A hit in the head, and all is forgiven...
Three days later
It was early in the morning; everything was quiet for the morning. The birds are chirping, the village began it construction from the attack, people plotting away... just another normal day in Konoha.
Shikaku and Yoshino were fast asleep. While the other two occupants were wide, awake. Too bad that they can't do much due to the fact they are teenagers in baby's bodies. They were sharing the same crib, due to the fact they did not have anywhere to put Naruto, and it was big enough for them.
The Nara's and Naruto did not leave the home due to the fact they had to deal with affairs that dealt with the Clan. Therefore, there was not much time to go anywhere and due to the restoration of the village. Mainly it had to do with the fact many people are still mourning and seek any sort of vengeance against Naruto. Apparently, word still spread around...
Naruto could only sigh in both relief and in joy. This was as close to a family setting he has ever gotten. At least he did not have to go to the orphanage this time around.
However, when did this became part of the deal. If only he could speak and ask the napping baby next to him.
Following example, he decided to take a nap, babies need their nappy time.
Yoshino woke up first; she got ready and went to see the boy, leaving her husband to rest, closing the door behind her. She had an extra pep to her walk.
The moment that she closed the door, Shikaku sat up in his bed, with his eyes still closed. "You can come in. She tends to take a while with them."
The window opened, and a head poked through, the person then proceeded to claw their way into the room. "Shikaku… whose idea was to bring me back…"
Shikaku opened his eyes and looked down at Tomoko, who looked like she's spent several rounds going up against Tora. "When you went missing, she went into depression. Plus… in your papers you are missing in action and not killed. The only one who knows was the fourth. Yes, that the third and all the bag of bones knows, but only the cover of a cover story. Who do you think led and is still leading the investigation? I changed it so that it made it look like you had a possibility of returning. A small one but …"
Tomoko stood up. Her hair was disheveled, her dress looks torn from several places and her hat looks like it got torn to shreds.
"What happen to you?"
"I ran into Tora." Tomoko deadpanned.
Shikaku couldn't help but snort, he was right.
"I ran into Hatake." Tomoko stated as she tried to fix herself.
Shikaku narrowed his eyes at all the possible scenarios that could have occurred. "How…"
"I ended up at the Hatake compound and he was there." Tomoko sighed as she walked back towards the window. "So, what now… I wasn't part of the plan."
Shikaku sat there, thinking of a plan. Then he went into detail what he wanted her to do. Tomoko nodded her head, glared at him, shivered in fear then finally agreed to the plan.
Tomoko nodding her head. "I'll look the part of a missing nin returning home. Just make sure that you are there at that time."
She then proceeded to climb out the window and left the compound.
Shikaku sat there for another moment. Then the door snapped open.
"Come help me with the boys!" Yoshino snapped at him before she slammed the door behind herself.
Shikaku smiled at that. When he died, he never thought he would hear her voice again. Or anything else for that matter, as evident of last night activities…
Smirking to himself, Shikaku got up and got dressed for the day.
Yoshino had Shikamaru and Naruto dressed. She had Naruto dressed in her son's clothes. They wore the same thing, a forest green onesie, a little cap and mittens.
She cooed at the two of them.
A solemn expression came to her face. She found out a few days ago her younger sister went missing. She was sent out onto a mission and she never returned. Her husband has been the main person in the lead of the investigation. So far, there was nothing.
Arms circled around her from behind her causing Yoshino to break out of her thoughts. "We're going to have to go shopping for the little guy."
"Yes." Yoshino agreed, as she leaned back towards her husband. "Now come on, we need to go."
"Go, go where?" Shikaku said.
Yoshino gave him a glare, "To pick up things for the boys. Now we need double of everything"
Shikaku let out an irritated sigh. She was right, they needed to get things for Naruto and for Shikamaru as well. However, if they go out now with Naruto… he rather not thinks about it. Shikamaru told him some of the things that Naruto had told him personally. "No, you stay here; I'll go get them."
"Why, I have to make sure it's the right things?" Yoshino said, as she pulled away from him. "You know that I can ta-"
"Yoshino." Shikaku said in a serious tone. "Think about it. Half of the idiots in the council wanted the kid dead. What would happen if they see him in the village in plain sight?"
