This chapter has been changed a little as well as massaged by my new beta, so it should be a lot easier to read. So here is the next chapter of A New Team. I hope you all like it and if not feel free to yell at me.
Chapter 11
The Other Side of the Coin
Looking over the smoldering remains of the building, the blond let out a deep sigh. He took a few steps in the pile of ash and burnt wood, some of it still offering a guttural flame. "It doesn't even look like they tried to put it out." He said with a sigh.
Letting out a sigh of her own, Hana placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry Naruto, the crowd was too big and drunk. There were some people trying to put the fire out, but they were pushed back."
"Well at least some people are on my side. I hope the old man can find me a new place soon." Naruto said while kicking something that looked like a couch. "At least I'm on lockdown for the week, free room and board!" he offered with a big, but fake grin.
Anko sent Hana a look that made Hana roll her eyes and nod her head, but not before giving Anko a look that said you owe me. "What are you whining about brat? Don't you remember what I told you yesterday?" Naruto gave Anko an odd look. "Geez, if you can't even remember what I said yesterday, teaching you is going to be a pain in my ass." The whisker faced teen opened his mouth to say something, but Anko didn't give him the chance. "I told you that if anything were to happen to your home that you can come live with me."
Naruto's face turned from annoyed to one of shock, even Ino and Sakura looked to be confused. "You… You were serious? I… I thought you were joking." he said pointing at her.
"Well... I'll admit that I never thought that anything would actually happen." The purple-haired Jounin said while rubbing the back of her head. "But here we are, so stop your whining and let's get going. You three are still on lockdown, so let's get you back."
"Hold on, I need to grab something." Naruto took of his trenchcoat and tossed it over to Ino, leaving him in a blue tank top before walking thought the ash.
"Um, Naruto? I hate to say this..." Ino made a face and her shoulders slumped. "There's nothing left."
He looked back and gave all four girls his one-of-a-kind smile, his real one. "It's not the first time something like this has happened, so I started hiding all my most prized possessions." Turning back he headed further out into where the backyard would be, making a beeline to a large tree.
Smiling, Hana crossed her arms as she watched him climb the tree. "You know, you're a lot smarter then I gave you credit for kid."
Going under the tree herself Sakura looked up to see Naruto pull out an iron box from a well-hidden hole. "Sakura, catch!" Naruto tossed the box to his pink-haired teammate.
Catching it, Sakura looked at it and noticed that the box had seen far better days. The thing had dings, bends, holes, gashes, and rust everywhere; its original shape almost totally gone. "Naruto what is this thing? It looks like you found it in the dump."
"Well close. I found it at the bottom of a lake when I was six." Naruto jumped from the tree, landing next to the pinkette. "And this little baby is where I keep everything that means something to me." Reaching into his pocket, Naruto pulled out and tossed Ino a key. "Feel free to have a look, I want to double check and see if anything survived the fire." He thumbed over his shoulder at what was left of his old building before turning around and making his way to the rubble.
Wanting to see what was in the thing, Sakura sets the box down as Ino steeped up to unlock it. Even Anko and Hana were looking over the girl's shoulders to see what was inside. Once open with all four girls in a good spot, they were shocked at what they saw.
Inside were Icha Icha: Paradise issues one through fifteen, all first editions. The gathered women went red in the face as they sent Naruto a silent question, not looking back they could still hear the smirk in his voice. "Yes you can read them, but you can't tell anyone I have them. Last thing I need is people trying to steal them. Oh, and don't damage them or you will know why I am a prancing god!"
"You got yourself a deal brat! I haven't even read half of these!" Anko said as she flipped through the pages of one of the books.
Reaching in the box, Ino pulled out another book, but this one was a familiar kid's picture book full of different animals. "Naruto, is... Is this what I think it is?" She looked over her shoulder at her blond teammate just to see him looking up at the sky.
"Yeah, that's the same book Sakura brought to the park." His voice was low, but warm.
