Naruto: Tango with Death

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With Izumi dealt with, only Laiko and Amai-Sensei were left.

And honestly, for Laiko, I was far from being confident on bringing him back. The obvious approach for him was pride, to taunt him on quitting when I would go on in my career, but while this could have great effects, it could backfire terribly.

He may look tough, but he was only a teen. Actually, so was Izumi, and while that made them vulnerable and easily manipulable, it also meant they were fragile, and I didn't want to cause any psychological damage on Laiko and end up with him in a depression.

So I decided to use a proxy. By sending Izumi to speak with him and ignoring him, it would fuel his ego, but not in a bad way. If I went, he might see me as superior for one reason or another, for example if he started a fight.

However, if I sent Izumi, sent he would see me as haughty at best.

Of course, this was all more conjecture than anything else, but I decided to sent Izumi anyway, while I went for Amai-Sensei.

Fortunately for me, he really was at Training Ground 5, as Minato had told me. He was throwing Ninjutsu at poor logs, completely wrecking them as he used high ranked ones.

As I walked toward Amai-Sensei, I made myself seen from afar, to make sure I would get hit by a jutsu by mistake, and as Amai-Sensei spotted me and stopped, I approached him.

Unexpectedly, Amai-Sensei smiled as he said, "Good to see you back, Sukaina."

A little stunned at the sudden show of emotions, I greeted back, "Good to see you too. Not covered in blood."

Amai-Sensei continued smiling and said, "I didn't get the chance to thank you for that, so let me."

I shook my head and replied, "It's fine, I couldn't just leave you behind."

Amai-Sensei shook his head and said, "Still, thank you, none of us would have survived if you didn't send that message to the village… Although I have a thing or two to say about coming into the base."

I scratched my cheek and replied, "I couldn't exactly guess Yuki would reach the village so fast, nor that the Hokage himself would come."

Amai-Sensei continued smiling as he asked, "How was your training? You came back today?"

Forcing myself to ignore all the emotions my sensei was showing, I flexed my biceps with a grin and said, "Came back today, stronger than ever."

Sensei's smile receded a little as he asked, "And you made your report to the Hokage… you're not just here to check on your dear old Sensei, are you?"

I shook my head, no need to lie to him, and said, "Well, I did want to check on you in the hospital same for Izumi and Laiko, but I wasn't allowed. Well, for you it was understandable."

Amai-Sensei nodded slightly, and asked, "Are you here on your own volition, or did Lord Hokage send you?"

I rolled my eyes as I started walking around him and said, "Both, obviously. I would have come anyway, but I'm the only one displeased by your decision."

Following me with his gaze, Amai-Sensei joked humourlessly, "Lots of big words."

Reaching behind him, I hummed, "Maybe. But I think they are appropriate. Besides, I'm not supposed to be the most mature of the team, yet here I am. So, are you really doing it?"

Amai-Sensei replied, "You were there. You saw what I did. I'm not fit to lead a team. Anbu is where I belong, always has been."

I shook my head and reasoned, "All I hear is whining. Yes, you made a mistake, but not only did everyone get out safe, that should be more than enough of a warning for the future, to not do it again."

Amai-Sensei tried to defend himself, "That's not how it works."

I replied, "Excuses, excuses, all I hear is excuses and whining. Even Izumi and Laiko have agreed to come back to the team."

Amai-Sensei's face changed as he asked in surprise, "They did?"

I nodded, "Izumi did, and Laiko most probably will too. So now it's either Team 5 comes back with you, or we get another Sensei. Then, if something happens to us under another Jonin… will you be able to live with the guilt?"

Amai's face finally turned ugly as he asked, "Are you really doing this?"

I shrugged and responded, "Devious, maybe, but you know I'm speaking the truth."

My hands in my back, I stopped in front of him, and looking at him in the eyes I confessed, "I really don't like doing this, you know. But YOU, not anyone else, YOU, are my Sensei. Our."

He looked a little moved, but after a couple of seconds he sighed and said, "Any Jonin would train you just as good as I did, but without endangering your lives."

Frustrated, I said, "Listen…"

But Amai-Sensei cut me off and practically growled, "No, you listen. You have no idea what it's like! I've already lost one student, and I almost killed all of us once again! You think I can live with that kind of responsibility? With what I did?"

It was my turn to be silent, as I resumed to my walking. We kept a long silence this time, as I muled over his words, still walking around him.

Finally, I smiled and said, "Well, whatever your decision, we will still be in the same unit."

Amai-Sensei frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

I shrugged and replied as I finally grasped the nature of Minato's words, "Well, Lord Hokage said that if I didn't manage to get the team back together, it would be meaningless to find another team for me, considering what I did, meaning I would get promoted."

Amai, who knew from the beginning what I would graduate to, had his face turn to disbelief as he muttered, "That can't be… you're too young!"

I immediately mocked his words, "Young? I killed several hundred bandits, around ten Chunins, and one Tokubetsu Jonin. I have more kills to my record than most Chunins that graduated since the war, so please don't speak of age with me."

Amai-Sensei stared me down as he asked, "So you are pressuring me with your promotion."

I raised my index and recited, "Kunoichi Class 101, find the lever, and nothing becomes impossible to lift."

Amai-Sensei countered, "You are supposed to use that on your enemies, not your team."

I raised an eyebrow as I asked with a smug smile, "So you are coming back to the team?"

Amai-Sensei sighed and lamented, "I don't feel like I really have freedom of choice here."

Smiling cheekily now, I replied, "You don't."

Amai-Sensei snorted lightly, and said, "For going against my orders to flee to the village, I want 1000 push ups a day for the following week. For manipulating your team, you are paying lunch for the team for the next month."

"What the…"

Amai-Sensei glared at me, making me stop as he added, "For disrespecting your team leader and Sensei, as well as cursing at him… punishment to be decided."

Stunned at his childish comeback, I muttered, "What are you doing?"

Amai-Sensei raised an eyebrow, something I did a lot when I tortured… blessed people with my being, and said, "Any problem, Genin Sukaina? Maybe I was too light handed?"

I rolled my eyes and groaned, but I was internally smiling. I was happy I had my team back.