Chapter Ten
Anakin makes his way towards the training grounds. It's been a few days since his talk with his Grandfather. During that time, Kurenai has been giving her full attention in trying to train him for the finals since Shino is having a new hive installed inside him by his clan and Sakura is currently indisposed. However training is currently at its standstill since she is a genjutsu specialist and Anakin's first matchup is against his fellow Uchiha, which would make genjutsus fairly useless against a sharingan. And while she knows a decent bit about taijutsu and a little ninjutsu, she doesn't have much to offer for an advantage in the upcoming fights that Anakin doesn't already know or doesn't need.
It's during his walk when he stumbles across Naruto with a conflicted, but determined look. "This is infuriating!" The blonde says. "Pervy Sage told me the only way to advance my training is by hugging the girl I like, but I can't just ask her outright like that. Will she even agree to it?" Anakin arches a brow and quickly decides to duck behind an alleyway to spy on his blonde friend. Naruto is too busy racking his head to notice he is being followed. Anakin trails him for a bit until Naruto stops suddenly and ducks behind a wall. Anakin jumps to the rooftops to get a better view on who his friend is hiding from and sees Hinata walking towards him with her head looking down. Anakin is now both very confused about whatever Naruto is trying to do and concerned about why Hinata is so down. He reaches out with the Force for the small bond he has with her to search her feelings. She is filled with shame, distraught, and sadness. A prominent frown forms on his face as he tries to rack his head around who or what made her this way. Anakin looks at Naruto and formulates a plan. He doesn't know the full motive why Naruto feels he has to hug her, but it's the best option to solve her current feelings. With a nudge of the Force, he pushes the blonde-hair boy into the blue-haired girl's path. Both share a shocked expression when they bump into each other. Laughter next to Anakin erupts.
"That's a good one boy," A long white-haired man says, still crackling.
Anakin jumps a bit from the sudden appearance of the newcomer, "Kami, you scared the hell out of me! Maybe announce yourself before someone sends you to the hospital."
The man just laughs some more, "Oh that's a good one! Someone here sending me to the hospital. Boy, the only person in this village that could send me there is Sarutobi-sensei."
"I'm sorry Sarutobi-sensei? Just who are you?" A very confused Anakin asks.
The man straightens out and poses, "I'm so glad you asked! I am the Toad Sage himself, Jiraiya!"
Anakin takes a moment to process the information before a lightbulb appears above his head, "Wait one of the three sannin?"
The man nods with a proud grin, "Oh so you've heard of me have you?"
"Of course, you're the only known person alive that is a sage! If you don't mind, would you be willing to teach me about senjutsu?" Anakin asks with juvanation.
Jiraiya gives the boy a questioning look. "Now that is a tall order and isn't easy to achieve. Also it's very rude to ask for something without giving your name."
"Oh right, my name is Anakin Uchiha."
"Is that so?" His interest peaked. "Yes, I remember now. Sensei told me about you while I was making my way back to the village. You managed to achieve sage mode without any form of training." He scratches his chin for a moment before sighing heavily, "Listen kid I'll be honest. I have my hands full with the brat down there." Jiraiya points to Naruto stumbling on his words trying to talk to Hinata. Anakin can't help but chuckle on how the roles are now reversed between them. "I'll tell you what. Since you went out of your way to help with what I'm trying to pull with him, if he succeeds in getting a hug I'll see what I can do. Got it?" The sage puts a hand out.
Anakin takes the easiest bet he could have made, "Deal. I'll be honest I have no idea what kind of training you're doing with Naruto that requires him to hug Hinata, but it turns out to be a blessing in disguise."
"What do you mean by that? Think it'll be that easy for him?"
Anakin shakes his head. "It's not that, though I'm 200% sure it'll be that easy once he comes out and asks her, seeing as Hinata has such a huge crush on him. No, it's more about her feelings. They aren't good and Naruto might be the pick-me-up she needs."
"Her feelings?" Jiraiya asks before remembering the Hokage's letter again. "Ah, is it something to do with the 'Force' thing?"
"Yes," He confirms, "Though I've known her long enough to be able to tell when something is wrong without having to use the Force."
"Is that so?" The Toad Sage asks which Anakin just nods. They turn their attention back to the not quite so love birds on the street.
"So, Naruto-kun, was there something you wanted?" Hinata asks him with a smile.
