Dragonsoul
Chapter 1
Dusty shelves lined the walls of a forgotten room in the Hyuuga estate. Every unclean inch of it was an affront to all that the clan stood for, an insult to its very nature. It was imperfect, a monument to a time of failure and disgrace that the clan could never recover from. A memory that Hyuuga Hiashi gladly kept in order to remind the elders that despite their rampant bureaucracy and power grabs, the true will of the Hyuuga clan was not something they could control. There was a time where their cheap tricks and manipulation had the ears of not only Konoha's elite, but also its ruling class. Those times were behind them now, forever stained by a single act of rebellion.
"You haven't touched it at all."
Hiashi stepped to the side as his daughter, Hyuuga Hinata, stepped back into her old room. Her bright, lavender eyes flickered back and forth over the dirty corners and unkempt windowsills, trying to spot anything her mind did not recall. Satisfied that her assessment had been correct, she stepped forward into the room, disturbing the musty air with the purity that always seemed to follow in her footsteps.
"Hanabi refused to allow me," her father said with a smile. "She also threatened the maids."
Hinata stifled a giggle. "I can't imagine that went over well."
"It didn't."
A small cloud of dust billowed towards the ceiling as Hinata pulled one of her old drawers open. She was actually displeased that no one had cleaned her old room since she had left, but she kept quiet about it. It would have upset her father and sister to know she was disappointed that her room had ended up in this condition, especially considering how far Hanabi went in order to keep it untouched. She also felt it would be improper to complain to her family about it, seeing as she had relinquished her ties to them not long ago.
Rummaging through her old things produced a small, leather-bound notepad. It left behind an empty spot in the sea of dust as she picked it up to examine both its covers. She quickly recognized it as her old journal, a place where she kept the thoughts she dared not share with others. She opened the neglected chronicle, flipping through pages until she reached blank space. A glance at the last recorded date caused her to gasp and snap the booklet shut.
I haven't used this since the day before I was supposed to marry Katai.
"Has it really been a year?" she whispered to herself.
"Is everything all right, Hinata?" Hiashi asked, taking a step into his daughter's room.
"Yes, it's fine father," she replied in the rigid, respectful tone she had been raised to use. "There are just...a lot of memories in here."
Taking a step towards the north end of her room, Hinata stepped in front of the luxurious mirror that hung on the wall. It too was graced with a mantle of dust that seemed to place it in another period in time. She quickly wiped the surface with the arm of her jacket, peering at her reflection inquisitively. Her body was superimposed over images of each time she had approached the mirror, starting from the day she had received it. Even the phantom of a year ago seemed nothing like her. Compared to the ghosts of yesteryear, Hinata was no longer the shy, timid creature she could always remember being.
Though she discarded her introverted personality thanks to Naruto, it was only recently that she fully embraced her newfound confidence. Gone were the puffy jackets and sweaters that concealed her figure, replaced with form fitting black shirts or more traditional Hyuuga-style battle attire. Since she had renounced her Hyuuga name though, she had taken to mixing her old clothing with newer clothes in order to imitate the styles of the average villager. She refused to give up her heritage so easily, but she knew she could not hold onto it so tightly. As she stood in front of glass that told tales of years gone by, she adjusted the purple over shirt that adorned her black tank top, giggling slightly towards the girl that had once been dressed in an overbearing beige sweater, crowned with a surprisingly awkward mop of dark hair.
"You've come a long way," Hiashi said as though he could read her mind.
"You think so?" she asked humbly. "Sometimes I still feel like the same little girl. The same little failure..."
Hiashi reached out and held his daughter by her shoulder gently, shaking his head. "Nothing could be further from the truth."
Hinata smiled, reaching up to squeeze her father's hand affectionately before returning to her task. She gathered up various things from her room, including her recently rediscovered journal, and placed them in a small bag she had left at the sliding door to her room. She took a final look around the deserted abode before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, smiling anew as she turned away from her memories and back into the light of day.
"Let Hanabi have my room," she said. "I don't plan on coming back any time soon."
"Please reconsider," Hiashi pleaded. Hinata simply shook her head again, taking the step out of her old room and back into the main garden of the estate.
"I've already made up my mind, father. Please respect that."
"It's not that," Hiashi frowned. "You're not safe. You know the threat you represent to the elders. Even if they no longer have the sway they used to, they still think you're dangerous. They'll use any means necessary to prove it. And to get rid of you. I cannot protect you outside of these walls."
