Kurt slowly picked up his messenger bag that was chock full of clothes, sundries, and some traveling snacks. He walked to the body length mirror and inspected himself. After a while of fussing with his hair we was satisfied, and set out towards the kitchen. He saw Burt chopping up some carrots, and smiled at the thought. When Kurt set out to become a Genin, he noticed his father had been nervous. He could feel Burt’s chakra and heart rate increase and it worried him. So instead of picking up the normal, heart stopping meat that usually went into Burt’s world famous ramen, he stocked up on carrots and other vegetables, much to his father’s dismay.
“Hey, dad,” Kurt picked up a red apple and bit into it, leaving the delicious fruit juice to dribble down his chin.
Burt wiped his hands on a dirty rag and pulled his son into a hug, “Hey buddy, you all excited for your big mission?”
Kurt blushed, he’d been gushing about the big C-rank mission for hours, telling him how he’s finally venturing into the ninja world and on his way to being accepted, loved.
“Yeah, very,” Kurt breathed as he threw away the remains of the chewed up apple. “I’m picking up Quinn and heading to the gate. You know, this is the first time I’ve been out of the village.”
“And uh,” Burt started reluctantly, “what about that Blaine guy, your eyes never left him when you brought here a week ago.” Burt’s eyes narrowed.
Kurt reddened and gripped his messenger bag tighter, “Um, he’s just a friend dad, and barely at that.” Kurt couldn’t help smiling at the memory of them waking up nestled in each other’s arms a day ago. Admittedly, it had been very awkward the morning they woke up. They had gotten past it and continued their silent and strained relationship.
“Well I don’t want to keep you,” Burt looked relieved and Kurt couldn’t help laughing at his dad’s attempt at intimidation.
Kurt pulled his dad into a big hug after adjusting his messenger bag across his chest. “Thank you dad, I’ll miss you.”
Burt squeezed his son’s shoulder, “Don’t die.”
Kurt laughed and then stared wide eyed as the realization hit his face. He could very well die. This was the ninja world and ninja could have some very devastating techniques.
Burt seemed to notice his son’s distress and panicked, “I was joking Kurt. You’ll be fine.”
Kurt nodded and walked out the door after an awkward half wave to his father. The leaves seemed greener this morning, all the people bustling around seemed happier, more reserved towards their hatred towards Kurt. He even got a few waves and a head nod, Kurt was confused and ecstatic at the same time. He glanced at all the colorful curio shops and restaurants. They each had their own design; one shop had a colorful red marquee that read ‘Fresh Fish’ in bubbly pink kanji. Kurt’s heart stopped once he neared the squared off Fabray clan section of the village.
Fit for a princess. Kurt thought judgmentally as he walked towards Quinn’s house. The large Nagaya was a pearly white, all the different houses the same, with varying stone structures in the back. He stopped to admire the beautiful Cherry Blossoms that were in bloom. The vibrant pink flowers brought out the elegant white of the Fabray clan. Kurt smiled as he pictured a dainty little Quinn here years ago plucking the flowers every morning in her sundress and inhaling their sweet scent. He was brought out of his reverie by the slam of a screen door in the distance.
“Kurt!” He heard Quinn call and spun around, tearing his eyes away from the rainbow of flowers.
“You ready to go?” Kurt asked with sincere honesty. Ever since Quinn sung to him at their first meeting he could feel a connection between them. He didn’t know about what exactly, but it was there nonetheless.
Quinn ran up to him, high-pony bouncing, and kissed his cheek.
“To be honest I’m really nervous,” she said letting go of Kurt.
“That’s normal,” Kurt started, “This is our first C-rank, and the first time any of us have been out of the village.”
Quinn nodded and they fell into a comfortable silence. They enjoyed the warm walk to the Main Gate saying little things here and there about the architecture and beautiful weather. They walked up to the red 10 story high doors, and marveled at the sight.
“Sometimes I forget how great our village is.” Quinn smiled.
“I know what you mean,” Kurt added with a sigh.
Kurt looked over to Quinn and she was staring at him, her beautiful green-brown eyes made Kurt gasp. “W-What?” He stuttered out.
Quinn gave a mischievous smile, “I’ve been meaning to ask you,” she started shifting her foot around her leg, “What’s up with you and Blaine?”
Kurt felt the heat rising to his cheeks already and hoped it didn’t show, “N-nothing why do you ask?”
Quinn flipped her hair over her shoulder, “Well I guess we all just thought something after seeing you two snuggled up under the stars.”
Kurt shook his head and came to a sudden realization, “we all?”
Quinn nodded, “Yeah, me, Schue, and Emma’s team. It was really cute Kurt.” Quinn shrugged and then added, “I’m kind of jealous of you.”
Kurt raised an eyebrow and Quinn sighed, “Okay a lot jealous.”
But before Kurt could ask her what she meant Blaine strutted up in a pale blue hiking backpack. Kurt couldn’t help it when his eyes immediately sought out Blaine’s.
