Hey there, sorry for the late update, still juggling everything in my life involving work and all. Will try to update more if I'm not too tired throughout the weekend.
ju-hkjv; Well this update would definitely take you by surprise; or maybe not, whichever.
After his confrontation with Kyro, Naruto had another encounter with Akalra after a wild beast was loose in the village. Meanwhile Sasuke, along with Shino's help, is heading back to the cottage to inform the Sensor's about the possessed villages, but then soon…
Village, at the Academy…
The children left for the day after finishing classes, Iruka is about to head home himself, until he spotted Tsunade and Shizune as they both approached him,
"Good afternoon Lady Hokage, Shizune," he greeted them with a smile,
"Hello Mr. Umino," they both greeted him at the same time, which surprises him a little,
"What brings you both here?" he asked them
"I wanted to be sure to invite all the Jounins, Chunins and the rest of the shinobis to a get-together at the Residence tomorrow at noon," Tsunade said,
"Seems unexpected but okay, I'll try to make it," Iruka said,
"We definitely want you to come, we especially have homemade refreshments and there is an important announcement you can't possibly miss," Shizune said being persistent. Iruka stood confused by their strange behaviors, but…
"…Okay then, I be sure to be there," he said them,
"That's good to know," Tsunade said,
"We'll see you soon," Shizune said before they left.
After that, Iruka continues his way home as walked around the corner,
"I wouldn't recommend going," Iruka got startled by Jiraya as he's leaning his back on the fence with his arms folding,
"Master Jiraya, how long were you there?" he asked,
"Long enough to hear you had a talk with Tsunade and Shizune about this get-together tomorrow," Jiraya answered before he moved away from the fence,
"Is there something wrong?" Iruka asked as he noticed he appears concerned,
"Have you noticed anything off about Tsunade and Shizune?" Jiraya asked,
"… Not in particular, they seemed okay," Iruka answered,
"Nothing about them seems okay," Jiraya stated.
"Oink," Iruka looked down and saw Tonton as she appeared hiding behind Jiraya,
"Tonton! Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be with Shizune?" Iruka said,
"This is exactly what I'm talking about. Something is off about them, I don't know what or how, but they've been behaving like this for days. I've been avoiding them for quite sometime and Tonton is too afraid to be near them," Jiraya said,
"Why is that?" Iruka asked,
"I'm having a hard time figuring that out, I may not sense anything but I have this feeling something bad is going to happen at the get-together tomorrow; which is why I don't think you or anybody else should go," he recommended him.
Unbeknown to them, Ibate stood on top of a building in a far distant, as he watches Jiraya talking to Iruka, with a strong possibility that the Sannin is onto them.
Hyuga Residents…
Before getting ready for her date, Sakura made a quick stop to talk to Hinata as she stood in front of her residence of inviting her and her mother for tea tomorrow,
"Surely you and your mother must attend tomorrow, my mother is making her special homemade tea and everything," Sakura said,
"Well I did just spoke with my mother, she wanted to know if you wanted us to bring something?" Hinata asked,
"Just yourselves is all," Sakura answered.
"Are you sure? Because we wouldn't mind bringing a dish, or some fruits. We bought a bag of oranges just this mor-" Hinata said until Sakura's eyes turned red,
"NO ORANGES! DON'T EVER BRING THOSE DEADLY THINGS!" Sakura replied aggressively, which shocked Hinata by that unexpected response,
"Deadly!? What do you mean?" Hinata stood confused, Sakura calmed herself down and her eyes changed back to green,
"My sincere apologies Ms. Hyuga, the reason of it is one of the guests is severely allergic to anything citrus, and the last thing we needed is to cause a health issue. So we believed it is best to avoid any lemons, grapefruits, especially oranges; I'm sure you understand," Sakura explained,
"Um… okay then, I'll let my mother know," Hinata said still a little confused by her behavior, Sakura smiled,
"Thank you, see you both soon," she said before she left the resident.
Village, alley…
Sasuke and Shino are walking through the alley, they peeked around the corner as they noticed some strange event is happening, they looked at some villagers as many lined-up at some of the small restaurants, both displaying a signs that said, 'New Specialty!', 'Free Refreshments!', and 'Try Our Homemade Edibles!'.
"Since when did they make these kinds of promotions?" Sasuke wondered, as he and his team went to some of the restaurants and they never once had this kind of promotion,
"They don't. Look of how some villagers behave before they entered the restaurants and then after they leave," Shino explained, as they observed some of the villagers. Before they entered the restaurants, some of them express happiness, relaxed, and a little excitement, and then after they leave the restaurant, some express dispassion, blank impression, and unemotional.
"It would appears the 'blue flowers' aren't the only cause of the villager's behavior, they must've added something to the food sources," Shino clarified,
"Which means we have to avoid any food or drinks they'll try to serve us," Sasuke stated. Just as they are about to leave, Sasuke spotted Naruto as he's walking by, with both hands on his pocket, looking like something or someone pissed him off,
"Naruto," he said.
After leaving the hospital, Naruto is still pissed off after what Kyro did, he believe he would do something so sleezy, he knew he wanted to take Sakura there but instead he stole his idea by taking her there himself; of all the people he met and hated, Kyro is not listed at his top five. He is almost there back to the Ichiraku's until…
'Psst!'
Naruto stopped as he something, he looked around him, and then…
'Pssst!'
