The morning began with birds. Naruto could hear the call of a uguisubari, twittering softly in the shade, and yawned, rubbing his eyes and rolling his shoulders.
It had been a fantastic sleep - perhaps the best he'd ever had. That could be down to the stony beds of the Akatsuki, but he still made note to thank Kakuzu for the most luxurious bed on the market. At least, it felt like it.
He hooked his legs off the bed, feet bristling at the cold floorboards, and walked over to the large, mahogany wardrobe. Opening it, he blinked.
Hung up perfectly were several sets of his favourite clothing combination. Black leather gloves that buckled at the elbows, ANBU grade black sleeved vests, with pants, utility belts and pouches, all in a deep, dark red.
Naruto grinned. He'd had no clue Kakuzu had such an eye for what Naruto liked, but he obviously did. He guessed a quiet disposition didn't say everything about a guy like that - especially not an S-rank criminal.
Smile still on his lips, he pulled out a hanger over and made to get dressed, looking outside. The city was quiet, just awakening; Naruto made it to be 6, but he hadn't spent an awful lot of time outside in the Akatsuki or in Madara's care. The darkness served them just fine, so he wasn't the best at judging the time.
The test today, Naruto remembered. It probably wasn't even worth remembering, all things considered. Konoha was one of the worst for its graduation tests - bunshin, kawarimi? There were basics, and then there were basics. It was no wonder they managed to power out so many average ninja.
With tests came team assignments, Naruto remembered, and he barely managed to push down a grin at the thought of Sasuke's face if they ended up on the same team. That arrogant prick probably thought he was better than Naruto.
The kid had absolutely no damn idea.
After pulling on his gloves, getting dressed, and filling up on his supplies, Naruto left the house and made to cast a blending genjutsu once again.
Walking through the streets reminded Naruto of just how much Konoha disgusted him. After so many visits to Amegakure, a place where the streets were efficient and clean-cut, he could barely stand the nonsensical design of the streets of Konoha. They were winding, irregular, and seemingly built around the paths people chose to walk.
The Uzumaki had known better than that. People should not guide the structure of the streets; rather, the structure of the streets should guide the people. What foolish town would bother with basing it around the whims of civilians? Did they know nothing of efficiency, of what it meant to be ninja?
Naruto stopped abruptly, narrowly avoiding a cart of tomatoes that barged in front of him from around a crooked corner. He frowned. 'How nonsensical.'
His tormented train of thoughts trailing away, Naruto reached the Academy at a leisurely speed, and kept his eyes peeled for any interesting girls.
'After all,' he thought gleefully, eyeing one dressed in lilac, 'a house that big was not meant to be lived in alone.'
The girl turned, walking into the academy, and Naruto picked up his pace slightly to keep her in sight. She turned the corner, and he caught sight of her milky white eyes.
'Byakugan. Perfect.'
With his genjutsu still cast, he allowed his eyes to run over the girl's figure with a discerning eye. Top-heavy, lithe, and likely still developing, but one of the furthest in growth of all the girls her age. Naturally, since girls matured earlier.
He decided she would do, and allowed the genjutsu to fall away from Hinata's perception. She caught his gaze for a moment, before turning away abruptly with a blush.
Naruto grinned. Even he knew what that meant. But that said, he sighed, he really didn't plan for Konoha to be around long enough for him to be taking time to seduce girls with long courting rituals. He had no doubt he could do it, surely, but Naruto didn't really consider himself a man of honour, and there were always shortcuts.
Casting the genjutsu again quietly, he allowed his eyes to twist into Itachi's Sharingan, and made to adjust over Hinata just a smidge before he moved over to her and allowed her knowledge of his presence.
Hinata saw that boy again, and felt her cheeks flush, her body becoming hotter as he locked eyes with her. Her thoughts tore straight off the rails of 'Who is the new student' and onto his very blue eyes, broad cut shoulders, and devious smile. She found herself dry mouthed, and her eyes wandering to the folds of fabric that alluded to the abs below his top. She blinked suddenly, drawing her eyes back up to his and blushing to her ears in embarrassment. He had to have noticed that.
"H-Hello," she stuttered, unable to say much else.
He leaned down, putting an elbow on her desk and bending over to rest his fist under his jaw.
