Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, never have never will… (sob)
A/N: YAY! I'm so glad you all loved the previous chapter. I just had to get all that hyperness out of my system. YAY! 30 reviews for chapter 9… T.T I'm so touched… Thank you all…… (Glomps everyone)
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This chapter is dedicated to all those who have given me words of advice and ideas for my fic. Arigatou!
Oh and before we begin the chapter…
Chibi slaps Sarcastic Angel with a large smelly tuna fish and drags Kakashi away from her so we can continue with the story.
And she introduces TimeShifter16 as her new beta who just started and has already done his job of correcting all previous chapters before this. hands over a plate of chocolate chip cookies
Alright, enough chatter. Chop chop… Chapter's begun.
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"Argh just shut up already dog-boy!" A female voice rang down the corridor into a room. Occupants turned towards the door as team 7 and 8 walked in.
"Yeah, it's your fault you're late!" Naruto yelled as he walked in, only to meet the glares everyone shot them. "Sorry we're late. We…" Sakura tried to explain as she stepped in but was cut off by her blonde haired teammate.
"Dog-boy here didn't want to help us find that stupid cat that fat woman lost again, saying he hates cats. That's why we took so long." Naruto interrupted, shooting the said boy a glare as he ignored the glare his teammate shot at him for interrupting her.
"Oi! I'm allergic to cats alright! I have a sensitive nose." Kiba growled back as Akamaru barked in approval.
"Maa maa…" Kurenai said as she patted the genins shoulders. "You should thank Shino and his bugs for their help in this mission. Without him, we would have made it here later. Isn't that right Kakashi?" The group turned to face the silver haired Jounin.
"Huh? Sorry, what did you say?" Kakashi looked up from his book.
Team 7 and team 8 sweat dropped at this reaction, already used to it. The two teams had been working together for the past week, ever since the arrest of Sasuke and the removal of Hinata from their respective teams.
Tsunade cleared her throat. "Is everyone here yet?"
Shizune scanned the crowd in the office and shook her head. "Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama is not here yet."
Tsunade frowned. 'Damn that pervert, he must be spying at the bathhouses again.'
"Ah, sorry I am late!" A white haired man burst through the door, announcing his presence as he flung his arms up in front of him, brushing against the two backsides of two girls standing on either side of the door. Though it was not accidental, Tsunade and Naruto knew.
Tenten jumped startled by the contact and in reflex threw her shurikens as Sakura turned around screaming at the man, "Who the hell do you think you are!"
Jiraiya grinned and caught the shurikens, apologising profusely, "Ahh, I am terribly sorry… I am the man who has no enemies in the North, South, East and West.
Not even in the heavens! I am one of the Sannin White haired frog tamer. Even a crying baby would stare in awe... The great Jiraiya! That is me! JiraiyACK!"
Jiraiya never finished his introduction as he went flying out the way he came. Tsunade stood up breathing heavily. "Aaah that felt so much better." She sighed as she massaged her knuckles.
The genins and the jounins, sans Naruto, stared in awe at the show of prowess. They had heard many things about the Sannin and almost expected them to be calm and collected. But never like this. Naruto grinned at the expressions of awe, especially the one coming from Tenten, who had supposedly been saved by her idol.
Tsunade plonked herself back in her seat and sighed as Jiraiya crawled back in. "So, may I start the meeting now?" At the nods coming from everyone, Tsunade took out the genin list and flipped it open. "Due to one reason or another, each team is short of one genin. Therefore, I have been forced to change the layout of your teams. This was difficult, considering the fact that Sandaime put in a lot of effort to balance the team and now this had to happen. The two Hyuugas have been removed from their teams at Hyuuga Hiashi's request, but," Tsunade paused, watching as the two said people's eyes lit up, "He did not say I could put you in a team and have the three of you accompany him."
She turned her attention to Team 7, "Due to unforeseen circumstances regarding Uchiha Sasuke, as of today, Team 7 is now disbanded and Uzumaki Naruto shall join the Hyuugas under the guidance of Jiraiya and Shizune."
Neji's eyes widened whilst Naruto's and Hinata's met and the blonde grinned at her, eliciting a blush from the girl. Shizune groaned as she moved out of Jiraiya's line of sight, trying to ignore the perverted gaze as she hid behind the Hokage's chair. Tsunade picked up a paperweight and chucked it at the man, grabbing his attention as she continued, "Jiraiya will supervise Naruto's and Neji's training, whilst Shizune will continue to help Hinata, together with my guidance. As a team, the five of you will accompany Hyuuga Hiashi on his trip." She raised her hand, indicating that questions were to be left for later as Shizune opened her mouth.
"With the promotion of Nara Shikamaru and the removal of Hyuuga Neji, Gai's and Asuma's teams are disbanded as well. Yamanaka Ino, Tenten and Aburame Shino will form Asuma's new team and Inuzuka Kiba, Rock Lee and Akimichi Chouji will go under Gai." As Tsunade continued, Lee and Gai leapt into each other's arms, crying out their joy at still being teacher and student to each other.
Neji shook his head as Tenten groaned and shook Kiba's and Chouji's hands, wishing them luck. The two boys could not help but sweat drop at the public display of affection. Kiba leaned over to Chouji and asked, "Do you think they're gay?"
