That Nara... | Naruto Fanficiton

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"Shikarei, this may really effect your life, but I have a mission for you that is really important."

It was the Hokage, it's a Sunday morning, 7am, I'm still half asleep and the Hokage looks like he's been contemplating giving me this mission since 2am.

"Sure," I yawned, "what is it?"

"You'll be away for a year," he tells me.

"A year?" I repeated, now a bit more awake than earlier.

"Yes, it's for your eye. I found someone who can help you control it properly and unlock different abilities of it," he told me, I stepped aside and gestured for him to come in. Ma, Pa and Shikamaru were all still asleep, so I made tea for just the two of us and sat on the seat opposite to him after passing him the cup.

I sat crossed legged and basically hugged the warmth.

"Where will I go?" I asked.

"It's somewhere in the Land of Illusion," he told me. I frowned.

"The Land of Illusion?" I repeated, "isn't that place just an island of fog?"

"Kind of, but it'll be a good place for you to go and train in. It's an island of genjutsu experts so be prepared," he told me, "You leave today."

"Alright," I nodded and watched as Lord Third left my house. I got up and went upstairs and started packing my stuff for a long period mission and then went into Shikamaru's bedroom. I leaned over and kissed his forehead.

"Bye, Shika. I'll see you in a year," I whispered to him, putting a necklace around his neck. It matches the one around my own and then I turned and went to my parents' room.

"Shikarei?" Ma asked, "What's the matter."

"I'm going on a mission," I told them, Pa slowly rose and looked at me sleepily, "I'll be gone for a year."

"A year?!" they both shouted, I nodded.

"You can't!" Ma exclaimed.

"This is ridiculous. I'm going to talk to that damn old man and tell him to find someone else to run his errands—" Pa started to get up.

"No, Pa," I stopped him, "I have to go."

"Why do you have to go?" Ma asked.

I paused for a moment, trying to think up an excuse that wouldn't include me breaking the order not to tell anyone about my eye.

"It's... hard to explain," was what came out, "Let's say... for now it's a personal mission. It'll help me grow."

"But..." Ma looked heartbroken as she and Pa just listened to me, "what about us? Your family?"

"I'm not abandoning you!" I quickly assured, sitting on the side of the bed opposite to her and took her hands into mine, "I'll come back, I promise. In one year. I'll be back."

A moment of silence passed as my parents shared a look. Ma looked back to me.

"I expect to have a message every month to say you're still alive," Ma said despite clearly wanting to stop me from leaving.

"And I expect to see you in a year," Pa added the most obvious one, "good luck, princess."

He looked very reluctant to say that but they both knew, both having been ninja at one point or still being a ninja now, a mission is a mission. We can reject them but it's incredibly difficult to do so. And even if I didn't want to go on this mission... I still would've gone anyway.

"Thank you. Goodbye, Ma, Pa," I kissed them both on the forehead and then left the village.

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