Hey guys! this chapter came out janky the first time I uploaded, strange code on every line, and I only had the un - edited version on my laptop, and since I am at work I didnt have time to do a deep edit and fix all my bad grammar and spelling! just a quick sweep! perks of owning your own business is you can work on your fanfiction at the office without being terrible! Any how, enjoy the chapter, sorry for the wack grammar! better then wack weird code I should think! I am just rambling now.
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The village was just waking up, but I still ran on back streets to keep from being seen, I kept my mask over my nose and head band over my forehead as I ran. Even though I passed the flower shop on my route home I made it to the front step unseen. I quickly loose the hood and mask before bounding in and to my surprise no one was up yet…
This wasn't the temple, what time did they usually get up again? 7 am? So I still had half an hour?
I paced for a few moments before rooting through the fridge. I pull out some breakfast things and get to work, making some omelets, hashbrowns and began brewing the coffee.
At 6:55 am I begin setting the table as I hear the first round of Shika's alarms going off. Then minute by minute another one goes off, until 7 hits and I hear a big huff. "Troublesome." I hear just as feet begin moving around upstairs, but just as I hear my mom ask my Dad who is cooking Shikamaru's door opens, and I bound for him.
"SHIN!" He yells just as I engulf him in a hug.
"Shika!" I greet with a laugh as he hugs me tightly back.
"Shin!?" Mom yells down the stairs bounding down, and suddenly her arms are around me and Shika, and Dads join the fray.
"Oh man I missed you guys!" I laugh as we pull apart and I hug Dad ad Mom separately.
"We weren't expecting you for a few days." Shika noted coming out of the washroom wiping his hands on his pants and sitting down at the table. We follow him to the table all smiling.
"Yeah, turns out I run faster then I remembered." I laughed scratching the back of my neck.
"Wow, this is such a treat!" Mom said happily looking at the food. "We got you back and a hearty breakfast!" I smile at each of my family members around the table.
"Well dig in!" We all begin serving ourselves.
"You grew so much, now that your in the house its obvious." Dad remarked.
"Well thankfully most doors are 6 feet, so I only have to bed a little bit." I laugh. "And hopefully I stop growing now!"
"How is Master Aki?" Mom asks. "We knew you wouldn't be there the next time a letter worried so we sent him a gift!"
"He is good and old, but can still kick my butt which…. Well I don't know what to think of that." I joke.
"And your first mission went well?" Mom asked.
"Yeah, I think the boys are going to like being with the samurai, they are all sharing an apartment so I even took an extra day and a half to help them settle in to their new home and cook some freezer meals for them. Then I went around to their neighbors and asked them to keep an eye on them." I added with a laugh.
"Your like an over protective mom." Shika joked elbowing me in the side.
"When was the last time you slept?" Mom asked once we were all finishing up the last bites, and they had all began checking the clock every few seconds.
"I haven't slept in a few days." I tell her truthfully.
"Okay well then straight to bed, we are all home around 8 pm tonight so we can hang out then!" Mom assured starting to place dishes in the sink.
"Sounds good to me!"
"Temari is in town so we can plan the upcoming Chunin Exams, I gotta run, but I'll catch you later." Shika put his hand on my shoulder before going to his room and putting on his vest.
"Have a good day!" I call you.
"Why don't you head to bed!" Dad nods to me clearing the table. "We will see you tonight." I get up and smile walking to my mom to kiss her cheek before making my way to my room.
Emptying my pockets of scrolls I begin unsealing my things, I had seven versions of my outfit, mostly in black, but I had to in grey and a few white shirts instead.
I also had a few monk robes, and sweats and t shirts for sleeping. I had parchment, and quite a few scrolls with notes and seal ideas I've had over the last two years without the ability to use. Thankfully I had the good foresight to bring back a scroll shelf so I placed the scrolls neatly in the acacia shelf. I changed out of my clothing pulling on a simple pair of black sweats, and pull my hair into a messy bun on top of my head.
I lay in my bed listening to the sounds of my mother and fathers feet running around the house until it is silent.
I didn't feel a hint of sleepiness, the light shone into my room, and I could smell the sunlight. After two years of training, I knew I could never fall asleep during the day. So I got out of bed, dressing back into the clothes I just took off and left my bedroom.
I stood in the living room for a few moments looking around and sighed, at the temple I would have had a bunch of little kids to play with when I was bored, and a bunch of friends my own age. I opened the front door and looked around at the Nara district, everyone had basically left for the day, though I could hear a few babys and moms in near by houses.
Today was a Wednesday, so most people would be working so I decided I would go grocery shopping and make lunch, and dinner, and I would drop off lunch to my Dad and brother who would most likely be working in the hokage tower today, then may I would see if Hana was working at the clinic.
"Hey what rank are you?" I ask a near by kid who looked about 11, with snot coming out of his nose.
"I'm a Genin Sir!" He said nervously looking behind him.
"Are you and your team on assignment right now?" I asked him squatting down to his level placing my hands on my knees and smiling at him.
"Nope its our day off, I was just going to go train a bit." He says smiling but his voice still quivered.
"How about this? You do a quick job for me, I'll even pay you, then I can help you train?" I tell him with a smile.
"Well…okay? Who are you again?" He asked looking at my face carefully.
