Yo...
Time for another chapter, and things are finally looking good for Naruto. There are so many characters in this story, but the focus will be mainly on certain individuals, while others will make regular appearances when their role is needed.
Enjoy the new chapter...
Chapter 81
Team 7
A tired sigh escaped from Mikasa's lips when she found the man she loved idly sitting on a bench, giggling perversely while reading a certain orange colored book.
The 3 kids standing around her were quite amused when their teacher's eyebrows twitched violently when Naruto giggled a few more times, and they saw Mikasa's murderous gaze had intensified on the unknowing blonde idiot.
"That's it..." said Mikasa in pissed off voice, as she stomped towards a totally unaware Naruto.
"Man, this is gonna be fun..." said Kiba excitedly, as he watches his teacher about to pummel the 'village hero'
"Kiba, Naruto-sama is an honorary ninja of this village. Mikasa-sensei respects him immensely..." replied Shino flatly, but both the boys were surprised when their third teammate smirked.
"Doesn't look like it...just watch" said Sasuke in a knowing voice,
The trio intently watched as Mikasa stealthily stepped behind Naruto's bench, and she had a dark cloud hovering above her head.
"Man, this Misumi character is awesome!" said Naruto happily,
"Hey"
Kiba couldn't control his laugh when Naruto freezed in terror, even Sasuke and Shino were intrigued when the powerful Namikaze fearfully looked behind only to find Mikasa sweetly smiling at him. A bit too sweetly.
"Hi...Mikasa" said Naruto hesitantly, and right there he knew that Mikasa had caught him slacking around, along with a very infamous book.
BAM!
Sasuke smirked once again when Mikasa gave a light bop on Naruto's head, even his teammates couldn't control their laughter on seeing the amusing scene. Although Shino's laugh did sound a bit creepy.
"Aren't you supposed to be meeting your genin team, Naruto?" asked Mikasa in an irritated voice, while Naruto just pouted.
"Yeah, but I'm just..." said Naruto in protest, and looked at his wristwatch only to find himself 15 minutes late.
"You're late..." said Mikasa in an annoyed voice, while Naruto got a slight blush on his face.
"I will go, just got to read this last page..." replied Naruto nonchalantly, but Mikasa was not going to accept it.
"You will go there right now, RIGHT?" asked Mikasa intimidatingly,
The 3 genin were quite shocked when Naruto was up on his feet in a flash and had already started running towards the genin boot camp that was near the academy.
"Man, he's totally whipped..." said Kiba bemusedly,
"Strange..." said Shino, but just shrugged his shoulders.
Only Sasuke saw the way his teacher was looking at the fleeting boy, and the happy smile that Naruto had given her despite their little banter bringing a small smile on his face.
"Hn"
(Genin Boot Camp)
Kushina couldn't understand why her partner was so late, in the few months that she had known Naruto- he was very punctual and always accomplished his tasks on time or even before that. Then why was he so late on such an important day?
She could see the restless faces of Itachi, Sakura and Hinata. The Namikaze was a little pissed, the pink haired medic seemed annoyed while Hinata just looked a little upset.
Even more strange was the mischievous smile on Rangiku's face, who was staring at the frustrated team.
"Rangiku, do you know why he's so late?" questioned Kushina, but the girl just got a small grin on her face.
"Kushina, he never does anything without a proper reason. And I know what he's up to...these 3 are in for quite a surprise" said Rangiku mischievously,
"You just passed your genin team yesterday. What did you do?" asked Kushina curiously, if the blonde beauty was going to wait for her team to arrive then they might as well utilize the time.
Rangiku knew the authority had ordered Kushina to stay with Naruto for the next 6 months, in order to keep an eye on her and suppress her if by any chance she turns traitor or loses control. But so far, the Uzumaki seemed like a really nice person. A little bit clumsy too.
"Oh, not much. I asked them to try and capture me...if they fail or at least didn't put in enough efforts, then they would be sent back to the academy" said Rangiku a little too happily,
"Sounds simple enough..." said Kushina, but the smirk on Rangiku's lips portrayed something entirely different.
"Except if they fail, not only would they be sent back to the academy...Chouji won't be eating at any barbecue restaurant for a month, Shikamaru would be catching Tora- the infamous cat for a week, and Ino will have to shorten her beautiful hair. And their parents were fully supporting this little motivation of mine..." said Rangiku in a sadistic voice, as Kushina could just stare at the young girl.
