Follow - Karol G ft. Anuel Aa
Kakashi liked to believe that he was a rational man. Of course, convincing others that he was an emotionally stable and mentally healthy individual was more trouble than it was worth.
No longer did he stare into the mirror of his bathroom, seeing ghosts of his past. No longer did he wash his hands raw, desperately trying to scrub away the dried blood of his friends who died by his hands. And no longer did he awake in the middle of the night, sweat cascading down his body while his heart thundered furiously.
Yes, yes yes. He was emotionally mature now. So it came to the absolute surprise of no one that when a certain green, tights wearing man with a bowl cut challenged him to a duel of some sorts, that Kakashi answered it as a responsible and mature man.
"You see, Gai." Kakashi began nonchalantly. "I would love to partake in this ridiculous challenge of yours but you see, I left my stove on when I left my house and I'd rather not explain to my landlord that I, an esteemed and decorated Jonin, burned the apartment complex down."
And as always, Gai refused to fall for his incompetent excuse.
"Hahaha!" The Taijutsu practitioner, read master, bellowed loudly. "My rival! Always so hip! So fresh! Why..." He covered his face, hiding the tears of manliness that began to trickle down his face. "It screams of YOUTH!"
Kakashi just stared at, and he absolutely loathed to admit this piece of information, his best friend, and only sighed quietly. With nary more than a defeated tone the Sharingan user accepted his fate.
He couldn't outrun Gai. No one could really. Hell, Naruto might have a chance, as slim as it was but the boy lacked the acceleration his rival possessed. The Sandaime most likely had Gai's number in both departments but what kind of Jonin would Kakashi be if he ran to the leader of his village, complaining about being pestered by his childhood friend?
"An intelligent one, honestly." Kakashi mentally mused to himself. With a put upon sigh, once more of course, he closed his favorite book before replying to his 'eternal rival'.
"What manner of absurd and slightly humiliating challenge is on the agenda today, Gai?"
The bowl cut, movie star Kung-Fu looking man, rounded on Kakashi with widened eyes. "Er... Huh?"
With a hand in his pocket Kakashi repeated his question. And by repeated, he meant repeated. Same tone and all. Down to the execution.
"What manner of absurd and slightly humiliating challenge is on the agenda today, Gai?"
Gai floundered at the question, not entirely surprised that Kakashi literally repeated his question. "So hip!" Composing himself for a moment, he responded boisterously. "Why... The most treacherous and heart pounding activity I can think of! Something that's surely meant to stoke our FLAMES OF YOUTH! A bonafide journey that will see us putting our very lives on the line to accomplish our task! It will be a GLORIOUS testament to our WILL OF FIRE that w-!"
"So, 500 pushups?" Kakashi unceremoniously interrupted, easily capable of deciphering Gai's strange dialect.
Gai physically dropped to his knees as his hands clenched at his chest, frantically swearing to himself and whispering almost manically. "How?! How does he do it?! That hip attitude! He cannot be stopped!"
Kakashi only sighed quietly as he watched Gai, far used to his eccentric and odd personality.
Other people... Well, that was a different story.
The Sharingan wielder cringed as various villagers and other Shinobi completely avoided them, treating them as if they were a plague.
Another sigh.
Why him? What had he done in a past life to earn this treatment? His life already sucked as is.
"You're making a scene, Gai. Please..." He mumbled quietly while rubbing his face.
"I CANNOT!" Gai roared with tears streaming down his face. "THE CHALLENGE HAS YET TO BE ACCEPTED AND I'VE ALREADY BEEN BESTED! MY FLAMES OF YOUTH...! THEY ARE DWINDLING...! THE FIRE...! PLEASE!" He screamed, dramatically at that, towards the heavens whilst raising an outstretched hand to the sky, clasping at nothing.
Kakashi hated his life.
Naruto believed himself to be pragmatic. Well, the Old Man had told him he was more of an emotional optimist. He didn't quite agree with the sentiment but he could certainly see why the Hokage labeled him as such.
Why was he thinking of this? Well, survival really.
Cerulean orbs glanced, nervously, to his left side. Hinata's half-lidded gaze was, admittedly, hot but incredibly terrifying considering it was Hinata. He shifted his gaze to his right, catching Hanabi's gaze.
Hanabi, Hanabi, Hanabi...
Where did he even begin with this one?
Those all-seeing eyes of her with filled with nothing but adoration. For him and him only. Why? Well, he didn't necessarily know that.
He had introduced himself to her several years ago when he had first come to this compound, invited by Hinata on the premise that they'd be sparring.
He ended up beating her in front of several Branch members and various others in the clan. He'd been admittedly terrified of the prospect at being lashed out at by the Clan but they had been surprisingly quiet.
