People are adding my story to their alert lists. That's awesome! I dedicate this chapter to the hope I'll get back into the loop of updating once a week!
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A small toad poofed into existence before Naruto.
"What's up, Naruto?" Gamakichi asked, before noticing the girl slung over Naruto's shoulder. "Eh? I didn't know you were kinky like that, Naruto." The blond turned so bright a red it would make a bulls' eyes explode.
"It's not like that, Gamakichi! Its-its- oh just give this to Himaru-sensei!" Naruto thrust a small scroll into the toad's mouth.
"Rabbeber ru bray." Gamakichi hurriedly leapt away into the nearby underbrush. Once the toad was out of sight, a deep sigh escaped Naruto's throat.
"Now what do I do? I can't exactly stroll up to the Hyuuga compound and say 'Look who I found!'"
'You'll have to take her back to the apartment until she wakes up.'
'WHAT!? I can't just-I mean-what about the Hyuuga?' Kyuubi rose an eyebrow at his young jailer.
'You really think they'll come looking for her at your place?'
'I can't just take her home! What if she wakes up and thinks I did something perverted to her?'
'Not all women are like that Sakura friend of yours, kit, trust me. Now just do it, I want to go to sleep.'
'But Kyu-' Naruto felt the connection between them shut down. "Damn fur ball!" he shouted to the night sky. Naruto puffed out his cheeks and sighed. "I to the dump, I guess." With a defeated sigh, the blond launched himself into the nearest tree.
Himaru sat in the jounin lounge, debating on whether to sleep or eat. 'Guess I'll flip on it,' he decided. Himaru cleared the hair out of his eyes with one sweep of his hand. "Anybody got I coin I could flip?" he asked suddenly, but got no reply. Everyone in the room was completely and utterly ignoring him, though a few sent him discreet glares. The only visible sign of Himaru's rage was the furrowing of his eyebrows.
'Must be Kyuubi haters,' he reasoned. Himaru rose off of the couch in one smooth motion. "Alright, if you guys are going to pretend I don't exist, I'll just do the same." He moved forward, first exaggeratedly swinging to the sides to bump the two nearest jounin, and then he 'accidentally' crushed another man's toes before going straight out the door. A malicious smile spread across Himaru's face as he closed the door. They were really cursing up a storm in there.
"You're not making any friends." Normally this is the point where Himaru runs like Hell and Anko gives eager chase, but today Himaru did not run. Anko's lips formed a lecherous smirk. "Finally gave up, huh, Himaru-kun?" She slowly reached for him, but his hand shot up and grabbed her by the wrist. Himaru's head slowly rotated to face her. The bangs that normally covered his eyes now seemed to contain two bright blue flames.
"I will never be ignored again." Anko froze completely at the killing intent that poured from Himaru's body. "I'm not in the mood for games, Anko." Without even a puff of smoke, Himaru vanished.
Himaru rematerialized in the forest. With a grunt of pain a whirlwind of black chakra erupted from his body. "Damm-it!" The potent chakra vanished, pulled back into the depths of Himaru's body. He glanced around himself, surveying the rough acre of new wasteland. Himaru used one hand to cradle the side of his head. "This can't be a good sign." Once again, he soundlessly vanished deeper into the forest. And right into his student.
"Oof!" Naruto fell backwards as he ran right into his teacher, landing hard on his rear end. Naruto glared with bared canines. "Watch where you're- Oh, Himaru-sensei. What're you doing here?" Himaru ignored the question completely.
"Why do you have a pretty young girl slung over your shoulder, Naruto?" Himaru mockingly frowned at his student. "Is Jiraiya already starting to rub off on you?"
"GAH!" Naruto shouted. "Why is everyone a pervert!?"
"You'll find out in about a year," Himaru muttered. Naruto quirked his head to the side in confusion, but pushed it aside for the moment.
"What was that weird chakra a minute ago, Sensei? I was just about to go hanyou when you bumped into me." Himaru quietly chuckled and scratched the back of his head.
"That would have been me." Naruto deadpanned. "What? I'm the son of the freaking death god; you think I'd have only normal chakra? Anyway, give me Hinata. It'll be easier for me to sneak her back into the Hyuuga compound than it would be for you." He paused. "Of course if you wanted to take her home-" Naruto practically threw an unconscious Hinata at Himaru.
