!*!*! PAY ATTENTION... MEMBAYAR PERHATIAN... AIRD PA !*!*!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto for two reasons. One, I am not Masashi Kishimoto, nor his doppelganger, and two, I would never have created Sakura, the bitchy little harpy. The only thing that belongs to me are my original characters and the plot in all of its disturbing awesomeness.
After Hisoka had caught up to them, since Naruto had run off in the wrong direction, and Kotone led them in the right direction, they arrived at her house. It wasn't quite what Shikamaru had been expecting, although he wasn't quite sure what he had been expecting. It was an apartment building. The outside was painted a light green, and, of course, moss was growing on the wooden boards. The four-story building looked as if it had been there for years.
"The council wanted Father to move to another place when he became head of the council, but he refused, and we kept living here. We needed a place to entertain and discuss matters with visiting dignitaries, though. The apartment was too small for that, so we expanded. The entire top floor is our house now," Kotone explained as Hisoka pushed open the oddly wide and peeling paint door that led into the building.
The lobby wasn't anything special either, just a normal apartment lobby like you could see in any village. A guard behind the counter bowed as they passed.
Three flights of stairs later, they arrived at the fourth floor landing. Numbered apartments lined the either side of the corridor, and Kotone, after digging out a key, ushered them into apartment forty. The inside of the apartment was completely and utterly different than the outside. First impressions showed smooth bamboo floors, clean, simple artwork on the walls, comfortable furniture in earth tones, and blue walls. As they walked further, with Shikamaru making a mental map of the place in his head, he knew what they had done. All of the walls separating the apartments had been torn down or had doors cut into them.
It was a little odd, but so was finding out that the Yugakure had become a ninja village all of the sudden, Naruto being a female, and even Takeshi didn't seem right to lead a village. He wasn't stuffy and stiff enough.
Voices filtered through yet another doorway. One was easily recognizable as Takeshi's, but the other two were not. One was even deeper and slightly raspy, and the other crisp and polite. Both were male. Beyond a sliding door, three men sat at a table.
One, at the head of the table, was Takeshi, but the other two were unknown. On Takeshi's left, was an older man, with a wild-looking mane of hair that made Shikamaru wonder whether he got his hair cut at the same place as Jiraiya. His face was heavily lined with wrinkles, and a deep, puckered scar wound its way from his temple down the side of his face to his chin, distorting the aged skin. A silver capped cane sat at his side.
The man on his left side was far younger than either of the other two. His light brown hair was neatly cut, and a pair of thin, rectangular lens glasses perched on his nose, obscuring part of his intelligent and pleasant face. His green eyes flickered up from the table to them, and he smiled in welcome.
Shikamaru looked back at him, studying the two new men from half-lidded eyes. The older one was someone of importance, probably from the council. It was all there with the way he carried himself, and looked down at them. He also had seen a lot of action, judging from the scar and the look about the man. Still, there was something off about him, something that Shikamaru couldn't place. He filed it away in the back of his mind to ponder later and moved his attention to the younger man. Young, either a secretary or someone in training for a higher position, some sort of aid. He was a few years older than Kotone, Naruto, Hisoka, and himself. Smart, too. His sharp eyes were constantly watching. Maybe the guy had ninja training?
Takeshi beckoned them forward, and they took their places at the table. Kotone sat on her father's right had side, with Hisako next to her, then Shikamaru, and then Naruto sitting in between him and the unknown young man.
"Kotone! It's about time you got back. I was getting worried. Did you show you friends the village?" Takeshi asked, looking relieved at the sight of her happy and unharmed.
She nodded, "Yes, Kazuo and Hisoka showed Shikamaru around while I showed Naru-chan around and got her some new clothes and then we showed them around the academy. Unfortunately, when we got to the classroom, Yukio sort of acted out and… er… got to know Naruto. And then Kazuo started harassing Anzu, and we decided that we should leave and show Naru-chan and Shikamaru around another day when things weren't quite so… disturbing."
Takeshi laughed, "Yukio's at it again? I hope that Anzu is going easy on him. He does need to be reigned in a little, but I hope she doesn't punish him too much. After all, he is one of our prodigies. It's amazing what the boy can do with seals."
Shikamaru's head shot up. Lady Tsunade had said that the Yugakure had someone who was brilliant with seals, and it was that brat? "He's a prodigy?" he asked aloud.