The pale-eyed girl bit her lip as her father spoke. She could not deny that everything he said was true. Konoha had become a different place after last year's fiasco at the wedding and as a result the Hyuuga elders were in a state of disarray. Some knew that their place at the head of the pack was in jeopardy, and thusly, resorted to any means necessary to stay in power as long as possible. It was an uphill battle that they were all destined to lose, but they still held some say in Konoha's political circles. They would do anything they could in order to maintain what little power they still had left.
One of the tactics employed by the Hyuuga elders had resulted in an almost village-wide assault on Tsunade's character. She had been labeled weak and unfit for duty, and more than once the daimyo had attempted to remove her as Hokage. So far, none of these endeavors had resulted in anything but ruffling the feathers of villagers and shinobi alike. Yet, there was always the danger that Tsunade would be replaced by someone whose ear was bent towards the wrinkled mouth of a Hyuuga elder.
In addition, there was this nagging feeling that someone was always watching Hinata when she was not within shouting distance of a public establishment. She had always known it was the Hyuuga elders watching over her, waiting for the perfect moment to excise her like a rotten tooth. The danger that they represented was why Hinata had moved out of Naruto's apartment, and into the care of another family that was more than willing to look after her and protect her.
"I know," Hinata admitted solemnly. "But I'll be all right. I didn't become a shinobi for nothing. I'll be okay, I promise. Now I have to go... Hana is waiting for me."
Hiashi looked his daughter over once more, a gleam of pride in his eyes as he nodded to her. They exchanged one last look before Hinata finally gave in and bowed to her father, turning around silently and leaving the compound without so much as a goodbye.
"You okay?"
Inuzuka Hana growled gently as Hinata exited the Hyuuga compound, scratching one of her dogs behind its ear. Kiba's older sister kept her face stern, eyes drifting to the right slightly as though she were keeping a close eye on the bushes just outside the compound. The ex-heiress noticed immediately, nodding to Hana curtly and clutching the bag to her chest tightly.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Hinata said softly. "Thanks for waiting."
"Not a problem."
Together the pair of kunoichi walked through the crowded streets of Konohagakure. No matter what horrible things happened to the village or its people, the citizens never seemed to let on that anything was out of the ordinary. For as long as Hinata could remember, the villagers had put on a brave face in order to work through any trouble that came their way. They showed extraordinary strength for ordinary people, which caused a feeling of pride to well up within the once pampered kunoichi. It always made her feel good to know that a person did not need power or wealth to do what was right.
"You're being followed again," Hana muttered softly as they walked.
"I know," Hinata said. "But it's just Neji this time. You can relax."
The dog-user almost asked how Hinata could possibly have known who was tailing them, but quickly realized the silliness of the question and dropped it. Secure in the knowledge that one of Konoha's best jounin was watching over them, Hana allowed herself to relax as they made their way past the shopping district. Minutes later, Hinata beheld the splendour that was the Inuzuka household. Others would look at her strangely for insinuating that the humble homestead that acted more often as Konoha's veterinary clinic than a house splendorous, but Hinata ignored those voices. To her, the Inuzukas's home was the greatest place in the world. She was still overjoyed that they had offered to take her in when she had asked.
She still had a lot to make up to them, in her mind.
"Sure you didn't leave anything behind?" Hana asked as they approached the gates.
"I'm sure," Hinata nodded.
Not needing anything more to be convinced, Hana opened the gate to her home and ushered Hinata inside, just like the very first time the white-eyed girl had come to live with them. Together they walked up the small pathway and up the wooden porch, taking a moment to greet Kuromaru as the enormous canine paced across the front yard. The large dog's presence meant that Tsume was back from her mission, and since Kuromaru wasn't waiting for them or presenting any letters, it meant that she was perfectly okay.
"You'd think I could stop worrying about my mother so much," Hana rolled her eyes, making Hinata giggle.
Despite Hana's concern for her mother, the conversation the two of them shared as they crossed paths was short and to the point. Tsume's mission, though top secret, had been a resounding success according to her, which left both Hana and Hinata quite happy. The way that Hana and Tsume acted around each other brought about by a sense of family that Hinata had sorely missed while she was a part of the Hyuuga clan. She knew her father cared deeply for her, but there were far more bad memories than good ones nestled within the nooks and crannies of her old compound.
Hinata excused herself as Tsume and Hana tended to dinner. The stairs creaked as Hinata ascended to the second floor, opening the door to her room and quickly closely it behind her. One thing she had learned while living with the Inuzukas was that not only did they value their privacy, but they were also incredibly loud. Closing her door was an attempt to mimic the first quality while dealing with the latter. Hinata found that it was a decent solution, aside from the side effect of isolating her in her room. She would not have minded so much, were it not for the reason the room was available in the first place.