"What's your name?" he said, the glint of his eyes and curl of his lips the perfect charm that sent Hinata stuttering and blushing all over again.
"H-H-Hinata Hyuga," she blurted out quickly, clasping a hand to her mouth. Why was she so nervous? Who even was he? But did it even matter, when he was just so-
The boy leaned back, rolling his shoulders and sitting on her desk to look down at her. His arms rippled with the motion. He let her see a broad alluring smile.
"My, that's a beautiful name," he purred, leaning down a little and brushing away a long strand of stray black hair. "Who gave you it?"
"Hiashi Hyuga," she whispered, feeling absorbed by his gaze and utterly weak at the knees. She was so glad she wasn't standing right now. She would have either collapsed or fainted.
'A future clan head,' Naruto thought, pleased. 'Power at the ready. Might take a while for her to get there, but there are always ways of speeding that up.'
Naruto looked away briefly, and Hinata exhaled deeply, feeling as though her breath had been stolen just by his gaze. Who was this boy?
The boy looked at the people filtering in - in specific, Sasuke Uchiha, who proceeded to give him a glare that could have frozen Hell. Naruto fought to suppress a sneer.
'Showing your emotions so openly as a ninja will only leave you dead, Sasuke Uchiha,' he thought. 'I hope I may have the pleasure of doing it myself.'
After a brief clash of gazes, Naruto snorted derisively at the boy and moved to take a seat next to Hinata, who was still blushing profusely at his presence. He shrugged, wrapping an arm around the girl to pull her closer. Pretty girls were always nice to have around, after all, and Hinata wasn't just compliant, but utterly infatuated with him.
'All according to plan,' Naruto thought. And it was.
At least, until the door had slid open to reveal a girl.
Although she did look rather remarkable, that wasn't what was so special about her. Naruto's eyes drifted to her impressively flat chest, her hair, grey and tied into two long pigtails. Her clothes reminded him of his, with a dark blue vest, black pants, and a blue scarf around her neck. Her eyes were a dark violet, and his eyes finally came to rest on the bottom half of her face; at least, they would have, if it hadn't been covered by blue material. Blue material marked with three black bands on each cheek.
He frowned, and, ensuring the genjutsu was secure, activated the Byakugan with a shattering crack.
They were on her cheeks. They were there. Three lines on each cheek. Naruto lifted his fingers, tracing the ones marked on his own cheeks - still slight scars in his skin, despite the light genjutsu cast upon them. The mark of being birthed to a container.
The mark of being birthed to Kushina Uzumaki.
The realisation hit him like a ton of bricks.
'No. No way,' he thought, watching her every movement. 'There's absolutely no way. They would have told me. That's impossible.'
Iruka interrupted his thoughts.
"Ah, Akina," he said cordially. "Back from your trip then?"
The girl regarded him, staring at him for a long moment with large violet eyes before she nodded slowly. In her movement, she eyed Naruto with suspicion, before she made her way deliberately to the seat beside Sasuke, pushing aside the girl who had been sitting there. Sakura, in the corner of the room, fumed at having her hard won seat stolen.
'Shit,' Naruto thought, feeling like an idiot for letting the genjutsu waver slightly. 'She saw me.'
He quickly reconstructed it, keeping an eye on the girl and falling deep into thought until his name was called.
"Torami Nobuko!"
He stretched, standing up and rolling his left shoulder. He winked at Hinata.
"Wish me luck," he said with a smile, and she nodded fervently with a blush heating her cheeks more still.
"O-Of course!"
He could feel her eyes boring into his as he walked into the exam room, until the door closed behind him.
Just doing the Bunshin technique was an embarrassing experience, but the combination of him having not done anything so low-level in terms of chakra consumption in a long time and being in an absolutely foul mood meant that he actually almost screwed it up. That said, if he had done, Naruto probably would have just killed the examiners and took the headband anyway. And never, ever mentioned it to Itachi, or any of the Akatsuki for that matter. Ever.
Leaving the room, he waited patiently for Hinata outside, made sure to cloak his presence and hide behind a corner just in case, and speak into Zetsu. Sasori's eerily young voice came out.
"Naruto. What is it you require?"
