((FORMATTING FIX!))
(Sorry for the compressed chapter, here it is re-uploaded to my usual format. Hope you can enjoy the chapter much more easily now! Sorry for the mix up.)
(AN: So I just want to send a huge shout out to my new Beta! I'll keep her name anonymous for her sake but she knows who she is! She really is helping me get the grammar aspect of my story under control! Just by reading through it after she helped clean up the chapter I can see how much better it flows. I hope you guys agree and the new structuring she helped put together makes it a more enjoyable and easier read! As always hope you all enjoy and look forward to reviews.)
Chapter 5 Mission Start!
(BANG) (BANG) (BANG)
"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled, banging on Naruto's front door and rattling the hinges with the force.
"Mmmmg…" Naruto grumbled, pushing his face further into his pillow, not wanting to wake up just yet.
(BANG) (BANG) (BANG)
"NARUTO I SWEAR TO GOD IM NOT DOING THIS SHIT ANYMORE! ANSWER YOUR FUCKING DOOR!" Sakura hollered, her voice being slightly muffled by the walls.
'Fuck off, whoever you are!' Naruto thought in a tired tone.
"NNAARRUUTTOO!" Sakura hollered even louder.
"Oh…for fuck's sake…." Naruto grumbled, irritation in his tired voice.
Naruto rolled to his back, now fully awake and staring at his fan slowly spinning on the ceiling. His eyes half open, Naruto rolled to get out of bed. He marched lazily through his room, kicking an empty ramen cup in frustration at having been woken up. He made his way down the short hall to his front door. It continued to be rattled with being knocked on so forcefully, which did nothing for Naruto's grumpy mood. The last two weeks since being reinstated had been utter hell enough without this annoyance.
Tsunade had him running ragged with all sorts of low D rank mission. He was doing ridiculous things like babysitting small children for lazy parents, or mowing villagers' lawns - the whole block's lawns! He even had to help clean out the Inuzuka clan's dog kennels one day... That would leave mental scars for life. Tsunade obviously didn't want Naruto to be on higher end missions yet, but this was bull shit in Naruto's eyes. He wanted to get some action, not care for the elderly or some other crap. He was going to explode with anger if he had one more stupid D rank mission. So to say Naruto was grumpy… would be an understatement.
'Whoever this is… is going to freaking die!' Naruto thought to himself.
Naruto reached his front door with a stomp and grumble. He reached forward, unbolted his door quickly, and with a grand flourish pulled it open. Sakura swung her hand at the door again and met with thin air, her eyes slightly widening at its sudden movement. Naruto glared at Sakura with half open eyes.
"WWWWWWHHHHHAT!" Naruto screamed in anger, not realizing who he was raising his voice too.
Naruto was met with a heavy smack to the top of his skull, sending his vision downward as a lump rose on his head. His already blurry vision worsened tenfold as he raised his head to try and focus on the pissed off Sakura.
"Who the hell do you think you're yelling at, asshole!?" Sakura yelled as she crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her right foot quickly.
Naruto narrowed his eyes at Sakura as he rubbed his now sore head. He re-straightened himself, never breaking eye contact with Sakura. He chose to ignore her question.
"What are you doing here, Sakura-Oneechan?" Naruto asked, regaining his tired tone while dropping his hand to his side. "It's six in the damn morning."
Sakura looked at Naruto with a twitch in her eye, trying not to hit him again.
"First off Naruto, it's freaking noon, and second, go get your stuff on. We got a mission." Sakura stated, looking Naruto up and down seeing he was in nothing but his boxers and a black muscle shirt.
Finally able to get his blurry vision focused, Naruto noticed what Sakura was wearing. Sakura was in her usual ninja uniform with the only difference being she wore the new black headband she got from Naruto two weeks prior.
Naruto didn't get excited at this information though, thinking it was going to be another stupid ass D rank mission.
"Great! What do we have to do? Round up some stray cats that a lady lost?" Naruto asked sarcastically. "Because if I have to do one more stupid D rank mission I'm gonna put my foot up Tsunade's a-"
Sakura popped Naruto on the head again, rolling her eyes at how annoying he was being.
"I don't know what type of mission it is, but whether it's an S rank or a D rank you will smile and freaking do it!" Sakura told Naruto, a slight tinge of killing intent beginning to emit from her. "Now shut up, and go get ready!"
Naruto looked up from the floor, rubbing the now second lump on his head grumpily. Naruto reached forward and shut his door loudly as he mumbled curses to himself. He walked away into his apartment to get his gear.
Ten minutes later Naruto returned, walking through the door and locking it. Sakura could see he was wearing his new jacket and Jonin pants she had gotten him. He wore his long black forehead protector on his now cut hair. The sleeves of his jacket were pushed up on his elbows. Both of his hands were taped in Orange athletic tape that ran up his forearms. His right hand was completely covered to help conceal his Yin symbol given to him by the sage of six paths, the fingers on his left hand left uncovered. He had the same orange tape on his shins, holding his pants in place. He wore his old black sandals that were a little old, but matched the outfit perfectly.
"Well look at you! Do I know what looks good on you, or do I know what looks good on you?" Sakura asked happily, looking him up and down with a smile.
Naruto blushed at her compliment. Looking away from her and crossing his arms, Naruto smiled.
"Ya, I know it looks bad ass on me, so let's just go already," Naruto said nervously as he started walking away.
Sakura giggled at his shyness and followed him to the Hokage tower.
-Hokage Tower-
After 20 minutes, Sakura and Naruto made it to the tower. They made their way through the main entrance and up the stairs. They reached the top floor and walked passed Shizune's desk, giving her a hello and wave.
Shizune was ecstatic to see Naruto trying to return to his old life after being a shut-in for so long. She had run into him when he was picking up a mission from Tsunade a couple days ago and went crazy. She was so happy to see Naruto that she bought him a whole month's supply of cup ramen, which he happily accepted. Naruto was beginning to see that his friends didn't hate him for the war. It warmed his heart and helped push him forward even more. He still had doubts, though, being that he hadn't seen all of his friends yet, only Ino and Sakura really so far.
Naruto walked past the desk and grabbed the handle to the large office. Turning and pushing it open gently, he and Sakura walked into the room. They noticed they were the only ones in the room besides Tsunade, who sat at her desk going through papers. She didn't look up from her work to see who had entered.
Naruto marched loudly over to Tsunade's desk as Sakura shut the door behind them. Naruto stopped in front of the wooden desk before he struck his hero pose.
"OY! You rang, Baa-Chan!?" Naruto asked loudly making Tsunade and Sakura wince. "Got a mission for us that's not a freaking D rank!?"
