Life of a Ninja: Renascence

guid·ance /ˈɡīdəns/

noun

advice or information aimed at resolving a problem or difficulty, especially as given by someone in authority.

"Onyx, in position. I see the target."

"Ruby. I read you, target in sight and is heading deeper into the forest."

"This is Sapphire. I'm veering around to cut off the flight path. Let's do this thing!"

The lush green foliage of the thick forest of Konohagakure rushed past as a single small blur shot through the air, two more larger blurs hot on its heels.

A yowl split the air.

"Got 'im!" A female voice cheered triumptetly.

Tobirama landed lightly on the dirt, Sasuke following shortly behind him as Nagisa emerged from the bushes, covered in leaves and twigs with a squirming tabby cat clutched against her chest.

"Good job," Tobirama praised, and Nagisa all but glowed as she bounced over to his side, giving him an affectionate head-butt in thanks. Tobirama ruffled her sunny blonde locks as he lifted a hand to his communicator. "This is Ruby. Agate, do you read me?"

"Agate here. I read you Ruby, what's the situation?"

Tobirama ignored Sasuke's vicious swearing when the dark-haired boy got to close to the cat's flailing claws (no, that was not a smirk on his lips. It wasn't.). "Sapphire has procured the target."

"Identification?"

"Brown tabby, pink ribbon around its ear. Especially bloodthirsty." Tobirama drawled, watching in sadistic amusement as the cat hissed angrily at Sasuke, who was cradling his blood hand.

"Fucking demon cat." The Uchiha growled under his breath.

"Language, Onyx~" Their sensei mocked over the communication channel, and Sasuke moved on from swearing at the cat, to swearing at the cat and their lazy sensei. "Good job Sapphire." If anything, Nagisa's smile grew even brighter at Kakashi's praise. "Alright you three, meet me at the Tower for your reward."

The trek to the Hokage tower was pretty much eventless (unless you counted the fact that some rabid Uchiha fangirls had noticed them – but that was another story), Kakashi was leaning on the wall outside the Hokage office, book in hand. At the sight of his three students, he tucked the small orange book back into his weapon pouch.

"Good job you three." Their sensei praised, pushing himself off the walls and stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Let's go get our payment."

The Hokage smiled warmly in greeting when the door was pushed open, and even after thirteen years, Tobirama still found looking at his former student, now much older than him, unnerving.

"Team Seven, reporting in, Hokage-sama" Kakashi dipped his head.

"Jiji! Iruka-sensei!" Nagisa greeted brightly as she burst in behind him.

"Good afternoon, Nagisa-chan, Team Seven." Sarutobi smiled and Iruka waved from where he sat a few tables away, "Finished your mission?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Kakashi acknowledged.

On cue, Sasuke staggered in, a squirming Tora held securely (and as far away from his face as possible) in his arms.

Sarutobi's eyes shone with amusement, "Ah yes. Iruka, fetch Shijimi-dono if you would?"

Moments later, the walls shook at the force of the door slamming open, followed by the sound of a high-pitched squeal of: "TORA!" Sasuke handed the cat off with no small amount of satisfaction when the cat was immediately squashed against the Daimyō's Wife's ample chest. The woman continued to squeeze the cat half to death as she handed the payment off to an amused Iruka and pranced out the door.

A glance at his teammates showed that Tobirama wasn't the only one finding sick satisfaction in the asphyxiation of the terror cat.

"Well," Sarutobi coughed, "Congratulations Team Seven, in the completion of your thirtieth D-Rank mission." The elderly Hokage shuffled through a few papers. "There's still quite a few hours left in the day, so if you would like to take another mission while you're here..."

A glance at Iruka, and the Academy sensei began listing more D-rank requests. "Yamaguchi-san has asked for a team to look after her son. Kuroba-san needs help weeding his garden, his knees aren't the same as they once were. Haruno-san has asked for a team to run some deliveries around the village. And-"

A mournful wail of "TORA!" echoed through the building, followed by multiple crashes and shrieks of terror.

