007

Kakashi's

"What's your decision, Hokage?" Shikamaru with full of respect.

It was after Ino's Shintenshin no jutsu. They were now guaranteed about who they are dealing with.

Naruto did not ponder facing Shikamaru and speaks of his plans automatically. He seems to know what he is doing, he knows it will be done immediately by his underlings. A firm judgement. He talks as if he's well aware and used to the crowd's ears.

Naruto changed his tone.

"Sai, tell your ANBU to call their families immediately and let them be enlightened by the situation. Ask Konohamaru to lend the field investigation to his cousin and report here." He sedately commanded.

After hearing such bareness of his voice and being near his grasping aura we are left still and perplexed by this new side of him. I've seen him serious before but this older Naruto pulled a Hokage card underneath his sleeve and left us in awe.

Younger Naruto turned his head, looking around as if to get any of our reactions too. He was shocked.

"Tell me. Tell me, I'm not the only one who heard that. Right?!" Aggressive whispers. Thank God, he's not yelling or we'll be kicked out here.

Sakura smacked him. "Shut up," aggressive whispers.

Sai positioned his hand for a sign and so forth disappeared. Swirls of noticeable air played around where Sai was.

"Sakura, check them all outside. Take the wives." He spoke another order.

Gai and I had quick eye contact. Aren't we gonna talk the incident out? The travel?

Sakura nods, shifts her feet and walks towards our company. She had grown exquisitely fine, I see.

"Do any of you happen to have injuries? Come, follow me outside." Sakura asks her younger self kindly. She politely guided us to the door when one had yet answered her.

"Teachers." An unfaltering call from a hoarse voice roared before our ears. It was Naruto. He did not yell but damn...

Undoubtedly he wants us to stay for the Otsutsuki happening we have to speak about.

We were about to follow them although we are reluctant thinking that we haven't got to talk about the important part of the incident. I'm hungry and exhausted, good thing we're starting with this already.

Sakura's emerald eyes bid farewell to me, she bowed her head a little.

Wah... I can't believe this. I didn't even have a chance to respond. Witnessing Sakura develop her beauty to how it is now. And the strength of a hundred technique? Sakura's sporting a forehead like the Fifth's. What happened in the future?!

And seeing, feeling Naruto bearing such power and authority. They have matured now. I could never be more proud. Sai, director of the Anbu. And they're parents now too!

I wonder where's would our Sasuke be? The two made it happen? Did they make him come back?

"Sensei..." Lee, crying his eyes out looking at his teacher Gai.

Our kids are looking at us with obvious confusion and worry.

"Don't worry. If you sense something's off don't hesitate," I whispered. Volume was quite qualified to enter their ears.

Round plump faces gushed with determination because of what I just said. "Yosh." Some chorused.

Although it was exciting for Naruto and Kiba.

God! For my love of Master Jiraiya's Icha icha Paradise, please, don't let them think of something stupid.

"We're going to discuss matters don't worry. So long, Youth! Be goo— no, be great!" Gai comforted the kids as they walk past. Tapping some of the youngster's shoulders.

He then proceeded to close the door when they were all gone. This guy. I could only shake my head.

"I'll go with them," Kurenai with a worried expression on her face.

I turn to her. She was perplexed and was battling her thoughts in.

"They can handle themselves you know that. Don't belittle the kids, they'll fight back." Asuma's hands went to her back.

"It's not that!" She whispers aggressively opposing her man's statement.

"It would be good if Kurenai would be with them but I think the Hokage wants all of us here," I said. My eyes went jumping to Asuma's and Kurenai's.

"Women, please follow on with the kids ." Shikamaru turned to his right.

I think, Temari of the Sand. Princess, I may say. Got a glance from Shikamaru.

She came to him and he whispers to her. The Nara gave furtive glances at the door. Temari nodded.

The little Nara from Boruto's troop got his eyes glued to Asuma and Kurenai. As they were about to pass by me, my gaze as well as the little Nara's got in contact for seconds.

A photocopy of his father but with big eyes, wide forest green irises.

"He said we should help if we want to." Temari to Hinata. Hinata was now carrying her daughter in her arms.

"Okay..." Hinata.

Temari found the little Nara and pulled him closer to her probably to guide the kid outside. She pulled him by his head near his temple. Noticing the kid's eyes were on us, she also had to give a glance.

