A/N: There's a long, windy, hear-felt note after this chapter and I'd very much appreciate it if you all took a look after you're done. I'm keeping it short up here for a brief recap of the entire story.
**IMPORTANT**
Due to the terribly long gap in updates I will be posting multiple chapters over the period of one week. That's right folks, I haven't been completely lazy in the time I've been away. Next chapter is done and will go up Friday, and again Monday. Gives you time to read and hopefully leave your thoughts! Right? Riiiiiight?
Hektols: Glad to hear I managed to capture Bee's personality. It was a lot of fun coming up with those terrible rhymes. I wasn't sure if the Aburame's had normal eyes or not. I've never seen one without them so I tried a twist. The whole idea of Shikamaru and opium came from Sherlock. It's a known fact that he indulged in drugs as a way to dull his senses and find relief. It's true I could do something with an Uzumaki seal, but at the same time it's almost like surrendering one clan to the will of another. It leaves a possibility of something happening, ya know?
Lerris: Your review concerned me, and part of the reason the update took so long was because I did go back and reread my entire story. My conclusion—I'm happy with the direction it's taking. I'm sorry you feel that way, but everything is going as planned. Could it be condensed? Abso-fucking-lutely. This story is the length of three—THREE—standard published novels. It simple shows how much of an amateur I am and I accept that. Will it eventually be condensed, yes. One day when I finish this I'll go back rework it. Honestly I don't know why you people read this story to begin with, the first five chapters were literally painful to read. But I like the way I do the side plots, it adds flavor to the story and I think I've found a balance of only putting fragments in chapters whereas other authors do entire chapters. As for Shikamaru…I'm surprised you didn't like it. As I said to Hektols, my aim was Sherlock Holmes. I guess I missed the mark on that?
DKSamurai: Sorry for the confusion, I meant the entire story has been leading up to this arc. Hopefully that helps dull the disappointment a little?
The story so far on Our Ninja Way…
Naruto and Hinata meet to train and spend more time with each other.
As they leave the village to train, they meet an old couple by the names of Jihibiki and Renge
Naruto and Hinata's training is interrupted by the arrival of 2 potential Akatsuki replacements, Yama and Shinsui
A brief and violent fight ensues, Naruto is knocked unconscious and Hinata is pushed past her limits.
When Naruto finally comes too, he sees Hinata about to be killed.
Forcefully taking some of Kurama's chakra, Naruto kills Yama and then goes after Shinsui.
Shinsui targets the unconscious Hinata to make her escape.
After getting her to safety, Naruto learns Hinata is dying from chakra exhaustion. Desperate to save her he forces Kurama's chakra into her to jump start her system
When Sakura arrives he orders her to get Hinata to the hospital and pursues Shinsui
Using a combination of sage and demonic chakra, Naruto subdues Shinsui
Arriving at the hospital he's told that Hinata will die from the poisonous demonic chakra
Just when Naruto loses hope, Jihibiki and Renge reappear with a seal that could save her
Resolving to save her no matter what, Naruto gathers everything he needs and goes to her.
With the help of Neji and Hanabi, Naruto saves Hinata at the cost of what Naruto thinks is his own life.
When Naruto awakens, he's surprised to be alive but even more so when Hiashi appears
Hiashi thanks Naruto for saving Hinata, apologizes for her being a burden, and then demands he stay away from her. He threatens Naruto's dream of being Hokage if he doesn't obey.
Naruto leaves to think about everything. While alone Neji and Kakashi come to visit him.
Neji informs Naruto that Kurama was the one who saved Hinata from Pain.
Kakashi then asks Naruto what he'll do about the Raikage's order to hunt down Sasuke
While Naruto is contemplating this, he's attacked by Killer Bee's students who are looking for information on Sasuke.
Naruto instead takes a beating from Karui in Sasuke's place before Samui and Sai intervene
A brief bonding occurs between the two.
After getting Naruto patched up, Sai finds Sakura and demands she lift the promise she had him make saying that the strain will end up killing him.
While Sakura comes to terms with what she's done to her teammate, Naruto is visited by Jihibiki.
He informs Naruto that Hinata's seal has malfunctioned and there's a threat of it being released in tomorrow's dual against her father.
The next day, Naruto leaves to ask the Raikage to forgive Sasuke. At the same time Hinata appears before the entire clan to duel her father.
At the same time, Sakura leaves the village with Sai and Kiba
The entire clan is surprised by Hinata's tenacity against her father, even going so far as to drive him back and knock him down.
At the same time, Naruto finds the Raikage and asks for his forgiveness. Naruto is denied.
While resting at an inn, Madara appears and attempts to capture Naruto. Just as he's about to Naruto is reverse-summoned by Jihibiki to the Hyuuga compound where Hinata's seal has broken and she's lost control.
Sakura knocks Sai and Kiba out after picking up Sasuke's trail.
Finding Sasuke, Sakura volunteers to come with him. As a test of loyalty she kills Karin before Madara's eyes.
Back in the village, Naruto removes Hinata from the village quickly and with the help of Jihibiki, Renge, and the Konoha 9, they subdue her.
While this is happening, Kakashi finds Karin and rushes her back to the village
After Hinata and Naruto are both admitted to the hospital, Hiashi appears enraged and threatens to destroy Naruto's dream.
Naruto then tells Hiashi he'll never get the chance, since he plans to kill him and the Hyuuga elders for the order to eliminate Hinata when she lost control.
Another shouting match ensues before Renge and Jihibiki intervene along with Neji.
Neji reveals his curse seal has been removed, along with the Hyuuga elders' grip over the entire clan, and Renge and Jihibiki as being Naruto's great great grandparents.
After apologies and explanations are given, Naruto is informed of Sakura's abandonment and self assigned double agent mission.
At the same time, Neji helps to save Karin's life
Jihibiki and Renge then tell Naruto and Hinata they'll help train them.
