Chapter 2 : Consequences.
"Dialogues"
'Thoughts/faint voices'
Two days after the fight, Konoha hospital.
Eyes fluttered open, a sterile white ceiling came into focus. He lay there, taking in his surroundings, the stark realization setting in—he was in a hospital.
"Doctor, he's awake," a nearby nurse called out, her voice carrying across the room to where Sasuke lay. A sudden movement sent a sharp pain through his right arm and chest, causing him to wince.
"Easy there, Sasuke-san," the nurse said with a gentle firmness, approaching his bedside. "Your arm and chest has suffered some serious injury, and it's best not to move it just yet." She attached two syringes to his IV line.
"These are the finest painkillers and healing serums we have in Konoha," she explained, offering a reassuring smile. "They'll help ease the pain and speed up your recovery. You'll be back on your feet before you know it," she promised, before stepping away to attend to her other duties.
After a deep breath, Sasuke's body relaxed, and he gently back into sleep.
Next day – Hospital
Sasuke's eyes slowly open to find Sakura seated close by. A closer look revealed several familiar faces in the vicinity, including Ino. He remembered her not out of friendship, but because she was just as irritating as Sakura—perhaps slightly more attractive, but no less vexing.
Others occupants of the room were Ino's teammates 'Shikamaru and Choji?' Thought Sasuke trying to remember their names.
"Sasuke-kun!" both Sakura and Ino exclaimed in unison, rushing to his side as he stirred awake. Sasuke's ears caught the faint mutter of 'Troublesome' from one of Ino's squads members.
Ino, with a pointed finger and a taunting tone, accused Sakura, "I always knew you were a bad omen, Forehead Girl. Just look what's happened to him a mere day with you" She stepped closer to Sasuke, intent on embracing him, but Sasuke recoiled.
Sakura, quick to react, shoved Ino away. "Back off, Ino-pig! This happened because Sasuke-kun had the bad luck of seeing your hideous face on last day of academy." The tension between them was palpable, with sparks flying from their eyes. One of Ino's teammates nearly face palmed at the spectacle, thinking to himself, 'They never miss a chance to embarrass themselves. What a drag,' though he lacked the courage to voice his thoughts aloud.
"Shikamaru, that Naruto guy really did a number on Sasuke, huh?" whispered one of Ino's teammates to another, the former munching on chips, his frame slightly larger.
"Indeed, Sasuke is the top combatant in our class. To beat him so easily is no small feat," Shikamaru responded, his gaze fixed on Sasuke, who was caught between Sakura and Ino's quarrel. "I've also heard that Uzumaki was completely unscathed when they took him into custody," he divulged.
"Damn, so that guy not only landed Sasuke here in the hospital but also came out without a scratch?" Choji remarked, crunching on a few more chips.
Without Shikamaru and Choji realizing, their hushed conversation was not entirely inaudible to Sasuke. He glanced towards Sakura, who was engaged in a heated exchange with Ino, and inquired, "What happened to Naruto after we fought?"
Upon the mention of 'Naruto,' Sakura's visage transformed into one of palpable ire. "He knocked me out right after you left his place," Sakura disclosed, the sting of Naruto's slap still lingering on her cheek. "I think he got caught by some higher ops shinobi after you passed out and is probably in prison," she added, her tone betraying a hint of solace at the prospect of not crossing paths with Naruto in the foreseeable future.
"Man, this Naruto guy seems like trouble," Ino commented, after catching a snippet of the conversation between Sakura and Sasuke. Then, with a sudden spark of curiosity, she inquired, "Tell me, Sakura, was he cute?"
Sakura whirled around to face Ino, giving her a look that bordered on disbelief. "Have you lost it, Ino-pig?" she retorted. It was as if their entire discussion had flown right over Ino's head. Ino, for her part, simply shrugged, nonplussed.
Responding to Ino's earlier question, Sakura said, "If you want know, he was as cute as a wild animal before it tears your face off"
"Ino, we're running late for our assignments," Sakura and Ino heard Shikamaru call out as he and his 'big boned' friend departed. "Have you already passed your Jonin-sensei's test?" Sakura asked Ino, astonished that Ino had managed to pass their Jonin teacher's test. Internally, she grumbled about Naruto, 'Damn you, Uzumaki.'
"Yep," Ino responded with a sly grin, aiming to rile Sakura. She then turned her attention to Sasuke, who seemed lost in thought. "Don't worry, Sasuke-kun, I'll come visit you again when I'm free," Ino remarked, taking pleasure in the annoyed expression that crossed Sakura's face. "I wouldn't want you to fall sick from constantly seeing Sakura's big forehead."
With that Ino quickly exited that hospital room, and Sakura could hear a faint 'wait for me, Shikamaru, Choji' Sakura then set near Sasuke thinking about future of her team.
Somewhere in Konoha, same day.