"Oh I am Seishin Nara, you probably haven't heard about me, but as a Special Jounin I am sure there are things I can show you." I tell him with a smile reaching out and patting the top of his head before standing and pulling out 10 Ryo and handing it to him.
"Wow! Whats the job Seishin- senpai?" He asks with a big smile pocketing the money.
"Well first whats your name?" I ask him watching him push up his glasses.
"MY name is Udon Ise!" He half bows to me and I smile.
"Okay, I need you to go the Inuzuka animal clinic and ask for Hana, if she is there tell her I am making lunch and she can either come at around 1:30 or I can drop it off to her at 2 pm." I tell him with a thumbs up.
"Is she your girlfriend?" He asks hesitantly squinting through his circular framed glasses.
"No, then report right back to me, at the head house in Nara district." I tell him once again patting his head.
"I wont let you down!" I announces then takes off running in the wrong direction and I just chuckle at him. What a funny guy.
"Seishin?" I turn and see team guy smiling at me, Tenten having been the one to exclaim my name.
"Hey guys! Off on a mission?" I ask them with a smile at their packs.
"You bet! We are going to run there faster then anyone has ever ran before!" Lee exclaimed thrusting his fist into the air as Neji and Tenten sweat dropped.
"Well I'm glad to see your fully recovered Lee, we will have to spar sometime again soon!" I tell him with a smile.
"did you just get back?" NEji asked, talking over Guy and Lee who were now giving each other unreasonable training goals to achieve and flexing.
"Yeah just a few hours ago! Word on the street is you're a jounin Neji!" I said clapping three times in celebrations.
"And the rest of us made Chunin!" Tenten nods smiling.
"Naruto is going to be mad when he gets back and realizes he is the only genin still." I say with a wink.
"Do you know when he will be returning?" Lee asked.
"Well I was hoping to wait in a town I knew they were pass through and travel the rest of the way with them, but something came up, but they are probably a few days away. I'm sure by the time you get back he will be here."
"Naruto is my rival, I can not wait to fight him!" Lee announced.
"We bett get going Shin, but we will catch you later." Guy pats my shoulder as he begins walking the rest of the team says good bye and a smile at them and wave.
I may not have all the temple kids to train but I did have all this young Konoha ninja's I could help train. Something about helping other become stronger and achieve their goals was so rewarding. Maybe I would ask for my very our genin team.
I got to the grocery store and bought the things I need for the meals I had planned. On my way to the butchers I saw Ino and Choji up a head and smile before calling out their names. The pair turned around and Choji ran at me barreling into my waist.
"Shin! Your back already?" Ino asks.
"Shin! Your so tall and scary looking!" Choji laughs pulling away, he was about the same height as Shika which was about five inches shorter then me. I laughed and smiled at the pair.
"Just got home today, wow you two look much older!" I say looking at the now teenaged faces of my old teammates, choji wore a red outfit with armour over, sporting his classic bag of chips while Ino was wearing a purple skirt, mesh tights and a shirt that stopped at her rib cage and zipped up to her neck. Now I missed the bandages she used to wear on her midriff and legs, but I guess this outfit was easy to fight in?
"So do you! Like closer to our Sensei's age." Choji chuckled.
"Shikamaru is working at the Hokage tower today, we are just doing errands for our family, then we will do some training if you want to join?" Ino asked with a smile. We had sent a few letters back and forth and I think she accepted my accelerated aging, and I didn't think we would ever get into the mess of her liking me again.
"The normal field? I might pop by, I have a few things up in the afternoon so don't wait for me!" I tell them beginning to walk away and wave. "Catch you later!" I call out.
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When I got back to the house, I found Udon wondering around the Nara district.
"Follow me kid." I chuckle watching with arms full of groceries as he is about to knock at one of my cousins houses. "You were close." I assured, he was only a block off.
"all the houses look the same." He argued falling to step beside me. I looked around and laughed.
"Wow your right, though my house is up there, and it's a bit larger then the rest since my Dad is the clan head." I explain to him as we approach. "And its older." I add with a chuckle.
"Wow it is bigger!" He noted. "So the dog lady said she would come by, she seemed really excited too" he added as we got into the house.
"Why don't you go to the back yard and stretch, Ill put the groceries away." I tell him with a smile. He nods and shyly makes his way through the house. I quickly put things away, throwing the beef into a marinade before watching Udon from the veranda stretch rather uselessly.
"Here do what I do." I say standing beside him, leading him through my own stretching routine we did each morning.
"This hurts!" He struggles out, I look beside him and see that he was struggling to replicate the pose I was in.
"Just go as far as you can!" I assure him. "I remember when I got to the temple and seeing everyone aged 3-100 doing the splits, I honestly thought I get being flexible and stretching is good for your body, but when will I ever need to bend in half like that?" I reflected switching poses. "Over time I realized, its less so plan on needing to this flexible and more the act of quieting yourself, breathing, and disciplining your body." I explain watching him struggle to lift his leg like mine. "So rather then trying to master a pose, instead think of it as mastering control on your own body…"
"But wouldn't mastering the pose be the same thing?" he asked as he fell onto his butt.
