HEY GUYS AND GIRLS. I GUESS I HAVE RETURNED WITH ANOTHER STUPID CHAPTER. THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS AND LIKES AND ALL THE POSITIVITY AROUND THIS STORY. FOR SOME REASON YOU GUYS LIKE IT BUT WHO AM I TO JUDGE WHEN I AM JUST ANOTHER STUPID GUY. SORRY FOR ALL THE MISTAKES. I KNOW THAT I REALLY NEED TO PROOF READ THESE CHAPTERS BEFORE I POST THEM BUT I JUST GET SO EXCITED THAT I ACTUALLY FINISHED A CHAPTER SO I WANT TO POST IT IMMEDIATELY.
HAPPY READING:)
"Be still." Sakura ordered the lazy ninja.
"I'm fine Sakura. You don't have to do this." Shikamaru responded as he tried to get up off the bench but she firmly pushed him back down again.
"Kakashi literally ordered this a few minutes ago and the quicker we get this over and done with, the quicker we can get to the ball and begin having some much needed fun."
"You might've come here to have fun but I came here to meet the Daimyo and address the Kage so I could much rather be using this time to get ready."
"Well then the quicker you let me do my job, the quicker I can let you get back to doing yours so just sit still and look pretty." Sakura was really starting to get on his nerves now. He could understand her being overprotective on their journey here but now they were safe and there was literally no more need for her to be irritating him anymore. He had enough problems to deal with here.
"What are you thinking about?" Sakura's voice was comforting and understanding as she spoke now. He could tell that she was focused on making sure that he was okay to continue but she didn't pay any less attention to how his mental health was doing.
"Just trying to get myself ready for tonight." That wasn't entirely a lie. He has been trying to psyche himself up all day as they made their way from Konohagakure but nothing seemed to be working. He knew what he had to do and how to do it but he still felt nervous.
"You're going to be perfect." He appreciated her encouragement but it did nothing to sway his nervousness.
"I need something to drink." Maybe alcohol was what he needed to get his confidence back.
"No drinking. You're taking medication so absolutely no alcohol." He had a feeling that Sakura was going to be on his case tonight and following him around, making sure that he didn't get into any trouble or that he didn't drink anything. It's not that he didn't want her around, he wanted the opposite in fact, but he didn't want her around because she was doing her job. He wanted her around because she wanted to be with him.
"Fine. Can I get something to take the edge off at least?" He had to stop himself from laughing as she eyed him. He wasn't serious about asking her for some medication that would make him high but he wanted to catch her off guard and it looked like it worked.
"Get a life." She replied then stepped away from him. "You're fine as far as I can tell."
"Told you so." He smartly replied as he stood up in front of her. He was glad that he was taller than her so that he could at least flaunt that in front of her even though he knew that she could pummel him and leave him lying helpless on the ground without breaking a sweat.
"You're lucky that I can't beat the crap out of you right now." She stepped right up against him as she drove her finger into his chest. She stared up at him as their eyes locked in a heated battle.
"Like you could ever defeat me." He uncharacteristically challenged her. He knew that she wouldn't back down but he wanted to see what her response would be.
"Looks like you're still a little delirious." She smirked but quickly moved her head closer to his and gave him a kiss.
"Get dressed. I'm going to get dressed in Hinata's room so give me a couple of minutes and we can go to the ball together."
"If you're going to take too long then I am going to leave without you." He warned her as he gently touched her arm.
"No you won't." She cheekily replied but gave him a smile before she turned around and left the room.
"Troublesome woman." He muttered once she was out of the room. He couldn't help but smile like an idiot. Sakura managed to get him to reveal a side of him that he would normally never show anyone. He was pretty sure that he never even showed Ino or Choji this side of him.
He looked at the suit that was neatly laid out on his bed and sighed. He hated wearing suits because it usually meant that he would be doing something that he never wanted to do in the first place. He knew that what he was doing would probably save a lot of lives and bring stability to the shinobi realm but that didn't mean that he had to like it. He began putting on the suit and he had to admit, his mother and Kurenai definitely knew how to dress him in a suit.