That was something that had taken her quite a while to get over.
Settling back into her cozy abode, Hinata plucked the most interesting item she had recovered from her old home out of her bag. She examined the cover of the journal once again, as if she were trying to decide what to do with it. She considered disposing of it, hoping that the various events transcribed within would disappear from her mind entirely. Yet she was compelled to keep it, the grimy pages calling out to her in a peculiar way. After a moment of indecision she walked over to the small desk in the corner of the room and procured a pen from inside one of its drawers.
"I have a lot of catching up to do," she whispered, letting the smallest hint of a smile crack from her lips.
Hatake Kakashi was a man of mysteries. He was one of Konoha's best shinobi, as well as a victim and profiteer of circumstance. He was famous the world over as the Copy Ninja, a man of a thousand mimicked jutsu, and only one to call his own. He had more accolades than most Kages, and he had only just turned thirty.
It was in the moments where Kakashi could reflect on his own history and accomplishments that he wondered why all his really important meetings tended to happen in thematically inappropriate places. He and his compatriot were currently standing on the roof of a building not far from Konoha's resort district. The steam that came from the hot springs did a good job of covering both shinobi as they made it to the roof, but Kakashi always wondered why these conversations never took place some place he wanted to be, such as the miso restaurant.
"So the rumours about Naruto are true?" the man sitting next to Kakashi asked. He was a strange individual with incredibly piercing eyes, his visage almost constantly framed by a stiff gray head guard bearing the symbol of Konohagakure. Few knew his real name, his best friends often referring to him by long disused code names. Kakashi knew him as Tenzo, but he much preferred the name the Hokage had recently given him: Yamato.
"I can't say anything for certain," Kakashi replied, keeping his voice just loud enough to be heard. "I know that the villagers are getting paranoid however, and things will only get worse once news of his last mission gets out."
Yamato's gaze tilted downward in contemplation. He'd been privy to the report of Naruto's last excursion, detailing his rather brutal victory against a band of missing-nin. Since the day of the Kyuubi's defeat, there had been concerns that the Fourth's seal would not hold forever. Naruto's missions had seen him acting far more violent than normal on occasion, finally culminating in his most recent act of aggression. Though no one would ever fault a shinobi for using lethal force, the way in which Naruto had killed his targets seemed to be ripped straight from the pages of a horror novel. Yamato shuddered as he wiped the images from his mind, looking back up at Kakashi.
"So that's why you requested me to take your place and reform your team?" Yamato asked.
"No one would be more suited to handle it than you," Kakashi said, his solitary eye showing no hint of emotion. "Besides, if I don't step down, they'll find a way to remove me...by force, if necessary."
Yamato realized that this was one of the rare instances where knowing less about the situation was probably beneficial to his health. He straightened out, looking Kakashi straight in the eye. "But that's not the only thing bothering you, is it? It's about her."
Kakashi sighed, looking upwards as though he were searching Yamato's words for greater meaning. "Yes. If the rumours are true, then Naruto isn't the only person we should be worried about."
"So that's what all this secrecy is about?" Yamato asked, motioning to the rooftop.
"It's not the only reason," Kakashi whispered. "Danzo's in on this, too. He's apparently mobilizing Root."
Yamato folded his arms slowly as he bit his lip gently. "Root? There's a name I haven't heard in a while. What do you suppose he has them doing now?"
"Hard to say, though I wouldn't be surprised if he's planning on interfering with you somehow."
"Wouldn't be all that shocking." Yamato sighed, turning his head towards the Hokage's Tower looming in the distance. "Any speculations?"
"Plenty," Kakashi chuckled. "But nothing concrete. I'll tell you more if I get anything, but until then, please watch over Naruto and Hinata for me."
The two jounin vanished without any further words, leaving the rooftop barren. Not far away, a dark-haired boy sat on top of a rustic water tower, idly painting a picture in a small sketchbook. His pale face showed no interest or thought about what he was drawing, even as he finished the last streak of Kakashi's hair, capturing the moment of the Copy Ninja's recent meeting almost perfectly.
A dazzling set of strokes finished the last character on the line as Hinata let out a sigh, placing her pen down to look over everything she'd written in the last hour. She'd been playing catch up with her old journal, filling in the gap of information between her last entry and when she had found the book again. Despite all the things that had occurred in the last year, the former heiress found it all surprisingly easy to write down. Her memories did not evoke terror or sadness like she had expected them to. She was instead filled with an unusual sense of accomplishment, as though she'd finally conquered all the negative thoughts and feelings that had plagued her over the course of her life. She was happy, yet at the same time she somehow felt empty.
