Team Aeternum: From Heaven to Hell
Chapter 4: Equilibrium
I do not own Naruto.
Enjoy!
"There is no need for you to do this…" Shino warned. He tightened the grip on his kunai as he finished the warning, however.
His opponent smirked. "Oh? What are you, scared, bug boy?"
Shino raised an eyebrow as he got into a fighting stance. "Hardly."
Engaged in a similar situation next to the Aburame was Shikamaru, who was staring down his own opponent.
"I've heard a lot about those eyes, Hyūga. If what I've heard is true, then can't you see that this is a bad idea?" Shikamaru mocked the older boy as he made several clones; each with the same confident grins.
The Hyūga focused his eyes as veins began to protrude near them. He took his own kunai in his hand and got into a fighting stance.
"Talk is cheap, dropout. It is you who shall fail here."
Next to the Hyūga was his teammate, getting ready to face off against his own foe.
"Turn back now, Naruto-kun…" He warned the blonde. "…because I will not be responsible for what happens otherwise!" He tightened his wrist wraps.
"Turn back from this?" The blonde scoffed. "And miss out on all the fun? I…don't…think…so!" Naruto smiled as he popped his joints. He got into his own stance, eager for battle.
The two teams stood on the water's surface, the moon illuminated the fight soon to come.
The trio felt the mark on their left arm began to glow and grow warm, and with that sensation they knew they were ready to fight.
Naruto clicked his teeth together; the faint noise caused both teams to run towards one another. Time grew slow as the trio thought the same thing:
'How… How did this happen…?'
Three Days Ago
Shino, Naruto and Shikamaru stood shoulder to shoulder with their hands behind their backs as they waited for further instructions.
Their two teachers stood in front of them, one had his arms crossed while the other had a hand on a crutch. The students looked at their teachers and vice versa, each having certain look in their eyes.
Minutes passed in silence before the oldest member of the team, Jiraiya, cleared his throat.
"As we all know, today will be the final day of your training…" He let his words linger in the air for a moment. "On this day, six years ago, you three began your ninja lives by practicing, training and learning what we taught and also motivated yourselves – and each other – to complete the goals we set before you."
A small breeze passed by them.
"You three have grown by leaps and bounds as you completed lesson after lesson while perfecting the expectations Yugao and I had set before you."
Yugao smiled. "While the beginning was kind of trial and error, these past couple of years was nothing short of amazing in your development as ninjas."
The trio tried their hardest to contain their emotions from showing as they felt a smile tugging at their lips.
Jiraiya smiled earnestly. "You three have worked hard, very hard these six years and as such, Yugao and I are proud to give you three your own hitai-ate, officially making you three ninjas of Konohagakure." Jiraiya snapped his fingers, causing three clouds of white smoke to appear with a *poof*. When the smoke dissipated, three headbands were revealed in a table in front of them.
"Congratulations." Jiraiya and Yugao said in unison, each with their own proud smile.
The trio got out of position and approached the table before them. They each picked one before they examined them before looking up at their teachers.
The morning sun could not have been brighter that day.
Once the trio had their headbands placed proudly around their necks, Jiraiya had one extra surprise for them when they arrived at their favorite restaurant.
With a yellow folder in hand, Jiraiya grinned. "Think of this as a graduation gift, you three." He said as he placed the file on the center of the table they were sitting at. The restaurant was filled with chatter from the other patrons sitting nearby.
Yugao, who was sitting next to Jiraiya, was surprised to say the least. "A mission so soon, Jiraiya?" She raised an eyebrow.
The trio leaned towards the center of the table when they heard the word "mission."
Jiraiya nodded. "That's right. I managed to pull some strings with the help of the old man to net these three an appropriate mission for their talents."
"And make them miss the exciting, action-packed thrill of D-ranked missions? How mean of you Jiraiya!" Yugao chuckled to herself. Jiraiya laughed knowingly.
As the adults were laughing amongst themselves, the trio was slowly inching their hands towards the file in front of them.
"What's the mission, Jiraiya-sensei?" Shikamaru asked as he eyed the folder with a curious stare.
The older man opened the folder and removed the contents before placing the documents across the table in front of the trio. He then pointed to the document in the middle.
"There was a distress signal that came in late last night from a team in the Land of Waves. Their mission was to protect this man…" He pointed to the attached photo on the document. "…from danger."
He continued. "This man goes by the name of Tazuna and is known far and wide as a very talented bridge builder."
Naruto brought the picture of Tazuna closer to his face. "This old man? Why would he be in danger?"
Yugao took a sip from her coffee and furrowed her brow at the taste. "Ooh, needs sugar…." She looked up at the trio. "Remember, he is from the Land of Waves; think economically."
"The Land of Waves, economically speaking, could be a hotspot for trade thanks to its location. Being surrounded by plenty of villages and harbors would certainly make the village an economic haven." Shino recalled.
"Precisely, which is why a bridge would certainly expand their trade, exports and imports, wouldn't you agree?"
The trio nodded, but Shikamaru still had a doubt. "That still does not explain as to why Tazuna is being targeted. Who would try to stop an economic expansion from happening?"
"If memory serves me right, a corporation set up a monopoly over the village, cutting off its exports and imports. In doing so, Wave has become economically unstable." Yugao placed a finger on her chin as she recalled the information. "A bridge that breaks the monopoly would certainly damage the amount of income the company would make by a considerable degree."
Now that the trio knew what the problem was, Jiraiya brought up the next topic.
"As for the team..." Jiraiya began as he moved the left document above the middle one. "...that sent out the distress signal, here is the team leader's report along with their current biography."
"Team Gai, huh?" Naruto read the headline of the report.
He handed the report over to Shikamaru as he and Shino took a look at the team's photos and biographies.
"Whoa! Check out the eyebrows on this guy!" The blonde laughed as he held up the picture of the team's leader, Maito Gai.
"And here must be the runner up, Naruto." Shino added as he held up the picture of Rock Lee. Naruto snorted to hold back a raging laugh.
Jiraiya gave a short laugh while Yugao shook her head as she got ready to scold them.
"Naruto, Shino; while Gai may look... eccentric… that does not change the fact that he is one of the elite ninja in Konoha. The same goes for his team." Yugao stated as matter-of-fact.
