Belong to Me
Author: Ladelle
Rating: M
Comments: One more chapter to go! Wahoo! Then it's AIYH, for real.
Chapter 3:
"The fact you got us into this mess is irksome," Shikamaru said from beside the wagon, which had been successfully re-located—along with all seven passengers—to the outermost junction of the inner city of Sound. His question was directed at Naruto and while Chouji let out a somewhat defeated sigh, Haku spoke in the blond's defense.
"Still, if we defeat whoever he's sending, we stand a better chance at making this mission a success." Haku pulled his hair into a high ponytail and secured it with an elastic band, and Naruto nodded from beside him.
"And come on, since when were any of you afraid of a little competition?" he jested, and Chouji snorted. "That's putting it lightly."
"Hey, come on," Sakura had been fairly resignated during the entire discussion, but she seemed to make up her mind as she leaned forward from resting against the wagon. "Uchiha just wants to know what we're worth," she explained, "so even though it's a hassle, it's also a means to an end."
Zabuza grunted in agreement and Shino was ominously quiet, not caring either way. Chouji and Shikamaru threw a glance between them, reading each other's thoughts. They had been friends since childhood and thought similarly, and almost always agreed.
"It seems like we don't have a choice," Shikamaru sighed, and he tapped the small bag of daggers hanging to his side. It was his way of welcoming the idea and showing no hard feeling towards Naruto.
"Since we only have three days, we need to plan fast," Sakura said, and she stared firmly at Shikamaru, as if volunteering him for the position as team leader. He shook his head and sighed again.
"It would be best if we divided up. You said there would be four, Naruto?" he asked, and Naruto nodded briefly. "When I left, he said 'four'."
Shikamaru looked thoughtful before licking his lips. "If he's only sending four guards it means one of two things," he began. "One, he's underestimating us. Two, they're very talented. Either way we all need to stay on guard."
Zabuza pulled a scroll from underneath his linen jacket, and unfolded it in the center of their gathering. Everyone stepped forward to view the map of Sound, one they had managed to thieve before arriving from a smaller village nearby.
"Right," Shikamaru said, and he trailed his finger along a curvy grey line that represented the border. "We're here," he pointed to a spot on the map, "and there are many ways of entering…" he seemed to examine the map more precisely, and Shino spoke up.
"In case something goes wrong, someone should stay here," it was a somewhat ominous comment, and even though Naruto frowned Shikamaru seemed to agree.
"Definitely. Are you volunteering?"
If any sign of disagreement was felt on Shino's behalf, his expression didn't change at all. Even though sunglasses covered his eyes and his pop-collared jacket covered the lower half of his face, he looked thoughtful.
"I'm best for reconnaissance," he explained. "I can send my insects with each of you and they can relay to me whether or not there is any trouble."
Shikamaru nodded as he explained, obviously steps ahead of everyone. If Shino hadn't volunteered, there was no doubt that he would have ended up with the position anyhow, just because his logic was sound.
"Right, so you will stay here and the rest of us will divide into teams." Shikamaru traced a few hedging lines on the map with his forefinger, following the outskirts of the city. "It would be best if we just stuck to our normal lineups, since we are more used to the people we train with," he said and he glanced up to Haku and Zabuza.
"Both of you should enter from the east end here," he pointed to a blue swell on the map before glancing back up, making sure they understood his directions. "It's the city's irrigation canal, so you'll have good cover for blades and for those techniques."
Haku and Zabuza both nodded, completely focused. They had been a nearly inseparable team since their youth, and their teamwork when it came to combat was hardly comparable. Even so, they weren't willing to underestimate their enemy—it was just like Shikamaru had said, either they were being underestimated or the Uchiha's guards really were something to look out for.
"Naruto and Sakura," Shikamaru made his finger dart across the map, stopping on a huge area of empty space that tailed the rear of the city. It was an open field, most likely a military training ground of sorts—a place where absolutely no mistakes could be made.
