Chapter 3: In Between
Chapter summary: Naruto gets started on improving his literacy as the third part of the chunin exams draws near.
Team 7's training ground
After winning his fights against Choji and Kiba, and gloating about it, Naruto was left at the bridge with Sakura, Ebisu, and Jiraiya once again. It was Ebisu who asked Jiraiya to take care of Sakura's healing jutsu for a while, as he himself quietly spoke with Naruto.
Ebisu suggested, "Naruto, I've been thinking about it for the past day, and I think I've found a way to help you with your reading skills.".
That caught Naruto's attention. His eyes widened as he asked, "What is it, Ebisu-sensei?".
Ebisu looked at Sakura and back at Naruto, before telling the boy, "Every day, after training, I'll help you learn to read short stories.".
The blonde nodded, "That sounds nice, Sensei!".
The man sighed, then added, "And I'm thinking that we should include Sakura in these reading sessions, so that you don't feel uncomfortable or out-of-place while reading the stories.".
Naruto's face turned sour. He complained, "But then... Sakura-chan's gonna know about my illiterally (illiteracy)... It's embarrassing, y'know?".
Ebisu narrowed his eyes as he assured the boy, "I'm sure that Sakura will understand; she's a good kid, much like you.".
Naruto rubbed his arm nervously as he considered the jonin's words.
I guess... I should be comfortable enough around Sakura-chan to let her know about my bad reading...
Naruto looked Ebisu in the eyes as he relented, "O.K., Ebisu-sensei, that's fine.".
Ebisu smiled, and responded, "That's great, Naruto. I promise, it's gonna turn out just fine.".
Late afternoon
Now completely drenched in sweat and tired to the bone, Naruto walked over to his jacket, retrieving it from the rail on the bridge.
Such a thick jacket... It's good for colder weather, but I really gotta come up with a new Summer wardrobe - I'm a growing boy!...
Naruto coughed for a bit, and caught his breath. He then wrapped his jacked around his waist, drank some water from a bottle, and skipped over to Sakura, who had also finished her training. He was about to tell her about the plan for tonight, but he hesitated for just one second. When Sakura noticed him just standing there, she rose, looked down at him (she was still a bit taller than him), and asked, "Hey, Naruto, what's up?".
Without thinking about it, Naruto replied, "Oh, uh- it's pretty hot today, y'know!". He gestured to his jacket. "I was just- um- I'm gonna get a lighter jacket so I don't burn in the heat, y'know.".
The pinkette responded, "Yeah, that seems like a good idea. I've got this really cute crop top/skirt combo that I bought a while ago, but I haven't really needed it yet... Though, the weather is getting a lot hotter.".
Naruto nodded.
His voice turned soft as he admitted, "Sakura-chan... I barely know how to read... So Ebisu-sensei and I were hoping that you would join us in some reading sessions so that I can get better, y'know.".
Sakura was dumbfounded. She knew that Naruto had it bad, but being unable to read? That was just... unacceptable! She understood the many implications of this fact, but, rather than probe any further as to why he couldn't read (and inadvertently put him down), she just told him, "I'd be glad to help out, Naruto. In fact, you and Ebisu-sensei can come over to my house for the reading thing - we can even have dinner! Let's meet at 7!". She beamed at the boy, who felt an immense gladness, as he beamed back.
All he wanted was to be accepted, and he'd finally found a group of people who accepted him.
7:00 P.M.
Having freshened up with a shower following the training session, Naruto had made his way over to Sakura's house, walking down the stone path that was surrounded by a garden, approaching the porch. He was wearing a blue shirt, jeans, and white sneakers (he left his headband at home - he didn't need it). The blonde raised his hand to knock on the door, but was beaten to the punch by Ebisu, who'd just arrived.
The jonin was holding a small satchel, which he patted as he told the boy as he smiled, "I've got a few copies of the first story that we're gonna read right in this bag here.". Naruto smiled back at him, and said, "Thanks for doing this, Ebisu-sensei. It means a lot to me, y'know.". Ebisu then pointed out, "I only just noticed, you've stopped calling me 'Closet-pervert'.", to which Naruto responded, "Yeah, but you really shouldn't be fooled for even a second into thinking that it's for lack of you being a closet pervert.".
Naruto may not be able to read very well, but his vocabulary tends to fluctuate from being just average, to being somewhat eloquent. Wait a minute, if he's stopped calling me a closet pervert despite the fact that he still sees me as a closet pervert, and he knows that I don't like that nickname... Does it mean that he respects me?
The front door of the house clicked open, and the two were greeted by none other than Sakura - dressed in pajamas. She ushered them in, saying, "Come on in, guys, take your shoes off at the door...". The guys obeyed. Sakura commanded, "We'll go to my room to study, my little brother's watching T.V. in the living room.".
She led them up the stairs and into her room. It was small, but it was big enough to fit three people. Sakura put out a chair for Ebisu in facing away from the mirror, as she sat on the bed and had Naruto plop down on her comforter (which was neatly folded up at the foot of the bed).
Ebisu opened his satchel, and pulled out three sheets of paper, handing one to each Sakura and Naruto, keeping one for himself. He explained, "The focus of this exercise will be to identify and understand the words in this story - what they are, what they mean, and how they're used.". He took a seat in the chair. "This is a favorite short story of the second hokage - it's about a man who finds out that he's got a terminal illness. In turn, he decides to push himself forward in life before he dies.".
