Summary: Temari finds out and must deal with a decision the Sand village council has come to. Gaara makes plans to change things for the betterment of his family and village. Onoki must deal with his council's constant complains about their decision to not interfere with Konoha. Naruto meets with Sakura as the latter tries to deal with her thoughts concerning the former. Sasori and Deidara make plans to invade the village. Will anything go as planned for any of them?
Chapter 13: Reaction Attraction, Part 2
Temari was not having a good day. In fact neither were Gaara and Kankuro. Why you may ask? Well, it had all started five minutes ago when Baki-teme walked into their house and sat them all down to talk to them about something. You may be asking why she said bastard instead of teacher. Well the talk they had caused that as well.
Flashback, Five Minutes Ago:
A knock had come to their door. It wasn't one of those doctor knocks or even that of a friend, but it was familiar so the Sand siblings looked at one another and all went to the door. It was Gaara who opened it while Temari and Kankuro was a mere meter behind him, posed to see who it was. It had been Baki-sensei.
"Hello Gaara, is Temari in?" Baki asked as Gaara opened the door fully to show his slightly confused sister standing next to their eyebrow quirked brother. Gaara stood to the side as Baki came in walking straight up to Temari and then looking to her brothers with a mixture of regret and pain.
"Listen, I need to tell all three of you something, but it pertains to you especially Temari, since it affects you directly." Baki said as he locked eyes with her.
She looked him in his eyes deeply, and could almost swear he was begging her with his eyes not to hit him in his… lower regions with her fan. She wasn't sure why, but she shrugged it off and lead the way to their living room.
"Now Temari, I need you to stay calm and open-minded about what I'm about to tell you. This is for the safety and good of the village, and was decided upon by the village council. While I personally protested against it, I am only one, and so are you. The village's needs and protection outweigh the both of us." Baki said as Kankuro rolled his eyes and Gaara kept up his blank emotionless face.
"Will you please just get on with it?" Temari asked impatiently while Baki swallowed the lump in his throat.
It was a good thing he had bought that steel-plated crotch protector before coming over. It made the fan to his family jewels hurt a whole lot worst…
End of Flashback:
Those bastards and bitches on the village council had told it be pleasant to simply marry her off to the new Hokage of Konoha! She knew it was her duty as a shinobi to do whatever it was to ensure the village was safe, but why did it have to be that? She couldn't believe it, and neither could Gaara and Kankuro.
That was why they were all marching directly to the council's chambers, with Gaara disabling any ninja that came within two meters of them. Surprised to say Gaara had become a lot more serene over the past two months, but that didn't mean he would still be so when pissed off.
They had made it to the Kazekage's mansion with the two Chunin guards getting ready to defeat them. That was until they were pulled into the sand beneath their feet by Gaara. They were literally buried up to their necks in sand, which said only one thing; don't piss off the person who could use the entire village as a weapon.
They stormed up to the council doors, and burst through them while the council gave them all wild and shocked looks. Though those looks turned to fear of all three sand siblings once they looked at Temari's pissed off face. They tried to run, to get away as fast as they could, or to at least stop Gaara from killing them, but they quickly found that anything below their necks was encased in sand.
"What is the meaning of this? Release us at once, Gaara!" A council cried out as Gaara looked over at him impassively while he tightened the sand around the man, making him cry out in agony.
"Anyone else want to yell at me?" Gaara asked in his monotone voice as heads shook in unison, "That's what I thought."
"Why are you three here?" A senior ninja that had been on the council since Temari's birth asked. He knew that anything less direct would get them nowhere but oblivion fast.
"I came to inquire as to why I'm being used as a peace treaty between us and Konoha?" Temari exploded with enough fury that made even Gaara step away from her. He may have been crazy once, but not that damn crazy as to piss off Temari…
"Now Temari-sama, we needed to come up with a quick solution to our problem, and since the newest Hokage to the Leaf happens to be the last of his clan we thought a powerful kunoichi such as yourself could do well as his betrothed." A civilian council member said slyly as she gazed at Temari.
Temari's mind stopped being furious just long enough to think about who the Hokage could be. As far as she knew the only last of their clans Konoha had was Sasuke Uchiha. But that was impossible, sure the kid was a genius by Genin standards and had the Sharingan, but why would he be made Hokage? The kid couldn't have possible gone from barely fighting Gaara to Kage-level power in two months' time. Then there was the fact that he was chosen by Orochimaru…
She'd have to think on it later.
"I don't care what the reason was! My question was basically rhetorical because it doesn't matter what the reason! You married me off to someone I don't know! I'm too pissed off right now to care about the damn reason!" Temari yelled as everyone flinched back. It was then an elderly councilman looked up at her. He had lived a full life, so if what he was about to say got him killed he could at least say he led a full life.
"Actually Temari-sama, you haven't been married to anyone just yet. The council still needs to meet with Konoha to see if all the terms are agreeable to both parties. You'll be allowed in and to have your say just like your brothers will, but you must accept this as truth. You are, at least for now, a kunoichi of Suna and you will obey the council's words, and decisions, until a new Kazekage is chosen." The elderly man said as everyone fell silent.
Temari's mouth was agape as the man just basically told her to suck it up and take one for them team. Gaara narrowed his eyes as he thought over what the man had said. He'd be doing some serious thinking tonight. Kankuro looked furious as he understood there was absolutely nothing they could do until the meeting with Konoha. Perhaps he, and mainly Gaara, could "persuade" the Hokage and his council not to marry Temari to the Hokage.
Temari screamed in frustration as she stomped out of the room. Kankuro gave her a look, but followed none the less. Gaara looked from his furious sister to the pale and slightly shaking members of the council. He released his sand's hold on them and bowed respectful before leaving out and closing the doors. If he wanted to change things then he needed to start now…
The members of the council looked at each other and then at the eldest member, who had told Temari about the meeting with Konoha. They cheered for him getting them not killed. It was a rare day indeed when Gaara or Temari didn't kill someone who they were pissed at.
Konoha, With Naruto:
He had just finished his meetings with Guy, Kurenai and even Asuma. The first he needed ear-plugs for, the second he found out was just a simple conversation about more pranks using Genjutsu, and the third was more of a congratulations than an actual meeting. Though in each meeting they swore they'd follow him to the end, and that made it all worth-while to him.
Now he was ushering in the next of his meeting; Sakura. The girl walked into his office as if she were on Death's list. He raised a brow to her behavior; eyes staring intently at the ground, feet fidgeting while she sat, and her hands pressed into her lap. From his months of being around her he had learned the signs of her nervousness and this was at least a class five on the scale.