"it may be a by- product of it, but it shouldn't be the goal." I tell him pulling him back up to his feet. "Okay show me your hand to hand." I tell him placing my two hands up, he sweat drops a bit at me, but begins punching my hands in an average genin fashion. "Good job."
"Really?" He asked dropping his fists. "I'm the worst on my team." He tells me scratching the back of his neck.
"That just means you can be most improved. Now we are going to run the same hitting and blocking sequence on each other for 90 minutes." I tell him with a smile.
"a whole hour and a half!? Same moves?" He exclaimed horrified.
"Repetition trains your body to respond, after thirty minutes you will find that your body is doing the moves without really thinking, run these moves 6 days a week by yourself or with someone and next time your in a real fight, you will amaze yourself."
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Udon ran my father and brothers lunches to them while I waiting for Hana to arrive. It had been fun training Udon, I wonder if I should simply wander the village for another training partner, or I guess I shouldn't neglect meditation or my own training…..
It was so much less fun by yourself though.
"Shin!" I turned around to see Hana, I had seen her about a year ago but she still seemed to have matured more so in that time, she was smiling so big, she looked distinctly canine, her hair was pulled into a pony tail and she was wearing her white vet coat opened over a simple black tshirt and shorts both were a spandex material.
"Hana!" I cheered at her arm came around my neck I grabbed her by the waist picking her up the ground to twirl her around. We both laughed as I placed her down.
"Your early!" She cheered clapping her hands
"Yeah well it seems I run faster then I remember, maybe it's the five inches I grew?" I laugh. touching the top of my head.
"You are startling tall." She joked before pulling a travel med kit out of her pocket with a smile.
"always with the blood." I joke sitting on a kitchen chair pushing the one beside it out for her, I quickly untie my shirt slipping my arm out of the right sleeve.
"Maybe its my secret plan to get you to take your shirt off." Hana jokes and we both laugh, she sticks the needle in looking at my face. "Looks like you haven't aged drastically since I last saw you, but the blood will show me more."
"I don't think I'm growing anymore, which is great because I feel like a freaky giant." I told her with a laugh. "When I hug my dad and brother they are up to here." Place my free hand at my collar bones where they both would have been standing next to me. She pulls the needle out and placed a cotton swab to it while laughing.
"That must feel really weird." She admits "Kiba is my height now, doesn't let me forget it." She laughed.
"Hey where is the three Haimaru brother?" I ask noting the three ninken weren't around.
"They still don't like your smell." She laughed. "They are outside."
"What they were used to it before I left, and by the end of your visit." I argued and she just shrugged. "Rude." She sputtered out another laugh. " last time you were basically ageing at the same rate as humans, I'm sure it will be the same now."
"Well I'm just happy I wont be an old man within the decade." I joke with a smile.
"Me too!" She smiles pocketing my blood. "Well, where is the grub?" She asked as I pulled the tie on my shirt again closed.
"Classic Inuzuka, always hungry."
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Yesterday had been the perfect first day back, spent the evening with my family then Shika and I laid in the back yard and watched the sunset and stars poke out all while talking and laughing, then we went to sleep, and I woke up naturally at 4 am.
I went outside in the brisk mourning air, though nothing compared to the iron and began my morning meditations and stretches. After that I did some sword drills, once I was done and sweat was dripping off me the sun had begun to rise. I made my way to the shower, while in the warm water I heard my family begin to wake up.
"Morning!" Shika called as he bustled into the bathroom.
"Morning!" I greeted back.
"What the hell Shin, do you have any body fat?" He asked looking back at me while he peed.
"You know….weird conversation to have while our junk is out Shika?"I questioned turning my back to him and laughing as he washed his hands.
"no filter in the morning." He shrugged. Then looked back at me and scoffed. "Your like those magazine guys." He scoffed again as he let, eyes still puffy from sleep. I laughed clutching my stomach as I turning off the water and began towel drying. I wrap the towel around my waist and brush through my hair, braiding it into a very loose braid before stepping out of the bathroom.
"Morning mum." I greet walking to my room. Once the door is closed I hear her and Shika listening.
"He for sure cant be shirtless anymore." Mom said in an agreeing way.
"I don't know anyone with that kind of muscle definition." Shika said then let out a low whistle.
"I should build a door that connects your bedrooms to the bathroom between so he doesn't accidentally flash our guests." I pull on black Hakama pants, with a black Hakama shirt to match and made my way out as Mom finished her sentence.
"What's this about another reno?" Dad sweat dropped.
"Mom is afraid I will flash our guests." I laugh sitting at the table beside Shika pouring some coffee into a mug.
"I don't think I've ever seen Shins Penis….well human penis…" He adds and I choke on my coffee with a laugh. I went through an interesting time as a fox. Once a year its hard to control when my fox penis decided to show itself.
"Fair enough." I laugh clapping Shika's back as he laughed choking on food.
"Shin is immodestly muscular now, what if Ino had been here while you galivanted around all shirtless." Mom argued. "She would be in love all over."
"I hardly call three steps from the bathroom to my room galivanting but I will gladly dress in the bathroom mom." I tell her with a sweet smile peeling a hard boiled egg.
"Wow immodestly muscular… that's my boy." Dad heartily laughed and winked at me, it didn't take long for us all to start laughing.
"Shin, the Hokage wants is summoning you." And Anbu announced through the kitchen window.
