NARUTO

Spirits of Fire

Disclaimer: Blablabla,I don't own Naruto,Blablabla...

Part3:Fight at the Hyuuga manor, a farewell gift, preparations and goodbyes

It was around noon when Naruto left the Hospital with Hinata. By that time the city was full woke up and working at 100 percent. Near the hospital some kids played football in the park while some old men played shougi and go under the sakura trees. Naruto and Hinata walked down the streets passing by many stores where some housewifes were doing the shops for the week, or maybe just for the lunch.

Hinata and Naruto continued to the main avenue where it could already be seen the movement, thankfully to the restaurant and food-shops in there. Many ninjas could be seen heading to their favorite places to have a meal or just to relax from a late mission with their comrades.

Since they took off from the hospital their walk was in silence. Both looking to each other without having the other to notice, hoping for any of the to strike a conversation. It was Naruto who after a long period of time, and almost in the middle of Konoha's main avenue who broke the silence.

"Thanks again for the Ramen Hinata-chan, it was really good. Did you bought it at Ichiraku's Ramen?" – He asked with a smile.

Her cheeks blushed again while she nodded negatively and mumbled the answer with a little smile in her lips – "No, I did it."

Naruto was caught in surprise – "You did it?" – he asked with a grin – "Wow! It was really good Hinata. Neji must be a lucky fella to have someone at home who can cook so well!"

"I'm still... still learning, so it's our housewife who cooks most of time." – she answered

"I think you'll be a great cooker Hinata-chan. May I make myself invited to have a lunch in one of these..." – He stopped his sentence before he finished it.

"Naruto-kun... Is anything wrong?" – she asked

A couple of kids ran past them with some ice-cream in their hands, cheering and laughing. Naruto looked at them when they passed by him. They shouldn't be more than 8 years old each one. They were three boys and two girls. They seemed like they were having a real fun. He smiled but his eyes didn't followed his lips.

Hinata seeing her "angel" with sad eyes looked to the ground and had a deep breath in silence, then she asked. – "Naruto-kun."

He looked at her as he would have been woke up from a dream.

"Is everything alright?" – she asked with a conforting look in her white eyes.

Naruto looked at her deeply. Hinata, maybe one of the few persons who ever showed affection for him, who really understood him. He couldn't lie to her, it wouldn't be right. He smiled and answered – "Well... You see when those kids passed by... The made me remind of when I was younger. When I had their age. It wasn't that while ago it's true, they must be what? 8 maybe 9 years old. They were laughing and cheering... they seemed so happy." – Naruto looked to the ground and continued to walk through the street – "They reminded me when I didn't have anything of what I have now... Trust, love, happiness, friends, persons like you who seem to really like me for what I am. Who understand me." – he stopped for a second, sighing and breathing deeply before continuing.

" It makes me think about two things, first how I never let myself slip in my agony and disappear in that darkness. And the other how I want to not let anyone have this kind of pain in their lives. I wasn't this all the time. When me, Sakura-chan and..." – he forced the name out of his mouth – "...Sasuke met each other I was an obnouxious bastard who only wanted the Hokage name to make the other aknowledge me... but now it's like I have much more. This thing that happened to him, it hurted me, even more than I want to admite. I liked him, like a... brother." – Naruto closed his eyes trying to avoid the tears – "that's why I want the Hokage title for me. I want to protect the ones I love. To protect my Precious people." - He looked at her, his eyes with a tear shining trying to run through his cheeks.

She observed him as he said his speech. It was like he wanted to say that to someone his entire life, and finally had the chance. Like he had just take a weight off his shoulders. But as quickly as he looked emotive he wiped the tears and made one of his trademark wide foxy grins and shouted out loud, making Hinata almost fall back in surprise and everyone in the street look at him.

"THAT'S WHY I WILL BECOME HOKAGE! AND I'LL DRAG THAT UCHINA'S SORRY ASS TO THE LEAF AGAIN AND KICK OROCHIMARU IN THE NUTS SOOOOOOO HARD THAT EVEN KABUTO WILL FEEL!" – he screamed throwing punches in the air as if both Sasuke and Orochimaru were there in front of him.

She smiled as an answer. That was Naruto after all.

"Hinata-chan." – he continued – "I'm telling you this because... I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm gonna with Ero-sennin travel and train to become stronger for three years. I think you needed to know, since you showed to be such a good friend."

Her smiled vanished as quickly as it appeared. Her eyes filled with surprise and sadness. Her arms dropped in surprise, and her head dropped while she fought not to let the tears appear. Naruto looked at her trying to understand what was going on. Hinata rose her head and a smiled was formed in her lips.