The blonde squirms full red face, "Uh… Yeah… Well um… I'm not sure how to say this so I'll just ask outright…" He coughs trying to regain some sort of composer. "Hinata-chan, would you… could you…" He stops himself when he finally settles down enough to actually look at her. While the blonde may be very oblivious about her feelings for him, he is not oblivious to the way she is around him. Outwardly, she looks like she would normally from the perspective of any other passersby, but Naruto doesn't recognize the person in front of him. It's almost like someone put a Hinata mask on but is pretending to be her. Her smile is strained and there isn't a blush or hint of red anywhere on her face. The lips on the strained smile are faintly trembling and her eyes are puffy as if holding back a flood of tears.
She blinks after a minute of him staring at her, "Um are you okay?"
Naruto narrows his eyes at this response. She always gets extremely shy when he stares at her, but just now she has no reaction what-so-ever. He walks closer to her and places a hand on her shoulder. She flinches for a split second so fast that it can easily be missed. "I can ask you the same."
"Whatever do you mean?" She tries deflecting.
"I mean why are you wearing a mask when you shouldn't have to?" He elaborates. "Something is wrong, I know it, so I want you to be honest with me. We've known each other for years and I hope you know that you can trust me as much as I trust you. You can tell me anything. Or if not me, then speak to Anakin since he's also known us for just as long. Hell, even speak to Akamaru. Just please talk to someone. That mask you are wearing has a smile that doesn't suit you. Your true smile is something that shines for days and is very precious. The smile you have on now is as if the sun has lost all of its warmth. So please, don't let what is bothering you eat you up inside."
Anakin's eyes go wide in shock. For all the boy has been blind to the love she has for him, Naruto surprises him with such words. He knows the blonde always had a way with words, but to hear it like this makes Anakin want to confess. Seeing as how sold he is, Anakin looks to the intended target and it looked like it worked like a charm and possibly more so. Hinata's masks slowly start to crack down bit by bit. First it retracts the smile, then the eyes go from pale blankness to soaked watery, and lastly the rest of her face gives up the facade and gets down. A sniffle, a sob, then a wipe of the eyes, and she finally breaks. Her face lands almost immediately in Naruto's chest and she quickly damps his shirt with arms wrapped around him. He quickly wraps his arms around her as well and allows her to let it all out.
Anakin hears fumbling from Jiraiya and sees him scrabbling in a notebook. He gets mad and the sharingan flares from his eyes, "I swear if that is you taking notes from the suffering of my friend and not making a privacy seal, then I will personally go to every inn, bars, club, bathhouse, etc., and insure that you are never welcomed anywhere. I will also make sure one of my summons will follow you everywhere to make sure you never get a chance to do 'research'." Jiraiya stops dead writing and looks over at the Uchiha horrified. "Oh yeah, I know what books you write. Master Kurenai made sure to tell my team what unsavory type of men we should look out for when we have females with us and used you as an example."
"Tsk," Jiraiya clicks his tongue and rips the paper apart. He then pulls out a scroll with an ink brush, "Figures the guy I have beside me is the one guy who will impede me from my work. A cockblock type like the brat down there." He grumbles as he creates the seal. He takes a glance at Anakin who is still glaring at him. "Alright stop glaring at me! I'm writing the damn seal. See?! If I knew you'd be like this I would have never made that deal earlier. Congrats on winning that by the way." Jiraiya finishes the seal and throws it halfway between them and the pair below. A small bubble appears around them and turns invisible. "There, one privacy seal. No one can see them or us inside nor can they hear us either. The area looks the same, but we are pretty much invisible to outsiders. Plus the seal also has the added benefit of making people want to avoid walking through it, so no one can stumble upon us. Happy?" Anakin just looks for a second before turning back to his friends.
Hinata meanwhile has slowed her cries enough to be able to talk. "Naruto-kun, am I a failure?"
Naruto gets angry, "Of course you aren't! Why would you ever think that?!"
She sniffs for a second, "Because that's how my clan sees me. Weak and a failure. A failure as an heiress and as a Hyuga. When I told my father about making it to the finals, all he and the council just looked at me with contempt. He told me that if I expect to be complimented on something that should have been expected of me then I'm more worthless than he thought."
Naruto gets pissed along with Anakin. The former however leaks a little red chakra, but it stops before it can bubbles over. Anakin notices the Toad Sage has taken an interest in the conversation even more than previously. However his concern for Hinata is of greater importance. "That's just awful. What kind of father would be so cold to his children?" Naruto asks her.
