Chapter 1: A Waggish Genesis
A/N: Heyo people! I'm backzzz with a new story….. Alright alright I know I got the other story but this idea would not stop bothering me. I just had to write it. Oh and I do not mean to sound pompous or anything lol. I'm just being humorous with these words. Forgive me if it gives you the wrong impression.
Scintillating- Here, it means exciting.
Arduous- Involving or requiring strenuous effort. Difficult and tiring.
Waggish- Humorous in a playful or mischievous or fastidious manner.
Genesis- Origin or introduction.
So this is canon divergent. I want to give you a vague introduction. So Naruto does not remain in the village like in cannon. But the whole thing with Kyuubi and everything before it stays the same. Sakura has a different back-story. Sasuke I will not reveal anything. Yes you're right team 7 doesn't exist in the beginning but it will of course. I don't wanna give away too much. You're just going to have to find all of it out on your own. What's the fun in it if I give away the mystery?
Lol, I think I was too vague…. Like Kakashi in the start ha hahaha.
Anyhoo, read on and enjoy, please.
The sky was a bright blue with white cotton candy clouds floating lazily. Birds were chirping merrily while squirrels fought over nuts and insects buzzed. The leaves rustled and the grass swayed in the peaceful wind.
A boy lay in the grass, enjoying nature. His wild blonde hair was ruffled as the wind picked up. With his eyes closed and a peaceful expression on his face, he sighed contentedly.
Really, he loved spending days lying on the grass, basking in sunlight while enjoying the sounds of animals and the soothing effect of the wind when of course he wasn't kicking some bad guy's ass or training to the max!
His blue eyes opened, they were the color of the sky, just as blue and of course equally bright with childish wonder and a twinkle of mischief as a pair of beautiful blue butterflies flew over his face. This boy was none other than Uzumaki Naruto.
His eyes took on a glint of excitement as he watched the butterflies fly around freely. Naruto had inculcated a habit of collecting things over the years. Butterflies fascinated him, with their pretty colors and petite bodies. Those insects were fragile as well as beautiful. He also collected different types of bird feathers, be it a nasty crow, an ordinary pigeon, an exotic bird like a toucan, or a rare bird like Bali myna. And also different ramen flavors. Yes it was a weird habit, but we all are weird in some way, are we not? And so the blonde-haired boy got out a small jar from his bag before chasing the butterflies around.
As he chased them with childish glee, he completely forgot that he had been on a small cliff. The blonde did not realize his predicament until he looked down. There he stood in the air, with a great expanse of green beneath him. Yup… gravity was about to unleash a painful lesson on the blue-eyed kid.
"Uh oh…." Naruto mumbled sheepishly before falling down.
"AHHH!" He screamed as he fell through the trees and finally hit the hard ground.
"Owww….." The blonde groaned as stars circled over his head.
The butterflies again flew over his face as if making fun of him. He growled as he got up again, but this time a huge bump peeked out of his blonde hair.
"Stupid butterflies…." The boy mumbled rubbing his bump in pain.
He sighed again and looked up through the dense canopy at the cliff he had been resting on. Now he was stuck down here….. In the dense forest. Just his luck…..
Well, there was no point in hanging around here and feeling down. And so the blonde-haired blue-eyed idiot walked on through the forest without care and whelp a plan….
An hour or two must have passed…..
"Aw, man! Ero-sennin is going to kill me! Ugh, stupid cliff and stupid butterflies." Our favorite blonde exclaimed as he walked through the dense forest. There were just trees and trees all around him with wild bushes and shrubs populating the area. He was getting nowhere. Well, maybe that's because of his sense of direction…. Sucked.
He continued grumbling and pouting when he suddenly tripped over a stray stone. His eyes widened as he lost his balance and fell through some bushes.
"Oof!" Groaned Naruto, as he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. It was certainly different than the dark forest. He was now in a small clearing with a river flowing through the middle. But that wasn't what caught his attention…..
On the bank of the river was a girl in red clothing with a white hollow circle on her back. Her pink hair was blowing in the wind as her green eyes were hooked on a small deer in front of her. Naruto noticed her hands were glowing green…. His breath had literally been taken away from him. The girl in front of him was…. Well for a lack of a better word, beautiful. He had never seen such a pretty hair color or those kinds of eyes…. Everything about her seemed….. Unique. The boy realized that he had forgotten to breathe….
A small voice from the deer brought his attention back. It was then that he realized that the deer that had looked to be in a lot of pain, covered with all kinds of gashes was now looking completely fine. The small animal stood up and examined itself before nuzzling the pink-haired girl.
She giggled and Naruto almost forgot to breathe again. The deer jumped around her, nuzzled her, and hopped around happily.
"Wow…." The boy blurted out, his blue eyes completely stuck on the girl.
The pink hair whipped around in his direction while the deer suddenly hid behind the girl in fear.
The smile on her face was gone now and she looked suspicious as her gaze swept over the orange-wearing boy on the ground. "Who are you? And why are you staring like that?" The girl asked him in a stern authoritative voice.
For a few seconds, the boy couldn't say anything before he realized he must be looking like an idiot for staring like a creep. "Oh… heh, heh sorry…. I didn't mean to stare…. I accidentally tripped over a rock and landed here." Said Naruto as he finally got up and dusted himself off. Then with a foxy smile, he walked closer.
The girl got up defensively as the deer behind her cowered in fear.
The boy stopped as he stood right in front of her. He smiled. She glared. The deer whimpered.
"The name's Uzumaki Naruto! What's yours?" Asked the lively blonde as he extended a hand towards her.
The girl looked at his hand in confusion and suspicion. She looked back up into his sky blue eyes shining with kindness and hidden mischief. Naruto closed his eyes and gave her a toothy grin. The girl noticed weird lines on his cheeks, they looked weird…. If she was honest with herself…. The boy kind of looked like a fox…
"I'm Haruno Sakura….." The pink-haired girl answered hesitantly as she clasped his hand in a firm handshake.
"Sakura eh? A pretty name for an even prettier girl!" Naruto exclaimed.
Sakura started at his bold declaration, "Nani?! You can't just go and call a stranger pretty like that!" She reprimanded him in a teacher-like tone as she wagged a finger.
Naruto pouted looking like a cute fox, "Huh? You're not a stranger anymore! You're Sakura-chan and I know you!"
The pink-haired girl raised an eyebrow as she sighed releasing their clasped hands. "Don't call me that!"
Naruto frowned, "Why not?" He asked tilting his head in confusion.
"Because I said so." Sakura deadpanned.
Before Naruto could give an odd reply, the small deer that had been cowering behind the pink-haired girl finally reared its cute head through her legs and looked up at him with wide brown eyes.
The blonde immediately went starry-eyed, "Awwww! He's so cute." Said Naruto as he bent down to pet the small animal.
The deer stepped back a little in fear, but as the creature looked into the kind sparkling eyes of the odd-looking human, it couldn't sense any bad intension from him….. And so the deer let the odd-looking child pet it.
"His fur is so soft, he feels kind of like a stuffed toy." Naruto guffawed.
Sakura stepped back a little and bent down as well to pet the creature.
"He? How do you know it's a male?" Sakura questioned curiously.
Naruto sweat-dropped, "Oh I don't know I was just um guessing….."
Sakura rolled her eyes, "Figures…." She mumbled.
"Well we can just check," Naruto suggested as a light bulb appeared over his head.
"Please tell me you're kidding." Sakura sweat-dropped.
"Oh, come on Sakura-chan, what's there to be embarrassed about? You're a medic-nin right?" The blonde grinned.
Sakura looked at him in surprise and suspicion, "How do you know that?"
Naruto smiled sheepishly, "Well I was observing you while you healed him. Heh, heh, sorry about that again. "
Sakura frowned at him. The blonde boy didn't really look like a threat, he looked so goofy, plus the color orange made him look like an escaped circus clown.
