Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A/N: I want to thank everyone who added this story to their favorites and follows.
"So what do you think will happen in this chapter?" Choji asked, tilting his head to the side. His dark eyes fixed on Naru before he darted his eyes to Ino. Both girls exchanged glances, and Naru offered him a shrug. She really had no idea why her former classmates would think that she would know her own possible future. The best she could guess was her own possible reaction.
Sakura took a deep breath and eyed the round boy. "If we let Ino read chapter 2, then we'll find out what will happen."
"Chapter 2," Ino read, and a frown crept up on her lips. "Why don't we ever read any creative titles for the chapter?"
Naru tilted her head and answered. "Maybe the writer doesn't know any creative titles for the chapter."
Naru leaned against the wall and gazed out to the ocean. Fishes jumped up, flipped into a summer sault, and then jumped right back into the water. The water smacked her face, soaking her cheeks and even her jacket in the process. This was probably going to be a reoccurring theme until they got to the harbor.
The moment they got to the harbor, she would be one step closer to getting her license and a step closer to finding a way home.
"Or you might one step closer in getting closer to death," Sakura said, puffing her cheeks. "Seriously Naru, what were you thinking when you were taking the exam? You know we would prefer for you to be safe than for you to take an exam that could cause you die."
Naru pressed her lips into a very thin line and trembled just a little bit before crossing her legs together. "I know you guys prefer if I'm alive and far away, but it's important that I get back home because future Sasuke is going to get into huge trouble when it comes to the council. So for his own safety, my future self better get her ass back home."
"You sure know how much trouble I'm going to be in, Smartass," Sasuke observed with a frown.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Call it a hunch."
Home.
This was the first time she had ever been this far away from Konoha. And she wasn't just far away but alone as well. Alone in a boat filled with strangers. They might become my fellow participants…and they could either become my friends or enemies. Just the knowledge made her want to cradle her feet together and just groaned at her bad luck.
"If you do that, then it means that you and Sasuke-kun spend too much time together," Sakura commented with a sigh. She shook her head and darted her eyes to the dark-haired boy. The Uchiha Heir scowled and shot an annoyed look at the pink-haired girl. She flushed a light shade of red and looked away from the boy.
Sasuke grunted. "I don't influence Naru."
"If I start becoming moody and start not caring about people, then Sakura-chan is right," Naru said, puffing her cheeks. Sasuke looked offended while Sakura poked her tongue out at the only male member of their team.
But she wasn't going to do that because that just wasn't her.
"The book is probably won't be that depressing," Kakashi commented.
She inhaled, slid against the wall, and tilted her head up. White clouds loitered around with the speed of a snail while birds soared away from the clouds. Something doesn't feel right. More and more birds flew away from the direction that they were heading towards and more towards the other direction.
"I wonder if something is going to happen," Naru whispered, looking straight at the deck. Most of the sailors scrubbed the deck, never once did their eyes stray to the other competitors. Yet, it felt like they were observing them. God, maybe she was starting to overthink things again.
"Since when have you ever overthink things?" Shikamaru asked, folding his arms against his chest. He had his eyebrows raised up to his hairline, and he curled his lips into a frown. Choji bobbed his head in agreement while Sakura and Sasuke exchanged knowing glances. They focused their attention on Naru.
The 12-year-old girl wrinkled her nose. "I can name every time if you want, but…it will be an endless list at this point of time."
It was a habit that she hoped she had gotten rid of, but it seemed like it was starting to come back.
She closed her eyes once again, rested her head against the wall and listened to the light babbles of some of her fellow participants. It should interest her. Should make her curious about the new world around her but it just didn't do it for her. All she could focus was the darkness behind her eyes.
"Why can't you focus on the beautiful scenery?" Ino asked, dropping her head. "You're in a different part of the world, Naru! The least you could do is explore the ship and see the world for us!"
She shrugged her shoulders and leaned back on the couch. "It's going to be a while before I get back home, Ino. I'll probably see some beautiful scenery, and Raiden said that I'm going to meet some interesting people. So, you are going to see some interesting things."
The darkness was good because it allowed her to think very clearly about her next steps.
How could she find the information she needed? Was there an information network that she had to go through to get the information she wanted? God, that should be her next step. The next step was for her to figure out how to get the information she desired.
Naru bobbed her head. That was definitely going to be one of the most important steps in finding a way back home. She glanced at her former classmates, who had frowns on their faces, and then to her teammates and teacher. It seemed like everyone had the same thought process as her when it came to her next steps.
But…what would she do if there was no information for her to use?
What if there was no way for her to go back home?
"You can always open a ramen stand," Sasuke said dryly, leaning against the couch and eyeing her like he knew that would be her plan. "You spend most of the time in the ramen stand, that I'm sure that you know all of the ingredients of your favorite ramen stand."
She hummed and bobbed her head. "You think just because I love ramen, I can just open a ramen stand?"
"Didn't you once tell me that you would have opened a ramen stand if you didn't become a kunoichi?" Sakura asked, snorting. Naru whistled and the pink-haired girl regarded her with unimpressed eyes. What? She wasn't going to openly admit to her former classmates that she had that reoccurring thought in her mind.
Naru wasn't stupid; every possibility had to be considered. As much as she wanted to believe that there was a way back to Konoha, there was as much as a possibility that there was no way back. Every single possibility had to be accounted for, because she could never move forward if she didn't think about it.
It wasn't an idea she wanted to consider but it had to be done. No matter how much she longed to believe that Hi no Kuni was just a boat ride away, there was just as little chance as Hi no Kuni to be nothing but a memory for her. Just the thought made her tremble and the eyes of her friends flashed through her mind.
"Naru, this is my wish of a lifetime: please bring Sasuke back."
Everyone exchanged confused glances before they looked at Sakura. The pink-haired girl looked almost at loss of what just had been said, and Naru stared blankly at the screen. She knew Sasuke and her got into a battle, but what the hell happened? There had to be an explanation for the connection between her fight with Sasuke, and the promise with Sakura.
Sakura trembled and turned her head at Sasuke. "You went to Orochimaru, didn't you? I knew it!"
"I haven't left yet," he grumbled. "And I'm not thinking about going to Orochimaru."
The 12-year-old girl tilted her head and folded her arms against her chest. "If we go with Sakura-chan's accusation and base things on your inferiority complex, then you're going to leave the village just so you can get stronger. You don't actually care about your life because if you did, then you would know how insane your plan sounds."
"It isn't insane," Sasuke argued.
It had always been her goal to bring Sasuke back. There had never been a need for Sakura to sob and plead for her to bring Sasuke back because he was their teammate. The third member of their little family. He is just being an idiot again. Her eyes burned once more and Naru rubbed her eyes till it dried up.
"It is all up to you, Naru. You are the only one that can reach him now."
Shikamaru had been wrong, but there had been no time for her to tell him that only one person got through to him. The only person who could get through to him was Itachi. Everything that Sasuke did, believed in and even his own goals were all the things that Itachi had told him.
