THE UZUMAKI BRIGADE
"Naruto," Shikamaru exclaimed. "Your brother is the ANBU that attacked me!"
After FINALLY having a chance to be accepted, Claude had been revealed as Shikamaru's attacker. Everyone in the room gasped, save for the adults. It was common for these ninja to see deception, so they didn't react as much.
"I….I can…God I hate my life," Claude said, cursing his terrible luck. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Was there really a God watching over them? And if so, did he have some personal vandetta against the ANBU captain. "I have a good reason for-"
"Stow it, bastard!" Naruto said, his eyes betraying the hurt he was feeling at the moment. "There is nothing you can say that can justify what you have done! I can't believe that I'm related to a piece of trash like you!"
Hinata, who had arrived moments ago, had caught the last part of the conversation, where Shikamaru had accused the older ninja. She gave him a worried look, as if she wasn't entirely sure what to think of things, then hurried over to her now shaking fiancé. Placing her arms around his body to help calm him, she spoke softly into his ear.
"Naruto-kun, I think he deserves a chance to explain. Don't forget, we ARE ninja. We have to see beyond the surface and learn the truth."
"Hinata," Naruto said shakily. "I want to trust him, I really do. But I don't think there is anything that can be said to clear away my doubts."
"…Naruto-kun."
"Hinata," Claude said at last. "I can't force him to see things differently. If he feels that strongly against me, than he has every right to do so. I want to explain why I did what I did…but I know that none of you will believe me. Hell, I wouldn't believe me! That being said, I know I won't be welcome. So I think I'll spare everyone the trouble, and leave."
Before anyone had a chance to say anything, Claude shunshined out of the mansion, and left for who know where. He knew that there was no way Naruto would accept him as family now, so with a heavy heart, he set out for the one place that he could be alone…
I.I.I
Back at the Hyuuga mansion, people were beginning to break off into groups to gossip about what just happened. Before they even got a chance to let a single word out, Akira stomped up to Naruto, and punched him…HARD…in the face. He went flying back about twenty feet, then hit the floor and skidded another ten feet.
"What kind of brother ARE you?" She shouted at the blonde. "Someone accuses him of something, and you don't even give him a chance to explain? Do you think he WANTED to attack that lazy asshole? HELL NO! If you had given him a chance, you'd have known that he was ordered to do what he did! If he had been given a choice, he would've declined within a heartbeat!"
Everyone was silent as Akira shouted at Naruto. Hinata, while angry that someone would hit her beloved Naruto, simply stood there, knowing that the ANBU girl was right if she had been a good judge of character. And she was, considering that she had taken a liking to Naruto. Akira continued to shout down the boy, letting all her anger show at the unfairness of the situation.
"You called him a piece of trash, and said you couldn't believe you were related to him. All his life, Claude has been looking for someone to accept him, and the moment someone does, you just give up on him! If you ask me, YOU'RE the piece of trash! I feel sorry for him, knowing that his only living family member is such an inconsiderate doushe! I guess all those rumors about the 'Fox Container' were true!"
Naruto cringed at her words, which struck so deep, he was amazed he wasn't actually bleeding from her sharp tongue. He also knew that what she said was the truth, which hurt him even more. Finding that all the strength had left his arms, Naruto let his head fall to the floor. He laid there, clutching his left cheek where Akira had punched him.
The guests, which had been silent this entire time, slowly filed out of the building. They left to go home, and hoped to forget this awful night. There would be no gossip, no rumors, just unpleasant memories of what happened. As the last of them filed out, Sarutobi walked over to the blonde genin.
"Naruto," Sarutobi began. "I'm afraid Akira is right. Claude was under orders to attack your team I apologize for the misunderstading."
Naruto slowly got up, and glared at the older shinobi. His eyes narrowed into slits, and he spoke low and calmly.
"Old Man, don't you DARE call this a misunderstanding!" Naruto was seething with anger. His voice carried so much distain, Sarutobi was afraid the blond might release the large Ryu upon him to exact his revenge. "My only family, and you ordered him to attack us! What kind of man does that? Do you think we are from the Village Hidden in the Mist? You have ruined the one shred of trust I had in him by doing this!"
Naruto stormed off, Hinata close behind. She gave Sarutobi once last apologetic glance before rounding a corner with the blonde. He sighed, and slowly walked out the building. What a terrible way to end the night. How was he to make amends for such an action? His head hung low, Sarutobi dragged himself home to cry himself to sleep…again.
