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A day after the forming of cell fifteen found Naruto sitting on a bench in one of the more remote areas of the village. The bench he sat on was on the side of a wide road with many houses and apartment complexes situated around it. The afternoon sun had long ago been swallowed up by the darkening sky which was filled with clouds of varying grays, and a strong wind blew blowing his hair in all directions. A cool and clean smell permeated the air signaling the onset of rain. He couldn't help but think this weather was odd considering yesterday had been completely cloudless.
The normally energetic boy had both of his arms braced around the back of the bench. His head leaned back, allowing him a perfect view of the turbulent sky. He had decided on holding off on his extensive training for the little break he had been given. It was a decision he was beginning to regret for he hadn't really thought of what he would do for the four days if he wasn't training. After spending an indeterminable amount of time watching the clouds far overhead roll across the heavens a loud sound pierced the calm atmosphere.
His stomach's growling had never steered him wrong with it's intentions before. The only thing he could do in a situation like this was give it what it wanted. Naruto slowly collected himself before resolving himself to the course that had been laid out for him. He gave up a few stretches in an attempt to inject some energy back into his body before he started off towards a certain restaurant.
After finishing up with his warmup he was surprised to find someone standing not but a few feet away down his intended path. For a second he had a hard time placing who it was, but this person was hardly unrecognizable. Hyuuga Neji was one of the last people he had expected to see today.
The Hyuuga branch house genius looked very different than his cousin Hinata. Despite that the same pale orbs that marked the Hyuuga line were prominent on his chiseled and angular face. A pleasant change in the boy was the expression of smoldering anger that used to mar his face was replaced by a cool calm, making him look like some kind of regal statue. His raven colored hair still hung down to his waist with a small tie near the end. For this day at least he had traded his old white shirt and gray pants for a white formal kimono. Naruto could not figure out why such a change was made, but in an odd way it suited Neji.
"Hey Neji, what's up?" Naruto continued walking forward, unfazed.
"Good afternoon Naruto, I'm glad I was able to find you before my cell departs for wave country. We leave tomorrow and I must admit I've had very little free time of late." Neji fell in line next to Naruto, deciding to follow him wherever he was going.
"Is that so? My cell is supposed to be heading for wind country in four days. I was beginning to think I wouldn't see anyone before I left. Everyone seems to be so busy that I couldn't even see Sakura-Chan. Oh yeah, did you know that Hinata and Fuzzy Brows are on my new cell?" Naruto thought Neji might be surprised to hear that bit of news.
Neji just smiled, it seemed Naruto always tried to cram too much information when he talked. "Both Hinata-sama and Lee told me about their assignment to your cell. It is good to know someone I can trust will be able to look after Hinata-sama."
Naruto hadn't been expecting that. "What do you mean by that?" He couldn't think of a reason why Hinata needed anyone looking after her or anything like that.
I feel like I should be remembering something, . That something tickled at the back of his mind, if it was important he should be remembering what it was... shouldn't he?
"Naruto," Neji sounded a bit disappointed. "I told you during the Chuunin exam about how Hinata-sama was almost abducted by a Cloud-Nin, and how that led to my fathers death. Don't you remember that?" Is it possible I was wrong about him?
Seeing the serious expression on his companion's face Naruto didn't think this was going to be just a friendly chat. He figured he should pay attention at least if this was about Hinata. "Yeah I remember what you said then. Is that what you're worried about, that someone might abduct her or something… because of your bloodline?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets for wont of anything better to do with them.
"It is a possibility that she could be in danger yes," the normally dour youth seemed very concerned for his younger cousin.
Naruto didn't like being led around in a conversation, and thats exactly what it felt like right now. "Hinata went out on missions with her old cell right, what's so different about this time?"
"In the past Hinata-sama's missions have never taken her very far from the village before. Your cell will be traveling to a foreign, albeit allied country where your knowledge of the area will be next to nothing. Your mission will than take you to rain country. This country has attempted to gain our bloodline in the past as well."