"I'll miss you Naruto-kun." – she said softly

He smiled in return and gave her another grin.

"Don't be sad Hinata. I'll be back and stronger than ever. It's only two or three years. We'll see each other again. It's a promise." – he smiled.

She continued to smile, even if in fact her desire was to cry. But he was right, it was only for a short period of time. Nothing more.

Then in a quick movement Naruto grabbed her right hand and laughed out loud. – "Now let's go. You don't want to be late for lunch, do you?" – She nodded, not blushing for the first time, even with her hand on Naruto's and both ran through the crowd in direction of the Hyuuga manor.

Meanwhile in the Hokage's office...

"Focus Sakura!"

Her voice was filled with strenght but empty of emotion, not that mattered for Sakura in that moment. She was more worried in revive the dead tuna fish in front of her. Tsunade's explanation for the problem was short and made it easy to understand, "you have to focus the right amount of chankra in your hands and make it flow through them as a million of different waves, all in the same frequency through the tuna's body.", then she placed her hand in the tuna and in a flash the fish was jumping crazily in the table, fighting to breathing. "Imagine the chakra flowing in millions of waves through your fingers. That should help". But it wasn't. The goddamn fish wouldn't revive.

Tsunade sighed – "What's worrying you Sakura?"

The pink haired Kunoichi stopped pressing the fish with her hands and lowered her head in frustration. – "In your normal days you would revive that fish quickly then Naruto would eat a bowl of Ramen" – She continued – "Is it Sasuke that's worrying you?".

"No." – Sakura answered

"Then what is it?" – Tsunade sitted in the couch and made a move with her hand invinting sakura to sit next to her.

Sakura turned around and faced her new sensei. – "Sensei, do you plan in teaching me medical jutsus only?" - Tsunade made a "What-do-you-mean-with-that" face. - "I mean... Naruto is leaving with Jiraya to become stronger. And Sasuke has that curse seal. I want to know... if your gonna teach me some taijutsu and ninjutsu too?" – By that time Inner Sakura was screaming and throwing punches in the air "I WANNA LEARN TO KICK SOME BUTT!"

Tsunade made a serious face and got up from the coach. For a moment Sakura thought that she was gonna yell at her, tell her to go away and forget the training. But the she walked the few steps from the coach to the stone tabloe where the dead fish was standing and speaked in a calm voice – "Relax. First things first Sakura, trust me. I know what I'm doing" – She placed a hand in the Tuna fish and a second after that he was alive and trying to breath. – "First, we take care of how to make things live." Then she placed a her index finger in the top of the table in a quick movement. A huge "THUD" was heard and next half of the table was in dust in the ground – "Then we take care of ways to end life" – She said with a smirk

A huge sweatdrop appeared in Sakura's head. – "wow" – she muttered while Inner Sakura smilled – "HOLY FUCK! I WANNA DO THAT TOO!"

Tsunade grinned – "Now back to the tuna fish"

(I'm sorry for the poor description of the Hyuugan manor, but I lack the terms for the japanese architecture, and finding them on the net will take lots of time. I'll correct it in another time)

The Hyuuga manor was built near the Konoha river, 2 km away from the main avenue, and consisted in a three floor squared building with the famous japanese ceilings, and a beautiful garden, with two sakura trees and a course of water running through him. The garden was closed by walls with 4 meters which connected directly with the walls of the ground floor. The ground floor consisted by the kitchen, the tea house and the hall, which holded the stairs to the second floor, and the entrance to the hot springs in the back of the building. The second floor helded two bathrooms and the bedrooms, Hinata's and Hinabi's were glued with Neji's in the left side of the building leaving the right side for Hiashi's. The third and last floor consisted in a huge library full of scrolls and books from literature to history books.

Naruto and Hinata arrived to the big gates of the Hyuuga manor by 12:30 of the morning, both breathing quickly because of their run through the city.

"I hope... that... you're not late... for lunch..." he said between quick breaths.

"I'm in time... thanks" – She answered.

They both laughed hapilly. – "I should be going now." – Naruto said – "I have to get lunch and go to Tsunade-bachan to know where I am heading with Ero-sennin tomorrow."

"Why are you leaving?" – a firm strong voice was heard behind him.

Both Naruto and Hinata turned around with the shock. But both relaxed with the sight of a familiar face.

"Neji-niisan" – Hinata smiled

"Ow! It's you." – Naruto said in relieve, something told him that if Hiashi saw him with Hinata he could not end in a good condition from that. – "I'm leaving with Jiraya to train."