I.I.I
Leaning against the wall of the tower on the outer wall of Konoha, Claude was watching the half-moon set over the mountains. To lose what little you had in a family, it had nearly propelled Claude to suicide. Instead, he had chosen to go to the one place no one ever disturbed him. On nights like these, the walls were patrolled a bit less, so that meant Claude wouldn't have to explain why he was standing at the first line of defense against invaders. He let out a sigh, and felt his eyes water at the thought of what his brother had said.
"God, do you delight in watching my family suffer?" The young ANBU asked the sky. "Are we just some sort of cruel joke?"
Knowing the sky wouldn't answer him back, Claude nearly fell off the ledge he was on when he heard a voice behind him.
"Claude, you are not a joke."
When the ANBU captain regained his ability to move, he turned around to see another friend of his, Katsumi Misaki, standing there, looking at him with eyes that showed deep concern for him. Her normally blue jumpsuit glowed silver in the moolight, and her long golden hair that fell down to her waist shone white. Her bow, which was always strapped to her back, looked black in the night, making it seem like it wasn't there. Her blue eyes made Claude feel like he could trust her with anything.
"Oh, hi Katsumi." Claude said sadly, and turned back to the moon. "How did you know where to find me?"
"Call it a hunch," The other captain said. "When it comes to my friends, I'm always the one they talk to. So what's troubling you Claude?"
"…It's Naruto. He's rejected me as his family, so now, I have no one."
"Not true!" Katsumi cried out, surprising Claude. "You always have…me."
She turned her head away from Claude, and blushed deeply. Since she was a little girl, Katsumi had always felt something for Claude, but had never had a chance to confess to him. In the twelve years that she had known him, she had always come close to revealing how she felt for the guy, but every time, something had come between them.
At first, she thought it had been Akira, but then Katsumi found out she didn't care about Claude like that. But she knew that Claude liked Akira, which had severely crushed her spirits. Yet she prevailed, and has been trying to let him know. She knew that tonight would be the night she told Claude how she felt. It felt almost right, the two of them alone under the half-moon.
"Katsumi," Claude said quietly. "What do you mean?"
"I, um…It's just….Well I…"
Katsumi turned back to Claude to find him staring deeply into her eyes. She would have loved to stare into their depths foever, but she had to tell him. She was so close already. She just had to get the words out.
"Claude…Wh-what would y-you say if I were to…"
"Katsumi," Claude said slowly and calmly. "What is it you want to tell me? Don't be afraid. I won't laugh or say something hurtful. You can trust me."
"I-I know Cl-Claude," she stammered. And th-that's why I f-feel I c-can say this."
Katsumi paused to catch her breath. She looked into Claude's eyes once more, and found the courage to contine speaking, this time without stammering.
"Claude…I love you. For as long as I can remember, I've had these unexplainable feelings towards you. I see you in my dreams, and I know that if there is anyone for me, it would be you. Oh, please don't hate me!"
Claude was silent for a minute, processing what Katsumi just said. He had read enough love stories in the public library to know that any sudden actions or careless word would drive her into a fit of sorrow and misery. Slowly, he collected his thoughts to begin forming a reply.
While he did feel something towards Akira, she never seemed to get any closer to him. And he had known the shy, Katsumi for just as long as the crazy Akira. He had once felt something weird when he was talking with her, something that he could not explain. When Katsumi had left the room, he had felt somewhat empty inside, and had began searching for an answer. Now he had it, and it made sense to him. Claude felt something towards Katsumi!
"Katsumi…I-…I too, feel something for you. How could I ever hate you?"
He reached over, and placed his hand on hers. She looked from it, to his eyes, and back. She wasn't sure if it was a dream right now. The boy she had loved for years had just confessed to her as well? Katsumi had almost fainted from the system overload she was experiencing.
"Oh Claude! I….I…" Katsumi found herself breathless.
"Shhh…No need to talk," Claude said quietly, placing his index finger over her mouth to silence her. "Let's just enjoy the beauty of the natural world…and each other's company."
Katsumi wrapped her hands around his and leaned on him, letting her head rest on his shoulder. He placed his head on hers, and the two looked up at the moon. They gasped as they saw streaks of color arc across the sky.
"Wow," Katsumi said, breathless. "A lunar rainbow."
"I didn't realize that was even possible." Claude said, stunned.
"Let's stay here all night," Katsumi suggested.
"Okay then, whatever you want." Claude agreed. "But it seems a little chilly out. Here, take my coat."