"I really am sorry and I mean you no harm I promise! I just got lost in this stupid forest and tripped to find this place! Naruto explained hastily with a nervous expression.
Sakura still didn't know what to think. Naruto if his name was even Naruto, well there was a big chance he was an enemy posing as a friendly ninja. Seriously who is named after an ingredient used in ramen?
"How do I know I can trust you? You could very well be an enemy ninja. I shouldn't even be talking to you." The rosette told him sternly.
Naruto looked at her. He observed her body language and noticed her rigid stance. It seemed like Sakura was untrusting by nature. A good quality for a ninja. He knew he would be in trouble if he didn't assure her. And judging by the headband on her head, this girl could be a force to be reckoned with. After all, she was a ninja from the Leaf…. His hometown.
"I assure you Sakura, I mean you no harm. It was completely by chance that I ended up stumbling in here literally." Naruto said with a sincere smile hoping it would convince the girl.
Sakura furrowed her brows. Naruto looked sincere, but he could just be a very well-trained ninja. He didn't have a headband on him, but she could just feel a shift in the atmosphere. The boy before her was powerful, there was no doubt about it. And she did not want a showdown with him, not when she had a mission to complete. Naruto looked ordinary like he was any teen, but ninjas had a certain way of moving and style. While she perceived Naruto to be lacking in style, he had a certain wild air about him that sent an exhilarating chill through her and it did not feel bad but in actuality ignited a feeling of ebullience instead of wariness.
"I don't trust you." Sakura replied simply.
Naruto had to respect her decision. She was a ninja, and they had to be alert and aware of everything. Anything could come at them from anywhere. But Naruto didn't want Sakura to be wary of him. Being a traveler has many perks I assure you and Naruto could tell you wondrous tales from his life but there was also a downside….. You couldn't stay at a place for too long. This meant he had had to leave many of his friends behind only to never see them. Oh sure he still heard some whisper or rumor of them but it was all he had. If Naruto succeeded in befriending Sakura, she would of course be an addition to the list but at least he would have a friend back home. The home he rarely visited.
The blonde offered her a small smile, "Sakura-chan, I would never dream of hurting a kunoichi from the Leaf. Actually, scratch that, I would never hurt a Konoha ninja or civilian." He told her sincerely, with a fierce look in his eyes.
Sakura looked at him with wide eyes as surprise flashed across her features before they narrowed, "And why is that?" She asked inquisitively, her voice neutral.
Naruto gave her a big smile, "Why Sakura-chan, I'm from the Leaf too. Now, why would I harm my own comrades?"
Whatever Naruto had hoped, this was by far the worst reaction he could've gotten from the pink-haired ninja, "That's crap! I haven't seen you in the village ever! Now I know you're lying." Sakura's eyes flashed dangerously, as she sprung up with a kunai at the ready. The deer remained in the middle, as calm as the weather.
Naruto stood up in a panic and Sakura took it as a cue to attack. She slashed the kunai towards his face but Naruto dodged easily. He continued sputtering as he barely managed to dodge a particularly nasty slash.
"Sa-Sakura! Wait! I swear I am from the Leaf! I'm not lying, what would I gain from lying?!" Naruto had now drawn a kunai of his own, really the girl was being vicious, he didn't want to hurt her but he also knew that Sakura was not using her full strength. So there was a chance she believed him, and he had to make the best of it!
The kunai clashed, as they both applied force, trying to outmatch each other.
Forest green met sky blue. A spark ignited between them. Her eyes were full of fierceness and his eyes were full of sincerity.
Naruto leaned a little closer making Sakura slightly wary, she wondered what trick he would try when he spoke up, "I am a Leaf shinobi Sakura, believe me. I don't lie. I might not have a headband nor do I live in the village, but I don't need those to prove my loyalty to Konohagakure. Many with a head-band defect from the village, I didn't. I've just been on a training journey away from the village, and I have the will of fire! If you let me I'll prove it to you." His voice didn't waver once. Naruto had spoken so fiercely that Sakura had let up a little in her defense.
They were still staring each other in the eye. Sakura let her arms fall to her side as she took in a deep breath. This little exchange had been intense, to say the least. She had known Naruto wasn't lying, but a ninja couldn't just trust any stranger that popped up or tripped down.
"I'm sorry for attacking you like that Naruto. My instincts haven't really been going off which confused me. I don't really sense any malice from you." Sakura said as she bent down again to pet the deer who hadn't moved during the whole exchange. Maybe it knew Naruto had meant no harm. Animals could be like that….. Trusting and so very cuddly, well some were, you couldn't go and cuddle with a tiger without becoming its dinner mind you.
Naruto grinned at her, "That's quite alright Sakura-chan. Besides you should keep in mind I never lie or break my promises."
"Noted." The pink-haired girl smirked. Naruto laughed before his gaze settled on the fawn, "Hey….. Weren't we about to find out if it's a he or a she?"
Sakura raised an eyebrow, "You still wanna find out?"
"Why not? It's not gonna hurt so…." Naruto smiled.
Sakura rolled her eyes, "Oh alright."
Both of them bent down as the deer looked at them curiously. Naruto lifted one paw. Sakura lifted the other one. They looked. Long and hard… There was nothing there except well….. Skin and some fur.
"Uh so is it a girl Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked in confusion.
Sakura looked at him for a moment with annoyance, "Stop calling me that!" She admonished him while the blonde pouted at the harsh treatment. "Aw." He said sadly.
The girl felt a little guilty but dismissed the feeling, "Well…. It could be a female. I'm not sure. It's still pretty young. We'll just have to wait." Sakura deduced.
"I still say it's a he," Naruto said confidently.
"Wanna bet?" Sakura teased with an evil smile that seemed kind of similar to him, but Naruto wasn't one to back down from…. Well…. Anything.
"How much?" Naruto asked with a smirk.
"Hmm… 100 Ryo." Sakura replied.
Naruto frowned in disappointment, "Do I look like a child to you Sakura-chan?"
"Yes." Sakura dead-panned making the blonde sweat-drop.
"Raise it to 500 Ryo and I might just take a newbie like you on." Naruto smirked.
Sakura glared at him, "If you think I'm a newbie, you're going down bad. 1000 or nothing."
Naruto smiled, "Deal!" He exclaimed as they shook on it.
While they gambled like idiots, the small fawn who had wandered off to the edge of the river while they had been talking gave a loud squeal startling both ninjas.
"What the-?" Naruto questioned as he stood up, but he could say no more as his eyes fell upon the very thing that had made the poor creature squeal like that.
Sakura was still sitting on the ground with her mouth open in shock.
There in the middle of the river stood towering over them a very…. Very huge and dangerous-looking snake or was it an anaconda? It hissed. Its purple tongue looking poisonous and disgusting as its vicious yellow eyes flashed hungrily at the three tiny beings.
"Woah! That thing is huge!" Naruto exclaimed. Sakura nodded dumbly.
They weren't given any time to dodge when suddenly the hissing snake dashed at them without as much as a warning. Naruto frowned as he caught the slip of movement before pouncing on Sakura and rolling her away to safety.
The snake had embedded its teeth into the ground thinking he had its prey and now was stuck. It wiggled trying to get out.
"You ok Sakura-chan?" Naruto questioned in a concerned voice. He really didn't want any harm to come to the pink-haired girl beneath him.
Because of a lack of response, he looked down into her bottle green gaze in confusion. The girl had a look of surprise on her face which was being replaced by a look of confusion. Naruto was about to question her again when he heard the snake making more noise. The blonde quickly got up, pulling Sakura up as well as the snake seemed to be detaching itself from the ground.
"Come on Sakura-chan! We have to go now before that snake eats us for dinner!" The blonde told her in a hurry.
