In which Roshi suffers, Hinata returns to school, and the boys keep up with training.
O-O-O-O-O
"Controlling the arms is more difficult than I expected," Han said, a bead of sweat falling down his forehead.
"Of course it is," Yagura said, rolling his eyes. "If it were easy, every one of us would already be fully-realized jinchuuriki. The hardest part is actually not destroying anything."
Han nodded and summoned his Chakra Arms again, using the five chakra tails to move a group of rocks. Roshi stared at him with jealous outrage. Yagura had only been training them on how to control the different forms for two weeks. Already, Han had nearly mastered the five-tailed Version 1 form.
And then there's me.
Roshi had seen no success controlling even the Initial Form. Unlike Han, he could only use the Four-Tails's chakra by stealing it, forcing the monkey demon to give it up. While it increased his power and speed exponentially, there were drawbacks to taking the chakra by force. Instead of protecting him from attacks, the shroud burned. It also affected his mental state, making him more impulsive and violent.
Meanwhile, Han, Yugito, B, and Yagura could combine their chakra with that of their beasts' to achieve higher forms. With that power, they were stronger, faster, and more protected than ever before. Once they reached a higher level, they even had access to the Chakra Arms, which acted as supplementary limbs.
Roshi thought the entire situation unfair. How come you got the easy-going bijuu?
He glared at Han in annoyance. The other man was trying to juggle a pile of rocks using his five new limbs while Yagura looked on, impressed.
Frustrated, he tried to use the Initial Jinchuuriki form again. He closed his eyes and called the Yonbi's chakra to himself. He felt its power, furious and frustrated, building behind his navel. When he opened his eyes, a layer of chakra surrounded him, granting him strength and a layer of protection.
However, it wasn't a perfect use. The Four-Tails was inside his mind, corrupting his thoughts and actions. If he concentrated, he could also feel the beast's chakra burning his skin. Roshi grimaced and let go of the transformation. Two weeks and I still can't master the Initial Form.
Resigned, Roshi took a break from trying to steal the Four-Tails's chakra. He collapsed on the grass with a sigh. He stared up at the sky, feeling extremely sorry for himself.
"Still don't get it?" Yagura stepped in front of him, blocking his sight.
Roshi grimaced. "Nope. The demon keeps interfering with my mind. Han got lucky with his bijuu."
He glared at Han, who was now juggling the rocks without any effort. Lucky bastard.
Yagura sighed and sat down next to him. To his relief, restoring his view of the sky. "You know, Fuu has nearly mastered her control over the Initial Form," he said. "And she's only ten."
Roshi's grimace deepened. "She got lucky with her bijuu, too."
"Utakata can use the Six-Tails's ability to create acids and combine it with his bubble jutsu," Yagura added. "With no negative repercussions to his body."
"His bijuu is probably weak."
"Yugito-chan obtained full control over her bijuu and all its forms at the age of seventeen."
"The Two-Tails probably took pity on her."
"Killer B tamed the 8-Tails," Yagura continued, voice full of amusement. "The Eight-Tails is considered one of the strongest and most willful of the tailed beasts."
"It took pity on Killer B's rapping skills." Roshi felt himself running out of excuses. Yagura sighed, sounding like he was suppressing laughter. Roshi felt a sudden urge to punch his face.
"Roshi, you know three jinchuuriki with full control over their bijuu and three more with partial control," Yagura said. "You are the only one I know who stubbornly refuses to admit you're doing something wrong."
"What am I doing wrong?" Roshi demanded to know.
"Well, to begin with, you keep referring to your tailed beast as an angry monkey demon," Yagura answered. "And you keep saying that it's evil and shouldn't be alive. You don't even respect it enough to use the name given to him by the sage. If I were in his position, I would refuse to lend you my chakra, too."
He's right. "You're wrong."
Yagura raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He collapsed on the grass next to Roshi, looking up at the sky. They laid down in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds coming from Han juggling rocks and the sounds of nature.
Eventually, Yagura sighed. He stood up and stared down at Roshi. "We should relax a little," he said. "You need to stop focusing so much on... things."