"You know you can just knock on the door, the kitchen window isn't less out in the open then the front door…." I tell him sweat dropping.
"Yeah… it is weird you guys don't just knock…. More people can probably see you then if you flickered to our front porch…." Shika agrees and my Dad nods.
"We will… take note of that." The Anbu noted looking behind himself and visibly cringing, probably noticing all the foot traffic and people staring right at him, before flickering away.
"I'll see you guys tonight!" I laugh standing up and kissing my mothers cheek.
"Be safe!" Mom called out.
"I'm just going to go talk she said no mission remember!" I yell as I speed into my room securing my holsters hidden under my clothes, strapping the tanto blades to my forearms while my sealing disks, and kunai were secured on my thighs available through the pockets on my pants. I had sealed away weapon all over my clothes, but for extra tanto blades to my calves before quickly secureing my sword and shoving ration and medical supply seals into the pocket on the back waistband of my pants.
"Then why did we just hear you seal an arsenal of weapons?" Mom scolded holding a to go cup with coffee and three peeled boiled eggs in a baggy.
"Force of habit." I told her taking the food and kissing her cheek again.
"Go on then." She sighed, I waved to my brother and Dad before running to the hokage tower. Once there I hopped through her window making sure to land with a small sound.
"Lady Hokage." I greet taking an egg out of the baggie and sipping some of the coffee as I made my way to a stack of files in front of her desk. "I appreciate that your always behind on paperwork." I laugh placing my cup down on a stack of papers beside me.
"Well at least someone does." The blond women laughed and pointedly looked at Shizune who gave me a look that roughly translated to; 'why?' "I know I said I wouldn't get you on mission right away, but this was suggested by your father…" She said and I just nodded a bit surprised by my dads involvement. "the last intel you had received aside from Tobi was that the Akatsuki was not nearly ready to start collecting tailed beast, and they should go in order. We cant keep being in the dark about them, and with Narutos soon return we need to have as much information as we can." She explained aand I nodded along reating my eggs.
"Want me to go survey the border again?" I ask with a raised brow.
"No I want you to watch the one tail." Tsunade said seriously.
"Gaara?" I ask blinking. "well sure, I guess he is the first on their list…" I nod.
"You seem hesitant." She notes as I take a swig of coffee.
"Well mostly because be guarding Gaara feels like house cat guarding a tiger." I laugh crossing my legs on my paperwork wile. "But I'm okay to do it. I guess I am the one who would know the most about the Akatsuki aside from yourself and Jiraya."
"Well I cant say who would win in a fight between you and Gaara, I would hardly call you a house cat." She laughed. "Which brings me to my next order of business." She says looking to Shizune who nods heading for the door. I watch her curiously. When she opens the door my father, and Asuma enter the room.
"Dad? Asuma!?" I say excitedly jumping up, I give him a hearty hug.
"Welcome back!" He greets with a big smile and places a hand on top of my head. "Your nearly as tall as me!" He marvels. Honestly it felt nice to have some taller then me around.
"Whats going on?" I say looking to my dad and back at Tsunade.
"well you have been gone for two years training and we need to check your skill level." Tsunade announced stepping forward with a smile. I looked to Asuma and my dad then to her, I wasn't going to like this was I? "So pick a hand." She said putting both of her hands up.
"What for?" I ask curiously watching her.
"it will decide which one is your partner, and which one is mine." She explained, I sweat drop and look at the two men who just chuckle.
"Oh what the hell….left?" I sai randomly resigning myself to the fact that I was being forced to participate in a hopeless battle. I mean she was like what? 80? Maybe that was dramatic, but she was a legendary Sanin, and no matter who I chose as a teammate we would loose, and loose quickly if she actually tried.
"okay Asuma is with Shin, Shikaku with me." She said a little too excitedly. While my dad wasn't strong he wasn't the villiage tactitioner for no reason, nor was he a clan leader without the merit of being a master at shadow jutsu. He was not someone I would want to run into in the field. "This will be a good exercise for us as Hokage and tactitioner." Tsunade said with a smile. I looked to my father who was just smiling wickedly.
"Should have stayed at the temple." I joked.
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We stood in the training field furthest from civilization Shizune, my brother, and Temari stood at the edge of the field while my Dad stood casually beside Tsunade who looked a little to excited. I stood casually with my hand on my sword while ASuma casually smoked. We all knew relaxed postures and attitudes spooked the opponent.
"Do you have a plan?" Asuma asked breathing in the nicotine deeply.
"Well, kind of." I sigh. "But my Dad knows it…..I have a few new seals he wouldn't know about I can use on him…." I chuckle. "But as we speak I have a clone laying seals…." I say with a smile to the man beside me. "MY master always said, if you haven't been told something is explicitly out of bounds then you can do it….sneakily."
"Wow, go Master Akimasa, that's a monk teaching I can get behind." Asuma laughed. "I cant even sense your clone." Asuma noted.
"Can you sense me beside you?" I ask with a chuckle as he shakes his head. "Chakra signature suppression." I say with a wink. "My dad is only brains really if we eliminate shadows, so I am going to fill the clearing with steam, my first tsunami seal will activate in five minutes, and right after a fire tornado. if you get the opportunity place this on Tsunade or my Dad, yell Fig, then the number on the seal and I'll activate it. This will give you thirty seconds where their chakra is suppressed, but it also means the ten foot radius around them is limited. When the fight starts I will activate a chakra suppression the size of this field, and if we time the start right, the steam will fill so my Dad cant get the upper hand…." I say listing my make shift plan off.
