Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto
...
"We're not happy about this, Sarutobi," said Tsume pointedly as her body almost trembled with rage. "I think we are entitled to justice for what was much of Hinata's humanity and almost the lives of our three children. Naruto Uzumaki too, if you think about it."
"While I maintain that my daughter is very much still human, I concur," said Hiashi. Though his tone of speaking was calmer than Tsume's it wasn't hard to tell that he was on-edge.
"I assure you that Danzo has been… taken care of, so to speak," said Sarutobi as he spoke his words carefully.
"Then allow me to be his executioner," said the Inuzuka with a feral snarl. "I've never been fond of that stupid old man."
Shibi sat wordlessly, unmoving except for when he adjusted his sunglasses.
"Unfortunately, there won't be an execution," Sarutobi brushed off the Clan Head and quickly continued before they intervened. "Danzo would merely welcome death, so I have banished him from Konoha and have issued a bounty upon his head."
"BULLSHIT!" shouted Tsume as she slammed her hands on the table, clearly unhappy with how things had played out. "That man deserves capital punishment for his crimes and nothing less!"
Hiashi laced his fingers around one another and said nothing, as Shibi inserted his own views into the predicament. "I must agree with Tsume upon this topic," he stated. "His mind is one of complicated destruction that could very well raze Konoha to the ground if he chooses to target us in the future. I believe it would have been wise of you to consolidate with us first before issuing his punishment, as your own past with Danzo may have clouded your initial judgement."
"You should have at least let me neuter him!" shouted Tsume.
"The punishment is just," said Hiashi, causing the other two clan heads to turn their attention towards him.
"You can't be serious Hiashi, look what he did to your daughter," said Tsume in disbelief. "A member of your pack nearly got turned into an emotionless doll and you sit there as if it's no big deal."
"Trust me, I am treating this situation as seriously as both of you, but we have to think outside of the picture here," said Hiashi. "Everything that has happened is being kept under lock and key, and even the shinobi that were under his control are being introduced to our system as simply as possible without most of the populace learning that they were once under Danzo's control. If we were to execute Danzo, there would be outrage for how we treated a war veteran, despite the inhumanities he caused. Having him banished and placed within the Bingo Book means only those who are able to deal with the ideas of what he has done will be subject to that knowledge."
Tsume growled for several seconds as she tried to find some fault in what Hiashi had said but was unable to do so. She slammed her palms upon the table in frustration and stood up with enough force to knock over her seat before storming out of chamber. Shibi, realising that the meeting had come to an abrupt end, stood up from his seat and bowed towards the Hokage before making his exit as well. Exhaling, Hiashi rose from his seat and began walking to the exit in a much more calm fashion than either of his two fellow clan heads had.
"Hiashi," started Sarutobi, but the head of the Hyuga clan lifted up a hand.
"Hokage, please, just leave it be," said Hiashi as he continued his exit, the Hokage doing as the clan head wished and didn't push the topic any further. Once Hiashi had left, Sarutobi made a single hand signal and an ANBU appeared in front of him immediately.
"Send for Sasuke," he commanded, the ANBU merely nodding in understanding before vanishing as if he had never been there. With a sigh escaping his lips, Sarutobi resumed the mountains of paperwork before him knowing full well that there was a lot more to deal with before the day was over.
...
"I'd have never thought it," said Jiraiya as he stepped into the clearing that marked Team Seven's training ground. "You, of all people, actually voluntarily training?"
"At least it beats peeping on old ladies," said Naruto with a grin as he dispelled the clones that he'd been combating against.
"One day you'll understand, my sweet summer child," Jiraiya shook his head. "Anyway, I just came from checking out the sights to let you know that we'll be leaving in two days time."
"Wait, what? Can't you teach me here?" asked Naruto.
"Unfortunately, no, I'm unable to maintain my spy network from inside Konoha's walls for long," explained Jiraiya. "Also, there isn't anybody in Konoha able to teach you how to utilise the Kyuubi's chakra like I can."
"But can't I just stay here and not learn how to use it's power?" asked Naruto.
"If things were different I'd have no problem with that," said Jiraiya. "However, there's a great evil that will be coming for you soon. and trust me, without the Kyuubi's strength, you will not be able to survive."