"Oh, we know about that Yugao-sensei. Judging from his stats, he has the best taijutsu ability I've ever seen!"
"Not only that, Naruto. It seems like the entire team specializes in close quarter combat." Shino added as he was reviewing the other two members of Team Gai; Neji Hyūga and Tenten.
"A Hyūga, huh?" Naruto and Shino began to discuss amongst themselves.
Shikamaru was reading through the report and furrowed his brow.
'An escort mission is usually C-ranked, yet Gai marked this one as an A-ranked... how come?' The Nara had already read when the team was ambushed early on their journey to Wave, but disregarded the tidbit. Ambushes during an escort mission should be expected, right?
Right.
He turned the page and nearly dropped the document all together. Shikamaru looked up at Jiraiya, who looked back at him. The old man snapped his fingers to materialize another file in his hand. He then handed it over to Shikamaru.
"Zabuza Momochi..." Shikamaru read out loud, catching the other's attention immediately.
As it turned out, Team Gai was ambushed twice in the first day of the mission. While the first ambush was nothing to worry out, the second was noteworthy for several reasons.
Zabuza Momochi, A.K.A Demon of the Hidden Mist and member of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, was the one responsible for the second ambush.
The report was excessively detailed; down to every punch, slash and word given. Towards the end of the battle, Gai was close to delivering the final blow, but was interrupted by a hunter-nin that took Zabuza's - supposedly - dead corpse to dispose of him elsewhere.
Considering how most hunter-nin usually dispose the body immediately after a kill, the fact that this particular one took the body away gave Gai enough reason to believe that Zabuza was not dead and he was definitely not working alone.
Shortly after the "hunter-nin" left with Zabuza, Gai collapsed due to his injuries and fatigue from the fight.
Shikamaru explained the report to his teammates over breakfast.
"So we're going to replace them?" Naruto asked as he wiped his mouth with a nearby napkin. The food had come - and gone - during Shikamaru's explanation of the report.
Jiraiya nodded. "Your mission is to take over as a relief team until the bridge is complete."
"Judging from the members of the team, they might not be too happy about having their mission taken away from them." Shino supplied as he looked over the files once again.
"That's to be expected. Their sensei got injured on a mission they were responsible for only to get it taken away? I would be displeased too." Yugao agreed from her end of the table.
A waitress came by and gave Jiraiya a refill, and a wink. The older man smiled, but yelped in pain as Yugao pinched his sides and told him to focus.
He nodded, slightly displeased with the way Yugao acted. "If a fight does happen break out, be the better team and try to defuse the situation before it gets bloody..." He began, earning a surprised smile from Yugao.
"...but if a fight is unavoidable, try not to break them too much." The men of the table smirked while Yugao sighed.
The team chatted for another hour before they left the restaurant.
"Before I forget, someone will be joining you on your mission tomorrow." Jiraiya checked the time.
"Who is it, Jiraiya sensei?" Naruto asked.
"Considering Zabuza hides in mist before attacking, you will need someone with good coverage; a tracker. She goes by the name of Hana Inuzuka." Yugao replied. "She's a talented hunter-nin with exceptional abilities as a tracker."
"Oh, Hana-chan~! She's got it all; looks, legs, and curves in all the right places! Take note Yugao!" Jiraiya had the perverted look in his face once again as he, no doubt, was picturing the Inuzuka girl in one of his lewd fantasies.
Yugao pummeled Jiraiya onto the ground comically with a single fist.
The trio sweat dropped.
"Where do we... Yugao-sensei I think that's enough..." Naruto began, but stopped in order to interrupt the beat down.
He cleared his throat and tried again. "Where do we find her?"
Normally, teams would strategize together before a mission.
"I wouldn't worry about it, Naruto." Yugao said as she rubbed her fist clean. "There will be plenty of time to talk on the way to your destination."
They nodded before walking away after a farewell.
"Can you believe it has been six years, Jiraiya?" Yugao asked with nostalgia as both teachers watched the retreating forms of their students.
"Hard to believe, but yeah I do." Jiraiya placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Do you think they're ready for a mission like this?"
Jiraiya paused for a moment. "No..."
"?"
"I know they're ready."
xxOxx
The trio walked to the park where they first met and sat down on a bench. They were quiet.
After several seconds of silence, Naruto spoke up.
"We should probably get our equipment ready..."
"Yes...we should."
"Yeah, let's do that..."
They sighed, slightly nervous about the following day. They tugged at the hitai-ate around their necks before getting up from the bench. They looked at each once more before going their separate ways to their individual homes.
xxOxx
"Congratulations, Naruto-kun!" Rei welcomed her son home with a hug.
Keima looked at his son and patted his head. "I'm so proud of you, Naruto!"
Naruto smiled.
"We should celebrate!" Rei cheered as she pulled out a rather large bottle of sake from a cabinet.
"I actually have my first mission tomorrow morning, mom and dad..." Naruto explained as he grabbed the bottle and put it back into the cabinet.
"A mission so soon?" His parents asked simultaneously.
Naruto quickly informed them on his mission to Wave.
"I...see..." Rei mumbled as worry began to course through her.
Keima... Well he reacted differently.
"All right! My son is going up against someone so strong so early in life! Your mom and I will help you get prepared!" Keima gave a thumb up.
"H-Hai!" Naruto got caught up with his father's enthusiasm and gave a thumb up as well.
The rest of the day was spent getting everything prepared for Naruto's first mission.
xxOxx
Shikamaru was greeted at the doorstep to his house by his father.
"Look at you, wearing that hitai-ate like a real ninja." Shikaku congratulated his son proudly.
"Thanks dad. Listen, I need to tell you something." The younger Nara replied before he explained the mission he was embarking on the following morning.
Shikaku listened as he sat down next to his son. His mind was contemplating every detail given and came to the conclusion that his son and his friends were nervous.
With his arms crossed, Shikaku gave his son some fatherly input. "You, Naruto and Shino have been together for the past ten years and have been training under Jiraiya for the past six. As far as I'm concerned, if you three work together you'll be more than fine."
