Emotionless

VII. Joint Mission

Naruto walked behind his teammates as they talked and walked to the tower, their auras changed a little. They didn't hate the child, but it was as if they were afraid to talk to him, which is fine. Naruto hasn't been upset since that one day so he think he's making amazing progress in controlling his anger, but he just can't help his face.

"We aren't friends, but I was wondering." Sasuke started as he walked slower to walk next to Naruto, Naruto folded his arms and Sasuke exhaled.

"Me and Sakura are dating, if it wasn't obvious. I was wondering since Shikamaru is one of the few people to calm you down, if you both were dating?" Naruto chuckled, his face didn't change but it sounded light and free.

"Me and Shikamaru aren't dating, his Aura just makes me feel at peace." Naruto said, and Sasuke tapped chin.

"That's seems true, but you speak softer with him than with Shino, and you also seemed obsessed with touching him." Naruto sighed and looked to Sasuke.

"You've been trying to know me." Naruto said avoiding the subject, he didn't know what he felt for Shikamaru, but he knew that when he did finally figure out he would tell Shikamaru first.

"I realized that you just had trust issues, I'm not saying we'll be friends, but I'm saying I'll give it a shot." Sasuke said and Naruto hummed while nodding, his aura showed no lie, no ulterior motives, Sasuke was earnest, and honest about it.

They continued talking lowly, as they found their way walking up the tower, Sasuke told him about his and Sakura's relationship, how it was arranged and that he would spend the rest of his life with her, but she was bearable, he just hoped that their children didn't inherit that pink hair you know.

They opened the door to the Hokage room, and Hizuren lifted his head, to see Naruto talking to Sasuke, and it looked as if he didn't want to kill the poor boy, he didn't smile and his facial expressions still blank, but he could tell that the two Genin were bonding.

Or so he thought.

"dobe, tomatoes are the best food!" Naruto squinted his eyes.

"Are you mental? It's clearly Sushi." Naruto said and the duo started arguing. Hizuren only sighed in annoyance, but couldn't help a smile falling on his lips. Naruto argues with those he seemed important to argue with, usually he wouldn't talk, and let his powers do all that he wanted to say.

Hizuren watched with a fond smile as the duo continued to argue, just as team ten walked in. Asuma gave a low chuckled and Shikamaru spoke lowly, sighing as he walked towards the duo.

"Naruto." Naruto stopped his yelling, when he heard Shikamaru's voice, only now it sounded different, his voice was usually smooth, and baritone, not too deep, but Naruto felt intimidated by his voice.

However his voice sounded different, it made Naruto want to shiver, and blush as that voice made its way to its ear. Kurama rumbled inside him as Naruto watched Shikamaru walk to him.

"You are fifteen correct?"

"I am, my birthday was a month ago remember."

"Ah, I see what's happening." Shikamaru's arm snake around him, and Shikamaru seemed to talk to Sasuke.

"That is?" Naruto asked when the touch, made Naruto so unbelievably warm, Naruto did what his instincts said and leaned into Shikamaru, feeling as his grip tightened. That made him want to swoon, but he kept the blank face, hoping Asuma and Hizuren couldn't read his face.

"My instincts are becoming your instincts, a fifteen year old child is the perfect age to mark a mate, and when you do, your heats will start." Naruto froze. Mate, his chakra is saying Shikamaru is his mate.

"My chakra combines with your mothers, she's the reason you can read Aura's so well, you knew Shikamaru is your mate before you were fifteen because of his aura, you now know for certain that is true because of your reaction when you heard his voice." Naruto bit his lip, as he saw Shikamaru give a sly smirk, as him and Sasuke discussed something while the Jounin discusses another. Ino and Sakura were talking to Choji about new Shinobi attire.

"Shikamaru is my mate, sigh, why is this difficult." Naruto said and Kurama chuckled inside him, as he finally decided to tune in to the conversation.

"Ah troublesome, I'm glad you and Naruto seem to be getting along." Shikamaru said and Sasuke nodded.

"He's isn't bad, but...." Naruto squinted his eyes as Sasuke said his next sentence.

"He doesn't think Tomatoes is Kami's greatest invention." Naruto huffed and Shikamaru sighed, Sasuke walked to Sakura seeing as she called him over leaving the two, who very much looked like a couple over by the wall.

"A JOINT MISSION." The children looked up to see Kakashi who uncharacteristically screamed that. He had never so much as yelled once, his voice was always monotone, but as Naruto looked at his Aura his feeling were clear.

"He's nervous, and not for us." Naruto said in a whisper and Shikamaru tilted his head.

"Do you not trust you Genin Kakashi?" Hizuren hummed, and Kakashi sighed.

"I trust Naruto with my life, Sasuke is progressing and I think that with a little more training Sakura can finally prove that she can stand next to her teammates, but..." Kakashi trailed off, and Naruto spoke.

"Kakashi might feel like Sakura isn't ready, and she's a wild card. She doesn't really listen unless it's Sasuke, and Sasuke isn't a strong enough leader to lead yet. He's worried for Sakura's safety." Naruto said and Shikamaru spoke lowly.

" I thought you said he wasn't nervous about you three." Shikamaru said as the Hokage turned to the Jounin to whisper lowly again.

"He isn't." Naruto watched as Kakashi's aura turned to relief.

"Then what?" Naruto watched as Asuma held an air of superiority, as he watched Kakashi try to come up with some reason as to why they shouldn't take this mission.

"Kakashi is nervous around Asuma, I don't know if it's because he likes Asuma, or the other way around, but something is up between them." Shikamaru looked surprised.

"You can get all that from an aura reading?" Naruto nodded, leaning into Shikamaru. Shikamaru watched as Kakashi's shoulders slumped and knew that they were ultimately taking a mission together.

"You two teams will be taking a joint mission to the wave country, it's a C-rank mission, and I have the upmost faith in these two team." Hizuren said as he looked to Naruto, Naruto tilted his head but the Hokage spoke again.

"The bridge builder is named Tazuna, he's building a bridge to allow the wave country to start trading with nearby countries, but he keeps being attacked by petty thugs, your mission is to ensure that he can complete the bridge without any problems." The ninja's nodded and Hizuren turned to Iruka.

"Allow the bridge builder in." Naruto immediate tensed when the smell of sakes wafted through the room, Naruto walked over to Asuma, and hid behind him. Asuma sighed and patted his head while Shikamaru looked confused.

"Tazuna I had advised you to not drink so much because of one of the ninja's protecting you." The Hokage said and Naruto cringed when he felt that aura, and voice speak. The aura was angry, over confident, as if he was the best male to walk this earth.

"What ninja cant handle a little liquor?" Asuma clicked his teeth.

"The one who was almost beaten to death by drunks you inconsiderate piece of..."

"Tousan." Naruto said quickly interrupting Asuma, Asuma looked down to see Naruto shaking his head, basically telling him not to engage. Shikamaru felt his chakra flair in anger as he watched Naruto shake a little.

"Let's just leave, I'll be captian!" Asuma said dragging Naruto out of the office and the others watched as Asuma suddenly got so protective of Naruto.

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