Miru Koto nai
Sakura Hanamoto
Chapter 10: Kazoku – Family
The party approached the gates of Konoha. It was early in the afternoon, but the summer heat pressed down on them. The two chuunin standing guard lazed about, not really paying attention to what was going on around them. Izumo and Kotetsu sat at the desk, playing a game of tic-tac-toe with their kunai. They jumped when a voice floated by them.
"Ahem," they looked up to see Hatake Kakashi's eye smiling down at them. The both grinned sheepishly. Busted.
"Oh! Kakashi-san! You and your team are checking in?" Izumo asked, recovering quickly.
"What do you think?" Kakashi muttered sarcastically. "And, he'll be needing a pass." He pointed to Haku.
"Right," Kotetsu pulled a thick binder out from under the desk and quickly flipped to a page that was labeled two and a half weeks ago. Finding Kakashi's name, he quickly wrote down the day's date before flipping to one of the front pockets. He signed his name and handed the small bit of paper to Haku.
"Enjoy your stay here in Konoha," Izumo said as the group walked away.
"Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, you guys are now off duty," Kakashi said. The three children nodded. "Relax and enjoy yourselves for a couple of days."
"Okay, see you sensei!" Naruto called, already halfway down the street.
"Bye, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said before running down a different street towards home.
"See you," Sasuke muttered before walking off.
"Come on Haku, I'll introduce you to the Hokage. And don't be so nervous, he's everyone's grandfather," Kakashi said.
"What do you mean?"
"He doesn't treat us like weapons; we're his people, the ones he was entrusted to protect. Now that you stand within Konoha's walls, he will extend the same courtesy to you."
"I see," Haku murmured as they continued on down the street.
XxXxXxX
Sarutobi studied the boy kneeling before him. Haku's head was lowered, exposing the back of his neck in complete submission. Sarutobi took a long pull from his pipe and blew the smoke out his nose.
"I would gladly make you a shinobi of Konoha, Momochi Haku," Haku looked up expectantly. "However, it is not my decision alone." Sarutobi didn't miss the slight disappointment in Haku's eyes. "I shall call for a council meeting immediately." Haku nodded.
"Thank you for this opportunity, Hokage-sama," Haku whispered.
"I have one final question before you go, I was not aware that Momochi Zabuza had a son, could you explain please?"
"Zabuza-san took me under his wing when I was child. He raised me, and he might as well be my father. I have taken his name in honor of his death," Haku replied.
"I see," Sarutobi shifted some papers on his desk for a moment. "Kakashi, I will send a message once the council is assembled. Until then, I trust that you can keep an eye on Haku."
"Yes sir," Kakashi responded. Haku rose from his position and followed Kakashi out the door. They left the tower, and Kakashi turned to the boy.
"Go ahead and acquaint yourself with the village, I have some business to take care of at the moment," Kakashi said. Haku nodded, and set off down a random street, already mapping everything out.
XxXxXxX
Over the smells of the stall, Hinata easily picked out a very familiar one that was approaching quickly. She braced herself, and a moment later, she was pulled from the stool she was perched on, and enveloped in a tight embrace.
"I missed you Hinata-chan!" Naruto cried, holding her tightly.
"I missed you too, Naruto-kun," she gasped out. Hinata was beginning to turn red at this point.
"Careful Naruto-kun, I don't think Hinata-chan can breathe," Ayame told him.
"Oh, sorry Hinata-chan," Naruto muttered, letting go of her.
"It's okay Naruto-kun," she told him with a smile. Hinata reached out slowly, her fingertips brushing his cheek. Her other hand came up, and landed on his shoulder. Hinata could feel Naruto lean in to her touch. She felt the additional material and followed it down between his shoulder blades, and then up the sheath of the nodachi. Her fingers caressed the hilt and she tilted her head in confusion. She felt a small amount of chakra leek from the blade, and she pulled her hand away, as if she'd been shocked. "Naruto-kun?"
"What is it Hinata-chan?" he asked.
"This weapon, what is it?" she asked him.
