And here's the long awaited Ch. 10. Hope you guys enjoy it. I've been on a writing roll lately. Look for the next chapter of The Melt next. Readers, Reviewers, thank you...Numb by Disturbed.
CHAPTER TEN
Naruto hummed happily as he walked to his class. Yesterday had been, without a doubt, one of the best days of his life. He had a beautiful new girlfriend, the most gorgeous land in Suna, and a class full of spirited, willing young minds to mold. Not much could ruin his mood right now.
He waved merrily to Kari as he walked by and ignored the look of want in her eyes. He liked the woman, but she just didn't have what he wanted in a girl. She'd make some other man happy though…perhaps he should introduce her to Kankurou, with instructions to the man to not be himself.
No one seemed to notice the red wrap on his shoulders, but then again, the Suna citizens seemed to tune out things about him that were abnormal. It was quickly made plain to them how eccentric he was when he arrived over a year ago and they'd taken that with a grain of salt.
He looked around the room and found it empty, no students had arrived yet. He was early this morning, but that gave him a chance to read the letter from Tsunade that Gaara gave to him last night. He hopped on top of the desk and crossed his legs as he tore open the envelope. A pile of letters came out and he smiled. His hand would be sore from writing to his friends tonight, but that small amount of discomfort would be worth it. He pulled a letter with somewhat sloppy writing out and read through it quickly. It was filled with well wishes and spoutings of youth from Team Gai. Neji and TenTen had each scrawled that they wished him the best of luck and hoped to see him again someday.
Lee and Gai had drawn a picture of the two standing with their arms around each other's shoulders, giving the 'good guy' pose in front of a sunset. Naruto smiled and sat the letter down. Those two were too much.
Hinata had written him a very nice letter, filled with well wishes and saying how badly she missed him. Naruto sighed and looked up at the ceiling. If he had stayed in Konoha, Hinata would have been a good girl to pursue. She was kind and giving, and most importantly, tolerant of his foolishness to the point of sainthood. He truly missed her and hoped to see her again one day, if only to talk to her for a while.
Her letters, besides Tsunade's, were always the most descriptive and detailed. He was happy that she was looking for love elsewhere, though she hadn't found it yet. Shino and Kiba were doing great and Kurenai-sensei was struggling to raise her child, although all the students helped her out, particularly Shikamaru. He felt it was his duty to Asuma-sensei…
Ino and Chouji helped where they could, but sometimes they faltered and Ino was easily led to depression. Hinata took it upon herself to help others and Naruto knew that his friends would all be fine under her watchful eyes.
His last letter was from Tsunade and he wondered how everything was going. With great curiosity, he whipped the paper open and began to scan the parchment.
Dear Naruto,
I hope that you are doing well in Suna. Gaara has said that you are turning into one of his finest academy teachers and, though I am loath to admit it, you probably keep the little brats in line. Imagine if your parents could see you now…Uzumaki Naruto, the teacher. Jiraiya nearly had a heart attack when he heard that and I couldn't stop laughing for a week. You were always such a handful growing up…
The council is still adamant about you coming home, but I refuse to give in. I won't let them ruin your happiness. I won't let anything else happen to you if I can stop it.
Your family's home was sold off to the Hyuuga's in the auction and they have since converted it into a historical landmark. Despite initial misgivings, Hinata herself has moved in and acts as the caretaker of the property, with Hiashi's blessings. I swear, that girl developed a backbone overnight after you left…
Jiraiya is getting along splendidly and, although he can't write without aid anymore, he still manages to adapt. He has developed his summoning to the point of one handed seals and gets those damned toads to write what he thinks while he peeps. I'll catch him one day.
Unfortunately, Kakashi and Sakura are still sore about your leaving. We haven't heard anything from Sasuke or Team Hebi in over a year and that, in itself, is unusual. I don't know what to think about that young man…
The Akatsuki have laid low since then. Gaara and I keep up constant surveillance, but it's as if they dropped of the face of the earth. This worries me greatly. We don't know where they are or what they're doing, so watch yourself because more than likely, they're watching you.
