CHAPTER 4: SUNAGAKURE'S PLEA
(Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto. I do own my OC's, however)
"Talking / Jutsu"
'Thinking'
'Flashback'
"Flashback talk"
"Demonic voice"
Letter / Emphasis
"Ha! We did it! We won!" an ecstatic Naruto shouted, pumping his fist in the air and grinning widely. "I knew we could do it, believe it! Be-freaking-live it!"
"Oh, I believe it alright," Shujinko said with a big smile on his face. The feeling of sheer satisfaction among Kakashi's students was incredible, but most importantly, it was well earned. Their combined effort had allowed them to face none other than Hatake Kakashi and come out on top in the end. It almost felt surreal, but the bell in the palm of his hand was undeniable proof of their victory. "What do you have to say, Kakashi-sensei? Not too shabby, huh?"
The silver-haired Jounin let out a depressed sigh and stared at his copy of Icha Icha Tactics. "Yes, yes, congratulations. I have to admit I wasn't expecting to go down, most certainly not like this," he replied. Kakashi then gave his three students the stink eye. "You know, using underhanded tactics is one thing, but spoiling a man the ending of his precious book and then threatening to destroy it? Even by the standards of us ninjas, that's a dirty trick to pull on someone,"
Sakura barely managed to hold her laughter as she opened her mouth to speak. "Don't be like that, Kakashi-sensei. We were never really going to reveal to you the ending of your book. It's not like we could've done so in the first place,"
"… What do you mean by that?"
"What Sakura is trying to say is that this whole thing was just a fluke," Shujinko responded. "Naruto has never read Icha Icha Tactics, so spoiling the final plot twist to you was practically impossible. All we had to do was to pretend. Isn't that right, Naruto?"
The Kyuubi Jinchuriki nodded. "Yup! I mean, I gave the book a chance when Ero-sennin gave it to me, but it was so boring I couldn't even make it past the tenth page. Honestly, I don't understand why people buy that kind of garbage,"
"But… But you were shouting the ending of the book as you attacked me. I even saw it with my Sharingan!" Kakashi replied.
"Oh, that? Yeah, I came up with that part like five minutes before we reached your position. I figured it was such a bad book that any kind of crappy ending would work. It looks like I was right after all, huh?"
To say that Kakashi felt ridiculed was an understatement. His students had made an utter fool out of him; they had deceived him like a Jounin would deceive a student from the Academy. If any of his colleagues caught wind of this, his fame as one of the top-notch Jounins of the village would be flushed down the toilet and he would be forever known as the ninja who was defeated by the power of erotic literature. Not even someone as unconcerned as Kakashi wanted that sort of humiliating reputation for himself.
On the bright side, the chance to enjoy the rest of Icha Icha Tactics free of spoilers remained intact, and that meant more to Kakashi than losing whatever challenge he had imposed on his students… So in the end, he decided the positive aspects of the outcome balanced out the negative, and that was good enough for him.
"You three have certainly demonstrated some growth," Tsunade said as she made her way towards them, followed by Shizune. Shujinko and Sakura immediately straightened their postures in the presence of their Hokage, unlike Naruto, who kept his hands behind the back of his head the whole time. "Kakashi, do you have any comments regarding your students' performances?"
"… Well, they did manage to get the bells one way or another, so I suppose there's not a lot of room for criticism," Kakashi replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
Tsunade nodded in understanding. "I'm glad to hear that. Now we can discuss what the status of Team 7 will be,"
"The status of Team 7?" Naruto repeated. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Ozuma Shujinko, from now on, you are all active members of Team 7 once again, meaning that you will participate in various missions along with your old sensei. You'll be assigned to do whatever task that needs to be carried out, including S-rank missions should it be necessary,"
"And thus, I will no longer act as your superior," Kakashi added. "Starting from this moment, you three are my peers, not my underlings. Of course, I wouldn't mind at all if you guys still want to treat me with the respect and the deference accorded to a-"
"S-rank missions!? Peers!? Wait, does that mean we're all Jounins now!?" the Uzumaki shouted, his cerulean eyes shining with excitement. "Oh man, this is the coolest thing ever! I just got back to the village and I'm already a Jounin! Shikamaru was nagging me earlier about how I needed to pick up the pace. Ha! I can't wait to see the look on his face once he finds out I outrank him now!"
"Hold your horses, gaki. I never said anything about you reaching the rank of Jounin. Even though you're now qualified to take part in missions assigned mostly to Jounins, your rank of Genin remains very much the same. You haven't even passed the Chunin Exams, so don't go around thinking I will grant you the rank of Jounin when you haven't earned it, Naruto,"
Tsunade's words, coupled with the big, serious frown her face caused Naruto's jaw to drop slightly. He stuck his hands inside his pockets and kicked the grass with the sole of his boot, pouting. "Well, you could've started by saying that, baa-chan. You didn't need to get my hopes up like that,"
Shujinko stared at his blonde teammate wide-eyed. As much as he liked Naruto as a person, he couldn't understand how he could be so irreverent towards the Hokage. Shujinko knew Naruto had had a hand on bringing Tsunade to the village and that he wasn't just another ninja to her, but still, he could at least try to watch his manners when talking to the leader of Konohagakure. Sakura seemed to think so as well, for she quickly stomped her foot on his toes.