A worried look past over the Naruto's face. "Oh, I didn't think so many people would want your bloodline, but what does-."
"Hinata-sama was disowned from being heir to the Main House and declared a liability by her father Hiashi-sama. He has since replaced her with her more skilled sister Hanabi-sama. Even though Hinata-sama is no longer of the Main House the threat of having the clan bloodline stolen is still present. Hiashi-sama had a hard time placating the leaders of our clan just to allow her participation on your mission."
The two began to enter the more heavily traveled areas of the village. The foot traffic increased in number and diversity as the buildings along the road grew larger and closer together.
"Wait a minute, if her father disowned her because she's useless to them why is he letting her go on a training mission. If what you say is true than why should he care if she gets stronger?" From what he'd heard so far the Hokage hopeful wasn't forming the best opinion of Hinata's father. "Especially if her bloodline is in danger or whatever." How could any father dare treat his own daughter like nothing more than a liability?
"It is true that when she made Gennin Hiashi-sama declared she was of no use to the Hyuuga and her well being was not his concern anymore. It is also true that he has been trying to mend fences with Hinata-sama as of late." Neji only had a smile as he saw Naruto's confused suspension of belief.
The Hyuuga genius had to admit that the boy walking next to him might have well saved the relationship between father and daughter not to mention his own relationship with them.
He continued "Hinata-sama told him of the things you said to her during the Chuunin exam; of how you told her to believe in herself and of how well she continued to fight with those words. I also told him of what I experienced in our own battle, and how you changed me by showing me that destiny is not fixed from birth. I believe with your encouragement and the protection of someone as trustworthy as Jiraiya-sama that Hinata-sama can become far stronger. Hiashi-sama has agreed to my argument and convinced the clan council. Their decision was that she could be reinstated as the heir should she become a Chuunin as a result of your mission. This is the reason they are risking such a potential risk to their bloodline."
Naruto felt like some of this was a little beyond him. "What if she doesn't want to be the heir anymore? It seems to me like she'd do much better without all that pressure. I mean, from what I've heard of the Main House she doesn't seem to fit in all that well with them." The two started to encounter fellow ninja mixed in with regular villagers as they made the heart of the city. It was hard not to find some kind of foot traffic in all parts of Konoha at this time.
I think I can put my fears to rest. I know he will look out for her. Neji smiled "That is for Hinata-sama to decide for herself. We have always been the strongest clan in Konoha, yet because of this Hinata is constantly pressured to be the best, and this is not what she needs. What she needs-."
A look of concern found its way back to Naruto's face. "Why are the Hyuuga asking this of her, and why so suddenly?" He had a bad feeling he was being drawn into a very complicated situation with all of this. "Doesn't Hinata get a say in any of this, especially since the Hyuuga seemed more interested in protecting their asses than what she wants?" The more Neji told him of Hinata's situation the more he felt his anger rising.
Neji continued on as if he hand'nt heard Naruto's interjection. "-What she needs is a friend Naruto. I believe you are the one that can not only encourage her when she doesn't believe in herself, but can also get her to open up and realize her potential. If Hinata-sama were to realize what she can do I have no doubt she'd make an excellent ninja, with or without coming back to the Main House."
Naruto wanted to ask why Neji was asking so much of him, but decided he probably didn't want to know. "I don't want to have anything to do with something that will force Hinata to do something she doesn't want". The blond haired boy knew that they were finally coming upon Ichiraku Ramen. It would only take two more blocks of walking before they made it there.
"I'm not asking this of you to make Hinata-sama a better tool for the Hyuuga. I'm just asking this as a friend to be her friend. Talk to her and confide in her. she needs someone to believe in her far more than she needs bodyguards and unreasonable family members"
Naruto relaxed after hearing that. "If your just asking me to be her friend than I don't think I'll have a problem with that. I already consider Hinata a friend" he felt like he could trust Neji on this.
"Thank you Naruto. I can rest assured that she will do well with you as a friend". Neji took notice of Naruto's more relaxed nature after what he had said.
"Right right, but I'd rather not have to deal with this whole clan succession mess if I could".
