Two hours later they found themselves at the gates to the Aburame clan compound awaiting entrance. They did not have to wait long before being lead inside. Their guide offered them tea as they waited for the clan head who they were told would be there shortly. They past the time in idle chat until the Clan head appeared with one of Naruto's classmates much to his surprise. Standing up both Naruto and Tenten bowed to the man, and waited to return to their seats until the clan head gestured for them to do so.
"I am Shibi the head of the Aburame clan, and this is my son Shino whom I believe you already know from the academy." The clan leader said with the unemotional tone famously used by the Aburame.
Tenten and Naruto introduced themselves as well thanking Shibi for the hospitality. After spending 15 minutes on the required pleasantries Shibi decided it was time to get down to business. "I understand the reason you requested this meeting was to discuss something you thought would help to improve our clan techniques. I am interested on how you think this is possible considering you know now more than is publicly available just like with any clan."
Naruto took a deep breath before setting his tea down, and folding his hands on his lap. "I have already discussed my plans for reforming my clan in Konoha with Hokage-sama, and as I am the last of my line I will be under the CRA. With this being the case I want to wait until I have found a woman worthy of my heart and the position of wife of the clan head before I announce this to the council. Be this months or years away is not of concern right now. My purpose here is to try to strengthen inter-clan bonds in preparation for when I am ready to take the mantle of Clan Head. With that in mind I have commissioned these as a gesture of good will."
Naruto made a slight gesture to Tenten who picked up a wooden box, and brought it over to Shibi. She knelt down before opening the box to display what was inside. Shibi raised an eyebrow at this before picking up one of the tonfas for inspection. After a moment he handed it to Shino for him to size up as well. "These are fine weapons, Naruto-san, but how do you think these will improve my clan's combat ability?"
Naruto took a sip of tea before he answered. "As you have noticed these are not regular tonfas. These are a special design that Tenten, and myself have come up with, specifically with the Aburame in mind. It is common knowledge that the Aburame hold a special relationship to bugs, and use your own bodies to house their colonies. It is also common knowledge, though to a much lesser degree, that the weakness of your clan is in close combat. Taking those 2 things into consideration we have come up with this as a possible solution. Hopefully this is, but the first of many." Naruto had been keeping a close eye on Shibi in hopes of seeing a reaction that was favorable, and was not disappointed when he was given a nod to continue. "The principle is simple, Shibi-dono. The holes on the handle and ends of the tonfa are designed in such a way as to allow your bugs to travel through the tubes built into them. This serves 2 main purposes. The first being a solid melee capability both defensively, and offensively. As a man of your combat experience is well aware of when people are in melee combat there are many small details that are missed in the struggle for survival. With the combination of extended reach as well as the tubes built into the weapons it would allow your clan members to place your bugs directly on your opponent in strategic spots, as well as inflicting damage at the same time. If our understanding is correct this would also help to conserve chakra as well as cut down on the number of bugs lost in combat. I have checked the public records while researching this, and to be perfectly honest I was appalled at the mortality rate of an Aburame who has lost his bugs to an enemy's jutsus."
At this point Naruto let his words sink in as he slowly sipped his tea patiently waiting for Shibi to speak. In this silence Tenten moved back to her position next to Naruto, and gave him an encouraging smile. After a few minutes Shino handed the weapon back to his father who then placed it back within the box before closing it. Without taking his eyes from Naruto Shibi asked his son's opinion. "What is your input on this, Shino?"
"The possibilities of this cannot be denied. If this does prove to be as useful as promised it would greatly increase the clan's stature within Konoha as well as without. I would suggest having someone train with these weapons so that they can be tested in a combat environment where the results would be best displayed." Shino said in the usual emotionless monotone the Aburame were famous for.
Shibi listened stoically to his son before nodding with a minor crinkling of one corner of his mouth that showed he approved of what Shino said. "I agree with my son on this. There is great potential for this subject, but we will have to test it to see just how beneficial it truly is. If nothing else you have opened a new avenue of exploration to lessen our clan's greatest weakness. For this alone you have our appreciation and if this works out I can guarantee the full support of the Aburame clan to the Strife clan."
Naruto and Tenten shared a smile as they glanced at each other at this knowing the foundations of what Naruto had planned for the future was being laid. After a while spent discussing plans, and other weapon designs the pair excused themselves before being escorted out. They talked about how they were going to accomplish with the other clans what they had with the Aburame, as Naruto walked Tenten home. After bidding her good night he headed back to his place with a smile.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX
Over the next 2 weeks Naruto and Tenten had meetings with several of the major clans of Konoha. Most of the meetings went well though some of the clan heads were a bit skeptical they still chose to cement a friendship between their clans and Naruto. He knew that things could have gone better, but since he refused to use his father as leverage the results were better than he had expected. Both Naruto and Tenten had been very busy discussing each meeting past, and the upcoming ones to get better results. They were so busy in fact that either had hardly any time to do anything else. This was especially true for Tenten who had to do missions and training with her genin team. She had been so busy in fact that it wasn't until they had finished their meetings with the clan heads that Tenten was able to talk with the woman Gai had told her about. She hated delaying the meeting this long, but it was necessary if she was going to help Naruto. Two days after the last meeting Gai had told her he had arranged a meeting for her with the woman, and she was to meet her at the Akimichi BBQ restaurant at 7pm. Although she was excited about finally being able to get the advice she sorely needed she was also very nervous about what the woman would say, and truly hoped she wouldn't make a fool of herself.
Tenten had arrived almost 30 minutes early, and spent most of the time fidgeting as she thought about what she was going to say. Tenten's version of fidgeting was not what most would think. Even though she was a rookie genin her skills had quickly earned her the title of "Meijin Taishou no Konoha", and as such her "fidgeting" involved sharp and pointy objects. It was while she was idly spinning a kunai in each hand when a woman sat down at her table.
"Hello, Tenten, I am Yuuhi Kurenai. Maito Gai said you had something important you needed to discuss with me concerning "Feminine Issues"?" She introduced herself with a smile.
Tenten slipped the kunai into her pouch as she smiled in return. "Yes, Kurenai-san, I have a problem that I was hoping you could help me with. I don't have anyone close to me that I felt I could talk with about this. That is why I asked Gai-sensei if he knew anyone that might be able to help." Tenten took a deep calming breath before continuing. "To be honest my problem is of a very personal issue, and I ask that what we are about to discuss stays between us. Some of what I will have to tell you to explain the situation involves secrets that do not belong to me. Those secrets belong to someone dear to me, and who in all honesty is at least high chunin level if not low jonin in skill. I have spared with him so I know firsthand that he could destroy me without breaking a sweat if he wanted to. I have also seen him holding his own against Mitirashi Anko, though I believe that they both were holding back quite a bit. I am not trying to threaten you, just make the situation clear should word of this get back to him."