Tsunade looked up from her desk slightly, sending Naruto a glare as Sakura shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"No Naruto, it's not a D rank mission," Tsunade said calmly. "Now shut up and wait for the rest of your squad for this mission to arrive!"
Naruto looked at her confused as he glanced at Sakura next to him and back to Tsunade.
"It's not just Sakura-Oneechan and I?" Naruto asked, throwing a thumb in Sakura's direction.
Tsunade was about to respond, but was stopped as the office door opened. Naruto and Sakura turned to see who was entering as Tsunade looked between them. Three people strolled into the office, stopping when they saw Naruto and Sakura. All three grew wide eyes at seeing Naruto.
"Actually, Naruto... here they are," Tsunade said from behind Naruto and Sakura.
Sakura beamed and ran up to the three Ninja.
"Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, you guys are our teammates for this mission!?" Sakura asked, excitement obvious in her voice.
"It would seem that way, Sakura…" Shikamaru said lazily, as he turned to look back at Naruto.
Naruto stared back at the three people who were looking at him. He felt uncomfortable under their gaze and shifted awkwardly in place, waiting for them to say what he knew was coming.
"NARUTO!" Choji yelled, running up to Naruto and giving him a large hug.
Choji lifted Naruto off of his feet and shook him left and right, causing Naruto's head to flail crazily.
"It's so good to see you, pal! Ino told us you were out and about again, but it's different actually seeing you in person!" Choji said happily, setting Naruto back onto his feet.
Naruto put his hand on his back and pushed forward, causing it to pop several times loudly. Choji's hugs could cripple a man if he squeezed hard enough. Naruto looked towards Choji and put on a fake smile for him. Naruto was still not comfortable with his old friends yet.
"It's good to see you too, Choji…" Naruto said quietly.
Shikamaru walked up to Naruto, stopping next to Choji. He studied Naruto closely, but not obviously. He noticed his new outfit and look. He noticed how flat his eyes looked compared to how bright they usually were. He noticed how his energy was different… he wasn't as sure of himself as he used to be. He looked like Naruto…But he didn't hold himself like Naruto.
Shikamaru blinked, dropping his critical thoughts and bringing a half smile to his face. He raised his hand up, gesturing for a handshake.
"Good to see you Naruto. We missed you out in the real world," Shikamaru said as Naruto reached forward and shook his hand happily.
"Good to see you too, bud!" Naruto said with a wide genuine smile, not having to fake his enthusiasm.
Naruto and Shikamaru had always gotten along ever since they were kids. Naruto has great respect for Shikamaru's knowledge and brilliance both on and off the battle field. Naruto always thought that if he could change one thing about himself, he would wish he had Shika's brains. He saw Shikamaru as a great friend. Sasuke would always be Naruto's best friend, but if he had to choose a new one besides Sakura... it would be Shikamaru.
Shikamaru had very similar thoughts towards Naruto. He was impressed with his usual high energy and personality. Shikamaru was brilliant, but on the battle field he would say without a doubt in his mind that Naruto was a better Ninja. He respected Naruto and saw him as someone he could follow anywhere. Shikamaru would never admit it… but Naruto was his role model.
Naruto let go of Shikamaru's hand and laughed slightly.
"Ya, Ino said that you guys would talk about me all the time, haha." Naruto said, pointing his thumb over towards the blond female.
Shikamaru looked over his shoulder towards Ino, raising his eyebrow and giving her a confused look. She hadn't moved from where they stopped when they entered the room. She had a large pink blush on her face, and her eyes were as wide as dinner plates. She was looking at Naruto like he was the most brilliant thing she had ever seen in her life. Shikamaru was thrown off.
'What's with her?' Shikamaru thought lazily.
Ino continued to stare at Naruto as her mind ran wild. She kept a calm face besides her massive blush.
'YEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS! OH MY GOD YESSSSS! A MISSION WITH NARUTO!" Ino hollered in joy internally, as her inner self did a frolicking dance. "I have been waiting for this ever since he got reinstated! This is the best day ever! Look at him! His new outfit…..he looks so ….HOT! I could just…..just…..'
Ino was shaken from her inner joy and ogling when a pair of fingers began snapping in front of her face. Ino blinked and looked away from Naruto to see it was Sakura. She had a sly look on her face, knowing exactly what Ino had been thinking.
"You're drooling you know." Sakura said sweetly, poking Ino in the side playfully.
Ino grew even redder as she wiped the side of her mouth quickly.
"Can it, Billboard Brow!" Ino said, flustered, as she marched away from Sakura over to Choji and Shikamaru.
Sakura hummed to herself sweetly, placing her hands behind her back and intertwining her fingers. She strolled after Ino towards the Hokage desk, stopping next to the group.
Naruto turned away from his friends and towards Tsunade, giving her a wide grin with excitement.
"OK, if these guys are going, this MUST be a good mission!" Naruto declared pointing over his shoulder towards the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. "So what do you have in mind, Baa-Chan!?" he asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
Tsunade sighed at his enthusiasm, secretly thinking how much she had missed this side of Naruto.
"Can't tell you yet, Naruto. We are still missing the last member." Tsunade said blandly, leaning forward and placing her chin in her palm.
Naruto blinked, wondering who the hell they could possibly be waiting for. They already had a five man team… who were they missing? The Door once again opened behind the group. Turning, they all watched the last member of their squad enter the room.
'Oh… You have got to be fucking kidding me!' Ino thought in an angry hiss, watching as the man who just entered closed the door and walked forward.
"Sai? ... So you're our last member, eh!?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.
Sai stopped just in front of the group of fellow Ninja, sending a forced smile with closed eyes to each one of them. He tried to ignore the hate filled glare Ino was sending his way.
"Ah! Dickless, it's so nice to see you not being a complete loser anymore." Sai said happily, never breaking his smile from his face.
Naruto twitched in anger, sending out a hateful growl towards his teammate. Sakura tried to stifle a laugh at the interaction, placing a hand over her mouth and turning away. Naruto flicked his attention towards Sakura, giving her a glare.
"Ahem," Tsunade cleared her throat.
The group turned their attention away from Sai and back to Tsunade who had a look of disinterest. Placing both elbows on the desk and folding her hands in front of her mouth, she looked at the group.
"Now that you all are here, I can begin," Tsunade said flatly.
Naruto grew an excited smile, wishing for something super cool like an assassination or a search and rescue! He began rubbing his hands together again, snickering in anticipation. The rest of the group looked at him with judgmental looks except for Ino, who smiled sweetly at his antics.
"This is an A rank guard duty mission," Tsunade informed, causing Naruto to get even more excited.
