The next morning, I was woken up by Iruka who told me that the Leaf Village Council wanted to see me.

They were in charge until Tsunade takes over.

I walked inside the office they wanted to meet in and tried to hide how tired I was.

"You wanted to see me?" I ask, closing the door behind me. 

"Yes," Homura said. "We wanted to send you on a mission,"

Koharu looked in my direction. "We need you to gather some herbs for medicine. With all the new patients going in right now, we're running low,"

Why are they giving me this mission? This is like some genin-level mission.

"Where am I getting these herbs?" I ask. 

"Near the Hidden Mist Village. There are some herbs over there that we need and we'll give you the list before you go. We've already requested permission from Lazy Mizukage and she said that if you needed help, there would be a ninja she'd send to help you," Homura explained. 

I nodded. "Is anyone coming with me, or is it just going to be me?"

"Just you," Danzo replied. "Deliver them to one of the Medic Corps when you get back, then report back to us."

Danzo stood up and handed me the list of herbs that were needed and sat back down after that. They all dismissed me and I decided I'd stop by my house real quick just to grab a cloak I wore if it was cold. This cloak was weather-proof.

I grabbed the last-minute stuff I would need and then started walking out of the village. Kurenai and Asuma passed by.

"Going on a mission?" Asuma asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, they're making me gather some supplies that the hospital needs,"

"Well be safe, Hana," Kurenai said. 

I could tell she was worried since she knew I was being targeted. 

"I will," I smile at her.

I said my goodbyes to her and Asuma after that and exited the gate. Izumo and Kotetsu were bickering about something the entire time, so they just gave me a nod of acknowledgment when I walked past them.

I put the cloak on and then put the list in my pouch that was tied around my thigh. The walk was kind of long and boring. There was no one to talk to, so I just had to be stuck in my own thoughts. 

After what felt like hours, I finally made it to the dock that led to the Hidden Mist Village. There was a female Mist ninja. She had long, platinum-blonde hair that went to her hips and her piercing emerald eyes cast suspicion on me.

"What's your business?"

"I'm from the Leaf Village," I replied, lifting the cloak to show her my Leaf headband that was tied around my hips. "I'm supposed to gather herbs for our hospital and I was told that Lady Mizukage was already aware of this,"

She nodded. "Oh, right. You're the Leaf ninja I'm supposed to help find the herbs for. Some of those are extremely hard to find and since I'm more familiar with the area, I know where to find them exactly,"

We both stepped onto the boat and she sat down across from me, rowing it. 

"What's your name?" She asked me.

"Hana...uh, Namikaze,"

It was hard to stop introducing myself as "Uzumaki."

She rose an eyebrow and continued to row the boat. "I'm Yukiko Kobayashi,"

We sat in silence for a few minutes, but then she broke it. "Something about you is familiar," 

I looked over at her with curiosity. "Why's that?"

"I don't know," She shrugged. "You just remind me of someone I ran into a long time ago,"

"Oh," I replied, not knowing how to respond to that.

I looked around at the scenery surrounding us. It was foggy, overcast, and the air smelled like rain. I actually really liked it. I looked over at Yukiko. She wore a black sleeveless halter-top, greyish-blue gloves that started from her biceps and ended at her middle fingers, and dark blue pants. She also had her Mist headband wrapped around her thigh and wore a dark grey cloak as well. 

Something about her was familiar too, but I couldn't figure it out.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that I put this basket here for you to take," She said, handing a basket over to me awkwardly. "I figured you'd need it if you forgot one or something,"

"Thanks," I took the basket. "I did actually forget,"

Damnit, I literally told myself before leaving the house to grab a basket to put all the herbs in.

She turned her head to look behind her and she saw another dock in the distance, so she started rowing a bit quicker to get there. She stood up to tie a rope around one of the wooden poles and then hopped out of the boat.

I stood up and she helped me out of the boat as well.

"Let me see that list," She said.