"Ouch! Sakura-chan, what did you do that for?" Naruto asked as he jumped on one foot, grabbing his toes in pain.
"For behaving like an idiot in front of Tsunade-sama, that's why," Sakura replied without missing a beat, and although Shujinko had never been fond of the way Sakura treated Naruto whenever he stepped out of line, this time he felt the Kyuubi Jinchuriki had it coming.
As for Jiraiya, he just smirked at the scene. The brat he had for a student reminded him of himself more than what he would care to admit.
The Hokage cleared her throat. "In any case, Team 7 will go on missions starting tomorrow. I want you to be in my office first thing in the morning, so make sure to get as much rest as you can. You're all dismissed,"
...
|Konoha District|
"Alright, it's time to party!"
After spending a considerable amount of time battling in the training grounds, Shujinko and the other members of the newly reinstated Team 7 found themselves walking through the streets of Konoha looking for a fun way to celebrate the night. Of course, since Naruto had just returned to the village, getting rest was the last thing on his mind. This was a special occasion, and as such, Shujinko reckoned he was well within his right to enjoy himself with his teammates, even if it meant getting home late and getting scolded by his parents for not letting them know he was going out tonight.
'How ironic,' Shujinko thought with slight amusement as he walked behind Naruto and Sakura, watching them talk excitedly about what kind of important missions they would be assigned starting from tomorrow. 'Me leaving the village for weeks is fine as long as I'm in a mission, but the one time I spend the night hanging out with my friends will get me an earful from my parents just because I didn't tell them beforehand. Well, nothing I can do about it now,'
"You seem to be more quiet than usual, Shujinko. A ryo for your thoughts?"
Shujinko heard Kakashi coming from behind, nose still buried in his book. The sensei and his student started walking together, putting some space between them and Naruto and Sakura. "Well, I've been meaning to talk to you, sensei. I don't want Naruto or Sakura to find out about what I want to ask you,"
"I'm terribly sorry Shujinko, but if you're going to ask me whether you can borrow my personal Icha Icha collection, my answer is no. I know it's an intriguing lecture, but it would speak rather poorly of me. Besides, I wouldn't want you and Tenten to get inspired by those books if you catch my drift,"
Shujinko gave his sensei a murderous glare while his face began to turn beet red. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm not interested in those gross and repulsive adult novels of yours? And just so you know, you sound like a total creep whenever you include me and Tenten in that subject,"
Kakashi responded by giving his student his classic eye-smile, which only caused Shujinko to grow more irritated. His relationship with Tenten was one of the most intimate aspects of his life, and Shujinko was very reserved about it for the most part. The Ozuma believed this was primarily due to the fact that he and Tenten were the first couple of their generation and they just so happened to be in the same social circle of friends, which inevitably placed them in the spotlight.
It wasn't like people knowing they were a couple bothered them. They didn't try to hide their relationship from the rest of the world. But whenever they were asked about the more personal stuff, both he and Tenten became annoyed. He could still remember how embarrassed he felt when Masumi and Daichi had talked to him about their concerns regarding his relationship with his girlfriend and how teenagers such as himself would often develop a 'natural urge to explore the boundaries with their romantic partners'… Needless to say, Shujinko left his father's office with a blush so bright it could be spotted from miles away.
"It's not like Tenten and I have ever taken things that far," Shujinko stated just to make everything clear. "… And even if we had, it's none of your business,"
"Mah, mah, no need to get so defensive. I was only teasing you. Now, what is it that you wanted to ask me?"
Shujinko looked around and made sure no one but his sensei was listening to him. "Now that Naruto is back with us, what are we going to do about the Akatsuki?" he asked, cutting straight to the chase. Kakashi instantly hardened his gaze upon hearing the name of the organization, but that didn't stop Shujinko from elaborating. "You and I both know they're after him, Kakashi-sensei. They already tried to capture him years ago and it didn't go too well for either of us, if I recall correctly,"
Despite it being a memory from more than three years ago, Shujinko could still remember with perfect lucidity the time when he encountered Itachi and Kisame, the only members of the Akatsuki that he knew of. He didn't have much to say about Kisame other than the fact that he looked intimidating, but Itachi Uchiha… that man had basically killed him inside a Genjutsu. Illusion or not, the golden-eyed teenager had experienced how painful it was to have a sword going in and out of him. The agony and the desperation that came with seeing his own blood spilled all around him as he suffocated was something Shujinko would never forget.
