A/N: I humbly present: chapter 37. Peep the new cover art! Details in the notes at the end.
Hmmm...nope, don't own Naruto.
Chapter XXXVII: Trinity
The midmorning air was crisp and cool in Training Ground Three. For the first time in what felt like ages, Team 7 was gathered at their stomping grounds. The only difference was that their sensei was absent, but not as a result of tardiness or a memory slip. Sasuke was going through kenjutsu drills and taijutsu kata near the creek. Meanwhile, Naruto and Sakura sat underneath a tree, the latter eager to take in whatever information Naruto could impart to her.
"Okay, so, Senjutsu," Naruto said, clapping his hands together. "Well, uh. Before you can use Senjutsu, you gotta be in Sage Mode."
"Sage Mode is what you used to fight Pain, right?"
"Yeah! I went to Mount Myōboku to learn from Grandpa Sage," Naruto chirped.
"I don't want to pry, but what was that like?" Sakura wondered.
The blond hummed. "Well, it wasn't easy, that's for sure. There was a lot of sitting still and trying to be 'one with nature.' The toads have this special oil that helps with learning it, though. The oil only exists at Mount Myōboku—Grandpa Sage said it evaporates the second it leaves the mountain. Something about the climate."
It was Sakura's turn to hum. "So what is Sage Mode, exactly?"
"The way Grandpa Sage explained it is that it's pretty much combining your own energies with natural energy. You take in natural energy that's all around and mold it with your own chakra, and boom: sage chakra."
"That sounds simple enough. How do I start gathering natural energy?" Sakura prompted.
"Actually, Sakura, it's a little—actually, a lot harder than you think," Naruto warned.
"But you learned it in, what, a week?" she retorted.
"I mean, yeah, but it was still really hard to get it down," Naruto fired back. "Plus, I had the help of not only Grandpa Sage and the oil, but also shadow clones. You can't just gather up natural energy, either. It's dangerous."
"Dangerous? How?"
"If you don't control the natural energy and how it flows into you, you'll turn into a frog forever. Or worse: you'll turn into a frog and then into stone." The blond scratched his cheek. "At least, that's how it was at Mount Myōboku. I dunno how that would work for you. Maybe you'd turn into a slug?"
Sakura made a displeased face. "I don't know if I'd turn into a slug, but it sounds like Senjutsu and Sage Mode aren't things you can just jump into without being careful."
"Yeah. Sorry, this probably isn't very helpful, is it?" Naruto regretfully admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.
Pink locks danced as Sakura shook her head. "It's okay, it's actually more helpful than you think. What does your Sage Mode do, exactly?
"Well, it boosts my senses and my strength, and it also makes me tougher."
"What do you mean by 'tougher'?"
"When I was training at Mount Myōboku, I fell off a high rock type thing and hit the ground pretty hard, but it didn't really hurt all that much. It felt more like if I fell out of bed instead of falling off a cliff," Naruto explained.
"What the heck were you doing on a high rock, anyways?"
"Meditating. Part of mastering Sage Mode is learning to sit really really still," Naruto stated matter-of-factly. "I had to keep my balance on a pointy rock while I meditated. I fell off more than a couple of times, though." He flashed a sheepish grin. "Now that I think of it, Grandpa Sage hit me a lot when I was first learning to gather natural energy."
Sakura blinked. "He…hit you? Why?"
"Oh, to stop me from turning into a toad."
The pink haired kunoichi only stared at her blond friend.
Said blond cleared his throat awkwardly. "Y'see, Grandpa Sage had this stick that—when he hit me—would release all the natural energy I gathered and stop me from turning into a toad."
Sakura stared at him, her mouth opening despite no words coming to her. She pursed her lips, gathering her thoughts. "I didn't think sage training could be so…extreme. I mean, Lady Tsunade didn't go easy on me by any means, but balancing on a cliff? Turning into a toad?"
"I know, I know, it sounds a little crazy," Naruto placated, raising a hand. "But remember: I needed to get stronger to better protect everyone. Plus, if I hadn't learned Sage Mode, who knows how my fight with Pain would've turned out?"
A sigh escaped the kunoichi. "I still wish we could've done more to help you," she mumbled.
"Sakura, you did plenty to help."
"How? All I did was sit on the side and watch you fight. That's hardly helping."
"Weren't you the one that was searching for survivors and leading them to the tents?"
Sakura's brow furrowed. "That's—"
"And what about before I showed up? Weren't you holding off some of those weird summons that Pain had? Not to mention helping people get to safety?"
The blond was met with silence.
"Wasn't it you that helped Shizune heal my eyes?"
"Shizune did most of that," Sakura quietly pointed out as she turned her head.
"But you still helped. You got me situated into a tent, right?"
"Weren't you unconscious that whole time?"
"I asked Sasuke about it," Naruto answered with a shrug.
Sakura nodded, a small silence settling over them.
"He told me neither of you left my side unless you had to, also," the blond said quietly.
