Hello everyone! I hope that you enjoyed the last chapter! Thank you very much to a certain reviewer. I will do my best to do what you suggest. Also, please feel free to give me feedback by messaging me as well! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING RELATED TO NARUTO! ALL THINGS RELATED TO NARUTO BELONG SOLELY TO MASASHI KISHIMOTO!
Chapter 6: A Lot Of Explanations, and The Meeting. . . . . . .
A few days later, inside Konoha hospital. . . . . . . .
Naruto woke up, groaning. "Oh. . . . . what a headache!"he groaned. "What the heck happened?" He looked around him, taking in the whitewashed walls of the building. "And why am I in the hospital?" The Hokage then walked in through the entrance to the ward. "Ah, you're awake.", he said. "Good! Now, when you feel up to it, you can tell us what happened there. We really need to know." Naruto replied smartly with "Hai, jii-chan!" "Oh, and also, your friends are waiting for you outside, and you owe them an explanation too." Naruto nodded. "Okay, jii-chan!"
He suddenly remembered Hinata. "Jii-chan?" Sarutobi sighed. "Yes, Naruto?" "Where's Hinata? Is she okay?" Sarutobi smiled. "Yes, she's fine, Naruto. However, she'll be getting out of the hospital before you. After all, your injuries are more severe. You'll need to stay here longer." "What?", said Naruto, comically erupting. "Why can't I leave with her? I'm fine!" "No, you're not," said Sarutobi. "As I told you, your injuries are far more severe than hers. In fact, if your friends hadn't found you and Hinata in the forest when they did, you and Hinata would be dead now!" Naruto was silent after that, stunned by the reality of the situation. "I-I'm sorry, jii-chan. I understand.", he said, with his head bowed down.
Sarutobi smiled once more. "Well, it's okay, as long as you understand and appreciate what has happened. Now, you should get some rest. We don't want our Rookie Of The Year being in so bad a condition that he can't come to the presentation ceremony, do we?" Naruto was stunned by this. 'Me, Rookie Of The Year?', he thought. Sarutobi guessed what Naruto was thinking. "Yes Naruto, it's really you. You deserved it. You protected Hinata from that man, and you stood up for her. I think that deserves a reward." Tears were welling up in Naruto's eyes. "Thank you jii. . . I mean, Hokage-sama!" Sarutobi frowned, then smiled. " You actually called me Hokage-sama! You definitely deserve Rookie Of The Year!" Of course, being Naruto, he replied with a cheesy grin on his face, "Hai, jii-chan." Sarutobi then did a face-fault, and thought, 'I should have known better.'
Just then, Naruto's classmates arrived in the room. The Hokage looked at them, and said to Naruto, "I'd better be going. I have work to do. Besides, I don't want to prevent your friends from talking to you, do I?" He rose, and said, "Ah! I see that you've come to see Naruto! Well, go on, then. I have to get back to my office." With that, he left the room.
"Well, Naruto, you got yourself into a right mess this time, and no mistake!", said Kiba. "Hey Naruto, are you okay?", said Shikamaru. "Naruto, how are you?", asked Tenten. "Naruto, you did well! The flames of youth burn brightly within you!", shouted Lee enthusiastically. "Hey baka, what happened to you?", said Sakura. "Oi, dobe, what the heck happened to you?", said Sasuke in a bored tone. Naruto was overcome. Never in his life had he had someone talk to him like this. Never had he had someone who actually cared for him. . . . . until now. He cried happily. 'I have friends!', he thought. 'I have friends! And. . . what Hinata said.". and he blushed.
Everyone calmed down just then. "Okay, Naruto.", said Neji. "You owe us some explanations." Naruto nervously chuckled, and said, "Uh, um, well, do you think that we could do this after I get out of the hospital?" "NO!", was the unanimous reply. "Naruto," said Neji, "You will either tell us what happened, or. . . . . you are going to be staying in the hospital a lot longer than you expected to stay." Naruto gulped. "Um, okay then." Everyone crowded around him, waiting expectantly. "You see, I was running from some people." "Why?", asked Lee. "I-I really don't know. They just. . . . got mad at me, for no apparent reason. They were shouting things like "demon brat" and, and, "demon boy". They chased me down the streets." Everyone's eyes widened, and they were listening intently by this point. "Suddenly, a man pulled me into the forest." "WHAT!", shouted everyone. Naruto covered his ears, hoping that the noise wouldn't deafen him.
Sakura asked, "Well, what did this man look like?" "Well,", said Naruto, "He was wearing a white robe with a girdle. He had pale skin, and white eyes. His eyes were also bulging, and there were veins coming out of them." Everyone's eyes widened in shock. 'That means that it was a Hyuuga!', Thought Shikamaru and Neji. 'But who?', Shikamaru and Neji wondered. "It must have been that Hyuuga traitor they were talking about!", they realized. "Naruto," asked Shikamaru. "Did this man tell you his name?" Naruto, who looked mildly surprised, said, "Oh, yes. He said that his name was Hyuuga Karela. Why?", he asked curiously. Neji's eyes widened in shock.'So it was him!',he thought. "Naruto," began Neji. "That man, Hyuuga Karela, was a traitor to the village. He was planning to usurp Lord Hiashi's position as leader of the Hyuuga clan. He planned to have you kill everyone in the Hyuuga compound, then he would have killed you! If Hinata hadn't been there. . . . . . . ." he trailed off. Everyone stood there with horror, contemplating the possible outcome that could have occurred.