Taking his black trench coat off, he wrapped it around Katsumi, and placed his arm around her, breathing in her sweet scent of rose. The two stayed that way for the rest of the night, forgetting all of their worries, at least for now. Whatever situations arised could wait until morning, when the two of them were ready to go back to town. Claude and Katsumi hugged each other, and enjoyed the beauty of the lunar rainbow, eventually falling asleep on the tower.
I.I.I
Back at Naruto's apartment, Hinata was trying to think of a way to help Naruto trust his brother. Since he knew what had REALLY happened, that would make her job a bit easier. But right now, he was still trying to overcome the initial shock of the whole event. Hinata knew that she had to convince her mate before he snapped out of it, or else it would take forever for the two brothers to get past this ordeal.
"I'm just not sure what to think Hinata," Naruto said, still pacing around the living room. "Gramps said that he ordered Claude to do it, but if Claude truly cared, he would've held back at least, right?"
"Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered soothingly into his ear. "As ninja, we must follow our orders. Your brother is no different. He takes his job seriously, and so, he does it the way he is supposed to. Besides, think about it like this. Claude is an ANBU right?" Naruto nodded. " That means he probably could've killed Shikamaru if he had wanted to. But he didn't, did he? That means he WAS holding back."
Naruto looked up into Hinata's eyes, and nodded, knowing that she was right. But that still left the most unpleasant part of this event…the confrontation.
"You're right Hinata," Naruto said, grabbing his swords. "I feel better, at least a bit, knowing this. Thanks. How did I ever live without you before?"
"I don't know," Hinata said, blushing. "Maybe just dumb luck?"
"Probably," Naruto said back. "C'mon, lets go find my brother. Me and him need to settle this.
"What do you intend to do Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked as the two of them walked out the door.
"Simple, my sweet." Naruto said looking back at her. His eyes gave everything away. "I'm going to find my brother, and I'm going to challenge him to a duel."
I.I.I
Back at the wall, Claude was just waking up. He looked up at the sky, and noticed the sun cresting over the horizon. He wondered what had possessed him to sleep outside in the cold night, when he felt a warm breath on his chest. He looked down to find blonde hair resting on his shoulder. He would've cried out, but he noticed it was Katsumi, his shy friend from the Academy.
It was at that moment that he recalled everything that happened the night before. The talk with Naruto, the party, the confession to Katsumi…It had happened so fast! Now that he had a moment to catch his breath, Claude could think clearly. It was a nice, cool day, and he had a beautiful girl to share it with. Sure, he would have to see his brother again some day, and he would have to join that team Naruto was forming. But today, he just wanted to relax, and spend it with the one person that ACTUALLY cared about him. Akira, who was she? She didn't give a damn about Claude. And Ken was cool, but he had his own life to live. Claude's brother hated him, and most likely everyone associated with Naruto did as well.
No, the only person that actually cared about Claude was Katsumi, the beautiful ANBU captain that was resting on his shoulder. Today, it would be about her, and no one else.
"I guess this is what love is like?" Claude thought to himself. "I wonder what I should do with her today…I could always take her somewhere nice. There is that resort a few miles out of town…Yeah, that's perfect!"
At that moment, Katsumi began to stir, and looked up at Claude. As he looked into her eyes, which shone with a brilliant innocence, Claude knew that everything would be fine, so long as Katsumi was there at his side. He knew he could conquer any army, accomplish any feat, take on the whole of the universe if she was beside him.
"Good morning Katsumi," Claude said quietly. "Sleep well?"
"Cl-Claude," Katsumi stammered. "Where…Where am I?"
"At the tower on the outer wall of Konoha, remember? Last night, we…well we told each other how we feel…and…" Claude stopped, a blush starting to show on his face.
As Katsumi recalled last night, a blush appeared on her face as well. She turned away in embarrassment, and began to enjoy the memory. She was with Claude! It had taken her many years, but she finally had been able to confess.
"I wonder what will happen…" Katsumi though to herself. "Will we enjoy a long life together? Will we have children to succede us, and carry on our family name? Will we…Oh wow, I can't believe myself! It hasn't even been a full day and I'm thinking silly thoughts like this."
"Well, I'm with you," Katsumi finally said aloud. "And I couldn't ask for more."
She rested her head on Claude's shoulder again, and sighed happily. Claude gave a big grin, and placed his arm over her shoulder. Whatever happened, it would be interesting, so long as they were together. After a couple minutes of watching the morning sun climb over the horizon, the two captains got up and began the trek back into town, to commission a day off. Before they even made it back into town, a Naruto clone jumped down from a tree, and called out to them.
