Well, I didn't see many Naruto x Matsuri fictions out there, so I figured I'd contribute a bit with the rather odd pairing.
Kurama's Attack – Konoha
Ituki Higurashi stood in the mess of broken trees and trampled rocks made by Kurama, the nine-tailed fox. The monstrosity had been sealed into the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki: Naruto Namikaze. Prior to the attack, Minato had paid a visit to Ituki, expressing his will to have her be his caretaker if something happened during his birth.
*Flashback*
Ituki Higurashi's Apartment – Suna
Ituki sat cross-legged in front of the mound of paperwork she needed to file. She lost a bet with the Kazekage, and had to do all of his paperwork for three months. It was only now that she realized how stupid she was to have made such a wager.
A knock on the door came as a relief to Ituki, for it saved her the trouble of going through the paperwork for a while. When she opened the door, she was nothing shy of surprised to see Minato Namikaze in the doorway, a serious look on his face.
"Minato-sama, what are you doing here? I thought the Hokage had to stay in Konoha," Ituki said, raising an eyebrow.
"Clones are rather efficient in sneaking out, I've learned. Could I speak to you for a moment, Ituki-san?" Minato replied, dead serious.
Ituki had seen that look on his face before. He was in deep thought about something big. "Of course, come in."
"Thank you," Minato said, walking into Ituki's apartment.
Ituki closed the door behind him and walked in front of Minato.
"What's so important that you're not only coming to see me, but you've left your post in Konoha, and you're wearing that look on your face?"
"It's about Kushina. Actually, it's more about Naruto and the nine-tails than anything."
Ituki's eyes widened. "Kushina is set to give birth soon, right? Are there complications with her Jinchuuriki status or something?"
"None detectable, but there's a chance something will arise during birth."
"Do you think the seal will break?" Ituki said, becoming nearly as serious as Minato.
"I wouldn't say I think it'll break, but something like 'there's a possibility it'll break'. Childbirth is the single time that the seal is weakest, you know."
The platinum blonde leaned back against her desk and let out a sigh. "Tell me all about it."
"Of course," Minato replied, briefly closing his eyes. "We fear that when Kushina goes into labor, the seal is going to break and let that fox out. In this scenario, I'd have to seal it inside my son, Naruto. This is where you'll come in, Ituki-san. In the case that the fox does get out, I'll need you to take Naruto in."
Ituki's eyes widened. She knew he would use Shiki Fujin. "Why me and not someone like Hiruzen-sama or Kakashi-senpai? Wouldn't you want Naruto to be brought up in Konoha rather than Suna? He'd probably be revered as a hero over there."
"That's where you're wrong. It's well-known that Jinchuuriki aren't always treated the best. In fact, most of the time they're treated like scum. I believe that if Naruto were to be taken to Suna, he would be treated far better than in Konoha. Just so long as you and him are the only ones to know of his Jinchuuriki status, I'm sure he would be better off over here."
"Why would Naruto be treated in such a manner? He should be idolized as the one who saved the village by becoming that demon's container rather than be scorned."
"It's because they fear the seal will break. They believe a second demonic attack to be eminent," Minato explained, sadness in his eyes. "Of course, I don't feel the same way, but others not so much."
Ituki sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. "How long until Kushina's due?"
"A week at most," Minato replied.
"I'll be there in two days."
Minato's face lit up. It wasn't every day you convinced Ituki Higurashi, an elite Jonin of Suna only inferior to the Kazekage, to do you a huge, life-changing favor. "Thank you so much, Ituki-san."
"Yeah, yeah, just get back to your post before they realize you made a clone."
"I think they already have," Minato said, laughing nervously as he left the apartment.
Ituki plopped to the floor. It looks like she'd get a break from the paperwork.
*End Flashback*
Normally, Ituki would've refused the offer, but something inside her told her to take Minato's son into her custody.
Somehow, I knew this would happen, Ituki said, scanning the premises for anything out of the ordinary.
She only see rubble, blood, various body parts, broken trees and splinters, crushed rocks, and demolished houses in Kurama's wake. Definitely nothing out of the ordinary here.
She continued to walk over the giant splinters, careful not to have one lodge itself in her tender feet. Kurama had been sealed into Naruto ten minutes ago, and Hiruzen Sarutobi still had yet to bring Naruto to her location. At this point, she was beginning to wonder if she'd ever even get to see him.
