"I am a shadow. If there is light, I am there. If there is no light, I am there. I am always there.
I strike like the shadows; quickly and silently. I leave no trace of my presence, only my calling card; the target.
I am loyal like the shadows; constant. I am loyal to my clan first, the ryu second, and the Hokage third."
Nara Family Creed
Line 3
All eyes were on my father. Watching, waiting for him to act. The entire ceremony had ground to a halt. If I hadn't known what was going to happen, I would have been so embarrassed. If I could have mustered up the energy to be embarrassed that is. Of course, everyone gathered how were old enough to either remember or attend the last coronation of a Hokage would have known what was going to happen. Thankfully, none of those in my age group had been there. I can only imagine what they would think of my clan if they knew.
My dad, Shikaku, just shot a lazy glance around the room before locking eyes with me for a moment. With a nod he signaled that I would have this honor. Prior to the ceremony he had told me that he had already done it twice as clan head. Now that his son was old enough, he would sit this one out. Plus the new Hokage was of my generation for dad felt it was fitting.
Taking the cue from my father I stepped in front of the dais on top of which Naruto sat, looking very uncomfortable with all the pomp and ceremony. I didn't blame him but in a moment I know I was going to utterly destroy his opinion of me. He wouldn't be bored then. Nor would everyone else in attendance.
The Rookie 9 as we were known as, except for the Uchiha traitor of course, was there. Neji and Ten Ten Hyuga, Rock Lee and Sakura, Ino and Choji, Shino and Kiba. Hinata got a spot up on the dais as she was engaged to Naruto. My own fiancée was here, as well as her brothers.
The Kazekage of Suna had come to see his friend become a Kage. Kankuro was there because Gaara and Temari told him to be. And Temari was there because I asked her to be. Mostly to answer a question.
The major stumbling block of our relationship was her concern that she would have to choose between her loyalties to Suna and her brother with me. I told her it wouldn't be a problem but could never tell her just how that could be. Largely because she wasn't a Nara yet. However, Naruto becoming Hokage gave me the perfect chance to explain things to her since it would be out in the open with father's permission.
"Shikamaru."
I glanced at Ino who was looking extremely embarrassed on my behalf.
"You're holding things up. Hurry up and swear loyalty to the Hokage." Ino whispered. Of course, with how quiet the place was everyone could hear her.
I just raised an eyebrow at her before turning my attention to the my dad.
"Third line?" I asked to make sure I was saying the right thing. The Naras had a special tradition of their own at Hokage coronations. My dad just nodded.
"I speak for the Nara Clan when I say this; 'I am loyal like the shadows; constant. I am loyal to my clan first, the ryu second, and the Hokage third.'"
The silence before had been one of embarrassed anticipation. Now it was of utter shock and disbelief. Poor Naruto's jaw was literally hanging open. Friends and loyalty were big in his book and we were friends. My peers looked at me like I was crazy.
I wasn't crazy and nor were my ancestors. What most of the town never saw they got a glimpse of tonight. The underneath of the underneath of the underneath. Most of them stop looking after the second underneath. The Naras operated on a whole other level. We alone did real ninja work.
The Naras are a clan of assassins. We do some intel gather work as well but our main focus is on killing people. Personally I prefer them to be asleep. It's a lot less work that way. Really, if you think about it, stealth and shadows go hand in hand. And given our affinity for getting around without being seen or detected my family has done very well in the hitman business. So well in fact that we can do what I just did. Not swear fealty to the Hokage.
Now the reason I can do that, and my father had done that to the previous Hokage's, is because it is actually in the original charter of the village. When all the founding clans came together my ancestors put that clause in for the Naras. Since they slipped that clause in my clan is not listed amongst the names of the founding clans of the village. I really don't mind. Like I said, us Naras are the only real ninjas in town.
We kill people secretly. We don't try to cloud the issue with things like honor and open combat like some of the other clans insist upon. And we do it for money. Yes I've done jobs against Leaf targets. Assassinations and spying.
So we're not entirely heartless. Plus we raise deer. Cute deer too. And do a lot a research in medicine. It's our way of balancing the family karma.
"You can't say that. Take that back before the Hokage has you arrested for treason." Neji chastised. Damn, I owe dad a bottle of sake now. He bet that a Hyuga would be the first to object. They like that everyone thinks of them as the most important clan in town. And they let it go to their heads.
"Neji, as a friend I have to say go read the village charter more closely." Sadly, the clause in which my family is in is clearly started there and required reading in the academy.
"As a Nara to a Hyuga; remember your place."
"Shikamaru, what has gotten into you?!"
"Ah, the Hokage finally speaks. Remember, you wear those robes only so long as you are useful to the Nara clan."
That did it. Now everyone of the young adults are looking to their parents for some kind of guidance and find none. This is all about us youngsters. More specifically, the Nara heir, me, and all the other heirs, everyone of my age group.
The second part of the Nara tradition is establishing that the Nara clan's rights to the upcoming generation. I can see why dad didn't want to do it again. It's a little discomforting to have to shatter everyone's perception of you.
"Shikamaru, what are you saying?"
This time it was Ino that managed to gather herself enough to speak.
"I'm just doing my duty to remind the new Hokage of one of the Nara's rights."
"The right to commit kagecide?" Sakura asked.
"And regicide in the case of the daimyo as well." Man I'm itching for a smoke right now but Temari is right there and she's making me quit. It was part of the bargain to just to get her to agree to be engaged.
"How can that possibly be in your clan's rights?" Rock Lee spoke up.
"Because it is and always has been. It's not like it hasn't helped out all of your guys too. The daimyo hasn't cut funding to the village in three generations." I took a shot at placating my friends. I doubt they really cared that just the threat of annoying the Nara clan has kept the village very well funded. The best funded of all the hidden villages in fact.
"Father, is this all true?" Hinata asked her dad who just nodded.
"That's not to say that the Nara clan won't still continue to work with the rest of the village. I'm just reminding everyone that our allegiance is not to the Hokage first."
With that I gave up the floor and walked outside. As I expected my lovely Temari joined me soon after.
"Is that what you meant when you said I would never have to choose between loyalties?"
"Yes. Mom loves you. More then she does me I think, but the point is she'll never permit me or dad to go marching off to war against Suna if that ever happened. And when I'm clan head, you'd be my wife and there we wouldn't have to partake in any missions against Suna if they ever came. That and I happen to know that your brother and Naruto have been planning on an official announcement tomorrow allying the two villages. Permanently."
"How do you know that?"
"Honey, you have to let me keep a few secrets to myself or else I can't surprise you anymore."
"Like today?"
"Like today. And speaking surprises, I've got a few more planned for you if you'll come back to my place."
Temari just takes my hand and leads the way to my place.
A/N: I'm back! With another terrible bit of ff for you all. The basic idea is to show a darker side of the ninja world we all love. By darker I mean more insane.
So you get the creed and will get a couple more drabbles about each line. I was going to do the lines in order but really, the third line sets up the scene the best so that's what I wrote first. I might even add in Temari's thoughts on each line too.