"It still doesn't feel quite right," she whispered, looking around her room. "But I can live with that."
"Talking to yourself again, Hinata-chan?"
A loud yelp echoed through the room moments before Hinata attempted to mount her chair once more. Quickly brushing the frizz out of her startled hair, she turned to the windowsill to see Naruto hanging off the edge with his characteristic smirk beaming at full power. The fear that had welled up inside Hinata dissipated instantly, leaving a quirky smile in its place.
"No more than usual," she finally replied. "I see you're back."
"They almost didn't let me back into town," Naruto grumbled. "There was all this junk about the stuff I did and..."
The sentence failed to complete itself as Hinata launched herself at her lover, wrapping her arms around his body and pulling him from the windowsill into a massive hug. The two let their stress melt away into the liquid hot kiss they shared, forgetting all the sadness and difficulty of the last few days as they were drawn away into the torrent of their emotions.
It was Hinata that ended the embrace, putting her finger between their daring lips as she flashed another quirky smile at Naruto, looking up at him with her pale eyes. "I knew I felt something. I'm sorry."
"What're you sorry for?" he asked defensively. "You couldn't have stopped it."
She wanted to say so many comforting things to Naruto. She was deeply in tune with his emotional state, but he was burying his thoughts and feelings where even the Kyuubi could not drag it out. Regardless, Hinata knew no words would ever cheer the blond up after the unspeakable things he had done in the name of his country. She simply repeated her last action, hoping to drain away his suffering with her kiss.
"So how was the old place?" Naruto asked, trying to change the subject.
"Depressing." Hinata sighed and crossed her arms, casting her gaze sideways in an irate manner. "They actually hadn't cleaned my room since I was there last."
Naruto chuckled, reaching out with his hand to ruffle Hinata's hair. "You miss them, don't you?"
Though she tried to hide her true feelings, Hinata knew that trying was utterly pointless. She blushed sheepishly, grabbing Naruto's hand in order to hold it tightly. "Yes...so very much. But I've made my choice."
"I'm not gonna make you second guess yourself."
"I know you won't."
In that moment, Hinata was reminded why she fell in love with Naruto in the first place. It was his determination – determination that she now possessed – that had made her grow closer to him. It was his unfailing devotion to her and his friends that cemented her feelings. A year ago, she would not have thought it possible, but now she realized she loved the miscreant more than she ever had before. It was a thought that brought a once-familiar rosy tint to her cheeks as she reached up to cup his face.
"You're so cute when you're noble," she laughed.
"Wait what?" Naruto blinked. "What's that supposed to mean!?"
Another kiss stopped his complaining, leaving Hinata lost in her thoughts again. Naruto had changed since their encounter with Kakeru a year ago, and he had ended up taking his job more seriously as a result. He smashed through the chuunin exams with flying colors, dispelling many of the rumours that he would never amount to anything. His sense of fashion had changed as well, much to the joy of half of Konoha and the surrounding wildlife. Though he tried to retain his orange colors more often than not, more serious missions saw him sporting more standard attire. Greens and blues were as much a part of Naruto's wardrobe as the more revealing colors, marking his transition from playful prankster to warrior. Most were not convinced, but Hinata knew enough about the boy to know it was difficult for him to put on something that failed to make him stand out.
"You shouldn't worry too much," Hinata giggled, running her fingers through Naruto's hair. "There are so many other things we could be doing with this free time."
"Like what?" he responded, his face curving ever so slightly into a wicked grin.
"I think you can figure it out."
There was a point in Hyuuga Hinata's life where the prospect of seducing her boyfriend would never have occurred to her, let alone doing it in someone else's home. Yet the darker parts of her mind were at work, parts she normally kept quiet and under control when around others. She was often ashamed of the vicious influence that whispered horrid things into her ears, but there were times where it encouraged her to do things she desperately wished she had the courage to do alone. Whether or not she was weak for relying on it did not matter. What did matter was that she liked what it was helping her do to Naruto.
She liked it a lot.
Tsunade was furious. No, furious was the wrong word. She was enraged. She held the report of Naruto's latest mission in her hands tentatively, trying to decide whom she should decapitate first. If they were lucky, she would not use the paper to do it.
"What in the hell were you thinking!?" she bellowed, slamming her hands on the desk hard enough to make the wood crack. "You let him go in alone!? When you knew something like this would happen!?"
