ShibuShion story

It all started with Naruto being called into the Hokage's office in the middle of spring. He was 19, having just come out of the disaster with the moon and his confession to Hinata that almost ended in total heartbreak, and since then he hadn't really been on any big missions. Peace time meant there were less exciting missions to go on in general, it seemed.

Tsunade had stepped down as Hokage a while back, and Kakashi had stepped up to take the role of Lord 6th. That was who awaited him when he entered the office, hands in his pockets, a somewhat bored expression on his face. A glance to his left told him Lee was stood beside him as well. "You wanted to talk to me?" Naruto asked, nodding a greeting to his friend and waiting for his former sensei to look up.
"We've had a mission request. A young woman has requested a bodyguard for the coming month in Takigakure. Strangely, she specified a certain team of shinobi, but the two of you were the only ones we can gather at this time."
"So she requested me?" Naruto asked in a somewhat tired voice. Whenever someone specific was requested, it was bound to be him. The hero of Konoha.
"According to her, you have both guarded her life before. She as such believes you to be trustworthy and the best for the job."
Lee nodded firmly. "We will defend her with our lives!"
It was just as Kakashi tried to tell him he wouldn't quite have to go that far when the woman in question knocked on the door, and Kakashi beckoned her in with a sigh. "This is Shion, from the Land of Demons."
She was definitely recognisable. Naruto could vaguely remember a mission years ago protecting a girl who could predict the deaths of others. She had been rude and depressed, and deathly afraid of her own power. Resigned to the idea that she would be alone, or surrounded by death. She had requested his help at the end with 'passing on her powers to the next priestess', and he had mistakenly accepted. Hopefully she would have forgotten about that, as he sure hadn't.

As she walked in, a slight smile on her face, it was clear things had changed drastically. She was practically glowing like a princess, happy and healthy and with something wonderful in her life, but undeniably nervous. Her blonde hair was still long and tied in a similar style
"Hey Naruto, Lee...is this it? There were two others..."
"I'm afraid Sakura couldn't be here. She's currently out of the village." Kakashi explained. "As for the other shinobi, I am afraid he is no longer with us. These two are, hopefully, available for your mission."
Naruto paused, thinking. He didn't exactly have a set of plans that required him to stay, and he had been craving a decent, adventurous mission. This was bound to be it. As long as he had the time to tell the others he'd be away for a bit of time.
"I'm totally up for it." He decided. Lee nodded firmly.
"Rest assured, you are very safe with us!"
Shion gave them a smile before shaking her head. "Well, I'll have some explaining to do before we set off, obviously, but I'm happy to have your help."
"Explaining?"
"Well," She gestured for the two shinobi to walk with her. It seemed she had already discussed the mission at length with the Hokage. "I'm not the one who needs guarding." She explained after a short walk.
"Eh?" Naruto sped up until they were side by side. "Then who? What happened?"
"I had a vision of death." She explained, though her tone suggested she felt that at least was obvious. "But not my own. Or maybe it was, but I don't recall seeing myself there. It was in Taki. My lover lives there. His usual bodyguards were dead, his throat slashed, blood over the walls and floors. I don't want him to die." Her smile was gone, fear and sorrow weighing heavily on her fair features.
"You have a lover?" Were the first words out of Naruto's mouth, earning him a glare. "Sweet! What's he like? What does he do?"
"Um...is that relevant?"
Lee nodded. "The more we know about him, the better we will be able to protect him."
"Okay...just as well. What do you need to know about him?"
"His name, what he does, where he'll be while we guard him, enemies he may have..."
"And I suppose what he looks like too." Shion mused, nodding. "And a quick rule, he isn't to know you're assigned to protect him. He hates me being protective, and if he knows I had a vision...I haven't exactly told him I can predict death...it hasn't happened for a long time. Not since before I met him, so it's never come up. I thought maybe I wouldn't have to see my own death again, but...this is worse. I don't know what he would do if he found out, but I don't want to risk driving him away."
Naruto frowned. "Hey, if he loves you, surely he wouldn't be driven away by the whole priestess thing."
Lee agreed. "Your ability is part of you, and he likes you, right?"
"Riiiight, but...but I could see him in one of my visions. And he could be like the others, avoiding me to avoid being seen beside me in death...like now...and I'm sure my nature already annoys him. I'm demanding at best. Anyway, that's besides the point, you have your orders, and your orders are to not be seen and to not let him know you are in Taki to guard him. His name is Shibuki, he's the current leader of Takigakure. Kind of timid, scared of birds..."
Naruto interrupted. "Dark hair, kinda skinny, likes kids...?"
The other two looked at him, surprised. Shion nodded. "That...that's right...have you met him before?"
"Yeah, we...well, me and Sakura were his escorts once, like, aaaaaages ago..." He was half-tempted to mention that the village leader had been a coward back then, but decided it wouldn't go down too well. "I know him. I could probably point him out to Lee."
Shion nodded. "I'll accompany you to Takigakure and show you how to get in, and then it's up to you. I saw one of the assailants who killed him in my vision, but the other two stayed in the shadows. There was...a man, dark brown hair, short, about...shorter than I am, definitely. He had brown eyes...and his forehead protector...originally from Sunagakure, but it was slashed. He was wearing red. I think one of them was a woman as well." She stopped and heaved a sigh, looking up to one of the ceiling lights. "I hope that helps. I'll meet you at the village gates tomorrow morning. Half nine." She bid them both a good day before leaving.

When Naruto got home, he was strangely reluctant to tell Hinata he had to go. Almost as though he could sense something in the air that just meant he had to stay. Hinata herself seemed to be in a poor mood. Instead of announcing his mission, he sat beside her on the sofa and gently asked her what was wrong. She seemed somewhat flustered, as though she hadn't realised he was there.
"N-nothing..."
"You sure? You seem kinda..."
"I'm just not feeling too well." She insisted with a somewhat forced smile. "I might go lie down."
He nodded, not convinced. "Okay. I'll go up later. I hope you feel better in the morning." Considering the fact that she was in a bad mood, he decided it would be best not to push the subject. It would most likely upset her. She had been strangely easy to upset lately and the last thing he wanted was to upset her again. "I'm thinking of taking a mission in Takigakure tomorrow, an old friend needs a bodyguard. Actually, I think she wanted four people, so you could sign on for it too..."
The idea seemed to horrify her. "I don't know...I don't know anyone from Takigakure!"
"Well, no, you haven't met them I don't think, but me and Bushy-Brows are going, and so far that's it. We could do with someone clever with us, y'know?"
She smiled at the compliment, but shook her head. "I...I might think about it, I'll see how I feel in the morning."
Part of her wanted to go along, spend time with him and work up the courage to tell him something important.  The other part was scolding herself that even considering a guard mission would be stupid in the state she was in. She would have to war with herself through the night, weigh up the pros and cons and really think about it. Obviously, the cons were going to win, she thought as she scaled the stairs. After all, what was more important than the lives of her family? As that was soon what they would be.

((This is an introduction to an idea I had for Shibuki and Shion with Naruto bodyguarding Shibuki following a vision Shion had, but getting caught several times. I built upon it a little, but not much, and I don't know where it will go, I might write more if people want it to go somewhere, but for now it will remain an introduction to a thought.))