A/N: Sorry for how absent I've been. Take this chapter as my apology gift!
Chapter 5: Foundation of Divisions, Part 1: Foundation
Kiba stared ahead of himself at the target dummies that were randomly scattered across the school yard for them to practice on. He hated weapons practices. The kunai and shuriken the Academy gave them were always a different weight and balance. Each and every time they were dragged out for this torture Iruka expected them to learn how to pick up a throwing star or knife, and instantly feel for its weight and balance before using the ninja tools.
Ugh… What Kiba wouldn't give to just be in Taijutsu practice already…
"All right. I've got the field all ready for you guys and girls to begin." Mizuki said with a smile on his face. His shoulder-length white hair always gave Kiba the idea he was trying to dye it, mostly because of the light blue hue it had when it caught light. And the guy's smile never reached his green eyes, which were dull and cold. Kiba supposed that came with being a ninja, but didn't like to think about it too often.
He didn't want to ponder how the happiness and warmth would one day leave his own eyes.
"Kiba Inuzuka!" Iruka's voice snapped Kiba out of his thoughts.
And suddenly he realized that much more time had passed than he wanted.
It was already his turn.
Oh, well, Kiba figured as he rolled up his sleeves and grinned cockily. It seemed it was now time for everyone to get a taste of the awesome that was Kiba Inuzuka.
"That was just… bad, Kiba. I almost feel sorry for you." Ino said, shaking her head and not bothering to hide her cruel laughter at Kiba's pain. She slapped another helping of healing salve on the cut he had managed to give himself along his shoulder, making Kiba yelp and hiss in pain.
"Yow, Ouch! What the hell are you doing, woman!? I'm injured! You have to be more careful." Kiba complained, his whining falling on deaf ears as Ino was the only one among their group of friends who knew how to properly apply the ointment.
"I'm sorry, all I heard just then was, 'Wah, I'm crybaby Kiba and after trying to showoff I made myself look like a complete nimrod before crawling to grovel at Ino's feet for the healing salve she and Hinata Hyuga worked so hard to make.' Did I hear you right, little crybaby Kiba? Because that seemed true to me." Ino replied happily, slapping more balm along Kiba's arm where more cuts and scrapes were. "We only just made this stuff a few days ago. We were supposed to show it to my parents to see if it could be sold in the shop, but I guess me and Hinata will just have to use you as our test dummy like all the ones you didn't hit in practice."
Kiba winced when Ino gave unnecessary pats to the paste in order to ensure it was properly setting into his wounds. "I hit one."
"No, Choji threw that one after it flung back at him from where you let it fly. Naruto and Shikamaru threw more when the shuriken clattered at their feet, but Iruka-sensei saw them throw those. He didn't see Choji because he was too busy ducking under the one you flung his way." Ino rolled her eyes.
"I thought I had it under control this time. They were all so heavy…" Kiba said, more to himself than Ino.
Ino, however, commented anyway. "That's because they were all real this time. If you paid attention in class, you'd remember that Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei told us yesterday that today's practice would be with untampered standard kunai and shuriken."
"…Because we're now halfway into the year and the exams are coming up… Dammit, how could I forget!?" Kiba would have hit himself if he weren't already in such pain.
"Maybe because you've been spending too much time trying to act cool instead of training. You've fallen behind even Shikamaru, and he doesn't even do anything! Instead of getting better, you've actually allowed yourself to get worst by attempting to look great instead of being great."
Kiba could only give a sigh of deep suffering.
"And stop that, you dolt! You need to focus! You're too annoying to end up not being good at anything! I mean… geez, just look at Naruto for a prime example. He's ten times more aggravating than you and he's the best out of our five." Ino wiped her hands on a towel she had at her side. "Then again… the others are nearly just as useless as you, even Naruto…"
Ino clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Shikamaru is too lazy to do any exercise… Choji only wants to eat his weight in junk food and make nice with everyone… You can't hit the side of a building with all your showboating… And Naruto still can only make clones that look like they've died of an asthma attack. Ugh, why are all you boys so damn useless! You all lack focus and if I had a bamboo stick right about now, I would shove it—"
Kiba was kind of glad Ino hadn't finished her rant. She could be really graphic when it came to punishing them for what she perceived as damage against her reputation.
The reason she didn't get to finish is because both he and Ino spied Naruto have an animated conversation with the Third Hokage. Whatever the two were talking about had the leader of their village smiling and Naruto making a lot of over the top hand gestures.
"Pssh, Kiba," Ino whispered under her breath, "can you hear them? What're they saying?"
Kiba gave her the skunk eye, "I'm not an actual dog, ya know! Despite what people like to say about my family, we are not part animal or dogs given human form!"
"Idiot," Ino whacked him over the head, "I asked because you do have impressive hearing, part mutt or not! I can read lips, but Naruto is always talking too fast or mixing up his words. Now tell me what they're saying!"
"Alright, all right… Geez, you're such a pain…" Kiba sighed as he focused intently on Naruto and the Third Hokage. He steadied his mind on them and them alone.
"…and you'll have to limit yourself so as not to hurt others. You have a good foundation of skills now, and with any luck you'll pass the exams with the rest of your year." The Third Hokage's voice was aged and wise, like that of a grandfather who loved all his grandchildren equally.