From the background, Roshi heard the rocks crash to the ground, Han's exercise finished.
"Yagura is right," Han said, walking to join them. "We need to celebrate how I was able to obtain control over the Version 1 Form in a couple of weeks."
Roshi glared at his friend. Rub it in, why don't you...
"There's a town nearby," Yagura said. "We can stay at an inn with an onsen and relax. Have a few drinks. Get your mind off your absolute failure to use the Yonbi's chakra."
Roshi might have been angrier if Yagura wasn't completely right. Frustrated, he nodded. Some sake would make this situation way better.
O-O-O-O-O
The town Yagura led them to was a lot seedier than Roshi had expected. Instead of restaurants, he only saw bars and brothels. The streets were dirty and there were no children. At the inn, they were charged per hour instead of per night. They also appeared surprised to see three grown men sharing a room together, although they politely said nothing.
How come Yagura only likes these kinds of towns? First Tanzaku Quarters and now this? Roshi groaned, taking a sip of his sake. The bar was loud and busy, full of happy people. Next to him, Yagura and Han chatted, sounding completely carefree. Lucky bastards.
He took another, larger, sip. It burned as it went down his throat and arrived at his stomach. He shuddered. Fucking demon monkey.
"So you're unable to perform, big deal," Yagura teased as he put his healthy arm over Roshi's shoulder. "It happens sometimes to a lot of guys."
Han snorted. Roshi only stopped himself from punching him through sheer force of will.
"What do you know about performance?" Roshi muttered.
"I've been married for nearly fifteen years now," Yagura said. "It's happened a few times."
"I don't think that's the kind of performance Roshi is talking about," Han said, voice full of amusement. Roshi got the urge to punch him, too.
"Oh, right," Yagura said. "Well, whatever kind of performance, no one is perfect."
"I will kill you," Roshi said as he pushed Yagura's arm away from his shoulder. The other man only laughed.
Roshi took another sip of sake. His mind was already clouded and his self-misery didn't help. He glared at Yagura, who sat next to him. To his dismay, he seemed unaffected by the alcohol. He was chatting animatedly to Han, who could drink three full bottles before starting to feel any effect. The benefits of being big and tall.
"You need to relax, Roshi," Yagura said. "You're too serious. Look at Han! He's already drunk twice what you have!"
"That's because he weighs three times what I do," Roshi grumbled.
"And who's chakra control is better?" Yagura asked with a smirk. Roshi placed his head down on the bar, cocooned inside his crossed arms.
"I'll kill you both in your sleep," he grumbled to the bar, half-heartedly. "Anyway, how come you're not starting to feel the effects?" he asked. "You've been drinking as much as I have, if not more."
"Well, maybe if you had better control of your chakra, you could use it to boost your liver's filtration speed," Yagura said, taking a sip of sake.
The bijuu can do that? Roshi lifted his head up to drink more, directly from the bottle that time. Yagura and Han chuckled to themselves. I'm glad my suffering is funny to you.
Han bent forward to speak in Roshi's ear, keeping their conversation private. "You need to talk to the Four-Tails," he whispered. "You don't even talk to him and you still try to take its chakra by force."
"I don't want to," Roshi grumbled. He chugged his sake directly from the bottle. He heard Han sigh in exasperation.
"Just do it," Han said, out loud that time.
Roshi grimaced. Even in the Room, everyone seemed to be ganging up on him and telling him to talk to his bijuu. The only ones who refrained were Gaara and Naruto, and he knew why they didn't. He was starting to wonder if he was just stubborn.
"Fine!" Roshi exclaimed, slamming his bottle down on the bar. "I'll talk to the bastard. Nothing is going to change, though."
Yagura shrugged. "Don't be so sure about that."
Roshi glared at him as he chugged the rest of the sake.
O-O-O-O-O
Roshi didn't wait to sober up before talking to his bijuu. Once they left the bar and headed to their room at the inn, he meditated. A few seconds later, he appeared in his mind space, apart from the Room.
"So you finally saw fit to talk to me," the monkey demon grumbled.
Roshi stared impassively at the Four-Tails. It was pinned down on a pillar, his arms and legs bound by gigantic chakra chains. It struggled against its constraints, but it was useless. It glowered at Roshi. The seal is too strong, even for a bijuu.