Chouji shrugged as he stuffed his face with chips, desperate to regain his size and weight, which with his parents' help, was already gaining it back. Sakura stepped forward timidly and pointed at herself, "Ano… What about me Hokage-sama?"
Tsunade looked away from the two green clad males and grinned, "Ah, Haruno Sakura. Has little stamina and chakra. But," This caused the dismayed girl to look up in surprise. "You scored the highest in your year and as Kakashi-sensei said, you have good chakra control. Not only that, you are very skilled in genjutsu! There is only one last choice of senseis for you." Tsunade turned her gaze to the only female Jounin in the room. Kurenai stepped forward and placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder.
Sakura looked up surprised, "Ku.. Kurenai-sensei?" Kurenai smiled cheekily at her new pupil and winked, "Guess we should get started on our next lesson hm?"
Sakura couldn't help but giggle as she remembered the incident a week before in the bookshop. Kakashi stepped forward, "Hokage-sama."
"Kakashi, as you know, Uchiha Sasuke is almost recovered and can leave any day now. I have provided you the information as to where you are to go and train him. You may leave anytime you deem fit but remember, the boy is not to return until he has fulfilled the requirements expected of him and I expect a report due in once a month. And do not be late, do you understand me? Or I shall personally burn your whole collection of books." At that, Kakashi tucked his book into his pouch as he nodded, Jiraiya whimpering unnoticed in the background at the thought of his books being destroyed.
"Are there any questions?" Tsunade asked, demanding an answer if not none, knowing she had made the right decision. "If not, I expect you all here first thing tomorrow morning for a briefing on the start of your trainings and missions." Glancing at Kakashi, she continued, "Uchiha included."
Sakura couldn't help but release a little of her split personality into the room as she yelled and pointed at the blonde boy, "Why does this baka get to be trained by a Sannin, a perverted one no less!"
Neji frowned and stepped up, questioning Tsunade, "Hokage-sama, why must Hinata-sama be on my team, we do not need a weak medic to pull us down." Hinata's eyes tears up as she listened to her cousin put her down in front of so many people. But her heart soared as Naruto stepped up to Neji and glared him in the eye, "You bastard! Don't you dare insult my Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan is not weak and we'll see if you'll need a medic when you get hurt!"
Tsunade cocked an eyebrow at Naruto's "My Hinata-chan" and chuckled as she pointed at her so called little brother, "You mean when YOU get hurt. Like the time Orochimaru nearly killed you and you would have died had I not been there?" Naruto face faulted when he heard this but Tsunade was not done, "If this baka didn't have a medic nearby when he's fighting, he'd die because he's too stupid to know when to quit!" Jiraiya, Kakashi, Sakura nodded as Tsunade burst out laughing at her own joke.
Naruto turned away from Neji and jumped onto the Hokage's table and shook a fist at Tsunade. "You would have died too Obaa-chan had I not been there!"
"GAKI! How many times have I told you not to call me that! And I still owe you for that prank you played on me!" Tsunade yelled as she grabbed the collar of Naruto's jacket, lifting him up as she stood, her chair scraping against the floor as she stood.
"OBAA-CHAN OBAA-CHAN! I LIKE TO CALL YOU THAT! AND YOU ARE A STUPID OBAA-CHAN!" Naruto yelled back as he tried to punch Tsunade. Tsunade merely held him at arm's length as she tightened her grip on his jacket as she clenched her fist. Seeing this, Naruto formed his signature seal and yelled, "KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" Immediately, Tsunade was surrounded by at least ten Naruto's as they jumped onto her. The clones, the real Naruto and Tsunade disappeared in a cloud of smoke as they began to fight.
The occupants in the room, except for Jiraiya and Shizune, stared on eyes (and eye) wide and jaws open as they watched the revered Godaime Hokage-sama get into a fight with the show-offy, hyperactive, number one loudest ninja in Konoha. Jiraiya sighed as he reached into the cloud of smoke and pulled out a wriggling mass of orange. "Oi, Naruto, is that the way to treat the Hokage and the woman who saved your life?"
Naruto yelled as he pointed his finger at Jiraiya, "You shut up Ero-sennin! It's ok when you go peeping at girls, but now Hinata-chan and Shizune-nechan are coming you'd better not try anything funny!" At that, Hinata shrieked and dodged behind the nearest thing, namely, her cousin. Neji looked over his shoulder to a shivering Hinata whose arms were clutched across her chest and back to his new sensei. Frowning he thought, 'This... pervert? Is my new sensei?'
"Naruto," Neji spoke up, though it was not his style, he wanted to know more about his new sensei. "Why do you call him a pervert?"
Naruto hmphed as he crossed his arms as he hung in mid air, still being carried by his sensei, "Didn't you know that ero-sennin writes those perverted books Kakashi-sensei is always reading?"
Jiraiya raised the boy higher and yelled. "Why did you say that? For that I will not teach you anything while you train under me!"
"I DARE YOU! Cause if you do, I will show everybody the naked photos of you hugging GaMFFFMMFTTT" Naruto never finished his sentence as Jiraiya covered his mouth.
