Chapter 14 – Requited
It was quiet when Hinata finally came back to consciousness. The scent of wildflowers drifted to her from nearby, and no harsh lights invaded past her closed eyelids. She was warm and comfortable despite feeling short of breath. Her ribcage felt a little constricted, though not painfully so. There was an inexplicable pressure by her right leg, and another on her hand. It felt nice to just lie there in the dimness, but eventually curiosity got the better of her.
Pale eyes opened slowly; they felt heavier than usual, the reason for which eluded Hinata no matter how hard she concentrated on it. Her head felt fuzzy. A bit of panic took hold of her when she found only darkness, and on instinct she tried to sit up. Before she could even lift her head a searing agony stabbed through her chest. She took in a sharp breath and eased up immediately; it took a few seconds for the stabbing pain to dwindle to a dull throb.
"Try to lie still." Hinata would have jumped out of her skin if she could have moved at all. Sasuke's voice sounded strange and far away, but it had startled her nonetheless. She tried to speak, but all that came out was a weak, dry croak. "Hang on; I'll get you some water."
Shapes were finally starting to come into focus. Hinata's eyes traveled slowly around the small room; she could tell now that she was in a hospital. She was lying in a bed with a large window on her right and a medical curtain on her left. It was pulled back so that she could see the door, and there was a narrow table along the wall opposite her bed. Flowers covered every available space on the table and threatened to spill onto the floor. The room was dark, lit only by the soft glow from a crescent moon.
Sasuke slid off of the windowsill, moving carefully around her bed to a stand on the other side. He retrieved a bottle that had apparently been set aside for her, leaning over to put its straw to her lips. Hinata drank slowly, grateful for the cool water that seemed to wash away a bit of the murkiness lingering in her mind. There was still that odd pressure against her right leg and the comfortable weight atop her hand. Her head had been propped up at some point, but she was still unable to see down far enough to check what it was. After a moment she nodded very slightly, and Sasuke withdrew the drink.
"Thank you," she managed, though it came out as barely more than a whisper. Sasuke nodded and set the bottle down, then sank into a chair next to her.
"Don't mention it." He didn't say anything for a time after that, allowing Hinata to gather her thoughts. She remembered everything in vivid detail: trading blows, missing the blind spot, feeling Neji's chakra course through her chest, and then falling. A vague recollection of Naruto's features played about in her head, but it was hard to place.
"How long . . ." she ventured, licking futilely at her cracked lips.
"It's been nearly two days," Sasuke responded evenly; she saw him out of the corner of her eye giving her a wry smirk. "I'm sure your hand's numb by now; Naruto hasn't left since you got here. He was trying to stay awake until you woke up, but he finally fell asleep about an hour ago."
"Naruto . . . kun?" Hinata asked blearily; she had thought that the room was empty outside the two of them. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and his eyes flicked to the other side of the bed.
"He's pretty much been there the whole time. The medic-nin in charge of your surgery assured us that you weren't in any life-threatening danger, but I guess you know best how he can be when he's worried." She blinked several times, processing his words slowly. Hinata carefully lifted her head, and even that minor action caused no small amount of strain. Before her head fell back she caught a glimpse of Naruto's shock of blond hair; the side of his face was resting on the bed by her thigh, and his hand was covering hers. He looked almost as tired as she felt. There were tears building in the corners of her eyes by the time she relaxed her neck again.
"I . . . wasn't strong enough," she said in a quiet, tight voice. "I couldn't do it."
"If it makes you feel any better, last I checked Neji is still unconscious," Sasuke said lightly, though when a tear broke away and started running down her cheek he sighed and leaned forward, folding his hands and speaking seriously. "Hinata, you were incredible. You held your own against Neji; do you think I could have done that? Even Kakashi-sensei says he's Konoha's top genin."
"That's not what I mean," she choked. He blinked at her a few times, and when she managed to turn her head enough for him to see her eyes they were shimmering. "If I had aimed . . . for the vertebrae instead of to its side, I could have . . . won." Hinata winced, her breath coming short as she tried to calm herself down. Sasuke was on his feet again, resting a hand on her shoulder and looking a little worried.
"It's alright, Hinata. If your kunai had hit his spine he might have–"
"Died," she coughed. Her heart rate was rising quickly, and with every beat a vice tightened around her chest. "Or crippled, but . . . but . . ."
"Hey, hey," Sasuke soothed, his tone fully concerned now. "Take a minute and just breathe. Breathe." Hinata shut her eyes tight and tried, focusing on her pulse and willing herself to calm down. Getting too emotional in her state could cause complications. It took nearly five minutes for her already shallow breathing to get back to normal, and when she finally opened her eyes they were dry and a little unfocused. Her voice was calm again, albeit hoarse.
"But I couldn't." She sounded tired now, and every syllable carried with it a modicum of doubt and old, deep-seated self-loathing that Sasuke couldn't have missed if he'd tried. "He was right . . . I'm too weak; not cut out to be a shinobi."
"Mm . . . Hinata-chan, stop that . . ." They both froze. Sasuke's lips were parted in an unspoken response when his eyes traveled down to where Naruto lay slumbering. The blond boy's eyes were still closed, and he had inadvertently started nuzzling Hinata's hand in his sleep. He made a few more sleepy noises before concluding his muttering. "No, stop . . . I don't want any broccoli . . ."
Hinata couldn't help it – she laughed, though the sound came out a bit choked. She squeezed his hand as tightly as she could. What would Naruto-kun say if he heard me right now? Crying and feeling sorry for myself; he'd be ashamed of me. Sasuke was shaking his head and smiling faintly; it wasn't his typical smirk, either. Both corners of his lips were quirked up as he turned his eyes back to her.
"You know as well as I do just how wrong that is, Hinata. You know what Naruto would say if he were awake?" She closed her eyes, and her head tilted forward slightly in a nod. He continued regardless, knowing it was best she heard it from somebody. "He'd tell you that what you did isn't considered weak, because kindness isn't the same thing as weakness. Even though Neji didn't deserve it, you chose not to win the match if it meant putting his life in danger. That took more strength than he'll ever have."