Pink locks danced once more as the kunoichi nodded. "I—we were worried about you. You'd never been unconscious for that long."
"I know. Sorry I made you worry. It was, well, kinda unexpected, to say the least."
"We're your friends, we're gonna worry about you no matter what," Sakura reminded him.
"That goes both ways, ya know," Naruto added with a smile.
"So," Sakura said, folding her hands in her lap. "Do you think you can teach me Sage Mode?"
The blond scratched his cheek. "Well, I could, but I don't have a way to help you other than just telling you to meditate and how to feel for it and stuff. Honestly, Grandpa Sage was the one who helped me the most. There's also the whole thing of possibly turning to stone. Have you tried asking the slugs or Granny about it?"
"Well, not yet at least. Lady Katsuyu didn't say much when I asked her what kind of jutsu they could show me. But, then again, I never asked about Sage Mode specifically."
Naruto hummed. "As much as I would love to teach you, I think you should ask Granny and Katsuyu. I know I'm a sage and all, but I don't think I'm at the level to where I can teach it to you. At least not yet." His face fell into a frown. "I'm really sorry."
Sakura offered a commiserating smile. "It's okay. I'll definitely ask Lady Tsunade and Lady Katsuyu about it."
From the corner of her eye, she saw Sasuke turn towards the entrance of the training ground and sheathe his ninjato. She turned to the entrance as well, catching sight of two familiar faces. "Hey, Naruto, look."
The blond craned his head, catching sight of Neji and Haku making their way towards them. He sprang to his feet and jogged over to meet their visitors, Sasuke and Sakura following closely behind. Naruto was the first to greet them.
"Neji, Haku, what're you guys doing here?"
"I would like to speak to you, Naruto," Neji answered.
"I was going to ask Sakura if she wanted to have some tea and study." Haku turned his chocolate gaze to the kunoichi, who was standing just behind Naruto. "Ino said you'd be here."
"What did you want to talk to me about?" the blond asked.
Neji cleared his throat. "I wasn't able to ask you this until now, but just what jutsu did you use in the Forest of Death to rescue that girl so quickly?"
Only the sounds of leaves rustling and the stream flowing could be heard for what felt like an eternity. Neji's pale gaze was unwavering, but so was Naruto's. After a tense moment, Neji broke the silence.
"I also noticed something unusual about your chakra. Particularly about how your chakra was focused—"
"Around my eyes, right?" Naruto interrupted. Neji gave a curt nod. The blond exhaled through his nose. Without a word, he removed his sunglasses, his Rinnegan on display for the Hyūga to examine. Neji's eyes narrowed.
"So you do have a dōjutsu," he stated matter-of-factly.
Naruto nodded. "It's not the Sharingan, and it sure isn't the Byakugan. It's called the Rinnegan. What I did in the forest is one of the abilities granted to me by it."
Neji hummed. "The Rinnegan," he echoed. "I've heard of those eyes. But how did you come to possess them?"
"Long story short: they were given to me. If you wanna know the details, I'll tell you another time," Naruto answered. "Does that answer your questions so far?"
"It does. I do apologize for being rude. I was merely curious," the Hyūga said with a small bow.
"It's no big deal," Naruto responded with a wave of his hand. "You aren't the only person who's been curious about my eyes, actually."
"I see. I do have a proposition, if you don't mind," Neji said.
"What sort?" Sasuke queried.
"I'd like to suggest a spar between the three of us: myself, Naruto, and you, Sasuke."
Naruto cocked his head, while Sasuke arched an eyebrow.
"Any particular reason?" the Uchiha wondered.
"It's been a few years since Naruto and I sparred, and I'm curious to see firsthand just how much stronger he's become. I'd also like to see how our dōjutsu stack up against each other."
"That last part is a bit childish, don't you think, Hyūga?" Sasuke jabbed.
"Call it curiosity with a touch of pride," the Hyūga retorted. "I'm sure you're just as curious to see how that would turn out. After all, I never got to see what your eyes were capable of firsthand, either."
Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a look and a quick nod.
"You're on," Naruto declared.
"Do you still want to study? Or would you rather watch them beat each other senseless?" Sakura asked as she moved to join her coal haired friend.
"As riveting as studying sounds, I think this is bound to be more entertaining," Haku admitted.
"So, how're we doing this?" Naruto prompted, loudly cracking his knuckles before replacing his sunglasses.
Sasuke was stretching his arms. "You wanna fight us one at a time? Or go two-on-one?"
"Maybe we should do a free-for-all," the blond suggested as he stretched his neck, a couple of vertebrae popping along the way.
"A free-for-all it is," Neji agreed.
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glance and nodded, creating some distance between themselves. Neji dropped into the signature stance of the Gentle Fist. Sasuke's eyes immediately flashed crimson, while Naruto shifted into his own taijutsu stance. Haku and Sakura sat beneath a tree, eagerly watching.
The trio stood motionless for what felt like an eternity. Suddenly, Naruto and Sasuke dashed, moving to pinch Neji. They flew through hand seals and let loose two fireballs.
