GROW UP

Chapter Nine

SHION AWOKE TO CHIRPING. It was out of place and serene, contrasting greatly to the throbbing pain in her leg. She slowly raised her head from the bobbling shoulder, forcing Itachi to come to a stop, mid jump, leaving them both suspended on the thick tree branch. Shion tried to speak, but instead all she did was cough. She caught sight of a bob of curly orange hair and the one eyed deadpan of her sensei, jumping next to them.

"Being exposed to smoke, especially in closed courters, is never a good idea," Tsukasa reminded her. "And yet you still used fire type Jutsu. How reckless."

"I...had to...protect Suigetsu," Shion whispered.

"And how did that turn out?" Tsukasa was always harsh and blunt, but Shion was in no mood to deal with it as her eyes began to water.

"Where is your bedside manner?" Itachi scolded, and Tsukasa's gaze met his, her lips slightly quirking.

"And where is the bed?" she countered, raising her hand, almost hesitant before it glowed green. The warmth of her Chakra spread over Shion's neck, and Misaki and Hikaru jumped near.

"We were so worried," Misaki said, her hand over her lips.

"When Itachi brought you in unconscious and bleeding," Hikaru looked away, unable to continue. A warm-like ember filled Shion's chest, and her lips spread into a small smile. The sadness and disappointment still threatened to swallow her whole. She broke a promise to Suigetsu, and that hurt so much that she couldn't breathe.

Would he think she abandoned him? Was he hurt? Was he dead?

She had no answers, but she had to believe that she would see him again someday, fulfilling her promise and recovering her pride. In the meantime, Kabuki could go fuck himself.

"Did you cry?" Shion asked, causing Tsukasa to roll her eyes at the childish question before she patted Itachi's arm. The gesture was surprisingly affectionate, not that the three children noticed.

"No!" Hikaru snapped, and Misaki slightly smiled.

"Like a baby," Misaki corrected.

"You pinkie swore you wouldn't tell."

"I didn't realize that it was a binding contract," Misaki stated, rolling her eyes.

The banter made Shion's heart lighten its burden, and she rested her head against Itachi's shoulder. His back was warm and his grip holding her up was gentle, yet strong. Perhaps she had no parents or family, but she was grateful and happy to get the chance at this new one. Her brothers and sisters would protect her, just as she would protect them.

She hoped to expand her family as much as she could.

"Itachi..." she muttered her eyes growing heavy once again. "Can you help me become stronger?"

Itachi paused, a hoisting her up high as she began to slip. "Tsukasa won't like me taking away her student."

"Tsukasa can go eat a..." Shion dozed off into unconsciousness.

●▬▬▬Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ▬▬▬●

"Feels good to be home," Misaki commented as she glanced towards Shion with a smile. Shion, always ready to be bubbly, threw her arm around her teammate's shoulders. This action wasn't very easy considering said teammate was much taller than her.

"We left as boys, but came back as men," Shion said, causing Misaki's brows to furrow together.

"Wait what?" Misaki's question went unanswered as Shion spotted Shikamaru in the distance, and like a hyperactive chihuahua, she dashed to meet up with him.

"Am I the only one who wished we had left her in the tunnels?" Hikaru was only half-joking, and Tsukasa glanced up from her mission report with a deadpan.

"I wish I had left all of you there," Tsukasa glanced towards Itachi with a frown. "Where's Anko?"

"She mentioned she wanted to explore the hot springs an hour ago when we passed the mountains," Itachi informed her, reading over his own mission report. "I am paraphrasing. Her actual words are not suitable to repeat."

"I figured as much."

"You didn't notice she wasn't here until now?" Misaki asked with a frown while Hikaru looked mesmerized by Tsukasa's voice.

"I've learned to naturally tone her out," Tsukasa told her, her eye looking even more humorless than before. She glanced towards Itachi. "If you see her, let her know that if she submits her report in late, I'm going to get her demoted."

"That's harsh," Misaki commented.

Shion, from the distance ran towards Shikamaru who covered his face in attempts to get past her unnoticed. It didn't work and he found himself tackled into a hug. "I missed you!"

"Did you go somewhere or something?" He looked completely uninterested, having not noticed she had been gone for three weeks.

Or if he did, then he obviously didn't act like he did. "Shikamaru, you're so cold. But that's okay, cause I have so much to tell you. How about we spend the day catching up over a game of shogi?"

"I don't like playing with you," he reminded her, remembering just how competitive she got. At first, it was funny, but now his amusement dwindled when her aggressiveness flared.

"You're just saying because I won the last round," she reminded him in return, causing him to sigh. He would think that after a win, she would get less aggressive, but every win only fueled her ego and her competitive spirit.

"How do you have this much energy in the morning?" His complaint made her smile before her brows furrowed at a thought.

"That reminds me, you're not usually up so early. What gives?" Shion asked, steering his small body towards her apartment.

"Ask my mother. Said I needed some exercise and set my alarm eight hours early," he complained, yawning into his hand. "What a drag."

"Eight hours early? Who in their right mind sets an alarm form three o'clock?" Shion wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"Someone who enjoys sleeping," Shikamaru replied, yawning once more as Shion led him to the red light district where her apartment resides. "My mom would be pissed to hear about your living arrangements."

