I Do Not Own Naruto
Chapter 35
Naruto walked to Sai's on Tuesday, he was thinking of asking Sakura to the Rinne Festival after tonight's dinner. It would be fun, and it wasn't like he hadn't gone to festivals with Sakura before, it would also be good for her. Perhaps help her see that Sasuke wasn't not the love of her life like she claimed he was.
Also, it wasn't like Sai was going to stop him from asking her out; or was even interested in Sakura's love life. No one was because she didn't have a love life and the whole village knew it. Thinking his plan to be solid he was delighted to be going to Sai's for dinner. It wasn't like there was any pressing Hokage business he was learning, and it wasn't like there was a horde of men about to steal his girl.
Alright, no his girl; yet; thinking like that would have Sakura kicking his ass.
Kurama still snarled at the thought of him asking Sakura out. Not that the fox's opinion mattered.
Smiling he walked into Sai's place then.
"Hey," he called out as he saw Sai cooking.
"Hello," Sai said as he ducked the flames. Naruto and Kurama flinched at the white flames which roared then.
"What are you doing Sai?" he asked.
"Cooking, oil is flammable," Sai observed with fascination.
"No shit," he snapped as the flames died down then.
"Uzumaki Naruto," a voice said, both he and Sai leapt as they prepared to attack the new voice. They looked at the ANBU man. "Summons to the Hokage's office, by order of the Fifth and Sixth Hokage."
"Uh… Alright," he said uncertainly as he took the offered scroll.
"The meeting is right now," the ANBU said sharply as Naruto opened the scroll.
"Shit!" he yelped reading the scroll and bolted out of the apartment. This was urgent news and he was not late for the Hokage's meeting that was a terrifying thought as he jogged the stairs. He was down the block when he ran into Sakura.
"Hey!" Sakura smiled. He kept going though.
"Naruto!?" she shouted after him.
"Sorry Sakura! I just… I have to go!" he shouted.
"Why?" she called out.
"Urgent Hokage business, I'll see you for my appointment, sorry!" he shouted as he ran for the Hokage's office. It was important that he get there in ten minutes, before the meeting started without him.
Not being able to sign was a bitch!
"'Cuse me!" he shouted as he leapt through the market and took to the rooves as he moved through the city. He skidded to a halt on the roof before falling in the open window gracelessly. "I made it!" he shouted.
"Yes, the meeting is just starting Naruto," a calm voice said as he sat up.
"Hey Granny Tsunade," he huffed out as he sat up and ran his hand through his shaggy hair. His hair was getting too long; he'd have to ask to get it cut.
"Naruto, this is important," Kakashi said.
Hinata sat in her seat at dinner as she sipped the served sake and tried to keep her attention on the droning conversation of her father's elders and clan advisors. It was a dull meal, and she could see Hanabi looking bored as a young girl could look. Frankly, Hinata felt like going to bed early because of her boredom.
However, she didn't dare to leave.
Quietly eating her meal as the meeting continued she hoped to make it through her meal and not fall asleep. Finally, she finished her meal, and was excused, she walked with Hanabi away from the dinner table quickly, and silently.
"That was a boring dinner!" Hanabi whined once they were in the courtyard.
"Hanabi!" Hinata scolded.
"What!? It was boring! And the elders are stuffy!" she huffed.
"You should not speak of your elders in such a way," she scolded as they walked towards her quarters.
"But onēsan…" Hanabi whined.
"No, we need to be respectful of the elders, they are wise, and their council is wise," Hinata chided as they entered her quarters.
"But they're so boring, onēsan," Hanabi said.
"Yes, and one day you will be an elder and boring, remember that before you declare them boring," she warned.
"But I will never be a boring elder, for I am too fun," she chuckled then as she opened her quarters and walked in with Hanabi.
"Yeah, but dictating who we should marry, what alliances we need, and what it is we should be doing in regard to Konoha and the council; it's dull, and boring, and stupid," Hanabi said with a yawn.
"Hanabi, it is important that they advise us with wisdom," Hinata pointed out.
"Yes, by they all act like there is an Uchiha Itachi will just appear in our clan and wipe us out though," Hanabi sighed.
Hinata sighed as well, because for a few years after the Uchiha massacre the Hyūga heavily feared the idea of another Uchiha Itachi happening. She understood the fears of her clansmen, and she knew them to be legitimate fears.
"Hanabi, these are serious fears for the Hyūga, and you should have more respect for such fears, for if what happened to the Uchiha clan happens to us it will cripple Konoha, which would leave Konoha open for attack and that would lead to another war which would take many lives. The Byakugan and Sharingan are two of the strongest eye powers ever found in a kekkei genkai, to fear their eradication is not irrational, and Sasuke is the last Uchiha with a Rinnegan; an even rarer trait. It is important to realize this," she said softly.
"Humph, I still say the elders are boring, stuffy and full of themselves," Hanabi huffed out.
"I do not disagree, but they are wise, Hanabi," Hinata said calmly. "And wisdom should be listened to, for it could help us in the future."
