Mitsuo sat at his desk and sighed slightly. He loved his job, it was exciting and he got to protect the village that he loved and the people he cared most for, but there were times where it was just stressful. This was one of those times, every time he heard a story like the one that the information department had sent him it just made him sick. He had opened the letter and after reading it he slammed his fist on the desk and became instantly upset and angry.

Chita, Sasori

There is a mission that requires your immediate attention. A local Jounin was found dead last night and upon further investigation it has been determined that he was murdered by his former partner, Fukawa, Sora. When we attempted to find her we quickly realised that she had fled the village, assumingly defecting. She must be taken care of, but be advised that she is likely to become extremely hostile if confronted. She is a twenty-five year old woman, average height and builds, long tied back brown hair, and is known for carrying a pair of Tanto on her at all times. Please bring her back alive if possible, but no matter what do not let her escape. The rest of the ANBU have been dispatched so you will either be alone or you can bring in someone to help you. Be sure that they are someone you trust. This mission is of the upmost importance, please tread it as such.

Thank you,
Hyuuga, Daisuke, Konoha Information Department

He shook his head, clearly disturbed by this news. He never liked to hear about people going rogue but was much more disturbed when he heard that she not only defected, but killed her partner in the process. It took years to form a bond of partnership with someone and he couldn’t imagine shattering that bond for a second. When he read over the last part of the letter again he decided he would not want to act alone on this mission. He adorned his ANBU gear, including his white Captain cloak, and left the compound, making his way towards the training grounds where he knew he would find Aiza. He had already told him he would have one last test for him, and this was a mission meant for an ANBU Black Ops agent. He would test his student this day and see if he was ready for the position he was seeking out. He ran from rooftop to rooftop beneath the bright Konoha sky, the sun at its zenith at the moment and the heat beginning to become quite distracting as he went. He was moving much too fast for the untrained eye to see and therefore wasn’t overly worried about civilians noticing him right now. He found a bird that would be able to send the letter back to Aiza, scribbling on the front that it was for his eyes only, and then he made his way towards the rolling hills where he was hoping to meet his charge.

His face dripped with sweat beneath his ornate black orange and red mask, his green eyes piercing through the eye holes of the mask. He gritted his teeth and his long hair whipped out behind him as he ran at a nearly impossible speed towards his destination. His hands constantly brushed against the hilt of his tanto and his katana, preparing to draw them at a moment’s notice and knowing that if he wasn’t careful this missing nin could potentially end him and Aiza, being quite powerful herself to have taken out a Jounin. He made his way along, only hoping he would be able to catch her in time…

(621/2500)

Aiza sat out on his rooftop, looking up at the sky. It was a behavior that he practiced often...he wasn't the most religious person, but that didn't bar him from any form of spirituality, and in the sky, he always say something. Its beauty, day or night, sun or moon, clouds or stars, was always some sort of sign or symbol. He saw it was a guide to tell him where to go next or a consolation that told him that everything would be ok. And he took peace in this night's brilliant sky, a void covered in stars. His eyes began to flutter as sleep beckoned him, and he slowly fell into slumber...until something caught his view. He stared at the approaching figure, a bird, and sat up to greet it. "Hello there, Mr. Birdy. How are you this lovely evening?" he said, playfully. The bird chirped a few times before dropping a note, which landed in the palm of Aiza's outstretched hand, before it flew away in a blur. He watched it proceed on its way through the night before opening the note that was inscribed with, "For Aiza's Eyes Only".

After a moment of reading, Aiza understood the urgency of the situation. This was an A-Ranked task, his very first, and excitement welled up in him, building to a climax. This was also his last test before becoming ANBU. His path as a ninja would never be the same...he rose to his feet, tapping the left on the roof a few times and stretching before hopping down to ground level. Trees were all to the west, which was where the bird had come from and had also returned to. He sprinted after the creature, assuming that wherever the bird was going, it was the same place that Mitsuo was. As the brush on the ground grew dense and vines obstructed his path, Aiza took to the trees, hopping from treetop to treetop with dexterity until the forestland ended and the rolling hills began. Mitsuo, a mere dot from this perspective, was far ahead, but at least Aiza knew he was on the right track. Their target was a dangerous woman and missing ninja. It looked like missing ninja were constantly terrorizing Konoha, and it was a required effort to stop them...this was a prominent step in doing so. High-ranked missing ninja were always priority in the black book, as far as Aiza knew.

The woman, named Fukawa, wasn't to be underestimated. She was still not in sight, meaning that her speed must have rivaled even Mitsuo's, who Aiza knew to be one of the fastest people in the village. He continued running, now a bit less hastily in order to conserve energy for the upcoming skirmish. Just because the fight would be two against one didn't mean that they could be careless. Death was always a possibility, and no matter how slim the chance, it was required to optimize their chances of success in such a task. The area between him and his sensei was much shorter than before, at maybe a 20 to 25 meters' distance. Finally, Fukawa came into view, and she was tending to something. From afar, it was hard to tell, but it looked as if she was injured and she had stopped running to fix it maybe? Aiza wasn't sure, all he knew was that they needed to keep her from escaping. That would probably be the harder than the battle itself...

Aiza caught Mitsuo's attention and pointed to the east to indicate that he was going to attack from a different position, before sprinting in aforementioned direction. He found a bluff covered in grass that stood around 15 meters to the southeast of Fukawa, far enough so that she wouldn't hear his footsteps if he was quiet but also close enough to get a surprise attack in. He stayed perched there, awaiting Mitsuo's command.

(671)