[Taiju's apartment]
Poof
A heavy box rattles the coffee table in the two bedroom apartment in Konoha's lower middle-class sector. Despite their Anbu status, Squad-0 barely get paid above a Chunin salary.
Taiju's apartment is a fairly decent building with a minimalistic interior consisting of a short-legged coffee table that also serves as a dining table, two sets of sofas, a single seat and a double against the wall to the entrance door, a small kitchen leading to a hallway where the two bedrooms are next to each other and a bathroom opposite the last bedroom in the hall. This was his sanctuary when he wasn't deployed on certain-death missions or gallivanting with Lady Tsunade.
Today the reborn swordsman will be facing threats far more dangerous than a battle-hungry Ameyuri Ringo, jealous Tsunade or an affectionate Anko. Tayuya and Kin were moving into his apartment.
"There are more boxes outside ~" Tayuya chuckles.
The redhead Anbu has taken a liking to lounging in kimonos, as the attire helps her conceal her projectiles and Momiji likes the auburn ones.
Kin is roaming his cabinets for snacks. The black-haired wallflower has changed since the snow infested mission, her eyes are like a calm stormy cloud before it bares lightning down your spine, silky midnight hair tied in a bun and rocking a kimono like her fellow Anbu sister.
"Taiju, you have a concerning amount of instant noodles." Kin clicks her tongue in irritation, her hands tracing the cans with an odd interest, " Beans and rice?"
"Nnno." Tayuya whistles a response.
The Redhead positions herself behind Taiju, arms around his waist and biting down his exposed collarbone.
"Tayuya..."
"What?" Tayuya purrs.
Taiju lets out a lengthy sigh, "Please give me a good reason for the sudden decision?" He pleads.
"It's pretty simple actually, you have to be responsible for the night in the snow. Kin hasn't been the same since you popped her cherry."
"Don't phrase it like that." Taiju groans, rubbing his neck at his building discomfort.
Tayuya's coffee-brown eyes look up at him with her mischievous smirk, "Whether you like it or not Love, Kin and I are not going anywhere. "
Bang
"Affirmative. " Kin slams the cabinet to cement their stance.
"And what would Yugao think about all of this?"
"Pfft–don't even bother trying to use her as a scapegoat, she is fully accepting of our HR violating dynamic. Matter of fact, she's probably waiting for you to cross that bridge with her, bloody swordsman –"
Knock, knock
"Who is it!?" Tayuya calls out.
"It's Kakashi. I would like to ask for a favour..."
---
[ Team 7 training ground ]
"Wow, Sakura. You look..so different-dattabeyo." Naruto scratches his whiskers sheepishly.
"Thanks, Naruto. " Sakura clears her throat.
The two-thirds of Team 7 stood in their training grounds, no longer budding teens but young adults in the shinobi world.
A.N-
I've decided to age up the characters by two years, making graduation ages 15-16.
Tayuya and Kin are the same ages as Temari(15 in canon), so about 20 in the story.
Taiju is 23, making him two years older than Hana Inuzuka.
———————————————————
"Enough chatter brats, I don't have the whole day to evaluate your training. " Tsunade grumbles, chewing her inner cheek.
Shizune stood next to her master with her hands folded on her lap.
"Huh? Why are you so grumpy, Granny Hokage?" Naruto jabs.
'Tsk-don't call me that brat. I'm your Hokage, remember that."
Naruto mumbles under his breath, "So what are we waiting for?"
"Us."
Taiju responds.
'...'
"Hey, pinky~"
"Tayuya," Sakura growls.
Lounging on top of a tree are Squad-0, Taiju is swinging his legs on a bark, Tayuya is back first to the body and Kin is crossing her arms while glaring at Naruto and Sakura.
"Forgive us for the late arrival, Lady Hokage. " Yugao bows.
"It's not an issue Yugao, I know a certain white-haired prick is the reason."
"Hey now, I try to be early. " Kakashi excuses himself from behind the tree where Squad-0 is.
"Sigh‐let's get this over with already. " Tsunade urges.
"Ahhem. Naruto, Sakura. Meet Anbu Squad-0."
"Hey, I'm Naruto Uzu–"
"We know who you are Blondie. " Tayuya interrupted, reaching for her flute in her kimono sleeve.
"I'm Kin, the rude one is Tayuya and that is Taiju." Kin introduced her squad.
"Lady Tsunade, what is happening right now?" Sakura asks.
"You two have to fight us." Tayuya grins.
Naruto slams his fist to his open palm, "Alright, let's get on with it."
Kakashi reaches for his back pocket, pulling out two bells. "You remember these?"
"How could I not...a really bad memory. " Naruto subconsciously rubs his lower back.
"Hehe–then lucky for you this time you two are being pursued. "
Whoosh
Jingle, Jingle...
Kakashi throws the two bells at Sakura and Naruto.
"Good luck ~"Kakashi swirls out of view.
"You want in, Taiju?" Tayuya glances at him.
"I'm good, love. Have fun~" Taiju chuckles.
"Multi shadow clone jutsu!" Naruto initiates the cross hand seals.
Puffs of smoke surround Naruto, clearing up to reveal ten identical clones of him.
Tayuya charges at the army of blondes, "Momiji. "
WHOOOSSHH
Slash
Pouff
Slash
Pouff
Tayuya glides her blade against the clones, precise cuts to their abdomen, thighs and the seventh clone receives a cut to the throat.
"Rasengan!" Naruto roars.
Naruto leaps up to the air, a cerulean blue orb in his open palm and thrusts the jutsu at her.