“Hi.” Blaine said matter-of-factly and Kurt couldn’t help but be hurt. It’s not liked he wanted a declaration of love from Blaine, but he wanted something. Wait, since when did he even say he liked Blaine? Kurt shrugged off the warm feeling that was nagging at his stomach whenever he was around Blaine; if he was goanna give Kurt the cold shoulder he had another thing coming.
“Hi.” Kurt said with as much hatred in his mouth as he could.
Blaine’s features softened, but only for a minute. He simply shrugged and turned away. Kurt felt Quinn tug on his sleeve, but he shrugged it off.
A few minutes later Schue Sensei arrived and Kurt’s anger quickly vanished. “Schue Sensei,” He started, “Are we ready to go? I’m really excited and-“
Kurt was cut off by Schue Sensei laughing. “Of course Kurt, were about to leave, are you all packed?” Team 10 nodded, and Schue Sensei clapped his hands. “Alright, now we just need our escort-“
But as quickly as the words left Schue’s mouth, their escort appeared in front of the gate.
“You guys my bodyguards?” He said with a slight southern drawl.
The cell nodded and Schue Sensei stepped towards the man. He was older, Kurt observed. The elder had a cutoff brown flannel shirt, gray shorts and old white sandals. He wore a conical straw hat and gripped a sake bottle in his left hand.
“Well Tazuna, were happy to be of service.” Schue Sensei smiled that award winning smile of his and Tazuna nodded slowly.
Tazuna turned to the cell to give them a once over and frowned, “Well I see how those two can help me,” he said motioning to Quinn and Blaine, “But how is this one going to? He looks about as threatening as my morning tea.”
Kurt was appalled, he gets mocked every day, and he doesn’t need to take it from their escort.
“Excuse me?” Kurt stepped forward, bitch face in full affect.
Tazuna stepped forward to reply but Schue Sensei stopped Kurt with a hand on his chest, “No need for quarrel on the first day, we need to trust each other. Kurt, Tazuna, shake.” He said nodding to both of them respectively.
Kurt scowled and held out his hand for Tazuna. With a smile the elder took it, firmly in his hand. Kurt made an effort to show how displeased he was of this notion by wiping his hands on his sky blue pants.
Blaine chuckled a little. Kurt was too adorable for his own good. He quickly erased his smile when he caught said boy looking his way. He looked defeated, sad, and Blaine couldn’t help but feel guilty that he had caused some of that pain. That poor, kicked puppy look was one Blaine never wanted to see again.
“Alright, shall we get moving?” Schue asked already making his way towards the exit.
The rest of the team quickly ran up to catch up, Tazuna lagging behind. Schue sighed and turned around, causing the cell to come to an abrupt halt.
“Guys we can’t protect him if he’s the last in the group, do the manji formation I taught you.”
Quinn and Kurt nodded and positioned themselves to the right and left of Tazuna, slightly behind him. Blaine took the head of the manji formation, standing leaving their escort positioned perfectly in the middle of them. Schue nodded and took the very lead, continuing on his path.
The sun was blazing. Blaine was sweating and lifted his hand to wipe sheen of sweat off his forehead. He looked behind him and saw that Kurt was covered in sweat as well. The water stuck to Kurt’s middle, slightly outlining his fairly toned stomach. The sweat on his forehead gave him a more rugged look, leaving him looking tired or like he was panting. Blaine could envision Kurt’s hot breath all over his face, kissing him slowly-
“Blaine!”
Blaine stumbled and blinked furiously, trying to get the lewd images of Kurt out of his head.
What’s wrong with me? Blaine rubbed his eyes, as if trying to rub away the forbidden thoughts that crept into his mind whenever he was around the boy.
Blaine looked up to see Quinn standing beside him. “Yeah?” Blaine’s voice sounded much more stable out loud than it did in his head. He gave an inward groan when he saw Kurt bending over to pick up his makeshift fan that he must have dropped.
“I just thought we could walk together,” The blonde vixen started, “after all we are teammates.”
Blaine nodded, but didn’t say anything. He was too focused on Kurt, who was now fanning himself with a paper fan. He looked so elegant, Blaine realized, far too elegant for any boy to look and it intrigued him.
Will looked back at his students. They had so far to come, but he knew he would help them get there. They all had the potential, just not the right drive. Will stopped when he noticed a puddle. The water was fresh, clear as crystal, but it hadn’t rained in months.
“Schue Sensei, are we almost at a rest stop? Me and Quinn are getting hungry.” Kurt tilted his head sideways, like he already knew they were going to stop soon. Burt had packed him a honey sandwich, one of his favorite treats from his fairly dark childhood. He really wanted to take a bite of the sweet liquid, and just the thought alone made his stomach growl.