"A nodachi, I got it during my mission," Naruto told her.
"Oh," Hinata let her hands fall to her side. Naruto felt a bit colder now that her arms were no longer wrapped around him.
"Hinata-chan, your order is ready," Ayame said, breaking the silence. Hinata found her stool and hopped back on it. Naruto joined his friend at the counter and ordered a bowl of miso ramen. The two ate in an uncomfortable silence. Though it'd been no more than two weeks since Naruto had been gone, it felt like an eternity that had kept them apart.
"How have you been, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked.
"I'm fine, but the clan council doesn't want me to spend my free time with you," she told him. Naruto frowned, but said nothing. "And, I have no intention of following their wishes. You are my friend, and they can't stop me."
Hinata grinned, and Naruto couldn't help but smile back. The tension between them melted and Naruto hopped off the stool.
"Let's go visit Iruka-sensei," Naruto suggested. "I missed him a lot too." Hinata nodded and fell into step next to her friend.
"How have things been going here?" Naruto asked her.
"Boring," Hinata answered.
"That bad huh?" Naruto grinned. "Well, now that I'm here, maybe things will liven up a bit."
"Nope. You're not the reason things will be getting exciting around here," Naruto halted when Iruka appeared behind them.
"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto spun around and hugged the man around the middle.
"I'm glad you're safe Naruto," Iruka said, ruffling his hair. Naruto let go and bounced up and down on the balls of his feet.
"What do you mean by that sensei?" Naruto asked.
"The Chuunin Exam is taking place here, other genin like you two will be coming from all over the continent to participate in it," Iruka explained.
"Wow, that's so cool!" Naruto grinned.
"It gets pretty hectic, the only shinobi that aren't helping out in some way are us Academy teachers. We're stuck teaching while everyone else gets to do the fun stuff," Iruka told them. "But maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get a few days off to see it for myself."
"Will we be in it too?" Naruto asked.
"That's up to your teachers to decide, Naruto. I'm sure Kakashi-san will enter your team in it," Iruka said.
"Do you think Kurenai-sensei will let us participate?" Hinata asked.
"It's likely, the three of you are strong, I'm sure you can do it," Iruka said, wrapping an arm around Naruto's shoulders. "So son, how was the mission?" He asked.
Naruto halted. His eyes wide and staring. A lump curled up in his throat, and breathing suddenly became difficult.
"Naruto?" Iruka watched the boy worriedly.
Son…
That one single word was the only thing that Naruto seemed to be able to hear. He wanted to say something, anything, but he was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to do? What did a boy say to his father in this kind of situation?
Son…
It was so overwhelming, this feeling. What feeling was this? It felt like something was tugging at his heart, compelling him to move forward. It tugged and squeezed, but it wasn't uncomfortable, it felt wonderful. It made him elated, like the urge to hop and click his heels together. Naruto felt a prickling at his eyes and his vision swam with unshed tears.
Son…
For so long, he'd wanted someone to call him that. For years, he'd yearned for a father. Like everyone else's who picked him up when he fell, and taught him the family techniques once he was old enough. To smile and tell him how proud he was to call Naruto his son.
Son…
Kyuubi remained silent, and retreated, allowing Naruto a moment alone with his thoughts and emotions. He knew that Naruto needed a father figure, and Umino Iruka was the only one that could fill those shoes.
Finally, at long last, the tugging at his heart became too much, and Naruto launched himself at Iruka. The tears that had been threatening to spill now flowed down his cheeks.
"Iruka-'tou-san!"
Naruto hugged the man around the waist, and buried his nose in Iruka's chest. Iruka hugged him back. They stood there for what seemed like forever, not caring who saw. Iruka was his father, and that's all Naruto cared about.
Ayame stood with her father watched the happy scene. Hinata smiled, knowing that her best friend was finally getting the happiness he deserved. Iruka held Naruto out at arms length and looked him over.
"Now, you are going to tell me everything about that mission of yours. I was worried sick about you," he ordered.
