A/N - Holy shit has it been a while since I updated this story! And it's been quite a while since I wrote anything. There's a reason for that, however.
First, I've been suffering from severe depression and have been INCREDIBLY stressed out. I've been dealing with so much real life shit that I just couldn't write anything. There were times where I honestly thought about taking my own life. It's been rough.
Second, because of all that shit, I lost almost all motivation to write anything. Try as I might, I couldn't get myself to even TRY to write anything.
Third, I've been desperately trying to work through my gaming backlog. It's taking forever, but I've made some good progress. Actually played Tokyo Xanadu eX+ for a good, long while until I got the platinum trophy for the game. I've also been playing a variety of Atelier games. I recently started playing Triangle Strategy. I've been busy. lol. And yet, I still have a crap ton of games I need to work on. XD
Let's just say I've been through a lot and just haven't felt up to writing anything. I could go into one LONG rant...but I'm going to end this Author's Note here. Here's hoping you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 7 – Mistakes & Determination
Tsunade stared apathetically at the woman before her. She had called the remaining Elder into her office for a 'discussion' of sorts. In truth, she was going to nip a certain problem in the bud before it could grow any worse.
"What do you have to say for yourself? Are you pleased with your machinations? With what you've done? Do you even think about the potential consequences of your actions?" the busty blonde questioned in as calm a tone as she could muster.
Koharu frowned and shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't quite know what you're talking about, Tsunade. What 'mistakes' have we made this time?" she questioned.
The blonde looked coldly into the elderly woman's eyes and said, "Firstly, you seem to forget that I am the Hokage and demand respect from the likes of you. Second, you know damn well what you did. You and your fellow elders are responsible for turning our allies in Sunagakure against us. Are you truly unaware of what such actions will cause?"
Koharu frowned and shook her head in disappointment. "Suna is the weakest of the great villages, Hokage." She spat somewhat hatefully. "They may be our allies today, but they're just as likely to betray us should they ever be given the opportunity. Taking missions from them really doesn't matter in the long run. So what if they feel slighted on some level?" Koharu said with a casual shrug of her shoulders.
Tsunade gawked at the woman, shocked by the audacity of the elderly bitch. After a moment, she growled out, "The only reason they'd betray us is because the likes of you screwed them over! You assholes are the entire reason they'll try to destroy us! You're why they'll likely form an alliance of some kind with other villages to destroy all of us! That's it! I've tolerated you and your bullshit for waaay too long. Die!" And with a snap of her fingers, Koharu exploded, her body parts, blood, and tissue splattering the walls, staining them red.
Taking a moment to calm herself down, the busty blonde closed her eyes and said, "Get someone in here to clean this mess up. Dammit." Bringing a hand to her face, Tsunade took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Closing her eyes, she began to think over everything that had gone wrong in her grandfather's village. How the mighty have fallen. How true a saying that is. I want Naruto. He always manages to cheer me up.
Naruto
Naruto frowned as he tried his best to master the tree walking exercise. His mind wasn't quite focused on the here and now. Oh, sure, he was still working hard to get accustomed to such a vital ability for the garden variety ninja. However, he couldn't help but think about what he had learned yesterday. Sakura's in love with me? Then there's Hinata. Sorey's obviously crazy about her. Maybe I should try to give her a subtle nudge in his direction? Ugh. I don't know! Scowling, he reached up and ruffled his hair due to all the frustration he was currently feeling. This is so confusing!
Thinking on it for a time, he turned his gaze towards his teammates, as well as the members of Team 7 that were training alongside them. I can't hurt the girls like that. I don't want Sakura to be hurt by my refusal to be with her, but at the same time, I do care about her. But Yuno and the others…would they permit her to join our happy family? I guess I could always bring up the subject with them later. If they're against it, I'll try to help Sakura find happiness with somebody else. But…
Sighing heavily, Naruto pushed those thoughts out of his head and resumed work on the chakra control exercise he had been attempting somewhat absentmindedly. Focus, Naruto. You can do this!
Yuno and the others in their happy, crazy family easily noticed the distress their lover was feeling. Hell, it wasn't hard to guess what he was thinking about, considering he kept glancing at Sakura and then at them. Sighing frustratedly, Yuno glanced at the others and nodded once. The message went unsaid, but they each knew what they had to do. We need to sit down and discuss Sakura. Might as well talk about Sorey and Hinata, as well. Dammit.
Minene looked at each of the Genin, a small, barely noticeable scowl on her face. Shit. I don't like this one teeny tiny bit. Enough of that, though. Looks like we were right about those three. They got the hang of this exercise easily. Naruto's having the most difficult time with it, but he's still making good progress. Yuno is far too pissed off to put all of her focus on the exercise, on the other hand. She hasn't made it past the second branch yet. Every time she tries, she destroys more of the bark on the tree. Ugh. This is such a mess.