"That isn't true," Sasuke denied. He couldn't exactly meet her eyes while Kakashi and Sakura exchanged glances before they bobbed their heads. Of course they would agree her because they all had some idea on what was driving him to live. Naru curved her lips into a subtle smile and ignored the raised eyebrows of the members of Team Ten.
She cleared her throat. "If it isn't true, then if that man told you to live your life and just be happy…then you wouldn't do it?"
"Do you really think that he has that much of a hold on me?" he retorted, looking away from her accusing eyes.
Naru sighed. "Do you want me to lie? Or do you want the plain, hard truth?"
The fact that he was keeping quiet told her that the boy didn't want to hear either answers. He really shouldn't have tried to deny the fact that we all know, she mused as Ino darted her eyes between her and Sasuke. There was confusion in her eyes as if she had no idea of what the hell was going on between them.
Until that asshole came back into their lives, Sasuke seemed like he was on the road of being his old self. The usual teasing had come back. He brought her ramen, helped her with her own training…and wasn't a huge jerk. But the moment Itachi appeared, he closed himself from her and Sakura.
"Wait, I thought that the two of you didn't become friends until you became members of Team 7," Choji said, tilting his head to the side. The question hovered in the air and everyone turned to look at her and Sasuke. The Akimichi heir frowned and inspected them. "Have you guys been friends without us knowing?"
Naru shook her head and eyed Sasuke. "We didn't become friends until Team Seven, but we occasionally hang together in the pier. The bastard didn't like going back to his apartment, and I didn't like going back home…so we just hang out once in a while. Sometimes, Sasuke will act like that happy-go-lucky kid from before the massacre—"
"Are we talking about the same Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, looking faintly amused.
She bobbed her head. "Yup."
Became even more closed off with her.
I wish Itachi never appeared because things were getting better.
She sucked in all the air, felt her lungs compressed until it burned, and breathed it all out. There was just no point for her to think about the past. If I keep blaming people, then I'll never get any work done. There was work to do, participants for her to observe and some apples for her to eat.
"What about sleep? You haven't gotten any sleep since you got there," Ino reminded her. Naru shrugged her shoulders, opened her mouth to retort and the Yamanaka Heiress held her hand up in the air. "You aren't helping anyone by keeping yourself awake. If you still decide to do this Hunter Exam, then you're going to get some sleep."
Naru sighed. "Shikamaru is right about you being bossy."
"Not cool, Naru," Shikamaru hissed, and he released a nervous laugh when his female teammate slowly turned her head. For a brief moment, she felt a little bit of regret for spilling the boy's opinion on his own teammate, but then it faded when she saw the paleness of his cheeks. It was wrong of her, but she found some joy in seeing his fear.
When the night came and the other participants were asleep, that would be the time for her to ponder on where things went wrong in her first family. When the moonlight shone on them, was when she could begin to wonder if Sasuke was safe and if he still had his body. Only in her dreams would she allow herself to sink into the good old days.
Right now, she had to use her head and think with her brain when it came to going back to Konoha.
Her emotional thinking had to be buried deep inside of herself, locked up until the day she was home in the warm arms of her teammate and teacher.
Aomi pushed the ajar door and let out a quiet snicker at the sorry state of the majority of his passengers. The vile odour of bile and vomit encapsulated the room. Those candidates couldn't even handle a little boat ride. He shook his head and breathed out the cloud of smokefrom his pipe.
Better tell the Committee that all of these guys failed. He lowered his pipe, ready to walk away and then paused when he caught sight of golden blond hair. A slender girl, probably around 12, sat in the corner of the room. Her bright, blue eyes kept darting around the room like she was analysing the situation.
"Wait a second, the exam has already started?" Ino cried, looking at her with disbelief. She exchanged glances with the other members of Team Seven alongside Team Ten. "But you haven't even reached the exam site."
Naru bobbed her head. "They must've a lot of people participating in these exams."
That blond hair and blue eyes resembled…
"Ah, I'm just doing the exam because I was told any future…governmental jobs that I want will require the use of a Hunter License."
Yes, that particular candidate looked like him.
The members of Team Ten and Team Seven frowned and turned their heads at her. Naru just stared blankly at the screen as her eyes processed the image of a 14-year-old boy, who stood on the screen. Was that really her father? He looked almost like the Fourth Hokage, but it was coincidence if you asked her. Anyone could have the same shade of blond hair and blue eyes as her.
"Do you think it's possible that he might be your Dad?" Sakura asked, looking at her with curiosity.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe, but I can't just think that every man who looks similar to me is my Father."
Her facial features might not match that young man but he would never forget that colouring of that particular boy. He had been different from the other boy, who had done the exam. That blond-haired boy had a calculative gleam in his eyes and was much more weary of people than the other boy.
He wondered if the girl was just like her father because there was no denying that the girl was his child.
"He seems to be certain that guy is your Dad," Shikamaru commented. There was a calculative look on his face, and his eyes scrutinized her before he looked away from her. The dark-haired pre-teen stared at Kakashi but the man only kept quiet. He definitely knows something right, Naru thought with a frown.
She closed her eyes and tilted her head up. "I can't simply jump to conclusion that every guy who looks like me is my Dad."
Shaking his head, Aomi continued to scan the room. He paused and lingered his eyes on the dark-haired boy. That child, unlike the other child, seemed intent on helping those sick passengers through the journey. He soothed them and kept darting in and out of the room as he brought the items needed to handle their sea sickness.
Just like the girl, he also resembled one of the passengers that he had once met in his time of being a captain.
Perhaps, the past is repeating itself. A throaty laugh sipped out of his mouth and Aomi continued to inspect the room. He curled his lips into a smile when he caught sight of a young dark-haired man reading his book. There was an occasional laugh that came out of the man's lips.
"You think we're going to find out about the adventures of your Father and that guy?" Choji asked, bouncing in his seat. He looked almost eager to find out about her possible father's adventures.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? Raiden didn't tell us much about the book because he likes the whole mystery thing."
That was another promising candidate.
Twirling his finger around the beard, Aomi searched the room for more promising candidates. It was difficult to discern from the piles of unconscious bodies, but his eyes picked up the sight of a blond-haired boy napping on the hammock. It was clear from his relaxed expression and the snores coming out from him, that the boy could handle the journey.
"It seems like this year we have candidates that can handle this weather," he mused out loud.
This would make things interesting if you asked him and he couldn't wait to find out what made those four take these dangerous exams.
Lightning flashed against the window. Naru winced and closed her eyes, allowed herself to rock back and forth with the bounces of the waves, before she stared at the dark-haired boy in front of her. He had been running around, helping the other participants and she tilted her head.
The boy knew the right way to comfort those men because their faces brightened just a little bit whenever the dark-haired boy comforted them. His hands would give them plants that probably relieved them from their illness. She wouldn't know. Unfortunately, she never bothered to learn which plants were important for seasickness.