Kurenai gasp and turned to Asuma.

"Oh~ Shikamaru. I see," Gai laughs.

I smirked upon hearing that. "Every time he was asked regarding the two of them, he'd be denying it."

"I know they'll hit off," Asuma said cockily. Grinning to himself.

Shikamaru with a seemingly angry face with blushing cheeks couldn't even hold any eye contact. Hokage Naruto who is sitting beside him is smiling brightly, agreeing with us. Face

depicts 'I know right!'.

Scorn was heard before the loud bang from the door shut. Temari heard us for sure.

The kids had grown up already.

After their leave, Sai had arrived. That was quick.

"All done, Hokage."

"Ok, then," Naruto said to Sai.

Sai then tried to convene the four people they need to speak of. Considering the eye contact as well as the bob to be a signal forward we teachers stepped closer to the Hokage's table.

"Where were you when the turtle came? I mean..." Naruto sighed. "What exactly happened?"

"My team and Gai's, we were going back to Konoha after a mission when it suddenly appeared. It extracted us eight into a weird place with a floating platform for a stage,"  Kurenai said.

Shikamaru's forehead creases. "Your team and Sir Gai's? So the four teams were not together huh?"

Kurenai standing beside me exhausted and shaky. "No, we met everyone here." 

"It's planned, someone's planning something in Konoha," Ino edged in. Sounding so sure about her assumption.

"Maybe an invasion or hoax?" Kurenai asked.

Tracing the earlier incident... "It's far from just a hoax. Why would we be in a very crucial situation?  Why is it our four teams being sent here? Why should it be us?" Asuma, wondering deep.

"To leave Konoha unattended or lessen its force and defence. Who could these bad people be?" Squatting with his arms on top of his knees, leaning a bit on his left, Gai thought carefully about the situation.

"You did not come across a pale and weird-looking guy?"

Gai and Kurenai shared eye contact. Mirroring each other's expressions, they were confused by what Naruto meant by his questions.

"All we saw was a pink turtle with a red ribbon tied around its shell. We haven't had an encounter around that time. It was only eight of us around the area. Lee and I were playing bird's eye, although we both have Hinata and Neji at that same moment." Gai let information flow down his mouth.  

Naruto nodded slowly and looked at Shikamaru and Sai. Shikamaru gave a knowing look. I heard Ino take a deep breath.

"Sir Asuma?" Shikamaru now.

"I'm treating the kids. Normal date, I ordered for us and the restaurant was packed. We were just eating at that time when we suddenly got eaten by a blinding light. We had no clue something like that would happen at a crowded place." Asuma crossed his arms while talking and shook his head.

"In Yakiniku Q restaurant?" Ino was heard in a distance.

"Yes, Choji noticed it first and yelled but we did not have the opportunity. Other customers were affected as I recall." He paused and sighed while stretching his neck.

I somehow felt the atmosphere switch so I paid close attention to everyone in the room.

"After that, the four of us landed on what seemed to be a floating stage like what Kurenai said and that's where we met the turtle." He's in his chill stance, although the topic and situation aren't something to be relaxed about.

Shikamaru's clenched jaw is directly aligned with my line of vision as he abruptly avoided looking at Asuma. I caught him shallowing. Ino covered her mouth and subtly got teary while eyeing their teacher.

"You didn't meet Sir Gai's and Miss Kurenai's team?" Naruto asked as he lifts himself from his chair.

Okay...

"No, only the four of us were there. The turtle even said that he'd be doomed by his master for messing up the travels and there were a lot of technical errors."  Ino couldn't stand it, she looked out the window, avoiding Asuma's face. Avoiding emotions.

No way.

"That noble device... we thought it was only a myth." Kurenai's airy talk. 

Confusion was evident on their faces.

I cleared my throat. "It was on our textbooks back in the day." So I added.

"Now, don't sound so old!" Gai pushed me hard on my left shoulder. I almost stumbled.

"Otsutsuki... why am I getting a feeling that it's not that new to you?" Asuma huffed, eyes darkened while he's gazing at the four.

Once again they avoided looking at him. They all dodged it. Hinting pain and years of experience before their faces. After a while, Naruto changed the topic.

