Chapter 6
(Flashback)
"Your opponents for the next month will be..."
Shikamaru Nara vs. Kristopher Blue
Temari of the Desert vs. Naruto Uzumaki
Hinata Hyuuga vs. Rika Red
Gaara of the Desert vs. Rock Lee
"Spend the next month preparing for your matches." As everyone looked at their opponents.
"All of you are dismissed." Gecko Hayate said.
(Present)
Everyone then left, but Hiruzen said, "Naruto can I talk to you in my office?"
"Of course, Hokage-sama."
Naruto flashed towards the Hokage's Office and waited for the Old man to make his appearance.
He didn't have to wait too long, as the old man flashed inside and walked towards his chair and gestured for Naruto to come stand in front of him.
After several moments of silence, Hiruzen started off, "Do you have anything to say to me, Naruto-kun?"
"That this meeting is concerning my strange behavior and how I am acting is an exact 180 from before, yes?"
"Naruto..."
He raised a hand for him to stop and then brought it to his lips, gesturing for him to be quiet. Naruto then turned his attention towards the ceiling, flicking his hand to the air and sound of metal hitting flesh was heard, before a body fell down on the floor with the kanji for 'Root' on the mask.
"Seems like Danzo can't keep his nose out of the official business of the Hokage," Naruto said, plainly, Staring at the cooling corpse of the root ninja.
Hiruzen looked at the boy he has considered a grandson.
"Naruto can I ask you a question?"
"Of course, Old man."
"Who are you loyal to?"
"I am loyal to the Hokage."
"To Konoha?"
"No. To you alone."
"You know I can't be here forever."
"To which I am well aware."
"If I pass on soon, will still stay loyal to the village?"
Naruto didn't reply at the moment and Hiruzen said, "Naruto-kun?"
"Like I said, I am loyal to you. Many others don't have my trust considering that most of the 'people' and several ninjas in this village either see me as a weapon, dead last, demon or an 'it'. Not as a person, comrade or fellow ninja. However, if you have someone that can actually see me for me and they have your trust then I will follow them. If Danzo gets the hat, I will be out of here faster than you can blink. I will not be placed under the war hound's control."
He nodded in reply. Hiruzen would not push anyone in Danzo's path. He could only sigh at how far his friend had fallen so far.
"I see. Hopefully, the citizens earn your trust and respect back, Naruto-kun."
Naruto nodded back while thinking, 'Not fucking likely old man. They would rather give their left testicle than apologizes to me, especially on that day.'
"You've been this way for a long time haven't you, Naruto-kun," Hiruzen stated as if repeating a fact.
"You truly deserve your title as 'God of Shinobi', Hokage-sama."
"Thank you, Naruto-kun. So, the boy I have known for so long..."
"He's been dead since the age of three, Hokage-sama. I couldn't handle the torment of that day and it made me snap. I kept up the appearance of a bubbly dead last for both protection for myself and to ease your worries about me... Plus, it was a bit of fun, playing pretend, making it seem like I was a kid, the chance I could smile even if it was fake. Just...for a little while."
"Thank you, Naruto-kun. You are dismissed."
Naruto nodded and flashed out of the office.
Hiruzen turned around, his eyes misty as he looked at the pictures of the Hokage, especially the fourth hokage and thought, 'Minato, I am so sorry...Your son...I have failed, please forgive me for the sufferings your son as endured under my watch. I know I will be maimed by Kushina for this.'' He involuntarily shuttered at the image of the red-haired woman, cracking her knuckles.
Naruto moved towards the hospital, where he got into an argument with the nurse at the front desk, until Naruto snapped, "Listen, bitch. I don't give a shit about you and your deal against me, tell where Hinata's room is in or else..."
"Or else what, brat?" The nurse quipped
Naruto didn't reply but let his blue eyes flicker red for a second with a slit pupil, startling the nurse that she nearly fell out of her chair.
"R-room 2-234, fifth door on the second floor. You can't miss it."
Naruto didn't acknowledge her with anything more than a nod and turned around to see a face he hoped not to see for a while.
"Hello, Naruto."
"Hakate."
"It's Kakashi-sensei, Naruto."
"When you actually teach the entire team and not just Sasuke and barely any training to the emo's fan girl then I will call you sensei. If you are here to visit your prodigy than go. I have to visit someone."
Naruto walked passed him, put he was stopped with a hand on his shoulder.
"Naruto we need to talk."
"About what, exactly?"
"About your behavior with your teammates."
"I wouldn't exactly say we are teammates. Afterall, pinky barely does any training and fawns over the emo boy, you are hung up over the Uchiha and I am just me. If there was an award for must dysfunctional team, 'Team' 7 would have that on lock down. Now, can I go?" He shrugged Kakashi's hand off his shoulder and left towards the elevator.
