"A mission again, when I only just got back... something tells me Tsunade's trying to get rid of me."

Hotaru stuffed her hands in her pockets and walked down the road slowly, sighing. Well, at least she had some good news. Sasori had finally been cleared to stay in the village, and Tsunade was even allowing him to become a shinobi, though he had to work up from Genin to prove his worth. Sasori had been a little peeved, since when he'd been taken he had already made Jounin, but Hotaru had told him that he should just be happy that he was accepted.

It wasn't long before the huge green gates came into view, and Hotaru gave a 'tsk' of superiority. All the fuss that Mutt-face made last night about not being late... and he wasn't even here yet.

"Heya Izumo, Kotetsu." Hotaru waved and smiled, and her fellow Chunin waved back.

"Hey Hotaru." the redhead plopped herself on the desk of the booth, legs dangling off the edge, supporting her upper body with her arms on the table. She looked back to the two men.

"So how you guys been? It's ages since I spoke to ya." she said, a small, but happy smile on her lips. "You were off duty when I got back."

"Oh, we've been good. Your training go well?" Izumo asked, smiling, and Hotaru brought her fist up determinedly.

"Yeah! I just know I've gotten stronger!" she grinned, "I'm never gonna be indebted to Mutt-face ever again!"

The two gateguards chuckled. "Hotaru, you may be seventeen, but you haven't changed a bit."

The redhead scowled at Kotetsu, "Hey, I beg to differ! For one thing, I actually have normal sized boobs now!!"

The two men blushed a bit, and Hotaru rocked backwards, laughing, her legs up in the air. "You guys...! Hahaha!! Your faces!!"

Izumo cleared his throat, "Uh, yes, well, you caught us off-guard, that's all."

Hotaru grinned at him wickedly, "Well, it's true, Izumo-kun..."

The dark haired man fell off of his chair, and Hotaru laughed so hard that she fell off of the desk, rolling on the dusty ground.

"Someone's in high spirits..." Hotaru looked upwards to see dark pants and an orange book. She stood up quickly.

"Kakashi! Long time no see!" she exclaimed, and the jounin appraised her calmly.

"You certainly grew up a lot, Hotaru..." the redhead rubbed the back of her neck, and chuckled.

"Nah, I'm still the same stubborn girl I was three years ago." she laughed, then rose an eyebrow. "Still reading the same book, I see."

Kakashi nodded, "I'm reading through the whole series again."

"Man, I oughtta get you a t-shirt of something.."

"Hn.."

"Don't blame you for not wanting to talk." a new voice cut in, and Hotaru turned and laid a glare on the newcomer.

"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten that we were bringing a mutt from the pound." Hotaru said, and Kiba glared at her.

"Watch it, or I might just have to bring up yesterday." Kiba threatened. Kakashi sighed, eyeing his temporary teammates, and closing his book with a snap, catching their attention.

"You two remind me a lot of Naruto and Sasuke." he said. "Let's get going, our client's waiting."

Hotaru scowled at the Jounin, "Hey wait a second!! Naruto and Sasuke are together!!" (YAAAOIII!!! :D)

Kakashi continued to walk, not looking back, "And yet, they used to argue all the time... just like you two."

All conversation -if it could really be called that- was brought to an abrupt halt as Kakashi said something, and a girl of slight frame with platinum blonde hair, pinned up with elegant curls teased down, and bright, ocean blue eyes came out from the shade of the trees she was standing in. A few samurai stood with her. She had a faint blush that seemed to be permanently there on her face and a shy expression, as Kakashi spoke with her then introduced her to the other two shinobi.

"Hotaru, Kiba, this Haruhi-sama. She is a princess from Mori no Kuni (land of forests), and being hunted by demons that are attacking her home. Our mission is to get her home safely. Haruhi-sama, this is Inuzuka Kiba and Hotaru. They will be helping me to protect you on your journey home." the blonde girl looked at each of the shinobi shyly, before her gaze caught on Kiba's and held. She then looked at the floor, smiling faintly and blushing.

"Th-thank you all... I am so very appreciative that you are doing this..." she mumbled, and Kakashi and Kiba smiled.

