Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Dawnwalker ❯ The Welcoming Committee ( Chapter 3 )

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Dawnwalker

 

.III.

 

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“I am seriously disturbed right now,” muttered Naruto as he crossed his arms tightly over his chest.

 

They were currently sprawled over Benjiro's couches, cups of steaming coffee sitting before them on the table. It was past midnight and the foursome was showing no signs of weariness. Benjiro had been persuaded to take his rest while the others contemplated their present situation. The Cloud shinobi had been tied up and bound—being put to sleep by one of the sleeping draughts Naruto had produced. “Sakura-chan showed me how to make one. It really does come in handy,” he had explained when they asked him where he had learned to mix potions.

 

Neji fiddled with a pair of dice in his hand, watching hypnotically as the two cubes ran back and forth between his fore and ring fingers. It was true Tsunade had not informed them much on the scroll's importance, but the Cloud shinobi's message was daunting. He had been telling the truth. Neji did not need the Byakugan to prove that.

 

“Well, we aren't getting anywhere sitting around like this. We should go and get our rest,” quipped Shikamaru finally, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. “Whatever happens, happens. If we find ourselves alone on this mission—so be it. We'll find out what's going on eventually.”

 

Naruto stared at him. “But, but, Baachan! Shouldn't we like send her a message or something?” he asked in alarm.

 

Shikamaru shrugged and eyed the captured shinobi. “I don't know anymore,” he murmured.

 

“This is bad. Shouldn't we trust Hokage-sama?” Lee said dubiously.

 

“All we know is that we have to get the scroll. And then maybe—we can figure out what to do then.”

 

Neji finally stirred and looked at Shikamaru sharply. “What do you think he meant by Orochimaru?” he inquired.

 

The shadow manipulator gave a mildly morbid smile. “I can only assume the worst right now, Neji,” he answered.

 

“Orochimaru—and that damn snake. Gives me the creeps,” muttered Naruto as he glared darkly at the floor.

 

Lee looked at him in surprise. “Do you mean Polly?” he asked.

 

Naruto remained still for a moment before nodding slowly. He then gave a deprecating laugh. “Any snake I see now reminds me of him—Orochimaru. And you have no idea how much it just… It doesn't scare me, but it reminds me of a lot of…things from the past,” he explained bitingly. He shook his head. “Some way or another he manages to make his way into our lives—and I hate him for that.”

 

It was clear what Naruto was speaking about. The incident with Sasuke had left scars on his mind and soul—even if he did not show them. The Uchiha had been missing for eight years now. Konoha knew that for at least three of those years Sasuke had been with Orochimaru. The remaining five years, however, were a mystery. The man had simply vanished and the ill-tempered Orochimaru had made this fact known when he invaded Konoha not too long ago, searching in vain for Sasuke to punish those who would betray him. Neji shuddered inwardly at the memory. He had never seen Naruto so enraged before. Sakura and Kakashi had been there as well. The entire former Team Seven had been traumatized severely by the incident.

 

And now Uchiha Sasuke was simply a missing-nin. There was no warrant for his head—simply a notice on the billboard at the Hokage's office building along with the rest of the wanted shinobi. Many believed him to be dead. Neji did not know what Naruto thought. The man would simply refuse to talk about the subject for long.

 

“You think he'll come back?”

 

It was an ambiguous question. Neji knew Shikamaru of all people would dare to ask it. Whether he was referring to Orochimaru or Sasuke, however, was up to Naruto's own interpretation. Neji knew that the man had meant the question for the latter.

 

Naruto shrugged and took a sip from his cup. “Orochimaru always comes back. And Sasuke—” he paused for a moment before continuing a little more resolutely, “and Sasuke will come back eventually.”

 

The corners of Neji's mouth twitched upwards for a moment. Naruto's devotion and loyalty was unwavering. It was heartwarming to witness, but he could not help but wonder to himself if there was any hope in his statement.