That had been Hinata's doing. Even at the young age of 10, she had been a force to be reckoned with inside the clan. The people listened to her. They respected her.
Probably even feared her to a degree... He wouldn't blame them. Hinata could be scary.
After her defeat, Hinata had asked, demanded really, for him to stay for dinner. He had accepted and had formally met Hiashi, Neji and Hanabi.
Hiashi was... Well, he was an asshole. First impressions aside, which did the man no favors considering he had indirectly insulted him to his face, the guy was just a prick with a tree branch shoved up his ass.
Neji was a pretty chill guy, if a bit quiet. He was an exceptionally talented Branch member, second only to Hinata of their age group. Some would even argue that Neji deserved to be in the main branch off sheet talent alone.
And now, Hanabi...
She was... Well, better to experience it first hand, no?
"Naruto-kun..." The younger Hyuga sister murmured, leaning towards him with a glint in her eyes. "How come you never visit us anymore?" Her eyebrows creased, lips pulling down in a cute pout. "You... You don't hate me, do you?"
Naruto resisted the urge to grimace at the twelve year old. Kami, she was far too cute for her own good. She was the polar opposite of Hinata in every way.
Where Hinata was cold and calculating, Hanabi was gentle and kind. She was a soft spoken girl. Humble but determined.
Hinata was considered a cruel woman. Would he describe her as such?
...
Uhh, well. She wasn't cruel to him. So, was she truly cruel? Yes. But he'd never say that to her face. He enjoyed feeling every part of his body and saying something like that would see to it that he'd never feel anything again.
"Maa maa..." Naruto spoke, unknowingly mimicking his Sensei. "I could never hate you, Hanabi-chan. I've just been... busy." He pointedly ignored the amused smile on Neji's face.
He wasn't an idiot. He knew that Hanabi was baiting him but he'd rather take it than put up with the aftermath of side skirting it. Hanabi was a kind and gentle girl but she could be vindictive when she wished to be.
"I know." The younger Hyuga replied easily, smiling quietly to herself as she reached for her small glass of tea. "I just enjoy hearing you say it."
Naruto sighed quietly, leaning back a bit and crossing his legs. "So, where's the dickhead?"
Neji actually chuckled at his question, nearly spitting his tea out.
"What?" The Jinchuuriki asked with raised brow, nonchalantly scratching his cheek. "Am I wrong? The guy's an asshole."
"Hiashi is busy with the Elders." Hinata responded in an uncaring manner. "Probably complaining about something mundane in regards to the Branch Family... He loves to hear himself talk."
"Mou~..." Hanabi cutely grumbled, cupping her glass of tea with both hands. "You shouldn't speak so ill of father, sister." Though her words said one thing, the smile and glint in her eyes said another.
Hinata merely graced her younger sister with a dry stare, lips thinned. "You're absolutely right." She reached for her own cup of tea before gingerly sipping on it. "I should curse him with disease too."
"That's the spirit, sister." Hanabi quipped with a knowing smile, not reacting to her sister's harsh words.
Naruto felt decidedly awkward but he didn't necessarily blame the sisters for their distaste in Hiashi. From what little he could coax from the girls, Hiashi was a real piece of shit.
It was even worse considering the man was the Head of the Hyuga Clan and lorded his 'superiority' over the Branch Family, just like so many others did. A bit surprising that considering the fact he wouldn't be alive if it weren't for his Branch Family brother.
Neji had confided in him one day, explaining that his father had sacrificed his life to save Hiashi from Kumo after a fail attempted kidnapping by a diplomat that ended in the kidnapper's death.
The Old Man had apparently refused Hizashi's request, not wishing to bend to Kumo's pressure. Hizashi disagreed and thus, a compromise had been made.
For all the good it did. Neji grew up without a father and Konoha had ultimately bent the knee. Hiruzen however, had quickly reminded them why he was the strongest of their generation.
He had taken it upon himself to waltz directly into the Land of Lightning by himself, openly inviting Ay to a challenge. It worked out well, all things considered.
Ay couldn't afford to refuse the Sandaime due to the fact that the Old Man had so brazenly challenged him, in his own home territory. To refuse would be seen as weakness and in doing so, he'd lose face.
Say what you will about the Old Man and his apparent love of peace and slightly naive tendencies, but the man had lived through three wars, leading the Village through two of them whilst simultaneously winning them.
Hiruzen was a Shinobi at the end of the day and if a little blood had to shed to exercise his point then so be it.
Kumo and by extension, the entirety of the Land of Lightning, had been humbled that day. For a single, old man, three decades passed his prime had brutally defeated the arrogant Raikage in open combat.