Hisoka nodded, "Yes. He might not act like it, but he's one of the most talented people I've ever seen when it comes to seals. He keeps creating new ones, too."
Kotone interrupted, her voice prim, "I don't think that Kazuo is exactly a positive influence on him, though."
There was an understatement. Kazuo didn't have the capability to be a positive influence on anyone, unless they wanted to be an irritating, womanizing pervert. Of course, that was just Shikamaru's opinion, but his judgment wasn't that clouded, was it? It was still amazing to think about. Yukio was the one who had created the seal that dispelled henges, which meant that he was the reason that Shikamaru knew that Naruto was a girl. If he hadn't created the seal, then Lady Tsunade wouldn't have sent him to get Naruto, and he wouldn't have found out that he was actually a she. So maybe he was a little grateful to the boy? Only a little.
A door slid open behind them and a woman came in carrying a plate filled with food. She had steel grey hair, pulled back into a tight at the back of her neck, and a weather beaten face. She was wearing a yukata, grey-blue in color, and, if Hisoka was standing next to her, she would probably only come up to his chest. Another person followed her out. It was the exact same woman, then another, and then another. Either they were all identical quadruplets, or she was a shinobi using shadow clone jutsu. The second option sounded a lot more feasible.
Soon, the table was laden down with dishes of food, and Shikamaru was surprised that the table wasn't groaning under the weight of it. The woman retreated to the kitchen, not having said a word the whole time.
Shikamaru glanced sideways at Naruto and wasn't surprised by her expression. It was one of absolute rapture. The table was loaded with miso soup, rice, grilled fish, ramen, yakisoba, yakitori, gyoza, sushi, and more. Shikamaru knew what Naruto was staring at.
"Ramen!" she squealed happily.
Takeshi nodded, "Yes, Katsutoshi is particularly fond of it. Oh, I haven't introduced you all yet. This," he said, gesturing at the older man who hadn't said anything, just simply observed the, "is council member Ozuru Watabe, and this is his aide, Katsutoshi Ushiba."
Naruto, out of the blue, hugged Katsutoshi. "A fellow ramen lover! What's your favorite flavor?"
"M-miso," the poor, startled, and blushing Katsutoshi stuttered, caught of guard.
"That's great! My favorite is miso pork," she beamed. Naruto was the only person Shikamaru knew who could be so enthusiastic about ramen. By now, she had let go of Katsutoshi.
He pushed his glasses back into place and offered a smile, "So, may I ask your names?"
"My name's Naruto! And this is Shikamaru."
"Her boyfriend," Shikamaru added, slinging an arm lazily around her shoulders. He was just staying in character. Yeah, that was it.
"What village are you two from?" the elder, battle-axe of a man, Ozuru asked abruptly.
"We're civilians from Konoha. Naruto is an old friend of Kotone, and we're here for her birthday."
Ozuru stared, or glared, it was hard to tell, and then "humphed," and turned away to talk to Takeshi.
Naruto frowned after him and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Grumpy old codger," under her breath, but then she seemed to remember about the ramen and cheered up immediately. After a short conversation with Shikamaru, Katsutoshi seemed to monopolize Naruto and Kotone. That left Hisako to talk to Shikamaru, and Hisoka was happy to talk. Shikamaru learned a lot about the village, such as the ratio of civilians to shinobi, which was stunningly high at eight to one, their plans for the future, how he had grown up with Kotone, and several other interesting facts. But, after a little, Katsutoshi was enveloped into Takeshi and Ozuru's conversation, and Naruto, Shikamaru, Hisoka, and Kotone formed their own conversation.
Shikamaru kept an eye and an ear on Takeshi's conversation. They were talking about upcoming chunin exams, which were still a little less than a year away, and whether or not they should allow them to be held in the Yugakure. He paid special attention to the two new men at the table. He just couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, especially about Ozuru. Before he knew it, Ozuru and Katsutoshi had stood up and were getting ready to go, and Naruto had eaten six bowls of ramen, much to Kotone's amazement.
Ozuru walked out without saying anything, but Katsutoshi hanged back for a minute. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Shikamaru… Naruto," he said, eyes lingering on Naruto.
Inwardly, Shikamaru was cursing. Was every man they met going to flirt with Naruto?
"Nice to meet you to, Katsu-kun," Naruto said, smiling.
He looked surprised at the nickname, but smiled back. Then he was gone.
