Author Note: Whew, Chapter Three, one of the longest chapters I've written so far. Thank you for your continued support! I was very happy to see my little story reach over 1k views!
"Disembodied voices of higher beings."
"External Dialogue of Lesser Mortals."
'Structured Thoughts'
Enjoy!
Setsuri
Chapter Three
"Allowing others to see your vulnerability is true strength."
It had been a few weeks since the incident with the foreign ninja and the enlightening conversation Naruto had with Iruka. Since that day their relationship had improved immensely. Naruto returned to school. Even on days, he didn't feel like going, Iruka made sure that he showed up. If Naruto was absent or late Iruka would be outside his apartment door or bound to find him around town.
Naruto didn't know whether to be happy that he'd finally caught someone's attention or frustrated that he couldn't get away with anything anymore without fear of invoking his sensei's wrath. Not that this stopped him from pulling pranks on the village populace. Naruto was just getting smarter, faster, and sneakier. It had also become a game to stun the poor man with his Oiroke no Jutsu.
Hibachi and his friends had been severely punished for the incident that occurred the previous month, and Iruka had a long talk with Naruto explaining the important differences between quantity and quality. Taking the lesson to heart the young boy focused on more important knowledge he'd learned that evening.
Nara Shikamaru at the very least tolerated his existence and risked ridicule with his peers to ensure Naruto's well-being. They may not be friends per se, but they could at least talk and hang out passively at times. With Shikamaru came Akimichi Chōjii, Naruto learned very quickly not to tease the rotund boy about his weight. He could become quite violent when properly motivated.
Shikamaru knew the best places to take naps around the village, introduced Naruto to a relaxing hobby known as cloud watching and seemed to be sensitive about the issue around Naruto being an orphan. Chōjii on the other hand introduced Naruto to other snack foods besides ramen. Naruto still preferred ramen, it was the food of the gods after all, but the Uzumaki appreciated the gesture nonetheless.
It was nice that he finally had some people to hang out with at the park. It seemed the boys' parents tolerated Naruto hanging around their children at the very least. He still went home alone every night, but at least he didn't feel as isolated.
Then came Hyūga Hinata, Naruto didn't know how to approach the girl about the revelations revealed to him. She didn't just tolerate his existence. It seemed she actually held some importance for it. Naruto had decided that once he returned to school he'd make a better effort to get to know her, so he did.
Surprisingly, Naruto found that they had some similar interests. They both enjoyed sweets, for instance, Hinata was partial to zenzai while he preferred oshiruko. Her favorite hobby was flower pressing, Naruto revealed to her his secret hobby of cultivating houseplants, even the fact that he took to naming them, his favorite being Ukki-San.
Over a short amount of time, it seemed both children looked forward to their quiet discussions before the start of class. Well, it was mostly Naruto talking and Hinata listening. After the issue at the start of the year, Naruto didn't feel Hinata would appreciate talking about her home life, and since Naruto, himself didn't have a family they just avoided that topic altogether.
On the days Hinata seemed depressed Naruto would go out of his way to make her smile. Even though she never said anything he could tell by her presence that she enjoyed his pranks, although sometimes his pranks would backfire in a spectacular fashion leading to Naruto being pummeled, particularly by an irate Haruno Sakura, or other members of Sasuke's fan club. It wasn't like Naruto aimed for the girls on purpose. His primary targets were usually Iruka-Sensei and Uchiha Sasuke. Granted, Sasuke always outsmarted him so his targeted pranks usually failed, but it was still worth the challenge most of the time.
Today was the day Naruto had been dreading for the past few weeks. It was the start of summer break and as such, that meant Naruto was going to be alone for the rest of the month and would have to train more extensively to keep up with his home studies. The troubled orphan sat on his swing outside the academy entrance contemplating his envy towards his peers. Times like this made it so difficult for him, even with his newly acquired friends.
'...Friends… I have friends?'
Naruto paused contemplating that thought with a small smile. Sure, he was never invited to their respective homes, and they weren't allowed to hang out at his, but he had people to hang out with now, at least on occasion. That settled it, in between his training sessions Naruto would get some gifts for his newly acquired companions over the break.
'Hm...Hinata-Chan seems to like flowers, maybe I can find some special ones in the forest… Chōjii seems to just like food in general… I could probably give him some of my special-occasion ramen? That just leaves Shikamaru...Ugh… he's still so hard to figure out! Dattebayo!'
A sudden commotion brought Naruto out of his thoughts. He could have sworn he heard Hinata just then, which confused him since he never saw her out of class. Leaning back on his swing the blonde turned towards the source of the noise, spotting a group of older boys crowding around something. Then he heard it again. It was definitely Hinata's voice! There was no mistake! Clenching his jaw, Naruto scrambled off of the swing, running over to see Hinata being forced to kneel on her hands and knees while one of the boys held her head down in a prostrating position. She was repeatedly apologizing for something and crying. They were making her cry!
"Knock it off!" Naruto barked, glaring fiercely up at the older boys who whipped around to look at him.
"And what the hell do you want?!" Growled one of the boys, as if daring Naruto to intervene, the would-be hero merely glared in reply.
"Hey wait, he's that kid! That kid who's always getting into trouble. That kid everyone hates." The ring leader pointed out taking his attention from Hinata. Giving the poor girl some reprieve to gather herself.
"Oh, that kid huh?" All the boys started to snicker.
Naruto tightened his fists digging his nails into his palms while shaking with quiet anger. He hated it when people talked that way about him, like he wasn't there, like he wasn't a person. Gazing past them he saw Hinata straightening herself up, wiping away her tears. Good, their focus was completely on him. Gathering his resolve Naruto decided to play the situation to his favor, even if it was three against one.
