Sorry it took longer than usual, but here's chapter 14.
By the way, I decided to raise the rating include a few lemons later on, provided I turn out to be any good at writing them.
I don't own Naruto.
Neji was worried, and he wasn't the only one.
Ever since that day two weeks ago when she came home in tears, his compassionate and gentle cousin had changed, and not for the better. She had become cold hearted and serious, pouring herself into her training. If he had to compare her to someone, it would be him before Naruto and Hiashi opened his eyes, without the belief in fate, the arrogance and condescension. Her team and her family were all worried about her, but she refused to speak of what had caused this change.
He knew what must have been the cause. Hiashi and her team had also guessed it. She must have found out about the object of her affection's new relationship.
Neji made his way to the training ground of their compound, where he knew his cousin would be. Sure enough, when he slid open the shoji door; he was greeted by the sight of his cousin, in the middle of an intense training session. The girl's Byakugan blazed as she attacked a training dummy, striking rapidly at where a person's tenketsu would be. He watched as his cousin continued her relentless assault without acknowledging his presence, eventually making a strike where the heart of her opponent would lie, before stopping. She looked down to herself and frowned, apparently finding some flaw with her performance, before she fell into a form her cousin was all too familiar with, the stance for the Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palm technique. At this point, he decided to interrupt.
"Lady Hinata." Neji called out. The blue haired girl stopped and turned to him, making him frown when he saw the dispassionate stare that had become her new default expression.
"Yes. What is it, Neji?"
"You seem to have been troubled with something recently." Neji observed as he started closing in on her. "Would you like to take a break and have a walk around?" He asked in a rare lack of his usual stoicism, showing his cousin a small smile.
Even though that caught her off guard for the briefest moment, Hinata frowned. "You don't need to concern yourself with what I'm doing, Neji."
Neji's smile faltered a bit, showing concern on his face. "Hinata, I'm just worried about you. When I was consumed with hatred for the Main House, you never stopped trying to help me see the error of my ways. How can you expect me to just sit by when you're in pain?" Neji began. Hinata's expression remained unchanged. "I know what's causing it and from what I've observed, any attempts to get between them will only end in misery for all parties involved. If their relationship isn't successful and they break up, then you will have an opportunity, but there isn't really anything sensible you can do right now."
Hinata stared at him with her frown deepening. He didn't understand what she was feeling at all. If he did, he'd be helping her. She'd always wanted more than anything else, with ending the Caged Bird Seal and bringing her family together being a close second, to be with Naruto, and he was just telling her to give up? "… If that's all you came to say, then you've wasted your time." Hinata walked back into the compound. "Goodbye, Neji."
Neji's eyes widened a bit at how she addressed him, before letting out a strained sigh. He had doubted anything he said would have made any real impact. After a few moments, he too entered the compound, walking towards Hiashi's study.
Meanwhile, Hinata headed towards the clan library, the stoic, expressionless look characteristic of the Hyuuga, but so out of character for her, on her face. As she made her way through the compound, her thoughts strayed back to that day almost two weeks ago. She had just gotten back from a mission and had heard Naruto was back as well. She had decided that, since it was the first time they were both in the village at once, she would find the blond and finally confess her feelings. The young heiress could still feel the pain when she had used her Byakugan to find him (which she had used to… observe… him in the past. That memory brought a crimson blush to her face) only to see him kissing that girl.
Soon, all of the jealousy and pain she felt afterwards had turned into a burning anger that was now hidden beneath her calm exterior. For the first time in her life, Hinata truly wanted to hurt another person. As she reached her clan's library, having already been there to look and see if there were any clan or village laws she could exploit to help her win Naruto over without any success, the young Hyuuga heiress began searching for scrolls on her family's taijutsu style, looking for ways to increase her skills.
Neji reached Hiashi's study, intent on speaking to his uncle about his cousin's change. The clan head sensed his presence as he approached.
"Come in, Neji." the man beckoned before the white eyed teen even had a chance to call out. Neji slid open the door and joined his uncle in his study. The man sat on a cushion in front of a chabudai. He had been writing something before Neji approached and was now putting away his pen as his nephew entered. Neji sat on the tatami mat on the other side of the table.
"Lord Hiashi, I believe you can guess as to the cause of this visit." Neji said and Hiashi sighed.
"Yes. I take it you spoke with Hinata." Hiashi closed his eyes. It was a painful subject for him. He had put the clan above his daughter's well-being and pushed her away when she was younger. He had made good progress towards repairing their relationship over the past three years since the chunin exam, but now, she was shutting herself off from everyone. "I assume things didn't go well?"
"Yes. She refuses to open up, to me or her teammates. I fear she may not be thinking clearly and might eventually do something drastic or stupid." Neji explained. Hiashi's expression didn't change. After a few moments of silence, the clan head responded.
"I trust Hinata is rational enough not to do something that would endanger her standing in the village or the clan. I do fear that she may do something in the heat of the moment though."
Naruto sat with Team Ebisu, finishing a meal he brought them after completing the physical portion of their training for that day. Aside from a brief absence while he and Fu were on a B-rank mission, he spent the last two weeks helping the team train while his shadow clones allowed him to improve his own skills. The older special jonin had been impressed with his progress with his team. Moegi had learned, though not mastered, the Double False Surrounding Technique and the blond was currently helping her with her overall skill in genjustu and taijutsu, as well as her speed with basic techniques such as the replacement jutsu. Something he had learned through his training trip and made sure they knew too was that the basics were important. Udon had completed the burning leaf exercise and today, Naruto was going to teach him his first fire jutsu. Konohamaru had managed to complete the first step towards learning the Rasengan a few days ago, using his free hand to rotate the water as Naruto had, and had moved on to the rubber ball. On the second day of their training, Naruto began adding the same seals Jiraiya had used on him and Fu on their trip to weigh them down during their exercises, which would help them increase their strength, speed and stamina.
"So, how long are you going to be helping us, boss?" Konohamaru asked as he took the last bite of his meal.
"Well, I guess until you finish learning that jutsu and Udon learns at least one fire element jutsu. Of course, if you want help after that, you can come by any time." Naruto said.
Ebisu looked to his fellow special jonin. "Naruto, exactly how long is it going to take for Konohamaru to master this jutsu?"
Naruto shrugged. "I don't know, could take another week or two."
"What exactly are you teaching him?" Moegi turned to the blond. She and Udon had grown more and more curious as time passed.
Naruto smirked. "It's a secret. I will tell you this, it's an A-rank technique and it's a lot more complex than the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Moegi pouted at Konohamaru. "Aw, come on, just a little hint?"
"Nope, sorry. Boss made me promise not to say anything. What kind of pupil would I be if I didn't follow his number one rule, to never go back on my word." The boy replied.
After a few moments, Naruto spoke up. "Hey, Moegi." He said, getting the girl's attention. "What do you think of being a medic-nin?"
Moegi, who was about to take a bite of a rice ball, looked up at Naruto with a curious expression. "A medic?" she asked. She had never considered it before.
"That's a good suggestion." Ebisu noted. "You have the fine chakra control required and your Genjustu would allow you to aid your comrades while avoiding combat."
"Exactly what I was thinking." Naruto agreed. "Just keep in mind that if you do decide to become a medic, you shouldn't neglect your taijutsu. Never know when you're going to be forced into close range combat." He paused for a moment. "Anyway, it's time to get back to training." the blond said as he stood up and created two shadow clones. "Alright, come on, Konohamaru." he beckoned and the preteen nodded and followed him through the trees while the clones and the rest of the team stayed behind.
"Alright, Udon. I'll be teaching you Fire Style: Fireball jutsu." the Naruto clone said as they walked to the nearby stream. "Now, the Fireball jutsu is a good starting technique. It was originally created by the Uchiha clan and was used as their coming of age jutsu. To use it, you have to knead chakra into flame within your chest and breathe it out. Despite its name, it could be an actual fireball or a continuous stream of fire. You have to be careful with this or you could burn yourself, got it?"
Udon looked slightly disheartened. "That's why we're near the stream isn't it?"