"I want both of you to enter from here," he said, and Sakura nodded firmly. "We're the best for open grounds," she stated, and from beside her, Naruto puckered his lips. "I was kind of hoping for the city route…" he managed, and his eyes were focused of a long line of road that shot straight forward to the castle gates. It was most likely a market road, with a great deal of civilians and a lot of props—probably why Naruto was so entranced by it.
It was not secret that he had a knack for showing off.
"No, Chouji and I will take the main road," he stated bluntly, and Naruto let out a defeated sigh as Shikamaru continued. "I need the buildings for my techniques and Chouji is going to want food."
There was a rumble in the heavyset man's belly and he smiled sheepishly before shrugging. "What can I say? You have to fuel a guy this big," he chuckled, and Naruto snorted.
"According to what Naruto has said, Uchiha already knows that we're soldiers—and because Shino used his family technique during our show, he's most likely going to assume that the rest of us have some sort of power lineage as well. I'm not telling any of you to be over-confident but… pull all the stops you're able to. Remember, only one of us needs to make it."
There was another collective nod as the group's mission settled, and the horizon began to glow. It would only be a matter of time before the landscape around them was fully lit, so for the remainder of time each member gathered the necessary equipment they needed from the wagon and allowed Shino to prepare them with a pair of eyed-elator beetles.
Naruto had grown into the habit of calling them click-and-clackers over the short span of time they were armed, which was a fair assessment. Even though the insects always traveled in pairs they acted like miniature old married couples. They hissed and clicked at each other as they communicated, a noise that almost everyone in the group looked pained to adjust to.
"If your vital signs significantly decrease, one of the beetles will retreat to me and the other will stay for tracking purposes," Shino explained, and everyone nodded, feeling the beetles lamely as they sat glued to each person's neck.
When everything was prepared, Shikamaru clapped his hands together, straightening a green leather vest he had tightened around his torso.
"Are we ready?" he asked, and everyone nodded.
"It's no wonder this country is so valuable," Zabuza stated and he strode forward, holding out a giant sword to brush aside the foliage in their path. The steady trickle of streamed water wasn't too far in the distance and a gurgling brook of irrigation wells was close as well.
From beside him Haku smiled and nodded, readjusting his ponytail so that fewer strands fell loose against his face. The city was surrounded by soil that was excellent for farming, a water supply that was abundant and over-plenished, and as an animal darted off into the woodland area in fear, he mentally noted that meat wasn't a problem either.
"It's very interesting though," Haku said as they continued forward, following in the larger man's cut-through pathway. "Konoha has all of the same resources… and yet somehow has remained a small village."
Zabuza grunted as he hacked away a larger piece of brush, not making an effort to stay silent in their assent to the eastern castle gates. He wasn't a fan of death but he enjoyed himself a decent battle, especially because few seemed to present themselves these days. The time of battling one-on-one with honor and skill was fading, and as Konoha faced armies of small nations in search of resources, the sense of a warrior's honor was always challenged.
"Konoha has always been a place of export," he stated, still striding forward.
Haku seemed thoughtful for a couple of minutes before they sided with the river they had heard gurgling, following it directly to the city. It was more or less a straight shot, and even if they were being a little loud, the rhythm of the bubbling waves would hide their presence somewhat.
"It's just because Sarutobi-sensei has managed to keep the village hidden until now. With him ill… we should have expected turmoil." The comment was raw as he remembered the old man who had welcomed him with open arms after his own city had been crushed by a civil war of its own. Even when Haku had found Zabuza outside of the town gates months later, bruised and bloodied and near death at the end of that civil war, Sarutobi had faithfully healed him and welcomed him to the township.
"He's a good man," Zabuza said solemnly, and Haku nodded, agreeing. If Sarutobi had changed anyone, it had been his partner. Zabuza had come a long way—from being a soldier intent on killing to a warrior destined to protect. If they had met during the civil war between their nations they would have been on opposing sides, and as if to repent for the people he had ruthlessly murdered, Zabuza had indebted himself to Haku.
There was only one other person in the group that Haku had seen such a change in during the time he had trained as a soldier. He had known everyone in their traveling group loosely, save one person: Naruto Uzumaki.