"Hey! I'm not that kid! My name is Uzumaki Naruto! Future Hokage of Konohagakure! Remember that! Dattebayo!"
"Hokage?!" All three boys repeated in disbelief before they started to laugh even louder jeering their lack of faith in his claims between breaths.
"Some idiot kid like you… " Started the more aggressive of boys as he threw a sucker punch. Naruto grunted as the fist impacted his cheek, refusing to show weakness to these boys, and especially not in front of Hinata. It hurt, but he was still standing.
"...Could never be Hokage!" The boy continued with a second more forceful punch sending Naruto spinning to the ground.
It was painful, but he needed to be strong. Naruto couldn't become Hokage if he couldn't protect his precious friends. Spitting out the blood that filled his mouth the bruised but determined boy stubbornly stood back up, wiping the remnants of vermillion fluid from his chin Naruto glared defiantly up at the three bullies. He smirked letting out a confident chuckle, giving off the air that the punch was nothing to him, riling the other boy even more. Naruto spared a glance towards Hinata as she shakily stood up watching the scene in front of her.
'Why is she just standing there? This is her chance to escape!'
"You want to fight?!" The combative older boy snarled threateningly, earning a cocky grin from Naruto.
"You better not, or you'll regret it!" Naruto warned boldly, putting his hands into the seal meant for the Bunshin no Jutsu. He knew it was his weakest Jutsu, but he also knew the most important thing in a battle was to catch your enemy by surprise.
"Bunshin no Jutsu!"
"N-No way?!" The older boys seemed to be scared until the smoke cleared and there stood Naruto's half-baked abomination. At least this one was standing! Everyone seemed dumbstruck, even Hinata. After a pause, the older boys were in hysterics, laughing uncontrollably at the failed jutsu. This was the opportunity that Naruto had been looking for! Letting out a battle cry he tackled the primary aggressor to the ground taking the chance to return a few punches of his own.
"I caught you off guard, didn't I?! You just watch I will become Hokage! Dattebayo! I'll show all of you! I'll prove you all wrong!" He declared with each punch.
"Get him!" the other two boys hollered, quickly yanking Naruto off of their comrade and pinning him down so they could deliver a punishing beat-down. Naruto grunted and groaned under the punishing punches and kicks but tried his best to remain strong. He could hear Hinata whimpering, but at least their primary focus was still on him. Why wouldn't she run away?! He was providing a distraction after all.
"Hinata-Sama!" a mature voice shouted. At the sound of the approaching adult, the older boys stopped their assault, hurrying to get up and make a speedy escape.
'Good, she's safe now…' Naruto thought as the footsteps stopped near him. Letting out a relieved sigh he succumbed to his injuries and drifted out of consciousness.
'...It's my fault…'
'...I made her suffer for years…'
'.. If only I could go back and do things differently…'
It was dark by the time Naruto awoke. He found most of his superficial wounds had already healed, which wasn't anything new to him. His body was still stiff, sore, and would probably remain that way for the next couple of days. The bruised child was happy that he could take the attention off of Hinata but would have been happier if he didn't have to get thrashed in the process. Naruto needed to get stronger! A Hokage protected everyone, he couldn't even protect himself! With that thought in mind, the defeated but still optimistic Uzumaki struggled to his feet, slowly making his way home.
Over summer break Naruto trained himself into the ground, testing his skills with increasingly more elaborate pranks that stirred the ire of the shinobi populace within the village. He was getting fast enough to outrun most of the jōnin and even some of the ANBU. Naruto knew of course that they weren't being as serious as they could be if he'd been a real threat, but it still made him feel good that he was starting to see results from all his hard work.
Naruto wished he could afford actual practice kunai, but was afraid of losing them, so rocks suited him just fine when practicing the aim needed for shurikenjutsu. He couldn't practice his taijutsu either, lacking a sparring partner. Instead, Naruto took his aggression out on a practice dummy he created in Sasuke's likeness. He also diligently practiced the kata they'd been learning in school. Sometimes Naruto would even try to work on the weird moves his body tried to implement. Slowing them down, and breaking them into kata to practice. Some of the moves didn't seem to fit with his current stature and could only be executed clumsily, but Naruto found them interesting. Naruto was after all one of the smallest in his class, so any moves that would give him an advantage in spars couldn't be wasted.
Since they started learning chakra theory in class Naruto had come to understand that chakra was a balance of both physical and spiritual energy. Since he trained and exercised daily he wasn't worried about his physical energy. To raise his spiritual energy Naruto attempted to meditate and read scrolls, but still wasn't disciplined sufficiently enough to sit the adequate duration to gain any noticeable effects. Naruto sometimes wondered if that was the reason he couldn't complete a successful Bunshin, and was abhorrent in genjutsu. Naruto contemplated asking for help from Iruka-Sensei once school started back up, but quickly decided against it. He needed to figure out some things by himself, and couldn't be held by the hand if he wanted to be acknowledged for his own power one day.
One of the stealth practice challenges Naruto attempted one day, for training, had been to sneak into the adult bookstore for more references to perfect his Oiroke no Jutsu. He noticed one of the more popular magazines was full of naked women instead of women in their underwear, so Naruto started to implement that idea to make the jutsu more effective. The naive youth was even planning on testing out the effectiveness of the personalized Henge by trying to sneak into the public baths at some point but wasn't confident or brave enough yet to try it. After all, he'd learned that women tend to get mad when he used that technique for some reason, and they showed it by hitting him, repeatedly.
Today though, Naruto was taking a break from everything, relaxing on top of the Yondaime's likeness carved into the Hokage Monument, leisurely eating a popsicle, and watching the clouds. Shikamaru was right. At first, Naruto thought the idea of cloud watching was boring, but it did help to focus his thoughts, not to mention it was fun to notice recognizable shapes in the puffy white formations.