"What's wrong with wear I liv-" Shion wasn't able to even finish her sentence as a man unsteadily made his way towards her and began pissing on the anemone flowers against her apartment.

"The show isn't free, runts," the man said and Shikamaru scrunched his nose in disgust while Shion puffed out her cheeks.

"There's not much to see except a possible infection that you might want to have checked out," Shion informed him, dragging Shikamaru through the doors of her building.

"How could you possibly know that?" Shikamaru was slightly grossed out and equally impressed.

"I read some strange books," Shion answers truthfully as the came upon the many stairs that led to her apartment. Shikamaru groaned.

"Can't I just go home?" Shikamaru asked, but Shion dragged him nonetheless and he was too lazy to fight back.

By the time they did get to her apartment, all that was inside was a blanket and a pillow laying in the middle of the room. Next to it was a stack of books that Shion never returned to the library.

"Where's the shogi board?" Shikamaru asked, rather disinterested. Shion walked over to her pillow and pulled out the shogi board with a grin. "Isn't that mine?"

"Chill. It's not like I broke anything in your house when I took it," she told him and he deadpanned.

"Pretty sure that's not the issue with this predicament," Shikamaru told her as she sat crisscross a small distance from him. He let out a troubled sigh as he did the same.

●▬▬▬Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ▬▬▬●

"I just don't understand how I could lose," Shion complained with a groan. If Shikamaru cared more about losing or winning, he might have been more talkative. He didn't seen the point since Shion was talkative enough for the both of them.

"I've gotta get home. Mom is gonna be pissed that I stayed out past curfew," Shikamaru commented, leaving out the accusatory tone towards the girl who was responsible for said upcoming scolding.

"Just tell her you are free man and then move in with me. It would be so fun. We can play shogi and I could do your hair." Shion giggled in an excited voice as she clapped her hands together.

"I'm just gonna go," he said in a deadpan as he walked away, back towards the Nara complex.

Shion, however, continued her way towards the food stands, catching sight of an orange jumpsuit that made her grin. She rushed forward, placing her hands on Naruto's shoulders and making him jump, mid slurp as his eyes narrowed slightly on her. "Naruto!"

"Oh it's you, dattebayo," he scratched his nose and looked away from Shion's smiling face with an expression of disinterest.

"Okay so I'm sensing a bit of hostility. What's up blondie?" Shion took seat next to him, and it seemed to Naruto that she had completely forgotten about their very similar hostile conversation the last time she approached him. Naturally she thought little of it last time, since she had just moved out and thought Naruto was just moody.

"None of your business, dattebayo," he commented, turning his head as she blinked in confusion.

"Now I'm just confused Naruto," she told him with a frown, leaning closer with her elbow on the counter while the chef continued cooking, tuning out all conversation. "But you're not acting like a very good friend."

"We aren't friends," he commented, and she straightened her back. A sting went through to her chest, and she bit her lip and pushed it down.

"Fine. I never wanted to be friends with you anyway. No one does. Go back to your swing and stay there, you eye sore." She stood up, not meaning to be so mean or childish, but sometimes when it counted, she was reminded that she was barely ten years old.

She stormed off, but once she was far enough, she felt immensely guilty for her words. She thought about turning back around, but was too nervous so she ended up standing in the middle of the dirt road, earning stares as she chewed on her nails. Once she finally decided to find Naruto and apologize, and maybe find out why he was being such a tool, she felt someone tap her shoulder.

"Shion, you okay?" Misaki asked, her voice concerned and Shion quickly put down her hand, and quickly forced a smile.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking about adopting a puppy," Shion told her and Misaki's brows furrowed.

"I was calling your name for a while," she told her teammate, who only continued to smile.

"It's a serious thought though," Shion told her, holding out her hand and grabbing Misaki's. "So can you come with me."

"To adopt a puppy?" Misaki had difficulty following her teammate's train of thought.

"Oh no, I was kind of an asshole and I want to apologize but I need the moral support," Shion told her and Misaki rubbed her temples as Shion dragged her towards the food stands.

"What about the puppy?" Misaki asked, causing Shion to turn her head back go the girl, her pink hair slightly messy as she twirled a strand around her finger.

"What puppy? Misaki focus," Shion blinked, as she made it to the ramen shop. Naruto was nowhere in sight, causing Shion to frown.

"I don't like spending time with you. I hope you know that," Misaku commented, but Shion ignored her as she walked up to the chef.

"Where's Naruto?" Shion asked and the man slightly frowned.

"He was with you," the man replied as he continued drying a bowl with a towel.

"Pretty sure that never happened," Shion told him and the man shrugged.

"Not sure what to tell you, not even two minutes ago you came up and you and Naruto went off somewhere," he said and Shion turned to Misaki who was looking out of place and uncomfortable.

"Thanks," Shion muttered half heartedly as she walked with Misaki back out into the dirt road. In the distance, the sun had begun to set and many people were absent from the outside village.

"So whose Naruto?" Misaki asked, but she still didn't sound very interested.

