Tossing the last clump of weeds into the basket, Kitsune wiped the sweat from her brow and let out a ragged sigh. Ever since Team #7 had left for Nami no Kuni, Team #8 had been stationed in Konoha serving the needs of the citizens. The heat was unbearable and all their missions required them to be outside. Was it possible that even the weather missed Naruto?

Kitsune heaved the basket she had completed over her shoulder. It was filled to the brim with weeds that had been growing profusely around one of the farmer's barns. She was pretty sure that just yesterday they had pulled the weeds out. But apparently they didn't do the job right and the weeds grew back overnight. Sure, that would explain why they had been so easy to pull out this time around.

She walked over to where Shikamaru and Sasuke were finishing off their rows and held onto her basket loosely. "You guys nearly done?"

Shikamaru nodded, staring at the dirt covering his hands. "Unless that windbag of a farmer has more dirt for us to clean up, we should be free to go and report to the Hokage once we're done here."

The Hokage. Kitsune inwardly ground her teeth together. She had been meaning to send a nicely worded message to that old fart about the assignments they had been receiving but said assignments took up all her time nowadays. Maybe it was his way of keeping her away from the Hokage office because he knew she would try and... assault him? No, that wasn't the right word but it was close enough.

She was getting fed up with the pathetic missions they were burdened with.

"You three ready to go?" Kurenai's gentle voice snapped Kitsune out of her thoughts.

She looked up and smiled at her sensei. "Hai, Kurenai-sensei."

"Hokage-sama apparently has an important mission for us that requires our expertise. We wouldn't want to disappoint him by being tardy," Kurenai smiled sweetly as she turned and began walking back to the barn, carrying her basket of weeds.

Once she was out of earshot, Shikamaru spoke up first. "What do you think this 'important' mission is?"

"Dog walking, flower planting, repainting the old nursery. Any D-rank that involves us doing the work of the indolent," Sasuke muttered. He stood up and made his way to the barn, not bothering to wait for the two of them.

It didn't surprise them though. He was still getting used to being on a squad with them or opening up to them. According to Kurenai, it was going to take time for him to warm up. He was slow to trust and they hadn't done anything that would prove their loyalty to him.

Shikamaru and Kitsune exchanged a look and dragged their baskets with them to the barn. After speaking briefly to the farmer, they dropped their completed work off and went off to the Hokage office. They were all exhausted, covered in dirt, grime and sweat. Even though Kurenai didn't show it, she was just as tired as they were. She had a certain tell. Whenever she was exhausted, she pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail and wiped some of the makeup off from her face. She was doing all of that.

Team #8 entered the Hokage office. Kitsune sighed in relief at the air conditioned room and ran a hand across her sweat covered face. Her fringe moved out of her eyes but as soon as they walked past the fan, it blew back into its original spot: right in front of her eyes. She seriously needed to get a haircut.

They made their way through the curved passage way of the Hokage office. Outside, they were able to hear the laughter from the Academy. The Hokage must've enjoyed that. Children making a noise every day while he tried to get some work done.

Kurenai knocked twice on the door to the main office. Hiruzen's old voice rung out, signalling their entrance. She sighed and dusted her clothes off. "I really wish I'd went home to change."

"Are you worried about how you look, Kurenai-sensei? That's so sweet. But I'm pretty sure Sandaime-sama already has a wife," Kitsune smirked, tilting her head to the side.

Kurenai narrowed her eyebrows at Kitsune then opened the door. The team stepped through into the office and were greeted by the usual appearance. Large stacks of paper heaped on the desk, scrolls leaned up against the side of the desk and the overlook of the entire village from the window behind the Hokage's desk.

Hiruzen looked up and smiled, the wrinkles around his face stretching out. "Team #8, seems you completed your assignment successfully."

"Yeah, we know. Get to the point of why you called us here, Jiji," Kitsune huffed. She scratched her nails across her cheek and watched flakes of dirt fall to the polished floor. Not her problem.

"Kitsune-chan..." Shikamaru hissed, shaking his head.

She sighed and decided to shut her mouth; for the time being that is. She would speak her mind eventually.

Kurenai smiled at Hiruzen, nodding for him to continue. Hiruzen gave a small smile at Kitsune before looking at Kurenai. "You and your squad have proven that you are more than capable of enduring a higher rank assignment. Like Team Kakashi, I have decided that you three should experience the difficulties of a C-rank. You've gone on more than enough D-ranks."

"Wait! Did you say we're going on a C-rank mission? A C? One step above a D?" Kitsune burst out. Screw keeping quiet. She had the right to speak now.

"Well, yes. It is one step above a D-rank and a bit more trickier than running after dogs," Hiruzen answered, shaking his head from side to side. "And this mission requires a special kind of expertise that only your team has. There are a number of chūnin teams that fit the profile but, I doubt it's anything too serious for a beginning team."

Kurenai glanced at her three subordinates, a worried expression taking over her gentle features. "Hokage-sama, what is the mission?"

As soon as Kurenai said those words, Hiruzen's expression turned serious. Now that they were discussing something of importance, his calm demeanour vanished behind one of disposition. "We recently lost contact with one of our research bases in Shimo. Normally, we would be worried with the type of research that goes on there but, there has been an alarming blizzard there that could be part of the reason communication has been cut off. I need you to go to Shimo and examine the situation. It may just be an animal chewing at the communication cables but if there is something potentially dangerous going on, you need to find out and call for reinforcements."

Kitsune tried to hide her excitement but was failing significantly. She bounced around on the balls of her feet and bit her bottom lip to prevent herself from screaming. Shikamaru watched her out of the corner of his eye, but merely looked back in front of him at Hiruzen. Sasuke; well, Kitsune didn't give a damn what was going on with Sasuke. In a few seconds, he was probably going to ruin the moment and ask some logical question that would kill the mood.

"Doesn't this fall under the category of a B-rank then? We're facing unknowns with an unexpected chance at survival," Sasuke pondered out loud, narrowing his eyebrows at Hiruzen.

See? He ruined everything. Kitsune could imagine a smaller version of herself bashing Sasuke's head in with a mallet, but his head would just repel the attack and push her back with its bobble-like structure. Yep, her mind was a rather disturbing thing.

Kitsune crossed her arms over her chest, baring her teeth slightly at Sasuke. Hiruzen explained effortlessly the motive behind the mission's grading. It was simple really. If there had been any unsuspecting casualties along the way and none of the recovery teams had returned from investigating, it would be considered a hazard and therefore would be placed under B or A-rank. However, Shimo was in a fairly safe area where there was little to no disturbance. If there was a communication problem, it was most likely a fault in the cables or an animal had gotten a hold of it again. That one happened more than Hiruzen cared to admit. But it was the truth.

And if there had been an emergency, the scientists there would have sent out a distress signal. It didn't require a clear reception and was merely a beacon that they needed to activate. It would let off a response at the emergency unit and a recovery team would be dispatched immediately.

None of that had happened. So it was safe to say that it was just a fault in the connection.

"The choice is entirely up to you, Kurenai. Whether you feel like your team needs more time before taking on this task is your choice to make," Hiruzen stated, making gestures with his hands at the scrolls laid out in front of him.

Kurenai stared at Hiruzen for some time before looking away, biting her bottom lip. Whenever she bit her bottom lip, Kitsune was always surprised that her lipstick never rubbed off on her teeth. Maybe it was that expensive crap that never wiped off.

At the very thought of make-up, Kitsune shuddered and ran her fingers along her dry lips. It stung sometimes. Especially when she accidentally bit it when thinking but it was a coping mechanism.

After a brief period of silence, Kurenai spoke up. She nodded her head determinedly and smirked. "They wouldn't be here if I didn't believe them to be ready, Sandaime-sama."

"So that's a yes? Can we go on this mission, Kurenai-sensei?" Kitsune asked. She knew her eyes were probably gleaming with the excitement she felt. But it helped to pressure others. That was something she learnt a while back in the Academy. And if it could work now, well she'd have a story to tell Naruto as soon as he came back from his mission.

