I don't own Naruto, if I did then I'd think up all sorts of crazy techniques and use them once only. Good example: Kirin. What happened to this jutsu? Your guess is as good as mine, 'cause you'll never know.
This chapter is the end of the preliminaries and various other things. I can get back to writing some mildly original stuff.
Also I would just like to say: Stop hounding me about the cursed seal. I have plans for it, so don't worry about it.
Quote of the day/chapter: "Even if you are refused help by another, you must still be ready to help them when they need it, else you will be little better than they are."
Chapter 11: The Painful Truth
-Start-
"Winner by forfeit, Naruto Uzumaki." Hayate said, making Naruto smile and offer his hand to Kiba.
"No hard feelings?" He said cautiously. Kiba just frowned for a few moments before sighing.
"Yeah." He said with a slight smirk and grabbing Naruto's hand. They shook hands before returning to the overlook. Naruto decided walking was too mainstream so he Shunshin'd in a shower of crystal shards right up to his team, much to the surprise of everyone else.
"Yo." He said.
The various other Genin and Jounin around him were just looking at him with wide eyes. None could believe what they had just seen, the dead last of the academy completely crushed a rather skilled classmate with little effort. He'd displayed techniques far above his level and even a Kekkei Genkai that many of them had never even heard of. To say this was an unexpected turn of events was putting it as lightly as possible.
Asuma turned to Kakashi to see what he assumed was a smug smile, if the way the mask was creased was any indication. He furrowed his brows at the man before speaking.
"Kakashi, what did you do to your students? They told me after that C-rank mission to Wave that you'd barely taught them anything, so how did they get to this level so quick? Especially Naruto." He enquired, earning the attention of most of the other Genin and Jounin around them. Kakashi merely shrugged before replying.
"Not much, I just started training them seriously. It helps when you have two prodigies and someone who'd obviously been taught rather well prior to it." He said casually, inwardly loving the expressions of those around him.
Kurenai picked up on his wording and decided to question him on it. "Two prodigies? One is Sasuke I assume, but who is the other?" She asked, getting Kakashi's attention. The man just gave her an eye-smile and turned to Naruto.
"Why Naruto, of course." He said happily. The other Genin looked at the man like he'd gained a second head.
"The dead last of the class was a prodigy? You expect us to believe that?" Ino screeched out. Naruto just shook his head with a sigh.
"You didn't notice, I take it?" He said, getting a questioning gaze from the other blond. "I was pretty much sabotaged during the academy for... certain reasons... that I cannot go into. If I had been informed that my extremely high chakra capacity made it impossible for me to make a standard clone then I would've been fine." He continued, getting a raised eyebrow from the girl.
"What do you mean extremely high chakra capacity, we're Genin, you shouldn't have enough to completely prevent you using a jutsu!" She replied. Naruto just shook his head and pulled a book out of his pouch before flicking through a few pages.
"Let's see here... Ah, here we are. '...as a clan that originated from within the Senju clan the Uzumaki were known to have very high chakra reserves, higher than the Senju themselves possessed. This was known to be the reason for the longevity of members of the clan along with the reason for their high stamina. Many members of the clan even possessed chakra so strong it could manifest physically.'Does that answer you question Ino?" He said. The girl just nodded dumbly while Shikamaru decided to question something.
"Did you just say the Uzumaki were related to the Senju?" Shikamaru said, getting a nod. "Then... shouldn't your clan be at least taught about to the public? The Senju were basically royalty in the village, any relatives should be well known." He said. Naruto just placed his hand in a thinking pose before replying.
"I won't pretend to know the reason why they were not publicly known, nor why I wasn't told of my clan status until I accidentally learned about them... thanks for that again Haku-chan..." He said, turning to Haku as he finished. She blushed slightly and nodded. "... I assume the reason was because my clan were destroyed because they were feared, so knowledge of the survival of the clan could leak out." He said, earning a nod from Shikamaru.
Asuma walked near Kakashi before speaking quietly to him. "I feel a little bad for Naruto..." He said, getting a confused expression from Kakashi. "He hasn't had a great life, and now he seems intelligent and mature past his age. He never really got to live as a normal person." Asuma said, getting a slight shake of the head from Kakashi.
"That's true, but he's really a great kid. He can still laugh and joke and generally be a kid despite everything that's happened to him. His father would be proud." Kakashi replied, whispering the last part to himself.
"Back on topic..." Neji said, surprising everyone after his long bout of silence. "What exactly is it about you that makes you a prodigy?" He said calmly. Naruto replied just as calmly.
"While I don't like to list my skills since I always sound like I'm bragging... the reason is pretty simple. I'm basically a genius..." He said, getting snorts from his classmates. "...if I am actually taught something properly I will soak it up easily, and I have no trouble learning new jutsu or skills." He said. Kakashi decided to back this up with a fact.
"You all know about the Kage Bushin no Jutsu right?" He said, getting varying reactions. "Well it is an B-rank jutsu. Naruto here learned it in a few hours with no help." He said, getting more surprised reactions while Shikamaru just threw his arms up in the air before speaking.
"I give up!" He shouted. "Trying to understand how good you really are is WAY too troublesome for me." He finished, getting nods from a few others around them. Naruto just smirked a little at this, having beaten the brain of the lazy genius.
