Arc1: Introduction Arc
Chapter03: Survival test conclusion?! Friends?
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, NaruSaku would be canon.
Excuse me, but what the heck?
The statement went through Ino, Sakura and Ami's mind as they stared at Naruto in shock. The guy who they mocked, belittled; whose help they denied leaving him to pass this difficult test all alone- was willing to fail just to get themselves and Hinata pass. Despite all their cruel treatment, he was willing to let them pass even if it meant he'd be the one to fail.
They doubted they'd ever do the same for him yet. . .
Oh? He's more interesting than I thought.
While Anko and Kurenai feigned shocked outwards, both of them smirked inwardly.
"But why would you do that Naruto? " Kurenai asked him, feigning shock. "You did all the hard work to get these scrolls, you know. Besides, these four didn't help you even in the slightest? "
Kurenai glared at the four. The four tied up Genin just looked down in shame.
" That's right, brat! You did everything on your own. They did squat shit. Why would you sacrifice your chance at being a genin for them? " Anko asked Naruto.
Naruto looked down for a bit.
Why did he do it?
Why was he willing to sacrifice this golden opportunity to be a genin for them?
They didn't even help him. He was brushed off when he tried to assist them and work together. Heck, they mocked him. Well, maybe not Hinata, but Ino, Ami, and Sakura were one of his biggest "critics" back in his academy days and even within the one day they became genin they only chastised him.
If he gives up this opportunity now, he'll have to go back to the academy. He had already failed the academy exams twice. He barely passed this time due to Mizuki's treachery (a bittersweet incident). There was no telling he'd be able to pass a fourth time.
Then why? Why would he go so far for them?
He knew the answer. Crystal. Clear.
" You see, I want to become the greatest Hokage ever, " Naruto started. He turned to them and gave them his trade-mark Uzumaki grin.
" I want to surpass the Old man, the Fourth, the Second, the First- I want to surpass all of them and become the greatest Hokage there is. That way, everyone will have to acknowledge my existence, my skills, my worth! "
Naruto took a deep breath.
" A Hokage protects his precious people and the village. He protects civilians, shinobi- genin, chunin, jonin alike. He's willing to sacrifice everything for his beloved ones. I. . . I think if I sacrifice any one of them then, even if I become the Greatest Hokage, I. . . I won't be able to look myself in the eye, I won't be able to look the other four in the eyes.
There's no point in becoming a Hokage if I have to sacrifice others to do. "
Even if Ami, Sakura, Ino, Hinata didn't co-operate with me, and even if they don't like me and don't want to team up with me, I still won't sacrifice them to become a Hokage. "
Naruto smiled at the four, a heartfelt genuine smile.
" I'll become Hokage even if I am going to fail today. Believe it, dattebayo! "
Kurenai and Anko's eyes widened at this declaration.
This kid. . .
Anko was impressed. No, that was an understatement. She was enthralled. What a sense of self-sacrifice! And, what a pure heart!
Naruto Uzumaki is probably the most self-sacrificing person ever.
Anko knew of the boy's burden. She knew how he spent most of his life alone, subjected to people's hatred, ignored, hated for things he had no control over. For someone who spent his life in such solitude and desolation, she wouldn't have been surprised if he had picked one of the four to fail.
Anko could relate to the child. She was hated for things she had no control over either, she was constantly under suspicion and the scrutinizing gaze of man civilian and shinobi.
After all, her sensei was Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Three- The Sannin and one of the biggest traitors in Konoha's history on par with Madara Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha. An S-rank Missing Ninja who fled the village after his inhumane secret researches and criminal ploy was exposed.
Her sensei's betrayal had affected her greatly. The person she looked up to the most and loved like a father had betrayed her. Orochimaru's betrayal had caused Anko to be viewed with suspicion. Understandably so, since before his defection, she was the one who spent the most time with him. Besides, she was his disciple. Like master, like disciple right?
Thus, the civilian community shunned her. The shinobis avoided her. Isolation became common-place. Whenever she would walk down the market roads, she'd hear whispers of "Traitor's pet", "Snake Scum".
