Chapter 5:
An elderly man wearing a straw hat and glasses walked into the room. He wore a somewhat plain grey outfit that seemed to say commoner all over it. In one hand was a nearly empty bottle of something, and judging by how he was swaying a bit it was alcohol.
“This is Tazuna, Team Seven you will escort him to Wave country. Once there you will act as bodyguards to him while he completes a bridge that would connect wave country to the border of the land of fire.”
“Eh, why am I getting a team of pipsqueaks? I paid for protection against bandits after all and that short blonde girl doesn’t look like she could win a fight without a ladder” he stated, clearly wanting to aggravate the little girl.
“… Why you” was all Nami managed to say before Sakura covered her mouth and held the small girl back
The Hokage looked at the man then motioned for Kakashi to say something.
“My students are all full fledged ninja, and I myself am a Jonin. As this is a C-rank mission where you only need protection from bandits I alone would be able to ensure your safety.” Kakashi explained, while making one of his monocular smiles. However he secretly kept his attention on the bridge builder and noticed he seemed like he was holding something back.
Sakura bowed to the Hokage, while still restraining Nami. Sasuke gave a simple nod. Nami kept struggling to get loose and Kakashi remained silent.
“Alright team seven meet at the gates at 7AM sharp.” he then looked at Kakashi and said “You should arrive at my office at 5AM” while his mind knew this meant in Kakashi time that he should expect the Jonin at 7 and hoped the team expected to leave at 9.
The bridge builder left first, Kakashi bowed to the Hokage, then pulled out his orange book and dissipeared in the swirl of leaves. Sakura released the fuming Nami and Sasuke just shook his head and left.
The now freed blonde looked at Iruka and asked “So aside from failing the mission if he dies would there be any other consequences?” She then left without waiting for the answer.
Iruka just shook his head at the girl and the Hokage smiled a bit letting out a small chuckle.

Nami arrived at the gates an hour before everyone was supposed to meet. She looked around at the gates excited. After the first ten minutes she was completely bored. It wasn’t that she was bored with being outside the village; no she was bored with being forced to stand still. She eventually looked around then shook her head and hid her backpack in some bushes. She had clearly packed too much and she knew she wouldn’t want to have to carry that back through town.
She instead walked back and saw Ichiraku Ramen wasn’t open yet. She clearly needed to do something to pass the time and eventually she walked towards the nearest training area. When she arrived she saw two men in matching green spandex outfits that luckily were loose in all the right places.
She started to leave when she saw the boy performing a spinning kick that knocked a training log out of the ground and 20 feet into the air. She watched with awe and to her displeasure was noticed by the man who she believed could be his father.
“Young Miss?” the taller man asked. When she looked over he waved her to come over and she reluctantly decided to join them after realizing she didn’t have anything better to do.
The man introduced himself and his student. She was surprised to find out that he was Kakashi’s rival. He seemed the exact opposite of her sensei; he was early to each training session. Put hours of effort into everything and most importantly he actually was teaching a student.
“My eternal rival’s student would always be welcome to join us for morning trainings. I am surprised my Rival gave his team a C-rank mission so soon though. Lee’s team only received a C-rank once they proved the youthful teamwork to me.”
Lee nodded at his sensei’s words. “Gai-sensei perhaps your rival wishes to have his students outshine us.”
The girl’s mind quickly remembered her prankster instincts and grinned. “I bet Kakashi’s hip young training methods wouldn’t be outshined by yours”
Gai considered this then looked at the girl and smiled with a shine to his teeth that seemed to blind her. “I’ll take you on that challenge… If I can’t teach you more then Kakashi taught you so far by today then I’ll train you each morning that I train Lee!” the man exclaimed. She only managed to remain impartial looking considering he had already said she could join them for trainings, but then again with her experience with teachers they only seemed to yell at you when you messed up. So why did people need teachers she began to wonder.

‘Score’ was the only thought that went through her mind when she realized he was actually correcting her without anger, however by the time she was supposed to leave for their mission her body was hating her for the effort..
“Well it’s been great training with you, but Kakashi sensei was supposed to be at the gates by 7.”
“But my youthful sunflower” Nami resisted the urge to shudder upon hearing his nickname for her ”Kakashi-sensei is always exactly two hours late to every meeting” replied Lee showing his extensive notes, in a little book he had, on the subject from all the times Gai and Kakashi faced each other.
“Oh joy, then we can train more” she said, shuddering a bit.

