I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, I'm just a fan I enjoyed the anime but I love the fanfics, even more, they made me fall for the whole franchise. Whether I will have Oc's in the fic or not depends entirely on how the story goes.
Chapter 20
"Gatō-Sama, Zabuza is still under bed rest!" A Random goon said as he quickly followed after his employer down the halls of a mansion. His employer was a man of small physical stature with a height of 5 feet 3 inches, Gatō has shaggy brown hair and sports a pair of small, circular black glasses. He wears a black suit with a purple tie, a yellow shirt underneath his coat, and closed-toed shoes.
"I don't care if he's in his dying bed, with the money I am spending on him he had better miraculously become a spring rabbit." Gatō growled out in anger as he reached the door to the room in which Zabuza resided and kicked it with his little stubby leg. The door barely budged.
"Open this door you hood rat, I don't pay you to stand around thinking your fucking hot!" Gatō bellows and the goon to his side immediately reached for the door nob and opened it, only to drop dead with a massive cleaver-like sword buried in his chest.
"Holy shit Holy shit!!!" Gatō wrinkled the fabric of his coat in his fist right above his erratic heartbeat as he stepped away from the dead body with eyes wide in shock.
"Ah Gatō-San, if it isn't my least favored employer, how may I be of service?" Gatō looked up at the person coming out the door and his heart rate increased even more, the man was a monster, but that was why Gatō hired him.
Zabuza had an imposing body standing at an easy 6 feet and was a noticeably muscular man with light grayish skin, short spiky black hair, dark brown eyes, and small eyebrows. He wore bandages like a mask over the bottom half of his face. Under his mask, he had a narrow jawline and jagged teeth. He wore his Hitai-ate sideways on his head.
He stood shirtless, with his chest only covered by a belt, wearing baggy pants with the striped pattern typical of Kirigakure and mimetic wrist-warmers extending up to his elbows, with matching leg-warmers, Gatō had one observation that stuck out the most to him, Zabuza looked like shit and that detail alone was enough for Gatō to lose some of his fear.
"Why do I hear the bridge has begun construction again?" Gatō asked his hired help with a raised brow. "I remember you telling me the bridge builder would be dead by this time today, you let him reach Konoha just for the hell of it because you wanted to kill some tree huggers but look at you Momochi burned, bruised, battered, and now you come to my home lock yourself In a room and lick your wounds like a little slut," Gatō ranted out like a champ if anything he was stupid enough not to know when to shut up.
"Don't run your tongue so freely in my presence Gatō, we might need each other now but I could still skin you alive when we both get what we want from each other." Zabuza threatened before yanking his blade kubikiribōchō out of the corpse on the floor to emphasize what he meant.
"J-just kill that bridge builder or I'll hire someone who can, then I'll make sure the only people who will hire you are backwater civilians." Gatō made his threat which would suit his 'skill sets.' Zabuza took it seriously, he would kill the man before he could drag his good name into the dirt.
Zabuza watched as Gatō scurried away he might have been acting tough but Zabuza knew better, all these businessmen were good actors like politicians, and the one character they all exceeded in acting like was a tough one.
Zabuza stared down at the body in front of his door and wondered why he killed the man, he was probably just in a bad mood. So picking up the body with one hand Zabuza looked for a widow and found one in his room behind a closed curtain. He walked over to it, blood from his victim dripping on the expensive mat on the floor, he reached the window opened it and put the man through then let him go.
Zabuza returned to bed and wondered how he could get a message to some of his old associates willing to get involved.
"What is taking Haku so long with those herbs?" Zabuza grumbled rubbing a patch of burnt skin on his forehead that just so happened to deepen his already deep hairline. "I'm gonna enjoy killing that Uchiha." Zabuza grinned with unbridled anger.
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"WAKE UP."
Naruto shot up from his position on the ground and grabbed the hand that was inching closer to him, he applied pressure until he heard a wince. He looked up expecting to see some dangerous enemy who could sound as deadly as the voice he heard, instead, he blinked.
