Hiya again! Thanks for all the reviews on chapter 12, I don't think I've had so many on one chapter! And look! Over 100 reviews! The most one of my other stories had was 3 reviews! What a dramatic difference!
Anyway, back to this, chapter 13…oooooooooo! Superstitious! Well, the chapter isn't but that doesn't matter. Let me know what you think as always, and coming up in the next chapter a number of the genin's find out something they didn't know about Naruto.
Enjoy:D
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Chapter 13
Folding his arms angrily Naruto glared at his white haired sensei.
They were back at the place he'd fought Sasuke with the stone memorial and the three wooden stumps.
There was a lot he wanted Kakashi to answer for but as he grimly eyed his teacher he held back, if only from the new punishment that was about to be unleashed on him.
That had been the kyuubi back there…or at least the kyuubi's charkra. That had been why the teachers had stopped him. Was that why he was here? Was Kakashi punishing him?
He remembered that night in the Hokage's office after being chased over half of Konoha, the way she had spoken so carelessly about 'what was in him' as she'd put it. Personally he didn't care that the kyuubi was bound within him. I was people's fear he hated. Couldn't they tell the difference in the kyuubi being within him to them thinking of him as the kyuubi?
"You look like you have something you want to say to me Naruto." Kakashi said snapping Naruto out of his thoughts.
"No!"
"Ok. Fifty laps of Konoha. Starting now. I'll be waiting here to see you as you start each new lap." Kakashi said as he leant against one of the stumps as he pulled out a Come Come Paradise book.
Turning away from his sensei Naruto followed the path he'd taken around Konoha with Sakura and Sasuke.
More running? How original.
Jogging easily Naruto passed Kakashi (who barely glanced at him before his gaze returned to his perverted book…what's so great about them? Mildly Naruto decided he would have to personally investigate at some point…) a while later having completed his first lap of the town. He felt ok at the moment but he didn't know how long he could keep this up, he'd only eaten a piece of mangy fruit all day, the sun had already passed its peak and was starting to make its descent towards the horizon. He was sooo hungry! Not to mention drained of charkra as well as being rather battered and bruised from fighting Lee. Damn that boy!
Halfway through the second lap his stomach was growling with hunger. If only he could have some Ramen. Mmm…miso ramen…
He felt his mouth water to the extent that he was nearly drooling.
Grudgingly Naruto kept running and running…and running…
SO hungry…
He was starting to feel slightly faint, his running/jog reduced to a speedy stagger except when he was in close proximity to Kakashi.
What was the point of this? Grr stupid teacher…stupid Hokage. Why am I even bothering, this is so pointless, but if I stop or disappear Kakashi will know as I won't pass him any more.
And thus Naruto's thoughts circled over the same points over and over again, driven by hunger, tiredness and anger. A pretty crappy combo resulting in Naruto feeling, well… crappy.
Now panting heavily Naruto passed Kakashi in the beginning of his tenth lap. He was visibly wilting. He'd been thinking about an idea for a while but now he was past caring about the consequences.
Halfway through the tenth lap when he was about as far away from Kakashi as he could have been on his circuit around the village. Naruto shot a swift glance around him before allowing himself to move off the path into the trees where he promptly collapsed against a tree trunk.
Panting, he leant his head back against the trunk, wiping the back of his hand across his perspiring forehead.
He didn't have long.
Closing his eyes he breathed deeply as he gathered the remnants of his energy and charkra.
Raising his hands he made a hand seal.
"Kage bunshin no jutsu." Naruto breathed, lacking his usual effort.
POOF
In a cloud of white smoke a single clone appeared standing before him.
"Go run around Konoha. You have 40 ½ laps left. Don't let Kakashi become suspicious. Go, or he'll know something's happened." Naruto explained tiredly.
Nodding silently his clone ran off, seemingly with more energy then he had.
He didn't know how long the clone would fool Kakashi, if it did at all…
Stiffly Naruto pushed himself up, using the tree trunk behind him for support. Walking off with as much speed as he could gather he headed off towards the centre of the town, towards the ramen stall. Patting his pocket he felt his money in his pocket.
Oh well, it looked like he was going to have to try his luck…
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Feeling his face grow warm as the blush spread across his cheeks Kakashi giggled at his book. From the corner of his eye he saw the orange shape of Naruto steadily pass.
Eagerly Kakashi turned the page so deeply involved in his book that Naruto could be a naked blond chick and he wouldn't notice.
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"Another please old man!" Naruto cried as he held up his empty bowl. He felt better. Never again would he allow anyone to convince him to eat fruit for breakfast.
Ideally he would stay until he felt ready then return to running the laps, taking his clones place. That or he'd get caught.
"There you go." The man said as he placed Naruto's first ball in front of him.
Eagerly Naruto slurped up the noodles. He was hungry enough to eat ten more bowls at least but he didn't have time.
Gulping down the last of the noodles and drink at the bottom he let out a long sigh.
"Thanks old man!" Naruto said as he slammed his money down on the counter as he turned to run out from the stall having regained some of his energy, though unknown to him where a figure waited.
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Sighing Kakashi closed his book having finally finished reading it.
