Chapter 2: Secrets
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Naruto stood by the tree on training grounds 24 known as the Forest of Death. Well, truth be told, he stood outside the gate. "Eh…when the hell is Mizuki coming? I'm so freaking---"The leaves around him flew about the area and the said ninja appeared.
"Well, someone isn't virtuous with patience…Well, now that we're alone I am ready to tell you the secret…" The silver head leaned towards Naruto's head and whispered. Naruto's face soon became determined and worried. "Demo (1)… isn't that bad?" Mizuki laughed. "Why of course not! It's going to help you…and me." The last part Naruto didn't hear because he was shining with glee.
Mizuki sighed again. "Oh and you have to put this in Iruka's mailbox if you want to get back at him." The ninja handed the blonde an envelope that said, smack dab in the middle of everything, "IRUKA UMINO ONLY!!! OPEN AND YOU DIE, NOSY BETCHES!!! Love, Mizuki"
Obviously Naruto had no clue what a 'betch' was in the first place. Luckily he knew what bitch meant. "Ano…Mizuki-sensei, I think you spelled bitch wrong…" Mizuki glared daggers at the boy. "Do you want to be a ninja or not?" Naruto nodded with fear. "Then do not question my intelligence!!!"
Mahal Kita-Aishiteru-Te Amo- I Love You
Hinata waited outside her father's office. 'Today, I will finally tell tou-san that I am a ninja! Maybe now he'll train me more now…' Hiashi Hyuuga wasn't like all loving fathers. Sure he loved his daughter but he never seemed to show much faith in her. In his eyes, she was weak with absolutely no strength at all. Before she met Naruto, she was a stuttering maniac. Now, after a very decent confidence boost, Hiashi continues to train her but not often.
"Hinata, you may enter." The voice was here through the screen door and the pearly eyed heiress strode across the mat and sat on the cushion. "Tou-san, I have graduated from the ninja academy." She hoped her father showed that he was SOMEWHAT proud.
Hinata didn't make eye contact for a whole five minutes until Hiashi said these words that probably changed their relationship forever, "Great job, I'm proud of you my daughter."
The two stood and in the first time in years, Hinata received a hug from her father. "Arigatou." Small droplets of a watery substance trickled down her face. 'Tou-san is PROUD of me at last! I must keep this up if I want to truly prove myself'
"Gomen for the hurt I've caused you…I should've never stopped training you so, but now, as a ninja, you will be able to train with me as well as your new genin team." It was such a heartwarming moment for the two. And by some weird chance, Father's day just so happened to be around the corner.
Neji walked by the office and scowled. 'Hinata-sama is so lucky and she doesn't even know it.' Hiashi noticed his nephew outside and invited him inside. "Neji, I know I haven't said this before or last year, but I believe that my brother is very proud of you for becoming a great ninja." Neji was shocked at this sign of affection and his eyes were filled with shock. He hasn't shown much emotion since the day father died. Hinata looked at Neji with some warmth in her pale eyes. "I believe he is right, Neji-nii-san." It was yet another warm moment for the Hyuuga family.
-------------------------New Penname for Kagamini: Raela------------------------------
Naruto was running around the village with the envelope in his hands. He looked at it and yet again, he questioned the chunin's intelligence. "What kind of person doesn't know how to spell bitch?" He shrugged and picked up the pace. Iruka was out at Ichiraku's when Naruto placed the mail into the mailbox. Stealthily, the boy ran off to follow Mizuki's other order.
'Steal the Forbidden Scroll…sounds easy…and bad…well this'll help me be a ninja!' He ran to the Hokage Tower and slipped in. He grabbed it and ran, but not without setting off an alarm.
"It's Naruto!" One voice shouted from behind him. "Get him!" Said another. The said boy took off nervously.
He waited in the middle of a forest, reading the scroll. "I might as well learn something while waiting." After about an hour, Naruto has successfully learned Kage Bushin no Jutsu and a rustling noise came from the bushes. He got into a defensive position but relaxed when he saw Iruka-sensei.
"Aha! Iruka-sensei? What are you doing here?" Naruto tilted his head. Iruka had a look of suspicion on his face when he saw Naruto. "Why do you have the Forbidden Scroll?" Iruka demanded. Naruto beamed and held it high. "Mizuki-sensei said I'd pass if I had this!!" Iruka smacked his forehead and his eyes widen afterwards. "Naruto, stealing that scroll is a crime." Soon after Mizuki attacked and Naruto became shocked. "Mizuki-sensei! I thought you were supposed to just help me pass!"
