Hey there, #11 is up and running. This chapter will be quite a bit longer due to the explainations contained herein. I hope that this makes sense to you, but in the off chance that it doesn't, feel free to PM me and comment and I'll try to explain it. Enough from me, please enjoy.
HARUNO RESEIDENCE 1300 HRS
A gastronomically content Ichigo strolled on up to the Haruno residence, which a floor below their import/export shop. He stopped and looked at the entrance, making sure that he got the right address this time. A few blocks over, he thought that he had arrived and walked straight into a really old woman who thought that he was her grandson. Not really wanting to hurt her feelings, he stayed for an hour talking with the elderly lady and sipping some REALLY bitter tea and dodging questions. Once he was done, he made a beark for it and wound up at the shop, walking through the door.
The sound of the door bells alerted Takeo Haruno to a new customer in his store, so he nearly pelted on over to get a look. "Hello there! See anything you like?" He greeted in a friendly tone.
"Oh, ah, I'm here to see the parents of Miss Sakura Haruno." The tall Jounin replied.
"I'm her father, Takeo. Is she needed by anyone or late for a team meeting, perchance?"
"Oh,no. Nothing of that sort, sir. You see, her team's previous sensei was...let go, and I was assigned to take over. Hokage-sama recommended that I come and have a sort for parent-teacher meeting with you, so here I am. The name is Ichigo, Ichigo Suzumiya." He informed the much shorter man cheerfully.
"Well, you certainly are a lot friendlier than her last sensei, not mention taller, too." He remarked at the sheer height the younger man had on him.
"By the way, why has Kakashi been replaced, if you are at liberty to say?"
"Hokage-sama has given me no orders to the contrary, so I'll elaborate."
Takeo took that as a cue to put up the closed sign to prevent antone from barging in off of the streets. As he told the story of what happened on the mission, Sakura heard people talking down in her father's shop. She looked in and saw that it was her new sensei, so her curiosity drove her to listen in. As she listened, she overheard her father say things like "Yondaime's Legacy", "Foolish Hatake", and "Ignorant Villagers", shaking his head sadly.
"So, Kakashi proved that he was no different than the rest of the petty villagers...such a shame. Naruto's such a nice boy. You know, my wife Sanae and I wanted to adopt him the night of the attack, but the council and the Uchiha blocked us from doing so. Almost the entire Shinobi clan council tried their hand, just to fail as we did. He was thrown into the orphanage as soon as he could walk, and practically forgotten. If the Yondaime were to see what happened to him, he would be ashamed of this village." Takeo replied sadly.
"I agree with you. I started out as his next door neighbor and he saw me training one day. I asked him if he wanted to join me and he looked ask if I gave him the world on a platter. I'll never forget the look of pleading in his eyes. That is something no child should have, especially one so young."
Inner Sakura was puzzled by what they were saying. 'What would Naruto have to do with the Yondaime? My parents tried to adopt him when he was little, but the council and the UCHIHA outlawed it?! Naruto-kun could have been my little brother! Those BASTARDS!!!' She screamed from where she was in her hosts sub-conscious.
The fan-girl, for once, had no snide or scalding remarks to offer about the boy in question. She was afraid of Ichigo and Naruto, yes, but she was even more frightened of I.S. as of late. The influence of that fan girl portion of her personality has been steadily growing weaker since they returned from the battle at the bridge on the Wave mission, as it has become less and less warranted. I.S was growing stronger and it wouldn't be long until F.G. (Fan Girl) was either fully suppressed or gone all together. She decided to listen for a little while longer and hear her new sensei's impression of her.
Sanae had heard the talking as well and came out from the stores backroom to see who their visitor was. Ichigo introduced himself as Sakura's new Jounin Sensei, to which she returned the greeting.
"Hello, Ichigo-san. I am Sanae Haruno, Sakura's mother. I understand that you became her team's sensei only today, is that correct?"
"Hai. That it is, Haruno-san." He confirmed politely.
Sanae chuckled at his formality. "Just call me Sanae, Ichigo-kun. You really are much nicer and more polite than her last sensei. He came here with Hokage-sama to get a feel for how she lived, but he didn't seem very interested and even had the nerve to read that smut book in my house. He was mumbling something about the Uchiha being the only one he was interested in." She trailed off until she got back on track.
"If you will come with me, I will show you to her room." She told him kindly.
He was led up the stairs, into the house portion of the store and up another flight of stairs to Sakura's loft. When he opened the door, he was nearly blindsided by all of the pink in the room, not to mention all of the candid shots of the Emo Prince that she was so fixated on.
'Whoa...This is almost like a house of horrors. Her fixation on the Uchiha brat is going to get her killed one day.' He inwardly commented as he continued his minor inspection.
Sanae noticed that he rolled his eyes at all of the Sasuke pictures in the room and understood why he did so. "I wish that she would drop that obsession with that ghastly Uchiha boy. He and his clan, minus his mother, god rest her soul, have given us nothing but grief and hardships."
"Really? I not to too fond of the kid either, but if I may ask, what happened?"
"It's an honest enough question. A few years ago, one year after the Uchiha massacre, Sasuke Uchiha came into our store. He was already becoming spoiled beyond imagining. Almost all the other merchants and shop owners gave him insane discounts, but Takeo and I do not believe that he had earned them. When he came, he demanded the same treatment, but my husband told him otherwise. The boy went to the council and filed a grievance against us, to which followed many black-listing our small business within the village. If it weren't for the others on the shinobi council and for Naruto, our family would have been out on the streets."
"Really? How does Naruto factor into all of this?"
"He came to our store a year before that, trying to buy a bed. He told us that all of the other stores chased him out or would sell him junk at outrageously high prices. When we asked why he didn't have one, he told us that some people broke into his room and destroyed most of his belongings and took most of his money that he had saved. What he had in his hands was all he had left." Sanae told him before she had to stop for a moment to dry her eyes before she could continue.
"When Takeo and I saw that, it took all the resolve we had not to break into tears on the spot. We told him we could give him the bed for free, but he insisted on paying for it. Takeo and I arranged for him to help out in the store part-time to earn it, which he agreeed to wholeheartedly. He was such a sweetheart and a hard, diligent worker. We were amazed by the drive the boy had, as well as a knack for quick-thinking. After a year had passed, his birthday came around again. He recieved the worst beating he had ever endured in his life that night. When I went to visit him, he pleaded with me to leave and not to be seen with him, or they would do the same to me and my family. After that, he simply vanished. When the Uchiha boy did what he did, the shinobi clans helped us because we helped Naruto. The only things we heard of him were the same vile and nasty rumors that always surrounded the poor boy. Now, he re-surfaces on my daughter's team, but we still can't seem to find him anywhere."
