The Golden Jinchurikki
Chapter 3 - All The Bells and Whistles
Again, he was zoning out. Naruto found that he zoned out a lot during class. Of course, this class wasn't just like every other class he had ever been to. He was a Genin, now. This class meant that he was important. He was a someone finally! He had finally made it to the pinnacle of ninjadom! Finally, after all those years of waiting, he would get a nin team of his very own!
"Hn. Naruto, what are you doing here? This is a class for Genin only," Nara Shikamaru said from his right, snapping him out of his delusional fantasies. Blinking to rid himself of his thoughts of conquering whole villages single-handedly and earning the respect that was owed to him, he turned his head slightly, smiling up roguishly at the intruder of his private thoughts.
"Heh, show's what you know, Shikamaru. See this?" Pointing up at his headband, his grin plastered itself to his face. "This means that I'm a Genin now...just like you. So, you'll have to watch what you say around me."
The other shinobi merely sighed, turning to go to his seat behind the blond. "Whatever. This place is so troublesome. Guess they'll let just about anyone in, huh Zanki?" The boy's daemon glanced down from his perch on the pineapple-head's hair, blinking down at him.
"Hai, Shikamaru-kun. Anyone. But, Naruto-kun and Kyuubi-kun are shinobi now, so you have to give them the respect they deserve." This was met by an ecstatic reply from the pair in front.
"Yeah yeah! What he said, respect I deserve! You should listen to your daemon more often, Shikamaru." All that met his ears was a small grunt from the other boy as his head rested on the desk. Deciding that his amusement was done for that moment, Naruto turned his attention to his desk, where Kyuubi was yawning fitfully, its nine-tails lashing out behind it. "So, Kyuubi. How do you feel this morning?" Another yawn. More and more, the daemon was becoming tired easily. Naruto wasn't sure if it was something he was doing, or something he wasn't doing, that was causing his daemon to be overly lethargic over a span of perhaps a few hours.
Sensing his boy's distraught feelings emanating, the daemon eyed the blond, cocking his head slightly. "Naruto-kun, I feel fine. Do not worry about me so much. I am just fine. It is you who should be tired."
"Yeah, maybe you're right, Kyub. But, I'm too excited to be tired. This is our first day as Genin! I want to go! I want missions and stuff!"
"All in due time, Naruto-kun. Now, please be patient...and do not talk so loudly. I am trying to sleep." Laying his head back into his paws, the daemon curled its tails about itself, a soft snoring emanating from it within a few minutes.
"So, it's weaker than I thought at first." Naruto huffed at the voice, knowing who it came from before he had heard the first syllable.
"Kyuubi could kick the ass of that pathetic thing you call a daemon anytime...Sasuke..."
"Hn. Yeah, I bet." Moving behind Naruto, the raven-haired boy couldn't help but smile as his daemon, Chouzo, took a swipe with a clawed paw, catching the blond on the back of the head. Pretending as though nothing was amiss, the Uchiha took a seat as far away from the other boy as possible, staring out the window as Chouzo glared balefully at Naruto, who was glaring just as hard back, rubbing the back of his head ruefully.
Man...if only I could get my hands on that cat. I'd...I'd...
You would do nothing. I would tear it apart with my claws...and watch it suffer before it died.
Kyuubi...I thought you were asleep.
I was. Your pain brought me back to this plane. What on earth did that monstrosity do to you? Naruto chuckled slightly, rubbing a hand through his hair to calm the still-stinging sensation that the shallow claw wounds had dug into his flesh. He hadn't realized, again, that Kyuubi could sense his pain, even in the deep darkness of slumber.
He...just scratched me. That's all. Nothing I can't handle. A peep of concern issued from the daemon's mouth, and it quickly got to its feet, hopping onto the boys head and proceeding to check over the back of his skull for any other wounds.
Hm...nothing else that's wrong. A little bit of blood here. I'll take care of that. As a wet tongue grazed his flesh, Naruto both shivered and rejoiced. He and his daemon had never been closer than at that point, and it startled and pleased him at the same time. There. That should do it. Now...Hopping back onto the desk, the nine-tailed daemon began to sharpen its claws on the woodwork, leaving long, fierce scratches up and down the wooden piece of furniture. I'll make him rue the day he ever swatted you.
No! Kyuubi, don't. I don't wanna fight anyone on my first day. Let's just...get him back later for it, alright? Please? It would have been horrible for Kyuubi to start a fight. Especially since his whole day was planned to a T, and he wasn't about to upset his schedule for the pettiness of the Uchiha.
Sensing this, his daemon sighed, withdrawing its claws back into its paws and settling down. Very well, Naruto-kun. I shall wait. But...a reckoning is coming. Believe me.
I do, Kyuubi. I just don't want that reckoning...to be right now. Later, I promise. We can kick the shit out of the Uchiha as much as we want, alright?
Seemingly placated, the daemon nodded, turning about in a circle and going back into a state of rest...possibly to dream of that day.
It was a mere twenty minutes later that a sharp rap from the front of the class caught Naruto's attention. Iruka-sensei and Keeshi-sensei stood up front, Iruka shuffling papers in his hands.
"Class! Today is the day that we'll assign you into Genin teams! You are in teams of three, cells as they are called in the shinobi world. You will stay in these cells for a good portion of your shinobi career, so treat those who are in your cells wisely." The man glazed the classroom, watching the attention on every face, before nodding once more.
"Now, I will assign you teams. Team number one will consist of..." Until he heard his own name, Naruto didn't care who the other teams were. In fact, until he heard his name be called, he didn't even care who would be on his team. He dreamed...he hoped and prayed to Kami himself that Haruno Sakura would be placed on his team. In the back of his mind, he had already set up the scenario. He and Sakura would be placed on a team, and they would live happily together after she saw what a wonderful person and shinobi he was. She wouldn't fawn over Sasuke anymore. She would only want him!
Just...just please let me and Sakura be on a team. Please! Please!
