Chapter 41

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At the Village of Sound.

??: hm, hm, hm~ 🎵

Opens the medical room's door

??: hi!!! I'm here agn! Bedridden man whose name I don't know of!
Bedridden man:.....
??: (being secretive) you know what I found? (Took a mini flower) tada! I found a flower! I even carefully dug the roots up with it! Hehe!
Bedridden man:.....
??: I wonder how much bigger it can grow... I wonder if it can grow into a giant flower before Mito's back? (Has a very bright smile) Then I can surprise her with this!
Bedridden man:....
??: if I managed to grow it to a giant flower, I wanna show it to mom and dad, and also Ron! Hehe, that would show him that I'm not a flower killer! .... (slowly stopped smiling and shows a confused look) who's Ron?...
Unknown sound Shinobi: Rito here you are! __ sama was looking for you for your training!
Rito: ah!! I forgot!! Thanks for the reminder! Bye bye bed ridden man whose name I don't even know!
Unknown sound shinobi: (bow) we will take our leave, Kimimaro sama

Silence...

Kimimaro:... pitiful girl.... she has a purpose in life, but will be unable to pursue it...

At Tsunade's side, at a hostel.

Jiraiya: Tsunade? How's the kid?
Tsunade: there's something weird...
Anko: what? What is it? Is he okay? Why did he faint again? Is he overworked? What happen?
Kakashi: Anko calm down... let Tsunade speak first.
Tsunade:... the reason to why he lose his consciousness was due to fatigue... so he's... sleeping.
Itachi:... after two full days of sleep?
Tsunade: could be due oversleeping, but that would not cause someone to dropped dead all of the sudden.
Jiraiya:... is there anyways to wake him up?
Tsunade: (shakes her head) I tried to block the adenosine in his body, but he's still not waking up.

Note: Adenosine: [a chemical produced by the body naturally which cause sleepiness]

Iruka: (drunk) ttthhheeeeennn wwwwhhhaaattt ddddoooo wwwweeee dddddooo????
Anko: .... (Slaps Iruka) either you sober up or shut up!
Naruto:... (sat up)
Kakashi: ?! Naruto?
Naruto:....

Naruto slowly opens his eyes, with his pupils as red as blood.

"Naruto": let's have a talk.

.....,..

At Konoha,

Shikamaru: ..... (thought) is Naruto really Fox?

Walking around in circles.

Shikamaru: (thought) I mean, even if he is, it doesn't matter to me either? So what if I know his hidden identity? Not like I can use it to threaten him also... I would get killed before I got the chance to even threaten an anbu....

Scratching his head.

Shikamaru: .... What a drag (thought) I should do some research... but how should I start?

A few days later...

Sakura: sorry for being late...
Shikamaru: ahhhh you could have at least find a way to tell me you were going to be late... the sun was so hot... what a drag...
Sakura: (veins appearing on her forehead) so what is it that you want to talk to me, huh?!!! I would rather spend my day with Sasuke Kun then wasting my time talking to you!!!
Shikamaru: (sigh) I didn't want to tell anybody since it's supposed to be a secret plus it's not confirmed... but I needed some help with info gathering...
Sakura: huh?

Moments later... At Sakura's house,

Sakura: (put down the last box of papers) and this is the last box.
Shikamaru: .... (Dumbfounded) all of these? Just on Fox hunt? (Pointing towards the mountains of box)
Sakura: I'm shocked too... I know my mom was investigating the fox hunt but I didn't know that she has that much data on this!
Shikamaru: what a drag... (sigh) what have I got myself into...

Reading data....... (in the end they have to read on separate days to finish the papers)
——————————————————————————
Main Points consolidated by Shikamaru (What a drag....)