"Sakura, why so nervous? It's just me, there's no need to get so worked up over seeing me is there?" Naruto said serenely as she finally looked at him. He didn't call her Sakura-chan…
"H-Hokage-sama… I've-"
"There's no need to call me that. We were on the same team before this, and as such you should be able to address me as you did back then." Naruto said as she exhaled deeply.
He could practically see the tension roll off her when he said that. Had she been so worried that he'd be harsh to her? Did she think he'd be mean to her for some reason? Sure she had been mean to him at a time, but that was all in the past. He had learned lately that whatever happened in the past should stay in the past, and not to get worked up over it. After all, you can't change the past, so why worry about it. Just deal with the consequences when they came to you.
"Naruto… I've done a terrible thing to you…" Sakura said slowly as Naruto raised a brow. He then smirked as he thought of a way to get her to loosen up. He jumped up from his chair and leaned over his desk as his eyes went wide and his face filled with horror.
"S-Sakura, you destroyed all ramen? How could you? Your evil!" Naruto exclaimed as Sakura looked up at him in surprise.
"What? That's not what I meant, Naruto!" Sakura said as she watched him fall back in laughter.
"Geez Sakura, you need to loosen up! What's got you all nervous anyways? Just relax, after all your friends with the Hokage, right?" Naruto said with a smirk, but his smirk faltered as Sakura's gaze returned to her lap upon the word "friends".
"You… you think of me as your friend?" she asked as he nodded.
"Of course! True there were some bad times between us, but that's in the past." He replied as she gazed up at him with tears in her eyes.
"Naruto, I don't deserve to be your friend. I've demeaned you, hurt you, and used you as a punching-bag for my frustrations. I'm a horrible friend!" She said as the last straw holding back her emotions snapped and she broke down crying.
Naruto gave her a look as he thought over her words. True, she did demean him, but it was more of a joking thing to him. True again that she had hurt him, but it was more of emotional hurt rather than physical, even though the physical was seen far more. Once more true, she did beat on him a lot, but it wasn't like she had actually hurt permanently or irreversible. Now she was in his office crying like Ino had done. He rolled his eyes, were all girls his age drama queens?
"Sakura, stop please. I hate seeing girls cry for stupid things, so let's just forget about it okay? You're not a horrible friend, not a great one either, but not truly horrible. You're just… rough around the edges. Yeah that's it, rough around the edges." Naruto said as she looked up at him through her tears.
"How can you still say I'm your friend? I haven't done one thing friendly to you since we've known each other." Sakura sobbed out as Naruto rolled his eyes.
"Yes you have, you just don't know it. Remember when we were in the first part of the Chunin Exams and you were about to raise your hand? Sasuke told me that you were going to do it for my sake. And remember in the Forest of Death how you took care of me and Sasuke until we were feeling better? That was friendly; in fact it was down-right… umm… I can't think of a word to describe something more friendlily." Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head and chuckled lightly.
Then suddenly giggles were heard. At first they were light, but then they had got louder and louder until they turned to chuckles and then full-blown laughter. Naruto looked up and saw Sakura had fallen out of her chair and was on the floor laughing, at what he had no clue.
"Sakura are you okay? You haven't… snapped have you?" Naruto asked while she quieted herself and returned to her seat.
"No, Naruto, I haven't gone crazy. It was just that- ha, ha- you seemed so smart and calm, but you haven't changed a bit. You're still –ha- a moron with a –heh, ha- ramen addiction." Sakura said between short bouts of giggles.
"Hey, I'll have you know that I'm getting help for my not-so-much-of-a-problem problem. I've gone to three ramen anonymous meetings and have four patches on." Naruto defended as he raised the sleeve of his Kage robe to show her the four red patches with a ramen symbol on them.
Sakura gave him a grin as she reached over and ripped one off… hard. Naruto yelped as he rubbed his arm while ANBU ninja jumped from the shadowed corners of his office and held weapons up to Sakura's vital organs. Naruto gave her a smirk as he stopped rubbing his arm and leaned back in his chair.
"Can't pick on me anymore can ya?" Naruto asked cheekily as she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Brat…" She said as he chuckled.
"Hey, I'm older than you, and at least I don't have pink hair." He replied with a shrug while she gasped and the ANBU returned to their positions in the shadows.
"I thought you liked my hair?" she said as she touched her locks of pink subconsciously.
"I do, because it looks good on you, but seriously; if my kids, especially my son, came out with pink hair, then I'd be fully prepared to use a forbidden jutsu just to change their hair color permanently." Naruto said as Sakura gave him a look.
"You know, my grandfather had pink hair and was proud of it." Sakura replied as Naruto gave her a look.
"Was he a ninja?" he asked as she shook her head, "What did he do then?"
"He was… an actor for a traveling theater group." Sakura said as Naruto let out a snort of laughter.
"Let me guess; he played the woman?" Naruto said as his face was met with a fist. The ANBU didn't even bother coming to his aid as they were too busy either sweat-dropping or giggling in the shadows.
"I can hear you guys you know!" Sakura shouted to the walls as the giggling and snickering stopped upon her turning her glare to the shadows of his office.
"Don't yell at my ANBU. It's not their fault your gramps was made to be a girl." Naruto said, but then laughed at his unintentional joke. Sakura only sighed and sat back in her chair as he looked at her with amusement dancing in his eyes.
"You're never gonna let that go are you?" she asked with him shaking his head.
"Not a chance." He replied as she hung her head. It was silent for a few moments until she spoke.
"Thanks, Naruto. For everything." She said as she got up and hugged him quickly and ran from the room with a smile on her face.
Naruto shook his head at just how bi-polar girls could be.
"Next!"
Outside of the Konoha Barrier:
Just outside the Konoha Barrier were Deidara and Sasori, standing up and looking at the barrier, or at least Deidara was.
"So I've got the clay all ready for our infiltration, yeah. What's the plan, hmm Sasori my man?" Deidara said as he gestured to the giant clay lump that was in his hands.
"We wait out until nightfall. By then the security will be more alert and while they try and find me on the ground, you'll be able to fly high above the village and infiltrate the Hokage Mansion. From there you can use your clay techniques to set up a spy on the Kage and the village, and then we make our escape." Sasori explained as Deidara nodded.
"Fine then, I had best get prepared then, yeah." Deidara said as he molded the clay with his hands and created a beautiful clay bird, "I'll fly around a bit so they don't find the bird suspicious. Then on your signal I'll go through the barrier and alert them to my presence, yeah."
Deidara threw the bird lazily and in a plume of smoke increased the size of the bird ten-fold.
"Good thinking, Deidara. I'll give the signal near sunset, so look for it; understand?" Sasori said from inside of Hiruko as Deidara nodded and took to the skies on his bird.
