The Birthday Present
Chapter 1
Naruto and Sakura were returning back to the Konoha village from yet another mission. It had been a long two week assignment and Naruto was ready for a big bowl of Ichiraku ramen, to see his girlfriend Hinata, and take a long nap, in that order.
As they walked along, he pulled out a kunai that he had received as a gift and started twirling it around his thumb to pass the time as he walked. It was strange how everything had changed in the last two years since the Fourth Great Ninja War. Everywhere he went people stopped to thank him or give him gifts. They even called him the Great Hero. As he walked, he put his hands behind his head and gave an embarrassed happy laugh just thinking of it.
"Watch it, you big idiot! Your going to lop an ear off with that thing and I'm not in the mood to put it back on for you!" Sakura sniped at him as they walked along.
In his reverie Naruto had forgotten about the kunai in his hand. He quickly put the kunai in his backpack to hide his embarrassment, then an idea suddenly struck him.
"Hey, I think I'm going to give this kunai to Hinata for her birthday. It's so lightweight! The guy who gave it to me said that it's made of some special alloy that they just discovered by mixing…"
Out of nowhere, Sakura landed a punch to the back of his head that felled him flat on the ground.
"Ow! What was that for?" He cried.
"You big idiot! You don't give a girl who spent all that time knitting you that red scarf around your neck and who practically gave up being the Queen of the Moon to basically be your girlfriend, a kunai that "some guy gave you" for her birthday. And I don't care how lightweight it is!"
Naruto fingered the scarf that he always wore now around his neck. Hinata had knitted it for him as a gift several months before. She had presented it to him on a mission to save her kidnapped sister and the world from the deterioration of the moon. It was a symbol of her love for him. Sakura was right. Hinata had spent a lot of time on this scarf. He should give more thought to her birthday gift as well.
He got up and started following Sakura down the road leading to the village. This time his face was deep in thought. What could be give her that would equal this. He fingered the scarf once again and his mind filled with the image of her smiling face. Her face faded and his mind was a total blank. Then he suddenly had another thought. He laughed again. His confidence had been restored. He ran to catch up with Sakura.
"Uh hey Sakura, you're a girl right? Can you give me a clue as to what to get Hinata for her birthday?"
Sakura fumed and her inner voice yelled "Cha! Of course I'm a girl, you idiot!". However outwardly she looked calm and composed which normally meant she was about to dish out another beating. Naruto took a cautious step away from her. Sakura kept walking but gave him a sidelong glance and sighed. His normal carefree, cheery face was downcast and serious. His arms swung limply by his side while he walked instead of his usual arms behind his head swagger. Poor guy! She probably should help him out.
Her thought wandered to Sasuke and she felt her cheeks go warm. She remembered the birthday present that she recently received from him. It had been a large emerald about the size of her palm. She thought of the gem but more important was the note that had been attached to it. She closed her eyes and could see it now in his cryptic handwriting.
"This reminds me of the eyes I see when my eyes are closed."
That was it. One line. Simple and to the point. That was her Sasuke. He had sent it via one of his hawks. She hadn't seen him in quite a while now since he rarely visited the village. He was on a secret mission of his own. He had vowed after his fight with Naruto to protect Naruto's dream of peace from the shadows. He gave up the limelight to Naruto in exchange. Sakura understood Sasuke's need to redeem himself. However on days like these when she was tired from a long mission, she longed for someone to come home too. She envied Naruto and what he had found with Hinata and she didn't want to see him screw it all up.
" Sakura..." Naruto said interrupting her thoughts. Now it was Sakura's turn to be embarrassed.
"Well uh…traditionally most girls prefer something like flowers, or jewelry, or chocolates on their birthday."
"Chocolates, huh…" Naruto repeated.
Sakura could tell from the dense look on his face that he still didn't get it.
"Oh Naruto! Just find out what she likes the most!" Sakura said exasperated but trying to help.
"What she likes the most?" Naruto repeated then he suddenly brightened.
"I know. I'll just ask Kiba. He's the one who told me about her birthday in the first place. He'll know! Come on! I see the village gates!" Naruto ran off ahead.
Sakura sighed again and thought, "Idiot! He still doesn't get it." And walked through the gates after him.
::
Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck for the umpteenth time. Here he was stuck with the job of cataloging the Intel on all these shinobi missing in action since the Fourth Great Ninja War. It was common for shinobi to go missing during war. However what caused a red flag was the continuing disappearance of shinobi even after the war. He looked over at the girl who was helping him and stretched his arms over his head giving a loud yawn.