Kurenai turned her head to Kitsune and smiled. She reached out and clasped on lightly to her head, ruffling her crimson hair. "What do you think, Kitsune-chan? Do you think you're ready?" she looked at Shikamaru and Sasuke as she finished her sentence.

Shikamaru smirked slightly and craned his head from side to side. That was his non-vocal way of saying yes and then maybe something sarcastic to top it all off. Sasuke merely shoved his hands into his pockets and huffed out an annoyed breath. Well... it meant something in that world he had going on in his head.

With one last nod, Kurenai turned back to Hiruzen. "Hai, Sandaime-sama. I do believe they're ready."

Hiruzen smiled, picking up the scroll that lay in front of him. He held it out to Kurenai. His frail fingers were clasping the scroll lightly and slipped away from it as Kurenai retrieved it from him. She kept it at her side and listened to Hiruzen give the last mission requirements along with Shikamaru and Sasuke. Kitsune was beyond listening. She bounced around excitedly and nodded her head every time she saw Hiruzen move his lips in the form of a sentence. Aside from that, all she could hear were mumbles, trumpets and one random animal in the background.

There were a lot of agreements that followed, and a few forms that Kurenai needed to sign. It was probably a form that signified that they were her responsibility and that their lives rested on her shoulders if things went FUBAR. Kitsune frowned at the new term that popped up in her head. She had heard a few jōnin use it to describe a mission they had gone on and if her memory served her right, they looked like shit anyway. From there she was able to piece together what the term meant.

The four of them left the Hokage office, Kurenai reading over the mission statement as they went. Occasionally she'd flip it over as if expecting something to be written on the back but then she'd turn it to the front and continue reading.

"So, what else is in the mission briefing, Kurenai-sensei?" Sasuke questioned as they walked through the village.

"Find out why the base is offline. There's not that much to lead on since Sandaime-sama hasn't sent any teams to investigate as of yet so it's all up to us to find out what's going on," Kurenai stopped in her tracks and looked down at the scroll seriously. She turned her scarlet eyes on them. "This will be your first mission outside of the village. I need to trust you three, now more than ever. C-ranks aren't like these simple assignments you get around the village, helping people you know. You're placed into more extreme situations that require you to think on your feet."

Kitsune, Sasuke and Shikamaru both stopped and turned to their sensei. The serious tone in her voice didn't suit her gentle expression. Her thin eyebrows were narrowed and stitched together in a scowl. The three looked at each other, then back at Kurenai. Kitsune extended her arm and did a thumbs up, placing her one hand on her hip.

"Yosh! You can count on us, Kurenai-sensei!"

Sasuke and Shikamaru nodded in agreement. They knew the risk they were taking on. As minimal as the risk was, they still had to watch each other's backs when danger approached. The chances of that happening were... 40/60. Maybe less if it was a quick journey.

Kurenai's eyes widened as she stared at the three. Her blank expression quickly changed. The corner of her mouth twitched as she tried desperately to supress the grin that threatened to spread across her lips. She was meant to be taking this seriously but seeing her students actually agree on something stirred a peculiar sensation in the pit of her stomach. And surprisingly enough, it wasn't a bad feeling. She wouldn't mind feeling it all the time.

Snapping herself out of her thoughts, Kurenai pointed at the scroll in her hand. "You should probably start packing. Pack for cold weather since Shimo no Kuni is known for its high levels of frost, snow and gale force winds."

"You sound like a weather report," Kitsune chuckled, lacing her fingers behind her head as she began walking again. "We'll be ready for tomorrow, Kurenai-sensei. You can count on us."

The three went off their own ways, Kitsune having to take the long way. It wasn't like there was a festival or anything clogging up the streets; she just felt like she needed the walk. Sure, her legs were stiff and the muscles pulled every time she stretched her leg to walk but it was probably from standing for so long.

Shimo no Kuni... Kitsune paid attention in a majority of her classes, except for kunoichi classes that is, and Iruka had never spoken of the frost village. But by the books she had read, it was located somewhere between Kumogakure and Otogakure. Usually when a village fell between two non-associated villages, there wasn't supposed to be research facilities or anything out of the ordinary nearby. What was the base even doing there? Wouldn't it make sense to build it a relatively short distance away from Konoha?

Either way, Kitsune didn't question the Hokage's motives. It was for a good cause if it had been developed.

She reached the apartment and unlocked the door, stepping into the cold apartment. She must've forgotten to open the windows before she left this morning. She removed her shoes and placed them by the doorway. A sigh escaped her lips. Walking across the cold floor after a long day was always welcome.

She loosened her hair from its restricting bun and let out another satisfied sigh. She scrapped her fingers across her scalp and winced at the sharpness of her nails. Seriously; if only nail clippers worked on her. She could never get them below her finger bed and as soon as she did clip them, they'd grow back the next day. Annoying as it was, she grew used to it over the past couple of years.

Opening up a few windows and curtains, Kitsune retreated to the safety of her and Naruto's shared room. She rummaged through the cupboards for a spare backpack that would suit her mission best. They weren't given an amount of time to complete their assignment which meant she didn't know if she should pack a lot of clothes. Extra weapons was a must. Hell would freeze over before she would allow herself to run short of tools.

Where is that stupid bag? I know Naruto put it in here somewhere. Kitsune thought, throwing clothes and shoes behind her.

Finally, she found the faded brown bag at the bottom of the cupboard. It wasn't much. It was an old, brown camping bag that Teuchi had given them a while back when he first heard they'd be attending the Academy. There was no use for it up until now.

Kitsune shook the bag out, watching the dust filter down to the floor. She threw it onto the bed and then proceeded to look around for a clean change of clothes that would be of use to her during their mission. That included searching for ninja tools and supplies. Medical packs, kunai, shuriken, the list could go on. But she needed to cross out things that were non-essential. Even she had a limit to what she could stuff into her bag.

But that didn't stop her from going overboard. She was sure she had more kunai than needed but knowing Shikamaru, he probably only had enough to last him three sneak attacks then he'd rely on his strange intelligence to get him out of sticky situations.

Time skipped past quickly and before Kitsune knew it, the sun had set and left the apartment shrouded in darkness. She had checked her bag eight times and had to sting herself with an elastic band to prevent herself for reaching for nine.

She switched all the important lights on: bathroom, kitchen and bedroom, then ate some instant ramen quickly. She needed to fill her stomach or else she'd wake up with the worse stomach ache ever. Then she went to take a shower and brush her teeth. Being the strange girl she was, she did both at the same time and didn't even groan out in frustration when some of her shampoo bubbles rolled into her mouth.

She honestly expected it.

Her long hair stuck to the back of her legs and tangled up even further than it already was. She flipped her hair forward. It slapped the shower wall loudly, repulsing it's wet echo. Her bright red hair curled around the cold and warm water handles and as she pulled back, strays strands loosened from her scalp and remained on the handles. Curse her long hair.

Kitsune quickly rinsed the soap suds out from her hair and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel firmly around herself. She had to use another one to wrap her hair up in; a rather long one that would be able to hold all her hair up. Water droplets slid down her shoulder blades and over the faint scars lingering over her arms. Yep, she wasn't that type of girl. The type of girl who avoided danger so her skin would remain flawless with only one beauty mark. She had scars in weird places and even she knew it was slightly disturbing.

How do you get a scar on your... Never mind. Even she didn't want to think about it.

Finishing off the last of her bathroom ritual, Kitsune entered the bedroom and rummaged around for clean underclothes and sleep wear. It was only 18:30, usually way too early for her to sleep but she needed the rest. Who knew how long it would take to get to Shimo no Kuni? That meant she needed all the rest she could get.

Tying her damp hair back into a bun, Kitsune crawled into bed and tossed a ball at the light switch. As usual, it hit spot on and the light turned off.

