Okay, everybody here's the newest chapter, I hope everybody enjoys. I know I haven't developed all the relations yet, but I gotta start somewhere right. Hope everybody enjoys.
I don't own Naruto in any way shape or form, but if I did this is how it would go.
NARUTO'S DREAM
Hinata and Jiraiya returned to camp uneventfully and Hinata went to her sleeping bag quietly after greeting Shino and Kiba. She had a lot of information to digest and Jiraiya had asked her not to tell her team mates unless they asked. She didn't know how she would explain anything yet. Jiraiya sat down with them and made some small talk before turning in for the night. Shino, observant as ever had noticed Hinata's worried expression as she greeted them and went to turn in for the night. After they had talked for a little while Shino wanted to ask Hinata what bothered her, but she seemed to be asleep so he decided to wait until morning to talk with her.
Temari had been joined by Hirai in Gaara's room. Sakura had left to go to her quarters and get some rest. Sakura had found that Gaara had some blockages keeping him in a comatose state. She had successfully removed them and Gaara would recover soon. She said he would likely keep sleeping and awaken once his body fully recovered all it's functions. She didn't know the timetable for his awakening, because she didn't know how long he had been in that condition, but she ventured a guess that he should be awake before noon the next day. These had been great news to Temari and she had thanked Sakura from the bottom of her heart. Sakura felt awkward, but accepted the thanks. She then requested a place where she could get some rest as the operation she had performed to dissolve the blockages had taken a lot out of her. Temari had called an assistant who showed Sakura to her room. Temari found Hirai waiting outside the door as she bid Sakura a good night. Temari had asked Hirai to join her inside where she recounted all the events that had unfolded and told Hirai the good news of Gaara's eminent recovery. Finishing with. "Gaara should return to us sometime tomorrow and we should be able to move forward after this." Temari then closed her eyes with a soft smile on her face and bowed her head down. Relief finally washing over her.
Hirai was all smiles when she asked Temari. "So who's that girl. You must trust her a lot having let her look at Gaara before our medical team." Hirai asked, she was really hungry for information about these people from Konoha who had helped them.
Temari looked a Hirai and responded with a hint of admiration in her voice. "I already told you her name so I guess I'll just focus on the second part of your answer. We met a few years ago and she's someone I talk to whenever I go to Konoha. She's really close to someone Gaara respects and to be honest curiosity about that person is the reason I first approached her. However as we talked more we began to respect each other. True we're friend's, but her skills as a medical ninja are simply amazing. Not just for someone her age. If I were to go down the list I would rank her teacher at number one then Chiyo-sama maybe there is one or two others I can't think of right now that exceed her skill, but she's really up there." She took a long pause and continued as she saw the question beginning to form on Hirai's lips. "Who's her teacher? Is that what you want to ask?" Temari said. Hirai nodded and thought 'Temari's really good, how did she know what I wanted to ask.' Temari answered that question quickly. "The Kage of Konoha is her teacher. I know you don't know much about Konoha, but someday soon you'll learn to appreciate Sakura's skills." Temari looked at Hirai and this time couldn't decipher the question she wanted to ask so she came out and asked her. "So what else is on your mind? We might have a lot of time before Gaara wakes up."
Hirai had been wanting to ask this for a while and after her escort mission she was still curious. "Ano.. what is the story on that Naruto guy?" Hirai asked. She sat quietly not knowing how Temari would respond.
Temari smiled at this question she thought she understood why her young pupil asked the question. She gazed at her pupil and asked. "Why do you ask?" Temari said. She saw Hirai shift a little bit anxiously and said what she thought when Hirai didn't respond quickly. "Let me guess, you're curious how such and ordinary looking guy earned our respect. Is that it?" Temari asked thinking she had hit the nail on the head.
Hirai confirmed Temari's believe quickly by responding almost instantly. She became unusually animated as she began to talk. "Hai, I mean he doesn't look special. I don't get why Gaara shows him such respect. I don't think he looks strong, yet everyone acts like he's so powerful. I thought maybe it was because he was smart, but that can't be it." Hirai looked at Temari with a curious disbelieving expression. "It isn't is it? He's not some kind of savant is he?" Hirai asked. The thought had only recently crossed her mind.
