"Blah": Talking
'Blah': Demon speaking/Inner Sakura
'Blah': Naruto's thoughts/other people's thoughts
'Blah': Harry talking to Naruto
Hello, folks! I had a little creative block over the last few days thinking about Shikamaru and Temari's fight. But I got a large deal of that chapter done so I decided to quit holding off this chapter. I wanted to complete at least five chapters and post one each week, but the process has been going slow so I decided to go ahead and post this one now. I'll post the next chapter after I finished Shikamaru/Temari and try to update each week until the final matches are over.
But before we start: this new chapter might have a little twist when you reach a certain point. But keep on reading. No matter what I have written, I promise Hayate's involvement in the story does not end with this book in the series. Keep in mind that if I were to ever kill him off, I would have shown it and did it back when he faced off with Baki and Kabuto
Go ahead and read this chapter and let me know what you think about it.
I don't have much more to add this time around, but I look forward to reading your reviews, as always and are always appreciated!
Remember: Reviews are welcome and wanted!
Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto
Harry Potter is property of JK Rowling
Chapter 18: The Woes and Worries of Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto remained in total darkness, unable to return to his subconscious or the real world. He couldn't focus and his connection to the world inside his head was clouded and lost to him. But after a while, he started to hear voices. Familiar voices that sounded outraged and furious. He could hear Iruka's voice echo within his ears, and then he heard the Sandaime. There was a third voice that wasn't familiar at all, but didn't sound as harsh or hot as Iruka or the old man. Naruto soon blinked and his vision remained clouded and unfocused. He blinked a few more times and the voices became clear to him and he found himself on a leather couch, the same one next to the bookshelf in Hiruzen Sarutobi's office.
"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT TO HIM! HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" shouted Iruka.
But then an ANBU in the room answered, "He resisted arrest."
"LIAR! YOU JUST WANTED AN EXCUSE TO KNOCK HIM OUT! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! THE UCHIHA POLICE?!" accused the chunin.
Sarutobi intervened and boomed, "THAT'S ENOUGH!"
The blonde-haired rookie moaned as he tried to lift himself from the couch and sit down. He rubbed his head and felt a massive swell under his hair where the ANBU attacked him. He looked around the room to see Iruka and the ANBU stand and face each other, while the Sandaime sat at his desk and looked stern as he abandoned his tobacco for once. Naruto shook his head while he tried to form a solid sentence and blinked a few times for his vision to become clearer.
"What… what happened?" he asked in a moan.
The three men in the room looked at him before the Sandaime looked to the ANBU in the room and ordered him to leave at once. The ANBU took a moment to look at Naruto before he left in a stiffened manner. Even though he couldn't see his face, the blonde wizard knew the masked soldier stared him down and seethed. As the man left the office, the wizard hissed at the faceless soldier and made him look back at him before the doors closed. Naruto then turned to face his older brother and the old man.
"Come and take a seat, Naruto-kun…" he said in a calm, kind, but stern voice.
Naruto did as he was told and sat down in one of the two chairs in the office. Iruka sat down too and asked Naruto if he was ok, to which Naruto answered with a silent nod of his head. The Sandaime sat back in his own chair behind his desk, but seemed serious and uncomfortable as he sat back down and watched Naruto.
"Please excuse me for the actions of the ANBU forces. You should be fine, Naruto-kun," said the old man, and then he asked, "You're not hurt too bad?"
The blonde wizard nodded and insisted with a small shake of his head, "I'm fine, but what's this all about?"
"You were found at the scene of a serious crime, I'm afraid," answered the wrinkled leader, "Dosu Kinuta from Oto was murdered…"
Naruto blinked as his memories from the roof of the castle he visited were restored and he moved in to insist on his innocence, "Sir, I swear I didn't-"
"I know, Naruto-kun," said the Sandaime with a calm and kind voice as he raised his hands to tell the child to calm down, "You're DNA was nowhere to be found on his remains. Besides, it turns out that Dosu has been dead for some time now, so it's unlikely you could have killed him. We believe someone else was responsible, someone that the ANBU have tried to track down for some time now."
The blonde rookie calmed down some but then he asked, "So how come I'm still here? And how come Iruka-aniki is here, too?"
"The ANBU team that arrived on the scene doesn't have as much faith and tolerance as I do, Naruto-kun. But don't fret, I intend to have them punished as soon as the Chunin Exams are over," the old man answered, while the chunin beside Naruto nodded, "Iruka was summoned here to escort you back home with him."
Sarutobi watched as Naruto relaxed and decided he should at least provide a little compensation for all the trouble he was thrown into. The old man smiled and decided to treat the blonde rookie to a small treat.
"But how about a hot chocolate first?" asked the old Sandaime.
Naruto blinked at him and then smiled, as he thought about his confrontation with Gaara earlier on "Yeah… I think I could use one of those after what I've been through…"
Sarutobi asked Iruka if he would like one too, to which the chunin nodded with a small smile of his own. Hiruzen's assistant arrived a few minutes later with three mugs of hot chocolate, stuffed to the brim with marshmallows. Naruto took a small drink from the hot liquid and could feel his insides become warm and the swell mark on his head died down a bit as his muscles relaxed. Chocolate had that effect on him and Iruka seemed to feel the same sensation as he melted in his chair and looked somewhat drunk. The little scene seemed fine and relaxing as the three shinobi took a few minutes to completely forget about their issues and responsibilities, until the same ANBU from earlier returned with a thick file in his hand.
"Hokage-sama, we have news about Dosu Kinuta!" he announced.
The old man blinked and rested his hot chocolate on his desk and asked in a serious tone, "And? What is it?"
"It wasn't the same man, sir. The marks on Dosu's remains do not match the ones we found on Hayate Gekko," the blonde rookie in the room rested his hot chocolate on the table next to him but then he froze when he heard his swordsmaster name mentioned, "Whoever killed Dosu must have been some kind of animal. But I wouldn't rule out that a monster clawed the bastard to death."
The ANBU said the last statement with ice in his voice and shared Naruto a mean look hidden under his mask. The Sandaime stared at the ANBU in the room and shot him a look that told him to leave the room at once before he revealed too much in front of the others. But the ANBU refused to leave and continued to read from the file in his hands while the old man still had his two visitors in the room. The masked man acted like he didn't even see the old man's face with the animal mask he wore and continued.
"Whoever killed Hayate Gekko is still out there," said the ANBU, "We have no leads on his killer or the creature that killed Dosu."
Naruto's insides churned as the effects of the hot chocolate vanished from his stomach and his muscles tensed. He stared out ahead of him with a terrified look on his face as he shivered. The blonde-haired rookie tried to talk, but he wasn't able to form words as his mind took in what the ANBU said. He turned to look at the old bearded man as he trembled and Iruka looked about as thunderstruck as his little brother but turned to look at the ANBU and blinked as he shared the Sandaime a look as well.
"Hayate…" said the tan-skinned chunin, "Did he say Hayate Gekko?"
The blonde-haired child looked to the Sandaime before he went on a rant and raised his voice at the old man for answers, "What did he mean killed?! What happened to Hayate?! What was he talking about, old man?! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO HAYATE-SENSEI?!"
Sarutobi raised his hands at Naruto for the second time as Naruto sat in his seat and stared at the old man. The ANBU left the room and left behind the documents with the Sandaime while Naruto trembled in his seat and his face filled with color, twitched, and trembled with raw human emotion. All Iruka did was stare at the old man too as soon as the ANBU left the office, worried about his comrade, but also concerned for how Naruto felt if the sudden news turned out to be true.
Naruto said in a low voice, riddled with hurt, "It can't be true…"
"Is… is he dead?" asked a cautious Iruka.
The Sandaime let out a slow breath and then he answered with a nod and a sad look on his wrinkled, bearded face, "Yes... he is dead."