Just before she could lay down, her eyes fell upon Naruto's empty bed. A tightening feeling clenched in her stomach. Earlier that day, her palm had stung as if being penetrated by a hot blade. She didn't remember touching anything she had an allergic reaction to; but then again, she had never gone to a doctor before to see what she was allergic to.

I wonder if he's okay... Kitsune thought as she rested her head down on the pillow.

She tried to keep herself awake for just a while longer but the warmth of her bed added by the sleepiness she felt from the hard day's work made it extremely difficult. Eventually, her eyes slowly shut and the strange loneliness she felt disappeared into the dark abyss.

O~O

Ringing.

That damn ringing.

Shikamaru groaned. He wasn't ready to wake up just yet. He slowly opened his eyes and instantly they fell upon the glaring red lights of his alarm clock. 7:15. He was a real idiot for setting it so early.

He sat up slowly and stretched his right arm above his head. A loud crack resonated from that shoulder. He did the same to the other arm and let out a sigh of relief. Both arms felt better than they had when he was asleep.

No noise came from the other side of his door which meant his parents were either asleep or at work. His mother, Yoshino, was probably out grocery shopping so that counted. If he was all alone, he could get a few more minutes of shut eye... It sounded so tempting. The bed was the right temperate, he was still sleepy.

Dammit. Shikamaru threw the sheets off and dragged himself out of bed. There was no way he'd be able to sleep when he had thought so much already. It would take hours.

He clamoured around the room, finding his sandals and the elastic he used to tie up his hair. Usually, he kept his hair up in its ponytail so he wouldn't have to go through the hassle of doing it again in the morning but last night, he felt like he really needed less tension. By pulling off that band, he felt like he had gotten an extra amount of sleep.

He brushed his teeth and took a quick shower, tying his hair up properly in his signature ponytail then got dressed. He did all of this while the curtains were still shut. The rays peeking in from underneath the curtains hinted that it was excruciatingly bright and his eyes were still adjusting to the minimal amount of light in his own room. His eyes were even watering slightly. Maybe his laziness was becoming an illness...

Kami, he was beginning to sound like dad.

He finished off the last of his daily routine then went to pack his bag with all his supplies. Yes, he was supposed to have done it the night before but he fell asleep too soon for him to even bother. Besides, it wasn't like he needed to have a set time to be done packing. Kurenai just told them to meet them at the gate as soon as they were done packing.

That had been a shitty idea. What if someone took longer than most and only showed up late afternoon? For some reason that sounded a lot like Kitsune. She wasn't the type to be punctual.

Shikamaru grimaced as he pulled his curtains open. The bright rays of sun blinded him and he back peddled into the small cupboard behind him. When did that get there? His back jolted against it and he hissed out in pain. Objects cluttered off from the desk and onto the floor, causing a tremendous racket that made his ears sting.

What a drag. And all of this so early in the morning. Why did I have to get stuck with this crap? Shikamaru picked up the fallen items and placed them in their rightful places. He really needed to leave his room before another incident occurred. His bed breaking apart maybe?

Whatever the situation, he wasn't going to stay around to wait for it.

He hoisted his bag onto his shoulders and exited his room. There weren't that many things in his bags so he was safe from exhaustion. He'd be able to go for a while before needing a break.

Peeking into the kitchen, Shikamaru wasn't surprised that his mother wasn't there. She always rushed around early to make sure she'd get things done in the day. Nowadays, Shikamaru rarely saw his mother. Plus, she was rather prissy about the idea of him being in a team with Kitsune. The reason; he was completely unaware of. He remembered how she panicked when he told her.

He had never actually considered the idea of being on a team with the notorious Uchiha Sasuke and the hyperactive Uzumaki Kitsune. To be honest with himself, he had thought he'd end up with Ino and Chōji. Like he was meant to. It had been a family tradition; the reason of which he could never understand.

How was his parents going to take it?

Sure, his father would be accepting of the idea. A little disappointed, maybe, but not livid. His mother... that's where the problem arose.

Once she married into the family, all Nara customs became part of her and she followed them to the latter. It was kind of annoying but he could understand where she was coming from.

She didn't want to disappoint the family. But that didn't mean following all traditions that were centuries old.

Shikamaru shoved the thought aside and along with that, the door to the house. The aroma of tempura and sashimi hit his nose as soon as his foot touched the polished floors. Clearly, his mother was in the celebrating mood... Hopefully not for his team assignment.

He swallowed a dry lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. It was no big deal. Just be completely honest and she'd leave him alone. Probably.

He removed his sandals and left them outside before sliding the door shut behind him. Slowly, he made his way to the kitchen. Other than the bubbling of oil and the clatter of cutlery, the house was fairly quiet. Shikamaru could hear the padding of his feet clearly.

"Shikamaru-kun, you're home!" Yoshino smiled, turning away from the stove. Her long hair was pulled back into a bun and the sleeves of her shirt were rolled up. Honestly, how did she handle the heat of the kitchen when she wore winter clothes.

Shikamaru nodded at his mother and took a seat by his father. Shikaku looked up from the newspaper he was reading and smiled at his son. By the look on his face, he had no hidden agenda. Was it possible that he actually forgot about the assigning of teams?

"You better have washed your hands, young man! There is no way you are touching this food with germ infested hands!" Yoshino scolded. She placed the bowl of tempura down in the centre of the table, along with the plate of sashimi.

"Does it count if I washed my hands at the Academy?" Shikamaru tested, looking up at his mother.

The look she gave him spoke louder than words, or actions. Before the dishcloth could smack the back of his head, Shikamaru quickly moved out of his mother's firing lain and bounded up the stairs. He grabbed onto the railing to steady himself and let out a ragged sigh. So much for honesty was the best policy. Who made up that stupid saying anyway? Sometimes if people lied it was a way to spare the other's feelings. At least, that's what Kitsune yelled during that life lesson Iruka taught.

Shikamaru washed the soap suds from his hands then dried it off with the nearest towel. It was slightly damp so it must've been used by someone this morning. He tossed it into the nearest basket and left the bathroom, shaking off the left over water droplets the towel had missed.

He stepped into the kitchen again and watched as Yoshino swatted Shikaku's hand away from the steaming food. He pouted and pulled his hand back, dropping it back into his lap. He looked up at Shikamaru. "All cleaned up?"

"Yeah. You could say that," Shikamaru sighed, taking his seat again.

Yoshino raised a questioning eyebrow and opened her mouth to question his answer but instead, she shook her head and placed her hands together. Her chopsticks were pointed upward between her hands. Shikamaru and Shikaku followed suite, placing their hands together so they could begin the meal. While his mother and father had their chopsticks in their hands, Shikamaru left his by plate. It wasn't like holding them would shorten the time of breaking them apart and digging in.

"Itadakimasu," all three of them said, bowing their heads respectfully.

The meal started off quietly. Wood clicking against glass and quiet chewing. Yoshino only asked Shikaku questions, merely about his day and so forth. That conversation went on until Shikamaru was down to the last of his tempura. He was able to choke down enough for it to be considered eating but it all piled up in the centre of his throat. Part of him wondered how he hadn't puked it out yet. Each time he swallowed, he could feel the fried shrimp stretch the inside of his throat and cause his eyes to water.

Kami, he felt like dying.

"Shikamaru-kun, how did the squad assignments go? I almost forgot to ask," Yoshino chuckled, clicking her chopsticks together.

Fuck.

Shikamaru brought the fried shrimp to his mouth and quickly chomped down on it. The force of his bite caused the tip to snap off. He couldn't really spit out the pieces. Firstly, it mixed in with the tempura and secondly, if he spat it out it would be disrespectful to his mother.

He shifted the spoilt food to the corner of his mouth and pretended to swallow. Attempting to make the act look more real, Shikamaru drank down some water but almost swallowed the tempura along with it.