"That's no fun!" Naruto whined, a pitiful look on his face, "Head-Captain, you're punishing me for no reason! It's not my fault if I'm more awesome than everyone around me!"
"Be that as it may," the Hokage's voice brokered no argument, "You will be at the Hokage building after school today, Naruto. If you are truly to become a Captain upon your graduation, then you'll follow my orders to the letter. And if not… you'll receive nothing but a sound thrashing!"
Naruto's face paled and he quivered before the stern look on the elder ninja's face. "Okay, okay! I'll be there! Please don't roast me alive!"
The Hokage tipped his hat to hide his smile as he turned toward the exit. "Good, then I'll see you there. You'll have dinner with my family today, so save your appetite."
Naruto watched the Hokage's exit with a moody look on his face. He crossed his arms over his white coat. "Hmph, making me hold back to a fourth of my own awesomeness after today… I can't believe that old fart…"
The temperature rose noticeably, and Naruto flinched in panic as he offered up apologizes to a Hokage that was no longer there. The room returned to normal, making the blond breathe a sigh of relief.
Ino, behind Kiba, only shook her head. "Well, that sure was weird."
"You're telling me. I never knew Naruto was so close to the Hokage. Just when you think you know a guy…"
"Not that, you dolt! I was talking about their conversation!" Ino snapped, but Kiba seemed to be ignoring her.
"Then again, the Hokage didn't even seem to notice that Naruto was referring to him as Head-Captain. Not that it matters really. The position of Hokage is pretty much the same as that of the Head Captain."
"And what about Naruto's training?" Ino questioned, resting her hands atop Kiba's head. "It was supposed to help him perform the Clone Jutsu, but it failed. He still can't use it to make passable clones. So why would the Third Hokage want Naruto to limit himself? Did he really get that strong over such a short amount of time?"
"Definitely a lot more questions than answers, that's for sure." Kiba got to his feet and stretched, feeling the cuts and scrapes from earlier twitch with barely noticeable pain. He then took a second to stare at Ino. "I'm kind of surprised you knew about Naruto's training, though. He didn't even tell me. It must be the fact that he brought you that outfit. To think Naruto's losing his mind to a girl already—KUH!"
Ino had punched him in the stomach, her face bright red as her eyes blazed with an embarrassed fury the likes of which Kiba had never seen before today. The other hand was trying to her clothes, purple top and all. Naruto had gifted her with the set at her request—more like demand—before leaving for his training.
If not for her attitude and fickle nature, Ino would have been a perfect woman. She was already a fair-skinned beauty with teal eyes and long platinum-blonde hair she kept in a ponytail that reached just down past her shoulder blades. The bangs framing the right side of her face didn't hide her beauty, or the glare she was now pinning Kiba under to make him feel small and stupid. She wore a black, backless, sleeveless undershirt that was easily seen from the opening of her purple over-shirt with two white straps on each shoulder. Ino stopped trying to cover herself in order to stand up straight and appear unaffected and strong. She placed a hand on the large beige sash around her waist above her hips. Black stretch pants were tight against Ino's legs, trailing down to disappear under a pair of beige leg warmers and simple brown shoes.
In this attire, Ino looked every bit the part of Yoruichi Shihōin, ex-Commander of the Stealth Force and Captain of the Second Division.
In fact, that was exactly what Ino had specified when she throttled Naruto and made him purchase her outfit.
Of course, when Ino's parents had found out about the whole thing, they told Ino had gotten herself a boyfriend. That had been quite the distraction from their training. Unfortunately, it ended with Ino beating them all to a pulp for even being there to witness her parents come to the conclusion that Naruto and she were now dating. Lucky for Naruto, he had already left on his own self-imposed training and so did not incur Ino's wraith, which lasted a few days before she cooled off and they—as her friends—stopped making jokes about two blondes sitting in a tree making a dozen blonde babies. That had gotten them a sound beating that took three days to recover from.
"Naruto told us about his trip before he left. You simply forgot, moron. And… if you ever bring that incident with these clothes up again… I'll kill you!" was all she said before she turned on heel and walked away with an aura of fury surrounding her. Kids made quick to clear a path of her wrath.
Kiba sighed. He would be walking on eggshells for a week now.
"You should stop antagonizing her. Otherwise, she'll be the death of you." Choji said as he quietly snacked on his bag of chips.
He, Kiba, and Shikamaru were sitting on the sidelines as the others were called up for their sparring matches against one another. All three had already participated, with Shikamaru and Choji fighting each other to a stalemate and Kiba having scraped up a win against Shino. Some of the girls had fought as well. Hinata and Ino battled it out in an unusually fierce manner. Hinata went into the fight with aggression from who knows where, trying her best to beat Ino. The blonde girl put up a good fight, but eventually lost thanks to how aggressive Hinata was. Ino walked off the mat muttering about how she wasn't stealing anyone's man, but no one understand what she was talking about.
"Or maybe Hinata will kill her first. You can only hope." Shikamaru said in a hushed tone. "Honestly, I've never seen that girl so fired up before. She really did a number on Ino. I thought for sure that Iruka-sensei or Mizuki-sensei would have to get her off Ino with the way she was attacking."
"Hinata scares me a little…" Kiba admitted, but then shook his head to get back on topic "But Ino makes snipping with her so easy! She has a bad attitude and needs to be brought down a peg more often."