Just as quickly, Neji activated his Byakugan, the veins surrounding his eyes bulging. With his three-hundred-sixty-degree defense activated, he could not only see Naruto and Sasuke moving, but also easily track the fireballs.
The Hyūga shifted his weight, drawing his arms inwards, balling his hands into fists. "Hakke Kūshō!" His arms snapped outwards, and blasts of air struck the fireballs, dissipating them.
In an instant, Naruto and Sasuke were upon him, letting their fists fly. Despite the ferocity of their attacks, Neji blocked every strike with ease. Normally, he'd be able to counter by aiming jabs at his attacker's tenketsu, but these attackers weren't giving him that chance.
Sasuke leapt away, weaving through hand seals and sending a series of small fireballs screaming towards the Hyūga and Naruto. Neji grit his teeth, aiming another air palm strike at the blond, who leapt away just as the fireballs approached. The brunet twisted his torso. "Hakkeshō Kaiten!" The fireballs impacted against the swirl of chakra harmlessly.
Naruto dodged the fireball that Sasuke launched at him, narrowly avoiding being cooked. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Sasuke charging him, his ninjato poised. Acting quickly, Naruto created a black chakra rod and readied it. A resounding clang echoed as their blades met. The blond flashed his roommate a smirk as they locked themselves in a glorified stalemate.
Finally, Naruto saw an opening and brought a hand up. "Shinra Tensei!"
Sasuke was sent flying backwards, landing gracefully on the creek's surface. Just as he landed, he turned to see Neji charging. The Uchiha sheathed his ninjato, flying through hand seals and inhaling deeply. On the exhale, a stream of fire exploded into a hellish wall the size of Konoha's main gate.
Neji skidded to a halt, his pale, chakra-enhanced eyes widening. He shifted his stance, gathering chakra into his right hand. Just before the inferno collided, he extended his arm. "Hakke Hasangeki!" A massive wall of air clashed with the fire, dispersing it enough to where it passed around him harmlessly.
Not a second later, Sasuke barreled towards the Hyūga, seemingly unfazed by the blistering pressure of the air blast. His eyes blazed crimson as he blocked a jab aimed for his sword arm. The Uchiha spun on his heel, aiming a kick for his opponent's head. Neji brought his hand up, blocking Sasuke's foot.
The swordsman swung his blade. Neji quickly released a surge of chakra from all his tenketsu, causing the ninjato to harmlessly bounce off. He aimed another jab at Sasuke's sword arm, only for it to be swatted away.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw silver. His ninjato clashed with Naruto's knuckle blades in a shower of sparks and a resounding clang. Naruto swiped again, but was blocked once more by Sasuke's blade.
Neji caught a similar glint of silver. He twisted his torso. "Hakkeshō Kaiten!"
Just as Neji began his rotation, Naruto retracted his serrated torso blade and brought up his hand. "Shinra Tensei!"
Sasuke and Neji were both sent flying backwards, each landing as gracefully as they could. Seizing the opportunity, Sasuke charged the Hyūga, who dropped back into his signature stance. He snapped his palms forward. "Hakke Kūshō!"
The Uchiha dodged the first air blast, but the second one threw him onto his back, landing on the ground with a thud. Before Neji could relish his small victory, Naruto was barreling toward him. Neji gathered his chakra once more, extending his palms.
Catching the shift in Neji's posture, Naruto skidded to a halt, extending his arms in front of him and creating the absorbent barrier. Neji unleashed two blasts of air, each colliding with the barrier Naruto created. Pale eyes widened once more as the jutsu seemingly disappeared.
Snapping himself out of his stupor, Neji grit his teeth and charged. Despite the effectiveness of the Gentle Fist, none of Neji's jabs found their marks. Naruto deftly avoided them as though he could see them coming from a mile away. The bursts of chakra meant for Naruto's tenketsu hissed as they dispersed into the air.
Naruto continued his onslaught, hammering away with his fists. He needed to wear Neji out just enough for an opening. Their deadlock dragged on until an opportunity finally presented itself. The blond brought his hand up. "Shinra Tensei!"
Neji sailed through the air, landing on his feet a decent distance away. He regained his bearings, falling into a defensive stance. He watched cautiously as Naruto gripped his right wrist. With a fleshy splat, he extended his cluster of rockets. Neji's face twisted in shock and disbelief, but he kept his guard up.
The Rinnegan user took aim and fired. Neji's eyes widened before he shifted his stance. He tracked the rockets screaming towards him. Just before they impacted, he spun. "Kaiten!"
A series of explosions boomed through the training ground. The black smoke cleared, revealing a panting but unscathed Neji. The Hyūga dropped back into the Gentle Fist stance, his face stern.
The sound of chirping birds rang in Neji's ears. Sasuke barreled towards Neji's left side, his hand ablaze with lightning chakra. Neji turned on a heel, facing his attacker.
"Chidori!" the Uchiha cried.