"Who are we guarding that it requires A-rank security?" Shikamaru asked with a raised brow, crossing his arms over his chest.
Tsunade reached forward and lifted a piece of paper off of her desk. Flipping it over so the others could see, it showed a picture of a middle aged man. He wore large round glasses with deep black eyes. He was completely bald, but made up for with his large bushy black eyebrows. He was a large-figured man, sporting 2 chins and a round gut. He was dressed in formal robes in the picture, meaning he was of high status.
The group studied the picture thoroughly before turning back to Tsunade and waiting for her to continue.
"The client is Hiro Matsuni, a very wealthy arms dealer who specializes in the craftsmanship of swords. He is known the world over for his ability to make and distribute swords so strong and reliable that they are known to shatter the opponent's blade. Many of the legendary swordsmen used custom blades made by Hiro," Tsunade said calmly.
Tsunade leaned forward and placed a second photo next to the previous picture. It held the image of a large compound with high walls surrounding a large building. The image was slightly blurry, meaning it was obviously taken on a scouting mission several years prior.
"This is his home located in the land of rain, just past the border. As you can see, it's a fairly large home with high walls and 24 hour security as well. This is where he makes his weapons and also raises his young daughter, Molly Matsuni." Tsunade informed, while crossing her arms.
Shikamaru studied the two photos closely, contemplating the pictures and information. He looked away from the photos and gave Tsunade a lazy look.
"Why would he need our help? Like you said, he has a fortified home and security to watch the corners." Shikamaru stated lazily. "What happened?"
Tsunade closed her eyes and scoffed at his question. Shikamaru had always been very observant.
"A couple days ago, he was attacked by an unknown enemy. The attackers were able to get through his defenses and slaughter ninety percent of his guards. The guards were able to repel the attackers, but as you can imagine, were left badly beaten. With the little protection Hiro now has, he sent an emergency request to us last night asking for us to protect him and his daughter. So that's why we have gathered two full squads for this mission. Your jobs are to protect Hiro and his daughter while finding and neutralizing this enemy. These are times of peace… We won't tolerate hostility," Tsunade informed in a commanding tone.
The group of ninja looked at each other with smirks of excitement on their faces. They all enjoyed a challenge and going up against an unknown enemy sounded fascinating. Naruto looked at Tsunade with a huge grin as he placed a closed fist over his chest.
"We accept, Baa-Chan!" Naruto hollered, while his friends all nodded in agreement. "No one will lay a finger on Hiro!"
"Good!" Tsunade said firmly, giving Naruto a slight smile. "Shikamaru you are in charge of this mission; handle it as you see fit."
Tsunade handed him a scroll holding the mission Intel.
"Yes, ma'am," Shikamaru said lazily, pocketing the scroll.
Shikamaru turned to look at the five ninja in front of him with a laid back gaze.
"Meet at the gate in one hour!" He stated confidently.
"Yes, Sir!" The group said in unison, besides Naruto who just nodded.
All six turned to head for the door, needing to head home and pack for the trip. They were all quietly shuffling to the door when Tsunade's voice rang out.
"Naruto…" Tsunade said softly, causing the group to stop and look at her once again, curious as to what she wanted with the blond.
"Are you ready for this?" Tsunade asked, looking straight into the muted blue eyes of Naruto.
Naruto looked over his shoulder with a confident look to his features. He nodded back at her, also not breaking eye contact. Tsunade smiled, and waved her hand for him to leave.
"Then go…" she said in a whisper, while a concerned look glistened in her eyes.
Naruto turned his attention forward and followed the group out the door as it shut behind him. Once the door was closed he stood on the opposite side facing the hall, watching as his friends walked away to gather their materials. A dull, shallow look clouded his eyes…..a look of sadness….and of slight fear.
"We will see, Baa-Chan….." Naruto whispered, starting to walk towards home. "…..We will see….."
-Konoha Front Gate - One Hour Later-
The newly rebuilt front gate stood towering over the small buildings at the front of the village. It cast a large shadow over the entrance, stretching one hundred yards above the ground. It provided a cooling relief from the piercing warm sun that lingered in the afternoon sky. Villagers and ninja alike walked through the gate, heading to their destinations at a leisurely pace. Kids played games in the large concrete and stone town square that lay at the entrance to the village. It was a welcoming image to travelers who were stopping by the village.
Shikamaru, Choji, and Naruto stood next to the large wooden door of the gate, talking quietly. Sakura and Ino leaned against the wooden door chatting about little things as they waited for the last member of their squad to arrive. It was a nice day in the village, so they almost didn't mind that they had to wait.
Ino and Sakura broke from their conversation as Sai had finally arrived. He wore his usual large fake smile that he put on when he was in any social situation. He walked up to the females, catching the attention of Naruto, who stopped talking with Choji.
"What took you so long, Sai?" Sakura asked in an annoyed tone, jabbing him in the chest with her finger. "You know we have to move quickly on this mission!"
"Sorry Sakura-San, I was just lost in thought." Sai said calmly, turning to look at Ino.
"Hello Ino-Chan, I hope we will able to get along on this mission." Sai said in a slight happy tone, which Sakura knew was faked.
Ino huffed and turned her attention to the sky, walking off with a stomp in her step past Naruto's group and out the village gate. Naruto watched her walk by, curious as to what that was all about. From what he recalled… didn't Ino like Sai?
Sakura gave a slight frown towards Ino, who was still marching off into the forest heatedly. Pressing her hands on the gate she was leaning on, Sakura pushed off and followed Ino with concern. Sai just hummed obliviously to himself as he also followed the lead of Ino.
"So…..I guess we are leaving?" Choji said, a sweat drop forming on his head.
"I guess so…" Shikamaru said lazily, watching Ino stomp off out of sight.
Shikamaru, Choji, and Naruto walked out of the village and headed off into the forest to catch up with the rest of the group.
Taking to the trees, the group traveled quietly through the forest. The whistle of the wind through the dense trees and the soft taps of feet landing nimbly on branches were the only sounds heard. Sai was at the front, with Sakura and Shikamaru side by side behind him. Choji and Ino were behind them, with Naruto taking up the rear. The group traveled quickly with no one talking for the next several hours. Wanting to make it to their destination before nightfall on a usual full day's trip, the group dashed through the trees in a blur. They were making good time and would arrive at Hiro's home within the hour.
