Endangered Elders [A Mission]

Kimiko dragged her heels to the Kazekage's office. She didn't want to go! She didn't care if it was childish! The Kazekage was being childish! She had been going on nothing but  "High Rank" babysitting mission's lately and even though he claimed, "It's practice for the team you wanted so badly" She knew he was mad she had beat him so badly at poker the last time they'd played the man had ended up naked in front of her. That's just what happened when someone who isn't used to gambling suddenly tries to do things they know they aren't good at...like gambling! Besides originally she had had every intention of going easy on him but the Kazekage demanded she took him seriously.....so......she did. Was it her fault he didn't like the result? "Ugh, let's get this over with!" Kimiko opened the office door and walked in. "Itsuki...what the hell am I doing this time!" Kimiko glared at the man and the man glared back. "Kimiko how many time's do I have to tell you during business it's Lord Itsuki or Lord Kazekage?" He sounded as serious and annoyed as always. Ever since the war's end the man had had a 10 foot stick up his ass in Kimiko's opinion but why is it that he was neice to everyone else but he treated her like a nuisance? Kimiko ignored his question in favor of her own. "What am I doing this time Sensei?" The Kazekage sighed and had to admit the old honorific was at least better then having her calling him by his first name, she was always so forward! "Well Kimiko I'd like you to meet someone." The Kazekage would point to a gray haired older man with a twinkle in his eye that said he was one of those old geezer's that still had a spry step or two left in him. Kimiko groaned. "Are you serious Sensei?" The Kazekage gave a droll smile. "Yes Kimiko. But if it makes it feel better this will be your last "intentional" babysitting mission. I have a team with your name on it just waiting for their Sensei and how you perform in this final task will determine whether both their wish and your wish comes true." The Kazekage handed her a parchment with the Mission brief written onto it. Kimiko bowed respectfully before replying. "I won't let you down Lord Kazekage!" Itsuki gave her a sardonic smile that says he hadn't missed her little change in attitude. Kimiko turned to the Elder after reading the brief and gave him a small respectful bow. "Shall we get started honorable elder?" The old man nodded with a chuckle. "So we shall." As Kimiko turned to leave his office Itsuki Kai stopped her with a sudden reply. "By the way Kimiko, about the last mission you did.....good job....and he's safe and comfortable at home now." Itsuki's voice softened as he spoke now more as an old friend and sensei then a Kazekage. "Thanks." Kimiko meant it and her voice was softer as well. that mission had changed something deep inside her yet she still could not bring herself to look at what had changed.

1/7 Escort Village Elder Mission

Kimiko hadn't gone more then a mile away from the village with the elder when Kimiko sensed something wrong. She held up her hand to stop the carriage. Taking a look outside everything seemed calm, peaceful and tranquil. Except for a distant whirring sound in the background. It wasn't her favorite type but Kimiko knew a genjutsu when someone dragged her into one. But a double genjutsu that was particularly clever....and cowardly. Yet she'd gotten caught as easily as a babe would stumble on a rock. "One moment please..." Kimiko began walking toward the elder and weaved the hand-signs for Kai/Release and released herself and the elder from the genjutsu. Kimiko saw movement in one direction then another. "So just as I suspected there's two of them." The elder walked up to Kimiko an amused smile on his face that said he knew more then he let on. "Is there a problem Missy?" Kimiko looked down at the old man with a predatory smile. "Not yet there isn't honored elder but we'll see what the sand brings before the day is out!" And with that the rest of the convoy was released from the genjutsu and back on their wawy towards the land of fire. Kimiko was perched lazily atop the roof of the wagon seemingly at ease but Kimiko was on a sharp look out despite her appearance and she was keeping her eye's on her surroundings to ensure nothing else got past her gaze as they traveled. The old man she was baby-sitting was very chatty and he talked to Kimiko all about his particular favorite business that he did at a hobby but the level of work he talked of and the class of business seemed like it should be a booming career not some old goofball's hobby. Eccentric, she liked men like that. It wasn't until half-way through their journey to their location that Kimiko had any sign of the two ninja from before.

