Death's tea party
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D/C: I own nothing.
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Changes:
Couples. Canon. It depends really, thoughts?
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"WH-what," A blonde male groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He hissed in pain and quickly closed them due to the bright sun. He lifted his arm to block out the light and he once again opened his eyes. As he did, he looked around his surroundings. His jaw dropped. Instead of a full out torn battlefield, he was in a huge meadow. That looked like no one has even taken a single step into. The trees surrounding the area were huge; they look like they could touch the heavens. A river ran through a field filled with wild flowers and tall grass. The place looked like it was taken out of a storybook.
Slowly getting up, he looked around to see if anyone else was there. "Where am I?"
He began to walk towards the river. The blonde kept his guard up, this could be an illusion for all he knew. He as he walked closer the river he heard laughter in the distance away; also the distinct sound of dishes and the smell of food in the air. There was a couple of shouts and laughter.
The blonde quickly ducked into the tall grass and silently followed the voices. They all sounded familiar to him. He just couldn't put a finger on it.
As he got closer, something or someone kept on pushing him to get closer and faster to the location. As he did thought, Naruto ended up failing a rather basic rule, to always be aware of your surroundings. Because of that he ended up having to learn it head on… literary.
"Damn it." He cursed holding his head in pain.
"Troublesome." the other groaned as he rubbed his own head.
"Shikamaru?" The blonde said in a surprised voice. "What are you doing here?"
Shikamaru looked up towards him. "Naruto ugh… troublesome"
"Do you know where we are?"
"Naruto…"
"How did we get here?"
"Naruto…"
"What happened, one moment we were…?" Naruto stopped talking when he felt something sharp press against his neck. He looked to see that Shikamaru is pressing one of his trench knives against his neck.
"Heh… sorry..." Naruto nervously laughed once Shikamaru retracted away.
"I don't know where we are." Shikamaru deadpanned, not even bother to sugarcoat anything. "Or how we got here. It doesn't look or feel like a gen-jutsu. But still…"
"I wonder where everyone else is?"
Shikamaru gave him a serious look. "I do not know. Last thing I remember is my time dying due to severe chakra exhaustion. You?"
Naruto scratched his scared cheek, trying to remember his last memory before waking up. "I was in the front lines. I noticed that Hinata was surrounded. I knew she could take them easily, and she did. But the moment she finished them… one of them appeared and she kind of didn't saw him and I kind of took the hit..."
"You two died and ended up here..." Slurred out a vaguely familiar voice.
Naruto and Shikamaru paled, they could easily recognize the voice. That much was not a big biggie, the issue was that, this person is supposed to be dead.
The two teens jump into the air and away from the third person. Naruto had out a kunai, one in each hand. Shikamaru had now both of his trench knives out. The two glared at the other. But it quickly turned into a gob smacked look when the other just turned his back at them and began to walk away from them.
"You two better come with me… There is a tea party and we can't be late for it." He began to sway around and to fall flat on his face. "Ow… I hate my exsistence."
Naruto and Shikamaru looked at each other than at the newcomer. They silently agreed to follow him to figure out what was happening to them.
"Neji… Is that you?" Naruto asked hesitantly.
"Wha-… of course it's me." Neji groaned. As he attempted to get up, to only fall back down. "I think I think I had too much tea."
"Are you sure it was tea…Neji?" Shikamaru asked.
"It's not… it's actually sake. But there is tea and other stuff." Neji pointed in front of him. The other two looked at the direction he was pointing at. Their jaws dropped at the sight. Not even that far off, there was a table that can hold several people. The table was filled with different kinds of foods and drinks and there were other people sitting at the table. People who they believed they would never see again.
Neji got back up, dusted himself off, and wobbled himself back at the table. He sat next to a man that looks like a younger Hiashi. The man slap Neji behind his back in a jokingly way, it only caused Neji to cry into his own arms one the table. The man looked alarm but he just let Neji cry it off. The other people at the table only continued on with the supposed party.
"Shikamaru…" Naruto gulped.
"Yeah..." Shikamaru said.
"Is this really happening?" Naruto asked.
Shikamaru did not know how to respond to that. He was looking at the people who were sitting around the table. Doing a head count on who exactly was there. After repeating the names in his dead, he only paled a bit more and more. That goes for Naruto as well when he made note who is sitting around the table.
Neji, Hizashi, Jiraiya, Kabuto, Itachi, Shizune, Zabuza, Asuma, and Shikaku everyone that had died, whom had close connections to them in someway or somehow. For Shikamaru, seeing his father and teacher made him stop in his tracks. As for Naruto it was seeing his godfather. They were both speechless. Then the entire table turned their entire attention to the two teens. That only made it even worse. They can still remember how most of them died. They decided to take a page out of someone's book… they fainted.