"Sir Kakashi, what happened?" The Hokage asked me as soon as I regained my posture. Standing nearer to my right and seeing his noodle pile on the floor.

That caused me to smile underneath my mask. He's still the same old Naruto Uzumaki.

I shooked my head. "We're walking from the Hokage Tower but unlike Asuma's, there weren't any blinding lights. No interaction with other people, no warnings."

"You kinda just got there?" Although it was a question, Naruto was already nodding.

Ino, Sai, and Shikamaru glanced at him. Questions in their head were left unsaid.

"Exactly," I replied, bobbing my head.

"Where's Captain Yamato?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

Yamato? Anbu?

"Yamato?" I asked, perplexed.

"Mm..." Naruto nodded slowly.

"Anbu?" Asuma asks.

Kurenai looked up at his man while her forehead creased in her lateness. Gai took a step backwards.

Naruto was weighing my reaction, staring at my face, spelling my expressions. He then smiled now looking at Asuma. "Anbu."

"They just got back," Shikamaru commented.

"Sir Jiraiya and Naruto?" Ino confirmed while still sitting at a distance. 

"Mm," Naruto answered.

"Who arrived here first? Team Asuma or team Kakashi?" Facepalming Naruto threw his empty noodle cup on the ground.   

Where are we going with this? Asuma and I looked at each other and said.

"Me."

"Kakashi's."

Sai and Ino raised their eyebrows, utterly impressed. "Perfection," Sai is now smiling sweetly.

Shikamaru smirked at his friend like now getting why he asked those questions.

They reacted as though they had gotten the answers to what they were really curious about.

Naruto is still looking down at his cup.

Both Asuma and I can see his swamp of empty noodles. For some unknown reason, my heart beats fastened

as the cup he just dropped slowly rolled on top of another cup, fit itself in and glided down the center of the havoc mound.

Ashamed as we are as shinobis but we flinch when the door rashly opened. There, entered a man with unruly brown hair and a forehead protector on top of his blue scarf. He looked like he ran from The Sand to Konoha.

The man never paid an eye to our direction and walked past us. He places himself in front of us four.

"He's the one who Hinata talked with at the lobby," Kurenai whispered.

"Otsutsuki?" Shikamaru asked.

He reported straight, attention only to those who are in front of him.

"Nothing as of now. But we're searching for anything that'll help us trace the turtle, the only thing that can potentially send us to him. Just like before we can confirm that there was no fight occurrence at the scene. And we found a witness," he said and held out a little scroll.

"Who would be there? It's already past 11," Naruto.

"You assigned a team to roam around that area since the Byakuya Gang incident."

Jounin, I guess.

"They're still guarding that area?" Shikamaru impassively smiled.

"It was a long-term tenurial," The boy added.

"Oh, yeah I remember!" Naruto pointed at the boy, apparently collecting memories and laughed at himself.

"That's all?"

The boy shook his head and...

"I know you are giving Mirai a whole lot of important missions these past few months but I want to extend my earnest gratitude for seeing and trusting my cousin's capabilities!" He bowed his body, speaking with a very deep voice. A voice I somehow find eerily familiar.

A large built, brown hair, oxford blue eyes, slightly tan skin and a developed deep voice...

Ah, yeah and the blue scarf.

Konohamaru.

"We'll talk about it later." Shikamaru sounded sympathetic but appeared impatient.

"Konohamaru," Naruto called.

"It's not just that, you'll understand in a while. But before anything else, I need you with Boruto and observe them for the meantime." Naruto stood up and scan the little scroll in front of him.

The Hokage bobbed his head signalling Konohamaru to go now. Konohamaru heaved a sign and vanished. 

The office was silent and frivolous while we were all watching the Hokage walk close to his wide windows. Tapping his friend on his shoulder on the way. He stared at the view outside and said, "Whatever," releasing a deep breath out.

"What a drag."

"I thought it was already finished," Ino.

"Work is life," Sai followed.

"Urashiki's alive." The Hokage massage his temples. Even though his back is facing us we can feel that he's tired and troubled by everything but determination crawls its way out.

Naruto hasn't changed. The only thing that changed is that whatever it may be I'm not worried about him anymore. There's something now that assures me and it's not his title as Hokage.

It's his mindset and maturity. His experience and judgement.

Through the window's reflection, we saw the Hokage smirking.

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