"You... You still have it." Sakura took the book from Ino and opened it. After turning a few of the pages, she found the picture of the baby fox and laughed. "You still look like a fox you know?"
"Well where do you think the term 'stone-cold fox' came from?" He winked at his teammates, causing them to blush and turn away back to the box.
'What the hell was that? Was he flirting? Oh crap! I'm blushing!' Ino wrackrf her brain trying to understand what had just happened.
'Wh-what was that? Why am I blushing? Did he wink at me?' Sakura was trying to think it out as well but someone wanted to add her two cents.
'Oh, Hell no! Who does that Foxy playboy think he is! Kick his ass to the moon!'
"So, the brat can be a man with them." Anko whispered in Hana's ear, earning a giggle from the Inuzuka.
"Hey are you two ok? Your faces are red." Naruto's face appeared between their shoulders making the girls squeak.
"Or not..." Hana said in a voice that said You have got to be kidding me. Anko face palmed.
"Well it looks like you're all having fun! You brats enjoying your little bit of freedom before going back to lockdown?" Everyone looked back and saw the busty Hokage-to-be herself.
"Tsunade? What are you doing here?" Sakura asked forgetting about Naruto's comment.
"Oh I'm just here to tell you and your sensei that your team has a D-ranked mission this morning." Anko looked surprised at this news, but before she could say a word Tsunade spoke up. "You all have to clean up this mess by the end of the day."
Naruto's face fell. Yesterday, he almost lost a friend, he lost his home, and now the next Hokage was telling him he had to clean up the charred remains. 'Damn it this sucks, Granny couldn't even give me one day.'
Anko was thinking along the same thoughts as she stepped right in the face of the older blond. "Tell me, right here, right now. Do you have a problem with Naruto in any way?" her voice was hard as steal and her team and even her lover were in awe that she just got in the face of their next Hokage.
Tsunade's smiling face fell as she looked into the eyes of the snake user. "Anko, I hope you're not implying I am as dumb as the other villagers because if you are I…"
"I asked you if you have a problem with Naruto being the Jinchuuriki of the nine-tailed fox." Her voice was low, but it was sharper than any blade.
For her part Tsunade was shocked. Not only was Anko accusing her of hating the boy, but she just broke the Third's law, her eyes only went wider when saw both Sakura and Ino standing next to their sensei, awaiting her answer. "He told them himself, and guess what? They don't give a shit or hate him! Now, what is your answer?"
Hana was standing next to Naruto with a hand on the red-tipped blond's shoulder when she saw the look on his face. He looked amused about what was going on. "Hey, why don't you look upset about all this? Is there something I'm missing?"
"Just wait and see. All three of them just wrote checks their asses can't cash." He whispered back, trying to hide his grin.
"No, I was jus-" But the busty blond was once again cut off.
"Then why are you trying to force him to clean up the ashes if his own home!"
"It's because I'm trying to help him you bitch!" The outburst caused Anko, Sakura, and Ino to take a step back. "The dumb asses in the council are trying to say he burned down the building and that he's going to do it again! So I just thought of an idea and he agreed that if you four clean up this mess that the three of them can get out of house arrest and you only get a week of guard duty. And by doing this the council can't touch any of you." Tsunade was not happy and her tone let everyone around her know it.
"T-Tsunade... I'm sorry that I thought you were one of the people that hates Naruto." Ino said and bowed down low.
"Me too, I should have known better, can you please forgive me?" Sakura added in as she too bowed.
"You girls are fine, I may not be happy with being accused of this, but I am proud that you two stood up for your friend." The busty blond turned hard eyes on Anko.
Anko, on the other hand, was rubbing the back of her head with a nervous grin, that's when everyone turned to the sound of loud laughter and the sight of Naruto rolling on the ground. "I've known Granny for years!" he laughed harder. "She's my personal doctor!" He laughed out until he was silenced by two fists hitting him on the head.
"You idiot! Why didn't you say anything!" Sakura shouted.