Takeshi stretched his back, popping joints, and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I have some paperwork to go through before I go to sleep, but you guys should head off to bed. I'm sure you're tired after your journey here, and I'm also sure that Kotone will want to show you around even more tomorrow, so you should get some rest. Plus, if I'm not mistaken, you have guard duty tomorrow, Hisoka."
Shikamaru nodded at him, finding it too troublesome to actually give a verbal answer.
Hisoka's eyes widened, "I forgot! I need to file some reports, too!" He rushed off. Shikamaru could only guess to his room.
Kotone kissed her father goodnight on his scruffy cheek.
"Goodnight, Takeshi," Naruto said, and then turned to Kotone. "Hey, I'm bunking with you, right?"
Kotone started to agree, but then stopped and stared at Naruto. "What? No! Of course you aren't!" She lowed her voice to a hissing whisper, "You're a… a boy! Even if you look like a girl! You can't sleep in my room."
Shikamaru leaned against the doorway, watching. He already knew what was going to happen.
Takeshi placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Naruto will be sleeping in your room. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but it's for your own safety." He placed a whiskery kiss on her head and then quickly shuffled off before Kotone could raise any other complaints.
Naruto grabbed Kotone into a one armed hug, and said, "Don't worry about it. I look like a girl, right? And right now, I'm pretty sure I'm thinking like a girl. I already think about you as a sister, so you don't have to worry about any perverted stuff. Got it?" She looked and sounded so much like a girl, that Kotone even seemed persuaded. Of course, she really was a girl, not that Kotone knew that.
"Okay… Naru-chan. Come one, I'll show you my, I mean, our, room. Shikamaru? Are you coming?" He gave a grunt in reply and followed them through two more rooms and down another hallways. "This is your room. Naruto and I will be right next-door, and Hisoka sleeps in the room on the other side," she said, pointing, and then disappeared into the room next to it, Naruto following her.
Shikamaru stumbled into the room and briefly studied it. There was a chest of drawers, a bed, a mirror hanging on the wall, a painting of a waterfall, and… A small table with a shoji board on it. Thank Kami. It must have been fate. Now all he needed was someone to play with. Then, he collapsed on the bed. He hadn't realized how tired he was until Takeshi mentioned it. He hadn't even done that much. Maybe fretting about all of the guys hitting on Naruto was tiring… Not that he was fretting. At all. Denial was so comforting, even to a genius.
His eyes closed and felt himself drifting off to sleep.
He was brought back from the edge of unconsciousness by the fluttering whisper of fabric and the mattress dipping as someone sat down. He cracked his eyes open blearily, and then they shot open of their own accord.
Naruto was sitting on his temporary bed, golden hair let down and cascading over her shoulders… wearing a nightgown, a baby blue nightgown made of some almost sheer fabric that ended above her knees and tied with a bow under her bust. It was also quite low cut. Some far away part of his brain realized that the nightgown probably belonged to Kotone, but that wasn't the issue. The issue was that Naruto was in his room, dressed like that, and he was no longer sleepy, not at all.
"Naruto?"
Maybe this was a dream? He wouldn't especially mind.
"Hey, Shika."
She asked something after that, but he didn't answer. Maybe he was asleep after all. He slowly reached out and fingered the material of her dress. He could feel it, soft and silky between his fingers.
"Shika?" Naruto asked, looking at him weirdly.
Suddenly, he realized that he wasn't dreaming and he also hadn't answered Naruto, instead opting to stare at her with glazed eyes. He cleared his throat. "What? Sorry, what did you say?"
"I asked if you if you're alright. You were pretty quiet at dinner."
He nodded quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking. Did something seem wrong about Katsutoshi and Ozuru to you?"
Naruto nodded, "Yeah, something about Ozuru. I don't know quite what it is, though."
They lapsed into silence, which was broken when Naruto said, "I don't know, you've seemed a little grumpy all day. Whatever it is, you can tell me."
How could he tell her that it was because guys kept leering at her? "It's nothing," he said firmly. She probably hadn't even noticed.
She gave him a disbelieving look, and then did something he didn't expect. She curled up on the bed next to him and hugged him, wrapping an arm around his torso, and rested her head on his shoulder. "Well, if you ever feel like telling me, I'm here," she mumbled, and he could feel her lips moving against his shoulder. The position they were in was strangely intimate, not that he minded.