He heard it again, as he turned around and saw Shino and some guy who almost look like Shino,
"Naruto," Shino called out to him, and signal him to come over here,
"Shino?" Naruto replied before he went over to the alley,
"We need to talk, but not here," Shino said,
"How come? And who's he?" Naruto asked about the guy Shino's with,
"I'll explain once we leave here, just come with us," Shino said before they left the area and back to walking through the alley.
Within few minutes later, and far enough so nobody can see them, they stopped at a small area,
"So, what is it you wanted to tell me?" Naruto asked, and then the guy Shino's with removed the hood and the shaded glasses revealing himself to Naruto,
"Sasuke! Why are you dressed like that? I didn't even recognize you," Naruto became surprised to see his comrade,
"I had to sneak away to reach back to the cottage without being seen," Sasuke said,
"By who?" Naruto asked,
"That thug who kidnapped Sakura last week, he infiltrated the village disguising himself as Kyro," Sasuke explained, which took Naruto by surprise, again.
"Wait, what?! Kyro is that thug? I just saw him today, he mentioned he's looking for you," Naruto said,
"That's because I confronted him yesterday after I figured out his disguise, and then he had the villagers, including Lady Hokage and Shizune, attack me by surprise. If Shino hadn't gotten me out there, I probably wouldn't be standing here right now," Sasuke said,
"Why would the villagers, Grandma, and Shizune attack you?" Naruto asked,
"That thug somehow spread his 'blue flowers' around the village, infecting many villagers by possessing them under his control. And not just moments ago, we soon learned they may have added some of them to the food source, infecting more villagers as we speak," Shino explained.
"Which is why I need to get back to the cottage to talk to the Sensors in order to figure out how to help the villagers break free from his control," Sasuke said before he put the hood back on and the shaded glasses,
"I have no problem going against that thug head on, but he was able to take the advantage to control innocent people to fight for him, and I don't want to fight, let alone harm, any of them. If this continues on, he might have us fight against our friends, maybe even our own sensei's. We have to put a stop to this before it's too late," he said as he and Shino are about to continue their way. Naruto thought to himself for a moment after what heard, and then…
"I should come too," he said to them, they turned to him,
"There is no need, plus I heard you just had an encountered with a wild beast earlier," Shino said,
"Which is why I wanted to come, to talk to the Sensors about Akalra," Naruto said,
"Who?" Sasuke asked,
"The paled-skinned red-haired girl, she mentioned something is going to happen in two-days, and I need to know what it is," Naruto said as he is determined to know what is happening at the end of this week.
Yūhi Resident…
Kurenai was just watering her plants near ger window, until she heard a knock on the door, she went over and opened it as it reveals,
"Asuma," she said as he stood before her with a loving smile and a bouquet of 'blue' flowers,
"Just thought I stop by after getting back from mission," Asuma said before he gave her a kiss,
"I see that, and you decided to buy me more flowers," Kurenai said as he handed her the bouquet,
"Actually, they were free. Mrs. Yamanaka had a special sale today and she gave me this bouquet free of charge," Asuma explained while he enters inside,
"That is both interest and strange at the same time," Kurenai said.
"By the way, did you had a run in with Lady Hokage and Shizune?" Asuma asked,
"I've been busy with some errands, why you asked?" she asked as she went to the kitchen,
"By the time I got back, she and Shizune inform me of some get-together at the Hokage Resident tomorrow at noon," Asuma said he sat on her couch to rest,
"I think Anko mentioned that to me this morning, about inviting all Jounins, Chunins, and the other shinobis to come for some homemade refreshments and some important announcement she wishes for us to attend," Kurenai said. As she fills up the vase with water,
"She also mentioned she noticed how they're behaving strangely, and that Tonton is not even with them," she said,
"You know, now that you mentioned it, I haven't seen Tonton with them which is rather odd, because she usually goes everywhere with them," Asuma said before he pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, then he lit it with his lighter,
"Balcony," Kurenai told him, as she knows how he usually smokes, he smirked as he sometimes forgets she rather have him smoke out in the balcony than in her apartment, so he got up the couch and head to the balcony to smoke.
Kurenai placed the blue bouquet in the vase, she gazes at them, although they're lovely but never has she seen these kinds before, she leaned over to smell them and…
Spray!
The blue flowers sprayed right into her nostril and she started coughing and wheezing like the others before her,
Asuma heard her coughing from outside her balcony,
"Kurenai… are you okay?" he asked, he waited for a moment but heard no answer, so instead he threw away his cigarette, left the balcony and head straight to the kitchen where he saw Kurenai standing in the middle of the kitchen, not moving and is viewed from the back.
"I heard you coughing, are you okay?" Asuma asked with concern, Kurenai didn't bother to turn around but did reply back,
"I'm well… no need for your concern," she said, Asuma crooked his eyebrows by her response,
"… Are you sure? Because I never heard you cough like that unless-" Asuma said as he began to approach her, until…
"You should leave," Kurenai said which made him stop where he is at, Asuma stood surprise by her words,
"But I just got here," Asuma said,
"There is something I need to take care of. I will meet you at the get-together tomorrow at noon, it is best you try not to be late," Kurenai said, Asume became confused by her sudden change of behavior… almost similar Tsunade's and Shizune's.
"Well then… if you're going, I'll go as well," Asuma said as he appears a little distressed by what happened,
"You have a nice day Asuma," Kurenai said, still didn't bother to turned around nor moved, there was silence between them until Asuma then decided to leave her apartment, completely unaware of Kurenai's eyes being pale and her expression is blank; thus, became one of Ibate's new subordinates.
To be continued…
Hope you like it, if so, please review, and will update soon.