Everyone seemed to be either lost in thought or enjoying the scenery of the forest that passed by. Everyone, that is, except for Ino, who was currently sending death glares at the back of Sai's head as she jumped alongside Choji. She was mumbling curses under her breath and her fists were clenched at her side. Naruto had been watching her do this for the past four hours on their trip and his curiosity was finally getting the best of him. With a soft whistle to grabs Choji's attention, the large man looked over his shoulder. Naruto gestured for him to come closer so Choji slowed his pace to move alongside Naruto. Ino didn't even notice the absence of the large man as she kept her death gaze upon Sai, grumbling menacingly.
"What's up?" Choji asked curiously with a raised brow, moving through the trees alongside Naruto.
Naruto glanced back at Ino to make sure she wasn't paying attention before turning to look at Choji.
"Do you happen to know why Ino is emitting a killing intent fit for a demon towards Sai?" Naruto asked in a whisper, his hand cuffed over his mouth to help keep Ino from hearing. "I could have sworn she had a thing for him?"
Choji looked at Naruto with a confused look before looking back towards Ino for a second. Turning to face Naruto again Choji scrunched his brows together.
"What do you mean? Haven't you heard about what happened?" Choji asked also in a whisper, glancing towards Ino occasionally to make sure she was oblivious to the conversation. "Well I mean… no one knows what really happened… but….."
"Uhhhhh….No…..What happened?" Naruto's curiosity was full blown itching at his mind.
Choji slowed down and flipped through the air to avoid a large branch in his path. Grasping a smaller branch and swinging himself forward to gather momentum, he caught up with Naruto.
"Ino and Sai were going out for like four months," Choji said quietly, watching as Naruto's eyes grew wide with shock. "Up until about two months ago, when they had a really bad break up. She won't tell anyone what happened and getting information from Sai is impossible."
Naruto turned to look at Ino jumping in front of him elegantly. Her purple squirt and hair was flapping in the breeze behind her, creating a slight ruffling sound. Naruto studied the back of her head briefly before turning his attention back to Choji.
"What do you think happened with them?" Naruto asked, glancing between Ino and Sai.
Choji shrugged with a relaxed demeanor.
"I have no idea…..All I know is Ino was really beaten up about it for a while. She cried a lot and said he was the biggest dick ever…. She seems to have gotten better, but instead of crying, she just shows pure rage towards the guy," Choji informed, while looking at Naruto.
"Wow….. What the hell did he do…?" Naruto asked quietly, a slight tinge of concern reaching his tone.
Choji shrugged again, leaping forward and increasing his pace to once again travel alongside Ino. Naruto watched him speed away before turning to look at the girl next to him. Naruto scrunched his brows together as he pondered the information, looking between Sai and Ino with calculating eyes.
'Ino… what the hell did Sai do to make you cry...?' Naruto thought sadly.
Naruto pondered all of the different possibilities for the next hour of their travel. From Sai saying something rude to her to just flat out cheating… though Sai wasn't socially keen enough to even talk to girls. Naruto jumped from idea to idea nonstop, never liking a single one he thought up. He glanced at Ino every now and again to see her still glaring at Sai. Naruto would have to give the woman credit… When it came to hating someone… Ino never rested. Naruto was brought from his thoughts by a loud voice towards the front of their little battalion.
"We are here," Shikamaru informed, just as they entered a large clearing that seemed to come out of nowhere in the wilderness.
Naruto and the rest of the squad came to a stop at the far edge of the meadow, jumping down from the trees. The clearing was cast in shadows from the dark sky covered in storm clouds that always occupied the rain country. The large area was bathed in tall grass and wild flowers. There were tall sunflowers coiling along a small dirt path that went through the center of the clearing up to a large cement gate with cast iron doors. The walls were at least thirty feet tall with gashes and burn marks all along the outside, showing off the battle that happened a few nights prior. The group walked through the dirt path single file, enjoying the beauty of the meadow, but cautious of the remnants of the battle.
"Well isn't this a place of mixed feelings…" Shikamaru said casually, skipping from looking at a large flower to a small hole caused by an explosive tag. "Though it doesn't seem that out of place…"
"I agree, I mean Tsunade-Shishou said there was a battle here… but this looks as if there was a small spar instead," Sakura chimed in.
They approached a large iron gate that was painted pitch black and covered in battle scars. There were long silver chains running up the side of the door and into small holes in the wall to allow the doors to open. The door looked as it had been through three wars and back… yet still stood strong.
"Though this guy obviously has a lot of enemies to have this kind of damage to his own front door," Sakura said calmly, taking in the dark visual of battles and bloodshed the door held.
"Ya, well it's not that bad really… I mean the walls are still standing, right?" Naruto asked casually, walking with his hands behind his head. "Honestly, this place looks and feels relaxing!"
The large iron doors began to creak open almost automatically as they approached. Naruto never even had to break stride as he passed by the opening into the large compound. What they saw once passed the metal doors made them all stop in their tracks, looks of horror and disbelief in their eyes.
"W….. What the hell…." Naruto whispered out, his eyes wide and darting in every direction at the destruction. "… Never mind."
The once large building that they had seen in the picture was shattered and burned. There were large holes in the roof and walls, giving an easy view of the rooms that lay inside. Some of the smaller side buildings were completely burned to the ground with piles of burnt wood and furniture being the only remnants. Steel arrows stuck out of the homes' walls as well as all over the ground. Craters scattered the land from obvious explosions and jutsus used from both sides. The air still had a tinge of the chakra that was used days prior, making every breath thick and smoggy. What really caught the group off guard were the stained walls and floor… they were a dark maroon color and reeked of death. Naruto gasped, realizing what it was….it was blood…dried blood was everywhere… This wasn't a battle… this was a massacre.
"M….my god," Ino said quietly, covering her mouth in shock.
"So you must be our saviors." A voice came from the left of the group, making them all turn towards its direction.
A rather fragile man walked out of the guard's booth next to the front gates. He looked to be in his sixties, wearing formal silver and black samurai armor. His hair was gray and receding, reaching almost to the center of his scalp. He had worn and tired eyes and held himself as if he was going to pass out at any given moment. He walked slowly over to Shikamaru, who was currently at the front of their six man group.
'This guy is a guard!?' Naruto thought in surprise, watching the old man closely as he moved towards them. The others were having very similar thoughts.
"Uhh….yes! We have come on behalf of the request that was sent to our village," Shikamaru said firmly, pulling out the scroll given to him by Tsunade and handing to the man.
With a shaky hand, the old guard took the scroll and popped it open with his thumb. After examining it carefully, he coughed and rolled it up. He placed it into a small sack he had slung over his shoulder as he gave the Ninja a wide, tired smile.
"Ah! It's so nice that you are here! Thank you for traveling so quickly, we very much needed the assistance, as you can see," The old man said quietly, his tone laboring at every word. "My Name is Tora, and I'm the fresh out of retirement Chief Guard of the Matsuni family."
