Kureiga
I looked over the railing of my home's balcony, tea cup in hand. I was still thinking about what Teuchi told me. It was one thing to say that Naruto was hated by the village. But what really confused me was the bit about it being against the law to talk about the reason he is hated. It was weird to me. I've heard of laws passed because of incidents done by certain people, but this was the first time I've heard of a law applying to one person.
"Ohayo!" I heard a voice behind me say. I turned to see my father beaming a smile at me. I smiled.
"Good morning, Father," I replied back. He nodded as he walked over and joined me near the balcony.
When I was growing up, a lot of the kids in the neighborhood couldn't believe that he was my father. He was shorter than me, standing at five feet, nine inches, and had somewhat long, dark brown hair that he wore in a small ponytail. He also had a trimmed goatee that was connected to a small mustache. Rounding out his looks was a semi-permanent smile that I've rarely seen him without.
"Nice day we're having out today," he said happily, looking out at Konoha. "It's one of the reasons I chose this building for business and living. You get a nice view of the whole village from here, plus you get to see the sunrise."
"Yeah, it is nice," I said with mild interest as I looked out towards the city again. I then looked down to see my father's hand grip the cup I was holding. I released my hold on it, and he brought the cup closer to his eyes for closer inspection. He handed the cup back to me.
"What's wrong?" he asked in a paternal tone. I merely raised my eyebrow.
"What's makes you think something is wrong?" I replied in a calm voice.
"You're drinking red tea."
"So?"
"You hate red tea."
"…" I looked down at my cup, then back at my father. "Gomen. I forgot who I was talking to."
"Well, that's understandable. It's not like I raised you, clothed you, or anything like that." I rolled my eyes. "So what's bugging you?" He then paused. "Remind me to say that to an Aburame one of these days."
I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose with the thumb and index finger of my free hand, before speaking. "Hey, what do you know about Naruto?"
"Naruto?" he said. He then looked over at the city in thought. "You mean that boy who always runs around in that orange jacket? I can't say I really know much about him. The only thing I know about him is that he pulls pranks and that the villagers don't like him much." He then scratched the side of his face as his eyebrows drawn together in a frown. "I don't know why, though. Every time I asked, the villagers would just say that they can't say. I think it was about it being against some sort of law, or something like that." He then looked at me. "Why you ask?"
"That's what's been bugging me," I conceded before taking another sip of tea. "I was eating at Ichiraku's with Naruto last night. After he left, Teuchi told me the same thing, except he seemed rather fond of the guy." I tilted my head. "I just want to know what he did for this village to hate him so much. Sure, he has his habits, but so does everyone else in this village." My dad nodded.
"I see," he said. "I wish I could help you. But I know about as much about the situation as you do. Less, if you factor in what you know about Naruto. Just try not to think about it too much."
"Fat chance, father," I said, scoffing as I took another sip. "I wouldn't have cared less if people disliked him for his pranks. I would have just told them to get over it. But it's not like I can just shrug this off as if it's nothing." I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked over at my father, who gave me a grave look.
"I'm very glad that you're taking this seriously," he said, giving me a brief smile. "But keep in mind, being a shinobi doesn't mean you're above the law. I'm not telling you to drop the matter. Just be careful about what you do, and how you do it. Last thing I want is to get a message from the Hokage that you're incarcerated." I was about to reply before I saw Naruto walking down the street, heading towards the Administration Building. I then turned towards my dad.
"I'll keep what you said in mind," I said. "But I got to go. I'll see you later."
Naruto
"Ohayo!"
I stopped in my tracks as I heard the voice. I looked behind me to see Kureiga running towards me.
"Yo!" I said as he caught up to me. I then continued to walk towards the Hokage's building, with him to my right. As I walked, I got a lot of glares from most of the villagers we passed by. I ignored them, like I usually do. It was something I learned how to do a while back. However, it was harder for me to do so since I learned who I carried around inside of me. Sure, it was bad enough thinking that people hated me for no reason. But knowing that people hated me for something I had no control over was worse to me. I wasn't Naruto to them. I was the Kyubi, the demon who killed hundreds of people.
I closed my eyes, clenching my fist and grinding my teeth. Why me?!
I then felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Kureiga smiling at me.
"What do you think we're going to do for our first mission?" he asked. I put on a wide smile, hiding my anguish.
"Probably something dangerous, like taking out a mercenary, or tracking down a spy!" I said, my smile becoming real. "I seriously can't wait, dattebayo!"
"Maybe not that dangerous," he said, chuckling slightly. "We might just do something like border patrol, or maybe an escort mission."
"Well…" I thought about it for a few moments. "I guess that would be good, too."