Naruto-kun...the academy does teach proper grammar. It is Sakura and I. Let Sakura and I be on a team.
Kyuubi, do you always have to ruin my thoughts?
When they involve that girl and her stuck-up daemon? Yes, I do...
A sigh slipped from the blonds mouth. He knew that Kyuubi didn't like her or her daemon...but, he did, and that was all that mattered, right?
"Now, for team seven!" Naruto snapped to attention. He had been so distracted with his own thoughts that Iruka-sensei had gone through seven teams already.
Crap! Did he...did he call my name yet?
No, Naruto-kun. Though you've been thinking and dreaming about that pink-haired buffoon, I've been paying attention. Your name hasn't been called yet. A mental sigh caught the daemon's attention, and he shook his head from his position on the desk. Naruto-kun...please stay focused, will you? It won't look good on our first day to have you daydreaming and missing this important assignment.
Gulping, Naruto listened more intently than before to Iruka-sensei as he droned out the list. "Team seven will consist of Uchiha Sasuke..."
Ok, so the -teme is on that team. So...who else?
"Also, on team seven, Haruno Sakura." Naruto's eyes glanced to his right, where Sakura had taken up position near the Uchiha. He didn't even need to look at her to realize the joy and glory emanating from her body. She got what she had wanted. She had always pictured herself next to the Uchiha. All the time. It was all that she thought about.
Naruto would have given anything he owned to have her look that same way at him. To have those feelings given to him.
"Last for team seven, Aburame Shino." Instantly, Naruto's heart plummeted in his chest. It would have been his fondest wish to be on Sakura's team. He would have given his left arm and right leg for it.
Turning his gaze to the right, he studied the cloaked member of team seven. Aburame Shino was a mystery. Not many knew about him. Sure, he was from the Aburame clan, the bug-whisperer's of Konohagakure. But something about the sunglass wearer...creeped him out.
As if he could feel the gaze of someone upon him, Shino turned his head to Naruto, who gulped, turning his own attention back to the front of the room. The feeling of something perched on his head stunned him into silence and a fearful state as he gazed up. A praying mantis swayed back and forth on his forehead, glancing down at him.
"Do I and my boy...sssscare you?" A surprised look crossed Naruto's face for a moment before he smiled disarmingly, putting up his hands in an attempt to ward off the hostility radiating from the insect.
"N-n-no! 'Course not! I'm...I'm..."
"Sssscared, yessss? Hn. My boy ssssayssss that you sssshould keep your feelingssss to yoursssself, and not allow otherssss to hear or ssssee them. That issss the sssshinobi way...and that issss our way." Striking out with its clawed forelegs, the insect imitated a jabbing motion with them. "Don't forget, Naruto-kun. We will be watching you from now on, yessss?" The carapace on its back dome flared out, revealing transparent, veined wings. Taking a hopping leap from atop the boys cranium, the insect took flight, making a momentary pass about the room before landing atop his own boy's head. Shino continued his vigil of Naruto, eying him from behind dark, blue-blocker glasses.
Staring straight out in front, Naruto blinked, attempting to calm his breath down. Kyuubi, who had missed the small interaction, yawned, looking up.
Naruto-kun. Why are you so pale? Are you alright? Do you feel ill?
N-n-no, Kyuubi. I'm. I'm. I'm fine! Really. Really and truly. Of course, his daemon believed not a word, but let it go.
As you say, Naruto-kun. As you say.
"Now! Team eight is as follows! Inuzuka Kiba!" The boy in question smiled, giving his dog daemon a quick pat before glancing about the room. "Also in team eight, Hyuuga Hinata!"
The girl gave a quick peep, eying Kiba while Kiba eyed her. In his mind, Kiba was mulling over the chances that he would have of becoming the leader of his group. With the girl in his squad...it would be a piece of cake to lord over her. But, who else?
"Last and not least in team eight! Uzumaki Naruto!" The blond gave his own quiet peep, giving the other two a quick glance. Though he never really understood Hinata, she did have...good color in her cheeks. Very good color, in fact! He reasoned with himself that she must have been doing some sort of exercise before class, because she looked almost as red as his daemon. However, another quick glance to the front of the room depicted another story.
The Inuzuka's left eyebrow was lowered, as if he was conjugating a thesis over whether to eat the other boy or not, or over what dressing would go good with a plate of Uzumaki Stew. His daemon, Akamaru, panted over at his own daemon, who barely gave it a momentary nod. Its attention was not on the boy, but the girl. Mainly, the daemon of the girl.
Hinata-chan and Mophy are in our team? That...is quite the turn of events.
Don't let your feelings for Mophy get in the way of training, Kyuubi.
Feelings for Mophy? I don't have feelings for Mophy! You're making things up!
Then why are you getting so flustered again, Kyub?
I...er...well...just shut up, Naruto-kun.
--
After the names had been read off, Iruka-sensei took another look about the class. Thankfully, his shinobi armor hid the deep lacerations that had happened on the previous day, thanks to the almost-deadly fight with Mizuki and his daemon Gar. That, and some well-deserved doctoring by the medical nin at the hospital. It wasn't everyday a man could get that much pampering. Iruka had decided to take the good with the bad, and justify the day off with...well...a day off.
Hn. If you ask me, it was far too close, Iruka-san. We could have died. Turning his attention from the class to his daemon, Iruka admonished the spider.
Perhaps, Keeshi. However, who would have thought that we would have found Naruto-kun to be in charge of the situation? Especially since he was able to get the alethiometer to work.
That is interesting, to tell the truth. I wonder if he knows the secret behind what he has done.
Naruto-kun? Taking a quick glance above him to the seats lined up, Iruka eyed the blond. A quirky smile lit on the boys' face as he realized he was gaining attention. Iruka merely smiled back at him, shaking his head slightly with amusement. Hn, probably not. But, it's best not to tell him too much.
Agreed. Hey, didn't the Third allow Naruto to keep the artifact?