But even so, he had gotten off lightly when compared to the torture his sensei had to go through at the hands of Sasuke's brother. Kakashi had been subjected to Itachi's Tsukuyomi, a technique that was every bit as powerful and malicious as Itachi himself was. It unnerved Shujinko to think what would've happened to him had he been the one on the receiving end of that Genjutsu. It was part of the reason why Shujinko had trained himself to fight against the Sharingan to the best of his abilities. That way, if he ever came across Sasuke or Itachi, he would at least stand a better chance against their terrifying visual prowess.
"It is what it is. We're not who we were three years ago. This time around, we'll be better prepared to face the members of the Akatsuki," Kakashi responded as he lowered his book. He then proceeded to touch the eye that his headband covered. "And if worst comes to worst, I'm confident my new Sharingan will take care of things,"
Shujinko blinked three consecutive times, which was his involuntary reaction whenever he failed to understand something. "Your new Sharingan? What's that supposed to mean, Kakashi-sensei?"
"Let's just say you're not the only one who's been training in secret, Shujinko,"
Before Shujinko could ask him any further questions, he was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing his throat. It was Jiraiya, who was walking towards them with his arms crossed and a smug smile on his face. "Ah, Kakashi, just the man I was looking for," the Toad Sannin said before looking at the brown-haired teen. "Hello again, Shujinko. I see you're taking a stroll with your sensei after the bells challenge. That certainly was an entertaining spectacle,"
"I'm not sure I would call it a spectacle from my perspective, but I'm glad you were entertained, I suppose," Shujinko replied before noticing something. "Huuhm, Jiraiya-sama, what happened to your face?"
Jiraiya's left cheek had a reddish mark shaped like a hand, making almost half of his face look swollen. Even his left eye was slightly closed due to it. "What, this? It's nothing, just a token of affection from a lady I met at a bar. She was lovely, but she also had quite a temper," Jiraiya said, thinking back on how his indecent advances to that waitress had rewarded him with a vicious slap to his face, which wasn't something he wasn't used to after many years of being a dirty old man. "Anyhow, I need to have a word with your sensei. Would you mind giving us some privacy?"
Shujinko stared at Kakashi, who was giving him a look that said 'nothing personal, just business', causing his student to smirk knowingly. "I'm guessing this is the part where I'm supposed to get lost. That's alright, I have no intention of meddling in your affairs. Have a good night Kakashi-sensei, Jiraiya-sama," After a quick bow, Shujinko turned around and started walking towards his teammates, who were asking Shujinko to come and join them.
"That's quite the student you got there, Kakashi," Jiraiya commented as he saw the trio of teens walking away. "You did a good job training him,"
Kakashi shrugged his shoulders. "I could say the same thing for you. Naruto's skills have grown by leaps and bounds. However, we cannot afford to become overconfident, not with the Akatsuki on the horizon,"
"That's precisely what I wanted to talk to you about. I have reasons to believe the Akatsuki are up to something, something big and bold. As agreed, I leave Naruto in your capable hands. Make sure he stays out of trouble, although I know that's easier said than done. From now on, always consider the possibility of running into the Akatsuki during whatever mission he's in,"
"Understood. And what about you, Jiraiya-sama? What are you going to do?"
"I'm afraid I can't stick around here very long. Getting reliable information on the Akatsuki is a job only I can do. I'll leave the village tomorrow morning so I can start making the rounds. Take care, Kakashi," Jiraiya said before weaving a hand sign and disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
"Oi, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted from a distance. "What are you standing there for? Let's go grab a bite to celebrate!"
"Sorry guys, but no can do. I have to compile a unit dossier for the new team and send it along for filling. It's boring work, but somebody has to do it. Enjoy your night, kiddos,"
And just like that, Kakashi imitated Jiraiya and used the Shunshin no Jutsu to leave the scene. Unlike many other instances, Kakashi wasn't telling his student some cock-and-bull excuse to explain his tardiness, or in this case, his reasons for leaving. The Hokage had indeed ordered him to do paperwork, and he had promised himself he would get right on it… As soon as he finished the chapter he was currently reading, that is. After spending hours fighting in the training grounds, Kakashi thought he was well within his right to pamper himself with a bit of his favorite lecture.
He deserved as much.
|Yoi Sakana's sushi bar|
"Man, I hadn't realized I had worked up this big of an appetite until just now," Shujinko said with a hand on his growling stomach. "Trust me, this place is great. I've been eating here since I was a little kid and not once have I ever walked out of here feeling disappointed,"
The Jounin, the Chunin, and the Genin of Team 7 were currently sitting at the tables of Yoi Sakana's, waiting for their meals to be brought to them. Shujinko had heavily insisted on visiting his favorite restaurant under the pretext that he wanted his teammates to try out the exquisite cuisine served there, but deep down he just wanted to eat a ton of sushi. Was Shujinko being dishonest? Maybe a little, but he had never claimed to be a saint, especially when it came to the food he loved.
