Chapter 2: A Feeling of Yearning, a Flower Full of Hope
The next morning
Naruto (with his jacket open - again, Jiraiya's advice), Jiraiya, Ebisu, and Sakura were all at Team 7's training ground. The first thing that Ebisu wanted to teach Sakura was water-walking, so they'd all met at the bridge where Team 7 would rendezvous before receiving their itinerary for every day.
While Ebisu trained Sakura to walk on water, Jiraiya would just write his smut and 'supervise' Naruto's spiraling sphere, which was moving at an excruciatingly slow pace. The sage found that his presence was necessary, though, as the blonde would get distracted every few minutes and look at Sakura's training for a while.
This went on for two hours before Jiraiya finally asked, "C'mon, Brat, just focus on your own training!". Naruto argued, "I am focusing on my own training! It just gets so damn boring sometimes and I need to take my mind off of it because when I feel that way, I just can't do things!". Jiraiya shot back, "Oh, is that how you've been training for the past week, then? Getting distracted for half of every hour?". Tears began to slowly fall from Naruto's eyes as he shouted back, "Yeah, it is! I know that if I wasn't like this, I'd be able to get it done faster,", his voice cracked, "but it's just the way that I am, okay?!". Naruto's voice cracked again, as he whimpered, turned around, and began trying to form the spiraling sphere again, leaving Jiraiya to his thoughts.
I never thought Naruto would blow up like that... The way he speaks, it's as if there's something going on in his mind that makes him unable to deal with the boredom. Maybe not 'boredom' ... a better word might be 'understimulation'. Yeah, I've seen this kind of mindset in students before. I can't diagnose the boy right here and now, being that I'm not a doctor, but I have a strong hunch as to what it may be...
It was then that Naruto turned around, having dried his tears. He looked at the floor ashamedly and said, "S-sorry I blew up on you like that, Pervy Sage, it's just that- I really don't like the way that my brain works, and when people point it out and bother me about it, it irritates me because I can't change it, y'know. I don't even know what's wrong with it...".
Jiraiya's heart began to sink. He hadn't meant to make the boy feel like this! He kneeled down, and told Naruto, "There's nothing wrong with you, Naruto. Your brain just works differently.". He ruffled the boy's hair, and called out, "Oi, Ebisu! C'mere for a sec!". The sunglasses-wearing jonin looked up, hummed, and nodded. He told Sakura to cease water-walking for a while, and obeyed the legendary ninja.
When Ebisu arrived, Sakura had followed him up the bridge. Jiraiya ordered, "At this point, Ebisu, you know the village better than I do. I'll cover Sakura's training for a while, you take Naruto to a pediatrician and have him tested for variable attention stimulus trait.".
And that's when Naruto stopped paying attention.
Sheesh, what big words!
The boy looked over at Sakura, and the two made eye-contact. Naruto cocked his head and smiled, eliciting a smile from the face of the pinkette. Sakura hadn't noticed that she was smiling back at Naruto, though, until she'd been doing it for a few seconds, in addition to twirling her hair.
Naruto smiled at me, and I automatically smiled back...! He... he has been making me happier lately...
Ebisu and Jiraiya had finished their talk by now. Ebisu put a hand on Naruto's shoulder and told him, "Come with me, Naruto.". The blonde asked, "Why, what's up?", and Ebisu explained, "I'm taking you to a doctor. And before you ask, no, you're not sick. There's just something that Master Jiraiya wants me to confirm.". With that, Naruto and Ebisu walked away, towards a pediatrician's office.
Sakura asked Jiraiya, "What do you need to 'confirm' ?...". The man simply looked down at her, and said, "Nothing you need to worry about. Come on, let's keep working on your water-walking.".
Undisclosed location, same morning
In a short, remote building near the woods, Orochimaru was leaning back against a pillar. Kabuto then walked out of the safe house, and was then told by Orochimaru, "Kabuto, I'm sure you recall the last time we met like this...".
Kabuto turned around to face him, and answered, "Yeah, you gave me that mission to grab Sasuke, Orochimaru.".
The snake-like man responded, "You're my right-hand man, Kabuto. It surprised me to find out that you'd failed, but it's just like I said; you're no stronger than Kakashi. That being said, there is a small detail that I'd like for you to know... Sasuke might be pushed towards the darkness, and succumb to the curse mark, if you murder Naruto Uzumaki.". He perversely licked his lips, hiding his underlying anxiety.
Plus, if you murder that blonde brat, I'll have a lot less trouble myself... I was barely able to keep the kid restrained long enough to place that five-pronged sealing jutsu on him. If he manages to learn to use more of the fox's power, I just might be done for!
Kabuto scoffed, "I was already considering that possibility, Orochimaru. The problem is, that kid's been spotted hanging out with Jiraiya. You know, your former teammate.".
Orochimaru sighed. "I have faith in you, Kabuto. I'm sure that you'll find some way to deal with that brat.".
I could kill Naruto myself now, but I can't risk blowing my own cover... My place in the plan is much too intricate for me to attempt something like that...
Hidden Leaf Village, Pediatrician's Office
Naruto was sitting in a chair in a doctor's office, with Ebisu standing next to him as the doctor wrote down some notes. The doctor scribbled and scribbled. As he did that, Naruto looked up at Ebisu. He tugged at the man's shirt, and asked, "Sensei, what's 'variable attention stimulus trait'?".
Ebisu sighed. He answered, "I don't know how to explain it. It's a... Neurodevelopmental disorder, and those living with it may have difficulty keeping their concentration on something that isn't intellectually stimulating, or they might be overly impulsive or hyperactive.".
Naruto questioned, "And it's possible that I might have that...?".
The doctor turned around, and told him, "It's not just possible - you definitely have it. I've run all the tests, and your answers and results show that you really are a textbook case for this condition.".
Naruto felt small. These people, much older than him, were using such big words - words he barley understood - to describe a disorder that he had. He felt like a massive weight was sitting on his shoulders, in addition to the weight that already was on his shoulders due to his need to pass the chunin exams. All of this was just getting to be a bit overwhelming.
Naruto inquired, "So, what can I do about it?".
The doctor informed the boy, "You can take medication for it, but the medication hasn't exactly been proven safe for everyone to use. But even if you opt to not take the medication, having the knowledge that you have thus condition is still beneficial, since you can try and get others to understand and accommodate for it.".
