The Sound Of Falling Leaves
Hey guys! Thank you so much for your kind reviews. And I think what you've read so far is the probably nothing compared to what will happen next! XD Now I shall thank my reviewers by commenting on their reviews, since I love you all so much. 3
Bishounenchaser : NejiIno is a great pairing, and I fully intend to explore it's possibilities. SasuSaku ... interesting ... well, you never know. ;
Agent Natsumi : ROOMIE! Thanks so much. Bet you can't wait for SasuNaru-ness, eh? D
Trinity Morgan : I love Shika too. You might have to wait a leeetle bit for the ShikaTema ... I don't want all the couplings to come all at once. But it will happen, so never fear!
Blue-Fire310 : I don't think anyone has been so kind about my writing style before! I think it's usually quite difficult to read ... anyway, thank you so much! I like unconventional couplings too.
Ion : I not only have made Shikamaru Hokage because he is my favourite, but also because I think he has a good chance of becoming it anyway. He was the first out of the nine main genin to make it to Chuunin level. (Maybe not to Jounin ... forget Jounin level exists. IT DOES NOT EXIST. What Jounin?) There are many other reasons too, but I cannot remember them all at this time. I make a convincing argument, don't I? P
Thank you all. Now to the story!
Chapter Two : 'Shikamaru's Propositions'
Aburame Shino stared at the Hokage through his trademark dark glasses. Shikamaru often wondered what kind of eyes were behind them, or indeed any features of his face other than his nose. Shino had always been the same. The sunglasses, the large collar, and the odd insect crawling on his hands. Now that Shikamaru truly thought about Shino's asthetic suitability for this job, he realised that he was perfect. No one else was quite that mysterious.
"So Shino, how is ANBU?"
"..."
"I see." Shikamaru shuffled some papers that were on his desk to make the scenerio look more official. Shino had barely said two words since he had came in through the door five minutes previously.
"I have an interesting proposal for you." Shikamaru said, hoping to gain a response.
"..."
"Have you heard of the troubles in the Sound?"
Shino nodded slightly.
"Ah. Things have been troublesome there for some time. I am meeting with the Sand next week to discuss the politics of it. But we know very little. I can't just send ANBU in there. They tend to get a bit too excited and just generally want to good fight. No, I can't have that happen. Infiltration, that's what I need. And so I have decided to set up a top secret sub-section of my very own ninja team to fulfill this requirement. They would work directly under me. Even more secretive than ANBU. And I am asking you to be the head of this section." Shikamaru explained and prayed that Shino would give an answer.
"So ... I would be a secret agent?" Shino said slowly in his deep, calm voice.
"Yes, that is exactly what you would be should you take on the job."
Shino sat still for a few moments while he evidently thought things through. He was already a member of ANBU, although he was relatively new to it. He couldn't stand the uniform - too revealing - and he really had not seen any action so far. This secret agent prospect was too good an opportunity to refuse.
"I accept the position." he said, as a stray bug meandered along the back of his hand. Shikamaru saw it and shuddered.
"Y-yes, that's wonderful. Could you make your first job the recruitment of other nins to be your subordinates? I trust your judgement."
"Fine."
"I will see you in two days time. In the meantime, I will set everything else up. Then you can take a secret mission to the Sound. I want to find things out as soon as possible."
Shino nodded again.
"Thank you, Shino. You may now leave." Shikamaru said, standing and bowing. Shino bowed in return and left. Chouji smiled.
"That went well. Well done, sir." he said.
"Call me 'sir' again and I will confiscate your chi - your naughty magazines." Shikamaru said, deciding mid-sentence that taking Chouji's potato chips would leave him and the surrounding area completely flattened.
"N-naughty magazines? I don't have any naughty magazines!" Chouji spluttered.
"Sure you don't." Shikamaru said, and checked his timetable. "Let's see, I have to see Hyuuga Hinata in two hours ..."
"I don't, Shikamaru! You know I wouldn't own anything like that!"
"Sure I know. I think I'll order up some food."
"I reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaalllllly don't! Wha - food? Now we're talking!" Chouji said, rubbing his hands together. Shikamaru called in Umi the squeaky secretary and told her to bring up some food - lots of food - and for any unexpected visitors to be turned away for the remainder of the day.
"I can't be bothered to see the world and his wife." he said, and dismissed her. Ten minutes later, the door burst open and the smell of freshly cooked chicken hit their noses. But it was not Umi who was holding the numerous plates of food.
"Ino!" Shikamaru cried, nearly falling off his chair.
"Surrrrrrrrrrprise! I thought we could have a Team 10 special picnic Hokage office style!" Ino said, laying out the platters on Shikamaru's desk.
"Wow Ino! This looks great! But where are your two's portions?" Chouji said, wrapping his arms around the vast amount of cuisine. He was amazed at how the small woman had been able to carry it all without as much as breaking a sweat. Ino laughed at his outward greed.
"Well, I actually don't want anything. I've already had half an apple today. I'm still full up." she said, patting her flat stomach. Shikamaru had to smile. Now there's someone else who never changes ... he thought.
