Gentle Fist, Will of Fire
Hello, my fans, it's chapter 5! I am happy to say that I lived through the week at my mom's, and now I'm back at work (with a cold, no doubt). Through my runny eyes I read all of the wonderful reviews I recieved on no. 4, and I am thankful for all of the support I'm getting. This is turning out to be a very intriguing storyline, and I can't wait to dish out some more magic! Thank you all for sticking with me & I apolegize (again) for the week I was gone!
Hugs and kisses to all who reviewed: Raiton GUNDAM, rhunter42dragon, Crazy Neko Girl, Gaming Ikari, Tsukiko The Librarian, PaulRap Raptor, Chronostorm, and vnvanman. Your support is what keeps me going, XOX you all! (To those who were waiting on their snacks, I apolegize-- I burnt the first batch of cupcakes, and the second one went to the dog because I used salt instead of sugar in them. Sorry!!)
Disclamer: I don't own Naruto or any of the other characters featured in this story (Actually, I don't even own the first chappie!!) No copyright infringement was intended when I wrote this fiction.
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"Aww man, why is Kakashi sensei taking so long?!" Naruto whined, running his fingers through his wet hair. Taking a shower had done nothing to curb his bad mood, he'd found.
"Geez, Naruto, calm down," Kiba muttered, leaning against the wall and folding his arms.
"I don't know, Naruto's right," Sakura growled, putting her head in her hands. "Kakashi sensei has been in the shower for at least half an hour. I wonder what he's doing..."
Those two sure are grouchy this morning, Lee thought, leaning up against the wall beside Kiba. He and the others were sitting outside the small motel, waiting on their sensei. Shino, Kiba and Lee himself all stood beside each other, leaning up against the building's brick wall. Sakura and the other two sat down on the sidewalk, and, from the looks of things, neither member of Team 7 had gotten any sleep the night before. Hinata tried not to show it, but Lee could tell that she was exhausted as well.
The motel door opened and closed softly. "Yo."
"Ugh, finally, sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, leaping up onto his feet. Turning around to face Kakashi, he continued. "You think you could've taken any longer to..." His words trailed away when he laid eyes on his sensei. Or, at least, he thought it was him. He couldn't tell for sure now.
Kakashi had cut his hair. His silver locks were now only about an inch or so long, and stood up in messy spikes all over his head. A black bandana replaced his forehead protector, and it covered his eye much like the forehead protector had. He still wore the dark mask, and his dress was still pretty much the same, besides the fact that he'd ditched the Chunin vest. A humorous twinkle could be seen in his eye as he witnessed Naruto and the others' reactions to his transformation.
"Ano... Kakashi sensei?" Sakura asked, eyes as wide as dinner plates as she stared at the silver haired Jonin. Kiba and Lee's expressions mirrored her own, and even Hinata had trouble keeping her mouth closed in her surprise. Shino's razor sharp eyebrows were lost int he shadows of his hood, having arched high above his glasses.
"Hai? C'mon, now, you six look like you've just seen a ghost," Kakashi chided, grinning at them all. "Hey, do I really look that different?"
Akamaru barked in response, eyes as wide as his master's.
Kakashi's one visible eye glazed over, and he huffed. "Whatever. C'mon, let's go."
They left the village and walked on in the woods, and not long after Hinata detected someone following them again. She identified them as the UBNA, and Kakashi sternly told them to act normal.
"I know what they're doing now," He said offhandedly, not bothering to keep his voice down. "They're simply observing us. They know that you six aren't just ordinary nin now, and they know to keep their distance for a while. It isn't exactly the easiest way to travel, being tailed by someone and knowing you can't do anything about it, but I guess beggars can't be choosers. We'll be better off whenever we reach the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of the Waterfall."
"But, sensei, can't we just ditch them somehow?" Naruto asked, tucking his fists away in his pockets.
"No, Naruto, that would just make things more difficult for us in the end," Kakashi replied, shaking his head. "They'd find us, and then they would show no mercy towards us. We'd probably get attacked, and the battle would be more difficult than yesterday's was. Remember, yesterday we caught them off guard."
"This is just a guess, sensei, but do the UBNA originate in the Land of the Waterfall?" Sakura asked.
"... That's correct, Sakura," Kakashi said, turning so that he could look back at his students. "Hai, they claimed to be a sister organization to the ANBU when they first started out, but after a while they stopped serving the Hidden Villages. No one knows why." His voice was as apathetic as it usually was, but somehow, it betrayed the fact that their sensei wasn't telling them all he knew.
The six shinobi waited for Kakashi to elaborate, but he never did. After a while of walking in silence, Naruto got bored and decided to talk to his teammates. He walked over to Hinata and casually started a conversation. "So, Hinata-chan, do you like those pajamas?"
She smiled shyly up at him, a light blush blooming in her cheeks. "They're very comfortable, Naruto-kun. I can see why you like them so much now."