"That's right. Don't worry about it, it won't do anything major. Okay, now the seals are snake, ram, monkey, horse, and then tiger. Allow me to demonstrate." the clone said before turning to the stream and making the necessary hand signs. He was skilled enough with the C-rank technique that he could have used it with just the final two seals, but since he was demonstrating it, he decided to leave nothing out. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Udon watched in awe as Naruto breathed out a stream of fire that ended in a large fireball that hovered over the water, which rippled underneath the roaring ball of flame. He could have made one much larger, but he decided to make one the size a genin of Udon's skill and stamina should be able to make. After a few moments, the jutsu ended and the fire subsided. The clone turned back to the genin. "Alright, whenever you're ready." the copy said, taking a few steps back.
Udon nodded and took a step forward, looking nervous as he reached the lake. After a moment, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and looked forward with a determined expression. He made the hand signs the clone had told him and breathed in deeply. 'Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!' he coughed, releasing a small burst of flame. He put his hands to his chest and throat as he continued to cough for a few moments before looking at the Naruto clone in a disappointed manner.
"Don't worry about it, that's what you should expect on your first try." the clone said reassuringly. "I'm sure you'll get it in no time."
Somewhere in the desolate, rocky landscape of the Land of Earth, a lone figure stood amongst half a dozen corpses, looking down at one unmoving body that was impaled through the chest with a pike, lying in the center of a symbol engraved in the ground in blood. Said symbol an equilateral circumscribed triangle. The one man standing was carrying a corpse over his shoulder. Both he and the man he was looking at were wearing black robes with red clouds and had forehead protectors with a slash across them, showing they were members of Akatsuki. The one standing wore a mask and a Taki forehead protector, while the impaled man had slicked back silver hair and wore the forehead protector of the former hidden village Yugagakure. After a few moments, the masked man, going by the name of Kakuzu, spoke up.
"Your rituals are grating on my last nerves." He glared at his lying partner, whose eyes turned to him.
"Shut up, Kakuzu. It's part of my religion." the seemingly dead man, Hidan, said before he began to sit up. He then ripped the pike out of his chest without making any indication of feeling pain. "So, where to next? Off to capture a Jinchuriki, I suppose?" he asked as he collapsed the pike and put it away.
"If you bothered to pay more attention instead of fantasizing about your next kill, you would already know the answer to that." Kakuzu remarked, ignoring an indignant "Screw you!" from his partner. "Have you forgotten? As long as the statue is damaged, we're limiting our actions to gathering intelligence on the remaining Jinchuriki and money."
"Yet the others are collecting two of the Biju in the meantime." Hidan said as he stood up.
"They are exceptions." Kakuzu explained. "Konoha's Will of Fire will ensure they will do everything in their power to rescue their comrades. If we captured the Nanabi or the Kyuubi, we would have to deal with Konoha attempting to retrieve them for the next two months. Kumo sees their Jinchuriki as heroes and you already know the Ichibi Jinchuriki is the Kazekage. They would have a similar response. However, the Sanbi and Rokubi do not belong to any village at the moment; no one will come to rescue them."
"Okay, what about the guy we're checking on here? The Yonbi Jinchuriki? Iwa didn't exactly pull out all the stops to bring back the Gobi." Hidan pointed out as he pulled on the cord attached to his triple bladed scythe, causing the weapon to fly through the air and return to its wielder.
"The Gobi's host was not a relative of Onoki of Both Scales. It's too much of a risk." The Taki missing-nin replied gruffly. "Iwa may attempt to retrieve him and at worse, the Tsuchikage himself may intervene."
Hidan scoffed, as he swung his scythe and rested the weapon on his shoulders. "So? I hear he's, what, 80 years old, and he isn't an immortal like you. What's he gonna do, crack his back at us?" He then shrugged, holding up his right palm. "God, Kakuzu, I never knew you were such a pussy."
Kakuzu glared at the apparently immortal man, his legendary rage once again demanding he find some way to end his partner's existence. Though recently, he had grown more appreciative of Hidan. After all, as annoying as the silver haired man was, if he wasn't paired with him, he'd be the partner of the far more irritating Tobi. On top of that, after a failed hunt resulted in the deaths of two of their members, as well as the loss of one of their rings, ensuring its bearer could not be replaced, he had no doubt that their leader wouldn't be as lenient as he had been in the past if he killed another of his partners. "That mouth will get you killed one day."
"Che, if there was someone able to kill me, I'd let them."
"In that case, you should seek out the Tsuchikage." Hidan narrowed his eyes at the heart stealer. "Onoki has not been Tsuchikage for so many years for no reason. He is one of the most experienced ninja in the elemental continents, next to myself. He is obviously not one to be taken lightly." Hidan just chuckled dismissively. "In addition, he uses the Dust Style of the second Tsuchikage, it's only user aside from him, in fact."
That got Hidan's attention. "Dust Style? What's that, a Kekkei Genkai?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Not just a Kekkei Genkai, a Kekkei Tota." Kakuzu began to explain as Hidan put his scythe away, attaching it to his back. "It's an advanced nature that requires three elements, earth, wind and fire, instead of two like all others. In order to learn it, you require an affinity for all three elements. The Dust Style allows the user to manipulate molecules, a Dust Style jutsu tears anything caught within its power at a molecular level, literally reducing them to nothing but dust in the wind, hence the name." Hidan's eyebrows shot up when he heard this. "As I said, he actually is capable of killing you. Your apparent immortality will do you little good if your entire body is reduced to dust."
Hidan whistled, even he had to admit that was impressive. "Well, what do you know? There's actually someone capable of killing me after all." he mused before raising his hands in front of him in a placating gesture. "Alright, alright, I get it, don't fuck with the senior. So, where're we going?"
"First, we're going to a bounty station." Kakuzu replied.
Hidan scoffed. "Your money obsession again?" he groaned, palming his face. "I swear, do you get off on getting a pay day or something?"
Kakuzu glared daggers at the man. "They are our orders and I'm not going to pass up a 40 million Ryo bounty."
"Alright, so who is this guy, anyway? I didn't catch his name." Hidan asked.
Kakuzu turned his head to glance at the corpse he was carrying. "Kitsuchi, the son of Onoki of Both Scales."
Hidan chuckled. "Well, if we weren't on the old man's shit list before, we certainly will be now."
"For once, we are in agreement. Their attack makes it clear that although they made little effort to retrieve the Gobi, Akatsuki is no longer welcomed in this country and Onoki will no doubt take his son's death personally. We should make haste and finish our duties here." Kakuzu replied before turning to begin the journey to the nearest bounty station. "Once the statue is repaired and the Sanbi and Rokubi are sealed, we will pursue your target, the Nibi."
"Fine, let's get going." Hidan said as he followed after the miser with a smirk. "Maybe we'll get lucky and I'll be able to make another sacrifice to Lord Jashin."
"Hidan, if you keep rushing in head first thinking only of your next kill, you really will get yourself killed one day." Kakuzu replied, not turning back at his partner.
Hidan chuckled. "Yeah, right. Far as I know, the only one able to kill me is that old man. No way I'm going to go out fighting some washed up old timer or some brat like half of the Jinchuriki we haven't caught."
"That's what Deidara thought." Kakuzu countered.
Hidan scoffed. "That guy was an overconfident punk. I'm not like him at all."
Kakuzu glanced back at his partner and raised an eyebrow. "Then why am I constantly sewing you back together and bailing you out when you get in over your head?"
Hidan snarled at his teammate. Unable to refute that statement, the scythe wielding missing-nin responded with the most eloquent and mature reply he could come up with, "Shut the fuck up, Kakuzu!"
About halfway through the day, Naruto left Konohamaru with a shadow clone and headed home. He had to get ready; the reservations he made for himself and Fu were for today. As he stepped inside the grounds of their compound, he stopped and took a look around at their handiwork. Well, technically, it was their clones' handiwork.
After two weeks and 100 clones working every day, the compound was almost fully restored. The overgrown plants around the estate had been taken care of, the garden behind their mansion had been tended to, most of the necessary repairs had been completed, and most of the buildings had been cleaned. They didn't completely clean all the dwellings' interiors, after all, there likely wouldn't be anyone living in them for a long time, but they did fully repair and clean a fair number of them for guests and made sure the unused buildings were in decent enough condition.
Naruto had a small smile on his face as he looked around and thought of his future. He had always wanted a family. When he found out about his mother's clan, he began to wonder about yet another family he never knew. After reading everything the Senju clan's library had about them, he had made up his mind and added a new goal to his list: to revive the Uzumaki clan. He already had a home for it and someone he wanted to one day start a family with.