"Miss Higurashi!" a gravelly and hoarse voice behind her said.
Turning around, she saw the sandaime walking toward her, a beige blanket in his hand.
"Speak of the devil. Do you have him?" Ituki said, slightly annoyed.
"Of course I do. Take a look for yourself," Hiruzen said, turning the bundle toward her just enough so she could see inside.
She gasped at the sight. The baby was simply beautiful. He looked just like Minato minus the blonde hair. "That's Naruto-chan, isn't it?"
"The one and only. From now on, he's yours. Please give him a better life than he'd have had over here, Miss Higurashi."
Hiruzen carefully handed Naruto over to Ituki, slight sadness detectable in his aged features.
Ituki took a firm yet comfortably soft grip on the baby, giggling when he held on to her white vest like a lifeline.
"You must hurry back to Suna, Miss Higurashi. Remember, no mention of his status as a Jinchuuriki to anyone but Naruto himself."
"I know that, Hiruzen-sama. I'll tell Naruto once he enters the academy and can handle the truth," Ituki said, looking down at the redhead in her arms.
Taking a bow, she left in a swirl of sand, taking the infant Naruto with her.
Academy – Suna
A ten-year-old Naruto sat in his place between Temari Sabakuno and Matsuri Yamamoto, completely and utterly bored. Everything that was being said to him he already knew thanks to his mother, Ituki.
A special exam was to be held to sort out the over-achievers from the under-achievers. Two students would spar in front of the teacher, demonstrating what they've learned over the years. It wasn't a matter of who won; it was more of a test of who did better.
Since Naruto slept through all of his lessons, he was never asked to answer a question before; so naturally, his teacher had no idea how intelligent he was.
Suddenly, a chalkboard eraser hit him in the head, leaving white powder in his shoulder-length red hair. Naruto looked up to see Nuri Tamura, his teacher, glaring at him.
"I'll let you sleep some more if you answer a question for once," Nuri said, still glaring at him.
"Alright, Nuri-sensei. What kind of lame question do I have to answer?" Naruto said, eyes half-lidded.
Nuri smirked. "What are three ways to break a Genjutsu?"
Naruto yawned. "One: Genjutsu Dissipation. In Genjutsu Dissipation, the victim stops the flow of his or her chakra, and applies a stronger power to disrupt the flow of the user's chakra. This can also be performed by a comrade fueling the victim with their own chakra. Two: Jinchuuriki Dissipation. This type of Genjutsu release requires the victim to be a Jinchuuriki, and have a reliable tailed beast by their side. The name pretty much speaks for itself, because Jinchuuriki Dissipation occurs when a tailed beast frees their container from the Genjutsu. Three: Pain Dissipation. Intense pain not caused by the Genjutsu frees the victim from the illusion. This way is the easiest and possibly the fastest of the other ways. Can I go back to sleep now?"
Nuri's jaw nearly fell off when he heard the detailed description of the Genjutsu release methods.
Next to Naruto, Matsuri began cheering. "Way to go, Naruto-kun! You're the smartest person in the world! Yes!"
"Pfft, showoff…" Temari said, scowling.
"Y-yes Naruto, you may go back to sleep now," Nuri said, turning to write on the board.
As soon as Naruto's head hit the desk, he was fast asleep again. Nuri merely sighed.
"Why are the smart ones always the laziest ones?" he said, thinking about his visit to Konoha when he'd met Shikamaru Nara.
Two hours later, Matsuri woke Naruto up by shaking him by the shoulders. "Naruto-kun, wake up! It's your turn to fight!"
Naruto sat up and looked at her. "Is it morning already?"
"No, silly! It's time for the special exam! Nuri-sensei called your name, so go up to the front and teach that other boy who's boss!"
Naruto sighed. He was just getting into an awesome dream, too. He lethargically walked up to the front to fight a tall boy with short black hair and yellow eyes.
"It's about time, shrimp," he said, making a face at Naruto.
Instantly, Naruto was wide awake. It was known throughout Suna that no one called Naruto Namikaze 'shrimp' and got away with it without a few dozen broken bones and at least one black eye.
"Now now, Kaguro-san, there's no need to be that way," Nuri said, placing an arm in front of the black-haired boy.
Out of the blue, Naruto started laughing. All eyes locked on him immediately.
"That's alright. Let him learn from his mistakes, Nuri-sensei. Besides, I have a bet for him."
