Title: Covenant
Author: bubblytokki
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimers: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in this story.
AN Okie... bashfully smiles I fixed that glaring error of Hatake's name... ^^;;;
AU. Why stay in a village that loathed him?
Pairings: Probably none. I find that pairings or focusing on them hinder my stories… so gomen nasai. ^^
Chapter 7 - Reflections
Their mission had been completed successfully, and they were back home. She knew she should be happy and relieved, but Sakura was depressed and frustrated with her own weaknesses.
In the last few months of the Academy, her teammate Naruto had been the dropout, the loser, everything she didn't want to be. And yet… during their recent missions, Kakashi sensei seemed to focus on Naruto instead of herself or Sasuke, her all-time object of her affections. Kakashi sensei didn't play tag with her or Sasuke, and yet he merrily chased Naruto, his one visible eye twinkling with mirth. It was almost as if Kakashi sensei was training with an equal rather than a student. And that was depressing. What did they not have that made Naruto so special? Why was Naruto so strong? It didn't make any sense and Sakura tightened her hand into a trembling fist. She needed to become stronger.
The last mission had opened her eyes to see that Naruto had always been in another league. I wonder if I'll ever be half as strong as he is. All she could do was hope and train with everything that she had. Sadly, she turned her head to glance over at Sasuke. It's a pity he never looked at me. Maybe… it's time to grow up. She was Haruno Sakura, the one with the highest intellect in her graduating class. That had to amount to something.
She looked for her other teammate, wondering why he was late. Naruto was always punctual and in a strange way methodical. He did what neither she or Sasuke wanted to do eagerly and optimistically. Whether it was to pull weeds out of a client's garden, chase down stray cats, or to pick flowers for a crying little girl, Naruto was always so full of zest and energy. Sakura wondered who Naruto lived with and realized that she knew nothing of him. Whether he had parents, friends, or family. She had been so focused on Uchiha Sasuke, that she neglected her other teammate. The one who had saved her more times than she wanted to count.
Her eyes softened. She wondered if it was possible to salvage their relationship and become a friend of Naruto. He seemed to be more open and kind than Sasuke kun.
And then there was the water country issue. Naruto had been so strong and defeated…no killed, an enemy Sasuke had struggled against. He made it seem so easy, and Naruto acted like he was familiar with the art of death. It had been somewhat frightening. All of them had been on the bridge and even while Sasuke was fighting the masked shinobi, Naruto had looked away, as if he was thinking deeply. It was only after Sasuke had been knocked out that he stepped up to battle. With two simple attacks, the enemy was unable to attack and Naruto had gathered the boy, Haku in his arms in grief. She wondered if he would ever grieve for her like that. At the same time, she was bitter that he cared more for an enemy than his teammates.
There was a twirl of leaves as Kakashi sensei and Naruto appeared….together, laughing. Stunned, she forgot to yell her habitual 'you're late!'. They looked to be friends and she was burning with envy.
She would grow stronger. It was the only way… then maybe…Naruto would acknowledge her.
~~
It just wasn't fair, he thought as he looked at his sensei and his other teammate. They were so chummy together and it made him sick. What did that dead-last have that he didn't? He had the noble blood of the Uchiha, and he had nothing to recommend him. Kakashi sensei should be paying special attention to him. He was an avenger after all and needed to kill Itachi to put him out of his misery. Wasn't that why Itachi had left him alive? So that he, the genius rookie Uchiha Sasuke, could kill him? No other explanation would do.
He had to get stronger than the blond loud-mouthed idiot. He just had to.
He bitterly remembered the battle with the masked shinobi. The enemy had been so fast and his movements would have been a blur had it not been for his own Sharingan eyes. Naruto had looked at him in disgust when he had failed and had calmly stepped up to the battle with ease. Sasuke also suspected Naruto knew that he had poisoned his kunai to slow the enemy's movements. Especially since Naruto had accused him of being dishonorable. It had been humiliating when Naruto ended the battle in two attacks and the compassion Naruto had shown to the enemy. What kind of teammate was he anyway? Hiding that strength and then beating everyone in everything.