Naruto wondered if his pride would allow him to ask that of others.
Forest
Sasuke walked out of a small cabin, in which he and Kakashi were staying. He spotted Kakashi sitting on a rock, reading his orange Make-Out Paradise book. The sensei looked up, and said, "Hi there, Sasuke. Let's start today's lesson with your taijutsu form. Go and practice on that post over there.". Sasuke nodded, and walked over to the training post that was next to the waterfall, as Kakashi followed.
As Kakashi watched his student practice on the post, he monologued to himself about his students.
Naruto certainly has more potential than both you and I, Sasuke... But I'm afraid that he doesn't understand how the world works. He's too kind... He approaches everything in life with a dangerous naivete, and it's likely to get him killed one day. The worst part of it all is that I can't remove that naivete, no matter how hard I try; it's become clear to me that he'll have to do it himself, and that's often the greatest hardship that one can go through, like what happened with Haku and Zabuza. You and I know that much, Sasuke, albeit for different reasons. I just pray that Naruto realizes it before he can't turn back... before he dies.
Middle of the Village, a few minutes later
Naruto stared quizzically at the paper in his hands. This paper was the report about the results of his examination, which had led to his diagnosis of VAST. He couldn't read it, though. That's not to say that the boy was illiterate, he certainly did know how to read, but his reading level was far behind what it should have been. Though he was a few months away from turning twelve years old, he still read at the same level as someone barely more than half his age. This was partly due to his own lack of willingness to study, but mostly due to due to the fact that he never had a parental figure who'd taught him how to read. Whatever he knew about reading, he'd figured out on his own.
Ebisu remarked, "Naruto, you've been staring at that paper for a while now. Still reading it?".
Naruto was usually one to keep his personal struggles to himself. He had grown accustomed to bottling it all up, and not telling anyone about what he was going through. But Ebisu had earned his trust. And so, the boy admitted, "I can't really read all that well...".
Ebisu was shocked. He asked, "Why is that, Naruto?".
Naruto fidgeted nervously, and told the man, "Well... No-one taught me. I had to learn on my own, and I try to get better at reading, I promise!... But my progress is slow...!".
Ebisu couldn't find the right words to say the boy.
Restaurant in the Hidden Leaf
Three middle-aged jonin were sitting at the counter of a packed restaurant, enjoying their brunch while downing some wine. These three renowned jonin were Shikaku Nara (who resembled his son, except for the goatee and scars on his face), Inoichi Yamanaka (whose eyes were green), and Choza Akimichi (a redhead with a white bandana and face-paint extending from his bottom eyelids to his ears) - clan heads, and the respective fathers of Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji.
Choza gulped a whole bottle of wine as he jested, "At least with a daughter at home, it's much easier on the wallet! All of my money ends up going to food!" - an allusion to his and his son's immense appetites.
Shikaku slurred, "Quit complaining, you're not the only one who's got problems!". He put a hand on Inoichi's shoulders and told him, "Loook, I understand... Daughters are a real drag...". The blonde man responded, "Yeah, you're right. I love her with all of my being, but I sometimes really don't know what to do with her...", and drank a shot of wine. Shikaku drawled, "I know what you mean, we dads have it rough.". Choza muttered, "And you're telling me to quit complaining.".
The redhead then bellowed, "Hey, I'd like to make one more order here.". He held up an open menu and requested, "One of everything on these two pages, please.".
The door slid open and the restaurant's owner beckoned, "Welcome!" to the new visitor - none other than Shikamaru Nara. Choza joked, "Aha! Reinforcements are here!", and offered, "Shikamaru, come on in, order something!", as he gestured to the menu.
The genin shrugged, and said, "Yeah, alright, thanks, Mr. Akimichi.", and lazily walked over to the his dad's side.
Shikaku questioned, "You've never joined in on our men's day out before, Son, is anything the matter?".
Shikamaru answered, "Not really, I just get sick when I watch Choji eat. And I've gotta keep my strength up since I'm training... For the third round of the chunin exams.".
Shikaku gasped slightly. "You're in it...!". He chuckled, "You know I'm always proud of you, right, Shikamaru?".
The boy smiled.
Team 7's bridge
Sakura laughed proudly as she stood on the water with no trouble at all. She called out, "Look, Master Jiraiya, I'm doing it!". Jiraiya, who was standing in the water a few meters away, clapped. "Good job, Kid.", he responded. "You've mastered the water-walking already!".
This girl... Her chakra control really is impeccable! I'm sure that whatever jutsu area - or areas - that she pursues will yield astounding results on her end. Come to think of it...
Jiraiya commanded, "Girl, step out of the water - there's something that I need to ask you.". The girl obeyed, and the duo walked up to the bridge, leaning on it.
The sage asked, "Is there any specific jutsu area that you're pursuing? Or jutsu area that you'd like to pursue?".
Sakura thought deeply about it.
Kakashi-sensei said that I might be good at genjutsu... Then again, before even thinking about anything like that, I should work on being able to keep up with Naruto and Sasuke - I don't have to be of equal strength, I just have to pull my own weight... Those two tend to get hurt on missions, and if I knew some medical jutsu, I could've helped them out in the Forest of Death.
Sakura looked up at Jiraiya and answered, "Master Jiraiya, I'd like to study medical jutsu!".
The toad sage grinned.
Medical jutsu, huh?
He turned to the girl and told her, "Alright, then. When Ebisu comes back, I'll talk to him about that. He'll definitely be able to help you.". The pinkette smiled, "Thank you, Master Jiraiya.", and the two rested for a while, until Naruto and Ebisu came back into view. Naruto and Sakura excitedly greeted each other, as the adults began conversing.
Just as Naruto and Sakura were about to begin talking, Ebisu received a paper from Naruto's hand, and started showing it to Jiraiya.
Sakura asked, "Hey, Naruto, what's the paper say?".
Naruto gulped and rubbed his arm as he told her, "It says that I have some sort of learning disability or disorder or something like that. I get distracted really easily and stuff, y'know.".
Sakura's eyes widened at this revelation.
Naruto... Isn't really dumb, is he? He just has trouble learning, but he still tries so hard, and isn't ever apologetic about it...