Hinata lets out a shaky and sad sigh, "It's just the way Father and most Hyugas are. It's normal for my clan to have high expectations for the younger generations. However, that is not why I am ruining your shirt." She sniffs again and rubs her head against his chest. "No, what happened next is the worst part. When they found out both me and Neji are fighting in the first round of the finals, they told me that it'd be better if I just forfeit and not to dishonor the clan by being such a weak heiress. In fact they are looking at having either him or Hanabi replace me. They have been limiting my time spent with my younger sister, so I should have seen that coming. They said there is no way I will be able to face Neji without shaming myself, but if I forfeit then they'd be willing to have me keep my title and marry him to create a child who might actually be worthy of having the Hyuga name." Naruto grips her tighter trying to control himself. She knows what he is feeling and squeezes him tighter as well.
"That's not all," Hinata continues. "Ko-san might have been the only one willing to train me, but he is currently sent away on a mission. So when I finally worked up the courage to ask my father to train me for the fight, he gave me a look of disappointment. He told me he is personally trying Neji and training me would be a waste of anyone's time. Father then said that if I don't forfeit then my fate in the clan will depend on how badly I lose. Lose, not even entertaining the idea I might win or draw. The options I have before me all strip any freedom away from me. In fact, forfeiting is the best option I've been given. Most of them involve the Hyuga Curse Seal. Which makes it so that the main family can control anyone who has it, prevents the Byakugan from being harvested in death, and in serious cases prevents the Byakugan from being passed down." She pauses for a moment to find her voice to answer the question she knows Naruto will ask. "The options go as follows:
1. Get a cursed seal placed on me and thrown in the branch family.
2. Be used as a breeding whore for the whole clan with the seal.
3. Be disowned by the Hyuga clan. I will have a seal placed on me to insure I can't give any would-be children the Byakugan and have my eyes taken out where afterwards I would be thrown out of the compound blind and without any support.
4. Lastly, they'll just have Neji execute me during the exam.
The worst I do, the lower the number I'll end up with. Naruto-kun…" She grips his shirt tightly and almost smothers her face in his chest. "I'm scared and I don't know what to do. I want none of those options, but have no way to get new ones. What should I do?"
Naruto rests his chin on her head and gently rocks her, "The only thing you can do is create your own choices. If losing or forfeiting doesn't give you what you need, then you win and make your own. Show them and everyone else that they are wrong to look down at you and hold your cousin on a pedestal. If you aren't able to convince them, then choose a different option. You always have a choice, Hinata-chan. Find what drives you and follow that path as long as you can. Dreams should not be thrown away just because of an obstacle. Find a solution no matter how hard it is. If there was an easy path in life, then the world would be a sorry place to live in."
Hinata pulls back enough to move her head upwards into his deep sea blue eyes. "'Find what drives me and follow that path…'" She gets a thought in her head of what she truly wants and she musters up any and all courage she has. Once she feels prepared enough, Hinata pushes her face towards his and smacks her lips on his. Naruto is caught by surprise, but wastes no time in questioning what is happening. Instead he moves into her and gets drunk off the kiss they are sharing.
Anakin, who is watching the whole time, blushes but cheers silently for the two finally realizing their feelings. He then remembers who is beside him and looks over at the Toad Sage. Jiraiya meets the Uchiha's gaze and raises his hands showing he is not taking any notes. He then gestures that the two of them leave and give the couple some room. Anakin agrees and they step outside of the seal.
"Man, when I sent that brat to hug the girl he likes, I didn't expect any of that to happen." Jiraiya admits. "I thought he might get clobbered and put in a scenario where he would call upon the Kyuubi's chakra. While I did get to see a little leakage from him, it wasn't the reaction I was hoping for. Honestly I was about to decide to throw him down a chasm, but I think I'll let the brat have the rest of the day off. His new girl is in need of him and I can't break them apart at the moment."
"While I'm not quite sure I reason with your training, I am grateful that Naruto ended up where he needed to be. I've been trying to get them together so many years now that it's not even funny. However I do wish they got together in happier conditions." Anakin tells him.
