Book 1
Awakening
Chapter 5 - Nine to Watch
A/N: Hmm... What do I say...? Well, I suppose I'll start by addressing things that showed up multiple times in the reviews; which by the way, I must thank you guys for. Although the traffic to this story seems to be suffering, the review count is quite impressive, I appreciate the consistent feedback sincerely. Now, first of all, I'm glad you guys enjoyed the fight scene! That was my first actual fight scene, although I have touched on and critiqued action scenes before, so I'm glad it came out as well as you guys said it did... Secondly, I really got you guys with that whole Ishika persona, huh? I tried to put some subtle hints in, if you guys hadn't guessed by now, the 'voice' he spoke with on the roof was, in fact, Pakkun. And as far as Kakashi's role, yes, I do want him to have a little bit more of an active role in helping our favorite characters, but don't expect anything too much, a Sensei is supposed to be slightly detached, and he has his reasons—as they all will.
Now, I know that I don't make a habit of doing this, but when things need to be responded to, you can expect clear replies in the following edition (or should I say, chapter?)... So here we go:
SoulfulGinger17: I always enjoy your little comments. And as for Sasuke, as SlicerNDicer8 mentioned, that is one of the big mysteries, so you'll just have to wait and see. Also, thank you for the compliment, being a 'good writer' is a goal of mine.
Codaram: I see your point with the adjectives, I'll do my best to adjust that. Also, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and I appreciate the compliment on my descriptive abilities; I try to really take my time with scenes.
jascat: When I said that, I didn't exactly mean to give me a list of things you like and don't like... I meant those things in regards to what had been written, however, I thank you for making me aware of that and, with that, I can promise that none of your listed dislikes will ever become a part of this story... luck of the draw!
SlicerNDicer8: I've PM'd you.
adamrpg: I wasn't sure how to reply to this at first, I can admit that I felt a mix of emotions upon my first read-over... But now that I've had time to think, I think I've come to a reasonable response: Thank you, first and foremost. Secondly, I believe you're viewing the whole tear-situation too narrowly, but in general you would have a point. Thirdly, I do intend to continue to write this as a very deep story, and further expand it as I go, however, there is no such requirement for an 'epic'; besides, dimension, for the most part, is in the eye of the beholder. Fourthly, I can happily inform you that there will be detailed political dealings in the future, but at this point in time that is primarily irrelevant to the story. Fifthly, in regards to Sarutobi... while I agree that he is an upstanding Shinobi, he is a plot device more than anything, I'm sure it won't really come off as a spoiler to anyone if I were to tell you that he was placed in the story for the purpose of dying an impactful and inciting death, and I intend to use him the same way; it's nothing personal towards any fans of him, just my story's direction. In regards to Gai, I can say that aside from what you said about his relationship with Lee, most of your opinions or facts aren't accurate in any way, especially in regards to Neji. Neji did that entirely on his own. And while I agree that Gai has a lot of potential, and I can promise you that in the distant (with the vast intended length of this story) future, he will be utilized—he simply isn't someone I intend to make a main character. Lastly... I still, to this moment, have no idea what to make of this—it's what I can only assume to be your imagination run wild (don't take offense to that)—but it is by no means part of my story, nor will it be; while I appreciate the thought, it's something that I've clearly stated several times in the past that I dislike, a major skewing of the plot and story concept. Now, I know that they're just examples, but they really don't do the assumed good nature of your intent justice, simply put (This is referring to your fourth and fifth paragraphs)... And, even with all of that said, I'm still skipping over a lot, but if I were to go on I think the author's note would grow longer than the actual chapter, so I'll stop with this said: Now, I'm not sure if this post was sarcastic or genuine, but either way, I appreciate the review, know that your input hasn't been merely deflected, it just doesn't fit at all. If that ruins the story for you, I apologize.
arhi: Hmm... what an... interesting review. I guess I'll just go through this in list format, for the sake of mental organization.
1. Your comment about this story being such a daunting task—might I say—is purely subjective, I don't view it as work at all. Thanks for the consideration, though.
2. I don't think the benefit would make up for, or account for the loss, in regards to getting a beta-reader for this story. It's not for you, nor anyone else to judge how much I do or don't care about my writing; I can promise you that nothing I write will be rife with errors of any persuasion.
3. To say that I'm struggling would be... inaccurate, to say the least. At least, that is, regarding grammar. What I am struggling with (to hit two birds with one stone...) is actually dedicating time to thoroughly edit my own work. I'm a beta-reader myself, and sadly, I don't put the time and focus that I'd like to into editing my chapters in 'post'. You were correct when you pointed out my sloppiness with semicolons and that assortment of typos; I can assure you, though, that I know the basic function of my first language's punctuation. So, with that said, you've told me to put my back in to it, well, give me the pen... because I'm back into it.
4. Continuity. That was not a 'glaring error' that you spotted, in fact, it wasn't an error at all—It was a logical progression. Once someone learns a lesson, they typically correct their errant behavior, no? This was a simple misunderstanding on your part, I apologize if it wasn't made clear enough. Note: This more or less voids the following paragraph, so, let's move on.