"Motivation?" asked Kushina in disbelief, making the girl smile.
"It got the job done, the little idiots tried their best to capture me. I was surprised when Shikamaru tried till he ran out of chakra, while Choji and Ino fully supported him. But I'm a former Blacklight, so you get the picture..." said Rangiku victoriously,
"You're a sadist..." said Kushina jokingly,
"I had to know how good their teamwork was, and sending a message that I won't tolerate slackers, nervous wrecks, or beauty queens. Now they know who they're dealing with and follow my teachings. Every Jounin leader has certain expectations from his team, these were my expectations. Mikasa tested the strength of her team, and they were satisfactory enough for her" said Rangiku seriously,
"You Blacklights are crazy..." said Kushina tiredly,
"Wait till you see Naruto's test. I and Mikasa were soldiers, Naruto was a commander. His test would make ours look like child's play..." said Rangiku honestly,
"But these are genin, not special forces trainees..." argued Kushina in protest, but was silenced when Rangiku gave her a sharp glare.
"Even if the war is over, the village is still on high alert. We can be attacked by the Akatsuki at any moment, if there is even one weakness in the team then all of them can end up dead in a battle. If they can't work together, they are not fit to be together. And I assure you the Akatsuki won't have mercy on them just because they are genin..." explained Rangiku harshly,
"I see..." said Kushina submissively,
"It's harsh, but these are tough times. And as for why Naruto is late, he has already started his test on these kids..." said Rangiku mysteriously, confusing her red headed friend even more.
"Gah, all of this is making me crazy" shouted Kushina in frustration, as Rangiku just chuckled before heading towards the door.
"Trust me, Kushina. He knows what's he's doing, and if these kids pass then they would be getting a very good squad leader..." said Rangiku proudly, before giving a small wave to the frustrated Team 7.
Kushina could only give a sympathetic gaze to the frustrated Team 7, if what Rangiku had said was true then today they would be facing quite a task.
Before she could dive further into her thoughts, the door of the room was slowly opened and in walked in the leader of the team.
"You're late..." said Itachi in an irritated voice, unaware of who the person actually was.
"Yo..."
Only when Sakura nudged him a little and on hearing that voice, a surprised Itachi looked at the door only to find Naruto giving them a welcoming smile.
"Naruto-sama..." said Hinata in shock, the girl was quite petrified on seeing the 'village hero'
"Sakura Haruno, Hyuga Hinata, Itachi Namikaze...meet me at training ground 3 in 7 minutes. Failure to reach in the allotted time would result in your return to the academy." said Naruto deviously, before disappearing into a puff of smoke.
"A shadow clone?" asked Kushina out loud in surprise,
She didn't get any time to even digest her shock, when 2 wild gusts of wind flew past her. She looked back and saw Itachi and Sakura were already gone, while Hinata followed their trail at a slow pace.
"Oh, boy..." muttered Kushina worriedly,
(Training Ground 3)
When Kushina arrived at the specified location, all she could see were 3 young kids sprawled on the green grass of the training field, panting quite harshly. After all, their new leader had made them run one of the longest distances in a very short amount of time.
She stepped beside Naruto who was content with seeing his new team on the ground...
"Naruto, aren't you going too rough on them?" questioned Kushina, but he just waved his hand nonchalantly.
"This is nothing, Kushina. I'm just getting started..." said Naruto in a sadistic voice, and she understood why he looked so happy.
"You're enjoying this..." commented Kushina, and he smiled without any shame.
"Well, of course. Don't worry, I won't kill them...I think" promised Naruto,
He didn't give her any more time to argue as he stepped up in front of his genins, hovering over the tired kids.
"I'm Naruto Namikaze, squad leader of Team 7. Nice to meet you..." said Naruto happily,
"Nii-san, why-" questioned Itachi angrily, but was silenced when Naruto leaked some KI.
"I'm not your brother here. And depending upon your current performance I'll decide if any of you are worthy of being my students..." said Naruto seriously,
"More tests?" asked Sakura worriedly,
"You can't be serious..." said Hinata nervously, but was more unnerved when Naruto just gave a firm nod.
