Chapter 10.
As always Naruto is owned by its creators.
Evidently you can always come home again...again.
The make shift Team Seven following orders had started to head home just after the last conflict with the Rock Nin. Having to pass through the Hidden Grass to get home Naruto insisted that they all stay at an Inn for the night rather than roughing out in the woods arguing that they needed their rest after all the action. When the question of payment came up he simply stated that he would take care of it, it was his duty as captain of the team, something that Sakura had scoffed at, but didn't complain much more then that at the prospect of a warm bed for the night. The next morning they had been up with the sun and headed out again, but their pace was nothing like it had been when they were getting to Sasuke.
So three days after leaving the Land of Earth they arrived at the main gates of the Konoha just after two in the afternoon. The weather in the country they came from had been cold and while it had been chilly in the leaf when they left it seemed like the team had brought back much colder weather with them. Above them the clouds darkened threatening snow, but for now it had not come. As the large welcoming gate came into view over the hill on the last bend in the road Naruto felt his heart swell, he was home.
"Finally!" he beamed with his bright blue eyes cast past the heavy wooden entryway to the village beyond, "Thought we would never get home."
"It didn't help that you kept asking Hinata if she could see the gate yet…"Sasuke said from the far side of the line they formed walking the road while they traveled. Keeping the two konochi between the rivals had been quickly decided after the two started to go after one another almost immediately.
"Please!...don't you two start again when we are so close," Sakura intoned having had more then enough of the pair trying to make up for lost time in their rivalry insult fights, "your going to make me regret coming along for this."
"Hmpf..." Naruto said frustrated, did no one else get as excited as him to come home?
Beside him having walked silently for the most part on their last day spending so much time together Hinata just smiled. He sure had asked her at least four times if she could see the gate yet and of course she obliged him each time. Sakura might not be able to handle the silly nature that the blond constantly portrayed around the people of the village, but she knew the true Naruto that lay beneath and she did love the energy he always had anyway. When they had stopped at the Inn back in the Grass village Hinata had a chance to sit down with the other three for a friendly meal, they had all shared stories of the old times they remembered as well as some new ones, she had just sat there smiling happy to be apart of such a family if it was only for the duration of the mission. Now that they were nearing home it had her wondering just what was going to happen. She knew Naruto would be spending a lot more time with her, but after being with him so much over the past couple of days it was almost uncomfortable to go suddenly back to time without him. Still she had her own things to worry about; her family and her Genin after all would still need their attentions. Her team, she would have to talk to Naruto about that before he left.
"Look who it is," Sakura said with a smile breaking out across her features, perhaps because of the sight of the scarecrow of a man waiting at the gate or maybe just at the chance to get away from the group.
"Kakashi," Sasuke said evenly, but not slowing his pace.
By the time they got to the gate they noted that the day guards were off to the side evidently having been told that the older Jounin would handle this group's entry. Kakashi was dressed in his normal fashion mask and all, reading one of his now worn copies of his favorite risqué series. The former team leader had seemed to age much because of the war and because of it had stopped taking many missions outside of the wall of the village very often. He was still renowned as one of the great nin of Konoha, but that didn't mean that he had to flex that muscle much anymore.
Eyes down in his book hardly lifting when they came up to him he smiled in that way he did with just his one visible eye, "Yo."
"What?" Naruto blurted out shaking his head, "We are gone for days on a dangerous mission? One that we got attacked on mind you and even finally brings back Sasuke. All we get is Yo?"
Lifting an eye Kakashi gave Naruto a lazy look, "Welcome home." Then pulled his free hand from his side pocket and held it out to Sasuke who he had leveled his attention upon, "Sasuke."
There was an undeniable moment of hesitation between the two, but the Uchiha lifted his hand to take the one offered to him, "Hello Sensei, long time."
"Back from your trip Sasuke?" Kakashi asked with warmth to his voice that Naruto had not heard him use since he admitted that he felt it was his fault that Sasuke left the village, or at least he felt partly responsible.
"Just like that?" Sasuke seemed shocked eyes widening just so, at the comment from his old teacher.
"Just like that," he said lifting the hand he had used to shake Sasuke's to take the old student by the shoulder, "The Hokage has asked that you and Naruto see her upon your arrival."
"Rig…Right." The dark haired Uchiha managed out at the embrace he got from Kakashi, "Naruto? Let's go."
As the whole of the group started off through the gates Naruto became aware of something suddenly, Hinata was not with them, caught up on the moment of Team Seven finally coming back together he had misplaced her and he scolded himself for forgetting her for even a second. Turning back he saw her, eyes down standing just outside the main gate, so he gave the rest of them a wave saying that he would catch up and headed back to her. Coming back up to her he edged into her personal space reaching a hand out to lightly rest on her right hip causing her chin to slowly raise so that she could see him.
"What is it Hinata?" He asked worriedly hoping that this was not about him leaving her like that, but she seemed to be lost on a different worry.
"Your old team is so close even now, like a little family," Hinata said with a sniffle in her voice that showed just how choked up she was about this whole thing.
