Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto in any way...
Chapter 7: Preparation
"No...Sasuke...Don't die...No...No!" Sakura woke up in a pool of sweat. She felt sick to her stomach that she ran to the restroom and barged into the stall. She vomited alot into the toilet. Hinata knocked on the stall door. "Sakura? Are you alright?" Sakura flushed the toilet. "Yeah Hinata..I'm fine...just wait for me outside ok?"
Hinata was worried but followed Sakura's orders and went back to the waiting room bench. Sakura cleaned herself off and look in the mirror. Sakura's brain felt like it was trying to escape her head. Her stomach pounded with pain. "What's gotten into me? Was it all a dream? It felt so real...I must be losing it." Sakura washed her hands with soap and water then splashed water onto her face to wake up completely. She dried herself off and went back to the bench with Hinata.
Hinata handed her the Iris flower. "You dropped this. It almost got stepped on but I saved it for you. Sakura took back the flower. "Thanks Hinata. Has Lady Tsunade came out yet?"
"No but i heard a conversation coming from the ER a minute ago."
"Oh." It was then the door opened and Tsunade emerged from it, looking pretty decent. She smiled at them. "Good Morning ladies. It seems to me you two waited all night."
Sakura was anxious. "Well? How are they Lady Tsunade? Are they ok?"
Tsunade sighed. "Well me and Shizune did all we could and well..."
"Well what?" The fear started to creep down Sakura's spine. This couldn't be happening again.
Tsunade opened the door. "Well Naruto is awake but Sasuke is still sleeping. You can visit them now if you want?"
Sakura's face lit up as did Hinata. They walked into the hospital room and saw Naruto stare at the cieling from his hospital bed in his green hospital gown. He had bandages on his arms and legs and a large bandage on his right temple and left cheek. Naruto looked up at the door and saw the two girls standing there. "Hey Hinata-chan and Sakura. What are you doing here?" Hinata went and sat down in an empty spot on the bed as Sakura pulled up a chair next to the sleeping Sasuke's bed and stared at him.
Hinata handed Naruto the Lavender flower. "Here...Naruto-kun its for you." Naruto held the flower and looked at it's light purplish tint petals. "Gee thanks Hinata. It's a pretty flower, it matches your eyes." Hinata blushed.
Sasuke began to open his eyes very slowly until he saw the cieling. "Where am I?"
Naruto looked at Sasuke covered up to his neck in blankets. "Sasuke, buddy! You're alive! You lost your body in the fight and they had to transfer all the fat from your head to build you a new body. They are doing that in the other room. Until then you are just a bodyless head." Naruto laughed uncontrollably.
Sasuke frowned deeply. "Naruto you asshole." Naruto laughed even harder until Sakura punched him in the face. "Naruto! Cut the crap! You two could've died!" Sakura grabbed Sasuke's head and held it to her chest. Sasuke blushed a dark red all over his face, his face was in her breasts and this isn't exactly what he wanted to wake up too but hey its way better than what he had planned.
Naruto rubbed his face and looked at Sakura's body language towards Sasuke. "Wow...she was really worried..." Naruto and Hinata looked at the door open again and found Shizune with a clipboard.
Shizune flipped through the pages on the clipboard and walked up to Naruto. She took out a mini flashlight and put the clipboard down on the dresser between the two beds. She held open Naruto's eyes and shone the light into it. "Hey Shizune! What are you doing!" Naruto rubbed his eyes as Shizune tossed him a bottle of pills. She then walked up to Sasuke and shone the left into his eyes as well then tossed him a bottle of pills. "Well you two seem ok to me. If you are good and obey my rules I might let you go home."
Naruto's face lit up. "Awesome Shizune! So what do we have to do?"
Shizune pointed to Naruto. "You will not be allowed to be on any ninja mission whatsoever for the next few weeks..." Shizune pointed to Sasuke as well. "and that goes for you two, Sasuke."
