A yawn escaped Kuria's lips, hanging in the cool air as she walked with her team. It was early in the morning, yet Aoi had already woken them up and had them heading down the street toward the rendezvous point. Looking at her teammates, she could see that they too were a bit groggy. She marveled at how Aoi was unaffected, even though it seemed he hadn't even slept the night before.

Stopping them in front of a nondescript shop, Aoi leaned against the side of the building. It seemed like a bakery, but it was too early for even this shop to have smoke curling from its chimney. Some time passed as they waited, the three genin talking among themselves as their sensei seemed to doze.

The shuffle of footsteps on the dirt road drew everyone's attention. Assessing the approaching figure, Aoi straightened. Red hair kept short in an A-line, framing a face with brown eyes, with just the faintest tint of red in them. Height just around a meter and a half. Short for her age, but she didn't seem bothered by the fact, maintaining an air of confidence that showed her height was of no importance. Recalling the description and image he had received from the Hokage, there was no doubt that this was who the team was to escort.

She strode up to them, a small smile a mere ghost upon her lips. "The name is Seisa. Given your headbands and gear, I assume you are the shinobi I'm looking for."

"Indeed we are," Aoi nodded. "My name is Aoi and I am the leader of team 13, we will be protecting you as we make our way to Konoha."

"Uwah! Team 13? How unlucky can I be?" She smiled as she said it, taking any potential sting from her words.

Ignoring her outburst, he moved on. "Are you prepared to leave?" A quick nod of her head and the five were walking down the street, this time on their way out of the town.

Despite being escorted by strangers, Seisa seemed cheerful. She chatted with the genin that walked beside her, occasionally turning to see if Aoi, who walked behind the group, wanted to join the conversation. His stoic expression and perpetual silence answered her inquiring gaze each time she did so. Though small and frail looking, she seemed experienced in her job, for as the day wore on not one complaint escaped her lips.

When the sun was directly over their heads, Aoi double checked that he could sense no threats before calling a stop. Stepping off the path, the genin sunk to the ground gratefully. Trying to hide her underlying tiredness, Seisa did the same. As he dug through his pack, Aoi reflected that he might have kept them moving a bit too long.

Tossing a small package at each of them, he sat back against a tree and unwrapped his own. Inside each were a few rice balls. It wasn't much, but after a long morning of walking, everyone was grateful for the food. It was silent for a while as everyone dug into the food, Hane picking at the rice ball Aoi held.

Eventually, Jinhai broke the silence. "So where are you from Seisa?"

"Ah, Yumegakura, it was a small ninja village." At the mention of this, Aoi glanced up.

"Does that mean you're also a ninja?"

Laughter erupted from her, a soft sound. "No, I don't have the talent to be a ninja. If I were, I wouldn't need an escort now would I?"

Kuria spoke then, "You seem a bit sad about the fact, did you want to be?"

"Hum... I suppose somewhere in my heart, that was once my wish. I gave up on it though." She smiled. "It's much more enjoyable traveling like this. Somehow, I find it freeing. All those rules, I don't think I could become a proper shinobi."

Aoi held interest in the conversation now, though he still refrained from joining. They continued to chatter for a while, asking about Seisa's hometown. Soon enough she was misty-eyed as she described the mountains that surrounded the village. It was obvious she held the fondest of memories of Yumegakura.

"I remember once when I ignored my parents and left the village. I was lost for half the night because of the wards placed around the village. When my mother finally found me, she slapped me so hard." Seisa smiled as she said this. "After that I was trapped in a bone crushing hug. She carried me back to the village as I cried in relief. My mom was one of the most caring people in that village."

As she finished speaking, Aoi stood. He slung his pack over his shoulder, drawing the others' attention. "Let's get going." Rather than taking up the rear, he walked ahead of the group. Something in the set of his shoulders, or perhaps the aura he gave off, made both Seisa and the genin leave him alone. Though the four still chatted, the air was more somber for some reason.