Temari almost laughed at Hirai's idea and was only able to keep from laughing out loud. "Naruto a savant! Gomen Hirai, but that's not it. Naruto may be one of the biggest baka's I've ever met! Not to disrespect him, he's got a brain and everything. It's just that in some area's he's so clueless you wonder how he's still alive." Temari blurted out and recovered somewhat. She found her self looking back at her own experiences with Naruto. Remembering when they met him the very first time and discounting him on sight as a scrub. She remembered how quickly he seemed to improve, almost at a demon's pace. As she reminisced she began to convey some of her thoughts on Naruto to Hirai. "When we first met him he was less than an average shinobi. Whatever it is that makes him special is not something tangible." She looked at her kohai who was all ears and hanging on her every word and decided to shift tactics a little bit. "I can't speak for Gaara and the others, they have their reasons for respecting him. I'll tell you what impressed me about him. In a compressed amount of time, a time of need he stepped up and developed in an uncanny way. Like I said when I first met him he was less than an average shinobi. I wasn't in Konoha for too long on that visit, but before I left he managed a summon that I still can't match... maybe a summoning I can never match." Temari looked very thoughtful after this remembering the events that took place after that when Sasuke left their village and trying to fathom the scope of the Konoha villages power. Naruto was strong, really strong and Temari found herself often wondering how he failed in a mission to retrieve his best friend. Temari had also heard of tales of how Tsunade had easily put him in his place, of course Tsunade was the one who told her most of these stories so she didn't know how accurate they really were, but through it all a prevailing thought ran. Had it not been for Naruto's intervention the two villages would have been at war and Temari was hard pressed to believe their small village would have had any chance of victory. Temari had fallen silent as her mind raced through all these thoughts.
Hirai however didn't know what Temari did and Temari's words had only served to raise her curiosity. "So you're saying he's really strong? You think he's stronger than Gaara?" Hirai asked expecting only one answer she was totally shocked and startled when it was not what she received.
Temari looked at her solemnly and said. "I don't know. Gaara and Naruto only fought once and Naruto won that day. However it's been over three years since then and Naruto has been away dedicating himself to training with one of the legendary sannin. Gaara has grown much stronger during that time, but I don't know about Naruto." A wicked smile crossed Temaris face as she said the next words. "It would be really exciting to see those two have a rematch. That's for sure." Temari had not thought about what she had said, but now that the words were out of her mouth she realized they were very true. It would be exciting to see those two go at it.
Hirai looked at her sempai in disbelief. "Noway! That guy couldn't be stronger than Gaara!" Hirai cried out. With those words Temari had really boosted Hirai's desire to fight Naruto. Hirai usually calm and collected was unable to hide her intentions this time.
Temari was able to read Hirai like a book. She was surprised, because Hirai was very adept at hiding her intentions and emotions, but seeing Hirai react in this manner Temari couldn't help but laugh. She caught herself quickly though and quickly said in a very Temari way. "You want to challenge him then! I wanna see that go down! I'll tell you this though and I have a reason for telling you this. Do not show him you're abilities as he won't go all out on you either, trust me on this Hirai you don't want him to know too much about you." Temari said.
Hirai immediately asked. "Why is that sempai?"Hirai thought back to her own conversation with Naruto and wondered if she had already messed that up. Hopefully it would be inconsequential.
Temari shot her kohai a cold stare and said. "Trust me on this. I have a hunch, I'll be there to make sure you don't..." Temari looked at Hirai and said in a teasing voice. "and for your safety." Temari let out a laugh as she saw Hirai's face turn beet red with anger. Temari quickly apologized for her mean comment in her own way. "I know I can be harsh at times, but I do have a lot of confidence in you." Temari said. Saying this her mind inexplicably returned to her own chunnin exams and the fight between Gaara and Lee. At the time she didn't understand what Gai had meant when he said what he said after stepping in to help Lee, but now she looked at her own pupil and understood Gai's words. She too had found a someone who she deeply cared for. At that moment she saw Hirai let out a long yawn. Temari leaned over and put an arm around her and pulled her close. "I'll wake you as soon as Gaara wakes up." Temari said.