"I need your chakra," Roshi slurred. Despite not having his physical body there, he felt the effects of alcohol. His vision blurred. He wobbled and collapsed on his knees, nauseous. Why does alcohol affect me when it's not even my real self?
The monkey demon laughed at the moment of weakness, cruel and sadistic. Roshi grimaced. I can't remember the last time I talked to the monster.
"I need your chakra," Roshi repeated, looking up at the tailed beast from his kneeling position. The beast stopped laughing at once.
"How dare you!" it shouted. "For your entire life, you have looked down on me and my kind. You don't even use my name! Why should I let you use my chakra?"
"Because you live in me," Roshi answered. "If I die, you die, too."
The monkey snorted. The sound was strange when coming from the creature. "Even so, I will eventually reform. You won't. And I will be free."
"It'll take a long time though, won't it?" Roshi said. "And it would take even longer to reach the full extent of your power."
The bijuu growled. "Still preferable over letting you take my chakra. You probably don't even remember my name. Why should I trust you with my power?"
Roshi frowned to himself. He was either drunker than he had thought or the Four-Tails was making sense. They stared at each other in silence as they waited for the other one to speak.
"I never forgot your name," Roshi eventually muttered. "I was only ten years old when I talked to you for the first time, but I still remember it."
The bijuu snorted again. "Oh yeah? And what is it?"
"You are Son Goku. The King of the Sage Monkeys, The Handsome Monkey King, and the Great Sage Equalling Heaven," he answered, not missing a beat.
The beast stared at him, shocked that Roshi could remember all the titles. It was silent until it growled again, screeching furiously.
"If you remember, why have you never used my name!?" it screamed.
"Because..." Roshi swallowed. He had never thought of admitting it to anyone, let alone the monkey king. "I was too proud. I thought if I didn't use your name, I could always have some control over you, no matter what."
"What?" The bijuu stared at Roshi in incredulity. Roshi met his eyes, face impassive.
"I'm sorry," Roshi said.
Those two words seemed to shock the bijuu more than anything else, because he startled, shifting back as much as his chains could let him. Roshi and the monkey king stared at each other appraisingly, trying to put their thoughts into words.
"Those titles are too long though." Roshi broke the silence first. "Why don't I just call you... Son?"
The Four-Tails stared down at Roshi, who was still kneeling and drunk on the ground. After what seemed like an eternity, he grunted and nodded his head.
"That'll work," Son Goku said.
Roshi smiled before leaving his mind space. When he opened his eyes, Yagura and Han were hovering over him, staring worriedly into his face.
"So? How did it go?" Han asked.
Roshi didn't answer. Before anyone could stop him, he ran to the toilet and immediately let go of the contents of his stomach. His companions grimaced in sympathy.
Roshi wiped his mouth with a forearm. At least I finally made some progress.
O-O-O-O-O
Hinata looked at the entrance of the Academy with relief. Her summer holiday had not been the best and her separation from Naruto had only made it worse.
Nearly every day, she had woken up early to train with her father or another clan member. She was supposed to be learning how to improve her Byakugan and the beginning of the Gentle Fist style of fighting. However, progress had been slow and disappointing.
Hinata was not as strong as her father expected. She tired easily and needed to practice the same move several times before she could replicate it. Her strikes were clumsy and often missed their marks. She hesitated before her opponents.
In comparison, her cousin Neji, despite being from the branch clan, had already progressed much further. He was only eight years old, but he already had a strong foundation in all aspects of clan techniques. Even Hanabi, who was only two, already showed high proficiency in taijutsu and a willingness to learn.
Hinata didn't feel like the heir to the Hyuuga clan. She felt weak, meek, and shy. Her father, while never overtly cruel, didn't bother to hide his disappointment in her performance.
Relieved that she wouldn't have to train every day for hours, she stepped inside her classroom. She was the first person there. She sat down next to the window and waited impatiently for Naruto to arrive. I miss him so much.
