Author Note: W00t! Finally entering a new arc! How are you guys enjoying the story so far? I intend to pick up the pace a bit in future chapters, but I'm having fun writing in 3rd person limited, mostly from Naruto's PoV. On another note, thank you so much for the support and heartfelt reviews! If anyone is curious I did draw up a doodle of the plushies from Ch4 and posted it on my DeviantArt account!
"Disembodied voices of higher beings."
"External Dialogue of Lesser Mortals."
'Structured Thoughts'
Onward!
Setsuri
Chapter Five
"Sometimes, all you can do is laugh to keep yourself from crying."
It was now the start of Naruto's final year in the academy. The Uzumaki brat had matured very little over the past two and a half years compared to his classmates. Even though he would be twelve at the end of the year, Naruto hadn't developed much since he was nine. By now all the boys towered over him, and even some of the girls already had a noticeable height difference in comparison to the pint-sized ninja trainee. Yes, Naruto's lack of growth quickly became a sore subject for him, and a new target of teasing from the other shinobi cadets.
Academically, Naruto had improved in most areas except his core subjects. He still lacked the chakra control needed to efficiently handle or produce a genjutsu. His small stature increased his struggles in taijutsu two-fold. For one, the boys were increasingly gaining a size and weight advantage over him, forcing Naruto to think of better strategies to outsmart them instead of overpowering them. The blonde-haired runt still remembered bitterly giving Inuzuka Kiba a black eye just the other day for calling him "Naru-Chan", and he still didn't know if the jerk was calling him a baby or girlie!
With the girls, the whisker-faced youth found himself struggling internally with the thought of sparing with them, thinking of striking any of them made him feel uncomfortable. Naruto had tried to talk to Iruka about it, but the instructor simply explained that he was doing himself and the girls a disservice. Kunoichi took advantage of such weaknesses propagated by misguided men, and Konoha's kunoichi-in-training needed to learn to handle opponents that were bigger and stronger than themselves. Although Naruto's size and weight made him comparative to most of the Kunoichi, he at least outclassed most of them in taijutsu enough to hold onto his pride as a male. Funny enough, the one kunoichi in their class that excelled at taijutsu Naruto vehemently refused to spar, that, of course, being Hinata.
As for Ninjutsu, Naruto had managed to get most of the basics down to the point he was bored and would pull pranks on Iruka during evaluation exams, usually using variations of his Oiroke no Jutsu. The only academy-based jutsu that still eluded him was the basic Bunshin no Jutsu. Naruto just always seemed to overload it with chakra, at least according to Hinata and Shikamaru when he asked for tips. The thought of the frustrating jutsu put Naruto's stomach in knots thinking about the graduation exam at the end of the year.
It seemed at the end of each semester the class would have a graduation exam evaluating the skills they'd learned over the three core subjects. Naruto was abhorrent in Genjutsu, so the thought of passing that exam seemed laughable in his mind. He doubted he'd grow enough by the end of summer to pass the Taijutsu exam. Naruto figured that test would probably be a sparring match like their normal evaluations. His only chance of passing would be to go against someone either around his height, or Shikamaru, at least if the Nara heir was feeling particularly unmotivated that day.
No, the fretting Uzumaki's best chance of graduating was the pass with flying colors in Ninjutsu. The only problem was he wasn't sure what jutsu they'd be asked to perform during the examination. Naruto knew without a doubt he was screwed if it ended up being the Bunshin no Jutsu.
As for his extra lessons to gain reasonable control over his sensor abilities, Naruto had learned to identify several different emotions, and how to ignore or mentally distance himself from the auras emitted by others to the point he could function properly in the classroom. The young sensor had even figured out how to identify unique chakra signatures if he was familiar with the individual, like knowing someone's unique scent. Because of this, Iruka found his skills to be satisfactory, deciding Naruto could ask for further training with whoever ended up being his captain once the academy student was assigned to a genin team.
Naruto had been greatly disappointed when his extra lessons came to an end. The lonely boy found the extra time with Iruka after school a weird balance between pleasing and frustrating. Iruka pushed him, challenging the normally unfocused youth. At times even rewarding Naruto when he made noticeable progress, usually with as much ramen as the growing boy could fill his stomach with at Ichiraku's.
Being acknowledged for his efforts and hard work was becoming addictive to Naruto. The energetic blonde probably would have performed better in the regular classroom setting just to earn Iruka's praise, if it weren't Sasuke constantly getting under his skin. Granted, the Uchiha had calmed down somewhat since the incident that occurred almost four years ago. Even so, he still took pleasure in showing Naruto up, forcing the younger boy to remain at the bottom of the class. Ever since Naruto made it his goal to try embarrassing or surpassing the older boy in front of the class. However, being the short-sighted klutz he was, Naruto's efforts tended to end up backfiring or earning the ire of Sasuke's ever-growing, and ever-aggressive fan base.
The girls in question had become even more vicious in the new year Naruto noticed. Some had even been bold enough to try asking the Uchiha out on dates, of course, Sasuke always turned them down. In another life, Naruto would probably have been jealous of the attention Sasuke was receiving from the girls. Now though, even with Naruto starting to notice how pretty the girls were becoming, he could also vaguely sense their intentions, making his skin crawl.