With the Tsuchikage:
Onoki, the Tsuchikage, was known for many things. The most prominent tied in with his nickname; Onoki the great Fence-Sitter, or the Man of Both Scales. He was widely known in his youth as a man who could have things both ways. He could be cold and ruthless to one person and then kind and considerate the next moment to another. It was this "bi-polar" personality that made him a dangerous opponent to deal with at any time regardless of friend or foe.
Another thing he was known for was having been the student of the Second Tsuchikage; Mu. As a young man, Onoki was a student to the Second Tsuchikage, Mu who had taught him how to use the Dust Release techniques that he could to this very day. While the man had been a hard taskmaster, those teachings had made him the man he was today. It was later in young life that he himself wanted to pass on the teaching of his sensei to another. So, he became teacher to Deidara. Though he often implied that Deidara's ideologies and fighting style annoyed him, he was still proud of the brat for having been as talented as he was and was very proud to have been his sensei; even if all that brat ever raved about was that "art" crap…
Onoki was also known for, at some time in the past, having fought Madara Uchiha, with him now being the only living Kage to do so. If that Hiruzen boy was still alive then he would have been only the oldest Kage to have done so.
Yet another thing he had been known for was his stubbornness. In fact he was so stubborn and prideful that even despite his frailty of old age he still refused to retire and choose a successor as Tsuchikage. He insisted that he was still strong enough to continue to rule the village. And he was dammit! His granddaughter, Kurotsuchi, would be quite proud, yet still annoyed, to describe him as a "stubborn old man".
So all that leads to the very meeting he was in. He had gathered the council and was now having yet another meeting at their request; the meeting being about the Namikaze-brat that had been made Hokage of Konoha. While he had rubbed it in their faces that the Fourth Hokage did have a plan after he died, he forgot that they were all annoying fools who thought they could just attack the world on a whim.
"We must do something about Konoha! If we don't then this new brat of a Kage could come after our village due to past aggressions!" A councilman shouted as a councilwoman banged her fist on the round table their meeting was discussed over.
"Fool, that would be falling into their trap! This kid wants us to attack so he can simply declare all-out war on us! This brat is just waiting for any type of attack to his village. They just beat back Orochimaru and the Sand's surprise invasion. They have the Sand village at their mercy and could easily take their territory for their own. If we act now, then we'll have the Sand and the Leaf to worry about." The councilwoman said as several of them nodded.
"Then we must do something; anything! This kid is a Kage-level ninja at the age of 13 years-old! We've all seen great ninja of his age rise up like that Uchiha boy that murdered his clan, and that Hatake kid who mastered a thousand jutsu. This boy of a Kage, however, is on a whole another level. If he is anything like his father, or has access to his father's techniques than this village may already be at risk." The councilman argued back as the room sound exploded into a shouting match between them.
Onoki rubbed his temples in a failed attempt to calm himself. Why must they be so hard-headed? It was like they were made of rock and stone… Oh the irony…
"Shut up!" Onoki shouted with unparalleled volume. Only one of those Haruno could best him in yelling.
"Listen, and listen well because I am not going to repeat myself you block-heads. We are not attacking anyone, and no one is attacking us. You should all remember that after the Third Great Ninja War, I and the Fourth Hokage sat down and created a cease-fire that was to last at least 20 years. It has only been 18 years since then, so we are not attacking anyone." Onoki said with them being silent. Slowly, an elder councilman stood as he looked at his Tsuchikage.
"Onoki-sama, perhaps a test of this new Kage's abilities to lead is in order." The elder said as Onoki glanced at him.
"I'm listening…" Onoki said as he leaned back in his chair.
"Well, since they are so fresh from the invasion, perhaps we could help them keep up a "strong" face, and if they were not to survive, then there is no reason to be saddened for the inability of their Kage." The elder said as Onoki's eyes widened a fraction at the implied message. He then chuckled from the head of the council table.
"Perhaps a test is in order. Someone summon, Kurotsuchi, and tell her to get here quickly." Onoki said with a grin that made the council members nearest him shy away in fear, "We have plans to make…"
Konoha, With Naruto:
Naruto leaned back in his chair, finger in his ear as he tried to regain his lost hearing from the shouting Rock Lee had done about just how "youthful" it was for him to have been made Hokage.
"Truly it is a testament to your burning youth that became Hokage, Hokage-sama! Our spirit burns brightly in the sun of summertime youth!" Rock Lee exclaimed as the ANBU in the corners were twitching. Some of them wanted to kill him and Guy, while others wanted to just shut them up.
"Huh? Did you say something, Lee?" Naruto asked as he had lost his hear at the very start of Lee's rant. Lee fell over, wide-eyed and gaping as Naruto finally got his hearing back.
"Curse you Hokage-sama and your cool! From this day forth you are on my list of rivals!" Lee proclaimed as he pointed a dramatic finger at Naruto.
"Huh?" Naruto asked intelligently as he looked at Lee in confusion.
"I will best you someday, Hokage-sama!" Lee exclaimed as Naruto raised a brow at him.
"Umm… okay, but you do know you can call me Naruto, right Bushy Brows?" Naruto said as Lee looked at him.
"I could not. It would be wrong of me to call you anything less than your title dictates. In fact, I shall now refer to you as Hokage-sama no matter what! That is my declaration for today!" Lee shouted as Naruto sighed and slumped back in his chair.
He could already tell that Lee and Guy would be headaches…
"Fine, Lee, whatever!" Naruto said as he threw up his hands in defeat and sighed. Lee then stood up from his chair and bowed respectfully to Naruto as he collected his crutches and limped toward the door.
"Yes, now if you don't mind Hokage-sama, I am going to limp twenty laps around the village!" Lee said as he bowed to Naruto and started for the door.
"But… the village is at least ten kilometers around, and that doesn't include the Hokage Monument or the Mountains." Naruto said as Lee nodded vigorously and limped quickly from the room, intent on doing just what he had said.
Naruto sat in behind his desk and stared at the spot Lee was for a few moments. He quickly shook his head as he got up and walked over to the door. He'd have to send someone after the boy, and another to be sure Granny Tsunade kept him in his hospital room…
"Next" Naruto called as he looked at the people who were still in the hall. It was Tenten, Neji, Hinata, Shikamaru, Choji, Shino, and Kiba. He silently wondered why the hell they weren't on missions.
"Why the hell aren't any of you on missions?" Naruto asked aloud as they shrugged collectively.
"The Mission Hall wasn't open, so everyone figured we had the day off or something. Iruka-sensei said that you were supposed to be handing out missions with him today, but since you didn't show up he figured you were giving Jonin and below a day of peace." Tenten said as she walked up to Naruto.
Naruto face-palmed himself as he forgot about the Mission Hall. How could he after having stood in front the Old Man and Iruka so many times before… his death.
Naruto shook his head as he ushered Tenten into his office. Tenten began exploring it as Naruto looked at her with a raised brow.