"What, what's coming for me?" asked Naruto, becoming more and more confused with the situation.
"Well, you know your buddy you met down in Danzo's lair the other night? Just imagine him and people even stronger than him turning their attention on you, all to get the beast in your stomach. They are all strong enough in their own right to take on a Biju single-handedly."
Naruto raised his hands up and covered chunks of his head as realisation began to set in about what would likely happen to him down the track. Seeing his unease, Jiraiya placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder in an attempt to ease the mind of the boy. "Like we discovered the other night, after the invasion our security here is lacking, and you could be under attack again soon. If you come travelling with me, however, they won't have any reason to target Konoha, and you can protect them."
"For how long?"
"What was that?" Uncovering his face, Jiraiya was able to see that Naruto's eyes were focused in such a way that he found both intriguing and disturbing. It was almost like seeing a carbon copy of Minato, contemplating how to best to settle a war without conflict. It was unnerving to say the least.
"How long will we be away?" questioned Naruto.
"Well, I've told Sarutobi that I'll have you ready to tackle the exams in a year's time, but that's just for you to get the promotion you deserve," said Jiraiya, patting Naruto's back with enough force to nearly knock the boy off his feet. "After that it's up to me to make you Hokage material, but I'm sure that I can drop you off back here in around...three years I guess, maybe a little less."
"Three years," repeated Naruto. "You're actually going to be teaching me, right, not going around perving on women every few seconds?"
"I can't deny that there will be times where I enjoy the pleasure of the female body," said Jiraiya with a smirk as he stroked his chin, "and there is my spy network to maintain. The rest of the time, however, it'll be me teaching you as much as I can. Hell, you may even start teaching me a thing or two if you're trying to be better than my last student."
"What did your last student teach you?" asked Naruto causing a large smile to plaster itself upon Jiraiya's face. As opposed to speaking the answer, the sage held out his hand in front of Naruto and began to channel chakra into his palm in a way that mystified the blond. At first it seemed as if there was nothing happening before thin wispy lines of raw chakra began to circulate around one another, multiplying in number every passing moment before Naruto found himself staring at a ball of pure energy.
"This is the fourth Hokage's signature technique - or one of them at least. The Rasengan!"
"Rasengan..." repeated Naruto in awe. Sitting in front of him was a technique that his idol had crafted on his own and he was going to learn on this training trip. "This is awesome!"
Jiraiya allowed the ball of chakra within his palm to dissipate before Naruto tried to touch it or do something else entirely stupid with it. "Now, considering we're going to be away for a long time you'd better spend the last of today as well as tomorrow doing something worthwhile. Go spend some quality time with that young Hyuga girl you made out with last night."
"Wait, you saw that?" exclaimed Naruto.
"Trust me, spend your time wisely," said Jiraiya before he vanished as if he had never been there, leaving Naruto frustrated at not having received an answer of any kind. Looking up at the sky he could see that there was still plenty of day time left, so he knew that he had to make the most of it. Now he merely needed to do something so amazing for Hinata that when he dropped the news that he was leaving she wouldn't go crazy and beat him up.
Hopefully.
...
"Thank you for meeting with me Sasuke," said Sarutobi, his eyes focused on the young Uchiha in front of him. The elder didn't comment on the fact that the Genin's eyes had the Sharingan within them. No doubt Sasuke was well aware of this, and the Hokage wouldn't put it past the young boy to be doing this in an attempt to increase his chakra levels.
"Is there something you require of me?" asked Sasuke.
"Not yet," said the Hokage, a smile smile across his lips. "I merely wished to inform you of what your weekly routine would begin to look like. Unlike how you likely wished, I will be unable to train you on a daily basis. I don't think many of the citizens would be happy if I skipped work to go train you."
"I understand," said Sasuke, doing his best to hide his displeasure.
"Be that as it may, I should point out that I still will be able to see to you personally a minimum of twice a week," said Sarutobi. "When I am not able to train you, however, I have made arrangements for you to become the best possible ninja you can be."
"How so?" asked Sasuke.
"As you can imagine, Mondays for me are an impossible task as there are countless meetings I must attend to," said the Hokage, lighting his pipe. "As such, I have asked Kurenai to help hone your Genjutsu. She is by far the most prominent Genjutsu user we have in Konoha, and I believe you will be able to learn a lot from her."