"He can't be..." the blonde-haired rookie sat back down and shut down, he shook his head as he felt as if the blood drained out of his face and into his feet, his face turned red and he continued to shake his head in denial, his mind filled with memories of his master in action with a sword, an undefeated master swordsman, "That's not possible… Hayate-sensei couldn't have been killed! It can't be true!"
Iruka looked defeated and depressed, as he said, "No…"
"Gomenasai, Naruto-kun," the Sandaime said with a sad, but warm voice as he saw tears start to flow down Naruto's face when the child looked down and tried to hide his face with his hair, "Believe me, I wish it weren't true… He was an excellent shinobi and a wonderful friend to many people… But he was discovered earlier in the week, his sword broken in half and his throat was slit. I'm afraid he was assassinated. But from what we could find, it looked like he had one hell of a battle before he was defeated: more than half of the blood we found in the area he was discovered wasn't even his. He must have been ambushed near the end of his fight and subsequently defeated..."
Naruto's face turned red and he started to sob as he covered his face with his hands. Iruka moved in at once and embraced his little brother. The chunin held Naruto close to him and allowed him to wet his vest with his tears as the man ran his hand over his blonde hair. The Sandaime wished he could have done what Iruka did on instinct, but was so overwhelmed with remorse with his own failures to think Naruto would even welcome his warm embrace. So the old man let Iruka comfort Naruto and listened to his cries die down as the child shook his head.
"Naruto-kun…"
After what felt like an hour, Sarutobi decided to call for his attention when Naruto seemed to calm down to normal. The blonde rookie dried his tears, but his face was still red and wet around his cheeks as he sniffed and faced his leader. He looked like he had calmed down some, but Naruto seemed to have some kind of fire within him. He looked like he wanted to know more, determined to uncover the facts as his mind swirled with thoughts about Gaara, Suna, Orochimaru, Kabuto Yakushi, and Sasuke. All of them were connected, and now his swordsmaster was dead. Naruto couldn't help but suspect that his master's death was connected as well.
"Hokage-sama…" said Naruto.
Iruka and Hiruzen were shocked when the blonde rookie referred to the old man with his formal title. Neither of them could recall the last time the child ever spoke to the old man in such a manner. Both of them were used to how Naruto would often use an affectionate term of endearment for the Sandaime.
But the rookie continued and asked, "Please, don't mind if I ask, but what exactly is going on here? First one of the Sannin attacks me, Sasuke, and Sakura-chan in the Forest of Death, then there's a kid who can control sand with his mind, Kabuto Yakushi smells like a bucket of snake urine, Sasuke has a curse mark on his neck, and now the man that took care of me when I was a little kid is killed. Something is going on and I want to know what it is. With all due respect, I deserve to know, Hokage-sama. I have to know. I don't care if it distracts me from the Chunin Exams, because this seems a lot more important to me at the moment."
The old man still couldn't believe Naruto called him by his title and was even more shocked to see how serious, determined, and formal Naruto became with each word he uttered. Sure, his behavior was still defiant and full of fire, but the blonde shinobi started to sound a little bit like Iruka and a certain red-haired woman the old man knew well. The look on Naruto's face, even while covered in tears, was identical to that woman as the child balanced his determination with Iruka's manners.
"I think I said this once before in this very office," the old man couldn't hold back the smile that stretched across his wrinkled face as he reminisced, "You and Kushina are so very much alike, Naruto-kun. When she matured, she became a clever kunoichi. But if there was ever an issue she was involved with, she wouldn't rest until she had the answers she needed. She used to infuriate sometimes…"
Naruto blinked at the mention of his mother before he shook his head and questioned, "So there is something going on? I was right?"
The Sandaime frowned before he looked to the windows and doors to check and make sure their voices wouldn't be carried out for someone to overhear them. The door to the office clicked shut before the old man looked at both Naruto and Iruka, who didn't seem as determined as his little brother but didn't want to leave and remained in his seat. Sarutobi sat down in his seat and looked more serious than either shinobi was familiar with.
The old man faced them both and ordered, "You two will not repeat whatever I say in this office. Is that understood?"
Naruto nodded. Sarutobi turned to the chunin and made him break a sweat when he faced him.
Sarutobi looked the chunin down and checked, "Iruka?"
"Y-Yes, sir!" he stammered.
The old man relaxed some before he let out a breath and informed the two shinobi what he had informed the jounin and the Tokubetsu shinobi, "I have reason to believe that Orochimaru has made a massive movement to infiltrate and invade Konoha. It turns out that he has made several moves already and plans to destroy our village in the wake of the Chunin Selection Exams. He had spies in Konoha feed him the information he needed in order to infiltrate the village, stole the identities of several shinobi and kunoichi from Kusagakure no Sato, and was able to sneak into the Chunin Exams to start his initiative. We believe he targeted Sasuke Uchiha in order to obtain his Sharingan, but his efforts were in vain and he was forced to flee before the ANBU forces arrived. Just a few weeks earlier, we were made aware of the top source Orochimaru had, thanks to Naruto-kun. But he was able to evade arrest after we discovered his true nature."
Both Iruka and Naruto were shaken at the news of an invasion. The blonde shinobi remembered what he and Harry discussed before their last session with Hayate, so he wasn't too shocked, but still somewhat frightened. Iruka, on the other hand, looked nervous but still wore a brave face as if he were prepared to fight. It was a look neither Naruto nor Harry were used to seeing. But when the Sandaime informed them about Orochimaru's informant and the role Naruto played in discovering him, both shinobi were well aware whom it was the old man referred to.
Naruto muttered, "Kabuto Yakushi…"
"Yes," the old man confirmed, "He is indeed a traitor to Konoha. Kabuto supposedly worked for Orochimaru and fed him information about the village and the Chunin Exams. We don't know how those two have been in contact, so I had Hayate and several others track him down and check his abandoned home for more information. And Hayate was able to feed me with some useful information about the traitor. But I think he must have discovered more important information about Orochimaru, but he was killed before he had the chance to contact me."
The blonde shinobi shivered a little bit and his hands turned into fists as he looked more determined and asked, "Who was it that killed Hayate-sensei?"
"We don't know," answered the Sandaime, "Kabuto Yakushi fled Konoha four weeks ago, after he was discovered, so we ruled him out as a suspect. We believed Dosu from Otogakure could have killed him when he disappeared a few days ago. But not anymore it seems. There was a chance he could have killed him, because we know that he was affiliated with Oto before his death."
Iruka soon asked, "What does Otogakure no Sato have to do with Kabuto and Orochimaru, sir?"
"Orochimaru is the leader of Otogakure," answered the old man, as he decided to have a smoke, "It turns out that our old friend founded the small nation in the north with the resources he obtained after he defected from Konoha. With that said, he could have more people under his command than I can imagine… He could have an armada of trained soldiers behind him, under his control… Or worse, he could have convinced one of our allies to combine forces with him to take Konoha down, it would be possible since he chose to invade in the middle of the Chunin Exams. But I cannot be certain without any solid evidence…"
Naruto took a stand at the new information and almost shouted at the Hokage out of fear for his friends' lives, "You should cancel the Chunin Exams! Orochimaru attacked us and we should focus on him and whoever else is involved before it's too la-"
"No," insisted Sarutobi, as Iruka forced Naruto to sit back down, "Orochimaru warned us to not cancel or postpone the Chunin Exams. If he acted alone, I would have cancelled the Chunin Exams in a heartbeat and had him hunted down, but I believe that Orochimaru isn't alone with his forces from Otogakure. I said before, even though there is no evidence to make this true, there is a chance that he could have allied with one of Konoha's allies to attack us. If that's true, and if I cancelled the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru would unleash Otogakure and another massive wave of shinobi forces on Konoha without hesitation. And I'm afraid I cannot take a risk like that. Not to mention that the most important and powerful leaders of all of the shinobi lands will be here soon. It's too late to cancel the Chunin Exams. However, I feel we must do whatever we can to prepare for the worst and fight when the time is right…"
The old man looked like he had a fire in his chest as he made that last statement. He sounded determined and confident, but also concerned as he warned the two shinobi of the threat Konoha faced if he decided to cancel the Chunin Exams. Sarutobi also smiled a little bit when Naruto insisted on the cancelation, as it reminded him of what Raido said when he met with the other jounin earlier. It would seem that Naruto had started to learn more and mature as he sounded more and more like his father as his concern for his comrades and Konoha were clear.