Kurenai sat silently listening to Tenten as she spoke having a few ideas as to what this may be about, but not sure which if any were the case. Kurenai knew of several people she could be talking about, and was more than a little curious about who "he" was, as well as this secret Tenten was talking about. "You have my word as a jonin of Konoha that anything we discuss will not go beyond us without your express permission as long as it doesn't endanger the welfare of Konoha. Before we begin why don't we place our orders? Talking can make a person surprisingly hungry and thirsty."
Tenten sighed in relief upon hearing this glad that if the worst happened Naruto wouldn't hate her and he would still be her best friend. Smiling at Kurenai she waved one of the waiters over to place her order. Tenten waited patiently as Kurenai gave the waiter her order, and began telling Kurenai about the relationship her and Naruto had, as well certain incidents, and some things he said not once mentioning his name. Tenten only paused in her story to take a bite of food or take a drink. They were waiting for their dessert to arrive by the time she finished speaking ending on how Naruto was going to fall under the CRA, and what he had said about wanting a woman worthy of his heart and position as "Clan Mother".
A slight smile had appeared on Kurenai's lips as she figured out who Tenten had been talking about, and could tell that the girl really did care deeply for Naruto. She had listened to all she had to say growing more certain as the story unfolded. She even had to sigh wistfully at the romantic scene that had taken place on the Hokage Monument, and debated on telling the girl she should have seduced him instead of slapping him after the kiss. Saying she was surprised at what the two teens were doing with the clan heads was quite the understatement. There were people 3 times their age that couldn't play politics that well. She decided to stay quite slowly eating the strawberry parfait she had ordered while she chose her words carefully.
"I have to give you credit, Tenten. What you have told me is more than surprising, especially considering your age. I can very easily see you rising through the ranks very quickly, and maybe even ending up on the council when you choose to retire. You have a lot of potential to be one of the greatest konoichi Konoha has ever had between what you and Gai have told me." While she took the time to take another bite of her dessert Kurenai saw the girl beam at the praise. "On to the subject at hand though…. You say that you are unsure of how you feel towards Naruto? Yes I figured out who you were talking about. Anko is a very close friend of mine, and I know Naruto very well because of that. Watching you tonight, and hearing how you speak of him I have no doubt how you feel about him. You are in love with him. He is a good man, and a very talented one at that."
"Love? Are you sure? I mean it's just not some crush or hormonal thing? He is very handsome after all." Tenten asked her surprise, and nervousness at the implications plain to the seasoned konoichi.
Kurenai smiled, and nodded her head agreeing with the girl. "Yes he is very attractive, and if he was a few years older I might consider him a prospective suitor for myself. To be frank, Tenten, I have no doubt that you love him. It's obvious by the tone of your voice, the look in your eyes, and the way your body moves when you talk about him. It also helps that he has such a great body." Kurenai couldn't help but giggle at the blush on Tenten's face when she mentioned Naruto's body. "Naruto has a lot of potential, and will go far as a shinobi, and a man. He has a loving heart, but it has been wounded deeply by what has happened. It may take a while for him to truly open his heart again, but when he finally does accept another woman into his heart he will do so with every fiber of his being. You should tell him how you feel. Don't press the issue though. Tell him, and then let him make the next move. Just don't hurt him. He trusts you. After all how many men do you know that would be pinned to a wall with kunai and shuriken, and still smile like he did with you afterward."
Tenten's eyes opened wide at this her face reddening in embarrassment. "H... How do you know about that?"
Kurenai laughed at the girl's discomfort. "Anko and I saw the whole thing. We were on the roof watching the students. I am going to be a jonin sensei after graduation, and Anko decided to accompany me when I told her I wanted to see what I was in for. There is a lot of talent in this graduating class, but that is only natural seeing as 7 future clan heads are in the same class. Although there are a few I seriously hope I don't get stuck with."
Tenten nodded as Kurenai spoke having heard Naruto tell stories about some of the people in his class. "So… You think I should tell him I love him, but what if he doesn't feel the same? I don't want to ruin our friendship over this." Tenten began spinning a 6 pointed shuriken as she became nervous about Naruto's reaction to her declaration of the heart.
"Don't worry. Naruto would never end a friendship over something like this. If he does turn you down things may be uncomfortable between you for a while, but I don't think he will. From what you told me about that kiss he has at least some feelings for you. Just tell him, and try to take it slow. After all neither of you are ready to be parents yet."
"Parents! I…he…we…us…kids…" Tenten tried to speak unsuccessfully as thoughts of being a family with Naruto, and what their kids would be like ran through her head. She let out a loud breath calming herself in the process. "What I mean to say is that I wouldn't mind having his children some day, but not for a long time. I want to prove that not all konoichi are fangirls, and that women like Tsunade-sama are supposed to be the norm."
Kurenai was proud of the teen, and had to agree that fangirls gave konoichi a bad reputation, and sometimes wished she could kidnap them for Anko and Ibiki to play with. As she finished her dessert she decided to play an active role in aiding Tenten get Naruto. She sat silently with her eyes closed planning how to go about this her smile growing devious as the pieces fell into place. When she opened her eyes there was an intensity there that made Tenten nervous. "With how hurt his heart is because of Yuffie you will have to be very careful about how you go about this, but I have an idea. Here's what you do….." Kurenai leaned forward laying out the plan in detail. Tenten wondered if she could do what she was hearing, but then the image of what would happen if she succeeded. Seeing the mental imagery solidified her determination, and started making a list of things she would need when the time came to implement "Operation: Bag the Hunk".
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Naruto woke up early for today was graduation day. He slowly stretched before heading to the shower. After taking care of his hygienic needs he went to the kitchen for a breakfast of sausage, eggs, and toast. After finishing his breakfast and cleaning the dishes he checked the clock seeing he had 2 hours before he had to be at the academy. He took his time getting ready, and for some reason decided to dress as if he had a mission. Over the next half hour he dressed and armed himself making sure everything was in its place. He wore black pants, black steel toe boots, a black half cape that draped from his waist a dark blue sleeveless shirt, black leather fingerless gloves with a metal plate on the back, and a piece of armor emblazoned with a fox head on his left shoulder. After checking himself in the mirror he picked his sword up from the corner it was laying in, and set it in position on his back with the handle over his right shoulder. As he headed to the door he picked up his sleek silver sunglasses, and put them on before opening the door. After locking up he placed his hand on the center of the door activating a security seal that placed a barrier effectively stopping anyone from entering. With his apartment secure he began walking leisurely toward the academy.
Naruto took his time getting to the academy, and even so still arrived over 20 minutes early. Seeing no one else in the class room yet he decided to claim a spot in the back. Leaning against the wall he looked out the window letting the memories of his time here play through his mind. Naruto stayed like this as the other students filed in, and took their seats. It was several minutes more before Iruka and Mizuki came in. Within short order they began calling names for the final round of testing. This did not take long as the testing consisted of demonstrating a kawarimi, a Bunshin, and a henge. Each test took 5-10 minutes each. Most of them passed the test returning to the room with their Hitai-ate proudly displayed while a few, mostly Uchiha fangirls returned without one. Naruto had been in the top 5 of the class since he had joined, and the results of his test showed this as he performed it flawlessly, and returned to the class with his Hitai-ate hanging from his belt. After the last few tests were taken Iruka and Mizuki came back into the class to announce the final grades with Uchiha Sasuke getting Rookie of the Year. With the last minute lectures done, and saying that those that passed were to report back at 10am for team placements on Monday they dismissed the class.