Neji had to resist the urge to smack his forehead. He would have sworn Naruto would have gotten it by now. "Naruto, you told me you were going to change the Hyuuga when you become Hokage, yet you don't seem to know much at all about our clan. There are many dynamics to consider and understand. You're a person that likes to talk a lot, but Hinata-sama is someone that shies away from most conversation. If you were to ask her about the Hyuuga clan it would give you something to talk about". At that point Neji actually let out a small chuckle.
"You seem to be trying awfully hard to get me to talk to Hinata, what's all this about?" It was obvious that Neji wasn't going to answer that question, but he felt compelled to ask it anyway. Naruto had no idea why Neji suddenly changed the topic to being about him talking with Hinata.
"At any rate Naruto I'll let you get to your lunch. Before I go I have something for you to deliver." Neji noticed how Naruto was trying hard not to stare at the menu of the ramen stand they had just arrived at. He knew it was time for him to go lest Naruto forget his manners and just start ordering food. He reached a hand into the folds of his Kimono and pulled out a decent sized scroll.
"This is a scroll of Jyuuken and other Hyuuga techniques for Hinata-sama. This is for her to study during your mission. In case you loose it there's a seal on it that will instantly destroy the contents if it's opened. It's an old Hyuuga style seal, and only a Hyuuga would know how to open it. I was late finishing this for her so I won't be able to give it to her before I leave. Could you please give it to her when next you see her?" He'd only mentioned the seal so Naruto himself wouldn't try and take a peek.
Naruto took the proffered scroll and stuffed it in his pants pocket. "You're still a weird guy Neji, but I'm glad you've made up with Hinata…and her father. I guess the next time we see each other we'll all be Chuunin". He thrust his hand at Neji for a friendly shake, giving him his best grin.
The taller boy took Naruto's hand, shaking it in a friendly manner while staring him square in the eyes. "I know you'll be even stronger than the Naruto you are now, and I can't wait to try myself against you again." Neji held Naruto's gaze for a moment longer than finally turned and began walking away from the ramen stand. The last thing Neji heard from Naruto gave him more peace of mind than he expected.
Naruto somehow knew that he didn't need to voice his ascent to the the challenge that Neji had given him. "Don't worry Neji, I don't exactly know what you expect from me, but I'll look out for her." After Neji disappeared into the crowd Naruto turned around and walked under the curtain of the ramen stand. He plopped himself down on his favorite seat with a heavy sigh. Neji had said a lot of odd and confusing things. He had a feeling he'd be thinking about his a lot now too, just what he needed. He almost would have said he'd lost his appetite, but suddenly the smell of freshly prepared ingredients made the decision for him.
Konoha's Azure Beast Rock Lee had plenty of things to do before the deadline of his cell's departure came. The time not spent training intensively with Gai-sensei would most likely be spent convincing his aunt that he would be alright for the time he would be gone.
Lee was currently doing lateral push-ups with only his right hand alongside his teacher. The leaf knows I haven't exactly inspired her confidence in me by being sent to the hospital a while ago. Not to mention I didn't even wait for my injuries to heal before rushing off into combat. Lee knew that she knew there was no choice for her but to let him go. She could still make him feel guilty about leaving however.
"What's the matter Lee, have you had enough training for today? You don't even seem to be breaking a sweat!" Konoha's Taijutsu expert Gai spoke up in between intoning "767" and "768" as he powered through his own rigorous training.
Lee hadn't even realized that he had stopped doing his push ups while thinking about his aunt. His teacher must have thought it was due to overexertion. "Ah, no Gai-sensei I was only thinking about the mission before me. I won't be coming back for awhile and I was just worrying about a few things." He quickly struggled to synchronize his number of push-ups with those of his sensei.
When Lee and Gai both reached the count of "800" they stopped, and fell neatly into sitting positions. Lee looked up to the sky as let himself rest from his exerting exercise. The clouds high overhead were almost pregnant with rain. It looked like they would have to head indoors if they didn't want to get soaked in the ensuing rain.
