How Troublesome

Chapter 13: Nettlesome Ninjas

Kotone led then over to the man who was leaning on the tree, and, now that they were close, Shikamaru could really take in his appearance.

His face was covered in scars, big and little, superficial and deep. They looked old, like they belonged to his past. He also had a white strip of cloth bound over his eyes. Only one conclusion could be drawn from that, since people didn't usually walk around blinded for fun. He was blind. It was a dangerous and difficult life being a shinobi, but to be blind and one... few managed it, and most of them died. The man also had dark, prematurely grey hair that spiked up like horns or cat ears. Those, together with the fact he was licking a knife, gave him the appearance of a psychopathic cat. He also had a large scroll strapped to his back.

"Shikamaru, Naru-chan, this is Akira. He teaches the younger students at the academy."

Shikamaru stared. Akira looked sadistic, questionably sane, and looked like he could give Anko a run for her money on the crazy scale. It was not the type of person he would imagine parents wanting their children around. Well, that was, unless they wanted their children to either be eaten, scarred for life, or to grow up to be mass murderers.

Akira grinned, showing sharp-looking canines. "Hello, Kotone. How... nice to meet you, Shikamaru, Naru-chan." His grin was the farthest thing from comforting, and his voice sounded like gravel being run though a blender. Akira gestured for them to step closer. "I can tell where you two are, but I can't see what you two look like. Can I feel you?"

Shikamaru glanced at Kotone, and she nodded, as if she wasn't telling them to step into arms reach of a man who looked like he ate people's internal organs for breakfast... raw.

Akira raised his hands and ran his calloused digits over Shikamaru's cheeks, nose, face hair, and upper body. Finally, his hands dropped to his sides and he said, "Got it. Do you know your head is shaped like a pineapple?"

Shikamaru twitched. Why were so many of the shinobi he met bastards?

"It does look a little like a pineapple," Naruto admitted, "but I like it."

Was that a positive thing or not? It was hard to tell.

Akira reached out and grabbed Naruto's hand, pulling her closer, and then proceeded to run his fingers over her lips, face, and hair.

Shikamaru shook his head as he felt an irrational twinge of jealousy. The guy was blind! He was simply seeing what they looked like. Now, he was just being paranoid that guys were hitting on Naruto.

Suddenly, Akira's hands slipped lower, and Naruto emitted a squeak as Akira gave her breasts a quick squeeze. "Oops. Sorry. Blind, remember?" he said before Shikamaru could kill him. While his features were schooled into a mask of contriteness, his voice was evilly gleeful.

Naruto seemed to accept this excuse. "It's okay," she said, crimson cheeked. Shikamaru grabbed her hand and drew her back from the sightless groper. Akira seemed to sense Shikamaru's agitation and Kotone's disapproving gaze, and his grin widened.

Before anything else could be said, they were interrupted. "Kotone! You came down to visit us! It's been too long since I saw you!" The exuberant speaker was the almost naked woman who had been fighting earlier. She had long warm, brown hair with a red stripe in it, bright green eyes, and a figure even curvier than Naruto's, which was on display.

Does that even qualify as clothing? He was pretty sure it didn't, yet she seemed to think it did.

Bandages were wrapped around her generous chest, along with the smallest vest ever created. She also sported arm warmers and a very short skirt, slit up the sides. As she walked, or rather, bounced, over the eyes of every man, save Akira, although his face was turned towards her, were trained on her.