Luckily, no one heard him as all eyes swung towards Kakashi who sweat dropped, futilely hiding the book behind his back. Gai stepped up to Kakashi. "So! My rival reads perverted books! YOSH! I, Maito Gai shall make this my duty and must cleanse my rival's mind of such vile thoughts!" With that, he struck his Gai-sensei's nice guy pose and his teeth 'pinged' as usual. Meanwhile, Kakashi had his book buried in his nose again, not listening to a single word. Gai fell to his knees crying out how his rival had yet again, beat him in such a cool manner.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya was frowning at Naruto, trying his best not to be affected by his other student's glare. 'Those eyes seem like they can see through my very soul.' He thought as he looked Neji over through the corner of his eye. Shaking it off, he started to throttle the boy in his hands. "How many times, must I tell you not to call me that in public?"
Naruto's eyes started to swirl from the lack of air as he formed his signature seal yet again. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Finding himself surrounded by twenty clones, Jiraiya released his grip on Naruto as he prepared to take them down with a Rasengan, if only to show off to his new students and to repair his reputation as one of the Sannin. But it was not to be as Naruto formed another seal and yelled, "Henge!"
Instantly, the Narutos in the room transformed, creating a large amount of smoke in its wake. One by one, the males in the room fell to the ground, knocked unconscious by the scene in front of them. The naked female versions of Naruto had flung themselves at Jiraiya, pawing at him and crooning over him till he fell forward to drown in his pool of blood and drool. (A/N: Yech, that is a very disgusting description, I know…)
The female genins turned beet red at the naked girls in front of them. Sure they had been to bathhouses before, but never before in their entire life had they seen such an erotic sight. They turned their backs and tried to ignore the crooning noises the clones made. Tsunade, Shizune and Kurenai stood shocked as they watched. They had never heard or seen such a technique before. Tsunade groaned as she shook her head, 'I should have expected this brat to come up with such a trick. Combining the Kage Bunshin and Henge together, sensei probably fell for that too.' She thought as she fought back a chuckle.
Naruto released the Harem no Jutsu and turned to Tsunade. "Oi Baa-chan, if there's nothing else, I'm going now! I have to go train if I'm going to get your position!"
"You get back here you brat! I still have to get even with you!" Tsunade yelled as she pointed a finger at Naruto.
He smirked and said, "Heh! Do that and I'll get Kurenai-sensei to teach me a genjutsu to release YOURS!" With that, he leapt over the male bodies and out the door, leaving a sputtering Hokage, pulling a wide-eyed speechless Hinata along with him. As he did, the males started to stir and wake up from their massive blood loss.
Lee cried out, "YOSH! If I am going to defeat my eternal rival, I must train myself not to be tempted by such thoughts!" Gai cried out something along the lines of helping him defeat his rival and the two rushed off to train. Kakashi shrugged and turned the page, happy that the annoying man was gone and was about to leave when he heard his female colleague and ex-student giggling and whispering, "Ne Kurenai-sensei, it's just like last week at the bookshop!"
Kakashi's eye widened as his brain registered what just went through his ear. "Last week at the bookshop…" He muttered. 'So it wasn't Naruto, it was them… Looks like I've been wasting my time and effort at trying to get back at Naruto.' With that last thought in mind, he turned to the pair, eye glinting dangerously, "So it was you two huh?"
The two females turned at the sound of Kakashi's voice and their faces took on a frightful look at the dangerous look in his eye. "Hehehe… well you see…" Sakura suddenly screamed out pointing behind the silver haired Jounin. "OH MY GOD!" Kakashi grinned evilly behind his mask, "I'm not going to fall for that Sakura, you of all people should know that." "Is that the new Icha Icha Paradise Jiraiya-sama is holding?" She yelled undeterred. Sakura was not let down as the man turned expectantly, only to find nothing and when he turned back, the genjutsu using sensei and student was gone. Tucking his book back in his pouch, he ran out the door in search of the duo, desperate for revenge.
The remaining genins looked out the door and back at the Hokage, the seemingly dead sennin on the ground and finally the last remaining sensei who was desperately patting his pockets, looking for another cigarette. "Oh no, must find cigarette. No, I have run out, must buy more!" With that, the addicted smoker ran for the door to the nearest convenient store. The genins turned to leave but was stopped by the Hokage. Aburame, Inuzuka. You stay. The rest of you may leave." Hearing the tone of her voice, they all knew she meant business.
The said boys looked at each other and back at the Hokage. Knowing the fate awaiting them, they backed away slowly and dashed for the door, Kiba yelling out, "It was dead last's idea!"
A/N: Chibi would like to glomp Shifter-kun and offer him a chocolate milk bar for giving me the idea that I have put into play in Tsunade's office above.
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Sasuke stared up at the barren wall, his mind recalling the past events. "That power..." He muttered to himself as an image of Naruto, surrounded by red chakra, entered his mind. Unconsciously he clenched his fist as he growled deep within his mind. 'If it hadn't been for him, I could have gotten that kind of power from Orochimaru as well!'
Sasuke sat up as he heard the door unlock. Although he was no longer chained to the bed, Tsunade still felt that he could not be trusted and left the chains on his leg. Sasuke had recovered from his wounds two days ago and he was now mad at Konoha, mad at Kakashi and most of all, mad at Naruto.
"Oi you!" Sasuke yelled out as the ANBU guard entered with his food, "When can I get out of here! What the fuck is going on! Why am I still here?"