She certainly wasn't shy about looking around his office…
"I've never really been in the Hokage's office." Tenten said with an arm held behind her back as she looked at him from over her shoulder, "I've only been in here three times, and that was for only about a minute or two."
"Really, then feel free to look around." Naruto said as he sat behind his desk.
He watched her as she moved about his office, looking at each and everything with interest and awe. Most of the things in his office were things he decided to keep from the Old Man's time as Hokage. Konohamaru had told him about the Old man's things being put in storage and he went through them and saw some items he had liked. Asuma had graciously allowed him to take them, saying that they'd just collect dust in storage. Naruto was broken from his thoughts as Tenten gazed up at the row of Hokage photos along the top of the side wall.
"Wow, are these really the Hokages?" Tenten asked excitedly as she looked up at the pictures. Naruto got out of his seat and walked over to stand next to her as he too looked up at them with interest.
The first photo to the left showed a young man of his late twenties. He had dark tan skin with brown eyes and long black hair. He was smiling lightly as his eyes seemed to be focused on not just the camera, but the future as well. Under his photo was a plague that read several quotes from the man they had known to be their First Hokage.
"The fellow countrymen of Konoha make up each part of my body ... those of the village believe in me, and I believe in them. That is what it means to be Hokage!" Read the first quote.
Naruto thought about it and wondered if the people believed in him. He then remembered his coronation and how they had all said they believed in him. He smiled lightly like his great-grandfather did in his picture. He really was the Hokage now…
"Those who stray from the path of justice have no courage, but under the wing of a strong leader, cowardice cannot survive." The second quote read.
After reading the quote, Naruto thought over if he was a good leader. He hadn't been leading long enough to actually know if he was or not. He'd give it sometime before he came back to it…
"Landscapes luxuriant, perfect beauty with no artifice." The last quote read.
Naruto and Tenten looked at each other. They had no clue what that one was.
"Probably his favorite quote; it means nothing to us, but probably was everything to him." Naruto said with a shrug as they gazed at the next photo.
The second photo was a man that looked just as old as the other had. The man that was the Second Hokage had pale white skin, along shaggy white hair, red eyes, and three red streaks; one under each eye and on his chin. He also wore a forehead protector that was modeled to resemble a face guard. He wasn't exactly smiling. His face was bland, and serious in a way that most people expected of a leader's photo, but in his eyes was unyielding determination and courage. He looked so impassive that it was almost scary.
"Guide the people, and believe in them, for it's from among them that one will come who will carry on when your time is done." The first quote read.
Naruto read it again, and it seemed that his great-great-granduncle was speaking directly to whoever was to be Hokage, which was him. He wondered if his bi-polar people would allow him to guide them. He shook his head of those thoughts as it seemed that the village was okay with him being Hokage. Right…?
"You must protect those who have faith in you and who love the village, and help train up those to whom you can entrust with the next generation." Read the second quote.
Naruto wondered who he would choose to be his successor when he died. Then he wondered if he'd even get the chance. The Old Man and his own father hadn't gotten a chance to name the Fifth Hokage when they had died…
"Train the body, hone the mind, and past down your techniques and skills to the next generation." The last quote read.
Naruto thought about it, and it seemed that the Second Hokage was intent on continuing his legacy and passing down anything helpful to those who would come after him. Naruto wondered if he should do the same…
Naruto and Tenten gazed over to the third picture and were a bit confused until they read the name above it to confirm that it was in fact the Old man, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Third Hokage of Konoha. Though, in the photo the old man didn't look so old. He looked to be about thirty or forty years old. He looked far more youthful than he had before he died. He had tan skin with a small goatee and short spiked hair, both being dark brown. And instead of the three lines that had run vertically under each eye, there were only one under each eye. He was smiling softly as he gazed into the camera, his eyes just as gentle as the last time Naruto had saw him alive. He seemed to have been at peace the way he was just so relaxed in the picture.
"Whoa, who would have known the Third Hokage was hot when he was young…" Tenten commented as Naruto looked at her funny.
"What?" she defended as he shrugged while they began to read his quotes.
"When the tree leaves dance, one shall find flames. The fire's shadow will illuminate the village, and once again, tree leaves shall bud anew." The first quote read.
"Wow, that's just as beautiful as when he read it to us in Iruka-sensei's class on our first day…" Tenten said as Naruto nodded, tears welling up in his eyes.
"He read it to us too; Iruka-sensei said that he read it every year to the new classes so they could know what the Will of Fire means." Naruto said as he wiped away his tears.
The only grandfather-figure he had ever had was gone… And it was all Orochimaru's fault!
He felt arms wrap around him and saw that Tenten was hugging him from his side and leaning her head on his shoulder to comfort him. He smiled down at her as they continued to read the Old Man's quotes.
"Konoha, it is a place where every year shinobi are born, raised, grow old, fight, and die to protect their home. These people that do so and everyone else that live inside its walls are precious to me. We share a home, we share a life, and though we may not share ties of blood, they are still precious to me. They are my family, and if I do fall all threats to the home will still fail; for I am only one of a long line. I carry the title of those Hokage who came before and those who will come after. I am the Third Hokage and I will protect the family, the village; Konoha!" The second quote read.
Naruto and Tenten stood in awe of it. They could practically here his voice and the conviction in it as they read it. It was so powerful and moving. Naruto wondered if he could be like the Old Man was someday; to be able to protect the village- no not just the village and its people. They were his people, and they were his family. True he had never had a family before, but he wanted the people, all of them, to be his family. He resolved to make that happen, by being the best he could; by being the Fifth Hokage!
"Absolute Truth." Read the last quote.
Naruto and Tenten looked at each other as if they had just gotten off a roller coaster half-way through the ride. It was kind of disappointing that the Old Man's favorite quote was so… short and unmoving.
"That was… disappointing…" Tenten deadpanned as Naruto shrugged.
"I guess they can't all being tear-jerkers, or heart-felt." Naruto defended as Tenten sighed and they gazed over to the next photo.
Now the photo made Tenten look back and forth between Naruto and the picture.
"How the hell could no one see that this was your dad?" Tenten demanded as she pointed at the photo. Naruto shrugged as he didn't really have an answer now that he was actually looking at the photo. Truth be told, he had never really seen a colored image of the Fourth Hokage; A.K.A his father.
The photo was of a very young man, probably in his early to middle twenties. He was a fair-skinned man with bright cerulean blue-eyes and spiky blond hair. His had jaw-length bangs framing both sides of his face. He was smiling, just light enough to be considered a smile. His eyes seemed to gaze out past the photo and into the soul of whoever was looking at him, almost like he was judging them.
Naruto and Tenten both shuddered as it seemed that his eyes were gazing directly at them. They both decided not to look at him anymore and they began reading his quotes.
