Disclaimer: I still do not own naruto…. And I still got nothing ingenious or funny to say about the subject
"Normal speech"
"Toughs and flashbacks"
"Kyuubi"
"Inner Sakura"
"Kyuubi's thoughts"
(AN): authors note
CHAPTER 9: RETURNING HOME
The trip to konoha was in reality uneventful; to say that it was boring was an understatement so the three genins did the only thing they could think of, talk to each other
Or at least Sakura was trying to talk, but surprisingly not to the object of her stalking affections, but to her other blonde unknown teammate who in response was only half-listening, from the day that the mist-nins and his team parted ways he was rather sad that Haku was not around.
"Naruto, hey Naruto answer me"
"Mmmm sorry did you said something Sakura?" the blonde answered in a tone that clearly stated that his mind was somewhere else.
"I was asking you what happened with your eyes during the fight and what was that presence" at this Sasuke perked up and started paying attention, since the incident of the bridge he has been dying to know where he obtained his power, and if someone can get answers of the ramen-loving genin that was Sakura.
The blonde flinched at the question before he rubbed the back of his neck and answered with an apologetic smile plastered in his face "sorry Sakura I can't say that"
"You can't! But why not" retorted the pink haired girl
"Because the hokage said I can't say that"
"But why? We are your teammates Naruto you can tells us" "and more important, you can tell me!"
"Sakura if the hokage told Naruto he can't tell you there must be a reason, besides you shouldn't go around prying in other people's secrets" the reprimand came from the non-other that their sensei Kakashi, who was listening the conversation from the moment the first question popped out preventing that Naruto's secret got out in the open before the required time.
To say that Haruno Sakura was surprised was an understatement, the naruto of the past would be dying just for the simple action of Sakura speaking to him and he would probably tell her what she wanted to hear, but now not only he didn't told her their sensei actually was encouraging the fact that he was keeping secrets from her, and in her mind it was no fair she was his teammate, she had the right to know.
"But sensei we are teammates! We shouldn't have secrets between us!!" said Sakura in an exalted manner.
"That may be right Sakura, but he was ordered not to tell anyone"
"But.. But.. But"
"Besides if that's right then why don't you set the example telling us one of yours first" finished the Cycloptic jounin, felling that this will keep his student from prying further into the subject, and seeing the reaction that Sakura made he was right.
Sakura faced the floor in defeat with a sad face before mumbling "I only wanted to know him better" before kicking some dirt with a slight movement of the foot, Naruto seeing her face decided to speak, not enough to make a trail but enough to help her feel better, after all he still couldn't stand to see girls sad.
"I can't tell you how it's called but I can tell you that it comes from my father's side of my family, I know it's not much but that's all I can say right now, so, sorry" Naruto said in a tone mixed with apology and joy before rubbing the back of his head and smiling in a sheepish way.
Hearing this Sakura couldn't help but feel happy about the tidbit of information, sure it wasn't much but it was a start and maybe in the future she will learn more about her teammate.
"Arigatou Naruto" she said with a small but true smile
"Nah don't mention it Sakura-Chan"
Sakura couldn't help to feel happy and relieved for having her suffix back, she didn't know why but since Naruto started calling her without it she seemed to feel he didn't cared, she felt somehow weird as if something was missing. But neither she nor Naruto noticed the small almost invisible blush that crept in her face.
Sasuke on the other hand was furious, not only did he learned nothing about the dobe's strength, but he also wasted his time listening to annoying fan girl's ramblings, but he will find out how the looser got that power, or his name was not Uchiha Sasuke.
Soon enough the massive gates of their home village came to view and while Naruto was busy spacing out thinking about all the ramen that he will eat once he reached the village Sakura was momentary in her 'fan-girl' mode and was trying to ask the brooding genin next to her to a date, Sasuke was just ignoring Sakura while trying to solve the puzzle that is his teammate.
When they reached the gates the guards started checking his papers to see if everything was in order the one the guards started to glare at naruto when he got a good look of the genin, after all with his whiskers practically gone it was difficult to identify him the chunin's glare was interrupted by a well placed killer intent focused on the offender and subtle enough to not alert the genins but more than powerful enough to make the foolish shinobi rethink of his actions.