In no time, we were at the stairs that lead to the Hokage's building. I then smiled slightly.
"Race you!" I said.
"What?" Kureiga said. I looked at him, my smile becoming wider.
"Race you!" I repeated. "I bet I can beat you, from here to the Hokage's office!" I heard him snort.
"You think so?" he asked. He didn't sound convinced. He then readied himself to run. "Okay, short stack, you're on!"
"Yosh! On my signal!" Kureiga nodded in approval. "On three! One…" I ran off, laughing hysterically.
"Come back here, Short Stack!" I heard him yell behind me. We both raced up the stairs, with me ahead and Kureiga in hot pursuit. We were approaching the doors when I saw someone opening the door. I quickly leaped into the air, clearing someone who looked like a kunoichi that was wearing red.
"Gomen!" I called out behind me.
"Pursuit Drills, ma'am!" I heard Kureiga say as we continued our little race. As we entered the halls, we dodged many chunins and jonins, apologizing to those who we almost bumped into. After a few seconds, I saw Kureiga running neck and neck with me. "Getting a little slow, are we?" I merely growled and kept on running. Eventually we reached the Hokage's door. We skidded to a stop in front of two guards. I leaned over, hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. After a few seconds, I stood up straight.
"We're reporting in for Team 7 duty," I said. Kureiga, who stood up straight a few seconds later, nodded. The guards gave me a dirty look, but nodded. I merely returned the look before stepping into the Hokage's office. Much to my surprise, Kakashi-sensei was already there with Sakura and Sasuke.
"Yo!" he said lazily.
"You're on time?" I said, blinking in disbelief.
"He had to be," I heard a voice say. I turned towards the man who sat in behind a desk.
Hiruzen Sarutobi
"Hokage-sama!" Kureiga said before bowing. I smiled at him. I surveyed the whole group. When I first heard that these four were being assigned to each other, I had my worries. I actually thought about reshuffling the teams because of them. But after hearing that they were the first team ever to pass Kakashi's version of the long-running Bell Test, I decided to let the teams stay as they were.
Right below me was their official mission log, which was, as expected, empty. Right next to it was a few scrolls. I picked up the one marked with the letter D and opened it. I scanned the list of missions that were available before picking one.
"I take it you all had a good rest," he said.
"Quite well, sir," Sakura said. I nodded in agreement.
"That is good." I removed the long pipe from my mouth, breathing out smoke. "This is your first mission as a team. As such, it will be your chance to make a good first impression. Gradually, as you complete missions, you'll receive assignments of a higher… magnitude." I smiled at the four of them.
"Now here's your mission."
Sasuke
"That was bullshit!" I heard Kureiga say, breaking me out of my reverie. I turned towards him with a scowl only to see him receive a fist on the top of his head, courtesy of Sakura. He rubbed the top his head before turning towards her. "What was that for?"
"For complaining!" Sakura fired back. "That's all you did throughout our mission!"
"Can you blame me?"
I couldn't. We were walking back from the Hokage's office after we cleared so-called mission, with Kakashi in tow, reading one of his small orange books. I knew we were genin, and as such, I didn't expect us to be sent to kill an S-Class criminal or missing-nin. But I did expect other things. I expected border patrols or escort missions. I expected to be on the lookout for a thief or even finding a missing child.
I didn't expect to be doing housework for a lady in Konoha.
"I thought we were ninja," Naruto said, a scowl crossing his face. "Why were we assigned to do chores, dattebayo?"
"I agree," I said. I had to admit it. When the Dobe was right, he was right. "What's the point of doing all of these missions?"
"Maybe it's to sharpen our skills?" Sakura suggested. "After all, we're not the first genins to be put through this."
"Sharpen, our skills," Kureiga said, as if he was thinking over those words. He then asked the question that crossed all of our minds. "What kind of skills we would be sharpening? I really want to know, because quite frankly, I don't think I ever heard of a ninja striking fear in the hearts of his or her enemies because he or she was great at tending to a garden or cleaning up the house. Hey Kakashi." Our sensei looked away from his book and looked at the four of us. "What was the point of that mission?"
"To help a lady out," he deadpanned.
"That's not what I meant!"
Kakashi sighed before looking up at the sky in thought. "How do I say this?" He then turned towards the four of us again. "We do it to build trust. You see, every hidden village is governed by shinobi. As such, shinobi are responsible for practically every village matter, including its people's protection. Doing D-Rank missions allows shinobi to build trust and rapport with the many villagers that call Konoha home. This, in turn, let the villagers sleep well at night, knowing that the village is in good hands. Think about this for a moment. If you were a just a civilian, how would feel about the village you lived in if you couldn't trust people who lead it?"
