by Immaculate Devotion with Abundant Complications - Part 3
Shikamaru nodded still in his thinking stance. “Good. Now for your actual mission.: Tsunade continued, “Remember Gaara doesn’t know what it is. After passing through the country of the Mist, I want you to travel into the mountains. Yaouri and Chatte may be hiding here, if that is the case, Yami may talk to them here, but quietly. That, however is not your mission. Your mission lies within these mountains. There is a sacred book buried deep within the mountain that contains a record of the people that populated this land before us. The record is on plates of brass so they will be heavy.”
Shikamaru sighed again, “how troublesome. Why is this a B-ranked mission again?” he asked standing up.
Tsunade groaned, she knew this part was coming but still hadn’t decided how to explain it. “These plates are important to the survival of Kanoha and so many enemy ninjas will be trying to stop you. There will be assassins, enemy ANBU squads, Orichimaru’s followers, and many others.”
Shikamaru nodded, dropping to his thinking stance again and simply said, “this mission is becoming more and more troublesome. You said Temari will be in my group?”
“Yes, and we need you to be extra nice to her, at least until she accepts your leadership,” Tsunade said sternly. “I know you think this mission is troublesome so you don’t need to say it again. You’re dismissed.”
Shikamaru finally left the Hokage’s office nearly two hours after he had gone in. as he got ready for the mission, he thought of Tsunade’s last words to him, ‘Be extra nice to Temari? What does that mean anyway? Wasn’t I nice enough to her the last time they were here? And why are they coming anyway? Can’t we handle this on our own? Probably not or the 5th wouldn’t’ve asked for help from the Sand. How troublesome. I’d better learn all I can about this Nekozumi family. I think I know enough about our other teammates.’ Shikamaru headed to his favorite source of information: Shino. ‘Too bad he’s got that mission with Gai to get ready for. He’d be a great asset to our team. Same with Kiba and Rock Lee. But I guess Gai has first dibs on them for his mission and they must prepare for it.”
As Shikamaru neared Shino’s favorite training grounds, he was suddenly surrounded by bugs hurring him along. “Couldn’t you just step out and say ‘hello’ like a normal person?” Shikamaru grumbled. “I need some information and you were the fastest way to get it.”
Shino stepped out of his hiding place, wearing his jacket that covered his mouth, his eyes still hidden by his sunglasses even though it was the dead of winter. “the Nekozumi family, right?” Shino asked causally. “They are a rare family indeed. Moved to Kanoha about 8 years ago, rumored to be so they could keep an eye on ‘that dog family’, as you know, they are a family of cats. Well, in the same sense that Kiba’s family is a family of dogs, anyway. Yami can mold her chakra in an amazing way. Of the genin ninja, only Neji and Hinata can talk to her in this way, but she molds her chakra so it forms words inside of her.” Shino was obviously impressed.
“Their girls are the most important to them as they are a matriarchal family. I’m assuming the 5th told you about Youri?” Shikamaru nodded so Shino went on, “Yami also has an identical twin sister, Yabelizy, and their cats are identical too so Yabelizy may try to come instead. Yabelizy, as far as I know, doesn’t know ninja stuff, but is a vet. Kiba’s family have taken their dogs to her and, even though she has very little patience for dogs, she’s patched them up well. Only Kiba’s family and her own can tell the difference between Yabelizy and Yami or their cats through their amazing sense of smell. Be careful though, Yabelizy has an IQ a few points above yours and Yami’s matches yours. They are smart girls. Yami also has two younger brothers currently in the ninja academ. Only Yami, Yaouri, and the two youngest boys have ever become ninjas in all of the Nekozumi family. Yami grew up with Kohanamaru but excelled at a rapid pace to become the second youngest ninja since Itachi, she is actually 10. She was trained by Asuma. She is often referred to as the 'cat-chick' like Kiba is the 'dog-dude' and I am the 'bug-guy'. She has special abilities like she can hear almost everything (and, so, is easily distracted), has great vision (no quite the Byukagen but close. A.K.A. cat vision - best in the dark), can mold her chakra into words inside of her so only those with the Byukagen can read them, and has a good sense of smell. She uses special cat-like abilities, has great balance and reflexes, can fit into very small spaces, has sharp nails (they look and act more like a cat's claws than nails), and can summon all kinds of cats. Anything else you need to know?”