I don't know what else to say except that we all love and miss you. We want you to remember that no matter what, you are always welcome in Konoha. This will always be your home. Suna may be your residence, but you were born among the trees and water, not the desert. You can't leave that behind.
I don't want you responding to this letter since we'll be visiting you in a couple of months. I want to see what you're up to with my own eyes. I want to know if you ever got a relationship off the ground. I want to see you teach. I want to hug you again.
I miss you and I'll see you soon.
Love,
Tsunade
P.S.
The pervert sent you his newest book in the seal in the corner. Read it for his sake. Surprisingly, it's not porn, but an adventure of epic proportions. He said he's had it for a long time and recently completed it. He said he misses you two and that you're still a gaki.
P.S.S.
Anko caught him peeping the other day and broke his wrist. He cried like a little girl with a skinned knee for two days…
Naruto chuckled under his breath and folded the paper away and into his pocket. So, they were coming to visit huh? Well, did he have a surprise for them. He wondered how Tsunade's letters always made him feel sad and happy at the same time, like they were in the room with him. His ears picked up the sound of muffled chatter and he looked up to see his class all in attendance. He'd been reading longer than he thought.
He leapt off his desk, his feet echoing against the wooden floor. Beaming at his class, he prepared to blow their little minds.
"Good morning class."
"Good morning Naruto-sensei."
"We'll be taking a field trip today. Just us, none of the other classes. I have something to show you. But first, meet Sanzoku, my new summon."
The little red panda hopped onto the floor beside his master and waved at the class.
Hello.
His poor little ears nearly bled from the squeals of the would-be kunoichis…
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Temari was glad her brother wasn't sending her to Konoha for a while. It would give her a chance to relax and kick back and she really needed that. After returning with those letters for Naruto, she was happy to have some downtime. She had a new relationship to cultivate after all.
Currently she was on her way to her boyfriend's property to spend some time in the shade, under a tree, with a good book. It had been too long since she had just relaxed. She knew that Naruto would be there soon with his class, but the place was large enough that she wouldn't be seen unless she wanted to be. As a bonus, maybe she could hear him give a speech again. She loved to listen to him talk.
Temari walked down the alleyway and up to the wall where they'd entered through the day before. It appeared to be whole again, but she knew it was merely Naruto's genjutsu encompassing any open space to keep up appearances. Taking a deep breath she pushed forward and stepped through the illusion, coming out into green splendor on the other side.
She smiled as she made her way to her tree, the one where Naruto had asked her to be his. It was decidedly the most comfortable place she could find and it held special meaning to her. She spread a blanket on the ground and flopped down on top of it, a canister of green tea and a plate of cookies beside her, and began to read her book.
She was halfway through the third chapter when a flash of gray caught her eye. She didn't turn her head to give away that she saw it, but her eyes cut to see what it was and she tried not to giggle when she saw the mysterious gray spot.
The raccoon kits were back and they were trying to steal the cookies off her plate without her seeing. Temari grinned as one crept forward slowly, its bushy tail wagging in anticipation. Before it could grab a cookie and run off, Temari caught it by the scruff of the neck and held it up to her face, grinning like a maniac.
"If you guys want some cookies, all you have to do is ask."
The little kit was embarrassed to have been caught and tried to make itself seem smaller, but Temari took no notice and sat it in her lap before retrieving a cookie and handing it to the ball of fuzz. The kit chittered happily and began to gnaw on the treat before curling up in her lap and going to sleep. Temari giggled at its antics and continued reading her book.
She was on the fifth chapter when she heard a scream and saw one of Naruto's students come flying through the hole.
'Guess he's here…'
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After prying Sanzoku away from his female students, Naruto had led the trek to his property with a befuddled class in tow. Sanzoku was perched on his shoulder, his tail frizzed out completely and he kept darting his eyes to the girls behind them. Naruto sighed and spoke without turning.
"Ladies, behave. Sanzoku isn't a pet, he's a summon. He doesn't like to be fondled."
The girls sighed and gave their affirmative and the troop continued on until they came to a familiar alleyway. Naruto turned and walked down it and stopped at the end. His students looked at him quizzically and waited for an explanation.