He loathed Naruto. Naruto was a perpetual reminder that Sasuke had a long way to go.
Someday, he vowed. I'll be better than him.
First he would have to convince Kakashi sensei to teach him how to use the Sharingan more effectively. He was weak and needed to be stronger. Strong enough to beat Naruto and teach him a lesson. He had to be strong enough to kill Itachi.
I'll kill him.
~~
He wondered where the teamwork had gone. Sakura, the love-struck girl seemed to be intently gazing at Naruto and Sasuke was maliciously glaring at both of them. It wasn't his fault he was late this time. He actually had a valid excuse…for once. But looking at the other two soldiers, Hatake decided to withhold the reason why he was late. He didn't think they would appreciate the fact that he had been training Naruto. Well…more like sparring with him.
Glancing over at his favorite pupil, Hatake hid a small smile. Naruto was an amazing prodigy with limitless capabilities, fully living up to being the Yondaime's only legacy. A lot of times, he struggled to hide his continual surprise at how much Naruto resembled his own sensei. Naruto was hard-working, just, and an over-achiever. Hatake felt blessed that he had lucked out and had Naruto as his student.
The shadows were worrisome though. Naruto still hadn't disclosed where he had been during the two and a half years Naruto had been missing. It was obvious that there had never been an elderly couple that had taken Naruto in. Someone had cultivated Naruto and trained the boy to become a force to be reckoned with. But who would do such a thing and more importantly… why?
Until he knew more of his mysterious student, Hatake decided to keep a close tab on Naruto.
Uchiha Sasuke was another concern. The avenger spirit that burned in his eyes was dangerous and single-minded. If that hatred was given free reign, Sasuke would be lost in a desperate search for power. It would be a pity to lose the last member of the Uchiha clan to power lust.
But for now, he had to notify his team of the chuunin examination.
"Oy," he said coolly, lightening the tense atmosphere. "Although you are all rookie genins, I have decided that you are qualified to be chuunins. Here are the passes to the chuunin examinations. Go to the exam center at Room 301 and more information will be given to you."
He noted that Naruto's face lit up with happiness. It would be entertaining seeing how far Naruto could go. All he could do, Hatake thought speculatively as he gazed at Naruto, was to open the doors.
~~
AN: I know it's short. I didn't really feel like expanding more on this. So, I apologize if anyone was expecting more on the thoughts of his teammates, they're not my main focus in this fic. Itachi will return in the next chapter for those of you who are eagerly awaiting him. ^^;; This chapter was in response to the reviews that I was neglecting the other characters too much.. (teeheehee.. I was …I'll admit it.. ) I'll try to integrate them more into the chapters as I go along.. but we'll see how that turns out.
Regarding Haku.. well.. I'm a sucker for sadness, so I thought it would be tragic to kill him, so I did. ^^;; Besides… it would be too complicated to integrate him into my story. So for convenience purposes.. I er… had him killed. Besides, technically Haku was still an enemy…
Request for a beta reader: Currently, I'm proofreading everything on my own. I was wondering if there was someone who be critical enough of my work to help me make it better before unleashing it to the general audience. If so, please e-mail me @ esthertokki@sbcglobal.net
Response to Reviewers:
Drownin' in my tears: Wow.. you've reviewed all of my chapters.. thank you very much for your continued support. Because I am getting so many reviews.. I feel pressured (very positive pressure by the way) to continue writing. Thanks~!
Babowonsuni: Thanks for reviewing.. I'm glad you like my portrayal of Haku and Naruto.
Insanechildfanfic: Thanks.. it's been fun writing this.
Cookie6: Yeah.. Haku is so pretty. Thanks for reviewing..
