Naruto stood before the Hokage, barely believing what he heard. Without asking his thoughts, the Old Man had just told him that he was getting married, to Blink of all people. "...Huh?" Even the Phalanx enhanced part of his brain couldn't come up with something more intelligent to say.
"Is there something you don't understand, Naruto," Sarutobi asked.
"Yeah, all of it," he almost snapped.
"Very well then, I shall try to explain." Sarutobi moved behind his desk and sat down. "Tea?"
Blink took a cup and slowly sipped it, Naruto didn't. "No, I don't want tea! I want to know what is going on!" Naruto tried to keep his face straight as he noticed Sarutobi put a jar of honey next to his cup. "...Maybe just a little, but you aren't buying me off that easy!" Sarutobi waited until Naruto mixed his cup and gave a sigh after that first dink to continue.
"The answer, Naruto, is Clarice-chan herself. If she is to stay here, which she has expressed some interest in, she will need both a means to support herself and a way to support the village. Immediately, her ability to 'blink' as you call it came into suggestion by my advisers. And I do not whole heartily disagree. The ability to bend time and space is a rare and powerful one. The Fourth could and it was that same skill that led to his being made Hokage. What little we were able to learn of her parents through her DNA suggest that this is an inherited ability, a kekkie genkai. But as you also know, Clarice is different from us, just a little."
"Yeah, she is from a different dimension."
"Right. Idealistically, to improve chances of a viable offspring, it would take someone who's family was well known for their physical endurance, great constitution...'
"Uh oh," Naruto muttered.
"...Longevity, even individuals known to have special chakra, and has had history with time space jutsus as well. That last might or might not help but it can't hurt," Sarutobi continued as if he hadn't spoken up. Naruto dropped his head as he continued and for good reason. The Uzumaki clan was well documented in this village. Had to be as their clan symbol was on the uniform of all Konoha ninja so no one that wasn't a ninja, nor of the clan, was allowed to wear it.
"Meaning me," Naruto groaned.
"Yes," Sarutobi said apologetically. "Should Clarice decide she does not wish to stay, she will be allowed to leave, not that we could stop her, and you will of course not have to..consummate the marriage." Both teenagers blushed at that, looking away from each other. "Because of the situation, you two will officially be married today but not in a formal marriage. If you two decide to ever have one, that will be up to you."
"And I don't have a choice," Naruto muttered.
"No, you do not. As long as you have that headband, it will happen. I am sorry Naruto, but this is what the village needs you to do."
"Man," Naruto groaned, growled as he rubbed his hair in frustration. "This is so unfair."
"Naruto, you know life is unfair. More so for you than others and I apologize for that as well."
"...And this won't be a problem," Naruto asked, motioning to his arm.
"The infection is sealed so it won't effect your health, if that is what you are asking. And it didn't reach...there so it should not effect any child you may have."
"So long as this seal remains intact," Naruto asked, tracing the line on his chest.
"The new seal has been tied to another seal, Naruto, it will never fail, even should you die. Sigh. Regardless, even so once you do die, you are being cremated."
"Yeah, I figured as much." Naruto glanced to Blink and saw her just refilling her cup. "Don't you have anything to say about this?"
"...Will you pass the honey," she asked him. Naruto just stared before offering it to her. "Thank you."
"...That's it? Your life is being screwed with as well and that's all you can say?"
"Naruto, even with this arranged marriage this is very much so better than my old life. The Hokage has even offered to help me gain control of my powers. I can't even express how relieved and grateful I was to hear him say he could. Life won't be easy here, it never is anywhere, but its better than the running, hiding, living like a, a rat as I had to endure before hand. So I'm being asked to marry you, I still have the chance to say no! That's more than the Hokage had when he had to get an arranged marriage." Naruto looked to Sarutobi Hiruzen and saw him nod.
"I grew to love my wife very much, Naruto, but we met in less than ideal conditions."
Blink kept going, "There is an entire world out there and I could explore all of it unseen...eventually. If we can't stand each other then I could just vanish and that will be the end of it. So please, could we give it a chance?"
Naruto let out his breath, having almost been blown back by what she said. He honestly expected her to be as upset as he was but it seems she was upset that he was. "...Sorry, Blink-chan, sorry Old Man. I'm a ninja now so I'll act like it. If...Blink is fine with this then so am I. Acronym, FINE. Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic, Emotion." Naruto widened his eyes and slapped a hand over his mouth. "...Sorry, that happens sometimes."
Naruto turned to Blink when she suddenly started laughing. When she calmed down to just chuckling, she rubbed a hand over her right eye and said, "Yes, Naruto, I'm F.I.N.E. as well. You don't go through what I have this week and not be F.I.N.E."
"Are you two going to be able to handle this," Sarutobi asked, glad to see something besides anger.
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Blink said with a nod. "I think we can."
"...I do too," Naruto finished. "It'll take some getting used to...and maybe a new apartment."
"You'll be...fine," Sarutobi said with a wry grin. "You always land on your feet somehow, Naruto. You should go try to get you home ready for Clarice-chan to stay there until you find someplace bigger. Clarice will be busy this afternoon with paperwork."
"Paperwork," the two asked.
"Mostly it will be medical history and other such things. We will also need to complete a physical for you, discover any allergies you may have, and we will need samples of your blood to make sure that any of our medicines aren't poisonous to you. I'm afraid it'll be a lot of pokes and prods now that you have agreed to stay."
"Oh joy," Blink grumbled. "Should I head to the hospital now?"
"Out into the waiting area is fine, I'll walk you there." Blink stood up and left first, letting Sarutobi say this to the boy in private. "I can keep her busy for a few hours, Naruto, please try to have your home cleaned up by then." Naruto let out the breath he had been holding this whole time at the thought of a girl seeing his home. "I don't know how dirty it is, I don't want to know, just...make it presentable and be ready to move it around until Clarice-chan finds it perfect. Which..." He trailed off, grimacing as he thought back to having to do the same for his wife many, many times over the years.
