Holy shit, sorry this one took me so long brochachos. I've been having a HELL of a time getting this chapter to sound right. And I refuse to put out something that doesn't live up to my expectations. FOR I ONLY WANT THE BEST FOR MY BELOVED READERS!
XXXX
Sarutobi stared at the report in his hands, reading over it carefully twice. Naruto had submitted to him a report about what had occurred the day before with the Kyuubi seemingly able to start attempting to control his body with even just a moderate use of chakra on Naruto's part. It was rather troubling to the old man, mainly because he couldn't do anything about what the Bijuu was doing inside Naruto. The only solution would have to be moving up the timetable on his departure for Uzushigakure and discovering what ever answers may lie within.
"Hawk." Sarutobi called out to the empty office, once more requesting the services of his personal ANBU. "Inform Naruto Uzumaki that he will be leaving tomorrow for his mission. Have him report here tomorrow at 0600. Relay the same message to the Sannin Jiraiya." Sarutobi felt the presence of his ANBU guard leave the room.
Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, staring at the wall ahead. He had managed to finally cull the majority of the paperwork the invasion had generated, and though there were losses it wasn't catastrophic. The only real damage had been to the buildings of Konoha and there was some unrest with the civilians of Konoha, having been given a rather hard shock that they could come under attack at anytime. Living in a ninja village may provide certain benefits and protection but it also came with risk.
The only other problem now was that Sasuke Uchiha had completely disappeared. Even with the Inuzuka's best efforts, they couldn't find any trace of him in the Fire Nation. It now stood to the team of ANBU he sent to find and infiltrate Otogakure to find any trace of him, if he would even be there. Sarutobi could only hope they would be able to bring him back without much of a fight, but as it stands he will more than likely fight. He could only hope that this traitor to Konoha could be nipped in the bud before he becomes a full fledged Shinobi. The power of the Sharingan would not be something to be taken lightly, Sarutobi could only pray that he never unlocks the full power of it.
And while he was on the subject of special clans, his eyes were drawn to numerous filed complaints of his slaying of the elder Hyuuga from both the Hyuuga Main Family and several prominent members of Konoha society, many of whom had quite the pull with the Village Council. Picking up the stack, he flipped through them briefly, noting all of the overblown comments within indicting him of committing murder in a most heinous way. Scoffing, he dropped the stack inside the waste bin next to his desk. Clearly, the village thought him soft and malleable. Though it was certainly true that he was in comparison to other Hokage, it wasn't out of being weak-hearted, but rather from a want to provide the best life he could to all citizens of Konoha. Perhaps it was time to start reminding some of these annoyances that he was in fact the Hokage of Konoha.
XXXX
Naruto laid perfectly still from where he woke up, frozen to the spot. A cold sweat ran down his forehead, as he tried to slowly put together the pieces of what he was experiencing. Currently sleeping against his half-naked body was a certain ex-Hyuuga heiress, who was snoring ever so gently with a small smile on her face. Her head rested against his shoulder and he could feel through the thin t-shirt she wore, every curve she possessed pressed against his side. Her leg was draped across his own, and her right arm was resting against his chest. Her face was adorable, with her dark purple bangs falling across her face. It was the most amazing and horrifying feeling the boy had experienced. Her body was soft and warm, and beyond intoxicating.
Fuck-what-do-I-do, fuck-what-do-I-do, Naruto repeated in his head, in a panicked mantra. Last he could remember they had come home last night, Hinata telling him that she would be staying with him from now on, as per the Hokage giving permission. While it made him beyond happy that he would finally have someone to share his empty, lonely apartment with, it became apparent he had missed a detail. After they had gone through his father and mother's belongings, they had decided to call it a night after a long day, thus bringing to light the problem of sleeping arrangements.
After a short awkward silence, Hinata suggested that they share the bed, with Naruto on one side and her on the other, as there was enough room. Naruto almost died on the spot, insisting that he could just sleep on the floor, but Hinata wouldn't have it. So after being petrified with nervousness as he clutched his blanket, he almost died again on the spot when Hinata emerged from the bathroom in her sleep wear that consisted of a large t-shirt with the Hyuuga symbol on it, and if she was wearing shorts the t-shirt covered them. She quietly crawled into bed across from him, mumbling out an embarrassed 'good night', before they both laid perfectly still, afraid that the slightest movement might alert the other until they both finally fell asleep.
Which brought him back to waking up and being in his current predicament. He could only assume that at some point in the night they rolled toward the middle and got in the position they were in. Then, in the slightest movement, Hinata's leg shifted and her knee went north.