Naruto had been the only person who had ventured to the different areas of the town and imposed himself upon almost every person that existed in Konoha. When the seasons were dry he had energetically been out in the fields, clearing weeds and drenching the shallows with water he carried down himself. When the blacksmith had received a long order due in no extended amount of time, Naruto had been there after classes, pulling together all of his knowledge to get the job done.
He did horribly in classes and nearly failed them all, but his people skills and dedication to the small piece of land Konoha owned set him apart from even the smartest child, merely because charisma isn't something you learn—it's something you're born with. And what made Haku even more admiring of the blond-haired boy was that he had nothing in Konoha to be happy about.
He had been born there and then orphaned, or so Sakura had once mentioned, and despised by most of the villagers because of the misfortune his parents had brought on the small plot of land. He had only heard it mentioned once, but Haku was fairly sure Naruto's parents had been high in rank somewhere, perhaps even royal. Because of that fact dangerous people had frequented the village while the couple was pregnant, and it had cost money to hire rogue fighters to protect those in danger.
It wasn't until Naruto had been born that Sarutobi had decided to make Konoha able to defend itself, and nearly four years later, military training had begun. That was where Haku had met the strange and eager sun-drenched boy, always laughing and challenging the other students to duels and matches.
And even though Naruto still smiled these days, it wasn't the same.
Sarutobi had been like Naruto's father and Haku was positive he felt the grief and loss more than anyone. It seemed like Sarutobi's dying wish was to make sure Konoha was protected and secure, and of course, that made Naruto the most dependable person on their small little team.
"What do you suppose our opponent will be like?" Haku asked, attempting to let his mind wander elsewhere. Naruto was a mystery in himself, but Haku had absolute faith in him no matter what the outcome.
Zabuza stopped suddenly in front of him, and Haku quickly sent his hand to his pouch of daggers, stance formal and eyes darting about the area, focusing. He felt it too.
There was a stingy aura nearing a rift where the river swerved into an irrigation pipeline up ahead, and it was drawing them forth, making the hairs on the back of Haku's neck stand and send shivers up his spine. He wasn't afraid by any means, but it was rare to meet other people with the talents who were decent at using them.
This person was an obvious exception.
Haku stepped to the side of his partner, peering forward into the distance, narrowing his eyes to see if he could get a view of where the energy was coming from. There was a person seated on the belt of the ravine—the huge stone edifice that worked as a makeshift dam. He was small in stature though not as petite as Haku, and his eyes were low and cocky, as if he had been waiting hours for them to arrive.
Zabuza had begun to walk forward again, and Haku could feel his energy soaring. Even if years in Konoha had calmed his spirit, it hadn't killed the blood-rush he received before a big battle. The man's hand had even tightened on the hilt of his sword, the leather binding making sore noises under the pressure. Haku felt his game face settle, and as they neared the stone wall, the figure leapt up to his feet.
It was a smooth motion that almost didn't look human; as if in between the blink of an eye he was suddenly upright, hand on the hilt of a thin blade to his side, same eager expression on his face.
"My, it sure did take you both a while to get here," he drawled, and Zabuza twisted his head, making it pop. Haku came up beside him and took in the slender figure of a male with short hair—so sun bleached it almost looked light blue under the early morning light.
"You didn't have to wait," Zabuza said back, and the person smirked. They were all in a small clearing now, and the gurgling water had turned into a small pond in front of them, the castle hardly visible from over the tree line. In Haku's mind he knew that if they wanted to be timely, they had to hurry—even if they did have three days.
If Sasuke had sent his best, Haku was almost certain he didn't even want them to have a day to get closer to the city.
"Don't be afraid to fight me two-to-one," the man said, and he jumped down onto the pond, surprising both Zabuza and Haku momentarily as he peacefully walked over the top of it, as if it was solid earth. "After all, I have a contract with water," his smirk only seemed to grow wider and from beside him, the water curled up into the figure of a clone, though only by silhouette. Bubbles still drifted through it as it took a fighting stance, tearing forward and sending sharp blades of water blazing in its path.
