𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐇𝐘𝐔𝐆𝐀 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐍

Sai

The next day, Shikamaru and Hanara decided to walk together to the Hokage Tower– Hanara to the Cryptanalysis Office and Shikamaru to the Chunin Exams meeting. She didn't have to go to all of them but Shikamaru wasn't so lucky.

On the way there, they ran into someone.

"Oh, Shikama–" Naruto cut himself off after realizing that she was there. "You knew and you didn't tell me!"

Hanara stared at Naruto, confused, wondering what he could be upset about now.

"The Grass Village. You knew."

'She's sending him on that mission? After my repeated reports of him letting his emotions get the better of him?'

"It was confidential information! It was up to Lady Hokage to decide if it was even true! I couldn't very well tell you and get your hopes up! Besides, she has just as much a right, if not more than you, you know? It wasn't up to me to tell!"

"Just because she's the Hokage–"

"It's not that!"

"Then tell me what it is!"

Maybe it was the stress getting to her, but she lost it.

"Dammit, Naruto! What the fuck about 'it's not my story to tell' don't you get? What, would you have appreciated it if I yelled about what's in you from the rooftops at the top of my lungs the moment I found out? No! Fucking hell! Accept it if people don't tell you something!"

"Uh... Shikamaru? Hanara?" said Choji's voice from behind them. "Yoshino asked me to give you your–"

He was cut off by two huge tigers heading straight for Naruto.

Choji punched it, making it burst into an explosion of ink. Immediately, she knew it was a jutsu and activated her Byakugan. As Choji dealt with the second tiger, she took in the ninja sending ink tigers at them.

"He has ink and scrolls on him everywhere as well as a tanto. Leaf ninja," she informed them.

"Someone like that... you attack first and then send to T&I," Shikamaru growled.

Hanara nodded and formed some chakra threads from her exposed forearms, another trick she'd taught herself. She was not in the mood for a long, dramatic, drawn-out, fight. He couldn't be harder to catch than Sasori, but with his ink animals they'd need her jutsus.

The boy drew more tigers and sent them after the four ninja, but Hanara spat Water Bullets at them and attempted to catch the boy with her chakra threads. Between her bullets and Shikamaru, Choji, and Naruto, the tigers were destroyed easily. Hanara wrapped her threads around the black-haired boy and jerked her right arm back, pulling him like a doll until he was mere inches away from them.

"'Maru?"

He nodded and put his hands in the rat seal.

"Shadow Stitching Jutsu."

Hanara released her chakra threads and spoke.

"Now, usually, I'd let you explain yourself and then fight, but you've caught me in a bad mood right now. So, unless you don't explain yourself right now, you'll find yourself without a limb. Or two." she shot him a fake smile.

"I was merely testing the capabilities of my new teammate," the boy said. "Now I know he hides behind girls."

"Who? Naruto?"

The boy nodded.

"I don't hide–" Naruto started.

"What's your name?" Shikamaru asked. "And, who sent you here?"