CHAPTER 3
"Get off my little girl, Uzumaki." Inoichi growled, standing there in nothing but a sheet.
"Technically daddy I'm on him." Ino said with a scowl.
While the two Yamanaka glared each other down, Naruto was busy surveying for an escape route. He found Ino's shutter door windows to be his best route of escape. Inoichi's voice brought him back to the present as the angered father now held a thorny rose in his grasp.
"After all the work I had to do to convince Nana to have sex, you boy shall receive your punishment." Inoichi said with a deathly smirk.
"Ew dad! I don't wanna hear about you and mom!" Ino shouted at her.
"Don't be ashamed sweetheart. How do you think you got here?" Inoichi asked with a faraway look in his eye.
"Trust me I'll sleep better not knowing." Ino grumbled.
"It was a hot summer day and your mom was walking around in nothing but her panties…" Inoichi began as if he were telling them a bedtime story.
"Dad shut up!" Ino yelled again.
"Your mom was trying to dust the top shelf but then dropped the duster. She bent over to pick it up and I knew it then I had to take her right there in the kitchen!" Inoichi continued, mesmerized by his memory he didn't notice Naruto make his move. Naruto held his daughter bridal style while perched on her windowsill.
"Sorry Yamanaka-san, I promise to hear the rest later! I'll have her back before midnight!" Naruto shouted as he darted out the window with a gust of wind.
Before he could chase after them, his sheet fell to the floor in perfectly cut tatters. Inoichi looked down then back out the window into the distance with a smile.
"Wind chakra huh? I'm impressed Naruto Uzumaki." He said before turning to return to his sleeping wife.
~O~
"Where's Naruto?" Tsunade asked fearing the worse for her little blonde bundle of energy.
"Umm we kinda got separated after we walked through the gates." Jiraiya said with a nervous chuckle.
"Jiiraiyaa." Tsunade growled.
"Don't worry grandma I'm sure Naru-kun is just fine." Lia said nonchalantly.
A vein popped out on Tsunade's forehead as she turned her anger towards the younger female.
'Uh-oh' Thought both Shizune and Jiraiya.
"No one is allowed to call me that BUT Naruto Uzumaki and even he gets pounded for it! Who the hell are you anyway?" Asked a pissed off Godaime Hokage.
Just as Lia was about to respond the office door opened, three new people walked in. An evil smile appeared across Tsunade's visage, and everyone else in the room had the same thought.
'Oh shit'
"Team Kakashi reporting back Hokage-sama." Stated the infamous copy ninja Kakashi Hatake.
"I don't care about your report! Naruto has decided to play hooky from his debriefing. He's somewhere in Konoha, your new mission is capture him and bring him in for debriefing! This is an A-ranked mission you have until midnight!" Tsunade instructed but Team Kakashi just stood there like she'd grown a second head. "GO!" She roared and the three flickered away to subdue their target. She took a deep breath and leant back into her chair. "Not even back a day and the lil bastard is already giving me a migraine."
"Was sending Team Kakashi after him really necessary Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked with an oink from Tonton.
"This way I can gauge his abilities and see how much they've improved over these few years." Tsunade stated while looking at Jiraiya.
"There are gonna tear this village apart." Jiraiya said seriously, which elicited a raised eyebrow from Tsunade.
"Hey where's the young lady?" Shizune asked noticing Lia was gone.
~O~
"Sooo Naruto-kun what's the first stop you'd like to make on the 'Welcome Back to Konoha Tour'?" Ino asked as they walked through the market.
"Ichiraku's of course!" Naruto said excitedly making Ino giggle.
"I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but ramen will have to wait until after you see Tsunade-sama." Said the voice of his teacher.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto whirled around to see Team Seven for the first time in three years.
"You're coming with us dobe." Sasuke declared as he took a step forward. The black haired teen now wore a black long sleeve shirt, a white down vest with a large Uchiha crest on the back, beige cargo pants, and black ninja sandals. A chokuto could also be seen on the right side of his waist, and his forehead protector was used as a belt.
"What?" Naruto was confused but he knew battle ready shinobi when he saw them.
"Look we just got back from a mission, and I wanna go sleep so come with us to Tsunade-sama!" Sakura growled out as she tightened her gloves.
"Uhh Naruto?" Ino questioned.
"Get him." Kakashi ordered and his other two students lunged at their teammate.
Suddenly Sasuke and Sakura were sent flying backwards into Kakashi who substituted with a trash can. The commotion caught the attention of the villagers, and now all eyes went back and forth between Team Kakashi and Lia. The one eyed Jonin narrowed his eye at the newcomer who now stood at Naruto's left side. He didn't feel no kinda chakra signature until she appeared. His two pissed off students rejoined him and they both glowered at their attacker.
"Who the hell are you?" Sasuke asked, his Sharingan ablaze.
"Screw that! What the fuck is going on here!? Why are you three stooges after Naruto-kun?!" Ino shouted at her best friend's team.