Haku stepped behind Zabuza and the larger man took a powerful step forward, his fist crashing through the water-being's face. It exploded into cool droplets, and the enemy seemed surprised.
"Who are you to be able to destroy a water-type clone?" he asked, looking irritated. Obviously few people had stunted his trick before. Zabuza wiped the water off his face and cleaned his blade on his tunic, frowning.
"Zabuza. My city was Mist."
The look of pure shock that overcame the other man's features was one Haku couldn't help feeling satisfied with. Though the city had long since been vanished due to the war, its legend was unparalleled. If you fought with someone from the Mist, you fought for your life and very existence.
The figure straightened himself a bit before his face became more serious, as if trying to read into whether or not Zabuza was telling the truth. But the larger man looked exactly as Mist men grew to become—strong, perilous, black-haired and temperamental. His height was also a dead giveaway, as he towered among average height men.
"My name is Suigetsu. I'm not usually one to care a great deal about who I'm about to kill," he said solemnly, "but if you are really from that land, I at least owe you my name."
Zabuza grunted and Haku still stood prepared to fight. He didn't feel discluded from the exchange of names happening, merely because he was used to Zabuza having a greater reputation than his own. It was normal for enemies to underestimate him and he didn't really mind.
A mission was a mission, and the less the enemy thought of him, the better his chances of success were.
"Sorry kid, but I don't plan on dying today," Zabuza said and he crouched somewhat, turning his head to the side to whisper to Haku.
"Whatever happens, trust me," he said, and Haku nodded and smiled.
"Of course," he replied.
Suigetsu lowered his head and that overconfident grin returned, this time two more water-type clones emerging from the pond beneath him. They lunged forward with him trailing them, weapons drawn and sharp daggers of water whizzing through the air fast enough to draw blood.
Zabuza grinned and Haku read him all too clearly. After all, they weren't partners for nothing.
"I think we're going to get wet," Zabuza joked, pulling his sword up firmly.
Haku brought a couple daggers into his hands and spun them into position. "Well, it is a hot day," he said, and as the clones were nearly a foot away they both spun to opposite sides, a sword swinging from one direction to impale the liquid being and two daggers speeding through the air towards the second clone.
Suigetsu had paused and was laughing. "You can't cut water!"
Haku saw Zabuza smirk from beside him and dodged forward, following his daggers forward. They had torn a fairly nice gap in the water clone in front of him, and without wasting a moment he brushed through that gap, urging his way through the clone towards its master. He had two more daggers already in hand and Suigetsu stumbled backwards in surprise as Haku twisted forward, swiping so quickly and forcefully that he nicked the side of the water-user's face.
Zabuza had dispelled the two clones behind him and Haku ducked backwards as he prepared for the other man to take over, his sword obviously more of a match to the one that Suigetsu was rifling for at his side. Haku watched with hawk-like vision as their swords clashed, making shrieking noises as the blades scraped across each other.
In his head, he wondered if the battle would be that much longer. It wasn't as though Suigetsu was a bad fighter—in all terms of having a contract with water, he most certainly was talented. But Zabuza had a one-up on any water user—one that was only worth while because he was born with a contract—he didn't have to seek it out.
Water naturally reacted to him and so naturally dissolved at his will, despite the enemy being a user himself. It had happened several times before in battle, and it made Haku somewhat proud to be the partner of someone with such an amazing ability.
He stood passively as Zabuza dodged forward, their swords clashing again, and suddenly felt his blood run cold. The water beneath him was beginning to turn like ice, forming in daggers as if came up beneath him. He flipped backwards and aimed for solid footing, fully aware that he was out of his element in water. As much as two against one was a blessing, it could also be a problem.
Zabuza's attention had briefly strained to locate him, sensing the flare of adrenaline Haku had used to a voice the shards of water that had surged up to slice him. Haku planted himself on the hem of land cradling the pond before shouting, "I'm fine!"
Zabuza's eyes met his momentarily and Haku watched his expression turn, knowing that somehow this battle had turned into a battle between the water-element men. The attack hadn't been to injure him (although Suigetsu probably wouldn't have argued) but to remove him from the situation. It was as if it was a battle for dominance now, and it made Haku narrow his eyes.