Naruto, who was sitting next to Sakura, had his arms crossed and his brow furrowed. Instead of the capable and determined ninja that he was, the Uzumaki looked more like a defiant brat after being told 'no' by his parents. "I still don't understand why we couldn't just go to Ichiraku Ramen. It's still open and it's not that far away from here. Why don't we leave this place and go for some ramen instead?"
"Because you can't live your life eating the same stuff over and over again. It's not that hard to understand, Naruto," Sakura replied, looking slightly embarrassed by Naruto's childish behavior. "Besides, you already had some ramen before we met with Kakashi at the training grounds,"
"Yeah, and what of it? There's nothing wrong with going to the same place twice when you're hungry. And it was free ramen!" Naruto retorted. He then blinked before a sly smile crept over his lips. "Although, if we were to call this a date, I would probably be a lot more willing to give this sushi thing a chance. How about it, Sakura-chan?"
"Forget it, Naruto. Don't think you can push your luck just because you're back in the village. And in case you haven't noticed, we can't call this a date if there are three of us, you numbskull," As always, Sakura was quick to reject Naruto. It wasn't as if she took joy in doing that, but it was exasperating having to deal with Naruto and his constant advances when he knew she didn't return his feelings. "Speaking of which, isn't this the place you brought Tenten when you two had your first date, Shujinko?"
Shujinko nodded. "That's right. It was during the Tanabata Festival three years ago. It's crazy how fast time goes by," he said, smiling to himself as he recalled his first date with Tenten. The process of the relationship between them, although rewarding beyond doubt, had also been a challenging one for sure.
The first months of their relationship had been filled with incertitude as neither of them knew what they were supposed to do. Not only were they new to the dating scene, but they were also young ninjas with responsibilities towards their village. They both had to figure out how to make enough time for the two of them while also keeping up with their training, their missions, their friends, and their families. It was a hectic task, to say the least, and there had been several instances when they had nearly called off their relationship due to how complicated everything was.
Fortunately, neither of them ever threw in the towel because they knew how much they meant to each other. After much struggle, they eventually found a way to make things work. It took a lot of time, trust, and patience, but being together made everything worth it. Sure, it was still complicated at times, but that didn't change the fact that they were happy. In the end, that was all that really mattered.
"So why aren't you with Tenten right now?" Naruto asked.
"Team Gai had to leave Konoha for a mission last week. I don't remember all the details, but she should be heading back in a couple of days or so," Shujinko replied. "Anyways, it's not like we need to be together all of the time. You just got back to the village after three years of being absent, Naruto. If Tenten was here, she'd definitely tell me to be with you guys instead of being with her,"
Just then, the members of Team Kakashi were approached by a middle-aged man wearing white clothes underneath a blue chef apron. He had his long sleeves rolled up, revealing a pair of robust and hairy arms. Shujinko raised his eyes and smiled at the man whom he had known for almost all of his life. "Hey Masao, long time no see,"
"My oh my, if it isn't my favorite client," Masao replied with a smile of his own. "How have you been doin', kid? Feels like ages since you last came here. I see you brought some friends with ya'," the owner of the restaurant said as he grabbed a kitchen hanky from one of his apron's pockets and began cleaning his hands. "Name's Masao, owner of this fine establishment. It's a pleasure to meet y'all,"
Sakura performed a quick bow from her seat by nodding her head, following common norms of social courtesies. "Haruno Sakura. The pleasure is all ours,"
"Yeah, and my name is Uzumaki Naruto, the future Hokage of Konohagakure," Unlike his female teammate, Naruto puffed out his chest, looking proud and decided.
"Uzumaki Naruto? Haruno Sakura? Ain't the pair of you Shujinko's teammates, the students of Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama?" Masao asked, to which they nodded. "In that case, feel free to ask me anything about Shujinko. I know all sorts of stories. Just wait until you hear about the time when I accidentally served him rotten sushi. I swear he nearly -"
"Alright, alright, let's leave the anecdotes for another occasion, shall we?" Shujinko cut him off, a look of pure embarrassment in his face. Naruto and Sakura seemed both amused and intrigued, and Masao couldn't help but chuckle. His laughter, however, was quickly replaced by a series of coughs that forced him to cover his mouth, turning his face away from Shujinko and his friends. The Ozuma went from embarrassed to curious, as well as a little concerned. "Oi, are you okay Masao? Do you need a glass of water or something?"
Masao cleared his throat and shook his head. "It's nothing, my boy. I'm alright. Been suffering a bit of bronchitis these past few days, nothing too serious,"
Shujinko nodded in understanding, but he couldn't help but notice how Masao looked slightly different from what he used to. He was paler than usual, and he even appeared to have lost a bit of weight. The Ozuma wanted to ask him about it but he didn't want to look nosy in front of Naruto and Sakura, so he decided to keep his mouth closed and ask him in private some other time.
"Anyways, my daughter will be here with your orders soon," Masao said before turning his head to the kitchen. "Oi, Yoishi! How's that food coming along? Your customers are waiting!"