Ichigo took in all of what the woman had told him at face value. She had no reason to lie to him and was genuinely concerned for Naruto. "I'll see if I can bring him by to at least say hello." He assured her.
"Please do. Oh! Would you like to stay for dinner? It's no trouble, I assure you." She invited. He seemed like a nice young man, the kind she would rest easier having her daughter study under.
Ichigo checked a watch he had on his wrist. "As tempting as it is, I must decline. I have prior arrangements...Like my first date." He replied, letting the last part slip out on accident.
The woman eyes sparkled with mirth. "Oh my! Your FIRST date?! Surely, such a handsome young man like yourself would have plenty of young ladies willing to spend a night on the town with you."
"Ah, heh heh. It isn't my first EVER, just...in a long time. I had another, but she's..." He went silent.
"I guess that's a sore subject. She's no longer with us, I take it?" She asked gently, to which he nodded somberly. She took the grown man into her arms in a motherly embrace.
"It's good that you're trying again. You're a strong young man, Ichigo-kun, and I know you'll be a wonderful sensei."
"Thanks. I'd better get going, now. Yamanaka-san said he had something to talk with me about. By the way, did you know that Naruto had the biggest crush on your daughter?" He told her.
Sanaesighed deeply and nodded. "Yes, we knew about and tried to get her to at least be civil to him, but she's been stubborn on that front."
"I thought as much. Well, it seems as thought he has a new crush now, one that's interested in him for a change. You know of Hinata Hyuuga?"
Sanae gasped. "The Hyuuga heiress?! She likes Naruto-chan?! How good for him!" The woman beamed in delight.
Ichigo was puzzled that she wasn't sad for her daughter's loss and it wasn't lost on the older woman, either. "Sakura has had years to notice that boy, but she couldn't see past the Uchiha and her obsessive ways. That poor boy deserves to move on for her and I'm glad that Lady Hinata has taken such a shine to him. She is a very kind hearted girl and she will be good for him and help him in ways that no one else could." She reasoned.
Ichigo took what she said at face vaule and told her that he really needed to get going. With goodbyes said, he vanished from their front stoop in a small cyclone of water.
"He seems like such a pleasant young man, very polite, too." Takeo commented.
"Yes, he does. I do hope that he bring Naruto-kun around soon. I want to see how he's grown over the past few years. I'm so glad that he found a little sweetheart. I guess our little girl missed out on a great opportunity." Sanae added. The pair just went back into the store to close up for the day properly.
Sakura quietly slipped out of the shop before her parents locked up. She really needed to talk to someone about what was going on, but Ino was the only one that came to mind. With that in mind, she left to the Yamanaka flower shop.
YAMANAKA FLOWER SHOP 1413 HRS
"Ino, do you have a few minutes?" Sakura asked her once best friend.
Ino was surprized. She thought that Sakura would have called her Ino-pig. She knew that something had to be wrong. "What's wrong, Sakura?"
Sakura proceeded to tell Ino everything that was bothering her. About the Wave mission, about her fears and doubts, and what she learned about Naruto and her new sensei.
"That's pretty messed up. He couldn't have done anything wrong, he was only a baby. What the hell is wrong with the council and the Uchiha and what did they have against Naruto?!" Ino exclaimed.
"I don't know, but it might have something to do with what happened to Naruto on our mission." Sakura replied.
"Really? Like what?"
"Well, the night before that Zabuza person attacked the bridge, he was sleeping on the roof, like he did every night we were there, because he didn't trust Kakashi-sensei or Sasuke. We felt something powerful and oppressive coming from the roof and we went to check on it. When we got up there, he was thrashing around, screaming like he was in pain while a red aura surrounded him, like he was trapped in a nightmare. He finally stopped thrashing and screaming, just to sob openly, moaning out for someone to stop hurting him and that he wasn't a monster, that he didn't hurt anybody." Sakura had to stop for a moment to catch her breath and swallow some tears that were brewing. It was a very difficult thing to watch, someone suffering like that and there was nothing she could do to help.
"Kakashi-sensei was acting weird and overly harsh where Naruto was concerned since we became a team, but when that red chakra came out, he was frightened and ready to attack him, mabye kill him."
"What?! What kind of sensei does that to a student?!"
"This one, apparently. Anyway, what happened next was strange but kind of beautiful, too. Suddenly, this ghost or something appeared next to him and pulled his head into her lap, and sang to him like he was her child. Her song was so beautiful and it calmed him down. But the strange thing about her was that she had ears like a fox and nine tails, but she was gorgeous. She called him her kit and kissed him on his forehead before she disappeared. She also mentioned that the village caused his nightmares somehow. Kakashi-sensei seemed more angry than scared after it was all over. I asked him about what happened and he said that Naruto was the only one who could tell me, but he doubted that he'd tell anyone willingly. The next day on the bridge, I felt the same thing again and it I knew that it was coming from Naruto."
"Wait. You said nine tails, right?" Ino asked suddenly.
"Yeah, why?"
'Fox ears and nine tails...Red chakra and people call him a demon...!!!!' Ino thought until she came to a conclusion.
'My dad did mention to mom once about a 'Jinchuuriki' or demon vessel living in the village and that he was my age...Oh my God...It's Naruto!!! He's the demon vessel!!!! But, he's a really sweet guy. A little goofy at times, but still a nice guy. Naruto is Naruto, after all.' She concluded.
"What's up, Ino?"
"It's nothing. About Ichigo-sensei, you are very lucky to have him assigned as your sensei." Ino told the pinkette, trying to change the subject.
The new information about ner new sensei got her attention. "Really? How so?"
Ino told her of how Ichigo helped her team by giving them some in depth Taijutsu training and of how he saved her from herself. "You know how I used to diet all the time?"
