Summary: Naruto's fight to be Hokage and the fight for Naruto's heart begins as Sakura finally notices him. A shy girl will call upon her courage to stop her, this will be a long fan fic; its going to start slow, but get interesting and deeper around chapter 4 with the pairings and all.
Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine it his creator's property (Kishimoto Masashi).
A/N: I want to thank Kawaii34girl for beta reading this chapter, thanks girl.
And revised by Jiraiya
"Hello" speech
hello thoughts
Hello Kyuubi
hello Kyuubi's thoughts
(Hello) Inner Sakura
---------- Scene change
CHAPTER 3: SANDS OF KONOHA
A scream is heard in the hospital causing a panic. Then the words, "What the hell are you doing here?" came from a blond boy, who was pointing at his visitor.
"What? Can't a teacher visit his student?" said a white-haired old man.
"But... Ero-sennin, you never visited me before?" Naruto said while looking straight into Jiraiya's eyes.
"Well… that's true, but you've never been out for 5 days, even when training for the rasengan, and after the fight with Kabuto you were only out one day at the most." Jiraiya said.
"Nani?" Naruto emitted a gasp of surprise. I've never been out for so long, I always get better after a good night's sleep. Naruto thought; then the realization hit him. Were those memories a dream or were they real? Nah, they must have been a dream. He thought Are you sure? He heard, but when he looked around he only saw Jiraiya.
"Naruto, are you okay?" said Jiraiya in a concerned tone. Naruto, after seeing Jiraiya, shook the thought out of his head, and gave him his foxy grin.
"Yeah Ero-sennin, I'm good as new. Just look, kage bunshin no jut-" his hands were stopped by Jiraiya.
"Baka. You just recover from losing almost all you're chakra and you're already going to waste it!" Jiraiya said, staring into Naruto's eyes.
Is Ero-sennin worried about me? He thought. A smile appeared on Jiraiya's face.
"Now, tell me how you beat that Sasuke kid?" He said.
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While Naruto was happily talking to his sensei about the great deeds he did while bringing Sasuke back to Konoha, three genins where standing near three logs. These weren't normal genins however; each one carried something on their back.
"He's late!!!" yelled a blond girl with a fan on her back.
"Calm down Temari, what did you expect from a weak leaf Jounin?" Said a tall boy in black with something wrapped in bandages, its hair sticking out the top, on his back.
"Well, I'm still pissed off, so if he doesn't get here in the next two hours we're leaving, right Gaara?" Gaara, a small red-haired boy with a gourd on his back, simply nodded.
Suddenly a puff of smoke appeared on a tree branch, from the smoke a gray-haired Jounin with his hitai-ate covering his left eye, and a mask covering his mouth, appeared.
"Hey guys! I'm sorry I'm late but I got lost in-" before he could finish, a swarm of sand shurikens, a puppet and a wind strike destroyed the tree he was standing in.
"Well, it looks like you guys are a little angry at me for being late." He said in a calm voice, not even phased by the fact that they tried to kill him.
"You're late." Temari said.
"Well, you see, I got lost on the road of life." Kakashi said while closing his only visible eye.
Temari rasie an eye brow. "What?"
"That doesn't even make sense." She answered, looking confused.
After Kakashi saw her reaction, he gave her a small smile. Finally, somebody that line works on, he thought.
"Well, Hokage-sama told me about you three. You were part of the deal with the sand. It's up to you to decide if you want to stay; if you don't, they'll just send another genin group to help you make your choice. Today you'll get to know Konoha." Kakashi said.
"And you're going to give us the tour?" Temari asked.
"Of course not, I have a mission." After saying that, he pulled out an orange book from his bag.
"They will!" He made a hand seal and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Hey, come back here! You made us wait for hours just to say that to us?" Temari said frustrated.
Suddenly, a flash hit them from the smoke.
"I'm Rock Lee, and I'll be your tour guide." He said
Every one sweat-dropped.
"This is troublesome… "Was heard from a near distance.
Temari's eye twitched. That's the bowl-hair boy from that exam, he thought.
