:A/N:
Well, here's the first chapter. If you wish to know more about the details of the story, be sure to check the A/N from the prologue.
The OC's name has some meaning behind it. Now, I'm no expert at Japanese, so if someone wants to correct me, please do. Wakaba means 'young leaf', I beleive, and Kaiba should mean 'painting'. Again, if I'm wrong, someone please let me know.
Also, yes, there will be NaruXHina in this. Naruto's the dominant character, but there will be many others playing important roles. Just so nobody panics, as you'll see in this chapter, Hinata is not dead or anything. Some of you may have assumed that from the prologue.
EDIT: Updated with changes on 3/16/09.
In anycase, I hope you enjoy it!
:DISCLAIMER:
I don't own Naruto, buddy. If I did, I'd be rich. And popular. And, uh, wouldn't be writing here.
________________________________________
SHINOBI CHRONICLES
CHAPTER 1
Team 4
________________________________________
"Oh come on, you're not serious are you?" Uzumaki Naruto looked at his masked teammate, irritated by his suggestion. "Why, exactly, am I still a Genin anyway? I beat Neji in the exams last time, and he's a Jonin now." he complained, sighing heavily as he looked out the window of the office they were in.
Hatake Kakashi glared at his blonde-haired teammate impatiently. "Neji didn't make Chuunin then either." he said slowly, as if talking to a five-year-old kid. "It's not all about strength, Naruto. Certainly Shikamaru has shown you that much?"
Naruto frowned. The thought of taking the Chuunin Exams again wasn't too appealing to him, especially with all of Akatsuki's recent activity. However, it was the idea of getting stuck on a team with two snot-nosed brats that really annoyed him. Naruto just didn't have the patience for something like that.
"Kakashi-Sensei's right, Naruto. You should take the opportunity to adjust to how your chakra feels now." Naruto's pink-haired Konoichi teammate, Haruno Sakura, chimed in. "You can't just yell and scream and rely on your limitless chakra to win battles for you any more."
Naruto scowled. 'Kyuubi...' he thought to himself. The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that had resided in him and granted him near limitless power. Akatsuki had extracted it from him two weeks ago. By all means, he should be dead, as the extraction proccess is supposed to kill the host. But Naruto had been saved by Madam Hokage herself, at the sacrifice of much of her vitality and strength. Naruto's scowl deepened as he thought about it. 'Granny-Tsunade...how could I have let that happen...how could I have let Akatsuki get the Kyuubi!? And, what that Kisame guy did to Hinata...' Naruto's thoughts trailed off as Kakashi began to speak again.
"Yes, thank you Sakura. We just don't know how different your powers are going to be without the Kyuubi inside you. If the Kazekage is any indication, you won't lose ALL of them...but we're not sure exactly what's going to be different." Kakashi continued to rant. "The Chuunin Exam will give you an opportunity to find out, and give you a chance to finally become a Chuunin."
"Argh..! I KNOW!" Naruto shouted, standing up from his chair and swinging his arms wildly in the air. "I just...what about the Akatsuki?! What about Sasuke, and Kabuto?! I don't have time to go play 'Ninja' with a bunch of kids! I have to do someth..." Naruto's ranting was interrupted by Kakashi.
"I know you're worried, Naruto, but you're only going to be a burden if you can't adjust!" Kakashi said, raising his voice a bit. Naruto, opened his mouth again to respond, but quickly shut it again. He knew his former Sensei was right, but he just couldn't stand the idea of going through that stupid forest again while his friends and comrades fought against the Akatsuki and other dangers. It just didn't seem right.
Naruto sat back down, folded his arms in front of his chest, and scowled again.
"Come on, Naruto...it can't be that bad. Can't you atleast give it a try?" Sakura said softly, walking towards Naruto as she did. She leaned down in front of him and looked at him with a pleading look on her face.
Naruto sighed again. He couldn't say no to Sakura when she got like that. "Ugh...alright...I'll give it a try, I guess..." Naruto grumbled, pouting in his chair as he glared holes through an innocent book in the corner of the room.