It was a gradual thing, but after a few minutes of silence Hinata began to rein in her negative thoughts. It took a lot more effort than expected, but somewhere deep down she knew that Sasuke was right. He wouldn't lie to her. And if she really, truly thought hard on it, even she was surprised by how well she had done against Neji. "Kakashi-sensei . . . He did say not to prioritize the mission over our comrades, right?"
"Right," Sasuke agreed. "I'm not sure I can think of Neji as a comrade after that, but I understand that he's your family. You did the right thing, Hinata." She smiled faintly, her eyes already sliding closed. He watched her for a moment before moving back around to the window, slipping back on the sill. In her state that conversation had likely taken a lot out of her; it would be best to let her rest.
"Thank you . . ." she mumbled, already nodding off.
"Get some rest," Sasuke said quietly, his eyes turning contemplatively out towards the moon. "Naruto would get mad at me if he knew I was keeping you up." Hinata didn't hear him. The last things she remembered of that night were Naruto's hand squeezing her own, and thinking just how lucky she was to have such friends.
/*\
"It's hard to believe that Lee-san got beaten." Naruto shook his head; he could believe it, though. Gaara had been Lee's opponent. "I'm glad Gai stopped it in time, though. How's he doing?" he asked, leaning back against his pillow and resting his head on the wall. Hinata sat next to him on her hospital bed, looking a great deal healthier than she had a few days earlier. She was still weak, but able to sit up next to him. She was only leaning on his arm a little because the support was necessary, of course.
"He's bedridden for a little while, which upset him quite a bit. But Gai keeps reminding him that if Gaara had gotten that last attack off, he could have been crippled for life." Kakashi stood at the foot of the bed with his hands in his pockets, examining his team. Sasuke was perched on the windowsill as usual, reading a book that Haku had recommended. The color had fully returned to Hinata's face now, and her demeanor was more or less back to normal. Naruto was his typical self, though markedly quieter out of consideration for his injured friend. Haku was there as well, mirroring Sasuke on the other side of the sill and reading another novel. "Gai wanted me to thank you, by the way," he continued, looking pointedly to Naruto. The boy tilted his head and raised an eyebrow; the action brought the side of his head into contact with the top of Hinata's. Kakashi was glad to note that the girl was feeling well enough to blush again.
"Thank me for what? You were the one who warned them about Gaara."
"If you hadn't told me about Gaara, I wouldn't have been able to warn Lee to be careful. The Hokage forbade me from telling any specifics, but Gai knows me well enough to take me on my word. When he saw that look in Gaara's eyes when Lee was down, he stopped the fight immediately." Kakashi shrugged and leaned back against the wall, almost knocking over one of the flower vases in the process. "So in effect, you saved Lee's career as a ninja, and possibly his life."
"If you want to get that technical," Naruto responded dryly, flexing his fingers around Hinata's, "You should thank the Kyūbi. He's the one who told me." Kakashi blinked at that, and then cast a sharp look at Haku. He hadn't moved at all save to lick his finger and flip a page.
"We told him," Sasuke said dismissively, flipping the pages of his book every few seconds. Kakashi could see the red of his irises in the window's faint reflection; why hadn't he ever thought to read through Icha Icha Paradise with his Sharingan? The jōnin sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Check with me before you share sensitive information with anybody in the future, understand? Haku may be your friend, but he's my responsibility. That knowledge is dangerous for anybody to have, but even more so for somebody not of our village." Haku flinched very slightly, which surprised Kakashi enough to make him stop. The boy wasn't one to convey many emotions openly. Maybe he was being too strict; after all, Haku had been accepted into their fold, and he had proven willing to follow Kakashi's orders and help Team Seven in whatever ways he could.
"When are you and Sasuke leaving for training?" Hinata asked after a moment. Her voice was nearly back to its usual strength, just a bit quieter and only touched with fatigue.
"Today; I actually came here to get him. You're coming with us too, Haku." The pair on the windowsill looked up at the same time, and it was difficult to tell who was more surprised. "I'm going to be working with Sasuke on his physical endurance, strength, and speed primarily. If he's going to be fighting Gaara, he'll need it. You can help him with his speed like you have already, just more . . . intensely." Sasuke almost shuddered at the thought of nearly a month of training with Kakashi, but Haku just beamed.
"I'd be glad to, Kakashi-sensei," the older boy said immediately. "If I can be of use to Sasuke-kun, I will."
"You're helping me," Sasuke corrected, grimacing at Haku's choice of words. "I'm not using you."
"Of course." Haku smiled at him, and Sasuke got the feeling that his friend didn't understand the difference at all.
"Naruto," Kakashi began again, turning to give his other student a level look. "I didn't object to your spending time with Hinata while she was recovering, but now that she's clearly alright again I expect you to start your training. I've arranged for you to start this afternoon. You are to meet your instructor at our usual gathering point at two o'clock. Got it?"
"Yes, sensei. Are you going to tell me who it is yet?" Naruto sighed and unlaced his fingers from Hinata's, stretching upwards. "I still think I'd do better training by myself, and with Hinata-chan when she's better."
"You'll think otherwise soon enough. Sasuke, Haku: let's go. Good luck, Naruto, and I hope you're fully recovered soon Hinata." Kakashi waved as Naruto nodded and Hinata gave him a small smile. Sasuke closed his book and stuffed it in his back pouch before sliding off the windowsill, stepping over to the bed and holding out his fist to Naruto. The blond grinned and rapped his friend's knuckles. Sasuke then extended his arm to Hinata, who blinked at it for a second before giggling lightly and pressing her closed fist against his.
"Oh, Sasuke," Naruto began, stopping Sasuke before he could step away. "I forgot to ask how your date with Sakura went. That was last night, right?"
