A/N: Apparently, my chapters show up quite differently on this site then they do on my Word page. I will try to get the spacing situated better, so please bear with me. Also, once I get the preliminary threads of this story started, there will be fewer scene breaks. I'll try not to bounce around too much. That being said, thank you so much for the support and the love for my first story! It is very much appreciated!
*DISCLAIMER- I DON'T OWN NARUTO*- It's Kishimoto's sandbox, I'm just peeing in the corner
KONOHA- HOKAGE TOWER- MORNING
The Hokage sat at his desk, staring at the personnel file in front of him. He had promised Naruto a tutor, and had spent all night perusing files looking for the right match. After the BBQ-that-shall-not-be-spoken-of, he needed to get a tutor that would be able to connect with Naruto personally. His ANBU Inu was considered heavily, before the Hokage had decided Inu needed to finish the last of his planned wetwork missions and recover mentally first.
The Hokage felt that he had found a good match though. Laid back, yet serious when needed. He didn't view Naruto as a monster or a weapon. He also had a sense of humor. Quite possibly he could bond with Naruto through their shared jokester nature. He had also been Choza Akimichi's student, so he might be able to bridge any possible rifts between Naruto and that clan. As one of the Hokage's elite guards, the tokubetsu jonin was obviously skilled enough to tutor Naruto effectively.
There was a knock at the door, jerking the Hokage from his thoughts. "Enter" he commanded. A man in the standard Konoha jonin dark blue uniform and flak jacket came in and saluted the Hokage. "Ah, just the man I was thinking about" the Hokage said, steepling his fingers together in front of him. "Well, I hope this works better than my last plan" the Hokage thought. To the tokubetsu jonin he said "I have an important mission for you…"
MEANWHILE- LAND OF WAVE- SEA CREST INN
A bell rang at the front desk of an inn conveniently placed right at the village entrance. The owner walked out to greet her newest customer. She saw a young lady in her mid-teens, red hair pulled back into a pony tail at the top of her head, with some slipping free and covering one of her blue eyes. She wore a sleeveless green robe that split into four strips below her hips. The robe covered a white undershirt, with the strips flowing about her white deerskin leggings, and sturdy calf-length leather boots. A broad white sash held her robe closed.
Smiling the owner approached her. "Yes, young lady what may I do for you?" she asked politely. She got a beaming smile in return. "Hi!" the young woman chirped "I've just arrived in town and was wondering if someone may have taken a room here. He's a redhead like me, with a scalp lock. Umm, he's tallish I guess, green pants, grey shirt, boots. Probably came by in the last day or two. You seen him?"
The inn's owner hid a demure laugh behind her hand "Oh yes, I know him. He's a handsome one, isn't he? And so popular, so quickly…" The girl laughed "Well, I guess he's not too hard on the eyes, but he's like a brother to me, sooo… no. ew."
Fearing she may have insulted her guest, the owner apologized quickly. "I'm sorry, young miss, I meant nothing by it. But, yes he did take a room here. Would you like one as well, Miss..?" "Mira" the teen responded "the name's Mira, and yeah I need a room. By the way, what's this with Gokuru-tan being all popular?" Mira asked as she dug out her coin purse. "Oh well, that boy just had to make a dent his first day, it seems! Saved one of our merchants from petty gang thugs like some hero in a story!" the owner gushed excitedly.
"I just heard from a friend, who got it from the sister of a dock worker who was there, that…" As she chattered on about the details, Mira inwardly groaned, but kept her expression pleasant. "A hero in a story, huh? So much for low profile. I just know there was a pretty girl involved. He always wanted to be the Heroic Samurai, and save a damsel in distress. Dunce probably even told her he was an Uzumaki, too! Now we're in for it, Ashara-sama's going to be pissed!" Mira seethed. She managed to get the owner to walk as she talked about "the heroic rescue". Finally, they reached Mira's room and she was able to get rid of the fawning owner.
As she got settled in her room, Mira pondered the owner's story. "Hmm, from what I can tell, the rescue wasn't that incredibly showy. So why so star struck over someone sticking it to some thugs? Sounds like the people here may be chaffing under these gangs more than the reports showed. Or things have been getting worse lately. Well, I'm sure I'll find out soon. Better check out the situation in town, and maybe find that idiot cousin of mine." Mira had one thought as she left to search the town. "I never should have given him those "Mushashi the Hero" books, kami damn it."
KONOHA- TRAINING GROUND NINE- AFTERNOON
Naruto was doing wind sprints as he was halfway through one of the exercise plans Chohiku had put together. He had been pushing himself hard all day, excited to get some help in training. He had originally talked with the Hokage about becoming a ninja on his fourth birthday. At the time the idea had appealed to him, and he had said he'd think about it. Later, he had tried training himself, but he really had no idea what he was doing. He had sometimes tried spying on the genin teams when they were being trained, but their senseis obviously didn't care for that, and would run him off.
Inu had given him some blunt kunai about six months ago, but he could only learn by trial and error. Hitting whatever target he was using through luck as much as skill. Now that jiji was actually getting people to help him, Naruto just knew that he was going to be powerful someday.
Training also helped to take his mind off the fact that the merchant caravan with the Kamiumi's had left yesterday. When they were saying goodbye, Naruto's self-imposed rule to not cry was severely tested when Miyuki had gifted him with a hand knit red scarf. Naruto had, predictably, taken their departure very hard. He had pranked a particularly nasty store owner this morning, but it hadn't helped as much as it usually did. Negative attention was still at least some attention; but it was a pale comparison to the treatment he had been getting from the Kamiumis.
Suddenly the hair on the back of his neck rose, and Naruto stopped dead. Staring into the tree line at the edge of the training yard, he felt eyes staring back. He was shocked when a man seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"W-Who are you?" Naruto demanded "what do you want?" The man raised his hands in a calming motion. "Easy Naruto-san, I'm your tutor. The Hokage sent me."Naruto studied him critically as the man walked forward. He was about 5' 9", maybe 155 lbs. He wore the standard jonin uniform and flak jacket, so he must have some skill. He wore a bored expression, a blue do rag, and curiously had a senbon hanging from his mouth.
"My name's Genma. Genma Shiranui. I'm here to turn you into something resembling a shinobi" Genma smirked. As predicted, Naruto launched into a tirade about how he was going to become strong and be Hokage one day. Mid-rant Naruto was cut off by Genma laughing loudly.