"Hey Shikamaru." Naruto's joyful voice broke into the room. He turned around and saw the blonde ninja come into his room then plant himself down on his bed. Naruto looked just as weird in a suit as Shikamaru probably did. Maybe it wasn't that they looked weird but rather that it wasn't normal for them to be wearing a suit.
"Naruto." Shikamaru's greeting was less enthusiastic as Naruto's but that has come to be expected.
"I heard you're doing some sort of big presentation to the Kage today." If this was enough to make Naruto interested then it really was a big deal.
"Apparently I'm meeting the Daimyo first." He finished making his tie in the mirror and it immediately reminded him of someone, well 2 people actually; Shikaku and Asuma. He remembered the first time he decided to make his tie on his own and actually smiled at the memory.
"Why are you smiling like that Shikamaru?" Naruto asked as he saw Shikamaru's reflection in the mirror.
"I was just remembering something." He didn't want to tell Naruto about the memory because he knew that Naruto has suffered even more loss than he has. He didn't want to stir up any bad memories as well.
"About a tie?" He could hear Naruto trying to hold back a laugh but he couldn't blame his simple friend. He probably would've done the same anyway.
"Yep. Just remembering the day my father and Asuma tried to teach how to make a tie." He explained but he could see Naruto's expression soften at that.
"I get that too sometimes. I remember how pervy sage taught me how to pour wine then got so drunk trying to show me how to do it that he ended up passing out while dancing with a couple of women." It was Naruto's time to smile like an idiot now. Both ninja had more in common than they thought.
"I was so angry at him at that time that I left him in that club and made my way back to the hotel and locked him out. I found him standing outside the room the next day with a huge grin on his face and ready to get started on that days training. I was still angry at him but that was his own unique way of training me I suppose."
"My father and Asuma were the same there I suppose. I was lazy and stubborn so they had to use different ways of trying to get me to do things. They tricked me into going to a ball like this by saying that only men were invited to these kind of things and they wanted to tear my invitation up because they knew that I didn't like wearing suits or going out. For the weeks leading up to the ball they kept telling me how manly I wasn't going to be if I stayed at home. It worked and on the day of the ball I decided to dress myself. My mom offered to help me but I told her that I am a man and I can dress myself. Everything was going perfectly until it came to the tie." Suddenly the two ninja let out a laugh. They actually felt comfortable speaking to each other like this. They weren't exactly close friends but their belief and trust in each other was unbreakable. They shared an unexplainable bond with each other. Hell, Shikamaru and Choji were Naruto's only friends before they entered the academy so it was only natural that they were so close.
"What are you guys laughing about?" Both ninja's attention immediately turned to the doorway where their partners were standing in their elegant dresses. Shikamaru was instantly blown away when his eyes fell upon Sakura's magnificent body that was encased in a form-fitting strapless sparkling red dress. It was like he was staring at someone he hasn't seen before. He knew exactly how beautiful Sakura was but her beauty definitely transformed in front of his eyes right now. His eyes finally caught Sakura's and she immediately blushed as she saw how dumbfounded he looked.
"Wow, Hinata you look beautiful." Naruto clearly wasn't at a loss for words like Shikamaru was. Hinata wore the exact same dress as Sakura but hers looked like a dark blue that nearly matched the colour of her hair. Saying that both kunoichi looked dropped dead gorgeous would be an insult.
"Th-Thank you Naruto-kun." Hinata's blush was even more evident as Naruto awkwardly stood up.
"So what were you guys laughing about?" Sakura regained her composure and so did Shikamaru but he was still captivated by Sakura's appearance.
"We were just talking about Asuma, pervy sage and Shikamaru's father." Naruto explained but the girls immediately had sympathetic expressions on their faces. He knew that things would get awkward now and he didn't want that so he decided that it was time they made their way to where everyone else was.