"Yeah, it was," he shrugged. "It went a lot better than I expected it to. I'll tell you how the next one goes in more detail; we're supposed to go out again when I get back from training." Naruto raised an eyebrow, and Hinata's eyes widened. He flashed them both a smirk before continuing nonchalantly. "See you two in a few weeks. Don't get in too much trouble without me." Sasuke turned and put his hands in his pockets, walking to the door behind Kakashi. Haku smiled at Naruto and Hinata, gave them a knowing, mischievous wink, and then hurried after Sasuke. A moment later they were gone, leaving the pair to themselves. Hinata started absently tracing lines in Naruto's palm with her thumb, waiting a few seconds before speaking up.
"You have to leave in an hour, yeah?" It wasn't really a question; of course he needed to. Naruto nodded anyway, looking distracted. Hinata could tell what he was thinking about without having to ask. "I know we talked about it already, but please don't dwell on what Neji did. It wasn't . . . really his fault."
"I know, I know," Naruto sighed, though he already looked irritated. "The thing with the branch family and the head family, he's got that cursed seal on his forehead, his dad died when he was young. I'm not mad at him for going so hard on you – well, I am, but whatever. I just . . ." He struggled for a second, then exhaled deeply again. "I just can't forgive him for trying to kill you, for intending to kill you even after the match was over." Hinata winced; they had told her about it when she had come fully back to consciousness, and it was difficult to think about. She had decided to keep their conversation within the arena to herself; they had overheard some of it, but she knew Naruto and Sasuke would be livid if they were privy to the whole thing.
"Even so, you promised not to do any more than necessary to win. Don't let him get to you." She quieted then and flushed, wondering when she had become so forward as to demand things from Naruto. He didn't seem to mind, though, only nodding and continuing to stare at the wall. "Thank you, by the way . . ." That seemed to snap him out of whatever daze he was in, and he turned to blink curiously at her. "F-for staying with me, I mean. I . . . I appreciated having you here."
"Oh, ah . . ." Naruto reddened slightly, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I was just really worried, and I didn't want you to wake up alone in the hospital. Sorry for drooling on your hand while I was asleep, though." That didn't explain why he had been there nigh constantly since she had come to, but Hinata didn't inquire further. A demure smile lifted the corners of her lips, and she lowered her head to rest against his shoulder. He tensed for a fraction of a second, then smiled and lifted his hand from hers. Before she had time to register it his left arm had lifted over her head, settling down behind her with his hand resting near her hip. It was her turn to tense, but it lasted for quite a bit longer.
"N-Naruto-kun?" she stammered, not daring to move. Hinata didn't see his blush deepen, too concentrated on her sudden lightheadedness.
"What? Did I make you uncomfortable?" His voice was full of concern, and he started to move his hand away a second later. Before it broke contact, however, Hinata's own hand clasped it back to her.
"N-no! I was just . . . surprised."
"Oh." He relaxed again, settling back against the pillows. Hinata kept her left hand atop his, slipping her fingers in between his own and holding on tight. Her tension began to fade away, and the two of them remained that way for a time. Hinata closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the blissful silence without feeling guilty or worried, slowly beginning to piece her thoughts together.
I must have missed it happening . . . while I was waiting.
/*\
Naruto sighed, scowling at the creek below. He had arrived a few minutes late after falling asleep with Hinata, a memory that brought a flush back to his features. But it had been at least half an hour since then and he hadn't seen a single person pass by the bridge. The only signs of life were a few minnows drifting lazily in the water.
This sucks; I could be training right now.
You could have been training for the last five days. The response wasn't exactly patronizing, but it held a clear tone of disapproval. Not only was it a waste of time, but it was boring as hell. How can you just sit around with your girlfriend for that long? She was unconscious for half of it.
Making sure that Hinata's okay was more important than training, Naruto retorted firmly. Besides, I did some chakra control exercises while she was sleeping. It's not exactly easy to sit on the ceiling for a few hours. The term 'girlfriend' caught his attention; had the fox always referred to Hinata like that?
Right, that will definitely help you when you have to fight the Hyūga boy. That kid's nothing to mess with.
I'll be ready. I want to spend most of my time this month figuring out how to let more of your chakra out; I intend to use as much of it as I can against him.
I told you–
No, I'm telling you this time. If the Kyūbi had a physical form, it might have looked to have taken a slap to the face. I haven't really argued with you up to now, but this is different. Neji tried to kill Hinata. I'm not going to break my promise to her; I'll only go as far as I need to. But I'm going to use everything I can up front to teach him a lesson. To Naruto's surprise, he could sense the fox grinning.
Revenge, huh? Naruto shrugged, and the Kyūbi barked out a laugh. Fine, mortal. I don't object. But how do you expect to release more of my chakra? There's no noticeable change from day to day; the seal was designed to loosen gradually. Very gradually; you won't notice a difference for months to come.
I don't know, but maybe somebody who knows a lot about fūinjutsu can help.
"Are you sure this is the right kid, Gama?" Naruto spun, dropping instinctively into a goken stance. He hadn't sensed or heard anything, but as soon as he turned he was confronted with a sight that made his jaw drop. A massive toad – one large enough to take up the breadth of the bridge – stood no more than a meter from him, staring down with huge, flat eyes. Atop its head a man sat cross-legged, his arms folded and regarding Naruto with a dubious expression. He wasn't as old as the Hokage, but he must have been nearing fifty at least. The man had extraordinarily long white hair, held back by a broad hitai-ate emblazoned with the symbol for 'oil'. The giant amphibian let out an echoing, somehow affirmative croak. Naruto took a step back, eyes wide on the newcomers.
"Ah . . . Who are – what is . . . what?" The man raised an eyebrow, then sighed and shook his head.
"This is the thanks I get for my research? I get blackmailed into babysitting some clueless brat?" Naruto bristled at that, standing up straight and narrowing his eyes.
"Are you who's supposed to be training me?" he asked incredulously. Kakashi-sensei said I wouldn't regret it, but . . . He took a deep breath and relaxed a little, though he kept an eye on the toad as he amended his statement. Iruka would get upset with him if he neglected his manners, even if the old man was being rude. "Sorry. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Kakashi-sensei said I was supposed to meet somebody here to start my training."