Jiraiya just waves the worries off, "Don't worry about that kiddo. We are shinobi and in this line of work where we never know if our next mission is our last, I consider them getting together at all a happy condition. Though I will say I don't approve of that girl's home life. I knew Hyugas have sticks up their asses, but that takes it to a whole other level of fucked up. Honestly I'd rather deal with the Uch…" -iha plot than this shit. At least we could have possibly saved a few of the families that didn't agree with Fugaku's plan. With the Hyugas, we can't even touch them as it currently is. He finishes the last part in his head after realizing he is standing next to one of the surviving two members. However he fails to realize that thoughts often betray the user when it comes to the Force. Anakin read the Toad Sage like an open book, but with the training of a ninja he managed to save his face from revealing anything. Jiraiya looks back to the genin in front of him before writing a note and handing it to the boy. "Here, this is where you can meet me tomorrow and I'll see if I can work something out for you. Bring the brat as well since I'm still supposed to be training him. Also when they are done, can you remove the seal? Don't want any accidents to happen with it." He then hops away on the rooftops.
Interesting kid that one. He truly cares for his friends more than most I've seen. I'd go so far to say he loves his friends. As a person, he is everything everyone would look to. As a ninja… He still has a long way to go. Though it's too early to write him off yet. A lot of genin start out that way and will adapt in time. I see now why Sensei has an eye on him. About going with his request… best to ask Ma and Pa for help with that. Jiraiya stops dead in his tracks when he sees the Hyuga compound in the distance. Those girl's words still echo in my head. It's shameful such a prodigious would be so disgraceful behind closed doors. I know it won't matter, but I have to let Sensei know. Maybe he can at least help the girl in some way. Though I won't get my hopes up since it could be considered 'clan business' or some bullshit like that to keep the Hokage out. Jiraiya turns towards the Hokage Tower and heads to the open window.
Anakin watches as the Toad Sage leaves before taking off as well. His mind is also full of thoughts from the last ten minutes. What kind of shit storm did I come across? Again I am happy for the two, but I am very concerned for Hinata. I know the Skywalkers aren't anything close to what people would call a 'perfect family', but dammit we still all love each other! Hell, Grandfather and Uncle Luke loved each other back during the days of the rebellion when they were still enemies! Even Aunt Ahsoka and Master Kenobi still had love for Grandfather when Vader 'killed' Anakin. The only chance for her is to at least drag the fight to a draw, so she can be able to make her own choice. Since I got Jiraiya to teach me a bit about senjutsu, Master Kurenai would be freed up to help Hinata. With the plan decided, he heads back on track to meet with his jounin instructor.
That just leaves me with the tad bit of information I got from Jiraiya. I don't know about any plot nor do I have any memories of my childhood to lead me to believe Mom and Dad to do anything suspicious. He mentioned it had something to do with Sasuke's dad, so that is my best lead. Though that means finding a way to get Sasuke to go along with it, and we both aren't on any good terms with each other. Especially on what he did to Sakura-chan. Okay new plan, royally kick his ass during the exams enough to both get our (mostly my) aggressions out and to hopefully get him to calmed down enough to listen to me.
Early the next morning after talking to Kurenai and getting her approval, Anakin waits outside the Hyuga compound for Hinata to come out. It isn't uncommon for the guards to see him there since he regularly goes on a morning run with her and Naruto for years. He didn't have to wait long as Hinata seemed to want to quickly leave the place as soon as possible. She is a little shocked to see him waiting outside, but is also equally glad to see her long time friend. "Anakin, I haven't heard much from you since the qualifiers. It's good to see you!" She says with a smile and walks up to him.
He smiles as well, "It's great to see you too. I'm here to see if you wouldn't mind coming with me for some training."
She brightens up, "Training? Of course! Lead the way." He obliges by leading the way with her walking in step. "How's Sakura?"
Anakin briefly stumbles, but catches himself at the question. "She's stable and should make a recovery. However they want to keep her in an induced coma for a bit longer just to be sure."
"Hmm." She nods while listening. "And how are you holding up?"
"Well my bones healed fairly well and the doctors say it is as if it never happened." He answers.
Hinata shakes her head this time and pulls his attention to her face, "While I'm glad to hear that, I wasn't asking about your physical injuries." She taps his chest above where his heart is, "I'm asking about this part of you. Sasuke has caused you to end up at the hospital a lot longer than Lee ever could."
Anakin exhales, "I'm doing better. I'll be honest in saying I wasn't in a good place for a few days, but my grandfather gave me some words of wisdom and got me out of it."
She studies him for a moment before nodding in confirmation. "Good to hear it! While I don't understand the Force much compared to you, I do know enough that the Dark Side plays heavily on negative emotions. So I was quite worried for you for a bit."