The ANBU guard placed the tray down carefully on the table at the foot of Sasuke's bed, ignoring the questions shot at him. As Sasuke continued to rant, the ANBU continued to ignore him.
But he could no longer take it when Sasuke said, "Who does that bitch of a Hokage think she is, stopping me from taking my revenge on URK!" Sasuke found himself in a chokehold as he was slammed back into his pillow.
The ANBU glared at Sasuke, Sasuke flinched as he stared up into those hate filled eyes. The wolf masked ANBU forced out, "I've been waiting on you hand and foot this past week, and that I can take. I have been tolerating your nonsense for a week that too I can also take. But what I cannot stand is how you call our Hokage-sama a bitch!" With that the ANBU raised his fist and prepared to punch Sasuke.
Sasuke braced himself for the punch but it never came. He opened his eyes only to find Kakashi standing over his bed, his left hand gripping the ANBU guard's right. "Stand down; I'll take care of this." Kakashi drawled out as he released his grip.
The guard dropped his hand to his side and bowed, "Hai Kakashi-san."
Sasuke would have smirked had the guard, had Kakashi not punched his cheek. "NEVER, insult the Hokage in front of a shinobi!" Kakashi said as he dusted himself off and followed the wolf masked ANBU out of the room to receive a verbal report about the Uchiha.
"Kakashi-san, his injuries are fully healed now but I can't say the same about his mentality. He is talking about gaining power and how only Orochimaru can give it to him." The wolf masked ANBU reported.
His bear masked partner cut in, "Also, he has been demanding to know what's going on and has sworn to kill Uzumaki Naruto for brining him back." He concluded.
Kakashi nodded his thanks and asked, "Who is on duty tomorrow morning?"
The ANBU in the bear mask answered, "That would be us sir."
"Good." Kakashi replied, "Because Hokage-sama wants him in his office first thing tomorrow morning, so make sure he is properly restrained before I get here, understood?"
"Yes Sir!" The two nodded.
Kakashi turned around and pushed open the door, only to tilt his head to the side to avoid an incoming object. The offending object lodged itself in the door as it twanged from the impact. Reaching out, Kakashi plucked the metal knife off the wall and tossed it onto Sasuke's bed.
"What the fuck was that for Kakashi!" Sasuke shouted.
Kakashi raised his right eyebrow, "I don't like to repeat myself Sasuke. But if you can't respect the Hokage, I don't think you belong here."
"Hmph, which is why I want to leave this place, Konoha cannot provide me with more power." Sasuke scoffed, "Only Orochimaru can and he will give me enough power to kill my brother!" The raven haired boy growled out as he clenched his fist. "And where the fuck is dobe? I want to kill him for bringing me back! I couldn't even defeat the dead last, how am I supposed to kill my brother! That power he had… I must have it!"
Kakashi clenched his own fist and threw a punch at his rambling student. Sasuke fell back against the bed, hitting his head on the wall beside him. He clutched his jaw as he winced in pain, about to open his mouth when Kakashi interrupted him, "Is power and revenge all you ever care about? You think Orochimaru can give you power? All he wants is your body and Sharingan, he will never help you kill your brother do you understand? Fighting for revenge gets you nowhere, it only holds you back. All power comes with a price, yours for your body and freedom…"
"What about dobe's?" Sasuke snorted interrupting his sensei, "What was his price to pay?"
Kakashi looked down sadly at his prized student, "That is not my story to tell Sasuke. You might want to ask him tomorrow but it will be his choice to tell you."
Sasuke looked up confused at the sudden change in his sensei's tone. But just as he was about to ask why, Kakashi stared down at him; his voice hardening as he continued, "Tsunade-sama has ordered me to take you away from the village. She and the council have decided that you would only continue to bring danger to the village and that you are no longer trustworthy. There is a meeting in her office first thing tomorrow, the ANBU guards and I will escort you there. We will leave Konoha after that."
With that, Kakashi turned and left the room, as swiftly as he had arrived.
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Tsunade sat back in her chair, flanked by Jiraiya and Shizune on either side. "So you see Hyuuga-san, you have no right to question my decision as I did not question yours."
Hiashi sat stoically in front of Tsunade's desk, the expression on his face undecipherable. Tsunade had been suppressing her amusement at the man ever since he stepped into the office with his missive. Knowing that all the power he wielded in the Hyuuga household was nothing compared too the Hokage's, he had resisted slamming the missive onto the Hokage's desk. Instead he had contained his anger and sat down, willing himself to listen to the Hokage.
Tsunade grinned and crossed her legs under the desk, "So Jiraiya, Shizune and their team shall escort you to Wave country as their mission. You requested them to be taken off their teams so you could bring them along, but you never said anything about them going along as a genin team." She explained in layman's terms, chuckling silently.
But as soon as she saw the look of fury flash across the Hyuuga's eyes, Tsunade uncrossed her legs and leaned forward suddenly, and slammed her palm onto the desk, "Therefore you have NO RIGHT to question my authority!" Hiashi flinched slightly at the intensity of Tsunade. Jiraiya smirked as he saw the look of fury be replaced by slight fear.
Taking a deep breath she continued, "Together with Uzumaki Naruto, the two Hyuuga children will remain under the tutelage of their senseis Jiraiya, Shizune and I. If that is all, please take your leave, I need to arrange future missions for the new teams."