But when the blonde shinobi sat back down, he held his hands and watched them shake when he realized what the Sandaime meant to do.
Naruto hesitated before he asked, "So… something is going to happen, Grandpa?"
Sarutobi frowned a little bit and admitted with a slow nod, "Yes, Naruto-kun… I think so… For all we know, we could be faced with the first real threat this village has faced since the attack of the Nine-Tailed Fox."
Naruto looked down at his knees at the mention of his burden while he felt Iruka rub his back. The Sandaime took a moment to think about what to tell them next or what to do when the finals of the Chunin Exams started in 36 hours, when he checked the clock on the wall.
The old man cleared his throat and knocked out the ashes from his pipe, "We still have no clear answer to what will happen, but we should expect the worst and don't assume all we be well. I've sent several ANBU to the various villages to find more information about Orochimaru's allies and we should have an idea soon. But for now, we should be on our toes when the final matches start and remain as levelheaded as we can until the storm has passed."
Naruto faced the old man and asked him, "Should I tell someone else about this or-"
"There will be no need for that, Naruto-kun," he answered as he raised his hands, and assured him and the chunin, "We don't want to start a panic, but I have taken several precautions for the last few weeks to ensure the people of Konoha will be safe and hidden should Orochimaru and his allies decide to attack. Whatever enemies are out there, I have complete confidence and faith in you… I have faith in all of the shinobi and kunoichi of Konoha… for all of you are all precious to me..."
The blonde shinobi nodded and seemed determined to follow his orders for once, now that a real threat has come around to motivate him. The Sandaime smiled at Naruto, unable to believe the child he had raised and loved for over a decade had matured so fast since he left school. The old man could see the mixture of the child's mother and even his father, save for the looks he inherited from him. But then he started to frown and could tell from the look on Naruto's face as the child's mind turned back to Hayate's demise. The look of determination faded until Naruto frowned and looked down at his knees. He looked so defeated as he stared out and channeled out the world around him.
He heard the blonde shinobi utter the name, "Hayate…"
The Sandaime took a break from Naruto for one short moment to look at Iruka and inform him of a matter that had been on his mind ever since the new school semester started. He knew how the current head instructor would react as soon as he was informed of the situation, so he decided it was time to correct his mistake and leave the correct man in charge.
"Iruka… You will allowed to attend the first match of the finals to watch Naruto if you want to, but be sure to return to the Ninja Academy before the second match starts. I want to make this quite clear," the chunin blinked and looked at the old man before he looked shocked when Sarutobi told him, "Daikoku Funeno is an absolute idiot and a coward. So can I trust you to take care of the students at the Ninja Academy and lead them to evacuation when the time is right?"
It took a minute to take in what the old man meant, before he nodded and said, "Y-Yes, sir! I will!"
"Naruto-kun?" the Sandaime reached out to touch the child's hand and forced him to look at his withered, but warm and welcome face, before he said, "Gomenasai… I understand how it feels to lose a dear friend and a master, but now is not the time to mourn Hayate's loss. You can mourn for him later. Focus on the Chunin Exams and the match with Neji Hyuga, watch out for the enemies hidden in the shadows, and be safe with Sasuke and Sakura until it's time to come out and fight."
The child nodded to the old man and seemed a little bit less depressed as he followed his Hokage's orders. Sarutobi reminded Naruto and Iruka to not repeat their conversation outside the office. Both of them nodded and the Sandaime allowed them to leave. Iruka stood first and offered a small bow of his head to the Hokage before he led Naruto out of his chair and the child did the same. But before Naruto followed Iruka back home, he blinked when he remembered Gaara and the name the rookie from the desert mentioned, the name of the spirit sealed within Gaara. The blonde shinobi turned around to look at the Sandaime and the old man seemed somewhat surprised.
"Grandpa…" the rookie cut the formal attitude he showed earlier when he asked, "You wouldn't happen to know who Shukaku is, do you?"
Sarutobi seemed somewhat curious and amused before he took a moment to think about that name, "Shukaku? That name does sound familiar… But it's not the name of a person; it's the name of a demon."
"A… A demon?" the child seemed somewhat alarmed as he felt his stomach turn cold, as if he swallowed an entire bucket of ice water.
The Sandaime nodded and continued, "Yes, a demon that, according to legend, that once roamed and savaged across the desserts of the Land of Wind… The beast is also known as the One-Tailed Tanuki."
Naruto could have fainted when he heard that small tale about Shukaku. He soon realized Gaara's true nature, but before he could utter it, he buried it down in his mind and channeled it out, unable to come to terms with the truth that he learned about him and Gaara. He believed it would be for the best that he didn't even think about it. It was fortunate that Naruto was a skilled Occlumens; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to do that. But Naruto's silence was noticed when the Sandaime called out to the blonde shinobi.
"Is there something wrong, Naruto-kun?" asked the Hokage.
The child blinked before he looked at the old man and shook his head answered, "No, sir. There isn't anything wrong at all."
"Very well," nodded Sarutobi, "If you're sure then…"
Iruka took Naruto at the shoulder and led him out of the office, before the old man called out to the two of them.
"Goodnight, Naruto-kun, Iruka-kun…" he dismissed.
The two shinobi both looked back for a moment and said in unison, "Goodnight, sir…"
Later on that night, Naruto and Iruka returned home and the chunin watched over his little brother with care. The blonde-haired child remained silent ever since the two of them left the office. Iruka understood now, that this was the first time Naruto ever lost someone close to him. He had lost his mother, but he was still an infant at the time when she died and he couldn't have mourned her back then. But Iruka understood how it felt to lose someone close and he understood the silence from Naruto was cause for concern. Naruto's face looked somewhat blank as he stared off into the distance before he blinked and looked more determined and self-assured. With the door behind them locked, Iruka led Naruto to the couch and had him sit down next to him.
With a sad look on his face, the chunin reached out for the child's shoulder and held him close, "Naruto… We have to face facts, and accept his loss, as hard as it seems and look towards-"
"He isn't dead." the blonde shinobi stated out loud.
Iruka blinked, "What?"
"I said he isn't dead," the blonde shinobi looked at his older brother and stated while he stood from the couch, "Hayate is still alive. I know it."
The chunin soon turned sad and tried to reach out to the child, "Naruto… You shouldn't live in denial. It won't-"
"I'm not in denial. I know he isn't dead, aniki..." said Naruto, he looked so determined and so assured as he raised his voice more and more while he rambled on, "He's not... He can't be dead… Hayate is the best swordsman Konoha has ever known. He couldn't have been defeated, even if he was outnumbered or ambushed. You've seen him fight when we trained out in the fields. He isn't some amateur and wouldn't lose. It has to be some kind of an act. Remember all those stories he told us? When he acted like Wendelin the Weird? He's faked his death after he was discovered and moved on to the next town to learn more about sword combat! He told us that at Ichiraku Ramen, aniki! I remember! He could have faked his death again and the Sandaime could be in on it this time! He could have lied about his death! The old man said there could be an invasion at the end of the Chunin Exams and he also mentioned that most of the blood from the battle wasn't even Hayate's blood! How could that be possible if his throat was slit?! If his throat were slit, his blood would have covered the entire crime scene! For all we know, Hayate could be undercover to spy on Orochimaru or his allies, under the Sandaime's orders! He could still be alive, aniki! He has to be alive! So he couldn't have been killed! DON'T YOU THINK IT'S POSSIBLE?!"