Currently, however, his mind was wandering towards the strange changes that had occurred with him since mid-winter. Some subjects in the class had become easier to understand, and when Naruto wasn't trying to clumsily show off or getting flustered he noticed that he'd greatly improved in shurikenjutsu and taijutsu. Granted, Naruto would probably be immensely better if he wasn't so short or uncoordinated. He'd started to drink more milk in hopes that it would help improve his short stature, but so far he wasn't having any luck.
Not counting the positive improvements with his more practical skills Naruto noticed some other concerning changes. The blonde had figured out that the presence he felt from others was most likely an inherent ability of some sort. Naruto would have to clarify this with Iruka-Sensei though since it would be important to disclose for team placement once he graduated.
The last thing Naruto noticed and planned on keeping to himself was the voice he'd randomly hear in his head on rare occasions. It wasn't like the voice told him to do bad things, but Naruto wasn't dense enough to think it'd go over well with Iruka-Sensei or Hokage Jii-Chan if he told them he'd started to hear voices. Strangely Naruto found the oddly familiar voice, and the bizarre dreams he'd have from time to time to be comforting. Like he wasn't as alone anymore, but a small part of him wondered if it was healthy to think this way. Naruto decided to keep all these changes to himself for now until he could understand them better. It wasn't like they were hurting anything, and so far the advantages outweigh the cons.
Noticing that he was absently chewing on his popsicle stick, the treat completely consumed, the young Uzumaki stood up stretching in a fluid motion before leaping off the mountain face with practiced ease. Naruto needed to head home and prepare for the new semester set to start in a few days, if it was anything like the last one he knew Iruka-Sensei would be testing them on how well they had improved, kept up with their studies, or fell behind during their break. Now that the academy instructor had stopped ignoring Naruto, he'd become quite the hard-ass, and the mischievous boy wanted to avoid earning his ire so soon into the start of the new semester. After all, emotions were fickle things, and he didn't want Iruka-Sensei to hate him like before.
On the first morning of the ninja cadets' return from summer break, Naruto showed up to class early. Making himself comfortable near one of the windows while waiting for his favorite classmate to show up, the sun-kissed blonde didn't have to wait long before the indigo-haired girl appeared, but he was surprised by her reaction when they locked eyes. Did she seem… afraid? Straightening up with nervous apprehension Naruto watched Hinata timidly approach him, being completely taken aback when she bowed to him abruptly.
"N-Naruto-Kun, I-I wanted to a-apologize!" She blurted, earning a bewildered response from the confused boy.
"Ne… W-what do you mean Hinata-Chan?"
'Please for the love of Kami-Sama! Stop bowing!'
"I'm s-s-sorry, the other day... I ended up a-abandoning y-you, a-and you'd b-been hurt so b-badly…e-even after you h-helped me that other time t-too. I'm just so w-weak and useless..." Hinata stammered her voice shaking as she started to shudder and sniffle.
Naruto was completely dumbfounded. Had she really been stressing out about that event this whole time?! All of Summer Break?! The embarrassed boy glanced around. The classroom was still mostly empty, but the few students who'd arrived were watching them curiously, and it felt uncomfortable.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Naruto tried to think of a way to handle the situation. He still wasn't used to a lot of social interactions and didn't quite know how to deal with scenarios like this. The boy thought about how Iruka-Sensei comforted him when he became overwhelmed after the Hibachi Incident, deciding to emulate what he remembered.
Hesitantly Naruto gently patted Hinata's shoulder. The girl flinched initially before slowly looking up to see Naruto flashing his signature toothy smile, "You have nothing to be sorry for Hinata-Chan! I'm just happy you weren't hurt! I'm totally fine, -ttebayo! So please, don't cry anymore, okay? " He requested earnestly, wiping a stray tear from her cheek, earning a vibrant blush from the girl in reaction.
"B-but…" Hinata trailed off as Naruto silenced her with an intense gaze partnered with a frown.
"Look, Hinata-Chan. If you're really worried about it just continue to work hard at getting stronger! That way you can protect me next time! Dattebayo! After all, we're not even full-fledged shinobi yet! We have plenty of time to improve!" Naruto proclaimed a quick smile returning to his face before he leaned over to shuffle through his bag.
"Oh, that reminds me! You said you liked to press flowers in your spare time right?! Well, I found these when I was out training and thought you might enjoy them. I'm not sure if I did it right, but I hope that's okay," The lighthearted boy rambled, pulling out one of his books, opening it to reveal delicately pressed pale white wild irises, deep purple lining the edges of each petal.
As Naruto showed Hinata the gift he'd procured her, the warmth she was radiating suddenly increased to a new sensation he couldn't put into words. This feeling took Naruto completely by surprise, it was better than anything he'd experienced before. It was better than even ramen from Ichiraku's! If you could believe that. He was dumbstruck, and it took a moment to gather himself. Naruto hadn't even been aware that he stopped breathing as he slowly looked up to see Hinata as red as a tomato.
"Eh? Hinata-Chan are you okay? You're awfully red, do you need some water? I know it's been kind of hot lately." Naruto asked with concern as he carefully slid the gift over to Hinata's portion of the desk.
"N-No, thank you. I'll be f-fine…" the shy girl mumbled, burying her face in her vest.
Naruto just shrugged in response, returning to his earlier relaxed position, resting his head on folded arms, getting comfortable while waiting for the remainder of the class to arrive. Savoring this new level of comfort Naruto couldn't help drifting back to sleep. He knew Iruka would make sure he was awake by the time class started, so he wasn't worried.