Anko also noticed what was going on, hence why she held up a hand and said, "Alright, that's enough. Everyone, huddle up and listen!" Seeing the six Genin take their places, the Snake Mistress looked at them all, one by one. "Why is it that Sorey is the only one able to concentrate on the exercise? Don't answer, that's a rhetorical question. First, Sorey?" Seeing she had his attention, she smiled at him and said, "You're doing a great job. Keep it up and work towards increasing your chakra reserves. You're going to exhaust yourself every day until I feel you're ready for something a bit more challenging."
Sorey smiled thankfully at his sensei and bowed his head in thanks. "Thank you, Anko-sensei. But, I get the feeling that something big is going on. Mind if I ask what's up?"
Anko shrugged and said, "Not much of a secret. Girls, we love Naruto-kun and don't like the idea of sharing him with anyone else outside of our crazy family. However, would you really be okay with denying someone their true love if it meant you could keep Naruto-kun all to yourselves? I know how you feel, and I hate it, too. But I also recognize that Sakura has changed a lot, and it's all for the better. If she has truly fallen in love with our hunky boyfriend, then why work so hard to keep her out of the relationship? Believe me, I'd love nothing more than to rip other girls' tongues out through their teeth and do whatever the hell else we can come up with. I don't like the idea of other women making moves on our man. But I'm willing to give Sakura a shot at happiness with Naruto-kun. Besides that, just look at how troubled he is by all of this. Naruto-kun's clearly conflicted and doesn't know what the hell he should do. So, my vote goes to allowing her in on this relationship we've built up. What do you say, girls?"
Yuno scowled at the mere idea of allowing Sakura into the family. However, chancing a glance at her hubby-to-be, she could easily see how he was feeling. Sighing irritably to herself, she looked at Sakura and said, "I swear to Deus-sama that, if you hurt him in ANY way, I will destroy you. Naruto-kun has already been through way more than enough. Naruto-kun clearly wants to give you a chance…" Grumbling, she closed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't like this. I don't like you. You get ONE chance, Haruno. Do right by Naruto-kun…or die."
Sakura's eyes widened slightly in a mixture of awe…and abject horror. Slowly, she nodded her head and said, "You have nothing to worry about. I'll never hurt Naruto-kun again. I know I was horrible to him in the past, but…" Looking at Naruto, the pinkette smiled slightly and said, "I know how I feel. I know what I want. I want to start a family with the man I love."
Naruto looked at his lovely harem, if you could call his family such a thing, and found himself smiling. They were all being supportive and were now simply waiting on his decision. Smiling slightly, he walked over to Sakura and gently took her hands into his. Without a word, he leaned in and kissed her sweetly on the lips. The kiss lasted for only a matter of seconds, but Sakura found herself moaning, her eyes closing as she relished the feeling of his lips on hers.
A pleasant tingle shot throughout her body, and she found herself desiring more of this wonderous feeling. When he broke the kiss, Sakura quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back in, kissing him senseless.
For a while, Sakura and Naruto just relished in the feeling they both got from their actions. When they finally had enough, Sakura had rosy cheeks and a bright, face-splitting smile on her face. "Wow. That was…"
"Amazing." Naruto finished for her. Hearing her giggling giddily, he chuckled softly and said, "Welcome to the family, Sakura-chan."
Throwing her arms around Naruto once more, Sakura hugged herself to him tightly. Burying her face in his chest, she closed her eyes and just basked in his scent. "I love you, Naruto-kun. I didn't think I'd ever love anyone this much. Thank you for giving me a chance."
Naruto hugged his new girlfriend back, gently running one of his hands up and down her back. "Sakura-chan, I know I like you. I like you a lot. I haven't really taken the time to figure out how I feel about you, but I know that this, right now, makes me happy. Now, what do you say we get back to work on mastering this exercise, hm?"
Minene frowned deeply as she watched the interaction between her lover and Sakura. Looking around, she saw that none of the other girls were all that pleased with it, either. Still, they agreed to give her a chance, so they could only wait and see if things would work out for the best.
Shrugging it off, the mad bomber of Konohagakure pointed back towards the trees and said, "Now that that particular matter has been attended to, it's time to get back to work. Take a few, deep breaths and then get to work. I won't tolerate slacking from any of you."