"What?! What, you don't think I can become Hokage?! Well I-" Naruto's response was cut short by Genma holding up his hands in placation. "Naruto, I'm sure you'll become strong. One day. In the future. Far, far from now" Genma said with a smirk. "But for now, I've been assigned by our illustrious, all knowing, and probably-spying-on-us-right-now leader to teach you all that I can."
At first, Naruto was very put off when he thought this man was laughing at his ambition. But when Genma's words started to sink in about him thinking that Naruto could be strong, and that Genma was going to be teaching him, Naruto grew excited. "What are we going to do first sensei?" Naruto cried in anticipation. Genma's smile became a little malicious. "I've heard that you're a prankster, Naruto. I've even heard some ANBU say that you are difficult to catch, is that true?" Genma queried.
Naruto looked down bashfully and scuffed his feet in the dirt. "I don't know about that, but I can outrun them for awhile. And I was the one who lured Tora into the Inuzuka kennels!" Naruto proclaimed triumphantly. Genma paled instantly and flashed in front of Naruto. Grabbing the boy by the shoulders, he pinned him with a grave look. "Never, ever brag about that again! Especially if Tsume-sama is around. It's for you own good!" Genma exclaimed, all the while shaking Naruto for emphasis.
"Anyway, I've got a test for you" Genma said, as he suddenly released Naruto, causing him to fall into some nearby bushes. Genma chuckled as Naruto grumbled and cursed, extracting himself from the offending foliage. "What? What is it?" Naruto groused, sitting cross-legged with his arms crossed defiantly across his chest. Genma chuckled again as he leaned down to Naruto's level. "Here's what you need to do…"
LAND OF WAVE- HOSOKE'S HOME
Gokuru Uzumaki was sitting at a worn, but obviously lovingly polished dining room table. A fluffy Pomeranian had somehow decided Gokuru was now his new best friend and had taken up residence on Gokuru's lap. Hosoke was slumped in a chair recovering from his recent abuse. Kajumi however, was bustling around the kitchen, making tea for her father and dinner for all of them. Shooting glances at their dinner guest all the while.
"Would you like some help Kajumi?" Gokuru asked. "N-No need, please don't trouble yourself, Gokuru-kun" a blushing Kajumi answered. "I would feel bad if I didn't help out a little" Gokuru said. He put his hands into a seal again and popped out a clone. "Just let him know whatever you need done, Kajumi" Gokuru said.
A bright red Kajumi put the clone to work, disappearing into the kitchen as Hosoke eyed his redheaded rescuer pensively. "A ninja, and an Uzumaki to boot. What's he doing in our town? Just passing through, maybe?" Hosoke thought as he noticed Gokuru studying him as well. "Alright boy, you got questions. Ask 'em." Hosoke cut right to the chase. Gokuru chuckled, before adopting a serious expression.
"Who were those men? Are more coming? What did they want?" he asked.
"In order, cheap thug assholes, yes, and my warehouse." Hosoke deadpanned.
"Your warehouse!? That's it!? Why would they go so far for that?" Gokuru exclaimed.
"This midget bastard Geko… Gabo… Gato… whatever, I forget." Gokuru sweat-dropped at that. "He's started to come in and offer people cash for their holdings. Ships, shops, houses, warehouses, he's all over the place!" Hosoke continued. "But I got a bad feeling from the evil little dwarf, and refused to sell. Then he hired some local gang members to "renegotiate" with me. I'm the chairman of the pearl diver's guild here; so if I sold, a lot of other owners would as well. Then you showed up and here we are. Thanks for that, by the way. You're a real hero!" Hosoke flashed a grin, and a thumb's up at Gokuru.
Gokuru straightened with a sheepish pose, one hand rubbing at the back of his neck. "Never mind that! I'm just glad I was here in time to help" he said humbly. Hosoke grinned and leaned towards the sheepish young man. "You did more than that, I bet-" Whatever he bet was cut off as Kajumi and Gokuru's clone came in and set the table with delectable smelling food.
"Your clone was very helpful, Gokuru-kun" Kajumi said bashfully as his clone dispelled. "Oh! ... umm... I'm glad Kajumi-chan…" Gokuru responded. Hosoke was delighted to see a blush on his rescuer's features and decided to tease the two a bit.
"Yes Kajumi-chan it smells wonderful. I bet you put a lot of love into it for Gokuru-kun." Hosoke said, purposefully stressing the affectionate suffixes the two were using. "I imagine the conquering hero deserves a proper thank you, after all. You better grab him up now Kajumi-chan, before he le-mmmphps" Hosoke was suddenly silenced by a heavily blushing Kajumi's hand attaching itself to his face.
"Ano… please don't mind my otou-san, he has a unique sense of humor" at this Kajumi's head whipped around, and her eyes bore into her father's. "And he will not be sharing his sense of humor any more, right otou-san?" she asked, eyes narrowed. "FF wuu swwaee ssuu" Hosoke said, his eyes dancing with mirth as his daughter still had his face trapped in her grip.
Gokuru cleared his throat loudly in embarrassment, and Kajumi "eep"ed before quickly sitting down. Hosoke decided to show some mercy and shifted the conversation back to the previous topic.
"Those Redwater Teeth idiots were just a nuisance before. Their "protection" just a cost of doing business. They would usually go bother their rival gang, The Undercuts" Hosoke said shrugging. "But ever since this new guy showed up, he's been making a big push for "aggressive property acquirement" as he put it."
"Do you have any security in town? A constable, maybe?" Gokuru asked.
"Well, the closest thing we have is the local militia" Kajumi said "And they won't go up against the gangs, usually. We're mostly just fishermen and farmers."
"The daimyo of Wave is not a rich man, especially compared to the other daimyo's, but he does help when he can." Hosoke said "Unfortunately, the first two constables he sent were killed, and the third one is in the Redwater Teeth's pocket. They're starting to suck this town dry, the lucrative shipping trade being the only thing that's keeping us going."
"And it's exactly what brought that man here, right? To cut into your shipping business." Gokuru stated grimly. He fell silent a moment, then declared firmly "Well, that's about to change! I can kill two birds with one stone!"
"What? What do you mean?" Hosoke questioned.
"I'll use the bodies of those assholes from before, along with a few other gentle nudges, to start a gang war. Then swing in after, and mop up the survivors. That will also conveniently defang umm… who was it again?"
"Gato!" Kajumi cried, catching onto Gokuru's plan "He'll have to leave everyone alone after that!" She then grew apprehensive. "But that would put you into horrible danger, Gokuru-kun. Why would you risk it?"
