Disclaim: I do not have any rights over Naruto.
Your enjoyment is my fulfillment. (Damn, I sound like a salesman doing an ad for a company)
--------
There was a lot of rumbling from outside, made by raindrops as they brush against the roof and the walls. Rain, and from the other inhabitants, he found out that rain is a common event in this place. But no matter, today, Naruto was at to meet Takashi for his first training, and he looked at the old man in front, still wondering why they has yet to begin his training. But it was then, he felt extremely worried. He had forgotten to say goodbye to Sakura-chan. Maybe Iruka-sensei would tell her.
"Naruto. You're first training phase will be about chakra control and manipulation." An old bald man, dressed in robes spoke.
"... I remembered that Hinako said that I'll be meditating, so why am I not doing it?" The blonde asked, his hair floated to the wind momentarily when the wind surged through the door.
"Hinako is going through a different training course." The same old man said simply, his aged voice vibrates the wet air in the hall.
"Why is that?"
"Well, that is none of your concern, Naruto."The old man gave a small smile. "Anyway, I am going to explain what is that you will be learning very soon for the next half a year, and today, your task is to understand what is the basics of everything you will be facing very soon."
"So. You are going to lecture me? This is going to be... BORING!" Naruto nearly screamed.
"Well, boring or not, it is what you will be learning. I'm going to start."
"Primarily, there are two levels of training in our temple. You will be doing both at the same time, and the two part have a specific name to it." The same old man, known as Hideiki said.
"The first part, is the Yang. It will involve physical training to improve your current level of stamina, your fighting skills, jutsu knowledge, execution of jutsus, seal speed, physical speed, flow, stealth, rhythm, and reflex. There are other subjects as well, but this is the main majority of what you will be undertaking. Yang is separated into a few sections. Fire, is attack, unpredictability and speed. Water, is recovery, flow and motion. Earth, is defence, and solid foothold that serves as the point to counterattack. Wood, is flexibitility and camouflage. Metal is sheer skill."
"The second part is Yin. It is more on mind, soul, manipulation, tactics and control. It involves two parts, Qi which is manipulation of chakra and controlling pretty much everything, and Zhi, the control of tactics, senses and mind."
"... I don't understand what the crap you are talking about, old man." Naruto replied.
"Well, if you don't make yourself understand, then you are going to face a lot of problem later."
"Okay..."
"You'll be starting with running up and down the first track ten times."
"Piece of cake, but I'm going to do it in the rain? I'm going to get sick."
"The enemy won't care if it is raining or not."
"Fine, fine."
The old man led the blonde to a far part of the temple, which happens to be rise up to a cliff.
"Oh... my..."
"Run up the cliff until you reach the top, and run back down."
"Well, it looks tall, but I guess it is going to be easy, I can walk up trees, so I suppose it is the same."
Then, Naruto began to run in the rain, and up the cliff. He ran halfway up, and the wind started to move very fast, and he felt very uneasy. The wind kept blowing, and he nearly lost his balance and control.
'Damn.' He muttured under his breath.
He tried to take a step forward, but with the immense wind resistance, and the painful high velocity raindrops was an obstacle that is hard to conquer. 'Must succeed...' He managed to force the step, and he forced his leg to go for another step. Then, the wind blew even harder, and out of nowhere, a small rock hit him in his leg. He nearly lost his control over his leg again. 'Oh my.'
He took another step forward, which seemed so far to him in the howling gale and storm. Another step. Another step. Each step he took, and the wind only blew stronger, and the rocks, where the hell do they come from, anyway.
'Mother Nature, I hate you.'
Each step he took was welcomed with a stone to hit him somewhere, and trying to maintain control over his chakra was perilously crazy. This was no ordinary training, instead, it was more like torture in the dry wastelands of the south pole. Yeah. That would be it. Rocks pummeling, cold bullets of waters made, strong blizzard. It seemed every part like a torture.
Then, after I-don't-know-how-long, he finally arrived at the top, and he shouted. "I made it!" But it was then that realization downed on him that he'd have to get down and up again for a few more times.
'Shit!'