"-Tora needs to be caught again."

"Actually Hokage-sama," Kakashi said, "I would like to request a C-rank mission."

Tobirama didn't even need to blink before he reached over and clapped a hand over Nagisa's mouth, and it would seem he wasn't the only one with that thought, because Sasuke did the exact same. "SWE-mmpph!"

The two boys glared at each other over their blonde teammate's head.

Sarutobi's eyes shone with amusement. "I see. Iruka, fetch Tazuna-san, please."

Tazuna was an old, drunk bridge builder.

Nagisa crinkled her nose in distaste at the smell of cheap rum drifting off the man leaning on the door as he stared at Team Seven with unfocused eyes.

"You're giving me three brats?" The man slurred, "They don't look like much. A pretty boy, a china doll, and an albino? I didn't pay for this."

Nagisa bristled, and felt Sasuke do the same beside her.

Tobirama's eyes narrowed, "Actually, Tazuna-san. You did."

"My student is correct." Kakashi drawled, "You paid for a C-rank guard, so we're what you're getting. Unless you'd rather pay for a B-rank team."

"Besides! You're lucky to be getting us!" Nagisa frowned, "Sensei's an A-rank ninja! He's super strong!"

"Team Seven is the best of their year, Tazuna-san." Iruka piped up from his place next to the Hokage.

"Fine, fine." Tazuna grumbled, taking another swig from his drink. "Whatever."

"Alright you three," Kakashi clapped his hands together and turned to his students, "We'll meet at the gate in an hour. Dismissed!"

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei!"

An hour later found the three genin of Team Seven loitering near the large red gates that led beyond the village. For two thirds of the group, it would be their first time beyond those gates, and Nagisa could barely contain her excitement.

Tobirama sighed as he tugged on the ends of the blonde pigtails lightly as the Uzumaki bounced up and down beside him. "Calm."

"Mou, Tobi!" Nagisa pouted, "Aren't you more excited! We're going outside the village!" She took his hands in hers, bouncing excitedly causing the albino's arms to jerk up and down with her.

The Senju shot a longsuffering stare at the faintly amused Sasuke, before a cruel smirk lifted his lips.

The other boy's eyes widened in apprehension.

"I don't believe Sasuke-kun's very excited either."

Nagisa dropped Tobirama's hands, turning and lunching herself at their Uchiha team mate in a flying tackle. Sasuke only just managed to keep his balance, pale cheeks flushing pink as the blond unknowingly pressed her... developing assets... against his chest while she pouted up at with big blue eyes.

Tobirama's grin melted off his face.

Sasuke looked up, caught the expression of Death, and his eyebrows rose. With a challenging smirk, he slowly brought his arms up around the blond.

Tobirama's look turned to that of Imminent Death.

Nagisa was oblivious.

Kakashi looked at the scene he had arrived to, glancing between the glowering Senju, the smug Uchiha, and the oblivious Uzumaki who seemed to have been caught in the middle.

"Are we interrupting something?"

Tazuna snorted around his sake, and three pairs of eyes moved to him.

"Kakashi-sensei!" A heartbeat later, and Kakashi had a child – sized blond leech attached to his leg. "You're actually early!"

The silver – haired jounin chuckled, patting Nagisa on the top of her head awkwardly. "Of course I am! What kind of man do you take me for?"

"A lazy pervert." Sasuke stated bluntly.

Tobirama rolled his eyes, "That's an understatement."

"Ouch." Kakashi placed a hand on his chest, "Your words wound me." He said overdramatically

"You'll live." His two male genin deadpanned,

"So mean."

me: is alive

H-hey everyone *drags self out of whatever hole it is I died in* how are you this fine evening? The weather is lovely isn't it? Snows finally gone, suns out.

Haha haha ha...ha?

I've been suffering with severe Writers Block lately, and was working on some random stories that I had started writing and found buried in my laptop to pass time.

Well, enjoy the new chapter!

*adjusts sick mask and hides*