Chapter 2: Knowing Your Limits
Naruto told Ino all about his new powers and abilities while he was healing her injuries with his powers, taking half the time to heal Ino than the healing jutsu that Konoha offered.
Once he was finished, Naruto stood up to leave, when he felt a sudden pull on his right arm. Turning, he was caught totally off guard by Ino kissing him full on the lips.
In the emotion of the kiss a volume of passion is spoken that transcends the works of the great poets combined.
A faint blush lit up both blonde's faces when Ino had reluctantly pulled away from Naruto.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Ino said demurely, with a heartfelt smile.
"You're welcome, Ino-chan, I was glad that I was able to help." said Naruto, a bit of sadness leaking into his voice.
"What's wrong?" asked Ino, her teal blue eyes sparkling with worry.
"I may have these awesome new powers, but Sakura, Sasuke-." he began, but was cut off by Ino leaping into his arms and kissing him passionately again.
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as he felt Ino's tongue force its way into his mouth, mingling with his own. The kiss lasted for nearly ten minutes before Ino regained her composure and pulled away from him, though she remained seated on Naruto's lap and began lightly stroking his golden locks.
"What are you doing Naruto? We have to get-." Sakura said as she rounds the corner and stopping dead in her tracks when she saw Ino straddling Naruto kissing him passionately.
Naruto slowly pulled away from Ino, a thin line of saliva is left in the wake of the blonde's parting lips. Ino sees Naruto's azure orbs instantly turn cold as he craned his neck to see the pinkette.
"What?" he growled.
Sakura shuddered uncomfortably as sweat began rolling down her face.
"K-Kakashi-Sensei is calling us for a team meeting about a mission." Sakura says nervously.
Naruto turns back to Ino, his eyes softening once more.
"Sorry Ino-hime, I wish that I stay here with you." Naruto says, clearly sad that he had to leave his new favorite person.
Ino gets off of Naruto's lap and hugs him and kisses one last time before once again blushing.
"If you're n...not t-too busy when you get back, c-can we go out on a d-date sometime, Naruto-kun?"
"Sure Ino-hime." Naruto says before he is glomped by the squealing blonde, who is giddy with unrestrained glee.
"Oh thank you so much, Naruto-kun! I won't disappoint you, I promise you."
Naruto chuckles before getting back to his feet alongside Ino.
"Let's go, Sakura." Naruto said in a dead tone.
Sakura blinks, snapping out of the daze she had been in.
(Time Skip- 10 minutes later, Hokage Office)
Naruto and Sakura walked into the Hokage's office, Sasuke glared at the pair, Sakura cowers behind Naruto, who moves away from Sakura uncaringly, he then returns Sasuke's glare with a fierce look of his own.
In his glare is an expansion of a cold emptiness, a complete disregard for my wellbeing that Sasuke never knew was in the blonde. He felt that he deserved better.
Sasuke drops his hard gaze that he had leveled at Naruto, which surprised Kakashi and Sarutobi, but they decided to let it go.
"Well, I have asked you all here to tell you that you have done the required number of D ranked missions to qualify for a C-ranked mission,-." Sarutobi began, but was suddenly cut off.
"No way." Naruto hissed, his eyes glowing yellow.
"Naruto, how could y-you say that?" Kakashi asked, confused.
Naruto turned to his Sensei, a hateful look in his glowing irises.
"Has reading that smut turned your brain to mush? We're fresh Genin, there's no way in Kami's name that we're ready for a C-ranked mission, especially with the lack of cohesion on this team, i you'd even want to call it that." Naruto spat in reply.
Kakashi glared at Naruto, but knew that he had a point, but he was their Sensei and he knew how to bring out the best in them.
"Hokage-sama, despite my blonde student's objection I as Team 7's Sensei believe that they are indeed ready for a C-ranked mission." Kakashi said with an eye smile.
"You're a fool, Kakashi and if you send us on this mission, we're all going to die, I hope that you can live with that on your conscience." Naruto said before teleported out of Sarutobi's office, leaving everyone stunned.