As he walked through the compound towards the main house, his thoughts were interrupted as the sound of metal colliding with metal reached his ears. Already knowing the source of the sound, he vanished from sight and reappeared on a roof, looking down on the private training ground in the compound. It was fairly large but not nearly large enough to accommodate their shadow clones, hence the reason they trained in a clearing outside the village.
In the center of the training ground, Tenten and Fu were sparring. Tenten took Fu's suggestion on chakra flow and came by for advice when it turned out she had the lightning element. She bought a black katana made of a chakra conductive metal, which would make chakra flow easier and more effective. Though, being a weapon master, she'd like to have more than just the one weapon made of the material, it was very expensive. Nowhere near as expensive as a unique ninja tool, but still, she couldn't afford to upgrade all her close range weapons.
The match was already drawing to a close. Fu easily blocked several attacks from Tenten before jumping over the girl, turning in mid-air and launching herself at her upon landing, Tenten was pushed back by the female Jinchuriki's attack and Fu followed up with a knee to her stomach and then a kick to the chest. Tenten landed sprawled on the ground but as soon as she moved to get up, she found Fu had her sword inches from her face.
"You've gotten a little better since last time." Fu noted as she backed off and resealed her sword, allowing Tenten to sit up.
"Yeah, well, I am focusing on training with just one type of weapon for once." Tenten replied.
"True." Fu agreed before turning to Naruto with a smirk. "Did you enjoy the show?" Tenten followed Fu's gaze and her eyes widened slightly when she saw the blond.
"Of course." Naruto smiled before appearing beside them with a Body Flicker. "Shame I only caught the end though." He turned to the brunette. "How's it going, Tenten?"
"Fine. I'm starting to get the hang of using lightning chakra. It's too bad I can only afford one chakra blade, though." Tenten said as she got off the ground.
"I think it's better that you're focusing on one type of weapon. I mean, it's good to specialize, but it seems to me like you're overdoing it by focusing too much on weapons." Naruto noted.
Tenten glared slightly at the blond, placing her hands on her hips. "That's easy for you to say. Some of us don't have the advantage of being able to train at an inhuman pace by abusing the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Fu chuckled while Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, yeah, that's true. But look at your idol. Grandma Tsunade's not only a master of medical jutsu, but also taijutsu, she's one of the best seal masters in the village and she's probably skilled at genjustu given her chakra control."
"… You have a point there." Tenten sighed. All she really had were her weapon skills and taijutsu. She knew Naruto was right, recalling her fight against Temari.
Fu took on a thoughtful expression before adding, "Well, he's right that it's a good idea to be well rounded. But you know, the Samurai of the Land of Iron fight exclusively with kenjutsu, chakra flow and physical prowess, and they have one of the most powerful militaries in the elemental nations. Still, you should probably pick up at least one other skill."
Tenten considered their words for a moment. "… I'll think about it." she said finally. As much as she liked weapons, she knew that most of the best shinobi were indeed well rounded and she decided to try to think of other skills that would work well with her fighting style.
Fu then turned to Naruto with a smirk, calling her sword back to her hand. "You know, it's been a while since we've sparred."
Naruto crossed his arms with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I was just thinking the same thing. We've got the time, how about we have one round before we get ready to go."
"Sounds good. Want to go all out or should we have some limits?" Fu asked. Tenten looked excited. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew the green haired Jinchuriki didn't have to take her seriously during their spars. This was her first chance to see the two of them go all out.
Naruto thought about it for a moment and answered, "Let's just stick to kenjutsu." before taking his place on the training ground and summoning Hisho Taichi as Tenten moved to the edge of the area.
The two Jinchuriki grinned excitedly before sliding their feet apart and falling into their stances. They stood still for a moment before launching themselves at each other at such speed that they vanished from sight, reappearing at the center of the training ground as their swords met. Fu disengaged, dodging a slash from her fellow Jinchuriki before retaliating with a slash from the right.
Tenten watched in awe as the two traded blows. During their spars, Fu rarely used more effort than necessary, now she saw what the two were truly capable of. Fu had a slight speed advantage, but not enough to overwhelm Naruto. The match continued, both dodging, parrying and countering the other, neither gaining the upper hand.
Naruto made a sweeping motion with his sword and Fu jumped into the air. She came down with a spinning slash. Naruto blocked the blow, but Fu followed up with a kick aimed at his head. The blond jumped back before launching himself forward as Fu landed, clashing blades with the girl. Naruto blocked three attacks from Fu before parrying a stab and countering. Fu sidestepped the attack and Naruto made a second attack, locking blades with her.
Naruto pushed forward and rather than fight him, Fu spun back, allowing his blade to slide across hers and lashing out with a kick aimed at the blonde's chest. Naruto sidestepped her attack and countered. The green haired girl ducked under his attack and tried to sweep his feet out from under him. Naruto jumped into the air and spun, with his sword held out as he moved towards Fu, using the momentum to increase the power of his attack. Fu channeled chakra into her arms and legs and blocked the attack, her feet digging into the ground slightly.
As the two pushed against each other's swords again, Fu smirked. "Remember when you tried to use that trick on Ero-sensei?"
Naruto gave a smirk of his own. "How can I forget? That's when I learned he could shoot the needles from his Needle Jizo technique. One minute, I think I'm about to beat his clone. Next thing I know, I'm a living pin cushion."
The match continued for a while, Fu went on the offensive and Naruto countering all her blows, the sounds of their blades clashing ringing throughout the training ground until Fu ducked under a slash and much to Naruto's surprise, grabbed his wrist with her left hand. Fu raised her sword, intent on bringing the match to an end only for her eyes to widen as Naruto managed to lash out with a kick, connecting with her wrist and disarming her. Fu returned the favor, knocking his sword away and both jumped apart, their swords on the ground feet away in either direction.
Naruto gave Fu a grin before he summoned Hisho taichi and resealed it, calling the Kiba blades to his hands shortly after. Fu smirked as she did the same and called the Raijin to her hand as Naruto began to channel his chakra into the Kiba blades to defend against the Raijin's powers. On the side lines, Tenten's eyes lit up as she anticipated seeing the legendary lightning blades clash.
As Naruto shot forward, Fu closed her eyes briefly, focusing on her chakra. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw an aura of chakra and lightning surround Fu, the blue lightning produced by her chakra intertwined with the yellow lightning of the blade, enhancing its powers and signaling the activation of her Lightning Shroud. That's what she was calling it for now; it may or may not be its final name.
Though she continued working on it, despite knowing the Raikage already had such a technique, she decided to produce her own technique using the concept. Admittedly it had been improved since her battle with Sasori, yet the technique was still incomplete. It technically didn't break the rules they had set, so long as she only used it to enhance her speed and reflexes.
Naruto brought down his swords in a cross formation as Fu raised the glowing sword of the Second Hokage to block it. Lightning arced from the collision as the two apprentices of the toad sage fought to overpower the other before they broke apart and began a fierce exchange of swordplay, the advantage granted by Naruto's two sword style negated by Fu's faster movement and enhanced reflexes.
Tenten watched in awe as the two continued their exchange of swordplay. The two Jinchuriki's skill with their blades was near equal and with their swords and techniques negating the advantage they had over the other, they were in a stalemate, neither able to catch the other with an attack that would end the match as the fight continued.
Naruto parried a stab from Fu and countered with a downward slash from his other sword. Fu blocked but saw it was a feint, ducking under a slash that went just over her head. She lashed out with a kick that sent the blond through the air several feet. He flipped in mid-air, landing on his feet and immediately blocking a follow up attack from Fu, managing to catch the lightning blade between his swords.
He lashed out with his elbow, aiming for her chest, but Fu's enhanced reflexes allowed her to dodge, though she was unable to avoid his subsequent knee, which dug into her stomach. Fu jumped back, dodging a follow up kick. As soon her feet reached the ground, she slid back into her combat stance as her blue eyed opponent did the same, both waiting for the other to make a move.
Naruto looked to the sky and seeing the position of the sun, decided they should stop there. "How about we call it a draw?"
