Chapter 3 - Awatidashii Tsuushin

“Oh yeah! I don’t mind you kissing me Sakura! You’ve got ramen breath!” Naruto was smiling in his sleep. Unfortunately for him, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi were standing over his bed. Sakura had taken on a look of unmistakeable rage. “GRR! WAKE UP YOU IDIOT! WAKE UP SO I CAN KILL YOU! I WANT YOU TO SEE IT COMING!” she yelled, pounding on him. “Hey, I’m awake, lay off! Geez, don’t you knock? What if I was naked?! Then again, maybe that’s what you wanted…” Naruto said, grinning. Sakura gave him a punch that raised a welt on his head and knocked him out of bed. “Get dressed, we have a mission.” Kakashi said in a hushed tone. Naruto stared up dumbly for a second before feeling around for his clothes. “Not in front of me, you pig! I’m a lady!” “YOU’RE IN MY ROOM!” Naruto shouted back. Sakura blushed, an arm behind her head. “heh heh, I guess he’s right.” “Come on then, it’s an information gathering mission.” Kakashi said. “Stealth, and don’t get separated.”

Ekyt soaked in the hot spring as briefly as possible. He got out, then got back in, to think. He had a lot on his mind. Lee going out with Linda? He never had a rival for her affections before. Even though he had conceded defeat to himself, and hadn’t attempted to date Linda (Or anyone else, for that matter) since she had said no to being something other than friends. Strangely, Ekyt didn’t regret his eye’s injury for her safety. He regretted the impairment, but not out of spite. He tried to focus in his training, tried meditating. But he couldn’t settle down and concentrate.

Kakashi was at the North fence, Sasuke at the East fence, and Sakura at the West fence. Naruto was going to serve as the bait for this mission. Kakashi signaled to him to get in position. Sakura’s face reddened as she realized their target, as well as the location. “Do we have a positive ID on subject Ekyt, in the setting of Hot Spring?” Kakashi asked Sasuke through a walkie-talkie. “ID affirmative.” Sasuke muttered back. Sakura was blushing, wishing that, for this mission, it was Sasuke being the bait. Two hot guys in a hot spring? Cha! I should be ashamed…Sakura thought to herself, turning redder still.

Ekyt heard someone coming. He didn’t budge just yet, save for pulling his clothes closer. He wasn’t fool enough to be caught naked, especially without a weapon. He had his shirt off, but had exchanged his long gi pants for shorts. “Hey, Ekyt, how’s it going?” Ekyt relaxed, it was just Naruto. “Alright. You?” Ekyt asked, his tone not giving any clear signs. “Me? I’ve never had a bad day in my life! Hokage can’t have bad days!” Naruto said, laughing. “So, how’re the injuries?” he asked. After a few more questions, and several stoic answers, Naruto went in for the kill with Sakura’s question. “How do you feel about our group?” Ekyt closed his eye. “Well, you seem like a nice group. You’re definitely going places, all of you. I can already tell that Kakashi-Sensei is going to be tough, but a great teacher too. Sasuke is a mystery, but I’m sure he wants it that way. Sakura is”

The fence creaked just as Ekyt was saying whatever it was. The sound blocked his answer. Shoot!Sakura said to herself. Kakashi made eye contact with her, indicating it was time to extract Naruto. She gave the signal, sighing after it’s completion.

“So, what did we learn?” Kakashi asked. “That he respects you, thinks Sasuke and I have potential, and I’m not sure what he said about you, Sakura. I kind of slipped at that point and almost fell under water.” “That’s okay Naruto, thanks for trying.” She said, distracted. Naruto leaned toward Sasuke. “Man, she’s got it BAD for him.” “WHAT WAS THAT?!” “Nothing, geez, chill out!”

Kayla was following Shikamaru around. Shikamaru didn’t seem to care, other than showing a slight annoyance.

“Sakura, it’s best if you talk to her. Do you remember the questions?” “Yes sensei.” “Good. We’ll be nearby.” Sakura nodded as her three teammates jumped away, concealing themselves.

