Okay, maybe she was feeling a LITTLE miffed that someone would go summoning a DOG when SHE was around.
So, she'd just find this Gato and deal with that problem and she'd then go back with a mission accomplished.
Or at least scout out the guy's security.
"-which is where I lost the trail," explained Pakkun.
"We're not alone," said Kakashi, a moment before a strange ninja leapt down from concealment.
"Hey, you guys," said the ninja, holding a familiar-looking cat up by the scruff of her neck.
"He got Kurochan?" asked Naruto, staring.
"Yeah," said the ninja, giving the cat he was holding at arm's length a little shake. "I got your scruffy little alley cat."
Kurochan's eyes went to slits and seemed to glow.
"Oh, this is not going to end well," predicted Kakashi.
"Yeah," said the enemy nin. "I'm gonna kill the Uzumaki and make a reputation for mysel-"
Kurochan abruptly shifted, gaining a lot of weight and twisting out of the grip. A chakra spike placed via palmstrike went into the enemy-nin's abdomen. A followup strike struck the enemy-nin in the throat. While he was bent over and choking he received a kick to the head and a second kick to one knee.
In the time it took to take a breath, Kurochan was kneeling on the enemy ninja's back with one of his arms twisted behind him in what looked to be a very painful submission hold.
"Who," asked Kurochan, "are you calling 'scruffy'?"
Sasuke blinked and looked to Kakashi. "You know, I always did like cats."
The Princess of Najirea, Kodako, went through her reports only to stop and begin smirking when she came to one particular one.
Miss Notch was quite concerned for a moment. "Princess?"
"We weren't invited, but I really should attend," said the Princess. "After all, dear Naruto might not succeed without me there to cheer for him. Ohohohohohohohoho!"
Miss Notch nodded politely. It was a good thing she didn't have a stomach. She'd have ulcers otherwise, she was sure.
"How did he catch you?" asked Naruto.
"I was scouting," said Kurochan/Hanabi. "Focussing on a pair of suspicious-looking sorts."
"And the enemy nin snuck up behind you," concluded Kakashi.
In her human form, she still had a tail and cat ears. Those ears were flattened and her tail lashed about behind her. Her expression was perfectly calm though. "He hit me with some sort of gas pellet. It won't happen again."
"You're young yet," said Kakashi. "That's why children are usually trained for several years in the Academy before they're given the chance to graduate."
There were several curious looks given to Kakashi from his genin, wondering what he was implying.
Kurochan scowled, though only someone familiar with her (or looking at her ears and tail) could tell.
"Well, something else to address when we return to Konoha," said Kakashi. "Come on, I'm going to show you three some basic exercises I want you to do."
Neji Hyuga watched patiently.
There was only one person he knew of who could have hit him with a genjutsu that had him thinking he was a girl.
Kurenai Yuhi.
Since the jonin was again off with Hinata, he was checking her apartment with his Byakugan - hoping to find some clues that would indicate that she WAS the person responsible. Unfortunately the jonin was covering her tracks too well.
Sooner or later she'd slip up though, and THEN he would have her.
The Hokage blinked. "I can assure you, other than two ANBU who are sworn to secrecy on such matters, no one is listening."
"Ah, well..." said Nanoha. "It's like this. I and Fate and Hayate are really good friends, but everyone expects us to... get a bit closer to each other."
The Hokage nodded to show he was following this. "You want to keep your options open. Just in case."
"Yes," said Nanoha, startled and a little relieved. "You figured that out that quickly?"
"We're a ninja village," said the Third Hokage. "You have to be able to look underneath things and deal with a lot of secrets."
"I guess," said Nanoha, now a lot more relieved. "So I don't want to, well..."
"You don't know how your friends feel," guessed the Hokage. "So you're doing this in secret. You want to attend the Chunin Exams so you can casually bring up the possibility with Naruto, and meet with Hinata."
