Kagemane Complete
Chapter 4: Snake by the tail
Lee leapt through the open window of Chouji's hospital room, no mean feat as it was on the third floor. He didn't notice the aluminum of the window sill bending beneath him. He stepped lightly into the room and jumped three feet in the air as Ino walked back into the room after a short bathroom visit and screamed in shock.
He knocked his head on the ceiling and fell back to the floor, somewhat ruining his dynamic entry but he was still determined to pull it off.
He gave Ino a thumbs up and grinned. Chouji, now awake was just in time to watch Ino pummel the newly promoted chuunin around the room. He finally managed to fend her off enough to get some distance and a word in.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you, I just heard about Chouji-san waking up." Ino scoffed but the majority of her shock had worn off .
"He's been awake for almost a week now." Lee, who was about to say something had his finger raised and was promptly crushed by Ino's statement. His head fell and he took a moment to gather himself.
"Guy-sensei has been helping his longtime rival, Kakashi-sama with his mission load. We haven't been getting much information from the tower." He perked up quickly. "Konohamaru-kun has been telling such tales of heroism and bravery." Flames appeared in the Guy-clones eyes and he made a fist. "I wanted to hear the tale of your battle from you!" The flames went out and he became contemplative for a moment. "Oh, and he said Shikamaru-san is back with the Shodai Hokage's granddaughter."
"Oh!" Chouji replied, intelligently. Instantly the covers had been thrown away.
"Stop that!" Ino said, trying to push him back into the bed. He wrestled his way around her and took a crutch that was leaning against the wall. "You're going to hurt yourself."
"Lay off, Ino. Even the nurses said I can walk around now. I just have to take it easy." He said, grinning at her. "Shikamaru's back, don't you want to see him?" She sniffed and crossed her arms.
Lee, perfectly incapable of being tactful said, "Maybe they're rivals. Like the terminally cool Kakashi-sama and Guy-sensei."
Chouji shook his head, "I haven't figured it out yet but I will." He said, trying to read Ino's face. She turned away from him and spoke over her shoulder so he couldn't.
"Don't stay out too long, I'll be back tomorrow to see you again." Then turned and left the room.
Lee turned to him and quirked an enormous eyebrow to which Chouji could only shrug. He didn't know what was going on there anymore than Lee did but he'd been laid up too long and hadn't seen Shikamaru in a week and a half. He was anxious to hear about his own fight during the invasion. Tenten said he had defeated two suna nin by himself.
He tied a robe around his growing waist and nodded to Lee.
Under his own power he made it to the hospital exit and probably could have made it a little farther but Lee couldn't be asked to walk that slowly for long.
"Maybe..." Lee said, looking at Chouji's casted leg.
What felt like moments later he was riding on Lee's back and speeding through Konoha, fast enough to bring tears to his eyes. The jostling made every part of him ache but it was still exhilarating.
They reached the tower just as Shikamaru and a brown haired kunoichi were exiting. The kunoichi was holding a small pig that was looking expectantly up at her.
"Ah, this must be Chouji." She said, waving happily at the him. Lee waved back and set Chouji down carefully.
"Shikamaru!" He said, by way of greeting, he was about to say more when Shikamaru gestured to the kunoichi he had been walking with. He still hadn't met Chouji's eye yet.
"It's his left hand. You are sure you're as skilled as Tsunade?" He asked, deliberately looking back at him. She waved him off and set the pig down. Chouji sat down and leaned against the low wall outside the Hokage's tower at her bidding while she used a diagnosis technique not only on his hand but the rest of his body as well.
Lee was leaning down, watching the process with great interest. Chouji tried to look around Lee and the medic nin but was told, a little sharply he thought, not to move. When they parted he saw that Shikamaru was gone.
"We should get you back to the hospital." The medic-nin said, her face not looking at all as jovial as she had been before.
Chouji barely heard her as he tried to figure out what was wrong with his team mates. He decided to ask Asuma-sensei as he couldn't get a straight answer out of anyone else.
Ino went through her evening ritual of brushing her hair, showering and finally brushing her teeth, as her body performed the actions automatically she couldn't stop thinking about Shikamaru being back. What it also meant for her.
It was his fault. She thought, stubbornly. When Chouji explained what Shikamaru had probably been doing during the invasion the doubt began to take hold in her carefully built defense. If it wasn't Shikamaru's fault then it was hers. She had been there.
She stared at herself in the mirror and willed her anger at the Nara to return. Try as she might though, it wouldn't come.
Tsunade examined the Akimichi boy thoroughly, paying particular attention to his leg. It had been set improperly and would need to be adjusted or he'd have trouble with arthritis at a later age. The hand she only made a cursory pass over. Shizune had been correct though, the coils themselves were the problem. He would retain full sensory and motor control over the hand.
"Your hand seems to be coming along fine, I need to fix your leg. Just sit still." He obeyed her, looking more than a little intimidated.
She finished after about a half an hour, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead. "All done." She said, patting his leg. "You don't need a crutch anymore but you need to take it easy on it for about a month. The bone needs to harden again." She removed the bandage on his head and took a closer look at his ear. The cut was clean, it had taken off the top of his ear. She grumbled while she looked at it. If she had had the piece when it happened he would have a full ear still.
"What about my hand?" He said, turning to her as she stepped away from him. She inhaled deeply and turned back to him with what Chouji liked to call 'the bad news face'.
She crossed her arms under her generous bosom and explained the problem. He waited politely for her to finish. "There's nothing that can be done?"
"Your body has already rerouted your chakra. Your hand is completely out of the loop. Attempting to reconnect your hand to your han would involve re-cutting your arm coils. Your hand coils are also weakened to the point that I'm unsure if they'd hold a steady flow again." She waved away Shizune who had walked into the room and her assistant retreated back to the hallway.
"I tried a bunshin the day before yesterday, it didn't work. It's like I couldn't mold chakra at all." He was glad Ino wasn't there. He hadn't told her about that particular development yet.
"You can still release it from your tenketsu but molding chakra generally requires two hands forming seals to order the chakra into usable forms."
He nodded, he had thought as much. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama." Then he grinned at her. I'll have to start training with Guy and Lee. He groaned inwardly at the thought. "Are you going to be the new hokage?" He asked, but she pretended not to hear as she gestured Shizune back into the room and whispered something to her.
"I will inform the Hokage that you should be removed from active duty." She said, her face steeling.
He looked at her dubiously as he swept his legs over the bed and tried standing on his leg. "It's not that bad, I can still take on some D-ranks for a month, when it hardens up like you said."
"If you can't mold chakra, you can't be a ninja." She said, looking at him incredulously.
"Lee does just fine without it." Now he was getting defensive. Sure he hadn't trained as much as Lee but he could remedy that. It's not like she knew that. She was probably judging from his weight. He looked down at himself and modified that thought. He was almost as wiry as Shikamaru at the moment. Only Ino's constant stream of food had him looking like anything more than a scarecrow.