Each of the Genin nodded before quickly returning to their chosen trees and getting to work. As they did, the two Jonin noticed that they were each making more progress, as compared to the limited progress they had made while they had been stewing over the Sakura situation. Looking into her girlfriend's eyes, Minene said, "I still don't like her, but I have to agree that this is for the best. But we aren't taking her to meet Deus just yet. She'll have to prove her feelings and intentions are pure. Still, now that that particular problem has been squared away, it's nice to see that they're starting to make more progress. Holding onto all those aggressive feelings was holding each of them back."
Anko nodded slowly and said, "Right. When do you think we should start them on water walking?"
Minene shrugged and said, "I'd like to focus on this exercise for the time being. I want them to truly master this exercise before we move onto the next exercise. Still, we will have to get them used to water walking before the mission next month. Learning how to walk on water will help a lot, considering our destination."
The Snake Mistress nodded and said, "I doubt Hokage-sama will send both of our teams on that mission. So when it comes around, I want you all to be careful. Sure, I know you'll have Kushina and the others with you, but even then…"
Minene nodded and said, "I know. We don't know when Pain might make his move. On top of that, nobody's heard anything about Jiraiya in a long time. He was in on Hiruzen's plans, and he even had machinations of his own in place regarding Naruto-kun. We haven't seen or heard anything about him in years. There's no telling what he might be up to. Despite the fact that none of us can be killed anymore, I still can't help but worry. You know what I mean?"
Anko nodded and said, "I understand, believe me. Being immortal doesn't mean we're invincible. I'm not sure if it's possible to recover if someone's head is cut off, for instance. I'd rather not risk being maimed, just to test our limits. Nooo thank you."
Minene giggled and said, "Definitely not. Oh well. What do you say we get in a little practice of our own? Leave the kiddos to themselves and enjoy a spar for a change, right?"
Anko simply nodded in response and walked off with her girlfriend to enjoy some precious alone time with her. Too bad she doesn't mean the naughty kind of 'spar'. Those are always pleasurable.
One week later
Sorey was nervous. He had been fidgeting nervously for the past hour and couldn't help but tug at his new clothes. To be perfectly honest, he felt somewhat naked without his gear. Chancing a glance at his companion, he noticed that the blonde teen looked perfectly composed and actually looked comfortable in the outfit he was wearing.
After a moment, Sorey took a deep breath and released it ever so slowly, all in an effort to calm his frayed nerves. "Are you absolutely sure about this, Naruto? She's never so much as looked at me before! How am I supposed to win her over when she's crazy about you? I don't stand a chance!"
Naruto sighed and smacked his friend on the back, causing Sorey to let out a gasp as he stumbled forward a few steps. "Relax and breathe, man. Hinata's a sweetheart. I don't feel the same way about her as you do. Yes, we're really good friends, but I don't love her."
"And yet you invited her to live with you…" Sorey interrupted.
Lightly chopping Sorey on the head, Naruto shook his head and said, "Don't interrupt me. That's rude. I had my reasons for inviting her into my home. She was living in such a toxic environment before I invited her to move in with me. We're just good friends, despite the fact that she wants to be something more. Sorey, I want you two to be happy together. Setting you two up on a date is my attempt to make things work between the both of you. Though…"
The brunette sighed and nodded his head. "Yeah, she's been crazy about you ever since you helped her way back then. It'll definitely take some serious effort to make her so much as notice me." He said with a sigh.
The blonde rubbed the back of his head and said, "Yeaaah, sorry about that. Still, good things take time. Or so they say, anyway. If you truly love her, then you'd better be willing to prove it. It will take some serious work, but I'm positive you can win Hinata's heart and make her the happiest woman alive. Well, almost the happiest."
When Naruto simply smirked at him, Sorey couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head. "Yeah, yeah. Your girls will always be the happiest. And the scariest."
"Meh. They're only scary to people they don't like." Naruto said, shrugging haphazardly.
Sorey gave his friend a deadpan expression and said, "You do know that's just about everybody that isn't you, right?"
"Your point being…?" Naruto questioned, staring at Sorey with a raised eyebrow.
Sorey chuckled and said, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
"That's what I thought." Naruto said, a smirk stretching his lips.
It was at this point that Hinata approached them, wearing a simple sundress and sandals. Upon spotting Sorey, Hinata gained a quizzical look as she looked into Naruto's eyes. "Naruto-kun? What's going on?"