When 8:30 came Lee and Gai had to depart to meet with their team, much to her joy. She was extremely surprised however when Lee gave her his orange legwarmers. Revealing they were weighted. “Since I will not see you again till after your mission I give you these to remember me by” Lee shouted and before she could protest lee dissipeared in a blurr.
“My student has taken quite a liking to you oh pretty sunflower of youth. I see you seemed to improve your Taijutsu immensely and lee enjoys your company. As I said you’re always welcome to join the youthful members of Team Gai for training. Also keep those weights; they are too light to improve lee’s strength anymore. I believe he will have to use Chakara weights soon.” the man explained. She nodded graciously and left.
She stopped at Ichiraku, having to stand because the weights were too heavy for her to sit on one of the stools. She picked up a bowl to go then went to wait with her team. Sakura and Sasuke glared at her and were taken by surprise when she pulled her pack out of the bushes and sat down against the gate to finish her Ramen.
“I think you should pack lighter Nami” Kakashi said as he walked to the gate, nearly twenty minutes after she returned.
She rubbed the back of her head and he just sighed. He then looked at her legs and noticed the new leg warmers and glanced at her. “Did a man in green give those to you?” he asked.
She nodded “I met Gai sensei and his student gave them to me” she exclaimed.
Kakashi shook his head and removed some of the weights for her. Put the remaining ones in a scroll then decided it would save time sealed her whole bag in one as well. He put them both in his bag, keeping them separate from the scrolls that had all the supplies he had brought then handed them to her. “You’ll carry my bag so I prove I’m not picking favorites.”
She nodded and they set off.

Sakura looked at Kakashi a few hours after they had been walking and asked why Tauna didn’t go to his own country’s ninja village. Kakashi began reciting what Minato sensei told Rin when she had asked the same question. He then explained the significance of the rank of Kage to which he saw Nami’s interest peak. However after the explanation he noticed their expressions subtly change and yelled “Hey you all just doubted Lord Hokage didn’t you?” to which Nami and Sakura shook their heads and Sasuke ignored the question.
After another mile Nami had fallen behind again, but he noted that it seemed to be happening less and less as the day went on. He assumed her prisoner was having trouble repairing the injuries he knew she should have had if she sparred with one of Maito Gai’s students. He kept his mouth shut aside from telling her to pick up her pace whenever she fell behind. As much as he hated to admit Gai had the right idea considering her Bunshin relied almost entirely on her Taijutsu skills, although he knew that that was only due to her lack of other combat Ninjutsu.
His thoughts were quickly brought to the mission when he noticed a pair of puddles on the ground. It was clearly a poorly thought out genjutsu but he choose to act like he didn’t notice and kept walking. He had sensed the two Nin earlier and while worried he had to wait them out.
Right as the two puddles began to shift Nami ran over the tops of each of them, and he was surprised to see two ninja pass out from blows to the head.
Nami however was more shocked. She began to panic and looked around apologizing and stating she hadn’t seen them. Kakashi struggled not to laugh while Sasuke and Sakura looked at the two Nin in shock.
“Where did they come from?” was the surprisingly wordy question from Sasuke.
“They were hiding in a poor genjutsu.” Kakashi said manner of factly. “I’m surprised none of you noticed it.”
Saskue quickly returned to his normal silence. But then Sakura asked “Nami how did you knock them out like that?”
The blonde girl blushed and said “Well last time I fell behind it was because I wanted to add some weights since I had adjusted to these already” Kakashi knew the reason behind this and was less then surprised, but the looks her teammates gave her were priceless.  “So after I unsealed them I then realized I have no idea how to re-seal them in a scroll” she admitted blushing. With that statement it was Kakashi’s turn to be dumbstruck, but he had to admit he didn’t exactly explain how to seal things for her.
During this time the two now enraged demon brothers had recovered and Kakashi’s momentary distraction as the cue to attack. He barely managed to substitute himself with a log before their bladed chain reduced ‘him’ to bloody chunks but he had to make sure of his and the Hokage’s hunch.

Sakura and Nami froze. Sasuke was momentarily stunned the three genin quickly had to react. Sasuke threw a shuriken to catch their chain as they went to attack Nami. He then threw a Kunai to help hold the chain in place. He then charged them and attacked with a basic taijutsu. Nami began to recover and followed suit while Sakura stayed with Tazuna. Nami punched and kicked something inside her forcing her to move through her fear.  She attempted something Gai showed her, instead of a satisfying hit however she was met with severe pain as the Nin released his link to the chain and cut her hand with his claw. The pain caused her to freeze up again and she waited for the finishing hit. Only it didn’t come. When she looked around she saw both Nin incapacitated by Kakashi-sensei, much to her relief. Insult was added to injury when Kakashi scolded her for freezing up, and at the same time he seemed to praise Sasuke for holding his own right until the other brother rushed Tazuna.

Kakashi demanded Tazuna explain himself and he did. The team bought into his attempt of inciting Guilt in them and the three of them all agreed they should keep going. Nami had drained the poision from her wound in a somewhat brash way and with Sakura and Kakashi’s help was able to bandage it properly, although she knew it would be healed by the time the made camp.
Overall the rest of the trip was uneventful until they were on the final stretch before Tazuna’s village. Nami felt something following them in the brush and threw a Kunai into the bushes. They went to investigate and all they found was a white rabbit.
Kakashi quickly realized the meaning of the white fur and yelled “Everyone get down!”