Sasuke said nothing as the Hokage continued. "Tuesdays I shall be available in the afternoons to train you as I see fit. Be warned that I shall test every limit you have and seek to push you past boundaries you never even thought possible."
"Thank you," said Sasuke, happy that the Hokage was taking this seriously.
"If all goes well I should be able to train you Thursdays as well," said Sarutobi as he took a puff from his pipe. "I am also available on Sundays, but I do wish to have some manner of time to myself to spend with my family. I'm sure you can understand that."
Sasuke nodded showing that he indeed understood. With how hectic it sounded his week was already looking, he wouldn't be surprised if he needed that day off as well in order to relax just that little bit. "What about the rest of the week?" asked Sasuke.
"Wednesdays you will be training with Gai. While there are times where he may be a little...unbearable, he is the strongest hand-to-hand Jonin we have in Konoha. You will be able to learn a lot from him. Fridays I will have you partner up with Kakashi. Before you say anything in regards to his injury, your presence will likely help push his rehabilitation along. Plus he is still a fountain of knowledge… provided you get him to say anything of course."
"Of course."
"Now, this part is very important and I want you to listen carefully," said Sarutobi as he put down his pipe and leaned forward, his elbows sitting upon the table as his fingers interlocked underneath his chin. "Saturday, as well as any day that either I or any of the Jonin assigned to you are unable to teach you for whatever reason, I am giving you access to something most Genin only dream of."
"I can assume then that this information is classified," said Sasuke, becoming intrigued.
"Indeed," said Sarutobi as he leant back into his chair, knowing that the raven-haired boy in front of him would take up this opportunity at the drop of a shuriken. "Upon these days you will have access to ANBU headquarters where you will be able to learn the very best Konoha has to offer. They will be able to teach you many things that you will be unable to learn elsewhere. I could have assigned you to be under the ANBU's guide every day of the week, but you understand that, if you merely vanished, lots of people would start to question your whereabouts."
"Why? Itachi was able to make his way from Chunin to ANBU captain within three years," shouted Sasuke, upset that he was being treated differently to his older brother. He supposed it was true that less people had their eye on Itachi than him, given that he was now one of the last two Uchiha in the world, but that didn't make him feel any better about it..
"And you have the ability to do it in less," said Sarutobi, causing Sasuke to visibly calm down. "The next Chunin exams that I will be sending Genin of the Leaf to will be at Kumo in a little under a year's time. There is an earlier exam before then, but it is being held in Iwa, and our relationship with them hasn't been great as of late. There you will reunite with both Naruto and Sakura who will be undertaking their own training during this time, and believe me when I say that all three of you will be more than ready. Should you become a Chunin I will have you enrolled in the ANBU full time. Where Itachi was able to become Captain after three years I expect you to become Captain material after only two."
Sasuke's breathing slowed down slightly as he read underneath what Sarutobi was saying, understanding that the Hokage believed he had the ability and strength to be able to do what his brother had in better time - though his brother had been younger at the time. "I won't let you down," said Sasuke as he rose from his chair.
"Very well," said Sarutobi. "By the way, while I have mentioned that this is confidential, I won't punish you if you wish to share with those closest to you. After all, it seems Naruto is fine sharing his secrets with you."
Sauske's eyes merely widened slightly as he understood what Sarutobi was referring to, not quite sure how the elderly man knew what he did. Nonetheless, Sasuke remained calm under pressure and bowed to the leader as he took his leave. Walking through the hallways of the building, the young Uchiha bypassed everybody without hesitation as he contemplated the life that Sarutobi had placed before him.
ANBU.
The elite of the elite.
Sasuke had never really considered going down that path, but it was by far an idea that intrigued the Genin. The Hokage had faith that he would easily succeed in becoming Chunin within a year's time, and had things panned out differently during these exams, there was the high possibility that he could be brandishing a flak jacket of his own now. The concept of removing that jacket almost immediately as he got it to be accepted into the assassination group was one that he could gladly take upon his shoulders. What drove him onwards, however, was that the Hokage had specifically stated that he could be greater than Itachi. It had also been said in such a way that they carried a lot of impact, showing that the Sarutobi didn't merely want him to be better but that he expected him to be better.