The girl put a hand on the boy's shoulder, and said, "Well, it's good for us to have this knowledge, Naruto. We can make the learning process easier for you, now, y'know?". Naruto replied, "Thanks, Sakura-chan, that means a lot to me, y'know.".
I should get him a flower, like how I got one for Sasuke and Lee...
As the adults kept talking to each other, the genin remained silent. Sakura wondered why Naruto was so quiet, so she looked towards him and saw that he was staring at...
"Naruto, why are you looking at my chest like that?!", she shouted, as she blushed, covered her breasts, and turned away. Jiraiya and Ebisu looked at the boy, confused. The toad sage inwardly lamented at the thought of having turned the boy into a pervert. Naruto's face turned red as he stammered, "N-n-no, I was just looking because Pervy Sage said boobs have milk in them and I just remembered it y'know, I wasn't being a pervert like my senseis or anything!". Naruto gave Jiraiya a pleading look, as Sakura and Ebisu looked at the man angrily. Jiraiya sheepishly explained, "Well, I mean- I did tell him that, but I- uh...".
Naruto told me to not mess up his chances with this girl, didn't he? Damn it, Brat, I gotta take on for the team here, don't I?
Jiraiya popped his collar. "I wasn't being a pervert...". He posed with his finger poiting to the sky. "I was being a SUPER PERVERT!". Sakura frowned at the man. She turned back around to face Naruto and told him, "Well... Fine, then. Just don't stare, okay? It's rude!". Naruto held his hands up and responded, "Alright, duly noted y'know.".
Ebisu sighed and remarked, "Master Jiraiya, please take care of Naruto's training. I'll get to teaching the girl some medical ninjutsu. The sage replied, "Yes, of course.". With that, Naruto and Jiraiya walked over to a training area next to the bridge, as Ebisu led Sakura to the river flowing through the bridge.
At the training ground, Naruto immediately began trying to form the spiraling sphere, but Jiraiya grabbed his arm. The man told him, "We're gonna work on your taijutsu today, Naruto.". The blonde pouted a bit, but relented, "Alright, then, Pevy Sage, let's do it.". Jiraiya then ordered, "Alright, Brat, attack me - taijutsu only.".
As Jiraiya effortlessly blocked and dodged Naruto's fist and elbow, he asked, "No one's ever tried to help you with your conditions, have they?".
As Naruto kicked, he questioned, "Conditions? As in, more than one condition?".
Jiraiya explained, "Yeah. Your learning disability, your illiteracy, your harsh treatment from the villagers... Conditions.".
Naruto continued with his attacks as he admitted, "Tch. Well, Iruka-sensei accepted me, and my team accepts me, but that's about it, y'know. No-one else really respects me.".
Jiraiya chuckled. "I respect you. And Ebisu respects you, too.".
The blonde sighed. "That is true, but the villagers still hate me, and all my peers think of me as a dead-last idiot.".
The sage smiled, "I don't think you'll have to worry about that for too much longer, Naruto. You're getting stronger every day.".
Naruto ceased his attack and pouted. He told Jiraiya, "But then, won't it mean that people only like me if I'm strong? I want people to like me for, well, me, but...". His voice drawled off; he didn't know how to say what he wanted to say.
I want to become hokage so that people will acknowledge me, but the fact of the matter is that I need their acknowledgement to become hokage! I wanna be a good person regardless, but what if the villagers hate me as a person, and only like me for my power?
The words were so simple in Naruto's head, but he just couldn't articulate them in the right manner. It frustrated the boy to no end...
Jiraiya kneeled and ruffled the boy's hair. He said to him, "Don't worry about that stuff, Naruto. Just do the best you can to show the village that you're worthy of their respect, and unworthy of their crudeness.". These words seemed to be getting through to Naruto, as the boy began to smile a bit. Jiraiya triumphantly hummed, and commanded, "It's pretty clear that you have some fear of the villagers, too, Naruto, as well as vice versa. So, we're not gonna go to that desolate ramen stand for dinner today - the four of us are gonna go to this nice barbecue place that I know...".
Naruto was reluctant to accept - who would want to risk being glared at by villagers for a whole meal? He already knew what that felt like, it was the whole reason that Ichiraku's was his one and only preferred restaurant. But he was feeling a spark of hope, triggered by his faith in Jiraiya. He looked at the man and responded, "Y'know, it looks like there's more to you than just being a perv, Pervy Sage. I'll go to the barbeque place, yeah!".
Jonin Council
All available jonin were sitting in a packed room, forming an assembly for the hokage. The hokage sat facing his ninja, with elders Homura and Koharu sitting behind him to his left and right, respectively.
Hiruzen stated, "Some of you may have not yet heard the news... Hayate GekkÅ's dead body was found near Kikyo Castle.". Those words shook the jonin, most of whom couldn't believe that the man was actually dead.
A disgruntled Anko remarked, "This must be Orochimaru's doing...!".
The man next to her, Genma Shiranui, a man with a black bandana who was chewing on straw, replied, "It may seem likely, but let's not jump to conclusions, Anko. In accordance with intel we received some Kakashi, we've been keeping our eyes and ears open for a Sound ninja spy named Kabuto. There's no doubt that Orochimaru's up to something, but we don't know-"
"I say we should cancel the chunin exams, and concentrate our full efforts on pursuing Orochimaru.", a scar-faced man interjected.
Hiruzen was quick to reject that proposal. "No, I think not!", he commanded. "He revealed himself to Anko and warned us not to cancel the exams. You see, these exams have brought together ninja from every allied nation.". Homura questioned, "What do you think it means?", to which Hiruzen craned his neck and replied, "There are two things we know - that Orochimaru bears an abiding grudge against our Hidden Leaf Village, and that his power is great enough that he may be able to crush a nation with whatever resources he's acquired.". He turned back to face the jonin. "Certainly great enough that any village would only prefer to have him on their own side, rather than against them.".
The scar-faced jonin argued, "That's impossible! No village in the alliance would betray another and join forces with that fiend.". Genma reminded him, "Well, the alliance treaty is only as binding as any verbal agreement. We learned that much during the last Great Ninja War.".
"In any case," Hiruzen boomed, "Until we're able to find out more, this is all just idle speculation.".