They smiled awkwardly at each other for a few minutes before they heard giggling behind them. Hinata blushed and Naruto turned to look, his face also slightly red. Behind them was Sakura, covering her mouth with her hands, barely containing the giggle that was fighting to escape. Beside her, Kiba and Lee were also chuckling.
"Aww, Naruto, it's just too cute," Sakura cried, squealing joyfully.
"WHAT'S IT TO YOU, SAKURA?!" Naruto growled, only succeeding in making Sakura and the others laugh harder. In a pitiful attempt to hide his deepening blush from the others, he huffed at the tree and turned around, leaning over to Hinata and whispering, "Don't pay attention to them, Hinata-chan. They're just trying to embarass us."
She looked up at him, smiling broadly when she saw his crimson face. "I-I don't mind..."
"You don't?" Naruto asked, eyebrows raised. Hinata shook her head, and that along with her beautiful smile changed his mind. "Well, I guess I don't either. Can't let something bother me when it doesn't bother the most patient person in the world, ne?"
While Hinata blushed happily, Sakura shook her head at the irony of Naruto's words. You don't know the half of it, Naruto. She's waited all of these years just for you to notice her. I personally think she's too patient... I don't think I could've waited for Sasuke this long...
"Hey, sensei, do you think I might be able to send a letter back home soon?" Kiba piped up, scratching the back of his neck with a hand.
Naruto turned, a mischievous smile crossing his lips. "Missin' Mikki-chan already?" He teased, walking backwards.
Before Kiba could reply, Naruto tripped over a stray root, landing hard on his back. "Oof!" All the air in his lungs rushed out in a clean swipe, and he found himself breathless, gazing up into a pair of light lavender eyes. He smiled in spite of himself, wondering why he was so happy when he'd just got the air kicked out of him.
"Naruto-kun, are you okay?" Hinata asked, eyes wide with concern. She had to back up as Akamaru stepped over the blonde, covering his face in dog slobber.
"Ugh! Kiba-- get your-- damn dog off-- of me!" Naruto cried, periodically closing his mouth as the large pink tongue trailed over his face. He gasped for breath when Kiba called Akamaru off-- "Down boy! Down!"-- and struggled to his feet. "Where did that root come from, anyway?"
"We're getting closer to our destination, Naruto," Kakashi stated, stopping and turning around to face them all. "Soon, the forest will end and the ground will become rockier. Even now you can see where the rocks underground are forcing the roots of the trees up past the surface." The silver haired Jonin turned to Kiba. "I can't allow you to send anything until we get to Shinji's house. Once there, I was told to send a report back to the Hokage to keep her updated on our conditions. I guess anyone who wants to send a letter back to Konoha can do so then." He nodded at his students, and then turned around and began to walk again. "Hinata?"
"Hai, Kakashi sensei?"
"Scan the area."
"Hai." Hinata instantly activated the Byakugan and looked around. Her eyes narrowed, and Naruto was instantly tense, ready for an attack. This showed in their peers also-- Sakura had a hand on her pocket, where her kunai rested; Kiba, still riding on Akamaru's back, had turned his gaze upwards, focusing his sensitive ears on any unfamiliar sound he heard; Lee was clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly, ready for any attack they might recieve, and Shino had his head bowed so that they enemy wouldn't see the bugs inching out from under his coat, crawling down his front and going off into the trees, scouting the surrounding area.
"Hinata?"
"There's no one following us anymore, sensei," Hinata replied, still scanning the area. She was hesitant to believe their stalkers would just up and leave them alone all of a sudden. As far as she'd seen, the UBNA was interested in Kakashi sensei, and apparently they'd met before. She guessed that their meeting had not been a friendly one, and perhaps the group wanted revenge. Hinata knew of no ninja who would allow their enemies to run amok without keeping an eye on them, and she wondered if the nin were using a Genjutsu to cover their movements.
"Nani? Where'd they go?" Naruto questioned, casting his weary cerulean eyes over the surrounding forest.
"Did they run off?" Lee whispered. Sakura glanced over at him and wasn't surprised to see his jaw clenching visibly.
Kakashi didn't answer or turn to look at them. He continued to walk forward like nothing had happened, and Sakura suddenly found herself angry. Very angry. "Kakashi sensei!" She hissed, surprising the others. Glaring at the back of his head, she continued. "Aren't you the least bit concerned about this? Tell us what the UBNA are doing, sensei! Why'd they leave?" She was surprised with the speed with which she'd gotten angry. Never before had anger flared so high in her chest, but now she was almost angry enough at the silver haired Jonin to attack him. She was barely able to hold herself back.
A few seconds passed and still Kakashi did not answer. The seconds turned into minutes, and the minutes turned into hours. Sakura had cooled down during this time and was now chatting animatedly with Hinata. Lee, Kiba and Naruto were talking about new techniques they were just itching to try out, and Shino remained silent, walking behind their sensei with his hands tucked inside the pockets of his coat. Kakashi was quiet also, leading the teens on into the afternoon.
