I don't own Naruto. If I did, then I would be rich, happy, and rich. Oh well. On with the story!

With Team 8…

Team 8 was heading out on the road once again. Unlike his lazier teammates, Naruto was hoping for a more exciting mission that didn't end up with him severely injured like last time. He was bouncing on the soles of his feet as the group took to the trees. Asuma-sensei took a drag from his cigarette as he surveyed the area. Shino handed their supplies to Shikamaru, who grumbled under his breath, but tucked the supplies away in some sealing scrolls, before placing those in his bag. Asuma-sensei picked up the pace again after a ten minute break. Asuma turned to them, raising his voice.

"In case we get ambushed on our way, we'll have to split up." The others nodded.

The team was in a square formation, with Asuma in front of Naruto, with Shikamaru behind Shino. Shino immediately switched positions with Shikamaru as a crowd of birds swarmed around them. Shino did a few hand signs, not putting a lot of charka in his attack.

"Fire release: Flamethrower jutsu." The birds scattered as the flames licked at their wings. Asuma and Shikamaru kept moving forward as Naruto and Shino slowed down. Naruto turned with his back to Shino as they moved to the ground.

"We'll meet up with you guys later." Naruto called to them, as he and Shino slowed down even further and waited for the enemy to come to them. There was a poof of smoke before another Naruto was seen next to them. The second Naruto dropped to the ground with Shino.

With Shino and Naruto…

Shiono stood with his back to the Naruto clone, still for a moment. A faint rustling in a nearby bush, made both of them bristle. 'Naruto' tossed a kunai, a small thud echoing throughout the clearing. 'Naruto' flipped out another two as moved towards the sound. They saw 'Naruto's' kunai embedded in a log. Shino made a little motion with his left hand as 'Naruto' roughly pulled the kunai out. Shino took to the trees, as spikes erupted from the ground. 'Naruto's' body moved on pure instinct and adrenaline as two kunais whistled through the air. He easily blocked them as Shino moved towards the enemy.

Swarms of bugs surrounded the area before a wave of fire blew them away effortlessly. Shino immediately recalled the survivors and quickly moved towards Naruto.

Shino ducked as Naruto jumped over him, a quick glance shared between them as Naruto landed a kick against the assilant's chest who merely smirked before there was a poof of smoke. There was a cry than silence. The enemy nin shot from the bushes as Shino jumped to another branch, hiding behind the bark. His eyes widened.

He flipped backwards from the Nin, easily paring the incoming fist, and kicked him in the stomach, sending him back into the clearing. The two exchanged blows before a familiar blond boy, made his presence known.

"Crystal Release: Twin Tornados."

Before the Nin could move, Shino grabbed another kunai and stabbed both of his kunais through the Nin's pant legs, trapping him on both sides, before rolling away from Naruto's attack.

The attack made a big impact in the area, starling the surrounding wildlife. Shino took cover by the trees that had been uprooted from their place. He kept himself low to the ground, as the dust finally cleared. He rolled away from his spot and jumped back to the trees in order to get a better look above the others.

By the time the dust had settled completely, Shino's eyes widened behind his shades. Naruto was bleeding out the side of his ears as the nin held him by the neck. His grip tightened for a minute, until Naruto's eyes rolled in the back of his head. Naruto's lifeless body was dropped to the ground in a lifeless heap of body and flesh. Another poof of smoke.

Shino charged from his position easily slipping a kunai from his pouch. The nin merely blocked and kicked him in the side as he turned into a shadow clone. The clone dispersed into insects as he emerged from the other side. The nin twisted his body as he adjusted to the new position while trying to ignore the bugs that were attacking him from all over. Shino applied more force to his blows as he looked around for Naruto.

"Secret Technique: Spindle Formation." Insect s swarmed the nin in a spiraling motion, immobilizing him.

"This isn't going to hold me for long." The voice sounded feminine despite the attire the Nin had decided to wear. Still even if the enemy was a female, Shino was not going to go easy on her.

"I'll make it work."

With Shikamaru and Azuma…

The first big boom made Shikamaru and Asuma give pause and look back, before they tightened their jaws and locked their bones. Shikamaru desperately wanted to go sprinting back and check on his friends, but he knew that he could not do such a thing. Asuma sent him a stern look as he turned his back on the others. They continued moving forward with their plan as excepted.

The pair made it another twenty feet before hearing a second explosion throughout the area. This explosion was not as big as the first one but that didn't still stop the pair from looking back.

The two soon reached the border between the Land of fire and the Land of water. Crossing the border quickly, they traveled for another three hours before dust began to fall. Asuma decided to call it a night for the two of them. They would be on the move again at first light. Shikamaru leaned against a tree, turning to face Asuma.

"What about Naruto and Shino?" Asuma shrugged his shoulders.

"We'll have to hope that they catch up with us by tomorrow. They're strong boys remember?" Shikamaru could only stare up at the shining stars in the sky.

"I hope so."

The Next Morning…

Both shinobi took to the trees the next morning. However, as they neared a coastal town, Asuma slowed down. He landed on the ground waiting for a minute for Shikamaru to catch his breath.

"From here on, we'll split up."

"That sounds like a bad line from a cheesy horror movie." Asuma moved on, choosing to ignore the comment.

"I already have your cover story worked out."

"What about Naruto and Shino?" Asuma frowned, not responding for a second.

"I'll be working in our hotel as the new manager from 'abroad' so if you see them, then send them my way. We have to figure out what happened to the other teams before we go rushing off looking for them." Shikamaru only nodded.

With Shikamaru…

'Of course he had to give me the job that required the most work.' Our pineapple haired hero thought. Shikamaru was working as an angler whose father had recently died and now he had to search for work in order to feed his surviving family members.

'Sensei's such a drama king.' He thought.

He was also already tired from working. He started three hours ago and was happy for once for enlisting as a ninja. He grumbled and kept his head down as he continued working. Most of the other anglers were big buff men in their thirties. They didn't take kindly to a boy half their age who worked and got paid as much as them. Talk about having a big ego.

Still, there were some fishermen who didn't mind Shikamaru working there. Shikamaru decided to stick close to them. The sun was beginning to set and Shikamaru clocked out with the remaining fisherman. Most of them got off at six, but Shikamaru worked for another few hours. Asuma wouldn't mind if he was a few minutes late. His eyes were scanning the area, looking for anything useful. His ears were trying to scan every conversion he could. But he still couldn't help about think about his teammates.

He was a ninja but...

"Shikamaru…" The voice was muffled and raspy. Shikamaru looked around and noticed a boy around his age with familiar bushy hair. His eyes were hidden but Shikamaru recognized the bugs crawling around the boy.

"Shino!" Relief spread through Shikamaru's body as his friend raised his head. Shino's face was a mixture of black and blue. He had a red gash running from his forehead down to his left eye.

Shikamaru wanted to ask his friend questions and shout with joy, but he managed to keep a cool head. He barely held it in all inside. The ninja that did this to Shino could still be around for all he knew. Just sitting back and watching them like prey. While Shikamaru picked up the bruised and battered Shino, he noticed something rather disturbing.

"Shino. Where's Naruto?"

I'm going to end the scene right here. Review if you have the time. Sorry for the long wait.

Edit:12/23/14