"No, that's fine!" Naruto said, or rather almost shouted.
"Pussy." Naruto felt the mind link shut down before he could yell back at the fox. At the moment, the blond's face resembled a strawberry. With one final chuckle at his student's expense, Himaru turned to leave.
"Wait. Did Gamakichi reach you yet?"
"One of your little toads? No, why?" Naruto blush vanished and his expression turned serious. "I got attacked by like, ten ninja that smelled lake snakes." Himaru nearly dropped Hinata.
"What? Are you okay?" Naruto grinned.
"Yeah, they were really weak." Naruto's face turned sullen for an instant, and even though he replaced it with another grin, Himaru still noticed. He realized he probably wasn't going to get to interrogate those shinobi. Himaru honestly didn't give a rat's ass of what Naruto did to them, but the blond fox boy did.
"I'm glad you're okay, and I'll definitely do a little investigating after I drop of you girlfriend here. As for now, go get some rest. We've got a mission in the morning." Naruto nodded in obedience.
"Okay, Himaru-sen-SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" The only reply was Himaru's echoing laughter as he disappeared into thin air.
Himaru reappeared atop the Hokage Tower, the Hyuuga heiress hoisted over his shoulder. He scanned the horizon until his eyes landed on a tall, regal building in the distance. "Ten to one that's the place," he muttered before disappearing once again. Himaru reappeared several yards short of the Hyuuga estate. He ducked behind a nearby building and watched the pale-eyed guards carefully.
'Just walking through the gate could bring up some unwanted questions, so…' he searched the walls for a window, and to his delight, found several dotting the manor. With a one-handed seal, Himaru transformed himself into a raven, and Hinata into a dead rat in his claws. His illusionary wings flapped, and took him to the side of the main branch building. He held his breath as he flew over the guards. He hadn't sensed that they had the Byakugan active, but the worry lingered. As he skimmed the side of the building, it was proven the guards truly hadn't noticed him. Himaru let out his held breath and redirected his attention to the windows.
'No, no, no…ha!' He stopped at one particular opening, and though the window was shut the curtains hadn't been drawn. The room itself was surprisingly bland, composed only of a closet, a desk, a bed and a lot of lavender. 'This is my best guess.' Himaru picked the window lock with his beak (finger) and silently transformed back. He gently set Hinata down on her bed and then moved toward a window. 'Wait…' a sly grin spread across Himaru's face. While he was here, he might as well play a little matchmaker. He quietly searched the desk for a piece of paper and a pen, scribbled down a message, folded it up and then placed it on Hinata's pillow. Himaru suppressed a giggle before turning back into a raven and flying out the window.
'Now to collect my students.' Himaru's mood turned grim. 'Because if Orochi's on the move again they need to be protected.' The raven vanished in a sudden burst of speed.
"Where the Hell am I!?" Naruto shouted. Every bird within an acre took to the sky at Naruto's outburst. He had been stuck in the forest for over an hour and he still couldn't find his way out. He was covered in dirt and mud from head to foot, and he was fairly sure he stubbed at least three of his toes.
"Do I want to know what you're covered in?" Naruto's shoulders slumped. He was never going to live this down.
"Hi, Sasuke," he grumbled. He heard the Uchiha avenger sigh from his spot in the trees.
"Follow me, dobe. Himaru-sensei wants us to meet him at his house." Naruto's depressed frown morphed into an eager grin.
"You mean we're finally going to get to see the inside of his house?" Sasuke didn't reply, he just sped off through the canopy. "Woohoo!" Naruto cried out before he too leapt across the trees. Sasuke was apparently in quite a rush, and Naruto was forced to go on all fours in order to keep up. "Damn, Sasuke, you're running like Hell is on your heels! What's the matter?" Even from behind the blond could tell that Sasuke was smirking.
"Can't keep up, dobe?" Naruto growled before pouring chakra into his legs.
