Hey all
Hey all! My first Naruto fic that I'm actually getting the courage to type up. I have two other fics in my priority arsenal, one for Narnia and one for Star Wars, but I've been planning this for ages. Please ignore any grammar or spelling mistakes. I try to find them all, but it doesn't always work.
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I would give up school and just be lazy. Alas, I do not. The only things I own are the plot and the characters that you've never heard of and are obviously OCs. I'm just a young girl, procrastinating her summer reading.
Summary: They were the elite of the elite, tools for their villages and symbols of Death for anyone else. They killed without mercy and were considered Gods among shinobi, but to the people that knew them, they were just children.
Warning: This is a super/possibly God-like Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru, Sand Sibs, and a few other characters, without making it too obvious and I'm trying to keep them as in character as possible, with a bit of an exception in Hinata. I'll try not to overpower them, and for people who don't like OCs that much they won't have a big part, and will mostly just be mentioned. Don't like, don't read.
Key:
Kyuubi/Demon talking
Kyuubi/Demon thinking
"Normal talking"
-Telepathic talking-
Thinking
Enjoy!
Danse Macabre
Prologue: The Great Shinobi Secrets
Their names were inconsequential, their faces unknown to all but a few, and their very existence a secret to anyone under the rank of high-Chuunin. They were hidden, taught, protected, and made into the ideal shinobi, perfect in every way. Most who saw their faces did not live to tell about it, and those that did usually went insane. They were their villages' secrets and they would kill to keep it that way.
There was a team for each of the Five Great Shinobi Nations: Shikyo, Shouten, Takai, Zetsumei, and Sendo. Each one meant Death, and each one a section of what made up the Oujou Squads. They were the elite of the elite to everyone around them…except each other.
They constantly fought each other under their Kages' orders, identities kept covered, until finally they reached their limits. An all out battle between them was used to determine who was the strongest. Eventually, Konoha came in first, followed closely by Suna, Kiri, Kumo, and finally, Iwa. A truce was settled, and the teams faded into the background, letting other shinobi shine and becoming mere shadows in the minds of those that knew of them.
Their missions became top-secret information and sometimes their employers didn't even know who they were. They used many facades, mostly so as not to attract attention, and sometimes they could be found walking around their villages without any the wiser. In fact, most of their teachers did not know who they were, for they always wore masks during lessons, and those that did know were under threat of death should they tell.
Some of the villages took the secrecy more seriously than others. Konoha, for example, held their team's identities with the utmost importance, while Iwa was a bit more careless. It was for this reason that the Konoha team's bounty was the highest.
But for all their power, and all their strength, those that knew them had another name for them: children.
Uzumaki Naruto was no stranger to pain. In fact, he had spent most of his life swimming in it, but even he had to admit that nothing was more painful than one of Hinata's punches. She even had Tsunade of the Sannin asking her for tips, which the young girl gladly gave to the dread of every pervert around. Fortunately for Naruto, he healed quite quickly and was back on his feet within seconds. Unfortunately, Hinata was prepared and punched him again. He got up slower, his body remembering why he was supposed to knock.
"Naruto-kun…" The name was whispered with a deceptively sweet tone that didn't belong to a twelve-year-old girl. He was definitely in trouble. "I'm working…"
"Uh…yeah…umm…hehe…funny story there…umm…" He looked around for someone or something to blame, but he didn't find anything.
"I'm waiting." Her mouth had twisted into a sadistic smile and the chemicals in the test tubes bubbled ominously.
"Well, you see, there was this giant rabbit and it…um…was going after this little kid and when it saw me…uh…it thought I'd taste better so I ran all the way down here to…um…" He saw the look on her face. "I should stop talking."
"Yeah." She sent him a tight smile and nodded.
"Right." There was a sort of awkward silence in which Hinata began cleaning up the chemicals and glass that she had dropped when Naruto had unceremoniously barged into her lab.
She wasn't really mad at him. He was hard to stay mad at for long so she didn't even try anymore, but that didn't stop her from telling him off. Sometimes it was hard for her to believe that he was really so powerful because he acted so childish, but she had to admit that it was kind of endearing.
"Itai!" Naruto's shout brought her out of her thoughts as she caught him kneeling down next to the chemicals clutching his right hand.