"Yeah you jackass! You made us all look like retards!" Ino added in.
"Naruto you little shit! For this little stunt of yours you're doing three thousand push-ups, and if you take too long you're starting over!" Anko said with a face that left no room for arguing so he stated doing them out of self-preservation.
"Given that the brat set you up, I won't hold anything against you Anko, but Naruto..." She smiled down at the blond and the red-headed boy looked up as he did his push-ups. "Don't forget you have a check up tomorrow morning." She left laughing as Naruto fell face first into the ash below him.
"Damn it. Why is everyone picking on me?" mumbled the Jinchuuriki.
"Maybe because you're a little bastard and your prank backfired?" Hana offered.
"Oh yeah!" Naruto said softly as he reflected on his bastardly pranks a moment before starting his push-ups again.
But not everyone was having a fun morning. Kakashi was livid after his meeting with the council. They had just finished punishing him for what happened at the Hero's Day festival.
A punishment that changed his life
~Flashback~
"Hatake, you were given this mission and you are not carrying it out to our standards. We are not happy with the progress with Sasuke's training." said a random council member.
"And where were you when the demon's whores made a mockery of the last Uchiha?" Another yelled.
Kakashi stood there not looking impressed with what the council had to say and just kept reading his book. "I don't know what to tell you, I was at the store when it happened." he said turning the page.
"Hatake, I don't think you understand the position you're in, you are failing your mission." Danzou smirked down at the one-eyed shinobi. "I knew I should have assigned Sasuke-kun to a Root. Kakashi, you are a disappointment." He walked around to the other side of the table. "Just like your father."
Kakashi closed his book with an audible snap and glared at the old warhorse, but before he could say or do anything two Root ANBU grabbed Kakashi by his shoulders. "Don't you dare speak his name! He was a great man, far better than anyone in this room. He should have been Hokage!"
"Perhaps, but he's dead now, isn't he? However, I am not without mercy. I will not make you carry the burden of being the son of a coward. Kakashi, you are hereby stripped of your name and you lose all rights to your family's funds and property."
Danzou snapped his fingers and a new Root member walked in carrying a short tanto, one that Kakashi recognized immediately as his visible eye widened. "You BASTARD! You can't do this!" He struggled to get up, but with two Root pinning him down it was a lost battle. "Give that back or I'll-"
"Or you'll what?" snapped a councilman with blond hair. "You'll go to the old man? I don't think so; you're just as guilty as any of us if not more so!"
Mr. Yamanaka is right, there is nothing you can do, and as for this…" Danzou picked up the Tanto. "I will keep this on my wall, and if you prove yourself to be better than your failure of a father I will return it to you. Until then you are dismissed!"
The Root began dragging a kicking and screaming Kakashi away. "Danzou! Don't do this! Ghraaa!" Kakashi yelled in anger, but no one paid any mind.
~End flashback~
A training dummy went up in flames as a huge fire ball slammed into its chest, the man with silver hair pivoting to his right and going through hand signs faster than he's ever done before. He lets a large flow of water shoot from his mouth, making it go clean through another dummy's chest. Kakashi, not wanting to end his venting charges for a tree as his right hand began to spark and crackle with blue lighting, with a horizontal slash the tree was cut clean in two. Kakashi stood there staring at the stump with a spinning Sharingan, his breath heavy and labored.
"You still have that temper I see don't you Kakashi-kun?" came a sing-song voice in a nearby tree.
Kakashi's eyes shot wide and he spun around faster than he thought possible, but his ears had heard correctly. "R-Rin..."
"Well I'm glad you still remember me Kakashi-kun" A girl with brown hair and purple rectangles on her cheeks dropped down from another tree and gave her long time friend a warm smile as her black cloak flapped in the wind making the red clouds dance.
"No, Rin's dead!" Kakashi dropped into a defensive stance, his red eye still spinning. "Who are you? What do you want?"