Sakura nodded, prompting her to continue. "Well, he found that my constant dieting was hurting me, making me weaker and weaker over time. I went to a doctor and she told me that it would have killed me eventually through malnutrition. He talked with me about Sasuke, my reason for dieting, and he asked me what kind of boy I liked. I told him that my type would be kind, funny, smile a lot, and like a girl for who she really is, warts and all."
Sakura hummed dreamily. "That sounds like a great guy to have."
Ino nodded, but wasn't finished. "He nodded his head, but then he asked me something that changed the way I look at people. He asked me which of those qualities Sasuke embodied. I went totally silent, I didn't have a response. He escorted me home and I watched Sasuke for a week. What I saw was a huge dissappointment. He was always rude, snobby and glared at everyone."
Sakura was, to say the least, shocked. Ino was one of Sasuke's most die-hard fan girls. "Really?"
"I'm not joking. He was awful, Sakura. But following the same methods, I looked to the people around me for the same qualities and found them in my teammates, sensei, Ichigo-san, and Naruto-kun."
"Wait, Naruto what?" She asked, slightly incredulous.
"Let me finish. Shikamaru and Chouji aren't perfect, but I could have had far worse for teammates. At least they're considerate of how I feel and listen to me and that counts for a lot. But Naruto-kun and Ichigo-sensei, they meet those standards and much more."
Sakura went quiet. Ino was Miss Popularity back at the Academy, a girl who had her pick of the best, but she saw Naruto of all people, as the most worthy of her affections.
"I saw Naruto-kun come over to my house one day, and I asked my dad what he wanted. He told me that he was there for a scheduled counceling session. Dad told me that he's been going to him for counceling for years, but when I asked him what could have happened, he said that only Naruto or the Hokage could tell me without severe punishment. I've been meaning to ask him, but I could never find him. Then, I heard that your team left on that mission out of the village, but you guys are back now...Hey! Do you know where he is?" Ino asked.
Sakura thought for a minute. "Well, Naruto, Haku, and Ichigo-sensei all went for ramen at Ichiraku's after the debriefing, but after that, I don't know. I don't even know where he lives." She admitted shamefully.
Ino sighed. 'I wanted to talk to him and apologize, too. Oh well, he's back now. I'll run into him sooner or later.'
"Oh well. You doing anything later today?" She asked, changing the subject again. The two ended up talking for awhile as Ino made her rounds down in the shop when Ichigo walked in the front door.
"Inoichi? You here?" He called out.
From behind the counter, Akari called back. "Ichigo-kun, over here! I have the perfect flowers for your date with Anko-chan!" The blonde woman told him as she thrust a bouquet of daisies into his hands.
"Wait, you're not going dressed like THAT, are you?" She inquired about his current state of dress which was his Jounin uniform.
"Nu-no! Lord no!"
"Then what will you wear?" She asked him with a raised eyebrow, pressing for answers.
"Uh...Ummm...Damn." He dropping his head in defeat.
Akari's motherly instincts were blaring like fire alarms. "I'll just have to take you shopping for clothes. When is the date?"
"At 6 tonight at Dagashiya's." He told her defeatedly.
"Okay. I trust you've drawn your mission and bounty pay." She told him as she called her daughter.
"Ino dear! Come on, we're going to give Ichigo-kun a new look!" The elder blonde woman nearly squealed in delight. It was like having an older son or nephew to dress up.
"Oooohhh! Can Sakura come, too?!"
"Sure! The more the merrier, so let's go!" She hollared as She began to haul the hapless young man out the door. Sakura stood there, unmoving.
"Aren't you coming, dear?" Akari asked the pink-haired girl in concern.
"I'll think I'll pass, Akari-san. I'd better get home." She replied weakly, walking out the door.
"Okay, then. I'll see you around, then." Ino called to her friend turned rival turned friend again.
Inoichi watched on in pity. Not one but two, women using him as a human dress up doll. Nope, not for him this time. Just his wife and daughter were enough, thank you.
On her way home, Inner Sakura lost control and had to retreat back to where she usually waited. As Sakura's normal facade took over again, she felt a sharp stab in her heart and felt tears coming down her cheek not knowing what she was doing near Ino's house or why she felt so sad.
Inside, I.S was busy crying her eyes out. "You...YOU IDIOT!!!!!!!" She screamed at her host in rage and despair.
"What's your problem?" F.G asked her other persona.
"Shut up you stupid bitch!!!! Naruto-kun is taken now!!! We had all the time in the world to make him happy in return for all he tried to do for us!! We could have had someone who cared for us, but just HAD to follow that emo asshole around like a bitch in heat!!!! You ruined everything!! If we weren't a part of the same person, I'd kill you!!!"
"So what? He's only the dobe, no one to get worked up about."
I.S snarled in rage.She decidedto show her other half what she learned about Naruto and Sasuke in the past two hours. What happened was highly unexpected. I.S expected her other half to shrug it off, but instead she was shell-shocked.
"After all of that...he still liked us. But now...He's with Hinata and...he's happy." She breathed out, not even moving. "Sasuke-kun...is a horrible person...nearly put my family on the street. Naruto tried to help us...but I was so nasty to him." She choked out, sinking to her knees in her mind and on the outside.
"I'm such a cruel bitch." Sakura whispered as she began to weep into her hands for the loss of what could have been hers.
"Now you listen ME..." I.S growled as she picked up F.G by the collar of her shirt. "We are going to apologise to Naruto-kun and be his friend if nothing else. You will NOT screw this up and I will NOT let you hurt him anymore. If you do, so help me God, I'll kill you. I don't care if I'll die too. Now, we will go home and think of a way to apologise to him and throw away all of those pictures of that bastard Sasuke."
Sakura stood up and walked back to her house, still sniffling the entire way there.
KONOHA MERCHANT DISTRICT 1525 HRS
Akari and Ino had taken Ichigo to the same store that she had Inoichi get his more formal/casual wear from. Once inside, she almost instantly began to pick out clothes and directed him to a dressing room, having him try on different combinations and pairs while the Ino acted like a judges panel.
Their attention was drawn to the entrance when they heard a familiar voice. "Aw, Haku-nee...Do I have to dress up?"
A soft voice cut in next. "Yes, otouto-kun, you do. Come on, I'll help you pick something out."
Ino looked around a clothing rack and saw aruto, with a beautiful girl she'd never seen before chiding him.
"Hey, Naruto." She called to him. 'Damn! Is she his girlfriend?' She wondered. "Who's your friend?"