"Yeah, I remember you... you're the one that lost to Gaara." Kankuro said with a smirk on his face.
He then turned to Shikamaru. "You're the one that lost to Temari." Then he turned to Shino "And you're the one-"
"Who defeated you," Shino cut him off.
Lee was shocked. This is the first time I've heard Shino speak, he thought.
After hearing those words, Kankuro was pissed off. He and Shino traded glares.
"Hey Shikamaru, Kankuro is glaring at Shino, is Shino glaring back?" Lee asked.
"How should I know, he's wearing his glasses." Shikamaru said.
While Kankuro and Shino where glaring at each other, Lee tried to start some small talk with Temari and Gaara, but quickly annoyed the temperamental blond.
This guy's more annoying than I remember. Then she turned to Kankuro and saw him now arguing with his bug-obsessed rival. Well, I guess he's already picked a guide, she thought.
Time to lose this green freak, she thought. "You'll be my tour guide," she said while pointing to Shikamaru.
"Why me?" He asked.
"Because I can boss you around, that's why." She answered.
"This is going to be a long and troublesome day," Shikamaru said under his breath.
After that, Temari grabbed one of Shikamaru's arms and dragged the lazy chuunin to the streets.
"Well Gaara, it looks like I, Rock Lee, will be your tour guide. And don't worry, I'll show you the best training spots in Konoha." Lee said, taking his good guy pose.
Gaara looked his brother's way then looked back at Lee and simply nodded.
"Let's go then—wait! What about your brother?" Lee inquired 'nobly'.
"Leave him with his friend," Gaara answered.
"Okay, let's go," said Lee.
With that, the tour commenced, leaving only Shino and Kankuro arguing.
TEMARI'S TOUR
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The streets of Konoha were as lively as ever: every one was on the streets buying, selling, gossiping; you name it, they where doing it.
And in the middle of the crowd our favorite lazy ninja gave his grand tour, well, by his standards anyway.
"Well, this is the town plaza; I'll sit here while you look around," he said.
"What do you mean you're going to sit here? You're my tour guide, now do your job," Temari snapped.
"There's no point in me telling you about every store. If I tell you that's the flower shop it'll make no difference if you go and see it with me or without me; it will still be the flower shop." He said in a lazy tone.
"Oh, there's a difference. Do you want me to tell the Hokage that you didn't do your mission? Well, do you?" She said with an evil smile on her face.
I've seen that smile before; it's like the one she gave me after she beat that sound wench. She must be serious,he thought.
"Very well, lets go, I'll show you the flower shop first," he said reluctantly.
Inside the flower shop, a blond girl with clear blue eyes is deep in thought.
Man, this is a boring day. Chouji is in the hospital; Shikamaru is on a mission; Sakura is god knows where; I don't know where Sasuke is; mom and dad are gone on a mission... Man, I'm all alone today, what a drag and I don't even have a boyfriend. A beautiful girl like me shouldn't have lonely days like today...Her thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the floral shop's door.
Shikamaru entered Ino's abode with Temari still holding his arm, he tried to get loose to say hello to Ino, but Temari pulled him to the flowers she wanted to see.
What the hell is Shikamaru doing with her? He told me he was on a mission! So he prefers to be with that sand slut than to hang with me…Ino thought.
Ino glared at Temari just for a second, before she saw Shikamaru walking her way.
"Hi Ino…" Said Shikamaru with his low tone voice.
"Hi Shikamaru, is your mission over?" Ino asked, in a slightly angry way.
"No…" He answered while slightly yawning.
Ino lifted an eye brow, "So what's your mission then?" She asked.
Oh man, this is troublesome, if I tell her my mission is being a tour guide I'll never hear the end of it, he thought.
"Classified..." He answered.
You're lying to me Shikamaru, I can tell, I'm not your best friend for nothing. She was tough.
While Shikamaru and Ino were staring at each other, Temari walked up next to Shikamaru.
"Hey Shika-kun, buy me this flower?" Temari said in a strangely sweet, yet demanding voice.
"No…" He said.
