Chapter 5: big news
Kiba caught the yawn that Hotaru tried to hide and looked down at the little girl who looked like she was falling asleep on her feet. He bent down a little bit and plucked the girl up. It must be close to her bedtime. She snuggled close into Kiba's warmth.
Natsuhi looked up at her. "Oh dear, she must be completely worn out. It's way past her bedtime."
"She'll be fine, Natsuhi." Kiba reassured quietly so that the others won't teased them, although the rest of the group were quietly snickering.
They got settled in the biggest private room the shop. Kiba settled the fast asleep Hotaru on his lap next to Natsuhi. Chouji sat next between Shikamaru and Ino. Sakura sat on Natsuhi's left side; her husband took the place next to her. Neji sat between his cousin and his wife, Tenten. Naruto sat on the other side of Hinata (they were no doubt holding hands under the table). Shino sat next to Naruto and Hikari sat next to him. Hitomi sat between Kiba and Lee.
"All right what's going on?" Natsuhi asked when they all settled and had the barbeque meat set up.
"The Akatsuki are on the move. They found a new jinchuuriki in a village in Lighting country. It's still young and easier to obtain since Naruto is so well protected." Sasuke said. Natsuhi and Kiba stiffened.
"I thought they wiped all of them out but Naruto. What do you mean a new jinchuuriki?" Chouji asked.
"They thought so too until this small town was attacked by some beast. Well they got wind of it and went to check it out. When their informant got there, the villagers didn't seem to know anything. My informant told him that the high up didn't believe that and went for themselves." Sasuke said.
"Lightning country…" Tenten said thinking. "Wait a minute. That's where you and Kiba went together!"
The pair stiffened. Natsuhi sighed. "I suppose we can't keep it from you guys much longer. The new jinchuuriki is Hotaru." She pointed to the little girl sleeping soundly into Kiba's lap.
"No way!" Chouji said. "I thought it was your kid! She is always with you two and she looks just like Natsuhi!"
"We're hoping that no one would realize she was the jinchuuriki." Kiba said. "Chouji, it takes nine months to have a kid…doesn't she look a little old to ours?"
"Yeah but only we would know that." Ino said. "The way the two of you act everyone thinks you're a happily married couple. It's even more convincing when she's with the two of you."
"Ino I could kiss you right now! When did you get so smart?" Kiba told her (Natsuhi gave him a look that clearly told him of her opinion of the idea which he reassure her by squeezing her hand under the table). "She doesn't look like a jinchuuriki. All this time we were so worried someone would realized it. If everyone thinks she's our kid, then the Akatsuki would think so too."
"They relay on rumors." Sakura told them.
"I'm not sure. I wiped the villagers' memories but don't forget these guys aren't dumb." Shikamaru said.
"I agree with Shikamaru." Hikari agreed. "Where there is smoke there is a fire. They will figure out that there are discrepancies and look into it."
"It will lead them straight to Konoha." Shino added quietly.
"Too late." Sasuke told them. "Here is my next information. They already know the child is in Konoha but they don't who she is. They plan a full on battle. He doesn't know what they are after this time, but every surviving member has a new and younger partner to train them. They are planning something big. He said something about building a village."
"Come to think of it, a new hidden village sprung up to too long ago." Lee said. "There were rumors about it when I was out in the field. Orphans and street urchins were disappearing all around. An old man said they all left to join a new village."
"That sounds suspicious. What else did you find out?" Shikamaru asked.
"I know a few other rumors but I don't think they hold much."
"Some things don't add up. I mean why act now? Why would they get new partners? The only known jinchuuriki alive is here in Konoha. Why go through all the troubles?" Neji questioned.
"We can't act without more information. It would be sending our comrades into death. It could be a trap." Natsuhi told him. "Shikamaru, you're the brainiest of our lot, what do you think?"
"Natsuhi is right. We need more information. Does the fifth know?" the lazy genius asked.
Sasuke nodded. "She told me, there is enough going on without this as well. This is our fight. If they are planning a frontal attack, we're the only she could spare. She wants this Akatsuki to end for good. She calls it a chance to redeem myself."
"So she's letting us do this." Neji said frowning. "Is the fifteen of us enough? We're all jounins but these guys are about the kage level."
Naruto bared his teeth in a grin. "Don't tell me you've gotten soft and sentimental in your old age Neji?" he taunted.