Stepping out into the sunlight, Sasuke shielded his eyes momentarily as he wondered who he should inform about this development. Kakashi was a given; he had heard that his sensei was once an ANBU captain in his own right and would be perfect for giving him some advice in order to sink into such a position. Sakura and Naruto were also on his list of people to inform about this development. Outside of his team though he didn't really know if he could trust anybody with this secret other than perhaps Shikamaru. Considering that the Nara had discovered the secret about the Kyuubi weeks prior yet still hadn't so much as made a peep about it made him trustworthy enough. Sasuke also had to include the fact that the strategist could one day be an ANBU member himself if he pulled his finger out of his ass.
With plenty of the day still ahead of him, Sasuke opted to head down towards the training ground where he knew Team Gai would likely be training. Throwing himself head first into the extreme training routine that the green-clad Jonin labeled as youthful would be a respectable way to push his way forward.
...
"Hinata," said Hanabi in a terribly over-the-top sweetest tone. "You've got mail from a special someone."
Turning her head, Hinata looked at her younger sister, knowing full well that she had gone to town only an hour earlier for some reason or another. Focusing her attention on the piece of paper that was neatly folded and held within the clutches of Hanabi's hand, Hinata quickly came to the realisation that, on her journey, her sister must have run into her crush. She reached out to take the paper, but Hanabi pulled her hand back, causing the letter to fall just out of reach. "Nah ah. What's the magic word?"
"Please," said Hinata, doing her best to mimic her sister's sickening sweet voice. Having gotten the desired word out of her elder sister, Hanabi gladly passed the note to Hinata before going on her way with a bit of a spring in her step. Unfolding the paper there wasn't much written down, crushing her hopes that there had been a poem inside. Instead, however, there was a simple message.
'Hokage Monument, Sunset.'
Folding the paper back up, Hinata looked outside her window and towards the sky, gauging that there was still roughly an hour before sunset which didn't leave her much time to get ready. Hinata immediately set about the task ahead. She had to look perfect after all.
...
"Come now, Sasuke, the day is still young and full of youth!" exclaimed Gai as he paced around the oval on his hands, nearly having worn a trench considering this was roughly his four hundredth lap. Tenten and Neji had left many hours earlier when the sun was still high in the sky, but now that it was beginning to set in the distance, Sasuke was thinking of hitting the showers himself. He knew, however, that if he mentioned such an outrage, he would only be forced to endure more macho stupidity in order to remain 'youthful.' Thus, he decided to try and get out of this another way without making it seem like he was merely trying to escape the torture.
"Just wondering," started Sasuke, causing Gai to pause. "With the Gates… I know that they are capable of granting amazing boosts in power but to what extent? Would it be possible to, say, match up to a Biju?"
"Sasuke, sit with me," said Gai as he dropped from his handstand, Sasuke doing the same. Before the ever-present Rock Lee could mimic the actions Gai turned his head towards him. "Lee, if you cannot do fifty laps by the time I have finished this lecture you will have to endure a punishment most severe."
"Yes, sensei!" shouted Lee as he broke off into a sprint, clearly not concerned about burning out of energy, making Sasuke wonder whether it was him or Naruto who possessed the most raw energy.
"Now, I have been told from my youthful student that he is currently helping teach you how to open the Gates, correct?" said Gai receiving an affirmative nod from Sasuke. "There are many things you have to take into regards with this technique. To your question, I must tell you that I have never had the privilege to fight a Biju with the use of the Gates, but I am unsure how successful such a technique would be when trying to inflict damage on something that is merely raw chakra. By all means, some damage would be inflicted, but I am unsure how effective Taijutsu would be when trying to take on something that is hundreds of feet tall."
Sasuke nodded, pushing the thought that Gai would consider fighting a tailed beast a 'privilege' to the back of his mind for the time being as the Jonin continued. "The more Gates you are able to open the more powerful you become, but always at a price. I recall how I opened the third gate for the first time, and in the process tore the muscles upon my arm while testing my strength on a boulder. While I was able to punch the rock with enough force to shatter it, I had to spend the next two days in hospital because of the damage I had sustained. Likewise, when I first opened the fourth gate, the damage I caused to myself left me bedridden for a week. It is true that opening any of the Gates is able to grant you a temporary boost in power, but they are never to be abused because doing so can cause much more harm than good."