"…" Kureiga nodded a few times. "You have a point, Sensei."
While Kakashi did have a good point, I wasn't interested in creating "rapport" with the village. I wanted to become stronger, and missions that equate to undergoing chores that most people do on a daily basis wasn't going help me improve my ninja skills. I had to become stronger. Especially if I wanted to rebuild my clan and kill the person who destroyed it.
"Sasuke!" I turned over and looked at Kureiga. "Glad you can join us on planet Earth. We're about to get something to eat. We wanted to know if you're coming, since Kakashi bailed." I looked over my shoulder to see that the said ninja was, in fact, nowhere to be found. I shook my head.
"I'll pass," I said before turning to go home. However, I quickly felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Kureiga give me a stern look.
"Come on," he said. "We never ate together before. Think of it as team building." I thought about it for a few moments. This was my team. A team made up of a Dobe, a person who won't shut up, and a girl who can't take a hint. But it was my team, nonetheless. I sighed.
"Okay," I conceded. "But nothing sweet. I hate sweet things." Kureiga rolled his eyes, muttering a few words. During the next few moments, the three of them discussed what we should eat. Naruto suggested Ichiraku's, which was quickly shot down by Sakura. She then chose this restaurant not too far away from my house. I couldn't help but notice the slight look of fear on Naruto's face as we made our way towards the establishment. I merely ignored it. That was the last time I would do that.
Sakura
To say our dinner didn't go as planned would be an understatement. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.
It all started when we got to the restaurant, the Golden Wok. It was this placed I like eating at. It had great food and great service. We walked into the building, and made our way to the host.
"Good evening," he greeted. "Welcome to the Golden Wok and... Ah, Sakura-chan! It's nice to see you again!" I smiled back at him.
"It's nice to see you again, Kaito-san!" I greeted back. "I would like a table for four please."
"Sure thing, Sakura-chan, right this -" He paused and took a look at Naruto. "I'm sorry. But he can't come in here. He was rather unruly the last time he was here."
"That's because your waiters were jerks to me, dattebayo!" Naruto fired back, scowling. I turned towards him.
"Don't blame them for your behavior!" I snapped. Naruto looked at me pleadingly.
"But Sakura-chan…" he started. I turned away from him before he could anything else and looked at Kaito with a smile on my face.
"Kaito-san, could you please let him in. He's part of my team. Would you kindly let him in, just this once?" Kaito smiled at me.
"Okay, just this once." He then turned towards Naruto with a menacing eye. "You better behave yourself." He then walked towards the dining area with the four of us in tow, with Naruto muttering some words under his breath. We were directed to a booth not too far away from the table. Sasuke was the first to sit, and I instantly sat next to him. Kureiga took the inner seat, which put Naruto in front of me. I scowled at the seating arrangement as the menus were laid in front of us by Kaito.
"I'll send a waiter in a few minutes to take your orders," he said.
The four of us picked up our menus and looked through it.
"A lot of the stuff looks good," Kureiga said. He then nudged Naruto in the side. "They even have ramen. I'm guessing you're getting that, huh?" The blue-eyed blond shook his head.
"Ne," he said, surprising me slightly. "I only eat ramen from one restaurant from Konoha." This brought a chuckle from Kureiga. Naruto then looked at me. "What do you suggest, Sakura?" I looked up at the ceiling for a few moments.
"The Teriyaki Yakitori here is always good," I answered. "I think we should get that one."
"Sounds good to me," Naruto said.
"It has been a while since I had Yakitori," Kureiga mused. He then looked at Sasuke. "What do you think, Sasuke?"
"…I'll have some." I smiled. The waiter came, and we all put in our order. Everything was going well, then. Kureiga even entertained us with stories from his father's travels before our food came in.
That's when everything went wrong. We finally received our food. After saying our thanks, all four of us went to work on our meal.
"This is pretty good, Sakura," Kureiga said. Sasuke nodded in agreement. Naruto, on the other hand, merely scowled.
"I don't like it," he said. Kureiga scoffed.
"How can you not like it?" I asked. I then scowled. "Are you trying to stir trouble again?"
"No, Sakura-chan," he replied, putting his hands. "It just doesn't taste very good, dattebayo!"
"What's wrong, Dobe?" Sasuke said in a teasing tone. "Not used to fine dining?" Before Naruto could reply, Kureiga reached over and picked up a stick of yakitori from Naruto's plate. He turned over a few times, looking at it before bringing the stick towards his lips. He opened his mouth and but on the stick, tearing a piece of chicken and chewed it a few times. He then dropped this stick on the table, reached for a napkin, and brought it under his mouth. He spat out the piece he was chewing before he folded up the napkin.