“Kayla!” Linda called. “Oh, it’s you Sakura. What’s up?” Kayla answered brightly. Shikamaru took the opportunity to slink into an alley. “Shoot. Lost him.” Kayla said, grinning despite her disappointed tone. “So you’ve met Shikamaru?” Sakura asked. “Wellll, not officially, I haven’t gotten him to talk to me yet.” Kayla admitted. “But I DO love a challenge. He’s a lot like Chakaro. What is about these aloof boys?” Sakura had to laugh. She continued her questioning for a few minutes, then apologized and said she had to leave.

“Alright. We know her love interests, her birthday, her favorite color, her pet’s name, and every emotion she’s feeling right now.” Kakashi read off. Sakura shrugged. “The only question mark is her ability, just how good is she?” “I know she’s also their medic.” Sakura offered. “Good work Sakura.” Naruto had a beef, and, like always, wasn’t shy about sharing it. “I don’t see why this is important! Why does knowing she’ll eat salmon but not perch help our mission, huh?!” Kakashi answered with his usual response: “No ninja should ever ignore any information, no matter how trivial.”

Chakaro swung his practice bo around his waist, across his shoulders, down behind his back, and over his head. Pointless in battle, but it kept your fingers and wrists strong and limber.

“Sasuke, you handle this one.” Kakashi said, indicating with his head. “Right. I’ll be right back.”

The mission turned out to be a little harder than he anticipated. “Chakaro right?” Sasuke asked, crossing his arms and leaning against a building. “Yup. You’re Sasuke?” “Right.” Neither one of them talked too much, making information hard to get. “How long have you been training?” Sasuke asked. “Today, or total?” “Total.” “5 years, in two arts.” “What ranks?” “Black, in both.” Sasuke was apparently somewhat impressed. His next question was meant to throw Chakaro off. “I see you’ve met Ino, one of the village nutcases.” “She’s not so bad.” “hell spit her back out.” Sasuke muttered.

“Excellent work. Just one team member left to tackle. I’ll take this one.” Kakashi told them.

Linda was sitting with Lee, both drinking some green tea. “Great idea Lee. So, what was that technique you used?” “That was the “Primary Lotus” technique. I wouldn’t have actually done it, I do not wish to kill Ekyt.” Lee answered. “Not that he’ll need the help. I don’t know what to do with him Lee. We’re just friends. But I feel guilty about his eye…” “There is no need to fell guilty Linda. He proved he is a true warrior by doing that. By being ready to forsake his own life for that of his comrades. It is admirable, and should be honored.” “I guess…He didn’t seem too happy tonight though. He used to train with me, but hasn’t since we started the trip here. He’s very strong, but something in his head messes with him. I’d like to fix that, he deserves better.” Linda got up. “Thanks again Lee, I’d like to do this again some time. I buy next time. Catch you later.” She kissed him on the cheek and got up. Lee stared dumbly after her.

Sakura’s eyes widened. “Oh my God…This is bad.” “What’s the big deal? It was just a kiss on the cheek!” “How would you feel if your girl kissed another guy?” Naruto grimaced. “Wait, she’s nobody’s girl!” “You moron, there were still feelings between her and Ekyt!” she pointed out. “That’s a kick to the ego.” Sasuke murmured. “I hope he doesn’t find out about this.”

Ekyt, Linda, Chakaro, and Kayla all met at Asuma’s training area at 8:00 am. Kayla rubbed her eyes sleepily; she was the late sleeper of the group. “I need some caffeine to wake up.” she slurred, shoving a bar of chocolate into her mouth, seeming perkier instantly. Linda was studiously avoiding eye contact with Ekyt. He and Chakaro were leaning over a scroll, exchanging theories about it’s contents. That’s when they met Asuma.

“Welcome to your first day of training. I’m Asuma Sarutobi, “Asuma” is fine, formality won’t make better fighters out of you. Now, who hear knows what chakra is and how to use it?” Everyone looked toward Linda. “Chakra is your physical and mental energies being tapped in order to attack.” “Very good. You must be Linda. Now…let me see…You’re Kayla…Chakaro Tamaki…okay….Ekyt. Ah yes. I need to speak with you.” Ekyt stepped forward. “Kakashi told me about your injury. Is there anything that can be done for it? I’d hate for you to be injured at such a young age.” Ekyt shook his head. “No. Apparently, it’s beyond conventional healing.” Ekyt said, indicating his eye. “Have you ever played Go?” Asuma asked. “No, but I’m familiar with the rules.” “Well, drop by for a game sometime. I play with one of my students, Shikamaru, he mentioned you actually (not normal for him).” Ekyt flicked his toothpick away, replacing it with a fresh one. “I will, thank you.”

