I Stand Alone
It was morning now… Shikamaru was in his bed, just sitting there. He and his team had to go on a mission with someone from the Akusho clan. "Well… mine as well get this over with."
"So why did the Hokage want us to bring someone from the Akusho clan?" Choji asked as he walked with Shikamaru down a path towards the Akusho camp site.
"It's actually a good idea if you think about it. If the Akusho clan are helping the ninja out, they can gain back a lot of credibility." Shikamaru said.
"Hmmmm I see."
"We're almost there…" A flag stood with the Akusho clan symbol on it, a circle with three straight vertical lines and three curved horizontal lines that connected to the vertical ones.
"It kinda looks the Nara symbol… in a way…" Choji said turning his head to the side.
"Yeah it does..."
"Is that because the two clans used to be together?"
"The Nara and Akusho clans were never the same thing, we were two parts that worked together as one." An old woman's voice said calmly from in the shade of a tree. The boys didn't say anything back to her, "You are the ninja here for Mesuko?"
"Yes, I'm here early so we can strategize." Shikamaru said.
"Hmmm, her cabin is at the back, she is closest to the border."
"Thank you." He bowed, and pulled Choji's scarf a little making him bow too.
"What was that for Shikamaru?"
"She deserves respect like any other leader, I know it's a drag, but apparently only females are the head of the Akusho clan. Or at least that's what my dad said…"
"Do you think this Mesuko girl is going to be the next leader?"
"Probably… I don't see why they would send someone weak with us…" They stood at the very entrance of the camp, fifty some wagons of various sizes cluttered together, standing in the distance white horse like deer grazed waiting for a command from their masters. As Shikamaru and Choji walked through the camp they were greeted venomous stares, the proud people watched as they walked past, standing like ancient kings and queens on the doorstep of their motherland. Children ran away from them hiding under the skirts of their mothers, and the hunters gripped their weapons.
"Back that way." A girl said pointing towards a medium sized wagon separated slightly from the others.
"You're the girl from last night, the one playing the harp." She smiled arrogantly and swayed her hips walking closer, Choji blushed a little as she came closer but Shikamaru remained unphased. "Thanks." he mumbled and walked away, "Come on Choji."
"Uhh, right." He said quickly trotting after him. The girl popped a vein in her head.
"Hey don't walk away from me!" she threw up her fists.
"We don't have time to waste fooling around, we're here for Mesuko, that's it." She grunted in disapproval.
"I'm surprised you aren't taking someone more useful. Like Genzai, he's our top hunter, not some death speaker…"
"Huh?" Choji turned to listen to her.
"Oh? Did no one tell you that Mesuko's useless?" Uta said in a forced surprised tone.
"I figured you people would have more faith in each other." Shikamaru said walking away, Choji shook his head and followed him.
"Whatever, outsiders… she's a wretched soul that one…"
As they neared the last wagon a shadow on the inside scurried back and forth in the small chamber, as Choji went to knock on the door it swung open "I'm so-!"
"Oh…"they said in unison, her voiced dropped at the sight of Shikamaru.
"Mmmmm…. Not you." she mumbled.
"You don t look happy to see me." He smirked.
"Overjoyed."
"Hi…" Choji said quietly.
"Hello. My name is Mesuko. A pleasure to meet you." It was well rehearsed but in a way that sounded as though she was trying too hard to impress rather than be rude.
"Umm yeah likewise."
"Likewise…?" she mumbled under her breath, a slightly foreign term to her.
"Guess you're our partner for the day." Choji said.
"The other two will meet us at the front gates, I want you tell me about your jutsu on the way there."
"Why?" she asked her eyes narrowing suspiciously at him.
"I strategize; I need details so I can make a plan."
"I won't tell you." She said stubbornly, "The Majo has forbid me from telling you our techniques."
"Why? Does your clan want to keep them secret?" he accused her quickly and suspiciously.
"I know not what the Majo has planned only that it is, and I will not disobey her orders." She crossed her arms and he gritted his teeth. This was going to be a long a tiresome argument and the end he wouldn't win it.
"How can I make I plan without knowing what you're capable of? Do you want to die on this mission?" he said heat rising as his anger peaked.
"It is a test it doesn't matter!"
"You'll die for this stupid thinking, you're being careless!"
"Why do you care? This is not about you!"
"I care because our lives are at stake as well!"
"Then I will not fail!"
"You can't be certain!"
"That's enough!" an old woman's voice said above the two of them. "The details of our jutsu will not be relayed to anyone, and she cannot even perform it anyhow." Mesuko casted her eyes downward, caught.
"You can't-! That girl was right, we need someone else, someone who can fight!"
"No!" The Majo said, "She has been chosen by the highest authority, and that of your Hokage as well, she will go on this mission and defeat the pawns you need her to or she will die. That is her duty."
"You would risk our safety?" Shikamaru asked.
"You are ninja, walk in the shadows and be ninja." She said this then left her words were final.
"Grrr… Meet us at the gate!" he spat at her angrily and defeated before sprinting away with Choji.