Kohura informed, "We've dispatched ANBU Black Ops to every village to collect information; we would be fools to act too hastily. That might be just what our enemy is aiming for...". Hiruzen added, "And besides, I have complete faith that every one of you can fend off any threat. If the time comes, we will gather the full strength of the Hidden Leaf Village, and fight with all our might.".
Forest, afternoon
"Alright, Sasuke, don't bother with your weights, now. I wanna see how fast you are.".
Kakashi crouched as he looked at the unconscious Uchiha boy on the forest floor. At the crack of dawn, he'd ordered the boy to run as fast as he could, as far as he could, for as long as he could, all around their training area. Sasuke had certainly improved considerably over the past five days. His speed without weights was now comparable to Rock Lee's speed with weights. And that was an impressive feat. Kakashi smiled behind his mask, as he turned his head towards the crashing waterfall nearby.
You're certainly improving, Sasuke. You're faster than Naruto. You'll be ready to face Gaara in no time. We might even go back to the Hidden Leaf early. I'm proud of you, kid. Not that I'm gonna tell you that...
Leaf Village, sundown
Sakura was dressed in a white t-shirt, over which she wore a pink sundress. She had a spring in her step as she walked to the Yamanaka flower shop, hoping to buy something for Naruto before going over to Yakiniku Q for a barbecue dinner. The bells of the merry little shop jingled as she went inside, alerting Ino to her presence.
Ino remarked, "You look happy, Sakura, what's up?". The rose-headed girl told her, "Well, I've got an elite jonin training me in medical chakra, along with one of the three legendary ninja of the Hidden Leaf, and Naruto's just... great! I'm on my way to Yakiniku Q for dinner with them, and I wanted to buy Naruto a flower - he could really use it right now.".
Ino teased, "You do looove him!".
Sakura's cheeks flushed and she said, "Shut up, Ino...", in a friendly manner. For some reason, the very mention of Naruto was making her blush...
She then told Ino, "I need a flower that represents... Perseverance, and, and dignity.". Ino suggested, "How about the magnolia? Since you clearly don't wanna just give him a daffodil like you gave Lee.". Ino showed Sakura a magnolia.
The petals are like the sun... And the center is red with passion... It's kinda like Naruto...
The pinkette responded, "The magnolia's perfect. I've never given anyone that flower before, it reminds me of Naruto, and I really want this to be unique for him.". Ino commented, "Wow, you really do care for Naruto, don't you? That's nice...". Sakura replied, "Yeah, it is...". As she considered these words, she began to blush again, and stammered, "B-b-but it's not like I loooove him or anything, he's just a good friend!", knowing full and well that 'friend' was not a strong enough word to describe their relationship.
Ino giggled, and said to Sakura, "Anyways, I'm on my way to Yakiniku Q as well, I'm meeting my team there. Let's go together!".
With that, Ino rang up the magnolia for Sakura (who put the flower in her own hair), and the duo left to go to the barbecue restaurant.
A few minutes later
Ino and Sakura arrived at the restaurant, and spotted Naruto (without his headband - a habit he'd been getting used to), Jiraiya, and Ebisu in one of the green booths in a far corner; Team 10 hadn't arrived yet. As they approached they saw that Naruto was wearing a short-sleeved black denim jacket ("Just put it on, Brat, girls LOVE black!"). When Naruto looked up at Sakura, he marveled at her, and admired her getup.
She's so beautiful!...
The boy didn't even notice that his mouth was agape until Sakura greeted him with a "Hey, everyone!". It was then that Naruto stammered, "Sa-Sa-Sakura-chan, hi! Um, uh- you look really... pretty, y'know!" ("Shower her with compliments, it's sure to make her fall head over heels for you!"). Sakura blushed and replied, "Thank you!", as she took a seat across from him, and shifted over to make room for Ino. A waiter came over and asked the group what they'd like.
After everyone else ordered (what you'd expect from a BBQ place - BBQ chicken and some soda), Naruto took one more look at the menu, and requested, "I'd like the super ultra spicy face-melting murder chicken, please.", to which the waite responded, "Ah, you're in luck! We've got just enough of the super ultra spicy face-melting murder chicken to provide as an apperizer! I'll bring it right to you with a glass of milk - it'll alleviate the suffering.". Naruto thanked the man, who promptly went away to get the meal ready.
Naruto then asked Ino, "So, Ino, what're you doing here?". Ino hummed and, wanting to mess with him for a bit, replied, "Forsooth, the mental message enveloped my mind that we who bear blonde hair should be together forevermore. To further establish the circumstances, I wish to ensure that you do not cause 'Sakura-chan' to begrudge you as a result of your ineptitude.". Naruto looked at her with a smile. "Okay!", he responded.
I should've expected that it wouldn't work... So this is the secret genius?
Ino deadpanned. She backtracked, "I'm here because I'm gonna meet my team.". Naruto told her, "Oh, okay. So that's what all those big words meant...".
That obviously totally wasn't what all those words meant! Sakura must've been playing a prank on me when she called him smart!
After a few minutes more, the waiter came back with the milk and the super ultra spicy face-melting murder chicken (the rest of the meal was still being barbecued). There were three pieces of them, each of which was red with heat that were only second to the fiery torment of Hell. Naruto excitedly rubbed his hands together, before picking up one of the flaming chicken pieces.
He lifted it up between his hands, and sunk his teeth into the juicy, chewy, burning meat, ripping it off the hone as he chewed it up. The boy's tongue suddenly felt hot. Like, really hot. Like, 'throwing napalm and a cigarette on a gasoline trail' kind of hot.
He began hyperventilating, as his throat burned up. The rest of the group could hardly contain their laughter as Naruto wheezed, "It, it, it, it, IT BURNS!". He quickly dropped the chicken piece back into the plate, scrambled for the glass of milk, and downed a quarter of it in one big gulp.
After drinking the milk, the boy felt instant relief, letting out a sigh that indicated his release from the torturous food. The rest of the group was still laughing at his antics (Sakura, in particular, had been brought to tears), and he joined them for a little bit.
Naruto was still red from the heat of the chicken, though.
He repeated this process for the each of the pieces of chicken, until there was only a single bite of the super ultra spicy face-melting murder chicken left.