The group passed a few more villages, but Kakashi wouldn't let them stop. "If we keep going, we should be at the country border by sunrise tomorrow morning." The teens objected, Naruto more so than the others, but the silver haired Jonin wouldn't have it. Ignoring their complaints, he walked onwards, and they grudgingly followed. The teens didn't object for long, though-- they were soon captivated by their changing surroundings. The forest had ended, and the ground had become rockier. Large grey boulders jutted up from the ground on either side of the well worn path they walked, and strange plants were growing in between the cracks. Hinata had been drawn towards the flowers the most, especially a particular bus the group passed on the way. Kakashi described it only as a 'lilac bush', and didn't pay any attention to the beautiful lavender blooms blossoming all over the bush. She wanted one of the flowers, but their sensei told them that they needed to keep going, so she tore her eyes away from the bush and continued on.
At sundown, the group was entirely exhaustedx, and finally Kakashi relented on them. He led them into a large cave in the side of a rocky mountain and told them that this was where they'd be sleeping for the night. "Excellent cover, and it's in a remote location," he mused, talking more to himself than to his students. "It'd be hard to find if anyone was trying to find us, even them..." After telling the teens not to go too far away from the cave, Kakashi sat down in a dark corner, refusing to talk to any of them.
The six shinobi and Akamaru all met at the mouth of the cave after putting their packs down. "Man, I'm beat," Kiba sighed, plopping down beside his white behemoth of a dog. Akamaru laid down, resting his large head on Kiba's leg.
"I am too," Sakura said, leaning against the wall of the cave. She allowed herself to slide slowly down the wall until she sat against it, leaning her head against the rock. "Kakashi sensei is really intent on getting to this Shinji's house, isn't he?"
"Hai, he is," Hinata agreed, sitting down on the other side of Akamaru. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she mused, "I wonder why he's been acting so odd lately... "This UBNA group do seem to worry him a lot."
"Maybe it's because they're extra strong," Naruto replied, walking up beside Hinata. Stretching, he sighed as his back popped. "Hmm... This would be a good time to train a little. Hey, Lee, wanna spar?"
Lee was overjoyed in a heartbeat. "Hai, Naruto-kun! If we get stronger, maybe Kakashi sensei will not worry as much!" The green clad nin fell into his nice guy pose, and Hinata giggled when his teeth glittered. "Mark my words, Gai sensei, I won't slack during this mission! I will continue to train, and once I return I will show you the fruits of my efforts!"
Rolling his eyes, Naruto started away from the cave. "Yeah, yeah... C'mon, Lee, I think I remember seeing a place somewhere not too far from here where we can train. See you guys later!"
Lee followed after the blonde, but not before he smiled tenderly at Sakura. "See you later, Sakura-chan!" He said, talking only so that she could hear. He turned and hurried after Naruto, leaving a flushed Sakura in his wake.
"Ah, I'll never understand how those two can keep going after all that walking," Kiba groaned, rolling his neck. He glanced over his large dog at Hinata. "Hey Hinata, Naruto brought some ramen from home, ne?"
Smiling softly at the thought of the blonde, Hinata nodded. "Half of his bag is full with plenty of that cup ramen that he got from Ichiraku-san. Why, Kiba-kun?"
"Great!" Kiba exclaimed, grinning broadly. He stood up and gestured towards outside. "C'mon, Shino. You can come help me get some firewood. Hinata, could you fish around in Naruto's bag for a few cups of ramen? We'll have some of that for supper." Kiba's eyes twinkled with mischievous humor, and Sakura could tell he was up to something.
Hinata's eyes widened in horror as she looked up at her teammate. "Huh? B-but I can't look through Naruto-kun's stuff!" A light blush had colored her cheeks, and Sakura smiled. She now understood what Kiba was trying for, and she had every intention of helping him, even if it meant embarassing both Hinata and Naruto in the process. That was half the fun!
Hinata turned her gaze upon her pink haired friend, and Sakura saw the question in the girl's eyes. "Go ahead, Hinata," She urged, smiling wider in spite of herself. "Naruto won't mind. I think I saw a stream not too far from here, and I brought a kettle from home, just in case." She stood and walked into the cave, returning a moment later with a small grey tea kettle. "I'll just fill this up with water, and then when we get back we'll make some ramen, okay?" Before she followed Kiba and Shino out of the cave, she kneeled over beside Hinata and whispered, "Go for it, Hinata-chan!"
Hinata watched the three walk away, still concerned about what they were asking her to do. The dark haired kunoichi sat at the mouth of the cave, contemplating whether or not she should just go get the ramen or go looking for Naruto and ask him to come get the food. She was torn, not wanting to anger her love but hesitant to disappoint her peers by not getting the ramen for them. Naruto-kun might be angry with me if I go through his stuff. Then again, it's not like I'm actually looking through his belongings. I'm just going to be looking for the food, ne? He shouldn't get angry at me for that. Still...