"Troublesome," he answered with a smile. His body was vibrating, and his skin felt like it was burning everywhere her body came in contact with his. Shifting slightly, he propped himself up and gazed down at Naruto, or more precisely, her full, pink, and soft looking lips. Slowly, he leaned closer.
And then jerked backwards as a voice called from the next room, "Naru-chan? Come on, let's go to bed."
"Coming, Kotone!" Naruto called back, rolling off of the bed. "'Night, Shika. See you tomorrow," she said, and then vanished into the night, or at least out into the hallway, leaving a very frustrated Shikamaru glaring at the ceiling.
He'd finally summoned enough energy, and courage, to do something, and… absolutely nothing had come from it, because nothing had happened. And now, instead of being sleepy and content, he was wide-awake, frustrated, and his body, especially a particular part of his body, was not listening to him. "So damn troublesome…" he groaned, trying not to think about what might have happened if Kotone hadn't called. Groaning again, he cursed. He had no idea where the bathroom was, so he couldn't take a cold shower. Sleep was not going to come easily.
Hello, everyone. How are you all? Now, Please don't kill me for taking so long. Hmm... I seem to be pleading for my life an awful lot lately. How unpleasant. Anyway, not that much happened in this chapter, but I needed to set certain things up and make Shikamaru miserable. I'm so evil. I actually got my sibling to read the first few chapters of my story. I think it might have freaked him out a little. His eyes bugged out, and his eye kept twitching. Well, no one expects their younger sibling to write like this, I suppose. I don't see what's so weird about it, but he's a bit of a prude. Just between us, I think I might have been adopted. Right, I will end my rambling now. Thank you everyone for reviewing. I have ninety-nine reviews, seriously. So, if I'm lucky, I'll get one hundred reviews with this chapter. Hint, hint. Thanks everyone. Oh, and by the way, I'm a beta reader now. So, if anyone needs help...
Ja ne,
Rumer
Ice Cold Steel: Hello, hello, hello! So, my last chapter came right one time? That's good. Well, I hope you aren't too busy with homework to read this one, Ice. Aww, and you said you loved me. Really, now? *waggles eyebrows suggestively* Okay, onwards. The sentence about how Naruto had been a boy when she was younger and still a he? It was supposed to be confusing. Iruka and Kakashi are favorite characters of mine, so I wanted to have a pair of teenaged versions of them. Hisoka is a good guy, and Kazuo is just a pervert. He's not quite as cool as Kakashi, but I'm working on it. As for Naruto's reaction about her boobs... yeah, part of her mentality is still that of a guys. Good for Yukio, though. If she really did think like a girl, then he would have gotten a beat down. You felt bad for Shikamaru in the last chapter, right? Well how about this one? Poor guy... He really needs help. I'm starting to think that my chapters are proof of life. Yep... My brain has melted and I never realized how annoying life can be sometimes, but it's worth it and the chapters keep coming! Anyway, hope you like the chapter.
Nero Strauss: Ah! Anko. I haven't forgot about her. She's... wow. Yes, I think Anko meeting a female Naruto would be very interesting, when Naruto and Shikamaru get back to Konoha. I'm not quite as sure about Tobi, but you can definitely look forward to reading about Anko and Naruto. She actually seems pretty similar to Naruto in some ways, although more sadistic. Plus, she is rather hot, even if she's slightly crazy in my opinion. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Shinigami's -Neko-Gaki: Wow... I - how - wow. I'm not quite sure what to say to that review. You actually put some pretty disturbing images into my head. I think I might be slightly scarred for life... Right, moving on. I'm glad you liked the last chapter with Yukio, who does remind me of Naruto a little, Kazu, who should be skinned and rolled in salt, and all of the other weird things that happened. Hope you liked this chapter just as well.
harlequin320: Huh, you really do put update soon at the end of each review. I agree with you on the writing part. I don't really want to read a whole bunch of bad writing of a story that I like. Quality over quantity every time. Good, good. I like humor, so I try to make sure that people laugh at least once when they read my story. Shikamaru is getting more perverted by the minute, although I don't necessarily blame him with Naruto like that, and it seems to be getting to him. I'm sure there are going to be a whole lot more problems in the future. Poor Shikamaru... Well, least Naruto got to eat ramen in this chapter.