"Kiba, she is our friend. We should like her for who she is." Choji said, ever the nice guy if there ever was one. Though Kiba noticed that the chubbier boy wasn't making even the least polite gesture to share his snacks.
Because no one got between an Akimichi and his snacks…
"I agree with Choji on this one. Ino is a girl. And like women, girls are troublesome. All they do is nag and make you buy them things and force you to agree with them. You have to do what they say. That's just the way the world works. Its hierarchy at its finest." Shikamaru sighed, scratching under his chin.
"Yeah, but Hinata isn't like that." Naruto said as he came up beside them. He stopped short of sitting with his friends, instead taking the time to do stretches as he would probably be called up soon for his spar against Sasuke. "Me and her don't talk much, but she seems really nice and quiet. She gets all red when I'm around her though, so I think she's allergic to something I'm wearing or something. Maybe it's my plants back home."
Naruto took the chance between stretches to sniff himself. "Maybe the pollen or something gets on me before school? Yeah, that sounds about right."
The others only gave him deadpan looks as he went ignored.
Naruto went back to stretching, bringing his right arm across his body and moving with a groan. "But I have to agree with Kiba on this one. Ino is really bossy and has a huge problem with being vain. I mean, we're supposed to be her friends and she still acts like a snob around us. I try to be really nice to her, and all she does is hit us!"
A cold chill ran down the spines of the boys as they all stood up ram-rod straight. Behind them, they could feel the eyes of a predator about to rip the throat of its prey out.
"I had no idea you boys felt I was such a burden." Ino spoke in a slow and deliberate tone.
Naruto felt her hand on his shoulder like the claw of a beast. He turned mechanically to her, seeing that she was actually not glaring at him, but smiling sweetly.
A little too sweetly.
"Perhaps I can stand to be a bit nicer to you all." She stared deeply into Naruto's eyes, as if trying to suck out his soul. "Especially you, Naruto."
He gulped. He didn't like this side of Ino. It unnerved him.
"That is…" Ino said slowly before smiling brightly at him and batting her eyelashes, "if you buy me this really cute ribbon I saw the other day! It looks just like the type that Yoruichi has around her neck!"
The boys all face-faulted. Of course, Ino would need gifts to mellow her out!
Ino then rolled her eyes, dropping the sugary sweet smile she had on her face. "Geez, I'm not that bad… You boys need me to kick you in gear. None of you would train half as hard if I didn't nag you. Especially you, Shikamaru!"
Naruto breathed a sigh of relief that Ino wasn't going to kill them for talking behind her back. "The training and stuff is completely different than what we're talking about. We're talking about how you hit us even though we're nice to you. You smacked me upside the head when I bought you that outfit you're wearing!"
She smacked him upside the head right then before putting him in a chokehold with a murderous expression. "Don't say that so loud, you idiot! I already have my parents thinking you're my boyfriend, I don't want any of our classmates thinking I'd date a loser like you!"
Naruto glared right back at her, even though he couldn't breathe. "Well, I wouldn't go out with you anyway! Even if I was paid, dattebayo! You're mean and a snob. I'm nice to you, and all you do is insult me and try to kill me."
"I said I'd be nicer from now on," though she was still cutting off his supply of oxygen.
"You could start with letting him breath, Ino." Shikamaru drawled dryly, watching as Naruto's soul floated out of his mouth and his face went purple. Ino blinked twice before dropping her fellow blond like a sack of potatoes. Kiba and Choji moved quickly, stuffing Naruto's soul back into his body. The blond came back to life, gasping for sweet, sweet air like there was no tomorrow.
Ino didn't apologize for nearly killing him, deciding that her freshly polished nails were more important than his life at the moment.
Despite everything though, Naruto knew that Ino was their friend. If he had been anyone else, there would have been no return from people even dreaming that the two of them were dating.
Poor, poor Kenogi… He would forever be dearly missed…
"Let's have Naruto Uzumaki face off against Sasuke Uchiha for the final sparring session. Naruto, here goes your chance to prove yourself." From the crowd, Naruto and Sasuke took to the center of the training hall, both stepping onto the sparring mat from opposite ends.
Sasuke looked at Naruto standing there with a smile on his face. After all the boasting the dope had done earlier that day, Sasuke wanted nothing more than to wipe that smile off his loser face.
The blue-eyed Captain watched as Sasuke approached the center of the mat. The two made dramatic eye contact with each other, and Naruto saw the Uchiha smirk at him as if to say that he couldn't be beaten. Naruto only smiled back as he walked over to Sasuke. As he moved toward the last of the Uchiha, the blond discarded his Captain's haori, throwing it to Hinata whose face went crimson red upon clumsily catching it.
She dimly noticed that the haori was exceptionally long for what was common about them. Normally the thin and coat-like attire would go no further than the knees, but from what she saw of Naruto's haori showed that his stopped around the ankles. Hinata also took note of the bottom hem of the garment, where there was an alternating pattern of back circles and diamonds. In the center of the haori was a black rhombus with the kanji for the number five.
Hinata looked up to where Naruto and Sasuke were settling into fighting stances to begin their sparing match. She was curious to what the five meant on the jacket. But that was when she got her first look at Naruto's new attire without the haori obstructing her view.
It made her gasp in shock.
