Our Heavy Burdens(Naruto Fanfic Gaara Love Story)[Slow Update]

Chapter 16: Drunkard, Dwarf, Cow, Oh My

~next day, third pov~
"*static* Sasuke, point A." "*static* Sakura, point B." ......... "*static* Oh! Naruto, point C, believe it!" "You're slow, Naruto. Target's position?" (Insert random ass measurement) "Target on the move!" *rustling leaves* "Is everyone in position?" "Hai/ believe it!" "Alright. Go!" Everyone jumped out of the trees, and Naruto caught the target first."I got it!" He exclaimed before screaming as the target started attacking his face."Does it have the ribbon?" Kakashi asked."Yes, a red ribbon is tied to it." Sasuke answered."Good. Capture Tora the cat complete." Kakashi sighed before pulling out his book."I HATE THIS MISSION!" Naruto yelled, and everyone nearly jumped out of their skin while their ears rang. Sasuke took the cat as everyone removed their ear pieces. Just as he took Tora, Sakura hit Naruto and started scolding him. Kakashi just sighed as the four went back to the Hokage's office.

(Imma skip the whole talk with Hiruzen)

In an area at least a mile away from Konoha, there was a girl with red hair meditating in a tree while laying against a man with black hair and an Akatsuki cloak. The man watched as the girl concentrated on the six figures on the ground, who were fighting rogue ninjas who planned on attacking Konoha. The six were all female except for one who was male. The male defended one of the females who was casting a genjutsu with her flute, and the other females used their own abilities. One used the magnetic field to push and pull the rogues, one was summoning animals to aid her, one was casting different elemental jutsus, and one was using special kunai to flicker all over the battlefield while using a normal kunai to cut her enemies down. The male holding the redhead was using his kekkai genkai to keep tabs on everything, and he was surprised at how quickly the number of enemies dropped. Soon, there was just an empty camp with dead bodies everywhere. The six figures flickered back to their chambers to rest, and the redhead opened her eyes to show her kekkai genkai, the Rinnegan. Her eyes met the man's kekkai genkai, the Sharingan, and she smiled at him. He smiled back before they both deactivated their dōjutsu."You've become very well at controlling your Rinnegan, and are getting better at completing assassinations. Your paths barely had any minor injuries." The man, Itachi Uchiha, complimented."Thanks, Ita-nī." The girl, Nariko Namikaze, said while grinning at him. They heard a hawk cry, and they look up to see one circling above them."That's my cue. Gotta go, I'll see you later." Nariko sighed before kissing his cheek. He kissed her cheek in return before the two went their different ways, Itachi going back to the hideout to switch places with Tobi, and Nariko flickering to the Hokage office.
Nariko appeared kneeling in front of the Hokage's desk, and the genin in team seven nearly jumped out of their skin."Nariko-sensei!" Naruto and Sakura exclaimed, but were ignored."Mission complete, Hokage-sama. The rogues are eliminated, and there were no casualties on our side." She reported."Good work, Nariko. I have another task for you, and you don't need to use your other paths. Please come in." He said the last part to someone outside. Nariko stood and turned towards the door as it opened and revealed an old man. An old man that was drunk, and is still drinking sake."What? Are these twerps going to be escorting me? How can I be protected by them, especially by that short little brat over there?" He questioned, and Naruto laughed."Who's the short little brat?" He asked, and Sasuke, Sakura, and Nariko sweat dropped at him. They lined up next to him, the order from tallest to shortest being Sasuke, Sakura, Nariko and Naruto, Nariko being taller than Naruto by half an inch."Wha?! Nariko, you're not taller than me!" Naruto exclaimed, baffled by the information."She actually is, Naruto. Half an inch, you being at least 4'8'' while she's 4'8 1/2''." Hiruzen confirmed, and it took a few seconds for Naruto to process it."You're dead!" Naruto yelled as he lunged at the drunkard, but Kakashi held him by his collar before he could do something stupid."Now, Naruto. We're supposed to protect our client, not kill him." He said, and Naruto yelped when Nariko flicked his ear."Don't be reckless." Was all she said as she walked up to the man. He looked down at her and scoffed."Even though you're slightly taller than him, doesn't mean I trust you." He said, but she just smiled while ignoring him."My name is Nariko Namikaze, daughter of the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze." She introduced."Tazuna, master bridge builder. Just because you're the daughter of some famous man doesn't mean that I can count on you to protect me." He said, and she smiled wider. She suddenly unsheathed then sheathed her katana, and Tazuna's sake bottle fell, cleanly cut in half horizontally. She then bit her right thumb and placed it on the ground, causing a puff of smoke to appear beside her."Don't worry. With me, my wolves, Kakashi, and the children, I'm sure you'll be fine." She reassured as a black wolf and a white wolf appeared from the smoke. She went onto her tiptoes to then speak in his ear."Especially since I'm the Red Flash." She whispered before flickering next to Naruto. Tazuna paled and immediately became sober as Hiruzen dismissed them.
~one hour later~
