CHAPTER 4: OF TRAINING AND PEOPLE
She woke up abruptly and knew it was earlier than when she normally woke up. Changing positions, she tried to sleep again but gave up after few minutes of failed tries. Finally opening her eyes, she looked out of her window and calculated it was sometime before five o'clock. She had at least an hour to herself before she would have to start her day.
She laid there on the bed, thinking of why she was feeling weird today. This strange feeling that won't let her sleep just one more hour. She knew it was because it was her first day at school – first day she would meet others kids her own age that weren't Neji. She would see how normal kids interacted with each other – kids who don't have heavy expectations on them. She would learn things that all the other children were taught. She would learn something other than her clan's technique, something new, something ordinary.
Perhaps she would talk to other kids. Perhaps they would talk to her. Perhaps they would want to become her friends. Perhaps one of them would become her friend.
Perhaps he would be there too.
Huh.
She shouldn't have such thoughts. Such silly and childish thoughts. Her father would be disappointed if he heard her thoughts. She shouldn't concern herself with pointless fancies of friends. She is the heir of her clan. She should not think of such things, they were beneath her. She should focus on her goal of getting stronger and bringing her clan to new heights.
Friends won't do that.
She just has to graduate the Academy in one year with good grades that would make her father proud. Yeah, make her father proud. That's her goal. Focus on it. These thoughts won't make her father proud, victories and success will.
She suppressed her thoughts about the school and the strange feeling she vaguely ascertained – but refused to acknowledge – was excitement.
She got up from her bed and then made up her bed. Looking out from the window, she saw that she still easily had three quarters of an hour before her presence would be expected for the morning training.
She took out a scissor from the drawer, grabbed some books and papers and submitted on her desk. She pulled out a few flowers from her vase – which she fills with new flowers twice a week – and drowned in her favourite pastime of flower pressing.
…
She stood outside the staff room, waiting for her teacher, Iruka-sensei. Despite her best efforts not to, she still thought about other kids that would be in her class.
Would she know any of them?
Of course not. She was rarely out of the clan compound. And never without guards. Even today she was escorted by Koh to the school.
She already seemed so… superior and standoffish to everyone, she couldn't fathom any sense of normalcy – at least by other kids' standards because this was her normal – in her one year of Academy. And what was worst was that she had to be like that the whole year. She wasn't allowed to engage in any childish fantasy. She was the heir of one of the oldest ninja clans and one of the founding families of the village. She cannot, would not, lower herself to the standards of commoners.
Iruka-sensei came out of the room then, "I apologise for the delay, Hinata-sama. I got what I needed. We should go to the class and get you settled there. Follow me."
He led the way to his class, with Hinata keeping up a foot behind him. He finally stopped at a door and slid it open. Loud noises of many kids chattering and playing assaulted Hinata's ears. A paper shuriken flew over Iruka-sensei's head and fell down after bumping into the wall at the other side of the corridor.
The voices quieted down slowly when the kids got aware of their sensei's presence one-by-one.
He entered the classroom and Hinata followed.
"Good morning, students. I see most of you are here," Iruka-sensei turned his head and mumbled something under his breath. "We have a new student joining your class today. I hope everyone will get along with her nicely."
Iruka-sensei gestured Hinata to come forth and introduce herself.
Hinata took a few steps forward and bowed, "My name is Hinata Hyuga. I hope we all enjoy each other's company for the year."
"Alright. You can take a seat now, Hinata," Iruka-sensei said and pointed to some vacant seats in the back of the class.
Hinata took the one by the window.
Her class was full of kids from different clans of the village. She could recognise some of them by descriptions. There was a Nara, a Yamanaka, an Akimichi, an Inuzuka, an Aburame and an Uchiha. At least she recognised most of the clan kids, even if she wouldn't know them.
Iruka-sensei started his lecture, recapping the history he taught in previous year. Hinata sat attentively but was not really listening much. She had learned all of Konoha's before in her home tuitions. But five or something minutes into the lesson he stopped and released a deep breath, like he just realised something that should have surprised him but didn't.