"Oh... It went... good. We met up with our team sensei earlier," Shikamaru answered, pushing his food around on his plate. Without knowing, Shikamaru moved his leftover crumbs and vegetables into the symbols for "Ki" and "Sa". Before his mother could notice, Shikamaru flicked it around into jumbled piles.

"Sweetie, stop messing with your food," Yoshino said sternly. She clasped her hands together and bounced excitedly in her seat. "Come on now! Tell us! Was Ino-chan and Chōji-kun just as excited?"

Oh shit, she already thought that Ino and Chōji were on his team!

Shikamaru gulped and looked up at his mother. What was he going to tell her? She didn't really like the Uchiha clan much and when they had been wiped out – well she wasn't exactly heartbroken.

Running a hand across the back of his neck, Shikamaru racked his brain for any reasonable way to gently approach the subject of his newfound squad mates. How could he put it? Hey Okaa-san, I'm on a team with the Uchiha clan lone survivor and the hyperactive Uzumaki reject! The girl not the boy. No, that seemed kind of rushed and his mother didn't handle loads of information at once. Maybe he could direct the attention away from the subject somehow...

"Umm... you see... There was a change in uhh... They decided to..." Shikamaru looked up at the ceiling, as if the answer was sprawled across the ceiling in shiny big letters. It wasn't, much to his obvious realization.

Shikaku frowned at his son and closed up the newspaper he had been reading. He placed it down on the table, ignoring Yoshino's glare. "So who's your team sensei? Anyone we might know?"

"Yūhi Kurenai? She told us she was new to being a sensei so I don't think you've heard about her," Shikamaru answered, glad he was able to answer an easy question about his new team.

"Genjutsu Mistress, Yūhi Kurenai? Only heard of her by reputation. I'm surprised you were placed on a team under her supervision if she's new to all of this. Does she seem nervous about it?" Shikaku questioned.

Nervous? A little. But Shikamaru wasn't thinking about his team sensei. In fact, she looked like she knew what to do if Kitsune acted up like the idiot she was.

Just as Shikamaru opened his mouth to comment, Yoshino beat him to it. "Well only your performance can prove if she's making a difference. Anyway, back to the topic of your teammates. How are Ino-chan and Chōji-kun taking the idea of being on a team together? Is Ino-Shika-Chō prepared to be together?"

Why was she so persistent on this? Couldn't she just leave the topic be? Couldn't she see he was uncomfortable with all this? Or maybe was she just ignoring all the signs so she could leech information from him? All these questions were making his brain scream from over thinking!

Shikamaru shifted in his seat and took a deep but ragged breath. It was now or never.

"Ummm... you see... There was a slight change in team arrangements," he nervously started. "I'm... well, you see... I'm not-"

"You're not what?" Yoshino inquired, her thin eyebrow disappearing above her hairline.

"Honey, don't rush him. He's getting to the point... rather slowly," Shikaku chuckled.

Thank Kami that Shikaku was helping to put out the fire of curiosity Yoshino had burning. Shikamaru was already nervous enough as it was.

Taking in another deep breath, Shikamaru held it in and spoke quickly. "I'm not on a team with Ino and Chōji."

There was a silence louder than any words. Shikamaru stared at his plate and wished he could spit out the food lodged in the corner of his mouth. He knew both his parents were staring at him – his mother probably wide-eyed and gaping at him, his father probably just staring with some emotion in his eyes that was undefined.

Sucking in a breath of courage, Shikamaru looked up. Sure enough, they were doing exactly as he predicted. Yoshino looked over at Shikaku then back at Shikamaru. She let out a nervous chuckle and forced a smile. Stretch marks appeared on the sides of her mouth and made her look like Naruto when he attempted to get Kitsune to buy him ramen. It was only a matter of time before that little flame she had going burst into a wildfire.

"What do you mean you're not on a team with Ino and Chōji?" Yoshino whispered.

Uh oh... When Yoshino began to say people's names without the suffix, Shikamaru knew that his mother was going to explode.

He cleared his throat. The lodged food slid down his throat and he nearly gagged. Instead, he coughed twice and pretended to make it seem natural.

"I'm not on a team with Ino and Chōji."

"Then who are you on a team with?" Shikaku asked, placing his elbow on the table. Usually Yoshino would hit him with a dishcloth for doing that but she was too focused on hearing the news.

Shikamaru glanced off to the side and ran his hand across his mouth. He mumbled softly.

Yoshino frowned. She sat up in her seat. "What was that?"

Shikamaru mumbled louder but still couldn't be heard by his parents. He didn't want to come straight out with it. His mother would have a heart attack and storm toward the Academy and ask for a recount. How did he know? She did that every time he got his test scores back.

"U..ha...uke...ma...su..."

"Speak up! Who's on your team?"

"Geez Yo-chan, no need to be so aggressive on the boy. Let him speak."

"He keeps mumbling! We should know who's on our son's team."

Shikamaru quickly grabbed his napkin and spat out the ball of chewed food and splinters. With his parents distracted, he was able to stuff it into his pocket before they could notice. He took a sip of water to clear out his mouth and coughed into his fist. Yoshino's head spun back toward him. He gulped and backed up into his seat.

"Who's on your team, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru sighed. He cleared his throat and balled his hands up into fists, his nails piercing into his palms. He was going to regret this wasn't he?

"Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Kitsune."

Another silence. Only this one was more strangling than the previous. At least with the last one he was able to breathe. Okay, the breathing was partly his fault since he was still holding his breath.

Shikamaru glanced up. His father's face remained neutral, not showing off any emotion he may have been feeling at the moment. His mother however, her face had paled considerably and the excitement in her eyes died out like a candle being blown out by the wind. Her hand lay open on the table but every few seconds, her finger would suddenly twitch. That was a bad sign... Shikamaru knew it and he was scared.

Shikaku grabbed his wife's hand and stood up. "Yo-chan, come with me for a minute."

Without argument, Yoshino rose from her seat and followed her husband. Her eyes however, were glued to Shikamaru the entire time. The two disappeared into the hallway, leaving Shikamaru by himself. He watched them exit the room and turned his attention back to his plate.

Well, this was a right fucking mess. He expected his mother's initial reaction but for some reason, he thought there'd be more yelling and possible scratching.

"We can't allow him to be near those two!"

At the sound of his mother's anguished voice, Shikamaru looked up. He couldn't see any shadows so they were probably further down the passage but with there being no noise, their voices echoed all the way back into the kitchen.

"It's not our decision, Yo-chan. The Sandaime picked them specifically to be together as a team," Shikaku replied.

"We don't have to agree with that decision! Shikamaru can't be on a team with that boy... or that... that—"

"It wasn't her fault."

Silence. Shikamaru slowly got up from his seat and edged toward the door. His parents had begun to whisper, making it difficult for him to hear in on what they were saying. He pressed himself up against the wall and craned his head to the side. In this position, he was able to hear their whispers.

"Shikaku, what will happen to Shikamaru if that oni had to lash out? He's life will be in constant danger on that team and you know it. At least with Ino and Chōji, we know he'll be safe."

"The Yondaime sealed it away. He was certain that the beast would remain tranquil within them and it hasn't harmed anyone of yet. Shikamaru will be safe."

"No, he won't! We have to—"

"We don't have to do anything. Shikamaru will be fine. If it was such a problem, then something would've happened by now. It's been twelve years and he is still the same. You're still you, I'm still me and he's still Shikamaru. Just... be supportive of his new squad."

"And what about the Uchiha? After everything he's been through... He might just snap."

"When did you become such a pessimist?"

Shikamaru frowned and pushed himself away from the wall. He was beginning to feel like he was intruding on their privacy. They left the room for a reason. But what really rattled his suspicions was this "oni" his parents spoke of. Who were they referring to? It couldn't be Sasuke. They thought that he was just a damaged sole survivor. And they thought Kurenai was a newbie and a simple genjutsu master. That only left Kitsune.

An oni? Why would they call her that? It was offensive to anyone, maybe even demons themselves. But why Kitsune? What was it they feared about her?