Smiling Naruto reached his hand up and brushed his thumb across her cheek stealing a tear that was threatening to fall down it, "Yeah, but is it not the same with your old Team Eight? "
Hinata frowned at his words, but she knew that he was only trying to help, "That is true…"
"What is really bothering you Hinata," Naruto finally asked directly his blue ocean hues pleading with the lavender ones that threatened tears below.
"How can I hope to make that happen, our instructors made it look so easy, but with my team I can hardly talk to them," She sighed softly and leaned into Naruto's jacket reaching a hand up to grasp onto the fabric, "How am I supposed to be their sensei if I can't teach them what they need to know?
It was Naruto's turn to frown at this setting his arms around the girl gently after she moved in closer to him, it was a close embrace that he thought she would never have expressed in public, but this problem seemed to overshadow anything else that mattered to her.
"I am sure it was not as easy for them as you think. Kurenai was a first time team leader when hse got you three there is no way she was not terrified the whole time," Naruto offered hoping to cheer the girl up, "Maybe you just need some practice is all? Something to boost your confidence, it would be like teaching training."
This seemed to get a reaction out of the girl because those pale eyes shot up at him from behind the dark hair that framed her face, "Like what…"
Having not exactly expected to be put on the spot with an idea right away he paused reaching a hand up to scratch the back of his head while he thought.
"Hmm something you are so confident in that teaching someone would be easy for you…," It took him a bit longer then he would have been proud to admit to anyone else he spoke to about this, but when he finally got it, it was perfect, "hey, wait you're a great cook right?"
"People seem to think so…"Said a very worried girl at just what Naruto was planning.
"Well growing up on my own I never really learned to cook anything more than ramen, why don't you come by tonight and teach me to cook something," Naruto said with what could only be described as love in his voice. A chance to help her with a problem and a way to be around her more often it would be perfect, "You could even come over a couple nights a week and teach me to cook other things. It would defiantly help you with teaching your team."
"Yo…You want me to come cook you dinner? Like at your house?" Hinata spoke with a reddened face at the prospect of sharing an evening dinner alone with the blond.
"Well I mean showing me to cook the dinner, but yeah? Unless you don't like the idea?" he said with a hint of sadness in his voice hoping that Hinata would not turn down his plan.
"No! I mean of course I will Naruto-kun, thank you," She said with the normal amount of strength returning to her tone, "What time should I come by?"
Naruto raised his hand to his chin turning his attention over to the backs of the three old teammates that were almost out of sight on their way to the Hokage tower. There was few thing he needed to handle before he could come home that evening after all, but he would be sure to get it all done in time to come back at a decent hour.
"Hmm how about six-ish?," Naruto asked, "I have to go give the report, get yelled at by Granny, and see my student that's in the hospital, but I should be able to get away after all that.
"I have to go home and speak to my father, he will want to know about the mission, and then I will stop by the market to get some things for the meal," Hinata beamed as she released the hold she had on his vest taking a few steps back in the direction of home, "See you then?"
Naruto just gave a small smile and nod already backing up away in the other direction, "Looking forward to it." They would separate for now, but soon enough he would see her again.
With that, Hinata at the sight of the smile she was getting, flushed faintly then turned heading off down the road through the village towards home.
Naruto could almost feel the ribbing he had gotten from the Hokage back when he had turned in the report. The other three members of Team Seven had hung around as long as possible knowing that Naruto was going to get cut into at some point it seemed and wanted to be there to support him, but when the Hokage suddenly told them to leave he knew that such support was not going to be available. He was not surprised as to what Granny was upset about, this soon after another great war, to be stirring the pot with another country was not a good idea. Naruto tried to explain that he had no other choice, but it didn't help his cause much. She agreed that the information about the Rock was foreboding indeed, but that she would send out a team to look into it and get back to him. At least she had agreed to keep him in the loop. What she left him with though was a harsh ribbing over the fact that his student had been given a summon scroll at such an age, he was pleased to understand that the boy had not at least told her which scroll though. Naruto was to turn all his focus, at least for now to his young team, they needed him, and quick because she wanted them starting in on D rank missions by the end of the week. In the end he had promised that they would be ready and he apologized for the situation with the rock village.
Passing through two sliding glass doors he frowned at the hospital he just entered. Having spent so much time here himself it was not a place he liked to visit to often, but if Shuo was here receiving care this is where he should be. After a short stop at the nurse's station he was given the room number with a polite smile, something that would have never happened just a few years ago. Naruto wandered down the hallway with his long red scarf trailing this way and that down his back while he moved. Just why had the boy tried it even though he specifically told him not to? Reaching the door Naruto smiled to himself knowing exactly why the boy had done it, he after all wouldn't have handled it any different.
Pushing open the door to the small hospital room it was one that held two beds, but for now only one was filled with a small Genin bathed in white sheets and a matching robe with eyes buried in a book. Shuo evidently not hearing him come in stuck to the book, but a familiar face that was seated in a chair gave him a welcoming smile.
"Ah Naruto? You're back from your mission so soon?" Kiba stated pushing himself up from his chair a hand already coming out in a friendly greeting.
This caused the boy's eyes to shoot up, but Naruto addressed his friend first taking the offered hand in a firm handshake, "Yep just came directly from the Hokage tower where I gave my report. How's he doing?"