"Oh come on, there aren't any flowers in the Hidden Sand and I really like them." She said in a more calm voice.
This is troublesome. He thought, and before he could answer...
"Hey Blondie, put it on Shika-kun's tab, got it?" Temari said in her normal voice.
Ino simply nodded remembering what she did to Ten-Ten. After that, Temari smiled and left the store dragging Shikamaru behind her.
Stupid bitch, your a blond too if you hadn't notice, but I wonder why Shikamaru bought her the flower, and why did he let her call him Shika-kun , every time I called him that he asked me to stop doing it. Ino thought as she watched them walking outside of the store.
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"Well, that's the tour, Temari," Shikamaru said.
"What do you mean that's the tour? The only things we saw were the flower shop, some other stores, the park, the academy and the Hokage's office," Temari said, not even bothering to keep the anger from permeating her tone.
"That was all the stuff on my way home, it would have been too troublesome to show you anything else," he said blandly.
"That's a lousy excuse; I bet there's nothing better in Konoha." She said while smiling.
Shikamaru raises an eye brow, "And the sand is better?" He asked.
"Yeah, it's a lot better," she said.
"I don't know about you, but I prefer a park with leaves and trees, then just a big sand box." Shikamaru stated blatantly.
This comment made Temari turn red out of unsurpassed anger.
"Well... it's too crowded here, at least in the Sand you can have some peace and quiet," she said.
This is troublesome, he thought.
"Well then, follow me," he instructed, albeit in an in authoritative fashion.
"Wait, weren't you going home?" She asked.
"Yes… but I still have to finish this mission, so just follow me."
Temari followed Shikamaru to what appeared to be a cliff side, full of trees, which looked deserted.
"Well we're here." Shikamaru said.
Temari walked to the edge and saw a view she'd never seen before: a huge forest stood in front of her.
"So, where are we?" She asked, not even taking her eyes off of the forest.
"In the forest behind the Hokage monument," he replied.
"It's beautiful… I mean, so this is the place, pretty nice." Temari said. Turning to him, she asked.
"So, Shika-kun, do you often come here to think?"
"Don't call me that, and yes, this is where I like to relax and think." He stated, then he added, "And don't tell anybody about this place, I don't like to be bothered when I'm looking at the clouds."
After that, Shikamaru lay down on the grass, after him Temari did the same.
"So… Shika-kun-" she began.
"Don't call me that," he interrupted half-heartedly.
"But I like it. Anyway, why didn't you beat me in the exam?" She asked.
"I couldn't, I was out of chakra." He answered.
"That's a lie and you know it!" She angrily said.
"Well... it's because you're a woman, and a man can't hurt a woman. That's the reason." He said in his bored tone.
Temari stood up, "That's a fucking lie!" She yelled.
"You're troublesome… what makes you say that?" He said.
"You want to know? Well, because you didn't care about hurting the sound girl in the preliminaries." She said while glaring at the contemplative boy before her.
"The reason I didn't hurt you was the one I told you, but not the only one. I also couldn't hurt a girl like you." He said, while looking at the sky.
"Like me?" She said to herself, while slightly blushing.
"You're a rare kind of girl, most girls I know are fake; they put a mask on to try and impress a boy, they act different and even end friendships for some guy, you on the other hand are always yourself, you're a bossy bitch that acts like a bossy bitch and doesn't care what anybody thinks." He intoned with his lazy-ass voice.
Temari's face turned red and a vein appeared on her forehead, "Shika-kun!!!" She yelled, and punched Shikamaru in the face. Women are troublesome. He thought, while going down.
That will teach him to call me that…. But was he trying to sweet-talk me? She thought.
After that, Shikamaru stayed on the ground looking at the newly dark horizon. Next to him, Temari lay down too; they were both enjoying the night sky.
"Well Shika-kun, I have to leave." Temari said.
"Didn't you want to see more of Konoha?" He said, while yawning.
"Nah, I'll have years to see and enjoy everything in Konoha," she said while smiling at the lazy chuunin, "Bye, Shika-kun". She winked at him and left.