5. I'm going to lump my response to your entire 'touching upon' of my grasp of characters. To be perfectly honest, I found this insulting—regardless of your intention. Your individual—might I emphasize—failure to understand what was written is to no fault of mine; initially I was going to respond to each paragraph with another list, detailing each misunderstanding, however, now, I believe it's simply not worth the effort. If you're interested, you can read it carefully and hopefully pay the material closer attention, if not, you're only damaging your own understanding and prospective enjoyment of the story and its future editions.
6. Responding to your address of 'canonical' divergence: As of yet, there has been none in terms of characterization, except whatever minimal confidence increase you may or may not see in Hinata (after the brief time-skip).
7. I'm going to simply ignore the bloated comment about my Cover Page... On to more important matters. 'Number 6' on the Cover Page—Questions Section was genuinely superfluous information, hence it's inclusion on the mere Cover Page. If it were truly valuable information it would have been worked into the story. In all truth, I initially intended to mention it via the passing dialogue of a character in a future arc, but, seeing as people were all wondering about it, I included it as a side note.
8. "Your premise looks like it could be good, and your writing shows promise. I think that with a little polishing and a consistent second opinion, this could be the epic you'd like for it to be."—To quote you, ahri. Thank you, but I don't intend to take your advice on the 'consistent second opinion'. Always, though, it's a perpetual process of improvement.
9. I can't say that someone beta'd this response for me, but it's definitely a lot less harsh than the emotions an initial, cursory glance of some of your more ignorant comments invoked.
*Great Exhale* Now, with all of that taken care of, on with Chapter 5.
As the daylight began to wane, the hardworking creatures of the light began to wind down and retreat to their sanctuaries; while some were disappointed by the coming of the day's imminent conclusion, others welcomed the more temperate atmosphere. One person, in particular, readily enjoyed the cooling air and increased definition of the clouds, in contrast to the receding light.
Upon a cliff, just outside the boundaries of Konoha, lay that one person. Against a oddly accommodating stone formation lay Nara Shikamaru, with his arms crossed behind himself, his hands overlapped each other to form a makeshift 'cushion' for his head.
He breathed deeply, letting the air calm him. 'Man... the sunset really works miracles for those clouds.' Lazily blinking, Shikamaru pondered his current situation. 'We're supposed to graduate... but they essentially gave us a week to decide if we really want to. '—his expression shifted to a confused grimace—'Wouldn't anyone unprepared for the life of a ninja have dropped out of the academy before now? Are they suggesting that we aren't prepared? Are they suggesting that they didn't prepare us?'
Shikamaru shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thought. He heaved a sigh. 'I knew I should have told my father I wanted to work in the labs.' Deepening his grimace into a pained frown he lamented further. 'I should have known... I shouldn't have deluded myself into believing that something like being a 'normal ninja' was a viable option...' With another sigh, he concluded 'It's all so troublesome...' Closing his eyes, once again, he attempted to escape into sleep, wanting to enjoy his last day of 'freedom'.
From a position further up the cliff, two men stood, observing the lax Nara.
"Your son has an awfully... interesting training routine, Shikaku-san," Sarutobi Asuma commented, raising an eyebrow as he observed his counterpart's son.
Slightly out of the way, beneath the cover of the trees, Shikaku let out a chuckle; leaning back against the adjacent tree he mentioned, with a grin "Oh? I find it extremely efficient."
Asuma reached into his jacket pocket for his pocket-lighter with one hand as he fished through his pockets for a stray cigarette. Once he located the subject of his search he slowly raised it to his mouth, lighting it as it passed, a skill acquired from years of practice. Taking a substantial drag and slipping the lighter back into its holster, Asuma countered "I'm sure you would..."
With a grin, Shikaku replied "What exactly do you mean by that?"
"W-Well "—faulting slightly, he raised his hand in a fist to his mouth; he cleared his throat through a cough—"Your son is obviously a brilliant kid... but he just doesn't seem to have any motivation," he stated. In hopes of being as clear as possible, he added with a sigh "And of course, since they're so close, Chōza-san's son—Chōji—follows Shikamaru around almost religiously. I'd hoped to see them in action during this intercession, but so far they've both concluded that cloud-watching is the best way to prepare for the spars. Then... with Inoichi-san's daughter, I'm wondering if their team dynamic will be as... potent as your legendary reputations tell of your squad..."
Asuma turned his head, looking over his shoulder to the Nara Clan Head for reassurance.
Upon making eye contact with Asuma, Shikaku realized that he was probably expected to have been listening. Making a hasty attempt to show that he had been paying attention, he widened his eyes in fallacious interest and began to nod, mumbling "Mhm, mhm". 'Shit,' he thought to himself. 'What do I say?!' He awkwardly held the eye contact he'd established with Asuma, waiting for some hint, some sign, some clue... When Asuma finally raised an eyebrow in befuddlement, Shikaku gave up and decided to just give a characteristic response. Lowering his head and his eyelids, seemingly in unison, Shikaku opted to merely shrug.
