There it is guys! Second installment. Damn Romance is hard to write. I apologize for the short chapter. I'll make the other one longer, now enjoy! As much as you can. Ignore the grammatical errors and report them to me...most importantly ...Review please. It's like the Apple of Ryuk. It helps...
The Mission :-
Ino never saw Naruto again till thursday, in front of mission office, happily chatting and waving gesturing wildly. The orange jacket was back in tiptop form, just how many pairs he has? Iruka Umino was laughing heartily at the words of the blonde, perhaps a joke or some funny incident during his adventure? Ino patted her purple skirt to even the phantom creases. She wanted to apologize for her behavior during the festival, she shouldn't have pried into others personal matters. But after seeing the blonde, she wasn't sure how to do that. It'd be awkward to just walk up to somebody and say sorry, especially someone as cute as Naruto.
Did I just called Naruto cute?
She never noticed the said blonde looking at her from the corner of his eyes. Still lost in her thoughts, she even ignored the blonde approaching her. It was when he snapped a finger in front of her face she awoke from her daze. Noticing she was staring at Naruto, Ino coloured slightly.
" Hey Ino! You alright? You look a little red. " Naruto greeted in his loud voice.
" I'm alright, just some thoughts. Listen Naruto..." Ino began timidly " ...I wanted to apologise for my words I said that day. It was not proper conduct."
Oh yes! Inoichi talked with her. Naruto blinked, startled at her sudden confession. Then laughed and waved nonchalantly,
" Oh, nevermind Ino, no big deal. You here for a mission? "
Ino nodded. The Hokage summoned her for a mission to Suna, something about a treaty or alliance with the Godaime Kazekage.
" Cool, you're in my team then, I wonder where Shika went..." Naruto muttered enthusiastically. He got his answer in the sound of throat clearing and a lazy drawl,
" Two loud and bossy blondes in a team, this is troublesome." Shikamaru Nara muttered from a nearby wall, Hands crossed over his chest and one eye closed and another one half opened.
Naruto rolled his eyes and Ino scoffed.
" Shika was here before even I arrived. I was shocked to see him awake this early too." Naruto said. Shikamaru glared at the orange clad ninja. Ino giggled,
" Probably his mother kicked him awake."
Shikamaru glared at Ino too and muttered something under his breath that sounded like 'troublesome' to his friends.
" So we are the team, a Jounin, a chunin and No offense Naruto-kun , a genin. " Ino said and then looked around curiously and then turned towards Shikamaru, " who's escorting the scroll? "
It's Naruto-kun is it now? Only Shikamaru noticed. It's going to be a long mission if his foresight was correct.
Shika just pointed his chin towards a nearby roof. Kakashi Hatake sat there reading his po...book.
" Yo " a two fingered wave was dedicated towards the trio, giving them the infamous eye smile.
Ino snorted and then said a Shika like lazy voice, " two lazy jounin in a team, that's troublesome. "
Naruto laughed at the face Shikamaru made and patted him on the back. Ino smiled too, though her smile had a mischievous tint. Kakashi landed near them in a lazy leap and motioned towards the gate.
" Come on you cute little ankle biters, it's time we hit the road. "
His smile was pretty cute.
Ino thought and then her brain halted,
What...? again...!?
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ino was having the time of her life. She doesn't get many chances to get out of the village or have a vacation. And they have been walking all day, So she's treating this mission as both vacation and political agenda. Naruto was chatting with Kakashi about some cool jutsu he learned, Shika occasionally piping in between. Apparently this Rasengan is a very big deal, or too much trouble to control. Ino smiled faintly, the mission was very relaxing and the old familiar feeling of being in a should get out from the T&I department more.
Kakashi made this mission clear, they had to present the current Kazekage with the treaty and peace offerings. She wondered who the Godaime Kazekage is...
" Hey Ino! Wat'cha thinkin? " a loud voice interrupted her thoughts.
" Huh? What was that Naruto? " Ino came back to reality, and felt all of their eyes on her.
" You were murmuring something about the Kazekage. Whats wrong? " Naruto said. Shika muttered a troublesome inder his breath. Kakashi gave his typical eye smile. Ino reddened a bit realising she voiced her thoughts aloud.
" I was just wondering who the new Kazekage is... I hope he isn't some old creep." Ino voiced her musings to her companions.
" Why? Having thoughts of settling in Suna , Ino-chan? " His voice screamed mischief. Shika grinned and joined with the male blonde.
" You never told me, Ino! and we're friends since our childhood! " Ino smirked mentally. No one can one up a Yamanaka in mind games, especially not her.
" Why, are you jealous Naru-kun? I never knew you had feelings for poor Ino-chan!" She mock gasped at the end. Never been at the end of teasing, Naruto blushed and sputtered to come up with a reply. Shikamaru guffawed at the face the orange ninja made, even Kakashi chuckled lightly.