After what seemed like no time at all Naruto was stirred awake by a suffocating feeling that chilled him to the bone. It was being partially masked by the warmth pouring off of Hinata, but he could still feel it. It wasn't the normal feeling he felt coming from people who hated him, it was on a whole other level. Where was it coming from, or rather...who? Naruto couldn't tell from his position as he opened his eyes wide looking around frantically. It seemed everyone else had arrived, and Iruka was walking in to start class. How come no one else was aware of this pressure? How could they stand it?
"N-Naruto-Kun are you alright? You look a little pale," Hinata whispered worriedly. Naruto blinked up at her.
"I-I'm alright Hinata-Chan, it's nothing to worry about. I promise, dattebayo!" He lied quickly, trying to focus on Iruka's instructions but finding the pounding of his heart in his ears distracting. If no one else was aware, at the very least Naruto didn't want to worry Hinata. She already had a hard enough time that morning.
Naruto had been correct that they were going to have evaluations over everything they'd learned before the summer break. Iruka had just directed the students to file out to the practice field, as the children made their way out of the classroom Iruka held Naruto back, looking at him with concern.
"Naruto, are you okay? You're quieter than normal, and don't look too good."
"I'm fine Sensei. I think I might just be a little tired is all." Naruto quickly answered feeling uncomfortable as he started to break out in a sweat. The sensation had become more saturated when he gathered with the other students.
'Who is it? Who's causing this feeling?! Maybe I should tell Iruka-Sensei. No! I won't worry him over nothing.'
"Well... Alright then, but don't try to hide it from me if you start to feel worse," Iruka advised firmly before the two quickly rejoined the rest of the class. Naruto did feel nauseous but was pretty sure he wasn't sick. After all, he felt fine most of the morning.
During their evaluations, Naruto's mind was elsewhere. He didn't even feel like drawing attention to himself or throwing a tantrum like he normally would have, instead, tuning out the snickers and jeers when he predictably failed the Bunshin no Jutsu. It wasn't until they got around to the spars that he started to pinpoint who was giving off the sickening aura. It was Sasuke.
What had happened to Mr. Popular over the summer? Why did he feel so dangerous now? Naruto groaned when he heard Iruka called both of their names. He didn't want to deal with Sasuke today. In fact, he didn't want to be anywhere near him.
The closer the two got to one another the more uncomfortable Naruto felt. It was as if his body was rejecting the whole experience. The confused blonde felt sick, his muscles were twitching uncontrollably in his limbs. All his instincts were telling him to run away. His mind was swimming with emotions he'd never experienced before. Naruto wanted to cry, to scream, to curl up in a ball and disappear. It was dark, it was cold, and it was scary.
Walking up into the sparring circle Naruto halfheartedly made the seal of confrontation trying to muster up his usual vigor. He didn't want to disappoint Iruka. He's worked so hard during the summer to improve his skills.
'I need to focus, kuso! I can figure out problems with Temē later!'
Psyching himself up Naruto took his stance, waiting for the signal to start. Just as Iruka gave the signal Naruto ran forward, only to end up on his back before he could register what happened. With a fist mere centimeters from his face and a very scary look in Sasuke's eyes not far behind.
'He… He's not even looking at me, he's looking through me. Just what...what could make him feel so much... hate? No, this is stronger than hate...' Naruto thought before finally reaching his limit. Sasuke was too close, and the dark force emanating from him was too much for Naruto to handle.
Quickly Naruto pushed Sasuke off of him, much to everyone's surprise, since he was so much smaller. Then in a fluid motion, Naruto rolled onto his hands and knees proceeding to vomit uncontrollably earning a chorused cry of disgust from his fellow students. Naruto didn't care. He could still see those eyes. They looked dead, yet alive. They promised nothing but misery and pain. Naruto needed to get away, but the world was spinning. He couldn't run, let alone stand.
Iruka rushed forward, kneeling at Naruto's side, but the delirious child barely took notice of him. Being close to eight Naruto had not been mentally or emotionally prepared for the feelings emanating off the Uchiha. Naruto had felt similar things before, but nothing so intense, or up close. He couldn't breathe, no matter how much he panted, no air filled his lungs. He couldn't think all he felt was panic. His body was shivering, but it wasn't cold outside. Before Naruto could make heads or tails of the situation his eyes rolled up into his head and the world went dark.
'...I spared your life on a whim, nothing more. But this time, my whim is telling me, to finish what I started…'
Naruto was soon roused by the sensation of cold water being poured onto his face. Spluttering the shaken boy quickly sat up to see most of his class watching him nervously from the side, and a disapproving supremely worried Iruka kneeling over him with an upturned canteen.
"Shimatta, Naruto! I told you to tell me if you got worse! For now, I want you to go rest in the shade until the rest of the class is done with the drills. I mean it! You probably gave yourself heatstroke without realizing it."
"But Sensei I-"
"Now, Naruto."
With no room for argument, Naruto obediently sulked his way over to where he'd been instructed to rest, sitting grumpily in his drenched clothes. Wiping wetness from his face, Naruto noticed the remnants of a nosebleed. Had things been more serious than he assumed? Keeping with Iruka's strict orders the exhausted youth quietly watched the rest of the spars, followed by basic kata exercises, and leaf concentration exercises.
He noticed Hinata stealing anxious glances at him from time to time and at one moment even saw Shikamaru staring at him with curiosity and concern. Naruto was completely embarrassed. He'd never shown such a moment of weakness in front of his whole class before. The only one that had come close to seeing him in such a vulnerable state would probably have to be Hinata, but never something like this. It was humiliating, and the worst part was everyone thought he did it to himself!