 

“How will you greet him?” asked Lee, grinning.

 

Naruto whipped around to face him with a fiery look in his eyes. He gestured violently in the air. “I'll beat the crap out of him obviously! And then I'll beat him up some more before finally asking him what the hell he was thinking!” he replied furiously.

 

“We can't assume he'll return,” cut in Neji quietly. He looked at Naruto grimly. “How do you know he's not dead?”

 

For a moment Neji wondered to himself what had prompted him to ask such a bold question. Naruto stared at him in surprise before a darker, more pained expression crossed his face. Neji narrowed his eyes and bowed his head slightly for his harshness, but Naruto was past that as he spoke.

 

“I just know. He's a survivor. He survived the Uchiha Massacre, right? So he can definitely survive Orochimaru. He's managed to stay out of sight for this long already. And if Orochimaru thinks he's still alive then I most certainly can as well.”

 

There was a long pause before Shikamaru stood up suddenly, a hand on his hip as he looked at all of them severely. “Didn't I say before to get our rest? Come on. All this moping around isn't healthy,” he announced.

 

Naruto nodded and grinned. “Yeah!” he agreed before taking out the futon that Benjiro had courteously offered and lying it down on the floor. He then looked at the couch longingly. “Is anyone taking the couch?”

 

Shikamaru hit him squarely on the forehead with two outstretched fingers. “We're ANBU, Naruto. These accommodations are already too nice for us. We're all sleeping on the floor,” he ordered.

 

“But, but, if we have the chance to sleep comfortably—”

 

“If you get too used to it now, what are you going to do when we have to sleep on rocks, eh?”

 

“Aaw…Shika!”

 

Neji smiled slightly at the scene before him as he settled down in his own futon comfortably. He closed his eyes and was thankful to be released from having to wear those contacts for the night.

 

“Tomorrow…what do you feel about it, Neji?”

 

The dark-haired man thought about it for a minute before answering Lee. “I can only assume the worst,” he replied, using the same words Shikamaru had previously.

 

Tenten had been all too correct. He was an incorrigible pessimist.

 

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Mount Yuki held a notorious reputation in Earth Country. Its dangers were equivalent to the ones found in the Forest of Death that belonged to Konoha. Past Chuunin Examinations had been held there formally before too many reported deaths had permanently closed the site off for any future exams. Only the inhabitants of Hidden Stone knew how to get around the mountain unscathed—and they were not all too willing to share its secrets.

 

The morning air was brisk and the skies were dark. The foreboding weather predicted rain. Benjiro had informed them that Earth Country was experiencing monsoon season. This only encouraged Squadron Thirteen to hasten their paces.

 

They had been walking through the rocky terrain for an hour before taking a momentary respite along the mountain's treacherous pass. Benjiro passed them canteens of water and they accepted them appreciatively.

 

“We have guests,” murmured Neji in the pretense of downing his water.

 

Shikamaru nodded slightly. “Yeah, I know. Are they doing anything?” he inquired.

 

Neji shook his head and moved to stretch his back. “They're simply observing. I think they're taking the same pass as us, but they don't suspect us yet,” he replied.

 

“Can't we just beat them up?”

 

“Shiro,” both Neji and Shikamaru reprimanded.

 

Naruto scratched his head and pouted deeply. They remained situated in their spots for several more minutes before Neji noted that the shinobi had left the area to travel ahead of them.

 

“We're going to have to catch up quick when we reach the city,” he remarked lightly.

 

Shikamaru grunted in agreement as he readjusted his pack. “All right, lead the way, Benjiro!” he declared.

 

The journey through the pass lasted well past a few hours. Neji discovered then why Mount Yuki had been banned as a Chuunin Exam site—the amount of danger was as unpredictable in several spots and there were numerous wild animals roaming the region that posed a considerable threat. Had they been traveling as Squadron Thirteen they would have been able to pass through fairly easily, though there was the slight chance that they would have found themselves in a sticky situation or two. As a group of explorers, however, trying to get through the pass without a guide was plain suicide.