In exasperation, Asuma exaggeratingly dropped his head in defeat; his shoulders fell in turn as his entire body took on a faintly lost posture. Groaning, he turned his attention back to the younger Nara, choosing to resume polling a slightly-less-lost cause.
"Shi-ka-ma-ru!" Akimichi Chōji called, enunciating each syllable in an effort to draw out the call. Even though he struggled to pull himself up the cliff side, Chōji refused to set aside his bag of chips—they were, after all, his favorite flavor: Barbecue. With a huff, he forced the entirety of himself onto the level surface of the cliff's landing, chips still firmly in hand.
Shikamaru, shocked out of his near-sleep state, groggily opened a single eye to search for the incurring party; upon seeing his friend, however, his mood brightened; this was clearly evident as his mouth bent into a warm smile. "Oi, Chōji. I was wondering when you'd show up."
Chōji gave a happy grin of his own in response. "Of course, Shikamaru. I just had to eat something before I left; I was starving!"
Shikamaru raised the eyebrow of the still-lone open eye in disbelief. As he opened his mouth to speak, he realized who he was talking to... With another chaste glance, he shrugged his still angled arms and returned his gaze to the clouds, restoring sight to the other eye.
Chōji sat down next to his friend. Leaning back against one of the smoother rocks, he set down his bag of chips to withdraw another from inside of his shirt. "I brought snacks," Chōji mentioned, per the norm.
"Of course," Shikamaru commented with a gentle smirk.
With a pleased chuckle, Chōji passed the fresh bag to Shikamaru.
"Thanks," Shikamaru said, accepting the bag. Settling down into their respective positions, the two friends returned their sights to the somnolent clouds and enjoyed in the peaceful activity, set to the intermittent, muffled crunch of chips being hungrily devoured.
On a higher plane of the cliff, walking out of the bordering forest, was Akimichi Chōza. As he approached, he greeted Shikaku with a slap on the back, waking up the dozing Jōnin "Hello Shikaku!" Heartily laughing at his friend falling forward in shock, he passively enlarged his arm; without a thought, he scooped up his fallen friend and set him in an upright position. "What are you up to on this fine afternoon!" He grinned.
Shikaku simply groaned in reply as he rubbed his aching back; even to this day, the Akimichi Clan Head's strength never ceased to amaze him.
Chōza, not really expecting an intelligible reply, continued on to greet Asuma.
Asuma had been observing the two men interacting over his shoulder. With another sideways glance downward, towards the two children resting on a lower part of the cliff, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrow at the similarity. 'Interesting...'
Seeing Chōza approaching him, Asuma turned to face the large Jōnin. "Hey! Chōza-san, what a pleasant surprise; I didn't expect you to show up," Asuma loosely commented, mildly surprised.
"Oh, well, Shikaku actually invited me... However, "—he spared a glance toward the still griping Shikaku—" he didn't say what exactly he was inviting me to. What's going on here?" Chōza inquired, stepping closer to the edge of the cliff to gaze over the side. "I-Is that Chōji... and Shikamaru?" He sputtered in confusion.
Shikaku began to laugh; he gripped his sides in mild pain at the intensity of the laughter. Between lingering giggles he managed "We're... spying on... our sons..." He burst into laughter again. "Apparently, this is Asuma's idea of a fun afternoon!"
Asuma turned to Shikaku with a glare. "Don't make me out as a pedophile, Shikaku!" He exclaimed, dropping the usual title.
Shikaku attempted to ease the situation. With a smirk, he spoke "Now, now, Asuma. I didn't say that..."
"What else would a grown man, watching someone else's children's every move be!" Asuma shot back in disbelief.
Shikaku merely raised an eyebrow, suppressing his grin in an effort to feign innocence. "You said it yourself." Lowering the opposite eyebrow, he continued. "I suppose that's why we're here. To make sure you don't try anything..." Looking over to Chōza he sought to drive the point home. "Does that sound reasonable, Chōza? We're here to make sure our son's prospective teacher doesn't molest them while they're not under the protection of the academy."
Chōza, understanding Shikaku's angle, merely smiled. With a nod, he proceeded to spur the exchange even further. "Indeed, that's quite reasonable, Shikaku. But... what will become of our children under the care of this man... after the academy?"
Shikaku's signature smirk returned with a vengeance. Tilting his head, he scoffed "Well... after that, they'd be adults. It's out. Of. Our. Hands..."
Exchanging a look, Shikaku's and Chōza's face began to sprout powerful grins, respectively, before they both burst into raucous laughter; each of them enjoyed in slapping their hands against their respective thighs, trying to contain the laughter they were enjoying at Asuma's expense.
Groaning in humbled defeat, Asuma turned away from the two Clan Heads and spun himself down into a cross legged position; he proceeded to fold his arms, effectively entering the stance most conducive to sulking. Subsequently, he proceeded to do just that; this action, however, only encouraged his tormentors.
Hearing a strained grunt emanating from just over the side of the cliff caught the attention of the laughing pair. Turning toward the sound of the noise, they were somewhat surprised to see two sets of fingers gripping the edge.