Once all the other Genin had moved away from Team 7 Haku decided to speak with her blond friend. "That was a really great match Naruto-kun." She said happily, earning a foxy grin from the blond.
"Thanks Haku-chan!" He said with a large smile, before continuing. "I'm a bit disappointed I had to use my Kekkei Genkai... I was hoping to keep it until the finals, but I'll manage." He said with a small frown. Haku just shook her head at the answer. 'He beat his opponent with barely any injuries and he's still complaining.' She thought to herself with amusement.
She shook her head at her blond friend, there was no contemplating his actions. His status as the most unpredictable knuckle-head ninja seemed well earned, though knuckle-head could be removed from the title now seeing as how he was actually rather intelligent. She closed her eyes with a small smile and tilted her head a little before replying.
"Well, maybe I'll be able to keep mine for the finals, then I'll have beaten you ne?" Haku taunted. Naruto's frown instantly became a large smirk. He was easy to cheer up with a challenge, that would likely never change. She couldn't help but think of his actions during combat, he always seemed colder... more cruel, if only a bit. It didn't take a genius to tell why, since it started right after Sakura's injury. Haku was worried this may deepen if it went unchecked, unfortunately with intelligence came more capacity for guilt and self loathing.
The blond finally replied to her little taunt, breaking the Yuki out of her trance. "I guess you would've, but then again my opponent was actually pretty good. You could get lucky." Naruto responded, earning a small but thoughtful nod from the girl. Then she thought about who was left. 'Let's see, two Rookies which are Chōji and Hinata, Gaara of Suna, Dosu of Oto and Rock Lee of Team Guy... I don't really think any of them are weak, except maybe Chōji.' She thought to herself.
"There aren't really many simple opponents left you know." Sasuke threw in, earning a small nod from the blond while he closed his eyes in contemplation. Then he looked over to Lee who gave him a nice guy pose, earning a sweat-drop from the blond. He shook his head before looking at Gaara, who was staring at him like a hawk, waiting to catch its prey between its talons. He unconsciously shivered from the bloodthirsty stare.
'Kurama, you said the Ichibi was the weakest of the Bijuu right?' The blond asked the massive fox residing in his stomach. The fox took a while before letting out a slightly sleepy snort.
"Must you wake me for such inane prattle?" The giant fox snapped, before sighing and giving a small pause before responding. "Yes, Shukaku is the weakest Bijuu, why do you ask?" It said, earning a nod in response.
"If it's the weakest of the Bijuu, why does Gaara unnerve me so much? Shouldn't I be scaring him to death?" Naruto asked the fox, which allowed a silence to fall as it pondered the question.
"To get around its weakness, Shukaku would always trick it's host into giving it access to the host's body at a young age, usually through the guise of a loved one." The fox said, giving the blond a pause to take this in before continuing. "As such, it can allow the host to gain great control over its powers, while slowly driving them insane. See those black marks around his eyes? He likely hasn't slept in years." Kurama replied, making the blond Jinchuuriki widen his eyes in surprise.
"So, if I was able to control your power for a long period of time, I would be very powerful then." Naruto stated, earning a small huff from his prisoner. The fox unlike Shukaku didn't give out it's power like candy, his power was earned.
"Yes, but no Jinchuuriki of mine has ever commanded my full power. You have actually been slowly amassing my chakra your whole life. The seal you bear slowly filters my chakra into your own." Kurama stated, Naruto was surprised that the seal on him would do such a thing. As the strongest of the Bijuu, did the Yondaime Hokage really think it safe to put such a potentially dangerous seal on a child that would have no parental guidance?
"Interesting. So over time I will naturally become attuned to your power; Have full control over it without trying?" Naruto said, earning a small snort of approval from the fox.
"Unfortunately yes. Though to be honest, I would probably give you access to it before that time comes." Kurama stated, causing Naruto to be rather taken aback by the obvious act of either trust or submission by his sealed companion.
"Really? Why?" He blurted out. Sasuke and Haku were taking note of his changing expressions and small movements as though in a conversation. Sasuke thought he had lost his mind while Haku could guess what was happening, and was not exactly happy about it.
"Him." The fox stated vaguely before continuing. "I won't tell you the full story right now, but at the moment I would not be safe without a host plain and simple. His eyes would bind me once more." Kurama continued, once again causing the blond to become rather confused. He shrugged a little before cutting his mental link; his curiosity sated for the moment. He had plenty to think about later though.
He turned to his side and saw his teammates looking at him. Sasuke was just gazing at him inquiringly, trying to figure out what he was thinking about. Haku was looking at him evenly for the most part, but there was a glint of concern in her eyes that was quickly removed when she closed her eyes and looked straight over the railing, her hands linked over her groin. Naruto decided he should just stay quiet for now. 'After this part of the exam, I will tell Sasuke about Kurama. I've waited long enough.' He thought to himself.
Hayate coughed again as the board flickered to life and began to cycle through names once more. Everyone fastened their eyes onto the board while a certain bowl cut haired Genin was praying for it to be his turn. Naruto gazed over to his female teammate to see she looked uneasy, before he peered over at Gaara to see his crazed stare once more. Sighing, he placed his hand gently on her shoulder, earning her attention before giving her a reassuring smile and nod. She returned the gesture in appreciation before the board stopped on Haku Yuki and Hinata Hyūga.