"All right class, listen up. What I'm about to show you is top secret. You can't tell anyone what you see here, not even your parents. I mean it. If I find out you've told anyone, you're out of my class. Understood?"
The children all gulped and nodded their heads. No one wanted to be thrown out of the Uzumaki Naruto's class. Naruto smiled and clapped his hands together.
"Good. Now I need a volunteer for a demonstration. You, green shirt, come here."
The boy grumbled that he had a name and walked forward. As soon as he was within reach, Naruto grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up to face him.
"Tell me boy, what would happen if I were to throw you into that wall there?"
The boy began to sweat and stammer.
"I…I would probably be knocked out at the very least. I might have some broken bones."
Naruto grinned, his fangs visible.
"Are you sure? There might be something pleasurable in that wall."
"I don't think so. It looks pretty solid to me."
Naruto sighed and hung his head.
"I'm somewhat disappointed in all of you, but that's why I'll be bringing in a genjutsu master to help us. There is a genjutsu in this area and none of you sensed it. Tsk, tsk. And as for you…"
Naruto threw the boy headlong into the wall and watched as he disappeared. The students all shouted that he was crazy until they saw the boy just…vanish. Naruto turned to his students with a wide grin and put his hands on his hips.
"All right, who's next?"
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Temari smirked at the bewildered look on the student's face as the boy twirled round and round. She had had the same reaction, she knew, but it was funnier watching someone else do it. One by one the students appeared and they all stood in that one spot, mesmerized by the beauty of it all. Naruto finally emerged after the last one and waved at Temari. She waved back and went back to reading her book. This was her downtime after all.
"All right class, welcome to my home. This is where we'll be training sometimes."
A little girl poked her hand up.
"Sensei, is this part of the genjutsu?"
Naruto laughed and plucked an apple out of a tree and threw it at her.
"Take a bite out of that and tell me if it's real or not."
She sniffed the fruit and rolled it in her hands before chomping down on it and smiling brightly.
"It's…delicious."
The other students broke off immediately to explore the place. Some went to the trees and began to climb them, some took a drink of the water in the creek, and some just sat in the shade, enjoying being out of the unrelenting sun. Naruto strode across the grass to Temari and sat down beside her, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey honey. What's with the ball of fur?"
Temari looked down at her lap to the snoring little kit and giggled.
"It tried to steal some of my cookies and I caught it. I gave it a cookie and it curled up on me and went to sleep. It's a funny little thing."
"Yeah, the raccoon's are…weird. Sanzoku is a hit with the female population of my class."
"I bet he is. Where is the red poof ball anyway?"
"Hiding in the branches above us."
A pear fell onto Temari's head and she glared up into the banded eyes of Sanzoku.
I'm not a poof ball, I'll have you know. I'm a red panda. We are not poofy.
"You are to me. Raccoons are poofy compared to weasels. They're more streamlined."
We are stronger. They are faster. We use water. They use wind. It's not a fair comparison based on things such as bodies.
"You're still a poof ball."
…I don't like you…
Temari stuck her tongue out at him and had it captured by Naruto. She melted into the kiss and they broke apart when a collective 'eeewww' came from his students. Naruto sighed as he stood.
"It appears I have to begin teaching now that their curiosity is sated. I'll see you later ok?"
She nodded and watched as he herded the children together. This would be interesting.
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Naruto cleared his throat and the students quieted down, ready for their lesson.
"Now listen up. I'm not telling you anything about this place but my promise still stands. I will kick you out of my class if you tell anyone about this place. This is my sanctuary and I don't want people knowing about it yet."
"Why does Temari-sama know about it?"
Naruto grinned and stood a little straighter.
"Well, she's my girlfriend. She has certain rights to be here."
The children stared hard at him and one of the girls squealed.
"You're dating Temari-sama? That is soooo cool!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm great. But we have to get started. Now, how many of you have been able to walk up the wall?"
All but two raised their hands and he smiled.
"Very good. I'll make clones to show you water walking and you can get started. Don't worry, the clones will explain everything. You two, come here. I need to speak with you."