 

When they had finally reached the other side of the mountain the group took one last break to enjoy the scenery and rest up a bit. The journey downward would be a shorter and less dangerous one and they could already spot the noticeable changes in the climate and ground conditions below.

 

“This is the end of Earth Country. Below there is the rest of the world—the wilderness,” remarked Benjiro.

 

Naruto's eyes gleamed in excitement. “Or the jungle—say, why does the outer world cities have such weird names? Jungle—wilderness—I mean, they're more advanced than us in technology so what's up with the caveman terms?” he pondered aloud.

 

Shikamaru grinned. “Why, Naruto? Because it is a wilderness out there. And it is a jungle as well. People from all over the world are gathered in the cities and their manners and cultures are completely different from ours. You would almost think they came from another planet,” he explained amusedly.

 

“I think they'll be just like the people back at home. There's only so much difference between people of the same race,” quipped Lee reasonably.

 

Benjiro arched an eyebrow. “Race?” he repeated.

 

Lee nodded brightly. “The race of man of course,” he replied as a matter-of-factly.

 

Benjiro still bore a quizzical expression on his face as the others broke into affectionate grins at Lee's simple logic.

 

Shikamaru stood up and stretched his back. “Well! We'd better get a move on if we plan to catch up to those shinobi,” he announced. The rest of the group nodded and Shikamaru tilted his head in Benjiro's direction. “Thanks for everything. Konoha owes you a debt.”

 

The Chuunin laughed. “Oh, cut the formalities already. Explorers are supposed to be headstrong and obnoxious,” he replied humorously.

 

Naruto grinned widely at that. “Then we'll catch you later, snake man!” he exclaimed before leaping down several cliffs.

 

The rest of the team shook their heads at Naruto's forwardness. “He's going to blow our cover,” commented Neji casually.

 

“Yup,” agreed Shikamaru.

 

Lee shifted his pack. “Come on! We have to hurry now!” he exclaimed before joining Naruto, albeit in a slower and steadier pace.

 

Shikamaru and Neji bade one last farewell to Benjiro before disappearing over the edge. Fortunately there was no one within the scope of the Byakugan following so they allowed this burst of speed for a short while. Upon joining Naruto and Lee they quickly and skillfully made their way down the mountain before reaching the ground.

 

“You think we were too hasty in trusting that guy?” inquired Shikamaru, looking up at where they had formerly stood.

 

Naruto bristled. “Oi, don't be so cynical, Shika!” he complained. “Ben's a nice guy.”

 

Lee nodded correspondingly.

 

“You're both too trusting,” remarked Neji, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu as he said this.

 

Unsurprisingly, both Naruto and Lee stuck their tongues out at him.

 

Neji smiled faintly. “I see we're resorting back to childish behavior,” he remarked.

 

“Wah—Neji!”

 

“Focus, team, focus. Honestly, how did I end up with all of you as subordinates?” cut in Shikamaru dramatically before growing more serious. “Don't forget what we're here for. I get the feeling we're in for a lot more surprises…soon.”

 

The rest of the group nodded.

 

“All clear?” inquired Shikamaru.

 

Neji gave an affirmative.

 

“Let's go then!”

 

With that the four promptly broke into a swift run towards the distance. It was heading into late afternoon and the sky had darkened considerably since their morning departure. Benjiro's warning about the area being in monsoon season rang clearly in their minds. Though they were technically no longer in Earth Country territory, the wilderness as it was so fondly called, resembled its terrain greatly. Only when they traveled farther south would the weather become any warmer. As it was they had to endure the increasing high winds and damp air.