"For how long?" – Neji's voice was strong but emotionless.

"Three years, why?" – Naruto flicked his eyebrows in curiosity. Neji was acting in a strange way. After a mission like the one they had, and after showing the confidence that he had in him when that creepy sound-nin attacked, it was a... unusual way of acting by Neji to be so cold. Well Neji was always cold, even more than Sasuke, but after what he said... This was just... Wrong.

Neji closed his eyes and directed his head to the ground, leaving both Naruto and Hinata confused.and looking at each other. What followed to this was as quick as a lightning, before Naruto could tell Neji was dashing towards him with his left hand pointed to his head, Naruto only had time to jump into Hinata's direction, grab her in an hug and roll through the ground avoiding Neji to strike him or his cousin. Putting himself up he screamed while helping a confused Hinata to stand up – "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND NEJI? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU THINKING? YOU COULD HAVE HURT HER?"

"She wasn't my target and you know it." - He said while putting himself in the Gentle fist fighting style – "Now. Fight me."

"What do want with this?" – he asked with a confused tone in his voice

"Shut up, and fight me." – as he finished his sentence Neji dashed again now with his right arm pushed backwards ready to strike with his palm into Naruto's chest.

"HINATA LOOK OUT" – Naruto pushed Hinata away with his left arm and and flipped backwards as Neji executed a quick horizontal move missing Naruto by centimeters. Naruto backflipped twice gaining some distance from Neji and got ready for the battle. Neji stroke again diving with his right hand into Naruto's direction. Naruto shifted the weight of his body and aimed a spinning kick with his right leg into Neji's face, this one blocked with his left palm and in a quick movement kicked him in stomach with his left sole. Naruto flew a couple of meters away with the intensity of the kick.

"Get serious." – Neji said coldly – "And you... don't even think about it" – he said to Hinata who was decided to stop his cousin.

Naruto breathed twice trying to see through the pain in his stomach – "Dammit!" – He thought – "He's not joking." – But before he could think again Neji dashed again.

Meanwhile at a restaurant in the main avenue...

"CHOUJI HOLD ON!" – a shocked Ino screamed – "That is your twenty bowl of ramen!"

In one of the tables of the restaurant were Chouji, Ino, Shikamaru and Asuma eating... I mean seeing Chouji eating... I mean devouring ramen and many other dishes more quickly than Nee doing 1000 push-ups.

"He's trying to recover his lost time in the hospital. Hehe" – Shikamaru replied with a smile.

"So, when are Gaara and his brothers returning to their village? – Asked Asuma.

"Today, but now that you mention it I should be going. I need to o take care of some business before they go to their village. See ya around guys." – and with this he left.

"Business!" – Ino replied to Asuma – "What kind of business could he have?"

They both looked to the door as Shikamaru walked to the street. Their silence was broken by Chouji.

"Hey Asuma-Sensei. When we're done here... Let's go train." – he declared in a confident voice.

Both Ino and Asuma looked in a surprised face while Chouji slurped the last bits of ramen from his cup and ordered another five bowls.

Left, right, above, below, punch, kick, elbow. Neji's members flew in an impressive speed aiming to Naruto's nervous points. Naruto dodged as quickly as he could but Neji's palm caught him right in his left shoulder making him to lose his balance and being kicked by Neji's left heel in quick spinning kick.

Naruto fell in the ground with a large "THUD!" – "I... actually felt that..." – he thought, breathing quickly. He was going to rose up from the ground when a hand grabbed him and helped. Neji stood there in front of him with a serious face.

"What did you learn?" – he asked seriously

Naruto looked at him with a "What-the-fuck?" kind of face.

"What did you learn?" – Neji asked again.

"Wha... What do you mean with that?" – Naruto asked.

Neji sighed – "Naruto" – He replied in a calm tone of voice – "Listen to me. The way you reacted right now, is the reason why you'll never be able to return Sasuke back."

Naruto opened his eyes in shock. – "You lack discipline." – Neji continued – "You have the emotion, the anger, the fear, the love and all that things that make a person stronger, but you lack training, you lack ways to transform that emotions of yours into movements. When I attacked you back there it, did you realise how you reacted?" - Naruto nodded negatively. – "You didn't know what to do. You don't have a technique which you can call your own, a way to stop an attack, a way to counter-attack. You just have what we can call a "I-kick-your-ass-from-here-to-the-other-village" idea in your head. But there is a difference from having the idea and actually do it. Are you understanding me?"

Naruto looked in surprise to Neji's eyes – "No. Well... maybe... I mean... Kinda." – he replied.