"You there," the clone shouted. "Claude, stop!"
"Naruto? What are you doing here?' Claude asked his brother curiously.
"Looking for you." The copy replied. "Can you wait for a minute, the original Naruto needs to talk with you."
"The original?..Oh right! You learned the Shadow Clone jutsu from the Forbidden Scroll!" Claude said remembering the file he had read on his brother.
"Yup!" The fake replied. "He Shadow Spammed the whole town and spent the whole damn night looking for you."
"Shadow Spammed?" Katsumi asked curiously.
"He basically created about two armies of clones, and sent them out over the town in a rush," Naruto explained. Then he looked at Katsumi carefully. "Who're you? I've never seen your face before."
"Naruto," Claude began. "Meet Katsumi Misaki, the fourth ANBU captain, and a personal friend of mine. She's a skilled bow user, and my girlfriend."
At that last comment, both Katsumi and Claude blushed lightly. It took Naruto a minute to catch on, since he was still slow in the love department. When he finally did, he smiled and turned away. A second later he 'poofed' and the original stood where the clone had been.
"Congrats. I'm happy for you…It's such a shame that I have to do this then…" Naruto said, looking down at his feet.
Claude didn't like the what Naruto said. And judging by the look in his eyes before he lowered his head, it wasn't going to be pleasant. Claude stepped forward, and placed his hands on the daggers at his waist.
"Do WHAT…Naruto?" Claude challenged. "What are you talking about?"
"Claude," Naruto said calmly. "You know very damn well what I'm talking about."
Naruto looked up, a fire in his eyes, and unsheathed his swords. Claude saw the nodaichi, and gaped at the details on the blade. It was a work of art! The blade on the right was shining with a brilliant white color, while the one on the left was pitch black, and Claude felt like he would be sucked into it if he wasn't careful. Both swords sported a tribal pattern from the guard to the tip of the blade that was in the color of the opposite blade. The guard itself curbed down in front of the hilt. They were very impressive swords to say the least.
"Claude Uzumaki!" Naruto shouted at his brother, pointing the black blade at him. "Fight me, NOW!
"Naruto, I will not fight you." Claude said calmly. "I just want to spend the day with Katsumi."
"Claude," Katsumi said quietly. "I think…you need to do this. D-Don't worry about me"
"But I-…Katsumi, are you sure? I mean…Is this really a good idea?"
"Go ahead Claude," she said quietly, still a bit shy towards her love. "The only way to overcome this is to face it head on."
"I…"Claude murmured. "Okay…Okay Naruto, you got a fight! Show me what you can do, 'Little Brother'!"
Naruto charged at the ANBU captain, both swords drawn back for a cross-slash. As he swung, Claude jumped back, and unsheathed his daggers, holding them upside down. He dashed at his brother, and turned in a 360* circle, bringing his knife in for a slash. Naruto ducked and kicked out with his legs, tripping the older shinobi. Claude rolled backwards with the momentum, and jumped up, tossing three kunai as he descended.
Naruto easily dodged them, grinning as they flew by harmlessly. Then he noticed a small glint, and saw wires attached to the kunai. They curled around him, tying him down. As he struggled to cut the wires, Claude formed a single handsign, and extended one hand towards Naruto in a sweeping motion.
The wind around Naruto began to blow violently, and condensed in certain areas. A few of them came at Naruto with insane speed. It was all he could do to dodge them, and even then the attack grazed him in a few places. Naruto cried out in pain, and continued writhing about on the ground. He saw another piece of condensed air charge at him, and he rolled a little away from it. As the wind blew by him, the edges tore at the wires, and released him from his restraints.
Now free, Naruto formed his favorite handsign and cried out some of his favorite words:
"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"
The area was engulfed in white smoke, and when it cleared, there were about five hundred Naruto clones surrounding the older ANBU captain. Claude looked around for a hint of which one might be the real one. Since they all looked EXACTLY alike, there was no way to tell. One of them shouted a battle cry, and the whole horde of clones charged at the lone ANBU.
Claude jumped up, and landed on a clone. He kicked off of that one, gaining impressive aerial distance, and dispelling the stepping stool at the same time. Claude formed a handsign that was very familiar to Naruto, and calmly said the words that were also familiar.
"Kage Bunshin No Jutsu," Claude said.
