So I took a break from writing this because I started a new job and there was a pretty harsh adjustment period. Its my first physically demanding job and for awhile I was so dead tired from it I couldn't even think about writing. Then again I never promised a release schedule or really intended to, to be honest.
If Im going to promise anything here and now I'll just say, I'll try to write more. Also I like this story, and enjoy writing it enough.
Disclaimer: hey folks...you all like ice cream sandwiches? I like em, just the vinilla ones with the chocolate, uh, bread? Cookies? Or is it cake?
- start-
Kiba more so felt the musics thumping base in his chest then he heard it. His head was swimming and his body felt loose. Reaching up he wiped away a great deal of sweat that had gathered across his face. This club was hot, and not in the vogue kind of way. With so many bodies pressed into such a small space the atmosphere was choked and sweltering.
Hitoshirenu was a club that was tucked away in the basement of a storage house. When Naruto had made the suggestion they come here he had been all to eager to agree. Now though the comfortable buzzy feeling he had after taking that weird candy looking pill had all but vanished.
It has been an hour or so since the teen had taken it with a shot of alcohol, and now he just felt lethargic. His shirt was sticking to his body due to perspiration and he felt distinctly uncomfortable.
He wanted to go home and lay down. Preferably after drinking a gallon of water. Turning from the main stage were a band made loud music with cheap instruments, Kiba stumbled his way through the crowd towards the back of the room.
He remembers seeing Naruto taking a seat at a ramshackle booth in the back. One of the many that lined the back brick wall, offering some seating to anyone not wanting to stand in the mosh pit that took up most of the subterranean room.
Finally finding his way out of the mass of bodies Kiba took a steadying breath as he looked for his temporary teammate. Zeroing in on a golden mop of hair Kiba stumbled his way to were the other ninja sat.
Naruto looked up as he approached, halting a conversation with a smaller boy with short brown hair and round cheeks. The short boy looked up as well, cracking a smile, seemingly amused by the Inazuka's inebriated state.
Kiba unceremoniously plopped down next to the blond, his head resting against the brick wall behind him.
"I want to go!" Kiba yelled, just barely letting himself be heard over the kicking bass of the band.
Naruto smiled sardonically. Reaching over he placed a steadying hand on Kiba's shoulder only to pull it away and wipe it dry on his pant leg.
"Damn Kiba, you're sweating to death!" Naruto remarked rather unhelpfully in Kiba's opinion.
Kiba only slumped his head in Naruto's direction, giving the blond a tired glare. Naruto chuckled in response, too quietly to be heard over the deffining noise of the club.
Naruto turned to the brown haired boy, leaning over and saying something into his ear. He then pulled a envelope out of his pocket before passing it to the boy, who then immediately stuffed it into his own pocket.
The boy stood up from the booth, giving Naruto a salute before running off, disappearing in the crowd. Naruto stood up, stretching out his back and legs. Turning to Kiba he gestured for him to follow, which he did after dragging himself up from his seat.
The way back to Naruto's apartment was a blur of swirling shapes and too loud noises to Kiba. The last thing he remembers of the night is downing a significant amount of water from Naruto's kitchen sink, before crashing on the blonds couch. He was out like a light in seconds, snoring loudly.
--
Kurenai looked at her most rambunctious student with some concern. If she was being candid, she'd have to say Kiba Inazuka looked like stepped on shit.
His eyes were bloodshot, his skin pailed and clammy, and he just seemed to be...well sick.
"Are you okay Kiba?" She asked, reaching out placing the back of her hand on his forehead.
She pulled it back a moment later after confirming the teen wasn't running a fever. Kiba looked up at his sensei, giving the woman the best reassuring grin he could manage. It wasn't very convincing.
Akumaru whined from atop his head, looking down at his boy with as much emoted concern a dog can pull off. Hinata Hyūga stepped up beside her teammate, leaning over to get a look at his condition.
"Uh, Kiba...you l-look really sick."
Kiba scoffed, swatting away her concerns with a lazy move of his hand.
"Pssh. Don't be crazy Hinata. I'm right as rain...but if you could please be a little more quiet that be very nice." Kiba reassured his female teammate, with a closed eye smile.
"While I agree that the physical state of Kiba is concerning, I believe we've let it distract us from realizing a crucial piece of information. That being, where is one Naruto Uzumaki? He has yet to show himself despite it being twenty minutes after or designated meeting time." Shino Aburame helpfully pointed out as he came to stand next to Hinata.
Kurenai blinked. Looking around the training field team eight used for gathering this morning. True to the bug users word there was no sign of Naruto anywhere. Inwardly cursing herself for not noticing sooner, she chalked it up to not used to having the Jinchuriki on her team.
"Kiba, go home and get some rest." Kurenai ordered.