Iruka stared at Naruto and couldn't help but see the reason in his little brother's ramble. But he soon walked over to Naruto as the child's face turned more red and wet and he invited him with a warm tone in his voice, "C'mere..."
Naruto allowed the chunin to embrace him and stared out into nowhere while he felt Iruka run his hands through his hair and held him close. Iruka wanted to believe in Naruto's rant and it made sense that their swordsman friend could have faked his death in order to deceive their enemies and infiltrate their ranks. But the idea was so elaborate and so outlandish that it was hard for him to believe it to be true. The two of them stood while Iruka was saddened and worried to see Naruto like he was and wondered when he would come to terms with Hayate's supposed death and what he would do next.
The child insisted with a sadder but calmer voice, "I don't believe it… I won't… It has to be an undercover mission… It must be…"
The tan-skinned chunin ran his fingers through his child's hair and did his best to reach out to him, well-aware of how torn his insides must have felt, for he felt the same when after he was taken from his mother and father on the battlefield, "Naruto... You know that I understand what it feels like to lose someone close to you... It's hard to accept the death of a loved one… I don't want to believe it either. But I felt the same after the Kyuubi was defeated and I never saw my parents again. I've been there. I lived in denial before and it doesn't do you any good. So listen to me, Naruto… When the time comes and it's time to accept the truth, I'll still be here, ok? I'll be right here waiting."
Iruka held Naruto out in front of him and knelt down to his level, his firm hands stuck to his shoulders as the child stared at him. But Naruto's face soon turned blank and defeated as he looked down at the floor and frowned.
He thanked his closest friend but still insisted on his beliefs, "I know he isn't dead, aniki. I know it…"
The chunin frowned and relented his hold on Naruto before he stood and smacked his shoulder in an affectionate manner. The wizard flinched and then he reached out and latched his arms around Iruka, who turned back to look at his little brother and embraced him. The chunin held him close and leaned from side-to-side as he tried his best to comfort his little brother.
The chunin muttered, "It's ok… It'll be ok… We're gonna be ok…"
Outside the apartment, while Iruka talked to Naruto, one of the ANBU watched from the distance and listened in on their conversation as Hayate Gekko was mentioned. The ANBU remained silent, lowered his head down as he heard Naruto shout out his theories. The ANBU listened in as Naruto refused to accept Hayate's death, and the masked soldier vanished after he offered Naruto and Iruka one last glance.
Naruto didn't know how he was ever able to rest after that eventful afternoon. Whenever he did sleep, his dreams were filled with the echoes of Gaara's words to him and Shikamaru, his heart ached and his stomach churned, as he saw flashes violence and horror. He heard shouts and echoed screams as the feet of soldiers stormed, the sounds of kunai clashed as he heard more screams and shouts. Naruto saw his swordsmaster turn around and smile at him before he vanished as he reached out to touch him. The sounds of the soldiers boomed louder than ever before as Gaara's voice echoed in his ears and he turned around to see the rookie from Suna stare him down, inches from his face, and he almost screamed.
But instead, the blonde wizard held his breath and blinked. Before he knew it, he found himself on Iruka's bed. The chunin had carried him to bed and let him rest, as his slumber was evident with the tossed sheets across the bed. Naruto was alone in the bedroom, he realized as he rubbed his face and checked the alarm clock. It was almost noon and Naruto could smell food from the kitchen, but he had no desire to eat whatsoever. His stomach and chest ached as if he had an intense desire, but he did not know how or what he could do to ever feel satisfied.
All Naruto could think about was Orochimaru's invasion and Gaara's insane wrath. With that on his mind, Naruto's match with Neji didn't concern or worried him as much as it did earlier in the month. The idea of Konoha's destruction and Gaara hot on his trail forced him to think about what he should be more worried about. Naruto sat on the bed and stared down at the floor as he tried to determine what he should be more focused on and not take Sarutobi's orders into account: Naruto still wanted to face Neji and defeat him for Hinata's sake, even more than ever since the two of them became friends while she recovered. But as soon as his mind turned to the final matches, he thought about the idea of an invasion and soon he remembered Gaara. The rookie from Suna would be there at the arena and his mindset wouldn't have changed since their last confrontation. Naruto had an idea that Suna could be on Orochimaru's side and if that were true, then Gaara would have all the more reason to kill him and unleash his wrath on the rest of Konoha. Naruto's stomach turned cold and felt its contents churn within him. He shivered and felt sick as his dream haunted him. He tried to relax and almost wished he had never asked the Sandaime for the information he had learned about. But then Sarutobi's words echoed in his mind; he could still hear the old man order him to focus on the match with Neji Hyuga and if the worst did happen he would hide with his teammates until the threat was over or when he was needed. For once, the idea to hide didn't seem that bad to Naruto. And for all he knew, it was for the best and he would do as he was told and tried his best to focus on his first match in the finals. After that, he would be allowed to be let his other worries concern him. Based on what the Sandaime said, Naruto assumed Orochimaru wouldn't initiate his invasion at the start of the first match. So Naruto decided to concentrate his attention on his match and channel out his other concerns, at least for a little while.
Naruto must have sat down on that bed for over an hour as he debated the scenarios over and over in his head. It wasn't until Harry was sick of his brother's turbulent thoughts did he decide to use a Confundus Charm on him as Iruka walked in to check on Naruto did he even leave the bedroom.
The blonde wizard took a shower and had some food to sustain him later on. But while he had a late lunch with his older brother, Iruka still looked concerned for Naruto. He watched as the little shinobi continued to act normal, as if he never learned about Hayate's demise, like it never even occurred. The chunin knew his little brother was in denial and based on the look on his face and the conviction in his voice, Naruto was convinced that his fallen mentor was still alive and well, undercover. Iruka frowned as he watched Naruto eat and could tell from his actions how hard it would be for him when he moved on to the next four stages.
But for now, Iruka decided he wouldn't force Naruto into it and allow him to focus on the other issues at hand. While he sat back in his chair and had some rice he cooked earlier for the two of them, he heard the sound of fireworks in the distance. He and Naruto both looked out the window and realized the festival that celebrated the Chunin Selection Exam had started; the first foreign guests had arrived and the fireworks announced their arrival. Both shinobi looked outside and saw the citizens outside were dressed in kimonos, waved fans, and some of them dressed their faces with makeup as the lanterns were lit and flooded their faces and outfits with blasts of vibrant colors that could have blinded them. Traditional festival music echoed across Konoha, mixed with modern music and popular tunes. The radios set around town made occasional announcements to certain attractions and then returned to more music as children ran down the streets with their mothers and carts carried to wealthier attendees that arrived to relish in the festivities. Booths and vendors were soon crowded and lined the streets as civilians and local shinobi alike were treated to rare confectionaries and delicious meats, as well as seafood and snacks set on fire for amusement.
Naruto and Iruka both stared outside their home, unsure how to feel about the festival as it celebrated in the wake of a violent tournament between shinobi. But the other idea in mind for the Chunin Exams was to unite other villages and celebrate. The warmth of the lanterns and the smell of rich food did entice them both to leave and at least have a taste of the festival. Even if Orochimaru attacked, there was still a chance neither Iruka nor Naruto would be able to live to celebrate another festival in the future. So the two of them decided to walk about town for a little bit and have a few snacks or dinner. It would be a nice little distraction from their concerns about tomorrow: the tournament and Orochimaru.
A few hours later, Naruto was dressed in trousers, a red shirt, and a hoodie Iruka lent to him in the last month. Meanwhile, Iruka was dressed in his usual chunin uniform and chewed on a stick with various kinds of barbecued meats that were once on fire when he purchased them. Naruto had a share of the wealth too, but he wanted to have a sweeter treat to snack on as he used his skills as an Occlumens to channel out his worries and concerns to focus on the festival and the delicious food. Iruka asked if he wanted one of the cinnamon lollipops shaped like fire. Naruto looked over at one of the booths and saw all sorts of candies that he would have loved to eat; cotton candies swirled onto thick sticks made of solidified sugar, chocolates, cinnamon buns, gummies molded into shuriken, lemon-flavored sugar kunai, cupcakes filled with cream and frosted with powdered sugar, and much, much more. But Naruto turned around and realized the two of them stood outside Amaguriama.