"How'd you change?" asked a bewildered Naruto as Ino now stood in her ninja clothing.
"I'm a Chunin now Naruto-kun. I'm always prepared ya know." Ino said with a wink. While they were talking Sakura took this chance to strike with a chakra powered fist. Fortunately Lia caught the pink haired girl's limb before it could hit its target. Naruto looked into Sakura's determined green orbs with a defiant smirk.
"I'm a Chunin now to Naruto-kun so don't take me lightly." Sakura smirked while mocking Ino for adding the endearing suffix to Naruto's name.
"Since Naru-kun hasn't been to see the Godaime yet, she's given these guys an A-ranked mission to bring him in before midnight." Lia explained before shoving the pink haired teen backwards.
Team Kakashi flinched as they felt the new surge of chakra. Naruto looked at them seriously with cold glowing cerulean eyes. Suddenly a strong wind blew through before turning into a powerful whirling gust. Naruto donned his hood and grabbed hold of his two female companions. When team 7 opened their eyes again; Naruto and co. were nowhere to be found.
"Tch" Sasuke sheathed his sword and deactivated his Doujutsu, but something inside was stirring. He was becoming jittery maybe even a bit... anxious. He longed for 3 years to spar with Naruto again. After seeing what little display of newly acquired skills his rival was showing off, Sasuke wanted a rematch more than ever now. First... he had to locate his friend.
"Sasuke! Wait for us!" Sakura called out as her object of affection leapt off after Naruto. With a heavy sigh she followed after him.
"Something's never change." Kakashi said with a smiling eye before leaping off after his students due to the perverted leers being thrown at him from the village's female populace.
~O~
"That was close! What the hell took you so long to get serious Naruto!? What if they had caught you then the game would over!" Lia scolded while they walked through one of Konoha's many forest areas.
"What game?!" Naruto exclaimed with an incredulous look.
"I've deemed this a game of 'Ninja Tag' and it your old team catches you then we lose." Lia explained in a matter of fact sense.
Naruto look at his friend with squinted eyes. "What is wrong with you?"
"Oh my..." Ino said with a gasp, and Lia followed her gaze to land on the sight of a gorgeous flower field that stretched out before them.
"You two are the only people I've ever brought here. This flower field is where my dad proposed to my mom." Naruto revealed to the two young women. He made his way toward the big oak tree in the center of the vibrant valley of flowers. They followed him and took seat on each side of him, as they all sat under the shade of the tree.
"So Naruto-kun... why don't you tell me about these new skills of yours." Ino suggested with a twinkle in her eye
"Hehehe how about instead you tell me who has advanced in our group." Naruto counter offered with a goofy smile. Ino pouted at first then smiled a little before she told him the news. The blonde young man was a little disappointed to find out he was the only Genin left from their group, and that his rival Sasuke had become a Jonin. To make things sting even more his friend Gaara was actually the Kazegaze of Sunagakure.
"Dead last again huh?" Naruto mumbled a bit downheartedly but Ino heard him.
It pained her to see Naruto hurt. Even though he put a smile on his face and said he was happy for everyone, Ino could see it in his cerulean orbs. The hurt, the jealousy, even the insecurity. Ino wasn't the only who noticed these emotions in the Jinchuriki's eyes. Instinctively they both did something that caught themselves off guard. Lia began caressing his whisker marks while Ino ran her nimble finger through his bright locks. Naruto visibly relaxed at their touch he then leaned back against the tree falling into a light snore.
"The trip was long. He refused to stop he wanted to get back to you as soon as possible." Lia admitted as Naruto purred at her actions.
"Just who are you anyway?" Ino asked as she massaged his scalp.
"…Naru-kun and Jiraiya-sensei saved me three years ago as they were leaving Hi no Kuni. I've traveled with them ever since." Lia said with a faraway glassy look.
"Ohh so you're grateful to him." Ino asked with a sigh of relief.
"No… I love him." Lia admitted making the other girl freeze her exploration of Naruto's tresses.
"W-What?" Ino stuttered out.
"You heard me. I won't lose him to you Ino no matter what." Lia said with somewhat of a deadly tone.
'Not agaaaaain!' Ino mentally groaned.
~O~
"Where the hell did that dobe run off to!?" Growled a frustrated Sasuke.
"Don't worry Sasuke-kun we'll find them. Kakashi-sensei any idea who that girl was?" Sakura asked as they hopped across the rooftops of the village.
"I've never met her nor have I ever seen her in the Bingo Book. We have to be very careful… she's a powerful unknown." Kakashi said before going back to his thoughts on how to deal with their new adversary.
'That wind that kicked up… and the way his eyes glowed… Naruto what kinda training did you do?' Sasuke mused mentally.
~O~
The sun was setting over the flower field as Naruto's eyes opened, he felt pressure on both his sides and found the girls cuddling into him. He knew they couldn't stay there all night so he decided to wake Ino first. Much to her dismay Ino finally woke up with a much needed stretch and yawn.