"Oh! This is Haku-neechan!" He told her cheerfully, as he explained how she came back with them and how she wound up being a big sister to him. Ino breathed a sigh of relief.
'Okay, she's his onee-chan, not his girlfriend. But what are they doing here?' She wondered as Sakura came around, as well as her mom.
"Naruto-chan! How good to see you!" She told him as she wrapped him up in a big hug. "What are you up to, young man?" She asked him.
Ino never knew that her mom knew Naruto so well, but figured that since he was seeing her dad for therapy, her mom would try to mother him as well.
"Well, Akari-san, I kinda...um...gotta date tonight." He told her sheepishly, to which she let out a girlish squeal and he heard Ichigo from behind the dressing room curtain.
"Really?! Hinata agreed to a date without fainting?! Miracles DO happen!"
"Actually, she asked ME out and her dad approved! Pretty crazy, huh?" He replied jovially.
His declaration got a mixed reaction from the two females. Ino was feeling somewhat jealous, she had wanted to take a shot at Naruto after apologizing to him. Akari was thrilled that the lonely boy finally found a girl who was interested in him and not the Uchiha.
"Hinata Hyuuga?! Wow! She's a real cutie pie and very sweet girl! Good for you Naru-chan!" Akari gushed while squeezing the young blonde jinchuuriki. 'If Hiashi Hyuuga of all people approved of him, that should tell people that he is a good boy. Good for him.'
Ino swallowed her jealousy due to the fact that Naruto deserved somebody who liked him from the start. "Congradulations, Naruto. I hope that you two will be happy together." She told him honestly, pulling him into a hug.
"I-Ino? Thanks, but I thought you couldn't stand me? What's up?" He quetsioned her, slightly on the defensive. Akari sighed, but couldn't blame Naruto for erring on the side of caution given all the thing people did to him in the past.
Ino went on to explain all the soul searching she had been doing for the past couple of months, along with the discoveries and changes she'd made. "I've come to the conclusion that I didn't like who I'd become. I thought that I'd start by apologizing to you and...seeing where things went from there." She told him, fidgeting bashfully while explaining the last part.
'Not to mention I know that you have a demon that nearly totaled the village sealed inside of you, but I don't care.' She added mentally.
Saki was listening on the story with a knowing grin on her face. 'This girl has some feelings for the boy, too. She's not even trying that hard to hide them.'
"Naru-chan, I can tell that she's being completly honest with you." She informed her vessel.
"Thanks, Saki-chan. It's just a little weird, y'know? For the longest time, she hated me and now she comes up to me and apologizes out of nowhere. To top that off, she's acting a little Hinata used to around me...Wait a minute...She LIKES me?! I thought that she liked the Teme?!" He exclaimed in surprize.
"From what she said, she woke up and saw that brat for what he REALLY is, a self-centered, spoiled little punk. She looked around and apparently found what she liked in you. Your luck is really changing, finding out two cute girls like you in the same day." She teased him with a giggle.
Naruto didn't find it so funny, however. "What'll I do?! I'm dating Hina-chan, but Ino-chan likes me, too!" He thought in a panic.
Saki thought for a minute. "Maybe Hina-chan would share you with her? What ever you tell her, be gentle. Don't break her heart." The vixen told him as her presense faded.
He faced the blonde girl with a small, but gentle smile. "Thanks, Ino-chan. I feels good to hear you say that. I'd be more than happy to be your friend." He responded to her hugging her back. Akari reminded them of the time and got them back on track.
The group decided to pool their opinions of the to blonde males they dressed up and got some very pleasing results. Both blondes cleaned up very nicely and were a little envious of the girls they had dates with that night. Both of them sported khaki slacks with white button up shirts and matching sport coats.
Haku had to admit that her new foster parent looked pretty good all dressed up and cleaned up and Naruto would be a real charmer once grown. Akari even managed to get Naruto's normally unruly hair to behave with some pomade in liberal amounts. She asked the boy to drop by the shop on his way to pick up Hinata so that she could give him a corsage made of the flower of his choice. He chose the Lavender flower, to match her eyes.
With the clothes paid for and everything done, they went their seperate ways. Naruto, Ichigo, and Haku of course walked off together back to the apartments. Haku was telling them how Mrs. Yamanaka offered her a part-time should she want it.
Ichigo and Naruto both split up and began to get ready for their dates. You know, shower and in Ichigo's case, shave, the whole de-funking process that preceeds a date. Haku took to fussing over the two of them and doing a final check before they left for the evening. The older girl felt that Naruto might need a little support, considering what she knew of the village from Naruto's and Ichigo's accounts, so she began to follow him around and stop trouble before it started.
WITH ANKO AND HINATA AROUND THE SAME TIME
For now, let's look in on Anko and Hinata, shall we? After all they need to get ready, too. Anko never had a sense for the normal type of date and Hinata had no other older female figure in her life, so Kurenai filled in that gap. She took the two to one of her favorite stores and got them fitted with a pair of dresses that actually suited them. Anko was given a honey-brown evening gown that perfectly matched her eyes. It had a slit that ran up to her mid thigh and a slightly conservative neckline, but still showed a generous portion of her ample chest. Hinata had a similarly styled cheongsam dress with a slightly more daring neckline and both dresses hugged all the curves that made men into putty.
Kurenai stepped back and admired her handiwork. She insisted that they wear them on the way home to get a public opinion like a sort of social experiment. The results were very entertaining. At least a couple dozen men of varying ages, shinobi and civilian, ran into stationary objects, smacked themselves with various construction tools on accident, and/or choked on what they were drinking or eating. Asuma nearly choked on his cigarette, Gai was actually silent for once, and Shino actually blushed. One of the funniest reactions was from Ibiki, Anko's boss and T & I. His slack-jawed expression was priceless and he walked right into a wall face first.
The low point was when a few guys got a little fresh, but they quickly realized that they were messing with two of the most dangerous kunoichi in the entire village. Kiba saw Hinata and tried to lay down some moves on her, only for her to activated her Byakugan and with lightning speed, she shut down the tenketsu in his jaw and vocal chords and halted all speech for the next 2 hours, sending him cowering away.