"'Kay," Naruto nodded, wiping the tears from his face. Hinata suddenly felt like she was intruding. She silently slipped away, knowing that Naruto and Iruka needed to spend some time together as father and son.
XxXxXxX
Kakashi knocked on the door, hoping someone was home. That retired ANBU Naruto had spoken of lived here in one of the more affluent apartments of the village. Being a retired ANBU certainly had its perks.
He could remember this man, Morikubo Takeshi. For having been part of Konoha's elite, he was fairly unremarkable. He didn't have any especially outstanding skills. The only thing that got him into the ANBU was the fact that he'd simply managed to pass the test.
There were two ways to become an ANBU. The first, and the one that occurred most, was if an extraordinary jounin or chuunin was asked by a veteran - someone who'd been a part of the ANBU for at least four years. Kakashi had been approached a week after the mission that took Obito's life. He had only accepted because it would keep him out of the village, and away from the Uchiha clan. They'd wanted to remove Obito's eye, claiming that he had no right to use it. The only reason he'd avoided it being removed was his Sensei's influence, and convincing them that the Sharingan could never be passed to any of Kakashi's progeny.
The second method to enter the ANBU was a test. This test was far more grueling than the Chuunin and Jounin Exams combined and quadrupled. Very few survived it, let alone passed.
Kakashi sighed. It would seem the man was not in. He turned to leave when the door opened.
"Can I help you?" a rough voice asked. Kakashi turned to look at the man. He leaned heavily on a cane, waiting impatiently for Kakashi to speak.
"Yes, are you Morikubo Takeshi?" Kakashi asked.
"Yeah, is there something you needed, Hatake-san?"
"I need to speak to you about a student of mine," Kakashi said.
"All right. Come in," Morikubo moved aside and let Kakashi in. Kakashi didn't bother taking in his surroundings as he was led to the living room. He sat down and waited for Morikubo to get comfortable.
"To be honest Hatake-san, I'm not aware as to who your students are, besides the Uchiha boy," Morikubo said.
"This isn't about Sasuke. This is about my other male student, Uzumaki Naruto."
"That demon brat?"
"During our last mission, he was forced to make his first kill. He was absolutely horrified by it. When I spoke to him, he told me of a retired ANBU who had come to the Academy to speak to the students there," Kakashi said. Morikubo was beginning to look nervous.
"To my own shock, he informed me that he was expected to love killing. He told me that he felt as if his hands were stained in their blood, and he desperately wanted it to go away," that of course was a lie - Naruto hadn't said anything along those lines - not that Morikubo knew that. "He gave me your name, because when you spoke to him two years ago, Naruto was not yet aware of his status as the Kyuubi's jailor."
Morikubo shifted, hoping, praying that he wouldn't get in trouble.
"I can take you right nowto the Hokage for breaking the law. But that isn't nearly enough punishment for frightening an innocent ten year old. Have you any idea what sort of psychological affect that could have had on him? He told me never ever wanted to kill again just so that he would never have to feel blood on his hands."
"Surely you don't believe that demon!" the other man cried. He cowered when Kakashi pressed a kunai to his throat.
"If you call my student a demon again, I will ensure you will never be able to walk again. Naruto has worked hard just so that his own team will acknowledge him. I will not have you or any one else cause him problems. Do you hear me?"
"Yes!"
"Good," Kakashi whispered with a glare. "Now, let's go pay our Hokage-sama a visit, shall we?"
With a flick of his wrist, Morikubo was unconscious. Kakashi picked him up and slung the man over one shoulder and carried him out of the house.
XxXxXxX
Sarutobi pinched the bridge of his nose. So far, he couldn't get the other elders to agree on what to do with Haku. He didn't mind taking the boy in, one more powerful ninja for them. Never mind he was a criminal in Kirigakure.
"We will allow him to join our shinobi ranks, however, the fact that he is the last of his clan, and is in possession of a kekkei genkai –"
"He will not be forced into marrying at such a young age. Haku is still just a child," Sarutobi interrupted. "Nor will you decide who he will marry. He will have the option of marriage once he is of age, and he may choose who his bride will be. He will not be turned into breeding stock."