"Okay that's how we deal with your dad, how about the Hokage?" He asks I could tell like me he was timing things out in his head, watching the pair across the field talk.
"Well, I don't really know her abilities, and I don't think she is going to go full out." I tell him.
"I think she is itching to go all out kid." Asuma laughs looking at the blond across the field. "She has a summon, though my understanding is the summon is a healing summon, and she is freakishly strong, don't let her hit you." He adds.
"Okay well, I don't really want to attack my Dad so I'm going to regret this but can you go for my Dad and I will take Tsunade."
The other side of the field.
"What's the plan Shikaku?" Tsunade asked.
"Well, likely Asuma will come for me and Shin will go for you, I will be honest I'm not sure what shin will have up his sleeve, he has had a lot of time to create, but he will find a way to incapacitate my shadows, usually when sparring with Shikamaru he creates steam, so that will be his first move, then they are both close range so they will attempt to blitz us." Shikaku reports. "I think Shin will go as hard as we…or better said, you go, he will start tentative, preferring to keep you in close combat."
"Oh I don't plan to go easy. Akimasa seems to think Shin is the most powerful Shinobe he has encountered, and I want to test him." She let out a maniacal laugh and Shikaku coughed.
"He is my son, and he needs to go on a mission at midnight so….go a bit easy." The Hokage waved him off and yelled across the field.
"Okay! We will go until one teammate on either side is incapacitated!" Tsunade yelled. Shikaku beside her sweat dropped.
"I'm going to be sore tonight." He grumbled resting one knee on the ground his hand poised in position.
"This changes things.." Shin whispers to his partner. "The sooner we out Dad the sooner this ends…" He says biting his lip.
"if we stick together we could win." Asuma laughed unbelieving. "But we are facing the Hokage and the tactitioner."
"For every plan we have he has twelve more." Shin nodded filtering through thoughts in his head. "Ready when you are." Shin shouted across the field as the count in his head till the seals activations reached a minute 30 seconds. "So, lets wing it. Don't think. Trust me, like I trust you." He turns to his old captain now friend, giving him a distinct Fox-ish smile.
"Shizune count us down." Tsunade yelled as Asuma and Shin looked at each other.
"What do we have to loose." Asuma shrugged pulling out his wind blades and laughed. "lets see how long we can last.
"GO!" Shizune yelled, and just as Shikaku's shadows were about to shoot forward they quickly died, and his partner was met with the same odd feeling as once chakra filled punch hit the gound of the field and was imbedded into the dirt, but the normal destruction was reduced to a small crater, and sore knuckles as she pulled her fist out. Around the clearing Shikaku looked around and sucked in a breath.
"Your going to want to find high ground." He shouted they both attempted to body flicker but had to resort to running for the trees, behind them the sound of a collasal wave hit their ears, and in the corner of shikaku's eyes he could see his son and Asuma on stumps of trees high above the wave.
Shikaku reached a tree in time, but Tsunade wasn't so lucky, having picked a short branch and held on tightly as the electical charged wave threatened to wash her away. Neither knew that their chakra was now active. A firey tornado mixed with the water creating a vast fog cloud like Shikaku had expected.
"You good?" Shikaku asked his partner flexing his hands feeling the ability to use chakra again.
"OH YEAH!" Tsunade shouted charging up a chakra hand but before it could hit anything a nearly invisible fox ran through the mist hit her square in the gut, sending her flying.
"Shit." Was all Shikaku could say before he too was Hit and flying to the middle of the dense cloud.
The pair struggled to their feet only to be downed again by an oxygen vacuum seal. Shikaku counted in his head, hoping to gasp air he knew would come at tenseconds, but it went longer, slowly he released his breath helping his burning lungs and foggy brain when finally at twenty seven seconds the air returned.
"Now I am mad!" Tsunade complained, Shikaku could feel the chakra puling off of her as she would up her fist, and the distinct feeling of it being gone right as Tsunade stopped short of the ground. "Do you have any ideas."
"In the fog they have the upper hand, I cant sense-" Shikaku's sentence was cut short by a swift kick to the jaw. Asuma, placed a paper to his chest which the tactitioner plucked off, but the ink slid off the paper and onto his hand.
Mean while Shin hit the Hokage in the back of the head with his sheathed sword. She whirled around kicking him sending him flying, but he landed easily on his feet. She hit the ground with a chakra covered fist for the first time in the fight, Shin jumped and dodged as the fog cleared and the earth cracked, making the spectators dodge out of the way as well.
Shin lunged at the hokage once again, but before he could reach her she summoned katsuyu and was standing on the head of a giant slug. What the pair hadn't realized was as the fog cleared it also revealed that the seal Asuma had placed on Shikaku was a seal that caused him to sleep, so the teammate was incapacitated, but instead of pointing it out, Asuma decided to carry the tactitioner to Shikamaru and join the spectators.
It was a sceptical.
Shin stood on top of a giant water fox jutsu, as several smaller jutsu foxes ran at the Hokage and her slug.