Hyuuga Hiashi grit his teeth and stood up as dignified as he could, bowing to the two Sannin, he turned swiftly on one foot and walked out the door. As he did that, Jiraiya snorted loudly enough for the Hyuuga to hear, leaving Tsunade in peals of laughter.
Though Hyuuga Hiashi was a master of containing his emotions, he could not help but control the embarrassing red flush that crept slowly across his cheeks.
"That bastard deserved what was coming." Jiraiya said.
"Tsunade-sama, are you sure it was alright to anger Hyuuga Hiashi-sama? After all, his clan is one of the most influential in Konoha." Shizune asked concern, a frown marring her face.
Tsunade snorted and waved a hand as she relaxed in her chair, "Don't worry about it Shizune, even an idiot would know better than to anger the Hokage."
Jiraiya burst out in laughter, "Doesn't that mean Naruto is worse than an idiot."
Shizune's eyes widened as she cupped her mouth, smothering the laughter. Tsunade sat up and turned onto Jiraiya, "You! You had better teach that brat a lesson! Or else… Or else I will stop all publications of your book!"
Jiraiya fell to his knees as he grabbed onto one of Tsunade's legs, "No please! But I can't do it, or he would blackmail me… Please don't do it!"
Tsunade looked down at the begging man clinging onto her legs, her voice promising danger as she addressed the white haired sennin, "Don't think I know what you're up to Jiraiya… If you don't let go off my leg now, I swear I'll…"
Tsunade never got to finish the sentence as Jiraiya was already out the door, leaving a raven haired woman clutching her side as she burst into uncontrollable laughter and a very angry blonde woman.
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Naruto and Hinata stood in the middle of the Team 7 training grounds panting. "Hime-chan, you're doing even better than me at this!" Naruto exclaimed as he collapsed against a tree.
Hinata smiled gently as she took a seat next to Naruto, but being out of breath and strength, she lost her balance and fell onto Naruto's lap. Despite his tiredness, Naruto was able to reach out and catch the falling girl and bring her into his arms. Hinata would have blushed had her face not been flushed due to the previous exertion.
Hinata yawned into her hand as her eyes drooped down slowly. Seeing this, Naruto brought up his hand and pulled her head down into his shoulder, "Sleep first Hime-chan, I'll wake you up later."
Hinata nodded tiredly as she snuggled into her boyfriend's strong arms, her erratic heartbeat slowing down as she fell into a deep sleep, surrounded by warmth.
Naruto sighed and leaned his head back, ignoring the bark that cut into his skin. His orange jacket was lying next to them, he had taken it off before they had begun, thinking it would be a little bit easier. But it had made no difference in the practice as it depended on control, not the amount of clothes weighing him down. He had done pretty well the first time team 7 had done it, with practice; he and Sasuke had reached the top. But after learning the Rasengan, his control of chakra to the legs had gone downhill. So he had brought Hime-chan here to practice with him and had been beaten by her. Naruto chuckled softly at the thought of his Hime-chan beating Sasuke.
A breeze blew through the trees and Hinata shivered in his embrace. Naruto reached out for his jacket, careful not to wake the sleeping girl, and draped it across her back, protecting her from the cool late afternoon breeze. With that, he closed his eyes, joining his girlfriend in slumber.
The wind blew by, rustling the leaves but not waking the pair sleeping in a forest of trees, kunai marks and feet imprints marring the trunks of some trees.
(A/N: In case some of you still don't get it, they were practicing their tree climbing.)
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Tenten walked into the hospital, a bouquet of white camellias in her arms. Stopping by the reception desk, she checked with the nurse, "Is Hyuuga Neji still here?"
The nurse looked down at her clipboard before she answered the girl, "Yes but he is due to be discharged in half an hour's time."
Tenten nodded her thanks as she turned in the direction of Neji's room. She knocked on the door and waited for him to answer before she pushed it open. Blushing slightly, she handed the bouquet of flowers to Neji. "I heard you were being discharged today so I came to help you."
Neji looked up from his packing and reached out his right hand to take the offered bouquet. "Thanks Tenten."
Tenten shook her head and asked, "How's your wounds?"
Neji looked out the window as he answered, "Hokage-sama said they're fine now, but I still have to take it easy on the trainings."
Tenten smiled and replied softly, dropping her head as she did, "That's good."
Neji cast a glance at his former teammate and now sort of girlfriend, slightly worried at the sudden change of tone. Seeing her drooping head, Neji could not help but worry. He walked up to her and using his better hand, he cupped her chin and gently raised her head. "What's wrong Tenten?"
Tenten had been recalling the meeting that day in the office. She had only just found out today that her boyfriend was going on a mission. A mission that could take him away for a while; away from Konoha, away from her. 'Why does it have to be like this? Why is it that Hinata and Naruto can stay together? Why is it that everyone can be with the ones they love, but me?' She thought as involuntary tears swelled up in her eyes.
So absorbed in her sadness was she that she did not notice her boyfriend step up in front of her. It was only when she felt his fingers on her chin that did she realize he was in front of her.
Neji looked on as Tenten gasped at the soft contact. He bit back a gasp as glittering brown orbs stared up at him. "Tenten…" Neji couldn't help it, his eyes widened at the beautiful sight. Tenten choked back a sob as she stared up into her boyfriend's face, 'Neji…' She thought as her tears fell, her eyes fluttering shut.
