A Growing Affection

Chapter 54: Lead By Following

"Good morning, Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, Sasame," Yugao Uzuki greeted her team. The Chunin trio was waiting for her just inside the village's main gate, as usual. And, as was frequently becoming the case, the Jonin was late. Kiba frowned at her in annoyance, though the other two Chunin seemed unconcerned.

"You're late again, Yugao-sensei," the animalist ninja informed her, "Have you been spending time with Kakashi?"

Sasame chuckled at that, and their teacher had to struggle to keep her small smile in place.

"Why would you ask that?" Yugao asked him.

"Because Kakashi is always late, and it looks like you're picking up a similar habit," he answered.

"I was visiting the memorial," she explained truthfully, rather than cover it up like her paramour, "As I usually do, before going on a mission."

All of the teens perked up at that.

"Does that mean we have a mission?" Shino asked, his impassive voice failing to cover his increased attentiveness.

"Yes."

"It's about time," Kiba exclaimed, "Wouldn't you say, Sasame?"

"I..." she struggled to find a political way to phrase her views, "I do not disagree with Yugao-sensei and the Hokage allowing us time to adjust to our new team. But all the same, it will be good to have a real mission."

For the past two months, Team Yugao had spent most of their time training together, and performing minor D Rank missions in the Village. Their leader had said it was important for them to become comfortable with one another, both socially and as a shinobi unit.

"Kiba and Shino, you two already know each other, and by all accounts work quite well together. But Sasame is not Hinata and I am not Kurenai; and we will need to find a new rhythm as group," she had told them.

"So what is our mission, Yugao-sensei," Sasame continued.

"Nothing to get too excited about," she prepared them, "It is only a C Rank mission. There is a ranching community near the edge of the Land of Fire that has been having cattle and sheep poached almost nightly for the last two weeks. Our job is to stop the thefts."

"I presume this is the work of bandits," Shino suggested.

"Probably," Yugao frowned slightly, "but the contract does not specify."

"And there is one more thing," she took a breath, "Kiba Inuzuka will be in charge of this mission."

"Me, sensei?" he barked in surprise. Sasame looked just as shocked. Akamaru glanced at his partner in expectation.

"Yes," she answered.

"The three of you are all Chunin," she explained at their expressions of doubt, "But only Shino was any substantial leadership experience. So on most C or B level missions we are assigned, I will place one of you three in charge. For our first mission, I am appointing Kiba the leader. He and Shino are still more familiar with one another, which should make things easier, and Kiba needs the experience more than Shino does."

"Sensei, what precisely do you mean by leader?" Shino pressed.

"As soon as we leave the village, whichever of you is chosen becomes the head ninja of the squad," she clarified, "And the other three squad members, myself included, will be expected to follow his or her orders as such. You may also feel free to address me as a peer instead of as your teacher. You will remain in charge until the mission is complete, or until I specific tell you that I am resuming command."