(Thank you so much to anyone who chooses to review. Compliments and criticisms can both help me make this story better, so write whatever you feel)
Mission Non-optional
Through an unspoken agreement, Naruto and I steer clear of each other the rest of the day. Whether or not he knows Kiba was at my house is a mystery at this point; so is whatever's going to happen next in the parade of minor catastrophies.
I spend the morning reading a book on tai jutsu from the enormous collection my father keeps. It calms my nerves and helps me take my mind off my Naruto problem, and this business with Kiba. I don't know why I picked this particular book. Maybe I've spent so long pretending to be trying to improve my tai jutsu that I've actually started doing it. Either way you slice it, practicing with Chouji these past weeks, and now with Naruto, has done the job. My speed is better; so is my hand-to-hand combat. And after all that, all that work, for what? What a waste of time.
Strangely enough, the Hokage sends for me later in the day. On my way there, I put Naruto's jacket on the back of a stool at Ichiraku's – when no one is looking, of course. He'll find in there at some point and in the meantime, it won't be look out of place.
I see Chouji immediately as I approach the Hokage's mansion. He's headed up the stairs ahead of me and I call out to him so we can walk together. Finally, someone normal to talk to; in other words, someone completely out of the loop.
"Hey! Shikamaru!" he says as I catch up to him, "You have gotten faster!"
"Not that much," I reply, self-consciously stuffing my hands into my pockets. We keep walking up the stairs, both looking ahead, lost in our own thoughts.
After a minute I ask him "Do you know what Lady Tsunade wants with us?"
"Extra barbeque sauce and an order of noodles," he replies, licking his lips and gazing into space.
"What was that?" I ask him, laughing. It seems to startle him out of whatever fantasy he was lost in.
"Sorry Shikamaru," he grins, "All that extra training's been messing with my eating schedule. I'm glad we're taking a break now that… I mean…now that we've trained enough."
I'm saved from answering because we're at the door to the Hokage's office. I just nod and pull it open.
Ino's already in there, along with Lady Tsunade.
"It's about time the two of you showed your faces," she whispers to me as Chouji and I join her.
"Don't look at me, I just got the message," I shoot back. Give me a break. Women are always getting angry over the stupidest things.
"Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji," Lady Tsunade snaps from behind her desk. The sound of her voice, even more bossy and grating than my mom's, puts an end to our side conversation at once. "I have a C ranked message I want your team to handle. Do you think you're up to the job?"
"A C ranked mission?" Ino replies. By the tone of her voice, I can tell she's happy about it. Why?
"Yes," Lady Tsunade replies gravely, "What's more, I'm afraid you'll have to do this one without Asuma. He's out on a mission at the moment and this came up very suddenly. It's urgent, but I wouldn't send you out there alone if I didn't think you could pull it off."
"Aren't there any Chunin available?"
The fifth wheels around and growls at me, "Shikamaru, I've never met anyone like you when it comes to shirking your duties."
Chouji lets out a small, nervous laugh and I look over at him.
"Duties? Really?"
"Yeah" he replies, putting a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing. Sure, he doesn't want to risk getting the same treatment as me.
"Shikamaru are you listening–!"
"Okay, okay!" I agree before she can really get going. I can already tell this mission is going to be a drag, but it would be worse if I made her angry. And we would still have to go on the mission.
"What is the mission, Madame Hokage?" Ino asks nervously. Lady Tsunade continues to glare at us for a few seconds before answering her more gently.
"The mission is to capture a group of prisoners who went missing recently from our village. They aren't ninja so it shouldn't be too difficult. However, that is no reason to underestimate them. There are three targets and each one is facing a sentence of no less than ten years. So, you can imagine how desperate they are to avoid being recaptured."
"Do we have any idea where they're headed? And can you tell me anything specific about their fighting styles or weaknesses?"
"Always thinking a hundred steps ahead, hm?" Lady Tsunade asks me, smiling for the first time since I walked in, "I knew I could count on you three."
After giving us all the details she can, Lady Tsunade sends us on our way.
"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen," Chouji says conversationally, as he pulls out a bag of chips and rips the seal.
"This is no time to be eating!" Ino yells, grabbing him by the front of his shirt, "We don't have any time to waste if we're going to catch those prisoners!"
While Ino's busy scolding and Chouji's laughing and stuffing his face, I look over their heads. Naruto is there, partially hidden from sight by the courtyard wall. I can see him peering out at me. My eyes widen in shock for a split second and then I force my expression to remain neutral. Luckily, neither Ino nor Chouji seems to notice. How did he know I would be here?
Naruto is wearing his jacket again. I can tell it's the one I left at Ichiraku's because it's all scuffed up from being left outside on the ground all night. He looks like he wants to talk to me, but I don't see how we could work that out without arousing suspicion. I guess we'll just have to leave it like this until I…
"Hey guys! How's it going?" Naruto walks up to us, smiling brightly.
Or he could just do that.
"We don't have time to talk to you!" Ino screeches, rounding on him. Behind her back, Chouji makes a 'she's crazy' gesture at me. "Come on, Team Ino. Let's go!"
"We've got a mission," Chouji tells Naruto, offering him the bag of chips.
Naruto takes one and smiles in surprise. "Thanks Chouji! What kind of mission?" He's trying to be discrete, but his eyes, which keep darting back to me, don't exactly match his lighthearted grin.
"Some civilian prisoners escaped," I tell him, "and we have to go alone because Asuma sensei is off on another mission."
"Oh," he replies slowly, "Well…it's nothing you guys can't handle."
"You got that right!" Chouji agrees enthusiastically while Ino just stands there looking impatient.
"Right," I say, as I nod and meet his gaze for exactly one second.
As we turn to leave, Naruto calls after us, "How many prisoners was it again? Maybe I should go with you guys!"
"No," I say flatly, not at all amused by his display of gallantry.
"No!" Ino answers at the exact same time, but in a much ruder way. "Now come on, guys!. This mission is my chance to prove myself as a Genin. I can't stand it how Sakura's always showing me up these days"
She heads off in the direction the prisoners were last seen and Chouji and I have no choice but to follow. I fall behind. Chouji raises his eyebrow at me as he assumes the left side of our triangle formation, but doesn't say anything.
As we go, I look over my shoulder at Naruto one last time. His expression is full of meaning that I almost lose my footing. I can read worry there. I wish I could talk to him for just a few seconds but it's just impossible. He looks like he's holding himself back from doing or saying anything incriminating in front of Ino and Chouji. So it seems he's learned a little self-control. Maybe he's maturing after all.
After that, I have to turn my attention back to the front. Not only for my safety, but in case Chouji or Ino happens to look back at me looking back at Naruto. But to my surprise and embarrassment, I see that Chouji is watching me. He meets my eyes and grins.
"We're going to get those prisoners back in no time," he tells me confidently, "And we'll be back before we know it."
"I know," I say, trying to glean some hidden meaning from what he's saying. This is where my paranoia has gotten me. I even think my best friend is onto my little secret.
"That's not the right attitude to have, Chouji!" Ino calls back to us, "This is the first mission we've ever done without Asuma sensei and we have to show the Hokage that we're capable of handling things ourselves."
"Nah, let's just get this over with," I mutter to Chouji and he grains back at me.
"You got it"