Yes, the Sandaime decreed first off that since no one up until now has been able to read the alethiometer except for Naruto-kun, that he should be the one to keep it.
I wonder if the boy understands the power he holds in his hands? Or if he understands who held the alethiometer before he did.
Probably not, Keeshi-san. But, if I know Naruto-kun, he'll figure something out for the alethiometer. He's good at that. Especially when he doesn't do anything else but think about it, or when someone teases him about it. Don't worry, I have faith in Naruto-kun.
Cutting himself off from his mental link with his daemon, Iruka took a breath, smiling at his class once more. "Alright, everyone! From here on in, you'll all be assigned a mentor and a new sensei. Your Jounin sensei will take you on missions and be your guide to the world. Learn from them, and take in everything. Right! Jounin, come in, please."
As all eyes turned to the doorway leading into the class, the knob turned and the door slid back. Slowly and silently, Jounin began to filter in, taking positions in the front of the class. Turning back to his awestruck students, Iruka nodded. "Right. Jounin, please read off your teams and names." A low, bass voice entered the air, a voice that commanded respect, but also gave off something akin to pleasurable fun.
"Hey, everyone! I'm Sarutobi Asuma. I'm here for team ten. Come on with me!" The man was of medium-build, well muscled and toned. From what Naruto had learned of the shinobi world, that meant that the man was built for hand-to-hand fighting.
Looks are deceiving, Naruto-kun, his daemon admonished. If it was one thing you learned about shinobi, it was that all was not as it seemed. Naruto seemed to understand that, too, having learned a lesson from Mizuki-sensei and Gar. It was hard to trust anyone after that. Of course, he always had Iruka-sensei, who seemed to be on his side now. And you have me, Naruto-kun. Remember that as well.
Of course I remember, Kyuubi. I can't not remember, remember?
Hn. Smiling, the boy ruffled the head-fur of the daemon in front of him. Perhaps his life wouldn't be so bad. He did like Hinata...though Kiba he was still unsure of.
As team ten filed up and out, Asuma smiled heartily at them, waving to the rest of the class as the three students left the room. As Nara Shikamaru walked past, Naruto heard him say something about 'troublesome' and 'clouds'. Also leaving was Yamanaka Ino and Akimichi Chouji. A...strange and unique team.
After they had left, the rest of the Jounin began to call out their teams, and one by one, the teams up and left. Through the whole proceedings, the room was deathly quiet, as if the single plink of a needle dropping on the floor would shatter the world. On edge, Naruto thrummed on his desk, humming a small line from a song he knew.
"Hello, everyone. I am Yuhi Kurenai. Can I have team eight leave with me, now?" A feminine voice, cheery and sultry. Even Kyuubi's ears perked up as the melody floated to his hearing capacity.
Standing, Naruto walked to the front of the room, where a beautiful Jounin clad in...hardly anything, was waiting. As Naruto made it to the front of the class, Kiba stood as well, his dog daemon watching everything from atop the boy's head. The two stood, eying one another, as the most reluctant of the group gained her feet, walking down the aisle mincingly and keeping a good four foot perimeter from anyone. Her hands were poking together slightly, her daemon standing next to her, looking as nonchalant as possible.
As the Jounin took stock of her group, she smiled, nodding. "Alright, everyone! Let's go! We'll head outside for now." Turning, she walked through the door, the green eyes of a frog daemon watching the every move of the Genin behind her. Filing out the door one-by-one, Naruto felt himself returning time and again to the frog daemon's eyes, which seemed to grow and retract with every bouncing step the woman took. He felt mesmerized by them. He couldn't stop watching.
They're...they're so...so big!
Naruto-kun! Have you no shame?!
But...they...they just keep...keep bouncing. I...I have to...have to watch them.
Naruto-kun! Snap out of it! However, not even his daemon could bring his attention back. It seemed as though the other two were just as hypnotized, as they didn't speak a word but silently trudged on.
Suddenly, half-way down the hall, the woman turned. "Have you three been listening to anything?" All that greeted her was a sea full of blank faces. Blinking at them, Kurenai's eyes roved about. "Um...hello? Are you home?" The woman even went so far as to snap her fingers in front of Hinata, willing her to speak, and then poking Kiba on the forehead. "Someone say something!"
"I...obey..." Naruto nodded, confirming what the Jounin already knew. Sighing in exasperation, she reached behind her, taking her frog daemon off her back and bringing it to the forefront. Eying it suspiciously, she chuckled.
"Alright, Uzu. You can quit it now." The frog blinked innocently back, making himself seem as little as possible.
"Quit what now, Kurenai-chan?"
"The whole 'hypnotize-the-rookies-because-it's-fun-game' thing. You can stop it." She chuckled slightly under her breath at the look that the daemon gave her, one of teasing annoyance and willful disobediance.
"Aww...you're no fun at all, Kurenai-chan."
"I know. Now, please Uzu?"
"Fine, fine. Geez." Turning back around, the frog daemon cleared its throat. Than, it gave a loud CRRROOOIIKKLLE! Immediately, all three shook themselves, Naruto himself glancing about.
"Hey...what...who...where..."
"Yes. Um...sorry about that. Uzu here has a mind of his own. He likes to...hypnotize people. It makes him feel more important I guess." The daemon in question merely puffed itself up from atop her head, smiling down at them.
"Yes, I do so love having control over everyone else." A growl on his right made him turn his head slightly to give attention to the red-and-gold daemon on the ground. "What's your problem."
"Don't ever do that to my boy again, understand me?" Kyuubi was furious. Right under his nose, Naruto had fallen victim to a petty daemon's ministration's of a simple genjutsu.
Huffing straight back at it, Uzu smiled. "Than you should teach him not to fall for a genjutsu of that level. I'm telling you, Kurenai-chan, these three fell for it faster than some of the kindergartners." The frog chuckled to itself, immensely pleased with its own joke. However, the chuckle soon turned to a grunt of terror as the nine-tailed fox daemon shot up from the floor, swiping the frog off the woman's head and pinning it to the ground within a second. Kurenai stood aghast as the daemon's red-rimmed eyes glared down at her friend, the pupils snapping violently with a dangerous malice.