Finally, she decided to look through Naruto's pack for the food, telling herself that he wouldn't get mad if she was only looking for the ramen. Repeating those words in her mind, she made her way into the cave until she found their bags. Pulling Naruto's green pack away from the others, she unzipped it slowly, biting her lip. She unfolded the flap and sighed in dissapointment-- all she saw was clothes. The ramen must be at the bottom of the bag, she thought. Hesitantly, she reached into the bag and began to sort through the contents, heat flushing her cheeks and blood pounding her eardrums into mush. She was embarassed to admit that she was actually-- sort of, kind of-- interested in what she'd find in her love's bag. Her hand felt something cold, and for a second she thought she'd found the ramen. She pulled the object out of the bag and was surprised to find that it wasn't the cup ramen, but the ointment she'd given him during the Chunin exams a few years ago. He's still got my ointment, she thought, and a hint of joy flared through her veins. Sitting the brown bottle aside, she continued to pick through the clothes, a little calmer than before. Naruto-kun wouldn't bring anything on this mission that he wouldn't want us to see, would he?
After a few more seconds of searching, her hand felt another object, and she knew the texture. "It's the cup ramen!" She whispered happily, relieved that she could stop searching through Naruto-kun's things now. Her hand closed around the object and she brought it up out of the bag. As soon as she lifted it up to her eyes, her heart stopped and she let out a short gasp.
In her hand she held one of the Styrofoam cups of ramen that Naruto had packed, but that wasn't what had captured her attention. Hanging off of the cup-- and my hand, MY HAND-- was a pair of white boxers displaying a smiling chibi frog on them. The frog had red horns and a pointed tail, and beside it in cursive red letters were the words "Hot Stuff."
Hinata screamed and fell backwards, tossing the boxers and the Styrofoam cup away into the darkness of the cave.
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I filled the tin kettle up with the cold river water, my mind racing. I felt kind of guilty for making Hinata go through Naruto's stuff like that, but maybe it would do the girl some good. Maybe Naruto kept some sort of photo or something in his pack that reminded him of Hinata, and maybe, if Hinata found it, she would get an idea of how Naruto really felt about her. Being one of the closest people to Naruto, I knew how he felt about most of our peers, and I knew that he really liked Hinata, though his stubborn male mind couldn't process what that meant. Maybe our little scheme would somehow bring the two closer, and maybe we could even get Hinata to confess! I tried to keep myself busy with that thought, but my own stubborn mind continued to trail off to thoughts of a certain green clad boy.
Lee smiled tenderly at Saukra, surprising her with what was in his eyes. "See you later, Sakura-chan!" He murmured those words to her so that no one else would hear, but he didn't do so because he was embarassed by them. No no, he lowered his voice because they were special, gentle words only she should hear. The look in his eyes told her so. He turned and followed Naruto away from the cave, and part of Sakura was almost devastated to see him go.
I shook myself into the present, reminding myself that I had to get back and check on Hinata. Thoughts like the ones that were running through my mind were better left for later, I chided, standing upright. I turned to go back to the cave when something slid down my cheek. I froze, reaching up to feel my cheek with my right hand. What I felt shocked me to no end.
A tear, I thought, lowering my hand slowly. But what was I crying for? I frowned up at the cerulean sky, looking for an answer to my latest question that no one could answer. I wasn't expecting an answer.
"Hey, Sakura," The boy said offhandedly, regarding me with his usual disinterested look. His dark locks waved gently in the wind, and the pale robe he wore contrasted greatly against his surprisingly dark skin, his revealed muscled chest. He raised a razor sharp eyebrow at me, the ends of his mouth twitching into a semi smile. "What? Surprised to see me?"
I gasped, doubling over. It felt like I'd gotten punched in the stomach, driving all of the wind out of my lungs. In a sheer force of will I was able to remain standing, and I gulped the clean air, watching helplessly as the contents of my fallen tin kettle drained out onto the ground. I remained in this condition for well over five minutes, and I was still trembling visibly when I managed to stand up straight.
Glancing around, there was no sign of him. Taking deep breaths, I tried to keep my mind from puzzling over what I'd just witnessed. Trying to think up excuses, I kneeled over and grabbed the kettle, turning back towards the river and refilling it. I focused my entire being on the rushing blue water, determined not to think about what had just happened. That couldn't have been real. It was just an illusion, a mirage, my memories working hell on my eyes. It couldn't have been him. I hadn't seen him in almost three years, why would I just see him all of a sudden again? On the way back to the cave I convinced myself that someone around me had just paid me a nasty joke, had cast some sort of Genjutsu on me. Yeah. That's what it was. A Genjutsu.
I found Hinata sitting on the floor beside the backpacks, several containers of Styrofoam ramen in her lap. "Hey, Hinata-chan!" I said, forcing my usual perkiness into my voice, determined not to allow anyone else to know about what I'd just gone through.
Fortunately, Hinata's mind seemed to be preoccupied by other matters. She looked up at me, face aflame, and smiled as best she could. "H-hi, Sakura-chan!" She squeaked, voice unaturally high. I realized that she was trying to hide something too.