With a heave, Yamanaka Inoichi pulled up, then proceeded to raise his legs back up over himself. In one movement he forced himself up and let go of the ledge, front-flipping onto the landing. "Phew..." He exhaled. When he caught his friends eyeing him curiously, he raised his hand behind his head, scratching it in embarrassment. With a weak laugh, he attempted to excuse himself. "Heh... I'm getting too old to be doing stuff like this."
Inoichi, noting that Shikaku and Chōza were still watching him, walked over to Asuma. Placing his hand on the Sarutobi's shoulder, he laughingly chided "And you, Asuma, are too old to be interested in our children!"
This comment caused the—thought to be—calmed Shikaku and Chōza to re-erupt in choked peals of laughter.
After a couple drawn out minutes of laughing, Shikaku broke the trend. Taking one hand to wipe a stray tear from the corner of his eye, he questioned "Say, Inoichi... I thought you wouldn't be able to make it."
Turning to face the Nara, Inoichi brought a hand up to his chin in a gesture of thought. "Hmm... Well, you see what it was, was that the wife had asked me to watch the store today. You see, usually there's a huge increase in orders right around Graduation Day. But, Ino was so generous today! I guess being a ninja really is making her responsible, I never knew she'd be so complaisant, I didn't even have to ask; she just walked up to me and offered to watch the store for the rest of the day! She's usually so bratty and obsessed with that Uchiha boy... I wonder what it was that changed..." Inoichi went on and on, grandiously gesturing to 'broaden' the reach of the story.
By this time, Shikaku and Chōza had lost interest in the explanation, having already extrapolated the necessary information. Having turned to face each other, they were deep in a completely separate conversation—entirely oblivious to the ongoing theatrics.
Looking over his shoulder, Asuma observed the interaction unfolding before him. 'Hmm...'
A shrill call of "Shikamaruuu! Chouujiii!" shocked everyone present—Shikamaru and Chōji included—out of their respective stupors. Surprised, the three clan heads ran to the edge of the cliff, stopping to look over the side from behind the still seated Asuma.
Squinting and raising a stiffened hand over his eyes, Chōza tried to clearly make out the figures several strides down the massive cliff side. "Isn't that... Ino?"
Blinking several times in attempt to confirm the sight before his eyes, Inoichi let out a groan of frustration. "Urgh! I knew it! It's always something with that girl!" Inoichi began to pace back and forth, his fingers tightly pinching the bridge of his nose.
With arms folded, Shikaku looked on. Closing his eyes for a moment, he gathered his thoughts.
"Inoichi... are you sure about Ino's commitment to being a ninja?"
Inoichi paused. "What do you mean, Shikaku?"
"She doesn't seem to be the most responsible... I know you're training her to be the head of the clan, but are you sure she's interested in that?"
"Of course!" Inoichi shot back. "What would make you say something like that! You've seen her affinity for my clan's techniques, and she was the head of her kunoichi class for the longest time!"
"But now, Inoichi?" Shikaku sighed. Bringing his hand up, he stroked his beard to a point. "She hasn't shown any such interest for the last three years. It's no good for her to go into something she isn't ready for, or, even worse, to go into something that she doesn't truly want to do..."
"Interest?! Who are you to be talking about motivation, Shikaku! Just look at your son! He's practically failing his written exams at the academy!" Inoichi retorted.
With a heavy breath, Shikaku disassembled the argument, "I was the same way, Inoichi. That stuff isn't important; regardless of what he's said, it's clear he has a vested interest in the life of a ninja. I wish he'd show more motivation sometimes, but that's up to him—he wouldn't endanger his squad."
"What!" Inoichi shouted. "Y-You... Argh!" Inoichi roughly ran a hand through his hair, in a futile attempt to stimulate his mind.
"Troublesome..." Shikaku mumbled.
Sensing that the situation could only escalate at this point, Chōza stepped in between his two teammates. Placing a hand on each of their shoulders, he reasoned, "All of our children are competent... Inoichi, Shikaku. But as for how they'd work as a squad... why don't we ask their teacher." With that, all three of them turned to face the now stolid Asuma.
Asuma sat with his hands rested on his knees and his posture nearly perfect. He held a hard gaze, observing the scarily familiar interaction of the ninja acolytes below him. Narrowing his eyes even further, he leaned forward in an attempt to absorb the scene before him.
"Asuma...?" Shikaku prompted, taking a step forward.
Blinking twice, Asuma turned his head back toward the trio, glancing over his shoulder.
"We've been out here for a couple hours now... what do you think?"
"Hmm..." Asuma began. As he opened his mouth to speak again, he looked back toward the younger trio once again; doing a double take, he finally concluded that the question would be best answered with... action.
Asuma stood up all at once, turning his head fully to his Jōnin counterparts he began to smile. Looking around for a moment, surveying the land for a viable means, he paused when his eyes locked on a sizable boulder. As he walked toward it, he ignored the puzzled stares that were being directed at his slowly distancing back.
Upon reaching the boulder, he looked up to see the top of it, surprised at how much larger it seemed up close. He whistled, impressed. Pressing a hand against the massive rock, he called over his shoulder "Let's see."