Just before the lightning coated hand would have impaled the Hyūga, Neji quickly aimed his palm at Sasuke's wrist. "Hakke Kūshō!" A blast of air sent Sasuke's hand skyward, still covered in lightning chakra. Neji seized the opportunity. He aimed a series of chakra-laden jabs at Sasuke's tenketsu in his shoulder. The jabs hit their marks, drawing a wince from the Uchiha.
The lightning chakra fizzled out, and Sasuke temporarily lost feeling in his left arm. With a growl, the Uchiha drew his ninjato with his right hand and swung. Neji bent backwards, the tip of Sasuke's blade passing a hair's width away from his nose. Suddenly, pain spiderwebbed from Neji's chest as Sasuke planted his foot squarely in the Hyūga's solar plexus.
The brunet fought the urge to dry heave as he regained his composure just enough to jab at Sasuke's torso. The Uchiha twisted, dodging the needle-like blows. Leaping back, he created some distance between them. He sheathed his ninjato and tended to his arm, the feeling finally returning to it as he flexed his fingers.
The Hyūga doubled over, coughing and gasping, fighting to refill his lungs. His Byakugan deactivated for a moment as he recomposed himself. His rest was cut short by more chirping birds. Neji instinctively reactivated his eyes, spinning on a heel to see Naruto holding a ball of chaos.
"Raiton, Rasenraidama!" the blond shouted as he hurled the lightning infused Rasengan at the Hyūga.
Despite his fatigue, Neji shifted his weight. "Kaiten!" The electrical orb collided with the impenetrable blue shell, exploding into a crackling mass. Just as the Hyūga ground to a halt, he felt an invisible hand grab him and lift him off the ground. To his shock, he was being pulled towards Naruto, who had one hand raised, while the other held a black rod.
Gritting his teeth, Neji adjusted himself. Just before the black rod would have impaled him, the Hyūga aimed his palm at Naruto's wrist. "Hakke Kūshō!" The blast of air shoved the rod out of the way. Neji seized the opportunity once more. He jabbed at Naruto's shoulder, drawing a wince from the blond and making him drop the black rod. The Hyūga jabbed at his opponent's torso, only for Naruto to drop down and aim a sweeping kick squarely at Neji's legs. The brunet shifted his weight, moving one leg out of the way. Naruto's speed had improved, however, and this fact was made evident when his foot collided with Neji's shin with a crack.
The Hyūga grunted at the pain that speared through his leg but acted quickly. Using his opponent's momentum, he flipped himself upside-down, standing on his palms. Just as Naruto straightened, Neji swung his legs around, aiming a series of spinning kicks at the blond.
Naruto blocked the kicks with his forearms before bringing a hand up. "Shinra Tensei!" Neji was sent flying once more, landing less gracefully this time. Naruto flexed the fingers in his right hand, cursing the Gentle Fist under his breath. Just as he regained all feeling in his arm, he heard sandals pounding against the grass.
Spinning on his heel, Naruto extended his knuckle blades. Steel met steel with a resounding clang and a shower of sparks. The two friends stood motionless, except for a few twitches as they were locked in a battle of willpower.
Off to the side, Neji finally recovered from having the wind knocked out of him. He rose to his feet, furrowing his brow at the sight of his two opponents. He took a deep breath and gathered his chakra. Neji leveled his pale gaze at the deadlocked shinobi before snapping his hand forward. "Hakke Hasangeki!"
Sensing the incoming attack, Naruto and Sasuke separated, turning to face the wall of air. Sasuke started weaving through hand seals, but Naruto simply brought both of his hands up. "Shinra Tensei!"
Neji's wall of air crashed into the barrier that Naruto created, sending a shockwave booming through the training ground. All three combatants as well as the two spectators had to shield themselves with their hands. The dust settled, revealing the trio of shinobi staring each other down. Silence settled over the training ground. Only the wind dared make a sound and rustle some leaves.
Suddenly, Sasuke sent a flurry of shuriken soaring towards Naruto before flying through hand seals and unleashing a fireball at the Hyūga. The blond narrowly dodged the weapons as they embedded themselves in the ground and some unfortunate trees. Sasuke drew his blade and charged the Hyūga, who performed his signature rotation to dissipate the fireball.
As soon as Neji stopped spinning, Sasuke was upon him. The Uchiha swung wildly, trying to catch Neji off guard. The Hyūga easily swatted the blade away with blasts of chakra from his hands. Finding an opening, Neji jabbed at Sasuke's sword arm again. To his surprise, the Uchiha didn't dodge. Instead, he tossed the ninjato into his non-dominant hand and continued his onslaught.
Neji grit his teeth as he was forced back on the defensive. Any second now, and Sasuke would regain feeling in his sword arm and pin him. He glanced at his opponent's eyes and watched them morph into crimson pinwheels. Neji's own pale eyes widened, his mind racing.
After what felt like another eternity, the brunet found an opening. "Hakke Kūshō!" A blast of air sent Sasuke flying backwards. For good measure, he leapt backwards and created some distance between them. He wanted to make sure his victory was unquestionable. Taking a deep breath, Neji gathered his chakra.