The sky darkened as hundreds of Claude copies rained down on the blonde ones, making the clearing look like a true battlefield. Smoke began to appear everywhere. Eventually, it came down to two of each, with the original defeating the other's clone. Both brothers stood there, gasping for air. Naruto, who hadn't much practice with his swords, felt his arms sag with exhaustion. Claude, who had been using his knives the entire time, felt no such strain on his arms. That, and he has had years of experience with bladed weapons.
"I'll give you credit Naruto," Claude called out to his brother. "I really wasn't expecting you do this good. Looks like Lord Hokage and Kurenai have been training you well."
"Yeah," the blonde called back. "They certainly did a good job, didn't they. I learned quite a bit from them. But I'm afraid you won't like what one of the things that I learned…"
"Well don't keep it to yourself! Show me what you're holding back!" Claude shouted.
"Heh," Naruto smirked. "You're ALREADY seeing it, brother!"
Claude's eyes grew wide as he heard this, and instinctively he performed a release. A second too late though, as he felt a gash in his side shoot pain throughout his body. Naruto had used a genjutsu to catch Claude off-guard, something the older ANBU should've expected since the blonde's jounin instructor was a master of that style. Claude made about five more clones, something that was now getting exhausting, and had them continue the assault. He himself decided to perform his OWN genjutsu, just to trick up his little brother.
Naruto continued to thrash around as his clones backed away. The jutsu made Naruto see about a hundred more clones blanketing the area, each charging at him. Claude and his now three copies backed into the trees, knowing that in a few seconds Naruto would make more clones. As expected, the clones appeared.
Claude backed into the trees more, and willed his few clones to start picking them off, except for one, which would help layer the genjutsu deeper to keep Naruto trapped. He tossed a few kunai at his now tired brother, and timed it with the jutsu to make it seem like a clone had struck him. It worked as expected, when Naruto struck at empty air 'where the clone was'.
"Enjoying yourself, 'big brother'?"
Claude jumped at the voice, which had come from behind him. Instinctively, he withdrew a kunai and lashed out at what he thought was Naruto, only to strike air, like his brother in the field was. He felt a gash in his leg open up, and realized what was going on. When Naruto had 'made his clones', he had actually placed a wide area genjutsu and released himself from Claude's. That being said, when Claude had thrown the kunai and not moved to a new position, it was a beacon to his location.
Naruto had then snuck up on his brother and struck him. It was a good, plan, but Claude could release as well, if not better. Claude formed a special handsign, and pushed out a decent portion of his remaining chakra. The jutsu was developed for releasing multiple layers of genjutsu. Since it is such a powerful jutsu though, it consumes a large amount of chakra.
"Shit," Claude thought to himself. "I don't have much left in me. I know he probably has a good amount left, thanks to that blasted Fox Demon! I've got to end this…fast!"
"Hey Claude!" Naruto called out from the field. "How about we wrap this up?"
Claude didn't like the sound of that at all! It sounded like Naruto had some secret weapon that he could use on the ANBU captain. Before he had gotten a chance to decline (if one could), he heard Naruto shout something.
"Release your might upon the world, and let your roar reign supreme! RYUJIMARU!"
The ground began to shake violently, and Claude heard a roar sound from close by. He looked out of the trees to see a three-story tall Fox Demon standing in the field, his wild eyes surveying the area. Claude nearly shit himself at the sight. The Demon turned it's eyes on him, and attempted to charge at the ANBU captain. Before it got the chance though, A large tether around it's neck pulled it to the ground. Claude looked over at the origin to see Naruto standing there, holding the other end like a leash.
"Ryu, control yourself!" Naruto shouted at the Fox Demon, walking over to it. "I'm telling you now, you are NOT- the keyword is NOT- to kill! You got me?"
The large demon nodded, and stood up. He charged at Claude, who had now regained enough control to move his legs. He jumped over the demon's face, and landed on it's back. He unsheathed his two swords, and drove them into the demon's back. The katanas bounced off harmlessly. Claude wasn't fazed though, and turned towards the tails…all nine of them…each capable of crushing him to nothingness…within a second…WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING?
Before he chickened out, Claude charged at the tails, and swung both of his blades. Unbelievably, they cut through three of them like it was butter. The Fox let out a screech, and fell to the ground, weakened from the pain. All of his power was stored there, so if a tail was lost, he lost a large chunk of energy at the same time. To lose a THIRD of your total energy at once? Try dragging Choji into a gym and you'll get the same tiring feeling, just instead of blood from your ass, you get black eyes and a giant fist to the stomach.
"Ryu," Naruto called out. "Shit, I need to get you inside before Hinata gets here, or else…RYU, RETURN!"