Naruto just face-palmed hard, while Hinata gained a slight smirk and Haku sighed lowly. 'Great, I get paired up with the one person who seems to really dislike me. Oh well, better than that Gaara guy.' Haku thought to herself. Meanwhile Hinata was having thoughts that many people would likely have guessed.
'Yes! I can finally show everyone how much I've changed and take HER down a peg or two... just you watch Naruto-kun, you'll see I'm better for you than she is!" Hinata thought to herself a little madly, obviously having been waiting for this chance for a while now. Both competitors made their way down to the arena, Haku getting encouragement from her team and Hinata getting the same.
Naruto's smile immediately faded as Haku looked away from him and was replaced by a slightly irritated frown 'This was a bad match up... but why does Hinata dislike Haku-chan so much? I can't understand it...' He thought to himself, desperately trying to make sense of everything. Kurama simply sighed in defeat, he'd waited long enough.
"OK! I give up, I'll tell you the reason you oblivious moron!" The fox bellowed at Naruto, who covered his ears in the real world which made him look slightly crazy. He then huffed slightly as he retracted his arms. "She wants you, idiot. She's obviously jealous of your mate for spending so much time around you." Kurama continued, making Naruto furrow his brows.
"There you go calling her my mate again... and what do you mean Hinata 'wants' me?' Naruto questioned, making the fox groan in irritation.
"She wants you, as in she wants to be with you." The fox said, before clearing up what it meant. "What's the word you mortals use... ah, she wants to be your... girlfriend." The fox continued, making Naruto drop his jaw slightly before fixing himself, as to not appear any more insane than he already did.
"That... actually makes a lot of sense." Naruto said. It definitely cleared up why she would always act so nervous around him, though he didn't exactly understand it. Her change in personality hadn't changed her enough to approach him about it, of course.
Meanwhile outside Naruto's inner conversation, Hinata and Haku were making their way down to the arena. Kurenai was concerned about the way Hinata was acting... she'd always had a soft spot for the Hyūga heiress, but she had changed considerably recently. The way she was staring at Haku made Kurenai worry that she'd try something serious.
The two Kunoichi arrived in the arena, standing across from one another while Hayate stood between them, giving them a moment to ready themselves before the battle begun. Haku took a deep breath and got into 'battle mode', a state of mind solely for combat that Zabuza had drilled into her, so that her kinder nature would not hinder her efficiency. Hinata simply scowled and at the calm and calculating look on her opponent's face.
"So we finally get a chance to fight then..." Hinata said, causing Haku's eyebrows to twitch upwards slightly before she righted herself. "...then he'll see who's better for him!" She continued. This time Haku did furrow her brows slightly, a small frown adorning her face.
"What are you talking about?" Haku asked, earning a snort from Hinata.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, you came here from nowhere and try to steal Naruto-kun from me!" She shouted out, earning various reactions from around the arena. Most of the Rookie 9 who weren't oblivious like Naruto just took on varying expressions, from surprise to annoyance. The other Genin in the room didn't particularly care, the Jounin-sensei were very surprised but none more than Naruto.
"Wait WHAT?!" He shouted out, making everyone turn to him with expressions ranging from 'Are you serious' to apologetic smiles. Despite what they were thinking, he wasn't shocked that Hinata considered him hers... he was shocked that she thought Haku thought of him in that way. He couldn't quite place it, but the idea of it being true made him feel warm.
Hinata just stayed quiet, this match would show him what she wanted him to see, that she was strong and worthy of him. The only one standing between them was Haku... the mere thought of said girl made Hinata's blood boil. 'She shows up from nowhere and steals him from me, I'll show her who he belongs with.'
Hayate let out a sigh of irritation at the obvious one sided relationship going on. He knew that this match wouldn't be just a match for the pale eyed girl, but a test of her devotion. Unfortunately the board had chosen and the matches couldn't be switched.
He sighed once more before raising his hand. "Match 8, Hinata Hyūga VS Haku Yuki... Haijime!" He called out, before moving back as to avoid the crossfire.
-Haku VS Hinata-
As soon as the match started both fighters sprung into action. Hinata's Byakugan surged to life; veins erupting around her eyes as she charged towards the last Yuki. Haku took the chance to jump back, going through hand signs with her left hand while pulling out some senbon with her right. She then threw her senbon at Hinata to distract the girl, which resulted in Hinata swatting the senbon out of the air before calling out her jutsu.
"Suiton: Mizurappa!" Haku called out, placing her hand in from of her face as though playing a trumpet before a mass of water surged from her mouth and through her hand towards Hinata. The Hyūga heiress scowled at this before leaping out of the way. Haku simply frowned a little before grabbing a few more senbons.
Hinata took that moment to jump through the slight fog created by the water jutsu, her arm pulled back with her palm facing Haku, and attempted to thrust her hand into Haku's chest. Haku dodged the blow, grabbing a senbon in a stabbing position while throwing the senbon she had already grabbed. Hinata deftly avoided the senbon before she was placed on the defensive by Haku's fast and precise stabs – not unlike the Hyūga fighting style.
Haku stabbed forward at her opponent's stomach, hoping to end the match quickly. Hinata wouldn't have it and simply weaved around it, thrusting two fingers forward towards Haku's shoulder. Haku retaliated by pushing the hand aside and giving Hinata a quick high kick to her stomach, throwing her back a small distance onto her back.
