Kei: I need a beta reader T.T
Min: What u don't want me to help anymore
Kei: I do it's just I want some one else to read it too
-door opens-
Naru: Why the hell am I a girl
Kei: It just happened that way
Naru: But I don't wanna be a girl
Min: Just deal with it.
Shika: -sigh- so troublesome
Haku: here's the next chapter enjoy
Disclaimer: omg I forgot in the other chapter . so here it is: if I owned NARUTO it would be a YAOI
--
KITSUNE
Expectations
Three years later…
"Damn it," she replied as she cursed herself for letting herself be hit so easily. She wiped away the blood that trickled down her lip and got up for what seemed like the thousandth time that day. It was afternoon and the sun beat down on her tired body. The dry hard ground only made things worse as the dirt clung onto her sweaty skin. Her white karate blouse had brown dirt all over it as did her black karate like trousers. Her black boots were covered in dust, as were her hands and face. The weather was too hot for training and most of the trainers had given their trainees the day off, all except hers. She was always the exception on days like this. Itachi never thought of giving her a break. He was simply focused on her training.
"Focus, where is your concentration?" Itachi asked as he looked at his trainee.
"The sooner you manage to land a few punches the sooner you can leave," Itachi replied finally relenting to the fact that she might need a break, but also wanting her to give him what he wanted.
The tired blonde got up and held her hand out protecting her eyes from the relenting sun. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she tried to create some sort of strategy in her head to end this. Her mind ended up with a blank, as it gave into the fact that she needed rest.
"You will be put in situations where you will be forced to think under great pressure. If you can't think now, how will you handle it when you are put in the situation," Itachi replied.
'I'll think when I'm in that situation,' she thought but tried her best to focus. She was getting tired, as they had been going at it from dawn till now without a break. She wouldn't have been so tired had Itachi not forced her into doing a midnight run which lasted two hours. She had slept for a few hours before her training had begun again.
"Come on Naruto," Itachi replied as he stood on the other side waiting for her to strike him.
'That's it...' she thought and decided to give it her all. She ran towards him and pretended to execute a forward lunge when at the last minute she changed tactics and back flipped twisting her leg in the air trying to kick Itachi's face. Itachi had anticipated the first attack but was slightly stunned when she executed a roundhouse kick landing a blow to his stomach and knocking him back a little.
"Very good," Itachi replied, truly impressed by her attack. "But what made you stop?" Itachi asked and then executed several blows.
Several minutes later Naruto was on the ground, as she had been before, only this time she couldn't get up. Her body refused to get up for more torture and remained glued to the ground. Slowly the girl's eyes began to close as her weariness and the heat took over. Itachi stood on the other end waiting for her to get up.
"Naruto?" He called out, but got no reply. He looked at her and noticed she wasn't even moving. Itachi ran towards her and called out to her. He got no reply. He then flipped her onto her back and smiled as he heard her snoring away softly.
"All right, fine we'll call it a day," Itachi said and then gently picked up the thirteen-year-old. "But you can't sleep like this. First a bath," Itachi said grinning wickedly at his punishment for falling asleep while training.
Dora, Zabuza, Shizune and a few of the other trainers sat beside the lake cooling off with cold refreshments. All of the trainees were hanging out by the lake. Some were in the water cooling off, while others were lying in the sun relaxing. It was too hot for anything else. Sasuke and Haku were two of the trainees cooling off. Ever since the year Haku had gotten into a fight with them, the three became friends. Of course the friendship didn't happen over night but happened gradually during that same year. Haku had slowly started opening up to them and had even started hanging out with them. Soon the three were inseparable. It was difficult but Haku had managed to change for the better thanks to her two friends. She being the oldest felt obligated to take care of Sasuke and Naruto, protecting them from potential bullies. It was shocking to mostly everyone but soon people began to see the changes in each of the children and it only seemed natural that they were so close, despite having an awkward start. Even their trainers were slightly stunned at the relationship the three had.
