Ch 128

Waiting in front of the big red walls surrounding the village was team Asuma. Ino, Shikamaru and Choji were behind Asuma, already wearing a serious expression on their faces. 

I walked slowly and calmly before them, stepping cautiously so as to not provoke a reaction. "Asuma, what is the verdict?" 

I knew that having a cheerful attitude wasn't the best idea but I couldn't help it, I was nervous. 

"Ishi, the Hokage said that she'll meet you. But only in the presence of the others." 

It was obvious what he meant, the others were those who knew me. Didn't matter if it was the rookie 9 or the village leaders, each option was terrible. 

"That's fine, I was expecting this to be a bit awkward." 

I turned my gaze to Shikamaru, a smile on my face, "am I too far, or should I get closer?" He frowned lightly, nodding his head. 

I was out of range for his shadow paralysis jutsu. Sadly if I was going to go through with everything then I would have to be put at a disadvantage. 

I chuckled, taking off my bags from my shoulder and holding it out in front of me. "Will this put your minds at ease, I really don't want to be labeled a threat." 

Though I doubt that I would be preserved as anything otherwise. Too late. 

As I held the bag in front of me, I felt everyone's gaze on me, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife. Ino's eyes narrowed slightly, Choji was quietly chewing, though his expression remained sharp, and Asuma stood tall, as stoic as ever. 

"You're not a threat," Ino said, though there was a hint of doubt in her voice. I didn't believe her anyways, she sounded unsure herself. 

Shikamaru sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just be careful, Ishi. The situation's already volatile enough without unnecessary risks." 

I nodded, absolutely agreeing with his words. I appreciated Shikamaru's cautiousness, his way of assessing every situation before making a move. It was something I admired about him. 

But right now, I had no choice. This meeting wasn't going to wait, and avoiding it any longer would only complicate things further. "Thanks, I'll be careful," I assured them, though I wasn't entirely certain how I could be cautious when the stakes were so high. 

Choji took my bag from my hand and Shikamaru stepped beside me, making it so that if I did any unnecessary move that he deemed a threat, I could be subdued quickly. 

"Let's make this quick, everyone's waiting." Asuma took the lead as we entered the village, leading the way and making sure my front was covered. 

Ino and Choji went behind me, making sure to be a backup plan if things went awry. Shikamaru was still beside me, plan A, if you will. 

As we ran through the village, the feeling of unease seemed to hang over us like a cloud, thick and suffocating. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat louder than the last. The streets were eerily quiet, the usual hustle of daily life replaced by an almost palpable stillness. 

It felt as though the entire village was holding its breath, waiting for something to shift, to snap. Asuma led us forward, his steps purposeful, but even he couldn't shake the uneasiness that clung to the air. 

But the streets were where my main focus was, I'm guessing they intentionally made sure no one went out during this time. Or at least in the area of the village. A smart move, but only a coward would take an innocent civilian as a hostage. 

"You think that low of me, huh?" I didn't sound annoyed, just surprised. I may have done some things in the past but I wasn't the direct cause. I was just existing amongst the chaos. 

Actually no, they have a rightful reason to think so low of me. 

"Just a precaution," Asuma spoke up. 

I sighed internally, this is going off to a great start. Especially since nervous me equals nonchalant me. And I don't need that for this. I can already see how this is going to play out. 

Going through the village was nice, but I had barely any time for sightseeing, plus my mind wasn't really thinking about how different it looked. 

After a few minutes of running, we stopped at a great big forest, one that held death and despair. Now this is some nostalgia. 

"It's here?" I questioned. 

Asume nodded his head, "the 44th battle training zone is where we're meeting everyone." 

I had only come here once, as did many of the younger ones. It's where the stage for the second part of the Konoha Chunin exams was, the Forest of Death. 

As we made our way through the lush greenery, the idea of what they had in mind started to make sense. It's isolated, no one who isn't familiar can escape here without getting lost. 

The tower in the middle had a large arena, one where fighting would be easy if the situation was warranted. Plus it does sting a little, since I was here with Orochimaru and a few days later, Konoha was attacked by that very same man. 

Shock factor, I guess. 

It worked. 

As we approached the clearing, the dense foliage seemed to press in on all sides. 

Sheesh. 

It didn't even take an hour before we were at the building. It still looked the same as when I was last here. 

As we were walking down the dark halls, I could see the room before the closed doors were fully illuminated. And a voice, one I recognized and one I haven't heard in a while. 

"Even back then, the child knew what she was saying. She chose her words carefully." 

The Last time I saw him wasn't really a good time. But his words were a warning to the others. Shikaku, Shikamaru's father. 

I glanced Shikamaru's way, as we all heard what he was saying. And it was no secret that it was probably about me. Shikamaru didn't say another to my gaze, he just kept his forward. 

I rolled mine in return and just walked through the doors without hesitation. 

A/n Welp, this will be fun! Enjoy~