Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Dawnwalker ❯ The Escort ( Chapter 2 )

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Dawnwalker

 

Part II

 

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The scenery flew by them in a flash. Trees, fields with swaying tall grasses, and nothing more but an empty region after region greeted them. Occasionally they would journey over a bridge and Neji would look out his window to stare down at the glittering water below him. The sight usually lasted no longer than a few minutes, though.

 

It was interesting, this mission. No danger had approached them yet but the simple fact of acting like ordinary citizens was a strange ordeal. They had all taken false identities and were traveling “for the sake of exploring the world” as Tsunade had specifically ordered them to say. It seemed that reason was fairly acceptable as no one had yet to suspect them. Neji had been ordered to wear contacts to cover up his conspicuous eyes. Any individual on the streets would be able to link him to the Hyuuga Clan—and Konoha—otherwise. It had been with some difficulty that he managed to put on those small dark-colored lenses. In fact they all had put up some sort of disguise—just to be on the safe side. Shikamaru had worn his hair down and covered one eye up with a patch. Naruto had dyed his hair to a shocking red hue—something that Neji still had to get used to—and Lee had ruffled up his own hair quite a bit so that it was no longer in its neat bowl-cut.

 

If Neji had to be honest, he would say they looked more like the traveling circus than the one they were pursuing.

 

“Is there something that we're missing?”

 

“Who knows. Baachan wasn't exactly clear on that,” replied Shikamaru.

 

Due to the secrecy of the mission, Tsunade would be referred to as “Baachan” if they spoke about her, and their home was simply a small and unknown village within the Fire Country. If they had to mention the mission they would never say the word “scroll” and only spoke of it in the most abstract way possible when not alone. Neji turned to the next page in his book as he listened idly to the conversation at hand.

 

Naruto scratched his head. “She's such a lazy bum,” he remarked derisively.

 

Shikamaru offered an amused grin. “Should you really be disrespecting your elders like that?” he asked dryly.

 

“Well, she is! She says it's important for us to…uh…travel the world, but she doesn't even give us any warnings or advice!”

 

“That's because she trusts us to take care of ourselves!” exclaimed Lee proudly.

 

Naruto rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure,” he retorted sarcastically.

 

Neji closed his book and placed it in his pocket before looking at Shikamaru. “How much time left till we arrive at Earth Country?” he inquired.

 

“Probably another half hour.”

 

“And then what? We…go for a little sightseeing and then head off again?” questioned Naruto.

 

Shikamaru shrugged. “We stay for a day to rest up and hitch another ride,” he replied nonchalantly.

 

It was important, Tsunade had stressed, for them to actually pretend that they were truly travelers simply looking for a good time. There was a high possibility that other shinobi were also in disguise along with them and they needed to make sure they would not be caught. With the combination of acting and spying—as well as tracking down the roaming circus eventually—she had given them a month to complete the mission. Neji wondered to himself whether they would truly require all that time, but was grateful nonetheless. The gracious time limit allowed them to move around more freely without worry of meeting a close deadline.

 

“Cards, anyone?” suggested Lee, as he brought up a pack from his inner jacket pocket.

 

Naruto sat up. “I'm game!” he agreed brightly.

 

“Sure,” added in Shikamaru.

 

Neji decided to sit this one out and just watch. The train was separated into booths and they had fortunately been able to snatch this one quickly due to the fact that they had arrived at the station so early. It was comfortable and offered privacy, however limited it may have been with nothing more but a sheet of glass isolating them from the rest of the bustling crowd on the train. Neji had scaled the entire train once already to scout for any possible enemies—but if there were any they were well concealed.

 

“You're good at this game, Shuu,” commented Shikamaru as Lee won the first round.

 

Lee grinned and nodded this head. “Thanks, that's a real compliment coming from you, Akira-kun,” he replied with a chuckle.

 

Shikamaru shuffled the next round of cards with a smirk. It had taken some time for all of them to get into the habit of calling each other by their pseudonyms—and even now they found amusement in it. Lee had become Ito Shuu, Eguchi Akira for Shikamaru, Fujisaki Shiro for Naruto, and Ueda Tetsuya for Neji.

