Author's Note:. It's at the bottom today, because I said so.
Reviewer responses!
sylver rain: Oh my, I'm so sorry! -grovels, begging for forgiveness- I know it's been forever since I've updated, I swear it won't happen again! Unless it does. In which case, I'm sure there'll be a good reason... and that really didn't comfort you at all, did it? Well, I'm really really really sorry, in any case! And thank you for your review, I appreciate your kind words!
rubie: You. are. amazing! Your analysis of the story was not only flattering, but so horrendously accurate that it made my eyes bulge! I mean WOW. Either you're really smart, or I'm really obvious, lmao. And I'm glad it's not boring, I was really hoping that it would raise questions, you know? I hope you like this chapter, too. I don't think it'll answer any questions, but I'm still trying to lay out the groundwork, I suppose, before I get into all the fizzy stuff. On the bright side, Sassy-face and Naru-face will have a lovely little run-in next chapter, so woo! more boundary pushing! Haha, thanks for your review.
hujin: Yeah, it does. -cries- Sadly, I couldn't think of one, so it's stuck with a terrible summary. Haha, if you think of one, I'll give you a... cookie? jellybean? I don't know. Anyway, yes, Sassy is a psycho. I'm always concerned about putting people in-character, so your comment made me very happy, thanks!
melmit: Thank you, I'm glad you like it! I've been trying to really make it develop, and I'm happy that you think I'm doing alright so far.
Thank you all for your terrific reviews! You really help keep the story going.
Disclaimer and everything else: See the first two chapters, because I'm not going to bother stating all that stuff again. :P
Locked Crimsons
Unit Four: Snow-Colored Eyes
"Sakura-chan! Hey, Sakura-chan, where are you?" Naruto blazed through the house like it was his own, searching for the pink-haired girl. On his way past the kitchen, he spotted the one to whom the place actually belonged and stopped dead in his tracks. The man was busy at the stove preparing the food for the party that night and running around spastically in true Iruka fashion. "Iruka-sensei, have you seen Sakura-chan anywhere?"
The apron-clad teacher paused in his frenzy and craned his neck around to look at his former student. "How many times do I have to ask you not to run in the house? And drop the title, for heaven's sake!" Naruto grinned sheepishly, and Iruka turned his attention back to his cooking. "I think she went out back to hang some streamers."
"Awesome! Thanks Iruka-sensei!" The flippant blond made sure to emphasize the title that time. It was offhand and slightly belligerent, he knew, but it was his way of letting Iruka know that he would always be a role model to him and no stupid vest was going to change that. Hell, he'd probably be Hokage and still calling him 'Iruka-sensei.'
Not even bothering with a coat, Naruto dashed outside according to the man's words. The 'dashing' part wasn't really necessary; it was just his natural senseless enthusiasm.
He found the pink-haired kunoichi in the backyard hanging decorations, just as he was told. Her face was half-covered with a green scarf and the coat she wore looked almost too big for her smallish frame, but Naruto thought it made her look adorable, especially with the hard expression of concentration plastered over her visible features. Hell, he hadn't seen her look so focused since the last time they trained with Kakashi-sensei.
She was doing a terrific job with the decorations, too, Naruto noticed as he stopped to admire her handiwork. The lights were already hung, each wire placed carefully among the leafless, snow-covered tree branches. He couldn't wait to see how they would look at night once they were turned on. Presently, Sakura stood on the trunk of the treedoubtless using her chakra to hold herself therewith one hand pinning the end of a streamer to a tree branch and the other digging in a pouch at her waist, drawing out a small thumb tack to secure the paper in place.
"Hey Sakura-chan!" the blonde finally yelled.
Now, had she been almost anyone else, Sakura would've immediately lost her balance in surprise and fallen to her doom. However, A.) she could sense his presence easily, B.) she was long used to Naruto's outbursts, and C.) she didn't like being laughed at, which is exactly what would've happened had she so much as flinched. They both knew she was a better ninja than that.
Instead, she calmly finished with her streamer and walked back down the tree, paying more attention to keeping her scarf in place than the blue-eyed boy waiting not-so-patiently for her, which she knew irked him. "What do you want, Naruto?"
Refusing to let Sakura's obvious dispassion get to him too much, Naruto folded his arms behind his head and launched into his ever infamous, "I'm gonna take a lunchbreak and head over to Ichiraku. You wanna come with me?"
Sakura figured she ought to think about the request before disregarding it completely. The prospect of food didn't sound too bad at that moment, since Naruto had arrived at her house to wake her up and drag her out before she so much as got to brush her hair. In fact, she was actually quite hungry. She was also running out of streamers and could probably use a trip out to get more.
"Can we stop at the store on the way back?"