He folded his hands and waited impatiently – for what?
She reached out her senses and could suddenly feel someone running in the corridor. Is that who Iruka-sensei is waiting for? She looked around but the other students don't look the least bit perturbed – a few of them even breathed out the same way that sensei just did, like this was a usual occurrence.
She turned her head back to the window but kept one eye in the class.
Seconds later the door slid open and a blond boy entered the room at the same moment Iruka-sensei said in a very irritated voice, "Naruto."
Hinata's head snapped to the door before Iruka-sensei's voice reached her ears.
She was sure she would have smiled had her training on impassive face been the least bit less intense.
"Iruka-sensei, good morning," Naruto said chuckling nervously and scratching his head.
"This is the first day of the year, Naruto. The first day!" Iruka-sensei scolded him. But he wasn't cold or harsh. It looked as if he was scolding him just for the sake of scolding.
"Heh-heh. Uh, sorry sensei. I was up till late yesterday, y'know," Naruto told him apologetically.
"And how many times have I told you to go to bed on time, Naruto?" Naruto didn't answer. "Don't overwork yourself, Naruto. You are just eleven, you have lots of time."
Hinata heard someone – a few someones – in front of her snort.
"Eh, don't worry, Iruka-sensei. I'm eleven, I can take care of myself," Naruto said confidently.
Yes, he can. You don't get an 'apprehend on sight' order and still manage to have no jail records on your name just like that.
"This will not happen again, understood Naruto?" Iruka-sensei said sternly. Naruto opened his mouth – no doubt, to argue – but sensei added, "at least this month."
What?
"What?" Naruto whined, "Come on, the whole month? You know I can't do that."
Is this really happening?
"Then try," Iruka-sensei retorted and continued before Naruto can start yapping again, "Go take your seat. Just for the record, you are going to give everyone a good old recap of our history I taught you last year."
"Fine," Naruto drawled out and turned to take his seat – beside the Uchiha? That was the only seat vacant except the few beside hers.
Naruto moved towards the seat beside Uchiha – guess that one's his – and looked around at other kids and saw her.
He stopped in his tracks, "huh?"
Then a wide grin came on his face and he waved his hand at her and yelled, "Oh, hey, Princess!"
The whole class snapped their head at them, horrified at his actions towards her, like had just committed some unspeakable sin.
Hinata nodded her head at him, "Uzumaki-san."
All the heads snapped at hers, this time shocked. Well, what were they thinking would happen? She wouldn't kill him just because he called her something other than 'Hinata-sama'.
Honestly, it was… refreshing.
Naruto looked like he was oblivious to everyone around him and ran towards her, "Watcha' doing here? I thought you wouldn't join the Academy, y'know."
Hinata didn't respond. What was she supposed to say?
"Are you here just for this year?" Naruto continued on and took the seat beside her.
Hinata nodded lightly.
"Great. You are gonna love this year, Princess, 'cause you have me in your class," Naruto chuckled. "Hey, you remember what you asked me the last time we met?"
Is he always this excited?
Yes, she remembers. She asked him if he was a descendant of Uzumaki clan.
"Yes, that. So, the answer is yes."
Hinata heard a few girly gasps.
"Yeah, I went to Old Man Third and he told me that. Man, I was so happy. I never knew, y'know. I didn't even get to say thanks to you. But how did you know about that anyways? I mean, Jiji didn't tell even me, so it's gotta be something pretty secret," Naruto rambled on.
Hinata did not respond, again. She knew about most of the clans that had ever associated with the village. She was taught all that years ago. But was he being so (uncharacteristically) vague on purpose? If it really is a secret, why is he telling her about it? Why is that even a secret?
Naruto waited a second but when she didn't say anything, he continued his rambling, "Never mind. But it helped me great, y'know. I'm so gonna become the greatest seal master. And then I'll become the Hokage. Great, huh?"
Hinata fought the urge to smile. Seal master? Konoha didn't have many seal masters.
Well, actually no village had many seal masters. It would be nice if he actually does become a seal master.