The woman just shook her head and rolled her eyes as she crossed her arm. "Hatake, it's me, really." She took a few steps forward as Kakashi stood his ground.
"Then tell me how I got my eye!"
Rin stopped moving her face now showing sadness and remorse as a few tears started flowing down her cheeks. Of all the days in her life, this was the one she did not want to remember. "You're going to make me go back to that day?" Kakashi said nothing. "It was during the war. We were on a recon mission when we encountered three teams from Rock. They attacked us." Rin's voice was weak as she told the story. "Then one of the Iwa nin used a jutsu and forced the cliff we were under to collapse – that's when Obito pushed you out of the way. That's... That's when he was crushed under a boulder." she finished with tears streaking her face, her voice little more than a choked whisper.
Kakashi ran to the girl's side and took her into a warm, deep embrace. "Rin... But... But how? You were taken by Iwa? Y-You're supposed to be dead!"
She returned the hug, burying her face in his shoulder. "No. they wanted information, but during one of the interrogations they hit me too hard and I lost my memory. So they locked me up until I regained it. That was seven months ago."
Kakashi hugged her tighter, trying to protect her from the memories, but the scars on her face… He was only making himself angrier, an anger that turned to hate.
He hated the village for not letting him go after her. He hated Iwa, and he hated himself. "Rin I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you."
"Just... Just, let it go Kakashi-kun. I'm here now that's all that matters."
Kakashi pulled her head next to his while he squeezed her tighter before whispering "But how, how did you get away?"
Rin was about to speak, but a new voice let Kakashi know they were not alone. "I found her and freed her." They looked to their left and saw a man they both knew well, wearing the same cloak as Rin.
"Itachi!" Kakashi spun around pulling Rin behind him as he pulled out a kunai. "What are you doing back here? Have you come here for Sasuke?"
"Kakashi!" Rin moved around him and stood between him and Itachi. "Please stop, Itachi-sama is not here to fight, he saved my life and brought me home." She looked into his eyes, a look full of love. "Back to you."
Kakashi looked from Rin to Itachi. He was confused, he was scared, and he knew what Itachi was capable of doing. Between his time as Itachi's ANBU partner and the reports on the Uchiha massacre, he knew that he might not be able to take him. "But why?"
"Because I need her, and you as well." Kakashi was about to demand what he had meant but he was stopped by what came next. "I'm going blind old friend, the power of the Mangekyou puts too much strain on the user's eyes. Rin has been working on a cure, but her talents are limited."
"That's why I'm going to get Tsunade to teach me. With her help I can save Itach-sama." Rin said smiling.
"I... I can see why you want to help him Rin, but he killed his whole clan in cold blood!"
"No Kakashi, it was not in cold blood. I cleansed my clan when they grew weak, they were nothing but lap dogs of this village, just like you. What would your father say if he saw you now, jumping when they call, and all at the cost of your pride?"
Kakashi knew he was right, his father would be disappointed in him, losing his name, sword, and his pride. He had tossed aside all his father had given him.
"Even now Danzou is stripping your name from your family's records and claiming your clan as dead. Your family's money was already turned into funding for ROOT, and your tanto is on his office wall." Itachi said, his voice strong and unwavering, holding an edge of anger.
Kakashi just stood there, his arms hanging limp at his sides. "Father... I'm... I'm so sorry."
"Kakashi, I'm offering you a new life as my brother in arms, and a chance at revenge." Itachi held his hand out with a wide, dark grin. "A life as an Uchiha."
"Wh-what are you talking about? I'm not an Uchiha!" Kakashi was confused, and his stress was starting to affect him.
"Itachi-sama has a scroll from his clan. It gives him the power to bestow his bloodline onto others, making them into Uchiha, blood and all." Rin said, laying a hand on Kakashi's shoulder.
"It's time for the Uchiha to once again stand up and take what is theirs, the question is: will you take what is yours? I must know if you can."