Oh no. No-no-no shit! Her knee found its resting place right in a spot quite dear to Naruto and the contact made his face burn scarlet. Oh crap this is bad. Naruto started to feel himself panic as his body began 'reacting' to the outside stimuli. His mind stared to fog up as his imagination took off in a very wrong way. He was suddenly very aware of the girl next to him, her light skin being illuminated by the rays of the morning sun that poured in from his window, her lips that glistened and caused them to seem so very alluring. Her shirt had shift just enough in the night that he had a perfect view down into the valley of her blossoming breasts, and her thighs had become visible to reveal the short pair of lavender shorts that barely covered her thighs and the curvature of her backside. His eyes were drawn to the gentle curve of her butt to her leg, finding it captivating beyond any reason. His mouth began to water and his body grew hot with the rising beat of his heart.
Frantically shifting his eyes about he tried to think of anyway out of this situation. If he stayed in this position any longer it would be beyond bad. Squeezing his eyes shut Naruto tried to calm himself. Dammit Naruto get a hold of yourself! You're a Ninja! You've trained for this! Then, giving it a second thought. Wait - I never trained for this kind of enemy contact! FUCK!
Taking a deep gulp, Naruto very carefully reached down to grasp Hinata's hand, to attempt to pull it off him. To his dismay however, she subconsciously closed her hand in his, interlocking their fingers. With a sleepy mumble, Hinata breathed out, "Ehehe, Naruto-kun. . ." and a small blush appeared on her face as a small trail of saliva ran down the corner of her mouth to land on his chest. This of course also made her leg shift, and it further stimulated him.
Suppressing the feeling creeping up, Naruto very slowly raised Hinata's arm and ever so gently tried to unfurl their fingers. He found himself reluctant to try however, wanting to enjoy this as long as he could. Her lips begged him to kiss them, and how he wanted to run his hands along her body and to - Gah! What am I thinking!? She's not even awake, I just gotta get out of bed before she wakes up and –
Knock knock, Naruto heard two firm raps at his door. His mind froze, who ever the hell was outside had terrible timing.
Hinata's breathing shifted, and she made the slightest "Hn?" in response to the knock. She shifted on his body, causing her to become more aware of the outside world. Her hand squeezed his, and she slowly opened her eyes, her half lidded pale eyes looking into his completely terrified cerulean orbs. "Naruto. . .kun?" she asked, her brain just starting to restart.
"G-Good morning, Hi-Hinata-chan." Naruto managed to eek out.
Hinata slowly blinked, her eyes still half-open. She looked down, seeing that she was pressed against him, and then noticed the feeling of a hard object being pressed against her leg. Looking down, she saw the blanket just covering her knee and the lower half of Naruto's body. It took her all of about three seconds to realize just where her leg was. She slowly looked back up towards Naruto.
Naruto could actually see the blood rushing to her face and her mind went into a nuclear melt down and she fainted against his chest. Naruto moved her off him, trying not to pass out himself and moved very awkwardly towards the door.
XXXX
Hawk raised his hand once more to knock again, when he heard the lock unlatch from the door and it opened to reveal the home's occupant sticking his head out around the door, keeping his body hidden.
"Uzumaki Naruto. The Hokage has instructed you to come to his office tomorrow at 0600 for a briefing on your mission that is being pushed up to tomorrow." Hawk relayed, noting how the boy's expression didn't change from what appeared to be a forced poker face.
"Um," Hawk started tilting his head. "You did catch that right?"
Naruto nodded, seeming rather embarrassed.
Hawk stared at the boy a moment longer. "Uh huh. Well, have a good day then."
Naruto nodded once more before shutting the door.
Hawk stood outside the door a moment longer before walking off, wondering if the blond was right in the head.
XXXX
Hinata had finally woken up again after about ten minutes, to find Naruto cooking a small breakfast for them consisting of eggs and toast. The smell of toasted grain and cooked eggs filled the apartment, causing her to fully awaken and sit up in the bed, rubbing her eyes. She watched Naruto, who had put a shirt on at some point, cook with a rather rigid stance.
"Good morning Naruto-kun." She called out, yawning after, trying to cover it with her hand.
Naruto's shoulders spiked up, her voice surprising him. He looked back towards her with his eyes closed and a wide grin. "G-Good Morning Hinata-chan! Breakfast is almost ready!"
Hinata stared at him for a moment, her brain still not fully activated. She didn't notice how strange he was acting however, and got out of bed, almost stumbling towards the dining table, plopping down in the seat. She sat with her body slack, as she was still half-asleep.
Naruto almost forgot how to breathe as he kept his vision perfectly glued to the pan. He knew he had to turn around soon. The eggs were almost finished. He took a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself, and looked down quickly to make sure he wasn't still afflicted from his earlier predicament. With a breath of relief, he took the pan off the heat and portioned out equal amounts of eggs onto waiting plates. Grabbing the plates and turning around, he almost laughed at the dazed expression Hinata wore as she stared up at him.
He placed her plate down in front of her to accompany her toast and a waiting glass of milk. She mumbled out something that could be related to a thank you, before she reached for the toast. Naruto watched her, waiting for the inevitable memory to come back to her. But as she continued to chew with a blissful smile on her face, he began to wonder.