"Pleeeease, Sakura-chan? I won't-" the blonde whined, before Sakura's words made it to his brain and caused him to suddenly blink in surprise. "Wait, was... that a 'yes'?"
"No, you idiot," the girl smacked her friend over the head ("Ow!"), "that was a question."
"Oh, well sure, I guess," Naruto pouted and rubbed the back of his skull dramatically.
"Alright then, let's go," Sakura began walking again, brushing past Naruto, who in turn followed like his usual energetic self. "We've still got a lot of work to get done, and I'm going to need time to go home and shower before the party."
The fox child took a casual whiff of the air, specifically the air surrounding Sakura. "You smell fine to me."
Sakura whacked him again. "It's the principle, Naruto. I want to look my best."
"Well, I already think you'd look the best, even if you came straight out of a spar." They exited the fence gate at the side of the house, which led to the front yard and the street.
"There's a difference between my best and the best," Sakura explained. "I want to be satisfied with my appearance, not just 'Ho-hum, well I look okay enough.'"
Naruto thought about this for a moment. "So you mean like, if no, when! when I become Hokage, I can't just stop there? I've gotta keep going until I'm the best in the world? And then the universe?"
The pink-haired girl chuckled at the analogy. "Something like that."
Naruto yawned. He had finished with his part of the work, the inside decorations. Sakura had gone home for a little while, just as she'd said she would, and this had left Naruto and Iruka at the house all by themselves. It had taken four minutes for Iruka to kick Naruto outside, yelling after him to stay out there until he could come inside without making a pass at the cookies.
Now this was not a problem. The blonde knew that the older man only did it to teach him how to behave, and it certainly hadn't been the first time he'd been left out in the cold. The night he'd spent outside after locking himself out of his apartment was testament to that.
Naruto smiled, a hint of solemnity seeping through his expression as he gazed up at the slowly-clearing clouds and remembered that incident. He'd always kept the key to his apartment tucked inside the cozy crack in the wall next to his door, but that day, it hadn't been there; or any other place he could think of to look, for that matter. He had panicked for two hours. It had taken him another hour to remember that he had a window, and another to remember that he was a ninja (for crying out loud!) and he could walk up the wall to get to it. It took 2 minutes for him to remember that he wouldn't have enough money to replace the window if he broke it.
The next day, thanks to sleeping on the floor outside, Naruto's training had gone even worse than usual. After several nondescript glares from Sasuke and a few yells from Sakura, Kakashi had managed to pry the truthful reason out of him. The jounin had easily picked the lock, and Naruto remembered how, in the midst of the ensuing horror, he'd been so happy Sasuke hadn't been there to make fun of the disaster Naruto's apartment had been turned into. He also remembered Kakashi's words, 'Well, there's no use in crying over spilled milk, especially when it expired over a month ago,' and how his key had lain on the table in mock innocence. He'd carried the damn thing with him ever since.
That was the worst prank the village (as a collective) had ever pulled on him. Afterwards, however, the juvenile antics slowed tremendously, though Naruto wasn't sure whether it was because they'd finally figured out that they couldn't daunt him or because Kakashi-sensei or the late Hokage-sama intervened. He was quite resigned to never knowing, since caring at all, he'd realized, was letting the villagers win.
It was the same thing with Sasuke, really. Allowing himself to get flustered over the dark ninja was just like saying, 'Hey Sasuke, I'm still exactly the same pushover you knew back when we were genin.'
(This was a problem: letting himself think.)
On the other hand, a bit of familiarity would be more than welcomed. Now, every time he even thought about speaking to the boy, he felt like he was dealing with a stranger.
He supposed, though, that in a way he was. After all, he and Sasuke hadn't really caught up on anything that had happened in the last three and a half years, and people can change a lot in that period of time. Not that I have, of course, Naruto assured himself, remembering a few choice words of Sakura's the day after he arrived back in Konoha.
'No, he hasn't changed at all.'
Because now that he thought about it, letting himself be changed would've been losing, and this Naruto always won. Even when he was defeated, he found a way to win. And that was the biggest change that had taken place.
He would not let Sasuke beat him.
"Naruto! The first of your guests is here!"
Blue eyes blinked lazily into the setting sun a couple of times before Iruka's words actually made it through his mind. Someone's here? This early?
Sitting up from his position (reclined heavily against the steps of the porch) excitedly, Naruto swerved his upper body so that he could more clearly see who it was that had arrived. The wooden door to the backyard had been left open to allow some of the hot air from Iruka's cooking out, so that the only thing that stood between Naruto and the anticipated guest was the flimsy, exposing screen door. Slowly, but surely, appeared the pale skin, dark hair, and lean figure of-
"Hinata-chan!" The blonde cried, struggling to his feet in a cacophony of limbs and very nearly tripping in his quest to envelop the young woman in a bone-crushing hug as soon as she came out the door, throughout the entirety of which said young woman turned varying shades of pink and red. This ritual lasted a few moments, and, when the young Hyuuga had been released and her breathing restored, the more talkative one continued. "I'm so glad you could make it!"