Naruto grinned that same foxy grin like that day. The he straightened like he just remembered something, "Hey, Princess, are you gonna sit here every day?"
"Maybe?" she shrugged. Will he sit beside her every day, too?
"Hm, alright," he nodded sagely, as if thinking of something of utmost importance. "I'll manage."
Manage what? Hinata raised her eyebrows but he ignored her query, "hey –"
"Ahem. Naruto, I think you should come back to your seat, now," Iruka-sensei said. He's finally out of his stupor?
Hinata looked around, other kids were, too. But they were still gaping as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing – listening? Is this really so weird?
Then she remembered how she thought he was weird the second time they talked. Maybe this is weird.
"Ah! I'm sitting here, Iruka-sensei. This seat is free, right?" Naruto said.
"No." Iruka-sensei snapped.
"But why?" Naruto cried.
"Because you will just talk the whole time and disturb the class." Sensei reasoned at once.
"I won't!" Naruto shouted.
"Yes, you will, Naruto. We are not having this discussion," Iruka-sensei said in final tone.
"And I am not sitting anywhere else, Iruka-sensei," Naruto argued stubbornly.
They had a stare off for a few seconds and Iruka-sensei did not waver.
"Please, sensei. I swear I won't disturb the class, y'know," Naruto whined. Iruka-sensei didn't buy that for a second.
"I'll even show you that jutsu again." Naruto said 'that jutsu' in a weirdly feminine voice. Hinata thought someone snorted, again.
Light pink dusted sensei's cheeks and he sputtered out, "N-no, you won't."
Naruto smirked and raised a brow, but his words still came out as an innocent whine, "Please, sensei. Just give me one chance."
Iruka-sensei looked at Naruto's face for a second, then sighed audibly, "Fine. But one disruption – just one – and you are at the front. Understood, Naruto?"
"Yeah, yeah. I hear ya, sensei," Naruto answered happily.
Iruka-sensei sighed again, like he was already regretting his decision, and made his way to the front of the class. He started his recap of last year again, seemingly forgetting that Naruto was supposed to that.
Naruto turned towards Hinata, and looked like he was about say something, but thought better of it and just smiled at her. She, of course, didn't smile back, just turned towards sensei.
…
Lunch break came soon and all the kids disappeared within moments of the bell ringing. Most of the kids ran outside to play and others sat under trees to eat their lunches. Hinata picked up her own lunch and went outside, too. She found an unoccupied place under a tree and sat down to eat her lunch. She thought about joining other girls but quickly expelled such unbecoming thoughts from her mind.
Quietly she ate her lunch and observed other kids having fun. Most of the boys were running around or fighting and most of the girls were talking and giggling. Hinata felt out of place among them. She felt like an adult watching over little kids. Looking around, she saw some movement near the windows of her class and she turned her attention there.
After a few seconds, she saw something yellow for just a second and then it was gone again. It reminded her of her new seat partner. That is, if he even is her seat partner – his seat is beside Uchiha, really.
Naruto was, surprisingly, quiet the whole time during the class. The whole time he was absorbed in something he was doing on his desk – it looked like he was scribbling something on a small piece of paper. He looked so lost in his work that she doubted he was even vaguely aware of his surroundings.
Only one time, minutes before the bell signalling lunch break rang, did Naruto look like he was going to say something. But he didn't. She also noticed some kids looking back at him a couple of times confusedly.
She didn't know, but they were also surprised at the blond's silence. It was very rare that Naruto would sit silently for the whole time, and given his non-stop rambling in the morning when he first saw the heiress, no one believed that he would have kept quiet for more than a few minutes let alone for four hours straight. If they were any older, they would have organized a betting pool on that – and everyone except Shikamaru would have lost.
Hinata didn't see anything else in the classroom, so she went back to looking at the kids. She didn't remember the time when she was allowed to act like that anymore.
Half an hour passed by like that and the bell rang, signalling that lunch break was over. All the kids went inside sluggishly and unwillingly, in a great contrast to how they ran out before, and Hinata followed them.