Naruto stepped up to Hinata and placed his hands gently upon her shoulders. "Hinata-chan, I know how you feel about me. And I'm flattered, truly I am. But Sorey is a friend and, well…"
Sorey stepped up and said, "Hinata-chan, Naruto wanted to set us up on a date. He knows of my feelings for you…and he wanted to help. I…I know…"
Before he could say anything more, Hinata shook her head and looked into Naruto's eyes. Just by looking into her eyes, they could both see the tears welling up in them. "So…you're just trying to push me away? But…"
Naruto pressed a finger against her lips to shush her. "I'm not trying to be mean, nor am I trying to just push you off to another man. Hinata-chan, I care about you. You're family to me. I love you as I would anyone in my crazy family. But…" Glancing back at Sorey, he frowned slightly before looking into Hinata's eyes once again. "Hinata…Sorey loves you. I don't want to hurt either of you, and I don't want to end up coming between the two of you and the potential happiness you can have together. And…"
Hinata frowned deeply as she looked into his eyes. "You 'don't love me', right? Or are you just afraid to be with me because your 'family' doesn't like me?"
The blonde sighed and scratched his cheek. "Hinata…what do you want me to say? I'm not sure how I feel about you. But at the same time…I want you and Sorey to be happy. And it'd be great if you could find happiness together with one another. I…I don't want to hurt either of you. Besides, I'm not a saint, and I'm not as great a person as you think me to be. Hinata-chan…I've wished harm upon others. I've encouraged the killing of those who've wronged me. I'm not that great a person. I'm vengeful, I hate people, and more. You deserve someone who is truly pure, someone that would treat you right and never, ever hurt you. Sorey's a really great guy, and he has truly genuine feelings for you. Won't you please give him a chance?"
Closing her eyes, Hinata clenched and unclenched her fists for a time before she opened her eyes again. Without a word, she slapped Naruto hard across the cheek before turning away from him. "For someone who knows how to make a girl happy…you can be a real jerk, Naruto-kun. I'll see you at home." She said before she stormed off without another word.
Naruto watched her leave with a shocked expression on his face. Slowly, he reached up and rubbed the spot she slapped him. "Ow. I…I…"
Sorey frowned as he patted Naruto on the shoulder. Looking into his friend's eyes, a sad expression on his face, the brunette said, "Yeah, that's about how I figured things would go. For what it's worth, I don't think she hates either of us. But she's going to be upset for a while…"
"Yeah. Yeah…" Naruto said, frowning slightly as he looked into Sorey's eyes. "You okay, Sorey?"
Sorey shook his head and said, "Not really. Like I said during the introductions: I don't think she'll ever see me the same way she sees you. Hinata knows what and who she wants, and she'll work hard to see her dreams come true…with you. I'm not even a blip on her radar."
The blonde looked at the ground and said, "I'm sorry. I really, really am. I feel like such an idiot. I'm a lousy friend to the both of you."
"No, you aren't. You're a good man, Uzumaki. Just give it some time. As for Hinata and me? I honestly don't think I'll ever have a chance to be with her. She's in love with you, Uzumaki. I know you only want us to be happy…but sometimes, it's best to just leave things be and let things happen naturally. Just because I'm crazy about her now, it doesn't mean we were always meant to be together. I want her to be happy, more than anything. If she's happiest with you, then that's wonderful. As the saying goes: there's always other fish in the sea. Yes, it would hurt for a good while to see Hinata happy with you…but I'd get over it. I can move on and find another woman to steal my heart away. So please, apologize to her and try to mend the relationship you both share. If you two get together…then it's okay." Sorey said, trying to cheer his friend up.
Naruto allowed a small smile to grace his face as he looked into Sorey's eyes. "You're handling this a lot better than I figured you would. Are you sure you'll be okay?"
Sorey shrugged and said, "I'll be fine. Come on, I'll treat you to some ramen. We could both use some comfort food right now."
Smirking at the brunette, Naruto patted him gently on the back before walking off with him in the direction of Ramen Ichiraku. I'm sorry, Hinata. I really should have taken your feelings into account. I'll do better by you from now on, I promise. I also need to try and help Sorey find the right woman for him, though. Maybe Crowe would be a good fit for him? Or maybe somebody else… Shrugging it off, Naruto decided he'd think more on that topic later. For now, ramen was calling!
Later that night
Naruto gingerly touched his cheek as he walked through the front door of his abode. He had been hesitant to return home all day, ever since he had made the mistake of upsetting Hinata. Still, now that he had given Hinata time to calm down and think rationally again, he figured he had better just rip the band-aid off, so to speak, and man up. So, here he was, staring right into Hinata's eyes the very moment he looked up from the floor.
Recoiling in shock from the sudden invasion of his proximity, he took a single step back and nervously chuckled to himself. "U-Um, hi there, Hinata-chan. It's good that you're here. I, erm…I kinda wanted to, y'know…talk?" he finished unsurely.
The Hyuga Princess nodded once before leading Naruto to the living room, where she took a seat on the nearest loveseat. Afterwards, she pointed to the spot beside her and said, "Sit."