One would be amazed at how large the eyes of the three Clan Heads grew in such a small amount of time when they observed Asuma enacting his 'experiment'. Asuma, in one swift motion, positioned his foot in the cusp where the boulder's curve met with the flat ground; and, with a chakra infused slam, propelled the rock over the side of the cliff. He merely looked on expectantly as the boulder barrelled down with ever-increasing speed towards the trio.
"Chōji!" Chōza cried out in worry. Before he could spring into action to save his son, though, Asuma moved at top speed and thrusted his arm out. Regarding the Akimichi head with a sideways glance—still focused on the descending boulder—he implored him. "Chōza-san, please. Wait."
Folding his arms about his person, Chōza conceded, willing to put his trust in Asuma's methods, despite not understanding.
Inoichi, however, was not satisfied with Asuma's mere word. "Are you all crazy! My daughter's down there! All of our kids are down there!"
Chōza regarded Inoichi with sympathy, but remained silent.
Inoichi looked around wildly, hoping to discover that he was the victim of a sick joke. Awed by the dissettling looks he received from those around him he shook his head, appalled. Before Inoichi could brave the leap over the side of the cliff, however, he was halted in his tracks by Shikaku's words.
He spoke slowly, with conviction "Inoichi. What are we here for? We're here to see our kid's Sensei. We're here to see him assess our kids. We're here because we trust Sarutobi Asuma to train our children to become powerful, honorable shinobi. Why can't you trust Ino?"
The words hung in the air, their meaning agonizingly palpable. The faint rumbling could be heard, it steadily added pressure to the already insurmountable weight on Inoichi's heart.
Inoichi merely stepped back in silent response, in acquiescence.
Asuma intently continued to shift his gaze between the rapidly advancing boulder and the kids, waiting.
A rumbling sound could be heard. They all heard it; it was growing closer... that much was clear. Where was it coming from, though?
Shikamaru raised an arm from it's limp position, casting his vision over it as if to examine it. After clearly establishing that it was not him, but it was in fact the ground, that was vibrating, he looked to his two friends to see if they'd noticed it as well.
While it was clear that his friend's weren't ignorant to the apparent seismic shifts, Shikamaru judged that it was safe to assume that they couldn't discern the origin, that is, until he was snapped out of his daze by a peircing shout from Ino.
Wincing, he stuck a pinky finger in his ear so as to achieve the relieving pop which would restore his usual hearing capacity. "Geez, Ino... Could you be a little louder?"
She shrieked once again, this time however, she decided to add comprehensible words. "YES!" She exclaimed.
Shikamaru simply looked to Chōji for an explanation, still reluctant to reliquish his makeshift bed; after all, there was a chance that it could be something ridiculous.
When he turned to where Chōji had been seated, however, he found the spot empty. Swinging his gaze over he finally layed eyes on Chōji, who was now, standing right beside Ino, wearing an utterly shocked expression. Shikamaru had, had enough. Placing his hands down on the ground, he established a firm grip then proceeded to push himself to his feet. He turned as he backed up, to find himself standing next to Ino, opposite Chōji.
The steadily magnifying, rumbling sound could still be heard by Shikamaru as he angled his head to see up the slope of the cliff, what he found, stunned him. He blanched at the sight before him, a tremendous boulder was barrelling down at what could only be assumed to be dangerous speeds; it was getting closer.
From atop the cliff, Asuma still watched, unwavering. "What will you do...?" he muttered under his breath. From behind him he could feel the tension building, at this point, he could only hope that he'd been right...
"What do we do!" Ino exclaimed.
"M-Maybe I could use my Baika technique... a-and..." Chōji stumbled through his idea, trying to formulate as he went along.
They both were at a loss.
Grunting in annoyance at his predicament, Shikamaru quickly looked around, taking in everything in an instant, he tried to devise a plan with the few seconds and limited information he had available. 'Crap... There's no time for this... I don't have time...! No...' Shikamaru breathed deeply, and closing his eyes, he attempted to clear his mind and sensory periphery of distraction. 'I have to think... Chōji can't use his Baika, we'd all be in danger... We can't duck under the ledge, there's no telling how heavy that boulder is—especially with it's momentum factored in... I can only assume it'd be several tons... Ino and my techniques are useless here; we'd just end up getting in the way and killing ourselves... There's no way we'd survive a jump off of this cliff...' Shikamaru opened his eyes. He'd run through over 100 scenarios, using each potential method of survival over 10 times and each scenario ended with one or more of them potentially dying.
With a pained sigh, Shikamaru looked upon his rumbling 'maker' once more. 'Heh... at least we wouldn't have to graduate... it'd be such a pain forming a ninja squad... squad...?' The thought rang in his mind... then, it sank in. 'Squad!' He spared a hurried glance at his two squad mates. 'I hope there's enough time...' He shook his head, it didn't matter, there had to be enough time!