 

“So Akira, what's Chou up to back at home?” inquired Naruto casually as he surveyed his cards.

 

Shikamaru grinned. “Oh, you know, the usual. He's having fun with the kids, though. They keep him active. So his excuse is that he has to eat twice as much as what he used to in order to make up for it,” he replied as he placed down a pair of threes.

 

“I never figured him as a teacher,” commented Lee curiously, placing down a pair of fours.

 

“Yeah, well, he has the compassion for it,” remarked Shikamaru.

 

“Why did you have to start off with pairs?” complained Naruto.

 

“Are you going or not?” demanded Shikamaru and Lee unanimously.

 

Naruto capitulated bitterly and Shikamaru quickly dealt a pair of sixes. Lee countered back faultlessly and their conversation resumed.

 

“It's colder up in Earth Country, right?” inquired Lee.

 

“Yup,” replied Shikamaru before scowling deeply at the cards Lee threw down. “A full house? You really are cruel, Shuu.”

 

Lee gave an uncharacteristic smirk and looked at Naruto. “Well, do you have something to lay down or do you pass?” he replied.

 

Naruto gave a snort. “I pass,” he said as he threw down his cards.

 

Shikamaru smiled wryly and did likewise and Lee placed down his last card, a queen of hearts, triumphantly. “You guys are no good at poker,” he teased.

 

“Hey, shougo is my thing,” pointed out Shikamaru.

 

Naruto blinked. “I…don't really have a game I specialize in,” he pondered aloud.

 

Suddenly the train gave a mighty lurch and the cards went flying in the air as the lights in the card flickered on and off ominously. Shikamaru immediately went on guard and flew next to the door, glancing outside cautiously. Naruto and Lee tensed visibly in preparation for a fight. Neji folded his hands over his lap patiently and watched as Shikamaru withdrew from his position slowly.

 

“I think…”

 

Before he could finish, though, a sudden rush of cold air descended upon them. The car appeared to be closing in on them with waves of colors and eliciting a sickening feeling within their stomachs. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes.

 

“Genjutsu,” he announced tightly before all four of them dispelled it without a thought.

 

Naruto stood up. “I'm going to see what's up,” he announced before pushing aside the door and walking out of the cabin.

 

“Wait, Na—Shiro!” Shikamaru shouted in dismay as the man disappeared from view. He leaned back in his seat exasperatedly. “That guy doesn't know the meaning of being careful.”

 

“Do you want me to follow?” suggested Neji.

 

Shikamaru glanced at him for a moment and shook his head. “No…he should be all right. He's reckless, but he knows the importance of…life,” he replied, pausing momentarily before he could utter the words “the mission.” He grinned sheepishly at the poor substitute and shrugged.

 

Neji nodded and they all settled back in their seats. The dark-haired man looked out the window and studied the field of flowers they were currently amidst. The sky was bright blue and Neji could spot mountains in the lingering distance. Their destination was close. It seemed too coincidental that the train would stop now, but he tried to keep himself from going any further on that note. Tenten had once accused him of being too pessimistic and Neji had felt mildly insulted despite the truth of that statement.

 

It was another abrupt lurch that snapped Neji out of his reverie. He looked out the window and saw they were moving once more. Naruto reappeared by their car soon afterwards, a baffled expression on his face as he explained what had happened to his teammates.

 

“We were under attack. Some shinobi from Mist had held the conductor hostage in the first car. I was about to go and jump in, but then this guy stopped me and said he would take care of it. And he did,” he explained, looking thoroughly confused.

 

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. “Do you know where he was from?” he inquired.

 

“No! He looked like any ordinary passenger except he was really tall—a giant—with this really crazy hat. But he just burst into the car and took out the shinobi. He was actually trying to protect me. I thought it was insane!”

 

Shikamaru regarded Naruto with some amusement. “Well, we are just a few men from a small, unknown village, Shiro. Did you think you could actually take on those shinobi?” he retorted dryly.

