Disclaimer: Yep, it's me again. I don't own Naruto ok? Now that I've gooten going it's just all pouring out. I really don't like Author's Notes but I'll just point something out. I don't generally reveal all background info first up. I slide it into the fic itself. All the hints are there. I've made it pretty obvious. I prefer subtlety. Great reviews so far, but I won't waste your time and mine just regurgitating them. If you want to know what other people think just click on reviews. Just for general consensus - I have never been on crack nor have I been high while writing this. I am however a freak and all round twisted bastard. Thank you.
Naruto stirred. He could still remember the events that transpired last night. He was still lying in bed and could feel the bodies of Hinata and Tenten still tenderly holding him between them. The young man known as Uzumaki Naruto, sleepily opened one eye and stretched as much as could without disturbing the sleeping beauties beside him. He glanced down at Hinata's sleeping face. The angelic face that he beheld revealed nothing of the feral, screaming fury she had shown the previous night. Wincing, he shifted his back a little, hoping that the gashes she had torn in his back hadn't bled too much.
Forget ramen. Naruto had found a new obsession in life. This was infinitely better. Forget about rushing down to the Ichiraku every chance that he got to gulp down twenty bowls of ramen. Maybe only five or ten. Maybe. This had completely changed his life.
"Good morning, Naruto-kun", Tenten whispered breathily. She had rolled onto her stomach and was resting her chin on her palms and his chest. Nestled quite close to his flank and playing footsie under the sheets, she had a knowing look in her eyes.
"Pleasant thoughts?" she asked archly. Naruto only grinned.
They both closed their eyes and were silent for a time before Naruto ventured a question he had been meaning to ask.
"Can I ask you something?". She just murmured a vague assent.
"What's your name, babe?"
Her eyes shot open and was about to castigate him before she saw the mischievous glint that sparkled in his eyes. She settled for reaching down towards his groin and gave his penis a sharp twist ninety degrees to the left. Naruto barely bit back a wince as his eyes watered.
"That wasn't very funny, Naruto-kun..." she smiled sweetly.
"Hai, hai....", he managed to choke out," I was just kidding Tenten, uh..Tenten -sama..." The look in his face was pleading for her not to do that again.
"Seriously, though...I was surprised to find you here with Hinata and me, last night. Not disappointed mind you, no not disappointed at all...It's just that I was left wondering, because you've never really showed any real interest in me before."
Tenten looked pensive and carefully considered her answer. After a few minutes, she began to explain.
"Well to be absolutely honest, I never really knew you before the first Chuunin exam we took around six years ago. Remember that? Who was that Sand girl who eliminated me in the preliminary? What was her name? Tegami? Tayaki?"
"Temari"
"Yeah, that's right. Anyway, I was in an older class than you two and hadn't really paid that much attention to you. I knew that people teased you a lot but was never into that kind of thing. I didn't know you, so I didn't make any judgements. Besides, by the time you graduated, I was already on missions with Gai-sensei and the others. Then of course, there was the Chuunin exam and I initially dismissed you as an overly loud, hyperactive ninja wannabe. You know? That hasn't changed."
"Thanks...", he replied dryly.
"Don't mention it", she waved the remark away with a small smile, " I mean everyone said that you graduated 'dead-last'. Don't look at me like that, Uzumaki, it's just a word. I mean up until the preliminaries I just went along with everyone else. But when you defeated Kiba and then went on to kick the shit out of Neji in the finals, I knew that something wasn't right. It just didn't make any sense when you compared it to all the rumours. So I just flat out threw them out the window and decided to get to know you for real. You're absolutely amazing, you know that?"
Naruto just blushed in embarrassment.
"You're still loud and brash and over-confident, but that just make you so much more appealing you know? It's like you brighten up a room, just by entering with that goofy grin on your face."
"Hey! It's not a 'goofy' grin. That's what I always look like." he protested.
"Don't worry about it. I like it." she answered shyly. " In the last six years, you've done some incredible things. Like beating up Orochimaru and avenging the Third. Or eradicating the Akatsuki. You make me feel like...I don't know, that I could do anything just by being near you. I like you, Naruto-kun. I really honestly do. I just followed Neji around because of this silly little crush I had on him back in our graduating year. You know, little girl stuff. Like what you had on Sakura or what she has on Uchiha."
"Yeah...tell me about it."