So you decided to enjoy your stay here... that's going to be troublesome. Shikamaru thought while looking at the sky.
KANKURO'S TOUR
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"I can't believe they left us behind there, they'll pay for that! I'll kill Temari and… give mean looks to Gaara." Kankuro said.
They walked for a while, Shino only pointing at different stores and places, instead of telling him about every little detail. He gave Kankuro a pamphlet that said: 'Konoha's guide to the stars'.
"So bug boy, are you only going to walk and point all day? We already saw every thing in this damn pamphlet," Kankuro said.
"No, I'm also going to show you my favorite spots." Shino said in a calm voice.
After that, they started to walk on a different path than the one on the pamphlet, which was the one they'd been following.
While walking, Shino stopped in several places, just saying what they were.
"Park… Training ground… Academy…" He said.
After telling Kankuro about he's favorite spots, Shino stopped in front of a place that looked like a small park filled with trees, then a small pond and then a house in the center.
"My house…" Shino stated.
So this is his house. Trees, pond… yeah, looks like a perfect place for bugs. Kankuro thought.
"Want to come in?" Shino asked. This shocked Kankuro at first but he nodded, accepting Shino's offer.
They entered Shino's house, Kankuro quickly saw that around the house, there were framed bugs on the wall, bug-shaped furniture, bugs walking freely around the house, pictures of bugs, and pictures of Shino, a woman and a grown-up man that looked a lot like Shino.
Weird, yet cozy. Kankuro thought.
"Sit, please…" Shino said.
Kankuro sat on the lady bug-shaped chair. Then, "Shino-chan you're home already?" was heard, after hearing it, Shino sweat-dropped.
"Who's that?" Kankuro asked. "Okaa-san…" Shino answered.
A smirk appeared on Kankuro's face when the woman walked in.
"My Shino-chan, I'm so glad you're home already, you're just like your Otou-san finishing missions so quickly! I'm so proud of you my little kikai, and look; you've brought home a friend! Hi, I'm Shino's mom Akane, and you are?" Akane asked, looking straight into Kankuro's eyes.
This is his mom? She acts so different. She's spoken more words in 5 minutes than Shino has in the entire day, he thought
"Hello, I'm Kankuro of the Sand, nice to meet you." He answered.
"Nice to meet you, too, Kankuro-kun, I'm so glad Shino-chan brought a new friend. The only ones who I've met were that nice pale girl, Hinata-chan, and that trouble-maker Kiba. Well, he can't be all bad, he has such a cute puppy, and people who are good with animals can't be too bad…" She kept speaking.
Kankuro just continued to smirk, while looking at a blushing Shino, too embarrassed to do anything else because of his mom's anecdotes relating to when he was small.
Hours passed and Shino's mom kept telling more and more parables, stories. "-and when I came back Shino's kekai bugs had finished eating all his clothes, and there he was as buck-naked as when he first came into the world." Shino's mom said.
After telling this story, Shino's mom looked at the clock. "Huh, look at the time; I have to get dinner ready. Well, I'll leave you kids to talk." She finished while stepping lightly into the kitchen, which just happened to be adjacent to the room in which she had talked for so long.
After she left, Kankuro just kept staring at Shino with a malevolent grin plastered to his regularly morose features.
"If you tell anybody about those stories I won't hesitate to kill you," Shino threatened, jaw set and eyes smoldering.
Kankuro just kept smiling; they sat there in silence for a few minutes until the front door started to open.
A tall man wearing a coat and glasses similar to Shino came in.
"Shino…" He said
"Otou-san…." Shino said.
The man turned to look at Kankuro.
"Your friend Shino…?" He asked.
"Yes…" Shino answered.
Kankuro sweat-dropped. So that's where he gets it, he thought mildly.
"You're the one that forfeited…" Shino's dad stated.
That's how they remember me, the guy that forfeited... Kankuro thought.
"Yes, I forfeited, but I fought Shino in the forest after the exam," Kankuro hastened to make known.
"Is this true...?" Shino's dad inquired.
"Yes… "Shino replied.