 

From atop the mountain they had been able to catch glimpse of the city they were heading to—it seemed minute and distant at first, but upon approaching the grey mass they began to see more. The city was a towering collection of steel buildings and gates—much like Hidden Stone, but far grander in size and extravagance. There were roads to be seen floating in midair and the area buzzed with glowing neon lights and traffic sounds. As they reached closer and closer to the opening gate, Neji held his breath. It seemed so utterly surreal, this place. He never would have imagined how far the rest of the world progressed in technology while the rest of the shinobi villages focused mainly on spirituality and isolation.

 

He never thought of his home and the shinobi villages as being primitive, but seeing such a powerful and futuristic sight was evidence enough of their ignorance. Intimidating, yes, but it invoked such a feeling of awe and fascination from deep within them that it could be disregarded easily.

 

The gate surrounding the city was made of high metal and sheets of glass. Barbed wires could be seen on the top and Neji narrowed his eyes slightly. Sneaking into this city would be a difficult one. Fortunately they possessed false identification cards to allow them safe passage without too much hype.

 

A small booth stood before the gate and a guard could be seen sitting inside, a set of headphones clamped down tightly over his ears as he turned the page of his magazine. After standing before him for several minutes, Naruto finally cleared his throat and banged down on the thin piece of glass separating them loudly.

 

“EXCUSE ME!”

 

The guard jolted upwards from his seat and looked at the four standing before him confusingly before taking off his headphones. “What?” he called out from his microphone. The others heard his voice blare out through a tiny speaker box on top of the booth.

 

Naruto rolled his eyes. “WE WOULD LIKE TO ENTER THE CITY!” he shouted in response.

 

The guard grimaced. “You don't need to shout!” he exclaimed back before sighing. “Show me your ids,” he directed.

 

A thin slot beside the booth suddenly opened up and the group dropped their cards in with some mild curiosity. The guard then held them up to his eyes and typed in several things into the computer beside him. He then looked back at them inquisitively.

 

“Foreigners, eh? We don't get too many of them. What's your business here?”

 

Shikamaru's eyes flashed. “Are our passes not enough?” he shot back.

 

The guard shrugged nonchalantly and their passes were launched back out through the slot. “Whatever, man. Just let me give you a piece of information: if you get lost here, no one will find you,” he advised before pressing a button and resuming his former occupation of listening to music and reading his magazine.

 

The magnificent gate before them with the shimmering glass and metal frames suddenly opened up in a zigzag fashion. Neji watched as the glass separated into various shapes to move aside slowly. The jagged edges glimmered dangerously in the dimming light.

 

“Talk about a funky design. What happened to regular, straight glass doors?” remarked Naruto as they began to pass through after the glass stopped moving.

 

Shikamaru grinned. “It's interesting all right. I'll bet the glass is like that for a reason. Most likely it's reinforced in that zigzag pattern so when someone does try to sneak in by breaking it, they'll have one hell of a time getting around the edges. Ingenious, really,” he commented to himself.

 

“You got all of that by assumption? I didn't even know where to think. I thought they just liked the design,” replied Lee with some amazement.

 

“Well, it could be that, too. Maybe I'm just giving this city too much credit.”

 

Neji smiled faintly at this.

 

As soon as they passed by the glass, it moved back swiftly into place until it was one, whole shining piece. They walked on further through a tunnel before finally entering the main city itself. The dirt road they had treaded on promptly turned into black concrete and high, glimmering buildings stood before them. The dark sky and faint sunlight were reflected back on their glass panes and a complex whirl of roads rose about fifty feet above them. The vehicles made light buzzing sounds, almost imperceptible by normal ears.

 

“Wow.”

 

“You said it, Shiro,” gasped Lee in agreement.

 

Shikamaru placed his hands on his hips and glanced around unimpressively, as was his usual manner. “Well, the people look ordinary enough. Here I go imagining some sort of high and almighty race of mankind looking down on us,” he pondered aloud.

 

The people did look ordinary enough. In fact they resembled their own people back at home greatly, though there were definite differences in their attires. The people wore all white, grey, and black shades. The only color seen was from the signs blinking out random information. The people themselves were all dark-haired as well. Naruto's bright red hair was a contrast that spoke out sharply from the crowd. And as expected people were staring at them strangely, but not unwelcomingly.

