Shinobi from Konoha

ONE HOUR LATER, THE VILLAGE GATE

As the sun began to rise over the horizon, the young ninja Naruto sprinted towards the Gate of Kumo, his heart racing with excitement and anticipation for what was to come. With his keen senses and lightning-fast reflexes, he was the first to arrive at the gate. Behind him, Darui followed suit; his muscular frame leaned against a nearby tree. As the two waited for the rest of their Team to arrive, Darui decided this was the perfect opportunity to finally speak with his blonde pupil.

Darui abruptly said, "What are you not telling me, Naruto?"

"Darui Sensei, what do you mean?"

"Pardon me if I'm harsh, but the Raikage informed me you already know about your...Burden."

The Elite Jonin noted Naruto's careless response, "Yes. I do."

"Look, I want you to know I'm not one of those jerks. I actually like you, Kiddo, and even I can tell the difference between glass and water, but I only see you as Naruto. And don't tell the others, but I think you're my second favorite student," Darui confessed with a warm smile.

"Second Favourite!" Naruto exclaimed, smirking. "Jeez, I wonder who is the lucky one to be the first, possibly a certain Omoi," he speculated.

"Despite that, Darui Sensei, you're a great instructor," Naruto responded.

".....I'm not really a good man, kiddo. Specifically, I'm not really a good son. After my father died...I had a 'disagreement' with Mom. We argued a lot, and eventually, it led me to leave the village for a while to pursue my own personal interest. But to this day...I still remember how hurt Mom was when I left," Darui said, his voice tinged with guilt.

"I see. Do you have any regrets?" Naruto said.

"Of course, Kiddo," Darui remarked, "but it wasn't all for nothing. I learned how to use Black Lightning; that alone put me in the S Rank. Plus, I managed to EARN my reputation as one of Kumo's Elite Ninjas. Hell, I even have a 55 million Ryo bounty on my head."

"55 million?! Who did you piss off?" Naruto exclaimed, surprised to learn that his Sensei was most likely in every bounty hunter's Bingo Book.

"Hahaha, Naruto, it's a Black-Market Bounty. Plus, I've made A LOT of enemies over the years, so anyone's guess who put it up right now. But...I'm a bit proud, huh? The more I'm worth, the more Badass I am, right?" Darui stated with a smug grin.

With a deadpan expression, Naruto said, "Why do I believe that bounty could get you in trouble someday?"

With a laid-back tone, Darui remarked, "Oh, Come on, Kiddo, you're just being worried."

"WE'RE HERE! WE'RE HERE! SORRY WE'RE LATE!" exclaimed Yugito, panting as she and Omoi approached the village gate.

With a heavy groan, Omoi muttered, "Apparently, my mother won't stop worrying about the 'potential hazards' beyond the village. What a nuisance."

"Well, you're here now, so that's all that counts; the Land of Tea is a one-day journey, but let's see if we can get there sooner. Let's go," Darui stated as he led his group out of Kumo's gates.

"YEAH! FINALLY! A MISSION OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE!" said Yugito, relieved they had finally left their home.

Omoi muttered tiredly, "Disastrous, it's going to be a long week."

"Are you thrilled, Naruto-kun? This is our first trip out of the village?" Yugito said of her blonde companion.

"You bet," Naruto teased his lover, "and don't worry, I'll keep you all safe, and I'll personally make sure to keep you warm at night."

Yugito blushed profusely as a result of this. Pondering how he could keep her warm.

They then started their journey to the Tea Land. As the members of Team 10 made their way to their client's house, they found themselves strolling through an idyllic neighborhood with quaint storefronts and charming houses. As they walked, they noticed a little Tea House nestled between two buildings, and the aroma of freshly brewed tea and savory food wafted out onto the street, tantalizing their senses. Intrigued by the cozy atmosphere and mouth-watering scents, the team decided to take a lunch break and recharge before continuing on their journey.

Yugito, with a curious expression on her face, directed her question towards Darui-sensei, "Why would the land of Tea hire us?" she asked. She paused for a moment before continuing, "I mean, I'm sure hiring Konoha Shinobi would actually be cheaper, isn't it?" Her mind was racing with thoughts, trying to make sense of the situation. She wondered what could be the reason behind the Land of Tea's decision to hire them instead of the shinobi from their own land.