"We will do as you request Sarutobi, but only as long he is integrated into the ranks appropriately," Homura told him.
"Haku will be tested for that, based on the report given to me by Kakashi, he may be a high level chuunin," Sarutobi said. "Now, this meeting is adjourned."
The three others left the room, leaving Sarutobi with his thoughts.
"I'm getting far too old for this," he murmured. "I'd better decide on a replacement soon."
XxXxXxX
Naruto had never met a team as strange as Team Gai – his own team being the exception of course. There was Hinata's cousin, Neji, a bit like Sasuke in the general behavior department. He was cool, aloof, but he didn't have the look of a tortured soul like Sasuke did. Then, Tenten, who loved weapons and sharp pointy objects just as much as most of the girls loved thinking about boys. And lastly, there was Rock Lee. Naruto could only think of one work to describe the older boy: spandex.
He'd gone to Hinata's to see if she wanted to help him with his training, only to find the other team congregated at the gate. He'd brushed passed them, only to be grabbed by the back of his shirt by Tenten. The girl had reached for the sword strapped to his back, but he quickly pushed her hands away.
"You don't want to touch that," he warned. Tenten didn't quite understand what he meant.
"Can I at least see the blade?" she asked. Naruto shrugged and reached for the hilt. The ribbons unwound and the long gleaming sword was revealed. She stared at it in complete and utter awe. "Where did you get this?" She asked.
"Um, Wave Country, but it's originally from Mizu no Kuni," said Naruto.
"The craftsmanship is amazing. I imagine the balance on it is pure perfection," Tenten carefully ran a finger down the blade. "It's in perfect condition, not a single nick or scratch on it!"
Naruto was stunned by her review of it.
"But the question is: can you use her the way she was meant to?" Tenten asked, looking up at Naruto.
"Well, I don't really know how to handle a katana in general –"
"BLASPHEMY!"
Naruto jumped at the girl's yell.
"To have a weapon as beautiful as this in your possession, and not know how to use it! Such a thing should be a crime punishable by death!" Tenten declared. Naruto glanced at the two boys, hoping that an outburst from the girl like this was a normal occurrence.
Lee looked like he was about ready to burst into tears, while Neji just looked a little perplexed. Realizing that Lee wasn't exactly the greatest person to trust at the moment, he decided that Tenten's behavior was in fact, very much out of the norm.
"Oh! Tenten, at long last, you have shown your true youth!" Lee cried, rushing the girl wrapping her in a tight embrace.
Tenten protested, but Lee didn't let go, in fact, he squeezed her even harder.
"L-Lee! I can't breath!" Tenten cried, trying to pry his arms loose. Neji tried unsuccessfully to get Lee to let go but it was a lost cause. When the boy finally released Tenten from his grip, she sank to the ground to catch her breath. When Tenten finally regained her bearings, she stood up and fixed Naruto with an intense stare. "I can teach you how to use this beautiful weapon." She said.
"You wouldn't mind?" Naruto asked her.
"I consider myself a master of all weapons; it is my duty to do it."
"Okay then, when do we start?"
Tenten grinned, she couldn't wait. "Tomorrow morning at dawn," she declared. Naruto groaned; he'd never be able to get up that early.
"Naruto-kun?"
Naruto swiveled around to see Hinata standing under the gate.
"Are you ready to go Hinata-chan?" he asked her.
"Yes, where would you like to go?" Hinata asked.
"Usual place, need to go check on it," Naruto replied, plucking the backpack from Hinata's shoulders. He slung it over one shoulder and took Hinata's hand. "Let's go!"
"Okay. I will see you later Neji-'nii-chan," Hinata said, facing her cousin.
"Be careful Hinata," Neji said. Hinata nodded and headed off with Naruto.
XxXxXxX
They lay in the grass, basking in the warm sun and cool breeze. The intense training session left both Hinata and Naruto exhausted and hungry.