"Oh wow we really slept for a while huh?" Ino asked as she noticed the setting sun.
"Yup and we still have to finish the tour while evading Kakashi-sensei and the others." Naruto said as he stood up and stretched.
"Can we get food first? I'm huuungry." Lia sleepily whined making Naruto chuckle and Ino giggle.
The blond Jinchuriki helped his two friends up and they made their way towards the forest.
"Hey Naruto, you mentioned your parents earlier. Does that mean you found out who they are?" Ino asked suddenly.
Before he could answer Lia lunged and tackled them both down into the flora as something whizzed over them.
"Lia what the hell!?" Ino screeched before all three heard a fizzing noise.
"Shit! Exploding tags!" Naruto yelled seconds prior to the explosion that sent them across the field.
Team Kakashi could be seen on the far end of the field ready to capture their blond teammate.
"Kakashi-sensei don't you think the tags were a little much?" Sakura while watching the dirt covered trio shakily stand up.
"Screw that! We can't take this lightly Sakura. Now we gotta make sure he can't use that wind again!" Sasuke voiced as he was making hand signs.
Kakashi's eyes widened and moved to stop the young teen but it was too late. "SASUKE NO!"
"Fire Style: Grand Dragon's Flame Jutsu!" Sasuke called out and exhaling a massive sweeping flame that razed a large portion of the flower field to ash and surrounded Naruto and co. on all sides.
Kakashi looked on in horror as the flames began to spread out toward the rest of the field. He knew the importance of this place and silently prayed Naruto didn't. Unfortunately the large spike in chakra told him otherwise. Sasuke's smirk vanished when a furious wind blew over the area putting out the flames. With his hood on Naruto stood glaring at his team with enraged glowing cerulean orbs. But that wasn't all Team Kakashi were facing down. Lia with silver streaked hair and amber slitted pupils also glared down the team as silver colored chakra enveloped her frame. Ino looked on in shocked as the wind hadn't died down it was like being stuck in the center of a storm. Naruto summoned his katana from the storage seal tattooed on his right arm.
"Lupine Armament: Geri and Freki." Lia growled softly causing two elbow length gauntlets to equip unto her arms. The right one was gray and the left one was black. With a howl to the darkening skies Naruto and Lia vanished.
Sasuke's Sharingan scanned the surrounding area frantically as he held his straight sword at the ready. A flutter was all he heard signaling Naruto was standing back to back with the young Uchiha. Sakura on the other hand blinked and Lia was suddenly in front of her.
"Sasuke!" Sakura called out as she threw a chakra enhanced punch at Lia's head, only for the afterimage of her target to disperse.
Naruto swung his katana around with such speed that Sasuke barely blocked it. Then began the dance of gray, black, and white, as Naruto and Lia popped in and out of sight. Each time Lia would phase into view Sakura threw a punch only for it to be another illusion due her opponent's super speed. Naruto was simply moving like the wind Sasuke couldn't hear, see, smell, nor sense his blond friend. Each time he narrowly countered an attack a cut would appear on his body. Kakashi and Ino watched in awe as the two demon carriers worked them into the ground. Sakura finally managed to anticipate Lia's pattern and launched a chakra punch at the other girl's intended reappearance point. Unfortunately Lia caught Sakura's attack and just like all the chakra Sakura had in her assault was gone. The gray gauntlet Lia had on began to glow dimly and pulsate faintly.
Sakura's eyes widened as she jumped back to her sensei's side along with Sasuke who was covered in small cuts and lacerations. Then realization hit Kakashi and everything slowed down as he put the pieces together. Vicious winds that took away the senses, the howling of a wolf before the slaughter, specks of gray, black or white were the only things that could be seen, targets left completely drained of chakra, or bled out from the number of cuts on the body.
"No one has ever seen the identity of the assailants, S-rank in the Bingo Book, eradicated Otogakure, and killed Sasori of the Red Sand and Deidara of the Akatsuki, bringers of the Great Northern Winter, The Howling Phantom and The Reaper in the Wind… Sasuke I'm pretty sure you just turned this into an S-ranked mission." Kakashi dreaded before revealing his Sharingan.
~O~
"Jiraiya… what did you do to him?" Tsunade asked.
The two Sannin stood atop the Hokage Tower looking in the direction the fight between Naruto and Team Kakashi was taking place. The toad sage simply sighed and shook his head.
"I did nothing but train him and tell him who his parents were. After that he started to take life as well as his ninja career seriously. He's set on becoming a SS-rank shinobi in the Bingo Book like Minato before becoming Hokage." Jiraiya explained with a light laugh.
Tsunade stared at the white haired sage as if he'd lost his mind. 'These idiots are gonna drive me insane!' Tsunade thought to herself with a smile.
With the moon slowly becoming visible in the evening sky, and from what she was feeling in terms of chakra output. She knew there was no way Team Kakashi would be completely this mission.