The both of them looked back to the kid that was sitting up in the bed looking expectantly in their direction, "Had him paired with one of our younger pups back at the family compound, he has a knack for it. Shuo told me what you have in mind for him," Kiba laughed at this next part, "Summoning Sage eh?"
Naruto smirked, blue eyes never leaving the brown ones watching from the white bed, "Well the name was his idea at least."
"Well I will let him tell you just what happened, he is welcome back anytime my sister Hana really got a kick out of having him around to help out with the new pups," The feral ninja said with some warmth to his tone as he headed for the still open door, "Which is surprising cause I am still trying to get on her good side…See you later Naruto, Shuo."
Just like that the fanged one left the student and sensei alone with one another in the hospital room, the door closing behind Kiba. The boy looked worried having set down his book on the bedside table that was there for patients. The book was titled something along the lines of the adventure genre, Izumi he was sure, it was good to see the rag tag students hung together. He only wished there had been two other class clowns to stick by him back in the academy, but then again this class was three times its normal size so it made sense to find three in this one. Naruto grasp the chair that Kiba had been sitting in and pulled it across the floor with a loud scrapping sound until it was sitting beside the bed. Turning it all the way around Naruto sat down facing the back of the chair straddling the wood of it watching his student trying to look as "Instructorish" as possible.
"So then Shuo…why don't you tell me what happened while I was gone," Naruto asked calmly trying his best to keep the smile from his face that was fighting to get out.
Shuo seeing that his instructor was not angry enough with him to start yelling or anything stat up a bit straighter in the bed and thought on just where to start the story. Would he want to hear it from when he started with family Naruto had left him with? No that wouldn't work he was sure to already know just what he was going to be trained in having spoken to the family before so it made sense to just start with the part that landed him in the hospital.
Tentatively Shuo started with eyes up demanding understanding from his sensei, "Well everyone in the Inuzuka family has a partner and they are all really cool together. They let me train with some of the unpaired pups at the compound, but it was not like some of the older kids and Miss. Hana with their partners. You gave me that summon scroll and from what you told me they were supposed to be my partner's right?"
"Something like that yes, but you have to earn the respect of the animals of which you summon for them to help you," Naruto said already starting to see where this train of thought was going.
"So I just wanted a partner of my own and you had already given me the scroll. I saw Kenta and Izumi for breakfast one day and they told me they had already mastered a few new jutsu…I had not learned any new jutsu yet….," Shuo looked very disappointed in himself at that fact lowering his eyes
"Well your training was taijutsu with ninja animals you shouldn't have learned any new jutsu while I was away Shuo," the young instructor said with a supportive tone for his even younger student.
"Yeah well…I just didn't want to be left behind. If I could make the summon work I would have learned a new jutsu and I would have my first partner like the rest of the Inuzuka clan. So I had to try it Sensei!" The brown eyes snapped up a firm tone of confidence in his voice, "And I did it!"
Blue eyes widened and Naruto rocked back in his chair somewhat, very surprised at this, "Wait what…you did what?"
Shuo brightened considerably now at the reaction he was getting and would have been jumping around, Naruto was sure if he was not in the bed, "I got it to work! Only took me two tries!"
"That's…,"Naruto gasped at the news he was hearing. How had his student made this work so soon? With the level of chakra control he had it should be impossible, "That shouldn't be."
"But…it did work…" Shuo sounded a bit hurt at Naruto thinking that he wouldn't be able to do it even though he had given him the scroll.
"No,…I just mean that its unusual for someone your age to even have enough chakra to summon anything at all let alone a nin animal," Hand coming up he scratched the back of his gold locks now smiling proudly towards Shuo, "It's a great sign Shuo…" Leaning in for a whisper, "And between me and you I am very proud of you." Though eaning back out Naruto raised an imposing finger in his direction, "But I don't want you trying it anymore until we have had a chance to talk more about chakra control and growth alright? Promise me."
Naruto was proud of him? Shuo nearly came off the bed in his haste to reach the side and wrap his arms around the shoulders of his sensei in his happiness, "I wont I promise!" Falling back slowly into his spot on the bed the boy's usual happy expression was back in a new fire across his features, "Besides I won't have to for a while."
"Just what do you mean by that Shuo?"
Slowly Shuo made his way out of the bed the shakiness in his form while he moved a positive indicator that his chakra reserves were still recovering from attempting to use the summon jutsu, but the boy made it to the window of the room without much help. Opening it up, outside waiting on a limb a small red ball of fur made its way into the hospital room hopping to the seal then onto the shoulder of its young friend. Turning back to Naruto Shuo hobbled back to the bed leaning against the side with a hand up scratching the small red furred fox behind the ears. The small nin animal was no larger than Akamaru when Naruto had first seen him and with all that soft red fur looked far less threatening.
"This is Zek Sensei, he is all I was able to summon," Shuo said almost embarrassed like it was some small feat to only get the tiny animal from the jutsu.
"He is bigger then a tadpole," Naruto grumbled before he caught himself quickly speaking up to the little animal, "Zek is it? Do you know why Shuo here with his low chakra level was able to summon you?"
