are two, there may be others. And I couldn't possibly neglect my duty when it comes to reporting this."

That chill in Tazuna's blood became pure ice.

"We're going to have to go back, Tazuna-san. And I apologize for the inconvenience." Kakashi bowed slightly, book still out and ruining the small act of respect that did nothing to help with Tazuna's sinking feeling. "But the sweep will take at least a week."

That was damn near the worst possible thing Tazuna could have heard.

This bastard.

"It is a good thing we aren't on a time limit, yes?" Kakashi idly spoke as he circled a hand above his head. As one, his students stood at attention and fell in behind him. "This would have been very awkward otherwise."

… Awkward?

This was Tazuna's entire life one the line here. His life's work and everything that mattered to him was on the line…and that's all he had to say? That the wait, that the weight of a boot on his worker's and friend's shoulders without him there, with help, would be awkward?

Tazuna didn't know what to say.

"We're going back, my cute little genin. I'm sorry that I have to be the one to tell you this…" Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "But the situation has changed."

"But we just left!" the orange one whined.

"What a waste of time," the black one grunted.

The pink one…did nothing but stand there. Stand there and look…he wasn't sure.

But he didn't like it.

"I know, I know. It's a real shame that we're cutting our trip short like this. But we'll be back at this soon." He nodded to the pink one. "No need to look so disappointed, Sakura-chan."

The corners of her lips turned up slightly. And if that was a smile, Tazuna would eat his glasses whole. "I'll live, sir."

Live.

She'll live. But would his family be there next week, or...?

Gods damn it. Fine. Fuck it all.

"Alright! Alright, damn you!" Tazuna forced out through grit teeth as the group in front of him began to turn. "Fine! They were after me!" He jabbed a thumb at his chest, hard enough for it to hurt. Not that he gave a damn. "Happy?"

He sure wasn't.

"What!?" The orange one squawked asTazuna had already sort of known he would. His mouth ran faster than his brain. He knew the type. "What do you mean they were after you, old man!?"

Yeah. He knew the type.

"Shut up, Naruto." The black one (maybe he'd learn their names if they didn't end up throwing him into a ditch). "Sensei?"

Kakashi sighed and put his book away, acting as if he was about to do a chore he didn't want to do while being forced to do it anyway. "We're listening."

The blond opened his mouth.

A sharp look from the pinkette shut it. And made the black one take a step to the side.

Huh.

She was the one running herd on the other two then. He hadn't been sure but now he knew… And it made sense to him. It did.

Pinky had shoulders that could carry an ox.

Good to know the biggest, meanest-looking person in the group being in charge of the others still applied, even with ninja.

…They were listening.

Tazuna breathed in. Then out. "My country has been taken over by a brutal dictator and my bridge, the most super bridge in the world, is the only thing that can break his hold over the people."

The ninja stared. All of them except for the ones tied to the tree, from the teacher to his students.

"Well then. This is a surprise." Kakashi nodded. And then he stood up straight, the dull look he'd been wearing vanishing like it had never been, now all business. "We really do need to talk after all."

==========

Sakura had been holding back on him.

Sakura had been holding back on him a lot.

The enemy ninja clawed at their faces, eyes rolling up into their heads. Gagging. Choking on their own tongues and screams.

Sakura's braid coming to life and effortlessly dismantling one of them, breaking bones and tearing at limbs, tossing him about like a child would a doll didn't change any of that.

Neither did him and Naruto taking apart the other, the poor bastard unable to do anything even when lit on fire.

They just kept screaming.

Sasuke shuddered.

He'd never forget what he'd seen Sakura do to those men, and… Wait.

He'd never forget.

He looked up, to the side, then down. Quickly and without trying to memorize what he'd seen.

Then he waited a breath.

When he didn't remember what he'd seen other than it being a blur, he cursed and moved on with his life.

"So, wait. Wait. Okay. Wait. Wow. Okay. Give me a second, guys. No, hell, give me three seconds. Shit, oh my gods. Holy crap." Naruto just about shook his way out of his jumpsuit, his whole body vibrating after having heard the old man's story. The old man that wasn't right next to them as Naruto lost his mind. "We're going to save a country!"

His life could have had a lot less Naruto in it, but it was still his life. And he was back in it.

...He couldn't help but admit to a little excitement of his own though. Just to himself.

That man had never saved a country.

"Naruto." Sakura rubbed her forehead tiredly, her former headband fit snug around her wrist. If she was excited at all, she hid it well. As always. "Stop finding joy in other people's painful and traumatic circumstances."

"A-ah, sorry! I didn't mean-" Naruto's inappropriate enthusiasm instantly collapsed, his arms waving back and forth in front of him as he took several steps away from the girl. "I didn't think about that!"

"Keep it in mind."

"I will, I will! And I'm sorry about-"

"We'll talk about that later."

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at the loud boy's comeuppance.