Itachi turned to leave but turned his head back toward the two long-lost teammates and added, "Rin, I will see you later tonight. Go with him to tell the Hokage you're back and start you mission."
"Yes, Itachi-sama, I will start at once." She said with a bow as he vanished.
"Rin what the hell is going on here? He's a murderer!" Kakashi grabbed Rin by her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Rin what's going on! Tell me?"
"He saved me and brought me back to you, I owe him a lot. So now I follow his orders. Itachi-Sama is here to rebuild his clan to its former glory, before they were weak. And I am going to help him." Rin laid her soft hand on the silver headed ninja's cheek and smiled at him as her eyes turned red with two commas in each eye, "And he wants you to be a part of it. He's given you your test, now it's up to you Kakashi-kun." With that she planted a soft kiss on his lips. "All you have to do is take it. Come, I want to go home."
The events of the day at the festival had left Sasuke fuming and a bit scared of what Itachi would say or do. "That bitch! Is every woman in that family useless?" He paced in his living room as Hinata sat on the couch, none too happy herself. For one she had to publicly thank the demon and his whores, and then Sasuke was going to marry Sakura. She knew he was going to make the pinkette his slave, but the thought of sharing Sasuke made her sick.
"Would you put a sock in it Sasuke? Yes, your plan failed and yes, you were humiliated – but so was I." She stood and walked over to her lover. "But you don't see me bitching about it do you?"
Sasuke grabbed Hinata by her shoulders and spun her around, slamming her back into the wall behind him, pinning her there with a hand on each side of her head, the red eyes of the Sharingan meeting the silver of the Byakugan, both frozen, unmoving... Then she smirked. "If you're going to kiss me then do it. If not, stop wasting my time." Grinning back Sasuke smashed his lips into Hinata's in a heated kiss. The Hyuuga let out a deep moan as Sasuke's tongue entered her mouth, her hands roaming every inch of his back while his hands were in her hair.
~Light lemon, skip at your discretion~
Soon their kiss grew and Sasuke ripped Hinata's shirt open and lifted her bra over her breasts letting them bounce freely before taking a nipple into his mouth making the Hyuuga arch her back. "S-Sasuke..." She tried to speak but failed as he began swirling his tongue around. All she could do was grab his head and hold him to her breasts as she used her knee to rub between his legs making him groan around the now-hard nub in his mouth.
Hinata felt she was losing this "fight" and started moving her knee harder and pulling Sasuke's shirt up and over his head. When he moved his mouth off her nipple for his shirt Hinata spun him around pinning him to the wall and started kissing and biting his neck while her hand grabbed his member through his pants and started rubbing and gripping over and over making him moan out. "What's the matter Sasuke, you look like something's bothering you." Hinata teased as she bit down on his neck.
Stifling a groan, Sasuke pushed Hinata down to her knees and gave her a smirk. "You have a big mouth. Maybe you should put it to better use."
She just grinned at him and started undoing his pants. "Let's hope you don't lose something in all this fun." She pulled out his hard shaft and started stroking his six inches – slowly at first before giving him a long slow lick up to the tip where she kissed making the Uchiha shiver in pleasure. Hinata swirled her tongue around his head before taking it into her mouth and lightly sucking then took him out of her mouth as she started running her hand up and down his erection giving him a mind-blowing handjob. He grunted and moaned as she continued to pump her hand up and down his length. She went faster and faster, and his moans got louder and louder. She tried hard to push aside the feeling that was building up inside her. She couldn't let him know he was turning her on as he monad her name. "Is Little Sasuke having fun?" The answer hit her in the face in a few hot splashes as he came.
~LEMON END~
Sasuke smiled down as he rubbed her head. "Yes I am, now lets get you in my bed."
There was a loud sound of someone clearing their throat. Both Hinata and Sasuke were getting ready to kill the cause of the interruption until they saw Itachi.