Shikamaru was angry, this girl, had made him angry, he could always keep cool even when faced with death, he just happened to get lucky sometimes, but that wasn't something he could count on…
"Where is the Akusho girl?" Asuma asked.
"You mean the talentless death bomb that is supposed to join our mission and kill us all?" Shikamaru asked sarcastically, "She's on her way…" he said, Asuma's grave look at Shikamaru's apparent frustration made Ino and Choji worried as well.
"Apparently, she has no jutsu. But the leader of their clan won't send anyone else." Choji clarified.
"No jutsu?" Ino asked.
"She's not a ninja or a fighter in any way!" Shikamaru yelled from a few feet away fuming and trying to think of a plan, "She's going to die…" he mumbled to himself. "Stick to the shadows…" he paced back and forth.
"Asuma, he looks really worried, I've never seen Shikamaru pace before." Ino whispered.
"He's not calm right now, give him some time, he'll think of a plan he always does." He soothed her, but he felt uneasy himself, Shikamaru was always collected, never showed his weaknesses.
Everyone was a little on edge "What is this feeling?" Mesuko asked herself. 'I can't explain this… its tugging at my chest. Something big is about to happen, good or bad. Am I truly walking to my death? Have I put the lives of four innocent people at stake? What should I do? I can't perform the sun snake jutsu… I don't even know how to control the light…' she walked to the gate with tunnel vision she was halfway through Konoah by now. 'If there's anything I know…' she thought "I can't fail." She said with determination. "If I do I will send them to their death's… Probably… Then again they are the ninja not like me…" Mesuko felt a soft wind bush past her and the hair on her neck stood up, she whirled around quickly but saw no one close enough to touch her. "Strange…" Her golden eyes scanned for the gate a few figures could be seen in the distance one taller than the other three. 'I suppose that's them… I should hurry…'
When Mesuko arrived the tension was nearly tangible, there were no introductions, she could feel that she was among strangers, unwelcome… She cast her eyes to the ground when they had turned the four of them walking in front of her. She could feel their souls, strong hearts beat in their chest, they each had strong bonds to one another, the strength so different even in her tightly knit clan she could no longer feel a bond like this with Genzai. 'I don't think I've ever felt so alone… But, at least I have a clan to return to… If I survive, I guess.' It was not noon when they had left the village. She wanted to ask something, but was afraid to speak to them, they could be mean like Uta or ignore her like some other clan members… 'But…' she thought, "Do you have a plan?" she broke the silence that had been forming for a long time going on thirty minutes she assumed.
"I can't really make a plan when I don't know all the details…" Shikamaru said from ahead of the crowd, the others she could tell where listening closely.
"But isn't that what you always do? How can you know the full extent of every mission when you may know nothing about your opponent in the first place?"
"Well it doesn't help that I don't know what you can do. If anything at all." He said bitterly and she did not speak to him for the rest of the journey there, nor to anyone else. Mesuko kept a good distance from the other four from that point on… there was no need to speak to them, she could feel their hearts now, and filled with fear and doubt from the lack of confidence their friend had for her. His uneasiness made them all feel as such, and they had reason to as well. Therefore she walked behind them and listening for the spirits to guide her.
They walked through a thick forest of trees, a clearing was just ahead of them Asuma had already taken out the forest scouts, there was a large house and old farm that had been turned into what resembled a guard barracks now for this bandit camp. "We need you to take care of these men." Asuma said pointing to some ten fifteen men that littered the outside, "It's the only way we can get inside their stronghold."
Mesuko felt a chill in the air, her hair stood again as before she could hear a whisper in the wind, as if coming from the forest itself. "What about the secret passage?" she said quietly and hoping that they knew about it…
"A what?" Shikamaru asked.
"The barn…" She looked to the barn only guarded by one man who looked half asleep sitting on a wooden barrel.
"How do you know that's there?" Asuma said.
"I… I just do, you have to trust me…" she said lacking all confidence.
"Everyone stay here, I'll scout the barn…" Asuma commanded. "All of you put on these headsets." He passed them out to everyone checking to make sure they were all on the same frequency. "I will give you the clear if it's safe and give orders…"
"Wait, you don't know!" Shikamaru argued quietly. Asuma only lifted a finger motioning him to be silent. They all watched from a distance as he slid into the barn from the back door, waiting patiently for the sound of his voice or for fighting or screaming, exploding, anything... Suddenly a whispering voice came over the ear piece and they all slightly jumped.
"I'm in the barn, there is a trap door in the far left corner near the back below is a tunnel leading in the direction of the main house. I will scout ahead Ino Choji Shikamaru follow through in that order two minutes apart from one another, stay hidden and undetected. Mesuko…" He paused for moment, ",distract them for as long as you can when everyone has made it inside the barn… we will all keep our ear piece on as an emergency contact I want you to run if you're overwhelmed, inform us and we will abort the mission on my command. " They exchanged glance before Ino took off through the trees while Choji and Shikamaru waited in intervals.