"I packed some lunch for us in the backpack," Hinata said. She reached over Naruto and pulled the bag over. Opening it up, she pulled out two lunch boxes. "Here you go Naruto-kun."
"Thanks Hinata-chan," Naruto said with a smile. He opened the lid and took the chopsticks from Hinata's hand. Taking a bite he grinned. "This is really good Hinata-chan!"
"Really? Mother helped me with it," Hinata said. She was blushing brightly.
"You made this? Wow!" Naruto sounded thoroughly impressed. Hinata smiled, glad that Naruto was enjoying the food she had made. She'd been nervous, cooking without being able to see the food on the stove, but her mother had helped her with that, she'd done most of it herself.
"Thank you Naruto-kun."
Hinata's blush intensified. How was it that Naruto could make her feel like she was the only person that existed? It was an amazing feeling. They finished eating and Naruto packed everything up.
"Time to head back?" he asked. Hinata nodded, and Naruto pulled her to her feet. He lifted the backpack and they headed back to the village.
XxXxXxX
Himawari kneeled on the floor going through all of her old shinobi gear. She missed the life, the adrenaline and excitement it gave her. Unfortunately, complications during her pregnancy with Hanabi had rendered her unable to use large amounts of chakra. As a member of the Hyuuga clan, being able to use all of her chakra was important, and so she was forced into retirement.
She lifted her old jacket out of a small chest in the closet. It was still in perfect condition. The woman couldn't help but smile, she knew that it would be a perfect fit for Hinata now. Setting it aside, Himawari next pulled out her most prized possessions. Two beautifully crafted blades. They were sheathed in simple leather sheaths. She pushed up the sleeves of her kimono and carefully strapped the sheaths to her forearms.
Himawari rose and with a flick of her wrists and a small burst of chakra the blades were released, slipping into her grip easily. They sliced through the cloth of her sleeves and she slipped into a basic Jyuuken stance. Taking a deep breath, she slashed with her right arm, and then came up with a low strike with the left. She spun, her long hair swirling around her, the blades singing through the air.
She slipped down low and came up in a pirouette. The blades spun in her hands and she stabbed at two invisible opponents behind her. Himawari was so concentrated on her deadly dance that she didn't hear the bedroom door open. Himawari spun on the ball of her foot, kicking out high before coming back down, and crouched down.
As she came back up, the blade came to rest against the flesh of someone's neck. Carefully pulling away, she straightened and opened her eyes to see her husband watching her. Hiashi's arms encircled her waist and he pulled her close.
"It has been a long time since I have seen you move so beautifully," he whispered into her ear. Himawari slid the blades back into the sheaths and hastily removed them from her arms and put them away.
"Has it?" she asked. She pulled him towards the bed. "Perhaps, you would be interested in a different kind of dance."
"I wouldn't be adverse to that," Hiashi said as he pushed her down onto the bed, giving her a once over with his eyes.
XxXxXxX
Naruto sat bleary-eyed as he watched the sun rise. There was no way he'd be able to get up every morning before dawn. It'd be impossible, but very worth it. He sat up straighter when he heard Tenten approaching. She had two staffs slung over a shoulder, and looking far too cheerful for the ungodly hour.
"Mornin'," she called to him. Naruto simply groaned. She huffed a sigh. "Wake up; we've got a lot of ground to cover."
Naruto stood up and stood in front of her, waiting.
"What first?" he asked.
"First, warm-ups," she said, putting both staffs down. Naruto stifled a yawn and began to perform his warm-ups. After a vigorous run that woke him up Tenten tossed him a staff and picked up the other for herself.
"We're not going in to jump into fighting with any kind of sword just yet; you need to adjust to holding such a long weapon first. So, we're going to start with these."
Tenten showed him how to grip the staff properly and checked his stance.
"Your feet should be shoulder length apart," Tenten lectured, tapping his left calf with her own staff. Naruto shifted his leg into the right position. She moved to stand beside him and demonstrated a high strike.
Naruto then copied her and she corrected his movements.
"Today we'll just work on the three basic strikes; we need to cram in enough of this in a week."