"I see you have already claimed a wife for when the time comes to rebuild." It was hard to see but there was a slight grin on his lips. Hinata stood up and moved swiftly to the bathroom to clean up while Sasuke sent his brother a murderous look which soon vanished as Itachi sent his own right back. "Why did you burn down the Jinchuuriki's home? What purpose did it serve?"
"Did you not see what he did to me at the festival! He humiliated me!" Sasuke was angry that his brother was questioning him and he was even angrier that Hianata was standing in the hall way seeing the whole thing. "So I went to his building and burned it down while he was being detained. I had to retake my pride as an Uchiha!"
"No," Itachi said as he walked to the window. "Your plan has failed, not only is he out of house arrest, he will be leaving with his sensei. And he wasn't even the one who embarrassed you, it was the Haruno. Her hands struck you, and her mother's plan failed. You need to see what happens when people fail us, and like your sensei you must learn to take what's yours. Prove to me that it was not a mistake letting you live." He turned and faced Hinata, flashing a smirk. "And you need to prove your loyalty as well, or you will be cast aside." With that he walked out of the house leaving to the two teens to their thoughts.
"There now, that wasn't so bad was it?" asked a smiling Anko who was sitting under the tree where Naruto hid his box. Ino, Naruto, and Sakura were all covered in ash and sweat, and dirt streaked their faces as they glared at her while dropping the last piece of burnt debris in the dumpster.
"You could have helped you know…" Sakura said through her teeth, still trying to sound respectful.
"Yeah, what gives? You two just sat on your asses reading Naruto's Icha Icha Paradise all day!" Ino was not as tactful as Sakura.
Hana smiled to Anko then jumped down from the branch upon which she had been resting, walking over to the other girls. "Well this was a mission, meaning that Anko and I didn't have to clean it up. But we felt it would be a good work out for you two." Sakura looked a little confused. She knew that teamwork was key in their training but she could not see how this helped with that. Ino on the other hand was about to speak her mind about being forced to clean up that mess when Hana started talking again. "In short, you two needed the workout – being fan girls all through the academy really put you both way behind the curve, so Anko and I will be drilling physical training into you as often as we can."
Sakura and Ino stopped talking and started looking a little ashamed, but Naruto was laughing at them. "You're not one to talk dumbass!"
He stopped laughing and saw Anko now standing with her arms crossed. "You will be sitting down and staying still so you can study whatever Hana or I tell you to study!" Now it was Ino and Sakura staring at the shell-shocked blond laughing.
"Now that this is all done let's tell the old goat and see if you kids are out of your lockdown. Oh and Sakura, Ino, before I forget I want to let the both of you know that you're always welcome in my home, and if either of you say anything other than 'thank you', you're both running around the village."
"Thank you!" they both yelped with fast, sharp voices before following the rest of their group to the tower.
Chapter 11 it feels good to write again! And I'm sorry for not being reliable with my work. You all want to read this story and see what is going to happen next. Well I'm here to tell you I will try hard to give you what you want.
There's the chapter. I wanted to do something a bit different so I did this chapter on the bad guys, showing you that there is more going on than the "kill the blond" plan. I also know that a lot of you will hate this chapter, and I know the little lemon sucked really bad.
Please review. It's a drug! The kind of drug that I absolutely must have!
Every one need to thank King Z, he is the one that keeps me on track without him I would not have started again. He is my whip cracker and my number one critic.
And to monkey3000. a die-hard fan that helped me remember what I had started and what I need to finish, thank you.
[Beta's note]
The views and opinions expressed in A New Team are not necessarily those of myself (Brian Stentzel) or any of the zoo creatures that sit on the Executive Board of Directors in my head. Even with this story, I still can't imagine Hinata as a villain, and even Itachi is, to me, someone above this level of sociopathic revenge.
But it's still fun to see what the Narutoverse would be like with difficult-to-imagine changes in place. For that, for this crazy author's coolness, and because I still hold onto hope that Hanabi will get with Naruto in this story, I have agreed to beta the chapters from eleven on. Somebody had to do it.