"There's no way I could turn my back on this town's suffering. Not when I have the ability to help" declared Gokuru. The determined look in Gokuru's handsome blue eyes as he stared in Kajumi's chocolate brown ones made her flush from her neck to her hairline. She was quickly looked away as she had a sudden urge to lay kisses along his firm jawline.
"Well said, my boy" Hosoke shifted Gokuru's attention to him before his daughter fainted. "Unfortunately, I don't think we could give you much of a payment for putting your life on the line" Hosoke said sadly. "Plus, there wouldn't be any back up from the militia, probably."
"That's alright, I came here to meet up with my cousin anyway. She's a strong ninja like me!" Gokuru said encouragingly, his right hand giving a thumb's up. Which earned him a cute little giggle from Kajumi for his antics. "Besides, this is like home turf for me. I grew up in a town just like this one not too far from here" Gokuru continued. At this, Kajumi's ears perked up as she was eager to find out more about her redheaded hero.
"Can you tell us about it, Gokuru-kun?" she asked demurely. At this, the conversation wandered into much more pleasant territory as Gokuru and the others shared stories and became more comfortable around each other. The meal wore on and before anyone realized it, it was deep into the evening. Gokuru decided it was time to return to his room at the inn. He stepped out the front door and turned to face Hosoke and Kajumi as they followed.
"Thank you so much for a wonderful dinner and even better hospitality!" Gokuru said sincerely.
"No, thank you for saving my life and my daughter's purity" Hosoke said, causing Gokuru and Kajumi to turn bright red.
"N-No problem, a-anytime" Gokuru said bashfully, with his hand behind his head.
Hosoke then bowed, before stepping up and grabbing Gokuru's forearm, his expression dead serious. "Honestly, thank you. You're a good man, and my daughter and I are honored to have met you." Gokuru beamed at the sincerity in the man's voice.
"Now, I'll be happy to give you some of that smoked fish you enjoyed so much. I have it stored way in the back of the cellar" Hosoke started, before he grinned and said "I'm going to grab some for you, but I'm sure it'll take me a while to find it though". Kajumi blushed again as she caught onto her father's hinting. Gokuru just looked a little lost.
"Um, ok. Take your time I guess" Gokuru said simply. "Uh, thanks. That was some tasty fish." Hosoke just shook his head, grinning as he shut the door behind him. Gokuru then turned to the shy Kajumi. He stepped up to her, and placed a hand on her bare shoulder. The warmth of his hand, combined with the rough callouses gained from his training, sent a pleasant shiver down her spine.
"I'm going to come and check up on you guys regularly, so I don't want you to feel scared, ok? I'm not going to let them hurt you." Looking up into Gokuru's caring blue eyes in surprise, Kajumi's heart fluttered at his protectiveness.
"Thank you. Thank you so much" she said breathily. "I can't tell you what that means to me" Kajumi said, placing her hands on his chest.
The two fell silent just staring into each other's eyes. Gokuru felt himself drawn into the lovely brown orbs shining up at him with unwavering faith and appreciation. It made him feel like such a hero! The two teens then realized just how close in proximity they were. They sprang apart, blushing and unable to look at each other. The awkward moment was interrupted by the door banging open.
"Here you go Gokuru-kun!" Hosoke said brightly, handing him a box. Gokuru took it awkwardly.
"U-uh thanks! Well I should be going!" Gokuru said a little louder than normal. He then turned to Kajumi and a warm smile split his face. "Good night, Kajumi-chan" he said softly. With a gentle smile on her own face, Kajumi stepped up to Gokuru.
"Good night Gokuru-kun" she said as she shyly wrapped Gokuru up in a tight hug. "I hope you come by again soon" she whispered in his ear. She was proud of herself when she felt Gokuru shiver as her warm breath hit his ear. "O-Of course! First thing tomorrow!" Gokuru got out, making Kajumi giggle. They reluctantly parted as they could feel Hosoke's pleased smirk directed at them.
Kajumi stayed and watched as Gokuru disappeared into the darkening night. She saw a puff of smoke, but didn't realize that it was Gokuru making a clone to watch the house for any Redwater Teeth reprisals. She just knew she felt a sense of protection and bowed her head with a small smile. "Thank you, thank you so much Gokuru-kun" she thought as she stepped back into the house.
KONOHA- MAIN GATE GUARDHOUSE
At a guardhouse set just inside Konoha's large main gate sat two men clad in standard chuunin uniforms, Izumo Kamuzuki and Kotetsu Hagane. Kotetsu was lounging back in a chair, with his legs propped on a table, and his hands behind his head. Izumo was scolding his partner for taking the guard duty so lightly. They both looked up when they heard a slight skittering on the roof.
All of a sudden, Naruto's head popped into view upside down as he lay on the roof. "Heads up!" Naruto cried before launching two water balloons at the surprised chuunin. The balloons hit them both in the face. Izumo and Kotetsu quickly discovered the "water" balloons were actually filled with bright orange paint. Naruto shot off the roof, with the now orange-clad chuunin chasing him.
Naruto cut to his right into an alley, the chuunin hot on his heels. At least until they hit the transparent plastic wrap Naruto had stretched across the width of the alley at head height. Izumo hit first; sputtering and thrashing, he pulled the rest onto Kotetsu's face as well. The two ripped off the plastic wrap, and were surprised to see Naruto just standing there in front of them.
A shiver went down their spines as Naruto's well-known prankster smile appeared. They then noticed the rope in his hand. Before they could react, Naruto pulled the rope, causing a bucket above them to tip down and dump glitter all over the two chuunin.
Naruto fell to the ground, clutching his sides as he laughed uproariously. "Na-ru-to" Kotetsu and Izumo growled out ominously. They took a step forward to capture the little trickster, but stopped when the heard an adult's laughter. They spun around to see Genma raising a camera and taking a quick snapshot of their surprised, glittery, orange faces.
"Great job, Naruto!" Genma congratulated. "Wait, this was your idea, Genma? What the hell?" Kotetsu asked. "Yeah! We still have a job to do Genma! Now we're representing the Leaf while orange and twinkly!" Izumo said. "Oh, relax Izumo. And this was payback for you both hustling me at the poker game last week. You two had a little payback coming, and I wanted to see Konoha's number one prankster in action. Besides, I think it's a good look for you" Genma grinned.
When Kotetsu and Izumo just stared stonily back at him, Genma just gave an exaggerated shrug and sigh. "Fine, fine. This is an easy fix" Genma said, before using a low-level Suiton jutsu to wash off the offending glitter and paint. "Come on Naruto, I'll treat to lunch after that fine performance. Then we can start your training!" Genma said brightly as started to walk off, ignoring the twin glares boring into his back.