She, at one time, wanted to defect too and kill all the sorry sobs that ever graced Konoha. However, she did come out of that phase with the help of her friends- Kurenai, Kakashi, Gai, Asuma, Izumo, Kotetsu, Genma, Raido, Aoba- sure she was the youngest of them being only 24-
but they had helped heal her heart, broke the walls blocking her feelings. She was grateful to them for that.
That's why she felt she could relate to the boy on a personal level. They were similar but unlike her, he had no friends to rely on. So, she had figured he'd just have himself pass and randomly fail one of the other four.
Not that he'd pass if he did that. The test was of course a test of "Team-work. "
The secret's out? Meh.
And, she had only expected him to pass if he had figured out the answer to the test. But she was caught off guard when he saw the look in his eyes when he said that.
His feelings? They were genuine. He didn't pass because he figured out the answer to the test. No, Naruto was willing to take the bullet for others.
He was just that type of person.
Kurenai was thinking along the same lines as Anko. Initially, when he had said that they should give them the scroll and pass them she figured the answer to the test.
But, just like Anko, Kurenai didn't understand that he had such a strong, pure conviction. He was willing to take the bullet for his fellow Konoha citizens- civilians or shinobi- even if it meant, he might never become Hokage.
The will of fire- the desire to protect the village and everyone in it, as if they were family.
Kurenai understood.
Naruto did not have a family. He grew up isolated, abhorred, ignored. He had nobody to call him precious.
That's why the ingenious prankster did what nobody would ever do.
He made everyone in the village his precious people. His family.
A family that might hate him, loathe him, but the family he will protect with all his might.
What a boy!
Kurenai and Anko nodded. And smiled to themselves.
" Very well, Naruto. We will honor your wish since you were the one who got the scrolls. We'll pass them, but you will fail though. Got it? "
Naruto nodded weakly. He was sad he would fail but better than being a conniving son of a gun and taking the spoils for himself.
Kurenai turned to the four genins who were tied up.
"Are you okay with this, you four? "
The genins looked at each other and nodded to each other.
They turned to Kurenai. Ino decided to speak.
" Sensei, we. . . "
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Sakura's eyes widened when she heard Naruto's answer. The fact that he was selfless enough to sacrifice his genin promotion for theirs surprised her enough.
His conviction, however, surprised her even more.
She knew how unkind she was to Naruto. Back in the academy, she was one of those kids who'd make fun of Naruto, embarrass him, humiliate him just so she could look in front of Sasuke.
She hit him when he tried to talk to him. Called him names, repeatedly dissed his skills as a Shinobi and did a lot of mean things. Whenever he'd ask her out on dates, she'd hit her and say how he was making it seem like he and Sakura were dating and how Sasuke would never notice her. She had even once said that he was ruining her life.
Frankly, it wouldn't have surprised her if Naruto decided that she should be the one to fail.
Hell, even Kurenai asked Naruto what he was going to do, she was sure he was going to have her fail.
I mean, wouldn't that be the most natural thing to do?
He proved how unnatural he was then and there. He, he chose to fail himself and have his childhood bully advance. She knew Naruto wanted to be Hokage, everyone knew that. It was one point he made loud and clear. Ever since she knew Naruto, he would always go about how he'd become Hokage.
Now, he was risking his dreams for them.
No, he was willing to abandon his dreams just for them.
There's no point in becoming a Hokage if I have to sacrifice others to do.
Naruto would never sacrifice anyone. Because he wanted to be a Hokage and a true Hokage would protect everyone since they were family to him.
No.
That's not it.
Sakura thought about everything until now.
Naruto- he was a target of many. She noticed how all the children would either mock him, belittle him, spat at him or ignore him.
She had noticed the adults glaring at him and ignoring him.
Even the Senseis at the academy looked at Naruto with contempt.
But, when she thought about it-Naruto never held it against anyone. He never went about willingly hurting anyone. It's as If he took everyone's contempt with a grain of salt.
In the academy, Sakura would remember herself berating the blonde. He'd go away sulking only to return as happy as ever. She, sometimes, wondered if he were Bipolar.
Naruto, in reality, was a nice guy.
They never tried to see the fact.