The little animal looked almost disappointed to give up the pleasure that the fingers were giving it behind the ears, but seemed very up to answering the question that was asked of it hopping down onto the medical bed between them allowing Naruto to see the single red rail that it waved behind its form.
"Of course my Lord," The fox started with an accent that Naruto couldn't quite place, but was sure that he had heard before, "The young Master was able to call on me because our Great Father deemed it so. When Shuo is ready he will need no more chakra then when he used to summon me to summon my brothers. It's a part of the contract that you were given by our Great Father to give to him."
"The Fox lowered the chakra offering for his kind to be summoned?" asked a confused Naruto not knowing any nin animal family to ever lower the amount of chakra that was needed to summon them. He didn't even think it was possible to do. It all mattered on the size of the animal being summoned correct? Evidently that was not true with the foxes.
"That is correct my Lord our Great Father holds a great respect for you and so in turn your students," the little fox Zek rattled out curling up into a small ball on the top of the sheets between them, "Per the contract I am to stay with your student as well and help him with the rest of his summons."
Shuo beamed at this, "he is going to be my partner! Just like the Inuzuka family."
"I see," Naruto started taking this all in. It had not been something he considered when he had the idea to give the kid the scroll, but if Shuo was so excited at the prospect of having a partner like the Inuzuka family he was not going to shut it down, "As long as your family is alright with having a pet I do not see any problem with you keeping Zek long term Shuo."
"They have already been by to see me and I showed them Zek, but the hospital won't let me keep him in the room that's why he was outside," Shuo said sadly while the little fox nodded in turn.
"Let me have a talk with them I am sure they will make an exception for one of MY students," Saying it like it was a big deal to be with him jokingly, "Though they don't let Kiba take Akamaru in here either, but he is a lot bigger then little Zek here."
Naruto lowered his eyes to the little ball of red fluff drawing a grin across his lips while he spoke inwardly.
"Thank you Fox."
"You're students are my students youngling. Zek will help out more then you know."
"I will have to keep that in mind"
"mhm…zzzz…"
Freaking power napper, he was impossible these days, but the power of his assistance was only growing in the life of Naruto it seemed. It had started to extend from the blond to his students. The help he was giving while unexpected was very welcome if Naruto was going to make good on his promise to make his three Genin the strongest. Shuo seemed well on his way if he was already able to summon little Zek, before the exams came around again in a few years he might even be able to handle a second summon contract. They would just have to wait and see how his chakra developed, but Naruto had a few ideas to help out the little sage.
"I want you out of the hospital by the end of the week Shuo, we are going to be starting on missions," Getting up from the chair that he had been straddling Naruto made for the door setting the seat back down where he found it and set a hand on the handle smiling back at the kid, "Think you will be ready?"
Shuo had made his way slowly back into the bed and was now playing with the little Zek in his lap, but at his instructor's words his attention rose and the both of them seemed to steel with a resolve.
"Yes Sensei."
"The young Master will be ready."
Chuckling Naruto opened the door shaking his head, they would have to do something about that Fox's titles for everyone, but out in the hall he made his way down to the nurse's station. After a short chat and explanation of what the animal was to the boy, being sure to mention the size the nurse relented. It helped that now that he had his new station announced that people were treating him with a special kind of respect it seemed, not that he would do anything to abuse it. Passing through those sliding glass doors once more Naruto paused looking up to the second story window where his student was no doubt playing with the small summon animal. Turning his eyes back to the path he smiled headed out. Summoning Sage eh? Maybe.
The clock showed fifteen minutes till six and Naruto was still rushing around the empty home cleaning up. For a home that didn't have any furniture in it he sure could make a mess of it. The living room when he got back had been the first hit because it's where his bedroll had been with scroll paper and ramen take out cups strewn about around it. Naruto had dashed around as quick as he could with a black trash bag picking up odds and ends, checking scroll paper to make sure he didn't need to keep it, even the last of his kunai that he had left behind when he left on the mission. When he finally had the whole place packed up he stole a look at the clock that hung above the kitchen table, the kitchen table being one of the few things that actually came with the house, and sighed. Two minutes till six he came in right under the wire. Inwardly he was scolding himself for stopping off to talk with Konohamaru when he met him in the village on his way home, but he hand not wanted to pass up the chance to chat with the rival about the other Hyuga girl. Konohamaru had thought it rather funny that Naruto and he had similar interests in the families' daughters, but insisted that he really did have feelings for the girl. That's all Naruto really cared about anyway. At the mention of his blond rival copying his signature look with that red scarf of his Naruto defended it quickly as a present from the older Hyuga sister. Konohamaru figured that was a good enough answer.
"Wonder where…" Naruto started just as the clock struck six only to be interrupted by soft knocking at the front door, "And there we are, always afraid to be late."
Up from the chair in the kitchen Naruto crossed the open floor tugging on the tie of his bed pants, having changed into a jet black pair of them along with pulling on his favorite white T-shirt with the orange swirl on it, just after he finally reached home that evening. When he pulled the door open he was greeted to an amusing sight. Waiting there on the doorstep was a large looking brown paper back with legs. Shaking his head Naruto reached his hands out and grasp the bottom of the bag that Hinata was holding and took it off her mind holding it confidently to his side with the whole of his right arm.