Naturally, fearing the wrath of womenkind, Naruto quickly sat down beside his housemate. "Listen, Hinata—"
"Zip it. I'll speak, and you're going to listen. Understand?" Hinata said. When Naruto nodded in response, she reached up and gently touched his cheek. "I'm sorry for slapping you earlier, Naruto-kun. But you can be a real idiot sometimes. I understand Sorey has feelings for me. But, I'm not interested in him in that way. He's a sweet guy, and I'm sure he makes for a great friend. But he's not the man I fell in love with. Naruto-kun, what you did today really hurt. I know you don't feel the same way for me just yet like I do for you, but that's no reason to try and…and pawn me off to some other guy! You can't just force a woman to develop feelings for a different person just to try and 'fix a problem' you might be having. Seriously, Naruto-kun, what the hell were you thinking?"
The blonde looked down at his lap and proceeded to begin fidgeting with his fingers. "Umm…I kinda wasn't thinking things through. I kinda figured that, since I want both of you to be happy, that things would kinda just…work out, I guess?" he said unsurely. "I don't want to hurt Sorey, and I don't want to upset Yuno and the others. I…I kind of underestimated your feelings for me. I really wasn't thinking about you and your feelings during all of that. And I'm sorry. Hinata-chan, I care about you. You're a great friend and I only want to keep you safe from your 'family', if you can even call them that. Hell, if you asked me to, I'd storm the Hyuga compound and kill all those that hurt you before. But I haven't done that, because you're a sweetheart with a big heart. No matter how much someone has wronged you, you seem to be able to just brush it off like it's nothing. I don't know how you do it."
Shaking her head, Hinata said, "I don't just brush it off, Naruto-kun. If anything, what I do is far unhealthier. I tend to bottle up my emotions, both negative and positive. I learned to just stay silent and keep to myself. Ever since we started spending time together, I've been gradually stepping out of my comfort zone. I've been working towards bettering myself. I want you to be proud of me. I want you to love me, like I love you. You're the one that's given me the courage I needed to persevere and push through everything that ails me. You're my source of inspiration and someone I know I can always rely on. So what you tried to pull today really hurt me, Naruto-kun. I know that I still have some work ahead of me before I can prove to your family that I belong with you. All of you. But, I know that I'll prove myself to all of you one day soon. So how dare you try to…to pawn me off like that?! That HURTS, Naruto-kun!"
Naruto frowned sadly and gently took one of Hinata's hands into his. "Hinata-chan. I am so, so very sorry. I can make excuse after excuse and none of it would excuse what I've done to you. I could plead for your forgiveness, but I don't think that's the right choice, either. Hinata-chan?" Seeing he had her attention, Naruto said, "I'll never do anything like that again. I can't guarantee I won't accidentally or unintentionally hurt you, considering I'm not sure if the others will accept you into our crazy family yet or not. Still, I figure it's better to just be upfront with you and tell it to you like it is. I'm really glad we're friends, and I don't regret bringing you into my home. I'll try talking to the others about our situation. I want you to be happy, Hinata-chan."
Hinata shook her head and released a barely, almost inaudible sigh. "You can't just put my happiness above your own, Naruto-kun. You need to be happy with your choice, as well. If you don't love me back, then trying to force a relationship between us to work is just going to hurt us both in the end. So, while I appreciate what you're trying to do, I can't let you go through with that. Unless you're absolutely sure that being with me is what you want, then it's better that we remain just friends. Just know that I'll always be here, waiting for you to take me in your arms and kiss me senseless." She said, giggling at the end.
Smiling in response, Naruto pulled Hinata into a hug, resting her head against his chest. "You're way too good for me, Hinata-chan. I'm really nothing special."
Giggling, Hinata shook her head and said, "You say that, but you're the one who befriended a god. A god who has chosen you to succeed him. You're powerful. You're sweet. You're wonderful, Naruto-kun. Never doubt yourself like that."
"As touching as this scene is, I'm afraid I have to interrupt." Tsubaki said as she separated the two of them. Looking first at Hinata, she soon turned her gaze to her hubby-to-be and said, "I appreciate what you were trying to do, Naruto-kun, but we need to decide such things as a family. I'm not even going to pretend that I know what you did to upset her, but you still have a lot to learn about women. Now come on, we're going to practice water walking. Hinata, you are welcome to join us, if you'd like."
Hinata offered Tsubaki a disarming smile and rose from the couch before stepping up to Tsubaki, never once averting her gaze from Tsubaki's red eye. "I think I'll take you up on that offer, Tsubaki. However, come between the two of us when we're bonding ever again and I'll show you why the Hyuga are such a feared clan." She said with a smirk before brushing past Tsubaki and making her way outside.