"I...said...never...ever...again. Do you...understand me?" Visibly shaken, the frog daemon swallowed, trying to force a smile. Not even the best genjutsu trick would work to alleviate the situation now. Of course, if he died now, than so would Kurenai, and he wouldn't allow that at all.
"Um...yes...well...pardon...pardon me, old chap. I...I was merely...merely having fun..."
"Naruto-kun! Bring your daemon under control this instant!" Kurenai's shrill voice cut through the tension, bringing Naruto back to his senses.
"What? Oh! Right! Kyuubi, get over here! Bad Kyuubi!" The daemon merely smirked, lowering its head to where it could whisper.
"I've got my eyes on you, froggy. One mis-step...and it'll be frog-legs for dinner. I don't give a crap about your woman. I'll tear you apart slowly, understand?"
The green daemon below him squeaked something...inaudible. Probably a 'yes sir' or something of that sort. Hopping backwards, the fox relinquished control over the situation, allowing the frog daemon back up. A swift jump upwards landed it safely back on Kurenai's head, where it glared down.
"Next time, I'll be waiting for you as well, you nine-tailed ruffian!"
"Lookin' forward to it!" Smirking, the fox showed its canines, signifying the fact that its threats could be given teeth at anytime. The frog, having figured out this, turned, huffing slightly to itself.
I do not care for our new acquisition's, Kurenai-chan. That fox...he's some sort of hooligan. He'll be the death of me, I know he will!
Silence, Uzu. We both know the boy and his power. We will have to tread carefully with him and his daemon from now on. In the meantime, don't try any of those tricks again. Kurenai could feel the smile radiating from the small creature atop her head.
Who? Me? Never. I don't trick anyone at all, you know that.
Certainly, Uzu. Certainly.
Of course not...I use genjutsu. That's better than some parlor trick, I assure you.
--
It was an hour later when the group found themselves outside under a flowering cherry tree, the branches swaying slightly under a calm Eastern wind. Positioning herself in front of the group, Kurenai smiled as sweetly as possible. "Well, now that we're here, I wish for all of you to get to know one another. After all, this will be a group effort, and we can't afford to keep secrets. Now, I want all of you to stand one by one and give us a small speech about yourself, alright? Tell us your hopes, your dreams, your likes and dislikes. Things like that. In fact, I'll start." Standing a little straighter and clearing her throat, Kurenai began her small speech. "I am Yuhi Kurenai. I enjoy walks by the lake, hiking, the outdoors, and anything in nature. I especially enjoy it when my students behave themselves." Now, she looked at Naruto, who held his silence as he stroked his still slightly-steamed daemon in his lap. "I also enjoy pocky and dango on occasions. I dislike those who are harmful to nature, and those who wish harm on my friends and relations. I hope to one day benefit the village of Konohagakure by passing on my knowledge to a new generation, and I dream of one day settling down as an old nin-wife and living in a quiet cottage all to my own." She tapped her chin, as if thinking about something else. "Well...that's about it. Now, let's have...you!" Pointing at Kiba, she took a seat as the boy stood.
"I'm Inuzuka Kiba. I come from the Inuzuka clan, where we all have nin-dog daemons. I like dogs, and don't really like anyone that doesn't. I also don't like baths and homework. I hope to one day find a pretty girl and settle down, and I dream that I one day become the Hokage!" Nodding in satisfaction, he took a seat.
Informative speech, Kiba-kun.
Thanks, Akamaru. I try.
Nodding herself, Kurenai again pointed. "Alright, how about the kunoichi of this group. You." Gulping visibly, the girl stood, shaking slightly as her index fingers poked together.
"Um...I.I.I.I'm Hinata...Hy...Hyuuga. I-I-I like...like...animals...and...a-a-a-and sleep. I do-do-don't like...people...who-who-who hurt animals...and I...I like...like..." She turned her head slightly, taking a quick glance at Naruto before sighing. "I ho-ho-hope to one day be-be-become...become strong!" That was as far as she got before she couldn't speak anymore. Sitting down, she grimaced, her face already taking on a deathly shade of red.
Amused, Kurenai nodded at her as well. "Alright...and for you, Uzumaki-san?"
Smiling, Naruto stood, banging a fist against his chest. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I'm gonna be the next Hokage someday, so that people will look up to me and give me the respect that I deserve!"
"Hokage?!" A twitter on his left brought the blonds attention to the other boy in his group. "Hokage, huh? I'll tell you what. When you become the Hokage, I'll become your pet. How's about that, huh?"
"Fine, Kiba. Just let me know what color leash you want." The atmosphere grew quite cold as both boys glared at one another. However, a clearing of the throat in front of them brought both back to reality.
"Great. Now, anything else, Naruto-kun?"
"Oh! Yeah! I like ramen, I like ramen a lot! I like Ichiraku ramen, I can't wait for the day when I get free ramen. The only thing I don't like about ramen is that it takes so long to make. Three minutes in the microwave is way too long. Also, I like people who like ramen. I like Ichiraku's stand for that reason. They seem to like ramen. Further, I enjoy walking around with ramen, and eating ramen at my house, or anywhere for that matter. Also, I..."
"Ok, Naruto-kun. We get it, you like ramen. Sit down, please." Nodding with a smile, the boy sat as Kurenai again stood. "Alright, you three. Tomorrow is a big day. I want all of you to show up here at this spot at nine o' clock sharp. I have a little exercise I want to go over with you." The three stood, bowing slightly.
"Hai, Kurenai-sensei!"
"Also, don't eat anything in the morning." Naruto blinked at the ground, then back up at her.
"What? What do you mean, don't eat anything in the morning?"
"I wouldn't want you to throw up." Smiling sweetly at the stunned Genin, the woman turned, waving a hand at them. "See ya!" In a poof of smoke, she was gone. All three simply stood, rooted to the spot. Almost to the point of hyperventilation, Hinata took a glance to her right.