Neji suppressed a groan unable to resist the need to kiss her, diving in to claim her lips as his own. He covered her mouth with his own sliding his tongue in, and Tenten responded to it, playing with his tongue with her own as she moved her arms to wrap around his neck. Neji gripped the bouquet in his hand hard before tossing it away and reached up to untie the buns in Tenten's head. Continuing to kiss her, he combed his fingers through her hair, entangling them as he held her head in place.
The duo were so engrossed in what they were doing that they forgot their surroundings, the only thing known to them were each other. Had Shizune not come in with Tonton to check on Neji one last time, the two would have ventured further than kissing and would have to deal with the consequences.
Shizune had knocked on the door several times before, hearing no answer; she pushed open the door only to stifle a gasp at the scene in front of her. But she had not been able to stop Tonton from squealing out loud. The pair pulled apart, both their hair in a mess, faces flushed and gasping for breath.
The medic grinned as she walked over to Neji, cheerfully asking how he was feeling, acting as if she had not seen anything. Neji just nodded in response as Shizune checked his arm and side. Smiling cheerfully, she patted him on the shoulder and said, "You're alright to go, take it easy for two to three more days and your arm will be as good as new!" With that she turned for the door and pulled it open.
But just as she exited the room, she suddenly popped her head back in, shocking the two occupants, and grinned widely, "Don't get too carried away again now!" The pair blushed madly as they stood a good feet apart, backs to each other.
Neji thought as he tried to tone the maddeningly red blush down, 'What just happened? Why couldn't I restrain myself? But… that kiss was… I really liked it.'
Tenten clasped her hand to her erratic heartbeat. It was thumping away madly, almost as if she had run around Konoha many times. 'Kami-sama… I never knew Neji could kiss like that! That was… that was… Oh kami! I need to talk to someone!'
Neji mentally slapped himself as he calmed himself down before opening his mouth. "Tenten, why were you crying just now?"
Tenten stiffened at the sudden question before answering, "I… I know this sounds really selfish… But I… I don't want you to go for the mission! I want to be with you!"
Tenten looked down at her feet as Neji stared at the wall in front of him. The two of them were still back to back, not facing each other as they contemplated the just said words.
Tenten summoned up her courage and turned around, walking slowly but surely up to her boyfriend, she reached out and softly touched his hair before throwing her arms around his waist and hugging him. "I… I'm sorry! Forget I ever said that… But I… I'll miss you a lot!" She finished as she buried her face in his back and sobbed.
Neji continued staring at the wall before him, thinking how his life was as blank as the wall he was looking at. It had been blank until the day Uzumaki Naruto had beaten him, until the examiner had told him how even caged birds continue picking at the lock until they are free, until the day Hyuuga Hiashi told him the truth. And finally, until the day Tenten confessed to him. Smiling to himself, he stepped out of the embrace and turned around, sweeping his stunned girlfriend into his arms and kissed her firmly.
Tenten looked on wide eyed as Neji pulled away and cupped her cheeks, at the same time using his thumb to wipe away any stray tears. Neji smiled softly, his eyes glittering with untold emotions as he leaned in to place a gentle kiss on her lips.
"I'll miss you too," he told her, leaving her mouth to whisper in her ear, "because I love you."
oooooooooo
"Oh my god!" squealed Sakura and Ino as they hugged their pillows. Hinata giggled thinking, 'I can't believe Neji-niisan did something like that…'
Ino grabbed the blushing girl by the arm, "What happened next?"
Sakura leaned forward, eyes wide in anticipation as she agreed, nodding furiously. Hinata clutched her pillow tighter to her chest as she too, leaned forward. "Well…" Tenten giggled shyly, "He said that I looked really pretty with my hair down and he liked it a lot."
Hinata giggled again and Tenten winced slightly as Ino and Sakura's squeals reached her ears. Sakura suddenly sat up, "Ino, oh my goodness! You know what we can do?" The pink haired girl gasped as her brainwave hit her. Seeing the shrug the blonde girl made, Sakura leaned over and whispered in her ear. Tenten eyed the pair warily and fared he worst when she heard the words "hair", "makeover" and "he'll love it". She cringed as the two turned their attention onto her, smiling widely.
"You know Sakura; I have to hand it to you, looks like your big forehead isn't just for decoration only." Ino grinned as she looked the brown haired girl over.
"Thanks Ino-pig, I never did congratulate you on a good job done on Hinata." Sakura retorted, grinning as she stepped forward, a glint in her eyes. Tenten shrunk back, suddenly terrified of the girls in front of her. She looked over to Hinata for help but the shy girl made a dash for the door, saying she was going to get a snack for everybody.
'Oh Kami,' She thought, 'How did I get myself into this mess?'
Flashback begins
"You look really pretty with your hair down, I like it a lot." Neji whispered as he curled his fingers around a lock of her hair.
Tenten blushed and whispered back, "Since when were you so romantic Neji?"
Neji bend over and caught her wrist in his hand. Looking up at her coyly, he kissed her lightly on the knuckles and said, "Since I realized I loved you."
The unruly blush resurfaced as Tenten smacked Neji playfully on the wrist, "Who are you and what have you done to the real Neji?" She kissed him on the cheek and pulled him by the wrist towards the door, "Come on before Shizune-sama comes back!"
