Naruto 1. Prologue

**Unsuspected Allies**

**Prologue: Teal Skies**

_Shikamaru's mission_

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**Disclaimer:** **Naruto** is an anime/manga by _Masashi Kishimoto_. I claim no rights to the characters or original story line.

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Groggily, Shikamaru opened his eyes. He had been taking a nap high up in one of the trees surrounding the village of Konoha. This was the only peace he had over the past few weeks. The Fifth was flooded with mission requests lately. Shikamaru had just returned from one that morning. 

Looking up, Shikamaru noted that the sky had finally cleared. It had been raining sporadically over the past couple of days. Now, the sky glimmered a blue/green in color. No, the color was more teal, thought Shikamaru. Funny how the color reminded him of something, but he couldn't think of what that was.

Closing his eyes, he rubbed at his temples with a sigh of exasperation. His brain was fried. Thinking hurt too much at the moment. Shikamaru rested his head back against the trunk of the tree. Sleep…..all that he wanted to do was sleep…..

"There you are, Shikamaru!" Called a familiar voice from below. "We've been looking for you everywhere!"

Shimata…..he thought, with a groan of annoyance. Maybe if I don't answer she'll think I'm asleep and go away, he concluded hopefully to himself.

"Please wake up, Shikamaru-kun," came a soft, quiet voice from somewhere close by.

"Hummm?" Shikamaru raised an eyelid curiously to find Hinata hanging upside down from a branch above him.

"Come on, Shikamaru, get a move on. We have been summoned. Tsunade-sama will be furious that it has taken us so long to find you!" Called up the voice from below again. "If not for Hinata's Byakugan we might not have found you at all!"

"That was the point," mumbled Shikamaru under his breath. What did the Fifth want now? Ah Gods, this was a real pain.

"Please come with us," Hinata pleaded in her soft, quiet voice. "If we don't hurry, Tsunade-sama will yell again."

Couldn't anyone ever get a break? For crying out loud, he hadn't even been back for 4 hours and already he was being given another mission? Shikamaru let out a heavy sigh and dropped down from the tree. Well, this was certainly a strange combination, he thought, as he landed next to Tenten, followed quickly by Hinata landing softly beside him.

The trio stood in anticipation before the Hokage. Tenten stood, giving the Fifth her utmost attention. Hinata's eyes were downcast and her hands folded in front of her. She looked like a rabbit ready to flee. Shikamaru, on the other hand, stood lazily with a vacant expression between the to female shinobi. He wobbled slightly and looked as though he might be sleeping standing up with his eyes wide open.

Tsunade looked on at the group for a few minutes, her hands folded beneath her chin, momentarily lost in thought. She noted how completely exhausted Shikamaru looked, more so then usual for him, that is. She hated to do this, but her hands were tied. She would have sent Neji instead, if it werent for him being on another mission. Also because Neji was away, she had no other choice but to send Hinata on this mission as well. The Byakugan would be beneficial for their success. Tenten also was currently the only other shinobi in the village not already on a mission. The three of them together should be an adequate skill combination. Shikamaru's leadership & strategy, Hinata's Byakugan, and Tenten's weapon expertise.

The Hokage let out a deep sigh before beginning to explain the situation. "I truly am sorry that I must do this, but I am working with limited resources," she explained, directly to Shikamaru.

Shikamaru wobbled and the light of the noonday sun reflected from his glazed over eyes.

"Shikamaru!" Snapped the Fifth with the attempt to snap him out of his trance. It was Tenten's push on his shoulder knocking him off balance and into Hinata that forced him to focus.

"This is such a bother," he mumbled.

"After I brief you on the situation, you may go home to rest and then you will leave tonight," Tsunade sighed. It couldn't be helped. She had intended them to leave right away as was requested, but she couldn't send him out like this.

Shikamaru wanted to protest more. Why couldn't she wait for one of the others to return? The urgency in her voice as well as the stacks of papers covering her desk convinced him against it. There was also the pleading looks from Shizune, her assistant, and Ton-Ton, her pet pig, which forced him to keep silent.

"It has been requested that we send a group of shinobi to guard an artifact in threat of being stolen. There has been reason to believe that the theft is to take place tomorrow night." The Hokage paused for a moment to ensure they all followed the explanation. "So, as you can see, we don't have much time," she paused again, making eye contact with Shikamaru. "I wanted to send Neji, Tenten, and Lee, but both Neji and Lee are away and I can't wait for their return."

"I understand," Shikamaru grumbled. This was really troublesome."

"I will explain further details to Hinata and Tenten. Go now and rest up, Shikamaru.."

Without hesitation, Shikamaru left the Hokage's office, shielding his eyes from the brightness of the sun. During his track home, his gaze wandered to the sky. It was still a teal color. Teal….for some reason it haunted him.

Upon arriving home, he went straight to his room and collapsed onto the bed. With his eyes closed, he still saw the teal colored sky in the back of his mind. No…it wasn't the sky… it was a pair of eyes. So familiar, he thought.

