Author's note: WARNING: This chapter contains some adult-related themes and subjects. Reader's discretion is advised. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 40: The Kages Cometh
Outside the Ninja Academy, Village Hidden in the Leaves
Since being released from the hospital, Rock Guy had spent most of his time alone. He never knew why, but for some reason, he didn't feel like talking to someone. However, he did answer back whenever his parents spoke to him.
But things had dramatically changed for the brown-haired boy. He had his left arm and his right leg bandaged. Therefore, he was forced to sit on an electric wheelchair. But it would only be for a couple of weeks. Sakura had miraculously managed to treat his worse injuries. But the rest would have to wait to recover.
"Until your injuries are cured, you must use this electric wheelchair" Sakura had told him. While his mother was vehemently against it, Lee managed to convince Tenten to support this for the sake of their son. "Don't worry, your son will be able to walk on his two feet again. But it will take time before the medicine he received will take effect" Sakura had told them, much to their understanding.
Thinking about all this made the brown-haired boy sigh deeply. "I guess I have to live with this burden from now on" he thought while opening his eyes clearly.
Guy found himself sitting on his wheelchair beneath a tree. From where he stood, the Academy's entrance was right across of him. The young boy couldn't help but to recall the first day he was enrolled here. That day was both scary and exciting at the same time. As a very young boy, Guy wanted to impress his classmates by claiming that every shinobi was valuable, regardless if they only knew one or all three types of jutsus.
"I remember how stubborn I was at that time" he mused to himself. "Even though most of my classmates found my opinions to be ridiculous, I still followed that path" he added to his thoughts.
At as also at that time when Guy met his future teammates: Kimiko Inoue and Hisoka Sado. He was also classmates with Hanzo Hyuuga and Shoma Inuzuka, the youngest daughter of Hana, as well as younger sibling of Masajun and Yume. Nevertheless, Guy would come to develop a competitive relationship with Hisoka, as they were polar opposites.
Guy mused while thinking about this. Hisoka had never considered him to be his equal and had little interest in him. Even when they became teammates, he still never paid much attention to how the brown-haired boy could surpass him. Sure, he won in every match between him and Guy, but what if Guy could learn something from his losses and emerge as the stronger opponent next?
"I think the third phase really convinced Hisoka that underestimating me is farfetched" Guy remarked with a chuckle. "Once I'm done with this treatment, I'll have to begin training to my limits. Only then can I settle my score with Hisoka" he came to a conclusion.
"Guy! You're out from the hospital!" the young boy could hear a familiar voice calling to him. He knew who it was. He quickly turned to his left side and spotted Kimiko running straight towards him. The blonde-haired girl had been released from the hospital a day before him. "I was told that you had to undergo some weird treatment by Nashiko's mom. But I didn't know that you had to sit on a wheelchair" she admitted while taking her seat on a swing beside him.
"Don't worry about it! I am feeling fine" Guy insisted to her, but then sighed deeply. "And besides, this is actually a price I have to pay, considering that I overdid it against my opponent" he added.
Hearing this made Kimiko snap in realization. "Oh that's right! You were up against that Jurou-guy from the Mist Village. Hideki-sensei told me how it went" she said to him. However, she began lowering her head in shame. "I was up against that four-eyed redhead with the sword. And I made myself believe that I was capable of holding my own ground. But it seems that I underestimated her" she told Guy, who was listening closely.
"Look Kimiko, you shouldn't be so ashamed of yourself" Guy urged her, causing the blondie to stare at him surprised. He only nodded at her. "Sure, I was also miserable and bitter about my loss, but all that hard training we went through was not for nothing" he insisted to her.
Kimiko giggled by hearing this. "I guess you have a point there, Guy" she admitted. "But then again, Hisoka made it to the finals. I haven't spoken to either him nor Hideki-sensei since I was out of the hospital" she told him.
A frown was formed with Guy's mouth. He was left pondering about what he was just told. "Me too" he admitted while facing the ground. "I don't know if you have noticed it, but tensions exist between Hisoka and Hideki-sensei. But considering that those two are family, I figured they would solve their problems on their own" he then told her.
"Of course I knew that. But every time I asked either one of them about it, they wouldn't answer my questions" Kimiko said and sighed deeply. "It is as I've said before: sometimes I never fully understand them" she added.
Guy was silent for a minute, wanting to reflect on everything that had happened with his team so far. He had to agree with Kimiko that he didn't really understand their teammate and teacher, but held deep respect for them nonetheless. But he was wondering how Hisoka would fare in the finals. Could he end up battling Jurou and lose like Guy did? These were the many questions that floated in his head.
Kimiko broke the silence as she yawned deeply. "Well, I better get some sleep. For some reason I'm glad that I don't have to stress myself with being prepared for the finals" she told Guy. "Shall I walk you home?" she asked him nicely.
The brown-haired boy nodded his head. "That would be a pleasure, Kimiko" he said and they walked side by side, even though he was sitting on an electric wheelchair.
Somewhere on the outskirts of the Village Hidden in the Leaves
As the night descended upon the world, the moon watched over it like it was its guardian. Out in the nature, the moonlight was beautiful, a stark contrast from seeing at by a village or town. But the lush forests were only granting ray of moonlight through their small openings.
Out from the thick bushes came Noburu Yakushi, the young boy having recently left his team and entered the Land of Fire. So far, he had not stumbled upon any members of the Leaf Village's ANBU Black Ops, but he needed to remain invisible from any spies of the village. His actions during the second phase of the Chuunin Exams had not been forgotten.
The young grey-haired boy walked slowly towards an old building, which was on the verge of collapsing. It was a tall and long building, with many openings along the walls and holes on the roof. He walked up the stairs, which had been growing with plants.
As he stood before the ruined entrance, he looked up to the roof, noticing the stars hanging in the black sky. In fact, the stars glowed and they gave Noburu's glasses some small spots. The young boy sighed deeply.
"I guess this has to be it" he noted in his head, looking around to make sure he was not followed or being watched. He then pushed the ruined door to the side and with careful steps, began entering the ruined building. As he was inside, he noticed how nature had taken it's hold as grass and vines dotted the old floor and walls. "So many years and it hasn't even been rebuilt. Not that I care about it" he remarked as he stomped on some vines.
Eventually, the young boy found the doors to what was once this building's main hall. The doors remained unbroken, yet they were old. Slow and steady, Noburu opened them and he was treated to something he never had seen before. In this hall, all signs of fauna had been growing here, even trees. The trees had grown so tall that they made holes in the roof. He could see insects and other small animals making their home here.
Finding himself a stump to sit at, Noburu took his time to see what this place had been in the past, before he was even born.
"This building was once an orphanage…...the same orphanage my father was raised in" he noted while observing his new environment. As he continued to study the place, he snapped as he caught glimpse of something small. He walked over to the wall and spotted a broken table, were a small picture with frame was lying. "This must be an old picture. It seems dusty" he says and blew away the dust. Luckily, he was not allergic to dust.
Once the dust was gone, Noburu's eyes snapped in surprise as he could see what was in that picture frame. It was a very young boy with glasses, had his head bandaged around it. He was apparently sitting on a chair. Beside that young boy was a young woman, who had light brown hair. She was dressed like a nun and was smiling as she held the young boy on his shoulders.
