The betrayal of trust carries a heavy taboo.
-Aldrich Ames

Chapter 15: Heavy Taboo

Naruto waved goodbye to Masaki as he walked away from the village. It was hard to see the miner through the bustling crowds, but the ashen skin was still visible. "See you later!" Naruto yelled cheerily as he said his final goodbyes. A part of him was squirming as he said it. Now that they had separated from the miners they would have to hurry back to Konohagakure. Inoichi had said that the chuunin exams started on the third Wednesday of July and it was already July 2nd. They had to get back to town and sign up for the exams by the 15th. It would be no problem for them to return, but they had to figure out how to merge into the genin crowd.

After all, Team Tsume had only been genin for four months. They didn't have an illustrious track record, nor did they have a famous clan member on their team. Uchiha and Hyuuga were shoe-ins for being entered on their first year because they were supposed to have trained for years already. Shikamaru may have been a clan member, but the Nara were not well known for their strength. Often enough, the Nara clan became chuunin a year or two behind the others merely because of their lack of combat ability. They were smarter than most ninjas, but it wasn't the brains that made a ninja become a chuunin. They had to be the full package.

Inoichi had told them that he'd work it out. He had said that because at least two other genin teams from Konoha would be entering, there would probably be no problem with a third being entered. But it was vital that their team was entered into the chuunin exams. If they were not, then it would be nearly impossible to communicate with the rest of the genin entered into the competition. Rarely did the competing genin ever venture out except for training, and training was a conventionally poor time to be spying on someone. A jutsu could misfire on "accident".

"We have to hurry on back. Let's go," Inoichi said as he patted his genin on the shoulder. As the sound of the chattering populace faded into the distance, it was time for them to be on the move. "You all know how to shunshin, correct? If two of you get tired, I can carry you a bit longer so you can rest. If all of you get tired, we will have to stop for a few minutes, but we cannot waste time. We need to get there within a few days if we want to look like we had planned to participate ahead of time."

"You hadn't expected us to participate, Inoichi-sensei?" Kei asked worriedly. She was still worried about the idea of participating in the chuunin exams. She was the anti-soldier when it came to strength. She still had not learned any particular offensive jutsu, but she knew that she'd have to come up with something if she was going to live. The former chuunin had gossiped about their games though they technically were not supposed to. They said that the walls had ears, and Kei listened to the words whispered into the wind. They said that they signed forms that said if they died it wasn't the fault of the village. That meant people did die during the competition. She didn't want to die just because she had a mission to infiltrate the genin populace. She had to be ready, but she didn't know how!

Inoichi shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I was thinking about entering you next year considering you did so well on this mission. You all show great potential by being able to defeat someone so much stronger than you. Once we get back to the village, we will be doing a crash course to get you all stronger. Now is not the time to be vulnerable, so we're going to make sure you are all as strong as you can be. You will be joining back up with your affinity trainers. I do not know whose side they are on, but they have no reason to deny you training. In any case, you will have time to check their loyalties."

Shikamaru looked over at Inoichi with a skeptical look on his face. "They're all jounin. Are you sure that we're going to be safe even if we figure out they are on the opposite side?"

"They can't kill you in the open, so just stay where they can't cause any accidents." Kei blanched at Inoichi's words. Her mind briefly went back to her training sessions with Kakashi. Oh crap, what if he held her underwater again? He really was going to kill her one of these times and it would appear to be like an accident. She rubbed her forehead with her palm and sighed. She was going to suffer one way or another. Why couldn't anything go her way?

"That's reassuring," Shikamaru mumbled. He tapped his foot against the ground experimentally before sending a small burst of chakra to his feet. The boy nodded in satisfaction before turning to Inoichi. He had healed up well over the past few days and had been able to walk the rest of the way back into the village. He was confident he would be able to shunshin his way back to Konoha.

"Alright. Now let's hurry. We can be there in two days if we make haste."

-TSUME-

They hurried back along the dirt path until the familiar gates of Konohoa loomed before them. Shikamaru let out a sigh of relief as he began to slow. Finally, they had arrived. It had been a long few days and his legs were beginning to kill him. The bursts of chakra didn't require much energy, but the real problem was when he did it for hours on end. His hair was in a jumble as skittered to a stop. He put his hands on his knees and huffed tiredly. He was never one for stamina and the journey had taken a lot of out him.