Unbeknownst to them, Naruto began to tremble. Shikamaru watched as his dad tried to convince his mother to stay with them. By the looks of it, he was winning. Then he looked at his friend trembling. Grabbing one of his stuff animals, he gave it to him. Naruto stopped and looked at his friend. Smiling Naruto held on to the toy for comfort. Shikamaru gave him a nod.
"Alright, just make sure you get the right things. I'm going to make a list, if you miss one thing…" Yoshino warned her husband.
"I know dear..." Shikaku grumbled, as he watched Yoshino make the list of things she wanted him to get. Which made him to take care of the babies, he saw Naruto hugging a stuff deer, and while his own son was taking a nap… he thinks he's taking a nap.
"To imagine what you had to endure the last time, Naruto." Shikaku whispered.
Naruto looked up to him he shrugged his shoulders.
A knock was heard from the front door. Shikaku summoned a shadow clone to answer it. He turned around when the clone dispelled itself showing him the memoires.
"Shikaku-sama." Said one of his clansmen said walking up to them.
"Ryou, what's going on?" Shikaku said, turning around to talk to him.
"There's a mob at the front gates of the compound." Ryou said, in a serious tone. "Apparently they want… something."
Shikaku already had the idea of what they want. They want Naruto. He was sure as hell they are not going to get him.
"They appeared around little less than an hour ago." Ryou said with a bored look. "Apparently the mighty council doesn't understand the part of secrecy."
Shikaku snorted at that. "How close are they from coming in?"
"We told them if they take a single step into the compound then we won't hesitate to kill them." The man yawned. "Troubling people, this came by Anbu just a little while ago."
The younger man gave Shikaku a letter, which was signed by the Hokage.
Shikaku grabbed the letter and he started to read the letter. A frown appeared on his face then it turns back to its usual bored look.
"There, I have everything here that I want you to get… What's going on?" Yoshino demanded, coming back into the living room.
"Ryou, stay here with Yoshino and the boys." Shikaku stated. "I'm going to have a few others come as well."
"Shikaku what's happening?" Yoshino demanded once more. "Are you being sent out to a mission?"
"Yes, but it's here in the village." Shikaku said, to her. Yoshino was about to yell at him, but he quickly cut her off. "I will still have time to get the things."
"Really, then go. Go and see what it is!" Yoshino snapped at him. "I am warning you, if you miss one thing…"
"Yes, you troublesome woman." Shikaku grumbled as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Will don't just stand there make yourself useful!" Yoshino said to Ryou.
Ryou started to grumble, as Yoshino began to tell him what she wanted him to do.
Shikaku headed towards the main gate for the Nara compound. He saw a mob there. They tried to go through the gates, but they were held back by multiple Nara's.
"Kill the Demon!"
"Destroy it!"
"Murderer!"
"Revenge for my family!"
So on…
"Leave or we are going to use force." One of the guards called out to the mob.
"You can't use ninjutsu against civilians." Another guard responded back.
"No but we can get you arrested for causing dam racket!" Someone called out.
Several Anbu appeared around the mob, including several members of the Yamanaka, Akimichi, Aburame, and the Inuzuka clans. The only clan heads there where Inochi and Tsume.
One of the members of the mob, who by the looks of it the leader, came up towards Shikaku. Who was now exiting the gates.
"We demand that little monster to be brought to us" He demanded to him. "In order to officially kill it"
"Under what order?" Shikaku yawned, ignoring the man. He was ordering few of the other Nara's to go back to protect Yoshino and the boys. "As far as I know I don't take orders from you."
"Beat it." Tsume growled, as she walked up to Shikaku. "Shikaku,"
"Tsume." Shikaku greeted back. "Troublesome. Leave before we make you leave."
"We are not leaving until that dem-" the man was cut off by a kunai in the middle of his forehead.
"It been made law to not to talk about an S-class secret." Someone said in a tired tone.
Everyone turned to see Kakashi Hatake sitting on the gate. He was glaring down at the mob. Who all quickly dispersed. The Anbu took the dead man with them and left.
"You know that won't be the last time they do something like that." Inochi stated walking towards his friends.
"Cowards!" Tsume spat out. "Loyal my ass!"
"Tsume now, let's not do anything rash." Inochi said to her.
"I take it you two want to talk about Naruto?" Shikaku said, a few of the people from the other clans walked towards them.
They explained that their clan heads were busy and wanted to talk about Naruto. One from each clan gave him a scroll before leaving.
"What a drag…" Shikaku groaned as he pocketed the scrolls. "I have to go, I have a meeting with the Hokage."