"This picture…." Noburu uttered out words lowly, his eyes never leaving the sight of it. "That's…father…as a young boy!" he noted, recalling that he had seen a similar picture before. He then began facing the smiling woman dressed like a nun. "Then that must be…...Nono Yakushi…my grandmother" he said.
He had heard about Nono Yakushi. Even though she was never the biological mother of Kabuto, she had still taken care of him when he was lost in the horrors of war. But from what people back in the Sound Village had told Noburu, Nono was a gentle spirit, who had been forced into servitude by the dark clutches of the Leaf Village. In his thoughts, Nono could have been considered the mother of Kabuto, as they shared similarities. Both ended up being dishonored while serving the village.
One thing that Noburu had also noticed was the fact that people spoke less ill of her than his father. By being reminded of this, Noburu angrily gritted his teeth. He was remembered what Naturo had told him during his interrogation.
"Yes, the world is unfair. However, that does not justify evil actions and selfish decisions, something Kabuto did, ignorant of the consequences that followed" he recalled what Naruto had said to him that time, after the four-eyed boy began speaking negatively about the Will of Fire. "Your father was among the many victims of injustice this world claimed. But he had a chance to redeem himself, yet he chose to blindly follow Orochimaru like a poodle. When I first met Kabuto, he seemed like an intelligent and friendly guy, a perfect example of what a shinobi should be. But after learning more about him, my views on him changed. Your father was a misguided soul, Noburu Yakushi. I advise you not to follow in his path" the words from Naruto continued to haunt the grey-haired boy's head.
"A misguided soul, you say?" Noburu wondered in his head as he couldn't stand hearing his father being portrayed like that. What would an attention-seeker like Naruto know about those in pain? In his anger, Noburu slammed the frame to the table, thereby shattering it. "Damn you, Nine-Tails bastard! You dare speak as if you are the moral judge!" he cursed. But as Noburu could see the picture lying out of the shattered glass, he immediately picked it up. Apparently he seemed to regret what he just did. Holding onto it with his hand, he put it in one of his pockets along with the picture of him and his teammates. He then turned around to walk out of the main hall. "It would be best if I found rest within this place. No one won't bother coming here, not even the Hokage. And that only suits me fine" he said as he walked out.
Next day at the gates of the Village Hidden in the Leaves
Lady Tsunade had asked for all of her associates to be gathered at the gates. Naruto, Shizune, Shikamaru and the others were more than happy to comply. In addition to that, Naruto had also managed to convince Lee, Sasuke and Hinata to join them, while Shikamaru had brought with him his wife and son. Joining the entire group was Kaito Mizushima, Aoi Terumi and Chiasa.
Today was the day that both the Mizukage and the Kazekage would arrive at the Leaf Village, considering that they had both accepted Tsunade's invitation to watch the finals of the Chuunin Exams alongside her. They were both considered her guests of honor.
"It's almost time" Shizune said as she stood beside her superior and watched the path before them. She then began facing Tsunade. "Aren't you at the very least nervous about this?" she asked the blonde-haired woman.
Tsunade only faced her smugly. "In a rare moment like this, there is nothing I can feel nervous about. Only excited" she answered her before returning her gaze towards the path. "And besides, it is important that I as the Hokage maintain good relationships with the other Kages. Such is beneficial for this village's existence" she pointed out, thus convincing Shizune that there was no doubt left in her.
Shikamaru was holding his left arm around Temari while waiting for his brothers-in-law to come. In fact, his family had looked forward to see both Gaara and Kankuro.
"This is gonna feel great. It's been a while since I've seen Gaara and Kankuro" Shikamaru remarked and faced his wife with a smile. "So Tsubasa and the others decided to wait back home?" he asked her.
"Yeah. They say they wanted to take it easy today. But come on, both Tsubasa and Atsushi get to see their fathers everyday" Temari answered him. She then began facing her punkish son with a displeased look on her face. "Now remember Shikaien: do not misbehave in front of Uncle Gaara! He is the Kazekage, so be respectful!" she sternly told him.
Shikaien, who was resting his hands behind his neck sighed in irritation. "Yeah, yeah, don't sweat your fat ass about it!" he replied with rudeness.
His mother fumed with anger over what she heard from him. "What was THAT!?" she angrily demanded, only to be restrained by Shikamaru. The man with goatee and ponytail rolled his eyes over observing this.
"This is gonna be a drag, I'm sure of it" he thought while seeing the argument between his wife and son.
"Now this is what I definitely have been looking for. Only a few days left and the visitors are coming. Now that is something to look forward to" Naruto remarked.
Lee agreed with him. "You said it, Naruto! I'm wondering if Gaara would be open to a rematch" he spoke up while banging his fists together. "He and I still have a score to settle between us" he remarked with confidence in his voice.
"I think Gaara would be less focused on getting into challenges now that he's just visiting us" Hinata spoke up gently. But the long-haired bluenette sighed deeply. "Forgive me if I'm sounding so quit, but yesterday, my father and my mother-in-law were engaged in a little kafuffle" she told her friends as they had noticed how little she had spoken.
Naruto only nodded at her in understanding. "Well that is okay by us. And besides, I've heard how Kiba has been spending more time home lately. Maybe he's beginning to see the error of his ways" he said while expressing his thoughts about Hinata's husband.
"Yeah, he has been doing that, albeit slowly" Hinata said with a slight smile forming across her face.
"There are other guests we are awaiting. The Fifth Mizukage will be here" Sasuke suddenly spoke up, having been silent for most of the time they were here. He then began eyeing Kaito with his normal glance. "Hey you, mind telling us why your other students haven't showed up?" he requested from the bandaged man.
He nodded his head in return with respect before answering. "My apologies, Master Sasuke. But both Jurou and Kotone have stubbornly wanted to focus on their training instead of greeting Lady Mei, who actually happens to be this boy's aunt" he answered while pointing his finger at Aoi, who watched this with a raised eyebrow. But the white-haired man with bandages sighed deeply in annoyance. "Furthermore, a good reason for Kotone not wanting to join us was because of the fact that her parents will be joining the Mizukage's envoy" he went further.
Sasuke's black eyes rose in surprise by this revelation, although it only lasted few seconds. He eventually began forming a smug smile, musing over being told of this. "I guess I won't be spending my time at work alone, considering that he will be here" he remarked.
"Who's he?" Lee asked the raven-haired man, not getting who Sasuke was referring to.
"Look everyone! I see them!" Naurto suddenly snapped out in surprise and raised his hand to wave at the two groups approaching the gates. The blonde-haired man never ceased to smile as they came.
The Kazekage's delegation was composed of Gaara himself, plus Kankuro, Matsuri, two veteran loyal jounins to the Sand Village Baki and Otokaze plus four elite jounins, who were considered to be close allies and friends of Gaara and his family. The Mizukage's delegation was composed of Mei Terumi herself, plus her four-eyed advisor Chojuro and of course her newest advisor: Karin. In addition to that, a cadre of the Mist Village's ANBU Black Ops was accompanying them, and among them, Suigetsu Hozuki. Naurto could see that those who he had fought beside with during the previous world war had changed in terms of appearance and personality. For example, Chojuro, who used to be such a timid and shy swordsman, had changed into a more serious and confident high-ranking shinobi of the Mist Village. Another example was Baki, who used to be a ruthless and unsympathetic jounin, had changed into a man of honor, pragmatism and dignity, landing him a seat in the Sand Council.