"I think I want to have some dango, aniki," the blonde wizard answered.
Iruka cracked a smile and walked with his little brother into the Amaguriama and noticed the colorful advertisements on the windows.
While the two of them were inside, Iruka ordered some dango for him and Naruto to share. The blonde rookie sat down at the one available table and waited. He sat there in patience and took the time to examine the restaurant. There was a small layer of grease smeared across the Formica-topped tables that lined the windows. He then fiddled around with his wand underneath the table and practiced his hand movements. But soon he felt a headache start to brew and rubbed his forehead. Before he could think about it much more, Iruka arrived and sat down with various sticks of sweet dango. The two of them both reached out, but before Naruto to hold the first stick a slender hand stole it from him.
Naruto blinked and looked above him to see Anko Mitarashi, "Oh! Anko-sensei!"
Anko ate the entire stick and licked it clean in one slick movement. She used it to clean her teeth as she looked down at him. But Naruto noticed she didn't smirk down at him. Anko cracked a small smile, but she seemed sad before she turned to look at Iruka in a more somber tone.
"You think we could talk, Iruka?" she asked, "Ever since we met at that restaurant a few weeks back, I... well... I don't know..." the kunoichi seemed somewhat lost and acted a lot more vulnerable than she ever showed, but still held her emotions in check, "Look, could we sit down and have a chat? I know we've had our differences before, but it's been a long time and both of us have matured since we were kids… How about it? For old times sake?"
Naruto tried to resist a little smirk as he noticed his older brother blush a little bit. Iruka then looked tired and sad, as if he tried to resist an intense temptation before he caved in and nodded to her. The tan-skinned chunin then looked at Naruto.
Iruka tried to ask his little brother to leave him alone with Anko in the nicest manner, "Naruto, do you mind if Anko and I could have-"
"You don't have to kick him out," the kunoichi tried to insist he didn't have to leave.
Naruto shook his head and stood to let Anko take his seat, "No, no… I understand. I'll leave. Besides, I don't want to be around if… you two decide to be weird or start snogging."
The tan-skinned chunin looked a bit confused at the last term Naruto used, but then he blushed when he remembered where he heard it from in the Pensieve and he blushed so much, a small amount of blood oozed out of one of his nostrils before he snorted it back in and reached for the closest handkerchief he could find. Naruto tried his best not to break out with laughter at his older brother reaction but couldn't hid his smile he tried to force down. Iruka shot him a short scowl of embarrassment before he calmed down soon after.
The blonde wizard continued, "I'll wait at the apartment. But is it ok if a friend of mine comes over?"
"Not at all," the chunin understood what he meant and said in a joking manner, "Just roll out another mattress for him."
"Ok, aniki…" said the blonde-haired wizard as he stood and let Anko take his seat.
Naruto slid his wand into his sleeve and nodded his head to both adults before he left and let his smile settle down into a small frown. The festivities seemed to have been blurred around him as his thoughts and worries took over his senses and he walked about town with no particular direction in mind.
The blonde wizard walked through the streets of the village and whizzed around drunken and distracted citizens, mixed with shinobi and civilians alike. The crowds shouted, cheered, danced, screamed, and sang as the smell of delicious food filled the air and the lanterns above their heads blazed. Kunoichi and civilian women crowded around stores that showed the latest fashion attractions and kimonos on sale while men around town were drunk and continued to drink more and stuffed their bellies. But Naruto remained immune to their antics and all the loud noises that would have distracted him from his thoughts. But because he was an Occlumens, he was able to tune them out, not to mention his mind focused on the Chunin Exams and the match with Neji Hyuga tomorrow.
Naruto wandered over to Ichiraku Ramen and he sat down to meet Teuchi and Ayame. The two civilians smiled at him and treated him to some water while he looked over the menu but never decided. Naruto realized he left his cash at home and had no desire to eat, as he couldn't decide what he wanted. But as soon as he set the menu down, Teuchi let down a deluxe hot bowl of ramen, filled with noodles, hard-boiled eggs, crab, seaweed, barbecued meat slices, fishcakes, a little bit of menma, and various delicious meats with a slice of bread on the side.
The wizard stared down at the bowl and drooled in awe, before he looked on either side of him to make sure it wasn't someone else's food that had been laid down on the counter.
"Teuchi…" he said, "Who is this for?"
Ayame smiled from behind the counter and said in a kind voice, "It's for you, sweetie!"
Naruto looked over at Teuchi who he could tell turned around because he didn't want to show that he blushed and washed the same dish over and over.
"Just eat it, son," chided Teuchi, "The final matches are tomorrow. You deserve a nice, fine meal before such an important event."
Naruto didn't know how to react, so all he did was smile and nod in thanks to the best ramen chef in Konoha. Naruto devoured the bowl of deluxe ramen and wished with all his heart that it wouldn't be his last meal of ramen noodles.
Naruto left Ichiraku after he finished two more free bowls from Teuchi. He wandered the streets and didn't take the time to think about where he went as he kicked dirt and looked down at his feet. But after half an hour, he blinked and realized he stood a block away from the arena. He walked towards it and remembered all the times he had ever seen it from a distance but had never bothered to see it up-close until now. The structure was massive and almost no one was ever allowed inside as it was reserved for the Chunin Exams. It was about the same size as an international Quidditch stadium, but the structure was more circular, lined with windows, and adorn with advertisements and the five symbols that stood for the five most influential shinobi villages. Naruto stared at the colorful banisters and stood before the locked double-doors as he swallowed that fact that tomorrow he would faceoff with Neji Hyuga, and not much else mattered.
Neji could kill him tomorrow. He had tried to kill Hinata when he battled her in the preliminaries. But it was at that moment, Naruto remembered Neji's actions and it made his blood boil. Naruto could still remember in clear detail how much Neji had hurt Hinata, how much he relished when he belittled and bullied her into submission and when he tried to attack her with a final blow after she was defeated and defenseless. It made Naruto feel even more furious, now that he and Hinata start to know each other more. The blonde-haired wizard wanted to reach for his wand and slash Neji's face with Sectumsempra. But no matter how much hatred he had reserved for Neji, he still had his doubts about the match. Naruto was worried if the teen from Hyuga clan had other secrets skills he had reserved for the final matches. To make matters worse, even if he defeated Neji, he would still have to face off with either Gaara or Sasuke.
The blonde wizard doubted he would ever stand a chance with the maniac from the desert. And that's when Naruto realized how much of a mess he was in: Kakashi chose to leave him in order to train Sasuke for the finals. He understood that he must have taken him because of Orochimaru, but his teacher still left him alone with no one competent enough to let him stand on even ground with the other rookies, that included his teammate from the Uchiha clan. Kakashi could have told Naruto how to defeat someone like Neji or offer some useful advice, he didn't have to train him, all he had to do was teach him how to outsmart him or use the skills he had to his advantage in order to defeat him. And even if Sasuke were able to beat the red-haired rookie from Suna, Naruto would be doomed to be defeated at the hand of Sasuke Uchiha, for the millionth time. Kakashi trained Sasuke outside of Konoha for an entire month with no one around to distract them. Whatever Kakashi taught Sasuke, he would have learned it fast with his Sharingan and had a lot of time on their hands to hone his skills. It was like Naruto could faceoff with Sasuke, and he would be defeated in a heartbeat, humiliated in front of everyone in attendance.