"Right." Inochi said, shaking his head. "I heard several of them plotting on how they were going to kill the kid I came here as soon as I could"
"They ran past my compound doing the same thing." Tsume said in her ruff voice. "Talk about staying low and out of sight."
The other two nodded their heads towards Shikaku and headed back to their own homes.
-.-
Anko sat in a seat in the Hokage's office. She has been in the T&I, and to say she was severely disappointed with the way they work. When she gets back to work… ohhh there is going to be serious changes. Her thoughts went back too earlier to that day when she bumps into someone coming here to the office. It is going to be a long morning too.
The Hokage was sitting behind his desk doing his paper work. She can hear him grumbling how the fourth seemed to want to torture him even in the afterlife.
Anko had quickly explained what had happened to her former teacher and all his experiments. Including the locations of labs and hiding. (Actually, it was only the major minor locations. They need to have the snake in the scene; they just do not want him screwing around and change everything)
Then the door opened to reveal, Shikaku Nara.
Anko inwardly smirked as Shikaku gave her a bored look.
"Finally, a break." The Third sighed as he put his pen down.
"Hokage-sama." Shikaku greeted him as he walked in.
"Shikaku." Hiruzen greeted. "Take a seat."
Shikaku took a seat and crossed his arms.
"Uhm… Hokage-sama?" Anko said in fake concern. "What's going to happen now, we can't just stay here? She can be anywhere, or she can be dead"
Hiruzen let out a sigh. "Shikaku is there any updates of the Akira case?"
Shikaku let out a breath. "Yes Hokage-sama, a small one but it's a major one if my theory is right. What does that have to do with the gir?"
Shikaku nodded his head towards Anko. Anko had to fight back an irritated twitch.
The older man gave him a long stare. "This is Anko Mitarashi, she is the former apprentice to… Orochimaru. Anko this is Shikaku Nara, he is leading the investigation towards Tomoko Akira… disappearance."
He hesitated at the last bit since that could be an understatement with the information now.
"Your leading the case about Tomoko-senpai?" Anko said looking up at Shikaku. "Then you can help me then."
"Yes, and what do you need help with" Shikaku said, then he looked at the third "The update that I have found, was that we discovered residual chakra in the area. It was confirmed that it belonged to Tomoko Akira."
"Yes, but they could just be left over" Hiruzen stated, he was told that Tomoko did a Ninjutsu seal. The reports stated once that the she did it, it was the last time she was seen. It was a mystery. But in total the seal she used requires a sacrifice to be done. Still… "or they could be left after…"
Anko grew impatient. "Hokage-sama, I personally saw her. She was running off, and she looked lost and confused. I believe she had amnesia or something."
"Why didn't you try to contact her?" Hiruzen asked.
Anko hesitated, "It was when I was thinking of doing that, but I couldn't because, I was worried that snake would do something to her."
The other two nodded their head in agreement. Tomoko had a special ability, which only she can use and only be taught by her; if she wishes it, of course. If Orochimaru got a hold of her…
Shikaku put on a serious face, he was thinking of a plan. Of course, he already had one. But the third didn't know it. By the sounds of it, Anko knows the plan already.
"We have to find her before anyone else. If she is found by someone and manipulates her memories, then we are going to have a problems" Shikaku said.
"She can be anywhere by now." The third said shaking his head. "She was last seen a week ago, she can be anywhere by now. We don't even know if she is still in the land of fire."
"Tomoko Akira, where the hell are you, you troublesome girl." Shikaku sighed as he stood up
Like as if the heavens had heard him. A portal appeared on the ceiling, just above Shikaku and Anko.
Coming out of the portal, a very Tomoko fall out of it and hitting her head against the desk with a loud bang.
The three stood in their spots, trying to process what just happened.
'This wasn't part of the plan' Shikaku and Anko thought as they saw the girl trying to get up, while holding her head. That was now bleeding.
"Wha-" The Third Hokage was in shock to say the least.
"Oooowwww" Tomoko groaned holding her head. "What the name of death hit me?"
Tomoko looked around to see the three strange looking people staring at her. "Where am I… Oh hello Hokage-sama?"
With that, she fell back with another bang. More silence…
"We found her…?" Anko laughed nervously.
"What a drag…" Shikaku sighed looking down at the teen. Who was now covered in blood. His mind went to what he was told. Kakashi did not tell the third that he had seen Tomoko. It has been three days. That would explain why he looks even more down than before.