Tachi Kagahara: Great chapter, huh? Good. Yeah, Naruto's reaction to Yukio's comment about her breasts was... classic Naruto, well, at least if she still thinks a little like a guy. Sorry it took me so long to update, but please read and review!
Aidis: You're seriously right. I didn't realize that people would think it was yaoi, which looking back in retrospect is completely retarded on my part. Naruto is a guy. Shikamaru is a guy. Enough said. Thanks for telling me. Hope you liked this chapter. This is the first time you've reviewed, isn't it? Or do I have a really bad memory.
hentai18ancilla: I know! A perverted and possessive genius Shikamaru is great, right? I'm not sure whether Sasuke has romantic interest in Naruto, but I'm sure as hell that he's not going to like Shikamaru being all over Naruto, with Naruto's odd mixture of innocence and perverseness. Naruto being a girl is going to be a real shock to a lot of people, though.
krystal: Good to hear it, Krystal. I think Yukio and all of the rest of them should make an appearance in the next chapter as well. So, did you get excited when you saw that the story was updated again?
putu: Yes, poor Shikamaru is right. I felt even sorrier for him in this chapter. He tried to kiss Naruto, but Kotone unwittingly put an end to that. So many questions... Will he ever manage to kiss Naruto? Will he main Kazuo? Will more guys hit on Naruto? Will Naruto get to eat more ramen? Will they be able to save Kotone? Keep reading to find out! Wow, I sound like one of those really bad voice-overs.
-xxCloudEnvyxx-: A comic genius? Me? Well, if you insist. I can feel my ego inflating already. How nice. I'm making you giggle and laugh. My job is complete. I must say, I absolutely loved your review. Really, thank you for it, and I hope you keep reading my story. I'll keep trying to make you laugh. My story is art... what a nice thought. I'm not sure Deidara would agree with your definition of art, but thank you nonetheless.
Sillvog: Yep, Naruto certainly got the attention of Yukio. I know what you mean about Kazuo. He's not my favorite, but him and his perverted ways are growing on me. He's not quite as perverted as Jiraiya, but he's working on it. Thanks for reviewing.
9tailedokami16x: Did... you just call me Kit? Not that I mind, I rather like the name. Did you read my story in two days? All of it? Nice. Anyway, I appreciate that in your demonic eyes my story is awesome. Thanks. Keep reading and reviewing.
free: You do have a point with the logic about just Naruto going to another village, but you've forgotten one thing. Naruto, perhaps stupidly, is completely devoted to Konoha. She would never betray them, and Tsunade knows it. So, if you knew that you wouldn't be attacked by your own warhead, to use your example, wouldn't it make sense to gain the peace treaty? Just a thought. I'm not sure it makes that much sense, but it's how I see it.
narachan: Glad you loveitloveitloveit! I told you, while my updates might be a little slow, and I apologize for that, I am definitely going to keep on with the story. I'm not sure that I can say that I'm doing well, but I'm still writing, so I'm still alive. I think... *pinches self* Yep. I'm still here. Anyway, I always look forward to your reviews, Nara-chan.
Vaughn Tyler: Thanks. Oh, and I like your avatar. It's hilarious.
Cenright: Wow. Thanks. That's a really nice review. I mean, really nice. I try and make sure my story has a plot, even if it's not the most original, and that the grammar is acceptable. So, yeah. Thanks. Please keep reviewing and commenting.
latindragon: You absolutely love it? Well, do you absolutely love me as well? Just kidding. I'm glad you like it. Sorry I made you wait so long for this chapter, but I hope it's worth the wait. I'll get started on the next chapter as soon as possible.
blucross: Jeez, everyone seems to be ganging up on Kazuo. He's not exactly my favorite, but he's not that bad. Sure he's a pervert, grabbed a woman's ass, flirted with one or two others, made a whole lot of sexual innuendos, and is corrupting the youth, but still... Oh, snap. I need to make him more likable, pronto. Before he gets murdered by a girl who he's flirted with one too many times.
Fluffy-luvr: Who doesn't love ShikaNaru? Ignorant boring people with no sense of anything, that's who. I might be going a little far... My sibling doesn't really like them. Oops. Heh heh... Right. Moving on. As I was saying, ShikaNaru stories are great, if they're done right, and, thankfully, people seem to think that I'm doing this one at least partially right. So, glad you love the story, hope it makes you laugh, and there will be more to come.
gabyxx21: I'm glad you like the story, and hope you liked this chapter.