"So," Naruto said, his seething rage burning through every word, "Why the hell wasn't I told about this?"
"This?"
"You know what!" Naruto roared. "That GIRL!"
There was a sigh. "Madara's orders. He wanted you to find out about her yourself when you arrived."
Naruto closed his eyes, trying to soothe his temper. It was easier said than done, but at least it was Madara. He trusted him more than he did anyone else in this god-forsaken world.
"Dammit," he said, frowning. "So who the hell's the father?"
"You'll see soon enough."
Naruto cut off the communication, feeling on edge and irritated, as the girl herself walked out of the building with Sasuke at her side. He attempted to reign in his anger, and heard a faint snippet of their discussion.
"I'm sure they'll pass you regardless. It's not like the Bunshin's that useful anyway." Oddly, Sasuke's tone sounded like it was making an attempt at being reassuring. That was new, but Naruto had his doubts about something like that boy doing anything that wasn't just in his own interests.
The girl grumbled back with an embarrassed tone to her voice. "It's humiliating."
He let the genjutsu fall apart around him. It was just becoming irritating, now. Naruto'd just prefer to go sabotage a few records and hypnotise a few teachers; after all, it was just too fun to get on Sasuke's nerves. He discretely made a shadow clone for the purpose, and sent it on its way.
The girl at Sasuke's side turned and eyed him suspiciously.
"You," she said. "Who are you?"
He noted Sasuke's fists clenching at the side, but the boy wasn't looking at him. He was looking at Akina, and Naruto twitched with realisation. 'Is there something going on there?'
"You heard the teacher. It's Torami," Naruto said, grinning a little.
'Well, if there is something going in there, then let's have a little fun...'
Akina quickly felt the pit of her gut stir with hotness, her knees wobble a little, and herself drawn inexplicably to the boy before her. 'What the hell is this?'
She shook her head, shooting the boy a glare, before grabbing Sasuke by the wrist.
"Let's go."
"Hn."
Naruto watched, nothing short of flabbergasted, as she walked away unaffected, with that scumbag at her side.
What the hell was this? When the hell had his genjutsu fell flat?!
"Damn her," he muttered. "Damn her, and damn Sasuke to hell, too."
He felt Hinata arriving to his right, exiting the exam hall. Naruto turned towards her, feeling with light with confidence.
"T-Torami-kun?"
With an 'eep' and a blush, she felt herself swept into a strong pair of arms. She blushed at the proximity - his chest felt hard, and her head felt light.
"Hello Hinata," Naruto said, a winning smile on his face as he looked down on her. "You finished the exam?"
"Y… Y-Yes!"
Naruto shifted her in his arms, carrying her like a bride, and winked.
"Great," he said. "Let's have lunch together."
And with that, he leaped from the ground onto the roof, running at an unbelievable speed. Hinata shrieked, every thought of being lady-like fluttering out of her head with the adrenaline and pure fear as she sailed through the air. She clutched his chest, squeezing her eyes shut, and yet, in those arms, she somehow still felt safe.
They came to a stop, and he lowered her onto her feet so gently she felt like she'd been brought down by angels. She blinked at the establishment before her.
It was fancy restaurant. Not just that, but a very, very fancy one. She'd only ever been here when her father was meeting with ambassadors from the other Villages, and even then it was a rare occasion.
"Enjoy the ride?" he said, intervening in her awe, and Hinata nodded slowly, eyes still locked on the restaurant. It was very, very high-end.
"Well," he continued, "as long as you're not feeling motion-sick, let's eat, Hinata-chan."
The endearment sent her red with embarrassment right to the tips of her ears, and she stuttered, but managed to pull on his arm.
"A-Are you sure?" Hinata asked, eyebrows knotting. "This is very… this place is very e-expensive…"
He smiled down at her, blue eyes captivating her, and walked in before she could say anything further. They waited at the front for a waiter.
"Nah, it's fine," he said, running a hand through his dark hair. "Got a crabby uncle who's kinda loaded. He is crabby, but he's nice, and I'm kinda well-off right now."
Hinata looked up at him, before reluctantly conceding. "I… If you say so."
A waiter came up to them, bowing deeply and looking at Hinata with a smile.