Was he… Was her Naruto wearing the Garment of Dead Souls?! It might not have been obvious to many since the practice had fallen out of time since the First Great Shinobi War, but the Shihakushō was still employed in the funerals of highly respected and noble people to this day as a time-honored tradition. For Naruto to be wearing one so casually… so boldly…
Well, it basically meant that he was dressed to die at any moment.
For a ninja, it made for the perfect bit of situational irony that was not lost on the Hyuga clan heiress, but it still worried her to see her crush and all-time favorite blonde wearing the black robes with white garments underneath.
At least he still added his flair to it, she thought in a bid to keep her nerves from doing her in. The orange obi sash was a nice touch, and definitely screamed Naruto Uzumaki.
Iruka-sensei raised a hand in order to signal that the fight would begin. The two had long since refused to make the seals for confrontation and reconciliation. Instead, the two merely nodded in acknowledgement of each other.
"Don't think I'll go easy on you, Sasuke. Just because we're rivals and all…" Naruto said while sliding into a relaxed stance. It confused Hinata, as she had never seen this stance from Naruto or anyone else before. She was evidently not the only one confused by it as her peers around her began muttering amongst themselves about Naruto's new fighting stance and what type of fighting style would come from it. The casual posture suggested invitation, and even Sasuke had blinked upon seeing it. Naruto's stance was like an open invite for Sasuke to challenge him, as if to say that the Uchiha would come to him and lose at his leisure.
"You and I are rivals? Someone should have told me." Sasuke replied, then smirked even harder. "I would have let them know that I don't lower myself to play around with fools like you."
"Hn, we'll see who the fool is soon enough." Naruto shot back, tightening his fists. It was a small sign that despite his casual expression, Sasuke's barbs could still aggravate him no matter what.
As Iruka-sensei dropped his hand, calling the match to begin, Hinata hid her face in Naruto's haori as her blond crush and the Uchiha survivor shot at each other.
When she finally gathered the courage to see what was going on, Hinata was amazed to Naruto doing so well. Before today, Sasuke would dominate their spars with well-timed punches before sweeping Naruto's legs from under him. However, now Naruto was more than keeping pace with the last Uchiha as the two fought in a flurry of fists, blocking and twisting as neither wanted to give ground to the other. Naruto seemed to have gained a better foundation for his brawler-style Taijutsu. Instead of the overextended haymakers and left hooks, he was now keeping to speedy jabs as he ducked and weaved through the punches Sasuke sent his way.
And there! Just as Sasuke flowed into a punch Naruto got on his right shoulder, going for the leg sweep, Naruto leapt quick and brought his legs up together to the point where his shoes clapped together.
That seemed to be the signal to bring kicks into the skirmish. Naruto lashed out with a flowing two kick combo, forcing Sasuke to block. The Uchiha was definitely surprised by Naruto's new moves, as was everyone else. Sasuke flipped back twice before skidding to the very end of his side of the mat. Naruto smirked at seeing his rival give ground. He took the break in their fight to catch his breath, smoothly regaining his stance while calming his combat fury.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Naruto. He switched his stance slightly, bringing his left hand forward and his right leg back. It was to say that he was now going to take Naruto seriously. Naruto responded by rooting himself in his place, going rigid as he watched the Uchiha survivor with focus.
"That idiot Naruto is actually doing it…" one of the boys in the back muttered aloud.
"Yeah, normally it'd be over by now…" another agreed shortly after.
"He must have worked really hard to get so good in such a short amount of time. Maybe we should start addressing him as Captain…"
"DON'T BE STUPID!" Sakura screeched, making Hinata flinch and cover her ears. "SASUKE-KUN IS ONLY PLAYING AROUND TO HUMOR NARUTO! THERE'S NO WAY THAT NARUTO-BAKA CAN WIN!"
"If he wins, he wins." Ino shrugged, "Sasuke sees it, and so can all of us. Naruto has improved, and if Sasuke isn't careful… Naruto could get lucky and Sasuke could be beaten here."
Naruto grinned wide upon hearing the shocked gasps of their classmates. "You hear that, Sasuke. Sounds like you're in trouble."
"Don't get cocky, dope. You've got some solid form now, I'll give you that. But you're a hundred years too soon in fighting an Uchiha."
"You're the last Uchiha." Naruto stated as he narrowed his eyes.
"And a hundred years hasn't pasted just yet." Sasuke retorted smoothly, making Naruto snarl. Hinata could easily see that he was itching to recommence the fight.
Naruto lost patience, charging at Sasuke with a roar of wrath. The Uchiha met him head-on, blocking his first few jabs before kicking Naruto in the side. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's leg and flung him back, but Sasuke easily recovered with a flip. However, Naruto was upon him again quickly, burying his fist in Sasuke's gut before spinning with a leg sweep. Sasuke backflipped over it, kicking Naruto in the chin as he did. The two recovered and snapped back to brawling against one another in the same heartbeat.