"Well. I'm actually not sure. Hiring Konoha Team would be much cheaper." Darui answered, already thinking of asking Jiogo once they met.

As the four Kumo shinobi entered the restaurant, the aroma of steaming hot dishes filled their senses. With a quick glance around the room, they spotted a vacant table and made their way toward it. As they sat down and settled in, their hungry stomachs growled in agreement. Without wasting any time, they beckoned the waiter over and placed their orders. Naruto, with a sweet tooth, opted for the delectable sweetness of the Sweet Bean Soup, while Yugito, the lover of savory flavors, requested the juicy and scrumptious Dumplings. Omoi, on the other hand, chose to indulge in the simplicity of just Jelly. Darui had just placed an order for the shop's specialty tea.

But, unknown to the four, a young guy sitting across from them, who was gritting his teeth and gazing daggers at them the instant he noticed their headbands.

'Ninja from the Hidden Lightning Village,' the young guy said, his voice tinged with hate.

As he stood up, the young guy walked gently up to the table of the four Kumo shinobis to speak his bit.

With a smug tone, the young guy added, "Having sweet bean soup while it's so pleasant outdoors. The Ninja profession really is carefree today."

"What are you trying to Say?" Naruto queried the stranger, his eyes narrowing.

"Things must be pretty tranquil in Kumo, judging by the thick-looking folks like you all," the young man replied, his grin widening even further.

"All right, friend, I'm going to ask you to go right now," Naruto stated calmly. He was no longer bothered by petty remarks from dumb individuals.

"Who the heck do you think you are?" asked Yugito.

When the young guy observed Yugito, "Hey, I didn't realize there was such a sweetie here; I take back my prior statement."

As Yugito gazed upon him with a blank expression, she couldn't help but feel unimpressed and almost insulted by his attempts to charm her. Despite his efforts to win her over, his approach was far from effective, leaving her with the impression that he was, in fact, quite the ass.

"I'm Idate, Idate Morino," the now-identified Idate adds seductively as he continues to flirt with the gorgeous blonde female. "What's your name, young lady?"

'Morino? Isn't that...' Darui wondered since the surname was one he recognized.

"Yugito Nii," she answered with an eye roll.

"Yugito huh....that's a lovely name," Idate adds with a smile. "Well, since destiny has brought us together, isn't it time we spoke about our future?"

"Not even a grandma would be seduced by your words," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. She had hoped that her words would be enough to convince him to walk away, but as she watched him, she could see that they had only served to further stoke his determination. Despite her best efforts, he remained steadfast in his pursuit of her, refusing to be deterred by her cutting words.

As Idate prepared to lean in closer, his eyes locked onto Yugito's, admiring their deep, captivating shade of blue. However, in an instant, Yugito had grown tired of Idate's advances, and with a swift, forceful motion, she delivered a powerful kick to his stomach. The impact was so intense that Idate immediately lost his balance, falling to his knees while gasping for air. The pain radiating from his stomach was excruciating, causing him to double over and clutch his abdomen tightly.

With a smirk on his face, Naruto confidently interjected, "If I were you, I'd advise against pursuing my girlfriend any further, my friend. She has a bit of a distaste for gentlemen with outlandish hairstyles." Yugito stood beside Naruto, gleefully nodding in agreement as Idate's eyes widened in shock.

As Idate glared at the two looming over him, he could feel the searing pain radiating from his stomach where he had just taken a brutal kick. His muscles tensed as he struggled to stand up, fighting against the dizziness that threatened to overcome him. Waves of nausea rolled over him, threatening to spill the contents of his stomach onto the ground, but somehow he managed to hold himself together, gritting his teeth through the agony as he tried to steady his breathing.

"N-nice Kick. Don't worry, I'm only joking, but the rest of it isn't a joke. If there's one thing I can't abide by, it's a NINJA. If you keep roaming about the Land of Tea, there WILL be problems," Idate remarked with venom in his voice.

Darui's eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on the young boy standing before him. His voice was calm, almost measured, as he posed the question, "Are you threatening us, Boy?"

"Like I said, a simple caution," Idate smugly said.

