It was time to leave. Naruto woke up early and said goodbye to me. I was really touched. I knew that boy loved his sleep.

I slung my backback on, walking down the silent streets of Konoha. I was nervous and excited. I mean, this was an important mission, even if I was just watching the proceedings, really. But still... it was technically an A-ranked mission!

I walked up to the front gate, surprised to see everyone was already here. I was ten minutes early. Our team was a four man squad made up of Anbu and jonin. There was only supposed to be three members, but I was added on last minute. "You're late," a woman said coldly.

I almost argued with her, but held my tongue. I knew how to deal with people. Being silent was the first step. "My name is Katsuo Suzuki," one of the men smiled. He was smirking, his stance confident, verging on arrogance. I glanced at his arm and saw an Anbu tattoo.

Katsuo frowns slightly and shifts his sleeve to cover the tattoo. "Aren't you the observant one," He mocks. He had blue, long hair tied back into a poney tail. His reddish, fusia eyes smirked, revealing his cockyness. He had an angular face, but overall was handsome.

A boy, younger then the rest. stepped forward. "Hey," He greeted softly, "I'm Ayumu," He didn't give a last name, and I didn't ask for one. He had reddish brown hair, beautiful green eyes, and a constantly wary look on his face.

We all looked to the woman. She had long white hair, glaring brown eyes, and was quite tall. Or was I short? Forget it. "Erai Sato," She said shortly.

"And you're Keira Boukyaku, right?" Katsuo asked. I nodded.

"Let's go, the girl's held us up enough," Erai stated bluntly. We exited the gate, and the woman began to run. She set a very fast pace, practically sprinting. It was obvious she didn't want me here. And she was trying her best to leave me behind.

I bit my tongue, holding back a smirk. "Are we going to run this slow the entire time?" I ask, skillfully weaving an innocent tone into my voice. The woman glared and picked up the pace. Katsuo groaned, sending me a dirty look.

Ayumu just sighed slightly and looked to the heavens with bored eyes. About ten minutes later, Katsuo dropped back beside me. "You have great endurance," He complimented. I glanced at him and nodded shortly.

"Y'know, this running isn't the only thing getting my heart rate up," He said lowly. I nearly tripped over my own feet. The guy was like, twenty seven! "F*ck me if I'm wrong, but your name is Katie, right?"

I run closer to Ayumu, who sends me a sympathetic glance, but otherwise ignores me. I have to put up with Katsuo's crude, suggestive comments the entire day. We stop for the night, and I jump up in a tree, laying my bag down.

Kuso, Katsuo was just... innapropiate. We ate dinner, and I tucked away plenty of it. "Girl, you ate a lot of food," Katsuo began, "But don't worry. I know an activity we can do that burns 350 calories an hour,"

I huff, heading up to my bed in the trees, ignoring the tents the others are setting up. "Hey, I'm scared of the dark, can't I sleep with you tonight?" Katsuo asked. I sent him a glare, which he skillfully ignored. "I mean, I love my bed, but I prefer yours," He smirked.

"I don't sleep!" I yell down to him.

"Neither would I!" He shouted back, then crawled into his tent, chuckling. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't know he was being serious. The images going through his head... I shuddered.

"Keira, get down here," I hear Erai order. I jump down immidiately. "Get in one of the tents," She orders. I stare. "I know you don't sleep, just get in a tent! I've got first watch," I walk over to Ayumu's tent.

"I'm okay with second watch," I murmur.

"No! You don't get a watch! Not alone, at least," She says scathingly. I don't shrink away at all, just look her in the eye, nod, then jump up to the tree, grab my bag, and enter Ayumu's tent. He looks up, shirtless.

I don't blush or apologize. I now see that he's not an Anbu. So, he must be the sole jonin here. I get the feeling that Erai was an Anbu as well. "Ah, sleeping in here tonight?" He asks quietly. I nod. I lay my bag in the corner, curling up tightly and using it as a oillow.

He lays down as well, glancing questionably at the dagger in my hand, one of the two twin daggers. "You're not going to unpack? Or undress?" He asked, not blushing at his accidental innuendo. I shook my head.

"If you need to leave quickly, you don't want your personal belongings tying you down. Big, bulky tents... you would have to leave them behind. And they hinder you from fleeing. It's hard to get out of these tents when your panicking," I explain quietly.

"Nervous?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Not at all. Wary, yes. On guard, definitely. You tend to fall back into old habits when on the road again," I murmur,

He raises an eyebrow, but doesn't question me. Old habits, huh? I hear him think. Once he fell asleep, I sat up slowly. I knew I wasn't going to sleep, not when I was so on guard. I made my way out of the tent with my bag, feeling the clausterphobia release it's hold on me.