"Well Shiho" he started but then was interrupted by a loud stomach gurgle. He laughed self consciously as Shiho let out a giggle. He looked out the window and noticed that the day had mostly slipped away. He put his hands to his stomach and smiled.
" Yeah, I guess that about says it. Thanks for all your help with this project. There's no way I could have made so much progress without you. With all my duties as advisor, it's hard for me to make time for everything."
Shiho adjusted her glasses and smiled.
"It's no problem. I don't mind helping you all the time…I mean any time…I mean with any project…I mean THIS project." Shiho stammered and blushed self consciously. She looked away and then back at Shikamaru.
"Hey no worries. I understand. We've been working non stop on this project all day. It's no wonder our brains have stopped working."
"Yeah that's it" Shiho said with a smile but still couldn't hide the pink in her cheeks. All of a sudden a loud gurgled issued forth from Shiho's stomach. She cried out and grabbed at her stomach. They both started to laugh.
"Hey since we're both hungry, why don't I buy us something to eat? My treat for all the help you've given me on this project."
Shiho sighed and looked up into Shikamaru's face, " That sounds great"
They grabbed their jackets and headed out the door.
::
Kiba and Akamaru were out in the forest practicing their latest move, Twin Howler. Twin Howler acted by Kiba magnifying Akamaru's howl with his chakra which would allow for a sort of echolocation system. He had started thinking about it ever since he had been attacked by these ninjas that used a combination mist and scent eraser. He and Akamaru had been at a terrible disadvantage. It was a good thing that his teammates had banned together to fight and even though he had used Fang Over Fang to dissipate the mist to help them defeat the foe, it still bothered him that for a moment he felt vulnerable. With Twin Howler they would be able to add another sensory jutsu and be able to target any foe. However right now Twin Howler sounded more like Twin Fowler. He and Akamaru could not find the right frequency to allow for their sound waves to bounce back and be picked up for them to determine the location of the enemy. They definitely needed more practice but not today. The sunlight was starting to fade.
"Well Akamaru…looks like the day is just about over. We better get back before Sis starts to worry I about us."
As he turned to walk back to the village, his nose twitched.
"Yep no denying that stench! Yo Naruto!" Kiba called out into the woods.
Naruto was not surprised that Kiba sensed his approach. He grinned as he ran up to the pair.
"Hey Kiba! Akamaru! I just got back from my latest mission." Naruto stopped in front of them panting with his hands on his knees. "You guys were so hard to find. What are you doing way out here in the middle of nowhere?"
"Just practicing a jutsu. What are you doing out here? I thought your first stop would be Hinata's"
Naruto laughed self consciously and put his hand behind his head, "Ha ha, uh, about that.." He began.
Kiba growled," What's this? You better not be thinking of breaking up with her!" Akamaru growled too in support and took a menacing step towards Naruto. Kiba had taken on the role of protective older brother ever since Neji had passed away. He liked Naruto but wasn't about to let him crush Hinata's heart without a good thrashing.
Naruto waved his hands frantically in front of him and jumped up and down, "No! No! Nothing like that!"
Kiba laughed and Akamaru took a step back and sat down with his tail wagging. "Oh that's a relief! So what did you come all this way to talk about?"
"It's just I started thinking about Hinata's birthday and I really don't have a clue as to what she might want. You've been her teammate for ages now and I thought if anyone knew what she'd like it would be you. So can you tell me what she likes the most?"Naruto pleaded with his hands raised in prayer.
"Hmm…likes the most?" Kiba pondered, " Well the only thing that I can think of is….you."
"Huh. What do you mean by that?" Naruto looked totally perplexed by Kiba's answer.
Kiba laughed at his confused expression, "Well yeah. She's liked you forever. You were just too stupid to notice until recently."
He patted Naruto on the shoulder as he passed him, "Later!" He said with a wave, " Come on Akamaru we need to go. Sis will really be mad at us now."
Naruto walked down the streets of Konaha thinking about what Kiba said. As he walked along many villagers called out greetings to him.
"Welcome home Hero! We missed you Naruto!" Naruto waved back to them in returned but his mind was on the problem at hand. What could he get Hinata?
As he walked along he spied several stalls of merchandise still open. He walked over hoping for some inspiration when he heard a vendor calling to him from further down the street.
