[54] Deterioration

"So, Kagami I have brought you here to talk to you about your current rank." Tsunade smiles at the girl who is standing uncomfortably in front of her.

Kagami nods politely to the woman, hoping she does allow the girl to be promoted back up to Anbu.

"I was going to tell you this last time you were here, but we were interrupted." Tsunade smiles at the girl. "Kagami Hatake, I'm happy to tell you that you are bein-"

"Tsunade-sama!" The door bursts open and a nin launches themselves into the office.

"What?!" The woman is clearly losing her patients as Hokage, especially with people who feel the need to not knock.

"Sasuke Uchiha has left the village!"

Kagami's eyes widen and her head snaps to the side, looking at the man for confirmation of what she just heard. She bites into her cheek, suddenly worried about the rest of the team.

"How do we know?" Tsunade asks the man.

"Sakura Haruno was found unconscious near the village gates this morning, when she woke up she was hysterical."

"Right, Kagami we will continue this another time." Tsunade dismisses her.

'You have got to be kidding.'

'I don't think she is.'

'Oh Masaru, you've decided to join us have you?'

'Kagami, be nice.' Yua warns the girl

'Yeah Kagami, be nice to me.' His smirk can be heard in his words.

Kagami clenches her teeth, 'I will literally obliterate you.'

'I would like to see you try!' Masaru scoffs at the girls words.

'Masaru, I will rip out-'

'I'm cutting you off now Kagami.'

The connection goes blank, Kagami rolls her eyes. Yua doesn't often take control, but when she does she really doesn't need to. Kagami finds quite a few of her morals and antics aggravating and annoying.

One example being the random fluctuations in her chakra, people are noticing and Yua seems to not care. Which is very hypocritical of since she is always telling Kagami to be more careful with herself.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kagami bows slightly before making her way out of the office and the building.

She makes her way across the street and towards the popular jonin meeting spot, a small outside shop that sells coffee and alcohol. She glances around for her brother but doesn't manage to find him. She turns back around and walks along the streets of Konoha, looking for him. She knows she won't be put on the mission to get him back as Tsunade knows of her relation to Orochimaru and sending her after him would be not only be dangerous to Sasuke but also her and those she brings with her.

Her pace picks up as she walks further and further out of town towards their home. She knows she has to find and tell him, he won't be notified by the Hokage that's for sure, she is already low on staffing and will be saving him for a higher ranked mission, much like she will be doing with her.

Kagami suddenly stops moving all together.

'If I don't see anyone for a while, he will come check on me.' She surveys the area around her before making her way over to a small park across the street. She notices its empty, no kids in the area.

She sits down on one of the swings, pushing herself back and forth lightly.

'Masaru, are you okay?'

'Yes, Kagami, I'm fine now.'

'That's good.'

Kagami looks up to the sky, watching the clouds inch past.

'Kami this is boring, how does Shikamaru do this?'

'Kagami-chan, some people just have odd interest.'

'You are right Hashirama-sama,'

'Hmph,'

'Hello Tobirama-sama,'

'What's got you so chatty today kid?'

'I have nothing else to do.'

'Can't you talk to real people,' Tobirama says it more as a demand than a question.

'Ah, Tobirama-sama, I am much like you and I have a very limited amount of friends.'

A sudden chorus of laughs rings out through the connection, Masaru's loud howl being very overpowering compared to Hashirama's. Kagami suddenly realises her mistake, she hadn't meant it in that way, she just wanted to find something that related between the two.

'Ah, Tobirama-sama, I apologise.'

'Hmph,'

'Don't worry Kagami-chan, he really is just a big bear!'

'Hashirama, be quiet.'

'No, Tobirama, I want to talk with Kagami-chan.'

Kagami's mood skyrockets at the Hokage says this, a smile almost stretching across her face. She looks down at her hands in her lap, fidgeting.

'Now, Kagami-chan,'

'Yes, Hashirama-sama?'

'What is currently happening in Konoha?'

Kagami's eyes widen, 'You mean you can't see?'

'No, I believe we only catch your end of things. I'm not paying attention most of the time.'

Kagami sweat-drops, but isn't upset with his statement. She would probably be the same if she was locked away in someones body. Even if it's only a part of her like the two Hokages. Kagami has come to the realisation that since their 'bodies' weren't locked with her, she isn't actually speaking with the Hokages, but in fact a subconscious of theirs that Orochimaru had decided to summon. If she were to meet another Edo-Tensei version of them, they wouldn't know anything about her until her sealed part of them was unsealed and rejoined their soul.

Kagami finds it a little sad and sometimes becomes guilty that she has taken part in something that has done this to someone, but then she remembers that it also saved her village a good amount of grief and has helped put Orochimaru out of commission.

But Sasuke.

The thought weasels its way into her mind, her eyes rolling immediately to the back of her head.

'Stupid Uchiha.'

'Yes Kagami, it is about time you come to the understanding that Uchiha are bad.'

