Disclaimer: I in no way, shape, or form own Naruto or Bleach, each belong to their own respective owners and I am in no way attempting to make any form of profit from this work of fiction.
Anyway, now that I've gotten that out of the way, on with the next chapter.
Three Hours After Naruto Exited the Hokage Tower, Location: Northern Gate of Konoha...
"So, is everyone ready?" Kakashi asked as he adjusted his backpack." Once we start moving we won't stop until we intercept the convoy."
"I checked my team before we arrived, they're ready." Kurenai answered with a quick nod from her now Chunin team.
"I had Taka look through everything, us two are set." Naruto spoke up for him and Sakura.
"I'm afraid we can't leave yet then, we're missing the replacement for our missing team member." Kakashi spoke up before a figure appeared in a Shunsin in front of them.
"This is going to be annoying but Hokage-sama ordered me to come with you." Shikamaru spoke up as he gave a halfhearted wave once the smoke cleared." Said something about analyzing the enemy techniques and tactics to better build a counter strategy if we encounter them again, after interrupting my nap and having me pour over Shinobi records for a few hours, that was a real drag."
"He's a genius?" Taka asked Naruto who nodded and Shikamaru turned to them and barely glanced at the grinning Naruto before his eyes locked on Taka.
'What the hell happened to Naruto?' the lazy Nara thought as with his brief glance he had seen an entirely different Naruto.' Even factoring in his extending training for a few years he shouldn't be such a different person. His body language is off and his expression is definitely forced. All in all I would say this is an entire different Naruto than the blonde loudmouth I knew five years ago.'
"Who's he?" Shikamaru asked after a one sided staring contest on his part, he couldn't even see Taka's eyes from inside the mask he wore.
"He's my agent, picked him up while I was training." Naruto answered and Shikamaru turned away.
"What a drag, I'll have to readjust all of my strategies now, I didn't know you had someone else with you." Shikamaru commented as he began walking away, his thoughts very much different from what he said.
'His facial muscles are too rigid and unnatural instead of fluid and flowing like a normal face would when someone talks, it's as if it's an effort to speak. That kid is really nothing but trouble sometimes, why does he have to always add more pieces to the puzzle literally every time I see him?'
A little known fact about the cloud watcher was that he kept a mental puzzle of everyone he knew, it was actually easy considering he was usually expected to pour over dozens of scrolls filled of information he was expected to remember flawlessly every night, but back to the point. He used the puzzles he would make to help his planning, knowing how they fit on the grand scheme of things by knowing how they would react in any given situation and what it would lead to. It made him a pretty good team leader actually, being able to come up with hundreds of strategies after knowing someone for a few days or a week.
The eight Konoha-nin with Taka following after Naruto sprinted out of the gates before leaping into the trees surrounding the village.
They went forward at full speed, each team falling into a formation with the Jonin in front, the two Chunin assigned to combat on either side of them and the Chunin assigned recon was between the two of them.
So Kakashi lead his team with Naruto on his left and Sakura on his right with Shikamaru using sensory skills Asuma ordered him to learn to look for anything out of the ordinary with Kurenai leading her team next to Kakashi with Kiba and Hinata on her left and right respectively with Shino sending out insects laced with his Chakra forward, quietly forming a sensory web as they flew with the group.
"What do you think we're up against?" Kakashi asked Kurenai after a few minutes of traveling in silence.
"I expect high-Jonin level opponents so I'll work on layering the battlefield in some of my higher level Genjutsu and we'll go from there. I won't send Chunin to attempt to take them down and if Bando's there we'll have no choice but to retreat and hope for reinforcements from Hokage-sama." Kurenai answered instantly, having thought up several plans in advance the night before and this morning before telling the Copy-nin the most likely one she expected to use." Considering this is Chakra Armor no country has touched I'm sure Bando will be with it."
"I'm afraid of that, when I was in ANBU I heard of Bando from my ANBU Captain at the time. He was sent on a mission to recover a powerful weapon Bando had stolen but he died on the mission, he was nothing but a bloody pulp when recovery squads found him and we figured Bando did it." Kakashi answered, his hands balling into fists at the memory of his deceased captain." I don't like my chances against someone like him but I'm willing to attempt to take him down."
"What do you plan to do with your team?" Kurenai asked." If they see you charge in they will follow you."
What Kakashi was going to say was lost as a shout from Naruto as he turned to Taka interrupted them.
"Taka, move ahead and run interference on the convoy!" Naruto ordered and Taka nodded.
"Of course Naruto-sama, they won't move much further." Taka answered before he waved his hand and a few dozen clones burst into existence in several clouds of smoke as he disappeared through the shadows of the forest.
"What was that?" Shikamaru asked as every Shinobi turned to Naruto who shrugged.