"Are you girls ready to go?" Shikamaru asked them.
"Yes." Naruto quickly made his way to Hinata's side then hooked his arm around hers. Shikamaru followed behind Naruto and offered his arm to Sakura who in turn hooked her arm around his. He was glad to see that she wasn't putting up a fight or being difficult right now. He was actually having fun and he wanted it to stay that way as much as possible before he met the Daimyo and Kage.
"So Shikamaru, what happened when you tried to put on your tie?" Naruto asked as the four shinobi walked side by side up the paved walkway outside the house they were sharing. The Kage each had their own rooms in the hotel closest to the ball but the ninja and everyone else who accompanied them had to stay in the houses close to the edge of town. Shikamaru didn't mind one bit since it was closer to the forest where he could just lie around and do nothing for a few hours. They were expected to leave tomorrow afternoon but that meant that he still had tomorrow morning where he could lay around and do nothing. He was looking forward to that.
"My mother probably went to go tell my father and Asuma who were waiting for me downstairs because a minute later they were standing in my doorway. They offered to help me but I was stubborn and I wanted to prove to them that I was a man. They began insulting me but I knew that they were just trying to get me to admit that I needed help. I was getting more angry at myself for not being able to figure out how to tie a stupid tie and they could see that. Eventually they stopped and decided to show me how they did their ties. They said that no one was going anywhere if I couldn't do my tie exactly like they were. I could see what they did though. They drove me to the point where I broke down and was at my most vulnerable and then they helped me. I guess they knew that I wasn't going to learn the lesson they were trying to teach me if I wasn't willing to accept that I needed help." Sakura immediately moved closer to him as she stared at him. He was actually glad that she was there right now.
"Needless to say, my mother was so angry at the 3 of us that she nearly kicked us out of the house." That got them laughing and lightened the mood as they made their way to their destination.
"Our teachers were the worst." Naruto stated.
"I can't deny that." Shikamaru agreed as the four of them laughed again.
"Remember the 'bell' test that Kakashi made us do Naruto?" Sakura asked him.
"Yeah." Naruto answered her but was definitely less enthusiastic than usual. Everyone knew how that test ended for Naruto. He was the only one that didn't get a bell and was tied to the wooden post in the field and couldn't eat.
"Kakashi was the worst teacher. He made us do the stupidest things." Shikamaru found himself being glad that he didn't have Kakashi as a sensei and actually happy that Asuma was his sensei now.
"And he hardly helped us." Naruto agreed with Sakura.
"You guys didn't turn out too bad though, right Hinata?" Everyone turned their attention to the shy Hyuga as Shikamaru asked.
"Y-Yeah." Hinata agreed.
"Asuma wasn't as bad as Kakashi was but Ino was the worst teammate ever. At times it was like she was the sensei instead of Asuma. She would boss all of us around all the time." Shikamaru stated.
"She's still like that." Sakura pointed out causing them to laugh again.
"Kiba was like that." Hinata softly added. They became quieter and allowed her to speak now since this was a rare occassion. Hinata hardly ever spoke up voluntarily if they weren't on a mission.
"He and Shino always ended up arguing then fighting each other. One day Kurenai decided to let them fight then took me to go have lunch."
"Speaking about our little bug friend, apparently he and Shikamaru have a secret." Why did Sakura have to bring that up now?
"Shikamaru and Shino? Are you guys a couple?" Naruto quickly asked. If Shikamaru didn't know Naruto then he would've been offended but he found it amusing. He knew that Naruto often said the first thing that came to his mind and hardly ever thought before he spoke.
"Not like that idiot." Sakura replied. He was sure that if they were next to each other right now then she would've sent Naruto flying into the forest.
"Shino brought Shikamaru to the hospital the night we came from our mission after Shikamaru apparently lost his concentration and fell off one of the buildings."
"Shikamaru lost his concentration?" Naruto asked. Even Hinata stared at him like she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"I am human." Shikamaru defended himself but he knew none of them believed that he lost his concentration no matter how truthful it was.