--------
Sasuke looked around his room. Empty. Nobody but him seemed to be there, but he knew that the Anbu would not be so stupid. They are probably somewhere, and they are watching him the same way a predator stalks it's prey. In utter silence, he activated his sharingan, and he knew that they were there alright, He could sense their emanating chakra, their ki.
'I guess they still think I'm a traitor, then.' He thought, and he looked around again. 'Fine. I don't need anyone to look after me anyway.'
He walked towards the door, and the door clicked open to reveal the Hokage, Tsunade. 'I suppose the Anbu was quick to inform the Hokage.'
"So, how are you?" There were hints of sarcasm all over her little show of concern.
Sasuke's black hair ruffled, and he stared out of the window with his sharingan eyes that was once the pride of Konoha. He wondered slightly why he had left so foolishly for Orochimaru. No, Orochimaru had power, but not the type of power he wanted. He did not know that, maybe. Then, he looked at the Hokage again, and he then gave a small bow.
"I'm fine." Sasuke spoke, but his eyes shifted back to the windows agains.
"You are very daring to try a stunt like that." Tsunade continued, and he could feel her slightly twitching in the eyes, the radiating anger. Having no way to answer to her, he chose to remain silent, placing his view at the hokage tower, and the dim sun, obstructed by the clouds.
Tsunade began to slightly interrogate, "You know that Neji and Chouji suffered heavy injuries because of your departure."
Sasuke knew how to answer this question, "I did not ask them to come after me."
"You..." Tsunade was at the lack for a word to describe the ninja.
-----
Sakura looked around the park team 7 usually met to, and she could not help but feel lonely. Kakashi has not arrived, and probably won't arrive for a few more hours and there isn't anybody to bug or fawn over. Sasuke was still in the death's sleep the last time she checked, but Naruto. Where the hell is that annoying and noisy little blonde? She kept asking herself inside.
Maybe he had something to do.
Without anyone but herself being around, she decided to practice. After all, she is the weakest of her team, and since Sasuke's departure, she felt horribly worthless inside. Being left behind, the distance of power between her and the rest of her team was wide, and as much as she tried to ignore those thoughts, it kept coming back stronger to haunt her. Why did she not train so long ago? If she had, the gap between the three of them would not be so wide, so cruel. Gaps, cruel? Abstract words and meanings can hurt too, huh?
Might as well try and practice.
She slowly walked up the tree, the last training Kakashi-sensei gave her, and she began to run and jump from tree to tree. She wondered what good such activities might bring, but still, it was better than waiting for a late teacher. 'Jump. Run. Jump. Run. Jump. Run. Jump.' She repeated the rhythm over and over again.
But after two hours, she was tired like hell. But thankfully, Kakashi arrived in the nick of time.
"Sakura, what happened to you?" The silver-haired jounin asked.
"Prac... tice. Nobody... " Sakura said, breathing hard.
"Hmm, Naruto haven't told you, then?"
"Tell me what?"
"Naruto left to train, maybe for quite a long time as well."
"... That stupid idiot, going off without telling me."
"And also, You will be put under a new teacher very soon."
"What? Why?"
"Simple. Naruto is gone, Sasuke is unavailable after the incident, and Shikamaru is now a chuunin. We definitely need to reorganize the teams into new three person teams."
"Huh? Okay, then." She was particularly surprised at the new news, but she was also equally, if not more surprised at Naruto's departure. Surprise, and some sorrow. But she was most sad for herself, because she now had to work harder, since Naruto will be much stronger when he comes back. "Who's my new teammates?"
"Yamanaka Ino and Hyuga Neji. Kurenai will be taking you three."
"What happens to the other teans?"
"Chouji, Hinata and Shino will be under Asuma. Lee, Tenten and Kiba will be under Gai. I, on the other hand, will have my hands full in missions."
Sakura was silent, she had nothing much to say, and lots to think about. She remembered her previous thoughts, and she feels that she should find a goal to work to, something not related to Sasuke-kun. 'Who am I kidding. If I'm strong, I'd get his attention too.' Sakura said inside.