"Ye-yeah you're right!" Sakura nodded as they started running, but Sakura suddenly stopped, "Wait! The fawn! I'll be right back." She stated before running back.
Sakura ducked under the snake while she looked around for a trace of the poor fawn. Naruto was about to follow her when the snake finally pulled itself free and turned to face Naruto, hissing dangerously.
"Damn it you disgusting snake! Get outta my way!" Naruto yelled at the creature but it only angered it and it once again dashed forward, ready for the kill.
The blonde growled, as he pumped chakra to his feet and jumped high into the air dodging the snake's attack. But the snake was smart too and this time it avoided crashing into the ground and turned around with killer intent stronger than ever.
"Fine, you wanna play hardball? Well, you asked for it!" Naruto exclaimed as he put his hands together forming a certain hand-sign.
Sakura who had found the fawn just when the snake had attacked Naruto, was crouching on the ground, cradling the small deer keeping it safe from any harm gasped out loud when she saw Naruto in the air, "Naruto!" She yelled worriedly, surprised at her own self for worrying over someone she had just been attacking herself a little while ago.
The boy in the air looked down at her and gave a wink making Sakura gape at his confidence.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled in mid-air as two more Naruto's popped into existence.
"Ready guys?" Naruto yelled with a smirk while the other two returned it and nodded.
Sakura watched in surprise as the snake once again came towards the air-borne Naruto. The clone Narutos grabbed the real one by both ankles and swung him around in the air chucking him right towards the incoming monster. Naruto took out two kunai from his kunai holster.
Sakura saw Naruto make an X formation with his hands as he inched closer towards the snake's open mouth lined with four sharp canines as its purple tongue hissed in anticipation of tasting its prey. She gasped suddenly as the snake seemed to have bitten down on Naruto as he entered its wretched mouth.
"NARUTO!" She exclaimed in shock as the fawn in her arms whimpered.
The snake seemed to be smirking down at her in satisfaction, but suddenly its slit-like eyes widened as its huge mouth started opening.
"Wha-?" Sakura trailed off as she saw the orange-clad boy struggling to keep its mouth open.
"Don't worry Sakura-chan! Because I'm the best ninja out there…." He stopped to smirk….
Sakura watched in astonishment as two Naruto's suddenly appeared on the snake's head. The clones! She realized. The ones Naruto had made in the air hadn't been dispelled…. In the moment of victory, the snake must have also forgotten about them. The clones were standing with one kunai in hand.
"I'm a super-elite ninja…. This snake is nothing! I'd be insulted if I died by being swallowed by a disgusting snake. Pfft, like a snake would be the end of me." Naruto sounded offended and Sakura rolled her eyes.
The snake hissed in anguish as the pain made him relinquish its hold on the real Naruto.
The two clones made salute-like gestures to Sakura before vanishing in puffs of smoke while the real Naruto jumped out of the snake's mouth. As soon as he did so, Sakura was surprised when the mouth of the writhing snake suddenly burst with a loud bang and a whole lot of smoke came out. The impact sent Naruto sailing over the river to the other side. But as he did so he turned towards the pink-haired girl still crouching on the ground with surprise evident on her face.
"How was that?" Asked Naruto cheerfully as he landed on his feet and turned around to face her while flashing her a big thumbs up.
"Almost… impressive." Sakura chuckled as she saw his face fall. The fawn in her arms had relaxed now that it saw the atmosphere had calmed.
Naruto grinned as he rubbed a finger under his nose, "You haven't seen anything yet!" The blonde grinned.
Before Sakura could come up with a witty reply to his bold statement. There was a sort of rumbling behind Sakura. Both ninjas looked in shock to see the snake getting back up.
"Wha-?! That damn thing still got up after I gave it a beating?" Naruto growled.
The snake hissed angrily. The blood pouring out of his eyes made him seem even scarier…. And Naruto was worried… Sakura was on the other side all alone….
He was surprised when the pink-haired kunoichi turned around and yelled, "Here, catch the little guy Naruto!" Said Sakura as she threw the fawn over the small expanse of the river.
Naruto stepped forward and caught the little guy with no effort. But he was confused and he looked at her in question while she flashed him her own thumbs up.
"Huh?" Naruto mumbled to himself.
He stepped back in astonishment and fear. Sakura had turned around and threw a vicious glare at the stupid snake before punching the ground with a glowing fist.
The ground developed cracks readily and moved towards the blind snake. Some debris flew in the sky from the sheer force of her punch. The uneven ground managed to scrap the snake's skin and cause pain. It thrashed around angrily while Sakura using her chakra and the airborne debris made her way towards the snake using the concept of wall jumping.
Taking a big leap she extended her leg forwards as she fell towards the thrashing snake who failed to dodge. The combined force of gravity and her chakra enhanced kick elicited a huge thunk sound. Sakura smirked as the snake's yellow eyes turned white indicating loss of consciousness. A layer of smoke had arisen from the intensity of her attack.
Twisting her position, she planted both her feet on the snake's feet while pumping chakra and gave herself a boost high into the air. Sakura sailed over the river, she reached the other side and collided with Naruto.
"Oof!" Both of them exclaimed as they rolled into a ball and smacked against a tree.
Naruto lay against the tree with spirals in his eyes while Sakura sat atop his legs with a sweat drop and the fawn lightly giggled at the situation. Smart furball….
"Ow….." Naruto mumbled before he regained full focus of his senses and realized Sakura was on top of his legs. He blushed bright red…. While Sakura giggled at his embarrassment.
"Ha ha Sakura-chan, that was…. Really awesome! I knew you were a strong ninja the moment I laid my eyes on ya!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly.
"Flattery doesn't work on me Uzumaki." Sakura smirked.
Before he could reply, the fawn resting on Naruto's stomach squealed in fear.
"What now?!" Naruto exploded, he was enjoying having Sakura on his legs. She was even cuter up close. There were tiny little freckles on the side of her cute little nose, and it made her look adorable.
Sakura turned away to see that damned snake looking at them with hatred in its eyes….
"How?!" Sakura boomed. "I knocked it unconscious!" The rosette exclaimed angrily.
"I know! I saw!" Naruto replied.
The snake didn't seem to care as it jumped in the water.
"I have a plan…" Naruto said in a serious voice standing up with Sakura next to him.
"What is it?" Sakura asked curiously just as the snake emerged, his fangs bared at them, its yellow eyes gleaming with sadistic glee with water splashing as he moved.
"Run," Naruto stated as he grabbed her arm.
"Wha-?!" Sakura questioned but she couldn't say anything else as Naruto pulled her with him into the dense expanse of forest with the fawn safely tucked under his other arm while the snake was hot on their trail.
Sakura sighed, "Why do I feel like if I stay with you, I'm most likely to get killed…"
Naruto laughed, "You amuse me Sakura-chan! I really like you a lot ya know that?" The blonde replied.
The rosette rolled her eyes, ignoring the stupid blush creeping on her face, "You're a reckless fool ya know that?" She deadpanned.
The trees whipped past them as they ran without sparing a glance at the damned snake following them probably hissing curses.
"I'm not reckless…" Naruto trailed off when a bright flash of light blinded them as the thick forest cover finally ended.
As her eyes adjusted Sakura realized they were soaring in the air. Surprised she looked behind her to see the forest ending in a cliff. Yellow eyes gleamed in hatred and anger as they watched its prey scamper off. She looked down to see below them… The Rice Country….
"I'm an adventurer, and what adventurer doesn't love trouble?" Naruto gave her a toothy grin.
Sakura glared at the blue-eyed ninja, "Baka! You're such an ugh! Maybe people who don't wanna die?!" She yelled at him.
Naruto shrugged. Sakura glared trying to kill with looks. The fawn chuckled.
"Baka!" She punched him on the head.
"Ouch!" He rubbed the bump.
What a weird day…..
Ninjas….. Am I right?