Sure, once they were Genin they'd be technically considered adults, but that didn't account for much when half the class hadn't even started puberty yet, himself included. Naruto had asked Iruka about this new feeling he'd sensed. Needless to say, getting "the talk" from his sensei was eye-opening, embarrassing, and horrifying.
On one hand, Naruto learned how effective his Oiroke no Jutsu truly was on the male populace, and considered exploring an alternative variant targeting the female population once he was more experienced. On the other hand, Naruto had become utterly disgusted and resolved to abhor perverts. It was one thing to practice and design a jutsu to be used as a distraction for more powerful opponents. It was quite another to take advantage of or disrespect the sanctity of the kunoichi population.
These new revelations had caused an internal struggle within the budding Uzumaki. As his friendship with Hinata grew, Naruto found himself craving her attention more and more, but in a different way than with Iruka. The enamored youth would imagine holding her hand or hugging her, not that he ever acted on these impulses. After an incident where Hinata had fainted, Naruto recalled being completely freaked out, thinking he'd killed the poor girl. It was only through Iruka's reassurances that he managed to calm down. Ever since the confused boy became afraid of engaging in any form of physical contact with his friend.
Instead, the soon-to-be preteen found joy trying to show off around the Hyūga heiress. Naruto wanted her to see him as a cool and capable ninja. Granted, most of the time he tried to show off it usually ended with the rest of the class laughing at him, Iruka-Sensei disciplining him, hurting himself, being hurt by someone else, or a combination of all four.
Naruto felt the risk was worth it just to see Hinata smile and laugh. The reservedly shy girl rarely showed such honest emotions, unfortunately. However, Hinata couldn't hide her true self from him, even if she wasn't entirely aware of it. For all the skill Naruto was putting into tuning out everyone's emotions, including his own, it seemed he preferred to intently fixate on Hinata's. The full nature of Naruto's sensor abilities were one of the few remaining secrets he kept from Hinata. Now mostly out of awkward embarrassment, more than anything else.
For instance, it seemed at the start of every new year Hinata would be consistently sullen until she'd catch sight of Naruto. The Hyūga heiress never went into much detail about why she would become depressed every spring. Usually, the timid girl would go into a vague self-deprecating tangent, questioning her capabilities as a ninja, and never directly answering Naruto's inquiries.
It was in these moments Naruto felt his most motivated. It was like, as Iruka would have put it, his will of fire would spark into a roaring inferno. He might not understand what was wrong but knew that he had the power to make her smile, usually by pulling a prank or practical joke. It became such a pattern that even a few of the other students come to anticipate Naruto's more crazy stunts within the first week of school every year.
Being the avid prankster Naruto was, he aimed not to disappoint. To set the mood this year for his peers, the impish child had set up paint bombs that turned Iruka-Sensei and Mizuki-Sensei into tie-dye walking works of art, accented with glitter. Sure, Naruto had detention for a month, but it was worth it. After all, Hinata's high perceptive skills had been able to notice the choice of pigment combinations as the duo's favorite colors.
Not all of the first semester had been sunshine and sakura blossoms. Unfortunately, it seemed that a few of the guys had been put off by Hinata giving Naruto homemade chocolate in February just before the end-of-year break. At the start of the new school year, to be polite, and a good friend, Naruto returned the favor by bestowing her with a customized kunai.
The blade itself was just one from Naruto's personal set he'd purchased in preparation for their final year's shurikenjutsu training. The clever ninja trainee merely modified it with lavender and gold ribbons braided on the grip. They were soon-to-be ninja, after all, so Naruto wanted to give Hinata something functional, and not too flashy.
This hadn't gone over well with some of the more hormone-driven male cadets. Thus, one day after school Naruto found himself cornered by some of the boys. Where they proceeded to demand he learn his place. After all, he was a nameless nobody while Hinata was the heiress of the esteemed Hyūga clan.
Naruto didn't care much about the insults, since in his mind clan-standing didn't make a person. Especially considering he was the sole surviving Uzumaki in Konoha. A clan whose crest could be seen on every chūnin vest, and standard-issue Konohagakure shinobi uniform, yet Naruto as an individual was considered insignificant.
Yes, Hinata was a ninja-princess of sorts, but to Naruto that wasn't what made her special. He'd still call her 'Hime-Sama' now and again, but only when he was sure people weren't eavesdropping on them. It was fun to tease her once in a while and it gave him a warm fuzzy feeling that he found enthralling.
This brought Naruto's thoughts to this morning. Their first semester was going to be ending in a couple of days, and they'd be released for a month to enjoy summer. This meant that they were going to be tested on their skills in Genjutsu, specifically being able to successfully recognize, cast, and dispel an E-rank genjutsu, on top of a written exam evaluating their general knowledge of chakra theory and basic shinobi knowledge. This year ultimately wasn't about learning new skills involving academics. It was about honing what they already knew, preparing the students for their lives as active-duty ninja serving the village.
At the current moment, Naruto could care less about any of that. He was completely expecting to utterly fail the genjutsu exam, and written exams weren't one of his strengths. No, right now a certain indigo-haired girl occupied his mind. Naruto would have to spend another summer without her, followed by some festivals in fall and winter. Graduation would be here before they knew it. Would they still even be able to see each other once they became full-fledged shinobi?