"Hinata-chan. . .you're not much of a morning person are you?" he asked carefully. He had to choose his words very carefully, he was undertaking an S-Class mission that he could not fail.
Hinata let out a happy mumble, her mouth full of toast intercepting any words. She seemed to notice this however, and took a drink of her milk to clear her mouth. "No. . . I'm usually a bit better. . . but I slept so good last night. Your bed is really comfy Naruto-kun. I didn't want to wake up."
Naruto blushed, hiding his face with his hand. "I-I see. I guess it is a pretty comfy bed? Ehehehe. . ." He felt rather complimented, if the truth was told, but god was it embarrassing. As he watched her continue to eat with blissful ignorance of what had transpired not ten minutes earlier, he let out a breath he was holding.
"Though," she started as she cut a piece of her fried egg to bring to her mouth. "There was a hard spot spot on the mattress, but it wasn't too bad." Then, with another thought she continued, "This breakfast is really good, thank you for making it Naruto-kun."
Naruto covered his face with his hands and steam rose from under them as Hinata continued to eat with the same smile on her face.
XXXX
Naruto sat on his bed, waiting for Hinata to finish getting ready to leave. He still hadn't found the time time to go clothes shopping to replace his old outfit, but for the meantime the simple t-shirt with the Uzumaki clan symbol and orange pants he had would have to suffice, along with a leather eye patch to cover up his eye.
They were going to go find Kurenai and Shino and catch up with them after not seeing them for a while. In his hand, he held an odd tri-point kunai that he had found the night before when they had been going through his parent's belongings. Most of it was just some clothing, including the Yondaime's famous cloak that to Naruto's disappointment didn't fit just yet. But what was interesting, was a white steel container buried deep within the last box, which contained four kunai like the one he now held. The handles were a bit thicker and longer than a regular kunai, with extremely intricate sealing properties written on the handles. Naruto had absolutely no idea what to make of it, but guessed it would had to belong to his father. He would have to ask the Old Man about it when he saw him tomorrow.
His bathroom door opened, the noise bringing him out of his thoughts as he saw Hinata coming out dressed in casual clothing, consisting of a simple combination of a purple t-shirt, black pants, and her ninja sandals. "Ready Naruto-kun? It's almost noon."
"Sure, lets get going. Kurenai will gut us if we're late." Naruto chuckled, standing up and putting his father's kunai down on his nightstand. Walking towards the door, he felt Hinata shadow him as they left. As they walked out into the bright late-summer day, Naruto squinted his eyes, still used to the comfortable dark of his apartment. The sounds of the bustle of Konoha returned to the streets once more, the invasion now fading into a bad memory that was only marked by the still ongoing construction efforts to repair any damage done.
Naruto felt a warm pressure in his hand, and looked over to see a blushing Hinata gently grasping his left hand. He gave her a gentle smile, trying to push down his embarrassment. He still couldn't quite wrap his head around the idea of being in a relationship with Hinata, but every second he spent with her only made his love for her grow. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, which made her step closer to him as they continued towards the cafe, he was glad that they still had quite the way to go.
Hinata was in sheer bliss. It was as if all her dreams had ever come true, she couldn't care less who saw them walking so openly as this.
Across the street, at outdoor seating for a local restaurant sat Team Ten, all eating happily except for a blonde girl who's eyes were wide open. Ino gasped loudly as she held her face with her hands. "Oh my god, do you guys see that?!" Ino pointed at Naruto and Hinata who were walking hand in hand and ignoring the rest of the world.
If Choji heard her, he made no obvious sign of it as he continued to inhale food faster than a man could inhale air. Shikamaru grumbled something under his breath about troublesome females, not bothering to look, and Asuma was looking at Ino with a frown.
"Ino. Don't you dare." Asuma started, he knew full well of his pupil's infamous reputation for being the gossip queen of Konoha.
Ino looked back towards her Sensei, looking insulted. "Sensei!"
"Leave them alone Ino, it's none of our business if they want to be a couple. Nor is it anyone else's, understand?" Asuma asked, putting as much emphasis on the last bit. Seeing Ino pout and cross her arms, turning her head away, Asuma sighed, hoping his message was heard.
Ino giggled in her head, and a mischievous grin spread across her face. Hehe, wait until everyone get's a load of this!
XXXX
The ice in Kurenai's glass clinked, as the ice cubs shifted inside and hit the walls of the glass. She had already drank over half the tea in her drink, the mid-day heat stifling, even under the shade of the umbrella at the table. Leaning forward onto the table, she wondered how logical it was to meet everyone for lunch and drinks at this time of the day. She had gotten there about ten minutes early, having nothing better to do for the day and she was rather restless. She hadn't seen her team in a while and she had to admit she missed her students.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar mop of spiky blond hair come into view. Sitting up straight, she started to call out to him, until she saw that he was accompanied by Hinata, who was holding his hand. She smiled, holding back on calling out to them. So you finally did it, eh Hinata? Good for you. She looked away from the happy couple, pretending to be involved in her drink.
