A/N - Special thanks to Alpenwolf for pointing out an error caused by my lack of research. I have gone back and corrected my mistake and I'll do my best to not let that happen again. Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto.
Chapter Three-Unearthed
Silence fell in the Nara clan forest as the sun started to set over the horizon. In similar fashion, a dark figure strode confidently through the trees. Silent.
Like a shadow, he moved without a sound and could not be seen by the untrained eye. A small reflection of light flashed from underneath his hood as he headed ever closer to his destination.
Just then, he pulled to a stop and stood there motionless. He was paralysed and knew that this could only be a shadow possession jutsu. "Hmm. You decided to come after all. I suppose a little skirmish could ease my boredom." he said as two dark haired ninja appeared in front of him. They both appeared to be chunin level.
"Someone should have warned you not to trespass in the Nara Clan forest." said the one that the shadow possession originated from. "The shadows could spell certain death to the unwary."
"Yes I am well aware of your clan's little shadow tricks." the mysterious man said with a chuckle. "However, this confrontation is over." The other ninja opened his mouth to speak but was shocked when he discovered that he was no longer able to.
They both stared at each other in helpless disbelief until their eyes rolled back and they slumped lifeless to the ground. "A pity. I thought Nara clan members were supposed to be intelligent." The strange man knelt and stretched out his arms to call back the two small snakes that were still latched onto the two dead ninja.
"Yet again, you boys show me how powerful you are." he said to them lovingly as they crawled into his sleeves and out of sight. "A painless bite combined with the most toxic venom found in a serpent. They never knew what hit them."
Then he started walking again as if nothing happened in the same direction as before. This continued for another hour before he finally arrived at a small clearing with a mound of overgrown earth at the centre.
"Hmm. This must be the place if I am not mistaken." he thought to himself as he did a few quick hand signs and summoned a bulky looking snake with a spade-like head in front of him.
The stranger simply pointed at the mound of dirt in front of him and the snake stuck his head into the ground and disappeared in an instant.
Less than a minute later, the snake reappeared and regurgitated an slimy object with clumps of dirt and hair on it.
The stranger stared at it for a second before the thing started making gagging noises. "Blaaaahhh! Bleech! Ptoo! Did you ever consider using a shovel you little prick?"
The stranger picked up the talking human head and wiped the dirt out of its eyes so that it could see him. "You are Hidan then." he said with a smile.
"Nooo!" Hidan replied sarcastically. "I'm that other immortal dude that got unceremoniously buried alive in the Nara clan forest for who knows how many years. OF COURSE I'M HIDAN YOU JACKASS!"
Hidan's foul mood did not seem to affect the stranger as he just smiled and pulled off his hood to reveal himself.
"Wait a minute." Hidan said. "Your Orichimaru's little stooge right? What was your name again... Kabuto? WHAT THE F*** DO YOU WANT WITH ME?"
Still smiling, Kabuto was about to open his mouth when he was cut off by Hidan's cackling laughter. "Hahahahah heehee. I get it now. Your after my immortality. I'm sorry pal. I don't know how long you must have been hunting me but you have wasted your time because I can guarantee you that this ability is unattainable... for you anyway."
"That is something I intend to find out for myself." Kabuto said in a creepy tone before he dropped Hidan's head to the ground, much to the disgruntled ninja's displeasure.
"YOUR NOT JUST GONNA LEAVE ME HERE?" he screamed. He opened his mouth to scream again but then he noticed the snake slither up to him with a hungry look in it's eye.
"No. You wouldn't do that to me would you? DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME!" he yelled at Kabuto who had his back turned and was already headed back in the direction that he came from.
"WAIT WAIT STOP! YOU STUPID SNAKE! THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES! NOOOOOO...!" with a pitiful wail, Hidan's head disappeared into the snake's throat and muffled screams and curses could be heard inside it's belly as it caught up to Kabuto and then vanished as the summon was released.
"Immortality." Kabuto thought to himself as he headed back to his hideout. "I might finally achieve what Orichimaru sought after for so long." With a new sense of excitement, he quickened his pace and was soon out of sight, leaving behind an empty grave and two dead ninjas as the sole evidence of his presence there.
The next morning in the Leaf Village...
It was a bright and sunny afternoon at the Leaf Village as Taro and Warrin walked through its busy streets.
Taro had on a plain white t-shirt and faded jeans while Warrin was wearing a blue t-shirt with the Uchiha symbol on the back and camouflaged cargo shorts that stopped just below the knees.
Both of them had their hands in their pockets and a look of boredom on their faces but the scuff marks and the bruises and the burn marks gave testament to their intense training session they had from early in the morning until noon.
They were headed to Ichiraku's for lunch but did not even get halfway there when they noticed some fangirls staring at them.
"Here we go again." muttered Warrin as the group of girls started following them. "This happens every time I dare to take one step through these streets. Instead of following me around and gawking at me, why don't they spend that time training and bettering themselves?" he said as he glanced behind him.