After a few weeks, Hiashi reveals his dire situation to Tsunade. The elders are planning to overthrow him and overthrow the village as well.
As a result Hanabi is attacked.
Enraged by the sight of Hinata upset and at Tsunade's overwhelmed predicament, Naruto takes control of the mission to stop the Hyuuga coup.
Naruto is given total authority, with Tsunade his only superior. Realizing he'll need help Naruto drafts Shikamaru, Sai, and Shino into his services.
For the next few weeks working in close tandem with Anbu and Root, Naruto and the others train and prepare with Jihibiki and Renge.
At the same time, Hiashi takes Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji to a secret training field to teach them the archaic precursor to the Gentle Fist—the Hollow Fist.
Naruto, Jihibiki, and Renge learn about Karin from Neji and against Tsunade's orders remove her from prison. A massive argument breaks out between Naruto and Tsunade but in the end he wins.
Karin goes home with Naruto.
Jihibiki then gives Naruto, Shikamaru, Sai, and Shino masks created by the Uzumakis in Uzushiogakure—the Night Angels.
When Naruto tries to fit his mask on a dark entity called Menma tries to take control.
Kurama reactivates the seal causing both Menma and him to lose whatever freedom they had inside Naruto.
Naruto is severely injured and forced to be healed by Karin. Hinata's impromptu entry causes a misunderstanding resulting in Hinata to faint, and a destroyed door.
Sakura succeeds in seducing Sasuke and sending vital information back to Konoha
A day before the festival the Uzumaki Kitchen Fiasco occurs
Jihibiki and Renge reveal Naruto's inheritance to him. All the Uzumakis visit the mansion estate and later throw a party.
Naruto is elected the fourth clan head of the Uzumakis, the clan is recognized by Konoha, and Sai is adopted into the clan
Jihibiki and Renge then reveal their true identities as the Third Uzukage and Daimyo of Uzushiogakure.
The explanation of how Uzushio fell is then given, involving the participation of the then thought dead Uchiha Madara.
Jihibiki explains how he died in his fight with Madara to give everyone time to escape the village.
Enraged at how Jihibiki returned to life and what it cost him (but you don't know yet, mwahaha!) Naruto leaves and goes to the Uzumaki memorial to be alone.
Hinata follows to make sure he's okay.
Naruto confesses his feelings for Hinata and heavy petting occurs.
They're interrupted by Sai's second attempt at cooking.
The next day, everyone participating in the mission arrive at the Uzumaki mansion. While the girls prepare for the festival, the men go over the mission briefing.
Chapter 38: SNAFU
18:55 hrs
Naruto was having a drink in the kitchen with Sai, Shikamaru, Shino and Neji. The mission briefing had just ended, and now all that was left for them to do was wait patiently for their dates. And although Neji had no idea of what was happening, he seemed to pick up that something was going on he wasn't aware of. The commander, Boar, and Hare had already left to assemble the Anbu and begin forming a perimeter while Sai's Root captains left to prepare the four teams for the Hyuuga estate raid. While they joked and killed time Naruto couldn't help it as his mind wander back how this all started. Unsurprisingly, a dark haired kunoichi and her desire to make sure he'd healed properly was the result.
A smile spread across his lips at the thought of the stuttering mess she'd been. So shy and meek, yet so determined and persistent. It was hard to believe it had been a month since Nagato invaded the Leaf. So much had happened between then and now.
"Not to eavesdrop," Kurama said moving to the front of his mind, "but there's a lot that still has to happen. Not to mention a certain guest that needs to be dealt with after all is said and done."
"I haven't forgot," Naruto replied, his mood darkening somewhat. "But we'll deal with it one step at a time."
As Kurama left his mind Naruto caught Renge calling all of them into the living room. Looking at the others, he grinned and led them into the room. However, he stopped short when his eyes fell on her.
Her chin was down, but she looked up at him with her pale lavender eyes smiling and a blush tingeing her cheeks. The kimono she wore was something to behold, and Naruto suddenly understood just how she managed to spend so much money preparing for this night. It looked to be some kind of hybrid between a traditional kimono and a dress—the top part tucked like a kimono but fused at the hips to flow out like a dress.
Barely clinging to her shoulders the crimson silk wrapped gracefully around her, accenting every curve but leaving her modest and plenty to imagine. Navy blue silk accented the edges of the kimono and lined crimson ruffles that ran from her waist down to her feet and splayed out when she twirled. Her hair was done up in a bun—apparently some sort of Uzumaki hair style tradition if Naruto had to guess—and when she did a twirl under Renge's orders Naruto caught the crimson Uzumaki symbol stitched into her back over a blue accent piece. Around her neck hung the necklace he'd given her. The stone attached to it he'd slaved away for so many hours nestled between her breasts and hidden just under the top of the kimono.
"Well I'm glad ta see my work hasn't gone unnoticed," Renge said grinning and shaking Naruto from his stupor. "Seems like none of them can speak girls."
Glancing to his sides, Naruto noticed that all of them were wearing the same shocked expression he had. When his eyes drifted to the rest of the women he realized why. Each of them held their own grace and beauty unique to the part of the world they hailed from. Samui wore white and silver, Temari black and beige, Tamamushi forest green and red, and Karin wore mostly navy blue with crimson accents—an Uzumaki symbol displayed over her right breast.
"I think I speak for all of us when I say you ladies look amazing," Naruto said though his eyes never left Hinata.
Hinata's face lit up at his words, and around her the other girls followed suit. Yet when she looked closer at the men she noticed something different about them. Granted, she'd never seen Naruto in dress robes before—nobody probably had. And she wasn't ashamed to admit she drooled a little at his black silk yukata, pants, and sage robe over top. But there was something else as well. The very presence of the men before them was different, and she couldn't quite place it until she saw Naruto's eyes.