As Naruto was about to leave the room Mizuki called him back. "I'd like to talk to you about something, Naruto. Could you meet me on the roof in 15 minutes?"
Naruto didn't like the look in Mizuki's eyes, but was curious as to what this was about. "What is this about, Mizuki-sensei?"
"It's a private matter, Naruto. I'll explain on the roof. Ok?"
"Alright. I'll be on the roof in 15 minutes." Naruto walked to the roof, and took a seat on one of the benches to wait for Mizuki.
"Ah, Naruto, good to see you are here." Mizuki said as he walked onto the roof. He took a quick look around to make sure no one was near. "The reason I asked you here is because you have earned a chance at something that hasn't been offered in years."
Naruto didn't like how furtive Mizuki was acting, and narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses. "What opportunity is this, Mizuki-sensei, and why be so secretive about it?"
Mizuki smiled thinking he had the boy where he wanted him. "It is a secret because if it was known everyone that graduated would want to do it. This opportunity is only given to students that have shown a talent far beyond their peers. It is a chance to advance in rank to Chunin upon graduation. One final test of your skills, and you could skip all the D rank missions, and be placed on a team of equal rank. You would be doing C and B rank mission within a week along with a significant pay increase over someone of genin rank."
Naruto's head tilted slightly to the right as he examined Mizuki carefully trying to discern what he was planning. Naruto knew that Mizuki was lying about this so called "chunin test" having discussed the graduation at length with Saratobi, Kurenai, and Anko. He knew Saratobi would want to know what was going on so decided to play along. "That sounds very tempting. What do I have to do for this test?"
Mizuki had to restrain himself from rubbing his hands together. "It's very simple. All you have to do is get the Forbidden Scroll from the Hokage's office, and learn 1 jutsu from it. You will have until midnight to accomplish this. If you are successful you will be promoted to chunin tomorrow, but if you don't you'll remain a genin until you pass the bi-annual chunin exams which you won't be able to enter until you jonin sensei thinks your team is ready. So what do you say? Are you ready to be a chunin?"
Naruto didn't know what was going on, but if this involved the Forbidden Scroll he knew whatever Mizuki had planned wasn't good. Naruto crossed his arms, and leaned back thinking about how to play this out. After a moment he stood up turning to Mizuki. "I don't see any downside to this test. Either I pass and get chunin or I fail and things stay as they are now. I'll take the test, Mizuki-sensei."
Mizuki's smile grew as he pulled a piece of paper from a pocket of his vest. "Here is the location, and description of the Forbidden scroll. At the bottom you'll see directions to the place your are to meet me at midnight. There is also one last thing. Since this test is a secret you cannot tell anyone about it. If someone finds out you will automatically fail. Plan carefully, and I'll meet you in 7 hours. Good luck." Mizuki went back down into the building leaving Naruto on the roof.
Naruto stayed on the roof for several minutes to make sure Mizuki was well within the building before using shunshin to take himself to the Hokage tower. He walked through the building to the Hokage's office, and told the secretary he wished to speak with Saratobi about an important issue. She told Naruto to take a seat while she informed the Hokage. After a few minutes she came back out of the office, and gestured for him to enter. As he walked in and took a seat the secretary closed the door behind him leaving the two men alone.
"So, Naruto, What is this important issue you wish to speak with me about?" Saratobi said as he made a shadow clone to continue the paperwork while he moved to the couch for a more comfortable seat.
"You're not going to like this, Jiji. You might want to activate the privacy seals for what I have to say."
Saratobi took a drag off of his pipe as he noticed just how serious Naruto was being before going through the proper hand seals. After the slight glow that signified the seals' activation faded Naruto told Saratobi about what had happened with Mizuki after the final testing at the academy. The only sign that showed the old man didn't like what he heard was a slight tightening around his eyes. "I don't know what he has planned, but I think there is more to it than just getting his hands on the Forbidden Scroll. I think we should have ANBU capture him and take him to I&T for interrogation. I can only imagine what Anko would do to him after hearing he tried to involve me in this."
From what he had heard about how close Naruto and Anko had become he shuddered knowing that a team of medic-nin would have to be on standby just to keep him alive if she got a hold of him. "That's a good plan, but Mizuki has been a shinobi for over 20 years. Since he was so kind as to give us a forewarning of where and when he will be there I think we should use it to set a trap for him. I want you to come back here an hour after sunset. You should sneak in to keep up appearances since we don't know if Mizuki will be keeping an eye on you. Now why don't you go get something to eat? It'll be a long night, and we have much to do."
Naruto bowed to Saratobi acknowledging the orders. "Hai, Hokage-sama."
Before Naruto could leave Saratobi called out to him once more. "Naruto, tell my secretary that I wish to see her."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X
In a clearing near the appointed time several ANBU, Anko, Saratobi, Ibiki, and several other jonin were hiding with the aid of Meisaigakure no Jutsu. Naruto was off to one side of the clearing near a small shack with the Forbidden Scroll unrolled. He had already sent several groups of clones to work on some jutsus he had found in the scroll that he thought would be useful. He had already gotten permission from the Hokage to do this. The jutsus his clones were working on were "Clone Explosion", "Shadow Shuriken", "Shadow Kunai", and "Rasengan". Saratobi had limited the number of jutsu he could take from the scroll to a maximum of 5, and Naruto was scanning through the Scroll for a 5th one as Mizuki had yet to show up. Naruto had gone over much of the scroll, and to be honest was very disgusted at some of the things in the scroll, and could very well understand why they were labeled as forbidden. Having reached the end of the list of A rank jutsu he started reading the S ranked ones. Within short order he began to contemplate talking with the Hokage about adding quarterly mental evaluations of all active shinobi. Near the end of the scroll he found a jutsu that intrigued him. It was similar to some of the Materia spells he had at his disposal, but had a greater adaptability. After looking it over for a few minutes he took out a scroll, and wrote down all the information on the jutsu known as "Creation Rebirth".
Naruto looked up at the moon and noted that it right around midnight and that Mizuki would be showing up any minute, so he rolled the scroll back up to where it only showed the first couple jutsu. After this was done he leaned back against the shack to meditate even though it looked like he was taking a nap. Several minutes later a snake hissed by his ear signaling that the prey was near. Sure enough the sound of Mizuki landing on a branch nearby a short time later.
"Hello, Naruto-kun. Have you learned a jutsu to pass the test for chunin yet?" Mizuki said as he dropped down from his position in the tree totally unaware that he was surrounded by some of the strongest shinobi and konoichi in Konoha.