Pretending that I didn't notice, I sat down beside her and shook the tin kettle, smiling at her. "I got the water, Hinata. Looks like you did alright with the ramen, too."
Hinata's blush deepened and she bowed her head. All she could do in response was nod. My smile widened.
At that moment, Kiba and Shino walked into the cave, each toting an armful of logs. They dumped them into the middle of the cave, positioning them in a teepee-like shape. "Did Hinata get the ramen?" Kiba asked, looking at me with an eyebrow raised. I nodded at him, and he grinned. "All right! I think I saw Lee and Naruto coming back towards the cave, so they'll be back in time for supper. Okay, let's get cookin'!"
After Shino lit the campfire, Kiba and I opened some of the styrofoam cups and poured a little of the river water in each cup, sitting them close to the orange and blue fire so that they would cook. Afterwards we talked little, until Naruto and Lee walked into the cave. The mere sight of the blonde boy caused Hinata's face to light up, and I was suddenly reminded of the old days, when Hinata would blush everytime Naruto's name was mentioned. The memory caused a smile to light my face, and I almost forgot about what had happened earlier. Almost.
Unaware of the girl's embarassed state as he usually was, Naruto plopped down beside Hinata and smiled as he caught sight of the styrofoam cups. "Ahh, ramen! Someone figured out I was the one packing all the food, I see." Putting on a mock look of surprise, Naruto turned to the shy girl and began to poke her shoulder innocently. "Was it you, Hinata-chan? Did you find anything... interesting while you searched?"
Hinata's eyes widened, and she began to visibly shake. "I-I-I- n-no, N-Naruto-k-kun! I-I d-didn't see a-anything! Honest!" I didn't think I'd ever seen Hinata's face as red as it was while she answered. She drew her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees, and I could see the tears already glistening on her eyelashes.
Surprised that his question affected Hinata so badly, Naruto scooted closer to the girl, probably something that just made her more uncomfortable. "I believe you, Hinata-chan!"
She looked up at him, and her bottom lip trembled as she asked, "You d-do?"
Naruto smiled his trademark grin, the one where his grin is so wide that his eyes close. "You bet! Don't worry about it-- I'm not upset or anything, okay?"
"O-okay," The girl answered, lowering her head onto her knees once more. As I watched her struggle to control her breathing, I found myself wondering what she'd found in Naruto's bag. It was either something that made her really happy or really sad, and I wanted to know which one it was.
"Hey, the ramen's ready," Shino said, picking up one of the cups. Handing it to Kiba, he said, "I think Hinata ought to have the first cup, since she was the one who retrieved the food, ne?" I could just barely see the ends of his mouth above his black turtleneck shirt, and I knew he was grinning broadly. The mere thought was enough to make me smile even wider.
Kiba handed the cup to Naruto, who in turn handed it to Hinata, face sour. "Lucky," He grumbled, pouting as he gave up the steaming cup of ramen. Hinata smiled softly as she took the food, breathing deep at the smell.
Hmm... I didn't think I was really all that hungry... Maybe going through Naruto-kun's things was enough to work off breakfast.
We passed the remaining cups around, and we ate in silence, relishing the warm taste of the ramen we all knew and loved-- especially Naruto, who was more than upset when he realized that he only got three cups. "What kind of supper is this? You expect me to get full on three cups?" After his complaint, Hinata tried to offer the remains of her second and last cup to him, and, feeling guilty, he refused. "Nah, that's okay, Hinata-chan, I'm really not hungry anymore..."
After we all finished, we sat in silence until Lee noticed that there were two more cups of ramen left beside the fire. "Hey, whose are those?" He asked, pointing.
Naruto's eyes were starry as he asked, "Mine?"
"No," I said, picking up the remaining styrofoam cups, which had gotten quite warm due to their prelonged stay beside the flames. "These are Kakashi sensei's." Standing, I turned my head left and right, looking for the silver headed man I knew so well. "Speaking of which, where is he?"
The others were silent, probably because we'd all but forgotten about Kakashi sensei during supper. After a few moments, someone spoke up, but the voice was not that of any of my peers. "Here, Sakura," Kakashi said, walking out of the deeper shadows of the cave, those that the fire's light did not reach. In one hand he held the all-too-familiar orange book that had captured his attention far too long than was healthy for him. In the other hand, he carried a stick. Hanging off the end of the stick was an unfamiliar piece of clothing, white in color. "I feel somewhat odd asking you kids this, but does this article of clothing belong to any of you? It just happened to fall onto my chest while I was napping, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out where it came from."