Considering the history that Jiraiya and Tsunade shared, the hermit was rather surprised at how tame his former teammate was being. Her current outburst was the lightest he'd ever seen given the amount of trouble that Naruto's last mission had caused, and he was quite grateful for that. All it would have taken was something else, no matter how insignificant, and she probably would have claimed a few of his ribs as casualties.
"Calm down Tsunade," he said. "Things could have been much worse."
"Explain to me how," Tsunade snarled. "Tell me how it could get much worse than having documented evidence that Naruto is a threat!"
"I don't think my report said anything of the sort!"
"It doesn't have to!" The Hokage stood up abruptly, pacing over to her window and slamming her fist against the window frame. "You and I both know that in this line of work, bad things happen. There've been some missions where the only way to get out safely was to commit near genocide. But this...this! This makes him look like a psychotic murderer!"
Being a ninja meant that more often than not a job required lethal force. Shinobi were trained from day one to accept that fact and deal with it when the time came. Eventually, killing people became normal, and no more than a passing thought was given to most kills in the line of work. What Naruto had done to those bandits however, was not just lethal force. The great Sannin would never admit it, but when Naruto had unleashed the Kyuubi's power during the mission, he had become afraid. For the first time in years, the elder ninja had felt terror. The boy had been beyond brutal in his execution of the thugs, going so far as to leave a few of them to bleed to death with various organs and body parts missing.
Killing was one thing. Sadistic murder was another.
"You know how this is going to look," Tsunade said.
"I do," was all Jiraiya could offer. "I don't know what else I can say, Tsunade. I can hide it if you want. Burn the report. I'll make another one, and we can..."
"Hiding it won't do any good." Tsunade took her seat again, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Eventually the news will get out. Most of the jounin figured out why you'd been taking Naruto with you almost immediately. We can't hide this forever."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Jiraiya asked.
"I've already set something up," Tsunade sighed. "Kakashi's giving him the briefing."
"You mean him?" Jiraiya blinked. "Are you sure that's necessary?"
"And you think it isn't?" Tsunade stared her friend down for a moment before turning her gaze back to her desk, running a finger up one of the new cracks. "There are other things that need to be considered as well."
"Like what?"
It occurred to Tsunade that Jiraiya was probably feigning ignorance to the subject. He was either testing her to see what her reactions were, or he was trying to protect Naruto as best he was able. Given the startling developments, she knew that there was very little he could do short of spiriting Naruto away for another several years. Were he not Konoha's greatest informant, she would have accused him of being out of touch.
"Like Hinata," she said gravely. "There's no telling what kind of an effect all this is having on her."
"Don't you have people watching her?" Jiraiya asked. "I thought that was a priority for you."
"It was," Tsunade scowled. "At least until Hinata realized that people were tailing her. It's very hard to spy on a member of the Hyuuga clan, especially one as well-trained in recon and espionage as Hinata is."
"I get the feeling there's more to this," Jiraiya grumbled. "I haven't been gone that long, have I?"
"Far too long if you ask me," Tsunade replied cleverly. When it was apparent that Jiraiya did not understand her intention, she continued. "Hinata has been incredibly secretive involving her connection to Naruto and the Kyuubi. Yet, despite how much it bothers me, she hasn't done anything wrong so far. I can't find a reason to spy on her."
The look in Jiraiya's eyes said he was more concerned than he let on, but nothing came of it. "You're sure about this? You're not worried?"
"I'm plenty worried," Tsunade corrected the hermit. "I've been worried about her and Naruto since this whole problem began. There's simply nothing I can do that's within bounds."
"And what about out of bounds?"
The Sannin had known each other long enough to know what the other was thinking. Tsunade leaned forward slightly, looking up at her long time friend with apprehension. "You mean without council or Daimyo approval, I assume."
"Indeed."
"Why are you so worried about her?" Tsunade asked cautiously. "You only act this way when something's bothering you."
"I just have a bad feeling is all," Jiraiya admitted. "Isn't that enough?"
"Not this time, I'm afraid."
Jiraiya dropped the subject, turning around to face the door. "All right then, you win this round. But if anything happens, just tell me, all right?"
"There's another reason I asked you here."
"And what might that be?"
A moment of disturbing silence followed as Tsunade quietly rose to her feet, walking over to Jiraiya so she could whisper into his ear.
"Naruto's sixteen now. Don't you think it's time he knew the truth?"
"I win again, Forehead-girl!"
Sakura scowled as Ino practically paraded around the barbeque restaurant. The medic could hardly be blamed for not excelling at the ridiculous games that the blonde chuunin developed in her spare time, but Ino would hear none of it. As far as she was concerned, Sakura had lost fair and square, which made Ino the victor. That, in Ino's books, was cause for celebration.