_+_

A faint sensation danced at the edge of Aoi's perception. He continued to walk noting that something was amiss. Outwardly, he gave no sign that he had noticed anything, instead expanding his senses. There was the slightest rustle of leaves, a gentle exhale of breath, and he could feel a few chakras, nearly erased. Two on each side of the road, an ambush.

He had to admit that it was a good place and time to do so. After hours of nothing happening, he knew that most would relax their guard, especially after a meal. Beyond that, the trees grew closer to the path here, providing excellent cover from both sight and return attacks. 

Scratching the back of his neck, he let his gaze travel upward toward the sky. Hane circled above, and after seeing its master staring at him, circled down to land on Aoi's arm. Petting the bird once or twice, he seemed to be doing nothing out of the ordinary. In reality, it was a signal he had taught the bird. It took off, circling overhead, or more specifically over Seisa's.  As he reached the point on the road past the first two ambushers, he paused.

Reaching down he seemed to fiddle with one of the straps on his shoes, allowing the other four to close the distance with him. As they drew near, they slowed as well, until they formed a loose line behind him.

Lowly, almost inaudible if they hadn't been listening, they heard him speak. "Ambush." Hesitating, the genin thought he might be testing them. Jinhai knew that either way, Aoi wanted them to respond. Drawing a kunai from his pouch, he took a position around Seisa and after a moment Kuria and Eiji followed suit. It took only a moment, but in that moment their opponents had already risen from their spots.

All four were headed for the small party, two for Seisa, and another two for Aoi, who was seen as the greater threat. Aoi met them head on, taking in their weapons and gear. Though they wore no headbands, they definitely had the gear of a ninja. They had likely left their villages, and Aoi guessed further that they were banished. Otherwise, they would have a line crossing out the symbol of their headbands.

No more time to consider the enemy, they were upon him now, one aiming to pierce through his gut and the other his throat. Using the fact that they were attacking at the same time. He grabbed the hand of the man aiming to cut his airway. The thrust was just a little off, and he had leaned too far forward to try and hit the mark. He was off balance.

Grabbing the wrist, he spun, throwing the attacker into his comrade, and the sharpened kunai he held. There was a small cry of pain, as well as surprise, and Aoi saw them both fall to the ground and struggle to rise. A tangle of bodies. 

Turning his attention, he saw Kuria locked in a fight with one blocking all of his attacks as she tried to find a rhythm, a difficult feat with only one hand to block with. It seemed Eiji had gotten cut on his lower arm, his kunai in the dirt as he tried to fight past the pain he felt. Jinhai covered for him now, drawing the attacker's attention away. After a flurry of strikes, Jinhai retreated back and waited for his opponent to make his move.

Once more giving focus to his own attackers, he knocked his shoe swiftly into the side of one's head, watching his body go limp. The other had managed to rise to his feet, the one he had thrown, as evidenced by the blood trickling from his side. It wasn't a terribly deep wound, but it still bleed enough to soak his clothes with the warm liquid.

He moved his hand as if to hold his wound, quickly changing it so that he grabbed several shurikan, throwing them at Aoi. Blocking them all neatly with a kunai that seemed to appear in his hand, he then threw the weapon, yet instead of the sharpened blade hitting, the hilt did. Aimed perfectly at the nerve in his neck, the man saw lights before the muscle spasmed and cut off the blood flow. He was out before he hit the ground.

When, once more, his attention went to his team, he saw Eiji land a solid blow on Kuria's attacker, moments before he was about to penetrate her defenses. It didn't knock him out, but it knocked him down. That was enough. Kuria took the chance Eiji had given her, landing a solid blow to the man's temple with the butt of the kunai. Jinhai had his attacker on the defensive as well, especially with Hane darting in here and there, the sharpened claws catching cloth and skin as the man tried to defend. Another divebomb from Hane landed him on his backside, and he quickly threw his hands in the air, a signal of defeat.

After securing the enemies to a tree, their bindings tight enough it would take them a few hours to loose them, Aoi turned his attention to Eiji's arm. The attack had missed any crucial veins and arteries, instead just cutting through some of the muscle. Painful, but by no means a fatal injury.