Kaguro grimaced. "What do you bet, squirt?"
"I bet I can win without drawing my weapon," Naruto said, pointing to the tiny twin fans at his side, suspended by a single golden string.
"Hah! You're on, shrimp."
Nuri sighed. "Kaguro Hoshina, are you ready?"
"More than ready."
"Naruto Namikaze, are you ready?"
"Do I have to answer, Nuri-sensei?" he replied.
"Then…begin!" Nuri strode off to the right to ensure his safety. He knew how passionate Naruto could get during a spar match.
Kaguro took the first step. He lurched toward Naruto, intent on punching him in the face. However, rather than feeling his fist meet soft skin, he felt hard bone, as Naruto had stuck out his own fist to counteract Kaguro's attack. He yelped in pain and staggered backward, holding his injured hand.
"Ready to forfeit yet, Kaguro-kun?" Naruto said provocatively.
"Not on your life, Namikaze!" Kaguro said, lunging toward Naruto, once again intent on punching him. This time, however, Naruto moved Kaguro's fist with the outermost part of his lower arm and kicked him in the side, sending him cascading to the right. He hit the ground with a thud that made everyone but Matsuri shudder.
"Hooray for Naruto-kun, the most powerful, awesome fighter in all of Suna!" she cheered.
"Dear Kami, do you ever shut up?" Temari covered her ears and continued to watch the fight with concealed interest.
"Face it Kaguro-kun, you're all talk and no walk," Naruto said smugly. "You can't even beat me without my fans. You're pitiful."
Hearing this infuriated Kaguro, and he ran toward Naruto in a fit of rage. "I'll never lose to the likes of you!"
His attempt to kick Naruto was in vain, as he no sooner and got close to Naruto and the redhead roundhouse kicked him away again.
"Why you…" Kaguro was going to attempt to attack him again, but he was stopped by Nuri's arm once again.
"I think this match is over. I declare the winner to be Naruto Namikaze!"
The class erupted in cheers, the loudest being from Matsuri. Naruto blushed at the praise.
Kaguro punched the ground. He would definitely get him back…
Shortly after the matches were completed, Nuri pinned a piece of paper to the chalkboard:
Surprise Genin Examinations
Temari vs. Fuyuki winner: Temari
Kabuki vs. Natsuhi winner: Natsuhi
Kaguro vs. Naruto winner: Naruto
Matsuri vs. Satsuki winner: Matsuri
Gaara vs. Kai winner: Gaara
Mion vs. Kankuro winner: Kankuro
New Genin
Temari
Matsuri
Naruto
Gaara
Kankuro
Kabuki
The students who passed started to cheer loudly while the ones who didn't sank into their chairs sulking.
Matsuri latched herself onto Naruto's arm. "We did it, Naruto-kun! We're Genin!"
Naruto chuckled. "Someone's happy. Maybe we'll be on the same team, right Matsuri-chan?"
"I hope so!"
Nuri slapped a ruler on his desk. "Alright, calm down. It's time to put you onto teams. Now then, Team 2 will consist of: Gaara Sabakuno…"
Gaara's ears perked up when he heard his name.
"…Naruto Namikaze…" Nuri continued.
Both Naruto and Gaara stood up and cheered.
"…and Matsuri Yamamoto," he finished.
Matsuri stood up and started jumping around talking about how she got to spend time with her Naruto-kun.
Gaara walked over to Naruto and gave him a high-five.
"Good to know I'm on a team with reliable teammates," he said, smiling lightly.
"It is, isn't?" Naruto replied.
Matsuri jumped on Naruto's back. "We're on the same team, Naruto-kun! It's a dream come true!"
Nuri coughed, signaling the students to get back in their seats. They complied with no argument.
"Team 2's Jonin sensei will be Mikan Tofune. Your personal training ground will be ground number twelve. You may head out now."
Naruto and Gaara walked out the door calmly while Matsuri literally danced out the door.
Training Ground 12 – Suna
When Team 2 finally arrived at the grounds, they were in the presence of a rather attractive young woman with dark purple hair and hypnotic orange eyes. When they caught her eye, her face lit up.
"I take it you guys are my new team, right?" she said, a devious smirk that would rival Anko's on her face.
"If your name is Mikan Tofune, then yes," Gaara stated calmly.
Mikan laughed. "Well then, it's nice to meet you guys. Let's start with introductions, shall we?"