"I will get it out of you Shikamaru, you can count on that." Sakura stated as they approached the elegant residence of the Daimyo. He knew that the Daimyo are the single most important people in each nation and knew that they basically lived in palaces like gods but even he was taken aback when he stood outside the residence.
"This place is freaking huge." Naruto said as they made their way past the gates guarded by two ninja. Shikamaru noted that the guards didn't stop the group so they clearly knew who they were unless they were just there for the sake of being there.
"It's beautiful though." Sakura commented. The group walked up the pathway that had neatly trimmed tall bushes on each side of the path leading up to the enthralling entrance to the building. They went up to the doors but it opened automatically as if they were expecting them.
"Welcome to the Daimyo's residence." A servant said as she gave the young ninja a bow. The four of them hardly noticed the servant bowing to them as they took in the sight before them. The place was beautiful and gold. There was so much gold in the room that if they probably sold the place then they would have enough money to retire for 10 lifetimes.
"Please follow me." They mindlessly walked behind the woman as they tried not to be enchanted by the wealth of the house.
"I don't think I am going to leave this place." Naruto was clearly lost and by the looks of it, so were the rest of them. They didn't even bother mapping out the route they were walking. None of their shinobi training seemed to kick in. They just marvelled at the palace they were in.
"Enjoy the ball." The servant gave them another bow and they finally took in their surroundings. They were in a huge hall that was filled with familiar ninja. Most of them he recognised from the war. At least this room wasn't as marvellous as the others that they walked through but it was definitely beautiful. He saw the tables filled with food against one wall while there was another table filled with drinks against another wall. There were servants helping the guests getting their drinks and food by each table and some of them clearly needed the help. They were clearly having a ball just drinking the alcohol.
"Took you guys long enough." Izumo and Kotetsu appeared in front of the group wearing matching navy blue suits.
"Wow, you guys make the perfect couples." Everyone knew about Naruto and Hinata being a couple but everyone expected it so it wasn't anything new but Shikamaru and Sakura being a couple was out of the blue but so far no one showed any opposition to it. They were just surprised but surprisingly accepted it even if they didn't classify their 'relationship' yet. That was one of the things he wanted to talk about with her as well as her constant tensing.
"So do you guys." Shikamaru shot back.
"Whatever. Our Daimyo is looking for you so you need to go find him while Kakashi gathers all the other Kage so that you can address them." Izumo informed the lazy ninja.
"Such a drag." He sighed then unwillingly unhooked his arm from Sakura. "I will find you guys later."
"You got this Shikamaru." Sakura reassured him. Hopefully she was right. He made his way into the crowd and greeted a few people he knew as he tried to find the Fire Nation's Daimyo. He knew that the Daimyo would be protected so he was trying to find a crowd of people with a lot men surrounding them and looked like they were protecting someone.
"Shikamaru Nara." He heard someone call his name. He didn't recognise the voice so he turned around and immediately saw the Daimyo he was looking for. He had 4 bodyguards around him and was accompanied by 3 other males. They were probably his advisors or something.
"Daimyo-sama." Shikamaru gave the man a deep bow but the older man had a disapproving expression on his face for some reason.
"All you need is a scar on your face and a goatee then you'd be the spitting image of your father." The Daimyo was clearly going to lead this conversation so Shikamaru decided to let him do so. Going against the Daimyo's wishes was probably going to be seen as treason so it was best for him to just go with the flow.
"No matter how much I look like my father, I would never be able to live up to his legacy." Downplaying himself, maybe the Daimyo wouldn't want anything to do with him if he shows how inferior he is to his father.
"You're the son of one of the most intelligent people this world has ever seen and the student of an hokage's son. Don't degrade yourself Shikamaru." There goes that plan.
"With all due respect, I cannot take the credit for my father and teacher's reputation."