As soon as Hinata arrived at Hyuuga manor, the guards were all slack-jawed, as this was something they had never seen from the clan heiress. Neji and her father were sparring in the courtyard when she went past it to her room when he saw her first. He froze in place causing Hiashi to hit him square in the forehead, knocking to the ground. When he began to chide him on letting his guard down, he noticed that he stared off in the same direction as before. He followed hi nephew's line of sight as saw what he saw.
"Oh my..." He said in a stunned tone.
Hanabi noticed this and went over to her two stricken male relatives, and smacked them in the head. "Hey! Get a grip, guys! It only Hinata-onechan!" She yelled at the before stomping off.
"Men..." The knee-high Hyuuga girl muttered.
HYUUGA MANOR 1745 HRS.
Naruto was waiting patiently and nerviously inside of Hiashi's study, awaiting the arrival of Hinata. He was told by Ichigo and Akari that being slightly early would make a good impression, so he arrived twenty minutes early. The Hyuuga gate guards let him in, informed him that Lord Hiashi wanted to speak with him in his study, and brought him there.
Once there, Hiashi went into the standard fatherly pre-date diatribe, telling him to treat his little girl right, make her happy, keep her safe and above all, BEHAVE and HANDS OFF. He had his Byakugan active through the entire one sided conversation to further reinforce his point, which had what appeared to be a positive effect and made Naruto go pale when he thought about what Hiashi would to him should he screw this up. Hiashi was reveling in his role of the protective father, finding it quite fun to terrorize his daughter's date. He almost couldn't wait for Hanabi to start dating so he could do it again. Almost.
After a few more awkward minutes of waiting, Hinata was finally brought out from getting ready by Neji and Hanabi. One look at her and she reduced one of the loudest genin in the village to mute shock.
"Wow..." Was all he could say, other than, "Here...present for you..." He told her in the same stunned tone as he handed her the small box he had. She opened it up to reveal a corsage made of Lavender and Lilacs.
Her sister and cousin both smirked at his reaction, as they knew of her crush on him. After all, how could they not? Ever since Hiashi gave her the go ahead to date him, she hadn't shut up about it. Hanabi had never seen anything as scary as her sister when it came to her beau.
She had once seen a picture of him in her sister's room and made a passing comment that he looked kind of dopey, but still cute enough for her. Hanabi didn't know which comment set off her sister's wrath, but she promptly fled the area under a massive killing intent. She wouldn't spar with or even go near Hinata for a week after that.
Neji had a "Naruto Mania" encounter himself just the other week. He blurted out in the middle of a spar that Naruto was the dobe of his class and Hinata kicked his ass six ways from Sunday. Even the clan council was a little afraid of the young girl after the savage beatdown she gave their "prodigy".
Hiashi actually allowed a slight grin as he saw what Naruto had chosen to give his daughter. It reminded him of what he gave his wife when they dated when they were young and made him nostalgic for a moment.
"Now, Uzumaki-san. About my little girl, have her home at a decent hour and make sure to show her the proper respect, OR ELSE." He told Naruto sternly, getting in his face. He then backed up to his normal distance.
"Other than that, please show her a good time." He said in a slightly cheerful manner. With his blessing, he sent the pair on their way.
ANKO'S APARTMENT 1715 HRS
Ichigo walked up to her door early and knocked. Kurenai answered the door and let him in, telling him that Anko was almost ready and to have a seat on the couch. He did as he was told and did so while Kurenai gave him a cup of tea to pass the time. During the wait, he talked with her about Hinata and how she now had a tangible spine.
Kurenai was just as surprized and thrilled that her student now had a boyfriend, a very loyal one at that. She was also happy for her friend, who was actually very lonely and had been for a long time. She knew that Anko was secretly a little envious of her and Asuma, but knew her well enough to know that she'd never admit it.
After a few moments went by Anko walked out of her room and into the common area, getting her date's attention. When he turned around and took in how she looked, his jaw hit floor. To him, she looked absolutely gorgeous in the ensemble and light make up that Kurenai whipped up for her.
Anko was loving the reaction her gown was getting, making this whole thing worth the effort so far. Her date was reduced to a shy little kid, blushing up a storm and hold a bouquet of Daisies out to her in a strange but cute half bow.
"Oh! For me?" She cooed sweetly, taking the flowers and taking a whiff, enjoying the smell greatly.
"Mmmmm...They smell wonderful and they're so pretty. Thank you." She told him in a slightly sexy manner as she sauntered over to him and kissed him on his cheek. She could have sworn that she heard the fuses blowing in his head, but chuckled at his atomic red face as she dragged him out the door, bound for the restaurant.
"Don't wait up now." She joked with her long time best friend with a huge grin plastered on her face.
"Behave yourself, young lady!" Kurenai mock scolded while laughing. When this was all over, she'd want all of the details.
"Okay, MOM!" The Snake Kunoichi remarked back as she disappeared around the corner.
Kurenai was left to wonder when Asuma would actaully work up the nerve to ask her on a date himself. The crimson-eyed kunoichi was beginning to get a little frustrated with the man and the lack of advancement in their relationship. She could only hope that he would take a cue from Ichigo and get a clue.
DAGASHIYA'S 1730 HRS.
Ichigo and Anko had already made it to the restaurant with plenty of time to spare and got their seats. It was a bit of a rough start since he was reminded that most of the village didn't really think too fondly of his date because at first they wouldn't let her in. He asked her once why that was, but she told him it was a sore subject. However, Ichigo proved like on the day that they first met that he could very...persuasive.
"The lady is with me, sir. Please guide us to a seat." He told the man in a neutral tone, but with a sharply concentraited killing intent that nearly made him lose control of his bodily functions.
The snobbish maitre'd immeadiately let them pass and guided them to one of the best tables in the house, constantly sputtering apologies to Anko the whole way.
'Wow! I could get used to this! I never thought that I'd ever go on a nice date like this. I like him, I really do. I feel safe around him, he's funny, nice, has an insane alcohol tolerance but is actually a responsible drinker, and he's just as protective of Naruto as I am, not to mention he looks like an older version of him. I...might be able to tell him about Orochimaru. Maybe...' She thought as Ichigo pulled out her chair for her.
She had always wanted to be treated like a lady, but all of the dates she tried so far treated her as if she was cheap and an easy lay. She had almost abandoned hope until Ichigo came along. He was a fun guy, but he was also had a sense of chivalry, which she secretly enjoyed but would never admit it while sober. He allowed her to let her guard down around him and never treated her like a piece of meat.