"Why would you?" Ino asked, shaking her head. "We're rarely going to use those plants."
Poison definitely and their antidotes, but not so much on what plants could relieved seasickness.
Shikamaru tilted his head. "You still remember those lessons?"
"It was one of the most interesting lessons," she confessed.
"I want to go home!"
We all wanna go home. She clicked her tongue and clasped her hands behind her neck. Bubbles of red, hot irritation boiled in her blood and her forehead twitched. But the desire to scream was swallowed down, shoved it right down into her stomach because that was just too emotional if you asked her.
The screams continued, almost bouncing off the walls and she turned her body away from the screams. At this current rate, it would be impossible for her to sleep and she needed sleep. Needed it more than water and even food because she couldn't focus if she didn't sleep.
Choji stared at her. "Y'know you could just use some of your hair to plug up your ears."
"Or I find another way to do those exams because I'm not ruining my hair," she retorted.
Minutes passed or it might have been hours because…it was difficult for her to tell the differences. With no watch on her wrist and no sunlight, it was just difficult for her to figure out the time. Maybe it would be a good idea for her to invest on a wristwatch.
The door creaked open. A sailor slid through the door and made his way towards the dark-haired boy. Naru closed her eyes and clasped her hands behind her neck, cradling it. Her neck screamed in pain. That was probably because of the uncomfortable position that she was in.
She felt a cold hand on her shoulders and opened her eyes to find a sailor hovering over her. There was a linger of vomit scent on him. It might be slight but still overwhelming if you asked her. Taking a deep breath, the 12-year-old raised an eyebrow at the man looming over her.
"The captain wants to see you," he informed her.
She hummed. "So the exam is going to begin soon."
"We're going to find out what kind of story you're going to give them," Sakura agreed, looking almost troubled. Naru shrugged her shoulders and stared at the screen. If she knew herself, she was probably going to tell the guy enough for him to know a general idea of her problem.
Naru blinked, nodded and slowly pushed herself up from the floor. Dusting off the dirt off of her pants, she gazed at the sailor and then looked at the boy that hovered near the door. There were two other males near the door. A blond-haired boy with brown eyes as well as a tall dark-haired man with green eyes.
Something is definitely up if he called out the only four people that doesn't seem bother by the boat journey. Suspicion began to build and she followed the sailor in silence through the corridor. No sounds were made between the five of them. The only sounds, which could be heard, were the groans and troubled moans of their fellow candidate.
"They really are a bunch of wimps," Ino grumbled, throwing a glare at the screen.
She nodded. "That's why they failed the exam."
They stopped in their tracks and the sailor swung the door open. He offered them an encouraging smile and lifted his arm before gesturing for them to go in. Naru nodded and waited for the three males to enter; she then followed behind them, closing the door as she did so.
In the background, the ocean roared and rumbled as more flashes of lightning struck the ocean. A dark shadow formed on the captain's face, almost offered a menacing appearance and she just stared at him. Why did he call us? Something was up because there was no such thing as coincidences.
"That is very much true," Kakashi agreed. He regarded her for a couple of seconds before he offered what Naru presumed was a smile. "You're starting to see what's underneath the underneath."
She grinned. "You drilled the idea into our head."
Eyeing the man, Naru took her spot between the dark-haired boy and her fellow blond.
"So tell me your names," the Captain demanded.
Within a second, the dark-haired boy shot his hand up and happily introduced, "My name's Gon."
"I'm Uzumaki Naru but you can call me Naru," she followed and it didn't escape her notice that the man looked relatively surprised as if he hadn't expected for that to be her name.
"Why did you have to tell him your last name?" Shikamaru asked.
Naru tilted her head to the side and answered slowly. "Because I've manners."
The dark-haired man looked relatively annoyed yet answered, "The name is Leorio."
"My name is Kurapika," the blond-haired boy finally answered.
Their answers hovered in the air as the sailor scribbled down something in his clipboard. Not once during their introduction, did the sailor look away from his item. He seemed almost intent to scribble down on that clipboard and god did she wish she had been born as a member of the Hyuga Clan.
Sasuke bobbed his head and released a sigh. "They would've been helpful in that situation."
At least, she would know what was being written on that clipboard.
"So tell me what made the four of you want to be Hunters?" the Captain inquired, looking relatively interested at their answers.
Why do I want to be a Hunter? She thinned her lips and stared at the red-nosed Captain. His expression was almost warm and there was a genuine curiosity in his tone but…the interest was odd. Something was definitely not adding up because why would he question them? If he was just genuinely curious then he could call them out one by one.
Naru had to agree with her future-self assessment. She was probably going to be weary throughout this whole boat ride because nothing was easy about the exam. Even if I go a different route, I've to be careful. She crossed her arms against her chest and looked up at the ceiling.
There would be no need for a big scene.
"My Dad is a Hunter," Gon explained with a smile. "And being a Hunter must be something, because it was the most important thing in the world to my Dad and I want to know why it is important."
"What kind of Dad abandons his own kid?" Sakura cried, looking deeply disturbed at this piece of information. She looked at Sasuke before darting her eyes to the members of Team Ten. All three of them had frowns on their faces, and they flickered their eyes at her.
She sighed. "He's a crappy Dad."
Sounds like his Dad abandoned him. Bitterness crept up as her own childhood memories came to her mind. Despite the roars and the crashing waves, the world around her faded. It was replaced of the image of the Third Hokage lingering on the door and she recalled…
"Old Man, why don't I have a Mum and Dad? Why aren't they here?"
Sakura frowned and looked at her. "You never talked about this. I didn't know that you wanted to find out about your parents; I just thought that you were content not to know."
"Why would I be happy not to know who they are?" Naru shrugged her shoulders and stared up at the ceiling. "They were my parents, Sakura-chan and they're apart of me."
He gave the same answer and that strung even more than being told that she was the Jinchuuriki.
"I think finding out that you're a jinchuuriki is even worse," Ino said dryly.
Naru clicked her tongue. "Nope, not knowing my parents is even worse."
"Who told you to answer?" Leorio demanded and he looked at Gon with disbelief. "We need to act as a team and what you just did was anything but what someone with team spirit would do."
The captain asked us and even if I don't trust him, I also know that there is no harm. She tapped her finger against her chin and considered her options. On one hand, she would be telling an insane story to them but on the other hand…there was just nothing for her to lose. Nothing to worry about.
Besides, the Captain's tone suggested that he was testing them.
"I wish I can say that I'm here because I want to find out why my Dad abandon me but my reasons are far more complicated," she confessed. The Captain eyed her while Leorio looked at her with disbelief. "I'm hoping that by becoming a Hunter, I'll be able to get the information I need to go back home…and well a girl needs to earn money."
"Simple and sweet," Kakashi observed, bobbing his head.
Naru grinned. "Enough for him to know what is driving me to do this, but not enough for him to know anything big."
Leorio swirled his head at her. "Wait, can't you find a way back home with a map?"