Naruto rushed to Genma's side happily chanting "Ramen! Training! Ramen! Training!" The sodden chuunin huffed grouchily as they made their damp way back to the guard post, water sloshing out of their sandals.
Hiruzen leaned back from the crystal ball he had been using to observe Genma and Naruto. He smiled at the simple brilliance of Genma's plan. Pranks and ramen were great ice-breakers when it came to Naruto. He felt even better now about choosing Genma as the tutor.
Later on, Genma and Naruto returned to training ground 9. Genma had Naruto practice some basic taijutsu katas to get a feel for what Naruto's base skill was. He then gave a brief overview of the three main branches of ninja arts: taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu. When he got to ninjutsu, Naruto lit up with excitement.
"Can you teach me some cool jutsu, sensei? Can you? Can you?" Naruto was practically hopping up and down. Genma chuckled "Sure, Naruto. But first, you need to learn how to mold chakra properly." Naruto pouted. "But I want a really cool jutsu sensei" he whined. "You have to start slow, Naruto. There are no shortcuts if you want to be truly strong. There are definitely no shortcuts to becoming Hokage. It will take some time, but I bet you'll see a huge difference by the time you enter the Academy" Genma lectured. "Now, here is the hand sign to mold chakra…"
By the time late afternoon was falling, Naruto was exhausted. Trying to wrangle some cooperation from his chakra had been draining. Genma didn't seem too worried and just kept telling him that Naruto was just starting out and that it would take time. Of course, Naruto wanted to be done and learning jutsu this time yesterday, but he tried to get his impatience in check. Genma then dismissed Naruto for the day, telling him to return to training ground nine at 10 am.
Feeling a chill from the sweat he had worked up, Naruto mentally thanked Miyuki for the scarf as he wound it around his neck. Naruto decided to conveniently skip over a certain part of Chohiku's meal plan, and headed to Ichiraku's for some ramen. He hadn't been able to come by the last couple days, and wanted to see Teuchi-oji san and Ayame-nee san. He was cutting through the park when he heard a muffled cry from the side. It was followed by some malicious laughter. Naruto knew that particular sound all too well, and decided to investigate.
When he pushed some branches aside, he stopped at the sight of a young girl around his age with dark blue hair, wearing a kimono with an unfamiliar symbol on the back, and she was on her knees. She was facing away from Naruto, and towards three older boys surrounding her in a semi-circle. The three bullies sneered down at their captive. "Look at the high-and-mighty Hyuuga now. This is how you should be, freak! Think you're so much better than us with your weird eyes, freak? Huh? I asked you a question, freak!" The boy in the middle taunted, obviously the leader.
"Yeah, speak up freak! You Hyuugas weren't so quiet when you called my family peasants, in the marketplace!" The boy to her left cried, brandishing a tiny fist. "P-Pl-Please f-forgive me. I-I'm s-s-ssorry!" The terrified girl squeaked out quietly. The lead boy cupped his hand to his ear mockingly. "You're what? What was that, freak? I couldn't hear you!" At this the boy kicked out and connected with her shoulder, forcing her to her back on the ground. He ground his foot down, causing the girl to cry out in pain and fear.
That cry spurred Naruto into action, and he rushed forward yelling "hey! Leave her alone! You bullies are nothing but punks! I hate punk bully bitches!" The three surprised boys just gaped as Naruto ran up and delivered a solid right hook to the leader's chin. The boy sprawled back and fell on his butt. Naruto took up a stance in front of the girl, shielding her. "I won't let them hurt you anymore." He said over his shoulder.
"Get him!" The lead boy cried before getting up and rushing Naruto himself. Naruto did the best he could, giving all he had. He was used to beatings after all, and he really did despise bullies. In the end, though, he was still a malnourished five year old boy with one afternoon of training. The bullies ended up using his precious scarf to punch him around like a paddle ball. He would get hit while another held his scarf, so he never stayed out of range of any abuse.
Finally, the three boys tired themselves out, throwing the ragged remains of Naruto's scarf at his feet as they shuffled home. Naruto just lay spread eagled on the ground, waiting for his body to respond to his commands again. The girl crawled over to Naruto on her hands and knees, crying all the while. "W-Why? W-W-Why did y-you d-do that?" She kept hovering her small hands over his battered torso, not knowing what to do.
Naruto cracked an eye open. "Are you ok?" He got out. She recoiled in shock. Was she ok!? She settled for back on her heels, trying to control her tears. "Y-yes, th-thank y-you. B-But I'm more w-worried about y-you. Are y-you ok? W-What's your n-name?" She stuttered out. All of a sudden, Naruto popped into a sitting position with a grin, getting a surprised yelp from the girl. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage of Konoha! What's your name?" Naruto said in an upbeat manner. The girl gave a small smile, glad that he didn't seem to be too hurt after having to suffer watching him take such abuse for her.
"I am Hinata Hyuuga. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She said formally while bowing, her Hyuuga etiquette training kicking in. In the back of Hinata's mind she was glad that, for once, she could do the greeting without stuttering. Naruto however, seemed confused at the formal display. "Uh, ok. Well, nice to meet you too. I'm glad I could help with those bullies. I hate people who're mean for no reason, and look down on others, dattebayo!" Naruto proclaimed.
Hinata looked at him, feeling a roiling mix of emotions. She was angry and humiliated at being too weak to defend herself, which had ended up causing this boy pain. But at the same time, she felt inspired by Naruto's confidence and his proclaimed views, which she whole-heartedly agreed with. Naruto turned and finally got a good look at Hinata, as she had been staring down in shame before. Hinata blushed as Naruto stared at her pupil-less lavender eyes. She was self-conscious, thinking that her savior might think her eyes were freakish too.
"Cool eyes, I've never seen eyes like that." Naruto's comment made her perk up in happiness, but then she was a little confused. "You d-don't know of m-my clan? The Hyuuga?" "Nope, sorry. But I still hope you want to friends. Want to be friends?" Naruto said, holding his hand out with a huge smile. Hinata was taken aback, because no-one was ever this casual and friendly around her except her mom. Just as she was about to answer, the form of a panicking teenager crashed through the brush.
"Hinata-sama! Are you ok!? Why did you run off like that!?" Ko, her caretaker, burst out. He had been sidetracked by a woman flirting with him, trying to marry into the Hyuugas. When he realized Hinata was gone, he had flown into a panic. He kneeled next to Hinata to inspect her for any wounds. "Hinata-sama, you've been crying, what has happened?" At this, he noticed the boy next to him, and his eyes narrowed angrily. "Oh, it's you" he sneered at Naruto. "Do you realize that I could kill you right now for daring to harass the Heiress, brat" Ko spat venomously.