The Uchiha landed as gracefully as he could. He flexed his fingers in his left hand, the feeling and control finally returning to them. Sasuke sheathed his blade and took a precious moment to think as his opponent recovered as well. He needed to end this. He may not be able to claim victory over Naruto, but he ought to be able to best Neji. An idea occurred to him—it was risky, but it could work. He concentrated and wove through hand seals.
Across the way, the other two combatants hadn't noticed that Naruto created a shadow clone. Nor had they noticed that he was gathering chakra into his hand, the clone stabilizing it. The blond poured more chakra into the swirling ball, finally adding wind chakra. The clone dispelled as he held up the orb.
All at once, they unleashed their attacks. Naruto let the wind infused Rasengan fly. Neji snapped both his palms forward. Sasuke let loose a fireball laced with black flames.
"Fūton, Rasenshuriken!"
"Hakke Kūhekishō!"
The three jutsu collided in a spectacular explosion. The shockwave of which was enough to knock the three combatants off their feet. Sakura and Haku were forced to take cover behind the tree they were sitting under.
When the dust finally settled, the two medics poked their heads out to see the trio hauling themselves to their feet, panting. Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji glanced at each other. By now, both Sasuke and Neji's eyes returned to their normal states. Sakura and Haku jogged over as the three combatants met in the middle. The medics glanced over their friends for any wounds that required immediate attention.
Finding none, Sakura turned to her teammates. "You blockheads satisfied?" The blockheads in question smiled weakly in response.
Neji took a deep breath, glancing between Sasuke and Naruto. "You two are strong. Stronger than I remember." He turned to Sasuke. "I'd heard of your visual prowess, but experiencing it firsthand has put it into perspective." Neji gave a small bow. "You have my respect, Sasuke Uchiha. You are indeed a formidable opponent."
Sasuke returned the bow. "As are you. Your title of 'prodigy' is deserved, to be certain."
"As for you, Naruto," the Hyūga said as he straightened. "You are certainly not to be trifled with, either. I knew the Rinnegan were more of a legend than anything, but I never knew they granted the wielder such strength."
Naruto let out a chuckle, scratching his cheek. "I was pretty surprised, too. I never thought a pair of eyes could be so powerful."
"Something tells me neither of you used all of your abilities, though," Neji pointed out.
The two roommates exchanged a glance before sheepishly shrugging their shoulders. A ghost of a smile crossed Neji's lips. "Seems you two are full of surprises."
"So, should we call this spar between the Three Great Dōjutsu a draw, then?" Sasuke posed.
"Normally, I would agree. However, I humbly admit my defeat in this," Neji proclaimed.
"Looks like you're zero for two, huh, Neji?" Naruto jeered. Sasuke slugged him in the arm. "Ow. You still put up a pretty good fight. You've definitely gotten stronger," the blond conceded.
Neji bowed. "Thank you both for the opportunity. I should be getting back to the Hyūga compound now. Maybe one day we'll be able to work together on a mission."
With that, the group bade goodbye to Neji before he left the training ground. Sakura turned to her teammates. "You two are going home to rest, right?" The young men in question grumbled something unintelligible before nodding meekly. "Good. Now go rest up. If you need me, come find me," the kunoichi said sweetly. She turned to her coal haired colleague. "We still studying?"
Haku flashed her a smile. "Sure. The Jasmine Dragon?"
Sakura nodded and returned the smile. After verifying that her teammates would be able to get home without any issues, the two medics set off. Naruto and Sasuke made their way home shortly after taking another moment to catch their breath.
As Sakura and Haku made their way along the main road, a thought occurred to the coal haired young man. "You know, Zabuza used to tell me about how strong Konoha was because of their dōjutsu wielders."
Sakura turned to her colleague. "Really? What sort of things would he tell you?"
"Only that out of all the people he'd encountered and heard of that possessed a Kekkei Genkai, the dōjutsu users of Konoha were especially formidable. Seeing Naruto, Sasuke, and—what was his name?"
"Neji Hyūga."
"Yes, him. Seeing them in action was unlike anything I'd imagined. Even though I caught a glimpse of what Naruto was capable of during our mission to Kumo, seeing him go against both Sasuke and Neji was a sight to behold. Even seeing Sasuke fight was impressive. He's gotten much stronger since we were younger. And that brunet, that Neji, his technique was peculiar but interesting nonetheless."
"That's the signature technique of the Hyūga clan. They pride themselves on being the only ones who can effectively use that fighting style. They call it the Gentle Fist, and it's only possible because of their Byakugan," Sakura explained.
Haku hummed. "I see." He paused, another thought popping into his head. "Now that I think of it, I don't know if I've ever properly thanked Naruto for saving my life and bringing me back to Konoha with you all." He brought his hand to his chin as he walked, gathering his thoughts. "I think I'll do something for them."
"Well, I'm sure whatever you do, Naruto will be grateful for it," Sakura said with a smile.