"Kurenai-sensei!" She heard Hinata call out her name first. Turning towards her, she saw her student walking up to her with Naruto in tow, offering his own greeting with a wave.
"There you two are, it feels like it's been too long." Kurenai replied with a smile, watching the two quickly find sanctuary under the umbrella's shade.
"Man, why the heck is it so hot out today?!" Naruto complained as he grabbed the neck of his shirt and fanned himself with it.
"I think summer is trying to go out with a bang." Kurenai chuckled. Looking over at Hinata, she saw her student was absolutely glowing, looking at Naruto with a content expression she had never seen her have before.
"So, what have you two been up to?" Kurenai asked, trying to keep the I-know-someting-you-don't tone from her question.
Both blushed, glancing at each other for the briefest of moments. "W-Well, a lot actually. But it'd be easier to wait until Shino gets here so we only have to tell each other once." Naruto replied, scratching his cheek.
"I believe that's my cue to step in?" Shino asked, having just walked up to the group. He was dressed much as he had since the exams, wearing a black tank top and grey pants. Only he was missing his glasses, having decided to forgo them.
"Shino!" all three replied, as the boy sat down at the last seat available. All four exchanged pleasantries, as well as flagging the nearest waitress to take their order.
As the initial chatter began to finally die down between the teammates, Kurenai spoke up, "Well, since we're all here. I'd like to announce something." Waiting to see if she had the attention of all her students, she continued. "As of today, Naruto is no longer a temporary member of Team Eight."
Naruto's eyes widened, as he remembered about the estranged member Jin from Team Eight, whom hadn't wanted to participate in the Chunin Exams. So Kurenai had tested him to see if he would be able to join them in the Chunin Exams. So much had happened since then that he'd forgotten he wasn't an actual member of their Team. He couldn't help but frown, as the thought of no longer being a part of Team Eight was –
Kurenai chuckled, seeing the looks on all of their faces. "Oh come on now, I didn't even finish! See this?" She asked, as she pulled out a paper. "This is Jin's offical resignation from active duty. The invasion scared him from even remaining a ninja. Naruto is now an offical member of Team Eight."
Naruto slowly blinked, as he stared at his sensei, who had the largest grin on her face. She got him good.
Shino sighed, as he sat back against his chair. "Honestly, all of that to get us worked up?"
"Sensei, you're so mean." Hinata replied, slumping in her chair in relief.
Kurenai couldn't help but smile wolfishly as she chuckled again seeing all their reactions. "I'm sorry, but that was too easy. I believe you had some news yourself, Naruto?" She asked, looking over to the boy.
Naruto shook his head, clearing the earlier shock from his brain. He smiled a bit, happy to know he still had a home in Team Eight. "Nothing much, but I'm gonna be leaving the village for a bit." He announced, looking over towards Hinata nervously. In truth, he hadn't brought it up with her previously as he had other things on his mind, but he knew she probably wouldn't take it well. He was starting to feel a strange heartache from having to be away from her.
Hinata looked over at him, confused. "Naruto-kun, you're leaving? Why?"
Naruto held up his hands, "Sorry Hinata-chan, I thought it might be best if I told everyone at the same time. It won't be for too long I think, I just have to go to Uzushigakure." He gave her a look that promised he'd explain more in detail when they were alone.
Hinata still didn't look happy about it, but she nodded, a frown on her face.
"Uzushi? What could you need to go there? It's abandoned isn't it?" Shino asked, looking over towards Naruto with interest.
Naruto looked towards Shino, trying to hide his troubled thoughts. Currently sitting at this table, he was the only one who wasn't aware of the Bijuu trapped inside him. Cursing mentally, Naruto knew he would have to lie, or at the very best withhold information. "Shino. . . it's not that I don't want to tell you, but I can't. Do you understand?"
Kurenai leaned forward, as she now knew what his trip entailed if he couldn't talk about it. Hinata too, understood that it had to do with the Kyuubi.
Shino was silent, looking at Naruto, his eyes meeting Naruto's calmly. "I take it that it has something to do with that eye you keep hidden under that eyepatch, or how you were able to slay over thirty genin and then fight that monster?"
Naruto bit back on his breath, shifting away from Shino. How did he find out about all that? And did he say thirty? He couldn't remember too much from that hellish fight, having no time to think or remember anything, only that he had to kill everything that didn't display a Konoha headband. He was almost proud.
Kurenai frowned, looking towards Shino, wishing he hadn't said all of that. Though hearing it out loud seemed more ominous than when she had heard the rumors. They were all over town, that Naruto had taken on a whole force of enemy ninja by himself and fought something that only belonged in nightmares, she hadn't quite believed all of it but now she wondered.