The slug sprayed a great wave of acid from her mouth, shin threw a seal to the ground and out of it a huge earth wall erected, taking all the acid turning into a goopy mud puddle.
The foxes hit the slug, and the gentle voice of it crying out as it was electrocuted effected Shin. He stood ontop of his fox with the Hokage on her slug and the pair looked at each other seriously then smiled, then began to laugh.
"Um, why are they laughing?" Temari asked and Shizune and Sakura nodded in agreement with the question turning to Shikamaru and Asuma.
"Well because they realize they could continue to fight each other…" Shikamaru laughed. "But it would be incredibly destructive."
"Shin wouldn't be able to attack Katsuyu any harder without feeling terrible, and Lady Tsunade couldn't use her chakra stores in just a spar and not to mention they would tear this forest apart." Asuma laughed.
The two jumped to the ground, their oversized rides disappearing, and they met in the middle of the cracked and a bit charred field folding their fingers together in the unity symbol.
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"Shikaku!" Tsunade complained seeing my dad sleeping.
"Oh right!" I laugh pulling out a parchment and watching as ink dances itself across the page and press it to my dad's forehead. He wakes up with a start, rubbing his eyes.
"What happened?" He asked groggily getting to his feet.
"You took a nap buddy." Asuma laughed.
"How long did that last?" Temari asked with wide eyes.
"About three minutes from the time we started, till that seal. It jumped from the paper to my hand even though I threw it off." Dad remarked looking at me with a smile.
"Yes, new code, so the seals I intend to hit people will only go off on the target its originally stuck to." I laugh. "Once I was able to use chakra this was really needed because Master Aki would always stick me with my own seals." I laugh. "And I made the sleep because it's a Harmless and painless way to incapacitate people." I say with a smile.
"You can use it on yourself to make yourself sleep longer." Shikamaru laughed.
"Except from what little I tested; the person won't wake up by themselves." I add with a sweat drop. "Classic Shin seal, almost perfect but a still janky."
"well, it was restful." Dad shrugged. "You have improved a lot. I didn't notice until you were across the field, you don't have any trace of a chakra signature."
"Your hand to hand from what little I saw is much improved." Asuma added.
"Your Chakra reserves are higher." Shika added.
"you went toe to toe with a sanin for ten minutes." Shizune laughed.
"Who would have won if they went full out?" Temari asked.
"Tsunade." My Dad brother, and I all say.
"Shin would run out of chakra far before her, and she has Katsuyu that can heal her."
"if you make it through a fight with shin longer then 20 minutes, you would likely win." Dad say patting me on the shoulder with a laugh.
"Its true, I would run out of trick, and possibly chakra, unless I could refill, and would resort to hand to hand where I am far more likely to get hit." I concede. "Besides if we allowed my dad a chance to use shadows, we'd have been toast."
"That's for sure." Asuma agreed.
"Well this was a great exercise, Shin we will have to spar again." Tsunade smiled. "Why don't you take a few hours with your family and report back to my office tonight." I nodded to her.
"Tsunade…the thing?" Sakura whispered pointedly looking from her teacher to me.
"Oh right! Shin you are now a jounin, you passed." She smiled giving me a thumbs up. I looked to my Dad and brother who were smiling brightly.
"Thanks so much Tsunade, its an honour." I tell her bowing before she starts to walk away, her two students behind her.
"Wow a jounin. At only nine years old." Dad joked. "Beat that Kakashi."
"Oh man, could you imagine if I went by that age?" I laughed resting my arm around Shikamaru's shoulders as we began to walk.
"Why don't you come over for some grub." Dad offers Asuma.
"I wont say no to food, who is cooking?" Asuma asks lighting a cig. My father and brother look to me and I laugh.
"I can, I've been craving ginger beef, lets stop by the market, I want to pick up some rations any how." We walked to the market and ran into Kakashi in one of the shops.
"Shin, I heard you were back!" He greeted with a smile.
"Back I am, at least until tonight." I laugh, I look at his grocery bag of cup ramen as I grab a few packs for the road myself "Want to come over? Guys afternoon type of thing before I leave, Asuma is coming too." I explain grabbing some extra soup base and dehydrated meats. "I am making ginger beef." I add.
"hmm, sure." Kakashi said looking over my shoulder at the other three still talking about the fight. "I'm off until Naruto returns anyway." He adds.
"Cool. I'll pay for this then we will head over to our place." As I'm at the till I wondered if I should invite Genma and Hayate, though now that I thought about it, I wasn't sure where they lived.
"Master Shin!" I look behind me as Udon, with another kid his age, who I remembered was Asuma's nephew. "Can we train again with my friend this time?" He asked with a big smile.
"Well I'm going on a mission so no dice today Udon, but if you keep practicing next time I'm in town I'll train with you again." I tell him grabbing my bags and change.
"Can I bring Konohamaru with me?" I smile at the dark haired boy beside him trying to look casual.
"Sure, this way you guys can practice while I'm gone." I tell him hoisting my groceries. "I'm one of those ninja's that are out of town a lot, but hey.. could you guys do me a favour?" I ask the two genins.
"Sure!" Konohamaru and Udon say together enthusiastically.
