Chapter 24 : Wake Up Call

After Zabuza was down, Haku finally appeared. At this, everyone was on guard again. In fact, everyone was already gobsmacked at Shikamaru's heroic entry but quickly stopped thinking as Haku then suddenly appeared.

But again both Naruto and Sasuke got tons of questions for Shikamaru at this time.

"Mind telling who are you," Shikamaru asked but he was just acting. He already has done everything he needed to do so even if Haku take away Zabuza, he will be dead.

"He is a Kiri hunter Nin Shikamaru, you should...

"Yeah Kakashi sensei, you handle this guy. It's too troublesome for me," Shikamaru just rolled his eyes and walked away.

Kakashi at this just sweat drop. 'This kid was there in the front when fighting, what happened now,' Kakashi questioned.

But with a sigh, again behaving like the elite Jonin he was, he came forward and completely let an enemy get away. Yeah, not much elite Jonin like of him.

"I got it covered, Zabuza is already poisoned by me, and its not a simple poison either. Although the antidote does exist but is usually available on the western side of the elemental nations maps like in Suna.

But that is not the important thing, the real thing is that this position is traceless until the symptoms are visible. What are the symptoms? shortness of breath and headache.

A normal target who is poisoned by this will die in just a week, a shinobi can live more thanks to his chakra, but that is when they are aware of the poison and take measures.

Zabuza here will be down and out for some time thanks to our little Haku here. Thanks to the poison he will take even more time to regain his consciousness. Till then the poison will totally suffocate him and volla.

Overall a peaceful way to go," Shikamaru smirked a little, his plan working just right.

He never wanted to kill Haku or fight him, Zabuza was a different case though, yes in the anime at last his character did a full 180 but still he is dangerous. So it's just better that he is dead this way and not the other way around. And if his plan works then Haku will believe that it was her.... his own attack which killed Zabuza. 

And honestly after that he doesn't care what happens to him, if he can bring Haku to Konoha then that is even better but he won't go out of his way to do that.

By the time Haku took Zabuza's body back, everyone was out of their stupor and the long pending question from others was shot by Shikamaru.

"What was that, Shikamaru." 

"Shikamaru how did you do that, you had a big bird and toad and your shadow was extending to capture the long sword prick. That was awesome you know," 

Kakashi and Sakura kept quiet. Sakura does not know what to say and Kakashi because there is no way he can get any answers when his team acting like 4 years olds on a Sugar Rush.

"Mah mah, let your classmate take a breather Naruto, Sasuke. I am sure that he will explain and answer any question you have later on," Kakashi said as he finally quieted down his team, earning tongue clicks and annoyance grunts.

"So Shikamaru, mind telling me where is your team and how come you did what you did," Kakashi asked in his normal nonchalant voice but there was a hint of command in his voice.

"Troublesome, my team was returning from doing an escort from the land of snow, now the land of spring long story and it's troublesome to tell so don't ask but in short it wasn't a C rank mission much like yours, that was when we got a message from the village that stating team 7 needing support. 

We had to run all the way from the land of hot waters to here. It was such a drag man. My team got tired to Asuma had to stop, I had my way to covering the distance as you all already saw, so I kept on moving to find you." He explains as concisely as possible. Not speaking any more words if needed and wasting his energy pointlessly.

"Hmm," Kakashi at this just hmm to himself.

----

Later team 10 caught up, at first, Asuma was very angry with Shikamaru but after learning who Shikamaru practically beat Zabuza alone and saved everyone as Kakashi himself was captured, Asuma grumblingly just suck it up. No punishment for your residential shadow manipulator.

"Come on Shikamaru tell me, tell me, tell me, how you do it. What was that big bird, what was that giant dog and that tongues?" Naruto asked.

"Shikamaru, why didn't you take out that bird before, we all could have flown here," Ino shouted.

"I didn't to show you what you are lacking," Shikamaru replied with heat in his voice, usually he is the laid-back kind of guy but not here, he needed to show Ino that she was lacking.

Ino was taken aback at this, although Shikamaru didn't raise his voice but this one comment shut up everyone around him. 'you gotta be shitting me right now, this shit works even better than shouting,' 

"What do you...."

"That's exactly what I mean Ino, I talked about this to Choji before and I will do the same with you. We have to get stronger. Do you see what can happen in a real mission, don't you? 

If we weren't there then Koyuki Kazaha would have been a lifelong slave under his uncle, that bastard Doto. If I didn't come in time then I have no idea what would have happened to team 7 here. 

Hell, I am only able to do anything because of the element of surprise." Shikamaru said but his tone didn't have the heat this time but were merely talking about facts. He specially chose this time when everyone from teams 10 and 7 are present.

"The shinobi world has been peaceful for the last 15 and so years. The longest time after the passing of the Senju brothers." Shikamaru said and these words from him finally quieted down Asuma and Kakashi who who wanted to intervene. 

Why ? becuase they understood what he was getting into this time, long time peace without a clear power structure and clear superiority would bring even bigger and deadlier war.

"Do you all know what 15 years of peace bring," Shikamaru ask to everyone as he just didn't want to make it seem like he was just talking to Ino or just his team.

They still haven't reached Tazuna's house but this might be just the best time as this will let them think about his world when they finally get some food and rest there.

"No one, then let me explain, it brings war. And not just any normal war but a much deadlier war. And this war will be our, not our parents or elders.

 15 years is enough to train more shinobi and gather resources. It is enough to slowly cultivate resentment among their citizen to wage a war with the full support of the daimyo and even the people of their village.

15 years is enough for the strong to grow weak as the next generation has never suffered any hardship and stayed in the protective embrace of the victors of the past. It's enough for the weak to grow strong to once again go to war.

This might be too much to think about for you all but just for one second think, our current Hokage is around 70. Most of the Konoha power was sniffed out when the Nine Tail attack happened 12 years ago and before that because of war.

We need to get stronger, becuase you like it or not a war will come our way. When we don't have strength, our loved one dies.

Don't let the temporary peace make you weak, while we still have time, we need to get better. 

Wake up to reality," Shikamaru said, he was calm and mostly not looking at anyone when talking about this but everyone was listening to him attentively.

Kakashi and Asuma were silent, for those who had seen the horrors of war, understood what Shikamaru was saying. Maybe he was not saying that a war is coming but it's inevitable that a war will come towards there way.

When Kakashi and Asuma were their age, they were already kill in the battlefield. They were out there in the front line. They clearly understand what Shikamaru means here. 

Maybe now Asuma understands why Shikamaru is working so hard, and when both he and Kakashi think about it, they too also see it. 

The current genin and they are not just any genin but the future clan heirs, are not strong when it comes to war standards. They are not ready. Although they are still small and can grow that was not what Shikamaru was pointing at, what he was pointing at was the mindset which they have.

Both Kakashi looked at each other and a flash of recognition appeared in their eyes. Till now they were training their genin but never push them. Well, Asuma did as Shikamaru was constantly making him do. But Kakashi didn't at all.

His team didn't even know tree walking yet. Shikamaru's talk also makes them think about the future. 

Something they hardly think of as being a Shinobi, making a long-term plan just brings regret. It's a risky job and maybe that is why they hardly think outside of their mission, training and political side of the job description.

Out of all the genin, only Naruto didn't understand what Shikamaru was trying to say but others who understood had their heads down, thinking about what he really meant and what it applies. Especially Sasuke as he first hand has seen what it means to lose.

xxx

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