Chapter 11

3 months later

Konoha

Three months has gone by since Naruto was placed on team 7 and he was not having a good time since he was stuck doing D rank missions. Odd jobs such as painting fences, weeding farms and gardens, walking the Inuzuka's dogs and catching the demon cat of the fire daimyo's wife, Tora. His sensei, Kakashi, had only trained them in teamwork exercises and nothing else. His personal studies, on the other hand, was going steady. His restriction seal was on level two and his fuinjutsu was still on the same level since his chakra control was not yet good enough for him to move on to the next level. In regard to team 7, their teamwork was only present during missions and outside of that he barely tolerated the other members of the team. Izumi always asked about his missions to get under his skin and he would give her a glare while she would shoot him an innocent look causing him to cave in and tell her what she wants to know.

Currently, he was with his team going to the hokage office to get their new mission.

THE HOKAGE OFFICE

As they entered, team 7 spotted Iruka sorting the scrolls while Hiruzen did the administrative work. "Ah team 7, what will it be today? We have painting the fences, weeding a garden or the tora mission" said the hokage. Kakashi replied "actually, we'll take a C rank mission hokage-sama." "Are you sure they are ready kakashi?" queried Sarutobi to which Kakashi nodded his head. "Very well then." Tossing a scroll at the silver haired jounin he addressed the team in the room, "your mission is to escort a bridge builder to the Nami no kuni and protect him as he finishes the bridge. Send in Tazuna" said the old kage and in walked an older man in perhaps his mid-fifties smelling of alcohol.

Taking a gulp of sake from his flask, Tazuna exclaimed "you gave me brats for protection. Pinky over there looks like she will break if she's given a stick to hold." Sakura looked affronted and had to be held back from attacking the man while sasuke gave an annoyed look and Naruto said nothing. "I assure you, they are perfectly capable of this mission besides I am a jounin so there is nothing to worry about. Okay team, we leave tomorrow at eight from the East gate. Pack enough for a month." Said Kakashi to his genin who departed immediately after.

NARUTO'S APARTMENT

Naruto went to his home and began to seal his supplies into scrolls and checked his gear and put away some extra supplies in case of emergency. Hearing a commotion, Izumi entered his room after getting permission and saw Naruto sealing up stuff and gained a confused look on her face. "What are you doing?" she asked. "We got a C rank mission and we leave tomorrow at eight so I'm packing. I'll be gone for a month." Replied Naruto as he continued to look over his stuff and seal up the necessary items.

"Ah" she said and looked down and began to stroke her skirt. Naruto noticed this and knew she was bothered by something as she only did this when something was bugging her. Walking up to her, he asked "what's wrong?" "Nothing" she replied not meeting his eyes. He knew that she was lying so he placed his finger under her chin and brought it up and stared into her eyes and asked the question again in a firmer voice. Biting her lip, she replied, "Nothing it's just that you're going to be gone and I am still on probation. I'll have no one to train with and I'll be alone in the house and I don't have that many people to talk to." She looked down at the floor and continued playing with her skirt. She knew that she was being selfish but she hadn't been alone since the massacre and his presence always guaranteed that she had something interesting to do. Now she felt stupid for saying this and thought that Naruto thought of her as being weak and pathetic like those fan girls. She had not wanted to say anything but couldn't hide anything from him after being friends for so long. To the rest of the world, she had an image of an ice queen and a perfect ninja but with him, she could just be herself and now she had ruined that. Her lip began to tremble as Naruto placed a hand on her cheek and looked at her with a soft gaze. He knew that she was still dealing with the memories of the massacre which brought about feelings of loneliness in her.

"I won't be gone for long and besides who says that you wouldn't hear from me for so long?" he asked her as she looked at him confused and tilted her head to the side cutely. "You can write to me and I'll write back every night just like we used to during your ANBU days" he told her and she laughed knowing he was right. "Plus you can be here to train. I still need to pay you back for the last beating you gave me." He added and she raised her eyebrow at him.

"You are a hundred years too early for that to happen" she said to him as she patted his head. "Is that so?" he asked with a smirk and they gazed at each other seriously for a few moments until they broke out in laughter. Suddenly Izumi wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest as she hugged him and he just held her. "Promise me that you'll write to me every night and come back to me soon." She whispered.

"I promise" he replied as he rubbed her back and ran his fingers through her silky raven locks and took in the scent of her hair. It smelt of vanilla and was so soft they just flowed through his fingers.