“So, you know what chakra is. Now, HOW it’s accessed and used…that’s the hard part. You need to be able to concentrate. No matter where you are, if you’re injured, in battle. If you can’t summon your chakra, it’s useless to you. Now, let’s start simple. I want you to run, without concentrating. Just a quick dash to that rock. Ready? GO!” The four ran to the rock, then jogged back. “10 seconds. You’re all in shape, very good. Now, I want you to focus. Focus your energy into your legs. It might take a couple tries. Now, run to the rock again.” They all ran, three more times. Their time went from ten seconds to eight seconds, from eight seconds to six seconds, then from six seconds to three seconds. “That was definite improvement. Speed is an asset to any warriors arsenal. No matter how powerful an enemy is, if he can’t catch you, he’s useless. By the same token, you’re useless if YOU can’t catch HIM.”

Three hours later, Asuma dismissed them. They had an hour for lunch/break, then a three hour class with Might Guy. They all chose the ramen place Naruto’s group had shown them earlier. Habachi steak for Ekyt, Vegetable for Chakaro, Kung Pao Chicken for Linda, and Seafood for Kayla. The others talked, but Ekyt ate in silence. If I could have controlled this…chakra…I could have saved my eye AND Linda’s life. I swear, I will NEVER be the weakest link. NEVER. And I’m going to master this chakra stuff. He set his bowl down and paid. “I’m going to talk to Guy-Sensei. See you later.” he said as he walked out. “Geez, what peed in his cereal today?” Kayla asked, referring to Ekyt’s mood. Linda blushed, wondering if he knew something he shouldn’t…

“Sakura?” Naruto asked. “Hmmm? Oh, sorry. What is Naruto?” Sakura had been staring at the water. “Can you help me with this jutsu? I can’t focus my chakra right.” “Sure, what are you stuck on?” “The summoning jutsu. For something smaller than Akamaru. I can get the big things okay, but the smaller one’s give me trouble.” “Okay, let me see what you’re doing.” Naruto made a complex series of movements with his hand. Sakura stopped him. “Your index fingers should be in and together, not out and apart.” She said, holding her own hands a certain way. “Oh man, THAT was all? Geez, I’ve been working on this for days too!” “Well, the ramen you got on the scroll kind of obscures the pictures…”

“Guy-sensei?” Guy looked over his shoulder. “Ekyt, you’re early! Good, that’s an excellent quality! But you look like you’ve brought some mental baggage with you.” Ekyt nodded his agreement. “I guess I’m just a little down over my eye.” He said, not entirely sure it was true. “Well, anyone would be, don’t beat yourself up. Speaking of that, Lee couldn’t stop talking about the sparring match the other day. Quite an innovative block against his “Konoha hurricane” technique.” He and Guy talked about a few different topics, mostly centering around hand to hand combat. The others all showed up, ready to go.

“Excellent you’re all here! Now, I’m sure Asuma put you through your paces. I hope you’re rested up for some more! We’re going to focus on Taijutsu, something Ekyt here told me you all have down pretty well. Now we’re going to add chakra into the mix. Let me see…Ekyt, why don’t you demonstrate with Lee here, I asked him to help out.” Linda blushed, hoping Ekyt didn’t see. She didn’t know why she cared, they weren’t together, but somehow she didn’t want him to know yet. “First of all, your regular kicks and punches are great. But now you’re going to learn a few techniques. Once you’ve learned them, they’ll become unique to you. Ekyt, I’ve set up a safe place for you to land. I want Lee to show everyone what I mean. I believe he almost worked this with you last night. So, brace yourself.”

Ekyt nodded to Lee. Lee darted forward and kicked Ekyt under the chin, knocking him in the air. Ekyt was suddenly upside down, with Lee holding him in place. Ekyt realized that the bandages on Lee’s arms had wound around his own. “Forward Lotus!” Lee shouted, spiraling to the ground, driving Ekyt’s head into Guy’s safe area.