"He didn't even tell you my name?" the man asked, his eyes showing genuine disbelief. He put a hand to his forehead in exaggerated distress, donning a look of – probably – feigned anguish. "Youths these days don't know how to respect their elders! First that upstart interrupts my all-important information gathering, and now my identity is to be lost to antiquity?!" He glanced down at Naruto to make sure that the blond was following along; all he received in response were a few bewildered blinks. He scowled and jumped up, striking a dramatic pose and whipping his hair in a circle before flinging it back over his shoulder. "I am the renowned Toad Sage of Myōbokuzan!"
"Toad Sage?" Naruto titled his head to the side. "What's that? And . . . what's that?" he asked, pointing at Gama. The man's eyebrow twitched, and after a moment he dropped the pose and appeared to deflate some.
"What does it look like, kid? It's a toad!"
"But why is it so big?" Naruto received a flat look in response, and a moment later the toad erupted into a cloud of white smoke. The man landed lightly on the ground, looking the blond boy up and down before shaking his head again, clearly exasperated.
"Haven't you ever heard of summoning techniques? What do they teach at the academy these days?"
"Of course I have," Naruto said defensively. He was trying to be respectful, but it was getting harder to take the man seriously with all of the sarcasm being served up. "I've just never seen anything like that. The only animals I've seen summoned are Kakashi-sensei's ninken and some big snakes." As soon as the last word left his lips, the Sage's demeanor changed and he sobered considerably.
"Snakes, huh? I heard about your little encounter with Orochimaru." Naruto balked at that, tensing for a second before responding carefully.
"Only the jōnin instructors and the Hokage are supposed to know about that. I've never seen you before; how do you know about it?" His inquiry was met with a gruff laugh, and the man sidled past him to lean over the railing. When Naruto turned to him again the odd shinobi was studying the small fish pensively; all hints of his previous eccentric behavior were gone.
"It's not important how I know." He was quiet for a while after that, and eventually Naruto moved beside him to watch the stream as well. The white-haired man cast a furtive glance at the boy and grinned slightly. He looks just like you, Minato. I wonder if he's as strong as the rumors say. Naruto noticed his smirk and looked up curiously. Well, I told Kakashi that I'd only talk to him, but we'll see what he can do first.
"Alright kid, I can't train you unless I know what you're capable of. I know that you have a lot of chakra, that you prefer taijutsu over ninjutsu, and that you can't do any genjutsu to save your life." Naruto scowled as he went on, but didn't argue. The Sage smirked and continued. "I also happen to know that you have access to a . . . different chakra source, correct?" He seemed to be choosing his words carefully, but Naruto still froze and paled slightly.
"How do you–" The man waved a hand dismissively, cutting him off.
"I told you kid: how isn't important. I have reason to believe that you also know what the chakra is, and why you have it." Naruto said nothing, but nodded stiffly. I didn't expect him to be open about it, but he's a lot more closed up than I expected. "So, tell me about it."
"I . . ." Naruto hesitated, thinking hard. Iruka had told him that he could share the information with anybody he chose to, within reason. He knew nothing about this stranger. No matter how the man presented himself, it could be a bad idea to tell him about the Kyūbi. "I'd like to know who you are first. It's not something I talk to people about, and if you really did know about it you'd be treating me differently than you are." That earned him a surprised look, and the older ninja considered it for a moment.
Treat him differently? What . . . He understood a moment later after he saw the expression that Naruto was holding. The boy was defensive and untrusting, and of more than just him. Maybe he had come on a little strong, but that alone wouldn't be enough to back the kid into a corner. Damned villagers, he thought bitterly, grimacing back at the creek. He shrugged then, sighing in mock exasperation.
"My name is Jiraiya. Don't go bragging to your friends about meeting me, either." Naruto's brow furrowed, and after a few seconds he gave a start and straightened. Before last week he hadn't heard that name before, but following the confrontation with Orochimaru he had asked Hinata about the Sannin she had mentioned. And unless this man simply shared the name . . .
"You're . . . one of the Sannin?" The knowing wink Jiraiya gave him didn't exactly provide any proof, but something about his nonchalant, confident mannerisms gave Naruto the feeling that he wasn't lying.
"You at least know that the three Sannin are famous for their summons, right? Well, I'm the Toad Sage; my contract is with toads of Mount Myōboku. Orochimaru has one with snakes of Ryūchi Cave, and Tsunade's is with the slug Katsuyu of Shikkotsu Forest. You can ask your sensei if you don't believe me, but he is the one who asked me to come here." More like twisted my arm, but it might yet prove to be interesting. That explanation seemed to satisfy Naruto for the time being; he wasn't about to take Jiraiya's word without asking Kakashi first, but it was enough to make him act with a little more respect. After a moment's consideration he bowed to the older man, inclining his head to a similar degree as he would for the Sandaime. Jiraiya scowled again, but Naruto didn't seem to notice.
"I apologize for being rude, Jiraiya-sama, I–"
"Okay, okay, kid – Naruto, right? If I'm going to be helping with your training, just call me 'Jiraiya-sensei'. You don't have to be so formal. Now, just tell me what you know about your chakra." He seemed more flustered than annoyed, but Naruto only nodded and adopted an apprehensive expression.
He probably already knows. He's one of the Hokage's students, and he's old enough to remember the events of that wretched day.
He didn't react the same way towards me as the other villagers, though. If he knew about you, would he have agreed to train me?
I know it's hard to believe, the Kyūbi stated wryly, But not everybody is a narrow-minded imbecile.
That's a surprising thing to hear you say. It was odd to be found teasing the fox, but its rumbling growl gave him a bit of satisfaction from it. "I know it's from the Kyūbi no Kitsune," Naruto stated simply, shrugging as he turned back to the water. "We started working together a few months ago, and he's been teaching me how to use his chakra." Apparently this was not the response that Jiraiya had been expecting.
"You and the demon fox started to what?" the Sage nearly sputtered, eyes widening. Naruto fidgeted a little before shrugging again.
