Chapter 5
Silent crept down upon them. Tenten got up and hugged her knees. Naruto watched her closely for some time and said, "I guess… you're wrong."
Tenten turned to look at Naruto. The Kyuubi Boy glanced at the sky.
"I used to think the same as you…" he said slowly. "To think that we're alone and have no home… to love someone but unable to protect them… to lost someone and to be left alone, crushed to pieces… To pretend that we're happy but in fact we don't… I know how desperate it was… But… You're wrong… just like how I was wrong. We're never alone. Never."
Naruto looked solemly at Tenten. His cerulean eyes shimmering in the darkness.
"We do have a home… and a family," Naruto pointed his forehead protector. "As long as we have the will of fire, the will to protect Konoha… to protect our comrade… we always be family. We maybe not blood related but we care about each other, right? We protect each other in many ways. It's not only physical… but… but… Tenten… you've protect Neji and Lee in your own way…"
Tenten opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. Her eyes turned to look at the grass, the same distant look on her eyes. Naruto sighed and added his explanation.
"You know, every single life is just like… ramen, you know? It consists of so many ingredients but it formed a delicious food! The most delicious food! If one ingredient is missing, it's not going to be so delicious anymore! Konoha is just like that! It's delicious because of every single person in it! They are mixed by the spirit of fire! The spirit to protect everyone! It's not blatantly visible but… but the spirit is there! You've protect Neji, you know… Just like how you protect me and other villagers… You protect us… simply by being with us… by giving your concern and reach to us… protecting us from loneliness… We're connected by it and everyone in Konoha has the same will… We're here to protect Konoha and our comrade… and as long as we have that spirit, we will always be family… and… and Konoha will always be your home."
Tenten slowly looked at Naruto. The Kyuubi Boy grinned and then pointed the sky up above. Tenten moved her gaze and looked at the stars she loved so much.
"You said… before you're told, you don't know anything about stars, ne? You don't know why you feel content… well… it's because you don't realize it yet. Look, the stars reach out for you… but you still feel lonely… It's not because there's no love… it's just that you don't realize it… And why do you think Shizuo-kun called you nee-chan?"
Tenten shook her head. Naruto smiled and said, "It's as simple as him being a Konoha villagers. He's your family… we are your family too. We're not blood related, we have nothing in common… except one, and that is the spirit of fire… the spirit to protect this bond, this family. Look, the sky was telling you too. Those stars have no bond in the beginning. They just shine… and they have no bond with you but they reached out to you… Why? Because… we're the same… No one could live alone… and they reached out to each other, care for each other… And by being that, they have the power to protect the bond. They protect everyone from breaking down from loneliness. Nobody can survive from it but they protect each other… and you see that, aren't you? Just by care for each other, we can be so much stronger. Stronger than Orochimaru, stronger than anyone. And know what? You've done that to us… by simply being with us… You saved Neji from the verge of loneliness… you saved Lee from being crushed under his own desire and pain… you saved me not only from the poison… but also for becoming my friend that remind me I'm not alone. You have the spirit of fire, you have the power to protect us… and… by being like that, you have a family… you have a home… You're not alone… you never are…"
Tenten could feel tears started to form in her eyes. With a cracked voice she asked slowly, "And why… are you telling me this?"
Naruto gave her his boyish grin and said lightly, "Because we're family! Aren't we, Nee-chan?"
Tears now flowing freely down her face. She hugged Naruto and cried on his shoulder. The Kyuubi Boy grinned and said softly, "You never realized it do you, Nee-chan? You're always a sister to all of us… a family…"
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Two silent figures watched the whole scene. They smiled silently, watched as the only girl in their team finally found a light. They understood everything, more than what they could say.
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"HAKKESHOU KAITEN1!!"
Ching! Ching! A single Kaiten deflected all the weapons. Sasuke jumped from the spinning blue chakra, his hands made the required hand seals so quickly that not even Itachi could match that.
"Katon: Housenka2!"
BOOM!! Dozens of shinobi thrown off by the barraged of fireballs. Sakura raised her fist and shouted, "Scatter!! EARTH!!!"
CRACK!!! The earth crumbled when Sakura punched it with all her might. Their enemies limped by the shake, lose their concentration. Neji passed bag of scrolls he possessed since minutes ago to Ino and said, "Chance! Run! Bring the scroll! We'll back you up!"
"Alright!" Ino quickly jumped away from the mess. Their enemies' captain spotted her and shouted, "It's the scroll!! Stop her!! Don't let her get awaaaaayyyy!! Don't…"
SMACK!!! The poor Chuunin had himself crashed to a tree with a broken jaw, startled. Sakura grinned and said, "We let her!"
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Shikamaru raised his hand a little and his three comrades quickly halted their movement. He peeked between the branches towards a huge building where their prey was. He gave a sigh.
"Their security is high, as I presumed," whispered the Shadow Controller. Kiba peeked beside him and said, "Wow! Ain't that a nice fortress! They must've robbed quite a few villages."
"Can't agree more," Shikamaru raised his eyebrow. The fortress before them was huge indeed. It stood by the riverside, guarded by dozens of robbers. Its wall made from wood, but the fortress was from thick river rocks. Shikamaru scratched his head. "Now… let's see… Intel said that this… Neutral Offender consists of… lowly shinobis from different village. But remember: Don't underestimate them. And… ah well… especially DO NOT underestimate their leaders. Intel said the structure's like this: a 'king' if you may speak, and four commander. Now, the 'king' is Izaki, an S-Class missing-nin from Kiri. The others are Kanou from Suna, Maisou from Ame, Gobu from Iwa, and Yaku from… Konoha."
"Great, five missing-nin from Five Great Shinobi Countries," mumbled Tenten sarcastically. "No wonder this one is S-Ranked."