" Think it through Naru-kun, how your dear and lovely Ino-chan will suffer in desert heat. Do you want that in your conscience? Please rescue me and take me like a hero does! " She even put her hands around the blonde to emphasise the point
" I_uh..n_no_I mea_ye... I_I mean are you i_inviting me to take you Ino-chan? " Naruto returned with a smirk.
This time Ino blushed scarlet as her words were returned to her as an innuendo. Shika laughed clutching his stomach at Ino's flabbergasted face and Naruto's suggestive eyebrow wiggling.
" That was good Naruto. You got her good." Shikamaru said between breaths. Kakashi chuckled and said,
" Enough chit chat kids. We'll make our camp here tonight, hopefully tomorrow we'll reach Suna in the afternoon. "
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Soon they started a fire and placed the tents, Kakashi unsealed a slab of meat and prostrated it over the fire for roasting. He even added some spices. Shika was sprawled on the ground and stared up to the stars. Naruto was reading something from a scroll, and Kakashi tending the fire...wait, what? Naruto reading?
" Naruto-kun, what are you reading?" Ino asked. She was observing her surroundings when she noticed the boy reading.
" It's a jutsu scroll! Ero-sennin gave it to me. " the said boy replied without raising his head. Ino stared in confusion.
" Ero..sennin? " she asked slowly. Naruto snickered and said,
" Jiraiya of the legendary three. I call him that! "
Shikamaru opened one eye and raised an eyebrow, " you mean you call one of the most powerful shinobi of fire country with a derogatory nickname? "
Naruto nodded and snickered. Ino gaped at the blonde, he's serious!
" Troublesome." typical Shika.
" Why do you call Jiraiya-sama that? It's not really polite. " Ino pointed out slowly.N aruto Shrugged, " Why shouldn't I? he peeps on the women in hot springs and writes those perverted books Kakashi-sensei reads. He even calls himself a super pervert! "
" Hey! I tell you, the Icha Icha is an word of art!" Kakashi piped from where he was resting.
Ino's mouth never closed. A vain twitched in her forehead. She said lowly,
" He peeps on the spa's while giggling perversely? " Naruto gulped and nodded. Ino's smile became scarier and sweeter.
" The next time I see him... he's done!" She said in an overly sweet voice. Naruto shivered, man girls are scary. Even the sweet and cute Ino-chan.
Wait what? Did I just called her cute?
Where did that thought came from?
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
The real pandemonium started at the night when Kakashi sensed something odd. The air was blowing reverse ways. They set camp where wind was blowing towards them, and now its going away from them. It was weird for the wind to change direction like that, especially when they're in wind country. There was bad feeling in his gut that something bad is about to happen. He turned quickly to wake his comrades to find Naruto already awake. The blonde was sitting still in front the fire, grim faced. Kakashi said slowly,
" Naruto? What's wrong? " Naruto replied in a grave tone,
" the fox is scared sensei. He's growing restless against his cage."
" Wake the others, I'm going to do a perimeter check." Naruto quickly shook his companions awake, Shika grumbled and Ino groaned. Then glared at the blonde,
" What the hell Naruto? It's 2 in the Morning..." Shikamaru sensed the tension in the air and fell silent. Ino on the other hand, complained loudly,
" What the hell Whiskers, I need my beauty sleep! I..."
Kakashi's voice warned them sharply, " Scatter!"
Shikamaru processed the standard defence protocol and fled towards a cover. Naruto scooped up Ino bridal style and lept on the other direction.
Hardly had they moved when a huge ball of molten rocks crashed on their camp. A small explosion lit up the night sky and soon the the clearing and surrounding trees were on fire. A water release soon quenched the fire, courtesy of Kakashi, and left behind...black rocks? Kakashi's red sharingan met the attacker's glowing red eyes as the figure stood atop a tree. The still alight tree revealed the middle aged ninja's face and red garb.
Iwa
Naruto let Ino go , as the loud blonde girl was wide awake. Shikamaru was glaring at the offender with enraged eyes, his hand already formed a hand seal. Kakashi's posture was stiff as he gauged the invaders chakra capacity, he grimaced. This was no ordinary opponent.
Thick bloodlust suddenly filled the small clearing, smothering them with it's overwhelming maliciousness. Ino dry heaved beside Naruto as scenes of her own death flashed in her head. Kakashi eye's sharpened in recognition as he called out to the older shinobi,
" Roshi of the mountains.."
" Kakashi of the Sharingan.." Roshi's voice was deep and intimidating.
The Jinchuriki of the Four tailed Ape grinned at the team, noticing Naruto watching him with both awe and apprehension.
"...and Namikaze Naruto."
Then the the Jinchuriki jumped with a flaming fist and met with kakashi's chidori in the middle.
" This will be fun.." Roshi grinned as red chakra bubbled around him and enveloped the Iwa Jinchuriki like a cloak. Four red tail were swaying behind him.