"Well, we don't take simple warnings from skinny dickheads," Naruto stated calmly. "So, if I were you, I'd scram. Before I enforce my first warning on you."

For the insult, Idate stared fiercely at Naruto. He wondered who this young blonde kid thought he was.

Yugito murmured softly to her blonde partner, "Calm down, Naruto-kun."

"She's correct. Just ignore the obnoxious punk. We don't have time," Omoi replied, his voice bored.

Idate eventually walked away to the side of the shop; As Naruto sat on his chair, sipping his aromatic tea, the gentle jingle of the bell hanging above the tea shop's entrance caught his attention. His ears perked up in curiosity as he listened to the sound of footsteps approaching. Suddenly, the door creaked open, and in walked a group of Konoha Shinobi, clad in their distinctive uniforms.

"Darui-Sensei, we have a problem," Omoi informed the sensei with a hushed tone, who had immediately noticed them. He didn't recognize any of them besides the Jonin from Konoha.

The Jonin was a tall man with brown eyes, olive skin, short black spiky hair, and a beard. His clothing consisted of the standard Konoha ninja uniform with the sleeves rolled up halfway, a flak jacket, regular shinobi sandals, and a forehead protector. He also wore a sash that had the kanji for "Fire" marked on it around his waist, a pair of black bangles, and bandages wrapped around the arms of his sleeves.

"That's Asuma Sarutobi. I wonder what is bringing him here." Darui informed them, despite the Konoha Jonin being there, Darui's voice was calm and collected. Naruto furrowed a brow, as did Yugito and Omoi. The name was quite famous even in Kumo. The child of the Kage of any village was always famous, but Asuma Sarutobi was an Elite-Jonin so that only added to his popularity.

"Somehow, I doubt they are here only to drink tea," Omoi spoke, knowing a Konoha team arrived at Land Tea the same day as them. That couldn't be a coincidence. Perhaps they were spies sent to gather information, or maybe they were here to sabotage their mission.

"Well, should we ignore them, engage, or talk?" Yugito asked, her voice a little on edge. She was analyzing the Konoha team with her cat-like eyes. They didn't seem much. The Jonin was clearly the biggest obstacle, the Genins. Well, one was fat, the other was a blonde Platinum-haired girl who didn't seem to have much muscle in her, if any muscle, and the third had a pineapple head. Yugito soon concluded none of them seemed a big deal except the Jonin.

Naruto, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. Out of the entire Konoha team, the one with pineapple hair was the one who was sneakily glancing at them. His glances were fast and sharp, one could easily miss them, but Naruto could detect them. He knew the Konoha team knew of them being there.

Soon Idate tried the same with the Konoha team. Whatever he said resulted in Asuma telling the boy to back off.

Darui wondered if they should leave and continue with their mission. As the tension in the room mounted, the Jonin of the Konoha team nonchalantly rose to his feet, his strong and confident stature commanding everyone's attention. With a cigarette dangling between his middle and index finger, he took a leisurely drag before slowly moving away from his seat, his eyes intently focused on the Kumo Team.

As Darui rose from his chair, he exuded a subtle yet unmistakable amount of KI, which rippled through the air like a gust of wind, silently warning the Konoha Shinobi not to make any sudden moves. Asuma, standing nearby, seemed unfazed by Darui's display of power. Still, his Genins, who were standing a few feet away, couldn't help but feel intimidated as they watched the waves of KI wash over them, causing their faces to lose their color and their knees to shake uncontrollably.

Asuma's gaze was fixed on Darui, who seemed agitated and ready to pick a fight. With a gentle yet firm tone, Asuma spoke up, "I would appreciate it if you tone it down a notch." He didn't want any trouble, not today, not ever. As a seasoned warrior, he knew the consequences of unnecessary conflicts and how they could escalate quickly, leaving behind nothing but chaos and destruction. However, there was a subtle hint of warning in his voice, a warning that Darui picked up on. Asuma's words were not to be taken lightly. 

Darui nodded in agreement, and with a deep breath, he stopped his KI. Asuma smiled, relieved that his message had been received, "I'm not here to fight," he said, hoping that his words would be the end of it.

