[Kokugen]

The five ANBU had arrived at the far end of the Konoha High Street and stopped there looking around at the empty area,

“This place should be fine…”

All five of them removed their masks as they did their masks seemed to burn their respective colours before scattering like ash to the winds, Huojin’s pale grey eyes watched the colourful ash dance in the dark night,

“I get a nostalgic feeling everytime I take off my mask…”

Liu stepped forward placing her hand underneath one of the falling pieces of ash,

“I know what you mean, kinda like we’ve worn them before…”

Lei closed his eyes and sighed before releasing one of the clips on his forearm guard,

“I’m heading home…”

Suyin walked in front of him in poked him in his forehead,

“Where are you going? We just got off duty and it’s still early, lets do something together!”

“Still early! It’s probably past twelve and we’re only 12! Hardly the time to be out, besides we have to complete that report.”

“Baka[8]! Work! Work! Work! That’s all you think about! You just said we’re only 12 so we shouldn’t be working! We should be with our friends having fun! Right Liu!”

“Haaaaaaaaaaai!”

Huojin let out a chuckle at the girls spirit, walking towards Lei he placed his arm around his shoulder,

“Lei-kun you know she’s right chillax with us for a bit, it’ll be fun promise.”

GuangLi stood in between the two girls placing his hands over their shoulders,

“Well if you don’t wanna go Lei that’s OK.”

He turned walking with the two girls towards the eastern exit of the High Street,

“Hey wait a sec! Let me think about this!”

Huojin jumped onto the end of the chain besides Liu,

“Well then we’ll be off! Even numbers have more fun anyways!”

“Hey I didn’t say I wasn’t going!”

The four of them laughed as they walked off into the distance, Lei watched them for a moment before deciding and chasing after them.

--------

The following morning was a bright azure, there were thin wisps of cloud in the sky but it was generally clear, the morning sun shone low in the sky.

In the apartment of a certain academy ninja a young boy was awakening, he opened his eyes that had gummed together in his sleep and scanned the room. Getting out of his bed he pulled off his sleeping hat to reveal a set of golden Blonde locks, he shook his head loosening his bed hair and stalked into the bathroom.

Moments later he was fully awake in his underwear observing his closet, Damn I really need to get more clothes… Orange jumpsuits what was I thinking. After a good few minutes he managed to compile a new outfit, it consisted of a pair of black bottoms which where bandaged at the bottom to connect to his black ninja sandals. He had a black shirt over his string vest which had a spiral in the centre and his usual orange top which was worn open.

He put his ninja pack on the back of his leg, adjusted his goggles on his forehead and made his way towards the door. He locked it, walked down the stairs and made his way towards the academy.

Halfway though his journey he saw a group of people crowded outside a shop, he decided as he was early he would take a look. The shop turned out to be a ninja outfitters, as he got closer he noticed the window was smashed. There were a group of adults consulting but he couldn’t make out what they were saying, he decided instead to ask the shop owner,

“Uuh, Ojii-san what happened to your shop?”

The shop owner gave me a menacing look before answering,

“It’s nothing a gaki[9]like you should be worrying about.”

I lowered my eyebrows into a frown rivalling his look before turning to another kid that was standing nearby,

“Excuse me, do you know what happened here?”

The kid looked at me for a moment before smiling,

“My Okaa-san[10] said that someone took something in the night without paying for it.”

Naruto decided if he had heard his parents talking then his account must be genuine,

“Did they! Do you know what they took?”

“I think it was a sword!”

“A sword sugoi[11]! Arigatou[12] kid you helped me a lot.”