Hirai felt sleep slowly creeping upon her, but didn't know if it was okay to sleep as Temari said and voiced this. "Sempai, are you sure?" Temari responded not with words, but by patting her hands on her lap. Hirai smiled warmly as she lay her head in Temari's lap. Sleep came to her almost instantly, but before she floated away to sleep she thanked Temari in a sleepy murmur. "Arigatou, Temari-san. You're the best." A tear rolled down Temari's cheek, a soft smile on her face. She put her hand on her kohai's shoulder and reflected on how much life had changed in the village of sand. She knew if things were the way they were before she would not be Hirai's teacher and friend, she might not even know Hirai at all.
She sat there fighting off sleep herself as she waited for Gaara to awaken. It was a long time she stayed awake and right before she fell asleep she murmured. "Please wake up soon Gaara. We really need you." It would be a while yet before Gaara would wake, but that is the scene he would wake up too.
Meanwhile Naruto was in his room tossing and turning. He was no longer awake. He was in the desert and it was dusk. Naruto was caught in a sandstorm. Completely lost. In his mind Naruto did not know it was a dream it felt too real. He felt the grains of sand slicing against his skin and the wind beating him down. The wind was insanely powerful as he had to use his chakra on his feet not to be blown away. Naruto wanted to yell at the storm, but knew that would do no good. He decided to conserve his energy and dropped down to his knees and leaned forward putting his weight on his elbows and tucking his head into his chest shielding his eyes with his forearms in front of him. He closed his eyes and concentrated. How had he gotten here? He tried to comb his mind to remember, but came up empty. He simply couldn't remember. He was still scrunching up his face in deep thought when suddenly the wind dropped. He could still hear it blowing around him, but it was no longer berating him. He waited a few seconds to make sure it wasn't his imagination playing tricks on him and when he was sure the wind had stopped blowing for certain he dared to lift his gaze. The first thing he noticed was that night had fallen already he no longer had a shadow and he was cloaked in darkness. As he looked up he realized the error of his judgment and realized why he could still hear the wind. Sitting about fifty yards in front of him was the Kyubi. The demon fox was unfaded by the sandstorm and sat there looking calmly down at Naruto. Naruto got up and dusted himself off somewhat. He looked up at the fox stunned by his enormity blocking the wind and sand like that and feeling nothing. Naruto was about to say something, but the fox beat him to it. "Two and a half days boy." The fox then looked at Naruto meeting his gaze and holding it. Naruto had not stared at the fox's eyes like this ever and for the first time ever he felt speechless. Naruto had always assumed that the Kyubi's eyes were a solid red, but when he looked at them he saw they maintained the red shade, but the corneas seemed so intense they seemed to move. Almost as if there were really explosions going on behind the fox's eyes. The thing that weirded Naruto out the most though was the steadiness of Kyubi's pupils. Gazing at him with infinite calmness. Naruto broke off his gaze not being able to take it anymore. As soon as he did the fox stood up. Naruto was suddenly blown away by the wind that now ran through the fox's legs. Naruto was lifted off his feet and blown back a great distance. He fell to the ground as the wind suddenly stopped. Naruto saw the fox now a great distance away from him and knew the wind had finally died down on it's own. Naruto got up and dusted himself off once again.
