Unbreakable (Book 1) #Wattys2015

Speechless- Katsu

Katsu met Naruto on the bridge adjoining both banks of the river that wound through the village. The river was wide enough that several lampposts lined the bridge, recently shut off due to the rising sun.

Although Katsu didn't know much about the Uzumaki boy, she knew he was seventeen just like her. Although being around him unnerved many people because of the beast sealed inside him, Katsu herself was excited at the prospect of working with Naruto. Could she learn new things from him? What if he could even teach her the legendary Rasengan?

"Hello, Katsu!" he exclaimed and ran over to her, waving excitedly, a huge grin plastered to his face.

She smiled in return. "Good morning, Naruto. Where is Kakashi Sensei?" Although she and Kakashi were now both Jonin, Kakashi was the leader of the mission they were about to embark on and was assigned to be Katsu's temporary sensei. As a temporary sensei, his job was to help her adapt to life as a Jonin.

Naruto's childish face expression immediately turned an angry kind of annoyed. "Late again!" he exclaimed in answer, throwing his arms up into the air. "The first thing you need to learn about our squad, Katsu, is that our sensei is always  late!"

"Only because I got lost on the path of life," came a soothing voice from behind them. When Katsu turned, she found the Copycat Ninja perched on the railing of the bridge, his right hand raised in a friendly salute. "Hello, you two," he greeted and hopped down next to them. "Are we all set to depart?"

Katsu nodded her head, as did Naruto. "I've been ready for a hours now!" the blonde boy exclaimed in irritation.

"Great," Kakashi said, his uncovered eye squinting in a smile. Or at least Katsu thought it was a smile. He wore a mask that covered the lower half of his face, his sharingan eye also covered due to his slanted headband. Although she didn't know the sensei's exact age, Katsu knew he was a few years over twenty. "Let's get to it then," he said, heading in the direction of the village's exit.

Katsu and Naruto followed him in silence. If she had to be honest, Katsu thought the older Jonin was quite handsome. His messy, white hair stuck up from his head in every direction. The slightest rose shading briefly colored Katsu's pale cheeks as she observed this. She immediately changed her train of thought. She would have to remain focused on this mission. If she ever wanted to achieve her secret dream, then she would have to first succeed in being a fantastic Jonin. And that meant she had to succeed in every mission that was thrown at her. Starting with this one.

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When they all reached the very border of the village, Kakashi turned to face them, his hands on his hips. "Say your goodbyes while you can, you two," he said, gazing at the buildings of their home. "No one knows for certain how long we'll be gone. Hopefully no more than a week."

Katsu turned and ran her eyes over the village. Her home. I'll be back, she thought with confidence as she did before every mission. After all, this was  only one mission of many to come.

"Are you alright?" came Kakashi's voice, now directly next to her. Katsu hadn't even seen him move.

"Oh," she said, sounding slightly sheepish. "Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Kakashi tilted his head to the side, curiously. "You look awfully tired," he observed.

"Oh," she said again. "Just a bit of late night reading," she lied, impulsively.

Surprisingly he didn't catch it, or just decided to drop the subject, and nodded without taking his eyes off her. "You should take an energy pill," he advised, offering her one. The small blue capsule rested in the palm of his gloved hand. "You'll need it."