"Yes," said Nanoha, now fairly impressed. "Do ninja get in this situation a lot?"
"I think it's safe to say that it doesn't happen all that often," admitted the Hokage. "Not that I could give details of course."
"I saw Hinata," said Nanoha. "She was in the security footage when you visited Mid-Childa. She has such sad but beautiful eyes."
"She could certainly use some more friends, I think," admitted the Hokage.
"And if not Naruto, I think Yuuno might be interested, but I'm not sure about him," said Nanoha. "Whenever I see him, I can't help but think of him as a ferret."
"I see," said the Hokage, who really didn't in this case but put it down to different cultures.
"Shamal?" asked Hayate.
"Nanoha has gone to Konoha, but it doesn't look like she or Fate know of the other going there," said Shamal, bowing before Hayate.
"Shamal, you know I don't like that," pointed out Hayate.
"Does that mean my Mistress will punish me?" asked Shamal.
"I don't understand why you want to be punished, and don't tell me that I'll understand when I'm older because I don't think I want to understand," said Hayate.
"I can hope," said Shamal. "I have a question, Mistress."
"No, and I don't understand why you'd want to be tied up for it," said Hayate.
"No, not that question Mistress."
"Oh," said Hayate, considering that. Some of the Wolkenritter had been acting a bit oddly lately. None more so than Shamal. She debated responding to this one. "Okay, what's the question?"
"Why did you want me to track Fate and Nanoha and use Klarer Wind to spy on them?"
Hayate sighed. "Neither I nor Fate have exactly had normal childhoods, right?"
"That is true, Mistress," admitted Hayate.
"We've met Nanoha's mom though, right?" asked Hayate.
"Yes, Mistress," said Shamal.
"Did you see Fate's reaction to the discussion about how she might be a mother someday?" asked Hayate.
"No, Mistress," said Shamal. "I was not there for The Talk."
"Ah," said Hayate. "Human reproduction was... given in basic detail. Fate asked about the possibility that she might become a mother. She went very quiet and thoughtful. I think she was thinking about Nanoha's mother as well. Do you think either Nanoha or Fate would be a bad mother?"
Shamal considered that request for her opinion. "Once old enough, that either one would probably be a better mother than the records indicate Fate's mother was."
"Please," said Hayate. "A dead parrot would be a better mother than Fate's mother was to her."
"Other than that," said Shamal, considering it thoughtfully, "neither would intentionally be a bad mother, but I wonder whether or not they have the necessary skills for childrearing. Not that I'm an expert on that subject myself."
"I think either of them would be great mothers," said Hayate. "I don't know about Naruto that much. I didn't interact with him too much. He seems kind of clueless. And that security recording revealed he already has TWO fiancees. I could see fixing Fate up with Naruto while fixing Nanoha up with Yuuno. But for now, let's try helping both of them from the shadows."
"And then?" asked Shamal.
"Then we'll see," said Hayate. "I could throw my hat into the ring if it seems things are going that way."
"I thought you liked your hat," said Shamal.
"Stop trying to be punished," advised Hayate. "Now, here's my plan."
"Naruto, stop cheating," said Kakashi. "Sakura, just stop. Sasuke, don't tell me you're out of chakra already."
"Cheating?!" asked Naruto.
"You're not climbing the tree with chakra, you're flying with your feet in contact with the tree."
"What?" asked Naruto. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure," said Kakashi. "Sakura, I wasn't sure before, but I'm fairly sure now that training your doll-body won't make much difference when you get your old body. You know the basic exercise now, so anything further is just practice."
"Uhm, yes, I suppose," said Sakura, still seeming a bit subdued.
"Kurochan, you've got excellent chakra control, but did you really need to show up Sasuke that much?" asked Kakashi.
Kurochan blinked at that from her position in the branches a few yards above Sasuke's latest mark on the tree.
"Cat," reminded Sasuke, who wasn't happy about it but HAD interacted with ninja cats before.
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(Posted Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:56)
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