Naruto: The Honored One(Discontinued)

46

Chapter 46: The Ungovernable Variable

Konoha – The Hokage’s Office

The afternoon sun filtered through the blinds, casting long slats of light across the piles of paperwork that threatened to bury the Fifth Hokage alive. Tsunade massaged her temples.

At least the village is quiet, she told herself, trying to find a silver lining. Naruto took off for the Mist Village a days ago to play hero. Since he didn't ask to put Geto back in a cell, that monster-summoning headache must have gone with him. Good. They can annoy the Mizukage instead of me.

A knock at the door shattered her brief moment of peace.

"Enter," she commanded.

The door creaked open, and Team 10 shuffled in. Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji looked exhausted, their flak jackets dusted with travel grime and the soot of battle.

"Report," Tsunade said, leaning back in her chair. "I assume the extraction of Lord Shu was successful?"

Shikamaru stepped forward. "Mission accomplished, Lady Hokage. Lord Shu has been returned to the Land of That. The treaty is broken."

"Good," Tsunade nodded. "A standard political extraction. Any complications?"

"That’s putting it lightly," Shikamaru muttered. "The mission parameters were... inverted. The Land of That—our clients—were the aggressors. They hired the Akatsuki to wipe out the Land of This the moment Shu was clear."

Tsunade’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "The Akatsuki?

"Sasori and Deidara," Shikamaru replied.

Tsunade sucked in a breath. Two S-rank missing-nin against a team of genin. She had assigned an ANBU shadow for this exact reason, but against those two...

"How did you survive?" Tsunade asked, her voice tight. "Did... did you receive any assistance from the shadows?"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, looking confused. "Shadows? No. We were on our own until the third party intervened."

Tsunade frowned internally. Yamato didn't step in? Or maybe he couldn't? "Third party?"

"We had interference," Shikamaru said seriously. "It was Suguru Geto."

The room went deathly silent. Shizune froze.

Tsunade blinked. She processed the name, but the geography didn't make sense. "Excuse me? Who?"

"Suguru Geto," Shikamaru repeated. "He was in the castle town. He entered the eating contest, then engaged both Akatsuki members simultaneously."

"Impossible," Tsunade whispered, the veins in her forehead beginning to throb. "Geto is supposed to be in Kiri. With Naruto."

"Well, he definitely wasn't in Kiri," Choji piped up, opening a bag of chips nervously. "He was eating pork ribs in the Land of This. Then he summoned a lava monster and a crystal dragon."

"He saved the civilians," Ino chimed in. "And he saved the samurai, Tatewaki. Sasori poisoned him, but Geto healed him instantly. Without hand signs. His hand just glowed with energy ."

CRACK.

The solid wood of the Hokage's desk split down the middle as Tsunade’s fist slammed into it.

"NARUTO!" she roared, the sound shaking the window frames.

Shikamaru flinched. "Uh... Lady Tsunade?"