15 minutes later…
Sakura was sitting on the ground taking deep breathes to calm herself. They had just been plummeting to their death when a white flash had grabbed them and brought them to safety on the sweet, sweet ground. And currently, the white flash stood over them with his arms crossed and an exasperated expression on his face.
"I thought I told you to stay put at that hill! But did you listen? Nope! You reckless brat! Jumping off a cliff? And with a poor defenseless girl in tow?!" The white-haired man yelled at the pouting blonde.
"Poor defenseless girl?! The hell?! She ain't defenseless I tell ya! Look!" Naruto told him as he shook an angry fist at him and grabbed Sakura's head showing him her Konoha headband.
The white flash as Sakura had dubbed him, observed her headband with surprise and then he smiled, "Huh? What are the odds of you running into a Leaf ninja of all people…."
Sakura grew annoyed as Naruto still hadn't released her. So she yanked herself out of his grip and punched him in the arm.
"Ow! That hurt Sakura-chan!" The blonde whined.
"Shut up you! Why I oughta…." She glared at him as she punched him on the head. "First you jump off a cliff dragging me with you! We almost died if it wasn't for this man! And then you grab me like I'm some puppet? Honestly, Naruto don't you have any manners? You can't just grab a girl whenever you feel like it! I should punch your face in. Wait why am I not punching your stupid face in? What's stopping me?" Sakura yelled at him as she pulled her fist back, getting ready to punch the living daylights out of him when Naruto grabbed the small fawn and lifted it in front of him to protect himself.
"Real manly brat… hiding behind a cute animal, I taught you better than that…" The white flash groaned in disappointment.
"All you taught me was your stupid perverted jokes and how to peek at women in bathhouses!" Naruto replied angrily.
"I didn't hear you complaining." The white-haired man smirked.
All of this seemed to be angering Sakura even more. "So now you're a baka and a pervert?!"
"N-no! It's all Pervy Sage! I swear! Sakura-chan please!" Naruto whimpered while the oldest of the three just sighed at the scene. Now, why was this scene so familiar? Oh right…. That's because he's been in this situation many a million times. He chuckled, remembering past memories with a tinge of nostalgia….. His teammate had been quite a lot like this pink-haired girl….. And of course, he was like his apprentice…. Goofy, reckless, perverted well Naruto hadn't transferred over to the dark side completely, he hovered in between. Maybe that had been his teammate's influence…..
Suddenly Sakura stilled…. She stood up.
"Oh no….. I completely forgot about my mission!" The pink-haired kunoichi exclaimed in a panic before taking off. The fawn and Naruto looked at each other in confusion.
"Wha-? Ero-sennin? Why'd she take off like that? You don't think Sakura-chan's that mad at me do you?" Asked a worried Naruto as he petted the fawn who nuzzled against him for comfort.
"Tch! I'm a legendary sanin! The Great Toad Sage…. Lord Jiraiya and you still don't respect me? What am I going to do with a stupid brat like you?" The Toad Sage sighed. But he didn't receive the outburst he had been expecting…..
Jiraiya looked down at his apprentice to see him looking after the vanished girl. The sanin realized something that made him wince internally…. It looked like Naruto had developed a certain kind of fondness…. For that girl….. And they had just met. What kind of magic was this? All the Toad Sage hoped was that his apprentice wouldn't experience heartbreak at such a young age…. After all, he's been through so much….. Quite out of the ordinary for a kid his age…. And the boy was still a cheerful goof. Jiraiya really was proud of Naruto.
The sanin chuckled, "Nah, didn't you hear? She said she had a mission."
Naruto whipped up his head with admirable speed, "Well that's great news! Come on let's look for her then!" He declared, hoisting up the fawn and getting ready to run off when Jiraiya stopped him.
"We have to go Naruto," Jiraiya told him sternly.
"Wha-? But can't we wait! I mean we aren't deviating off-path… just ya know we'll be a little late." Naruto told him sheepishly.
"Nani? You're the one who wanted to get back as soon as possible!" Jiraiya told him exasperatedly.
Naruto sighed, "Pleaaaaaasseeeee! Pretty pleaseeeee!" Naruto flashed him the puppy dog eyes.
"Crap…" Cursed Jiraiya in defeat…. "Fine…. Let's go find your girlfriend." Jiraiya said and smirked as he watched the blonde redden and splutter all the way.
Sakura took in a deep breath and exhaled, letting the exhaustion wash over her….. Treating the wife of the Feudal Lord who had contracted a deadly virus that had her working the whole day….. Well, what was left of her day. It was nightfall now. The stars twinkled, winking at her mischievously. The moon was half and looked pretty as it always did. She giggled as she looked for the rabbit on the moon. It was something she loved to do….. In her eyes, the pattern on the moon looked like a rabbit. It was childish Sakura knew…. But it was a fond memory of hers…..
The kunoichi sighed as the events of the day filtered through her mind…. Needless to say, she felt a little guilty for being so harsh on Naruto and then leaving him there and she didn't even thank the white-haired man. Sakura thought she had seen the white flash somewhere…. He looked familiar but she couldn't place him….
Whelp anyway….. She needed a place to rest…. Sakura had decided to set off home tomorrow…. She wondered if Naruto and his companion had left…. Ugh, it was completely stupid idiotic crazy, and whatnot but she kind of missed the chatty blonde's well constant chattering…. Really somehow he kind of maybe made an impression on her? His fight with the snake flashed through Sakura's mind…..
'He's quite an admirable young man isn't he?' Another voice spoke up in her head.
'Wha-? I never said that… He's okay…. Admirable? Not so much. He talks way too much, plus all that orange is just plain weird attire for a ninja.' Sakura answered inner self.
'Excuses, all I hear is denial...' Inner Sakura said in a sing-song voice.
'Will you just go away?!' Sakura told her inner self …. To which her inner self snickered before relenting and just like that she disappeared.
Suddenly Sakura felt lonely now that her inner self had disappeared too. She sighed, she never liked this feeling….. It was so…. Depressing. She hated it. Now Sakura wished she brought Ino along. Ino was her best friend. The blonde was a lot like Naruto….. Well, they were both blonde, annoying, and huge chatterboxes.
She giggled silently and looked up at the half-moon focusing on the rabbit when she heard an exceptionally loud voice disrupting the calm and quiet of the night. Sakura was startled as she thought the whole place must be up due to his obnoxiously loud voice….. Really where did she meet such characters.
"Oi Ero-sennin! I found her! Get your old ass here!" The blonde exclaimed before running towards her with that fox-like smile.
"Heya there Sakura-chan! I've been looking all over for ya! Where'd you disappear off to?" Naruto asked her.
Sakura was surprised, he had been looking for her? But why? They were strangers…. They didn't know anything about each other…..
Before she could reply, Jiraiya appeared next to them. "You should have told your boyfriend at least pinky. He was moping around thinking you were mad at him or something." The white-haired man chuckled.
Sakura gave a glare as her cheeks reddened due to some unknown force working against her, while Inner Sakura laughed it up. She had dealt with flirting before and had never blushed since her childhood. Why now?! But before she could yell at the white-haired man,
Naruto turned red and yelled, "Shut up Ero-sennin!"
"What was that you stupid brat?!" Jiraiya yelled.
"I was not moping around!" Naruto yelled back.
"Oh really? I beg to differ." Jiraiya smirked.
"Aw, man! Don't embarrass me like this dammit!" Naruto yelled as he shifted the fawn in his arms.
Sakura giggled at their exchange before finally asking, "Um may I ask who this Ero-sennin is?"
"Huh?" Both males turned towards her.
Jiraiya smiled of course, "I'm the-
"Oh no…. not this long introduction again…. Sakura-chan this perverted hermit here is Jiraiya, one of the legendary three sanin…. I'm sure you've heard of them" Naruto interrupted while Jiraiya glared daggers at him.