Naruto and Sakura glanced at each other quickly, seeing that they both had similar thoughts.
'If Tora had to come out of retirement…..then the death toll of the Matsuni family guard really was in the ninetieth percentile like informed…. But what could have done this much damage?' Sakura thought to herself quietly.
"Why are you out of retirement?" Sai asked, unemotionally. "You seem far too old to be any help."
The group shot daggers at Sai. How he could never pick up on how not to be a dick to people was a mystery to all.
"HAHAHA! Right you are, boy! Though please, hold all your questions for Sir Hiro. I'm sure he can answer all of them," Tora said happily, as if he wasn't affected by the smell of death that lurked in the air.
"Uhh… well, can you please take us to Hiro? We need to speak with him immediately." Shikamaru said nervously, shaken a bit from the elderly man's unnaturally joyful demeanor.
"Yes, of course! Follow me, please, he should be in his study," Tora said happily.
Tora twirled on his heel and began making his way further into the compound. He walked with a slow pace, as if he would break if he moved too quickly. Naruto and the others followed Tora through the battle-scarred courtyard and towards a building that was surprisingly untouched among the destruction. It was a smaller building, having to be no larger than a barn or shed. Tora slid the sliding door to the side and gestured for them to follow.
When they got inside, they realized there was nothing in the room at all. Nothing but old white walls and a painting on the far wall of a samurai hold his sword out forward. Naruto was about to speak up in confusion when Tora activate a hand sign and the ground began to shake. The floor swirled and collapsed downwards in a spiraling manner. It shifted and creaked from the movement until finally stopping to reveal hidden stairs. The staircase was in the center of the room and seemed to go on far past the realm natural light could reach. Tora walked over and started to descend the spiraling staircase, as the rest followed.
"This place is a hidden bunker." Naruto whispered over his right shoulder. Ino and Sakura nodded, following along behind him.
The group traveled down the concrete stairs for what seemed like forever as it became darker and darker. Sakura placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder to keep herself from missing a step and tumbling forward. Ino did the same on Naruto's other shoulder. The group finally made it to the ground level where a long hall was bathed in pitch black darkness traveled away from their sight.
(Clap) (Clap)
Tora clapped his hands together twice and the hallway burst into light. Hidden torches flickered to life along the hallway walls to brighten their journey. Now able to focus their eyes, they could see the hallway ran some fifty yards to a large door that was at the end of the passage.
"Please, right this way," Tora said excitedly, walking forward and down the hall.
Naruto and the rest followed to the large wooden door. It held no distinguishing markings on its surface, not even a handle, but a trained eye could see that it was sealed.
"Release!" Tora announced, as he placed his hand on the door, his fingers spread.
Blue chakra glowed around the door for a brief second before dissipating with a hiss. The door began to slide open with a loud screech, allowing the torched lit hallway to be engulfed in bright light from the large chamber. Making their way into the room, they could see the massive workshop that was the bunker.
The large room had tall, plain concrete walls with a red bricked floor. There was a single workmen's bench in the center of the room with a sword currently being forged on it. The entire left side of the room was piled high with bags and sacks of materials and metals of all sorts. The opposite right wall was completely covered in a large bookcase that reached the ceiling. It contained large scrolls and books ranging from the size of a notebook to as large as a T.V. box. These were more than likely all of his prized notes and information on building his world class swords. On the far back wall was a single lounge chair placed up against the wall. There was a small table placed next to the chair, with a lamp placed upon it, illuminating the figure sitting in the chair.
Hiro smiled.
"AH! You have arrived, my hidden leaf saviors!" Hiro shouted loudly, a wide smile gracing his face. "Please come in!"
Hiro jumped up from his seat and met them all with a firm handshake. He looked tired and worn down. It was obvious that the recent attack on his home left him shaken. He had bags under his eyes similar to Naruto's, showing he had not slept in awhile.
"Thank you all for coming so quickly! If they decided to attack again before you arrived… I'm afraid they would have succeeded with their mission."
"Uh… Sir, we actually have a few questions for you on that matter, actually," Shikamaru said confidently, studying the man in front of him carefully.
"Yes, of course, my boy! What is it that you need to know?" Hiro asked loudly as he walked back to his seat and flopped down tiredly.
The group walked closer to his chair and took a formal kneeling position on the floor mats that were provided to guests.
"First off, Hiro-San… who were these people that attacked you? In your request, you didn't list who we would be defending you against," Shikamaru asked confidently, watching Hiro closely to see if he would show the indications of a lie.
"I left the affiliation of the enemy out of the report because… well… we have no idea who they were! They came in the middle of the night and always stayed hidden in the shadows." Hiro said nervously, rubbing his hands together to stay calm.
'He's telling the truth,' Shikamaru thought, watching the man squirm in his seat.
"How many do you feel their where?" Sai decided to join in.
"Once again, I'm sorry… we don't know… they seemed to come from everywhere. Arrows pouring from the sky like rain. There were explosions and fire suddenly engulfing my home! They left a huge hole in my daughter's room!….I can only imagine what I would do if she had been hurt in the attack," Hiro said quietly, a ting of sorrow in his voice.
(Mind) "Arrows and fire, huh…" Shikamaru pondered to himself. "So we have at least a couple high level archers and a fire affinity user."
"Hiro…" Shikamaru said firmly, getting the man to look at him from his squirming. "What were they after? Why did they attack you?" Shikamaru watched as Hiro's left thumb twitched.
"We believe it was for my sacred notes that are beside you on my bookshelf. Those notes hold the many secrets to my swords. With those notes, someone could build an army of perfect weaponry."
Shikamaru noticed how Hiro's left thumb kept twitching as he spoke, his eyes dilating. Shikamaru furrowed his brow at the man.
'He seems nervous… Is he hiding something…?' Shikamaru thought in an intrigued tone.
Shikamaru opened his mouth to confront the man on his bluff, but was interrupted by a loud voice from behind him.
"Well, don't you worry, old man! We will keep your secrets safe and put these jackasses in the dirt!" Naruto yelled loudly, giving a goofy grin and thumbs up to Hiro.
The rest of the squad sweat-dropped at his actions.
'Idiot…' they all thought.
Shikamaru sighed in annoyance at Naruto always being so loud.
'Forget it…' Shikamaru thought in a sigh, rubbing his temples, turning back to face Hiro, Shikamaru refocused his thoughts.
"How do we even know that these people will come back? They could have just given up and went home, making our trip out here a complete bother." Shikamaru stated lazily, letting his eyes drop half closed as to the thought of wasting a perfect day on a useless mission.
