Naruto-Sensei
Chapter Twelve
'How am I going to tell them all?' Naruto wondered the next day. 'Damn, Jiraiya has a son. How the hell did that ever happen?' he thought of the other recent thing that had happened. 'Hinata-chan and I are engaged but now I have to leave for who knows how long. I wish I might have held off on proposing as she might have been able to live and maybe found someone else.'
This last thought confused him. Even if he didn't propose, did he really want her to move on? 'If I was leaving for good and only to return every now and then to visit then, yes she would have to move on. I couldn't expect her to wait for me only to see me every few years, despite how much I would like that.' He mulled things over, 'I just hope things work out and this guy I'm supposed to find will take on the job. Damn am I really being that selfish? What if this guy has a dream of his own, a life of his own to live? Who am I to take that from him?'
These thoughts filled his head while he waited for Hinata to wake up, looking at her he stared to feel a slight resentment to Jiraiya for putting him in this position. The possibility was still in the air as to whether he had to do the job himself or if he could pass it off on another. He dismissed those thoughts, trying to place himself in Jiraiyas shoes. He had no choice before he died; he had to pass it one. Maybe he did not know of this kid, or maybe he thought Naruto was the only one able to do so thinking of him as his own grandson.
Hinata started to stir tearing Naruto from his thoughts. Her eyes slowly opened as he looked at her with a grin on his face and she returned the smile blushing "Hi Naruto-kun, what happened?" she asked still not really believing what has taken place before she had fainted.
He continued to grin but to himself it felt a little forced "Oh, nothing much Hinata-chan. We had dinner, talked" he joked "got engaged," He finished.
A tear leaked from her eye "then it wasn't all a dream?" she managed to get out.
"No" he smiled and hugged her and in that position they could not see each other's faces when his grew sad. "No and if it was I wish I never woke up."
Some of his despair must have been in his voice as she asked and pulled away from him "What's wrong?"
He didn't know how to begin and found himself struggling for words when he saw the disappointed look on her face. It was a look that said, clearly that she was worried that he was having second thoughts on this. Realizing that he could not do that to her he quickly found his voice and words. He explained every thing that he had seen and was told, excepting the part about the other as being his old Sensei's son.
When he was done she had an odd look on her face that was mirroring his disappointment and also another look was mixed into it almost like hope. "Is there any way that I might come too?" she asked.
"No I'm sorry, Hinata." He said as the hope drained from her "I have to do this, and I have to do this alone." He sighed "but I promise you this, I will be back. I will be back for you, and for me title of Hokage."
She smiled again "and you never go back on your word right?"
"You got that right," he stated pulling her into another embrace and kissing her softly "absolutely right."
Naruto found himself in front of Tsunade explaining the situation. She seemed ecstatic at the news of her 'kid brother' getting engaged but found the news that he had to leave for so long a bit disconcerting.
"It is something that has to be done I understand that" Tsunade said "but I wasn't planning to have to stay in this position for so long waiting for you too come back so that I could retire." She smiled a bit.
"Better this then being gone for good, besides there seems to be something that is upsetting the frog elder to the point of approaching me and giving me this mission." Naruto said "so I have to find this guy train him if needed and teach him in the Intel gathering that Jiraiya thought me, also I have to convince him to do it to begin with otherwise I can never come back to take your job." He said jokingly.
"That is quite a lot to place on this persons shoulders" Tsunade said "I just can't believe that the old pervert had a kid, what poor woman had to put up with that?"
"No idea" said Naruto "but enough about the perverts sex life," he said grimacing "there is another issue that I need to talk to you about."
"What?"
"My team" he said simply "they will need another teacher to help them on the road to excelling as ninja and I have a request for who it should be."
"Sorry Naruto" she said "every since Kakashi went back to the anbu I cannot spare him from there."
"Like I want that lazy, constantly late perv teaching them." Naruto spat "no I have someone better in mind. If that is possible."
"And who is that?" she asked.
"Sasuke" he said simply "I think he would be the best choice, and I trust him to do it."
"I see, well I'll see what I can do. But do you think he will agree?"
"No doubt in my mind," he said "I trust him to get them to Chunin possibly Jonin level before I come back."
"Very well" she said "I suppose that it can be done." She sighed "I wish you the best of luck and hope that you return soon to us, got that brat?"
"Sure thing, and don't get too old, Granny " he said smirking, as she made to strike him down he jumped from the office out of the window.