In reality, it wasn't his doing. Naruto wasn't suffering from heatstroke. In all honesty, he didn't understand what exactly happened himself. Naruto at least knew the cause, shifting his gaze to glare at a certain Uchiha. Sasuke had been glancing at him almost as much as Hinata, but he couldn't figure out what the raven-haired boy was thinking. Naruto did however make it a point to sit as far away from the ominous boy as the training field permitted.
'Today had been going so well too, and Temē had to ruin it! Just what's his problem anyway?' Naruto thought irritably in a huff before noticing that Iruka was in the process of dismissing the class. It seemed Hinata wanted to linger, but Iruka convinced her to follow the rest of the students back to class while the shinobi walked over to inspect Naruto.
The chūnin instructor frowned as he stared down at Naruto with disapproval and apprehension, earning a scowl from the still frustrated and embarrassed youth. Sighing, Iruka massaged his cheek sheepishly before deciding to plop down next to Naruto and look up at the sky.
"...So, you want to explain to me what happened today?" Iruka asked after a pause.
"I didn't have heatstroke Sensei! Honest! Dattebayo!" Naruto quickly started, standing up to face Iruka, animatedly waving his hands as he stomped his feet.
"I was feeling fine! Well, until Sasuke…" Naruto trailed off, not sure how to articulate the next part of his defense. "...Sensei, did something happen to Sasuke over the summer?"
Iruka seemed to stiffen at the question, turning his attention fully onto Naruto, a serious look crossing his face as he studied the child in front of him, "Why do you ask, Naruto?
"Mmm… Well, I don't know how to explain it. He just felt different today. That's why I was having problems earlier. It was like hate or anger, but way worse, and it didn't seem directed at me. I don't really know how to explain it, -ttebayo. All I know is it was scary, dark, and made me feel sick. Not the heat! I swear! Dattebayo!" Naruto explained sincerely, noticing a swift change in Iruka's demeanor throughout his explanation.
"Naruto, do you feel… Things like this often? Like stuff you can't quite explain, but generally from people other than yourself?" Iruka slowly asked in a cautious tone as he studied the blonde. Naruto nodded enthusiastically. This earned a deep frown from the adult in turn.
"It's not always bad things though! Hinata-Chan always feels warm, like ramen on a cold day! Dattebayo!" Naruto quickly added, hoping to dissuade some of his sensei's worry.
Iruka became quiet, his gaze unfocused, seemingly lost in thought. Naruto waited restlessly and with increasing anxiety. Without warning, the instructor quickly stood up ruffling Naruto's hair, his frown morphing into a smile, much to the boy's confusion and relief.
"I want you to take it easy for the rest of the day, is that clear? As for Sasuke, it isn't my place to tell you what happened with him. Just understand he's going through a lot right now, and it would be best if you avoided him for the time being."
Naruto frowned in disappointment, that wasn't the answer he was hoping for. At least Iruka-Sensei believed him. As if reading Naruto's disgruntled thoughts, the scar-faced twirled his index finger playfully, looking away with a smirk, having recaptured Naruto's attention.
"Tell you what, if you can behave. Say... by doing some leaf concentration exercises since you're feeling better, while I go and speak with Hokage-Sama, I'll treat you to ramen for dinner. How's that sound?"
Naruto broke out into a big smile nodding energetically, taking no time to get started as Iruka hurriedly made his leave. After close to half an hour though, Naruto was having trouble retaining his focus. His thoughts kept drifting back to Sasuke. He'd seemed so angry, but also seemed to have been in a lot of pain.
Sure, usually Naruto hated the jerk. He was stuck up, popular, and seemed to be good at just about everything. Naruto however wasn't heartless, and knowing that someone was suffering, especially someone he knew, didn't sit well with the blonde. What had happened to him? It must have been pretty bad if Iruka was unwilling to share the information freely.
A fluttering caught Naruto's attention as his leaf fell from his forehead once again, which caused him to squint his eyes in irritation. Naruto beat his fist lightly against his brow, reminding himself that he needed to focus to do the chakra exercise properly. Picking his leaf back up the blonde shook his head trying to clear his mind. Iruka-Sensei had after all instructed him to leave the Uchiha alone for the time being. He'd also promised Naruto ramen, so the ninja cadet needed to at least look serious about his training until his teacher returned.
Another half-hour passed and Naruto was getting anxious, what was taking Iruka-Sensei so long?! Growing tired of the leaf balancing exercise, the blue-eyed boy made his way across the practice field. Taking some leftover kunai out of one of the target dummies to practice his Shurikenjutsu, he hurled them at the target. Now that the academy had restarted Naruto could continue practicing with the real deal again, well practice with models that were a bit duller than the shinobi issue ones at least. He wouldn't be able to get to touch those just yet.
Naruto had gotten in about an hour of target practice before Iruka returned with some scrolls tucked under his arm. The boy looked up curiously as the man rushed over to him.
"Sorry for making you wait, Naruto! My discussion with Sandaime-Sama took a bit longer than I thought it would. I'm surprised you stuck around. At least it saves me the trouble of tracking you down again."
"Well duh, you promised me free ramen. I'd be an idiot to skip out on that, dattebayo…" Naruto deadpanned, causing Iruka to sweat-drop.
"Ah-hem! Well, I guess so. Let's be on our way then, shall we?" Iruka coughed trying to regain his composure.
"Hell yeah! Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!" Naruto sang enthusiastically as they exited the courtyard heading towards Ichiraku's.
Upon arrival, Naruto plopped down on one of the fixed bar stools happily. Quickly grabbing a pair of chopsticks as he excitedly called out his order, "Oi, Occhan! A large serving of miso ramen with extra pork! Iruka-Sensei's treating me today, -ttebayo!" The chef laughed heartily nodding his head in reply as he started Naruto's order.
