Prologue
The wind tore into his face. He drew his hood further around his face.
Sajuna regretted taking this mission, and not for the first time. He walked further across the bridge towards his comrades. ‘C’mon, hurry up Sajuna!’ called Gasuke. ‘I’m gettin’ old over here.’
‘Hmmp. It’s not like you’re so fast!’ Sajuna crossed the bridge and reached them. ‘Come on, we have to return to the village quickly. I have a new mission, once we get back,’ said the squad leader, Nara Shikamaru. ‘Alright, Shikamaru,’ Sajuna said, annoyed. ‘Let’s go.’ They sped off through the trees.
‘So, how did the mission go?’ asked Lord Hokage. ‘It went great, Lady Tsunade!’ Sajuna said happily. ‘Hmmp. I think we should ask the Team Leader first. Well, Shikamaru?’
‘The mission was a success. Here’s the report, Lady Hokage.’ Shikamaru handed her a brown file. ‘Thank you.’ She tucked the document into a drawer. ‘Now, Shikamaru, I want you back here within two hours. I’ll then explain the outline of your next mission. Sajuna, you and Gasuke have a new mission tomorrow. I need you here at 8 o’clock sharp!’
‘Yes, Lady Hokage!’ said Sajuna and Gasuke simultaneously. Shikamaru turned to leave. ‘See you in a few hours, Lady Hokage.’ He walked across the room, opened the door and left. Sajuna and Gasuke followed.
Sajuna walked through the streets of Konohagakure. The sun burned up over the horizon and spread scarlet light over the village. It was still quite early, so few people were awake.
Sajuna neared the office of the Hokage. Gasuke approached from the other side. ‘Wow!’ exclaimed Sajuna. ‘I’m surprised you actually got out of bed.’ ‘Shut up!’ Gasuke replied angrily, grabbing Sajuna in a headlock.
‘Cut it out!’ laughed Sajuna. He elbowed Gasuke in the stomach, and he let go abruptly. They both laughed. ‘WOULD YOU BOTH JUST SHUT UP!?’ Sajuna and Gasuke jumped out of their skins. ‘Get in here, will you?’ yelled Tsunade. Sajuna and Gasuke opened the door and rushed in. ‘Sorry, Lady Hokage,’ said Gasuke.
‘That doesn’t matter now,’ said the Hokage. ‘Now, your mission. It is a B-Ranked Mission, and it is an escort for a Sunagakure ninja, who is Genin Level. The mission is to escort him back to Sunagakure, but there will be several Chunin Level Ninja attempting to assassinate him. You must not allow that to happen! I think this is him coming now...’
A young boy entered the room. He looked around the age of 13 and was quite tall. He had a Sunagakure Forehead Protector around his forehead and carried a sword over his back. ‘So... These are the chumps who are escorting me?’
‘You little,’ Gasuke lunged at him angrily. ‘Stop it!’ said Sajuna, grabbing him at the back of the collar. ‘If you kill him, we’ll fail the mission.’ The boy snorted. ‘There’s no way you could kill me! You’d both be dead before you even scratched my forehead protector!’ What a cheeky little git, thought Sajuna. Still, he’s our client.
‘Sajuna. Gasuke,’ said the Hokage. ‘This is our client; Kiju. You are to protect him at all costs! I am afraid I cannot enclose with you any more information, but I am sure you grasp the concept of the mission. Correct?’ ‘Yes!’ answered both Sajuna and Gasuke, the latter rather reluctantly.
‘I do have one question though, Hokage,’ said Sajuna. ‘And that is?’ asked Tsunade. ‘Well, will it be only Chunin we will meet?’ The Fifth Hokage closed her eyes. ‘I am not too sure. They will most definitely send Chunin, but I am at a loss to whether they will send Jonin or not,’ answered the Hokage. ‘But either way, I want you to be extremely careful. Is everything clear?’
‘Yes,’ replied Gasuke and Sajuna. ‘I will expect you out of the village within the hour. Now, go!’