Kiba muttered a few half arguments to the command before begrudgingly turning on his heels and shuffling off towards the direction of his home. As he walked off Kurenai turned her attention to the remainder of her gennin. Hinata was giving a worried look at the retreating back of Kiba. Shino was giving her his full attention, or at least she assumed he was.
"You guys run through team drills. I'm going to go find your missing team member." Kurenai informed the two as she turned to leave.
She was halted however as Shino spoke up.
"I believe it may be wise for myself to accompany you in your search sensei. Why? Because in the event Naruto is not simply at home, or somewhere equally as obvious, the Kikaichu I placed on him yesterday can make pinpointing his location rather trivial."
Kurenai suppressed a shiver at the thought of a similar tracking bug crawling unnoticed somewhere on her person. Shino's bugs tracking abilities were a invaluable asset to the team, and she would not make him feel ostracized for the little creepy crawlers. No matter how creepy or crawly they may be.
"Well...Alright, I'd appreciate the assistance. Hinata you might as well come along. Your eyes could help us with the search as well."
--
Naruto let out a bark of laughter as Takai threw down his cards, a disgruntled frown on the Hi no zugaikotsu thugs face. His hand was worth nothing, snickering Naruto spread his cards out across the table showing he held a straight flush.
"You've got shit luck today Takai." Naruto teased as he pulled the winners pot over to his corner of the table.
The other players around the table chuckled along at the ribbing the teen was giving the fully grown man. All the other players were similarly Hi no zugaikotsu members. The tattoos that run down the length of their arms signifying them as such. Most of them having flaming skulls on the back of their hands, inked in different designs.
The group occupied the corner of a large expansive store house that stored and dried tabacco. The Hi no zugaikotsu owned the tabacco and the fields they were harvested from. Or at least that's the official story.
The reality was that thugs armed with crude weapons would stake out trade routes from grass country and pilfer wagons filled with uncut tabacco. The tabacco was then taken to this store house, dried, cut, and rolled into cigarettes before being sold to stores at a hefty discounted price. Effectively undercutting the competition, allowing them to sell large quantities of the death sticks at a fast rate.
Overhead was zero and profit was great, lining the pockets of gentlemen like those around the card table who were in charge of the operation. Earnings that Naruto took great pleasure in winning from the saps.
"Fuck you Demon. You just have inhuman luck." Takai grumbled as he watched Naruto scoop up his money into the teens winnings pile.
Naruto just smirked, taking a drink of his melon flavored soda. He had forgone taking part in the alcohol the other men shared amongst themselves. It was far too early to drink in his opinion. Plus he hated the whiskey the gang members seemed to cherish so much.
The door at the end of the large room opened suddenly, drawing the attention of the men inside. Naruto's eyes widened at the sight of a familiar raven haired woman entering through the now open door. Behind her two teens followed closely.
"Ninja!" A thug that sat beside Naruto exclaimed as he caught a glimpse of the new arrivals head wear.
The men sprang from their chairs, reaching for nearby clubs or retrieving knifes from their pockets.
"Guys! Cool it, they're with me." Naruto called out to the gang members who seemed to think they had a chance at beating a Jonnin.
The men looked to him confused before heeding his words and sitting back down after a moment. They kept a close eye on the trio as they steadily approached.
Not liking the idea of the ninja coming up to the table full of gangsters, Naruto stood up, walking to meet the majority of team eight after having stuffed the collection of bills that sat in front of him into his pockets.
"Relax guys, I've got this." Naruto called over his shoulder to the still tense men as he left the vicinity of the table.
Walking a good distance down an aisle of drying tabacco, Naruto met the team. Kurenai was looking down at him with a delicate frown. Hinata was looking up at the large bundles of drying tabacco leafs that hung from the ceiling with confusion. Shino seemed to be Shino, which was more of a blank sheet of paper with all the emotice the tall teen gave off.
"What is this place Naruto?" Kurenai began, crossing her arms under her bust as she continued to frown at the teen.
Naruto looked around as if to just realize his surroundings. He turned back to Kurenai giving her a stretched out insincere smile.
"You know Kurenai sensei, I have no freaking clue." Naruto answered with a shrug of the shoulders.
Kurenai's frowned deepened slightly at the boys attitude. She had gotten a small taste of his flippant attitude in the Hokage's office yesterday, but his acceptable behavior at the training ground had made her hope it was a fluke.
After all she was aware of the teens circumstances. Knew that he vehemently refused to enter the ninja corps despite pressure constantly on the Hokage to get the boy trained. She wasn't surprised by some push back, even expected it.
"Oh really? Maybe I should ask those gentlemen at the back then." Kurenai said, making to step past Naruto.
