Hey you guys it has been a while hasn't it. Very sorry for the LATE LATE update. I have college now and I had now found out how useful my mom is. Without her, I had not done any of my homework. It has been playing playing and playing these two weeks. Well, hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 10 Long Waited Reunion

¨Sixty...sixty-one..." Naruto quickly dash around the forest trying to collect more mushrooms.

It has been two hours since the game has started and he wasn't about to lose to Sakura-chan and that arrogant bastard. If he lose, he would have to treat them to three weeks worth of lunch when they get back from their mission. His Gama-chan simply could not bear the brunt of all those meal expenses.

While thinking of the mission yet to come, his thoughts quickly shifted to a certain shy priestess in training. In the past four years, he had written to her numerous times, keeping their friendship strong. He told her many things, about his life at Konoha, his training, his various missions (excluding the parts that are confidential), and his teammates and friends. In turn, she had told him about her training and things going on at the convent.

Through her letters, Naruto had sensed some suppressed loneliness. He could not really blame her, he feel somewhat lonely also. Despite the fact that he had two teammates who he see on a consistent basis and friends he had made while staying at this village, none of those came close to that brief time he had spent with Hinata. To say simply, there was distance between him and the rest of his peers. Since he was the Hokage's grandson, every one automatically treat him respectfully. They addressed him with honorific and without their knowledge, placed a wall between themselves and Naruto.

There was also the constant pressure placed on him to excel. Since his adopted grandfather is Hokage, people naturally think that he would wanted to take his grandfather's place. Although he personally wanted to see that happen, he could not but feel overwhelmed sometimes. Often, he wish he could go back in time and return to the convent, the place where life was simple, just him spending time with Hinata.

Just then, he sensed a presence behind him. He subtly reached for his kunai in his holster and threw it behind him. The kunai made a low thud hitting the tree where the presence was at a second ago. Naruto then felt something behind him. Quickly turning around, he strikes without seeing who it was.

"Now, is that anyway to treat your sensei?" The man known as Hatake Kakashi caught the blonde's fist and threw Naruto back. Naruto flipped in the air and managed to land on his feet before he hits the ground.

"Kakashi-sensei, what did I tell you about sneaking up on me. I thought I made it clear to you that if you ever did it again, I would tell Jiraiya to not sell you those perverted books that you love so much."

Kakashi winced a little, as if Naruto had injured him physically. He quickly try to calm the blonde.

"Sorry, I just could not resist. You were so concentrated on something. I just wanted to remind you that if you do that when mission time comes, you would jeopardize either your teammates or yourself. A shinobi had to be aware of his surrounding always..."

"Sorry to interrupt you Kakashi-sensei, but if all you are doing here is to lecture me, I would ask you to please leave me. I do not want to lose three weeks worth of lunch money." Saying this, Naruto returned to picking mushrooms. Kakashi scowled a little at the blonde's rude attitude, but smirked when he remembered what he was here for.

"Actually, Naruto-kun, I happened to catch a little wind of a certain priestess making her way toward the East gate. I think I heard that she would show up right around this afternoon..."

A blur shot past Kakashi, heading toward the East gate. Kakashi smiled and picked up the bag containing Naruto's mushrooms and decide to check on his other two students. He couldn't stop thinking about how the blonde reminded him of Minato sensei. When it comes to his precious person, nothing matters.

"Sensei, Naruto had become stronger these past four years. I only wish I have your wisdom to teach him properly. But you can be assured that I taught him all that I can. And when the time comes, I will tell him of his heritage and the burden that come with it. But for now, I will let him enjoy happiness a little longer."

"Kurenai-sama, do you want to stop a bit?" Hinata asked her mentor, seeing Kurenai's face pale and out of breath.

"No Hinata-chan, we will stop only at the village. It's not that far away now."

Kurenai could hear her body screaming for her to stop running. She could not understand what those masked man would want with her and Hinata, but she knows itˇs not for good reason. Also, she could sense that there something wrong with her body. She should be able to run for a long time without being tired so easily. All of the sudden, she fell down and Hinata seeing this, immediately stopped.

"Kurenai-sensei, what's wrong?" Then seeing her sensei coughed out blood, Hinata immediately tried to heal her sensei. However, Kurenai stopped her.

"Hinata-chan, leave me, I sensed strong poison within my body, a poison that I don't even know how to cure. Leave me Hinata, go to the village." She took out a envelope from her robe and gave it to Hinata.

"Take this envelope to the Hokage of the village, He should know what to do once he read the letter. Now go. I will take care of those two."

However, before Hinata could even make a move, the two masked man appeared in front of them. Their mask was ghostly white and held no semblances that identified what village they are from.

"Give up now and we will make your end that much quicker." One of the two man said, while the other started to approach the two priestesses. Kurenai struggled to get up, but her body would not respond. Hinata got in front of Kurenai and shielded her.

"Why are you doing this? What have we done that made you resort to this? I have never seen you two in my life!" Hinata was starting to panic. The closer masked man took out a scroll and then went through a couple of hand seals. The scroll then disappeared, replaced by a black blade.

"Any last words?" The man with the blade said, ready to strike the girl. Suddenly Hinata's eyes widened but quickly smiled.

"Just one, duck!" She quickly dropped down.

The man surprised by her action, quickly turned around, only to be hit by a giant windmill shruiken. The shruiken's force carried the man and pinned him to a nearby tree. Before his companion had time to react, a man appeared behind him and knocked him unconscious by striking his neck.

"Hinata-chan, long time no see!"