Shikamaru sighed at the memory. He was still trying to piece together what his parents had been talking about. Was Kitsune the oni they spoke of? And if so, then why?

Shoving the thought to the back of his mind, Shikamaru adjusted the straps on his bag and made his way to the door. He might as well get an early start toward the village gates. Knowing Kurenai, she was probably already waiting for them.

O~O

Sasuke dragged himself through the village, backpack strapped loosely over his shoulders. He had left the Uchiha compound a few minutes ago and wandered through the village aimlessly. It was still early but he decided it was better than waiting around at home. He had woken up earlier than expected and couldn't fall asleep so he just got dressed and left the compound with his backpack.

He stuffed his hand into his pocket and ran his other hand across his face. He was tired but the idea of sleep was foreign to him.

Each day started the same. He got up, did his morning routine, then went off to Team #8's meeting spot so they could get their mission briefing from Kurenai. Then after that it was just a long list of D-rank assignments.

Now that he thought about it, Kitsune mentioned that Naruto had gone off on a C-rank mission with the rest of Team #7 to escort some bridge builder. That was part of the reason Kurenai had been persistent with Hiruzen. Kitsune would not shut up about getting a higher rank mission.

At least her efforts worked.

He had to admit, being on a team with Shikamaru and Kitsune wasn't as bad as he had expected. They did what they were assigned to do, with Kitsune occasionally trying to upstage him. Other than that, he didn't mind them as much as he thought he would.

Sasuke stopped in front of a small stand and glanced at the writing sprawled across the curtains. Ichiraku Ramen. The Uzumaki twins' hideout. That was what it was labelled as since it was the one place you'd find the twins when they weren't on missions.

At the thought of the twins, Sasuke's fists clenched and he grinded his teeth together. He had to admit he was envious of their relationship. Their ecstatic faces when they were together, their habit of finishing each other's sentences, how they knew exactly what the other was thinking, their petty arguments that ended with neither admitting defeat then forgetting about the whole ordeal as if it were nothing. Their relationship wasn't like his with his brother... He knew that. They thought their relationship was built on solid concrete that not even gale force winds could break apart.

Sooner or later that concrete was going to chip.

Sasuke should've felt bad for thinking negatively of their bond but... It was something he was not fortunate enough to have anymore.

He shook his head and growled. This wasn't going anywhere.

He carried on with his walk to the village gate, stuffing both hands into his pockets. With there being no people in the streets, Sasuke was able to get to the gate quickly. Kurenai was already waiting, leaning against the large wooden gate with her arms folded across her chest. Her eyes were closed but as soon as he was about ten feet away, she looked up and opened her eyes, crimson orbs twinkling despite the dark clouds overhead.

"Ohayō gozaimasu," Kurenai greeted, her red lips curling into a smile. "An early bird, are you?"

Sasuke merely stared at his sensei before moving to stand in the middle of the gate. Who knew when Shikamaru and Kitsune would actually show up. They were probably still sleeping.

"I'm telling you that's a panda! There's no way that's a bear!"

"It's a bear. Pandas don't have such a rough build."

"It's a male panda then!"

Sasuke looked up and spotted his two squad mates making their way toward them. Kitsune was glaring at Shikamaru as she walked, hands balled up into fists. With each step, the bun atop her head bounced but shifted back into its original position. Now that Sasuke thought about it, everyone on their little team had dark hair except for Kitsune. And they were supposed to be an infiltration unit. Her hair would give them away instantly in this mission.

He could feel it.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and turned to Kurenai. "Ohayō," he nodded at Sasuke then looked back at Kitsune. "Believe what you want, Kitsune-chan. It's really not my mind."

"Are you trying to use reverse phycology against me?" Kitsune hissed, leaning forward on the balls of her feet.

Sasuke watched the two bicker over some argument that they must have started earlier. Shikamaru was calm about it and answered swiftly but with logic while Kitsune... well, it was Kitsune. She thought violence was the only way to get cattle to co-operate.

"Okay, you two. Enough with the foolishness. We have a serious task underway," Kurenai pushed he two apart and kept them at arm distance. They instantly stopped their battle and looked at their sensei with questioning eyes. She indicated for the two of them to stand beside Sasuke. Once they were in front of her, she placed a hand on her hip. "Shimo no Kuni is a four-day trek so we might need to move if we want to get to the research base in time. With there being no proper communication, we can't be sure if there is an immediate threat but it'd be best if we hurry."

Kurenai moved past them and stood just behind the line where the village cut off from the forest. The three of them stood behind her, watching her curiously and awaiting further orders.

Sasuke looked over at the other two. To his surprise, they were both looking at each other and at him as if they knew what the other was thinking. They nodded at other then looked back at Kurenai.

"We're ready when you are, Kurenai-sensei," Shikamaru spoke up first, smirking slightly.

"Just give the word," Kitsune grinned.

Kurenai turned to the side and smiled at the three. She shook her head and let out a small chuckle that reminded Sasuke of someone he knew. The reminder however, was painful and made his pulse quicken. He ignored it and listened to Kurenai give the final orders for the mission they were to go on.

They started off moving through the trees, not resorting to moving on foot until they were a far enough distance from Konoha. Thick shrubbery covered the pathway they headed down. At the speed they were going, they only had a brief amount of time to step on branches to boost their speed. Sasuke kept his eyes firmly on the pathway ahead, but would occasionally look at Kurenai to make sure that he hadn't diverted off track.

He looked over at Shikamaru and Kitsune. Were they ready to be outside of the village? It wasn't like running around in Konoha where they were monitored constantly to be safe. Now they were out of village safety where their survival depended sorely on their resolve. Ok, he was making it sound like a suicide mission but maybe it was. They were heading to a research base that was cut off from any communication.

Though it was located in Shimo no Kuni. There was a possibility that maybe a storm cut off access.

The group stopped for a short rest after reaching a circular open field surrounded by lush trees. Surprisingly enough, there was a large distance between where they were and Konoha. Maybe it was because they didn't speak much as they travelled. Kitsune only spoke when needed which was when she asked every five minutes how far they were from Shimo no Kuni.

Still a long way by Kurenai's estimation.

Once they gathered their strength and freshened up a bit, the heat made their clothes stick to them at unnecessary times, they carried on – moving by foot this time around. Sasuke adjusted his backpack tighter to his arms. As he ran, it didn't bump repeatedly into his lower back as much as he had expected. It gave him more rein to actually run faster. They were a long distance away from Konoha after half an hour. They were near the border of Otogakure but just before they reached it, Kurenai instructed them to turn in a north-westerly direction.

Sasuke felt a strange pulling as they leapt up into the trees. It wasn't the type of pull you felt when you overworked your muscles. It was in his subconscious. He slowed his momentum down and looked off to his left.

What was on that side of the world?

"Kurenai-sensei, what would we find if we went that way?" Kitsune asked, breaking the silence.

Sasuke looked at her and noticed she was pointing in the direction he had been looking. He frowned his eyebrows. Curious, he looked at Kurenai.

Their sensei glanced to the left then back at Kitsune briefly. "That would be the Valley of the End. The Ichidaime fought Uchiha Madara there years ago. It's become a landmark to shinobi all over the five great continents and a symbol of peace to people from Konoha. It shows that even great grudges such as the one the Ichidaime and Madara had can be put to rest and a truce can be settled. Come to think of it..." Kurenai stopped and balanced on a thin branch.

The three stopped and listened intently, awaiting their sensei's continued response.

She turned around, her jet black hair whipping against her face. "If they hadn't settled their differences, Konohagakure wouldn't be here today."

"What happened to Uchiha Madara?" Kitsune questioned, craning her head to the side.

Sasuke felt his hand curl into a fist. He looked down at his fist in surprise. Slowly, he took deep breaths to calm down his racing pulse. So, he was still sensitive on that topic. He really thought he had gotten over it or at the very least, adjusted to the idea of him being alone.

Not really alone...