"I can use the Kyūbi's chakra when I need to," he said again. "Before I could only use it when I was . . . Well, it was usually when I was really mad. But I talked to him about it and we decided that it was in our best interest that I learn how to use it normally, like it was just another energy source or something. He always says it should be used as an extension of my chakra, for things that take a lot of energy to do. If I need to make more than fifty Shadow Clones, for example, it makes more sense to use his chakra so I won't be as drained by it." He stopped there, growing more uncomfortable at Jiraiya's increasingly disbelieving countenance.
"Well," the man started after a recomposing himself. He coughed, shaking his head as he stared thoughtfully over Naruto's shoulder, his eyes unfocused. "I expected you to know about it, and maybe even know where it was from. But I didn't expect you to be able to use it at will already."
"Already?" Jiraiya nodded and turned his gaze back to Naruto.
"Follow me; I'll show you what I mean." He turned and began walking, his sandals clacking upon the bridge's wooden planks. Naruto hurried to fall in beside Jiraiya, his mind racing at the Sage's words.
It took only a few minutes to reach the nearest secluded area: the third training ground. Naruto smiled faintly when he saw the three wooden posts near the Memorial Stone. It felt like it had been so long since they had passed Kakashi's test there, even though it had been only a few short months ago. Jiraiya led him to the center post, smirking and placing his hand fondly on it. Before Naruto could say anything, the man turned towards him and folded his arms.
"Alright, Naruto. Take your coat and shirt off." Naruto raised an eyebrow, but did as he was told without arguing. He placed his long black coat on one of the poles, his grey shirt following shortly after. "Good, now start channeling a bit of the Kyūbi's chakra; it doesn't matter where or for what purpose. Just send some to the soles of your feet for now, like you're walking on water or something." Naruto nodded, concentrating the chakra as instructed. As he did, the seal over his torso appeared; it was something that he was still trying to get used to. Hinata had noticed it first when he had begun training with the Kyūbi's chakra, and since then he realized that it showed up every time the demon fox's chakra was accessed.
"This was made using the Eight Trigrams Sealing Technique," Jiraiya mused, kneeling in front of Naruto and examining the markings. A thick spiral was nestled between two intricate arcs above and below, each containing flowing runes and symbols that branched outward at four points. It looked like a tattoo on his stomach, but much clearer as if it had been drawn with fresh ink. "You see these two individual seals?" He pointed to the two arcs, then moved his finger to where they almost connected to form a circle around the spiral center. "Each one is a Four Symbols Seal, a special jutsu meant to contain something inside of something else. When the Fourth sealed the Kyūbi, it looks like he used two on purpose. See the spaces here on either side, where they don't quite connect to form a circle?" Naruto nodded, entranced by the explanation. "I suspect he did that on purpose, to allow space for the demon's chakra to leak out and mix with your own.
"What I meant before is that the Yondaime likely intended for you to be able to use the Kyūbi's chakra eventually; it may have been his way of protecting you. But I don't think even he would have expected that you'd be able to use it at will already." He stood slowly, eyes lingering on the seal before nodding again. "Now show me what you can do with it." Naruto hesitated for only a moment before stepping back, turning inward for a moment first.
You don't mind, right?
Are you kidding? This guy could help loosen the seal; go all out and show him what you're capable of, and maybe he'll consider it. Naruto nodded, which earned him a befuddled look from Jiraiya. He wasn't interested in explaining that he could talk to the Kyūbi at will, so instead he just brought out as much chakra as he could.
Jiraiya smirked as the vermilion cloak crept up around Naruto. The chakra was fundamentally different than most; normally when chakra was strong enough to be seen it took on an appearance not unlike fire. Jiraiya was surprised to see, however, that it looked more like thick reddish liquid, with small bubbles throughout that gave it the appearance of perpetually boiling water. The single tail twitched back and forth behind him, like it was trying to get a better view of Jiraiya. But Naruto didn't appear to be finished yet.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." A breath later the clearing was packed with orange-shrouded Narutos, all bare-chested and looking at the Sage with a myriad of expressions. Some seemed curious, others excited; the majority appeared calm and patient, simply waiting for whatever comment the man had to offer.
"Interesting. Very interesting, kid. Is that all the chakra you can use?"
"Yes," Naruto responded slowly, allowing the few dozen clones to disperse. "I can use it like that to make me faster and stronger, or I can use it to make my ninjutsu more powerful. I'm still working on doing both at once; it's hard to concentrate on using it like this, balancing it with my own chakra, and then mixing both for ninjutsu." Jiraiya stared at him for a time before shaking his head again, chuckling.
"You've got a lot on your plate, I see. That chakra source should let you perform summoning techniques with relative ease; they generally require a large amount of chakra. How would you like to learn?" Naruto blinked at him as he allowed the chakra to fade, retrieving his clothes while he thought it over.
"Summoned animals are supposed to help you when you need them, right?" he asked after slipping back into his shirt. Jiraiya nodded, and Naruto paused in picking up his coat. "That toad you were riding earlier was huge. How big do they usually get?" At that his new sensei laughed.
"That was Gama, one of the average-sized toad summons. He likes to get outside of Mount Myōboku for some fresh air, and he's a great friend, so I summon him from time to time. The biggest toads, however . . ." He thought for a moment, and then grinned broadly. "If Gamabunta was standing at the base of the academy, his head might reach the faces of the Hokage monument." Naruto's lips parted in wordless surprise, and he coughed once or twice before he was able to respond.
"Ah, right. So you can . . . summon one of those huge toads to do stuff for you?"
"Yes and no," Jiraiya responded cryptically, letting the boy muddle in confusion before continuing. "A summoning jutsu is what's called a space-time technique, one that manipulates people or objects and sends them through a dimensional . . ." He trailed off upon seeing Naruto's puzzled expression, and he sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. It was a complicated subject to teach a twelve-year-old. "The important part is that when you summon something, it gets taken from one place and put in another instantly. There's no travel time; it just appears where you summon it. Get it?" Naruto nodded, and Jiraiya decided that sticking with simplicity would be best for now.