"Oh, so that's why you were so familiar…." Sakura trailed off, "Well anyway it's an honor to meet you Jiraiya-sama." Sakura greeted him politely.
Jiraiya smirked, "See brat, this is how you show respect to your elders. Learn something from this young and may I say very beautiful lady…"
Sakura's eyes widened but then narrowed, before she could give a witty reply Naruto beat her, "Oi! Keep Sakura-chan out of your perverted fantasies old man!"
Jiraiya smirked, "Oh? Why? So you can be the one fantasizing?"
"Yeah! Wait what no!" Naruto shook his head in fear as Sakura looked at him in anger.
"You!" She exclaimed. Naruto yelped. Jiraiya smirked.
Naruto ran.
Sakura gave chase.
And Jiraiya just gave a perverted grin…. It seemed like he finally had inspiration for his next book for the world-famous Icha-Icha Series…..
Well, it was always fun meeting Jiraiya… won't you agree?
At the Gates of Konoha…..
Sakura and Jiraiya sighed in exhaustion while Naruto sported a sheepish look with the small fawn resting on his head. All three of them were covered in dirt and minor scratches….. with the small fawn perched upon the shaggy blonde hair of Naruto. It seemed like the small animal had taken a liking to his soft hair.
"I still can't believe you Naruto, you're absolutely completely ugh!" Sakura exclaimed in annoyance.
"Oh come on Sakura-chan! I said I was sorry, it was an accident, plus it was just bad timing…." The accused blonde grumbled.
Jiraiya snorted, "Yeah right, it wasn't just bad timing, it was completely stupid! Who in their right mind shoves their hand up a wild boar's nose?!"
Naruto whirled around to face the white-haired sanin, "I told you didn't I? That thing inhaled my apple! I was hungry and I wanted it back!" He crossed his arms and glared.
Sakura had to resist the urge to face-palm, "First of all Naruto, it seems completely impossible for a sleeping wild boar to inhale an apple through its nose and not wake up. Don't you have any common sense?"
Naruto looked like he was going to protest but Sakura increased her voice, "AND, if through some weird unnatural miracle it didn't wake up, why on earth would you want to eat an apple covered in pig snot?!"
The blonde boy smiled, "I could just wash it! Or you know wipe it on Ero-sennin's clothes." Said Naruto goofily.
Jiraiya punched the boy on the head, "Shut up brat. You're not five anymore! You're not getting away after wiping your boogers on my clothes without a good beating!"
"You're disgusting," Sakura said making a face as she pushed him away resulting in him falling to the ground after which she walked away towards the village.
Naruto watched her retreating back with sad eyes. "I thought she would laugh!" The orange-clad boy exclaimed.
Jiraiya just shook his head, "Really? Have I taught you nothing? That is not how you treat a girl." The sanin said wisely.
"Well, it's better than peeping at her in the shower or something!" Naruto shot back making Jiraiya glare at him before he sighed.
"Come on brat, we don't have a lot of time. I suggest you go on ahead and get something to eat while I go to the Hokage's office for a much-needed talk. I'll send a summon when we require you, sound good?" The sanin asked and Naruto nodded in consent and took off.
Naruto sighed as he ran through the crowd of bustling villagers. Since Sakura and both he and Jiraiya had to go to the Leaf village, they had decided to travel back together. The journey had been uneventful for the most part, but that was until he had angered a wild boar into chasing them all the way to the outskirts of Konoha, by rummaging around in its nose. He sweat-dropped, maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all.
His stomach growled as he slowed down to a walk. Naruto finally took a notice of his surroundings. It looked like he had come right into the marketplace. He smiled as a small kid ran up to his mother and tugged her skirt to make her look at the balloon the kid wanted. The village didn't look much different than the last time he had come here, which must be what? Some four-five years?
Well, it placated him that the old hag hadn't made too many changes. Naruto chuckled slightly as his thoughts went to the current Hokage. A blonde-haired woman, she was old but used a Jutsu to maintain a youthful appearance. The last time he had come to the village had been for a sad reason. The Third Hokage's funeral. Yes Sarutobi Hiruzen had died. It had happened at the final rounds of the Chunin Exams. He didn't remember much of the happenings, but he did know the culprit who was behind it. The third had been like a grandfather to him…. Even though he didn't really spend time with the old man…. He still knew enough to adore and admire him. He was a pretty good Hokage after all.
Naruto stopped his musings when he spotted a flash of pink hair. He gasped lightly and pushed his way through the crowd. He knew Sakura wasn't really angry with him, but he still wanted to apologize. He was honestly just trying to make her laugh, but it seems like his way wasn't the best way. Guess snot humor wasn't her thing. Maybe bathroom humor? Sakura still seemed to be in the same attire, her face was still marred with dirt.
It seemed like Sakura was just as hungry as him since she was buying Dango. He noticed the hungry look in her eye and smiled. It was similar to the look he would get when he saw ramen. The lady behind the counter smiled at the young girl and handed her the stick. Naruto watched Sakura thank the lady and turn away to the other side, no doubt getting ready to go home. This was a good time as any to talk to her, so he took a step towards her only to stop in confusion.
Sakura had only moved a few steps and stopped. She was now facing an alley, Naruto couldn't really see what had compelled her to stop so he moved a little to get a good angle. As he did so, he saw a small girl no more than six years standing in the alley, with a tattered pillow cover with holes as clothes. Scratches seemed to adorn her childishly cute face. The girl was covered in dirt and bruises and had the utmost longing looks in her eyes. Those big brown eyes seemed to be fixed on the Dango in Sakura's hand.
Naruto watched as the kunoichi bent down and took out a white handkerchief, he couldn't see Sakura's facial expression but he watched as she proceeded to wipe the dirt off the young girl's face. The girl seemed to be stunned at Sakura's gentle touch, it was obvious that the little girl hadn't experienced this kind of touch and this made Naruto's heart clench in pain. After all the blonde knew how it felt to get that first touch which makes you feel warm all of a sudden after being subjected only to cruel beatings, cold hard stares, and hatred. Though he doubted the kid would have gone through that kind of hell but still… a small child on the streets? Did anyone not know how tough it was surviving on the streets as a wee child? The mussed up and malnourished appearance of the girl gave him a flashback of his own childhood before the Sandaime found him…Naruto knew he couldn't do anything for now….. He didn't even have a permanent lodging of his own…. It killed him to just stand by like a watcher and not do anything….
He continued watching with his blue eyes looking like a troubled ocean as Sakura offered her dango to the little girl. The girl stared at the stick in wonder, as her eyes took in the glorious piece of food offered to her. Extending out her skinny arms she clutched the stick with both her hands. The expression on her face was of awe as she took the first bite out of the dumpling.
Naruto's heart warmed at the scene before him, Sakura really was a kind soul…. The face of the Old man flashed through his mind. He smiled to himself…. Quietly thanking the late Hokage.
Sakura ruffled the little girl's hair affectionately before jumping onto the roof of the next building and hopped away. The brown-eyed girl seemed to have opened her mouth to thank her but now she just stood with an open mouth staring up at the spot where Sakura had hopped away from as she continued devouring the dumplings before she sighed and disappeared back into the alley.
The wordless exchange between the little girl and his newly gained acquaintance had garnered him a chance to get a glimpse of the pink-haired girl's character. He wasn't disappointed at all, quite the contrary…. Naruto could just feel it that Sakura and he were supposed to meet. They were going to be good friends maybe even best friends if he had something to do with it. He smirked to himself before deciding to go after Sakura before she got too far. He jumped up and building hopped till he came in viewing distance of the rosette.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled over to her making her stumble to a stop in surprise.
She turned to look at him and sighed, "Don't call me that!" She snapped as he got closer.