Hiruzen had set the precedent for what it meant to be a Kage and was still, to this day, a living legend. A renowned Shinobi that struck fear and awe into the masses. He was old yes, but he was far from weak.
With all that in mind, it still shocked and disgusted Naruto that Hiashi was the person he was. How could Hizashi willingly sacrifice himself for a man who all but spit on his grave?
It just didn't feel right to Naruto. Hiashi had lost his wife many years ago but that was no excuse to be an absolute shithead.
Naruto sighed quietly, shaking his head and picking at his food with chopsticks. His mood was soured at his thoughts and his appetite was all but gone.
"You okay, Naruto?" Neji questioned quietly.
Ignoring the sharp gazes from the two women by his side, Naruto sighed. Placing the chopsticks on the table, he bowed his head before speaking quietly.
"I just don't understand how someone can be so..." He struggled to find the words he wished to use. "So... terrible to their families." Naruto stared at his uneaten food, clenching his fists tightly. "How do you wake up everyday, spiting the children you created, while treating your distant family like trash? It just... angers me."
Feelings of frustration swelled in Naruto but he refused to allow them to drive him. He had cried enough when he was a child. He no longer shed tears for the family he didn't have.
Instead, he used it as motivation to become stronger. One day, he'd have an actual family and he'd show them the love he never received.
Naruto felt Hanabi and Hinata saddle up near him, offering their own comfort. He was thankful for it, regardless of how unnecessary it truly was.
He was no longer that depressed and lonely child who dreamed of being accepted and cherished by everyone. To be loved and respected by everyone.
The only thing that mattered to him was becoming the strongest Shinobi in the village to protect his friends.
Naruto unlocked the door to his shared apartment, jingling his keys before pocketing then once more. He pushed the door open with a quiet sigh before taking off his jacket and hanging it on the wall near the door. He slipped his sandals off before treading through the home.
A light suddenly flicked on as he passed the living room nearly causing him to lash out at the action. His hand was gripping a kunai, eyes wide as his senses spread throughout the home.
"Well, that's one way to greet your roommate." A familiar voice calmed the blond teen before continuing. "How was your impromptu date?"
Naruto rolled his eyes before pocketing his kunai with a sigh. "I almost threw it, ya know?"
The Uchiha shrugged his shoulders. "And you would've missed." He stared at Naruto for a moment, crossing his legs on his lap before raising an eyebrow. "Well?" He pressured. "How was the date?"
The Uzumaki groaned while rolling his eyes. He slowly lumbered his way to one of the loveseats before plopping down in it. "It wasn't a date... Just a dinner with the Hyuga's."
Sasuke raised a curious eyebrow. "Been awhile since you visited them. Why were you having dinner there?"
"Is it just 'Ask Naruto Day' or something? Why's everyone interrogating me?" Naruto grumbled while leaning back in the loveseat.
"I can just use Genjutsu and make you tell me."
Naruto glared at his roommate. "That should be illegal."
"It certainly is." Sasuke agreed with a simple nod. "But you know I don't care about that."
The Jinchuuriki grumbled once more before opening his eyes and staring at the palm of his right hand. He was quiet for a moment before responding. "I... I needed help with something and Hinata insisted I stay for dinner. She said it was 'hospitality' but I say she'd have put me in a hospital if I refused."
Sasuke snorted at the comment. Hinata absolutely would. She was not a normal girl by any means. She had the hots for Naruto and she didn't give a damn who knew.
"Still... It was nice. Atleast I didn't have to deal with tall, old and mad." Naruto continued, grumbling quietly to himself.
Sasuke merely nodded along. "Mhm... My father used to complain about Hiashi. Alot." That was certainly an understatement. Hiashi was the source of many headaches for his father. The man had a grudge, for whatever reason, and did everything in his power to make the Uchiha Clan know it. "Was the food good?"
Naruto smirked at his roommate. "You already know it."
"And you didn't bring any back?"
"Nope."
"Ass."
"Prick."
The two continued to bicker with one another, descending into pointless dribble.
"Naruto! Sasuke!" Sakura called out with a wave as she jogged into the training grounds, receiving smiles and waves back for her efforts. Finally making her way towards the boys she spoke in an enthusiastic tone. "Did ya hear? Today we're going to be training with the other teams!"
Naruto raised an eyebrow as he leaned against a tree, pocketing his hands into his jacket pockets. "Really? So soon? It's only been a couple days since Wave."
Sasuke glanced towards the boy as he replied, leaning against the same tree. "You're fully recovered, aren't you?" He received a wordless nod at his inquiry. "Then I guess Sensei thinks it's fine."
"How right you are, my cute little students." Kakashi's voice suddenly interrupted from directly above them.
Rather than being shocked, the three Genin tilted their heads up to stare at their teacher who was standing upside down on one of the various branches.