"Naruto-kun," Hinata started, gently touching the boy's shoulder. "Is it true, did you really fight that many?" She had never heard this before, she knew that he had stopped many of the enemy but in that amount?
Naruto was silent for a moment, before turning towards her. "I don't remember the number, but there were a lot." He stopped, as some memories of the fight began to resurface. Faces of the dead flashing in his mind, but as they did, so did the faces of the slain Konoha citizens who died crying. Clenching his fist, Naruto looked towards Hinata, "But I don't regret it. Those bastards deserved what they got."
Hinata nodded, not saying anything as she gently rubbed his shoulder. She couldn't understand what he went through, but she knew from the amount of grateful villagers that brought him all those presents, what he did was good.
Naruto turned back towards Shino, who was patiently awaiting a reply. "Shino, I promise I'll tell you someday. But yes, it is related to that." He hoped the other boy would accept that explanation, which he did with a silent nod.
"How long will you be gone?" Kurenai asked, trying to change the subject that was bordering on something dangerous.
Naruto looked towards his teacher, thankful for the quick change. "I'm not certain, I doubt I'll be gone longer than the time it takes to get there and the few days of searching through the town, and coming back. Maybe a week or two?"
Kurenai gave Hinata a sad smile, seeing the look on her face, clearly not happy with the boy's leaving. "Well, that's not too bad now. I'll be sure to work you to the bone when you come back in training though, so you better get ready." Kurenai replied with a wink.
Naruto scratched the back of his head, feeling an odd apprehensiveness from the sugar coated threat.
"Well, what else has been happening?" Kurenai asked, hoping the two would finally spill about their relationship. Hinata spoke up next, explaining what had occurred with her clan. Kurenai's brow knitted as she heard the tale, the upheaval in the clan having been a rather well kept secret from the rest of the village, this was the first she heard of it. She knew that nothing good would come from Hiashi's untimely death, but she never expected that it would become as tumultuous as it had been. What surprised her even more, however, was how the Hokage had handled the situation. "He killed him?" She asked, surprised.
Hinata nodded, "He said he was about to reveal an S-Class secret. I don't know what one, of course." It was a lie, she had figured out what it had been, after they had left the compound.
Kurenai nodded, hiding a small smile. She was glad that the scum who threatened her darling student was now six feet under, and that it had been the Hokage that had done it. Everyone thought the Hokage a powerful and kind man, though she supposed this showed he wasn't to be trifled with if push came to shove.
Hinata added a few more points, but never divulged on her new blossoming relationship. Kurenai clicked her tongue, foiled again. Oh well. "Shino? What have you been up to?" She asked.
Shino, who had been staying quiet, his facial expressions reflecting his reactions to Hinata's tale being the only sign he'd been paying attention. "My father has been keeping me quite busy with clan affairs. He believes me to be ready to take more responsibility with our clan, something I am honored to be recognized for of course, but it leaves little time to do other things."
"I see, I suppose that's one of the drawbacks of being part of a clan." Naruto replied, crossing his arms and nodding. Before anything further could be discussed however, a waitress appeared with a tray full of food and drinks. Everyone's attention was drawn to the waitress as she quickly placed everyone's orders in front of them, all thanking her in turn before she walked off.
Naruto felt his mouth water as he looked down at the bowl of ramen he had ordered. It wasn't Ichiraku, but it was still ramen! Rubbing his hands together, he reached for his chopsticks and grabbed a solid chunk of noodles. As he brought it out of the steaming broth however, a whistling sound cut through the air and Naruto barely had time to move his hand before a kunai slammed into his bowl and shattered it, spraying his shirt and pants with hot broth.
"Ow, ow, ow ow!" Naruto cried out as he leaped out of his seat, trying to get away from the burning hot broth. "Who the hell?!" he cried out as he looked around quickly, hearing his teammates trying to figure out much the same.
"UZUMAKI!"
Naruto looked over towards the sound of the enraged roar, reaching for his sword, which he didn't bring with. His jaw dropped as he saw the person responsible for the assault was none other than Neji Hyuuga. A very pissed off Neji Hyuuga. The restaurant was in a bit of an uproar, as everyone backed away from the table where Team Eight sat at, as Neji stomped up to Naruto with murder in his eyes as he pulled out another kunai.
"Neji wh-" Naruto tried to ask, confused as to what his grievance was.
"You bastard! How dare you defile Hinata-sama! I'm going to cut it off and ram it down your throat!" He roared again, throwing another kunai that Naruto managed to dodge.
"Nii-san, what are you talking about?" Hinata asked, just as confused as Naruto. Though with a blush, she understood exactly what he was getting at, even if no such thing occurred.
"Seriously Neji, what the hell man?!" Naruto followed, still trying to pat off any hot broth from his now ruined clothing, while keeping an eye out for any more deadly projectiles.