Naruto was in a small dilemma, he wanted to cheer for his teammate but didn't know if he should due to Hinata's... strange fixation on him. He wasn't an idiot, he knew that attraction, love and the sort were all perfectly normal and a part of every person's life... what wasn't normal however was claiming someone you've barely spoken to 'yours'. Hinata could have approached him about this, but instead decided to make a public ordeal of it. He sighed and decided upon silence.
Haku was reading her opponent rather well and based on her analysis she had a pretty good chance of winning this fight. 'It seems the Hyūga clan are essentially Taijutsu exclusive... the clan pride prevents them from learning normal Ninjutsu. This will be a great disadvantage, but I still must be careful of her attacks... at close range she can easily defeat me.' Haku thought to herself, sizing up her opponent as she rose from the ground a small distance away.
The girl scowled slightly at Haku's even gaze. Focusing her chakra on the water left on the ground by Haku's Suiton jutsu, Hinata began to form small needles of water.
"Mizu Hari! (Water Needle!)" She called out as the needles began to fly at Haku who grabbed a senbon in each hand and began to block and dodge the various water needles heading towards her. Hinata took the opportunity to charge in towards the last Yuki who was starting to gain noticeable tear on her outfit due to the speed of the needles and their small size causing them to be very hard to counter.
As Hinata reached her opponent she threw a single finger towards Haku's shoulder, which connected and caused her to wince in pain before kicking out, causing Hinata to fall back. Haku held her shoulder and began to shake her arm to regain motor function. She succeeded for the most part, having the majority of her control back.
"That was a nice move Hinata, now I'll show you something better." Haku said evenly, going through one handed seals. "Sensatsu Suishō (Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death)" she thought to herself, as thousands of tiny water needles materialized from the water around them and the air itself. Hinata was caught off guard by the sudden attack and could not escape before the needles began to rain down upon her.
Haku just stood motionless as Hinata screamed in pain; her outfit being torn to shreds and wounds accumulating quickly across her form. As the techniques came to a close, Hinata fell to her knees and began to breath heavily; panting out in relief and pain. Haku simply remained motionless and stoic as she took a breather.
"I... won't lose... to you!" Hinata growled out as she slowly rose to her feet. Haku let a small frown adorn her face as she took on a slightly sad expression. She did not like harming others, especially those who were already at a disadvantage... which Hinata was definitely at right now. She wished for the girl to just forfeit.
"Why do you try so hard for him?" Haku asked the girl, catching her off guard. "Why couldn't you earn his affection by just being there for him, rather than this? Did you ever even confront him about your feelings?" Haku asked the girl, wanting to drill into her the silliness and near insanity of her actions.
"I... I just want him... to acknowledge me..." She said softly, her anger draining away and being replaced by sadness. Haku just gave her a small smile and decided to continue.
"Then you should seek that acknowledgement in a better way, it means little to be acknowledged as a fighter, you want to be seen as a person." Haku said, honestly not happy that she was essentially telling the girl how to approach the person she cared for. She hoped Naruto would turn the girl down, so she could be with him instead. 'Are we really so different, me and Hinata? We both want the same guy, for the same reasons... I can't really blame her.' Haku thought to herself as she readied herself for the end of the fight.
"Now, will you forfeit?" Haku said, getting a small glare in return.
"No. I am not a weakling! I can still win this!" She said, realising Haku had closed the distance between them during their little heart to heart. "You're within the field of my divination!" She said, confusing Haku who took a defensive stance and began to ready hand signs.
"Hakke Sannjūni Shō! (Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!)" She called out as she ran towards Haku and thrust towards her. As she arrived, Haku managed to finish her own set of hand signs and called out her own jutsu.
"Hyōton: Koorino Doomu! (Ice Release: Ice Dome!)" She said, as a dome of ice almost immediately formed around her as Hinata came in for the kill.
"Two Palms!" Hinata shouted, as she struck the dome twice, making no obvious damage.
"Four Palms!" She continued, causing a small crack to form on the dome.
"Eight Palms!" She said, causing the crack to expand slightly.
"Sixteen Palms!" She said, further deepening the cracks.
"Hakke Sannjūni Sho!" She finished, striking the dome in a flurry of blows which caused the front of the dome to break on the last hit. Haku's eyes widened at the revelation that Hinata was skilled enough to break her ice. 'She certainly is strong... you were a fine opponent Hinata' Haku thought to herself as she fired another Suiton: Mizurappa through the gap in the dome which threw Hinata into a wall. She groaned as she attempted to rise, only to fall back to the ground.
"Proctor, I cannot continue." Hinata groaned out. Hayate smiled at the girl's determination before declaring Haku the winner. Naruto smiled at his teammate's victory but couldn't help but frown as he realised what he needed to do.
-After the Match-
As the medics carried Hinata away Haku made her way back up to the stands to see more bewildered Genin and Jounin staring at both her and Kakashi. Asuma sighed and placed his head in the palm of his hand before speaking.
"Seriously Kakashi? A team of bloodline users? Is that even fair...?" He said, earning a small chuckle from Kakashi and Kurenai. Kurenai – while upset her student lost – was still proud of the talent she displayed.