"You go first, Mikan-sensei," Matsuri said, bowing politely.
Mikan's eyes widened. "Wow, already calling me Mikan-sensei? I really like you a lot, kid," she said, ruffling Matsuri's short brown hair.
"Well, my name is Mikan Tofune. I like spicy food and Miss Matsuri over there," she said, motioning to her only female student. She giggled. "I dislike sweets and people who judge others by looks. My dream is to take the Kazekage's place in office. Let's see… how about the cutie on the left. Why don't you tell us a few things about yourself?" Mikan made it clear to point at Naruto, making him blush.
"My name's Naruto Namikaze. I like Matsuri-chan and people who're kind to others. I dislike ignorance and people who call me short. My dream is to take the Kazekage's place, so you're my rival now, Mikan-sensei!" Naruto said, pointing a finger at his sensei.
"Aha, I really like you too, kid! I'm definitely going to take the place of Kazekage before you, though."
"There's no way I'm going to let that happen."
Mikan smiled. She knew she was going to like this team. "Alright, how about the other redhead over there?"
"My name is Gaara Sabakuno. I like people who care about others more than they do themselves, whereas I dislike those who are prejudiced. My only dream is to become stronger so I can protect those around me," Gaara stated calmly.
Mikan's eyes widened. It's any Jonin's dream team… and it's mine! "I'm really starting to like thisteam! It's hard to find someone with such a humble dream, Gaara-kun. Keep it up!"
Gaara nodded, but on the inside he was partying for making his sensei proud of him.
"Now then, it's Matsuri-chan's turn to tell us about herself. Go ahead, hun."
"Well, I'm Matsuri Yamamoto. I like Naruto-kun and my Johyo. I don't like people who use weapons to hurt the innocent without reason. My dream is…" Matsuri trailed off and started blushing.
Looks like I've got a couple of lovebirds here. "Hah, well done, Matsuri-chan. Now, what do you guys say to starting our Genin exams early?"
Gaara's eyes widened. "I thought we were already Genin."
"Not exactly. You see, in order to become Genin, you have to have a Jonin sensei. In order to impress a Jonin sensei, you have to pass a test. If you pass, you get on the team and become true Genin. Any questions?" Mikan explained.
"What's your test, Mikan-sensei?" Matsuri said, raising her hand.
Mikan gave a toothy grin to her favorite pupil. "I want you guys to knock me out without causing any permanent damage to me-or yourselves, for that matter."
"That'll be easy. Leave it to me: The future fifth Kazekage!" Naruto said, springing out of his seat.
"That's the spirit! Motivation is the key… remember that."
The Genin in Team 2 all nodded, heeding Mikan's words. "When I say 'go', the exam will start and you will begin your attempt to knock me out cold. Ready…"
Matsuri gave a short wink to Naruto, causing him to blush. Everyone got in position to hide.
"…go!" Mikan said after a short pause for drama.
The three Genin shot off into the bushes, leaving only a trail of dust behind them. I like your spunk, but do you have what it takes to be taught by the Table Orange?
Matsuri lie on her stomach, crouched underneath a bush to conceal herself. She couldn't help but find it odd that Mikan had stayed in the same spot rather than move like the rest of the team.
Before she shot off into the bushes, she had seen her sensei form a few hand seals. She couldn't help but wonder what sort of Jutsu was cast. On top of that, Mikan's chakra didn't feel normal.
Mikan-sensei, what are you planning?
Gaara sat atop a tree to get an aerial view of the training grounds. He scanned the area for any suspicious movement that could belong to Mikan.
Being fairly proficient in chakra control, manipulation, and sensation, he could tell right away that the Mikan in the middle of the field, seemingly open to attack, wasn't the real one.
Where could Mikan-sensei be hiding?
Naruto formed an air bubble around himself and had hidden in the water near the grounds. He could sense two chakra signatures nearby: one in the field and one in a tree underneath Gaara's spying post.
The field Mikan's chakra seemed off from when he'd first saw her, so he was suspicious of her. The Mikan in the tree's chakra couldn't be sensed as well because of her distance from him, but it felt normal compared to the other.
Which one is the real Mikan-sensei?
Mikan perched herself in a tree underneath Gaara. She had used a mud clone to make it seem as if she had stayed in the field to await attack from her Genin squad. From her spot in the tree, she could see Naruto studying the mud clone, Matsuri in deep thought, and Gaara surveying the area. She was quite proud of what she had seen so far from Team 2.