Naruto's fist shook at his sides, his face turned red, and then he kicked at the double doors with all his might. The chains clicked and the sound reminded Naruto of the bell test. Kakashi had told them teamwork was an essential element to their team, but then their wise mentor went ahead and decided to focus on one student and leave the others behind without a word or reason to it. Even though he did have two mentors teach and train him for the last several weeks, Naruto felt lost, like Kakashi had abandoned him after he swore he would never turn his back on him.
"Those that abandon their friends… are worse than trash…" he muttered under his breath, "Thanks for the support, sensei…"
Naruto frowned and tried his best to focus on the finals tomorrow and review what he, Hayate, and Iruka discussed a few weeks ago. The blonde-haired wizard turned to leave, still furious and hot-blooded and the street became filled with moonlight as the clouds parted for a moment. But as he took a few steps from the arena and leaned on the rail, Naruto staggered and he felt his scar burn. He felt an intense throb, as if his head were about to burst and his vision turned white, like it did in the bathhouse. His vision soon came into focus and he saw a hotel room, like the one from before, and he heard voices echo all around him.
"Baki-sensei, why exactly are we involved in this whole plot? Why are we destroying the alliance between Suna and Konoha and joining forces with Otogakure? That would lead to war and so many people could die! Shinobi and innocents alike!"
The voice was Temari's and Naruto soon confirmed it when he turned his head and saw her look at her teacher, with her brother Kankuro seated next to her. Kankuro's nose was still broken from the incident in the bathroom but Baki looked like he had returned from a mission, dirtied and bandaged in certain areas. Baki still stood tall as he looked down at his two students. Naruto watched them and listened carefully as Baki spoke and answered Temari's questions.
"You know the reason, Temari. It's because of our idiot of a daimyo of the Land of Winds. He used the peace treaty between Konoha and Suna to force cutbacks on our military. This treaty earned the better trust of our land's daimyo. So he decided to take advantage and start hiring from Konoha, instead of from us like he should have been! We're his shinobi and he abandoned us, left us to dwindle our finances until we turned broke…"
Baki lowered his head and said, "Now our village has been suffering a state deprivation… Suna will die, Temari… So we raise our village's strength and in turn, we have become more hostile and desperate… almost no one out there will hire us, let alone chose to finance us… if this continues, we will see the end of Sunagakure in our lifetime… But Konoha's downfall will save us and the daimyo will have no other choice but to choose us for his missions and fund us… That is the reason this operation's success primarily depends on you, Gaara…"
The sensei turned and look in Naruto's direction. Temari and Kankuro turned their heads as well and looked at Naruto as the blonde-haired wizard heard a cold voice echo from within him growl, "I know…"
The blonde wizard felt his head turn into the direction of the window to look out at the festival. But then he saw his reflection and saw the bloodless face of Gaara stare back at him. The red-haired rookie from Suna blinked and Naruto saw his eyes turn from white and green to black yellow. He would have screamed, but Naruto was soon thrust backwards and his vision flashed white and blinded him. The blonde-haired wizard blinked and soon realized he was collapsed on the concrete outside the arena.
He tried to breath even and sweat a storm as he sat on the floor and tried to make sense of his vision, the moonlight from earlier clouded with another overcast, "Whoa!"
Naruto stood and ran as fast as he could for Iruka's apartment.
Once he returned home, Naruto went to bed and entered his subconscious. When he arrived in the mindscape, he darted towards Harry's office and found him. When he entered he told his older brother everything he saw and everything he heard from Baki, Temari, and Gaara's reflection. The two wizards sat down in chairs and discussed the matter at hand; Naruto even drew out the memories from his mind and stored them in the Pensieve to look at them later. Harry took a quick look at the memories and when he lift his head out of the bottomless basin, he looked at Naruto with a solemn look when he realized the connection between Gaara and his little Naruto.
"You know now… what the connection between you and Gaara…"
Naruto looked into the Pensieve from where he stood and could see the look on Gaara's face when he blinked and his eyes changed for a moment as the moon came out. But the blonde-haired wizard shook his head and refused to listen to reason. He understood he and Gaara were similar, but not the exact same.
"I… I don't want to admit it… I can't… I don't… I can't, Nii-san…"
"Don't live in denial about this, Naruto…" said the older wizard, "You have to face the truth."
The blonde wizard tried one more time to refuse, but then he resigned and embraced the truth as he admitted, "Gaara is a jinchuuriki… Just like me… we're the same."
"Almost the same," the older wizard corrected, "You turned out a lot better than he did."
Naruto said as he stared down at the contents of the Pensieve, "It's horrifying… to think… there was a chance I could have been someone like him… I don't even want to think about it…"
Naruto sat back down into one of the chairs in the office and stared down at his feet. Harry approached him and rested a hand on his shoulder while he sat down next to him.
"I… I feel like…" the blonde wizard said as he tried to think straight and take all he had learned and experienced in account, "I… I'm not sure how to feel about him," the blonde wizard said as he tried to understand Gaara more, "But I think I can understand where he comes from… Gaara hates Suna, so much that he doesn't care if he kills one of his own comrades, or even his brother and sister, like he said when we first met him… Gaara could have been the one that killed Dosu Kinuta for all we know. If Suna wants to decimate Konoha for it's own benefit, then it makes sense that Suna would be allied with Orochimaru. It also makes sense for Gaara to kill one of his own allies… I felt how Gaara felt when I had that vision, and he doesn't care about the outcome of the Chunin Exams… It makes sense that he could have killed Dosu. I think that ANBU mentioned that an animal killed him with claws…"
Harry commented as he came to a similar conclusion, "Brilliant deduction…"
"Thanks," the blonde wizard nodded and then he continued, "But… now I understand the reason he wanted to kill Lee… I mean, he told Shikamaru and me back at the hospital, but now that I know he's a jinchuuriki it makes even more sense… The reason he doesn't care about his native village, his desire to kill others in order to assert his own existence. I can understand his hatred."
"Even with all of that in mind, it doesn't help us know how to defeat him," reminded the older wizard as he had no idea how the two of them could combat someone like Gaara.
Naruto stared out ahead of him and looked fearful while he admitted his doubts about tomorrow, "I don't stand a chance against him… He's embraced the darkness and he uses the demon inside him to control sand to his will to maim and kill whoever stands in his way… I still can't control the Kyuubi's chakra and it burns me whenever I use it… Someone like me cannot match Gaara, let alone think about defeating him… I don't think I could ever beat him, Nii-san."
Harry didn't know what to say to that. He would have wanted Naruto to have confidence in his abilities, but even he was smart enough to realize Naruto had a point. Neither one of them knew how to beat Gaara or if their magic could even penetrate the shield of sand on his skin. There was a decent chance, but neither of them had solid facts or ran tests. The best solution to their predicament came out of Naruto as he made his decision.
"If the invasion does happen… if Suna and Orochimaru attack, I'll take Sakura-chan and Sasuke and hide," he said in a serious tone, "I know that it makes me out to be a coward, but Gaara will be there and I won't be able to beat him… the farther we are from him, the better… I don't have much of a choice… I have to run this time… We have to avoid him at all costs."
Harry couldn't help but agree with his little brother and nodded. For the sake of their survival and for the survival of those he loved, the best choice was to run this one time. Naruto rubbed his scar as he felt it sizzle for a moment but then he was somewhat comforted when the older wizard embraced him.
Naruto remained awake for hours that night. Through the window in his shared bedroom with Iruka, he watched the lights of the village flicker and dim until the first night of the festival ended and the music died down. His mind raced with thoughts about Gaara, Neji, Sasuke, and Kakashi. He did his best not to think about Hayate, still confident that he was alive and on a secret mission, so his demise didn't distract him. Naruto rolled onto his side and stared at the photograph he left on the bedside table, the one of Team 7, and he felt his insides churn as he stared at Kakashi. It looked like he cracked an awkward smile, stuck in the middle of a feud Naruto had with Sasuke that afternoon when the picture was taken.
"Kakashi-sensei…" he muttered with bitterness in his voice.