Iruka followed suit though with a bit more resignation, "The usual please, Teuchi-San…" he grunted, carefully placing his scrolls off to the side. Lazily leaning over and grabbing a pair of chopsticks as he waited for his meal.
Naruto's order came quickly and he heartily dug in. Ichiraku's ramen really was the food of the gods! It didn't take him long to finish his first bowl, and after ordering his second Naruto looked over at the scrolls noting how Iruka had been carrying them when he returned from the Hokage's office.
"Ne, ne, Iruka-Sensei what's with the scrolls?"
"Hm? Oh, these? This is what I went to discuss with the Hokage. You see Naruto, based on what you explained to me earlier I believe you're what's called a sensor-type ninja. Do you remember our discussion about them in class last semester?" Iruka explained pausing with his meal to give Naruto his full attention.
"Uh… vaguely... "Naruto admitted sheepishly, earning an exasperated sigh out of Iruka.
"...Well, Sensor-Type Ninja are normally able to mold their chakra in various ways to detect the chakra of others, and sometimes discern specific chakra signatures. Meaning they can tell individuals from one another just on their chakra alone. Hinata's clan for instance can see the chakra network of the body when they activate their Byakugan. It's an ability unique to the Hyūga." Iruka explained noticing Naruto's confused look at the mention of the Dōjutsu.
"Anyway, that is how it is usually used. You, on the other hand, seem to be able to sense others' emotions, and in turn, it is having a physical effect on yourself. Simply put, you have a unique ability and your lack of control over it overloaded your system. That's why you had such a bad reaction when you were around Sasuke today."
Naruto nodded in understanding, absentmindedly starting on his second helping of ramen. So those sensations he'd been feeling were other people's emotions? What a weird power, but it was cool that he and Hinata have another thing in common, being sensor-type ninja!
"These scrolls…" Iruka went on lightly patting the bundle with his free hand to emphasize his point, "Are going to be your homework until you're able to get your abilities under control."
"What?! That's so unfair Iruka-Sensei! -ttebayo..." Naruto complained, momentarily forgetting his ramen, only to earn a sharp look from his teacher causing him to quiet down.
"Naruto, your ability is very unique. Honestly, I'd never even heard of something like this before, it is that rare. Are you subconsciously flooding your system with chakra? Are you at risk of depleting your chakra reserves because of this? Today you got sick and ended up fainting. What's to say next time you're by yourself, or in the middle of training. What if you get hurt with no one there to help you? Or worse?" The chūnin scolded soberly. Causing Naruto to look down guiltily, playing with his noodles as Iruka continued to calmly lecture him.
"...In fact, the ability is so unheard of that the only written information I could find on it was a brief mention of the Shodaime's wife, Senju Mito, formerly known as Uzumaki Mito, having it."
At the mention of his surname Naruto snapped his head up to see Iruka give him an apologetic smile, "Unfortunately, since Uzushiogakure's destruction during the Second Shinobi World War and your parents own demise the night of the Kyūbi's attack, Konohagakure is fresh out of adult Uzumaki that could have helped you learn to control your abilities."
Now Naruto completely abandoned his food. So what? He'd inherited some rare ability that could potentially be a risk to his life, and anyone that could teach him how to properly use it had already died a long time ago? His melancholic thoughts were interrupted by the weight of a hand resting heavily on his head ruffling his hair. Slowly Naruto looked up, seeing Iruka smile at him reassuringly.
"...This is why I tried to find all the scrolls I could that explained the basic and advanced theories behind sensor-type abilities, behavior studies, and basic psychology. I'm not expecting you to go at this alone, get it down in one night, or even one month, so don't worry. We'll figure this out together. You're my precious student after all!"
As Iruka finished his deeply moving assurance Naruto choked back tears, quickly going back to shoveling down his food. Sure, it sucked he was going to have more work than his other classmates, but in a way, Naruto guessed this is what it meant to belong to a clan. Based on Iruka's explanation, Naruto bet that his peers belonging to prominent clans had tons of extra work they had to put in based on their own family's unique jutsu and abilities.
Naruto himself didn't know much about the Uzumaki Clan besides what he learned in school, which wasn't much. From what he remembered they were the reason for the spiral on the chūnin vest and Konoha's default shinobi uniforms. The clan had also been closely allied with Konoha, at least before the majority of the clan had been wiped out close to three decades ago.
After the duo finished their meal Iruka held out the scrolls to Naruto, "For now, I want you to read these. The first is information that Sandaime-Sama felt would be beneficial for you to learn about the Uzumaki Clan and Mito-Sama. He, after all, knew her personally since his own sensei had been Nidaime-Sama, Shodaime-Sama's brother."
The boy was shocked to hear that, 'Just how old is Jii-Chan?!'
"...The second is a modified meditation exercise to help build up your mental fortitude, the spiritual part of your chakra exercises. It also gives an introduction for recognizing and noting the differences between basic emotions to get you started. The last one is the introduction to your new after-school course. Where you'll learn what it means to be a sensor-type ninja, with augmented chakra control exercises to get you started. I'll be instructing you in the basics every day after school starting next week. For now, I want you to read over those scrolls throughout the rest of this week, and please try not to be careless with them."
Naruto felt very overwhelmed and could almost feel his brain frying. Academics had never been his strong point. He was more of a tactile learner in general, hence why Taijutsu had been his highest grade the previous semester. Iruka chuckled, patting Naruto on the head once again, gaining the boy's attention.
"Don't worry Naruto, we'll get through this together, remember? Hell, if you end up getting this ability under control I can see it becoming a great asset for you once you make Genin, and even on your path to becoming Hokage. Remember there are no shortcuts, you can only get there by putting in the hard work!"