"The most important thing for a shinobi is teamwork!" the first quote read.
"Hey, wasn't Minato-sama Kakashi-sensei's teacher?" Tenten asked as Naruto nodded.
Yup, and that's why Kakashi probably sucks as a teacher." Naruto said as Tenten looked at Naruto with wide eyes.
"That's your dad and your predecessor!" Tenten admonished as Naruto shrugged.
"Don't get me wrong, he was probably a great guy, but it seems to me that Kakashi-sensei either wasn't paying attention when he was being taught, or my dad kinda sucked at teaching. I mean teamwork is important, but don't you think you should teach people some skills too? Besides, Jiraiya-sensei kinda sucks at teaching too, and he taught my dad." Naruto said as Tenten shook her head, "Hey don't blame me! It just seems like they didn't really learn too much from each other. While I was being taught it was me learning on my own through spars and scrolls instead of Jiraiya-sensei actually teaching me stuff. The only thing he actually stood and taught me was the Frog Kata, which I can't even use to its full potential for some reason."
"Why not?" Tenten asked as Naruto shrugged again.
"Something about being a Sage, nature energy, and some other crap he was talking about. He said that he'd teach it to me later, but that I'm "incapable" of learning it now. He said to wait three to four years before I started learning it." Naruto explained as Tenten shrugged herself while they went back to reading the quotes.
"The village comes before personally matters and emotions." The second quote read.
Naruto nodded his head as he had come to understand that well. Though he could only imagine what more things he'd have to do to ensure the village safety and peace of the village.
"That quotes sounds kind of… devoid, don't you think?" Tenten said as Naruto glanced at her.
"How so?" He asked as she shrugged while pointing up at the quote.
"It's like one of those things you put into specific situations. So like, say if someone came into the village and you found out they had killed a clan or something, but they were your brother and a powerful ninja. Your duty would be to kill him first and ask questions later, but what if the clan had been about to revolt or something, what would you do then?" Tenten explained as Naruto shrugged.
"Not sure, but if a clan had been about to revolt and the only way to deal with them, after all peaceful ideas have been tried, was to kill them all with a member of their own clan, what would you do?" Naruto asked as he gazed at Tenten from the corner of his eye.
"I'm not sure. I would think to use an ANBU force, but then again this is a clan who have been trained from birth to act as a family and unit. If the clan member you're using is more loyal to the village than his own clan, then I say use him. Though it would probably cause panic if the village ever found out. I'd probably send that same ninja out of the village to live as a rogue until I found a peaceful way to reveal the truth to the village…" Tenten said as Naruto continued to watch her. Her eyes widened as she realized something but Naruto put a hand up to stop her.
"I'm sure you and my ANBU in the shadows have realized it by now, but I think this should be the first official order I'll give you, Genin Tenten and my ANBU; none of you are to speak a word of what you have figured out under penalty of imprisonment or death. I will, however, be sending some of you on a mission which will deal with this nature." Naruto said as he gazed around his now silent office. The ANBU jumped from the shadows and stood in a military line-up as they saluted him.
"That is so cool…" Tenten muttered as she watched the ANBU disappear. Naruto grinned at her as he shrugged.
"What can I say, they were trained quite well." Naruto said cheekily as Tenten sighed while they both turned back to the last quote of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
"The fire's shadow illuminates the village!" The last quote read as Naruto scoffed, crossed his arms and closed his eyes as he turned from the quotes. Tenten looked at him oddly as she nudged him.
"What's up with you?" Tenten asked as Naruto turned to her.
"My dad's favorite phrase is based off the Old Man's sayings." Naruto said as Tenten reread the quote and sighed.
"Maybe your dad was inspired by the Third Hokage?" Tenten said as Naruto shrugged.
"Maybe, but he's still a copier." Naruto said as Tenten sighed again.
"I don't see your photo up here." Tenten commented as she gazed up at the wall.
"That's because I haven't been Hokage that long. It's only been three days since my coronation, so the village needs time to know me and my ways of leadership." Naruto said as Tenten nodded.
Naruto walked over and sat behind his desk. He played with his Kage hat on the middle of the desk as Tenten continued to look around his office. She eventually sat down in the chair in front of him as he removed his hat from the desk.
"So what did you want to talk about, hmmm Tenten?" Naruto asked as leaned forward on his elbows.
"Umm… you know… just wanted to say congratulations on becoming Hokage. I know you'll do a great job, and I hope to be… alongside you- as a loyal ninja of course!" Tenten said, blushing as Naruto raised a brow at her.
"Tenten, I already know about your… feelings toward me, and if that's how you feel, then please try not to be so… uncomfortable about it. I'm still Naruto, but now I'm Hokage Naruto." Naruto said as he leaned back in his chair while Tenten gave a sigh of relief.
"Listen, I'll tell you the same thing I told Ino. I think we should get to know each other before jumping into anything we're not prepared for. I would hate for you to give up your career simply to become my wife." Naruto said.
"Yeah, so would I- Hey, wait! Why would I have to give up being a ninja just because I'm your wife?" Tenten said as she stood from her chair and slammed her hands on his desk.
"Because you'll most likely be with child…" Naruto said timidly as he drew circles on his desk. Tenten blushed as she thought about her and him doing rather… intimate things together.
"Oh yeah, right… umm… sorry about that. So… I wouldn't have to give up being a ninja permanently… right?" Tenten said as Naruto shrugged.
"I'm not sure. You'll have to talk to someone whose has experience with that, but we can worry about that later; if there is a later." Naruto said as Tenten nodded sheepishly.
"Right then, well I'm off. See you later, Hokage-sama." Tenten said as she stood and bowed to him with him sighing at the action.
"You know you can call me Naruto right?" he said as she smiled and walked to the door.
"Alright, Naruto-sama." Tenten said as she darted out the door with Naruto banging his head against the desk.
"I just can't be nice to people…" Naruto muttered as he picked his head up.
"Next!"
Grass Country, With Hidan and Kakuzu:
"Hey, Kakuzu, how much longer until we get there?" Hidan asked as they walked through the grassy plains of North Grass country.
"We'll get there when we get there, but as for now we're hunting a bounty of 45 million ryo. So, shut up and get moving." Kakuzu said as he bent low and swept a finger across the ground. The earth was softer, which means the bounty had come through only recently. This would only take another day or two, and then they could head for another country for another high bounty.
"But I thought you were dead-set on taking out this new Hokage?" Hidan said as Kakuzu sighed deeply. Why was his only good partner also a complete moron and jackass…?