"Hero! Hero! Come see my stall! Over here!" The man gestured to Naruto. Naruto sauntered over and his eyes popped. The man's stall was filled with paraphernalia and souvenirs all with saying of "I love Naruto" and "Naruto for Hokage" branded on them. He started to laugh.
Naruto left the vendor's stall with a bag full of stuff. It was getting really late now, he thought, as he noted that most of the stalls had closed for the night. He hurried off to Ichiraku's at a faster paced walk. As he passed the dumpling shop, he happened to look over and see Shikamaru and Shiho sharing a meal. Shiho was laughing at something Shikamaru was saying. Naruto couldn't hold back a chuckle as he hurried on. Well, well, he thought, it seems like Shikamaru has found himself a girlfriend too.
::
Sakura and Ino walked down the darkened street to meet Choji at the barbeque place. Sakura was happy that Ino had come by her apartment and insisted on her coming out for dinner.
"Have you heard anything from Sasuke lately?" Ino inquired as they walked down the street. Sakura shook her head sadly. She really didn't want to think of Sasuke right this moment. She wanted to be content in the moment and enjoy the company of her friends. She suddenly straightened her shoulders and gave Ino a smile.
"Thanks Ino for asking me out to dinner. You are a good friend. "
Ino looked a bit taken back by Sakura's sudden change in expression. Her eyes softened and she began to say, "I just hate seeing you all alone waiting for …"
Sakura put her hand on Ino's and gave her another quick smile which she hoped hid her sadness. She needed to stop Ino's tirade on her behalf. She looked up and saw Choji standing with his back to them further up the street.
"Hey Choji!" She called out.
Choji turned to wave a greeting. Sakura felt Ino pause slightly as they hurried to meet Choji and heard her sharp intake of air. Sakura turned to her friend and noticed a transfixed look upon Ino's face. She turned back to Choji and saw her old teammate seven, Sai standing next to him.
"Hey Sai!" Sakura called out warmly. The girls walked up to them.
"Good evening Sakura, Ino" Sai said politely with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Hey Sai, how have you been? Naruto and I just got back into the village. Are you joining us for dinner?" She asked.
Sai again smiled his fake smile and said, "Sorry I just came out to pick up some more ink." He indicated the bag in his hand, "I have another mission starting tomorrow morning." He started to move past the group.
Ino finally found her voice and grabbed Sai's hand as he walked past, "Are you sure you can't join us? I mean there's plenty of room. "
Sai looked down at where Ino's hand rested on his. His eyes suddenly locked onto Ino's and he smiled his same fake smile. "Sorry I really need to make it an early night. Another time, perhaps"
Ino let his hand go.
As Sai walked by her, Ino couldn't help but call out, "How long will you be gone for?"
Sai gave a shrug and continued on his way, "As long as it takes I suppose" he called out and put his hand up to wave goodbye.
Ino watched him go. "Until then" she murmured softly and then hurried into the eatery after her friends.
::
Naruto was so happy. He had found the perfect gifts for Hinata. Now all he had to do now was get some ramen to go for him and Hinata. He would then take it over to her house to eat. He couldn't keep the grin off his face. He pictured her face when she saw her birthday presents.
"Oi, Naruto!" He turned at the authoritative voice and saw a girl with blonde curly ponytails toting a large fan.
"Hey Temari. How long have you been in the village?" Naruto asked.
"I just got here." She replied.
Naruto chuckled. "Yeah me too. It's nice to be back home…"
Temari interrupted him impatiently, "Have you seen Shikamaru?"
"Uh yeah. As a matter of fact I have. He was at the dumpling shop back there." Naruto indicated the way he had just came.
"Great. See you!" She called out as she walked on.
"Later!" Naruto called in return.
Temari hurried off in the direction that Naruto indicated. As she neared the dumpling shop, she saw Shikamaru exiting. He was holding the entry curtain and talking to someone behind him. As she neared, she noticed the pretty blonde. The blonde seemed to be hanging on his every word and laughing at something he said. She couldn't stop the sudden stab of jealousy that pierced her heart. Because of that her voice came out a bit gruffer than she had wanted it to.
"Oi, Shikamaru!" She yelled out.
Shikamaru turned and his face seemed to soften a bit when he saw her.
"Temari" he said warmly, "I didn't know that you were coming into town."