Shikamaru nodded at his father's words. Shikaku smiled and place a hand on his son's shoulder.
"Believe in your abilities, Shikamaru. Now come on, I'll help you prepare for tomorrow."
The two Nara men walked inside the house and let Yoshino know what's going on.
xxOxx
Shino was surrounded by the majority of his clan when he returned home; his clan was congratulating him in his successful graduation as a ninja of Konoha.
Shibi, Shino's father, was the last to congratulate the Aburame heir, but nonetheless had the most impact.
"I have a mission tomorrow, father." Shino told his father once they were alone in the main household.
Shibi stayed silent, allowing his son to explain what the mission was about. Pride began to fill inside the older Aburame when he heard who his son was going up against.
"Are you nervous?" Shibi asked his son. The older Aburame's words were carefully placed.
Shino shook his head slowly. A negative.
"To be nervous would mean I would be doubtful of my ability or those of my teammates. I am confident that we will be fine." Shino answered with several pauses scattered here and there.
"But to be against such a notorious ninja like Zabuza will certainly put your skills to the test, would it not?"
His father's words sank like a stone inside Shino's stomach.
"Perhaps..." Shino admitted his discomfort.
Shibi smiled. "It is natural to feel this way in the ninja world, but if you believe in your abilities and the one's of your teammates, then there is nothing to be afraid of."
Shino heeded his father's words and visibly relaxed.
"I am very proud of you son. The whole clan is." Shibi patted Shino's back reassuringly before leaving the younger Aburame's room.
Shino stayed silent in thought after his father left before he began to prepare for the day to come.
The next morning...
(Simultaneous perspective)
The seventeen year old woke up from his slumber, minutes before the alarm clock struck five in the morning. Looking outside the window in his room, he could faintly see his reflection thanks to the light post near his home.
Today was the day, he thought as he rubbed his left arm, the reflection on the window doing the same. His fingers brushed over the tattoo-like word inscribed in his arm.
The word appeared on his and his friend's arms several weeks ago; starting a research binge in the local library lasting more than several hours until they found the origin of the word.
Aeternum - Roughly translates to eternity; always, eternal and forever. This word stems from an ancient language - Latin.
He closed the shades on his window before turning on the lights to his room. He then finally noticed the new outfit hanging on the door knob.
He walked towards the door to examine the new pieces of clothing; obviously a congratulatory gift for becoming a ninja.
After a quick shower, the seventeen year old walked to his room and put on the outfit before examining himself in the mirror.
(Different perspective)
Naruto rubbed his eyes before he checked himself in the mirror.
The outfit was custom tailored for him, he noted as the clothing fit him perfectly; not too tight, but not too loose either.
Starting from the bottom up, on his feet he was now wearing a pair of black combat boots - a thick sole and custom grip underneath designed for both stealth and combat made the boots ninja approved.
Above his feet, he was now wearing a pair of black pants with two knife holsters placed along the waistline within arm's reach. The pants had two pouches on the back and four pockets in the front. He smiled at that, for his parents thought of about his proficiency with the sealing arts; he would have to place a storage seal in each pocket for easy access to his equipment. To finish, his pants had a thin wire frame in between the cloth that served as armor, but also prevented any decrease in flexibility and movement.
For his upper body, there were three pieces of clothing; from the innermost layer to the outermost one he wore the following items:
The innermost layer of clothing was a simple mesh shirt; composed of a thinly woven wire, this shirt was lightweight and breathable. Over the mesh shirt was a black, sleeveless vest composed of lightweight armor with two pouches on each breast. The pouch on the left breast had a red diamond intercepted by a white X in the center - his father's clan insignia - while the pouch on the right breast had the orange swirl design that Naruto's old jumpsuit had on the back. The outermost layer, above the vest, was a dark, thin jacket that fit snug around the blonde.
Naruto smiled at the reflection before he walked towards the door, where his parents were waiting with a proud smile.
"You look stunning, Naruto-kun..." Rei complimented her son, tears in her eyes. She placed her head on Keima's chest, who in turn, wrapped an arm around his wife's waist.
"Make us proud, Naruto." Keima smiled before enveloping their son into a tight hug.
Naruto nodded as he returned the hug.
After a heartfelt farewell, Naruto left towards the rendezvous point.
xxOxx
Shikamaru had just finished taking a shower when he began to change into the new outfit his parents had gotten for him. As he finished putting his hair into his regular style, he glanced at the mirror and looked himself over one more time. He had to admit, this was a new style for him.
The new outfit was designed to benefit Shikamaru's fighting style; long range.
On his feet, Shikamaru was now wearing a lighter version of Naruto's combat boots; reduced weight thanks to the thin sole underneath the boots. While Shikamaru's footwear lacked some of the grip that Naruto's had, it made up for it in terms of maneuverability.
Above his feet was a black pair of straight combat pants designed to cling onto the body to reduce air friction. The pants had several unique attachments to them that made Shikamaru mentally thank his parents. Along the waistline were several small flash bang canisters to be used when an enemy gets too close to him, potentially giving Shikamaru a chance to escape. On each pant leg there were two holsters for his ninja wire, allowing easy access to his tool of choice.
He was wearing two pieces of clothing for his upper body. A black tight-fit long sleeve shirt clung to Shikamaru, allowing for more comfortable strides in case he needed to dodge. Above that was the final piece of clothing; a dark duster coat that reached his ankles. The coat was the bulkiest item in the new outfit and served primarily as a way to shrug off some blows thanks to the padded armor it possessed. Shikamaru could tell this coat was to be used early in a fight but to be removed if the fight were to drag on or when the field of battle was under their control.
'I'll have Naruto place my storage seals on this outfit to get my supplies...' He made a mental note.
As he placed his forehead protector around his neck, he glanced over to the door and was surprised to see his parents there. More specifically, he was surprised to see his father awake. The man loved his sleep and it was rare to see him awake at this hour.
"Who are you and what have you done to my son?" Yoshino joked as she hugged her son in a tight embrace.
Shikamaru couldn't bring himself to roll his eyes. "Very funny, mom. Thank you guys for the new clothes..."
"Don't mention it." Shikaku replied. "...You're a ninja now; you might as well look the part too." He placed a hand on his son's shoulder.