At that moment, Sakura's image of Naruto in her head completely changed.
From an annoying, worthless, dumbass- Sakura at that moment realized- Naruto was just a kind-hearted, pure teenager with a heart of goal.
He was still annoying and brash, but he was a genuinely nice person.
Sakura gulped and nodded to herself.
She knew what she was going to do.
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Ami wanted to hug Naruto for once because he didn't want to fail them but also, wanted to spat at him for pitying them.
Ami was born to the Kurama's main branch family. Kurama family- a family known for their prowess in genjutsu- Konoha's genjutsu specialists.
Ami was one of the daughters of the family head Murakumo Kurama and the younger sister of Yakumo Kurama by one year.
Ever since she was born, she spent her life under the shadows of her older sister. Her old sister, Yakumo, while born with a weak constitution, was outstanding when it came to genjutsu. Her mastery over Genjutsu was so great that she was considered a once-in-a-millennium prodigy.
That's why, as far as she could remember, she spent her days in her shadows and being played off as the lesser favorite of the two by her parents and fellow clansmen.
Unfortunately, due to a series of incidents, her sister became unable to become a ninja and thus she was the one her family relied upon.
Or, so she thought.
It was pity, in all honesty. The moment that Yakumo got back her abilities she was going to become a second thought.
Even if she didn't her parents didn't expect much of Ami.
She was pitied and she felt she could do nothing about it.
That's why she became enthralled with Sasuke Uchiha. He, too, felt he was pitied after he lost his clan to his older brother. Yet, he didn't succumb to it. He showed a middle finger to those who felt he was a lesser Uchiha and a poor miserable child and indulged in his own ambition.
Not to mention, he was cool, hot, mysterious- he was very attractive.
Ami, however, disliked Naruto. The idiot was loudmouthed, stupid, weakling and a happy-go-lucky bastard.
Or at least, that's what she thought.
She never expected that Naruto would willingly sacrifice his chance at being Genin for them.
Nope.
She wouldn't buy it.
Especially, if it was sacrificing for her.
The purple haired girl had bullied him a lot to get Sasuke's , she was the one who started the bullying trend in their class the first place.
Nobody needed to know that though.
She humiliated him a lot and even teamed up with the other fan-girls to bully him.
Nope, he had some ulterior motives.
A Hokage protects his precious people and the village. He protects civilians, shinobi- genin, chunin, jonin alike. He's willing to sacrifice everything for his beloved ones. I. . . I think if I sacrifice any one of them then, even if I become the Greatest Hokage, I. . . I won't be able to look myself in the eye, I won't be able to look the other four in the eyes.
What the heck?
Ami realized at that very moment- Naruto Uzumaki was just a nice person.
Ami knew people disliked Naruto Uzumaki. The younger generation thought he was annoying and the older generation. . . she did not know what they thought but she knew they disliked the blonde even more.
Yet, here he was- telling that all of them were his precious people.
Even if they hated him, he still considered them as their special people.
Because all of them are Konoha citizens.
Naruto Uzumaki was a kind person.
A happy-go-lucky kind person.
A wave of shame and self-loathing hit Ami.
All of the things she'd done to the blonde and now he's sacrificing himself willingly. . .
She felt like crap.
She knew what she was going to do. She didn't like it but that was what she would do.
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Hinata wanted to say NO. A big NO right to everyone's face when Naruto decided that he'd be the one to stay back.
She knew how hard Naruto worked. She knew how Naruto trained from dawn till midnight to hone his skills. She knew how he shrugged off all the hurtful comments, glares, beatings with a smile.
She knew how much he wanted to be a ninja and be recognized.
She knew how much he wanted to be the Hokage.
No. This can't happen.
But why? Why couldn't she voice out her complaints? Just why?!
Hinata hated it. She hated the fact- she was so weak. She hated the fact she couldn't speak her mind.
You are destined for failure.
She remembered her cousin Neji's words.
You are a worthless daughter.
She remembered her father's cold glare.
Nee-sama. . . how disappointing.
She remembered her little sister's disappointed shake of the head.
I'm so worthless. . .