Just then, the remainder of Team 10 walked into the restaurant. Choji skipped towards the counter, and ordered, "I'd like some of the super ultra spicy face-melting murder chicken, please!". The cashier bit her lip and told him, "Sorry, kid, we just gave out the last one a few minutes ago... '.
Choji's world shattered all around him. All week, he'd been training so long and so hard with Shikamaru, just so he could finally get the all-new super ultra spicy face-melting murder chicken. But just as the dream was right within his grasp, it left him, fleeting like the wind.
Choji turned into sharpshooter mode, as he turned red in anger and his eyes went white with rage.
If they only gave the last one away a few minutes ago, then whoever has it must still be here!
His head swiveled around the room, searching for the golden light of his life these past few days. He turned to one side and saw nothing, turned around and saw nothing, then he turned to the other side, and saw it.
Naruto Uzumaki, of all people, was about to devour the last of the super ultra spicy face-melting murder chicken.
Choji dashed towards him, screaming, "NARUTO, YOU BACKSTABBING BASTARD! I'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SUPER ULTRA SPICY FACE-MELTING MURDER CHICKEN ALL WEEK!". He pounced on the blonde, pushing his back into the seat such that he was laying down, and emitted shrieks from the girls (and Jiraiya) in the booth. Ebisu quickly pushed their group away, telling them, "We shouldn't interfere, I wanna see how this plays out.".
Meanwhile, Choji was choking Naruto, shouting, "SPIT IT OUT SPIT IT OUT SPIT IT OUT!". In retaliation, the blonde slapped his burning-hot fingers (the chicken was seriously hot) right onto Choji's face, stinging the boy's face with the lingering spice of the super ultra spicy face-melting murder chicken.
Choji quivered, and was forced to back off of the Uzumaki. He stumbled back, grabbing a napkin from another party's table, and using it to wipe his face. But it was an imperfect wipe, leaving the Akimichi's face looking like it was bloody. He declared, "This is a war, Uzumaki. You've stolen my life's greatest joy!".
Naruto wiped his hands with a napkin and baby wipe, which he tossed into the recycling bin. He then got into a fighting stance, responding, "You are a fool, for you seek to oppose me, unaware that the only outcome of such a challenge will be your bending to my will.".
The boys charged towards each other, but before their fists could make contact, the doors of the restaurant burst open. Everyone looked to see who it was.
None other than Kiba Inuzuka marched into the place, grumbling, "Hinata told me that I'd find you here, Uzumaki. We gotta have a rematch, one in which you don't fart on my face!". Naruto yelled, "That was only the one time, you prick! Get over it!".
But Kiba didn't want to get over it.
He whined, "Hell no, Naruto, I've been fuming about that stupid match for the past week; I know that I'm stronger than you!".
Not one to back down from a fight, Naruto shot back, "Fine, then, I'll take on both you and Choji at the same time! It's not like I'm gonna break a sweat fighting you, y'know!".
Kiba battled, "Nuh-uh! I'm gonna fight you one-on-one, man-to-man!".
Now, Choji argued, "I'm gonna fight him first!".
Kiba argued back, "No, me!".
"No, me!".
"No, me!".
"No, me!".
The doors of Yakiniku Q burst open once more, and all attention was drawn to the newcomer. It was Konohamaru Sarutobi! The child panted, "Boss, Boss, there's a guy coming here that told me he's coming in here to kill the head chef!".
Before the patrons could say anything else, the doors burst open once again!
It was a masked man, who proclaimed, "Yo, I'm here to kill the head chef, along with every single one of you fools in here!".
Another door burst open, but this time, it came from the kitchen.
An immense boulder of a man popped out of the kitchen. This man was seven feet tall, four hundred pounds, and had a single-digit body fat percentage. His hair was slicked back and tucked under his chef hat, while his face was devoid of any hair - he shaved with a chainsaw every day. This was the owner of Yakiniku Q, and he was pissed at the notion of someone having the audacity to want to kill him. He brandished a large knife in his hand (though, the word 'shank' would be a better description). And his eyes seemed to be covered by the dark shadows of his seething rage.
The restaurant's head chef craned his neck, and locked it in place when he saw the masked man. He threw the knife at him, but when the knife sunk into the man, he just poofed into non-existence, leaving the patrons very confused, and Jiraiya suspicious.
Such an embarrassment of an assassin - revealed his plan to a child, and didn't even put up a fight against his target. But he knows the shadow clone jutsu? Something's amiss here...
On a rooftop near Yakiniku Q, Kabuto felt his shadow clone pop, and he received all of its memories.
It would've been nice if I'd succeeded in killing Naruto, but this is fine, too. I wonder what kind of throes the Leaf Village will be in after this incident.
As Kabuto walked away, he cocked his head back and laughed, enjoying the absolute chaos of the situation.
In the restaurant, the head chef declared, "I have disposed of the threat! Continue with your meals.".
The patrons returned to their seats, and Naruto told Choji and Kiba, "I wanna fight you. Both of you. Tomorrow at Team 7's training ground!".
That night
After Yakiniku Q had been cleared out, Sakura approached Naruto. She shifted her feet as she asked him, "Would you... Please walk me home, Naruto?". She was quick to add, "There's something I need to give you.". A blush adorned the blonde boy's cheeks as he accepted, "Yeah, of course, Sakura-chan, I'll walk you home, it's not a problem y'know!".
The walk to the girl's house was quiet. Not for lack of material for conversation, no, but rather, an abundance of bashfulness on the end of both parties. Sakura was beginning to have feelings for Naruto that she didn't quite understand - feelings that he was cute, feelings that he was respectable, feelings that he was a good person... and Naruto was just staring at her the whole time they walked.
She's so pretty...
The duo eventually reached Sakura's house, and they stood in front of the path which led to the door. Sakura turned around to face Naruto, and told him, "Here's what I wanted to give you, Naruto.". She removed the magnolia from her hair and handed it to Naruto. Naruto felt the softness of her hands as they momentarily touched when he received the flower, and he was completely focused on the object that he'd been given.
She bought me a flower?...
The pinkette told the blonde, "It's a magnolia; it symbolizes perseverance and dignity. It made me think of you.".
She's... Giving me a flower?