"Well… they took this rather well." Jiraiya, laughed in his drink.
Others added their own thoughts to it, while others shook heads in disbelief.
"What do you expect, to them we are dead. Now we are drinking and laughing like no tomorrow." Asuma sighed as he lit up a cigarette. "Well… almost everyone"
Everyone looked down the table to see a sobbing Neji Hyuga, who was now banging his head against the table.
"Still… How are we going to explain this." Kabuto said, waving around a lazy hand. "Even I don't know what's going on. All I know is that we're dead and now this…"
"I don't even know what's going on." Shizune said. "All I know is that one moment I was healing multiple injured and for one of them to attack me out of nowhere. To find out the next thing to happen is that I am here and dead…"
"Dead…" Hizashi said in an unpleasant tone. "I was the first one to die here and end up here with Miss Crazy."
He pointed at the very end of the table. Their sitting on a simple but intimidating armchair, sat a figure wearing a conical straw hat that had a light sage green cloth that acted as a semi veil that hid her face. She wore a tight fitted kimono with long selves that can easily hide her hands in, and a green sash. The main color of the kimono was white with purple, green and grey yarrows on the gown.
She sat calmly and slowly drinking tea. A small smirk was on her face but the others could not see it. Looking up, she saw that Jiraiya and Shikaku pick up the two teens and place them in empty seats; their heads on the table, and using their arms as pillows as they slept.
'Everyone is almost here.' She thought as she drank her tea 'Now all we need is to wait for the others…'
"That was like… almost twelve years ago." Shizune said looking at the former branch member.
"Yes twelve years here waiting for something." Hizashi responded, lifting a cup up towards his lips. "Apparently she has plans and has been waiting calmly for the rest of the key players to arrive."
"For what exactly." Itachi asked him with a sideways glance
"It'll be easier to explain once everyone else has arrived for this party." Hizashi shook his head.
"There's going to be more." Asuma frowned. "How many more are going to die in this war for this."
"Just look at how many more open seats there are left." Zabuza pointed out at the end of the table. There were four empty seats. "Now we just till they get here."
Rustling was heard behind the table. Almost everyone turned to see a purple haired woman in a trench coat walk towards the table. She was openly glaring at Kabuto. Said person, was gulping down his drink nervously avoiding the glare.
"Well hello there, Anko." Jiraiya smiled at her and his eyes betrayed his peevish behavior.
Anko glared at the old pervert before reaching into her pockets. A surprise look was on her face when she took out nothing.
"You don't have your weapons on hand when you seek to kill someone." The female from the end of the table, murmured out loud enough to be heard. "Why don't you sit and wait for the others to come and have some tea."
"You're asking me sit with two traitors and have tea with them. You got one thing c-" Anko was interrupted when she spotted a huge plate of dango appeared on the table in front of the empty chairs. "Dango's…"
Everyone sweat drop as they saw Anko sat down and dug into the plate of sweets. Completely ignoring everyone stares.
"Urg… my head." Naruto grumbled, as he sat up straight, rubbing his eyes. "I can't believe that I actually dreamt that Ero-Sannin and everyone else was alive and drinking tea…"
"That wasn't really a dream, Naruto." Jiraiya said, ignoring the nickname.
Naruto turned to see his god-father with wide eyes. "Ero-Sannin?"
"Who else, kid?"
Naruto launched himself to the Sannin and hugged the man. Silently sobbing against him, mumbling out undefined words, Jiraiya put his arm around Naruto to comfort him. A small reunion for the two…
Shikamaru raised his head up from the table and yawned. "Troublesome nightmare…"
"Nightmare?" Asuma asked looking at his student. "What would make you think this is a nightmare?"
"Try spending twelve years with this, this party never ends." Hizashi butted in. "Believe me, after the first few hours, I was ready to either kill myself or kill her."
"Shikamaru." Shikaku turned to see his only son look at him and Asuma with wide eyes. "This is real… As real as it gets."
The female at the head of the table smiled as she watched the scene. Even though they were dead, they were happy to see each other. She saw the teenager jumped from his seat and hugged his father then went to hug the man next to him. Who was/is his teacher and a second father to him. Let's not forget the other two. Jiraiya and Naruto broke apart and began to talk. Now it looks like the blond want was to kill the older man that has a perverted smile on his face.
A butterfly came fluttering down and landed on her plate. Smiling she reached and came and rested on her hand. "Take a seat, have some tea. We are waiting for two more to join in our festivities."