Fu seemed to debate it for a moment before nodding. "Fine." Both resealed their blades and Tenten joined them, noting that the two weren't even winded. The green haired girl turned to the chunin. "So this time, did you enjoy the show?"
"Oh yeah. Thanks for letting me watch. Too bad, you guys haven't taken enough missions yet, you should definitely be jonin by now." Tenten said.
The blond gave a short laugh. "Tell me about it. Well, we've got a reservation to keep, so we have to get going. Feel free to take a look at the library if you need pointers or help with anything." Naruto offered as he turned away. There was nothing irreplaceable in the library aside from the scrolls on the clan history, which Tenten wouldn't take anyway, and a few special water and earth scrolls, which she wouldn't need. Besides, they trusted her not to take them without returning them later. The scrolls Naruto's father left were hidden elsewhere.
"No thanks, maybe another time. I'm going to get back to training, I want to get chakra flow down as soon as possible." Tenten replied before heading towards the exit of the compound.
Fu started to follow Naruto before calling after her weapon loving friend. "Remember the house warming party we're having tomorrow."
"I know. My team and I'll be there."
Sakura rested on a bench, slumped over with her arms and head lying on the bench's arm with Ino, who was chuckling at her as the sun set over the village. Kakashi had been pushing the pink haired girl hard in an effort to increase her stamina, which had seen some improvement though it was too soon for any significant results. He had increased her weights and with them weighing her down, combined with a day of harsh and chakra exhausting training, she had only managed to make it to the bench before needing to rest. At the moment, she was just glad that Kakashi decided to allow her to remove the arm weights while she wasn't training. Ino had happened to walk by and noticed her fellow kunoichi's condition and asked her what happened.
Sakura groaned. "I never knew Kakashi-sensei could be so demanding. This makes my time training under Lady Tsunade look like the academy."
"Yeah, this seems a lot like what Tenten said Gai put her through. Think he might borrow anything else from them?" Ino said with a grin. She out right laughed when Sakura paled slightly.
"Don't even joke about something like that." Sakura groaned as the blonde laughed at her expense. "If I'd known this is how he'd make up for lost time, I'd have trained by myself or gone back to Tsunade. "
"Or maybe you should have gone to Naruto and Fu for help. I hear Naruto's doing well with Konohamaru's team." Ino suggested before looking up at the sky, raising her hand and brushed her bang away from her eye."… Things sure have changed a lot since we became genin, haven't they? I mean, if you would have told me back then that Sasuke was going to betray the village or that Naruto would grow up like he did, I'd probably have laughed in your face… after punching your lights out for calling Sasuke a traitor." Her tone turned sickly sweet with that last remark.
"I know what you mean." Sakura nodded. "I knew he'd grown the day he came back, but I still can't believe he lasted as long as he did against Orochimaru of all people, and he's still getting stronger."
"Yeah." Ino agreed. "Bet you wish you'd paid more attention to Naruto back at the academy, huh?" she said with a slight smirk. "He kept throwing himself at you, no matter what you did to him for all those years."
Sakura chuckled mirthlessly. "Believe me, I know." she said. "I used to think he was just some annoying brat who'd never amount to anything. After we became a team, I started to see how much he really cared about those close to him. He never gave up and always risked his life for us." she looked sadly to the ground. It had hurt a little when she had discovered he had moved on, but it's not like she could blame him. "When Sasuke left, I begged him to bring him back. I can't imagine how much that must have hurt him, seeing me so desperate to have Sasuke back while he wanted to be with me just as badly. When he came back and I saw how much he'd changed and his relationship with Fu, I wondered how things would have turned out if I'd given him a chance."
When she saw how depressed it seemed to make her, Ino regretted steering the conversation in that direction. "Sorry I brought it up."
"It's fine. I'm happy for them, really." Sakura said. "I don't feel that way about him and I'm glad he moved on. He's more like a brother to me. It's just… I wonder if I could have developed feelings for him instead of Sasuke if I'd given him a chance." she sighed.
Ino sighed as well, if her friend still thought that way about Sasuke even after he tried to kill her and she knew the truth about what Sasuke had done at the Valley of the End, she must really care for him. "What are you going to do if we can't bring him back?"
"I don't know…" Sakura trailed off. She loved Sasuke, but she wouldn't betray the village for him. If they couldn't bring him back… she guessed she'd just have to move on as Naruto had, as hard and painful as it would be. After a few moments, she spoke up again. "I heard Kurenai-sensei hasn't been with her team that often, any idea where she's going?" she asked Konoha's gossip queen.
Ino looked quizzically at her friend. "We see her around a lot, but she usually doesn't stay long and leaves with Asuma-sensei."
"I wonder what's up with them." Sakura pondered.
"They're probably just spending quality time together." Ino said dismissively.
"Yeah, but she wouldn't be leaving her team by themselves the way she is. It isn't like her, something must be up."
Ino waved off her concerns. "If there is, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."
Our favorite pair of Jinchuriki walked through the streets of Konoha, both smiling with their arms intertwined. They wore formal clothing, similar to what they wore on their first date, as they made their way to the restaurant where Naruto had made reservations.
Fu noticed they were getting a few looks from the people around them. It wasn't the first time; they had gotten a few looks last time they went out as well, but to a lesser degree. Despite all the ninja knowing, the civilians had not yet been informed that she was also a Jinchuriki, though she was sure many probably knew. She was used to being stared at, but these were different than what she was accustomed to from her time in Taki.
There were a few looks of admiration towards Naruto, and to her surprise, looks of respect towards her and a few looks of jealousy towards both of them. There were one or two people who gave Naruto a look she was more used to. She almost sighed, but didn't want to bring this up with Naruto. It looked like there were still a few people who saw them as monsters, but at least they were in the minority.
They soon arrived at their destination. Naruto smirked as Fu's eyes lit up slightly as she saw the place. It was a Chinese styled restaurant. The floors were made of marble with elegant blue carpets, the tables and chairs made of mahogany and the chairs had comfortable red cushions. There were booths lined up along the wall and there were also three aquariums, one taking up most of the back wall, and two, one after the other, that formed archways to the hostess's desk, almost giving the impression of being underwater as one walked by.
The pair walked to the desk, Fu taking great interest in the aquariums, and were greeted by the hostess, a young woman in her early twenties with black hair and matching eyes.
"Welcome, how may I help you, today." the young woman asked.
"I should have a reservation for two under the name Uzumaki." Naruto said. The hostess checked the book and found his reservation.
"Yes, here it is." she said before putting the book down and stepping out from behind the counter. "Please follow me." with that, she led the pair to one of the booths. She bowed slightly and gestured for them to enter. Once they were seated, she said, "The waiter should be with you shortly, please be patient." before returning to her desk.
"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen anything like those aquariums we walked under before." Fu said with a smile as she looked outside the booth.
"Tell me about it. Pretty amazing, huh?" Naruto agreed.
"Thanks for bringing me here, Naruto."
Naruto smirked. Unbeknownst to her, there was a specific reason he brought her here. There were only a handful of Chinese eateries in the village, this one in particular had no specialty and served just about every Chinese dish. "No problem, I wanted to treat you like you deserved. Besides, it's not like I'll have any trouble affording this." Fu's smile widened at Naruto's words. Soon, the waiter came, bringing them tea to drink and asking if they'd like anything else. Fu noticed he didn't leave them a menu, but chose not to comment on it for now.
"So, how's Konohamaru doing with the Rasengan?" Fu asked after a few moments.
"Great. It shouldn't be long before he finishes the second stage. He's making good progress, but he doesn't have the same reserves we have or my healing ability, so he has to pace himself." Naruto answered, thinking back to when he was at that stage. He had been able to keep going all day and any damage he did to himself healed overnight. When he taught his father's jutsu to Fu, she hadn't had much trouble due to the control Jiraiya's training methods gave them and her similarly large reserves.
"How long do you think it'll take for him to learn it?" Fu asked.
"I don't know, couple of days for the second step. I think you were right, he'll have to use a shadow clone to help him form a Rasengan until his chakra control improves." Naruto replied. "Depends on how long it takes him to figure that out."
"You're not going to tell him?"
Naruto shook his head. "No, I see what the Pervy sage was talking about, I think it's better if he figures this out on his own."
Fu nodded. "Yeah, it is better that way. It's a good lesson and it'll feel like more of an accomplishment. With your help, I'm sure they'll make chūnin in six months."
