| SASUxNARU FANFIC; stymied [chapter one] | Mar. 16th, 2006 @ 06:00 am |
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i don't own Naruto or any other anime/manga but my own fanfictions.
Title: Stymied
Rating: T
Genre: action/adventure/romance/drama/angst/general/humor/tradegy/suspense/mystery
Summary: you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price – to justify your life and existence, even if it may cost you your sanity. SasuNaru.
STYMIED
one
"No sound is noble for your vile tongue, as no sound is worthy for you to heed. You merit no speech, as you merit no hearing. Be imprisoned in your silent cage, like the malevolent demon within you, and bring us no more pain... but bestow it upon yourself instead."
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"A-rank mission, grade: jounin; Nara Shikamaru, Uzumaki Naruto. Location: northwest of Sound Village, area; Vox Region. Final results... failed."
Nara Shikamaru didn't need to roll his eyes as the Godaime Hokage scripted a red 'FAIL' on their mission scroll (not to mention emphasize the word). He watched while she gave a lament of weariness and rolled the scroll close. When she put the curl aside, she took the second scroll underneath it and scanned the report.
"I'm not surprised," she told the jounin, "nobody would have known what could've happened."
Nightfall would come within the hour, but barely anybody was lazying as winter would arrive in less than two weeks. Konoha's forests and foliage were, clearly, almost stripped bare, and the short visit of snow would come for weeks. It could be, so to speak, almost like the Snow Village.
Nonetheless, the people within the Hokage's room shuffled their feet with impatience.
"So the commission is appointed futile," Shikamaru pointed, "this mission has no meaning whatsoever, then."
He and his temporary charge partner had just gone back to Konoha yesterday morning with exhaustion as Shikamaru was forced to restrain his friend while they get back home, due to Hokage orders.
Tsunade-sama entwined her fingers and placed her chin on them, resting her elbows on the huge desk.
"I wouldn't put it that way," she told him, "both of you were gone for more than a month and at any rate, you've put risks working with the opposition at some of those period. Not only were you two oblivious to the fact that the woman was a civilian in Konoha seventeen years ago, you were also at an enemy's line. If they come back targeting Naruto once again, we wouldn't know who is enemy or not. I'd say it still counts as a mission, failed or not."
The boy 'tsk'-ed and shuffled his feet. He'd been standing on his spot over quarter an hour, discussing and protesting about their mission. Apparently, even if they had failed it, Tsunade-sama would not let it off.
"Although," the Hokage continued, staring at the other soul far behind the fainéant jounin in front of her, "I won't put this in your permanent record. Just a reminder that this will not be put aside at thought."
The black-haired nodded, fixing his gaze on the second scroll. Certainly, the name Haisokojii Inake was crossed out in red ink (and were those evil faces Hokage-sama drew beside the name, with an arrow pointing at the name? And the word 'bitch' written above the name? he fought a weary sigh). He lazy eyes looked back up at the (extremely old?) woman in front of him.
"I recommend that you not send out others to that specific area in Sound until this whole problem is solved," he requested, "they might attempt again."
Attack Naruto again, that is.
Neither of them said it, for the tension that drifted between the people in the room was enough a remark. With that, Tsunade-sama gave an intake of breath and leaned back against her chair, massaging her temples.
"Nothing to worry 'bout, I guess," she sighed, "just keep your heads up for anything foreign above the gates and borders. I'll report other jounins to do the same in the three days or so. ANBU will come in later, if the situation gets desperate."
"Do we really need that much protection, Hokage-sama?" Shikamaru questioned, "over this idiot. I think he can take care of himself just fine."
"That was ere you two were at Sound Village."
"I mean, he's still has his sight with him," Shikamaru amiably interrogated. "It's the only thing he needs more knowledge of than his mouth..."
She didn't need to tell him that ninjas not only need eyesight, but every other sense there is to success poised stealth defend and attack. But, by the way she was about to open her mouth, he knew she was going to.