"Don't play dumb with me Uzumaki! I know that y-y-you -" Neji started to stutter as a weird blush crept across the normally stoic boys face, "you did that to Hinata-sama!" He motioned down to the other boy's crotch with an outstretched kunai.
Naruto felt his stomach drop and his face paled as he thought back to this morning when Hinata had him in a rather compromising position. Did Neji see us? Oh crap was there some Hyuuga spy watching us all night?! Oh shit!
Of course, no such thing had happened. Neji's blood oath to castrate Naruto for 'defiling' his beloved cousin, spawned from a rumor that he had overheard a maid servant talking about with another servant whom had heard it in the market from a pair of housewives, whom had heard it from a fruit vendor whom had heard it from her friend who had a daughter that had overheard a shopkeep discussing it with a frequent customer whom had overheard her son that had been talking with Ino.
Of course neither knew this.
Naruto inched his foot back as he felt a cold sweat run down his face. The tiny movement was as good as a confession for the enraged Hyuuga. "Naruto!" Neji roared out as he charged.
"Crap! I gotta go!" Naruto yelled out as he jumped away towards a nearby roof.
"Naruto! Wait! Nii-san, stop this!" Hinata called out behind them as she watched them fly off.
"Sorry Hinata! I'll see you later!" Naruto had enough time to answer back before disappearing over a roof.
"You won't live that long you bastard! Stop running and take it like a man!" Neji was heard yelling as he disappeared out of sight.
"Nii-san!" Hinata called out again, ready to jump after them, but a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her. She got a weird chill up her spine, and looked around to see a far too calm Kurenai smiling at her student. "Let them go. I think it's time you come clean with your relationship with Naruto, Hinata-chan." Kurenai spoke, emphasizing the honorific.
Hinata felt cold fear grip her and she looked over towards Shino, hoping to find an ally, but saw that the Aburame had mysteriously vanished. Hinata whimpered as she looked back towards her sensei.
XXXX
Elsewhere in Konoha, a lonely wind blew through the training grounds most commonly used by Team Seven. Sitting in his favorite spot to read Icha Icha, high up in the branches of an old tree, Kakashi stared down at the fluttering pages of his limply held book. He usually found great joy and distraction in the adult novels, finding them a welcome distraction from his daily life. But lately, not even this could cheer him up.
Looking down over the field, he could see ghostly images of a once whole Team training down by the river. It would usually end up with Kiba and Sasuke fighting it out to a standstill, the Inuzuka being able to match Sasuke more or less, though the Uchiha always came out on top. Sakura of course, would be standing on the sidelines, ignoring her training and cheering on Sasuke with as much gusto as she could muster.
Sasuke, why. . . Kakashi sighed deeply, as he thought once more about his renegade student. His departure had all but demolished his Team. Kiba was still injured, though he was making quick recovery. Sakura was all but comatose, she hadn't shown up to any of their practices or team meetings he had scheduled. When he had visited her home, her parents explained that she hadn't left the house since news of Sasuke's betrayal and that no one had been able to find him. He tried to go in and see her, where she had locked herself into her room, but she wouldn't even acknowledge his presence.
He gave up on trying to read Icha Icha, stuffing the book back into his pouch. He dropped out of his favorite tree and walked slowly with his hands in his pockets, intent on visiting his other haunt.
Sasuke, where are you?
XXXX
Within Root headquarters, where the happy sounds of the city were muted, and the sunlight could never reach, Danzo sat at his desk inside his office. The room was pitch black, save for a single lamp that illuminated his desk, where a pile of reports sat.
The old war hawk slowly went over the reports, all of which detailed the regular Konoha's forces search for Sasuke Uchiha. Without any mirth or a grin, he was happy to see that no trace of his deceit had been found – yet. All the efforts he had gone to deter the Inuzuka clan had paid off nicely, and they weren't able to find their prey, which hid under their very noses. He also noted with a bit of surprise that Sarutobi had labeled Sasuke a missing ninja. Interesting, Danzo thought, grasping his chin. That's not like you Hiruzen, you're far too soft to make such a decision.
Of course, as recent events had shown, Sarutobi seemed to be stepping outside of his normal expectation, especially with the recent death of Youta Hyuuga. Danzo wondered just how much of this recent change within Sarutobi had to deal with his increased interactions with the Kyuubi Jinchuriki. Then, a new presence made itself known within the room, from somewhere within the shadows.
"Report." Danzo spoke curtly, knowing that one of his Root had entered the room.
"The Sandaime has sent out the order for Naruto Uzumaki and the Sannin Jiraiya to leave the village tomorrow morning for Uzushigakure." The Root spoke, his tone low.
Danzo nodded in response. He had a few of his Root infiltrate the ANBU as regular forces, as to keep tabs on any information that may be of use to him. In this case, it was anything pertaining to Naruto Uzumaki. "Good. Assemble a team of no less than five and follow behind them quite a ways. With Jiraiya there any direct trailing will be impossible. I want to know how long they're going to be gone for and when they'll be back."