When the mentioned chunnin felt the killer intent he raised his gaze towards the source of it that happened to be none other than the copy ninja himself, who was looking at scene with his only eye narrowed in anger, even if he wasn't able to help the blonde before he was more than willing to make up for the time he lost and he'll be damned if he was going to let some excuse for a shinobi go and tries to harm his sensei's son, the said chunnin saw the eyes of Kakashi and instantly stopped what he was doing, after a couple of minutes the guards granted them the pass to the village but before they took even a step Kakashi called them out "guys you head for the tower I'll catch up in a moment" he said with his only eye in an inverted 'u' shape but with a tense tone that betrayed his happy mask, when his team was out of sight he slammed the foolish chunnin to the using his left forearm to press the man's windpipe keeping him a few inches above the ground and of course preventing him from breathing or talking.
"If I EVER see you even trying to do that again I'll make sure not even Tsunade can fix you after I'm trough with you" he said with a voice laced in anger in a cold rage tone, then with his right hand he took a kunai from his leg holster and plunged it in the wall so close to the chunnin's face that he draw a trickle of blood when the kunai grazed his cheek "do I make myself clear" he said in the same tone of voice while narrowing his eye further. Then another voice came from behind.
"Heh, I didn't know you had in you Hatake, I'm impressed"
Then as if nothing would have happened Kakashi returned to his usual lazy attitude before half turn and answering back "well not all of us likes to scare the hell out of others like you do, but I wonder why are you here Anko?"
" I was just passing by when I saw this scumbag" she said in a voice filled with rage and in a sadistic tone while looking at the chunnin who was starting to get blue because the lack of oxygen "glaring at the brat and I was just about to give the maggot a piece of my mind, but I guess you beat me to it, but then again I guess he's lucky that you get him first" she said in a voice filled with a cheerful, yet sadistic tone.
"But tell me what happened to the brat his whiskers are almost gone" she said in a tone that not many could claim to hear it from her mouth, a tone of true concern.
"I don't know Anko but I'm gonna find out"
"You know Hatake unless you want to kill the bastard you should let go" she said In amusement while a smirk adorned her face, then Kakashi wondered what she was implying then it hit him, he was still holding the chunnin who was turning in an interesting shade of purple by now.
"Mmmm I guess you're right, it doesn't matter anyway I still have to report to the tower so maybe I'll see you later Anko" then he let go and poffed towards somewhere else while the unfortunate chunnin was still in the floor choking for the privation of air Anko stated dragging him from the vest "aright! You and me are going to have a conversation on how to treat other shinobi" she said in strangely happy tone.
----
While their sensei was treating the chunnin team seven were walking towards the tower when he felt it, it was a mixed sensation of being followed and being hunted, he had felt something like this once but for his life he couldn't pinpoint where and that annoyed him he knew if he could remember where he felt it he could figure out the feeling, but when he turned to see his teammate he was surprise to see him even more white than usual.
Sasuke was walking towards the tower with a stern face while in reality he was amazed that he hadn't been assaulted yet by the hordes of demonic spawns known as fan-girls, then while pondering on this pleasant change of events he felt it, he knew the feeling and the inevitable events that follow it, but due to the fact that his 'fan-girl sense' was so tuned up he could tell that the predatory feeling was not solely directed to him. He was cut out his thoughts by his former loud-mouthed teammate.
"Hey teme are you listening?"
"Shut up dobe, you're breaking my concentration" said the Uchiha while looking all around him, he couldn't pinpoint exactly where the feeling come and he was growing paranoid at each moment he passed in uncertainty, he remembered the last time the horde caught him, he had to go back to the compound in nothing but underwear.
"I was asking you if you know what the hell is that feeling, it's everywhere and it's creeping me out"
"Listen Naruto when I say it you run like your life depends on it, don't stop, don't look back and whatever you don't trip or else you may never say daylight again you understand" Sasuke said in a dark, foreboding tone.
In the moment Sasuke dropped the accursed name Naruto knew it was serious, he knew that whatever it was it was deadly or at least harmful, then he saw them, girls, lots of them appearing from every corner, every alley, every empty space around the male genin, then he saw their eyes and all the color left the blonde's face, they were unforgiving and vicious that shined with the glint of a predator that was about to devour it's prey after enjoying the trill of the hunt.