Desire.
The idea sent blood rushing to her face so fast the rest of her body started to go numb. The feeling was so superficial. So animalistic. Yet the idea of Naruto thinking of her in such ways sent shivers down her back, and she wetted her lips in anticipation. It was empowering to see the effect she was having over him, knowing she could bend him to her will. It made her feel like a woman more than ever before. But then again, didn't he have the same effect on her?
Hinata's thoughts wandered to the previous night when he confessed to her and her reaction afterwards. Had her feelings not been of desire then? The idea of him returning those feelings seemed so foreign to her, but at the same time she couldn't shake the tingling catching in her chest and burning its way downwards.
He wanted her—she could see it in his eyes.
And she wanted him just as badly.
But there was more to his look than a physical want, and she knew it. It went deeper. It was a need for her, a necessity, a basic essential to have her in his life and be a part of hers.
Her hand came up and lightly touched her chest where his gift rested. He'd been right when he gave her the necklace. He was her other half, her yang, and she never felt more complete than when she was in his arms. That was the desire they shared—the desire for completeness. They had yearned for the same thing for so long—to feel a wholeness they grew up without ever knowing.
But standing in the room now realizing for the first time what they shared, Hinata found the atmosphere to be stifling. Not suffocating, but saturating. As if the very air was seeping into her body and bringing out her inner most desires, only to thicken the air even more.
She took a breath and couldn't. Her chest refused to expand until she realized it was because she couldn't possibly get any more air into her lungs. Her face burned with a different kind of heat—the kind that burned in her belly and between her legs. The intoxication taking hold had her quivering in excitement. And it wasn't for their date, but for what was to come afterwards. It took root deep in her chest and threatened to keep them here, at the house, locked in his room doing things she'd only fantasized about.
"Naruto."
It was Sai who said it, and just like that the mood shattered. One second an evoking provocative tension, the next replaced by something else entirely.
Naruto closed his eyes taking a long steady breath, and relished in the scent he could smell despite the distance between Hinata and him. It was the same smell from the night before when they'd been in his room alone, and it took every ounce of self control to force down the uncomfortable pressure building in his pants. He let out his breath as he opened his eyes and set his jaw. He could think about his desires for her later, right now she needed protecting—the entire village needed protecting.
"Well," he said motioning to the front of the house smiling. "Shall we?"
The two groups met and made their way to the front door while complimenting each other on the way. Holding open the door, Naruto let the group pass through but when he moved to follow his entire body seized up just inside the door frame. The realization of what he was about to do finally dawning on him as he watched the group moving on—laughing and talking excitedly in the evening air.
Before it had been nothing but words and plans.
They planned. They trained. They planned some more.
But now it was different. Once he stepped through the door and into the night everything they'd been planning would be put into motion. It wouldn't be just a plan anymore—it'd be the real thing. And it wasn't just some mission he'd helped plan, this mission had thousands of live depending on his every order.
The tightness in his chest returned and his grip on the doorframe tightened. Was it all enough? Were the hours spent in agonizing training enough in the end? What about the plan? Shikamaru was brilliant, but not even he could plan for every variable. He closed his eyes and took a tight breath.
A hand rested on his shoulder and gave a squeeze. Looking back Naruto saw Sai with a grim yet determined smile on his face.
"Let's give 'em hell," Sai said.
A determined smirk appeared on Naruto's face and he nodded. Exiting the house and catching up with the group, Naruto ushered them quickly towards the festival with vocal bravado. The group laughed and yelled excitedly as they hurried down the path leading to the main street.
On the third floor of the house, Jihibiki stoically watched them leave. A cool breeze rustled his clothes and caressed his weathered skin allowing him a brief moment to bask in the calm of the growing evening.
Then it passed. Eyes narrowing and lips drawing into a thin line, he suddenly whirled around and walked towards the center of the room. "Time to go to work."
As the words left his lips the open walls allowing the night air in shimmered, replaced by the tinted glass walls of the command center. The table before him lit up, a 3-D image of the Konoha springing into the air and slowly rotating as the seals activated and processed data. Jihibiki placed a hand on a seal and pulsed his chakra. The map stopped its rotation and descended to the table—as it did thousands of blue forms flickered to life across the entire village.
"Activate operations program," Jihibiki ordered. Placing his hands behind his back he began to slowly circle the table. The map flickered, this time the number of chakra signatures reduced greatly as civilian chakra levels were filtered out. Briefly touching another seal he said, "Upload scenario variables."
Again the map flickered. Green signatures spread across the map in a wave—Anbu and Root operatives.
Flicker.
Four black signatures appeared on the edge of the map accompanied by six dark blue ones heading towards the main street—the Night Angels and their escorts.
Flicker.
Hundreds of yellow signatures—Branch Members forced to participate in the coup.
Flicker.
Orange—extremist Branch Members. As numerous as the yellows, spread out in groups of ten.
Flicker.
Jihibiki's eyes narrowed. A handful of red images appeared mixed in with the groups of yellow. Trigger agents.
—Mission Briefing: 18:00 hrs—
"Trigger agents?" Naruto asked. The room was full to the brim—every captain and squad leader from Anbu and Root were present.
"A trigger agent is someone who activates a plan—a catalyst that sets off an event," the Commander explained.
"The planned coup is set up in two stages," Shino said tapping another seal. Suddenly the different colored figures disappeared and reappeared in different areas of the village. "The first stage will be the coup itself, which will initiate as soon as the firework show begins."
As Shino said this fireworks began to explode over the village as the simulation started. "Using the momentary distraction, forty groups consisting of ten members each will attack key points in the village. These groups will consist of those loyal to the radical movement."
The room watched as forty groups of orange figures attacked different buildings throughout the village. Naruto noted they planned to attack the operation base for the village barrier, Anbu Headquarters, and the Intelligence Department. While other groups were to provide cover or engage any shinobi nearby.