Hiro straitened in his chair and changing his face from worry…to seriousness.
"No… they will come back... After they attacked the first time I sent two scouting units to check the surrounding area and see if we were in the clear…" Hiro said quietly, pausing to gulp a dry breath. "Not one of those teams came back… They're out there… and they will attack us again soon."
Shikamaru looked at the man in concentration before turning his head to look over his shoulder. His friends look at him with confidence and poise. Naruto had a stern look of confidence on his face. Shikamaru turned back to Hiro with a smirk.
"Then we will be ready," shikimaru said confidently.
Hiro smiled wide with new found hope.
"I have one last request…" Hiro said with a confident tone. "My daughter…Molly… she's everything to me. I would very much appreciate it if you would have one of your friends be her personal guard until this mess is over… If anything happened to her… I don't know what I would do with myself."
Shikamaru nodded towards the man in understanding. Turning, Shikamaru looked over his shoulder to think of who would be perfect for the job. He studied each one's abilities carefully before he made his decision.
"Naruto… you'll defend the girl. With your ability to heal and protect others with your chakra….you'll be best suited to keep Molly safe." Shikamaru informed in a serious tone.
Naruto smiled and nodded at the order.
"Cool! I love kids!" Naruto said excitedly. "You can count on me, Old Man!"
Hiro was put off at the nickname and showed he slightly disagreed with the decision. This young man in front of him looked of sadness but spoke in happiness… it was confusing.
"I…..don't..." Hiro began to speak but was cut off.
"Don't worry Hiro-San. Naruto is our very best, if he can't defend Molly…then no one could." Ino said sweetly, putting on a big smile.
Everyone looked at Ino with wide eyes and dumbfounded looks except Sakura, who gave Ino a sly smile, and Sai, who acted oblivious.
'Did she just compliment Naruto!?' Shikamaru and Choji thought simultaneously, continuing to stare at Ino. 'Ino doesn't compliment ANYONE!' they thought again.
Naruto looked at Ino with a slightly open mouth and disk-sized eyes.
'Ino just complimented me….. Since when the hell did she compliment me!?' Naruto thought to himself.
Ino turned to look at Naruto, who was giving her a strange look. She blushed slightly at the attention and turned her face away in an embarrassed pout.
"S… stop staring at me idiot!" Ino said quietly, crossing her arms and huffing.
The group slowly turned their attention back to Hiro with open mouths and shock stricken expressions. Hiro smiled at the girl's words and nodded in understanding.
"Alright… if what you say is true… Naruto may keep watch over my baby girl.
Naruto gave a bright smile and bowed his head slightly.
"I won't let you down, sir." Naruto said in a happy tone, closing his eyes to hide his true emotions.
'Hopefully…' Naruto thought nervously, trying to keep the others from seeing through his smile.
Ino noticed the slight uneasiness in Naruto's posture and gave a slight frown. She leaned in closely next to Naruto's ear, keeping her eyes on Hiro.
"You will do fine Naruto." Ino said sweetly, before leaning back to sit upright on her floor cushion.
Naruto glanced out of the corner of his eye questionably, focusing on Ino's face as she looked away from him with a smile.
'Did she see through my act? But… How? No one has ever seen through it before!' Naruto thought in a whisper.
Ino looked out of the left corner of her eye at Naruto, watching him look at her baffled. She let out a slight giggle and winked. Naruto blushed and recoiled in shock. He looked back at Hiro quickly, causing his hair to shake slightly. A bright pink tint was on his face from being caught staring for the second time. Ino blushed a little as well, also turning her eyes back to Hiro and Shikamaru talking about whatever.
'Idiot,' she thought sweetly.
"Alright, let's get you all to your sleeping quarters," Hiro said calmly as he stood up from his chair. "Please follow Tora and myself into the main house to show you where you all will be staying."
The group nodded and followed the two men out of the bunker and up and outside. The sun was beginning to set behind the famous storm clouds of rain country, casting the land in dark purples and oranges, reflecting off windows and walls. The air was damp with humidity, making it feel very calming despite the destruction all around.
They continued into the main house, gathering into the large main hall just past the entrance to the home. The room was round in shape with two large staircases that were located on each side of the room, heading in different directions in the large home. A large chandelier that sparkled as if it were made of diamonds hung from the high ceiling in the middle of the entrance hall. There was one doorway that was currently open with the wooden doors pushed against the wall. The doorway sat in between the two staircases on the far opposite side of the room from the main entrance.
Hiro walked the group into the center of the large entrance hall and stopped abruptly. Turning his body to face his guests he cleared his throat with a clenched fist over his mouth.
"Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Sakura, and Sai, please follow me up the left staircase where the guest rooms are located. Naruto… I'm afraid you will be separated from your friends… You will be staying on the far opposite end of my home." Hiro said calmly while looking over the group.
Naruto blinked in confusion at this, jutting out his lower lip and crossing his arms.
"Why the hell am I separated from everyone else!?" Naruto asked loudly, irritation in his voice.
Ino also grew irritated as she as well crossed her arms in annoyance.
'Ya! Why the hell does he have to be so far away!?' Ino yelled to herself angrily.
"My daughter's room is located on the far opposite side of my home….I wish for you to stay with her in her bedroom to keep a close eye on here," Hiro stated in slight annoyance at the boy's yelling.
Naruto calmed down at the reasoning and nodded in understanding. Ino just huffed and looked away, irritated nevertheless. Hiro looked away from the group over to Tora who stood next to him quietly.
"Tora, please escort Naruto to Molly's room and get them introduced."
"Yes, Sir," Tora said enthusiastically, giving a bow towards Hiro slowly.
Hiro turned back to Naruto, who was walking forward towards Tora for him to lead the way.
"Naruto, dinner will be served in one hour… I'll send an attendant to fetch you when it is ready."
Naruto nodded in understanding as he turned to follow the slow-moving Tora up the right flight of stairs, as his friends followed Hiro up the left. Winding around the corner once he was past the stairs, Naruto got a good feel of the atmosphere of the home.
It consisted of long, winding hallways that seemed to go on for miles. There were candles lit every few feet attached to the wall on iron holders. The candles did very little to light the large hallway, barely keeping it out of total darkness. The floor was wooden and old, showing its age with every step letting out a shallow creek. The doorways upon doorways that were closed all had the same off-white color and stale looking wood. The hallway's air was thick and unsettling; Naruto didn't like the feel of this home at all. Gave him the heebie-jeebies.
He traveled behind Tora through the dark hallways for the better part of 5 minutes. Naruto glanced over his shoulder every couple of moments just to make sure a ghost wasn't lurking behind him.