"Be safe, okay, Shika-kun...?" Yoshino hugged her son even tighter.
The young Nara walked out if the house, his parents in the doorway on the porch. He turned, but did not say goodbye or a farewell.
"I'll see you soon, okay?"
The proud parents nodded as they saw their son walk into the darkness on the way to the rendezvous point.
xxOxx
Shino, now refreshed with the recent shower, eyed the new pieces of clothing with an interest gaze. As he began to clothe himself, he felt that, yes, he indeed liked the attire his father had chosen for him.
Gone was the usual, bulky overcoat the Aburame were known for and its place was a custom outfit for the heir of the clan.
Combat boots, black as the night sky, adorned his feet with a hidden blade inside the thick sole made sure Shino not to forget this handy tool.
To match the black boots, Shino was now wearing a pair of black baggy combat pants outfitted with multiple holsters, pouches and pockets. Three holsters in each pant leg - one for a kunai and the other two were for grenades. Along the beltline there were two medium canisters containing flares. Finally, the pants had several hundred concealed holes that served two purposes; for ventilation and as a way to release his kikaichū in a flash.
For his upper body, Shino now wore a black long-sleeve shirt that was slightly longer than it should have been – as it reached about an inch below the pants waistline – and the shirt too had several hundred holes for his kikaichū. Over the shirt was, without a doubt, Shino's favorite piece: a tactical ordinance vest tailored for explosive demolition. The vest reached towards the shoulders and closed all the way down through the chest through straps. The vest itself had five holsters on each side to hold flash grenades, stun grenades, paper bombs, incendiary grenades and standard explosives. Above the holsters were pouches to store more explosive ordinances and smoke bombs. On each shoulder was a single holster made for a blade to be used during close quarter engagements. While it may seem bulky, Shino was pleasantly surprised to discover how lightweight the vest was – even when it was fully loaded with ordinances.
To substitute the over coat that hid half of his face, Shino now wore a dark brown scarf that wrapped around his neck once – concealing everything on his face below the nose.
To top it all off, Shino now had a sleeker pair of sunglasses that were less bulky or goggle-like compared to his previous pair.
'Now all I need is for Naruto to place my storage seals so I can obtain access to the rest of my gear…' Shino thought to himself as he looked at his reflection in the mirror one last time.
His kikaichū had informed him of his father's presence earlier, so he was not surprised to see his father standing at the doorway.
"I assume you like the clothing?" Shibi asked a question he knew the answer to.
"I do, father." Shino nodded. "I have to thank you for getting such a gift for me."
"Do no such thing, Shino." Shibi placed a hand on Shino's shoulder. "You very well deserve this."
The two Aburame, father and son, exchanged words of gratitude to one another for a moment before it was time for Shino to depart.
"I will be waiting for your return, son." Shibi told his son from the doorstep.
Shino nodded as he lifted the scarf above his mouth, under his nose, before he made his way to the rendezvous point.
Front gates of Konoha
"I hope they don't get here late." Hana Inuzuka, hunter-nin of Konoha, muttered with a mixture of concern and agitation as she scratched the head of one of her dogs.
The Inuzuka, known – and feared – for their animalistic ferocity and tracking abilities, were more often than not accompanied by a canine. These dogs are raised from pups to be able to fight alongside ninja, and thus earned the name of nin-dogs.
The other two dogs beside Hana whined, wanting attention as well.
While most Inuzuka had at least one canine companion, Hana was special as she had not one, not two, but three under her command. These triplets are known as the Three Haimaru Brothers. The three dogs fought playfully to see who gets attention from Hana next.
Speaking of Hana, her looks are noteworthy.
Having long brown hair tied into a ponytail – with two locks of hair framing her face – and having large black eyes made Hana a pretty sight to see. Her lips were tinged a light shade from her lipstick contrasted with the fang-like tattoos of her clan on her cheeks.
As for her attire, Hana wore the standard black hunter-class vest, exposing her shoulders and arms. She wore the vest unzipped, exposing some impressive cleavage; underneath the vest she wore a simple black shirt. For her lower body, Hana wore a pair of form fitting shorts cut just above the knee. The standard ninja sandals adorned her feet.
As far as looks went, Hana was a beauty.
A beauty that could track down a man before brutally removing his head from his body within several seconds, but a beauty nonetheless.
As for her current mood, Hana would justify, was due to the fact that she was paired up with three nobodies whose skills were not known.
They were going up against Zabuza freakin' Momochi for Kami's sake; a ruthless killer, and she was paired up with potential scrubs?
She had the right to be concerned.
And a little pissed.
One of the brothers stood up on all fours before barking once, signaling Hana to the arrival of the mysterious team. She looked up and furrowed her brow in thought.
"They at least look capable…" She thought out loud when she saw them over.
"That's not very nice, Inuzuka-san. You don't even know us yet." Naruto replied with mock-pain.
Hana, noticing that she said her first thought out loud, widened her eyes before shaking her head,
"Sorry, sorry about that. Just thinking out loud I guess." She shrugged.
Shikamaru sighed. "Good to know your first thoughts on us, Inuzuka. I have my own first thoughts on you now, y'know?" He rolled his eyes.
Hana raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? What are you trying to say?" She challenged as she exposed a fang.
"Unreliable, pessimistic, annoying…" He stopped himself from smirking when she held back a growl. "…and has a bit of an anger problem. I have more if you want to hear them." He mocked with his arms crossed.
"Why you-!" Hana growled before Shikamaru shrugged.
"Sorry, sorry about that. Just thinking out loud I guess." Shikamaru retorted.
"Oi, Shikamaru…" Naruto scolded his friend.
'Shikamaru, eh?' Hana made sure to only think this time. 'I hate him already.' She refused to let her family urges to show up now as she visibly calmed down.
"Oh?" Shikamaru tilted his head as Hana calmed herself. "Maybe I was wrong about the anger problem?" His tone was dripping with sarcasm.
As for Shikamaru, he was playing a feint at the moment. He needed to evaluate the person who will be with his team on this mission, so he decided to test the Inuzuka. After all, The Inuzuka are known for their short tempers and having one doing rash decisions could cost someone their life on this mission.
