A Shadow's Touch
-.-
D/C: I own nothing.
-.-
"Like I was saying…" Shikamaru said as he and his teammates as they escorted the Tenro family. "The system they are implementing in the Academy is a total drag that it gives so much trouble to everyone with glaring problems."
Enzo Tenro watched the three genins gather up said bandits and missing-nin in a timely manner. All the while the three young Shinobi's had several discussions about certain and random things that all had to do from their current topic to politics, tactics to herbal medicines, and all the way down to eating habits. It is…off, very off for Enzo to see and hear.
He had expected for these boys to be showoffs or be frightened to see what exactly they had signed up for. It was obvious that none of the boys have an exact love to fight, despite the fact all of them have what it takes to be formidable Shinobi in their own right of course. The only thing they enjoy fighting about is politics, strategies, intellect and comparing everything and anything. They fought with their minds and they gain knowledge than a broken bone. Well, except for the bruised ego.
"You guys have all wrong." Shikamaru drawled out interrupting Itachi and Kabuto discussion about the up and downs of the famed Akimichi Three Colored Pills they have heard about. "If someone from outside the clan or does not have a big frame, they would die before they even have a chance to fight. Like the both of you, the reason it is forbidden is that the pills use all the fat from the body to increase the power by a hundred. It is highly dangerous as it will emaciate the user and kill them if they do not have the adequate boy fat and experience."
"…I thought they only made them skinner?" Itachi asked slowly, taking in the information.
Kabuto looked away from them, his ears red. He is the one that is extensively learning about medicine and has a source who has an enormous amount of information, and he did not know about that.
"Now…if we are talking about soldier pills…" Shikamaru began to say and went on with lecturing Itachi and Kabuto about the pros and cons of soldier pills.
"They sound like a bunch of pansies." Ryuka huffed out staring at the boys. The young heiress had expected more from the boys. So much for famed prodigies…
The sound branches snapping, and scuffled leaves sounded out, it quickly put the Tenro Family on high alert. As for Raido and his team, they only continued with their conversations. The only difference is the topic of conversation.
-.-
"Who are all of you to dictate what I, my family and clan in general can and cannot do?" Shikaku stated, he sat in his spot in the council room. He sat on the Shinobi side of the council room with his normal bored expression, but his eyes say otherwise. They stared at the council members in annoyance, who were they, simple civilians, to put in their black and white views onto veteran shinobi who have seen the world in a wide spectrum. "Again?"
"It's for your own safety, Nara-sama." One of the civilian councilmembers piped up, but quickly stopped talking when Inoichi stared down at him.
"You are one to talk about safety." Inoichi shot back at the man, jaw clenched. Said councilmember looked shortly offended but backed down with a huff. That is one idiot down, and half a village worth more to go.
"Even if you are known as the smartest man in the Land of Fire." One of the more ignorant members stated. "You are by far o-"
"Actually…My son is giving me a run for that title." Shikaku interrupted him with a yawn. "The kid has an innate thirst for knowledge."
Almost everyone shrugged their shoulders in agreement.
"Making friends from different walks of life." Fugaku mentally nodded his head, Itachi is starting to spend more time at the Nara compound than in his own home, Inochi and Choza nodded their heads in agreement, their kids are complaining about how bored they are without their friend to bother. "Mysteries and solving problems."
"Does your son know about the Uzumaki's secret?" Danzo asked Shikaku.
"Not yet." Shikaku responded he stared at Danzo with a calculated expression. "He will soon, he has been questioning why everyone hates Naruto. Furthermore, I have not told him anything nor has my wife. If the gossip continues on how it is, it won't be long."
"How do you believe that Shikamaru Nara would respond once he does, Nara-Sama?" Hiruzen asked the Nara.
Shikaku leaned back in his chair. "The first time Shikamaru had once asked me why everyone avoided Naruto like the plague. I asked him what he felt about Naruto; he responded that Naruto is stupid but a funny kid."
-.-
"This is so troublesome." Shikamaru muttered as he wiped his jacket with a rag. "This is going to take forever to take off. Why did you make that guy head explode Raido-sensei, I nearly had him in my trap?"
"He was going to kill you." Raido deadpanned, he pulled out a kunai off his person. "I apologize for trying to save you."
"Apologize after my mom yells at me about ruining another jacket." Shikamaru retorted in disgust, he took off his jacket and stuffed it in his rucksack. Then he took out another jacket and quickly put it on. "Ah, much better."
Raido glowered at the young Nara. "Brat."
"Nah." Shikamaru stuck his tongue out at him before he quickly ran off towards his teammates who were walking along with Enzo.
"Why did I get stuck with those boys?" Raido muttered under his breath as he watched his batch of genin began to discuss the uses of ninja wire. "Oh right, I am the only one that that didn't have a bias about them."
"Excuse me?"
Raido looked down to see Ryuka looking up at him with her jaw clenched. "Yes, Lady Ryuka?"