"Thanks Old Man," Naruto said before jumping out the window, headed for home.
—oo000oo—
Walking through his door, Naruto spammed his kage bunshin, assigning five to each room. Going into his side room, he groaned as he saw everything he had to move. "Man..." This room had the largest windows and a balcony so he had bought a plant to keep here. Finding it nice, he kept buying them until... "...Where am I going to find the room for twenty seven large plants and small trees?"
Nearly two hours later, one Naruto was outside, throwing a bag of garbage into the dumpster and as he wiped his forehead, he heard the Old Man talking as he walked by. Naruto almost called out to him until he saw Blink. "...Frack!" The clone jumped up to his house and called out, "Blink is outside, coming up the stairs!"
"What!? We're not ready!"
"FFFFUUUU..." That one got slapped on the back of the head.
"No cursing in front of Blink-chan until we at least knows how she feels about them," he was chastised.
Down stairs, Blink was still a little confused. "I still say that was hardly 'nothing but pokes and prods'."
"Well, maybe you were just expecting more, Clarice-chan," Sarutobi dismissed. "Remember, we can tell health without complicated machines."
"Still..." She look over to the side as it sounded like a bunch of stuff was being thrown out to the ground. "You hear that?"
"...No," Sarutobi said, turning his ear to where she looked. "Can't say I do."
"Huh. Anyway, which one is Naruto's?"
"The top one. The floor is smaller than the ones below it but it only has the one apartment so it should be big enough for the two of you for now." Unnoticed by Clarice, Sarutobi knocked twice on a wooden beam. 'Please Naruto, have it ready.'
Coming to an open door, Clarice peeked inside and said, "Ummm...that is more plants than I expected." Sarutobi looked inside and while every window had a stand and several plants in front of it, the room was presentable, just as he asked.
"No, not here," Naruto said, walking into the den, holding a bonsai tree. "Maybe here?" He set it on a small table before frowning. "Not here either. Maybe move the hibiscis? No, no, no, too little light with the..."
"Ahem," Sarutobi cleared his throat, getting Naruto to jump a little.
"Gah! Old Man, Blink, I wasn't ready!" Frowning while blowing his breath up to his hair, Naruto left the small tree on the coffee table. "I guess...welcome home, Blink."
"Thank you, Naruto," she said, walking in and looking at a vine called a Chain of Hearts that he hung the pot from the ceiling. "Never pictured you the green thumb type."
Naruto rubbed his arm and looked away. "I...never had friends to hang around with and when I was given that first one so long ago, I liked it."
"A lot, apparently." Blink started walking around, looking at them all and her new home. Seeing three doors, she opening them and found the first room with a dresser, bed that had been stripped of linen and blankets and several other furniture. "Your room?"
"No, yours. I had to leave some plants in the room they were in so I figured I would take that one and leave you the other."
"I can handle a few plants..." She looked inside the second room and trailed off. "Why do you have a tree two meters tall?"
"...It wasn't that big when I got it," Naruto muttered, again rubbing his arm once more. "It's over a support so that's why it's staying there. More than strong enough to hold it. If it gets much bigger, no where else will be."
"...Alright, that's your room. But where's your bed?"
"I have a futon in the closet," Naruto replied.
"...Kay, if you're sure." Blink went into her new room, letting both men sigh.
"I was almost worried, Naruto."
"Have a little faith, Old Man," Naruto replied. "Its not like I would save the last of it for right before you arrived." Outside, his clones were cleaning up all the garbage they had just thrown out into the alley.
Sarutobi sighed and smiled. "You're right, I should of had more faith in you, Naruto." Suddenly he turned to the kitchenette and went for the cupboards. Opening them, he found most of the ones for food rather empty save a small supply of ramen. "...Better than I thought but where is the rest of it?"
"...No where," Naruto replied, trying to ignore the wonderful taste of chicken, beef, shrimp, and many different others he had gorged himself on to make space in the cabinets. There was nearly an uprising with his clones as he was the only one to eat.
Sarutobi narrowed his eyes at the young man but let it go. He then checked the refrigerator and grabbed the milk, checking the date on it. "...Sorry Naruto, I was just sure that you would have... that you wouldn't be ready."
"I'm hurt, Old Man, wounded, truly," Naruto replied, holding a hand over his heart. "I'm sorry its rather bare, I wasn't expecting to need more just yet."
"I'll get you a stipend to get you more," the Hokage told him. "And more furniture and some clothes for Clarice. I actually had a ninja of mine go out to grab some for a change of clothes for her."
"Speak of the devil, and she shall appear," a jonin wearing a trench coat and a orange skirt said cheekily. "Hey Naruto."
"Anko, staying out of trouble?"
"Of course, do I look like someone that would be any trouble at all," she asked, her grin saying it all. "..." Both men looked at each other and didn't answer. "Poo, you're no fun," she pouted. "Oh well. So, how is the married life, Whiskers?"
"Work, work, work," he muttered.
"Well, don't worry, I got something that might make it better for you. Hey, Pinkette!"
Clarice came out of her room, sighing. "Please, Miss Anko, call me by my name."
"Hmm. No. Here, got you a new dress and a few other things," Anko said, handing her a plastic bag and a paper sack.
Blink pulled out the dress, a soft blue dress with no sleeves, a modest cut for the bust, and a knee length skirt. "Wow, Anko, I didn't think you could buy something so girly," Naruto said only to stop at Blink's glare. Suddenly he was slapped on the back of the head by Sarutobi.
"Got him for you," the old man said.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Blink said with a smile. She then opened the paper sack and started to reach in before her face went from pink to red as she snapped it shut. "...Sorry, Naruto."
Causing Naruto to laugh, "Hah, I knew she would get something embarrassing! Come on, what's in there?"
"None of your business," she yelled before running into her room and slammed the door shut.
"...I'm going to guess bra and panties," Sarutobi said, clearing his throat as he looked from the door.