The Fox Demon 'poofed' and Claude fell to the ground, thoroughly confused. As he landed on his ass, he heard Naruto talk to himself.
"Damn," He was saying. "That was close. If Hinata had been here to see that, Claude would most likele be about eighty feet under right now. I'm suddenly glad she hadn't been with me when that clone contacted me.
"Naruto, what the hell? Did you really just summon the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon to attack me?" Claude shouted incredulously at his brother.
"Yup!" Naruto said with a wicked gleam in his eye. "I wanted to see what he could do, as well as what you would do when faced with a considerably less powerful version of the legend that everyone fears so much. Also, the Fox Demon prefers to be called Ryu…So yeah."
"…"
"What? I told him not to kill you!" Naruto said when he noticed his brother glaring at him. "Do you want him to kill you next time? I can tell him so if you want!…No Ryu, I'm not letting you eat his soul! Do I have to send you to a psychologist? I know a guy!"
Considerably disturbed now, Claude clutched his head and turned away. He began to walk over to Katsumi, who was waiting with her bow still drawn. Her eyes gave away how conserned she had been with him. Then she ran over to Claude and glomped him, shouting about how worried she was and that he should never do something so reckless again.
Knowing full well that the whole event wasn't over yet, Claude gave Katsumi a gentle hug, and walked back to his brother. He gripped his dented swords tighter, and gave his brother a look that said, 'I've seen everything you've got, and I'm still standing'.
Naruto still had a decent amount of chakra left, as most of the fight he had been pulling off of Ryu and Dinah. Now that Ryu was injured, and his power slashed to a fraction, Naruto had only his original meager reserve of chakra, and whatever Dinah felt like sharing. He knew he could make maybe twenty more clones before he was done. So he did just that. The look on his brother's face…priceless.
Claude couldn't believe his brother! He still had the chakra capacity to make twenty clones? He figured he himself had about three more left in him, and then he'd be totally empty. He forced the clones out, each one looked at tired as the original felt. The same could be said of Naruto's clones.
"Huff…Huff…So," Claude said tiredly. "It comes…down to this. You're not *huff*…hiding anything…are you?"
"As if *huff*!" Naruto gasped out. "Ryu…*huff*…was my ace. *huff*"
The clones stared each other down, and the clearing was dead silent. Katsumi stared at Claude, worried about what might happen. In the trees, Hinata had just shown up to catch what looked like the end to the fight. She had wanted to be there to talk her fiancé out of this, but she knew that Naruto was stubborn.
Finally, the Naruto clones weakly charged at the Claude clones, which used their swords to chop down six each. The original Naruto tossed a few kunai at the remaining copies of his brother, dispelling them instantly. The two originals gave one last burst of energy, and dashed at each other. They reared back their fists, and slammed it into the other brother at the exact same moment. They stayed there for a few seconds, their fists in each other's face. Eventually, both of their legs gave in to the tiredness, and they both collapsed. As they laid there on the cold grass covered in morning dew, Claude began to laugh. Naruto started to as well eventually, and the two of them laughed until their voices were sore as well.
Hinata and Katsumi looked at the boys they had fallen in love with, and shook their heads. Katsumi walked over to Claude, kneeled down, and began to release chakra through her hands. Hinata walked over to Katsumi, and began to chat with her.
"You know medical jutsu?" Hinata asked curiously.
"Yeah," Katsumi sighed, happy that Claude hadn't died in the fight. She had been worried when Ryu stormed the field. She had no idea what she would've done if Claude had lost his life in a fight, with his brother of all people! "I felt it would be necessary in the event something happened to Claude. It's a good thing I did learn to heal too."
As they talked, Naruto and Claude had passed out. It took the two girls a minute to realize that their breathing had become soft and slow. Since they were out, Hinata decided to learn more about this person that cared about Claude.
"You really like him, don't you? Hinata asked. "Are you and Claude…you know?"
Katsumi caught on to what Hinata said, and blushed deeply. She looked at the Hyuuga heiress, and felt a need to tell her everything. Katsumi didn't really talk with any girls when she was younger, so she had all this pent up anger, sadness, and other unpleasant feelings. Without realizing it, Katsumi began to tell Hinata her life story.
"I've known Claude since we were in the Academy. Back then, it was just a little crush, I'm sure you've had one." Hinata nodded, and Katsumi continued. "I sat next to him in class every day, I was so shy, I could barely say anything. But I listened to him, and hung over his every word. 'One day, they'll respect me for who I am, Katsumi! I'll show everyone that I can go the distance!'…I'd listen to him tell me his dreams, his goals, anything he wanted to say, I'd sit there and listen all day if I could. Then I noticed Claude was hanging out with Akira frequently. I originally dismissed it as him and another friend. Then I noticed the look in his eyes, and I lost myself. I just…gave up, and tried to move on, but found it impossible to do that."
