Chapter 33: The Nara’s Stay

I woke up the next morning in not the best mood. I was still chakra deprived and very tired, but I had to get up for my training. Also I guess I'm hokage now, so I have to deal with that too. Within a few minutes, I was dressed, showered and ready to go. Leaving my apartment building, I bought (or at least tried to buy before the lady shoved it in my hand and told me to take it for free) an apple and headed to the place I missed the most in the entire village, the training grounds.

It was still as peaceful as I remembered with all the trees, the soft grass and the river. Without realizing it I had started to build chakra the moment I stepped in here. I started doing my laps and my usual training but something felt off. I didn't sense anyone's chakra but I sensed some sort of a disturbance in the trees. Damn it! I bet that's Danzo again. What am I supposed to do now? I can't fight off multiple Anbu and he sure as hell was careful enough to send more than one. Think, think, think! I stopped my laps and sat down pretending to take a breath. I tried spreading my chakra tubes to the hokage building or Kakashi's place but I couldn't make it. My chakra network was still exhausted. Fuck, I have to get out of here. what's close by? And just like that it hit me like a brick in the face. The Nara residences…I hurriedly attached my chakra tubes to a random Nara house and got myself out of there.

I was teleported in the middle of the street. The jutsu had taken almost all of my chakra and the previous day exhaustion wasn't really helping. The people will never listen to me again if they see me as weak. I need to get my shit together. I wiped the dirt off my clothes and stood up. Everyone was staring all around. I just spread a smile on my face. "good morning everyone!" that seemed to snap them out of their daze and get them going. I walked over to an old shop keeper that was on the side. "good morning! Would you mind giving me directions to the head family's residence?" she returned my greeting and happily helped me out. I thanked her and went on my way. I sealed what little remained of my chakra with my chakra suppression jutsu before finally making it to Shika's house.

I knocked on the door hurriedly feeling the disturbance around again. I could hear a low mumbling before the door finally opened. Shikaku was standing in front of me, tired and grumpy from the morning. His eyes widened slightly when he saw me before he regained his composure. "lady hokage, what can I help you with?" I was smiling brightly. To any of the passersby it looked like we were having a pleasant conversation. I whispered in a voice only he could hear. "drop the fucking title, will you? I'm12 for fuck's sake. Just please let me in." he was taken aback at my language but let me in nonetheless. Once I was in, I looked around in alarm. "is this place sealed?" He nodded at me slowly seeing how serious I was. I released a deep breath of relief and dropped my smile. "sorry for my rudeness, I just needed to get in as fast as possible." He walked me over to the living room and we sat down. "what's going on?" he asked once we were sitting. I rubbed my temples and had my head in my hands. "I think Danzo's after me again." his eyes widened slightly. "Danzo the council man? Again?" I looked up at him with an eyebrow raised. "yeah again…you know with the kidnapping and all." That's when I felt Shika's chakra in the doorway. I looked over at him and smiled, but he didn't seem to have the same reaction. "what kidnapping?" I looked at him dumbfounded. Then from him to his dad then back to him again. they have no idea what I'm talking about…THAT FUCKING OLD MAN! I sighed deeply trying to release my anger. "sit down Shika, I'll explain from the start." He made his way over and sat down. "about a month and a half ago, Danzo kidnapped me in hopes of forcing me to join the foundation. He kept me for a about a week before Kakashi rescued me." Shika's eyes were as wide as saucers but Shikaku had gone into full business mode. "what makes you think he's after you again?" I shook my head and shrugged. "I kind of kicked him out of the hokage's office yesterday, but I don't think it's because of that. I think this time he doesn't want anything from me…he simply wants me out." Shika seemed to have gained the same attitude as his father. "what're you going to do?" I shrugged again. "I don't know! One minute I was training the next I was surrounded by hidden anbu. They're still outside for fuck's sake!" Shikaku finally cut in. "the best thing to do would be to head to the office. there you'll be surrounded by anbu." I nodded at him. "I thought of that too, but Danzo's agents have infiltrated the hokage's anbu force. It's not safe there either." He seemed to think for a second. "how about kakashi's place. They won't know you're onto them, and they won't attack as long as Kakashi's there. He's too much trouble to deal with." I shook my head. "I'm not heading over to Kakashi's with assassins on my tracks. I'm not putting him in that kind of danger. You're the head of the Nara and an important power figure in Konoha's forces. Killing you would be too loud." He nodded slowly. Maybe if I tell him more of my plan, it'll help. "I don't know if this will help, but I'm only staying as hokage for about 3 weeks. After that, I will be heading out on a long mission." He nodded slowly. "that makes things easier. How about this, you stay here for the duration of these 3 weeks and only leave with me when I'm going to work." I shook my head again. "that puts you in too much danger. Besides it's suspicious, they'll defiantly know we're onto them. Shikamaru cut in again. "well, you attended the academy with multiple head family members. Maybe you can go 'visit' each of them, so that you won't stay in the same place too long." He has a point. That would be pretty good. I looked over at Shikaku who was smiling proudly at his son. "what do you think?" he nodded at me. "it seems like the only safe option." I nodded back and smiled. "sorry to be such a burden. I'll try to help around as much as I can as long as I'm staying here. I can't thank you enough for your hospitality." Shikamaru walked over and knocked me on the head. "oww, what was that for?!" he sighed. "stop talking like some bigshot. Come on, I'll show you around." I laughed slightly and got up. I bowed to Shikaku before following Shikamaru around the house.