He quickly changed his course of subject.
"Would you like this affair kept confidential until further noticed and be alert once the matter worsens?" he asked.
Tsunade-sama smiled.
"Please do," she confirmed, "if anything upsets any citizens, report to me."
Shikamaru nodded. As he was turned around, he caught a glimpse of the figure far behind him. He moved back and faced the Hokage.
"Hokage-sama," he started, his voice a little low, "what about him?"
Tsunade-sama stared right through the jounin. From the corners of his eyes, the presence of Naruto emerged halfway as he stood between the lines of light and shadow at the corner. He hadn't moved an inch from the spot yet his straight face clearly showed bantam confusion.
She focused her gazed at the space in front of Shikamaru. Her firm lips tightened a little, then opened.
"Anything is fine as long as you keep him from doing anything reckless again. Nothing too abominable as he'd done in Vox Region. He's still in current exhaustion and that'll keep him from troubling himself and others, as well."
Shikamaru made a face and stuffed his hand inside his pockets. Through his experiences meeting Naruto's bothersome path, he didn't dare meddle with the blond. To think of staying there to keep a watch on him was much more troublesome than any other annoyance there. Although, he brooded, with his current condition, he's probably bound to get a little less noise.
"Why me?" he asked, nonetheless. "You can get someone else as active, just not me."
Tsunade-sama looked at him with a serious expression.
"Because only you, his companion, know what happened back there," she replied, "if any of those people in this village realizes what happened to Naruto, it's a massive disadvantage for him. You were the only one with him in that mission. I don't care if you tell anybody or not, but I suggest you don't until you receive my correspondence."
"I'm not much of a gossip-talker, Hokage-sama," Shikamaru remonstrated, reassuring the Hokage.
The Godaime smiled.
"I'll rise you to ANBU if you could just keep this problem from anybody, I swear you that, kid," she told him, "especially from him."
She couldn't possibly be talking about...? Shikamaru silently scoffed.
"He's seen Naruto enter the village," he protested, "I'd a feeling he'd be suspicious after the way that idiot reacted towards him."
"If we're lucky, he'll put it aside," Tsunade-sama evoked, "not like anything idiotic Naruto does will be anything too suspicious or obvious."
"It's not that last thing I was talking about, Hokage-sama," Shikamaru said, "it's about his self being... himself."
There was a gradual pause. Then Tsunade-sama flicked her hair, out of meek nervosity.
"What Uchiha doesn't know, won't hurt him," she answered, "or Naruto." She didn't forget to add 'yet' after that.
With a huge sigh, Shikamaru lazily looked at a corner.
"Che," he muttered, "how troublesome. How long will Uchiha be away?"
"He'll be back earlier than a week," she replied, "it's merely a B-rank mission. He'll ace it within the limited two days in the Mist."
"He will replace my duty right?" Shikamaru asked, trying not to sound eager, "when he gets back, that is."
Tsunade-sama smiled.
"Fine," she answered, watching the jounin breathed in relief, "I can see how you're not use to Naruto's traits and statistics, kid. But Uchiha is clearly different."
"I don't hang out with the moron every possible day with nothing to do in life but stalk rivals to the point of persuading them to live together."
Instead, he kept his mouth closed. It was probably unwise to interject useless exaggerations regardless how he wanted to say so. Shikamaru's hesitation confirmed the fifth Hokage what he had been marveling within his thoughts.
"All right," Tsunade-sama sighed, "tell anybody anything, but leave out any detail that will cause any commotion or curiosity. You know what I'm talking about."
The otiose nodded sullenly.
"What a troublesome mission," he muttered, getting ready to leave.
"Nara Shikamaru, B-rank mission."
Said name looked at her.
Actually, stared at her.
To be precise, he was gawking at her.
"What?" You've gotta be kidding me.
"I'm assigning you right this moment a sole B-rank mission," the woman apprised, "keep the fool out of trouble, and if it gets any worse, confine him in his house within the next week. It's easy as that. Nothing more, nothing less."