Deciding that staying dry was better than getting some unnecessary rest Lee shot up into a standing position. "Gai-Sensei I think it's time we went inside before we find ourselves drenched."
Gai likewise shoved himself effortlessly into a standing position to face his pupil. "Hah-hah! I believe you are right Lee. Maybe we can find another place to train." To say Gai and his pupil were look-alikes would be a gross understatement. The only real distinguishing features between the two was Gai's flak jacket, not to mention the difference in height and age. Lee got his manor of dress and appearance from his sensei for some reason so it was always like looking in a mirror for them.
The training ground they had been working out in was actually the same one that Lee had found Naruto in the previous day. They left the same way he had yesterday, making their way towards the village.
It was as if the raging storm was trying to turn the leaf village into a lake village. There had been no real beginning to the torrential rain, it just sprang into existence without warning. Hinata had been one of many to get caught in the rain. She had been on her way back home after visiting with her old teammate Aburame Shino at his home when the rainstorm had suddenly hit. There was no way she was going to make it home without getting sopping wet so she had to find a suitably dry place to wait it out. After only a few moments running through the rain-soaked streets she came across an open shop door and ducked inside, thankful for a quick solution to her problem.
What greeted her the moment she walked into the shop was a veritable assault on the senses. There was a vast array of bright colors decorating almost every inch of the large room, and the sheer variety of smells was overwhelming. The combination of the two was both smothering and stimulating, held together in an odd balance. She was standing in the most beautiful flower shop she had ever seen.
"Welcome to our shop, how may I help you-" the speaker's sudden greeting stopped as abruptly as it had started.
Hinata turned quickly to the sound of the voice. She was slightly surprised at who it was that greeted her.
"Aaaaah Hinata-san, what brings you to the Yamanaka's humble flower shop?" a young girl approached the timid Hinata, smiling warmly.
Yamanaka Ino was considered to be the most beautiful out of all Konoha's female Gennin. To retain such a title she certainly spent enough time keeping it that way. Her light blond hair held a prefect glossy sheen, and at the moment was held up in an array of bouncy curls. Her face bore the complexion of one who stood for no foreign mark marring her perfect skin, and her blue eyes sparkled with a love for life. She was currently decked out in a dark blue knee-length skirt accompanied by a matching pastel blue halter top.
Hinata knew Ino well enough through the girl's sizable reputation. Ever since she had been young Hinata had heard of Ino's popularity and beauty. Ino was always very outspoken and seemed to almost possess a dual personality at times. Sometimes Ino could be very friendly, and at other times she could fly off the cuff at the slightest provocation. The Hyuuga heir didn't want to experience one of her more disagreeable moods if she could help it.
"Ummm you don't have to address me as -san Ino-san," the instant she said that Hinata knew it sounded a little odd.
"Hah, likewise Hinata-chan," Ino smiled again. It looked like she was in one of her better moods…for now.
Hinata smiled meekly in response. "I didn't know your family owned a flower shop Ino-chan," she stumbled for a split second over the suffix, but recovered in time.
Ino quickly glanced over all the shelves and display cases full of flowers of varying shapes and sizes. It was true that there probably wasn't a better flower shop in the entire village, yet she didn't think that someone like the shy Hinata would have any interest in flowers. "So did you come to buy some flowers-" she took a quick look outside "-ooor did the rain chase you in here?" she added with a playful grin.
Hinata was a little embarrassed at that question. It's true she ran in here because of the rain, but she did have a vested interest in flower pressing to her name. This also forced her to note that there was a good deal of water dirpping from her to the shop floor. "Ah I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring water into your store." She quickly looked around for something she could use to dry off with.
"Nah it's okay, I'm minding the store right now anyway-" Ino took one of her clean towels from behind the register and profered it to Hinata "-and it's not like the water would need you as an excuse to get everywhere." Ino had to admit to herself that she felt an odd urge to be extra nice to the girl before her. It was an urge she never felt the need for around 'forehead girl', the only other girl she really knew. "While you're here I guess I could show you some of our flowers." She retrieved a towel from the counter and handed it to the wet girl.