"This tastes like crap," he declared. I raised an eyebrow before reaching for a stick. Sasuke took a stick as well. I took a bite and promptly spat it out. Sasuke did the same thing. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he reached for a stick off of Kureiga's plate. He bit a piece off of it. He chewed it before swallowing. His eyes dropped.
"Your food is good," Naruto said. He then stood up from his seat. "I got to go. I have some training to do, dattebayo." He walked away, scowling evident on his face. He accidently bumped his shoulder in to Kaito. He said a quick apology to the host before walking out of sight. Kaito scowled in his direction before he walked over to our table.
"I hope you enjoyed your meal," he said. "I also hope that boy wasn't causing any trou-"
"What's the name of the cook who made our food?" Kureiga said abruptly. Kaito paused for a second before he smiled.
"Ah, the cook was Kazuo. Why you ask?"
"Would you please tell him to come out here? I like to thank him for the meal, personally." Kureiga put on a wide, exaggerated smile. Kaito nodded as he walked away. I looked over at Kureiga, my eyes narrowed.
"What are you going to do?" I asked him. He turned towards me with the same smile.
"I'm not going to do anything too harsh," he said.
Kureiga Kazama
"…and then he threatened to kill me. And then…"
I was in the Hokage's office along with Sakura to my left and Sasuke to my right. I felt the killer intent radiating from them. I, myself, was giving off killer intent as the chef explained his story. Behind me were two jonin. One of them was Kurenai Yuhi, a brown haired kunoichi who wore a white dress with a lone, red sleeve. Underneath her dress was a chainmail short. I remembered her from earlier today. She was the kunoichi Naruto and I dodged during our little race. The other was Asuma Sarutobi, son of the Hokage. He was a man with short black hair, which was covered by a black bandana. He also had a beard that ran along his jaw line and was connected to his to his hair by two thin sideburns. He had an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth.
The story the chef told to Sarutobi-sama was, for the most part, was true. I did punch him across the restaurant, which resulted in many disturbed patrons, as well as some property damage. I did threaten to kill him. And, as he was about to say, I did give him a swift kick in the nuts. However, he conveniently left out why I threatened him. The Hokage nodded and turned towards me. I looked down towards the ground, shifting my footing for a second.
"Is this true, Kureiga?" he calmly asked. As calm as his voice was, though, I couldn't help but detect a hint of desperate hope in his voice. I couldn't blame him. I don't think he likes hearing about shinobi wreaking havoc in restaurants.
"That story covers most of it," I admitted as I looked up, making sure to put emphasis on the word "most". The Hokage raised an eyebrow.
"Most, you say?" He took a puff of his pipe before blowing out a stream of smoke into the air. "So, I'm guessing you have a reason for your violent behavior."
"Yes, I do. I have reason to believe that my teammate's food was purposely tampered with."
"What?" the chef interjected, anger present in his voice. "You dare accuse me of performing such a heinous act! I swear, I should…" I looked at him, not even masking my killing intent. He went silent very quickly. I turned back to the Hokage.
"That's a very serious accusation," the Hokage said. However, he didn't sound so dismissive of it. "What reason do you have?"
"My whole team put in an order for Teriyaki Yakitori. My order came back great, as well as Sasuke's and Sakura's. However, Naruto's meal tasted like shit."
"Watch your language!" I heard Sakura say. "You're in the Hokage's presence."
"My apologies, but that is the truth. All three of us tasted his meal, thinking he was kidding, but it was bad. It was not even fit for a prisoner. And I highly doubt it was a mistake, because if this chef managed to cook three orders without making a mistake, he could have made a fourth one that was fit for a paying customer." Sarutobi-sama's eyes moved from me, to Sakura, to Sasuke.
"Is this true?"
"Yes, Hokage-Sama."
"…It's true."
The Hokage nodded before looking straight at me. I could see the gears turning in his head, trying to figure out what he was going to do about the situation. The gears then stopped.
"Kureiga Kazama." I cringed at the mention of my whole name. "I understand that you are highly defensive of your teammates, and I commend that part of you. I also understand your anger However, I am highly disappointed in the way you handled the situation. Because of what you did, I have no choice but to dock you two missions pay. Not only that, you will report tomorrow morning to fix any and all damage you inflicted on the restaurant and pay for the meal you ordered last night. Is that clear?"
"…Crystal."