"RUN!!!!!!" shouted the Uchiha, and the last of the Kazama ran after his teammate hoping to avoid the horror that is the fanatism that seems to follow every shinobi prodigy.
And of course on cue the group of girls sped after the objects of their affection, what Naruto and Sasuke ignored is that these particular girls are a nearly extinct breed of fan girls, these ones were not only slightly more vicious, but they were also kunoichis who took their rolls seriously, Naruto and Sasuke were chased by the most dangerous kind, shinobi fan girls.
But all wasn't that bad because in that moment both Naruto and Sasuke found something they could relate to each other, the pure unadulterated horror that is having a fan-girl club.
---
The incident with the fan girls made both boys in the attempt to flee took them farther away from the tower that they anticipated, and to go back it took them more than an hour, after finally reaching their destination they couldn't help to scowl noticing that even Kakashi arrived before them.
"Its good to see you finally decided to arrive but what took you so long" asked the hokage in an amused tone of voice, he of course knew what happed to them, having an all seeing crystal ball have it's perks.
"Making the hokage wait is not something a shinobi should you know" added the cicloptyc jounin in a calm tone as if he didn't do it.
This of course earned him the glares of his students, and to their dismay the jounin just shrugged it of.
"Okay Kakashi please report the mission" said the hokage
Kakashi reported everything that was important on the mission leaving out some details like the fact that Naruto's eyes activated, the realization of the boy's lineage and the learning of the engagement, and to Sarutobi it was obvious that he was hiding something.
"If that's all you boys and girl can go now, Kakashi I need to have a word with you"
After the genin left the hokage's face hardened and spoke in a serious tone "now Kakashi what did you omitted in your report"
"What makes you think that hokage-sama?" answered back Kakashi
"Because I know you Kakashi, better than you think, I know you're hiding something and for your face it probably about Naruto, am I right?"
Suddenly the face of Kakashi become serious and his only visible eye narrowed.
"First hokage-sama I want to know why did you kept his heritage from me"
"Because it was needed in order to allow Naruto to survive"
This make the shinobi answer back in a cold tone "and what does that mean exactly, that I'm unable to take care of him, that I can't even fulfill the promise I made to Obito and later to the sensei is that what you mean" Kakashi was obviously furious and he only did not rise his tone of voice because he was addressing the hokage.
"Exactly, when he was born you were nothing but a kid, pained for the loss of his friend, you were blaming yourself, you still do, then Arashi along with Rin died in the battle with the kyuubi, you were hurt and mourned their loss, I know you promised Arashi, but you were simply not in condition of fulfilling it, and I'm wondering if you're still not ready for it, your still looking at the past and you refuse to see the future"
When Sarutobi saw the face that Kakashi made he added.
"There is nothing wrong to look in our pasts as long as not hinder one's ability to advance towards the future."
"To answer your question he manifested both the Kyuubi's chakra and the first stage of his doujutsu" answered in a sad tone, everything that the old man said was true.
"Don't look so down Kakashi, maybe you couldn't raise him but you can train him"
Kakashi perked up at the realization of this, then he remembered something that made him chuckle " also hokage-sama unknown to Naruto he met his fiancée"
"I wonder how will he take it" said and equally amused Sarutobi.
---------
"Why do I have to do this, specially in my free day" complained Tenten to no one in particular while she walked trough the street
The reason of her complains was simple enough, this was her free day, a day when she can relax and keep herself away from the spandex-loving weirdoes that are her teammate and sensei and lets not forget the ice cube that its Neji, Saturday is a day that sometimes to her doesn't come fast enough, and it's the day when she usually either relax or look in her father's store in hopes of finding new additions to her already wide arsenal.
The routine of her free days was interrupted by no other than the owner of the store himself who seeing that his daughter was not going to do anything productive decided to use her as a delivery girl.
Of course Tenten tried to do everything in her power to get out of the problem, she pleaded, tried to negotiate, whined, shouted even bichted about the subject, but that only seemed to make her father laugh, making the kunoichi release steam from her ears and wanting to fill her father's body with sharp and pointy objects, however she relaxed slightly when she heard where she was going to deliver the scroll that contains the weapons, to no other than Uzumaki Naruto.
