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Over the next couple of days, the team had done a few missions and training sessions together. Today, they had completed retrieving the pet cat Tora that belonged to a daimyo's wife. The hokage was just about to assign them another D-mission that involved mundane labor intensive tasks when Naruto decided to tell him off instead.
Naruto~No, no, no!!! There is no way I'm going on another bullshit mission!
Ravi shrugged in agreement. Ann rolled her eyes.
Ann~Yeah, cuz you can't do anything right…
Sasuke~I'm tired of these missions too...
Sakura~Of course...Complain, complain
Kakashi~At least one of them finally said something about the missions...I was starting to get bored of Naruto mistakes. They were getting predictable.
Iruka~You idiots! You're still only rookies!
Naruto~But these missions are crappier than crap!
Hiruzen started to lecture them on how missions are distributed among the ninjas. When he looked up, Naruto was explaining ramen facts to the team.
Hiruzen~Are you even listening?!
Naruto~All you do is lecture us! I'm not a trouble-making brat anymore! I already get yelled at by my team for all of that anyway!
The hokage sighed, looking over potential C-missions within their skill level. Then he stopped at an escort to the Waves Country.
Hiruzen~Hmmm...Ann...
He motioned her over and turned towards her with a scroll.
Naruto~What do you think they're talking about?
Ravi~Probably something that happened.
Naruto stared at Kakashi, but the man shrugged.
Kakashi~I haven't angered her this week.

Hiruzen~Would you like to go?
Ann~And I can go see him?
Hiruzen~So long as it doesn't interfere with the mission. You still need to report to Kakashi.
He handed her two scrolls, one being for Kakashi. She tossed Kakashi’s scroll at him as she came back and pocketed her scroll at the same time.
Ravi~What did he need you for?
Ann~Nothing important.
Sakura~So, what's our mission?
Kakashi looked up from reading the scroll.
Kakashi~You don't really expect them to handle this, do you?
Hiruzen~What's wrong with an escort? I think it’ll be a good challenge within everyone’s capabilities. Bring the client in.
The door opened and a seemingly drunk man walked in holding a bottle of sake.
Tazuna~What’s this? Do you really expect me to believe that these brats are ninjas? What do these people take me for?
He looked at each of them and paused at Naruto.
Tazuna~The short blond can’t possibly be a ninja. He looks like a dumbass.
Naruto~Eh? So who's the short blond?
He soon realized that it was him, and Kakashi had to restrain him
Naruto~I'll kill that geezer!
Kakashi~There's no point in killing the person you're trying to protect. It doesn't work like that.

They regrouped at the village gates, and the bridge builder properly introduced himself at that time as well as the genin.
Naruto~Alright! Let's do this!
Tazuna~Is this mission that great?
They started walking
Naruto~Well, yeah. I’ve never been out of the village gates before.
Ann~It isn’t that big of a deal.
Ravi~You’ve been out here? Where did you go?
Ann~Just around the wall when Lord Hokage took me a few times when I skipped school. They don’t need to know I traveled here.
Naruto~What?! I got detention when I skipped classes.
Ann~But I didn't vandalize anything and then signed it with my full name.
Naruto~You don’t even have a full name!
Ann punched him, making him call out and Ravi snicker.
Sasuke scoffed~You deserved that, dobe.
Tazuna~Are they even reliable?
Kakashi~I'm a jounin, so don't worry.
Ann and Ravi hit him. He sighed and shook his head as they continued on.

Their traveling was mostly silent, with a random conversation thrown in as Naruto took in the sights. They all eventually fell into a comfortable walking arrangement, with Ann in the back of the group, slightly behind Kakashi.
Kakashi~Ann, I hope you don't plan on sneaking off.
Ann~No, sensei. I just like being able to see everyone.
Ravi~Why is that?
She was on Ann’s other side, but further in front.
Ann~It's just one of those things. Like how I like walking to the left of someone.
Naruto~We’re going to Wave Country, right? Does it have ninja's?
Sakura~Not every country has a ninja village, Naruto. That’s why we have missions that take us out of the village.
Naruto~Wow, Sakura! You’re so smart!
Ann~They taught us that in the academy…
Naruto was going to say something, but pouted instead.
Naruto~If I argue with her, she’ll hit me again, or Ravi will if she’s closer…
Sasuke~How long will it take us to get there?
Kakashi~It depends on how inconvenienced we get. Could be a few days, could be over a week.
Ann~So…five days give or take?
Kakashi~That’s reasonable. I wonder if that estimate is from experience or if she’s able to calculate those metrics.