"Ah there we are I figured there was a girl behind that bag," Naruto looking to the bag frowned just slightly at the size of it then had to smile at the frustration on the girls face, "You didn't need to get this much stuff Hinata."
"I was in the market and I remembered that you just moved into this place, I didn't know what you had to actually cook with so I picked a few things up. You can consider it a house warming present?" She asked hopeful that he would not be overly put off by her helping him build up his home; even it was only in the kitchen.
Reaching into the bag he pulled out a pan that was sticking out of the top of the pile shaking his head still holding that smile of his, "You really were not kidding when you said you didn't think I had anything were you?"
Hinata watched as Naruto pulled the pan from the large brown bag and flashed her that smile of his that she was seeing more and more of these days instead of that mask of his. It made her feel very special that he was willing to share that with her after all not many people were offered that from him. She tugged on the bottom of her normal white and blue colored sweat shirt and shrugged her shoulders just slightly at his comment though. Was he actually upset over the idea of her trying to help him?
"Well I just thoug-"
"Its perfect, now I can actually cook something instead of going out. All I need now is at least a couch to sleep on. Come on in Hinata," Naruto retreated into the home carrying the bag just leaving her there on the doorstep and already the sound of him in the kitchen taking things out of the bag that she brought him could be heard, "What are these sticks for? They don't look like chopsticks."
Stepping into the entry way of the Uzumaki household for the first time Hinata tried to still her mind that was running in a million directions with thoughts of the scene she was now in. Alone in the home of her love, Naruto, how long had she waited for something like this? No how long had she dreamed it and now he was just casually unpacking the bag she had brought him from the market in the kitchen like it was a daily occurrence. Hinata wished that she would be that relaxed around him. She was having a surprisingly hard time just getting off her sandals to set down near Naruto's own by the door.
Taking the two steps need to get down into the open living room that was devoid of any sort of furniture she called to the kitchen, "I thought we could start with something simple, Yakitori, last time I was here I noticed you had a grill built into the back deck of the house."
Hinata passed his stretched out bed roll that had his pack beside it with the combat pants of his tossed lazily over top. She had noticed the heavy Jounin vest he wore usually now along with to her pleasure the red scarf hanging on the coat rack on the way into the home. Naruto came out of the other side of the living room from the kitchen catching sight of her and frowned heading over to the small fireplace that dominated one of the spaces walls.
"Is it that cold in here? Sorry I didn't really notice." Naruto apologized quickly having not realized the coldness in the air of the home that had to be there from the sight of her jacket. He worked there beside the fireplace with the small stack of firewood he had collected to get a small blaze going to at least warm the room a bit.
"No that's…I…Thank you Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled softly at his sudden quickness to warm the room for her.
"Well I know how you always wear that sweater of yours to keep warm, can I take it for you?" he asked with warmth to his voice after dusting off his hands offering a hand for her coat.
She hesitated at the offer to take her coat at first, but once he raised his hand she was already undoing the zipper on the sweater, "I don't really wear it because I get cold."
Hinata rolled it from her shoulders and tugged free from the sleeves to hand the jacket to him flushing just slightly when he was certain to catch sight of the Team Uzumaki T-shirt she was wearing underneath. She still wore her normal blue baggy pants, but the T-Shirt had been more of something comfortable for her to lounge around in since she got it. She had actually forgotten that she had thrown it on that morning when they began the last leg of their trip home.
"I see you still have the shirt Izumi gave you," Naruto smirked folding the jacket over his arm until he made it over to the rack by the door to set it down beside his own vest and red and black flamed coat.
Hinata looked down at the large block letters filling the words that stretched across the top of the shirt and effectively her chest, but thought of nothing more then how comfortable the shirt was, "I have been using it to relax around the house in. The fabric is surprisingly nice considering Izumi made so many of them."
Motioning for her to follow him into the kitchen he stole a glance to the shirt once more the words of the Fox in the back of his mind from so many days before about thoughts he was having about her. Jirayia would have made some rude remark about her body, Kakashi probably would have giggled like a school girl, but Naruto would have been a fool to at least not admit that she had a great form that she hid from the world. Back in the kitchen with her now though he had set everything out that she had gone through getting him, everything from the food they would need to cook tonight with a little more for later, to dishes and pans were included amongst the collection. When he had seen her with the bag at the door he was worried she might have gone too far, but now that he had it all out on the counters he was sure that she had gone too far.
"Hinata again I."
"You needed it Naruto-kun and I needed it if you were going to help me get over this teaching problem I am having with my students," Hinata said with surprising sternness from beside him.
Smiling Naruto growled playfully at her comment, "Yes Ma'am…. So what do we need to put away and what do we need to keep?"
With a red face from the sound that Naruto made Hinata busied herself by handing him a list with the recipe on it and helped him put all the other things that they would not need away in the cabinets. When she went to put the few cups up that she had gotten for him she paused at the sight of a mug already in the space. It was bright orange with white coloring here and there made of clay that had been glazed over and fired. She remembered the day in school when they had made them trying to train their imaginative mind for genjutsu, Naruto had spent his time making a mug, and it seemed he held onto it. She didn't say anything of it though and quickly moved to finish putting everything away.