Naruto cheered as they exited the village, and everyone either ignored him, gave him questioning looks or weirded out looks."Naruto, why are you so excited?" Sakura asked."It's the first time I've ever been out of the village, believe it!" He said while grinning. Sakura then turned to Nariko."Nariko-sensei, have you ever been outside of the village?" She asked, and everyone tuned in to the conversation out of curiosity."Of course. I've been everywhere except the land of snow and the water country. The people that I lived with while growing up didn't take me anywhere that required traveling across water." She told them with a small smile."So you've never been to the land of the waves?" Tazuna asked."Yes, for a day or two. One of my family members took me with them to retrieve something from there. It was when I was 8, I believe." She said, her eyes glazed over slightly as she mentally relived her past. It became quiet after that, but about 20 feet after they leave the village, Nariko perked up. She shielded her eyes with her bangs as she activated her human path.'Kakashi, two Chūnin hidden in a puddle up ahead.' She informed, and Kakashi glanced at her from the corner of his eye (she's on his right).'Stay alert, but don't startle them. I have a plan.' He said, and she saw in his mind what he intended to do. She slightly nodded as they came up to the puddle, but just walked around it as if not caring about it.
Suddenly, the two Chūnin revealed themselves and used their weapons to shred 'Kakashi'. The genin shouted at their leader, and the Chūnin glanced at them."One down. Two down." One of them said before targeting Naruto next. Naruto froze in fear, and as they launched their claws at him Nariko flickered in front of him and caught the claws. The two Chūnins looked at her in shock while she smirked at them, her Rinnegan glinting dangerously. She was currently using her Asura path, so she didn't get hurt. Sasuke then came up and attacked them with a kunai, but they jumped away and went towards Tazuna. Sakura jumped in their way to protect him, but noticing she's scared Sasuke jumped in front of her to protect them both. Kakashi then revealed himself and knocked out the two Chūnin, surprising the genin and their client. While he tied up the two, Sasuke walked up to Naruto who was currently being checked all over by Nariko, who deactivated her Rinnegan, to see if he had any injuries."Are you okay, scaredy cat?" He taunted, and Nariko flicked him on the cheek as she finished checking her brother."Yes he's okay, duckass. Now leave him alone. You and I both know if you weren't mentally prepared for this, you would have frozen up too." She reprimanded him, causing him to huff and turn away."Thanks, Nariko-sensei, but are you alright? You grabbed their weapons, you should be hurt." Naruto said, completely concerned about her just like how she was with him when checking to see if he had any injuries."Nah, I'm good. My kekkai genkai has a lot of cool abilities, one of them being me having impenetrable skin." She reassured, and Naruto, Sakura and Tazuna looked at her in awe. Kakashi praised Sakura, Sasuke and Nariko about how well they handled the situation, then apologized to Naruto about not knowing he'd freeze up like that."Sensei, don't do that again! You scared us and made us think you died!" Sakura scolded."Ah, sorry about that. I needed to do that so I could see who these two were after." Kakashi told her.
Nariko walked up to the two Chūnin and smirked as she crouched in front of them."The Demon Brothers, Gōzu and Meizu. Missing-nin of Kirigakure, who are Chūnin and often work with Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Hidden Mist." She identified, and she smirked more when she saw fear glinting in their eyes. Tazuna looked like he was about to insult Naruto, but stopped when Nariko gave him a look that said 'Say something stupid, asshole. I dare you.', causing him to pale and turn away. However, his attention was turned to Kakashi when the male ninja confronted him about the mission."Sensei, maybe we should-" Sakura also shut up when she saw the look that Nariko was giving her."N-Nariko-sensei, please. This mission is too much. It went from a C-rank to an A-rank, we need to quit-" "Okay, shut up. You're a ninja now, Sakura. Even though you're just starting out, ninja's don't just give up because their job is too hard. Life is sometimes too hard to deal with, but we push through either way. If you're not prepared for the life of a ninja, then what are you doing here? What was going through your mind when you decided to become a ninja?" Nariko questioned the pinkette. Sakura side glanced at Sasuke, and Nariko sighed."You're motives shouldn't be because of some boy you think is cute. Not that I recommend this, but they should be like Naruto's or Sasuke's. At least let it be to protect the people you love, like your family and friends." She lectured, and Sakura looked down in shame. Nariko noticed this and sighed, then looked at the others."You guys wanna keep going or do you wanna head back?" She asked, and the boys just looked at her basically saying that they want to get this mission over with."Alright, majority rules." She concluded, but saw how discouraged Sakura was. She walked up to her and put an arm over her shoulders, slightly startling the pinkette."C'mon. We'll take care of you until you can hold your own. And if we have time, I'll help train you, okay?" Nariko told Sakura, but she just nodded slightly. Nariko frowned before taking out a device with some wire attached to it from her pouch."Here, put these in your ears." She said while handing her one end of the wire, and Sakura grabbed the parts that split off into two. She hesitated before putting them in her ears, and Nariko unlocked the device before scrolling through something and picking a song.(jimmy eat world- the middle)