He looked around him as his frustration grew. He had landed a few feet from a deep cliff. He couldn't take it anymore he took a deep breath and yelled with all his might. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" He didn't expect any answer he just did it do calm himself down somewhat. He looked behind him and saw the glow of the red chakra which belonged to the fox. Naruto could not tell if the fox was coming or going, but at the moment he really didn't care. He sat down and looked at the chasm that was in front of him. There was still some light and he could see pretty clearly. He looked at the strange formations at the bottom of the chasm and was captivated by the beauty created by the layers of sediment. As he stared at the chasm this feeling of being watched crept over him. He ignored it thinking it may have been the fox. He kept scanning the chasm until he finally found the opposite wall upon which rose another steep cliff face. Naruto's eyes widened as he alighted on the surface of the other cliff. There was somebody standing on it. From such a great distance Naruto could not make out any details. All he could tell was that they were wearing robes because they were blowing in the wind. He could not see the person, but he could feel their gaze upon him and suddenly knew it had not been the fox that had been watching him after all. Naruto squinted his eyes and strained them as much as he could to get a better look at whoever was on the other side of the chasm when suddenly beside the small silhouette there arose another silhouette this one grew much bigger in size and Naruto's eyes widened as it took form. He instantly recognized the form and was shocked thinking the fox was on the other side with that person. He quickly jumped to his feet and spun around to get a running start. However standing a little to his side and behind him now sat the Kyubi. Once again calm and unnerving. The shock of the fox's appearance startled Naruto incredibly and he jumped back a few feet. However in his impulsiveness he had forgotten he was on the edge of a cliff and he lost his footing on the ledge. He tried to lean forward to regain his balance, but to no avail as he fell off the cliff. Naruto let out a yell of frustration, this was no way to die. He looked up as he fell and saw the fox leaning over the cliff looking at him as if it was no big deal. Naruto's mind raced back to what the fox said, was it really going to let him die this way for it's freedom?
As the question formed in Naruto's mind the fox suddenly lost his patience with the boys stupidity. He let out an ear splitting roar of a yell that could be heard from miles around. "WAKE UP YOU DAMN FOOL!"
Naruto shot up in his bed sweat covering his body and his hair plastered to his forehead breathing hard. It had all been just a dream Naruto thought to himself. That was the first thing he told himself, but it had felt like much more than just a dream, who had been on the other side of the cliff and what the hell had the Kyubi been doing in his dream? Naruto really had no idea what to think had he been the one who just dram the whole thing and was making it more than it really was or was there really something going on. Naruto didn't know, but he would spend a long time wondering these things and would not get any sleep until after dawn.
In another part of the world another person had also awoken in a cold sweat wondering who that person was that had been standing across a deep chasm and who that beast was that had unleashed that terrifying roar that had told this person to wake up and called them a fool. This person would also loose sleep that night.
PREVIEW
First day of training for team eight.
RSO'S
dragonman180- Man I don't know about how Hinata will react when she finds out about it, and she will, but man that's gonna be interesting.
danny- Yeah he deserved it, but he played on Hinata's naivity. Hmm, I don't know if I could do that to Jiraiya I need him to survive for now maybe the second beating will come much further down the line. Yeah, I'm glad your there to risk your life by correcting me, surprised nobody else said anything.
causeiambetta- thanx, I try not to forget about team 8. I'm hoping so team eight's mission will be a building block for future developments, so it's imperative that they succeed. No problem.
crazygirlofmanynames- Yeah, dirty bastard. J/K, thanx for the compliment.
reikage-sama-lord-spirit- soon.
warprince- thanx.
narashikamaru- hmmm, Oh I know. J/K I can't tell you yet. Yeah if you keep taking to long I'm gonna start waiting for you to update before I do as extra motivation. That way when people got mad at me for not updating quickly enough I can blame it on you. Muahhahahahahaha, oh the ingenuity. Gotta love it.
jeefus- Yeah that's gonna be a shocker for them. lol sorry, I can only write so much for free. lol. Well, Naruto beat him before the time-skip, so I haven't decided what to do with that yet. Yeah Hirai will have an encounter of the Naruto kind in the near future. Lol. Thanx, I hope you liked this ch. as well.
dunpar- you gotta be a speed reader. You just started reading and your already on ch 37 wow. I'm not pushing myself too much, people might actually be upset if they knew how far I had thought the story already, I'll try not to burn myself out though. Especially with football season here, I won't be updating as often. Thanx, for the comments. The two girls are just to add mystery and suspense for things to come.
warprince- thanx x2.
shadowneji- Yeah, huh. Hope you liked this chapter.