Naruto paid no mind to her reprimand and sheepishly ran a hand through his wild mop of hair. "Ah Sakura-chan, I- uh just wanted to apologize for disgusting you earlier….."
Her eyes widened a bit before softening a little though she looked away before he noticed, "It's alright. I wasn't really upset." Said Sakura with a smile.
Naruto shot her a foxy grin, "I know that! Just wanted to make sure if were ok!" He exclaimed slinging an arm around the rosette making her tense up and glare at the blonde.
"Now that I know we're ok, let's get something to eat! I'm famished. I could eat that damned boar that chased us, and it was huge! Maybe the size of a baby elephant!" Naruto continued rambling unaware of the killer intent Sakura was giving out.
"Naruto, get your arm off me!" Sakura ordered him, making him pout like a child.
"Aw, but it feels so good and warm and fuzzy!" Naruto chuckled as he wrapped his other arm around her waist pulling her close.
"See? And oh boy you smell like strawberries and is that vanilla?" Naruto questioned as he leaned in and sniffed her hair.
Sakura turned red as her eyes grew into white circles. "B-BAKA! Get off me! I told you before, don't just grab a girl like that out of the blue!" She reprimanded him with a punch.
Naruto rubbed the bump on his head and then gave a cheeky smile, "Well, so you're saying you liked the hug? Don't worry I'll warn ya the next time I give you one of my special hugs." The blonde winked at her.
A tick mark grew on Sakura's head, and continued to get bigger as her fist clenched, "You really do have a death wish don't you Uzumaki? Well, I'll gladly punch that cheeky smile off your face." She ground out.
Naruto sweat-dropped as he gulped, "Ah Sakura-chan, you know you're just hungry. And a hungry you mean an angry you, you need ramen, let's get ramen!" He quickly blurted out and grabbed her hand and pulled her with him.
"Wha-?" In her confusion, her anger ebbed away. "Are you sure there's a ramen stand in the village?" Sakura asked deviously attempting to tease him.
Naruto looked at her in horror, "Do you mean there isn't a ramen stand here anymore?! That's tragic!"
Sakura chuckled, "Don't be so melodramatic, and you're in luck, there is a ramen stand in the village, and a pretty good one at that."
"Alright! I knew I remembered eating at a ramen stand in the village!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly.
Sakura raised an eyebrow, "You've been in the village before?" She asked curiously.
"Yeah…. Oh by the way…. I saw that little exchange down there, so I really do know about you being hungry." Naruto said as his cheekiness wore off to be replaced by a sincere look as he looked her in the eye.
Sakura looked away, her cheeks taking on a pink tinge, "Oh…." She trailed off, "Well I couldn't just ignore the girl when she gave me that kind of look. I would have felt horrible later…. Besides I can afford to skip lunch." Sakura shrugged nonchalantly.
Naruto gave her a lopsided grin, "Sakura-chan, what you did there must have left a lasting effect on her. You're kind at heart…. Never change." He told her his grin still in full force, his eyes shining with mirth.
Sakura was a bit wide-eyed at his declaration. Naruto had a knack for leaving her wide-eyed, but she couldn't disagree with him, "I won't." She told him firmly, "And Kami-sama knows how much the world needs kind people."
Naruto nodded as they both leaped from the roof of a house to another roof.
"So tell me about the time you were in the village, I don't recall seeing you there…" Sakura asked him curiously.
Naruto wilted a little but he still managed a smile. Sakura wasn't asking something unreasonable…. It just happened to be a painful incident, but she must have been there too, so what difference did it make?
"It was maybe five years ago when I came back with Ero-sennin…. Around the time when um well when it was the third's funeral." Naruto told her with a sad smile. He was a little confused when an unreadable look passed on her face. But it disappeared as soon as it came.
"Oh…" Was the only thing Sakura could say.
"Yeah, everyone was mourning and we all were busy. Plus in that kind of crowd, it would have been hard to notice unknown people or even ponder over their identity when such a sad affair took place." Said the blonde with a shrug.
"Yeah, you're probably right." Sakura smiled and Naruto grinned in response.
"No way…. I would never have guessed that she was a Haruno." Jiraiya exclaimed in surprise.
"Really? You didn't pick it up? She wears her symbol on her shirt. " A sarcastic voice replied making the white-haired sanin sweat-drop in embarrassment.
"Oh come on Tsunade, Harunos aren't very distinguished, I haven't really met any. Besides all of them are civilians." The sanin grumbled.
Tsunade was a blonde-haired woman, with a busty chest and pretty brown eyes. She was a sight to behold for men, known as the most beautiful and strongest kunoichi in all five great nations. Some even called her a monster. A gifted medic ninja she was now the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village. This woman was just as old as our beloved Jiraiya but she used a medical jutsu to maintain a young appearance. And of course, both Jiraiya and Tsunade were on the same team back in their genin days.
The blonde woman rolled her eyes as she chewed on her pen while her eyes roamed over the stupid piece of paper in her hand. Tsunade's eye twitched as a tick mark appeared on her head.
"What crap is this?! Like hell, I'll sign this!" The Hokage yelled before crumpling the paper and tossing it out the window. Jiraiya chuckled at his teammate's behavior when a voice spoke up.
"Really Baa-chan, some Hokage you are, throwing official papers out the window." An orange-clad boy chirped from his perch on the window sill.
Tsunade turned around to glare at him, "I see you after five years and the first thing I wanna do is punch you." She said in a sickly sweet smile.
Before Naruto could reply, the door to the Hokage's office burst open to reveal a panting pink-haired girl.
"Haha, Sakura-chan! I win!" Naruto boasted as he got off the sill and walked around to stand next to Tsunade's desk.
Sakura shook her head and cursed, "Naruto, even though you won our race, it still doesn't justify you entering a respected person much less our village's leader's office through a window!" She lectured him by hitting him on the head with a paper fan multiple times in succession… although lightly.
"Ow, ow ow OW!" Naruto puffed out his cheeks.
Tsunade smirked, "Ah, I see you've already met my apprentice. I'm glad she's already started making the brat….. A little less bratty."
The blonde faced Tsunade, "NANI?!" Naruto exclaimed, shock written all over his face.
Naruto turned to face Sakura, his mouth hanging open, "Baa-chan is your teacher?! Man…. How have you not died from the torture this old hag surely inflicted upon you!" Naruto said in awe.
Sakura's mouth dropped open in shock. Tsunade broke the pen in her hand. Jiraiya yelped in fear.
"I'll have you know I'm an excellent teacher brat! Much better than this pervert here." Tsunade growled as she chucked a stapler at the blonde's head.
Naruto dodged, "I agree with that. At least Sakura-chan doesn't have to put up with perverted antics." He sighed.
Jiraiya appeared to be offended and glared at the blonde, "You didn't seem to be complaining a week ago when we peeked on those women in the hot springs. You almost fainted with a nose-bleed!"
Electricity seemed to shoot behind Sakura and Tsunade, before they rose in flames of anger as they glared at the two males.
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
A silver-haired jounin looked up from his book with cartoonish figures on the cover, making it seem like a children's book. But it most certainly involved adult stuff… ahem… cough… not advisable to buy for your child.
The jounin shared a look with his companion who was in a green spandex suit.
"You don't think….?" The book holder asked.
"It certainly seems like it." The oddball of a man chuckled.
The silver-haired jounin sighed….. Looks like the author of the book series he adored and his wild apprentice were finally back in town.
Naruto and Jiraiya twitched on the ground sporting two huge bumps on their heads while both Tsunade and Sakura blew steam off their fists.
Like Master, like Apprentice….. Am I right?
The door again burst open, but this time, it was a woman with short black hair with a small pink pig trailing behind.
"What?! What happened?! I heard some commotion! Are you alright Tsunade-sama?!" The young woman asked frantically but calmed down as her eyes took in the scene. A sweatdrop grew on her head.