Naruto held the flower in his hand. The petals were like the sun, and the center was red with passion. It reminded him of Sakura-chan.
The boy said, "Thank you, Sakura-chan. This really means a lot to me, y'know.".
I'll cherish this flower until it wilts!
Sakura told him, "It's my pleasure, Naruto.". She beckoned, "See you tomorrow!", as she walked back into her house.
Walks back home would normally be lonely for Naruto. But with the flower that he held close to his heart, closer than he'd ever held anything else, it was as if he was surrounded by nothing but love.
Hotel in Hidden Leaf Village
Zaku (dressed in casual clothing, along with his headband - the headband was necessary, as it was a regulation that all non-Leaf shinobi had to wear it in public) walked into the room, holding two pizza boxes in his hand (the real one, his left, which had been healed enough by now, not the prosthetic right) and a plastic bag (with bottles of soda in it) as he closed the door. He called out, "Dosu, Kin, I got the pizzas.".
Kin's face lightened up as she licked her lips (she was watching T.V.,and was dressed in pajamas - no headband). "Alright, Zaku!", she exclaimed, "Took ya long enough!". She skipped over to him, and received the boxes from him, placing them on the foot of her bed as she bounced onto it herself.
She crossed her legs and hungrily opened the box all the way (such that the top flap hung in a way that wouldn't block her view of the T.V.), admiring the pizza. It was absolutely perfect - extra large, excellently-seasoned cheese, greasy but not too greasy, stuffed crust, an aroma of sufficiently-melted cheese and sauce, and a perfect cheese-to-crust ratio. The young kunoichi had stars in her eyes as she remarked, "It's beautiful...".
Just then, the bathroom door clicked open, and a teenage boy walked out of it. He was of average height, standing tall, with short black hair.
Zaku (who'd taken off his headband by now) called out, "Hey, Dosu, I got the pizzas, like you asked.", to which Dosu emotionlessly replied in a voice that was deceptively deep for a 14-year-old, "Good, I was getting pretty hungry.".
He walked over to the box, but before he could pick up a slice of pizza, though, a knocking was heard on the door. He sighed, and quickly walked into the closet as he motioned for Zaku to open the door.
Once Dosu was inside the closet and closed it, Zaku walked over to the door, and looked through the peephole. It was hotel staff (indicated by his red vest). Zaku pulled away from the peephole and opened the door for the man, asking, "How may I help you?".
The hotel staff walked into the room and closed the door, telling him, "It's me, Kabuto.". To prove it, he took off the wig of short brown hair, revealing his silver locks, as he put on his glasses.
Zaku and Kin tensed up. They knew that Dosu was hiding from all the other Sound ninja, and that was stressful enough. The fact that Kabuto, Orochimaru's right-hand man, had just walked into the room while the man who they were hiding was just a few feet away, only added to their heightened nerves.
But if there was one thing that Team Dosu excelled at, it was deception. Back in the Forest of Death, they'd threatened to kill Kin if it would cause that soul-hopping girl to die, too. That was the first time that they'd actually had to bluff so boldly in front of an enemy, and they found that it was much easier than they'd expected.
Kin continued slowly eating her pizza, cautiously eyeing Kabuto, as Zaku tilted his head and asked, "Kabuto, what do you need?".
The silver-haired young man answered, "Well, you asked earlier today where Dosu was.".
It was true. The past night, after Dosu had explained everything that had happened, he returned to Kin and Zaku, telling them to act as if he'd gone missing. As such, they falsified a report to Sound superiors, asking them where Dosu was - selling the illusion that they were mystified by their teammate's disappearance.
Kabuto continued, "We don't know where he is or what he's up to. For all we know, he's defected. Either way, we have orders to treat him as we'd treat any other rogue Sound ninja - kill on sight." .
Zaku gulped nervously as his eyes and Kin's eyes widened.
Zaku was quick to regain his composure, though, and he replied, "Alright, Kabuto, we'll keep that in mind.".
Kabuto simply said, "Good.", and put on his disguise again as he walked out of the room.
Zaku watched him walk away, out of the room, down the hallway, and fade out of sight, before going back into the room himself. He beckoned, "You can come out, now, Dosu.".
The closet doors opened up, as Dosu came out of the closet. He reminded, "I told you - they don't care about us. We're just tools to them; no less dispensible than a razor, or a bottle of water.".
Kin's voice went soft as she inquired, "So, what're we gonna do now?".
An eager, cunning smile came over Dosu's face. "We're completely powerless - There's not much we can do. But when the third round of the chunin exams starts, we'll throw a wrench in their plans.".
Hidden Sand Village, next morning
Baki had completed his journey back to the Sand Village, and he sat on the floor of the kazekage's office, kneeling. Across from him, behind a translucent curtain, sat the kazekage himself, veiled such that none could see his face. Behind the kazekage sat two elders, and on both the left and right of Baki, sat two servants of the Sand lord.
Baki informed the kazekage, "The plan is going well, my lord. All three pawns have been successfully moved to the final round, as I promised. Additionally, I have the scroll provided to us by the Hidden Sound Village, in which the plan to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village is detailed.". He removed a scroll from his pocket, and placed it on the ground in front of himself. One of the kazekage's servants stood up, picked up the scroll, and scampered to hand it to the kazekage, who received it gladly.
When he noticed that Baki was still sitting in the office, the kazekage inquired, "Is there something else that you wish to converse about?".
The jonin answered, "Well, I was wondering if you could position some of our soldiers near the border, under the pretense of a training exercise, or some equal activity. With just the four of us...".
One of the elders was quick to reply, "The Hidden Leaf Village excels in intelligence, and its ANBU Black Ops are active in that area.".
The other elder added, "If we act in the way you suggest, it will be as if we're telling the Hidden Leaf Village that we possess an ulterior motive. Everything that we've worked towards thus far will be for naught.".
Baki countered, "But, with only our current military capabilities...".
The kazekage cut him off. "There's a reason that I specifically sent Gaara to participate in this mission. Remember, the complete restoration of the Hidden Sand Village's former glory lies in your hands. Now, go.".
Baki replied, "Yes, sir.", and promptly left the building, trekking back to the Hidden Leaf.