"Naruto-kun!" Catching on to what he had done, she quickly grabbed her medical bag and scrambled over to the boy.
Separating his hands, she looked at the burnt flesh that was slowly starting to heal and grabbed her self-made chemical wash, disinfectant, and tweezers. She knew that by time she finished the burns and cuts would be gone.
"Naruto-kun, how many times have I told you not to touch the chemicals and glass without gloves on?" She dipped the tweezers in alcohol and sprayed them with disinfectant.
"But I am wearing gloves!" He yelled back and nodded towards his black leather, finger-less gloves.
"Heavy-duty gloves with actual fingers." Hinata scolded, gently taking out the small shards of glass in his hand that was slowing down the healing process.
"Oh…hehe." He scratched the back of his head with his good hand and looked away sheepishly.
"Just be careful, Naruto-kun. These chemicals are really dangerous and I don't want you getting hurt." She said gently, looking down.
Naruto stared at her for a moment before smiling slightly.
"Hey." He tilted her chin up slowly and looked into her pearly eyes. "I'm okay. Kyuubi makes sure of that, and besides, I'm pretty resilient myself."
She gave a small smirk. "Oh yeah? Well, Mr. Resilient, can you stand up to this?" She slowly began to crawl forward, her smirk widening at his 'deer-in-the-headlights' look.
"Umm…Hinata-chan…w-what are you doing?" He fell back onto his hands and looked around wildly, the Senbon falling out of his mouth.
"Seeing how resilient you are." She said coyly.
"W-what?"
"You heard me." She leaned her head in close to his and was just about to kiss him when—
"Troublesome." The lazily dragged out word had the desired effect as the two sprang apart and stared at their formerly missing teammate.
Nara Shikamaru was the epitome of laziness. He was so lazy in fact, that even Hinata, who was a very patient person, got fed up sometimes and made him help Naruto with his pranks. Despite his laid-back attitude, the boy had an I.Q. of over 200, not that he showed it much outside of missions and training.
"Shikamaru!" Naruto yelled. Jumping up he ran towards his friend and hugged him.
"Ack! Naruto, get off!" He tried pushing the younger boy off, but Naruto grabbed his shoulders and started shaking him.
"You're gonna help me with my latest prank!"
"What?! No, absolutely not. You're ideas are too troublesome." Hinata drowned out the rest of the conversation, as it was pretty much a routine she knew by heart, and she knew as much as the other two that Naruto would eventually win.
Sometimes, during times like these, when she looked back at her memories over the years, she found it hard to believe how much, or how little, they had all changed. She had probably changed the most, going from the shy Hyuuga Heiress to a confident, slightly scary, girl who could give a kage a run for their money.
Naruto and Shikamaru on the other hand, had only changed enough that certain people would take notice. The young Jinchuuriki had definitely tuned down the enthusiasm and knew when to be serious, but he still loved a good prank every now and then. Shikamaru was less lazy, but probably wasn't going to get an enthusiasm award any time soon.
It was odd how all of them had come together really. They were such random children, well Naruto wasn't with him holding the Kyuubi and all, but the other two were. Their personalities were so different and even to this day, Hinata still wondered why the Sandaime Hokage had chosen them to be Konoha's Oujou Squad.
That's not to say that they weren't good at what they did. Oh no, Team Shikyo was the best of all the Oujou Squads, with a rank of SL-Class 6, a specific rank created just for the squads and was above SS-Class. There was SL-Class 1-6 with 1 being one rank above SS-Class and 6 being the highest. They had worked day and night since the age of two to be where they were now. Even the Hokage could no longer beat them, but then again, he had taught them, along with many other teachers. Evidence lies in Hinata's super strength and healing abilities. Tsunade was proud.
Still, Hinata couldn't say she wasn't confused. She had theories of course, but most of them were so ridiculous that even Naruto would have scoffed at them, and he came up with strange things everyday. But, she had a feeling that she really didn't want to know, and sort of told herself to ignore it. It would do no good to go into training with her theories clouding her mind.
Training. Now that was a word she knew by heart. Since her second birthday, she and the two boys had training. They practically ate, drank, slept, and swam in it. The best teachers had been at their disposal, countless ANBU and Jounins vying for the opportunity. Yet not one of them saw their faces without permission. Very few had actually seen them, and even less knew their names. They were simply called Kitsune, Nezumi, and Shika. Fox, Mouse, and Deer. Naruto, Hinata, and Shikamaru. Team Shikyo.
Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, stared. A feeling of overwhelming dread settled over him and he subconsciously wondered what he had done wrong in his life to warrant this. He could think of very few things, but he knew it must have been something. For there, sitting right in front of him, was the one thing he feared above everything else.
Paperwork.
The bane of all Hokages. He sometimes swore that the Yondaime must have had some sort of sick satisfaction when he died at giving the Sandaime his position back. What he wouldn't give to have some sort of Class-3 (that is a serious threat to the village that must be exterminated right now) emergency so he could have some sort of excuse to leave his office. Naruto had said that he knew a way to get it done faster, but the boy was holding it over the old man's head like a worm to a fish. At this rate, he'd be dead before the boy told him.
Oh well, better get started. Just as he was about to pick up his brush, it happened. The one thing worse than a Class-3 was a Class-N. Naruto.
For all the boy's strength and stealth, knocking was a word that completely blew his mind. Sarutobi could feel the headache coming on as he saw the black clad boy walk into the room and blow all the paper off the desk.
"Jiji!" Naruto yelled.
The old man sighed. "Yes, Naruto?" The boy had no respect for his elders.
"I have a problem!"
"What is it this time, Naruto?" This happened too often for the old man to be surprised anymore.
"Hinata tried to kiss me!" Well, that was different.
"How is that a problem? I thought you liked her." It was no secret that the two were infatuated with each other, and they had kissed before, so Sarutobi didn't see the problem.
"I do! But-" The boy was looking around as if to try and find something to explain.
"Naruto." He caught the young shinobi's attention. "Hinata is a young girl. Don't try and understand them. I gave up a long time ago."
"Yeah, but you're old! Girls don't hit on you anymore." The Hokage was definitely feeling that headache.
"As true as that may be," He was starting to feel a tick on his forehead. "Don't worry. You and Hinata are fine. She was probably teasing you."
"I know, but still." The pre-teen looked down and rubbed his head.
"Don't worry about it." Looking at his paperwork lying on the floor, a thought came to him. "Hey Naruto, would you like to help-"
But the boy had already leapt out the window, leaving the old Hokage to his torture. Turning his gaze back to the stuff, the Sarutobi felt tears well up in his eyes. It was going to be a long day.
The Hokage Monument. Training Ground 44. The Tunnels. Each one held a different meaning to the villagers and the shinobi. The mountain was a symbol of pride to both, showing their strength. Training Ground 44 was a mystery to civilians who just knew to steer clear, but to the ninja, it was a place where they either became real shinobi or died. The tunnels, however, were unknown to villagers and shinobi under high-Chuunin level.
Yes, there were underground tunnels in Konoha. They connected to the many passages in the Hokage Monument and the hidden towers in Training Ground 44. This proved to be perfect when the three children were deciding where they were to live when they left the ANBU headquarters. The tunnels themselves held many rooms, two of which became Hinata's lab and living quarters.
No one knew how they had gotten there, but the team had the suspicion that it was created by the Shodaime due to the wooden floors, walls, and ceiling. Of course it was just a guess, but Shikamaru was rarely wrong. The fact that almost no one knew about it helped, seeing as Hinata needed someplace private to run her experiments. Unfortunately, Naruto liked to leave Training Ground 44, also known as the Forest of Death or Shi no Mori, just to come down and create noise.
The team used the tunnels mostly so they could communicate and train with each other without creating attention. When they had moved out of the ANBU headquarters at age nine and Hinata had chosen to live in the tunnels, it was only natural that the two boys would choose someplace nearby. What better places to stay than the Forest of Death and the Hokage Monument? Naruto chose to live in the forest due to his wild nature and his love of running around in the open. Shikamaru chose the monument for two reasons: it had the best cloud-watching spots and it was the last choice.
But while the three places held different meanings for the villagers and other shinobi, they held one meaning for the three children: home.
So when the Hokage told his secretary to throw his summoning bird down into the sewers she only questioned him for a minute.
'They haven't gone on a mission in a long time.' The old man thought. 'They'll appreciate this.' He thought again. 'Optimism. I must remain optimistic.' His happy thoughts went down the drain when he looked back on the mission he had for the three. 'Who am I kidding? They'll skin me alive.'