"Nothing too serious. I don't need 3 students, only 2. Your task is simple, draw first blood..." said Naruto seriously,
"First Blood?" asked Sakura curiously,
"Yes, it means wounding me. It maybe a scratch, a scar, or even life threatening wound. But you will have to spill at least a single drop of my blood, the first 2 who are able to do it will be accepted into the team, the failure will be sent back to Boot Camp" explained Naruto in detail,
"But we were told that this will be a genin team of 3 ninja..." argued Hinata, but shuddered when Naruto gave her a menacing glare.
"I am the law here, got it...genin?" asked Naruto sternly,
"Hai..." said Hinata meekly,
Kushina was not surprised when Itachi got back on his feet with a very excited grin on his face. But the same grin on Itachi's face, was an utter disappointment for Naruto as he understood what his brother was about to do, and looking at the competitive edge in Sakura's eyes made him realize the girl's intentions.
While Hinata too got up, but judging from the sweat on her forehead...she was scared, not that her other 2 teammates cared.
"There's not even a shred of teamwork..." thought Naruto disappointedly,
Regardless he took a few steps back, hoping his future students would understand the real meaning of his test...or else he would have to fail them, no matter how much it may pain him.
"Ready...3, 2, 1,
...START!"
Instantly Sakura disappeared into the nearby trees, while Hinata stood behind Itachi but the boy didn't seem to care as his eyes were only fixed on Naruto.
"I have waited for this moment my entire life..." said Itachi excitedly, but tensed a little when Naruto put his hand inside his pouch.
"Those morons..." cursed Sakura, as she saw her friend about to charge on one of the strongest ninja in the village.
And what was even more alarming was Hinata hadn't made up her strategy and was just intent on following Itachi, hoping to get a chance where she could strike. But going against someone like Naruto at their level in a straight up fight was pure suicide.
Sitting on a tree branch, Kushina was curiously watching the encounter that was about to take place. Although she couldn't stop her chuckle when the young genins face faulted when Naruto took out a 'comic book' from his pouch and started reading it.
"Don't underestimate me...Nii-san" said Itachi angrily, and was even more infuriated when Naruto didn't even spare him a glance.
Naruto had to restrain himself from even looking up from his comic, as his angry little brother charged straight towards him. Itachi jumped high in the air and attempted to give a straight kick on Naruto's head, he was so confident of his speed and was surprised when Naruto caught him mid-air with a single hand.
Before Itachi could re balance himself Naruto gave him a devastating kick on his balls that sent the Namikaze crashing into a nearby tree.
Meanwhile Hinata had seen the entire move with her Byakugan, and saw an opening...or at least she thought she did.
She too was sent crashing away as Naruto twisted himself in the air delivering a roundhouse kick on her mouth.
"Is that all? If it is...then you're weak" taunted Naruto, and smirked when he sensed a spike in chakra.
"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu(Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu)"
Itachi fired a giant fireball towards his big brother, but was terribly shocked when Naruto just side stepped from the incoming attack. However the Namikaze freezed in fear, when his attack instead hit a recovering Hinata.
"AH!" screamed Hinata in pain, as she received a direct hit from the fireball.
"Suiton: Mizurappa (Water Style: Violent Water Wave)"
The fire on Hinata's body and clothes were instantly destroyed when a small water wave was launched on her, and the hidden Sakura emerged from the trees and instantly started a medical ninjutsu on her wounded teammate.
"It's over...Sakura" said Naruto seriously, and the young medic was shocked when she found her best friend pinned beneath Naruto's feet.
"Itachi..." said Sakura worriedly, and was just about to move when Naruto raised his finger.
"Make a move, and I crush his spinal cord. He'll live but never as a ninja again..." warned Naruto, which instantly halted the girl in her current position.
"(cough) why are you doing this?" asked Itachi sadly, getting a smirk on Naruto's face.
"Because I can...now, since Sakura is the only member standing and you 3 are a total failure, I'm giving her a choice. Sakura, do you want to save Itachi?" questioned Naruto deviously,
"Yes" was the instant reply from the girl,
"Then kill Hinata. Do that, and I'll take you and Itachi on my team, don't worry about the murder charges. I can easily undermine it as a training accident, besides the Hyuga don't care much about this girl. Think about it, Sakura'' tempted Naruto, as the poor girl's hands trembled and her gaze flickered between her wounded comrades.