'I guess she's really enjoying this. I glad I decided to ask her out. I mean, she's funny, smart, caring, strong, skilled...I could go on. I really like her, but I need to be careful about telling her about what I really am. If she accepts Naruto, she might do the same for me, but I just don't know for sure, not yet. I'll tell her someday if keep this up.' He thought to himself as they ordered their food and drinks.
They kept up a lively chat, Ichigo telling her about the Wave mission and her telling him a bit more about her past. She felt that she was really flirting with disaster, but also felt that she owed it to him for sticking with her and being a decent guy. She asked him to lean forward as she told him the twisted story of her and Orochimaru.
She poured her heart and soul out to him, leaving nothing out. When she finished, she closed her eyes and waited for him to leave in disgust, only to be shocked that he was still sitting there with a gaze that didn't contain pity or sympathy, but understanding.
"I don't care about any of that. I only see you as you are, Anko Mitarashi. A good Kunoichi and an even better woman with a strong and kind heart. To tell you the truth, I was a little scared that you wouldn't agree to a date with me. ut since you told me your secret, I...want to tell you mine. Now the only two in the whole world who know are Inoichi Yamanaka, who performed a mind dive on me when I first arrived and the Sandaime himself." He told her in a hushed tone as he began to tell her his tale. The full extent of it.
"I started out as a science experiment for a shadowy group that was known as the Illuminati. Myself and one other, out of hundreds of other subject who were also experimented on survived. We were meant to be infused with powerful spirits that you know today as the Bijuu."
"Th-The what?! But how?!" She whispered incredulously.
"Hold on and I'll tell you about it. What you know as the Bijuu were once just docile animal spirits. Even the fearsome Kyuubi was once a very gentle Kitsune spirit and Shukaku was once very kind as well, as were most of the nine Bijuu, until they were all captured. Then, they had summoners, priests and priestesses that worked on making the spirits more powerful, but it drove some of them insane and made the others distrustful of humans."
Anko gasped in shock. She believed that the spirits should be left alone, much unlike her sensei Orochimaru. This all sounded like something he would try and do if he had the means and resources.
"Then, they worked on the vessels for the new demons they created. They took over a hundred children of various ages from around the world and began to...enhance them. The kids were broken down and rebuilt from the ground up, genetically and otherwise. Many of them died during the process. Next, they infused us with some of the chakra from the demons, which only myself and one other the same age as me survived. A girl named Shiina and I were the only two. The after result was that we gained some kind of supernatural powers, such as my ability to control air and water, as well as healing and regenerative abilities. My partner Shiina gained the ability of control fire and limited telepathic and psychokinetic abilities. We both gained sensory abilities, enhanced strengthand endurance, reflexes and speed, along with being programed with various fighting arts. We were created to be the perfect weapons."
"That's horrible..." Anko gasped. That was something, coming from the queen of torture.
"Shiina and I were sent out on missions to test our viability under fire, to which we passed easily. With what they did to us, they essentially created a new species of human. We were still fully able to procreate too, as they wanted to see if they could breed us. Before the implatation of the demons was to take place, three sympathizers to our plight set us free. When we were let go, we also set the demons free, but the Kyuubi stayed with us. She felt that she owed us a debt of honor for setting her free and helping her regain her sanity, so she became our companion and trusted friend. "
Anko could hardly believe her ears, but was compelled to believe him. The Kyuubi, one of the nastiest demons that ever walked the earth, followed around a pair of humans out of graditude and honor.
"We wandered the world for over 5 years, evading their attempts to recapture and eventually destroy us. She helped us by using her Kitsune powers to hide us or help us fight, which sometimes turned into full scale warfare. Our battles once leveled a major city. Over 1 million people died during the course of the fighting, but the Illuminati didn't care. To obtain their goals, they would kill off entire small countries to do so."
"There's no such place that has that many people in it. There can't be..." She told him. This tale was beginning to be impossible.
"I haven't finished yet. When I tell you the final secret, you'll understand. Finally, we were tracked to a small town that ran along the Rhine river in a country called Germany. Shiina had been injured in a battle just the week before so we went there to recover. She didn't have my healing abilities, so the process was slow. We stayed there too long, which resulted in them finding us and launching their attack, but we managed to evacuate most of the townsfolk before they struck. I had Kyuubi take Shiina along with them and I stayed behind to stall them and thin them out. I managed to take down over half of them before I was nearly killed. Kyuubi and Shiina came to my rescue, with Kyuubi using two her tails to shield me and the rest to sweep their forces away."
Anko hand't seen what he was capable of first hand, but if from the report she read about the Wave mission was at least accurate where his battle strength was concerned, that would be entirely possible.
"After the troops were taken care of, Kyu came up and told us something peculiar, that she would protect our young and our line, becoming our families guardian spirit. But right as she declared that, a massive bomb was dropped on us in a final attempt to destroy us. Kyu and I threw up barriers to stave off the bomb's destructing power, but it's energies reacted with mine in a really weird way, and pulled me into a strange vortex."
"The story was really interesting and all, but you said that you had a final secret."
"Yes. The secret is that this all happened over 700 years ago. The vortex that swallowed me up spit me out right on top of Hokage Tower a week before I met you."
This left Anko speechless. Time travel?! From the past?! "Wait, wait. You mentioned that you had a line left behind."
Ichigo's face took on a saddened visage. "Yes. Shiina and I...were lovers. I was told by Sarutobi that I had a living decsendant here in the village by having some blood work done on a hunch. I'll give you one guess as to who that is." He told her.
Anko thought hard, taking a good long look at his face and hair, trying to place it. Suddenly it hit her like a bolt of lightning. "No way...Naruto?" She breathed.
He nodded his head approvingly. "Very good. I knew you'd figure it out. He's my final living decsendant and I'll be damned if anything happens to him on my watch." He said with conviction.
'It all makes sense now...They look almost exactly alike and it explains his protectiveness over the kid. He also lost his lover, how sad...' She thought before leaning forward to grab his hands.
"I'm...I'm sorry for doubting your story. I thought that you were crazy or something. Also, I'm...sorry about Shiina. You must have loved her very much."
"Don't worry about it. If it hadn't happened to me, I'd have a hard time believeing it, too." He told her with a chuckle, but that soon turned sad.