In Between
Madearu sat across from the doctor. He had just been diagnosed with an advanced form of pancreatic cancer.
Madearu was only thirty-six years old. He wasn't a smoker. He worked an office job, filing public information, so he wasn't regularly inhaling fumes, either. He was also very physically fit. He began every day with a glass of water, and some light stretches. Every weekday, he'd walk to work, and jog back home. He always took cold showers, and even played often with his children, and with his wife.
He wasn't a stressed man, either. He'd just recently gotten a promotion, granting him enough money to buy everything his family could desire, and then some. He didn't hate his work; he had enough friends, and the job was easy enough (if time-consuming). He had spent too much time at work, though. If there was one complaint that anyone would ever have about Feretto, it was that he was a surefire workaholic.
Naruto inquired, "What's a workaholic?". Ebisu explained, "It's someone who works too much.".
Madearu took a deep breath. A deep, shaky breath, which was cut off soon by his harsh coughing. His throat felt as if it was bleeding, and was being jabbed at with an acute dagger with every hack.
Naruto questioned, "Wait, the dagger's cute?". Sakura told him, "No, the dagger is 'acute'. In this context, 'acute' means 'sharp'.".
Madearu asked the doctor if his condition was operable. A short and simple, yet crushing, "No.", was the answer. With that one word, Madearu felt his entire world crumble down around him.
Why was this happening? How could this be?
The man certainly understood the gravity of his situation. Pancreatic cancer was no joke. If he was lucky, he'd have a year left of life to live.
It seemed that at that very moment, a hundred thousand thoughts ran through his mind, and a hundred thousand thoughts accumulated in the deepest depths of his mind.
How would he tell his mother? His father? His brother? His sister? His wife? His children?
His six children... How could be possibly go home and tell them, young as they were, that Father would no longer be with them?
Damning suffocation found its way into Madearu's heart. There was so much that he had to live for, and now he wouldn't even live long enough to get a mere taste of it. He wanted to have a vacation in a tropical island, he wanted to see his children birthe their own children. He wanted to grow old with his wife, and die alongside her as they slept. The light within him shine brightly.
He wanted to have some excitement in his life. He wanted to prank unsuspecting people. He wanted to know the thrill of running from impending doom, chasing a light at the end of a tunnel. He wanted to know what it was like to engage in a conflict, and unendingly frustrate his foe - he'd accept anyone in this position - to the point that they'd beg him to just give up. The darkness within him was coming to light.
Naruto, Ebisu, and Sakura flipped their papers over.
But he couldn't have both the light and the darkness within him in life. Madearu understood this as an absolute truth, and abided by it for as long as he lived. It was why he worked so hard and for so long - to allow the light in his life to warm him to no end.
But the cancer seemed to be a call from the darkness. After all, he was dying. Why not succumb to the darkness? It would make him happy with little effort, for sure. And wasn't the point of life to be happy with it?
As Madearu returned to work that day, a certain file intrigued him. It was of a recently-escaped prisoner named Daku. Daku was infamous among police forces for being a trickster, known for playing mind games with the people whom he'd rob, often sending the police on wold goose chases that would only lead them further away from himself. However, one day, a partner-in-crime had gotten captured, and sold out Daku. He was sentenced to 20 years in maximum-security prison, and that was just one month ago. A life of trickery sounded like fun to Madearu, and was certainly a path that he could see himself pursuing if he so wished. He wanted it.
Madearu worked late that night. As such, his dinner was the contents of the extra bento box which his wife had become so accustomed to making for him every day, just in case he'd not be home in time for dinner there. Cooking was her passion.
When Madearu went home, his children were asleep. So, he brushed his teeth, and joined his wife in bed. She asked, "Another late night, Madearu?". Madearu answered, "Yes it was, Raito. Yes it was.". Having a family to come home to made Madearu feel content. He wanted this.
The next day, as Madearu walked to work, he spotted a newly-familiar face in a yard nearby. It was none other than the trickster Daku, who was joined by seven other men. He walked over to them. Madearu greeted, "You, you're the trickster, Daku.". Daku replied, "What makes you say that?". Madearu told him, "I file public records. I saw your face in a wanted ad. Why are you here, so far from the city?".
Daku told him, "This is a gated community. There's no police presence here, nor can many law enforcement officials afford to live here.". Madearu grinned. He'd become somewhat of a fan of this man over the past night. Perhaps this was an opportunity to join forces with him?
Of course, to join Daku would be to join the darkness, and abandon the light. That's what Madearu thought. He made an important decision that day.
Fifteen years later, Madearu was still alive. He lied on a beach, on a lounge chair as he basked in the morning sun. Beside him, were seven other chairs.
The end.
"What a shitty story.", was the first thing to come out of Naruto's mouth. He frowned, and crossed his arms.
Sakura attempted to suppress her giggling, as did Ebisu. Ebisu, though, had the wherewithal to ask, "What makes you say that, Naruto?".
The blonde ranted, "It makes no sense! This guy gets cancer and then he's all 'I wanna be a criminal' and stuff? And we don't even get to know if he chose to be good or bad in the end, or how he lived so long!".
Ebisu explained, "Well, it's supposed to show that he's not as satisfied with his life as he thought he was. And the thing with the criminals is meant to symbolize his darker desires, and a path which he could have taken in life. As for the ending, the reason that we don't know if he chose the light or the dark is that either way, he's happy, and that this happiness caused him to live longer.".
