:) really feelin the love with the last chapter, thanks guys, enjoy~~

"Kakashi..." I cursed him under my breath as I continued running between the trees, snaking my way around the rough map layout in my head of the areas still needing to be cleared. It's still early in the day, despite the mornings delay, but it feels like it's been hours from how the oil from the fish has seeped through my clothes and violated the skin beneath.

"Damn you, Kakashi."

"Just reminding you about the head set you've got with you, Kida, incase you forgot we can all hear you."

Kakashi's voice drifted through the ear bud.

"Fully aware, Kakashi. You're supposed to hear me. Baka."

A chorus of sighs came through the receiver.

I could sense it behind me just as the soft padding of it's paws running on grass reached my ears.

"It's here."

"Target insight."

"Kida's seven o'clock."

"I GOT IT!"

I leapt out of the way as a flash of orange and yellow came hurtling out of the trees next to me. Hissing and the violent sounds of struggle resonated behind me as I spun around to see Naruto restraining the obese brown feline as it clawed at his face and arms. He has the situation under control. He's fine.

We were joined by the rest of the team at their respective distances, I'm presuming because of a pissed of Tora aswell as my smell...

Finally it's over...

It was a successful mission, but God, at what cost?

I've showered and changed, but the fishy smell still lingers. With my body, and with my soul. Kakashi will burn for this. I'd consider this worse than Ms Takashima flinging cow shit at me with a shovel. At least I had a chance to dodge those, but there was no duck and weaving a fish lay. And cow shit was easy enough to wash off, the fish's oil has seeped into my skin...

As I reached the place where I was to rejoin the team, I pushed the hard wooden door open and stepped into the room just in time to see Naruto lunge at a tanned old man.

"I'll kill you!!"

"You can't kill the client, Naruto."

"What smells like a gut bucket?" The Old Man spoke abruptly and had a stubborn look about him that reminded me of a donkey.

"Oh good, Kida, you're back. New mission."

"Oh great, another brat. I feel better protected already." Yep, definitely an ass.

"Well it is just an escort mission, we shouldn't expect to run into much trouble."

(not being lazy, just tryna get the story moving and not dwell on slow unnecessary convos when youse probably know the scenes of by heart)

I ran with Kakashi back to our apartment for supplies before we had to meet the team and old man Tazuna at the front gates in half an hour.

As soon as we got through the door Kakashi told me to wait in the doorway as he went into the kitchen, returning with a small canister of reddy brown powder.

"Hold still."

He popped the lid off and shook a bit over me and my clothes and rustled it into my hair with his hand. I could smell the cinnamon through my mask and squinted my eyes closed so none got in them.

"There, now you don't smell like dead fish."

"Mmhm."

We were silent as we got things together around the apartment. I repacked my navy backpack with the kunai and shuriken that didn't fit in my weapons pouch, some protein bars, my book, water, and some other essentials. I fastened the thick leather belt around me and slid my polished and sharpened Katana into the holder.

I stopped myself by the mirror and took in my appearance. I wore a navy singlet over a long sleeved fishnet shirt that disappeared under the bandages tied around my forearms. Black leather fingerless gloves protected my hands. And my black cargo styled ninja pants spread out at the bottom over my ninja sandels. The mask covering the bottom half of my face was soft, softer than my last one, and almost matched the shade of my eyes. My fringe has grown so it flows further around to frame my face, and the rest has grown from my shoulders to the middle of my back since I've been here. With that in mind, I grab a leather tie band from the dresser and pull it up in a loose ponytail. And I smell like cinnamon. I like cinnamon.

With five minutes left, I don't have time to go to the forest before we leave. I found a place there that was perfect for what I wanted to do. It was a few minutes running from where I got the rocks from, took me all night but was worth it in the end.

It did make me realise how much I need to improve though. I've been doing basic training with Kakashi since I left the hospital to build myself back up again, thanks Iruka. Exercises, kunai and shuriken practice, and he's been training me in Chakra control and hand signs. Plus I've been doing my own training sessions between missions, particularly with my katana.

But it seems a lot different from when I was with Ms Takashima. I'd train for hours with my katana everyday, target practice, exercise routines, always trying to get stronger and faster. I'd go into the mountains for days and not come out until I was happy with my progress.

Maybe it's the distractions. I've been here almost a month, and I've met all these people and while I'm still doing a lot of the same stuff like farm work 'missions' and training, it's no longer isolated. I'm with Kakashi, or the team, or getting ramen with Naruto, or running from Guy, or talking to Izumo and Kotetzu at the front gate, and yeah I'll admit it one time I even went shopping with Sakura.

I've lost my hermit status. That's it. All these people are weakening me... it's time to level up.