One needed some medical help, while the other could lose his career as a ninja. She didn't know Hinata closely, but Itachi was her best friend. The only one who didn't make fun of her for being an orphan, and supported her at crucial times. The only friend she had...
At the same time, Hinata was deeply hurt on hearing Naruto's words. Yet at the same time, she knew they were true. And looking at the captured Itachi, made her feel extremely sad. She could have saved him from receiving Naruto's kick at the start, but she chose to ignore it in order to gain an advantage against Naruto, but sadly it backfired on her badly.
Itachi could only helplessly stare as Sakura was put in a terrible spot, she was being forced to chose between her best friend and a fellow comrade. And a lot of it was his fault...
"I can't..." apologized Sakura, and collapsed on her knees in defeat.
Itachi and Hinata closed their eyes in a little relief, but it didn't stop them from being any less guilty. Naruto slowly removed his foot from Itachi's back and started walking away.
"You fail, all 3 of you. Your academy records were right in the end...:" said Naruto disappointedly, as Kushina came beside him.
She saw a few tears in Hinata's eyes, while Sakura healed the girl...but the medic too seemed dishearted. While Itachi could not lift up his head, and was just staring defeatedly at the ground.
"Itachi, your personal ambitions were more important for you then your comrades. In your excitement to show me your skills, you became overconfident leading to your capture. If this was a real life situation, then you would have got your entire team killed" scolded Naruto, and Kushina could clearly see shame in the boy's eyes.
"Hinata, your own insecurities prevented you from protecting your comrade leading to his capture. You were more worried about what your father and clan would think if you fail. Your personal honor took priority over your comrades..." said Naruto bitterly, as the Hyuga heir could only avert her eyes from Naruto but couldn't stop the tears in her eyes.
"Sakura, while your decision to form a strategy instead of a head on attack was the logical choice, you left your teammates to face me all alone. By the time you realized they were in trouble, it was too late. You couldn't make a good judgement or even advise your foolish comrades, despite being the most rational among them. Your own survival was more important than that of your comrades..." scolded Naruto, and all Sakura could do was mutter a ''Sorry"
Kushina felt sad for the children, but she understood what Naruto was saying was indeed the truth. Such actions would have caused these kids their lives in real life, or got one of them captured, killed or raped. In the end, they acted as individuals and not a team.
"You fa-"
Naruto was about to pass his judgement when one look in the young genin's eyes made him stop.
"Don't you have any kindness in your heart? You're only thinking about the rules...Naruto" suggested Kushina, and she watched as his fists clenched tightly.
"It's better this way, Kushina. They won't be able to forgive themselves if one of them died due to their mistake...it will destroy them" said Naruto sadly,
"Look at them, Itachi is like your past self, Sakura is clearly a replica of Mikasa...while Hinata reminds me of Armin a little. You showed me, how you and your comrades stood firmly against Commander Fox, maybe these kids don't have that kind of passion now. But they will have it in the future..." explained Kushina patiently, as Naruto unclenched his tightened fists while leaving a tired sigh.
"What if you're wrong? I can't let my tragedy happen with the next generation...I can't" said Naruto seriously,
"Then give them a chance to prove themselves again. If not for them, then do it for me" requested Kushina, as Naruto looked at her for a few moments and then at the defeated genin squad.
Kushina smiled happily when he gave a silent nod, but not before saying "Troublesome woman"
Naruto went beside the recovering genin and looked each of them straight in the eye.
"I don't think you are fit to be a team..." said Naruto honestly,
As the trio were extremely disheartened on hearing Naruto's decision, and Itachi couldn't even look at his brother.
"But Kushina believes in giving you another chance, but it won't be so simple. I have another task for you, there is a small scroll on that mountain. Your objective is to pass through the forest, survive the incoming attacks and traps which I have set. Only 1 person who gets me that scroll will be on my team, the rest will be removed from the ninja program. So, what shall it be?" asked Naruto smartly,
He waited patiently as his 3 young students looked at each other simultaneously, and gave affirmative nods.
"We accept it" said Hinata a little confidently,
"We'll get the scroll...thank you, Kushina-san" said Sakura gratefully, getting a smile from Kushina.
"We?" thought Naruto proudly, maybe these kids were finally starting to understand the most important thing.