All but the two children ran off to start their exercises and Naruto folded his arms across his chest.
"Can the two of you tell me why you can't climb the wall yet?"
The little boy and girl merely looked at the sand. They were embarrassed that they couldn't do a simple thing. Naruto knelt down to eye level with them and rested his forearms on his knees.
"Look guys, we have to get you caught up. Come with me."
They followed behind him slightly and heard him giggle when a girl shrieked about the water being cold. Temari cocked an eyebrow when she saw them headed her way.
"What do you need Naruto?"
"I need your help for a moment. These two are having trouble with chakra control and I want you to help me find what they're doing wrong so I can help them."
She grinned up at him and he rolled his eyes.
"And what do I get out of this?"
"I'll make your favorite dinner tonight, along with whatever desert you want?"
"And?"
"…I'll have a surprise for you afterward. Now help, please?"
She nodded her head and stood to face the two students with a raccoon kit perched on top of her head. She noticed Naruto's mouth rippling back and forth and asked what his problem was.
"Nothing, nothing. Continue on."
She gave her lecture on control and watched as the two students ran up the trees, correcting them as she went. Naruto kept snickering and she couldn't for the life of her, imagine why. She was being serious here. Once the kids were straightened out and could perform the exercise to a satisfactory level, she turned back to her boyfriend and put her hands on her hips.
"Just what the hell are you giggling about?"
Naruto's answer was to kiss her deeply and she felt a weight lift off her head. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself staring into the blinking eyes of a raccoon kit.
"Was that on my head?"
Naruto just snickered and sat the kit back on top of her head and smirked when it snuggled its way back into her golden locks. Temari quirked an eyebrow before giggling along with him.
"I always knew I had soft hair, but not that soft."
"Well it is very enjoyable. We'll come here tonight to eat and I'll show you that surprise I promised you."
Temari nodded and went back to reading her book, the kit still curled up on her head. She silently wondered if this is what that Kiba brat looked like all those years ago…
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Naruto whistled happily as he ushered his tired students back into the classroom. They had done well for their first day of water walking and he'd let them dry out on the grass before taking them back to the school. A good thing too, since the rest of the teachers looked at him suspiciously. He didn't want his secret out yet.
Once class was over, he trudged home and flopped onto the couch, Sanzoku lazing about on the back of it. He reached up and poked the red panda in the forehead.
What?
"Do you think I'm doing good here? Am I coming along all right?"
You've only begun your journey Naruto. We still have a long way to go here. Just remember to watch out for those Akatsuki guys. They sound like trouble.
"You have no idea. Well…guess I better get supper started. Temari probably wants to eat and have her belly rubbed."
Sanzoku snorted and rolled to his back.
Your woman sounds like a canid. We love to have our bellies rubbed.
"She just likes rubs period. The girl loves any kind of massage."
Without another thought, he rose and began making her favorite dish and desert. Kankurou, unfortunately, wouldn't get any chocolate cake, but his sister would take care of any of the remains. Temari walked up behind him as he was putting everything in the basket and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"We eating out tonight?"
"Mmmhmm. I want to eat at the property tonight."
"I guess that's ok. What about Kankurou?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"He can eat take-out in the village. It's all about you and me tonight."
She smiled and went to grab her blanket. They might be out there a while.
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Naruto flapped the blanket out on the ground and watched as Temari began to take the food out and distribute it. He sighed happily and grabbed a bowl. He really needed to teach her to cook, so he could enjoy eating something she made. Temari was totally inept when it came to the culinary arts.
They made small talk as they ate, watching the small family of raccoons play by the stream and laughed as the kits played a game of chase. It was such a wonder, this small piece of heaven in the middle of the desert and Temari wondered every day when she woke up how she ended up with Naruto. Her thoughts wandered back over the years and when Naruto began rubbing her back, she let her body and mind drift in separate directions.
She remembered when she first saw him and nearly puked when she recalled thinking the Uchiha was cute. She remembered his fight with Gaara and how awed she was that he stood up to her brother even though he was petrified of him. She remembered his speech after he defeated Gaara, and how he crawled along the ground on his belly just to prove a point.