At the mention of his dream, Naruto's resolve strengthened and he nodded in appreciation, "Thank you Iruka-Sensei! I won't let you down! Dattebayo!" he promised, hugging the scrolls tightly before hurriedly heading home to get started on his specialized homework.
The next day found Naruto half-asleep with bags under his eyes as he slumped down in his seat waiting for class to start. It felt like he hadn't slept a wink the night before, not for lack of trying. The sleep-deprived Uzumaki hadn't expected to have terrifying nightmares every time he closed his eyes.
The only recurring theme was Sasuke's hate-filled gaze being directed at him. Sometimes he was laughing evilly, sometimes he was shouting curses at him, but always his eyes were cold and scary. Had it just been a residual effect of yesterday's episode? At the moment Naruto didn't know, and he was too tired to care.
"A-anou… Naruto-Kun are you alright? Are you still sick?" Hinata asked hesitantly as she took her seat next to him. Naruto glanced over at her briefly from where he rested his chin on the table before returning his gaze forward lazily.
"I'm fine Hinata-Chan. I just didn't get much sleep last night... It seems I'm a sensor-type and overloaded my ability yesterday. It's nothing to worry about, Iruka-Sensei's supposed to be helping me learn to control it…" he grumbled trying his best not to take his foul mood out on the timid girl.
"W-Well if you're still not feeling well I-I can take notes for you, today. I'm sure Iruka-Sensei will understand," Hinata offered, bringing her fingers together out of nervous reflex. Naruto let out a relieved sigh, sagging deeper in his seat as he relaxed.
"Thanks, Hinata-Chan! You're a lifesaver, -ttebayo…" Naruto yawned, folding his arms under his head as a pillow.
"I-it's okay Naruto-Kun. I'm a-also a sensor type, so I can sympathize..."
Naruto murmured incoherently in reply before drifting off into peaceful slumber blanketed in warmth and sunshine.
Throughout the rest of the week, Naruto's nightmares continued, his disrupted sleep having a noticeably negative impact on his performance in class. Naruto had to assure Iruka that he hadn't been staying up late at night trying to work on his home studies and explained to him about the nightmares. Iruka was more patient with him after that discussion. As long as Naruto made sure to give him a report at the start of class, confirming his sleep schedule and the frequency he ended up waking up throughout the night.
The first week came and went leading into Naruto's after-school studies with Iruka. They weren't doing anything special yet, since Naruto was still recovering from his lack of sleep, and Iruka thought it more prudent that he recognized what he felt first, which required being able to recognize different emotions.
Naruto thought emotions were simple. You had happy, sad, and mad, simple was easy, simple was what he preferred. His sensei disagreed, and even pointed out to him that recognizing more complex emotions could help him in combat situations once he started his ninja career. Naruto slowly learned the basics of human behavior and psychology, struggling to grasp the advanced subject. He figured Iruka wanted to pound these skills into him more so that Naruto didn't end up caught off guard or deceived again, but the material was difficult to grasp. Naruto would think he figured something out only to be told differently much to his disappointment.
It was easier when Iruka broke down the big words and confusing definitions using examples Naruto could pull from his own experiences. Such as when he compared Hinata to ramen, that had meant she was someone special that Naruto cherished. Iruka also tried to break down the different levels of hatred Naruto had come to experience, though that had been an uncomfortable session for both teacher and pupil. Naruto didn't understand why he was hated so much by so many. Iruka seemed to know, but either wouldn't or couldn't tell him.
Maybe it was because he was the sole surviving Uzumaki in Konoha? If his sensor ability was that amazing, maybe people felt threatened by it? The scroll Naruto read describing his crippled clan made them seem amazing, strong life-forces, long life spans, bigger chakra pools, an improved healing factor, and higher stamina levels. Yep, Naruto was proud to count himself among the remnants of the Uzumaki Clan. He'd learned that they even had woven ties with the Senju Clan, the clan the Shodaime and Nidaime hailed from. That meant somewhere in his family tree he could be related to some of the Hokage, how awesome was that!
Then again some of the whispers he would overhear from time to time made it seem like it was his fault the Yondaime died. Naruto thought that was stupid though since he was born the same day the Yondaime died. What could he have done? Drooled on the man to death? Adults were confusing.
Naruto chose not to dwell on it, instead, focusing on his exercises. After two weeks of working closely with Iruka, he started to notice an improvement, but he didn't know if that was from the lessons or avoiding Sasuke. Naruto had of course learned partially what happened to Sasuke from listening to gossip in the village. It seemed over the summer his clan had been massacred in one night, leaving him the lone survivor. That meant he was now an orphan like Naruto. A small part of the lonely youth was happy there was someone else like him in the village, but he was also sad since that meant Sasuke was alone at the end of the day just like him as well.
Being able to recognize the emotions he was sensing from everyone was starting to greatly help Naruto, granted he wasn't even close to controlling his ability in the slightest. At least he could recognize people to avoid and who was approachable. This made his time in the academy run more smoothly, helping him avoid unnecessary confrontation after school. Naruto was about to figure out he could gauge what he believed to be people's true intentions by getting a rise out of them, which he usually tested out with his pranks, much to Iruka's frustration.
The weeks flew by and it was now the time of the year when the seasons started their shift once again. Naruto was looking out the window noticing the first signs of fall on the trees outside. His birthday was at the end of the week and he didn't know how to feel about it. Normally it was just another day of the week, granted Naruto was usually sadder than usual as he sat alone in his apartment at night, but that was about it.
As a familiar heaviness filled the room the despondent blonde shifted his blue eyes to lock onto the dark-haired boy who sat a couple of rows in front of him before quickly returning to the scenery outside. Sasuke's presence had become less suffocating over the past month and a half but was still distracting.
