As we were walking, Sakura  questioned whether or not there would be any ninja on this mission. I noticed Tazuna tense slightly when she mentioned it. What's that about? I dismiss it, guessing he was just worried about his own safety. 

Kakashi explains the Kages and ninjas in different lands, which I already knew about from travelling. I half listen to Kakashi, but mainly watch our surroundings carefully. Then I hear Sakura gasp, and  I turn around with a kunai drawn.

"Then Lord Hokage's really important!" She praised.. I held my fighting stance for an extra second, then slid the kunai back up my sleeve. Why did she react that way? She's so... jumpy. Hn. Sasuke thought.

She's on her guard. Nothing slips past her. Kakashi thought.

Neither Naruto nor Sakura seemed to notice my movements. Hm. Is that old man reeeaaaally such a big deal? I'm not buying it.

I got him with my sexy jutsu, he can't be that great, believe it! 

Well, the old man does hide his power well... I thought dryly.

"Hey!" They both snapped out of their thoughts, "You all just doubted Lord Hokage, didn't you? That's what you were thinking?" They both freak out and repeatedly deny it, obviously lying. "Well, there are no ninja battles in a C-ranked mission. So," He said, glancing to me, "you can relax." 

"And we're not going to run into any foreign enemy ninja, or anything like that!" She says in relief.

Kakashi laughs. "Not likely," He said, amused. I notice Tazuna's little bead of sweat rolling down his face, and the worried expression on his face.

Maybe not on C-ranked missions... He thought, worry evident in his mind. I was walking behind the group, so I sped up a little, gave Tazuna a suspicious glance, then fell back to guarding behind. We crossed a stream, and I studied the water closely. When it passed my inspection, I returned to my previous tempo. Scan the tree tops, tree shadows, ground, up ahead, far behind, 360, repeat. 

She never lets her guard down. She's even suspicious of a stream, for Kami's sake. Kakashi thought in disbelief. I notice him looking at me and look up to meet his gaze. I break eye contact after three seconds, not wanting to get distracted.

I noticed Kakashi fall back, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, it's only a  C-ranked mission. Nothing's going to happen, so you can relax!" He explained calmly. I shook my head.

"Didn't you catch how Tazuna-san flinched when Sakura-san mentioned foreign enemy ninja? He was also very uncomfortable when you mentioned that there were not going to be ninja attacks on us. He has a mix of worry, anxiety, and guilt on his face."

He looked at me in shock. A genin picked up on all of that? 

I shook my head. "I've traveled for a good portion of my life. I''ve had to read people and never let my guard down. It all comes rushing back, my old instincts, now that I'm on the road again."

Hm, I don't totally trust a genins skill, but... I'll indulge her suspicions, pretend I believe her. If it make her feel better. "Okay. If there is a trap or a fight, I want to find out who they are after. So don't react to a trap, let them come out. But really, relax, okay? Nothing is going to happen!" 

I sigh and nod, and he goes up ahead. At least he has a plan in mind if enemies attack, even if he thought he was never going to use it. 

We were now walking along a dry road, every footfall kicking up dust. It hasn't rained in a while, I think, glancing at the clear sky. As we are walking, we pass a puddle. I keep in mind Kakashi sensei's plan and don't give it a second glance.

But I do read the two enemy nins minds.

We have to get the old man.

We must complete the mission and kill the bridge builder, but the sensei might get in the way. 

I don't even glance at Kakashi as we pass the puddle.

Huh? Did she miss it? That's hard to believe, she's been so on guard. 

But the moment the enemy ninjas head appears, I spin and throw to Kunai at him. They both spring out of the water, forced to act quickly. They wrap their chains around Kakashi, ripping him to pieces. "One down." They say. I quickly act.

While Naruto and Sakura shriek in disbelief, and Sasuke stares in shock, still processing, I pin their chains to the tree. "I'm stuck!" One calls out.

"Me too!" I pull out my twin daggers, cutting both their hands off. Then I feel Kakashi's gaze on me. I sigh and back off. Any normal ninja would give up now, unless they were after another target. But both ninja nod at each other and continue the attack.

I push Naruto to the ground, the claw barely missing him. Then I allow Sasuke to show off, kicking them both in the face and appearing in front of Sakura to protect her and Tazuna. That's when Kakashi decides to make his reappearance. "Hi." He says.

Kakashi-sensei, he's alive! Sakura thought, relieved and happy.

Hn. Show off. Him and Keira both. 

Finally, all the genin realize that the Kakashi who was torn to pieces was merely a substitution. 

"Naruto, sorry I didn't help you right away. I didn't mean for you to get hurt." Naruto glanced at his scraped knee from me pushing him over and frowned. "I didn't expect you to freeze up like that." Tazuna breathes a sigh of relief. 

They saved me after all. He thought.

"Good job Sasuke, very smooth. You too, Sakura." I was standing out of the way, and he didn't even send a glance my way. Seriously? 

