Chapter 5: The Holiday Ends
The marketplace of Konohagakure was a sprawling centre of economic activity. Goods from across the land culminating into a single place where all was for sale.
Here we find one Hinata Hyuuga walking through the street of vendors purchasing her weekly necessities.
"Have a great day Hyuuga-sama!"
"Thank you sir" the shopkeeper bowed in thanks as the Hyuuga made her way out of the stall.
Being the elder child of the clan head but not the heir, Hinata was in a traditionally unique position.
Having no title in the clan but still being Hiashis eldest daughter, Hinata was not truly apart of the main family yet unable to be put inside the branch family.
This status spared her from her clans caged bird seal at least.
As such she had no benefits of her noble birth, such as having her food and clothes provided for her and a certain level of political immunity, so she had to provide for herself. She had moved out of her father's house when she became a chunin but still lived in the outskirts of the compound as a way to distance herself from her ill minded family.
Making her way back to said compound, a voice sounded from across the street "Hey Hinata!"
Looking towards the sound one Sakura Haruno made her way over to the shy teen.
"Hey Hinata"
"Hello Sakura" Hinata bowed politely
"So um how are you doing?"
"I'm fine t-thank you for asking"
The two shared an awkward moment with Hinata looking at her hands and Sakura trying to find the words to speak.
"Look um, I just wanted to talk seeing as we haven't spoken in a long time, you know since…"
Hinata eyes widened slightly in surprise, understanding what the empty words meant. "...what is try to say is well I'm sorry"
Sakura blushed as her features became quite sad and depressed.
"W-What for s-sakura?" Hinata really wanted to get out of this, her voice began to tremble and she felt like she was going to faint.
"After the last mission, i guess old feelings came to mind and I just wanted to say sorry for getting in the way I guess… of you and Naruto" Tears welled up in both of the girls eyes "I know that you cared for him very much and I imagine that you wanted to tell him how you felt, I'm sorry that his feelings were always aimed at me and I never really told him that that I wasn't interested instead of punching him for it"
Sakura truly felt ashamed of herself. Old guilt came to the forefront and she couldn't hold back.
"If things would have been different, if Naruto was still here...I just want to say that you two would have been the perfect couple." And with that the pinkete left the trembling Hyuuga shaken and crying in the street, herself close to a mess.
Hinata found the strength to calm her nerves and made her way home. Sakuras words had meant a lot to her and she couldn't ignore that a small part of her had always hated the pink kunoichi for the fact that Naruto's ill guided and desperate affection was always aimed at her.
Old feeling came back and once again thoughts of a different time and a difficult world were the blonde haired boy was still alive flooded her mind. If only she had found the strength to tell him how she felt then maybe they could have shared just a little time before he left.
If only.
White waters and blue waves crashed on the golden beaches of the land of waves as the party of Konoha Shinobi arrived to their destination.
Jiraiya took a minute to scan the surroundings as his group catched a well earned breathe. The nostalgia wasn't missed, here was the home of one of the oldest and greatest clans in Shinobi history. Or at least it was.
Thoughts of an orphaned student and a red haired girl came to mind, both of whom had met an untimely end. Here was their homeland and the feeling of loss and dread was not lost on him.
He had no right to be here, he didn't deserve to be here.
"Alright gang here is how we are gonna do it"
The group crowded around the white haired Sannin
"According to some trustworthy reports our target is hiding out here in the lands of the whirling tides. We have two days till the next boat ride so we gotta be snappy about it. Anbu boys…" said Anbu stood straight waiting for orders "... your gonna search the countryside for any large chakra signature and piss them off, after that your gonna bait them and draw them to a designated area where we will all be waiting." The squad nodded
"Team fist punch…" team guy stepped forward "... you are gonna look around for a good spot to capture this asshole, tenten honey I need you to use your skills to booby trap the hell out wherever you choose so we have a better chance of capturing this guy alive" The group nodded
"Now seeing as myself, kakashi and Guy are the biggest hitters here, we are gonna be the ones to engage in open combat when our charge arrives. Kakashi seeing as this guy embarrassed you quite thoroughly…" said Jounin was already getting sick of the old hermits talking "... I'll leave it to you to land the knockout blow"
"Now we have orders to capture the perp alive but if that proves to difficult then we are to kill him without mercy… any questions, I don't care now dismissed my cute little Shinobi"
The group dispersed leaving the Sannin alone with his own devices.