Naruto complained, "Sure, but if he chose the dark, wouldn't he be abandoning his family to join the criminals? In which case, he'd be causing pain for them, while being a big jerk and being evil.".
Ebisu chuckled, "Well, we can talk about the semantics later, for now, let's just discuss what you do and don't understand, diction-wise.".
Naruto questioned, "What's diction?".
Ebisu told him, "It's word choice.".
Just then, a call was heard from downstairs. It was Sakura's mother, informing the group, "Sakura! You can bring your friends downstairs for dinner now!".
Before the genin could get up, though, Ebisu stood and clasped his hands together. He ordered, "You kids just wait for a few minutes - I need to talk to Sakura's parents, alone. Adult talk!". They were confused, but they obeyed, as the jonin left the girl's room.
Now alone, the kids sat in silence for a few seconds, before Naruto said, "Sakura-chan... Thanks for not judging me, y'know. A lot of people bothered me for not knowing how to read, and I'm really grateful that you're helping me.". Sakura put her paper on her nightstand, before shifting closer to Naruto. She said to him, "I can't blame you for not being able to read well, Naruto. And it'd be horrible of me to mock you for it.".
Naruto replied, "Thanks, Sakura-chan...". Sakura then did something that he'd never expect her to do in a thousand years - she hugged him! It was a kind gesture, born of the girl's admiration for the boy. It was a quick hug, lasting only a little longer than the hug he'd given her at Ichiraku's a few days prior. Nonetheless, it rocked Naruto's world.
When the hug was released, stammered, "S-Sakura-chan...". Sakura, in turn, blushed. Her eyes widened, though and she was quick to state, "Th-that was just a one-time thing, Naruto! You better not expect more hugs for no reason!". Naruto stared at her dumbfounded, then snickered, and responded, "Then I guess I'll have to give you reasons to hug me, y'know!".
.
Ebisu walked had made his way into the dining room, where he found Sakura's parents. He shook hands with her father (a lanky, short-pink-haired man with sideburns), and bowed to her mother (a woman with her hair pushed back). They introduced themselves as Kizashi (the father) and Mebuki (the mother) Haruno. Ebisu requested, "Listen, I don't know how you feel about Naruto Uzumaki, but please, don't glare at him while we eat. I really want him to feel as if he can trust other people.". The couple nodded to each other, as Ebisu went back upstairs to retrieve the kids.
...
The dinner table was set up such that Kizashi and Mabuki sat at the heads of it. Naruto sat next to Sakura, and Ebisu sat next to Kusuo (Sakura's little brother).
Before the meal, Naruto clasped his hands together, bowed, and said, "Thanks for the meal!", before digging in - a callback to Ichiraku's.
Mebuki and Kizashi found it to be charming.
As Naruto dug into the rice and chicken, he was asked by Kizashi, "So, Naruto, still aiming to become hokage?" (Sakura had ranted to her parents about the boy - albeit, with a hint of fondness).
Naruto swallowed his food, and answered, "Believe it! I'm gonna become the greatest ninja the world's ever known, then I'm gonna earn everyone's acknowledgement, and then I'm gonna become hokage! And nothing's gonna stop me!".
What an ambitious boy...
Mebuki then jested, "You're Sakura's boyfriend, aren't you?".
Sakura nearly choked on her food. She kicked her legs (not that anyone could see) and whined, "Moooooom! Don't say that!". Naruto, though, joked back, "Yeah, I am, but Sakura-chan's in denial.", eliciting a laugh from the adults.
Kizashi added, "The way she talks about you, I'm just about ready to accept that as the truth!". Kusuo pointed at Sakura and chanted, "Sakura likes Naruto Sakura likes Naruto!". Naruto blushed as he teased, "Sakura-chan, you talk about me?...". Sakura's face turned red, and she responded, "I talk about everything, not just you! I- I talk about Sasuke, and Kakashi-sensei, and... stuff!". Naruto snickered again. "But I bet you talk more about me...!". The pinkette poked him on the forehead and jokingly told him, "Only to tell them how annoying you can be...".
They all laughed throughout dinner, and all had a good time.
Two weeks later, Ichiraku's ramen stand, nighttime
Sakura (wearing her crop-top/skirt combo over her shorts) helped Naruto (who was wearing a sleeveless black jacket over a blue shirt, along with shin-length pants) stumble into Ichiraku's (with his right arm hanging over the back of her neck) as Jiraiya and Ebisu led them into the stand. Over the past two weeks, Naruto (just as the other genin, but especially Naruto) had been pushing himself much harder than ever before. He was undergoing intense taijutsu training, as well as chakra control training (to help with the spiraling sphere), as Sakura focused mainly on her medical jutsu. Today, Naruto had certainly outdone himself, and was too tired to walk on his own. As a result, the group finally went to Ichiraku's, after two weeks of going to other restaurants (unbeknownst to Sakura, it had been for the purpose of helping Naruto face his fear of the villagers - regardless, they were at Ichiraku's now, a safe haven for the boy).
As the four took their seats at the counter (left to right: Jiraiya, Sakura, Naruto, Ebisu), Sakura scolded, "You idiot, I told you to not push yourself too hard!". As she let go of Naruto, he began a coughing fit, and redirected his face to the ground. Once his hacking fit was over, he slumped over, with his chin on the counter, meekly ordering, "My regular, and some water, please...". Jiraiya ordered, "I'll have what the brat's having.", and Ebisu ordered, "Vegetable ramen for me and Sakura, please.".