"Good. You are dismissed." Sighing to myself, I brought my hands together in a seal before doing a quick substitution. I reappeared at the foot of the stairs that lead up to the office. I knew I was going to catch heat for leaving a log in his office, but I really didn't care at the moment. I was pissed off. Not only was I docked pay, but I had to wake up in the morning to repair a restaurant that purposely ruined Naruto's meal. And I was still hungry. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my anger in check, before walking the streets. As I made my way home, I saw many villagers giving me looks of fear or caution. Apparently, I was doing a bad job of keeping my killer intent in check. I didn't care at the moment. I had a decent day ruined by screwed up evening. I shook my head, sarcastically muttering under my breath about how just wonderful my day was.
"You know, you should try and do a better job of keeping your temper in check," I heard a voice said. I stopped in my tracks and looked towards my right. I saw the same kunoichi from earlier. I looked around, trying to figure out where she came from. "I was assigned to make sure you get home without incident. However, I want to talk to you for a moment. Come with me." She turned and walked towards a certain direction. I stood there for a few seconds before walked after her. She didn't sound like she was giving me a choice.
Kurenai
I guided him to small café that I frequented. At this time, the establishment was rather empty, so we were able to get a table and ordered to small meals. I ordered some yakitori, which caused Kureiga to cringe slightly. The black-clad boy ordered rice balls with miso soup. I stayed silent as I observed the boy. He looked off into the distance to his right, his eyebrows drawn together in a frown.
"You look agitated," I said. He looked down at the table, his expression not changing. "What's bothering you exactly? Is it what happened to Naruto?" He looked off to his right again, his tongue pressed against his cheek. He then looked at me, making eye contact for the first time since I caught up to him in the street.
"I didn't know how bad Naruto got it until tonight," he said slowly. "I mean, I knew villagers hated him, but this was just ridiculous. Never, in my whole life, have I seen someone get their order tampered with. I mean, I've heard about it. But I never thought I'd see it happen."
"So you really think the chef had an agenda?" I said this in a neutral tone. I didn't want him to think that I didn't believe him. On the contrary, I would have believed him even if Sasuke and Sakura didn't back him up.
"Of course," he said with a scoff. "When we first got there, the host was telling Sakura that Naruto wasn't even allowed to be there because of Naruto acting 'rather unruly' the last time he was there, which Naruto blamed it on the waiters on being jerks to him. If it wasn't for Sakura, he wouldn't have been allowed in. And then when we all ordered our food. Each of us ordered the same thing, and Naruto's order is the only one that came back tasting like sh… crap." His face became apologetic. I, on the other hand, was quite amused by his near slip. He looked down at the table again for a few moments. He then looked up at me. "Is it true what they say? That it's against the law to say why people hate Naruto?" I was caught off guard by that question.
"Where did you hear that?" I asked.
"From Teuchi and my dad," he explained. "Mostly from Teuchi, though. I was eating with Naruto the night before at Ichiraku's, and when he left, Teuchi told me that the villagers hate Naruto, and when I asked why, he told me he can't tell me the specific reason, though he basically told me that the reason is crap and people just can't let go the past. And when I asked my dad, he told me the same thing, minus the 'reason is crap' part."
"I see," I said, nodding my head a few times. I then sighed. "What you hear is partly true. You see, there's a… secret… regarding Naruto and something that happened a long time ago. Because of that, the villagers can't tell anyone the reason they harbor so much anger towards Naruto without revealing that secret. Like Teuchi, and, from what it looks like, yourself, I don't believe that Naruto deserves the treatment he has been getting throughout his whole life. The law doesn't really apply to him though. He can tell whoever he feels like telling."
"So all I have to do is ask him?" he said. I shook my head.
"It won't be that simple. You would have to gain his trust, and wait for him to bring it up." Kureiga scoffed.
"What, so you think that Naruto can't trust me?" he said, sounding offended. I glared back at him.
"Let me tell you something Kureiga. The only reason you don't hold any animosity towards Naruto is because you don't know the details of this secret. While it's easy for you to say that you can be trusted and that you won't look at Naruto in a different light, you won't know that until it happens, if it ever happens. For all he knows, you're probably just as bad as the chef you laid into earlier tonight."
Kureiga fell silent, and I can see the gears turning in his head to allow what I said to be digested. He then looked down at the table with a scowl on his face. I frowned slightly.
"Hey," I said. He looked up at me. I gave him a reassuring. "Just, don't worry about it now. Just be there for him. Be a friend. You're already doing an admirable job of doing that, though I suggest going about that in a less… violent matter." He nodded as our food came. "Now let's eat."
Kakashi
It was the afternoon after the incident. We were back at the usual training area. I didn't get on Kureiga too much, though I did advise him to let cooler heads prevail.
I looked at the four of them.
"Since some of us seem to be in a fighting mood, I figured it would be best to test your taijutsu," I announced. "So, we're going to spar." My eyes landed on Naruto and Kureiga. "You two first."