"I'll...you can tell your sensei then." She said, and left in a rush.
Shikamaru went back up to the Hokage's office as soon as Shizune started diagnosing Chouji. He did need to brief the Hokage about the missing nin still. Even if he knew that wasn't his real reason for ducking back into the building.
The two chuunin stopped him at the door at he looked at them questioningly. "He's in a meeting, so unless it's urgent you'll have to wait."
Not used to waiting he really didn't know what to do with himself so he walked out onto a balcony and tried to order his thoughts. Why were those missing nin there? The question kept hammering in his mind. For Jiraiya. But that didn't quite seem to fit the information. They saw Jiraiya but Naruto said they still chased after his clones. He heard someone behind him, thinking it was the chuunin guards he turned around and the world flashed white as something struck him in the jaw. Reeling, he clung to the railing and slumped to a knee, trying to clear his ringing head.
"You never said you left him!" Naruto yelled as he stood over him, fists clenched and teeth barred. "I always knew you were lazy, I didn't think you were a coward too."
Shikamaru stood, rubbing his jaw. "You were unconscious, I had the future Godaime Hokage with me and he was fighting S-class missing nin. What exactly would you have done?"
Naruto blushed hotly when his relapse into unconsciousness was brought up again. "I would have fought! He's a pervert but he's still a good guy."
"Good thinking, lets risk our new Hokage in a pointless battle." Shikamaru shook his head. "He's probably already back. We had to drag you half the way and he was by himself."
Naruto's rage fled and he was only left with a disgusted look for Shikamaru, "I only found out you left him because one of his summons just told the Hokage that he's been captured by Orochimaru." Naruto's head was hanging now, "He said that Orochimaru had help from another leaf shinobi, the genin we met at the exam, Kabuto. I guess he was spying on Konohagakure for Orochimaru."
Shit. Though if he was going to be captured by one group or the other Shikamaru preferred the one that was a known factor. The missing nin, while known generally, were a mystery regarding their motivation. One of the chuunin guards walked out onto the balcony and informed them both that the Hokage was ready for them.
"Come on." He told Naruto, his throbbing jaw already forgotten.
As they walked into the Hokage's office he couldn't help but notice the smell. He was about to say something about it, it smelled like warm death, when he saw the Hokage's face. Grey and ashen he appeared ready to fall over at any moment. He looked much worse than when Shikamaru had seen him just after the invasion.
"Hokage-sama?" He asked, stepping forward slightly. Naruto was right next to him.
The old man chuckled, "Looks that bad does it? I'm sorry I can't offer up an explanation. For the moment you'll have to trust me. You did good, bringing back Tsunade so quickly though."
"Jiraiya was captured?" Shikamaru said, prompting an explanation.
The Hokage nodded gravely, "That he sealed away Orochimaru's sword is likely the only reason he's still alive. Orochimaru can't get it back without Jiraiya's help."
"How is his rescue going to be handled?" The Hokage looked at Shikamaru intently.
The old man gestured for them to sit and they accepted, seating themselves opposite him. "Kakashi was injured and Guy is out on missions. Kurenai and Asuma are likely candidates but I do not believe them capable of defeating Orochimaru."
Shikamaru pondered this. "I've read everything you wrote about the invasion and your battle with Orochimaru. I'm sure I can get an accurate summary of Kabuto's fighting style as well from the summon that Jiraiya sent out. If I can, I can retrieve Jiraiya. I will not be able to defeat Orochimaru though."
Naruto turned and marveled at Shikamaru, "Wait, you want to lead the mission?" Shikamaru ignored the question as the Hokage began speaking.
"I can't send a genin off on an S-class mission. Even if I thought you were right, and I have my doubts, the council would use it as an excuse to wrest control of the village from me. It would play right into their arguments that I'm getting too old."
Naruto stood up in a rush. "That's bullshit, you're the best Hokage we've ever had." The Hokage smiled at this and nodded graciously. Shikamaru heard a whispered, "Second best" under the old mans breath but chose not to pursue it.
Shikamaru decided to forge ahead, "The larger problem is that we don't know where he's being held."
The Hokage shook his head, the tails of his hat swaying back and forth, "That we do know, the toad followed them from the site of the battle and we have accurate coordinates on the location."
Good location, good intel...potentially problematic lack of information on the interior of his base. He turned to the Hokage, "It's underground isn't it?"
It was the Hokage's turn to blink but Shikamaru waved it off, "The overriding theme to all of Orochimaru's behaviors and affectations is serpentine. It was a guess, but an educated one. It's also likely that it'll be set up as a maze. The loss of, what I believe to be, the majority of his forces would leave it largely empty but he's probably mitigated that with traps."
Kabuto wasn't involved in the attack but was involved in capturing Jiraiya...can fight, just didn't commit him to the invasion. Important in Orochimaru's rank structure...likely he'll be in charge of guarding Jiraiya if Orochimaru hasn't taken that on himself.
"A Hyuuga, I would prefer Neji as I don't believe Hiashi will follow direction, Naruto and the medic-nin we brought back, Shizune would be the team I want." The Hokage stared at him, long enough to make him uncomfortable but he didn't avert his eyes. "I can do this, Hokage-sama."
The Hokage removed his hat and both the boys noticed that his scalp was peeling. He itched it gently and spoke quietly. "Not as a genin." Shikamaru opened his mouth to protest but the Hokage silenced him with a look and opened his desk drawer. From it he took a quill and a small scroll. After writing on it for a few moments he blew on the drying ink and called to the chuunin outside the door. When the chuunin looked at him he said, "I need a witness." The chuunin nodded and walked completely into the room and folded his arms in front of him, having done this many times in his tenure as a guard.
"Read this, Shikamaru." He said, his voice raw. He coughed a little and turned the scroll on his desk so it was facing the Nara. Shikamaru did as he was instructed, getting about halfway down the page when he realized he was being promoted.
He got to the last bit and looked up sharply at the Hokage. "Why not a chuunin?"
The Hokage spread his hands, "The rank of chuunin is decided by a board, it's really the hardest rank to achieve. Jonin and special jonin are by the hand of the Hokage and will always be if I have anything to say about it. Strictly speaking one is supposed to advance from genin to chuunin and then jonin or special jonin but a few allowances have been made over the years. As there is a precedent for it and as I'm comfortable with you performing basic shinobi skills at a chuunin level I am promoting you to a special jonin for this mission."
Naruto could have swept the floor if he had a beard. Shikamaru knew this wasn't an honor that was being bestowed on him though, this was a temporary fix to a bureaucratic problem. He signed his name at the bottom of the scroll with a harsh scratching that filled the silence that had descended. In turn the chuunin guard and finally the Hokage signed it as well. The old man then pulled another scroll from his desk and tossed it to Shikamaru.