Tsunade sighed, "Yes I'm alright Shizune. Sakura and I were just teaching a lesson to a bunch of perverts. They better hope for their sake they learned it or next time…. Well, there won't be a next time."
Shizune looked at the trembling Jiraiya and Naruto who were shakily standing up.
"Oh Jiraiya-sama, Naruto-kun, why must you always get yourselves punched? Sometimes I think you enjoy it as much as Tsunade-sama." Shizune groaned and Tonton oinked in agreement.
Naruto turned around and gave a big smile to the dark-haired woman before launching himself onto her. "Shizune-nee-chan!" He exclaimed happily as Shizune smiled warmly and wrapped him in a tight hug.
Sakura looked around curiously. This was odd…. Now that she was paying attention, it seemed like she was missing something….. From earlier interactions between Naruto and her master which she hadn't focused much upon because of Naruto's offhanded comments and Tsunade's temper flaring, it seemed like Naruto, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune were all well acquainted with each other. Almost to the extent of nicknames…. Brat and Baa-chan for example. She was definitely missing a piece of the puzzle. Maybe quite a few pieces as she watched all four interact with each other. She knew that look of nostalgia and happiness one's countenance showed during a particular reunion. Sakura was kind of sad to notice that she hadn't seen her master this happy in all the years she had been under her wing. Tsunade always had lines of weariness, frustration and anger etched upon her face after a lot of paperwork or a diplomatic meeting that hadn't gone well.
Sakura couldn't remember a time when Tsunade and Shizune had been this happy. They joked around too. But this seemed different somehow…. Oh, their relationship was not formal or anything, they were like any teacher-student with Tsunade flinging her into walls, trees, buildings, and many more things during training or flinging things at her head when they argued over stupid stuff or serious things….. Oh, those were never fun. They made jokes when Sakura wasn't feeling serious…. Wait, she wasn't jealous…. Why would she be jealous? No there was no need.
"Sakura-chan?" Asked Naruto, "You alright?"
With a flustered look on her face, Sakura chuckled nervously assuring them that she was quite fine only to have Tsunade lift an eyebrow in suspicion, "It seems like my apprentice went into one of her thinking flurries." The blonde Hokage teased with a smile. Sakura blushed in embarrassment.
"I-I wasn't in one of my thinking flurries! I was just imagining taking a hot bubbly bath to wash away all this dirt and grime on me." Sakura said nervously.
"Oh please, I could practically hear the cogs turning in your head Sakura." Said Tsunade making Jiraiya chuckle, "Nerd alert!" He joked.
"I am not a nerd!" Sakura huffed angrily crossing her arms.
"There is no way, someone, as pretty as Sakura-chan could be a nerd!" Naruto yelled at his master in annoyance making Shizune and Tsunade crack smiles that guaranteed at least an hour of teasing.
"Oh, so a girl can't be pretty and smart? Do all pretty girls need to be busty, dumb bimbos?" Sakura snapped at Naruto.
The blonde boy grew a sweat-drop, "I didn't mean it like that Sakura-chan!" Naruto spluttered.
"Then what did you mean?" Sakura gave him a stink eye.
"Ah-I um I uh ahem I dunno ya know…" Naruto was clearly lost on how to rectify the situation and Tsunade was surprised her apprentice hadn't already chucked something at his noggin. Really, all boys and all men were complete idiots. She decided to take pity on Naruto…. After all, they had met up after five years…. It wouldn't be so good if she had to patch him up in the hospital so soon.
And so Tsunade interrupted, Naruto shot her a grateful look,
"Alright, alright, enough goofing off. It's time to get back to business." The Hokage stated as she made her way back to her chair with Shizune taking a place on her right with Tonton nuzzled in her arms.
Joining her hands and resting her chin on them Tsunade leaned forward and regarded everyone in the room before settling on Sakura, "I'm sorry Sakura, but I think you'll need to cancel all your plans to enjoy a hot bubbly bath because I'm giving you another mission." The blonde woman said in a not-so-sorry voice.
'What the hell?! We're exhausted and this old hag is giving us another mission?! She's going to kill us! She better have a good reason SHANNARO!' Inner Sakura yelled in her head making Sakura sweat-drop. Honestly, her inner self disturbingly reminded her of Naruto. They were both rude brats.
"But Tsunade-sama, I'm really tired, plus I really do need a bath. I stink! And I don't want another solo mission. I've been doing those straight for a month now." Sakura said sheepishly.
The Hokage glared at her making her eep quietly, "Don't worry you won't be alone on the mission."
"Oh great, just please don't let it be Ino. She's an annoying chatterbox. I mean really how she can talk so much, it's beyond me. Besides, I have been working non-stop, she must have accumulated a month of gossip…. And believe me, that is bad." Sakura rambled on, "Well if you want to give me a partner, I'd say the best choice would be Shikamaru, he doesn't talk my ear off, we work well together and we somehow have similar problems too namely Ino." Sakura would have continued on longer if Tsunade hadn't chucked a book at her head.
"OW!" The rosette exclaimed.
"The pot calling the kettle black. Both you and Ino are chatterboxes. And no neither Ino nor Shikamaru will be accompanying you, they're both out on a mission right now with Choji. Naruto can accompany you. He hasn't got anything else to do. He'll just roam around stuffing his face with ramen so he might as well put himself to some use." Tsunade explained as Sakura rubbed the bump on her head.
"Naruto?" Sakura questioned curiously, while said boy jumped around, "Yay! I get to go on a mission with Sakura-chan! Yes, I'm really lucky." He exclaimed loudly. Sakura was flattered really she was, but sometimes Naruto was way too loud.
"But-
Whatever Sakura was about to say was cut off by a stern look from Tsunade that meant no room for arguments.
"What's the mission Baa-chan? Is it super kick-ass like rounding up rogue ninja? Is it? Is it? Oh man, I am way too excited! Just tell me already!" Naruto blurted out excitedly.
Tsunade gave him an annoyed look, "You have to squish a bug."
Everything came crashing down like glass breaking and a blue background surrounded Naruto before he snapped at the Hokage, "What the hell Baa-chan?!" He exclaimed. Even Sakura looked a little miffed.
"Maybe I shouldn't have said it like that." Tsunade sweat-dropped, "The mission is to extract poison from a deadly spider which has been lurking in the forest on the outskirts of Konoha. It's already killed five shinobi. No one except those who are already dead have seen it. Your mission is very simple, just extract poison from it and then kill it. The thing might not be wreaking havoc, but it's still a threat. I trust you both will be able to complete it?" Asked Tsunade after completing the mission briefing.
Sakura had acquired a glint of fascination at the word poison Naruto noticed. Her demeanor had changed from tired and begrudging to determined and excited. There was certainly more to her than meets the eye the blonde realized with an inward smile.
"Hai Tsunade-sama. You won't be disappointed…. And if I may… could I-
Tsunade smiled, "Yes, of course, you can research the poison yourself. I have no problem."
'Shannaro! That's more like it!' Her inner self said with fire in her eyes.
Sakura looked at Tsunade with gratitude, "Thankyou Tsunade-sama….."
Naruto gave a foxy smile, "Well it isn't the most kick-ass mission I wanted but it seems like Sakura-chan is happy, so I'm gonna be happy." The blonde declared flashing a thumbs-up at Tsunade.
Sakura flashed him a grateful smile and was a little surprised to see a blush rise on his face. Her inner self was giggling at his cuteness and seemed adamant about teasing her. But she remained professional on the outside. Honestly, her annoying inner-self should have an off switch.
"When should we leave Baa-chan?" Naruto questioned.
Tsunade looked at them thoughtfully, "You both do seem tired and dirty, leave tomorrow in the morning. And it's already dark outside. You can rest up for the night." She told them.