Naruto then rolled over to the other side and tried his best to sleep and not think about the events soon to come.
{{Hogwarts March by Patrick Doyle}}
The Chunin Selection Exam finals had begun at last. The streets were filled with excited citizens, dressed in their best leisure clothes as most of them walked towards the arena. Other citizens of Konoha were crowded in the main streets and at the main entrance into the village. The doors were opened and soon the various rulers and rich noblemen arrived. Bull and horse-drawn carriages and palanquins rolled into Konoha as the crowds applauded them out of respect. The Kazekage's palanquin was soon carried in and was surrounded with shinobi escorts from his village, dressed in robes and adorned with weapons hidden under their thick clothes.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood on the roof of the Administration tower with his two personal guards. The old man watched as the leaders and the Kazekage arrived and the crowds welcomed them with warmth as festive music echoed across the village and fireworks were released into the air to announce their arrive and the start of the second festival. Sarutobi let his robes and the cloth of his traditional Hokage hat flutter in the wind as he looked down at the Kazekage with no warmth in his eyes, but caution.
"So… the time has come…" was all he said.
Naruto's alarm clock blasted beside him within the next hour. He slammed his hand down on it and clicked the alarm off until it would have to be reset later. He looked tired, like he had slept a wink last night, as he crawled out of bed and noticed Iruka had left before he even woke up. The blonde-haired rookie stared down at his sheets and tried to remember what he had heard Lee and Kakashi mention when Neji fought Hinata in the preliminaries.
"If one were to accurately hit your chakra points, you can actually stop the enemy's flow of chakra or enhance it as you wish…"
Kakashi's voice of instruction echoed in his ears. And then Lee's voice echoed back to him too, but his words didn't offer him advice, but served as a reminder to him.
"Back when I said that the strongest rookie was in this exam… I was referred to him... Neji Hyuga…"
Naruto was focused on his match with Neji and wouldn't let the threat of Suna, Gaara, and Orochimaru distract him until the match was over, win or lose. But Naruto was still determined to win. He remembered Hinata and all the time he spent with her in the hospital. She was such a sweet, kind, and honest person, and it made him all the more furious at Neji when he remembered how much he had beaten her. He clenched the bed sheets when he remembered his taunts and Naruto found the will to stand, as if his lack of sleep didn't even faze him.
He finished his breakfast in a flash, had a nice hot shower, brushed his teeth, dressed into his survival outfit, strapped his new sword onto his back, restocked on all of his shuriken and kunai, stocked on whatever potions he had left, took his wand, tied his headband around his forehead before he marched out the door and wandered towards the direction of the arena.
Naruto had no idea what he would face first: Neji, Orochimaru, or Gaara. But no matter whom he had to face, no matter what challenge stood before him, he was dressed for war.
Naruto wanted to head to the arena with no other distractions, but he felt drawn towards Training Ground Three as he entered the woods to take a shortcut to the arena. Konoha was covered in trees, so it wasn't like he turned in the other direction when he noticed the sign at the corner of the forested dirt road. Naruto decided to make it fast and entered the fenced door into the field.
All was well and quiet for a while, not a soul to be found. As he entered the field, the wizard saw the Hero's Memorial stand out and shine as the sunbeams reflected off it's various obsidian surfaces. But the blonde-haired wizard soon noticed someone stand beside the posts across the memorial. Dressed in a leisure outfit of dark khaki trousers and a blue-buttoned shirt, there stood Hinata Hyuga. She stood out in the field and stared at the memorial from a distance as if she didn't have a care in the world. She never looked around when Naruto walked over to her and made enough noise with his feet to let her know she wasn't alone. Hinata seemed to be in deep thought as she stared at the stone, her face blank and emotionless. Curious, the blonde-haired rookie maintained a fair distance when he cleared his throat and tried not to scare her.
{{Science and Magic by Patrick Doyle}}
He called out to her, "Hinata-chan? So you're ok?"
The kunoichi flinched at Naruto's voice and turned around to hide behind the same post Kakashi had tied Naruto down to at the end of the bell test. Hinata's cheeks blushed with embarrassment at her nervousness and tried her best not to stutter as she stood out and tried not to hide when she remembered she and Naruto were friends.
She still leaned close to the post when she stammered, "Hi, N-Naruto-kun… You shouldn't be here now, it's a-almost time for the finals, isn't it?"
"I… I still have some time left before I have to be there… I came here because…" he hesitated and showed visible doubt on his face, as well as confusion as he looked at the memorial for a moment, "Well, to be honest, I don't know… this whole month before the finals has been… well, it's been a bit hectic…"
Naruto looked down as he thought about the finals and about Neji. He looked over at Hinata and wanted to look to her for answers. Naruto didn't want to use Hinata, so he decided to ask her one question about her sadistic older cousin.
He asked with some restrain in his voice, "Hinata-chan… You and Neji Hyuga are cousins, right?"
"Y-Yeah…" she nodded as she cringed at the mention of his name.
Naruto then said in order reassure her of his intentions; "I didn't want to talk about him or the finals when we met at the hospital. I didn't think it would be fair if I did. But is he as strong as he's been credited for?"
Hinata offered a hesitant nod of the head and Naruto looked down at the grass. He still believed the strategies he devised with his mentors would work, but even so, Neji didn't laze about for the entire month and relished in Hinata's defeat. He would have worked even harder to defeat Naruto. The older rookie would have studied his actions and devised strategies of his own. And so, Naruto had his doubts if he would even be able to beat him and still have the chakra he would need in order to survive the threat of the invasion. All of his worries and doubts made him feel sick with stress. But Hinata noticed as Naruto showed his doubts on his whiskered face and she tried to reach out to him, as nervous as she felt.
"B-But… B-But I really think that you could win, Naruto-kun…" she said in a soft voice as she buried her own doubts, and her stutter faded more and more with each sentence, "Um... back when you cheered me on during my match… I… I felt as if I could be stronger than I ever believed I could be b-before… B-Back when I was in that arena, after you shouted at Neji and defended me, I felt like I didn't have to hold back or hide anymore, and I still do now... I-I don't look that much different, but I feel it now, more than ever… And ever since we became friends, I don't think I could ever run away again… You've inspired me, Naruto-kun. You still overcame the odds and advanced to the finals… even when Kiba almost won the preliminary match… I didn't advance to the finals, but now I feel like I don't have to hide or run, and I could do even better next time around. Next year, I feel like I'll make chunin for sure."
Naruto seemed somewhat astonished to see Hinata look more confident. She had moved from the wooden post and stood tall while she smiled and even looked a bit determined when she mentioned her desire to become a chunin in the future. Hinata inched closer to the post when her confidence faltered a bit, but she remained where she stood. Naruto, however, stared at her in admiration for a moment and even blushed, but then the color in his face faded and his head tilted forward and he frowned.
Naruto seemed nervous and vulnerable as he admitted, "Hinata… Look, I… I know I can seem tough and fearless and act like nothing can bring me down sometimes… But that's not entirely true… Under the surface, I can be like a bomb when it's left unattended. Sometimes I can be a real mess if no one is around to help me out, guide me, or tell me what to do next… And when I've acted alone I failed so many times… even when I'm not alone, there are still people out there that I cannot defeat no matter how determined I am… Sometimes… sometimes, I feel like I was born to fail…"
Hinata then blurted out, "No, that's not true at all!"
The blonde-haired rookie blinked and looked at Hinata. She relaxed and retreated closer to the posts, but did her best to stand firm and talk to her friend. When she seemed more comfortable, she reached out to Naruto with her words and almost never stuttered as she took her time to deliver her message.