He looked over to see that Kei was also struggling for air. The maroon haired girl was bending on one knee and gasping for breath. Shikamaru looked over to Naruto and felt his eyebrow twitch in irritation. Naruto was smiling cheerily and was chatting with Izumo about how long it had been since they had seen him. Naruto had a weird journey back, mostly because he hopped a good thirty feet whenever he let out a burst of chakra. Inoichi had tried to get him to not use as much, but to no avail. The boy just couldn't learn moderation. He was so lucky sometimes. The day he tired would be the day the world exploded.

"Hey! Is that really you guys?" Kiba waved from beyond the gates with a cheeky smile on his face. He looked them over before saying bluntly, "You all look like the living dead. Geez! You guys must be really lame if you can't guard a wagon right." The brown haired boy was the object of three vicious glares, but simply gave a shrug. "What? I'm just saying the truth here."

"Not amusing," Kei said in and out of rasps. Her golden eyes narrowed at Kiba as he waved her off. A little voice in the back of her head reminded her that she didn't know who Kiba was allied with, if anyone. Her eyes scrunched as she thought about it. Would all the genin be considered important enough to be recruited? Kiba was of an important clan, she supposed, and genin were the future of the village. She'd have to be careful of what she said around him, around everyone.

"I think it is hilarious to be honest," said Kiba with a snort. "Considering that you were our dearly beloved braniacs, I feel strangely happy that you all look miserable. Call me cruel, but I feel like laughing in your faces. I'm being nice right now by not doing it. Trust me."

Naruto looked over to where Kiba was standing and ambled over, "What are you talking about?"

Kiba looked from Shikamaru to Naruto and back about before raising a brow. "Did they carry your fat behind back to Konoha or why do you look so darn fresh?"

"No... I walked back," said Naruto in confusion. Did he look as if he didn't belong? Sure, Kei and Shikamaru were a little bit tired, but they still looked generally the same. "I dunno why it was easier," the Kyuubi, "but I'm feeling super right now!" He giggled happily before slapped Kiba on the back. He purposefully put about twice as much force as was needed into it, causing Kiba to tumble into the dirt between Shikamaru and Kei. "Deserved it," Naruto mumbled under his breath.

Kiba pushed himself up from the ground and spluttered before turning around to glare daggers at Naruto. He silently stood up and brushed himself off before saying snootily, "Well, I'm not the one that finished a mission late. We actually finished out first out of village mission on time." He smirked at Naruto's gawking expression. "I know, right? Now you realize how much awesomer I really am!"

"Not really. I think Naruto is just wondering how a flunky like you got a mission in the first place," said Kei, finally catching her breath. She rubbed her wrists before straightening her clothes. "I doubt it was because of your skills." Naruto flinched. When Kei was in a nasty mood, she could be a viper. That had to hurt.

"What! It was totally because we destroyed you and you got one!" Kiba exclaimed incredulously.

"Actually, it was because you threatened to mutiny if you didn't get one..." Sakura mumbled as she skittered into the clearing. She had her head bowed low and her pink drifted in front of her face. She looked up at Team Tsume once before bowing her head again. "Also your mother came in to advocate for you."

"Haruno! Don't say that!" Kiba yelled, clamping a hand over his teammate's mouth. He laughed nervously as the girl squirmed. Shikamaru saw out of the corner of his eyes that Kiba was squeezing Sakura's wrist tightly, far too tightly. Sakura eeped as the hand covered her mouth and used her hands to weakly try to push Kiba away.

Naruto frowned and marched up to Kiba and grabbed his shoulder. "Let go." The merriment in his voice had disappeared. The temperature seemed to drop as he enunciated each word. Kiba screwed up his face in confusion and stepped away from Sakura.

"Dude, what's your problem? I was just trying to tell her to stop lying about me. Right, Haruno?" Kiba looked pointedly over to Sakura who bobbed her head up and down quickly, too quickly. Naruto frowned as he looked from Kiba to Sakura, but knew he couldn't do anything if Sakura wouldn't admit something was wrong.

"Hello Inuzuka-kun, it's a pleasure to see you," Inoichi said serenely as he walked over. "I'm afraid I must steal my three genin away from you. We have to go report to the Hokage, but perhaps we can see you later?" Inoichi's blue eyes flashed dangerously and Kiba took an involuntary step back.