'Just like a little kid...heh.' Sakura thought to herself, smiling sweetly.
"Good. You'll probably be assigned to your new team tomorrow." Kakashi sighed in relief. "I'll notify Madam Hokage." he said, nodding to his teammates.
"That's all for the day. You guys have the rest of the day off. Make good use of it. Naruto, you'll be notified of your schedule later tonight." Kakashi said, walking towards the door. He waved at them as he left the room.
"Bye, Kakashi-Sensei!" Sakura said, waving back as the white-haired shinobi left the room. She then turned her attention back to the pouting Naruto.
"Well, moping around isn't a good way to spend your day off! Come on, let's go get something to eat!" Sakura commanded, grabbing Naruto's arm and dragging him with her.
They left the main building and entered the busy streets of Konaha. They were bustling with the typical afternoon business, villagers and shinobi mingling throughout the crowd. As they worked there way through the village, Naruto finally managed to shake himself away from Sakura's grasp. Sakura turned to look at him.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Sakura asked tilting her head curiously.
Naruto was looking toward a certain building, a somber look on his face. Sakura knew the building well, and she smiled, knowing what he would suggest.
"Let's go visit Hinata."
________________________________________
Kakashi looked at the Hokage sitting at her desk, a sudden rush of pity hitting him. Tsunade, upon hearing of Naruto's capture, had put herself on the sqaud sent to recover him, alongside Jiraiya, Sakura, Sai, Shizune, and himself. Upon finally arriving, they discovered that the process was already complete, and were forced to fend off the four Akatsuki members that were still there, though two of them were already battle-weary after having captured Naruto beforehand. Thanks to their apparent leader, however, they all escaped alive, much to Kakashi's annoyance. After things calmed down, Tsunade used an extremely advanced and dangerous Medical Ninjutsu that revitalized Naruto at the sacrifice of most of her own vitality.
The old, weary lady that sat in front of him now looked so...frail. Certainly not the hot-headed, energetic, and beautiful woman that had been named Godaime Hokage.
"I see...that is good." Tsunade said, scribbling on a scroll. "We needed another Genin to complete the new teams."
Kakashi nodded slowly. "He was stubborn about it, as usual, but he eventually agreed to it."
"Hmph...That sounds about right." Tsunade said, smiling gently. "I was going to suggest it myself, but you saved me the trouble."
"Really?" Kakashi tilted his head in curiousity.
"Mmhmm. It'll be good for him." Tsunade nodded slowly, and reached for a folder in her desk. "Now, as for you, Kakashi..." she pushed the folder towards Kakashi. He took the folder and opened it, examining it's contents. His eye widened slightly, looking at Tsunade with shock.
"This is..."
"An S-Rank Mission of the utmost importance." Tsunade interrupted as Kakashi continued to study the folder. "According to Jiraiya's intel, Akatsuki now has all but one of the Biju. This man is apparently the Jinchuuriki of the final Biju: The Eight-Tailed Ushi-Oni, Hachibi." Tsunade paused for a moment, taking a sip of what Kakashi assumed was water.
"I want you, Yamato, Sai, and Yamanaka Ino to search for and investigate any leads on this man's whereabouts." Tsunade picked up a scroll on her desk and tossed it towards Kakashi, who caught it with ease. "Should you find him, give him that scroll. It contains an offer for shelter and protection within Konoha. Should he refuse, attempt to bring him in by force; I don't like it, but we must stop the Akatsuki no matter what. "
Kakashi nodded slowly. "Anything to get a start on?"
"Very little. He's a former Kumogakure Jonin, but he went rogue about five years ago. The photo you see there was taken seven years ago; there haven't been any official sightings of him since..." Tsunade sighed heavily.
"So it's basically it's a wild goose chase." Kakashi continued flipping through the folder, frowning under his mask.
"Unfortunately, yes. He apparently goes by the name 'Killerbee', or something like that." Tsunade frowned. "Also, he's apparently the current Raikage's younger brother."