"C…can we get there already….I…I'm getting chills!" Naruto said nervously in a shaky voice, glancing over his shoulder again at the empty hallway.
"HAHA!" Tora laughed loudly, making Naruto flinch at the sudden volume change. "You aren't afraid of ghosts now are you Naruto-San?"
Naruto blinked slowly, thinking of how to respond. Naruto put on a fake confident look as he crossed his arms and jut his chin towards the roof.
"O..of course not! G…ghosts aren't real!" Naruto said in a shaky voice, failing to sound unafraid.
Naruto glanced over his shoulder again quickly, swearing he had just heard a faint giggle.
"T…they aren't real….right?" Naruto asked nervously, turning back to face the back of Tora's head.
Tora smiled to himself slightly, keeping his face forward.
"Oh…I don't know if they are real or not…but that shadowy figure behind you is making me think they are." Tora said in a joking tone.
Naruto screamed loudly like a little girl as he jumped around violently, striking a goofy kung-fu pose. He stared down the barely lit hallway…..it was completely empty. Naruto sweat dropped and grew red with embarrassment and anger. Naruto twirled on his heel quickly.
"ARE YOU TRYING TO GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK, OLD MAN!?" Naruto yelled loudly, shaking his arms about in a comedic manner.
Tora burst into laughter as he watched the boy freak out from over his shoulder, never breaking his pace down the hall.
"HAHA! You're too easy to trick, Naruto-San! Now come along, or you will be left in the dark," Tora said in a happy tone, turning to face the hallway once again.
Naruto's face turned blue at the thought of him being left alone in this place.
'Fuck that!' Naruto thought in complete fear, turning and running quickly to catch up to Tora.
The two men walked through the halls quietly for the next few moments before reaching a small purple door. The door was completely out of the blue from the other white doors. The only feature beside the out of place purple was a metal "M" screwed into the door. Tora walked up to it and gave it a quiet nock.
"Molly-Sama….There is a guest here who would like to meet you." Tora whispered through the door.
Shuffling could be heard from the opposite side of the door. The bolt on the door could be heard clicking as it creaked slightly open. Looking down, a small green eye could be seen peering through the thin crack. At seeing it was Tora, the door swung open completely to revel little Molly.
Naruto looked at her with a sweet smile. She was probably seven years old and was around 4 feet tall. She had shoulder length brown hair and bright green eyes. She wore a simple white dress that reached her knees. There was a pink sash at her waist that was tied in a nice bow on her back. Her right hand was covered in bandages, which threw Naruto off a little.
Kneeling down into a squatting position to be on her eye level, Naruto reached his right hand forward to introduce himself.
"Hey Molly… I'm Naruto. I'll be looking after you for a little while," Naruto said in a soft quiet voice.
Molly studied Naruto for a brief moment without saying a word. She had a calm look to her face, like she didn't have a care in the world. She eventually reached with her bandaged hand to acknowledge the hand shake. When their hands where just about to touch a sudden spark was sent off between them, Causing them both to pull their hands away quickly with a shocked expression.
'What was that!?... Static electricity? No…. that was some weird chakra… not static,' Naruto thought to himself curiously as he re-stood from his crouched position.
Molly put her arm back at her side and turned to walk back into her room. She walked her way over to her toy chest and flopped down in front of it. Naruto looked at her curiously before turning to Tora.
"Quiet one, isn't she?" Naruto asked in a whisper so only he could hear.
"Yes… But not for the lack of speaking….it's more…. Well, you'll find out soon enough." Tora said calmly, as Naruto stood there confused. "Now, I must be going. You will be fetched when dinner is ready, so please just relax and unpack until then."
With that being said Tora turned on his heel heading down the long dark hall once again, leaving Naruto standing at the front of Molly's door. Naruto turned back towards Molly, who was sitting on the floor facing away from him, playing with a doll. Entering the room and closing the door behind him, he looked it over carefully.
The room was a standard 4 wall room with bright pink paint all over the otherwise bland walls. There was a single window placed opposite to the door that looked out into a beautiful flower garden. Naruto turned away to look over the rest of the room. There were two single person beds located on the left and right walls from the door. The left had purple sheets and pillows while the other had pink. The window sat in between the two beds, casting the room in a white glow from the moon. A slowly spinning fan on the ceiling moved the air, making the thick humidity bearable. There was a toy chest underneath the window between the beds where Molly currently sat.
Naruto walked over to the left bed, dropping his backpack down onto it. He sat himself on the side, creating a squeak from the springs of the mattress. He watched Molly play quietly to herself a few feet away. She was bouncing a doll on her hands as if her hands were a trampoline. Naruto smiled at her.
'Seems like a sweet kid,' Naruto thought to himself in a calm, relaxed tone.
"Thank you," Molly said in a whisper, never turning away from her doll.
Naruto recoiled from her sudden response, his mouth open and eyes wide.
'Did…She….NAAAAA! There's no way she read my mind, haha!' Naruto thought to himself in a chuckle, as he relaxed back into a sitting position on the bed.
"That's exactly what I did" Molly said again, just as quiet as before.
Naruto's eyes were as large as dinner plates as his jaw hit the floor. His mouth opened and closed slowly as he stared at the playing Molly. Naruto jumped to his feet and pointed his finger at the back of her head.
"YOU CAN READ MINDS!?" Naruto yelled loudly, causing Molly to flinch.
Molly turned to look over her shoulder, looking at the bewildered man behind her lazily. She looked at him pointing at her for a few moments before turning to continue playing.
"Yep." Molly said nonchalantly, beginning to hum a tune to herself.
Naruto continued to look at her in awe.
"That's bull! If you can really read my mind… repeat what I'm thinking!" Naruto said in frustration.
"Fine," Molly responded, sounding uninterested.
'Ramen' –N
"Ramen"-M
'Orange' –N
"Orange" –M
'… Super awesome sexy woman!' Naruto finally shouted mentally.
"Pervert." Molly said quietly, still not looking at Naruto.
Naruto stared at Molly with a wide open mouth and disk sized eyes. He was completely baffled at what to say…(or think). Naruto grabbed Molly's shoulders, picking her up off the ground and turning her to face him. Molly looked shocked from the sudden movement and being held in the air.
"HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT!?" Naruto yelled in frustration. "Some kind of jutsu!?... Or maybe it's all just a trick!?"
Molly looked at Naruto with half open eyes, still not showing the slightest bit of interest in what was going on. With a quiet sigh, Molly rolled her eyes.
"Put me down and I'll show you." Molly said in an irritated voice.
Naruto promptly put the young girl down back onto her own feet. He sweat-dropped at how he freaked out and patted the girl on the head nervously.