"But..."
"I won't assign you to complete it," Tsunade-sama continued, "just until we get the more appropriate boy to deal with him after. I'll only assign this to you for five days. You don't need to complete it, like I said, but I do need you to do as you're instructed to do so."
It wasn't a mistake, she'd said 'boy' and within the 'week', which meant only a few days, Shikamaru only faintly realized who she was referring to.
"I don't really know what or why this is such a serious th—"
"Just do it," the Hokage ordered.
Shikamaru stopped and, once again, fought an outtake of breath.
"I know you, Nara and your clan," the Godaime said, "lazy, work-shy, devil-may-care. If I could have a job or personality like you. The young ones always get the good things and here I am, on my ass, doing the same stacks of reports for weeks."
"Still troublesome," the boy muttered, "another mission with the moron. But I'm willing to give it to Uchiha as soon as he comes right back to Konoha."
"Oh, please," Tsunade-sama smiled, and answered, in a louder voice, "I've set your mission until Uchiha arrives then. As for Naruto... a complete moronic fool, he is."—she smacked her desk with her palm and grinned evilly at the boy far behind Shikamaru—"I won't be surprise if the stupid brat goes shitty around the buildings in his condition. You hear that BRAT! You gotta keep yourself out of harm until I check you up next week, you blasted kid!"
The two intermitted as they turned their head towards Naruto's direction.
The Godaime Hokage lowered her smile a little, a saddening effect crossing her straightening lips. Her muscles loosened, and the wrinkles of worry showed again as she side-glanced Naruto, and closed her eyes with a sigh.
A real moronic fool, indeed...
"Troublesome," Shikamaru breathed to himself as the Hokage and he looked at the ground at the sight of the blond's neutral face, blue eyes swirled with confusion.
Inner regret was filing their utter pride.
Only a few feet away... only between the shadow and light... only so close to earshot...!
No matter how hard he tried, no matter how hard he forced his brain to keep a work at his ears. Naruto couldn't hear them.
He wanted to argue. Cuss at them for being too damn mute, opening their mouth wide and close for the past hour without anything coming out of them.
Shit, don't they realize that there was nothing coming out of their damned mouths?
So, he stood still, silent.
Because his mouth, too, opened and closed as they talked amongst themselves, so he could argue with them. But nothing came out. Nor could he hear.
He had read Shikamaru's lips, muttering 'troublesome' and the look of trying not to roll his eyes. He saw Tsunade-baa-chan yell something at him, her mouth wide, and her comical glare, pounding on her desk. But when he didn't react, he saw how she regretted opening her lips so wide at him.
Only dread stroke his face, as his eyes glazed with confusion and ferment. No matter how much he wanted to beat the shit out of anybody and cuss until he made sure every citizen in this village understood how crappy he was feeling.
He opened his mouth a little, but shut them as quick as he could.
There was nothing to say.
He just needed his ears checked so he can hear... right?
He just needed his tongue check so can talk, as well... right?
When he saw Shikamaru march towards him, opening his damn mouth again, His assurance had slipped away.
Fuck! Had the damned boy forgotten Naruto couldn't hear him?
'You lazy bastard, I can't hear you!'
Or did Shikamaru realize then when he stopped midway—when Naruto opened his mouth and silently cursed out loud at him...?—and merely took a glance at him before pointing at the door and heading towards it?
Naruto idly followed, suddenly slow to react at how much he didn't want to face the thoughts that horrified his entire mind and actualization.
It had taken him nearly a month to accept the first step that he couldn't hear or speak, inside the dark cell of his mind. Because he knew it was only momentarily. That he'd get his two senses back.
Because he wasn't deaf.
Because he wasn't mute.
His theory never really reassured him, because no matter how hard he tried, it just kept converting his persuasions into something as bad as an omen.
Soon, he'd be facing the facts... and he didn't want to believe it.
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TBC..mode: groggy music: VC - twilight |
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