Hinata couldn't believe her ears. This girl had basically told Hinata about her OWN life story! Hinata reached out, and placed a knowing, caring hand on Katsumi's shoulder. The ANBU captain looked into her eyes, and saw herself reflected in them. The two embraced each other, and Katsumi continued.
"After Genin teams were assigned, I found myself in Gai-sensei's cell with two genin that were already in love. I didn't think it was possible to be in love while still so young. I found myself thinking back to Claude, and I…I felt so angry!" Katsumi said quietly, her eyes flaring. "I vented every time I trained, did missions, and it got the job done. My teammates were stunned at how efficient I was, and how I left them in the dust. Gai-sensei noticed, and recommended I become an ANBU. I followed through with it, and on that first day of class…I found myself back at the Academy. Sitting next to me was Claude, and he had acted like no time had passed. We talked sometimes, and every time, I got ever closer to confessing…But I could never do it."
Katsumi found herself breathless. She began to sob, and Hinata began to soothe her with what she had learned from all her years of talking with the other Hyuuga girls. Katsumi calmed down, and eventually regained her composure. As she continued the story, Hinata thought the ANBU captain looked a bit happier.
"Soon after class began, I found out that Akira didn't have any feelings for Claude. It made me feel…like I had a chance again. But it seemed like God enjoyed watching me struggle, because soon after, I found out that Claude did feel something…towards Akira. It hurt so bad, but I didn't give up. I pushed away the pain, and decided to focus on my training. A year later, I made captain, and received my Centaur mask. I lost track of Claude, so I thought Akira had managed to drag him down. Three years later, I found out Claude and Akira made captain, and it made hope blossom inside me. I found out that Akira still didn't have Claude wrapped around her finger, and I took it as a sign to try again. Ever since, I've slowly gotten closer to confessing…And last night…I finally did it! And that wasn't the best part! After I said what I've been trying to tell him…HE confessed…TO ME!"
Katsumi began to swoon, and Hinata had to catch her. When Katsumi finally regained control over herself, she returned to healing Claude. It was then that the two girls noticed a blush on his face. Hinata recalled a similar event in Naruto's house a good time ago, and she knew that Claude had been listening in the whole time. As she looked at Katsumi, she noticed that the ANBU captain had come to the same conclusion, based on the SUPER deep blush that covered her face. Hinata knew that now would be the best time for her to leave, so she stood up and walked over to Naruto. She scooped up his body (thankful that he at least had slept through the whole conversation), and turned to leave. She stopped a second later and turned back.
"I forgot to ask," Hinata said over her shoulder. "Can you please tell me your name?"
"Sure…My name is Katsumi…Katsumi Misaki." She smiled at the young girl. "It's good to finally talk to someone. What's your name?"
"Call me Hinata," The Hyuuga called back. "I have a feeling we'll see each other again soon."
"If these two are related," Katsumi said calmly. "Then I guarantee wee will meet again."
The two girls smiled at each other, and Hinata shunshined away from the clearing. As the area became quiet, Katsumi became more aware of Claude's irregular breathing. She smiled, remembering that he had been awake for the whole talk with Hinata. She spoke softly, and sweetly.
"Claude, you don't have to fake it now." Katsumi said. "We're completely alone now."
"Fake what?" Claude asked as he got up. "I was trying to sleep, but found my girlfirend was crying so I just laid there, listening. Is that so wrong?"
"No," Katsumi said, and punched Claude in the arm lightly. "But you could've at least told me!"
"And not get the whole story?" Claude jokingly asked.
"Hmph!" Katsumi pouted. "Well…at least you're alive. I was half ready to unleash every single jutsu I know on Naruto if that Demon had killed you…Claude…promise me you won't do anything so reckless again. Please?"
Claude looked into Katsumi's eyes, and saw how worried she had truly been for Claude's life. To think, he had spent his entire life looking for someone to accept him, and she had been beside him almost the whole time! He felt butterflies in his stomach as he gave his reply.
"I won't Katsumi, I swear," Claude promised. "But if something should happen to you…Well all bets are off then!..Hehe…Katsumi…I think I'm actually in love."