He landed on the street and ran into Sakura and Ino who where heading to Hokage tower as part of their routine. On seeing Naruto Sakura walked over and stopped when all three heard Tsunade screaming at him from her window "is that how you say good bye you little bastard?"
The two looked at a grinning Naruto and Sakura stuck him in the head "baka, what the hell did you do to Tsunade-sama?"
"What?" he cried "I said bye in the same way I always do," grumbling he said "why the hell do you two have to get so uptight when I am myself."
"Because" interrupted Ino "you are an idiot who will piss off a lot of people if you continue to act this way if you ever become Hokage. You need to learn to treat people with respect."
"Hey I treat people with respect when they deserve it" he shot back.
"Alright enough" said Sakura seeing her fellow Sanin come very close to insulting the Hokage again "besides I have something to ask you." Glancing quickly at her friend then back to Naruto as if to ask 'is it ok to say anything?' she asked "so did you ask her?"
He nodded grin forming "yeah and in answer to the next questions I am sure are coming, she said yes, and yes you can tell Ino, Kami knows it will find its way around the village why try to slow it down."
At this Ino looked excited "what? What happened?"
Sakura smirked as Naruto steadied himself, vaguely thinking maybe he should just run or something. "Naruto and Hinata, are now engaged to be married."
The sound was deafening, Ino squealing like the 12 year old school girl she once was hugged Naruto, he supposed that she congratulated him and the ran off to find Hinata leaving Naruto and Sakura.
Sakura could read something was wrong with her friend and asked "what else happened?"
Naruto sighed "come on lets go for a walk and see Sasuke, I have quite a bit to tell you both."
His two friends took it quite well Sasuke agreed to watch out for his students and, train them as they should be trained because as he said "how can they expect to advance having a dumbass for a teacher?" The two of them also promised to keep in touch with him in the return messages that his frog summons will be delivering for him to Hinata and them.
The next day he would be leaving and he said goodbye to the various people and friends that he made over the course of his life. He was a bit shocked to realize that he had quite a few good friends. From the old crew he used to cause mischief with in the academy he, Kiba, Choji, and Shikamaru got together and said their good byes as Naruto planed to leave in the morning.
Choji said that he would miss the ramen eating contests that they has and swore to have more once Naruto returned. Kiba promised to watch out for Hinata and again swore that if Naruto left her and did not return then he would track him down and drag him back. Shikamaru called the whole thing troublesome especially when Naruto suggested that he at least try for Jonin rank and stop slacking.
Having said good bye to all his friends including the Konahamaru Corps, and team Gai he went one last time to see Hinata and meet with her father.
In his last meeting with Haishi the older man expressed his disappointment that he was leaving for so long but also promised that he would keep her from being given to another in an arranged marriage by the clan elders. This worried Naruto for a moment as he never considered that to be a possibility and still gave his assurances to the Hyuuga leader that he would return as soon as possible.
The night he spent with Hinata almost convinced him not to go or to take her along. Even though he knew that was not possible but she was sorely testing his resolve. The talked for hours and he told her that he would write her every chance he got to have if sent with one of his frogs. They spent the night on the roof of his apartment star watching and he held her in his arms as she tried to stay awake to have the absolute most time with him that she could.
"You know Hinata-chan, eventually you will have to let go of me."
She replied playfully "and what if I refuse? What if I hold onto you as you try to leave."
"Man Hinata, you make it sound as if I will never talk to you again. Like I'm dumping you or something." He sighed, "as much as I would love that, I'm sorry but it can't happen that way. You know that."
"I know," she said sadly. "That does not mean I have to like it. I mean I finally got you and now I won't see you again for who knows how long right?"
"I know but I swear to you I will come back, you know me I will never break a promise. It may take a while but it will happen."
"I know but I wish that I could come with you."
"So do I" with that they where silent just laying there watching the stars. As Naruto thought 'god I wish that this kid does not refuse this job.'
The next day at 5am taking care to place Hinata in his bed in his apartment, he got ready to leave. Packing clothes and supplies into his pack and sealing some larger things into traveling scrolls he was ready and kissed his sleeping fiancé awake, she stirred and got dressed walking with him to the gate. He wanted to leave in quiet and she was the only one there.
As they reached the gate he turned to her and holding her hand kissed her one last time "just keep busy and I hope that the time passes quickly."
She said goodbye one last time and stood at the gate archway with the two Chunin guards off to the side until he became a small dot at the end of the path and finally disappeared.