Everyone took their seats and waited for sensei to come. When Hinata got to her window side desk, she saw a small piece of paper on her chair. She picked it up and noticed something was written on the other side.
Don't sit anywhere else.
She frowned and looked at the empty seat beside her. Nonetheless, she took the same seat and a few moments later a white-haired man entered the class. He introduced himself as Mizuki-sensei and started revising about the hundred shinobi rules. Naruto still wasn't back in the class, but no one seemed to bother.
He was at Rule #08: A shinobi must follow their commander's instructions, when a water balloon fell on him. Being a chunin, he quickly sidestepped but one of his forearms still got splashed with water.
As one, everyone looked above at the ceiling but there was nothing to see – it looked like any other ordinary ceiling. But then another balloon fell down followed by another and another. Within moments everyone in the class was being assaulted by water balloons – some filled with water, some with coloured water and a few with paint. Some of them were dodged but most of them still found a target to wet.
By the time it was over (after six minutes), all the students were soaked with water and paint. Even Mizuki-sensei was splashed here and there.
It took them a few minutes to pull themselves together and give the now-colourful classroom a once-over. Mizuki-sensei yelled out a very pissed off, "UZUMAKI!"
Even though he is nowhere near the Academy.
Then they noticed that Hinata was the only one in the classroom without a drop of liquid on her. Being more focused on dodging the balloon themselves, no one had any idea of the condition of anyone else. Hinata was the only one who had the barest idea about how she was spared. She had seen a number of balloons come at her too, and she was very much prepared to dodge them, but they never reached her. She watched dumbly as each and every balloon aimed at her vanished when it came within one foot of her. No matter from which direction they came from, they just disappeared one foot from her. Like there was a wall there. Hinata tried to feel if anything was there but her hands only felt air.
No one else noticed it. Students assumed that Naruto had enough braincells to know where to draw a line. Mizuki-sensei assumed Hinata knew the Rotation – it wouldn't need much power to avoid the balloons and he sensed some chakra from her direction, anyway.
And everyone knew it was Naruto who did it, no questions asked. Even if no one had seen him since the lunch break started. Even if there wasn't a trace of him anywhere in the classroom – or on the ceiling.
Hinata was once again reminded that there was a reason that he had an 'apprehend on sight' order on him.
She decided she would heed the warning in the note and wouldn't change her seat if she got the chance to.
It didn't take her very long to see that reason and appreciate the warning.
…
The rest of the year went by pretty normally – if Hinata's first day in Academy was setting any bar.
There were Iruka-sensei's lessons (which she half paid attention to), Mizuki-sensei's lessons (which she started turning deaf ear to, the man's special treatment to her was horribly obvious and irritating), taijutsu lessons (which she aced every time), target practice (in which she was tied with Uchiha), ninjutsu training (which she had to start from scratch because she wasn't trained in anything other than her family ninjutsu), quizzes and tests (which she breezed through).
She got to know other kids, too. Sasuke Uchiha, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka. Ino introduced her to her friend Sakura Haruno. They were both… very loud, especially when they were talking about (or talking to, or watching, or gushing over, or thinking about, or daydreaming about, or fighting over, or practically doing anything remotely related to) Sasuke Uchiha. Hinata had talked to all of them occasionally. Enough that she could call them acquaintances but nothing more.
Naruto came to school barely more than half the times (she got the impression that it was still better than the past years). Even then he slept through a third of the classes he did attend. Sometimes he sat with her, sometimes with Uchiha. Though, he was sent back to his original seat beside Uchiha most of the times he sat beside her because he just can't shut his mouth. There were pranks at least once a month, at most four times a month. Hinata noticed that four or so months after she joined the Academy, the pranks started including ninjutsu elements – wind, water, fire, lightning, earth. They didn't get to her most of the time – and when they did, she was almost always able to dodge whatever it was.
Hinata would have felt like he was showing her that she would be at his mercy were those pranks even remotely harmful – if it was anyone other than Naruto.
He still fell short in taijutsu, Clone Jutsu and flunked pretty much every test or quiz. Though he was decent in target practice and Substitution Jutsu and excellent in Transformation Jutsu.