"Let's look at your reputation then. The first and only genin of your class to pass the chunnin exams on his first try. You defeated the Fourth Kazekage's daughter to do it. You orchestrated the death of not 1 but 2 Akatsuki members at the same time and managed to take down one of those Akatsuki member's yourself. You were the proxy Commander of the Fourth Division of the Allied Shinobi Forces and you helped take down Kinkaku. Your quick thinking and plans helped stop the Ten-Tails and you managed to teach the entire Allied Shinobi Forces a jutsu in the heat of battle. Like I said, don't degrade yourself Shikamaru." Despite the Daimyo's non-threatening attire and demeanor, he was quite sharp and definitely cunning. Shikamaru didn't know what to do now. The Daimyo clearly had this whole situation planned out and Shikamaru was just a pawn waiting to be moved.
"You're aware that your father's role as the Jounin Commander is yet to be fulfilled by a suitable canditate and that the Jounin Commander also joins my council?"
"I am aware of that." Damn, looks like the Daimyo is going to appoint him as the new Jounin Commander.
"I'm also aware that you declined a promotion to Jounin that was bestowed upon you after the war. I cannot begin to understand what you went through after the war and I am sorry to hear about your father but the world continues to move forward and so must we. You've become the head of the Nara Clan and the Hokage's Advisor right?"
"I have." Shikamaru was calm and collected on the outside but inside his brain was a mess. Where was the Daimyo going with this? Is he promoting him to Jounin so that he could become the Jounin Commander? Is he planning on keeping Shikamaru here to be his advisor? What was he planning?
"Very well. I request that you take over your father's seat on my council as well. You do not have to become the Jounin Commander but your father believed that it was your time to lead and he was seldom wrong. I look forward to hearing your opinions since your father didn't mind expressing his even if it was just to spite me."
"Yes Daimyo-sama." Shikamaru instinctively bowed but one thought kept running through his mind; What the fuck just happened?
"And stop with all this bowing. You're the head of your clan for God's sake."
"Can I request one thing from you then?" The Daimyo raised his eyebrow which immediately made Shikamaru regret asking the question but there was no turning back now.
"Go on."
"With all due respect, I am not my father and I refuse to walk in his shoes. I am making my own path so I would appreciate it if you would stop comparing me to my father." A bold move for the young shinobi but his father once told him that sometimes you had to force respect.
"You certainly seem to have his fire." The Daimyo quipped as the people around him had a bit of a chuckle.
"Very well Shikamaru, I look forward to working with you."
"I look forward to working with you as well." Shikamaru replied.
"Enjoy the rest of the ball. Don't go starting a war anytime soon again, that's my job." That last comment had to mean that the Daimyo knew about what happened on his mission. Shikamaru had to admit it, the Daimyo was good but Shikamaru loved a challenge and he was definitely not going to back down from this one. He made a mental note to himself to learn all he can about the Daimyo. If he was going to be working with him then he wanted to know exactly the kind of person he was.
"Shikamaru." Genma snapped him out of his thoughts and back to reality. Genma was dressed in a similar black and white suit like Shikamaru's but he looked more comfortable in it.
"The Kage are waiting for you." Great, from one meeting to another. Are balls not supposed to be fun?
"Are any of them in a good mood?" Shikamaru asked as he tried to calm himself and mentally prepare for what he was about to say. He followed Genma through the sea of people but it became clear that the Kage weren't in the ballroom anymore and were probably waiting somewhere else.
"The Raikage and Tsuchikage have been drinking so they're a little irritated that their drinking has been interrupted by this meeting. The Mizukage doesn't seem to mind being in the company of some of the best male shinobi across the lands. The Kazekage and Hokage are given nothing away though." Trust Genma to give such a thorough answer but he needed it right now. Every piece of information he could get right now was valuable. They finally exited the room and Genma led him across a marble hallway to a gold door. Genma opened the door then revealed the 5 Kage sitting around a glass table. Each Kage had a couple of their trusted shinobi and advisors around them but that was to be expected. The Kage were just as important as the Daimyo so they needed protection and guidance as well.