Naruto and Sasuke leaned up in their beds with faces of disapproval. "What!!! No missions!!!"
Hinata and Sakura held Naruto and Sasuke back from their arguing with Shizune. Sasuke suddenly stopped arguing and noticed something and then smirked. Naruto noticed it too and looked at the window. "You can come out now Kakashi-sensei...Pervy Sage."
Kakashi and Jirayia both peeked through the window as Jirayia spoke up. "So I hear that you had some trouble on your trip."
Naruto frowned. "You don't know the half of it." Jirayia opened the window and stepped inside with Kakashi. "You ok Naruto?"
Shizune walked up to Jirayia. "He will be alright as will Sasuke. All I'm asking is that they stay away from shinobi activities for a week or two."
Jirayia smiled. "Perfect! Cause me and Kakashi was thinking of something and it might take a week or two."
Naruto and the others look on with confused looks on their faces. Naruto tilted his head. "Whats up Pervy Sage?"
Kakashi put his hands in his pockets. "Well Naruto it affects you Sasuke and Sakura as a team."
Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were deeply confused now. Sakura stood up. "What are you talking about Kakashi-sensei?"
"I'm talking about making you three Sannin by the end of the year."
Naruto Sasuke and Sakura looked at Kakashi with blank stares. "Sannin...in under half a year..." Sakura was even more confused. "Slow down Kakashi-sensei...Sannin? With the exception of Naruto still being a Genin and me and Sasuke being Chunin how can we achieve such a level of power in just a few months?"
Kakashi leaned up against the wall. "Luckily Jirayia knows a way or did you forget that he's a Sannin as well?"
Jirayia smiled. "That's right you guys! me! Master Jirayia, the toad mountain sage of Mt. Miyobuku! Is a legendary member of the three great Sannin of all the land! I know a fast way to becoming Sannin."
"Well spit it out already!" Naruto said.
"You must travel to the lost Village Hidden in the Heavens."
Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura was kinda skeptical. Naruto raised his eyebrow. "A Village Hidden in the Heavens? You can't be serious Pervy Sage."
Jirayia took out a scroll. "In fact I'm dead serious." Jirayia opened the scroll and laid it on the dresser for everyone to see. It was a map of the five great nations. "Theres only one entrance into the place in the Land of Lightning. Legend has it that the gods themselves made this paradise for their children of the five great shinobi nations but the people was corrupt so they locked it away for only the purest of souls can walk in."
"And?" Naruto asked.
"And we are going to ask the gods to bestow upon you strength and wisdom of a Sannin in order to defeat Madara for good!"
Naruto clenched his fist. "But asking for power seems like a cop-out to obtaining strength. I would rather train my butt off so i would obtain that power." Jirayia put on his serious face. "I'm sorry kid but its the only way to defeat Madara before he strikes again. Unless you want that fox unleashed and killing everyone in the entire world we have to make you stronger somehow." Naruto clenched his blanket in his hands.
Sakura looked at Naruto. "He's right Naruto. We were all no match for Madara. You and Sasuke had to push yourselves beyond your limits in order to wound him. We have to get stronger by any means necessary."
Kakashi-sensei laid his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "This will be a S-rank mission because of the dangers we may face on the way." Kakashi pointed to the map. "Look at where we have to where we have to go through in order to reach the Land of Lightning."
Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke and Sakura looked at it and gasped. Sasuke's heart raced. "We have to go through the Sound Village!"
Jirayia frowned. "I know. That bastard Orochimaru is still out there. We will have to go into his backyard in order to fulfill our mission."
Naruto grabbed Jirayia's shirt and shook him. "Are you crazy! Orochimaru is a Sannin like yourself and you expect us to just waltz into his village and expect him not wanting to kill us as we pass through like tourists! Unless you have forgotten I foiled his plan six years back and I highly doubt he will forget that easily! That place must be packed with bandits and goons doing Orochimaru's bidding. What are we going to do in order to stay alive!"