"So… we take down the four and then the boss?" asked Kiba. Shikamaru shook his head. Naruto, confused, shouted, "And why is that? And why can't we just bust through?!"
"Baka! Lower yer volume!"
Thwack! Naruto soon crouching in the corner, mourning his aching head. Kiba turned to look at Shikamaru and said, "So… what are we gonna do?"
"We try our best to locate Izaki first," Shikamaru scratched his head. "Well… what I want is actually like this: we kill Izaki, then go for the other four. But if it can't be helped… I guess let's go for the four and then Izaki. The problem is, Izaki is an S-Ranked Criminal and I don't guarantee winning if we waste our chakra for the four commander…. And if we go for the commander last, we'll encounter them one on one. And I don't guarantee, again, whether we can win or not with the remaining chakra… Soooo…"
"We better take down the commander first," said Tenten, rubbed her soft chin. "I mean, if we fight Izaki with full force, the four of us, we may make it out. We can cover each other's lack of chakra. If we fight the commander last… well… we'll get separated and we can't help each other. What about it? It's obvious, isn't it?"
"Emotionally wise, fighting the boss first have an advantage," Shikamaru scratched his head. "I just make out that idea. If the boss crumbled, so the others. They will lose hope."
"But what if the four commander only waiting for their boss to crumble?" Kiba grinned. "It's different there."
"Yeah, I'm thinking that too," Shikamaru nodded. "That's why I'm asking for your comment. None of us is as smart as all of us."
"Really?" Naruto suddenly glimmered. "Really? Really? All of us smart?!?"
Kiba groaned, "Yeah. And we're countin' ya out, dude."
"DAMN YOU!"
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"You did a great job, Neji. Good work."
"Your compliment is most cherished, Hokage-sama," Neji bowed down politely. "It's not only me but also the others. In the moment, they are in the hospital to take care of their wounds."
"Yeah, I know that," Tsunade cupped her chin lazily. She flipped the paper in front of her. "You should go to the hospital too. I see that you're wounded as well."
"Thank you for your consideration," said Neji as politely as usual. But instead of turned away and go, he looked at Tsunade solemnly. "But may I ask you something?"
"Ha?" Tsunade lifted her head. "What is it?"
"May I take a week break starting from tomorrow?"
"A week?" Tsunade repeated. She raised her blonde eyebrow. "And why is that?"
"It is… my personal issue, Hokage-sama," answered Neji coolly. Tsunade's eyes flickered by the sentence. "I'd rather not say. But I will if you insist."
"Naah… I know it already," Tsunade waved her hand. Neji's eyebrow arched. "Alright, I grant you your wish. You can take the break. Maybe I must give it to her too, soon after this, eh? Good luck."
Neji grinned and bowed down politely once again.
"Thank you very much, Hokage-sama."
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Tenten sneaked behind a bush. Her eyes scanned the surrounding carefully. She smirked and said, "Clear. I'm right behind the building."
Shikamaru's voice was heard from the radio strapped on her neck.
"Good. Kiba, begin. Let's see if it works out."
A loud explosion was heard from a building far away. Tenten watched as the guards's attention turned to the rising smoke far away.
"… kitchen?"
"That dumbass always slacks off."
"Now there's no meal for us again."
"Damn cook! What's so great about hi…"
Smack! Smack! Smack!! Three guards below the wall were down. Four guards on top quickly looked down and said, "Hey! What ha…"
Smack! Smack! All four down. Tenten twisted her kunai, watched her handiwork proudly. She touched the radio on her neck.
"East wall cleared."
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"Here too!" Kiba grinned. He looked at his handiwork: six unconscious guards lying on the West wall's guard post. "Piece of cake! Na, Akamaru?"
"Warf!"
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"Yosh!!"
Poof! Three Kagebunshin disappeared beside Naruto. He raised both of his fists to the air vigorously and shouted, "SOUTH WALL, DONE!"
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"Geez… You're as sound as ever, Naruto," Shikamaru sat lazily in the north wall's guard post. "Remember, we're infiltrating the enemy's headquarter now. We have to be silent! Now, then… Everybody have the map, right?"
"Yeah, sure. You gave it to us."
"Right 'ere, dude!"
"I HAVE IT!!… I… er…Demo… eetou… a… anou…"
"What is it, Naruto?"
"Ehehehehe… anou sa… you… you know, I CAN'T read map."
"NANI?!"
Shikamaru smacked his head with his right hand exasperatedly.
"Geez… That's so troublesome indeed…"
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Tenten sighed despairingly. He's hopeless, ne?
"So… you need someone to read your map, eh, Naruto?"
"Ehehehehe…"
"Stop chucklin' like that, ya blockhead! Yer idiocy haltin' us now!"
"Now, now… stop quarrelling about that," Tenten crouched, scratched her head. "It gives us no good way out, Kiba. Who's the one who'll read the map for Naruto now? Er… Shikamaru?"
"…"
"Shikamaru?"
"Too… troublesome."
"Just like what I thought you'll say," Tenten smacked her head. "Now, Kiba?"
"…"
"KIBA!"
"…"
"Ki…"
"…"
"Anou… Nee-chan, I guess… He doesn't want to. So it leaves…"
Tenten exhaled noisily. She opened her map with more power than it should, almost ripped it off.
"Next time I'll teach you how to read map myself! GEEZ!"
1 Heavenly Spin
2 Fire Release: Mythical Fire Flower
Author's Note: TA-DA!!! Yooohhoooo... I managed to type in the last bit of second! Na, naaa... sorry about the humor which is not humorous. I get a headache and my eyes are red because of the lack of sleep. Anyway, humor is not my speciality. Demo! I tried, ne? Ma, see ya in the next chapter!
More to come: Confronting the Commanders
Ja ne!