CH14: Thems The Breaks
Her newest pranking protégé hung from her leg begging, pleading, for her to stay. "Naruto I know we had fun but it's time for me to go home now." She reached down and tried to pry the boy off of her, but his grip held firm as his voice reached even higher decibels. They had been at this for almost half an hour now, and even Kakashi had given up on getting near them. Naruto was just too loud. Sasuke had attempted to get close not half a minute ago and had the very unpleasant experience of his eardrums bursting. So, bleeding from his ears, and now effectively destabilized he had chosen to sit not far from the village gates.
"But I don't want you to go! You're so much fun! You don't treat me like an idiot, you teach me cool jutsu!" with each sentence his voice got louder. 'how could she stand to be that close to him,' wondered Kakashi. "And if you go everyone will just ignore me again! You can't leave. I won't let…."
"That is enough Naruto!" her face was suddenly very scary, "I have other people who need my help!" Krana's expression softened. "As much as I would love to continue spending time with my favorite Chibi Kitsune," several ninja whom had gathered to see the VIP off flinched, and she glared at them, "I am the head of my clan. As such I hold a responsibility to the other members of my clan to be present at the household when I am not out on official business. My business here in Konoha has ended." She gently pried the now quiet boy from her and knelt to look him in the face.
"But you didn't do anything but hang out with squad seven? Why do you have to go?" Tears slid down Naruto's face as he tried to stop the quiet sobs that bubbled up from within him.
"My job during this trip was to assess and further relations between my own clan, and those of Konoha, along with its ninja. I had one week to see to it that we were still on allied terms with our closest neighbor. Now that week is over and it is time to report to the other clan members that our relations still exist and have been made stronger by my actions here." As his tears started to dry she wiped a stray one from his cheek, "Do you understand?
"I… I don't….I… ITS NOT FAIR!" with that he turned and ran. Ran away from losing a friend, from this horrible pain at being separated from someone who actually treated him like a human being. He bumped into someone and kept running.
…..
As Iruka and Sarutobi headed towards the front gates of the village to try to calm Naruto down, said boy slammed into the old Hokage, and ran past him not even stopping to apologize. "Oh dear," whispered Iruka, "What happened now?" They rounded a corner to find that their guest had yet to leave.
"Please," whispered the old man to his chunin companion, "Don't let her stay another day. Our civilians and ninja cannot handle even one more second of her 'reform' excercises. If she and Naruto paint another secret shinobi office bright orange I'll…." The old man sighed. "I don't know what I might do."
Iruka walked up to the woman and threw an arm over her shoulder. "What's up with that," he pointed in the direction that Naruto had bolted.
"He's feeling a bit betrayed by my leaving. You might wanna calm him down for a bit. K?" she tilted her head in an attempt to look puppie-ish.
"Only if you never do that again," he laughed.
"Fine," she replied wearing a pouty face.
"Ummmm…" Krana and Iruka looked down to see Sakura looking slightly embarrassed. "Thank you… for teaching me basic field medicine." Sakura gave a half bow, then held up a pale green rose blossom. " this is for you!"
"Really? It is funny you should pick this particular flower. You probably did so because green is my favorite color." She looked from the flower to Sakura. "There is no shame in that. The reason I said it was funny is that this flower aptly describes where you are in life right now. Green roses are a sign of renewal and growth; they also convey a sense of balance and stability. You are a young ninja you have started to grow both physically and as a person, giving you a renewed sense of self. And as the medic of your squad you will need to be the base that balances your teammates. You have made a wonderful choice, and I shall never see another green rose without thinking of the young kounoichi who decided a cripple was worth her time. Thank You." She leaned down and hugged her medic in the making.
She turned to the small crowd of gathered ninja. "Sorry about the spectacle just now. I'll be taking my leave of your fair village, it was a pleasure to spend time among you and your companions. It is my deepest wish that this visit will have helped to assure you all that my clan always has and always will support Konohagakure." With that Krana turned and jumped out of the gates, launching straight into a run. She was a speck of dust on the horizon before most of the gathered spectators had time to even register her speech.
'Well,' thought Iruka with a sigh, 'I might as well go find Naruto. If he's anything like Kim or KC he'll feel better after he gets some food.'