"Come Hinata-sama, you shouldn't be near this… this trash" Ko stated haughtily. He began to lead Hinata away by the hand, but Hinata's gaze had been fixed on Naruto since Ko had said "you" in that tone she hated. That arrogant Hyuuga tone she was supposed to be learning to wield like a weapon. The hurt and pain that had crawled across her rescuer's face as he heard Ko degrade him cut at her. After a couple steps, "No!" she cried ripping her dainty hand out of Ko's. Ko looked at her in shock. "He is not trash! He saved me when you didn't!" As she turned to walk back to Naruto, Hinata almost fainted as she realized she had just shouted at her caretaker. And without stuttering!
When she reached the still seated and flabbergasted Naruto, she nervously held out her hand, desperately hoping it wouldn't start shaking. "Y-Yes, Naruto-san, I would l-like to be y-your friend." Naruto looked at her hand in wonder, tears threatening to spill. Never. Never had someone his age stood up for him! He slowly reached out and took Hinata's hand, shaking it as if he was dreaming. Hinata blushed at the contact. She looked to the ground in embarrassment, which brought the ruined scarf into her vision. She hadn't really paid it any mind when she was flagellating herself for her weakness earlier.
"Oh, N-Naruto-san, your scarf! I'm s-so s-sorry!" Hinata started gathering up the pieces of the scarf. Naruto picked up a couple pieces in shaking hands, his earlier elation turning icy and bitter. He squeezed his eyes and hands shut in grief and anger over losing something so precious. Willing himself not to cry, he dropped the pieces back down. "Don't worry about it, Hinata-san." Naruto ground out in a dead, defeated voice. "Can't be fixed."
Hinata's head snapped up from where she was gathering the wool at the disturbing sound. Naruto just stood up and couldn't tear his gaze from the bits of cloth scattered like blood stains on the ground. He felt like it was blood gushing from his aching heart. He couldn't take it. His precious scarf taken from him almost as soon as he had received it. Without another word, he spun and ran, trying to get far away from this clearing. It would only be much later that he would realize that he had run from Hinata and friendship, redoubling his anguish.
Hinata sat there frozen, her hands still clutching the tattered scraps of wool. Her eyes teared up as she realized that she had caused Naruto pain again. Only this time it seemed to be ten times worse. She clutched her hands to her chest, berating herself over and over silently. Ko was surprised at the scene that had played out in front of him, but moved into action when he saw Hinata start to cry.
He was worried about her involvement with the blonde pariah, but he cared about his charge deeply. He carefully knelt next to Hinata and brought her hands away from her chest. "I'm sorry Hinata-sama. I don't know what that boy is to you, and I honestly think you should stay away from him. But-" he said as he saw her about to speak "I want you to be happy. How about we gather this up, and take it to your mom? I'm sure Lady Hyoko can help, alright?" Smiling gently at Hinata, he helped her gather up all the pieces before leading her back home.
The next afternoon, Ko was limping towards an exclusive, specialty market the Hyuugas favored. He was in an extremely foul mood. After taking responsibility for losing Hinata last night, her enraged father and the Clan Head, Hiashi, had told Ko to come spar with him in the morning. Ko shuddered at the memory of the cold fury in Lord Hiashi's voice. Then winced as his body reminded him of the "spar" with his clan leader. Only after the Gentle Fist master had utilized the jyuuken style to close every single one of Ko's non-vital tenketsu points was Hiashi satisfied. He turned and left without uttering a single word, either before or after the brutal session. He left the tenderized and immobile Ko quivering on the hard, wooden floor.
Now Ko was being further humiliated by doing the job of one of the Branch House kitchen scullions: grocery shopping. For a Hyuuga Main House member to be forced to do menial labor was very shaming, especially if it was considered a weak and easy task.
So, Ko was pretty pissed at the moment. And lost. Which only compounded his frustration as he had never actually been to the out-of-the-way specialty market, and was too proud to ask for directions. He was wandering in a poor area that he was unfamiliar with, when he spotted a young blonde boy. With a groan, he turned to try and avoid the brat. Naruto spotted him though, and ran up to him.
"Hey, you're the… one…" Naruto trailed off at the obvious state of bruising and discomfort that Ko was suffering. "Uh, anyway do you know where Hinata-san is?" Naruto asked. Ko was seething. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to lower himself to speaking to this peasant brat, who spoke of Hinata-sama so casually. He most definitely didn't want to put him back into contact with her, especially after this morning. To top it off, the reason for his suffering had brushed off his pain as trivium!
"Go away, brat! I have nothing to say to the likes of you" Ko growled, pushing past the boy. He couldn't go very fast, though, and Naruto was nothing if not stubborn. "Hey! HEY! I'm not done talking to you. Where's Hinata-san? I want an answer!" Naruto harassed the limping man as he struggled forward. Ko took a swipe at Naruto, who had warily stayed just out of reach. Ko grumbled under his breath about "his aching body" and "blonde terrors", while Naruto just kept harassing him.
After about two blocks of this, Ko finally snapped when he realized he was being ridiculed by the surrounding onlookers. He drew the tattered remains of his Hyuuga pride together and stood as straight backed as he could, gazing down at Naruto imperiously. "Away with you commoner! I have nothing to stay to some ignorant street rat. Are you so foolish that you do not know the location of my clan's compound? The greatest clan in all of Konoha!?" Ko proclaimed from on high, getting a few disgusted murmurs from the onlookers at his arrogance. This was not an area of Konoha to find people impressed by clan names.
Naruto was glaring back at Ko with one eye squinted shut and his arms crossed over his chest. Then an idea seemed to strike Naruto, and he brightened. "Oh duh. She said she was from a clan! I should have thought of that. Thanks teme!" Naruto shouted and ran off. The crowd was stunned as Naruto further embarrassed the haughty clansman, and started laughing openly. Ko fumed and strode angrily away… well limped angrily away.
Naruto, though, was happily running through the streets toward the Clan Quarter, near the Hokage Tower. Genma-sensei had made this morning's exercises tougher after learning about Naruto's little altercation. He had focused on taijutsu only, pushing Naruto until he was worn through. The prospect of re-connecting with his new friend revitalized Naruto's limbs, however. Off to the side he saw walls with the same symbol as on Hinata and Ko's kimonos. He ran up to a pair of gates with a gatehouse overlooking them, and stoic pale-eyed sentinels standing guard to either side.