"Woah.." Naruto was speechless he found one of the most beautiful girls he had ever since kneeling next to him with a pained expression on her beautiful face, and he realized why that was so he immediately let go of her hand and began apologizing.
"Sorry about that miss, I'm uh, a bit jumpy when I wake up."Naruto explained as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment releasing a nervous chuckle.
"It's okay, I startled you ." The beautiful girl replied easily as she rubbed her sore wrist a little. "What are you doing out here anyway, did you do all this?" The older girl asked throwing her hand out to indicate the clearing they were in. Naruto in confusion looked around and gaped at what he saw.
"Woah…"For the second time that morning Naruto was speechless, the clearing looked like it had a date with a force of nature, only for its partner unforeseen circumstances to show up and attack the force of nature with it caught in the middle.
There was a 50-yard crater that Naruto was laying at the epicenter of, he couldn't remember doing that the trees were all either fallen, bent over leaning away from the impact zone, or flung a good 60 yards away.
"I think so." Naruto said looking so confused the girl actually looked worried.
"did you knock your head and lose your memory?" he asked seriously and Naruto looked her over in shock.
"Where do you even pull out such a scenario from? of course not!" Naruto exclaimed in shock and disbelief. That was one of the weirdest questions he had ever been asked.
"By the way I'm Haku." The girl greeted in a friendly manner and a smile presenting her hand to Naruto who smiled and took it giving it a firm shake.
"Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto said loud and clear of course because if there's one thing he takes pride in it's his name, that name would go far and would gain worldwide recognition if he had anything to say about it and it just so happens he did, wasn't that just awesome?
"Uzumaki, I've heard that name before." The pretty girl said and Naruto's eyes widened.
"You know of another Uzumaki?!" Naruto had launched himself up and placed his hands on the girl's shoulders "You have got to tell me where they are you know."Naruto asked in excitement he did notice Haku tense at the sudden movement and a hand go to the back of her kimono.
"Sorry, Naruto-Kun but I just realized it was in a book I read a few weeks ago." Haku told him and Naruto's excitement died as he sighed. "I read they were all wiped out I'm sorry for your loss." Haku adds she knew what that felt like, being the last of your people it was a lonely feeling.
"It's okay, I didn't know them any way I just thought never mind." Naruto balled his fists and looked around at the clearing again seeing the destruction he somehow caused.
'Why am I here anyway?' Naruto wondered as he had to concentrate to recall the memories of the previous day and when it clicked he wished he would forget again. His heart clenched and his fist balled.
"Sasuke." Naruto growled out in anger and Haku had to back off, the killing intent he was witnessing was too potent and mixed with the damage he could see in the clearing Haku felt overwhelmed.
'Is this the kind of genin Konoha produces straight out of the academy?' Haku seeing all this only came to one conclusion they were all monsters she saw what the genins sensei did to Zabuza it was brutal.
"Are you okay Naruto-Kun?" At Haku's question, Naruto blinked and Haku noticed the intent to kill vanished so quickly he would have thought he imagined it if not for the fact his hands were shaking in fear.
"Ahh, Haku-Chan sorry did you say something?" Naruto asked the hyoton user in confusion and Haku did a double take, was the blonde boy releasing killing intent so potent without his knowledge, what if he decided to tame it and target it at someone? A lesser man would froth from the mouth.
"No, no it's fine Naruto-Kun." Haku said trying to play it off as nothing while inside he was already plotting ways to take down the blonde when they met again.
"Great. Sorry if I scared you there I was lost in thought." Naruto explained with no knowledge of the fear he had induced In Haku. "Why are you out here anyway?" Naruto asked who he thought to be a girl and Haku let realization dawn on his face as he remembered why he was out there in the first place.
"Ohh no, I completely forgot I was here to pick up some medicinal herbs." he said then looked around the clearing and playfully glared at Naruto. "Ou I was told this area had them in abundance," Haku told the boy and Naruto looked around the clearing himself before shrugging.