"Do you have to be such a bitch?" Sakura growled. "Seriously, it's just a game."
"A game you lost!" Ino squealed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "You remember our deal, yes?"
Sakura's pink locks did nothing to hide the blush that came to her cheeks. "I never agreed to that!"
"Oh, yes you did!" Ino grinned, standing proudly with her hands at her hips. "You said if I beat you you'd ..."
"Ino, sweetheart, that's enough."
The blonde instantly sank back into her chair, pouting deeply. "Sorry Chouji, I got carried away again."
Akimichi Chouji was a burly young man whose weight was only exceeded by his courage and devotion. Others would have said at one point that that was saying something, but that was before Chouji had almost died trying to retrieve Sasuke, and well before the majority of them learned he could snap them in half like twigs from forty feet. His size belied his agility and his creativity, making him something of a "surprise bomb" as Ino had once called it. He was the embodiment of his clan's philosophy, and proud of it, too.
"It's all right Ino," Chouji breamed. "You're still getting the hang of it."
"I have to say, Ino-pig," Sakura teased, "you certainly have been getting more...reserved."
"What!?" Ino shrieked. "I have not!"
"Yes you have!" Sakura laughed. "That's the first time you've done something like that in almost a week!"
"Oh, goodness. I think I feel my heart stopping!" Ino clutched her chest, making mock choking sounds as Chouji and Sakura just rolled their eyes. Eventually she stopped, leaning forward with her chin pressed against her palms. "Seriously though Sakura, there's a reason I asked you out here in the first place."
"And what would that be?"
"Well, far be it from me to try and pin female stereotypes on anyone," Ino began, "but you haven't gone out with anyone in almost a full year! I mean, whatever happened to you and Lee?"
"We just didn't work out is all," Sakura grimaced, recoiling from Ino's sudden outburst. "I guess we just weren't as compatible as I thought...why do you care so much?"
"I've seen the look in your eyes," Ino whimpered. "You're lonely, and nobody should be that lonely."
"Hey, just because you need to run around and fool around with guy after guy doesn't mean I have to, Ino-pig."
Ino stared hard at her friend for a moment before leaning closely, talking in barely a whisper. "Sakura...are you just not into guys? Because if that's true, you don't have to be all-secretive. We're friends, right? I mean, I don't mind if you're..."
"NO!" Sakura yelped. "No! Kami no! I mean...no, I'm not. It's just.... how do I explain this?"
Ino shook her head. "You don't need to. I think I understand."
"You do?"
"Yeah, I do," Ino smirked. "Now you run along. I'll cover the bill."
Sakura took a moment to survey the amount of food that the three shinobi had consumed, and panicked slightly. "Are you sure? I mean it's..."
"It's nothing compared to some of the bills I've paid before," Ino chuckled. "Now hurry up and get back to the hospital. Your shift starts soon, doesn't it?"
In the face of one of Tsunade's rants, there was no need for convincing. Sakura left with enough speed to knock several grills over, thankfully hurting no one. Ino spared a small laugh at her friend's expense before turning to face Chouji, who was glaring at her condemningly.
"Was that really necessary?" he asked.
"Of course it was!" Ino cried defensively. "How could it not be necessary?"
"Well, like Sakura said," Chouji teased, "not every girl needs to fool around with guy after guy to be happy."
"Oh, hush up you!" she growled, glaring at her teammate angrily. When the moment of rage passed, Ino blushed lightly before leaning up and kissing Chouji as deeply as she could given her position, then quickly returned to her meal.
"You didn't tell her about us," was Chouji's only response.
"I wanted to," Ino whimpered. "I want to tell everyone. But I just..."
"Nervous?"
"I don't know why. It's not you, it's..."
"Just relax," Chouji smiled, patting Ino on the shoulder.
"Shikamaru knows, doesn't he?"
"It's Shikamaru. Would you expect him not to?"
"You're the best, you know that?" Ino blushed, returning to her barbeque pork.
"You keep telling me, anyway," Chouji laughed.
Tsume ascended the staircase slowly, her legs a bit stiff from a full week of active duty. What she needed was a long bath. She was more hungry than tired, and figured that her luxuries could wait till after a nice, warm meal. Hinata deserved to eat as well, so she decided to fetch the girl herself, rather than have Hana run all over the house.
"I'm no cripple," Tsume had said to her daughter. "I can go get Hinata myself, thank you very much."