I was useless! And Sasuke was so cool, like he had done this a thousand times! And Keira didn't even hesitate to hurt them! I'm not sure I'd ever be able to do that to someone else!

"Hey." Sasuke said, looking at Naruto.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"You're not hurt, are you? Scaredy cat." I Walked up and placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. 

"Sasuke, this is his first time being under attack, unlike you or me. This was also his first time seeing someone "die"," I said, then lowered my voice, "Also unlike you or me." I take my hand off his shoulder and walk away.

Who has she seen die? And when was she ever attacked? Sasuke thought.

I walked over to Kakashi, who was tying up the ninja. "Keira, you're hurt, stand still. These ninja have poison in their claws. We will have to take it out of you quickly." I glanced at my left arm. There was a small tear in it and a thin line of blood.

I cringed. That blood wasn't from a claw. One of my cuts had been reopened and bled through the bandages I always kept on my left arm. He went back to tying the ninja up. Then he turned to me. "Let me see you're arm." 

"I already got the poison out and wrapped it in bandages. See?" I say, pointing to my already wrapped arm. He looked at me suspiciously but didn't press the subject. 

"How did you know about our ambush?" One asked.

"Well, my student, Keira, had been unusually on guard for a C-ranked mission. She reported her suspicions of enemy ninjas, you, preparing to attack us. And even if I didn't know that, please. A puddle on a clear day, when it hasn't rained in weeks?"

"In that case, why did you leave it for the genin to do the fighting?" Tazuna asked.

"Allow me to explain this one, Kakashi-sensei." I say, stepping forward. "Our sensei is a powerful jonin from Konoha. Enemy ninja would possible see him and attack, making one less powerful ninja to fight against in future conflicts. He could have taken them out in an instant, but we would have learned nothing. The fact that they killed Kakashi-sensei, and sustained heavy..." I glanced at the ninjas hands laying in the middle of the road, "losses, they still continued. We now know that their target wasn't Kakashi-sensei or mere genin."

"Exactly." Kakashi agreed. "I had to know who their target was. And, what they were after." 

"Hm? What are you getting at?" Tazuna defends angrily.

"This. I wanted to know if they were after us, ninja attacking ninja, or if they were after you, the master bridge builder. Or even..." He glances at me, but remains silent. Wow, way to make your suspicions against me subtle, Kakashi. I applaud you.

"Keira. Can I talk to you?" Kakashi asks, making it more of an order than a request. We walk to the shade under some trees, about ten meters away. Naruto seems to be making some kind of speech.

"Keira, no genin I know would be able to do what you did." He started.

"Which is?"

"Stop the demon brothers, sense their attack coming, read Tazuna and know that he was worried about this... Pretty much everything you're doing." He says. How can I know I can trust her? She could be an enemy who went deep, deep under cover. It's happened before. It doesn't help her case that she was transferred to the same team as an Uchiha and the Nine tails container.

I look at him, hurt in my eyes. "Kakashi-sensei... I would give my life protecting this team. I want them to savor their time as children, when they have this bond. Because nothing lasts forever... but I've been in this village for seven years, tolerated the children's abuse for seven years, and never lashed out once. I hate that my mere presence made two academy students drop out to repeat the year, simply so they wouldn't have to be on my team. So, I want you to look me in the eye, and tell me that I want to hurt this team." 

He looked at me and opened his mouth and closed it again. Any person I know would have been fighting back against the bully's, but she always swallowed her feelings and kept walking by. Such hurt and bitterness in her eyes. She talks with wisdom beyond her years. Like she is already looking back to these times as genin and feeling the nostalgia. But all he says is, "No genin I know would so readily cut two men's arms off."

I sigh. "Kakashi-sensei, I was on my own for five years. Five years I had to protect myself. Five years! It ingrains habits that you can't get rid of. Such as doing whatever it takes to survive. My childhood was stolen from me... So I want to protect theirs!" I point back to my teammates. 

Kakashi nods and sighs. "I apologize, Keira. It was wrong of me to jump to conclusions." I nod and we both head back to Tazuna.

Kakashi checks out Naruto's wound, which I see is already healing. He heals faster than me! I think in shock.

Tazuna calls us over. "You're right, I do have enemy ninja after me. They want to kill me before I can complete the bridge. And they're very serious about it."

I look at Kakashi. "Rigggghhhhht, Kakashi-sensei." I say, sarcasm dripping from my voice. "I can relax. Nothing's going to happen. Really!" 

He rubs the back of his head bashfully. "Uh..."

"Get used to it, Kakashi-sensei. I don't say something unless I'm sure I'm right." I call over my shoulder. I haven't been wrong yet... except when it comes to choosing friends...

I smirk. Finally, a dangerous mission where I can release all my pent up energy.

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Look at that! Chapter Fifteen for you!

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