"Yosh!" Naruto yelled as he stood up. Kureiga did the same, smiling at the orange-clad boy.
"Are you ready for this, Short Stack?" he asked. Naruto merely smiled.
"Just bring it!"
"You two will go on my signal," I declared. They nodded at me before increasing the distance between them. I looked at the two of them as they got into their fighting stance. Kureiga's stance was solid. Nothing special. It was the basic stance taught at the academy. But it did the job of hiding his kill line. His feet were shoulders length apart, his right shoulder faced towards Naruto and raised slightly. Though his eyes were locked on Naruto, his face was slightly turned to his left.
Naruto's stance, on the other hand, was sloppy. While his arms were up, and his were shoulders length apart, his kill line was exposed for everyone to see as his body faced Kureiga.
"Alright," I said calmly. "Go."
Naruto quickly ran at Kureiga as the latter waited. Naruto reared back a punch, broadcasting his attack. As soon as he was within striking distance, Naruto sent the wound up punch towards his Kureiga's face. The black-clad genin brought his left hand forward and grabbed hold of Naruto's punch. He grunted as he was pushed back for a moment. He then pulled the held fist forward, pulling Naruto along with it. Simultaneously, he brought his left knee upward into Naruto's stomach.
"Come on, is that the best you got?" Kureiga taunted.
The said ninja doubled over in pain, but then suddenly brought his right fist upward, aiming for Kureiga's chin. Kureiga leaned backward, narrowly missing the attack. He then straightened himself and sent a right hook across Naruto's jaw. As Naruto stumbled backward, Kureiga dropped down and swept his right leg around. The tip of his toes impacted against the heel of the blond's right left foot, causing it to move forward against its will.
"Don't fall," the black-clad nin said.
Naruto shot his arms out, spinning them around to try and keep his balance. Kureiga quickly back flipped, catching Naruto's jaw with his left foot and raising his fellow genin off the ground. He completed his motion, landing on his feet before leaning on his left leg and thrust his right foot into Naruto's stomach, causing Naruto to go flying towards a tree.
"I didn't know you can fly, Short Stack!"
Much to my surprise, however, Naruto twisted into the air and planted his feet on the tree before launching himself at Kureiga. Kureiga's eyes widened as Naruto's fist impacted against his jaw. Kureiga staggered backward and a small stream of blood flowed from the right corner of his mouth. Naruto did not let up. While still in the air, he spun around and landed a kick on the back of Kureiga's neck. Kureiga screamed out in pain as he fell to his knees. The orange-clad ninja gave a foxy smile as he landed on his feet behind Kureiga. Kureiga tried to get on his feet, only to be kicked across the grass field. After rolling a few times, Kureiga jumped to his feet, skidding to a stop. He ran after Naruto, bad intentions in his eyes. Naruto ran forward as well, his earlier smile replaced by a determined scowl. Naruto was the first one to attack, sending a wayward punch. Kureiga dodged, albeit barely, and brought his hands forward. He grabbed Naruto, placing him in a clinch. He pulled forward Naruto's head downward on to his upcoming right knee. He then sent his left knee into the blonde's face. He repeated the action, his knees alternating and striking against Naruto's face like the beak of a woodpecker.
"That's enough," I called out. Kureiga stopped in his place for a few moments. His breathing was shallow before he took a deep breath. He then released his clinch on Naruto, who promptly fell to the floor. Kureiga narrowed his eyes down at him before reaching down and picking him up by the arm. Naruto groaned before looking up at my direction. He had a black eye that was swollen shut and a broken nose, with blood running down the side of his mouth.
"I was a little too harsh," Kureiga said as he carried Naruto back to the group. He then turned towards Naruto with a small smile. "You weren't too bad." Naruto merely nodded as he moved away from Kureiga to stand on his own.
"Not bad?" Sakura said. "Naruto, your taijutsu was horrible! Do you do anything right?" Naruto looked down at the ground. Kureiga rolled his eyes before opening his mouth.
"Alright," I said before Kureiga could say anything. "Sasuke, you spar with Sakura. Kureiga, Naruto, you two come with me." I walked into the forest with the two of them in tow. I didn't stop walking until I reached the lake where I, for lack of better term, fought Naruto during our first training session. I came to a stop and turned to look at them.
"Kureiga, your taijutsu was… commendable. Your technique was pretty solid all around. With that said, it could use more work. You drop your guard too easily and you take too much time to recover. Naruto…" I paused for a few seconds. "I like the way you used your environment in your attacks. However, your taijutsu could use a lot of work. You left parts of your body exposed, and you broadcast your attacks. Now, I pulled you two aside to let you know you might be going under supplemental training within the next few days. The fact of the matter is… you two are way behind Sasuke and Sakura in that area." Naruto scowled at that statement. I wasn't surprised. The last thing he wanted to hear was that he was outclassed by Sasuke. Kureiga merely clenched his jaw. "I'll keep you two posted and let you know if the arrangement I have in mind comes into fruition. Understood?"
