MY COUSIN'S KEEPER…
Located on the northern border of fire country, a routine border control unit moved swiftly over the terrain. The squad leader risked a brief look over his shoulder hoping to see vigilant eyes scanning the area for enemy infiltration, but sadly it was far from what he'd hoped.
"This is no time too be relaxed our replacement won't arrive for another few hours, so keep your eyes open!" To say it was a bad time to take to reprimand his group would have been putting things lightly, as his head was suddenly struck by a shuriken. It was obvious that the shuriken strike had been deadly. The surprise attack on the unit was something they'd never forget, if they survived.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Back In Konohagakure)
Team eight relaxed as they walked down the street on their day off. Ino looked behind her to see a very strange smile plastered on Shikamaru face.
"What's up with you Shikamaru, you never smile?" Her only response was a cocky smile, and a quick gesture of the hand.
"I've got to go, later."
"Oui, Shikamaru! Where do you think your going?" To say she was angry would be quite and understatement, you could see the vain throbbing on her forehead.
Inner Ino: Where the hell does he get off acting all cool!
Choji suddenly froze in the middle of the street, drawing the attention of both his team mates.
"What up Cho--?" Shikamaru started to ask only to have Ino cut him off.
She groaned in annoyance, knowing exactly why Choji had stopped. Well truth be told, anyone would actually, he was drooling, and staring at a large BBQ restaurant. It didn't take a genius like Shikamaru to figure this out.
"Oi Choji, stop being such a pig, we just ate less than an hour ago! You know if you'd just listen to me and lose some weight, I bet you'd look pretty good, well not as good as Sasuke-kun, but still nice. I could even--"
A loud explosion erupted from the southern entrance, breaking into Ino's rant.
"I wonder if we should check that out." Choji's question was answered by another large question.
"Well that answers that! Come on guys, lets hurry before we miss all the action! I have to show Sasuke-kun my amazing ability as a Koshi!"
"So troublesome, just let the ANBU deal with it." Shikamaru mumbled.
"I said, LET GO!" She snapped quickly grabbing Shikamaru and dragging him off towards the sounds of battle.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team eight arrived only to see the battle already in progress. Quickly they used their surprise appearance to deal the enemy a quick blow.
Ino leaped into battle from above quickly making use of four of her kunai, as they were launched into the backs of two enemies already engaged in battle.
Choji made a n enormous entrance as he used his multi-size technique to swiftly swipe away a few enemies that were trying to regroup as they entered the village.
Shikamaru locked his opponents in place with his shadow binding technique before picking up two kunai he'd place on the ground. His opponents mimicked his movements, causing them to drop whatever they were holding as Shikamaru opened and closed his hands around the Kunai. He sped forward making quick work of his prone enemies.
Shikamaru was suddenly attacked form the side, instinctively he raised his kunai into a cross guard, intercepting the mans own downward cut. Shikamaru was quickly overpowered and forced backwards, by an impressive display of strength.
"Pathetic is that all the strength you have? A shinobi must have muscle, if that want to survive in close combat."
"I don't need advice from an enemy shinobi, I already have a sensei!" Shikamaru used the enemies strength to his advantage, as he suddenly stopped all resistance. Thus the enemies force launched him a good ten feet away.
"Troublesome?" Shikamaru mumbled, as he quickly preformed a series of hand seals. Shadow-binding, as his opponent went to regained his balance from stumbling after Shikamaru's suddenly disengagement.
Noticing Shikamaru from a distance Choji quickly preformed his Meat tank attack, rolling over a group of oblivious enemies in the process.
As Choji and Shikamaru made quick work of their opponents, Ino also made swift work of the un-known enemies. Sneaking-up behind three enemy-nin, who were attempting to take on a pair of ANBU. Ino quickly preformed her mind transfer technique taking over one of the three, before using him to kill his partner. From the side she caught a glimpse of an ANBU taking a deep breath with the tiger seal held in front of his lips. Seconds before the flame hit she released the jutsu, sending the enemy to a fiery grave, before he even got a chance to know what happened. Such rushed exits always let her feeling dizzy and this time was no exception. She raised her head just in time to see a sword making it's way towards her head. 'So this is how it end, how cheap?' She closed her eyes in preparation for her death, but the sound of metal on metal forced her eye's to reopen. 'I'm ALIVE!'