Hinata, rarely if ever, left her clan compound without being escorted by her insufferable caretaker Kō, and Naruto didn't dare go to the prestigious residence. He was one for pushing the boundaries, maybe at times testing his limits with others, but even he wasn't that stupid. The ostracized youth didn't want to cause unnecessary problems for Hinata. So, Naruto decided to keep his distance until he could start changing the village's opinion of himself.
What would happen if the dead last didn't graduate alongside his classmates? The thought sent a chill down Naruto's spine, made his stomach hurt, and his heart rate quicken. If he failed every graduation exam he'd be held back. If Naruto was held back he'd become the oldest kid in class, and not know any of his peers. People would take him less seriously than they already did. It'd be akin to a death sentence for his shinobi career. It was extremely hard to climb out of a hole that deep.
'No! I have to quit thinking like that! I will graduate! I will become a shinobi! I will become Hokage!'
Naruto mentally berated himself before his gaze and thoughts gravitated towards Hinata once more. This whole week had been a self-study session in preparation for the first exam. The blonde was confident he could pass the written part. Well, as long as he remained focused. Once Naruto started applying the lessons taught to him with practical examples taken from his personal experiences it became easier to understand and retain the information. Genjutsu on the other hand...
How was he going to pass? He didn't have the talent let alone the control for making or dispelling the nasty jutsu, Naruto could've sworn Mizuki-Sensei was making the evaluations impassible on purpose, but he couldn't prove it. At the same time, the suspicious boy wanted to give his assistant instructor the benefit of the doubt. Just because Mizuki-Sensei gave off a bad vibe most all the time didn't necessarily mean he was a bad guy per se. The chūnin had after all been friends with Iruka-Sensei for years. Sure, the ill-felt sensations meant Mizuki-Sensei hated Naruto for some reason but so did eighty percent of the village.
"A-anou, Naruto-Kun?" called a hushed but sweet voice.
Turning, the once distracted blonde gave Hinata his full attention. Once they locked eyes she was quick to avert her gaze, fidgeting nervously. It always made Naruto sad and disappointed that she was so timid. Worse, it seemed like her low self-esteem had been increasing with each passing year. He hoped it didn't become a detriment to her career as a kunoichi. Naruto tried to counteract Hinata's lack of self-confidence by showering her with compliments and his best smiles, but sometimes it felt like an uphill battle.
"What's up, Hinata-Chan?"
"I-I just wanted to let you know that Iruka-Sensei was releasing us for lunch. I presume you didn't hear him. A-also, etou… I was wondering…" Hinata trailed off looking down, shuffling her feet under the shared space of their desk.
Naruto just smiled softly, resting his chin in his hand with his elbow propped against the surface for support. His steady azure gaze patiently studying her, as much as Naruto found her timidness heartbreaking he also had been progressively finding her nervous ticks adorable and endearing.
Taking a breath to collect herself, Hinata stilled her nervous body before she continued, "W-would you like to share my bento with me? I accidentally made too much…" she finally mumbled her cheeks gaining a faint blush.
'Liar', Naruto thought with a chuckle before deciding to play along with the game. His smile widening into his iconic fox-like grin, "Well that was a silly thing to do -ttebayo! Sure, I don't mind helping you eat it Hinata-Chan! After all, we can't waste food! Dattebayo!"
Hinata smiled gently, the warmth of her appreciation and happiness washing over Naruto like a summer breeze. He watched Hinata reach into her bag to pull out the cloth-wrapped container that held the hand-made lunch. Taking that as his cue, the whisker-faced blonde leisurely stood, heading for the door, the dark-haired girl tailing an unassumingly healthy distance behind.
After the fiasco at the start of the semester, the two friends decided to handle their friendship with a bit more care. Naruto personally could care less about what people thought, but Hinata was adamant that she didn't want the shunned orphan to be more troubled than he already was. It had become a fun game Naruto had to admit, at least after he'd gotten used to it.
Hinata would pretend to tail him, and he'd act oblivious of her presence. It kept them safe from judgment and their friendship free of unnecessary drama. The only person who seemed perceptive of their gambit was Shikamaru, but like with many things, the lackadaisical boy found the whole thing, not of his interest.
Using the skills they'd been honing in the academy Naruto and Hinata made their way deftly to the roof to enjoy their shared lunch. Naruto fought back the urge to laugh when Hinata revealed the bento's contents. Every time the girl seemed to make too much food, for some reason there was always onigiri that looked like his face, with tamago for hair, and cucumber for goggles. It was really cute if a bit weird.
Grabbing one of the quirky morsels, Naruto allowed himself a generous bite. He hummed with excited delight as the flavor danced on his tongue. The elated boy quickly finished off the remnants of his current portion before hurriedly grabbing another of the personalized rice balls to savor. Naruto could never get used to Hinata's bento dishes. Every time he'd been lucky enough to indulge it seemed like her skills had improved, or she learned something new. Naruto was adverse to admit, but Hinata was so far the only one to successfully get him to enjoy raw vegetables. He didn't know what special jutsu she utilized to erase the normally gross bitter flavor, but one of these days he'd get her to reveal her secrets.
"Man, Hina-Hime! You're going to make a hell of a wife one day!" The innocent blonde proclaimed with absolute bliss between mouthfuls. In response, Hinata faltered with her actions, her eyes wide and face as red as Naruto's clan badge stitched to his jacket. This, on top of the sudden unrecognizable emotions coursing off of Hinata, caused Naruto to pause and reflect.