This could be it, she thought.
Movement to the left caught her attention. She turned her head to see Matsuri crawling over to Naruto's position in the water. Looking up, she could see Gaara jumping from tree to tree in the same direction as Matsuri.
Oh-ho, what have we here? Are we starting to get the hang of this already?
"Hey, Naruto-kun?" Matsuri whispered, crawling over to Naruto.
Naruto turned his head in surprise. "Oh, hey Matsuri-chan. Did you figure it out as well?"
"If by 'it' you mean the objective of the exam, then yes, I did. In order to complete the exam, we have to work together and not act out of instinct or the need to show off and be independent," she responded, smiling brightly.
"I guess that makes three of us," Gaara whispered, crouching under a tree. "What's the plan?"
"Does this make me the team leader or something?"
Matsuri giggled. "You're the smartest and probably the strongest in our group. That much is obvious. Judging by your intelligence, you'd make a good strategist, too. Naturally, we'd establish you as the leadership of the group."
Gaara nodded in agreement to his teammate.
Naruto smiled. "Well, I've got something."
His other teammates dove into the air bubble when Naruto expanded it, and they began to sink into the water.
"So what do you have?" Matsuri asked, admiring the odd air bubble they were huddled in.
"Well, it's pretty simple. We need to catch her off guard. Gaara, could you compress your chakra enough to prevent Mikan-sensei from sensing it?"
Gaara smirked. "Don't insult me, Naruto. Of course I can."
"Great! I want you to keep Mikan-sensei's attention. Got that?"
Gaara saluted Naruto, but couldn't refrain from giggling. "Roger, Naruto-taicho."
Nodding, Naruto turned to Matsuri. "Matsuri-chan, I need you to place Mikan-sensei in a Genjutsu. Could you do that for me?"
Matsuri blushed and nodded. "Of course, Naruto-kun. Do you want her in any specific Genjutsu?"
Naruto looked up in thought. "How about that new butterfly Jutsu you've been formulating? I know it's still in-progress, but it'll work."
Matsuri nodded once more. "What about you? What'll you do?"
"I'll do the best part: knock her out. I'll just wing it, alright?"
"This won't take long," Gaara said, grinning.
"Come on, get in position," Naruto said, bringing the air bubble to the surface. Once everyone was out of the water, Naruto dispelled the Jutsu.
All three Genin raced to their positions, awaiting their turn to perform.
It had been thirty minutes already, and Mikan was starting to wonder what her team was up to. It was clear they weren't falling for her mud clone, so she dispelled it.
"Hey, Mikan-sensei!" Gaara said, standing on the branch above her.
Startled, Mikan looked up at the redhead. "Oh, it's you, Gaara. How did you know where I was?"
Gaara pointed at himself with his thumb. "I'm the best with chakra in my whole class. I could sense that clone wasn't the real you. I could also sense the real you over here, which happened to be close to where I was if I remember correctly."
"And how did you sneak up on me like that?"
"I masked my chakra so even you couldn't sense it," Gaara stated. "Pretty cool, right?"
Mikan sighed. She was fooled by a Genin; her own student, even.
"Well, what do you plan on doing now? You've got me, so what's your second plan?" Mikan said, raising an eyebrow.
Gaara smirked. "I was waiting for you to say that. I'll just say one thing: butterfly."
Before Mikan could react, an uncountable amount of butterflies started to collect around her. There were so many that she could hardly make out her surroundings, and couldn't sense Gaara anymore.
Suddenly, Matsuri appeared before her in a flower-style Body Flicker. "Hello again, Mikan-sensei!" she said, smiling sweetly and waving amiably.
"M-Matsuri-chan? What's going on here?" she responded, getting worried about the butterflies. Before she could finish her sentence, Matsuri was gone in another flower Body Flicker.
Matsuri re-appeared in front of Mikan, slapping an exploding tag on her face and bolting away. Suddenly, the butterflies turned into exploding tags. Matsuri held her hands together in a familiar hand seal.
"Detonate!"
The exploding tag on Mikan's face exploded, causing a chain reaction of explosions as all the other paper bombs blew up.
When the smoke had cleared, Matsuri perched gracefully onto the branch. "Demonic Illusion: Butterfly Evolution."