"Their objectives other than these points will also be the Hyuuga Main Family, any Branch Members deemed a liability, and the Hokage." Shino said. "During this time they will also lead an attack at the Hyuuga Estate in an attempt to gain the scroll containing the Kyuubi's chakra—which is believed to be kept in Hyuuga Hiashi's office."
Again they watched as multiple groups of orange converged from inside the Hyuuga Estate on one room in particular. At the same time, more groups surrounded four blue figures on the main street. Above each they had the kanji for Hokage, Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji.
"However, these forty groups cannot ensure a 100% success rate." Shino said. "This is where the trigger agents come in. There are thirty of them—each one a loyal extremist designated to a group of ten coerced Branch Members. They have one job and one job only…" Shino tapped a seal and said quietly, "Maximize confusion and panic…"
A pall silence fell over them as they watched thirty groups within the crowd begin to attack whoever was around them, shinobi and civilians alike, without prejudice. After a few moments of slaughtering, other ninja appeared to fight back but explosions enveloped the groups. Suicide bombs…
Shino tapped the same seal again and the map reset. "We have exactly two hours before the fireworks begin. Our priorities in order of importance are as follows— trigger agents, the village key points, Hokage, the Main Hyuuga family."
"The trigger agents will take top priority?" Boar asked.
"It's safe to assume if we can eliminate them then their forces will be cut to less than half." Shino replied. "The Branch Members forced to participate are only doing so because of threats being made to families, lovers, or friends. If we can eliminate the trigger agent then the rest of the group should come quietly."
—19:00 hrs—
"Naruto," Jihibiki's voice appeared in his head, and Naruto was thankful the girls were distracted at the moment. "Anbu and Root are in position. Standing by for your orders."
Because radios were too obvious while in public, Naruto had designed a seal with Jihibiki to act like one. Hidden behind the ear, the seal would send the voice of the speaker directly into the middle ear. They worked, but they weren't field tested…Thoroughly at least. A brief testing showed the range of the radio was roughly the entire village. Unfortunately that was all they could test, and while it made them somewhat of a liability the Night Angel's need for communication made them a necessity.
The path evened out to the main road and the paper lamps began to color the world around them—painting the atmosphere soft yellows, reds, and blues. The noise of the crowd sprang upon them when they rounded the corner, and the group's own voices were soon drowned out by the louder masses. It was the opportunity Naruto had been waiting for. His jaw clenched and heart sped up, causing a nervous tingle to wash through his body.
"Initiate operation Spring Cleaning," Naruto said, the second seal he designed located on his tooth transmitting the order back to Jihibiki.
There was a pause on Jihibiki's end. Then, "Operation is green light, we're jutsus hot. Two hours till deadline."
At the same time, Naruto and the other three tensed as Jihibiki's words registered. The next they relaxed and a subtle nod from Naruto sent them into action.
"Let's head this way," Shikamaru said tilting his head to the left towards the Hokage Tower. The northern sector designated Alpha was under his watch. "I remember seeing a couple of stands you might like."
"I believe there are some games you might like this way, Tama-chan." Shino said pulling her away to the right—the southern sector designated Charlie.
As if sensing something was going on, Neji got Karin's attention and indicated after Shino and Tamamushi. "What do you say we go explore?"
Karin smiled but it faded quickly. Her eyebrows came together behind her glasses and her eyes drifted to Naruto. She could feel the short, faint, pluses of chakra coming off of him and the others. They were up to something. He looked over at her and instantly became concerned.
"We're gonna head out nii-sama so you two have fun," Karin said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Throwing a hug around his neck her hushed words reached his ear, "Please be careful."
Naruto was silent for moment. Then his arms came up and wrapped around Karin tightly, his hug strong and reassuring. A faint smile appeared and he whispered back. "Don't worry about me. Just have fun."
Stepping away she grabbed Neji's hand and left. Sai came up next to Naruto and watched them disappear through the crowd.
"She'll be alright." Sai said. His voice lacked the confidence that what he said was true though.
"Of course she will," Naruto answered. "She's an Uzumaki."
"…Time to go to work."
"Yeah," Naruto nodded.
At the same time, they reached up and tapped their foreheads with their fingers activating their masks. The moment they did seals spread across their eyes before fading away. Blinking a few times, Naruto looked around the festival in awe. Nothing seemed to have changed with the exceptions of people being outlined in different colors. It was faint, almost like a transparent barrier the way they glowed. Most of the people were in blue, but down the street he could just make out the bright flash of yellow. Glancing at Sai he noted the black color outlining him and figured he probably looked the same to Sai.
"Happy hunting," Naruto said smirking grimly.
Turning back to Hinata, Naruto offered his arm and pointed towards a stall a little further down the road. Whispering into her ear she nodded and grinned as well and the two set off.
The plan was simple: work their way down from one end of their sector—Bravo—to the other. They would handle the targets they came across, providing back up for each other when needed.
The crowd was thick, a double edged blade but they could use it mostly to their advantage. And despite the situation, Naruto had to admit that there was a certain level of excitement from the atmosphere the crowd was giving off. This was his first date. The first time he'd ever been to the festival. The first time he'd experienced the sights, smells, and sounds. If it wasn't for the mission, Naruto knew he'd easily have had a blast.
Slipping through the throng of people, Naruto spotted the first stall he'd have to clear. Through the mask Naruto was able to locate the group of targets in the area. Three were around the stall they were headed to, another four directly across the road at another one, two more making an irregular patrol around the area, and the last one was sitting on a bench next to the trigger agent just to the left of the stall.
"This one looks like fun, Hime." Naruto said pointing the gaming stall which turned out to be a ring toss.
"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata said trying not to blush from her nickname being used openly in public. "Don't y-you think that's a b-bit too easy?"