'Shimatta… Why did I say that?! And worse, out loud! She probably thinks I'm being weird. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!'
"Uh, I-I mean… Etou... Well, you know. You're so good at cooking! Dattebayo! You'll also be a badass kunoichi! W-well…and...Um..." Naruto rambled awkwardly, trailing off as Hinata's blush deepened into the fringes of the purple danger zone. He could now feel his own face heating up leaving the duo in uncomfortable silence while they finished their meal.
"...A-anyway, we should probably start to head back. I'll go on ahead! See you in class Hinata-Chan!" The flustered boy finally exclaimed, quickly getting up to leave. Naruto observed as Hinata nodded in recognition, though her thoughts seemed elsewhere. Sighing, the orange-clad ninja shook his head silently berating himself as he made his way back to the classroom.
Once there Naruto's large blue eyes locked onto the familiar Nara and Akimichi pair. He smiled cheekily giving them a friendly wave before heading up to his seat. Naruto of course was still on friendly terms with the other boys, but they didn't hang out as much nowadays. This wasn't due to anything bad. Naruto just liked spending as much of his free time at school with Hinata. Shikamaru and Chōji never asked, and he wasn't forthcoming. The other two boys were nice, but sometimes Naruto felt like the third wheel with their close friendship.
The clan heirs were also starting to take their studies a bit more seriously this year, so it wasn't like they had time to hang out with Naruto anymore anyway. Granted to an outsider that didn't seem to be the case, however, the Uzumaki wasn't fooled by Shikamaru's aloofness. The usually lethargic youth was more alert during Iruka's instruction, even expressing irritation occasionally if Naruto acted up in class.
Naruto wished he could sympathize, but in reality, he didn't know what it felt like to have such high expectations set upon one's self. Thinking about it, the whisker-faced youth was more confused as to why Hinata wasn't acting similarly. With the first of the graduation exams coming up she still made time to talk with him in the mornings and during lunch. Remembering the delicious meal, Naruto pondered how much time Hinata would have to set aside in the mornings, not only to get to school early but also to make a bento big enough for both of them to enjoy during lunch. It was easy for Naruto to get to the academy promptly. He lived within spitting distance of the Hokage Compound. Hinata on the other hand lived across the village.
The more he thought about it the more guilty Naruto felt. He wished the girl's family wasn't so fiercely protective of their precious heir. If the scorned orphan had been allowed to hang out with Hinata outside of school he'd have been willing to get up extra early every morning, just so that he could accompany the compassionate girl on the daily trek to the academy, especially if it meant indulging in more of her delicious cooking.
'One of these days, I'm definitely gonna need to convince Hinata-Chan to tell me the secret for making vegetables taste so good! -ttebayo!'
Just as Naruto predicted he'd failed the graduation exam for Genjutsu but managed halfway decent marks in the written exam. The resigned shinobi-in-training felt a little disappointed but unsurprised. If anything, Naruto felt more embarrassed that he'd spent the majority of the afternoon in a genjutsu-induced, drooling stupor. At least it had been a good nap. The determined youth decided during the summer break to focus more of his efforts on training for the next exam.
Naruto was on the fence about the Taijutsu and Shurikenjutsu exams that were to be held at the beginning of winter. The apprehensive ninja cadet knew he was decent with both skill sets, but the problem was the Taijutsu evaluation. It was always a spar with another student, and to his understanding, you either passed, or you failed. Even though Naruto would be twelve by that time, he just wasn't confident that he'd be receiving a miraculous growth spurt before that time.
The prepubescent youth still lacked the physical reach and power to overtake most of the boys. His only hope was to spar a Shikamaru, l since the Nara usually gave up before the match even began. There were a few people Naruto prayed to all the known Kami that he didn't get matched against, the top of the list being Uchiha Sasuke, for obvious reasons. Naruto in all his time at the academy had not won a single match against the more popular and talented boy and didn't enjoy being embarrassed by a quick loss from him either.
Returning from summer break Naruto felt a bit more confident in himself with all the training he'd put in, at least until he walked into his designated classroom. Naruto's heart sank as he made his way past his fellow trainees. It seemed almost everyone gained a growth spurt over break, except him.
Refusing to react to the jabs of the more smug classmates, Naruto pushed through the congregation, feeling his mood sour. The jealous youth seethed with envy, glaring heatedly in particular at the male populous as he made his way up to his usual seat. Once situated Naruto outwardly sulked, struggling with the twisted filling in his gut.
'Chikushou! There's no way I'm going to pass the Taijutsu evaluation! -ttebayo! I'm probably the shortest kid in class now!'
"A-anou… Naruto-Kun, are you alright?"
Hearing the familiar voice of the shy and timid Hinata, Naruto was pulled from his angry stewing momentarily, pausing to look up at the familiar indigo-haired girl, before groaning and letting his head fall to rest soundly on the desk in defeat.
'Scratch that. I'm definitely the shortest kid in class now…'
"Not you too, Hinata-Chan! It's not fair! Dattebayo!" he whined, flailing about dejectedly, causing the girl to become confused as she calmly took her seat next to him. Her large pearlescent eyes alert with concern.
