Hello there! I already had the ICL done so my vision is 20/20 now, no Lasik touch up needed. Hope that explains why this chapter's a bit late...
#_#
Important Note: I do not own Naruto.
Important Note II: OMG I CAN SEE!!!!
O.O
Recap: Naruto made a new friend. Hokuto almost died. Neji's a sore loser. Lee well…he's Lee. Tenten is on the prowl.
"Ooh hu!"
"Yeah, you said it; these fish are kick-ass!! I don't think I could...well maybe a few more fish won't hurt...."
A typical night in Hoshigakure with a boy and an owl; strange bedfellows perhaps, yet perhaps not so strange considering the circumstances. A twist of fate most likely could explain the unique comradely displayed between boy and bird. Then again, Naruto never held a lot value in fate. Leaning with his back against a tree, the adolescent shinobi turned his gaze skyward; eyes focusing on the many lanterns that night seemed to possess. "The Village Hidden in the Stars, it's kinda fitting isn't it?" Naruto asked, through half lidded eyes.
"Hu?"
"I mean, there's so many of them; even the Crescent Moon kingdom didn't have this many stars." Naruto answered, as his eyes were beginning to close.
'Craaack!'
"Aah!! Oh, stupid fire…" Grumbled Naruto; kicking some dirt in its direction, somehow angering it, thus creating a small inferno that was now towering menacingly above the hapless blonde. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, gomen!!" Naruto said, as he tried to appease the fire with a calming gesture after which the fire reduced itself back to normal. "Man, what's with inanimate objects lately? They're so freaking touchy, dattebayo...." The blonde sighed as he threw in another stick; regaining the fire's warm approval once more.
"Ooh-hu-hu-hu!"
"Yeah you're right! It could be worse, I could be paired up with a rock!"
"Ahhchoo!"
'I hope I'm not coming down with something.' Hokuto thought warily, as she ran along the river bank, "I still need to find him…" She said, leaping into a nearby tree; increasing her field of vision in the process.
"Ooohhh...."
"Ah! So you're finally awake Sumaru?" Mayo chimed as she approached his bedside, "That's good news, at least." The boy became stoic as she drew near.
"What happ-" Sumaru went into a coughing fit, Mayo responded quickly; pouring a glass of water and offered it to him, to which Sumaru gratefully accepted. After a moment or two Sumaru tried again, "What happened?"
"Your stitches gave out, if it wasn't for..."
"NARUTO!! I'm gonna kill him!"
"But Sumaru..."
"No, I'm really going to kill him!! Mizura showed me how to make it look like an accident an...OW!" Sumaru's train of violent thoughts were abruptly silenced by Mayo, when she whapped him upside his head.
"Enough of that. If it wasn't for Naruto's quick thinking, you could have easily have died of bloodless." Mayo replied calmly.
"What are you talking about, you banshee?! Naruto's the reason my condition is as it is! Sumaru replied angrily, failing to notice Mayo's ever growing tick mark. "First of all, he forces his...his weird food upon me when I wasn't even hungry! Then he makes me injure myself even more, with his so called 'help'!! Finally my training's probably been delayed for several weeks; how can I reach the level Hoshikage if buffoons like him keep me from reaching my goal!?" Sumaru questioned.
'Thwack!'
"Itai..." Sumaru let out, as he rubbed his sore noggin.
"First of all I'm not a banshee, I'm a sex goddess, get it straight!" Mayo began while Sumaru groaned in horror. "As for Naruto feeding you, it's called a gesture of kindness Sumaru, you're the one that overreacted to it." She continued.
"But...!"
'Wack!'
"No buts. I wasn't finished."
"But I..."
"WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SAY?!?!" Mayo screamed; lifting the poor boy off his bed by his pony-braid.
"...."
"Good. As I was about to say, the world needs buffoons like Naruto, because he doesn't seem like the type of person that would follow someone blindly. For being a so called 'idiot', he picked up on Akahoshi's behavior long before even our Jounins did." Mayo stated, watching for Sumaru's reaction; having seen none she continued with a different approach, "Didn't you tell me that his goal was to become the Hokage of his village?"
"...."
Flashback
"Quickly now, wheel him over to the O.R, he's in bad shape....Hold on Sumaru!!"
"....Gahhh Mayo-san?"
"Sumaru?"
"I met someone, someone who claims that he will be the next Hokage. He's a 'cough' very odd person, that Naruto."
"Naruto....wait isn't he?"
"...."
"Sumaru!"
End
"His goal isn't that far of from yours, is it Sumaru? You both have more in common than you seem realize." Mayo said as she turned to leave; hand latching on to the doorknob. "Lashing out at a new friend won't solve anything....Are you really mad at Naruto or is it something else?" She asked, closing the door behind her, leaving the boy alone with his thoughts.
It was a calm evening, honestly it was. The crickets were playing a moonlit serenade for anyone who cared to listen....
"Chirp, Chirp Chiiirrr...."
"Naruto!"