Slowly, other students started to trickle in. Shino arrived after her, sitting at the back of the classroom. Sasuke arrived next, sitting near the front of the class by himself. A few other students arrived, too, some of whom she didn't remember. She looked up whenever the door opened but was disappointed every time.
I hope he's still enrolled in the Academy. Hinata knew that sometimes students dropped out during the breaks. She pushed her fingertips together. She bit her lip and looked down at her desk. Only five minutes were left until the class began and Naruto had yet to arrive.
Around her, her classmates talked amongst each other, catching up after a holiday spent apart. No one talked to her or asked to sit next to her. Despite being surrounded by other children her age, she felt completely alone. By the time Iruka came in to start the class, she remained alone at her table, trying not to cry. I guess it's just me today.
She stared at the desk as Iruka began his lecture, although she absorbed nothing of what he was saying.
"Iruka-sensei!" a loud voice yelled from the doorway.
Everyone turned to stare. Naruto stood at the entrance to the classroom. His eyes were open wide in panic and his shirt was inside out. He stopped for a second to get his breathing back in order. Hinata's heart soared.
"Naruto!" Iruka yelled back. "What happened? Why are you late?"
Naruto grinned bashfully. "I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei," he panted. "I forgot to set the alarm last night, so I woke up late, ya know."
Iruka sighed. "I'll let you off the hook since it's the first day back," he said, clearing his throat. "But if you're late again, you will need to stay here after class and help me clean up. Do you understand?"
Naruto chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "Yes, Iruka-sensei."
Hinata caught Sasuke mutter something, but she couldn't hear it. Naruto must have, however, because he stuck his tongue out at Sasuke when Iruka turned his back.
Cheerfully, Naruto scanned the classroom. His eyes widened in happiness when he saw Hinata and the empty chair next to her. He ran to her table and sat down.
"Good morning, Hinata-chan!" he greeted with a grin. "I missed you during the summer, ya know."
Hinata smiled back. "I missed you too, Naruto-kun."
O-O-O-O-O
On the first day back to school after the summer break, Naruto woke up late. He jolted awake, looking at the alarm clock he forgot to set the night before in panic.
He rushed through his morning routine, brushing his teeth and dressing as fast as possible. He put on his backpack, taking a slice of bread to eat on the way to school.
When he arrived, the class had already started. He apologized to Iruka, trying to get his breath back under control. To his immense relief, his teacher didn't punish him and allowed him to join the class instead.
Sasuke called him an idiot under his breath. Naruto stuck his tongue out at him before going to sit next to Hinata. To his eternal joy, she looked just as happy to see him as he was to see her.
"Good morning, Hinata-chan!" he said. "I missed you during the summer, ya know."
Hinata smiled back. "I missed you too, Naruto-kun."
"So what did you do during the break?" he asked. "Did you learn anything cool?"
Before Hinata had a chance to answer, Iruka cleared his throat. Naruto turned around to look at his teacher. Iruka was glaring at him, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"Naruto!" he yelled. "This is not the time for talking. The class has started."
"Sorry, Iruka-sensei," he apologized again. "I'll be quiet."
Naruto mimed zipping his mouth closed. He heard a few other children laughing at him. Iruka sighed and shook his head before continuing with the lecture.
"We'll talk during lunch, okay?" he whispered to Hinata. She responded with only a short nod.
Naruto settled back in his chair and tried to focus on Iruka. He was glad to be back in school. His summer had been... strange.
After that first dinner with Sasuke's family, he had spent more and more time at their house. Almost every morning, Naruto had gone to the Uchiha compound for training and lunch.
However, a few times he had stayed behind to relax with Sasuke or to help Sasuke's mother. She had started teaching him some of her recipes. She was a patient teacher, making sure he knew everything about the ingredients and tools of the kitchen. For some reason, she had laughed hysterically when Naruto said his favorite food was ramen. While Naruto's cooking was not on her level yet, it was better than anything he had made from scratch before.
Sasuke's father had been similarly kind. The first time Naruto had seen the man, stern and wearing his police uniform, he had felt cold sweat running down his back. He had expected the man to despise him. However, he seemed curious more than anything about Naruto, asking him questions about his training and skills.