"I do, but I also lied so the Leader wouldn't be sending us on missions and other stuff. I wanted him to think my only interest was Konoha, that way he wouldn't feel the need to check our movements. Besides, we could have been there in a day or two, but I want to collect some cash for just us, and not Akatsuki. Think of it as a vacation; you get to kill and maim, while I get cash; we're both happy, right?" Kakuzu said as Hidan walked up next to him with a huge grin.
"Damn straight I'm happy! Why didn't you just say that from the get-go! Yahoo, am I gonna enjoy praising Lord Jashin on this vacation!" Hidan shouted excitedly as a man jumped from the grass plains and ran off.
"Well there's your first vacation head-hunt for you. Be sure to keep his head intact and that his body is recognizable." Kakuzu said as Hidan howled like a wolf and gave chase to the man who was running for his life; literally.
"Vacations never get any better than this…" Kakuzu stated as he followed along at a lazy pace while rubbing his hands together greedily.
Konoha, With Naruto:
"Umm… thanks Neji, I'll be sure to keep all that in mind…" Naruto said as he looked visible paler and was sweating slightly. Neji stood from his chair and bowed formally to Naruto.
"Thank you for your time, Naruto-sama." Neji stated as he turned and walked out of Naruto's office.
"N-next!" Naruto shouted out shakily as Hinata pocked her head through the door.
"That's me…" she said as she walked in, poking her fingers together nervously as Naruto started to sweat more as she came closer to him and sat down.
"Umm… Hokage-kun - I mean, Hokage-sama, are you alright?" Hinata asked nervously as she began to hear snickering and giggles from the… shadows?
"Be quiet or else all of you are going back to the Academy and being in Konohamaru's class!" Naruto shouted out as the noises stopped suddenly.
"Are you alright, Hokage-sama?" Hinata asked, a little more relaxed than before. For some reason the chair, that was made of wood and seemed to be growing out of the wooden floor boards, was making her feel calm, safe, and relaxed.
"Yeah, I'm fine and you can call me Naruto you know. And, I see you're enjoying that chair." Naruto said as Hinata nodded meekly.
"You should, because it's made to give a person a sense of relaxation as they sit in it. Now what did you want to talk about Hinata?" Naruto said as he leaned forward to gaze into her eyes. She blushed as she could see herself in the reflection of his eyes.
"N-nothing much, I just w-wanted to say c-congratulations on becoming H-Hokage… No one deserves it more than you…" She said as Naruto raised a brow and leaned back in his chair.
"I wouldn't say that, there are lots of ninja more powerful than me who should have become Hokage, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy or that I won't do my best at it." Naruto said as Hinata nodded.
"I know you'll do your best, Naruto-kun. You always do." Hinata said with confidence as Naruto gazed at her. She blushed and turned away from his intense blue eyes. They were like pool of crystal clear waters that planned to swallow her whole if she gazed into them to long…
"Thank Hinata, but there's something I have to talk to you about now." Naruto said as she turned back to him.
"What is it, Naruto-kun?" She asked as Naruto got out of his chair and walked over to the window to look out it, hands behind his back as he watched children play in the streets.
"It's a hard topic for both of us, but I feel that it needs to be address before we have any sort of relationship." Naruto said slowly as Hinata looked at him in confusion.
"What is it?" She repeated as he finally turned to her, with his eyes looking at her as if she were caught red-handed.
"You stalked me, Hinata." Naruto stated.
"Huh?" was Hinata's intelligent reply as Naruto threw his hands up.
"You stalked me, Hinata! You followed me around without my permission! For years in fact before I ever knew! In fact if it wasn't for your father, then I would have never known! You stalked me, Hinata! That's so not cool!" Naruto ranted as Hinata grew wide-eyed and nervous.
What if he thought she was creepy? What if he never wanted to see her again? What if he got a restraining order out on her?
"Hinata, are you listening to me?" Naruto shouted as she was snapped from her thoughts.
"Yes, of course!" Hinata said as she held her hands to her lap so they wouldn't fidget anymore.
"Hinata, you stalked me! That's not cool, that's just downright wrong! I have no clue how, when, and to where you did, but it's still bad!" Naruto said as something inside Hinata snapped.
"But I love you!" She shouted out as the ANBU all came out from the shadows and sat on the couch of Naruto's office. They shared popcorn as they watched the two twisted lovers argue over her ways of love; which was stalking the one she loves.
"That doesn't matter, stalking is still wrong! In fact, I could have you listed as a stalker for this!"
"But I did it for love!"
"That's still bullshit! You could have told me!" Naruto shouted as Hinata stood from her chair and got in his face.
"But all you cared about was Sakura, Sakura, Sakura! You never once thought of me!" She yelled at him as he looked offended.
"That's not true, and besides, you never gave any hints to the fact that you liked me. I just thought you were weird and quiet like Shino!"
"How the hell did you not see it? The blushing, the fainting, the whispering your name in my sleep, the stealing your only pair of black pants and hanging them on my wall!" Hinata shouted as her eyes wield up with tears brimming in them.
"So that's what happened to my pants! I loved those pants, too!"
"So all you care about is Sakura and black pants?" Hinata screamed as tears stream down her face, falling from her chin onto the floor below.
"Hinata, I did think about you. I thought about you from our first to our last days in the Academy! True, I didn't think about you as much as Sakura, but I thought about you more than those nameless background girls that were in our class! In fact, I don't even remember any girls from our class except for you, Sakura, and Ino!" Naruto shouted as he grabbed Hinata by her shoulders.
"Then why didn't you talk to me? Why didn't you ask me out on a date? Why was Sakura the only girl to have your attention? Why couldn't I be the one?" Hinata shouted as she cried.
"I don't know… I'm an idiot I guess! I'm a moron, okay? I was stupid! I guess that my love for Sakura was a way of getting attention. I'm sorry, alright?"
"No, it's not alright! My heart broke every time I saw you ask her out! It broke with every smile and sweet word you would say to her, while she would beat up into the ground for it! She didn't deserve your love, I did! It was me who would silently encourage you! It was me who would have been at your side had you asked! It was I who loved you from the very beginning!"
"Hinata…" Naruto said as he gazed down at her. He just realized that he was now a head taller than her… oh, and that she was deeply in love with him, yeah, he couldn't forget that.
"Excuse me, Hokage-sama, Hinata-sama, but may I say something?" A voice said as Naruto and Hinata turned to the couch where a Cat-masked ANBU had his hand raised while his fellow ANBU were looking at him.
"Tora-senpai, you can't just interrupt stuff like this. It was just getting good." The OX-masked ANBU next to him whined as he slipped popcorn under his mask.
"Yeah, Senpai!" The Bird-masked ANBU chirped.
"Umm, we're trying to have a moment here." Naruto stated flatly as the ANBU quieted.
"Yes, and I apologize for ruining it, but I think the both of you are at fault here." Tora, the Cat-masked ANBU said as Naruto and Hinata blinked.