The Three Haimaru Brothers growled at the Nara while showing their fangs. He would be lying if he said he wasn't startled at that point, but he held his ground.
Hana glared at Shikamaru and vice versa. Their stares almost formed electricity they were so intense.
Shino stepped in. "Perhaps we should get moving?" The Aburame broke the staring contest, much to Naruto's relief.
Hana pushed her irritation away for the moment. "I agree, but first things first. My name is Hana Inuzuka, hunter-nin and tracker specialist. These three nin-dogs are my companions." She knelt down and scratched the heads of the trio. She introduced herself and was glad to see a response.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, close-range specialist, alchemist and fūinjutsu enthusiast. Pleased to meet you, Inuzuka-san." The blonde introduced himself with a short bow.
"Greeting Inuzuka-san, my name is Shino Aburame; medium-range fighter and demolition specialist."
The two members looked at Shikamaru, who then sighed.
"The name is Shikamaru Nara, long-range fighter-"
"Let's move out." Hana rudely interrupted the Nara as she and her dogs walked out of the village.
Shikamaru looked at his friends before raising his hands and shrugged. Shino let out a fast breath that could be considered an amused laugh. Naruto rolled his eyes but nonetheless laughed.
Before the trio walked out the gates, Naruto placed a paper on to the ground where it then blended on the spot, disappearing from sight. The blonde looked at his friends before nodding simultaneously.
They soon followed the hunter-nin down the road.
"So, Inuzuka-san…" Naruto began as the group took a running start down the path.
"You can call me Hana, Naruto-kun." Hana cut in.
Naruto paused for a bit, but nodded. "As I was saying… Perhaps we should strategize, don't you think so Hana…senpai?" Naruto felt it was odd calling her name by itself, so he added the honorific at the last second.
Hana let out a small laugh. "Senpai? I'm only nineteen!" She smiled. "But I think you're right, Naruto-kun. We should strategize."
"Inuzuka-san-"
"Please call me Hana, Shino-kun. I was never too fond of honorifics." She cut in once again.
"…Hana-senpai, then… You know of Zabuza, correct?" At her nod, he continued. "What is your opinion on engaging him?" Shino asked as he ran alongside her.
She tilted her head. "That sword of his proves to be the biggest threat. Fighting him up close and personal is right out of the question, but if we try and fight at a distance he could set up the mist and that would prove difficult to counter as well." Hana placed her thought out in the open.
"Well then, Hana, how about-"
"Oi, I don't remember giving you permission to use my first name." Hana interrupted Shikamaru once again. The Nara was behind her, and her dogs were to his left, right and behind him; effectively closing him off.
He didn't let that stop him. "As I was saying, our first priority is getting rid of that sword of his, correct?"
She scoffed. "And how do we do that, Nara?"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "If you would have let me finish the first time, you would have found out that my specialty is setting up traps with ninja wire. When he's closed off from all sides, he'll be a sitting duck for my shadow possession jutsu. When he's under my control it'll be goodbye to that sword of his."
"He's not an idiot, so I seriously doubt he'll let himself get trapped, y'know." She replied with a tone.
Shikamaru began to grind his teeth.
Damn this woman!
Shikamaru sighed to let out some steam. Naruto stopped to place another paper onto the ground; repeating the same process from the gates of the village. This caught the Inuzuka's attention.
"Naruto-kun, what are you doing?" Hana asked the blonde several minutes later. The blonde had taken to leaving formation every few hundred feet for several seconds before coming back into position to repeat the process. He had been doing this for the past half hour, peaking Hana's interest in what he was doing.
Naruto looked at his friends, who just shrugged in response. 'Guess there's no harm in letting her know.' He thought.
"I'm setting up some transportation seals on the ground every two hundred feet."
"Oh really? How come?" Hana seemed interested.
"Our gear is stored back home and with these we will be able to move our supplies to my storage seals." A white lie, some things were better left unsaid, after all.
"Most ninja use scrolls to store their equipment, y'know. Wouldn't it be quicker that way?" She countered.
"I see your point, but we never did fancy lugging around a huge scroll for our supplies." Naruto shrugged as he jumped from tree branch to tree branch.
"I see…" She replied curtly, backing off on the subject.
The group was making fast progress towards Wave, meaning if they kept going at the pace they were at, they would reach their destination by noon. While the travel went by smoothly, the opposite could be said about the tension surrounding the group.
Hana would deliberately go out of her way to sass the living hell out of Shikamaru, only to get the same treatment from the Nara vice versa. This bothered Naruto and Shino, for they had never seen their friend act so cold or bothersome before, nor had they seen such a violent reaction occur by anybody other than Yugao when Jiraiya would do something perverted. Was the rest of the mission going to be this way? The two boys glanced at each other and found out that they were thinking the same thing.
"Oi Hana, any reason your dogs keep boxing me in right behind you?" Shikamaru complained.
"They probably think you're an idiot who would get lost if you were on your own!" Hana laughed mockingly.
Shikamaru cursed as he pinched his nose. "Well it smells like mutt all around me, but since I'm downwind from you it wouldn't be fair to blame them, now would it?"
Hana stopped immediately in her tracks causing Shikamaru to do the same. She turned around and snarled, her dogs doing the same. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, but could tell he was in a bad spot; he was surrounded by four snarling creatures that were not too happy with him at the moment. He crossed his arms defiantly.
"Okay, listen here punk…" Hana closed the already small distance between them before jabbing his chest with a clawed finger. "…I'm the Alpha here. I'm in command of this operation from this point on; because your fucking behavior convinced me you're nothing but a goddamn idiot, understand? You will listen to me, do what I say when I say and that will be the end of it, got it?" She growled, face to face with the Nara.
Oh boy, the things Shikamaru could do right now. The Nara stood his ground and was already choosing his words for the next couple of minutes, but behind Hana he saw Naruto shaking his head; advising him to stop before it gets any worse.
"I expect an answer, Nara…" Hana growled menacingly. Her dogs were hunched and ready to jump at a moment's notice.
He narrowed his eyes before gently swatting her finger away from his chest. "Yes, ma'am." His tone was not one of defeat, but it was not a happy one either.