When they were done she had him put everything they would need on a certain portion of the counter and spread it out, "Ok lets go over what we have, 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup plus mirin, 4 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and 1 bunch scallions," As Hinata called out each one of the ingredients she watched carefully as Naruto went about measuring them all out with the tools she had bought for him. She had to stop and correct him a time or two, and they lost more then a little bit of the ingredients before Naruto had them all set out, but when they were done she was sure it had been right.
"I didn't realize there would be so much going into this," Naruto frowned looking over his now dirty counter then to the area beside it where he had set aside all the correct measurements of the ingredients, "Do you cook like this at home Hinata?"
"Not very often, our branch family does a lot of the cooking while at home, but when I go out on missions with Kiba and Shino they usually let me do the cooking," Hinata responded with a comfortable tone her attention more to the task at hand then worring about how she looked in front of the blond, "Lets see what do we do next Naruto?"
"Um…" Naruto checked the sheet as Hinata looked on sticking his tongue just out of his lips to the right as he focused on reading the recipe like it was a forbidden jutsu scroll, "Says that we have to combine the ingredients in a pan and let them boil, lower the heat, and let it simmer until the glaze is slightly thickened and glossy, about 15 minutes." Naruto furrowed his brows at what he just read and looked at her confusion in his blue eyes," What's a glaze? Like with donuts?"
Hinata shook her head getting the needed pan for the next step and set it down beside the items Naruto would need to combine with an almost motherly smile, "Well not exactly, you do put it over the food while it cooks."
She watched as he mixed all the ingredients' into the pan and set it on the gas stove over a high heat leaning it over to look into the mixture. It had her thinking of a scene where she had done much the same thing when she was very little, but her mother had to hold her up so she could see into the pan to see everything boiling. The thought that Naruto had never the chance to do anything like that with a family of his own was a saddening thought, but it seemed that it didn't even cross the features of the boy happily watching to see if it was bubbling yet.
"Um…I think it's boiling now Hinata, Right?"
Hinata came over to look over into the pot just like Naruto was and seeing that it was indeed boiling in she smiled and set it down to a low heat, "Now we let it simmer for fifteen minutes. While its doing that we can work on the chicken alright?"
Naruto nodded probably somewhat to excited considering this was just a simple meal for dinner they were making and quickly heading back over to where they were working took up a knife to work at the chicken. This was something he could do; he worked quickly while the sauce simmered to cut the chicken into little one inch squares so they could put them on the sticks later. At Hinata's instruction he did the same with the scallions after finishing with the chicken.
"Next we get to put them on the sticks right?" the blond asked excitedly as if the notion of spearing bits of meat and veggies onto wooden sticks was something so foreign to him.
Laughing Hinata just nodded and pushed the wooden skewers in his direction thinking it better to not get in between the Foxy boy and his skewering, but when she moved the little bit away that she thought was safe she caught a frown from him.
"You want to do one?"
"Of course," Hinata said taking the offered skewer then shifted to stand shoulder to shoulder with the boy working diligently to fix the kabobs before the sauce would be done.
When Naruto finished his own sticks it gave him a chance to watch Hinata working quickly to finish her own, the girl was humming, and looked very pleased. It was a side of Hinata that he had never seen before. She was so in her element and it had him wondering if she had ever considered giving up the idea of being a ninja to just cook full time. Though there was another image that it reminded him of, one that he had pictured plenty of times before, that is what it would be like to have a mom around to cook for him. Not that he thought of her like that, but the image was there, she just fit it so well and it was nice is all.
"What are you humming?" Naruto asked getting a shocked reaction from the girl causing her to nearly drop her skewer that she was finishing up.
"Oh I am sorry I didn't realize that I was," Hinata said extremely quickly hiding her eyes down to finishing off the stick.
"No, I liked it," Naruto said a bit disappointed that the expression of the girl had changed so suddenly back to the mask he was starting to understand that she wore herself all the time, just like him.
"Really?" She asked almost afraid to believe him.
"Yeah it sounds nice, welcoming almost, and you look so relaxed when you're doing it," He explained hoping to get her to return to that look he was so happy to of captured a second ago in his memory.
Moving away now done with her own sticks she checked on the sauce stirring it once and even reached her hand into it to check with a lick of her finger. Blinking Naruto watched trying to understand why the sight of that had some sort of effect on him shifting where he stood to get back the uncomfortable nature of it. Coming over beside her he mimicked the action and reached down into the pan to give it a taste of his own sucking on his index finger.
"Almost done?" He asked not really knowing what it was supposed to taste like.
"Mhm, lets get this and the sticks and take them out back to the grill now alright? I will get the sticks," she offered already picking up the plate that they had set them all on leaving him to carry the saucepan along behind her outside onto his back deck.
Outback the sun had started to set over the wall of the Konoha village and they were just in time to enjoy it. They both set down their armfuls on the stand beside the grill that was build into the back deck and admired the sunset. Hinata lingered longer then Naruto did gazing towards it, but when he tore his eyes away from it to look to her he didn't think it was wasted time. Naruto carefully worked to turn on the grill to a high heat reaching a hand out over the metal surface to check the temperature of it.