"Me? It was all his/her fault!" They shouted as they pointed at one another.
"Listen, Hokage-sama, Hinata-sama. The blame lies with both of you." Tora said as he turned to Hinata, "Hinata-sama, you should have told him about your feelings, but instead you choice to stalk him and be shy and meek to his face. That was not the answer. You should have told him, because if he's as great a guy as you make him out to be, then everything would have been okay had he felt the same or not."
"Damn straight! And where the hell do you get off stalking me anyway? You're all shy, quiet, meek and weird, since when do you get the courage to stalk me, but can't tell me you love me?" Naruto said as Hinata hung her head.
"But it's your fault as well, Hokage-sama." Tora said, stopping Naruto's victory dance in mid-groove, "You shouldn't have focused all your attention on one girl. You were in the Academy for Kami's sake! You have your father's looks; you should have been cruising around the Academy going after girls of all ages! Hinata-sama deserved some of your attention, and so did the other girls." Tora said as Hinata nodded and Naruto hung his head.
"But that's okay. You can't change the past, but you can change what you'll do once you learn from that past. So… umm… try to work things out, instead of tearing them apart." Tora said as Naruto and Hinata looked at each other, and then back at him.
"Thanks, Tora, who would have thought the Second-in-Command of the ANBU would be a great relationship councilor?" Naruto said as the ANBU around Tora giggled while he scratched the back of his masked head.
"Wait, your codename is Tora, but why do you wear the Cat mask?" Hinata asked as Tora hung his head and the ANBU around him chuckled and snickered.
"I'm named after that demon cat from the D-rank mission…" Tora admitted quietly and ashamed as Hinata's eyes widened.
"That Tora! Oh my, it took my team an entire day to catch that thing! Then it peed on Kiba and scratched Shino's glasses to pieces! Kurenai-sensei said that the Catch Tora mission is used as a punishment for ninja who have been bad." Hinata said as Naruto tried to suppress his laughter, but failed miserably.
"It peed on Kiba! Ha, ha! I'll never forget that bit of information for as long as I live!" Naruto said as he fell to the floor laughing.
"Naruto-kun, it's not nice to laugh at the pain of others, especially our friends." Hinata scolded lightly as Naruto got up and wiped a tear away.
"Yeah, but it's Kiba, so there. Anyways, really Tora, thank you. If not for you we would have probably been arguing all day long." Naruto said as Tora gave a bow.
"I'm always happy to be of service, Hokage-sama." Tora said as he and his fellow ANBU disappeared into the shadows.
Hinata looked over to Naruto and saw that he was smiling down at her. She had just noticed how tall he had gotten and that he was more muscular than he was in the Academy. He placed his hand on her shoulder as he gave her a cheesy grin. It was so stupid of a grin that it made her smile just looking at it.
"Hinata, I'm sorry. I should have known, but I was kind of an idiot back then." Naruto said as he moved her hair behind her ear, "How could I have not noticed someone like you?"
"You were an idiot, that's how. But that's in the past now, like Tora-san said. All I want to know is what happens next?" Hinata said as Naruto sighed and allowed her to rest her head on his chest.
"Like I told Tenten and Ino, I still want to try a relationship, but we'll have to take things slow. I want to get to know you, to make up time from the Academy. I want to know the real Hinata Hyuga, and not just the one you show everybody. I know you're strong than that Hinata, and I want to see it for myself." Naruto said as she nodded with a blush.
"T-thank you… Naruto-kun…" She said simply as he grabbed her shoulders gently and held her out at arm's length.
"Now, there will be plenty of time for mushy-stuff later, but right now I have four other people outside waiting for me to speak with them. So, I'll see ya later, right?" Naruto said as she nodded.
"Of course, because I don't care who's in the way anymore, you'll be mine Naruto Namikaze Uzumaki." Hinata said with a wicked grin and an evil gleam in her eyes as Naruto backed away slowly, "You're mine, Naruto-kun; remember that." Hinata said as she suddenly went back to normal and walked out.
Naruto stared at the spot she was for a few moments, but then shook his head as he walked over to the door.
"First Neji, and now a bi-polar Hinata; life just loves fucking with me…" Naruto muttered as he got to the door and opened it, "Next!"
With the Konoha Barrier Team:
The Barrier Team resides in a large chamber with two levels. Streams run from the upper level into a large basin on the lower level. Above the basin is a large sphere representing the barrier; In front of the sphere are four conical pillars in a square formation. Behind these is a stairway to the upper level, shielded by a large screen with the Barrier Team symbol on it. On the upper level is a small lounge area.
Konoha's Barrier Team are in charge of maintaining the detection barrier surrounding Konoha, detecting intruders, and intercepting them. The detection division has three members, all dressed in clothes similar to those of a Shinto priest. Their hats have the Barrier Team symbol above the Konoha forehead protector. They reside on the lower level of the barrier chamber, one sitting in the middle of the four pillars in front of the sphere, with the other two standing on either side. When someone enters through the barrier, the person in the middle detects them and their point of entry. They do this, apparently, without having to look at the sphere representing the barrier.
The interception division has five members. When at rest, they reside in the lounge area on the upper level of the barrier chamber, drinking tea and playing card games. They wear the standard Konoha uniform, but with the Barrier Team symbol on the upper arm, instead of the standard spiral of Uzushiogakure. When the barrier division detects an intrusion, the interception division rush to the site to apprehend the intruder; at least one member of the team is from the Hyuga clan, which was why Hamachi Hyuga was with them.
The Konoha Barrier Team, the first line of village defense. If they couldn't detect a sneak attack by a rival village, then Konoha would surely perish from the sneak-attack that would soon follow. They were the all-knowing and all-seeing eyes of Konoha's infrastructure. They were the bravest, hard-working soldiers that Konoha could possible produce. They protected the village from all threats; all sides, above, below, and in any direction. They were the extremely, ever vigilant-
"You got to be kidding me! We're out of sake already!" Hamachi Hyuga shouted as the other members around him looked horrified while he shook the empty sake bottle.
"We're out already! That's not possible!" Kotetsu and Izumo shouted in unison as everyone else began looking around for more liquor.
"What the hell do you mean we're all out of sake?" Kotetsu shouted as he grabbed the empty bottle from his friend.
"We wouldn't be out if you hadn't drank more than your share!" Izumo accused as the Hyuga stood and glared at him with a slight blush from intoxication.
"Well excuse me for having the stressful life of a servant to not only my Hokage, but to my clan as well! Kami-sama knows I needed that wine more than any of you! I need something to keep me from falling to pieces!" Hamachi shouted as the other members sighed and glared at him.