Tsunade and her associates stepped forward to greet their guests of honor. She stretched out her arms as if to warmly receive them. "Welcome to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Kazekage, Mizukage. We have been happily waiting for you" she expressed her welcome.
Each of the Kages stepped forward, with Gaara nodding towards her with respect, while Mei only gave her a smug smile. They had different kinds of relationship with the Hokage. Nevertheless, they knew better than to become an enemy of hers. Those times were over decades ago.
"It's has been a while since we last met, Tsunade. I hope you're not still as cranky as ever" Mei exclaimed, trying to mock her counterpart from the Leaf. Unfortunately, Tsunade didn't fall for it, much to Mei's dismay. But the bonde-haired woman could see Gaara wanting to speak up his mind and she decided to focus on him instead.
"I must thank you for the invitation you sent us, Tsunade. We look forward to observe the finals of the Chuunin Exams as close allies" Gaara spoke up, accepting what she had done. He then focused his eyes on Naruto, and they both smiled at one another. "It is good to see you again, Naruto" he said to the blonde-haired man who grinned sheepishly in return.
"I could say the same thing to you, Gaara" Naruto said.
But the Kazekage suddenly noticed his elder sister, nephew and brother-in-law approaching him and Kankuro, along with Chiasa. Temari hugged her brothers before she let her husband and son greet them. As her brothers, Gaara and Kankuro had accepted Temari's marriage to Shikamaru.
"We're glad that you two could make it here. All of us has been looking forward to this day, even Shikaien" Shikamaru remarked while facing his brothers-in-law.
Gaara smiled at them in return and noticed that even Shikaien was happy to see him, considering that he was lucky to have the Kazekage as his uncle. "I'm honored to have you observe me in the finals, Uncle Gaara. I promise I won't let you down" Shikaien said while bowing to him in respect.
Seeing this made the usually calm and reserved Gaara chuckle in amusement. "There is no need for you to impress me, Shikio. I am already proud of you, dear nephew" he said in return.
"Hey Temari, Chiasa. Why aren't Atsushi and the others present? Don't they wanna come and greet us?" Kankuro asked his sister and the teacher of the Sand Scorpions.
Temari smiled. "Don't worry, they're staying over at our home. Apparently, they wanted to take it easy today" she replied, causing Kankuro to actually sigh deeply.
"That boy…can't he show some satisfaction to his dad for once?" Kankuro wondered.
Chiasa decided to speak up. "I assure you Lord Kankuro that your son is more than willing to meet up with you later. He just wanted to rest" she told him before facing Gaara with a respective nod. "And by the way, Lord Kazekage. Your son wanted me to tell you this: he wants to have a talk with you later, in private" she revealed to her superior.
Although surprised by hearing this at first, he soon nodded his head in understanding. "Very well, if he wants a talk with me, then I shall not deny him the right to have one" the red-haired man replied to her.
Matsuri held her arms around her husband facing him with worry. "Do you think Tsubasa is doing okay?" she asked him, her voice filled with concern over their child.
"No, Matsuri. Our son is wise beyond his young years. We should know better than to underestimate his confidence" he assured her.
This made Matsuri smile and she realized that Gaara spoke some truth into his words. "If you say so, husband" she said.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was having a charming reunion with Suigetsu and Karin. To his annoyance, Karin tried to flirt with, despite the fact that they were both married. Even so, Sasuke decided to focus having a conversation with Suigetsu.
"I'm so happy to see you again, Sasuke!" Karin exclaimed gleefully, but she faced her husband dispassionately. "I'm glad to know that you remain committed to your marriage. Suigetsu however, is not!" she said sternly.
Suigetsu only rolled his eyes in irritation. "Quit making up another cheating allegation, Karin! As far as I know, it's actually the other way around!" he pointed out to her. The white-haired man grinned as he faced Sasuke and reached out his hand. "I know that we met some months ago, but I still feel like it's been ages since we've seen one another as good ol' pals instead of fellow spies. Good to see you again!" he said to Sasuke.
While feeling rather awkward about this, Sasuke shook hands with Suigetsu nonetheless, forcing a slight smile with his mouth. "The pleasure is all mine" he replied lowly. He then began facing Karin with a raised eyebrow. "I never knew that you had become an advisor to the Mizukage" he admitted.
Karin let her mouth fell as she heard him say that. But it immediately disappeared and she giggled, pretending she was not saddened by it. "I guess Suigetsu never told you about this, did he?" she said while becoming fed up with her husband.
Suigetsu slumped as she faced him. "Well, what do you expect!? We're members of the ANBU Black Ops! Sharing personal details is prohibited for crying out loud!" the white-haired man told the redhead. "And besides, no one's interested in what you've been doing" he added, causing Karin to angrily slam his head, causing him serious pain.
Sasuke sighed deeply while watching two of his former partners-in-crime bicker amongst themselves. But he mused to himself on the inside. "They still haven't changed. But I'm fine with that, honestly" he admitted in his thoughts.
"Anyway Sasuke, do you happen to know where my beautiful daughter is?" Karin asked while looking around, noticing that she was not present.
Before the raven-haired man could answer, Kaito joined in the conversation, facing the redhead. "She stubbornly refused to come here to receive you, as did Jurou. Only Aoi was gentle enough to meet up" the bandaged man answered her.
By hearing this, Karin twitched angrily, gritting her teeth in the process. "Why that little….how can she do this to her own mother!?" she wondered aloud.
Suigetsu rolled his eyes by hearing this. "Maybe if you would stop cuddling her like some spoiled princess, she would've met up to greet us" he pointed out. Karin only gave him a dirty glance, not liking what he just said. "What? I am her father, so I know her from a different perspective" he insisted. Suigetsu then decided to continue having his chat with Sasuke. "God, being parents is more complicated that I'd originally anticipated" the white-haired man admitted.
"You're the only one who thinks like that" Sasuke revealed in a tone that indicated that he felt the same thing with his family.
Kaito had been watching Sasuke reunited with his former crime buddies, until he was approached by the Fifth Mizukage and her trusted advisor and so-called protégé: Chojuro. The elderly brunette smiled as she faced the swordsman. "I am pleased to hear of your team's success in the Chuunin Exams so far, Kaito" Mei spoke to the bandaged man. "I knew I made the right choice when picking your team for representing us" she added with satisfaction.
Her blue-haired advisor only adjusted his glasses while facing Kaito sternly. "I wouldn't get so cozy around him just yet, Lady Mei" he said. The blue-haired man then took a few steps towards him, his face filled with that of strictness, which was unusual for him. "Now you listen to me, Kaito Mizushima! If you think you are Lady Mei's favorite, then you are sadly mistaking" he told him.
Kaito only stared at him unfazed, not getting at what Chojuro was trying to do right now. But he decided to speak up. "For being a member of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist, you sure are a chatty one" he expressed his thoughts about the four-eyed man.
Chojuro's eyes snapped in anger and he was about to reach for his blade, only for Mei to prevent him from doing so by grabbing his shoulder. When he got a glimpse of the Mizukage's displeased glance, he immediately freaked out and bowed to her in shame.
"I apologize for my behavior, my lady! I let my emotions get the best of me! I will not misbehave in front of you, I swear!" Chojuro pleaded ridiculously.
Kaito only fixed his eyes on another direction, not being able to stand the four-eyed man as a fellow swordsman. "Heh. Even after the world war, he still has a lot of maturing to do" he remarked in his thoughts.