"W-what do you mean? Etou, what's unfair Naruto-Kun?"
"Everyone's taller than me now! Dattebayo! This sucks! Even you've betrayed me Hinata-Chan!"
"Eh?! I-I'm sorry Naruto-Kun…"
Naruto stopped his self-pitying tantrum when he caught Hinata's hurt tone of voice. She sincerely seemed remorseful and sad over something that was out of either child's control. Naruto frowned to himself feeling ashamed that he let his insecurities upset the kind girl.
"...It's...it's okay Hinata-Chan...I...I'm sorry too" the apologetic, yet still frustrated, the boy muttered quickly looking away as a faint blush painted his cheeks.
"A-anou, N-Naruto-Kun... y-you'll grow too!" The quiet girl kindly offered weakly, causing Naruto to smile wistfully.
'Of course, I know I'll grow eventually, just probably not in time for the next graduation exam… I swear if I hear one more person call me Chibi-Ruto or Naru-Chan they're dead! -ttebayo!'
As if by some self-fulfilling prophecy Naruto failed the Taijutsu evaluation. He didn't know if his partner had been some cruel joke, but the miserable Uzumaki had been less than thrilled with being matched up against Uchiha Sasuke. At least the match had been swift and merciful, even if it crushed what was left of Naruto's pride that year.
Many months had now come to pass, and it was currently the week of the final graduation exam. This was Naruto's last chance to graduate with his peers. If he failed this time he'd be held back, put in with a class of trainees he didn't know, become the oldest among his peers, probably lose Iruka as his sensei, and to top it off, it'd probably be seen as a black mark for his shinobi career.
The pressure was getting to Naruto. As the date loomed closer, so too did his anxieties rise. He tried to put on a brave front around his classmates but was all-too-aware of his glaring weaknesses. Sure, Naruto could perform a henge flawlessly, and a passable kawarimi, but throughout his whole time in the Academy he'd never been able to perform a successful Bunshin. The jutsu was a curse for him, and that meant there was a one-third chance Naruto would fail to graduate.
The desperate youth worked tirelessly on his chakra control, but couldn't get it low enough to create a passable illusionary doppelgänger. His bunshin was always overloaded by too much chakra, or not enough chakra had been used to execute the technique. Naruto half wished he could get a waiver since his clan were notably infamous for their large chakra reserves, but thought better than to ask for special treatment.
This technique was paramount to a ninja's survival in the field after all. Running a hand through his hair in a self-soothing motion Naruto found himself forcefully pulled from his thoughts as Hinata entered the classroom. Her posture was bowed, her gaze never leaving the floor as she moved, and her presence…
'...why does Hinata-Chan seem so... broken?' Naruto asked himself warily, not daring to make a sound, watching as the girl slowly made her way up to sit next to him. The emotions radiating off his friend made Naruto feel small, lost, and utterly defeated. It reminded him of his first year in the academy when he was close to dropping out.
"...Hinata-Chan, are... Are you alright?" Naruto asked discreetly with a bit of hesitance, feeling uncomfortable with the sensations permeating onto his person. The bewildered sensor's only answer was a sniffle followed by a choking sob that the distraught girl tried unsuccessfully to muffle. Tears started to fill the overwhelmed empath's own blue eyes. Naruto had never seen Hinata like this. Yes, he'd seen her cry, yes he'd seen her sad, but this… it was almost like her whole world had been destroyed.
'What could have caused Hinata-Chan to end up like this?'
Biting his inner cheek to regain focus, Naruto resolved to do something he never thought he'd need to. Closing his eyes he put his specialized training to use working to carefully separate the distraught girl's emotions from his own. Naruto knew he wouldn't be of any help to Hinata if he couldn't think clearly.
Once Naruto was again in control of himself he reached over, gulping as he solidified his resolve he tenderly grasping Hinata's hand to provide her an anchor. This earned the determined boy a gasp of surprise as the demoralized girl snapped her head up, looking at Naruto with puffy reddened eyes. It seemed Hinata had been crying for a while. This only made Naruto more determined in his objective as he returned her gaze intently, his deep blue eyes conveying his sincerity.
"I...I don't know what happened to you, but Hinata-Chan, I'd like to help if you'll let me. You don't have to tell me anything right now, but when Iruka-Sensei releases us for lunch I'd like it if you shared your pain with me. I'm always here for you Hina-Hime! Dattebayo!" Naruto asserted in a whisper with a resolute look and steady voice, causing Hinata to blush furiously. This in turn brought out a cheeky chuckle from the boy as he flashed a bright smile. Now that the issue had been temporarily resolved Naruto decided it was time to let go of Hinata's hand, only to be caught by surprise as the normally shy girl grabbed back onto it like a lifeline.
"P-please...I...I promise to tell you what happened. F-for now… please let me stay like this…please..." Hinata pleaded weakly averting her gaze again. Naruto was completely taken aback by the normally shy girl's brazenness, only managing to stare at her dumbly. After a long pause, he nodded slowly, turning to absently look out the window resting his chin on his free hand.
And so, throughout the morning period, the pair sat with their hands entwined under the desk. Amid normal circumstances, Naruto would have been elated to be holding Hinata's hand, it was something he longed for all year, but this was not one of those times. This felt different. It wasn't a victory to relish, this time he was just trying to offer her support and reassurance. Whatever had happened must have been seriously bad for Hinata to be so bold. The normally timid girl hadn't even been fazed when Naruto used her teasing nickname.