"I was here first so I don't have to explain myself." He easily said not even embarrassed by the act of destroying 450 square roots of woodland.
"Will you help me find some herbs if you don't mind." Haku asked and Naruto accepted not feeling up to returning home to see Duncan Mac Duckass or Hinata, he still couldn't believe they had been kissing.
'Why does it hurt so much?' Naruto wondered as he and Haku made their way deeper into the woods.
Naruto walked behind her and began noticing things like the fluidity of her walk, her clothes, and the fact she was out here in the woods alone it meant she wasn't a noble and a civilian would never spend years trying to better the way they moved.
She must have been a shinobi, it would explain the way she reacted to his sudden movements back in the clearing she reached behind her like she wanted to take something and the way her muscles coiled, it was like she was ready to launch at any given moment.
He looked at her closer she wore her long hair loosely, and wore a pink, sleeveless kimono, with pale red edges decorated with small plum-colored swirls, that went to her ankles. Around her waist was a simple white obi tied in a bow, and she wore a pair of light brown sandals with dark straps. She also wore a dark-colored choker around her neck.
All in all, she was a pretty girl Naruto thought but he wasn't about to trust a complete stranger even if they gave him their backs.
"Hey Haku-Chan who are the herbs for?" Naruto asked watching closely at her body language and was rewarded by seeing Haku freeze up for a second at the question she was hiding something.
"My adoptive father is sick, I'm hoping to help him get better." She replied smoothly as she bent over to inspect a certain plant. Naruto tried to recall his conversations with Ino about flowers and each of their purposes but he couldn't recall a single thing about healing herbs the girl was being suspicious Naruto didn't like suspicious people.
"Why do you fight Naruto-Kun?" Naruto's thought process abruptly stopped as he looked over to Haku who was now looking up at him with a small smile.
"Oh uh, what do you mean?" Naruto asked as he was at a loss.
"You are a shinobi right? with the headband protector on your head and the way you reshaped that clearing over there you must be very strong, I was wondering why you fight." Haku explained smiling softly and patiently at the blonde jinchuriki.
"I guess I fight to accomplish something, to achieve my goals." Naruto told Haku and 'he' smiled.
"It's a good source of strength Naruto-Kun to let your ambitions drive you, but I believe when you fight for others that is when you are truly strong." Haku said with a smile and Naruto couldn't help but think it was a nice way of thinking, naive but nice.
"Do you have anybody precious to you Naruto-Kun? My adoptive father is my precious person that's why I'm out here collecting these herbs." Naruto at that question had one face pop into his mind of a girl munching on cinnamon rolls and he smiled.
"Yeah, I do." He said softly and Haku noticed the smile as he got closer and smirked at Naruto wiggling his eyebrows at him.
"Your girlfriend mmm?" Haku teased and Naruto blushed but just when he was gonna deny it another image popped into his mind of a girl with teal-colored eyes and platinum blond hair smiling at him with a pearl pendant resting around her neck and Naruto felt like a bum.
'Shit this whole trip I hadn't even thought of Ino once, I'm a terrible boyfriend, what time is it ,what time is it?' Naruto's mind was running a mile per hour. 'My team is probably looking for me as well worried sick oh shit Hinata! even if she and Sasuke are dating, she would be worried sick about me.' Naruto was now a ball of random movements head swinging left and right his legs going up and down running in the spot.
"Don't be shy Naruto-Kun, you can tell me just between us guys." Haku read Naruto's movements wrong thinking he was shy to admit he had a girlfriend but after finishing his sentence Naruto froze head looking to the right, his left leg raised and bent at a 90-degree angle like a sprinter frozen in time.
"Us. guys?" Naruto finally asked looking so humbled Sasuke would wanna have a picture and place it in his room, at Haku's nod Naruto sat down on the grass and began recounting his sexuality and preferences in girls.