"Hey Auntie Mei! What's the big deal?" Mei snapped as she could hear the voice of her nephew. He was standing before her, having stood behind his teacher before the Mizukage's arrival.
The middle aged woman, smiled at him sweetly. "My dear nephew. Congratulations on making it to the finals! I am proud to be your aunt" she commended him proudly.
The boy with azure eyes only chuckled nervously by seeing this. "Hey, don't be so surprised. Someone like me are capable of handling myself in the battlefield" he answered her, causing Mei to feel amused by him.
The Mizukage then faced the bandaged man once more. "Are Jurou and Kotone training as we speak?" she asked Kaito.
"Yeah. Apparently, Kotone didn't feel like meeting up once I told her that her parents were gonna accompany you to the finals" he replied to her. "But Jurou, he had a different reason for not joining" he added to his statement.
Mei nodded her head in understanding. "I see" she noted lowly, but soon forming a smug smile with her lips. "But then again, I will be able to watch all your students in the finals. I shall then express my praises to them" she told him.
As Naruto and Gaara kept reliving the good times, the blonde-haired man suddenly got an idea in his head. It was something he knew would be satisfying, even to Gaara and his wife. He faced the red-haired man smugly, much to Gaara's confusion.
"Say Gaara, now that you'll be staying here to watch the finals, how about you and I go do something together? Hell, even our wives can join us" Naruto suggested to him.
The Kazekage and his wife was unsure about what he meant. "Are you talking about a double date?" he asked, not sure about what else to say
Naruto chuckled in return. "Not exactly a double date, but it's something like that. You've probably heard about that theme park that has been built here in the Leaf Village, although it is a theme park for adults. I'm talking about Konoha Onsen" he revealed to them.
Gaara's blue eyes widened in surprise. "You must be talking about hot springs, are you not?" he asked his blonde-haired friend.
Naruto nodded his head in return. "Yup, it's a perfect place to visit whenever you feel stressed out at work and need relaxation! There are hot springs for men and hot springs for ladies, all the more reason for us to bring along Sakura and Matsuri" he explained.
Gaara admitted that he found this interesting and he looked to see how Matsuri felt about this. Surprisingly, she also felt the same thing he did. Maybe it was time that they were sociable with other couples. At the same time, Matsuri would get to know Sakura better, as she and her rarely talked whenever their husbands met.
Fixing a smile with their mouths, both Gaara and Matsuri nodded at him as a yes to his suggestion. "Very well, we appreciate your invitation, Naruto. It would be a pleasure" the red-haired Kazekage answered.
"But do you suppose your wife is comfortable with coming alongside us?" Matsuri asked him, making Naruto scoff at her with his hand.
"Don't worry, Sakura and I have been there many times, and she thinks of the onsen as one of her favorite places" he assured her with a cheeky grin.
"Did someone say going to Konoha Onsen?" the voice came from Lee, who stood on the sidelines while facing Naruto and the Sand Village's leadership couple. Apparently, he was just as interested in it as they were. "If you don't mind, I would really like to join you" he said while facing Naruto.
The blonde-haired man nodded in return. "Then join us! But do you suppose that Tenten will agree to this?" he said while questioning him.
Lee only shrugged his shoulders. "Come on, if it's one thing that Tenten loves, it is hot springs. And besides, she Sakura and Matsuri can have some girl talk for themselves" he insisted to him.
Gaara smiled at Lee's words. "It would be an honor to socialize with you, Rock Lee" he said, recalling how Lee had proven to be a worthy opponent towards him many years ago.
"I will join too" everyone snapped as they could hear Hinata's voice coming from behind. For some reason, she sounded very determined and they could see it in her bright eyes. "And I will drag Kiba along with me. It is time we did something as a married couple. We haven't done that for a long time" she added to her statement.
Naruto was stunned and amazed by the bluenette's courage in her voice. It was apparent that she did not want to be left out and he could tell it looking at her. Although Naruto had not personally seen Kiba act more decent lately, he wanted to give the brown-haired man a chance to be able to come back to his senses.
"Good. We really appreciate in you contributing to this. Maybe Kiba is able to put his anger behind" Naruto praised her, causing Hinata to smile at him in return.
"Don't forget about us either!" the strict voice came from Temari, as she and Shikamaru stood beside Gaara and Matsuri. She faced Naruto with her stern eyes. "If you think you can invite my little brother and sister-in-law to Konoha Onsen and leave us out of it, then you are damn wrong!" she exclaimed.
Everyone dropped a sweat by seeing her behavior, even Shikamaru. "Must you always be THAT outspoken?" he quizzed her, not getting what her deal was.
Naruto made her calm down. "Relax, Temari. Sure you two can join us. It will be fun! It's time for us adults to not be serious just one night!" he told them. Naruto then began facing Gaara. "And let me assure you, Konoha Onsen has the best service ever!" he told him, while the Kazekage listened closely.
"KONOHA ONSEN!?" the surprised voice came from Karin, who had been listening to what they had been talking about. She seemed very interested in it. "IS THERE ACTUALLY A HOT SRPRING THEME PARK IN THIS VILLAGE!?" she asked everyone once again.
The blonde-haired man only nodded at her, feeling very unsure about how to reply to something as gleeful as her. Karin was joined by Suigetsu and Sasuke. The white-haired man began poking his ear.
"Seriously, don't you ever zip your mouth?" Suigetsu asked her, being tired of hearing her loud voice. He then faced Sasuke with his toothy grin. "Hey Sasuke, about this theme park, I say we join your buddies. Men like us deserve some rest for working out in the fields and staying in the shadows" he insisted to his raven-haired comrade.
Sasuke was narrowing his eyes, taking a brief glance at Naruto, who only grinned at him smugly. As all eyes were on him, the raven-haired man sighed in defeat. "Fine, I will come along. But Ino will be accompanying me" he gave them his answer.
"Sure thing, Sasuke. We never said anything about excluding Ino. Besides, I think Sakura could need someone to bicker with" Naruto replied, although with sarcasm at the end of his sentence. "But anyway, this will be great! How about we meet at Konoha Onsen about 9 am?" he suggested a time to everyone.
Noticing that everyone was in favor of it by not speaking out against it, Naruto showed them his cheerful grin, which defined him as a shinobi. As many people had said before, Naruto was one of the true inheritors of the Will of Fire.
Somewhere in the woods outside the village
While the leadership of the Leaf Village were focused on receiving their guests of honor, Kotone Hozuki and Jurou Kaguya were spending their time training in the woods. As they were training, Jurou wanted to know why she chose to train with him instead of joining Aoi and Kaito.
"So you also didn't want see the Mizukage again?" the orange-haired boy asked the four-eyed redhead.
"It's not just her" Kotone said while fuming with anger and embarrassment. "My mom embarrasses me constantly, so I don't wanna be there and let everyone see what idiot of a mother I have" she answered.
Hearing this made Jurou regret asking her, as he couldn't stand hearing more complaining or whining from the young redhead. He decided to focus on his training instead.
Kotone fixed a stern glance upon seeing him rejecting her like this. "Do you always have to be so ill-mannered?" she quizzed him, but she got no response from the orange-haired boy. This suddenly made Kotone get an idea and she decided to ask Jurou something. "Other than me and Aoi, is there anyone of the other contenders in the finals that interests you?" she asked him straightly.