"Black lacy ones," Anko chuckled. "She's going to be very surprised when she finds they fit too. I wanted to get her these ones that look more like eye-patches but she isn't big enough for those." Sarutobi suddenly slapped Naruto on the back of the head again.
"What was that one for!?"
"To keep you from thinking about it," Sarutobi challenged him to deny it.
"...I'm a teenage boy, I'm allowed to have a few moments," Naruto defended himself.
Sighing, Sarutobi went and knocked on Clarice's door. "Clarice-chan, when you are ready, Naruto will take you to get more clothes as well as supplies."
"Supplies for what," Naruto asked.
"Clarice needs training in her ability. As this is an advance skill that can't be taught at the academy, she will be assigned to a genin team, your team."
"Which is? Wait, wasn't that supposed to be today!?"
"Yes, Naruto, it was. As for your team, because of certain circumstances, you and Clarice are to be assigned to one instructor alone and will be doing missions with other teams. When you are ready which will not be soon. I want you both fully prepared and able to use you abilities, Clarice her 'blink' and you your eye and anything your hand may be able to do."
"Who is the instructor," Naruto asked, not seeing Anko's grin widen.
"Um... She was the second in the Interrogation Department. Despite what she may make you think, she is rather extraordinary, adaptable and innovative. Which is understandable as, even with some problems that came with, she was trained by one of the most brilliant and skilled ninjas this village ever had. He was actually in the running to be the Fourth Hokage with Namikaze Minato."
"Who is she," Naruto asked again.
"...Mitarashi Anko."
Said jonin suddenly threw her arms over Naruto and said, "I promise to be gentle, Whiskers!" While those reasons were true, there was one other reason. Anko was playful, yes, but she was also pragmatic. She could kill a student if it was needed. And with Clarice with the ability to cause untold damage unlike they had ever seen before and Naruto being infected with a virus of similar danger, such a person was needed.
"...You're punishing me, aren't you," Naruto asked in a deadened voice.
"Now why would I punished you Naruto? Not like you would ever... oh, paint the monument, harass citizens of the village, and be an all around deviant."
"I hate you, Old Man, I really do." Naruto sighed, rubbing his palm against his forehead. "So, no missions at all?"
"None for at least the first month," Sarutobi confirmed.
"Our only focus is to get you two ready," Anko told him. "I've seen footage when Pinkette sliced up that shuriken. She hates it, she hates that she has it, she would like nothing more than to not have the ability."
"Considering when I woke it, I woke up in a pool of blood when I was only a little girl, I think I have a right to," Blink interrupted, having walked out after securing her new garments.
"Maybe so," Anko conceded. "But that is a part of you, it will never leave whether you like it or not. And refusing to acknowledge it won't protect you, it will only get you or someone else killed." Sarutobi stepped back, letting Anko explain it now. Moving to the coffee table, he looked at the bonsai tree a moment before turning it a little. It wasn't elaborate, just a sakura tree that Naruto coerced to grow in a bit of a curve to the trunk and flowering out like an umbrella on the top. He had even encouraged it to keep the blooms a bit longer.
"...With all the trouble he got into, where did he get the time to do this," Sarutobi wondered aloud.
"That? Simple, Old Man, I don't sleep. How are we supposed to support ourselves if we don't do any missions at all," Naruto explained before he continued to argue with Anko.
—oo000oo—
"Okay, first we will need the basic kit," Naruto said, walking into a supplies vendor. "That is a pouch with a small first aid kit, smoke bombs, sewing kit, flint, steel, blagh blagh blagh," Naruto suddenly cut off. "Pretty much if its a survival item, we'll want it."
"Why will I need these," Blink asked.
"Because our instructor is Anko," Naruto told her ruefully. "She's a good person, and deep down she's nice. Real deep. But I digress, she is thorough in everything she does. If she is to train you, she will train you in everything she can."
"I see. Am I...going to become a killer?"
Naruto stopped moving a moment, trying hard to think of an answer. "We do many things in Konoha. I'm not idealistic enough to believe they're all nice. In fact even the nice things aren't nice at all." Naruto clicked his tongue before saying, "We do things like walking pets, pulling weeds, painting and so forth. But we charge for them and use them to help new shinobi and kunoichi become teams. That is mostly what the last two years of the academy truly was. Stripping away thoughts of personal glory in exchange for thoughts of teamwork. To find the leaders among the students, to see whom works well with whom and who can work with anyone. Missions are put into their records, how they perform, and documentation on how to improve them. Each student is given a portion of pay as a true ninja would, to instill a sense that work done is rewarded. If you don't work, fail the mission in some fashion, or cause problems in the team, you aren't paid."
Clarice blinked in surprise hearing Naruto talk so seriously. "That's...very mature."
"Yeah...let me tell you, the rowdiest night in Konoha each year is that first mission night, when a bunch of fourteen year olds suddenly get their hands on a descent amount of ryo and are told to use it as they see fit. Some get new supplies, some save it, a lot do stupid things with it. Think themselves clever and used the Henge jutsu to try and get things they aren't supposed to. They aren't fooling anyone but it's become something of a tradition. As has the punishment they get the next day for doing it." Naruto smirked as he thought back to the 'focusing' lesson they had to do the day after. His class had to take a comprehensive skills test while loud music was playing, and not the party kind.
"Really? What did you do?"
"...Was it the sequoia or the bonsai tree," Naruto wondered aloud. "I wasn't...welcome in most parties, as you might imagine. But we got it in our heads to work together even if we didn't like one another."
"What was it like?"
"...Hard," Naruto said simply. Seeing her still curious, Naruto sighed and said, "After the third year, we were given a comp. test. This test was the first to start eliminating...those that can't do it. I failed it twice, almost a third. Ten, twenty years ago, passing would've been the end of it but now we had time to get ninja out mature and skilled enough to handle being a ninja. From there, the academy changed. We...weren't coddled. I, by then, had just lost my innocence and saw my first true look at what being a ninja meant. I wasn't so shocked by it but the others... I think when Ibiki came in and spoke to us that moment the others truly noticed the change. Some, the kinder ones mostly, started leaving, finding something else to do."