Sasuke was lying on his stomach wearing a long white sift. Haku was in a two piece shift and was lying on her stomach watching the waters along with Sasuke.
"I can't believe Naruto didn't get the day off," Sasuke replied.
"Surprise, surprise," Haku mumbled sarcastically. "Sometimes I wish I could just hit him for training her so hard," Haku said worriedly.
"I thank Kami I got Dora as my trainer, I would hate to have that man training me," Sasuke replied grateful for small blessings.
"Naruto seems to like him despite all that," Haku replied thoughtfully.
"I think she respects him too much to go against his wishes. Liking him? I don't know about that," Sasuke replied wondering why his friend followed orders so completely unlike some of the others that refused to do certain things their trainers asked of them.
"Hey isn't that Itachi?" Haku asked pulling Sasuke out of his thoughts.
"Looks like it;" Sasuke replied and narrowed her eyes at the figure in his arms.
"Naruto," Sasuke replied worriedly as he saw his friend in Itachi's arms.
Haku and Sasuke exchanged looks of confusion.
The conversation at the trainer's side stopped as all spotted Itachi carrying Naruto. Shizune got up to check on the girl in his arms, but Itachi nodded his head forcing her to sit back down.
"What's he doing?" Zabuza asked.
Dora's eyes widened.
"He wouldn't," she replied slightly stunned and feeling very sorry for the girl.
"He would," Shizune replied feeling more sorry for the child.
Naruto snuggled closer to Itachi as she continued sleeping as comfortably as possible.
"Wakie, Wakie," Itachi replied as he threw her.
Naruto was oblivious of her fate.
She felt as though she was floating in air but didn't seem to mind it at all, even as she began falling. Her senses were too tired to register what was going on. She landed in something that was wet. She readjusted her body so that she was lying on her back. Her senses were too dull to register what was happening to her. Instead she somehow floated to the top of the water, her face up in the air and continued to sleep.
"Okay you remember how I said I wanted to see everything?" Sasuke asked as he watched as his friend snored away in the water.
"A-huh," Haku replied watching as Naruto floated towards their side of the lake.
"Well I think I've seen it all. Naruto asleep in the water, what more could there be?" Sasuke asked. Itachi looked at his trainee inwardly stunned at the response he got.
'Unbelievable.' He watched her sleep in the water. 'So much for the punishment,' he thought and sighed inwardly realizing he might have pushed her a little hard.
'I suppose she does need a break. I'll give her the rest of the day off,' Itachi thought and then sighed. Itachi stood at the edge of the lake.
'Time to get you out,' Itachi thought. He raised his hand up causing Naruto's wet body to rise out of the water and then twisted his wrist so that a wind picked up. Naruto's clothes and hair fluttered as Itachi was drying her. When all traces of water had left her body Itachi curled his finger causing Naruto's body to be brought towards him. Gently she was lowered into his arms and he turned away from the stunned spectators taking his trainee to her room, so she could rest.
"I didn't know he could do that," Sasuke replied absolutely stunned at the act.
"I don't think the others did either," Haku replied as she pointed to the stunned faces of several of the trainers as well as most of the students.
'That man gets more and more stranger,' Shizune thought.
'How did he do that?' Dora wondered.
'I wonder what else he can do?' Zabuza wondered inwardly, as he had never seen him fight before and his skills remained a mystery to all. Yet he had been given the title of most powerful in the country.
"Who is this man?" Zabuza asked softly getting both Dora's and Shizune's attention.
"I don't know," Dora replied.
'But I'm going to find out,' Dora, Shizune and Zabuza thought inwardly.
--
"Come on guys six more laps and then we can call it quits," Genma shouted, as he watched the girls race around the field.
"Six more laps," Ino squeaked as she felt her legs tire out from the fourteen laps they had just completed.
