A day passed uneventfully, Kimimaro started with taking his dose for the day from Neji and the team continued going to Hakuchi Village to meet up with Jiraiya and Naruto.
For Shikamaru, the peace was ruined by the persistent ache in his neck and the drag of this mission.
"Where the hell are those two?" Shikamaru muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as he leaned against a wooden post. "This was supposed to be a quick rendezvous meetup."
Without a word, the veins around Neji's temples bulged, as his Byakugan flared. His vision pierced through the bustling civilian crowds, scanning the village layout for Naruto and Jiraiya-san.
"They are one kilometer to the east," Neji said as his vision turned back to normal with a silent smile. "And they aren't exactly keeping a low profile as expected of Naruto."
Kimimaro stepped forward. "Then we don't waste time. Let's go."
~~
A kilometer away, the concept of "low profile" was being murdered.
Naruto stood in the middle of the road, staring into the deflated depths of his frog wallet, Gama-chan. It hung limply in his palm, completely starved of cash. Because he hadn't been to any high-ranking missions lately, Naruto's personal savings had essentially become a personal charity fund for Jiraiya.
"Pervy Sage, you're killing me here!" Naruto wailed, shaking the empty frog in the air. "Gama-chan is practically skin and bones! You promised we'd split the expenses!"
Jiraiya, however, was deaf to the complaints. He was currently leaning against a dango stall, flashing what he clearly believed to be a devastatingly charming smile at a group of local women. "Now, now, ladies," Jiraiya purred, leaning in closer. "Surely you recognize this face? You are looking at none other than the Legendary Toad Sannin of the Hidden Leaf. A man of culture, a master of prose, a—"
The women exchanged bewildered and mildly uncomfortable glances, shaking their heads.
"What? You don't know?" Jiraiya gasped, deeply offended. "Allow me to enlighten your beautiful minds—"
"PERVY SAGE!" Naruto shouted.
The ladies saw the sudden appearance of a shouting, orange-clad teenager as their cue to flee. Jiraiya watched them go, his shoulders slumping as he whipped around to glare at Naruto.
"What is your problem, Naruto?!" Jiraiya snapped, crossing his arms. "I was on the verge of collecting important material for my next masterpiece of a book! Do you have any idea how hard it is to capture the authentic nuance of romance?"
"You were just hitting on them!" Naruto grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "And besides, you're stalling. When are you actually going to tell me who we're supposed to be meeting for this joint mission? You've been dodging the question all morning."
Jiraiya's annoyed expression changed as his eyes moved toward a random, seemingly empty direction above the rooftops. "Well, looks like you won't have to wait. They're here."
Naruto's heart beat fast with anticipation. He had been away training for years, cut off from his village. Who had Granny Tsunade sent? Will I meet someone I know?
Before he could guess, three figures flickered a little far from them, landing with the fluid grace. Naruto's eyes widened as he instantly recognized the lazy slouch and his spiked ponytail.
"Oh! Shikamaru! It's you!" Naruto burst out with a massive grin across his face. He lunged forward. "Man, how long has it been? Look at you!"
Without even giving Shikamaru a chance to open his mouth, Naruto's gaze turned to the figure standing right next to him. His eyes locked onto the dark flak jacket Neji was wearing. Naruto blinked, bending his head until he was practically buried into Neji's chest, eyeing the vest up and down before glancing back at Shikamaru's chest.
"Uhmmm." Naruto thought deeply.
"Hey... Neji," Naruto muttered, squinting. "Why is your vest much darker than Shikamaru's?"
Shikamaru took the brief moment of silence Naruto gave. "That's because Neji is a Jounin now, Naruto. Meanwhile, I'm still a Chunin."
Naruto froze, his jaw dropping as panic took over him. "A Jounin?! Already?!" He pulled his hands up, biting down on his fingernails in self-pity.
While Naruto was undergoing an existential crisis, a hooded figure stepped into Naruto's peripheral vision.
"How have you been, Naruto?" a monotone voice asked.
Naruto jumped... spinning around with a defensive yelp. He stared blankly at the high collar, the dark sunglasses, and the complete lack of discernible facial features. "Ah! Don't scare me like that! Who the heck are you anyway?!"
The hooded figure stiffened slightly.
~~
A few paces back from the reunion, Jiraiya didn't look at their conversation. His eyes remained fixed on the sky. "Come out," he said quietly.
Kimimaro flickered, standing mere inches behind the Sannin's shoulder. "I would expect nothing less from a Sannin," Kimimaro murmured.
"And you've become lighter on your steps," Jiraiya countered, not turning around, though his posture tightened. "The last time I saw you, you could barely stand from your bed without Tsunade's medicine."
Kimimaro didn't answer the implicit question about his health. Instead, his pale eyes drifted past Jiraiya, locking onto Naruto, who was still loudly failing to remember Shino's name. "I cannot have someone who is unqualified on my team," Kimimaro said coldly. "Tell me, Sannin. Is he just as weak as he was two years ago?"
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, a flash of anger crossing his face as a specific memory from the past came back. "I said it before, and I will say it again. Naruto is not weak. And you, of all people, should know better what happened after you plummeted Naruto into that wall."
"He has guts, I will give him that," Kimimaro said softly.
Without another word, Kimimaro flicked his wrist as a dense distal bone bullet shot from his fingertip, cutting straight toward the back of Naruto's leg while he was still distracted talking to his friends.
Thwack.
The bone bullet struck Naruto dead-on. He collapsed instantly, tumbling to the dirt.
Kimimaro lowered his hand, his voice utterly dismissive. "See? He is unqualified."
Poof.
Naruto vanished in a cloud of white smoke. Before the smoke could even clear, a kunai was pressed firmly against Kimimaro's throat from behind. Naruto stood there, devoid of the previous goofiness. "Don't underestimate me," Naruto muttered.
Kimimaro's eyes widened slightly, he was surprised but not shocked. An unsettling smirk raised. "Do you truly think I wouldn't exercise caution when standing so close to a Sannin?"
~~
A/N: Team Kimimaro finally meets Jiraiya and Naruto. The lineup has become too strong against just Akatsuki duo and Jiraiya now knows about Konan being a part of the Akatsuki.
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