The Tsuchikage had his grandaughter, Kurotsuchi, and his loyal partner Akatsuchi. The Raikage was accompanied by Darui and Samui surprisingly. The Mizukage was joined by Ao and Chojuro but that was to be expected. Gaara was unsurprisingly joined by his siblings Kankuro and Temari. Kakashi was joined by Genma but he saw that Sakura, Naruto and Hinata were standing against the wall. He didn't know that the 3 of them would be attending the meeting as well but he was glad that Sakura was there. She gave him a smile when their eyes met and his nervousness instantly seemed to fade away.
"Took you long enough Shikamaru. You can't request all of us to be here and you come late." The Raikage clearly had something to drink but this wasn't all that far from his usual loud and commanding presence.
"My apologies Raikage-sama. The Fire Nation's Daimyo had important matters to discuss with me." Shikamaru gave the lightning nation's Kage a bow before making his way to the head of the table.
"Relax A, I am sure that the ball is not going to run away. Let's just listen to what this handsome young man has to say." Shikamaru saw firsthand just how powerful the Mizukage was during the war so he knew that despite her alluring features and words that she was extremely witty and dangerous.
"Shut up you old hag. We came here to party and not be stuck here in another meeting. We might as well have just stayed in our own nations then." The Tsutchikage was definitely drunk. I guess his old age came with a lower tolerance for alcohol.
"Who are you calling old, grandpa?" Wow, are these really the most feared shinobi in their respective lands? They were really just very old children.
"Silence everyone!" Gaara's voice was ominous and threatening. Hell, Shikamaru was scared more than usual of the Kazekage right now. He gave Shikamaru an approving nod to indicate that he may begin. Shikamaru took in a deep breath to calm himself before he spoke because this seemed like it was going to be one troublesome meeting.
"4 weeks ago a village in the Wind Nation was attacked and destroyed by a rogue group of criminals. 2 weeks ago that same group of criminals attacked and nearly destroyed a village in the Fire Nation. Less than a week ago I led a group of ninja to stop the group before they could attack and destroy Taniku, a village in the Earth Nation." Shikamaru informed them.
"So what? You want a promotion?" The Raikage interrupted. Shikamaru would've felt offended by that if he wasn't already worthy of a promotion. Shikamaru just brushed it off and continued.
"At the same time as the first attack in the Wind Nation, an unknown shinobi transformed himself into Orochimaru and orchestrated a coup in the Wind Nation. The Kazekage successfully stopped the coup but a group of 5 ninja abandoned the village and went rogue. Genma-san led a team that assisted the Suna-nin in stopping that group of rogue ninja but they had split up and 2 of the ninja were stopped by my team when we stopped the rogue group of criminals. I later found out that the group of rogue criminals were being controlled by the 2 rogue ninja but they were also following orders given to them by the ninja who had transformed himself into Orochimaru."
"How do you know that it wasn't Orochimaru?" The Mizukage was clearly thinking and following Shikamaru's train of thought.
"Not to overestimate Orochimaru but if he wants to take over Sunagakure, he wouldn't need to start a coup. He killed the previous Kazekage then transformed into the Kazekage and combined the Wind Nation and the Sound Nation's forces to lead an attack on Konohagakure during a chunin exams. I don't think it was Orochimaru who started that coup in Sunagakure but someone wants us to believe it was him." Shikamaru explained as he remembered his chunin exams.
"Kabuto then? Who else could imitate Orochimaru better than Kabuto?" The Tsutchikage had a point there. Shikamaru didn't think about Kabuto but he certainly was now.
"Sasuke." The Mizukage answered and Shikamaru immediately turned to Sakura but he saw her look at Naruto with a worried expression. Now he really needed to know what Sasuke had told them.
"Mizukage-san, Sasuke helped my team stop the 2 rogue ninja before they could do anything. I don't think he would start a coup then help us take down the group responsible for it." Shikamaru didn't want to defend Sasuke and he hated every moment of doing so but Sasuke was innocent in this.