"Then how am I meant to train in them if they're going to injure me in such a way?" asked Sasuke wondering whether or not learning this technique would be worthwhile in the long run.
"Well, one advantage that you'll have over many others is the Sharingan you possess," said Gai. "The speeds that you travel whilst using some of the middle Gates are faster than what most Jonin are even capable of at their top speed. At that speed though it is quite difficult to locate your target and any potential threats in your way. With your eyes you should be able to adapt to the speeds much easier than either myself or Lee. With the potential damages, however, you have to treat the Gates much like you would an untrained muscle. If you try and put too much strain on it at once your body will tear and break. If you don't try and attempt something that oversteps your boundaries, you will be fine."
"So you're saying the first time I open the gates I should do nothing but go for a run," stated Sasuke.
"Even less," cautioned Gai. "The first time you activate a new Gate you should merely sit down and meditate."
"Meditate?" repeated Sasuke.
"Indeed. The first time you access a Gate you will need to spend the time and effort to allow yourself to become comfortable in such a position, as your body will be unused to the strain that the technique will have placed on it. Thus, you should spend this first attempt resting and merely allowing your body to become accustomed to the changes. Once you feel comfortable that your body is able to handle the stress you can try basic Katas and slowly work your way up over more time."
"So in theory then, how long would it take to have, say, the first gate to a point where I can access it without the threat of injuring myself?" asked Sasuke.
"If you go along the intense training regime that I put Lee through, you should have no problem with the first gate after three weeks."
Sasuke cupped his chin in the palm of his hand as he considered the time frame that he would be allowed to go through what Gai probably thought of as a light training exercise. Considering the Hokage had given him Sundays off, that would be a prominent time to access the Gates for the first time and relax upon the Uchiha clan grounds, where he had no threat of being disturbed.
"I have already been informed of your training schedule," stated Gai as if reading Sasuke's mind. "If possible, I don't want you using this trump card whilst not under my supervision, but I will not stop you if you choose to do so in your spare time. Though I will say that it will likely clash with what others are trying to teach you."
"I understand," said Sasuke as he and Gai both pushed themselves to their feet.
"LEE!" shouted Gai, causing the younger copy of himself to screech to a stop nearby. "How many laps did you accomplish?"
"47!" announced Lee as he saluted, Sasuke merely blinking in realisation that he hadn't even seen the green entity go past on most occasions.
"You need more training! Give me a thousand jumping jacks immediately!" commanded Gai.
"Yes, Gai-sensei!" shouted Lee as he commenced his punishment, Sasuke taking this opportunity to slink into the shadows and out of sight before he too became subject to more torture.
...
Hinata strode across the top of Konoha's landmark, a small breeze allowing the dress she was wearing to flutter across her body. Looking at the setting sun, she hoped that she had wasn't either too early or too late.
"Hey, Hinata!" shouted a very familiar voice which allowed a smile to spread across the Hyuga's face. Turning her head slightly she was able to spot her crush waving at her, his usual orange attire having been changed for something a little bit more formal, probably having enlisted the help of Ino or Sakura to select the outfit. While she herself wore a lilac dress she'd had for quite some time, Naruto was attired in black pants and a navy blue shirt that looked as if they were suited for a job interview. While it looked completely ridiculous for the former prankster, Hinata couldn't help but be grateful that she wasn't overdressed for the occasion.
"Naruto," said the young Hyuga as she closed the gap between the two of them to find that, laying atop the fourth Hokage's head, was a picnic blanket with a wooden basket, showing that Naruto had indeed put some manner of thought into the evenings festivities. "This looks lovely."
"Thanks, Hinata," said Naruto sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "You really should be thanking Ino, though. She came up with the idea and even told me that you like cinnamon buns. I didn't know if you liked them from a specific bakery or anything, so I bought a couple from each one across town."
