"Where's Naruto at?" Sasuke asks as he walks into the bunks where Shikamaru is laying and Neji is shining his boots.
"Base gym, what do you need?" Shikamaru responds.
"He's gotta report to command." He answers, getting both men to stand up with a look of concern.
"What? Why, what happened?" Neji asks.
"I don't know, Sarge asked me if I knew where he was, I said not off the top of my head, and he said to find him and send him to speak with command."
"Who's in trouble?" Naruto comes in while wiping the sweat off his face.
"Command wants to have a word with you. And before you ask, I don't know what for."
"Welp, wish me luck I guess." He grins before grabbing a sandy brown shirt with USMC on the front and leaves.
"What do you guys think it is?" Neji asks as he sits back down.
"I hope his childhood doesn't come back to bite him." Shikamaru answers as Naruto arrives at the command center,
"ID." One of the security guards stops him, so Naruto gives him his photo ID. "Colonel Owens is waiting for you in his office. Head on up."
"Thank you." He heads in and is in awe of the technology at work, as he finds himself getting lost.
"Private Uzumaki." Naruto turns to see the Colonel standing at a doorway.
"Colonel Owens, it's an honor to make your acquaintance." Naruto says as he puts his hand out to shake.
"Likewise Private, come in." Naruto is waved into the room and the Colonel closes the door behind him. "Have a seat Marine. Now, I've received this letter from one Lieutenant Maka Alburn from the Army, she had great things to say. Says you saved her life."
"I was just doing what any other soldier or marine would have done sir."
"I understand but still. She also said that you show promise."
"Promise for what?"
"To lead, both times she has worked with you, she saw something in you that she thinks could translate well to a leadership role."
"And what might that be sir?"
"Bravery."
"I am a fighter sir."
"Listen, I want to give you a chance to prove her right. Have you heard of Jazaar Allah?"
"I think I overheard some of the Army guys talk about him, which translates to, God's Butcher right?"
"Correct, his real name is Malik Abdullah. We know where he is, and we have a team, two recon as overwatch, four riflemen, and a heavy gunner."
"Best of luck to them."
"They need an eighth man, you in Private?" He grabs a cigarette and puts it in his mouth and Naruto thinks for a second.
"I'm your man."
"Glad to hear, get your gear and head to brief." Naruto gets up and gives a quick salute before rushing to the armory, running past the other three who are carrying boxes of supplies.
"What happened?" Shikamaru asks, but he doesn't answer.
"Looks like he's in a rush." Neji adds.
"What for?" Sasuke cocks his head to the side.
"Maybe he gets to go home for a bit?" Shikamaru says before they return to the task they were doing. "Whatever, let's get this shit done."
"Heard." Sasuke responds and they move the supplies to where they need to go. After that it was time for chow. The three sit down as they normally would, just without Naruto to Sasuke's left. "What y'all get?"
"They had some meatloaf, kinda mushy. But not that bad." Neji answers.
"Pizza, kinda shocked." Shikamaru adds.
"You know, this kinda reminds me of when we first met Naruto, ya know." Sasuke says with a chuckle.
"Oh yeah, he did come in at lunch didn't he?" Shikamaru asks.
"Yeah, they had to talk to him about the whole, kids picked on him so he fought back so he's the bad guy, shit he dealt with at other schools." Neji answers.
FLASHBACK
The three boys, about right to nine years old at this time, sit down at a lunchroom table.
"No girls trying to crush you to death today Sasuke?" Child Shikamaru asks.
"Nope, I told them he's coming."
"Your brother? I thought he was on the other side of the world." Neji responds.
"He leaves for Afghanistan tomorrow, so I won't be here by the way, so he said he would come up around lunch time and we could hang out one more time before he leaves."
"We get to eat lunch with an Army Ranger. Now that's cool." Shikamaru says and he and Neji look at one another and nod before the former looks into his brown paper bag and pulls out a smashed sandwich. "And I got a ham and cheese sandwich." He says as he unwraps it.
"So is Itachi bringing you something?"
"Yeah."