--------
His clothes were wet. Drenched in both rainwater and blood from the injuries, and because of that, he felt horribly sick and uncomfortable. It was then, Hideiki began to lecture him again.
"Not bad for a first timer, but what can I say, almost anyone could run up and down ten times, no problem."
Naruto sneezed, "You're joking. From the weather up there, it is more like a natural torture device."
"... The higher up you go, the speed of the wind gets faster. It's meteorology, simple stuff. So, the more high up you go, the speed will undoubtedly rise, unless something else happens. Anyway, your training schedules is based on the 28 day lunar cycle, not weekly." The old man handed over a piece of paper containing lot's of words.
Naruto just stared at the schedule, and he began to get a headache.
"I suppose I need to teach you how to read?" The old man said plainly.
"NO!" Naruto screamed.
"I'll get you some dry clothing." The old man left the wet and sick Naruto to hold on to himself, but Naruto knew that his sickness would be over very fast. Thanks to Doctor Kyubi, the miracle medic. Yeah, right...
-------
The next day came, and Naruto was with the old master of the temple.
Naruto looked at the old man, and he began to whine. "When are you going to teach me something?"
The old man was sitting in front of a table, concentrating fully on the brush on his hand. Calligraphy, as the old man called it, was a stupid art to him. 'What good would it be to right with brushes, anyway?' So, he just kept walking around complaining and stomping.
A stroke, and the wind outside bellowed like there was no tomorrow, and the dark black ink formed into a very nicely shaped brushstroke. Another, and the rain continued it's wailings in the storm. A third stroke, and the windows rumbled, the wind chimes called. Stroke after stroke, and each movement of the inked brush drew Naruto's attention, one way or another, but even with his attention, Naruto did not understand anything. In the end, a kanji piece was written on the blank paper and the words seemed like flowing motions of nature.
"...What good is writing like that, anyway? Not like it makes any difference as a ninja." Naruto whined, oblivious to the work.
"Naruto." The old man called out to the blue-eyed genin. "Concentrate on everything you learn, each of them will see use one day."
"Is it? But it is not going to help me be a hokage, anyway."
"An illiterate hokage, is a useless hokage, Naruto. If you can't read and write, how are you supposed to be an example to the other people in the village?"
Naruto mumbled some words of unhappiness to himself, because he hates to lose.
"Anyway, I asked Sena to take you to town for some clothes. But since he will be paying, you'll pick the clothes that you like, and he'll pick the clothes amongst your choices that are acceptable to him. But trust me, Sena-san has good tastes." Taste? Since when old men became immersed in taste and looks? Well, weird worlds warrant weird people. It's a strange world indeed, so live with it. "Sena!"
Then, a dark-brown haired kid came and he had a handsome face that would surely captivate many helpless others. He walked over, he gave a small bow to the old master, and he called to Naruto.
"Hi. Come with me, okay?" He asked politely, with a slightly matured voice.
So, they were outside, and began their descent from the mountain escapade.
"So, you're Naruto right? How old are you? Oh, I suppose I should tell you about myself first. I'm Sena, Sena Raishi. I'm thirteen, and I like to read, write, paint and draw."
"Oh, Kakashi asked me to do this before. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, 12 (A/N: or is it 13?), I love ramen and I want to be Hokage."
Then, Sena seemed to observe Naruto from his feet to his hair, and he began to shake his head. "You'll need to gain some height first. Oh, sorry, it just blurted out."
Naruto did not seemed to mind because he was friendly, and compared to evil, murderous stares, a small criticism was much easier to accept. He chatted with Sena on and on, and he found that he seemed to be quite laidback in ideals, and prefers to observe others. Naruto found out that he was at the monastery since he was seven since his parents death to the kyubi.
"Naruto, you're the vessel of the kyubi, right?"
A bolt of fear swept through his spine, and he was shivering slightly. 'No. Not again. I'll lose another friend.'
"Never mind. From the way I see it, you're the warden that keeps him in his jail cell, and as long as you keep him in there, I have no reason to hate you. Besides, if it wasn't for you, he'd still be roaming and killing pretty much everyone. and don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
The fear instantly turned into relief.