Hinata couldn't help but giggle at the effort that Naruto had put in, and made a mental note to thank Ino over the next couple of days. The Hyuga heiress took a seat upon the blanket as close to Naruto as possible, the blond draping his arm over her shoulders and holding her in close. The tight confines did cause a tinge of red to creep across her cheeks as the two of them looked out at the sunset which gave the village an orange glow. Hinata, however, immediately picked up the fact that something wasn't quite right, Naruto having never done something so drastic before - not including the previous night. While Hinata wanted this moment to last forever, it felt as if it was foreshadowing something bad that was coming.
"Naruto, is everything alright?" she asked wanting nothing more than to kiss him deeply like she had the previous night. That single second in history would forever be etched down in her mind as the best experience in her life, and she couldn't help but contemplate the fact that she likely would never live through such an incredible moment again.
"Actually..." started Naruto, Hinata moving away from the boy slightly as he turned and looked her in the eye. "There is something that I need to talk to you about. Something important."
"What is it?" asked Hinata.
"Well, you see the thing is that after tomorrow, I'm kinda not going to be able to see you again," said Naruto rubbing the back of his head whilst also watching out for any fists that would come his way.
A couple of seconds passed as Naruto tried to gauge Hinata's reaction. While he had contemplated the fact that Hinata very well may drive her fist into his nose, by no means could he react quickly enough when the Hyuga's knuckles plowed themselves into Naruto's face with enough force to push Naruto from his sitting position to flat on his back.
Naruto sat there dazed for a couple of seconds. Shaking his head from side to side to clear the haze, he was able to sit back up to find that Hinata had already taken off in a sprint and was almost out of sight already.
"Hinata, wait!" he shouted as he pushed himself to his feet and began giving chase, knowing full well that he had to right this wrong immediately.
…
"Hey," said Tenten as her eyes met with Sasuke who looked to be on his way out of the training ground.
The Uchiha gave her a brief nod of acknowledgement. "I thought that you'd already left."
A small blush arose upon Tenten's face as she tried to not look too flustered. She hated looking stupid. "I got home and… kinda realised that I'd left some of my most expensive kunai out on the training floor ground. I guess with Gai-sensei going on about youth with you and Lee, I forgot to reseal it."
"That probably happens pretty often," said Sasuke, trying to return the favour and make some kind of small talk.
"More often than you'd think. Normally I wouldn't really bother since there aren't too many ninja that come by these parts, but these kunai are still pretty special to me," explained Tenten. "They were my uncle's prized possessions. He gave them to me on my tenth birthday, and then half a year later he passed away."
"Your uncle?" Sasuke's bland facial expression betrayed the confused inflexion of his voice.
"Yeah, well, he was the only family I've ever known so they mean a lot to me."
"Ah," the tomeo in Sasuke's eyes almost spun in understanding. Nobody knew the importance of family better than him. "I could help you pick them up if you'd like."
"Why not, I'm probably going to need some help trying to fend off Lee and Gai," chuckled Tenten.
…
"You have some nerve showing your face here," said Ino as she glared at her childhood friend. "Do you really think I can forgive you this time? I was willing to banter with you yesterday, since that was for Naruto and Hinata's sake, but now..."
Sakura held her arms up defensively as she stepped forward. "I just want to talk, Ino."
"Save it for someone who'll listen to your lies, Forehead," said Ino stubbornly as she crossed her arms. Thankfully, most of the customers had petered out of the flower shop so this little confrontation wouldn't get her into any trouble from her father.
"Look, Ino, what you saw the other day wasn't what you thought it was," Sakura shook her head. "We were just having some coffee."
"Just having some coffee," said Ino as she used her fingers to sarcastically quote the girl. "You just got the Sasuke Uchiha to go out with you to get some coffee, you know, what every girl in our class has been trying to do for the past five years. No big deal, right?"
Sakura wasn't sure why she so desperately felt the need to justify herself to her friend, given that a year ago she would have been gloating about her little coffee with the Uchiha like no tomorrow. "It wasn't a date or anythin-"
"Bullshit," snorted Ino decisively. "Because Sasuke totally goes out for coffee casually with just anyone."
"I'm serious. I don't even know if Sasuke likes me like that," said Sakura. "We were just getting something to drink while Naruto and the two perverts trained and probably used that disgusting Sexy Jutsu of theirs."
"Two perverts?" repeated Ino in confusion, the fire that had been burning within her voice moments ago having temporarily dissipated.