"Well, thank Kami that didn't happen." said Lee. Everyone nodded fervently. The silence persisted in the air, giving the room a gloomy mood, Shikamaru stood up, and straightened his back. "Well," he yawned, "As interesting as it is, we can't just sit here all day. I'm sure that we all have things to do. So, we'll leave you alone. Come on, everyone." Everyone agreed with him, and they left, leaving Naruto alone in the hospital with his thoughts. 'Wow, what a week! I wish I could leave now. And I need to talk to Hinata. . . . . . . .'. He happily drifted off to sleep, waiting for the morning.
Evening, 05:00 P.M.
Naruto woke up, and groaned. "Oh, my back." He sat up, and looked around the pitch black room, eventually deciding to leave and ask the nurse whether he could leave. He tried to get up, but he was stopped by a hand wearing a glove with protectors. He looked up, and saw a man wearing a red robe, with a long length of spiky white hair. "Who are you?", he asked the man. The man face-faulted, and Naruto was surprised. The man then got up and said, "WHO AM I? Who am I, you ask? You, are a rude boy!"
Naruto blinked. "Um,. . . . okay.", he said uncertainly. The man leapt on Naruto's bedside table, and proclaimed, "It is I, the great Toad Sage. . . . . . the legendary Jiraiya! One of the legendary Sannin, annnd the BIGGEST pervert in the UNIVERSE!" He cocked his head and looked at Naruto. "Oh, and who might YOU be?" Naruto was a little nonplussed by Jiraiya's entrance, and he didn't answer for a while, trying to stop the ringing in his ears. ''I'm Naruto Uzumaki!", he proudly proclaimed. "Future Hokage of the Leaf Village, and Rookie Of The Year at the Ninja Academy!" Jiraiya smiled, and said, "Is being Hokage your dream?" "You know it, dattebayo!", said Naruto, grinning widely. "Well, that's a great dream!", said Jiraiya. "But you'll never accomplish it, unless you get out of the hospital and do some heavy training!" Naruto looked down and said, "I know. . . . . but who will train me?" 'Don't sweat it kid, I'll train you!", said Jiraiya. Naruto's face lit up, and he shouted, "Really? Really? When do we start? Can we start now?" He was frantically jumping around, bouncing on the bed, and jumping off of the door.
Jiraiya grabbed Naruto, and set him down. He knelt till he was at Naruto's eye level. "Listen to me, Naruto!", he shouted. "You are going to have to be a lot older before I can teach you jutsu.", he said. "You may be Rookie Of The Year, but you can't just jump ahead of everyone else!" Naruto said, "Okay, I understand." Jiraiya stood up, "Come on, kiddo. Back in bed with you!" He hoisted Naruto into bed. Naruto drifted off to sleep as soon as he was in the bed. Jiraiya stood there for a few moments, watching over Naruto. After a few minutes, he said, "I know that you're there, Hawk. What is it?" The ANBU Hawk, surprised that he had been found, said, "Jiraiya-sama, the Hokage has called a meeting of the council. He requested that you attend, since you are in the village."
Jiraiya sighed, and said, "Fine. I shall attend. You may go." However, the ANBU lingered for a bit more, and eventually asked him, "Jiraiya-sama, are you sure that it is okay to leave the boy here like this? Someone may attack him. Shall I ask the Hokage to put a guard of ANBU around his room and the hospital, or should I stay here and guard him?" "Neither", replied Jiraiya. "I am going to leave a shadow clone here. That should be fine." The ANBU nodded. "Alright, Jiraiya-sama. I will accompany you to the meeting." Jiraiya nodded, and after creating a shadow clone each, the two left the hospital, headed for the meeting. "So, where is this meeting?" asked Jiraiya. The ANBU replied, "At the Hokage Monument. The Hokage felt that that would be a safe place to meet, as this meeting is supposedly about sensitive information." Jiraiya accepted the answer without saying a word. They continued jumping from treetop to treetop, heading for the Hokage Monument.
10 minutes later, at the Hokage Monument
Sarutobi stood on a podium, amidst a swarming crowd of ninja. The Monument was packed with ninja of all ages and sizes, all waiting for the word of the Hokage. When Jiraiya and the ANBU got there, the noise died down. "Alright, everyone!", shouted Sarutobi. "The reason I have called you here today is to discuss the incident involving Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata, and Hyuuga Karela!" Upon hearing the last name that Sarutobi called, Hyuuga Hiashi clenched his fist so hard that blood started dripping.