"Hey there guys." They turn to see a man with short black hair and an olive green Army shirt carrying a bag of McDonald's. Sasuke gives him a hug.
"So are you gonna get the guy that hit the towers and the Pentagon?" Neji asks. "Cause my mom told me that's why Dad's over there now."
"Well, we're after the mastermind, but yes. Hopefully we get him quickly so we don't end up there when you guys are old enough to enlist." Itachi answers.
"Well, with you going over there, it will be." Sasuke says between bits of his burger.
"I'm not the only guy going over there Sasuke."
"Yeah, but you're the best hunter in the family, dad even said so."
"Just because I'm a good hunter doesn't mean I'll be a good soldier." He says with a little smile before noticing a blonde haired kid sitting alone a few tables away, reading something. "Who's that?"
"I don't know." Sasuke answers.
"I forgot his name, but Hinata met him when she showed up late from sleeping in. Apparently he's not a good kid. Beat some kid up pretty bad at his previous school. Apparently that kid was bullying him." Neji said.
"How do you know that?"
"Hinata told me when we got out for lunch."
"Maybe all he needs is some friends." Itachi says, looking at his little brother.
"Mom and dad probably wouldn't like it if I was friends with someone like that."
"Tell them you were being nice to him as a new kid. Besides, that's what they taught us, right?"
"I don't know." Sasuke looks over to the boy sitting alone as an empty milk carton bounces off his head and a few kids laugh as he clinces his fist.
"I'll be back." He stands up, grabs a burger from the back, and walks over to him and sits next to him.
"What do you think he's saying?" Shikamaru asks as everyone looks on at someone being nice to the kid. He points to the three before shaking his hand and returning to them, without the burger.
"What happened?" Sasuke asked his brother.
"He seems like a good kid."
"What was he doing anyway, he didn't look like he had food?"
"He was reading a book about Chesty Puller. Do you guys know who that is?"
"A famous Marine." Neji chirps.
"That's right."
"You only knew that because your dad's one." Shikamaru jokes.
"So."
"What was that assignment all of your classes are doing again?"
"Write a paper on the person or people we look up to the most. Remember when I asked you and dad those questions?" Sasuke answers.
"A lot of kids are doing it on their parents." Shikamaru adds as the bell rings for the end of lunch.
"Looks like that's my que, good to see you guys."
"Why not hang out some more?" Sasuke asks, grabbing his brother's arm.
"Mom and Dad want me to grab stuff from the store."
"Oh right, the thing."
"What thing?"
"You'll see. Well, bye bro."
"See you later buddy." Itachi leaves and the kids head outside. Shikamaru grabs a basketball and passes it to Neji.
"You wanna shoot hoops? Alright then." Neji says as he shoots a shot that bangs off the rim. "Guess I got a better shot joining the Panthers over the Hornets." He jokes as Sasuke grabs the rebound. He shoots and unlike Neji, makes it. He grabs the ball and tosses it to Shikamaru and he notices the new kid with a few kids hovering around him as he tries to read his book, but one of the kids knocks it out of his hands.
"Go on freek, pick it up." He kneels down to grab it, but the main bully kicks him in the chest and steps on the book as he and the other kids giggle as they walk away, with some of the other boys kicking him as they follow. The three run over to him as well as a girl, a man in all black and a woman in a nun outfit.
"What happened?" The man asked as he helped the boy to a seated position.
"Some kids were picking on him." Sasuke answers.
"They even kicked him and ruined his book." Shikamaru adds as the girl picks it up and hands it to the man
"And you didn't fight back?"
"Sister, violence shouldn't be the answer."
"I know Father, but you know as well as I do that would have been self defense."
"And that's exactly how he ended up in this predicament to begin with. Look Teresa, I understand that he needs to defend himself, but the schools only care about the after, and he always stands tall in the end. Come Naruto, we're leaving." The man puts his hand on his shoulder and the two as well as the nun walk away. Sasuke turns to see the kids that started everything giggling and mockingly waving goodbye and that's when he starts running their way.