"Nice to see you too, Yamanaka-sensei," Kiba said shortly as his eyes darted between Inoichi and the genin. "I had better go as well. Training to do, ya know? Haruno, let's go. Sasuke-san is going to want to train." Sakura nodded quickly before hustling after Kiba as he stalked away haughtily. She cast a look back at Tsume before mouthing a wordless apology. She scuttled away and left the team standing still outside the gates.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at the place where Sakura and Kiba had stood only moments before. He had never remembered Kiba being that way during school. Sure, Kiba had always been a little cocky, but he had never been outright mean to anyone. And Sakura was unnaturally quiet. She was rambunctious and loved getting involved in other people's business so she could cheer them up. Now she was as quiet as a clam and it worried him.

Had things changed so much since he had left? During the genin trials that the mentors had set up, he had noticed that Kiba and Sakura were changing, but for them to have changed so completely was stunning. Could this perhaps be a side effect of being touched by the revolution? It was something he would have to keep in mind because they were acting so strangely.

"Come on, you three. We have to go." Inoichi patted Shikamaru and Naruto on the shoulder before gesturing towards the busy streets. He walked down the dirt path, casting a look behind him every so often to make sure the trio was following him. Naruto ducked in and out of the crowd, trying to keep a low profile. He swerved in and out, trying to keep up the pace so that no one would recognize him. He had developed a unique way of walking down the streets in order to avoid the unwanted eyes of the villagers. Ducking and hiding did nothing because everyone would stare to figure out who was acting so strangely. It was wiser to just act as if you were in a hurry because that was perfectly normal inside of Konoha.

They headed down the streets to the Academy and therefore, the Hokage Office. As Naruto stood in front of the gates, a flood of emotion swept through him. It hadn't been long ago when he had been the one running around that courtyard, being ignored and mocked. The swing he had always swung on was still attached to that old tree. He smiled a bit. The more things changed, the more things stayed the same. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Kei giving him an encouraging nod. He smiled widely at her and murmured his thanks as he ruffled her hair.

She patted her hair down and sent him a soft glare before sighing. The girl readjusted her notebook in her arms before making her way to the Hokage's office. It felt awkward to be going back there again. When was the last time they had visited the Hokage's office? She thought for a moment before blanching. Shoot, the last time they had been there was when they took the scroll.

She looked over to Shikamaru to see him thinking the exact same thing. He was looking up at the Hokage's office with a nervous look on his face. He rubbed a hand across his face and took a calming breathe. In and out. In and out. Okay, he'd have to be good now. He put his hands down by his sides and tried to prevent himself from looking like a nervous wreck as he followed Inoichi into the building.

Kids swarmed around him as they moved to and from classes. There were new classes starting each quarter so there was always a plethora of kids attending. It was a cacophony of sound as the children couldn't help but chatter as realshinobi passed by. Shinobi were like a commodity to the students, and Shikamaru could remember all too well of his days as a student. Too many people were squealing and screaming when a chuunin walked through the halls. How troublesome.

Inoichi cleared a way through the crowd and Shikamaru hustled after him and towards the stairs. The chuunin guard pulled the door open and let the team through. They marched up the stairs and when they opened the door, Inoichi had to whip a hand up to catch a stray ball of paper. He looked at the scrunched up paper with amusement before looking around to see who had thrown it. "Over here!" A secretary called as she waved her hands around.

Inoichi tossed the ball with expert precision and the brunette caught it before giving Inoichi a nervous smile. She turned back to her work and left Tsume to work on trying to get through the hustle and bustle. "I can't give any advice here, but imagine the paper as kunai. It's good training in any case." Naruto, being the only one to have actually had to cross the room, was almost calm, almost. Kei and Shikamaru on the other hand looked terrified. They had just come back from a mission where they had watched their first kill and had used forbidden jutsu, and now this? Did everyone have to go through this just to report to the Hokage? No wonder everyone tried to turn in their reports late!

Inoichi headed into the fray, easily moving along with the flow. His hair didn't even get in the way as he slipped over to the other side. Once he reached the other door he waved for his genin to follow with a smile on his face. It was times like this when Naruto felt that Inoichi smiled too much.

"I'll go first," Naruto volunteered with a raise of his hand. He took a step forward before immediately pulling back as a paper weight was flung across the room. This was downright dangerous! He gulped before trying to pull himself together. He rushed across the room, scuttling around flying pens, notepads, and folders before sliding into Inoichi on the other side. "I'm alive!" He said with a cheery wheeze before collapsing at Inoichi's feet.

