I do not now, nor have I ever owned Naruto.
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"Then Sasuke, overtaken by that Curse Seal he was given by Hebi-teme, leapt at me with his Chidori, so I engaged him, countering with my Rasengan. The attacks were evenly matched, and were struggling for dominance between us." Naruto said, hands clasped before him and 'struggling'. Hinata giggled softly at the look of intense concentration on the blonde's face as he seemed totally commited to not only telling his lone audience member the tale, but pantomiming it properly so she wasn't bored.
"It looked bad for me, but the teme didn't notice the clone I'd created earlier suddenly leap at him from behind, and take hold of his monster wings and pull them back." Naruto mimiced wrapping his arms around the base of the hand-like wings and pulling back hard.
"This, of course, had the effect of distracting him, if only a bit. And since he needed his full concentration to battle my Rasengan, that small break in it was all I needed. My Rasengan pushed through, breaking the Chidori and striking him in the chest. I pulled back slightly of course, since I didn't want to kill him, but what I hit him with was enough to send him flying into the valley wall, then hit the ground unconscious." Naruto, miming pushing through some defense, threw himself back onto his bed, arms flailing.
"Unfortunately, that battle was tough, so it was all I could do not to pass out until I was safely back on the ground. But I passed out happy, because I was victor. Then I woke up in the hospital with Baa-chan and Shizune-nee-chan fretting over me. And that is the tale of how I managed to bring back Sasuke." Naruto finished with his brilliant smile, Hinata clapping his exilerating tale.
"Th-that was ve-very exciting, Na-Naruto-kun." Hinata murmured, and the blonde rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he said "Thanks Hinata-chan."
A knock sounded at the door, and it opened as Shizune walked in with a strained smile to the blonde, who returned the smile as he said "Hey Shizune-nee-chan! What'cha doing here?"
"I was looking for Hinata because Tsunade-sama wishes to speak with her, and figured she was visiting you." Shizune said with a smile, and Hinata asked "Wh-why does H-Hokage-sa-sama wish t-to s-see me?"
"You'll just have to go see her and find out yourself." Shizune said with a teasing tone, and Hinata nodded, turning to Naruto as she said "Bye Na-Naruto-kun."
"Bye Hinata-chan!" Naruto said with a wave, and as the Hyuuga heiress left, Naruto turned to Tsunade's apprentice as he asked "Can I leave now, nee-chan?"
"Sure. Just let me give you a final check-up to make sure you're as well as you appear to be." Shizune replied, and watched the blonde whoop with joy at finally being able to leave the hospital.
"OK, strip." Shizune commanded, and her smile grew as she mentally counted down until the eventual sudden stop of the 'Naruto Dance of Joy'. The blonde whirled on her with a speed rarely seen outside of those not clad in green spandex, eyes wide and jaw hanging.
"WHAT?!"
Shizune covered her mouth with a hand to hide her giggle as she said "This is going to be a complete check-up Naruto. That means you have to lose all your clothes so I can do it properly."
The blonde's jaw snapped shut, his face turning a shade of red that would put tomatoes to shame, and backed away, pointing at her and cried "Ero-nee-chan!"
Shizune had to fight hard not to burst into laughter as she said "Well, if you feel that way, I could get Anko to do it. Of course, I need to get you to sign a few forms first."
"For what?" Naruto asked, and Shizune answered "Boring legal stuff mostly. They're only to ensure that I and the hospital are absolved of any legal consequences for what might happen during the medical exam."
"Why? What could happen?" Naruto questioned, and Shizune replied "When Anko gets those clothes off you, she'll get to see that sexy little body of yours and, more importantly, your 'third leg' down there... After which I'm afraid she won't be able to control herself and she'll 'make a man' out of you." The look of confusion on Naruto's face was adorable, but the look of horrified realization, followed quickly by hands covering his crotch caused the dark-haired woman to nearly break down in a fit of laughter.
Her 'threat' recieved the proper response of the blonde quickly relieving himself of his hospital-provided pajamas, standing with only his hands guarding his 'third leg' from view. Motioning to the bed with a hand, Shizune said "Take a seat so we can begin."
The blonde, so intent on keeping his front covered, turned his back to Shizune, and with a wicked smile the dark-haired woman replied "Mmmm, that's a cute little butt you've got there Naruto-kun."
Shizune burst into a fit of laughter at the sight of Naruto nearly jumping out of his skin with a yelp before disappearing beneath the sheets of the bed, a scandalized cry of "ERO-NEE-CHAN!" after he was safe beneath the nudity-obscuring sheets.