Tenten worked Naruto until it was time for each of them to go and meet their teams. So, Naruto headed for Team 7's usual meeting spot, his staff resting on one shoulder as he walked.
Sakura and Sasuke were already waiting for him when he arrived, Sasuke staring off into space, ignoring Sakura. Although she'd lightened up when it came to her flirting attempts, she was still trying to get his attention.
"What's with the staff Naruto?" Sakura asked.
"Good morning to you too," he muttered. "And for your information, the staff is a teaching tool, I'm learning how to wield the nodachi, and it's supposed to act as the training wheels."
"Oh," said Sakura. She blinked and reaching into her hip pouch and pulled out a scroll and unrolled it. She then began to read, occasionally pausing to think over something.
"What are you reading?" asked Naruto.
"A scroll on basic medical ninjutsu, I'm taking sensei's advice and putting my chakra control to some good use," she answered.
"Cool, good luck," Naruto said, giving her a thumbs up.
"Thanks."
There was silence as they waited, Kakashi was late. Again. Sakura finished the scroll and had put it away and began to practice channeling chakra into her hands. She watched as they glowed green, the healing color. Sakura paused in her practice; it was starting to drain on her reserves.
'Need to get some stamina training in too,' she thought.
There was an explosion of smoke and Kakashi appeared, his eye smiling at them.
"It's about time!" Naruto groused.
"I have a valid excuse this time –" Kakashi began.
"We don't want to hear it!" all three students roared. Kakashi chuckled at their antics. Even Sasuke had joined in this time.
"So I take it none of you are interested in participating in the Chuunin Exams?" he asked. They were silent for a moment before they started to yell again.
"Why the hell didn't you say that?!" Naruto demanded.
"You're obviously insane to think that!" Sakura roared.
"Idiot, who do you think we are?" Sasuke said.
"All right, all right," Kakashi passed out three forms to them. "Look over these, the exam begins on Monday over at the Academy. It's your choice if you want to participate. If any of you feel you aren't ready yet, don't bother showing up. But since I took the time to nominate all three of you, I suggest you take the opportunity to use it as a learning experience."
"So, we just sign this and show up at the Academy on Monday?" Naruto asked.
"That's right, good luck you three," Kakashi said with a salute. He was about to disappear when Sakura stopped him.
"Wait sensei, could I ask you a question?" she asked.
"Sure. You two are dismissed," Kakashi shooed Sasuke and Naruto off. They nodded and headed back into the village.
"Sakura seems like she's serious about being a medic," Naruto commented. Sasuke nodded.
"It's a noble ambition," Sasuke said.
"Hopefully she isn't too squeamish, considering the amount of crap we get into," Naruto chuckled.
"Naruto-'nii-chan!"
"Konohamaru!"
Naruto waved to the smaller boy. Konohamaru was running towards them when he ran into someone turning the corner. He fell over.
"Konohamaru, are you okay?" Naruto asked, helping the smaller boy up.
"Watch where you're going you stupid brat," a voice said. Naruto looked up to see a strangely dressed boy standing there. He didn't look familiar, but the forehead protector sown onto his hood did.
"You're from Suna?" Naruto asked.
"What of it brat?"
"Nothing, just surprised. Most of the foreign shinobi aren't arriving until Saturday."
The older boy shrugged.
"Come on Konohamaru, let's get out of his way," Naruto lead Konohamaru away from the foreign ninja.
"Are you causing trouble already Kankurou?" a female voice reprimanded him. A girl with dirty blonde hair and teal colored eyes appeared.
"No, sorry Temari," the older boy, Kankurou said.
"You'd better not; we don't want to anger him," she said.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Konohamaru had been conversing, Sasuke showing only mild interest in their discussion.
"You're so cool Naruto-'nii-chan!" Konohamaru said, awe lacing his voice. Sasuke easily recognized the tone of worship. He had behaved in much the same way to his own brother years ago. Naruto laughed and scratched the back of his head, unused to such a sincere compliment.
"Where are Moegi and Udon?" Naruto asked.