Naruto smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks, but I'm sure they'd have managed. They've definitely got the mind for it."
"You shouldn't sell yourself short, they've made great progress since you started with them." Fu said. After a moment, she spoke again. "Did you notice the looks we've been getting?"
"Huh? Oh, you mean that some people are respecting us? Yeah, I noticed." Naruto replied. "What'd you expect, I mean, we did save Gaara, and you brought back a village treasure."
Fu smiled. "That was nothing; it was just luck that we happened to run into the thief. I mean, Aoi wasn't even that strong. I doubt he'd have even lasted as long as he did as a missing Nin without the sword." It was true, the only reason the fight lasted so long was because he managed to get her angry and throw her off, something she'd made note of. After all, it was her who warned Naruto not to let that happen, she should know better than not to follow her own advice.
"Now you're the one selling yourself short. Don't forget Grandma Tsunade let you keep it. You know it's saying something when the Hokage has that much faith in you."
Fu smiled before looking outside her booth. "I wonder why the waiter didn't bring us a menu." She finally voiced the question that had been in the back of her mind throughout their conversation.
"I was waiting for you to ask about it. Hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of ordering already." Naruto grinned mischievously.
Before Fu could reply, the waiter returned. "Sorry for the wait, here are your orders." He brought Naruto a bowl of champon, a dish similar to the ramen he liked so much, but hers was chin-jou rosu, a slightly modified version of a traditional Chinese dish, consisting of thinly sliced beef with green peppers in oyster sauce.
"This is… you remembered?" Fu asked in astonishment. Back when they were travelling in the Land of Rivers, she had always ordered this dish when she had the opportunity, commenting on how good it was.
"That's right. I knew how much you liked it back then, and since you hadn't had it in so long, I looked specifically for a restaurant that served it. You know, you can only get this dish in two places in the entire village?" Naruto said with a grin.
Fu smiled back at the blond. "I don't know what to say."
Naruto smirked. "How about 'itadakimasu'?"
"Where are you taking me, Naruto?" Fu asked as they walked through the forest outside the village. Night had fallen over the Land of Fire and once again there was a clear sky, the light of the moon and the sea of stars were shining through the breaks in the leaves as he led her by hand.
"It's a surprise, just be patient." Naruto responded, looking back at her with a smile.
After a few minutes, a few glowing yellow lights flew by. 'Fireflies?' Fu observed as they flashed ahead of them. Soon, her honed senses detected rushing water, not a strong flow, but she could still hear it.
"Alright Fu, here we are." Naruto said, brushing aside some low branches. Fu felt her eyes widen and gave a quiet gasp when she saw what was in front of her.
It was a clearing in the forest with a small stream running through the center. There were countless fireflies filling her vision, dancing in the air and illuminating the ground with flashes of pale yellow light as they continued seeking courtship, ignoring the couple who had entered the area. Together with the moon and stars shining down on them, it created a stunning sight.
"Wow!" Fu exclaimed, taking a few steps forward.
Naruto grinned. "Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it. I found it a when I was just a kid." Fu held out her hand and giggled slightly when one of the glowing beetles landed on her finger.
Naruto watched as the fireflies danced in the air around his girlfriend, their glow accentuating her beauty. As she watched the lights hover around her, Fu caught sight of the blond admiring her. It brought a smile to her face, seeing his entire focus on her, knowing from his interactions with others that she was the only one who gathered his complete attention like this. And the feelings were mutual.
Naruto stepped forward and joined her in the grove, standing directly in front of her. His left arm wrapped around her waist as he raised his right hand and gently cupped her cheek while she wrapped her arms around his neck. Their pools of orange and cerulean met and both saw their passion for one another as they lost themselves in each others' eyes.
Naruto leaned his head down and claimed Fu's lips with his own. Fu wasted no time and began applying pressure as the two shared a warm kiss. Soon, their gentle but passionate kiss began to heat up. The pair deepened it and before long, Naruto let his right hand join his left around her waist and his tongue snaked its way into her mouth, exploring it with fervor as Fu moaned in response. Fu's tongue joined his as they tightened their hold on each other and began a passionate duel with their mouths.
They broke apart, their lungs crying out for oxygen, both breathing heavily as they stared into each others' eyes once more, the fire in their souls having only grown in intensity. Soon, they brought their lips together again, resuming their duel of tongues as Fu's right hand found its way into Naruto's hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss.
Fu shivered as she felt his hands roaming across her back, inching their way ever so slowly and was slightly surprised when he pulled his mouth away. Smirking at her reaction, he trailed kisses down her cheek, eventually reaching her neck, making her give out a quiet moan. He passionately kissed the tender flesh at the juncture of her neck, noticing she tilted her head to give him greater access. He could feel the pulse of her heartbeat through his lips and made Fu gasp in pleasure when he gently nipped a particularly sensitive spot.
Their make-out session continued as the fireflies danced in the air and covered the clearing in their glow.
The next day, Sai sat at a table in the library with several books before him. In an effort to learn how to form bonds more easily, he had begun checking out books on the friendship and connecting with others. As he read the pages, memorizing the books information, he sensed a presence behind him. He turned to find none other than the person who was mainly responsible for rekindling his suppressed emotions.
"Hey, Sai." Naruto greeted as he approached the pale teen. "What're you reading?"
"Oh, just a book on forming bonds." Sai answered.
"Really? Did it give you any good advice?" Naruto asked.
"Oh, yes. A lot of good advice. For example, I've read I should give people nicknames or pet names to help make friends. I've already thought of a good nickname for Sakura." Sai said with a smile.
Naruto raised an eyebrow as he picked up one of the books. "Really? What?"
"'Ugly'." Sai said, his smile not leaving his face. His expression became quizzical when Naruto gave him a Look. "What?"
"… Sai… if you go around giving people nicknames like that, all you'll get is a punch in the jaw." Naruto explained.
"What did I do wrong?" Sai inquired.
"What do you mean? That was more of an insult than a nickname." the blond replied.
Sai nodded. "Then perhaps I should call her the opposite. How about 'Beautiful'?"
Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his head before giving Sai a slightly exasperated look. "… That's… more like flirting…"
"Oh? Perhaps I should find a book on that." Sai said as he began to get up.
"No." Naruto stopped him. "Look Sai, maybe it would be better if you observed how others interact and learned through experience. You know that I live at the Senju clan compound with Fu, right? Well, we just finished cleaning and repairing the place and we're having a housewarming party at 8:00. Most if not everyone I graduated with, our senseis, Grandma Tsunade, Jiraiya and a few others will be there. I came here to ask if you could make it."
"Hm… perhaps it would be better if I saw more of how people normally interact… I am obviously not very good at simply following the instructions in these books…" Sai mused. "Very well, but may I ask for your advice on nicknames?"
"Huh? Sure." Naruto said before sitting down and cupping his chin, looking to the ceiling in thought. "Well, firstly, you don't want to give someone a nickname that can be considered negative. That can work, but it's more likely to get you enemies or rivals. Also, some people have buttons you can press that would easily provoke them and if you make nicknames like you did, you run the risk of pressing them. For example, all of the Akimichi clan are… plump. Call any of them fat or anything similar, and they'll wail on you."
"If I recall correctly, you typically call Jiraiya 'Pervy sage'." Sai pointed out. "And Fu usually calls him 'Ero-sensei'. You also refer to the Hokage as 'Grandma'."
Naruto looked at Sai and shrugged. "Yeah, like I said, it usually doesn't help. Jiraiya's annoyed with what we call him. In fact, that's part of the reason we gave him those nicknames, but he's not the kind of person to let that seriously bother him. Besides, he's actually proud of his perverseness, so the names suit him. He's more annoyed by the lack of respect and the fact that the names imply he's a regular pervert, when he considers himself a 'super-pervert'. As for Tsunade, I can get away with that because we're like family. Actually, we really are related, if distantly. If anyone else called her something like that, she'd probably punch them through a wall… and that's if they're lucky."
"I see… this is more complicated than I thought." Sai commented.
"Anyway, you probably shouldn't give someone a nickname until you know them better and if you do, use something about them they're either proud of or don't care about. Also, you probably shouldn't put too much faith in what those books tell you." Naruto said before standing up. "Well, if that's all, I've gotta go. I've still got some people left to invite."