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Hinata stood before the Hokage's office door, fingers tapping together. As she stood there, she was forced to wonder why the Hokage would ever want to see the failure of the Hyuuga clan. Looking to the secretary seated beside the door, the woman gave her a comforting smile before returning to work.
After what felt like an eternity to the lavender-eyed girl, the intercom buzzed to life and Tsunade could be heard to say "Send her in."
The secretary motioned to the door, and giving her an appreciative nod, Hinata walked to the door and took hold of the handle. Several comforting breaths allowed her to open the door and enter, allowing her to see Inuzuka Tsume and the buxom Hokage watching her expectantly.
"Take a seat Hinata-chan." Tsunade said, motioning to the chair before her, and the young girl cautiously did so, not looking up at the powerful kunoichi with her.
"Hinata-chan, from what I've heard, you care very deeply for the genin Uzumaki Naruto. Is that correct?" Tsunade asked, and gulping, the young heiress nodded, pleading eyes turned to the blonde before her.
"Is there something wrong, Hinata-chan?" Tsunade asked, and Hinata murmured softly "Pl-pl-please do-don't in-inform m-my father. H-he would b-b-be dis-dis-displeased by th-this."
"Don't worry, Hinata. What's spoken in this room will never reach the ears of Hiashi, I promise." Tsume said, and Hinata turned to Tsume with a look that one would expect from a prisoner of war who was just told that he was going home, not a girl embarrassed at the thought of her father learning of her crush. Tsunade frowned at the reaction, but pushed it away for another time, knowing they had more important things to discuss now.
"Hinata, I have some news to inform you concerning Naruto." Tsunade continued, and the girl looked horrified as she asked "He's no-not go-going t-to di-die, is he?"
Smiling to the frightened girl, Tsunade answered "No, he's not going to die, at least not for a very, very long time." However, her smile disappeared as she continued "Unfortunately, the Council has decided in their infinite wisdom decided that he needed to be banished, a sentence backed by the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do."
She watched as the already pale girl lost what little color her face held, looking as though she had been sentenced to death as she turned to Tsunade and said "M-my fa-father v-v-voted f-for his ba-ba-banishment."
There wasn't a hint of a question, just a statement of fact, one which Tsunade nodded to.
A slight smile returned to the Hokage's face as she said "I have a plan to aid Naruto in this criminal abuse of power by the council, and I need your help. Let me warn you, what I'm going to ask of you is difficult, and will require much from you, but I have full faith in your ability to help me. Also know that if you agree to do this for me, I will be in your debt and I would make you my apprentice."
Sitting in silence for several long moments, Hinata looked to the female Hokage and asked "What do you need of me?"
"This has nothing to do with debt or the apprenticeship, does it?" Tsume asked, though it wasn't a question. Seeing the midnight-haired girl nod, Tsume smiled as Tsunade said "Return here tomorrow morning to learn of your mission."
Watching the pale-eyed girl leave, Tsunade turned to the last person in the room and asked "Now, I've been curious about this since yesterday, and I must know: Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?" Tsume asked, and Tsunade replied "Don't play dumb with me. Why are you doing so much to aid me in concerns to Uzumaki Naruto. I know you said you were fond of him and he makes you laugh, but that doesn't cause someone to do so much for a person. Now spill the truth."
Tsume looked into the Hokage's eyes as she said "I find the elder's actions inexcusable, and I happen to see the boy as one of my own pups."
Smirking, Tsunade said "You're lying, at least partially."
Tensing, the Inuzuka matriarch asked "What do you mean?"
"The fact you find the elder's actions inexcusable is true, but you seeing the boy as one of your own children is a lie." Tsunade said, and Tsume asked "How did you..."
"Your ability to hide the fact you're lying is incredible, but there were just enough tells for me to see through it. And had I not been a medic nin most of my life, even I might have missed them. Now tell me the truth." Tsunade answered, and Tsume looked at her leader silently, studying the woman and sizing her up.
Finally, she slumped back in her chair with a sigh as she said "OK. The honest to Kami truth is that, dammit, I have a crush on the blonde pup!"
"You... have a crush on Naruto?" Tsunade asked, and Tsume nodded, covering her eyes with the base of her palms as she said "I know, I know! I'm more than twice the pup's age... I have a son his age for Kami's sake! But ever since the Chuunin exam finals, whenever I think about him, I... I..."
"You swoon like a silly fangirl, your heart beats like you're in a life-or-death struggle, and you feel as if everything would be alright if only he could return those feelings." Tsunade explained, and Tsume nodded, at least before realization hit her and she looked to the Hokage with a questioning glance.