Ayame jested, "We haven't seen you in a while, Naruto. We almost thought you'd forgotten about us!", accompanied by a giggle from herself.
It was Sakura who spoke up, "Naruto's been training really hard since the last time we came here.", as she rubbed his back. She added, "I, for one, am impressed.", smiling at the boy, who smiled back.
As they made eye contact, they maintained it, finding a certain mutual warmth and comfort in each other. Just as Naruto felt himself drifting off to sleep, a bowl was plopped right in front of him, jolting him back awake. It was his ramen.
Naruto tried to lift his arms up (one to grab the bowl, the other his chopsticks), but he'd worn himself out too much. He whimpered a bit, and was about to try and flop his arms up, before he felt a warm hand on his shoulder - Sakura's hand. She smiled at him and offered, "J-just this once... I'll feed you your ramen, okay?".
Sakura-chan feeding me ramen Sakura-chan feeding me ramen Sakura-chan feeding me ramen Sakura-chan feeding me ramen Sakura-chan feeding me ramen!
The pinkette had accumulated some of Naruto's noodles in his chopsticks and hovered them towards his face. She told him, "Come on, open your mouth...". The boy grinned dreamily, before saying, "Actually, I think I need some water first.". Jiraiya laughed as Sakura put the noodles back, playfully warning, "You're pushing your luck, Naruto.". She picked up the glass set out for him, and held it to his mouth, tilting it slightly so that he may drink it.
After drinking half the glass, Naruto cleared his throat, as Sakura put the glass back on the counter. He then requested, "Ramen, please...". Sakura joyously smiled at his funny demeanor, as she brought the noodles back near his face. He opened his mouth and slurped up the ramen. His grin became even wider as he relished its taste.
I'd be remiss to say that he doesn't look kinda cute right now...
Naruto swallowed the noodles, and reminded Sakura, "Hey, don't forget to eat your own ramen, Sakura-chan, before it gets cold y'know.". Sakura thanked the boy, and consumed her own ramen, alternating between feeding herself and feeding Naruto.
Jiraiya watched pensively as this exchange occurred. He could almost see the silhouettes of a certain red-haired woman, and a blonde-haired man, in the places of Sakura and Naruto. Perhaps he wanted to see them.
A few minutes later
From the third floor of a hotel near Ichiraku's, as Gaara slept and Temari cleaned her fan, Kankuro (without his face paint and ninja outfit on) saw Naruto leaving the stand with his group.
Kankuro pointed out, "Hey, Temari, it's that orange-covered blonde kid, Nagato something-or-other.". Temari scoffed. "That little spaz? Must be giving himself a reward for training so hard.".
Kankuro responded, "Yeah, I guess. Not that I think he trains all that hard. Anyways, ya think you're gonna go up against that guy, Shikamaru, or the other guy, Dosu?".
Temari replied, "I've got a plan for the both of them, but either way, I'm not gonna lose to guys of such a low level. No way.".
Kankuro commented, "You kinda blew it, didn't you? If you'd taken the chunin exams last year, then you'd be chunin now, and you wouldn't have been roped into this messed-up situation.".
Temari deflatedly said, "Don't say that...".
Flashback
A dumbfounded Temari sat on her bed with her brothersas she questioned, "What? What did you just say?".
Baki answered, "I'm going to have you three genin - the best whom the Hidden Sand can offer, entered into the chunin exams. But your goal isn't to pass the exams, it's to catalyze the plan to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village.
Temari begged to know, "But why are we commencing an attack upon the Hidden Leaf Village? Are we not allies? Don't we have a binding peace treaty with them?".
Baki told her, "Yes, that's right, we do. But it's that evry treaty that's made us weak.".
Temari gasped. Kankuro inquired, "I don't get it, what do you mean?".
Baki replied, "You genin aren't aware of all the details, and the situation is to intricate to explain in its entirety, so I'll give you a condensed rundown. When that alliance treaty was signed, our idiotic feudal lord completely succumbed to the Land of Fire, and greatly set back our military. Our funds were slashed, our shinobi diminished, and important work that should've been done by us was given to Leaf ninja. The head of our state is weak, and he left us, the arms and legs of the state, to suffer. In turn, we were forced to ensure that the quality of our shinobi skyrocketed, scrapping for any corner that would allow for our military strength to be maintained.".
The jonin turned towards Gaara. "Such circumstances are the reason that shinobi such as yourself are created, Gaara.".
Baki turned back to address all three genin. "The survival of the Land of Wind teeters against its own favor, but the feudal lord is incompetent, as are his advisors and cronies. Lord kazekage does not suffer from such an ailed mind, however; he knows the situation. This is why he's joined hands with the Hidden Sound Village. We must crush the Hidden Leaf Village in order to ensure that our own village may thrive. Then, the feudal lord will have to understand the weight of our criris! ".
Kankuro struggled to keep his composure, as Temari trembled.
Baki looked at Gaara. "Now, Gaara, this mission depends entirely upon your skills. We'll need them, especially once we go to war with the Hidden Leaf.".
Temari whimpered in a regretful manner, "We'll be going to war again? So much time and so many lives we're sacrifced to achieve the alliance! Now, more time, and more lives will be tossed away once it's broken!". She quivered, and looked down at her feet, unable, and perhaps unwilling, to look at her sensei's face.
Kankuro stammered, "But- Temari!...".
Baki ordered, "Harden your heart, child. This is the will of our kazekage.".