Jirayia pushed Naruto off of him. "Will you calm down! I'll protect you!" Naruto frowned. "Oh yeah that's real reassuring!" Jirayia got mad but kept his cool. "And I also hired some special bodyguards for this mission."
"Who Pervy Sage?"
Jirayia put his hand to his chin and rubbed it. "Well Kakashi will be there as well. We need Kiba and his dog Akamaru to sniff out any traps that may be set along the way in the Sound Village. We'll need Hinata and Neji to come along as well as lookouts with their Byakugan abilities." Naruto hugged Hinata happy that he won't be alone on this mission. "We'll take Shikamaru as the brains of the operation and Rock Lee for the brawn."
Naruto raised his eyebrow. "Lazy ass and Bushy Brows?"
"And we shall take Temari and Gaara for they know the Land of Lightning's terrain since Gaara is the Kazekage and Temari is the ambassodor of the Sand Village, they have went on numerous visits to feudal lords of the five great shinobi nations, the Land of the lightning being one of them."
Naruto counted with his fingers. "Ok there's me, Sasuke, Sakura, Kiba, Akamaru, Neji, Hinata, Shikamaru, Lee, Temari and Gaara on this mission. Oh yeah! and you and Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto counted his fingers, then made a shadow clone for the rest when he couldn't go any farther. Naruto held up ten fingers and the clone held up four. "That's twelve people on this mission. Leaving each set of six shinobi with one leader. One six-man group would have Kakashi-sensei leading them and another group will be led by you, Pervy Sage." Everyone looked at Naruto with shocked expressions. Did he just come up with a strategy? Naruto had a face of concern. "What?"
Jirayia smiled. "Wow impressive Naruto. You came up with that all by yourself!"
Naruto rubbed his head as he smiled. "Well I can't be the idiot forever you know." Naruto giggled.
Kakashi smirked under his mask. "My how much you have grown Naruto. You remind me of your father."
Shizune pushed out two wheelchairs. "But until you go on your mission, I advise you take it easy for the next two weeks." Naruto and Sasuke frowned at the sight of those ugly wheelchairs.
Jirayia and Kakashi tossed them a set of clothes. Naruto got his old jumpsuit, the half blue half orange one with the white collar. Naruto thought he outgrew that thing but apparently Jirayia found a bigger size. Sasuke got a blue shirt with the Uchiha symbol on the back and white shorts. Sasuke didn't want to wear that thing but beggers can't be choosers.
Hinata grabbed a wheelchair and wheeled it to Naruto. "Come on Naruto-kun! We can go shopping for a new wardrobe for you down at the mall." Naruto stratched his head in confusion. "We have a mall Hinata-chan?" Hinata giggled. "Of course silly. The Village built it like three years ago." Naruto got up out of bed and slowly walked to the wheelchair and sat in it. "Ok Hinata. To the mall we go!" Naruto's stomach growled. "But first how about we stop at Ichiraku's first. I'm starving!"
Jirayia stepped in front of Naruto and Hinata. "But remember Naruto once you are 100 you come tell me or Kakashi so we can get started on this mission ASAP. Do you got that? I can't have you slipping on this very important mission."
"I understand Pervy Sage." Naruto and Hinata left the ER.
Kakashi looked at Sasuke. "That goes for you two Sasuke."
Sasuke sighed. "Yeah yeah I get it." Sasuke stood out of his bed and sat in his wheelchair with the clothes in his lap. "Take me home Sakura." Sakura smiled as she wheeled Sasuke outta the hospital. "Sure thing Sasuke-kun."
Kakashi, Shizune and Jirayia stood and looked at them leave. Then a short moment later a medic ninja bust through. "Miss Shizune! We have an emergency! Quick!" Shizune ran with the ninja out of the room wondering what was going on.