Naruto slowly stood up and stretched acting as if he was waking up before turning to face Mizuki. "Hai, Mizuki-sensei, I have, but I do have a question though."
Mizuki walked closer smiling so as to keep the teenager at ease. "Go ahead, Naruto-kun. After your question though I'll need you to demonstrate what jutsu you learned. After all being a chunin is a serious thing, and I have to verify you did pass."
Naruto smiled in a way that Mizuki mistook to mean that he was happy to have passed the "test". "Why were you planning on betraying Konoha by stealing the Forbidden Scroll? After all there are many places that would welcome you with open arms for delivering it to them."
Mizuki's smile turned sinister as he let the mask slip while reaching for a fuma shuriken on his back. "It really doesn't matter, Naruto-kun, seeing as you won't leave this clearing alive!" He threw the huge bladed object at Naruto as he finished speaking.
In a flash Naruto had drawn his sword knocking the weapon aside with ease. "You should have known that wouldn't work on me, Mizuki-sensei. Have you really been paying attention to what goes on at the academy?" Naruto said nonchalantly holding his sword at the ready.
"I have, Naruto-kun. You are just a little boy with no knowledge or experience. I might have had something to worry about in a few years, but now you will never have a chance to know what it is like to be a man." Mizuki laughed as he drew out a kunai in each hand.
Seeing as how Mizuki was being so talkative Naruto decided to try to get him to talk before capturing him. "Boy? I'll have you know that before I came here I had a beautiful girlfriend that was very limber." Naruto smirked lecherously as he continued. "The things she would do as we laid together at night we astounding."
Mizuki guffawed at this. "Really, Naruto-kun? I doubt that. There is no way a child like you could ever have enjoyed a woman's touch unless it was cheaply bought whore."
Naruto's eyes narrowed at the insult to Yuffie, and began sliding slowly toward Mizuki wanting to remove some "Unnecessary parts" from the traitor before letting I&T have him. "Let me tell you a little about the love of my life that I will never see again." Naruto began describing Yuffie leaving almost nothing to the imagination even going on to say that her breasts were "well within the just right range. Not too big or small." By this point Naruto had covered half the distance to Mizuka who had only laughed harder and harder as Naruto spoke. Unfortunately for Mizuki this only caused the teen to grow more and more agitated, and missed a whispered word because of the sound of his own laughter.
Naruto tighten the grip on his sword before calling upon on the Materia spells he had learned from those he considered family. "HASTE" he said before he moved with all the speed he could muster, and ran at Mizuki sheathing his sword as he went. With a level of speed that would impress Maito Gai Naruto slammed his fist into Mizuki's gut with his right hand. As Mizuki was lifted off the branch from the impact Naruto grabbed the same branch with his left using the leverage to launch a vertical roundhouse that sent Mizuki to the ground. As he coughed up blood wondering where a mere academy student got such speed and strength Mizuki didn't have time to react as Naruto pushed off the branch to deliver a spinning elbow drop. Upon impact Mizuki screamed as he felt several ribs shatter puncturing his left lung. Slowly Naruto picked up Mizuki by his neck holding him a few inches off the ground. As he drew his other arm back to deliver a final blow he was called to a stop as the Hokage appeared next to him.
"Enough, Naruto. ANBU take him to holding cell, and have him looked at by a medic." Saratobi said with authority as he surveyed the damage Naruto inflicted in a few short seconds. "You did well, Naruto, and have heard the A rank pay for this mission. It is a shame he did not let more information out. It would have made interrogating him easier." Suddenly Saratobi raised an eyebrow as he saw an oddly subdued Anko walk towards them cupping her breasts. "Is something wrong, Anko?" He asked as she neared them.
When she was within a few feet of them she looked at Naruto with concern and surprisingly self doubt. She had heard the way he had spoken of Yuffie, and knew that even though Naruto wouldn't be able to see her again she still held sway over his heart. Hearing that in his voice even after all these months had made Anko realize that she truly cared for the handsome blonde, and wanted to be accepted into his heart. Slowly she opened her trench coat revealing he breasts to the object of her affection as she tried to put the mask of playful seductress back in place. "Naruto-kun…Do my breasts put me in the "just right" requirements?"
Naruto looked at Anko with a serious expression long enough for tears to build in Anko's eyes. When he saw this he turned to Saratobi his eyes asking for privacy. The Hokage nodded, and shunshined back to his office leaving them alone in the clearing. As the chakra signature faded away Naruto walked up to Anko, and gently placed his hands on the sides of her face. "Why don't we continue this conversation in private, Anko-chan?" He slid his left hand down her neck, along her collarbone, and traced a path between her breasts until his hand was over her heart. "Matters as important as this should not be exposed to needless rumor." Naruto removed his hands to form a shadow clone with excess chakra. When the clone poofed into existence it nodded to Naruto before heading out on its mission. Smiling softly at Anko he picked her up bridal style. "Come on, Anko-chan. We have a lot to talk about, and it's getting late." Naruto said before jumping into the trees taking Anko to her apartment.
When they arrived at her place he set her down on the couch, and poured Anko a glass of watered down sake for her nerves. Naruto and Anko talked for a couple hours, and when her tears came back he would hold her letting her open the emotional floodgate that she had kept close for many years. Around 2:30am he noticed she had stilled and was breathing relaxingly against his chest. Thinking she was asleep he carried her to her bed, and took off her trench coat and sandals before covering her with a blanket. As he stood back up he couldn't help but smile at how the moonlight accented her face. Softly so as not to wake her he brushed some stray hair out of her face, and leaned down to kiss her forehead. When he went to right himself he suddenly found his head gripped in Anko's hands. Moving his eyes to hers he couldn't help but see the silent plea within them.
"Naru-kun, please….stay." She said softly as her eyes and tone begged him for more than just his presence.
Seeing such potent emotions in her eyes, which was something he thought no one except possibly Kurenai had seen since Orochimaru's betrayal, he couldn't resist any longer.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
While Naruto took Anko home his clone made its way to Tenten's house. Seeing the lights off the clone climbed the wall to where a window for her bedroom was. Carefully he slipped inside so as not to wake anyone. Silently he went over to the bed to see Tenten lying on the bed in a halter top and panties with the covers hanging off the bed. Clone Naruto took a moment to appreciate the scene before him before gently shaking her shoulder softly calling out to her. "Ten-chan. Ten-chan, wake up."
Tenten slowly opened her eyes wondering why she was being woken up. "Naruto-kun? What is going on?" She asked as she sat up wiping sleep from her eyes.
Clone Naruto sat on the edge of the bed before he replied. "Something has come up, Ten-chan. We need to talk."
Not even realizing her lack of clothes Tenten moved to sit "Indian style" on her bed at the serious tone. "What happened that is so important that it couldn't wait until morning? Did something happen with one of the clans, Naruto-kun?"
Clone Naruto ran a hand through his hair letting out a breath. "I'm not Naruto. I am a shadow clone, and as for what happened… Well Boss just got done with an A ranked mission from the Hokage himself."