Katsumi understood exactly what he was saying. She felt weightless at the moment. She nodded, and closed her eyes. Instinctively, she leaned in, and kissed Claude. He didn't pull back, he didn't make a sound. He just stayed there, and went with it.
The bluebirds in the trees began to sing, and somewhere in the distance, shops could be heard opening up. Even though the day had just started, the two ANBU captains had felt like it had gone by already. They stayed there for a few minutes, locked in each other's arms. Eventually, they both stood up, and walked back to town. Today was a beautiful day, but not as much as Katsumi, in Claude's opinion. They knew what they were going to do. The two captains were going to ask the Hokage if they could have the day off, and if so, the two of them would go to the resort outside of Konoha. With a plan set out, Claude and Katsumi left the clearing, and heading in the direction of the Hokage Tower…
I.I.I
Little did the two lovebirds know, was that Sarutobi had witnessed the whole fight and aftermath with his scrying jutsu. He had been following Claude since the young ANBU had left the outer wall. He had know of their request ahead of time, and already had the papers filled out. He even went the extra mile and had sent a messenger to the resort, telling them to expect two ANBU to arrive within a few hours, and he paid for anything that the couple wanted.
In his head, Sarutobi felt absolutely terrible for making Claude attack Shikamaru. He knew that doing this for Claude and Katsumi wouldn't repair things, but it could at least put them back on talking terms. It wouldn't be right, to have one of the children you raised hate you. And with what happened, Sarutobi figured he had about two of his children hating him right now.
On a different thought, Sarutbo hadn't realized that Claude and Katsumi knew each other. He had seen them talking before, but he figured that the two had met after becoming captains. Knowing what he did now, the Old Man was certain that Claude would request a change in copilot for his gunman. It came as no surprise when Claude walked in through the side door from the roof, and began to ask for the day off, and the pilot change. Sarutobi had simply smiled, handed him the paperwork, and began to smoke his pipe.
"Claude, I know that what I did can't be forgiven easily," Sarutobi began before the two captains had time to leave. "But I'd like to apologize for my hasty decisions. You've been like a son to me, both you and Naruto. Making you both go through that…it was completely inconsiderate and asinine of me."
"Hokage-sama," Claude said back, smiling as he approached the door. "You have no need to apologize. You were doing what you thought was right, and I had supported you. We have no one to blame for how things turned out. Besides, it's already happened, so why dwell on it? What's done is done. There is nothing we can do to change the past. Our best move is to just continue like it never happened, and see where out futures take us."
Sarutobi nodded. What Claude said made sense. The Old Man smiled inwardly as he recalled a similar speech that had been made not ten minutes ago.
"Claude, you and your brother are more like your father than the two of you know." the old Hokage said. "He would make inspirational speeches all the time, and rally his friends and fellow ninja towards a common goal. I was said that whenever he gave a speech, that the rallying shouts of the town could be heard for miles. Both you and Naruto seem to have almost the same effect."
"Naruto was here earlier?" Katsumi asked from beside Claude.
"Yes, he was," Sarutobi replied. "He came by with Hinata asking for the day off, like you two. I gave him permission, and told them of a resort a ways out of town. I believe that you two know of the one I'm talking about?"
Seeing their surprised faces, Sarutobi took a puff on his pipe, and smiled. He dismissed them, and felt his head sag with exhaustion. After last night, he had failed to sleep, and had spent the late hours filling out paperwork that he had not finished from the previous day. Now that he had a few minutes to rest, and his head was not worrying about the two children of Minato, he felt his eyes droop. He let sleep fall over him, and was out like a light…
I.I.I Author's Notes I.I.I
Well, tonight was my last free night. I'm glad I was able to finish another chapter before break ended. I hope you've enjoyed my story so far, it takes so much out of me to make even a short chapter. I'd like to thank some of my more…interesting fans, like Wafflez, who keep me inspired to continue the Uzumaki Brigade. I'd also like to give a shout out to my closest friend Gajeel-Rocks, as she has been beside me since the creation of this story. And to my other friend, Akira, who has most likely driven me insane, and allowed that to transfer over to my story. Hopefully, she won't castrate me when I see her again (long story).
But I'd still like to thank everyone that has read this far into The Uzumaki Brigade. It's you guys that provide the best things that go into this story…like Steve. It's done me good to know that there are some people who know a decent story when they see one. (I'm not bragging, I'm just talking about Naruto and Gurren Lagann!)
I hope you all enjoy this story, and I will try to speed up the posting process. Until then, keep reading, and if you have ideas, let me know! I love it when fans tell me what they think could help with the story.
Later!