Hana stepped back, let the snarl on her face turn into a frown, and turned around. "Then let's move out. Nara, stay close to me, got it? No further than five feet away." She ordered. Her dogs growled, as if to get Shikamaru to follow her orders.
Shikamaru turned to his teammates and sighed before getting into position to the right of the Inuzuka. Naruto sighed in relief while Shino relaxed.
Shikamaru had to swallow his pride just to make the rest of this mission go by as smoothly as possible.
'You guys owe me one so bad.' Shikamaru thought with exasperation.
For the next couple of hours, Shikamaru had taken the habit of keeping his mouth shut by grinding his teeth. Hana had begun to baby him.
"Oi Nara, don't trip on that rock."
"Oi Nara, what did I say earlier? Stay. Close."
"Oi Nara, I don't remember giving you permission to talk."
God.
Fucking.
Damn.
Shikamaru attempted to calm down by breathing.
"Oi Nara, why are you breathing so hard? Tired already?"
He then tried to pop his fingers to calm down.
"Oi Nara, stop that. You might get hurt.'
He then silently wondered if suicide was acceptable at this point.
"Oi Nara, don't think like that. It's worrisome if you do."
He then tried nothing. Nothing at all, just silence. No loud breathing, no popping joints, nothing.
He did…nothing… for about a minute before she patted his head with her right hand.
"Was that so hard, Shikamaru-kun?" She patted his head several times.
He would never admit that it felt nice that she finally said his first name. He silently wondered if he were to stay quiet she would it again. He seemed excited at the thought. Like when a dog…gets a…treat.
"I'm not a dog, dammit!" Shikamaru yelled as he swatted the hand away from his head. His eye twitched from discovering her plan.
"And it was going along so well, too…" Hana mumbled.
Naruto and Shino hoped they would last until they reached Wave.
xxOxx
Several hours later…
Much to Naruto and Shino's relief, Hana had stopped with the "dog training" – as she called it – but continued to enforce the distance rule until they finally arrived at Wave in the afternoon.
Wave was not what the trio expected it to be in all honesty. The little village was supposed to be a trading paradise – yet it looked run down and abandoned if any of the beggars and homeless had anything to say about it. In the first couple of minutes of being in the village, the group had already caught several pickpockets – mostly children – attempting to rob them of their loot. With a stern scold, the group sent the children away.
"What a depressing place." Shino commented as they walked towards the center of the village.
"Pretty sad, right?" Hana added. "This place used to be different, from what I've heard at least."
Hana then explained a crash history lesson on the Land of Waves. As it turned out, this place used to be luxurious – economically speaking. Massive amounts of trade from around the known world happened here thanks to its location, making the people here wealthy and happy. But that was before a certain corporation came and monopolized the area, shut down the harbors and in doing so, eradicated most of the village's income; causing it to go under a spiraling depression.
The corporation responsible for all this was known as Gatō's Company, a multi-billionaire shipping and trade organization. The company was named after the man who owned the company; Gatō, a corrupt, greedy business man who uses brute force – in the shape of mercenaries he hires – to get his way. No doubt illegal activities were being done behind the cover of a shipping company, but that was not the trio's concern for the moment.
The information Hana provided was somewhat trivial for the trio since they had already informed themselves earlier in the morning, but they at least were able to confirm why Tazuna was being targeted; a bridge would open land trading routes for Wave while simultaneously hurting Gatō's business.
"So what do we do now, Hana-senpai?" Naruto asked as he kicked a can into an alley nearby. "Do we find Team Gai to relief them of their duty, or should we wait?"
Hana looked around before replying. "More than likely Team Gai is with Tazuna right now. I think telling them now could result in violence, considering that Gai is still recuperating in Tazuna's home."
"So we will have to wait." Shino concluded, to which Hana nodded.
"That's right. Anyways…" Hana began by grabbing Shikamaru's ear.
"Ow! What the hell are you doing?!" The Nara complained from the tugging.
"…We're off to scout the area nearby for anything suspicious. Meet back here tonight, understood?" Naruto and Shino nodded. "Come on Nara, let's get a move on." She tugged harder on Shikamaru's ear, pulling him along.
"Agh, guys help me out!" He called out. Naruto waved awkwardly as did Shino.
Once Hana and her posse had left the area, Naruto chuckled. "You didn't have to be such a dick to her Shikamaru. I'm pretty sure she hates you." Naruto said out loud before the real Shikamaru appeared from the alley where Naruto kicked the can earlier. Shikamaru had made a clone during the time Hana was talking about the history of Wave and switched places with it without getting caught.
"I really don't care at the moment, Naruto." He groaned. "Can you set up my storages seals on my clothes?" Shikamaru sighed, a headache returning back to him.
"And while you are at it, Naruto, could you do mine as well?" Shino agreed.
The blonde nodded as he opened the right pouch on the back of his pants, revealing several dozen seals. The setup was simple when it came to placing the storage seals on clothing. All Naruto had to do was press the seal on the desired spot and bound both – seal and spot – together using chakra. From then on, the seal would be permanently infused with the clothing.
For Shino, Naruto placed a total of thirty-six storage seals containing the Aburame's surplus amount of equipment. Ten on each arm sleeve, one on each of the insides of the shirt's sleeves – parallel to his wrists – and the rest were scattered on his lower body.
As for Shikamaru, a total of twenty-eight seals were placed around his clothing. Four seals went on each pant leg right next to the ninja wire holsters, five were placed on the outside of his coat – two on the chest, two on each pocket and the last one was underneath the neck collar of the coat. The rest of the seals were spread amongst the sleeves of his shirt in similar style to those of Shino's.
Naruto had a fair amount of seals on his clothing – about twelve. Four of them were used for his pockets – one for each pocket – and two were used for the pouches on the back of his pants – one for each pouch. The other six were dotted across his arms and chest areas.
Once the trio had their storage seals back in their place, they sat down on a bench where they decided on the next objective.
The center of the village was just about empty – despite it being early in the afternoon.
"I guess we could begin placing them now." Naruto suggested.
Shino nodded. "There is not much else we can do at the moment."
"Let's get it over and done with, then." Shikamaru nodded.