Tenten listened to the clone her eyes wide that one of the senseis at the academy was a traitor. "Boss wanted you to know that he might be busy with the Hokage for the next few days depending on what Ibiki, Anko, and Inoichi are able to get from Mizuki-teme." Clone Naruto placed his hand on top of Tenten's giving it a gentle squeeze. "I may be a clone, but I am a perfect copy of Boss, and I can honestly say that having you upset is something we definitely don't want."
Tenten had been thinking about the implications of Mizuki being a traitor, and if he had recruited anyone else from the academy when she felt Naruto's hand on hers. She stared at the hand as she heard what the clone said which caused her thoughts to follow a different track. Slowly her eyes followed the lines of his arm up to his face. She looked at him for a long moment thinking to herself. 'I know he cares for me, but in what way? The clone said he is a perfect copy. Maybe I can find out from him or at the least practice for when I talk with the real Naruto-kun.' Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your point of view Tenten did not know about the information aspect of shadow clones, and started something she might not have otherwise.
"Naruto-kun I need to talk with you about something." She said with a slight blush as she thought about where this might lead with Naruto.
"You can talk with me about anything, Ten-chan. You should know that by now." The clone said wondering what the redness of her face meant.
Tenten took a deep breath before starting. "First off I want to apologize for being so distant lately. I've had a lot on my mind over the last month. I have done a lot of thinking, and have come to a conclusion. Please wait till I finish before saying anything. I might lose my courage if you interrupt." Seeing the clone nod she steeled herself for what she was going to say next. "Naruto-kun, I like you. I like you so much you could even say I love you." She said looking into Clone Naruto's eyes.
Seeing the seriousness of the emotions in her eyes the clone was at a loss. Yeah he liked Tenten a lot, but was it in that way?
Tenten watched carefully as the clone thought about what she had said. When she saw him open his mouth she placed her hand over it as she shook her head. "I don't expect an answer now." Tenten laughed mockingly at herself. "Hell I just told a clone that I love the original. Not like he'll even know unless I tell him myself. Pathetic aren't I?" She laughed again ashamed of herself. Her she was a konoichi with a years experience under her belt and she couldn't tell the man she cared for 3 simple words.
The clone unsure of what to do just held her hand until she started rocking back and forth and crying. The clone scooted over until his hip touched hers, and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "It's ok, Ten-chan. You are far from pathetic. You are one of the strongest women I know."
Tenten's crying slowed as she sniffed a little. "Really? You don't think I'm pathetic and childish?" She asked fear and hope battling in her eyes.
Clone Naruto smiled at her and nodded. "You are a lot stronger then you give yourself credit for, Ten-chan. There is no way I could think you're pathetic, and as for childish…..We'll just have to wait until after you give birth to answer that one." The clone said with a smile trying to get her spirits up.
Tenten just looked at the clone for a long moment before acting on her decision. After all it was just a clone, and Naruto wouldn't know. Right? Tenten grabbed Clone Naruto's shoulders, and pulled him close locking her lips with his in a deep kiss. The clone was caught off guard, and had 2 thoughts run through its mind. 'Boss is going to kill me. Oh well his loss I might as well enjoy this.'
As the sun's rays entered the window hitting the clone's face he woke up with a smile at the surprises the night had brought. Turning on his side he watched Tenten sleep for a few minutes before caressing her cheek.
"Mmmmm Naruto-kun." She said slowly opening her eyes thinking what had happened was just a wonderful dream. Still snuggling with Clone Naruto she was completely surprised when her father knocked on her bedroom door.
"Tenten, it's time to get up breakfast is almost ready."
Tenten's eyes shot open as she looked at the door then the naked Naruto and her own naked body before letting out a squeal as she pulled the blanket over herself.
Tenten's father came running back at the sound, and opened the door in a rush. "What's wrong, Tenten?!"
Acting on instinct Tenten shoved Clone Naruto off the bed with such force that he slammed into the wall to disappear in a puff of smoke. Roshi Hisagia had expected see several things when he heard his only daughter scream, but a naked boy was not one of them. He stared at the wall where the clone had impacted before turning to his blushing daughter. She had the blanket pulled up to her eyes as she watched her father fearing his reaction. He stood there for a moment unable to process what was going on in the room before heading back to the door. Just before shutting it he stopped. "Hurry up, Tenten, breakfast will get cold." He said mechanically as he shut the door and went back to the kitchen. Tenten was sweating as she tried to figure out what she would say to her father, and wondered if he saw enough to recognize Naruto. Quickly she rushed to the door, and locked it before placing her back against it only to slide down to the floor. When her butt hit the floor she was reminded of the previous night's activities by the soreness of her nether regions. With the recall of the memories she grinned thinking that whatever punishment she was about to get was more than worth it.
Meanwhile with Naruto
Naruto sat bolt upright as the memories of his clone slammed into his brain. "Son of a bitch." He growled face palming at what his clone had done, and the fact Tenten's father had seen them in bed together. "Just great! How in the hell am I going to fix this?" He said looking down at Anko who was sleeping contentedly, and completely nude. He got up, and went to the bathroom to clean up when an idea hit him. It wasn't something he was looking forward to, and had wanted to wait a few years before putting in motion, but it would solve any problems this situation could bring. That is if the girls agreed.
Naruto quickly finished cleaning up, and made a shadow clone to stay with Anko and fill her in on the situation. With that done he went roof top to roof top across ¼ of Konoha to reach the Hisagia Weapons Shop. He crouched on a roof across the street thinking about how to go about this when he saw Tenten hang the OPEN sign on the door. Sighing he decided to get this over with, and look along the street before doing a front flip off the roof. He walked through the door hearing the bell chime, and looked around for Tenten.
"I'll be with you in just a minute." He heard her say as she placed some merchandise on a shelf. While she was occupied with her back to him he walked over to her stopping 5 feet from her. He couldn't but smile remembering what she had done with his clone, and felt a pain at it not having been himself. His smile widened when Tenten turned to see him, and blushed a deep shade of crimson.
"N...Naruto-kun, what brings you here this early?" She said nervously glancing toward the forge where her father was.
"We need to talk, Ten-chan. There is something important I need to tell you." He said with a very serious tone.
Tenten was taken aback by this, and glanced once more toward the forge before waving him to follow, and led him to the living room above the shop. She sat down, and crossed her legs only to blush and uncross them as the action caused her to remember that she was sore and why. "Has something gone wrong with the clans, Naruto-kun?" She asked trying to stay calm.
Naruto smiled at her movements, and decided to tell her about all that the "Kage Bunshin" was capable of. "Before we get to that I think there is something you should know about my chosen clone jutsu. As you already know from our spars they are remarkably life like, but do you know what the original purpose of the jutsu is?"
Tenten was nervous about this conversation, and where it might be leading so settled for shaking her head in reply.
"Information. That is its original purpose. You see when a clone is dispelled everything it has experienced is returned to whoever created it."