Anakin smiles again, "It's good to know I have a friend who will worry about me."
"Please, it's not just me that was worried. Naruto-kun was worried for you as well." Hinata adds on while pacing around. "The three of us, even on different teams, share a bond that no one will break. Come hardships or heartbreaks, nothing will separate our trio. When one of us is down, the other two will be there to help any way we can. You both got me out of my shyness enough to become friends. We both came together to show Naruto-kun that he no longer has to be alone. Naruto-kun and I both help you come to terms with both your previous and current lives. We helped Naruto-kun find who his mother was. Naruto-kun and I supported your choice to reclaim your place in the Uchiha clan. And now," She stops pacing and faces him, "You both are helping me make my own choice with my struggles in my own clan. Oh yes I know you and Jiraiya were watching us yesterday." Anakin's face turns to shock which makes Hinata giggle. "Don't worry I'm not mad. No, I'm actually quite grateful for it." She takes his hand and squeezes it with both of hers, "You've given me a gift I will cherish. My younger self would have never imagined that my crush would involve into dating. Not only that, but you've given me the opportunity to make Naruto-kun's words of creating a new option into reality. Really I cannot thank you enough and I'll be sure to repay the two of you when it is my turn to help again." She drops it and spins back down the street. "Now come on, I can't stand a chance against Neji if I spend my time talking for a month!"
"You got it," Anakin says as he resumes leading the way. "Have you given much thought about what you'll do if you get your chance?"
Hinata looks throughout for a moment, "Hmm I haven't put too much thought into it. Honestly I'm not sure what the right course of action is. My faith in the clan has been drastically shaken as of late, but even before all of this it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. Without your clan to contend as the 'best clan' in the village, it went all into the leaders' heads. Plus the unity between the Main and the Branch hasn't been as good as they try to make it out to be, and the forced cursed seals makes it even worse. Any problems the Branch has, the Main will just write it off, and if the Branch tries to stand up for themselves, the Main will activate the seal to force them to back off through pain. I wish to do something to fix that, but my position for heiress is heavily threatened and I'm not sure they'd be willing to let me keep it even if I do beat Neji. They might write it off as a fluke."
"Don't worry Hinata, you still have plenty of time to figure out what you feel is right. And like you said, I'll be there to support you through it."
Hinata gives him a warm smile, "I appreciate it Anakin. I'm lucky to have people like you and Naruto-kun. Anyway enough about that now, what I want to know is why Jiraiya was with you yesterday. While my eyes can see you both through walls and roofs, I was otherwise… busy with Naruto-kun to give you much attention other than that privacy seal he threw up for us."
"Apparently he sent Naruto to go hug the girl he likes, thinking the girl will just box him enough to draw out the Kyuubi chakra." Anakin answers as they pass by a few kids playing hopscotch in the streets. "He noticed I literally gave him a push towards you and made a deal with me that if you both hug, then he'd teach me a little bit about senjutsu."
"Well seeing as we did a bit more than that," She says with a blush, "I'd hope he teaches you more than a little. After you told us the true purpose you came to our world, you'll need all the help you can to beat that Sith Lord. And know you can count on both me and Naruto helping when it comes time to face him. The trio will face any hardships as I already stated."
Anakin pats her shoulder, "As much as I don't want you two getting involved, I know the two of you well enough that you wouldn't listen. But we still have a few more years on the doomsday timer, so for the meantime let me worry about it."
"If you say so," is all she says as they reach the training field of Team Eight with Kurenai standing there waiting.
"Ah, Hinata, it's good to see you." The Genjutsu Mistress greets her.
Hinata gives a small bow, "Kurenai-sensei thanks for having me."
"It's no trouble at all." She tells the Hyuga. "Training you is something I wanted to do for a while now."
"Really?"
Kurenai nods, "Absolutely. I originally asked for you two and Naruto, but Kakashi had his eye on Naruto for a long time and during our argument, the Hokage sided with him which resulted with how the teams are now. Of course now I can't see my team any different than it is now." She looks over to Anakin, "Thanks for bringing her, but shouldn't you get going? When it comes to Jiraiya, you better get him before he runs off to do 'research'."
"Oh yeah," Anakin agrees. "I'll catch you later, Hinata. Kurenai is a great teacher, so you'll be in good hands. I better go get Naruto and head over to the 'Pervy Sage'." Kurenai bursts out laughing at the name as Hinata makes a small chuckle and gives a small wave.