"Well, look at the time! Sorry, but I have to leave," Kankuro said.
"Stay for dinner…" Shino said.
"Sorry, can't, have to meet with Gaara and Temari. Well, see you around, and don't forget last time it was a draw. I'll win the next one." After those words, Kankuro left.
"…" was Shino's answer.
"…" as was his dad's.
"Darling, your home. That's too bad that your friend had to leave, Shino-chan. Maybe he'll stay next time. So, how about we have dinner? I made your favorite. Meatloaf, and while I serve it, I can tell you about my day. In the morning, I went to get the groceries…" She just kept talking.
Shino and Shino's dad sweat dropped.
GAARA'S TOUR
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Lee showed Gaara all the top training spots in Konoha, Lee was very proud of the path his tour took.
"Well, Gaara, this is the best place to train," Lee had showed Gaara a small clearing in the forest where many logs laid in pieces. There were holes in the ground and practice dummies impaled with several sharp weapons.
This will do. Gaara thought.
"Well, Gaara, that's all the important training places, but there is one other place that's a must see for every one," Lee said while striking his good guy pose.
Lee guided Gaara around Konoha until they arrived at a house.
Lee stood in front of the house.
"This, Gaara, is the most important building of all Konoha, this is more important than the Hokage's office!" Lee said with fire in his eyes.
"This is Gai-sensei's house!" Lee screamed so every one would hear.
Gaara sweat-dropped and lightly blushed out of embarrassment.
"That's good to know…" Gaara said.
"Yes, I knew you would appreciate that piece of information that not everyone is lucky to know," Lee said, while smiling at Gaara.
Gaara suddenly stopped and the sand in his gourd started to spin around him.
"Gaara is something wrong? " Lee asked.
"Yes…" He answered.
"What's wrong? Do you detect an enemy?" Lee asked again.
"No…" He replied.
"Then what's wrong?" Lee asked yet again.
Gaara pointed at a store, Lee turned and saw Temari holding Shikamaru's arm while going into the flower shop.
Well, he is her brother. Lee thought.
"Well, we finish the tour very early so how about we go get something to eat?" Lee said
Gaara simply nodded and followed Lee who led the way.
"Gaara, this is a restaurant very recommended by Naruto-kun, how about we eat here?" Lee asked.
"Ichiraku's ramen," Gaara noted, and then nodded at Lee's question.
Lee and Gaara ordered Miso and shrimp ramen respectively, and started to eat. Every few bites Lee would try to say something to Gaara, but every time he would stop and keep eating.
"What do you want to ask…?" Gaara finally questioned.
"Well, Gaara, after the chuunin exam the battle between sand and leaf started. I was knocked out, but then I heard rumors about you and Sasuke." Lee began slowly.
"And?" Gaara prompted blankly.
"I would really want to know if Sasuke was the one who defeated you." Lee said
"No…it was Naruto" He answered
"Naruto-kun… I see" Lee just stared at his ramen bowl, thinking.
So Naruto-kun, wasn't just able to defeat my rival, Neji, but he was also able to defeat Gaara who I couldn't defeat even after opening the gates. I feel so foolish, yet proud. He is proof that a drop-out can defeat a genius with hard work and determination, Lee thought.
"You look surprised," Gaara said
"Well, I am a little. Naruto-kun is not the one that's been given credit for defeating you; every one thinks it was Sasuke." Lee said
"Then they are fools not to see his power." Gaara stated.
"It's hard for people to acknowledge Naruto-kun, just like it's hard for people to acknowledge me," Lee said whit tears in he's eyes.
"Why is it so hard for people to believe that Naruto is strong?" Gaara asked.
"The reason people don't believe that Naruto-kun is strong is because he failed the academy finals three times before being able to become a genin. When he did pass, he passed with the lowest score in his class, and finally he was put in the same team as Sasuke. So he was always in his shadow." Lee said.
Gaara said nothing.
"So, you see why every one underestimates Naruto-kun," Lee said
Gaara simply nodded and start eating again.
They stayed there eating, trading stories between every bowl of ramen they ate.
Several hours and stories later...