Naruto went to Ichiraku's, where to his delight he found Ino, who was about to order. Walking in, Naruto says to Teuchi, "Hey Old Man, give this lovely lady whatever she wants and put it on my tab."
"OK Naruto, my boy." the Chef/Owner said before heading into the kitchen.
The blonde couple had gotten their ramen and ate together, then after Naruto had paid for both he and Ino decided to walk to Konoha Park, as they were walking Ino lightly takes Naruto's right hand, interlacing Naruto smiled at his fellow blonde's move. While they were walking Naruto told Ino about his team's first C-ranked mission and how he'd been against it, but Kakashi had completely disregarded him and his concerns.
Ino squeezed Naruto's hand a little, a bit of trepidation began to fill her heart and mind.
Overhead, moonlight shone platinum-gold amid the starlit heavens.
"P-promise me that you'll be c-careful, Naruto-kun." Ino whispers.
"I promise, Ino-hime." Naruto said in the same tone.
Two days later, Team 7 is leaving Konoha, heading for Wave Country, Naruto is in a noticeably foul mood, Sakura decided to try and lighten the blonde's mood.
"Naruto-kun, I-." Sakura said in a teasing tone, but she is stopped by Naruto's left hand grabbing her throat just like before, only this time the blonde began squeezing her throat.
"You don't get to call me that...EVER! that suffix is reserved for Ino-chan only." Naruto hissed before tossing Sakura to the ground.
"What's up with you, dobe? Sakura was just-." Sasuke's words died in his throat as he doubled over in pain, coughing up blood from a powered punch to the ravenette's gut from the blonde.
"Stay out of my business, Uchiha or I'll end you." Naruto says in a deathly serious tone.
After the confrontation, Sasuke wisely distanced himself from Naruto, the display had worried Kakashi and frightened Sakura and their Client, Tazuna almost to death.
Later, they were walking when they passed a seemingly inconspicuous puddle of water, well, maybe to normal Genin. Making a fist, Naruto created a small Supernova in his left hand as he strode over to the puddle, everyone else chose not to speak. They watched as Naruto placed his hand in the puddle and watched as the water began to sizzle and bubble up as if boiling, then after ten minutes, Naruto grabbed something and pulled it out of the water, a body...of a rogue Mist Ninja, this shocked Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi.
Naruto then turned his murderous gaze on Tazuna.
The blonde said nothing, he only glares at the old man.
Tazuna, feeling his blood freeze in his veins began stuttering out his story.
"Enough, I told you Kakashi that we were NOT ready for this mission! And now it's been upgraded to an A rank, I'm going back to Konoha and telling the Hokage to replace this team with some capable Jounin." Naruto roars, the blonde was utterly dumbfounded by his Sensei's stupidity.
Naruto and everyone else were on their way back to Konoha, Tazuna and Sasuke griping all the way back to Konoha. Once there, Naruto led Team 7 to Sarutobi's office.
The Hokage was surprised to see Team 7 back so soon.
Naruto had finished explaining why they came back, Sarutobi sighs, realizing that Naruto had been right to question Kakashi's judgement.
The aged leader called Team 7 into his office.
"From what Naruto has told me you, Kakashi totally disregarded his apprehensions and concerns he expressed to after encountering the Demon Brothers from Kirigakure, what exactly were trying to prove?"
"Hokage-sama, may I answer that question?" inquired Naruto, Sarutobi nods.
"The point that Hatake-san was trying to prove was that no matter how dysfunctional a team is, teamwork is all you need to achieve success, but tell me Hatake-san, how has that philosophy worked out so far for this team?"
Kakashi dropped his head, seeing Naruto's point.
"Naruto, I commend you for taking the actions you did and I will assign a team of Jounin to take this now upgraded mission, for now you and your teammates are dismissed. Kakashi, you stay."
The three Genin bow to Sarutobi and leave the office.
Once outside the tower, Sasuke leaves without a word, Sakura turns to say something to Naruto, but he was gone.