"I thought I told you to stay in the tent," Erai's clear, cold voice reached my ears. I turned to her. "Not planning to run away, are you? Did you lose your nerve or something?" She said in cruel, patronizing tone.

I looked at her with emotionless eyes, and simply shook my head. "Do you ever talk, you bakageta shojo*?" She asked. I didn't flinch in the slightest. My dull eyes met hers, and I simply nodded. She scoffed, turning away.

We sat in silence, me studying the stars. I was completely aware of my surroundings, not missing even an insect's wingbeat. After some time, Erai got up, not even glancing at me. She woke Katsuo next, and I grimaced slightly.

"Ah! I was wondering, Keira... do you want to play ninja? I hear you're a wind type ninja...I'll lay down and you can blo--" I interrupt him by showing him my favorite finger. "Gladly!" he responds. "Didn't know you were so eager!"

What was wrong with this guy?

***

It was finally morning. When Ayumu came out for his watch we exchanged brief nods and left it at that. So far, he was my favorite team member. We were traveling along in silence. Wonderful, wonderful silence.

I ran, constantly scanning our surroundings. "Stop!" I cry out.

"And she speaks," Erai mocks sarcastically.

"A trap," I announce. She stiffens slightly in surprise.

"Where?" Katsuo asks, all seriousness for once.

"One hundred yards ahead, directly on our path. A trip wire and paper bombs," I describe. I had read one of the enemies minds up ahead.

Yeah right. Girl's prbably just showing off, lying through her teeth to us, Erai thought. "Katsuo, Ayumu, split up and go ahead along the outside. Leave clones in your place," They nodded and followed orders.

"You," She glared at me, "Stay out of our way, and try not to fight," I clenched my fist and nodded. We began running again, much slower. We stopped right in front of the trap. "Badly done. Just everyday criminals," Erai muttered. "So you were right,"

I glared at the ground before smoothing my face. Emotionless face was now in place. "Ah, so you saw through our trap," I a voice taunts. "I guess we'll just have to fight you face to face,"

The fight began quickly, Katsuo and Ayumu surprising the enemy. I was standing there, no one coming my way. I was told not to participate in the fight. A guy runs up to me, raising his fists. I prepare myself to take him out, but in a flash he's down.

Erai stand in his place, and sends me a cold glare. Throughout the entire fight, she makes sure that I don't fight at all. I'm virtually useless. The fight is over, and I'm standing in the same exact spot. Nothing on anyone seems to be hurt.... other than my pride.

"Kuso, yakunitatanai shojo**!" Erai shouts in my face. My eyes widen fractionally in surprise. Uh, shouldn't I be the one yelling at her? "I had to cover you the entire time! You were helpless!"

I swallow my anger. What does it matter. "You didn't let one man get close to me, and I followed your orders and didn't fight," I say emotionlessly.

"Tch," she scoffed. "Let's keep going," she turned away, and we resumed running like noting had happened.

***

We began making camp. After dinner, on Erai's glaring orders, I crawled into Ayumu's tent. He looked up from his position on the ground. I curled up in my corner, trying to ignore the sadness in my heart. Erai hated me, though I didn't know why. Katsuo was a dirty minded pedophile, and Ayumu.... Well, he still was my favorite.

After about ten minutes, Ayumu broke the silence. "You know, Erai really cares about you," he began.

I scoffed. "We'll, she sure has a funny way of showing it," I muttered.

"Let me tell you a bit about her," he sat up, "She had a daughter," he murmured. I caught the past tense. "At that time, she was on this squad already. With Katsuo and I. She loved her daughter to pieces. Erai's daughter followed her down the ninja path,"

I think I could see where this was going. "There was no father. At least, Erai never spoke of him. One day, Erai's daughter was given a mission. It was high level, an A ranked mission like this one. Her daughter was currently a Chunin,"

"Erai went to the Hokage, and she begged for him to reconsider. But the Hokage decided that her daughter was ready. Also, her daughter desperately wanted his mission. On that same mission, her daughter died,"

"Erai's heart was broken. She knew that her daughter wasn't ready for the mission. A Chunin isn't usually given A ranked assignments. Why do you think she was so against you going? It must have felt like a repeat of her daughters mission... And you're only a genin. She was trying to protect both her heart, and you,"

He rolls over, clearly done with conversation tonight. "Just follow her orders, and try not to die," he mutters.

I snort slightly, nodding even though he can't see me. "You've been doing well," he whispers.

I smile to myself. Maybe this won't be so bad, after all.

______________________________________

Chapter Forty One!

Dedicated to Jze1812 because I want him to review my book!

Hiiiii SUPERMASSIVEBLCKHOLE!

*Idiotic girl

**useless little girl

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