As Mesuko watched Shikamaru stand at the edge of the barn, waiting for him to go inside, he looked in her direction she would have thought that their eyes met, but she couldn't see that far… He disappeared and it was time to perform her part of the bargain… She regretted her decision to wear a skirt and took off her sandals, she needed the grip of her own feet not her slippery shoes she took a pocket knife and, regrettably, cut a slit in her skirt up to her knee and cut off the bottom layer of her skirt for more maneuverability. Chakra rod in hand she headed for the opening of the camp gates, with no skills in forming a strategy she was confronted first by the two guards in front, mistaking her for a beggar, cut cloths, a soup can, and all.
"Go on kid get out of here before I skin you alive and put your head on pike!" one of them said. How could she fight them? She barely knew any fighting skills at all!
'Do not be afraid… We are with you, always… You need only ask for our help…' She could hear chanting whispers her body was filled with emotions, she could feel everything every person and living thing close to her their thoughts and feelings could reach her… he was going to attack… the one on the left, the one on the right was waiting for the left and he would attack after him, but when?! 'Now!' The voices told her, 'Block him! Use your staff, control your chakra child!' Her fingers moved without her, blocking a lame excuse for a sword and hitting the guard on the right, then the one on left a blow to the stomach.
"What is this?!" she asked no one but herself, confused by her own actions.
'Let us help you…' was the final thing she heard before everything was a blur, then nothing, then blackness…
'I failed… they are dying and it's my fault, what should I do? I… I can't move, my body won't it hurts, why is it dark? Someone help me!' Mesuko snapped her eyes open, only to find that she was being cradled in big arms a dark beard was above her head and a strong face, she began to cry. "I'm sorry…" she cried softly weeping.
"Hmmm?" Asuma asked her unaware that she was awake, and crying… "Why are you sorry?" he asked puzzled.
"I made you abandon the mission." She sobbed cradling her shame in her hands.
"Don't you remember? I found you passed out in the courtyard… you… destroyed the place. I don't know what jutsu you posses but you should be more careful, if Ino didn't know a little medical ninjutsu you would be in a more serious condition…"
'The whispers…' She recalled, 'what did they do?' Mesuko remained in his arms looking ahead of her she could see Shikamaru and the other two walking ahead… "So… everyone is safe?" She looked up at Asuma with big golden eyes.
"Yes. Everyone is fine." He smiled, they were heading home, "They want to go to dinner, you are welcome to join us you must be hungry."
"Dinner?" She thought before fiercely scolding herself for not noticing what time it was. "The sun will set soon I need to get back to the camp! Please it's urgent!" She began to wiggle her stiff body.
"Hey calm down don't struggle!" He said. "Shikamaru!"
"Hmm?" he looked behind him curiously to see that Mesuko was awake and trying to get free. "What a drag…" he breathed.
"Quick get Mesuko back to her camp, she says it's urgent!" Asuma quickly placed Mesuko into his arms not waiting for an objection. "Go now no complaining!" Asuma had an uneasy feeling watching them sprint away…
"Hurry! Can't you run any faster!" Mesuko asked,
"Maybe if you didn't weigh so much!" he said.
"Shut up and run! Please I need to get back there right now!" She was almost in tears again.
"What's wrong, what's so urgent?" the sunlight was fading by the second and the camp wagons were finally in sight they were almost there.
"They're going to leave! If I'm not there they will leave without me!" He stopped some thirty feet away. "Put me down, quick! You might get pulled in please stay here!" she said desperately, running towards her clan she could see every clan member holding hands on the back of halla with their wagons in toe. At the very edge of the camp Uta stood holding her hand out to Mesuko. She ran her heart pounding, her body aching, but it didn't matter… The last of the light crept away from the trees Mesuko reached out her hand to Uta.
In a flash of golden light Shikamaru was blinded and on his knees a wave of strong wind crashed over him sending him tumbling over.
Mesuko had reached her hand out closing her eyes desperately, she kept them shut tightly, lunging forward she landed on her chest in the soft grass, she couldn't feel anyone… there was no one, she refused to open her eyes, and she cried out in a heart wrenching agony as tears burned their way through her eye lids, Uta had taken her hand away… leaving her behind. She didn't need to see the Forest trees to know that she was left behind, she curled into the fetal position crying loudly into the dirt.
Shikamaru looked into the space that once held the camp site of fifty some people, gone in the blink of an eye, the only thing left was the sound of heart break… He walked over to where Mesuko was balled up. The sound of her crying made his chest hurt, "Where, did they go?" he asked. And as soon as he did he was slammed into the ground with an angry, frightened, girl screaming at him.
"This is your fault!" she blamed him.
"Mine-?"
"You were to slow! To slow-!" she sobbed slamming her fists into his chest repeatedly. "They are gone-" she wept, "They will not come back… not for me…" she cradled her heavy head in her hands. Shikamaru laid in the grass next to her, unsure of what to say and utterly ignorant of her situation. Asuma appeared soon to find that she was still crying, and barely a trace of any camp site.
"What happened?" he asked Shikamaru, he was at a loss for words. They watched as Mesuko walked away from them, there in the farthest part of the empty camp, was her medium sized wagon separated from everything and completely alone. And there she went to rest and wake up the next day to hope that it was only a dream…
I'm sure you all have lots of questions but everything will be explained in due time :)