Shikamaru shook his head, then reconsidered. “Where does she train and can I find her there now?” after getting this information from Shino, Shikamaru thanked him and went off to find Yami and, he assumed, Ino. Finding them exactly where Shino said they would be, Shikamaru dropped to his thinking stance and watched the girls train for a while. Not for the first time, Shikamaru thought, ‘if only Shino, Kiba, and Rock Lee were coming along. Shino is the best source of information I’ve ever had, Kiba could tell me if we’ve got the right twin, and Rock Lee would keep everybody’s spirits up. How troublesome.’ After watching the girls train and getting a feel for Yami, Shikamaru sighed and went to introduce himself to the younger girl.
“It’s Shikamaru!” Yami squealed in delight and admiration as he sighed and started toward them. “Have I been doing okay Ino?” she meowed apprehensively. Ino simply nodded and went to greet her old teammate. As the greetings were exchanged between the two old friends, Yami thought of what the older girl had told her about being a key element to this mission’s success. ‘How can I be so important?’ she thought for the umpteenth time, ‘I’m not that good and I can’t even keep my mind focused on anything! My hearing makes me so easily distracted and Shikamaru’s presence is making me nervous. He has no idea how much I look up to him. Only Yabelizy really understands how much I look up to Shikamaru. I wonder if she’ll come along with me? At least until I’m more comfortable with these Sand ninjas. I know she’ll come with me to meet them…’
“Welcome to the team Yami.” Shikamaru said just then. “I look forward to seeing what you can do. My friend Ino here said she was impressed by your cat-like abilities and my good friend Shino tells me you have an identical twin sister, Yabelizy, was it?"
Shikamaru nodded still in his thinking stance. “Good. Now for your actual mission.: Tsunade continued, “Remember Gaara doesn’t know what it is. After passing through the country of the Mist, I want you to travel into the mountains. Yaouri and Chatte may be hiding here, if that is the case, Yami may talk to them here, but quietly. That, however is not your mission. Your mission lies within these mountains. There is a sacred book buried deep within the mountain that contains a record of the people that populated this land before us. The record is on plates of brass so they will be heavy.”
Shikamaru sighed again, “how troublesome. Why is this a B-ranked mission again?” he asked standing up.
Tsunade groaned, she knew this part was coming but still hadn’t decided how to explain it. “These plates are important to the survival of Kanoha and so many enemy ninjas will be trying to stop you. There will be assassins, enemy ANBU squads, Orichimaru’s followers, and many others.”
Shikamaru nodded, dropping to his thinking stance again and simply said, “this mission is becoming more and more troublesome. You said Temari will be in my group?”
“Yes, and we need you to be extra nice to her, at least until she accepts your leadership,” Tsunade said sternly. “I know you think this mission is troublesome so you don’t need to say it again. You’re dismissed.”
Shikamaru finally left the Hokage’s office nearly two hours after he had gone in. as he got ready for the mission, he thought of Tsunade’s last words to him, ‘Be extra nice to Temari? What does that mean anyway? Wasn’t I nice enough to her the last time they were here? And why are they coming anyway? Can’t we handle this on our own? Probably not or the 5th wouldn’t’ve asked for help from the Sand. How troublesome. I’d better learn all I can about this Nekozumi family. I think I know enough about our other teammates.’ Shikamaru headed to his favorite source of information: Shino. ‘Too bad he’s got that mission with Gai to get ready for. He’d be a great asset to our team. Same with Kiba and Rock Lee. But I guess Gai has first dibs on them for his mission and they must prepare for it.”