"I believe I will see you there." Sai said, seeing the blond wave without turning as he walked away before turning back to his books, keeping in mind Naruto's advice and making sure to take what he learned from them with a grain of salt.
Naruto stepped out of the library. He and Fu had already invited Teams Asuma and Gai through Ino and Tenten, Iruka and the other members of Team Kakashi. That left only Team Kurenai, Jiraiya, Tsunade and Shizune. Flaring his sensory technique, he could sense the signatures of the countless inhabitants of the village. He then jumped up to a roof and took off in search of them.
Kiba was riding on Akamaru, as he usually did these days. Since Naruto had left the village almost three years ago, the once small puppy had grown larger than his master. As the dog leapt from rooftop to rooftop, on his way to his team meeting place, he caught a familiar scent. Both he and his partner turned their heads slightly. "Naruto?"
Meanwhile, Naruto leapt from rooftop to rooftop as he continued his search before he felt two chakra signatures heading towards him. He stopped on a roof and turned in the direction of the approaching signatures and soon saw Kiba land nearby, riding on Akamaru.
Kiba laughed. "Ha, Naruto, I was right, it is you! I knew we recognized your scent." Akamaru barked happily at seeing the blond.
"Hey, Kiba. Long time no see." Naruto said before turning his attention to the dog. "Man, Akamaru really grew over the last few years, didn't he?"
"Really? He's always been with me so I hadn't noticed." Kiba shrugged as he and his partner looked at each other.
Naruto gave him a slightly disbelieving stare. "How could you not notice? He used to ride around on your head, remember?"
"Huh? Ah, that's right." Kiba remembered, looking up as he recalled how just a few years ago the dog had been small enough to ride on his head. "Well, those days are long gone, huh Akamaru?" he turned to the dog with a slight chuckle and Akamaru barked in agreement. "So, where've you been all this time? I hear you've been back for a while."
"Oh, you know. I'm sure you heard about my exploits in the Hidden Sand. After that, I had a mission dealing with Orochimaru and for the last two weeks, I've been helping out Konohamaru's team."
"You mean Asuma's nephew?" Kiba asked and the blond nodded. "Oh, yeah. I heard something about that."
"Anyway, you or your team going on a mission or doing anything today?" Naruto asked.
"No, we're not doing anything special today, why?" Kiba raised his eyebrow.
"Well, you heard any rumors about me owning the Senju clan compound?" Naruto gave him a smirk.
"You mean they're actually true?" Kiba yelled in shock.
"Yep. I'm having a housewarming party tonight. Everyone from our graduating class will be there if you guys show up. We'll catch up on old times, there'll be food and drinks, my girlfriend can get to know any of you she hasn't already." Naruto said before his smirk widened. "And you can all see our new place and feel the jealousy. It's at 8:00, can you make it?"
"Not like I've got anything better to do tonight." Kiba said. "So, those aren't the only rumors that were true. You actually managed to find yourself a girlfriend, huh?"
"Yeah, she lives at the compound with me." Naruto replied.
"Want to invite Shino and Hinata yourself? I was just on my way to meet them. I can take care of it for you if you want." Kiba offered.
"Nah, it'll be nice seeing them after almost three years. Lead the way." Naruto said. Moments later, Kiba and Akamaru had resumed their journey, accompanied by Naruto a few yards behind them.
"So, how've they been?" Naruto asked.
Kiba turned his head to look at the blond. "Eh, Shino hasn't changed much. He's kind of got a chip on his shoulder from being left out of the mission to bring back Sasuke, but he doesn't usually bring it up."
"Seriously? I didn't figure him for the type to carry a grudge." Naruto said, surprised.
"Yeah, I didn't see it coming either." Kiba agreed. "Hinata… Well, she's been in a bad mood for a while. But aside from that, she's still the same as ever." he said.
"Really? I wonder what upset her." Naruto commented.
'So, he still doesn't know…' Kiba thought. 'Well, he's probably only thinking of his girl now… this could get ugly… though it might also end up causing one hell of a cat fight.' His excited musings were interrupted by Akamaru growling slightly, knowing his master well enough to realize where his thoughts had probably gone. "Well, who asked you?"
"Huh? What'd he say?" Naruto wondered.
"Nothing you need worry about." Kiba replied as they approached his team's training ground. Soon, they hopped off of a building to the ground where Shino awaited, leaning against a nearby tree with his hands in his pockets.
"Shino, good to see you!" Naruto said excitedly.
"Naruto, it's good to see you too. I knew you were coming with Kiba. How? My insects detected your chakra." Shino replied levelly.
"You really haven't changed at all, have you?" Naruto said with a smile, recalling his unique way of talking.
"First to arrive as always, huh Shino?" Kiba asked.
"I expected Kurenai to get here first. Don't tell me she's like Kakashi-sensei." Naruto raised an eyebrow, looking around for the team's sensei.
"Thankfully, no." Shino said. "Lately, she's been absent during our missions and most of our meetings. We do not know why yet."
"Huh, that's odd." Naruto noted.
"Tell me about it." Kiba agreed.
"Damn, and Fu and I were hoping she could give us a few pointers on genjustu." Naruto sighed.
Kiba turned to him, slightly shocked. "Huh? Since when have you been able to use genjustu?"
Naruto smirked. "I picked up a lot since I left."
"I'll bet. I hear you made it to special jonin." Kiba remarked. "You must have gotten a hell of a lot stronger for the Hokage to promote you like that. You know, I've always wanted a rematch since the chunin exams."
Naruto crossed his arms and nodded. "Yeah, that match was pretty much a fluke. I'd like to have a rematch sometime too."
While the boys continued talking, Hinata was making her way to their meeting place, walking calmly through the streets, her face expressionless. When she turned the corner down the path from her destination, her eyes widened and she quickly ducked back behind the wall. 'Naruto?' She asked herself, a blush spreading across her face. 'What's he doing here?' She activated her Byakugan and saw that the three had noticed her presence and were making their way to her position. 'He's alone… could he have come here to see me?' She thought hopefully. That thought was quickly quashed by reality. She placed a hand to her chest to calm herself down. 'No… this is my chance to learn more about his relationship and endear myself to him… I can't fail.' Hinata took a deep breath, willing away whatever was left of her timidity before rounding the corner, stepping out just as the three reached her. She gave a smile as she saw the blond. "Naruto?"
"Hey, Hinata. How've you been?" Naruto greeted the blue haired girl.
"Fine. You've grown a lot stronger haven't you? Congratulations on your promotion. You deserve it." Hinata said.
"Thanks. Glad to see you got over your stuttering problem." Naruto replied with a smile. "Hey, you ok? You're blushing."
Hinata seemed slightly embarrassed at his concern. "I… I'm fine. It's nothing."
"You sure?" Hinata nodded. "That's good to hear." Naruto smiled. 'I wonder why she's blushing. Maybe she has a crush on someone.' The blond thought, before recalling how she used to act. 'But then again, she used to blush all the time.'
"It's good to see you again, I missed you." Hinata said, somewhat shyly.
"Well, it's great to be back, Hinata." Naruto replied, his smile growing into his trademark grin.
"I can see you've grown a lot, you've gotten quite handsome too, if I may say so." Hinata observed, her blush deepening.
Naruto looked surprised. "You think so?" Hinata nodded again and the blond smiled. "Well, thanks for the compliment."
Despite her best efforts, she couldn't help lowering her head in an embarrassed manner. "What about me? Have I become more attractive?"
"Yeah, you look great, Hinata." Naruto said.
"So, have you picked up any new hobbies in your travels?" Hinata asked, doing her best to hide her disappointment at his dispassionate compliment.
"Not really, though Fu and I enjoy tending our garden together." Hinata jerked slightly and her smile faltered briefly at the mention of the Nanabi Jinchuriki, but she said nothing.
"The girl from Taki correct? So you're living with her?" Shino inquired.
"That's right." Naruto nodded with a smile.
"That must be nice." Hinata said with a slightly depressed tone. Naruto raised a brow before she perked up. "How was your training trip with Master Jiraiya? Did anything else interesting happen?" she said, trying to change the subject.
Naruto's smile returned. "Well…"
As the two talked, Kiba leaned over to Shino. "Hey, what gives? We barely get a word out of her these days and she just opens up to him?" he quietly asked his stoic teammate.