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Meanwhile Hinata wheeled in Naruto as her shadow-clones laid down the bags of groceries and clothes for Naruto. Hinata poofed away the clones and then sat on Naruto's lap while he was still in his wheelchair. "Now Mister Uzumaki...what do you want to do?" Hinata playfully ran her finger across Naruto's chest.
Naruto grinned. "Well first of all I want to get out of this wheelchair...my butt hurts." Naruto laughed. Hinata giggled at his joke. Hinata got up off of his lap and went into her left jacket pocket and pulled out a bottle of pills. She shook it in his face. "It's time to take your medicine anyway." Naruto frowned and complained. "Aww c'mon Hinata! Medicine? I don't need it." Naruto sulked and pouted. Hinata leaned towards his face and made a sad puppy dog face. "Please Naruto-kun? I want you to get better. Please? For me?" Naruto turned his face away trying not to look at Hinata's expression. Naruto glanced at it then turned away again still pouting. Hinata started to sniffle a little. Naruto started to break down slowly until he couldn't take it anymore. "Alright alright. What can I say I'm whipped. Give me the pills."
Hinata jumped up excited and joyful. "Yay!" She opened the pills and handed one to Naruto. "I'll get you a glass of water." Hinata ran into the kitchen and poured a glass of cold water. Naruto looked at the small pill, it was white and cylindrical. How was this thing supposed to make him better in a few weeks? Hinata handed him the glass of water as he put the pill on his tounge. It had no taste at first but when you added water to wash it down, the taste came full blast. "Yuck! It taste like cardboard!" Naruto drunk the rest of the water to wash away the bitter taste on his tounge.
Hinata sat on his lap and kissed his lips. "How does that taste?" Naruto smiled. "Tastes sweet...just like you are." Hinata blushed as she kissed him again. Naruto and Hinata enter a liplock of passion that neither wanted to end but a knock was heard at the door. "Stay right here Naruto, I'll get it for you." Naruto smiled at Hinata's hips swinging back and forth as she walked away. Naruto shook his head and tried to think of something else.
Hinata opened the door and found her little sister Hanabi and Neji panting and overexcited. Hanabi grabbed Hinata's arm and tried to drag her on out the door. "C'mon sis we have to go to the hospital now!" Hinata stopped Hanabi. "What? Why? What happened?" Neji put his hand on Hinata's shoulder. "Uncle is in the hospital. They say he suffered a stroke earlier this morning. We have to go visit him." Hinata couldn't believe it. Her father, Hiashi was in the hospital. "Ok ok ok! Let's go! but..." Naruto was up off of his feet and standing right behind Hinata. "I'm right behind ya Hinata."
Neji shook his head. "Alright let's go!" Neji, Hanabi, Hinata and Naruto dashed off into the streets back towards the Konoha Hospital. Neji ran up to the counter and stared at the nurse sitting there. "Excuse me ma'am but can you tell me which room is Lord Hiashi in?"
The nurse looked at the clipboard and searched for Hiashi's name. "Aha! Hiashi Hyuga, room 414 down the left." The nurse pointed to the left.
Neji bowed. "Thank you ma'am" Neji and the others ran to the room Hiashi was in and barged in to find Hiashi lying in a bed looking pale and lifeless.
Hanabi ran to Hiashi's side. "Daddy daddy! Are you alright?"
Hiashi barely smiled. "Yes, my darling Hanabi I am alright, but my time in this world has reached its end."
Hanabi's eyes filled with tears. "No daddy don't say things like that!"
"He is right. His time is short-lived." said an older man with grey hair.
Neji noticed the man at the door and bowed. "Lord Gedokuzai." Gedokuzai raised his hand. "Please Neji don't bow to me. I'm just here on official business."
Hanabi stared at Gedokuzai with a hatred. "Official business! My father is dying!" Gedokuzai bowed his head. "And the fact that we should pick an heir today is all the business the Hyuga Clan demands. Which one Hiashi?"