She stared at him for the longest time, contemplated on how to word her answer. A map hadn't been check but that was because there was not enough money on her to get the item. And I'm thinking of the possibility if I can't find them on a normal map. They were ninjas and it would be difficult for them to be located.
"For me to get a map, I would need some money," she finally answered. "I…am in a tight spot when it comes to money."
"Sorry," Sasuke muttered.
She shrugged. "We're going to keep track of how much money I'm going to waste, and you're going to pay me back."
The blond-haired boy flickered his eyes at her, lingering on the Hitai-ate. "That Hitai-ate on your forehead indicates that you come from the Elemental Continent and that you should be a shinobi."
Ino blinked. "He sure seems to know a lot."
"He probably reads a lot of books," Naru commented.
Blinking, Naru stared at the older teen and hesitated for a second before she bobbed her head. Relief flooded her because if that guy knew about her occupation, then it meant there was a chance to go home. Home to Tsunade, Jiraiya and Hinata-chan. She had a chance after all.
An amazing chance it seemed.
"I never heard of that place," Leorio said in disbelief.
Kurapika nodded and scrutinized her. "Not many people heard of that place and fewer people know how to get there, but I heard that the lands over there utilized child soldiers."
"Isn't it normal?" Choji asked, furrowing his eyebrows together. "What would we be doing if we aren't soldiers?"
Shikamaru sighed. "We'll be in hell: school."
She kept quiet, not bothering to deny it. Leorio paled and inched further away from her while Gon looked at her with bright-eyed curiosity. The Captain, on the other hand, did not look one bit surprised by what Kurapika had said. Either he knew that she was a kunoichi or he had seen a child soldier before.
"Sorry but you don't strike me as a child soldier," the tall man commented with a frown.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Don't blame ya but you shouldn't judge someone by their appearance. I heard from Iruka-sensei that my teacher was just 5 when he graduated from the Academy."
"Wait, why did Iruka-sensei tell you when Kakashi-sensei graduated?" Sakura asked, furrowing her eyebrows together.
Naru hummed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well…I asked him if he knew anything about Kakashi-sensei, and he told me about the whole graduation thing."
"It isn't exactly a hidden secret," Kakashi informed them. "I don't even try to hide it."
The man kept quiet but there was a disturb look on his face. She guessed it was because he had never actually seen someone that was trained since they were a child to be a ninja. It was odd. This whole thing was common back in the Elemental Countries, so common that there was an expectation for a 12-year-old to be a ninja.
"What about you two?" The Captain pressed on and he glanced at his helper before continuing, "what made you two decide to become a Hunter?"
Leorio scoffed and looked away. "I'm not telling you why."
Should I just point out that he is the one driving the boat and that he could kick us out of the boat if he wants? It was understandable why the man preferred to keep it a secret, but the Captain had a reason behind the questions. A reason that eluded her but a reason, nonetheless.
"You should really point this out to them," Kakashi said, shaking his head.
Shikamaru sighed. "Why should she? It's an obvious observation."
"Doesn't seem like it to them," Choji pointed out, gesturing to the screen.
"I agree with Rioleo," Kurapika said in a calm but tight tone.
Leorio twitched and pointed his finger at the blond-haired boy. "Hey, you should say my name properly! It's Leorio, not Rioleo!"
Tension filled the room and Naru eyed the Captain. He looked almost annoyed and the scribbling from his sailor stopped when both males admitted that they wouldn't answer him. Wait a second, are they inscribing what we are saying to him? That would make sense and it would also explain why his eyes narrowed at the comment.
"I could dodge the question with a plausible lie," Kurapika explained, fixing his eyes on the captain. "But I consider lying a sin that is equal to greed and just as dishonorable. I cannot find it in myself to give an honest answer to someone that I don't know. The matter is just…too personal."
"What could be more personal than Gon saying that his Dad abandoned him?" Naru argued, folding her arms against her chest. Sakura bobbed her head and patted her on the back while everyone else bobbed their head. "I mean I can't imagine confessing something like that to a bunch of strangers."
Sasuke eyed her. "You don't confess anything."
"I'm more open than you," she retorted. "I told all of you about my dreams and what I like."
Sakura frowned. "Actually, I agree with Sasuke-kun. I only learnt that you could cook when you took over the reins of cooking our fish during the Chunin Exams."
It wasn't like there was anything interesting about her.
Naru eyed him. "Are you saying that Gon and my matters are not personal? Because I think admitting out loud that he wants to know why his father abandoned him for a job is personal. I didn't want to confess about my own problem, but the captain here can kick me out of this ship if he chooses."
Sakura bobbed her head. She knew that her teammate had a point when it came to confessing to her own problems. Now that Sasuke had vocalized how private Naru could be, she really had very little clue on what her female teammate liked to do besides cooking and pranks.
Both males blinked and jerked their heads to the Captain, who had been quiet throughout the exchange. The man tilted his hat upwards and that warm smile on his face faded, replaced with a subtler cruel smile.
"So you figured it out?" the Captain asked and he pressed on. "Did you figure out that the Hunter Exam has started?"
Naru shrugged her shoulders. "Nope."
The 12-year-old girl blinked while Leorio and Kurapika looked at the man with disbelief.
"Well I didn't think that it started," she admitted."I just thought that you were the Captain and that you hold the power to kick us off the boat if we don't answer you. But I did think it was weird that you gathered the only four conscious participants and question them privately about the reason to do the exam."
Kurapika looked at her for a second before cursing under his breath. Ah, so now he realized that it was weird for them to be questioned. That the Captain specifically chose them over the remaining participants. Though the boy shouldn't beat himself up for not realizing it earlier.
If it wasn't for Kakashi-sensei and his constant drilling for her to look underneath the underneath, she probably wouldn't question what was going on.
"You're welcome," Kakashi offered a closed-eye smile. "You are definitely taking my lessons seriously."
She scowled. "Your trap actually taught me."
"I still can't believe you fell for it," Sasuke muttered. "It was such an obvious trap."
Two people could play that game. Naru exhaled and rubbed the back of her neck before offering a sweetly smile at the black-haired boy. "At least, I didn't think I could take a jounin by myself."
"You attacked Kakashi-sensei with clones," Sakura reminded her.
"The reason for the question is because that there are many people who want the Hunter License," the Captain explained as he paced back and forth across the room. "The numbers are just too great to count, so great that there aren't enough examiners with enough time to judge'em all."
She nodded. "So they need you to cut down the numbers?"
"Yes," he replied. "At this current moment, one of my sailors is now informing the committee that the majority of the participants has failed the preliminaries."
Your chance of getting a Hunter License rests on my hand. That was the veiled message behind his words and Naru glanced at the two males. It would be arrogant of her to think that her answer had confirm her participation in these exams, but at least she tried to give him an answer.
"Now you know how to terrify someone," Ino muttered, paling.
With as much subtleness as she could gather, the 12-year-old girl snuck a glance at the two males. Both Kurapika and Leorio had droplets of sweat dribbling down their faces as they exchanged troubled looks. Finally, the blond-haired boy took a step forward and breathed in deeply as if he was gathering courage.