"You're kind, why didn't you?"
"Because being a ninja was all I had," Naruto said truthfully. "I learned something life changing three years ago, and it made me realize that even if I wanted to do something more normal, I would never be able to."
"What was it?"
"Sorry, Blink, that I'm not ready to reveal," Naruto told her. "Anyway, those that stayed, they had something that kept them going. Uchiha Sasuke, you'll see him around, that prick's family was murdered. And he... He's an ass, thinks about killing too much. But he's a determined ass, strong and skilled. Haruno Sakura, she's smart. You likely won't find anyone more book smart in the village. She was weak, as you wouldn't believe. Then came the lessons about being captured, for male and female, and what might happen to both. After that...they pulled a surprise on us. I'm not sure what happened to Sakura but she was different afterward." Naruto rubbed his arm, feeling some phantom there. "She never matched up to some in ninjutsu and taijutsu but..."
"Ninjutsu?"
"Oh, like this." Naruto made a cross with his fingers and summoned a clone.
"Hiya, Blink-chan," the clone said cheekily, suddenly catching her arm and spinning her in close. "A ninjutsu is taking chakra and using it to affect the world physically. I am a Kage Bunshin, a Shadow Clone, a physical copy of Naruto with his mind and memories." Letting go and stepping back, he bowed and popped in a cloud of smoke.
"Like he said, physical. Taijutsu is body skills, martial arts. Genjutsu is mind techniques, the art of manipulation," Naruto continued. "I am skilled at ninjutsu and taijutsu. Sakura became skilled at genjutsu. Scary skilled. She also studied anatomy and how to be a medic. And she has a short temper for people that mess up."
"Who else was there," Blink asked, picking up a round, tan pouch like Naruto wore.
"Inuzuka Kiba, good guy if you earn his trust. Loyal and protective. He works with his dog, Akamaru. Lot like a dog, too. He's been trying to impress this one girl for years. Hyuuga Hinata. She's quiet, stands back away from what's happening. She's supposed to be some kind of princess but you can't tell, very humble. Like Sakura she's a medic, makes the best medical cream in Konoha. She didn't become a medic to figure out how to better hurt someone though. Hinata genuinely cares, about everyone even. She's one of the few nice ones that made it through. Aburame Shino, if there was anyone in class ready to be a ninja for a long time now, it's him. He's calm, collected, focused, skilled, he's the instant team leader out of any team. Whenever I got put with him and the instructors pulled another of their 'surprises', he never lost his cool and knew exactly what to do."
"What were those 'surprises'," Blink asked.
"...My least favorite was we got separated into teams and then on the way to missions, we were attacked by the instructors, disguised as enemy ninja. I was with Hinata and this girl named Ame, never cared for her much. We had already been given the mission when sudden, boom, covered in smoke and they were on us. They came and were gone almost as quickly." Naruto sighed as he thought about it. "And they took Hinata with them. We figured it out quickly what was going on so we started arguing what to do, complete the mission or go after her."
"What did you do?"
Naruto gave a wry grin. "Our team was the only one that fully passed that test, we did the mission and went after her. I made a dozen clones and sent them to take care of the mission, told Ame that if she wanted to, she could go with them and finish it but I was going for my teammate. She joined me. We got there, Hinata was near hyperventilating. She's been kidnapped for real, before. She was going to lose points on this test for not being calm. Suddenly, while we were attacking the instructors, she slipped free her bonds, and attacked with us. She broke one of their arms. Even having been faking though, she was crying at the end. I had to hold her in a hug for a half hour for her to calm down. She still hates that test and hasn't forgiven them for it."
Blink just looked to Naruto, unsure what to make of this. That spoke much about him to be willing to discard his mission to save his friend. "What was the right answer? And did you hate them for it?"
"...There was no right answer to that test. We answered it the best but Kage Bunshin are fragile, they only have my personality. What if there was a secondary ambush? What if Ame was needed at the mission for some reason or for something I couldn't handle. It was complicated. I don't think even the instructors had an agreed correct answer. And no, I didn't and still don't hate them. They were trying to help us, to get us ready for a very harsh and sometimes cruel reality."
"Maybe but that sounds very..." Blink shook her head, trying hard to remember that things are different here. Seeing a small case like Naruto had on his right leg, she picked it up and opened it to find shuriken inside it. "Will I need these?"
"Probably," Naruto replied, grabbing a box and a belt sheath for seven kunai. "Lastly we'll need a uniform and that will be it for the kunoichi supplies."
"One of those blue jumpsuits and a vest?"
"No, not those. You don't rate the vest yet, I don't even rate the vest. That is a sign of rank for a chunin. I am only a genin and you aren't either." Naruto took her to the clothing section. "Just pick somethings that you think you can work out in them, when you find something you like, we'll get several sets of it. Unless you want to get that nice dress of yours torn up. Preferably something that either offers some kind of protection or can't be used against your in combat."
"...I'm not a ninja, Naruto," she replied, turning to him.
"Well, you still should. If you're going to train in your abilities, you'll still need it." Naruto walked her over to the clothing and started glancing around. "See anything?"
"Well..." Blink felt a little awkward doing this but she had to do it, she didn't have any clothes. "Wait, there's only one size."
"Yeah, most is made to size. They'll get you a set today and will make several to be sent to us later."
"Why don't they make several in different sizes?"
"Because of this," Naruto answered by opening his vest and revealing a zipper on the inside. Opening it showed a silver threads. "Onigumo silk, to say the least its expensive. Not only because it is rare but because onimumos are known to eat people if they're hungry."
"Onigumo, what's that?"