Hinata was a shy, meek, kind girl. Born into the Hyuuga family, a renowned family of Shinobi excelling in Jyuuken and the possessors of the Kekkai-Genkai the Byakugan. From childhood, she had been trained in the ways of the Hyuuga clan and their Clan arts.
Her father was strict. Failure was unacceptable. She needed to act in a way befitting an heiress. She tried to live up to her father's expectations. Devoting herself to training.
But everything changed once her mother died. Her mother was the closest person to Hinata. Her mother's death had changed her. She became shy, secluded and extremely reserved.
It didn't help her that her father had become very very strict. It seemed her mother's death after her father more than he let on. As such, she and her sister Hanabi went through grueling training every day.
However, while Hanabi continued to excel, she- the older sibling- continuously declined in skill. Her shy nature and her kind heart made her reluctant to hurt people.
Constant failures and admonishment gnawed at her self-confidence and before she knew it, her self-confidence all but disappeared.
She started losing to her sister, a girl 5 years her junior.
Not only, that her cousin Neji from the branch family became stronger and stronger.
The series of events had prompted the Hyuuga clan elders to pressurize her father into branding her with the Caged Birds Seal.
Her father had somehow managed to stall her fate, however, she knew that one day she'd branded with it. It was just a matter of time.
But, in spite of such hopelessness, Hinata never gave up.
How could she?
Sure, she had once wanted to. But her meeting with Naruto changed everything.
She had seen him struggle.
She had seen how everyone treated him with loathing and contempt. She had seen how much malice he had been victimized too. She witnessed how people always put him down.
Yet, he came right back up with a smile.
Naruto had nobody.
Yet, he never let it get to him.
Fate has played all its cards against Naruto. But Naruto never gave him. He mustered unimaginable grit to move forward. He trained like a mad man- Hinata knew Naruto was no genius, she understood Naruto was not smart or had any talent whatsoever.
But, he never let these get to him. He moved forward amidst such misfortune.
To her, Naruto was her light.
If someone who spent their entire life dealing with everyone's' contempt and ridicule without having anybody to call precious, he still moved forward with a smile.
Even if I fail this test, I will still become Hokage. Believe it.
Yes.
She smiled to herself.
You really will become Hokage one-day Naruto-Kun. I believe in you.
Steeling her resolve, she resolved her self.
She won't let Naruto's dream come to waste.
She'd do everything in her power, she'd overcome her weakness if it meant Naruto could live his dream.
This is Hinata Hyuuga's Nindo.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Is he obscenely nice or is he just a plain idiot?
Ino shook her head sideways. She just didn't get Naruto Uzumaki.
She never did, in fact.
Her academy days were spent chasing Sasuke Uchiha. Resident heartthrob. Hottest guy in the universe. Cool, dark, mysterious- she believed him to be her prince charming,
Besides, the hottest girl should get the hottest boy right. It was destiny! And, Ino had no confusion regarding who was the hottest girl in Konoha.
In her academy days, Ino hardly spared a glance at Naruto. "Hardly" because whenever she did it was to admonish him for picking up fights with Sasuke. Seriously, she never understood what was wrong with him? Didn't he get it? He can't beat Sasuke. He is just too good.
On the contrary, Naruto sucked. The weakest kid in class. Only redeemable feature somewhat decent physical strength.
Oh, and a horrendous jumpsuit! He had terrible fashion sense.
Ino had given the other blonde his fair share of belittling. Often, chastising his skills and worth as a shinobi.
Besides, she and Ami were the most vocal about him not being of use to them during the test.
So, it came to her as a surprise when he offered to have them pass and resolved to stay back.
She had to double check twice if she was dreaming.
If it were her, she would've chosen him in a heartbeat. While she didn't mind choosing Ami or Sakura, the blonde would just be a burden.
Yet, here he was doing just the opposite. Sitting back a year for them. Ino knew Naruto's skills were terrible. If he sat back this time, It wouldn't guarantee he would pass the Academy finals the next time.
It didn't help the fact that the teachers, other than Iruka, were always ignoring him.
Ino noticed this but never voiced it out. None of the teachers seemed to help Naruto.
Maybe it was because of his pranks.
No.