With a deep breath, Asuma lit a cigarette, the smoke curling lazily around his face as he exhaled. The atmosphere around the group had been tense, with the Kumo team eyeing them warily, but as he took another drag, Asuma felt the tension dissipate like smoke in the wind. His eyes flickered over the group, taking in their expressions and body language, until they landed on the blonde male. 

Something about him caught Asuma's attention, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Maybe it was the way the man held himself, with a confidence that bordered on arrogance, or maybe it was the way his eyes sparkled in the dim light. Whatever it was, Asuma found himself drawn to the blonde male, his gaze lingering on him for just a moment longer than necessary. 

Asuma's mind raced back to the time when he was much younger and had first laid eyes on the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Though he hadn't personally known the legendary Hokage, his reputation had preceded him, and Asuma had always been in awe of the man's incredible abilities and unmatched strength. And now, as he looked upon the young boy standing in front of him, he couldn't help but notice the striking similarities between the child and the Fourth Hokage. The boy's spiky blond hair, bright blue eyes, and the way he carried himself all bore an uncanny resemblance to the Hokage. Asuma couldn't help but wonder if this was a mere coincidence or if there was something more to this boy's story that was yet to be revealed.

"My name is Asuma Sarutobi. I take you were hired by Jirocho for an escort mission." Sarutobi inquired, wanting to break the thin ice between them.

"Nah, we were hired by Jiogo. The Raikage-Sama received the mission yesterday. We were quite surprised but figured it would be a good opportunity, and I take it you were hired by Jirocho for a similar mission." Darui wasn't asking, he knew something was off, and the irritation was easy to hear from his voice.

"Yes. Our Hokage received the same scroll a week ago. How about we go there and earn an explanation, my team won't try anything," Asuma proposed, giving his team a look as he did.

Darui raised an eyebrow before nodding nonchalantly. "Sure, Name is Darui." He introduced himself before shaking each other's hands, a sign of a temporary alliance.

"Good to meet you. My three genins are-"

"Choji Akimichi."

"Shikamaru Nara."

"Ino Yamanaka."

They all introduced themselves while waving at the Genins of the Kumo Team. Darui turned to his team, motioning for them to introduce themselves.

"Omoi."

"Yugito Nii."

"Naruto Yotsuki."

As Shikamaru heard the last name, his sharp mind went into overdrive as he tried to place the familiar ring of the last name. His eyebrows rose inquisitively as he racked his brain, replaying past encounters. He could feel the gears turning in his head as he sifted through memories and associations, searching for that elusive link. It was like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces. Frustrating and intriguing at the same time. Just when he thought he had it, the name slipped away like sand through his fingers, leaving him grasping at a memory that refused to take shape.

"Alright, Shikamaru, you're the one in charge now. Make sure to watch over your friends." Asuma told his best genin, who sighed wearily.

"Am I their babysitter, now? This is troublesome." Shikamaru said with a weary sigh; Naruto found his way of talking funny.

"Naruto," he commanded in a resolute voice, "protect your team until I return. I want no problems, do you understand?" Naruto nodded in agreement without hesitation as both of their Jonins left.

As Asuma took his leave, Ino shifted her focus entirely toward Yugito, studying her curves and physique with a great deal of curiosity. She couldn't help but wonder how Yugito had been blessed with such an incredible body, and as she continued to gaze admiringly, a pang of jealousy began to settle in her heart. Her envy was palpable, and Yugito could sense it, causing her to feel increasingly irritated and frustrated with Ino's constant scrutiny.

"So, what is it like to be a Kumo Shinobi?" Shikamaru inquired, his eyes gleaming with curiosity as he leaned forward in his chair. The question had been gnawing at him for some time now, and he figured he might as well start a conversation with his fellow ninja comrades as they all sat at a round table, waiting for their respective Jonins to return. The room was filled with the sounds of clinking plates and idle chatter.

"It's fine, we don't have a forest like Konoha, but we do have the Twin Mountains. It's a spectacular view from up there." Naruto answered as he ordered tea for his whole team.

"Twin Mountains! I heard they're the highest peak in the whole known world, 12 kilometers tall if I remember correctly." Shikamaru said with a little smile as he tried to imagine what it would look like to climb such tall mountains.