Rolling onto his back, he opened his eyes to stare up at the ceiling. His mind stuck on a memory that wouldn't let him rest. The minutes passed like hours as his mind restlessly sorted through memories of teal eyes.

Finally, as his eyelids heavily pulled shut over his view, a face formed against the darkness.

"Temari………"


	2. Chapter 1

**Unsuspected Allies**

**Chapter 1: The Murasama Blade**

_Shikamaru's mission_

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**Disclaimer:** **Naruto** is an anime/manga by _Masashi Kishimoto_. I claim no rights to the characters or original story line.

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It was approximately midnight, as Shikamaru made his way to the village gate. His mother had awakened him with instructions to meet Tenten and Hinata there.

He walked leisurely, admiring the silence of the night. The streets weren't crowded with people and he didn't have to worry WHERE he waked, just the direction in which he was walking. Not to say that he staggered down the street. He just wasn't paying much attention. He walked through the streets of Konoha by memory. His attention was focused on his thoughts.

He would get there when he got there. It wasn't like they would leave without him. He looked up at the moon, which shone full and bright against the darkened sky. The illumination of the moon, shining with golden light, showed a ring of the blue sky around it. The golden light and blue color of the sky combined to show a teal colored ring around the moon.

His thoughts wandered to another night, when a teal colored ring had surrounded the moon. It had been the night before Temari and her brothers returned to Suna, in the Wind Country. He had dreamt about it tonight. The Sand ninja had left Konoha a year and a half ago. Shikamaru had not thought about it in a few months. He had been too busy.

"Come on Shikamaru! Get a move on!" Yelled out Tenten's voice from a distance. "I hope you're not sleep walking!"

Shikamaru was brought out of his thoughts to find himself about 150 meters away from the city gate. Damn….I'm almost there already? He wondered about how quickly the time seemed to pass.

"You are late…" the Fifth stated matter-of-factly when he finally joined the group. "You guys don't have any time to waste," she told them, while escorting the trio through the gate. "I accept nothing less then your success!" She stated and motioned for them to be on their way.

"What a pain…" Shikamaru muttered and leapt off in pursuit of the two female shinobi that made up his team.

"Our mission is to the west, close to the boarders of Wind Country," Tenten briefed. "The village is remote and run by the founding family. The family and villagers consider themselves to be a part of both the Fire and Wind countries and cross between the two often," she continued to explain. "Recently the village elder died, leaving the head family divided. There is a family heirloom, originally kept by the elder, called the Murasama Blade."

"This sounds troublesome…" Shikamaru replied. "The Wind and Fire countries are allies. This can cause a lot of trouble."

"Which is why we have been sent to protect the blade," Tenten concluded. "Tsunade-sama did instruct mediation once the thieves are caught…" she paused, reluctant to say more. Thankfully he seemed to deep in thought to notice. "We will receive more information when we arrive at the village of Ise."

At dawn the shinobi stopped to eat. Each pulled out a homemade breakfast and enjoyed their break from travel. Hinata sat quietly, eating her rice ball, which was made to resemble Naruto's appearance. Tenten took note of it with a little smirk. Naruto had left the village a little over a year ago now to train. She found Hinata's show of affection amusing.

Averting her attention elsewhere, Tenten noted Shikamaru's vacant expression. Geez…was she the only one who stayed alert? Shikamaru was supposed to be the leader of the mission, not her.

With a sigh, Tenten stuffed the last bite of her rice ball into her mouth and began to pack the remainder of her rations away. Shikamaru usually stepped up to the position when the situation called for it. For now, she supposed she could use the practice. Pulling out the map provided to them by the Fifth, she began to plot out the rest of their journey to the remote village of Ise.

"If I remember right, the Murasama Blade is believed to be cursed," said Shikamaru, breaking the silence. "I am sure that there is some legend about it," he concluded.

Both of the girls looked at him in surprise. They blinked in unison and froze in motion. The trio stare at one another for a moment in silence.

"Yeah…" Tenten exclaimed with sudden recognition. "Wasn't there a story about it in Ninja Mythology?" She questioned.

"Was that the story about the star-crossed lovers?" Added Hinata quietly.

Shikamaru and Tenten stare at her blankly, until her cheeks turned the color of red-bean paste.

"I thought it was very romantic…" she defended, almost in a whisper.

"What's so romantic about some guy killing himself?" Questioned Tenten.

"He killed himself in order to same the woman that he loved. The curse of the blade is that once it has been unsheathed, it must spill blood." Shikamaru remembered suddenly.

"Don't tell me you find it romantic too?!" Tenten grumbled.

"It's not a romance," he stated. "It is a tragedy…" he trailed off into his thoughts. Weren't the "star-crossed lovers" each from a different country. On from Fire and the other from Wind?

"We need to get going," broke Tenten's voice into his thoughts. "We still have some ground to cover in order to be there before dusk."


End file.

Naruto, Romance