A/N: Morbidly inspired by the recent manga. Apparently I was feeling moody enough to take on Team 10's first kill (laughs). Do review, and please enjoy.
Dusk Awaken
Blood flew from crimson steel as Ino swiped her kunai across the last missing nin's throat.
Shikamaru released his jutsu and watched the body fall lifeless to the ground. A few rays of pale sunlight filtered through the canopy leaves and he watched with morbid fascination as the forest clearing they stood in was engulfed by the soft white light. Pure, white light.
It's all wrong.
The crunching of dry grass behind him revealed Chouji's presence, strong and soft, as he approached them, his previously battle enlarged body returned to its original size.
Ino raised her hand in acknowledgement, but froze when she noticed the blood, most of it not her own, staining her pale skin beneath. Her pale blue eyes widened a fraction, then lowered.
The kunai that she had used so skillfully moments ago slid awkwardly out of her other hand and landed with a soft thud on the ground beside her feet.
This isn't they way it's supposed to be.
Shikamaru examined his own bloodstained hands with barely concealed disgust and open mortification. Chouji grunted and shoved his hands into his pockets. He didn't not look, but he knew what he would see if he did.
The three teammates exchanged solemn expressions as a sensual breeze tickled their chins.
All was quiet, and all was calm.
But innocence was already lost and the world looked bleaker.
What…have we done?
Who have we become?
"Team Asuma. This will be your first B-rank mission. Travel to Grass Country and capture the rogue bandits that have been causing trouble on the roads of their western border. You will leave immediately."
"Hai, Tsunade-sama!"
They thought they were prepared to fight.
They were wrong.
He never thought it would be this troublesome. He never imagined it would be so harsh.
It was pride, he realized now. Pride that had allowed him to think that the little things were troublesome, and the big things were not his business. It was pride that had allowed him to believe that Team 10 could handle a B-ranked mission with ease. He had been too foolish.
They were all foolish. It was unforgivable for a shinobi, but they had been. Too blind, to young, too innocent.
When it was just D-rank and C-rank missions, they had charged through and were successful every time. But now, as they slowly became immersed in the true shinobi world, they were uncovering the true shinobi truths as well. It was like unwrapping a colorful present to find shady enigma within.
The enigma was not what they expected. The enigma was their own hearts.
He had been caught off guard.
They had not been ready to be killers.
"Guys…it looks like this might just be more than we expected. Those bandits we just encountered were using ninjutsu." Asuma said, lighting a cigarette. "So we're going to change our battle plan."
"Oh great…more trouble."
"Shikamaru! You lame-ass!"
"Geez…sorry, woman…"
"Ahem. You three will take care of the 5 lower level missing nins. Leave the other two to me. I'll make a diversion to separate the band. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Asuma-sensei." They chorused.
"Good. Here's how we're going to set up the diversion. Once the bunshins bring them close, Shikamaru, you will take position A on this map, Ino, you take B. Chouji, you'll be on her left, and will move into position C to surround the bandits when they are lured into the clearing."
"And the two jounins? If they find us before we're in position, we're in trouble." Shikamaru pointed out skeptically. "Are you sure this is going to work, sensei?"
"Eh…well, there are a few holes in it, but the probability of being unsuccessful is low. Don't forget that I'll be there to bring them away. You'll just have to trust me on this. We're a team, remember?"
"Yeah…"
"Don't worry. Everything's going to be alright."
Asuma didn't tell them what they would have to be prepared for.
Because they would never be prepared for it. They would never be prepared to kill their hearts and crush their innocence until it had already happened.
"…Asuma-sensei said it would be alright." Chouji said after another period of silence. He glanced at Shikamaru, who did not move. "It's…alright…isn't it?"
"No…no! Don't you understand? We're murderers, monsters!" whispered Ino, tears pouring from her eyes as she finally broke down and cried, head bent and arms around herself. "We're nothing but mons -"
"We're shinobi." interjected Chouji, but the doubt in his voice was clear.
Silence.
We are shinobi. We are killers.
"Y-yeah." affirmed Shikamaru then, though with just as little conviction. "We're shinobi… this is what we're supposed to do."
An ominous shadow hung over the three as they contemplated this. A shinobi who does not kill is one who chooses not to. A shinobi who cannot kill is not a shinobi. They had proven, at last, that they were true shinobi.
They say that the truth hurts. It does.
"Sh…Ino, it's alright, really." Shikamaru ventured shakily, exchanging a desperate glance with Chouji as he hesitantly reached his hand out to her.
Ino didn't reply, and the reason was obvious.
Because in that moment, it wasn't alright, and Shikamaru knew it.
Nothing was alright. Nothing would ever be the same again.
They were shinobi, after all, but this wasn't how it was supposed to be. Where had the dreams of returning to the village as proud ninja gone? Where was the glory in the kill, the proof of ability spawned from talent? Where was the light?
They had become killers. They had learned.
As tender as the bud had been, it had survived. It would grow.
It would bloom.
Shikamaru took Ino's hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze, because he knew she needed it. He needed it too, and the weight of Chouji's hand on his shoulder somehow made the burdens he shouldered a little lighter.
They were sad, but they were strong.
It was a team's responsibility to share each other's burdens, after all.
They were no longer children.
They were shinobi of the leaf.
When Sarutobi Asuma returned to the clearing, he found his three students huddled together, unmoving.
He immediately understood as he glanced around at his surroundings. Blood, blood…
Bowing his head, he knelt down and closed the eyes of the dead grass nin at his feet.
A bird crowed as it streaked through the sky above.
"Well… it's over now." he said quietly. "C'mon. Let's go home."
No one said anything.
Just before the gates of Konoha were in sight, Asuma slowed his pace and repeated what he had told his team earlier.
"Remember, it's over now." He nodded.
A rustle. And then -
Crunch crunch crunch.
Asuma looked back in question, and then smiled slightly.
"No. This is just the beginning." replied Chouji.
We are shinobi as of today.
-Owari-