 

Naruto scrunched up his nose. “Well, I guess so. I'm just not used to be protected,” he replied.

 

“We're not in our village anymore, Shiro. We're just small fry now—and there's no reason why anyone else would think otherwise,” commented Neji coolly as he stared at Naruto warningly.

 

The current redhead gave a chuckle and dismissed Neji's concerns easily. “I guess so!” he exclaimed.

 

“Maybe we should thank our rescuer later,” Shikamaru said suddenly, as he wrote something down in his notebook.

 

Naruto gazed at him perplexedly before finally catching on. “Oh, yeah! I think he was somewhere in the fourth car,” he replied.

 

Neji frowned to himself. It was rather difficult to communicate their true thoughts this way. The only way they could really discuss plans and ideas would be in private—but that would not happen until they reached an inn at Earth Country.

 

“Baachan must have said something useful,” muttered Lee to himself.

 

“She said to be wary of the cities. That contrary to popular belief, there are shinobi in hiding that could possibly attack,” recited Neji from memory.

 

“I think she's underestimating us,” remarked Naruto wickedly.

 

Shikamaru threw a glare in his direction.

 

The rest of the train ride commenced peacefully and when they finally arrived at their station in Earth Country, they walked out onto the platform feeling refreshed. At once Shikamaru and Naruto located their “savior” from the train and Neji and Lee followed behind slowly. The man was as tall as Naruto described, well beyond the average range and the hat that draped over his head could be described as nothing more but a large boa constrictor. His outfit consisted of baggy white pants and a blue silk vest over his broad chest. His olive skin and pale blue eyes were something not too common and he stood out from everyone else like a sore thumb. Neji's eyes widened marginally at the man's strange taste and regarded the reptile with some wariness when they approached him.

 

“Hey, there! You saved us on the train!” greeted Naruto immediately.

 

It was during situations like these that the rest of the team trusted Naruto to handle. The latter attracted many strangers with his upbeat and disarming smile, and more often than not Naruto did not even have to pretend to be friendly. It was second to his nature.

 

The man instantly replied with his own smile. “Oh, you needn't thank me. I was just in the right place at the right time. And it's really all thanks to Polly here that I was able to frighten those shinobi away,” he said in a deep and rich baritone, gesturing to the snake resting atop his head.

 

“Isn't it…tiring to have her resting on your head?” inquired Lee.

 

The man gave a booming laugh. “You get used to it after a while, son!” he exclaimed before pinching Lee's arm. “Of course for you it might be a bit too much at first.”

 

The rest of the team gave a knowing smile. It was a fact that Lee always walked around with extra weights strapped to his feet and arms—and was always open to carry even more should the occasion rise.

 

“My name's Eguchi Akira. These are my friends Ito Shuu, Fujisaki Shiro, and Ueda Tetsuya. What's your business here in Earth Country—if I may ask,” introduced Shikamaru smoothly.

 

The man smiled. “I'm Abe Benjiro. And I'm here to simply visit my sister,” he answered honestly.

 

“You're a shinobi!” exclaimed Naruto suddenly, pointing at the forehead protector that glistened in the fading sun when Polly glided slowly away from her original spot.

 

Benjiro gestured to it lightheartedly. “Oh, yeah. I'm just a Chuunin, though. And I've been on break for a while so no guarantees on my skills,” he replied humbly.

 

Shikamaru gave Naruto a harsh poke in the side. “Don't be so hasty next time,” he muttered under his breath to the redhead. He then smiled politely at Benjiro. “You'll have to excuse him. We're traveling so he gets excited at all sorts of things—as I'm sure you noticed on the train.”

 

“This little one was certainly in a rush to prove himself,” laughed Benjiro. “I was glad I was only there to help. Who knows what could have happened?”

 

Shikamaru nodded. “From what Shiro told us you put on quite the show,” he remarked casually. “You didn't take those shinobi head-on did you?”