Sarutobi looked around the room as he spoke, "As you know, Naruto Uzumaki was coerced into going with Hyuuga Karela by the man himself! They then entered the forest, and stopped to take a rest. Hyuuga Hinata was out that day, running errands, when she heard noises and decided to investigate. She found Naruto and the man, sleeping. She proceeded to try to wake up Naruto to ask him what was going on, but was attacked by Hyuuga Karela, who woke up when she came near them." At this, Hiashi's eyes hardened.
Sarutobi continued to relate what had happened. "Hinata was knocked out, but upon hearing the noise, Uzumaki Naruto woke up, and transformed into an unknown form, presumably tapping into the power of the Nine-Tails." A murmur started in the crowd. "We suspect this because several ninja, including myself, felt the Nine-Tails chakra spike in the area where we found Naruto and Hinata!" One ninja, who was coughing very badly, raised his hand. The Hokage saw this, and said, "Yes, Hayate?" loudly. "My lord, did the Nine-Tails make an appearance?" "No," replied Sarutobi, "Naruto was in control. However, it seems that he was more. . . . animalistic. Foxlike, almost." Upon hearing this, one of the ninja shouted, "Lord Sarutobi, I suggest that we put him down immediately! That. . . . . that. . . . . boy," he spat out, ". . .is a threat to this village, and all of it's inhabitants!" Sarutobi coldly gazed at the man. "It is people like you who cause jinchuuriki to abandon their villages.", he said quietly. "He hasn't even done anything except defend himself and a friend, and you suggest killing him. For that suggestion, YOU shall be killed."
The man, astonished, found himself at the points of a dozen kunai. The man appealed to a man with spiky silver hair that went upwards, towards the sky. "Come on, Kakashi! You know that I am no danger to the Leaf village! You know that I am loyal to the Leaf village!" Kakashi simply shook his head. "Kurodo", he said, "The moment you chose to say what you just said, you abandoned us all. And you know what?" Kakashi whispered in Kurodo's ear, "There is no room in this village. . . . for traitors." With that, all of the ninja plunged their ninja into Kurodo's body, killing him. He screamed for a few seconds, then went limp. Sarutobi grimly said, "Thank you. That man could have been a danger to the village." One of the ninjas, who had been searching the man's body, suddenly shouted, "Lord Hokage! I found something!" "What is it?". demanded the Hokage. "Lord Hokage, it appears to be a note, from. . . . . . " The man was silent, and wore a shocked expression upon his face. "From. . . . Orochimaru.", he said, in a shocked tone.
This caused an uproar among the ninja. Ninja were talking amongst each other with a frightened tone, whispering. "O-Orochimaru? No way!" "Oh. .. oh, what the hell are we going to do?" "We can't fight him! He's a Sannin! We'll be killed!" "SILENCE!", shouted Sarutobi. He looked around at the ninja. "Instead of panicking, listen to what the note says!" He nodded at the ninja. "Please read us the contents of that note!"
The man, named Ebisu, said, "Yes, my Lord." He cleared his throat, and began:
Monday, January 2nd
Kukukukuku, hello, my operative. I trust that you have been following my orders faithfully, hmm? It was so easy to convince that fool Sarutobi to let you in. Now, we must move to Phase 2 of the plan. I wish for you to investigate two of the children currently in the Academy. They are. . . . . very special. The first is Uchiha Sasuke, the son of the clan head, Uchiha Fugaku. Also investigate a boy named Uzumaki Naruto. That boy has the Nine-Tails sealed inside of him. He could be very useful, if we play our cards right. However, Uchiha Itachi is our prime target, though it wouldn't hurt to have a backup. Also, try to dispose of the Third. We don't need him meddling in our plans, now do we? Complete these tasks as quickly as possible, then send me a progress report. Be warned. If you do not complete these task's quickly, you will not live to see another day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Orochimaru
Ebisu looked up. "That's all, my Lord.", he said. Sarutobi clenched his fist, and gritted through his teeth. 'Orochimaru!', he thought. 'I should have known that he would be behind something like this!',he thought. "Okay, everyone!", he said. "We are going to set up a defence perimeter around the village. We will still accept missions, and life will go on as usual. However, be on your guard at all times." "Orochimaru could strike anywhere.", warned the Hokage. "As for your students, do not tell them anything! We can't afford to have them worrying! Doing so may result in their deaths! So remember, not a word to anyone except to those in this room!" Everyone nodded, and shouted, "Hai!". Sarutobi then said, "You are all dismissed!" All of the ninjas shunshined away. Sarutobi wondered,'Things are getting intresting around here.' He smiled.' It seems Naruto has been the catalyst. I think that we can expect great things from him. . . . . . . . '
AAAAND. . . . . . . . . . . . CUT! Okay, that's it for this chapter. I hope that you guys like it! Remember, as always, to read and review! I will try to update every weekend still, but I may not be able to. Please understand if that is the case. I promise that my chapter releases will occur WITHIN (AT MOST) TWO WEEKS of each other. Have a good day, and see you next time, on Rise To The Top!