The mission was definitely different. Actually, the old Hokage didn't think he'd ever had to give out a mission like this one. It wasn't a hard mission, actually it was quite easy and, normally, he would have given it to a Jounin or Chuunin, but he didn't know anyone who was…age appropriate.
After all, only children could fit in with children.
But that didn't mean those children were going to like it. Hence, his problem.
"You summoned us, Hokage-sama?" Lifting his head from where it had rested in his hands, the old man gazed upon the masked faces of his Oujou Squad.
Despite their personalities outside of missions, the team became as emotionless as ANBU "Ne" members during an assignment. They became cold, calculating, and flawless. Naruto, Hinata, and Shikamaru disappeared and were replaced by Kitsune, Nezumi, and Shika. Unfortunately, this mission required the former three.
"Yes, I have a mission for the three of you." The three ANBU clad ninja waited for their superior to continue. "We have gathered information from Jiraiya that Orochimaru has made some movement in Ta no Kuni."
"Are we to go and exterminate?" Kitsune asked, his posture not revealing anything.
"No." The three children exchanged unseen glances. "Jiraiya's informant stated that Orochimaru had set his sights on gaining something from Konoha. He didn't know what, but he knew it had something to do with the Chuunin Exams. Now, we have our suspicions on what he wants, but the job I have for you is one of protection and not of assassination."
"Protection of who, Hokage-sama?" Nezumi questioned, not liking where this was going.
"Konoha's new genin." There was a stunned silence before Shika decided to say what was on the three children's minds.
"Excuse me?" Okay, that was probably the more polite way of putting it, but it basically meant the same thing.
"Hokage-sama, how does this pertain to Orochimaru?" Nezumi was trying to figure out what the old man was plotting, but nothing came to her.
"We fear that Orochimaru will try and go after Konoha's bloodlines or clan heirs during the Exam and I would like you to make sure this doesn't happen. The new genin teams have just completed their Jounin's test and two of those teams passed. Both made completely of clan heirs, including the young Uchiha boy."
"But, Hokage-sama, how do you even know they'll be entered in the exams? Most instructors wait a year."
"Ahh, but if I know these teachers like I think I do, they'll enter the teams just because. Besides, the Council will probably want to flaunt the Uchiha's strength."
"That's stupid-ow, Hinata!" Kitsune rubbed the spot where the girl had pinched him.
"Stupid it may be, Kitsune-taichou, but it's true. Even if they are not entered I don't want any risks." The three pre-teens nodded in understanding.
"Now that that's settled, I wish to let you know how this mission is to be carried out. You are to be discrete in the best way I know how."
"How?" Kitsune asked.
"By standing out." Another silence enveloped the room, this time much more pressing.
"What?"
"You are to pose as an early graduate genin team as of one year. So for this mission, you will not be Team Shikyo, but Naruto, Hinata, and Shikamaru. I want you to become friends with the teams while keeping an eye on them."
"Why a year, Hokage-sama?" Shika asked, his fingers itching towards his chemically altered cigarettes.
"You are also to guard Maito Gai's team, who graduated six months ago, as he has expressed interest in the Exams and his team is the only one with a Hyuuga genin."
"Neji-san?" Nezumi asked, wondering at her cousin.
"Yes. He is the only Hyuuga genin currently in Konoha and with that bloodline, his team may be in danger."
"But what if he recognizes me?"
"He knows the need for secrecy, but you may want to ask you father to speak with him." The Hokage told her and leaned on his desk.
"So we're basically babysitting?" Kitsune said more than asked.
"Think of it as making friends."
"Is this some sort of plot to help us make friends our own age?"
"No, but I will admit that it helps." The old man put on a bright grin as he peered at the obviously disgruntled children. "Now, do you accept your assignment?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama." They said in unison.
"Good, dismissed." The three disappeared in puffs of smoke.
I hope I did the right thing. The rest of the day was spent surrounded by paperwork.
Hey all. I don't know when the next update will be, but I hope it will be soon. This school year will be hectic and I have two weeks to do my summer reading, which I put off till now.
I hope you all liked it, and please review. But DON'T FLAME!
I'm sorry if it went a bit fast, but I'll try and slow down.
Till next time!
--TimeMage0955