"So what?" Naruto asked shrugging. "I've never been to this festival before and I wanna try them all!"
"Y-You've never been to this festival?" Hinata asked wide-eyed.
Naruto blushed and looked away. "I-I…wasn't ever really welcomed when I was younger. And then I left on the trip with ero-sennin for another two years."
He felt his hand squeezed and looked back to see Hinata blushing shyly. "S-So this i-is y-your f-f-first time?"
Naruto blinked and then grinned. "Ya know, when you say it like that Hime it sounds really dirty."
"N-N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata gasped smacking his arm and blushed even deeper. After managing to calm her thoughts she gave him an adorable glare saying, "I-I meant this is y-your first time at the festival, a-and I'm happy I get to share it w-with you."
"So am I," Naruto said giving that smile she loved.
"Well let's go then," Hinata said pulling him towards the stall. "Y-You want t-to try them all and by the end of the night we will. Th-That's a promise!"
Naruto laughed, but it quickly turned into a cry of surprise. When Hinata turned back to him he was scowling and teetering on one foot.
"Is e-everything okay?"
"Gah! Stupid rock!" Naruto muttered as he tried to get it out with his other foot. "Grab us a spot in line Hina-chan, I need to sit down to get this thing out of my sandal."
"Okay!" Hinata said smiling and moving into the line.
Naruto turned and hobbled to the bench where his target was sitting. Out of the corner of his eye he caught the two Hyuuga patrolling the area turn towards him. Behind them, Sai stepped away from Samui who was eying some jewelry at a stall nearby and gave him a slight nod.
"Mind scooting over?" Naruto asked the two Hyuuga with a grin. "Got a rock stuck in my sandal and I can't get to it with all these robes on."
The two looked at each other before the one bathed in red nodded. The yellow Hyuuga got up and Naruto sat down next to the trigger agent who eyed him warily.
"Thanks," Naruto said as he bent down and slipped off his sandal. He shook it a few times and started to slip it back on asking, "Everything okay here?"
"Of course. Why," the Hyuuga bathed in red asked, and Naruto noticed the other Hyuuga tense.
Naruto shrugged. "You guys don't seem to be enjoying yourselves. If you don't watch it someone might think you're up to something."
The trigger agent smirked at Naruto with thinly veiled contempt. "We'll keep that in mind."
"Good," Naruto said noticing the two Hyuuga patrolling and the other four from across the road had shown up. Smiling, he clamped the man's shoulder and said, "Enjoy the rest of your night."
The man froze, his eyes darting to Naruto wildly before looking down to where his hand had just been. As Naruto pulled his hand away, a black seal spread across his shoulder and rapidly covered his body.
"What have you done?!" The Hyuuga next to him demanded striking at him.
Naruto grabbed the man's hand and slammed him against the wall by the neck. The entire time he stared at the rest of the Hyuugas present, daring them to move.
"I know what you're planning," he said, his eyes slowly going over each of them as they stiffened in fear. "I also know you're not willingly doing this."
Releasing the man from his hold Naruto stepped back and motioned to the man on the ground. "I know your plans. My team is currently working to stop them as we speak."
"We can't allow you to do this!" One of the Hyuugas shouted. "If you do, our families—"
"Will remain unharmed," Naruto said. Seeing their confused looks he elaborated. "I've had an entire month to prepare for this. If you cooperate then we'll be able to stop the fighting before it even begins."
"It's not possible!" Another Hyuuga said shaking his head frowning. "There's too many of us. You'll fail and if we help then our families will be punished."
Naruto smirked, "It'll fail? Despite the fact that I have the entire Anbu and the 'nonexistent' Root at my disposal?"
"That's not possible! The Hyuuga members in Anbu were supposed to report if they caught wind of Anbu knowing anything."
"I'm glad to hear that. It means you guys are none the wiser to what I've been planning." Naruto said smirking. "The truth is we purged the Anbu of Hyuuga operatives. Sent them away on 'reconnaissance' missions when we actually had them arrested after leaving. After we captured all of them we began to work on a plan to stop the coup. We know who's involved. Who's guilty. Innocent. And targeted."
Looking around Naruto held his hands out and said, "I'm here to help."
Everyone was quiet until one Hyuuga stepped forward frowning. "I'm sorry Naruto-sama, but the scale of our plan is far too large. Even if you say you have counter-measures, two clandestine operations working against each other are bound to have collateral damage…and that damage will be our families."
"I understand." Naruto said nodding. Blurring forward he slapped a seal across the man's chest knocking him out. "But with your group my mission will almost be complete. So you have two options. You can fight back and assuredly put your families in danger…Or, you can surrender quietly and allow this mission to finish without a hitch." Looking around at them he shrugged. "What'll it be?"
It was a lie. A bold one at that to a clan capable of determining if someone was lying. But they were stressed and desperate, looking for the slightest of hope to cling to.
The others looked at each other and the trigger agent before one of them finally said, "We'll come quietly Naruto-sama. But please know that our families are being held hostage—"
"Inside the Hyuuga estate in three different locations," Naruto said. "I know. I have men on the ground waiting for my signal to launch the rescue." The fact that Naruto seemed to know all the facts put them at ease, but he realized if he waited any longer Hinata would start to wonder. "Now I don't know if you're aware, but you all are currently mobile bombs."
The way all of the members stiffened told Naruto they in fact didn't know. "Is there anything you were given or told not to take off?"
"Our robes!" One of the Hyuugas said paling. He started to pull at his obi frantically. "We were told not to take off the robes we were given!"
Before he could completely pull the obi away Naruto clamped his hands down on the Hyuuga's, immobilizing him.
"Look at me!" Naruto said causing the man to turn his wide eyes to him. "I know you're scared, but there's a chance if you remove the robe you'll set off the bomb. Do you understand?"