Shizune and Kabuto listed to her whispering to the butterfly and watched it fly off. They watched it fly into the tall grass to only be turned into smoke and be replace by a male in a green long hooded green coat.
Everyone turned to see the teen, most of them cannot place a name on him.
"Shino!" Naruto waved at him. Shikamaru sat back down in his seat, and nodded his head as Shino passed him. The third rookie took a seat and didn't say or react to his surroundings.
"Who's left now, Miss. Crazy." Zabuza said as he took a bottle of alcohol.
"Sand." Miss. Crazy as she is now been dubbed, said.
Shikamaru brows furrowed. He was going to ask a question when something hit him over the head. Multiple times.
"You Damn Idiot!" A blond female screamed as she hit Shikamaru over the head with an oversized fan. "Why did you take that hit?!"
Shikaku and Naruto, who were on either side of the poor male edged away.
"Temari!" Shikamaru managed to squeeze in. "Can you st-you troublesome woman!"
Temari dropped her fan, and now glared down at him. "Why? Why did you take that attack? You were needed more. Why"
Shikamaru got up from his seat and grabbed hold of Temari, it startled her and half around the table. "Troublesome woman!"
Temari fought back the tears but she clung on to him and hid her face in his vest. "You bastard..."
"I know."
Miss. Crazy coughed to get their attention. "I don't want to ruin the moment, but our last guest has arrived."
Everyone turned to the end of the table to see the last member. It made a few of them pale. Well three of them, Shikamaru and Kabuto, the first one was holding the sister in a close embrace.
"Gaara you're also in this." Naruto called out to the red head. Gaara attention was pointed at the pale Nara that was holding his older sister.
Temari let go of Shikamaru and quickly wipe away the tears. "Not you too, Gaara..."
"Where are we?" Gaara asked as he stayed in his spot, he glanced around the table. Kabuto was attempting to hide from his view. Itachi just stayed where he was at, calmly eating a rice ball.
"Now that you have arrived now we can down to business." Miss. Crazy smiled as she rose from her seat. She had of both arms against the table. "If you three can take a seat."
Shikamaru, Temari and Gaara took a seat; there was something about the female's voice, which made them respond without issue. At that, everyone at the table stop what they were doing at sat straight in their seats.
"Good." She said, as she sat back down in her seat. "Hizashi-san, if you could?"
Hizashi cleared his throat as stood up. "Now that everyone has arrived to this… party. Is there any questions before we start?"
Anko had a toothpick, in one hand and pointed it at Kabuto. "I have two, why are they here? And why are we here."
"Good question, but difficult to answer." The spokesperson said. "We are here because we have a task that would change everything."
"Change what?" Temari said folding her arms.
"A chance to change the total outcome of this war and our future if you play your cards right." Crazy said in an airy tone.
"You make it sound like we can actually change what has already happen." Shikaku said, he glanced at her with calculating eyes.
"What if I told you that…What has actually happened hasn't happen yet if we play along." She said.
Shikaku and Shikamaru both held identical expressions trying to figure out what she was saying. The rest of the table held similar expressions.
"Are you implying that has happen can be erased." Gaara asked in a monotones voice. "Or… make it never happen."
"Ah no wonder they made you Kazekage at such a young age, Gaara-sama." Crazy said.
Then it clicked in Shikamaru head, then not a second behind, his father also came to the same conclusion.
"What you are implying… is… impossible." Shikaku said to Crazy. "Then again… this is also impossible."
"What are they talking about." Naruto asked not knowing what was going on.
Jiraiya frowned taking in what they were talking about. He noticed the only calm one was Hizashi. "Do you know what's going on, Hizashi?"
"Yes." He replied bluntly. "What she is saying and going to do is all too real."
"Time travel." Itachi said, even though his face held an empty look, the way he said his words sounded soft and surprising. "Can this actually happen?"
"Of course it can happen." Crazy waved off. "That's why I gathered all of you."
"We all have a place in this game." Hizashi said, "I-"
"How the hell is this a damn game." Anko seethed.
"Simply." Crazy said as she reached for her hat. "All of you played either a small or big role within your lives. Think of it as a butterfly affect."
Removing the straw hat, half of the people gasp once they saw who the one who summoned them was. She had a round face, which held a huge smile, her eyes were a deep night blue almost black. Dark hair tied in a high bun, with bangs covering her forehead and the sides of her head is a swept motion. She looked to be in her mid to late teens.