"Monster spiders, larger than...a pickup truck from your world when fully grown. Sometimes they live to be, oh, five hundred years old." Grabbing a jacket, he opened it to reveal the same zipper. "All of these clothes are for ninjas and students, I know, you're not a ninja but bare with me. They need to be able to help a person survive as long as possible when worn. As the web is expensive and hard to gather, it isn't put in the design samples, it is only prepared when used, and is cut to shape. And we're getting multiples of the same so that when they're damaged, we can cannibalize them to make complete, undamaged sets. They also make mesh webbing out of it like Anko wears if that's your thing."
"Strong?"
"Lot like chain-mail if you know what that is. It'll stop a slash and weak stab, shuriken and kunai will bounce off or won't get very far through, something that slides between them like shenbons or pierces and breaks like arrows won't be stopped but those are rare. Shorts," he said suddenly, looking at her legs.
"What," Blink asked, jumping back.
"I asked if you wanted shorts. Or do you want pants?"
"Oh...shorts is fine."
"Kay... Tee shirt and vest sound good?"
"Yes."
Naruto nodded and started looking around. "Hey." He help up a dark blue, short sleeve shirt with white flowers on it. "This'll look good on you." He held it out for her to look at.
"Huh..."
"What?"
"Just surprised, you have good taste."
"What is that supposed to mean," Naruto challenged.
"Well, you are wearing orange pants and jacket," she said teasingly.
"Hey, first off, orange is a happy color, second this is burnt orange!" Naruto half growled under his breath as he turned away. 'No way am I telling her I wore bright orange when I was a kid. That I'll take to the grave if this is how she's acting.'
"Sure, sure," Blink teased. "Now some shoes."
"Yeah..." Naruto paused and glanced down at her feet.
"Now what," Blink asked.
"Well, its just that...I don't know if you're feet are tough enough for sandals is all."
"Now what are you getting at?"
"Just thinking maybe boots instead of sandals is all."
"...You're the ninja, I'll defer to your judgment. And why wouldn't I be tough enough!?"
"You haven't done a lot of tree hopping without shoes is all," Naruto replied without looking. "Boots are made to stay on no matter what, sandals can slip off as needed." Naruto paused and sighed before turning back to her "Sorry, in training we had to learn how to run up the side of a tree without our shoes on. By the end of the day, several had blisters, sores, and many other uncomfortable things. You aren't ready for that so better go with the boots to help protect your feet."
"...What have I gotten myself into," Blink said ruefully but still felt like smiling. "In all truth, the things you describe almost sound like hell, Naruto. Yet you never seem down, never let it get to you."
"That's easy," Naruto said before facing her and grinning. "Because being Hokage is my dream!" Blink's smile slipped a little, thinking about what she knew of the man and what was likely required by his mantle.
"I don't know," she said slowly.
"Hey, don't tell me you doubt me too!?"
"Oh no, not that," Blink said urgently. "Its just that I've noticed that the person that can do the most good for a people often isn't a leader but that strong individual that can act on a leaders command. I mean, do you really want to..." She trailed off, seeing Naruto turn those big blue eyes to her and just didn't have heart to finish it. Naruto may have thought he was ready to be a ninja and he might have been, but he still had a naive view about part of it, you could tell by him speaking of the title.
"Want to what," Naruto asked when she didn't speak. Keeping silent a moment, Naruto frowned. "Blink, I know this might sound odd, considering I just told you no, but how are we going to do this if we don't talk and trust one another?"
"...What if you have to do something one day that hurts you to do? And I don't mean physically."
"Then...I hope the trials I will go through from now on will leave me strong enough to do it. Okay, that thing earlier, what I said I wasn't ready to reveal...I'm still not but I can say the reason why. It is part of a secret, one that because of, I became important to Konoha much like you have. When I learned the secret, I didn't think much of it but eventually I figured it out. I'm a ninja because I'm not...accepted in Konoha enough to do anything else. And Konoha will never let me leave to do something else somewhere else."
Blink stared at him in surprise, wondering what could be so important to force someone to stay that you don't want there to begin with. "That...doesn't make much sense," she stated.
"One of those, 'You're too valuable to let leave' things," Naruto stated. "The Uzumaki clan were well known for their skill with seals as well as everything the Old Man said. Truth is, my mother's side has been bred as weapons for three generations. They don't dare let me go, despite how much they hate needing me." Naruto sighed at the half truth he told her but knew that if he ever spoke the truth, it would be after she got to understand what this world was like. Better to change the subject entirely. "So, how did you meet Anko?"
—oo000oo—
As the medic moved her hands over the back of Clarice's techo suit that Harvest put her in, the Hokage walked in with with a woman with purple hair and wearing a trench coat. "Clarice, this is Anko, she is being assigned to you as both a guard and an aid."
"In short, you can't keep wearing that...whatever it is Pinkette," Anko suddenly spoke up. "He asked me to help get you some clothes."
"...Then why the guard part?"
"Just in case there is something that needs measuring at the clotheing store," Anko stated.
"What do you... What are you doing!? Stop that, don't grab those!"
"Oh hush up Pinkette, not like there's really anything to grab," Anko teased.
—oo000oo—
"...She helped me get some clothes while you were asleep," Blink replied. "What about you?"
"Heh, a few months after that comprehensive skills test, there was a Chunin Exam held here in Konoha. A Chunin Exam is a test to see if Genin are ready to be promoted while showing off a villages strength. Someone came up with the idea that the advance students should help the instructors giving the exam. You know, gofers, guides, aids, so on. Anko was one of them."
"Why have you help?"
"Anyone taking the Chunin Exam is doing it for two reasons. One, it is their last hope of promotion or two, they're strong enough that their village wants to show them off to clients. Most chunin and jonin are given field promotions, they're just handed the jacket in a private ceremony but to be selected for the exam at a young age is a great honor. Regardless of if you are the first group or second though, something holds true to them all. Each genin in the exam is a veteran worthy of title of ninja, having gone through enough dangers to have earned it. By having us there, seeing what we could become, it gave us a focus, a goal to push ourselves to. It also gave us a chance to meet our possibly future jonin senseis. People like Sarutobi Asuma, one of the Twelve Ninja of Fire, Yuhi Kurenai, the greatest genjutsu mistress of her generation. I even met Maito Gai, the best taijutsu master in the village." Here Naruto grimace, "And Hatake Kakashi."