'Long legs, thick thighs with a little muscle but not too much, wide hips, big breasts, pretty smile, pretty face, a firm backside, and nice toes.' Naruto nodded it was confirmed he liked girls there was nothing 'manly' in that list of his.
"You're a guy?" He asked again standing up and Haku nodded with a smile. "Cool." Naruto outstretched a hand and Haku took it. "Nice to meet you Haku who is not a girl." He said with a nervous chuckle and Haku laughed at his awkwardness.
After the awkward revelation, Naruto wished Haku luck on finding the herbs and sent his wishes to the 'boy's' adoptive father and jumped away hoping to find his way back starting from the clearing he had awoken up in but on his way back he left a clone behind that turned into a bird and flew back to where Haku had been, what could he say it was the life of a ninja.
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"Continue with your water walking exercise you two, I will guard Tazuna and my clone will go out to check for Naruto if he doesn't return we will send a missive to Konoha and start a search party." After his words, Itachi walked off with Tazuna and his clone disappeared in a flurry of leaves.
Sasuke looked over at Hinata as she dragged her feet to the lake and just walked over the surface. She wasn't even paying attention to what she did and after reaching the other side she sat down and brought her knees close looking straight ahead.
Sasuke closed and opened his fist a few times it had been balled the whole morning he needed to get the blood running through them again.
He walked up to the lake and placed his leg on top trying to copy the amount of chakra he saw Hinata use but his leg kept on dropping into the water he decided to remove a little chakra only to find the same result so he added more chakra and found his leg stand on the surface. He paid close attention to his legs and the flow he kept with his Sharingan.
On the other side of the lake Hinata was using her sensory ability to search for Naruto, she had woken up with a heavy headache and she just wanted to see her friend. She didn't care how she could feel the muscles behind her eyes pulsing in her head.
She closed her eyes and brought her face down to her knees the pain was getting worst but all she could think about was her friend and then she got mad at Sasuke, only to get mad at herself and then mad at Naruto for just running off it was infuriating, it made her head hurt more.
"Naruto-Kun?" Hinata whispered with wide eyes as she jumped to her feet she could sense him but it felt like he was going around in circles, was he lost Hinata wondered then she felt him stop, then birds flew away from the area he was in.
Hinata, despite her pounding headache, giggled she could guess why the birds were frightened. She immediately began dashing at him her heartbeat increasing in anticipation that he was just standing around probably scratching his mane of hair in thought.
Hinata broke through the foliage of trees and Naruto turned around in shock thinking he was getting attacked and he was, just not the way he would have expected as Hinata jumped on him like a missile. He fell back hitting his head against a tree trunk, his hands flying to the spot on instinct to rub it.
"Ouch ouch ouch." Naruto kept repeating as he rubbed his head in pain.
"N-Naruto-Kun." Naruto froze at the voice it was Hinata and she was sitting on his lap while he sat against a tree. "W-where have you been?" She asked, her voice soft and hoarse like it had been crying and Naruto didn't need to be told she was worried for him.
Naruto reached out to Hinata's face but when he got close he remembered what he had seen and his heart did a backflip only not to land it.
"I'm sorry I worried you, I just needed time to think," Naruto explained wishing Hinata would not question him on why he ran away while his hands returned to his side.
"Why did you run away Naruto-Kun?" She asked and Naruto sighed cursing anyone above who put him in this situation. Naruto wasn't going to lie to Hinata, he was just gonna tell her the truth and let it go.
"You remember our conversation on the rooftop?" Getting an affirmative nod Naruto spoke his mind and yet shut his heart. "I told you how I thought I was losing you, and when I saw you and Sasuke together I thought I did," Naruto said and Hinata looked at him like he was an idiot she raised a hand to smack him again and Naruto's eyes widened as he looked away and closed his eyes in anticipation.
Hinata looked at the blonde under her and sighed. She placed both hands on either side of his face and mushed it up bringing his head to her chest, upon feeling, not some hard slap but instead, two soft pillow-like mounds embracing his face Naruto opened his eyes and at realizing where his face was he blushed.