"I believe I should make my introduction." The dark haired teen said. "My name is Tomoko Akira. I used a forbidden seal that cost me to give my soul to the Shinigami. Lord Shinigami gave me a deal that I couldn't refuse."
"Tomoko Akira." Jiraiya eyes widened in recognition of the name. "Raise no Tomoko, Tomoko of the Otherworld."
"My god…" Zabuza looked at Tomoko and was agape. "I remember that name. That name gave everyone back home nightmares. Raise no Tomoko, the one who can open doors that no one can get into. You have one of the highest assassination rates from what I heard"
"Senpai," Anko whispered to herself.
"Why am I not surprised." Shikaku groaned in his hands. "Even in death you manage to make my life hell."
"You know her dad." Shikamaru asked, looking at Tomoko, there was something about her face that looked familiar.
Asuma started to laugh at Shikaku discomfort. "Tomoko is Shikaku's sister-in-law."
"We are getting off topic." Hizashi coughed.
"Right… As I was saying, Lord Shinigami made me a deal. If I can bring him certain souls, then…"
"If we go through with this, all we have to do is give him what he wants." Neji said, finally over the crying and drunk spell. "Is that all…"
"Or is there more than that…" Shikamaru said.
Tomoko stared down at everyone, she let out a deep sigh. "Lord Shinigami is an extremely patient god. At one point everyone dies. What he wants is the official death of the so called immortals and many others. All the casualties of the war would be gone from his domain, yes. But… What he really wants… is something that I cannot tell you at the moment"
"Are we tied to this deal." Gaara asked. Everyone turned and stared at her. "If we are…"
Tension filled the air.
"No… No one sitting at this table besides me is part of the deal." Tomoko said, a lot of the people let out a sigh of relief. "I pick each one of you for pacific reasons, but in order for this to work you have to make a pact to him."
Everyone froze.
"What do you mean by that." Temari said in a careful tone.
"What she means is that, we can't go back without His consent." Hizashi defended. "We have to plan out everything before we go back. Who do you think is going to send us back?"
"Is that the only way?" Shizune asked in a whisper.
Tomoko stayed quiet and bowed her head.
"Are you saying that if we do this we can save everyone?" Naruto asked, with a determined look on his face. He stood up looking right at her. "We can avoid this war."
"And much more, Naruto, and so much more." Tomoko commented staring up at the Uzumaki.
"What are the conditions?" Shino asked. "Why, because if I am going to go through this, I want to know what exactly I am going to go through?"
Tomoko smiled. "The conditions will be explained once you agree. I promise everyone that the only thing that you have to do is make sure that the future is secure."
"Before I agree to anything, can someone explain to my why are…they here." Anko said pointing at Kabuto and Itachi.
"Kabuto actually wanted revenge against Orichimaru and Danzo." Tomoko said.
Everyone stared at the silver haired young man; Kabuto sat up straight and frowned. "They both had a hand in the killing of someone very important to me. The main reason I joined the snake in the first place was to make sure she stayed safe and not to get her killed."
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Then they turned to Itachi.
The only people who knew of his past were Naruto and Jiraiya. Itachi let out a tired breath and quickly explained to them the situation behind the Uchiha Massacre.
"And I thought Mist was bloody," Zabuza commented. A few glared at him for that. But then again the root (No pun intended) of the problem started in Konoha.
Slowly rising up, Tomoko looked over the table with a tired look, "If you want time to think about it…"
"Well I don't know about anyone but if what you said is true… then what other choice do we have," Asuma said, as he played with a cigarette. "I want a better for her and for…"
He didn't finish as he clench to death stick. He regretted a lot of things, but the one thing he regretted was not being there the birth of his child.
"I want to go back and make it up to Haku." Zabuza said.
"Hey I have a question?" Naruto asked. "Is Haku a girl or a boy?"
Everyone's head dropped. No matter how much he grew up, he was still… Naruto.
"Haku's a girl" Zabuza deadpanned.
"I Knew It!" Naruto said.
"I want to go back to make sure the clan actually make it right between the main and the branch." Hizashi said. "After I died, I swear that he started to walk with an extra leg."
No one can deny that…
The others added in what they wanted to change about their past.
Gaara rose from his seat and looked at Naruto then at Tomoko. "I believe that everyone is going to agree with the… arrangement."
Everyone nodded their heads.
Smiling at them, Tomoko put on her straw hat again, "Then that case, you better start planning, he's going to be here in one hour. Oh, you may want to add the conditions of what exactly you want to have when you all go back."
Then she disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Shikamaru looked at his dad and said in a serious tone "Am I really related to her?"
"Unfortunately…"
To be continued...