"It'll be ready in a minute, tou-san!" a voice replied all the way from the other side. Shujinko turned his head back and saw a man in his thirties with short black hair wearing the same cooking uniform as his father.
"That's my son Yoishi. He's been practicing how to become a top-notch chef just like his old man. Guess you could say he's finally picked up the family's apron," Masao said, a look of pride in his face. He then discreetly pointed his finger at a woman who was informing a civilian family about the food in the menu. She seemed to be a couple of years older than Yoishi, maybe three or four. "Meanwhile, my daughter Hiroto is that waitress over there. Once she heard Yoishi had started cooking here, she quit her old job and began working here along with her brother just to contribute. Ain't that something?"
The golden-eyed Jounin was surprised to say the least. He had noticed the two individuals upon entering the sushi bar, but he wasn't expecting them to be Masao's flesh and blood. Even from a distance and despite the age gap, Shujinko could see a strong physical resemblance between them and their father. Had he known about this beforehand, he would've at least introduced himself to Yoishi and Hiroto.
The voice of Sakura snapped Shujinko out of his awe. "So it's a family-owned business then?"
Masao shrugged his shoulders. "Aye, you could say that,"
"Does that mean they get to eat sushi whenever they want for free?" Naruto asked.
"Eat sushi whenever they want for free?" Masao repeated dumbfounded before cracking a wide grin. "I like ya', kid. You're a funny one," he said, to which Naruto raised an eyebrow. He had no idea what was funny about what he had just said. Still, he decided that he liked this Masao guy. He sort of reminded him of Teuchi and that was good enough for him.
"You know, I had no idea your daughter and son were working here," Shujinko started to say. "Come to think of it, you've never had employees of any kind before. You've always run this place alone. What's the deal? Are things getting too busy here?"
Shujinko's questions caused Masao's face to drop a little. "… Yeah, well, time catches up with all of us. That's just how it goes. I can't do everything on my own forever, especially since…" he stopped mid-sentence and stared at Shujinko with an unfamiliar facial expression. The Jounin waited for the rest of his answer, but instead, Masao went back to smiling. "Nah, never mind. Wouldn't want to bother ya' with nonsense. I gotta' get back to work. Have a great night the three of you,"
The trio of ninjas watched how Masao turned his back and walked away. Shujinko frowned, wondering what had gotten into him. Masao wasn't the kind of man who hesitated to give an honest answer, certainly not when Shujinko was the one asking the questions. Maybe he was reading too much into it, but the sudden change in Masao's attitude, as brief as it had been, was still off-putting.
"Shujinko, is everything okay?" Sakura asked her teammate. "You look a bit distracted,"
"It's nothing," Shujinko replied with a neutral tone of voice. Whatever the problem with Masao was, it wasn't worth discussing it with Naruto and Sakura, at least not in this precise place and moment. Besides, it wasn't like making rushed judgments would do him any good. "Anyways, I didn't say this before, but I can't wait to go out on missions with you guys. It's been so long since we last did anything together. What kind of assignment do you think Tsunade-sama will task us with tomorrow?" the Ozuma asked, feeling the need to change the subject as quickly as possible.
Naruto snorted. "Whatever it is, it better be good. I didn't work my but off for three years just to return here and go back to chasing cats and clean littered rivers. No sir, I want something big and dangerous. I'm sure Tsunade-baa-chan will understand…"
…
|Next day at the Hokage's office|
"Baa-chan, you don't understand!" Naruto exclaimed, acting as if he had just been insulted. "There's no way I'm doing something as boring as escorting a caravan!"
Tsunade glared daggers at him. "Excuse me? Do you have a problem with my decision?"
"Damn right I do! Out of all the assignments you could've picked, you chose to give us some lame C-rank mission? Come on, that's the kind of stuff even a kid can handle! Team 7 deserves something much more challenging, believe it!"
Shujinko had to hold back a grimace. Of course Team 7's first mission after three years of inactivity had to start like this, with Naruto throwing a fit right in front of the Godaime Hokage. It wasn't as if the blonde knucklehead didn't have a point, and honestly, Shujinko thought Team 7 could take care of a B-rank or even an A-rank mission after the level of prowess he and his teammates had displayed during the bells challenge. However, did Naruto truly believe raising a ruckus at the Hokage's office was going to help his case in the slightest?
"Naruto-kun, please be reasonable about this," Shizune intervened. "Tsunade-sama isn't trying to belittle you or any of your teammates. Team 7 hasn't been on active duty for a very long period of time. It would be unwise to send all four of you on a high-risk mission right off the bat. You need to adjust yourself to your squad once again, and the best way to do that is by starting off slowly with these C-rank missions,"
"And besides, I've already selected other teams to do these difficult assignments you're asking for, so it's not like you have much of a choice. Don't forget I am the Hokage, Naruto. If you're not mature enough to deal with these simple missions, then I can't and won't entrust you with harder ones. It's as simple as that," Tsunade said with utmost finality.