Blinking in shock, Tsubaki watched Hinata disappear outside with a gob smacked expression on her face. After regaining her bearings, she looked into Naruto's eyes and asked, "What the hell was that about? She's never done that before."
Naruto shrugged and said, "Maybe she's just having a bad day?"
Tsubaki shook her head, but didn't say another word. Instead, she grabbed Naruto by the hand and began to practically drag him outside. Maybe she's got more backbone than I thought. She might just fit in, after all.
One Month Later
Tsunade frowned at the man standing before her desk. The man was old and gray, but that's not what bothered her. No, this particular person was a drunkard and smelled far too strongly of booze. Hell, he reeked of it far more than she ever did! Sighing irritably, she said, "Have a seat, Tazuna-san. We need to have a little 'talk'."
The now named Tazuna gulped nervously before shakily taking a seat in one of the chairs provided to guests such as him. Once he had, the blonde Hokage rested her chin upon her steepled hands and said, "Cut to the chase, Tazuna. Tell me what you want."
Tazuna smiled awkwardly and said, "I need help. I'm trying to build a bridge to connect my country with the mainland. I just need some protection while I build my bridge. That's all."
Tsunade quirked a brow and asked, "Are you in some kind of danger, Tazuna-san? What kind of opposition would my soldiers face? Bandits? Enemy shinobi?"
Tazuna gulped nervously and said, "J-Just some bandits seeking to disrupt the building process. Just a bunch of thugs, really. The Land of Waves has become a hotspot for thieves and bullies lately. Nothing too serious."
The blonde chuckled dryly and shook her head in disbelief. "Really? That's the best you can come up with?" Seeing him recoil in shock, Tsunade smirked at him and said, "I have it on good authority that a man named Gato has taken up residence in your country as of late. He's enacted quite the stranglehold on the Land of Waves, hasn't he? You see, Tazuna, there's no point in trying to lie to me. I won't tolerate your bullshit. If you want protection, you're paying full price for an A-rank mission. I don't care if you can't afford it right now. You can pay us back when your country is free again. I'm sure Gato has amassed quite the pretty sum of coin. You can pay us back with the money he's stolen from your people. If you had simply been honest with me from the beginning, I'd have understood. Hell, I'd even be willing to work out a deal with you. But no, you attempted to trick me into putting my ninja in unexpected danger! That puts me in a VERY bad mood, Tazuna-san. So, here's how things are going to play out."
"I'm going to send two of our newest teams with you, along with their Jonin sensei. The Genin could use the experience, and the Jonin are more than capable of defending you. The Genin will be the ones to put an end to Gato, and you're going to watch and learn just how dangerous my ninja are. So you'll get to build your bridge, and your country will be saved. However, because you tried to feed me a bunch of horse crap, I'm going to charge you even more than what a regular A-rank mission would require. Don't worry, you'll be able to make it all back quickly enough, considering the new trade opportunities available to you thanks to that little bridge of yours. However, should one of my ninjas be injured in some way, even potentially killed, I'm taking it out of your ass. Do you understand me?"
Tazuna broke out in a nervous sweat, unable to speak or so much as move his head to signify he understood. He was so shellshocked that he barely registered it when Tsunade began to speak again. Before she could say too much more, he nodded rapidly and squeaked out, "Y-Yes, ma'am! I understand! Please, I'll do whatever you want! Just please help my people."
Tsunade nodded and stayed silent, if only for the purpose of making Tazuna sweat for a while longer. When she slowly raised her hand, she found herself grinning inwardly at the fear evident on the man's face. After a moment longer, she snapped her fingers and watched as one of her Anbu operatives appeared at her side, further shocking Tazuna.
Turning her gaze onto the Anbu, she said, "Fetch Teams 8 and 11 for me, would you please?" When the man nodded and disappeared a mere second later, Tsunade turned back to Tazuna and grinned sadistically. "Here's another stipulation for the entirety of this mission. I forbid you from drinking anymore sake, especially in the presence of my ninja. Should you even look at another bottle, I'm giving them full permission to destroy every bottle in your possession. This means every bottle you've got stashed at home and every bottle you so much as look at. And should you make the mistake of thinking my shinobi are your little helpers and you try to order them around in the place of their sensei, then you will regret it. Nod if you understand me." When Tazuna nodded, a look of abject fear on his face, the blonde grinned pleasantly at him and said, "Glad we've managed to reach an accord. Now, both teams should be here soon, so I expect you to be on your best behavior. Treat them with respect, or we're going to have a problem."
Before Tazuna could reply, a knock could be heard at the door. Shortly afterwards, the members of Teams 8 and 11 entered the office and looked at their client. Seeing the various Genin, the old man realized that they were just a bunch of teenagers. Frowning, he looked into Tsunade's eyes again and said, "They're just kids! Are you sure they can handle this?"
