Summoner Nin

Page 7: First Mission

Part One: Childhood

Chapter Seven

Tsume watched the little Hyuga girl carefully, her silent entry still impressing her, though it was only a lingering approval now. Feeling Kuromaru close, she could tell that the dog had sensed something within the girl, an unnamed force in which the Hokage had briefed them on earlier.

But seriously. Her? A summoner-nin?

"We need to talk, Hinata," the Hokage said, setting his pipe down.

Squirming under their gazes, the little girl gave a hesitant nod.

"Since you already have the Phoenix and Dragon in your possession," the Sandaime said. "I think it's time we got you the others."

Confused and afraid, the little Hyuga didn't say a peep.

"Therefore," the Hokage said, "you are going on a mission."

Tsume watched the girl's eyes widen.

"M-Mission?" the girl stuttered.

"Yes," he said. "A mission to find the other two Legendary Summons."

Seeing the girl afraid, Shikaku came to the rescue, placing his hand on her head to quiet her. Flawlessly, he began, "There are four legendary summons in the world. Phoenix, Dragon, Tortoise and Tiger. So far, only Phoenix and Dragon has been found. The other two legends have been lost for a long time."

"And we are going to find them," Anko said with a confident nod.

"B-But," Hinata stumbled. "Chi-Chichioya..."

"Your father will be told that I have put you into a program to heal your wounds," the Hokage informed.

Biting her lower lip, Tsume could tell that the girl was scared. She was scared of a new adventure, and she suddenly felt so bad for the girl. Obviously afraid of her father, the little Hyuga Hinata was also very afraid of leaving his side. Of course she was. Hyuga Hiashi was a powerful man, capable of protecting all of Konoha if needed. Although, Tsume thought irritably, he was a jackass of a man.

"Don't worry, Hinata," Anko said, smiling deviously. "We're gonna have so much fun! And shopping, lots and lots of shopping! Not to mention FOOD! It'll be like one big par-tay. Just you wait!"

Tsume laughed alongside the enthusiastic eighteen-year-old, and nodded in agreement. It would be fun, traveling all over the great nations in search of some unattainable treasure. For surely, her eyes darkened with thought, if they didn't get to them first, then there was the possibility of someone else getting to them instead... an enemy would be the worst outcome.

"It'll be a grand adventure!" Tsume announced, and felt young again.

xxx

Aburame Shibi was silent while watching Anko and Tsume help the little girl pack her things. The two women had rushed into the Hyuga Compound and grabbed all the necessities, and when they came back, they began to sort through them. All of them were already packed, save the girl, and even now, with the sun threatening to rise, he wasn't sure if they should bring a little girl, soon to be turning eight, with them on this mission.

Couldn't they have just brought the scrolls back to her? He reasoned.

He could tell that although Tsume was enthusiastic and happy, she was uncertain with the girl, as was he. He looked to his right where Shikaku was, staring at the sky with that lazy expression of his. There was no worry on the lazy ninja's face, only a tiredness from the lack of sleep.

Looking to him and then to the Hyuga heiress and then back to him again, Shibi didn't know what to think. Obviously, from Shikaku's passiveness and Anko's easy air, they had no qualms about bringing the girl. But his kikaichu bugs told him otherwise. They told him that underneath all that certainty, there was an underline of worry.

Not worry for the mission.

But worry over the girl.

He sighed out of his own concern. Could they really find the other summons with a small girl tagging along?

"Don't worry," Shikaku said, still staring at the open sky. "She's capable of taking care of herself."

"She is a child," Shibi said, not mocking, simply stating a fact.

"Yes," Shikaku agreed. "A child who can summon two of the four Legendary Summons."

Shibi tensed for a moment. The Hokage had told him that she was the new summoner-nin and that she had signed contracts with the Phoenix and Dragon, but he had not told him that she had actually performed a successful summon. The kikaichu buzzed underneath his skin as he mused over this.

"Hey," the lazy ninja said, getting his attention. "Like I said, don't worry."

Looking into his face, Shibi quickly reassessed his first impressions of the girl. He had served on many missions with Nara Shikaku, and had lived through all of them due to his ingenious strategies and impeccable leadership. It was time, he thought, that he trusted him again.

Tsume buttoned up the white coat before pulling out the wrinkles. Stepping back, she smiled. The little Hyuga looked cute in it, especially with the small bunny backpack that Anko had bought her. Softly, she mused about her own daughter, and from there, she hoped that her son would remember to eat breakfast without her having to remind him.

"In-Inuzuka-san?" Hinata asked uncertainly.

"Hai?" Tsume answered with a smile.

"I-I c-can't br-breathe," the girl said.

Blanching, Tsume quickly unbuttoned the top button to allow air through. Smiling to herself as a mother could, she thought of Hinata's mother. They never talked much, nor have they seen each other much, but from what she could remember, Hinata looked a lot like her... the former summoner-nin.

"C'mon!" Anko exclaimed with a big smile. "Let's go take on the world!"

Shikaku and Shibi jumped down from the ledge they were standing on to meet them, and Tsume looked to Kuromaru to make sure that he was ready. With a nod from him, she nodded back, and prepared to take off out of Konoha's gates.

"Wait."

They paused and looked to the Hokage who, blanketed in the light of the sunrise, smiled at them. They watched as he bent down to hug the Hyuga girl, who hugged back.

"Be careful," he told her.

She nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Laughing to himself, he let them go off into the world.

the point