"Signing a contract with an animal aspect gives you the right and permission to call upon them. However, that doesn't mean that they have to come help you; you're not their master. If Gama was busy when I wanted to summon him, he could refuse to come. He'd also be able to tell that I was the one trying to summon him. Conversely, an animal summon can choose to summon you in what's called a reverse-summon. So far I haven't been able to figure out how to refuse one of those," he laughed, though the statement made Naruto a little nervous. "But it would only happen in an emergency I'm sure, or with your permission. Any questions?"
"Ano . . . You keep mentioning a contract, sensei. What do you mean?" Jiraiya nodded and took a few steps to the side. He lifted his hand and bit down hard on his thumb, drawing blood immediately. His hands went through a series of seals – boar, dog, bird, monkey, and ram – in deliberately slow movements so that Naruto could follow along. After the final seal he leaned down and pressed his palm to the ground.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Black lines shot out from his palm, spreading across the ground like living ink. They twisted in what looked to be a foreign script, and in almost the same instant a circle of the same design appeared all around Jiraiya's hand, connecting the lines. Before Naruto could study the markings closely, a plume of white smoke burst forth from the pattern, concealing the Sage for a few seconds. When it cleared, he was once again sitting atop Gama's head, grinning down at Naruto smugly. The large frog had its tongue lolling out, holding a sizeable scroll in its slimy clutches. It lowered the document carefully, and Jiraiya dropped to the ground beside it.
"Whoa," Naruto breathed. Even if this guy isn't actually Jiraiya, he can do some really cool stuff.
He seems to know a lot, too, the fox pointed out. Would have been better if he was a Sage of something other than frogs, though; I hate frogs.
Why? Not that I'm surprised that you hate something.
Frogs are food. And don't get cheeky with me, mortal.
"This is the contract you'd have to sign in order to be allowed to summon toads," Jiraiya said, brandishing the big cylindrical parchment. "You sign it with your own blood, and the contract is binding even after death; if somebody were to get ahold of your blood, they could use the summoning technique as well." He flipped the scroll over and unraveled it, displaying a series of signatures with accompanying fingerprints alongside blank spaces for future contractees. The most recent name read 'Jiraiya', with the one preceding spelling out 'Namikaze Minato'.
"The Fourth Hokage had a contract with the toads?" Naruto stared at the name; the other, more faded ones didn't even register.
"Aye, he did. Minato was my student, you know." Jiraiya was smiling when Naruto looked up at him; he could see more respect building behind those blue eyes.
"But . . ." He chewed on his lower lip, looking back to the scroll. "Isn't this kind of a big decision to make?" Iruka always said to think hard about big decisions, and try to sleep on it at least. He could hear the fox laughing at him, but he ignored it.
"I suppose it is," Jiraiya said slowly, watching Naruto. "But you can always make more than one contract if you want; you're not bound to one if you don't want to be. Just don't go trying to summon more than one or you could be in for a rough time."
I wouldn't sign it, kid.
Why not? Being able to summon a toad like Gamabunta might be really helpful some time.
I fought Gamabunta once, the Kyūbi started matter-of-factly. Naruto was taken aback not only at the knowledge, but at the fox using the name of something rather than referring to it passively. The measure of respect was . . . strange. The Yondaime summoned him to fight me twelve years ago before sealing me away. He's definitely strong, but you're better off finding your own summon that's less likely to have a grudge against me. Besides . . . I hate frogs. Naruto chuckled aloud, eliciting a growl from the Kyūbi and a questioning eyebrow from Jiraiya.
"I appreciate the honor, Jiraiya-sensei. Do you mind if I think about it for a while first?" The man nodded to him and resealed the scroll, tossing it back for Gama to hold.
"It's your blood; there's plenty of other stuff you can do with that chakra. I can teach you a few things, I suppose . . ." Jiraiya's expression changed to one of apparent severity and intense consideration, and he seemed to study Naruto carefully for a time. "I need to get back to my research for today, but I want you to spend the rest of daylight practicing with molding the Kyūbi's chakra with your own into techniques. Kakashi tells me that your ninjutsu is the weaker of your salvageable skills, so work hard on the techniques you're learning. I'll meet you back here tomorrow morning at ten, got it?"
"Yes, sensei," Naruto said immediately, grinning up at Jiraiya. The man gave him a calculated nod and turned, disappearing back into the woods and chatting at Gama the whole way.
I wonder what kind of research he does. With the way he was talking about it I guess it must be something important, and maybe even secret.
Beats me, the Kyūbi yawned. Just make sure to ask him tomorrow about the seal. I want to be able to stretch my proverbial legs a bit more.
Yeah, yeah, I will. Now focus and help me with this training. I'm still not that good at maintaining the partial cloak and using ninjutsu. The red-orange chakra sprang back up around him, though only as a haze and without the tail formed.
All you need to do is focus. You humans and your one-track brains are aggravating. Despite the snide remark, the Kyūbi helped Naruto stay focused on the task at hand. He did as Jiraiya had instructed, beginning work on a lightning technique Sasuke had shown him a few weeks before while making sure to keep his entire body covered with the fox's chakra at the same time. It would prove to be a frustrating afternoon.
/*\
"Hinata-chan, you have visitors." Hinata's eyes fluttered open at the sound of a familiar voice; it was the kindly nurse that frequently checked up on her.
"Visitors . . . ?" She quickly rubbed at the corners of her eyes, blinking the sleep away before the door opened. Judging by the soft light flowing in from the window it was nearing sunset. Naruto he would still be training until after dark, and Sasuke and Haku were gone with Kakashi. "Please, come in," Hinata responded a little louder, carefully sitting up and propping a few pillows behind her.
"Hey there ninja princess," Tenten greeted her, smiling warmly from behind the nurse as she stepped in. "Feeling better?" After a moment's confusion Hinata's features lit up with a smile of her own, tinged with a blush at her friend's choice of words.
"It's good to see you, Tenten-senpai. I'm feeling much better, thank you." While Tenten made her way to the long table to set down some fresh flowers, the nurse waited by the door, her gaze cast out into the hallway.