Naruto faltered, he hadn't expected to have to approach a fortress! The thought of having a friend, a real friend, emboldened him, though. He took a moment to gather himself, and then squared his shoulders. He marched towards the gates, feeling the same determination he did when he charged into the Hokage's Tower for a tutor. The guards looked at him without a trace of emotion. When he drew within ten feet of the gate, the guards converged on him, stopping him with their hands outstretched.
"Hold and declare!" The left guard said firmly. "What is your business with the Hyuuga clan?" The right guard said firmly. Naruto, of course, was thrown for a loop with this. What were they talking about? "Um, what?" Was his intelligent reply. "Is, uh, is Hinata-san here? Oh, umm, Hinata-sama I mean." Naruto said, remembering what that Ko twat had called her. The gate guards looked at each other subtly out of the corner of their eyes. The Hyuuga versions of Kotetsu and Izumo communicated without words for a moment.
"Wait here, commoner." Left said, nodding at Right. Right nodded back and moved in front of the gate opening as Left slipped inside. Right stared down at Naruto stoically, making Naruto more and more uneasy. His previously determined self had melted away quickly, leaving a nervous five year old in his place. After what seemed like an eternity to Naruto, Left slipped out of the gate and stood shoulder to shoulder with Right gazing stonily down at Naruto. The two stood there saying nothing, not even twitching a muscle, as Naruto felt more and more uncomfortable.
Suddenly, Left spoke when Naruto was about to break and run. "Come with me. Don't speak unless spoken to, and do not deviate from the path I set." Left said authoritatively. He turned and marched inside. Naruto gulped audibly and followed his now-silent guide apprehensively. He kept on Left's heels and kept his head down, trying not to anger his guide. This also meant that he didn't notice Left hiding Naruto's small form from casual sight behind Left's taller form. They glided among corridors until Naruto felt a meaty hand lightly touch his shoulder.
Naruto looked up to see a traditional sliding door. Left called out respectfully "Hinata-sama, I bring a visitor, if you please." The door slid open and both Naruto and Hinata were equally stunned to see each other. In comical unison, they turned towards the guard. "Is that how you greet a guest, Lady Hinata?" Left asked. Hinata "eep"ed and bowed low. "W-Welcome, p-please come inside." Hinata managed to get out before she scuttled back inside her room. Left guided Naruto in with a hand on his shoulder. Naruto entered Hinata's room and looked around.
It was fairly spartan, with a comfortable looking bed, two bedside tables, a writing desk, a closet, and a bookshelf. There was a small chest against the far wall, with a large bay window and a seating area underneath the window. The writing desk had a vase of flowers next to a picture of a smiling woman that resembled Hinata with a tall, long haired man, with formal robes and pupil-less eyes. He had a smile on a face that looked like it was unused to such an expression.
Left took up a position next to the door, unmoving. Hinata was standing in the middle of her room, blushing madly and staring at her feet. Nervously, she tried to break the awkward silence, "T-thank you a-again for w-what you did y-yesterday. A-are you f-feeling b-better Naruto-san?" Hinata asked quietly. "Huh? Oh, yeah, don't worry about me. It'll take more than that to keep me down, dattebayo!" Naruto declared with a big smile. Hinata and Naruto then lapsed back into an uncomfortable silence. Naruto shuffled his feet, unsure of what to do next. "Um, Hinata-san? I just wanted to come ask you something…" he trailed off nervously. Shuffling towards her, Naruto said "Um, did you mean what you said? Do you still want to be friends?" Naruto asked. He dared to peek up at Hinata, surprised to see her turning a bright red. "Hinata!" He cried, rushing to her side "are you alright? Are you sick?" Naruto put the back of his hand to Hinata's forehead.
This proved too much for the Hyuuga heiress, and she fainted. "Hinata!" Naruto turned to Left. "Help her!" Naruto demanded. Unexpectedly, Naruto was treated to a rare sight. Left started chuckling, a rich baritone that then turned into a deep gale of laughter. "It's alright, Naruto-san. She will be fine." Left said chuckling, as he gently picked Hinata up and placed her in bed. "Come Naruto-san, it is time. You must go." Left said as he guided Naruto out, once again hiding the blonde's form behind his taller one.
At the gate, a very confused Naruto looked up at the two guards. "We were pleased to hear about what you did for Hinata-sama. You won't be welcome here at the compound again though, Naruto-san." Right said sadly. Left then spoke up "but we will try to make sure that Hinata-sama will have opportunities to see you again. In the park, perhaps? Taking her to the Academy and back, maybe?" Naruto was still lost. "But, will we be friends or not? Who're you? What's going on?" Naruto asked in frustration.
Left put a hand to his chest and bowed "Forgive me, Naruto-san, I am Cho." "Forgive me, Naruto-san, I am Po" Right echoed simultaneously. The two looked to Naruto expectedly. "We wish you to be friends with Hinata-sama, but the clan would not like it because you are a commoner in their eyes." Po explained. "Still, we think you are good for her, and will help where we can." Cho said.
"For now, why don't you run on home Naruto-san? We will try to see that Hinata-sama is at the park later tomorrow" Po said, as he nudged Naruto away from the compound. "Umm, o-ok. See you tomorrow, I guess. I have training in the morning though! So I can't go then!" Naruto stated firmly. "It's ok Naruto-san, so does Hinata-sama. We're talking about later in the day. She needs a friend, Naruto-san. Are you up to the task?" Cho asked firmly, with a strange glint to his eye.
"Um, I think so… She really wants to be my friend?" Naruto hated the desperation that crawled into his question. "Yes, Naruto-san. And so do we." Po said kindly. Naruto looked up at him hopefully "Really? Do you mean it?" Po laid a hand on Naruto's head and smiled slightly. "Yes, Naruto. We mean it. Run along now, and keep this our little secret" Po winked as he ruffled Naruto's hair. Still confused, Naruto ran off towards his apartment, the hope for true friends inside the village burning inside him.
Cho turned to Po with a steely gaze. "You go too far, too fast." "No my friend, the Kami guide me, and I go at their pace" came the serene reply. Cho's snort ripped through the afternoon air. "Well, fine. Anyway, you should have seen them together" Cho replied. He then proceeded to regale Po with the details of Naruto's visit. They both knew that if the Main Branch sniffed out their rebellious notions, it would be very, very bad for both of them. But when Cho reached the point in his story when Hinata fainted, they both had the same thought "completely worth it".