Behind him, Kei turned pale. She wasn't made for all of this running stuff! She was a bookkeeper, an information gatherer, a strategist even, but not a runner! She looked over to Shikamaru and knew by the way he was looking at her that she would have to go next. She groaned before forcing herself out. A stray pencil smacked into her head, and Kei cringed as she fled across. However, other than the first pencil, she managed to dodge most of the implements that were being tossed around. She screeched to a stop by her teammate before thinking, How did Naruto-kun do this before? It's a bloody miracle we were never caught!

"Come on, Shikamaru-kun! You're the last one!" Inoichi called out across the room. His words were muffled by the shouts of the secretaries as orders went flying. A lot of work had to be done to run an entire city after all. And everyone happened to work in the same room which made it easy to transport things, but ten times as chaotic.

Shikamaru stretched out his arms before running straight across the room. He didn't even bother to dodge because he knew he had it coming. A folder whacked him in the head and a paperweight hit him in the leg, causing him to topple and a small mound of papers to pile alongside him. He shook them off before finishing his perilous journey across the room. He ignored the angry yells of the secretaries behind him as he reached his teammates on the other side. His face was dark as he stood beside his teammates. "When we leave, I leave through the window. I am not going back through there."

Naruto stifled a snort and nodded. "Yes, my dear uncoordinated friend. Whatever you say."

"Oh shush," Shikamaru retorted. One did not simply feel happy after being significantly bruised by secretaries that probably had no shinobi training. It was embarrassing!

"Let's just go meet up with the Hokage, now shall we?" Inoichi asked with a pitying tone to his voice. Shikamaru sent him an angry glare before nodding. From the information that he recalled from all those months ago, there was absolutely no danger in crossing the jounin quarters.

They hustled through the door and waved to the three jounin that were lazing about on the bunk beds. "Yo Inoichi! I see you got some newbies, eh? It must suck to be tied down again." One of the jounin called with a blasé tone to his voice.

"I quite like my genin, Hosokawa-kun," Inoichi said with a kind smile. "When you get genin as wonderful as mine, I am sure you will understand." Naruto puffed up with pride. Even after all the trouble he had caused Inoichi, Inoichi still felt proud they were his. He didn't just like them, but he was proud! Naruto smiled and the glares of the jounin in the room bounced right off of him. He didn't even mind as long as Inoichi cared for him.

"Maybe, maybe. I honestly doubt it though. I'm not that kind," Hosokawa said with a lazy wave of his hand. Inoichi sighed before saying his goodbyes. The blonde man walked through the dormitories and pulled open the door on the other side. Naruto cast a guilty look over to Asuma who was snoring peacefully on his own bunk. The jounin obviously had just come back from a mission from the disarray of his clothing. But Naruto couldn't help but stare at his face, the face that he, himself, had imitated to get into the office to steal.

Kei shoved him along and the two hurried to join Inoichi and Shikamaru on the other side of the doorway. Naruto mumbled his thanks before following Inoichi down the hallway. His blue eyes looked out the glassy windows at the children that were milling about the yard. It was late enough in the day that parents had come to pick up their kids. A small frown crossed his face as he saw the happy kids meet their parents. Of course, his parents just had to die. Naruto sighed before heading down to the end of the hall where Inoichi and the others stood.

Now it was time to meet the Hokage. Naruto swallowed. How was he going to face the man that he had lied to? It was easy to walk past people, but now he had to actually talk to him! He let out a calming exhale and cleared his emotions from his face. He would have to act as if nothing was wrong, that's right. Everything would be totally fine.

I finished on time! It's a miracle! I never thought I would do it! XD I had debate camp this week from 9 am to 5pm then an hour commute. If you're reading this on Saturday, that means that I uploaded it on my Mom's phone. If not, then I probably didn't get it because I was at a friend's house and in a dead zone. But you all love me anyways, right? ;D

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm beginning to ease in to the chuunin arc so there will be more action in the next chapter. I wanted to begin reintroducing the other genin. I know they aren't incredibly popular, but who knows who is on the enemy side? ;o Care to hazard a guess?

Thank you so much for reading my story and subscribing! I really appreciate it! ;D Send a review as well?

Thanks to Pokepikachu1 for betaing me!