- Author's note: First of all, I hope you like this story, don't be afraid to let me know what you think! I don't know yet how long this will be or what the exact story will be yet, but I'll discover along the way. Also, I don't own any of these characters, this is just how I image them.-

Shikadai looked at Himawari from the corner of his eye. Ever since the Naruto rescue mission he had started to look at Himawari in a different light. She had played a huge part in the rescuing as her Byakugan had proven essential in the defeat of the Ôtsutsuki guarding Naruto. He was also impressed by her quick thinking and the fact that, unlike her brother, Himawari never rushed into a fight, but rather chose to carefully asses the situation and formulate a plan best suited for ensuring success. He had also discovered that even tho they have very different fighting styles, they work together like a charm, which is why he wasn't really surprised Naruto chose her to come with him.

"There have been rumors another Ôtsutsuki has turned up. Sasuke has confirmed something is going on, even tho he is unsure of what it is exactly at the moment. He has requested for back-up. After long consideration, I've decided to sent the two of you. To be clear, this is an intel gathering mission in the first place, but you're most likely going to be forced to take action. Shikadai, you should be able to come up with a strategy in case that happens and I'm counting on you to figure out the enemies weak spot and to take upmost advantage of it. Himawari, you on the other hand, are one of the most capable shinobi in this village and, as proven in my rescue mission, your Byakugan and overall fighting style are very effective against opponents from the Ôtsutsuki clan. Sasuke will be waiting for you at the border of the land of Birds, from there on, you'll probably travel to another direction. Until you reach Sasuke, you're in command, Shikadai."

"When do we have to leave?" Himawari asked.

"As soon as Shikadai has fully recovered from his previous mission, so it's up to him."

"I understand. I will discuss the details with him than"

Himawari and Shikadai bowed their head and left the room. It was starting to rain outside.

"So.. Shikadai.. As were going to be stuck with each other for quite a while, want to get some ramen at Ichiraku's to go over the details of the mission?"

"Sure Hima"

Shikadai blushed the moment he realized he called her Hima, instead of her full name. He usually only called her that when Boruto happened to bring her up in a conversation. He glanced quickly at Himawari to see if she in anyway reacted to him calling her by her nickname. She didn't appear to notice, and if she did, she didn't mind.

They arrived at Ichiraku's and took a table in the back. They both ordered the miso pork. It wasn't unknown that it was her favorite, and considering that Shikadai rarely ate ramen, he just chose it for the convenience.

"So what do you think about this mission" Himawari asked, facing him with her beautiful blue eyes.

"I don't know, not much detail is known except for the fact that Sasuke needs help. This concerns me tho. Sasuke isn't the type of shinobi to ask help for no reason. We might have to deal with another huge threat and honestly, I'm not sure the village can handle it at this point. I'm also kind of surprised Naruto didn't assign a medical-nin like Sakura or Sarada to come along with us."

"Well… I might have an explanation for that final part." She grinned. She looked so much like Naruto and Boruto when she did that.

"Why's that?" He asked, snapping out of his dreamlike state. Why did he suddenly notice all these little things about Himawari.

"After our last mission together, I asked Sarada to teach me medical ninjutsu. I was struggling at first but with a little extra help from Sakura, I managed to master it. I'm now one of the top medical-nin in the village, but it's usually been kept a bit under the wraps, as I'm first and foremost a 'front-line shinobi'. But anyways, what's the deal with Chocho and Inojin? It has been ages since you've been on a mission with them."

"Well Chocho joined her mother in a trip to the hidden cloud village. Something about strengthening the bond between our two villages so Chocho and her mother, along with a couple other are going there to teach them some stuff about our village. I don't really know the details… As for Inojin.. He's temporarily taking over one of the genin squads as their normal jounin-leader got injured during one of their mission. Apparently one of the genin was a little to reckless in trying to prove he's the best and their sensei got pretty badly injured saving his little ass."

Himawari chuckled. It was a cute sound. Their little lunch date had passed quickly and Shikadai was almost sad their bowls were empty. He realized he was enjoying the company of his best friend's little sister.

"Anyways, Hima, if it's alright with you, we'll depart tomorrow at the brick of dawn. That way I can get a bit of rest first, as I had just returned an hour or so when Naruto summoned me."

"That's fine by me." Himawari put down her share of the bill before getting up and walking towards the door. "And Shikadai?" He looked up from his wallet. "Calling me Hima now, are we?" She winked and walked out the restaurant while Shikadai could feel his face warming up.
_

Sasuke was worried. He didn't like waiting. Especially not when he could feel trouble was coming. He even called in for back-up from the village. He hoped Naruto would make the right choice.

As if thinking of Naruto put something in motion, a bird from the Konoha messenger service landed on his arm, carrying a note from his best friend and teammate.

I've sent out Himawari and Shikadai to come help you with the situation. They were the only people I could think off that would be able to help you out in virtually any situation you might find yourself in. Oh and before you start complaining about the fact that I didn't sent a medical-nin like Sakura-chan or Sarada with them, I did, Hima is one of the most skilled medical ninja in the village. You can thank your wife and daughter for that.

- Naruto

A small smile escaped Sasuke's lips. Naruto knew him too well. He'd even go as far as say that Naruto knew him better than even Sakura and Sarada. He was satisfied with Naruto's choice for Himawari and Shikadai. The boy was smart, maybe even smarter than Shikamaru, and unlike his dad, had another jutsu to rely on in case his shadows didn't work. Damn powerful jutsu too. And Himawari.. He had seen her potential during Naruto's rescue. At first he was opposed to them bringing her as well, but she had proven to be essential for their success. Her Byakugan would be a huge help. He just hoped the two of them wouldn't take ages to get here.

- Author's note (again): Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it and that you will continue this journey with me. I'll update soon!-