"Heya Sensei!" Sakura spoke with an enthusiastic smile as she waved. "Who are we training with today?"
The silver haired Jonin dropped from the branch, landing without a sound. "Well, that'd ruin the surprise now wouldn't it?"
"That means we're training with Team 8, 9 and Gai." Naruto stared rather confidently.
"Why am I unable to have my fun?" Kakashi muttered quietly. "Why must you railroad my happiness? Did I wrong you in some way, shape or form? Or do you take pleasure in my suffering?"
"You exist, Sensei." Sasuke was quick to say with a shrug. "That's reason enough for me."
"Seconded." Naruto supplied with a single nod of the head.
"I kinda like you, Sensei." Sakura supported the Jonin with a small smile. "Sometimes though, I pray you randomly combust." Her smile grew a little bigger. "Sometimes."
"Wow, Kakashi." A gruff voice spoke with amusement, the distinct smell of cigarettes wafting in the training ground. "Tough group ya got, eh?"
Kakashi merely sighed quietly as he stepped between his male students, shouldering then aside with ease to lean against the tree. He ignored their annoyed grumbling before continuing. "Don't encourage them, Asuma. They're annoying enough as is."
"Naruto-kun~!" Ino's voice resounded out loudly from behind Asuma. "Hey guys!" She greeted the other members of Team 7 with a wave.
Sakura and Sasuke offered the girl some waves, nodding their heads to Shikamaru and Choji who were slightly dragging behind Asuma.
"Gang's all here, eh?" Choji questioned with a polite smile, opening a bag of chips.
"Troublesome." The lazy Nara spoke, enthusiastically contributing to the conversation.
"TRoubLeSomE." Naruto mocked with a smile. "C'mon, Shika! Where's your spirit? Where's your Will of Fire?"
"In my bed." The lazy genius responded immediately. "It's practically calling my name." He raised a hand to his ear, tilting his head toward the edge of the training grounds. "I can hear it now... It's saying... 'Come back to bed, Shikamaru. Lay on me..." He shrugged his shoulders with a lazy smile. "I don't know guys... I might have to take a rain check on this little event."
"Ever the slacker, Nara." A female voice spoke out from behind Team Asuma.
The two teams turned their attention towards the entrance, spotting Team 8 now making their way towards their meeting spot, Hinata leading the group with Kurenai right behind her.
Hinata strode forward with a smirk, eyes filled with mirth as she gazed at Ino. "Though, I can't blame you considering who you're teamed with." Her smirk grew larger as she stared into Ino's eyes. "Yamanaka... A displeasure as always."
"Be nice." Kurenai spoke plainly, placing a gentle hand upon Hinata's shoulders. "We're not here to antagonize our comrades. We're here to train, Hinata. Please, show some decorum and be civil for today."
Hinata glanced at the hand upon her shoulder before sighing quietly and yielding. "Hai, Kurenai-sensei." She spoke in a somewhat polite and respectful tone.
The Genjutsu Mistress smiled down at Hinata for a moment before turning her gaze to Ino and nodding her head. "It's a work in progress. Allow me to apologize for her behavior."
When Hinata sucked her teeth, Kurenai's fingers dug deep into the girl's shoulder, eliciting a quiet grunt of pain from the pale eyed Hyuga. "Isn't that right, Hinata-chan?"
The Hyuga grimaced quietly, shoulder shaking in pain from the pressure her Sensei was producing upon her. "Hai... Kurenai-sensei."
"Good!" Kurenai released the girl's shoulder with a large smile, offering a simple greeting to the other Jonins and their Genin.
"Yo, Naruto. Sasuke." Kiba greeted with a large smirk, fangs peeking out from his lips. A quiet bark emanated from his hoodie followed by Akamaru popping his head out from beneath the boy's hoodie.
His eyes landed on Sakura and a soft smile, soft atleast for an Inuzuka, formed on his face. "Sakura... How are ya?" His eyebrows knit together as a brief amount concern nicked at his features. "Heard some tough shit happened on yer last mission... Y'all doing okay, now?"
The pink haired girl lightly blushed at the boy, returning the smile. "Hey Kiba... I'm good." She paused for a moment before raising her hand and making a 'so-so' gesture. "Ahh... As good as I can be, really."
Naruto and Sasuke glanced at one another for a moment as an unspoken conversation passed between them. With a shared nod the two boys began to concoct a plan.
Naruto stepped towards his pink haired teammate, ignoring her curious expression at his action and wrapping an arm around her shoulder before speaking. "Man, Kiba! You should've seen her! Sakura kicked some serious ass!"