It was still easy for Hinata's well trained eyes to keep pace with the match. Sasuke still moved with grace and efficiency, his economy of movement in synchronization with his precision and power. Hinata could easily tell that he was well prepared for the day he acquired his Sharingan. The early years he had spent training with the Uchiha clan—may they find peace in the afterlife—had obviously been spent greatly. Taijutsu, ninjutsu, probably a few genjutsu. Sasuke was a well-rounded fighter, and his style of block, dodge, and counterattack showed it to great effect. His kicks were swift and precise, hitting Naruto's chest or even ankles whenever the blond came in too close. His punches, even when dodged, turned into grapples that caught Naruto off guard long enough for Sasuke to string together a series of jabs that would leave Naruto with a few bruises the next day. Sasuke was a genius, and probably would continue to grow strong enough to give even her cousin Neji a run for his money in Taijutsu.
Naruto, on the other hand, was quickly shaping up to be a monster of combat. Hinata had always held a brand of favoritism toward her blond crush, but this was not one of her fangirl moments. She watched as Naruto used his unpredictable nature to string toward weird combination attacks that not only kept Sasuke on his toes, but pushed him back great. Flipping onto hands and lashing out with your feet? Who did that aside from Naruto? Doing a split in order to quickly deliver punches to your enemy's thighs, effectively attacking your opponent's sturdy stance and making their constitution weaker for the rest of the match? Only Naruto! Not only was her blond affection making ingenious on-the-fly plans, but was backing them up with strength, speed, and unnerving precision as though he had been hellbent on this fight for ages. His punches, even when blocked, seemed to send shockwaves through Sasuke's body, while still being fast enough that even the Uchiha couldn't outright dodge or block a flurry of fists aimed to take his head from his shoulders. Naruto's kicks were fast, but were long and sweeping. He seemed to move his legs as though he had practiced kicking through water. Hinata remembered her own such training, and Naruto's leg attacks reminded her of the first stages of it.
Sasuke leapt back from a powerful kick Naruto sent sweeping toward his legs. Getting out of Naruto's range was now the most effective way of avoiding taking any more of the blond's strong offensive. A month ago, all Sasuke would have to do is see the highly-telegraphed attacks as they came at him, unpredictable or not. Naruto had lacked both the speed and basic foundation to make his attacks work against him. His stance had been flimsy at best and his defense was nonexistent. Naruto had been a horse, powerful and strong until he ran out of stamina, but very limited in his attacks and very predictable when he moved.
Now, however, Naruto was a monkey. Strong, unpredictable, fast, smart, and with even his basic foundation could use it in a hundred different ways as monkeys learned to use sticks and rocks the same way. Sasuke smirked though. While Naruto had certainly moved up the food chain, a monkey still could not compete with a tiger. Deadly, precise, and with the strength, speed, and intellect to use it all for the killing blow.
"You've still a long way to go before you beat me, dope." Sasuke said, probably not for the first or last time that day. His thighs were aching and his arms felt like rubber. Naruto had been dogged today, and if he didn't end things quickly, the blond Uzumaki would surely win a war of attrition.
"Your legs are looking a little shaky there, Sasuke." Naruto was smirking, but he couldn't hide the red bruises that were forming on his hands or the way he leaned heavily on his left leg because Sasuke had been steadily attacking his right one. "You were my equal before, but now I'm gonna take you outta the equation. I will stand alone at the top. Neither you, nor the gods will ascend to my level."
"Were you crawling along in the dirt to begin with, Naruto?" That had to be the first time Sasuke had used his name in class. Sure, he had said it once or twice when crossing paths with Naruto out in the village, but never before in the presence of their other classmates. The fangirls gasped as that was as good a confession of acknowledge as anyone could get from Sasuke Uchiha. The only girls whose names he used were Hinata, Ino, and Sakura, which made the latter two girls the undisputed leaders of the Sasuke Fanclub.
Well, more Sakura than Ino over the last couple of months…
Naruto chuckled softly. Ominously. The very air in the training hall changed as though it dropped several degrees. Everyone felt tense as the way Naruto at Sasuke changed from fiery rivalry to something akin to a deity staring down at a mere mortal. He even relaxed his stance, making Sasuke tense in his own, as he stood straight up.
"Your arrogance is excessive, Uchiha-san." Naruto said in a cool, detached manner. It was still highly respectful, as though the two were old comrades or something. "No one was standing in the Heavens to begin with."
"If he takes things too far…" Shikamaru was muttering to Choji and Kiba behind Hinata, who was standing near Ino.
"Yeah, we know… We can't let him kill Sasuke in front of everyone. That'd be hella bad for our new little fledging organization…" Kiba muttered back, and with her impressive vision, Hinata was able to see even Ino nod from where she was, silently listening to Shikamaru with her apparent friends.
But then… when did Ino become familiar with Kiba and Naruto? And why would Naruto kill Sasuke?
Regardless, Hinata prepared herself to assist in any way possible. Naruto would get in trouble for attempted murder.
Oh, and she didn't want Sasuke to die either. Not particularly, at least.
"Not you. Nor myself. Not even the gods…" Naruto was going on, his presence steadily becoming stronger and stronger until the air around them became thick and heavy with his chakra. "However, Sasuke Uchiha…"
Naruto reached up to flatten his hair back, and now even Iruka-sensei seemed anxious about what was going on. Mizuki simply looked confused by the whole drama. As was basically everyone else in the class.
"…That unbearable vacancy in the throne of Heaven will finally come to an end." Sasuke glared at Naruto's words. They sounded as crazy as crazy came.
"From now on…" Naruto's power rose until several of their classmates, even Sakura and Shino, fell to their knees gasping for breath. "I will stand alone in Heaven!"