"How do I know? Well, join the club sister. I've felt the same way about a genin years ago." Tsunade said, and Tsume asked "Who?"
"A young genin under the teutalage of my pervert of a friend Jiraiya, and his head currently watches over Konoha from the monument outside." Tsunade explained, and Tsume looked stunned as she muttered "Yondaime-sama..."
"Yep. But at the time, he was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed brat of a genin named Namikaze Minato, not the most feared shinobi to ever step on a battlefield. Reminds me of Naruto in a lot of ways, actually." Tsunade said, eyes taking a faraway quality as she thought of the blonde young blonde.
"It's sick, isn't it?" Tsume asked, and Tsunade shook her head as she said "Not at all."
"But he's thirteen..." Tsume began, but Tsunade replied "And he's a shinobi of Konohagakure. The moment he placed that hitai-ate on his forehead, he became an adult. He has been deemed mature enough to kill for his village, so he's mature enough to smoke, to drink, and to be in a relationship with a man or woman of any age without consequence."
"It still feels wrong..." Tsume muttered, and Tsunade replied "I understand. But if anyone is mature enough to handle a relationship, its him."
Blinking, Tsume asked "Have you met the pup?"
"Of course. But that is his personality, a result of social isolation and his attempts to recieve any attention from people trying to deny his very existance. According to records, he has lived on his own since the age of six, and to not only survive, but thrive like that requires a level of maturity not seen in many adults." Tsunade explained, and Tsume eyed the Hokage as she said "You sure are striving hard to bring this about, Tsunade-sama."
Leaning on her desk, Tsunade sighed as she said honestly "That blonde brat has undeservedly suffered a lot in his short life. Far too much, in my opinion. After what he's been through, he deserves to be happy, and more importantly, loved."
"But Hinata..." Tsume began, Tsunade however stopped her as she said "I'm not saying he has to love only one person. Far from it, actually. He has shown a surprising amount of compassion for those around him, and if anyone can love more than one woman, its him... In fact, I'm certain he can."
Chocolate eyes locked with slitted pupils as Tsunade said "Just don't close off a chance at finding love again so quickly. Please." Tsume stared into brown eyes filled with pain and long lost chances, and heard the need to help her avoid the horrible fate of being lonely, bitter, and trying to find comfort in vices, one the blonde suffered for so long before being save by Naruto.
Sighing, Tsume nodded and said "I won't, Hokage-sama."
Sitting back, relief shone in Tsunade's eyes as she said "That's all I ask, Tsume."
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Naruto glared at the smirking Shizune as he finished strapping on his sandals with a mutter of "Ero-nee-chan." What she'd done to him was embarressing, and felt more like something that belonged in Ero-sennin's novels instead of being performed by a medic, especially his nee-chan.
"Alright Naruto, you're in perfect health." Shizune said, and Naruto scoffed as he stood, saying "I could of told you that!"
"Now now Naruto-kun, don't be like that. I and Tsunade-sama just want to make sure you're OK. In spite of how she sometimes acts, Tsunade-sama worries about you as much as I do." Shizune said. Hearing that, the blonde's anger left and he deflated as he muttered "Sorry nee-chan."
"It's alright, Naruto-kun. Now get out of here, this hospital room is needed for sick and injured people." Shizune said, and Naruto beamed at her before suddenly giving her a tight hug. Watching the blonde dash from the room, Shizune felt her cheeks darken as a smile crossed her face.
She had a bet with Anko to win.
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Practically exploding out of the hospital doors and into the bright sunny day, Naruto turned in a small circle, arms spread wide, face skyward, and eyes closed as he soaked up the comforting warmth of the sun. The cool breeze brought the blonde a symphony of different scents filling Konoha, which was practically Heaven for the blonde's nose after the stale sterility of the Hospital.
Taking a deep breath, Naruto sighed contently as he walked toward his home-away-from-home within the walls of Konoha, the humble shrine dedicated to worship of the greatest of all foods, one given by Kami herself to prove that people were indeed loved...
Ichiraku's Ramen Shop.
Naruto found an extra skip in his step at finally being out of the hospital, free to eat his beloved ramen and not worry about Tsunade and Shizune practically smothering him. But, even though he would never admit it to them even on pain of death, he found he enjoyed their concern about his safety. When they were fretting over whether or not he took his painkillers, if his blankets were fresh, and that he ate the nasty hospital food, he wondered if that was what if felt like to have a mother or sister.