"I-It's nice to see you too, Naruto-kun," the shy kunoichi greeted, adding as an afterthought, "And thank you for inviting me."
"No problem, I'm just happy you're here!" Naruto flashed her a grin and made his way back to the porch steps. "It's turning out to be such a nice night, it's a shame it's so cold."
Hinata chuckled, watching him rub his hands together as he sat down again. She had been able to overcome much of her nervousness over the past couple of years through the help of Neji, Kiba, Kurenai, and others, transforming from a fragile little girl to a graceful young woman. This, however, didn't mean that she could think of anything to talk about when suddenly confronted with the love of her life, which usually stuck them to talking about the weather.
Noting the space that Naruto had left on the ledge, Hinata sank down next to him, cringing as she hit the cold of the wood. "Yeah, it really is. And we've still got a while b-before Spring comes around, too."
"But the snow sure looks pretty, don't you think?"
The girl let her gaze sweep over the sparkling landscape. "Yeah."
Naruto let out a small laugh. "Heh, y'know, with the light, it's sorta the shade of you and Neji's eyes."
"R-Really?" Hinata had never thought of that before, but she supposed it was true. It made her blush a bit, thinking that Naruto must've been looking at her eyes at some point. "Oh! That reminds me! N-Neji-niisan asked me to tell you that he'll be here soon. He had to finish some business with the elders before he left."
Naruto considered for a moment. "Does that mean he'll be in a bad mood or a good mood?"
Pearly gaze fell to her shoes. "I really don't know. He d-didn't say what the issue was, but I think it had something to do with... well, the you-know."
"Oh, his curse seal?" Naruto's smile waned, but didn't disappear. "Man, that thing must be such a pain in the butt to have. Not to mention it's ugly."
"I think he's trying to get them to remove it, b-but he refuses to talk about it with me."
"He's just PMSing. He'll come to you eventually, once he pries his head out of his ass and realizes how awesome you are."
"N-Naruto-kun, boys don't PMS," Hinata giggled, despite her chiding words, and Naruto's grin returned full-force. "Do you really think he will?"
"Yeah, sure! He might not be as brilliant and observant as me," Naruto puffed out his chest, "but he's definitely got enough brains to figure it out. Just you wait, okay Hinata-chan?"
Hinata smiled, albeit a bit sadly, still staring at her zori sandals. "I just wonder whether or not I'm doing the right thing sometimes, by taking over. I've gotten b-better, yes, but the leader of the clan should be the strongest, the smartest, the one that the rest feel they can d-depend on." She shifted on the steps. "I'd like to be that person, yes, but really I think that Neji-niisan is the best future for the clan."
Suddenly, the pressure of fingers was under her chin, and her milky, white eyes were pulled directly in line with bright blue ones. The sheer honesty in them made her blush, like they could see right into her. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. You'll have a lot of people right there with you to help you make the right decision, including Neji. And strength is something that comes from the inside," he poked lightly at a spot just underneath her left collarbone, "here."
"N-Naruto-kun..." The fingers disappeared, and Naruto grinned again.
"I've decided! It'll be the first thing I do when I become Hokage, to reunite the Main house and the Branch house of the Hyuuga clan! And then I'll outlaw the curse seal!"
Smiling, Hinata tried to ignore the heat that still lingered on her face and the sudden cold beneath her chin. "N-Naruto-kun, even the Hokage doesn't have the power to do that. It's a private matter between the elders of the clan."
But Naruto was on a roll. "And then I'll prescribe all bitchy bastards a thousand bowls of ramen per day to cheer them up. Actually, nevermind, I'll just make ramen the official food of Konohagakure, and have everyone eat it!"
"Konoha would soon be the fattest city in all of Fire Country," a new voice broke in from behind the two. "Hey, Hinata, long time no see." Hinata nodded in greeting.
"Ino-chan!" Naruto rose to greet the other blond. "Looking terrific, as usual," he drooled out, precariously eyeing the low-cut shirt beneath Ino's coat and scarf.
A vein popped on Ino's forehead. "Naruto, if I have to ask you not to call me that one more time, I swear I'll take a kunai to your throat in your sleep. And stop staring like that, you lecher!"
Naruto suddenly snapped out of it, well aware that Ino could and would follow through on her threats. "Well, it's your fault for wearing something so revealing! I'm just giving freedom to some of my manly instincts."