Clearing his throat he looked around. Naruto should be passing by soon. Hopefully all the running he was doing would help with calm down; he didn't really want to deal with an angry Naruto…again.
The soft sound of distant footsteps reached Kakashi's sensitive ears as he turned expectantly.
Slowly Naruto came into sight, stumbling slightly as well as breathing heavily.
Something was different. He narrowed his visible eye suspiciously.
The expression of anger and resentment was gone from the boy's face that he'd noticed even though he had been reading his book.
Unsurely he pushed up his forehead protector to reveal the Sharingan.
Instantly his vision changed. He could see the charkra moving through the boy's body. Instantly he could see something wasn't right.
"Naruto." The white haired jounin called as he stepped forward away from the stump he'd been leaning against.
Almost unsurely the boy turned, coming to a stop before his sensei.
"There's something different about you. What are you up to?" Kakashi said musing aloud.
"Err…" was the only thing he managed to say before the jounin lashed out, landing a winding blow to the blonds stomach. For a moment Naruto remained frozen, his eyes staring in disbelief at his teacher before…
POOF
The clone disappeared in a cloud of white.
"Naruto." Kakashi breathed though secretly, under his mask, he couldn't help but smile at the boy. He was unique alright.
Funny enough Kakashi knew exactly where he'd find his run away student.
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"Thanks old man!" Naruto cried as he left the ramen stall, ducking out from under the stall flaps before slamming into the chest of a tall person, causing him to bounce back from the force of his own movement.
"Sorry there." Naruto cried looking up, getting ready to run back to the spot where he'd created his clone.
Looking up into the persons face, or rather the lack of it, Naruto froze as dread swept through him.
Oh shit.
"Er…hello Kakashi sensei." He tried as he took a step back to distance himself from colliding with his sensei.
"I thought I'd find you here." Kakashi said seriously, his lone visible eye narrowed.
"Err, well you see sensei –" naruto stared hurriedly but the jounin cut across him.
"If you resume running at once we'll count the laps that your clone did for you as that was no doubt more difficult to maintain then running the actual laps." Kakashi said before continuing after seeing the look of shock upon his student's face: "Go on then, unless you want to start from the beginning."
He may have spoken seriously but Naruto could tell he was smiling.
"Yes sensei!" he cried before jogging off down the street.
Kakashi simply leap up onto the roof of the nearest building before travelling across the tiled rooftops back to the site with the stone memorial and three wooden stumps.
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The sun was sinking towards the horizon by the time Naruto had finished. Weak kneed, hot and sweaty he had reached Kakashi for the final time.
"50 laps. That was good, even with the use of your clone." Kakashi said as Naruto threw himself to the ground.
To tired to speak Naruto nodded silently from where he sat on the ground, his legs stretched out in front of him as he leaned back, his arms propping him up.
"So how was the sparring? Did it trigger any memories?" Kakashi asked with hidden concern as he looked down at his exhausted student.
"The…the kyuubi…" the blond breathed, still panting from the running. Taking a second to catch his breath Naruto tried again.
"I remember using the kyuubi's strength before, using it more then once. That was the only thing defined, just memories about the kyuubi. Other then that it was just flashes…" Naruto said watching his teacher's response. He was still angry at him but he also felt grateful for ignoring his use of clone to skip running and get lunch. He still wasn't really sure about Kakashi as a person but as his idea popped into his head again that he'd got earlier from fighting Kiba.
"I don't know if it's possible but Kiba gave me an idea for a jutsu of my own that I'd like to try." Naruto said excitedly, more to himself then Kakashi.
"Yeah. What might that be?" Kakashi asked interestedly.
"I can't say, it's an idea in progress." Naruto said cheekily full of his old self as he gave his sensei a wink, tapping the side of his nose as he did so.
Closing his eye Kakashi shrugged carelessly, hiding his genuine interest. The only jutsu he'd know Naruto to create by himself was his infamous 'Sexy no jutsu'. Hopefully it wasn't along the same line as that.
"I have arranged for you Sasuke and Sakura to train with Gai and Asuma's team tomorrow. Your training will be over looked by Asuma as Gai is also on a mission. Iruka, Jiraiya and the other teachers up to the Hokage herself will be keeping a watchful eye on you whilst I'm gone. Try not to piss off the Hokage, the two of you get along well enough now but it was a bit stressful apparently when you first met, so for your own good don't be rude. Trainings done for today. You can go home now." Kakashi said as he took a step forward. "I hope that's clear. You'll be with Asuma's team whilst I'm gone unless you're instructed otherwise by the Hokage, no one else. Look after yourself." Kakashi said seriously before turnings his back on Naruto and walking away towards the setting sun.
"Yes sensei." Naruto replied a little confused to his teachers receding back.
Exhausted, Naruto walked off in the direction of the town, where he was ultimately heading home to pass out. He had no energy, no charkra left of his own. He was hungry and thirsty as well as being hot and sweaty, and possibly sunburnt from the tightness of his exposed skin.
Yawning Naruto wandered home, his shadow stretching out before him in the golden light.
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Authors Rant:
I'm loving the random reviews by the way, they're all great!