Anyone with a shred of common sense would know better than to get on Tsunade's nerves and risk invoking her anger. However, common sense was often the least common of the senses, at least in Naruto's case. "I miss the Sandaime Hokage. That old man had faith in us," he muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Such blatant disrespect was the straw that broke the camel's back. Tsunade stood up and slammed her palms down on her desk, shaking the piles of paperwork that were on it. "What did you just say to me, brat?"
"Nothing! He didn't say anything!" Shujinko said in an alarmed tone of voice. Naruto was about to claim otherwise, but Sakura immediately threw her arm around his neck and forced him to shut up by placing her hand on his mouth. Kakashi simply stood there with a distressed look on his face, wondering how the student of the legendary Jiraiya could be such an idiot at times. "Tsunade-sama, please don't listen to Naruto. He doesn't know what he's talking about. Just give us any mission you want and we'll take care of it,"
But Shujinko's words fell on deft ears. The granddaughter of the Shodaime Hokage wasn't going to sit there and put up with that kind of insult, especially when it came from Naruto. That boy knew full well how much faith she had in him. He was the one who had restored her faith in the first place, so Naruto calling her faith into question was not something that Tsunade was willing to tolerate.
"You know something, Naruto? Don't worry about this C-rank mission. You're clearly not mature enough to handle it. As a punishment, you'll be stuck doing nothing but D-rank missions for the next two weeks. Maybe then you'll stop behaving like a spoiled child,"
The Kyuubi Jinchuriki looked ready to blow a gasket. Even Shujinko winced at that. Once he got Sakura to unhand him, Naruto opened his mouth to protest against the unjust punishment he was facing, but he barely got two words out before he was interrupted by a loud voice.
"Tsunade-sama!" a woman shouted as she barged into the room. Everyone turned around to see her, but she ignored the gazes and didn't stop until she reached the Hokage's desk. "Tsunade-sama, I bring a message decoded by the Intelligence Division! They say it's an emergency!"
"An emergency, just what my morning needed," Tsunade grumbled as she took the scroll from the woman's hand. She opened it and began reading the decoded message, only for her eyes to widen in shock. "… I don't believe this…"
Kakashi narrowed his only visible eye. "What happened, Tsunade-sama?"
"This is a plea for help sent by Sunagakure no Sato," the Godaime Hokage replied as she lowered the scroll she was holding. Upon seeing the look on Tsunade's face, Shujinko knew right away it couldn't be anything good, but what he heard next almost made his jaw drop. "The Kazekage has been captured by the Akatsuki,"
|Sunagakure no Sato|
Mayhem.
No other word could describe Sunagakure's current state of affairs any better. Ninjas of all ranks and ages were running from one place to another, doing everything they could to appease the frightened civilian population of the village. It was extremely difficult to feign stability and order when last night, villagers and ninjas alike witnessed what had to be the most preposterous event in the history of Sunagakure since its birth: Someone had infiltrated their village, fought against their Kazekage, and successfully captured him right in front of everyone's eyes.
It was enough to strike fear into the heart of the most seasoned and disciplined of warriors. Every single shinobi in Sunagakure, including the ANBU forces and the recently graduated class of Genins, was dumbfounded. The civilians were fairing even worse as most of them lacked the kind of mental fortitude that ninjas possessed. They had been kept awake all night hearing the sounds of bombs going off in the sky, and now that their leader was gone, panic had taken hold of them. Thanks to Gaara's efforts during the fight, the village had been left standing relatively intact and no civilian casualties were suffered, but how long was that going to last without the Kazekage to protect them?
Those were Baki's thoughts as he entered the emergency ward where Kankuro was being treated. The brother of the Kazekage had sustained critical damage after his encounter with the Akatsuki, and his condition was worsening every passing minute. Kankuro was screaming in agony, grabbing his bedsheets and shaking his head side to side, desperately gasping for breath. It was certainly a pitiful sight, and Baki could only imagine how much pain his student was going through.
"What's his status? Have you made any progress?" Baki asked to the medical ninja in charge of overseeing the clinical procedure.
"Not much I'm afraid. He's holding up, but only just. We discovered an abundant amount of toxins flowing through his body, which can only be the result of poisoning. This poison is weakening his organs and attacking his muscles at the same time, as well as causing a handful of other minor side effects. My colleagues and I have never seen anything like it,"
"But if we're dealing with poison here, then surely there must be some kind of antidote you can use,"
"That's the problem. None of the antidotes that we have at our disposal will work against this poison, as it contains toxins we haven't studied before. So far, we've managed to slightly decrease the rate at which the poison spreads and we've reduced some of Kankuro's pain by using sedatives, but if we don't find out what are the toxin's components and how they work, creating an effective antidote is out of our reach,"
Their conversation was interrupted by Kankuro, who began to contort his body and holler out of pain. Two assistants immediately restrained him while a third one came with a syringe and injected its liquid content into one of the veins in Kankuro's arm. The screams of the puppet master gradually died down until they became groans and gasps.