 

Benjiro's eyes twinkled mischievously. “Like I said before, I'm only a Chuunin. Those shinobi from Grass were far more skilled than I. But that's why Polly here stays close to me,” he replied, prodding the snake with his finger until her beady black eyes opened into a narrow slits. “Don't be so quiet, Polly. You have admirers.”

 

The snake slithered down his arm until it was face-to-face with Naruto, who had noticeably paled. “Those shinobi didn't stand a chance against me,” she said in a husky tone. Her tongue then flicked out quickly and Naruto leapt back reflexively. An amused expression crossed Polly's eyes. “This one seems afraid of me.”

 

Neji frowned slightly at Naruto's sudden retreat before turning his eyes back on Benjiro and Polly.

 

“So I'm assuming you're heading to Hidden Stone?” continued Shikamaru.

 

Benjiro nodded. “You're well informed, my friend,” he commented.

 

Shikamaru gave a lazy grin. “We have to be in order to survive this jungle,” he replied, “I don't suppose you could allow us to follow you? We've always wanted to go to a shinobi village, but we really don't know any good spots to visit.”

 

Benjiro clapped a mighty hand down on Shikamaru's back. “You don't even need to ask, Akira! I'd be honored to show you my home! It's a wonderful place. How long do you plan on staying?” he agreed wholeheartedly.

 

“No more than two days—preferably less, though. We have a strict schedule to follow. We have to see the rest of the world in one month,” replied Shikamaru with a smile.

 

Benjiro whistled. “My, my, you certainly are the adventurers. Come then. We mustn't waste any more time!” he announced as he began leading the way.

 

As they were led out of the bustling station and into the rural paths leading to Hidden Stone, Lee lingered farther back with Neji as Shikamaru and Naruto maintained an active conversation with Benjiro.

 

“Is this guy for real?” whispered Lee.

 

Neji smiled slightly. “Apparently so. I did a scan on him when he wasn't looking. His intentions are sincere,” he replied. The shaded goggles Tsunade had given him did come in handy. They hid his eyes efficiently and he could use his Byakugan without fear of letting anyone else notice. Now he pulled them off because of the fading light.

 

Lee stared at him for a moment. “You know, it's weird to see you with normal-colored eyes for once,” he commented.

 

Neji looked back him placidly. “I could say the same for your hair,” he shot back.

 

The famed Azure Beast bristled slightly. “Hey, there was nothing wrong with my hair before,” he retorted indignantly.

 

A rare and short laugh was issued from Neji.

 

“You seem a lot calmer from yesterday,” Lee said with a smile.

 

Neji looked towards the horizon. The Earth Country was much cooler than Konoha, and he embraced it fully. The sky was darkening with each minute and Neji watched as the golden sun set its course downwards in the distance. Walks were different here. There were no tall trees or rich ground beneath their feet as they treaded on. There was only a dusty road amidst a lonely field filled tree stumps and boulders. So different—so surreal—in Neji's eyes.

 

“I still have a feeling something will happen.”

 

Lee glanced at him worriedly, but before he could say anything Naruto's voice boomed in on them.

 

“Look, look! It's Hidden Stone!”

 

The excitement in Naruto's voice was not faked—no matter how many times they had went to the village on various assignments. This was the first time, however, that they would enter the village as citizens—welcomed instead of shunned. Neji stared at the towering gate before them indifferently. Hidden Stone's location was one that mystified him. There was nothing concealing its location and the only thing that could prevent it from being invaded outright were the impressive encircling gates that protected the main citadel. Neji thought back on past missions where he had to go over those walls. It was not an impossible task, but it required an enormous amount of patience.

 

Now as they walked past these gates Neji thought back to those nights with some irony.

 

“I wonder if we'll meet any shinobi,” wondered Naruto aloud.

 

Benjiro chuckled. “I suppose I don't exactly seem very shinobi-like to you, huh?” he replied humorously.

 

Naruto grinned guiltily. “I mean…well…,” he stuttered out nervously.