In all his stoicism, it was difficult to tell when or if Kakashi Hatake was ever nervous. However, his heart threatened to pound out of his chest as he stared at the cream-colored door to Konan's apartment. If it weren't for his mask and concealed eye, his blush would be visible all the way from Kumogakure. Of course, Kakashi was the one who asked her out in the first place, and he was fully expecting her to turn him down. Her agreeing to it was more than a little surprising, and he was left wondering where the confidence he had when he asked her was now.
Kakashi finally took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A moment that felt more like a lifetime passed before the door opened. Clad in her usual navy-blue kimono, Konan flashed her date a small smile as she gave him a quick once-over.
"So, where will be going?" she asked.
"Wouldn't you rather it be a surprise?" Kakashi coolly responded.
Konan gave him a smirk before locking her apartment door. "Ever so mysterious. Alright then, let's go."
The walk to the restaurant was quiet, but not due to lack of desire for conversation.
"Have you ever been here?" Kakashi prompted as the pair stood at the entrance to Yakiniku Q.
Azure locks danced as Konan shook her head. "I've only ever really been to Ichiraku Ramen. Other than that, I tend to cook at home."
The jōnin hummed. "Shall we, then?"
They entered and were immediately seated at a table more suited for smaller groups. The dinner rush apparently hadn't quite started yet, which meant the restaurant was relatively calm and quiet. Kakashi and Konan were equally quiet as they sat across from each other and studied the menu.
Despite her calm exterior, Konan was having trouble keeping the butterflies at bay. She was delighted that she was asked on a proper date by the man she'd come to admire from a distance, but something—or rather, someone gnawed at her: Yahiko. She couldn't ignore that he was her first love and one of her closest friends. Being on an actual date with someone that wasn't him left a bittersweet taste in her mouth. She sighed inwardly, reminding herself that her friends would want her to be happy above all else.
"What made you choose this place, if you don't mind me asking?" Konan wondered, breaking the silence.
"Well, I'm not the biggest fan of fried food, and I can only eat so much ramen," Kakashi hummed. "And if my memory serves me, you're not a fan of fried foods, either. In fact, you did ask that we not go to a place that serves fried food."
A small smile danced across Konan's lips. "Your memory does serve you. I must admit, grilled fish is one of my favorites, but this salted beef tongue does sound good."
"It's their specialty," Kakashi said matter-of-factly. "I tend to prefer grilled saury, myself, but the beef tongue is quite good."
A server arrived to take their orders and give them their drinks. Konan took a moment to appraise her date as she sipped on her iced tea. She'd yet to see his face, not even a fleeting glimpse when he ate or drank. Remembering their time at Ichiraku and how his ramen seemed to disappear, she couldn't help but wonder if he just held a constant genjutsu or transformation to hide his face. Part of her wanted to have a peek. After all, she had a sneaking suspicion that his mask concealed a handsome face.
The azure haired woman eyed Kakashi's untouched glass. Snapping herself back to reality, she remembered that she should probably strike up a conversation. She didn't want to dive into anything too heavy, so she supposed small talk would do for now.
"So, how were the Chūnin Exams?" she prompted.
"Aside from the assignment we had, they went as smoothly as they could have." Despite how nonchalant his response sounded, Kakashi's heart was pounding.
Truth be told, he wasn't sure what they should talk about. He wasn't exactly experienced in this regard, as he'd never been on a proper date with anyone. Of course, he'd had dinner alone with various people throughout his life, but Yamato and Iruka were his comrades, and Sasuke was his student. Thankfully, he was mindful enough of social etiquette and could hold a conversation. Despite his interest in the woman across from him, however, he was struggling to lead any sort of conversation.
Kakashi mentally scolded himself, taking a breath. He remembered one of their previous conversations and decided to start a conversation from there.
"You're all settled into your apartment now, right?"
"I am. Everything has been finalized, so I'm now a permanent resident of Konoha. I'm still grateful to the Hokage for allowing me to stay."
"Have you given any thought to becoming a shinobi?"
Konan blinked, the question catching her off guard. She avoided Kakashi's half-lidded gaze. "I did. I…I asked the Hokage if I could be considered for a position in the future."
Kakashi's visible brow rose. "And what did she say?"
"She couldn't give me a definite answer at the time, and I still haven't heard anything outside of my status as a permanent resident," Konan sighed.
The silver haired man nodded. Just as he was about to speak, a server arrived with their order of beef and a few accompanying sauces and side dishes. The pair thanked the server and offered their gratitude for the meal before digging in.
The meat sizzled on the small grill in the center of the table, letting off a lovely, savory aroma. Even Konan's taste buds were tempted, and her mouth watered ever so slightly. Since she would be eating with Kakashi, she made sure not to eat anything beforehand, which meant she had built up an appetite by now.
Neither had Kakashi had anything to eat, but not to avoid spoiling his meal. His nerves were to blame for his absent appetite. Up until now, the thought of eating sent the butterflies in his stomach into a fit of rage, enough to where it felt more like a swarm of bees than a collection of butterflies. However, now that he and his date were settled in—even just a little bit—he decided that he could eat. Discreetly, of course.