"So are you gonna give a hug every time I leave town?" questioned Naruto with a teasing tone in his voice. This earned him a smack on his chest as izumi mumbled baka as she giggled still holding onto him. After a while of this, she released him and left to go make dinner while he fiished packing.

The next morning came and Naruto and Izumi were walking towards the gate together. Naruto told her that she didn't have to go to the gate with him to say goodbye like a child but she would have none of it. People were glaring at him while he made his way to the gate which Izumi noticed but said nothing of it for which Naruto was grateful. He had no idea how she would react or if she would call him a demon brat like everyone else. He looked at her and was greeted with a smile as she walked together with him, not a care in the world. They arrived at the gate where everyone was there waiting and Kakashi just laughed and greeted them both.

"Naruto-baka YOU'RE LATE!" screeched sakura but Naruto ignored her as he was used to her loud obnoxious voice. However Izumi had a bothered look on her face. Sakura looked at Izumi and immediately had stars in her eyes. She was the most popular and beautiful girl in town with dozens of fan boys and to make things better, she was her sasuke-kun's sister and an Uchiha. If she befriended her, her popularity would skyrocket and sasuke-kun would finally be hers. She walked up and started pulling her hand saying "come with me izumi-sama, you don't want to stand with a clanless orphaned baka like him." Izumi pulled her hand away from her grip and sakura stood there confused.

"You're annoying" izumi said in a cold voice and glared as sakura leaned away not understanding what it was she did wrong. Sighing, Naruto placed his hand on her shoulder as she turned to look at him and his eyes softened. Knowing that it was time for him to leave, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest as he gave her a hug. Leaning into her ear, he whispered playfully " you know people could get the wrong idea if we keep doing this in public" and she giggled "oh how I worry" she responded equally playful.

Sakura's jaw dropped at their interaction seeing konoha's ice queen hug the dobe in public. As much as she wanted to make a comment, nothing coherent came out of her mouth. Kakashi then gave the order to move out which everyone followed. As Naruto exited the gate, he turned and waved at izumi and she waved back. Sakura was still dumbfounded at this as she did not know why izumi was so gentle with Naruto instead of the usual cold attitude as with everyone else.

The journey to wave was silent as they moved in a diamond formation with sasuke in front, Kakashi at the rear and Naruto and sakura at the left and right respectively. Sakura kept stealing glances at Naruto throughout the trip obviously wanting to know more but dared not ask.

They continued walking when Naruto noticed two puddles in the middle of the road despite it not having rained recently and they surrounding area being dry. He glances at Kakashi who had his nose buried in that book of his, Naruto was immediately on guard. As they passed the puddles, two men with metal gauntlets emerged and wrapped Kakashi with a chain and ripped him apart. Upon seeing this sakura screamed loudly as sasuke and Naruto took a target each and moved. Naruto threw a shuriken onto the chain and tied it to a tree and threw a kunai into the hole to lock it into place as he kicked the assailant.

The attacker struck his gauntlet upwards at Naruto as he side stepped and kicked him in the face sending him flying backwards. He then made four clones to continue the assault with taijutsu while he made handseals and called out fire style: fire ball jutsu which knocked out his opponent. Looking around, he saw sasuke finished with his fight and had some scratches but nothing serious as he proceeded to tie up their attackers when Kakashi came out clapping. He congratulated both boys and gave some antidote to sasuke and turned towards Tazuna.

Tazuna informed them of the situation in nami no kuni and about Gato and pleaded for their help. Team 7 decided to continue with the mission but decided to camp out for the night. At their campsite, a poof was heard and a crow came into view and sat on Naruto's shoulder with a scroll on its back. Taking the scroll, and opening it, he began to read it. After reading, he took out a blank scroll and began to write a response. He was absorbed in his recounting of today's events when Kakashi asked to whom he was writing to. To which Naruto replied that he was writing to Izumi.

Upon hearing this, sakura was immediately curious and sat down beside him and began to glance at his letter while asking how he knew her. "None of your damn business" replied Naruto as he shoved her away and moved to an unoccupied spot in the clearing to finish his letter and gave it to the crow who then disappeared in smoke. He then returned to the spot, ignored sakura's glare and went to sleep with a happy smile on his face wondering what izumi was doing. At the same time, izumi was on her bed thinking the same thing as a poof was heard and the crow appeared and she took the letter and read it. She fell asleep soon after hugging the teddy bear, which Naruto bought for her after she moved in and learnt she liked stuffed animals, with a single thought running through her mind.

Come back soon Naruto, it is too quiet without you.

To be continued