The Hyuuga paled even more and nodded stiffly.
"Good, now I'm going to let go. When I do, I want you to not move." After the man nodded again he let go and stepped back.
Channeling chakra into his eyes he let Retribution scan the clothing, watching in mild fascination as the clothing turned somewhat transparent. After a moment, two circles began to flash on either side of the man's shoulders and Naruto stepped forward to see a seal applied to the underside of the robes. They had been designed so they would remain in contact with the skin underneath constantly, and he recognized the seals at a glance to be moderately sized explosives. Heavy and lethal, but not as big as to cause damage to nearby structures. His lips came together and he channeled chakra to his molar.
"Are you getting this," Naruto asked. An image of the seal appeared in the upper right peripheral of his vision, a HUD that was being fed to the other three. A moment later he received three separate pulses and a vocal confirmation from Jihibiki. "Looks like we're dealing with class three explosives capable of being triggered remotely. There's also a secondary detonator that activates when the wearer's chakra is no longer present. Jihibiki can you confirm?"
"You're right," Jihibiki said as he examined a 3-D image of the seal above the map. "They'll need to keep their robes on until we can deactivate the seals. Renge can start the process once they're taken to the designated holding areas."
"Good," Naruto said. "Sai, bring the last three here and then start the search for the next group. Jihibiki, send me a squad to escort these men away."
Naruto then paused for a moment. His head bowed slightly and his fists clenched together in equal parts frustration and anger. "Shikamaru, Shino, Sai, these explosives aren't linked to the trigger agent's vitals. If you need to…lethal force is authorized."
A few seconds later Sai appeared with the last three from the group, and as he did the street parted from an earth jutsu and a squad of Root operatives appeared. "Naruto-taichou," they said with a quick bow.
"Take these men to containment delta, Renge will be there to dispose of the bombs." Naruto said and then glared at the trigger agent lying on the ground. "Secure this piece of trash. And make sure it isn't comfortable."
No sooner had the words left Naruto's lips and the Hyuugas were ushered into the tunnel with a Root carrying the trigger agent over the shoulder. A moment later the ground came together and resealed the tunnel that had been used.
Turning back to Sai, Naruto said with a heavy voice, "Deactivate the blast barrier and genjutsu. Then find the next group and signal me when you find them."
Sai stared at Naruto for a moment and then put a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's not easy ordering a death. But these men are willing to sacrifice their family and innocents to gain power."
"Doesn't make it any less easy."
"And that's a good thing," Sai said with nod. "I'll signal you soon."
Naruto nodded and they parted ways. As he approached the crowd he caught the faint purple shield surrounding the area fall away from Sai deactivating the barrier and genjutsu. He had to admit, his surrogate brother was coming along nicely with seals. Jihibiki and Renge both praised him on his rapid progress in the short time they had to teach him.
"Naruto," Jihibiki reported. "Shikamaru and Shino both have eliminated a squad and Sai has found the next group. There's a Root squad acting as stall workers who can assist him. Bypass him and go to the next group—they're about ten meters from where Sai is."
Naruto caught a glimpse of Hinata through the crowd—she was nearly to the front and looking around for him. "Understood," he said as he pushed his way through the last bit of crowd and smiled when she saw him.
"I know the shield and genjutsu were necessary for the first team as a precaution, but it's too slow to do it with every group." Jihibiki said in a lecturing tone. A scowl began to form on Naruto's face, the bastard had better made sure this was just between them. "You'll need to move quicker."
"Don't worry about it old man!" Naruto snapped and he could almost feel Jihibiki flinch. There was a pause.
"Understood."
Naruto's scowl deepened and he tried to push it to the side. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't bothered by his grandparents' presence now. After what they'd revealed the night before, how could he not? To go so far as to do something like that. It was unforgivable, and the more Naruto thought about it the angrier he became. It was beyond selfish for them to do something as reckless as what they did, and they should have expected the consequences of their actions to be just as bad. But distractions were something he couldn't afford right now. So gritting his teeth, he buried his feelings.
"Naruto-kun is something wrong?" Hinata asked.
Naruto's eyes snapped up to hers, and he grinned embarrassedly. "Ah…no, not really. Just surprised with how crowded this place is. I can barely move!"
Hinata giggled, but her eyes lingered on him for a moment. "I was starting to worry. I thought I'd have to come find you."
"Well I'm here now," Naruto said with a big grin nodding his head. "And it looks like we're up!"
He stepped up to the stall with an eager smile surprising the stall owner.
"Naruto-sama, what a wonderful surprise! And, Hinata-sama as well! You look absolutely stunning!" The owner said grinning widely. Naruto noticed the man said their names loud enough to gain the attention of the people in the immediate area, and quite suddenly the stall became packed as people tried to watch.
"You seem rather excited to see us," Naruto said subtly calling the man out on his advertising.
"Of course I am!" The owner chuckled. "You two are the 'it' couple of the village after all."
The results were as expected. Hinata looked down and blushed a deep red, glancing at Naruto out of the corner of her eye. Naruto waved his hands spluttering, insisting they were only there as friends. The crowd laughed in good humor, the owner chuckled with an evil glint in his eye, and Naruto complied with a none-verbal agreement to shut his mouth.
"So how do we play this game," Naruto asked taking some money out and handing it over. "I've never seen it before."
"The rules are simple," the owner said taking the money and handing them each three brightly colored rings. "Three rings, three chances. No leaning over the counter and no ninja abilities. Make all three and win a prize!"
"Sounds easy enough," Naruto said smiling.
"Naruto, there's a patrol group closing in on your position and Shikamaru is busy with a group." Jihibiki said. "If you let them pass they'll see Shikamaru!"
—Mission Briefing: 18:35 hrs—
"About the trigger agents," Shino said drawing everyone's attention again. "There's a subdivision of them that could cause major problems for the mission."