"Obviously!" She couldn't help but say indicating the blonde behind him with a slight tilt of her head.
Suddenly Shikamaru looked uncomfortable and he started to rub the back of his neck almost absentmindedly.
"Uh Temari, I'd like you to meet Shiho. She's been helping me on that case of the missing allied ninjas. I thought I'd take her out for dinner to thank her for all her help."
Temari looked coldly from Shikamaru to Shiho and back again.
"We have a meeting of advisors in the morning. Don't be late!" With her message delivered, she walked off holding her head up high.
Shikamaru looked after her and couldn't keep himself from muttering, "What a drag!"
Shiho looked at Temari's departing back and Shikamaru's face and sighed. She knew all at once that she had no chance.
Naruto ducked into Ichiraku's to get some ramen.
"Hey Naruto! Long time, no see!" Ichiraku greeted him.
"Hey old man. Just got back into the village and couldn't wait to get me some of your ramen. Two bowls of your pork to go please."
"To go, heh?" Said Ichiraku as he dishes up the ramen. He gave Naruto a sidelong glance. "Meeting Hinata, huh?" He continued with a twinkle in his eye.
Naruto gave an embarrassed laugh and shrugged, "Well yeah" he answered.
"Lucky thing that you like ramen" the old man murmured under his breath.
"What was that, old man?" Naruto said leaning forward.
"Oh nothing!" Ichiraku said hurriedly. "Here's your ramen to go. I was just saying that you were lucky to get my last two bowls of ramen. I'm about to close shop. "
"Oh wow! I didn't realize how late it was. I gotta go! Thanks old man!" Naruto called as he grabbed the to go bag with his free hand.
Naruto took off at a fast pace. He hadn't realized how late it was. He hoped that Hinata was still awake.
As he turned down a side street, he almost ran into the back of a familiar large figure.
"Whoa. Hey Choji!" And then he noticed Sakura and Ino, "Hey guys!"
"Yo Naruto" Choji said as he turned. Indicating the large bag in Naruto's hand he added,"what's in the bag?"
Naruto laughed, " Oh just a birthday present for Hinata."
Sakura looked at the large bag in Naruto's hand suspiciously. She reached over and grabbed part of a banner that was sticking out. She read it out loud, "I love Naruto"
"What!" She cried as she ripped the bag out of Naruto's hand and started searching through it. She brought out a foam finger that had "Naruto for Hokage" written in red paint.
"What is this stuff?! Where's Hinata's present?" She cried out staring hard at Naruto.
"Well they're all her presents." He stuttered, "You see Kiba said that her favorite thing was me…so I ah…" His voice started to die down as he recognized the growing anger on Sakura's face. Her punch came less than a second later knocking him off his feet and sending his ramen flying.
"You idiot! That's not what you get a girl for her birthday! Geez! Poor Hinata!" Sakura fumed.
Ino and Choji looked embarrassed and tried to hide their laughter. Ino went over to help Naruto to his feet.
"Uh I hate to agree with Sakura but she's right. No girl would like this stuff on her birthday. Why not some flowers? I can run you a special. Come by the shop tomorrow okay."
Naruto stood up with Ino's help. "Thanks Ino. Maybe I will."
Choji reached down and picked up the sopping mess of to go containers. "Sorry Naruto but I think this is done for." And he threw it into the trash bin.
Sakura blew her bangs out of her eyes and said,"I'm really sorry for your dinner Naruto. You just bring out the worst in me sometimes. Go home and really think about Hinata! I'm sure something better will come to you!"
::
Naruto toted his remaining bag up the stairs to his apartment. I guess it's just regular ramen for me tonight, he thought. It was so late and he had felt so dejected that he decided to go straight home instead of seeing Hinata. This dating stuff was hard. He really had no idea what to get for Hinata and her birthday was tomorrow. Flowers just seemed so ordinary he thought. They just didn't seem to be special in his opinion.
As he opened the door of his apartment, he noticed that his lights were on. For a split second he felt his body tense for action but then he smelled a scent of…was that Ichiraku ramen? He opened the door wider and spied Hinata sitting at his table. The room was lit with candlelight and she had two bowls of ramen laid out.
"Hinata?" Naruto said softly.
Hinata looked up from her knitting and smiled. He couldn't help but smile back.
"Naruto!" She exclaimed looking up from her work. She stood up. "Hi! Um I hope you don't mind. I heard you were back in the village and when you didn't come over I figured that something must have delayed you. So I picked up some ramen for us and headed over. I hope it's okay."