"Yes, Kumo even has a yearly festival, a race to see who can climb to the top without using Chakra, you're given food and other important things, and you need to climb all by yourself," Naruto explained, Shikamaru was left astonished by Naruto's explanation and let out a low whistle, realizing the immense difficulty of climbing such a mountain without the aid of Chakra. It was indeed too troublesome to even think about attempting such a feat, but the idea of such a race intrigued him nonetheless.

Choji went a little pale. He was tempted to ask how much food they were given before the race but soon decided it didn't matter since he wasn't from Kumo.

"Konoha has its own tradition, but we have a race once a year, where people make the faces of the Hokage entirely with clay. It's troublesome." Shikamaru said the atmosphere was getting more relaxing and friendlier as they all drank Jasmine Dragon Tea.

Kumo and Konoha teams started talking more, mostly Shikamaru and Naruto. The blonde found it easy to speak with the Pineapple head.

"Excuse me." Ino suddenly interrupted before pointing at Yugito. "But what did you eat to gain that size?" Ino asked bluntly, pointing at Yugito's breasts; Shikamaru couldn't believe what he had just heard from Ino, and his reaction was immediate. He brought his hand to his face with a loud smack that reverberated around the entire tea shop, making everyone turn their heads to see what was going on. Choji, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the commotion as he continued munching on his chips, not caring about the scene unfolding before him. Yugito, who was sitting next to Ino, was less than impressed by the question and gave her a deadpan look that conveyed her disappointment in such a query.

"Why do you even care? Being strong it's more important. What good breast size is going to do when you're dead." Yugito spoke with a hint of irritation. Ino felt a shudder of fear in her body, unsure if it was because of Yugito's comment about her dying or her strange cat-like eyes.

"Calm down, Yugito-chan," Naruto said softly, his gentle hand resting on her shoulder as he tried his best to soothe her anger. Yugito, fuming with rage a moment ago, could feel the tension melting away from her body with every touch of Naruto's hand. His touch was like a cool breeze on a hot summer day, calming her down and easing her troubled mind. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the warmth of Naruto's presence beside her. Shikamaru was about to ask Naruto more about Kumo when...

The waitress arrived at their table with a smile on her face, holding not one, not two, but three bills!

As she walks away from the table, the waitress replies, "I'll collect them when you're done."

"Wait! Why three bills?" Choji asked.

"Yours and your young buddy who just departed, who stated you guys would pay for him." The waitress said.

"THAT SON OF A BITCH!" Yugito shouted.

"Naruto, can you locate him?" Omoi begged his closest blonde buddy.

Naruto stepped out of his chair and knelt on the ground, saying, "On it."

Shikamaru paid close attention to what Naruto was doing. Sensors from Kumo were quite rare to find.

"I know where he is, but he's traveling fast. We need to get moving immediately if we want to catch up. From what I can see, he's fairly far away." Naruto said solemnly.

"THAT NO GOOD JERK! HE THINKS HE CAN MAKE A FOOL OUT OF US!" Yugito exclaims, her eyes bright with rage. "LET'S GO CATCH HIM SO I DROWN HIM IN THE SEA!"

"Not until I burn him and rip him up into shreds!" Naruto exclaims, returning the wicked grin with her own.

"We can Crush him, but first, we must find him," Shikamaru said, stopping their sadistic faze.

They also exchanged a little 'evil chuckle,' which made Omoi's palms sweat as he worried about his blonde colleagues' violent inclinations.

Omoi sighed tiredly, "I knew this was going to be a lengthy assignment."

The six Genins then hurried out of the Tea House.

AREA OF FOREST

"That person has tremendous speed; he must have spent years training his legs to be able to cover this distance in such a short amount of time," Naruto observed.

Omoi inquired, "Who the heck is he anyway?"

"Probably a racer. I read somewhere that children here are trained to run for miles since they are five years old." Shikamaru said his bit.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER," Yugito said, "WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO CATCH UP TO HIM!"

IDATE

Idate was speeding through the forest like there was no tomorrow.

"Stupid Ninja! I'll be miles away from those losers before they can even get started," Idate stated smugly.

However, as he continued to run at maximum speed, he stumbled on a root and was sent plummeting from a cliff, unaware that his pocket knife had dropped from his grasp.

Before hitting the ground, he was able to halt his fall by colliding against a tree limb.