"What is it," the Commander asked.
"While most groups will remain in certain areas, there are a few who will be roaming up and down the entire street." Shino said. "Their job is to ensure all other groups are there and nothing suspicious is happening."
The room fell silent as the information sank in.
"Do you know who these groups are?" Naruto asked.
"No," Shino answered. "It seemed they planned to wait until just before the festival to assign those particular groups."
"It's a good move on their part," Shikamaru admitted with a frown. "On the off chance their plan is discovered, it leaves one variable that isn't capable of being predicted and planned for."
"So what are our options," a Root captain asked.
"At this point?" Shino asked. "The only thing we can do is keep a sharp eye on the map and stay in communication with each other."
Naruto sighed and shook his head, "Jihibiki, any chance you can do something with the map?"
"On such a short notice, not much." Jihibiki said frowning. "I'll tinker around and see what I can come up with."
—19:23 hrs—
Naruto turned his head and saw the group Jihibiki was talking about moving towards him, arrows floating above their heads in their corresponding color marking them in the crowd. It was the only thing Jihibiki had managed on such short notice, but it at least made tracking people through the crowd easier.
"I'm on it," he muttered.
"There's a group of Root disguised as food vendors across from you," Jihibiki said. "Give them a distraction and they'll take care of the rest."
"Did you say something, Naruto-sama?" The vendor asked. Naruto looked back and found everyone staring at him.
Naruto's eyes darted back and forth for a moment as he grasped for an idea. Glancing down at the rings in his hand, a grin broke out and he said, "Yes I did. How about a bet?"
"A bet…" the vendor said. It seemed the man was remembering just who he was dealing with—the infamous prankster of Konoha.
"Fifteen meters…" Jihibiki called out—that wasn't helping.
"Yes a bet," Naruto nodded. "I throw from say…" he paused dramatically and looked around before shrugging, "the other end of the street. I make one, I get a prize. I don't, I pay double."
"Ten meters…" Seriously not helping.
The crowd looked back to the vendor. The man looked anxious, but there was also a glint in his eyes. A gamble that could potentially give him a big payout. He smirked and said, "Three rings, triple the money."
The crowd looked back to Naruto.
"Five meters…" The bastard was getting strangled after all this was over.
Naruto grimaced. "One ring, double the money."
The crowd looked back to the man.
"Naruto!"
"Deal!"
"MOVE!" Naruto bellowed surprising everyone as he turned on his heels and pushed through the crowd. Instantly the people began forming a tunnel, and to his right he caught eleven triangles come to a stop at the back of the human wall. Approaching the food vendors on the opposite side of the street he grinned. "Hey guys, mind stepping out for a second? Kinda hard to concentrate when people are looking over your shoulder."
Despite being Root, Naruto could've sworn one of them briefly smirked. They cleared out quick enough, and when Naruto turned around his eyes grew at the large crowd his spectacle had caused. He glimpsed Hinata looking at him in half exasperation and half amusement causing him to grin nervously. But he knew if the Root ninja were to have any chance he'd need to keep everyone's eyes on him.
Flourishing the ring Naruto spoke to the gathering crowd. "Citizens and visitors of Konoha! Behold as I, the amazingly awesome Uzumaki Naruto, attempt the greatest feat of festival games this village has ever seen!"
The crowd immediately erupted into cheers. Yet over the roar he heard four distinct snorts through his radio.
"Assholes." Naruto thought bitterly. "All of them."
Naruto took aim, and just as he was throwing out of the corner of his eye he saw the trigger agent notice the Root ninjas. His eyes widened and adrenalin exploded into his veins causing him to inadvertently put more power into his throw. Years of practice with shuriken made him release the ring early in an attempt to compensate for the extra power—not that he cared. Instead, his eyes shifted to the trigger agent who was trying to fight off one of the Root agents and make a hand seal. Naruto's eyes widened further.
The trigger agent's hand came up, and while the crowd watched Naruto's terrible throw in fascination, he watched with a rapidly dropping stomach as the trigger agent's fingers formed the ram seal.
There was a flash—a small one—caused by a Root's tanto slicing the Hyuuga's hand clean off at the wrist. Before he could even cry out or spray the backs of onlookers with his blood he was gagged and tackled.
There was a brief lull, one that felt like an eternity to Naruto.
"Trigger agent subdued and bombs secured," Jihibiki said and Naruto let out a shaky breath.
"Status report," Naruto ordered.
Jihibiki sighed, "Gamma squad's radio on the North Perimeter has gone dark for a few minutes now. They're chakra signatures are still present so it must be the batteries. One of the suppression seals Red team used on a trigger agent in sector Charlie was faulty and they were required to use lethal force."
Turning away from the subdued Hyuugas just in time, Naruto watched his horribly off course ring collide with the street lamp on the opposite side of the street. It then ricocheted over the stall, collided with a water tower on the opposite side, bounced off and landed on some power lines.
The crowd 'awed' as the ring sent a shower of sparks down while sliding across the wires. Wobbling for a moment, it fell off the lines to the middle of the street. Halfway to the ground though, a bird swooped down chasing a moth and caught the ring around its neck. It shriek, thrashing in mid air while carrying the ring towards the stall, before throwing the ring off and flying away. As the ring continued its descent back to earth, somewhere in the crowd a child fired a roman candle when their parents weren't looking. The firework flew low, and exploded just behind the ring. While the crowd gasped in shock, the vendor watched in horror as the ring flew up over his stall, fell through the open top, and landed directly around one of the bottles.
There was brief moment of silence. Then the crowd exploded into cheers and cries of "Naruto-sama!" And through it all a single voice could be heard crying out in disbelief.
"Judging from the force used on the trigger agent just now, odds are he'll probably bleed out before he can receive medical attention," Jihibiki continued.