Sakura dipped her head in embarrassment as Naruto spoke, allowing herself to be jostled around. Her cheeks blazed at the compliments before growing near nuclear as Sasuke joined in a moment later, wrapping his arm around her on the other side.
"She saved me quite a few times, honestly." Sasuke joined in with a small, reserved smile. "If it wasn't for her, I'd have been injured like this idiot." He gestured with his head towards Naruto, smirking for a moment at the boy's annoyed grumble.
"Piss off, Sasuke." Naruto grumbled with a roll of his eyes. He turned his head back towards Kiba as he spoke. "She's real skrappy, this one. Watch out for her left hook. I saw her break a mercenary's jaw with it. Knocked him out cold. Was pretty sick, can't lie."
"C-C'mon guys..." Sakura spoke up with skarlet cheeks. "It wasn't that special..."
Sasuke made a humming noise, releasing his hold on the girl before responding. "I don't know, Sakura... Was pretty special to me."
Kiba made an awed noise at the conversation. "Wow... That really happen?" He asked as he gazed directly into Sakura's eyes.
Sakura could do nothing but stammer and stutter, eyes bouncing back and forth between her two male teammates.
"Yep." Kakashi responded with an easy smile, easily catching on to what his male students were doing. "Sakura's a real gem, ya know?"
"So fuckin' cool." Kiba spoke with a genuine smile, fangs on full display as he stared at the blushing female member of Team 7.
"T-Thank you, Kiba..." She murmured with a small smile, embarrassed at all the praise from her team.
Naruto and Sasuke glanced at each other before nodding their head. The blond let go of his teammate before greeting Shino with a simple head nod, one that was returned.
Shino was a chill guy. Didn't talk much. But that was cool with Naruto.
"Seems the party already started without us, Gai-sensei." A feminine voice spoke out from the entrance that the other teams had come from.
The teams turned their attention to the last group that had yet join, spotting the entirety of Team Gai making their way towards them.
"That it has, Tenten-kun!" The spandex wearing Jonin announced. "It seems we'll have to work extra hard today! Our competition has clearly stoked their Flames of Youth today!" He rose a clenched fist into the air as he posed, muscles flexing and bulging. "I'M GETTING FIRED UP! WHY I COULD RUN 17 MILES AROUND THE VILLAGE WITH MY FEET TIED TOGETHER!"
"GAI-SENSEI!" A near identical clone of the man screamed with stars in his eyes. "ALLOW ME TO JOIN YOU, GAI-SENSEI! WATCHING OUR COMRADES HAS INSPIRED ME TO RUN 18 MILES AROUND THE VILLAGE!"
The muscular Jonin turned towards his protege with tears in his eyes. "LEE! YOUR FLAMES CONTINUE TO EXPAND AND BURN BRIGHTLY! I'M MOVED BY YOUR DETERMINATION AND WILL! I SHALL RUN 19 MILES AROUND THE VILLAGE! ON MY HANDS!"
"GAI-SENSEI!"
"LEE!"
Tenten and Neji merely ignored the two men hugging each other as they neared the rest of the teams. They had become far too used to their eccentric Jonin and weird teammate to be bothered by it.
"Kami, they're so weird." Naruto spoke with his eyebrows furrowed, staring at the spectacle that was Maito Gai and Lee.
"Ya get used to it." The weapon wielding Kunoichi of Team Gai spoke nonchalantly. "What's up? How are y'all?" She greeted the other teams with a small wave before focusing back on Team 7. "Heard you guys had your first real mission..." She made a small grimace as she spoke. "Y'all doing okay?"
Naruto offered the girl a small smile. "Hey, we're alive, right?" He shrugged his shoulders, trying to assuage the older girl's concern. "It's all that matters."
Tenten furrowed her eyebrows at his comment. "Don't be like that, Naruto. This is serious." She chided with a stern visage.
The blond grimaced at her words. "Maa... Sorry."
The bun haired girl turned her attention to Sasuke before gesturing with her hand towards the Jinchuuriki. "I thought I told you to look after him. You know how he is."
Sasuke raised his hands in a placating manner. "I can't control everything the idiot does. You know how he is. I can't take all the blame, Tenten."
The weapon wielder hummed at Sasuke's words before eventually nodding her head. "Guess ya got a point there... Still! Watch him. He's an idiot... But he's my idiot." She shot the aforementioned boy a kind smile, like an older sister would to a younger sibling.
A hint of pink danced across Naruto's cheeks at the girl's words. Ever the protective and worry-wort girl. They had history.
Nothing bad and only platonically. They grew up in the same orphanage before Tenten was adopted. She had taken it upon herself to be his guardian during their short time together in the orphanage.
Though when she left, he soon followed, funds being provided by the Hokage. He was alone those few years before meeting Sasuke and eventually, moving in together and becoming roommates after the whole Itachi thing.
