"That's all for today. You're dismissed, good luck on your mission tomorrow, I won't be going with you." Itsuko had planned to use this time to have a training sessions with team 7.

"Now then the next mission for squad seven is... an errand to the neighborhood town to baby-sit the chief councilor's boy...helping with down going potatoes... and..." Lord third read from the long, never ending list of chores as just as Itsuko stepped foot into the room.

He didn't get to finish his sentence as once again, Naruto interrupted.

"No! No! No! I want something more exciting!" Naruto yelled forming a X sign with the two of his hands.

"How dare you! You're just a kid with no experience!" Iruka yelled in defence for the Hokage. Lord Third started to lecture on and on before deciding to give them a C rank mission.

No one seemed to have realised Itsuko's presence despite her being there for quite awhile now. "Sounds interesting, count me in. I'm going to make it better than just a C-rank mission."

It gave them all a shock but Lord third resumed shortly, "Sure Itsuko. Back to the topic, you will be guarding..." before he got cut off by Naruto again.

"Who is it, who is it, is it a feudal lord? or is it a princess?"

"...you will be guarding Tazuna, veteran bridge builder." Just as lord third finished, a drunk old man came in.

"What's this? It's just a bunch of draned squirts. Particularly you the smallest one with the idiot face." He snorted, clearly having too much to drink.

"I'll kill him!" Naruto rushed at him with anger upon hearing the insult only to recieve a punch in the head by Kakashi. "You can't kill the person you're supposed to protect, Naruto. I'm a jounin and I'll watch over them so it'll be fine."

"You only requested for protection, you didn't add in a request on who you want and that's your problem. Unless you'd like to add a request now?" Itsuko swiftly swung my sword at his neck. He jerked at the sight of the sword right under his chin and shook his head. Lowering her sword, he immediately took a position far away from Itsuko.

-

"Alright! We're off!" Naruto had his fist in the air, excited as he stood at the gate.

"Am I really alright with this squirt?" Tazuna glanced over at Naruto before glancing back at Kakashi, waiting for reassurance.

"You said it was just robbers, not ninjas so having Naruto is more than enough yet you have me and Kakashi. Well, unless you lied." Itsuko headed up ahead leaving Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke behind. Tazuna's face showed more than just fear. He was taken aback by her statement, as if she had just uncovered a secret.

Itsuko had already knew that something disnt quite sit right, there was definitely something else behind that. One wouldn't be this worried, if it was only robbers. Especially knowing Kakashi is a jounin.

Slightly up ahead, Itsuko stood on a tree branch of a tall tree. With the bird's eye view, she had already gotten a rough idea on what was going on. Puddles, it hasn't rained in days.

She returned to the team but said nothing. It wasn't long after they had reached the location of the puddles. It was easy for her to pretend as if she hadn't caught on to anything yet but being the person she was, she purposely stepped on it hard as they walked passed.

Not too long after, the men revealed themselves and threw chains at Itsuko, attempting to rip her body into half. They could clearly tell she was the strongest of them all and wanted to eliminate her first. But of course, they failed, miserably.

She leaped into the air, using that time to take out her handy sword, slicing their chains into half. One of them were already after Naruto but Naruto was frozen on the spot, clearly shaken.

"Kurama, what's your other half doing? Is he expected planning to let Naruto die? That's such a stupid plan." I joked with Kurama. Kurama groaned in annoyance not giving her reply. He was still giving her the silent treatment from last time.

Before Itsuko could take action, Sasuke had already jumped into action to save Naruto. But they didn't give up there, deciding they stood no chance against all of us, they went after Tazuna who was most likely, their main goal. Kakashi appeared in front of Tazuna, choking the two men, each with one hand. Tazuna gave out a relief sigh upon seeing Kakashi's arrival. Kakashi place them against a tree, tying them up. By the looks of it, those two are just chunin. It's too bad they would die right here.

"Sorry I didn't help you right away Naruto. I didn't think you would freeze up like that." Kakashi told Naruto frankly. "As for Sasuke and Sakura you both did a wonderful job." Kakashi praised.

"Are you hurt? Scaredy-cat." Sasuke insulted, with a proud grin on his face. Naruto had already looked depressed for awhile before he bled out the poison by stabbing his wound with a kunai and swearing upon it that he wouldn't ever freeze up like that ever again.

"Naruto, that was really brave and all but if you're going to lose anymore blood, you're going to die." Kakashi said, sweating over it. Of course, Naruto started to panic hearing that.

Itsuko walked towards the chunin, having a good look at them. She was sure she has seen their faces on the bingo book, very little money but still money is money. She stabbed them at their hearts without hesitation, stacking them together so it was easier to carry them on her shoulder. "Kakashi, I'll be back in awhile, don't die." She teased him a hit before teleporting off to drop them off, recieving payment before teleporting back. Finding that they were still there, she yawned. She didn't think much of it, she lacked sleep and this didn't exactly send her adrenaline rushing either.

"How can you be so calm when we were just attacked by ninjas?!" Tazuna screamed at her, as if she was some insane psychopath. He must have held that in for a long time because he was really loud.

"Those ninjas were nothing. You don't know who I am do you? Well you'll eventually find out, since we will be having a very exciting company very soon."

"You didn't do anything to help at all! Kakashi at least helped but you did absolutely nothing except save yourself!" Tazuna got mad at Itsuko's reply, clenching his fist tight.

"Hm? I killed them. That's all I needed to do. What, was I suppose to protect you? The job says protect you from robbers, those weren't robbers, I didn't need to do my job." Itsuko challenged, she was entirely right even if she had left him to die. She wasn't hired to protect him from ninjas.

"Okay! Okay! ... I lied. Ninjas are after me. Gato hired them. Gato took over the land of waves. Ever since then, the country has been poor. Building this bridge will allow traders to come and will bring money to the country and Gato doesn't want that. I'm the builder so that's why he's after me. Our country is poor. So we couldn't afford a B ranked mission since it would be expensive, that's why I lied." Tazuna finally let out, as they boarded the boat.

"Finally got it out of you. There Kakashi we have evidence, my assumption was correct." Itsuko said, trying her best to suppress another yawn.

"Y-You knew all along?" Tazuna stuttered as guilt filled him.

"Well, of course. I'm the captain of the anbu, Itsuko Uchiha."

Tazuna more than just shocked, he was scared now. The infamous captain of the anbu was well-known for having no moral values and killed whenever she wanted to.

"Thanks for finally being honest Tazuna. This mission isn't going to be a walk in the park anymore. I want everyone to keep their guard up at all times, we don't know what's ahead of us." Kakashi commanded, sensing the heighten fear in their client and the need to change the topic.