"Ah, how wonderful to see you again, Miss Hinata," he said respectfully, before turning his gaze to Naruto with a barely concealed frown. "I, ah, am somewhat unfamiliar with this guest of yours-"
"It's Torami," Naruto said, charisma exuding from his smile. "Think you could scrounge us up a table for two?"
The man nodded.
"Of course, sir. We will be with you shortly."
Naruto quickly moved towards the man, taking his hand and pressing something into it before whispering into his ear.
"Perhaps you would be able to find us somewhere a little bit more private?"
The man felt for the bright gold yen in his hand, before smiling mischievously and motioning for the two to follow him.
"Right this way, Sir, Madam."
Hinata blinked at him, following him with quick uncertain steps whilst Naruto walked as though he'd ate at this restaurant every day of his life. As they made it towards the back, the waiter turned left, pulling apart a pair of blue velvet curtains to unveil a room Hinata had never seen in her life.
The restaurant, a homely yet sophisticated gold and wooden theme, made way for a room that was cast in dim, softly violet lighting. The floor was polished black marble, the tables perfectly carved granite that came up from bases of silver. The seats were cushioned with a marvellous blue velvet, each table lined with wine glasses and expensive looking bottles in their centers. At the center of the room, violet-white light poured through a chandelier of gold and glass, the gold entwining with hanging cuts of glass like vines. It was nothing short of exquisite, and Hinata drew a hand to her mouth, overwhelmed.
"I-It's beautiful," she whispered, and Naruto smiled at her as they were guided by the waiter.
They were sat at a table with a curved velvet couch for two at the wall, the bartender not far to their left and a pianist dressed in blue playing soft music on the other side of the room.
After Hinata got over the initial shock of such a beautiful, hidden place - and the inner wonder at just how Torami had gained access - the conversation turned to food. Hinata ordered a red bean soup for starters, and Naruto poured them wine, which she found herself unable to refuse besides her better sense to do so.
"Have you ever had wine before?" Naruto asked pouring his glass after hers delicately.
Hinata shook her head, and Naruto laughed, but not patronisingly.
"Me neither," he said, and he raised his glass to hers, nodding encouragingly at her. She caught on, and they clinked glasses, taking a sip.
As they set the glasses down, Naruto stared at the substance with a hard look.
"You know, I don't know why everyone pretends they can taste the difference between wines," he sighed. "They all taste the same."
Hinata blinked, and then giggled.
The conversation moved towards Hinata herself somehow, which was something that stumped her because she had so little to say. But Torami, with his fantastic and charming words, managed to weasel the information out of her with his careful questions. It amazed her.
"And what about friends?" he continued. Hinata stopped, looking down into the plate of her finished main. It had been Kobe steak, and absolutely gorgeous, but she suddenly felt somewhat sick.
"I…I don't really have any," she got out. Naruto blinked, his eyes so deep and genuine and honestly interested in her that for once in her life, Hinata couldn't help but talk about herself.
"A gentle and pretty girl like you?" Naruto said, looking confused and concerned. "How could that be?"
She felt her hands tremble in her lap, and she looked down for a moment.
"I-I'm… My f-father doesn't approve of me m-making friends with the p-people in my class."
Naruto frowned. 'Stuck up bastard,' he thought, and then suppressed a look of glee. 'Well, there are ways of dealing with things like that.'
After a moment's more chatter, they got the bill, Naruto leaving a weighty tip before they left. They got outside, walked a little while speaking absent-mindedly with Hinata latched on his arm, before Naruto shot her a dazzling smile with eyes she could not refuse.
"Do you want to see my place?"
Hinata blinked, blushing. "I-If that's alright, then… m-maybe, yes."
Knowing Hinata well enough over the past day to take that as a firm agreement, Naruto swept her up in his arms and shunshined quickly to his home. She appeared dizzy from the movement, before looking around in awe at the large place.
"How large is your family?" she asked curiously, peering up the staircase to the large upstairs. The delay in his answer caused her to turn back her head to him, and he rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, I'm an orphan, actually."
Hinata regretted asking almost instantly.
"My father passed away shortly after I was born, and my mother…"
In an instant Hinata did not catch through the fluctuating genjutsu surrounding Naruto, his eyes flashed a dangerous amber.