Hinata forgot about her prior embarrassment, and a small smile creped over her lips. "I'd like that in fact, uh, actually I do flower pressings as a hobby." It occurred to her that she could do well to mention a hobby that shared roots with the other girl's.
Now Ino was interested "oh yeah, which flowers do you like?" She'd be the first to admit that flowers weren't her favorite thing, but this was the first time she had talked to anyone who had even aslight interest in the subject.
Suddenly being put on the spot, Hinata tried to remember what flowers she fancied. "I guess I really like iris' and violets. I think they're the prettiest out of the ones I've collected". She honestly never knew she'd be able to talk so easily with someone like Ino. This wasn't how she'd ever imagined a conversation like this would have gone between them.
"Oh really? Both flowers have a strong meaning of faithfulness behind them as well as other strong interpersonal feelings. They can compliment each other pretty well in a spring arrangement." The last person Ino thought she'd have hit it off with would be this shy and mostly introverted girl, but she had heard of stranger things, maybe.
Hinata was instantly impressed by that insight "wow, I guess you learn a lot from working in a flower shop. I never would have guessed there was such a deeper meaning to them." In fact, she had never given any thought to such things, assuming that no-one would ever have taken the time to characterize flowers in such a way.
Ino smiled. She was sensing Hinata probably didn't talk this much on a normal basis, so now was as good a chance as any to ask. "So Hinata-chan you've been assigned to one of these new cells right, who'd you get paired with?" She hadn't seen hide nor hair of Choji or Shikamaru in the past few days. Hinata was actually the first of the other Gennin she had seen since she herself had been reassigned.
The question caught Hinata off guard, she hadn't been expecting such a rapid shift in topic. "Umm I've been assigned to a cell with Lee-san and Naruto-kun, and I think our cell leader Jiraiya is one of the legendary Sannin." She had been more comfortable discussing flowers.
"Oh yeah, really? Well unfortunately I got stuck with Kiba and Ten-Ten. We haven't even met our leader yet, some old friend of the Hokage's or something."
So she's one of Kiba's new teammates. "Kiba-kun's not a bad guy, he's very reliable and energetic. He always knows how to get a smile out of." Small talk was not one of her strong points.
"I honestly think Kiba's a bit too energetic, and that dog of his is just as bad, and it sheds. That Ten-Ten girl seems to be a little uptight and bossy, but I guess I'll have to make do." Ino heaved a heavy sigh "from what I hear our Sensei is supposed to be real batty, and a friend of the Hokage or something like that." She took the used towel from Hinata when she was done drying off. "You speak highly of a former teammate of course, but what do you think about your new teammates?" This coming from someone with as many personality defects as the next person.
Ino turned and walked over to the counter forcing Hinata to follow suit. The temporary proprietress offered her guest a stool from behind the counter then promptly hopped up on the counter next to the register. The downpour outside didn't seem like it would let out anytime soon, it sounded like a thousand small rocks were pelting the roof.
Hinata thanked Ino for the seat than decided she had to answer the question. "Lee-san is a good friend of Neji-nii-san, and so far he seems to be a really good guy." Talking about someone as much of a stranger to her as Lee was easy compared to the thought of trying to talk about Naruto. Every time she talked about him around Kiba he always teased her about it, and she didn't want to think what someone as gossipy as Ino could do. "Naruto-Kun… is a very hard worker and always does his best. And he always has kind things to say." She ignored the smirk she thought she saw appear on the other girl's lips. "Our Sensei and Naruto-kun already seem to know each other. He does seem to have his quirks." Hinata never said anything bad about anyone if she could help it, saying Jiraiya's personality was just 'quirky' was proof enough of this.
"Ooooh, you sure seem to have a lot of good things to say about Naruto. I think even Sakura-forehead doesn't have that many good things to say about him, and she's his teammate. Are you sure we're talking about the same Naruto?"