Tenten and Neji walked down the marketplace hand in hand, though Neji was walking really stiffly and feeling very uncomfortable. "Neji," Tenten asked concerned and a little afraid that he was rejecting her. "Are you alright? You're acting really different now."
Neji hesitated before shaking his head slightly, "I'm sorry, I'm… I'm just not accustomed to revealing my feelings to you in front of everybody."
Tenten smiled softly, "Baka. Its ok, I understand. What happened at the hospital just now was just a minor case of thirteen years of suppressed emotions and hormones escaping. I'm so sure it will never happen again."
At that, Neji glared at his girlfriend who laughed it off and dragged him over to a stall. The raven haired boy stood at the side as he watched Tenten admire the hair ornaments on sale. Turning his gaze toward the sky, he wondered why fate was so cruel as to torment him like that. 'Girls are all the same, they love to shop.' He thought.
He turned his attention back to her when he heard her dejected voice saying, "I'm sorry but it's too expensive." Casting a glance at the ornament and his girlfriend's face, he followed after her but not before glaring at the stall owner saying, "Do not sell that or else."
Neji waited till they had walked past at least ten other stalls before coming up with a half-hearted excuse which Tenten thankfully bought. Racing back, he purchased the ornament at an amazingly low price. Apparently, the man had recognized Neji as the Hyuuga genius and not wanting to anger him, he was willing to make a loss.
Unknown to him, Ino was also at the marketplace shopping and had spotted Neji purchasing the object of Tenten's desire. Being the busybody she was, she knew that this was gossip and she just had to have a sleepover.
oooooooooo
"So Tenten can come over?"
"Hai Ino-chan, I'll pack an overnight bag for her and send her over the moment she gets back."
"Arigatou obaasan." Ino thanked as she bowed respectfully to Tenten's mother.'
The woman smiled, "It's alright, I'm just glad that Tenten is mixing around with girls her age. She's always talking about her weapons and training."
Ino nodded understandingly as she waved goodbye. The only thought on her mind now was to look for Sakura and Hinata.
Flashback ends
Tenten crossed her arms in annoyance as the two girls played with her hair, "Hey why are you doing my hair when we're going to bed in a matter of time?"
Sakura stopped in mid pleat and turned to her best friend, "She's right, we should be doing this tomorrow instead."
Ino finished the left pleat before saying, "I saw Neji buying something for you today, what was it?"
Tenten glared at the girl blushing, "How did you know that?"
Ino shrugged, "I have my ways. So where is it?"
"It's in my bag." The girl replied reluctantly.
At that moment, Hinata walked in with a tray of cookies, pitcher of milk, glasses and a small silver pouch. She set the tray down and handed Ino the pouch. Ino cocked an eyebrow as she took it saying, "Never figured you for a snooper Hinata-chan."
Hinata looked away blushing in embarrassment as she replied softly, "I just thought I could save you the trouble of getting it from her bag."
Tenten looked at Hinata curiously, "How did you know it was in that pouch?"
Hinata smiled as she whispered her reply, "Its Neji-niisan's."
Ino and Sakura giggled happily as they opened the pouch, desperate to see what it looked like.
oooooooooo
Downstairs in the living room, Yamanaka Inoshi looked up at the ceiling, "What in Kami's name are those girls doing upstairs?" His wife rolled her eyes as she smiled back, "It's a girl thing."
oooooooooo
Hinata sighed as she looked up at the moon. It was a beautiful night as the moonlight shone down onto the balcony, providing a nice haven for her.
Flashback begins
"Hime-chan, Hime-chan," Naruto called out as he shook the girl in his arms gently by the shoulders, "it's time to wake up."
Hinata blinked the sleep out of her eyes as she looked around confused, "Where are we?"
Naruto grinned in embarrassment as he scratched his cheek, "Well you see, you looked so peaceful just now that I didn't want to wake you up, so I brought you here instead."
"Did you carry me here?" Hinata asked quietly, feeling a little guilty at having her Naruto-kun carry her here. Naruto nodded happily. Hinata stood up and looked around, "I remember this place, tousan used to bring me here before Hanabi…" Hinata trailed off sadly as memories of her defeat resurfaced.
Naruto caught the look of pain on her face, 'Hime-chan… Looks like both of us have not so wonderful memories of this playground.' He thought. Catching Hinata's wrist, he pulled her toward the swings, "Don't think about the unhappy past Hime-chan, since we're here, and let's make some new wonderful memories of this place!"
Hinata's face broke into a smile as she ran with him, at the same time asking, "Why did you bring me here Naruto-kun?"
Naruto grinned, "I thought it was really selfish of me to always spend my dates with you at the Ichiraku, so I decided to bring you elsewhere for a change!"
The shy girl smiled, "Arigatou Naruto-kun, that's really thoughtful of you." She whispered as she touched his cheek, unconsciously tracing over a whisker like scar.
Naruto blushed slightly as he lifted Hinata into the seat of the swing. Seating himself into one next to her, he grinned and exclaimed excitedly, "Let's have a competition Hime-chan! Whoever swings the highest is the winner!"
Hinata looked down shyly and said, "Ano Naruto-kun, how about whoever can jump off the swing and land the furthest."