Shino, in his quest to recruit members of this secret service, had been tactful. He had decided against assigning people he knew well. Apart from his old team-mates, he did not care for working with people who would talk to him. But he never got the opportunity to fight alongside his friends anyway. He had instead approached a selection of young yet trustworthy Chuunins who he knew for a fact were currently out of work. A Chuunin who was unemployed was a sorry sight indeed, and they would be happy to take on the job, no matter how much pressure would rest on their shoulders not to tell anyone about it. Four ought to do it ... Shino reckoned after he had been to see that many. He could have gone back to see the Hokage at that moment, but he felt that the Sixth would be troubled to see him back so soon. The Chuunins also needed to prepare for the task in hand, so in the meantime Shino waited quietly for his mission and tried to be as unassuming as possible. Which was not hard.
"So Ino." Chouji said when he had finished nearly all the food, "Anything changed in your life since yesterday?"
Ino set down the hair-brush she had been using to groom herself with, and tossed her hair over her shoulder.
"I saw Neji. We went to some restaurant on the outskirts of town. He seemed in a good mood."
"I bet that spelled a good night for you then." Shikamaru mumbled.
"Why, yes." Ino giggled, "But you've never been so interested in that side of my relationships. Anyway, then I went home this morning and Sakura had left a message on my answering machine. That girl is stuck in the past, I'm telling you."
Aren't we all? Shikamaru wondered.
"She said something about longing after Sasuke and Naruto being a pain in the ass. The usual. But she seemed more sad than normal."
"Did you call her back?" Chouji asked.
"No, I really wasn't in the mood to be bored out of my skull. Do you now how often she whines about all that? Sheesh. So then, I went over to that new boutique and there were the nicest pair of sandals I've EVER seen just sitting in the window. Needless to say, they were sold out of them ..."
"You really don't give a shit about anyone, do you Ino?" Shikamaru said. He had meant it to be a joke, but he sounded too serious.
"That's weird, coming from someone I actually do give a shit about." Ino said, her eyes widened.
"I suppose that's why we like you." the Hokage laughed. Ino flicked a piece of clumped rice at him.
"Shut up, pineapple head. But Sakura is really getting on my nerves. I was over Sasuke, like, YEARS ago. Then again, she is in love with him. That explains why she's become all weak and ill half the time. I also figure that's why our team is running the place now. We don't let silly emotions affect our ninja duties."
"But we're losers in life because of that." Shikamaru said, taking a sip of sake. "And you're not in any position of authority, Ino."
"No, but you know what I mean."
"I ..." Shikamaru set down his cup. "I have something to ask you Ino ..."
"What?"
"I want you to quit the shop and work for me."
"For you? But the Yamanaka Flower shop -"
"Get someone else to run it. I want you to be my right-hand ... woman."
Chouji gulped an entire onigiri and then stared open mouthed at both his friends. Ino had a similar expression for the Hokage.
"But ..." Ino said.
"Don't make a decision right away. Go and think about it." Shikamaru commanded, and waved his hand at her. Of course, his greatest wish was for Ino to choose her safe life within the flower shop, to continue her family's business and to be away from the dangers which all Shinobi faced. And yet, though he regretted it, there was a part of him that wanted her to discard all that and restore their Ino-Shika-Cho formation. He wanted not only Chouji, but Ino as well by his side. Being Hokage was the highest he could go, and his mind was in danger of floating away into the clouds he admired so much. Ino, being her high-and-mighty self, would be sure to yank him back down to Konoha Village if he did. So either way she chose, it would affect his feelings.
The carriage was rather old-fashioned in both design and its use. The Hyuuga clan was very interested in up-holding certain traditions and stressing their importance as an influential family in Konoha. The speedy decline of the Uchihas had helped their status and as a result strengthened their belief in ninja family tradition. The carriage was not a carriage in the true sense of the word. It served to carry important members of the main house, yet it was not horses that transported it. Four lesser members of the secondary house hoisted the box onto their shoulders and took it around the village.
Inuzuka Kiba was out walking with Akamaru, his faithful dog, when he saw that very carriage making its way to the Hokage's head-quarters on that day. He knew who was inside very well. He could not believe that she would condone this mistreatment of her family members, albeit of the splinter house. He could imagine her face from behind the carriage's silk curtains - her eyes remorseful, her down-turned mouth quivering with unease. And, of course, her index fingers poking each other in a nervous gesture.
"We've all come so far ..." Kiba murmured, "Yet some of us farther than others. Yeah, we've been left a bit behind, eh Akamaru?"
The dog gave a quiet woof in response and looked up at his master and friend.
"Yeah, you would say that." Kiba said, and watched the carriage carry on up the street.
Shikamaru was finding it impossible to focus after voicing his request to Ino. His impending meeting with the Hyuuga clan leader was not going to go all that well at this rate. For some comfort, he turned to his best-friend who stood behind him, arms folded in a classic bodyguard pose.
"What will she decide, Chouji?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"Because you're the one who ..." Shikamaru faultered. That sentence was best left unfinished for now. Chouji grunted and straightened up.
"Isn't your meeting in a few minutes?"
"It will be if they're on time. Which is a given, since the Hyuugas are notorious time-keepers." Shikamaru sighed, and put on his special Hokage hat. The cascading material fell past his shoulders and shaded his face. He hated the head-gear, but he had already been scolded by Umi the squeaky secretary for not wearing it on formal occasions. Chouji grinned.
"You look very ... Hokage-ish. It's quite amusing." he chuckled.
"Hush."