"About Shiina...I still love her, but she's dead, been dead for at least 700 years, but for me it's been only a few months. If it helps, you remind me of her in a lot of ways and I know that she wouldn't want me to mope around forever. She'd probably kick the shit out of me if it did. She was the firey type, with long fire red hair and almost glowing green eyes and an attitude for the ages..." He began to tell her about his long lost love as she sat there eagerly listening about this intriguing and mysterious woman.
As Ichigo wound down his tale, they heard a commotion coming from the entrance of the restaurant and went over to investigate. When they got there, they saw a dressed up Naruto and gussied up Hinata trying to get a seat inside but were being barred from entering by the same matire'd that accosted Anko.
"What the hell is going on here?" The tall blonde demanded.
The snobbish man turned, saw Ichigo, and snorted. "Hmph. I allowed that woman in here but I refuse to allow the demon boy to taint our establishment." He huffed.
"You snide little bastard..." Anko snarled and was about to clock him, but she was stopped by Ichigo.
"Fine then. I'll just tell everyone that this place has rotten service, anyway. Let's go, Anko-chan, Naruto, Hina-chan. Just know that you turned away a Main House Hyuuga, the heiress at that, and they don't really like that." He told the man, making him ghostly pale.
He began to sputter apologies, begging and groveling to get them to come inside. "Nah. We ordered over 30 minutes ago and we never even got our drinks. There's no excuse for that because you aren't even that busy." Anko said while gestureing to the half empty restaurant.
She turned on her heel, grabbed Ichigo's arm and marched off to the Akimichi's restaurant. "Hey gaki, you bringin' your date along, our what?" She called out in a playful tone that Naruto recognised, making him smile.
"Come on, Hinata-chan! Let's go with them!"
Hinata glared at the still begging man and took her date's arm. "Let's go, Naru-kun. Anywhere is better than this place." She remarked as they trailed behind the older pair arm in arm.
SHUSHUYA'S 1849 HRS
After they left Dagashiya's, they went to a restaurant that was owned by the Akimichi clan, who's clan head happened to be there that night and accepted them with open arms. Chouza remarked that both of the girls were very beautiful, nearly getting swatted by his wife. He never knew that their torture princess could clean up so nicely and that the Hyuuga heiress was so beautiful. He also commented that the two blondes were very, very lucky.
They were seated with Chouza and his family at his insistance, where they pretty much got a free meal. Ichigo and Naruto both reached for their wallets to pay their tabs, but the Akimichi patriarche picked up the tab as a thank you for giving his son some confidance in himself.
Chouji was talking animatedly with Naruto and Hinata, who he hadn't seen since graduation over 4 months ago. They were catching up with had been happening in their lives, starting out with Chouji telling them about Ichigo's lessons in self-confidance.
He had Chouji parade around in mawashi for a full hour while shouting out, "Chubbies rock!" , "Hail to the Fluffy!", "Slim Fast Sucks!", "Big boned=Big luvin'!" and various other positive messages about larger people. He had him repeat this process until he began to believe in himself more and on top of that, he was taught some advanced grappling that would put his bulk to good use.
After a good laugh, Chouji asked them how they came to be together, being on a date and all. Hinata told him how her sensei and her friend Anko took her under their wing and bolstered her sense of self worth and confidance. The pale-eyed girl also told of how her father came to approve of Naruto and how he is beginning to lighten up and of how he put the screws to Naruto as a pre-date chat. Chouji congradulated the two of them and wished them luck in their relationship.
MOVIE THEATRE 2049 HRS
After 2 hours of stories and friendly banter, the two couples decided it was time to move on to the next phase of the date, a movie. Unsurprizingly, Anko wouldn't be caught dead at a chick flick but a slasher flick wasn't on the pallet for the night for the group, either. They instead opted for an action movie with the popular actress (To everyone else but Ichigo anyway), Yukie Fujikaze.
Halfway into the movie, Naruto was tuckered out and fell asleep on Hinata's shoulder. He had just gotten back from a mission earlier that morning so she couldn't really blame him. The Hyuuga girl just giggled lightly and slid his head down to her lap as she played with his hair, all but ignoring the movie at that point.
Ichigo shook his head. 'Wasn't that supposed to be the other way around?' He wondered until he felt something on his own shoulder. He looked over and found Anko nestled against him, groaning contently with a slight bit of drool. He smiled while carefully putting his arm around her and finished the movie.
As soon as the credits began to roll, he shook her gently to wake her up. "Anko-chan, movie's over." He told her softly.
"Mmnn...uh...wha?" She mumbled as she woke up and saw Ichigo smiling down at her.
"Oh, Icchan...Time to go?" She asked sleepily with a matching grin.
'Icchan? Heh. If the shoe fits...' He thought as he helped her to her feet. "Yeah. Let's go home now." He informed her of the final leg of the date.
Naruto was awakened gently by Hinata shaking him. "Naru-kun...It's time to go. Ichigo-sensei said we're going to go home." She told her date in the soft tone that she was so well liked for.
Naruto nodded and the group went along on their way home.
KONOHA STREETS 2114 HRS
Haku had a rather boring night trailing Naruto. No one even came near him due to the fact that Ichigo and Anko were with them. She was about to leave when they split up to take their dates home. Aparrently, she wasn't the only one to notice this, as she spotted someone tailing Naruto and Hinata a dozen yards behind them.
Her soft brown eyes hardened behing her mask as she swiftly and stealthly made her way over to her new otouto's stalker. The stalker was obviously a shinobi by the way they moved and tried to conceal their chakra, but it was a bit amatureish, leading her to believe that it was a lower class ninja. The closer she got she could hear the person muttering something angrily, revealing the person to be male.
Finally the person got himself into an ambush position behind a wall and was waiting for them to come into view when she struck out with a few very well placed senbon, dropping the possible assailant like a bad habit. Once Naruto had made it past the site, she dragged him away to I.D him at her leisure. She dragged him into the light and growled at the identity of the near attacker : One Kiba Inuzuka.
She only removed enough of the senbon for him to regain consciousness, but left in the ones which block his movement. Slapping him a few times to bring him around, he shook him roughly. "So, Inuzuka-san, and use that loosely..." The ice wielding kunoichi spat out in a low growl.