-.-
Kakashi stood in front of the hospital. His hands in his pockets in to hide the fact they were turning white due the strain of keeping them in fists for so long and head down forcing the tears away. He has just been told that Tomoko Akira was back in the village and in the hospital. That apparently, she used a substitute in the last minute with an enemy. Including that she was wandering around the land of fire until she suddenly appeared in the Hokage office.
Taking in a deep breath, Kakashi made his way inside.
-.-
Yoshino Nara was in a hospital sitting next to a bed; on that bed, rested her younger sister, Tomoko Akira. Shikaku was doing the paper work for Tomoko. Shikamaru and Naruto where being taking care of by Choza and his clan.
"What happened to you, Tomo-chan?" Yoshino whispered, as she moved her sister's bangs from her face.
"Wha-what happened?" Tomoko groaned waking up.
"Tomoko!" Yoshino cried, hugging her sister.
"Yoshi-Gulp- you're-wheeze-pain!" Tomoko croaked as she tried to get free.
Yoshino let her go and then glared at her. "What were you thinking of running off like that. What was in that head of yours?"
Tomoko looked up to her sister. She didn't want to tell her of the actual reason she left. The only person she told was Shikaku. That's because Kakashi told him when he was looking for her.
"I… Do not remember." Tomoko said, that was partially true. The hit she took did mess up some of her memories. She knew she was upset with Kakashi, she just can't seem to remember why. "All I remember is going to the Hokage office for a mission. After that it's gets all blurry. Where's Kakashi?"
"We really need to get you caught up. He's here in the hospital. I sent him to get some food for himself." Yoshino sighed as she walked towards the door. "A lot has happened since you left for that mission. I'm going to get a doctor."
As Yoshino opened the door, she saw that Kakashi had his hand up to knock on it.
"Oh, Yoshino-san…" Kakashi said looking away from her.
"Kakashi." Yoshino said, she nodded her head. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"
Kakashi hesitated for a moment, then he agreed.
Yoshino closed the door and headed into an empty room.
"What is it you wanted to talk to me, Yoshino-san?" Kakashi said.
Yoshino frowned at him, before it turned into a worried one. "I want to talk to you about Tomoko."
He tensed at that. "Is she okay, what happened to her?"
Yoshino raised her hand to him to silence him. "She's okay. She appeared in the Hokage's office using her abilities. But she hit her head and apparently has a case of amnesia."
Kakashi froze at Yoshino's words. "Does she still…Remember me still me?"
"She asked for you." Yoshino said I her usual voice now. "Now I want you to go in there and help her. She's going to need help."
Kakashi nodded his head and headed towards the room. He paused momentarily before he knocked softly.
"Come in."
Kakashi hesitated for a moment then he opened the door. "Tomoko"
Tomoko looked up at her eyes opened wide. "Kakashi… are you going to stand there or what."
Kakashi let out a small sigh of relief. She wasn't going to get him to get out or run off. In one second Kakashi ran to Tomoko and hugged her tightly.
Tomoko was taken by surprise. "Kakashi."
Tomoko hugged Kakashi back unsure of what was going on.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" Kakashi began to say in the crook of her neck.
"What happened before I went to that mission, that made you sorry." Tomoko asked him as she tried to pull away. "What happened when I was gone?"
Kakashi tensed up at that. He let go of her and sit on the chair that Yoshino was sitting on. Holding her hand, "A lot has happened. Far too much."
"Kakashi what happened. I know that I should be mad at you, but I don't remember why." Tomoko said looking into Kakashi's eye.
He looked down at his lap, looking his hand holding hers. "I said something that made you… go on that mission."
Tomoko didn't say or do anything. Kakashi took that as a sign to leave. Then Tomoko quickly hugged him. It shocked him.
"You know that most would have lied." Tomoko murmured to him. "But… hey what are you going to expect."
Kakashi fell into her embrace. "I shouldn't have said it."
"Okay now stop that!" Tomoko snapped at him. "I don't even remember what happened to stop. Now do you want me to steal all your masks again? You know I will."
Kakashi in the first time in days began to laugh a small one but still. "Nice to know your back."
"Sure, it is." Tomoko said, as she laid back down on the bed. "Now tell me what happened in the last few days. Oh, one more thing, what did I tell you about wearing that mask when we are alone."