Naruto made his way back through the crowd getting slaps on the back and congratulated, but the entire time his mind was on the trigger agent. What almost happened was far too close for comfort. They'd nearly had the street reduced to a meat locker.
When he finally made it back, Naruto found Hinata beaming but shaking her head at the audacity of his stunt. She stopped when she noticed the look on his face, the subtle shaking in his hands, and the way he was far too pale for only nearly losing a simple festival bet. She opened her mouth, but Naruto beat her to it by turning to the vendor.
"Are you okay," he asked the vendor who was mumbling to himself.
"A-Ah yes! I'm quite alright." The man said before slumping slightly and waving to the prizes. "As promised, pick a prize."
Naruto turned to Hinata, "See anything you like, Hime?"
Hinata blushed at Naruto's offer. Her heart speeding up at the thought of how the two of them were on an actual date. It only deepened when the crowd, who had yet to disperse, awed again.
Trying to focus, she scanned the prize shelves until she froze on one and her eyes grew. Slowly she pointed a shaky finger at the back shelf and whispered a single word.
"Bunny."
The vendor nearly broke into tears as he turned and grabbed the stuffed animal. Setting on the counter, Hinata slowly reached forward completely captivated by the animal. Her finger tips stroked the fur briefly before she pulled away.
"So soft," she murmured.
"It's made of real rabbit fur and hand crafted to be life like." The vendor nodded. "It's also really…really…really…expensive."
This time Naruto actually saw the man wipe a tear away. When he looked back at Hinata she had the rabbit squeezed between her breasts and rubbing her face into it. A pang of longing briefly shot through him to be where the rabbit was before he shook it off and smiled.
"Come on, Hinata-chan. Lot's too see tonight!"
Hinata hummed in agreement and then latched onto his arm. He escorted her through the crowd and a sigh of contentment slipped from her lips as she rested her head against his shoulder. Tonight would be something she would always cherish for the rest of her life. But she couldn't help but feel like something was off. Her lips pulled into a slight frown, and her eyes drifted up to Naruto's face.
Despite his smile, she noticed it didn't quite reach his eyes. His body seemed tense—far too much for just being on a date. It was like he was expecting something to happen. Like he was on a mission and he expected a fight from somewhere…or someone. But then his eyes flickered to another stall and lit up—the excitement and stress melting away for a moment as he began steering them in the direction he was looking.
Maybe he really was just nervous after all? Hinata let out an annoyed sigh that was drowned out by the crowd. She knew something was happening tonight, but he never told her what or when it would happen. Deciding she didn't like the way her thoughts were making her feel, she shrugged them off. If it was really important then he'd tell her. So for now she'd put her trust in him and try to enjoy herself.
Naruto activated his transmitter when Hinata finally stopped trying to spy on him. Asking in a low tone he said, "So situation-wise…" he left the question hanging.
"Ignoring the fact that we're trying to stop a coup," Jihibiki said.
"Factor in Murphy's Law," Shikamaru added.
"And the avoidable casualties we've already accumulated," Shino said.
Everyone was silent for a moment before Sai surmised, "SNAFU."
Naruto sighed. Closing his eyes and shaking his head he could already feel the ache in his muscles.
A/N: Alright folks, we need to talk. Yes I know, I don't show my face for nearly two and a half months and the first thing I want to do instead of giving you a nice, shiny, new chapter is talk. Please just bear with me. First things first I suppose—Naruto ended. There, I said it. The show I've been dedicated to for over five years has come to a close. It was rocky, not gonna lie. Kishimoto did some things I didn't entirely agree with and like a Vietnam vet we came out of it having seen some shit. But I can look past it all. Why? You already know the answer, you were probably fist pumping just like I was and doing happy dances when Naru/Hina was confirmed.
And yet…it was so surreal. After spending an hour of screaming and furiously fighting my way through three different manga websites (all of which were bogged down since the entire WORLD trying to read the conclusion of the series) I found myself sitting in my living room staring at the wall. A perpetuating funk flowing through me and all motivation drained. My girlfriend was legitimately concerned about me, but it happened. I'm not ashamed to say I owe a lot to the series, it taught me a lot of things and it's what inspired me to start writing. So knowing it was finally over was just a little…disheartening? Hard to explain I guess but if you were as big of fans as I was then I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, but I digress. The point is the end of the series took the wind out of my sails a bit and was partially the cause for the long gap between updates.
The other reason for the extended absence was due to a sort of hybrid funk I fell into, a cross between writer's block and a mid-story crisis. It's finally sunk in this is the halfway point of my story, and after this it's about wrapping up. By no means does this imply the story will slow down and nothing else will happen, but this arc I'm writing has been with me since day one. It was the mile marker for my story. Speaking of which…
Guys, we're approaching the 3 year birthday of this story! I can hardly believe it! It's been hard, and I've almost stopped on a few occasions, but because of YOU beautiful readers I've soldiered on. I've learned so much from you, as readers and as critics and I can't even begin telling you how much it's helped me as a writer. So for those of you who have stuck around since day one—I thank you from the bottom of my heart. This leads to my next item…
My goal when I entered the world of fanfiction was to write a Naru/Hina story that was entertaining and realistic. And as a fresh, bright-eyed newbie I looked to the greats on this website who are well known. Their styles varied, their stories different, but a common trait they all shared was the amount of reviews. Reviews—the flawed success marker for every story on this site. A fickle term that holds both negative and positive connotation. As a reader you judge a story by its reviews, and yet as an author your desire for them is only trumped by the unprofessionalism of begging for them. And despite that, I decided when I posted my very first chapter I would make it to 1,000 reviews. I was determined to reach it and enter that elite club.
My dear readers, I stand before you with a total of 739 Reviews, 816 Favs, 956 Alerts, and honestly…I don't care anymore. If I reach it? Awesome. But the journey we've taken so far has been so much more worth it. So again, thank you for everything.