But Sena looked slightly distant for a moment there, and he said plainly, "There are somethings others are not supposed to know. Some things not supposed to be revealed, and your identity as warden of Kyubi is one of them." A sigh, "The monastery holds many secrets, Naruto. Here's a little advice for you, don't ask what they themselves won't tell. It is sometimes safer to know less, because the burdens of secrets are sometimes very heavy and painful."
The journey from the monastery to the city was two days long though, so they had to sleep in the forests for two nights. It was during on one night that Naruto saw Sena without his hair tied into a long ponytail. Man, he looks kinda like Sephiroth from what's that game on the playstation again? Yes... FF7. That's the game. (A/N: Provided by the Hokage to keep Naruto occupied.) Only he has dark brown hair, not silverish-white. (I actually added this just to give you an idea on how he looks.)
---------
"Hinata, Hinata. What am I going to do with you?" Hyuga Hiashi said plainly. "You are a disgrace to the main house during the chuunin exam, and now you're crying over a blonde?" Hiashi continued to insult her in quite a number of ways, but they don't affect her. After all, the pain of being abandoned was more painful.
'Naruto, Naruto, to where have you gone? ' She asked inside her beating heart.
---------
Ino looked at her sensei, her jaw nearly on the floor. "I'm going to be on the same team as the forehead-girl?"
"Yes, you are." Asuma said while taking a puff.
Chouji did not really seem care, but he was kinda worried, now that Shikamaru will be away from their team for good. But to Chouji, it was a motivation. A motivation to finally catch up with his friend, a motivation to prove to Shikamaru that he is as capable as Shikamaru believed.
Even though he was injured since battling the Sound Four, he has now recovered fully. "I'll be great. I'll show them."
Asuma knew very well what can actually drive the big-boned Chouji, and that is the feeling of being left behind by his friend, and he is pretty confident that he'll work very hard. But still, it is just a guess. It might end up him being a broken, and depressed kid.
So, there are two paths for him. It's now up to him to choose.
---------
Thanks for using your time to read my little article. Many thanks indeed.
Your enjoyment is my fulfillment. (Damn, I sound like a salesman doing an ad for a company)
--------
There was a lot of rumbling from outside, made by raindrops as they brush against the roof and the walls. Rain, and from the other inhabitants, he found out that rain is a common event in this place. But no matter, today, Naruto was at to meet Takashi for his first training, and he looked at the old man in front, still wondering why they has yet to begin his training. But it was then, he felt extremely worried. He had forgotten to say goodbye to Sakura-chan. Maybe Iruka-sensei would tell her.
"Naruto. You're first training phase will be about chakra control and manipulation." An old bald man, dressed in robes spoke.
"... I remembered that Hinako said that I'll be meditating, so why am I not doing it?" The blonde asked, his hair floated to the wind momentarily when the wind surged through the door.
"Hinako is going through a different training course." The same old man said simply, his aged voice vibrates the wet air in the hall.
"Why is that?"
"Well, that is none of your concern, Naruto."The old man gave a small smile. "Anyway, I am going to explain what is that you will be learning very soon for the next half a year, and today, your task is to understand what is the basics of everything you will be facing very soon."
"So. You are going to lecture me? This is going to be... BORING!" Naruto nearly screamed.
"Well, boring or not, it is what you will be learning. I'm going to start."
"Primarily, there are two levels of training in our temple. You will be doing both at the same time, and the two part have a specific name to it." The same old man, known as Hideiki said.
"The first part, is the Yang. It will involve physical training to improve your current level of stamina, your fighting skills, jutsu knowledge, execution of jutsus, seal speed, physical speed, flow, stealth, rhythm, and reflex. There are other subjects as well, but this is the main majority of what you will be undertaking. Yang is separated into a few sections. Fire, is attack, unpredictability and speed. Water, is recovery, flow and motion. Earth, is defence, and solid foothold that serves as the point to counterattack. Wood, is flexibitility and camouflage. Metal is sheer skill."