Neji smiled like he was saying "you more dumb than a brick" and then replied – "Come with me".

Neji's room was as simple as you could imagine. A bed, a table with some scrolls, probably with some jutsus, a chair, a bedside table, a chest of drawers and a trunk. The room was large and the big window allowed the light to enter and dance between them.

Neji walked to the trunk and took two scrools from there which he handed to Naruto. He got them each in one hand. – "What is this?" – he asked.

"If you're gonna go after Sasuke you're gonna need this. I copied them from some old scrolls that Hiashi-Sama had in the library, they teach the basis of the Hyuuga fighting style, the stances, the use of chakra to speed your moves, the names of the strikes... However it doesn't teach you to concentrate the chakra in your members the way that the Hyuuga do or the clan's specialities like The Kaiten, that's reserved just for the clan. I hope you understand"

Naruto's mouth opened in disbelief with he heard Neji's words.

"The first one, the one in your right hand teaches you the stances and strikes, the second teaches you how to use the chakra. I hope they will help you in your training." – he said with a little smile.

Naruto glared at Neji, the to the scrolls, then to Neji again and with what voice was left he asked – "Why... Why are you giving me this?"

Neji smilled back at Naruto and turned around facing the window. The sun bathed him as he talked calmly – "When we fought in the Chuunin exam... You showed me that Destiny... Destiny is just a word. It's ourselves that create our Destiny. When I was recouvering after our fight Hiashi-Sama aproached me and told me the story of my father, the way how he died. He showed me that my father chose his death, that he twarthed his destiny of hatred. You helped me to leave the Darkness even without knowing, if there is someone who can bring Sasuke from there it's you. But first you need to get stronger, and that will only occur if you control the way you fight. Take that scrolls as a farewell gift. But remember that when you return... We will fight again, this time... As equals" – He turned around and faced Naruto with a happy smile in his face.

Naruto mouth was opened in disbelief. Hinata muttered – "Neji-niisan..."

Then in a quick movement Naruto walked the few steps between him and Neji and closed him in a hugh. Neji opened his eyes in surprise but recovered instantly and placed his right arm around Naruto's shoulder retrieving the hug.

Naruto looked into Neji's eyes and said in a confident voice – "Three years from now we will fight. It's a promise."

"A promise!" – Neji repeated. And they selead it with a hand-shake.

Hinata smilled by seeing both the persons he most loved becoming good friends right in front of him.

"Good luck on your trip, please send a message when you arrive to your village" – Shikamaru said.

"Worried about us cry baby?" – Temari said with a grin – "It's not like we're like you. We can protect ourselves" – she said smirking

Shikamaru looked to Temari which retrieved the look with a blink of her eye like saying "Love you too you big Baka".

"Send our regards to the Hokage again" – Gaara – "And yes, we'll send an eagle when we arrive". – Gaara bowed and started walking away.

Shikamaru bowed in respect to Gaara's answer, even if he couldn't see. He saw that Temari's eys were still looking at him and he stared back at her, just like if both of them were havin a mental conversation. It was Kankuru's voice which broke the link between them.

"Oh fer Christ sake, Get a room both of you." – and he start walking,

They both looked angrily to Kankuru as he walked away. – "I'm going now, take care of yourself cry-baby" – she turned her back to him and waved her left hand in goodbye as she walked after her two brothers.

Shikamaru looked as them disappeared in the middle of the forest and then muttered – "How troublesome you are."

Naruto arrived at his home by two o'clock pm. He hurried through the door and let the scrools on his kitchen table he quickly undressed his orange jacket and t-shirt and headed to the bathroom just to see someone set in his bed waiting for him.

"WWWWHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAA!" – he screamed in surprise – "Kakashi-Sensei! What the hell are you doing here"

The jounin smiled under his mask, not that Naruto couldn't notice thanks to the visible eye, which formed an arc in this ocasions. – "Nothing much, he said. I just passed by to give you this." – He handed him a small scroll – "It's a map of the villages, it0's for you to klnow where are you heading and how far from Konoha are you. Don't forget to wite okay? Now I must go, I need to report to Tsunade for a new mission. Train well and get stronger, okay." – he waved his hand and dissapeared in a puff of smoke leaving a confused Naruto standing in the middle of his bedroom.

A few moments later a soaked, warped around a towel Naruto appeared in the bedroom again. After a quick shower he headed to the kitchen, grabbed a bowl of Ramen and devoured it. Five minutes later still wrapped around his towel he started packing his things, a few t-shirts, lots of underware, some of his training suits, which were all equal – "I think I need a change of visual" – he thought. Lots of bowls of Ramen, Neji's scrolls and Kakashi's map, as well as some other clean scrolls in a separate pocket. After this he dressed himself and rushed to meet Tsunade.