Once Iruka dismissed the class for lunch Naruto dashed off for the roof. It was the only place the duo ever received any privacy, and Naruto was confident that Hinata would join him when she was ready. Making himself comfortable under a blossoming tree the apprehensive preteen waited patiently for Hinata to show up. At times Naruto hated playing the fool with his peers but had been in the habit for so long that he felt no reason to act differently. It wasn't like it mattered when they all graduated anyway.
Today though, the troubled preteen wanted nothing more than to comfort Hinata to the best of his abilities. It wasn't long before Naruto was cut from his musing as he was joined by a still dejected Hinata. Once she'd made herself comfortable Naruto leaned back absently looking up into the trees before casting a sidelong glance.
"...So, you gonna tell me what this morning was all about?" Naruto finally asked concern evident on his face as he stared intently at his most precious friend.
"W-well...etou…" Hinata struggled to start before trailing off as her words were strangled by another sniffle.
Naruto for his part just sighed uncomfortably. He didn't know what to do in these situations. The socially awkward orphan knew what he wanted to do. However, Naruto didn't know what was appropriate to do, and so he was at a loss. On one hand, he wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything was going to be okay. On the other hand, Hinata would faint anytime Naruto unexpectedly invaded her personal space, and then he wouldn't be able to find out what caused her to be in this state to begin with.
Absentmindedly, Naruto rubbed the back of his neck before deciding on a happy medium. Closing his eyes the orange-clad trainee leaned his body lazily, just until his shoulder gently bumped with Hinata's, while simultaneously grasping his crossed ankles with his hands to keep from acting on any further impulses. At the action, Naruto felt Hinata stiffen momentarily before relaxing. Patiently, the blonde remained passively silent, allowing the distraught girl to continue the discussion at her own pace.
"Y-yesterday, I was called before F-father and some of the clan elders. They...they wanted me to spar with my little sister to defend my claim as the future head of the Hyūga. D-during the spar I couldn't bring myself to… I just…" Hinata trailed off once more as she struggled to collect herself.
Naruto slowly reopened his eyes to look down at his hands, sympathizing with his friend as he continued to listen. He didn't comprehend much about the issue but remembered Hinata mentioning her little sister on occasion. From what he gathered the girl was about five years younger than Hinata and had been growing quite cold to her over the past year or so. Still, to make Hinata spar against someone who wasn't even in the academy yet...
'Stupid Hyūga… How cruel can you get, pitting siblings against one another?! -ttebayo!'
"...A-anyway… As of n-now, I'm the heir in name only. In the eyes of the Hyūga Clan, H-Hanabi is the recognized future head, while I'm nothing more than a disappointment... a weak failure…" Hinata finished letting her renewed tears fall once more.
Naruto growled, turning to look at the self-deprecating girl, his grip tightening around his legs, "You're not weak! Dattebayo" he snapped causing the girl to flinch momentarily. Naruto was slowly starting to piece together the cause of Hinata's timid nature.
Opting to use a softer tone he continued, "...I mean, I don't completely get it, but to me, it sounds like you care more about not hurting your precious little sister instead of satisfying some dumb request from your clan. That makes you strong in my book! If they don't see it, just prove them wrong! -ttebayo!"
Huffing with repressed anger, Naruto stood up purposefully as he cupped his hands around his mouth, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I'm going to be the future Hokage to surpass all previous Hokage! -ttebayo! I believe kindness is the best strength! Stronger than any jutsu! Dattebayo!" he shouted with conviction before turning back to smile at a flabbergasted Hinata.
The cheeky boy chuckled as he crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side, "Don't sweat the small stuff Hina-Hime, you'll become a kickass kunoichi, and will always have the support of Konoha's future badass Hokage! It's a promise! Dattebayo!"
'Yeah, no need to sweat the small stuff, so what if I suck at the Bunshin no Jutsu?! I'll pass that stupid exam, and work my way to the top!'
Mentally berating himself for his previous lack of self-confidence Naruto was only partially aware of how flustered Hinata had become. Her gaze seemed unfocused, her complexion a vibrant vermillion. Leaning forward, Naruto bent down to feel her forehead. He hoped she wasn't coming down with something with their most important exam happening in just a few days.
"Ne… Are you okay, Hinata-Chan?"
As soon as Naruto's hand made contact with her forehead, the girl's body relaxed, slumping down in an awkward position. Naruto sighed, slapping his forehead admonishingly with his other hand. He'd been so careful and still ended up causing Hinata to faint. Hesitantly, the exasperated boy allowed his senses to reach out, once again meeting with the renewed warmth of the unconscious girl. Naruto didn't know what to do with Hinata or her familial predicament, but at least he succeeded in making her smile for the time being.
At this, a sudden thought occurred to Naruto. He probably wasn't the only student stressed out about the final exam, not to mention this was their last year, hopefully at least, in the academy. Shouldn't he send them off with one last hurrah, a prank to end all pranks? As the plan formulated in the devious youth's mind a fox-like grin grew on his whisker-striped face.