 

The Chuunin backhanded him lightly. “It's okay! Even I don't think I'm much of a shinobi. I only did it because my father pushed me into it. Once I passed the Chuunin Exam I was done. I took to teaching kids at the Academy, but now we're on break so I've been doing some traveling. My sister is ill, though, and that's why I'm returning now,” he said, his eyes dimming at the mention of his sister.

 

“Oh…I'm sorry. Are you sure we won't be bothering you?” Naruto asked sympathetically.

 

Benjiro shook his head and at once a smile was back on his face. “Not at all! Besides, I think she would appreciate some extra company,” he replied.

 

Shikamaru arched an eyebrow as they passed by a store selling food. Lee walked up beside him quickly and leaned down to whisper in his ear, “This place sure is different when everything's open.”

 

The shadow user gave a crooked grin. “Well, of course. We're usually sneaking in here by night when no one's around,” he said.

 

They passed by several shops before finally arriving to a quiet and peaceful neighborhood of neatly arranged homes. It was dusk and the village's lampposts lit up the dark sky vividly like fireflies in the face of an approaching storm. When they entered Benjiro's home a rush of warmth instantly greeted them and they gratefully hung up their coats. It was only when they had situated themselves in his living room did Benjiro prompt a most unexpected question.

 

“You're shinobi aren't you?”

 

“HUH?”

 

Naruto's reply had thankfully saved the rest of them from making any fuss. Fortunately his response and ensuing amazement had fooled Benjiro as he burst out laughing.

 

“I'm sorry! But Polly just mentioned it before. She's usually very accurate you know. But I think she was wrong on this occasion,” he explained reassuringly.

 

They all gave a strained laughter. “Is that so?” remarked Shikamaru before shrugging and facing Neji. “What do you think?”

 

The dark-haired man knew immediately what he meant and set down his cup on the table gently. “He's welcoming is sincere—and he has no ulterior motives,” he replied softly.

 

Shikamaru sighed and leaned back in his seat, draping an arm over the back languidly. “Well, we are going to need some help on this—there's no way we can fake all of this on our own. We need an outsider,” he murmured to himself before looking at Benjiro seriously. “What if I told you that Polly wasn't wrong?”

 

Benjiro blinked several times. “You mean you are shinobi?” he asked faintly.

 

A chorus of nods answered him. The tall man laughed to himself quietly. “Wow,” he murmured.

 

Shikamaru offered him a sympathizing smile. “We don't mean to burden you—especially since your sister is ill—but we could use some of your help,” he said.

 

“Wait. What village are you from?” inquired Benjiro sharply.

 

“Konoha,” answered Naruto.

 

Benjiro relaxed slightly. “Oh, that's all right then. As long as you weren't from Mist. Stone and they have bad relations,” he replied. He then sighed and looked at Shikamaru. “So what's this you need my help with? I'm assuming you guys are Jounins. I don't see how I can really aid you in any way.”

 

Shikamaru grinned. “We're on a mission to retrieve a scroll. The only problem is that it's traveling with a circus and there are an indefinite amount of pursuers along with us. We need to remain as inconspicuous as possible—but we also need to reach the scroll soon. I'm planning on passing through Mount Yuki. And we're going to need an escort—preferably a shinobi from Hidden Stone,” he explained slowly.

 

“Huh? What are you going on about, Shika? You never mentioned this—ouch!”

 

Lee had promptly jabbed Naruto in the ribs before he could finish. “Just listen,” he said.

 

Benjiro arched an eyebrow. “Shika? So you're going by false names as well?” he inquired.

 

“Yeah. I'm Nara Shikamaru. That loudmouth is Uzumaki Naruto. The one in green is Rock Lee and the quiet one is Hyuuga Neji.”

 

The Chuunin's eyes widened. “You're Squadron Thirteen!” he gasped.

 

Lee arched an eyebrow and looked at Shikamaru curiously. “Seems like we have a reputation,” he commented.

 

Benjiro gaped at them. “A reputation? You guys are a legend. Every village has been warned against you—the best ANBU team to grace the entire shinobi world since…ever!” he exclaimed in awe.