Kakashi's eye widened once more. "Really?"
Tsunade nodded. "Kumogakure is searching for him as well, but they probably don't have his best interests in mind. Same goes for the Akatsuki, though, fortunately, they don't appear to know his whereabouts either. It's important that you find him before the Akatsuki and Kumogakure. There's a decent chance that you'll run into the competition at some point, so be careful."
"Yes, M'lady."
"You depart tomorrow morning. Make sure you're prepared." Tsunade finished, taking another sip of water.
"One more thing, ma'am, if I may..." Kakashi said, snapping the folder shut. "Why not Sakura, who has much more experience with this team, instead of Ino?"
Tsunade smiled. "This will likely be a long mission. So you will probably need a medic-nin. Sakura is going to be occupied with her new promotion; I'm making her head of our Medic-nin Division. Along with that, she's to be promoted to the rank of Jonin." Tsunade leaned back. "I'd send Shizune, but...I need her here now more than ever. The next in line was Ino."
"I see..." Kakashi said, smiling slightly under his mask. He couldn't help feeling proud of Sakura. If someone had told him three years ago that Sakura would be the first of his students to be promoted to Jonin, he wouldn't have believed it. But she had come a long way; she was definitely an elite shinobi and deserved the promotion.
"Ino's been getting much better with medical jutsu as of late, and her Mind Transfer Jutsu should be useful in gathering intelligence, as well." Tsunade continued, leaning forward in her chair once more. Kakashi nodded in agreement.
"Anything else?" Tsunade inquired.
"No ma'am."
"Good! Then I wish you luck on your mission!" Tsunade said sternly.
"I won't let you down, Madam Hokage." Kakashi replied, bowing politely. He then brought his hand in front of his mask and dissapeared in a plume of dust and leaves.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair and sighed. 'I hope so, Kakashi...'
________________________________________
"So Hinata's getting released soon?! That's great!" Naruto exclaimed happily, a big, toothy grin spreading across his face.
"Shhhh! Quiet down, Naruto! This is a hospital!" Sakura hissed at her teammate. Despite her urges to calm down Naruto, she, too, was glad to hear the news.
Hinata was gravely injured when Naruto was captured by the Akatsuki. She was injured by the large, fish-like member of the Akatsuki, Hoshigake Kisame, otherwise known as the Scourge of the Hidden Mist. Sakura arrived after Hinata had been injured, but apparently, Hinata was struck down brutally by Kisame's sword. Upon seeing this, Naruto was sent into a wild rage, losing control of the Kyuubi inside him. Six of the Nine tails bled out, and Naruto easily dispatched Kisame. Sakura was actually a bit frightened watching him, and was almost relieved when Uchiha Itachi showed up and caught him in the Tsukiyome. Itachi had been driven away by Yamato beforehand, but he had been caught by Itachi's Genjutsu as well. Unfortunately, Kisame somehow managed to survive Naruto's attack, and escaped with the rest of the Akatsuki.
Sakura managed to keep Hinata alive long enough for the First Medic Team to get there and help her and Yamato. Hinata had been in the hospital for the two weeks since, while Yamato had already been released.
The nurse at the reception desk glared at Naruto a bit, then turned to Sakura.
"...Y-Yes, another few days, and she'll be free to go. You know where her room is. She already has a few visitors, and it's getting late, so keep it brief, please." she said, shooting another glare at Naruto, who was laughing happily.
"Right. Thank you!" Sakura said, bowing gratefully before grabbing Naruto's arm again and dragging him up the stairs towards Hinata's room.
They stopped in front of the familiar room, and Naruto rapped on the door impatiently.
"Y-Yes, c-come in!" a light, mousy voice responded. Naruto's grin grew even bigger and he swung open the door.
"Hey, Hinata!! How ya doin!?" he announced loudly, entering the room. The white-eyed girl blushed instantly, her hands flying up in front of her chest, her index fingers pressing together nervously.
"Oh! N-Naruto! W-Welcome back!" Hyuuga Hinata stuttered anxiously, refusing to look Naruto in the eyes.
