"I-I said I will be just fine," Kii was struggling just to breathe at this point. He'd manage to get the middle aged women off him. They were all full of tears and worried looks, but they managed to keep themselves from outright bawling. Kii knew they cared for him. He only told one that he'd be going off on a dangerous mission and the whole house came to see him. All the other kids, all the staff, even the cooks came up to give Kii a goodbye. After Kii managed to force everyone on their way and to stop worrying about him he was left with the four women that had raised him his entire life almost.
Shion, Aiya, Misa and Shorii. They were some of the most caring, most attentitive, and most patient women that Kii had ever met in his life and they were the closest thing to a family that he had. Sure, they weren't really his mothers and sisters, but it helped to sometimes think of them that way. However, seeing them now, worried and stressed, he felt an unfamiliar connection to them. Like something he'd never realized all this time. All the times moaping and sighing over things he'd never had...Brought about memories when they cared for him when he was sick, or tended to his cuts and bruises, or made soup for him late at night after dinner was already served...All those wonderful, amazing, cherished memories.
They were his family.
"I swear I will come back," Kii promised.
"You are still too young! Far too young! I should complain to someone! The Tsuchikage!" One said.
"This is so irresponsible! Who sends children to do an adults job!?"
"People die there! How dare they think to toy with the lives of the young ninja! They haven't even trained you properly! This is so outrageous!" One said, holding back a sob.
Kii sighed, running an exasperated hand through his hair. Sure, they were amazing, but they did wear on him. They were just so caring that it made doing things like this almost make Kii seem the unreasonable one. As if Kii were the one not thinking straight.
"They are going to make Shira do this. If Shira does this then I do this. We are a team. Besides, I know at least a little bit," Kii said and the woman rushed back into a tackling hug with the boy in the center of them.
"Oh! We won't let you go! There's no way we will let you go!" They all said, though different words, they all said it together.
~~~
It took a lot of convincing, but Kii managed to get out of there. He said his goodbyes and made sure to leave his large pack back at his room. He didn't want too many things this time. He ditched the mantle and stuck with his simplified clothes. There were plenty of places in route to the Leaf village that they could stock and rest properly as long as they had the money and Kii had a bit of savings. Money was better gear in these long travels than a detailed pack.
Kii was headed back over to where he left Shira and Ryou. He'd expect them to meet him there as well. That was where they parted and, without an established meeting point, that was going to be where they regrouped. He at least hoped they were thinking along the same lines. Kii realized that he hadn't really thought of a plan. The entire walk back he'd been thinking about all the things he was leaving and, potentially, losing. Who knows how long they'd be in the Leaf village and who knows what the village would be like when he returned. There were so many things running through his head and most of it was about how amazing his home was and how mysterious and different Konoha would be. He was thinking more along the lines of some teenager worried about switching schools and leaving his friends behind rather than a ninja trained to kill on a mission to spy on an exceptionally powerful enemy.
It was hard for the Genin to really focus on the mission. He missed his home already.
Maybe when the others came and he saw their expressions the thoughts would just come to him. Maybe they'd be the motivation he'd need in order to succeed. After all, he'd do anything to protect them and their lives. He'd do whatever it took. Putting them into the equation would definitely give him ideas. He was sure.
Then an idea started to spill out.
"Chuunin Exams?" He thought, tilting his head to the side slightly. When were the next ones? There were month breaks between them. Even if the exams weren't held in Konoha this year specifically, especially with all the tension between the Republic and Konoha, it was a pretty lax time in which some of the most talented of Jonin were scattered about. It was a good moment to take advantage.