He watched Tenten pale at the realization of what he was telling her. 'He knows! OH KAMI! What am I going to do now?' she screamed in her head as her eyes darted around trying to come up with some explanation for what happened.
"Ten-chan." He said softly gaining her attention. He took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled before he continued. "I want to apologize. I am not good with subtleties, and sometimes need my face rubbed in something in order to notice it." Seeing Tenten close her legs blushing deeply he chuckled slightly. "Sorry, Ten-chan. I didn't mean for that to be an innuendo even though it does reinforce what I am trying to say. To cut to the chase you know what I plan for the Strife clan, and I want to know if you want to solidify what happened last night, and be one of the women I will have to marry under the CRA?"
Tenten gaped in shock at what he asked of her. Having helped with most of the planning and execution of his plans for years from now she knew that by him asking he had moved the time table up drastically. Her thoughts then turned to what it would be like as his wife, and wondered if she would really be able to share him. After a few minutes of thought she realized that as long as she could be by his side she could share him. Looking up at Naruto who was just silently watching her from a chair across from her, and blushed as thoughts of their honeymoon flashed through her head. Her decision made she stood up and walked over to him before leaning down and passionately kissing him. "Yes, Naruto-kun, I will marry you."
Naruto smiled and drew her into a hug. "You don't know how glad I am to hear that, Ten-chan. Now all that's left is to talk with your father about this."
Tenten froze at the mention of her father. "Can we keep certain details private?" She asked extremely nervous about confronting her father.
Naruto laughed and hugged her tighter. "Don't worry, Ten-chan. We can keep our celebration between us."
Tenten blushed and punched him lightly before pulling him down into a passionate kiss. Suddenly Naruto broke the kiss with a grunt, and held his head as if in pain.
"Are you alright, Naruto-kun?" She asked worried about his sudden pain.
"Yeah, but I think it would be a good idea for me to lay low for a while. It seems Anko wants my blood. Though I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not." Naruto suddenly grinned at her. "Do you thing you father would mind if I stayed here?"
Remembering her father's reaction that morning knew that asking would be a bad idea, but had to wonder how he would react to finding out she was now engaged to Naruto. "I honestly don't know, Naruto-kun. He walked in just before your clone dispelled, and I don't know if he recognized you." She said with a frown thinking about how to talk with her father.
Naruto thought about this for a minute before replying. "Either way I'm sure he'll figure it out when we break the news to him. I just hope he doesn't use me for target practice."
Tenten sighed knowing he was right about the situation. "When should we tell him?" She said as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Why don't you tell him we have something to discuss with him, while I make something to eat? I'm sure he's at the forge by now so I should have everything ready by the time he gets to the kitchen."
"Ok, Naruto-kun." She said before kissing him lightly. "I hope you know what you are doing."
Trying to cheer his fiancée up he grinned at her. "Didn't I prove that last night?" He asked suggestively.
Tenten blushed before smacking his arm. "Yes you did, but I don't think Father needs to know that." She said before leaving to find Roshi.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
By the time Tenten and Roshi arrived in the kitchen 30 minutes later Naruto had several plates of sushi, onigiri, and a pot of fresh tea waiting. Roshi raised an eyebrow at this, and sat down while Tenten moved to sit next to Naruto. He looked between the two teens for a moment as he connected the dots. As a father he was understandably upset, but he also knew Naruto well after all the time he spent helping around the shop. He decided to keep his temper in check until her heard them out. "I don't want to know what you two do alone, but there is one thing I will know now, Naruto." At this Roshi gave Naruto a look that by all rights should have nailed him to the wall. "Just what are your intentions towards Tenten?"
The teens looked at each other for a moment before Naruto placed his hand on hers smiling at her reassuringly. Seeing her smile back he turned to Roshi his expression dead serious as he replied in formal tones more fitting to a meeting with a clan head. "Roshi-san, I can assure you that my intentions toward Ten-chan are completely honorable. Though it may seem rushed I have asked if she would be willing to help me rebuild the Strife clan, and she has agreed."
Roshi was surprised at this having been around ninjas long enough to know some of the details restoring a clan entailed, and narrowed his eyes as one of those details entered his thoughts. "I have a feeling there is more to this then you are saying, Naruto. I've been around enough ninja clans to know a few things. So please do us all a favor and stop pussy footing around."
Naruto sighed, and felt Tenten squeeze his hand causing him to smile back at her. "I have already talked with Hokage-sama about restoring my clan so you needn't worry about that. With Tenten's wonderful assistance we have also made connections already with some of the major ninja clans with positive results. Granted things are moving faster than I had planned, but I have never hid anything from her about restoring my clan." Here Naruto took a deep breath before continuing as he knew Roshi would more than likely disagree with what he was about to hear. "In case you haven't heard I have a Bloodline, and as such I am bound by the Clan Restoration Act, and will have to take at least 3 wives by the time I turn 19. Tenten and I have become very close over the last few months as you know, and recently realized that we are more than just friends, and as such I have asked if she would be one my wives." Naruto stood up, and walked over to Roshi before bowing deeply. "Roshi-san, I humbly ask for your blessing in having you daughter's hand in marriage."
Roshi took a moment to digest what he had been told, and though he loathed the idea of Tenten being caught in clan politics he had to admit she could do much worse than Naruto. To be honest he really liked the boy, and already looked at him as a nephew. He looked over to his daughter seeing the worry she had in her eyes as well as the genuine affection she had for Naruto when she looked at him. Letting an explosive breath out he ran a hand through his hair before turning to Naruto. "To be perfectly honest I think you are both too young for this, and I certainly don't like seeing Tenten caught up in the CRA, but I can see you two care for each other deeply. You have my blessing on 2 conditions. The first is that no more indecent behavior will happen in this house until you are properly married. Secondly…" Roshi looked at both of them with his eyes hard as forged steel. "I do not want to be a grandfather until BOTH of you are at the very least chunin. Do I make myself clear?"
Tenten blushed while Naruto grinned sheepishly at having been caught, and nodded in acceptance of what they thought were fair conditions considering the situation. Naruto then walked over to embrace Tenten in a hug, and kissed her. While Naruto was glad that, what he thought was the hard part, Tenten was already thinking about what she should pack for when she stays the night at Naruto's place as well as deciding to talk with some medic nin about contraceptive jutsu. After the kiss had continued for over a minute Roshi growled causing the two lovers to end their affectionate display.
"I'm heading back to the forge, but remember to keep the PDAs to a minimum, and since you are wearing a Hitai-ate I assume you have much to do after graduating." Roshi gave Naruto a pointed look that meant his daughter was not included on that list before walking out of the kitchen.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
With the events that had taken place that Saturday morning Tenten had totally missed her team's morning training, and barely caught them before the mission hall. She stopped before her jonin sensei leaning on her knees out of breath from running full tilt from her house. Gai wondered what was going on as the konoichi of the team was usually early to the team meetings, and never missed training unless absolutely necessary.