"I'm the last of the Kurta clan," Kurapika confessed and it didn't escape her notice that the Captain jerked his head at the mention of the boy's clan name. "I want to be a hunter so I can capture the Phantom Troupe."
"He's similar to Sasuke-kun," Sakura commented, sneaking a glance at Sasuke. Everyone else considered the comment before bobbing their heads in agreement. Naru stared at her teammates before she glanced at the screen. It seemed like she was going to meet people that remind her of her friends.
She exhaled. "All we need is an insane brother and they are the same person."
The whiskered girl frowned. "Um, what is the Phantom Troupe?"
That name was rather odd and almost creepy as if those guys were ghosts or something. I really hope that they aren't ghosts. Just the idea that spirits were real, was enough to bring a chill down her back. If spirits were real, then they would forever haunt her because of the beast inside of her.
"They are an infamous band of thieves," the Captain kindly explained. "Their bounties are A-grade, and most hunters will think twice before going after them. A person that goes after them is a person chasing for their death."
Kurapika's face hardened. "I realize but they murdered the members of my clan."
"I think Sasuke has it harder," Naru declared. Everyone else exchanged glances, considered her statement, and the whiskered-teen shrugged her shoulders. "Look I know that their pain is difficult, but Itachi is Sasuke's brother and the murderer of his family."
Sasuke stared at her. "Are you comparing my pain to him?"
"When you put it that way, you make me seem like a bad person."
Everyone kept quiet.
Great, another guy that wants to get revenge. Bitterness clawed up her throat and the ache in her heart intensified once again as memories seeped into her eyes. Those memories bled and bled as if a part of her wanted to remind her that she was almost incapable of shutting off her emotions.
"You kind of have a right to be bitter," Choji commented.
But…she would because logic was needed.
The Captain thinned his lips and asked. "Don't you fear death?"
"I don't fear death," he declared with firm determination. "What I fear most is that my rage will never leave."
"He's really intense," Ino observed.
Naru looked at him for the longest time while Leorio eyed the boy. The only thing she felt was the pounding of her heart, the remnants of seething, red rage from her fight with Sasuke and the intense idea to scoff at the male. Not afraid of death? Death was terrifying. Once a person died…
They could never come back.
"Will your family members be happy to see that you are going after a dangerous group and recklessly throwing your life away for revenge?" she asked quietly, and everyone turned to look at her. "I don't mean to judge and what happened to your clan is tragic and they deserve to be sentence to jail for the crime but…"
"Are you really going to stop him from getting his revenge?" Sasuke demanded.
She looked at him with disbelief. "I'm trying to warn him not to recklessly throw his life away like your future self is apparently doing. I don't know what made you decide to go with Orochimaru but do you want to die before you achieve your dream?"
"Who—"
"We're having a discussion as soon as we're done with this book," Sakura barked. "Naru: we're going to talk about the whole Jinchuuriki thing and Sasuke-kun: Naru is going to knock some sense into you."
Naru blinked. "Why me?"
"Because you've no problem hitting Sasuke-kun and arguing with him when he's being reckless," she explained as if that was the only explanation for why she should be in charge with those things.
But revenge won't make you happy in the long term and if you just focus on your hate, then you will hurt yourself. No, she couldn't say those words to him. It was personal. Too personal and she didn't know the older boy all that well. No, it was better for her to keep her mouth.
"And what would you do in my place if it was your family?"
She only kept quiet and ignored the question. Family was not something she knew. It was a relationship that was unfamiliar to her, had always been unfamiliar to her. Throughout her time in the Academy, all she had ever done was watch from the distance as everyone walked away with their parents.
Naru rubbed the back of her neck and avoided the looks of her classmates and teammates. She knew from their expressions that they hadn't known that she had been watching them. She shrugged off Sakura's hands and stared at the screen with blank eyes. This was something she was used to dealing.
It reminded her of how truly alone she was.
"You never acted like it bothered you," Sakura commented. "You even listened to me while I complained about my Mom."
She shrugged. "Because I'm used to it, and besides I get to experience things through you. It's not the same thing, but it's better than nothing."
"I'm not the best person to ask and for personal reasons…I won't tell you why I'm not the best one to pose that question," she finally answered. "But I doubt your family will be happy to know that you are hurting yourself because you think their killers need to die."
The blond-haired boy made no comment but the way he balled his fist told her that he wasn't happy about her observation. It was wrong of her to vocalize her own opinion on someone that was in pain. Deeply wrong but it was wrong to keep quiet and not offer her thoughts on the matter when she witnessed the consequence of revenge.
Leorio cleared his throat. "So Kurapika if you are out for revenge then why become a Hunter? You don't have to be a Hunter to do that."
"Don't be as stupid as you look, Rioleo." Kurapika scoffed and shook his head. "There are places that you can't go, information that can't be accessed and actions that can't be taken – unless you're a hunter—would obviously boggle your tiny mind."
"Now that's rude," Sakura muttered.
Naru stared blankly at her. "Sasuke behaves like that too, but you call it cool. So what's the difference?"
Sakura flushed a faint shade of pink and looked away from her. Naru shook her head and released a sigh. It seemed like her teammate didn't want to acknowledge the fact that this was the same behavior from Sasuke, only on another pretty boy. She shook her head and stared at her quiet male teammate.
The vein on Leorio's forehead protruded and Naru could practically hear the steam gushing out from his ears. I've a real bad feeling about this. Unease swirled and coiled up as the Captain settled his attention on the final member of their tiny group. The member that hadn't explained why he was doing the exam.
"What about you, Leorio?" the Captain probed as he took a large gulp of his rum. "What makes you want to be a Hunter?"
"I want money; lots and lots of money!" The oldest member of their group answered excitedly as he flailed his arms up in the air. "Money can get you anything! You name it and money will bring it."
"He is really greedy, isn't he?" Ino observed.
"Yeah, but he isn't exactly wrong," Naru agreed as her eyes shifted to the other members of her team. "People hire us to kill, steal and there might be a time when someone would ask us to kidnap something precious. We can go to the hospital and not pay a lot because of our jobs, but a normal civilian? Hospital bills are expensive."
Almost looked at her with wide eyes as if they hadn't thought about those things. Well, it was mostly Sakura and the other two members of Team Ten. Shikamaru and Sasuke didn't look too surprised by her observation.
Kurapika opened his mouth and Naru took a deep breath before smashing her foot against the older boy's foot. A loud yell of pain thundered the air. Everyone turned to look at her, but the girl only focused her eyes on the blond-haired boy, who looked at her with disbelief.
"He won't have an easy time walking," Kakashi said with a grimace.
Shikamaru grunted. "Naru doesn't know how to be gentle."
"I said I was sorry for pushing you into the arena," she protested half-heartedly. Her former classmate snorted and threw her a dirty look. He's right; I don't regret pushing him into the arena, Naru mused as a smile played on her lips. He should be grateful to her because she was the reason for his promotion.