"The second part is Yin. It is more on mind, soul, manipulation, tactics and control. It involves two parts, Qi which is manipulation of chakra and controlling pretty much everything, and Zhi, the control of tactics, senses and mind."
"... I don't understand what the crap you are talking about, old man." Naruto replied.
"Well, if you don't make yourself understand, then you are going to face a lot of problem later."
"Okay..."
"You'll be starting with running up and down the first track ten times."
"Piece of cake, but I'm going to do it in the rain? I'm going to get sick."
"The enemy won't care if it is raining or not."
"Fine, fine."
The old man led the blonde to a far part of the temple, which happens to be rise up to a cliff.
"Oh... my..."
"Run up the cliff until you reach the top, and run back down."
"Well, it looks tall, but I guess it is going to be easy, I can walk up trees, so I suppose it is the same."
Then, Naruto began to run in the rain, and up the cliff. He ran halfway up, and the wind started to move very fast, and he felt very uneasy. The wind kept blowing, and he nearly lost his balance and control.
'Damn.' He muttured under his breath.
He tried to take a step forward, but with the immense wind resistance, and the painful high velocity raindrops was an obstacle that is hard to conquer. 'Must succeed...' He managed to force the step, and he forced his leg to go for another step. Then, the wind blew even harder, and out of nowhere, a small rock hit him in his leg. He nearly lost his control over his leg again. 'Oh my.'
He took another step forward, which seemed so far to him in the howling gale and storm. Another step. Another step. Each step he took, and the wind only blew stronger, and the rocks, where the hell do they come from, anyway.
'Mother Nature, I hate you.'
Each step he took was welcomed with a stone to hit him somewhere, and trying to maintain control over his chakra was perilously crazy. This was no ordinary training, instead, it was more like torture in the dry wastelands of the south pole. Yeah. That would be it. Rocks pummeling, cold bullets of waters made, strong blizzard. It seemed every part like a torture.
Then, after I-don't-know-how-long, he finally arrived at the top, and he shouted. "I made it!" But it was then that realization downed on him that he'd have to get down and up again for a few more times.
'Shit!'
--------
Sasuke looked around his room. Empty. Nobody but him seemed to be there, but he knew that the Anbu would not be so stupid. They are probably somewhere, and they are watching him the same way a predator stalks it's prey. In utter silence, he activated his sharingan, and he knew that they were there alright, He could sense their emanating chakra, their ki.
'I guess they still think I'm a traitor, then.' He thought, and he looked around again. 'Fine. I don't need anyone to look after me anyway.'
He walked towards the door, and the door clicked open to reveal the Hokage, Tsunade. 'I suppose the Anbu was quick to inform the Hokage.'
"So, how are you?" There were hints of sarcasm all over her little show of concern.
Sasuke's black hair ruffled, and he stared out of the window with his sharingan eyes that was once the pride of Konoha. He wondered slightly why he had left so foolishly for Orochimaru. No, Orochimaru had power, but not the type of power he wanted. He did not know that, maybe. Then, he looked at the Hokage again, and he then gave a small bow.
"I'm fine." Sasuke spoke, but his eyes shifted back to the windows agains.
"You are very daring to try a stunt like that." Tsunade continued, and he could feel her slightly twitching in the eyes, the radiating anger. Having no way to answer to her, he chose to remain silent, placing his view at the hokage tower, and the dim sun, obstructed by the clouds.
Tsunade began to slightly interrogate, "You know that Neji and Chouji suffered heavy injuries because of your departure."
Sasuke knew how to answer this question, "I did not ask them to come after me."
"You..." Tsunade was at the lack for a word to describe the ninja.
-----
Sakura looked around the park team 7 usually met to, and she could not help but feel lonely. Kakashi has not arrived, and probably won't arrive for a few more hours and there isn't anybody to bug or fawn over. Sasuke was still in the death's sleep the last time she checked, but Naruto. Where the hell is that annoying and noisy little blonde? She kept asking herself inside.
Maybe he had something to do.