"That entitles you to your expense account." Shit, he thought almost immediately, I forgot about Tsunade's money. "For an S-Class team mission you're entitlements are substantial but as always, I prefer my shinobi to be frugal. Extravagancy isn't a luxury we can afford with a village to rebuild. That said, as a jonin you're expected to limit yourself, as such, there is no imposed limit." Naruto whistled but Shikamaru only nodded. Money had never interested him. If he had a mind to he was sure that he could make a decent living at gambling. Knowing the odds of everything improved your ability to make competent decisions in every aspect of life.
"Neji has already been promoted to Chuunin and Shizune is a jonin but Naruto's involvement will have to be classified strictly as an observer." Shikamaru, knowing that the Hokage was bound by certain laws as they all were, chose not to burden him with what he actually planned for Naruto. Shikamaru received the information regarding the base and was given a detailed account of what the toad had reported. It was precious little but just knowing that Kabuto was a combat-medic was more than he had hoped for.
When he had finished he turned to Naruto and asked him to inform Neji and to meet at Ichiraku's ramen stand. "Why do we have to bring that guy? Hinata is way nicer."
The Hokage answered for him, "Hinata hasn't been promoted and while I can pass off a single genin on a two jonin team, two will cause a stir. Do as he says, Naruto." Naruto stuck out his lower lip and took off, grumbling about Neji.
As the door shut behind Naruto he turned back to the old man. "Hokage-sama, I'm taking Naruto but is there something I should know about him?" He asked, not really expecting an answer. It was a crazy theory he had developed since coming in from the balcony. Kisame had been set to kill the youngest Nara and they had both ignored Jiraiya. When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Which meant they had been after Naruto. Barring his foray into a single A-rank mission he couldn't have made many enemies.
The only other clues he had were the inordinate amount of shadow clones he could make and his obvious resilience to physical damage. As he looked up he saw he had been right, the Hokage's face had gone stern and he was staring directly at Shikamaru. To assuage whatever the old man was feeling Shikamaru related his observations of not only Naruto but the missing nin that had accosted them.
"It follows that they were looking for him. If I'm going to run into more s-class criminals as a result of having Naruto along it would be less troublesome to leave him where he could be guarded, despite my plans." He left the statement in the air and waited for the Hokage to respond.
He took a deep breath and Shikamaru had never seen him look older. "I'm telling you this in the strictest confidence, Shikamaru. It's a capital crime to repeat it." It was Shikamaru's turn to be surprised. Some villages liked to hand out the death penalty for everything ranging from stealing to murder. Konohagakure was a bit more advanced culturally and very few things carried the death penalty. Almost all of them were crimes against other people. Rape, murder etc. Mizuki hadn't even recieved the death penalty and he'd tried to steal a forbidden scroll.
"Naruto is host to a tailed beast." And suddenly it all came together for Shikamaru, Temari talking about Shukaku, Gaara telling Naruto they were alike, Naruto defeating Gaara unexpectedly. His physical attributes and immense chakra reserves...it all fit. He felt like an idiot for not seeing sooner.
"The nine tails." He said, not really asking. He remembered his history. It would have been about the right time. They had been told that the fourth had defeated the nine-tailed fox but no remnants of it had ever been found. The Hokage nodded.
He leaned back in his chair, "As far as meeting up with any other s-class nin, by all intelligence reports they have left fire country but regardless of their location, it would actually be safer for him and anyone near him, to be away from Konoha." Shikamaru pondered this for a moment.
"They wore a uniform, I assume they are an organization of sorts?" The Hokage nodded but raised his hand before Shikamaru asked any more questions.
"I'm not the person to tell you about Akatsuki. When you free Jiraiya, ask him about them. He's been following their movements for a decade now." Shikamaru sighed. Around and around we go. "Good luck, Shikamaru. If you fall, there will be no recovery mission, we can't afford to weaken the village with Suna poised to strike."
Shikamaru nodded and bowed before leaving.
It only took him a little while to find Shizune who, despite being an active Jonin, all but refused to go with Shikamaru. He finally had to entreat on her that she was going to be saving one of Tsunade's old team mates and the woman relented. "We'll be leaving tomorrow out of the west gate at six a.m."
He met with Neji and Naruto not long after and explained the mission. Naruto was still mad at him and he didn't want to force himself into a situation where he wasn't wanted though he had hoped for a bite to eat.
It was getting dark when he finally made his way to the Sarutobi estate. He had no word on Chouji, mostly because he was too ashamed to go see him and was still anxious to hear how his visit with Tsunade had gone.
He knocked on the door and was surprised when Kurenai answered it. "Uh..." He started, caught a bit flat-footed. She smiled at him jovially enough but her eyes always made him a little uncomfortable.
"I'll get him. Come in." He entered as she turned and walked down the main hallways, turning off at the dining room. He removed his sandals and looked at his hands. Dirty. That was probably true for the rest of him then. He did his best to brush himself off, if Asuma was entertaining he didn't want to be an embarrassment.
It was only a few minutes before Asuma-sensei was gesturing him into the dinning room. He could smell snuffed candles in the air and there were only two place settings. Interesting. He thought mildly. Ino had suspected for a while now but this was the first concrete evidence they had. He sighed inwardly when he realized that Ino wouldn't want to hear about it from him.
"Tsunade went to see Chouji. How is his hand?" Asuma gestured for him to have a seat but he shook his head.
The jonin sighed and took a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket. He wasn't wearing his flak jacket but he still had on his forehead protector. Before he could speak Kurenai walked in from the kitchen and made her goodbyes. Shikamaru could see that their dinner hadn't been finished. He felt bad about interrupting but he needed to talk to Asuma before he left in the morning. He bowed to Kurenai politely and Asuma walked her out.
Asuma returned and began explaining the extent of Chouji's injury. That the hand was saved was excellent news but was quickly soured by the revelation that he could no longer mold chakra. "Some of his enlargement techniques don't require hand symbols." Shikamaru said, hopefully.
His sensei nodded, "He still retains the ability to enlarge parts of his body, just not that hand." Shikamaru pondered this development while Asuma smoked. "He's also requested a team transfer. I hate to break up the second generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho dynamic but his reasons are sound."
"With Rock Lee and Guy-sensei, right?" He asked, but it was rhetorical. Asuma, having been experiencing Shikamaru's leaps in logic for a while, only nodded.
"I've spoken with Neji and Tenten about the exchange, Neji tried to make me sign on the spot. As both he and Rock Lee made Chuunin and our team has none it makes sense from a tactical perspective as well. It'll take effect sometime in the next couple of days. Guy is out on a mission and should be back before too long, the exchange has to be agreed on by both of us."
Shikamaru nodded. Everything felt surreal to him, Chouji crippled, Ino threatening to kill him, Jiraiya captured and now he was a special jonin. He ignored his own feelings about Chouji leaving the team. "I'm going on a mission, early tomorrow. I'm taking Neji, Naruto and the medic-nin Shizune. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone but it shouldn't be more than a week or two. If you need Neji to sign something or whatever...you'd probably better talk to him tonight."