"They couldn't play today," the smaller boy told him. He looked a little sad that he couldn't be with his friends. Naruto ruffled his hair.
"I'll play with you," he volunteered. Konohamaru's face lit up.
"Really? You don't mind playing with me?"
"No, I never really did when I was your age," Naruto told him. Sasuke chuckled.
"You make yourself sound so old," he commented. "He should be calling you 'old man' instead."
"Shut up Sasuke!" Naruto snapped. "Come one Konohamaru," Naruto turned a corner only to be faced with a pair of jade green eyes. He halted and couldn't help but stare. The boy before him was expressionless, he had dark circles under his eyes as if he never got enough sleep, and a tattoo on his forehead above his left eye. His hair was a dark red that reminded Naruto eerily of blood, and his scent was absolutely saturated with it.
"Naruto! That's a host!"Kyuubi said abruptly. Naruto responded by pushing Konohamaru behind him. Naruto cocked his head to the side, wondering. The boy did have a great deal of chakra, perhaps the level of a Kage in their prime. Cautiously, Naruto held up nine fingers, wondering if the other boy would respond or understand the message.
The blank eyes widened fractionally and slowly he held up a single finger. Naruto nodded in understanding. He then extended his hand.
"Uzumaki Naruto," he said.
The other boy stared at his hand and after a moment, Naruto lowered it.
"Ah, the Ichibi, Shukaku,"Kyuubi remarked. "He appears to have a very thin control over Shukaku. The seal must be unstable. Be careful Naruto. You might be the strongest in terms of sheer chakra levels, but Shukaku was always the most bloodthirsty out of us all."
"Gaara, there you are," the two from Suna approached. Naruto then noticed the Suna forehead protector tied to the strap of his gourd. Temari and Kankurou looked a little nervous around the redhead and Naruto couldn't help but wonder why.
It was clear the three were siblings, their scents although unique each held a similar aspect to it to show that they shared the same blood.
"The Kazekage is expecting us back, we must go," Temari said cautiously. Gaara then fixed his sister with a stare before turning around and walking back. He'd only taken a few steps before he looked at Naruto and his eyes flashed golden. Kyuubi snarled in response.
"Naruto-'nii-chan? Are you alright?" Konohamaru asked him. Naruto looked down at the boy and nodded, plastering a grin on his face.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Come on."
They headed toward the park near the center of the village, Konohamaru chatting happily the whole way there while Naruto only half-listened.
XxXxXxX
Sakura stood in an empty training ground. It was one of the few that had any kind of body of water in it. This particular one had a modest sized pond. Taking a deep breath she lifted her foot and slowly placed it on the surface of the water. Her foot slipped into the water and she pulled it back out. She tried again, adding just a little more chakra than before and this time, her foot rested on the surface of the water. She brought her other foot onto the water and stood there.
Sakura grinned. After nearly three hours she figured out how to do it. Kakashi had been right. She did have the control to master the water walking skill within a day. Taking a deep breath she decided to try walking now.
"Okay, keep a steady stream of chakra flowing, evenly distributed over the entire sole," she murmured. Sakura took a small step forward, and she didn't slip up. Another step and she was steadily approaching the center of the pond.
"Where'd you learn to do this?"
The voice startled her and Sakura slipped in her concentration. With a yelp she plunged into the water. When she surfaced, she spotted Sasuke standing at the edge of the pond. He had an amused smirk on his face that annoyed her. She quickly made it back to the grass around the pond and plopped down next to her sandals and forehead protector.
"Kakashi-sensei taught me how to do it," she informed him. "If I want to become a good Medic, my chakra control has to be even better, and I have to increase my reserves."
Sakura squeezed the water from her hair and then moved on to her clothes. She removed her top, leaving her in a drenched tank top. She quickly wrung out her top and laid it out in the sun to dry. Sakura ran her fingers through her loose hair to shake more water from it before settling down.
"I can see how well you're doing," Sasuke commented sarcastically.
"I was doing fine until you interrupted me," she snarled in return.
"Prove it then."