Oh how he longed for a cold drink, a pretty waitress and a soft bed to enjoy the night, the quicker this mission was over then the quicker he could get back those double D's and sweet Z's.
The next day
"Once upon a time, a young man came to a far away land to escape the world and master the powers of nature…"
"Zzzzzzzz"
"With unparalleled potential, the young man trained and trained to master the ancient techniques of his forebears…"
"Zzzzzzz… ramen...Zzzzzzz"
"Yet for all his power and strength, one thing always stood in his way…."
"Zzzzz… yes Tsuki-chan lower mmmm...Zzzzz"
"And that was the fact that he was FUCKING ASLEEP!"
"What the! What's going on?!" Naruto woke in a startle from the mental shout of his resident Bijuu.
"You came here to train Gaki not sleep, it's fucking midday so go do something you lazy ingrate!"
"I was just napping, you do it all the time!" He said aloud.
"I'm a fox it's what we do"
"Your an Asshole really" he said as he got up from his futon and stretched his sore muscles. He had been trying to master maintaining his intake of matural energy on the go with Kurama but their efforts had been for naught,l. Each time he used a technique or moved without warning the fox would lose focus and the petrification would begin. It was understandable Naruto could admit, the fox was no way a master of the art but if he was gonna make any use of Sage mode then they would have to learn.
Naruto was brought out of his thoughts as explosions rocked the clearing around him. Bits of rock and timber flew around him before the dust settled.
A figure flew from his left, fist stretched out to punch his lights out if Naruto hadn't blocked it with a backhand and returned the strike. The figure burst in a cloud of smoke to reveal a wooden log.
"A fucking substitution"
Another blur on his right, this time coming in much faster. Naruto caught the kunai at the handle and blocked the three behind it.
Purple eyes settled on four people standing across from him in the clearing. They each wore what appeared to be overly colourful baggy clothes complete with ridiculous face paint and red noses.
Wait...clowns?
Naruto pauses for a moment not in the slightest expecting anything like this this
"What...the fuck... are you?" The dumbfounded blonde found it hard to concentrate with the silly appearance of his attackers, who the hell dressed like that anyway.
Three of the four clowns made some stupid poses, dancing around like fools on hot coals and doing what looked like the hokey pokey dance. Naruto simply stood there eyebrow razed and mouth agape. The dancing clowns jumped into the trees leaving there fellow makeup covered colleague alone with Naruto.
"Clowns are cool, that coat makes your butt look fat" he said pointing a lollipop at the blonde before darting off in the same direction as his entourage.
Once again the wheel struggled to turn in Naruto's mind, what the fuck just happened. Then the fact that these idiots had attacked him out of the blue came back to mind and with that he dashed off following the creeps.
"What… the hell… was that?"
"I have no idea… but they're gonna pay"
Leaping over the high branches of the forest Naruto used his rinnegan eyes to track the foursome. He could see them in the distance and noted that it was in fact not a Henge but their true appearance.
Seriously who the hell dressed like that?
As he jumped off a tree branche Naruto saw in the corner of his eye an explosive note which went off breaking the branch he was standing on.
As he began to fall Naruto rushed through a quick set of hand seals.
"Futon: Great breakthrough!"
He breathed a massive gush of wind from his mouth that propelled him back into the trees to follow in pursuit.
These clowns had it in for him but they were not gonna see sunset.
Dodging a few more explosive notes and trip wires Naruto came onto a clearing where the four clowns had stopped.
"You idiots picked the wrong guy to piss off, I would've killed you just for dressing like that..."
"Ah Naruto…"
"...I mean who the hell thinks a clown costume is anything to wear in a fight huh, how can you even move…"
"Oh Naruto…"
"... this coat is a Takihiro designer brand and for your information it extenuates my body figure ok…"
"Naruto…"
"...you know words hurt and body shaming has no place this day and age, so I'm gonna hurt you just as much as you hurt my feeli-"
"For fucksake NARUTO!"
