𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 | 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐨 [HEAVY EDITING]

𝟏𝟏 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬

I apologize for the delay, everyone. These updates should be a bit more regular now, and the goal is to complete them by at least the end of June, if not earlier. Fifty-something chapters to go!! :((

"Sasuke, I'm at Point B."

"Sakura, I'm at Point C."

"Kari, I'm at Point D." Silence.

"Naruto, I'm at Point A, believe it!"

"Too slow, Naruto." Kakashi-sense sighs. "Okay, Squad Seven – hmm? The target has moved. Follow it!"

I refuse to let it get away. It'll be my first time ever seeing one! Very silently, we slink around the trunks of the trees, glancing over our shoulders and around the bark.

"Over there," Naruto hisses through his earpiece to us. Nodding, I give them the signal to move on ahead – Sakura first, then Naruto, then Sasuke, and then myself, bringing up the rear.

"What's your distance from the target?" Kakashi-sensei asks us.

"Five meters," Naruto answers. "I'm ready, just give me the signal!"

"I'm ready, too," Sasuke says.

"So am I," Sakura says.

"Me, as well," I say.

"Okay... now!" We leap out of our hiding places and into the meadow, where Naruto manages to grab onto the cat from around its stomach to stop it from running away. Of course, I'd be upset, too, I've I'd been grabbed like that. It claws at his face, splitting skin.

"Naruto, be careful!"

"I-I'm trying to!" At this point, it isn't even trying to get away – it just wants revenge. Witnessing this, I have trouble deciding whether or not I like cats. This is my first one I've ever seen since leaving the mountains and it's a little violent, but they're not all like this, are they?

A little reluctantly, I reach down and pull it off of Naruto, holding it away from me in case it decides to target mine. Surprisingly, it doesn't. It even allows me to hold it to my chest. I can feel its heart beating about as quickly as my own – it makes me nervous. Meeting Akamaru, a dog, was totally different than this, but... there's a certain comfort and calm to holding this violent cat.