To Catch a Cat? [Natsuki; D-Rank Mission]

She observed it (it because she forgot the name upon the mission scroll), and took several breaths to calm herself. The animal darted around main-street: slinking between alleyways, inching up trees, and leaping from one of their spans to the next. A routine practiced earlier in the day, after its daring escape from the master's balcony. Natsuki suspected it ran away for a reason: a rude owner; firsthand knowledge reminded her of that fact, and part of her wished to let the task stay incomplete out of spite. But, she couldn't leave it to become another stray in Konohagakure.

When the young Uchiha called upon the client, lightly rapping at his apartment door, he answered with a gruff: "And, what do you want?" As though he hadn't made the request, and didn't know that a Genin had been assigned; both of which, untrue. The speaker crackled at every word. The lights in the hallway flickered nearly burnt out, and the floor smelled of rat feces. The landlord didn't care about the tenants' quality of life here. Maybe that made everyone rude.

Natsuki grimaced at the memory. At the time, she replied: "Me? Nothing. You, however, have a missing cat, which I presume you want back? If not, I'll happily go home." She almost went then before listening for a reply. She couldn't tolerate people that didn't have the courtesy to be respectful to others. He unlocked the door to let her in instead, though; he didn't apologize and explained that his cat leaped down from the balcony this morning.

It seemed simple, she thought crouched (and hopefully hidden) in a tree. He failed to mention this cat is a hell-spawn. Usually, catching a domestic animal wouldn't be a problem. But, this one possessed an eerily human intelligence. It tricked her into the trunk of an oak, similar to the one she hid in. She slid a hand across the scrape on her face. It no longer bled, but felt rough and started to scab over. Blushing at the reminder, she recalled how it happened once more.

The client's cat crept between the crowds of merchant street. Walking by in a way that none paid mind to; it didn't brush up against them nor meow: it traveled on with a singular purpose. By the time Natsuki spotted it (a good mile away from home at that), it had turned North in the direction of the food stalls, and the Academy beneath Hokage Mountain. Perhaps growing annoyed by the strangers, it proceeded towards a tree-span that stretched across several buildings interconnecting them.

Perfect. It's exposed! She sprinted for it. As she did, the cat paused, waiting for her with soft purring ululations. The purrs didn't deter her; forming a seal with her hand (ram), she expelled chakra throughout her body and vanished in a blink. She meant to grab it and spin pushing off from the tree; things didn't go as planned. It moved with an unsuspected speed up the tree with a direct jump, before clambering further with its claws. Taken by surprise, Natsuki forgot to slow or alter her trajectory after the high-speed movement ended. She turned just enough to slam her cheek into harsh bark.

It took her an hour to find the cat after that debacle.

A cat set a feint. The thought passed with minor suspicion in the Genin's mind. She assumed its movements a coincidence that resulted in her injury, but what if they were deliberate? That bastard could have lied. Think back, what was his apartment like? She let the cat advance farther from her, but still heading for the Academy, and notably, a gathering of food carts set up for the lunch hour. As she drifted back in time, she jumped from one tree to the next and crouched again on a wooden balcony above a local restaurant. Her stomach rumbled at the aromas drifting up.

A table set for three, a television in the common area and couch with a loveseat. Those things decorated the otherwise plain apartment. Its kitchen with wooden cabinets and a granite counter lovingly cared for, and a dishwasher which had been running at the time of Natsuki's arrival, also present. Despite outward appearances, the client's living space contained not only the scent but the touch of a woman. His wife probably worked early this morning. Natsuki's mind kept turning. Three table settings. No litter-box. There wasn't a litter-box! The knowledge hit like a ton of bricks.

His kid ran away, and he doesn't want his wife to know if he can help it. So, the asshole pays for a D-Class scroll and lies on it. Natsuki felt played, and to be fair, she had been. She underestimated the escapee's intelligence because she expected a cat. As a Kunoichi, she should have known better; she should have questioned her facts but didn't because it seemed simple. At least she learned today. The hell-spawn is probably an Academy Student. And, knows the Transformation Jutsu. I'll have to break them out of it and drag their butt home.

She decided to lay a trap of her own. Now that she knew what she was dealing with, and where her target's goal laid, it would be a matter of a timely arrival. Forming the tiger seal, she focused chakra to her feet and ran down the side of the restaurant. She slipped down an alleyway; darted up a wall, pushed off from one rooftop balcony to the next, and cut the distance to the food carts in half. Letting her focus wane for a moment, she relaxed from the Chakra-Walk Jutsu and quickly went through three more seals: Ram, Snake, Tiger!

Her clone got in line for baked treats. Meanwhile, Natsuki herself followed the cat as it slunk to the back behind the owner to nab its tasty goodness. Right before it began to nom on the Cinnabon it stole, she placed a firm hand down and shoved. The illusion broke. A young boy (probably nine or so), with a shocked expression, stared up at her. "I'm guessing your dad said No to a sugary snack?" Still, in awe, silence followed. "I'll take that." She retrieved the baked goods and placed them back on the cart. The owner was so busy with the lunch-time rush that he hadn't even noticed the little kitty thief.

"B-but, you're up there!" The boy managed to say.

"Am I?" The Genin asked as she folded her arms just beneath her breasts.

"Yeah and . . ."

"Starting to come back to you, huh?" She showed him the scrape on her cheek. "Clone Jutsu - if you can transform, you must know that one. You've some talent for a brat."

"My dad sent a Kunoichi after me?!" He noticed the headband only now, as he stood up.

Natsuki laughed. "No, he sent HER after a cat."

"What?"

"Never-mind, let's get you home."

They would walk together the few miles back to the apartment complex where his worried father awaited. The wife would undoubtedly find out about his little babysitting mishap through word of mouth. Or, you know, from a note left on the speaker by a kind stranger that was worried about her son's safety! In the meantime, Natsuki purchased the hell-spawn a tasty snack anyways. Cleverness should always be a reward in itself, but sometimes, outside influence is necessary.