"If I can't fight with you," he whispered, "I won't take my eyes way from you until you win."
He held his daggers tightly just in case an opportunity presented itself and concentrated on the battle ahead.
"Hey, Sakura." Naruto was running quickly, his expression determined, and Sakura glanced over to him, doing very well at keeping up.
"What?" she asked, and they both weaved past a huge oak trunk that was abandoned on the field. After they met side-by-side again Naruto smiled.
"You're a really good runner!"
Sakura frowned from beside him and shook her head, always surprised by his humor. Or—his sense of personality. She had been nervous this entire time, even though her sights were set on success, and Naruto had the strangest way of making her forget about her fears and dwell more about bashing the poor boy's skull in.
"We need to go faster," she said, letting her arms fall limp behind her back as she hastened her pace. Naruto easily followed the change, readjusting his rhythmic breathing. He had always had an incredible amount of stamina, and it took more than a couple mile sprint to wear him down.
"Do you sense something?" he asked, not feeling much of anything himself. While there were a few things he was damn good at, there were a lot more that he wasn't. Sensing the presence of potential malicious beings happened to be one of those, which is why he presumed Sakura made the best partner for him. They were complete opposites when it came to fighting techniques but somehow they were able to read each other almost perfectly.
"Yeah, I think it's a woman." Sakura pulled off a very smooth jump as she cleared a jutted boulder, and Naruto snorted wondering what kind of an opponent a woman would be. Not that he doubted the power of women warriors; not at all.
Sakura was a perfect example of how dangerous they could be and there was more than one occasion where he had thanked the gods that he was on her side.
But talented women warriors were difficult to find, even in countries as influential as Sound. And he secretly hoped their enemy would be a pushover because the tip of the main palace was now in sight, and Sasuke Uchiha was waiting arrogantly inside.
"She's here," Sakura said and both she and Naruto stopped dead in their tracks, the wind from their speed rustling past them at the sudden loss of movement. Sakura's hands fell to her daggers and Naruto stood perfectly still, undecided on what type of attacks to use.
"I never would have imagined encountering another woman," a voice said and as if out of nowhere a woman suddenly appeared, pushing glasses up the bridge of her nose. She looked like the type of person neither Naruto nor Sakura liked; stuck-up and haughty.
"And you got here much sooner than I expected. I hope there's more you can do than run," she said again, her voice sounding bored. Naruto narrowed his eyes but it was Sakura that seemed to be getting the most irritated.
"Stop talking and find out," she demanded, and Naruto was surprised. Either Sakura was really bothered by this woman's comments or she had suddenly become serious about the battle; which, he wasn't sure. He had teamed with her enough to know that her change of moods was always something to be recognized. It always meant that something was more than met the eye—and with this strange big-bosomed redhead, Naruto wasn't sure what to expect.
"Hm," the woman said, and before Naruto could blink she had rushed forward, a dagger in her hand. Naruto had half expected the woman to charge at Sakura, so when she blazed towards him he found himself stumbling backwards in confusion, narrowly avoiding the well-rounded bit of martial arts she knew.
He ducked and dodged and twisted around her attacks until he finally curled under her, grabbing the hand she was waving the kunai in. He spun her out of practice up against him, wrapping his other arm around her waist and free arm to trap her against his body.
"I hope there's more you can do than that," he said playfully, and she stayed against him before letting out a laugh.
"So gullible," she said, and Sakura jogged forward a bit. "Naruto, let her go!"
Naruto glanced down as the woman he was holding pulled her foot up and slammed it down with such a force that the ground seemed to shatter beneath it, the earth giving way. In his head he was completely surprised and he was sure it read on his face as well. It wasn't surprising that Sasuke had element-types protecting him—but Naruto really hadn't seen it coming.
A huge wall of stone jutted out from in front of him and the woman managed to break from his grasp, sidestepping him and slamming her foot hard into his back to push him towards it. She dodged out of the way and Naruto let out a cough before placing his hands in front of his face, prepared to take the blow.
He had taken much worse.