However his eyes were still fixed on his younger brother who looked to be ashamed of himself...
"I don't care who gets the scroll, but I won't let my comrades down" promised Itachi seriously,
"Then it's settled, only 1 shall pass. How you chose to get the scroll is up to you. Time limit is only 30 minutes...now go!" declared Naruto, and was very pleased when he saw Itachi and Sakura offering a hand each to Hinata, gaining a thankful smile from the Hyuga girl.
Kushina watched happily as the 3 genins ran towards the nearby forest, as she slowly came beside Naruto.
"You never wanted to fail them, did you?" asked Kushina happily,
"No, I was just faking to fail them...there is something in them, hopefully they realize it this time" said Naruto seriously,
"You are a good leader, Naruto"
(With Team 7)
The 3 young genins were racing through the dense forests, charging towards their destination without any fear, hesitation in them. Itachi had activated his sharingan, Hinata was ready with her Byakugan while Sakura had her kunai ready for any kind of attack.
"Our orders are clear, but no matter who gets the scroll...we stick together" said Itachi seriously,
"We are a team, even if this might be for the last time..." replied Sakura honestly,
"Then's let's do our best. Let's fight as one for one last time..." suggested Hinata, gaining confident nods from her comrades.
As soon as Itachi took a few steps forward, Hinata saw a torrent of kunai heading towards him from nearby trees. The Hyuga heir jumped right in front of her comrade,
"Kaiten!"
Hinata quickly spinned around dispersing her chakra at great speed, deflecting every kunai aimed at Itachi. At the same time, Sakura saw several senbon heading towards Hinata who had just finished her jutsu and seemed a little exhausted.
"Hinata, watch out!" yelled Sakura urgently,
Acting on her instincts, she jumped high in the air and launched several kunai towards the incoming projectiles protecting her comrade from getting hit.
"Thanks..." said Hinata gratefully,
"No problem" replied Sakura happily,
Just when they thought they were safe, the ground beneath their feet started sinking rapidly but Itachi grabbed the girls and quickly jumped away, evading the trap set for their team.
But the genin became a little nervous when they saw Naruto standing before them,
"He's a clone, get going you two. I'll hold him off..." ordered Itachi, but his teammates were not in agreement with him.
"But if you do that, you will never be a ninja..." argued Hinata in protest, but was surprised when Sakura stepped beside Itachi.
"If you go, then I'll go too" said Sakura seriously, and Hinata saw they were just a little away from that mountain.
She stepped beside Itachi, and focused her Byakugan on the Naruto shadow clone.
"Sakura you have the best chakra control among us, you can scale that mountain faster than any of us. Even if it is a clone, it is stronger than all of us...you're the only one who can accomplish the objective. We can at least give you sometime, with my Byakugan and Itachi's sharingan..." suggested Itachi,
"I won't abandon you two, we promised to fight as a team...then why am I being forced to leave my comrades?" asked Sakura sadly, but Itachi put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"It's the only choice we have, besides your victory is our victory. I can at least show my brother that I am not completely worthless, and so can Hinata. Please, Sakura..." requested Itachi, as Sakura clenched her fists tightly.
After a few seconds, she gave a firm nod to her comrades as they stepped beside the smiling shadow clone,
"I'm getting that scroll, but I won't join the team. If we are going down, then we go down together as a team..." promised Sakura, and sped off towards the mountain before her comrades could change her mind.
"She's something...isn't she?" asked Hinata light heartedly, as Itachi flashed her a bright smile.
"Aren't we all?"
(30 Minutes Later)
Kushina was surprised when she saw 3 figures emerging out of the forest. Looking closer, she saw it was none other than Itachi, Sasuke and Sakura.
Their clothes were torn from various places, there were minor wounds on their bodies and they looked tired as hell with all the sweat on their bodies. Hinata and Sakura were also supporting Itachi who had probably used all his chakra.
But she also spotted the small scroll in Sakura's hands.
And no one was more proud on seeing that scroll, than Naruto as a proud smile came on his face.
"They did it..." said Naruto happily, and Kushina spotted a tiny tear slipping from his eyes. A tear which only a proud teacher could have for his students...
"Yes, they did..." replied Kushina proudly,
Naruto jumped towards his tired yet victorious students as they averted their eyes from him, as the moment of truth had finally arrived. Only 1 of them would become a ninja, but they were happy nonetheless.