'Tobirama-sama you were right all along, they are very underwhelming people.'

'Correct Kagami, I have much to teach you.'

'TOBIRAMA DON'T SPOIL A PERFECT MIND!'

'I AM NOT.'

Kagami giggles lightly, this conversation bringing her mood up once again. The two Hokage's are certainly interesting characters, both very different but seem to fit in with each other well.

'Hashirama-sama. The most recent news is that Sasuke Uchiha, the only survivor, has defected from the village under the influence of a criminal sanin.'

'Sounds like a movie, doesn't it?' Hashirama looks to his brother, who just gives him an unimpressed look back. 'Ehem, so what is being done about this?'

'I am unaware, but Tsunade-sama will figure something out.'

'Tsunade? As in my grand-daughter?'

'That's right, Hashirama-sama.'

'Is the village okay?'

Kagami dead-pans at his courage in his grand-daughter, though she does find his reaction amusing, it isn't very reassuring for her or the village.

'Yes, the village is fairing well, I'm just waiting for the outcome of this current dilemma to cause havoc.'

'Do you not believe we will get the boy back?'

Kagami takes note of how he says 'we' like he is still the Hokage of the village.

'I believe we can get the boy back, I don't think he wants to come back.'

'Ah, I see.'

Kagami sighs and pulls out her notebook, looking over all the words she has to get her brother to teach to her. That's if she can find him, and dear Kami it's taking him a long time to get to her as well. She puts the notebook away and stands up from the swing, heading back to the streets in hope that her brother has emerged from wherever he was hiding last time she looked, because Kagami is starting to lose patience.

She wanders back and forth along the street, glancing into the shops and stalls, somehow knowing he isn't going to be there but looking anyway. She knows he isn't at home, he had left before she got up and she has been out for little over two hours, Kakashi never spent long at home, he was more of an outdoors person. The fact that she can't feel his chakra means he's either hiding from her or is currently out of the village.

"Hey, Kagami."

The girl turns around, her eyes landing on Shikamaru. He smiles at her and waves, getting a small one in return. She looks behind him to see Naruto and Choji wandering behind him, she nods to them both.

"I guess you were given the mission?" Kagami asks quietly as she falls into step with them.

Shikamaru nods, placing his hands behind his head as they walk along.

"Yep, my first mission as a chunin, I have to make up a team of genin's. That doesn't include you apparently." The boy shrugs.

"Kagami-chan! Why can't you come? You could definitely get Sasuke to come back, believe it!" Naruto jumps energetically next to the girl, who glances at him momentarily.

"I have had past experience with Orochimaru that may hinder the performance of the mission, it's better if I just stay out of the way." Kagami glances into a few stalls they pass, hoping to kami she sees her brother.

"What are you looking for?" Shikamaru asks, dropping his hands down to his sides.

"Kakashi, I can't find him."

"He'll be around here somewhere."

Kagami sweat-drops at this.

'It's not as if he is a toy I've lost.'

Shikamaru silently grabs Kagami's hand, interlocking their fingers.

"Who else are you getting to join the squad?" Kagami asks, trying to distract herself from their hands.

"Kiba, we need his tracking ability, and Neji Hyuga" Shikamaru once again looks up at the sky, obviously finding the whole ideal tiring.

"I'm sure you'll do good," Kagami says to them.

The entire group turn to her in surprise, not expecting to ever hear such praise from the girl.

"And if you don't," Kagami looks at the three, "Nobody will blame you, it's your first mission without a higher rank and it is, in fact, a high ranking mission. Mission's like these are usually ranked from B up. With the people involved, you are taking an A-ranked mission."

The three gulp at the girls words, suddenly feeling worse than before.

"But in reality," Kagami glances to her feet, "Missions are failed and lost every day, the people with them. So the best outcome would be to bring Sasuke back." She makes eye contact with Naruto, "But I will be more than proud if you bring just yourselves back."

s.h.o.u.t.

Kagami stands next to Sakura below the village entrance. She watches as Sakura busies herself with talking to Naruto. She sighs and turns to Shikamaru, who is looking out of the gate with a daunting look. She tugs on his arm, breaking him out of his trance.

"You'll do good." She mumbles to him.

Shikamaru mods to her, he quickly glances around before kissing her on the cheek and walking ahead.

"C'mon, we have to get moving." He calls out to the group, trying to keep up his calm facade.

"Sakura-chan! Kagami-chan!" The two turn to look at Naruto. "I promise to bring Sasuke back!"

"Thank you, Naruto!" Sakura calls out to him, waving.

Everyone turns to Kagami for a reply. She slowly brings her hand up and waves lightly to them.

"If you bring back Sasuke but leave someone behind, I will suffocate you in your sleep."

"SEE YOU SOON KAGAMI-CHAN!"

s.h.o.u.t

[this is the 19th chapter i've published in a month]

question of the chapter:

Who is your favourite in the 'save sasuke' team?

~shadow