"You would think that there would be at least a small percentage of girls that would at least try to treat either of us normally" Taro sighed when he saw the girls' ranks swell in numbers as more and more of their 'fans' joined the party.
Soon there was a long train of girls following them shamelessly as the two ninja grew more and more uncomfortable.
Relief came finally when one of the girls was overheard saying how she preferred blond men over black haired men.
"Maybe to you but any girl with good taste could see how vastly superior that Uchiha hair is to everyone else." they heard one of the other ones say. "It is to die for."
Warrin and Taro both smirked because they knew what was coming next. They might be hounded by fangirls frequently but the event that was about to come happened just as often.
"Good because YOUR ABOUT TO DIE!" screamed the insulted fangirl as she shoved the other girl down and proceeded to grab the girl's hair and beat her head on the ground.
In an instant, the place erupted into absolute pandemonium as battle lines were drawn and the two sides waged war in the ultimate kinoichi battle royal.
The two young ninja merely took a step back and watched with their hands in their pockets as the girls were wrestling and scratching and just all-out pummelling each other with everything they had.
Fangirls." Warrin muttered. "A few bricks short of a load. They just don't seem to realize how unattractive a screaming banshee imitation is." Taro chuckled "They do have their entertainment value though." Warrin nodded his head in agreement before turning to his friend. "I bet my fans kick your fans' butts. In fact, I bet you lunch."
"Your on." Taro grinned as he started to encourage his fans, shouting thing like "GO GIRLS!" and "SHOW THEM WHO'S BOSS!" Warrin raised his hands and whooped but stopped when he noticed the girls fighting even more fiercely than before.
It was getting bloody as things like broken noses and limbs were occurring at an astonishing rate. The two friends both sweat dropped at the small war they had helped create and decided to make themselves scarce before the authorities showed up or worse, their fathers.
Naruto would have found it hilarious of course but Sasuke would then find out in turn and he would not let them go unpunished. His notorious reputation for strict discipline was not to be taken lightly.
So they continued on their way trying to look as inconspicuous as possible while the girls kept on fighting, not realizing that their beloved heros had left the scene.
Soon the two ninja came up to Taro's favourite restaurant. "Ramen again." Warrin sighed. "I guess its too much to hope that you'll ever get tired of this stuff huh?" Taro just smiled at the comment.
"So what can I get for you?" Ichiraku's eyes disappeared in a sea of wrinkles as he smiled at his new generation of customers.
Taro grinned with anticipation. "Ramen with miso and sliced pork please and don't stop making it until I tell you." "Could you make mine extra spicy?" Warrin added.
"Coming right up" the old man replied and waved at his daughter Ayame who was already making herself busy with the order.
The two friends then spent the next few minutes talking about their training strategy and what they could do to make it more efficient.
Taro had learned how to make shadow clones at a very young age because like his father, he had extensive chakra reserves that could support the jutsu.
He had learned how to use them to increase his training experience dramatically thus becoming the number one student in his class back when he was still in the academy.
At least, he was number one until Warrin showed up a year after Taro did. Warrin had stayed behind an extra year to receive special one on one training from his father and it showed because he was one of only two other students with skills that could compete with Taro's.
"Well you guys haven't changed much." Their conversation was interrupted by a familiar raspy voice behind them. Taro and Warrin swiftly turned and gaped at their former teammate whom they hadn't seen in two years.
He was truly a sight to behold. At six feet five inches tall and built lean and powerful like an olympian, he stood head and shoulders above his teammates and although they had yet to get their growth spurts.
"Musashi. You... look different." Taro said as he was still recovering from his shock. "Your over a foot taller since I last saw you. Its been a while."
They shook hands as they greeted each other like the old friends they were. Musashi had the same red curly hair and boyish face as his father Gaara, but his dark eyes and the fact that he had eyebrows also allowed a slight resemblance to his mother Matsuri.
"Some Anbu showed up the second that we entered the main gate and requested my father's presence at some kind of meeting in the Hokage's office." Musashi shook his head with a look of mock exasperation. "Such is the life of a Kage but I decided I'd take the opportunity to find some old friends and catch up."
Taro motioned towards one of the empty seats beside them. "Join us for some ramen. You must be hungry after that long trip."
Musashi sighed hungrily at the mention of ramen. "You just said the magic words." He too had developed a taste for the dish but still came in second to the fanatical ramen lover Taro.
"What's with the crazy get-up?" Warrin motioned at Musashi's wrists, which were clad with a pair of strange looking black gauntlets that started at the knuckles and ended halfway up his forearms.
"Yeah now that you mention it, that's some pretty crazy gear you've got there man." Taro looked him up and down. Above the waist, Musashi wore a sleeveless black vest that looked a tad bulky and the pair of gauntlets on his wrists that Warrin mentioned earlier.
From the waist down he wore a black pair of loose but not baggy cargo pants that were cut off about five inches below the knees. A pair of sandals that were more like military boots with holes for his toes and heels clad his feet.
"This was all custom made." Musashi spread his arms to give them a better look. "Specially made to accommodate my new ninjutsu that I've developed."