Sakura giggled watching Hinata. 'She's so adorable when she acts like that.' Hinata had always been shy, but lately, she had started to open up a little bit, even shedding her infamous stutter almost completely. However, she was still a nervous wreck around one Uzumaki Naruto. As it turns out, Hinata hadn't witnessed Naruto's wild rage after she had been wounded, so she didn't see how frightening the Kyuubi could make him. Now she probably never would, which was probably for the best.
Naruto and Sakura looked around the room, seeing Hinata's teammates. They both nodded politely.
"Hey there Kiba, Akamaru, uh...eerrrmmm." Naruto looked at the shinobi, Inazuka Kiba, and his pet nin-dog, Akamaru(who gave a loud 'Woof!' in response), in succession, nodding to them both. When his eyes settled on the other shinobi, however, his eyes squinted quizzically. He wracked his mind for a name, but nothing came.
The shinobi sighed. "We...we just...worked together...two weeks ago...and you still..." he sighed again, and shook his head slowly.
"Ahahaaah, don't worry, Shino, we remember you're name PERFECTLY..." Sakura stammered nervously, then elbowed Naruto in the ribs. Hard. "...Right?"
"OW...Sakuraaa, what wa-" Naruto glared at Sakura before realizing what she meant. "Err-oh, uh, right. Hey, uh, S-Shino! What's up?" Naruto tried his best to sound confident and cheerful. It didn't work.
"Whatever. Nevermind." Aburame Shino sighed once again. He glared at the floor, looking depressed. Or, atleast, as depressed as he could look.
Hinata giggled a bit. "It's a-alright, Shino, he d-didn't mean it."
"Heh, so aaanywaaaay, what's up, Naruto?" Kiba said, smirking mischievously. Shino slumped even more, now being ignored.
"Nothing much, just seeing how Hinata's doing! I hear that you're getting out soon! That's great!" Naruto exclaimed, grabbing a chair and pulling it next to the bed. He set it down backwards, folding his arms on top of the back of it and resting his head on his arms.
"Y-Yes! I won't be able to r-return to my t-team for another couple of w-weeks, though." Hinata stammered. She still stuttered around Naruto, but atleast she wasn't afraid to talk to him anymore.
"Ah, who cares? The important thing is that you're gonna be alright! I...I dunno what I would've done if I'd let that guy..." He trailed off, not wanting to say what had entered his mind.
There was a pause, then Hinata smiled. "D-Don't worry about me Naruto. I'll be f-fine!"
Kiba chuckled. "That's right! Hinata can take care of herself most of the time! And in those times she can't, me, Akamaru, and Shino will help her out! Right?!" Akamaru barked loudly in agreement. Shino, somewhat surprised that his name came up again, nodded curtly.
Sakura smiled. Team 8 had always been one of the closer teams in Konaha. It was good to see that hadn't changed.
"That's good...because I don't want to see you get hurt like that again." Naruto said slowly. He looked dead serious. Hinata turned cherry red.
"N-N-Naruto..." Hinata's stutter was at full force now. "Th-Thank you..."
There was a brief silence before Kiba mercifully broke it.
"S-So, uh, anywaaay...the Chuunin Exams are coming up soon." he said, desperately trying to change the subject. He looked at Naruto. "You finally gonna man up and pass that thing?"
Naruto glanced at Kiba, smirking. "Yeah, actually. I guess I'm gonna be assigned to new team tomorrow. Wish me luck!" He grinned and gave Kiba a thumbs up.
Hinata's eyes lit up a bit. "Y-You know, N-Naruto, my little sister p-passed the Academy's f-final exam yesterday. She's g-getting assigned to a t-team tomorrow as well."
"Really?" Naruto responded. That was neat. Maybe they'd be on the same team. That would make things easier. The Hyuuga's were always strong.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Everyone looked up to see a nurse standing in the doorway, looking impatient.
"Alright. Visiting hours are over! Time to leave! Out! Out with all of you!" she commanded, waving out everyone except Hinata, and shooting death glares at Akamaru and Naruto.