"What can I say Asuma? I got lucky, I think this may be the first ever Genin bloodline team." He said with a signature eye-smile that made Asuma sweat-drop before waving his hand dismissively as though wiping his hands of the topic.
Naruto turned to his female teammate and gave her a large smile. "Nice match Haku-chan, I'll admit I didn't expect you to need to use your bloodline, but I guess there was no avoiding it was there..." He said, getting a small nod from Haku.
"She was stronger than I thought, she was no pushover." She replied, getting a nod from both her teammates. Naruto took on a thoughtful pose before turning to Kakashi and his team to speak.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto said, getting the man's attention. "Would it be okay for me to go see Hinata? I think we need to talk." He said seriously, making the man nod slightly in acceptance. Naruto gave him a slightly forced smile before turning to his team.
"I'll be back soon enough, if I miss the next match tell me how it goes okay?" He said, getting a smirk and nod from Sasuke and a slight frown from Haku. He sighed and walked away, knowing it likely wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation. The board landed on Gaara VS Rock Lee right as he left the room.
As he walked the halls of the tower he thought over what he wanted to say to the girl. 'Well, what can I say? I barely know you and don't feel the same way? Yeah, that'll go well... why couldn't she have told me about this sooner, then I could've dealt with it...' Naruto thought to himself.
He may have been oblivious when it came to a girl's feelings, but he was no fool once he knew about them, He knew he had to handle this carefully, to spare her heartbreak... but was that even an option? She obviously admired the blond more than he realized, so there was little chance of this going smoothly.
"I don't suppose you have any advice for me Kurama?" Naruto asked his furry companion. He heard an amused snort from within his mind before the fox replied.
"As if! This is going to be comedy gold, as if I'd ruin it!" The fox retorted, earning a scowl from the blond. 'Damn foxes and their damn senses of humour...' Naruto thought to himself as he continued his walk to the infirmary.
As he walked he pondered his recent experiences and those of the past. The feeling of affection; of love... it was not something the blond knew well. There were very few who had cared for him truly in his life. There was Hiruzen Sarutobi; The Sandaime Hokage, his Genin team, Haku... the thought of which made him happier instantly. He paused in his stride, his gaze fixed in front of him... though his mind was elsewhere.
The impossible girl he'd met in Wave held such mystery to the blond... he'd known her for a shorter period of time than anyone else he considered a friend, yet her existence meant so much to him. She'd been his enemy... she'd tried to kill his friends, yet they'd still managed to change her fate into something brighter.
A smile broke out across his face as he remembered how they'd comforted each other in their hours of need. When Haku had told him of her parents and what her father did, he was there for her. When he learned of his clan and went through his mother's possessions she was there for him. The two had done more for each other than any outsider would believe; they were closer than they should be.
Then his thoughts drifted to their heart-to-heart in the forest of death and the sensation he felt just talking to her... and the kiss on the cheek she gave him as she left that night. He widened his eyes in shock and surprise; his mouth opening wide as a fish as he finally realized what this meant. 'I think I like Haku-chan... as something... more...' He thought to himself, before his smile returned.
It didn't last long however as he knew he had to deal with Hinata. 'Well.. I have a reason to reject her now at least... I like Haku-chan. God, it seems so obvious now.' He thought to himself in mock annoyance at his own oblivious nature. Then he remembered the last person who had cared for him... flashes of light blue hair in a ponytail coming to centre stage. 'I haven't seen you in years... Itoko. Where did you go?' He thought to himself sadly.
He resumed his stride and eventually came to the door of the infirmary. He turned to the side to see a woman standing beside the door looking at him with an inquisitive stare. He raised an eyebrow slightly at the way she was looking at him before speaking up.
"Excuse me miss, is Hinata Hyūga able to see visitors right now?" He said, getting a slight smirk from the woman as she nodded. He smiled at her and gave her a slight bow before walking in. He saw many different curtains hiding the injured Genin behind them. There was a single curtain open, behind which was Hinata. He took a deep breath to ready himself as he walked over to her.
Hinata was just feeling down, she'd not only failed to prove herself but her opponent had actually taken the liberty to help her with her problems... how could she continue to hate the girl now? She sighed softly before she heard footsteps. She turned to see a certain whiskered blond walking towards her, his hands fidgeting nervously with the bottom of his jacket as he walked towards her. She hid under her blanket slightly, scared to speak with him after he loud and public declaration.
He finally reached her bed, seeing a chair beside it he sat down and stayed silent for a few moments, simply staring at the ground while collecting his thoughts. Hinata's mind was in turmoil, she had no idea what he was here to say, what if he accepted her advances... or what if he denied her?
"Hey Hinata." He started. 'Yeah, great start genius. Why do emotions have to be so complicated? Damn it...' He said mentally, berating his unfamiliarity with situations such things as he was doing right now.
"H-hey... Naruto-kun." She replied, mentally patting herself on the back for only stuttering once under the very private circumstances they were in. He gave her a small smile before rising to pull the curtain around them so nobody would see what happened, just in case she took the news badly.
"I think we need to talk about... what you want with me... for us." Naruto said, unsure how to phrase what he was saying. She gave him a slightly nervous nod as she knew it was time to come clean or hold her piece.