"WHAT!"
"LOKK AROUND YOU!"
"Ok fine…. oh shit"
His purple ringed eyes widened in shock at the people gathered around him. How had he been lured so easily, now he was up shit creek without a paddle.
Five people stared back at him, five people he had hope to never see again.
Kakashi
Gai
Neji
Tenten
Lee
Jiraiya
The clowns
They all staired just as surprised at the fact that the one whom they all thought was dead was standing in front of them.
Kakashis broken voice broke the intense silence
"N-Naruto?"
Yep indeed, shit hath hit the fan.
Moments earlier
"Good choice of scenery team Guy, big enough to surround him, not so big so he can make a run for it"
"Thank you Lord Jiraiya-sama, your confidence makes me feel so youthful again!"
"Oh Guy Sensei, our efforts have been recognised!"
"Yes my youthful pupil, now let's burn in a bright shine of fiery you-"
"PLEASE don't do that, I mean the Anbu should be coming soon so we need to be ready"
"Hai"
Jiraiya would never understand the obsession with youth nor what 'make me feel youthful' really meant. He just hoped that the skin tight jumpsuit could hide their dignity seeing how excited they now were.
"Neji how far?" Kakashi asked the Hyuuga prodigy.
Said prodigy activated his Byakugan looking for the Anbu squad.
"The... uh... Anbu squad is five hundred metres North, coming in hot, the target is about a hundred metres behind and he's…." his eyes widened in shock as the stoic Hyuuga looked lost for words.
"What is it Neji?" Tenten concerned voice asked
Neji couldn't answer as the group of Anbu clowns entered the clearing.
"He's hot on our tail, be ready!" the captain shouted as he and his team drew their kunai ready for a fight.
"You idiots picked the wrong guy to piss off, I would've killed you just for dressing like that..."
The Konoha Shinobi froze at hearing his voice
"...I mean who the hell thinks a clown costume is anything to wear in a fight huh, how can you even move…"
The long spiky blonde hair, sun kissed skin, the whisker mark on each cheek, there was no mistaking it.
"... This coat is a Takihiro designer brand and for your information it extenuates my figure ok…"
For Neji the mere sight of his massive chakra reserve and unique signature made it certain.
"...you know words hurt and body shaming has no place this day and age, so I'm gonna hurt you just as much as you hurt my feeli-"
As if he finally caught sight of the familiar faces, Naruto mirrored their shock and suppose.
"... oh shit"
Yes, oh shit indeed.
"N-Naruto?" Kakashi's voice broke the silence, said blonde remained still like a rabbit caught in headlights.
"Is it really you?" Again no reply
For all the Shinobi gathered, Shinobi and not the clowns, the shock of Naruto left them lost for words. For Jiraiya though the sight of his eyes made chills run the length of his spine.
'Rinnegan…' the very eyes of his late student, the eyes of the sage. Twice in a lifetime and twice in his own pupils.
Naruto's eyes darted across the clearing looking for a quick escape, his vision showing the series of elaborate traps strung up through the trees. This wasn't gonna be easy, he wouldn't be able to leave the scene without bloodshed and there was no way he was leaving the island without them following his trail. Not now, not with his identity blown.
'Any ideas?'
"Give me a minute to build up enough natural energy, use sage mode to beat them up so bad that they can't follow"
'Good idea'
"Yeah it's me, long time no see Kakashi" seeing as he had to buy some time Naruto chose not to hide any anger from his features.
"W-what happened, I thought you were dead" Kakashi's voice sounded like he had seen kami herself, so Naruto may as well enjoy this while he could.
"Yeah well things happened, I still ended up alright though so I can't complain"
"How… didn't… I thought… what the hell Naruto, why didn't you come back!"
Naruto smiled at this "come back where exactly?"
Kakashi's lone eye looked furious "come to Konoha, come back home!"
"Oh that place, sorry I've been all around the world so you need to be more specific. Besides Konoha was never my home"
That statement sent shockwaves through everyone, except the clowns of course the were just clowning around.