Acting quickly, his eyes still on the approaching boulder, Shikamaru pushed as much chakra as he could managed into his legs and catapulted himself several meters backwards and through the air. Landing with a silenced tack he quickly adjusted himself and brought both hands together in a unique capture seal—one hand smothering the other. 'Kage Mane no Jutsu' he thought with a steady grimace. 'Reach!' He forcefully willed the shadow, pumping as much chakra as he could muster into it he stretched it to latch onto the scant shadows of his two friends.
All at once, the three young ninja felt the rigid shock of the connection. Shikamaru smirked, proud of the small success, despite the elephant in the room. 'Kage Mane, seikō.'
Letting the moment pass, the Nara heir sprung into action; pulling his hands apart from the seal, he attempted something he'd only known to work in theory, he broke the shadow's immediate pull in two. 'I-It worked! Alright... we have a chance now... too bad this is nearly impossible to hold.' He smiled through his strained wince.
'Alright,' he thought. He reached into the imaginary holster that would be resting on his left hip, and from it, he mimed pulling an array of kunai which were (luckily) already wrapped with ready Bakuhatsu-fuda. With that prepared, he diverted his focus to the other pull of his technique; with a great deal of concentration, he brought his hands together to rapidly form the hand-signals used in field combat for 'On-My-Signal. Tori. Grab.'
Looking over to Chōji for confirmation, he was relieved to see Chōji—temporarily freed from the restraint of the Kage Mane—sign back 'O.K.'
Knowing that, that part of his plan was in capable hands, Shikamaru broke his two-way divided technique and shifted full control to Ino. Carefully raising up Ino's free hand, with the control of the mimicry technique, Shikamaru quickly signed 'Throw-At-Rock-When-Jump.'
Temporarily loosening the grip of his possession, Shikamaru awaited her response, anxiously. In a moment, he saw her sign 'What. !.' In exasperation, he reclaimed control and forced her hand to mimic the movements of his, once again. 'Just-Trust. Have-Plan. Will-Live.'
Looking upon Ino again, he rejoiced in seeing her finally nod in agreement. Bringing one hand up before himself in a half-ram seal, Shikamaru prepared himself, eyeing the now-upon-them boulder. '3, 2, 1... Go!'
On his own mental timer, he leapt backwards, into the air just beyond the extent of the cliff's ledge.
From a vantage point, Inoichi looked on in paranoid awe. "What is he doing! Is he trying to jump to the bottom!"
Chōza merely looked on in anticipation, wondering what they'd planned.
Shikaku however, watched Asuma with a proud grin plastered on his face. 'By Kami, he was right. Let's see the extent of your plan, son...' He once again turned to observe the spontaneously enduring trio.
Asuma looked on in impressed shock, his eyes steadily widening. 'The kid's a fucking genius... It's not just him though, all of them...' He looked to the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho trio... 'They'll surpass their predecessors with ease...'
Back in the center of action, Chōji looked on in worried anticipation, hoping his signal would come in time for the subsequent action to make a difference.
Just as the boulder began to lift off of the over-laying ledge, Ino felt the hold on her physical person dissipate; correctly figuring that, that was her signal, she expertly flung the array of explosive-kunai that were splayed in her left hand.
Upon making contact, the motion of the boulder and the kunai, collectively, triggered the Bakuhatsu-fuda to light. Hearing the sizzle and feeling himself begin to fall, Shikamaru signaled the waiting Chōji. "Chōji! Now! Tuck and Roll!"
Hearing his signal Chōji burned through the set of hand-signs required for his family's signature technique, ending on the sign 'Tori'. He exclaimed "Baika no Jutsu" in conjunction to instantly ballooning to nearly 5x his original size, a fiercly determined gaze marking his features. Not wasting a second he leapt; and, just as the boulder exploded into hundreds of peices of stone shrapnel, he crossed paths with it, deflecting the sharp rocks in his progressively spinning form as he shouted "And...!" "Nikudan Sensha" At this, he compressed himself into a slightly more compact form and captured his falling comrades in the barrelling flesh cannon-ball that he was.
They dropped.
Chōji spun at a controlled speed, as he let his body fall to the nearest landing of the cliff. With a heavy explosion of rock and dust, Chōji fell, relaxed. He released his technique, and with it, his friends; they all fell out, sprawled on the ground as they panted for air, they could still feel the adreneline speeding through their veins.
"W-We did it! Chōji, you were amazing! And Shikamaru, you were too! But did you see ME!" Ino rattled off at the speed of a gatling gun, singing praise of their little—but impressive, nonetheless—feat.
Chōji managed to stutter out: "Y-You were really good, Ino. D-Did you really think I was...—"
"Of course!" Ino shouted, still high on the moment.
Chōji merely blushed in reply, as he laughed meekly, he was giddy with joy.
Shikamaru stood, dusting himself off, he was relieved that they'd survived... and he was happy that they'd managed to work together so well—all things considered—under pressure... but there was something definitely off about this situation, now that he had a chance to carefully analyze it. One thing was for sure, that was not a coincidence.
Curious, he turned his gaze up towards the very peak of the cliff, still slightly squinting against the barely-present light of the dull sunset.