"It most likely has to do with her feelings for him." Shino replied.
Naruto placed his hands behind his head. "It's been good catching up with you. Kiba said you were in a bad mood, nice to see he was exaggerating." Naruto said, closing his eyes and giving his trademark grin… and consequentially missing the Look Hinata briefly gave the Inuzuka. "Well, anyway, I came here to invite you and Shino to a housewarming party Fu and I are having at the Senju Clan compound. Kiba already said he'll be there and a lot of other old faces will stop by too."
"It sounds like a good idea. Why? It's been a while since we've all been together. I have nothing to do at that time, I will be there." Shino explained.
"I'll be there too." Hinata nodded. "So, if you don't mind me asking, how long have you and Fu been together? "She asked, listening intently.
"We've been together for about seven months now." Naruto replied, a warm smile growing over his face.
"Really? You must be happy, what's she like?" Hinata asked, trying to get as much information on the girl she viewed as a rival while keeping up the façade she was happy about it.
"Well, we've got a lot in common. She's as loyal to those she cares for as I am and we've lived similar lives. We had a lot of good times while traveling with Jiraiya and grew closer over the years. One day, she confessed that she felt more than friendship for me and I realized I cared for her the same way. Since then, we've never been happier."
"I see…" Hinata said, her smile slightly strained. "Well, I'm glad you're happy." which was true, she was only upset at the reasons behind his happiness.
"Hey, it's been nice catching up, but we're kind of wasting daylight here, besides, we can talk more at the party." Kiba interrupted.
"Yeah, I should probably get going anyway. See you tonight at 8!" Naruto waved as he walked away.
"Yeah, see you…" Hinata responded quietly as she watched his back before he vanished in a Body Flicker. She looked at the spot where he'd stood for a few moments before her expression fell and she turned back to her teammates.
That night, all the other members of the Konoha 11, their sensei's, Iruka, Yamato, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shizune and Sai all joined the pair of Jinchuriki at their new home, all seated around the living room. Teuchi and Ayame were in the kitchen, as Naruto thought that no party of his would be complete without Ichiraku Ramen. Of course, he would have invited them anyway. There were also various other dishes the two Jinchuriki and the ramen chefs had prepared and various drinks, mainly sake, on the tables.
Kiba had remarked that Naruto hadn't been kidding about the jealousy, especially when he considered that the blond had this entire place to himself and his girl. They spent a lot of the party catching up on old times, talking about their days as genin and what he was teaching Konohamaru and his team and learning what they'd been up to since he left on his training trip and Fu was getting to know those she hadn't met yet. Sai occasionally joined in conversations, but he was mostly just watching them interact. Currently, Fu was talking with Team Asuma, Iruka, Shino, Shizune, Tenten, and Kurenai near the kitchen while most others sat near the TV. Jiraiya and Tsunade were off by themselves and Kakashi leaned against a wall, reading his favorite book, ignoring his self proclaimed eternal rival who was trying to challenge him.
Hinata made it a point to keep close to Naruto and learn as much about his relationship with Fu as possible while Neji made it a point to keep an eye on his cousin. She found the green haired girl to be much as Naruto described her. She found her to be confident and not afraid to speak her mind, like Naruto, though she was more willing to show respect than he was, with exceptions, the obvious being Jiraiya. She was also observant, so Hinata needed to be careful not to show any signs of her true feelings. She could tell the two Jinchuriki cared a lot for each other, though she had known that from what she saw two weeks ago.
She'd also asked about their relationship and how they met and became a couple. She found that Fu's feelings for Naruto began similarly to her own, feeling admiration towards him for his selflessness and strength of will. Difference being she hadn't been afraid to talk to him and though she'd been nervous and worried he wouldn't share her feelings, she had taken the plunge and told him how she felt. Once again, she cursed her timidity.
"You two were responsible for taking out that group of rogue ninja that were ambushing traders near the border to the Land of Grass?" Shizune asked Fu.
"Yeah, and we rescued their hostages." Fu replied.
"Wow, I never thought about it, but bounty hunting's a pretty good way to make money, not to mention experience." Tenten said.
"You can say that again, it's part of the reason Lady Tsunade was willing to promote us." Fu agreed.
"You two must have seen a lot in the last few years." Kurenai said. Fu nodded and started describing a few of the places she'd been to with Naruto and Jiraiya, ending with the town where she and Naruto had begun their relationship.
Shizune sighed, a slight blush on her face due to her alcohol consumption. "I hate to admit it, but I really envy you guys." she said dejectedly looking at the green haired girl and then at Kurenai. "You and Kurenai managed to find someone and I've been so busy helping Lady Tsunade and making sure she does all her work that I haven't had time to even look for one…"
"Oh, really?" Shizune jerked and turned fearfully, shivering with her eyes wide open and whited out, raising her hands in defense, to see her sensei standing behind her with her arms crossed and a tick mark on her forehead. "So, I'm so lazy, or is it incompetent, that I need you to make sure my work gets done?" inquired Tsunade.
"N- No, You, I- I mean…" everyone sweat dropped as the woman was pulled away by her irate sensei.
After a few moments Iruka coughed to get their attention. "Well, looks like you and Naruto already had some interesting adventures. So, are you enjoying your party?"
"Yes. Thanks for helping us set all this up, Ino. And thank you all for coming, we both really appreciate it." Fu said to her blond friend and then the whole group, each one giving her a grin.
"No problem. Besides, now you both owe me one. Don't think you can get out of it either." Ino said with her hands on her hips.
"Why am I afraid to ask what you have in mind?" Fu deadpanned.
"Oh, I don't have anything in mind right now. Don't worry, you two will be the first ones to know when I come up with something." Ino grinned evilly.
"Any of you have any interesting missions lately?" Fu decided to change the topic.
Everyone shook their heads. "Not anything out of the ordinary." Tenten said. "How about you?"
"Not since I fought the guy that stole the Raijin." Fu replied. "We went on a B-rank mission, but there was nothing noteworthy about it."
"Damn, so you two took on a gang of thugs led by one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?" Kiba exclaimed, reclining on the daybed.
"Yeah, and I've got his swords to prove it." Naruto said from his place on the couch.
"I'm not surprised, Naruto. I always believed in you." Hinata said.
"Thanks, Hinata." Naruto smiled at her, prompting a small blush.
"Don't thank me, I should be thanking you. I never did after you fought Neji for me." Hinata said.
"It was nothing, I couldn't stand by and watch someone get treated like that, especially a friend." replied Naruto.
"Hey, Naruto." Fu said as she walked over, holding a bowl of the blond's favorite meal and a bottle of sake. "Teuchi wanted me to give you this and I figured you'd be about out of sake by now." she said as she placed the bottle on the table, which was quickly grabbed by Kiba, and gave Naruto the ramen.
"Thanks. How's the party going for you, Fu?" Naruto asked as he began to dig in.
"Great. It's nice to meet all your old friends." Fu said as she took a seat next to the blond, who put his bowl down and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to him.
Hinata's expression seemed to darken slightly at this. The blue haired girl would have liked nothing more than to attack Fu at that moment, but she knew better. Not only would that not help her win Naruto's heart, but surrounded by all these people who she had no doubt would fault her for it, it was bound to fail.
"Glad you're enjoying yourself." Naruto replied.
"So, Fu." Hinata said, getting their attention, trying to act as kind as possible to hide her true feelings. "How do like our village?"
Fu smiled, she could tell there was something off with the girl, having seen a lot of people hide hostility before, but chose not to show her suspicions. "It's a lot better than Taki. Like I told Ayame, it's more of a home than my old village ever was." her smile turned into a smirk and she turned to her boyfriend. "Besides, there's a certain blond here that I can't get enough of. That's definitely a huge plus for the village in my book."
Naruto smirked back at her. "Really? Nice to know that such an attractive girl feels that way. Said blond must be the luckiest guy in Konoha."
Fu giggled. "Oh, he is. But I'd say I'm the lucky one. He's no slouch either."
Hinata's façade nearly broke as she watched the two Jinchuriki flirt with each other. Neji saw her change in expression and tensed up, wondering what she may do next, only for their moment to be interrupted by Kakashi, though Neji knew what he said wouldn't help the situation.