Naruto's face lit up with a huge smile.
"Okay? Okay?! This is awesome!" He sat down and cracked apart his wooden chopsticks and started eating eagerly.
"Um…it may have gotten cold. I could heat it up for you" she said with a smile as she watched him tear into his food.
"No this is perfect!" He said with a mouth full of food. "Perfect! Just like you!" He added absently and kept eating.
Hinata blushed and sat back down. She resumed her knitting with a satisfied smile on her mouth.
"So how was the mission?" She asked but then noticed the bag that he had dropped on his way to the table. She got up to pick it up.
Naruto saw her intent a bit too late. He tried to swallow the food in his mouth quickly and with a sputter and cough cried out, "No! Don't look at that stuff!"
As Hinata picked up the bag it tore in two spilling its contents at her feet. Hinata giggled as she looked at all the stuff. "How nice!" She exclaimed, "Did someone give you this when you were on your mission?"
Naruto took another swallow and cleared his throat, "Uh something like that." He finally managed to get out of his still halfway full mouth.
"Look at all of this!" She exclaimed as she sat on the floor and examined everything. She even put the foam finger on her hand and waved it around. Naruto even had to laugh at the sight.
" Do you mind if I keep some of this? I really think it's so nice!"
"Sure" said a stunned Naruto. He couldn't believe that she liked it and was having so much fun with it. Then he started to laugh as he watched her play around with all the paraphernalia he had bought from the shop. Then he suddenly stopped laughing and looked at her. He really looked at her. He saw the light that seemed to emanate all around her.
"What? What is it?" Hinata asked, picking up on the sudden change of mood.
"It's nothing! It's just that you aren't like any of the girls in the village. You are special! I'm just so glad that you chose me to be special with." He said with a very un-Narutolike seriousness.
Hinata couldn't help but blush. Naruto suddenly got up and sat on the floor with her.
"You got to see this one!" He said excitedly and grabbed a spinning device that when infused with chakra shot what looked like small fireworks in the air that spelled out I love Naruto!
Hinata giggled, "I love it!"
::
Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck again while he sat at the advisors counsel table. He was trying to listen to Chojuro, a bespectacled youth and former bodyguard of the former Mizukage. Despite his young demeanor, Chojuro was a renown Swordsman of the Mist. Currently, he was explaining about a new integrated training system where young ninja could apprentice out to other villages. Shikamaru was trying with all his might to stay focused and suppress the yawn that kept threatening to ensue. However a certain blonde kunoichi from the sand was giving off a distinct cold chill in his direction which kept distracting him. He really didn't know what her problem was. So what that he chose to go out to eat instead of being in his office working when she came into the village?
"What do you think, Shikamaru?" Inquired Chojuro.
"Huh?" Shikamaru straightened up from his usual slouched position. "Sorry Chojuro can you repeat the question?"
Beside him, Temari gave a loud snort and said sarcastically, "Did your date go too long last night?"
"It wasn't a date" Shikamaru said with some exasperation. "Like I said before, I was taking her out to dinner to thank her for all the hard work she's done on this project."
Temari snorted again. "Sure you were. It sure looked like a date to me." She said with a sly look in her eyes as her stare burrowed into him. "Anyway. In the future just don't let your personal life interfere with the performance of your professional one."
Shikamaru looked at her coldly and opted not to counter. As in Shougi, one needed to know when to go on the offense or defense or just take a pass.
The other members of the council looked at the pair who were locked in a battle of wills. The silence in the room was palatable.
Chojuro cleared his throat and tried to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand.
"Traditionally shinobi from other villages would be met with suspicion when entering a neighboring land or hidden village. To solidify our alliances and to demonstrate our unity, we propose to initiate an apprenticeship program for nine shinobi from each village. These shinobi will learn the customs and traditions of each village and act as ambassadors in future relations. Is this number too high or too low? We would also need jonin from each village to act as guides as well as some sponsors. Shikamaru, would you be willing to head up this task force?"
Shikamaru sighed. He knew that this program would be a good first step in building a unified land of shinobi. However, he thought about all the other tasks appointed to him by the Sixth Hokage that he had yet to get to. He sighed and took a deep breath to accept when he was stopped short.
"Chojuro, with all due respect, I think I would be more apt for that task." Interjected Temari. "We can always work out a hosting system where the work load gets equally divided among the five great nations as well as any other supportive ally. This it too important to just put on one person."