That would be weird.
Nobody liked Naruto,Especially adults.
While the others mostly didn't bully Naruto like their generation, but they seemed to hold nothing but disdain for the blonde.
Was it simply because he was a loud-mouthed prankster?
A Hokage protects his precious people and the village. He protects civilians, shinobi- genin, chunin, jonin alike. He's willing to sacrifice everything for his beloved ones. I. . . I think if I sacrifice any one of them then, even if I become the Greatest Hokage, I. . . I won't be able to look myself in the eye, I won't be able to look the other four in the eyes.
There's no point in becoming a Hokage if I have to sacrifice others to do.
Even if Ami, Sakura, Ino, Hinata didn't co-operate with me, and even if they don't like me and don't want to team up with me, I still won't sacrifice them to become a Hokage.
Why Naruto?
She didn't get it.
Why did he want to become Hokage so bad?
Everyone treated him like shit. Sure, he was a prankster and somewhat deserved it but the treatment he received from everyone would mostly make you dislike them, right?
Why would you want to become a Hokage of a village of people who hates you?
Ino didn't understand. Was he just trying to act cool?
No.
Ino stared at his eyes.
Those weren't the eyes of someone who wanted to act cool. He genuinely believed what he was saying.
She remembers her father saying to her when she asked her why the Hokage is so revered.
Listen, Ino. A Hokage is someone who loves the village and its people like they were his own flesh and blood. That's why we love and respect Hokage-sama so much.
So, that's it.
Ino suddenly saw Naruto in a new light.
Naruto is someone who visibly spent the day alone, ignored and faced contempt. He never had anyone- he was a clanless, titleless orphan.
For someone who has nobody, Naruto decided he'd rather have everybody.
Naruto made his village his family.
That's why he wants to become Hokage. He wants his family to acknowledge him.
He loved them despite their dislike for him.
Ino inferred: Naruto was just a hyper nice-lonely person.
But had the heart of a goal.
Ino smiled to herself,
After this? I don't think I can do it.
Ino knew what her answer was going to be. Ino Yamanaka was a gorgeous Kunoichi who held up her head in pride, always without exception.
That's why she knew what she was going to do.
Ino turned to Naruto.
Well, he might not be Sasuke-Kun level handsome but his whiskers and idiotic personality kind of cute in an annoying way. Sigh. . . it can't be helped huh?
Ino turned to Sakura who turned to her and smiled sheepishly. Ami just gave a nonchalant shrug while Hinata nodded resolutely.
She nodded at them and smiled to herself.
Screw Shinobi life.
" Sensei. . . we won't accept the scrolls. "
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
" Sensei. . . we won't accept the scroll. " Ino told Kurenai and Anko.
Anko and Kurenai's eyes widened. She hadn't expected this.
Given, their initial evaluation of the girls-they didn't like Naruto. Well, In Hinata's case, she was too meek to ignore peer pressure. They thought that they would shamelessly accept it, admonish Naruto, and they'd fail them.
They thought they'd recommend Naruto for an apprenticeship but. . .
It seems they were wrong.
Girls got spunk hah? Anko thought with a smirk.
Well done. Kurenai smiled inwardly.
Naruto, however, did not get anything. He just stared at them slack-jawed.
"I-Ino w-what are you talking about? " Naruto asked them, flabbergasted.
They're gonna fail at this rate! He even went the extra mile to have them pass. Dammit. What's wrong with them?
" Well. . . I just think it'd be unfair of us to pass without doing anything. I mean, you were the one who retrieved the scroll- it's fair to say you deserved to be the one to pass. We even ignored your advice to work together. We. . . don't deserve it. . . " Ino said dejectedly.
Naruto stared at her with wide-eyes. What? Is she kidding? He turned to the other four.
" Hey guys, Ino just went crazy here! Talk some sense into her, "
he told them.
Surprisingly, Sakura shook her head.
" She's right Naruto. You deserve it more than us. If anyone should pass, it should be you. "
Ami nodded in acknowledgment.
"Piggy's right. You did everything and single-handedly pass the test. We just fainted from Genjutsus and got ourselves capture. You deserve it. And. . . besides, I don't like being pitied so take the scroll and just pass, will you? " Ami pouted and looked sideways.