"Did you just smash your foot on me, Naru?" Kurapika trembled.
"From what I observe, you make a snide comment to Leorio by forgetting his name or demeaning him in some way," Naru paused and allowed them to process the words. "While violence isn't the answer, I also didn't want Leorio to say something or do something as equally as rude as what you were about to say." She rubbed the back of her neck and offered an embarrassed smile. "Also, people have a tendency to say hurtful things when they have been insulted and you can imagine what Leorio would say next if you make him snap."
It was a hunch but at the same time, it was her own experience that seeped through her interaction. Sasuke and her would get into fights, countless fights because her friend would say something that hurt her. Once he did that, she would finally hurt him where it hurts because she wanted him to learn how cruel he was being to her.
"That's why you throw those insults to Sasuke-kun," Ino and Sakura cried, throwing a look of disbelief at her. "You wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine! But you aim below the belt with his family."
Naru stared at them. "And he does the same by reminding me that I never had parents or that I didn't have anyone to help me. Besides, I know it isn't right but Sasuke knows that he ain't innocent in our fights."
The Uchiha heir bobbed his head.
No way had it been right, but it was their way to lash out.
"At least she acknowledged it," Sakura muttered.
Both males exchanged glances, grunted and turned away from her, but the way they trembled was probably a hint of their embarrassment for their own behavior. She shook her head and offered a faint smile to the Captain before glancing at Gon. The boy had been oddly quiet throughout their exchange, almost like he wasn't bothered by what happened.
Maybe, he knew all along that she was going to intervene before someone was going to say something that would hurt the other person.
"I think you have too much faith in that guy," Choji said slowly.
Naru scratched her head. "Maybe or maybe that was the only explanation I could get on why Gon didn't do anything."
But the more likely possibility was that he didn't think that there was a need to interfere between those two and if that was the case, then she almost wished that she was like him.
I wish I don't think back to my own mistakes.
Kakashi grimaced. "No one likes to think back to the past."
Unfortunately, the past would always affect her in some way.
"It isn't just you, Smartass."
(A day later)
"So, you are telling me that the captain said that we have to head the opposite direction from the one on the map, Gon?"
"Why did they have to skip that scene?" Sasuke asked.
Naru tilted her head. "Probably because it might not be important? Or maybe because I didn't witness it?"
Naru scratched her head and stared at the map of the country before glancing at the beaming boy beside her. From right beside her, Leorio tapped against the map while Kurapika continued to scrutinize the map. While it was a good thing that they passed the Captain's test, it was even better that the man had taken a liking to Gon.
"He seems to be well-liked by everyone who meets him," Sakura commented. "And…what test? You guys still had to do a test?"
Ino frowned. "It just mentioned that they did test."
Another great thing was the fact that Gon was willing to help the three of them search for way to the city.
"Yup," Gon grinned.
Leorio thinned his lips and asked. "But why do we go up there when the map says the opposite way? I think the express bus to Zaban is the best way for the four of us to go."
"They are still cutting down the numbers," Shikamaru pointed out. He darted his eyes to the others, almost as if he was curious to know their own thoughts, and Naru only bobbed her head. That was the only reasonable explanation on why the man told the boy to go in that direction.
Sakura sighed. "Just getting to the exam site is hard."
While the man had a point, there was also no denying that the captain had given a clue to Gon. A huge clue if Naru was led to believe and that was something to consider. With a deep breath, she tapped her finger against the map and looked at the bus that was being filled with people.
Most of them might be in the same boat as them.
"The numbers are just too great to count, so great that there aren't enough examiners with enough time to judge'em all."
The captain's words rung in her ear. Her finger paused and she turned her head to stare at her fellow candidates. The four of them passed the first preliminary but it didn't mean that they were the only ones to pass. I mean if this was like the Chunin Exams, then they would need to continue to cut down the numbers until it is manageable for them. Yes, this was a possibility.
"The more we read your thought process, the more I'm wondering why you didn't just show this side of you," Ino said, throwing her a look of disbelief. "Do you realize how many people would realize that you shouldn't be underestimate?"
"A lot," she admitted. "But no one likes a smartass."
They are still cutting down the numbers," she suggested, and the three males blinked.
Kurapika nodded. "That could explain the hint because they might have altered the map."
Leorio flickered his eyes between them, glanced at Gon and slowly nodded his head in agreement. He pushed his glasses up, tightened his grip on the suitcase and lifted it up before he turned in the direction of the pine tree. Naru quirked her lips into a faint smile, sliding her hands into her pocket.
"It is a good thing that you aren't putting up much of a fight, Leorio," Naru chirped as she walked closer to the taller man. He flickered his eyes to her, and the girl stared at Gon before looking at the people climbing onto the bus. "I was really worried about how to convince you that we need to walk."
"How would you convince a hot head like him?" Shikamaru asked, shaking his head. "It would be a pain in the neck to explain things to a guy like him."
Naru considered the question. "I would've tried to point the fact, but if that didn't work then…I would've dragged him by force."
He scowled. "If they are cutting down the numbers then there is a chance that they did something to the bus, right?"
"They might have paid the bus to go the other way," Kakashi mused.
Naru frowned. "That would be a waste of resources."
"Most likely," Kurapika agreed.
The four of them trudged on the path in silence. There was no other person on the path, yet she heard the light footsteps of someone following behind them. The distance between them would be probably around 50 meters, give or take, and if she had to judge from the sound then she would say that they were behind but to the left.
Well as long as they don't attack us then I won't attack them. She grimaced and glanced at Kurapika and Gon. Neither of them seemed bother nor noticed the fact that there was someone following them. A quick look to Leorio told her that the male was just as unaware as the others about their little interloper.
"How would you even know if they were aware or not?" Sakura asked.
"Probably from their body language, but even then…I'm not perfect."
They walked for three hours before they saw the cracked, looming walls of a small town. They must be trying to keep something away from them. That was the only explanation for the wall and just the thought made her pause. Afterall, if there was a dangerous animal then she would have to fight it.
If that was the preliminary, then it would be a piece of cake.
"What made you decide on Gon's info?" Leorio asked her once they stepped through the gates of the town. Naru blinked and tilted her head at the man. He took a deep breath and further elaborated. "You said yesterday that you didn't want to confess your problem and with how much you seem to be logical…"
"I never thought I would hear the day when someone calls me logical," Naru mused. "I think I like it."
Sasuke snorted. "That's because you prefer to act like a child than show that side of yourself."
"We're 12!"
"You expected me to distrust the info?" she guessed.
He nodded and Naru hummed a quiet tune as they proceeded to walk through the empty streets of the city. I think it is rather simple when I think about it. If the man had taken the time to observe the interaction between Gon and the Captain during the boat ride, he would have noticed that the captain had a certain fondness for him.