Most of us had confused or disinterested looks on our faces, but one look at the couple beside me and I had all the information I needed. Hinata's face was buried in her knees, and Naruto looked like he'd just been stricken with a horrible fever. His visage was identical to that of a deer's caught in the crosshairs, and sweat was visibly popping up all over his forehead. I bit my toungue and covered my mouth in resistance to the giggle that fought to escape, and I wasn't the only one. Kiba had buried his face in the fur on Akamaru's back, and even Shino was having a hard time keeping silent, having bowed his head away from the fire so that his countanance was not visible. Only Lee seemed to be unaffected, watching the entire scene as if someone was explaining to him how to do a certain something. His visage was blank, and his wide eyes flicked back and forth from Naruto and Hinata to Kakashi and the white cloth, which I and the others had identified as a pair of boxers. Something that resembled a frog was shown on the boxers, and I could just make out the words "Hot Stuff" beside it. Upon noticing this, I couldn't resist, and I snorted into my hand. Kiba exploded with laughter, rolling on the floor of the cave. Shino was just barely able to keep it together, and the only way I could tell he was laughing was by the way his shoulders shook.
Lee, on the other hand, was merely staring around at all of us, and I was struck with a sense if deja-vu at his expression. It was a look that screamed I don't understand, and it was one that I had gotten used to seeing only on Naruto. I had enough time to realize that Lee and my teammate had a lot in common before I was overcome by laughter once again.
Keeping his head down, Naruto stood and snatched the boxers off of the stick Kakashi was carrying, stomping out of the cave. When she heard Naruto leave, Hinata burst into tears, and that sobered the rest of us up. Kiba and I were instantly at her side, trying to comfort her. Shino was back to staring at the fire, any trace of humor gone with the sound of Hinata's sniffles. Kakashi remained standing as he was, probably lost in the pages of his 'romance novel', and Lee was still staring around at us.
Finally, Kakashi walked around us and sat down on the other side of me, beside Lee. "Now, did I hear something about food that is mine?" Lee pointed at the forgotten cups of ramen beside me, and Kakashi picked them up and opened them hungrily. He began to scarf down the food, seemingly unaware of anyone or anything around him.
Under Kiba's and my own calming hands, Hinata was slowly brought under control, and soon she was sitting beside the fire, docile once more. She leaned against my shoulder, exhausted by both the day's events and by the sobs that had racked her body. Smiling once more at the small, sad girl by my side, I turned to Kakashi. "Sensei... I know this might be a bad time to ask, but could you tell us at least a little bit about the UBNA? I mean, we're being tailed by a group that we don't know anything about. Isn't that kind of infantile?"
At my question, the Jonin lowered his second styrofoam cup, having finished off the contents in a hurry. He set the empty containers aside, staring into the fire, apparently contemplating the consequences of explaining to his students. Finally, he said, "I suppose I could answer a few of your questions. After all, it's really my own fault that they're following us in the first place."
We were silent, waiting for him to continue. Looking around at us all, he sighed deeply and began...
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(A/N: I know it's kind of informal to put author's notes in the midst of a chapter like this, but the next couple of sections get a little confusing. I'm gonna put a little key here just to make it a bit less taxing:
Italicized words: Naruto's thoughts
"Italicized words in quotation marks": Kakashi & the other shinobi's words
Italicized/Bold words: Kyuubi's words
Hope that helps, on with the story!!)
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Naruto walked. It was all he could do to walk. He knew it was kind of dangerous to be out here in unfamiliar parts alone, especially since the UBNA was sneaking around. He couldn't help it, though-- many unidentified emotions were churning inside of him, and he just needed to get away. He tripped on many a rock, but didn't slow his pace. The darkness around him was only broken by the light of the crescent moon above him, and he used that light to guide him along the path that he and his peers had earlier, staring at the ground the entire way. He finally stopped beside a large rock on the side of the road, climbing atop it and staring out at the rocky grounds before him, opting to sit in silence rather than siphoning through his thoughts.
After sitting on the rock for about half an hour, he realized that something was clenched in his left hand. Opening it up, he realized that he had been carrying his frog boxers around that entire time, and he chuckled darkly. Hmm, maybe I should've left these at home...
Looking at those boxers got him to unwillingly think about the events in the cave. "Why was Hinata so embarassed? They're my boxers, not hers. She had no reason to be embarassed, she should have been laughing at me, like the others..." Frowning up at the sky, he continued. "Then again, Hinata-chan was never one to laugh at another's misfortune. So why was she so embarassed? Hmm..."
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"I suspect you all know that I was once an officer of the Konoha ANBU," Kakashi began, staring into the fire. He tried to ignore the stares he was getting from the others, but it was a difficult feat indeed. Even the dog seemed to be interested in the words that were coming out of his mouth, having raised his head to look at him curiously.
Feeling the warmth of the flames but shivering nonetheless, he continued. "Once, I was sent on an assassination mission into the Land of Rain. I was sent to kill a ninja that had apparently been terrorizing the Amegakure for quite some time. The village's ninja forces were depleted at the time, so they couldn't deal with a single rouge nin on their own, so they inlisted Konoha's help."
"Amegakure... The Village Hidden in Rain?" Shino asked, frowning into the fire.