Anakin quickly realizes Naruto is in deep sleep if he won't answer a knock on his door. However, pranking the prankster sounds so tempting. So he uses the Force to unlock the door and makes his way inside Naruto's apartment. It is still as run down as it normally is and Anakin can only hope that Naruto will start using his ninja pay to eventually get a better apartment. Stepping over empty cups of ramen and creaky floor planks, he makes his way to the blond's bed. He quietly uses his summoning jutsu to bring a swarm of wisties into the room. Issillda already knows why they are here and directs her sisters to converge on Naruto. It doesn't take any time for Naruto to be fully awake and laughing from the attack. He holds his sides and squirms around on his bed until he falls off of it, which the attack finally stops and all but Issillda leave with a job well done.
"Good morning sleeping beauty," Anakin says.
"Did you really have to do that to wake me up? What happened to a simple shaking of the body?" Naruto asks him, getting off the floor.
Anakin holds his hand out for Issillda to land on, "And where's the fun in that? I thought you loved pranks like that?"
"You call that a prank? Please compared to my masterpiece of the Hokage Monument, this is nothing."
"Ah yes, nothing says prank as much as defacing an important monument." Anakin snarkly comments as Issillda jumps up on his shoulder. "Next time I'll be sure to vandalize your property to wake you up."
"Just forget I said anything." Naruto pulls out his usually orange jumpsuit and clothes to change into and heads into the bathroom. After closing the door he asks Anakin, "So why are you in my house so early for? Shouldn't you be training for the finals of the exams?"
"I am but since we are going to the same place, it'd make more sense to go with you." He answers by looking around the apartment and picking up the trash littered about.
A few minutes later, Naruto walks out and grabs his ninja gear. He then leads Anakin out of his apartment and locks the door. "What do you mean we're going to the same place? Is Kurenai-sensei training you down by the waterfall as well?"
"No," Anakin says as they both begin walking towards their destination. "She's now going to be training Hinata. I'm tagging along with you since Jiraiya said he'd teach me about senjutsu."
"So Hinata-chan is going to be getting training? That's great! I was worried about what she was going to do about…" Naruto trails off.
"What's happening with her clan situation," Anakin finishes.
"Yeah, I forgot Hinata mentioned you and Jiraiya were watching over us and gave us some privacy." Naruto then turns a light shade of red, "You didn't happen to watch everything did you?"
"We left after you two started kissing. At that point I knew Hinata would be alright and I wasn't needed any longer." He then gets a smirk, "Why did you ask? Were you guys perhaps doing something other than just kissing?"
The blonde shakes his head violently, "Nononono! We didn't do anything but kiss. It's just that," he gets a deeper shade of red, "the kiss got fairly intense after a while."
Anakin laughs at his friend's embarrassment, "It's alright Naruto, you don't have to be ashamed of it. Sakura-chan and I tend to get very passionate about our kissing at times."
Issillda shakes her small head, "That's an understatement. If you two weren't thirteen, you both would be dealing with a screaming baby by now."
It's Anakin's turn to get red, "Issillda! Don't be making accusations like that!"
"It's not an accusation if it's true," She says with a grin. "The two of you just can't stay off each other when you are at home. I fear for what comes when she is released from the hospital. Every window in that house will be fogged up."
Naruto starts dying on the ground from laughter, much to the dismay of Anakin. He gets a blushed filled tick mark on his head and has had enough, "Okay I think we've had enough of this. Thank you Issillda, but I think it's time for you to leave." He reverse-summons the wistie back to her home and starts to drag a still laughing Naruto. Naruto calms down after a bit and pulls himself up and out of Anakin's grip. He dusts himself off and begins walking. They walk the rest of the way in silence until they come to the spot where they see an old man peeping on women at the waterfall.
Naruto calls out to him very loudly, "PERVY SAGE, STOP LOOKING AT GIRLS AND START TRAINING ME!" This startles Jiraiya and he falls forwards out of the bush he was hiding in. The women hears the commotion and sees the Toad Sage in his fallen position and screams. They throw rocks at him and leave immediately.
Jiraiya grumply pulls him up and glares at Naruto, "Brat what did I say about disturbing my research?"
"That isn't research, that's just you being a pervert," He clearly states. "Now let's get training to begin!"