Hiashi looked at Hinata. "My first child is more mature and intelligent than the young one here, she'll take over." Gedokuzai looked at Hinata and raised his eyebrow. "Hinata? Are you sure Hiashi? I mean she is not that emotionally prepared for such a position. We need someone who can take control of the clan and destroy our enemies not run away from them."
Naruto got angered by his insult. "Hey pal..." Hinata put her hand in front of Naruto to stop him from yelling and doing something stupid.
Hiashi frowned. "But Hanabi is much too young." Gedokuzai smiled. "All the more time to learn. She will be made a great ruler of the Hyuga clan." Hiashi slowly shook his head. "Alright then by order of the ruler of the Hyuga Clan, I lord Hiashi command that my daughter Han..."
"STOP!!!" yelled Naruto. Naruto pointed to Gedokuzai as everyone looked at Naruto. "That's not fair old man! No offense to Hanabi or anything, but Hinata deserves that position!"
Gedokuzai stared at Naruto with a cold stare. "And who might you be?"
Naruto smirked and pointed to himself. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm the guy who's going to be Hokage someday!"
Gedokuzai laughed. "Hokage huh? I may be old but I'm certainly no fool to believe that a kid like you could become Hokage." Naruto growled but Hinata got in front of him. Gedokuzai pondered the name Naruto Uzumaki, he has heard it somewhere before, but couldn't remember where. "Anyway, you think that a weakling like Hinata could ever be the Hyuga heir, thats almost as saying you, a un-prestiged unrecognized brat like you could ever be Hokage. But I'll give you a chance to prove your stupidity. We will decide this the old-fashioned way. A match between Hinata and Hanabi. If Hanabi wins like she will, then she's the next ruler no questions asked. If Hinata wins, then the whole clan will recognize her and respect her as the next ruler."
Naruto pointed again with a smirk on his face, certain that Hinata will win. "You're on old man!" Hinata couldn't believe it. It was nice that Naruto stood up for her, but it made her feel weak that she couldn't do it herself. She still hasn't gotten any stronger, but she will have to prove it against her own sister who she loved dearly.
Gedokuzai coughed. "Now there's the matter of you." Naruto had a confused look. "You will have a match as well against a person of my choosing." Naruto grinned. "Bring it on! Whoever it is, will get embarrassed when they lose."
"Well well well cocky aren't you? Well I have the perfect person in mind for you. He's a good friend of mine from the Grass Village, a Jonin to match. His name is Tetsuo Wameng."
Hinata's eyes widen. "Please Lord Gedokuzai, Naruto is not all that healed yet. He's not ready yet to participate in a fight."
Gedokuzai grinned. "So do you want to back out of this kid?" Naruto smiled. "I never back down from a fight." Gedokuzai turned around for the door. "Alright then, the matches will take place next sunday at the Chunin Exam Arena." Gedokuzai opened the door but stopped. "Good luck and may the heavens above have mercy on your soul." He left.
Naruto clenched his fist. Hinata was worried, but she knew Naruto would never adbandon a fight especially one of respect. "So what now Naruto-kun?"
Naruto rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Actually I have no idea." Naruto laughed uneasily. Hinata and the others slapped their foreheads.
Neji stepped up. "I have an idea." Naruto paid attention to Neji. "I'll train Hinata for the next week and you go heal up." Naruto shook his head. "Nah! I'll go see if that perverted sage will help." Naruto ran to the door. "Take care of Hinata, ok Neji?" Neji nodded. "Alright then see you later Hinata!" Naruto ran out the door. Then came back. "Oops! I almost forgot!" Naruto kissed Hinata on the lips. "Love you!" Naruto left again. Hinata blushed.
Hanabi giggled and pointed. "I knew it! You were dating him!" Neji laughed. Hiashi had a stare of seriousness. "Hinata, you were dating him and you never told me?" Hiashi sat up in his bed and folded his arms waiting for an answer.