The wild woman chuckled softly as she recalled the face her daughter had made only moments ago. It was good to see that good spirits still existed in Konoha, considering all the things that had happened to it. The village had gone through some rough times and was definitely beginning to show it. That didn't concern Tsume too much. There were other things more important than politics and power struggles.
Family, for one.
Tsume approached Hinata's door and knocked on it lightly, only to have the polite gesture backfire. The door swung open, having not been closed properly, catching Hinata in the middle of changing clothes.
"Tsume-san!" Hinata yelped, covering her chest with the shirt she was about to put on.
"Oi, sorry about that," Tsume said, blushing only slightly and turning her head to the side.
"No, it's okay," Hinata squirmed. "I'm the one that didn't shut the door."
A quick glance around the room showed that Hinata definitely hadn't been in a hurry to do much when she got back. It was still littered in random things the girl had procured from her old home, with a small notebook opened on her desk. The clothes she had been wearing earlier were piled in a corner, looking lonely and forgotten.
"Anyway, dinner's ready when you are," Tsume said. "No rush or anything."
"Arigato, Tsume-san."
The door clicked shut as Tsume left Hinata to her devices. A second later however, the door opened again as Tsume poked her head through, wearing a somewhat devilish smile. "Oh and by the way? Naruto is welcome to dinner as well."
As soon as Tsume left, the pile of clothes in the corner of Hinata's room exploded into a cloud of smoke, leaving a naked Naruto in their place. The blond looked at his girlfriend sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Damn. She's good."
Dawn was the time Tsunade hated the most, especially on Sunday mornings. She had learned several things in her long lifetime, and one of them was that no matter how hard she tried, Shizune would always find a way to ruin a perfectly good sleep with something as trivial as work.
"Good morning, Tsunade-sama!"
Sandy tresses gave the fifth Hokage some decency as her niece and secretary barged into her living quarters, pulling the drapes open to bathe the room in vile sunlight. Tsunade hissed much like a vampire, throwing her hands up to shield her face from the offensive daylight.
"Haven't you ever heard of a Sunday?" Tsunade growled. "I wanted to sleep in!"
"Maybe you've forgotten that you're Hokage," Shizune giggled. "You don't get to sleep in."
Tonton squealed happily in Shizune's grasp as Tsunade gave the small pig its morning pat on the head, pulling on her green jacket to make herself at least appear decent. The two women wasted very little time, putting together a small breakfast before getting down to business. Shizune handed Tsunade several files, to which the blonde woman groaned.
"You can't seriously expect me to start figuring out mission assignments all ready," she said flatly.
"Don't blame me because you were up all night with Jiraiya-sama," Shizune chimed, pouring Tsunade some tea. "By the way, what were you two up to, if I might ask?"
"Certainly not what you seem to think we were up to." Tsunade swatted her niece on the head gently, knocking away Shizune's goofy grin. "It was important business."
"Involving...?" Shizune probed.
"Naruto."
"Anything I should know about?"
"He could be in a lot of trouble," Tsunade explained. "And we've considered letting him know who his father is."
To this, Shizune nearly dropped her plate. "Wh-what!? B-But I thought..."
"He deserves to know, Shizune. The elders, councils...they don't have any right to tell the kid he doesn't deserve to know who his father is."
"Are you sure this is legal?" Shizune asked. "They might claim you're violating the decree set down by the Sandaime."
"To hell with them," Tsunade snarled. "The decisions they've made about Naruto treat him like he's property. We'll let him know, even if we have to do it secretly."
Silence followed Tsunade's words, killing the conversation entirely. With nothing else to do, the Hokage picked up one of the scrolls that Shizune had brought, and began reading through it. The angry scowl she had been making slowly faded away into an amused smile as she read one of the details of one of the missions.
"This will make an excellent starting point for the new Team Seven," Tsunade grinned.
Yamato tried as hard as he could to hide the consternation he was feeling. He had never actually met the members of Kakashi's team before, but their reputations preceded them. The idea of someone taking the white-haired jounin's place would be difficult for them to accept, even if it was only temporary. Though Naruto and Sakura were accustomed to working with other shinobi, they had done their best to avoid tampering with their original team makeup. The only exception they had made was with Ryumoto Yakusho, who had acted as a provisional replacement for Uchiha Sasuke. Yamato had wanted to avoid bringing up the subject of a third team member as well, but even that seemed out of his control.