The member of the Uchiha family Naruto understood the least was Itachi. Sasuke's older brother was only a year or two older than Fuu but acted like a man the same age as Han. He was quiet and rarely talked to Sasuke and even less often to Naruto. Sasuke looked up to Itachi, often asking him to spend time with them. Despite Sasuke's pleas, however, Itachi never stayed for longer than a meal and a short conversation.
After spending so much time in Sasuke's house, Naruto almost felt like he had yet another adoptive family. Too bad Sasuke is kind of a jerk, though.
"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as the bell rang to start their lunch break. "We're gonna go eat outside. Wanna join?"
Sasuke blinked at Naruto, turning his gaze between him and Hinata. He shook his head. "I'm fine. You two have lunch without me."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Fine. We'll have more fun without you, ya know."
"Fine."
"Fine!" He's such a jerk!
Naruto huffed and stomped out of the classroom. Hinata followed behind him. They walked outside and sat down together under the shade of a large tree. Naruto muttered under his breath about jerks and Sasuke.
"Why did you invite Sasuke-kun to eat with us, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, taking a small bento box out and setting it on the ground.
"We trained together during the summer," Naruto explained. "And we always got lunch after training. I guess he thinks that now that we're back at the Academy, he doesn't want to spend time with me anymore."
He put his chin on his knees, wrapping his arms around his legs in a hug. He had thought that after spending so much time together, they had become friends. I guess he only wanted me as a training partner.
"Oh," Hinata whispered. She pushed her fingertips together in a now-familiar gesture. "So you trained together during the summer? Did you learn anything new?"
Although Naruto knew that Hinata was only trying to distract him, he grinned and nodded his head, already more cheerful.
"Yeah, we practiced a lot!" he bragged. "And his family is really cool! Cooler than Sasuke, even! His mom showed me a neat trick with shuriken. And a new taijutsu move!"
"New taijutsu?" Hinata asked. "Can I see?"
Naruto nodded his head enthusiastically. He stood up, already feeling happier. "Yeah! Watch this!"
With no hesitation, he began an elaborate taijutsu kata. It was more complex than anything Iruka or the other jinchuuriki had taught him. According to Sasuke's mother, it was most suitable for people with high endurance and flexibility. He ended the routine with a high kick.
Hinata clapped her hands at the end, eyes shining with happiness at the display. "That was really cool, Naruto-kun!" she said.
Naruto giggled. "Thanks!" he said. "It took me a long time to learn. Maybe three weeks or so?" He scratched his chin in contemplation before he remembered something else. "Oh! And you were doing a lot of training too, right Hinata-chan?" he asked. "What cool things did you learn?"
To Naruto's surprise, instead of bragging about cool clan jutsu like Sasuke always did, she flinched. She bit her lip and looked down at the ground, her hands on her lap. Her gaze hardened as if she was trying not to cry.
"What is it, Hinata-chan?" he asked, sitting next to her and looking into her face.
"It's just..." she kept her eyes focused away from him.
"Just what?" he asked.
She swallowed before speaking again, voice softer than he's heard before. "I'm not as good as you," she confessed. "My father is always disappointed because I'm very weak and slow."
"Your father?" Naruto clenched his fists, outraged on Hinata's behalf.
Hinata nodded. "I get tired very quickly, so I can't practice for long," she continued. "My cousin is only a year older and he can already do so much. He's one of the best we've ever seen in the Hyuuga clan."
"I see," Naruto said, lost for words. He didn't know what he could say to make her feel better. They sat in silence, side by side, lost in their own thoughts.
"Wait! I have an idea!" Naruto leaned forward to meet Hinata's eyes, a grin on his face.
"An idea?" she repeated uncertainly.
"Yeah!" Naruto yelled. "You can train with me and Sasuke after school! We always go to the training area and spar there. I've gotten loads better with that! Maybe you can tag along, too!"
"M-me?" she stuttered, blushing pink. "But... I don't think Sasuke-kun likes me. He said no when you asked to eat lunch together."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about him," he said. "Sasuke is just a jerk, but he's the kind of jerk that will do anything to get stronger."
"Are you sure?" she asked, biting her lip.