Without anyone but herself being around, she decided to practice. After all, she is the weakest of her team, and since Sasuke's departure, she felt horribly worthless inside. Being left behind, the distance of power between her and the rest of her team was wide, and as much as she tried to ignore those thoughts, it kept coming back stronger to haunt her. Why did she not train so long ago? If she had, the gap between the three of them would not be so wide, so cruel. Gaps, cruel? Abstract words and meanings can hurt too, huh?
Might as well try and practice.
She slowly walked up the tree, the last training Kakashi-sensei gave her, and she began to run and jump from tree to tree. She wondered what good such activities might bring, but still, it was better than waiting for a late teacher. 'Jump. Run. Jump. Run. Jump. Run. Jump.' She repeated the rhythm over and over again.
But after two hours, she was tired like hell. But thankfully, Kakashi arrived in the nick of time.
"Sakura, what happened to you?" The silver-haired jounin asked.
"Prac... tice. Nobody... " Sakura said, breathing hard.
"Hmm, Naruto haven't told you, then?"
"Tell me what?"
"Naruto left to train, maybe for quite a long time as well."
"... That stupid idiot, going off without telling me."
"And also, You will be put under a new teacher very soon."
"What? Why?"
"Simple. Naruto is gone, Sasuke is unavailable after the incident, and Shikamaru is now a chuunin. We definitely need to reorganize the teams into new three person teams."
"Huh? Okay, then." She was particularly surprised at the new news, but she was also equally, if not more surprised at Naruto's departure. Surprise, and some sorrow. But she was most sad for herself, because she now had to work harder, since Naruto will be much stronger when he comes back. "Who's my new teammates?"
"Yamanaka Ino and Hyuga Neji. Kurenai will be taking you three."
"What happens to the other teans?"
"Chouji, Hinata and Shino will be under Asuma. Lee, Tenten and Kiba will be under Gai. I, on the other hand, will have my hands full in missions."
Sakura was silent, she had nothing much to say, and lots to think about. She remembered her previous thoughts, and she feels that she should find a goal to work to, something not related to Sasuke-kun. 'Who am I kidding. If I'm strong, I'd get his attention too.' Sakura said inside.
--------
His clothes were wet. Drenched in both rainwater and blood from the injuries, and because of that, he felt horribly sick and uncomfortable. It was then, Hideiki began to lecture him again.
"Not bad for a first timer, but what can I say, almost anyone could run up and down ten times, no problem."
Naruto sneezed, "You're joking. From the weather up there, it is more like a natural torture device."
"... The higher up you go, the speed of the wind gets faster. It's meteorology, simple stuff. So, the more high up you go, the speed will undoubtedly rise, unless something else happens. Anyway, your training schedules is based on the 28 day lunar cycle, not weekly." The old man handed over a piece of paper containing lot's of words.
Naruto just stared at the schedule, and he began to get a headache.
"I suppose I need to teach you how to read?" The old man said plainly.
"NO!" Naruto screamed.
"I'll get you some dry clothing." The old man left the wet and sick Naruto to hold on to himself, but Naruto knew that his sickness would be over very fast. Thanks to Doctor Kyubi, the miracle medic. Yeah, right...
-------
The next day came, and Naruto was with the old master of the temple.
Naruto looked at the old man, and he began to whine. "When are you going to teach me something?"
The old man was sitting in front of a table, concentrating fully on the brush on his hand. Calligraphy, as the old man called it, was a stupid art to him. 'What good would it be to right with brushes, anyway?' So, he just kept walking around complaining and stomping.
A stroke, and the wind outside bellowed like there was no tomorrow, and the dark black ink formed into a very nicely shaped brushstroke. Another, and the rain continued it's wailings in the storm. A third stroke, and the windows rumbled, the wind chimes called. Stroke after stroke, and each movement of the inked brush drew Naruto's attention, one way or another, but even with his attention, Naruto did not understand anything. In the end, a kanji piece was written on the blank paper and the words seemed like flowing motions of nature.
"...What good is writing like that, anyway? Not like it makes any difference as a ninja." Naruto whined, oblivious to the work.
"Naruto." The old man called out to the blue-eyed genin. "Concentrate on everything you learn, each of them will see use one day."
"Is it? But it is not going to help me be a hokage, anyway."