"I still don't think it's a good idea for you to be up and about yet, Lee-kun," the woman worried. A few seconds later Lee came limping into the room with a crutch under one arm and a fierce, determined grin on his face.
"This is nothing; I'll never fully recover if I don't push myself!" He grunted as he crossed the threshold, and the nurse only sighed and gave Hinata a weak smile before leaving them to themselves.
"Lee-senpai," Hinata started concernedly as Tenten helped ease him into a chair. "Are you sure you're okay to be out of bed?"
"Of course!" he responded emphatically, straightening as soon as he was settled. She barely even noticed his wince. "I had to come speak to you." He leaned forward, his voluminous eyebrows furrowed as he took on a serious expression. "You fought on par with Neji, Hinata-san. And what's more, you rendered him unconscious so that he could not see my secret move in the fight against Gaara of the Sand. I am indebted to you." He bowed his head to her, causing a renewed blush to spring up on the girl's face.
"A-Ano . . ." Hinata fidgeted with the sheets in her lap, not entirely sure how to respond. Luckily Tenten was there to roll her eyes and pat Lee sympathetically on the shoulder.
"Lee, you're being dramatic again. Although I wish I had been awake to see whatever technique you're bragging about," she grumbled, dropping into the chair next to his. "Stupid fan girl."
"It was unfortunate that you had to fight her," Hinata sympathized, but Tenten only shook her head and laughed.
"I'm glad that it happened; it reminded me that we won't always get to choose who we fight. I bet the test was designed that way, so that some people would be forced into bad matchups. I mean, as a chūnin – as a squad leader – we'd have to figure out how to overcome situations like that, so it makes sense. I just need to train harder, and focus on my weak areas." Lee nodded and grinned at his teammate's determination, and Hinata couldn't help but smile as well. She admired Tenten's outlook, a perspective the older girl and Lee seemed to have in common.
"Have Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun begun their training?" Lee asked a moment later, intense gaze turning back to Hinata.
"Yes; they both left today. Kakashi-sensei is training Sasuke-kun with Haku-chan's help, and Naruto-kun went to train with . . . Well," she faltered. "I don't know who he went to train with, but his teacher is supposed to be strong." Lee and Tenten shared a curious look, but they didn't press Hinata for details. "How . . . How is Neji-nīsan?"
"He was only able to leave the hospital today," Tenten answered, smirking as Hinata's eyes widened slightly. "You really did a number on him, I heard."
"Yosh!" Lee exclaimed, his eyes alight. "It was inspiring, and I learned many things from it. Hinata-san's conviction is unrivaled; she kept getting up and fighting no matter what, and . . ." He continued into an exaggerated retelling of the encounter, and with every compliment or mention of her 'heroics' Hinata flushed deeper. By the end her index fingers were pressed together so hard that they turned white, and she had long since ducked her head.
"Y-You give me too much credit, Lee-senpai," she mumbled after he was finished, but before he could respond Tenten cut in with a chiding tone.
"Hinata, you're too humble; neither of us could have beaten Neji. Well, maybe Lee could have with his super-secret technique, but you fought on par with him without any tricks and nearly won. He's a year your senior, too; you should be proud of your accomplishment. Oh, and speaking of seniors," she continued firmly, "You don't have to keep addressing us like that. As far as I'm concerned, we're both genin, and you've already proved that you're on the same level as we are. We're equals – and friends – Hinata-chan."
Hinata blinked rapidly as a few tears threatened to escape the corners of her eyes. It was – more or less – the same thing Sasuke and Naruto had told her; Kakashi had even put in a similar word of praise. It was becoming more and more difficult to hold on to her own doubt.
"Thank you, Tenten-sen–" She stopped herself when Tenten raised an eyebrow. "Tenten-chan."
"There we go," the older kunoichi chimed, grinning again. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" Hinata offered a shy smile. Tenten considered her for a moment before turning to Lee. "Lee, you should go back and get some more rest. The medic-nin told you yesterday that you could be out by the end of the week if you stay in bed."
"But I wanted to talk to Hinata-san about her fight some more," Lee protested. Tenten gave him a flat look that left no room for arguing. The boy pouted a little but bounced back to his usual perky self in no time, turning back to Hinata. "Please allow me to visit again soon; I must hear about your training!" Hinata nodded slowly; it was difficult to read Lee most of the time, and sometimes his exuberance put her off balance. He flashed her a toothy grin before hoisting himself up with Tenten's assistance, hobbling to the door and giving them a last thumbs-up on his way out. Tenten rolled her eyes and shut the door, lowering herself back into the chair a moment later.
"So," she started without preamble, "How are you and Naruto doing?"
"We're . . ." Hinata stopped abruptly with her lips still parted, and after a few bewildered blinks she turned a brilliant shade of red. Tenten let out a rich laugh that devolved into a fit of giggles. Hinata only sat there, struck dumb at being caught so unexpectedly. It had been such a matter-of-fact question and her response had been immediate. We . . .
"You still haven't told him, have you?" Tenten teased lightly, causing Hinata to look quickly down. It took a few seconds, but she eventually shook her head, her face still burning. Tenten sighed and leaned back in her chair, still smiling. "Not that it's any of my business, I guess, but you two are pretty much dating already. I just don't think either of you have realized it yet."
"W-We're not!" Hinata insisted, still staring down at her hands; she was fidgeting with the sheets, too distracted to notice her fingers becoming entangled. "We're just . . . close friends."
"You and Sasuke are close friends," the other girl countered, "I don't see you holding his hand or looking at him the same way." Hinata floundered for an appropriate response, but after a time she could only offer a small sigh and lean back against her pillows. Tenten had known since the first day they had trained together, and had made sure to ask about their relationship once or twice since. At first Hinata had answered honestly – if not in a flustered state – that she and Naruto were only friends. But now . . .
"It's . . . We're doing fine," she said, but the words came out tired and unsure. "I think . . . I think we both know, but neither of us has confessed . . ."