"D-d-do you really th-th-think that we sh-sh-shouldn't...shouldn't eat anything?" Naruto gulped, than glanced down at Kyuubi, who blinked back up at him.
"I dunno. What do you think, Kyuubi?"
"It is probably just a scare tactic. But, who knows? I don't. I can't tell the future, Naruto-kun." Finding something wrong with its left ear, it began to lick a paw and groom itself, leaving Naruto in a serious phase of doubt.
"Well, I'm gonna take her advice. She's the sensei, right? So, I'll see you guys later. I'll eat a lot tonight so I won't have to tomorrow morning." Lifting his hand in farewell, Kiba turned to walk down the hill, his dog daemon watching the two behind him. Silently, both Naruto and Hinata stood alone, watching the sun beginning to set over the hilltop.
"It-it-it's nice...up here, huh...Naruto-kun?" Hearing his name, Naruto nodded, turning to address the girl.
"Yeah, it is." As if suddenly remembering that he had a big day the following morning, Naruto sighed. "Well, Hinata-chan. I'm gonna go home. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow for the thing, huh?" Waving at her, he and Kyuubi began the long march back down the hill. It would be a strenuous day the following morning, but if he had anything to say about it, it would be a day that he wouldn't regret.
"R-r-right. Goo-goo-goodbye, Naru-to-kun..."
You missed another chance. You and he were alone, Hinata-chan.
I know, Mophy. But...I...I just...couldn't...
Couldn't say it. Do you want me to say something to him? I don't really care one way or the other, so I won't feel bothered by it. The girl started, aghast at the assumption.
N-n-no! Don't you dare, Mophy. The daemon leaked with confidence, smiling up innocently.
Whatever you say, Hinata-chan. Whatever you say. But, if I were you, I would figure out something quickly. Otherwise, he may find someone else. You never know. The girl sighed, nodding.
"Hai." She didn't even bother to convey the confirmation through their mental link. It was much easier saying it openly. Picking the white-and-pink feline up, she began to walk down the hill, towards the Hyuuga family manor. It would be a long night, and an even longer morning, without food in her stomach.
She was too excited and nervous to eat anything, anyways.
--
Back at his small flat, Naruto carefully laid his clothes out for the next day, Kyuubi watching him from his post on the bed. "Kyuubi, we have to be prepared for tomorrow. We have to do whatever Kurenai-sensei wants! I have to be a great shinobi!"
"Yes, Naruto-kun. I understand that. But, we don't know what Kurenai-sensei wants, do we? I mean, I don't think either one of us can read minds that well. Unless you've been doing some training I haven't been aware of?" A glare later, and Kyuubi shook its mangy head. "No no. Of course you haven't. So, I'm out of ideas."
Naruto nodded slightly, a sigh slipping from his lips. "Yeah, I know. But, I really wish she would've told us what it was all about. It would've made tomorrow easier."
"But that's the thing, Naruto-kun. If we knew, than it would be easier. The shinobi world isn't easy. It's dangerous and harsh."
"Yeah, I know, Kyuubi. But...but..."
"But nothing. Now, come on. We both know that we won't find out until tomorrow, and..." As he had been talking, Naruto had been folding and re-folding clothes. Now, as he took up his jacket, something clinked to the ground, rolling under the bed. Sighing, Kyuubi stood, cracking his neck and flexing. "I'll get it. Honestly, Naruto-kun. If you didn't have your head attached to your shoulders, you'd lose that, wouldn't you?" Hopping to the floor, Kyuubi immediately dove under the bed, after the strange object. In a moment, he reappeared, the alethiometer in his mouth.
Naruto knelt from where he stood, allowing Kyuubi to place the golden instrument in his hand. "Huh...the aliometer thing."
"Hrrrnn...the alethiometer, Naruto-kun. Say it right, or don't say it at all."
"Tsh, alright then, the alethiometer thing. Better?" Prying the thing open, Naruto watched the hands and the face of the dial, letting out a small breath as he began to fiddle with the object. "Huh. This thing doesn't really do much, does it? Just...sits there, kinda. Useless, really..."
"Don't say that, Naruto-kun. It helped in the forest when Mizuki attacked us, remember?" Naruto thought about it, than nodded.
"Hai, you're right. But...what else can it do?"
"Well, it seemed to work when you asked it a question directly. Try it again, maybe?"
"Hey...yeah!" Picking the alethiometer up and holding it out, Naruto took a deep breath. "Let's see. What to ask?"
"How about for tomorrow? We could use a hint."
"Right! Ok, then." Bowing his head reverantly, Naruto closed his eyes, gripping the alethiometer tighter. "Alethiometer, what is the challenge that we will get tomorrow?"
The minutes passed by, and Kyuubi glanced about, as if the answer would fall out of thin air. "Huh. Did...did it work?"
"Honesty...compassion...cunning." Naruto said the words as if in a trance. Blinking at him, Kyuubi nodded to himself as Naruto came out of it. "Those were the three words I saw. Honesty, compassion, and cunning. So?"
"Hm. Let's see. Honesty...compassion...cunning? Let's go over the symbols. It seemed to work last time. Let's see if it will work this time around." The boy nodded at his daemon's words, looking over the alethiometer as the daemon joined him.
A half of an hour later, Naruto came up with the solution to compassion. "Alright, compassion. That's an easy one."
"If it was so easy, Naruto-kun...why did it take you a half-hour to figure it out?" Kyuubi asked dryly. The boy stuck out his tongue, but glanced back at the instrument.
"Ok, here's the symbol for angel, right?" Naruto nodded to himself, pointing at the symbol that depicted a harp carrying woman with a halo. "Alright. They're...pretty compassionate, wouldn't you say? They watch over and protect us...and stuff."
"If you say so, Naruto-kun. Move the hand. See what happens." Naruto nodded once more, moving the hand accordingly. The same small light lit up below as the hand came to rest on the angel.
