Gathering Shadows (Rewrite)
folder
Naruto › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
8
Views:
1,422
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Naruto › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
8
Views:
1,422
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Team Asuma
After the Council meeting Naruto began training with Kakashi and another shinobi by the name of Yamato and was working on creating and perfecting a new Jutsu that is supposed to surpass not only the Yondaime Hokage’s Rasengan but also his own Oodama Rasengan.
Three days later, during a particularly tricky phase of their training they receive word that Shikamaru and Asuma’s platoon had engaged two members of Akatsuki and that while fighting with an almost religious fanatic Akatsuki member Asuma had been slain in battle.
==============================
Raven and his platoon finish their patrol of their sector when he feels something against his left palm. His mind tries to process the possible reasons for the signal as he closes his right fist while concentrating on relocating the object to that hand. His eyes widen in shock seeing the red pebble in his palm as realization dawns on him. [i]‘Kami no.'[/i] “We’re heading back now,” he tells the others as he stops so that they can catch up. As the other three place their hands on him Raven performs the necessary seals as the four of them fade into the shadows.
==============================
As Raven and his platoon step out of the shadows near in front of the Konoha Hospital he walks inside to find Sapphire trying to console her distraught girlfriend. Raven slowly approaches the two young women as Jade enters behind him guiding an equally distraught Choji. “What happened?” Raven asks calmly trying not to upset the others further. Upon hearing the news of his fellow Jounin’s death Raven slowly walks over to the bench opposite his grieving friends and sits down. Resting his elbows on his knees he leans forward and just stares blankly at the floor through his sunglasses. “I’m sorry," he tells them offering his condolences. "Has anyone informed Kurenai-chan yet?" he asks, his heart going out to the Genjutsu user that would be left to raise their child alone.
“Shikamaru has already gone to tell her,” Choji answers sadly. “He said that Asuma-he said that Asuma-sensei wanted him to deliver a message to her.”
Raven can only nod as he fights back his growing grief. Not since Koga’s death nearly a year ago has he felt this kind of pain. He knows that dying in battle is an occupational hazard that comes with being a shinobi and that at anytime any of his friends could be taken from this world and accepted that truth years ago. Yet neither the knowledge nor its acceptance provided him any comfort.
==============================
Asuma's funeral was held three days later but unlike his father's funeral most of Konoha did not attended. For many in the village the death of another Sarutobi was a tragic reminder of the lose of the Third Hokage leaving only those closest to Asuma to mourn his passing. While Shikamaru was noticeably absent most in attendance understood and could hardly blame Asuma's favorite student for wishing to be alone at the moment.
==============================
Only three days after the funeral the three remaining members of Team 10 gather at the Konoha's front gates as they prepare to leave. "Stop," a female voice calls from behind them. As the turn around to see the source they find Tsunade staring at them. "Where do you think you're going?" the Hokage asks them.
"Godaime-sama," Ino says, afraid that the Sannin will stop them from going on their mission.
"The mission orders are still in effect right?" Shikamaru asks, "The 18 teams are still all over, on the move? We're forming a new team and now going to the mission."
"I'm not going to let you move selfishly," Tsunade tells them. "I'll send a team to the place the enemy said they'd return." Her manner softens slightly as she continues. "Shikamaru... you'll be added to a team that we form and then allowed to go after a good plan has been made."
"Just send us reinforcements later," Shikamaru replies. "I've already made a plan with Ino, Choji and me."
"Stop being unreasonable," the Hokage snaps. "Asuma is dead," she reminds them. "Right now there's only three of you. The basics of a team is four people, one group. Without a Taichou you..."
"Asuma is with us," Shikamaru says interrupting her.
"Are you planning on a joint battle with a funeral?" she asks him. "It's not like you. Do you want to die needlessly?"
"We're not stupid either," Shikamaru tells her. "We have no intentions of going to die. It's just..."
"It's just what?" Tsunade asks concerned.
"It's just run away like this and live a life where I don't see through things." he answers her. "I don't want to live a complicated life like that either."
His words shock her but she still can't bring herself to let them go alone. "Grow-up," she finally says after her short pause. "Death comes with being a shinobi," she reminds them, "There are times when death is hard to accept but if you don't get over it, there's no future."
They all think about her words taking their meaning to heart but refuse to be deterred from their objective. "This memento cigarette..." Shikamaru begins pulling him and the others out of their thoughts. "When I'm smoking this Asuma-sensei is near and he's protecting us. That's...that's how it feels. Until this battle is finished these cigarettes will be with me."
Tsunade can not deny the sincerity in his words or the look of resolve on the faces of the others. "Look at reality," she says trying once again to get them to listen to reason. "There's just the three of you..."
"A team just needs four people right?" a voice asks from behind her. They all turn to see Kakashi leaning against the side of the gate.
"Kakashi, you!" Tsunade gasps.
"KAKASHI-SENSEI!!" Choji exclaims.
"I'll go with Team 10 as their Taichou," Kakashi offers as he walks over towards them. "How's that?" Leaning down he whispers into the Hokage's ear. "Even if you stop them, they'll still go. This way, if I go with them, I can keep an eye on them... I won't let them do anything unreasonable," he promises.
They all wait with baited breath as Tsunade considers the offer. "Fine do whatever..." she finally tells them eliciting a cheer from Choji and a 'Thank you' from Kakashi.
"What about Naruto, Kakashi-Sensei?" Shikamaru asks not looking fully convinced.
"Whatever..." Kakashi replies. "My usefulness to him is over. Besides another Taichou is with him anyways."
"Heh..." Shikamaru says with a slight smirk. That Naruto...
"Okay then," Kakashi says getting back to the business at hand. "Let's go Team Asuma."