An elderly man with white hair and a beard, dressed in a white robe over a red, full-bodied suit, and a red hat adorned with the kanji for "fire," walked through a dimly lit corridor.
Sarutobi Hiruzen The Third Hokage of Konoha.
Two shinobi clad in standard attire and animal masks followed him, one with Washi(eagle) mask and other with Kuma(bear) mask.
The trio halted near a door, and the door guard bowed to the man in the red hat. "Hokage-sama," the guard addressed the elder with reverence.
"Is he here?" the old man inquired of the guard, who responded with a nod and opened the door for the Hokage to enter the interrogation chamber.
Inside, the Hokage observed a familiar figure restrained in a chair, his body adorned with multiple papers bearing various writings and symbols. The young man was shirtless, clad only in green cargo trousers marked with scorch stains.
"Greetings, Naruto," the elder said to the boy before him, his gaze tinged with disappointment.
"Hey, old man," Naruto retorted, not deigning to meet the elder's eyes. "Show some respect. That's Hokage-sama to you, brat," one of the Hokage's guards with Kuma mask snapped, his anger barely contained. "Address him properly, or else..."
"Or else what?" Naruto shot back, locking eyes with the shinobi who had challenged him.
In an instant, the guard materialized before Naruto and delivered a powerful kick to his face, sending him crashing into the wall and shattering the chair to pieces.
"That should answer your question," the guard remarked, looking down at the orange-haired youth he had just kicked.
Naruto rose slowly from the debris, fixing his gaze on the shinobi who had struck him. A smile played on his lips as he snapped the chains that bound him with sheer strength. "Or else what?" he challenged once more.
The other guard with Washi mask watched the unfolding scene with concern. "Hokage-sama, you must—" he began, but was silenced by a gesture from the village leader.
The infuriated the bear masked ANBU lunged at Naruto, sword drawn to deliver a lethal blow. "Matsuda, no!" the other guard shouted, trying to prevent his comrade from committing a grave mistake.
Naruto, anticipating the attack, closed the distance to the ANBU, evading the sword and preparing to strike. 'WHAT?' the guard exclaimed mentally, stunned by Naruto's swift manoeuvre.
With a resounding thwack, Naruto's fist connected with the shinobi's solar plexus, sending him soaring past the Hokage and the other shinobi to collide with the wall behind them with a heavy thud.
And so, the ANBU known as Matsuda collapsed to the ground, clutching his midsection and barely clinging to consciousness.
'Just one punch,' the ANBU beside the Hokage mused silently, observing his comrade's struggle for awareness, then shifting his gaze to Naruto, who stood unflinchingly. "Washi, take Kuma and leave," the Hokage commanded the eagle-masked ANBU. "And remember to use codenames next time, and inform Kuma that he is dismissed from ANBU" he added calmly.
Approaching Naruto as the eagle-masked ANBU tended to his fallen comrade, the leader of Konoha rubbed his temples, his eyes fixed on Naruto for a moment before...
SMACK*
The Hokage delivered a powerful slap to Naruto's left cheek. Remarkably, the boy didn't flinch from the impact.
"How much longer must I shield you, Naruto?" the Hokage questioned, his tone laced with frustration. "How much longer must I protect you from the consequences of your actions?" he continued, recalling many of Naruto's past misdeeds.
"What happened with Uchiha wasn't my fault," Naruto responded calmly, showing no sign of distress from the slap.
"Do you believe that was for what transpired with Sasuke?" the Hokage queried, his voice rising slightly. "It was for your actions towards the Haruno girl," he reminded Naruto.
"What I was supposed to do? She was in my way," Naruto argued, facing the Hokage with a belief that he was justified in striking Haruno Sakura.
"She was attempting to prevent you from further assaulting Uchiha Sasuke," the Hokage nearly shouted at the young man before him. "Mr. Takeda has already informed me that Sasuke was in no condition to continue fighting," the elder explained, endeavouring to make Naruto recognize his errors—a task at which he had been unsuccessful for years. "And that led to you setting fire to several shops, costs that the village will have to bear now."
"What?" exclaimed Naruto, taken aback. "It was Uchiha who fired that fireball at me; I was only defending myself," he asserted, countering the allegations laid against him.
"It was indeed your actions," the Hokage affirmed, addressing Naruto. "And do you know why? It's because nearly everyone present has testified against you," the village leader disclosed, confronting Naruto with the weight of the collective witness.
"Of course, the good ol' citizens of Konoha will leave no chance to screw me off," Naruto remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he observed the Hokage's expression shift to an inscrutable one.
"So what's next?" Naruto inquired, aiming for brevity and not wishing to squander any more of his or the Kage's time. "What I need to do this time to dig myself out?"
The Hokage replied, looking directly at the young man before him, "You will either serve time in prison or compensate for the havoc you've wreaked as a Shinobi of Konoha."
Naruto responded with a hint of anger, "You know very well that I don't want to be a Shinobi anymore" The mere thought of serving Konoha in such a capacity was repugnant to him, enough to make him feel nauseous.