Hinata winced. She knew she should have kept silent about Naruto. "Naruto-kun is, he…uh-" She futilely grasped for something to say.
Ino was many things, but unnescesarily cruel was not one of them. "Don't worry about it Hinata-chan. I think the only one who doesn't know already is the dense boy himself." The subject of Naruto was obviously something sensitive so she decided that it would be best to avoid it entirely. "So where's your cell going to go, or are they staying here?"
Hinata was silently glad Ino was letting that subject drop, but she didn't like the way Ino had said 'know'. "Oh no, we're going to be traveling to Sunagakure and than hopefully taking the Chuunin exam at Amegakure."
Ino jumped down off the counter to check out one of the windows. It had occurred to her that the sound of rain had stopped, replacing the soothing murmur of rain with a relatively dull silence. "Must be exciting to go to another country. Our cell is staying here unfortunately. I would love to have a change of scenery every now and again," she sounded slightly miffed as she stared out the window. The sky outside was still a rolling mass of gray, but the pounding accompaniment of the rain had stopped for now.
She turned her head to look back at the girl still sitting on the stool. "Well, the rain has let up for now so you should go home while you can. I might as well close up shop at this rate. It doesn't look like I'll be selling anything today anyway." Her remark was accompanied by a wry grin.
Hinata shot out of the stool upon hearing this. She quickly walked to one of the heavily cluttered product tables near the door where she picked up a small pine bonsai. After a few seconds of careful scrutiny she made her decision and brought it to the counter. "Um, I'd like to buy this," she thrust the plant at Ino. In truth she had been eying the cute miniature tree during the time she had been talking with the other girl. It would be a cute thing to have in her room, and she felt the need to repay the hospitality she had been shown.
Ino didn't even bother to go behind the counter. "Don't worry about it Hinata-chan think of it as a gift from a friend." She gave the shy girl a reassuring grin. "You really should get going if you want to make it home before it starts raining again though."
Hinata hesitated wondering what she should do. After realizing that any further offer to pay for the plant would be rejected she decided that her new friend was correct. Hinata gave a respectful bow to Ino "Thank you very much for your hospitality, and the bonsai," she held up the aforementioned plant.
Ino walked Hinata to the door of her shop. The bonsai toting girl seemed reluctant to leave at first, but after some more insistence she started walking down the road. Ino had heard that Hinata posessed very few friends, if any. She found nothing wrong with the girl, but it was obvious that she was very lonely. Thinking on this, she suddenly had a strong impulse to call out to her. "Hey, Hinata-chan, don't be afraid to come back by next time even if our shop is closed. Friends are always welcome at our home!"
Hinata spun around and stared at the yelling girl. She never had a friend outside of her cellmates before, and the last friend she had expected to make would have been Ino. She didn't take too well to yelling so she simply gave a meek wave before continuing down the road. Lately things seemed to be getting better for her day by day. As she hurried home she had to wonder what she was going to do with the plant if she wasn't going to be around to care for it. Maybe I can ask Neji-nii-san to take care of it.
Rock Lee stepped out of gym's interior and was greeted by the cool night air. The cloud cover that had threatened Konoha for most of the day must have dispersed for the most part considering the amount of stars he could see in the night sky now. There were puddles of varying sizes doting the ground, and the gentle breeze running through the streets carried the pleasing smell of fresh rain. For such a rough storm it certainly left a pleasant presence behind.
After the rain had started it's assault on Konoha Lee and Gai had proceded to the gym only to have to quit a couple of hours later. A messenger had come for the elite Jounin and requested his presence before the Hokage to take on a S-class mission. After a lot of heartfelt and youthful crying, goodbyes, and pointless advice Gai had departed and left Lee to train by himself for the rest of the day.
After a prolonged stroll through the village Lee finally returned home. 'Home' for him was not much more than a shabby two bedroom house in one of the poorer sections of the village. His parents had died when he was very young and the only remaining family he had was his mother's sister. She had tried hard to support them over the years, but with only her deceased husband's penchant to live off of there wasn't much she could afford. That didn't matter one bit to him, her love and support was all he had ever needed from her.