Temari gasped again, "Lord kazekage...?".
Baki added, "This is an S-plus-ranked mission. Make sure you succeed.".
Kankuro was quick to agree with a "Yes, Sensei.", while Temari took a few seconds before relenting, "Yes, Sensei...".
Flashback over
Shikamaru's house
Shikamaru, Shikaku, and Shikamaru's mom are dinner at the small round table.
Shikaku remarked to his wife, "Yoshino, you've really outdone yourself tonight - I've never had a meal this good!".
Yoshino responded, "Well, Shikamaru is going to be in the chunin exams next week, and I know that you've been training him really hard for a while, now.".
Shikamaru nodded, "Yep, I feel like I might actually pass this thing now.". As he gulped down another bite, he added, "By the way, Mom, thanks for telling Dad to train me.".
Shikaku's eyes widened, as Yoshino looked confused. She told Shikamaru, "I never said any such thing...".
The mother and son then looked at Shikaku, who sheepishly admitted, "I... Made the decision to train you by my own volition, Son...".
Shikamaru smirked. "Oh.", he said. He added, "Thanks, Dad.".
Team 7's training ground, next morning
Naruto hadn't been able to form a spiraling sphere that lasted more than a few seconds. Before he'd get the chance to actually use the maneuver, it would always dissappear, as if it were sugar in a cup of coffee. But the boy knew that he was on the right track to creating a long-lasting version of the technique. After all, with just one hand to shape it, it did exist.
This was the exact line of thought that went through Naruto's drenched forehead, as he panted, following another failed attempt at the jutsu - surely, trying and failing to do it for two hours was taxing on his chakra. By now, the sweat that dripped off of him cooled his body, but the fire within him was raging as hard as ever.
If I only had another hand, I'd be surely able to form the sphere!
.
.
.
That's it! Another hand! One hand isn't enough to shape the sphere fast enough, so I just need another hand, or two! And I've got just the technique to make that happen!
Jiraiya watched curiously as Naruto brought his hands together to put his fingers in a cross-shape. Right then, a shadow clone was formed next to the boy.
Jiraiya questioned, "Naruto, what're you doing?".
Naruto chuckled, "You'll see, Pervy Sage. You'll see...".
Naruto began forming the spiraling sphere in his hand once again. When the whisp of yellow chakra appeared, he began using his other hand to shape it, but this time, the shadow clone used its hands to aid the molding! At an intense pace, there were now three hands shaping the sphere!
Clever little brat! Using a shadow clone to shape the spiraling sphere! It's beautiful, he really has inherited Minato's ingenuity...
The spinning ball in Naruto's hand began to take a yellowish-orange form, and the hands forming it backed off once it was rotating in every single direction simultaneously, seemingly shedding the orangeness.
A perfect spiraling sphere. It did not spin too much in any direction, nor was it unstable, or prone to spontaneous dissipation. It was a solid yellow ball. One second of holding the jutsu turned to ten seconds, which turned to thirty seconds, and eventually, and entire minute of Naruto holding it.
He snickered, and, just as Jiraiya had shown him two weeks ago, ran towards a tree and slammed his palm into it, scarring the tree with a massive spiral that ran through nearly the entire depth of it.
Naruto smiled wildly, and began laughing as he basked in the glory of his triumph (in which he was joined by Jiraiya).
At the same time, at the river that crossed under the bridge adjacent to the training ground, Sakura had just caused a wilting flower to bloom once again. Ebisu admired her progress.
To come this far in just two weeks... Sakura is truly a remarkable student.
Naruto ran across the bridge, and down to the shore where Sakura stood. He shouted, "Sakura-chan, Ebisu-sensei, I finally did it! I did the spiraling sphere!".
Forest
Sasuke stood meters across from his sensei.
Ushi-usagi-uma-saru-uma.
He formed the handsigns for the lightning blade, and was soon circled by lightning on the ground. The lightning transferred into his hand, and he held the lightning in his hand, before slamming it down into the ground, creating a crater twelve inches deep and three feet wide.
Impressed, Kakashi clapped. "Very good, Sasuke.", he remarked, as he brought his eyepatch back down over his Sharingan. He walked over and ruffled the boy's hair, telling him, "There's no need to train the lightning blade any further, and the same rings true for your speed. I think you're ready to take on Gaara, which means that it's finally safe to take you back to the Hidden Leaf Village. Come on, pack your things.".
You're finally ready to take on Gaara... But most importantly, you're ready to fend for yourself, if Kabuto or some other Sound ninja come for you. I wonder how Ebisu's doing with Naruto? I'd given up any hope of Minato-sensei's son passing the exam for the time being, but now, I might be able to train him for the last week... Nothing's set in stone.
Hidden Leaf Village, bottom of Hokage Monument
Iruka stood in front of his students, explaining as he gestured to the monument, "As you can see, on this rock face, the likeness of every hokage has been captured in stone. From left to right, first to fourth, they are: Hashirama Senju, his nephew Tobirama Senju, his student Hiruzen Sarutobi - the current hokage, and finally, the strongest ninja who's ever lived, the fourth hokage, Minato Namikaze.".
Konohamaru giggled.
Grampa sure looks much different now than he does up there... He used to have hair!
A girl in the group asked, "Iruka-sensei, who'll be the fifth hokage?".
Iruka joked, "Hey, maybe it'll be me!", he laughed at his own joke, and his students joined (there was no way that Iruka-sensei would ever become hokage).