Though, a story for another time.
"Hyuga-san." Sasuke greeted politely, nodding his head towards the boy.
"Uchiha-san." Neji returned the polite greeting with one of his, nodding his head in return.
"It's always so formal with you two." Tenten spoke up with a scrunch of her nose. "What gives?"
"Whatever do you mean?" Neji questioned with furrowed eyebrows. "It is customary between Main Branch members to greet those of other Main Branch clan members formally."
Sasuke rose an eyebrow at the wording. "Main Branch? Since when did that..." He trailed off after spotting Hinata's gaze. He was silent for a moment before returning his gaze back to Neji and nodding his head once more. "Congratulations."
Neji offered the smallest of smiles at Sasuke's words. "Thank you."
Naruto merely grinned at the boy's words, reading between the lines. He clapped a hand upon the older boy's shoulder. "That's cool man! I'm happy for you, Neji. You deserve it."
The Hyuga smiled more earnestly at Naruto's words. "I appreciate your words, Uzumaki-san."
The Jinchuuriki rolled his eyes playfully, squeezing Neji's shoulder before letting go. "C'mon man! No formalities. My clan isn't official."
"It still exists and you are the only known heir in Konoha." Neji disagreed plainly. "As such, you fall into the same category."
"I'll pay you to stop calling me that." Naruto piped up with a smile.
"Unlike my uncle, I do not take bribes." Neji quipped with a small smirk, shocking the individuals who were listening in on the conversation.
A bit of laughter barked out from Hinata as she smirked Neji's way. "You are quick, cousin. I approve." The male Hyuga merely nodded his cousin's way.
"Alright kiddies! Meet n' greets over." Kakashi Hatake interrupted, clapping his hands together. "As you all are now aware, today's training will be a joint session between all of the Active Duty Genin Teams."
Naruto raised an eyebrow before raising a digit in the air and speaking. "You're telling me we're the only Active Duty Genin Teams right now?"
The silver haired Jonin smiled beneath his mask. "Well, the only ones that actually matter."
There was a bit a silence.
"I like him." Hinata spoke with a small smirk. "You have my respect, Hatake-sensei."
The former ANBU Captain shot the girl an appreciative gesture, snapping his fingers. "Now, as I was saying, you will all be participating in this activity. As a matter of fact, this is something that is going to be conducted multiple times a week so you all best get used to it."
Ino raised her hand in the hand, patiently waiting for Kakashi to call upon her. He did so a moment later, appreciating the girl's patience. "Is there any particular reason why this is becoming mandated between our teams?"
Instead of Kakashi replying, it was Asuma. "Well, to be honest..." The man shifted the cigarette between his lips, continuing as he exhaled the smoke through his nose. "The Sandaime pitched the idea before Team 7 went on their most recent mission... We were supposed to conduct these sessions when they returned but... As you all know, Team 7 was out of commission for a few days."
Kurenai continued where Asuma left off. "There is no sugar coating this but..." She trailed off for a moment before glancing towards her fellow Jonins. They nodded towards her, allowing her to explain the situation in full. "The next Chunin Exams will be taking place in Konoha and the Sandaime demanded, and I quote, 'Your team, Kakashi's, Asuma's and Gai's will be heading the Chunin Exams. I expect nothing but success from these teams. Such talent only comes once in a generation. Make sure they are prepared. We will show the Elemental Nations why we are the strongest village and continue to be so, even after tragedies.'
Kurenai gouged the reaction from the teens, noticing that only Shikamaru seemed to be off put by her words. That or he was annoyed that he'd have to actually try instead of lazing about.
"Is it really wise to send us into the Exams so early on?" Sakura spoke with a raised eyebrow, feeling a bit of apprehension at the seemingly insurmountable task for heading the Chunin Exams. "Konoha hasn't allowed foreign Nin into the village since the Kumo incident nearly 6 years ago... I'm sure some of the other Villages will be targeting us personally." The girl paused for a moment before glancing towards her fellow Genin. "There's a lot of Clan Heirs... Who's to say they won't try to... Well, pick us off?" She grimaced a bit at the end, not wanting to say what was on everyone's mind.
The Genin all glanced towards one another, meeting each other's gazes with hardened eyes.
The four Jonin were silent for a moment before Gai finally took the floor. The man crossed his arms against his chest, speaking in a serious tone.
"It is always a risk, Sakura-kun." He nodded his head towards the girl, eyes softening at the apprehension in her eyes. "There is no concise line of victory in regards to the Chunin Exams and the path being laid before you. There are dozens of preventative measures in place to make sure that Konoha blood is not spilled on our home soil... However," He paused for a moment speaking slowly to the teens before him. "That is where you all come in. The Chunin Exams is a competition, yes. However, no matter what, you are all Konoha Shinobi. It is your job to look out for one another when we can't."