Naruto stepped in front of her path. His smile falling away as he gave the Jonnin a bored look.
"Alright. This is a store house for drying tabacco. I kind of thought that was obvious." Naruto answered, gesturing to the bundles of tabacco leafs that hung from hooks.
"Um, b-but why are y-you here Naruto?"
Hinata nearly flinched as her question drew Naruto's blue eyes to hers. She started fidgeting with her fingers as the blond looked her over as if he'd just realized she was there. He eventually sighed, scratching the back of his neck as he took a moment to relax his posture.
"Just playing some cards, what are you guys doing here?" Naruto asked
Kurenai looked incensed by the question. her arms came to her side with a huff, she propped them against her wide hips her frown never letting up.
"What are we doing here?" She asked back incredulously.
Shino spoke up this time, saving Naruto from an incoming verbal dressing down his sensei was about to give to the blond.
"We we're searching for you. Why? Because you failed to be present on the appointed time given by our sensei."
Naruto looked over at the bug user for a moment, looking back up at the very obviously irritated Jonnin, he sighed before rubbing at his eyes.
"Listen Kurenai, let's not pretend like This is more than it is." Naruto lamented, his tone tired and worn.
Kurenai looked honestly confused by the statement.
"What do you mean by that?" She asks finally after Naruto showed no signs of elaborating.
Naruto looked over his shoulder at the group of gangsters playing cards, seeing them try and subtly listen in as they play.
"That you're being forced to baby sit the demon, and I'm being forced into playing ninja. Neither of us wants to have to deal with the other. Why don't you just go about your usual business, and I'll go about mine and we'll just say you've been a great temporary sensei when the Hokage asks."
Kurenai looked like his words had physically struck her, her head jerking back slightly. Her arms fell off her hips as the frown fell from her face.
Her Gennin that came along with her stood beside her, both confused by whatever it was Naruto was saying. They were not privy to Naruto's unique circumstances, so understandably they had no context for the teens statement.
"You think so little of me?" Kurenai questioned the blond teen in front of her.
Something in her tone made Naruto pause. A calmness seemed to replace the Jonnins indignant look, making Naruto come up short of responding.
"Though our time together will be short, I intend to show that I am very invested in imparting as much practical knowledge to you as I can." Kurenai's eyes felt like hooks as she looked down at the blond, her tone deadly serious.
"You'll be sore, you might just hate me for it, but you'll know that I treated you just as another one of my precious students."
Leaning toward him at the waist she reached down tapping Naruto's forehead.
"Because the day you accepted that forehead protector you made a promise, a promise I intend to make you keep. Because Gennin Naruto, I am you're sensei."
Naruto's throat felt dry. He swallowed thickly before looking away folding his arms over his chest.
"Alright, whatever. Sorry I ditched." Naruto said not quite being able to meet her ruby eyes.
Kurenai smiled, a certain Hyūga copying the act just behind her. Hinata wasn't sure exactly what the pretense of the conversation had been, but it was clear a understanding and been reached between teacher and pupil.
"Now, lets head back to the training grounds while there's still daylight. We still have to decide your punishment for trying to skip today's training." Kurenai said, her smile turning cheeky.
Naruto's eyes snapped to hers, trepidation clear on his face.
"Wha?"
--
Hinata's face was beet red as she slowly rose and fell. Her hands gripped the fabric of Naruto's tank top as she tried to retain her balance. Naruto's face dripped with sweat as he went back down only to rise again.
"Um, Kurenai sensei...c-can I get off yet?" Hinata pleaded from her spot atop Naruto's back.
Naruto grunted in agreement as he performed another push up, his arms shaking as he lifted Hinata's weight on top of his own.
Kurenai looked up from the scroll she was looking over with her other student. She smiled fondly at the girl before shaking her head.
"Sorry Hinata. By my count Naruto still has a few hundred to go." With that she turned back to what she was doing.
Naruto grumbled how it was bullshit that she was keeping count.
"If you're fresh enough to complain, this must not be hard enough for you. Let's add a extra fifty pushups." The Jonnin said without looking up from the scroll she was reviewing with Shino.
Naruto grit his teeth as he stopped himself from giving the woman a biteing retort. Hinata let out a yelp as Naruto's arms finally gave out and he fell onto his chest and face.
"Oh my! N-Naruto! Are you okay." Hinata's embarrassment from being used as a weight suddenly forgoten in concern for the groaning boy beneath her.
Naruto groaned as he turned his head to the side, spitting some dirt from his lips.
"I'm fine Hinata, but could you I don't know...get off me."
"Eep! Sorry!"
- end -
So any good? So bad it made you want to vomit? You tell me.
Also is this length of chapter good? I could probably make longer ones maybe.
Anywho, talk to you later my friend.