Konan retrieved her piece of beef and dipped it into one of the provided sauces. Her first bite made it clear why Kakashi picked here to have dinner: the beef and sauce were delicious. The spices were perfect, the beef wasn't too fatty and not too lean.
She'd clearly shown her satisfaction on her face, and Kakashi seemed to have taken notice. "How do you like it?" he asked, the ghost of a smirk tugging at his masked features.
Snapping herself out of her stupor, Konan's cheeks flushed as she gave a tiny nod. "It's delicious."
Kakashi's eye crinkled slightly as a grin crossed his face. "I'm glad you like it." He shifted in his seat slightly. "I don't mean to pry, but how do you feel about joining the ranks of Konoha's shinobi?"
"Don't worry, you aren't prying. I think it would be good for me," Konan answered as she placed another piece of beef on the grill.
"What makes you say that?"
"I…think it's a good way to get a fresh start. Not that I haven't had one already, but it would further that, if that makes sense."
"It does. Though, I can't help but wonder if there's another reason besides just wanting a fresh start," Kakashi remarked.
"As nice as it's been to be able to relax, sometimes I feel a bit restless," Konan answered, taking a bite of rice. "And now that I've helped Naruto with his training, I can't help but feel a bit…"
"Wayward? Without purpose?" Kakashi finished. Some pieces of meat were absent from his plate. She hadn't seen him so much as twitch.
The azure haired woman exhaled through her nose. "I suppose that's another way of putting it. I won't be going back to Ame, at least not for a while. In some ways, the village has grown on me, and that includes Naruto."
'And you, Kakashi,' she mentally added.
"So why try and become a shinobi?" the silver haired man prompted.
"Well, I figured if I'm going to be living here at the leisure of the Hokage, I might as well earn my keep and contribute to society somehow."
Kakashi hummed. "I suppose that's as good a reason as any. You're certain of this?"
Konan took a sip of her tea. "I don't mean to be rude, but is there a reason you're so concerned?"
"Equal parts concern and curiosity, to be honest," Kakashi answered coolly. "Besides, it's been established that we both consider each other friends, at the very least."
The Ame woman blinked, fighting to keep her cheeks from turning pink as she cleared her throat. "That's…true."
"Plus, we are on a date, after all," he added matter-of-factly.
Despite her efforts, Konan could feel her cheeks heat up, a light dusting of pink now present. "Y-yes, of course. I apologize," she stammered. She spared a glance at his plates again, incredulous that he'd managed to sneak more bites in. Even the tea in his glass was lower than earlier.
A silence settled over the pair. The azure haired woman finally took a breath, composing herself. "To answer your question: yes, I'm sure. It feels…right, despite things that have happened in the past."
"What sort of things?" Kakashi wondered. He quickly reprimanded himself, not wanting to sound too pushy or nosy. "If you don't mind me asking, of course."
"It's alright," Konan reassured. She took another sip of her tea. "I was an orphan. My parents were killed during the Second Shinobi War. My friends, Nagato and Yahiko, were also orphans. Nagato's parents were…" she averted her amber gaze. "They were killed by Konoha shinobi."
Kakashi let out a sigh. "War is a horrible, horrible thing. Too many good and innocent people are lost to it. My father fought in the Second War, and I fought in the Third. He never did like talking about the war, no matter how much I would ask him about it." Another sigh. "I'm sorry that happened to you and your friends. Believe it or not, I know what it's like to have to fend for yourself, too."
"You do?" Konan asked, her eyes wide.
The silver haired cyclops gave a nod, taking a breath. "My mother died when I was very young. I barely remember her. My father…" He paused to compose himself. "I found him dead when I was younger. It was after the Second War. After that, I lived on my own. I didn't go to an orphanage, not that I wanted to, anyways."
"I would imagine you were too much of a handful for any orphanage, anyways," Konan quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
A small chuckle escaped Kakashi. "I do remember my father telling me to mind my manners and how I talk to people quite often."
Konan hummed through a bite of food. "I know we've discussed Naruto before, but I'm curious about what his friend is like."
"You mean Sasuke? They're alike in some ways, but in a lot of other ways they're complete opposites, but their bond is essentially unshakable. They've been friends since before I met them," Kakashi explained.
"Sasuke seems more reserved than Naruto."
"He is. He reminds me a lot of myself at his age."
Konan's voice shrunk. "Is he…the one that lost his whole clan?"
Kakashi nodded. "He and Naruto were both orphaned. Sasuke told me that that's part of the reason they grew so close."
The azure haired woman hummed, fully understanding the significance of that common ground.
"I ended up taking Sasuke under my wing after their first Chūnin Exams. Naruto went on a journey with Master Jiraiya, and I went with Sasuke. We mostly traveled around the Land of Fire, occasionally venturing out into Hot Water Country, and even passing close to Kusagakure."
"That must have been quite an experience for him."