"Just try not to swallow too much dust, teme!" Despite his words, Naruto still lagged behind Sasuke. I not time they cleared the trees and entered Konoha proper. Or they would have if Sasuke hadn't suddenly veered to the right. Naruto skidded across the ground on all fours, costing him precious seconds that gave Sasuke an even greater lead. "You did that on purpose!" Sasuke looked over his shoulder at Naruto.
"Duh." The blond ground his teeth together and really put the pedal to the metal. Naruto tore up the dirt beneath his hands and feet and managed to gain back most of the distance he had lost but he still fell short. So when Sasuke suddenly slowed and Naruto shot past him, the blond was suitably surprised.
"Got tired, Sasuke?" he teased as he continued to speed forward, only to notice that Sasuke was going in an entirely different direction. "DAMMIT!" In the heat of the race Naruto had forgotten one important detail: Sasuke was the one who know how to find Himaru-sensei. Naruto pulled from the deepest reserves in his body to catch back up with the Uchiha. Much more and he'd enter one-tail form. Unfortunately, Naruto never noticed the building quickly getting bigger in the distance, nor that Sasuke had come to a complete stop.
Sasuke wasn't exactly surprised when Naruto rushed past him on a collision course with Himaru-sensei's house. "Dobe," he sighed.
"GAH!" Himaru appeared in Naruto's line of sight. He grabbed the speeding Jinchuuriki by his wrist and used Naruto's own force to drive him into the ground. Himaru peered down into the crated he had created.
"Are you okay, Naruto?"
"P-peachy keen." Naruto pulled himself out of the hole and onto his stomach. "Look at all the little ramen cups," he muttered in a daze. Himaru rolled his eyes.
"Sakura, I think we need a medic!" Naruto's half-conscious mind registered the growing sound of footsteps.
"Hi, Sakura-chan," he mumbled as a head of pink entered his blurry vision. The pink fuzz shook from side to side and Naruto felt a pair of hands touching the sides of his head. There was a noise, probably speech, and then his vision cleared. "Hey there, Sakura-chan," he repeated, this time clearly enough for the others to understand him.
"Get-up, Naruto," she ordered. Naruto shifted his weight around a little before swinging himself up to a sitting position. With one more push he fully righted himself.
"Alright, let's go!" Naruto pumped the air with his fist. Everyone else sweat dropped.
"We're already here, Naruto," Himaru said. It took the blond ninja about three seconds to process this information, and he flew from one emotion to another in record time. The first emotion was embarrassment, but the second was excitement.
"You mean that's your house, Himaru-sensei?" Naruto pointed to the nearby building and his grin dulled. "It's kind of…boring." The house was mostly grey and black, and other then being outside the village it was no different than any other home. Himaru smirked.
"What were you expecting? A flame lit path to the door and skeletons hanging off the gutter?" All three genin were silent, and this time only Himaru sweat dropped. "Anywaaay, let's get you inside." He hurriedly led them to the door and pushed it open. The inside of the house was actually pretty spacious, or at least it would have been if the entire floor wasn't covered in a sea of junk and paraphanelia.
"…Yikes, Himaru-sensei," Sakura finally said. "How do you get across?" Himaru took on step onto the junk.
"Same way you walk on water." The three genin just blinked at their sensei. Sasuke was the first to snap out of it and follow their teacher. Then Naruto and finally Sakura.
"Why do you have so much stuff?" Naruto asked. Himaru shrugged.
"I like stuff. Plus it gives a place for the security to hide." All three of the kids started at him. "What? You didn't think I took you here just for kicks, did you? Anyway, as I've already explained to Sasuke and Sakura, you guys will be staying here with me for awhile until we get his business with Orochi sorted out."
"Cool!" Naruto was off like greased lightning to explore.
"If you see anything that looks even slightly alive, don't , I repeat, DON'T touch it!" Himaru shouted after him, actually causing the young kage-to-be to freeze for a moment.
"WHAT!?"
"It's the security, remember?"
'That sensei of yours scares me sometime, kit.'
'Me too, Kyuubi, me too.'
Short, but at least it's finally here. Don't worry though, I think I'm starting to get back in to his fic. Well, let's hope so at least. For the next chapter: will Team 7 survive in their teacher's house, or will it prove to be more dangerous than Orochi? Please read and review.