"I'm sure," he said confidently. "I'll talk to him after school and then you can come with us tomorrow, ya know. And that way, you can ask for permission too, right? From your cousin or whatever?"
"Y-yeah," she said. Despite her stutter, she appeared confident and happy with the plan. She sat up straighter.
"I'll ask my mother and father for permission tonight," she continued. "If they say it's okay, I'll go with you two for extra sparring."
"Great!" Naruto said, grinning. Hinata returned the smile nervously.
"Thanks for the meal." Hinata clapped her hands together before opening her bento box. Naruto's heart sank into his stomach.
"Argh!" he shouted. "I forgot to make myself lunch! I was just running out of my apartment!"
"Oh, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, looking genuinely sorry for him. "I can share some of my food with you. My mother always packs more than necessary."
"Thank you, Hinata-chan," he said with a sigh. "You're a lifesaver."
Together, they bent over the bento box. They were ready to eat when someone interrupted them.
"Hey, loser," Sasuke said, walking toward them. "Forgot your food?"
Naruto glared at him. Did he come here just to make fun of me? "What's it to ya?" he asked with a grimace.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. To Naruto's surprise, instead of leaving or saying anything else, he sat down next to Naruto, putting his own bento next to Hinata's. Naruto's mouth watered at the sight. Uchiha-san's cooking!
"I realized you probably forgot to bring food," Sasuke explained. "You can share some of mine. You'd be a terrible training partner if you're hungry. Just don't eat everything."
Before he could think twice about it, he hugged Sasuke, throwing him down on the ground.
"Thank you, Sasuke!" he said, beaming. "Maybe you're not as much of a jerk as I thought."
"Get off of me!" Sasuke said, pushing him away and sitting back up. "And what do you mean, not as much?"
Naruto giggled, refusing to answer Sasuke's question. With Hinata and Sasuke's food, it was more than enough for the three of them. They dug in. Hinata's food was as good as it looked and Sasuke's mother was the best cook Naruto knew. It was easily one of the best meals he'd ever had.
While Naruto and Hinata talked, Sasuke was silent, eating by himself as he stared into the distance. However, Naruto could tell that he was listening to their conversation. It's all about how he sits.
When they finished, they sat together, enjoying the shade of the tree.
"Oh, yeah, Sasuke," Naruto said, turning to his friend. "Hinata wants to get stronger, so I invited her over for training."
"Invited?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow before turning to look at Hinata critically. She blushed and looked away under his intense gaze.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yes," he said. "I invited her. She says she wants to train more. Isn't that right, Hinata-chan?" She nodded her head hesitantly.
Sasuke's eyebrows contracted into a frown. "Are you sure you can keep up with us?" he asked. "We spend at least three hours training after school."
Hinata bit her lip and blushed. Her eyes become shiny and Naruto could tell that she was tempted to deny the invitation.
"She'll be fine!" Naruto insisted, grabbing onto her shoulder. She startled at the sudden touch. "Besides, the only way to get better is to practice, ya know!"
"I suppose," Sasuke answered skeptically. His frown remained, but he looked at Hinata more thoughtfully. "My father did say that the Hyuuga clan has a different fighting style."
Naruto poked Hinata's shoulder. She jumped before nodding at the implied question.
"Yes," she said. "I've been learning the first steps of the Gentle Fist technique. It's... a kekkei genkai in my clan."
"In that case, you might as well come," Sasuke said. He started to walk away without them. "My brother says I should try sparring with more than one person, anyway."
He left Hinata and Naruto without saying anything else. They watched him walk away. Naruto turned his gaze back to Hinata with a grin.
"So, yeah," he said. "Ask your parents if you can come train with us! Sasuke is kind of a jerk, but he's a good training partner. You can practice what you learned with us!"
Hinata nodded. She still looked nervous, but the fear from before was gone. With Sasuke's approval, he couldn't imagine any excuse for her to say no. They sat and talked for a few more minutes until it was time to return to class.
O-O-O-O-O
Her family was eating dinner together in silence. Hinata hesitated. She fidgeted with her chopsticks, turning her gaze to look between her parents.