"What was your purpose in tailing Naruto with the intent to ambush and cause harm? Be honest, or you really won't like me when I'm through." Haku warned him.
Kiba grimaced at being caught. He knew she had to be a kunoichi from when they first, met, but he didn't think she was so skilled. "That stupid dobe is running around with what's mine. What's a forgein whore like you care, anyway?" He snarled, bearing his clans trademark fangs.
"What have I told you about treating women like propery?" She retorted in a frosty tone as he felt the temperature drop dramatically. When Kiba refused to answer her, she increased the pressure on him, now encasing Kiba's arm in ice.
The dog boy began to panic when he saw the ice begin to creep up in arm, but he was completely helpless to do anything. His mind raced to find a way out of this jam and came up with one. "Heh. You can't really hurt me. I'm the heir to the Inuzuka clan. You'd get in to a lot of trouble if you hurt me." He told her in a smug tone.
She gave him a cruel smirk which smashed his hastily built up confidence. "Look over on that rooftop across from us. Do you see those two ANBU there? What would have happened if THEY caught you instead of me? They would have killed you for endangering the Hyuuga heiress, regardless of her company."
Kiba's face and skin were almost instantly drained of any and all color. "I see that you've spotted them, too. I will let you go now so that you can cower back to your home, but know this..." She paused, making her killer intent flare violently.
"If you so much as go near them, I'll not only tell your sensei, but also Hinata-chan's father and Naruto's sensei about your little vendetta and your foolishness. They can be far more harsh on you than I can, rest assured of that." She told him with a tone of confidance.
The dog boy was near hysterics. He'd be lucky if his mom only grounded him and his sister Hana only beat him up. He'd heard no end of scary stories about Naruto's new sensei and knew that Hinata's father would think nothing of killing him if he was a threat to his eldest daughter. He decided to cut his losses and admit defeat, for now.
Haku was satisfied with his answer and stayed only long enough to make sure Naruto made it inside the Hyuuga compound safely before she turned to go home. Before she could leave, the ANBU she pointed out appeared in front of her.
"That was some nice work, Miss Momochi. I've been told that you will be taking a placement test in a week's time. If you rank high enough, we would like to extend an invitation to join the ANBU should you choose to. You've got some decent and solid skills, not to mention that neat ice trick of yours."
"Thank you, ANBU-san, but I'd like to stay near my new family for a little while as I get used to life in this village." She told them as she politely refused.
The lead ANBU sighed. "Well, can't argue with that. Offer stands, though, should you reconsider." He told her as they flickered away into the night. Haku shook her head and headed straight back to the apartment she and her new guardian shared, intending on getting a good night's sleep.
HYUUGA MANOR 2130 HRS.
Naruto was walking with Hinata over to her father's study, as he wanted Naruto to deliver her to him safe and sound personally. Upon entering, Naruto was greeted by not only Hiashi, but Hanabi and Neji, too. He thought that if he screwed up, they would be the witnesses to his ass kicking, maybe the ones who would hold him down.
"So Uzumaki-san, what did you two do on your date?" He asked him in a very strange friendly tone, one he hadn't expected from the man that sent them on their way earlier that evening.
"W-Well, um, we went out to dinner, ran into Ichigo-sensei and Anko-sensei who were out on a date like us and at the same restaurant. After dinner, we went out for a movie then we came straight back here, sir." He answered the man honestly and sincerely.
This drew a pleasant grin from the Hyuuga patriarche as he approved. Neji gave Naruto an approving nod and Hanabi was busy taking in what he looked like all dressed up. Apparently she liked what she saw.
Hinata walked with Naruto out to the gate and gave him a shy first kiss. It was very brief and chaste, but that didn't lessen the feelings that were in it.
"I had a lot of fun tonight. Goodnight, Naruto-kun." She told him as she disappeared into the compound, leaving him standing in mild shock.
He turned to one of the Branch guards that were standing at the gate. "Did...did she...?" He stuttered, gestureing to his face.
The guard, a female Branch member, laughed out loud at his reaction to the kiss. After she calmed down some, she answered him. "Yep, she sure did. Lady Hinata really seems to like you, kiddo. You're extremely lucky, so treat her right, okay?"
"As if I needed to be told how lucky I am?! She's the greatest!" He whooped in glee as he kicked up his heels and practically floated the entire way home.
Her companion shook his head while chuckling. "Kid's got it bad. Sweet youth, huh?"
"You have no idea." She replied.
ANKO'S APARTMENT 2135 HRS.
The pair strolled up to Anko's apartment, but she stopped just short of opening the door. "So, uh, you wanna come in for a quick drink?" She offered.
"I'd love to, but I need to get going. I've got to make sure Naruto made it home alright and check on Haku." He graciously declined.
'Oh well. At least I'll give him one hell of a goodnight kiss!' She though wickedly.
"Aw, that's a shame. Next time, then." She replied in a sultry tone and she literally made out with him one her doorstep. The impromptu make out session lasted for a full minute and a half before they needed to break for air.
"That...was for the wonderful night. I loved it. It was also to make sure you came back for more." Anko told him in her usual playful tone, but still converyed her honest feelings.
"I'd have come back for another date, anyway. I liked it, too. Goodnight, Anko-chan." He replied to her as he gave her one final kiss on the cheek which made her face glow red momentarily before he disappeared into the night.
She twisted her key in the lock and opened the door to find Kurenai passed out on her couch with a magazine on her face, snoring slightly. She wasn't a Jounin for nothing as she woke up as soon as they walked into the room. She yawned and stretched out while sitting up.
"So, how'd it go, An-chan?" Kurenai asked her long time best friend.
"Lemme get us some drinks first, then I'll tell you about the greatest night of my life." She retorted with a massive grin.
A/N: 11th chapter locked and loaded! I'll tell you one thing, a lot can happen in one day. Sakura is now changed, Ino likes Naruto now and the date was a huge success with a minor hiccup in the beginning. The whole Kiba obsessive thing is something I've seen happen first hand with friends of mine. Friend of mine dates a girl that another guy was obsessed with and even went as far as stalking them on dates until the police were called in. Scary stuff and scarier people. Also, I hope you guys like what I did with hinata's father and the pre-date shakedown. When I was dating my wife over 10 years ago, her father did the same thing to me, except he pulled out his gun collection to clean them on that very night, putting the fear of him in me, never mind God. Ah, to be young.