 

Shikamaru waved a hand dismissively. “That's besides the point. What I need is for you to escort us through Mount Yuki as our acting guard,” he finished.

 

“Why? The pass is tricky, but I'm sure all four of you will be able to pass through it easily,” he pointed out.

 

“We're supposed to be ordinary travelers. And the pass at Mount Yuki is not meant for ordinary travelers. But it's also the fastest route to the city we're heading to. So we need to pretend to have a hired shinobi to guide us through the way as to not attract any unwanted attention,” clarified Neji. “We can't exactly make an order for a high-priced mission, though. Then we really would be discovered—by both the enemy and Hidden Stone. We just need a regular shinobi we can trust to put up a front for us.”

 

Shikamaru nodded and grinned in Neji's direction. “Exactly as this guy said it,” he agreed.

 

Benjiro furrowed his eyebrows together. “Seems like such a burden—having to pretend to be normal travelers,” he said thoughtfully.

 

“You have no idea! I thought it would be fun, but it really isn't. We have to be careful with everything that we do so we don't get any attention. It's really frustrating!” interjected Naruto.

 

Benjiro smiled. “Well, I really shouldn't be agreeing to help you—since you did trick me—but I will. Stone and Konoha have an alliance anyhow. It's my duty to help out fellow comrades,” he stated firmly. He then looked a little more concerned. “It won't be for long, right? Just to get you through the pass?”

 

“Yup. Shouldn't take no more than a day. We won't keep you from your sister for long. And sorry, by the way. We shouldn't really be imposing on you like this but you're our best shot right now,” replied Shikamaru.

 

“Don't. My sister isn't that sick. She's a shinobi also and I know she would have my neck if I didn't help you. Speaking of which, I should go and check up on her now if you'll excuse me.”

 

With that Benjiro stood up and headed towards another room in the backroom. Shikamaru watched as he left and breathed in deeply.

 

“Well, that was easier than I expected.”

 

“Did you plan this already beforehand?” inquired Lee incredulously.

 

Shikamaru gave a small nod. “I noted him down in my notebook when I first saw him. I don't know why but I just got a hunch that he was a shinobi. And when Naruto said it was him that scared off our guests on the trains, I knew we had to use him. Good thing he proved to be honest. He seemed like it, though. Benjiro's one of those—the type that wears their hearts on their sleeves,” he explained.

 

“Impressive,” complimented Neji.

 

“Yeah, but you caught on pretty quick as well,” shot back Shikamaru with a smirk.

 

“Undercover missions—remind me to never accept those ever again,” muttered Naruto.

 

“We don't have a choice, Naruto,” reproached Lee before suddenly launching a kunai at the window.

 

A curse was sounded outside and immediately Lee was out the door in a flash.

 

“Is he alone, Lee?” called out Shikamaru unconcernedly.

 

They had all sensed him before—ever since they had left the train station. They merely chose not to react due to Benjiro's presence. But now that the other man was in on their mission, they could do as they pleased. Lee came back in with a Cloud shinobi. Neji narrowed his eyes. It seemed as if this scroll truly was a significant one. Did that mean Hidden Stone had sent out shinobi of their own as well? He pondered on this as he gazed at the struggling shinobi.

 

“He's alone. Seems kind of risky, no?” answered Lee.

 

Shikamaru stared at the shinobi. “Did your village send out any other shinobi?” he queried.

 

The man gave a low growl.

 

Naruto sighed. “Man, this guy is really—” he began.

 

“You're all fools! I know who you are. Konoha's ANBU—you have no idea what the scroll is meant for! If you get your hands on it first…it'll be hell for everyone else!”

 

“What do you mean?” demanded Shikamaru.

 

The shinobi gave a sinister smile and Neji shuddered inwardly at the icy coldness that filled his mind as the man gave his answer.

 

“Why don't you ask your Hokage? Or rather—Orochimaru?”

 

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TBC

 

Long, yes. I got a little carried away. Thanks to those who reviewed. Sasuke will be showing up soon enough.