Kimiko could feel a intrigued smile stretch her face as she sensed the network of chakra covering a clearing ahead. She knew this type of setup well it was a very, very dangerous and subtle type of ambush. She stopped the convoy as she waled almost nonchalantly into the clearing immediately setting off multiple traps as kunai, paper bombs, shortblade katana's and  shuriken all rained down on her at once. However she simply falshed out of the radius of the trapped area with body flicker. Escaping such a trap may have been difficult for a convoy but for a single ninja of her caliber it was less then child's play. But that was what was bugging her. These ninja weren't amateurs, no, if they had been she would have already dealt with them but the second she'd saw them before they'd escaped and suppressed their chakra so she couldn't sense them. Yet they still used low-level party tricks such as this. Kimiko could only think of one explanation. They were testing the waters trying to get her to show what she was capable of before facing her head on. It was pretty clever but for whatever reason it was really irking Kimiko. "When I find those brats I'll teach them some manners!" The Elder had come to her side with a chuckle. "My, my! Young folk's these days sure are creative and so much energy to boot! Well Missy if that's all we'd better get going as well!" Kimiko looked to the old man suspiciously before sighing. "And old man sure do have a lot of dirty laundry these days, hmm?" The elder just chuckled louder and turn back toward the convoy. Kimiko was suddenly starting to feel as if this might be a long trip after all, but never the less she would fulfill her duties and accompany the eccentric elder to take care of his business. With that resolve in mind Kimiko returned to the convoy and a few moments they were off again making their way to their destination.

3/7 Escort Village Elder Mission

The convoy finally found it's way to the leaf village in the land of fire where the Elder went to a smith who was a major supporter in his campaign. Apparently the old man runs a company that mass produce toy's and games for the children of the allied lands, but lately some of the ninja have been restless about this. Some of the more old-fashioned and hard-hearted shinobi feel as if their children will be spoiled into a weakness at an early age with all the lavish contraptions the company makes. It really is too bad the geezer has such frustrating problems to deal with. Personally Kimiko felt lke the brats could use the contraptions to keep them from bugging their beautiful elders, namely herself although she refused to be called old. But watching the Elder as he talked about work was really something and the kids all laughed and danced around him as if he were thier grandpa coming back from a long trip. Kimiko felt something in her heart tug again. What was this ridiculous feeling that had been pestering her so much recently? It seemed to come and go unbidden as if it was above the laws of Kimiko's heart. It annoyed her a great deal. "They're precious aren't they?" The old man had popped up behind her. She'd been so caught up in her own thoughts she hadn't sensed him and as a result earned a chuckle from the elder. "Children are our future and yet all we wish sometimes it=s to blanket them from the world and hold them as they are now, because we all know all to well what the world can do to them. It's frightening having to let them go...isn't it....Mistress Smoke?" Kimiko turned to the man sharply! And gave him a wary and warning look. "How do you know that name?" The elder took up a pipe and blew out some smoke as he replied. "Dear when you live as long as I have you get to know a lot of things you shouldn't possibly know. But never mind that. It's coming back to you now isn't it. The memories of your dear departed son?" Kimiko felt the chakra around her charge the air as her composure began to waver. "Don't.....don't you dare talk about them! You have no...." "Right? But dear what more right could a grieving grandparent have then to talk about the grandchild he never got to see with the mother he could never face." Kimiko looked at the old man then. Really looked at him. Sitting before her was an older version of her departed husband. Kuro Smoke. And now she remembered her husband telling her how he had family in high places. She never knew what he meant....until today.....

Kimiko didn't know how to resspond any longer....so she didn't. And neither did the Elder. He Father-In-Law or the man who was once her Father-In-Law. The Elder concluded his business in the land of fire and before they knew it the convoy was back on the road ready to return. As they started on their path back home neither Kimiko or the Elder spoke. There was an uncomfortable silence that had settled over the pair. But Kimiko was never the type who could stay silent long and before they'd gone too far she turned to the old man. "You never came to visit?" It was phrased like a statement but the question in it was obvious. "I believed my son would be happier without me in his life. You don't become a Village Elder through sunshine and rainbows. And besides he had you and that angel of a boy so I knew he'd be alright. I'd always wanted to see him up close but was always to afraid if I got to close I'd ruin him and you and Kuro as well." Kimiko pondered that for a minute before replying softly. "He always talked about you, ya know?" The elder raised his head sharply as he listened to Kimiko's words. "He thought the world of ya, and he would always tell me how scared you used to be to even hold him when he was a kid. He said his mom often told him you always looked afraid you'd shatter him or something. After hearing how he talked about you.....I knew I could never hate you. Because he loved you so much....Oh!" Kimiko looked over to see tears streaming for the old man's eye's as his body shook with sobs. "k-K-Kuro.....I've b-been a Damn Fool!" Kimiko embraced the old man as he sobbed and comforted him. She may not show this side of herself often but every once in a while it was o.k. right? "Awww what a touching moment!" Kimiko's head snapped toward the voice as in the branches ahead of them stood the two ninja from earlier finally coming to her face-to-face. "Sorry to interrupt the tear-fest..." "But it's time we laid you both to rest!" And with that the two charged at her from the branch!