'Oh this is gonna be good, -ttebayo…'
When Iruka had been preparing to start class that morning of course he'd suspected something was up. All the signs were there. First, Naruto had been spacing out for the past few days and seemed suspiciously happy about something. The Uzumaki brat may be energetic, and quick to smile, but he was rarely if ever truly happy about something. That is unless it gave Iruka a headache. Second, the notorious blonde wasn't in class when Iruka entered the room today. Normally, Naruto would show up early to interact with Hinata for as long as possible. The young instructor suspected that the pair may have possessed a mutual crush on each other, but couldn't be too sure given how oblivious Naruto always seemed to be, third, the familiar sight of a breathless shinobi bursting into the classroom, causing the instructor to let out a tired groan.
"Iruka! Quick! It's Naruto! This time he's defacing the Hokage Monument!"
Pinching the bridge of his scarred nose the chūnin could feel his head already starting to throb. It was no secret that the Umino seemed to have a talent for catching Naruto, and reeling his destructive energy back in when the prankster was prone to acting up. This didn't mean it was easy to accomplish, it was honestly quite taxing on the academy instructor. Iruka was sure that he'd be sporting gray hair and wrinkles before he was thirty if Naruto had any say about it.
"Alright... Class! I'll be back as soon as I can. This is your last day before the graduation exam. Take this time to review your ninjutsu until I return." Iruka announced with a dismissive, if not slightly irked, sigh as he made his way out into the hall. Just as the frustrated instructor was in the process of closing the door he caught some remarks about the misunderstood Uzumaki that had him shaking with repressed anger.
"That Naruto-Baka! He's so selfish! Why did he have to pick such an important day to act up?! If I did half the things he did I'd be grounded for life! He doesn't even realize how lucky he is to not have parents, that loser!" growled a familiar female voice followed by a chorus of half-assed chiding giggles, much to Iruka's disappointment.
Putting his thoughts aside Iruka quickly made his way to the roof. Once there he could feel his growing headache intensify. Making his way through the crowd the young adult took in the sight of the whole carved face of the mountain painted in bright acrylics, graffiti ranging from insults to simplistically immature drawings.
'Well, at least he's using a safety harness this time…' Iruka thought absentmindedly, approaching the safety railing while tuning out the insults Naruto hurled down to the other shinobi. The instructor noted that the elderly Hokage himself didn't seem at all phased and was watching patiently at the front of the crowd. At least until Naruto proceeded to give the congregation of shinobi a double-helping of the single-finger salute, causing his embarrassed instructor to facepalm.
'That brat… I think he's finally lost it this time!'
"Hokage-Sama... I can't apologize enough..." Iruka started in what felt like a well-rehearsed script with how many times he'd done it. The young punk was completely ignorant of the suffering he brought down on his teacher. Iruka wasn't sure if this was what it felt like to have a son of his own, nevertheless, he felt responsible for the wayward youth in his own way.
"Eh? Is that you Iruka?" asked the aged Sarutobi, almost appearing bored with the whole ordeal.
Stepping up with one foot resting on the railing, Iruka leaned forward to frown up at Naruto, even though on the inside his inner prankster was awestruck at the kid's brazenness. Taking in a deep breath the instructor launched into his expertly practiced tirade.
"Naruto! What do you think you're doing?! Bakayarô! Get down from there and get back to class!" Iruka shouted, fighting back a smile when Naruto almost jumped out of his skin flailing around in his harness when he recognized his instructor's voice.
'Heh… Still got it!'
Iruka watched as the preteen scrambled around clumsily to flee the scene. How was it that the kid could be skilled enough to deface practically the whole monument without notice, but at the same time be such a klutz? The instructor dismissed the situation temporarily as some of his fellow shinobi gave chase to the mischievous blonde.
The experienced chūnin wasn't in a hurry. He already knew most of Naruto's tricks. Rubbing his temples, Iruka turned instead to look over to the Hokage, "I apologize again Sandaime-Sama. I'll make sure he's properly punished and cleans up his mess after class."
The Hokage merely chuckled waving his hand lazily, "I trust you will, as you've always done. Well, that was an energetic way to start my morning. Unfortunately, the paperwork is beckoning me. I must return to my office. Good day, Iruka…" with that, the elderly man leisurely strolled away absently smoking his pipe, pausing just long enough to give the shinobi teacher a small nod. Iruka bowed respectfully in kind before turning to shunshin away in a swirl of leaves.
It was now late into the night and Naruto was having a hard time going to sleep. Today has been a blast! Sure, Iruka-Sensei had chewed him out. Yes, it had taken a couple of hours to wash all the paint off of the monument, but Naruto achieved his goal of revitalizing himself and his classmates for their test tomorrow. Not to mention score some free ramen from Iruka-Sensei at Ichiraku's. Any day was a good day if it ended with free ramen from Ichiraku's, at least in Naruto's book.
Sighing, the blonde rolled onto his stomach, hugging his pillow as less jovial thoughts drifted into turbulent waters. Tomorrow was the day, either he passed or failed. Naruto's instructor had been very tight-lipped about the exam. The pre-teen had hope that his most epic prank of all time would have completely washed away all his anxieties, but they just crept back in.
Naruto wanted to be a shinobi so badly. He even asked Iruka if he could wear his hitai-ate over dinner just to know what it felt like. Of course, the stickler had flat out refused, stating they were proof that one was recognized as an adult and a full-fledged shinobi. Naruto would have to earn his like everyone else.