Mizuki laughed insanely. "Why would anyone want a demon to be a ninja?" Iruka yelled at Mizuki, "Mizuki, no!" The white haired ninja sent shuriken at the other Chuunin. "You want to know the truth kid? You're the demon that almost destroyed the village years ago!!!"
Naruto's eyes became ones of disbelief, shock, and fear. "I-Iruka-sen-sensei?" Iruka's head was down. Mizuki laughed again. "Naruto…" Iruka started calmly. "You are not the demon…you are Uzumaki Naruto…now run!" Iruka cried out.
Naruto nodded and ran with the scroll. Iruka faced Mizuki with hate. "Why?! Why would you do such a thing?" Mizuki's face became dark. "He is the monster that killed my parents!!" Mizuki charged at Iruka and kunai and shuriken clashed.
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It was late at night and Yumi Aishiteru and her companion Michi Izuka were walking around the forest area. "Ne, Yumi-chan, what's wrong and why are we going this way?" Michi questioned her friend. The two had just graduated from the academy and well…as roommates, Michi was dragged along with Yumi. "Shh! I hear something!" Yumi hissed. Metal was hitting metal and it didn't sound good. "You saw those jounin earlier, right? Well, I saw Iruka-sensei running over here. He said something about that knucklehead." Michi made an 'o' with her mouth and nodded. They crept around the bushes and saw a kunai whizz by.
"Who are you, dattebayo!?" Naruto cried out. The two girls saw the blonde and stepped out. "Naruto-san…" Michi started. "What the hell happened?" She pointed at Iruka and then pointed at the bloody lump known as Mizuki. Yumi shook her head. "Doesn't matter. These two need to get to a hospital fast. I'm no medic, man…"
Iruka stirred in his almost fainted state. He saw three of his students conversing. "Iruka-sensei!" Naruto yelled in relief as his teacher started coming around. "N-Naruto…Good job." He patted the boy's head and told him to shut his eyes. Naruto nodded and did as he was told. "Open."
Naruto obeyed and saw Iruka without his hitai-ate (1). He placed a hand on his forehead, only to feel metal and cloth. He hugged Iruka and thanked him. The two onlookers had smiles and congratulated the blonde who passed after all.
"You'll be Hokage Naruto, you will." Michi kicked slightly at Mizuki's body. "Uh…what are we going to do with this guy?" Yumi rolled her eyes and picked up his arms. "Grab his legs; we're bringing him to Hokage-sama." Iruka watched the two girls walk off with the body.
He saw Naruto's hand, stretched out to him. "Come on, sensei." Iruka smiled and laughed and took the hand. Naruto put an arm over his shoulder and helped the limping man.
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Hinata was coming from a restaurant with her father, sister, and Neji when she saw her three classmates. Her eyes widen when she saw a few scratch marks on Naruto. "Naruto-kun!!" Hinata called out softly. She rushed over to her life-long crush to help him. Carry a man several pounds heavy isn't easy even if you are a ninja. Being a short ninja didn't help either. Hinata grabbed Iruka's other arm and helped. "W-what happen?"
Hiashi raised a brow at this and sent Neji home with Hanabi. Hiashi decided to relieve the two girls of the heavy body that kept hitting random objects such as trash cans. "Let me help." Yumi and Michi bowed down respectively and followed. "Arigatou Hyuuga-sama."
They reached the Hokage Tower and Iruka was taken to the hospital and Mizuki to the interrogation building. The Sandaime called the four graduates up to his office. "So, would you four like to explain what happened?" Naruto laughed nervously as he brought out the Forbidden Scroll.
Hinata said she helped out when brining Iruka here when they met up on the streets. Michi childishly pointed at Yumi, who shook her head in annoyance and merely stated that, "We were walking and we saw those three."
Sarutobi nodded and sent them home. He had work to do of course. He looked at the list of new genin. "Hm…Naruto got the lowest scores…but he has good stealth…just too loud. Hyuuga Hinata…quiet, smart, not very strong but good chakra control. Not as good as Sakura's but fair. Aishiteru Yumi, well rounded. Izuka Michi, specializes in partner jutsu, genjutsu and weapons. How troublesome…there's an odd number in the number of people who graduated."
He massaged his temples. 'Well, I guess there's going to be one of those rare 5-man teams…'