I gave her the list and she skimmed over it. "Okay, so the first herb you're looking for is from a Lapacho tree. We keep this one hidden pretty well because this tree is very old,"

She handed the list back to me and motioned for me to follow her. We walked towards a secluded area and she pointed at a large tree with pink flowers all over. We walked over and she tore some of the barks off the tree and put them in the basket.

"What's next on the list?" She asked.

I looked down. "Mint,"

She walked away to show me where they keep wild mint at and once we found them, I picked them and then told her what I needed next.

We didn't really talk much for the entire mission. She was quiet and a bit standoffish. She also seemed like she was all about business. 

As we gathered the herbs, I couldn't help but shake the feeling that someone was watching us.

She took another look at the list and gave it back to me. As she led me to the next herbs I needed on the list, she suddenly stopped walking.

I rose an eyebrow, wondering if she felt it too.

"We're being followed," She stated. "This person is using a camouflage technique,"

"I felt it as well," I said, grabbing a kunai out of my pouch.

"You can come on out," Yukiko narrowed her eyes. "You don't hide very well,"

A man hopped down from the large tree above us and I widened my eyes when I realized it was the man who attacked me at the Forest of Death.

He looked different though. His blue hair grew longer and his eyes seemed as if they radiated more hate than they did before.

"You don't remember me, do you?" The man smirked at me.

"I don't," I replied. "But that doesn't matter. I know you're after me because of my uncle, so I'll stop you again!"

He laughed and Yukiko glanced over at me.

"I don't care about the Yellow Flash," He grinned maliciously. "Me and my teammates want revenge against you, specifically,"

I couldn't help but be confused. I've never met this man in my life.

"For what? I don't know you," I narrowed my eyes, ready for an attack.

"Figures you don't know me, Hana. But it's whatever, we waited this long so you could be caught off guard," He said.

He weaved a sign for an earth release and sent mud spears flying towards me. I quickly dodged them and then lunged towards him with my kunai. I cut his shoulder and kicked him to the ground.

He got back up, quickly making hand seals. He inhaled sharply after that and shot out small pulses of wind bullets towards Yukiko and I. We both dodged it, but one of them hit me on the shoulder.

I clenched my jaw trying to hide that it was painful.

I weaved my own signs and decided to use my water ninjutsu since it would be stronger over here especially. 

I weaved signs and then created a whip made out of water. I swung it towards him and wrapped it around his legs. That's when I quickly weaved another sign and used my lightning release to shock him with it.

Yukiko rose an eyebrow at my attack, but then weaved her own signs. 

"Water style: Water shurikens!"

She created shurikens made out of water and sent them flying towards our attacker. She then took a sword out and lunged towards him. He got out of my water whip, but then was immediately kicked down in the face by her.

She glared at him icily.

"Who the hell are you?"

"My business isn't with you, blonde," He retorted.

"Well I'm making it my business," She spat back at him. 

He got up, but she kicked him down to the ground again. She threw a shuriken in his arm, making him hiss in pain.

"I'll ask again," She narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

He didn't reply and I decided to attack him this time, so I weaved signs for a water release again. I launched a large jet of water from my mouth through my hand and it hit him with ease. He clenched his fists trying to fight through the pain.

I walked up to him and was ready to throw him off guard by using a lightning release if I needed to.

"Who are you and what do you want with me?"

He scoffed and looked to the side. "My name's Yukio,"

I widened my eyes when I realized why that name was familiar. It was Yukio Inoue. He was in the bingo book because he just liked to kill for fun.

"You!" I shouted. "Why are you after me now?!"

He grinned, maliciously. "Now you remember, me Red? Or do I have to go after that weak cousin of yours?"

He pissed me off with this statement, so I kicked him in the face this time, making his lip bleed.

"You stay the hell away from Mariko, you bastard."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you don't remember, Yukio was one of the three who attacked Hana, Naomi, and Kakashi when they saved Mariko from the trio in the first book.