Iruka looked to be about to jump at Naruto, but Hinata was surprised when she saw a wrinkled hand grasp his shoulder from behind. She couldn't see who the hand belonged to, as they seemed to blend in perfectly with Iruka's shadow, but since her impressive vision managed to catch only the hand, she could guess as to their secret audience who could stay Iruka's oversight of the match.
"Farewell, Sasuke Ishida Uchiha…" Sasuke's eyes widened impossibly at Naruto's use of his name with an odd middle name. They weren't from Suna or Iwa, so the use of a middle name for a Konoha resident was very strange. "I must admit that for a mere mortal, even one from the Uchiha clan, you were especially interesting."
Sasuke's teeth grit in either rage or confusion. Naruto turned his back on Sasuke, who looked absolutely livid at that moment—
But then, Naruto seemed to disappear and reappear right in front of him. Naruto had even placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder!
"GHAW!"
Naruto had reared back and headbutted Sasuke!
The Uchiha went down hard and fast, screaming in agony as Naruto merely stood over him with his forehead bleeding. Then the blond walked off as though Sasuke were not worth the effort.
Yet and still, Hinata's keen eyesight did not fail her. She saw that when Naruto flashed across the mat to appear in front of the lone Uchiha, he had left something behind in his wake. They looked like chokers, or even wristbands. However, they were leaving heavy impressions in the thick safety mat.
"Weights…?! Naruto has been wearing weights? But when did he get them, and how long had he been wearing them?" Hinata thought in shock as she saw Naruto pick them up and keep his back toward everyone so no one could see him and his weights. They had to be heavy enough to make up the difference in speed, but Hinata had more than once glimpsed the ankle weights that Sasuke wore, so she knew that they two were more than likely still in the same league of speed at the moment.
When Naruto finally turned back, adjusting his Shihakushō from wherever he had hidden his weights on his person, the rest of the class had finally snapped out of their stupor.
Mizuki ran over to Sasuke to see that the boys forehead was bleeding and was already forming a painful-looking knot right in the cetner. "Geez, that fox brat really did a number on him. The Uchiha brat is gonna look like a long-lost unicorn for a few days if he doesn't get that checked out quickly." Mizuki's respect for Naruto when up a bit for him taking the last of the arrogant Uchiha clan down a peg or two, but not enough for him not to kill the fox demon in his sleep if he had the chance to get away with it.
"Naruto Uzumaki is the winner." Mizuki announced, raising his hand while the other hand went to help Sasuke to his feet. Sasuke smacked the hand away before glaring at the floor as he swiftly rose up under his own strength. Sasuke's fists were clenched tight at his sides, but he didn't look up at Naruto at all. Instead, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and marched away from everyone and everything as he exited the hall without permission. Though Mizuki could understand why. Beaten by the fox freak and needing medical attention in order to not look like a mutant was perfectly acceptable as an excuse.
As Naruto approached her to reclaim his haori, Hinata became embarrassed. She had draped it over her shoulders and held it close without thinking. Now her crush saw her hugging his coat and was smiling at her!
"Y-You did it, Naruto!" Hinata couldn't help but yell in her own quiet voice. She was proud of the blond who held her affection, showing everyone in their class to never count out people like him and her; those who were considered the underdogs.
"Thanks, Hinata." Naruto said as she handed him back his haori, which he promptly put on in a swish of the coat. "Though without all the hard training I did over the month, I gotta say that Sasuke would have kicked my ass if I had come at him with any of that weak shit I would make up back then."
Hinata wasn't quite sure how to respond to that without sounding either creepy or crazy. She wanted desperately to encourage Naruto, to make him see himself the way she saw him every day. Instead of saying anything, Hinata simply smiled and prayed that she wouldn't faint while so close to Naruto.
"Eh, I've got it! Hinata!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, startling the Hyuga princess into flinching. "You should hang out with us and join our Divisions! You're pretty strong. Maybe a little weird… Not nearly as odd as Shino, mind you, so you're perfect for our group!"
Hinata only seemed to hear Naruto talk about joining him as she was strong and perfect. Her face went tomato red in seconds as she squeaked in fluster. Just as she was about to faint, Kiba came over with a sigh and began pushing her along the way toward the others.
"Well, he didn't kill Sasuke. That's good… I guess," Shikamaru mumbled with a shake of his head and a small smile on his face.
"Yeah, but that headbutt… That was a little uncalled for, don't ya think?" Choji asked while staring at where Sasuke had left the class.
"At least he didn't go for the eyes." Kiba remarked while moving Hinata, and they all nodded in thanks to that not happening. Naruto might have been executed if he damaged the last Uchiha's eyes in any way before his Sharingan awoke.
"Naruto could have ended the match in a number of different ways," Hinata was shocked to see Ino now standing beside Shikamaru and Choji, being caught unaware that her fellow female had moved from her previous position near Sakura and Shino. "He should have used something less dramatic… But, at least he didn't show off this time in a spar. He's finally learning that we should be hiding what we can really do rather than showing anyone who simply asks us for a demonstration."
"Ino is so mean to me… I can never catch a break…" Naruto said with a simple smile as he reached the group. Ino only scoffed at him, but she was smiling all the same.
The rest of the class was less supportive of Naruto's growth.