His fist clenched again. He was never going to get over it.

"Uchiha Madara was head of the Uchiha clan before Konohagakure formed. Back then, clans fought amongst themselves to prove dominance but they still needed a leader. I guess Madara was the most worthy of that position," Kurenai stated. She looked over at Sasuke but turned back to Kitsune. He had noticed though and frowned at her actions.

Just because Madara had his surname didn't mean he knew who he was. Madara was dead long before he was born.

"What happened to him?" Kitsune sat down on the branch, crossing her legs.

Shikamaru looked down at her and let a smile spread across his lips. Sasuke turned to Kitsune and had to admit, he really could do with a bit of break. They had gone for a total of three and a half hours and the exhaustion was only kicking in at that moment.

But he refused to do anything the Uzumaki did. So he stuck with standing.

"He was defeated by Senju Hashirama. In essence, he lost to his rival and brought shame to the Uchiha clan by his weakness," Sasuke answered just as Kurenai opened her mouth. Shikamaru and Kitsune looked toward him, their eyes wide with surprise. He raised and lowered his one shoulder. "Despite the fact he helped establish the village, he wasn't able to hold out in the end."

"Their battle happened at the Valley of the End. That's why those enormous statues were built," Kurenai continued. "A reminder, basically."

"A painful one. You're basically reminding everyone of what happened on that spot and that somebody died because of it!" Kitsune exclaimed.

"It's a sign of unity, Kitsune-chan. To show that they came to a truce to form Konoha. That's a good thing," Shikamaru sighed, running a hand across his face.

"Good thing my ass! If it was such a good thing, why did they have to come to an agreement through their fists and ninjutsu? They could've settled things like men and talked things out. Instead, they battled like a bunch of self-righteous idiots and it cost them someone's life!"

In a way, Kitsune had a point. Sasuke watched as Shikamaru and Kurenai fell silent and stared at the red haired Uzumaki. Her point was clear. But even Sasuke knew the real reason things were the way they were.

The world had been enrolled in endless battles, an era of warring states. The one-village-per-country system didn't exist then. Ninja organizations were militia groups, divided by clan. In this world of constant strife, power was everything. The Uchiha Clan was known all over the world as a warrior clan with remarkable chakra and the Sharingan.

And then there was the "Senju Clan of the Forest" said to rival the Uchiha Clan in strength. Their leader, Senju Hashirama, had been the most powerful ninja of his time. Time and time again, the Uchiha and the Senju Clans battled one another. However, the endless fighting threatened to destroy both their clans. Members of both sides believed it would banded together.

And created a new organization. It was later known as Konohagakure.

But the Uchiha and Senju were always like oil and water. Unable to work together. A while after this disagreement, Madara left the village as he felt betrayed by the others. But then...

Madara challenged Konoha to battle. Or to be more specific, he challenged Hashirama to battle.

Their wills clashed in a battle to the death, one so world-shattering that it left the earth itself scarred. And then...

He lost to Hashirama.

Uchiha Madara had been defeated.

Sasuke remembered when his father told him the story. His voice had been full of discontent and indignation but he told him the story from his point of view. When Sasuke went to other clan members, they told the exact story with the same level of frustration.

It was as if they couldn't stand the idea of having been beaten by a Senju. Though it was understandable. You wouldn't want to lose to your rival; at anything for that matter. The thought caused Sasuke to look toward Kitsune. She was still pissed off about the whole confrontation between Hashirama and Madara. Hell, she looked more pissed off than his father did when he told the story.

Kurenai chuckled nervously and ran a hand through her hair. "Well, we've spent enough time dawdling. Time to get moving."

Shikamaru placed a hand against the side of his neck and craned it until a loud crack echoed. He let out a sigh of relief then yawned. "Whenever you're ready, Sensei."

"Hai, hai," Kitsune muttered, standing up. She held her arms out on either side of her to balance herself. She then dusted off any stray wood pieces on her skirt and tugged it down a bit.

And yet again, they set off.

O~O

It took them another five hours to reach the edge of the forest. The trees became increasingly scrawnier and further apart until they disappeared into wide fields and rolling grass hills. They didn't stop to rest this time around, even as the sun casted a vermillion glow over the fields.

By night-time, they reached the border shared by the Hot Water Country and the Fire Country. They set up camp in a empty patch of land unoccupied by trees or bushes. Kurenai had brought two tents with her: one for the boys and one for her and Kitsune. Luckily, there was a waterfall nearby that the four used to clean themselves up. They were all dirty from the long journey and they still had a way to go.

Kitsune looked around the large rock face that blocked view from of the waterfall. Both Sasuke and Shikamaru had finished up and that only left her and Kurenai.

But she didn't want any of them to see her when she was alone. Not even Kurenai, who was the same gender as her. Kitsune sat down on the large rock in the centre of the stream. She removed her sandals and tugged down her shorts. Her skin stung from the pressure of the waistband and as she lifted her skirt, she saw the impressions left by her pants. She was meaning to get a looser pair but she never seemed to have the time.

The leaves behind her rustled. She spun around and held her kunai firmly in her hand. Her eyes darted around for the source of the sound. The best scenario would've been to investigate in case it were an enemy but... She gazed down at her bare feet then at the white peeking out from her skirt. Her underwear peeked out from the edges of her skirt that flapped out.

Now that was definitely a sight for enemy. That would indubitably get their attention. Her lack of sex appeal.

Kitsune stripped herself of the remainder of her clothes and folded it into a neat pile, leaving it on the large boulder. Now she was left only in her sports bra and underwear. Just as she slid the left strap down, she caught sight of her reflection in the waterfall in front of her.

Her hand stilled itself on her shoulder. She stared for what seemed like a life-time. Then again, she wasn't much of a girl. Her stomach hollowed inward and revealed small traces of her ribcage. She was smaller than most girls – the long-term effects of malnutrition. Her hair was brittle and dull. Split ends covered the most part of her head but thanks to her bun, it was hardly noticeable. Her lips were cracked and dry from not bothering to look after them and her nails were long but also uneven.

Kitsune stepped into the water and walked closer to her reflection. Up close, she was able to see thin hairs sprouting from her eyebrows. There were blemishes across her forehead that her forehead protector covered up, as well as across her shoulders.

Anger swept over her. She pulled her hand back and smacked the water back roughly.

It wasn't like she was trying to impress anyone!

Kitsune roughly pulled her underclothes off and threw it onto the pile where her clothes sat. Screw looks. She yanked the elastic band off from her hair and kept it around her wrist.

The cold water woke her up and she had to force herself to hold back a high-pitched scream. She wasn't used to taking a cold shower or skinny dipping for that matter. Anything that involved her being naked outside near water was classified as skinny dipping in her books.

Sucking in a deep breath, she plunged herself into the stream. Despite the water gushing into her mouth, her scream could be faintly heard by anyone in the area. She forced herself back up, gasping and spitting out water. Well, it was another way of getting herself cleaned up.

Kitsune waded back to shore, using her hair as cover for her "vital" parts. She held onto the large boulder and looked around before grabbing her backpack. She pulled out a towel and quickly wrapped it around herself before going back to retrieve her clothes. Once she dried herself off, she pulled on a clean pair of underwear and a sports bra. She then quickly tugged on her shorts and vest then pulled her sandals on over her feet.

Tucking her clothes into her backpack, she headed back to camp. The orange glow of the campfire told her they were still awake so she was safe. Just as she reached the outskirts of the camp, she felt like she was forgetting something. She ran her fingers across her forehead.

What was it?

She looked back in the direction of the waterfall. She was certain all her clothes and items were in her backpack. Just to be safe, she rummaged through it and found that everything was indeed there. Forehead protector, medical packs, but the nagging feeling she had left something behind loomed in on her.

As she ran her fingers across her lips, she noticed the dark outline on her wrist. She glanced down at it. Her elastic band.

She ran a hand through her hair and felt the damp strands stick to her fingers. She forgot to tie her hair back up. Guess she was becoming forgetful.