"Ah, man. Guess we gotta leave...I'll see you later Hinata!" Naruto said, waving goodbye to the shy Hyuuga.
"B-Bye, N-Naruto! Good l-luck with your new t-team!" Hinata stammered as Naruto was ushered out the door alongside everyone else.
They all strolled out of the room and outside the hospital, saying there goodbyes. Sakura smiled as she watched Naruto leave, the conversation in Hinata's room fresh in her memory.
'Maybe he's finally growing up after all.'
________________________________________
the next morning...
A sleepy Naruto yawned loudly as he strolled down the streets of Konaha. They weren't as busy as they had been yesterday afternoon, but there was still a bit of hustle and bustle, with villagers opening shops and restaraunts for business. Naruto walked past his favorite place to eat, the ramen stand, Ichiraku Ramen, waving as he did. He wished he could stop to eat, but he was already a bit late as it was. Naruto looked back down at the scroll in his hand, reading over it again.
"Be at the Ninja Academy, Classroom #2 at 10:30 AM.
You will be assigned to your new team there, with the rest of the Genin."
Naruto scowled at the scroll. 'Why with the rest of the Genin? Ugh, it's just embarassing...' he thought to himself, irritated. He would never admit it, but he actually felt nervous, like he did when he was first assigned to Team 7. Naruto eyed the small note scribbled on the bottom of the scroll.
"P.S: Be at the Third Training Ground at 9:00 PM tonight for some extra training."
Naruto had no idea what that was all about. He figured it was from Kakashi, but he wasn't sure. 'Well, training's training. I've never said no to a good training session...' he thought, squinting up the path toward the familiar building.
The Ninja Academy held some fond memories for him. It also held some of his most painful ones. Memories that reminded him of how alone and secluded he used to be. Memories of him, his friend who had abandoned him and his village in favor of power and revenge.
'Sasuke...'
He snapped out of his nostalgic trance, stopping in front of the Academy. He slowly slid the door open, poking his head in to see if anyone was around.
"Ah, Uzumaki Naruto! Welcome back!" the receptionist greeted him, waving him over towards the main office. "Go ahead and sign in, then report to your classroom. You'll get assigned to your new team there." she said, smiling cutely. Naruto gave a small smile back to her and walked into the main office. He noticed a young assistant glancing at him nervously. But it wasn't the usual kind; she was actually smiling and blushing.
'Funny how quickly people are warming up to me now...' Naruto thought to himself, a bit annoyed. The entire village had started to think better of him ever since he had returned from his 2 1/2 year training venture with Jiraiya. Now, though, everyone seemed downright jubilant to see him, now that the Kyuubi was gone. It was a bit irritating, seeing how fickle they could be, but part of him enjoyed it; he finally felt like everyone excepted him.
Naruto signed his name on a clipboard, then bowed to the receptionist and the young assistant(who swooned a bit when he did), then worked his way to the classrooms. 'Classroom #2..." he thought, glancing at the scroll in his hand, then at a clock on the wall.
'10:45...hope they're not already done.' Naruto saw the familiar classroom and heard the sound of children talking behind the door. He sighed.
'Atleast they're still here. Not sure if that's a good thing, though, ugh.' he thought to himself, as he slowly opened the door, tucking the scroll into his supply bag. The classroom quieted down immediately when he opened the door. Eleven pairs of eyes stared right at him.
"Errgh...this is the Genin orientation, right?" Naruto said nervously. He kicked himself mentally. 'Why are you so damned anxious, jackass?'
Silence. Naruto scratched the back of his head, letting out a few light, and undeniably forced laughs.
"I-I'll just...take a seat." he said scurrying over to the far-topmost seat in the room and staring out the window. 'Geez...this is so stupid..!' He reminded himself to brutally murder Kakashi the next time he saw him.
Naruto felt cramped in the seat. He was getting to tall for them. As he glanced around the room, he became aware that most of the kids were still staring at him. The only one not observing his every move was a scarlet-haired boy down in the front row. Naruto shrugged, and returned to watching the window.