In just two months, Hinata was perplexed at how someone unable to master the most basic jutsus and the dead last of the class can set up such mind-boggling pranks and play the Hyuga Police for years like they were mere inconveniences.
She saw it herself when one day he was sitting beside her in the class, chatting quietly, hiding his mouth behind a book he had stood on his desk, (Hinata would never admit to anyone that her focus was more on his useless chatter than Mizuki-sensei's lesson) when a squad from the Hyuga Police came in to arrest Naruto. They asked him if he knew about the disappearance of half a quintal of gun powder from a shop in the Uchiha district. He innocently denied. They asked him a few more questions and he answered all of them before they pulled out an arrest warrant. She saw him frown before he got up and asked to see the warrant.
To her surprise, instead of complying, he said something – neither she nor any other student heard it but the police squad certainly did – and handed the warrant back to them.
He started walking back to his seat when Mizuki-sensei stopped him, "What do you mean you are not going? You don't have a choice, Naruto."
Naruto looked at sensei, then at the police squad (she didn't see his raised eyebrow) and then at her. Hinata could have sworn she saw him smirk as he turned towards the squad again and said, "It's fake."
Once again, Hinata was surprised. He can recognize an original document?
It wasn't an open secret in the Police Department. Only the General (her uncle, Neji's father), the Commanders and a few Captains knew. Hinata was supposed to know after she made it to chunin.
Words tumbled out of her mouth before she realized, "How do you know that? Can I see it?"
Naruto looked at her for a moment, then shrugged and went back to the Squad Leader, holding his hand out for the warrant. He was looking at Hinata and hesitantly gave it to Naruto, "As you wish, Hinata-sama."
When Naruto brought her the warrant, she couldn't see a single thing out of place. She frowned and turned towards Naruto, "How do you know it isn't original, Uzumaki-san?"
Naruto looked at her weirdly, "You don't see it?"
It only confused her more, "See what?"
No one noticed the relieved breath the Squad Leader released.
Naruto finally realized that she didn't know how to identify an original document. He grinned and she saw his eyes twinkle in mirth, "Maybe I'll tell you someday, Princess."
It was then that Hinata realized that everything she knew about him was either what he had told her himself or some prejudiced rumour she had heard about him (there were lots of them).
The Squad Leader saw a chance and took it, "You don't have proof for the document's invalidity, Uzumaki. You have to come with us unless you can give us the proof."
Naruto just looked vaguely amused, "Really? I guess you are new, aren't you?"
It was supposed to be a rhetorical question, but the tightening of the man's jaw and the slightest scowl if his lips were answer enough.
"Look, buddy, you don't play this game with me, y'know," Naruto continued. "I told you I wasn't anywhere near the Uchiha district yesterday. I have the warrant right now. If I go with you, it stays with me. And even your rookie ass would know that I can create a big enough scene that your Level #6 boss would be forced to get off his ass to get me. And guess what I'd do when he catches me? You don't want him hunting your ass, do you?"
The police squad left pretty soon after that – without Naruto.
Naruto took his seat beside her and just as Mizuki-sensei's class was over, she had to ask, "Level #6 boss?"
Naruto grinned that foxy grin of his (Hinata have come to know that it meant he was delighted) and explained, "So, see here, Princess. I'm sure you would know but there are these seven ranks in the Hyuga Police. So, I didn't know the what the ranks were called back then, y'know. I decided I would just call them by Levels. So, the first one, Level #1 are the rookies, idiots if you ask me…" and he rambled on and on.
This happened two more times. Those times the warrants were original and Naruto went with them. He never got punished for whatever he did which got him arrested in the first place.
Seven months after she had joined the Academy, when a Police squad came to arrest Naruto just minutes after he sat beside her and interrogated him just as they did the first time, Naruto went with them when he checked the warrant.
He was back before lunch break. He chatted like usual and never once said a single word that would out him for his pranks, like usual. He was always lost in his rambling but never too lost.
That was the day her curiosity snapped and she decided she would check his files in the Head Quarters.