Tsunade raised a brow and asked, "I thought I told you that they could handle it? And, need I remind you, I told you to treat them with the respect they are due? If you refuse to accept their help, then you're on your own. Good luck trying to save your country without help."
Tazuna quickly raised his hands in surrender before looking towards the Genin. "I'm sorry! Please, I need the help. I'll do whatever you all ask of me."
Naruto smirked and said, "Well, well. Sounds to me that we'll be getting a little fun out of this mission. When do we leave?"
Tsunade smiled at Naruto and said, "As soon as you're ready. You'll be gone for a while, so pack your things accordingly. Kurenai, Minene, stay here. Tazuna, meet your escort at the gate."
Once the majority of her guests left, Tsunade looked first at Kurenai and then at Minene. "I'm not going to lie to either of you. This mission will be difficult. I want you both to use this opportunity to test your students' capabilities. See what areas they need work on, and learn how to play to their strengths. Only step in if you really have to. I warn you now that this mission is more than a simple escort and protect mission. This is an A-rank mission, and I'm assigning the Genin to assassinate Gato and his minions. They need to get their first kills out of the way. Should any of them freeze up, help them through the trauma and protect them until they can move again. As I said before, however, don't interfere unless you absolutely have to."
Kurenai frowned and asked, "Are you sure they're ready for this? Hinata's…"
Before Kurenai could continue speaking her mind, Tsunade narrowed her eyes on her and said, "I know you'd like to coddle and protect Hinata, Kurenai. However, living with Naruto has done wonders for her and her self-confidence. As for Velvet? She's not lacking for confidence, and I highly doubt she'll lose her focus, even when she experiences her first kill. Kiba is the only one on your team that I'm concerned about. His attitude and overconfidence are going to get him, or worse, one of the others killed. From the reports you've given on your team so far, you still haven't been able to rein him in. I swear that if he gets someone hurt, I will suspend him and replace him with a more competent Genin. So I suggest you stress the importance of this mission and help him realize that he needs to take this seriously…or else."
Kurenai nodded somewhat hesitantly in response. "Of course, Hokage-sama. I'll take care of him. But, I have a question." Seeing Tsunade raise a brow, she asked, "How long has Hinata been living with Naruto? Are you sure that's wise?"
The busty blonde shook her head in mild disappointment. However, she understood the woman's concern. "Naruto invited Hinata to live with him because of how toxic an environment the Hyuga compound was. Her father clearly believes she's a disappointment and will never amount to anything. Her sister takes after their father and the elders, so she treats Hinata like shit. And her cousin would kill her without hesitation in an effort to enact 'revenge' for what happened to his father. I swear that if he so much as touches her that her new family will destroy him. Well, if Hinata doesn't get to him first, that is. Trust me when I say that moving in with Naruto and our family has done wonders for her. She won't hesitate to take a life, if need be. And I suggest that you show Naruto the respect he is due. If you say anything about him being a bad influence on her, I hope you're ready for the fallout. She loves Naruto and won't hesitate to strike someone down if they so much as look at him the wrong way."
"But-!" Kurenai started to say, only to be interrupted by Tsunade.
"I get it, Kurenai. You've always looked at Hinata as if she were your daughter. You want to coddle her and protect her from the true horrors of our world. But, you fail to realize something. She is NOT your daughter. She is one of my kunoichi, and as such, it's my decision what she does or who she has to kill, or whatever the hell else I need her to handle. So, think of this mission as a test for you, as well. Minene is going to give me a report once you all return to the village. If I find out that you tried to hold Hinata back and protect her from having to get her hands dirty, you WILL be replaced as sensei of Team 8. Now get going." Tsunade said, motioning for the two Jonin to vacate her office.
Kurenai stood there, stunned at everything she had just heard. Her eyes were wide, and she was shaking as tears welled up in her eyes. Slowly, almost robotically, she turned and left the office with Minene at her side. As they walked out of the building, Kurenai looked at Minene and asked, "She's really serious…isn't she?"
The Mad Bomber of Konoha looked at Kurenai and nodded. "Yes. Hokage-sama won't tolerate any shit. Not like the Third would. I know that I have no intention of lying to her upon our return. So try to do as Hokage-sama commanded. Believe in your Genin and show them that they will always have your support, should they need it. I guarantee that our teams will be just fine. Hell, if your team can't handle it for some reason, then mine will. They aren't afraid to kill should they need to. But, I'd like to believe in at least Hinata and Velvet. Kiba is an unknown variable in this equation, but I'm sure he'll be alright. Now let's go and get our things and then meet our Genin and client at the gate."