"I mean... you do have faults, Naruto-kun… and don't succeed all the time," she said, "But in the end it doesn't matter at all… You don't accept defeat whenever you fail like other people do… You're like a proud failure to me… Someone who can become stronger with each new experience and then do it a million times better the next time around. You have failed before, but that doesn't stop you. You take each new experience, success or failure, and use those experiences to keep moving forward and improving. That kind of attitude is inspirational, Naruto-kun…"
Naruto stared at Hinata and felt his insides feel warmer, like a small fire was lit inside his chest and stomach. The kunoichi surrendered to her more timid side as she leaned into the wood post and she continued.
"You're not perfect at all… No one can ever be perfect… But whenever I watched you getting back up in the match against Kiba, you filled me with such inspiration and courage… You're an amazing shinobi, Naruto-kun…"
The blonde-haired shinobi felt his cheeks become warmer and the warmth inside his stomach swelled. He felt goosebumps, but not the kind he had whenever it was cold outside or whenever he was afraid. Whatever it was he felt, he liked it and listened to Hinata with no other worries on his mind. Not even his older brother could distract him.
"And that's where I think real strength comes from… to have the courage, the guts to stand back up and fight, even when the odds are against you… And that's how I know you still stand a chance against Neji. You have to believe that, Naruto-kun, because… because I sure do," she said with a soft, but confident smile and a subtle blush in her cheeks.
Naruto felt as if fireworks were set off inside his stomach after that last sentence. He smiled as well, softer than Hinata had ever seen on his whiskered face. The blonde-haired wizard tried to think about Gaara and the threat Orochimaru and his invasion posed to the village. But now, Naruto felt a much-needed wave of confidence. He was still aware of the threat he and his fellow comrades faced, but this time he didn't think he didn't he was as hopeless. Naruto would avoid Gaara and Apparate his friends to somewhere safe, and he would do the same for Hinata as well.
The more confident kunoichi blushed a little bit more when Naruto smiled back at her and then he said, "Thanks, Hinata-chan. I really needed to hear that."
She stood taller and tried to hold back her blush as Naruto continued.
"You know, I'm so used to how others often look down on me and how… other guys like Sasuke steal the show from me all the time… But now, thanks to you, I feel that I can do this! I'll defeat Neji and show him how even a failure can make a difference!" he declared with more confidence and volume.
Hinata smiled and then she asked, "What are friends for, Naruto-kun?"
"Well, I should be off to the finals," he said as he turned to leave and shouted, "We'll see each other soon, Hinata-chan!"
Back in the mindscape, Harry had watched the entire scene and stared at Hinata for a while with interest. He soon smiled as she watched her confidence start to blossom a little bit, and the wizard was reminded of his red-haired wonder. Harry looked a lot happier than usual as he watched Naruto and Hinata interact and how she restored Naruto's confidence as he did for her in the preliminaries. He would have liked to comment on what he had seen, but he remained silent and let nature run its course. Back in the real world, Naruto turned around to look at Hinata. He valued her words as well as her warmth and kindness. Naruto wished now, more than ever, that he had known her even sooner. The blonde-haired shinobi wanted to let her know how much he valued his time with her and smiled.
"Hinata-chan?" he asked and still had her undivided attention when he said, "I'm really glad we got to talk when I wasn't busy training for the finals... Back when we were little kids, I wouldn't have looked at you twice. I used to think you were timid, awkward, and a bit of a weirdo... But to be honest, that's what I really like about you. You're an incredible kunoichi, Hinata-chan, and I really hope we get to see each again soon, once these blasted Chunin Exams are over!"
The kunoichi froze like a statue when she listened to Naruto, and felt a rush of different emotions bubble inside her. But what stuck with her the most was when Naruto admitted he used to think she was weird. At first she was disappointed and embarrassed, but then she was overwhelmed with astonishment and happiness while she felt a swell of warmth rise in her chest and stomach, like it did with Naruto earlier. Her face would have turned as red as a tomato and could have fainted, but she resisted and did her best to stand tall. A cool breeze blew into the field and brushed her hair, she felt like she could have flown with the wind, but remained rooted to the earth as she smiled at her friend and watched him start to leave.
"I'll make sure to clobber Neji the first chance I get! So don't forget to come and watch the match, Hinata-chan!" he called out to her as he walked and shared her a confident smile.
Naruto continued onwards when he saw fireworks out in the distance. The fireworks meant the finals would start soon as he could hear the sounds of hundreds of people march toward the direction of the arena. The blonde-haired wizard checked his watch and confirmed the time. He had a few minutes left before he was due to be there. But before Naruto ran off to the finals, he hesitated and turned around to look at Hinata and this time he looked a little bit worried. Not because of his own ordeals, but because he knew she wasn't aware of the threat of Orochimaru and Suna. He was still dedicated to the Sandaime's orders, but Naruto felt he should at least warn her or somehow ensure her survival.
So before he left, Naruto turned around and said, "Oh! And Hinata-chan? If the events after finals start to look bad, like a riot or something, make sure to hide and stay out of trouble!"
Hinata blinked, unsure about what Naruto meant. But before she could ask him what he talked about, he had vanished without a trace. She looked around to see where he had run off to see him one last time before the match, but the blonde-haired shinobi was nowhere to be seen.
To Be Continued…
There you have it! To be continued another day! And before Azeroth44, Naruto, and Iruka arrive, allow me to address the changes I made for this chapter:
The differences between this chapter and the original one I wrote isn't as significant as the previous one. Let's see… in the original, Naruto was traumatized at the death of Hayate when he was the one who discovered his corpse. He and Hiruzen have the same conversation he does with him and Iruka here, only Naruto tells him about discovering Dosu's corpse and sending soldiers to go out and find him. I also decided to omit a scene where Hiruzen believes he will never be able to see Naruto again and gives him an early birthday present: a treacle tart. Later on, Iruka and Naruto had a moment of silliness in order to forget about Hayate's demise as they snack on the treacle tart from earlier, it felt completely out of place and shouldn't have been included. There was also a scene where Daikoku is stuffing his face at an eating contest and Iruka seethes in disapproval of his existence. Later on, Naruto is somewhat stupid and still can't figure out that Gaara is a jinchuuriki until Harry practically spells it out to him. But in this version he just tries to deny it. I also had a scene where Neji sent a letter to Naruto that was basically a ripoff of the scene from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World when Gideon calls Scott to egg him on to the final battle. I even copied the zoom-in effect that was used in the film that Edgar Wright uses in most of his movies. Talk about lame. Next I omitted a scene between Naruto and Kiba, where Kiba apologizes to Naruto for how he treated him over the years that results in a reconciliation and Kiba overreacting about how Naruto was trained by Jiraiya. I would have re-written the reconciliation between them in this chapter too, but I decided to save it for another book in the series, maybe Book 5, where Naruto can punch Kiba in the nose or something. The two of them will work together well like they did in the manga, but their childhood issues will not be resolved until later.
Azeroth44: Did Naruto just pull off a Batman at the end of this chapter?
Kvsyaoran: Oh... Yeah! You're right! He did!
Naruto: Sweet!
AZ44: Now post the next chapter, man!
K: Too soon. Let the reviews come in first.
Gamakichi: If you post the new chapter now, I'll transform into a hot woman! And you can do naughty things to me!
K: Unless you're willing to transform into a working copy of X-Men: Apocalypse two years before it's released in theaters, I'm not interested!
N: You can post the new chapter already. It beats having Azeroth44 summon Deathwing to kill us like he did in the old version of this chapter.
K: No. It can wait til later. And Azeroth44 stopped playing Warcraft ages ago, didn't he?
AZ44: That is sadly true :(
Iruka: Do it, Kvsyaoran! Think of the children!
K: But-
I: THE CHILDREN!
K: No!
AZ44: DO IT NOW! OR SO HELP ME I'LL HAVE YOUR SOUL!
(Silence)
K: I'll update it as soon as I finish writing two more chapters.
AZ44: (Smiles sweetly) Thank you!
K: We never should have let him play WoW…. I'm sure somewhere out there, our friend Allen is giggling at the chaos he brought upon us through Azeroth44
Allen: Nehehehehehe!
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