Naruto, seeing Mikan thrown into the air by Matsuri's Jutsu, took to the skies, jumping off a relatively tall tree.
"We pass, Mikan-sensei!" he shouted.
He leapt above her and propelled wind against him, sending him toward her in the ultimate wind-style drop-kick.
When Mikan landed on the ground, she left cracks in the earth for about five meters. Naruto, Matsuri, and Gaara landed beside her.
Matsuri was the first to walk toward her. "You awake, Mikan-sensei?"
When she got no response she began to cheer. "We did it! We passed! Hooray!" Matsuri cheered, once again leaping onto Naruto's back.
"Aha, I'm glad we passed. Gaara, would you do the honors?"
Gaara stepped forward and hit a few pressure points on Mikan's torso. "Release."
Mikan sucked in a harsh amount of air and started into a coughing fit. Sitting up, she noticed her squad gathered around her.
"So… we're Genin?" Matsuri said, kicking the dirt nervously.
The violet gave her favorite pupil the 'that's a very dumb question' look. Matsuri instantly got the idea and started to celebrate again.
"Starting tomorrow, we'll be an official team. Meet me back here tomorrow at eight. I'll be sure to have a mission for you guys."
"Thanks, Mikan-sensei!"
"Yeah, you're the best!"
"This'll be interesting."
Mikan stood up and brushed herself off. This was bound to be an interesting team.
Well, well, looks like the Table Orange has the dream team. I can't wait to brag to Baki…
It was just too bad they couldn't sense the presence of a black-haired boy in the bushes, taking note of everything that took place.
Well, what do you think? Please submit a review, I'll give you cookies!
Character descriptions:
Matsuri (Age 10 – 13)
Wears: Black halter with silver buttons, black shorts, black shoes that reach over her knees, high black fingerless gloves, visible mesh on all exposed parts of skin other than her head and neck, fingers, and toes. Black hitai-ate that is worn over a lock of hair that dangles over her face.
Appearance: Fair skin, shoulder-length brown hair with a lock of hair dangling over her face, and black eyes.
Stats: Ninjutsu: 2 Taijutsu: 2.5 Genjutsu: 5 Intelligence: 4.5 Strength: 1.5 Speed: 2.5 Stamina: 2 Hand Seals: 2 Total: 22
Naruto (Age 10 – 13)
Wears: Orange sleeveless shirt with a straight zipper, white shorts that reach his knees, white and orange arm warmers similar to Sasuke's with matching legwarmers, standard black shoes, a long dark red scarf. His hitai-ate is tied so it allows his bangs to hang over it.
Appearance: Tanned skin, whisker-like scars on his face, shoulder-length red hair kept in a messy ponytail with choppy bangs and two long messy locks framing his face, and blue eyes.
Stats: Ninjutsu: 2 Taijutsu: 3 Genjutsu: 1.5 Intelligence: 4.5 Strength: 3 Speed: 3 Stamina: 3.5 Hand Seals: 2 Total: 22.5
Gaara (Age 10 – 13)
Wears: Dark green short sleeved kimono top with matching pants, green geta-style shoes, visible mesh under his top, on his elbows, and on his ankles, gourd is held on with a loose white cloth. Black hitai-ate is worn around his neck.
Appearance: Pale skin, red hair pulled back into a short ponytail save for a single lock on the left side, pale green eyes, and black lines around his eyes caused by insomnia.
Stats: Ninjutsu: 5 Taijutsu: 1.5 Genjutsu: 2 Intelligence: 3.5 Strength: 1 Speed: 2.5 Stamina: 3 Hand Seals: 4 Total: 22.5
What do you think of Naruto being a redhead? I've been thinking of it for a while, and I decided to make a swap: Kushina's face shape for red hair, Minato's hair for his face shape. Later on it'll get more into Ituki and Naruto's relationship, so look forward to it. I'm sorry if Matsuri is a bit of a fangirl in this, but she'll mature later on when they're doing missions.
For those who are wondering, Naruto befriended Gaara before he could become lonely, and thanks to him he has a better reputation around Suna.
Leave a review. It doesn't matter how short, you could even post "cool" and I'll appreciate it. I LOVE long reviews, so don't hesitate to make it wordy.
I'll update this alongside the Village Hidden in the Sakura Blossoms to be consistent.
Ciao! ~NaruIno367
P.S. It'll get more love-y with Naruto and Matsuri in later chapters, so look forward to that, too.