The Harsh Truth

Chapter 7

The land of vegetables didn't need much of a border guard, since they weren't a fighting nation to begin with, they tended to keep neutrality, and it would be extremely stupid to attack a nation that basically was the primary source of crops and vegetables all thorough the year to all of the elemental lands.

However one knew, one clearly knew, when he entered said land. Not because of the sudden increase in food stores alongside the roads, not because of the increase in farmers moving with their charts, bringing fresh vegetables around, not because of shepherds and their sheep, no, it was because of the smell.

The acre and pungent smell of…

"Yuck!" Anko, with a distasteful scowl, brought her right hand to pinch her nose-bridge, while muttering, "The smell…oh Kami the smell."

"It's just manure," Itachi pointed out, "How do you think they can keep up productivity thorough the entire year?"

"Magic? Jutsus? Really… Why did it have to be manure?" Anko groaned, as she decided to keep the border-neckline of her trench coat in front of her nose, to breathe through the fabric, at least avoiding the worst of the smell.

"Kakashi-sensei, how should we approach the matter?" Itachi asked, as the silver-haired Jounin simply showed his best eye-smile, before replying.

"Naruto is the infiltration specialist, and since a Chuunin needs to know how to give orders and how to take them, knowing who is strong and who is weak to balance off the team's needs, this will be the perfect final exercise: You're on your own. I will wait you here at the border, remember that, for the mission's purpose, you are free to do as you like," as Kakashi pointed that out, he actually smiled under his mask for a second, before taking out his orange covered book, and a new, thicker, red covered one.

"The truth is that you've got the new Icha-Icha…Paradise Climax, right?" Naruto replied, his eyebrow slightly twitching, as the Jounin simply chuckled.

"Well, Jiraiya-sama has gotten an astonishingly better writing, to the point where it's outright divine now…I did my best to hold out till now," as Kakashi replied that without worries, he moved to one of the many inns for travelers, leaving behind a group of three, of which the Kunoichi was eying the man murderously, Itachi was slightly letting his hand caress the handle of his kunais, and Naruto was the one narrowing his gaze, before turning to the other two.

"So, three days to capital, infiltrating it should be my job…information gathering should be Anko's and Itachi, you can work together with her for extra persuasion," as Naruto suggested that, Itachi replied.

"Shouldn't I keep an eye out on you? You are the one who needs more protection," as he pointed that out, the grey-blond boy shook his head.

"We've got a lot of terrain to cover. I can infiltrate nearly anywhere, as long as I'm alone: you know that, Itachi," the boy spoke quietly, before letting his blue eyes fixate on some of the people around them.

"First off, avoid being recognized, use the Henge to transform into a couple of females, and remove the forehead protectors from sight, yes Itachi, no need twitching, there's a reason for that," as Naruto said that, Anko was chuckling, already planning the next years of teasing.

"Fine," Itachi sighed, letting a hand pass through his hair, he knew he was going to regret this, but the infiltration specialist was Naruto, "Let's get away from the main road and act."

The three moved to a dark alley, as Kakashi, from his hiding spot, slowly followed them, before looking perplexed for a second at the empty dark dirt road.

With a sigh, he brought forward his sharingan, and, good enough, the three were there, under a Genjutsu, just as Itachi had taken on the appearance of a slightly busty brunette, with a blue corset and a knee-high skirt. Anko had assumed a sort of twin-tailed blond with blue eyes appearance, a cheesy smirk as she also had…whisker marks on her face? Naruto was sweat-dropping at that sight, but said nothing, giving the final pointers to the two…