Shikamaru gave Temari a sidelong glance. Was that last part a dig in his direction? Did she think that he wasn't capable of handling it? Then he sighed. Who was he kidding?! He knew that she was the right person for the job.
Chojuro nodded and pushed his glasses back into place.
"Great Temari of the Sand. We will leave this matter in your hands to organize as you see fit. Of course the rest of us will be at your service and will aid you in any way that we can. Thank you. With that matter resolved, I think that it's time to adjourn for now. "
The remaining advisors echoed their consent and started to exit. Shikamaru exited as well but decided to linger back and wait for Temari. When she came out of the room, she seemed surprised to see him.
"Look I don't know why you are mad at me. I just wanted to say thanks for taking over that project. I'm just so swamped right now with work. And anyway it was just dinner, not a date. I don't have time to date!" He didn't know why he added that last part. It just came out of left field but oh well it was out there now. He really hated when he made himself look like a pathetic loser.
Temari gave him a long measured look and then a long sigh. "Look" she said with a sudden smile, "It's none of my business anyway. And no problem with the apprenticeship program. I like that sort of thing."
"Yeah well thanks" Shikamaru said as they started walking down the hall together.
Temari cleared her throat and started to say something but got interrupted by a Konaha shinobi who called out to Shikamaru and handed him a missive with the Sixth's seal.
"Sorry. Looks like duty calls. The Sixth needs me in his office right away."
::
Kakashi, the Sixth Hokage, looked out the window of his office with a scroll lying limp in his hands. Shikamaru entered and studied his Hokage for a moment. He instantly realized that something important had happened.
"Hokage –sama" Shikamaru addressed formally, announcing his presence even though he was fully aware that Kakashi sensed him the moment he had entered his office. Kakashi turned and handed him a scroll without saying a word.
Shikamaru scanned down the page and his eyes widened. "Impossible! There's no way that Sasuke would attack a peaceful envoy of the daimyo from the Land of Lightning!"
Kakashi interlocked his fingers and rested his chin on his hands.
"I agree with you. However, apparently the Raikage does not. As you know, he's not been a fan of Sasuke's ever since Sasuke led the attack at the Five Kage summit while being a member of the Akatsuki."
"Can he really demand his immediate capture and label him a threat to the allied peace without the approval of all the Kage?" Shikamaru demanded.
"Well, frankly, yes. Apparently there were witnesses to the crime who specifically state that a man wearing an Uchiha cloak and matching Sasuke's description attacked their envoy and endangered the life of their daimyo. The daimyo is demanding justice for his guards who were injured in the attack. "
"Hmm… I'd like a word with those witnesses. Something here just doesn't add up. " Shikamaru rubbed his chin as he thought hard on the situation at hand.
"I agree. I think that you should put together a team to investigate the matter. I would also advise adding a medical ninja to the team considering that this order seems to have a "detain by any force necessary" adjunct."
"Agreed. You know…" Shikamaru pondered. "This could be a play to get to Naruto. He's become a symbol of this world wide alliance. This may be a way to get him out into the open."
Kakashi sighed deeply and turned his chair back to looking out the windows.
"Yes I've thought that very thing too. There are still many who oppose this idea of peace and idealize the teachings of Madara. These are the very cells that Sasuke is trying to root out." Kakashi swung his chair back around and looked at Shikamaru sternly, "We must get to Sasuke first and find out the truth of the matter. Then we need to discover who is behind this campaign. And above all else, Naruto has to be kept out of the loop. I don't need to tell you what he would do if he found out that Sasuke may be in trouble."
"Agreed. Leave it to me." With that Shikamaru turned to leave already planning his next move.
::
Hinata went through another series of drills. She usually practiced early in the morning but since she hadn't gotten to sleep until late last night, it was already early afternoon. She wove a hand sign in front of her face and said "Byagukan" to activate her kekkai genkai. She started to search for woodland creatures in her surroundings. "Ten meters, twenty meters,…" She whispered softly and then stopped. She released her jutsu and gave a small smile.
Several moments later Naruto came crashing through the forest. He gave a loud yawn and collapsed onto a nearby log.
"Sorry I'm late" he said trying to contain yet another yawn.