" S-she i-is r-right N-Naruto-Kun. Y-you, d-deserve it m-more than us. S-so, p-please don't w-worry about u-us. " Hinata blushed a deep shade of red as she tried her best to relay her feelings to Naruto.
Ino smirked. "Well, there you have it. "
Naruto was stunned at their statements.
What?
They were willing to fail?
For him?
You deserve it.
Naruto felt his eyes get moist. Nobody ever said these things to me. They would never know but these words meant a lot to Naruto.
Kurenai smiled and Anko grinned.
They did it.
" Well done, all of you. All of you, pass. " Kurenai proudly stated.
Eh?
Everyone turned to Kurenai shell shocked?
"H-how? W-why? I mean we didn't do anything. . . " Sakura trailed off.
"Yea. . . "
Anko grinned.
"Nah, you guys messed up but managed to pull through. The test wasn't about just getting the scrolls. " Anko informed them.
"T-then? What was the test? " Ami asked.
" Team-work. " Kurenai replied.
"Even if Naruto took the scroll, if he had decided to fail any one of you, all five of you would've automatically failed. " Kurenai stated.
Naruto shivered when he realized one selfish choice would've screwed themselves all over.
" And if all of you decided to accept Naruto's offer, all five of you would've failed as well. Well, maybe we would've offered Naruto apprenticeship for his efforts but you four would've been sent back to the academy, " Kurenai finished.
"B-but there were four scrolls?! How would all of us pass? "
"Yea, Ino's right. That doesn't make sense, Kurenai-sensei, " Naruto chimed in.
"Listen brats, " Anko started. "Think. Do you think 5 green behind the ears genin can find 2 experienced Jonin in such a massive city, beat them and retrieve the scrolls in five hours? Hell even if you teamed up, I'd doubt you'd be able to do jack-shit against us. Naruto got lucky, super lucky. "
"Besides, Nai-chan is a pervert. . . " Anko directed a teasing smile at Kurenai.
Kurenai flushed red in embarrassment.
" I AM NOT! " She yelled.
"Oh, then what about that trail of blood from your nose? " Anko smirked.
Kurenai coughed.
" Anyway, teamwork was the answer to the test. A ninja must always look underneath the underneath. Don't just follow orders literally. Use your own judgment. Assess the situation, " Kurenai advised.
She ignored the jab. They all thought.
" But that was just a secondary layer. The primary layer was teamwork. Konoha is the strongest of the five shinobi village in the elemental Nations due to its sheer focus on teamwork. Extensive team-work was the whole reason five-man cells were put together in the first place. "
All of them remembered Suzume-senseis words.
" Getting the job is important, yes but working together is equally important as well. Cohesiveness in a team assures success in a mission. But aside from that, even if a mission goes to hell, Konoha shinobi never abandon comrades. A perverted fool once said, 'Those who abandon a mission are trash but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash. ' Be sure to remember it all your life. " Kurenai finished with a smile.
Anko brought up a kunai and cut the ropes binding the four genins.
She smirked at them.
"From now on- Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, Hinata Hyuuga, Ami Kurama, and Naruto Uzumaki- all of you are a part of Team under I, Anko Mitarashi, and Kurenai Yuuhi. "
The genins cheered.
"Hell yea! I'm a ninja! " Naruto pounced his fist in the air, jubilated.
"YES! WE DID IT! " Sakura, Ino, and Ami hugged each other only to realize what they were doing and breaking it up.
"Cough. . . this never happened, got it? " Ino told the other two.
They nodded.
Hinata didn't jump In elation like the other four but just nodded to herself with a smile.
Kurenai and Anko smiled at the 5 genins.
"Kiddos, meet us tomorrow at 8 am for your first day of training. We'll train in the morning and take D-rank missions in the noon. With that said, go home, get some rest. See you tomorrow. " With a smile, Kurenai shunshined away.
Anko smirked at them and just waved her hands.
"See ya brats! Get ready for some heckin' trainin' tomorrow, " With her trademark sadistic grin, she left the place.