"Can you hear that Naruto-Kun, my heartbeat?" Naruto nodded against Hinata's chest, she was blushing hard, and that's why she had her arms wrapped around his head keeping him from looking up at her.
"I thank you for this heartbeat every day, Naruto-Kun whatever your fears are, they are unfounded, because this heart beats with you in mind and nobody else. Just like you fear losing me I fear losing you a hundred times more." Hinata said bringing her face to rest on top of his hair. "What more do I have to do to prove that to you, why has this week been such a rollercoaster of emotions do you not trust my loyalty to you Naruto-Kun?" At her question, Naruto brought his hands up and wrapped them around Hinata's waist as he hugged her tighter.
"But you and Sasuke I thought." Naruto began but he felt Hinata squeezing him deeper into her chest.
"There's nothing between me and Sasuke-Kun and there never will be, he will never understand me as you do and although you have Ino I will always love you Naruto-Kun," Naruto's eyes widened at the revelation while Hinata brought him so close he was for all intent and purposes suffocating.
"Your my knight in shining armor like in the princess gale movies s-so why does my knight want to bring me so much pain?" Hinata asked with a sob as she let her tears of pain fall on Naruto's hair.
"Hinata-Hime, I-I didn't know." Naruto said and Hinata released him letting him see her tear-stained face.
"And I never wanted you to know, but your stubbornness has only shown me it grows with time." Hinata said with a small giggle and a wince that came from a particularly strong pulse of pain in her head.
"Hinata-Chan, are you alright?" Naruto asked the girl on top of him worried and she smiled softly at him placing a hand on his cheek to rub at his whisker marks but Naruto noticed Hinata's palm felt warmer than natural. Naruto immediately placed the back of his palm against her cheek feeling how warm it was.
"Hime, your burning up let's get you back to the house." Naruto told her to which she nodded getting off him and she smiled when she felt Naruto take her hand in his bigger and rougher one, they began walking but before they were even ten feet away Hinata wobbled on her feet.
"Naruto-Kun I don't feel so, aghhhhhh!!!" Naruto watched in shock as Hinata gave a blood-curdling scream. "Agghhh…. Aghh … N-Naruto-Kun it hurt it …AGHHHHH!!" Naruto went down with Hinata in his arms as she spasmed and whimpered.
"Hinata! Hinata look at me are…..what is that."Naruto's eyes widened as Hinata's charcoal-colored eyes became pitch black and veins bulged in the corner of her eyes. With a final whimper, Hinata went limp.
"Hinata!!!" Naruto screamed in worry unknown to him Sharingan eyes were watching them all along one iris had 1 tomoe and the other one 2 tomoe.
Sasuke had his teeth bared, fists balled so hard it had turned white, the dobe was always in the way, he kept him down in the academy and now the one girl he liked, the dobe had to steal her from him.
'I'll kill him!" Sasuke thought with such conviction his Sharingan eyes sang in joy at the hate burning in his soul and blessed him with another tomoe.
"I'll fucking kill you Naruto Uzumaki," Sasuke whispered ominously. His Sharingan eyes spinning slow and hypnotically.
AN
ANOTHER CHAPTER DONE. But damn bro what the hell am I doing with the love triangle people will get killed for this...
Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry has finally reached a point I can say can get bloody and readers won't say it came out of nowhere...remember their first fight in the academy well after this that's gonna sound tame and romantic...
Next chapter Zabuza calls in a few favors , Naruto's clone following Haku will take matters into its own hands it is just an extension of Naruto...so it will always do what is in the originals best interest like how they threatened him when he was ignoring Hinata it was just his subconscious talking to him.
We met Gatō and Naruto has reconciled with Hinata...Hinata had to confess her feelings to Naruto to get through his thick skull and Sasuke heard everything... something is happening to Hinata and it seems painful...