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The expression on all of their faces was absolutely priceless. Kaede didn't know it then, but the two guys he'd just so effortlessly taken out were the two best guys Kyuzo had under his control. They were leagues better than he was; he simply had the voice, act, and money of a real Oyabun. And honestly, Kaede had suffered nightmares that were more frightening. Some might've just called the blond haired shinobi stupid; others might've said he was just hard headed; however, none could deny that he was a brave as he was bold.

"I don't think I stuttered," Kaede said spoke up again. "Is this tha best that ya got?!"

Kyuzo was at a loss for words, and the single step that he took in retreat was far beyond a massive blow to the moral of his remaining troops. By the same hand, it was all the confirmation Kaede's confidence needed to propel him forward in the throws of the chase once more. "If yer just gonna stand there, I'll just come to you!"

In the blink of an eye, Kaede had once again closed the distance between himself and the remaining gang of thugs. His hands, having come together before his frightening burst of speed, completed the very brief set of seals just as quickly. A very visible tunnel of air fed into his mouth as he breathed in deeply, his cheeks puffing out with the excessive oxygen he'd consumed. And then--

Swoosh!!! The explosion of wind that ripped from his lips, focused by a cupping hand, swept through the street like a tsunami. Effortlessly, the violent winds plucked the thugs from the dusty roads mid-run, sweeping them off into the horizon until not even their stench remained. Where they landed was completely random; however, dropping from such heights could only prove to be disastrous for 'em. Either way, it was of very little consequence to the young Genin.

It was until after the torrents of wind ceased to buffet against the shoddy homes and well-traveled path that the villagers exited their dens, awestruck at the display of power they'd witnessed through their windows. Such potency in such a little child? Clearly, they'd underestimated the Hidden Leaf. A grave mistake.

"That was amazing!" a kid cried while breaking from his mother's grasp to run into the street. He was followed by scores of others, all of which poured in to the streets. "You're so cool!"

"It was nothin'." Kaede could only grin, soakin' up all the glory as his partner -- wait, where was she?! Panicked, he looked about until finally restin' his gaze on her. Maybe she'd froze up? If so, that'd explain why she was really still a Genin at such an old age.

Anyways, back to baskin'! Kaede made sure to soak it up, because as he left, he returned to a life of obscurity. Not for long, though.

[ Exit ]

Kaede wasn't bothered by the girl's silence. In fact, he took her refusal to say anythin' at all as a "yes." Was it the best idea? No, but was definitely better than enterin' the town without anything to work off of. So, with his stomach full and his hopes and head high, he moved faster with an obviously joyful pace.

___

The blond haired ninja and his companion were met with looks of disgust, distrust, or indifference. Now, Kaede was no dreamer - he didn't expect them to just throw themselves at their feet and worship the ground they walked on, but he didn't expect them to hate on them so visually, either. Still, it did very little to dampen the boy's adamant resolve; he was goin' to show these people that the shinobi of the Hidden Leaf village weren't to be fucked with.

It was a small town, so it wasn't hard to find some sort've troublemaker. Actually, the trouble kind of found him. He wasn't even a full step into the town before he heard a deep, raspy voice practically scream:

"Don't move!"

Despite the seriousness in the tone, Kaede paid it no mind. Not only did he finish his step, but he took several more for good measure. "Or what?"

"You hear that boys?" The owner of the nasty voice appeared from beneath the shade of a building several meters down, revealin' himself to be your typical thug: raggedy lookin', scrawny, with a sword and tattered kimono. "This little shit wants to know what'll happen if he doesn't run his way back to Konohagakure."

As if on queue, several others actively appeared from the same building. Aside from varying haircuts and facial hair, they all pretty much looked the same: like complete and utter shit.

"But Kyuzo, he's a ninja. . . we should be careful." The feigned worry in the man's voice sparked a chorus of laughter. "He might use some of his scary jutsu on us."

"Oh nooooo," the man, Kyuzo, replied. "I guess we better run--"

"You're damn right!" Kaede barked, pointing at the ring leader. "Ya' better run, before you piss me off!"

Suddenly, the laughter died and their faces became quite serious. Still, Kaede stood strong.

"Kid," Kyuzo began while unsheathing his sword. The others did the same. "You just sign yer fuckin' death warrant."

Before he'd even finished his sentence, two of the four men accompanying him broke into a full on charge. Their swords were held firmly and adjusted for either defense or offensive, depending on what the situation called for. However, if they were expectin' Kaede to turn tail and run, there were definitely in for a surprise. Even if he was a child, his bravery was the stuff that legends were made out of; he'd been given a mission, his first mission, and he'd be damned if some thugs with rusty katanas were gonna turn him back.

Without so much as missin' a heart beat, the blond haired devil exploded forward with a pace that exceeded his opponents'. His hand sunk into the utility pouch at his back, and then snapped forward to send a pair of shuriken beaming the two thugs' way like bats out of hell. A single hand seal was formed after that, just as the boy crossed the five meter threshold.

It was surprising how quickly things could change. For instance, as the orange-clad shinobi reared the corner, comin' into the girl's view and vice versa, his carefree demeanor instantly became serious. Bright blue eyes narrowed in scrutiny, lookin' for any sign that she was a friend or foe - and by that, I mean foreign ninja or native. The answer came soon enough as his gaze rested on the leaf headband danglin' around her neck, identical to his own, which was wrapped firmly around his head just beneath a pair of ebony goggles. Once again, his very warm and cheesy smile took over his lips.

"I guess so," he agreed. Truth be told, he didn't think they'd send someone so old to assist him. She wasn't ugly or anything, but she definitely didn't look like a Genin. A Chuunin or Jounin, perhaps; but this was supposed to be a d-ranked mission! Either way, she had food, and that was all that mattered for the time being. "Thanks!"

Almost snatchin' the sandwich from her hand, Kaede nearly devoured it with two massive bites. His mouth was beyond stuffed, but he talked anyway. Mumbled was more like. "Kaede, but my Ma and Pa call me Genbu. Says I'm named after my uncle or somethin'."

The sandwich didn't last all that long against the young boy's ravenous hunger, and in a flurry of bites that followed, there were only a few crumbs left to even testify that it existed. Kaede swallowed hard, feelin' the emptiness in his gut disappearing with each chunk of chicken and bread, until all that was left to do was heartily pat the rounded stomach. Wiping away a few pieces that had clung to his cheeks and chin with the back of his hand, he was once again analyzin' his partner.

"So, are you a Chuunin or Jounin?" he inquired bluntly, starting to walk again. "Because, if not, yer kind of old to be a Genin. I mean, no offense, but I'm twelve and yer-- what, seventeen or eighteen?"

It was a ball park guess, but he did have a few features to go on. Her chest wasn't nearly as big as some of the other women in the village, and she kind of looked a bit young yet old at the same time. It was hard for him to explain, but he highly doubted she was anywhere close to his age.