"Fine, so onēsan how are things with you and Naruto?" Hanabi purred suggestively.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Hinata's face heated.
Naruto frowned as he stood there reading the letter and he sighed.
"What do you make of this Naruto?" Kakashi asked him.
"Um… why ask me?" Naruto asked.
"You are a decorated war hero, you are an excellent shinobi, and you are working on becoming the Seventh Hokage," Tsunade answered him.
"Kakashi, I don't… I don't know what to do about this…" Naruto admitted.
"What would you want to do?" Kakashi asked.
"Honestly, hunt every member of the Ryuha Armed Alliance down and capture this Garyo in the process, right now," Naruto admitted.
"But we do not know where they are," Tsunade pointed out and he frowned at this fact. They could send out a hunting unit, but then there was a risk to the shinobi.
"Naruto, the wisest thing to do is to wait," Kakashi said.
"What!? But they are threatening Hi no Kuni! We can't sit back and do nothing when Konohagakure is supposed to Hi no Kini!" Naruto shouted.
"We are not doing nothing, we wait and plan and prepare. Winter is coming, and after the war there is no sufficient travel in any of the larger nations or smaller, no one is going anywhere, the snows will come soon enough and trap everyone where they are. Even shinobi cannot travel in the harsh coming weather," Kakashi said.
"True," Tsunade agreed.
"And if they come here!?" Naruto snapped.
"Naruto, you arm should be done before the end of February, how do you feel about being the one to go out to hunt Garyo when the snow starts to melt?" Tsunade said.
"What…? Really?" he blinked.
"Yes, right now we can't spare anyone, it's already going to be a hard enough winter and we need all shinobi here to help the civilians, and the other duties that need to be done, come spring you can go hunting for the Ryuha Armed Alliance, I think it will make us all feel better once an established organization is taken down and then move to the next, more organizations like the Ryuha Armed Alliance will form, if they aren't already," Tsunade said.
"That is true, for now we should keep tabs on them and keep an eye on what is going on with the Ryuha Armed Alliances and listen for others like them forming.
"Fine," he growled.
"If you are to learn to be Hokage you must learn when to move, when to strike, when to be diplomatic, and when to be merciful," Kakashi warned him.
"I get it. I just don't like it." Naruto admitted.
After having read the threat and the letter he was disgusted that there were people after more war here than what they had already survived. This threat, something about it was twisting up his gut and he didn't like where this was possibly going to go which was not a good thought. Sighing he leant back in his seat and saw that Kakashi and Tsunade had the same looks on their face as he no doubt had.
Hinata stretched, popping her back as she settled on her futon and pondered what the elders had been discussing at dinner.
Her possible marriage to another.
It was not encouraging to her to hear them speaking of her marriage as if it were impending when she had a long ways to go before she was twenty-one and her marriage would be arranged. And Hanabi had even longer.
Still, it was concerning to her that they were even discussing it now. Closing her eyes she laid down and let the sleep come to her which was not wholly unwelcomed. She was exhausted, and strained, and she felt stretched thin.
The sleep which took her to oblivion was dreamless thankfully.
Click, clank, click, she groaned at hearing those as she opened her eyes to see the breaking dawn coming and she sighed as she reluctantly got out of her cold bed and walked to the window.
Tap.
She stopped at that sound.
"Pst! Hinata!" Naruto's voice hissed.
"Y-Y-Yes?" she stammered as she quickly pulled on a robe and felt her face heating up painfully as she opened her window and saw Naruto sitting on the tiles of her roof.
"I need your advice," he whispered.
"O-Oh," she managed, her tongue felt heavy and tied in knots and her face felt far too hot. "Um… one moment…" she said as she shut the window and drew her curtains. Changing swiftly she pulled on a warm coat before leaping onto the roof to greet Naruto. Her face still felt unbearably hot as she walked to him, hugging her coat to herself against the November chilled morning.
"W-W-What is i-i-i-it?" she chattered and stammered as she sat there..
He handed her a note and she hesitantly took it before reading over it, her eyes widened as she read it and then handed the message back to him.
"U-Um," she chattered.
"We are going to wait come March or February before hunting them, I just… you're a member of an old clan and I was… I was wondering what your clan would do?" he said softly.
"I… I don't know," she admitted. "There is going to be a hard winder this year after the war and supplies will be short because of the war, so I don't know if we would wait or hunt."
"I just… I don't want to sit here doing nothing!" Naruto huffed out.
"You aren't doing nothing by waiting Naruto," she chattered and rubbed her arms as she felt her nose and fingers lost feeling. It was too cold!
"I just feel like there's nothing to do!" he whined.
"Wh-why not ask Sakura?" Hinata stammered and chattered.
"Well, she'd knock me out and tie me to a hospital bed to keep me here for getting that damn arm," he grumbled.
"Naruto… they aren't a threat right now," Hinata murmured. Though she felt it was a lie, it was going to be trouble either way.
That's all for now folks!
Enjoy Until the Day I Love! =)