Hiruzen then appeared, smoking his pipe . He teased, "I hear you're planning a takeover of the village, Iruka, something about becoming the fifth hokage?".
Iruka tensed up, as he stood straight and saluted, "Lord Hokage!".
The kids chattered among themselves, with the occasional, "It's the third hokage!" being heard.
Konohamaru stood up and questioned, "Hey, Old Man, what're you doing here?".
Hiruzen replied, "I was just hoping to take a look at the mountainside images, like you students. It is a public monument, after all.".
Iruka remarked, "You've come at a great time, Lord Hokage.". He offered, "Would you care to join me?", as he motioned to an empty space beside himself.
Hiruzen dragged his pipe and blew out some smoke, before humming "Yes.", and making his ay over to Iruka's side.
The presence of the old man was astounding. The kids couldn't help but look at him in awe as he passed by them.
Once the hokage was beside him, Iruka told his students, "I'm sure that you already know who this is - his face is the third one carved into the mountain; Hiruzen Sarutobi, our lord third hokage. In his time, he was also considered to be the strongest, even being known as 'The Professor'.".
Some of the kids challenged, "You don't look very strong...", and Konohamaru silently agreed.
Someday soon, I'm gonna outdo ya, Grampa. Ain't no way you're the strongest!
Iruka scolded, "Hey, stop it; don't casually disrespect the hokage like that! You should know that only the strongest man in the Land can become hokage!".
Konohamaru stood up and proclaimed, "Well, I'm gonna be the hokage too, someday!".
Hiruzen chuckled, then stopped. His friendly smile remained as he stated, "Look at all of you. You're all so much younger than me! I have no doubt that someone among you may take the mantle of hokage. Remember, you only have one life, so never choose an impossible road! Life is meant for you to live and die as you would like. However, no matter what route you take, always protect the people precious to you. Those whom you hold dear to you, who you trust and love. Those are the people in life whom you must protect with everything you've got! ". He asked, "You've all got someone like that, don't you?".
The kids chattered, suggesting people such as, "My mom!", or "My dad!", or "My brother, even though I don't like him much!".
One student asked the hokage, "Who are the people in your life that are like that?".
Hiruzen answered, "Well, I have my grandson, Konohamaru. I also have my son, Asuma. In fact, the entire village is precious to me!".
The kids looked at the man in amazement, as Iruka triumphantly hummed.
Hiruzen looked up at the fourth hokage's face on the wall.
You were the most perfect example of that, Minato.
Late afternoon
The first place that Sasuke (who had replaced his blue and white outfit and swapped it to a black color palette) went to upon returning to the Village was Team 7's training ground (Kakashi had gone elsewhere). Upon reaching the training ground, he immediately spotted Naruto and Sakura, all by their lonesome.
Jiraiya and Ebisu were elsewhere.
As Sasuke got closer, he noticed something off about his teammates. Quickly, he figured out that it was their wardrobe. Naruto didn't always wear a sleeveless jacket and blue shirt. Sakura didn't always wear a red crop top, with a short skirt over her shorts (her hair also seemed to be a little bit longer). It momentarily perplexed the Uchiha that two of the people whom he knew best, seemed so different with just a change of clothes.
Sasuke jogged up to them, resulting in Sakura immediately going into shy-mode, looking down, bringing her arms and legs closer together as she gasped, "S-Sasuke!". Naruto, on the other hand, gave Sasuke a high-five, as he greeted, "Sasuke, you bastard! How was your training?".
Sasuke replied, "Tch. I'm just about ready to kick Gaara's ass upside-down and sideways!". Naruto retorted, "You do what you want with that guy, but you better be prepped to lose to me in the next round, y'know!". The Uchiha pouted, "How about we test that theory out, right here and now? Me vs. You, one-on-one!".
Naruto chuckled, then turned to Sakura and have her a thumb-up. He told her, "Watch this, Sakura-chan, I'm gonna have lil' Sasuke beat in no time!". Sakura giggled at this, as she sat at one of the posts to watch the spar. After all, this wasn't a real fight.
Naruto tightened his headband, and said, "You and me, Sasuke, as equals - shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Leaves!".
Sasuke scoffed. He took off his own headband, told Sakura, "Sakura, hold this for me.", and tossed it to her (she was shocked, but she caught it).
Naruto growled, "Hey, Sasuke what's the big deal?! Take your headband back and put it on!".
Sasuke assumed a fighting position as he taunted, "You and I aren't equal, Naruto!".
Naruto scoffed and countered, "Y'know what? You're right - we can't be equal, since I'm so far ahead of you!". He assumed his own fighting position. He added, "Let's get this over with!".
The boys ran at each other, and Naruto threw the first punch. Sasuke grabbed his arm and hit him with and arm drag, but he rolled out of it and charged right back. The blonde blocked a jab, and landed a kick to the gut. He then attempted a clothesline, but Sasuke ducked under it, and leg-sweeped Naruto, causing him to fall on his back. Sasuke pounced onto Naruto, but the blonde rolled over, so that he was now on top of Sasuke. He tried to punch him, but the punches were blocked, and Sasuke managed to roll over so that he himself was on top again. Fortunately, Naruto kicked him off, and the boys separated from each other to take a short breather. They stared intently at each other, sizing one another up.
Damn bastard... Kakashi-sensei really wasn't slacking with you, huh? I wish he'd train Sakura-chan and I that seriously...