Asuma's eyebrows rose as Shikamaru spoke. "What mission? That's not your team." Shikamaru shook his head, "I picked them for the skills I'll need. The mission is to rescue Jiraiya he was..." But he didn't get any farther.
"He can't send a genin after Orochimaru!" He exploded, his cigarette falling out of his mouth. "That's...unconscionable." Shikamaru tried to calm him down. He hadn't wanted to tell him about the promotion, it was only a temporary thing.
"I was promoted to special jonin for the duration of the mission, to protect the Hokage from council scrutiny." Asuma stopped his pacing. "I hate to add worse news to bad but I don't think the Hokage is getting better. I think he's dying." Asuma nodded at this.
"He's told me as much. Keep it to yourself though, if the council found out he was going to die we wouldn't have the time we need to convince Tsunade to become the Godaime." Shikamaru sighed heavily. All that planning had been for nothing. The village had still been damaged, the Hokage was going to die as a result of the attack and Chouji lost his ability to mold chakra. He couldn't think of a single, good outcome as a result of his involvement in the invasion. Orochimaru had exposed himself to Suna, he couldn't even claim that.
"Special Jonin though. That's happened twice in the entire history of the village. Being promoted past chuunin." Shikamaru shrugged.
"It's only temporary." He said, feeling uncomfortable talking about it. "I'd prefer if you didn't tell Ino or Chouji." Asuma chuckled at this.
"If Naruto was there, you'll be lucky if half the village doesn't already know." The large man clapped him on the shoulder. "Promotions aside, be careful when you confront Orochimaru."
It was Shikamaru's turn to snort, "I'm not going to fight him, that would be suicide. I'm just going to rescue Jiraiya." Asuma nodded and Shikamaru left him, making his way back home. He was still trying not to think about Chouji so he buried himself in the task of rescuing Jiraiya. He already had a rough plan in his head but he'd need to see the layout of the terrain before he was willing to commit to it.
He woke to his alarm and not feeling at all refreshed from sleeping. At least I can take a shower in my own bathroom. He had woken early enough to give him time to properly pack and have a breakfast before he made his way to the west gate. He had snuck in, not wanting to deal with questions about Chouji or the clan funds for that matter. He left another short letter and was gone before his mother had risen from bed and was waiting at the west gate with ten minutes to spare.
Neji nodded to him curtly and Shizune waved, somehow perky that early in the morning. Naruto arrived on the dot with grumbling yawns and a slouch. He explained their travel order, Neji in front, Naruto next, Shizune and then finally Shikamaru. "All plans will be given in writing." Having no questions they all set out at a comfortable speed.
He recalled the map that the hokage had shown him, if they continued with their current pace they would reach the hideout in a little under a 4 days. They'd also arrive in the dark which is what he was particularly hoping for. If the timing seemed off they would stop at a nearby fishing village and wait until they could scout the area in the dark.
They camped that night. He was unwilling to change their course to stay in a town but no one complained. One of their own was missing, sleeping on the ground meant little in the effort to correct the problem. Shizune cooked something that would have been edible if she hadn't brought salt. Not even Naruto was dense enough to say something about it though. After their tents were all set up and the fire had been banked they all went to sleep. He wasn't worried about posting guard only one day out of Konoha.
The next day was spent in much the same method of travel only this time Naruto had gotten enough sleep and was happily chattering at Shizune who was doing her best to keep up with the conversation even as Neji was trying to ignore it.
"He taught me a little about summoning, I was supposed to sign a contract but we got separated when we were looking for Granny Tsunade. Summoning frogs though, how cool is that?" Before Shizune could answer. "Do you have a contract for summoning?" He asked, staring back at Shizune.
"No, I've never really needed a summons." She said, growing testy.
"What about granny Tsunade?" He asked, a little put out by her apparent lack of interest in summoning.
Shikamaru couldn't help but laugh, "There's three sanin, Naruto. Jiraiya has signed a contract with the toads, Orochimaru with the snakes...doesn't that sound a little familiar to you?" Naruto turned back around and was silent for a little while before answering.
"Are you talking about Janken?" Naruto asked, looking unsure of himself.
Neji spoke from the front of their little formation, "Give the idiot a cookie, he got one right."
"Screw you, Neji!" Shizune laughed at this and Shikamaru prompted Naruto.
"So if one is a toad, one a snake...what would the third be?" Naruto looked back at him, already forgetting about Neji.
"A slug...but that doesn't sound like any kind of good summoning." Shizune snorted at this.
"Tsunade-sama does indeed have a contract with the slugs, as far as them not being a 'good' summoning, ask her that yourself." Shikamaru didn't think that conversation would go too well.
Naruto, still bored, asked about the plan, "I can't be sure yet and I don't want to burden everyone with knowledge they'll just have to forget when I change the plan after the reconnaissance."
Neji didn't turn as he spoke but Shikamaru knew that he was staring right at him. "Is it true the Hokage made you a jonin?" Shikamaru sighed.
Naruto, never one to be called a liar without responding, made a rude gesture with his hand.
"To get around the s-class mission classification he temporarily promoted me to special jonin, yes." Neji said nothing and they traveled the rest of the day in silence. It wasn't until they had stopped for the night that it came back up again.
"That would make you the youngest jonin since Uchiha Itachi. You don't appear to have his skill though." Neji said, eating a small ration bar.
"I don't. I told you, this is just a temporary thing to get around the red tape. The Hokage couldn't send a genin to lead an s-ranked mission." He hunched, hoping that settled the matter. Neji didn't appear to be angry about his unusual promotion but Naruto couldn't help but digging the hole a little deeper.
"He beat Temari and Kankuro all by himself. I'll bet he could kick your ass, Neji." The blond said with a happy grin.
"Temari and Kankuro defeated themselves. I don't think I could have beaten them one on one." He said, qualifying Naruto's statement.
Shikamaru shivered and scooted closer to the fire, pulling his arms inside his jacket. Shizune looked mildly interested with the conversation now. Neji sniffed derisively.
"How about it, you two? A friendly spar for entertainment?" She asked, her eyes glinting mischieviously. Shikamaru sighed.
"I'd rather not risk an injury on our way into an S-class mission." He got a look at Neji's face in the firelight and knew that the fight was inevitable now. He had worried about bringing Neji along despite him being Shikamaru's first choice. The Hyuuga Clan was very proud to begin with and it was no secret that Neji was in a branch family probably making him more apt to grow a chip on his shoulder. He'd pondered the possibility of a fight for group dominance with the Hyuuga but had hoped it would take place on the way back from the mission.
Shizune poked him in the ribs. "It's not like you'd be fighting Naruto, we'll set rules." Naruto started to say something and Shizune assured him it was because he was so very dangerous.