Meanwhile in the training grounds:

"758, 759, 800, 801, 802, 803..." – Lee scremed as he did his push-ups

"Lee... slo... slow... down..." – An exausted Gai asked as he tried to keep the pace with his student.

"WE MUST NOT SLOW DOWN GAI-SENSEI!" – Lee shouted – "IF WE CAN'T DO 1500 PUSH UPS THEN WE'LL RUN 7500 LAPS AROUND KONOHA STANDING ONLY ON ONE HAND"

Gai fell to the ground by hearing this. Sitted nest to a tree, juggling with three kunais were Tenten laughing with the situation.

By 2 and a half pm Naruto entered into Tsunade's office Jiraya was already there.

"Finally kid! I was thinking that you wouldn't arrive!" – Jiraya laughed.

"Shut up Ero-seenin! I was delayed by some..." – Naruto started to answer but was interrupted by Jiraya again.

"I know what you were doing..." – he said in whispers near Naruto's ear.

"You know?" – Naruto said with a little blush in his face.

"Yeah I know" – he said with a malicious grin in his face – "YOU WERE SPYING THE LADIES IN THE HOT SPRINGS WEREN'T YOU!"

Both Naruto and Tsunade fell to the ground in the most uber-cool Anime scene.

"WHO DO YOU THINK I AM YOU BIG PERVERT I'M NOT LIKE YOU!"

"Relax kid. That's one of the things I'll teach you. THE FINE ART OF PEEPING THE LADIES!"

"YOU WILL!" – Naruto screamed in joy – "I mean. SCREW YOU!"

"Ahem!" – A huge "POW" was heard and Jiraya fell to the floor with a punch thrown by Tsunade – "If you'll excuse me. I think we have somethings to settle or not?

Both Naruto and Jiraya nodded affirmatively with fear in their faces.

It was around 6 o'clock when Naruto left Tsunade's office. They pased the whole afternoon studying the best route to their journey. The sun started to fade away in the sky leaving it in tones of dark blue and sky blue in a beautiful painting.

Naruto ran through the city to Ichikaru's ramen to eat his dinner. It was visible that most of the villagers were now walking to their houses. Most of the young ninjas were at home by now or still training in the grounds. The lights started to appear in the streets and in people's home in response to the night which quickly invaded the city. 20 minutes after leaving Tsunade's office Naruto was standing near Ichikaru's ramen shop.

And he wasn't alone.

"Naruto" – a female voice called him.

"Sakura-chan!" – he said hapilly – "What are you doing here?"

"I came to say goodabye Naruto. I don't know if I'm gonna see you tomorrow, and I didn't want to go without giving you something as a goodbye gift." – She handed him a large paper package. – "You must promise me that you will only open it tomorrow, okay?" – she asked with a smile.

Naruto amde a confused face and answered – "Okay. Can you tell me what it is?"

"It's something I know you will like. Now I have to go. Train hard Naruto, because when you come back we will bring Sasuke back, together." – She affirmed with a convict voice.

He smiled back and replied –"Together!"

Then she hugged him and kissed him the cheeks leaving him breathless n the middle of the street.

The night passed quickly. Naruto slept a repairing sleep, and by ten 0'clock he was standing near the gates of Konoha waiting for Jiraya.

"Ready?" – a cheerfull voice talked behind him.

He turned around and faced Jiraya with a huge smile in his face.

"What's that smile for? Benn peeping some woman's room already?" – Naruto asked with his foxy grin.

"Nah! Maybe someday I'll tell ya." – With that he walked to the gates.

Naruto turned around and faced Konoha. The huge Mountain with the face of all the Village Kages. He looked to each one of them with a serious expresionn. The First and his black hair, the Second and his determined look, the Third the nice old-man, and the Fourth, the most adored shinobi that ever lived in that village. He closed his fist around the image of the Fourth and muttered – "Watch me."

"HEY KID ARE YOU COMING OR WHAT?" – Jiraya asked

"Coming" – Naruto answered and ran to his teacher disapearing in the woods...

Finnally an update. Dammit this took too long to write, I think it's crappy but anyway please read and review. The reason this is so long it's because I decided to try to tie most part of the loose ends. It still misses Kiba and Shino but I quited because it would take even more time to write them. Anyway please read an review.

And I promise in the next chapter the fun will begin...