"...she's dead to me, as well."
She didn't catch onto it, and her tone was sympathetic and hesitant. "That's… That's horrible…"
And to her, it was; she couldn't imagine the loneliness of an empty home, especially after all those years of living with family and extended family all in close proximity. Naruto passed over the notion though, smiling at her gently.
"It's not all bad," he reassured her. "I've got a lot of friends who keep me company. Although, at the moment, I'm living here alone, so there's plenty of unused bedrooms and space and stuff…"
Naruto smirked slightly.
'Not for long,' he thought. 'Based on the girls I saw at the academy, this place should be getting a couple more residents pretty soon.'
Hinata blinked, squinting slightly at the shimmering light of an extravagant chandelier, her posture curling in on itself from nervousness. She blushed, burying her blushing red cheeks in the furred collar of her jacket. "I-I see…"
Naruto turned to her with a wink, bring his arm around her and pulling her to his chest with a wink and a light laugh. "Do you want a tour, Hinata-chan?"
"I-I… If you wouldn't m-mind…" she squeaked, and he grinned, relinquishing his grip on her, but not before he let his calloused fingers trail in an arc on Hinata's back.
She shivered.
Naruto guided her around the house, and she followed in tip-toeing steps. She was struck in awe at the entrancing guest rooms, decorated in lush shabby chic and cluttered with gorgeous decor, at the bathrooms, with perhaps the largest bath she had ever seen; and then, most certainly, Hinata was taken by Naruto, who drew her closer with every moment she looked at him and every painful moment she spent looking away from him.
She came to the master bedroom. It was large, and spacious, but comfortable. If Hinata had imagined the room of the charming, nigh-supernatural man she had spoke to that evening, this would have been the spitting image. The walls were covered in shelves and scrolls, and she gasped when she felt Naruto's warm secure hands on her shoulders. His breath was warm in her ear.
"I'm sorry, I never offered to take your jacket, did I?" Naruto murmured in her ear, bringing down the zip of her coat and peeling it off of her shoulders before she could utter a word, disappearing down the hall to put it in the cloak closet.
Hinata moved to Naruto's bed curiously. The covers were black, but on top was a layer of black silk, embroidered with some sort of orange swirls at the top. It felt expensive, beneath her fingers.
"Hinata-"
It occurred to her very, very suddenly, and prompted by Naruto's wandering gaze, that Hinata didn't usually wear anything barring her fishnet shirt beneath her jacket. She blinked, blushed, and yelped, pulling the silken blankets up with a sudden yelp to cover her chest.
"I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked. "I-I just f-f-forgot-!"
Naruto was at her side in an instant, whispering reassurances into her ear as she tried to calm her breathing and keep her modesty in tact.
"Sorry, I didn't notice," he said. "Is the blanket alright for now?"
Hinata gulped, trying to push down her blush, and nodded. She felt almost-tears coming up; she couldn't ever remember being so embarrassed in her whole life.
"Here," he said, motioning to the bed, "A massage should calm you down."
Although she was hesitant at first, one look into his beautiful eyes and she couldn't help but nod, leaning over to lie down on her front.
Naruto couldn't help but stare, mesmerised, at Hinata lying down. As she lowered herself onto the bed and let the silk fall loose, her breasts pressed innocently into the blankets but, due to their size, ended up spilling out of the sides of her frame. He could see the round, pale outline of her chest, and her eyes were peacefully closed. She was so pure.
He smirked, and hoisted his leg onto the other side of the bed, and sat down gently onto the small of Hinata's back. She gasped at the sudden contact, and Naruto felt a rush of pleasure run through him at the noise.
"Is this okay?" he asked quietly, and Hinata opened her pearlescent eyes and nodded slowly.
Naruto leaned forward, taking hold of the top of Hinata's shoulders and kneading the soft flesh there. She let out a sigh; he smirked, circling his fingers gently into the soft white skin there whilst pushing his thumbs in careful patterns closer to the centre of her back. She gasped as he began to move lower, her pert lips parting in a momentary lack of control.
"Sorry if I'm no good," he said again, the sight of her exposed, vulnerable expression sending his knees near weak with excitement. "I'm not too great with my hands."