Quickly tying her hair up into its usual bun, Kitsune entered the campsite. Shikamaru sat near the small fire they had going. His hands were outstretched in front of him and he would occasionally rub them together after a while. He looked up and smiled a fraction when she settled down then went back to regaining warmth.

Now that she thought about it, the air was cooler on this side of the continent. It didn't fall under Fire Country rule and was bordering the fridges of Shimo no Kuni. Kitsune dumped her backpack in hers and Kurenai's shared tent before seating herself near the fire. She held onto her knees and snuggled into them. She hadn't realized how cold it really was.

"You know, for children who pride themselves on energy, you sure don't talk that much during your free time," Kurenai chuckled as she emerged from her tent. Her hair was pulled back into a lazy plait and her bandage attire was less restraining than it normally was.

Shikamaru yawned. "We just don't feel the need to fill every silence with meaningless conversation."

"I actually like the silence... sometimes," Kitsune smiled up at her sensei.

Kurenai sat down on an uneven log and frowned at her students. "Then what do you like to do when you're alone? There must be something that strikes you as entertaining."

Entertaining? Well, Kitsune liked to read when the urge struck her but that was hardly ever. Sure, she tackled the traditional Japanese books she would come across at the public library but that was just a way for her to avoid doing her projects. She understood none of it though, it just made her feel smart that she was at least trying.

She shrugged as she looked back at her sensei. "Dunno... I do whatever when I'm bored."

"Like Testify," Shikamaru muttered, rubbing his eye with his fist.

"Testify?"

"Testify. It happened in fifth year during joined taijutsu class..." Shikamaru glared at Kitsune and his legs automatically pulled close together.

Kurenai raised and lowered her shoulders. She was obviously curious as to what Testify was. Anyone in Iruka's class knew exactly what it was and preferred not to be reminded of that dreadful day they thought that someone would inevitably die.

Shikamaru sighed and got into a comfortable sitting position. "We were assigned to have joined taijutsu class with Class A and when we had mixed class, boys and girls joined together, and it's rare for it to happen. I guess it was because we had a test week and all the marks needed to be in by the end of the week. Anyway, on that day, if I remember correctly it was a Wednesday, we all had to rush outside so they could finish the practical and so that we could go back inside and start a little bit of studying. It was the simple task of kicking or punching moving targets. It should've been simple but... there was the incident."

Kitsune noticed a dark blur move by the corner of her eye and turned her head to what it was. Sasuke moved past, dressed clad in his dark blue, high collar shirt and white shorts. He wore his shinobi gear without his kunai holster, forehead protector and those annoying arm warmers. He ran a towel through his hair. Was it seriously still wet? He was the first to go clean himself!

Ignoring him, Kitsune listened to Shikamaru.

"And what was the incident?" Kurenai chuckled. She was probably able to tell it was going to either be funny or painful.

"Kitsune kicked someone in his privates," Sasuke answered.

The three looked back at him. Shikamaru nodded in agreement and so did Kitsune, begrudgingly though. Kurenai stared wide eyed at her student. "Kitsune-chan!"

"His testicle retrieval went well, just so you know," Shikamaru said, smirking a bit.

"I still maintain the fact he kicked himself in the balls!" Kitsune answered, pouting stubbornly and crossing her arms over her chest. "He groped me in the line... He deserved what he got."

"So you admit to kicking him?" Kurenai prodded. She was trying to be serious but a tell-tale smirk was in place over her ruby lips.

Kitsune opened her mouth, but then she closed it again. She looked off to the side. It wasn't entirely her fault! Shin had been standing behind her while she waited her turn and she could hear his pathetic giggling from behind. It was just him and his friends. She had thought they were laughing about something... well, something boys would find amusing.

Never would she have realized that he was making due on a bet that had been going on since third year.

The laughing around her caused her to snap her attention away from her thoughts. Kurenai was giggling like a little schoolgirl and Shikamaru was even struggling to contain his laughter. Kitsune rubbed the back of her neck and grinned foolishly.

At least she could get them to laugh a little.

Out of mild curiosity, Kitsune looked back to see if Sasuke was at least smirking or something.

Nope, he still had his dead expression in place. In fact, he was looking at her with an incomprehensible expression that made her shift uncomfortably on the log she was seated on.

In an attempt to get to know her students better, Kurenai spoke to Shikamaru about his clan and so forth. That would take a while since Shikamaru wasn't exactly the most informative person in the world. He kept things to himself that he felt were not important to be mentioned out loud.

Kitsune watched the fire before her. The flames flickered and danced in the cold breeze. With each gush of wind, the flames threatened to be blown out. She glanced down at her hands. Shadows swam across her open palms, brief snippets of orange light making their presence known every few seconds.

The cold air made the goosebumps on her arms prickle painfully. She ran a hand across the bumpy flesh, hoping the lukewarm feeling of her hands would at least calm it down a bit. It didn't, much to her disappointment.

The time came where all four of them had to get some rest. Kitsune was grateful for the opportunity though. Her eyes felt heavy and if she didn't set a target to fall asleep by, she'd be awake the whole night, and that was the truth. It was her little version of insomnia, only not as intense as sitting in the dark waiting for the first glimpse of daylight.

Kitsune pulled back her sleeping bag and crawled inside. It was ice cold and made the hairs on her arm stand to attention.

Shivering a bit in her bag, she curled up into a tight ball and stared up at the material roof of the tent. The fire was still going outside, causing the navy material to glow a dark red. Shadows of the swaying leaves were splayed across the roof.

Kurenai stepped into the tent, ducking down to fit under the flap. Kitsune quickly shut her eyes and relaxed. She calmed her breathing so it looked natural then waited until she heard Kurenai slip into her own sleeping bag. Just to be on the safe side, Kitsune didn't move for a few minutes. She didn't want to let her sensei know she was still awake.

Once she was sure she wouldn't disturb her, Kitsune looked back. Kurenai had her back to her and was breathing steadily. Had she really fallen asleep so quickly?

Lucky. Kitsune turned back in her sleeping bag and covered her eyes with her hands. Her excitement for this mission was brimming but she needed to get some sleep or risk falling asleep while they travelled.

Think happy thoughts. Happy... happy thoughts.

What could be considered happy? Ramen, Naruto, hanging out with Hinata, mochi... no, those were just day to day tasks.

Scrunching her face up, she shut her eyes tightly and hoped she'd fall asleep soon.

"Sleep tight, Kitsune-chan. You'll need your strength," came Kurenai's gentle voice. Kitsune could hear the smile in her voice.

Kitsune glared at Kurenai's back. There wasn't much she could do now but if it were at all possible, she'd burn holes into her sleeping bag.

Kitsune closed her eyes and huffed out an annoyed breath. Sleep would take over her eventually. Eventually...

O~O

There was light everywhere. Bright, cold, piercing light. Kitsune blinked furiously, hissing at the sharpness of its glare. She covered her eyes with both hands, wishing for a few more precious minutes of shut-eye. But even through her fingers, the glare was still too strong. Did logic not make sense outside of Konoha?

She clambered out of the sleeping bag, feeling stiff in all places. Sleeping on the ground never benefited anyone.

She stretched her arms and legs, listening to the definite pop each bone produced. She yawned and stretched her mouth to its fullest. The skin on her lips stretched and she felt a warmth trickle down its cracked surface. She placed a finger to her lips and pulled back. Red liquid travelled down her finger. Blood.

Kitsune sucked on her bottom lip, tasting the iron tang and cringing. She spat it out quickly.

Gross. Blood never did much for her; in fact, she despised the fact it travelled through her body and would spot out at the smallest opening.

She cringed and continued to stretch her muscles out thoroughly. Glancing over at Kurenai's sleeping bag, she noticed it was empty and folded neatly beside her backpack.

Had she overslept?

