Naruto was at a ramen shop eating merrily and was later joined by Shikamaru. He looks up from his ramen bowl and waves with his goofy smile plastered on his face. Shikamaru does the same only he smirks back. Naruto moves to the seat next to him while still eating.
"How's it going, Shikamaru?" he asks.
"Pretty well, but" Shikamaru says lazily after ordering his ramen, "You?"
"Can't complain, though, I have been wondering. Do you know anything about a war in Otogakure?" Naruto asked.
Shikamaru pondered for a second. He did recall Kotetsu and Izumo talking about a possible civil war in Otogakure, but there was no tell how the out come was.
"I've heard things, but nothing interesting. You really shouldn't worry about it. It's now of our business if Otogakure goes to war with itself," Shikamaru said when his ramen order arrived.
"But what if we do end up getting in voided? What if something happens that someone would want our help?" Naruto asked as his face sank into a worry state.
"Please, Otogakure just has power hungry people. Everyone just going to end up dead," Shikamaru said and then realized what he had just said, "Let's just drop. It's only rumor."
"Yeah, just rumor," Naruto said as he found himself with a lost of appetite, "See ya around."
Naruto left and started his way down the street. His head bowed with thoughts of what happened the last time he saw Sasuke. The bastard was willing to kill him then and there. Heartless fool, but there was no reason to dwell on the past. What happened, happened and there was no way to change it. Naruto sighed and then found himself running into a person.
"Hey watch!" he yelled to found he ran into long dark blue haired shy girl he always found weird.
"I'm---I'm--- ssss---so--- sorry, Na--- Naruto," Hinata said as a blush formed on her face and she found an interest in her hands.
"Oh, Hinata. Sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you," Naruto said as he started to get embarrass, "I was lost it thought."
"You--- you--- we---were thinking--- ab--- about--- tho--- those--- rumors, weren't--- weren't you?" she asked still interested in her hands.
"Oh, the war, yeah," Naruto said as his melted to a frown.
"He'll--- he'll be--- fine," she said as her blush got worse.
"Hinata, your face is getting redder," he said and then placed his hand on her forehead,
"You're burning up, too. You want me to take to see a doctor or walk you home so you don't faint?" Hinata face was covered in red now and felt like she would faint if she didn't get away.
"B--- bye!" she shouted and ran in the opposite way. Naruto just stared.
"OKAY! TAKE CARE!" he shouted, "Man, she's weird."
He smirked think how cute she looked when she was turning red. He hoped she would get home safely. He then found himself in front of his apartment. He opened the door and found Jiraiya sitting on the floor, eating ramen, and writing his latest volume of "Icha Icha Paradise.
"HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE!" Naruto yelled.
"Made a spare," Jiraiya replied with his prevented smile plastered on his face.
"GET OUT!" Naruto yelled.
"Now that is no way to treat your teacher, Naruto," Jiraiya said as he slurped some of his ramen, "Tsunade told me to tell you, you're wanted in her office."
"You know, you didn't have to break into my home to tell me that," he said.
"I know, but I was hungry," Jiraiya said and turned back to his work. Naruto smacked himself in the head for the prevented sage's idiotic behavior. He left to the hokage's office to find Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Neji, and Rock Lee waiting there as well.
"Hey guys," Naruto said. Kiba, Choji, and Rock Lee replied with hello while Shikamaru, Shino, and Neji nodded. Silence took over after that. They all had a feeling on why they were here. There was a chance they were going to get in voided with this civil war Otogakure was going to have. The hokage's door opened and Tsunade stepped out.
"Hello boys. Come on in," she said and walked back in her office. The boys followed and stood in a line in front of her desk as she lit her pipe.
"I need to search the forest for anything out of the ordinary. Any sense of charka, you follow and found out who causing it," she said as she blew the smoke out of her mouth.
"Why?" Naruto asked.
"Lately there has been some eruption in the forest. I figure you guys could take care of it since some of our best ninja couldn't seem to find the problem," she said getting annoyed at the idea of those ninjas saying they saw ghost. The group left toward the forest.
Hanako had her eyes closed, balanced on one foot, hand clasped together, as she stood one the rock in middle of the river. They had to be somewhere close. She tried to sense their charka, but they were hiding it better than ever. She smirked as she felt she was being challenged. She was going to find them one way or another. Then she remembered what master Arihiro had taught her. She relieved all the tension in her body. Relaxed now, she focused on finding them and there they were. Slowly she moved forward. She walked on the water, eyes still closed, and slowly finding where her other teammates were. Success, she found one. Focusing all her charka to her legs, she sped forward toward him. Mushi was aware now that Hanako had found him. He quickly dodged off to find another hiding spot, but when he reached the next tree Hanako knocked him over. The wind knocked out of him, Mushi felt like he couldn't move. Hanako knew he wouldn't be going anywhere, so went off to find Koji. He wouldn't be hard to find with how big he was. She leaped to the treetops. Scanning around the area, she saw some movement from below. She smirked and went in for the kill.
Naruto, Kiba, Choji, Rock Lee, Neji, and Shino followed as Shikamaru lead the way. Kiba stopped when he picked up a scent. A man's scent, which was not from here. Kiba looked around. Naruto started to follow his lead, as did Rock Lee and Choji.
"Fine then we'll split up. Kiba, take Lee, Naruto, and Choji. The rest of you follow me. I think I heard some wrestling over here," Shikamaru said and they went their separate ways.
The groups didn't even go two steps till Naruto was pounced on.
"HEY, ARE YOU CRAZY OR SOMETHING! GET OFF!" he shouted and the group reacted by preparing for battle. Hanako held Naruto with a shobo to his throat.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" She asked the boy she was sitting on.
"WHAT! WE SHOULD BE ASKING YOU THAT QUESTION!" Naruto yelled.
"Sorry for his rudeness, but he does have a point. What is the reason for being here? You're from Otogakure," Lee asked.
"I could answer that question," and out popped Arihiro from the shadows followed by Mushi, Koji, and other of the Neko followers, "We came for help."