A loud cracking noise made him flinch and he felt rock shards breeze by his face, a few catching on his cheeks. When he opened his eyes and dropped his arms Sakura was crouched in front of him, tightening the gloves on her hands. The rock shattered due to her massive amount of concentrated strength, and even the woman enemy looked completely baffled by the show of concentration and power.
It was a perfect example of why Naruto didn't underestimate women in battle.
"You alright, Naruto?" she asked, and Naruto rubbed the sore spot on his back where the woman had kicked him. He grumbled, his pride feeling a little wounded.
"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, and Sakura narrowed her eyes at the woman.
"Now that we're all serious," the pink-haired woman said, "I am Sakura and this is Naruto. It's only polite to introduce yourself before battle," she explained.
Red hair ruffled in the breeze as the woman smirked, obviously collecting herself from the surprise. "Karin," she said smoothly, "the one and only woman who resides in the Uchiha palace."
If the comment was supposed to intimidate Sakura, it didn't work. Naruto, however, snorted. "Affirmative action," he explained minutely, and pouted.
He wasn't even sure why he was agitated with her comment. He had only met Sasuke once and that meeting hadn't even been all that positive. But the way Sasuke had touched him and the way he had seemed so arrogant—he was lonely, and Naruto knew it. Sasuke Uchiha was someone with too many expectations and rules.
And even when Sasuke had sensually guided him into a personalized lap dance, there had been some sort of rebellion there—a want. And hell if Naruto didn't like the feeling of being desired.
"Ah, so you're the one he spoke with," Karin said noncommittally, examining Naruto up and down. She didn't seem satisfied, although it was difficult to tell if that expression was permanent on her face.
"I'm the one that's going to get to him," Naruto corrected and Karin's temper seemed to flare, her eyes narrowing. She snorted.
"Don't go thinking that Lord Uchiha is someone any commoner can just approach!" She unlatched a couple of daggers from her belt and settled into a fighting stance.
Sakura followed in suit, her eyes playfully serious. "Well it's a good thing he's not a commoner now, isn't it?"
Naruto glanced over to her in surprise, not expecting her to bring that up. He didn't mind since it seemed to be for his sake, but he didn't like the idea of being put higher than others. Sakura seemed to notice his hesitation and she glanced at him before smiling.
"Come on, Naruto," she said, like a true teammate. "If you're going to take Sarutobi's place, you owe it to him to defeat this woman and make it to Sasuke."
Naruto stood for a minute before smiling, reality suddenly dawning on him. Sarutobi had named him the heir to Konoha not a month previous, but somehow, everyone already knew. He hadn't said anything but perhaps all of his friends had just known… and today, as much as they were fighting for Sarutobi and Konoha, they were fighting for him as well.
"Right," he said, and dug his feet into the ground. He was ready to fight seriously.
To anyone in the village it was obvious that Shikamaru and Chouji didn't belong. Their clothes were dull and blended in with the scenery and their features were those of men who worked in the sun for most of the day doing manual labor.
The city dwellers were brightly dressed in tunics and airy dresses made of sheer fabric that wafted in the wind. Their hair was rarely pulled back it seemed, and no one looked athletic in the least.
That's why when a large man stepped out of the shadows both men were positive that he was the one they would be battling.
He was tall and lanky except for some bulging muscles on his arms, and his hair was a mess on top of his head. He looked solemn and bored and even looked equal to Shikamaru when it came to laziness.
"My name is Juugo," he said, and from around them, the street seemed to clear. It was obvious he was known in the city as some sort of protector as families ushered their small children to the side in order to avoid being caught in the middle of the dispute.
Shikamaru glared up at the man and Chouji looked confident from behind him.
"Shikamaru," he said languidly, and from behind him, Chouji said his name more vigorously.
"I hate to say this, but this battle will be short," Juugo said, and his voice was low and surprisingly not even threatening. It was as if he was making a statement out of boredom—it made Shikamaru wonder just how many people he had defeated in the main streets of this village to not even feel threatened at the presence of a stranger.