Shikamaru thought about this for a moment. "If he closes off one of my tenketsu, he wins, if I bind him with my kagemane I win. There's a minimum risk of injuring each other with those rules. Oh, and no weapons."
He looked over at Neji and sighed, "Those ok with you?" Neji stood.
"I accept." As soon as he said it a pained look flitted across his face and then he sat back down again, his arms folding to his chest in perfect mimicry of Shikamaru.
"Kagemane successful, I win." Shikamaru said, without enthusiasm.
Naruto looked at him and uttered a very reasonable, "Huh?"
Neji spoke, his voice strained. "You didn't even move."
Shizune laughed and explained for the other two. "He did when he pretended to shiver and sat closer to the fire, hiding his hands from view." Shikamaru gave her a wane smile and adjusted the rope of shadow partially into the firelight, showing everyone that Neji was indeed bound. "He probably had his shadow right next to yours waiting for you to accept."
He released the jutsu and Neji relaxed. "That was before she even mentioned the spar, were you both in on it?" He asked, his voice going frosty.
"No, I assumed it would have to take place eventually if I was placed in charge. You're proud like Hiashi, it makes you predictable." He shrugged, "I just didn't know when it would happen. If you want to blame someone, blame Naruto." Naruto grinned at this. "I banked on the knowledge that he can piss off just about anyone."
The grin slid off Naruto's face. "Hey..."
Neji glared at him from across the fire, "That's Hiashi-sama to you." To which Shikamaru shrugged.
Shizune giggled again and let out a very loud snort that set Naruto and Shikamaru both to laughing and her to blushing.
"You're not going to beat Orochimaru with tricks, Nara." Neji said, angry at their laughter.
"I'm not going to beat Orochimaru at all. Why does everything think that? The mission is to recover Jiraiya. We're getting him and getting out. If I can help it the only person that will even see Orochimaru is Naruto." Naruto looked over at Shikamaru.
"Why me?" He asked, looking both exhilarated and afraid.
"I'll explain everything after we see the place, I promise." Naruto grumbled something but relented. They did rotate a guard that night but saw nothing but a boar.
The next two days were as uneventful. He stopped them a few kilometers from Orochimaru's base. "It's still light out and I wanted to get a good idea of what talents you all possess. I know about Naruto's shadow clones, how many can you make Naruto?"
Naruto looked up at the sky, "The most I've ever made was around four hundred I think." Shizune's jaw dropped.
"He said shadow clones, Naruto." Neji said grumpily.
"Yeah, four hundred shadow clones." He snarled back. "I heard him fine."
Shikamaru nodded, the number was ridiculous but after finding out about Naruto playing host to a tailed beast it was hardly a surprise. "Neji, I'm familiar with juken itself but not with any techniques that are derived from it. Do you know any?"
Neji crossed his arms in front of him and Shikamaru knew he wasn't going to get much information from him. "Jyuuken and the subsequent techniques are clan secrets, I would be guilty of offenses punishable by death for a branch member if I told you. Branch members aren't taught any."
He hadn't thought of that. "Alright, what is the range of your Byakugan?"
Neji stared at him for a moment, probably trying to find a reason to not tell me, before finally saying, "Around 50 meters." He nodded, taking this in.
"I know nothing about you, Shizune-sama." She rolled her eyes.
"Just Shizune, I'm not that old." She took a deep breath and began cataloging her various jutsus and strengths. He remarked to himself on the number of jutsus that relied on poison. As a medic nin he wondered if that branch of discipline was a aberration or the logical conclusion to advanced knowledge of the human body.
Either way it would prove potent in an enclosed environment. They looked at him expectantly but he ignored them for the most part.
"We've got a few hours before dark, I'll be up if you want to get some sleep." He kneeled down and assumed the eternity pose. He didn't have any intelligence on the hideout yet but he could come up with combat plans in case everything went completely wrong.
It felt like just a few minutes before the sun fell below the horizon. He stood back up and turned to Neji. "Neji, you'll be going alone to recon. I don't want to risk taking four people through a hostile environment. The things I'm looking for are entrances, traps most especially pitfalls, terrain type and structural weaknesses, specifically anyplace that can be made into an exit from the surface."
Neji nodded. His face appeared focused and he left with little preamble. He turned to Shizune but found that she was already sleeping. There was little to go over but he didn't think he'd find any rest that night.
It wasn't until the sun was about to rise that Neji returned, looking slightly more soiled but otherwise unharmed.
Shizune was waiting, henged to blend in with a nearby tree. "What's the password?" Shikamaru asked quietly.
Neji looked at him quizzically. "We made none."
"The one that we agreed on back in Konoha." Neji looked more annoyed than angry.
"We didn't have one there either." Shikamaru grinned at the annoyed Hyuga.
He sat down on a nearby log and gestured for Neji to do the same, "What did you find?"
Neji gave his findings over the next three hours, Shikamaru was impressed with the level of detail that the Hyuga had gone into. The plan solidified as he heard more about Orochimaru's den.
After they had finished he gathered the three and began laying out the plan for them. It wasn't complicated and he didn't require them to memorize all of it. Naruto would be doing the majority of the work, but the work was relatively easy. Neji would be in the most danger.
He finished the explanation and looked at them all, "If I missed something, let me know. It wouldn't be the first time."They said nothing. Shikamaru then handed out 3 small slips of paper. "If you forget something, refer to the paper. Timing will be very crucial."
None saw the silver-haired former genin smirking from behind a tree as he committed their plan to memory as well.
Orochimaru listened with halfhearted interest while Kabuto explained Konoha's pathetic attempt to infiltrate his domain. Had they sent a powerful force he would have had to relocate. Attempting stealth was just stupid. You never thought I was stupid, old man. I shall send their heads back to you. He had been volatile lately, killing test subjects on whim, prone to fits of rage.
They have my sword! Wretched ants in the face of a god! He took a steadying breath and smiled at a woman who was bringing him his meal. Someone broke and spoke to Konoha, they knew the majority of my plans or they would not have survived. He was constantly having to remind himself that while he was infallible, the actions and decisions of the people he commanded were not.
"You said they are led by a genin?" He asked, his voice like silk.
Kabuto nodded and adjusted his glasses. "I met him during the chunin exams. He quit just after the second exam started. He is thirteen and the Hokage sent him to match skills with you." If he had been hoping to enrage his master further with this knowledge he failed. For some reason the Konoha genin troubled him.
Orochimaru pondered this for a moment. The second exam is where he had failed to mark Sasuke, where the sound team he had planted lost Dosu. Where his carefully laid plans had started to go astray. He didn't believe in coincidences. "Where are they now?" He asked, his face and voice the picture of serenity but inside he was boiling, unchecked rage rocketing through his system.
"Four kilometers west by southwest of the south entrance. Near the draw." Kabuto said, sensing the growing danger.