The ANBU operative was not sure what to make of the dark-haired boy who had been selected to be the team's third member. His skin was deathly pale and uncharacteristically thin, evoking images of isolation and malnutrition. The fact that he seemed to be interested solely in his scroll and paintbrush made him seem even more awkward. His name was apparently Sai, but Yamato figured that was just a codename, much like his own moniker. Yamato also had other suspicions about Sai's origins and why he would be a part of Team Seven, but chose not to do or say anything. There was something unearthly and terrifying about the silent painter that made Yamato even more anxious than he already was.
"I still don't get why we have to remake the team! It's fine the way it is!"
Naruto's unmistakable shout echoed across the clearing as he emerged from the side streets along with Sakura. A large orange overcoat hung down to his ankles, patterned with black flames at the bottom in homage to the fiery passion of the people of Konoha. The rest of his attire was completely black, save for the blue of his hitai-ate and geta, which clashed horribly with the rest of his ensemble. It took everything in Yamato's power not to swear profusely at the sight, being the only person present with any knowledge of how frighteningly similar to the fourth Hokage Naruto appeared.
Sakura, on the other hand, seemed to have been taking fashion tips from her best friend. True to a promise she had made to herself, she was once again denoted it by the scarlet clothing she wore. Her incredible medical skill was overshadowed by her rather provocative attire as she had traded in her modest clothes for something far more risqué. The only sleeves her top had were the ends of her fishnet halter top, a vestige of the criss-crossing fabric wrapping around the upper half of her midriff. Her black shorts were now graced with a partner in the form of a red half-skirt that held on to her hips tightly and draped down her right leg. Her left leg was left completely exposed, showing off the creamy skin and toned calf muscles that did not do her true strength any justice.
"I'm sorry Naruto," Sakura said exasperatedly. "It's not like I have any control over it!"
The two almost began an argument when they noticed that they had company. Putting the issue aside for the moment, the two original members of Team Seven walked towards the bridge that marked their usual meeting place and greeted their new leader with as little chagrin as possible.
"Good morning," Sakura smiled pleasantly. "I'm Haruno Sakura."
"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto grunted.
"It's a pleasure, I assure you," Yamato said. "I'm Yamato, and as I'm sure you're aware, I'll be acting as the leader of your team until Kakashi returns. I understand that these might be difficult circumstances for you both, but I hope we can at least remain civil."
"Well, I can't speak for Naruto," Sakura growled, giving her teammate a deadly glare, "but I haven't got any problems with it. Kakashi-sensei is a busy man, and the village needs all the hands it can get."
"He didn't need to find a replacement," Naruto complained. "We could have just as easily done these missions on our own."
"Don't be rude!" Sakura shouted. "What's gotten into you, Naruto?"
"It's perfectly understandable," Yamato chuckled. "I just hope I can live up to Kakashi's reputation."
"Are these two the ones I'm to work with?"
The original members of Team Seven tilted their heads to see around Yamato as Sai spoke up. Both of them took a moment to evaluate the slender male before turning their eyes back to Yamato.
"Who's this guy?" Naruto questioned.
"This is Sai," Yamato explained cautiously. "He's been selected to be your teammate."
An uneasy feeling radiated from Naruto and Sakura as Sai introduced himself. The enigmatic appeared to be a blank slate, his face showing absolutely no reaction to his new teammates' disdain for his presence. Several words were left unsaid between the three until Naruto took a step forward.
"Don't get too excited about being a part of our team," Naruto said. "It won't be permanent, I promise you."
"I had no intentions of getting comfortable," Sai replied, his eyes turning towards Sakura. "You...share his feelings, yes?"
"I do," Sakura nodded. "We don't mean to sound harsh. It's just..."
"How interesting," Sai hummed, turning his back to them. "I certainly hope you won't let your feelings get in the road of your job."
Yamato's eyes widened as Naruto panicked, grabbing Sakura by her shoulders to prevent her from slugging Sai. If the pallid boy noticed, he certainly did not let on that he had, ignoring the both of them as he began to walk towards the town gate.
"S-so what's the mission?" Naruto asked, putting all his effort into restraining his friend.
"We have a request from a town on the border of the Land of Waterfalls," Yamato explained. "It seems they've been having a problem with a group of missing-nin who have resorted to petty crime. It's a low-end job, but it's what we were given."
"Whatever," Sakura huffed. "Let's just get going."
The group made its way to the gates of Konoha, taking time to make sure they had enough supplies for the journey. When they were certain they were ready, they bid farewell to the guards and headed out into the wilderness.
Ahead of them, Sai finished a small picture he'd been drawing. He took a moment to look at it and the picture on the page next to it, comparing Yamato's face now to the way he had drawn it previously. With nothing new to add, he closed the sketchbook, slipping it and the evidence of his spying into the small bag on his back.