END FLASHBACK
Sasuke quickly jogs into a room where one of the NCO'S is waiting.
"Private First Class Sasuke Uchiha, reporting sir." He snaps a salute before being waved to sit.
"Sit Private. Tell me, how do you know Uzumaki?"
"We're old friends sir, joined the corps together."
"Would you say he has the making of a great Marine?"
"Without a doubt. He's a great guy, had a rough childhood, that made him want to be a Devil Dog."
"So you have nothing but good things to say, correct?" Sasuke nods.
"Yes sir, may I ask why you're asking me this?"
"No." The NCO answers. "You're dismissed." Sasuke leaves and as he leaves, he sees someone with an M16 hopping onto a chopper.
"Oh shit." He runs over to see said man has three scars on each cheek. "What's happening?"
"We got the location of Jazaar Allah. A team's being sent in for a snatch and grab."One of the Marines answers.
"SASUKE, COME HERE."Shikamaru yells and he runs over to him. "We're on standby, get ready."
"Does that involve them?" He asks as he points to the helos as they take off.
"If it's about some butcher then yeah." They run off to get ready as they enter the armory, Neji double checks his M249.
"So much for taking a breather huh?"
"We had a few days RnR." Sasuke answers as he grabs the M14 EBR.
"Better than last time if you ask me. That was only a day between missions." Shikamaru adds as he slings the M4 Benelli over his shoulder. "Not only that, but we might not even be needed."
"You say that makes it more likely we're gonna be needed. Also they let you keep that?" Neji asks, pointing to the shotgun.
"I know right." He responds with a grin as he gets his medkit on his hip, opposite his sidearm.
"Say, where's Naruto at?" Neji asks as two choppers fly.
"Thanks for volunteering Private." The Lieutenant says as he looks at Naruto.
"Not a problem, I'm happy to help out anyway I can sir." Naruto responded.
"Antique collector are we?" One of the others asks, pointing to the M16 on Naruto's lap.
"At least it ain't from the sixties, it's the A4 model."
"Still, it's like 20 years old, I know we use the Army's hand me downs but fuck." Someone else chirps. Few minutes later they arrive at a compound, which looks to be one floor with something, or somebody, hanging like some kind of sickening decor at the door as they land. One guy gulps as he looks at the poor corpse.
"Eyes up pal." Naruto says as they stack up on both sides of the door. The LT knocks on his helmet as someone with a breaching hammer walks up, he hits the door and is met with gunfire from inside and the Marine falls straight down.
"Shit, Sargeant." The lieutenant says as he reaches to grab him quickly, but a round hits his neck and he two slumps down. Naruto grabs a flash bang and tosses it in, it goes off and he peeks in and takes out the insurgent on the gun that took out the Sergeant and Lieutenant by firing a burst into his chest. He swings and sees nothing.
"Clear." He says and the other three men still alive come in and check the rest of the building."
"All clear." Someone shouts.
"Not quite, I think I found something." Naruto shouts back and the team gathers at a rug. Naruto pulls it away and finds a trap door "Corporal, what's the call?" Naruto asks as the man that was behind the Lieutenant wipes his brow.
"What? Why are you asking me?"
"You're the highest rank here. Your call Dave." One of the others says and he looks around trembling.
"I can't."
"What do you mean? Sarge and the Lieutenant are dead." Another says, but he points to Naruto.
"You do it."
"The fuck?"
"I ain't doing this, I wanna go home."
"O-okay then, but you are still."
"Get off your ass." Naruto says before checking his ammo. "Make yourself fucking useful and cover the door." Naruto turns and grabs the door. "Get a muzzle on the door." Someone covers as Naruto lifts it up and finds a ladder. "Overlord this is Whiskey-6, Whiskey-1 and Whiskey-2 are dead, Whiskey-3 is none co-operative in taking the lead and we got what looks to be some kind of underground system."
"Copy that Whiskey-6, find Abdula, take a man with you and leave Whiskey-3 and the other man top side to cover your six."
"Copy that." Naruto looks over to the three others with a grin. "Who wants to go spelunking with me?"