(Moment of silence)
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Hello there! This story's starting to pick up the pace as it would seem. Yet we still have a long way to go so kick back, and prepare for insanity. Let's light this candle...
Recap:
Through it all, there is hope. With a heartfelt promise what else is to come? Only time will tell. ((Snickers))
The storm continued on, unrelentingly into the night.
The sky rained bullets, each flurry heavier than the last. If one were to look closely enough; a few hundred meters up, as the droplets formed and fell, they froze and crystallized into sleet. After their perilous descent, the ice pellets 'pinged' against the hard earth. From the safety of a small hillside cove, Naruto observed the change in weather with mild curiosity; as his female companion tended to Tenten, unaware that he was slowly being lulled to sleep by the steady 'pinging'. Bit by bit his eyelids began to close, until finally sleep overcame him.
In the corner of her eye, Hokuto smiled when she saw Naruto slouch and began to drift off to dreamland, but said nothing. After all it had been a long day for everyone involved. The girl smiled as she placed his jacket on Tenten, but it began to waver as shadier thoughts from earlier that day entered her mind. 'Akahoshi...'
She gritted her teeth and held her punches. All the praise, kindness, everything that he had ever displayed was false? Sad but true, Akahoshi had lied to everyone. Hokuto then thought back to a few moments ago, when she tried to assure Naruto that nothing was wrong, yet...
'He saw right through me, as if I was.....Akahoshi...Am I really nothing more than a product of lies?' Naruto shifted suddenly in his sleep, shook the girl out of her reverie. She collected her thoughts and placed them to the back of her mind, and scooted over to where snoozing shinobi lied, in front of her. Hokuto looked back the where Fukurou and Tenten rested, thankful that she didn't disturb them from their own slumber, while doing so.
"Eh? What was that about?" Hearing no response, Hokuto then decided it was too good of an opportunity, to examine the blond while he slept. 'He looks so different when he's asleep....Peaceful I mean. After taking in his whole appearance, her eyes settled on Naruto's face with mild interest. 'How'd he get those scars anyway? I wonder...'
Finding herself overcome by curiosity, she tentatively reached out and traced the blonds' facial impressions, noticing Naruto stiffen under her touch. 'They really are etched on...' Hokuto quickly retracted her hand, seconds before Naruto's eyes flittered open.
"Mrgeeeh, ramen fairy...Whasa!!" Hokuto stifled a giggle, as Naruto groggily sat up. "Damn fairy got away." He yawned. A small chuckle escaped the girl's lips, as the blond snapped his head forward and pouted at her. After a moment or so Naruto's eyes widened in recognition.
"I....Fell asleep didn't I?"
"Yeah, you did."
"Sorry, it's the rain's stupid fault! It bored me to sleep, dattebayo." Naruto said crossing his arms in front of him.
Hokuto shrugged off the apology. "No reason to get defensive Naruto-san, it can happen to anyone." The blonde looked unconvinced by her words but accepted it.
"I guess..."
If you're bored we could, train." Naruto's ears perked up at the 'T' word, and raised an eyebrow.
"Train how? We don't really have a lot of room to work with here."
"It's alright even with space restrictions, there's something we can do, a secret training method."
"'Secret training method'?"
"Hai, it targets three areas at once; speed, stamina, and control. Interested?"
Naruto contemplated her words carefully, turning them over in his head. 'My speed and control could use a little work, so why not?'
"Sure! What do we have to do?" The brunette leered.
'This is going to be so much fun...'
The torrential rain continued to pour, beating against the tile shingles of the hospital. Four pairs of eyes watched in quiet fascination as the lights began to flicker for a bit before being completely snuffed out by the fervent weather. "The back up generator should've kicked in automatically, why hasn't it? Mayo asked as she nervously shuffled through her clipboard. "This isn't a good sign..."
"Mayo-san, Mayo-san! Are you there?"
Mayo's eyebrow twitched for a brief second before she reached into her waist pocket for her walkie talkie to reply. "I'm here---"
"Terrible news, the power is out!" Mayo continued to frown, 'No shit Sherlock...'
"We need someone to go outside and check it out."
Mayo's eyes widened, "Nani, why don't you do it?! You're the unpaid intern!!!"
"I'm Ombrophobic, please don't send me out, I'm scared!!" Mayo sighed in exasperation, damn interns.
"Fine, but you're pulling double shift tomorrow."
"Thank you!!!"
"Yeah, yeah, over and out." Mayo momentarily thought about finding someone else to do this, but the better part of her judgment took over. "Sorry guys, I've got to take care of this."
"Then allow us to accompany you, we may be able to help." Lee said, as he pumped his fist in the air.
"You sure?"
Neji closed his eyes and nodded, "We may as well, Mizura will you be fine here?" He asked turning to the bedridden boy.
"Of course, you guys go ahead."
"That settles it, I suppo--"
"Alright, there's no time to lose, to the utility closet!!!"
"Yosh!" Lee said; grabbing hold of Neji's arm. "We shall call our newfound alliance 'Team Youth'!
'Why me?' Neji thought as he allowed himself to be dragged out of the room, by his bushy-browed teammate. 'Where ever you may be, I hope you are having a better time than I am, Naruto.'
"One, two, three....aw man..."
Naruto whined as the girl before him gave off a very dissatisfied look in his direction. "Ya know, you might be able to win a round if you had better timing...." Hokuto confessed.
"I know, I know, but I think I'm getting the hang of it at this speed, dattebayo.....Let's go again!" Never in his life had the blonde encountered this sort of training, it was strenuous, it was fatiguing, it.....it was so freakin' awesome! For the first time in thirteen years Naruto peaked at a new level of exaltation, so much so it even surpassed the excitement he had when learning the first steps of the Rasengan.
"Naruto....we've been at it for the last half hour, can when we take a break? I think I'm starting to get a cramp." Hokuto said as she gingerly messaged her afflicted muscles.
The blonds' eyes welled up with false tears. "Pleeeaassse? I know I can get it right this time, one more match."
'He's so insatiable.' Hokuto sighed. "Ok fine, just one more time though."
"Yatta!"
"Ready?" Hokuto said as she got into the starting position.
"You know it!!"
"One two three."
"Jan-"
"Ken-"
"Po!!"
Naruto hung his head glumly in defeat. "Kuso, you're too good..."
"Heheh!"
"Ok, put these on." Mayo said as she produced some heavy looking rain slickers. "The generator is around back let's go!"
"Hai!" The trio quickly exited the building through it's atrium and proceeded to the back or the building. Upon reaching the generator they were met with a shocking surprise. The generator that once supplied the hospital with emergency power lay in ruins.
"What the hell...?" Suddenly a loud roar rippled through the air, causing all present to shrink back a bit.
"Byakugan!" Neji eyes widened, for through the curtain of sleet something ominous became visible. Large animal tracks lead away from the scene, Neji noted that the size was comparable to the slash marks found on the generator. Through deductive reasoning Neji concluded the worst possible scenario and shuttered.
"Neji, what happened here...?"
"I may have the answer for that, but no guarantees that you will like it."
Ya know I like this chapter. They're bonding ;3;
Well I guess things are about to get worse. How will our heroes handle it? Tune in next time to find out.
Till next time.
Later...