To wait for them or scoop them up now? He thought to himself. The snake never runs about wasting energy, it waits patiently for it's pray to walk unsuspecting into it's domain.
"We will deal with them when they come to us." Kabuto bowed deeply. "And Kabuto?" He said, his voice still silken. Kabuto looked at him, waiting. "I want this genin alive."
Kabuto looked perplexed at the statement but nodded his understanding.
Chouji bowed politely to Guy-sensei. "Thank you for accepting my transfer, Guy-sensei."
Guy clapped Chouji on the shoulder, causing the genin's knees to buckle. "To have you on our team is a great honor, Chouji-san. There isn't a shinobi in Konoha who doesn't know what you did." Chouji picked himself up off the ground and blushed at the praise.
"Thank you, Guy-sensei. I'm not sure if you were told or not but I've lost my ability to mold chakra. I asked for the transfer because Lee is such a great ninja and he can't mold much chakra either."
Lee yelled, "Yosh sensei!" Flames danced in his eyes as he talked. "To be recognized as a shinobi by Chouji-san is proof that I am succeeding in my goal!"
Guy grinned down at his miniature. "Yes, Lee. That does not mean you can stop trying now, the path you've chosen is admirable but never let the fires of your youth gutter."
Chouji watched in no small amount horror and wondered just what he had gotten himself into.
"To become a ninja without the benefit of chakra molding is a tough path indeed. You must steel yourself to the rigors ahead. You are a fine ninja and a village hero in your own right, Chouji-san but you are far behind Lee on the path that stretches before you."
Chouji nodded at this solemnly and watched as Guy rifled around in a small sack he was carrying.
"To this end I present you with the first of many training aids!" Guy-sensei grinned at him and held out four sets of weights. As Chouji took them and Guy released them they fell to the ground, taking Chouji with them.
"Weights to refine your strength. When you wear these you are hindered, your body comes to expect it and tries to compensate by getting stronger. Make no mistake, Chouji-san. Your body is as much your friend as it is your counterpart. You must outsmart it at every turn and in turn it will provide you with the greatest weapon imaginable."
Chouji began strapping the weights on and saw they were made of the same metal that Akimichi armor was fashioned from. "These are..." Guy flashed him a blinding grin and nodded.
"Yes, fashioned with Akimichi talents in mind. The secret of making armor that responds to chakra is the sole domain of your clan. Your father helped me with these." Chouji finished strapping them on. He tested the weights around his wrists, lifting them slightly. This is going to be tough.
Shikamaru was sweating freely though he hadn't been exerting himself and the day was relatively cool. He was about to match wits in a direct confrontation with a sannin. The Konoha invasion had been a disaster and he had had the benefit of much more experienced minds than his own.
Don't think that way. This is just like Shogi. He said to himself. Yeah, just like shogi. If it had about a thousand more pieces and was played in three dimensions and there were no turns, just move pieces as fast as you can. He sighed.
Everything was set, everyone was in place. He wished he had had an opportunity to ask for suggestions but their surroundings didn't offer privacy. He was also gambling on Orochimaru waiting for them in his lair, not coming out to greet them. Ten moves ahead. He thought, trying to calm himself. He repeated it in his head like a mantra.
Kabuto watched the team from the shadows of the north entrance. The southern team was shadow clones. The north team was the real infiltration attempt and what he would focus on. He decided on killing the female first. She was the only jonin-level nin on the team and it would be best to get her out of the way fast. The Hyuga would be very valuable if he was a main branch member. If not...well he'd cross that bridge when he got to it. A transplanted byakugan was a very rare thing. The annoying blond would be a pleasure to kill though, even during the exams when he had pretended to be friendly the boy had grated on him. As the four approached he tensed, waiting for the right moment to spring on them. The girl first...fast. The byakugan user was almost at 50 meters, he'd have to strike before then.
He saw the genin leader pause, perking his ears. Suddenly a large shuriken was in his hands, another in the hands of the blond. They threw in tandum, aiming right for him. How did they spot me? He didn't have time to answer as he jumped out of the way, kunai flying from his hands at the jonin.
The three kunai he had thrown all found their mark, stitching their way up her chest, embedding themselves deeply. There was a loud pop as the clone was dispelled. He blinked. That hadn't been part of their plan. They knew I was there!
He dispatched all the clones ruthlessly, ensuring no one was hiding in the mix, he took care to only stab the thigh of the one Orochimaru wanted. Failure was not tolerated and excuses would earn him a slow death. He turned as soon as they were finished and made for the southern entrance. Very smart but you didn't give yourself enough time. Maybe if these ones had run instead of just being destroyed.
The southern entrance was only a two minute sprint and he arrived without breathing heavily. At the entrance he saw two kunai that had been used to spring a log trap and smiled to himself, entering the rear entrance. Even with a byakugan user they'll be much slower. I'll reach them before they ever get close to the prisoner.
Shikamaru followed closely behind Neji, avoiding what the Hyuga said to avoid and stepping exactly as he did. It wasn't slow going but it definitely was not a sprint. Still, he had planned for the time and so far everything was going according to plan. He turned and made sure Naruto's clone was still with them. He appeared to be concentrating on avoiding traps but was in no danger of dispelling as long as he was careful. Most of the plan hinged on the clone and Shikamaru was glad to see that he was behaving as such.
Kabuto dodged a kunai trap knocking away the few kunai that he couldn't dodge. It had been moved and reset. That would slow him down slightly but he wasn't looking for a missing sanin, he'd still catch up to them. They weren't even heading in the right direction.
Naruto drummed his fingers on the grass, bored to tears but obeying Shikamaru's plan to the letter. They had been told, in no uncertain terms, that failure of any part of the plan would likely result in the death of Shikamaru and Neji. He looked over to where Shizune was hidden but could see nothing of the kunoichi. His own blanket was henged to look like the surrounding grass as well. It was a skill that he'd perfected in the academy.
He'd made about two dozen clones for the plan but was feeling pretty worthless at the moment. Everything would change once the signal came but he still hated waiting for it. Waiting was anathema to him.
Kabuto smiled as he saw the two forms rounding a corner. He had taken a shortcut, knowing that the tunnel the two had been running down curved back around without any forks. They spotted him just as he struck, his hands glowing blue he severed their hamstrings in a single strike. Both dispersed with a loud pop and he cursed in his own mind. More clones! Now he had no idea where they had come in. He did know their destination though and took off at a full sprint for Jiraiya's holding cell. He thought about calling on Orochimaru for help but that would likely be met with a sticky end.
Naruto shuddered as the shadow clone's memories filled him. Kabuto had caught up to the second set of clones. It wouldn't be long now.
Neji nodded at Shikamaru and opened the door. Inside, in chains, lay Jiraiya. Shit! He's unconscious. He took a soldier pill from his thigh pouch and stuffed it into the sanin's mouth and then slapped him as hard as he could.