The same morning, Team 10's training ground
After all the commotion the past night, Shikamaru was burnt out. Luckily for him, though, Choji was at Team 7's training ground, to accept Naruto's challenge. As such, Asuma had gone, too, giving the Nara boy a break for once.
He sighed, and found a nice hill, with a large tree under which he could lay down. He walked up to the tree, and laid supine against the soft grass, with his head being supported by the tree's base. He alternated between resting his eyes and lazily watching the clouds, feeling the blissful drift of the summer wind.
After a few minutes, he heard someone else coming his way. He opened his eyes slightly, and looked to his right, towards the sound. It was none other than his father, Shikaku. Shikamaru greeted, "Heyyy, Dad. What do you want?".
Shikaku blushed (he was nervous), and responded, "Well, uh...".
Come on, it can't be that hard to say it, right? He is my son...
He opted to fib, "Your mother said that I should train you to use more of our clan's techniques, like the shadow strangle jutsu.".
Shikamaru's eyes widened. He looked at his father, who was smiling, and extending his hand for him to grab. Shikamaru smiled, and gladly accepted the fatherly hand.
Team 7's training ground
All of Team 8 and Team 10 (except Shikamaru) were making their way to watch Naruto fight Kiba and Choji.
Asuma and Kurenai wanted to watch their students beat the boy, Ino wanted to gossip with Sakura, Hinata just wanted to watch Naruto fight, and Shino wanted to study Naruto's fighting style as much as he could in order to build up a proper defense against him.
On that day, a heat wave spontaneously occurred, forcing Choji to go shirtless (all that extra fat = more warmth), Kiba to unzip his hoodie and pull down his hood (it wasn't a very thick hoodie), and Naruto to hand over his jacket to Jiraiya (heavy tracksuit plus hot weather = weight loss through sweat; Naruto was only wearing the armor on his torso).
The teams arrived at the training ground, and Naruto stared down his opponents angrily as he questioned, "Who's going first?".
Choji and Kiba glared at each other, before playing rock-paper-scissors to decide who'd go first.
When Kiba lost, he demanded a best two out of three.
When he lost again, he demanded a best three out of five.
When he lost again, he demanded a best four out of seven.
Eventually, Naruto had gotten tired of this, so he yelled, "Y'know what, I'm facing Choji first, and that's final!".
Kiba grumbled, as he muttered, "Fine.", and gestured for Choji to go first.
Choji marched to stand a fifty feet in front of Naruto, as both boys got into fighting stances. Ebisu (wearing a whistle around his neck) stood in between them, looked to Naruto, and asked, "Naruto, are you ready?". Naruto nodded, "I'm ready!". Ebisu turned to Choji. "Choji, are you ready?". Choji shouted, "Yeah I'm ready!". Ebisu nodded, then took a step back. He out the whistle in his mouth and blew it, emitting a shrill shriek from the tool as he fled to join the audience (watching from the bridge, facing Choji's back).
Predictably, the first thing that Choji did was use his body expansion jutsu, and begin rolling towards Naruto. He rolled right over Naruto, crushing the boy and nearly flattening him like a pancake. The audience gasped at this.
Asuma felt pride in his student.
Ino smirked.
Nice job, Choji, you showed him what's what! Secret genius, my foot!
Kiba whned, "I wanted to beat him!".
Kurenai smirked.
Looks like your student isn't all that impressive, Kakashi.
Hinata looked downtrodden.
I was hoping Naruto-kun would be stronger than that...
Ebisu and Jiraiya were shocked.
I'd have never thought he'd lose like this... Hopefully this is just a misdirection...
Sakura grumbled.
There's no way that Naruto lost so easily! He must have some sort of trick up his sleeve!
Once Naruto had been rolled over, Choji undid the jutsu, and walked over to the fallen boy, standing a few feet away from him.
Choji boasted, "That was a cakewalk!".
However, just as he said that, Naruto poofed into smoke, as he then popped out of the ground and knocked Choji back with a single punch!
Everyone was amazed at this! The tables had been turned, as now, Sakura, Ebisu, and Jiraiya were the ones smirking.
Naruto made a shadow clone while Choji rolled towards him, and he dug a hole behind it, exactly where it would fall! Naruto made a tunnel, found where Choji was standing, and then used that as a vantage point to knock him down!
Choji was now laying supine on the ground, and before he could get up, Naruto rushed toward him and pressed a kunai against his neck, asserting victory. Naruto snickered, "That was a cakewalk!", as he retracted the kunai.
Ebisu walked towards the boys, and declared, "Winner, Naruto Uzumaki!".
Kiba then ran towards the man, as Choji (deflated in spirit) walked back to the bridge.
Man, Naruto totally embarrassed me! I gotta learn some more jutsu...
Kiba stood where Choji had started out, and stated, "I'm ready to fight, right here and now! C'mon!".
Naruto smiled widely, and made the same distance from Kiba that he had from Choji.
Once again, Ebisu asked, "Naruto, are you ready?". When Naruto confirmed that he was ready, Ebisu blew the whistle and joined the audience again.
The first thing Kiba did was eat a food pill.
I've got my full stamina - this'll make it so that my stamina exceeds limits!
Naruto watched as Kiba used the man-beast mimicry technique again. Akamaru hopped off of the boy's shoulders, became a perfect clone, and stood next to his owner.
Kiba then tossed a smoke bomb into the floor, and the smoker's width covered the horizontal span of the training ground, going from one tree-laden end to the other.
The smoke extends to the trees... Is Kiba gonna come out from the forest? I gotta watch out for that...
Naruto created half a dozen shadow clones, all of whom began running around the training ground to search for Kiba. Neither of them could find Kiba, nor guess as to what he was trying to do. The clones searched up and down, under every rock, in every tree, but it was as if Kiba had just disappeared!
After a few minutes of searching, Naruto suddenly felt a strange sensation.
It was as if he saw Kiba attacking him, despite the fact that he knew it hadn't happened!
This feeling... It's the same feeling that I get every time that I use the shadow clone jutsu! And it's extending back to the very moment that I activated the technique!
Naruto followed the sensation that he'd gotten, finding that it was taking him along a path that led to exactly where he felt that he'd been attacked by Kiba. But there was nothing there.
Then, Naruto turned around to try and find Kiba. Instead, he came across two of his shadow clones, and he asked, "You guys spot Kiba yet?". The shadow clones replied, "Nah, Boss, he's gone!".