“Dear God, that’s the most brutal move I’ve ever seen.” Kayla muttered to Linda. Linda didn’t agree, but didn’t mention it. Guy-Sensei was talking, so they all paid attention. “Now, I’m going to guess you’ve all taken physical arts, which is a great thing to know. However, with chakara at your disposal, you can, ah, cut corners somewhat with training. Not like Lee here. So, homework. I hate it as much as you do, but I’d like all of you to get together and spar, just a few rounds each, try some taijutusu. Lee, you meet with them, watch them, and let me know.” Lee saluted. “Yes sir, Guy-sensei!”

“Good workout.” Chakaro muttered to Ekyt. “Yeah.” Ekyt seemed distracted. Likewise, so was Chakaro. “Listen…I don’t know if you’ve noticed it too, but Linda seems off…” Chakaro said. “I think it’s because I haven’t been training with her so much. I just can’t, not right now. I guess that rejection hit me harder than I thought…I’m just sensing something that I can’t quite put my finger on.” Ekyt looked at the grass. “I’m going to head to town and get my supplies.”

“Lee, thanks for the help. That “Konoha Hurricane” looks like a killer.” Linda was chatting with Lee as they grabbed some food. “I am not even sure how long it took to master it. It looked to easy when Guy-Sensei did it, but hitting the precise pressure point is very difficult. I was concerned I missed when Ekyt didn’t show any pain.” “He’s like that. Stoic. I feel bad, I’ve tried to stay close to him, but I feel like it’s a lie every time I do, but feel guilty when I don’t. I’m not in love with him.” “I think he’ll understand if you are honest and open with him. There are other girls, and maybe he would try again if you explained to him what was going on.” Lee suggested. Linda wasn’t sure she could do that. But for his sake, she would try.

“So, our data had revealed that our target is a loner. Good. All the easier to pick off.” Kabuto adjusted his glasses, conveying to his hidden team to move in. “Without any mastery of his chakra, he should be easy…” Kabuto said to himself, smiling. “Oh really?” Kakashi dropped in behind Kabuto, followed by Naruto and Sasuke. “Easy pickings? NO ninja is easy pickings.” Sasuke said firmly. Kabuto’s grin faded. “No…Naruto proved that…but one without chakra…easy for someone WITH chakra.” Kakashi looked at Naruto and Sasuke. “You guys find his team. I’ll handle him. And Sasuke…be on your guard, you especially.” Kakashi and Kabuto squared off.

Ekyt had two bags full of easy to make food. Ramen, soup, non-perishable stuff. If he wanted meat, he could always go into town. “Hey! Ekyt!” Sakura’s voice said. “Hi Sakura.” “Didja buy out the store?” Sakura asked, peering into the bags. “Yeah. More or less. I think Naruto’s going to be disappointed.” “What are you up to now?” “I’m going to get some books.” Sakura reached up and pulled an orange book of the shelf. “Try this one, Kakashi-sensei is always reading this.” Ekyt paid for the book without looking at it. “If you REALLY want to improve quickly, you should study the scrolls.” “Scrolls?” “Yeah. Naruto has Kakashi-Sensei’s, but Asuma-Sensei’s are available. Since he’s been teacher beginner’s lately, they’d probably be a better place to start.”

“That’s them.” Sasuke muttered, pointing with two fingers. “Let’s move cautiously.” “Right!” Naruto agreed. “AHHHH!” He jumped down from the tree he was in, kunai flashing out, slashing at- logs? “Substitution?” Sasuke murmured in surprise. Then where were the real ones? “Kakashi!”

Kabuto didn’t look worried. “Your Sharingan eye doesn’t scare me, copy ninja.” Kakashi raised his headband, revealing the eye. Kabuto raised his hand to do a jutsu. “Huh?” he couldn’t believe it. “You haven’t even seen my jutsu yet! How can you copy it?!” Kakashi just kept concentrating. “Temple of Nirvana Jutsu? It won’t do you any good if we’re both asleep.” Kakashi said evenly. Kabuto didn’t seem surprised. “I’ve been compared to you. And now, I’ll be the one to kill you. And I’m not alone, see for yourself.

Kakashi found himself surrounded.

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