"Tsuchinoko-haze of violet." Kin appears beside Tayuya, her blade Tsuchinoko emitting a dark purple wave of chakra flowing like a wave of venom to Naruto.
"Boss!"
Pouff
One of Naruto's clones switches places with him using the substitution jutsu.
Kin's poisonous slash destroyed the clone and managed to cut into Naruto's jumpsuit.
"Hhaaa!" Sakura throws a chakra-infused punch at the ground near the two swordswomen.
BOOOOM
Her fist shattered the Earth, sending a shockwave at them.
"Shxt!" Tayuya curses as the shockwave repels them back 100 yards(91,44 meters)
"Are you okay, Naruto?" Sakura worries.
"Y-yeah...Just a little scratch." Naruto traces the small purple circle on his skin.
"Damn, she has the old hag's strength. "
"Hey!" Tsunade barks at him.
Tayuya reveals her flute, placing the airspace between her lips as she blows a tune.
A piercing howl came out of the flute, a thick fog taking over the training ground.
"Whoa..." Naruto gawks at the sight.
"Stay alert, Naruto. " Sakura reprimanded him, the cold fog tickling her skin, leaving a feeling of unease.
"Kiri no kishi." Tayuya slithers through the eerie melody.
The fog materialises samurai, ghostly skin, yellow eyes peeking from Doki masks and the glitter of Katanas being released.
"Kin, now."
WHOOOSSHH
Cling
Naruto presses his kunai against the blade of a samurai on his left.
Shling
He jukes a blade swing to his side, kicking the sword into the air before pushing the samurai back with a burst of chakra.
Pouff
Shling
Pouff
Sakura obliterated her fraction with quick hooks and the shockwaves of her clapping.
Tayuya kept playing her flute, lines of chakra forming around her mouth and throat.
The lack of the Cursed seal to support the high concentration of chakra made her resort to using her reserves, as a quarter belonged to her sword Momiji.
"Anytime now, Kin. " Tayuya complains.
"Naruto! Don't let–"
Stab
Sakura's words died in her throat as Kin poked her blade into Sakura's shoulder, a shallow cut to the Kunoichi who's gaurd was down from the swarm of Samurai.
"Saku–Ughhh!" Naruto's shouting ended with a spat of blood. "I...I–don't feel so good."
Thud
Naruto's body slumped down to the dirt ground, his body feeling like lead.
Thud
Sakura followed her teammate as her chakra depleted drastically, as if something was eating her chakra network.
Tayuya ended her song, pulling her flute away, "Kiri no kishi is more than just me summoning ghost samurai; hidden in the fog are chakra-eating leeches. The little pest sticks onto skin and absorbs from your reserves at every movement." Tayuya reveals. "The more chakra they feed on, the more samurai I can summon. "
Kin sheathes her blade. "Tsuchinoko's poison is a very potent neurotoxin. I concentrated it to only paralyse you lot for a few minutes. Kin followed up with her own explanation.
"Damn it!" Naruto gritted his teeth; the blonde tried to move his dormant muscles with the stubbornness of an ox.
"Naruto, don't make the issue worse by moving. The more you try to move, the faster the poison will spread throughout your bloodstream. " Sakura informed her teammate.
"You should listen to pinky, brat~" Tayuya teases.
"I told you not to call me that!" Sakura snaps at the Anbu member.
The clicking of Lady Tsunade's sandals broke their argument. "Shizune, help Sakura up right. "
"Yes, Lady Hokage. The assistant salutes, moving over to her fellow medical nin.
"Oi-Granny, don't hold me so harshly "
"Shut up, Naruto. " Tsunade growls at him, emitting green chakra from her left hand, she flows the medical jutsu on Naruto's wound.
Taiju walks over to Tsunade with a mischievous smirk on his face and plants his hand on her shoulder, squeezing the muscle lightly.
"Did he pass your test?" Taiju asked.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed on him for a second before returning to the blonde watching the interaction. 'Taiju, you prick!' Tsunade internally cursed her lover, the blush creeping up her neck was covered by the scruff of her collar.
"Hey Granny, why are you turning red?"
"You're seeing things, brat! All that fussing you were doing pushed the poison to whatever's left of your brain. " Tsunade jabs at him
"That's not very nice," Naruto grumbles at the insult.
Taiju kept his hand on her shoulder even with all the eyes on him, "Are you feeling alright, Lady Tsunade?"
"Move your hand away from my shoulder, now."
"Pardon my forward nature, but I'm just making sure my beloved Hokage is okay. Taiju excuses his actions.
"TAIJU!"
BANG
CRACK
The ninja swordsman barely had a chance to react, to the attack, in a split second, Lady Tsunade twisted her body to face him and punched his chest with her enhanced strength.
Taiju went flying through about five trees before crumbling down on the last bark.
"Ughhh..." Taiju groans.
Tayuya ignores her lover's foolishness, focusing her attention on the two nin.
"Listen up Blondie and Pinkie, tomorrow at sunrise we meet here. I'm not satisfied with your performance, don't think holding back in spars will help you get stronger." Tayuya lashes out, "We Anbu fight like it might be our last time breathing, if you can't do the same than stick to the white-haired pervert as your teacher. "
"Hey, that's uncalled for. " Kakashi whines whole nose deep in a Icha Icha Paradise novel.
"...shameless bastard. " Tsunade coils back in disgust.
"Is anyone going to help me?" Taiju voices.
"You have functioning legs right? Use them to get to the hospital. "
"That's really cruel, Tsunade-sama." Taiju fakes a sob.
"I'll show you cruel!" Tsunade barks at him, pulling her sleeves to her elbows as she marches over to him.
"Oh, no..."
End.