Naruto removed his hitai-ate from around his neck and placed a hand on the fabric on the backside of it.
A seal Naruto had placed the night before began to glow as three compressed stacks of paper popped out. Naruto handed his friends a stack each.
Naruto removed a single piece of paper from the stack and placed it onto the ground beneath them, where it flashed a faint light once before disappearing. Naruto looked at his friends.
"Let's cover the majority of this island to be safe. Remember, ninety feet of one another." The blonde explained as several dozen clones were created to divide the work.
These seals were Naruto's pride and joy, the result of two years of research, practice and dedication.
Teleportation seals.
These babies were modeled after the Yondaime's own designed that earned him the title "Yellow Flash" during the war. While the Yondaime's original design was far too advanced for Naruto to try and mimic, the blonde created the next best thing. You see, the Yondaime's design allowed him to teleport wherever the seal was, regardless of distance; while Naruto's design, on the other hand, allowed for the same teleportation but only within one hundred feet of the closest seal. For example, a seal would create a circle – hypothetically speaking – with a radius of one hundred feet around the seal, meaning that Naruto, Shino and Shikamaru could teleport wherever they wanted within that radius. Now, the trio was placing the seals within ninety feet of each other, what that means is that the teleportation radius' would interconnect, allowing for instant teleportation anywhere they chose to in the village.
Naruto had been mass producing these seals for the past two weeks using clones, and now was the time to use them.
For the entirety of the afternoon until sun down, the trio had been busy coating the entire village with the teleportation seals.
xxOxx
Nightfall, center of the village…
Shikamaru chuckled.
"What's so funny, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked with a small smile on his lips.
"My clone dispelled itself in front of the Inuzuka in the best way possible." He laughed once more.
"How so?" Shino was now interested.
"He…" Shikamaru chuckled. "He jumped away from her and yelled 'I can't deal with this anymore!' before stabbing himself in the throat with a kunai." He laughed once again. "Her shocked expression was hilarious!"
Naruto laughed. "That's fucked up, Shikamaru."
"I agree." Shino shrugged, but still had an amused tone.
"Nara you bastard!" Hana yelled as she came running from the rooftops. She pounced from the nearest rooftop but missed when Shikamaru rolled out of the way.
"What?" Shikamaru replied. "You were done scouting and my clone had enough." He tried to rationalize, but his words didn't even sound convincing.
"That scared the hell out of me, bastard!" She swiped at him, but he dodged a second before she made contact.
Naruto and Shino instantly got into a defensive position in front of Shikamaru.
"That was an attack, if I ever saw one Inuzuka-san." Shino warned as his kikaichū appeared on his hands.
"Calm down, Hana-senpai." Naruto warned as well.
In the ninja world, there were two types of attacks, the serious ones that cause physical damage and the not so serious ones that look painful but are not – usually from a female punishing her male friends for when they do something stupid. There was a not-so thin line between an attack and a friendly attack, but most males can tell the difference.
Hana was aiming to seriously hurt Shikamaru.
"Are you kidding me?! A couple of brats like you won't even stand a chance against my companions!" Hana growled, her family urges finally kicking in.
"Only one way to find out." Shino challenged.
"Step down, Hana-senpai!" Naruto tried to defuse the situation.
"Sic 'em!" Hana pointed a finger towards the trio, causing her dogs to charge right at them.
Naruto and Shino got into a fighting position as the Haimaru brothers closed in, Hana right behind them.
"Hana-senpai, stay down!" Naruto warned for the last time as he made the proper hand signs for a jutsu. He inhaled.
Naruto and Shino were face to face with an angry Inuzuka and her dogs when they found out they couldn't move.
Shikamaru was behind them, his shadow outstretched towards them. "Shadow possession; success." He said as he relaxed.
Hana and her dogs were stuck in place several inches away from Naruto and Shino.
"Damn, that escalated too freaking quickly, don't you guys think so?" Shikamaru joked. Naruto and Shino were then released from Shikamaru's jutsu.
Naruto was tense but soon relaxed. "Yeah, I guess it did." He tried to laugh but couldn't bring himself to it.
Shino shook his head.
"W-What are you doing?!" Hana muttered through clenched teeth as she tried to fight the jutsu.
"You tried to attack me, and my teammates defended me, but before you guys fought I stopped you." Shikamaru did a small, unnecessary recap.
"You stupid mother-"
"Calm down, Hana. If you don't I'll be forced to knock you out." Shikamaru cut in as he sat down before the frozen Inuzuka.
Hana was growling in irritation.
"I'm sorry."
Hana was surprised at the sudden apology.
Shikamaru realized this went on for too long and decided to take responsibility.
"The reason I have been acting this way – like an asshole, I mean – is because I needed to find out whether you were going to be a hindrance on this mission or a helpful hand." He explained. "This is my team's first mission and it's up against Zabuza Momochi, I couldn't take a risk and instantly trust you."
"C-Cause of my f-family…" She muttered.
"Unfortunately that seems to be the case." Shikamaru nodded. "It was an unfair assumption that you were like the rest of your family, but I needed to find out."
He slowly began to let his jutsu release the Inuzuka.
"And I guess you have your answer, huh?" Hana sighed. She let her family urges take over; something she truly disliked.
"It was my fault you got this angry in the first place, so you're not the only one wrong here." The Nara admitted with a shrug. He got up from his seated position.
"As far as things go, I think I can trust you."
Hana looked up at the boy with confusion.
"What?"
"You lasted an entire day with me being an ass, and I guess that has to be pretty impressive for an Inuzuka."
Hana stayed silent before Shikamaru shrugged and looked around. Several people had gathered due to all the noise.
"How about we all pretend that this particular standoff never happened?" Shikamaru looked at his friends, Naruto nodded immediately while Shino took a moment to agree. Hana sighed.
"There usually aren't any second chances in the ninja world, Nara."
"Then be glad you have this one, Inuzuka." Shikamaru offered his hand. "Water under the bridge?"
Hana looked at his hand for a moment before accepting it with her own. "Fine, but that doesn't change the fact that you are a disrespectful prick."
"And it doesn't change the fact that you are a nagging woman with an anger problem." Shikamaru retorted, the pressure from their handshake could break diamond as they glared at one another.