"Ok… how do you do it?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms and studying the girl.
Molly began to unwind the bandages that were located on her right hand. Letting the wraps fall to the floor, Molly opened her now bare hand revealing…a mark…..a tattoo more like it. Naruto leaned in with his hands on his knees to better inspect the marking.
It was a black flower, roughly the size of a quarter, in the middle of her palm. It was…..just like Naruto's Sun Tattoo he got from the sage. Naruto looked at it in awe as Molly spoke up.
"I got this mark on my hand a couple years ago. An old man gave me a high five in the forest when I was out playing….and it's been there ever since. If I put some effort and focus my …chakra is what Daddy calls it…I can read the person's or persons' minds who are around me. It's a weird thing….but I like it." Molly said quietly, looking at her mark as she wiggled her fingers.
Naruto looked from Molly back to his own taped hand quickly, trying to understand what all of this meant.
'That's….just like my tattoo….and this old man…..did the Sage give her this ability just like he had mine?' Naruto thought quickly, a thousand different thoughts running through his head.
Molly reached down and picked up her bandages. She began to rewrap her hand quietly, while Naruto continued to stare at her. Molly finished wrapping her hand and looked up at Naruto with concern in her eyes.
"Do you… think I'm a freak now?" Molly asked quietly, turning her eyes to the floor in front of Naruto and herself.
Naruto blinked in confusion as to why she would ask that. Naruto crouched down again so he was head level with Molly. He looked at her closely, seeing how sad she had suddenly gotten.
"Why would you think I thought you were a freak?" Naruto asked in a whisper.
Molly's eyes began to glisten as tears threatened to fall from her downcast eyes.
"Because when I show other kids I can read their minds….they call me a freak and tell me to get away. I spend all my time in my room because all the other kids who are family of our guards say they hate me….I don't have any friends because of it," Molly whispered in a whimper, trying to hold back her emotions.
Naruto smiled sadly at the girl, knowing all too well how she was feeling. He reached forward and unwrapped his own hand, allowing his orange bandages to fall to the floor. Molly turned her face slightly up to see what Naruto was doing.
"I don't think you're a freak, Molly…I actually think your power is really cool." Naruto said softly, as the last of his bandages fell to the floor. "Because….I'm just like you…"
Naruto opened his clenched hand to revel his quarter sized Sun tattoo. Molly looked at it in awe and glanced back to the smiling Naruto. Her eyes went wide as she studied the simple marking.
"Y…you have one too?" Molly asked quietly as she glanced at her bandaged hand and back to Naruto. "S…so you can read minds too!?"
"HAHA!...No…I can't read minds, Molly….the abilities of my mark are a little different from yours," Naruto said in a soft whisper as he clenched his fist slightly.
Molly looked at Naruto in complete fascination, she had never met someone who was like her. She felt like her whole world just opened up to her.
"What are your mark's abilities, Naruto-Sama?" Molly asked sweetly as she bent down and picked up Naruto's bandages from the floor.
'Sama… huh?' Naruto thought in a sweet whisper, smiling widely at the girl's recognition of him.
"My mark allows for me to heal people who are badly injured….it allows me to protect my friends…and since I'm a ninja, it gives me some cool other perks," Naruto said in a happy tone, gladly taking back his bandages Molly handed to him.
"That's super cool!" Molly said excitedly, sounding happy for the first time since meeting her.
Naruto began to rewrap his hand and arm as Molly stood in front of him quietly. She had a huge smile on her face and a glint in her eye that had been absent before. She then grew a slight blush on her cheeks and turned her eyes to the floor again. Once he finished wrapping his hand and arm, Naruto looked up and noticed Molly's sudden shyness.
"What's wrong?" Naruto asked in concern, allowing his eyes to soften at the young girl.
Molly held her hands behind her back as she moved her left foot in a small circle in front of her. She kept her eyes on the floor, but Naruto could still see the slight blush on her face.
"N…Naruto-Sama…..since we are both alike….will you be my first friend…?" Molly asked sweetly in the way only small children could.
Naruto grew a soft and loving smile on his face, turning his head slightly to the side.
"Well, of course! Us freaks have to stick together, right!?" Naruto said confidently, throwing a thumbs-up her way. "From this moment on, you and I are friends, Molly."
Molly flicked her head upwards quickly and stood like a stiff board. Her face showed complete shock, not expecting Naruto to say yes to her request. Her face slowly relaxed as a huge smile crept to her face. The corner of her eyes glistened with the threat of tears. Molly leapt forward and embraced Naruto, almost knocking him over from his crouched position.
"YAY! My first real friend!" Molly yelled loudly in excitement as she let go of Naruto and began to jump up and down in front of him. "We are going to play dolls, and dress up, and have tea parties, and play hop scotch and…."
Naruto looked at Molly sweetly as she continued to name off all of the things they were going to do together, moving his eyes up and down to keep up with her constant bouncing. He didn't mind at all making this girl happy… If it meant he could save another child from going through his childhood… he'd do anything. Molly was suddenly cut off from her joyous talking from a knock at the door. Swinging the door open, a young woman stood in the doorway wearing a formal maid's uniform.
"Molly-Sama, Naruto-San, I have been told to fetch you for dinner." The maid said politely as she bowed. "Please follow me and I'll escort you to the dining room.
Naruto stood up from his kneeling position next to Molly and nodded to the young woman. He was about to step forward before Molly dashed forward and out the door.
"Come on Naruto-Sama! Dinner will get cold with you moving that slow," Molly mocked from over her shoulder as she disappeared down the dark hallway.
Naruto and the young maid chuckled to themselves as they made their way out of the room.
"Sorry about Molly, Naruto-San…she is usually very quiet. She must be having a really great day to be this happy today," the maid said softly as she continued to walk in front of Naruto.
"Don't worry about it… She's a sweet kid." Naruto said happily as he walked behind the maid with his hands behind his head.
'But If Molly has a mark on her hand like mine…Then Sasuke and I weren't the only ones to be given a power by the Sage of Six Paths.' Naruto's face fell into complete seriousness. 'The man Molly met in the woods was undoubtedly the Sage… but why did he give a power to Molly? She's just a little girl…not a ninja…..but the better question is…if Molly has a mark….how many more are out there? I thought I was the only one left after Sasuke died.'
Naruto walked slowly behind the maid through the long dark hallway, dropping his hands at his side as his eyes focused.
'Whatever this all means….it's definitely….going to be interesting… ill have to ask Molly some questions later'
Naruto let the deep questions fall from his mind for the moment as he put his smile back on and cleared his mind on his way to dinner.
END CHAPTER 5