Sakura hesitantly tried to pass the scroll to Naruto, but he stopped her...
"I heard you were quite the leaders out there" said Naruto a little proudly, as he had seen the memories of his shadow clone whom Itachi and Hinata fought very hard to defeat, and succeeded in the end with teamwork and a sound strategy.
"No leaders, we are a team..." said Itachi honestly,
"All of us..." concluded Hinata proudly,
"Naruto-sensei, I got the scroll but I request to be removed from the ninja program. If my comrades are going to be punished, then I want to be with them..." requested Sakura in a polite yet determined voice,
She watched curiously as Naruto passed the scroll back to her...
"Open it'' commanded Naruto,
And when the girl opened the scroll, all 3 genins were surprised on reading the 5 words in the scroll.
"You Pass. All of you"
Kushina chuckled a little on seeing the gobsmacked expression on the faces of the young genin, as Naruto ruffled their hair affectionately.
"I'm lucky to have students like you..." said Naruto proudly,
"Not as lucky as we are for having a teacher like you..." replied Sakura respectfully, as she understood what Naruto really wanted from them all this time.
"I don't understand..." said Itachi in confusion, and the same feelings could be seen in Hinata's eyes.
"Everything that has happened with you since morning was a part of this test, to determine your true nature and analyze your qualities. By purposefully arriving late, I tested your patience. All of you were quite agitated with my tardiness, and had to immediately race towards this training ground when I suddenly gave the order. You were not prepared, either physically or mentally...there will be times when you will be put in such situations, and these qualities will help you survive" explained Naruto briefly, as somethings started to get clear in the minds of his students.
"Then why did you chose to fight against us. We are no match for you..." said Hinata seriously,
"As individuals, yes. But if you had attacked me as a team, as a single cohesive unit then I'm sure you would have succeeded. But you didn't..." said Naruto honestly, making the genin avert their eyes from him.
"You asked me to kill Hinata or lose Itachi? I understand now..." said Sakura a little disappointedly, she should have looked beneath Naruto's actions
"The exact situation would have happened in a real mission, and there you won't get away so easily. And trust me, you can't live with the guilt if your friend dies because of you..." said Naruto sadly, and Itachi didn't miss the regret in his brother's eyes.
For the past few days he had seen Naruto visiting the cemetery many times, and he intended to find out the real truth. To know what his big brother was in reality...
"But you didn't, Sakura. And for that I'm proud of you...even if it was not a logical choice" congratulated Naruto, getting a small blush on the girl's face.
"And the scroll?" questioned Kushina,
"It was a mission that was meant to determine your final faith and your place in this team. I ordered you to get a document from a enemy stronghold without providing any information about the enemy or the traps, further more you know that you are walking blindly into a trap...and even if you succeed, only 1 of you could become a genin. If you had acted as individuals then you would have surely failed. It was a lost situation...now you had the option of passing the mission, so that you and your comrades could survive another day?" asked Naruto seriously,
"NO!"
All the 3 genins were surprised on seeing the determination in his eyes, and Kushina got the answer for her question.
"There will be many missions that will seem almost suicidal, if you think about it. But you do not think about it, you think only of the goal and of achieving it through courage, discipline and teamwork...
...These are the qualities required of a member of this squad. Those who deliberately chose the safer path, those whose determination falters in the face of adversity, those who would put the lives of their comrades in danger by worrying about their own, those who would save their own necks at the price of the honor of their squad won't ever be a part of this team" declared Naruto without any hesitation,
Proud smiles came on the face of the young genins as they realized they had overcame the obstacles set for them and proved themselves to their new leader.
"You have earned your right to be on this team. That ends this survival exercise, Team 7 will start its mission tomorrow"
(Evening)
Rangiku was casually reading the a romance novel when a curt knock on her door interrupted her. "Who could it be?" she wondered, as she edged towards the door.
But when she opened the door, she was quite surprised when she found a young boy standing in front of her.
"Itachi..."
The younger Namikaze gave her a short bow as she raised one of her eyebrows. What could Itachi possibly want from her?
"Come in..." welcomed Rangiku, as the boy stepped inside her home.
She offered him a seat on her couch, followed by a glass of water. As the young genin silently drank the offered water, she came forward and was now sitting in front of him.