The next day saw Naruto just leaving Ichiraku's, full and refreshed from Genma-sensei's earlier training session. Genma had let Naruto go early when he learned that Naruto was to meet up with a friend at the park. As he traveled towards the park, Naruto continuously cursed himself for a fool, and argued with himself repeatedly as his feet traitorously carried him towards the park. He knew, just knew that he was setting himself up for disappointment. He arrived at a chilly, near-empty park. Naruto chose to sit crosswise on an unoccupied swing on the more deserted side of the park. Crossing his arms on the rope support, he hid his pained gaze against his forearms. "I'm so stupid, no one's coming. What was I thinking?" Naruto's rare pity-party was interrupted by a chipper, girlish voice.
"Hey! What're you doing here? Do you want to swing? I want to swing" the bubbly voice broke through Naruto's despair as he lifted his head to see a brightly smiling, platinum blonde haired girl with luminous blue eyes. Naruto was surprised to see that she had gotten so close to him. She then got into his personal space "Hey, are those whisker marks? Call I call you Mittens? He was my cat that died. C'mon Mittens, let's play." The gob smacked boy could only gape as he allowed himself to be pulled behind the swing next to him. "I'm Ino, by the way. Ino Yamanaka, so glad to meet you! Now push!" Ino introduced herself/ commanded.
Ino hooted with laughter as Naruto started to push her purely on instinct. As Ino continued to laugh, Naruto got more and more into it. He was surprised when a laugh escaped his own mouth. Naruto caught sight of a blonde man out of the corner of his eye. His head whipped around "He's one of-" Naruto's thought process was interrupted by Ino's posterior making contact with his cheekbone, knocking him flush to the ground.
Ino ground to halt using her feet. She popped out of her seat and checked on her new friend. "Mittens! Mittens! Are you ok?" Ino asked, shaking Naruto. Naruto recovered quickly. "Sure" he proclaimed with a huge smile and a thumb's up. "Hey, are you alright?" The deep voice surprised Naruto and he spun to come face to face with the blonde man from the bench. "Uh… uh. Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm ok." Naruto stammered out, while Ino watched confused. "What's wrong, Mittens? This is my otou-sama! He's really, really nice. Oh, let's go pick daisies!" Ino cried before running towards the open field next to the park. Naruto flinched at the deep-throated chuckle coming from the blonde man.
"Listen, Naruto-san, I realize that you might be a little wary of me after the… when we invited you over to… Anyway, I just want you to know that I am happy to see you, and I'm glad that you're getting along with my daughter. I would like you two to become friends. Please. Just… give it a chance, I won't stand in your way, ok?" Inoichi felt a pang of guilt when he noticed Naruto flinch and shy away from the hand that he placed on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto stood looking down, his hair shadowing his eyes.
"I heard you." Inoichi started "what? What did you say, Naruto?" Inoichi asked, not having understood what he meant. "I said I HEARD YOU!" Naruto yelled, his fists tight at his sides, as he fought back tears. "I heard you. Someone just like you said that I was a monster, that you hoped I would KILL MYSELF!" Naruto screamed, the tears starting to fall. Inoichi's hand tightened almost painfully on his shoulder as the older man grabbed Naruto's other shoulder to make him face Inoichi fully.
"Naruto. NARUTO! Please, listen to me, I don't know which one of my clansman said such a horrible, terrible thing. I don't, but I swear to you that that's not the way of it. I would never, never, EVER say that you should kill yourself." At this, Inoichi's grip grew tighter "Naruto, please. Please promise me that you'll never even think of doing such a thing!" Naruto just stood there, dumbstruck. Inoichi shook him almost violently "Naruto, promise me!" Naruto was taken aback by the fervor in the man's voice.
"Uh, oh, ok? I promise? Please, just let me go" Naruto whimpered. Inoichi relaxed his grip on Naruto. "I apologize Naruto, I didn't mean to frighten you. It just scared me quite a bit when you said you should kill yourself. Don't ever think that way again, ok?" Inoichi released Naruto and shuffled a step back. "I'm sorry, I just don't want you to get hurt, alright?" Inoichi stared at Naruto, willing the tense child to believe him.
Naruto finally looked up, tentative hope filling his eyes. "Do you mean it? Do you really mean it?" Naruto got out. "Yes, I mean it Naruto-kun" Inoichi said soothingly. "Why don't you go play with Ino-chan?" Inoichi asked, pointing at his daughter who was watching them in nervous confusion. "Well, a bit of a rocky start, but I'm sure Ino-chan will work her magic on the poor boy" Inoichi thought as he watched the two scamper around the park.
Footsteps crunching on the gravel path behind him made Inoichi turn. He was surprised to see two Branch House Hyuugas with the young heiress. "Greetings, Inoichi-sama" the elder Hyuugas said in unison, bowing. Hinata jumped a little as she had been busy scanning the park for a small blonde. "G-Greetings, I-Inoichi-sama" she said. Inoichi just smiled and pointed off to his left. "He's over there, Lady Hinata." Hinata blushed bright red and shuffled off, her head down in embarrassment.
Inoichi watched her go for a moment before turning to her guards. "Cho-san and Po-san isn't it? Isn't Ko-san her usual caretaker?" He didn't miss the quick glance that was exchanged between the two. "Ko-sama is unavailable, at present" Cho said. "He is recovering from a rigorous spar with Lord Hiashi, Inoichi-sama" Po added. "Ah" was all Inoichi said as he returned to his seat to keep an eye on the playing children. He was glad to see Naruto and Ino run up to the hesitant Hinata, and get her to play with them. A comfortable silence fell among the three men, as they simply watched the children play.
SANCTUARY- DOCKS
Ryuusuke stepped onto the dock, taking in the sight of his expanded home. Looking to his left, he saw that Sanctuary had absorbed the tiny village that once neighbored it. He could see that several new piers had been added, which meant many more boats had been constructed. In the few years he'd been gone, the town of Sanctuary had grown considerably. The rocks forming the breakwater had been replaced with an impressively high wall the protected the bay. It also extended onto the beach to link up with the wall that had been raised around the town.
As Ryuusuke hefted the large sealing scroll holding his belongings, he let eyes wander as he gladly took in the sights of his home. He stopped dead when caught sight of a familiar form.
She had red hair gathered at the back of her head in a pony tail that reached the middle of her shoulder blades. Mesh armor that covered her torso and the entirety of her right arm. It clinked a bit as she moved, shifting under the black T- shirt she wore with the Uzumaki swirl in red right below the oval cutout in both shirt and armor that exposed some her impressive bust. Add to that tight blood red leather pants endings in knee high dark leather boots, and this was a woman that naturally turned heads in any situation.