She requested her escort, Koh, to take her to the HQ and asked her uncle, the General of the Hyuga Police, to allow her to visit the Archives. They had all the background information about all the citizens of the village – and the records of their interactions with the Police. The records of most of the shinobis were there, too. Only those who had their entries in the Bingo Books, or those too high-profile didn't have their background information there – their records were in the ANBU Head Quarters.
She quickly found out Naruto's file. It was thicker than most of the other files because of (she assumed correctly) his interactions with the Police. While that wasn't uncommon for most of the shinobis, (many high-profile shinobis had their files as thick as Naruto's – interactions with Police are still kept here, no matter how high-profile you are) Naruto's file was almost as thick as any of the Sannin's (two of them being the bane of the Police before they disbanded, while the third was the bane of ANBU). And Naruto was still just an Academy student.
His interactions with Police started from when he would have been three-something years old and grew exponentially each year. Looking at all those charges – most of them falsified later due to lack of evidence – Hinata realized why he was considered the new bane of the Hyuga Police. Those that were proved – last of them was when he would have been around seven, and some ten or so in a row when he would have been around nine – only had him detained for a few hours, fifteen at most.
What could you do to a five-year-old kid who's biggest (proved) crime was minor vandalism?
Falsified charges included but were not limited to harassment, breaking-and-entering, robbery, vandalism, identity theft. She couldn't even tell which ones were correctly falsified and which ones were not.
After half an hour, Hinata realized that she was getting side-tracked by all the crimes he either did or was framed for. She quickly turned to the first page to read Naruto's background information.
Except there wasn't any.
All that was written there was his name, year of birth and address.
No other record was there – not parents' name, not any known relatives, not his clan, not his orphanages, not education, not blood group, not hospital records. Hell, not even his date of birth was mentioned.
She also noticed there were no other Uzumakis in the Archives.
She got out of the Archives and contemplated if she could ask her father or uncle about him. They would definitely know something. But before that, she decided to ask Koh about it.
"Forgive me, Hinata-sama, but that is confidential."
Even his birth date is confidential. And she knew if Koh won't tell her, then neither would her father or uncle.
That night her father forbade her from accessing the Archives. If she wanted to know something, she can ask him. It was left unsaid that she won't be getting any answers if she asked about Uzumaki.
Well, guess it's true. Curiosity killed the cat.
The next day she asked Naruto himself what his birth date was. It was what intrigued her the most. Date of birth was rarely significant enough to be confidential. Even the files of shinobi who were in Bingo Books had at least name and date of birth mentioned (and parents' name if it was common knowledge).
"October tenth, why?"
That's the day of the Kyuubi Festival.
She didn't answer. Just thought it over. But she never got enough pieces to complete the puzzle.
…
The year passed and never once did Hinata gave in to her desires of hanging around with other kids in her class. She kept up her superior image of the Hyuga Clan's heiress perfectly. She got to know the heirs and heiresses of other Clans just enough to call them acquaintances, as was expected of her. She did nicely in her classes and mastered the three academy ninjutsus easily (she also practiced the academy taijutsu but didn't tell Father).
She woke up on time when the Graduation Day finally came. Did her morning Gentle Fist training with Father. Went to school with Koh. Sat on her usual seat.
They were given written tests for the first part of the exam. She finished most of it easily enough. Then they were given a break and after that was the ninjutsu test. Taijutsu and target practice, they were told, were graded through their performances during the previous week.
They all went to the school grounds to show their Substitution Jutsu to Mizuki-sensei. All of the students pulled it off passably. Then they were in the classroom again, standing in a single file facing Iruka-sensei. One-by-one all of them transformed into a perfect copy of Iruka-sensei and went back into their seats. Hinata watched the routine from her seat after her turn was over. It was just the same – left, "Transform!", poof, Iruka-sensei, poof, turn around, left, "Transform!", poof – until –
There was a naked girl standing in the place where next Iruka-sensei should be. All Hinata could see from her seat in the back were two yellow pigtails, slender shoulders and arms, pale and smooth back, small waist and long, lean legs. Smoke was covering the rest, more in front. She didn't need to think twice to know whose turn it was.