"Which is?" Taro and Warrin both looked at him with eyebrows raised. Musashi grinned at them. "In due time my friends. There's no need to get ahead of ourselves."
Then as if on cue, three steaming bowls of ramen were put on the counter in front of them. "Hey your on the ball there Ichiraku." The old cook beamed at Musashi's compliment as the three friends munched away happily like they had done countless times before at their old favourite restaurant.
In the Hokage's office
Silence reigned in the Hokage's office as Naruto and his most trusted confidants that weren't doing missions at the time registered the news that Shikamaru had just shared with them.
Two chunin level ninja from the Nara clan were found dead and the grave that served as a prison for an extremely dangerous criminal was discovered empty.
"This is obviously the work of an outsider." Shikamaru stood with his hands in his pockets and had a worried expression on his face. "What I don't understand is how Hidan's grave was located. Only a select few of my clan members knew the exact location."
"I think this character's means of finding the location are rather irrelevant at this point." Sasuke was pacing behind Naruto's desk deep in thought.
Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Although those clues could help in discovering this stranger's identity, our biggest priority should be finding and retrieving Hidan."
Naruto leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head. "So this Hidan character was just buried alive underground for how many years?" "Sixteen years." Shikamaru confirmed. "Dismembered in multiple pieces as well if I remember correctly."
Kiba whistled. "Man. I bet he's pissed. Wouldn't surprise me if he came gunning for you Shikamaru."
"He won't get the opportunity." Everyone turned to Naruto who finally spoke up. "Shikamaru. You are as of now forbidden to leave the Leaf Village until the situation is under control."
"But..." Shikamaru started but was interrupted by Naruto. "I've made my decision. Kakashi will take this one. Besides, I think that this is an excellent opportunity for my son Taro to earn that elusive jonin promotion. The exams are getting repetitive anyway. What do you think Sasuke? Is your son Warrin ready for this as well?"
Sasuke nodded just as Gaara knocked and entered the room. "Gaara. My friend." Naruto leapt up and gave him a firm handshake. "Your timing is impeccable as always. We were just discussing the details of a high risk mission that is about to proceed."
"How may I be of service?" Gaara stood with his arms crossed as Shikamaru again went through the process of explaining the details of finding the dead ninjas and the empty grave.
After Shikamaru finished explaining everything, Gaara stood silently for a moment before allowing a small smile. "You know, my son grew so accustomed to your village and it's people from the years he spent here at your academy that he has never really felt at home in the desert anymore. I think he would enjoy himself if you allowed him to do a mission with old team again."
Naruto gave a huge grin and gave Gaara a thumb's up. "Consider it done." he half shouted. Then he turned to Kakashi. "I want you to lead this mission. I want the chunins to carry out the mission on their own power if they can and then I want you to evaluate them and get them out of trouble if necessary."
Kakashi grunted in acknowledgement. "Well, no sense in waiting around. I'll deliver my report upon my return." With that, he jumped out the nearest window and disappeared.
Then Naruto dismissed everyone except Sasuke and Gaara, who stayed behind. "Ahh. To go on missions again. Wouldn't that be a treat?" Gaara sighed. "Yeah." Naruto agreed. "The thing that's the best about being a kage is also the worst. Your too important to go on missions like everyone else."
Then they were interrupted by the sudden appearance of an Anbu black-ops member who saluted crisply before turning to Sasuke. "Sir. I did as you asked and your suspicions have been confirmed."
Naruto looked over in surprise to Sasuke who was staring at the ground with a pained expression on his face. "Anything I should be concerned about?"
Sasuke closed his eyes before answering. "Yes and no. It might involve the brutal and well deserved punishment of one of our ninjas but I must ask you to stay out of it as this is a personal matter."
"On two conditions then." Naruto stated. "One... Make sure you don't kill or permanently injure the poor wretch. Two... You must take this with you." Naruto handed one of his tri-pronged kunai to his best friend.
Sasuke nodded in understanding and immediately left the room with a determined look in his eyes.
With that taken care of, Naruto quickly made a shadow clone and pushed his duplicate into the Hokage's chair. "The real beauty of the shadow clone jutsu is that I never actually have to do any paperwork." he said to Gaara with a laugh. "Now lets go get some ramen cause I'm starving."
End of chapter three
A/N - It should be obvious by now that Minato is far and away my favorite character. For this reason I have fashioned Taro's personality to run parallel with Minato's although he has retained Naruto's sense of humor I think. As for Warrin... He's just a less arrogant version of Sasuke. They are basically what I wished Naruto and Sasuke to be like in the anime just to give you a better idea as what to expect from them.
FYI... The three of them (Taro, Warrin and Musashi) were put on the same genin team after they graduated from the academy starting at age seven and ending at age eleven when they were promoted to chunin and Musashi at this point returned to his home village. The reasoning behind this was simply because they were all in a league of their own and would be significantly held back if they were put on different teams. Oh... and their teacher was Kakashi Hatake.
BTW- I don't use Japanese honorifics such as kun, chan, sama, etc because I don't speak or understand Japanese and I don't want to ruin the language.