'Squish!'
A tragedy for romantics everywhere! So much for setting the mood...
"Yes! I'm getting close, I just know it!" Hokuto gleefully exclaimed as she continued leaping through the tree-tops, her eyes following the current of the river. "Wait a minute..." The freckled girl paused momentarily on a branch to collect her thoughts. From her perch she could see a beacon of light, loosely reflecting off of the river, a mere one hundred meters away. Also she noted, very boisterous laughter filled the once quiet night. Laughter that emanated from the light's epicenter. Laughter that only belonged to one person, Naruto Uzumaki.
'How should I approach this...? It's not like I can just, tell him that I spent half the night looking for him.' The girl thought, 'There's just....Too much to explain for now.' Hokuto let out a long sigh. "And it's not like he'd believe that I was doing some late night training and just happened to stumble upon him, I should just.....Would he?" After a few more moments she abruptly took off towards the warm glowing glow.
"I think introductions are long overdue, don't you think so?' Naruto asked the owling, the young bird promptly responded by swiveling its head around in a complete circle, causing the blonde to sweat drop. 'Was that a 'yes' or a 'no'?'
"Umm...anyway I'm Naruto Uzumaki, what's your name?" The simple question caused the owl to look at its feet; almost....shamefully. "Wait you don't have a name, do you?" If it was possible the owl looked even more pathetic as it drooped further into depression.
"Ooh..."
"That's not right-ttebayo!!" Naruto pointed startling the poor creature, "Everyone needs a name, how about....." Naruto put on his 'thinking face' only to be interrupted by a bestial roar that seemed to echo throughout the area, ceasing any attempt to think properly, much less form a sentence.
"What the hell was that?!"
"Ooh hu!"
No stay here....Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!!!" Naruto commanded as he produced three clones, "You and you, stay behind and guard the fish!! You come with me," and with that Naruto and himself took off, leaving behind two very confused clones.
"Uhh...."
"What just happened?"
Who cares?! We get to guard the food, dattebayo!!"
"Ah, hell yeah!!" The two doppelgangers then proceeded to dive-bomb the fish; greedily shoving them into their big mouths. The owl stared on apathetically at the duo as they continued to gorge themselves. A bead of sweat formed on the avian's head; well at least it couldn't get any worse.
A few minutes later....
"Ah, hell no that fish is mine!"
"Screw you, pal!! It's mine!!" The clone said, extending his long fingers in a double birdie.
The sweat drop slid further down the back of the owl's head.
"This is mine get your own!!" The other clone declared; stomping his feet angrily in the soil.
"But that's like, the biggest one, I need it!!" His counterpart whined.
"Too bad ugly!!!"
"....."
"....."
"That tears it!!" Clone two pounced on Clone one and started beating the ever-loving crap out of his 'sibling'. Clone one however was not to be bested and belched in his 'brother's' face. Clone two, needless to say didn't stand a chance against the overwhelming smell, and was sent reeling while Clone one collected himself.
"Gaahhh.....fishy breath..."
"....."
"Ew! Raunchy as hell, damn!!! Man that was a cheap shot, now I'm going to..." His words died on his lips.
"....."
"Um...dude?"
"UUNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Clone two's eyes widened comically as he was tackled to the ground; where the two began a desperate grapple for dominance....
'Fwooh' A kunai zipped from the bushes. "Eh!" Clone two let out a slight whimper as a kunai embedded itself in the ground, only just a few centimeters from his head. Clone one looked towards the bushes where the kunai came from, unimpressed by the sudden interruption.
"Who's there? Show you're self!!" He demanded as a petite figure emerged from the undergrowth.
"Oh my....I'm so sorry Naruto! A brunette emerged from the brush; her eyes closed in mock embarrassment. "I was just training and one of my kunai went off its target."
"Forget about it was an accident." Clone one smiled, forgetting situation entirely...
Clone two raised an eyebrow. "Wait I thought you the never missed, Tenten?"
"Well you see Naruto even I have......My......Off....?............Daaaa....." The girl opened her eyes and saw not one but two Narutos. Clad in nothing save for their boxers. In THAT position. More importantly why were they currently breathing so heavily it's almost like they.....
Tenten put two and two together and got five. As soon as Tenten's mind registered what was taking place, she was overpowered by recoil and shot back into a tree with a sick 'thud'. Both Narutos winced; that had to hurt, even the tree cracked! But, if it truly did hurt why was the girl; now unconscious, still smiling as crimson fluid continued to pour from her nose? Neither clone could find the answer.
Before anyone asks....What I did to Sumaru may come off as a little harsh considering the guy just lost his mother, however I felt it was best to smack some emo-arrogance outta him. I don't want another one of those walking about. I honestly suck at melodrama, so I used Mayo to 'persuade' him for me...
Aside from the Sumaru abuse, I felt that this chapter went rather well....What's to happen next? ((Cough))spoiler((Cough)) Hokuto going to find him and Tenten....
;)
Later...