"So...we got it...right?"
"Perhaps so. What else can we use. You said honesty, correct? What symbol on here means honesty?" Once again, Naruto began searching.
"I...I don't know. How about cunning?"
"Snake." The answer was simple, as if Kyuubi hadn't had to think about it at all.
"Snake? Why do you say that?"
"In all stories, snakes are cunning and deadly. So...snake." Shaking his head with mirth, Naruto shrugged.
"Alright, Kyuubi. Snake it is." The hand moved, and the light lit up once more. "Alright! I think it worked."
"So...what else do we have? That honesty thing, right? What do we need for honesty?" Again, Kyuubi's eyes roved the instrument, attempting to see something that he had missed.
"Hm...I don't know. How about...er...no...well...let's see...bee?"
"Why would the bee symbol be for honesty, Naruto-kun?"
"I don't know! It...it just is, alright?" His index finger moving the smallest hand over, Naruto prayed with all his might that it would work. Aligning it on the bee symbol, he took a breath...and then another. Slowly, the arms began to rotate, faster and faster, until the smallest arm stopped, pointing straight down. "Wait. Something's wrong. It didn't...arg!" Suddenly, in Naruto's mind, something was pulling. It was as though a piece of him were being ripped apart. "Arg! Stop! This hurts!"
"Naruto-kun! What is it?"
"It...it hurts!" His head hit the floor, and he took a deep breath...and then another. The pain began to ebb, and then suddenly, words were displayed in front of him. Just like before, the answer was there. But...it was different this time. Not...not wholly there.
Tomorrow, your sensei will test...with the fact...that...bells. She has told you...eat...because test. Eating...good. You will have...if you eat.
"What...what does that mean?" His head still throbbing from whatever the hell had just happened, Naruto sat back up, rubbing a hand through his hair and rubbing the tendons against his skull. "Man...that sucked."
"Naruto-kun...are you alright?" His daemon inquired, much more afraid for his boy now than he was a minute ago. Shakily, Naruto nodded. Whatever had happened had stopped, but he was still scared witless by the occurence.
"Yeah, Kyuubi. I'm...I'm alright. Wow! That was...intense. My head still feels like someone just hit it with a hammer. And, I still don't get the message."
"What message, Naruto-kun?"
"The message that this thing gave me. Last time, the message was clear. But...this time, it seems broken up. Like...like that words are there, but...but not really, you know?" Glancing down for an affirmative, Naruto took another deep breath. He really didn't want to go through that again. But, thankfully, the message was etched into his brain, so he wouldn't forget it soon.
"I don't know what you mean, Naruto-kun. But, if it's any consolation, I sympathize with you. Now, what did the message say?" Blinking down at the ground, Naruto recited it as best as possible.
"It said, 'tomorrow, your sensei will...something...test with the fact that...blank...bells. She has told you...something something...eat because...blank again...and then test. Eating...good. You will have...something that wasn't there...and then if you eat.'" Finishing, Naruto gave his daemon another stare. "What do you think, Kyuubi?"
"Hmm...seems like a riddle to me. Perhaps we didn't get the symbols right? Maybe you only get a partial message if the symbols aren't right." Naruto nodded, glancing back down at the instrument in his lap.
"Should...should we try again?"
"Not tonight, Naruto-kun. Perhaps tomorrow." A groan issued from the boys' mouth.
"Ohh...but tomorrow is the thing. We have to know."
"Well then, let's try and decipher what the message said. Maybe it said to not eat? Like, 'She has told you to not eat because you'll fail the test?'" Kyuubi tried. But...that didn't sound right. "No, that couldn't be it. Because, it mentions eating more and more. Perhaps it means that you should eat for tomorrow's test, ne?"
"Hm...maybe. But...what's this about bells?" Naruto replayed the message in his head, nodding. "Yes, it said something about bells. The rest of the message was fuzzy, but bells. Something about bells."
"Yes, Naruto-kun. That's it! The test is about bells, and it wants you to eat for the test! That stands to reason. If you eat, you'll have more energy and less of an appetite! That must be it!" Kyuubi was excited now, his front paws resting on his boys legs. "That has to be it!" Now, Naruto was getting excited. Possibly, his daemon's anxiety was flowing into him, but at the same time, his own levels had to be enormous as well.
"You're right, Kyub! Maybe so!" Jumping up, the blond began to put on his coat. Questioningly, Kyuubi gave him a stare.
"Wait, Naruto-kun. Where are you going?"
"We have to tell the other two! They'll want to hear this!" Picking up his keys, the boy began to leave when he was admonished by his side-kick.
"Naruto-kun, why would you tell that ass Kiba? He isn't one that you should tell. Hinata and Mophy, of course. But...Kiba?" Naruto thought about it, his hand resting on the doorknob.
"You know, Kyuubi. You're right! That jerk. Why should I tell him?" Kyuubi nodded, hopping up onto his head.
"That's right! He'll just have to figure it out tomorrow, won't he?" Naruto smirked to himself. It was going to be sweet revenge to watch his teammate suffer when he found out that he should have eaten. That would pay him back for making fun of his dream to become the Hokage for sure!"
"Right, Kyub! Let's go tell Hinata-chan, though. She didn't do anything to us."
"No...nothing at all...yet..."
"What?"
"Oh, nothing Naruto-kun...nothing..." Kyuubi said back. Naruto couldn't see the foxy grin that Kyuubi had on, thinking about his own statement.
--
Hinata tossed on her bed once more. She had gone to sleep early that night, hoping that she could get some extra shut eye before the big day tomorrow. Sadly, that wasn't working. It was almost ten, and she had laid for an hour in bed, waiting for sleep. But, it wasn't coming to her. She was to busy thinking about Naruto most of the time. Her good (and bad) fortune had landed him in her team. But, she would show him that she was strong! That way, he would know exactly how she felt for him! Maybe...maybe even fall for her! That would be wonderful!