==============================
A/N: Okay so I might have ripped that last scene off of the manga but I felt it was time to give Shikamaru and the others their time in sun and as I was looking through the mangas for ideas for this part of the story I just thought this worked the best.
Three days later, during a particularly tricky phase of their training they receive word that Shikamaru and Asuma’s platoon had engaged two members of Akatsuki and that while fighting with an almost religious fanatic Akatsuki member Asuma had been slain in battle.
==============================
Raven and his platoon finish their patrol of their sector when he feels something against his left palm. His mind tries to process the possible reasons for the signal as he closes his right fist while concentrating on relocating the object to that hand. His eyes widen in shock seeing the red pebble in his palm as realization dawns on him. [i]‘Kami no.'[/i] “We’re heading back now,” he tells the others as he stops so that they can catch up. As the other three place their hands on him Raven performs the necessary seals as the four of them fade into the shadows.
==============================
As Raven and his platoon step out of the shadows near in front of the Konoha Hospital he walks inside to find Sapphire trying to console her distraught girlfriend. Raven slowly approaches the two young women as Jade enters behind him guiding an equally distraught Choji. “What happened?” Raven asks calmly trying not to upset the others further. Upon hearing the news of his fellow Jounin’s death Raven slowly walks over to the bench opposite his grieving friends and sits down. Resting his elbows on his knees he leans forward and just stares blankly at the floor through his sunglasses. “I’m sorry," he tells them offering his condolences. "Has anyone informed Kurenai-chan yet?" he asks, his heart going out to the Genjutsu user that would be left to raise their child alone.
“Shikamaru has already gone to tell her,” Choji answers sadly. “He said that Asuma-he said that Asuma-sensei wanted him to deliver a message to her.”
Raven can only nod as he fights back his growing grief. Not since Koga’s death nearly a year ago has he felt this kind of pain. He knows that dying in battle is an occupational hazard that comes with being a shinobi and that at anytime any of his friends could be taken from this world and accepted that truth years ago. Yet neither the knowledge nor its acceptance provided him any comfort.
==============================
Asuma's funeral was held three days later but unlike his father's funeral most of Konoha did not attended. For many in the village the death of another Sarutobi was a tragic reminder of the lose of the Third Hokage leaving only those closest to Asuma to mourn his passing. While Shikamaru was noticeably absent most in attendance understood and could hardly blame Asuma's favorite student for wishing to be alone at the moment.
==============================
Only three days after the funeral the three remaining members of Team 10 gather at the Konoha's front gates as they prepare to leave. "Stop," a female voice calls from behind them. As the turn around to see the source they find Tsunade staring at them. "Where do you think you're going?" the Hokage asks them.
"Godaime-sama," Ino says, afraid that the Sannin will stop them from going on their mission.
"The mission orders are still in effect right?" Shikamaru asks, "The 18 teams are still all over, on the move? We're forming a new team and now going to the mission."
"I'm not going to let you move selfishly," Tsunade tells them. "I'll send a team to the place the enemy said they'd return." Her manner softens slightly as she continues. "Shikamaru... you'll be added to a team that we form and then allowed to go after a good plan has been made."
"Just send us reinforcements later," Shikamaru replies. "I've already made a plan with Ino, Choji and me."
"Stop being unreasonable," the Hokage snaps. "Asuma is dead," she reminds them. "Right now there's only three of you. The basics of a team is four people, one group. Without a Taichou you..."
"Asuma is with us," Shikamaru says interrupting her.
"Are you planning on a joint battle with a funeral?" she asks him. "It's not like you. Do you want to die needlessly?"
"We're not stupid either," Shikamaru tells her. "We have no intentions of going to die. It's just..."
"It's just what?" Tsunade asks concerned.
"It's just run away like this and live a life where I don't see through things." he answers her. "I don't want to live a complicated life like that either."
His words shock her but she still can't bring herself to let them go alone. "Grow-up," she finally says after her short pause. "Death comes with being a shinobi," she reminds them, "There are times when death is hard to accept but if you don't get over it, there's no future."
They all think about her words taking their meaning to heart but refuse to be deterred from their objective. "This memento cigarette..." Shikamaru begins pulling him and the others out of their thoughts. "When I'm smoking this Asuma-sensei is near and he's protecting us. That's...that's how it feels. Until this battle is finished these cigarettes will be with me."
Tsunade can not deny the sincerity in his words or the look of resolve on the faces of the others. "Look at reality," she says trying once again to get them to listen to reason. "There's just the three of you..."
"A team just needs four people right?" a voice asks from behind her. They all turn to see Kakashi leaning against the side of the gate.
"Kakashi, you!" Tsunade gasps.
"KAKASHI-SENSEI!!" Choji exclaims.
"I'll go with Team 10 as their Taichou," Kakashi offers as he walks over towards them. "How's that?" Leaning down he whispers into the Hokage's ear. "Even if you stop them, they'll still go. This way, if I go with them, I can keep an eye on them... I won't let them do anything unreasonable," he promises.
They all wait with baited breath as Tsunade considers the offer. "Fine do whatever..." she finally tells them eliciting a cheer from Choji and a 'Thank you' from Kakashi.
"What about Naruto, Kakashi-Sensei?" Shikamaru asks not looking fully convinced.
"Whatever..." Kakashi replies. "My usefulness to him is over. Besides another Taichou is with him anyways."
"Heh..." Shikamaru says with a slight smirk. That Naruto...
"Okay then," Kakashi says getting back to the business at hand. "Let's go Team Asuma."
==============================
A/N: Okay so I might have ripped that last scene off of the manga but I felt it was time to give Shikamaru and the others their time in sun and as I was looking through the mangas for ideas for this part of the story I just thought this worked the best.