An ANBU stood in front of her deflecting a series of thrust and jabs from the foreign-nin sword with his own. Suddenly in an effective display of speed and power the ANBU parried a thrust, spun around the enemy guard, quickly twisting his sword arm in the process, before breaking it completely, before decapitating the enemy.
Ino watched in silent aw as the ANBU leaped off to engage three other enemies, as if he hadn't just taken another's life. The way he moved amazed her. She continued watching as the said ANBU defeated another enemy, when a hard kick slipped past a sloppy defense, knocking him out. He flipped backwards dodging a well thrown kunai before surging forward and making a vertical slash, killing another. The last enemy foolishly attempted to use a jutsu, but with the ANBU so close it was useless, as the ANBU sprinted forward kneeing the enemy Koshi in the stomach, effectively knocking her out.
The battle ended just as quickly as it had started. Less then seven minutes had passed, but it seemed like an hour. Ino watched as the ANBU in front of her gave a few quick orders. The other ANBU quickly obey disposing of the dead and taking the others to Ibiki for interrogation.
Ino still hadn't taken her eyes off the ANBU who'd saved her life. Thinking quickly she approached the ANBU, but he walked right past her.
"Shikamaru." Ino mouth nearly fell open, as the ANBU casually greeted her lazy team mate. "I'm guessing you must be extremely tired, using the shadow binding technique in such close quarters could have gotten you killed. A genius, fighting like a genin, how sad."
Ino was checking out the AMBU as he talked with Shikamaru. The AMBU stood taller than Shikamaru, some where around 5'11", he had a nice build, a little on the muscular side though. She was distracted for a second when Choji suddenly appeared beside her.
"Who's that?" Choji questioned, only for Ino to shush him before turning her head around to listen closely for some clue of the mysterious stranger.
"You weren't bad yourself cousin, but I thought for sure you'd use some ninjutsu."
'Cousin?!' Ino and Choji questioned together.
"Didn't want to destroy the village to much, I don't think the Hokage would like that, especially since I just got back, I got to-" The AMBU was suddenly cut off by Ino.
"So Shikamaru you know him?" She questioned, as soft blush adored her cheeks.
"Oh that's right, Choji, Ino, this is my cousin Danakto Nara."
With the introduction Danakto removed his mask, which Choji notices is that of a wolf, revealing his short dark brown hair and blue eyes.
"Nice to meet you Choji you got a nasty right hook, I definitely don't want to be on the receiving side of one of those." He said a small grin on his face.
"Ino, right?" He questioned turning towards her.
The second her eyes locked with his she felt a knot in her stomach, or maybe that was a side effect from her heart beating so heard, she was sure that she'd just felt her heart skip a few beats.
Ino was suddenly pulled back to reality when Choji elbowed her in the side, blinkingin confusion she notice that Danakto must have said her name two or three times by now without any response. "Ye...Yeah." She was so embarrassed that was all she could get out.
"Hope you weren't hurt, it looked like they did a number on you." Danakto says towering over the blond Koshi.
Ino could have sworn her face was as red as Hinata's. 'When did he get do close! Stupid daydream!' "No, I can handle myself usually, good thing you were there though, you really saves me back there Da..Da…" She continued on awkwardly after forgetting his name.
"Danakto Nara, and I would save a beauty like you any day." He stated giving her a charming smile.
Ino felt that strange knot in her stomach grow even tighter, as her heart started up again. 'I like him, but I like Sasuke-kun right? I'm so confused, but I'm sure I never felt like this when Sasuke-kun was around.' She watched as Shikamaru grabbed his cousin by the ear.
"You're so troublesome, but mother and father still want to see you." Stopping for a moment Shikamaru turned back around. "I'll see you two tomorrow."
'What's wrong with me? It's always been Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke, what's wrong with me' Turning she headed home completely ignoring Choji's goodbye. 'I've got to figure this out soon.'
#$(!$!&$+(&$$!)($#+!&$(!$)(!$!&$!()$#!&$!&$(!$&!&!($&!$)($&!&$)!($&!$(!$&!$)!$!(&$
E\N
This was somewhat edited by the Hybrid 02! AKA(ME!) I don't work miracles, but hell, I turned this scrabbled mess of words into an interesting Chapter! Bow Down to me!!!!!!!!! From (720 words ) to (1641 words!) DAMN I'm good!check my story out (Equality Naruto) Ok now to here from the Author...
A\N
I would like to thx the Hybrid 02 for editing and plz commet