Ryuusuke was stunned. "Hidoki…" he whispered. His heart clenched, it always did when he saw her. It reminded him of what he had lost.
Hidoki Uzumaki was lost in thought as she absently gazed at some abalone shell jewelry laid out in front of her. The kiosk's owner was rambling on, but her mind was consumed with the fact that Ryuusuke was supposed to arrive back home soon. She couldn't help the images that kept rolling through her mind. The memories that she had tried so hard to bury. Ryuusuke had been her closest friend. She was sure that it was going to be more than that.
One day, just over three years ago, he had asked her to come to his home. He had said he had a surprise for her. But, when she walked into his home, she was shocked to discover two teen-aged women all over him. He had lipstick kiss marks all over his face and neck, and one teen had the top of her kimono shrugged off around her waist, with Ryuusuke's hands on her breasts. The other even had her hand down his pants! The pain, the jealousy, the anger, she could feel each emotion just as strongly as that night.
Suddenly, she felt another's gaze on her and she turned towards the docks. She saw a young man who had obviously just got off a boat.
He was an imposing sight, towering over most people at 6'2" with a muscular physique and short, spiky red hair. But his most intimidating features were the jagged, curving scar starting just above his left brow and ending at his left jaw; and the intricate array of seals hidden in the tattoos decorating his entire torso. He exploited this by wearing a standard red Uzumaki jounin flak jacket with leather shoulder armor, leaving it open to show off his muscular physique. Combined with the crimson cargo pants and black combat boots, he cut an impressive figure.
Hidoki couldn't help the way her heart rose with joy "Ryuu-kun…?" She whispered. She immediately felt torn. She was glad he was back, but he had left her so suddenly. And what about that night? Was she just supposed to forget it? Was there even a chance between them anyway? What had happened during the long three years he was away? What was she to him?
Ryuusuke was floored as memories of the night he was going to finally confess his feelings to Hidoki came rushing back. He had been fussing around at home, putting the final touches on the dinner he had laid out. He had perked up when there was a knock on the door, even though Hidoki usually just walked in. When he had opened the door, he had been surprised to find two lovely civilian girls his own age dressed in formal kimonos. They had pounced on him as soon as he opened the door. Smiling seductively, they had breathed husky promises into his ear.
He had only vaguely recognized these two, thinking they may be the Slinking Cat Sisters, as some of the boys called them. They came from the Hiyafuda family, and were known to try and seduce wealthy and influential men. Such as the protégé of the Uzumaki Clan Head, widely believed to become his successor. They were undeniably pretty, with exotically slanted, dark brown eyes, and flowing onyx hair. Ryuusuke had never had much exposure to flirting. He had been absorbed with training, fuinjutsu, and becoming a serious shinobi. So he had been very flustered as the two alternated kissing him on the face and neck.
He blushed at the memory of the things they were saying, and one had even shoved her hand down his pants, curling it around his treacherously hardening member. At this he had raised his hands defensively, telling them to stop and leave. He had been unwilling to throw them out physically, and wanted to just slow everything down. That had backfired spectacularly when the other sister had simply shrugged off her kimono and grabbed Ryuusuke's hands, placing them on her breasts.
And at that perfectly disastrous moment, he had heard the door open and watched Hidoki walk in. The pain on seeing her bright smile fade, pain and betrayal filling her eyes. It stung him even now just as strongly as it did then, the obvious pain that filled her face. She had fled into the night, crying. Ryuusuke had had no qualms about throwing the two minxes out then, but too little, too late.
He slowly willed his leaden body to move forward when he saw Hidoki recognize him. What was he going to say? Did she still hate him? Could she have moved on, found somebody new. A new, fresh pain ripped through Ryuusuke at the thought of Hidoki with someone else. But what did he expect? He had left her for three long years. She was a talented, beautiful young woman. He had seen how other boys had looked at her. Would she even consider being his friend again?
When Ryuusuke had started moving forward, it had jolted Hidoki out of her stupor. She moved forward automatically. Then stopped, hesitating, then moving forward again. When the two met, there was an awkward, heavy silence. Neither could think of anything to say. "Uh, hello Hidoki" Ryuusuke said, not believing he had the right to call her Doki-chan like he used to. Hidoki twitched and said "Welcome home Ryuusuke" while looking at her feet. "What is wrong with me? Why can't I look him in the face? Why can't I just talk to him? You're a strong kunoichi, kamidamn it! Show some backbone!" Hidoki thought.
Ryuusuke sighed thinking that she was still so mad at him, she couldn't even look him in the face. "Well, hell, what did I expect? I ran away like a little bitch, didn't I? I should've stayed. I should've fought for her no matter how many times she looked at me hurt and angry." Ryuusuke berated himself. "I'm uh, glad to be back. Um, thanks." "Oh, real smooth idiot. I'm sure she'll just fall into your arms now!" "I, uh, I see the town's gotten big" Ryuusuke got out, immediately wanting to smack himself in the forehead. "What is wrong with me? Apologize! I need to tell her how I missed her!"
Hidoki looked up at him, her heart beating a little faster when she looked at his scar. Her heart always did that since he had received that scar because of her. But she still couldn't find the words to let out her tumultuous emotions. "Uh, yeah. We even took in the village next to us." Hidoki said, immediately wanting to kick herself. "Just tell him. Tell you found out about those slinking slut sisters! Tell him you're not mad at him!" "Ryuusuke…" Hidoki said before the memory of that night flashed through her mind's eye unbidden. Ryuusuke caught the flash of anguish that rushed across her face. He sighed heavily.
"She's still hurting. I can't believe what I did to her. Maybe she will at least stoop to being my friend again" Ryuusuke thought guiltily. "Um, Hidoki? Can we be friends?" Ryuusuke asked fearfully. Hidoki flinched. "Friends? Did he find someone? Does he not want me? Well, he never did say he actually wanted me anyway. I have no idea what he wanted that night, and I never let him talk to me before he left." Hidoki thought dejectedly. "Umm… friends, sure. Yeah, fine." Hidoki said lowly before turning away from him and walking towards Ashara's house. "Come on, I'm sure Ashara-sama wants to see you" Hidoki said as she walked off.
"Well, at least that's something. I guess she doesn't completely hate me" Ryuusuke thought ruefully. Sighing again, he shuffled after her. "So good to be home" he thought morosely.
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A/N: Well, that's a wrap. This chapter fought me at first, but I ended up limiting myself to a little over 10k words. Next chapter will be up soon, I promise. I sincerely thank you all for your support. All reviews will be welcome, positive or otherwise.