The boy was a mystery himself, She still remembers the first day he appeared on the door of the weapon shop and at the moment she laid eyes on him she thought that he was an annoying, loud, midget. She remembered he came barging in demanding to see her father, she of course told him to get lost, that her father was not present, the argument escalated so much that her father came out of the back of the store pissed asking what the hell was going on.
She still remembers when the blonde showed him the letter, her father's reaction was at first amusing then confusing and slightly disturbing, first his jaw opened so much that Tenten thought that it was going to fall down, then he started yelling and cursing to the four winds, then his eyes watered and hugged the boy saying that he was sorry again and again.
After that day Naruto had been coming to receive weapons training, from day one it was obvious that the boy barely knew how to launch a kunai so his father had to teach him from scratch, even with all the shouting he did her father didn't snap, not even once, and that surprised her, he refused to train jounin ranked shinobi, but for some reason he didn't refused to train a simple genin and when she asked why he simply said "I'm fulfilling a promise to a friend".
Then it came the senbon needles, oh boy did Naruto complained about that one but her father just told a phrase that made him quiet and stayed with her even after all this time
"They were your mother's favorites".
From that moment on Naruto trained with the needles like his life depended on it and he became proficient enough to even surpass her in that particular area (even though she would never admit it) then it came the training with the chakra blade how the kid manage get a hold of something like that was beyond her.
Later when she was in the Hyuuga compound to pick up Neji for training he found him and Naruto training under his mother Hyuuga Megumi, the only branch member that have her seal removed due to her position, training Naruto in a style that suggested precision and patience, something he lacked in spades and when she asked the Hyuuga why she smiled and said "his mother and I were great friends"
Then later she found him with the green clad pair practicing something that Tenten never believed possible, Gai was teaching Naruto not only a powerful style based in speed but he was also teaching the boy his iron fist style as well, something that he always refused to taught to others besides Lee, not that she was interested anyway and Neji was so much of a stuck up to even think about it.
So she had watched how the kid become from a excuse of a shinobi in a decent one in the span of a year, she even have heard rumors that he changed that blasted jumpsuit and much to her amusement (and a little jealousy) she also heard the rumors of a fan club. But a question in her head remained all this time.
"just who are you Uzumaki Naruto".
She was lost in her thoughts that she didn't saw where she was going until she bumped into someone that happened to be no other than Hyuuga Hinata who didn't know that Naruto have moved out of his old apartment and lived now in the Kazama states.
"Sorry I wasn't really paying attention and… oh! Hello Hinata"
"I-I-t-it's nothing Tenten-san I w-as just looking for Naruto-kun"
"Well I'm going see him as well want to join me?" asked the weapon mistress
The shy girl only nodded and proceeds to follow the older girl.
When they arrived at the address given to Tenten Hinata was ecstasyc, the house was at twenty minutes the longest from the compound.
When they rang the door a shout of "coming" was heard accompanied with the sound of rushed footsteps, some stuff crashing into the floor and some curses from the inhabitant of the residence, but when Naruto answered the door he left both girls shocked, apparently he finished taking a shower when he answered the door because Naruto was wearing nothing but pants and a towel hanging from his neck showing the results of the intensive year of training he endured making Tenten blush and Hinata became magma red at seeing the object of her crush in such clothing.
"Hi Tenten-chan, Hinata what are you doing here" Naruto said with a smile in his lips.
Tenten, who of the two was the only one capable of speech in the moment answered "huh, I, I mean we came to deliver something from my father, well I did, then I found Hinata in the way and she wanted to visit and" she mentally slapped herself, she was rambling and over a guy who she knew from a year ago.
Naruto then caught a glimpse of Hinata and was worried that she was sick "Hinata are you okay do you have fever or something", Hinata did the only thing she could think of n the moment she shouted at the same time that pushed Naruto and proceed to pass out.
"What's wrong with her?" asked the blonde the weapon mistress shook her head; it was unbelievable that he was this dense.
"Anyway I'll better put the scrolls in my mother's armory"
Tenten, who was about to leave, turned her neck really slow in an eerie motion before asking in a low tone.
" you have an armory in your house?"
Naruto grinned in response, even if he mostly left pranking people since he started training he was still a prankster in heart, and he was not going to let a chance like pass, sure later it will be hell to pay, but in his mind it will be completely worth it if she reacts the way he thinks.