Nothing. He groaned, this was going to be next to impossible if he had to carry the sanin. Neji, using his Byakugan picked the locks. The Naruto clone helped maneuver the unconscious toad sage into the hallway while Shikamaru made a clone of his own.
His own clones, unlike Naruto's, were just illusion and they couldn't place the manacles back onto it because it had no mass. Instead, he henged the clone in a perfect likeness of Jiraiya and closed the manacles, propping them up. The clone then lay down so it looked as though the sannin was still shackled to the floor. Neji locked the door behind them and he and the Naruto clone wrestled the sanin down the hallway while Neji led them.
We'll never make it to the woods if we have to drag him. They heard a shout from the hallway behind them, too far for Kabuto to have spotted them but exactly far enough for him to have spotted the clone. Damn, I was hoping that bought us another three minutes. Just as he was about to ask Neji whispered from ahead, "Here." The Naruto clone dropped his end of the sage and ran up to Neji who whispered a few quick words and then struck the clone a vicious blow, dispersing it.
Naruto blinked as Neji's instructions filled his mind. He stood and Shizune stood with him, both dropping their henged cloaks. He paced out three steps to the south and nine to the west. As he reached the spot he pulled out a ball of exploding tags and using a kunai, dug a small hole in the ground. He stuffed the ball into the ground and activated the tags. Both he and Shizune ran to remove themselves from the blast radius, even so they were both lifted bodily up and thrown a short distance. Instantly they were both up and running again. This is where time became tricky, Shikamaru had said. Both jumped into the hole that the blast had created, blankets firmly in hand.
Naruto clone number one, as he liked to call himself, heard the explosion on the far side of Orochimaru's compound. He turned back to the lesser clones, all henged to look like the team and gave a thumbs up. After counting out thirty seconds in his head he activated another set of explosive tags and tried to get clear of the blast. He almost got a curse out as the tags went off and threw him into a tree. The four clones remaining began running, half carrying, half dragging a fifth clone. As they ran they dropped half a dozen poison gas bombs behind them.
Kabuto had been almost on top of the first blast, reaching it in moments but when he emerged from the hole and into the moonlight there was nothing there. He had just enough time to wonder where they had gone when he heard a second explosion. He snarled and really pumped some chakra into his legs, blurring to the other side of the forest clearing.
Shikamaru, hidden underneath a henged blanket watched Kabuto emerge from the dusty hallway and jump up through the hole that Naruto had made. He thought about trying to Kagemane the traitor but a battle might bring Orochimaru and he didn't know if the former leaf shinobi was capable of overpowering him during the jutsu. Instead he held his breath and willed the second explosion to go off. There was a hollow thud that echoed through the hall and Kabuto streaked off. He counted to ten in his head and threw off the blanket.
"We've got less than a minute. We need to wake him up." Shizune's hands glowed as she began to diagnose him. Naruto, having a better idea, stopped her.
"Screw that. Lets get the hell out of here." His hands made the ram seal and a dozen more clones popped into existence. Half climbed out of the hole and the other half bodily threw the toad sage upward.
"That works too." He said, slightly nonplussed. In a few moments they were all running for the forest. Over the next four hours they ran directly south. Every once in a while he would have Naruto drop another batch of clones, henge them and send them out in different directions. After remaking the clones that were carrying Jiraiya Shikamaru could see the chakra drain taking it's toll on the blond. None of the other team clones that he had sent out had met with Kabuto or Orochimaru.
Shikamaru was unsure how to take that news. It would be nice to have a location on the duo but it would also mean they were closer than was strictly comfortable. They stopped to take soldier pills and drink water as the sun was coming up. They were still heading away from Konoha but he had determined early on that they wouldn't take a direct route to the village, that had been before when he thought that Jiraiya would be awake and at least semi-ambulatory. Dragging him was definitely slowing them. Shizune checked him again as they stopped.
"He's physically fine, a few abrasions and a nasty bruise on his temple. He should be awake. I don't understand it." Naruto took this to mean that the sage was bluffing, getting a free ride and kicked the man. When he didn't move Naruto blushed a bit and asked them not to pass along that particular episode.
They traveled well into that day before finally turning east and all of them looked worse for wear. He wished Chouji was there, he'd almost be able to carry the sanin himself. Still, he didn't have to coerce them into going farther, everyone knew the price of flagging now. Their mission was only half done, they still had to return Jiraiya to Konoha.
Despite his misgivings on the location of Kabuto and Orochimaru, they passed into Fire Country without incident and were entering the gates of Konoha the day after.
The guards at the gate were dressed in black and the village had a pall about it. No one smiled and the usual bustle at the market was gone, all the shops closed and only two people on the street.
After taking Jiraiya to the hospital, Shizune staying there with him, he made his way to the Hokage tower. Only one chuunin was there and explained what had happened.
"The Hokage succumbed to the wounds received by Orochimaru. Tsunade has assumed the mantle of Godaime Hokage." Shikamaru sat down in the middle of the hallway, his feet collapsing under him. The chuunin continued but Shikamaru barely heard him. "If you wish to attend the service, you'd better hurry. You have just enough time to get there." He looked down at himself and realized he was a mess. Between explosions and a non-stop flight back while carrying Jiraiya he was dirt crusted and sour smelling. Naruto was crushed, his head hanging and the beginnings of tears in his eyes. Even Neji's face was grim.
"Should we get cleaned up first?" Naruto asked, looking down at himself as well.
"No, I'd rather pay my respects first." Shikamaru heard his voice but he didn't recall making the effort to speak.
He stood and with Naruto and Neji in tow they made their way to the memorial stone. They needn't have worried about cleaning up, almost the entire village had turned out for the service and they were just another face in the crowd. The shinobi of the village all wore black and were up front but Shikamaru wasn't worried about being a part of the group at the moment.
Tsunade, at a small podium in front of everyone was speaking, "...called the God of Shinobi or the Professor. They were names that never captured who he really was: A father to us all. The lessons garnered from his life will reach far into the future, ever shaping the world that he gave so much to. Remember him, not as a victim, but as the ideals and principals he passed on."
Seeing she was done the Shinobi all filed past Sarutobi Hiruzen's casket and made their respects. Shikamaru didn't want to see him in a box and left as the crowd began to disperse, a thousand things bouncing through his mind.
He walked back to the tower, knowing he would have to brief the new hokage on his mission. He also wanted Tsunade to take a look at Jiraiya, perhaps she could find something that Shizune missed. You really need to start thinking of her as 'Hokage-sama'. He felt in shock. Exhaustion coupled with the news of the Thirds death had made him numb and he couldn't make himself care about trivialities.
It was an hour before Tsunade came walking up the gravel path, her own black garments making for a sharp contrast to the gray stone she walked on. "Back already, Shikamaru?" She asked, her tone light but her eyes looked red, as if she'd been crying.
