Caged Birds Lullaby

chapter 13

Finally, out of the village! This is going to be so COOL, dattebayo!

Naruto skipped, grinning hugely, clapping her hands together.

"Are you sure this squirt is a real ninja.." wondered Tazuna with a eerie disbelief.

"Yes, Tazuna-san, she is just…excited", reassured the one-eyed jounin, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Of course she would, thought Kakashi, this is her first time out of Konoha, anyone would be curious.

Sasuke, who was walking at the front, along with the client and Sakura, just 'hn'-ed. The dobe really was getting on his nerves with her constant happy denominor, and her jumping up and down, and her endless chattering…

She should be more serious. This was a mission, not a playground.

Unknowingly, Naruto was thinking along the same lines, but she still couldn't help it. She just loved being outside, it WAS her first time, after all! She wanted to know and see everything! But even so, she kept her senses in alert. It wouldn't be good if something happened while she was daydreaming, ttebayo!

But her cheerfulness hid something. And only Kakashi noticed, having watched over her when she was little. He knew all her quirks. He knew which smile was genuine, from her heard, and which was a simple mask to hide behind.

Today's act had its purpose. She was extremely nervous. Maybe the girl didn't realize it yet, but Hatake Kakasi did. She was a sensory type, and could always tell if there was danger or some foul chakra around. He had witnessed it himself a few times when she was just a toddler and had a few assassination attempts from Kumo.

She would call it gut instinct. He would call it 'something weird that probably has to do with Kyuubi's chakra'. Kushina could feel danger too.

If Naruto was nervous, this meant one thing. Something was going to go wrong. His eyes roamed the surroundings.

He would have to be careful. If this mission was more dangerous then it was first presented as..

His eyes narrowed at the bridge builder, who was looking around, shivering slightly.

..He would never let anything happen to his students. They were his new family now. And he would be damned if anyone of them died on their first C-rank.

Narto whirled the bracelet around her wrist in anxiety. Something was off, but she couldn't place her finger at what exactly. She shook her head. Maybe she was just paranoid.

Her eyes rested on the white leather again.

She smiled softly.

Neji…

"Tazuna san, what is , Nam no Kuni like?", asked Sakura, hands behind her back, grinning. Naruto looked over to them in interest.

The old man smiled proudly and waving his arms around, declared that Nami no Kuni was a very beautiful place.

"As the name says, its hidden in waves! Some of the elders say it rivals the beauty of former Uzushiogakure no Sato!"

Kakashi paled and looked sideways at his youngest student. She was listening intently with mild interest.

Seems she didn't realize that Uzumaki and Uzushiogakure can have something in common. She can be rather bright at situations, but she is also very dense..

He sweatdropped and buried his nose in his Icha-Icha.

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei, are there any ninja in Nami?"

Sakura was full of questions. Seems like Naruto wasn't the only one who was out of Konoha for the first time in her life.

She smirked.