As he entered the house he could already hear her snoring. It seemed he missed the chance to talk to her again. Lee quickly tiptoed the distance to his room and quietly shut the door.
The walls of his small room were decorated with different wall-scrolls depicting different training methods as well as some random uplifting messages. The only other things that decorated his room was a harshly used chest of drawers where he kept all of his things, a nightstand complete with lamp and clock, and a somewhat comfy bed.
Lee sat down on his bed as he pulled the string on his lamp. No matter how tired he was he had a nightly ritual to take care of. He pulled out a thick, emerald colored leather journal complete with matching pen. He had received it as a birthday present from his aunt last year and it summarily replaced his previous three journals. He began the task of writing the days happenings down with a practiced hand.
His mind wandered as he quickly jotted down the highlights of the day. I really need to talk to auntie about my mission. It's only a few days away and I haven't even told her yet. The good thing is she'll still get my weekly pay so I know she'll be alright. In the space of only a few minutes he had almost written everything down. However I must see this mission through or Gai-Sensei would be disappointed. I must believe the fires of youth will burn for me the path I must take.
When he finished writing the day's passage he quietly closed his journal and slipped it back into it's drawer. It was now time to change for bed. As he rummaged through his dresser for his required sleeping attire his thoughts skipped ahead on the few days he had left.
The sun shown high in the sky over Konohagakure, a complete departure from the weather of the past few days. It was almost noon and cell fifteen had assembled in front of the main gate, well, almost everyone. There was still an important member of their cell missing.
"Jeez, where the hell is that good-for-nothing Ero-sennin?" Naruto held his hands clasped behind his head, a peeved expression distorting his face.
"I'm sure he's just taking care of some last minute things Naruto-kun. We weren't actually told what time to meet at the gates so maybe he…" Hinata trailed off, unsure of what exactly their Sensei could be doing.
In truth Tsunade hadn't actually set an exact time to meet at the gate. The three assembled Gennin had met yesterday to set a time they would meet up at. They had now been waiting over an hour on the muddy main road outside Konoha's gates for Jiraiya to show up.
"Someone as legendary and respected as Jiraiya-Sensei will surely have a good reason why he hasn't come sooner." Lee was somewhat distracted by keeping his focus on concentrating what little chakra control he had at his feet to stay above the sucking mud.
"You guys don't know him like I do, he's probably doing something perverted at a bathhouse somewhere. Why do I always have to get the weird Senseis?" At this point Naruto would give anything to have someone normal take care of his training if it was only just the once.
It tuned out they didn't have to wait for very much longer. A small discharge of smoke erupted in front of the assembled Gennins. Once the coiling smoke dissipated they could make out their cell leader standing before them. Naruto was the only one not surprised to see a big red hand shaped mark on his face.
"Oi, you were caught peeping again weren't you, you old pervert?" Naruto pointed an accusatory finger at the obviously guilty man.
His only response was to shoot his original pupil with a reproachful glare. "Are the three of you ready to set off?" He did his best to sound like he wasn't angry at something.
Almost in unison the three walked over to retrieve their over-stuffed backpacks from one of the only dry spots along the gate's wall. They hefted their bags with various survival gear and personal effects onto their backs and rejoined their Sensei by the open gates.
"Yeah, we've been ready."
"I've got everything I'll need Jiraiya-sensei."
"Umm I am ready to go as well."
Jiraiya himself had only a small shoulder bag with him filled with god only knew what. "Well then cell fifteen it looks like our mission begins as of now."
The four of them finally departed from the gates of their hometown. The chance to participate in a mission that their own Hokage had deemed vital to the survival of the village didn't come around everyday. The frog hermit let his three charges walk ahead of him while he was content with just strolling lazily behind them.
"ALL RIGHT FINALLY OUR MISSION BEGINS!" Naruto couldn't contain his excitement as he pumped his hands into the air. His infectious mood carried onto his two teammates, and they felt themselves smiling despite all the danger they knew they were sure to face in the upcoming months.