"The captain likes Gon," Naru explained softly as the whispers and laughter in the background grew slightly louder. Loud enough for it to sound slightly louder than a whisper but not loud enough for the others to hear it. She exhaled. "I think he wants to see Gon to succeed, which is why I believe him when he said that we should go this way."
She bobbed her head. "That sounds something I would say."
"You should question things more," Shikamaru muttered, shaking his head. "You can't base the assumption because of his feelings towards Gon."
Naru frowned. "How else would I find the exam site?"
Sliding her hands further into her pockets, she inspected the street ahead of them. It was different from the other streets. All the other streets that they passed had been clean, not a single piece of paper or anything like that. But this street had some trash scattered on the floor. The scent of blood was stronger here and that made her weary.
Something rustled in the background, and it was not long before people slowly filed out from the building. The group of four stopped in their tracks and watched as an elderly woman approached them.Slow were her steps but each step had a purpose and carried some weight in them as if she was the leader of this place.
Loud taps filled the air as the woman tapped her cane on the floor.
"It is time for you to play the two-choice quiz."
Sakura paled. "A quiz? But—"
"—I'm crap when it comes to quizzes," Naru muttered, paling. "I'm decent in Math, but I'm terrible in everything else."
"At least, you've Kurapika," Sasuke commented as if he was trying to reassure her. It did not reassure her one bit.
I didn't sign up for a quiz!
"Classic Naru," Choji laughed as the screen revealed her panic expression.
This was not her day.
"So we get one question between the four of us?" Leorio demanded once the old woman explained the rules of the game to them.
Reluctantly, Naru nodded and eyed the smiling elderly woman before she glanced at her companions. The game sounded easy enough and it didn't seem like she would need to know anything about this part of the world. It was also quite satisfying to know that she had three other heads to help her through this.
The dark-haired man slacked his jaw and jerked his finger at their blond companion when the woman nodded. "That also means I'll fail if Kurapika botches the question up?"
"He is more likely to screw things up," Ino growled, shaking her head. "And it isn't like Naru is any good in quizzes."
Naru didn't bother to defend herself from the correct assumption.
"No," Gon smiled and raised his finger. "It means we get to put our heads together on one question."
Kakashi bobbed-his head. "He would have passed the bell test."
"Don't jump to conclusions!" Naru protested. "He might have fell for your trick like we did! How were we supposed to know it was teamwork? For all we knew, you were serious about sending one of us back to the Academy."
He whistled. "Excuses, Naru-chan~"
"Don't call me that!"
Leave it to the boy to find something positive from Leorio's words.
"It makes things easier for everyone," she agreed.
The 12-year-old boy beamed, looking almost like the sun and the girl found herself smiling at the boy. They might not have as much interactions as she would like, there was just no denying that Gon could make a person feel at ease. It was a wonderful skill. A terrific skill because it meant that the older boy could make friends with anyone.
From right behind, the gravel crunched and Naru twisted her head around to find a tan-skinned man standing behind her. Two swords were strapped on his back and a cocky smirk played on his lips as he stared upon them. He is confident. Relaxed shoulders were always a sign of confidence.
"Mind if I play first?" he asked them.
"Go ahead; I rather you die instead of us," Naru answered.
Sakura sighed. "I hope you won't say the second part."
"Of course not. I've more tact than that."
He wants to go first? She inspected him and looked to the blank-faced elderly woman. In terms of fairness, it should be them that should be going first but if she wanted to play the game like she would do it in the chunin exams…
"Go ahead," she shrugged her shoulders and gestured for him to go in front of them. "We aren't in a rush, are we guys?"
Leorio and Kurapika inspected her for the longest time before they bobbed their heads. Gon just furrowed his eyebrows and then casually shrugged his shoulders, not looking one bit bothered by the fact that she made the decision for them. Then again, she had never seen the boy get bothered by anything during their trip so far.
"He's really simple when you think about it," Choji agreed.
Naru nodded. "Easier for me to deal with compared to the Bastard."
"Don't talk about me as if I'm some kind of object that you can control," Sasuke grunted.
If this was a simple exam then we would go first, Naru thought as she dug her nail right into the palm of her hand until blood dripped down. These exams weren't simple. That much had been clear to her when the captain made it clear that they needed to cut down the numbers. One wrong move on their part would see them lose the opportunity to get their license.
"Here is your question," the elderly woman announced, scrutinizing the man. "Criminals have taken your mother and your true love captive. You can only rescue one of them. Which one would you choose? If you choose your mother, then you have to say 1 and if you choose your true love then you say 2."
The question hovered between them, and Naru felt her stomach curled with disgust. She knew that was a choice that anyone could make but it wasn't an easy choice. There were so many factors that had to be taken into consideration. Factors that weren't taken into consideration in here.
Ino cleared her throat. "How can anyone…make a choice?"
"It depends on the factors," Kakashi answered. "But this isn't an easy decision that anyone could make."
This is a difficult situation, and it can be something a shinobi would be forced to choose. She sunk down onto the ground and closed her eyes. It was complicated. Who was objectively more important? Did those criminals do something to them? What about the emotional component? These were all things that needed to be considered.
Everyone turned to look at her and she ignored their curious looks.
This was not the kind of question that someone…
"One."
"He finds it that easy to make a decision?" Sakura whispered, looking horrified.
He really doesn't think things through, does he? And how can he choose that quickly? Disgust swirled inside of her, and she clenched her jaw as the man smirked at the elderly woman. It was clear from that cocky glint in his eyes that he wasn't picking his sincere answer, that he picked the answer which he thought that the woman wanted.
It made her sick to her stomach.
Everyone nodded.
"Why?" the elderly woman asked.
The man's smirk widened. "You can find another true love, but you only have one mother."
"But they're both people that you love," Choji argued. "You can't make a decision that quickly."
Kakashi inhaled. "You only know the decision when you're faced to do it."
You really think it is that easy. The words threatened to come out, but she swallowed it down and looked at the others. Kurapika looked almost troubled while Leorio was red in the face. The vein on his forehead was more prominent than ever and he curled his hands into a fist as the elderly woman made her way to the others.
"He looks like he is going to murder someone," Sasuke muttered.
Naru trembled. "He might actually kill an old woman."
A few seconds later and the woman came back. Her expression revealed nothing as the people parted ways to make a path for the man. Are you telling me that he passed? No, it was impossible. Not even a shinobi could decide that quickly with that limited amount of information.
If it was up to her then she would save both.
"You may go," the woman finally said and Naru watched as the man walked away from them with a smile.
Shikamaru relaxed his shoulders. "He didn't pass."
"And what are you basing that conclusion on?" Ino demanded.
The Nara heir yawned. "She didn't say he passed."
When he says it like that… then he's right, Naru thought, sinking down on her seat. She really did not like the idea that someone could make that quick of decision and pass the exam. With those kinds of questions, it was better to think a long time before making a decision on the topic.