Her father had his eyes closed. He took a bite of food and chewed thoughtfully. Her mother focused on Hanabi, trying to teach her how to use chopsticks correctly. Hanabi only seemed interested in grabbing the food with her hands, however, stubborn as always.
Hinata looked at her parents and sister before turning around to look at the branch family members. They stood against the walls, silent guards and servants. She swallowed and gathered her courage.
"Father," she began. She swallowed again as she forced herself to stop fidgeting with her chopsticks.
"What is it?" he asked, not opening his eyes. His indifference made her feel smaller than usual.
Hinata swallowed to gather her courage. "One of my friends asked me if I wanted to do some training and sparring after school with him," she said.
Her father finally opened his eyes to look at her. Her mother stopped trying to force Hanabi to use chopsticks to look at Hinata, eyes opened wide. Only Hanabi remained focused on her task, shoveling food into her mouth as fast as she could.
"After the Academy hours, I presume?" her father asked. For the first time in a very long time, his attention was fully focused on her.
Hinata nodded. "My friend... um... always did some training with one of his friends after school. He asked me if I wanted to meet with them."
"Who is this friend, Hinata?" her mother asked. "I don't think you've really mentioned any friends from the Academy before."
Hinata hesitated. She didn't want to tell them about Naruto. Ko's reaction was enough for her to know what they would think.
"It's with Sasuke Uchiha," she lied. "We talked during lunch about training together."
"Sasuke Uchiha?" her father asked, eyebrows raised. "He invited you?"
Hinata thought Naruto would have been insulted on her behalf by his tone. She bit her lip and nodded, not wanting to say anything else. She looked up at her father. Her heart beat faster in anticipation of his answer. Please say yes, father.
After what felt like an eternity, he nodded and Hinata felt the tension release from her shoulders.
"Additional training sessions with a member of the Uchiha clan could be useful," he said, a thoughtful frown on his face.
"Thank you, Father," she said, trying not to show how overjoyed she was at his approval.
He stared down at her. "Make sure not to bring shame to our clan," he ordered.
She bit her lip and nodded. She knew Sasuke and Naruto were both much more talented than she was. She just hoped she wouldn't embarrass herself too much.
O-O-O-O-O
Sasuke stared at the girl in front of him. She had walked to the training area with Naruto after class ended. Now, she stood shyly behind him as if his presence was enough to shield her from anything, avoiding Sasuke's gaze.
"G-good afternoon, Sasuke-kun," she said. "H-how are you?"
"Fine," Sasuke said. She can't even speak properly. I should have told Naruto to practice with her alone.
At his curt tone, she shied back farther behind Naruto, keeping her eyes trained on the ground. Sasuke frowned. You can't become a shinobi if you're afraid all the time.
"Oh! So how are we gonna break up the fights?" Naruto asked with a grin, ignoring the tense atmosphere completely.
"I don't know," Sasuke said with a shrug. "Two against one?"
"That's not fair!" Naruto protested. "It's Hinata-chan's first time with us! We should take turns!"
"Hn, fine," Sasuke said. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Who is first?"
"I don't know." Naruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Rock, paper, scissors?"
Sasuke shrugged. "Why not?" he asked. "The loser has to sit out and watch the first match."
"Sure!" Naruto gave him a thumbs up.
Naruto pulled on Hinata's hand so the three of them were standing in a circle. They played the game. To Sasuke's dismay, Naruto lost, making the first match of the afternoon a spar between Sasuke and Hinata. I guess I'll have to take it easy for now.
"Yeah! You can do it, Hinata-chan!" Naruto cheered. Hinata only looked more unsure of herself and she fidgeted, pushing her fingertips together.
"I-I'm not sure if I can be a good opponent, Naruto-kun," she admitted. We haven't even started training, and she already looks like she's ready to cry.
"Don't worry, Hinata-chan," Naruto reassured her. "You're really strong and cool too!"
To Sasuke's surprise, she nodded and stood up straighter. She walked to the center of the training arena and bowed her head down respectfully. Sasuke copied her, bowing down to her in return. I'll try not to make you cry at least.