"Why else would I only have Taka, he can do things like that." Naruto answered before rushing forward with the rest of the Konoha Shinobi.
Taka landed in front of the Bando's convoy and it stopped instantly, it sinking into the ground as Taka waved a hand at it.
"I can't allow you to pass, it'll be in your best interest to remain where you are." Taka spoke.
"Who do you think you are?" a Shinobi under Bando's employ demanded only for a blast of fire to incinerate them moments later.
"My name is not important to people who will soon be dead." Taka answered before rushing forward, impossible to be seen as flames encircled their fist soon followed by lightning in the other.
"Naruto, once we get there I want you and Kiba to be with me on point while Hinata, Shikamaru, and Shino are on Kurenai's and Sakura's defense. Hinata, if one of us gets injured you'll fill in while Shino moves them out and once Kurenai finishes her Genjutsu I want both you and Shino in while Shikamaru stays with Sakura, helping her heal anyone who gets injured without having to deal with enemy ambushes." Kakashi quickly told the teams as they neared the location of the convoy." Follow any directions either I or Kurenai give without hesita…"
Kakashi's words died off as they came to the convoy.
It was floating in the air just before the forest canopy as Naruto's agent, Taka, held two of the Shinobi Bando used up by their necks while the rest of them laid in either pieces or were just bloody smears across the ground, limbs and organs littered all across the road while ashes blew away in the breeze.
"You two hold some type of position from the way you carry yourself, you walk with a type of confidence unique to certain poeple when you were with the other men and it made you easy targets. You are either veterans under Bando's employ and therefore most know something or you are in a leadership position here." Taka told both, his tone emotionless and seemingly oblivious to the carnage around him." You can either tell me and I let you go, not harmed anymore, or you may withhold information from me and I will be forced to cause you both such pain you have never experience before in your life. So, which shall it be?"
"What do you want to know?" the one held in his left hand spoke up." Bando gave me information on all the shipments for all of his weapons!"
"Good." Taka answered as he looked towards the other Shinobi held in his right hand." Will you tell me anything?"
"Go to hell with that traitor!" the other snapped as he spit on Taka's mask.
"Fool." Taka answered as his shadow seemed to extend before four of his clones emerged from the shadows.
He handed the two Shinobi over without a word and they both panicked as they were dragged into the shadows by two shadow clones each.
'Man, this just keeps getting more and more troublesome.' Shikamaru thought with a sigh.' This Taka guy demolished the fifteen mid-Jonin guards working this convoy so Bando's going to get more on the others once he hears about this, or he may protect them himself.'
"Spread out and get anything you can from the remains, seal what you can so we can examine it back at the village!" Kakashi ordered as he left with Kurenai to discuss what happened.
Taka had vanished once the group arrived and reappeared where the real Naruto was overlooking his corpse double acting like his past self.
"Taka, can I ask you a question?" Naruto asked his nearly always present agent.
"Of course Naruto-san, what is it?" Taka answered and Naruto sighed as he looked down at the Konoha Shinobi.
"When I see that corpse down there, looking like me and acting like I use to, I feel angry and disappointed at myself." Naruto spoke after a moment.
"How?" Taka answered.
"I'm angry because, just look at that moron!" Naruto nearly screamed but kept his voice lowered, it wouldn't had mattered through as he was under Kyoka Suigetsu's cloak of illusion." He doesn't know what it means to be a Shinobi, he didn't even know what he was really asking for when he kept screaming he wanted to be Hokage!"
"Children never know the full scope of things, those who are not always wish for them to retain their innocence just a little longer before they are exposed to the cruelness of our world." Taka answered." You were a child then but you have grown and now know what was forbidden from you. Now why are you annoyed at yourself?"
Naruto was silent for nearly a minute before he finally spoke up, his words spoken with sorrow.
"I miss that, I miss seeing the goodness in all people, my allied and my enemies. I miss thinking that everyone could be saved no matter what. When you're able to see the darkness in everyone, all of their negative thought and feelings, it drives you to become dark yourself. Trying to counter it all but failing, I miss being like that and I'm annoyed at myself for losing something like it, something I never even took notice of and appreciated when I had the chance."
"In the world of Shinobi, people change as they become more and more rooted in our world. That is why so very few every of us can return to their old and unchanging civilian life." Taka answered, his tone somber." To change is natural, it was bound to happen with what you have endured these past years."
"Thank you Taka."
"It was no problem, I am here to assist you Naruto-san."
"Thank you again anyway."
AN: Well, that was hard to get out but I hope I flushed out both Shikamaru's thoughts and the dynamics between Naruto and Taka and you get a piece of what Bando does and a power level, at least what he was when Kakashi was in ANBU.
Anyway read and review on the pairing you want, no harems, and give me suggestions on where the story should go.
Peace.