Some hours later, they approached a puddle. Ravi tried to run ahead to jump into it, but Sasuke pulled her back.
Sasuke~You know you can’t do that unless it’s raining.
Ravi~Come on, Aniki isn’t even here!
Sakura~Do you really want to walk around in wet clothes though?
Ravi~Oh…Yeah, you’re right.
Ann quietly nudged Kakashi. He hummed in response so Ann spoke quietly.
Ann~We haven’t passed anyone, right? It’s also summer.
Kakashi~You’re over thinking it, Ann. It’s fine. So she clocked how odd it was, too. Where did she learn this from? The academy doesn't cover that kind of analysis. What else can she do?…
Just moments after passing the puddle, two ninjas emerged from it. They quickly threw their chains and constricted Kakashi, then pulled to slice him apart. They disappeared and reappeared again just behind Naruto, readying an attack.
In that moment before they swung, Ann made eye contact with the both of them, and they recognized each other. Meizu’s eyes widened for a moment before his attention was pulled away because of Sasuke pinning the chain to the tree. As Naruto stared in fear and awe, Sasuke kicked the Demon Brothers away.
The twins separated from the chain and each other before targeting Naruto again and also the bridge builder. Ann went to the closer of the two and floored him, pulling his arm up his back and stepping on the gauntlet to pin it to the ground. With how she was to keep him down, she was able to whisper in his ear without alerting Sasuke or Naruto.
Ann~Tapping out won't help like last time.
Meizu~It is the brat. And there's no way to tell the boss.
Ann looked up when Kakashi spoke. She saw that Gozu was unconscious under his arm.
Kakashi~Sakura, Ravi, good job protecting Tazuna. You reacted accordingly to the threat. Ravi, come with me.
Kakashi approached Ann and the boys with Ravi at his side.
Kakashi~Good work Ann, Sasuke. Naruto, I'm sorry I didn't come to you first. I didn't expect you to freeze like that.
He dropped the ex-Mist nin and took out some rope, handing it to Ravi.
Kakashi~Ravi, Ann, do your thing while I look over Naruto. That tree there is a good spot.
All through this, Naruto was reflecting over his lack of performance compared to the others.
Sasuke~Naruto, you aren't hurt, right, scaredy cat?
Naruto~Sasuke!
Kakashi~Naruto! Don't move. They poison their weapons. You'll die faster if you move.
He looked back at Ann as she hadn't moved yet.
Kakashi~You should have incapacitated him already, Ann.
Ann~You're right.
Meizu~Wait–!
With her free hand, she bashed the side of his head, knocking him out with a single blow.
Kakashi~I…*groans* Ann…
Ann~I did as instructed.
Kakashi~You did. But you did that with no pushback and no hesitation. I don't like that combo.

Ann and Ravi restrained the Demon Brothers with ease. They regained consciousness shortly after being tied up. Ravi sat with the rest of the team, but Ann stayed crouched near the twins, almost inspecting them.
Ann~What are we gonna do with these two Mist nins? The Mist is…blood thirsty, after all.
Kakashi eyed her.
Kakashi~Oh? How did you know?
Ann~Ninjas need to be observant, sensei. Their forehead protectors have the Mist insignia. And their politics…it’s not like the Leaf.
They glared at her. Ann glared back, daring them to out her.
Gozu~How did you detect our ambush?
Kakashi~A puddle during a drought and lack of other travelers. You made it so easy even a genin noticed.
Ann~You make it sound like I’m stupid. Fix it.
Kakashi~No.
Tazuna~Hey, if you knew that, then why did you let these brats take care of them?
Kakashi~If I took care of them right off the bat, then I wouldn’t have learned who they were after.
Tazuna~What’s that supposed to mean, huh?
Kakashi~Targeting other ninjas or targeting you makes a difference. If it was you, it means you lied about what level of protection you needed. Ninjas targeting you makes this at least a B-rank mission and a higher fee. I’m sure you have your reasons, but this is well beyond the scope of what was assigned to us.
Sakura~That means we need to return to the village, right? We need to take Naruto to a doctor as quickly as possible.
Kakashi~Yeah, we probably should. If we don’t take care of it soon, it will become a problem.
Naruto~No! I’m not weak! I can keep up with everyone else!
He pulled out a kunai and stabbed himself. While he went on about how much he did for his own training and the others fussed over his injury, Ann took a moment to quietly speak with the twins.
Ann~Are Zabuza and Haku still with you?
Gozu~Should be nearby. You’ve integrated.
Meizu~And never changed, brat.
Ann bopped him in the nose and turned back to join the rest of the group. Kakashi eyed her again.
Kakashi~What happened?
Ann~He called me a name I didn’t appreciate. Apparently getting floored by me wasn’t enough.
Tazuna~That’s not normal in children, right?
Ann gave him a side eye that made him flinch.
Tazuna~Nevermind…That glare made me fear for my life. What is this child?