All of a sudden, Kiba came dashing out of the forest, and pounced on Naruto! Akamaru came out of the other side, and attacked the clones, dispelling them.
Naruto quickly made a dozen more shadow clones, two of whom held down Akamaru, as another pulled Kiba off of Naruto. Naruto then slid towards Kiba, kicked him in the gut, and sent him flying into the air as his clones continued with the kicks, forcing Kiba higher and higher into the sky. When Kiba reached the point of zero velocity, the real Naruto appeared above him and thrusted his leg down, driving it into the belly of the Inuzuka to send him crashing into the ground.
The clones holding down Akamaru pushed the dog to right under Kiba's trajectory, making it so that when Kiba landed, Akamaru would get taken out as well.
After that, Naruto landed, and stumbled towards Kiba, holding a kunai to his neck, as a clone did the same thing with Akamaru.
Naruto taunted, "I win... Again!", showing Kiba a shit-eating grin.
Ebisu appeared next to the boys and announced, "Winner - Naruto Uzumaki!".
Kiba gruffly sighed.
I almost beat him the last time we fought, but it took him just a few minutes to beat me this time - and I even fell to the same move! I gotta get better...
Sakura cheered.
Naruto was able to beat Kiba much faster this time! Looks like he learned a lot from their last fight!
Kurenai smiled.
That kid really is something else...
Ino gasped.
I was totally wrong about Naruto! This must have been what Sakura meant when she called him smart!
Naruto rose, coughed into his elbow, and looked over to Ebisu. He asked the man, "Ebisu-sensei, when I did the shadow clone jutsu, it felt like I was remembering some extra stuff that didn't happen to me, but felt like it did... Just what is that?".
Ebisu explained, "The scroll of the shadow clone jutsu explains it, no? 'Upon the dispellance of one of the chakra-molded doppelgangers, the content of its memories are transferred to the one who utilized the technique'.".
Naruto twiddled his fingers as he responded, "Oh... I couldn't read that part...".
Ebisu sighed, and ruffled the boy's hair. He told him, "There's no point in dwelling on your past failures. All you can do is make yourself better in the present for the sake of your future.".
Hokage's tower
Hiruzen sat in a leisure room, sitting on a couch, studying the portraits of all the hokage as the warmth of the sun poured in to the room. He smoked his pipe, as his eyes landed on an image of the fourth hokage - a blue-eyed man with spiky blonde hair.
Minato... Your son looks so much like you... He's on the fast-track to becoming a chunin. Perhaps it is nearly time for me to tell him about his familial relationship to you - to you and your wife. I can only hope that Naruto will ever forgive me for keeping the knowledge of his legacy from him for so long.
The old man then heard Anko's voice call meekly, "Lord Hokage... ". He turned around.
He asked, "What is it, Anko?".
Anko's face shifted into one that displayed great shame. The regret on her face was palpable, and Hiruzen didn't fail to notice it. She spoke, "I'm sorry, but I'm...". Her voice trailed off.
Hiruzen turned back around, and said, "Feeling guilty about the fact that you returned from the Forest of Death with your life intact? You really shouldn't. After all, you don't hold any ties to Orochimaru, not anymore.".
The silence from Anko spoke volumes. She couldn't figure out what to say, or whether she should even say anything at all. She still felt guilty about her kamekaze technique against Orochimaru failing so miserably.
Hiruzen added, "There's not a single shinobi alive who can defeat Orochimaru. Even if I myself were to go up against him, I fear that I would perish after exhausting my strength.".
.
.
.
After a pregnant pause, Anko remarked, "I wish the fourth hokage were still alive...".
Hiruzen responded, "You shouldn't say such things. Minato was the strongest man to ever live - only his own self-sacrifice could've defeated the nine-tailed fox. Besides, that's all in the past. A story from little under 12 years ago. He's gone, and we can't change that. We must do what we can with what we have.".
Anko affirmed, "Yes, sir. ".
With that, Hiruzen grabbed his hat from the coffee table in front of him, put it on, and rose from his seat. He said, "Very well, then. I'm going to go and get some fresh air.". He turned around, and walked past Anko, who also turned around to watch him leave.
Then, Hiruzen stopped. As a final point of the conversation, he ordered, "Anko, don't blame yourself.". He slid open the door of the leisure room, and made his way out.
Anko bowed to the old man, despite the fact that he had already gone, and could neither see nor hear her.
Forest
Kakashi had Sasuke pinned to the ground again. Sasuke grunted, and let out a defeated sigh, as Kakashi let go. Once he did, the boy sat on a rock, catching his breath, as his sensei began to talk to him.
Kakashi stated, "This whole week, I've been bothered by just where you're faltering when it comes to battle. But I think I finally know what it is.". He leaned in closer.
"It's fear.".
Sasuke was dumbfounded. He vocalized his confusion with a subdued, "Huh?...", as he looked his sensei in the eye.
Kakashi explained, "When you fight, you let your fear take over you. Whether it's fear of failure, fear of death, or fear of losing someone important - like Sakura and Naruto.".
Sasuke frowned and looked away. He muttered, "Of course; I don't wanna die. And Sakura and Naruto are like siblings to me.".
Kakashi's voice remained firm as he told the boy, "When you fight to protect yourself or someone else, you think about the consequences of losing the fight - this is fear. Instead, you should think about the rewards of winning - this is resolve. Fear holds you back in battle, makes you weak, and careless. Resolve only ever pushes you forward, makes you strong, and wary. Once you let even the slightest bit of fear in, it begins to completely take over you. Resolve works the same way. ".
Sasuke looked back up at his sensei, who met his gaze and studied it thoroughly. The Uchiha questioned, "How do you know all this?".
Kakashi answered, "I've been training you for the past week. With the kind of battle experience that I have, it was easy to figure out what your problem is.".
Kakashi then added, "That's where Naruto has you beat, by the way. He may be naive, and a little stupid, but his resolve - it's actually greater than mine is, and certainly much greater than yours. As such, this is the only manner in which I will order you to be more like Naruto. Be resolute, Sasuke. ".
The words rang through Sasuke's head.
Be more like Naruto. Be resolute...
There was something about that statement that angered Sasuke.