A Shadow's Touch
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D/C: I own nothing.
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"This is mine."
"Yes, it is."
"All mine."
"Yes."
"Mine."
"This is all yours." Yoshino said pushing Naruto gently into a well-lit room. The room is an average size room with a light wooden bed frame with orange and black comforters and pillows right below a large window in the room, a nightstand, a dresser, and desk. Decorated all around the room are random plants. "Do you like it?"
Naruto looked around the room with unshed tears, he had never seen this room before and he has been at the Nara home multiple times. He mostly stayed in Shikamaru's room or in another room. He tightly gripped a small bag that held his belongings, mostly things he primarily needed at his stay at the orphanage, all the rest of his things were already in the Nara home for safekeeping. "Mine, mine."
"It's yours, now enjoy it." Shikaku said, with a lazy smile.
Naruto grinned widely, he let out a loud whoop running towards his new bed and jumped on it. "It's soooo comfy…Does this mean I can stay here permanently?"
"Yes…I already talked to the Hokage about it."
Earlier…
"It is better for Naruto's sake that he stays in the orphanage, Shikaku." Hiruzen said as he smoked out of his wooden pipe. "I am doing my best that he stays safe from everyone."
"From whom exactly, Lord Hokage." Shikaku asked staring at the elder Konoha council members with what could be perceived as a look of anger that only a Nara could do, "From outsiders? What we want is for Naruto to be safe in the village."
"It is in the interest of the village tha-" Koharu began to say but was cut off as Shikaku raised his hand to silence her and the other elders.
"We all know that even if all of you are the grand elders of the village." Shikaku drawled out, he looked at each of the council members, Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado as he continued. "I have the final word in what happens in my Clans land. Is that understood?"
All tightlipped, they nodded. They could not go behind the words of the Nara's head due to a promise made even before any of them were born.
"Good." Shikaku yawned as he turned around to leave. "The sooner I have Naruto live with my family, there is less of a possibility of him to turning rogue and bent on revenge on everyone that treated him like crap and wanted to kill him. Why would anyone treat someone that holds the power to destroy a village like crap is beyond me?"
With that Shikaku left the room leaving the others in their thoughts.
"It's been less than five years since the Nara used that power against…us." Danzo muttered under his breath, "All for what!"
"Danzo." Hiruzen said sharply, Danzo huffed but remained quiet.
"The last time he used that power was to protect the child." Koharu said in memory of that time ago.
End of Flashback…
"Everything is taken care of." Shikaku said with a slight smile. "Now it's getting pretty late, get some rest."
"My bed?"
"Just get some sleep brat."
-.-
"Finally." Raido let out a sigh of relief as he and the others entered Yumegakure. "We finally made it…"
"I do not want to fight you!" Shikamaru snapped at Ryuka. "Raido-Sensei, can we leave like now?"
"Just fight me!" Ryuka demanded of the Nara.
"I do not want to fight you." Shikamaru said, he quickly ran off in a seemingly random direction. "You troublesome girl!"
"What was that!" Ryuka shouted and quickly chased off after Shikamaru.
"We are so close, yet so far from all this nonsense." Itachi muttered under his breath, as he began to follow the two younger children. "I am going to go after them, it seems that Shikamaru finally had enough."
"Tell him to hurry it up, and not to provoke any of the locals." Raido sighed resisting the urge to pull his hair out. They are far behind schedule, they have at least one or two more hours of daylight and they have exactly five days to get to wind country. "We have to leave soon."
"What is your student going to do with my daughter?" Lady Tenro asked worriedly.
"He is finally accepting her challenge, Lady Tenro." Kabuto said with a smile. "The moment we left the village, Shikamaru had begun to plan out all the ways to fight against Ryuka-chan."
"…He's been planning this hasn't he?" Enzo asked Raido, all he got as a response is silence from the Jonin.
"Shikamaru-kun did not want to fight against Ryuka-chan while on the mission." Kabuto said fiddling with his glasses. "He has been planning this to ensure that he does not get the blame."
-.-
"This is a drag." Shikamaru yawned as he stood across from Ryuka, who was trapped in a Kagemane. "I guess I should have expected less from you. What a drag."
Ryuka gritted her teeth, she only had managed to get in a few hits but Shikamaru had managed to block and counter her every step of the way. Right when she thought she had him, the Nara was always several steps ahead of him. Now she is at his clutches. "I will make you pay…"
Shikamaru stuffed his hands in his jacket's pockets and Ryuka mimicking his movements every step of the way. "Look…I need to conserve my chakra because we have to leave soon and I don't want to waste it on fighting against you."
"I am going to kill you!" Ryuka yelled at him and continued to struggle to no avail.
"Hm…" Shikamaru smirked before he puffed out in a gray smoke as he did Ryuka stumbled forward and fell down face first.
"I am going to kill him…"
-.-
"That was rather harsh." Itachi murmured to Shikamaru as they ran towards the main gates of Yumegakure. "She is going to seek revenge."
"Wouldn't be the first." Shikamaru snorted, he rubbed his shoulder and winced as he did. "She sure packs a punch though."