One of the male students suddenly got enough courage to open his mouth, and walked towards Naruto.
"Oi, what're you doin' here, OLD MAN?! I didn't see YOU take the final exam!" he said narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
Naruto's eyes narrowed in turn. His teeth began slowly grinding together. A vein popped up in his forehead, and his eye suddenly got a very severe twitch. But he did not respond, or even look at the boy.
"Y-Yeah, Shin, you're right! This guy's too OLD to be in here!" his little partner chimed in.
Twitch. Twitch.
"You must be pretty hopeless if your still getting assigned to Genin teams with kids half your age, OLD MAN!" the brat named Shin continued, gaining more confidence with every word.
Twitch. TWITCH.
Naruto rounded on the brat, slamming his right foot on the table in front of him, waving a finger in the boy's face.
"Argh! Shut UP! Geez! I'm not OLD! I'm only sixteen, brat!" Naruto shouted, eyes dancing wildly.
Shin sniggered arrogantly. 'Allright, I don't care if this guy's just a kid! I. Will. KILL! Him!' Naruto fumed to himself, rolling up his right sleeve.
"Knock it off, Shin. Nobody cares, just leave him alone." a voice said lazily. Naruto and Shin glanced at the source of the voice. It was the scarlet-haired boy in the front row.
"Ah, you're no fun, Kaiga..." Shin muttered, sitting back down in his seat. He turned around once more, pulled down his right eyelid and stuck out his tongue.
"Why...you..." Naruto muttered, ready to pounce, when another lazy voice stopped him. Naruto recognized it immediately.
"Alright, calm down everyone...sorry I'm late...getting up this early is just too troublesome..." Naruto grinned, watching the black-haired Shinobi stroll in, left hand in his pocket. He wore a green Chuunin vest and had his hair tied up in an odd ponytail over his head. It made his head look something like a pineapple. He greeted the room with a large, jaw-snapping yawn.
"Shikamaru!" Naruto exclaimed, waving at his friend. Nara Shikamaru blinked, then examined the clipboard in his right hand. A lazy grin crossed his face.
"Naruto! This is a surprise...I guess you're starting over, huh?" Shikamaru said, waving lazily in response.
"Eh, yeah, I guess you could say that..." Naruto said, grinning and placing his hands behind his head. Naruto noticed that most of the kids had stopped staring at him. Shin had started glaring needles at him, while another pair of eyes seemed transfixed on him. A white pair of eyes.
"Ah, well, in anycase, let's get this over with." Shikamaru said, looking around the room.
"Starting today, you are all officially Konaha Shinobi." Shikamaru began. Naruto leaned back, having heard this all before, and admired the young, ambitous faces of the aspiring shinobi around him. He remembered when Iruka-Sensei had assigned him to Team 7, and smiled a bit.
'Hmm...I wonder where Iruka-Sensei is anyway..?' Naruto found it odd that the usual Academy Instructor, Umino Iruka, wasn't handling this. Naruto frowned and glanced around the room. He noticed that the white-eyed girl was now watching Shikamaru, but she kept glancing at Naruto.
'That must be Hinata's little sister...' Naruto thought to himself. He turned his attention back to Shikamaru.
"Don't let that go to your head, though." Shikamaru continued, looking around the room, tapping the left side of his head as he did. "You're all still just Genin, the weakest and most inexperienced of shinobi. Things only get more difficult from here!" he said cooly, looking throughout the classroom once more.
"Today, you are all to be assigned to three-man teams. Within these teams, you will recieve official missions and assignments that you will execute on behalf of Konaha." Shikamaru sighed lazily, looking at the ceiling, cramming his left hand back into his pocket. He continued, looking back at the students.
"Along with three Genin, each team will be led by a Jonin, an elite, senior shinobi, who will serve as your team leader and Sensei. These Jonin will guide you, coach you, and help you understand what it takes to become true Konaha Shinobi. I advise you to listen to their advice intently. Now, I will assign you all to your teams." Shikamaru finished his speech with a bored yawn, and glared back down at the clipboard.