"Konoha has been powerful for so many years because of our Will of Fire!" The Taijutsu master spoke with a strong voice. "Our beliefs and strength come from each other. We walk into death, knowingly, because our brothers and sisters walk behind us!" He stared into the Genin's eyes, noticing how enraptured they seemed to be at his words. A proud smile formed on his face as he continued. "We fight to protect those who lack the strength to fight for themselves. You are all the next generation of Konoha and will be its protectors once we pass on. It will be your duty to protect the generation after yours and to guide them as we did you!"
He stood strong, his voice echoing in the training grounds. "You may be nervous and scared... Or you may even believe that you lack the proper tools and skills to achieve the Samdaime's goal." He closed his eyes before dramatically raising his hand and pointing at them. "But I believe in you all! I believe you all can surpass the Sandaime's expectations! I believe you can protect each other! I BELIEVE YOU CAN PROTECT THE FUTURE GENERATIONS OF KONOHA!"
Gai ended his long winded speech with a roar, emotion and strength practically wafting off of him.
The entire training grounds was rendered silent after the man's words, even his fellow Jonins were impressed with his words. The man couldn't have said it better.
"Hmm..." Hinata finally broke the silence with a small smirk, though it was much more genuine than her usual condescending ones. "Maybe you aren't so weird after all, Gai-sensei."
"Your words fill me with Youth, Hinata-kun!" Gai responded in typical Gai-fashion.
"Annnnnnddddd ya killed it." Naruto quipped with a grin. "That sounded wrong on so many levels."
"What?" Gai spoke in a confused manner. "I have enough Youth to spread around! Come! ALLOW ME TO SPREAD MY YOUTH WITH YOU!"
"GAI-SENSEI!"
"LEE! I SHALL EXPLODE MY YOUTH AND PASS IT ONTO YOU TODAY!"
"WORDING!" Naruto roared with a disgusted expression, shaking his head as some of the other Genin looked grossed out.
"Why have you ignored my calls, my son?"
Naruto's eyes widened to saucers as a feminine-like voice resounded from his mind. The hairs on the back of his neck absolutely pricked as he swung his gaze around. Adrenaline hammered through his system as sweat began to trickle down his body.
Who?! What?! Where had that come from?!
As blood pounded through his ears, he was oblivious to the concerned states of some of his friends.
"Wha... Huh?!"
"I wish to speak with you... Wh... d... yo... av..d.. me, m... s...?"
Naruto's eyebrows furrowed as the voice slowly tapered off, the words becoming jumbled to him. It was almost... feminine to a degree. Spoken like a mother would to her child.
A feeling of warmth spread throughout his body at the thought, emanating from the seal on his hand. He shifted his gaze to the seal on his hand, staring at it as if it would give him an answer.
He waited for several moments before feeling a feint pulse emanate from it. With that feint pulse came a wave of comfort that soothed his pulsing heart.
This... feeling...
It was like... It was like being wrapped in a warm blanket.
He felt safe.
He felt secure.
He felt...
"Are you okay, Naruto-kun?"
The Jinchuuriki blinked at the question, wondering why his vision was slightly blurry. "Huh? Yeah... Yeah, I'm okay...? Why?" He answered in a discombobulated manner, turning towards Ino as he replied.
Naruto felt Ino's hands cup his face, followed by the gentle stroke of her thumbs.
"You were crying, Naruto-kun..." Her words caused the rest of the clearing to grow silent as they all stared at the boy, varying degrees of concern on their faces.
Naruto on the other hand, was confused. He was crying? Why was he crying?
He idly scrubbed at his face, shocked to find that his eyes were slick with tears. And for some reason, they just wouldn't stop.
No... It's not that they wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop them.
What... What was happening?
"I... I don't know..." He replied numbly while staring at his hands. Tears continued to stream down his face and he was incapable of putting a lid on his emotions. "Why am I crying?"
He'd not receive his answers. For the remainder of the day, he sat on the sidelines, idly watching his teammates and friends spar and train with another one.
The first couple of hours had passed by and he watched with a distant gaze. He couldn't control his emotions. He hadn't cried like this since he was that depressed and lonely child, longing for a family he'd never have.
But he didn't know why he had been crying. It just... It just happened.
He had requested for Kakashi to pull him from the training, not wishing to cause issues and distract his teammates and friends. The man had allowed it, telling them that they'd talk later.
Naruto stared at his hand with furrowed eyebrows, eyes bloodshot red from all the crying. Dry tear stains painted his cheeks as he continued to stare at the seal, desperately hoping for answers that would never come.
