The Wolf Inside - A Naruto Fanfic - Watty Award Winner 2013

Chapter 63

Third Person's POV

Kakashi peers over the top of the book he is reading and watches the backs of his three Genin, smiling to himself in morbid amusement, as they trudge through the gates of the Leaf Village wearily. If he didn't know any better, Kakashi could've mistaken his young team members for stray zombies, the way they shuffled along as if they had no will to live.

"Argh!" Naruto finally shouts, abruptly coming to a halt and throwing his head back, hands running back and forth through his hair. "I can't take it anymore! What's with these lame missions we've been getting lately?!"

Sakura, her arms and shoulders drooping, heaves a deep sigh and stops beside Naruto, with Sasuke nodding his head in agreement behind them.

He didn't want to voice his agreement with Naruto out loud, but the blonde idiot was right. Their missions had sucked as of late.

Team Seven had faced off against dangerous foes such as Zabuza Momochi and Orochimaru, and yet today, they had been sent to a farm to mend fences and do other boring chores.

It didn't make sense.

"It's like we're being punished or something......" Sakura complains, blowing at some stray strands of hair that have fallen into her face. "We never get to do anything interesting these days."

"Stop whining you guys" Kakashi admonishes in a good-natured tone, glancing up from his book again. "If anyone should be doing the whining, it's me. After all, I'm the Jonin here and I have to go on these missions, as well as keep an eye on three bratty Genin at the same time. Try doing my job, then I'll listen to your complaining."

"Oh, go and cry about it to the ANBU Black Ops" Sakura sulks, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting. She was in no mood for Kakashi's teasing, even if he was only trying to lighten the mood.

Kakashi however, just rolls his eyes and shakes his head. Enough was enough.

"Hold up for a sec guys" the Jonin instructs, snapping his book shut and placing his hands in his pockets. He watches as the three Genin of Team Seven all turn to him, their eyes dull.

"......I know that you're all still upset about Ashley staying behind" Kakashi says gently, feeling a little guilty as three pairs of eyes immediately look to the ground at the mention of their friend's name, "But Ashley chose to stay with her family. I understand that you all miss her, but it's been a month. You can't let this affect you forever."

"But-"

"Ashley found her Clan" Kakashi continues, holding up one hand to hush Naruto. "She thought they were dead all this time, and she found them alive. It's only natural that she would stay in her homeland with them. You can miss Ashley of course, but you've got to stop letting it get to you like this. It's affecting the way you all think."

"It's not affecting us that badly...." Sakura protests quietly, though she keeps her eyes focused downwards, one foot scuffing at the ground.

Not wanting to address what Kakashi had said, Sasuke narrows his eyes up at the sky, while Naruto sighs dramatically.

"Alright then...." Kakashi mutters, rubbing the bridge of his nose for a moment. "Naruto, you fell through the roof of the barn at least seven times. Sakura, you got caught on the barbed wire fences so many times, I stopped keeping count. Sasuke, you annoyed that bull so much that it broke through four fences to get at you."

".....How was I supposed to know that it wouldn't like my Chidori?" Sasuke scoffs, defending himself, only to earn a flat look from Kakashi.

"I'm not really sure why your Chidori was needed to mend a fence" the silver haired man points out smartly. "You were only doing it to get a rise out of Naruto."