"What does he supposed to do?" Ryuka demanded, she pointed at Shikamaru. "He never once fought against any of the bandits but he…He just stood there while you and the others did all the work!"
"Ryuka." Lady Tenro hushed her daughter, she gave an apologetic smile to Raido. "My apologies, she is…"
Raido cleared his throat and waved her off politely. "It is quite alright. To answer your questions, you must pay closer attention to Shikamaru. He did most of the work."
-.-
"The other kid is a Nara, isn't he?" Enzo asked Kabuto and Itachi.
Kabuto and Itachi glanced at each other and then at Enzo. They mentally debated how to respond to that after much considering what Enzo wanted to confirm and whom it is about. "Yes, he is."
"He seems…" Enzo tried to say but could not find the words to say.
"Not so lethargic?"
"Unnaturally determined."
"Skilled beyond his age."
"A know it all."
"Troublesome, know it all."
"Devious brat."
"Remember that one time?"
"Ugh, don't even get me started…"
"Or that other time…"
"Or the time that I trapped you both and made you guys do the cha-cha during market day in the village." Shikamaru deadpanned as he entered the conversation.
Kabuto and Itachi paled. 'He hasn't done that to us…yet.'
"What were you guys talking about?" Shikamaru asked the other three with an eyebrow raised, "If this has to do with my age…"
"It actually has to do with your lineage actually, Shikamaru-kun." Kabuto said with a nervous laugh. As of late, Shikamaru has been practicing his family technique against his teammates, at the most inappropriate times. Now doing the cha-cha during one of the busiest days, market day of all days, no one would never let them down about it. "How you are able to utilize them in the highest manner."
"And how you were able to come up with a plan with precise ease." Itachi said, and then he added in as an afterthought. "As a seasoned Shinobi."
"...That still has to do with my age." Shikamaru deadpanned, staring at his friends with a bored look. "Just because I am four, from the Nara clan and young, it does not mean I am not capable of being Shinobi."
"None of you act like you are actual Shinobi," Enzo stated to Team Four. This was wrong, they were wrong to even pass them off as Shinobi. They seemed more like pacifist than fighters when they do fight they either ensure that all enemies stay alive with the minimum damage or if ordered by their sensei, kill them in the quickest and efficient manner. They leave no room for error. Not what he is used to back at his village. "None of you have the will to fight."
"I do not like to fight, but if it is necessary." Itachi said glancing up at the older man with an impassive expression, "I will do everything for the village."
"My main goal is to become a great medical-nin." Kabuto said with a smile that does not seem to reach his eyes. "I want to follow the Legendary Slug Princess teachings in the medical arts."
Enzo stared at Shikamaru waiting for the youngest to say his part. All he saw is a pensive look on Shikamaru. "And you?"
"I got bored." Shikamaru stated with a yawn. "And I hate seeing people being treated like trash."
"Which would be the reason why you beat up all the kids that bullied your friends, trash the T&I department more than once, trick the Anbu, prank everyone that even looks at them wrong…" Kabuto counted off all the things that Shikamaru did for his friends.
"Actually, I never really lifted a finger against anyone from the village." Shikamaru stated. "Expect for Naruto, and you guys."
-.-
"Bored, bored, bored, bored… I AM BORED!" Naruto yelled as he hung upside down off a branch bored out of his mind. He had yet again escaped the clutches of the orphanage's handlers, random Anbu/Jonin/Chunin that want to hurt both emotionally and physically/maim/kill him and the random civilian. Normally he would go to the Nara main household or deer ranch but Shikaku has been busy with meetings and Yoshino is at the market. Naruto would have gone with her, but the last thing he needed is for Yoshino to cause a scene over him, again.
'I've already mastered tree and water walking.' Naruto mused as he swayed side-to-side. 'Stinky-sensei is over pilling me with homework. Which seemed so useless compared to what Shikaku-sama has been teaching me…'
"Naruto."
"Hm?" Naruto looked down to see a kid from the orphanage. "Oh hey, Jun."
Jun is the same age as Naruto and his bunkmate at the orphanage; he has short black hair, dark eyes, and demi pale skin. He has been living at the orphanage for the past month. "Mi is looking for you again
Mi, the orphanage primary caretaker, had made Naruto's life at the orphanage a literal living hell. It if was not for the Nara clan, Naruto was not sure if he would have lived any longer under Mi care.
"What does that old hag want now?" Naruto said as he let go of the branch and landed in front of Jun with a light thud. "Because you know how she looks for whatever excuse to punish me."
"No, she wants you to redo your room." Jun said with a monotone voice. "I am moving out."
"What?" Naruto said taken aback, "What happened?"
"…I am being taken in by one of the elders of the village." Jun stated he signaled for Naruto to follow him to the orphanage.
"Which one? The mummy face?"
"..."
To be continued…
R/R.