Jurou stopped what he was about to do and turned around to face the redhead with an unamused glance. "Of course there are. Inojin Uchiha, Hisoka Sado and Minami Inuzuka are some that I've been focusing on. However, I don't consider them worthy opponents just because they have advanced to the finals. To win, you require strategy" he spoke up his mind.
"Requiring strategy? But this Shikaien Nara was also a tactical genius" Kotone pointed out, and suddenly fixed a smug smile upon her face. "And who knows? Maybe you will fight either me or Aoi and we were both good with tactics" she added to her statement.
Seeing this, Jurou only scoffed at her beliefs. "I advise you not to be ignorant here, Kotone. Our opponents could actually be someone we never thought we would fight against" he gave her advice but then decided to shift focus. "Speaking of which, what if you were to fight against Nashiko Uzumaki? She came across as not much of a tactician, but the next time she fights, she may have improved herself?" he tried to get under the redhead's skin.
Kotone only huffed and turned around to show him her back. "Are you suggesting that I'm in fear of Pinky? Get real!" she said defiantly.
By watching her denial of it, Jurou could not help but to smirk. It was sometimes good to get under her skin, whenever she did something similar to him. But then again, Jurou preferred not to make enemies with either Kotone nor Aoi. It was not just because they were friends and comrades, but it was also because that even if they were enemies, Aoi or Kotone would've never won a match against Jurou.
"THERE YOU ARE, MY SWEET GIRL!" both Kotone and Jurou snapped as they turned around to see who it was that had called out to her. The redhead was filled with dismay by seeing her own mother running towards her, immediately squeezing her in the process. "Kotone, why didn't you met up with us at the gates!? I have been so looking forward to congratulate you!" Karin asked while cuddling her daughter.
The four-eyed girl sweated in embarrassment as she tried to get loose from her mother's embrace. "Mom…let go of me!" she demanded while gritting her teeth in awkward. She could see Jurou only watching this from the sidelines with a raised eyebrow.
But Karin had not arrived there alone. She and the two Mist genins were soon joined by Suigetsu, Sasuke, Kaito, Aoi, Mei and Chojuro. As they arrived, the Mizukage immediately fixed her perceptive eyes upon Jurou, who only crossed his arms and looked away.
"You have done a wonderful job so far, Jurou Kaguya. I am happy on your behalf" the elderly brunette complimented him, even though the orange-haired boy did not turn his head to look at her.
Chojuro sternly approached the young boy and grabbed hold on his left shoulder, his face filled with dissatisfaction. "When the Mizukage speaks to you, you are supposed to look at her, not the tree!" the four-eyed swordsman scolded him while firming his hold on Jurou's shoulder.
But to his surprise, Jurou grabbed hold on his wrist and held it tightly, almost crushing the veins and bones within. This even shocked Chojuro, who could see how irritated the young boy felt by being touched. "Keep your dirty hands off me, or I will break the bones within your wrist in a crisp!" he threatened the swordsman.
Suigetsu intervened by pulling Jurou away from Chojuro. He then fixed his toothy grin towards the young boy. "Now, now, Jurou. There is no need for you to get so worked up. You know how dicky Chojuro can be sometimes. Why don't you continue with your training?" the white-haired man suggested to him.
After staring at him for a couple of seconds, Jurou obliged by only walking away, not even saying a word. As Suigetsu watched him leave, Chojuro joined his fellow swordsman. "That boy keeps getting deadlier by the minute" the four-eyed man remarked while wincing at pain by grabbing his wrist.
"Tch, you shouldn't have touched him in the first place" Suigetsu scoffed at Chojuro's words, before seeing his daughter approaching them. "Oh hey there, Kotone! Glad to know that you're in the finals! I hear that Sasuke's boys are also in" he said to her while looking over his shoulder to face the raven-haired man, who was leaning against a tree.
Kotone's eyes widened behind her glasses. "So he must be Sasuke Uchiha!" she thought inside her head while seeing him. She adjusted her glasses to get a better look at him. "Now that I think about it, he does look like Inojin and Shunsuke, albeit older and more miserable that is" she noted while studying the raven-haired man.
Later, at the Nara household
Gaara had kept his promise to have a talk with his son alone, as he and Tsubasa were now sitting by themselves inside the guestroom of the Nara household. He had told his siblings and other close friends and allies to not interrupt them by entering the guestroom. Not even Tsubasa's teammates were allowed to enter. This only made it perfect for a father-and-son discussion.
"What is it you wanted to talk with me about, Tsubasa?" Gaara asked his son, wanting to know why they needed to be alone and not include everyone else.
The reddish brown-haired boy faced his father with a suspicious look, something that made even Gaara curious. "Father, why have you, mother and Uncle Kankuro chosen to participate in this…show?" he asked his father, who didn't open his mouth to speak. "You cannot fool me with your silence. Your intentions for coming here is not to watch the finals!" he claimed while pointing his finger at him.
As much as surprised Gaara became over hearing his son talk to him like that, he couldn't help but to sigh deeply and give Tsubasa a stern glance. This indicated that he found the young boy's behavior to be somewhat stupid.
"Tsubasa, as the Kazekage, I have an obligation to observe and even inspire future generations of shinobis. My duties are more than seeking confrontations" Gaara explained to his son lowly.
Hearing his father's answer made Tsubasa narrow his eyes at him. "A group of terrorists just declared war upon the Five Great Nations, yet you are focused on watching the finals!?" he asked Gaara in disbelief.
"Calm yourself, my son. It is true that I am also here to make sure that the Leaf Village is prepared for those threats. But being able to observe young children like you demonstrate your abilities, is one of the many things that a Kage has the honor of" the red-haired man explained to Tsubasa. "I understand that you feel frustrated over these events. But we will get to the bottom of this. You can trust me on that, my boy" he added while trying to understand the boy's fears.
"And you thought that watching me, Haruka and Atsushi in last year's Chuunin Exams were fun to watch" Tsubasa quizzed his father. "As far as I know, few participants made it out alive. Not many teams managed to pass the second phase of last year's Exams, considering that we had to wander through the endless desert" he pointed out.
Gaara rolled his blue eyes by hearing this explanation. "You seem to have forgotten what I just said. It is not the phases that defines what the Chuunin Exams are. It is the opportunity to see how young shinobis grow their abilities" he answered his son.
Tsubasa felt frustrated by seeing how his own father seemed to find the Chuunin Exams entertaining. But perhaps there was something he did not yet understand from his father. Thinking about this made him ponder in his head.
Gaara rose up from his seat and walked out the door, but not before facing his son. "Perhaps you should rest, Tsubasa It will help you getting rid of all the stress that you carry on your shoulders. And that is not only your burden, my son" the red-haired man told him.
"Where will you be going?" Tsubasa asked his father.
"Your mother and I have been invited to an arrangement in this village. We will not be home late, so don't you go follow us" Gaara answered before exiting the guestroom, leaving Tsubasa alone to think about what he had just been through.
Gaara arrived in the living room, where his wife, brother-in-law and Temari was waiting for him. He then noticed Kankuroa also entering the living room, followed by Baki, Chiasa and Otokaze. The Kazekage gave them a formal bow in appreciation.
"I appreciate your offer to watch over the children while we are away, Kankuro" Gaara told his elder brother, who shrugged his shoulders in return.
"Eh, no big deal. Besides, you deserve some relaxation from all the hard work you've done. Hell, you didn't even take a holiday back in the Sand Village" the brown-haired man told him in a laid-back mood. "You and Matsuri all have fun then!" he told both siblings.