"He hasn't." Hinata told her boyfriend. "He is thinking. He does have Tenten and their newborn to think about."
"It doesn't matter, the old Neji would know this and think of a way to fight against. Unlike me you aren't a failure." Naruto smirked as he watched Neji glower at him. His smile dropped and a serious look etched on his face as he stared at every single face into the room. "Is that all we are capable of? We're shinobis first, ultimately tools of war, don't forget that. It will be like that time when we assemble for the attack from the trap master, all those years back when we were genins. Come on guys, we've been there for each other since our days at the old Academy. We survive being genins, then chuunins, then jounins, and now we're all ANBU. We pull tricks and suffered together. We've got each other back through the thick and thin of every disaster this village has ever faced. Are you guys saying that we can't do it now that we are a little older and we don't have any of our old sensei around to back us up? When did we become just wimps?"
It was times like this that they realized that Naruto could make a brilliant Hokage. He may still be very happy and joke around but when it came down to it, Naruto has mature and grown. He may not be the smartest one or the fastest or the strongest but his unique quality of being able to pull everyone together and find uses for everyone's unique abilities so that they can work together. It was the reason the Konoha fifteen was so strong. He was the glue that held all the pieces together.
"Don't forget, we are the Konoha fifteen. There was never a stronger group as strong as we! The Akatsuki isn't strong enough to withstand us!" Hitomi said.
"I have an idea, but it is a risky one." Hikari said folding her hands as she propped her elbows on the table. "A very risky one but it might just work if everything goes as plan."
"Hikari we don't have enough information on what they want!" Ino protest.
"Not quite. We do know what they want. A general idea anyways." Shikamaru said putting his hands together in that familiar habit of his that had everyone smiling. It has a long time since the Konoha fifteen assembled. "Both things he wants are in this room."
"From the information, Madara still wants all the bijuu chakra. Sasuke has told us this much. Where in the world would he find the supposed last jinchuuriki?" Hikari asked. "We know he is coming here. We might as well wait and gather more information. When we have more information, we can form a plan to counterattack. If he really is going to attack us, we're going need to think this through. Don't forget this man helped find the village. He is bound to know its secrets. Well most of them. I don't think he knows all of them. We should assume he does just for precaution."
"Of course this all a guess." Shikamaru smiled. "But Hikari and I are rarely wrong in our guesses."
The others nodded. The two geniuses together were a formidable combination and the plans they came up rarely go wrong. Hikari was one of the only people who match Shikamaru in brains. They nearly always tie at games like Go. "We need to set up a trap for him."
"WHAT?" the other occupants asked.
"Guys, calm down!" Kiba rebuked over them. "If you don't want others to hear, you need to keep it down!" not to mention, Hotaru is asleep. He added mentally covering her ears. She wiggled and snuggled deeper into his warmth.
"There are too many factors. It's late. We'll discuss this all tomorrow in a more private setting." Hikari told them and shifted her eyes to her left. They nodded and spent the rest of the evening chatting and bantering about their past.
"So Tenten, what did you and Neji decide on naming that cute bundle of joy?" Sakura asked. The other kunoichi in the room gushed when Tenten showed pictures (the male ninjas held their tongues, knowing well what would happen if they groan at the girly but they did rolled their eyes…except Neji who look smug.)
"He looks like a darling. I'm glad he looks more like you, Tenten." Hikari said looking at the photos carefully.
"What's that suppose to mean?" Neji bristled slightly.
"Well if he takes after you, the boy is going to be an ice cube and Hitomi would take pains to tease the poor boy." Natsuhi told him and they all laugh.
"We've decide to name Satoru." Tenten said.
"What happen to Kenji?" Ino asked.
"Neji didn't like it." Tenten told them.
"He rather have a 'enlighten' son rather than an 'intelligent' one. Personally they are about the same to me." Hitomi teased.
"Well, an enlighten son would have to be an intelligent one. I mean to be enlighten you have some brains." Lee said backing up his teammates loyally. Neji sent a look of thanks which he accepted with a nod.
"I suppose." Hitomi said.
Naruto was the only male in the room that didn't roll his eyes at the girls' behavior (because he love kids) besides from Shino but you couldn't tell with him being so stoic (as Hikari said he could give lessons to a rock). He turned to Sakura and Sasuke and asked, "So when can we see you with your own bundle of joy? I mean I didn't know Sasuke would let someone else take first place in anything." Neji and Tenten were the first in their group that got married and had a kid. Sakura turned pink as her hair and Sasuke smirked. He discreetly placed a hand on Sakura's lower belly.