"Uh….. Baa-chan?" Naruto started nervously ruffling his wild hair as he raked a hand through the yellow mop, "I ah don't really have any money since I spent it all on candy a few days ago…. So um… where am I supposed to sleep?" The orange cloaked boy chuckled.
Tsunade turned her incredulous gaze towards Jiraiya who continued whistling to avoid looking at her, "Let me guess, you spent all your money in brothels trying to grope prostitutes…. Honestly, you both are such idiots." The Hokage grumbled in annoyance as she observed both of them sporting sheepish smiles. She wanted to kill them…. Ugh, how frustrating.
"Jiraiya is a big boy, he can sleep on the cold metaled road no problem," Tsunade smirked as the grin fell from the white-haired sanin's face. "And as for you Naruto…. You can just bunk with Sakura."
"WHAT?!" Sakura exclaimed a little too loudly.
"EH?!" Naruto almost tripped over his feet, "You want me to spend the night with Sakura-chan?!" The blonde exclaimed in shock.
"Baka! Don't say it like that!" Sakura yelled at him with an embarrassed blush on her face.
Tsunade snickered, "Oh come on Naruto I think you're both old enough and I think you should have enough sense to know that you won't catch cooties from Sakura." She chuckled humorously with Jiraiya and Shizune joining in.
Naruto turned red, "Of course not you old hag! I am not five years old! I won't pull her hair or push her around like a kindergartner!" He said with a pout.
Sakura glared, "Yes, I'd like to see you try." She replied dryly and Naruto backed away from her in fear making her smirk in satisfaction.
Jiraiya sweat-dropped. Tsunade smirked. And Shizune just grimaced at the familiarity of the situation. Why did these kids parallel the sanins so much?
"Alright now, all of you get out. I have a lot of paperwork to do. You've wasted enough of my time." The blonde Hokage grumbled making Jiraiya chuckle as he turned to leave through the window after flashing a smile and promising to come back later for a good long chat. Shizune nodded and took her to leave. Naruto opened the door to leave with Sakura on his tail when Tsunade spoke up again, "Naruto wait outside for a minute…. I need to talk to Sakura for a bit."
The blonde sighed, "Aw." Before he went out and gently shut the door behind him.
Sakura turned away from the door to face her master, "What is it Tsunade-sama? Is something wrong?" The pink-haired kunoichi asked with her head tilted to the side, her innocence apparent in her mannerisms.
"Sakura….. I know I'm asking a lot of you by ordering you to allow Naruto to take residence at your house." Tsunade started, Sakura made to interrupt but the Hokage held up a hand effectively silencing her.
"I know you must be curious about Naruto. I knew you were thinking about the same just a little while ago. I think Naruto's already told you that he's originally from the Leaf…." She stopped to chuckle a little, "The brat never could keep it quiet, despite not having a Konoha headband, he would keep yelling it to anyone who would listen. He's just proud you know." The blonde Hokage explained with a fond smile.
"Tsunade-sama…. If you don't mind me asking….. What connection do you have with Naruto? I know Jiraiya-same was your team-mate, but I can't figure out a legitimate connection between that goof and you." Sakura said, her face scrunched up as she thought harder.
Tsunade smirked, her apprentice was curious, sometimes too curious for her own good, "It's nothing much, just that when Naruto and Jiraiya traveled the world while the third was alive, Shizune and I traveled a lot too. Through many coincidences, we met or bumped into each other. At first, I was reluctant to associate with both of them. But that goofy brat Naruto knocked down my defenses like smashing through brick walls and I found myself looking forward to those unexpected meetings…. Time went by, the brat grew up, and we met up sometimes by choice sometimes by chance, all those meetings ended up with some kind of weird adventure or incident." She trailed off with a nostalgic expression on her face.
Sakura smiled seeing her master so happy made her feel happy too. "It's alright Tsunade-sama, you don't need to explain your reasons to me. I like Naruto just fine. We met by chance….. And I don't….. Mind it. I'm glad. Though I am sure there is something you still haven't told me. But I understand that you wish to withhold that information from me. You have your reasons for it and as much as my curiosity is killing me, I won't annoy you with any questions. I…. I trust you master…. I know you'll tell me when the time is right." Sakura told her earnestly.
Tsunade looked surprised for a moment before smiling at her apprentice affectionately. Sakura had finally admitted it. Her student trusted her now. Oh, she knew Sakura had started trusting her a while ago, but it felt concrete now that she had said it out loud. At first glance, Sakura was like the next normal ninja. But Tsunade had to admit, no one thought that Sakura would be such an un-trusting person. But the Hokage knew, it was not just Sakura's ninja instincts that made her wary of people.
"Thank you, Sakura. I appreciate your maturity regarding this situation. And besides, I thought maybe a little company for you might not be so bad….." Tsunade trailed off with a sad smile.
Sakura gaped at her teacher, before looking away. Tsunade felt awkward…. Maybe having this talk was not a good idea, but then the blonde woman noticed a small smile on her pupil's face alleviating any fears Tsunade had.
Sakura smiled genuinely, "Thank you, master." The young ninja bowed respectfully. Tsunade could feel the gratitude and affection rolling off Sakura. The Hokage was a bit surprised to feel the strong surge of emotions from her student. Sakura always kept her feelings and emotions in check.
Tsunade watched as the pink-haired girl turned towards the door to take her leave. With her hand on the doorknob, Sakura turned her head slightly to look at Tsunade, "You're right Tsunade-sama, and it does get a bit lonely in that big house especially at nights….. I." She stopped flashing her a small smile, "I wouldn't ever mind some company."
With that Sakura turned the doorknob and left as the door softly clicked behind her leaving Tsunade with a frown on her face as she contemplated her apprentice's parting words. With a heavy sigh, she picked up the pen and started on the mountain of paperwork.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting." Sakura told the boy who was building a card castle on Shizune's desk while Shizune chased Tonton and the fawn who had a book in his mouth.
"It's alright Sakura-chan!" Naruto told her with a smile.
"Come on then… let's go." She told him as he got up while Naruto scooped up the tiny animal allowing Shizune to take the book with cartoonish figures out of its mouth. The dark-haired woman blushed as Naruto snickered winking at her before he followed Sakura down the stairs.
"Hey Sakura-chan, wanna grab some ramen with me?" Naruto asked his eyes shining with childish glee.
Sakura looked at him scandalized, "What? We were just at the ramen stand before coming to the Hokage's office! Honestly Naruto, you can't eat ramen for lunch and dinner!" Sakura admonished him.
"Pleassssseeeeee!" Naruto whined.
"Naruto you ate thirty bowls at lunch! You completely cleaned me out! I have no money!" Sakura told him as they descended down the last steps.
"Whaaaaat?" Naruto said sadly. He hung his head as a black cloud of depression loomed over his head, as he held a hand to his grumbling stomach. He groaned.
"I'm surprised you're hungry considering how much you stuffed yourself at lunch. There's no way I'm giving you ramen!" Sakura told him sternly as he pouted, "I have some vegetables, and I'll make you a healthy vegetable soup and some salad."
Naruto made gagging noises as if he was dying, "You'll torture me to death! ACK! Veggie soup yuck disgusting, urk I think this is what hell feels like!" Naruto yelled acting like he was in pain.
Sakura punched him lightly on the head making him puff out his cheeks, "Stop being so melodramatic."
Naruto grumbled about the horrors of vegetables while Sakura shook her head in exasperation resisting the urge to face-palm as they made their way towards Sakura's house in the sun-set illuminating them in orange light.
A/N: Huge I know. Sorry for that. I hope ya'll stuck till the end. It will be a good story I promise. Keep coming back! This is just the beginning so a lot of stuff has to happen. Don't get antsy or impatient please. How was it by the way? Please don't let it be horrible ( crosses fingers ).
Anyway, I hope you liked the first chapter, review please! Alrighty till next time!