Smoke and Lightning (A Naruto Fanfiction) [Complete]

Chapter Seven: The Mission

A/N: I hope you guys like cliffhangers. 

By the time the two shinobi showed up at the third’s office, they’d come to an agreement. He wasn’t going to give her book back and she planned on buying a new one. He planned on confiscating this new one if he ever caught sight of it. He never planned on mentioning the accident with the flooring in the abandoned house and she couldn’t figure out what was so wrong with it. Which brought him back to his original point that she had no right reading the same books as him.

Neither were very happy with each other when they arrived. As such, when it was revealed that not only the third was waiting for them, but another ANBU shinobi as well, the two latecomers stood on each side of him, pointedly ignoring each other. The ANBU, Tenzo, looked distinctly uncomfortable put between the two rather tense figures.

“Well,” the third commented, glancing curiously between the two. “I’m sure that all of you are wondering why I’ve called you here. The answer is simple, I’ve received information on a couple living only around two hours by foot from here that are possibilities for Miki’s family.”

The red-head, rightfully shocked, could only stare at the third as he continued talking. She, like most, had assumed that it’d be impossible to locate her biological family.

“The pictures I received of the couple are a great deal similar looking to Miki herself,” he continued. “They also had a daughter, named Maemi, who should be around fifteen at this time and would have been barely twelve when Miki was brought to the village. If you recall, we assumed she was somewhere around eleven.”

The faintest hints of memory stirred in the back of Miki’s thoughts. She barely resisted the urge to rub her temples as a sudden throbbing pain appeared in her mind. The memory faded the same instant that the pain appeared. All of this, Miki endured silently. Suddenly, though, the conversation seemed all the more real. That name had meant something to her at some point- she knew it.

“Their daughter disappeared ten years ago without warning and without a trail to follow. This couple, a rather simple inn owner and his wife, had no money to hire anyone to look for their missing child. There is no proof, however, that Miki is this child. Tomorrow morning, I would like you three to go and investigate these claims. The couple has not been told that you are coming- they won’t know who Miki is or may be.”

The third glanced over their faces, surprised to discover that neither of the latecomers seemed to have changed their moods since they’d come in. He had anticipated Miki to react this way, what he hadn’t expected was the fact that Kakashi didn’t seem that pleased by this information, either. He’d expected for the jounin to be at least a bit pleased to lose his stalker.

Follower, the third amended mentally. Stalker seemed a bit too harsh for Miki’s actions.

He focused his attention on the girl, knowing how to solve her apprehension with the matter.

“No matter what is discovered, I have no intentions of making you stay with the couple,” the third informed her, his expression carefully constructed into a soothing smile. “You are a genin of this village and I doubt that there is anyone who’d want to lose you.” At this his eyes flickered to Kakashi’s expression which had carefully been constructed into nothing when he hadn’t been looking. “This is more a matter of settling the past for your poor parents, as well as taking advantage of a chance to perhaps learn more about Orochimaru’s past actions and whereabouts, they may give us a chance to locate him, now.”

He focused his attention on Kakashi and Tenzo.

“This isn’t an official ANBU mission. Matters involving Orochimaru are best kept carefully confidential, however, and if something goes wrong, I’d feel better knowing that the shinobi accompanying her are some of the best.”