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Naruto couldn't believe it. They had passed! Nobody had to stay behind.
Not only that, they had acknowledged him as a teammate. Even if it's to a small extent, but he couldn't help be happy.
While Naruto was upset with them in the beginning, now he couldn't feel a trace of that anger. Maybe he really was bipolar?
But he didn't care. They had passed. It's all that matters.
Alls well that ends well. He thought.
"Hey, Naruto. " Sakura's voice pulled him out of his musings.
Naruto turned to her with a million-watt smile.
"What's up Sakura? "
"Ummm . . . " Sakura fidgeted. "Sorry. For today. "
Naruto just raised his eyebrow.
" Yea. Umm. . . we are sorry Naruto. We should've listened to you. " Ino continued.
Ami puffed her cheeks. " What they said. . . " she muttered barely enough for them to hear.
Hinata poked her fingers together and looked down ashamed.
"S-sorry. . . "
Naruto was very surprised. Not only, did were they willing to fail for him, now they were apologizing.
Was he dreaming?
Or, were they playing a prank on him?
Naruto looked at them once more, his confusion still evident.
Sakura saw this and gave an exasperated sigh.
"Ah, you dumbass! Don't you get it? We are sorry about today! And for all the days we've been mean to you. . . " She mumbled the last part.
" You guys mean it? " Naruto asked in disbelief.
All of them nodded.
He stared at them wide-eyed. Nobody had apologized to him before. For as longs as he could remember he had been always the one to apologize to everyone. That was how his life always was.
Suddenly people were apologizing to him.
This was a foreign feeling.
A warm foreign feeling.
Naruto flashed his brightest smile at them.
"It's fine! After all, we are teammates, right?! Team 8, yahoo! " Naruto cheered.
The girls smiled.
Naruto really was a loud-mouth a kind, happy, cheery and super nice loud-mouthed doofus.
They could live with that.
Besides. . .
Sakura, Ami, Hinata, Ino felt their cheeks heat up a little.
Naruto is kinda cute when he smiles like that. . .
They shook their head, tarnishing that line of thought. No can do. They had Sasuke-Kun after all! Naruto might be a tinsy-weensy amount of cute but Sasuke-Kun was hot as hell.
Yea.
Sasuke-Kun over Naruto any day!
But he isn't so bad.
"Hey guys, since we passed today, wanna go grab some ramen guys? "
Naruto asked the four.
Sakura thought about it. Well, they did kinda pass because of him. They owed him.
And, it's not like he's asking her on a date like usual. She could entertain him a bit.
"I guess. Let's go. Just remember, it's not a date oaky? A friendly snack. " Sakura smirked at him.
Naruto just laughed sheepishly.
"Yes, yes. This is just a friendly snack! "
Naruto turned to his other teammates. "What about you guys? "
"No. I have better things to do, " Ami stated coldly.
Naruto shoulders dropped. "Oh. "
Grumble.
Suddenly, they heard a tummy grumble.
Ami blushed.
"N-no m-maybe I'd g-go. I mean, i-t w-will be b-boring w-without me, after all?! Ha ha ha. . . " Ami tried to save herself from embarrassment with a flustered reply.
She's just hungry. They all thought with sweatdrops.
Ino smiled to herself. Might as well go. With how the day went, she deserved some food. She'd diet later.
"I'm game, " She replied. Naruto smirked at her.
"Hinata? "
Hinata just nodded meekly, blushing. She couldn't believe she was about to eat out with Naruto-Kun even if it were with their team.
To say, Hinata was in cloud 9 would be an understatement.
"Well. . . " Naruto cheered. "What are we waiting for? Let's go. " Naruto ran like a child towards the ramen store.
Sakura sighed and shook her head. Such a kid.
Ino smirked at Naruto's childishness.
Ami just held her tummy. She was hungry.
Hinata just smiled at the running Naruto.
"Wait Up will you?!"
The girls followed him as they headed to ramen haven, Ichiraku Ramen.
Thus, a new friendship was born (Kinda).
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And cut.
Well, this was kinda short compared to the other chapter's but oh well. Nothing much for the author's not today.
Read and review.
Cheers!