"I was informed earlier that Sasuke attacked Kirigakure, killed 5 shinobi then stole the Shichiseiken last night." Maybe Sasuke wasn't as innocent as he thought. What the fuck was going on?
"I knew it. That Uchiha brat is and always will be a criminal." He understood the Raikage's rage and anger towards Sasuke. Sasuke's group attacked Kumogakure to get to the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, Killer B. Sasuke then ended up slicing off the Raikage's arm during the Kage Summit in the Land of Iron.
"Sasuke is not criminal. He helped us take down Madara and Kaguya during the war." Naruto voiced his opinion. Naruto was always going to defend Sasuke no matter what so that was to be expected. Another thing that Shikamaru expected was for an argument to begin and so it did. He wasn't going to get involved in the argument so he decided to close his eyes and think about the information he just recieved from the Mizukage. He blocked everything out and just let his mind take over. He needed to try and figure out what Sasuke was up to before they made a rash decision and ended up putting a bounty on the Uchiha's head again.
"Nara, open your damn eyes! We need answers." The Raikage ordered him. He heard that the arguments had stopped and that everyone was probably waiting on him now. He opened his eyes and sure enough, everyone's attention was fixed on him.
"The objective of the person who transformed into Orochimaru and started the coup in Sunagakure was to try and steal the Kokinjo. I can all but assure you that Sasuke was not part of that event but if what the Mizukage said is true then Sasuke is a criminal right now." Shikamaru stated.
"I'm going to bring that brat in myself if it's the last thing I do." The Raikage quickly stood up and straightened his clothes.
"Raikage-sama, if you could please wait for a moment, I think I have a solution that could help solve this problem." Shikamaru wasn't sure that the Raikage would stay but at least he tried.
"Raikage-sama, you saw firsthand just how intelligent Shikaku was during the war. Shikamaru is just as intelligent so if he says that he has a way to help us then it's best to listen to him instead of storming off and wasting your own time." Damn, Kakashi was silent all this time so for his first words to be as powerful as that was kind of intimidating to both Shikamaru and the Raikage. The Raikage didn't look like he appreciated Kakashi's words but he took his seat again then glared at the young Nara who kept his composure even though he was freaking out on the inside.
"After the last meeting where all the Kage sat down together like this, the Allied Shinobi Force was created. The objective of that group was to stop the Akatsuki and win the war. When the war ended then so did the Allied Shinobi Force. The peace that created is slowly dying out again leading to senseless fighting. The group of rogue criminals had people who came from every village. Right now there is an enemy out there who is gathering criminals and shinobi alike in order to steal the Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths. We don't know what they want to do with it and right now one is already missing. My solution is that we form another group where we can combine our forces and work together. This doesn't affect just 1 nation but it affects all the nations. If the Allied Shinobi Forces created this peace then we need to come together and maintain it. We need to form a Shinobi Union." Even Shikamaru had to admit, his speech right there had him feeling enthusiastic about his suggestion.
"So you're just copying what we did during the war?" The Raikage asked him. Why did he have to be so stubborn? Couldn't he just agree or disagree then leave it at that?
"Sunagakure was attacked and nearly had their treasured tool stolen. We managed to stop our treasured to from being stolen and we stopped the rogue ninjas from going after the treasured tool in Iwagakure. Last night Kirigakure was attacked and had their treasured tool stolen. Kumogakure is the only village right now that hasn't been attacked so guess who their next target will be."
"He's right boss. They're bound to come after us next." Darui stated. At least someone was sensible in the Lightning Nation.
"I agree with Shikamaru." Gaara spoke up. He gave the Kazekage a nod of approval.
"Me too." The Mizukage said but she looked focused and determined.
"I do too." This was surprising, he didn't expect the Tsutchikage to agree with him so easily. Everyone turned their attention to the Raikage to hear what he had to say about this.