"Yes, Hokage-sama." She smiled at him.
"There will be plenty of time for that in the future, for today, I don't want to be called the Hokage." Shikamaru nodded, not feeling chastised so much as grateful. It felt traitorous on the day of his funeral.
"Thank you." He said, quietly. She nodded, a small, forced smile on her lips. "I wanted to brief you on our mission as well as ask for your expertise with Jiraiya." She gestured for him to follow her.
"Shizune already told me about his condition, I was about to head over there after I changed. Changing can wait though. She also said that she was unsure about the majority of the plan that you came up with and couldn't give an accurate briefing."
Shikamaru nodded, "I kept it compartmentalized. We were being watched and I thought it necessary." Tsunade waved this off.
"I don't care why you did it, it worked. Just give me the how." She's like my mother, overbearing, strong willed. He sighed and took a deep breath.
"I sent Neji to scout the area. I assumed that, despite his talent, he would be detected and had, at the beginning of the mission, told the team that all instructions would be received in writing. I then lay down a false plan for whoever happened to be listening. I believe it was Kabuto but I can't be sure." He shoved his hands into his pockets as they walked down the street, heading towards the hospital. "The plan was to create clones at one entrance while the actual team went in the other. Neji, a Naruto clone and I all henged ourselves into the form of a few large shuriken. I assumed that Kabuto or Orochimaru would be at the north entrance but it didn't really matter. The shuriken were thrown into the building as if attacking Kabuto, he dodged and we were inside. He dispatched the clones that had attacked and then assumed the southern team was the real one. We found Jiraiya while he was chasing this second false team and Neji indicated to Naruto by means of dispatching his clone, where to place an explosive tag in order to open a way for our retreat."
He paused for a moment, trying to think of the best wording for the next part. "In the plan, six other Naruto clones were placed on the west side of the complex. Five henged to look like us plus Jiraiya, and one to detonate a second set of explosives tags, making the first seem like a diversion when in fact it was the actual means of our escape. The six clones made a break for it, drawing Kabuto's attention and we were free to escape."
Finished he walked alongside the new Hokage in silence. He wanted to curl up and fall asleep right there on the sidewalk but decorum kept him walking. He stifled a yawn. "You should get some sleep." She said, looking over at him.
"I'd rather wait to see what the prognosis is on Jiraiya-sama." Tsunade said nothing but she did not order him away either.
As they entered his hospital room Tsunade began to check him over before snorting in laughter. "It's an old trick, one that the Professor taught us. You can put yourself in a sort of coma-trance to avoid torture. Your body will wake you up for certain things, after three days, generally water is your largest concern but this works as well." She said and pinched his nose shut while holding a hand over his mouth. There was a sucking sound and just as Jiraiya began to turn purple his eyes shot open and he pushed her arms away from him.
"What the hell Tsunade?" He said, yelling. Shikamaru could tell he hadn't quite gotten his bearings yet and they both waited for him to realize where he was.
"Oh...hey." He looked around, scratching an armpit. "Hey!" He shouted again, drawing the ire of a passing nurse as it came back to him. His eyebrows shot up and he grinned in embarassment. "Who do I owe for the free ride back to Konoha?" He said, scratching the back of his head.
Shikamaru grunted, "Naruto mostly. It took five clones to carry you all the way from Orochimaru's hideout, 3 days of travel." He turned to the new Hokage, "If he's fine, Tsunade-sama, I'm going to turn in. Oh, I have your money when you want it, I know I've been forgetting." Tsunade looked at him quizzically and then shook her head.
"I don't want your money, I can't go bankrupting my clans. I didn't help Chouji much at all anyways." Shikamaru nodded. One less thing to worry about at least. He bowed to the both of them and left, making his way back home.
Tsunade sat on the corner of Jiraiya's bed and broke the news about the third to him. They had both known it was coming but it was still a hammer-blow to the hermit. They walked to a restaurant and shared a bottle of sake, reminiscing about the old man. It was getting on towards night when they finished their second bottle.
"Who'd he send after me, how'd that mission turn out?" He asked, slurring slightly.
"You're here aren't you? Worked pretty damn good." She took another swig from the actual bottle, not bothering to pour anymore and then handed it to him. "It was that Nara you saw at the hospital."
Jiraiya blinked at her, "The one that left me in the first place?"
Tsunade laughed, "Do you blame him? A mission is a mission is a mission."
"Of course I don't blame him, I would have made them leave if they hadn't done it themselves, I'm just saying."
"Just saying what?" She asked, giving him the hairy eyeball.
"You know...he could have wanted to help me." Jiraiya said, half into his cup and quietly.
Tsunade waggled a finger under his nose, "Don't be such a baby. He demanded to be the one to come get you, he's just got his own priorities."
Jiraiya snapped his fingers, "I forgot about that, how'd the Akimichi turn out? He was hot about getting you back to the village to help him out."
Tsunade took another drink. "Can't mold chakra anymore, not a lick. I told him he couldn't be a ninja if he couldn't mold chakra and you know...I think he was going to tell me where to stuff my opinions if he wasn't so polite. He said he was going to just train with Rock Lee and Mito Guy. Did you know Lee can't mold chakra either? Doesn't stop them...nope."
She looked at the bottle. "What was I saying?"
"Chakra molding." He said, taking a last drink from the bottle as she handed it to him.
"Put it in a refrigerator." She laughed, her voice loud and brassy. "Anyways, I'm telling this kid he can't be a ninja and he just laughs it off. It was him as much as anything that made me want to stick around this time. Did you know he saved the entire Academy from Orochimaru? You remember the last time Orochimaru dipped his fingers into the academy?" The toad hermit nodded but she continued anyways. "Fifty students died."
The toad sage nodded, hiding the bottle behind his leg surreptiously. "What was a genin doing rescuing me in the first place?"
"Not a genin anymore, Hiruzen-sensei promoted him, he's a full fledged special-jonin." Jiraiya blinked at this.
"He worded it like a temporary thing on the promotion scroll but I'll be damned if I'm going to drop him back down to genin, not after he outsmarted Orochimaru twice. I'll keep him limited to B-rank missions and under until the next chuunin exam, demote him and then re-promote him when he finishes."
"You're assuming he'll participate." Jiraiya said, his head propped up by his hand. Tsunade shrugged, she was pretty sure he'd participate. Even if I have to make it a rules-be-damned mission.
They passed a few minutes in silence, Tsunade occasionally looking for the sake bottle only to forget about it again.
"Lets go swimming." He said, out of the blue.
"Where?" She said, grinning at him.
"Your place." He said, leaning in closer. She snorted at him.
Tsunade eyed him suspiciously. "The Hokage estate doesn't have a pool." Jiraiya wiggled his eyebrows at her and princess Tsunade, granddaughter of the Shodai Hokage, legendary sannin and Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure, giggled.
Anbu-Dave
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