Suddenly, Baki took a few steps forward to face Gaara, bowing his head with respect. "Lord Kazekage. Are you certain that our protection is not required at where you are going?" the elderly man asked him.
But Gaara shook his head in return. "No. You three have also done a good job for our village that you also deserve to have a pause. Therefore, you will join Kankuro in watching the house" the red-haired man answered, trying to assure Baki that he was certain.
Feeling tired of Baki's overprotectiveness, Kankuro stretched his right arm around him in a friendly manner. "Just sit back and relax, Baki. You know better than to underestimate Gaara's ability to protect himself" Kankuro tried to remind him, much to the Sand jounin's embarrassment.
"We will take care of things here. You and Lady Temari have fun for now" Chiasa told them with a respective nod, indicating that they would watch the Nara household while they were away.
At the entrance of Konoha Onsen, the Village Hidden in the Leaves
As the evening came, lights could be seen everywhere at this theme park, which was famous for its hot springs. Here, people would come to seek relaxation that the hot springs offered. In addition to having hot springs to each gender, there were also two saunas. If you wanted to heat yourself, then the saunas were the right place to do so.
While Konoha Onsen was considered to be a theme park, it was only allowed for adults. The age requirement for entering the place was 16 years old. But then again, there were almost no 16 year olds seen visiting the theme park. Most of the customers visiting the place was usually married couples.
"Are you sure that they will come, Naruto?" Sakura asked her husband, as they along with Lee and Tenten were waiting for the other couples to arrive.
Naruto faced her with a reassuring smile. "Sure they will, Sakura! Gaara and Matsuri were very interested in coming here. I mean, they don't have places like these back in the Sand Village" he answered her. By seeing this, Sakura was unsure if Naruto knew what Gaara was doing at his job.
"But Gaara is the Kazekage, you know" Tenten suddenly pointed out and began facing her husband. "He shouldn't be taking it easy like it's holiday" she said to Lee.
"All that hard work probably makes him stressed, Tenten. He deserves to have a break and spend some time socializing for once" Lee said in return. But he could suddenly spot something in the distance and began smiling while waving his hand. "Ah. Speak of the devil, they're here, all of them!" he said happily.
Sasuke, Shikamaru, Kiba, Gaara, Suigetsu and their wives approached the main entrance and joined up with Naruto and the others. But they exchanged some words before entering the building. Naruto smiled as he faced Gaara.
"Heh, I knew you would come!" he said with his cheeky grin.
Gaara only nodded at him with a smile. "Me and my wife could not pass this opportunity" he said while Matsuri appeared beside him. "So what do we do once we are inside?" he began asking Naruto.
"Oh that's easy" Sakura spoke up. "We enter, buy some towels and then enter the hot springs" she answered cheerfully before facing Naruto and some of the other men sternly. "And I expect you and your buddies to stay at the men's quarters! I do not wanna see one of you peeping through the fence!" she warned them, causing Naruto to drop a sweat while trying to calm her down.
Suigetsu raised an eyebrow by hearing this. "Hold on, is there a fence separating the men's side and ladies' side from one another?" he asked as if he was surprised. He then grinned smugly. "Heh, well that doesn't keep out perverts easy" he remarked, only to be slapped by Karin on his chin. "KARIN, WHAT THE HELL!?" he asked her in anger.
"Will you quit acting like a smartass for two seconds?" she asked him while crossing her arms.
"Anyway…." Shikamaru brought everyone's attentions. "Temari and I asked both Chouji and Sanae if would join us, but they had other plans for tonight" he revealed.
Ino nodded her head. "The same thing goes for Sai and Asami" the blonde-haired woman spoke up. She then looked around. "I don't see Shino and Umeko here" she began speaking.
"Me and Hinata asked them, but they declined. But those two are nothing but silent and selfish twerps, so who cares about them?" everyone faced Kiba as he badmouthed his old comrade, much to Hinata's outrage. "Besides, the fewer people we are, then the better silence for us there is" he pointed out.
Seeing this made Sasuke actually muse to himself. "Hmm for once, that clown has some truth in his words" he thought while watching Kiba.
Both Naruto and Sakura faced Kiba sternly, as they didn't tolerate him doing something like badmouthing people who weren't with them. Naruto even began approaching the brown-haired man, who only glared back at him in return.
But the blonde-haired man was suddenly stopped by the Kazekage grabbing his left arm. Naruto turned around and looked at Gaara, who was facing him with a reasonable expression. "Naruto, control your anger" Gaara tried to make him see reason, causing Naruto to immediately snap in embarrassment.
Hinata faced her husband with strictness in her face. "Kiba, you better withdraw what you just said about Shino!" she told him firmly.
Seeing his wife demanding a withdrawal of that remark, Kiba sighed in defeat and faced everyone once again. "Alright, I apologize for my description of Shino and his wife, it was just a slight misjudgment on my part" the brown-haired man said while accepting his mistakes.
Seeing this made Naruto calm down, but he felt like sharing something with the entire group. And he specifically wanted Kiba to hear this. "While we're at the different quarters, I expect all of us treat each other with dignity and respect. This will be a time for socializing, so no bullying and badmouthing- Understand?" Naruto explained with strictness in his voice. Everyone seemed to agree with him.
At the men's quarters of Konoha Onsen
Once the groups had entered the building, they immediately bought towels and kimonos before entering the quarters for their respective genders. Both quarters had hot springs that were equally large, steamy and comfy. The only important thing to note was the high and long fence that separated the hot springs from one another. The fence was almost as tall as a normal building in the village.
As the night descended upon the hot springs, Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara, Shikamaru, Kiba, Lee and Suigetsu were relaxing in the steamy water. They did that while enjoying the stars that had begun appearing in the black skies above them.
"Ah, this is the life!" Naruto exclaimed while resting his hands behind his neck. The blonde-haired man was sitting beside Shikamaru, who for some reason was trying to sleep. Naruto noticed this and slumped his face. "Man, what a sleepyhead you are!" he thought in his head.
But Shikamaru did not sleep for long, as the man with the ponytail and goatee suddenly slid down into the water, given the fact that he was sitting against the wet rocks. Shikamaru immediately awoke and surfaced.
"Ah…what the hell!?" he asked while trying to catch his breath. He then faced Naruto accusingly. "Were you trying to drown me just now!?" he demanded from him.
Naruto rolled is blue eyes. "No. You slept and fell into the water. Maybe it's not such a good idea to sleep in the hot springs, don't ya think?" he recommended Shikamaru, who groaned annoyingly and rubbed his face. Naruto chuckled in seeing this. "Having troubles at home I guess" he smugly remarked.
"Look, Temari's been constantly up my ass for the last days since we returned home from the Train Mountains. She'll never give me some privacy" Shikamaru explained while slumping his face.
The blonde-haired man decided not to speak with Shikamaru and focused his gaze upon Gaara and Lee, who were sitting close to his location. From what he could see, the red-haired Kazekage was enjoying the hot springs so far.
"Well, what do you think?" Lee asked Gaara, who was currently having his eyes shut, trying to enjoy this peacefully.
While Gaara did not open his eyes, he did form a smile with his mouth. "It feels comfortable. I like this" he simply answered.