"Come on Ino, you can do it," Shikamaru replied as she was running alongside her fellow shinobi in training. A figure whizzed by them and a few seconds later another figure rushed past.
"Hey watch it Kiba," Ino shouted at the brown haired boy as he ran past.
"Sorry," came the distant reply.
Ino groaned.
"How can those two sprint around like that?" Shikamaru asked while trying to keep up with Ino.
"If you ask me they seem to be enjoying it," another voice came and they turned to see a black haired boy.
"Neji," Shikamaru and Ino replied in unison.
"I thought you were way ahead of us with the others," Shikamaru replied.
"I am, this is my second last lap," Neji replied and smirked as he heard the other two groans.
"Bye," Neji replied as he sped up wanting to finish his laps and join Tenten at the finish line.
"Come on Shikamaru we better hurry," Ino replied as she realized it was only the two of them on the field.
"Come on you two, you can do it. Just four more laps to go," Hinata replied as she cheered the two from the finish line. The two runners had large sweat drops coming down the side of their head, as they groaned realizing just how much more they had to run.
"Thanks for reminding us," Shikamaru replied as he and Ino struggled to finish off their laps.
"I wish my legs were long like Tenten's," Ino replied as Tenten had been the first girl to finish and was doing extra laps.
"Yea," Shikamaru replied as she pushed herself to complete another lap
"Oh Kami those two are slow," Anko replied as she glanced at the two.
"Considering the fact that we forced them to do ten laps in the pool before the run, I would say that they are in pretty good shape," Asuma replied.
"Are you forgetting that everyone had to do the laps in the pool Asuma?" Anko asked her friend.
"Are you forgetting that they are only fourteen summers old compared to the others," Asuma replied.
"They just turned fourteen. Besides Kiba is the same age as them," Anko replied.
"But he's much taller. Besides you cannot compare one to the other; they all have different abilities," Asuma added. Anko looked at her friend and then smiled.
"You have a point there," Anko replied.
"No more comparisons," Anko replied as she held out her hand.
"Jonin honor," Anko replied and Asuma smiled. The two were brought out of their conversation when two genin practically collapsed at their feet panting for breath.
"All right you two, now that you have completed the rounds you can go to the baths and then report to the dinning hall for lunch. You get an hour rest before your lessons begin," Anko replied as she placed her hands on her hips while giving her lecture.
"Well done you two now go clean up," Asuma replied and they slowly picked themselves up and went towards palace.
"Your trainer is so nice," Ino replied as she looked at Shikamaru enviously.
"So is yours," Shikamaru replied smiling at her friend. Ino frowned a little.
"She's psycho... You have never been alone with her," Ino replied as she looked at the ground. Shikamaru placed his arm around Ino's shoulder.
"She is only trying to protect you by pushing you now," Shikamaru replied comfortingly.
"I know," Ino sighed, as the two entered the palace. Chouji who was grinning widely met the two.
"You will never guess what's for lunch?" Chouji replied. Ino's eyes lightened up, as did Shikamaru's.
"Chocolate cake," Ino began.
"Rhubarb crumble pie," Shikamaru replied as he smiled widely while clasping both his hands together. Two-sweat drop's appeared on Ino and Chouji's foreheads, as they watched their friend. Shikamaru snapped out of his dreamy state.
"Sorry," Shikamaru blushed lightly as he looked at the dumbstruck faces of his friends.
"Eh... well it's mashed potatoes and pheasant," Chouji announced.
"And we helped make the sauce," Kiba replied.
"So hurry up and change, I'll save you some of the sauce before it all runs out," Chouji replied. They then walked off humming happily.
"I wish there were chocolate cake," Ino groaned. It was the end of the year and she had often gone home for the special holiday. Before Kushina had let them go back to their homes to celebrate, but she had said that at the age of thirteen they were to stay at the palace permanently. This would be the first time they were all here at the palace. Even Hinata passed her thirteenth mark and would soon become fourteen.