"If I may ask a question, Danzo-sama?" The Root replied, his tone reflecting that he was unsure of asking such a thing.
Danzo looked towards the darkness where he felt the Root kneel. "Speak." he again replied curtly, not wishing to suffer any foolish questioning.
There was a moment of silence before the Root continued, "The Jinchuriki, you seem to be cautious of him, Danzo-sama. Is he not only a genin?"
Danzo kept his eyes trained on the darkness a moment longer before looking back down towards his reports with an almost amused 'hmph'. "I have not gotten to where I am without caution. And while he is only a genin, Naruto Uzumaki hosts the most powerful of the Bijuu within him. It is not he I am cautious of, it's the demon. He's already demonstrated some form of control over the power that other Jinchuriki do not possess. I have labored in secret to influence the boy to become a weapon, one that is rejected and hated by the village, and thus easily manipulated into my design. But it's obvious that it's no longer an option to have him as an asset. So until my new weapon is completed, he is nothing more than a wild card that could ruin everything." Looking back up towards the Root he continued, "Does that explain my caution to you?"
"Y-Yes, Danzo-sama, forgive me."
Danzo nodded, before going back to his reports. "Then you are dismissed, and I don't have to mention what will happen if you speak of this with anyone, correct?" Danzo asked, his calm tone as deadly as a sharp razor.
"Of course, Danzo-sama." With that, the Root disappeared.
Danzo reached down for the final, green tinted scroll. Unfurling it, he gave a small smile, seeing the data recorded within. His smile grew into something almost wicked as he continued reading, everything within containing good news. Soon, I will have everything I require to begin my plan. I will finally make the great tree of Konoha strong once more. Finishing the scroll, he rolled it back up, reached over to the lamp, and turned it off.
XXXX
Naruto yawned loud, as he didn't bother covering up his mouth. He slowly walked through the early morning streets of Konoha, grumbling to himself about how early he had to wake up even though he'd spent all night running from Neji. He rubbed a spot on his face where the other genin had managed to land a single strike. It took a long time, but was finally able to exhaust the other boy, as he had greater stamina than the Hyuuga prodigy, and was able to talk him out of his mad bloodlust, convincing him that he had only heard a wild rumor from some crackpot. When he'd finally gotten home, just about crawling through the door, he saw Hinata hadn't made off much easier, having been given the full round of questioning from their sensei about their relationship and their living arrangements. Hinata may not have had a mark on her, but she looked like how he felt.
The only good thing to happen that night was that Hinata had treated his exhausted body with some of her homemade medical cream, and even gave him a few kisses to go along with it. Naruto could definitely get used to such nice treatment. Even though his alarm clock woke them both up rudely, Naruto had to admit that after getting over the initial shock of Hinata finding her way onto him during the night, it was a rather nice feeling. He decided to hit the snooze button on his clock at least once. Leaving his lovers warm embrace and throw himself outside was the hardest thing he'd had to do.
Reaching the Hokage Tower, Naruto shuffled his way inside, avoiding the early morning clerical ninja who were showing up for work. He almost felt offended at how chipper most of them seemed, as if they mocked him and how little of sleep he'd received. Finding his way to the Hokage's office, he saw Sarutobi was staring at another older man with long white spiky hair who stood with his back to Naruto. Upon seeing Naruto, Sarutobi smiled warmly.
"Ah, Naruto. Good morning, I see that you're happy to be awake this early. Close the door behind you if you will." Sarutobi chuckled, taking a dig at the blondes obvious discomfort at being awake.
"Yeah, yeah." Naruto grumbled, although he did smile a bit, as he closed the door. "So what's the deal Old Man? I thought I wasn't heading out for another few days?"
Sarutobi reached across his desk for a red scroll, which he placed at the edge of his desk for Naruto to take. "Due to what you told me of your interactions with your jailed guest, we need to ensure that no time is wasted in finding a fix to your problem."
Naruto nodded, knowing that it was something that needed to be solved and soon. Glancing over towards the much taller older man, he realized that he had heard the Hokage mention his Bijuu in front of him.
Sarutobi noticed the odd look, and spoke up. "Forgive me Naruto, I didn't introduce you. This is the Sannin Jiraiya. He'll be escorting you to Uzushigakure and he will assist in strengthening your seal once you find what you need to." Sarutobi was deliberate in his optimistic speech, he didn't want Naruto to even consider that nothing good would be found there.
Naruto nodded, turning towards Jiraiya. "Name's Naruto Uzumaki. I guess we'll be working together." Naruto spoke, outstretching his hand, trying to make a good first impression. He saw the older man look down at him, before seeming to get a strange look in his eye, before speaking. "The name's Jiraiya. Hopefully we can get this over quickly." He never accepted the blondes handshake.