Naruto... Just how strong have you gotten? How is it that you can keep up with my attacks?
The boys charged at each other again, but this time, Naruto slid under Sasuke's legs, and tripped him over by grabbing his ankles. Once Sasuke had fallen, Naruto scrambled to run onto him, but he found that the Uchiha had wrapped his legs around his ankle, and twisted it. This cause Naruto to fall down, allowing Sasuke to gain the upper hand. Sasuke tried to punch Naruto, but he deflected the hit, and managed to land a clean jab on Sasuke's nose. Sasuke backed up, kicked Naruto in the shin, and jumped a few feet back. The Uzumaki rolled back up into his own feet.
They're really going at it! I hope they don't go too far...
Naruto swore at himself.
I'm barely at Sasuke's level! Just what have I been doing for these past three weeks?!
Sasuke also swore st himself.
That loser's almost at my level! Just what have I been doing for these past three weeks?!
Naruto grunted, "I've had just about enough of this!". He brought his hands together in a cross-shape, summoning half a dozen shadow clones. He intended to perform the Naruto Uzumaki barrage!
Realizing Naruto's plan, Sasuke made some hand signs of his own.
Uma-hebi-ramu-saru-ino-uma-tora!
Sasuke brought his left hand to his mouth in the shape of an "O" and blew a great fireball towards his teammate.
Naruto's clones all accumulated in front of him, protecting him from the oncoming blast, sacrificing themselves for their summoner.
Sasuke watched as the flames vanished, and right out of them, Naruto suddenly dashed through! Sasuke received a hard blow right to the nose, and was knocked a few feet back.
Damn it! How could Naruto, of all people, be giving me so much trouble?! Has he really gotten so strong, that I need to resort to this?
Sasuke activated his Sharingan, and used its enhanced visual acuity to block the unrelenting blonde. He then blocked another hit, and another, before finding an opening that permitted him to land a rolling back elbow on Naruto's face. Before he could regain his composure, though, Sasuke was forced to dodge another hit from Naruto.
God damn it! Even with my Sharingan activated, Naruto still manages to go head-to-head to with me! I need to end this quick, for my pride, if nothing else!
Sasuke turned around and began running, while forming the hand signs Uma-hebi-ramu-saru-ino-uma-tora, letting Naruto chase him. Once he'd made the tora seal, Sasuke turned around, and blew another fireball at an ever-approaching Naruto. The blonde was only a few feet away, so his only choice was to create shadow clones as a shield, and to jump back a few yards.
When the smoke and fire cleared, Naruto saw lightning chakra collecting itself around Sasuke!
That's the maneuver that Kakashi-sensei used... The one that killed Haku!
In retaliation, Naruto summoned a shadow clone, and began forming a spiraling sphere in his right hand. Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw this.
I was only using the lightning blade to intimidate him, but he's got a jutsu of his own to match?!
Sakura couldn't help but quiver in in shock.
At this rate, they're gonna kill each other! I have to stop this, somehow!
Naruto and Sasuke narrowed their eyes at each other, neither boy willing to back down.
I need to beat him!
As Naruto and Sasuke rushed at each other, with their respective techniques in their hands, Sakura stood up and yelled "Stop it! Just stop already!".
But the boys couldn't hear her.
They were being so friendly with each other just a few minutes ago! How could this happen?!
Sakura began running towards them, nearly tripping as she continued to shout, "NARUTO, SASUKE, STOP!". She pleaded that they would heed her cries, but she went unheard.
The spiraling sphere in Naruto's right hand collided with the lightning blade in Sasuke's left hand. Just as the spinning ball overtook the thunderous chakra, the boys finally heard Sakura screaming.
They looked towards her, bewildered at the sight and sound of her plea of "STOP IT!", and the fact that she was about to approach them. It was then that the two of them shared the same thought.
I should stop pushing my hand into his!
Both boys did what they could to release the jutsu, but the spiraling sphere was just too powerful. Even as Naruto released it, it was pushing forward into Sasuke's hand, causing the Uchiha to be tossed back into a tree.
Sasuke was defeated, Naruto was dumbfounded, and Sakura was horrified.
But... I released the spiraling sphere! How, how, how... Is the technique really so powerful? But it was the only thing that could've matched the lightning thing... If I hadn't come across Pervy Sage, I would've been pulverized! Was Kakashi-sensei willing to take that kind of risk?
Sakura rushed over to Sasuke. She kneeled next to him, and a harrowing memory of the time that she thought he'd died returned. She began to weep, as she looked to Naruto and blubbered whatever came to mind. She wailed, "Naruto, you idiot! You just had to stop fighting him, and neither of you would've been hurt! You idiot! I hate you I hate you I hate you!". Tears spilled out of the girl's eyes as she cried more and more, leaving Naruto alone to take in the situation.
I hurt Sasuke... And I made Sakura cry... I...
It was then that Kakashi arrived. He saw what was laid out in front of him, and demanded to know, "What happened here?!".
Naruto breathed shakily as he turned to Kakashi. His voice was pauseless, though, as he stated, "Kakashi-sensei... You're late.".
Kakashi looked at Naruto with great worry.
Naruto sounds so... Empty. What could've happened here?
Sakura stood up, and stumbled over to Kakashi, burying her face in his green vest as she cried. She wept, "Kakashi-sensei...!".
Naruto felt a certain darkness coming over himself as his voice turned cold. He asked, "Kakashi-sensei, you trained Sasuke for these past three weeks, to make him stronger than Gaara, right?".