"You know, if you keep flirting like that, you could wind up in trouble. Now's really not a good time for you to start a family." the copy ninja teased with his eye smile.
The two Jinchuriki blushed slightly and glared at the copy ninja. "You're almost as bad as the Pervy sage." Naruto said.
Kiba laughed. "Well, well, I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Naruto's glare turned to Kiba.
Hinata was unable to take what she just heard. The young heiress stood up and walked towards the shoji door to the garden.
"Where are you going, Lady Hinata?" Neji inquired.
Hinata stopped with her hand on the door and looked over her shoulder, giving him a kind smile. "I'm just going to get some fresh air. It's nothing to concern yourself with." Kakashi watched her leave out of the corner of his eye, her reaction having confirmed his suspicions about her. Being the observant jonin he was, he had noticed her feelings towards his blond student before he left on his training trip.
After Hinata left, the group near the kitchen decided to join them and Fu found this to be a good opportunity to tell them of their short adventure in the former Land of Necks.
"So you two stumbled upon a seemingly haunted castle that turned out to be the boss of a long lost summoning contract no one had seen in fifty years, and moreover, you actually signed the contract?" Tenten summed it up in disbelief.
"Man, even without going on any real missions, you guys had more excitement than any of us did." Kiba commented.
"What'd you expect? Naruto was involved. You know what kind of trouble he used to get himself into back at the academy. He's practically a magnet for troublesome situations" Shikamaru observed, mildly surprising the others as he spoke up.
Sakura looked thoughtful. "… Now that you mention it, since Naruto's been gone, I've had fairly normal missions. But as soon as he got back, I wind up on two consecutive missions dealing with S-rank ninja…"
Before Naruto could respond, he heard Gai call out, "LEE, NO!" Everyone turned to see Lee drink a cup of sake…
"I don't believe this…" Fu said, her right eye twitching.
The living room was a disaster area. The tatami mats had been torn up, the shoji doors on one wall had been ripped open, most of the furniture and pictures had been destroyed and the TV had been knocked onto the floor, its screen shattered. All this had happened in the span of five minutes at the hands of a drunken Lee.
Everyone stood outside the room, Naruto and Fu at the front, both staring into the destroyed room in disbelief. Lee was unconscious behind the crowd, being used as a cushion by a giant toad.
"I always thought Gai was exaggerating when he warned me about this…" Tsunade noted as she looked at the damage her former home had suffered.
"After all the work you put into this place, to have something like this happen…" Shizune said to the young couple.
"I'm so sorry, Lee gets like this whenever he has even the smallest amount of alcohol." Gai said apologetically, bowing dramatically before the home owners.
"Jeez… sorry guys, I know it took you weeks to fix this place up. Anything we can do to help?" Tenten asked.
Fu sighed before turning to them. "No problem, we have all the help we need in our shadow clones."
Naruto face palmed as he surveyed the damage. "Yeah… you'd be surprised how quickly you can fix damage like this with a few dozen people working on it. We'll have it cleaned up in no time at all."
"Well, I guess that's it for the party." Iruka said. "We should probably leave so they can at least get started."
"Yeah. We'll finish up the next batch of ramen and you can have it on the house." Teuchi said, trying to give them some bright side.
Tsunade sighed. "I would have brought this up earlier if I'd known something like this would happen, but I need the two of you, as well as Sakura, Sai, Shikamaru and Team Kurenai to report to my office first thing tomorrow."
All who were addressed, including the home owners despite what had just happened to their living room, immediately responded, "Yes, Lady Hokage." With a distinct 'Grandma Tsunade' from Naruto, much to the slug sannin's annoyance.
"Man, what a crappy way for a party to end." Kiba commented as he started to walk away.
"Sorry it turned out this way." Kakashi said.
"Don't be, it was fun while it lasted, right Fu?" Naruto grabbed Fu around the waist.
"Yeah, it was nice seeing you all." Fu agreed, resting her head on Naruto's shoulder, while the others began to depart and Lee was carried away by his sensei. Soon, all the goodbyes were said and only the Jinchuriki and their sensei were left.
Jiraiya approached his apprentices. "Well, this is certainly a downer, huh?"
"Don't worry about it. Like we said, with our clones, it won't take long to fix." Naruto reassured the perverted sannin.
"Well, I was planning on giving this to you at the end of the party anyway. At least now it should help the day end on a more positive note." Jiraiya said as he took out a scroll and handed it to Naruto.
"What's this, pervy sage?" Naruto asked.
Jiraiya grinned despite the nickname. "Open it and see."
Naruto did as instructed to find it was a generic storage scroll. He placed it on the ground and channeled chakra into it. In a cloud of smoke, a box appeared. Curiously, Naruto opened the box and his eyes widened as he saw what it held. Inside there were several items, primarily books, pictures and other mementoes, but what got his attention was that they all belonged to his parents.
"After your parents passed on, all their belongings were taken from the Hokage Residence and left to me. I planned to give it to you as soon as I told you the truth, but I left it all at my house. I've been waiting for the right time to present them." The Toad sage explained as he and Fu watched Naruto carefully go through the box's contents. He smiled as he picked up a framed picture. In it, Minato was standing next to Kushina. He was wearing his usual attire, his flak jacket, standard Konoha uniform with his white coat and Kushina wore a high-collared, sleeveless loose-fitting dress with a green apron over it. They stood together, their arms wrapped around each other and Kushina's free hand rested on her stomach, which was swollen from pregnancy. Naruto wiped away a tear that threatened to roll down his face. Though she'd been described to him before, this was the first time he'd actually seen a picture of his mother. This would make a wonderful addition to the pictures on their dresser.
He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and found Fu standing beside him with a warm smile on her face. He smiled back at her before turning to look at the toad sannin. "Thank you, Jiraiya-sensei."
Onoki of Both Scales sat at his desk, taking a brief respite from his endless battle against the bane of all Kage - paperwork, to look at the information that had just been passed to him. The diminutive man had not been pleased to hear his old apprentice had been killed. It wasn't that he still cared about the mad artist; he wasn't as soft as the so-called second God of Shinobi.
As if it wasn't bad enough that Deidara left the village to pursue his 'artistry', he'd proceeded to join the organization that had later taken Han, the Jinchuriki of the Gobi. Though the demon container was hated and feared in the village, not to mention borderline psychotic, he was still valued as a weapon and prized possession of the village. But that didn't change the fact that he took pride in his student's abilities. That he'd been killed, and by a ninja of Konoha no less, warranted an addition to their bingo book.
As he read all that his subordinate had been able to gather on the event that led to Deidara's death, he scoffed at Suna for requesting aid from another village in retrieving not just their Jinchuriki, but their Kage. That they'd allowed their Kage to be kidnapped from the heart of their village was pathetic; that they'd needed aid from another village to retrieve him was even worse.
He completed the report and moved on to the profile of the special jonin who killed Deidara alongside Kakashi the Copy Ninja. His eyes narrowed as he saw the teen's picture, briefly wondering if the man was in anyway related to the Fourth Hokage, before dismissing the thought.
"Hm… just a special jonin?" the Tsuchikage grumbled with narrowed eyes. "… Student of Kakashi the Copy Ninja and Jiraiya of the Sannin? Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi…" he froze as the gears turned in his head. He looked up at the picture of the teen again. "God damn it…" There was no doubt about it. His family name, his appearance, and his status as a Jinchuriki… he had to be Minato's son.
The old man went back to reading the blonde's profile. He seemed to be a hero type. Yes, Konoha's infamous Will of Fire burned brightly in this boy. His eyes narrowed as he continued to read all that had been gathered on the teen's career. His nearly three year training trip being the obvious reason behind him being a special jonin and not a full one. That gap meant he didn't have the record necessary to take the exam. He sighed as he reached the end of the dossier and pinched the bridge of his large nose. It would be impossible to keep this from leaking, and once word got out about this kid, he was sure at least a few of his shinobi would try to take matters into their own hands. He would have to keep a close eye on his subordinates.
As he began to sign the order to place the boy in the bingo book, there was a knock on the door. He beckoned them to enter and saw it was one of his ANBU. "Lord Tsuchikage"
"Yes, what is it?"
"We just found your son's squad…" the man began to break the news to his leader.
Hope you liked it. As always, please read and review.