"You're right Naruto-kun..." She said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "...the truth is... I love you." She said, making Naruto do two things. Stop breathing and almost he regained his composure he mentally cursed. 'Crap. She is not going to be happy when I tell her the truth.' Naruto thought to himself.
"Why?" He asked. For some reason, he couldn't help but question why she felt this way... in a way it was both cruel and selfish to get her to spill her heart only to tell her he didn't feel the same, but as an emotionally shunned individual he couldn't help but bask in any declaration of affection someone gave him.
"W-well..." She stuttered out, not expecting having to spill this. "...it started back when we were both small kids and I was getting bullied by three kids I accidentally ran into... you showed up and told them to leave me alone and despite the fact they attacked you instead you still didn't care." She said softly, smiling warmly at him while remembering that event. He nodded with a small smile, now remembering that event.
"That was you? It was so long ago... I can barely remember it." He said almost thoughtlessly, as though lost in memory. She sighed happily before continuing.
"Ever since that day I've always admired you... despite what people say or do to you... you never gave up. You always came back and believed in yourself. I grew to admire and eventually love how you were. I guess it sounds ridiculous, but that's how it happened." She finished. The blond smiled at this, the pale-eyed girl truly did care for him... unfortunately that made this all the more difficult to do.
"Then this is going to be much harder than I thought..." He said with a sad frown and apologetic look. "Hinata... I don't feel the same." He said plainly, making the girl freeze in terror. She'd lain her heart out for him, and she'd been rejected. She felt tears welling up and breaking free but no sobs escaped her mouth. She was far too shocked to make a sound. Despite everything, she was surprised when Naruto actually began to release a few tears alongside her.
"I'm sorry." He said sadly. "I'm so sorry, but we're just not for each other." He continued, looking genuinely upset that he had to do this to her. As he said this, she completely broke down; sobbing relentlessly. Some medics entered after hearing her to see Naruto hugging her comfortingly. He wordlessly told them everything was fine and they nodded before leaving. They stayed like this until she finally calmed down, though her heart felt heavy.
The young heiress smiled wistfully as they separated. "So... y-you h-have someone el-else then?" She hiccuped out, her sobs not quite done. He just frowned sadly before nodding at her. He was surprised when she just hugged him before whispering to him. "Know that I'll always love you... if it doesn't work out." She said, making him pull back.
"You shouldn't continue to live waiting for me. Try to move on... you deserve happiness." He said with a genuine smile. She couldn't help but return the smile and nod wordlessly. She'd said enough, this couldn't be changed... she may as well try to find someone else, or at least get over Naruto. He got up and placed his hand on her shoulder for a few seconds before removing it and pulling the curtain away to leave, pulling it back to hide Hinata's tear stained face from the others in the room.
He felt horrible walking back to the arena. He felt as though he had ruined someone's entire life; shattered their very existence. He was sickened by the thought of Hinata being unable to move on and living in depression for the rest of her days. 'I'm overreacting... I wasn't really a romantic interest to her, I was an idol... a symbol of confidence and determination. She'll be fine...' He mentally reassured himself.
"Enjoy the show Kurama?" Naruto snapped at his Bijuu companion. The beast was rather taken aback by his tone but just snarled before answering.
"Not really. It's surprising how awkward these things can be... I expected more delicious agony. Oh well, I got enough." The age old Bijuu replied. Naruto just snorted in annoyance at Kurama and his completely heartless nature.
"One of these days we're going to work on your sympathetic side..." Naruto said off-handedly. The fox didn't reply but was very surprised his host wanted to change him for the better, rather than just treat him as a burden for his life. 'He truly is different, I'll give him that.' Kurama thought to himself.
Naruto paused as he was nearing the arena once more when he heard a loud cry of pain from within said location. He tentatively opened the door to the arena; ensuring whatever caused the cry would not catch him in the crossfire. As he took in the appearance of the room he saw it highly damaged and filled with scattered sand. Then his eyes rested on Lee, who looked as though he had his limbs crushed. 'Damn, I missed a big fight.' The blond thought to himself before taking in the expressions of the viewers, horror and anger being the most common ones around the room.
Naruto quickly Shunshin'd up to the observation area, not wanting to interrupt the moment between Lee and Guy. He came up to see many of his fellow rookies with looks of shock on their faces and a small scowl on others. Haku just looked over to him and gave him a weak smile, not really able to be happy with recent events.
"So... Seems I missed something bad. What happened?" Naruto asked quietly, grasping the atmosphere. Instead of his teammates Kakashi decided to intervene.
"Well, Lee fought Gaara as I'm sure you know. Lee used some ridiculous speed to get around Gaara's sand... which seemed to automatically defend him from any blows. He eventually resorted to using Hachimon (Eight Gates)..." The masked Jounin said, making Naruto widen his eyes.
"He can open the gates!?" Naruto all but shouted, earning a nod from his teacher. "How many did he open?" He asked, genuinely worried about the green-clad Taijutsu exclusive ninja. Kakashi closed his eye a little, which was essentially a frown for the man.
"Five." He said, making Naruto drop his jaw. 'Unbelievable. Gaara was able to not only survive, but win against an opponent who opened five of the Hachimon!" Naruto thought to himself. Then he just frowned a little.
"I guess we can see the power of a Jinchūriki." Naruto said somewhat absently, making Kakashi nearly fall over with surprise.