"Yes I have two to be precise, the one of my father's is great, but it pales in comparison to my mother's armory, apparently she loved projectile weapons"
The eyes of Tenten widened and started to shine.
"It's a sight itself, hundreds and hundreds of weapons"
At the thought her mouth began to drool slightly.
"I think she had every model and variation of projectile ever invented"
She started to move really slowly towards the house while her imagination ran wild.
"She even had the special designed for clan members only, the ones that were never saw for anyone besides her targets, you know the ones that are unusable without our bloodline"
At the last bit of information her hair fall down freely covering her face full of bliss, she was so close.
"She even have some specially designed by your father, I mean no one short of a weapon master can use them outside the clan" and in that moment he knew he got her, it was time for the final strike.
She was so close to her fantasy, she can't wait to see them, test them, master them, so close, she was so close, she just have to pass the door, and she is sure that Naruto won't mind if he takes them with her, he is a good guy after all, just a little closer, just a little more….
Then Naruto slammed the door behind him halting her progress before saying "nah, I just do it later, besides I'm pretty sure you're not interested in that"
"What?" Tenten asked in a low tone, she felt weak and betrayed.
"I mean you're obviously busy, and I really don't want to impose" said the blonde barely able to contain the amusement in his voice.
Tenten was unable at this point of making coherent phrases "but. but. B-b-b-u-u-u-u-u-t-t"
Now Naruto was using every ounce of will he had to stop himself of cracking up "yeah I mean you're always saying that Saturdays are your days, so sorry maybe later, oh and don't worry for Hinata I'll send her home when she wakes up, so bye" he said before picking up Hinata, the scrolls and closing the door leaving the stunned kunoichi froze up in the same place.
Tenten fall in her knees and let out a scream of anguish "NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"
Before starting weeping loudly.
For a couple of minutes she didn't do anything, and then her eyes filled with rage " YOU'LL PAY UZUMAKI NARUTO!!!!! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!!!! I'LL SWARE YOU'LL PAY!!!!" She shouted to the skies, the fate of Naruto was sealed now.
Inside the house the fox-container was clutching his sides bended in laughter, her face was priceless! Then a voice surged in his head.
"You do realize that a painful death awaits you"
"I know but it was completely worth it"The fox couldn't help but agree.
--
Hinata stirred before waking up in a place she didn't recognize she was mulling on what happened to her when a voice to her left spoke "good thing you woke up I was getting worried"
She turned around to see Naruto, who was fully dressed due to Kyuubi's recommendation.
"why was that important to put a shirt on? I don't get it"
"N-N-aruto-kun, w-where am I"
"in my living room"
"so it's true that you live here now" asked the Hyuuga bringing her hopes up, and when Naruto nodded she was barely able to contain her excitement.
"why do you ask"
"because I live 20 minutes away"
"that's great! You can visit me anytime you want!"
now Hinata was sure this was one of the best days of her life.
"I-l-l-do that, but I have to go n-n-ow"
"I hope to see you again"
after Hinata left he decided to go to sleep early and prayed that the phenomenon that is the fan-girls that showed this week won't be repeated, sadly his prayers weren't heard.
An: another chapter!!!, sorry it took me so long but I'm back in college and the workload its greater than before, and to be honest I feel something is off with this chapter and I know its a filler but I needed to slow down the flow of the story, o yeah due to the fact that I was unable to pinpoint Haku's age she twelve (sorry but in the canon It's nearly impossible to determine the age with the height of a character, but the rest will stay in age) and in the next chapter Sasame and Haku appear and it's the beginning of the chunnin exams.
Now for the poll:
The first number are individual votes, the second is for that person to be in the harem.
HINATA: 2+6
SASAME: 2+3
OC: 2
TEMARI: 6 +6
HAKU: 37+10
INO: 6 +3
TEN-TEN: 5 +9
HAREM:45
Kin: 0 +1
Sakura: 0+1
Tayuya:0+1Also I'll be cutting short the voting to the start of the second part of the exams (two or three chapters more, maybe less) and I'll be eliminating the oc, unless someone give me a good reason not to.
Well that's it for now please review flames are not accepted but constructive criticism is.