He folded his hands into a fist, kneading his knuckles gently into the tense muscle at the small of her back. Hinata moaned deeply.
"I-It's… f-f-fine, Torami-kun-ah!"
His toes curled, and Naruto leaned over to bring a finger to her jawline, pulling her gaze towards his.
"Hinata-chan," he said. "Would you mind if I took your shirt off? I promise I won't look, it's just getting in the way."
Hinata nodded, lifting herself up. As she moved, her breasts bounced, and she reached down to pull up her shirt when Naruto dug his fingers beneath the hem himself and looked at her with a barely-controlled flash of desire in his eyes.
"I'll do it, Hinata-chan," he said, pulling the material over her chest slowly. His hands brushed against the sensitive soft yet supple skin of her breast, and she let out a breathy gasp. She reached behind her to clasp Naruto's thigh tightly.
"Torami-kun," she breathed, face red with an entirely different kind of blush, "would you-"
"Take you?" he quipped, leaning forward to turn her over with a look of predator on prey.
He wouldn't call himself an impatient man, but when Naruto wanted something, he wanted it now. When it was a pure, unblemished Hyuuga girl with the body of a goddess?
"Most certainly, Hinata-chan."
Now that was another matter entirely.
(Scene Break)
The morning broke with the soft scent of green tea, and lavender. Naruto blinked at his ceiling, leaning up to stretch.
The side of the bed was very carefully made; the night before came back suddenly, and Naruto smiled at the memory. Hinata's body was more beautiful than he could have ever imagined, even more so when it was-
"N-Naruto-kun…"
Said girl was in his room now, wearing a loose white yukata with a white tray in her hands. There was a gentle clinking of porcelain as her hands shook, and Naruto took it for her hands and set it on the bed with a grateful smile.
"Did you make this?" he said, motioning to the small cups of green tea and small bowls of rice, accompanied by two servings of miso soup. She blushed, hair loose about her face, and Naruto grinned, taking the bowl of rice and his chopsticks and thanking her before digging in.
"For you," she added. "Because l-l-last night, was, w-well-"
Naruto, halfway through a gulp of tea, shot her a wink. She blushed and choked.
After having eaten peacefully together, Naruto began getting dressed, and Hinata gasped when she saw her clothes.
"Hinata-chan?"
"I-I didn't even go home last night," she gasped. "My father will be-"
"Fine," Naruto cut in, capturing her with a brief glance of the Hoshokugan. "Don't worry. Leave it to me."
Hinata's look of instant panic and worry melded into a calmer, more tranquil look, and she nodded.
"What about my clothes? They're-"
"I'll wash them in time. Stop worrying, Hinata-chan."
Things were fine. Hiashi Hyuga had had a lovely night with his daughter before the graduation ceremony, as did everyone else in the clan, and with a quick use of some clever water jutsu that extracted water from the environment (a jutsu which, Itachi informed Naruto, came of great use during long desert voyages), Hinata's clothes were washed and dried in reasonable time.
They went on their merry way to the academy together, hand in hand, and Naruto wondered what unlucky bastard would end up at his side.
(Scene Break)
The seating was strategic as always.
Akina was not here yet, it seemed. Did she make a habit of being late, he wondered? Either way, Naruto decided that it would cost not only her, but Sasuke, and he plopped himself snugly down into the seat beside Sasuke. The boy shot him a cold look beyond the steeple of his hands, and Naruto snorted, leaning back into his seat.
"The Hokage will be giving us all a very important speech today," Iruka intoned, standing to the side of the class instead of at his front. He was no less imposing for it. "Behave yourselves and listen carefully."
"Yes, sir."
Naruto caught Sasuke giving him shady looks from the corner of his eye, and couldn't help but smirk. The other boy was cold and callous from what he knew, and it was just so invigorating to take him down from his pedestal and smash him into the concrete with the simple reality of power. Sasuke's crushed ego was a death in and of itself; Naruto wouldn't tire of how irate Sasuke had become since he'd arrived.
Akina arrived then, settling in front of them. She turned around to Sasuke, smiling at him in a way that made the pit of Naruto's stomach burn, and she opened her mouth to speak when the doors slid open to reveal the Hokage.