"Yes, Sensei," they both said. I nodded. "Naruto, you're dismissed. Kureiga, I need to speak to you further." Naruto turned and walked away. I waited until Naruto was out of earshot before I spoke again. "Kureiga, why did you go off on Naruto earlier?"
"You mean after I took that combo from him?" he asked. I nodded. "It was nothing personal, it's just it's the first time someone had hit me that hard before." I raised an eyebrow. "It's true. I thought he broke my jaw for a moment. And when he kicked me in the back of the neck, I thought the gloves were off." I nodded.
"I see." I was glad to see that there was no animosity between the two of them."It seems to me that we have ourselves a heavy hitter on this team. Now if only we could get him to land those hits. Alright, you're dismissed. I'll go back and check on the last spar." Kureiga scoffed when I said that.
"Yeah, we all know what happened," Kureiga said. "Sakura fainted at the thought of being alone with Sasuke." He ran into the trees as I made my way back to the other two. When I reached the area I left him in, I saw Sasuke standing over an unconscious Sakura. I looked at him.
"She fainted," he said. I immediately slapped my palm against my face.
Naruto
"Yo!" I heard someone call out. I looked backward and spotted Kureiga hopping from branch to branch. He stepped on one last branch before jumping and landing next to me. He narrowed his eyes at me.
"What happened to your black eye?" he asked. I blinked a few times, confused. "It's gone." I merely shrugged.
"I heal fast," I said. "I've always been able to heal fast."
"I see." Kureiga nodded. "Look, sorry about kneeing you in the face." He paused for a moment. "Repeatedly."
"It's okay." We both started walking again. All I could think about was me being worse than Sasuke-teme. I was losing to Sasuke-teme. "Kuso!"
"What's wrong Naruto?" Kureiga asked. My hands balled into fists.
"I'm worse than Sasuke!" I shook my head. "I'm worse than Sasuke-teme, dattebayo!"
"Don't worry about it, Short Stack. You were kind of at a disadvantage anyway."
"What do mean?" I looked at him, scowl on my face.
"Sasuke comes from a ninja clan. Specifically, the Uchiha Clan. Ninjas that comes from a clan tend have an advantage because, aside from the training they receive from the academy, they receive extra training from within their own clan. Sasuke's been clan-trained long before he was the last Uchiha left."
"…" I stayed silent for a few second. I then looked over at Kureiga. "What's a clan?"
"A clan is basically a ninja family. Each clan usually has their own hiden or blood limits. Or even both."
"What are those?" Kureiga chuckled slightly.
"Hiden and Blood Limits are techniques that are exclusive to the clan who developed them. Hiden, while not impossible to learn by members from people outside of the clan, our only taught in the family. Usually, it's stuff like fighting styles. Blood Limits, however, are impossible to learn because they are genetic. Those include abilities like the Byakugan and the Sharingan."
I looked ahead as we approached the village streets. I looked up at Kureiga, having one more question.
"How come you know so much about clans?"
"I'm a delivery boy, and have been since I was six years old," he started to explain. "During my time, I came in contact with many people from different clans. Over time, I learned about the different clans by interacting with those people." I thought about what he said for a few moments before I nodded in understanding. "Look, you're not the only one who is behind Sasuke in that department." He narrowed his eyes. "I don't like losing to Sasuke either. But then again, I don't like losing to anyone." He shrugged. "So, are you up for dinner?"
"I can't," I said, frowning. "I need the money to buy some kunai." Kureiga nodded slightly.
"Have you ever thought about getting a civilian job?" he asked. I shook my head.
"Why should I?" I asked.
"For extra income. It will help pay for any extra stuff you need."
"That is true. But what's the point? The shop owners don't even want my business. Why would they want me working for them, dattebayo?"
"That is true," Kureiga said, narrowing his eyes. "Tell you what. I'll talk to a friend of mine, and I'll let you know if something is arranged."
"You actually think your friend would employ me?" I asked. Kureiga shrugged.
"It depends. I won't promise anything, except that I'll try."
I nodded, smiling. "Okay. Well, I'll see you tomorrow. See ya, dattebayo!"
"Likewise," Kureiga said. I nodded before jumping towards the rooftops.
Kureiga
I watched as he took the rooftops to go wherever he was going. I guess he went home, but I had no idea where he lived.