"I told you so!" Naruto spoke up, causing Gaara to chuckle lightly
Lee was happy for Gaara as he could see how the Kazekage was enjoying this. The black-haired man could then notice Kiba, who was sitting by himself at a corner with both his eyes closed and arms crossed. Lee felt somewhat sorry for him, as the brown-haired man was not sitting beside someone and was alone. He felt like taking the initiative and invite Kiba to sit with him and Gaara.
"Hey Kiba! Don't you wanna come and sit with us?" Lee asked the brown-haired man, who began opening one eye to face the man with weird eyebrows.
"Thanks for asking, but I'll pass. I had originally intended for Akamaru to join me here, but Konoha Onsen doesn't allow pets" Kiba answered while trying to be gentle and friendly towards Lee as possible.
Lee was unsure about how to respond to his statement, but he could see that both Naruto and Shikamaru were very dissatisfied by Kiba's answer. This worried him.
Naruto fixed his stern eyes upon Kiba. "Hey Kiba. Aren't you gonna stop being miserable and live the life for once?" the blonde-haired man asked him with disdain.
Hearing this made Kiba actually fix his feral eyes upon Naruto, his expression filled with irritation. "I AM living the life! Now do me a favor and shut that loudmouthed ass of yours!" the brown-haired spoke up.
"What is your problem, Kiba!?" Shikamaru asked him. "Here we believe that you have somewhat changed, yet you still treat those around you like shit!? Grow up, man!" he wondered in disbelief.
Sasuke and Suigetsu was watching this bickering not from the sidelines and they were secretly musing to themselves. In fact, Suigetsu wanted to whisper something into his former crime buddy. "You gotta be kidding me. This brown-haired douchebag was your classmate?" he whispered in disbelief. "And that Lee-guy…looks like a retard….." Suigetsu did his best to not laugh at either Kiba or Lee, given the black-haired man's goofy looks.
"Just ignore them. Their stupidity is part of what defines their characteristics" Sasuke told the white-haired man in return.
Suddenly, all the men could hear some splashing and giggling coming from the other side of the fence. It came from the ladies' side of the hot springs, where most of their wives were bathing. The fence was tall enough to prevent either group from peeking into the other.
"Well, the ladeis sure seem to have fun" Naruto noted while hearing what was happening on the other side of the fence. He continued to stare at the fence, as if he wanted to listen more.
Kiba watched this with a smug smile and decided to do something hilarious. "Gee, Naruto. I bet your dick is desperate for some satisfaction" he mockingly said to Naruto, who angrily glared at him in return.
"Just what the hell are you talking about!?" he demanded from the brown-haired man. "Man, you're just beginning to sound as random as Sai. Don't tell me you have begun takin an interest to penises" he added with a comparison to Sai.
Kiba only shrugged his shoulders. "Come on, you keep staring at the fence. It's obvious that you're hiding something" he said, but then snapped as he got just the perfect sentence to add. "Oh, I get it! You wanna peek into the ladies' hot springs, even though Sakura strictly forbid you!" he pointed out with a finger directed towards Naruto.
Naruto felt like he could no longer ignore Kiba, so he deiced to stand up for himself. "What are you, 17? I am too grown up to be doing something as stupid as that!" Naruto claimed while crossing his arms. "And besides, I have a beautiful and attractive wife, so I have something to look on! Why, you expect me to be peeking on Hinata?" he added while suddenly quizzing Kiba, who was stunned by what he was asked.
Lee and Shikamaru felt a slight animosity brewing between those two and they felt concerned. Gaara had similar thoughts, but he hoped that Naruto would listen to reason, whereas Kiba was no good listener at all. Sasuke and Suigetsu however, only watched this unfazed.
"What do you mean by peeking on Hinata? She's my wife! And don't you dare bringing her up!" Kiba barked at Naruto.
"You're the one who brought Sakura into this, so back off!" Naruto responded. But this silly quarrel only encouraged the blonde-haired man to get under Kiba's skin. "I see! You have never seen Hinata naked, have ya?" Naruto suddenly spoke up, enraging the brown-haired man, who immediately rose up from the hot water, exposing himself naked.
"Shut it, asswipe! You don't know anything about me or my sexual relationship!" Kiba barked back, but the brown-haired man suddenly got an idea banged onto his head and he mused o himself. "As a matter of fact, I challenge you to a peeking contest! Then we'll see who's the man amongst us!" he added, causing some of his friends to snap in outrage.
Surprisingly, Naruto grinned cockily in return. "So you think you can best me in that, huh?" Naruto asked him tauntingly. "Well,you're on, idiot! I accept your challenge!" he added with determination.
"Count me in!" Lee exclaimed as he joined the two. "I will show you why I'm also a master in peeking!" the black-haired man added with confidence in his voice.
Gaara only watched this unfazed as he sat beside Shikamaru. "What is going on here, Shikamaru?" the red-haired Kazekage asked his brother-in-law.
The man with ponytail only sighed in irritation. "Apparently, those three idiots want to compete in getting a peek at the ladies at the other side of this fence. This is sure gonna get ugly" Shikamaru answered him. Gaara was completely confused, as he was never used to such immature games.
"They won't be peeking on Temari or Matsuri, will they?" the Kazekage asked him.
Shikamaru only smiled smugly in return. "Nah, I doubt that. And besides, if they get caught by the girls, there's no telling what the consequences are. But we'll leave it to them" he said in return and noticed the trio walking up to the fence.
Meanhwhile, Suigetsu was stunned by what he saw, while Sasuke only narrowed his eyes at the trio in a disapproving manner. The white-haired man faced his long-time partner in disbelief.
"A contest about peeking on naked women? What kind of morons do you hang out with, Sasuke?" Suigetsu quizzed him.
The raven-haired man only crossed his arms and looked away, pretending he was not interested in seeing what Naruto and the others were planning to do. "Just let them do what they want! If either of them gets caught by Ino, I won't vouch for them. They will be hers to beat up" Sasuke answered plainly.
Hearing this made Suigetsu grin in amusement, his sharp teeth being exposed. "Oh I get it! It will be cool to see those three getting their asses whopped by the ladies. Hell, I think I'm gonna enjoy this!" he exclaimed with glee and watched the trio doing what they were supposed to do.
At the woman's quarters of the Konoha Onsen
While their husbands had to contend with the animosity existing between Naruto and Kiba, Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Tenten, Temari, Karin and Matsuri were having a good time at their side of the hot springs. So far, all they had done is to sit and enjoy the heat that came from the water, despite having splashed one another playfully the moment they entered. But now, all they wanted to do, was to relax, nothing else.
Tenten let out a loud sigh as she felt the heat. "Ah! I just love this feeling when you sit in the water!" she exclaimed while relaxing. "It feels like I just want to be stuck here forever" the brown-haired woman added to her statement.
Ino chuckled by hearing this. "You sound like an old lady, Tenten" she remarked humorously, although Tenten didn't seem to care.
Sakura had her eyes closed as she was almost diving herself into the hot water. She could feel her pink hear getting wet while doing this. "I just hope that nothing foolish will happen here. But then again, Naruto knows when things go too far" she thought in her head.
Matsuri could notice how Hinata was holding her hands before her breasts and she wondered why she did that. "Why are you covering your cleavage?" the light brown-haired woman asked her. "We are all women, there is nothing to hide from us" she said in a friendly manner.
Hearing this made Hinata blush in embarrassment and she decided to answer Matsuri. "Oh, it's just that most women have a tendency to stare at me when I am naked. It makes me feel uncomfortable" she answered as honest as she could.