Kakashi didn't answer.
Naruto continued, "And you left me with Ebisu-sensei so that I wouldn't be left without a trainer... But based on the fight that I just had with Sasuke, if I hadn't run into Pervy Sage, Sasuke would be stronger than me.".
Kakashi wondered what Naruto was getting at.
Naruto added, "If I were to beat Neji, I would have to fight either Sasuke or Gaara. But since Sasuke would've been stronger than me, if I fought him, I would've lost. And if Gaara had beaten Sasuke, then, since Sasuke would've been stronger than me, I would've lost against Gaara. ".
Sakura slowly ceased her crying, and Kakashi's eye widened.
Naruto looked at Kakashi dead in the eye and finally said, "You didn't think I'd be able to pass the exam.".
Sakura's face contorted to one of mixed confusion, as Kakashi gasped. The man explained, "I was looking out for Sasuke's survival. He needed the training more than you did.".
Naruto clenched his fists. "So you didn't think I'd even be able to beat Neji?! You would've totally screwed me over, Sensei! Didn't you think about what would've happened, if your training wasn't enough for Sasuke to survive?!".
Kakashi narrowed his eyes and told the boy, "Of course, the thought crossed my mind. But I didn't think about it very often. I mostly thought about how Sasuke would advance if he'd become strong enough to beat Gaara.".
Naruto's chest felt stiff. He rubbed it as he spoke, "But he isn't strong enough to beat Gaara, is he? If I could beat him so easily...".
Kakashi gently pushed Sakura to the side, as he himself went over to Sasuke, and checked on the boy.
Naruto then made another statement. "I... Am so done with you and Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei!".
Kakashi's head snapped to the blonde. "What?!".
Naruto expanded, "I thought you had faith in me, Sensei, that you actually cared about me. But you're no better than the other villagers. You just pretended to like me, while you continously neglected my training, and kept me too weak to fend for myself against serious threats.". Kakashi gasped again behind his mask.
No, no, no, no, no, Naruto! I never meant to make you feel that way!
It was Sakura who squeaked, "Naruto, don't say that! You know Kakashi-sensei cares about you!".
Naruto shot back, "You're one to talk, Sakura-chan! Kakashi-sensei neglected you even more than he neglected me! Think about it, what has he ever taught either of us? And I bet it's because you don't hate me, like Sasuke does...".
Kakashi calmly told Naruto, "Sasuke doesn't hate you...".
Naruto retorted, "He does hate me. And I hate him. Just because we're not always at each other's necks doesn't mean that we're friends, or that I like him.".
Naruto choked up, before turning around and running home.
Sakura shouted, "Naruto, come back here!", but Kakashi grabbed her arm, and when she looked at him, he just shook his head. Kakashi then picked up Sasuke to take him to the hospital.
Minato-sensei... I pray that I can salvage my relationship with Naruto... I really have failed him, haven't I? Damn it.
That night
It was midnight, and Naruto returned to Team 7's training ground to train some more.
He couldn't believe how such a good day had turned so sour so fast. He let his emotions get the better of him, and he'd exploded at Kakashi, saying things that he hadn't meant, things he couldn't take back.
Naruto walked up to the tree that Sasuke had been blown into, and looked at it with disdain - as if it were a reminder of how badly the day had gone.
He summoned a shadow clone, and formed a yellowish-orange spiraling sphere. Once the orangeness was shed, only the yellow remained. Naruto slammed the maneuver into the tree, scarring it with a spiral-shape.
But that wasn't enough.
He repeated the process, scarring the tree further.
And he did it again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
He kept doing it over and over, until the tree was destroyed, and he had to move on to another tree. The sun began to rise, and even then, he continued.
It was around seven o'clock A.M. that Naruto felt his breath hitching. He gasped, as if he had a shortness of breath, and clutched at his chest. He was burning. His body burning, and it was as if a dagger was being stabbed into him with every passing second. Naruto broke into a coughing fit, which had gotten so bad, that he began coughing blood. Eventually, he became unconscious, and sprawled out onto the ground.
A few minutes later, Sakura came by. She was hoping to resume training with Ebisu, and to explain what had happened to the adults.
I can't believe what happened yesterday.. It's like we've gone full-circle! Naruto hates Sasuke, and distrusts Kakashi-sensei...
She found Naruto passed out.
Sakura ran towards the boy, and tried shaking him awake, "Wake up, Naruto, wake up! What's wrong, Naruto? Wake up!". Sakura noticed that Naruto was unusually pale. In addition, his right arm was unusually red, and his hand was all scratched up. She took a deep breath, and then noticed the blood on the ground.
Sakura ran into the village to get help.
Naruto's hurt, physically and emotionally! That fight with Sasuke, those things I said without thinking, and his belief about Kakashi-sensei... He's got so much on his mind!
Luckily, she happened to run right into Ebisu. She told him, "Ebisu-sensei, there's something wrong with Naruto! He's passed out an his arm's red and he won't wake up!".
Ebisu questioned, "What?". He ordered, "Take me to him, now!".
Sakura grabbed the man's hand, and pulled him to lead him to Naruto's body.
Ebisu turned Naruto over to his side, and checked his vitals, before inspecting his arm.
Ebisu sighed with relief, "It's just chakra burns... He'll just need a few days' worth of rest to recover.". He hoisted the boy over his shoulder, and carried him to the hospital.