Taking a breath, and being sure that her counterpart, Mophy, was asleep at the foot of her bed, Hinata quietly snuck a peek under her pillow. A picture of Naruto lay, resting against her bedsheets. Pulling it out, she smiled, hugging it to her chest and cradling it. "Oh...Naruto. Why...why...why can't I just say how I feel? Why? I want to, so badly. Oh...Naruto..."
"Hinata-chan! Hey!" A loud whisper on her right brought her back to the time at hand. Blinking in a half-asleep daze, she turned her head, her eyes as round as dinner plates as Naruto stared back from the open window, having a death grip on the tree outside the window sill. Gulping, the girl sat up quickly, disturbing Mophy at the edge of the bed.
"Na-na-na-naruto-kun! W-w-what are y-y-y-you doing h-he-hee-here?" Swinging her feet over the edge of her bed, she ran to the window, glancing about. "I-i-if father sees y-y-you here...he'll k-k-kill you! Get inside!" Without a moments notice, she grabbed his coat, pulling him roughly in. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of red and gold following him. Without even stopping, she stood back, throwing the window closed and holding her breath. Hopefully, no one would notice him.
There was an old law of the Hyuuga house. No one was to peek into the private bedrooms or bathrooms of the house, barring emergency situations. Hinata could only hope that that was truely in observance.
"Hinata-chan? Are you alright in there?" The girl squeaked slightly. Before she could stop herself, her hand thrust onto Naruto's open mouth. Muffling his protests, she nodded to the darkness.
"H-h-hai, father! I'm...I'm...I'm alright!" Silence pervaded the room, and then a slight chuckle from behind the door.
"If I didn't know any better...I'd say my pretty daughter has a boy in that room." Hinata could have died from both the horrifying situation that she now faced...and the accusation thrown at her. "But, I know that she wouldn't do that. Plus, I know how she is around others. So...goodnight, Hinata-chan."
"G-g-goodnight...fa-fa-father!" The sounds of retreating footsteps met her ears, and she sighed to herself. Then, she almost fell over backwards as she realized suddenly just WHO she was sitting on. "Oh! Na-na-naruto-kun! I'm so so-so-sorry..."
"Hinata! I came over to tell you something, and you sit on my head!" The boy growled at her, ruffling his hair back into place. After the initial shock of being thrust into the bedroom and having a girl sit on his head, it wasn't so bad. Giving the room a once over, he nodded. "Huh...nice. I've always wondered what it was like to be in a room at the Hyuuga mansion. Now...I know, I suppose."
"Na-n-n-naruto-kun! How...how di-did you g-g-get past the g-g-uards?" Hinata asked haltingly. Naruto gave her a mere thumbs up.
"Those guys? They were no problem. Hell, two of 'em were asleep. It was easy."
"He's right. Your guardians are lacking in discipline, Hinata-chan. You should have them reprimanded." Hinata blinked at the nine-tailed daemon before nodding.
"H-h-hai. But...th-th-there isn't r-r-r-really a-any danger o-o-o-of at-ttack...is there?"
"Course not!" Standing up, Naruto gave her a curt nod (and another thumbs up for bravado). "Don't worry, Hinata-chan. If anyone attacks you, you can be sure that Uzumaki Naruto will be there to stop 'em!" Had it not been so dark, Naruto may have thought that Hinata had been doing exercise before he got there. Her face was a lovely shade of cherry red. Thankfully for her, it was dark, and she was so flustered that it would have been quite difficult to pass out.
"Na-na-na-naruto-k-k-kun..." Here he was, in her room. They were alone. All that stood in her way was her vocabulary and vocal ability. "Na-na-naruto-k-k-kun...I...I..."
"Oh! Hinata, I came here to tell you something!" Her heart stopped for a moment, skipping beats randomly. He...he came there to tell her something? Her? Really? Something...that could only be said on a moonlit night when they were alone...in...her bedroom?
"R-r-really N-n-naruto...k-k-kun?" Her fingers poked together before she mentally broke their contact. She had to stop fidgeting. This was it! The moment she had always wanted! "G-g-go a-a-ahead..."
"No...you first. What were you going to say?" Her insides were tearing apart. She would need a heart transplant afterwards. Her own heart was failing. Her bladder was about to give out. Her nose was threatening to bleed. She couldn't take it.
As if an answer to her prayers came in the form of a small, white and pink cat daemon, Mophy hopped forward. "Naruto-kun, perhaps you should tell us why you interrupted my girl's sleep with this...late night reconnaisance?"
"Late-night wotsit?" What the heck did that word mean, anyways? "Oh, well. I just wanted to say that you should eat tomorrow."
"I-i-i-i s-s-sh-sh-should eat...tom-tom-tomorrow?" She blinked. His words registered...but his face didn't quite compute.
"Yeah. My alethiometer said something about eating tomorrow...I think. So, I'm gonna eat before going to the field. I thought I should come here and warn you to. You should eat. It would be best, I think." He nodded, giving Mophy a curt nod as well. "Oh, and Kyuubi says hi, Mophy."
Immediately, the nine-tailed foxs' ears went erect with indignation, and it turned its head slowly, regarding its boy with glimmering eyes.
I will get you for that, Naruto-kun.
Yeah yeah, Kyub. Now, be a man and tell Mophy how you feel.
I'm not a man. I am your soul. Therefore, I am a daemon.
Soul, daemon, man...same difference. Now, would you hurry up and tell her?
Growling deep in his throat, Kyuubi turned back to where Mophy was watching him with a crooked expression. "You...wanted to tell me something, Kyuubi-kun?"
Clearing his throat, Kyuubi nodded stiffly. "Hai, Mophy. I wanted to say...I...I...I wanted...to...say..."
"Sir! There's been a breach of the compound!" A voice outside of Hinata's door caught all four's attention.
"What? A breach?"
"Hai! Someone has slipped in and set off the alarms on the south side entrance. Someone...clumsy." Naruto winced. He thought something had caught him up when he had jumped the wall. Now...he knew what that something was.