No words were spoken between them. Only the faint rustle of clothes hummed in the air and a sense of tension began to build up. It threatened to choke her and not because of how terrifying it was. No, there was nothing about this tension that could bring a sense of fear inside of her. But it was thick, thick enough that a blunt knife could cut through it.
Leorio inhaled and exhaled before smashing his fist onto the ground. A small crack formed, and a bruise formed around his knuckle as his green eyes narrowed at the woman. "What kind of quiz is this? There can't be a right or wrong answer to a question like this, and there never has been."
"For such a greedy old man, he certainly has a nice side," Ino commented.
Choji nodded. "There's probably more to him."
His screams resonated in the air, ripple out until Naru was certain that the people from the next city could hear him. She glanced at the elderly woman and then to Leorio. The tall man had grabbed his suitcase from the ground and looked ready to storm off. Despite his desire for money, he is surprisingly sensitive. It was rather odd when she thought about it.
Usually, people who were greedy for money weren't this sensitive, but Leorio was affected.
Kakashi nodded and regarded the screen. "He must have faced a situation similar to this."
"Maybe," Naru agreed.
"If you want to pass then you have to take this route," the woman called out to Leorio and the man stopped in his tracks. "If you leave then you can forget about your license."
Sakura frowned and scowled. "But that isn't fair!"
"Maybe there's a reason that she called him out," Naru suggested.
Those words were enough for Leorio to click his heels together. Slowly and irritably, the man walked back towards them. The scowl on his face grew bigger and bigger as he dragged his feet towards the elderly woman. The grip on his suitcase looked even tighter than ever as the blood vessel on his hand started to become visible.
It would be a matter of time before the man snapped. A matter of minutes until he might use that suitcase and smashed it against the woman's head because of how much he despised the test. But it reflects real life too. There were times when a person would have to make a difficult decision. A difficult decision that would break your heart no matter what.
One day, she probably would have to make that decision as Hokage.
"You really think that one day you would've to make this decision?" Sakura asked with a frown. Her eyes glowed with trouble and the girl darted her eyes between Naru and Sasuke.
She nodded. "Being a leader means making hard decisions."
"I won't allow any more extraneous remarks from this point on," the woman declared and Naru jerked her head at the steel look that the old woman directed at Kurapika. "If you wish to take the quiz then say one and if you don't have the desire to take the quiz then say two."
Kurapika immediately answered. "One."
That earned a glare from Leorio.
"They really don't get along, do they?" Sakura asked.
Naru nodded. "Reminds me of my relationship with Sasuke."
"That isn't a good thing, Naru."
Will the question be the same? Will she give more information? She hoped so because it was hard to plan based on such tiny amount of detail. With the emotional component being put into place, the answer could be anything while the logical component would ask for the one that was more important for the job.
It was difficult to choose based on very little information because what if she had to save both? If they asked her to choose then it would be difficult to make a decision.
"Here is your question!" The woman announced, raising her finger up in the air. "Your son and daughter have been kidnapped and they tell you that you can only get one back. Which child will you choose to get back? If you choose your daughter, then say one. If you choose your son then say two."
"Who the hell could choose between their own children?" Sakura yelled. "They're your kids."
Naru yanked the girl back to her seat. "Let Ino read our answer and then you jump to conclusion, Sakura-chan."
Both.
She wasn't going to be like her deceased parents and if she had to choose then she would sacrifice her life. You can't decide like that even with logic. Naru shook her head and froze when she saw Leorio making his way towards one of the wooden planks. He lifted it up and broke it into smaller pieces.
"You really have parents issues, don't you?" Sasuke asked, looking at Naru with subtle disbelief. "You don't even know the whole story about what happened to your parents."
Naru huffed. "Don't judge me, Mr. I used to have a brother complex."
"You never even see me interact with Itachi before the massacre!"
Kakashi eyed Ino. "If you don't continue, then those two will bicker for days."
"Three…"
Leorio slowly stalked towards the woman like a ferocious animal on the prowl.
"Two…"
I've to stop him before he regrets hitting an old woman for doing her job!
She stood up from her spot and eyed the man. It was sweet and almost kind on how much that these questions bothered him. The knowledge for some reason filled her own stomach with warmth. Maybe it was because of how much the idea bothered him, how much he seemed to hurt for the non-existent children and that was why she had to stop him.
"He wouldn't make it as a shinobi," Kakashi observed, shaking his head. "Those questions are painful, but one day you would've to make a choice."
Naru nodded and stared at Kakashi. "Have you ever been put in a tough spot, Kakashi-sensei?"
"Many times," he replied. She straightened her back and the man shook his head. "And no, I won't tell you anything about it."
He wasn't helping anyone if he decided to hurt the woman.
Naru tilted her head to the side. It seemed like in the future, she was going to be attached to these people and that wasn't going to be good. It was fine if she managed to keep Sasuke from doing these things. Who knows? If I get a new power, then Sasuke will just join me for these exams. Now, that would be fun for her.
"Time is up!"
The moment that the woman announced those words, was the moment that Leorio pounced on the woman like a lion. With a deep breath, she dashed towards the man and yanked the plank from his hand. Tossing the plank to the back of the street, Naru used her other hand to grab Leorio by the collar of his shirt and hauled him up in the air.
Without hesitation, she smashed him onto the ground and barely flinched when the ground rumbled. Large veins of cracks formed from underneath the man before they crumbled to dust. There was a distinct crack that rang in the air. Leorio groaned and moaned, no doubt from the back pain, before he glared at her. She trembled and stared at the wrinkly old woman in front of them before narrowing her eyes at the man.
"He will be lucky if he can even walk properly," Shikamaru muttered. "That looks like the same strength Naru uses whenever one of the seniors tries to pick on her."
Naru grunted. "It doesn't stop them from picking on me."
"Why did you do that, Naru?" Leorio cried and he winced as he tried to sit up.
The 12-year-old girl wrinkled her nose. "Obviously because I live off on violence."
"I know you're joking but…don't say that!" Sakura cried. "Normal people don't say that."
Sasuke sighed. "We all know that Naru isn't normal."
"I feel the love."
"The woman is only doing her job and shouldn't be hit for doing her job," she explained softly. The 12-year-old girl cracked her knuckles and stared at Gon before looking back at Kurapika, who slid his weapon back into their original position. "Look those questions are difficult and if it was up to me, we save both but there are times when you have to make a decision."
It was a decision she hoped that she would never have to make.
Kakashi grimaced. "It seems like you are going to be making a lot of decisions based on those questions."
"I really don't want to find out about the decisions I'm going to make," she sighed.
Her teammates and former classmates bobbed their heads. The fact that they all bobbed their heads told her that they weren't looking forward to what was going to happen next. Who could blame them? If they were going to hear similar stories, then there was bound to be an argument over…
"That is the end of the chapter," Ino said, and Naru jerked her head. "And there's a little note that says that the answer was silence."
Silence.
That was a better answer than the one presented for them.
"I'll read the next chapter," Shikamaru declared.
A/N: That's the end of the chapter. Please do let me know of your thoughts about the reading.