Soon he reached Hinata's room where a conversation was taking place between the father and his eldest daughter.
(Inside Room 234)
"Why have you been hiding these skills of yours?"
"Tell me, father. If I tell you, will you have the branch members stay in my shadows for a duration of time until you are satisfied? Also, if you do, then why do you care now? You thought of me as a failure and refused to train me, constantly reminding me of my failures along with comparing myself to my younger sibling and older cousin. Why do my skills, which did not capture your attention before catch it now? Please answer me, father."
Hiashi could only look and try not to gap at the girl in front of him and that was a stuttering mess in the morning.
"If you are not going to apply, I see this meeting has no point and I would like to rest in peace if you would please so they doctors can do their jobs."
Hiashi left without looking back, while the younger daughter looked back at her elder sibling with a strange look before leaving as well.
Hinata sighed when the door closed.
"Only now, he acknowledges me when I completely surprise him by beating his prodigy. Now, he'll never leave me alone."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." A voice stated
"Naruto!"
"The one and only. Congrats on your match." He said, handing her a bouquet of flowers
"Did you snag them from another?"
"The thought counts, though."
"It truly does." She replied back, fingering one of the blue petals.
"How are things on your end?"
"Hm, several nosy people wanting to know why I have revealed by true self and skills."
"Considering that they didn't recognize anything wrong with you being a loudmouth supposed dead last after all the things they put on you, I am surprised you didn't kill anyone."
"The civilians who wander into the red light district help with cravings."
"I see...So, I am facing Rika."
"Apparently."
"No words of advice?"
"Nope. Both of you are plenty strong and that the match will hopefully make up for the shame of what Sakura and Ino did considering they do not deserve to wear their headbands."
Hinata nodded, "What's the reward you are going to give Rika?"
Naruto's smile turned into a leer. "Just something."
"Try not to break through the floor this time."
He snorted back and pinched her cheek, getting a cute moan in return.
"No promises. Hope you feel better."
"Thanks and good luck with your match."
"Of course, she's a wind user after all."
"Sure it will..."
"Cheeky." He left after kissing her on the cheek he didn't pinch.
Leaving as soundless as he came.
'Demon, huh...? The village made their graves, now they just have to lie in it.' She thought to herself as a nurse came in with the supplies needed to heal her. Soon she came home, ignoring her clan members and went off to do some light training.
Naruto left and waited until nightfall, leaving Rika with a message to meet him at the club, named the Dark Cherry and was already dressed and blended into the shadows.
It was one of the first places that accepted Naruto for being himself, not having to pretend to be a dead last to save his own skin. They were scum and shadows of Konoha that the civilians didn't want to see. They let him in, sheltered him, and strengthened him, they were his pseudo-family and it was only because of them that he didn't leave the village as soon as he was able to.
He wore a pair of leather pants, a studded belt, and a sleeveless black tight wife beater. He nodded to the bartender and gave him several shots to drink. Soon his eyes came upon his target.
Rika was wearing short shorts, showing off her ass and a crop top that was nearly transparent as she walked through the club. He came upon her almost immediately and led them to an empty lounge area that showed the crowd dancing below.
He trapped her between his arms as she leaned against the rail.
"My, Naru~, going to do it here. In front of all these people?"
"Oh? You say that, but why are you rubbing against me?"
"Hm~, it's just you are so comfortable and sultry with your leather pants."
Naruto chuckled and pressed himself against her, before crushing his lips against her own.
Sorry...No large smutty lemons yet. That will be for later...
Naruto and Rika fell on the broken couch, sweaty and satisfied, Rika beside him basking in the afterglow of their coupling. Soon the dawn arrived and everyone from inside the shadows left to rest for the next party.
Everyone was training hard for the next month, Naruto couldn't wait, he had nothing against the Suna girl, though, she would interesting, that and Hinata will face Rika and they will hold nothing back, Shikamaru will be avenging Choji and told Rika that her teammate will pay. She shrugged her shoulders and told him he had him well to rights. Rock Lee was training in his speed and had help with some weapons and he found something when training that could help defend against Gaara's crushing technique.
The time for the second part of exams were upon us, everyone filled the stadium and soon the first match, Hinata Hyuuga vs. Rika Red.
The two girls faced each other and looked at the Hayate to start to match.
Ending it! The battles will be next chapter and then the invasion, you heard that Naruto does not care about the village and only cares about the few people in it. He will only stay if Hiruzen finds someone that sees him for him and not a demon or a weapon. Sakura will confront Naruto later on and try to bring him under her control, we will see how that failure will come about. Also, Hayate does not die in this one, I never liked him dying so soon in cannon. Later
~Kourtney Uzu Yato