Kakashi nodded. "So, I made my way over to the Land of Rain. On my way there, I met a few of the UBNA officers. They claimed to be a sister organization of the ANBU, serving the Hidden Villages and patrolling the distances in between each village, keeping the areas safe. They claimed to be a mere security force, only existing to protect the weak, and I have to say, I believed them. I let them go on their way, having an important mission to take care of myself, and they didn't cross my mind again. I reached the Village Hidden in Rain, and there I met a man by the name of Shinji Nomura. He was a Jonin, and one of the most respected ninja in his village. We became fast friends, and the two of us began to hunt down the rouge nin together."
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Naruto sighed, having gotten nowhere in the mystery that was Hyuga Hinata. He still couldn't puzzle out why Hinata had been so damn embarassed at the sight of his boxers. Maybe she was just too timid to see anyone else's undergarments.
Well... That sucks for you, doesn't it, kid?
"Wha... KYUUBI!!" Naruto cried, almost falling off of the rock he was perched on as he realized what the fox demon was talking about. Once again, his face lit up, and he clenched his fists as he fought the embarassment. Closing his eyes, he sunk down into his consciousness, where he found himself face to face with the huge kitsune.
He made a face. "Hey, fox, shut the hell up! You know I don't think about Hinata like that!"
The demon gave Naruto his sweetest grin. I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you, kid. You should remember that I am a demon of your conscience, therefore I can hear all of your most personal thoughts.
That left Naruto sputtering. "Wha-? But you can't-- I don' t think..." The blonde pursed his lips and turned on the ball of his heel, folding his arms and reminding the kitsune of a pouting child. "Whatever, fox. You can be as big of a pervert as you want, but that doesn't mean I have to be." He rose up out of the sewers of his consciousness, ignoring the low snickering chasing him out.
Naruto opened his eyes, sighing. When he'd walked all the way out here earlier, he hadn't realized how tired he was. Now, though, he felt like he could fall asleep right there on the rock. He shook himself, determined to keep himself awake until he got back to the cave. He turned back towards the path and slid down off of the rock, and was about to start back towards the cave when something caught his attention.
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a small bush growing in between a couple of rocks. In an instant he recognized them as the flowers that Hinata had been so gaga over, the ones Kakashi had called 'lilacs.' Smiling serenely, Naruto bent over and picked a couple of the pale lavender blooms. He stood upright and began to walk back towards the cave, but was once again halted, this time by a voice.
"N-Naruto-k-kun?"
I know that voice... "Hinata-chan?" He called, glancing left and right for his shy friend. He saw nothing, and right before he was about to decide that he was just hearing things, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and found himself looking down into the smiling face of Hinata. "Hey, Hinata-chan! What are you doing out here? And... Why are you dressed like that?"
Hinata was not wearing her usual lavender jacket or black capris. Instead she wore a long dark purple poncho that reached all the way to her knees. On her feet she had on black combat boots, and over her left shoulder she carried a closed plum colored umbrella.
The girl grinned so broadly that her eyes closed, cocking her head to the side. "You c-can never t-tell when it m-might r-rain, Naruto-kun!"
Frowning at her odd behavior, Naruto glanced at the sky. Sure, it was a slightly cloudy evening, but there was no indication that rain was expected. The night was calm, a cool breeze soothing the inhabitants of the night. Rain was the last thing Naruto expected on a night like this.
Shrugging off Hinata's behavior, Naruto smiled down at her. "Well, okay then. Hinata-chan, I think we should be getting back to the cave now. The others might be getting worrimm--" Naruto was halted mid word when Hinata suddenly pressed her lips to his, slipping her free hand up behind his head and into his hair, deepening the kiss.
Fireworks went off in Naruto's mind. Questions of every shape and size were shooting themselves at his conscience, and he was almost overwhelmed with them. At first his eyes had grown to well over dinner plate-size, but then he'd relaxed into the kiss, letting his eyes slide shut. The unanswered questions flying around in his mind were left that way as he shut his mind down, simply enjoying the moment in full. He fell into an almost trancelike state, suddenly finding himself very drowsy.
Hinata suddenly released the blonde's lips, backing away from him. Letting her right hand fall to her side once again, she smiled almost impishly up at him. "A-are you a-alright, Na-Naruto-ku-kun?"
Suddenly warning bells went off in his mind. Somewhere, somehow, he made a connection that he wouldn't have been able to if she hadn't kissed him. The magical feeling of the moment died away as he became aware of a single, simple fact.
Hinata-chan doesn't stutter that much anymore... She hasn't for a long time now.
Opening his eyes wide, he gasped. "You're not Hinata-chan, are you?"
The girl smirked, and Naruto suddenly found himself repulsed by her. "I can already tell you're the bright one of the bunch," She said, and this time her voice was deeper than Hinata's was, almost husky-sounding. The girl jumped backwards a few feet and pointed at him with her umbrella. "Uzumaki Naruto, you are now being taken hostage by a squad of the UBNA. Please do not attempt to resist." She opened the umbrella, and suddenly there was half a dozen shuriken soaring at Naruto all at once.
Naruto launched himself into the air, dodging the shuriken. He simultaneously sent a shower of his own weapons down at the girl, who dodged them, jumping off to the side of the road behind a rock.