"All the speed in the world won't help if I don't keep an eye on where I'm going," Idate scolded himself.

Idate then leaps off the limb and lands on his feet on the ground.

He didn't understand, however, that he was surrounded by five enraged Genins and one bored Genin.

"I AGREE, BUT THAT WILL NOT BE IMPORTANT.....ONCE I BREAK BOTH YOUR LEGS," Yugito said, releasing part of her murderous fury.

Idate glanced up and saw the furious blonde girl on his left, Omoi on his right, and Naruto in front of him, standing on a tree limb.

Idate was totally encircled. He knew he could still outrun them and was about to run away when his body stopped moving...

"I'm afraid you can't move a finger. My Shadow Possession Jutsu has captured you. The only thing you can do now is pray." Shikamaru said with a wicked smirk. Idate's heart raced in terror as he watched as his shadow was indeed connected to Shikamaru's shadow.

"Good job, Shikamaru. It seems you have a sharp head." Naruto complimented, his attention still solely focused on Idate.

"You have a lot of audacity to piss these two off, but it was because of you that I had to run, so now you piss ME off," Omoi grumbled.

"Did you honestly think you could get away with it? We're Ninjas, whether you like it or not, and we were trained to catch punks like you, so I hope you're ready for what's coming next," Yugito said, cracking her knuckles and indicating that she was about to beat the living hell out of the Dasher in front of him.

Idate clenched his teeth, knowing there was only one thing he could do now to rescue himself.

Idate shouted, "I'M SORRY!" as he tried to kneel, but the shadow jutsu didn't exactly allow him much movement.

"Huh?" The Genins were totally caught off guard, startled by the unexpected show of timidity.

They then leaped off their limbs and landed near Idate. Shikamaru stopped using his Shadow Jutsu since it seemed Idate was a pussy, with no backbone.

"I had my wallet stolen and was at a loss, and then you guys stepped up, and I didn't know what else to do," Idate said, almost pleading for mercy.

"Are you kidding? All your money?" Ino inquired, her voice tinged with sorrow.

"Why didn't you just say-Oww!" Naruto yelped in agony as something landed on his head, but he caught it before it went to the ground.

It was a pocket knife, to be precise.

"What is this?" Naruto wondered, staring at the knife in awe.

When Idate lifted his head off the ground, he discovered it was HIS prized pocket knife. And it's being held by someone other than him!

"DON'T TOUCH IT! GIVE IT TO ME!" Idate's timidity morphed into a rage as he hurriedly attempted to reclaim Naruto's pocket knife.

Naruto, on the other hand, had quicker reflexes than the Idiot Runner and was able to evade all of his frantic clutches, which finally evolved into violent blows.

"Hey! Quit it! I'm warning you!" Naruto exclaimed angrily, in between dodges and blocks, in response to Idate's unexpected hostility.

All of this for a useless pocket knife? Naruto is growing more enraged with the older boy in front of him. Who is HE to be enraged by him?

"THAT IS MINE! GIVE IT BACK, OR I'LL..." Idate couldn't complete his statement before being knocked out cold by a swift haymaker punch from the Yotsuki.

"NARUTO-KUN?!?" said Yugito, stunned by the unexpected knockout strike.

"What?! The jerk went insane and attacked me because I was carrying his pocket knife....nice workmanship, however," Naruto observed as he examined the custom-made weapon. Maybe that's why Idate was so desperate to have it back.

"Alright, we accomplished what we came for, right? We hunted him down, and you struck him in the face. Can we go now?" Omoi said, his voice bored.

"Yeah, Darui Sensei isn't far away, and he's on his way to the Wagarashi Family's property right now, so let's catch up with him," Naruto remarked.

Yugito said, "What are you planning to do with the pocket knife?"

"I'm not a thief, even if I really enjoy the handle's design. But I'm going to leave him a letter. Something to remind him what will happen if he...crosses us again," Naruto stated with a wicked grin that gave both Yugito and Omoi shivers.

Shikamaru had to admit this mission wasn't what he had expected, but Naruto's face was quite familiar. He raised an eyebrow, a smile spreading on his face. Perhaps this mission wouldn't be as troublesome as he had thought.

Why does this Naruto look identical to Our Fourth Hokage