Painfully Aware with So Much to Learn

Chapter Eleven: Leaf versus Sound

"W-whAt???" Naruto choked.

"Nii-chan I'm not a kid anymore, and I'm annoyed that I had to learn you relationship status from Moegi."

Naruto was extremely flustered from the sudden deceleration, just staring at me hoping I had a solution to this.

"Well, come on Boss, Shika-Nii--" Konohamaru was cut off when and ANBU with a cat mask appeared.

"Good, you're both here. Nara, can you and him go to the hokage's office immediately." The ANBU said, gesturing at Naruto with a disgusted tone.

I wanted to say something, that Naruto had a name but I was more focused on internally thanking this fandom ANBU for saving us both from a very awkward situation.

"Naruto and I will head over there, thank you." I thanked him in an overly condescending tone. Before I could further Naruto quickly apologized to Konohamaru and made a dash for the hokage tower with me in tow.

Author POV

Tsunade looked up from her desk to see her favorite nuisance and his new "boyfriend".

"I'm assuming there's a joint mission baa-chan? You know I have to take tomorrow off." The blonde said.

This confused the Nara next to him. 'Doesn't Naruto not celebrate his birthday?'

"Well, don't worry, this shouldn't take more than a day. I need you on this mission because it's a retrieval mission." Tsunade said, worry wriddling her voice. "This is a retrieval mission for Sasuke Uchiha."

Naruto paled at the name. 'I was with him yesterday, why-' his thoughts were cut off.

"Last night Sasuke left with Orochimaru, he left a message with Sakura. Since Shikamaru's a chunin he will be leading the mission. You two will need three others that you trust with your life. Head out as soon as possible." The hokage said in a grim tone.

After half an hour a team had been assembled consisting of Shikamaru, Naruto, Choji, Neji and Kiba. The boys were at the gate and about to head off when they heard an all-too-familiar whimper. It was Sakura.

"N-Naruto, this is a once in a lifetime request. P-Please, promise you'll bring Sasuke home." She pleaded. Naruto couldn't help but subconsciously note that she would never do that for him.

"You really like Sasuke, don't you?" The blonde sighed and then held up his thumb. "I'll bring Sasuke back no matter what! That's my nindo, don't forget! I promise on my life I'll save him!" His voice seemed confident to the untrained ear, but it hurt him deeply that neither of his own teammates seemed to care about him.

And with that, the boys headed off to find the last Uchiha. The trek was long but they had caught up to Orochimaru's henchmen soon enough, resting in a small clearing. Neji and Shikamaru split up from the group, attempting to get a closer visual. But the sound nin saw them coming and threw three explosive tags at them, dragging the two out into the open. The sound nin were ready to attack when Shikamaru stepped forward.

"Wait! We're just here to negotiate, no need for violence!" He said, putting his hands up in surrender.

"Oh yeah?" A man with eight arms said. "Then what are these?!" He yelled, using strings to launch Kiba, Naruto and Choji into the clearing.

A balding orange haired man cast a jutsu before the group had time to escape, trapping them in a large rock dome.

After assessing the situation, Kiba tried using a fang over fang, revealing the dome's regenerative abilities. Naruto took this opportunity to show his new jutsu.

"Get away from the walls, I've got an idea." Naruto said, casting a multi-shadowclone jutsu.

"Now isn't the time for showing off, Naruto!" Kiba complained, annoyed that his own new jutsu didn't work.

The group was suddenly surrounded by copies of Naruto holding bright blue orbs of chakra. "Rasengan!" Every foot of the dome was not without a sizable hole in it, but none broke through the dome, all regenerating.

"Great Naruto! That did nothing!" Kiba reprimanded, getting flustered that this ''rasengan'' did much more damage than his new fang over fang.

But it did do something, and both Naruto and Shikamaru noticed it. Neji activated his byakugan only to realise that the dome was depleting their chakra, and fast.

"We must escape as soon as possible if we want a chance fighting with the sound nin." The Hyuga stated, looking to see that all the chakra was being collected into a single entity. Shikamaru spoke.

"Oi! Let us out of here, we won't go after Sasuke anymore!"

The man chuckled. "And how can I know I can trust you, brat?!"

Shikamaru was quiet for a moment. "Fine, then just let me out! Going after someone I barely know is troublesome."

"OI! WHAT THE HELL SHIKAMARU?!" Kiba yelled.

The man holding the dome laughed. "Trying to split up the group now, are we? The leader begging for his life, now this is rich. You really are the lowest of the low, leaf scum."

Everyone in the dome went silent. Naruto was the first to break that silence.

"I'm going to need everyone to work on that wall, don't turn around to look at me, I'm about to do something very illegal." The blonde whispered. Kiba was too tired to question it and they all got to work on one wall.

They all paled at a bone-shattering roar.