"… How much time does he have?" Baki asked, fearing for the worst.
The medical ninja checked his notepad and used what little information they had to make an assessment. "We estimate a total of three days starting from this morning, give or take a couple of hours. After that, we won't be able to mitigate the spread the poison and his body will simply give up,"
Only three days… By this time, the message requesting for immediate help should've reached Konohagakure already. They had used their fastest hawk to deliver the message, in which they solicited a rescue team along with the most skilled medical ninja available. The distance between Konohagakure and Sunagakure could be traveled in three days by a shinobi squad as long as they went at a fast pace and encountered no significant issues along the way.
Assuming that the rescue team from Konohagakure would make it to their village in time, and assuming that said rescued team included a medical ninja who could do something about the poison… Kankuro would be hours away from dying before the assistance he so badly needed came to his aid, and that was their best-case scenario.
Was it still possible to save Kankuro? Yes. Was it likely? Most definitely not.
The sound of coughing halted Baki's depressing train of thought. He walked up to where his student was and laid his hand on Kankuro's shoulder. "Hang in there, Kankuro. Help is on the way," he said. The Jounin wasn't sure if giving Kankuro hope was the right thing to do when considering almost all the odds were stacked against the puppet master, but Baki wasn't giving up on his student just yet.
He was surprised when Kankuro slowly raised his hand and grabbed his sensei's wrist before muttering some words. Baki realized he was trying to tell him something, so he leaned over and placed his ear close to Kankuro's mouth.
"What is it?"
"… Red sand… Red sand…"
|Konohagakure no Sato|
Team 7 was given twenty minutes to pack up and leave. Their mission? To rescue the Kazekage and bring him back to safety at all costs. An S-rank mission, no less.
Shujinko darted around in his room making sure he had everything he needed for a three-day trip. He had never gone to Sunagakure before, and he didn't know what to expect except for sand and harsh temperatures. Ninjas were supposed to travel lightly, so he only kept one spare set of clothes in his backpack. The rest of the space was used to store equipment such as food, water, and a sleeping bag. He kept his shinobi tools such as kunais, shurikens, explosive tags and smoke bombs inside holsters and his back pouch while bigger weaponry was sealed inside a scroll he kept in one of the pockets of his vest.
'I knew the Akatsuki were a dangerous bunch, but to capture the Kazekage in his own village?' Shujinko thought as he adjusted his backpack. As a shinobi, he couldn't imagine something more insulting for Sunagakure than to have its leader defeated and abducted by criminals. After all, Sunagakure wasn't some small second-rate village such as Hoshigakure and Tanigakure. It was one of the five most powerful villages in existence, one of the 'big boys' of the ninja world.
Then again, this whole thing had been planned and carried out by the Akatsuki, a criminal organization whose members were all S-rank missing ninjas. Shujinko didn't know what kind of goal the Akatsuki was trying to accomplish or if its members had their own set of beliefs or something that resembled a code, but if the Akatsuki had recruited the likes of Itachi Uchiha, then surely morality wasn't something the members of said organization cared much for. As far as the young Ozuma was aware, they were all scum.
Very powerful scum.
"What are you doing?"
Shujinko's thoughts were interrupted by a voice coming from behind. He turned around and saw his sister standing on the threshold of his room, leaning her shoulder against the open door. "Hey there, Nanami. I was just getting my stuff packed. My teammates and I are going out on a mission, a very important one,"
Nanami furrowed her brow and stared at her brother. Now twelve years-old, the young kunoichi's appearance had gone through a noticeable transformation. She was wearing a beige pair of pants and a black and a white shirt underneath a black, sleeveless hoodie with the golden Ozuma crest on the back. Her brown hair was no longer tied back in a ponytail and was now loose and unrestricted, but Nanami never kept it too long due to practical reasons. As for her headband, she preferred it to keep it tied around her slim waist.
"What about you? Aren't you supposed to be practicing with your teammates right now?" Shujinko asked. Nanami had left the Academy a few months ago, having graduated as one of the top students from her class thanks to her tenacity and her commitment. As per usual custom, she was part of a four-man squad with two other classmates and a Jounin sensei.
"We had to cut short our training session today. Hoheto-sensei had to assist to an important Hyuuga clan meeting and left us a couple of exercises to keep us busy, but practicing them with Saburo or Yudai would've been pointless. Those two kept whining about how I wasn't willing to slow down my pace for them, so I left them and went home to make my lunch for when I start my own training," Nanami replied as if it was no big deal. "Anyways, what's this important mission you were talking about? Can you tell me anything about it?"
Shujinko let out a sigh and walked up to his sister. "I'm heading out to Sunagakure no Sato. They need our help to deal with a nasty problem, so it'll be days before I can return here. I'm afraid that's all the information I'm allowed to reveal to you," Then, with a small smile on his lips, the Jounin stretched his arms out and pulled Nanami into a hug, one that the kunoichi had no intention of reciprocating as she placed her hands against her brother's chest in an attempt to push him away.