White cape, crimson flames, and red habanero hair: there was no mistaking it.
Uzumaki Kushina, Godaime Hokage of Konoha.
Her beauty hadn't wavered; her hair was long, in fact, yet longer now since her youth, pulling up into a knot at the back which still left a long waterfall of hair that ended at the base of her back. Her face was round and feminine, but the look was marred by the bags beneath her eyes that even thick makeup couldn't hide.
Holding hands with her was another man.
Naruto already hated him. With a genjutsu-concealed crash of the Hoshokugan, he made out the slight scarring at the edges of his face from years of wearing masks: this man was ANBU, or at least, ex-ANBU. Strong. Nothing Naruto couldn't take on in a head-to-head fight, but a favourable outcome would be unlikely in a village full of ninja. Not to mention, the ANBU were unpredictable, and very, very experienced.
Naruto's eyes narrowed, and he settled his eyes on this man's face.
'So this is him,' Naruto thought. 'This man is the one.'
"Everyone," Kushina said, her voice a lullaby in and of itself, "My deepest congratulations upon passing your Genin examinations. I am proud to have you as Konoha ninja."
'What, so you can send us off to die? My pleasure, mi'lady.'
"Konohagakure was built off of the sacrifices of the brave to provide a haven for others. A place where not every man had to be a ninja, but could be assured of their protection and welfare. A place where ninja were not sent out as soon as they were old enough to hold a weapon."
Naruto rolled his eyes. 'If Konoha ninja training wasn't so incompetent, that probably wouldn't be an issue anyway.'
"Konohagakure was built to give us a chance, and its existence set an example for the entire world. We made the first steps to an era of peace."
'And yet still no Madara, the co-founder of Konoha. Unsurprising.'
"This village is built on the hard work and sacrifices of each and every ninja that has lived and died with our hitai-ate upon their heads, and the Hokage who have paid the ultimate price. The Shodaime, who single-handedly brought people together to form Konohagakure. The Nidaime, who powered through war and rebellion to construct the working economy we know today. And the Yondaime… who died ceiling away one of the greatest evils this world has ever known. The Kyuubi. Its evil is second only to that of humanity itself. Konoha strives to rid the world of evil, and only with the new generation that carries the torch can we..."
Kushina's eyes ran over the crowd, and stopped suddenly in surprise. For a brief moment, in place of a young black-haired student, she saw him. His blond hair and sharp blue eyes were as obvious as they were the day they had met in the academy. Minato Namikaze smiled a soft, sad smile at her.
Then, like he had so many years ago, he blew away into smoke, leaving only the sharply-dressed teenager in his place.
Kushina blinked, her heart still somehow sinking, and she realised that she had trailed off into silence. She coughed. 'God, I must be hallucinating. Dammit, Kushina, you gotta sleep.'
"Uhm, right." She took a deep breath. "As pioneers of the future of shinobi - each and every one of you - follow your dreams, and become great in your own way. Lead us to the brighter future, -tebane!"
The class, perhaps still in the midst of confusion, began clapping slowly, students whispering amongst themselves.
Naruto frowned.
'She looked at me,' he thought. 'Does she recognise me? But that's impossible… No. A coincidence.'
"Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama," Iruka said, bowing respectfully, and the Godaime smiled and left with her partner in hand. The class waved urgently after her, especially the boys; her beauty and kindness were renowned. Their teacher turned to them with a clipboard.
"Right, so, now for your team assignments."
Naruto eyed the boy next to him. Damn, Sasuke would be a downer on any team. He'd definitely be the sort to prioritize himself above teamwork, and screw over any chances at success in the process.
"Team 7," Iruka coughed, scanning the paper. "Sasuke Uchiha."
'Here we go.'
"Akina Uzumaki."
Naruto bit back - well, something. He wasn't sure what the feeling was, but he knew he didn't like it.
"And finally," Iruka said, "Torami Nobuko."
Naruto's stomach dropped.
'This… changes things.'
A/N: Don't forget to leave a review and follow! I want to see if any of you can guess who Akina's father is. (Don't worry; he'll be getting a little education as well) Next chapter, the bell test!
I know. I can't wait for it either. Stay tuned!
Ciao.