"He's a Jinchūriki!?" Kakashi shouted, making all the other Jounin look over at him with shock, while the Genin were a little confused about what they were talking about. Naruto began to sweat under their gaze, knowing that he couldn't talk himself out of this.
Naruto decided to just nod in a subtle fashion to avoid any issues that could arise. Kakashi as a trained professional was able to catch this but very few of the Genin did. Unfortunately for Naruto, his raven-haired teammate was one of those few.
"What's a Jinchūriki?" Sasuke whispered to Naruto, who immediately paled slightly.
"I'll... tell you after the preliminaries are over." The blond replied with a bit of a choke. He noticed none of the others were questioning him about it and breathed a sigh of relief before turning to his teacher and giving him a look that said 'I can explain'. The man simply narrowed his eye before turning away.
During their little conversation, Chōji and Dosu were selected by the board of destiny to fight last... not that the board was necessary. It was a rather disappointing fight, Chōji rolled around as a giant ball while Dosu dodged him until he hit a wall and stopped. Dosu then thrust his gauntlet into the giant Genin causing his entire form to vibrate violently and shaking him out of his transformation and winning the match for Dosu.
Naruto sighed at the fight, clearly Chōji was not prepared for those who could dodge his human boulder technique, since he had no alternate plan against his opponent. Hayate coughed a little as he walked forward to the centre of the arena.
"That concludes the Third Exam's Preliminary matches..." He said, waving his hand. "...to those of you who have made it to the main matches... congratulations." He finished, giving the Hokage a chance to take the stage so to speak.
"I will now begin the explanation for the main matches." The elderly man said. "Your main matches will be shown in front of everyone. This is to allow you to show your abilities as your county''s representatives. Therefore, there will be a month hiatus before we begin the final matches." He continued. Naruto nodded and spoke up.
"I see..." He started, getting the attention of those around him. "...you want to give village leaders and influential figures like Daimyo's time to arrive to see the matches, right?" He said calmly. The other Genin raised an eyebrow or two while the smarter ones nodded. The Hokage smiled before continuing.
"Very good Naruto." He said, making Naruto smile slightly at the praise. "That is the exact reason. Since this is a very public event, we need to allow the important individuals such as other Kage's and Daimyo's their time to arrive." He continued, making everyone nod.
"However, there is one other reason..." He said, catching the attention of the Genin. "...the reason is to allow you – the candidates – time to train and ready yourselves for those you are up against." He said, making everyone nod once more. Naruto looked towards his fellow Jinchūriki with a slight scowl. 'I hope I don't have to fight him right off the bat, it'll likely be a close fight.' He thought to himself. Haku and Sasuke looked at Naruto for varying reasons.
'I hope we don't have to fight very early, I'm not sure if I can go all out on him...' Haku thought to herself with a small frown. She was well aware of her feelings and knew they would likely get in the way if they needed to fight. Zabuza wasn't wrong about feelings being a weakness on the battlefield... but they were necessary off it, as a person could become insane without the ability to care for others or be cared for.
'If we fight in the last round, I can finally discover who is really the better of us, Naruto. I may not be as power hungry as I once way, but you are still my rival. I will see which of us is truly the better.' Sasuke thought to himself. He may not have noticed it, but not once did he actually think of beating his blond teammate, only seeing which of them was stronger. He had changed more than even he himself noticed.
"There is – however – something we need to discuss before I dismiss you all." The elderly Hokage said. "You will all need to take a piece of paper from the box Anko here is holding." He continued, making them all nod. As Anko went around and gave one to each of them, Ibiki raised a clipboard.
"Okay, everyone got one?" He said, earning nods from all around. "Now, tell me what number you have, starting from the lowest and up." He said, as everyone looked down at their paper and Naruto raised his head to speak.
(AN: Didn't do left to right because I knew I'd confuse myself.)
"One." Naruto said, as Neji raised his head.
"Two." Neji said, making Gaara shift.
"Three." Gaara said, making Sasuke frown slightly.
"Four" Sasuke said, as Kankuro closed one eye and raised his head.
"Five." Kankuro said, making Shino's eyebrow twitch ever so slightly.
"Six." Shino said, making Temari grin a little.
"Seven." Temari said, making Shikamaru say something along the lines of 'troublesome'.
"Eight." Shikamaru said, making Dosu chuckle a little
"Nine." Dosu said, making Haku shake her head.
"Ten." Haku said.
"We will now tell you the match ups for the tournament." The Hokage said, making almost everyone jump in surprise. Naruto just raised an eyebrow and sighed.
"Really? That was surprising to you guys? What else would some random numbers be for?" He said almost sarcastically, earning a death glare from Neji which he returned. 'If he barks on about fate during out fight I am SO kicking his ass.' The blond thought to himself.
"Ibiki, show the match ups." The Hokage said, as Ibiki flipped his clipboard around.
Match 1: Naruto VS Neji.
Match 2: Gaara VS Sasuke.
Match 3: Kankuro VS Shino.
Match 4: Temari VS Shikamaru.
Match 5: Dosu VS Haku.
Match 6: Match 1 victor VS Match 2 victor.
Match 7: Special three way battle between Match 3 victor, Match 4 victor and Match 5 victor.
Match 8: Match 6 victor VS Match 7 victor.