Hinata winced but giggled as Ino's fist came in contact with the boy's head. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response. Now," Ino looked back to the house for a moment, as if checking something, "where's Sakura? I thought she was helping you decorate?"
"Oh, she went back home to get cleaned up. She's coming right back, though." Naruto extended a hand to Hinata, who took it graciously and stood up, flushing only slightly.
"And Sasuke-kun, too," Ino continued. "I figured he'd be here early catching up with you since you haven't gotten much chance to talk since he came back."
"Sasuke?" Naruto didn't flinch, though perhaps he might've. "No, I didn't even give him a... Oh crap! I left it there, didn't I!"
Startled by the boy's sudden swing of mood, Ino and Hinata exchanged glances. "Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" Hinata asked.
"It's nothing. It's just that bastard might come afterall, though I wouldn't count on it." He sighed. "The guy's got the personality of a rock, anyway."
"Oh please, Naruto," Ino remarked flippantly, "You're just upset because if he comes, he'll be the center of attention."
"I am not! And I don't care about what the stupid bastard does; he can do whatever he wants!"
"And I bet he will," Ino sighed dreamily, "which means that of course he'll be here, if only to see me!"
"I-Ino, what about Chouji-kun?" Hinata fidgeted nervously and the blonde-haired girl cast a look in her direction. Ino and Chouji had been spending a lot of time together recently, despite the skinny girl's distaste for his figure.
"Honey," she rolled her eyes as she began to reply, "as much as I like him, his looks are nothing compared to Sasuke's."
"Oh you girls, it's all about looks, isn't it?" Naruto grumbled.
"Maybe," Ino shrugged playfully. "But even if that were the case, you've got nothing to complain about. You've grown plenty attractive, Naruto-kun."
Surprise, at first, and then a grin no less than huge spread onto the boy's face. "Really?"
"Not with that look on your face, but yeah. I'm sure Hinata over here would tell you the same thing. She practically has puppies every time she sees you."
Hinata's face abruptly turned crimson, the red of her cheeks rivaling that of the Sharingan. "I-Ino!"
Naruto, meanwhile, processed and stored this information. Contrary to popular opinion, he was well aware of Hinata's feelings. Ever since he was a genin, he'd been trained to read and predict people, and he often found himself practicing on his friends. He held no qualms about Hinata and even reciprocated her feelings, to an extent. There were things he disliked about her, sure. He didn't like the way she found it hard to stand up for herself and her beliefs, and he didn't like how shy she was. But he adored her courage and her ability to make the right decision when the time came. He liked how willing she was to learn from other people and gain strength from their advice. He liked how she believed in his dream of becoming Hokage. And most of all, he liked how she trusted him enough to tell him her problems, and even let him help.
His grin dropped to a horrendously exaggerated pout. "Aww, why didn't you guys tell me? I've been hot all these years and I haven't known it?"
"Because, we didn't want you getting a big head. After all, you're already over-confident as it is. Now you'll be ambitious and conceited."
"I will not! Uzumaki Naruto is humble!"
"Yeah, and Hatake Kakashi is moral."
On his way to Iruka's house, a certain silver-haired jounin sneezed harshly.
"Kisame, do you hear something?"
Uchiha Itachi stopped walking and looked about himself. His partner did the same, stretching his hearing as much as he could. After a moment, he gave his prognosis.
"It's small, probably just an animal."
A rustle of leaves. A blink of an eye. A kunai embedded in a body.
Itachi moved to bend down and examine his kill. A small, but long creature was pinned to a tree by his kunai, hissing its final breath without baring fangs.
"A snake."
tbc!
Author's Note:. Aww, look! A little NaruHina love! Yes, this is a SasuNaru story (well, some NaruSasu, too, if you want to get technical), but it's eventual, meaning not quite yet, in a little while, gradually accumulating, etc. There will be hints of it shortly, possibly even in the next chapter. Just be patient.
I'm sorry for several things:
1. That it's taken me forever to update. Life has been sucking recently, even though I'm on spring break (praise Allah or whoever). I've been busy off the wall with people and practice and dA and more people.
2. That this chapter, without the A/Ns and reviewer responses, is so short (7 pgs in Microsoft Word). I honestly thought that this was a nice place to stop, even though I myself could point out a few things wrong with my decision. Oh well. I'm dirty and I want a bath.
3. That there hasn't been any noteworthy action in the story yet. I swear, it's coming; I have some lovely plans for this little story which I fully intend to follow through on. Once again, patience, my friends.
Oh, and reviews help. Especially if you want chapters out faster.
p.s. - I revised the first three chapters, mostly typos and random phrases I didn't like. The only change that doesn't fit into either of those descriptions, I think, is the time that it's been since Naruto left, which is now 2.5 years instead of 3. Have a nice day.