"An illiterate hokage, is a useless hokage, Naruto. If you can't read and write, how are you supposed to be an example to the other people in the village?"
Naruto mumbled some words of unhappiness to himself, because he hates to lose.
"Anyway, I asked Sena to take you to town for some clothes. But since he will be paying, you'll pick the clothes that you like, and he'll pick the clothes amongst your choices that are acceptable to him. But trust me, Sena-san has good tastes." Taste? Since when old men became immersed in taste and looks? Well, weird worlds warrant weird people. It's a strange world indeed, so live with it. "Sena!"
Then, a dark-brown haired kid came and he had a handsome face that would surely captivate many helpless others. He walked over, he gave a small bow to the old master, and he called to Naruto.
"Hi. Come with me, okay?" He asked politely, with a slightly matured voice.
So, they were outside, and began their descent from the mountain escapade.
"So, you're Naruto right? How old are you? Oh, I suppose I should tell you about myself first. I'm Sena, Sena Raishi. I'm thirteen, and I like to read, write, paint and draw."
"Oh, Kakashi asked me to do this before. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, 12 (A/N: or is it 13?), I love ramen and I want to be Hokage."
Then, Sena seemed to observe Naruto from his feet to his hair, and he began to shake his head. "You'll need to gain some height first. Oh, sorry, it just blurted out."
Naruto did not seemed to mind because he was friendly, and compared to evil, murderous stares, a small criticism was much easier to accept. He chatted with Sena on and on, and he found that he seemed to be quite laidback in ideals, and prefers to observe others. Naruto found out that he was at the monastery since he was seven since his parents death to the kyubi.
"Naruto, you're the vessel of the kyubi, right?"
A bolt of fear swept through his spine, and he was shivering slightly. 'No. Not again. I'll lose another friend.'
"Never mind. From the way I see it, you're the warden that keeps him in his jail cell, and as long as you keep him in there, I have no reason to hate you. Besides, if it wasn't for you, he'd still be roaming and killing pretty much everyone. and don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
The fear instantly turned into relief.
But Sena looked slightly distant for a moment there, and he said plainly, "There are somethings others are not supposed to know. Some things not supposed to be revealed, and your identity as warden of Kyubi is one of them." A sigh, "The monastery holds many secrets, Naruto. Here's a little advice for you, don't ask what they themselves won't tell. It is sometimes safer to know less, because the burdens of secrets are sometimes very heavy and painful."
The journey from the monastery to the city was two days long though, so they had to sleep in the forests for two nights. It was during on one night that Naruto saw Sena without his hair tied into a long ponytail. Man, he looks kinda like Sephiroth from what's that game on the playstation again? Yes... FF7. That's the game. (A/N: Provided by the Hokage to keep Naruto occupied.) Only he has dark brown hair, not silverish-white. (I actually added this just to give you an idea on how he looks.)
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"Hinata, Hinata. What am I going to do with you?" Hyuga Hiashi said plainly. "You are a disgrace to the main house during the chuunin exam, and now you're crying over a blonde?" Hiashi continued to insult her in quite a number of ways, but they don't affect her. After all, the pain of being abandoned was more painful.
'Naruto, Naruto, to where have you gone? ' She asked inside her beating heart.
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Ino looked at her sensei, her jaw nearly on the floor. "I'm going to be on the same team as the forehead-girl?"
"Yes, you are." Asuma said while taking a puff.
Chouji did not really seem care, but he was kinda worried, now that Shikamaru will be away from their team for good. But to Chouji, it was a motivation. A motivation to finally catch up with his friend, a motivation to prove to Shikamaru that he is as capable as Shikamaru believed.
Even though he was injured since battling the Sound Four, he has now recovered fully. "I'll be great. I'll show them."
Asuma knew very well what can actually drive the big-boned Chouji, and that is the feeling of being left behind by his friend, and he is pretty confident that he'll work very hard. But still, it is just a guess. It might end up him being a broken, and depressed kid.
So, there are two paths for him. It's now up to him to choose.
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Thanks for using your time to read my little article. Many thanks indeed.