(AN: We all know how Gai and Lee talk so I'm not going to bother with even trying to emulate their speech patterns.)
"Is something wrong, Tenten? You missed training this morning completely, and almost missed today's mission."
Tenten caught her breath before answering. "Gai-sensei, an emergency has come up, and I have to skip today's team activities."
This caused Gai to worry even more, and gave voice to this. "What has happened, and is there anything we can do to help?"
"I can't tell you right now, Gai-sensei, but if you could tell me where I could find Mitarashi Anko it help a lot." She said hoping that he wouldn't demand an answer right now as she was in a hurry, and didn't want to deal with her teammates' reactions to finding out she was engaged.
Gai was shocked that whatever happened would involve Anko as she was one of the "Infamous 3" of I&T, and famous for her hands on approach to getting information from prisoners. "You could probably find her at the dango shop seeing as it's around noon, but I expect to hear what this is about soon, Tenten." He said in a voice that left no room for argument.
"Hai, Gai-sensei, I promise to tell you after I talk with Anko." She said before jumping to a nearby roof, and heading in the direction of the dango shop.
While Gai watched her leave he made a mental note to talk with Anko about why one of his students would need to talk with a member of I&T Neji, and Lee looked at each other in concern both having noticed the urgency Tenten showed.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXx
Anko sat happily munching on dango as she thought about just how devious Naruto was, and couldn't help but laugh in a way that would make even some demons wary thinking about the looks on the Council's faces. Now keeping in mind that Anko had a certain reputation around Konoha everyone who knew of her knew one simple fact. A happy Anko was an unstable, dangerous, surprising Anko. This would explain why the dango shop only had a few patrons, and all were seated well away from her. Even the staff was giving her a wide berth as much as possible. This of course only added to her good mood. She was dragged from these thoughts as the door was slammed open. Looking over to the cause of the disturbance she saw a girl in Chinese style dress and her hair done up in 2 buns making her look like a panda. Recognizing the girl Anko had to wonder what was the cause of Tenten to be in such a rush. Her curiosity peaked further when Tenten made her way over to Anko, and sat down at her table.
"Anko-san, we need to talk. It's about Strife Naruto." Tenten said as she accepted a glass of water from the waitress.
"What's the gaki done now?"
Tenten fidgeted nervously for a moment before steeling herself. "He proposed to me this morning, and told me you weren't exactly happy with him this morning. With you being one of his closest friends I thought that we should talk as I am now his fiancée."
Anko raised an eyebrow, and appraised the girl very seriously causing the girl to sweat even if she didn't flinch under the gaze. "I agree there is much for us to talk about, but not here." Standing up she tossed some money on the table before motioning Tenten to follow. "We'll talk at my place. I have a feeling this is going to take a while."
Half an hour later Tenten found herself sitting on a couch in Anko's Spartan apartment in the Jonin housing complex. She was surprised to see that even though Anko was a very skilled and attractive woman she lived what amounted to a bachelor's life style. She looked around the place trying to gain some glimmer of what Anko was like from her surroundings until said woman walked in from the kitchen with some tea, and poured Tenten a cup before sitting down. Anko took her own cup sipping slowly as she stared at the girl. After a few moments wherein Tenten had tried to start the conversation and failing Anko decided to take the initiative,
"Since he proposed I take it you know about the CRA?"
"Yes. As a matter of fact I have been helping him form the groundwork for future clan relations."
Anko nodded having suspected this. "Well then let me ask this. Just how much has Naruto told you about me?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Monday morning found Naruto walking toward the academy for the last time. He wasn't really worried about what team he would be placed on as long as it wasn't with the Uchiha or one of the fangirls. His thoughts however were turned more towards the upcoming council meeting he had discussed with Sarutobi. The Hokage had promised to talk with Anko about the meeting while he talked with Tenten. He let his body move on autopilot while he thought about his future, and the moves he'd have to make to forestall the Council from making his life worse than they already have, even if they didn't know it was him. Being so deep in thought he was caught completely off guard when Tenten tackled him to the ground in front of the academy gates.
"Ten-chan, wha…" He started to say when Tenten, who was straddling him by this point, yanked him up by his collar, and kissed him passionately. Naruto slipped his arms around her waist returning her kiss until they broke apart for air. "Well good morning to you too, Ten-chan." He said with a small chuckle causing her to blush slightly, and nearby people to laugh.
Realizing they had an audience Tenten pushed Naruto back to the ground leaning over him as she did so. "If you like that just imagine what you would have gotten if you had stayed for breakfast." She said with a sensuous half smile as she traced his jaw line with a finger. When she saw Naruto open his mouth to respond she quickly caught his mouth in another kiss before doing a quick front flip into a crouch, and slowly stood up making sure he had a good view of her ass as she did so. Tenten then looked over her shoulder at him smiling at the look on his face as he watched her body. "Good Luck, Naruto-koi." She said before simply walking away with a sway in her hips that made promises for the future.
Naruto lay on the ground watching her leave, and wondering just what she was planning. After she was out of site he flipped up onto his feet, and dusted himself off before heading inside. He took his usual seat when he got to class, and pulled out a scroll while he waited for team placements to begin. When Iruka came in and began announcing the teams he only listened with half an ear as he continued reading the scroll until he heard a screech from a pink haired fangirl.
"Eat that, Ino-pig! Sasuke-kun is all mine now!" The pink haired fangirl cheered not seeing her crush's disgusted look.
"Settle down, Sakura, before I decided to send a report to your jonin sensei." Iruka said with a hard look making the girl sit back down. "Now as I was saying… Team 7 is Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Inuzuka Kiba. Team 8 is Aburame Shino, Hinata Hyuuga, and Strife Naruto. Team 9 is still on active duty so the next is Team 10 Akimichi Choji, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino. Now that everyone knows their teams I suggest you get to know each other better, and meet back here after lunch so your jonin sensei can pick you up. Good luck everyone." With his job done Iruka gathered up his papers, and left the room.
Most of the graduates reorganized themselves into their teams while some went to chat with friends instead. Since Hinata and Shino already sat near each other Naruto to sit by them.
"Greetings, Strife-san." Shino said in greeting.
"How ya doin', Shino?" Naruto said sitting next to him with Hinata on the other side of Shino.
"I am well. My father sends his regards, and it has been decided that I will be the one to test those weapons." Shino said in his usual monotone.
Naruto smiled hearing this. "That is good to hear. Please tell Shibi-san that I am greatly honored by this, and what we discussed will be part of today's Council meeting."
"That is interesting. I take this to mean something has happened to cause such a drastic alteration to your stated plans?"
"Hai. As I am sure you are aware unexpected events can change even the best laid plans. It is not something to worry about though. In actuality it makes some aspects easier for me even with the advanced time table."
Hinata was very curious as to what they were discussing as it very much sounded like Clan business, and as Heiress of the Hyuuga Clan she was able to tell Shino was speaking like an heir to a Clan head. Needless to say this had her very curious because as far as she knew Naruto was not a member of a clan. "A…ano. What are you talking about?" She asked not wanting to offend them in case it was private clan business.