Hinata smiled warmly and walked over to him, "It's okay" she replied. It was kind of Naruto to try to fill the void in her training left by Neji. She missed him every day. Just as Naruto's inspiration had strengthened her resolve to never give up and be the strongest ninja that she could be. It was Neji's constant drilling that made that resolve into a reality. She owed who she was today to both these men. However, truth be told, she loved the solitude of training.
Her training with Naruto was a lot different than her sparring matches with Neji. Her nearness seemed to give Naruto an inner calm which allowed him to enter sage mode quickly. While she used her Byagukan to pinpoint by sight, he could detect the very essence of the creature itself. This was quite useful in verifying her Byagukan and allowed her to further develop her range.
"How long have you been here?" Naruto inquired noting the sweat that already glistened on her face.
"Only an hour", she replied.
"An hour? You should have told me sooner. Wait! Did I get the time wrong or something?"
"No. Nothing like that. I'm just used to beginning training as soon as I get up." She reached over to grab her backpack which was sitting next to Naruto on the log. "I could use a drink of water though before we begin."
She opened her bag and exclaimed, "Oh no!"
"What is it?" Naruto inquired at her, looking into her backpack from his angle on the log.
"I forgot my canteen at home."
"Is that all?" Naruto chuckled. "Here you can use mine." He opened his pack and started to rummage through it.
"Here it is!" He announced proudly bringing up the canteen with one hand. Clank! Several items spilled out of his pack.
"Thanks" she said reaching for the water bottle. Then she reached down to pick up the fallen kunai that had come from his backpack.
"Wow! This is so light!" Hinata exclaimed. Naruto looked up from stuffing his items back into his pack. He had forgotten all about the kunai that he hurriedly placed in his pack from yesterday.
"Oh yeah. This guy in the Land of Iron gave it to me on my last mission."
"This is really nice. Do you mind if I test it out?" Indicating the targets behind her.
Naruto laughed, "Not at all. I've been wondering about it myself."
Hinata concentrated hard on the closest target about six meters away and let the kunai fly. It sailed through the air with barely a whistle smacking into the target dead on.
"That was awesome Hinata!" raved Naruto as he followed her to the target.
"That kunai is awesome! It's so light yet still made the same impact as a heavier blade. What's it made out of?" She wondered as she unsheathed it from the target and began to study it.
"Well the guy who gave it to me said that they've discovered that if they mix two different types of metals together that they actually can make a lighter kunai with the same durability and precision as its heavier counterpart."
"Interesting," Hinata murmured studying the weapon closely using her Byagukan. "You're right Naruto. I can almost see the distinct presence of an alloy containing possibly two, maybe more, metals. I should see about getting a set of these for my birthday." She added absently.
Naruto grinned and gave a chuckle. Indicating the kunai in her hands, "Here take this one for now. Happy Birthday, Hinata!"
Hinata laughed, "Really? You don't mind? Thanks I love it!"
Naruto put his hands behind his head and laughed then he took off into the woods.
"Um, Naruto…" Hinata called out to him while trying to peer into the trees.
Naruto appeared carrying a bouquet of flowers and presented them to her.
"Well you see. I stopped by the flower shop on the way over but I wasn't sure if you would like these so I um…." He let his words fall silent as Hinata reached for the flowers.
"They're beautiful" she said then let out a sneeze.
"I knew it!" Exclaimed Naruto with his fist in the air. "You really don't like flowers, do you?"
"No! No!" Hinata exclaimed, "I do like them! It's just sometimes they make me sn…snee…sneeze. ACHOO! But I really love this kunai." She said with a smile as Naruto tossed the bouquet of offending flowers to the side.
Naruto looked extraordinarily pleased with himself. Hinata stepped back from him and gave him a sly look, "But…" She started.
Suddenly his grin dropped, "But what?" He said looking concerned.
"There's just more thing that this kunai could use." She said. Naruto looked at her with a confused expression. "It could really use "I love Naruto" or "Naruto for Hokage" engraved on it!" She announced with a giggle.
"Huh? What? How?" Naruto stuttered and then understanding dawned on him. "Who told you?"
Hinata giggled. "Well I ran into Choji on my way here and he mentioned seeing you last night." Then she giggled some more.
"That Choji has a big mouth!" Naruto said menacingly as he punched his fist into the palm of his other hand.
"Probably due to all the barbeque he eats!" Hinata interjected then put her hands over her mouth. She couldn't believe she just said that out loud.
"Yeah you're probably right!" He agreed and they both started to laugh.