"Anyway, Neji is really obsessed with his family problems. I guess that he just wanted to prove Hyuuga is still the most powerful clan by knocking the stuffing out of you and Sasuke. He just ignores Lee and me unless we're on a mission or when he wants us to help train him. I just gave up on him. It didn't really hurt that much, now that I think about it, it was probably just a puppy-dog crush."
She glanced furtively at Hinata, checking to see if she was still sound asleep. The other kunoichi seemed to be smiling in her sleep.
"Can you keep a secret?", she whispered, "a really big secret?" He nodded. "Well I used to have this crush on Mitarashi Anko.", she giggled." I followed her around adoringly for weeks before she told me to quit bugging her. She probably thought I was just a fan of hers, you know?" Tenten giggled again.
"Anko?". Naruto gaped like a fish.
"Neji can be so cold and reclusive. Not as bad as Uchiha, but still pretty bad. Yesterday when I got lucky in training and managed to cause some real damage to him, he refused to speak to me for the rest of the day. I think that was it really. I met up with Hinata at that little tea house, you know...the one just off the marketplace? We just talked you know? About girl stuff mainly, until the conversation turned to you. You can be so brave and kind, so when Hinata suggested that I come on over, I decided to take a chance. Well, you know the rest....Are you crying Naruto?"
"I didn't know that you felt that way...it's touching really."
"Well I do, and don't you forget it." She got up on her knees and stretched exaggeratedly, letting Naruto's eyes stare at the interesting movement of her breasts before coming back down again to kiss him.
"YOU had a crush on Anko?" a voice said, off to the side. Hinata was trying not to laugh.
Tenten broke off the kiss and flushed. She was never going to live this down.
Sakura woke up in the infirmary. Shizune, the Hokage's assistant was taking notes in a chair next to her bed. She asked about how she got here.
"You fell unconscious during training. Hyuuga Hinata must have hit you really hard." she answered. Her voice was even and detached.
"Hinata? Hinata put me in the hospital? There's no way that could have happened! She's so nice and gentle to everyone! What could I have done to her to make her so angry? I thought it was Naruto..."
Shizune gave her patient an even look.
"No. It was really Hyuuga-san. Apparently from what your former team-mates and from what the former Team #8 described, you started abusing Kakashi-senpai, before collapsing in a heap. Upon regaining consciousness, you attacked young Uchiha-san and then started to defame Naruto. Hinata took exception to this, so when you charged her, she struck out with excessive force. Don't worry, Hyuuga-san has already been reprimanded for trying to murder you." For all her expression showed, she may well have been describing the weather, for all the emotion she showed.
"When she retaliated, she used her family's jyuuken-fu, and delivered a powerful blow to your head. It is a wonder that your brains weren't turned to mush. Apparently you are more powerful than you look. Your sensei has expressed some concerns over your wellbeing and has asked me to help you with any problems that may have arisen."
Sakura's face became grim.
"My problem is with Naruto! He's always so obnoxious and loud! He always tries to butt in and interfere with my relationship with Sasuke! He's always saying how he's going to be the next Hokage and that we'd better show some respect. He always manages to bumble his way into making the missions we go on, all that much more dangerous. He's such a baka that it's not funny."
The temperature of the room seemed to drop a few degrees. Shizune's voice if it was cold before, was positively frosty now.
"You need to grow up, Ms Haruno. It has been many years since Uzumaki-sama could ever be considered a dropout. He has accomplished some truly astonishing things for someone of his age group. He and others of his graduating class have already been promoted already. Uzumaki-sama, Uchiha-san, Mr Nara, Mr Aburame and Mr Hyuuga have already made jounin. I believe that Ms Hyuuga, Ms Tenten, Ms Yamanaka, Messrs Inuzuka, Lee and Akimichi have also made chuunin. You are the only one left who is stll genin."
"Uzumaki-sama has repeatedly saved all our lives, including your own on many occasions", Shizune's voice was rising to a steady crescendo, "He defeated the Demon Serpent Manda in hand-to-hand combat for goodness' sake!" she was shouting, before she calmed down and mopped at her brow with a handkerchief.
Sakura was sitting in bed, holding her knees to her chest, looking miserable as she was being chewed out.
"I believe that you still remember him as being the incompetent brat that he was, back at the academy. You also have only got eyes for Sasuke which is a very commendable thing since there are many other potential suitors out there who are more receptive than the Uchiha kid", she said, relenting a little at seeing how torn up the Haruno girl was getting.