(AN: The lack of a double disqualification is ruining the finals plan, damn it all... Then again Gaara will ruin it, so who cares?)
Naruto smiled a little, already having guessed what opponent he was having. Neji glared at him a little. Sasuke smirked over at Gaara who simply stood like a statue. Kankuro grinned at Shino who also stood like a statue. Temari gained a tick mark hearing Shikamaru saying something sexist and Dosu simply eye-smiled at Haku who shivered under his creepy look.
"I have one question..." Shikamaru said, earning a 'Mmm' sound from the Hokage. "...if it's a tournament, that means there's only one winner, right? So only one person can become a Chunnin?" He asked, his finger raised into the air.
"No, the tournament style is just to amuse the crowd. The judges and Kage's will decide the promotions, as strength alone is not enough to become a Chunnin. You need to display sufficient skills in all categories to become Chunnin." The Hokage replied, earning nods from all around. Temari then piped up.
"So, everyone here could become a Chunnin?" She asked, getting a nod from the Hokage before he began to elaborate.
"Yes, but there is also the possibility that none of you will become Chunnin you see." He replied in an almost sage-like fashion. Temari just nodded while a certain someone considered it 'troublesome'.
"And that is all, I believe." He said, turning to his selected proctors who all nodded at him. "Then we are adjourned until next month." He said with finality. Naruto immediately smiled at this before turning away to leave, his team and the other Genin following him.
As they left the Forest of Death Naruto turned to his team and teacher before speaking. "So, Kakashi-sensei, how is this going to work?" He asked, slightly confusing the man. "You know what I mean, all three of us passed but you can't train us all or we'll know each other's skills during the exam." He said as though it was simple. Kakashi just gave a small eye-smile at the improvements the blond had made.
"You're correct Naruto... I was thinking of taking Sasuke to train since we share an affinity... but I don't know what to do with you two..." He said, placing his finger to his chin. Haku then raised her hand before speaking.
"I can handle my training for the most part, Kakashi-sensei. Though, I was wondering if you knew any wind users within the village." She said, earning a nod from the man before he spoke.
"Asuma is the only one I can think of... and he should be free since Shikamaru will likely train in family techniques." He said, making her smile slightly before doing a slight bow and using the Shunshin to leave.
"Now Naruto... I think I know someone who can train you." He said cryptically, making the blond cross his arms and raise an eyebrow to hurry him up. "Check the hot springs tomorrow." He said with a smile before taking himself and Sasuke away in his own Shunshin. Naruto scowled before walking off a few feet before face-palming and using his own Shunshin to leave; a small storm of crystal shards left in his wake.
He arrived at his home and unsealed his house key from a basic storage scroll he found amongst his mother's possessions; an example to use in his own sealing journey. He decided he'd use it until he actually started his Fūinjutsu training. He was surprised when he saw a note and a wrapped item on his table. 'Kakashi-sensei really needs to stop breaking in here.' He thought to himself with annoyance.
He walked over and read the note.
Yo Naruto, Kakashi here
The Hokage came to see me earlier to give me this, he said it belonged to your mother and that he'd only just found it... something about it being stolen a while back. Anyway, here it is... if you need any help learning how to use it, you can ask me after the exams. Until then, good luck with your training.
Ja ne!
Naruto shook his head slightly as he crumpled up the note and threw it in the bin, while also looking over the wrapped item. 'I wonder what it is...' He thought as he picked it up and took the wrapping off it. His eyes instantly popped out of his head at what he saw. It was a standard length Chokutō with a black blade, red lines flowing along it almost as though they were strands of hair. The handle was an icy blue colour, with diagonal increments adding to the complexity of the blade with small red crystals embedded in three places on both sides. Then there was a slight tassel attached to the bottom of the handle, consisting of a green almost silk like material. Written in very small text on the side of the hilt was the word Akashio (Red Tide).
(AN: If someone would like to draw/sketch what I just described without making it look disgusting like it probably does, that would be great :3)
Naruto touched the red crystals testing, before dropping his jaw when the crystals actually seemed to reach to his chakra. 'Are those... chakra amplifying crystals?! Is that even possible? I have so got to try making those.' He thought to himself, before he realized what he was holding. 'Maybe after I actually learn how to use the sword...' He thought to himself. He smiled as he placed the blade along with the rest of his mother's possessions. 'Add that to the list of things I need to learn eh Kaa-san?' He thought with a smile. It wasn't completely bitter nor was it completely happy... he couldn't place the feeling.
He sighed as he thought of the strange instruction Kakashi had given him. What would he find at a hot springs that would help him on his training? He thought about the water walking exercise, but he'd already learnt that... it didn't make sense to him, and that was a pretty difficult thing to achieve these days. 'Maybe I should just do some wind manipulation exercises with Haku-chan. I won't tell her how I feel until after the exams... it'll make them more complicated.' He thought to himself, before shaking his head. 'No, Kakashi-sensei obviously had a reason for giving me those instructions, I'll follow them... for now.' He thought as he laid back in his bed and fell asleep.
-End-
It was pretty obvious to the outcome, so I closed my poll and can safely say the first Naruto film will be in my story. That won't be until at least after the Tsunade retrieval arc, so don't expect it soon.
Review, Favourite, Follow etc.
LiamMorg. Out.
Ja Ne!