On the top of the cliff, only one person remained, leaning against the dark-side of an out-of-sight tree, just in case. Shikaku, calm as ever, stood leaning against the tree, and some damn, nagging premonition told him that he was having holes glared in him by the omnipresent intellect of his son. Shikaku grinned. 'That kid's going to run me out of house and home, one of these days...' Shaking his head at the ridiculous truth in that thought, he leapt off into the forest to catch up with his friends who, by now, were hopefully not long gone.
From the near base of the cliff, Shikamaru kept his glare fixed at its apex. 'Troublesome...'
The calm buzz of Konoha's night-scene permeated the atmosphere, it was almost infectious. Typically at this time of day, on the fringe of the evening and night, the type of people who would routinely propagate the accessible village tended to shift; however, from time to time, there would be those souls who were, for better or worse, caught in the middle and could typically be found seemingly aimlessly wandering the streets. Were they seeking purpose, or was purpose seeking them?
At the moment, one Yūhi Kurenai was one of these such veritable drifters. What she couldn't seem to determine, or rather, what couldn't seemed to be determined about her, was whether she was the seeker or the sought.
Kurenai was a bundle of conflicting thoughts and emotions. This wasn't unusual, she led a stressful and eventful life that she often interpreted as unfulfilling... But this time was different.
'That girl... Sakura.' Kurenai shook her head as she rubbed her temples, desperately trying to reach clarity. Trudging through the streets she thoughtlessly avoided careless collisions as she unconsciously headed to her destination. She was taking the looong route.
Kurenai headed through town, ducking behind various undiscerned objects every few strides. She'd just finished 'staking out' the first two of her three prospective students. At the moment, she was searching for the surprisingly elusive Haruno Sakura.
At this point, she was giving serious consideration to abandoning her search. She'd already viewed the girl's file several times and decided that she fit the bill... the... undefined bill. She had intelligence, she had diligence, she had a perfectly minute chakra pool—this was something she could work with. She was sure, the file gave a relatively accurate reflection of the subject's personality as well, didn't it? Regardless... she was sure that-
"Go away, Ino," She heard a voice call; the voice sounded annoyed.
"Come on Sakura, are you scared of not graduating tomorrow?" Came another voice, one Kurenai could only assume was 'Ino'—presumably of the Yamanaka clan.
Deciding to get a closer look, Kurenai followed the sound of the voices, only to find herself in the open. Quickly constructing an illusionary disguise, she appeared to fade into thin air. Undetected and undetectable—at least to those who she seeked to elude—she followed, listening.
Ino gestured broadly. "Sakura, you'll get to see everyone again! Especially Naruto! Although, I think he's moved on, looks like you missed that boat Deko-Deko-chan!"
"I said, go away, Ino-buta! I'm not interested in talking to you."
"Oh? Could this be about Sasuke-kun then? You just had to go and show him the ugly... I mean, uglier, side of you, now didn't you?" Ino teased, poking Sakura in the arm.
Kurenai looked on. She could tell this wasn't going to end well.
"SHUT UP!" Sakura shouted, her features instantly turning vicious, her eyes held an unbridled glint of rage.
People in the street stopped to stare, for a moment, before moving on, disregarding the outburst as something trivial upon seeing the source of the shout.
Ino, however, remained stunned. "W-Woah... Sakura, calm down. I was just kidding about S—"
"No! You were right!" Sakura shouted, at a barely lower volume.
"It is Sasuke-kun, okay?! It's been on my mind for days! Now leave me, alone!" Her voice rang out in a raspy staccato.
Sakura took off, running as fast as her legs could carry her, before leaping upon the lowest roof she could find and setting off in a wayward direction.
Kurenai couldn't figure out who was more pained by this, herself, or the Yamanaka heiress. In compilation with the girl's academy record and the emotional volatility that she just displayed, Kurenai could see a phantom reflection of her younger self... It scared her.
Shaking the memory, Kurenai couldn't help but reimmerse herself in thought. 'But... it was never that bad, for me. I had ways out, I had direction... at some point. What'll happen to that girl if she's left to merely self destruct? She... She needs my help.'
'I never saw my true self in being a shinobi... it wasn't me. But... I became... it. Or is it more accurate to say that it became me. Then, what did I become? I refused to lose sight of myself but not everyone has that kind of luxury; it's a sick cycle.'
Kurenai's eyelids fluttered as she awoke from her self-consuming thoughts. Looking up, she saw the characteristic '火' engraved on the identification sign of the Hokage's Tower. Kurenai forced a bittersweet smile as she headed toward the stairs which lead to the entrance she sought.
Navigating through the winding halls of the Hokage's Tower, heading towards the office of Sarutobi Hiruzen, Kurenai walked at a relaxed pace. All she could think about, for now, was whether or not her request would be accepted.
Coming from the opposite side of the curved hallway, Asuma walked at a similar pace, with the same thought in mind. He knew that it was a traditional arrangement, but would his father see him as ready for it? Or maybe, would he think he was over-qualified for the position, and want to reassign him...? It was no matter, he would just have to present his case; this was something he wanted, and something he needed.
It was at the intersection, at the point of the concentric hallway where the door to the Hokage's office could be radially located. It was at this point that Kurenai noticed her colleague.