"We don't give a crap about your home life, and you know that! When you're here you share, and you broke the unspoken rule by taking more than your fair share. You know what that means." Kotetsu said as Hamachi nodded. Shunsui awoke from his nap as he saw that his fellow four members were yelling.
"You guys should take it easy. It's only natural that sake should disappear." Shunsui said as he lay in his napping position. Hamachi nodded as the others turned back to glare at him.
"Shut up, Shunsui-senpai! Don't try and make it sound like it just evaporated! It's gone because he drank it all! The big pig!" Sudan said as Shunsui shrugged and went back to sleep.
"What are those fools down there yapping about now?" The head of the Barrier Team said from his spot at the front of the sphere that was the main point of their Sensing System Technique.
"They're out of sake already, so they're about to play a game of cards to see who's gonna buy more." The man across the sphere from him said as the head of the Barrier Team.
"Fools, it's only sake…"head said as he sighed deeply at their actions. If the Hokage saw them like this…?
"Sir, what's that?" the man said as the head looked to the spot of the barrier sphere that he was pointing at. It was a dot that seemed to be circling just outside of the barrier.
"Probably just one of the stupid birds looking for an easy meal out in the forest." The head said, waving it off dismissively.
"But sir, it's pretty damn big. Like a giant bird, sir. It could probably hold more than three people with the size of it." The man said as the head grew irritated.
"It's probably just one of the Birds of Prey form Bird country. One of those rich capital visitors probably got bored with it and set it loose like last time. Just ignore it." The head said as the man sighed.
"And if it enters the barrier?"
"Then let the ninja inside the village deal with it. It'll be a meal on one of their tables before tomorrow." The head said, another dismissing wave as he looked away from the dot.
The man opposite of him didn't look away though, in fact he looked at it intently. He didn't know why, but that bird that was flying in random circles seemed… ominous? Was that the right word? Ominous? Because he definitely got a bad feeling from the bird; that was easily one of the two biggest he had ever seen on the projection.
"Something tells me tonight we're gonna be in some deep shit…" the man said as he sighed, going back to other business.
"Let me drink with you guys! I think I need it!"
Omake:
Why I Didn't Show Naruto and Neji's Meeting:
During Neji's Meeting With Naruto:
Neji walked into Naruto's office with his head held high and an impassive look on his face. Naruto only raised a brow as Neji sat down.
"So Neji, what can I do for you now that you're not a total asshole?" Naruto said as he smirked and leaned forward.
"Nothing Hokage-sama, but I've come to get a message to you." Neji said as calmly and impassively as Naruto knew him for.
"Oh and what's that?" Naruto said as Neji stood up and went to gaze out the window. Naruto raised a brow to the older teen's action, but didn't say anything.
"… It is my understanding that you wish to pursue a… relationship with Lady Hinata. Am I correct?" Neji said, not even glancing at Naruto as he gazed out the window and down at the people.
"Yes, her dad and your uncle said he'd be drawing up a marriage contract to ensure that no one could stand against it." Naruto said as he looked at Neji.
"Then it would seem this message is appropriate." Neji said, finally looking back at Naruto as the latter raised a brow again. Talking to these people was far too much work on his eyebrows…
"What's the message? It isn't the "Shuriken and the Kunai" talk again, is it?" Naruto said, his eyes narrowing only slightly as Neji came to sit back down; just as calmly as he stood up.
"No, it's not. It is that Lady Hinata is like a gentle flower. She is beautiful, wondrous, and most importantly; fragile. She must always be handled with extreme care, and as you know she is extremely shy, meek, and self-conscious." Neji said as he stood, standing behind the chair as he gazed at Naruto.
"Did you know that Hiashi-sama has allowed me to study the Main Branch techniques of the Hyuga clan?" Neji asked suddenly as Naruto blinked.
"No, I didn't know…" Naruto answered slowly as Neji smiled… almost evilly in Naruto's opinion.
"Good, because if Lady Hinata were to somehow… be trampled upon, or even a petal of her were to fall, I would be looking for an extreme training partner to practice some of the more… dangerous techniques on." Neji said as he gripped the wooden chair, making nail marks in it.
"For instance, did you know the Hyuga Main Branch has a technique called the Eight Trigrams Air Palm? It's an attack that can destroy basically whatever it is directed at, and like all of the other Hyuga techniques; it doesn't leave a single mark on the skin." Neji said as he moved from behind the chair so he could lean in Naruto's desk and get in his face, using the Hyuga glare that all Hyuga were taught as small children.
"Umm… what?" Naruto said as he leaned back in his chair.
The ANBU of the office didn't even bother coming out, since it wasn't really any of their business…
"This move would complete crush whatever it's faced with, like say the reproductive organs of the human body. Destroyed beyond repair and no one would be the wiser as to how they were completely obliterated. Not even Tsunade-sama could tell you why." Neji said as Naruto gulped reflexively. Was he being threatened, successfully he might add, by the very guy whose ass he kicked during the Chunin Exams? Yes!
"So if I were to ever hear of any physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, or even removal damage done to Lady Hinata, I will come looking for you, and you can trust that with these eyes it won't be too hard to find you." Neji said as his Byakugan came to life with a blaze of charka, "Then when I find you, we'll have ourselves a friendly little "sparring match", because if anyone could take a Hyuga in a fight it would be the Godaime Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, right?" Neji finished as Naruto paled and began to sweat profusely.
"R-r-r-right" Naruto said as he trembled and nodded his head quickly. If there were three people that scared Naruto they were; a drunk Tsunade, a pissed-off Gaara, and an even more pissed-off Hyuga, the last being either Hinata, Neji, or Hiashi. Though right now, that Hyuga was Neji Hyuga.
"Good, well then I shall be taking my leave, Hokage-sama. May you and Lady Hinata have a long, happy, and perfect life together with however many women you have." Neji said, a smile on his face as he backed away from the desk and bowed formally to Naruto.
"But if I hear that Lady Hinata has been mistreated, not gotten enough attention, or that she is unhappy, then your genitals shall pay the forfeit." Neji said as he came out of his bow, a dark look in his glare as Naruto nodded quickly.
"I hear you loud and clear; now get your ball crushing ass out of my office!" Naruto said as his mind was still working pass the fact that Neji had, just about three months ago, tried to kill Hinata out of spite and hate.
Neji bowed once more as he turned to leave from Naruto office.
"Please keep in mind what I said, Hokage-sama." Neji said firmly as Naruto sighed and sank into his chair.
"Umm… thanks Neji, I'll be sure to keep all that in mind…" Naruto said as he looked visible paler and was sweating slightly. Neji stood from his chair and bowed formally to Naruto.
"Thank you for your time, Naruto-sama." Neji stated as he turned and walked out of Naruto's office.
"N-next!" Naruto shouted out shakily as Hinata pocked her head through the door.
Crazy-ass Hyuga…