Whipped.

Sakura turned to him then, the movement blowing hair away from her eyes…or her hair moving by itself to do so. "That applies to you too."

Sasuke took a step back on reflex, smile turning into a frown as he nearly stumbled on a stick rolling underfoot.

"I know you two have your - problems." 'Problems' came out of her mouth like she had just tasted something foul; Sasuke adjusted the collar of his shirt and forced himself to look her in the eyes. No coldness there. All good. "But this is no longer a milk run. We aren't just walking down the road if," she held up a finger. "Kakashi-sensei decides to keep going with this mission."

…If?

Sasuke looked behind her, where Kakashi was deep in talks with the client; far enough away to make them difficult to hear and vice-versa from their position around the Demon Brothers; who had yet to move even once after having been - incapacitated.

If it hadn't been for Sakura doing - whatever it was to them to make them that way, he'd have thought they were dead.

"This whole deal is above our paygrade, Sasuke. Naruto. Kakashi-sensei, while saying it to get a reaction out of the client, was right. We aren't supposed to be fighting other ninja. Not because these incompetents were a threat. Because they weren't." Sakura explained, a sandal negligently toeing at a prisoner's leg for emphasis. "But because we haven't been paid."

Sasuke put a fist up to his mouth, his brow furrowed in thought and back tense at the reminder.

That was right. They were getting paid for this. This was their job and this wasn't a fairy tale.

…Damn it.

"They're renegotiating our contract now. And we won't know what's happening with this mission until that ends." Sakura crossed her arms over her chest. "And even then, it won't be finalized until we get confirmation from command… We're lucky we're so close to the village."

Yeah. Yeah, it was. They weren't that far away at all. If Sasuke pushed it he'd be there and back again in thirty minutes. Easily.

"But, right. That is also over our heads… The enemy is what's going to make or break this." She looked up at the sky with a quiet exhalation. Strands of hair defied gravity, floating and twisting to do the same thing as… He was being paranoid. "Gato."

Gato?

"Gato?" Naruto saved Sasuke the trouble of asking himself. "What about him?"

Sasuke had never even heard of him. So he couldn't be that great.

"He's the world's richest man."

He stood corrected.

"And from what rumor says, he likes to make sure people know it." Sakura's voice was dry. Somehow flatter than the normal as she spoke. "Making up the cost of a B-rank could be as easy as stealing a vase."

"A vase?" Naruto parroted bemusedly, no longer quivering in fear now that Sakura's ire had moved on. "What? Like for flowers?"

"Yes, Naruto. For flowers." Sakura chuckled and Sasuke repressed a jolt at the change in her mood. "If he has the good taste to have any flowers, I'm sure that whatever they're in would be worth a small house."

Sasuke couldn't help it. He cringed, this time over something that Sakura hadn't done. "Gold leaf?"

"He's the newest sort of new money," Sakura's reply did nothing to help his disgust... He wasn't a Hyuuga, or all that concerned about status, but there had to be limits to being tacky, damn it. "But if just one vase could do that..."

"It might be worth taking the mission anyway. If just for the salvage potential." Sasuke nodded. "Right."

It wasn't glamorous but if it meant his first C-rank didn't end with him being able to see his house from a tall enough tree, that was fine.

… There weren't a lot of those around here. They were all scrawny, actually, all of those he'd seen so far. But he was sure he'd find one eventually.

"The client made it harder on himself by lying to us. Which is why we're here, talking about it. And why Sensei is raking him over the coals." Pink hair fluttered against the wind and… He was going to ignore that now. It was making him nervous. "But exactly, Sasuke."

Sakura lowered her head to face her teacher and the client, now approaching.

She took a long, silent moment to herself then. For what, Sasuke couldn't say.

"And why it might just be worth the next one or two increasingly dangerous ninja attacks."

What?

"What?" Naruto, once again, asked the question for him. Loudly. As he did. And he reminded Sasuke of why he kept him around while doing so. "More ninja? How do you know that?"

And Sasuke damn well hoped that they were more dangerous.

The last two had just been embarrassing.

"How do I know? Simple." Sakura made Sasuke feel dumb with just one word. "Ninja like the Demon Brothers don't just - camp ten miles outside of Konoha's gates, in the open, just because they're getting paid."

==========

…Fear was a great motivator. Kakashi could hear that loud and clear.

Fear of someone or something stronger than their fear of the, nominally anyway, strongest village in the Elemental Nations.

Or just someone that was a great deal more immediate than the possibility of a very angry chunin patrol.

And he felt somewhat ashamed that he hadn't thought of that first before he'd wrapped up talking to Tazuna. If he had, he'd have really rubbed in how dangerous this was most likely going to be and how they were underselling themselves.

But he hadn't. So he couldn't. Too late for that now... And maybe he'd be adding those extra sentences to his message after all.

Just in case.