I remembered the conversation I had with Kurenai-sensei the night before, and couldn't help but grimace. Will I be like these villagers if I learned Naruto's secret? It was an unsettling thought for me, mostly because I didn't like hypocrites. Just the evening before, I punched out someone just for mistreating Naruto. Will I become like that chef in the future? I shook my head and looked up at the sky, derailing that train of thought. I saw that the sun, while not that high in the sky, wasn't that low either. Nodding to myself, I hung a right and headed up the street, my eyes looking left and right to search a certain store. I finally came to a stop in front of my destination.
"Bingo," I said before opening the door and stepping inside. It was the first weapons shop I go to whenever I need to buy some supplies. It sold everything, from the basic equipment like kunai, shuriken, steel wires and explosive tags, to some of the more advanced weaponry, like weapon summoning scrolls, swords, and maces, as well as creations made by the family who owned the establishment.
At the front desk was my friend Tenten. She was a fellow genin who graduated a year before I did. She had black hair that was held in two buns, with a couple of bangs hanging over her forehead protector. She also had a pair of brown eyes that seemed to be focused on something. She wore a pink sleeveless shirt with red trousers.
We first met when I tried to use one of the training areas to work on my aiming. As I approached, I noticed the ground was littered with weapons of all kinds. Swords, kunai, shuriken, katana, and a whole bunch of weapons that I never even saw before. Then I saw her, flipping in the air, throwing kunai, and hitting every single target. I whistled in appreciation, catching her attention, and I told her she was awesome. Little did I know at the time, I began a friendship with Konoha's Weapons Mistress. We grew close over the years, and I started seeing her as an older sister. She taught quite a few things, including the usefulness of the explosive tags.
Tenten looked up as the door closed.
"Hey Kureiga," she said with a smile. I nodded back.
"Tenten-neechan," I said. "How's everything been?" I walked towards the desk.
"Everything's good. Just taking some downtime after the mission." She stood. "So, what do you need? More kunai?" I shook my head.
"No, I'm good for now." I paused for a moment. "I do have a favor to ask though." Tenten raised an eyebrow.
"What would that be?" she asked.
"Well, you know how your folks said that they could use some extra work around the shop? Well, a friend of mine could use some extra income. So I figured, if it's possible, maybe you can talk your parents about hiring him." Tenten brought a finger to her chin in thought.
"That would take a load off of my folks… and me as well. Who is this friend of yours?"
"Well…" I chuckled slightly. "You may have heard of him. His name is…" I swallowed before continuing. "…Naruto Uzumaki."
The saying "so quiet, you could hear a pin drop" is thrown around so much that, more often than not, it's an exaggeration. However, as quiet as the room became, that saying would have been an accurate observation. Tenten's head slowly turned towards me and her eyes narrowed. I took a step back. I felt like a target under her eyes. Even to this day, I'm not so sure what prevented me from running out of the door in fear though I figured that even if I did run, it would have been futile. I was not going to out run her kunai.
"Naruto. Uzumaki. You want me, to talk my parents, into hiring, Naruto Uzumaki. Am I hearing that correctly?" I swallowed again before nodding. "Why would I want to do that? I've heard about him. All he ever does is pull pranks. What makes you think he can take a job seriously?"
"Well, we did clear a mission yesterday without any problems," I said. "Look, Nee-chan, do you trust me?"
"It's not you that I don't trust," Tenten said as she walked around the desk that separated us. "I'm just not so sure I can trust Naruto, especially after what I heard." I nodded a few times.
"I see," I said a quiet tone. "But, let me ask you something. Have you ever… talked with the boy?" She paused for a second, looking up at the ceiling in thought.
"No… can't say that I have," she admitted.
"Then how do you know he can't be trusted?" I replied, annoyance creeping into my voice.
"Have you not seen how the other villagers react to him? Obviously, he's too immature for his own good if everyone in the village has a story to tell about him." I rolled my eyes.
"Oh give me a break. I don't see the villagers getting all up in arms about some of the annoying quirks every other shinobi has."
"Like who?"
"Nee-chan, I believe your team is a poster-picture example." I sighed. "Look, he's not a bad guy. At first I thought he was this bad guy, especially with all this talk I heard from villagers. But he's…" I paused to find the right words. "Let's just say he doesn't deserve the crap he gets. Just give him a chance. Get to know him. And he screws up, I'll take full responsibility." Tenten sighed.
"If you really feel that strong about it…" she said. "I'll talk to my parents. I can't promise anything except that I'll try." I smiled.
"Thanks, Nee-chan. I owe you one again." She waved her hand dismissively.
"Don't worry about it, Otouto. But you better be right about him. Because if he screws up… just remember that I know where you live."