The Kitchens. So they hadn't moved her teammates too far from their workplace.
Naruko had run as fast as she could, upon hearing the man who had told her where they were. Because she had heard what they intended to do with her teammates, and she would never allow those people to take her teammates away from her. Not this way or any other.
It didn't matter that her legs burned and ached from how fast and how much she'd had to run to get there as fast as possible, even though she barely kept up with the much faster jounin that accompanied her. Hell, it didn't matter that the cut on her hand still hurt from where she'd cut herself stopping the same sword that she now held in her hand, its naked blade dripping her lifeblood droplet by droplet, marking the floor.
Everything that was not related to her teammates's protection faded away the moment she saw a large, overweight man rip off her teammates's underwear with one hand, holding his large penis with the other hand. She only saw red for a long time.
***
"You okay, Miss Nine?" asked Killer Bee, sitting on the veranda next to Naruko, who was looking at the distant stars.
"Yes," Naruko said, simply.
"Usually, the first kill has genin all jittery and stuff for a while," the woman offered. "I know we're supposed to be enemies and crap, but people like us, we've ought to stick together. Bet I could call Yugi-chan up, maybe get ourselves a party goin'," said the dark skinned, tall woman, balancing on the same veranda that stopped anyone from accidentally falling to the lower decks.
"You're not rapping," Naruko commented.
"Don't think it'll do ya good, but I can try if you're in the mood," Bee spoke, going back to the strange rhythm she utilized when rapping.
"No, thank you," Naruko said, sighing. "…People like us, huh? You know, I don't know much about people like us."
"Doesn't surprise me. Most people just like to pretend we don't exist until we're necessary. Big bro got a lot of flak for taking Yugito in when he did, and he lost a ton of support for his position when my status came out," she said, her voice strangely distant.
"Nobody knows what I am," Naruko said, looking at the distance. "I don't know what I am. What am I, really? Am I… it?"
"I wouldn't say that, Miss Nine," Bee stated, looking at the distance. "I'd say you're Uzumaki Naruko. Every day, from the moment of your birth and forwards, you're the one who decides who you are. No one else. It doesn't matter what some funky seal might say, you're you and that's it."
"You got my name?" Naruko asked, genuinelly surprised.
"Your teacher told me. Kakashi's a pretty cool guy, even if he's a total bitch… Anyway, you're not thinking too clearly. Consult it with your pillow, maybe it'll have some decent advice for you. Mine usually does," Bee admitted. "And tomorrow, I'll show you my good stuff! Even if your head's full of fluff, you've gotta appreciate my measure, and tomorrow, I won't be under no pressure!"
The blonde giggled at the display of Bee's complete inability to rap.
Naruko nodded, not bothering to stiffle the big yawn that overcame her when she was reminded that she was, in fact, very sleepy.
"You sure you're a woman?" Naruko asked, out of the blue.
"…Where did that come from?" Bee asked, frowning.
"Well, you're manlier than my teacher. Pretty sure of that," Naruko said, shrugging. "So I'll call you Bee-nii, and you'll be my cool older brother! I've always wondered what it'd be like to have one of those…"
"…I'm a woman," Bee pointed out. "Also, my name's technically B… I will let you call me B-oneesama, if you beg enough," she taunted.
"Nope! B-nii!" Naruko said, sticking out her tongue.
Killer Bee rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I'm too cool to care, but don't fred it I give you a scare, I'll set you straight, 'cuz that shit ain't right," she sang, causing Naruko to giggle once again.
It might ruin her image as a ridiculously cool kunoichi, but dammit if Naruko didn't find the horrible raps funny.
"Naruko!" called a silver haired man, now wearing his standard jounin attire. "I need to talk to you!"
"Samui!" called Killer Bee. "Go check up on Karui and Omoi!"
The overly developed teen girl nodded and departed from the upper deck, while Bee winked at Kakashi, who winked back at her. Though it might've been him blinking, since he only had one visible eye. He put a hand on top of Naruko's head, and then Bee leaped to the lower decks, clearly going to check on the other team that had been hired from Kumo.
"How are you, Naruko?" asked Kakashi.
"I'm fine," she said, shaking her head. "I'm more worried about Satchan and Sakura-chan…"
"Don't worry. They'll be fine. They've been trained to get over this kind of trauma. Worst comes to worst, Konoha has the best mind specialists in the world," an entire clan's worth of them, to be exact, "So don't worry about it. Anyway, I think I know the designs of that sword you stole."
Naruko blinked. "How do you know that I stole a sword?"
"I saw the man who had it before yourself. And you have his clothes, too," Kakashi said, flatly. "The clones from the Kage Bunshin technique transfer their memories back to me when they dispell. Really useful for scouting, espionage and intelligence gathering, but it gives me hellish headaches if they live too long. Anyway, I think I recognize it. It's an Uzumaki weapon."
"An Uzumaki weapon?" Naruko asked, perplexed.
"Yep. Your clan used to be so large there was a whole village full of 'em. It was small, sure, but if you'd ever bothered to open a textbook you'd know about it. So go do that, I don't want to explain. Anyway, this guy probably stole it from some exhibit or something. The Uzumaki made great sealwork, and that sword's clearly the product of Uzumaki sealwork. Otherwise, it wouldn't be in such great condition."
"I don't think I want to use a sword, though. I don't like getting up close and personal," Naruko admitted.
"Wouldn't blame you. I prefer kunai, myself, but I'm just too used to them. Anyway, this is a wakizashi, if I'm not mistaken… it should be short enough to attach it to a stick and make a Naginata out of it. I know a man who can train you on how to wield the proverbial blade on a stick if you want."
"Sounds nice," Naruko admitted. "I… really should go to sleep. Good night, Captain," she said, as she nodded at Kakashi and departed to her room.
Left alone in the darkness, Kakashi looked at the stars, before focusing on her departing form. "…A slip of the tongue?" he wondered. "She hasn't called me captain for years now… I guess she was more exhausted than she cared to admit," he said, chuckling to himself.
A template breeze moved a few strands of Kakashi's hair.
"You've grown up, Naruko…" he whispered, mostly to himself, a nostalgic tint to his voice.