"Grahhh! -ttebayo! Kuso! I'm not doing myself any favors staying up this late!" the anxious twelve-year-old growled out, rolling over once more to glance at his clock. Determined to get some decent shuteye Naruto pulled his nightcap over his eyes, forcing all other thoughts out of his mind except to lazily name off all the flavors of instant ramen he was familiar with.
'...Miso...Teriyaki... Curry… Chicken...Shio...Shoyu... Beef...Tonkotsu... Pork…Spicy shrimp...Zzz...'
"For your final exam, you must each successfully complete the Bunshin no Jutsu! Please wait here until your name is called, and then come next door."
'Bunshin?! Why the Bunshin no Jutsu?! -ttebayo! Who am I kidding, Chikushou! Of course, it'd be the Bunshin!'
It was now the day of the final graduation exam and Naruto didn't know if Iruka-Sensei was picking on him, or if the fates were playing a cruel joke. He'd been matched against Sasuke for his Taijutsu exam, and now he was expected to produce an illusionary doppelgänger. Something Naruto had never succeeded in.
The anxious youth gripped his hair as the minutes ticked by and the classroom slowly emptied of its students. Unfortunately for the Uzumaki, he didn't have to wait long to be called since his surname was close to the top of the list. He waved nervously to Hinata once he'd been summoned, silently appreciating her reassuring nod as he exited the classroom, making his way to the exam room.
Naruto gulped, nervously looking around the exam room. Iruka-Sensei and Mizuki-Sensei were sitting at a table with clipboards. On the table glimmered shiny new hitai-ate mocking the nervous boy.
'Well… here goes nothing!'
Naruto formed the seal, closing his eyes, the anxious trainee concentrated to the best of his ability. Molding his chakra, Naruto could feel it surge around him. In his desperation, the less-than-confident preteen could feel his limbs trembling, and his palms becoming sweaty.
'Please! Just this once! Please work with me!'
"Behold! The perfect doppelgänger! Bunshin no Jutsu!" He declared dispersing his molded chakra, gaining a long silence in return from his examiners.
'...Did it work?'
Hesitantly, Naruto opened his eyes, only to be met with disappointment and embarrassment. Sprawled out on the floor next to him was one of the worst doppelgängers he'd ever produced. This one couldn't even sit upright, let alone stand. Feeling the sweat starting to perspire heavily from his skin Naruto looked up to Iruka. Seeing the look on his sensei's face the youth already knew.
"You fail!" Iruka announced in a harsh tone, but his face showed remorse, sadness, and maybe a hint of disappointment. Naruto bit his lip to hold back tears, twisting the hem of his jacket as the proclamation rang in his head.
"If I may, Iruka-Sensei…"
Naruto looked up as he heard Mizuki speak up. The assistant instructor rarely spoke up, especially when Naruto was concerned.
"...He technically did conjure his other self, I'm not that great at the Bunshin no Jutsu myself. His grades were passable on both the written exam and the basic skills evaluation, even if he failed the final exam in the three key areas. We both know he's superb at the Henge no Jutsu at the very least. What if we just give him a break and..."
Naruto smiled with newfound optimism at what the assistant instructor was alluding to. Would they really cut him a break?! The hopeful preteen looked over at Iruka who seemed to be carefully studying him before letting out a defeated sigh.
"The answer is no, Mizuki. Every student is required to produce at least three doppelgängers. Naruto produced just one, though even considering it a doppelgänger is questionable. With all due respect, his performance doesn't merit a passing grade."
Naruto couldn't believe it. Iruka had betrayed him! After listening to the teachers' discussion the dumbstruck boy wordlessly left the room. Mindlessly heading for the courtyard, Naruto was so lost in his thoughts he never even heard Iruka call out to him. Feeling the tears threatening to spill from his eyes, the distraught boy couldn't muster up the courage to face his classmates, not without a hitai-ate. Just imagining Hinata's disappointed face, or any smug sneers from the more spiteful students, tore the distraught preteen up inside.
Wordlessly Naruto sat down on his swing, wrapping his fingers around the rope as if it was a lifeline, clenching his jaw willing the trembles to cease. Naruto refused to cry, his classmates would be released soon. The dead last would rather die than let them see his tears. Choking back a stifled sob the undersized youth curled in onto himself as he felt the world crashing down around him.
'I failed…Chikushou!'
Author Note: Yep, finally catching up to the opening of the canon plot. He was so cute at this age! I hope you guys don't mind me skipping over the last few years of the academy. If you're wondering, I decided to make the academy dates similar to school in Japan. So, They'd start school around Late March-Early April, then graduate around Mid-March. Curious why Naruto didn't have to wait long for his name to be called? In the Japanese Gojūon (Alphabet) "U" is the 3rd Letter in Hiragana, people are addressed by their surnames first, and Naruto's surname is Uzumaki. (U-Zu-Ma-Ki)
Keywords:
Onigiri - Rice Ball
Tamago(yaki) - Japanese Omelette
Miso - Seasoned Fermented Soybean Paste
Shio - Salt
Shoyu - Japanese-Style Soy Sauce
Tonkotsu - Pork bone Broth
Bakayarô - Dumbass/Idiot/Moron
Shunshin (no Jutsu) - Body Flicker Technique