It took a while for Kurt to notice the flying black chains that wrapped around Schue Sensei. It took a while for Kurt to notice the two ninja with demonic headgear with the mist head plate attached to it. It was Quinn’s scream that brought Kurt out of his reverie. He looked up at the exact moment to see his sensei’s mid-section being torn in half. Blood splattered everywhere, and the horror couldn’t even begin to describe Kurt’s emotions. Their sensei was completely gone; all traces of his body had disappeared. It was just the rest of the cell and these two murderous ninja. Kurt looked around at Quinn and she had her hand clasped over her mouth. Her brown-green eyes were wide with shock and despair. She was shaking and Kurt shifted his leg to go comfort her, but was quickly stopped by a armor clad sandal at his path.
“One down.”
The ninja smiled at Kurt and lifted his right hand. It was covered with a gauntlet, and could see chains wrapped all around his arm, trailing all the way back to where their sensei once lay.
“What should I do with him Meizu?” The same ninja smiled an evil smile at Kurt again.
“Kill him, Gozu, everybody dead, those were Gato’s orders.”
Kurt was in shock. None of his body parts would move. He was frozen in place, about to be decapitated horrendously by this menacing ninja that stood in his path.
Meizu lifted his arm and brought it down towards Kurt’s head at a blindingly fast speed. Kurt flinched and prepared himself for the worst. He heard the sound of clanking metal and looked up. Blaine was in front of him, a kunai in his hand holding down Meizu’s gauntlet.
“Don’t touch him.” Blaine snarled.
Kurt was torn between emotions of fear, and awe. Blaine just saved his life, but at the same time they were in a life-death situation.
“Blaine don’t-“
Kurt could never get the sentence out, Gozu circled back around; the sound of clanking metal filled the air. Kurt looked behind him to see Meizu back up and circle around Blaine to the opposite of Gozu. Their chains formed an inverted tomoe, leaving Blaine in the center. Kurt realized what was going to happen, without thinking he rushed ahead breaking the formation, the chains catching and digging harshly into his skin, he could feel the jagged points slash across him but he didn’t care. He grabbed Meizu’s gauntlet and pulled him back.
“Get out of my way!” Meizu yelled and slashed the clawed glove across Kurt’s arm. Kurt cried out in pain and fell backwards on something hard and oh so painful, incapable of moving.
Meizu smirked and jumped back into formation with Gozu. Blaine was seeing red. The most perfect, beautiful object of nature was lying in a puddle of blood against a jagged rock. The two ninja moved around Blaine in that same circular formation. Blaine could keep up with them easily; even the Uchiha’s normal eyes were more perceptive than normal. Right at the moment the two mist ninja moved in, probably to decapitate his head with their numerous spiked chains, Blaine jumped up, planting both a foot firmly on their backs.
The two ninja looked up in surprise and he smiled. Blaine jumped up in a mini flip, shoved his hands into his weapon holster revealing two kunai. He stuck the hilt in between where the two chains intersect holding them in place. He shoved the handle of the other kunai into his mouth and landed on the ground, kicking up dust. He ran around one of the ninja and stuck the other blade where their two gauntlet’s came together, tethering them to each other.
The two assassins struggled to get out of their hold, but failed to their own dismay.
“You’re gonna get it, kid.” But as soon as he successfully freed half of his gauntlet, Schue came out of the blue and knocked their heads together. The mist ninja fainted and Schue tied them up, leaning them against the tree.
Not even questioning their dead sensei’s resurrection, Blaine rushed over to Kurt where Quinn was already bandaging up his arm. He’d have to thank her later.
“Kurt are you alright?” Blaine looked to the assaulted boy with warm eyes.
Kurt scowled, “yes I’m alright, why would you care?”
Blaine felt like he just got kicked in the stomach, why would Kurt think he didn’t care?
“Of course I care, why wouldn’t I? Were teammates.”
Kurt glanced up to him, his blue-gray eyes were full of unshed tears. He opened his mouth to speak but no word came.
Schue walked over interrupting the emotional tension between the two Genin.
“You were dead!” Kurt yelled.
“Stop moving,” Quinn snapped, “you’ll open up the wound again.”
Kurt sat back with a scowl and Blaine couldn’t help but smile.
“These were Chunin from the Hidden Mist Village,” Schue started, “They weren’t here for us.”
Schue glanced over to Tazuna with a heavy glare, one that Blaine had never witnessed before.
“I may have slightly lied about the entire state of our mission.” Tazuna said with a sigh.
Schue nodded and turned to Kurt.
“Those ninja’s weapons were laced with poison, you could’ve lost your hand” Schue stopped when he saw Kurt’s lip quiver, “without Quinn’s Medical Ninjustu, you might’ve never been able to form seals again.”
Kurt looked over to Quinn and hugged her, slow tears streaking down his porcelain face. “Thank you, Quinn.” He said in a whisper.
Quinn gave an understanding nod, “You’re welcome.”
“Now Tazuna,” Schue started with authority in his voice, “would you like to tell us what’s really going on?”
All the ninja’s eyes were on their escort. Blaine glanced over to Kurt and wished for the second time this week he could smother the boy with a hug and never let go.