"Prison it is then" declared the Kage, stating it as an undeniable fact, which only served to infuriate Naruto further.
"then I'll simply escape from prison and leave the village as well," Naruto threatened, his orange hair almost bristling with defiance as he faced the elder.
Sarutobi, meeting Naruto's gaze with equal intensity, inquired, "And where would you go, Naruto-kun? The moment word spreads, you'll be found in no time—by us, if you're fortunate."
"Make your decision wisely, my boy," said the village leader before turning to exit the interrogation chamber, leaving Naruto alone in the room to think about his next action.
Eight days later, Shinobi Hospital, Konoha.
Ten days had elapsed since his confrontation with Naruto, and Sasuke was methodically packing his belongings, preparing to leave the hospital following his discharge.
As he stepped through the sliding doors, he noticed Kakashi casually leaning against a wall in the corridor, engrossed in a book with an orange cover. Sasuke walked past him, feigning indifference, when Kakashi's voice halted him, "Good morning, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke paused mid-stride and pivoted to face Kakashi. "What do you want?" he demanded. It had been more than eight days since their attempt to recruit Naruto into their team had failed. Sasuke wondered, what could Kakashi possibly want with him now?
"I'm here to inform you to..," Kakashi stated, his gaze not leaving the book as a giggle escaped him now and then. "Meet me at our previously designated location tomorrow." Sasuke thought Kakashi's a odd guy as he departed to avoid Sakura's impending and invariably irritating arrival.
Next day, an unspecified training ground, 10.00 am.
Sakura's voice pierced the air, "You're late!" as she berated Kakashi. She and Sasuke had been waiting for nearly two hours. Her irritation stemmed more from hunger than the delay, as they had been instructed not to eat.
Kakashi greeted them nonchalantly, "Good morning, class," as he approached three tree stumps and set an alarm clock on the central one. "This alarm is set for noon," he announced.
He then presented two small bells, each tied to a slender string, to the two academy graduates. "Your task is to take these from me before the alarm sounds," he explained. Pointing to the stumps, he added, "Anyone who fails will be bound to a stump, and I'll eat my lunch in front of you."
As he displayed the bells once more, Kakashi noted, "However, there are not enough bells for everyone, so one of you will end up at that stump." He was about to elaborate when Sakura cut in.
"Sensei, there are only two of us and two bells," she said, puzzled.
Kakashi cast a glance over his shoulder and remarked, "Is that so?" He then gestured to someone concealed from sight, saying, "You may come out now." This left Sakura in a state of bewilderment, while Sasuke remained impassive to the abrupt appearance.
An orange-haired boy in black cargo pants and a jacket of orange and black landed a short distance from Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke.
Sakura, clearly irritated and somewhat scared, inquired, "Why Uzumaki is here?" Meanwhile, Sasuke's hand tightened into a fist upon discovering the identity of their unexpected team member.
( A/N : Naruto's outfit here is same as his Boruto the movie outfit, but the BTM jacket is replaced with Shippuden jacket.)
"I'm not too thrilled about joining your little group either, girl," Naruto replied promptly to Sakura, then added, "but I don't have much choice in the matter."
Sakura retorted to Naruto, "I have a name, you asshole!" Naruto muttered a barely audible 'whatever' in response. Then, turning to Kakashi, Sakura inquired, "Why he wasn't removed from the team after what he did?"
Kakashi answered calmly, "It was the Hokage's decision, Sakura. I have no say in this matter." It was an untruth, but it was not necessary for them to be aware of that.
Sakura turned to Sasuke to gauge his reaction to Naruto's arrival. She noticed a flicker of anger in Sasuke's eyes as he watched Naruto, but he restrained himself from acting on it. Breaking the his silence, Sasuke spoke, "Let's get this over with, Kakashi."
"Ah, yes, as I was about to say before being interrupted," Kakashi resumed, "one of you will undoubtedly fail to secure a bell and will be tied to one of those stumps over there. The one who fails will be sent back to the academy," he concluded, observing Sakura's frightened expression, Sasuke's stoic demeanour, and Naruto's eyes glowing an even deeper red, radiating chakra, signalling his anger. 'He is constantly influenced by the fox's chakra, intriguing,' Kakashi mused as he observed Naruto. Although not a sensor type, Kakashi could still feel the immense chakra Naruto possessed, as it emanated from his body and eyes, indicating Naruto's struggle to fully contain it, If Kakashi were to gauge, he would estimate Naruto's chakra reserves to be more than twentyfold his own.
"And finally, if you don't fight with all you have, then you're certain to fail," Kakashi declared, securing the bells onto his belt loop. Sakura felt an urge to protest, fearing the danger, but she held her tongue.
"Now, go!" The moment the command was issued, the three teenagers leaped away from him at a remarkable speed.
Thus began the renowned bell test.
End of the character 2
To be continued...