With a huff, Sakura stood and with confidence stepped out onto the water and walked briskly over it. She came to a stop in front of Sasuke, hands on her hips.
"Well, does it meet your standards oh Great One?" she asked derisively. Sasuke arched an eyebrow.
"I believe it does," he said. "See you around Sakura."
Sasuke walked off, secretly more impressed than he had let on.
XxXxXxX
Himawari patiently adjusted Hinata's stance. So far, Hinata had taken well to the training, her natural grace and flexibility truly showing. The Hyuuga fighting style had been too aggressive, it wasn't a style suited for someone like Hinata.
For her part, Hinata was enjoying herself. She rarely got the chance to spend time with her mother, and the one-on-one training provided a great deal of time for the two to bond.
"Remember Hinata, the correct positioning of your feet is important. Yes, you should feel comfortable, but, if you feel too comfortable then most likely your position is off. If your feet aren't in the correct place, it could cost you your balance."
"Yes mother," Hinata said. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple and dripped off her jaw.
"Now, try again," Himawari told her. Hinata nodded and went from a relaxed stance to the battle stance her mother had been teaching her.
"Perfect," Himawari said immediately. "Take a moment to memorize the feel of your muscles and then we'll take a lunch break."
At the mention of lunch, Hinata's stomach grumbled loudly. Hinata blushed and relaxed. She sat down on the porch beside her mother who handed her some chilled juice and something to eat. They ate in silence for a bit as they enjoyed the feeling of having their stomachs filled after working hard.
"I haven't seen Naruto-kun around recently," Himawari said.
"Tenten-san is teaching him how to use his nodachi," Hinata replied.
"That's generous of her to take time out to teach him when she could be training for the Exams."
"Tenten-san forced him to learn. He didn't even ask," said Hinata. "Mother, do you think I'm ready for the Exams?"
Himawari was startled by the sudden question and took her time before answering.
"Do you think you're ready?" she asked her daughter.
"I don't know. Maybe. I don't feel as confident as I'd like to be. After all, there will be others that are older and stronger taking the Exams as well. I may not be good enough."
"Hinata, there aren't many who pass Konoha's Chuunin Exam the first time," Himawari said. She leaned closer to her daughter. "I'm going to tell you a secret. It took your father two tries before he passed. Not many of the Hyuuga pass until the third try. Only the better ones manage it the second time. And the ones that get it done the first are our best. It won't matter if you can't do it this time, we won't think any less of you."
"Thank you Mother, I feel better now," Hinata said, finishing off her lunch. "Can we get back to work?"
"Of course," Himawari smiled, hearing the determination in her daughter's voice.
'I want to prove that I am strong. The Council might not think so now, but I'll show them.'
I cannot even begin to apologize for taking so long. I don't even know what happened. I started the chapter, and then the next thing I know, I have writer's block for this story, and my other two fics have been distracting me, and school, don't even get me started on that. All I know is that I haven't updated in a year, and I start my first semester of college next Monday and I'm really afraid that this is going to happen again. So please, if you really want me to continue, review, and give me a truly meaningful review. Not just "UPDATE!" That's not a review, that's an order. I update on my own time, though with this story, my own time doesn't seem to be working. If any of you are afraid of me abandoning this story, I have no intention of doing so. I plan on seeing it through to the very fucking end! God knows how long that'll take.
Also, I'm starting a new update schedule to ENSUREthat this doesn't occur again. So here's how it's going to work. From now on, I will update my stories in alphabetical order, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, I'll try to update each story at least once every two-four weeks. This means that between the three fics I'm working on now, MKn will be second. After my Harry Potter fic, and before my crossover. I really hope this plan is a success. As I have the next chapters for the other fics partially done, this one may be up by mid-September. Bear with me, and please don't give up on this. But before I continue further, I have to reread this story arc to make sure I'm doing it correctly.
Thanks for staying loyal to this story. I know what it's like to wait and wait and wait for a story to be updated, but not have it happen. I'm truly sorry for putting you through this. And sorry for the obnoxiously long author's note.