"Kakashi-sensei and Jiraiya, the latter of which Naruto taught that stupid Jutsu to," said Sakura trying to keep the extremely disapproving tone out of her voice. "I take it that it's not that hard to see why we didn't really want to be around them."
"Fine, you win," said Ino as she looked towards the ground. "I'll believe you… for now."
Sakura smiled and offered her hand. "So friends?"
Ino took it with a shake of her head. "Friends."
...
Naruto felt like kicking himself. In fact, the blond spent a few moments contemplating summoning a shadow clone and instructing it to plant its foot in his rear.
What had he been thinking? His choice of words had been poorer than usual, but there weren't really any excuses for not thinking about how Hinata could react to them. She had just begun to get over the whole Danzo debacle, and the Uzumaki wasn't entirely sure if she was emotionally and mentally one-hundred percent quite yet.
He hopped from tree to tree, trying anticipate just where Hinata was going so he could cut her off, since he had little to no chance of outright catching up to her retreating form in a sprint. She prayed that she didn't seep back into using the seal upon her neck, since that would end up being way too much trouble.
Yet, now he had to figure out a way to pull himself out of this mess without screwing things up even more. How though... that was the question. Jumping atop a roof, he had to try and figure out the best way to track somebody who - if they wanted to - could see in every direction. It then hit him, a way that was absolutely foolproof - at least he thought so. Creating dozens of clones, he sent a handful off to buy some paint while the rest were given a very specific mission. As his clones ran off to do his bidding, he turned towards the Hokage monument and apologized for what he was about to do.
...
Hinata sulked within the confines of the park she had secluded herself in, figuring that Naruto would look for her in the streets of Konoha instead. Her knees were pressed against her chest as she sniffed back the tears that threatened to stream down her face. Had she not undergone the psychotic training that Danzo had put her through for that brief period of time, there was no doubt in her mind that she would be more of a wreck than she currently was.
She looked at her fist, the one she had nearly broken Naruto's nose with. All that confusion and anger had been let out with a single swing which left her feeling empty and isolated. Were she given the chance she would take that back, but there was no reversing what she had done.
"That's not a bad punch you've got," said Jiraiya shocking the Hyuga heiress. "Considering your clan's teachings, I'm more surprised you can punch more than anything."
Hinata's mouth slowly dropped as she realised that one of the Sannin of all people had watched her assault another Konoha shinobi, and considering her track record, she couldn't help but be worried. That feeling, however, quickly gave way to another one. "You were spying on us?"
"Researching," clarified Jiraiya. "Anyways, one of Naruto's clones gave me a message to give to you."
"I don't want to hear it," scoffed Hinata as she turned away from the sage.
"He figured you'd say something like that but told me to tell you anyway," said Jiraiya with a shrug. "He said that he has something important to tell you and everyone else from your graduating class tomorrow, and he wants you all to meet on Training Ground Three at one o'clock."
"Why would I go?" asked Hinata, not really wanting to see Naruto again.
"I think that could change your mind," said Jiraiya as he pointed off into the distance. Hinata blinked at the man's hand a couple of times before twisting around the trunk of the tree to see where he was pointing. She couldn't help but be shocked at what she saw. The Hokage Monument had been desecrated with bright red paint with large letters that spelled out one very simple message.
"I'm Sorry, Hinata!"
"Naruto," said Hinata softly as she couldn't help but admire the blond's audacity to get in trouble just to apologise to her. She then turned back to Jiraiya who had a broad smile across his face. "I guess I can't say no after that."
"Good," said Jiraiya. "I'm hoping the brat can make it tomorrow. Who knows what the ANBU's going to do to him."
…
Apologies for the wait, one of the authors had exams to worry about so things moved slowly for a while. Expect things to pick up now though as the story reaches its hind legs. Ideally, things will be wrapped up before the end of the year.
For those who are interested, we are a group of collaborative writers who combine our efforts to bring you stories such as this one. We're an open group, meaning that anyone can apply to join. Feel free to check out our forums, our Facebook page, and perhaps apply to join the group, via the link on our profile. It's a great opportunity for those who would like to better their own writing abilities and exchange skills of the trade with fellow authors, or to simply be more a part of a writing community.
We hope you enjoyed.