Blue eyes lit up as the blonde boy yelled, "That's a great idea! And if I win, I'll treat you to dinner at Ichiraku. If you win, I'll treat you to anything you want!"
The white eyed girl giggled at her boyfriend's childish antics and nodded. She pushed herself off the ground, swinging herself back and forth. Naruto joined in the fun, the both of them enjoying the slight breeze as the swung.
When they were high enough, Hinata started off, "One…"
"Two…" Naruto joined in as he caught her eye.
The pair yelled simultaneously as they leapt from the swings, "THREE!"
But just before they hit the ground, Naruto caught Hinata in mid air and pulled her into his arms. The two tumbled onto the ground, coming to rest with Naruto above Hinata. The girl blushed as she looked up at her boyfriend, the setting sun catching his eyes, making them almost glow. "Naruto-kun…" She whispered before he leaned down.
Flashback ends
Hinata giggled softly as she remembered how that magical moment was ruined by a rumbling stomach, hers no less. An almost inaudible footfall caught her attention, she spun around only to find Sakura standing behind her in her pajamas, hand raised about to tap her shoulder.
"Sakura-san, why are you still up?" Hinata asked in concern, "Can't you get to sleep?"
The pink haired girl grinned, "I was about to ask you that same question. What were you thinking about anyway? You had this dreamy look on your face."
Hinata looked away shyly, "Oh it was nothing."
"Right…" Sakura nodded disbelievingly as she drawled out her reply.
The raven haired girl nodded innocently, "It was really nothing, just thinking about dinner with Naruto-kun." She lied as her blush deepened. Fortunately at that moment, a cloud passed over the moon, shrouding the balcony in darkness, almost as if fate was covering up Hinata's lie. Her shoulders drooped in relief as Sakura bought the lie. Thankfully, everyone still thought Naruto as a clumsy idiot who knew nothing about romance. 'And it's a good thing too,' she thought, 'else I would have ended up like Tenten-san.'
Casting a sideway glance at her companion; she noticed that Sakura was awfully quiet and was looking really dejected. "Sakura-san, is there something on your mind?" The Hyuuga asked concerned.
"Huh? Oh no, it's nothing." Sakura forced out as she stared at the moon. She felt tears well up in her eyes and knew she could not lie. "Who am I kidding? It's just that I'm lonely and I still blame myself for not being able to stop Sasuke-kun from leaving. If only I had been strong enough…"
Hinata smiled gently, "Sakura-san, it's not your fault that Sasuke-kun left. No one but Naruto-kun could have stopped him, but why are you lonely?"
Sakura sobbed into her hands, "Look around us, Ino has Shikamaru, Tenten has Neji and even you have Naruto! What about me? I've been going to see Sasuke-kun every single day but was not allowed to see him. And now Sasuke-kun is going to be leaving and there'll be nobody. Sometimes I wonder if Sasuke-kun will ever like me…"
Hinata wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders, "It'll turn out alright Sakura-san, you'll see."
"You think so?" The crying girl sniffled as she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.
Hinata nodded, "But if you're lonely, why not give Lee-kun a chance, just to see if you like him?"
"Demo…" Sakura shook her head.
Hinata placed her hand over hers, cutting her off as she said, "You never know till you try, Lee-kun really likes you, I'm sure he would be very happy if you gave him a chance. You could at least start by trying to be nicer to him."
Sakura smiled and nodded, "I'll try," she said as she picked up Hinata's hand, "come on, we'd better get back to bed. We have an early morning tomorrow."
Hinata nodded and followed the pink haired girl into the bedroom, shutting the balcony door as they left. As they crawled under their respective covers, Ino spoke up startling the two, "Never figured you were so good with advice Hinata-chan." She teased grinning.
"You weren't asleep?" Sakura asked as she tried to calm her racing heartbeat.
Tenten suddenly sat up, scaring the two girls even further, "Nope, couldn't sleep." Turning to Hinata she winked, saying, "Next time I have a problem with Neji, I'm looking for you!"
The four girls giggled as they flopped back into bed, wondering what the next day would bring for them as they fell asleep.
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A/N: Sigh, oh my god! Another chapter, done! And a very long one at that, I hope you all liked it! I know some of you are just waiting for the Wave country chapter to come along... Well, I'm not sure yet but it'll be soon. Don't worry!
And yes, the poll! I've got tons of names now so to give those who suggested the names fair go, you all get to vote! Oh yes and the fox is male.
1) Muhi (which means uniqueness) by hikariko.
2) Kyu by Dragon Man 180
3) Kit by Dragon Man 180
4) Kaze by nonengel
5) Arashi by nonengel and Dragon Noir
6) Shippou by Sarcastic Angel
7) Ryu by Scorpio V1.2
8) Lobo (wolf in Spanish) by Ah-choo
9) Haku by TimeShifter16
10) Inari by TimeShifter16.
Thank you to those said people who submitted those names, I am very happy! (Chocolate bars for you!) By the way, providing the names does not count as a vote. You get to either vote for the name you made up, or someone else's one. It's your choice; we live in a free world! (YAY FOR FREE CLOTHES… I wish...) But remember, even if the name sounds weird; do not make fun of it. I don't like people who make fun of others.
And to reviewers, cookies for you! (Throws cookies into waiting arms)
Remember to vote and review ok?
Vote and review!
Review and vote!