"Can you guys track down Genma and Hayate, I'm not sure if they are even in town, and tell them I am having a guys lunch and they are welcome to come, tell them to bring drinks though." I add with a smile.
"Guy's lunch?" Udon asked.
"Yeah, just hanging with my buddies before I leave, I could be gone a while." I explain.
"You can count on us!" the young Saratobi announced, and the pair bounded off. I chuckle to myself and join the party outside and we begin walking to the house.
"Choji is going to meet us at the house, I asked him to get some of their food pills for you." Shikamaru explained after I told them about my additions.
"I hope you brought enough food." Asuma laughed. "Eight men eat a lot." He said peeking into the bags he was holding.
"I think he bought a whole cow." Dad joked clapping my shoulder peeking into the bag in his own hand.
"How much do you get paid anyways?" Shika asked eyeing the pocket I had just placed my wallet into.
"Well Shin's missions are one of the highest paid missions actually." Dad laughed.
"The hours had to come with some perks I suppose." Kakashi joked.
"Really one of the highest?" I mused. "How much do normal missions get paid?"
"Depends really, on the type of mission." Dad explained. "Escort mission for higher classed citizens are about 560 Ryo, the average b-rank is 300 ryo, C-Rank is 450 Ryo split between the squad, and D- Rank is very fluctuating." Dad chuckled. "Being a normal ninja doesn't pay that well, if you think about escort missions sometimes taking a month, which is why Shinobi with family's tend to get into salary positions like border patrol, gate guard, or intel."
"So when a Junin switches from A-Rank missions to being a sensei it's a big financial blow?" I ask, money was never a thing I worried about since I lived at cost free, either with my parents or at the temple, and when your on the road your expenses are very minimal if anything. If you wanted you could even do the paperwork to have your accommodations and rations paid for. I just never bothered.
"No until our genin team becomes Chunin, or we decide that they will likely never move up from genin level and want to be put back on the roster we get a pretty salary." Kakashi explained.
"So how much do Shins missions get?" Shika asked Dad, our father looks at me and I simply shrug.
"Well, I don't actually really know, it gets deposited into my bank account….I don't think I have ever opened a pay stud myself, I just give them to Mom because she does all the clans finances." I shrug.
"Each week Shin is gone he gets 760 Ryo, so in a month of duty he got 3,040 ryo." Asuma began choking at my Dads words while Kakashi let out a whistle.
"I think I had a month of getting that kind of pay in my lifetime." Kakashi laughed.
"Wow, that's a ridiculous amount of money." I scoff. "maybe I should be more mindful of my money." I muse.
"Wow, barbeque is on Shin from now on." Shika laughed clapping me on the back, causing the bags in my hands to nearly topple to the ground.
"We taxed him extra in the Nara clan since he makes about twice as much as everyone else." Dad winked at me. "His income has helped a lot of family's in our clan." I felt relieved at that.
"How does Naruto do it? He has to pay rent and all his food…" I wondered out loud.
"He has always gotten extra because of that, but he is pretty good with his money." Kakashi assured as we all walked into our house.
"And he only eats Ramen which is the cheapest food." Shikmaru added.
"Oh sweet you bought beer." Asuma exclaimed as I put my bag down, plucking a bottle and pulling the cap open.
"Beer and beef, a temple tradition." I laugh.
"The Iron temple doesn't sound like a normal temple." Kakashi laughed.
"Well my master wasn't a normal monk, so I think that is why." I laugh. "He used to say fun is the reason why he has lived so long, he would pull the wildest pranks on us."
"Sounds like my kind of temple." Asuma laughed lighting a cig my father swiftly cut, catching the cherry in a water glass with a sizzle.
"Unless you want to lose your life by my wife's hands, I'd suggest taking that outside." Dad laughed.
"I'll come with you, I want to hear about this epic battle." Kakashi squinted his eye at me in a smile as he plucked his own beer following behind Asuma and Shikamaru.
"Shikamaru, catch." I tossed a bottle at Shikamaru who caught it and looked at the amber liquid. "You won't get drunk off of one." I chuckle as he looks at Dad.
"Go ahead, I'm sure you will find it gross." Dad said waving his hand to Shika, watching me summon two clones. "Wow, this might make your mom want to learn Shadow clone." He chuckles watching the copies of me get to work.
"When I could use chakra again, Master Aki had me constantly have three clones working and training, so at the end of the day when I dispelled them I would have twice the knowledge and work ethic." I laughed.
"Smart." He nodded sitting at the table watching me cut the beef. "I lied about your income. You actually make more then that a week." He chuckled. "You really don't look, do you?" I shook my head.
"Why do I get paid so much?" I ask him.
"Well I guess something about constantly being exposed to the most dangerous shinobi, and knowing the highest clearance level of information warrants it. Plus the leaf is in a very sustainable and solid place financially, so it can finally afford to pay its shinobi what is deserved" He laughs. "Speaking of… your next mission…." He clears his throat and one of my shadow clones grabbed the beef from in front of me and I focused on my father's serious face.
"Protecting Gaara…" I supplied for him.
"I feel like what ever the Akatsuki have planned is just beginning." He finally says, I nod in agreement.
"I feel it too, like things are starting to be pushed into motion." I whisper. "Aki felt it too." I say remembering one of the last conversations I had with my Master. The two of us has sparred for nearly 6 hours straight, and were sitting in the hot spring under the stars.