Iruka had reintroduced them to spars and other collaborative drills keeping a watchful eye on Naruto the whole time. The Uzumaki brat was quite proud of himself that he was able to detach himself from the Uchiha's emotions, separating them from himself enough to focus on the task at hand, but it was taxing to practice for a long period of time. Naruto noticed that if he riled up Sasuke it would disrupt the heaviness he gave off, but would also invoke the ire of his fangirls. It was a double-edged sword, and he really didn't like getting hit by a bunch of blood-thirsty girls, especially ones training to become lethal warriors.
A warm presence interrupted his thoughts causing Naruto to turn in time to see Hinata making her way to her seat. Naruto was ecstatic to learn that the warmth he felt from her meant that she was happy, and since she got that way when he interacted with her that meant Naruto made her happy. He was important to her in some way, she valued him.
Iruka had explained to him that he should always try to bring this feeling out in people and that it greatly benefitted Hinata in particular, though he never elaborated as to why. Based on the rare mentions Naruto had been able to pull out of the girl, combined with his current studies, he surmised that her home life was most likely not a happy one. Even if her situation was slightly different, Naruto came to realize Hinata probably looked forward to their shared time in the academy just as much as he did.
"Good Morning Hinata-Chan! Dattebayo!" He greeted enthusiastically beaming at the shy girl, inciting her to blush furiously. Naruto didn't understand why Hinata would continuously and increasingly act stand-offish when he tried to interact with her, but he could sense that she was happy all the same, so he just rolled with it. She was weird, but she was nice.
"G-Good morning to y-you as well N-Naruto-Kun" Hinata stammered back fidgeting bashfully. Naruto looked at her intently growing bewildering body language. Hinata seemed hesitant and struggling internally with something.
After sitting next to her for close to a year Naruto had learned to be quiet and patient when Hinata acted like this. Usually, when she worked out whatever issue she was struggling with he got a reward, like when she shared her bento with him on occasion. Hinata finally mustered up her courage, reaching into her bag to grab a scroll, thrusting it under Naruto's nose. It was lined with his favorite shade of orange and tied closed with a bright red cord.
"I-I know it's a little early, and presumptuous of me. I-I'm sorry, I asked Iruka-Sensei a-and...E-etou...please wait to open it until you get home!" Hinata squeaked, closing her eyes and trembling, her anxiety getting the better of her.
Naruto nodded slowly, absently taking the scroll from the overwhelmed kunoichi-in-training, putting the gift securely in his bag.
"Uh... Thanks, Hinata-Chan. I don't know why you decided to give me a gift, but I really appreciate it! -ttebayo! I look forward to opening it later!" the confused boy stated in a hushed but delighted voice. Hinata nodded numbly before looking away, hiding her face behind her hands.
Naruto smiled one of his rare true smiles as he felt the flood of warmth shine from the girl. He didn't have the heart to tell her the details of his sensor abilities just yet. He wanted to get it under control first. A part of him wondered if that was a bad thing to do, but Naruto shrugged the thought away. It wasn't like he was using her or anything. It just helped him be a better friend.
After another routine day in the academy, Naruto wrapped up his extra lessons with Iruka, heading home as fast as his short legs could carry him. This was surprisingly fast with the chakra control exercises he had started recently. Once in the confines of his apartment, Naruto promptly sat down on the genkan, taking out the scroll Hinata had gifted him that morning to examine it. The first thing he perceived was a note attached to the scarlet cord. Carefully Naruto detached and started reading the folded paper.
'Open me on a flat surface, I'm a storage scroll!'
Further following the note's instructions, Naruto knelt on the step of his entryway, carefully unfurling the scroll and charging the manuscript with the smallest ounce of chakra he could muster. With a small pop and a puff of smoke, Naruto looked at the item now appearing in front of him. It was a bundle of miniature sunflowers, with petals a vibrant yellow close to the same shade as Naruto's very own blonde locks, the houseplant rested in an Uzumaki red ceramic pot, even sporting the signature spiral carved into the side of the container. Inspecting the gift closer, Naruto found another note attached. Perplexed, he grabbed the second more colorful note to read it.
'Happy Birthday Naruto-Kun! Thank you for being my friend. I hope you enjoy the gift, it reminded me of you. - Hinata'
Naruto reread the note multiple times, never moving from his spot on the floor. Someone had given him a birthday present?! Someone thanked him for being their friend?! Someone thought of him this much?! Slowly with a shaking hand, Naruto set the note down and picked up the potted plant hugging it carefully to his chest. Overwrought with pleasant feelings for the second time that year Naruto sat on the floor crying his heart out. If his new abilities were the price he had to pay for this happiness he would gladly endure it.
Author Note: Way to go! This chapter had a lot going on. Thank you for enduring the epic length of "Setsuri" so far!
Well, lots of NaruHina fluff is involved in this chapter, and Naruto's strange powers are finally explained. (To some extent) If you're still confused, basically I took the ability he gains from cooperating with Kurama in canon (to sense negative emotions), juiced it up, and mixed it with the sensor abilities his parents possessed to become a truly empathic sensor. Yep, this fanfic explores Naruto as a true empath! Woohoo!
Keywords:
Zenzai - Sweet red bean soup/porridge, thicker consistency than Oshiruko
Oshiruko - Sweet red bean soup/porridge, usually served with mochi or dango
Occhan - Childish, a less than polite way of saying "Uncle", I've seen it translated as "Old Man" and "Pops" but generally used for an "Uncle"-type figure.
Ne - "Hey/Right/Isn't it?" A particle generally used for confirmation or emphasis, when used at the end of the sentence it gives a sense of togetherness/like-mindedness.
Dōjutsu - Eye Technique