"Why not?" Tenten asked, genuinely puzzled. "You two have been friends for years, and by all accounts you've only gotten closer over time."
"A-All accounts?" Hinata started, glancing quickly towards Tenten. The girl winked mischievously.
"I like to socialize," Tenten stated casually. Her expression sobered after a moment, though, and she looked down at her lap. "Hinata, you ought to tell him how you feel." Normally the statement might elicit another blush from Hinata, but the gravity with which it was said made her stop and wonder. "Our lives are dangerous; like someone said a few days ago, people died in the Chūnin Exam. We saw some of them, too. And we're still genin." She let the words sink in before continuing, still studying nothing in particular. "Once we're all chūnin or jōnin, the missions will carry more risk, and the possibility of death will only rise with every operation. If Naruto makes chūnin and goes off to start performing more life-threatening assignments . . ." She didn't have to continue the thought; Hinata had already connected the dots.
"Hinata, Naruto could have died in the Forest of Death." Tenten's statement was a simple one, but it jarred Hinata enough to make her tense. She bit her lower lip hard and closed her eyes. "He could die in the next portion of the exam; even if he beats Neji, someone else might take him down. We're shinobi," she said quietly, eyes lifting to Hinata's. "Our lives are put on the line every day. There isn't room to be hesitant about your feelings. One of you could be gone tomorrow, and you'll have never shared your feelings for one another."
The pair sat in silence for a long while. The soft glow of sunlight faded slowly, and by the time Hinata spoke the room was nearly dark.
"I'll tell him after the exams," she said quietly. Tenten looked apprehensive, but she offered the older girl a small, confident smile. "He won't lose there, I promise. And I don't want to distract him from his training." Tenten looked reluctant to accept that, but she nodded and returned Hinata's smile.
"I'll hold you to it. You two make a cute couple." Hinata's blush returned in full force at that, and Tenten let out another laugh before standing up. "I'm sure he'll be back soon, so I'll head home for the night. I'll be back tomorrow, alright? And I'll bring some lunch, too!" Hinata smiled and nodded, and with a last wave Tenten departed.
Hinata sat and sifted through her thoughts until Naruto returned to regale her with the day's events. She was just as surprised as he had been about Jiraiya, and she asked question after question about summoning techniques. By the time he finished talking about how his solo training had gone, night had completely fallen and it was getting late.
"I don't think I've gotten any better," he lamented in conclusion, leaning back against the pillow beside Hinata. "But I'm going to ask Jiraiya-sensei if he'll look at the Kyūbi's seal for me tomorrow. He might be able to loosen it; he knows a lot about fūinjutsu too."
"Are you sure?" she asked carefully, echoing her concerns from the previous week. Hinata was confident in Naruto's ability, but the Kyūbi's power frightened her still. It was hard to take his – or the fox's – word that it wasn't dangerous to release more of its chakra.
"Jiraiya-sensei said that the seal was made so that the Kyūbi's chakra could leak out, right? So I think I was supposed to be able to control it eventually." Hinata nodded, but seemed distracted. He glanced at her and smiled, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "If it turns out bad, he could always fix the seal again."
"Right," she agreed, feeling a little better with it in that context. Jiraiya wouldn't let anything get out of hand, and if he was as strong as Orochimaru he wouldn't have a problem subduing Naruto if he needed to. The thought of Naruto losing control brought about an involuntary shiver.
"Iruka-sensei said he wanted me to be home tonight," Naruto said after a few more minutes of light conversation. He sounded apologetic, but Hinata only nodded and put her free hand on his forearm.
"I'll be alright by myself, don't worry," she teased lightly. Naruto flushed before grinning sheepishly and rubbing at the back of his neck.
"I know that; I just like being here with you is all." It was her turn to blush. Hinata moved her hand from his and slipped it around his arm, holding it in as good of a hug as she could manage from her position next to him. Naruto placed a hand over hers and held tight for a few seconds before reluctantly slipping off of the bed and out of Hinata's embrace.
"I'll stop by tomorrow after training. Do you know when you'll be able to leave the hospital?"
"Another week or so," she replied sullenly; Naruto couldn't help but notice how cute Hinata looked when she was pouting. "But the medic-nin said that if my heart had been weaker, or if more chakra had been forced through it, I'd have been here for over a month. Or . . ." Hinata trailed off, and Naruto paled at the unfinished thought. A small, soft smile still crept onto his lips as he leaned down, one arm moving around her upper back to pull her to him. She leaned her head gently against his, and she moved one hand up to rest on the back of his neck.
"I'm glad you're safe," he said quietly, his voice a little thick. He gave her a brief squeeze before withdrawing, and as he did Hinata froze, a shiver running down the length of her spine. Inadvertently or not, Naruto's lips had brushed her cheek on his way back. When she looked up he was already by the door, and she held her breath when he turned back to her. Even in the dim light she could see his abashed grin; he looked back at her one last time before slipping silently from the room.
Hinata was left staring after him, one hand on her cheek and the other pressed to her stomach; the butterflies were out in force today. Even if it wasn't intentional, she reasoned, settling back down and pulling the comforter up, It felt . . . It was difficult for her to reconcile how it really had felt. Hinata drifted off to pleasant dreams in the midst of deciding how she would go about taking Tenten's advice, and how she would finally tell Naruto how much she cared for him.
Author's Note:
Hey folks. It took a lot longer to get a shorter chapter out this week, for a lot of boring reasons that have mostly to do with work and my own laziness. Mostly the latter.
I do need to mention though that my week-to-week schedule will be changing in late August, and it will most certainly delay future updates. I purposefully neglected to commit to posting chapters on a schedule largely because I know I'll not be able to keep up the roughly one per week I have been doing. I think setting a deadline would only reduce the length and quality of each chapter, as opposed to writing when I feel inspired to and putting out something I can be proud of.
This chapter and the next I'm having fun with, emphasizing developing relationships instead of focusing entirely on training. I thank you for reading, and hope you enjoyed Chapter 14.
Thank you to Rhi as always for editing. It was a fun chapter to go through.
See you next time!