He... He wanted to hear that voice again. He wanted to feel that feeling once more.
He... He craved it... And he didn't know why.
"You okay, kid?"
Naruto slightly jumped at the question, cerulean eyes shooting to his Sensei. The man took a seat beside him, clasping his hands together and staring at him.
"I... I don't know Sensei." He answered honestly, eyes glancing to the seal on his hand. "I..." He looked up, spotting the rest of the Jonin Sensei and Genin train together.
Knowing that they were alone, Naruto turned towards Kakashi before speaking. "I heard... I heard a voice, Sensei."
Kakashi's lone eye widened slightly. "Naruto...!"
Before Kakashi began to panic, Naruto waved his hands back and forth. "It isn't the Kyuubi... Or well, I don't believe it was the Kyuubi..."
Kakashi visibly slouched in relief at the boy's words. He wasn't equipped to deal with Jinchuuriki talk. That was a land mine he'd been trying to avoid for awhile, knowing that he could realistically provide the boy with no true aid.
"Well, that's a slight relief." Kakashi spoke with a quiet sigh. "But are you sure it wasn't the Kyuubi?"
"Absolutely..." He mumbled while staring at the seal on his hand. "I've heard the Kyuubi speak before and that certainly wasn't it."
Kakashi was just going to pointedly ignore the words Naruto just spoke. If he feigned ignorance, Hiruzen couldn't punish him.
"It was... It was a woman's voice..." Naruto continued, unaware of Kakashi's inner turmoil. "She... She wanted to know why I haven't responded to her..."
The Jonin glanced down at the odd mark on Naruto's hand. "And you are saying, with absolute certainty, that this isn't the Kyuubi?"
Naruto nodded his head at the question. "She... She called me her son, Sensei. And... And it felt... It felt so... Good."
Kakashi was silent as he stared at the odd mark on his student's hand. He had informed Hiruzen about the seal/mark during the mission debrief and Hiruzen had requested that he watch for any odd happenings regarding the boy.
This certainly counted as an odd happening. It looked as if this mark was no mark, but something far more complex.
"She said she was... Your mother?" He questioned slowly, gazing down at his student with hidden emotion in his eye.
The Jinchuuriki nodded his head, still staring down at his hand and missing the emotion in Kakashi's eye. "When she said it... I felt... I felt so good. It was like... A warm blanket was being wrapped around me. I felt so happy. So protected... Is it wrong that I want to feel it again?" He questioned in a slightly pitiful manner.
Kakashi sighed quietly as he wrapped a comforting arm around his student. "No, Naruto. It's perfectly normal. Considering everything you've been through, I don't blame you."
The boy was quiet for a moment before hanging his head with a quiet sigh. "I know the 'but' is coming."
Kakashi once again sighed, patting his student's shoulder. "But... We need to ascertain whether or not this... thing is a danger to you. It could be feeding off your emotions to lull you into a false sense of security. We need to make absolutely sure that nothing abnormal can/will happen to you."
The Jinchuuriki only hung his head lower at the man's words. "I... I understand, Sensei."
Kakashi was silent for a few moments before sighing and rubbing his students shoulder once more. "C'mon." He coaxed gently, tapping the boy's shoulder as he slowly rose to his feet. "I'll treat you to some ramen before we head up to see the Sandaime."
Naruto slowly rose at the man's words, a small smile forming on his face at the man's words. "Thanks, Sensei... I appreciate it."
"Don't mention it, kid." He rubbed the boy's head, lone eye crinkling as the boy batted his hand away with a playful roll of the eyes. "Now, c'mon. Say you're goodbyes for the day. Let Sasuke and Sakura know you'll be busy for awhile."
"I gotcha, Sensei." The blond turned around before slowly making his way towards his friends and teammates.
"Oh and make sure to let your little girlfriends know that you're gonna be gone for awhile too!" Kakashi hollered with a smile, chuckling quietly as the boy squawked loudly.
Ahh, it was too easy.
AN: Woweeeeeeee. It has been a LONG time huh? Expect some love for this story in the upcoming future.
I've gone ahead and deleted two stories from my profile, Mirror on the Wall and Downfall. I deleted these stories due to personal reasons, mostly stemming from dislike of the series. I will likely be removing my RWBY story as well due to certain decisions made about the anime.
In the upcoming days however, I will be dipping my toes back in the MHA fandom and will be writing a non-crossover story.
That's right. That story will be a pure MHA story. No crossovers. Only Izuku as the leading role, so look forward to that if you enjoy My Hero.
Anyway! That's all. Enjoy the return of this story that just so happens to be slythefoxx2's favorite story of mine. It's good gas. Premium.
See ya, fuckheads!