"So, what brings you here?" asked Rangiku curiously,
"Rangiku-sensei..." said Itachi hesitantly, but was relieved on seeing her beautiful smile.
"No need for formalities, Itachi. We're friends here..." said Rangiku cheerfully, as the boy relaxed a little.
"Thank you..."
"I hear Naruto passed you guys, and put you guys through quite a test today?" asked Rangiku curiously,
"Yeah, hopefully we lived up to his expectations for today. Though I'm not sure if we are worthy enough for him" said Itachi doubtfully, but she came forward and gave him a light pat on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, you'll be great" encouraged Rangiku, gaining a small smile from Itachi.
Silence followed between the duo, and Rangiku's veteran eyes observed the hesitation in Itachi's eyes. He seemed worried...
"Rangiku-sensei, what happened to my brother? He's so-" said Itachi in a sad hesitant voice, as a sympathetic look came in her eyes.
"Different from the person you remember before this war?" asked Rangiku in a knowing war,
"Yes, at the trial I supported him as he is my brother. But how could my brother murder an entire village full of innocent people? Is that massacre the reason why he's so ashamed of himself? Why he curses his existence everyday? Mother can't see through his fake smile which he puts up for her, but I can see my brother has changed...I want to know, what happened with my brother in this war?" requested Itachi,
"Why are you asking me this?" questioned Rangiku seriously,
"I've seen how my brother looks at you, he loves you. Nii-san won't tell me anything, so that's why I want to know the truth. Will you help me?" asked Itachi in a polite tone, as a tired sigh escaped from her lips.
The young Namikaze watched curiously as Rangiku took out a small photograph from a nearby drawer and presented it to the boy. In that picture, he saw Mikasa, Rangiku, Naruto, along with another boy.
"Your brother lost a lot of good friends in this war. The boy in this picture was his best friend, no Naruto considered him a brother..." said Rangiku sadly,
"What was his name?" asked Itachi, while looking at the face of the boy.
"Armin Arlert..."
"He died saving Naruto's life, and it hit your brother very hard. Armin was the reason Naruto started believing in comrades, to fight for someone other than his younger brother. Even in the dark cruel world, he was like a ray of hope for Naruto. Armin was the best among all of us, a white knight..." explained Rangiku patiently, but Itachi didn't miss the grief in her voice.
"You have to understand Naruto is a very good person, but when he saw his hero being killed in front of his eyes he lost all faith in the ninja world. Naruto is an emotional human being, and the hatred that was born in his heart grew stronger every day. The war proved that even someone as good as Naruto could fall to the dark side..."
Itachi felt extremely sad after hearing what his brother had to go through, and now he understood why Naruto never talked about it- the war or what happened with him in the past 7 years.
"But no matter how much darkness resides in a person, there is always light no matter what. The pain which Naruto went through made him understand the measures he had to undertake in order to end the war, so that more people like Armin could not die. He decided to use his anger as his motivation to work in order to eliminate the real enemy..." said Rangiku happily,
"The Akatsuki..." said Itachi, gaining a nod from the blonde girl.
"Armin was an idealist, a white knight, a hero who guided your brother. And by doing that he fulfilled his role, but Naruto never wanted to be a hero. He's a different kind of hero than Armin, a hero which this world doesn't deserve but needs it nonetheless. Naruto knows how history will remember him, many people will blame him, curse him, consider him a villain...
...but that has to happen, as sometimes the truth is not good enough. Because sometimes people deserve more, sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded. And Naruto is willing to do whatever it takes, in order to give the people of this world the future they desire. A future of peace..." explained Rangiku proudly,
"But my brother didn't do anything wrong, he was just trying to survive...he didn't do anything wrong" argued Itachi in protest,
And the satisfied smile that came on her face completely surprised Itachi, maybe she really understood Naruto better than him.
"Your brother can handle it, Itachi. Because he's not just a hero...he's a silent guardian, a protector- A dark knight"
Author's Notes: End of chapter.
Lots of things happened in this chapter. I created an entire new kind of test than Cannon, yet maintaining a few similarities at the same time. There were also some other interesting things in this chapter. Hopefully you noticed it and enjoyed this long chapter...
So, let me know your thoughts about this chapter...
Until Next Time,
Blackwolf501