She remembered seeing him in the hospital after he fought Sasuke and how, even after a fight that should have killed him several times over, he was ready to go in a couple days.
She remembered when she found out his dark secret, that he was a jinchuuriki and all he wanted to do was save everyone. She was saddened when she recalled that back then, he thought he was supposed to sacrifice his happiness for everyone else.
But now he had come to her and she to him and everything would be fine. Neither of them had to be lonely anymore. They had each other and they always would. She whined when she felt his hands leave her shoulders and he pulled her to her feet.
Naruto looked up at the full moon and smiled. He couldn't show her in the day, but it might be prettier at night.
"Come on, I want to show you the surprise."
As they walked toward the hillside, Temari wondered what it could be when she remembered him saying the cave was prismatic. But prisms required light and it was dark out. She voiced her concern and Naruto chuckled.
"And since when has anything involved with me ever gone with the stream of normality? Trust me."
Before they cropped the hilltop to enter the caves, Naruto slipped his hitai-ate over her eyes and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"I don't want you seeing this until we get in there."
She stumbled a bit but since he held onto her waist she never fell. The sand soon gave way to smoothness and she could hear the sound of trickling water resounding off the walls. She felt Naruto squeeze her and thought they must be where he wanted to be.
"Can I take off the blindfold now?"
"Of course. You'll want to see this."
As soon as she whipped the headband off, her breath caught in her throat and she took in the sight with pure rapture. The crystallized caves were beautiful, resonating with every color of the spectrum. The hues and shades were everywhere and she spun round and round to take it all in.
"It's…gorgeous."
"I'm glad you like it. These are caves that are sacred to the Raccoon tribe and it is part of my pact with them that I will keep them safe."
"Why are they sacred?"
Naruto shrugged and gave her a foxy grin.
"I don't know. Maybe the furballs just like shiny things. I'm not a raccoon."
Temari giggled and wrapped him in an embrace, inhaling his scent as she leaned against his chest. She looked up at him and batted her eyelashes.
"Can we sleep here tonight? I want to sleep under the stars."
"Of course we can. We'll have to get up early though."
"You will. I don't have any business for a while. I'm off duty."
"Lucky."
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As they lay on the blanket beside each other, Temari snuggled further into Naruto's side, drinking up that otherworldly warmth of his. She was glad she had worn her long robes since the desert was cold at night, but beside Naruto it didn't seem to matter. When she asked about the heat he emitted, he had shrugged. She seemed to get that a lot.
Temari cracked her eyes open when she heard something go poof and saw that a clone had dispelled beside them. She was about to ask what it had been about when another blanket descended on top of them and Naruto further wrapped his arms around her. She nuzzled her head further into his chest, trying to burrow into him. She felt so drowsy around him like this, like his body emitted a natural tranquilizer for her.
She was about to fall asleep when she heard him begin to softly sing to the green around them. She closed her eyes and listened to his voice. It got better every time she heard it.
From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you'd be mine
But here we are, we're here tonight
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
And I'm singing
Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We'll show the world they were wrong
And teach all to sing along
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
I'm alive
Temari's eyes were almost closed and she could swear she felt the earth pulsating beneath her, as if it was happy with the song.
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be
Temari smiled as she allowed sleep to claim her. If only everyone could love like her and Naruto…
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
When nobody died…
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day when nobody died
Naruto turned to Temari's lightly snoring form and kissed her on the cheek before closing his eyes.
'I hope that was to your liking. I have to get permission from Gaara before I can take you any further, but harmony is nature and music, and all I can supply at the moment is music.'
He felt that little tickle in the back of his mind and the hum of the force he was allowed to command. It seems that music could soothe anything.
Those of the raccoon tribe sat and watched as several more plants budded in the ground, the green's thanks to Naruto for his work. Sanzoku put it best.
The boy was born for this kind of work…
If Everyone Cared by Nickleback.
Oh yeah, song is not owned by me and if it was, nobody would listen. I'm a horrible singer.