"Well Gaara, I have to leave, I have early training tomorrow morning." And so saying, he quickly left.
Gaara stood up and began to leave, when he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
"So, you'll be paying for your green-clothed friend?" asked an old man.
That bastard! He left without paying. I'll just kill this old man and then go kill him, Gaara thought.
Gaara stared into the old man's eyes.
No, I can't give into my old way, I'll pay the old man then go kill Lee. Gaara amended.
While Gaara was left paying the bill, a dashing Lee regretted his actions.
I'm sorry Gai-sensei, I did a terrible thing, I invited Gaara to eat without having any money, and left him with the bill. I'll punish my self by 'jumping rope' 1000 times while standing on my hands, Lee thought
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Temari arrived at her apartment, after entering, she saw Kankuro watching TV, "So, how was your tour with the bug boy?" She asked half-teasingly, half-seriously.
"It was okay... I guess the village itself isn't that impressive, but the shinobis and their families are interesting." Kankuro said with a with a smile gracing his usually sullen visage.
"And where's Gaara?" Temari asked.
"He's sleeping in his room, so be quiet. I don't want to wake him," he said in very low voice.
"But he's not kicking and screaming that Shukaku's going to get him." Temari stated
"Yeah, I was pretty surprised too, but I'm happy he can finally get a good night's sleep. Maybe we don't have to worry about him going berserk and killing us while we sleep." Kankuro said hopefully.
"I don't know about you, but since we got here I've been pretty relaxed. There's something about this place that calms you, maybe that's why the Sound tried to destroy it, they felt this peace and thought they weren't ready for war." She said.
"I think you're right, but man were we wrong. You'd never imagine this puny village could push back the Sand and Sound attack." Her brother concurred, a rare occurrence.
"I want to stay Kankuro." Temari said.
"I'm glad you said that, because I want to stay too, I'm sure we can finally have a little peace here, not having to see the glares every time we walk down the streets with our brother. Well, they're going to look at us coldly, but I'm sure their looks won't be as stormy as the ones the people in the Sand gave us, and they'll stop it with time." Kankuro said, staring at Gaara room.
"Good to hear you say that. Even though I would've stayed whether you wanted to or not, but you're right. Things can finally get better. With dad dead, we don't have to worry about getting called back to the Sand. That means... no more assassins coming after us and Gaara." She sighed dreamily.
"Then it's settled, we're staying," was heard. Temari and Kankuro quickly swiveled to the source of the voice, and there they saw Gaara standing in front of his room.
"Great, it's settled, then." Temari reiterated, while falling down on the couch next to Kankuro.
"Gaara, were sorry we woke you up…" Kankuro said nervously.
"It's okay, I can always go back to sleep..." Gaara answered unemotionally, turning to go into his room.
After seeing that, Temari and Kankuro looked at each other and exchanged smiles.
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Late at night, when the rest of Konoha had retired to the realm of dreams, one boy still couldn't rest.
"So after that, I went rasengan on his ass…" The boy just wouldn't stop relating the details of his grand fight with Sasuke.
He won't shut up, he just won't shut up! He's being talking for almost 24 hours! What in the name of the Yondaime made me asked him about the fight? He thought while his eye twitched out of frustration.
"Then he was all, 'I'll kill you because you're my friend' and I was all 'Yeah right, like that's going to happen'…" The blond boy's story seemed to go on perpetually.
Orochimaru please attack the village right now, please, something save me from this kid. He won't let me leave and won't shut up, either. Jiraiya thought desperately.
"Then he turned into a demon and made this black chidori, and I was like, 'If you're going to cheat I'll do it too, so I asked the fox for a lot of chakra and made this big red rasengan. After that, everything's blurry." He said, while closing his eyes.
Finally, he's finished! Now I can leave! He thought, relieved, but when he started to stand up, a foxy grin lit up the boy's face, his eyes opened, and he began to recount the glorious battle details again.
"I remember now, when we…" He continued to talk.
"Some body help meeee!!!!! " Jiraiya screamed to the heavens.
END OF CHAPTER 3