"Who's he?"
"...A kekkie genkai transplant survivor. He was also trained by the Yondiame Hokage."
"Okay, why don't you like him?"
"He was late. By three slaggen hours, and he just waved it off like it was okay. Then he said something to Iruka-sensei, insulted him really."
"Oh..." Blink thought back to her stay in the hospital and to the many times she saw the man visiting Naruto. "You two seem close."
"I would give my life for Iruka-sensei," Naruto said strongly, turning to face her. "When no one in this village seemed to care and spoke of nothing but lies, he was there, recognizing me, saying he believed in me and my potential, that he cared. He became a pillar of strength when I needed it most. It is for Iruka-sensei I do my best."
Clarice blinked, seeing a new facet of Naruto that surprised her. "...Oh yeah, and Anko?"
"Right, Anko. Um, as we were being assigned, it seemed more and more like I would be put with Kakashi. I looked around and saw one jonin that didn't have any students with her, looking back I think she was scaring them off, but when Kakashi actually looked at me like he was going to come over and get me, I almost ran to her." Naruto started chuckling, "I could almost say that was the worst week of my life, she put me through hell. But at some point, I don't know when, she started easing up, just a little."
—oo000oo—
"Alright, gaki, stop," Anko called, looking at Naruto as he tried to carefully set down the stack of scrolls he held and had painstakingly put together. "It's been five days now, why haven't you quit yet?"
"Because I refuse to," Naruto growled.
"You think that's a good thing," Anko fired back. "Bullheaded stubbornness does not a good ninja make."
"No, it doesn't. But Iruka-sensei told me once that it is the trials of childhood that shapes us as adults. And look! I've had to out run and dodge giant tigers, leaches, monsters and worse of all you when you got angry at me! If this doesn't help shape me into a better ninja, nothing will!"
Anko stared at him quietly a moment before smiling sadisticly. "Alright Whiskers, you want to stick around, you can! But fair warning," she said happily, "you're asking for it."
"Bring it, Dattabayo!"
—oo000oo—
"...She stabbed me in the butt with a kunai before the end," Naruto said, suddenly rubbing his back side, "but...I don't know. A week afterwords she came back, the only instructor that did, and she checked up on me and at times took me training. We became friends after that." He glanced around and whispered, "On my birthday she got me my first bansai tree, and I still have it. I even gave her a hug and she didn't stab me for it." Naruto stepped back and cleared his throat, again looking around to make sure no one heard him. "Ahem, Mitarashi Anko is one mean witch and there is no way she would ever be nice to anyone." Another glance and he explained, "In a village built around spying, you never know who's watching and listening in on someone." Sudden, most of the village gave a sneeze. "You hear something?"
"I think the cashier sneezed is all," Blink dismissed. "She stabbed you in the butt?" Naruto just chuckled.
—oo000oo—
"...You sure this is...ninja uniform appropriate," Blink asked, stepping out the store in calf tall tan boots and hot pants with thigh high blue stockings, the blue shirt with white flowers and a black, sleeveless vest with a hood. "It doesn't look very sneaky."
"Yeah, it's perfect. And you do have the legs for it."
"Hey," Blink snapped, moving the bag with her dress and other supplies before them.
"Just saying. And as for how sneaky it is... Well." He made a kage bunshin who then used the henge to cover himself in a black sneaking outfit with a black hood and mask. "With the ability to just use the Henge jutsu to change appearance as needed, what we wear is really of little problem. But the true reason is that ninja are everywhere now a days, and people know that. So which is truly more sneaky, the one that screams ninja?"
The Clone raised his hand and said, "Yo. Or the one that looks like just some guy you'll pass on the street."
"Well, when you put it like that..." Blink muttered.
"But of course," both the original and clone said before hearing a bell and suddenly looking to a clock set along the road. "Is it that late already," the clone asked. "Wait, Bosu, isn't it Monday?"
"...Slag! Blink, I just remembered something I need to do. Just head on home or walk about or have fun. I shouldn't be longer than an hour. He'll stay and help you if you need or want him too." He turned and ran off. "Frack, how could I forget, I've only been doing this for a year!?"
"Where's he going," Blink muttered before facing the clone.
"To meet a friend," the clone said, pulling off the mask. "So, now that we have this taken care of, I guess it's time to have some fun. I got it, the latest Kazehana Yukie film is in theaters, want to go watch it?"
"But, Naruto..." She looked after the original, confused.
—oo000oo—
Rubbing her face as she got out of bed the next morning, Blink yawned as she pulled herself to the bathroom. Turning on the water of the shower and stepping in, she realized once again that she might be in over her head. Last night, even after Naruto returned from where ever he was, she saw that there was a certain distance he never let her get closer than. If she was to watch him to keep him safe, she was off to a bad start. Naruto did like her, and he did trust her but only to a degree. There was always these guards up around some things about him, especially his past and personal aspects of it.
"...How am I going to do this," she couldn't help but wonder. It was almost enough to make her wish she let the Hokage go through with his plan. Almost. "...Huh?" She heard singing coming from the kitchen. That wasn't odd, Naruto often had some tune on the mind. No, the odd part was the pitch, it sounded like Naruto but it was higher at the same time.
"I tell you, I tell you, the dragonborn comes," the voice sang as she grabbed a towel and put it around her body. "With a voice wielding power of the ancient Nord arts, believe, believe, the dragonborn comes."
Grabbing a knife from her room, Blink stepped out and shouted, "Alright, who are..." a red headed girl the same age as Naruto turned to look at her, eyes wide, whiskered cheeks turning flush from her techno eye to fingers, as she jumped behind the counter to hide that she is only wearing boxers and a T-shirt, "you... Naruto?"