"You all did a good job today, especially with this being your first field combat." Aoi looked over his team as he applied a salve to the wound before winding a bandage around it. "No hesitations, everyone knew what to do."

"Looked pretty good to me, though I was scared for Kuria." Seisa grinned and place a hand on the girl's head. "You might look it, but you aren't weak huh?"

The genin grimaced. "He had me on the ropes though. If not for Eiji I wouldn't be looking so good."

"Well I'm only here because after that guy cut me Jinhai jumped in. That was a real shock." He seemed to consider a moment. "I could have taken him though. Even injured, someone that will be the best jonin wouldn't lose here."

That earned smiles from all of them, even a small crease appeared on Aoi's lips as he finished packing away his med kit.

"Now that you've used it in a life or death situation, you should see that teamwork is essential for you three. Don't get arrogant, you'll alway be open to attacks if you are. Trust your team, they just proved they can save your life." Aoi walked with them now, though he refrained from conversation. It was another couple hours before they would reach Konoha, but there was a sense of elation at their success as a team.

_+_

When they reached the village, Aoi didn't even pause as he lead the group to the Hokage's office. Seisa glanced around here and there, but didn't seem to surprised about anything. Everything was rather normal for a village, there was nothing extraordinary.

When Aoi rapped on the door, there was an immediate reply to enter. Holding the oak door open, the group filed past him. "Ah, it's good to see you. How did the mission go Aoi?"

"Nothing abnormal, there was no cause for concern during the mission."

Tsunade nodded, knowing that she could ask more once Aoi was alone. "Well then, Seisa if I recall, may I have the documents?"

Pulling two scrolls from her pack, the woman handed them over. "Is there anything you might need delivered Hokage-sama?" She smiled charmingly, hoping to get more work.

"Thank you for the offer, but I think I have others that can do so." Tsunade placed the scrolls to the side after checking the wax seals that marked the official documents. "Good job, team 13, on completing your first mission outside the village successfully. You're dismissed. You as well Seisa, thank you for delivering these documents."

As the other four filed out, Jinhai glanced back at Aoi with questions burning in his eyes. The jonin waved him on, and the door shut with a soft thud. Turning back, he faced Tsunade calmly and waited for her to break the silence.

"Now that a few nosier people are gone, was there anything of concern on the mission?" Aoi nodded, taking the letter from his pack and handing it to her. After a quick read through it, her face paled slightly. "They threatened your team?"

"Yes, though they didn't give me the letter while I was with them. The kids have no knowledge of the threat."

Tsunade folded the paper and put it back inside the envelope. She seemed to do so with infinite care, and Aoi had the impression she would rather be ripping it to shreds. Another silence stretched, but this time it was the jonin who broke it.

"Lady Hokage, if it's alright with you, I would like to move on to another topic." After a gesture that said to go ahead, he spoke again. "I want you to allow team 13 to participate in the upcoming chunin exams."

_+_

Augh! Even with an entire afternoon I can't meet a deadline that I set! I have gotten the chapter up though, right? That's something... right? I mean, I know I said I would update in a week about two months ago, but... Okay, sorry, I'll do better. 

Anyway, if you're wondering what the atrocious video attached to the chapter is, that is what kept me busy for near a month. It is my spanish movie for the contest this year. I am the one in the purple jacket (I hesitate to give this information away). I also edited this, gave it subtitles, went through about an hour of footage to get the best clips, and gave birth to the horrendous idea. So... yeah! It made it to the finals, and I get to find out on Thursday if I won anything. I also get to show it to half the foreign language speakers at the school so... kill me? At least there is cheesecake.

RQ: What is your favorite season?

As always, thanks for reading guys, your support means a whole lot! I hope that you will continue to read my stories. Also, a small plug for my original novel: Revelation of World, which you can find on my profile page. I'll be posting the third chapter soon (hopefully before the end of the month). Until next time, which hopefully won't be too long from now.

-Nicky~