"SASUKE WASN'T EVEN TRYING, CHA! PLUS, ANYONE WOULD BE CAUGHT BLINDSIDED BY THAT STUPID DRIBBLE NARUTO WAS SAYING! LEAVE IT TO NARUTO TO WIN BY BEATING HIS ENEMY WITH PURE IDIOCY! NARUTO, YOU ABSOLUTE MORON!" Sakura raged as she looked ready to beat Naruto into the dirt below the training mat and floorboards.
Another of the class spoke up then, "That's not how ninja fight! Who the heck headbutts their opponent! Of course, Sasuke-san didn't see that one coming, Sharingan or not! Uzumaki is not even using what we get taught! He's just making it up as he goes along and it just happened to work today of all days! Sasuke-san deserves a rematch!"
"No rematch, because my beloved Sasuke deserves the win for that match!"
"I'm sorry, your Sasuke?"
"Fine, I meant to say our Sasuke! Better?"
"Marginally."
"He shouldn't have been able to beat Sasuke! Naruto must have switched with a stunt double or something!"
"Those of the mighty Uchiha clan don't lose to nameless orphans, especially dumb ones!"
"Oi, will you idiots stop your griping! Naruto won fair and square! Ninja win no matter what they have to use. Victory at any cost!"
"I'm just as stunned as everyone else… but yeah, Naruto really pulled off the win there. Stop complaining guys. It's over."
"Yeah, Uzumaki got the job done, and that's all that counts!"
"Especially since the job was knocking Uchiha's ego back down to size in his own head. That headbutt looked painful, and Uzumaki is still bleeding. They both suffered from that. I know I'd never do it, but I'm sure now all of us will want to keep our distance in a fight against Uzumaki. Killer headbutt, dude!"
Some of the girls in the class began to boo at the blond Uzumaki. Hinata couldn't believe it. Some of the students and fangirls were even accusing Naruto of cheating. However, she was glad that some of the others were sticking up for Naruto. They had to be glad that someone had finally taken Sasuke Uchiha down a peg or two when guys like them weren't even noticed by girls.
"Uzumaki-san did as any good shinobi should do in his situation." Shino was saying as they all exited the Taijutsu training hall. Despite how unnerved Shino made most people feel, they could all agree that he possessed an analytical mind focused on the logical, and he was to be respected. "He used the skills at his disposal to both undermine his opponent and secure victory for himself. Whether what Uzumaki-san did in his match against Uchiha-san was foolishness, a prank, or any other such nonsense is debatable at best. However, what is not up for debate are his end results. He secured his objective, and for that we must concede the point. Uzu… Uzumaki-taichō won here today. Whether his growth in ability and skill will continue, or if he will retain his newfound sensible attitude… that will require further observation."
No one knew what to say in the wake of Shino's clear and concise words. The mere fact that Shino Aburame was not only acknowledging Naruto, but was now also giving the blond his respect by way of calling him "Captain" sent shockwaves through the class and their understanding of the social order.
Even if they couldn't agree on much of what Shino said, they all secretly agreed on one thing.
Naruto Uzumaki, the supposed Captain of some unknown Fifth Division, would require further observation indeed…
"So then, Iruka, tell me…" the Hokage was staring across his desk at the Academy instructor, "What did you think of Naruto's display today?"
"Lord Hokage, I'm not sure where he acquired the skill in a single month to beat Sasuke Uchiha, the Academy's second-best student in Taijutsu of their generation. He's only topped by Neji Hyuga, and Sasuke is closely followed by the third being Hinata Hyuga! How did Naruto go from on par with Kiba Inuzuka to fighting and beating Sasuke! It makes no sense, unless—"
"It was me being the one to train him?" the Hokage lifted an eyebrow for emphasis. Or maybe it was in challenge of Iruka's now unspoken accusation. "You can rest assured, I have not taken over Naruto's training from you, Iruka. Aside from a few corrections in his form, a couple of hints here or there, along with a spar or two together a week ago, Naruto has been training himself these past months."
"Himself?" Iruka barked back in confusion, but then blinked. "Wait! What do you mean these past months? He's only been gone one month!"
"Naruto dedicated himself exclusively to his own training this past month, focusing inward and drawing upon the latent potential we've all seen within him. However, he has been practicing and training with his new group of friends for at least the last four months that have passed… maybe even the last half year, if my guess is correct. They have gotten quite far in their little time… I'd even say they'd pass their exams to become Genin-level ninja at the moment if Naruto could make a decent enough clone right now."
"What happened? I thought I was keeping track of him…" Iruka muttered, looking a little hopeless. Naruto was already hard enough for most people to keep under thumb, but Iruka had always believed himself the best of keeping tabs and eyes on Naruto at all times.
"He and his little friends from your class have come together to form a cute little organization." The Third Hokage put his elbows on his desk with his hands together to cover his mouth from view. He didn't want Iruka to see the small smile on his face, which would give proof to his favoritism of Naruto. The boy was something special, so determined and resilient. "They call themselves the Divisions, and are training to one day make the name stick. Or at least, Naruto is reaching for that goal from what he tells me."
"But then, where did he go? He couldn't have left the village." Iruka put forth.