Jiraiya waves it away, "Fine fine, no need to shout. Go over there and continue from yesterday as I talk to Anakin for a moment. I'll be over to help once I'm done." Naruto does as he said and heads over to the shore. Jiraiya then looks over to Anakin. "And for you, I'll be honest it'll be a little tricky since I'm not able to use senjutsu and fight or move at the same time as you managed to do. Though I get around that problem by using two very respected elder toads from the Toad Summons Fukasaku and Shima, or as they are more commonly known as Ma and Pa, that will fuse with me and they handle the absorbing natural chakra part. But since I heard you already have a summon contract, I can't have you sign the Toad Summons and have you do the same thing. However I can at least summon them here and see if you can work something out with them." Anakin agrees and Jiraiya summons the two toads before them, both wearing cloaks with the female having curly hair and the male having bushy white eyebrows.
The female one looks around before looking at Jiraiya, "Lad why have you summoned us? I have a bowl of stew I was about to place on the stove."
"Sorry Ma, but the two of you would be better than I would be when it comes to senjutsu." He explains to her. "He already has a different summon so he can't sign the Toad summons to be sent to you. I was hoping that you might work out a deal for both of you."
The male toad looks at the boy, "This is the one you mean? Doesn't look like much, why ask us for this?"
"Well Pa, he has managed to use Sage Mode without any sort of training." The two elder toads look to Anakin in surprise. Jiraiya sees he has their interest and continues, "He has great potential if he is only able to learn properly. I know he has no obligation to the toads, but perhaps you can work out an understanding."
Pa studies Anakin before speaking, "So you wish to learn senjutsu? Before we start anything, what is your reasoning for learning it?"
Anakin kneels down and lowers his head in a bow before making eye contact, "I'll be honest with you both. When I first arrived in this world, I only wanted to train myself strong enough to do the task I was sent on and I would have answered back then that I needed power to defeat an ancient enemy of my original people. However my time here over the years has left me meeting many people, some of which I would call my family." He looks over to the struggling Naruto by the riverbed then back at them. "I have people I love in this world and I will go far enough to say that this is now my home. I only wish to protect my home that is filled with the family I love. I know the dangers of practicing senjutsu without a proper trainer, however I will not hesitate in doing anything within my power to save them even if it costs me my life."
"Giving your life for the ones you care about sounds heroic, but isn't something to be glorified. Even if you aren't from here, you should give your life more value than recklessly getting yourself killed. Don't you know the cost you would lose if you died?" Ma tries to reason.
Anakin gives her a 'I already know' smile, "Of course I do. I did say I came to this world but I didn't tell you why. It's because I am reincarnated. I sacrificed myself to save my companions in my previous life to the point where I'm sure my previous body was completely vaporized. So dying isn't a new thing to me."
Ma, Pa, and Jiraiya are taken aback by this bit of information. The Toad Sage decides to comment, "Sensei never said anything about you dying in such a way."
"It's because only a select few know about it," Anakin tells him. "Explain your own death isn't something one should be telling everyone."
"I guess not," He agrees.
"So about an understatement," Anakin starts, "Since I am the one asking you guys for something, how about you start the negotiations?"
Pa looks at Ma for a moment before speaking. "Sounds reasonable to me. Training senjutsu to shinobi isn't something we take lightly. Therefore I suggest we get to be able to call upon you when we need to. Having an ally we can depend on when the lad here is unable to would be a great benefit. Besides, his 'research' came at times to be a bit much to deal with. Also we are waiting for the boy over there to finally summon Chief, so again you would be an even greater benefit."
Anakin nods along, "Alright, but first define 'when you need to'."
"It simply means if there is a time we need some extra muscle, we can call you in to help. Almost like our own little contract for summoning you." Ma explains. "Though rest assured that we aren't in need of any outside help most of the time. It will only be in battles when we can't take it alone, or if we feel like the powers of the Toads aren't enough to help our summoners. Though like I said, those times are few and far between. And don't worry if you end up in a state of almost death, we will send you back where we pulled you from unless you say otherwise. Would these terms be acceptable to you?"
Anakin rests a hand on his chin to think it over. While being randomly pulled from whatever he is doing into a battlefield doesn't sound like a great time, being able to get to and help Naruto faster makes the choice a lot simpler. Besides, if he is to save this world, just stopping the Sith Lord isn't going to magically send a wave of good energy around the world and turn every evil to being good. He has to be able to help everyone he can to save this world, both before and after the Sith has been defeated. With his mind made up, he returns his attention to the toads in front of him. He takes his hand off his chin and reaches to them, "Alright you guys got yourself a deal."