If Iruka was his 'father', Sarutobi one of his 'grandfathers' with Teuchi being the other, Ayame his 'sister', and Sasuke his 'brother', then Tsunade was his 'mother' and Shizune another 'sister'. Allowing himself to believe that they really were his family allowed him to stave off the crushing depression of lonliness that fill the majority of his life, if only for a few, precious moments.
Shaking his head to remove such thoughts, Naruto thought of the ramen he was about to enjoy. He had to make up for precious lost meals of ramen, and had a story to tell Ichiraku and Ayame. One even more exciting than team Seven's mission to Wave. As he walked, he smiled to the people around him, purposefully ignoring the 'hidden' glares and looks of disgust from the people around him.
"Naruto?"
The blonde stopped and turned to see Ino standing there, watching him carefully. Giving the pale blonde a bright smile, Naruto said "Hey Ino-chan, I was just going to get me some ramen to wash away the nasty taste of hospital food! Want to come with me?"
The pale blonde stood silent for a few moments before giving a weak smile as she said "Sure." Walking side-by-side with Naruto, Ino wondered why the blonde was taking his banishment so well, when it suddenly hit her...
He didn't know.
Here he was, in blissful ignorance of his fate, something he didn't deserve. In fact, it was seen by most shinobi as the blonde being rewarded for completing a mission successfully with a punch in the stomach and kick to the jewels. Sighing, Ino knew someone had to tell him, but found she didn't have it in her heart to emotionally destroy him by doing so.
"Ino-chan?"
Ino blinked several times before turning to face him, concern on his face as he asked "Are you OK? You kind of spaced out there for a moment. Maybe you should go see Tsunade-baa-chan and make sure you're OK."
Waving off his concern with a smile, Ino said "I'm fine, I was just lost in thought for a moment. So, how did your mission go?" At her question, Naruto gave her one of his brilliant smiles and excitedly began his tale. Ino found his excitement contagious, and was drawn in by the emotions expressed by the blonde during his retelling. She gasped when necessary, laughed at happy moments, frowned at the beginning of his confrontation with Sasuke, and cheered when he told of his courageous defeat of the Curse Seal-infected Sasuke.
By the end of his tale, he found himself standing outside of the ramen stand, and realized they'd been standing outside it for several minutes, niether entering, Ino enthralled by the story, and Naruto engaged in telling it.
Smiling, Naruto moved one of the flaps with a grin and said "Ladies first."
Laughing slightly, Ino replied "Flattery will get you everywhere Naruto." As she walked past, she swayed her hips in a way normally reserved for Sasuke. And she noted with pleasure that unlike Sasuke, Naruto quite obviously took notice, his eyes watching her firm, round backside as she walked.
The blonde caught himself, Naruto closed his eyes, a deep blush on his cheeks as he thought 'I am NOT a pervert! I am NOT a pervert!' But even as he thought that, images of Ino's swaying backside forced themselves to the forefront of his mind, followed by similar images of Sakura's and Hinata's equally round bottoms.
The sound of Ino asking "Naruto, you OK?" brought the blonde out of his thoughts, and he nodded quickly, face flush with embarrassment as he practically ran into the stand, hoping that his thoughts weren't being made obvious by his 'third leg' rising to attention.
Taking his seat next to the ponytailed blonde, Naruto ordered three bowls of ramen, pork, beef, and miso, while Ino ordered vegetable ramen. Watching the bright blonde-haired shinobi next to her tap his fingers on the bar of the stand impatiently as he awaited his ramen, Ino sighed softly as she realized that the blonde would be destroyed by his banishment.
She had to do something, anything to soften the blow, if only a little. And like a flash of lightning, it struck her. Leaning over to him, she placed her hand on his opposite cheek and suddenly pulled him close, planting a kiss on his cheek.
Watching his face darken considerably, Ino whispered "Don't forget Naruto, many people in Konoha care about you."
Stunned by the kiss, Naruto stared at her, nodding dumbly as he muttered "O-OK... Whatever you say."
Smiling, Ino said "Good." and turned to the ramen being placed before her by a smirking Ayame, Naruto numbly doing the same, unsure of what had caused that.
Little did he realize that he'd find out all too soon. And that doing so would change not only his life, but the lives of many within Konoha and even the the village itself.
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A/N: And another chapter is done. Highly focused on Naruto and Tsume this chapter, with decent focus placed on Hinata and Ino getting a little screentime. Don't worry, the next chapter will be largely Hinata-centric with some focus placed on Ino and Sakura too, as well as (maybe) having Naruto find out about his banishment.