"You're not a stupid girl. You most likely know that Uzumaki-sama is a very skilled and powerful ninja but have been unconsciously ignoring because you believe you love Mr Uchiha. You are also not weak. Don't blame your own shortcomings onto Naruto. He has had a hard enough life so far, and he most likely will not be able to cope with the duties of a jounin as well. I believe his holiday is almost over and soon he must take up those responsibilities."
Her voice became warmer and she put a comforting hand on Sakura's knee.
"You could very well just be a late bloomer. Your academy scores rated high in your intelligence, chakra control and genjutsu techniques. You have also recently shown remarkable strength and raw power as evidenced by your assault upon Naruto. I don't think there are many things that could do that much damage to him...", then it dawned on her, "he didn't fight back did he? He just took the punishment. Whether he deserved it or not. Poor kid, I guess he must be used to it." Her eyes hardened again.
"Kakashi has requested that he be reassigned to active jounin duty again and the Hokage has acceded to his request for the time being.Apparently, he has had enough of you. Konoha has long since recovered from the Sand village attack and the predations of the Akatsuki. You will be reassigned to a new team under Mitarashi Anko. She will further train your genjutsu techniques and improve your latent taijutsu skills. The academy's graduation ceremony is tomorrow. Don't be late for the introductory meeting a week after. Until then, your time is your own." With that final aside, the medical-nin left, leaving a silent Sakura to think about the coming future.
Several hours later, Hyuuga Neji completed his training and went looking for Tenten. He felt he had to apologise to her for his dishonourable conduct yesterday at the training grounds. He hoped that she wouldn't hold against him and help to train him again like before. He had never had a workout that punishing before and he could already feel more powerful. Neji had even thought to bring a gift of an engraved Shosuro-style ninja-to as his way of making an apology.
He left the weaponsmith's workshop and tried to look for her in all of her usual haunts: the training grounds, the archery range, that little tea house just off the marketplace that he she knew she frequented. She wasn't at any of them.
Dashing off to the Hokage's tower, he wondered if she might be on a mission. Damn it he thought, Now how am I supposed to get more training done?
Rock Lee was having the time of his life. He was sitting on the edge of a building eating his obento and thinking about the peculiarities of life. He grinned. Finishing off his lunch, he got back to work.
She wasn't on a mission. This annoyed Neji to no end. In fact, it would be safe to say that he was getting downright pissed off. How was he to get any better to be able to even the score between he and Uzumaki if his favourite sparring-mate had upped and left. Inwardly he admitted, she wasn't just his sparring partner, but hoped that she could be more than that, perhaps his girlfriend or something like that down the line.
Frustrated, he decided to go to the Uzumaki brat's place anyway.
I'm a lot stronger today anyway, and I can do the Kaiten while airborne now. That'll give me enough of an edge to defeat the bastard.
He arrived about a block away from his nemesis' apartment and crept quietly from corner to corner just in case, Naruto was on his guard. It wasn't likely but you never knew what you might encounter.
He was about to cross the street towards the complex when he saw a sight that blasted all coherent thought out of his mind. His cousin Hinata and Tenten were kissing just outside Naruto's front door. They were locked in a passionate embrace, mussing each other's hair as they played tonsil tennis just outside Uzumaki's door.
"Just what the fuck is going on?" he managed to squeak. His knees trembled and he dropped his gift with a clatter on the ground beside him.
His girlfriend had apparently left him for another girl! Was he really that bad? It was just intolerable! And what the hell were they doing outside Uzumaki's flat?
"Yep", said a voice behind him.
Behind him was Rock Lee who had just dropped down from the top of the building. He still wore that lurid green jumpsuit but clutched a long telescope in his hands. He was also grinning like a loon.
"They've been at it all day. With Naruto. Good thing, he doesn't close his curtains huh?", he said cheekily, patting the telescope," I figured something was up with Tenten and asked Gai-sensei to put it to me straight."
Neji was in no mood for Lee's antics today. He had just watched his beloved Tenten tongue-wrestle his despised cousin Hinata to a standstill and had just learnt that they've been shagging his worst rival all day!
"Oh yes?", he snarled at Lee," How exactly has Gai-sensei been putting it to you Lee-kun?". Perhaps he was getting overboard and was simply lashing out to vent his frustrations.
Lee simply shrugged off the not-so-veiled insult.
"Hai, shoot the messenger."