"Now we grill them for ten minutes right?"
"Right, but we put the glaze on during the last three minutes of their cooking," She corrected with a motion towards the brush she had brought out along with the sticks.
Naruto since he was the one learning took it upon himself to turn all the sticks every couple of minutes while Hinata relaxed sitting up on the railing spending her time split between watching the blond so that he didn't burn the chicken and the fading light. Every time Naruto stole a look up at her he could swear that she was about to hum. It was an odd indicator of her letting down her guard, but her face just sort of softened like she was letting a heavy weight off of her shoulders. He wanted so much to be the one to help her with that weight if she would let him.
"Hinata, are you comfortable around me?" He asked the girl who was currently distracted, by the sway of wind affecting a large cherry blossom tree in his back yard.
"Sure I am Naruto-kun, why would you ask something like that?" she spoke softly unable to look directly at him keeping her eyes averted to the back yard.
Having just turned the meat for the last time that it would need to be before they put the glaze on, Naruto made his way around the grill to the railing where she was sitting and set his hands on either side of her form, resting there looking for once at an even level towards her unlike their usual hight difference. Once there he just let his eyes trace up the soft skin that was exposed around the collar of the shirt that she wore up slowly to her eyes that reluctantly turned to meet his own. When she did though his lips curled softly into that small smile he shared only with her and he brushed the side of her leg with the thumb of his right hand through those baggy blue pants of hers.
"I know you are always worried about something Hinata…and you know that I… Naruto never seem to worry about a thing," Pausing he leaned in so that he could press his forehead softly against her own closing his eyes once their skin met, "But you and I know better, I worry just as much as my girl does, but that does not stop me from breaking out and relaxing in moments such as this."
"Naruto-kun I-"She started, but he was not done yet.
"I am not a Hyuga, I am not of your clan, and I am never going to judge you. Somewhere in there under the layers of worry that you are going to mess something up and the expectations you think people have of you lies a Hinata I would love to meet." Tilting his head just slightly Naruto brushed his lips across her own, but didn't press into a kiss. Not only did he not, but he lifted his head just slightly so that he was able to teasingly press a kiss to the tip of her nose that sent her moving back just a hair with a faint blush, "Don't think that I am disappointed in you Hinata, I love you, but I know she's in there and she is the best of you. If it takes a bit longer for me to drag it out of you, I will enjoy every day I get that opportunity."
"Naruto…,"Hinata said breathlessly.
"Yes?" he spoke back with the same tone.
"You're going to burn the chicken."
Blinking Naruto pulled back from her and snapped his attention to the kabobs sprinting over to turn them over quickly so that they didn't char completely on one side raising a hand in her direction, "Saved them! Glaze them now right?"
She giggled as she hopped down from her place on the railing and joined him at the grill, "Yes just take the brush and use the mixture you made earlier to paint the sticks till they are completely covered. Then we just wait the final three minutes."
With a careful hand Naruto lifted the brush and went to work on the food probably looking a fool with the care he was taking with the brush, but he didn't know any better and he wanted it to turn out right after all. Once he was done with one side, he at her instruction flipped them all over and did the other side. That done he set the brush back down and smiled with victory.
"That was not as hard as I thought," Smirking he looked over to her.
"Well, it still has to taste good, but I think it will turn out alright Naruto-kun," she quickly added at the sudden look of possible disappointment that his dinner he made could turn out badly.
Leaving Naruto to watch over the grill incase it suddenly flared up and ruined all his efforts she headed inside to fetch them some plates to eat off of. Once inside though she set the plates down on the counter and watched the boy outside that had his attention so directed at the grill, it was like he thought it was going to attack him. It made her giggle again just at the sight of him, but it also had her thinking to what Naruto had said to her about relaxing her worries. He could go out on a mission like they were just on facing danger and possible death then come home only to battle an evil grill in the same day. It was one of the reasons she loved him, his carefree attitude, and he thought there was some of him within her? Maybe she could try to be a bit more relaxed like he suggested if it was only around him for now. Picking the plates back up she came outside and set them beside the grill to fill for the both of them a smile playing across her lips. She could try for Naruto-kun.
The meal had turned out, to the surprise of Naruto, to not only be edible, but very tasty. It was quickly becoming another one of his favorites. Sure it did help that while he ate it out on the deck Hinata was there to eat with him. So many times Naruto had shared a meal with no one alone in his tiny apartment, but now in the dim night of the evening they shared a good meal with a story or two. He was learning so much about the girl he had overlooked for so long and she had even started to smile a bit wider then she used to around him. She had begun to take what he said to heart. During the meal Hinata had made a comment about how cute he looked trying to eat the chicken off the skewer. It was like he was a wild animal trying to chew the bit of meat off the stick, but when he looked a bit embarrassed she waved her hands quickly and let him know that she liked the sight.
The meal was winding down and the hour was growing late enough for them both to start thinking about her needing to head home, but neither one was going to be the first to say it, luckily though that choice was made for them when a knock came to the door at the front of the house.
"Coming!," Naruto called out from the back deck sure that he would be heard as he got off the railing to head through the house only pausing at the door to inform her of who it was, "That's probably Sasuke, I told him he could crash here for a few days until he finds a place for himself."