 

“This place is a little…dreary,” Lee said as they began walking through the crowd.

 

“Let's not be too critical on their culture. They might say the same thing about us,” retorted Shikamaru mildly.

 

Lee stared him down. “You think they would call us dreary? Colorful, maybe. Weird, possibly. But I don't think…home could possibly be described as being dreary. Even our weather is better!” he exclaimed incredulously.

 

Shikamaru shrugged, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I'm just saying,” he replied casually.

 

“Where are we going, Akira-chan?”

 

An instant glare was thrown in Naruto's direction. “No need for that nickname, Shiro. And we're heading for an inn. We've done enough traveling for the day. We might as well take a break—and this city looks like a nice enough place to explore,” answered Shikamaru.

 

They crossed several streets before finally spotting a quaint-looking inn. They stepped inside and marveled at the decorations for a moment before dropping their belongings at the front desk, where the spot was currently empty.

 

“Well, I guess we're here. But no one seems to be here yet,” remarked Shikamaru.

 

Naruto jumped up and down excitedly. “Really? Then can I like go and explore right now? Huh? Please? You guys could take my stuff with you, right?” he pleaded eagerly.

 

“Shiro,” scolded Shikamaru.

 

“I'll take your stuff, Shiro,” cut in Neji.

 

They all looked at him.

 

“You go look around and report back anything interesting you see, all right?”

 

It was all said in a careless, offhanded manner, but they all knew what Neji had been hinting at. Only Naruto looked thoroughly confused before nodding slowly in a hesitant manner.

 

“O-kay…”

 

“I'll come with you, too,” quipped in Shikamaru with a brief shake of his head. “God knows leaving you to yourself is never a safe option.”

 

Naruto smiled somewhat sheepishly.

 

Lee took Shikamaru's baggage while Neji took Naruto's. All of the sudden a young woman scuffled in hurriedly into the room and behind the front desk. She fixed her braid quickly before whipping out a friendly smile at them.

 

“Sorry for the lateness, folks. We had some trouble in the back with one of our customers—you know, they're a bit older and were getting quite fussy with their dinner—so anyway, is it just four?” she prompted rapidly.

 

“Yes,” answered Shikamaru just as quickly. “We'll only be staying the night.”

 

The girl typed the information into her computer and Lee dealt out the money. He was, surprisingly, talented in keeping track of money and knowing the difference in values between various types of currencies. It was a skill none of them had yet to question about, but something they all accepted and moved on with.

 

As soon as they were given the keys to their rooms, Naruto took Shikamaru's arm and dragged him out the door.

 

“You guys can handle this from here on out, right? Akira and I are going to do some exploring! See you later!”

 

Neji and Lee watched as Naruto led a protesting Shikamaru out. The receptionist giggled.

 

“Foreigners? Are you traveling?”

 

“Yup! We're going to explore the world in a month!” declared Lee happily.

 

The girl arched an eyebrow. “That's impressive,” she remarked.

 

Neji stared at her for a moment as she and Lee exchanged small talk. Suddenly, she spotted him looking at her and winked.

 

“Like anything you see?” she inquired jokingly.

 

Suddenly it dawned on him. The girl's silvery hair was uncommon—or at least from what he saw upon entering the city, and there was a secretive glimmer in her eyes that made him suspicious. She reminded him strongly of someone—yet his mind was drawing up a blank.

 

“You strangers better be careful. You never know who could be watching you—and I hear there have been a lot of shinobi passing by in this area as of late,” she said airily.

 

Neji continued staring at her for a long moment before finally blinking in comprehension. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly as he regarded the girl guardedly and with some horror.

 

“Kakashi-san?”

 

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TBC

 

Surprise, surprise? The receptionist being late was the first hint. XD And yes, I am putting off Sasuke's appearance on purpose. I'm an evil writer.