"Blink, what are you doing up so early," Naruto nearly shouted before looking down at... herself, himself? ...in shock. "Wait, I can explain, I'll change back and..."
"Don't you dare move, Naruto, what is going on!?"
Naruto seemed to shrink on him, her, self as he, she, bit their lip. "Well, I'm practicing."
"Practicing what," she demanded.
"Well, um, being a girl I guess."
Blink just stared for several moment before shaking her head, not believing what she heard. "What?"
"Well, the best disguises are ones that are flawless, that when you change into them they're seamless," Naruto said, poking her, his, fingers together. "So, I've had clones or myself just...become Naruko and doing things around the village. For the...last few years..."
"..." Blink couldn't even say anything, she just dropped her jaw. It took several moments before Naruko saw something, her shoulders were shaking because she couldn't get her laughter out. "My...husband dresses up in...drag..."
"Hey," Naruko pouted cutely, "this is not drag! This is an actual transformation and I do it to become a great ninja!"
"I'm sorry, it's just so funny!" Maybe there wasn't so much hidden about Naruto after all. When someone does something weird every now and then, talk backwards or wear their pants on their head or some such, you can pretty much figure them out. It's the ones that have everything in order that is truly up to something.
"Blink, stop laughing!" She could only fall against the wall, covering her face with her hands.
—oo000oo—
"Hey, Whiskers, feed me," Anko shouted as she burst through the door to Naruto's apartment only to find Blink laughing as she tried to calm herself enough to eat while Naruto stood to the side in his pants and t-shirt, growling a little. "Okay, what's gotten Pinkette in stitches?"
"Heh heh hehehe," Blink giggled before saying, "this morning, I found Naruto..." Naruto dived across the table to cover her mouth.
"I slipped," Naruto answered for her. "Dropped the pie I had planned for desert tonight right on my face. Funniest thing I ever heard of."
"Really," Anko questioned while looking to Blink to see her shaking her head. "I think maybe Pinkette is laughing about something else."
"No, that was it." Blink shook her head again. "Quiet you. It was the pie, Anko."
"Sure it was, Whiskers." Suddenly Anko was across the room, trying to pull him off. "What was it, tell me!"
"No!"
"Quick, Pinkette, while I got him distracted!"
"Noooo," Naruto cried as he felt his hand started to get pulled off. Pushing a shoulder against Anko, he was about to get back into place when she tackled him to the floor, holding his head down with her chest.
"Hah! The Crevice Hold never fails," Anko cheered as Naruto was struggling far less now.
"..." Blink looked to how she had him pinned and honestly felt little about it. "Anko, please don't hold him like that, he is married now."
"Oh fine," Anko said, shifting around until she was sitting down on his chest. "Now, what were you laughing about?"
That got her to grin again. "Naruto dresses up in drag!"
"Oh, is that all," Anko muttered before getting up off him. "Pretty girl with blond hair pulled into twin pony tails? That was just his Oiroke no Jutsu. He used it to good effect when he was young against some perverts."
"People know about that," Blink asked.
"Yeah, hard not to notice a teenage boy change into a girl with wisp of smoke covering certain naughty bits."
Blink frowned until she noticed something. "Wait, he wasn't a blond when he..." Another Naruto appeared and covered her mouth.
"Nope, I was, that was just the morning sun playing tricks on you," Naruto told her.
"This I got to hear," Anko said, smiling again as she realized something really was going on.
Blink pulled his hand down and said, "She was a red head!"
"A red head, huh," Anko asked, looking down to the Naruto she sat on, trying to picture it. Actually, when told what to think of, she found it very easy. "...Anzu?"
"Ah man, I'm never going to hear the end of this," both Narutos groaned.
—oo000oo—
Shortly after the three of them were outside training field forty four, Anko still pestering Naruto about what she suspected. "Not going to answer you, Anko, no matter how many times you ask," he said stubbornly.
"...Poo," she muttered before clearing her throat. "Anyway, time for work. You two and I are now designated Team XI. As we are not a mission going team, we are not given the same class of name. My purpose as you already know is to A, guide you as you expand into your abilities and hopefully beyond them, and B, guard you until such a time that you don't need me to, as you both possess something that if useful will be invaluable to the village. The methods I use may not always be nice, there will be periods that you hate me, but at the end of all this, you will functioning ninja with complete mastery over your bodies and the elements around you. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Anko-sensei," Naruto said without hesitation.
"Y-Yes," Blink said softer. "But I'm not a ninja."
Anko stared at her a moment and shrugged. "Second verse same as the first. But don't ever contradict me again while we are training, am I understood?"
"I...do," Blink replied, unsure about this latest shift in who she thought might be a friend. For Naruto's part, he was a little surprised. Anko hurt him when he did that the first time. Not badly mind you but enough of a scare to drive the point home.
"Good. Even if you never pick up a kunai with the intent to hurt someone as the aggressor, you can always be the victim, Clarice. There is literally no telling what might happen to you living in this village. So you will learn how to fight, to defend yourself from taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu. And to attack with it as well. And before you ask why, by knowing how to do something, you can know how to stop it."
"Um...Maybe this isn't for me," Blink muttered.
"..." Anko waited a moment, trying hard not to raise the heavy hand she was so used to doing. "When I was younger than you, my sensei took me to a village here in Hi no Kuni."
'Orochimaru,' Naruto realized.
"Nice enough place, he took me to the inn, paid for a room for two days, and told me that I had those days off, I could do whatever I wanted during it. Then he left. Why do you suppose he did that?"
"Uh...he felt you deserved it? I don't know."
"Naruto?"
"He had a lesson to teach you."