"I'm afraid I'll have to agree," Shikamaru said, and his mind suddenly shot forward, scenarios breaking his field of view. The man in front of him couldn't control an element. The ones that fought with element-type powers were usual thin and wiry because they depended on their talent more then their self. But this man did have muscles which meant that he was probably the meat of the defensive group.
Which boded perfectly for him and Chouji.
"Alright," Juugo said solemnly, and without missing a beat he pulled his fist backwards and sent it forward at a speed than made Shikamaru do a double take. For a man as big and awkward as the one standing in front of him, he hadn't expected such dexterity.
He stumbled to one side and Chouji took the other, and for a moment they made eye contact. Shikamaru could tell that Chouji understood what they needed to do—they had been friends and partners for so long that they practically read each others' minds. Shikamaru ducked forward under the canopy of a little vending station that sold clothes, and waited for the man named Juugo to charge after him. He did, and Shikamaru pulled his hands together.
"You shouldn't feel as though you've failed," Shikamaru said coolly, and Juugo suddenly stopped in his tracks, his lazy eyes growing wide as he realized he couldn't move. "It was just too perfect that we ended up being your enemies," Shikamaru finished, and Chouji came up behind them, his fist balled tightly in his palm.
"W-what the—" Juugo glanced around, completely confused.
Shikamaru let out a sigh. "My family line has the ability to influence shadows," he said, and he frowned. "Although, since my business here is completely peaceful, I'd rather not have Chouji beat you to a pulp in front of all of your trusting citizens."
Chouji cracked his knuckles just to show off.
There was a split second where it seemed like Juugo was taking in the crowd, weighing his options—the people who trusted him, or his pride? He opened his mouth just as an overwhelming feeling of energy seemed to break the moment, and even Shikamaru's hold on Juugo's shadow was dispelled.
Chouji glanced to the street as quickly as the presence had come and Shikamaru and Juugo did the same, both glancing around for the source of the crippling aura they had felt moments before.
"Was that one of you?" Juugo said quietly, and Shikamaru glanced up, confused. The energy that had passed was too powerful and too cold to be anyone from is group.
"No. Yours?" Shikamaru asked, and Juugo shook his head slowly.
"He got right past." He stated, and Shikamaru glanced to Chouji. "Could you trail it?"
The pudgy boy shook his head in the negative, his stomach unsettled. The feeling whoever it was that passed had left was dark and ominous and it made even Shikamaru feel sick to his stomach.
"You should go after it, shouldn't you?" Shikamaru asked and the taller figure looked down at him like he was conniving.
"And give you an open trail to Uchiha? Not a chance," he said, but Shikamaru felt like he was just being stubborn. Whatever had just entered the city and breezed past them wasn't something to be taken lightly—and it the fact it was headed straight for the palace should have been enough to lure Juugo away.
"You're still in the shadows," Shikamaru said lazily, signifying that he could defeat Juugo just as easily as before. The larger man seemed to recognize his dilemma before frowning and turning towards the street, making up his mind to protect Sasuke from whatever had just entered the city.
Shikamaru felt a small wave of relief but it only lasted a moment. As Juugo was walking forward a sword came crashing down, and he barely leapt backwards to avoid it. The figure baring it was hidden in a cloak and laughed as he settled on the ground and Juugo stumbled backwards.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you go any further," the voice said, and Juugo balled his fists, looking somewhat desperate. Shikamaru felt a portentous feeling brewing in his chest and Chouji did too because he crept forward with his hands tight to his belt where his weapons were.
It was fairly obvious that whoever this character was, he was a threat to them all.
"I'm afraid Orochimaru has some business to attend to," the figure pulled back the cloak to reveal silvery hair and hard-pressed bifocals, all matched to a young and stealthy body that looked more than practiced in the art of war," and none of you are invited."
Shikamaru cursed.
He hadn't expected something like this to happen—for someone outside of Konoha to target Sasuke at the exact time they arrived. And with all of his bodyguards out battling Konoha agents for fun, it hardly left any protection for the king they were depending on.
He only hoped that someone was on their way to the tower.
a/n: Take that, element of surprise!