"Hey, don't mention it! It's our jobs, after all." Kiba said, grinning, and Kakashi nodded. Hotaru's eyes rolled a little as Haruhi blushed more and smiled.

"Yosh. Then let's go." Kakashi said, and all three nodded, and they set off.

* * *

Hotaru glared at the floor as she walked, irritated by the sounds of giggling. That mutt-face... flirting so shamelessly with the client. It was so annoying, there was never any peace! By the time night fell, Hotaru was about ready to strangle the both of them.

The redhead ruffled her hair out, shutting her eyes in frustration. There was something about that girl... something that Hotaru didn't like.

It might have had something to do with the fact that, when Hotaru had told her comrades that she was going to scope up front, Haruhi had worn the slightest of smirks on her face. But, as quickly as Hotaru noticed it, the expression was gone.

And a princess in Mori no Kuni? What was up with that?! The Land of Forests was poor, way too poor to have a princess!

But when they had stopped earlier on to rest, and Hotaru had voiced these thoughts to Kakashi, he had just asked if Hotaru was maybe a little jealous that Kiba and Haruhi got on so well.

Her?! Jealous?! Of that bastard and Haruhi?! Just the idea was enough to make Hotaru laugh sourly. Yeah right. Stupid Kakashi.

But then, everyone thought that... that Hotaru liked Dog-boy. But she didn't. No way. He was too much of an asshole to be her type.

So, Hotaru had just yelled at Kakashi and stormed away, and not spoken to anyone since. She liked Kakashi, and didn't want to be on bad terms with him, but seriously! What was it with these people insinuating that her and Mutt-face could ever...? Hotaru couldn't even think it.

Hotaru sighed, and laid back in her spot where she was resting for the night. She could hear the waves crashing in at shore; they had set up camp in the forest next to the shore, and were to cross the ocean the next morning. Hotaru started to feel restless, so stood up, grabbed her kunai pouch, and walked down to the beach.

She heard something following her, so whipped around, only to see Akamaru. She put away her kunai, and smiled, waiting for him to catch up, before starting walking again, in silence.

Once at the shore, Hotaru sat down on the sand, propping herself up on her hands. Akamaru sat down next to her, and she stroked his huge head.

"Why aren't you with Kiba, Akamaru?" Akamaru whined, and Hotaru chuckled. She couldn't understand what the dog was saying, so imagined what he'd said.

"Yeah, I don't trust her either." the look Akamaru gave the redhead made her freeze. "You actually said what I pretended you said?!"

Then she relaxed. So Akamaru didn't like Haruhi either.. "Well, at least I'm not the only one."

The kunoichi laid back, and Akamaru dropped his head down and stretched out, laying beside her. Hotaru bit her lip. It couldn't be good if Akamaru was willingly leaving his master's side in a foreign place.

There was a sudden crack in the twigs, and the pair froze. Hotaru rolled onto her stomach and watched as a cloaked figure emerged from the trees.

The redhead sighed. That was Haruhi's cloak, she'd know that insignia anywhere.

Why did stuff like this always happen to her?

Grimacing, Hotaru stood up, and made her way stealthily toward the sand back that ended the shore, Akamaru hot at her heels. She watched Haruhi carefully from behind it, edging along as the cloaked girl continued walking.

Hotaru cursed silently when the sand crunched as she stepped; it was that coarse, gravelly sand that always seems to get everywhere when you've been to the beach. Haruhi stopped and turned around, scanning the area, but Hotaru had ducked just in time. The blonde then shrugged and turned back around, continuing on her path.

After a minute, Hotaru straightened up again, searching the area for Haruhi quickly, but she had disappeared. Hotaru cursed silently yet again, then pulled herself up over the sand bank and onto the grass. Akamaru jumped up, and the two went back to camp, Hotaru dragging her heels from exhaustion. She crawled quickly into bed and pulled the covers up over her head, frowning slightly in confusion when Akamaru came and curled up next to her, but too tired to do anything about it. Plus, Akamaru was warm, when the night was cold.

---

Ninth chapter done!!

Fan, vote, & comment!! :3