The elder toads smile and place their hands on his to solidify the deal. "Good to hear. One can never have enough allies in this world, and if you fulfill your part then you two will have earned one as well." Pa looks towards Jiraiya, "Lad why don't you produce a simple reverse summons on the boy so we can take him with us. It will be easier to train him at Mount Myoboku and we can work out a contract with the boy as per our deal while we are there."
"As you say," Jiraiya says and begins digging through his supplies until he finds what he needs. He begins work as fast as he can and places the seal on Anakin. "Alright boy, that should do it for now. Just know that time works differently there so be sure you pay close attention not to miss the exams while you are gone. I'll inform your sensei where you are so you won't be missed."
Anakin looks at the seal on his arm, "Thanks Master Jiraiya. Have fun with Naruto and tell him to not go overboard with Hinata while I'm gone."
Jiraiya just laughs at this, "Don't you worry about that. I'll make sure the brat will have hardly any time to think about that."
"Alright lad are you ready?" Pa asks the genin. A nod is the answer and the toads along with Anakin are sent to Mount Myoboku.
Anakin sits cross legged in deep meditation on a rock in an open field. Everything is blocked out other than his focus on the task at hand. White lines appear along his eyeline and he opens his eyes to reveal white eyes. He sends some chakra to his eyes and three black tomoe spins onto the contrast of the white irises. While keeping focus on keeping it going, he outstretched his hand to lift the boulder he is on with the Force. He manages to lift it a foot off the ground before losing focus and losing the Natural Energy within him. He drops the boulder and sighs. "Still too hard to pull that off for long."
Pa, who was watching the whole time with a stick, walks to him. "But of course it is. From what you told me, the Force requires a similar type of focus that Sage Mode does. Going between them both was never going to be easy. You have been going on about it for a month, and I'd say the work you've made with senjutsu alone is impressive enough. You don't require outside help anymore to keep Sage Mode going while fighting or using jutsus, be proud of that lad. I'm sure that is plenty enough to make chunin as is. You can worry about learning to use both the Force and Sage Mode later. We have the contract created anyways and Chief along with the other toads respect you enough to welcome you to come back for more training at any time. Your unique summons also makes for great training for our youngsters. It is a win-win for both of us."
Anakin wipes the sweat off his brow with a towel, "Thanks Master for your kind words. I'll be sure to return when I can."
"I'll be looking forward to it. Not often we find a human willing to eat on our diet as well. Ma was very pleased with that." Pa puts in.
"Well when I have grown up in a galaxy with many different races, species, and cultures," Anakin begins, "you toads aren't that unusual to me as I'm sure the rest of the shinobi in the world would disagree."
"That you are true about lad," Pa agrees. "Now let's not prolong our goodbyes any longer than needed. I'll be sure to send your regards to Ma and await your return, or to call on when help is needed."
Anakin bows to the elder, "Goodbye Master. Take care of yourselves."
Pa nods to the boy, "The same to you lad. Good luck on your exams." He goes through the motions and sends Anakin back to the Leaf Village.
Author's Note:
Oh, boy don't I know that this chapter might be controversially received. I know I'm putting the Hyuga clan in a bad light, though saying it's bad might be an understatement. What Hinata has been threatened with isn't something one usually slides in unnoticed. If there are a couple of you that also read my Fate/SW story, you know that I'm not one to shy away from such topics. I didn't put a M rating on this for show. If it is too much for you to continue reading, then I apologize but it's been a plan from the start to eventually branch out. Though the best I can say to ease your worries is that if said acts were to happen, I'm not going to go into detail about it. I'm not that comfortable stepping that far away from the line to write such things. The same will go for any sex scenes, so sorry for the lemon fans. It will only be mentioned or referred to at most. You may wonder about the deal that was made between Anakin and the toads, but I left it fairly open on purpose so I can use it when needed without taking the toad summons away from Naruto. If I give everything to Anakin, then what is the point of having everyone else stick around? Everything else I feel needs no elaborate explanation.
DS2010: Always glad to see you enjoying those scenes!
JaimonDosFendu: I know it's not perfect and my writing skills could definitely use some work to help it, but I'm really happy you like it still. I always do my best for it.
That's it for the reviews and for me to say. Thanks for reading and I'll talk at y'all next time!