"It was a way for me to connect with him. It took quite a bit of talking, but he eventually realized that he and I aren't as different as he thought we were. There was lots of training, of course, but I could tell that as time passed, he changed. His goals changed, and they started sounding like Naruto's goals. Sasuke was—and still is—determined to make sure that he doesn't lose anyone else in his life if he has anything to say about it."
"He and Naruto seem to share a sense of determination," Konan remarked before taking another bite of food.
"Naruto's attitude is contagious, but I suppose you already knew that," Kakashi quipped.
Konan took a sip of her tea. "He's certainly something. Was Sasuke always so determined and steadfast?"
"Not always. Despite their friendship, Sasuke was a bit…aloof, at times. Outside of his relationship with Naruto, he was a bit closed off. To be honest, I'm surprised he opened up to Sakura at all." Kakashi waved his hand and shook his head. "But I digress. Truth be told, Sasuke didn't have a huge change of heart until Naruto quite literally beat some sense into him."
"What do you mean by 'beat some sense into him', exactly?" the Ame woman asked with an arched brow.
"Well, he and Sasuke had a pretty major fight when they were still genin. I won't go into too much detail, since it's not my story to tell, but I will tell you this: Naruto's words tend to stick more when he uses his fists, too."
Catching his drift, Konan couldn't help but giggle, the sound of which made Kakashi's heart skip a beat. He fought to keep his cheeks from burning his mask off as he composed himself.
By now, the pair had finished their dinner. It still baffled Konan how Kakashi was able to eat without his face being shown at all. She hadn't caught even the smallest glimpse of even his nose, despite wanting to see if he was as handsome as she hoped—or rather, imagined—him to be.
They left a generous tip. Naturally, Kakashi paid for the meal and walked his date home. The sky was a canvas painted with oranges, reds, a few strokes of purple, and some lingering streaks of blue. Just like their walk to Yakiniku Q, the walk to Konan's apartment was quiet. However, the silence this time was less awkward and more content. A certain warmth settled into the pair, their hearts feeling fuller than they had in a while.
As they approached Konan's apartment, she turned to her escort. "Thank you for dinner, it was delicious." They stopped just in front of her door.
Kakashi hummed, trying to maintain his usually unshakable composure. "Thank you for joining me. I had a good time."
Konan's cheeks flushed pink as her heart thumped in her chest. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she internally debated on whether to hug him. No, that would be too sudden. She didn't want to cross any boundaries. After all, this was only their first date, and she didn't want to rush anything.
"I…had a good time, too," Konan stammered. She swallowed another lump, taking a deep breath before reaching for his right hand. His palms were covered, but she could feel the roughness of his fingers. Years of training and service shaped them —and him—into what stood before her.
Kakashi froze at the contact, his breath hitching. Against his resolve, the top of his cheek flushed pink. Thankfully, his mask concealed his shock and his deepening blush. He met her amber gaze, his own eye wide.
"We should…do this again. But, next time, why don't we have tea at my place?" the azure haired woman suggested, albeit a bit meekly.
The normally stoic shinobi blinked, his mouth suddenly as dry as the desert surrounding Suna, his brain on overload as he tried to will himself to respond. He finally snapped himself out of it. Though, his voice sounded far off. "I'd like that. Thank you again, Konan."
A small but sincere smile lit up her face. She took a leap of faith and squeezed his hand. "Goodnight, Kakashi."
His heart pounded against his ribs. He returned the gesture, gently squeezing her hand. "Goodnight, Konan."
Regrettably, their hands separated as they parted ways.
"So it's been issued."
"Yes, my lord."
"Then we're running out of time. We need to act soon."
"But, my lord, the Hokage will—"
"This is bigger than the Hokage and bigger than the politics that mire this government. This is for the good of the village."
"Of course."
"We'll go forth and act on the same day that it's scheduled."
"It will be done."
A/N:
Translations:
Hakke Kūshō - Eight Trigrams Air/Vacuum Palm
Hakke Hasangeki - Eight Trigrams Hazan Strike/Mountain Crusher
Hakkeshō Kaiten - Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven/Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation
Hakke Kūhekishō - Eight Trigrams Vacuum/Air Wall Palm
Shinra Tensei - Almighty Push
Raiton: Rasenraidama - Lightning Release/Style: Spinning Lightning Ball
Fūton: Rasenshuriken - Wind Release/Style: Rasenshuriken/Spiraling Shuriken
Ah, some action after a pretty decent amount of fluff. I had to squeeze in Kakashi and Konan's first date; I just had to. I adore Kakashi being a nervous wreck around Konan too much for my own good. It looks like Naruto's sunglasses are getting to be less and less effective at hiding his eyes. Maybe he'll ditch them, or maybe he'll keep them just because they look cool. Also, keep an eye on that dialogue at the end there. Peep the new cover art! It was drawn by one of my friends, who gave me full permission to use it as the cover for this fic. It's a great interpretation of how Naruto looks with his new getup and the Rinnegan. Thanks so much for reading! Chapter 38 is in the works!