Hinata quickly turned around to her father waving her arms in disapproval sweating bullets. "What! Me! I...I...I...I.." Hinata sighed. "Yes Father. Me and Naruto are in love with each other. He's actually the first person who believed in me. And he would do anything for me. I'm sorry for not telling you."
Hiashi laughed. Hinata had a confused look on his face. "I can see the boy has a heart of gold. He clearly threw away his own safety in order to protect your honor. People like him come one in a million. He stood up to Gedokuzai of all people even I don't have the guts to look him in the face sometimes. I'm proud of you Hinata and you too Hanabi. I wish the both of you the best." Hiashi had a coughing fit.
Hanabi ran to her father's side. "Father!" Hiashi stroked Hanabi's hair. "Don't worry about me. I'm not dead yet." Hanabi and Hinata sighed a breath of relief. "But should I pass away, I need you two to do me a last request." Hinata and Hanabi leaned closer to hear. "Protect what's precious to you, no matter what and follow your dreams." Hinata and Hanabi both nodded. "Yes Father."
Hiashi looked at Neji. "Neji come here and take off your headband." Neji was confused but followed orders. "What I'm about to do is against the Hyuga clan but we can keep a secret." The curse mark on Neji's forehead appeared as Hiashi placed his hand on it. "Release!" Neji grunted at the pain as Hiashi's hand glowed green. "I give you, your chance to be free."
Neji searched his forehead but didn't find the curse mark anywhere. Neji fell to his knees and bowed before Hiashi and cried. "Thank you Uncle. Thank you so much!" Hiashi placed his hand on Neji's shoulder and handed him back his headband. "Don't thank an old fool like me. Thank my brother, your father who taught me to protect those who are precious to me. I want you to follow your own destiny and be able to choose your own path." Neji wiped his eyes and tied back on his headband. "I will."
Hiashi coughed again. "Now go and be the next generation of Hyugas that will change the clan forever." Hinata, Neji and Hanabi nodded and left so that Hiashi could get some rest.
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Meanwhile Naruto ran down the street, trying to think where could Jirayia be at this hour. "Now if I were that Pervy Sage, where would I be?" Naruto snapped his fingers as he had a stroke of inspiration. "Aha!" Naruto ran down the street and took a left straight to the bath houses. He could hear women giggling from inside and yet he found a creepy old man blushing and looking through a peephole. Naruto got an idea in his head as he put his hands together. "Transform!" Naruto transformed into a hot blonde pigtailed girl in his clothes. She had large breasts and a cute butt to match.
She creeped up behind Jirayia and covered his eyes and a cute seductive voice. "Guess who it is, you sexy man."
Jirayia drooled out of his mouth as he blushed on his cheeks. "Oh is a fan of mine? It's always nice to meet a fan of my work especially a female." Jirayia giggled as he turned around but much to his dismay it was just Naruto with his hands behind his head. "Oh it's just you, Naruto. What do you want?"
"Oh nothing but just a little training is all I need."
Jirayia shook his head. "No way kid. You're not cleared to do anything like that and even if you were I already spent six years with you training! Please leave me to my peeking...I mean research."
Naruto transformed into the girl again. "Please Master Jirayia? There has to be something you can teach me?" Jirayia's eyes widen as he started to drool again. "Pretty please?" Jirayia turned around and twiddled his fingers. "Well there is something I could show you instead of training."
Naruto poofed back to normal. "What is it?" Jirayia pointed to the Fourth Hokage face on the mountainside. "The story of the Fourth Hokage."
Naruto sulked. "Awww what about him! I need training for a fight in a week and you want to share stories. Why should I care about him?"
Jirayia chuckled. "Well beside the fact, he put the fox inside you, there is another secret you don't know about and neither does this entire village. Only Kakashi and I know."
Naruto was confused. "A secret? That only you and Kakashi-sensei know?"
Jirayia smirked. "Yep kid." Jirayia pointed to Naruto. "The Fourth Hokage is your father."