"I miss my mother;" Ino replied not realizing that Shikamaru had heard her.
"Not me," Shikamaru replied. Often at times the shinobi wanted to break away and watch the clouds but he realized that his purpose was to serve the daimyo and had learnt that duty came before anything else.
"What are we fighting for?" Ino asked wondering the purpose of all this training.
"Ino," Shikamaru replied slightly dumbfounded at the girl's tone.
"I mean we train and train but for what? Who are we supposed to protect? There is no hime-san and the Kushina-sama already has her protectors. What's the point in our training?" Ino asked not realizing who was behind them.
"I don't know. All I know is that we were chosen and that we have to fulfill the ranks of the others. San-san or not the capital needs its defenders," Shikamaru replied. They sighed deeply as they entered their chambers unaware of the damage their words had done. Kushina's eyes brimmed with tears, at the truths of their words.
'It is true. Why are they training when there is no san-san to protect,' she asked herself.
'Oh my dear Kitsune, if only you could hear me now. Why Kami, why did you take my child away from me? Why did you take my baby?' Kushina asked softly, as she wiped away several of the tears that spilled down her cheeks.
"My lady," a soft voice called out and Kushina looked up to see her faithful advisor looking at her with saddened eyes.
"Oh Iruka, how I miss her," Kushina replied as she looked at the man before her sadly.
"I know your Hime-sama," Iruka replied softly. He had been the first person to hold the san-san in his arms after the lady had given birth to her. Iruka had fallen in love with those big blue eyes and soft gold curls so much that he mourned for the san-san as if it were his own child
"My lady," Iruka called out softly.
"I know Iruka and I thank you my friend for being there for me. You will never know how much comfort you brought me," Kushina replied as she held her advisor hand in her own.
"I only hope to be to you, what you have always been to me Hime-sama," Iruka replied and Kushina smiled softly.
"Often when I watch those children training I can't help but wonder how Natsumi would have been. What she would have liked, disliked, whom she would have loved, so many thoughts go through my mind. I watch as the girls grow and every time they turn a summer older I can't help but think of my sweet child," Kushina replied sadly. Iruka looked up at the lady and saw the sadness few would see at such fragile moments. The advisor felt a deep sadness in his heart as he watched the pain of his lady in silence.
"I better go, the others are waiting for me," Kushina replied and then left Iruka in the midst of his own thoughts.
--
"Any word from Kakashi?" Anko asked and everyone shook his or her heads.
Anko thought back to the time when Kakashi left. That was almost a year ago. It was a painful memory for all the shinobi present but more so for the lady.
'To this day she still continues to send out search parties in the hopes of finding him,' Anko thought as her attention drew back to the others and to her beloved san-san who had now entered the room. The jonin as always greeted her by standing beside their seats. Normally Kushina would argue with them about their formalities, but she didn't and seemed to have her gaze focused on the round table, the jonin exchanged quick glances with each other.
"Has anyone heard from Kakashi?" Kushina asked breaking the silence. The other shinobi shook their heads sideways knowing what partly plagued their lady's thoughts.
"I feel that what I will say will offend some of you but I will say it as it has been brought to my attention and has been on my mind for quite some time now," Kushina began and looked at all her shinobi. The shinobi nodded their heads wanting her to proceed.
"I feel it is time we searched for an heir to the throne."
The eruptions and protests began but Kushina silenced them with her hand.
"I feared you all would respond in such a manner," Kushina replied.
"Kushina-sama why do you feel that way? Why now?" Anko asked throwing away all formalities.
"It is hard to say Anko. From the day of her death to this very day I thought about whom would take my place on the throne. For years I lived with the notion that because we found no body, that somehow my baby had survived. But hope can last only so long and it is time that I realize that my daughter is no longer with me and that no matter how much I want her by my side I cannot have her. She was taken away from me and my eyes must be open to that. It is time that a new heir to the throne is named. One with a good heart to whom I can entrust the kingdom. My thoughts are now of my people and of their needs. That is all I wish to see accomplished. That and the return of our dear friend," Kushina replied sadly. Her lip quivered slightly.