"Have Kabuto look at it." Itachi mused.
The two quickly arrived at the main gates to only see Kabuto conversing with an older man. Whatever the conversation was about, it was obvious that the man had a clear dislike toward Kabuto but the latter seemed to take it in stride. "I assure you Gensui-san, Konoha is more than capable care of our own," Kabuto glanced over his shoulder and waved at Itachi and Shikamaru. "Hey guys."
Gensui glared down at Kabuto and at the other two boys, his glare deepened as he walked off.
"An elder of the village." Kabuto stated to his teammates as they walked towards the gate. "He has great distaste towards foreign Shinobi."
"Where's Raido-Sensei?" Shikamaru asked he kept looking over his shoulder. "We have to go."
"He has to talk to our clients before we leave, it won't be that long before he returns." Kabuto answered him, he raised an eyebrow at his younger teammate. "Is something that matter?"
"Besides the obvious no," Shikamaru responded, he looked around nervously. "I probably won't have that long."
"You pissed off Ryuka didn't you?"
"For all of our safety, I am going to go hide…"
-.-
"I-I-I-I-I-I-I….BY THE RAMEN GODS!" Naruto screamed, he pointed in disbelief at the kid in front of him. "WHAT DID HE DO TO YOU!"
Standing in front of him is the new and not so improved Rock Lee. A bowl haircut, a green spandex suit, orange leg warmers and…his eyebrows seemed to have grown from the last time he had seen him. Which was two days ago…
"What do you mean Naruto-kun?" Lee asked him with a confused look. "I am wearing the new clothes that big brother gave me."
"Your big brother has horrible taste in style." Naruto deadpanned with clear distaste.
"I would say the same about your choice of clothing as well." Lee said pointing at Naruto's clothes.
Naruto is wearing a neon orange t-shirt, bright yellow shorts, and red sandals. Tied around his neck, is a green handkerchief with the Nara Clan symbol sewn on to it. "I made a bet with Shikaku-sama that I could easily sneak into Anbu HQ undetected while wearing this."
"Impossible!" Lee said taken aback by such a thing. "How do you even know where it is at and how do you expect to not get caught?"
"Actually…" Naruto took out multiple photographs and showed them to Lee. The photos are of random Anbu either lounging around, walking down endless halls, meetings, and other things. "I almost got caught by Dog."
Naruto pulled out a photo of an Anbu with a dog mask and silver hair, the Anbu had his nose deep in an orange book. "Right when I thought I was caught, he started to giggle weirdly, and I ran off."
"…You are truly someone with great talent." Lee said in awe at his friend accomplishment.
"Yeah…If you would excuse me, I have to go back home." Naruto said tugging on the collar of his shirt with a clear look of disgust. "Orange is my favorite colors but this is pushing it too far. Seriously though…Is everything alright with you?"
"Everything is more than alright, Naruto-kun." Lee said, he then promptly gave him a good guy pose. His teeth sparkled as he did so, "He taught me this!"
"…As much I appreciate the fact that creepy guy took you in…this is taking things too far." Naruto said shaking his head as he tried to purge his mind of the sight. "Anyway, the reason I wanted to talk to you today is that I am going to be away for a while."
"Where are you going?" Lee asked him. "How long would you be gone?"
"It's another Hidden Village, Sunagakure." Naruto answered with a shrug. "Something about some exam that is taking place over there."
-.-
"Finally…we are here." Shikamaru heaved out, he fell to his knees as he and the rest of Team Four walked past the main gate of Sunagakure in the Land of Wind. He landed face first in the sand. "So…tired…"
"You are humiliating us, Shikamaru." Itachi sighed, his voice remained neutral, but his expression showed clear annoyance. He reached down and grabbed Shikamaru by his rucksack and proceeded to drag him.
"Don't care." Shikamaru grumbled as he was dragged by Itachi. "I never cared, and I never will."
"Where are we supposed to go to first, Raido-sensei." Kabuto asked as he used his backpack as a hat to hide his face from the sun.
"We have to uh…" Raido looked around the village.
"You have no clue what you are doing don't you Raido-Sensei?" Shikamaru asked he glanced up at his teacher. His face dirtied from the sand. "Admit it."
"…You guys are my first team." Raido defended weakly. "This is all new to me."
Itachi and Kabuto glanced at each other and then at Shikamaru. Itachi dropped Shikamaru, who let out a loud oomph, and proceeded to dig through his pocket and took out a large pile of ryo out. "Why do I even bother."
"There goes all my saving for that mission." Kabuto sighed unhappily as he also took out a pile of ryo out of his pocket.
Shikamaru snickered, he sprang up and stretch up with a loud yawn. He took the piles of cash from his teammates with a smirk. "I told you guys that Raido-sensei is completely clueless when it comes to be a teacher."
"You were betting against me." Raido said aghast that his own students thought so little of him.
"You just make things so easy." Shikamaru said offhandedly as he counted off his money. "Lunch is on you guys."
To be continued…
R/R.
