❝ mr. ribbit. ❞

which turned out to be an A-class mission, team 7 got a D-class mission again. Although Shizuka was sure that the whole team didn't want that. Except for Kakashi, of course, that man would just sit back and read a book. He doesn't help at all.

Anyway, now they were in front of the Konoha gates, at Izumo and Kotetsu posts. They are the ones guarding the Konoha entrance gate. "Hey, good job guys!" praised Kotetsu. A chunnin who has long spiky black hair and has a strip if bandage running across the bridge of his nose.

Naruto grinned. "Now I can finally eat Ichiraku Ramen, ttebayou!"

"Sounds good," Sakura smiled. "You're treating, Naruto."

"Huh? Oh, fine already. But you know," Naruto turned his body towards Sasuke angrily. "How about you treating us for a change, Sasuke?!"

"Hmph!" Sasuke looked at Naruto uninterestedly. "I'm off to train."

"How about you, Shizuka?!"

Shizuka raised her glasses. "Always eating ramen is not healthy, nanodayo!"

"Then, maybe Kakashi-sensei can..." Naruto's words stopped when he saw Kakashi who was just silent and was looking at something. "Huh?"

The four of them were curious and turned their heads towards what Kakashi was watching. There were three ANBU and a tied woman walking towards the Konoha gate.

"Wow .."

"Pretty."

"Why was she arrested?" asked Sasuke curiously.

"I'm told that she's a kunoichi who disguised herself as a street performer," Izumo explained. "to gather information about the land of Fire."

"What's going to happen to her now?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Well, she'll be interrogated to see just what she found out," finally, Kakashi spoke. "They'll use whatever means necessary. Until she starts talking."

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"Shizuka," the girl looked up, saw Sasuke stopped in front of her.

"Why did you bring a carrot?" Sasuke pointed to a carrot that she was holding.

"This carrot is for tomorrow's lucky item," Shizuka replied, lifting the carrot to his face. "And this is a lucky item for today, nanodayo," Shizuka pointed out the orange gift box that she was holding on her other hand. "A gift box. Today Cancer is second."

"I'll never understand you," Sasuke frowned. They had been a team for a few months, but he still didn't understand the girl's strangeness.

"You've said that many times," Shizuka spoke flatly. "But I believe what Oha Asa said. Therefore I will not fail in carrying out the mission."

The two of them walked together on the streets of Konoha. Neither one spoke, because neither of them were fussy people. Sasuke and Shizuka stopped when they saw Kakashi and a girl walking together a few meters ahead of them. They stared at each other, before hiding behind the big boxes.

"Kakashi?" said Sasuke, seeing Kakashi and the woman they didn't know were walking past.

"Are you guys curious too?" asked Naruto, leaning onn top of Shizuka who was leaning on top of Sasuke.

"It's not like that," argued Sasuke.

"Ridiculous!"

"It's that lady!" said Sakura, who joined and leaned on Naruto, bringing them to the fore. "you know, the one we saw at the gate. The one accused of being a spy!"

"Oh yeah! That pretty lady!"

After thinking they were far away, they broke away. Coming out of their little hideout and stare at Kakashi and the woman from afar. "What's Kakashi doing with someone like her?"

Naruto and Sakura immediately ran. With Shizuka and Sasuke also following along. Actually she doesn't really care, but this is Kakashi's she was talking about. She can't leave that. The four of them followed where Kakashi went. While hiding curiously. Until finally they hid in the bushes near the garden.

"That cloud resembles Naruto," said Kakashi, looking up at the sky. "And next to that is ... Sasuke maybe?"

Kakashi's words completely shocked the four of them, who were hiding behind a bush. Thinking that Kakashi would find out that they had been following him all along. "Hide your chakra, nanodayo!" whispered Shizuka. It could be bad later if Kakashi finds out.

"I can't hear them," Naruto whined, pouting his lip.

"But they seem suited for each other," Sakura quietly exclaimed, her eyes already sparkling.

"How silly."

"..."

"I'm going to get closer, ttebayou," Naruto spoke, jumping slowly to climb the big tree behind Kakashi. Shizuka had resisted, although in the end she got on too.

" ... Because you've always been in my heart," said the woman, her cheeks flushed red. "you were my hope."

All the genins plus Shizuka flushed after hearing that.

"Whoa, things starting to heat up," snickered Naruto with a wicked smile, leaning forward so he can hear it more.

"Wait, Naruto! You'll ..." before Sakura finished warning him, the branch that was holding Naruto was broken, causing the four of them to fall too. Shizuka tried to jump, only she felt Sasuke's hand gripping her leg and pulling her down too.

BOOM!

The four of them fell down with a loud sound. Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura fell face to face first, while Shizuka fell on her back. Even so, both of her arms were raised so that her lucky item was not damaged. They immediately stood up, then stared in surprise at Kakashi who accidentally kissed the woman.

"Oh my," Sakura closed her mouth, which was gaping wide.

After one second, Kakashi stood up and stared at them. "Hey, you four!"

"Huh?! Uh, you see, this is... ah, um ..." Naruto grinned in nervous plus embarassed, then looked at the flowers Sakura brought. Tried to take it and whispered frantically to her. "Gi-Give me that."

"C-congratulations, dattebayou!" Naruto lifted the flower forward while exclaiming in panic.

"Huh?"

"Thank you."

○○○

In the end, Hanare —the spy woman— left after the leader of the Lock Village wanted her back and exchanged her with one of the ninja from Konoha who was captured by them. Well, there have been some minor battles though. But the four of them don't know whether Hanare left with her village or if she is dead. Because Kakashi just said "she's gone. Really, she is a great kunoichi."

Despite all that, they were now in the middle of the road. After finishing their training. "Hey, don't you guys wonder who the girl Kakashi-sensei likes?" Naruto questioned with a sly smile.

"I've had enough of this ridiculousness," said Shizuka, raising her glasses. "I'd better go home."

"Shizuka is right," Sasuke nodded. "It's a waste of my time. It's better if I just practice."

"Hmph! What if what's behind the mask?" Asked Naruto, completely making the two of them stop. Honestly, the question was very tempting. Naruto snickered before continuing. "Could it be that he has lips like fish eggs? Or maybe big teeth? sexy lips? a big beauty mark? "

In the end, everyone wastempted and join in to find out Kakashi's real face. Come to think of it, while she was at the ANBU, Shizuka never saw Kakashi take down his mask. So she was also interested to know. The four of them followed where Kakashi went. Just like what they did yesterday with Hanare. They follow him to supermarkets, bookstores, and even to KIA. And to no avail, Kakashi didn't take off his mask at all.

"This is so ridiculous, I'll just go home," said Shizuka when they were at the playground, her eyebrows frowning feeling annoyed. "Oha Asa is right, I shouldn't be that curious. By the way, today's lucky item is a frog piggy bank, nanodayo."

Suddenly, from her left side a ball bounced at her. "Aah!"

"Man, that was dangerous," said Naruto then turned to the children who were playing. "Hey! Be careful when playing, dattebayou!"

"Mr. Ribbit!" Shizuka shouted, noticing that her frog piggy bank had disappeared from her grasp. She looked down, saw that the piggy bank was broken.

"Mr. Ribbit?" they echoed curiously, shocked when the silent and stiff girl could scream.

"Mr. Ribbit!"

Shizuka collapsed.

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