Their spar began. Sasuke pushed her back first, not wanting to finish the match until he understood her fighting style. She stepped back, keeping her hands held in front of her. Her stance was weak, and he saw many openings to attack. He sighed to himself in annoyance. Why did Naruto have to lose the game?
"Are you even taking this seriously?" he asked. She flinched and stared at him.
"W-what do you mean?" she stuttered.
"Come at me with everything you got!" he said, unable to keep his frustration from bleeding into his voice. "If you're not going to fight back, you might as well go home."
"Hey! Don't be a jerk to Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled. "She's trying her best, ya know!"
"Naruto..." Hinata turned to look at her friend for a few seconds before her eyes refocused on Sasuke. To Sasuke's delight, her previous weakness was gone, and she stood straight, her arms held in front of her.
Sasuke smirked. That's more like it.
"You still can't beat me!" Sasuke taunted. She only stared at him. While he still saw a hint of nervousness, her eyes were full of determination.
He lunged to attack. It was a sure hit to her shoulder. It was a move that had allowed him to defeat Naruto more times than he could count. However, at the last second, she stepped to the side and hit his arm with an open palm.
Instantly, pain coursed up and down his arm and he screamed at the sensation. Sasuke fell to the ground, grabbing at his wounded arm. It was the worst pain he'd ever felt, even more than when he accidentally cut open the palm of his hand with a kunai. Within seconds, both Naruto and Hinata were at his sides. He tried to stand up by himself but he could only writhe in pain.
"What happened?" Naruto asked, panicked. "Your arm looks okay, Sasuke. did it really hurt so much?"
Sasuke nodded and gritted his teeth. "It hurts," he said. "What did she do?" Sasuke suppressed a second scream at the pain.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Hinata repeated the words as she dug into her bag in search of something. She handed a small tub full of ointment over to him.
To Sasuke's surprise, she was sobbing. "Here is a healing ointment from our clan," she said through her tears. "It will help with the pain."
Sasuke swallowed down another scream as he took the tub with his healthy hand. He rubbed the ointment over his arm. Almost immediately, the pain lessened, but he still couldn't move his arm well. He breathed out sharply through his mouth. He forced himself to swallow and to breathe again, more slowly through his nose. He looked at his arm, unresponsive and useless, and gritted his teeth. Naruto sat next to Sasuke, face ashen.
"I'm so sorry, Sasuke-kun," Hinata said, tears streaming down her face. "I used too much chakra in my attack. It was only supposed to sting a little."
From the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto grabbing onto her hand in silent support. Sasuke shook his head. With her medicine, his arm was already beginning to return to normal.
"No," Sasuke said. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have underestimated you." My mother is always telling me off me about that.
"Huh?" Hinata stopped sobbing to stare at him in confusion. She wiped her tears away with her forearm.
"You won fair and square," he admitted. "It's going to heal, right?"
"R-right," she said. "I'm very sorry, Sasuke-kun."
"Don't be," Sasuke said. He tried to stand. To his relief, Naruto helped him up. "I asked you to take the fight seriously, and you did."
"I-I..." she swallowed, keeping her eyes on the ground. "I guess. I'm still very sorry, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke shrugged. "I'll be fine. I guess Naruto was right about you being stronger than you look, though."
Hinata turned a bright red. She hid her face behind the palms of her hands and wiped her eyes. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun. You are very kind."
I think that's the first time anyone's ever said that to me.
Sasuke grunted. "Hn. I can't fight in this condition. I'll practice throwing shuriken instead. You and Naruto can spar."
Naruto laughed, helping Hinata stand up as well. "Just don't hit me like you hit Sasuke, ya know!"
Hinata shook her head. "I won't," she promised. Her face was blotchy and her eyes were puffy, but she had stopped crying.
For the rest of their training session, Sasuke watched them spar and compare katas while he threw shuriken one-handed. After Sasuke's praise, she was much less nervous, although her posture was still unsure.
Sasuke looked down at his wounded arm. Maybe she's not so weak after all.
O-O-O-O-O
A/N: Hinata is really cute, okay? If you still use Tumblr, my account is waffledogwrites. You can send me weird questions.
Next chapter: Utakata gets some unexpected news.