"The UBNA specialize in water based jutsu, as the few nin of the Amegakure do. They can use it to protect themselves, but they can also use it offensively, too. Being nin from this particular village, they also have excellent Genjutsu skills, and most of them use umbrellas as weapons."
"Kakashi sensei, how would they use an umbrella as a weapon?"
"Their umbrellas are strengthened, and they contain small pockets on the inside where they can store shuriken. Open their umbrella, and you find yourself faced with several flying weapons to dodge."
C'mon, kid, what are you doing? Kyuubi growled, his anger rising as Naruto howled in pain.
"They-- they attack too fast!" Naruto grunted, dodging another bout of the water missiles and diving behind a rock for cover. "I... I don't know if I'm gonna be able to take them on my own..."
Well, you don't have to. Just let me take over for a bit, and they'll be taken care of.
Naruto looked down at his clenched fist and was somewhat surprised to see the lavender flowers still intact. Shaking his head, he smiled softly down at the flowers. "Ah, Kyuubi, don't you know when to give up?"
Hey, can't blame a guy for trying...
Confidence in himself intact once again, he transferred the flowers from his fist to his mouth and pocketed the two kunai he held. Biting softly on the stems of the lilacs, he formed the seal for his trademark jutsu. Twelve shadow clones appeared around him, and he grinned ferally at them all. "Each of you get one of them. Leave the leader to me, 'kay?" He ordered, speaking through clenched teeth. They nodded dutifully at him and jumped back around the rock. Taking a deep breath, he launched himself back into the fray and was immediately met by the girl, who unceremoniously whacked him hard with her umbrella. He was sent flying over rocks and ground, finally coming to rest on a large stone.
The girl landed on a rock before him, smiling broadly over at him. "I'm guessing you didn't hear or understand my warning from before, ne?"
"Naruto frowned over at her. Her appearance had changed drastically. She no longer resembed Hinata, now boasting curly silver locks in place of Hinata's board straight dark hair. Over her eyes she wore a pair of huge silver goggles that glinted in the moonlight, and she still wore the plum colored poncho and combat boots. "Nah, I heard it. I didn't quite understand it, though. I'm a little confused as to why you'd want to take me hostage, seeing as how I've never done anything to your oganization that would justify attacking me. Do you have an answer to that, miss?"
"Actually, I do," The girl replied, grinning even wider at him. She now resembled a Cheshire cat, her wide smile almost reflecting the moonlight as her goggles did. "For one, you and your friends killed some of our members yesterday. While that is somewhat important, the real reason I want you as my hostage would be for the simple reason that you are traveling with a Hatake Kakashi, are you not?"
"Who wants to know?" Naruto shot back, glaring over at the girl.
She chuckled darkly. "Oh, innocent fool. You would like to know what my name is?"
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"Tatsuki Nomura," Kakashi stated glumly, pressing a palm to his one visible eye. He was tired, and the looks he was getting from his students were not helping any. They were curious to hear more, and as much as he thought they needed to know everything they should about the UBNA, he really wouldn't mind falling aslleep right here, right now beside this nice, warm, toasty fire.
"Wait... You said Nomura was the surname of your friend in the Village Hidden in Rain, right?" Kiba asked, realization dawning on his visage. The look was spreading to his peers as well.
"Hai," Kakashi replied.
"They're siblings," Shino stated flatly, staring into the fire.
"Bingo."
"The well respected Jonin of a village and the terrorizer of the very same place, brother and sister," Shino remarked darkly, shaking his head. "That's just perfect."
"But... If Tatsuki is Shinji's sister, then why would he try to assassinate her with you?" Hinata asked, staring over at the silver headed Jonin with something near horror. The thought of a brother so willingly killing his sister like that was not something Hyuga Hinata was willing to accept so quickly.
Kakashi smiled then, and everyone who noticed his small upturned lips were chilled instantly, no matter how warm they had been before.
"Tatsuki killed the entire Nomura clan. Shinji is bent on revenge against her, being the only one who escaped."
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They were gone. I'd finally fought 'em off. Stumbling closer to the cave, I heard shouts of recognition that told me that I had been sighted, and I felt relief as all the remaining strength went out of my legs. Falling to my knees, I reached up and took the lilacs out of my mouth just to make sure they were still intact. They were, and I fell face first, still gripping the flowers in my fist.
I heard footfalls echoing in the ground, and I felt a hand on my head, in my hair: "Naruto-kun! W-what happened to you?!"
I tried to answer her, to tell her I was alright, I'd fought the enemy off, but for some reason I couldn't find my voice. Instead I lifted my fist with the flowers in them, just so she'd see what I brought for her. Seeing the lilacs in my hand, she burst into tears. "Kakashi sensei, come quick! Naruto-k-kun's h-hurt!"
Her sweet voice was the last thing I heard before I sank into the darkness biting at the edges of my eyes, soothed by her closeness.
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So sorry it took an extra week to get this chapter out, everyone, but as you can see I did a lot of writing on this one. Hope you all like it, will update very soon! See ya!