"Do you feel it Shin?" the old man, who had no right to be as agile said looking up at the twinkling lights.
"Feel what?" I asked him.
"The restlessness of the universe." He said plainly.
"That's some real wise monk crap to say." I laughed but looked up at the sky as he warmly chuckled beside me, in the corner of my eye I saw his bushy grey eyebrows furrow. "I feel it though, like an itching under my skin. The animals feel it too." I tell him remembering my time as a wild fox, though mating season had come and gone, some of the more clever animals had not mated, feeling something about the environment wasn't fit for young.
"Something big is brewing Shin, and you have the power to stop it." He said seriously looking at me. "You have the responsibility to try." I felt the weight of his words sink into my stomach.
"Here I thought you brought me up here to convince me to stay in your order." I laugh.
"Well, selfishly yes it crossed my mind, but it was my responsibility to train you, and now its my burden to let you go, you who is like a son to me." He looked at me with a heavy gaze then back to the sky. "But if you live, your welcome back to the temple, back home."
I smiled at the memory then looked to my father.
"I think what ever is coming is going to be more dangerous than we could ever hope to prepare for." I tell him softly. "Not even you or Shikamaru could see it coming."
"Do you think Naruto can stop it?" Dad asked, and a part of me was alarmed that he was asking me like I would know, but somehow I felt the answer.
"I don't think anyone can stop it, but I think Naruto has the potential to defeat it." I say confidently. He was loud mouthed and hyper active, but he was determined, with unprecedented power that drew people, not only to him, but together, and if he could control the kyuubi chakra then I really wasn't sure what he couldn't do. "We need to gather intel on the other tailed beasts, I honestly think we should send Asuma, or Kakashi to sand and instead send me to find the two tails."
"The two tails, is in the land of the lightening, we have no connection with them, the only village we have relationship with is sand and the minor villages." Dad explained, I clench my jaw.
"Ninja's and their pride." I sigh with a frustrated chuckle.
"It's true, Lady Hokage has been sending all the knowledge we have on the Akatsuki, but it seems like each village has hired the Akatsuki, except for lightening." Dad admitted.
"Well, helping keep the other tailed beasts safe, gives ours time to get strong, so we may just have to say screw the politics." I tell him cracking open a beer. "I am rather charming you know." I pass the beer to my father who scratches the scar on his cheek before taking a swig.
"Well Lightening has two tailed beasts, the two tails and the eight.." Dad recounts as I take a swig of the bubbly liquid. "Rock has two… the Mist have two though apparently the three tails was lost, the sand has only one." I purse my lips.
"That's curious." I remark and Dad just shrugs.
"Maybe because the Kazekage's have always been scary powerful on their own."
"Well that's hardly fair, we had the three Sanin, Kakashi, Saratobi, the Uchiha." I list off.
"Well we only have one." He argues and I shrug. "It's also probably because out of all the great nations they were the smallest with the least stable economy due to being a desert nation." I shrug, I guess that makes sense. "Then the waterfall village has a tailed beast…" He counted off on his fingers. "We know who has the one, two, eight, and nine…. I think the Rock has four and five…" He rubs his fingers to his temple. "I believe that the Mist have the six tails."
"So that leaves the seven tails with the water fall." I finish for him. "Which villages would we most likely be able to gain relationship with?" I ask, I was never interested in history class so I didn't know of any particular fights, in fact I could hardly remember the second war, why it started.
"Well, honestly none. Waterfall because they are not a great nation?" He stated, though it sounded more like a question.
"What if I went in undercover, just tracked the tails and only stepped in if the Akatsuki attacked?" I questioned.
"Except if your caught you would be killed on spot, and fighting or running could result in war." He countered taking a swig of his beer and I followed suit.
"Get permission for me to track the Akatsuki on their land?" I offer.
"That could work, but these Akatsuki are not normal Shinobi. Kisame is called the no tails for a reason Shin, and Sasori of the red sand?" For the first time in my life, I saw a worried look on my Dad's face.
"One thing has changed in my time away Dad." I tell him with a smile. "I am more confident in who I am, I realize that I am stronger than the average Shinobi. If I run out of Chakra, I can recharge, my clones can recharge, and dispel to give me a boost in chakra." I say pointing to my two clones who nod in agreement. "I am also no slouch with a sword. Before I left, I felt like I was a fake, like I was weak, and it was true, because I knew at any moment my mind could fuzz between my two natures, but now my mind is clear, and I am strong." I tell him with words full of confidence. "I'm not invincible, but I'd say I'm a no tail in my own right." I smile to my Dad who listened to my words with a proud expression. "I may even be a little to full of myself now." we both chuckle.
"after today I feel better knowing what missions your sent on, but I wouldn't be your Dad if I didn't secretly wish it didn't have to be you, it didn't have to be my son." He tells me with a sad sort of smile. "Both you and Shikamaru are a bit to brilliant for your own good."
"Well between you and me I am determined to get Shikamaru better at his hand-to-hand combat, one thing I have learnt is that the best defense is an offense without any holes."
"Sounds straight from the temple." Dad chuckled as we both took a swig.
"Right out the mouth of Aki, every day for the last two years."