"Heh, why in the world would we be staring at you?" Temari asked as she didn't get Hinata's reason. "As far as I know, staring at a women's body is both rude and disrespectful" she added to her statement.
The young bluenette's cheeks blushed even redder. "It's not like that! It's just that I…I mean women will often be jealous of my..." before she could explain any further, Ino interrupted her.
"Don't be paranoid, Hinata. None of us are jealous of your looks! Just look at me! I am confident that my appearance is attractive to every men. Too bad for them that I'm already taken" Ino pointed out while demonstrating herself.
As she saw Ino showing off, Sakura glared at her with dispassion. But the pinkette immediately formed a smug grin with her mouth. "Heh, you're just trying to hide the fact that your breasts are smaller than Hinata's!" she suddenly pointed out, causing Ino to face her with anger while Hinata's cheeks kept blushing.
"Oh, you're one to talk!" Ino shot back, but suddenly noticed something and chuckled at Sakura. "Say Sakura, how come you're hiding your bust in the water? Are you jealous of my attractiveness?" she teasingly asked her.
Sakura quickly rose up from the water and got into Ino's face, with both women's eyes burning with fire and jealously. "You better take back what you just said, Ino pig!" Sakura lashed out.
Ino did not back down from this duel. "Up yours, Billboard Brow!" Ino shot back as an altercation was brewing between the two women.
"Oh God, not again!" Tenten said landed her face on her palm, filled with embarrassment. "And I thought Lee would do something stupid tonight. But I guess I was wrong" she noted in her head.
Hinata knew that this would only get uglier, so she rose up and decided to break up the fight. "Just cut it out, girls! People might hear us!" she pleaded to them.
But both Ino and Sakura faced her with angry eyes prevent her from interfering. "SHUT UP AND STAY OUT OF THIS!" they both yelled, causing Hinata to immediately back down.
Before Hinata could do as they rudely requested, she was joined by Karin and Temari, who faced the bickering women with angered looks. Hinata stared at the two with surprise and worry at the same time. "Temari…..Karin…." she uttered out lowly.
"Will you two bitches just shut your traps and calm down!? You don't speak to Hinata like that, neither do you use her as an excuse to start fighting!" Temari demanded from them.
Karin adjusted her foggy glasses. "Yeah, grow up you two!" she told them, her voice filled with the same dispassion as Temari's.
Matsuri watched this kafuffle with wondering eyes, and she leaned over to Tenten to whisper something in her ear. "Are they always like this?" she asked her lowly.
Tenten only shrugged her shoulders. "You could say so" she replied. "However, I never expected them to argue at this time, considering the events that has happened recently" she added to her reply.
But everyone stopped what they were doing, as they could hear Hinata scream. They all faced her with confusion, as the bluenette was actually covering her breasts and crotch with her hands. She seemed very uncomfortable and had even activated her Byakugan.
"What's wrong, Hinata?" Sakura asked her.
"Yeah, your screaming caught us completely by surprise" Ino remarked, but suddenly noticed her eyes. "And why have you activated your Byakugan?" she added with a question.
The women could see Hinata pointing a finger towards the fence that separated the men and women's hot springs respectively. They all looked there and saw nothing but three small holes.
"Someone is peeking on us!" Hinata uttered out her words in shock.
Hearing this made most of the girls filled with outrage and they immediately went over to the fence. In fact, Sakura punched a hole into it and grabbed what she could find. When she ragged what she held to the hole, Sakura was filled with outrage.
She was holding Naruto by his throat, while the blonde-haired man only looked at her with a nervous smile. "Hey Sakura…..you look stunning!" was all the words Naruto could come up with while facing his angry wife.
"LEE, YOU IDIOT!" Tenten screamed in anger as she held her husband's hair through the hole in the fence.
"It wasn't my idea, Tenten!" Lee insisted with fear in his goofy eyes. "Kiba challenged Naruto into a peeking contest and I got dragged in without my free will!" he tried to shift focus away from him.
Kiba, who was being held by Temari and Ino snapped in anger by seeing this. "You snitching bastard!" he scowled. He briefly took a glance at Hinata, who for some reason, watched him with concern in her eyes. The brown-haired man fixed a grin with his mouth. "Sorry Hinata, but I couldn't resist seeing your beauty in all its glory" he said to her.
By hearing this, Hinata was taken by surprise. She couldn't believe what her husband just said. "Kiba…d-do you still find me romantically a-attractive?" he wondered, considering how long it had been since they had sex, let alone slept in the same bed together.
But all hell broke loose as Naruto, Kiba and Lee got their butts handed to them by the women, save Matsuri and Hinata. Meanwhile, the other men only watched this beating with different reactions.
"Naruto…still hasn't changed" Gaara remarked as he heard the beatings.
"Well, he is a student of the late Saanin Jiraiya, so immature habits like those will be a part of him" Shikamaru mused
Suigetsu laughed his ass off and he almost fell into the water while watching the men getting beaten. Sasuke, however only crossed his arms and pretended he was not interested in seeing this nonsense.
"I can't wait for the finals to start. This bullshit is giving me a headache!" Sasuke thought in his head.
Later, on the way to the Hyuuga mansion
Kiba walked with Hinata beside her, the brown-haired man's face filled with bruises and bandages. Since bidding farewell to their friends, neither of them had spoken a word. But considering that it was night, silence was perhaps the best to have.
As they walked on the path, Kiba lowly muttered under his breath. "What a bunch of bimbos! I didn't start that damn competition! Naruto drove me into it" he said.
Hinata had been thinking about what Kiba had told her back in the hot springs and she had never lost the words. In fact, she decided to speak with him about it. "Kiba…back in the hot springs…" she uttered out words, only for Kiba to interrupt her.
"Look, if you felt uncomfortable with me watching you, then I'm sorry" the brown-haired man apologized. "That dickhead Naruto, forced me into proving that I was a man. I shouldn't have let my emotions get the best of me" he admitted with humility.
Surprisingly, he could see Hinata's cheeks blush deeply and it made him raise an eyebrow in return. Did he just say something wrong?
"Actually, I don't mind that you were peeking on me" Hinata said, her voice filled with embarrassment. "In fact, it turned me on" she added, her cheeks becoming redder.
Her husband only gasped in disbelief, trying not to be outraged or angered. "Hinata…are you joking with me?" Kiba asked lowly, his eyes solely focused on the bluenette.
Instead of saying anything, Hinata only shook her head giving him a no for an answer. While Kiba didn't know how to respond to this, the brown-haired man was caught by surprise when Hinata pressed her lips against his. Kiba was taken by surprise, not knowing what to do. But instead of pushing her away from him, the brown-haired man actually put his hands on his wife's hips, returning this passionate moment. The moon shined upon them brightly, making this feeling even more delicate.
Grabbing Kiba's hand, Hinata led her husband on the way. "Come, Kiba. Let's go home and we will talk more. While the trip to the onsen was fun, I believe we can spend more time together alone in the mansion" the bluenette informed Kiba.
"Sure, beautiful. Just lead the way" Kiba responded, happily accompanying his wife, teasing her in the process, forcing Hinata to giggle.
To be continued…
Author's notes: This long chapter was mostly focused on the adults as well as how Naruto would spend time socializing with his friends, with humor of course. Next chapter will take us to the finals of the Chuunin Exams, where the kids will be the main focus once again.