"Do we know who?"
"No sir. All we know is that they are still here."
"Fan out! Find them! Hurry!" More tramping. Thinking quickly, Hinata snagged Naruto's coat once more, stuffing him under her bed.
"Naruto-kun! Hide there! Don't come out!" Hopping back up onto her bed, she threw the covers over, feeling Mophy join her. The door opened, and a beam of light shot into the room.
"Hinata-chan. Are you alright? There seems to be someone in the compound. Have you seen anything?" Naruto could feel the bed rock as Hinata shook her head violently.
"N-n-no, fa-father! I...I haven't...seen anything!" There was a momentary silence before the man at the door cleared his throat.
"Well then...goodnight. Sorry to keep disturbing you. I...just wanted to be sure you weren't in danger." Then, his voice arched. "Huh?"
"I said that I smell something in here, Hiashi-san." A large, black vixen sidled in, gazing this way and that with large, yellow slitted eyes. "I know I smell something in here..."
"Hinata-chan, is there someone in here?" The girl winced.
"Uh...n-n-no, fa-fa-father. I'm...I'm...I'm a-a-alone."
"Hiashi-san, I smell...boy..."
"A...boy?" Gulping, Hinata glanced down at her hands. Without even thinking, she had stolen Naruto's coat from off of him when she threw him under the bed.
"Yes, Hiashi-san. A...boy. A boy...and his daemon. He's in here...somewhere..." A snuffling nose began to pry into the dark corners of the room.
"Hinata-chan. I know that we have a law about the Byakugan, but..."
"Fa-fa-father! I...I ha-ha-have things here! Pr-pr-private th-th-things! Y-y-y-you ca-ca-can't!"
"I wouldn't like to...but..." Then, he noticed something else. "Hinata-chan...what is that in your hands?" The girl squeaked, glancing down.
"Oh. It's...it's...a c-c-coat!" The black vixen immediately hopped onto the bed, sniffing the thing. Hinata's teeth chattered lightly as it took in the scent.
"Hiashi-san...it reeks of boy and daemon. This is it!"
"Ah. So, a coat. From...a boy?" Hoping to catch her father off guard, (and save Naruto's skin), Hinata immediately began lying.
"Hai, fa-fa-father! A...a boy...on...on my team! He...he sa-sa-saw I wa-wa-was cold...and...and gave it...to...to me!" The vixen gave it another sniff before turning her head away.
"Phaw! It stinks, Hiashi-san. You'd better burn it."
"N-n-no!" Both turned back to the girl, who was now trying to come up with a reasonable excuse for her outburst.
"I won't burn something that isn't yours, Hinata-chan. Just...just give it back tomorrow. Anything else, Seisei?" The vixen gave the room another sniff and glance over.
"No, Hiashi-san. The boy and daemon smell comes from the coat. That is all. We shall move to another location." With that, the female fox daemon moved swiftly from the room, leaving behind a trail of underhanded cunning.
"Very well, daughter. Are you sure you're alright? You wouldn't like me to give the room a sweeping over? Maybe check for monsters underneath the bed, hm?" The man laughed at his joke...in the same instant that Naruto's heart failed to beat.
"N-n-no father. I'm...I'm alright." Another momentary silence, and then the door shut. Even from under the bed, Naruto could hear the sigh coming from her lips. A thump next to him turned his attention to the floor opposite the wall, where a pair of pearl colored eyes met his. "N-n-naru-to-kun. Yo-you sh-sh-should leave. Hur-hurry." Nodding, he crawled out from underneath the bed, standing and brushing himself off.
"Thanks, Hinata-chan. I don't think your dad would've liked me being in here with you." Opening the window, he glanced out, waiting and watching. As he didn't hear anything, he glanced at Hinata. "Say...could you?" Blinking at him, the girl understood what he wanted.
"Oh...h-h-hai!" Her hands flew to her chest, and she took a deep breath. "Byakugan!" Instantly, her eyesight widened and expanded, allowing her to see outside in the grounds and beyond. "The co-co-coast is cl-cl-clear, Na-n-naruto-kun. Please...g-g-go now!" Nodding, he smiled.
"Hehe...thanks, Hinata-chan! See ya tomorrow! Oh, and remember, eat something."
"I w-w-will, Naruto-kun. G-g-go now." Quietly, he slipped out of the window, descending to the ground...and sprinting for the wall with the haste of a rabbit being chased by a lion. The girl watched him until he was safely out of the grounds before turning her Byakugan off. She took a breath...and then another, before turning and heading back to bed.
"I...I think I'll sl-sl-sleep bet-better now. That...was far too exciting..."
As the darkness and silence pervaded the room, she heard a twitter.
You know, Hinata-chan. You had Naruto in your room, and for one brief second, you didn't stutter.
He-hey! You're right! I...I didn't stutter when I th-th-threw him under the bed!
That's right! See, you can do this! You just need more confidence!
R-r-right! Confidence! Turning over in her bed, she sighed. Then, slowly, a smile formed on her face. Hey Mophy...I didn't just make sure that the area was safe for Naruto-kun...
Really?
Nope. The Byakugan can see through other things to...remember?
Hinata-chan...you didn't...did you? The cat daemon heard a small titter from the head of the bed. Shaking her head, she lay back down. Hinata-chan...you are incredible, you know that?
Heehee...so is Naruto-kun...
Next Chapter: The first day arrives, and already Naruto and his teammates have a mission...against their own teacher? Will they survive? What if they fail? Can they work together as a team? Naruto learns to keep his eyes and ears open at all times. Especially when a beautiful Jounin is your sensei.
A/N: Symbol Meanings for Chapter 3: Motherhood, Gluttony, Playfulness
Symbols for Chapter 3: Apple, Horse, Dolphin, Walled Garden, Madonna, Kami, Wild Man, Cornucopia, Ant, Bull.
Can you solve the symbols and meanings? Pull the meanings and the symbols out. If you can identify the correct things, you know your Golden Compass!