5/7 Escort Village Elder! Mission

Kimiko performed a quick hand-sign and two water clone's appeared before her and they rushed at the rogue ninja who had launched themselves forward as Kimiko the original ahd grabbed the old man tighter holding on as the convoy continued to drive on through the battle. Her water clone had quickly dispatched what had turned out to be two clones as well when suddenly from either side a Katanna wielding ninja appeared and stabed both Kimiko and the Elder through. For a moment they celebrated their apparent victory when suddenly the two became paper dolls made of explosive tags. The two barely made it away still suffering some damage from the explosion however the convoy which had been reinforced in metal was mostly unharmed. "Sorry you'll have to try better then that!" Standing on the roof of the convoy was Kimiko and behind the main carriage in one of the smaller ones the Elder sat hidden from the rogues. "All right Kid's if you're so eager to play I'll be your playmate!" With that Kimiko rushed the more loud mouthed of the two as her water clone's went after the other one. The first seemed to be on par with her in Taijutsu but the second was obviously gifted at ninjutsu as he hurled different techniques at Kimiko's clones and even managed to dissipate one. But he was still out classed and before long one of the clone's used the last of her chakra to Seal away his chakra knocking the ninja out. The other ninja growled as he glared down in anger and frustration at where his partner lay. "Pay attention to your own fight!" Kimiko got in a lucky punch straight to the distracted ninja's face earning her a dirty glare from the man. "That's it Bitch I've had it with you!" Kimiko's smirk soon became a mask of horror as she began to recognize the seals the man was forming and desperately she began to form a quick set of her own. If she didn't finish in time she was through!

6/7 Escort Village Elder Mission

It was a race for her life but lucky for her she had less hand-signs to do and much more experience with making swift hand gestures. In the blink of an eye she had two water clones formed in front of her as a shield as the face of the reaper sprang forth. "That type of jutsu should be way too advanced for a hoodlum like you!" The reaper reached for her trying to go for the original but her clones jumped in the way no matter where the hands traveled and by the looks of it the boy despite summoning the reaper couldn't hold the jutsu for long. Despite being a fool and reckless with his own life there was no reason for Kimiko to allow the idiot to die. She and her clones started running and weaving around faster and faster, to where the reaper's deathly grasp could not catch them then finally with a burst of speed to fast to counter one of the Kimiko's was right before the fool who idiotically summoned the grim reaper and the next second before he could react his eye's were rolling to the back of his head as the effect of the Five Element Seal cut off his connection with his chakra. "Sleep awhile until you learn your lesson!" The Elder....her father-in-law....stepped from the carriage with a whistle at her handiwork. "Not going to kill them Mrs. Divine?" He was talking about one of the reasons she had her nickname. A beauty without mercy quick to kill any of Suna's enemies without fail. "They're just children honestly....besides....the war's long since passed. Bloodlust has it's time and place after all honored Elder." When Kimiko turned she saw the old man smiling at her with a look as if she'd passed some unknown test. "Let's continue back Missy, we'll load these hooligans on the convoy and bring them back for Lord Kai to handle. I can't wait to give my strong recommendations to him after such an exciting escort!" Kimiko felt her cheeks burn at the unexpected praise from her father-in-law. "T-thanks!" She said it low and sheepishly. It had been a long time since anyone had seen this side of her...but then again....What else is family for? With the rogue ninja tied up, drugged, and loaded onto the convoy they headed the rest of the way back to Suna in peace to report a Mission Well Done.

7/7 Escort Village Elder! Mission