"H-how can you say that Naruto?" This time it was Neji who spoke
"Easy, with my mouth. How else would I talk"
"How could you leave your home and all your friends?!" Lee took the lead this time, his big thick caterpillar eyebrows rose to new heights as the teens emotions grew.
"I have no home and uh what friends?"
"How can you say that Naruto?! We thought you were dead, we mourned you and remembered you, does that mean nothing" Tenten screeching voice reminded Naruto of nails scratching a chalkboard.
"If you were my friends then you would know exactly why I left. As for the whole mourning and remembering part, thanks but no thanks" that cheesy smile and light hearted voice made everyone angry beyond words.
"How do you have those eyes?" Jiraiya's voice carried no shock or sadness, only serious curiosity.
"Ah now there's a question worth answering, as for that I haven't a fucking clue although I do believe my last name and the fluffy guy may have something to do with it" Naruto replied as he caught sight of everyone gearing up to engage, to bad.
"Well anyways thank you all for stopping by but I'll have to get going now, send Tsunade a big fuck you from me will ya"
"We can't let you go Naruto" Kakashi's now visible Sharingan eye spun with the idle threat.
"Well I'm sorry about that but you see…" he closed his eyes as dark marks appeared around them and his skin gained an unearthly glow
"... your minute is up and I really got to go" opening his eyes his now silver Rinnegan pulsed in a show of power, a power that shocked Jiraiya to his core.
"Sayonara bitches Shinra Tensei!" The wave of pure energy erupted from Naruto, churning through the earth and grass as all the Shinobi, even the clowns, were sent flying as blinding speed only to be stopped by trees, stone or the hard ground.
"And for good measure you creepy clown freaks Suiton: Great Tsunami!" A roaring wave of rushing water erupted from Naruto's open mouth and crashed with unrelenting force into the vulnerable circus troop. The water carried them further away from the clearing before the it faded into the soil having lost its energy and leaving them gushing for air with broken bones and running makeup.
As Jiraiya jumped to his feet he felt a rib or two ache in pain, definitely broken. The sight that met him made his skin pale. He fell to one knee in pain as he scanned the upturned trees and broken earth for one Naruto Uzumaki.
He was gone.
"DAMMIT" punching the ground in anger the Sannin allowed himself to lay down in order to ease the pain. Whatever it was that sent him flying held some serious power.
He saw Kakashi in no better shape, his arm looked broken and Guy was no better. Lee was out cold and Tenten was nursing a dislocated elbow. Neji seemed to be in the better state although the way his eyes were spinning a concusion was the likely diagnosis.
The Anbu clowns looked the worst of all, that water jutsu having beaten already broken bodies.
Their captain smiled slightly to himself, seemingly finding something funny out of the current painful predicament.
"At least… we found… one good thing boys..." he spoke between heavy breaths "... the clown gig... seems to be... the best bait in Anbu history" the other clowns only moaned in pain, their injuries negating any care factor whatsoever.
All the while across the woods and on the golden beaches, Naruto eyes returned to normal as he held his hands in a single seal.
"Shadow clone Jutsu!"
A large puff of smoke and a hundred blond look alikes appeared before they each scattered over the ocean waves. They all ran into the sunset in a different direction so no one could follow the right trail.
The real Naruto ran over the water heading north east
"What are you going to do now?" Kuramas voice only showed concern and worry for his Jinchuuriki.
"I don't know, they know I'm alive now so I can only run, guess I really shouldn't have taken that contract hey Kurama"
"There's no turning back now Naruto, only planning for the future. I hope you realise that they ain't gonna let you out of there sight, especially with your eyes"
"Trust me… I know" the fact that his easy days of wonder and travel were over only made his heart wrench. He loved living by himself and for himself but now he'd have to double check his steps and look over his shoulder.
"We had a good run didn't we, the great Wandering sage haha"
"We sure did kid now get going it's gonna be dark soon"
As the sun began to fall below the blue horizen the flood of Naruto's kept running across the ocean. The true blonde meanwhile headed to a place he could trust, a place he was welcome.
It was spring time anyway, the weather should be lovely.
Chapter end