The Future: Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 135-COMMUNICATION STONES

Near New Khugai, South-East Aturia

Shikamaru, Ino and Choji return to their groups camp near New Khugai, their accommodation hardly adequate. Gone are the days when the 1st Hokage was on their side, creating wooden structures for them as a temporary residence, instead they live in tents which are seldom sufficient to keep them dry. As they make their way into the centre of the military camp it is very much different from the first time a pocket-worlder entered this camp. Back then it was Naruto and Hinata, walking unperturbed as a thousand eyes rested on them, now no eyes are lingering.

Since the rebellious students of Headmaster Sora went their separate ways, they have all been comrades, no matter where they come from, no matter what their power is. There are very few pocket-worlders among this group and they have not yet mastered their elements. However, Ino-Shika-Cho have not used their power to earn respect. This trio of shinobi serves the rebellion against Furst Jonas as they served the Hidden Leaf before, as the most versatile team of the lot.

Shikamaru stops outside the tent in the very centre of the encampment, suggesting to Ino and Choji that they go and find Temari, saying that he has the situation under control. His two teammates leave and alone as the former administrator of the circle, he enters the tent that has effectively become their command centre.

Inside he instantly met by the gazes of the occupants. To his left he notices Sheer, to his right Peterson, those who engineered most of the assault on the Hidden Leaf before Naruto came to their rescue. Near him, the dark-haired shinobi occupant of the room turns to him and embraces him tightly, naturally, this is his teacher's daughter, Sarutobi Mirai. Lastly, across the table in the middle of the room, sat with his head buried in maps and books, is the leader of this struggling group, General Clyde.

Clyde raises his head from his books, "Hello Shikamaru, have you got something for me?"

Shikamaru smirks, "General, you look like you haven't slept in four days."

"I probably haven't so right now I am in the mood for some good news. Please Shikamaru, tell me, did you find anything during your journey?"

"I went into the darkest places in the city of New Khugai and I noticed that something has been out of place lately. Some crimes are becoming more common, some less common, but it was happening at a much greater rate than usual. Either someone new was fighting crime in the city, or someone old wasn't."

"Do you know which?"

"I do," Shikamaru answers, "I don't know why she was doing it but there was an aristocrat, making things difficult for the more violent people in the city. So, I thought perhaps that she could be of use to us."

"You aim to use her?" Clyde asks.

"I met with her. I told her that I was a pocket-worlder and that I could help her if she wanted to fight in a rebellion against Furst Jonas. She expressed interest in joining us."

"That's great news," Mirai says.

"I disagree," Clyde says flatly.

"But why?"

"It's probably just paranoia, but the people at the top of the empire are not fools. There is one who can read the minds of others. There is one who runs all the experiments in the laboratories. There is another who can predict your every move before you've made it. Then there is Furst himself, a man so obsessed with understanding how things worked that he gave up on everyone else to pursue his interest. Any of these four rulers could have come up with a trap for us, many aristocrats are probably trying to 'join' the rebellion as we speak. We can't trust them just because they say they want to join us; we need something more."