Saruto | The Bloodline Prophecy (Part 1)

Chapter 20: The Boar, the Dear, and the Butterfly

"We should try and find our way to Konohagakure," I instructed.

Inojou yawned and stretched himself out before stretching his head to follow us. With Shikadami rolling her eyes, this immediately signals Inojou to retaliate.

"Oh, does this make you uncomfortable?" Inojou sarcastically squints at his clearly disapproving posture, "Says the one cuddling up to the prince all night."

Shit. Shikadami wasn't gonna take that one lightly. We didn't have time for this. The mission was the utmost important thing that we had ever received before. I wasn't gonna let Inojou petty insights distract me from it. As Shikadami angringly approached him with her fist held out, which sent Inojou to cower back and away from her. His apparent fear of her only encouraged Shikadami's behavior. I wasn't about to interject myself into the situation so I thought it best to ride it out. Let them get their tensions out now while we still could hold our old personalities.

Now that I think about it. Could our identities jeopardize the timeline? How much information can we withhold? I wish Kakashi was here. He would know what to do. Bur realizes that he isn't here and now it's my job to find out the truth about the prophecy. No matter how long it takes.

Suddenly, I heard a rustling in the tree a few yards away. Friend or foe, we were strangers in a totally new world form our own.

"Shika! Ino!" I whispered for their attention.

Immediately their bickering died down and they looked to where I pointed. There were people walking through the trees. It was good that we had taken off all our gear from the Village Hidden in theLeaves to hide the fact to where we were based from. Hopefully that as much would hide our identities from everyone we crossed.

Realizing it was three figures that I couldn't yet make out, I pondered on whether we should ask them for directions to Konohagakure because I was all but lost as to where we were. We needed to get to Konoha because we could easily get help from whoever was the Hokage. My grandfather said to trust the Hokage.

As we laid low in the bushes we observed as the figures got closer and closer into view. Something about their voices seemed familiar and based on the expression on Inojou and Shikadami's faces, they thought so too. And then it came to me. There was no way!

"Shikamaru, you're treating right?" a young and slim Chōji with brown hair confidently spoke out.

His outfit is mostly the same, but he wears larger wrist-guards and his boots reach his calves. Sporting a short goatee, he confidently walked by his teammate's side with his arms swung over his head.

The man next to him had an all to familiar narrow brown eyes and a typical expression suggesting he is either bored or irritated. He has shoulder length black hair tied in a spiky ponytail. I was baffled by how young he looked. After all it had only been a few months since I last saw him in the Hokage's office assigning me to this very mission. Ino on the other side of Choji Ino has fair skin, light blue eyes and long platinum blonde hair worn out of her signature ponytail, with bangs framing the right side of her face.

I was conflicted as to whether we should approach them because they could recognize Shikadami and Inojou because of their similar appearances. Ino and Shikamaru were their grandparents.

Looking to me for the plan, Shikadami and Inojou stared at me with intent and I was quick to make a decision. Emerging from the bushes I immediately waved them down with Inojou and Shikadami following close behind me.

"Excuse me," I waved my hand as they stopped in their tracks waiting for me to catch up to them.

With confidence, I was met with the famous Ino-Shika-Cho team. Their formations famously go down in the history books of Konoha. It was strange to be face to face with them at such a young age. It was as though they were our age. They probably were if I were benign honest with myself.

Having their attention they didn't think to greet me but waited for me to continue my response. I waited to casually continue my plea.

"Hey, my-" I hesitated as I gestured to Inojou and Shikadami who no doubt were struggling to keep their eyes away from Ino and Shikamaru, "my family and I were trying to find our way to Konohagakure. Would you mind pointing us in that direction?"

Shikamaru stepped forward to meet my eye line and observed me. Probably trying to see if I was a threat or not.

"What is your business with Konohagakure?" Shikamaru questioned with a deepening stare.

Maintaining my composure, I thought of what I could possibly have seen of him without giving away our mission. If I seemed suspicious, there would be no doubt that Shikamaru would instruct Ino to read our minds. And that would be everything but good.

"We have been requested to be in the presence of Lord Sixth," I responded.

Shit, was my moth wrong. I am pretty sure that this timeline is a few years after the Fourth Shinobi War and about the time that Kakashi was Hokage. This was perfect if it was because then I knew I could trust Kakashi with the half-truth of our mission. After all there was only so much that I could reveal to him as to not endanger the future.

"Really?" Shikadami as he squinted at me.

He was trying to read me. It reminded me of my early days in the Anbu when he was my mentor and was teaching me how to lie. It felt strange. All of this. Pulling away from my gaze he looked behind me to look at Inojou and Shikadami. Like they had been trained in the Anbu they knew who to maintain a good poker face. We were skilled in this area.

"We are heading there now!" Choji blurted, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, you can come with us!" Ino added.

Shikamaru didn't seem amused as he rolled his eyes and then motioned for us to follow him. Still maintain a genuine posture. We followed behind as Choji and Ino slowed down to walk at the same pace as us. They smiled as they began to ask Inojou and Shikadami questions. Like small talk. Not interrogation. Trust me, I knew what a real interrogation was. I couldn't help but wonder about Shikamaru though. He seemed less lively than he was in my own timeline. You would think that in his youth he would be a lot more lively. But what was going on in his head. Then it hit me. In this last war, he lost both his sensei and father. I guess I could relate to him that much. I was stuck in a totally different timeline without my sensei and absence of my father for most of my life. I understood him. He reminded me of my early years after my father had died.

We walked for long hours and the entire time, Shikamaru stayed quiet with contradicted Ino and Choji behavior towards us. Ino and Inojou immediately bonded which was no surprise. To my surprise though it didn't bother Shikadami at how cold her grandfather was. She didn't bother to engage in a conversation with him. I guess their relationship back in our timeline mirrored that. They were family but not that close. There was no ill will between the two; it's just that they didn't have much in common. Nothing to build a relationship on. It was just a normal friendly relationship.

I pondered on these thoughts with my hands in my pant pockets. It distracted me from the fact we were now arriving at the gates of Konohagakure.

"We're here," Shikamaru finally spoke out, "the Village Hidden in the Leaves."