Kurenai nodded and said, "Of course. Thank you, Minene. I won't let you, our teams, or Hokage-sama down. I'll believe in them."
As Kurenai walked off, Minene smirked to herself and thought, Oh, just wait until you see what they're truly capable of. They're going to surprise you for sure.
At the gate
When the members of Team 8 arrived at the gate, Naruto looked them over for a moment before settling his gaze on Kiba. "So, Kiba. Do you think we can let bygones be bygones and cooperate on this mission? We're meant to be teammates on this mission. I'd like to know we can place our trust in you."
Kiba frowned distastefully. "I don't mind working with my teammates, but having to cooperate with you is another thing entirely. You and your harem have made a fool of me way too many times before. I don't even know how you, of all people, ended up with a harem of hotties. Even worse is the fact that they're scary as hell. Then again, the girls on my team scare the hell out of me, too. I hate having to cooperate with you, but I will, if only for the duration of this mission. But, once we're back here, it's back to the usual dynamic. I hate you, Naruto. Hell, I'm envious of you. It pisses me off that girls just flock to you like they do!"
Konan, who had remained silent the entire time Team 11 had been waiting, frowned at the young man and said, "Perhaps if you changed your attitude, you would have a girlfriend by now. Women are not attracted to men like you, because they don't want a man that will look down on them or expect more from them than they're truly comfortable with. Learn to treat women with more respect and bathe more than once a week, and you'll find that you will have considerably more luck with women than you've ever had before."
Kiba looked at Konan and examined her for a moment. Looking back into her eyes, he asked, "Is it really that simple? If that's the case, then how the hell does he have so many women flocking to him?"
Hinata shrugged and said, "It's partly because he's so cute and has a nice butt." Seeing the look from Kiba, she smirked and said, "He respects women and treats them as equals. He's very sweet and knows what a girl wants. Usually, anyways. I'm sure we all have similar reasons for pining after him. I've loved him for a very long time. He saved me from bullies that were threatening to tear out my eyes because I'm 'a freak'. I wanted dearly to get to know him better, but…" Chancing a glance at Yuno, she frowned and shook her head without speaking another word.
Yuno frowned as well, but didn't comment on it. Instead, she looked into Kiba's eyes and said, "I can't even begin to explain why I'm so in love with him. I can't really remember what started my infatuation with him. I've loved him for as long as I can remember. I will always protect him from anyone that means him harm. Or from hussies that want him for the wrong reasons. Naruto-kun would argue against this, but I honestly think he's perfect."
Kiba frowned, but didn't say another word. Instead, he glanced at Naruto for a brief moment. That doesn't really help. I still don't get what they see in him.
Naruto frowned as well, but didn't say anything. If Kiba couldn't understand how women feel, that's on him. So, with a shrug, he watched as their senseis arrived with Tazuna right behind them.
Upon reaching the group of Genin, Minene looked them over and said, "Good. You're all here, and you all seem ready to go. It will take us a while to reach the Land of Waves, considering we'll be moving at a civilian's place. I hope you've all brought plenty of water and food, because we'll be gone for quite some time."
Kurenai nodded and said, "Alright team, let's move out. Make sure to keep an eye out for any would-be assassins. It wouldn't do to let our client perish at the hands of those that mean him harm."
"Yes, sensei!" the Genin exclaimed. Shortly afterwards, they turned and set off down the road. It was time for their first real mission, and they were determined to succeed no matter the cost. Walking on either side of them were Konan and Itachi, intent on serving Naruto no matter what. Glancing at his guardians, Naruto smiled and thought, We'll definitely succeed. I have to admit, I'm really looking forward to testing myself against whomever we may face. This is going to be fun.
A/N - Okey dokey, that's the end of the chapter! I know I'm gonna get bitched at for including Sakura in the harem, and hinting at Hinata joining soonish as well. Oh well. :P
Anywho, I'm going to try and work on some more chapters for more of my stories, but it might take some time. I can only write so much at a time before I just need a break. I'm also still attempting to get through a variety of games, so there's that, too. lol
I honestly hope this chapter was a good one. I want everyone to enjoy the story, but I understand if you don't. *shrugs* I know that I dearly enjoy writing, and if I gain or lose fans, that's fine. I want to just write because it's something I truly enjoy. I didn't start writing fanfics for the attention. I actually just wanted to write and get my work out there in the hopes that other people might enjoy what I write. I never expected to gain so many fans. I figured that I'd get 100 at best. The numbers have far exceeded my expectations and I find it rather flattering. So thank you. All of you. I really do love you guys.
Alrighty, not much else to say. Sooo, ciao for now! lol