Licht Sieger: Sorry to annoy you.. it's just that I figured that most people would know about the battle and…well…I got lazy.. ^^;; Thank you very much for your support in reading and reviewing my fanfic and I hope that I will write better chapters that you will find more enjoyable… ^^;;
Silverknight7: Rofl.. well.. I hope you do your hw though..teeheehee…thanks for reviewing..
Shadow Eclipse: Thanks.. Here is my new chapter … although it is a bit short for my tastes.
Eaglesage21: Thanks, I'm glad I exceeded your expectations. J
Rubymoon17: Wow.. finding so many compliments for my work is so… wow.. it's weird but fun~!
Gopu: Thanks for reading.
KevinEC: well.. hopefully this explained things a bit. Although I did make out Sasuke to be somewhat villainous. *scratches the back of her head* Thanks for reading..
En Satsu Koku Ryuu Ha: Well yeah. Naruto it loyal to the people he considers precious to the point of stupidity. But I think that's admirable to be able to do things in the way that he does. Thanks for reading!!
Pyr00tje: Wow.. thanks for reviewing all my chapters. ^^
Wolfs Catalyst: Well.. if I gave away the hint, it would ruin the story. Bwahahaha… anyways.. thanks for reading and I hope you continue to like it.
Satora Bonai: Teeheeheee.. I haven't thought of it that way. Well, just try to think of it as a protective older brother. ^^;; Thanks for reviewing.
Greg: Me Myself and I: O_o You seem to be an interesting character. It must be nice to be so in tune with yourselves. (Plural.. right?) Well.. thanks for reading and reviewing all the time. Your comments are always fun to read.
Naruto)kun: Here is my new chapter… although it may not be as enjoyable as the rest.
Nora D: Well.. Sasuke might go insane. But that's for much later. And notice the word 'might.' Anyways thanks for reading and I hope I can interest you enough till the end of the story.
Magicalfoci: Gaara is strong. I mean, he has to be since he hasn't gotten any sleep ever since his birth. That shows some tenacity. (I can't live without 8 hours of sleep…) Thanks for reading.
Aznkendoboy127: Poor monkey~! *dives in to save monkey*
Moonfairy: Wow.. you're back. I'm glad. I was worried I might have come off meanly. *sigh of relief* Thanks for reviewing all my chapters and for continuously being encouraging. It helps me realize that reading reviews and getting lots of reviews is really fun. And about Gaara… well.. we'll just have to wait and see.. :P
Zsych: Thanks for your suggestions. However, Haku and Zabusa are not main characters in my fic.. teeheehee… but about him having a friend. I'll think about that as I write the next chapter. Hidden Leaf may have been willing to accept Haku, but I think because of their (Zabusa and Haku) past, it would be difficult to adjust to a peaceful life without wanting to take over the village. Wow.. I'm glad you're so picky.. it shows me different perspectives.. J
Naruke: Thanks for reviewing. Itachi is my fav..faaaav… character, so I like making him seem cool and collected.
Manga_lover123: Well.. all I can say is, say your prayers for Sasuke.. when it comes to that part anyway.. Thanks for reviewing!
XD: Wow… your review was one of the longest ones I've ever gotten. Wow. To begin with Sasuke… teeheehee.. I don't like him as much.. but perhaps in my other fics he'll play a bigger role, just not in this one. J About my writing style.. I'm still developing it, trying out different things to make it better. My honest opinion is that I have much to work on. But I believe that with enough practice…my fics will flow more prettily. Naruto… well.. he's no longer innocent that's for sure, but he is slowly regaining it through the tutelage of Kakashi… but anymore than that.. we'll just have to see. Naruto is very emotionally stunted. He didn't grow up being ignored because he ran away during the critical stages of his development and was trained by Itachi. So.. he's not as funny and wild as he is in the anime… hence the AU.. J Thanks for reviewing so much and I'm glad that you are critical of my work. Please do not hesitate to write more constructive criticism of my work.
Preview of Chapter 8-Examination
"You can't be serious. How is it possible for a genin team to finish in two hours?"