Shino looked at Naruto with an eyebrow raised wondering why Naruto had not included the Hyuuga in his plans. Naruto caught the look and shook his head in confirmation that he had not approached the Hyuuga before looking at Hinata. The girl blushed under the intensity of the gaze, but nowhere near what she would have before the boy she loved died. Taking strength from her resolve to become a woman and konoichi he would be proud of she met his eyes. After a moment Naruto nodded to himself as he made his decision.
"What I am about to tell you has been kept secret as per the laws concerning inter-clan relations, and personal clan activities. I am telling you this for 2 reasons. The first is that we are teammates, and in order for a team to succeed there must be trust. The second is that as clan heiress you will no doubt find out about it after tonight's Council meeting from your father. I will require you to promise that you will not say anything about this until after Hiashi-san has talked with you about what the Council meeting revealed." Naruto said with a seriousness that made the heiress duck her head in thought for a moment.
Raising her head up she spoke with a formal tone that said she was speaking as heiress of the Hyuuga Clan not as his teammate. "You have my oath, Strife-san. I pledge not to breath a word of what you are about to tell me until the time is appropriate or with others you deem fit."
Naruto bowed his head acknowledging her oath, and looked at Shino silently asking if he wanted his clan's involvement known to which he got a slight nod in reply. "Hinata-san, I have made the decision to rebuild my clan here in Konoha and after discussing this with Hokage-sama I started approaching some of the clans to gain support for when I made the announcement. I had originally planned for this to happen at a later date, but due to certain events I was forced to make the announcement early at the Council meeting that will be held later today. I knew that I would have very little chance of success at this without revealing things I didn't want to until the announcement so I approached some of the clans such as the Aburame with what you could call a good faith offering."
Hinata was surprised that such political game play would be done by someone so young before a thought occurred to her. "Strife-san, why have you not approached the Hyuuga about this? We are after all the most influential, and powerful clan in Konoha."
"That is a good question, Hinata-san. When I was thinking of which clans to approach, and what I could offer in exchange for their support I could think of nothing that your clan couldn't either get on its own or wouldn't reject because of your clan's philosophy towards the almost exclusive use of juken."
Their conversation was brought to a halt when the lunch bell rang, and they agreed to meet back up at the same spot after lunch. After eating they returned to the classroom, and passed the time in small talk until the jonin that would be in charge of the teams started showing up. They only had to wait a few minutes before their sensei showed up, and who it was surprised Naruto.
"Kurenai-chan, I didn't know you were going to be a jonin sensei this year since you only recently became a jonin."
"I was hesitant about it, Naruto-kun, but after talking with the Hokage, and Anko I thought it would be a good idea." Kurenai's smile widened a little as she looked at Naruto. "By the way do you care to explain why Anko has been so eager to get her hands on you?"
"Heh…um… I think I have an idea, but I've been avoiding her since the last I remember she tried to pin me to a wall with kunai. I honestly didn't know she'd be so upset about it."
Kurenai laughed knowing that Anko was actually thrilled with what Naruto had told her. "She's not upset, Naruto-kun. As a matter of fact she can't wait to see the look on the Council's faces when they find out that she has accepted your offer. Enough chit chat, I want you three to meet me by the pond that's used for jutsu practice where we will start our first team meeting." Kurenai used Shunshin after getting confirmation from them.
Kurenai, as expected, was already sitting by the pond when the graduates arrived, and she motioned for them to sit down before speaking.
"This will just be a quick meeting before we meet up again tomorrow. I want each of you to introduce yourselves. Name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and goals. I'll start off so you have an idea of what I mean. My name is Yuuhi Kurenai, rookie jonin as I only got the promotion a few months ago. I like strawberries, my best friend Mitarashi Anko, romance novels, and flower arrangements. I dislike perverts, spicy food, and people that think konoichi are weak. My hobbies are genjutsu, star gazing, and calligraphy. My goals are to prove that konoichi can be just as powerful as shinobi, and to help you grow as a true sensei should." Kurenai then gestured at Shino to go next.
"My name is Aburame Shino heir to the Aburame clan. I like studying bugs, and finding new or rare ones that do not live around Konoha. I dislike the reaction most people have to bugs because of their ignorance about them. My hobbies are searching for new bugs to add to my clan's store, and reading. My goal is to become a shinobi worthy of being a future clan head, and to eliminate some of the weaknesses in my family's jutsu."
"Ok you're next." Kurenai said nodding to Hinata.
Hinata stood up and bowed to the group before speaking. "I am Hyuuga Hinata, heiress of the Hyuuga Clan. I like pressing flowers, ramen, and gardening. I dislike people that form opinions about others without getting to know them, Kumogakure, and the Caged Bird Seal. My hobbies aside from my likes are training, and helping out at the food kitchens run by my clan. My goal is to become Clan Head so I can get rid of the use of the Caged Bird Seal, and to grow to be a konoichi that my Uzumaki-kun would be proud to have had by his side."
Naruto was quite surprised at this and spoke up. "Uzumaki? Do you mean Uzumaki Naruto?"
Hinata blushed slightly as a memory of her lost love passed through her head. "H...hai. He was my childhood love until he died a few years ago. He inspired me to become stronger and more confident. I would not be the woman I am today if it wasn't for him."
Naruto smiled at this glad to hear that there was someone who didn't hate him before his disappearance. "I am sure he would be proud of you, Hinata. From what I know he had a hard life, and I am glad not everyone despised my brother."
"B...Brother?!" Hinata said in shock as she looked at Naruto seeing him nod.
"Yes he was my brother. We were twins. I knew very little of him until I had returned here, and was given the few possessions he had. Most of what I know came from the journals he kept."
Shino had raised an eyebrow at this information filing it away for later. Kurenai's eyes had widened in surprise since knowledge of this is supposed to be a secret. Hinata was at a total loss just staring at who she just found out was the brother of the now deceased boy she had given her heart to. Growing uncomfortable with the looks he was getting Naruto thought it best to change the subject before they started asking questions he didn't want to answer.
"I guess it's my turn to introduce myself. My name is Strife Naruto Clan Head of the Strife Clan, and holder of the Strife Bloodline. I like training, reading, spending time with friends, and nature. I dislike people that try to take advantage of others, fangirls, people with an arrogantly superior attitude, and seeing a woman being hurt. My hobbies include philosophy, kenjutsu, poetry, and helping out at the Hisagia Weapon Shop. My goal is to rebuild the Strife clan here, and be a good father."
Kurenai was surprised that he had let out information he had held so closely guarded, but brushed it aside as his secrets to tell. "Ok since introductions are over I'll tell you what our team is up for next. Tomorrow I will be assessing your skills with the exception of Naruto. We will meet up at training ground 27 at 8am. After that is done we'll get lunch, and head to the mission hall for our first mission as a team." With that said Kurenai dismissed her team, and headed to the Hokage's office via shunshin.