A few of the kids sitting in front of her sputtered – in embarrassment, in anger, in awe – and blood rushed out of Iruka-sensei's nose and he fell back and knocked himself out.
Naruto undid the jutsu and started laughing, clutching his stomach and dodged Ino's punch thoughtlessly – he expected it. A couple of kids snickered, too. Though they quieted down in a couple of minutes; they didn't see the whole show, after all. Naruto took a lot more time, and even then he was still chuckling every now and then, mumbling something in between.
It took about ten minutes for sensei to regain consciousness. Everybody except Naruto pretended that the last ten minutes didn't happen, and Naruto transformed again –
Into the same girl, with shorter, paler hair (and something else on the front, from the way sensei's eyes didn't move from her(?) chest). This time blood rushed out a bit slower and sensei just swayed instead of passing out.
"C-cut it out Naruto," he scolded weakly (half-heartedly?).
But Naruto did dispel the jutsu, and started cackling like a maniac when he saw sensei taking support from the teacher's desk to stand upright.
"How many times are you going to do that, Naruto?" Iruka-sensei asked when his voice strengthened enough to keep the little dignity he had left.
"As many times as you are going to fall for that, pervy-sensei," Naruto laughed harder.
"Naruto, I want a perfect transformation, or every one of you is going to have to give a retest," Iruka-sensei said sternly.
A chorus of "What!", "Oh, come on!", "Why us, too!?" came from the students that had already passed their tests and were now seated.
"But Iruka-sensei, my transformation was perfect," Naruto (fake) whined.
Technically, it was perfect. More perfect than what any girl is okay with.
"Naruto, I want a perfectly clothed transformation, or every one of you is going to have to give a retest," Iruka-sensei clarified.
"Fine, fine," Naruto grumbled moodily and made the hand sign for the jutsu.
After a poof, there was a perfect copy of the Third Hokage. Iruka-sensei nodded and Naruto cancelled the jutsu.
He came back and flopped down on the seat beside her, complaining, "Man, he is such a prude. Like I don't know how much he loves that jutsu. And did you see how awesome it was? It's my own jutsu. The Sexy Jutsu. Cool, huh?"
Naruto turned to look at her and grinned cheerily.
Hinata ignored it and asked what she really wanted to know since the moment she saw his first transformation, "How did you know that much details about a female body?"
Because even if she didn't see the front, she could guess one wouldn't get a reaction as… extreme as Iruka-sensei's by a half-assed transformation. Seeing the backside was enough, anyway.
Naruto instantly turned pale and panicky – like he just realized something.
"Uh, I think I forgot something," he muttered while looking around – obviously trying to find some excuse – and something caught his eye. "Sasuke! Oh yeah, I had some… something to ask him. So, uh, I think I will sit beside him today. Bye." He half-ran to his original seat and plopped down on it like he just came from a marathon.
He said something to Sasuke to which the latter obviously snarked back.
Hinata sighed. She can't get anything out of him if he doesn't want to.
A few minutes later the test was done. They had a ten minutes break before the last test – Clone Jutsu.
Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei were seated in another room, and they were called one by one inside. When Hinata's turn came, she went in and was told to make at least three clonesof herself. She made eight – and passed with flying colours in every test. Iruka-sensei gave her a headband and asked her to go out before calling the next kid. She followed other students into the school grounds, where those who passed were celebrating and boasting and playing and laughing and she stood aside and waited for Koh to come so she could go home and tell Father.
More than half an hour later, Naruto came out, oddly subdued, and went straight to the swing on the furthest end of the grounds. He didn't raise his head once.
He didn't have the headband with him, either.
Fifteen minutes later everyone was out and celebrating as their parents came to pick them up. Hinata saw some of them sending rude and disgusted and smug looks to Naruto.
Koh finally arrived and Hinata moved to follow, watching as Mizuki-sensei approached Naruto and he raised his head for the first time since he got out.
She never realized that she was watching him the whole time.