The wind tore into his face. He drew his hood further around his face.
Sajuna regretted taking this mission, and not for the first time. He walked further across the bridge towards his comrades. ‘C’mon, hurry up Sajuna!’ called Gasuke. ‘I’m gettin’ old over here.’
‘Hmmp. It’s not like you’re so fast!’ Sajuna crossed the bridge and reached them. ‘Come on, we have to return to the village quickly. I have a new mission, once we get back,’ said the squad leader, Nara Shikamaru. ‘Alright, Shikamaru,’ Sajuna said, annoyed. ‘Let’s go.’ They sped off through the trees.
‘So, how did the mission go?’ asked Lord Hokage. ‘It went great, Lady Tsunade!’ Sajuna said happily. ‘Hmmp. I think we should ask the Team Leader first. Well, Shikamaru?’
‘The mission was a success. Here’s the report, Lady Hokage.’ Shikamaru handed her a brown file. ‘Thank you.’ She tucked the document into a drawer. ‘Now, Shikamaru, I want you back here within two hours. I’ll then explain the outline of your next mission. Sajuna, you and Gasuke have a new mission tomorrow. I need you here at 8 o’clock sharp!’
‘Yes, Lady Hokage!’ said Sajuna and Gasuke simultaneously. Shikamaru turned to leave. ‘See you in a few hours, Lady Hokage.’ He walked across the room, opened the door and left. Sajuna and Gasuke followed.
Sajuna walked through the streets of Konohagakure. The sun burned up over the horizon and spread scarlet light over the village. It was still quite early, so few people were awake.
Sajuna neared the office of the Hokage. Gasuke approached from the other side. ‘Wow!’ exclaimed Sajuna. ‘I’m surprised you actually got out of bed.’ ‘Shut up!’ Gasuke replied angrily, grabbing Sajuna in a headlock.
‘Cut it out!’ laughed Sajuna. He elbowed Gasuke in the stomach, and he let go abruptly. They both laughed. ‘WOULD YOU BOTH JUST SHUT UP!?’ Sajuna and Gasuke jumped out of their skins. ‘Get in here, will you?’ yelled Tsunade. Sajuna and Gasuke opened the door and rushed in. ‘Sorry, Lady Hokage,’ said Gasuke.
‘That doesn’t matter now,’ said the Hokage. ‘Now, your mission. It is a B-Ranked Mission, and it is an escort for a Sunagakure ninja, who is Genin Level. The mission is to escort him back to Sunagakure, but there will be several Chunin Level Ninja attempting to assassinate him. You must not allow that to happen! I think this is him coming now...’
A young boy entered the room. He looked around the age of 13 and was quite tall. He had a Sunagakure Forehead Protector around his forehead and carried a sword over his back. ‘So... These are the chumps who are escorting me?’
‘You little,’ Gasuke lunged at him angrily. ‘Stop it!’ said Sajuna, grabbing him at the back of the collar. ‘If you kill him, we’ll fail the mission.’ The boy snorted. ‘There’s no way you could kill me! You’d both be dead before you even scratched my forehead protector!’ What a cheeky little git, thought Sajuna. Still, he’s our client.
‘Sajuna. Gasuke,’ said the Hokage. ‘This is our client; Kiju. You are to protect him at all costs! I am afraid I cannot enclose with you any more information, but I am sure you grasp the concept of the mission. Correct?’ ‘Yes!’ answered both Sajuna and Gasuke, the latter rather reluctantly.
‘I do have one question though, Hokage,’ said Sajuna. ‘And that is?’ asked Tsunade. ‘Well, will it be only Chunin we will meet?’ The Fifth Hokage closed her eyes. ‘I am not too sure. They will most definitely send Chunin, but I am at a loss to whether they will send Jonin or not,’ answered the Hokage. ‘But either way, I want you to be extremely careful. Is everything clear?’
‘Yes,’ replied Gasuke and Sajuna. ‘I will expect you out of the village within the hour. Now, go!’