"A-Asuma," She started, somewhat surprised.
Looking up, Asuma eye's widened at seeing the brunette beauty before him. With a blush, he dismissed his baser mentality and returned the affable greeting, trying to avoid losing himself in her magnetic crimson eyes... "Hey, Kurenai!" He greeted, waving a hand in a sort of mid-air salute.
"Wh-What were you here for, Asuma?" Kurenai asked.
Realizing the implications of her question, she ammended it. "I-I mean, n-not that you can't see your father whenever you... want." She looked away, mildly flustered.
Asuma's blush deepened, in turn. "Oh, umm... I..." He struggled to remember the reason he'd come to see the Hokage... "Oh!" He started with a rise in intonation, causing Kurenai to jump.
"That's right," he continued. "I'm here to request a team... well, not exactly request... but... it's sort of a clan matter... Not... Not that it's none of your business or anything... it's just... difficult to explain...?" He offered.
Kurenai blinked, trying to take in the information she'd been dealt. Quickly recovering, she managed "O-Oh, me too. I mean... not the clan thing... just the other..."
"Teams?" Asuma offered her a potential end for her thought.
"Yes! Team... I... was going to request a team... as well."
"In that case, after you, Kurenai," Asuma offered, gesturing to the door.
Graciously accepting, Kurenai approached the door and knocked. Several seconds later, a muffled drawl of "Enter." could be heard from the other side of the door.
Taking this as permission, Kurenai opened the door and walked in, being careful not to let it slam in her wake. Asuma nodded a bow of appreciation as he placed his hand against the still open door and walked in; once inside, he turned to close it and proceeded to take his place beside Kurenai, facing the Hokage.
Hiruzen regarded the two ninja before him with an even gaze. "Asuma, Kurenai, what a pleasant surprise. To think that I'd have the priviledge of three of my elite Jōnin paying me a personal visit in the same day... To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Both spoke in an even and respectful tone "Thank you, Hokage-sama."
Kurenai began "Hokage-sama, I am here tonight to humbly request that I be assigned a Genin squad. I know that I've only become a Jōnin in these past few years, but, I feel that I am ready for the responsibility and I have taken the distinct liberty of finding students I feel could thrive the most under my tutelage; in fact, there is one in particular."
Hiruzen raised a rough eyebrow in curiosity. "Oh...? Before I respond, Kurenai, can I ask why this one particular student is so important to you?"
"Of course, Hokage-sama..." Kurenai diverted her gaze. "She... She reminds me somewhat of my self... B—"
"That's quite enough Kurenai..." Hiruzen closed his eyes as he smiled. "I understand perfectly well. And, I feel that you're more than ready for the responsibility, you're an exceptional shinobi and person in your own right."
Kurenai smiled brightly. With a deep bow, she responded "Thank you, Hokage-sama!"
"Hohoho," Hiruzen laughed a bellowing laugh. "There's no need to be so formal, dear, you're quite deserving of my humble praise."
"Anyway, enough of that... Asuma... I can only assume that you're here for a similar reason?"
"Indeed, Hokage-sama," Asuma replied, a slight grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Hiruzen shared a similar grin. "Have you seen what this generation has to offer, son?"
Asuma could only nod in amazement. "I have, Oyaji... I think they may out-do the trio that made that formation so legendary in the first place..."
"Oh..." Hiruzen polled the idea in amusement. "That is most interesting."
"If you two don't mind the trouble, could you please recite the names of those whom you'd like to be on your respective squads... I'm getting old and I can't keep track of all this anymore!" He exclaimed with a benevolent laugh.
Kurenai went first. "Haruno Sakura, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino."
Hiruzen nodded, signaling Asuma to iterate his squad's names.
"Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji."
Hiruzen's face creased in a smile. "It's amazing how such a large group of academy students are attracting this much attention... Nine. That's a number that hasn't been met since the days of the Academy's founding."
'Nine?' Thought Kurenai... "Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but, didn't you say another elite Jōnin stopped by here today? Did they also request a Genin squad?" Kurenai's mind raced, there were only so many elites in the village—a handful, maybe—who was free to train a squad of fresh Genin?
Hiruzen chuckled at the recollection. "Ah yes, Kakashi did stop by earlier. The squad he requested was especially interesting... I approved his request, of course."
Both Kurenai and the now re-captured Asuma were both baffled. "Kakashi!" They both exclaimed in unison.
Asuma picked up the sentence, still astonished. "Kakashi's notorious for failing Genin left and right, Oyaji, I've seen the records! For him to actually request a squad... that's unheard of!"
Hiruzen simply chortled. Standing up, he lifted his pipe from it's holder on his desk and placed it back into his mouth; he took a refreshing inhalation. He turned to face the surrounding glass look-out-windows and gazed into the night, observing his village. "Exactly."
Clearing his throat, he looked up towards the moon. "What the future holds will surely be a sight worth seeing."
A/N: Trying something new here. From now on, I'll be posting the following update's chapter title at the end of each chapter, in an effort to build more anticipation for you guys.
Next Time: Chapter 6 - Classification Contention