Naruto sighed and leaned forward, laying his chin on his arms, which he had folded on the table. 'I wonder who my new Sensei will be...' he thought to himself, wracking his mind for possibilities. Shikamaru started listing off names, though Naruto wasn't really paying too much attention. He did note, however, that Shin got assigned to the first team, to which Naruto was relieved. Atleast he wouldn't have to deal with that twerp.
Shikamaru got to the fourth and final team and Naruto perked up. His name hadn't been mentioned yet, so this was obviously the moment of truth.
"And finally, Team 4." Shikamaru said slowly, smirking a bit. "Uzumaki Naruto."
Naruto listened intently, wondering who his new teammates were.
"Wakaba Kaiga." Shikamaru said, glancing at the scarlet-haired boy in the front.
Naruto blinked. 'Hmmm...' he mused, looking him over for the first time. The boy wore a short-sleeved metal-mesh shirt with baggy, black pants. He had a kunai holster wrapped around his right pant leg and a dark red belt wrapped around his waist, which was tied in a knot on his left side. On the back of the belt was a small, brown supply bag, under which was a sheathed Wakizashi. His outfit was completed by plain, black sandals, black, fingerless gloves, and a black Konoha hitai-ite around his forehead. His scarlet-colored hair was wild and spiky, some of it hanging over his hitai-ite and in front of his green eyes.
Kaiga glanced toward Naruto breifly, then turned back towards Shikamaru and nodded slowly. Before Naruto could form an opinion, Shikamaru anounced the last name.
"And, Hyuuga Hanabi." Shikamaru finished, lowering the clipboard to his side and looking up again.
Naruto grinned and looked at the white-eyed girl across the room. 'Hanabi, huh?' Naruto waved at her cheerfully, now taking in her appearance. She wore a white, long-sleeved shirt and blue shorts that hung down to her knees. Her kunai holster was wrapped around the left leg of her shorts, and she wore a brown supply bag on the back of her shorts. A blue Konoha hitai-ite was wrapped around her right sleeve, and she wore blue sandals. Her hair was black and quite long, hanging halfway down her back in a ponytail, tied by a simple, white hairband. A few strands of hair had escaped the hairband and were now hanging in front of her face.
Hanabi blushed slightly at Naruto's gesture and looked away at nothing in particular.
"You all will be introduced to your Jonin Sensei in about half and hour. You're free to leave, but make sure-" Shikamaru couldn't finish his speech, as he was suddenly interupted.
With a loud explosion, something blasted through the door, launching dust and debris throughout the classroom. Whatever had blasted through the door flew towards the front of the room, expanding as it did.
'What the?!' Naruto thought to himself, protecting his face from the dust and smoke. The rest of the Genin were covering there faces as well.
The 'expanding' was actually a banner unfurling. A woman leapt from the banner as it unfurled in front of Shikamaru, throwing four kunai into the ground and ceiling as she did, then landing gracefully in front of it. The kunai had ropes tied throught the loops on the end of them, holding up the oversized banner.
"The Great Battle Goddess, Mitarashi Anko appears! Alright, you maggots, time to understand what true hell REALLY is!"
A long, awkward silence fell over the room.
"Troublesome..." Shikamaru poked his head from the other side of the banner, glaring at the woman. "I wasn't finished, idiot..."
Another awkward silence was ended by an embarassed laugh from Anko.
"Oh! Ahah, sorry 'bout that, Shika...guess I got a little impatient!" she said, placing her right hand on her hip and rubbing the back of her neck with her left hand.
'...Shika? C'mon...' Shikamaru mused to himself, scowling in disapproval.
Naruto had completely ignored this exchange, however. He was staring in horror at what was printed on the banner.
NEWLY APPOINTED
TEAM 4 SENSEI!
MITARASHI ANKO!
'Ah, crap.'
________________________________________
NEXT CHAPTER:
Ambitions