"Did anything even change between those two?" Naruto sighed as he face-palmed.
"Probably not." Shino added.
After that, the group decided it was time for them to make an appearance in Tazuna's home.
As they walked to the house, Naruto tried to make conversation. "How do you think the team will react to us showing up, Hana-senpai?"
"Hard to say. I'd like to say they'll act professional and back down willingly, but not all ninja are like that." The Inuzuka tilted her head towards Shikamaru as she said that.
"I don't even have to look to know that you're using me as an example, Inuzuka." Shikamaru grumbled.
Before the two could argue, the group arrived at Tazuna's doorstep.
"Let me handle this, okay?" Hana knocked on the door.
Several seconds passed before a young woman answered the door. "Hello? Who might you be?" The woman asked, partly behind the wooden door.
"Good evening, we're sorry to interrupt but we would like to have a moment with the team currently protecting Tazuna." Seeing the increasing suspicion across the woman's face, Hana motioned to her hitai-ate. "There's no need to worry, miss. We too are from Konoha, simply here to discuss the current mission with the team."
The woman sighed with relief before fully opening the door.
"Then please, come on in, we're in the middle of dinner. Would you care to join us?" She kindly offered.
Hana was this close to politely declining the offer when a stomach began to grumble loudly.
"Hana-senpai!" Shikamaru took the opportunity to make fun of the girl. "You shouldn't be so modest if you're that hungry!" He patted the older girl's back. "We would love to join you for dinner, miss…"
"Oh, you can call me Tsunami."
"…Tsunami-san, then. We would be happy to join." The Nara finished as he walked past an embarrassed Inuzuka. "Come now, Inuzuka. Let's go eat." The smirk never left his face.
Naruto laughed nervously as he walked in next, embarrassed by the fact that it was his stomach that grumbled. Shino walked in behind the blonde, his grin hidden behind his scarf.
Tsunami looked at Hana with a sympathetic smile, brightening the blush on Hana's face. "It must be difficult everywhere, I suppose. Come in, Inuzuka-san, let's sate that appetite, hm?" She grabbed the Inuzuka by the hand and pulled her inside the house.
Once inside the home, the group walked towards the dining room, catching the attention of those seated. Shino scanned the area. Gai was seated on the far left, his student Rock Lee was seated to the left of his sensei, followed by a small boy on Lee's left, to the left of the small boy was Tenten and to her left was Neji Hyūga – who was seated to the right of Tazuna.
"Good evening." Hana greeted the table, but got no response for the moment.
"Who…who are you guys?" Tenten placed her chopsticks down to get a better look of the group before her.
"We're…" Hana began but was cut off.
"We are the relief team that will be taking your place in this mission. Nice to meet you." Shikamaru's blunt honesty made everyone's – except for Gai's – jaw drop.
Naruto sighed.
Shino shrugged.
The trio walked past the utterly stunned Inuzuka before sitting themselves down at the table. They picked up a pair of chopsticks before simultaneously speaking.
"Itadakimasu."
Chapter End
This is where the story officially begins in terms of plot advancement! Are you guys excited to see how the team fights? How do you guys think the story is going so far? Questions, comments, concerns? Please leave a review and let me know!
Thank you for reading, and as always, have a good day.
-TheRedGhillie
P.S
Omake ahead! :)
The pervy sage and his three assistants!
"No, no, no! You have it all wrong!" Jiraiya scolded his fifteen year old students.
"What did we do wrong, Jiraiya-sama?" Naruko – Naruto's bikini clad female form – asked seductively, her impressive breasts slightly lifted with every tired breath.
"That's the problem!" Jiraiya scolded his student – despite having a nosebleed. "This new character is not slutty!"
"D-Don't yell at Naruko-chan like that, J-Jiraiya-sama!" Shikimaru – Shikamaru's scantily clad female form – defended her friend as she hugged her, their breasts rubbing together from the close proximity.
"Shikimaru-chan, I…" Naruko blushed heavily.
Jiraiya dropped on the floor as a stream of blood escaped from his nose. He recovered quickly, however. "No, this still isn't right!"
He paced in front of his students. "This character is cute, innocent and pure with the right amount of sex appeal to attract a new range of customers!" Jiraiya had asked his students – who had just learned a new technique for pranking – to be his assistants in finding a new character for his books.
Jiraiya paced once more before noticing Shino standing there normally. "Shino? Why haven't you transformed yet?" The older man asked the Aburame.
Shino kicked a pebble on the ground, causing it to skid a few feet. "It is quite embarrassing, Jiraiya-sensei…"He admitted after a moment's pause.
Naruko quickly stood up before jabbing Shino's chest with a finger. "Damn right it is, Shino! We did it, but you haven't! How is that fair?!" Naruko growled. Shikimaru agreed with a curt nod of her head.
Shino sighed. They were right, Shino thought, what kind of friend would he be if he didn't join them in their embarrassment now?
He made the hand sign necessary for the transformation. He inhaled before he was enveloped in a white smoke. As the smoke cleared, Shino was no more; in his place stood Shiko, his female form. Wearing a form fitting version of the regular Aburame coat that just barely covered about an inch below the hips – and not much else – Shiko pulled her coat downwards as if to try and hide her nice long legs. Her hair was different from her male form, as it was long and wavy and reached to her back. The coat was zipped up, but managed to give the shape of her breasts – a decent B-cup. To complete the innocent look, Shiko was wearing striped panties that could only be slightly seen from the right angle.
"D-D-Don't l-look, J-J-Jiraiya-sama…!" Shiko stuttered in pure embarrassment, as she wiggled her legs in an attempt to disappear.
Naruko let out a shrill "Kyaaa!" before glomping Shiko. Shikimaru couldn't help but do the same.
And as for Jiraiya, you may ask?
He was on the ground.
Bleeding profusely.
Leaving a large pool of blood around his unconscious form.
The trio looked at their sensei before dispelling the transformation.
"Speak of this to no one." Shino threatened before walking away.
Naruto and Shikamaru couldn't help but laugh out loud before following the Aburame.
"You're so cute, Shiko-chan!"
Omake end