"Oi! What's the matter with you?" Nanami asked indignantly as her cheeks went slightly red from anger and embarrassment.
"I'm just trying to hug my little sister goodbye," Shujinko said in a playful manner, amused by how the young Genin was struggling to keep her arms straight. "Come on chibi-chan, don't be so grumpy. It's only a quick hug from your brother,"
"I don't care, keep your hugs to yourself! And stop calling me chibi-chan!"
"Chibi-chan or not, you'll never be too old for one of my hugs," Shujinko said before pulling her closer to him. Nanami finally gave up and stopped offering resistance, allowing her brother to hug her but refusing to return the embrace. Her left cheek was pressed against Shujinko's chest, which in turn made Nanami look as if she was pouting comically, an expression that would otherwise never appear on her face. "Take care, Nanami. Listen to your sensei and work with your teammates even if it's difficult. Inform tou-san and kaa-san about my mission and tell them I'll be back as soon as I can, okay? I'll miss you,"
An annoyed grunt left Nanami's mouth. "Sure, I'll miss you too. Can you please stop now?"
Shujinko did as told and ended the hug. He said goodbye to his sister one last time before rushing down the stairs and opening the door of his house, stepping outside with the hope of returning to his family and home, but also with the knowledge that several days or even weeks could pass before that ever happened... if it happened at all. As he made his way to meet his team, Shujinko knew he couldn't get distracted by anything once his mission began, so he decided to spend what little time he had mulling over his sister and her behavior before he reached the entrance of the village.
Nanami, his young and only sibling, had changed. The girl who used to be an adorable tomboy who saw fun and excitement everywhere had gone on to become a focused kunoichi with clear goals for her future. Her progress was remarkable, and if Shujinko had to make a quick assessment of her skills, he'd say his sister was about on par with him when he was her age, and she had yet to awaken the Karura Tensei. Shujinko was incredibly proud of her, and he was sure she would one day be hailed as one of the strongest kunoichis of her generation.
However, Shujinko was also quite worried about his sister. Her desire to improve her own abilities every day had turned Nanami into a colder, more reserved version of who she used to be, to the point where Shujinko had trouble recognizing her. She showed little interest in working with her teammates as they weren't on her level, and the respect she had for her sensei seemed to be nothing more than the due deference a student owed her teacher, a hollow obedience at best. Her attitude at home wasn't much better, often choosing to remain silent unless spoken to and wearing a mask of stoicism most of the time.
Pride and pain. That was what the golden-eyed Jounin experienced whenever he saw Nanami. He wanted to see her succeed as a ninja, to see her achieve everything she set her mind to, yet not at the expense of her sense of self. Maybe Shujinko was exaggerating and Nanami was simply going through a problematic phase, but it still hurt to know his sister wasn't allowing herself to feel happiness like she used to. He partly blamed himself for this. After all, wasn't he her older brother? Wasn't his responsibility to help her, to give her guidance with what little wisdom he possessed and she did not?
'This can't go on like this,' Shujinko thought as a pang of guilt stabbed his conscience. 'I've been neglecting Nanami for too long. I don't know how I'll do it, but I will find a way to make it up to her. No matter what it takes, I will be the brother she needs,'
As good as his intentions were, Shujinko would have to wait before he could put them into practice. Once he reached the entrance of the village, he saw the rest of his teammates were already gathered there, including his sensei. Naruto urged him to hurry up and Shujinko obliged, mentally preparing himself for the task at hand. He gathered all of his concerns that weren't related to the mission and locked them inside a box, a box that only existed in his head and that would only open once Shujinko returned to Konoha.
"Very well, now that we're all here, let's get this mission started," Kakashi said with a firm voice. "I'll lead the way. We'll discuss our next course of action once we get to Sunagakure no Sato, so until then, don't bother to ask questions. Now let's go, there's a Kazekage that needs our help,"
Aaaaaaand that was chapter 4. Hope you all liked it.
Since the last chapter was packed with action, I wanted this one to be slower and more centered around Shujinko's life outside of missions. That way, the Kazekage Rescue arc can start at a proper pace.
Old characters from the previous story have made their return, and a couple of new ones have made their first (and admittedly brief) appearance. As you can see, things aren't exactly great between Nanami and the rest of her family members for the moment, but hey, what's life without a bit of family drama?
For those who are asking me to upload faster (since most of us are spending our days inside our houses due to the Coronavirus including myself), please keep in mind a couple of things. I enjoy writing this story and making you guys happy, but don't expect me to be working on it 24/7. There are other things that require my attention as well, such as my studies and my physical condition for example. I also have other stories to work on aside from this one. And lastly, I only upload chapters when I'm certain of their quality, so telling me to get them done faster is a waste of time.
That being said, I'd like to thank you all for your support. Remember to stay safe out there.
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Ja ne!