"What about you and Hinata? You've been married longer than us. Man you were such a moron." Sasuke told Naruto and launched into a story about a D-rank mission where they had to walk a dog.
"Give me a break, Sasuke." Naruto said (Hinata was bright red). "It was hard to outdo you. Besides it's not like you aren't a bit of a moron yourself. I mean come on!" with that he launched into the story of their first chuunin exams during the preliminary rounds.
It had gotten so far and loud that Hotaru woke up and started crying because her rest was disturbed. Now Hotaru had never been a quiet crier. When she cried she let you how she felt in a series of loud brawls, tears, and honks. Hotaru was normally a very even temper child who rarely got upset and very few things could set off but when something does, very few things can stop her. Being waken from the middle of her sleep, Hotaru was far from a happy camper.
Natsuhi pulled her into a warm embrace and tried to soothe her while Kiba made their excuse to get away. "We've overstayed our visit and Hotaru will be a handful if we don't get her into her bed. I'm surprise she even last this long. Normally if she isn't already in her bed at this time, all hell breaks loose and either Natsuhi or I would get any sleep or peace for that matter." He told them. "We'll be there."
"We're sorry." Natsuhi said shifting Hotaru so she could carry her easier (although Hotaru was small for her age, Natsuhi wasn't the biggest woman in the world. In fact most affectionately call her vertically challenged.) "Kiba, let's go. If we drag this any longer, either of us will have a moment of rest tonight and I won't be sorry tomorrow when she is cranky and takes it out on you!"
Kiba laughed and plucked the little girl out of Natsuhi's arm and started rubbing her back as they left. She quiet down a bit.
When they were gone, Hikari asked, "Twenty bucks says that Natsuhi and Kiba will be up all night!"
"No bet." Shino said flatly. "Kiba won't do anything with her permission."
"He's a little too whipped to do something like that." Ino agreed.
"I'm not sure." Sakura said tapping her chin thoughtfully. "His clan is affiliated with canines. We all know that canines are fierce lovers. Twenty bucks says he would be the aggressor." Sasuke glared down at her when she added, "I think it was one of the reasons we girls drool over him."
"Is that all we are worth to you kunoichis?" Chouji asked.
The girls exchange looks before nodding. "Yep."
"I hate to hear what they thought of us at those sleepover things they do." Naruto said. "You didn't do things like that did you Hinata?"
Hinata turned red and looked down. The other girls burst into laughter. Hikari told the boys, "If you knew what went on…man did we have so much fun."
The girls giggled as they all reminisce silently leaving the guys out of the loop and slightly confused.
"Somehow I don't really want to know." Shikamaru shuddered. "I think Temari would kill me."
That prompted all the girls to burst into fits of giggles as they recollected on something that they didn't say out loud.
Naruto looked confused asked, "Do girls have this special brain power to understand each other like EPS?"
"Naruto, I think you are referring to ESP." Lee said shaking his head as the girls dissolve into another round of giggles.
"Naruto you're such a dork!" Hitomi said rubbing her stomach as she tried to fight the giggles.
Hikari leaned Shino as she wiped her tears. "There are things about girls that guys will never know. It's part of the girl code."
"Girl code?" Neji asked interested.
"Yep." Ino said. "The girl code is a silent code that all girls follow. It's the very basics of being a girl."
"Care to share?" Naruto asked.
"It's unspoken and only girls would understand. It's the ultimate plan to catching the guy we want!" Hikari said still laughing. Shino rubbed her back soothingly. She smiled up at him in thanks.
The married guys perked up and Sasuke turned to his wife and asked, "Sakura, just what did you do to get me?"
Sakura smirked, "I'll tell you when Tenten tell Neji or when Hinata tell Naruto."
Tenten groaned when Neji leveled with a gaze that promised her they would discuss it when they were in private. "Thanks Sakura. Now Neji won't leave me alone." Hinata escaped because her husband wasn't the brightest bulb.
Ino laughed, "You could ban him from the bed."
Tenten snorted. "Pff. Like I can stop him." Neji smirked.
"I'm you can come up with something." Hitomi assured her. "Right now we need to get Kiba and Natsuhi tied."
The girls nodded and the guys groaned (and received a glare of their opinions and were ignored as they brainstorm).