As Shikamaru neared Shino’s favorite training grounds, he was suddenly surrounded by bugs hurring him along. “Couldn’t you just step out and say ‘hello’ like a normal person?” Shikamaru grumbled. “I need some information and you were the fastest way to get it.”
Shino stepped out of his hiding place, wearing his jacket that covered his mouth, his eyes still hidden by his sunglasses even though it was the dead of winter. “the Nekozumi family, right?” Shino asked causally. “They are a rare family indeed. Moved to Kanoha about 8 years ago, rumored to be so they could keep an eye on ‘that dog family’, as you know, they are a family of cats. Well, in the same sense that Kiba’s family is a family of dogs, anyway. Yami can mold her chakra in an amazing way. Of the genin ninja, only Neji and Hinata can talk to her in this way, but she molds her chakra so it forms words inside of her.” Shino was obviously impressed.
“Their girls are the most important to them as they are a matriarchal family. I’m assuming the 5th told you about Youri?” Shikamaru nodded so Shino went on, “Yami also has an identical twin sister, Yabelizy, and their cats are identical too so Yabelizy may try to come instead. Yabelizy, as far as I know, doesn’t know ninja stuff, but is a vet. Kiba’s family have taken their dogs to her and, even though she has very little patience for dogs, she’s patched them up well. Only Kiba’s family and her own can tell the difference between Yabelizy and Yami or their cats through their amazing sense of smell. Be careful though, Yabelizy has an IQ a few points above yours and Yami’s matches yours. They are smart girls. Yami also has two younger brothers currently in the ninja academ. Only Yami, Yaouri, and the two youngest boys have ever become ninjas in all of the Nekozumi family. Yami grew up with Kohanamaru but excelled at a rapid pace to become the second youngest ninja since Itachi, she is actually 10. She was trained by Asuma. She is often referred to as the 'cat-chick' like Kiba is the 'dog-dude' and I am the 'bug-guy'. She has special abilities like she can hear almost everything (and, so, is easily distracted), has great vision (no quite the Byukagen but close. A.K.A. cat vision - best in the dark), can mold her chakra into words inside of her so only those with the Byukagen can read them, and has a good sense of smell. She uses special cat-like abilities, has great balance and reflexes, can fit into very small spaces, has sharp nails (they look and act more like a cat's claws than nails), and can summon all kinds of cats. Anything else you need to know?”
Shikamaru shook his head, then reconsidered. “Where does she train and can I find her there now?” after getting this information from Shino, Shikamaru thanked him and went off to find Yami and, he assumed, Ino. Finding them exactly where Shino said they would be, Shikamaru dropped to his thinking stance and watched the girls train for a while. Not for the first time, Shikamaru thought, ‘if only Shino, Kiba, and Rock Lee were coming along. Shino is the best source of information I’ve ever had, Kiba could tell me if we’ve got the right twin, and Rock Lee would keep everybody’s spirits up. How troublesome.’ After watching the girls train and getting a feel for Yami, Shikamaru sighed and went to introduce himself to the younger girl.
“It’s Shikamaru!” Yami squealed in delight and admiration as he sighed and started toward them. “Have I been doing okay Ino?” she meowed apprehensively. Ino simply nodded and went to greet her old teammate. As the greetings were exchanged between the two old friends, Yami thought of what the older girl had told her about being a key element to this mission’s success. ‘How can I be so important?’ she thought for the umpteenth time, ‘I’m not that good and I can’t even keep my mind focused on anything! My hearing makes me so easily distracted and Shikamaru’s presence is making me nervous. He has no idea how much I look up to him. Only Yabelizy really understands how much I look up to Shikamaru. I wonder if she’ll come along with me? At least until I’m more comfortable with these Sand ninjas. I know she’ll come with me to meet them…’
“Welcome to the team Yami.” Shikamaru said just then. “I look forward to seeing what you can do. My friend Ino here said she was impressed by your cat-like abilities and my good friend Shino tells me you have an identical twin sister, Yabelizy, was it?"