"Correct. What my master failed to tell me was that in the early hours of the next morning, bandits had planned a raid. I woke up before any got close to me, something was wrong in the air. It was blood. Bandits came in and intended to kill, pillage, plunder, rape everyone and anyone they could, you know, bandit things. Now, obviously things didn't go as they planned once I got involved, but I was very unhappy with my sensei when he came to me after the attack. I accused him of being a vile, heartless bastard. He didn't contradict me. Instead he said, 'Anko, had I done something or had I done nothing wouldn't matter. These men still planned to come here and do violence. When they made that decision, people were going to die. Tell me, who among these men deserved to die and didn't?' When I shouted that every last one of those bastards deserved what they got, he turned the head of the guy to my left to me and then showed me his hand, he wore a wedding ring. 'He had a wife, a little girl, and a baby son, all of them starving this very instant. And now he is not coming home with food for them.' That shut me up. I learned two things that day, Clarice, our actions and in-actions have consequences. My sensei knew that was going to happen, he could have stopped it, but what would have been the point?"
"Wh-What happened to the family," she asked quietly.
"...They died, I never found them to help, not that I had any right to. I realized later I was just trying to assuage a guilty conscious. They deserved help from someone better than I, I know that now and I pray in my heart they received it but I know in my head they did not, the world isn't that nice. The second thing I learn that night was that those without weapons can die on them."
"Yes," Blink said, rubbing her arm at some phantom, "I know that lesson."
"Good. Konoha isn't like a normal village, everyone knows how to fight in some way, from the Hokage down to the sweetest of ramen waitresses. The reason why is because if a group of people attacks this village, they aren't going to care if someone is a ninja or not."
"Blink, did you ever meet any mutants who's mutation was just this harmless thing that just changed how they looked?"
"Once."
"Yet that person was still hated by virtue they were a mutant, a danger to no one, weren't they?"
She looked down to the ground and held her arms close. "Kyle was so nice...he had a second pair of hand on his wrist, they did nothing more than normal hands do. He helped out any that..." She trailed off when Naruto put his hand on her shoulder. "Why can't everyone leave everyone else well enough alone? Why is it necessary I learn this?"
"...I don't know," Naruto answered before looking to Anko.
"Don't look at me, I wondered that same thing for too long without ever finding the answer." Anko gave a shrug and said, "You don't want to kill or hurt anyone, I understand that. So, I hope you never have to use this to do just that. But for as long as you are here, you are learning it." Blink sighed but finally nodded her head. Suddenly smiling, Anko clapped her hands together and said, "Great! We can start with one of two things, Pinkette! Either practicing with your ability or learning to draw out your chakra! Whiskers, we are going to be doing some...survival exercises," she finished with this grin that made Naruto grimace. "So, to accomplish this, I am going to make a clone, it won't be strong as Whiskers' so she will be helping you, Pinkette, any questions?
Blink looked to Naruto for a moment before saying, "I would like to learn how to control my chakra." Anko nodded and created a single, weak Kage Bunshin.
As the clone went to her, Anko's smile widened. "Okay, Whiskers, the training will begin in five, four, ready, steady, GO!" Shouting the end, she suddenly launched a kunai hidden in her coat sleeve.
—oo000oo—
Author's note: I may have opened a can of worms in this story. The problem, Naruto's brain. The human brain is an amazing bit of machinery. It works in ways no computer could ever compete with. Example, how much you notice in life. Every person you ever meet, your brain will remember. Maybe not conciously but subconcious yes, and you see them in your dreams, those people aren't creations. Doesn't matter how quickly they come and go. Another example is your sixth sense. The hairs on the back of your neck rising, you feeling something move behind you, this is your brain compiling all the information your five senses brings in. You literally have your own spider sense. Or the people who train their body to respond to things in their perifial vision. They could be lookng to something with their complete attention, something will fall to their left, and they will catch it. I've done it.
Now we get to Naruto. First let's just point something out. Naruto and the people of his village aren't normal people physically. I have no doubt that a child of this village, Konohamaru's age when first introduced, is about as strong as a normal adult. Why? Because they have trained for generations to do certain things. Super Fly theory, the strongest of each generation passing their genes to the next generation. Then there is chakra, which just makes everything stronger. Finally the world they live in itself. Even in the manga and anime, it isn't a world for the weak. Giant tigers, leeches, and demons, actual demons, all hunting humans with who knows what else. When giant nine tailed foxes and eight tailed ox-topuss can exist and no one bats an eye that they do, you know this is someplace awesome and terrifying. I wouldn't be surprised if Ayame could kick the butt of the any UFC fighter, if she was real but that goes without saying. Mad ramen fu skills.
Now, I kinda think, in a scale, that the average ninja has the reflexes of say spider-man. Spider-Man 2, the train scene where Parker spins to go through the holes of that skywalk walls, yeah. This goes for Naruto as well. Then there is the mental, think of all the on-the-fly stuff Naruto has done, anime and manga. This isn't unique to Naruto, the others do it too, just not as often or as cool. And fighting itself, you can tell where someone it injured, healed or current, by touching them.
Okay, consider all this, physical, mental and senses. Now give it the effeciency and accuracy of a computer with one hell of a high speed camera.
Can. Of. Worms.
I didn't mean for that when I started writing, it just happened but when I started thinking about it, '...well shit.'
Okay, enough about Naruto, now let's talk about Blink. First off, why Blink instead of X-23, or Rogue, Black Cat, American Dream, or any other of the top heavies? Or why the one from 1997 Phalanx Saga instead of Age of Apcolypse, Outsiders, or current 616 Blink. Both are good questions with the same answer. Blink is a person, fragile, hurt, realistic in figure. When she was pulled out of her teleport bubble by the Selene the Black Queen, she was brainwashed and turned into an assassin. When freed, she had become a badass. That isn't what I wanted. I wanted someone that had problems, that had room to grow, that could become something great, not someone that was great. Translation, Blink is just a teenage girl, lost and alone. That is what I wanted when I decided to do this. Rogue from the first X-Men movie, that was what I wanted pretty much, for those that never read the Phalanx Saga.
By the way, if you hadn't guessed, I'm feeling very teasing and sarcastic right now and it's in my writing.