"We'll go with your plan then. Let's create this Shinobi Union." The Raikage reluctantly agreed.
"How would this Shinobi Union work?" Gaara asked and everyone's attention turned back to Shikamaru.
"Right now, because we have to act fast, I would like to be the temporary leader of the Shinobi Union and I would like all the ninja in this room to be the representatives of each village. Our first objective would be to find Sasuke and retrieve the Kokinjo that he stole and to bring him in for questioning." Shikamaru explained. "Are there any objections to that?"
"If he resists, can we kill him?" Samui asked. She was definitely like her Kage but at least she looked in control of her emotions.
"Killing him should be a last resort. Securing the Kokinjo is more important." He answered her.
"Once we get back to our respective villages, all the Kage need to make sure that the rest of the treasured tools are safely guarded. There's still a possibility that the villages will be attacked again. We need to communicate as much as possible with each other so if anyone finds Sasuke then they should inform everyone else so that we can assist in bringing him in. We all know how powerful he is."
"We can easily take him down." The Raikage stated.
"One of our other objectives should be to find Orochimaru and Kabuto and bring them in as well. There is a reason why someone transformed into Orochimaru to start the coup so we need to know why." Shikamaru explained.
"Orochimaru was last spotted in the Land of Sound." The Tsutchikage informed them. No surprises there.
"Kabuto's whereabouts after the war is unknown." The Mizukage stated.
"We each have our objectives so I have nothing more say. Once our villages are protected and the treasured tools are more secure then we can reconvene to appoint the permanent members of the Shinobi Union." Shikamaru was relieved that this was finally finished. All he wanted to do now was to just find a comfortable place to lay and fall asleep. He did way too much work today.
"I'm impressed Shikamaru. I'm sure that your father would be proud." The Mizukage told him with a smile. She wasn't trying to be flirty or threatening; she was just saying what she honestly thought.
"Thank you Mizukage-sama." Shikamaru gave her a slight bow as he saw everyone standing up and begin talking to each other.
"Looks like you have more work to do now Shikamaru." Kakashi told him.
"We need to keep the peace so it's worth it." Shikamaru turned to where Naruto, Sakura and Hinata were standing but he didn't see Naruto and Sakura anymore. They must've left the room already so he made his way towards Hinata.
"Where's Naruto and Sakura?" Shikamaru asked the shy kunoichi.
"Sakura said that they would meet us back inside the ball again." He could tell that Hinata was saddened by that and he was too. He wanted to speak to Sakura as well.
"They'll be back soon. I guess we get to hangout in the meantime." He tried to sound optimistic but he was sure that Hinata could see right through it. He and Hinata were friends and she did agree to help him improve his taijutsu so it wasn't like things were going to be awkward between them if they hung out. He didn't think that Naruto and Sakura would be away for long anyway.
OKAY, I HAVE TO TELL YOU GUYS THIS BECAUSE I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I WAS READING THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS AND THE SAKURA I PORTRAYED IN THIS STORY IS ALMOST EXACTLY THE WAY MY BEST FRIEND ACTS. SHE'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST SAKURA FANS I KNOW AND SHE WRITES FANFIC AS WELL. SOME OF YOU MIGHT HAVE READ HER STORIES AND IF YOU HAVEN'T THEN YOU REALLY SHOULD. HER USERNAME IS NaRcIsSiStIcAlLy In LoVe SO YOU SHOULD GO CHECK HER STORIES OUT. IT'S AMAZING BUT SHE TAKES SO LONG TO UPDATE NO MATTER HOW MUCH I BUG HER ABOUT IT. MAYBE SHE DOES IT TO ME ON PURPOSE TO PUNISH ME BEING JUST ANOTHER STUPID GUY IN HER LIFE BUT WE CAN'T REALLY CHANGE WHO WE ARE. ANYWAY, I WILL BE BACK WITH ANOTHER CHAPTER HOPEFULLY SOON SO UNTIL NEXT TIME GUYS AND GIRLS.