Kiraabi: Killer Beauty (UP FOR ADOPTION)

Day 2, Tanzaku Gai

As dusk fell over Tanzaku Gai, Team Kakashi quickly filled in their teammates about their day in Tanzaku Gai, Naruto and Sakura being the last to report.

"We left them unconscious in the meadow," Naruto finished.

"Baka! You just left enemies laying in a field?!" Sai said incredulously.

With a shrug, Naruto responded calmly, "Well, even if someone came along, found them and got them to a hospital, they'll still be unconscious for at least a day. So why waste time binding them or hiding them?"

No one could argue with his logic. Tactically, Naruto and Sakura had made the right decision. This portion of the mission was classified as information gathering - self defense was understood, but taking prisoners was not yet a part of the mission scope.

With a nod, Kakashi voiced a question, "Naruto, who told you about the meadow?"

"The desk manager, you know the old guy that was on duty this morning... He even arranged the picnic lunch for us...Uh, why?"

"Naruto, think about it." Sakura was amazed he hadn't caught on yet, "It's a little too coincidental that we were the only ones from our group with a decided plan for the day and we would become the gaishi of an yougeki. That manager is obviously in on whatever is going on."

"Well that's just great...guess we won't be sleeping in beds tonight."

Looking at each of the faces of his team, Kakashi was grimly serious as he said, "Having beds won't be an issue, as I doubt we'll be sleeping at all tonight. It's time we stepped up our mission parameters..."

Yamato had been only too right, Kakashi's plan did indeed mean that he and Sai would not be enjoying the comforts of warm beds in a comfortable inn.

'The life of a ninja,' Yamato thought to himself with a mental shrug as he moved through the dusk. At his side, keeping perfect pace, Sai move in tandem, silent and stone-faced.

As the only members of the squad that had not run into any of the gorotsuki, they were, of course, assigned the job to sit up all night keeping watch over the thugs Naruto and Sakura left in the meadow. Arriving at the clearing Sakura had described with the large flowing willow, the two nin moved to take up positions high in the branches were darkness and foliage would hide their presence.

Just beyond the line of trees near the path, lay four lumps, the supposed attackers still unconscious from Naruto's fit of anger. Just as Naruto had described the four gorotsuki would not be waking up anytime soon. Yamato and Sai's main job for the night was to keep watch over the men until they made a move to return to their base. But from the odd way one of them was lying...Yamato was convinced it would be a while before they went anywhere.

As the two settled into their treetop positions, Sai unrolled his blank scroll then several small black mice. After the sheet was full, the teen activated his jutsu and the ink blots came to life, scurrying quickly about their mission. The battalion of rodents disappeared quickly and silently into the darkness that surrounded them.

Because of the season and the closeness of the town, the night was much quieter than on most of their missions. Neither ninja made a sound as they waited for Sai's creations to report back.

"Chikishou Naruto," Sai groused after a small black spot crawled up his arm to nuzzle his ear. The sudden words the only sound to cut through the silence of night.

Yamato looked at Sai surprised not only that he had spoken out loud in a stake out situation, but that his words carried such emotion. With a tilt of his head and lifted eyebrow he conveyed a quick message.