Name: Fox hunt
Description: a memorial event done by the Konoha's Civilians to remember those lost due the kyubi's rampage.
Participants: unable to get ahold of (those that got caught didn't leak any information), shinobis suspected to have participate as well.
Event includes hunting/chasing the Fox, beating the Fox with/without weapons.
Injuries includes bruises, cut, stab/slice wounds, burnt marks, lost fingernails, poison (unsure as no poison was found), unknown pierce marks (could have been caused by needles). 
Time: First hosted 12 years ago. Hosted every once a year, on October 10th.
Prevention:
1. keep him at home (failed when 4)
2. Someone to stalk him on that day (lost his tracks several times)
3. Persuade civilians to stop (unknown, most likely no)
4. Be with him on the day (worked)
5. Keep him out of Konoha (worked)
6. Unknown method used by Sandaime (worked)

Note: Recent Fox hunts started to be in random patterns, could be happen once a month or once a week. Unpredictable. He could be in danger anytime.
Solution: (becoming genin)
Employ an instructor strong enough to look after him, choose teammates that wont harm him.
——————————————————————————
Sakura: these... are written in yearly reports format! My mom isn't just in investigating on the Fox Hunt, she is directly involved in it!
Shikamaru: and these has been written for almost 12 years... 
Sakura: .....from everything here... I think we can come to the same conclusion?
Shikamaru: (sigh) yes.... The Fox that was involved in the Fox hunt was...
Sakura/Shikamaru: Naruto.
Sakura: but why?! If they hate the kyubi, why are they targeting Naruto?!
Shikamaru:...

Flashback
Villager B: monster? More like a boy with a monster sealed inside him.
End of Flashback

Shikamaru: I think I have a vague idea of what's going on...
Sakura: and also... (took out two pieces of paper) what does these have to do with the Fox hunt?
Shikamaru: "the valley of the end" and "Anbu: Fox".... who knows? Maybe your mom mixed them up (thought) I kinda have an idea with why Fox's data is here...
Sakura:... (looking at all the boxes of papers) .... It... must have hurt a lot...
Shikamaru:.......

A few days later. Nara House...

Shikamaru: hey dad.
Shikaku: ? What's up?
Shikamaru: remember how I used to play with Naruto?
Shikaku: ahh you mean when you were like 4, 5?
Shikamaru: ya, do you remember why I stopped playing with him?
Shikaku: how do you expect me to remember something so long ago... I think you said something like "Naru chan is avoiding me~ so sad :("
Shikamaru:... I'm pretty sure I don't talk like that, or call Naruto by "Naru chan"
Shikaku: same same HAHA!
Shikamaru:... what a drag... (thought) so I didn't remember it wrongly...

Flashback (4 years old)
Choji: shi-ka-ma-ru—! I'm hungry!
Shikamaru: didn't you just finish a bag of chips?
Choji: it wasn't enough... ahhh I'm so hungry I could eat a dog...
Kiba: (covers Akamaru's ears) hey! Careful what you say!
Choji: my bad... mhm? Is that Naruto?
Kiba: huh? (Turn his head and look) it is! Oi Naruto!

Naruto look back to see the trios, he walks towards them, ignoring the stares of the villagers.

Naruto: yo.
Kiba: what do you mean "yo."?! Where were you!! You haven't been playing with us!
Naruto: well... got kinda busy...
Shikamaru: what's with the mask?
Naruto:... just following a new trend?
Shikamaru:... what kind of joke is that?
Naruto: don't mind don't mind. ╮(╯▽╰)╭
Choji: you wanna join us?
Naruto:.....
Kiba: of course he is! He has no excuse!
Naruto:... nahhhh I got something I need to do. See you guys next time, bye.
Kiba: wait a sec... Naruto!!

End of Flashback.

Shikamaru: (thought) he stopped hanging out with us after his birthday... then a year later we don't even see him that often anymore... so eventually we just stopped talking... but Kiba kinda have a grudge for this and started to pick fight with Naruto every time he has a chance, what a kid.... Well I'm not any better.

Look outside his room's window,

Shikamaru: maybe... it's a chance to talk?

End.

Note: I escape writing fight scene... for now.
I tried to reread my own chapter to get inspiration to write fight scene to realize...
I. Skipped. Them. ????

Looks like something just never change...
_(:3_」∠)_

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