"Someone is pretending to be me," Shion said, ignoring Misaki's question and causing said girl to frown.

"Who would want to pretend to be you? No offense," Misaki said and Shion shrugged.

"Naruto gets bullied a lot. It could be a prank. We have to find him," Shion rushed forward, towards the direction the chef had said Naruto went.

"Couldn't we just leave it? I'm kind of tired," Misaki said, but Shion ignored her as she asked passing venders and people packing away the vegetables and grains for the end of the day, asking if they had seen where Naruto had gone.

Many brushed her off before one pointed in the direction of the training grounds. Shion nodded and dragged Misaki along with her.

"Couldn't we just find an adult or something?" Misaki asked, causing Shion to frown.

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Shion asked with a grin, causing Misaki to roll her eyes. Shion's smile ceased as they reached the training complex and she caught sight of an unfamiliar ninja.

"Unlike you, I don't have a hero complex," Misaki replied with a frown.

"Misaki shh," Shion shushed her, grabbing the girl and shoving them both behind a bush to watch as an unconscious Naruto was carried on the back of a ninja.

"We have to tell someone. Tsukasa," Misaki urged, but it went on deaf ears as three more ninja jumped from the high trees of the training grounds and landed near the first ninja and the unconscious Naruto.

"Who could we tell?" Shion began to dig through her bag, pulling out a couple shuriken. "There's no time. They will be gone before we have the chance to find someone."

"Need I remind you that rushing in there might get us killed," Misaki said, the panic rising in her voice. She could handle bullies, but she wasn't ready for trained ninja and she proved that when in Orochimaru's hideout.

"I understand that," Shion said, but Misaki knew that she couldn't possibly understand since she had so conveniently lost her memory of the event. "But I also can't just do nothing. I already failed Suigetsu. I won't fail another friend."

"I'm not rushing into danger just so you can prove yourself," Misaki told her, and Shion shook her head.

"You are misunderstanding. I want you to find Tsukasa or Itachi. I'll distract them." Shion's expression was serious, and her eyes were without humor, just daring Misaki to question her.

"No way," Misaki protested anyway, still remembering how her teammate broke down after taking a life. "I'm not leaving without you. We fight together or not at all."

"No offense," Shion slightly smiled, but her eyes remained unchanged. "But you aren't much of a fighter. Go, quickly. There isn't enough time to argue."

"You're still injured." Misaki pressed her fingers against Shion's thigh, her voice in a harsh whisper. Shion didn't flinch, despite the fact that the wound was still covered in brittle, easily broken skin.

"Just trust me," Shion was gone in a moment, and in her place was a log. Misaki gaped at the empty space that once was Shion, only to hear that girl shout in the distance. "Yo! Ugly! I think you're missing something?"

Shion held up a Hitai-ate with the distinct symbol of Iwagakure. The ninja holding Naruto reached towards the empty place on his belt to find that his forehead protector was missing.

"I can't imagine how you were hoping to get by unnoticed, but I can see that you wanted this mission of yours to remain a secret. After all, Konoha and Iwa do have a peace treaty," Shion placed the headband around her waist, tying it tight.

"Kill her. No witnesses," one of the Iwa ninja ordered, and kunai immediately flew her way, the intent to kill sinking in the attack. They impaled Shion, but her body turned into a log. Before long, hands reached from the ground and grabbed onto the ankles of the ninja who held onto Naruto. Shion immediately swiped Naruto from his arms, kicking his back as she did that way she could gain momentum to jump away from his body.

She forced Chakra into her arms in order to have the appropriate strength to lift Naruto. She could already feel her reserves begin to dwindle as she had summoned clones to do her bidding in such a short amount of time. Not to mention she really wasn't healed fully from the last mission.

"You four are an embarrassment to rocks!" Shion taunted, and the Iwa ninja all seemed to grow angrier with her every word. Naruto slowly began to stir when she jumped away from the four and made a couple more clones, each with a small Genjutsu of Naruto on their shoulder. The Iwa ninja didn't look fooled at first, and it seemed like they were all about to follow her before they began to veer off towards her clones.

She ran, feeling her legs burn. They might be stronger than her, but she knew this forest. She set Naruto down, hiding behind a tree as she tossed a trip wire, connected to a kunai, and tossed it into another nearby tree. She then quickly fused it with a bomb, thankful that she took her weapons with her everywhere.

"Shion...?" Naruto's voice was groggy and she quickly rushed to his side and placed her finger against his lips to silence him.

"Shush. They could be close by." She felt their Chakra, lurking and knew that by now they had destroyed her clones. She could fee it.

"Those assholes hit me." Naruto tried to stand but Shion grabbed ahold of him with a frown.

"Yeah, and I saved you. You're welcome by the way," she said and his brows furrowed while she went back to performing a Genjutsu that Itachi taught her, in order to mask their presence. She wasn't as strong as Itachi, so she knew she couldn't keep it up for as long as he could, but it would have to be enough.

"Why would you do that?" Naruto sounded genuinely confused, slightly unnerving her.

"Cause we're friends, bakabayo," she mocked, not bothering to gauge his reaction.