Hinata blushed at the sound of the knock interrupting their tender moment and busied herself by cleaning up the plates and such, "Ah...alright...I should be heading home anyway."
She followed him inside setting the plates down on the counter and met him at the door already slipping on her coat again when Naruto finally pulled the door open.
"Taking your time dobe," Sasuke said dryly adding his usual friendly insult to the end of it, but when his eyes caught movement behind Naruto he quickly realized that Hinata was here as well, "Oh…I can come back later?"
"Um…,"Naruto's face reddening at his friends implicating words.
Quick to make it to the doorway Hinata shook her head with a warm smile meant for the both of them, "No, that's fine. I was actually already on my way out Sasuke," Hesitating she looked back to her boyfriend deciding to cross the short distance between them to press her lips to his cheek, her smile turning to one of sweet affection as she backed away from the home, "See you soon Naruto."
The two guys just stood there in the entry way of the home watching Hinata's retreating form until she disappeared down the path back to the village leaving the both of them alone completely.
Sasuke turned back to Naruto first with one of his small grins, "She sure has changed tons since I saw her last what happened?"
Naruto motioned him inside closing the door behind him and showed him where he could hang up his vest shrugging his shoulders just a bit at the question, "She seems to think that I had something to do with it all, but I really couldn't tell you to be sure. Though I can't say I don't like the change."
Sasuke finished pulling off his ANBU vest and hung it up over the hook beside Naruto's Jounin vest where Hinata's own coat had been, knowing that certain changes were probably on the blonds mind more then others. He was welcomed into the main room and realized with a frown that Naruto had not been joking when he said that he had not the chance to get any furniture yet.
Having heard the internal grumble he guessed Naruto motioned to the other side of the sunken living room, "There is some left over chicken Yakitori in the kitchen if you haven't had anything to eat, but I am going to go ahead and stretch out. Been a very long day as I am sure it has been for you."
Naruto true to his word nearly fell onto his back stretching out on his own bedroll that he had put out earlier in the living room with a smile of surprising comfort. He had slept on the thing so many times over the past couple of years that he had actually adjusted to the discomfort of it and grew to like sleeping on the lumpy thing. Sasuke though didn't share the same feeling though cause while he had been carrying a roll with him he just dropped it to the floor, right onto Naruto, just as he headed off to the kitchen to see about this chicken. Naruto was left to cough suddenly as the air was knocked out of his lungs from the drop of the bedroll and begrudgingly pushed it out of the way.
"How did your talk with the Hokage go?"
"Just about as well as could be expected, wants me to stay within the walls of the village for a while, earn back the respect of the elders. Your word that you put in for me went a long way, but it takes more then that to change old stubborn minds," Sasuke said from the kitchen eyeing two left over bbq chicken sticks with interest having never had a chance to eat anything this evening, "Date tonight with the Hyuga girl?"
From the living room Naruto had his hands up behind his head tucked under the pillow that he used for his bed roll listening to the grumpiness in the Uchiha's voice, "Cant imagine why they would have a hard time warming up to you again Sasuke…," Not having to elaborate on to just what he meant, but Sasuke would know that he didn't hold anything against him, "And not really, but I guess you could call it that. She came over and let me cook for her."
In the kitchen there was a sudden choking sound the darker haired boy having just taken his first bit out of the Yakitori at the exact same time Naruto said that he had made it. Choking down the surprise, and the chicken, Sasuke regained himself allowing the shock to pass finding that the chicken actually was not that bad after all.
"She showed you how to make it."
"Well yeah, I don't know how to make it? She was having trouble with getting over a problem in teaching her students, so I figured it might help her get over that."
After a bit Sasuke must have finished the chicken off because he came back into the living room and rolled out his own bedroll beside Naruto's, but laid on his the opposite way so that his feet were by his head and vice versa. He must have more tired then he let on because he didn't even bother to remove anymore of his ninja combat gear when he laid down letting out a tired sigh that the blond beside him mimicked a little later.
"How do you feel now that your home Sasuke?" Naruto asked the sleepiness in his voice evident.
"Not to sure, was gone a long time, but now that I am back most of the villagers look at me like they don't trust me," Sasuke droned back giving a yawn half way through then went on, "Not to different then from when we were kids actually. Just have to get used to it again is all."
Beside Sasuke, Naruto chuckled lowly at that, the villagers had treated them both poorly sure, but in slightly different ways, "Well just have to work at it until they come around, they will come around."
A long silence enveloped the dark room that the two brothers were going to share for a while, but both of them found it oddly comfortable, like they belonged there in that moment in time. After a while though Naruto yawned and broke the code of silence between them causing Sasuke to speak up one last time.
"Naruto."
"Yeah?"
There was a long tired sigh combined with rustling as Sasuke shifted on his bedroll.
"Get some furniture dobe."
Yes Chapter 10 out under the wire before the weekend snuck up on on me. I work weekends is why it would have been a problem. Anyway enough about me. This chapter you find out a little bit more about Shuo getting in over his head and the Naru/Hina relationship takes another needed step forward.
Hope you guys enjoy it. Please feel free to drop a review here or message me straight away.
Fox.