She tugged her sandals on and pushed open the flaps to the tent. Cold air hit her as soon as she peeked her head through. Goosebumps shot up her skin. She instantly rubbed her hands over her arms and looked around.

Thick, icy layers of frost encrusted the blades of grass; letting off a bright silver shine. A light but chilling breeze swept over, blowing shrapnels of ice onto her bare arms.

Wait, ice?

Kitsune turned her attention to the piercing grey sky. It wasn't that of rain clouds that threatened to unleash an excruciating storm. Their silver and rather hollow structure gave it away that was atmospheric vapour frozen into ice crystals. However, no snow fell to the ground. The temperature of the air made it almost impossible to tell if it was going to storm or whether it was simply a morning occurrence.

"Sleep well?"

She looked up and spotted Shikamaru. He made his way toward her, adjusting his hair band tighter so that each spike was in its specific place. He only wore his mesh armour and pants, with his sandals dangling against a loose strap in his belt.

He yawned and stretched his hand into a wave. "Was wondering when you'd finally decide to wake up."

"Was I the only one still asleep?" Kitsune's eyebrows rose.

"Yeah, we didn't want to wake you since it's still pretty early but Kurenai-sensei suggested we leave soon. We still have a long way to go before we reach the research base and this cold isn't going to make it easy."

Kitsune nodded. He had a point. With the way the air blew around them, it was inevitable that one of them would complain about the cold and want to stop along the way. Possibly her.

She rubbed her hand across her arm. Examining the campsite, Kitsune wasn't able to spot Sasuke or Kurenai. "Where's Kurenai-sensei and Teme?"

Shikamaru smirked at the nickname. "Kurenai-sensei went off to send a message to the village by messenger pigeon and Sasuke went off to clean himself up, I think. We're the only ones here."

Usually Kitsune would've blushed at the idea of being alone with Shikamaru but she couldn't help but dismiss the idea. It didn't bother her. It just seemed irrelevant at the moment.

Being so far from the village made her feel uneasy. There were no ANBU or jōnin this far out and technically they were not in Fire Country territory anymore. Anything was possible when they were this far out. And shinobi weren't always liked out here.

Kitsune's stomach let out a thunderous growl. She covered her stomach up with both hands, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks. She forgot that she hadn't eaten before going to sleep.

Shikamaru smirked. Kitsune watched as his eyes moved downward and instantly felt embarrassed.

"We have some of those disgusting rations, if you have the stomach for it. But I would be cautious, Kurenai-sensei isn't a chef with instant mix," Shikamaru walked off, loosening his sandals from his belt.

Before Kitsune even had time to separate her lips, Shikamaru disappeared into his and Sasuke's shared tent. She immediately shut her mouth and allowed her gaze to drift to the small pot over their make-shift fireplace. From where she stood, she could see a creamy texture slosh around in the metal boil. And by the way it moved, Kitsune got the feeling it wasn't supposed to be so liquid-like.

She peered over into the pot once she was close enough. A large bubble brimmed forth from its substance, deciding at that very moment to explode. Kitsune dodged the hot spurt of "porridge". Maybe she could stem her hunger a bit longer.

The crunching of encrusted grass echoed behind her. She looked up. Kurenai was dressed fully in her mission gear, her untamed hair falling around her shoulders with each step. She looked up. "Oh? Kitsune-chan, you're awake?"

Kitsune nodded.

She felt more awake than she had in a while and that was surprising considering she slept on the hard floor in only a sleeping bag.

"Are we going to get moving soon?" Kitsune watched as Kurenai disappeared into the tent and then emerged carrying her backpack.

"Hai. As soon as you three get your stuff together, we'll head off in a north-easterly direction. There's still a ways to go until we get to the research base."

"Hai, hai," Kitsune mumbled, digging a finger under the elastic of her bun. Her finger scratched furiously against her scalp.

Doing as she was told, Kitsune gathered up her items and stuffed them into her backpack. Her bag bulged out in certain places due to everything she had shoved in. She took out her skirt and vest, along with her brush and another elastic band. She didn't smell so she assumed she was safe to just pull up the rest of her clothes. Once her skirt was neatly in place and her vest securely over her shirt, she removed the loose band from her bun.

She brushed the thick tangles from her hair, carefully positioning all her hair atop her head. She strapped one band onto her hair, tying it into a tight high ponytail. Then she wrapped the hair around the band in a large bun, then wrapped the second band over it to secure it.

Just as she finished strapping her forehead protector around her forehead, Kurenai's head poked in through the flap of the tent. "All packed up?"

"Just about," Kitsune flipped her fringe out from underneath her forehead protector and made sure that the Konoha insignia was visible. She bounced around on the spot for a few seconds then grinned at Kurenai. "Is Shikamaru finished?"

"No, but Sasuke is. Shikamaru went off to clean himself up a bit."

At the mention of Sasuke, Kitsune unintentionally rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.

The three of them gathered up all of their items, doing as much as they could without Shikamaru's "graceful" touch. Kitsune and Sasuke were tasked with dismantling the tents and packing them into the bags Kurenai handed to them, Kurenai cleared up the campsite for no apparent reason. It wasn't as if it was a national park that needed to be cleared up after use. Regardless, she cleaned it up a little so it appeared natural.

Once they had everything in order, Shikamaru returned from his clean-up. Completely oblivious to the now organised campsite, he simply placed his items into his backpack.

They set off in the direction of the research base, up the cliffs. Surrounding them had been a sudden upturn of land that was covered in columns of hulking ice pillars. The sudden change in temperature was enough to cause clothing to freeze up and fall to shards.

They leapt through the trees, dodging the first drops of snow. As they moved further away from the warmth and security of the Fire Country, the fall of snow increased and cascaded around them in hard clumps not common.

Kitsune sucked in a quick and deep breath, picking up the pace. She clenched her fists and tried to keep her legs moving quickly. The hard drops of snow shot into her open legs, sharp bolts of pain shooting up it.

Kurenai raised an arm and wagged two fingers forward.

They had to keep moving forward. Kitsune could see faint lights flickering in the far distance and as her eyes moved upward, she spotted a small red dot hovering in the air.

Countless drops of snow later and they finally made into a clearing of snow covered land. The four dropped down and ran through. The clearing of land moved out into a cliff. They slowed their run down and slowly made their way to the edge of the cliff. It overlooked the large research base.

It was divided into six different sections, all of which were large structures that occupied the massive space of land below them. The four corner structures were triple-storied, L-shaped buildings while the two centre structures were simple rectangles linked together by a bridge in between. Around the entire base was a large electric fence. From where they stood, the fence was made of a highly conductive material that would zap the very life out of them.

Kitsune looked at the tall control tower that towered over the base and over them. Through the dark clouds, a red orb of light made its presence known but faded in and out of view due to the angry clouds blocking its rays.

The snow crunched beside her. She turned her head to the side and stared at Shikamaru. His expression was serious as he stared at the base.

"I've got a bad feeling about this."

"You're telling me. This place is in the middle of nowhere, there's wolf piss burning through the snow as we speak and I get the sneaking suspicious that tower is going to fall," Kitsune pointed at the control tower with a quivering finger.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes but then they wandered to the slightly yellow snow beside him. He instantly stepped away.

"It's too quiet. If the base was cut off accidently, someone would've tried to do something about it by now," Sasuke spoke up, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Kitsune examined the area they stood at. Something thick and grey caught her attention. Something that was linked around the iced mountain side. She moved toward it and crouched down. Carefully, she wiped the clumps of snow off.

Beneath the snow was a thick cable that ran all the way down the mountain and possibly into the base itself. She grabbed onto it and lifted it up slightly. It was firmly in place. She looked back at Kurenai. "Well, animals certainly didn't come here."

Kurenai nodded and folded her arms over her chest. Her thin eyebrows stitched together in between her eyes. "You're probably right, Shikamaru. Something's not right here and I get the feeling these scientists are caught right in the middle of it," she turned to her three students, nodding her head determinedly.

"Let's go."