"And that he did not." Hiruzen Sarutobi moved from his chair in order to stare out his office window, overlooking the village with his stern gaze. "Naruto approached me with a request for a place to train away from others. He said that his apartment's courtyard didn't provide the right atmosphere, and so I granted him access to my personal grounds. He trained himself into the ground, from dawn to dusk as hard as possible before going home to eat properly, bath, and rest for the next day of training. I had an ANBU operative follow him and report back to me once he was safely asleep."
"But who could convince Naruto to eat properly. I've tried time and time again, only to meet failure. For Naruto to give up eating ramen for every meal?" Iruka muttered to himself, and it was too much. The Hokage burst into a fit of laughter, a sound that was quite improper for a man known world-wide as The Professor.
"Ha, ha, ha! To be honest, even I was curious about it when he and I ate after a spar. He complained that the young lady, Ino Yamanaka, would have his head if she found out he was back to eating ramen all the time. Hahaha! It would seem little Naru-chan has gotten himself a girlfriend!"
"Naruto… and Ino…?" Iruka wasn't sure if he was more terrified, confused, or happy. The two blondes would make an amazing pair, but Ino was quite bossy and sometimes just as much a handful as Naruto himself. "Well, I suppose Naruto could use a slave-driving trophy girlfriend to motivate him into becoming successful… that is, unless she kills him first…"
Neither the Hokage or Iruka knew which outcome to expect.
Naruto looked up from where he was training. Standing atop a tree branch was none other than Sasuke Uchiha with a square bandage covering his forehead.
"Sasuke…? What's up?" Naruto asked, sheathing his bokken in his orange obi-sash. The tree Naruto had been practicing on had slash marks in the wood, and the Uchiha couldn't figure out how Naruto was doing it with a wooden practice sword.
Still though, Sasuke's eyes were unchanging as he jumped down and began walking toward Naruto. "You… are the only person whose given me this feeling before. Aside from Hinata, only you have made me put forth any effort in my Taijutsu… But only you… Only you have given me this feeling!"
"I see," Naruto said as he stared ahead at Sasuke's approach. "Well, if we're being honest here…"
Naruto's eyes hardened incredibly as he locked gazes with the Uchiha. "I've seen eyes like yours before. All around the village. But those eyes were always aimed at me, and for one reason or another they were filed with hatred and anger. You, however… You're not looking at me. So, who is it? Who are your eyes glaring at when you see past me? It drives me insane! For once, someone's eyes are not directed at me, so I've just gotta know! Tell me! Who are you looking at?"
Sasuke felt himself twitch. He hesitated for a second, coming in front of Naruto with a hard breath.
"We… didn't make the Sign of Reconciliation before I left…" Sasuke said instead, staring at Naruto, who could see that Sasuke was now in the present moment.
Naruto's head tilted to the side a bit. His hand rested casually on the hilt of his bokken. "Hmm, you're right… We didn't make the sign for peace, or whatever…"
Sasuke was the first to extend his hand, putting it into the Sign of Confrontation, then held it out to Naruto, giving him a cautious look. Naruto's eyes dropped to Sasuke's hand for a second before he smiled, forming the Seal of Confrontation himself. He hooked his fingers with Sasuke's own into the Seal of Reconciliation.
"Now then… before I tell you about the one I hope to surpass… You need to tell me something." Sasuke said with a smirk, getting a bemused look out of Naruto as they let go of each other's hand quickly.
"Eh? What could I possibly have to tell you? You're the one who came here to me."
"You need to tell me," Sasuke was now glaring at Naruto, "how in the hell you knew my middle name!"
"Eh? Oh, that… Well, I actually said that name by mistake. Heh," Naruto rubbed at the back of his neck in slight embarrassment. "It's actually a pretty fun story. See, me and the gang have been reading this manga series, and it has a character named Uryu Ishida in it… He's kinda like you in a way, but I see you as more of a Byakuya Kuchiki to my Kenpachi Zaraki or something, ya know. Anyways, Uryu Ishida is a Quincy, and they're like this noble yet nearly extinct race of Human archers that were killed off by the Soul Reapers for one reason or another. I don't know, ask Shikamaru or Ino more about it. So, back to Byakuya Kuchiki, who is the guy I really think you match up with! He's pretty badass, but he's got a stick up his ass a mile long. He does all these messed up things in the beginning because he's caught between his family's honor and upholding the law within Soul Society. I mean, the dude takes his own sister prisoner and fights to see her executed! That is beyond crazy, right? Right! Like I was saying, Byakuya has this massive stick up his ass…"
Sasuke blinked twice. He had not expected all of… well, all of that.
Naruto continued on in tangent that way as Sasuke listened to him with an annoyed expression slowly morphing into one of bewildered curiosity while Naruto went on and on about the comic series called Deathberry.
A/N: And there we have it! Sorry for the long wait, guys, but I am back once more. I've cranked out the next three chapters already, so be prepared for some faster updates to this story.
Also, for anyone wondering why some characters use honorifics and others don't, I see it as some of them being more formal than others. People like Naruto and Kiba won't use them much, but people like Shino will address anyone with proper respect. Those like Hinata are caught in the middle where if they are comfortable enough with someone, they'll drop the 'san' stuff from their names.
On another hand, what do you guys think about Zanpakutō? I have some of them in mind, but I would greatly enjoy hearing feedback from you guys about what swords you think the gang should use.
Until Next Time, See Ya!