"Che." Naruto scoffed, dropping his hand, looking back towards Sarutobi who was glaring kunai straight into Jiraiya's head. "So I take it I'll be leaving today and not coming back until I'm cured?" Naruto asked, a bit of sorrow evident at the end of his sentence, as if he felt rejected by something.
Sarutobi frowned, but nodded his head. "Don't think of it that way Naruto. If nothing is to be found in Uzushigakure, then return here after you've thoroughly searched. We will find a cure. Now, go on and wait at the gate for Jiraiya. I have some things to discuss with him before you leave." His tone took a turn south as he looked back up towards the defiant Jiraiya.
Naruto raised his eyebrow, looking between the two older men, getting the feeling that there was something way deeper between the two than he could understand. "Alright, I'll wait there." Giving a final weird look at the moody old man Naruto turned and walked out the door. Even after he shut it he could hear the vibrations of the Hokage's voice yelling within.
XXXX
Naruto kicked a rock he passed, his hands held interlaced around behind his head. He had hoped he'd forgotten something in his pack, but he couldn't find a decent excuse to head back home to see Hinata once more before he left. With a deep sigh, he turned the final corner that led to the gate, only to stop as he saw all of Team Eight standing by the gate, along with Gai, Lee, and even Neji. His jaw fell in surprise, as he saw them all waving at him, including Hinata, who stood with a sad smile.
Jogging up to them, he looked towards Hinata. "Hinata, what –?" he started to ask, but was interrupted by Kurenai.
"We figured you'd be leaving in the morning," she motioned towards Shino, who was smiling at Naruto, "and found Hinata already here waiting. Didn't want you to go off without having us send you off."
"Indeed. It's going to be rather quiet for a week or more, I think I may rather enjoy it." Shino teased, with a smile.
"Sensei. . .Shino. . ." Naruto felt honestly humbled by the simple act, feeling a warmth build in his chest. He then noticed Gai and Lee taking a step forward, sporting signature smiles that could almost be mistaken for a second sunrise. "Yosh! And don't forget about us! We saw your team gathered here during our morning run and we figured that we'd send you off with our own youthful, heart felt wishes! Isn't that right Neji?!" Gai roared out laughing, as he dragged an extremely exhausted Neji forward.
Naruto cringed, the Hyuuga boy looked worse off than Naruto. Neji looked up to Naruto with dead eyes, clearly having been the victim of youth all morning. "Hello, Naruto." he mumbled out.
Gai laughed and gave Neji a hard pat on his back. "Neji here was so youthful yesterday that I decided that he needed to fan his flames even higher!" Gai gave Naruto a thumbs up, and Naruto could only wonder if that meant in some weird Gai-language that he had heard about Neji's rampage and was somehow punishing him? Or was it a reward? He really didn't want to know.
"Naruto-kun. . ." Hinata whispered, getting his attention. He looked down towards her, with a wistful smile. Her pleading eyes made it clear that she wanted him to stay, but they both knew it wasn't possible. She leaned in close, and hugged him. "I wish I could go with you." She managed to speak out, her face buried in his shirt.
Naruto returned the embrace, trying to ignore the looks they were getting. "I know, me too. But don't worry Hinata-chan, I'll be back before you know it." He gently rubbed her hair, whispering to her. She looked back up to him with a smile, happy to feel the touch.
A sudden 'poof' brought on from a shushin caused those in the area to perk up, as Jiraiya appeared, seeming in a more foul mood than he had before. Looking towards Naruto, he almost seemed apprehensive, seeing the two's embrace. "Well, are you ready?" he asked curtly.
Naruto frowned, trying to figure out what the old man's problem was before nodding. Looking back down towards Hinata, he began, "Sorry Hinata-chan, I gotta go -" was all he got out before she pushed herself up and kissed him, blushing madly.
Several amused reactions sprang from the onlookers, especially from Gai who roared something about the beauty of youth, and Neji who tried to protest, but was far too exhausted to complain.
Naruto felt his face burn, but he returned the kiss with fervor, knowing it was going to be the last he tasted for a week or more. He put a hand behind the small of her neck and leaned into the kiss, committing to memory every last sensation of her. They parted after a hesitant moment, each blushing madly, but staring into the others eyes, conveying their feelings more than words could.
Jiraiya scoffed and turned harshly towards the gate. "Whenever you're done, lets go." His tone spoke of a hidden envy, one that he hid well to all but the most experience listener.
Naruto didn't let his companions mood ruin his moment, as he slowly parted from Hinata, their hands lingering on each other for as long as they could, before Naruto walked away.
He looked back after he'd taken a few steps, only to see a tear roll from Hinata's eye. He didn't look back again, so to hide his own.
XXXX
AAAANNDDDD Done. Ding Chapter done, Ding Chapter done.
Shit that took me a while and I am sorry. I hope it was worth the wait though, and next chapter should be swimming along shortly! Time to see what awaits our hero out in the world!
Shinobi no Ryu