"But I fear he will not return. But I clung onto the hope that he would return, the same hope I had for my daughter. Now I must face myself and know the truths and know that both are unreachable except in my dreams," Kushina replied voicing her inner conflicts. Kushina seemed to be in a trance like state. Her eyes filled with a great sadness. Soon her eyelids flickered as she scanned the room of saddened shinobi.
"We have a mission and that is to find a new heir to the throne. The sooner we find her or him, the better acquainted they will be with the others," Kushina replied.
"It is important that the heir have a relationship with the shinobi just as we had. So that they can be each other's strengths when times are down and help guide and trust each other just as we have when things were tough," Kushina replied lovingly. She slowly got up out of her seat.
"Kindly excuse me there is something I must attend to," Kushina replied. The shinobi stood up speechless as they watched their lady leave.
--
Soft snoring was all Sasuke and Haku heard when they entered the chambers. Sasuke and Naruto shared the room, while Haku had been given her own.
"I really don't know how you manage," Haku replied as she heard Naruto snoring.
"It takes time and a whole lot of what I like to call 'Selective hearing'. I take it as part of my training," Sasuke replied as he grinned at Haku proudly, who chuckled.
"Speaking of training, you think you're ready for next week's event?" Haku asked as she sat on Sasuke's bed while whispering to Sasuke.
"Actually I'm not looking forward to it," Sasuke replied softly while lowering his eyes.
"Why not? It's easy Sasuke. All you have to do is focus and get through it the way I did when I was in my third year," Haku replied as she placed her arm around Sasuke's shoulder.
"It's not that," Sasuke replied while frowning.
"Then?" Haku asked slightly puzzled.
Sasuke looked at Naruto before looking up at Haku's puzzled face.
"I don't want to fight Naruto," Sasuke replied softly. Haku's face softened as she realized the predicament both her friends were in.
"Oh," Haku replied as she looked at Sasuke.
"Don't worry about it for now," Haku replied trying to get Sasuke to forget about the tournament.
"How can I not? Dora is pressuring me telling me how I have to beat Naruto at all costs and I'm sure that Itachi is telling her the same," Sasuke replied frustrated at his situation. They heard the bell for supper.
"Think we should wake her?" Haku asked while looking at Naruto's sleeping form.
"No, she needs the break. Let her rest, we'll sneak out some food for her," Sasuke replied and soon the two left the room. A pair of baby blue eyes opened upon hearing their departure.
"Oh Sasuke," Naruto whispered before closing her eyes and succumbing to her exhaustion.
--
Next Chapter Preview:
Forgetting whom the attacker was Sasuke began to turn his defense blocks into attacks. He thrust his fist towards Naruto as his eyes glazed over. Naruto paused briefly as she realized Sasuke was now acting purely on his reflexes. Sasuke let out a final punch to Naruto's face. Naruto tried to duck but wasn't fast enough. Sasuke's fist collided into left eye. A fire seemed to race in her eye as she felt something happen to her internally. Her eye seemed to be on fire and she was unable to open it. All she could feel was a warm liquid being released. Her throat was too parched to let out the burning scream she desperately needed to voice.
--
Min: this chapter was shorter than usual
Kei: I know. I did it in like 2 days
Naru: WTF. I'm floating.
Itachi: I can do that -.-?
Kei: Yup
Ita: is that a jutsu or do I just do it ;
Min: no comment XP
Ino: WHY DID U PUT ANKO AS MY TRAINER
Kei: because u need to train more
Neji: I sound... so... girly
Shika: I know...
Neji: what was that
Shika: you said it
Kei: now now boys no fighting
Min: who wants to say it
Sasu: Read and Review
Haku: those who review get cookies
