Maya - a Naruto Fanfic

64. Desperate Measures

"Who was that shinobi?" Tsuyoshi asks as soon as they've turned off the main street.

"I don't know. He wanted to know the best place to stay for cheap. Didn't appear to be a threat." Masumi replies in a low voice. Tsuyoshi lets his guard drop a little. If Masumi doesn't think he's a threat, then they're probably safe, from him at least.

"Where do you think he was from?" He tucks his arm through hers as they stroll through the streets, heads bowed close together. Tsuyoshi knows it's a cover so they can privately exchange information, but he relishes in the proximity anyway.

"That, I don't know. Certainly not one of the main villages. Still, his appearance was familiar..." After years spent poring over documents on all the different villages and shinobi, past and present, it's no surprise that Masumi recognises him.

"An old village?"

"I'd need better resources to be certain. Let's finish this mission quickly and return home." It's not just information Masumi wants. She's spent most nights awake and staring out the window, her mind no doubt a million miles away, back in Konoha with their children.

"I wonder how the kids are doing without us?" He asks, straightening up a little and lightening his tone.

"Asuma and Maya are watching them. They're fine." She doesn't need to reassure him, but she does anyway.

"Still, I can't help but worry."

"Yes. I understand." She's worried too, he knows. The letter from Kakashi was more than a little unsettling.

When they stop at a small café, Tsuyoshi pulls it out and reads it again.

Tsuyo-kun and Masu-chan,
Maya's first mission was a success, if a little dramatic. Your ward is a magnet for trouble, and so has been restricted to the village for the foreseeable future due to some minor injuries she acquired. Asuma is training her in self-defence, while Kasumi teaches her to write. (Side note: where she's from, they use a completely different alphabet. It's very strange; almost all of the letters curve in some way.)

Both Konohamaru and Yoko are well. Yoko insists on bringing Maya's rabbit with her everywhere, even into the baths. Konohamaru is doing well in class, though he still follows Naruto around everywhere, and it's driving me insane. Hurry back.

Kakashi.

"I hate it when he calls us that." Masumi reads the letter upside down from her seat across the table.

"It's because you hate it that he keeps using those pet names. I think it's sweet." Tsuyoshi smiles fondly. Ever since they served in ANBU together, Kakashi's insisted on pet names for them. Once they became a couple, he was nigh on insufferable. He still refers to them as Tsuyoma sometimes.

"You dote on him too much." Masumi grumbles into her tea.

"He's only a decade younger than us."

"You still dote on him. There's our target." She straightens, the change in her demeanour almost imperceptible. Tsuyoshi stays relaxed. Masumi's never been very good at dealing with anticipation; it's even worse on long missions like this one.

"He's the last one, yes?" He keeps his gaze lazy, eyes heavy lidded, looking calmly over the other patrons until he spots their target at the counter.

"Yes. He's ordering dango and green tea." She takes the final sip of her tea and sets the cup down with a finality that makes Tsuyoshi's stomach flip. After this, they can finally go home.

"Which will be easier?" He slips the final piece of his own dango off the stick. In truth, he's loathe to lace the dango. It's not just difficult, it's an affront to the treat.

"The tea. Have you finished?"

"Yes. The usual?"

"Of course." Masumi's lips quirk for the briefest of moments, the attempt at amusement failing horribly. Her brow is too tight, the lines around her mouth too harsh. She hates missions like these.

They stand as one and make their way towards the front of the café, pressed shoulder to shoulder. As they pass the man carrying his tray, Masumi stumbles and knocks him. As the man wobbles, Tsuyoshi catches Masumi by the elbow and catches the rim of his cup, powder slipping from the palm of his hand into the tea under the guise of stopping it from spilling.

"Watch where you're walking." The man grumbles, and Tsuyoshi gives him a rueful smile.

"I'm terribly sorry, my wife is tired after walking around town for so long. Nothing spilled?"

"No, thanks to you, I suppose." The man inclines his head and continues to his table.

As they're paying, they hear a gagging behind them. They don't need to look to know it's their target, and they leave the building before anyone can realise they noticed the disturbance.